Oryp

In line for Wildcat at Hershey, "This ride would be so much better if it were a stand-up coaster."

Ended up going today, and Skyrush was fantastic. I usually don't scream or yell on rides, but I couldn't help myself with the crazy airtime on this . Absolutely the most consistently thrilling and out-of-control ride I've been on. I'm still trying to decide where it ranks up with El Toro, Outlaw Run, Maverick, I305, Bizarro, MF, etc. Good company to be in, that's for sure. Hershey's got a winner, and it fits the park very well, and makes for a fantastic trio of Intamins (Fahrenheit was far better than I remember; the layout flows brilliantly and the slight rattle doesn't translate to a rough ride). Lightning Racer is just as good as it's always been, even now that I can compare it to some newer GCIs. Wildcat was running pretty well, and was mostly enjoyable except for a few spots. Some retracking should do the trick (now SFA just needs to buy some Millenium Flyers for Roar). Great Bear has a relatively tame layout, but still delivers a decent amount of power through the first three elements. The zero-g roll seemed to be taken at a pretty decent speed compared to the newer B&Ms. Having ridden Carolina Cobra, I actually came into the park slightly looking forward to Sidewinder for the first time ever. It didn't disappoint (too much). Loving the new trains on SDL, the park really breathed new life into the ride. I do wish they had splurged for the original paint job though, to really make it stand out from Great Bear. Storm Runner is perfect. The airtime that starts as you crest the hill after the immelmann and carries through the roll and first half of the flying snake dive is so unique and interesting. You're lifted out of your seat through the entire sequence, and I love it. One of my favorite moments on any ride. Oh and a shoutout to the best-run wild mouse around. That top section gets pretty crazy. If the rest of the park weren't so fantastic, I could ride Skyrush all day. Can't wait for that golf course expansion room to open up to see what the park can do.

SFA's event is pretty weak, except for their maze Backwood Bloodshed. Small groups walk along a narrow dirt path in the dark woods in the back of the park, and it's still one of the best mazes I've done anywhere simply because of the atmosphere. I believe it's an upcharge. They also have an indoor maze that was decent over by Roar, and the teacups are always a blast at Halloween. The rest is a bit bland, but they try (one of their "mazes" is basically a path in the park that's blocked off and has some obstacles, actors, and a fog machine or two). And the rides are open in the dark, which doesn't happen very often for SFA over the summer.

I haven't been to the park in 4 or 5 years, and may be going this weekend (probably Sunday). With Skyrush at the park now, what's the strategy for hitting the coasters?

Now that Giraffica is in Splashin Safari, aren't you allowed to wear swim suits? Back on topic, this will be great for the park. I don't see any issues with having two water parks in a metro area. I've always been a bit puzzled by the slides back in that corner of the park anyways.

I totally agree. I don't understand people complaining about used coasters. It allows the park to market "new" rides to the GP at a low cost, while sprucing up the coaster collection (which, if you think about it, is very diverse for the park's size: inverted, stand-up, flyer, launched, 2 woodies, spinning mouse). Hopefully they're saving up to spend a relatively large chunk of change on a new coaster (perhaps custom) in the future. A solid sit-down or new woodie would be great for the park. More water park expansions are always welcome as well . EDIT: I may take a day and just park myself on French Quarter Flyers. Good choice for a new flat, SFA. My favorite.

This looks like a perfect addition for Dorney, considering the popularity of the water park. Sad that Riptide Run has to go, as it's a lot of fun and always reminds me of Schlitterbahn. Excited to get back to the park eventually.

At first I thought the inline went through the second loop. Would've been cool. This looks good, I need to make it over to KI sometime.

The past two weeks, my family and I have basically been doing the tour in reverse, going from CP to SFFT. We were at Schlitterbahn and SFFT the same days as you guys! Would've been nice to bump into you and say hi. Looks like a great trip so far!

Just traveled halfway across the US (basically the TPR Midwest tour in reverse) through Missouri to Texas to ride all 3 RMCs, and the night before I left, the NTAG accident occurred. I only got to hit Outlaw Run, and even it went down before Moonlight Madness and didn't reopen the next day. It was so painful to be at SFOT and SFFT and look up at NTAG and IRat in stillness . I can't imagine the next time I'll be able to make it back to Texas to ride em.

Screamscape reported Battlestar Galactica as being down again for mechanical issues. Does anybody have any updates on the status of the ride or a general time frame for repoening? I'm visiting for the first and probably only time in two weeks, and I just had a trip to Texas to ride the RMCs, which are of course down. I don't know if I could handle this being closed as well.

Had a great day at the park for my first time. Probably won't be back for many years, so it's a bummer that NTAG's closed. One employee said that it would open sooner than expected but not today, but of course take that with a grain of salt. Skyscreamer was fantastic, especially at night. The park was pretty empty, with La Vibora having the longest line at about 20 minutes. Most things were a 1-3 train wait which, except for Batman, went very quickly. I have to say, B:TR has the absolute worst operations I have ever seen. A local said that the park has been a lot emptier ever since the accident, but as a visitor I wouldn't know how true this is. Overall a nice day at a great park! Hope NTAG opens back up for you guys soon. Oh a quick question: the operator kept saying that Runaway Mine Train is the first tubular steel coaster, but isn't it Matterhorn?

I'm headed down from St. Louis to Branson tomorrow for two days, then to Arlington for SFOT, then to Schlitterbahn NB, then to SFFT (planned this mostly to hit the three RMCs). Am I correct in assuming that there's basically no chance that either NTAG or iRat will open within the next week? Also, what is the best strategy for hitting everything in the park in one day?

Doh! I always think the best time to go in the park is after 6pm... or even 7.. but I know non-locals can't always do that. The park always dies down drastically after 8pm, and of course - the coasters are better and faster at night That's kinda cool to hear! Did you love Demon as well? It seems to be the black sheep of the bunch (and the mouse coasters...). Yeah I had to get down to St. Louis that night, so I couldn't stay too long. I didn't LOVE demon, but it was smoother than most Arrow loopers I've been on, and was satisfying for what it is. It was re-rideable at least. I do enjoy the Dark Knight coasters quite a bit, as I know what to expect and appreciate the effort. Ragin Cajun was my first Zamperla spinner, so I had fun. On another note, Whizzer was my 150th .

Six Flags Over Mid-America, now SFStL

I only stayed until about 6 last night, but got on everything with no problems. The park was fantastic, and I realized that it's the one of the only parks I've been to where I love every coaster. Viper Backwards was awesome, and much smoother than I expected. I enjoyed Raging Bull more than Apollo's Chariot, even with the massive amount of trimming on the first camelback. I wish I had time to spend in the water park, as it looks pretty good. Overall, a great day at a great park!

I planned a trip to Texas, partially to ride NTAG and IRat, but the accident happened the day before I left. Hope at least IRat opens back up before I get there next week. On a different note, I'm excited for my first visit to the park! Any tips for riding everything and eating near the park?

I'm sure it's been asked a bunch of time in this thread, but I'm headed to the park in a few minutes for the first time and really don't know anything about it in terms of logistics. What's the "plan" to get on the most rides (I should get in early with my gold pass), what are good places to get food both inside the park and nearby, how should crowds be on a Monday in July, and is the waterpark included?

Praying for those involved. Crazy day before I embark on my Midwest trip (including CP tomorrow and SFOT next week). STR was the only thing I haven't ridden other than Gatekeeper. Maybe this'll keep crowds a tad bit lighter tomorrow? One can hope, eh?

Just hearing about this now. What a day in the industry. Praying for all involved at both parks. Kinda crazy, because I'm headed out for CP in a few hours and will be at SFOT next week. The plan was to hit all 3 RMCs, but we'll see what happens. Safety is most important.

Thanks a lot for the reply, I appreciate it. I do plan on Maverick first, then moving up to the front through the day. Great tip about the water, I hate having to go up multiple times for water because of those tiny plastic cups. Also, we're hitting 7 parks in the next two weeks from Sandusky to San Antonio, so I'll just have to deal with the heat and drink lots of water. Thanks again .

^^Thanks, yeah that's what I suspected. ^I saw the forecast of morning storms, I'm hoping it keeps the crowds relatively light. Even if it is really crowded, maybe I'll be able to snag some post-storm rides when they reopen. Oh and one more question: I've only spent two days at the park in the past and have never actually used the back entrance. Is it open to anybody with regular tickets, and what is the parking situation back there?

Headed to the park tomorrow, and am worried about crowds. I haven't been there in three years, so I'm wondering if the "game plan" for riding the most coasters has changed with the addition of Gatekeeper. Should we still try to hit Maverick first thing, or does Gatekeeper take that spot?

Went to the park today mostly to ride Bonzai Pipelines, but it was down all day. The lifeguard said it went down about halfway through the day yesterday. I ended up riding Roar, Tornado, and ZoomAzon Falls over the course of a few hours. It was the most crowded I've ever seen; lines were pretty long for most things and I parked out in the farthest lot.

As _koppen said, they both have areas of expertise, and neither is really "better" than the other, per se. Both have positive and negative aspects. That said, I tend to favor ProSlide due to their more original and innovative ideas regarding slides. On the other hand, Whitewater is becoming more innovative with their 20' diameter sections and such. Also, I know this is about Proslide and Whitewater, but I'm predicting that Splashtacular will be a big name among them in the not-too-distant future. They've recently come out with some incredible designs such as their 360Rush, Double BowlsEye, and Bonzai Pipelines (or Down Under or whatever).