GayCoasterGuy

^Well... it does look like that video might supply you with some sort of wild ride. I'm trying to figure out the story behind Wild Rides (the coaster show...). I'm pretty sure it was made for television. What are the chances of ever seeing some sort of 'remastered' dvd with extras? I don't think it has a huge market unfortunately. Maybe we can poll the Matt Dillon fan club or something...

Good luck, I hope you win. Roger Daltrey is an incredible front man and a gleaming model of how to grow old more-than-gracefully. I cannot think of The Who with out thinking of this song (which I highly doubt they will do): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_G1ONJets4&feature=player_detailpage#t=76s

I figure with my screen name as it is, I should chime in and say "hi." We've come a long way, but many still suffer due to uneducated or miseducated folks.

Browsing old dead topics... I came across this one. I'm wondering if Cedar Point has ever caught up to actually enforcing their non-smoking policy? I was at the park a few times last year and people were smoking everywhere; didn't even seem like a thought or bother. I was surprised as CP was always one of the more rule-consistent parks. There was recently a story about someone getting kicked out of SFGAm for puffing one of those E-cigs. That opens up a whole can of worms!

The brakes coming out of the big helix on American Eagle were back OFF this weekend. Provides for a top-notch "Voyage meets Phoenix" run back home. I had some friends in from the East coast and they couldn't belive how kick ass it was. This is when it's really important to pick the red side... Saturday night we waited in line for 53 minutes before we were able to put in our order at Mooseburger Lodge. It was insane - of course there being only one register open (out of 2) didn't help. "Have a six flags day!" It was either wait in a line for food, or leave the park and wait in a line to get out then another line to get back in... Still had fun (good company always helps!) at my home park.

I'm excited about the new stuff. I've been going to Holiday World since Raven was built (I got my Firecracker "credit" you credit fiends!) but missed a couple years in there - including this year. Holiday World has proven themselves as one of the industry underdogs time and again... and continue to set new standards (is it "less greed" or are they just really lucky? Or both?) Splashin' Safari has some of the best slides I've ever been on; very ride-able and some seem longer than at other parks. I haven't been on Mammoth yet, but I had more fun on Wildebeest than I have on most land coasters!

Zonker was his name I've heard all these reports about Magic Mountain running one train on Tatsu and Riddler's... why? Why in the world would the park do that when the lines are long? I mean - those ride ops just stand there and chat while the single train completes the circuit while people are waiting in 2 hour lines?

This past Saturday (Oct. 20th) the park had it's busiest day in 11 years. The Lemon Chill guy told me it was something over 49K people that came to the park that day. When me and my friend drove up to the park around 5:30pm, there was a line to get in off of Grand Avenue. It took the better part of an hour to get parked and get inside the park. We were in the furthest corner of the overfill lot.

(actually, all 3 trains are stacked there - you just can't see the first one in the station, where I was standing when I took the picture.) Exactly. I posted that as "look what we have" referring to Whizzer; then I realized exactly what you said. As much as I complain about the 50% efficiency at Six Flags parks (including Great America), I'm still glad we have Whizzer. It was a great experience working at CP over 20 years ago; but the curse of that is now I'm hard-wired to see how poor operations are at other parks (most notably SF parks).

Meh... it doesn't matter either way, cuz we got this: (Just being playful, not to be taken too seriously). But to CPs credit, they have dynamite operations. Something I wish my home park had...

No, I apologize for the confusing post. There were 3 across headrests - so where the ride has lateral forces at the same time it has strong positive forces (most notably, the 'helix' or 'horizontal loop') riders heads would have more headrest space and not fall back between the 2 headrests. Those original Intamin headrests were thin; so if your head went too far to the right or left, there would be no headrest behind your head. There were always 2 lap bars; they never allowed 3 across seating. But it is a nice thought, isn't it!? I'm sure someone could explain it much better than me - I'm tired. On a related note, I just got back from Great America and got the last train out on Whizzer (another Anton Schwarzkopf coaster). Very happy about that!

I made a new video for the Wild Rides segment on Mind Bender http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZVaX3AvH_c The powers that be seem hell-bent on NOT letting anywhere hear The Cars' "Dontcha Stop" so I put Blondie's "Horizontal Twist" (horizontal - you know, horizontal loop, get it?) to the video. I threw in a cool new(ish) picture of Debbie at the end for the Blondie fans. AND note Mind Bender with 3 old school head rests in each seat. Would be fun to sqeeze 3 in a seat (if I was a kid!) but I think the main reason for that was to have something behind riders' heads during all that "lateral action" - especially in the horizontal loop. The ride has nice, soft and wide head rests now.

Demon at SF Great America It's usually worth the headache.

Airtime is one thing (never enough), but "uplift forces" is something different. The newer Intamin rides are big on uplift forces, but I don't get much real air time on them. It's not airtime when you are stapled to the seat. Of course, opinions differ. Many coaster fans are just fine feeling that "uplift force" with a very tight restraint. I don't care for it... I'll stick with Phoenix, Cyclops, etc... heck, even the old Anton rides (ironically, with old Intamin trains) do just fine giving you real airtime. Shockwave and Mind Bender; not to mention those non-stick seats with no seat dividers so you also get lateral time.

^How did the trains with lapbars feel/ride on the boomerang?

I've heard nothing but great things about blue fire. I was on a forum and they were comparing Maverick to blue fire; the 2 coasters clearly have some of the same features. One friend basically told me Maverick and blue fire don't even belong in the same category - that blue fire was better in every way. The comfort thing is obvious... but Maverick is nearly 1,000 feet longer. To each their own opinion. I almost always go with comfort, I friggin hate shoulder bars - especially those on Maverick.

Which Fire Dragon do you speak of?

Does anyone think (I'm sure many of us hope!) that B&M will eventually graduate to these type of restraints on it's looping coasters? This ride looks phenomenal. I have wanted to get to Liseberg since Lisebergbanen was built; I remember an interview with Anton saying that was his favorite coaster.

Yikes! Some guy jumped in Twister with me and said (as we were going up the lift) "I'll try not to hit you in the head" and my first thought was "I'll try not to punch you in the mouth," but I didn't say it of course. This was my first PPP, had an incredibly great time! Good to see friends from all over and many new friends. Rode Antique cars twice last night (Saturday), and had many many rides on both Twister and Phoenix. Phoenix's first drop feels *great* with the new track. Got 4 rides on Black Diamond... everything was great, weather was cold but no rain until 5 minutes before the park shut down today (Sunday) - which was just perfect for those last few rides on Phoenix. I head back on my trek to Chicago tomorrow, but I don't wanna leave. There is too much awesomeness to absorb at Knoebel's.

I'm going, too I un-cancelled the trip. Can't wait for my first PPP. I have a nice stock pile of clothes, hats, gloves, coats and rain gear in my car.

I'm wondering what sort of overzealous stupid rule Six Flags will now institute after this kid fell off the slide.

I think a few people will always do that (poor behavior, arrogant, etc.). They don't represent the whole group. Stereotyping is unfortunately rampant and even encouraged in our society. Just my 2 cents. I'm an "enthusiast" and I've never done any of that stuff. "A few bad apples" really do not spoil the whole bunch, unless you want them to. Looks like I'm cancelling my trip. My friend from here (Chicago) can't make it and my friend from NJ I was going to meet up with at PPP had a bad car accident and can't make it either. Guess I'll save the money for the next trip! Bummed, I was really looking forward to PPP; maybe next year

Are there cables pulling the ride down? I didn't hear any explosions. That video is great, but there is something a little sad about it. But the good outweighs the sad, by a landslide. (Watched it again, looks like there are cables...)

No camping for me, I need a nice hotel bed and tv these days. My boyscout days are way behind me. I'm really looking forward to the day, I don't think I can go wrong with Knoebel's - whatever the weather may be. I'm thinking of getting to the park nice and early on Saturday - maybe 9 or 10am, to get close parking (easier to go back for a jacket or hat later!) and get in to get nice sit-down brunch! I'd much rather sleep in and get to the park in the afternoon (as I'm used to doing at my home park SFGreat America) but I think it's a best bet to secure the whole day for the park!

Kinda ironic, isn't it? I go with "love them anyway," in spite of themselves. They are the ones with the deficiency and or lack of understanding. It's an illness of sorts. And for those of us that are gay (or lgbt, or green or purple or whatever) - all we can do is be a good example of "healthy pride." The big thing for me is not throwing the discrimination back in their face. I'm a little disappointed Shock Wave is getting another green paint job. Let's just hope there are other colors (or at least matching colors) for the rest of the ride - especially the trains. I thought they were going back to the silver/navy color scheme? That was great... And I don't think silver wears out in the sun as quickly as the other colors; it just gets that "gunmetal grey" look that Mind Bender originally had