GayCoasterGuy

And will get 600-700 people through an hour... unless they surprise everyone with a double-loading station (not happening).

Revolution. It's still there, just need to remove a few things. *quickly runs out of the room*

Look at it this way; HW already has 3 super-intense coasters. This will fill in some of the gap between Holidog's coaster and the 3 woodies. Now if they could only get an newly produced Anton speed racer

^Maybe you just aren't used to the Whizzer? Some of the transitions are a little *wild* going in and coming out of turns (especially the one coming out of the ground level turn.) I've been riding the Whizzer since 1981 and I think it's running just as good if not better than it has ever run (operations aside, cough cough. What used to be an under-the-station 25/30 minute wait is now somehow over 90 minutes). The trains are regularly rehabbed... the track is that super-expensive, super-smart Anton flexing track with hinges all over. As for Demon and Eagle... both are temperamental. Demon is generally rougher just b/c it's an Arrow; the parts and wheels are changed out every couple years, so if you get a recently rehabbed train at the start of the season - you get a smooth ride. If not, you know what you get. 2nd to back seat is great as its slower going into the corks... but rough exiting the vertical loops. Pick your poison! Eagle, in top form, is a top 10 ride hands-down. Was a champ until about 1985 (when SF took over?) It ran smooth and nearly brakeless 2008-2010; then brakeless only during Fright Fest 2011/2012. Now it's back to rough and all brakes on all the time. I hope to god they don't RMC this... just fix it up here and there; maybe add some topper track to the helix, and let her fly! It's good to focus on the positive; I LOVE my home park so much... we have a great selection of coasters (especially Whizzer!) and we're very lucky to have so many of our original classic flat rides (note East River Crawler/Lobster is running better than it has in over 20 years due to a recent rehab and new motors; unfortunately, the ride cycle is very short.) But... the operations in the park are atrocious. Got there at 3pm to see some friends today and left at 5:30. The park was maxed out; the park sign said 2 things when I left "Park Crowded" and "Visit another Day!" Goliath had over a 3 hour line with 2-4 empty seats in some trains. Demon crew was trying to run 3 trains and the ride set up in brakes. We sat there for a while (on what was once an extra unload platform in the old days, when people could think) before maintenance got the ride back up. We were given free drink tickets. I skipped the 30 minute wait for a drink ("Sorry, we're out of ice"..."Sorry, we're out of Coke.") and ran for my car!

I would agree that PP will never come back, but it's fun to imagine things Parks do surprising things. I'm still surprised Holiday World went with a B&M. It looks like they are gonna pull it off very classy, too! I wouldn't expect any less!

This is interesting and a fun name! I vote to keep doing it! The "what ifs" keep it interesting around here... to a certain point anyway. Besides, parks sometimes actually do something that IS really interesting (but mostly in Europe.) The trees being kept around Thunderbird are certainly interesting, worthy of being called a "feature." (Nothing against Cedar Fair )

When Goliath at Great America opened to the public, they were filling every single seat and getting every single train out before the next one stopped on the brake run. It was a sight to behold! I couldn't believe the staff could or could figure out how to move that quick. It was feverish just watching them. But that type of operation didn't last long. They still have like 5 or 6 ride operators up there (including a supervisor) but every train stacks now (for up to two minutes). Even at that crazy pace, they only got a maximum of 802 riders in one hour? Ideally, one would pass the block coming into the brakes while another train goes over the lift seconds later. But you would need a double station and have a train "ready" to launch at all times... which would require more trains. From one point of view it's a lack of integrity coming down from the top; but their point of view might be "why bother hustling - we can sell more flash passes." I think there is that inner-struggle at Six Flags all the time. It's blinding how fast quality of operations can change from day to day. Some employees really want to do the best job possible, but give up when they know it's a losing battle. I would hope the new Colossus would have a better operation, but it's built to have slow lines. A double station (that is used) with 4 or 5 trains would have been perfect, but I know that WAY too much to ask for.

Don't worry... either way, you will be locked and stapled VERY tightly into place. I can confirm that from my rides on Goliath (which is getting 600-700 pph... their "record hour" was 802. That's what Colossus' capacity will be. Unless they have dual loading or something thoughtful. Yolo.)

Great pictures and report! I was at Conneaut for the first time this past August; Blue Streak immediately found a place in my top 10. I hope the park survives and flourishes in the future. That coaster is better than any new fancy-faux-wood-tallest-steepest anything out there. It's a REAL roller coaster.

Can we get this guy to hang out at our Six Flags parks? Swap "teenagers" with "any YOLOrific acting-out moron." (And the ones wearing too much AXE!)

Darn, that's my favorite ride there! Love Excalibur! Every been on a B&M coaster? My vote for coaster removal would be the Tooth Chipper (Time Warp) at Canada's Wonderland. So unique, too bad they can't make it much smoother. And it's neighbor, Flight Deck. I usually enjoy Vekoma SLCs, but something was wrong with this one. In the front seat no less! Why would they take out Sky Rider and leave these 2 torture devices in?

Here's your star attraction. The other one is on the edge of the park, is full of brakes and mis-maintained track, but sometimes still races... If you caught it on a good day in 2009, you would see why it used to be a top 10 coaster. They don't make em like they used to. 3,200' of track with a 70' lift.

^The park used to be open 10-10 through the entire month of August. Now look at the hours. Less hours open + same amount of people in a season = more crowded more days. A crude explanation, but that might be a part of what's going on.

A friend and I went to park Sunday night around 5pm. It was jam-packed, but people were leaving by droves in the next couple hours. Gone from Goliath (steeper doesn't mean better, huge surprise) was the speedy crew of a few weeks ago; every single train stacked and my buddy timed cycles at over 4 minutes (there were 6 employees up there, including a supervisor). I love my home park (especially some of our classic flats and coasters) but the operations are always so darn pathetic, aside from a rare burst of awesomeness. There are some really great employees and people on staff; I keep hoping one day the training will come together and something will snap into place. It must really suck for the employees that up to par and working to get things going. Maybe some training trips to Holiday World, Cedar Point and Dollywood? Nah... this sort of stuff needs to come down from the top. On the always reliable side of things, Whizzer and Demon were running like champs with little to no wait! Everytime I ride Whizzer I see more and more what a genius Anton was. The feel of the wheels on the track; it's smooth but it still feels like a roller coaster. The perfectly banked curves and occasional lateral movement. The spread-out layout and the couldn't-be-more-comfortable seating. Can't get enough of that! This is the coaster that kept me coming back to the park in the mid 2000's and will do so for many years to come. I got a head ache from all the AXE crap people were wearing. I guess the marketing worked. Yolo.

^^Wow! It looks great. Not only that, look at those ball & socket joints! Channeling Mr. Schwarzkopf!

Maverick. But I think it would be GREAT with out the neck chopping harnesses! I-305. So much intensity (not a bad thing) but no real excitement. No views to be had either. Oh, what could have been done with all that money...

Are the Rougarou trains custom? An acquaintance mentioned they were, but I didn't catch that part... they look like standard floorless coaches to me. That's the one! It's also reminding me of the VHS covers on some 80's B-horror movies... funny how the mind works! It seems a bit sub-par for Cedar Fair, but the simpleness works in this case.

^^Ha! And these arguments were before NL... I really like the logo. For some reason, it reminds me of a can of pop. Jolt or something?

It also didn't make sense to take the #1 rated coaster in the world, add wrap around head rests with speakers, and a bizarro theme, but they did it!

I want to have a word with all the coaster nerds who argued with me years ago about how a stand up couldn't be converted to a sit down (center of gravity bs mostly)... I was right (Most of those arguments were on another site though, I'm on the right one now!) I'm sure lots of us where right about the conversion... A green and orange werewolf looks better than a yellow, red and purple mantis! It sure does look good in the videos.

How about Scream with a half backwards train? Some crazy led light show somwhere on the track or lift? A tunnel on the lift with Laff-Track-like glow in the dark stuff? A little fixing up and it may attract more people. We all know SF loves re-marketing stuff. Just NO wrap around speaker headrests, please.

The best tacos in Indiana (and all of Chicagoland, for that matter) are in Hammond: No joke... Taco Real is a mile off the skyway, and totally worth it. Whenever I would take a Chicago friend to Indiana Beach, we would always stop by; it makes a good pit stop for the common path between IB and Great America. Good to see people are having fun at Indiana Beach. After the last few years of dwindling operations, broken rides, etc., I haven't had the heart to visit. Maybe they're on an upswing? I gotta get back before Tig'ger goes away :/

And that was the "redesigned/improved" curve; you should see what that curve was like on Great America's Shockwave! The park made a big deal out of GASM being "smoother" than Shockwave.

^That's the one, thank you! (I went back and fixed my post.) Under 20? I wonder why? I still have a gnarly scar on my arm from the slide at Bay Beach, and that slide is a standard!

I've heard Montana Suiza referred to as the "concrete coaster." I want the concrete credit! ^This slide looks insane. There is no track to slow down before the 2nd drop. Want!