GayCoasterGuy

Capacity issues aside... I hope they keep it running on PSYCHO mode for the folks at Six Flags America. Nine out of ten rides I have on it are INSANE. It's the wildest ride in the park.

The fog came back to the original Batman this year... for it's backwards premier. On media day, they over fogged the place for good photo ops and the "inaugural train" got stuck at the top of the lift. All that super thick fog shut the ride down It was a great view though!

^Bummer. Better go get one last ride in before it moves. People love that ride.

This is really nerdy... and I'm proud of it in a very nerdy sort of way. So I figured I would share it here If you look at the enlarged version, there is a plane in the sky in the first 2 pics. Figured someone would appreciate it

Best: Kennywood Thunderbolt (heck, anything at Kennywood), the Holiday World 3, Beast, Phoenix. Son of Beast had an outstanding ending - it meant you could get off! Lame: the new B&Ms, Adventure Express, Ninja at SFMM, American Eagle

In my head It sure would! They're settling for "really big and plain" instead of "world class," in my opinion. Sure, those features would cost more... but why not go all-out, or at least half-out on such a big ride? Same thing with I-305, Leviathan and Gatekeeper. Gatekeeper has its gate, but what about the "Gatekeeper's lair" (interactive queue/ride like Voyage), and a GREAT ending? A friend constantly points out to me - about the stuff I call "world class" - he says "they don't do it because they don't need to." In other words, they can build somewhat plain or mediocre rides (in my eyes) and it will do what they need it to do (get people to spend money). That's true. But still... I just was hoping for a little more from the BIG parks... same goes for the recent Six Flags stuff - they are half rides. Great, fun rides indeed, but not full "world class" rides (Texas Giant being an exception... it has tunnels and is still very long by most standards.) I keep saying it's gonna suck when everything is a same-y B&M or Intamin. It seems Europe builds more world class rides (Wodan, bluefire, OzIris, Helix.....) Of course, it's freaking Cedar Fair. They could change the springs on the garbage can doors and people would go NUTS.

Banshee was supposed to have a pre-lift section. Similar to Nemesis Inferno - but more extensive. The layout was a few feet lower to the ground with trenches and tunnels (similar to OzIris, but again, more extensive...). Also, before the final helix, there was a true mid-course (well, late-course) block brake then some low to the ground zooming through trenches. The queue was semi-interactive, with a plexiglass viewing area (think Voyage) where you could see part of the pre-lift track... fog was in the various tunnels. Kings Island was intent on having a true, one of a kind, all-out, world class coaster; they wanted it to be the best of the best. But then they said "meh, forget it"... let's just go with another big B&M in a nice dirt field, no bells or whistles. (I'm ducking now...)

I would think some topper track on both helices (all 3!) on Eagle - and then let 'er fly - the ride would be outstanding (consistently). Anyone who's had the past few years October rides on a brakeless red track know what the Eagle can do. That return run is Voyage meets Phoenix. Access to the ride would help with popularity as well

Sounds like Hades is getting progressively worse. It was rough when it opened this year, I was hoping they would fix the problem spots as the season progressed. Cyclops is still king there anyway

They wanted a ride for the whole family... so a little less intense is probably good

Maroon.. it's just a color Vampire (the park's Vekoma Boomerang from China*) was that color. It seemed when the park was new, every other thing there was maroon. The train on Thunder Run was maroon, too. *There was a plaque in front of Vampire describing how people were afraid of the ride in China, so Kentucky Kingdom purchased it.

I'm still pouting over the loss of Greezed Lightnin'... but it looks like they are hard at work trying to make the park a nice place again. I remember back in the early 90s when the park was shiny new; there was a lot of stuff painted that maroon color. Was that part of the theme?

Iggy President Obama. ANTON!!!

sooperdooperLooper please

Looks like my home park SF Great America is supporting another Pride night this year https://www.facebook.com/events/382286735172208/ (It's called "Gay Day" but I prefer Pride Night. And Great America rather than Six Flags ) I went during the day last year, but didn't pay the extra $45 for the night event. I don't drink anymore and not big into "club" music... but would probably still be fun. I wonder if they keep both sides of the Eagle open for the whole event? It was reported last year that the even got rained on heavily... but, for the people that stuck around, everything opened back up after the rain stopped! After a lot of people left, of course... good for ride time!

And remember, no news is good news - with Gary Gnu I think Holiday World already told us there will be big announcements for the next 2 or 3 years... am I right? Gotta have a little "no news" time before the grand prizes start rolling in.

I'm of the thought that any park can build anything they want... with enough money and "outside the box" thinking: Here, you see Tig'ger built entirely on top of a restaurant. And that was years before Hurricane and Cornball were even a thought: Unfortunately for us coaster nerds, Six Flags and Cedar Fair usually opt for the "just enough" design with sometimes lackluster and wasted endings (Leviathan, Gatekeeper, Full Throttle...) Let's not forget the visual nothingness I-305 was built on. I wonder if the new Kings Island coaster will be full of "really cool" trenches, tunnels, caves, (OzIris, bluefire) etc.? Probably not Take for example what Holiday World did with the ending of Voyage. It flys past the queue, over and under everything, and really puts on a show. That is a "world class design." The other new stuff, not so much world class.

"The largest coaster ever built on the former Son Of Beast site!" "The biggest coaster ever built in a foliage-free dirt field." "The most hype ever generated for yet another mediocre B&M." (Sorry, I had to. I'm sure whatever it is.. it will look like a lot of fun.)

I can understand CP not wanting to cause waves... but it would be nice to see something to the effect "we stand for marriage equality" from them. If they do that, they open themselves up to all sorts of problems. I can see it either way... Pros and cons to doing something or doing nothing. But after working for 3 summers at the Point (91-93) I can say the park is very welcoming to everyone. There is a significant LBGT population that works at and visits the park.

The year after the death on Superman (now Bizarro) at SFNEngland, they were pushing the bars down further than they could go. Or perhaps it was just the overzeaolous ride op that was checking my seat. The shoved it down, putting all her weight into it. I gave her a surprised "it down as far as it will go" then she came at me and shoved some more, never looking at me. I made a loud noise and said "you're hurting me now!" as the train left the station. It hurt; not just a little discomfort. I got off the ride, and talked to the ride supervisor. She told my aunt and I to go to first aid, where I was inspected (rubber gloves and all) for bruising (yes, on those...). They offered to call an ambulance. It was obnoxious, painful and a good hour of ours wasted. So someone dies - it's a ride ops fault - then they hurt other people to make up for it? Stupid. A few months later, I got a standard issue apology letter, and they spelled my last name wrong.

I've been under the impression that the biggest problem with the Schwarzkopf coasters are the brakes. That's where I always see the maintenance guys at. Of course, Hersheypark (sooperdooperLooper) saw a great resolve to that with mag brakes. (I know I know it costs money... ) Another note - Whizzer hardly ever has shut downs. The parts are expensive, but it runs with out a hitch (not counting the continuous stacking of trains - but can't complain much, as I'm happy we still have the ride!)

Great report and pictures! I wonder what made the food so good? This one got my attention: Wind in the Willows: That's Debbie Harry in the red, a few years before Blondie. I figured there would be another "over 30 year old" on here who might appreciated that. Maybe one

People don't want to ride RC since the capacity is very low (maybe 60% what it is at other parks?). Season pass holders (a bigger and bigger percentage of park goers every year) know the line moves very slow... so they don't get in it. You can sometimes see people getting out of the queue when they realize it's hardly moving.

Lucky! Good pick People saying the park should get rid of the one of the mouse coasters reminds me of people wanting Grizzly (at the other Great America) taken down. The mouse coasters (similar to Grizzly) are massively popular with the kids and family crowds... and some thrill seekers. The lines prove that. Same goes for a good number of Vekoma Boomerangs; people love those things.

Here is a good article: http://www.register-pajaronian.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=77&story_id=14874 The lap bars don't "click"