GayCoasterGuy

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...).

I would say that Ragin Cajun is actually one of the most loved rides at the park. The capacity is a well-known nightmare, but people love that ride. Every time I take a new (non-coaster-nerd) friend to the park, it's one of their favorite - if not their most favorite. It's not too popular with most of us fullthrottle ( ) coaster nerds, but people love that ride. 2 out of 3 times that I ride it, it's outstanding and crazy as bat crap.

It's a good day And everyday is an OK day to come out! Thanksgiving seems to be popular.

What used to be one of the best is now one of the worst. Revolution I haven't been back to CA in a while, so can't fairly say what is my current favorite. But Giant Dipper at Santa Cruz was one of the best when I was there! For someone who's never been on Matterhorn, what is so bad about it now? I've always heard great reports about it.

^When is national coming out day? Didn't it used to be in October? I say make it EVERYDAY Closets are for clothes. And parts of old, broken Star Wars toys.

Yowza! That drop is B&M's version of an old school Arrow twisting drop! (Like on Viper at SFMM, Shockwave at SFGAm, etc.) Looks great! Kudos that they are stepping outside their safe zones.

Maybe that's where the new for 2014 ride will go: Launch to Breakrun: The ride. It just launches you and then you hit the brakes. It's short, but man what a launch!

And some sort of wood coaster at BGW

The old Intamin/Anton cars, of course If you get over the 70s retro look, they are very comfortable. You get real air time, and real lateral time (no seat dividers; the lap bars are "built in" seat dividers, but you still get lateral time - best of all worlds!) You're perfectly safe in them, but still have freedom. I love the sound they make, too! For woodies, I'm very fond of the old classics: a nice big seat with no seat divider and a single position lap bar. Those are getting more and more rare, but I'll love em as long as I can! Arrow trains are great to look at.. I'm thinking most trains have their pros and cons. As for the new stuff (which makes sense to talk about) I find the Timberliners to be more comfortable than GCI lap bars or PTC ratchet bars (I'll take a buzz bar any day, though!) The Gerslauer cars used on Dare Devil Dive at SFOG are great! Scary hang time! Aside from the lap bars, the GCI Millennium Flyer trains are excellent. It's like sitting on a little couch!

^American Eagle heck yeah. It's not aggressive, just very gradual and "epic" feeling. It's not over quickly like most first drops. I would say even the first drop on Cyclops is kick butt... but not compared to what's coming a few seconds later! I really like the first drop on Legend, maybe it's the howling and recording that make it a little more special.

^I'm thinking it's just whoever wrote the piece coming up with a term for an inversion that's not a standard "loop." Or maybe you will be able to ride it backwards. Who knows... I know the animation is poor, but at least it's something new. That lift is going to be super creepy! A good thing of course.

2015: upside-down, inverted wooden drop tower (built from the former Gwazi). Looks fun, albeit an awkward and potentially uncomfortable position. Guess we'll have to wait and see. So, your legs just kinda dangle?

So I sat down with some crayons this morning... and doodled the new Coney Island coaster! Joking aside, it might turn out to be a really fun ride, never know! I guess the 3 across seating isn't too odd. How often do we see 3 in a row on B&Ms? All the time. Good for filling in single riders, too. At minimum, the video has Debbie Harry at the start At maximum, it could turn out to be a really fun ride!

I looked at the video and thought "what a great view of Scorpion!" Kudos to BGT. It's been a while coming, but they finally got a drop!

Invertalon, you take excellent pictures! How was Scorpion? I gotta ask... being an Anton nerd.

That would be incredible! But not for $10M

To the casual observer, they look very similar. A figure 8 or "squeezed oval" shape with 2.5 layers of track. Both very close in height and both having their middle "main structure" and curves supported with steel. But to the super coaster-nerd trained eye, 2 completely different rides

They were so busy killing time, waiting for a train to cycle, they forgot they had their phone vertically (At least that was my excuse at Mt. Olympus last week).

^Good way of looking at it. I have been in a few clubs, and I find each club has it's pros and cons. I love hanging out here at TPR and watching the great videos. I can't get any of that through ACE. But seeing that I really like old classic stuff (I still miss Geauga Lake's Big Dipper) it makes sense for me to be an ACE member - they have a vested interest in preservation (see Mission Beach Giant Dipper, etc.).

All us ACE members don't have the same opinions. Just like all us TPR members don't I've been an ACE member since 1986 and follow rules - always have, always will. Do a "few bad apples" really spoil the whole bunch? I've seen people in other coaster clubs doing really dumb - and illegal - things. I don't judge the whole group based on what a couple members have done. ACE definitely has flaws (a web page would be nice, it's 2013!) but so do all the clubs I've ever been a part of. Obviously, the good outweighs the bad (for me). I've cringed at things coaster enthusiasts have done, not just ACE members. Good thing TPR and ACE have codes of conduct! I wrote the book; you're in good company

I rode King Cobra quite a bit in the mid-late 80s. Probably did it a couple times in the 90s as well. I always liked it, it was fun and always good for a sleek and comfy ride. Fast forward to 2011 and the Shockwave at Kings Dominion (sister coaster to both King Cobra and Skyrider); it was one of the worst rides ever. It was rough, bumpy, etc. I dunno what the big difference was between the KI and KD versions, but one was great the other was horrible. Sure, I was much older when I rode the KD version, but I think it was more than that. Probably years of wear and tear. Same deal with Iron Wolf at Great America. The first couple years it was smooth and outstanding. It slowly deteriorated into a very rough and painful ride; worse as each year went by. Maybe a thing with stand-up coasters?

I think The Boss had some minor re-profiling between 2000 and 2001. In 2000, it was easily one of my favorites. Not since a brand new 1990 Texas Giant had a ride knocked me so silly. The track wasn't rough, it just tried to knock me out a few times down in those valleys between the big drops. Was that your experience? I went back in 2001 and it was still a great ride - but all the bite was gone. Last September, it was phenomenal. A touch rough in the valleys and helix, but incredible air time all over the place. It was also a very cool and dry night, that may have helped. It's amazing what the psychology of a ride can do. It seems that "bigger is better" really does work for many people. Whatever coasters we like, for whatever reasons ("its bigger/faster," charm, comfort, etc.) it doesn't matter. It would be lame if we all liked the same stuff equally. It works out great for me, as the rides I prefer usually have shorter lines than the bigger ones. Kennywood Thunderbolt, Cyclops, Legend, SFOG Mind Bender - those really do it for me. Those are the most perfect, full and well-rounded rides I have ever been on (I haven't done the Rocky Mountain coasters yet). While I do enjoy riding Top Thrill Dragster and Millennium Force, I wouldn't go out of my way for them. Most of my favorites I would classify as "variety rides." Heck, I found the best ride at Carowinds to be the Goldrusher.

Whizzer always keeps me coming back. I'm a total Anton geek and don't think I'll ever grow out of it.

Voyage (super high intensity, super high fun) I-305 (high intensity, low fun) Lots of intense spots on other rides: -the last curve on the White Lightning mouse coaster at Lake Winnie. Is that curve really supposed to be taken that fast? -bottom of horizontal loop on Mind Bender -drop-o-death on Cyclops -the defunct 'twists' on the defunct Chiller from SFGAdventure

Jokes aside, I think we're all happy to see the ride in action