prozach626

I'm so glad to head the park is going to start doing some painting and TLC... aka crap which should have been done throughout the life of the park. Give Dave a big thumbs up on the TLC, but it really isn't going to do squat for attendance. I just returned from another park that also had the strategy of major off-season improvements... King's Island. Except their improvements came with a record breaking steel roller coaster. Although the trip was a blast, it's really discouraging to see what our park will never compare to. Yes corporate has given SFSTL the shaft year after year, but why wouldn't they when the management of the park is OK with getting screwed over? "No need for any large capital investments. We're fine with paint and a mediocre flat ride. If it's not too much trouble, can you send us any of your used terrible coasters on their way to the scrap yard?" It reminds me of the battered wife who lets her husband treat her like crap, because she doesn't have any self respect. I guess it's easy to be a victim of SF Corporate if you enable it. Good luck competing against Holiday World's new addition with new facades on the Palace and a snack shack added to the wharf area... maybe we'll get lucky and get another pepsi free style machine to dispense more type two diabetes and other diseases. I agree with you on this. The park looked great when Shapiro was with SF. It was in the height of the recession, but yet he still brought additions to our park WHILE taking the park from looking worse than it ever did to really polishing it up. Now people are supposed to be excited about making the park look nice like it's something that shouldn't already be expected?

Atlanta has more population to pull from. I guess, but Freeze has always been pretty popular. I LOVED it before the conversion. It may be a clone, but there is only one duplicate. That's not bad. It was pretty cutting edge when it came to our park.

I know many of you have already noticed it, but the coasters wars are back on. The economy is starting to slowly come back around and people are having a little extra cash to spare. That being said, I honestly think people are seeing the "bigger/faster/record breaking costers" within driving distance and they are reaching out for them instead of going to the "same old six flags St. Louis." If the park is going to get something big, it's going to have go be within the next couple of years. If not, I really think it's going to put the park way behind the curve. Holiday World has the potential of putting a game changing roller coaster in that could really put the hurt on our park. It will only get worse if WOF comes out with another large scale coaster, especially since so many people from St. Louis have family and friends in Kansas City. I'm even seeing people on the site who were very optimistic just a couple years ago who are starting to get discouraged. It's not good when even your loyal season pass holders are starting to back out. That being said, I feel that it's likely the Boss will get the Iron Horse treatment from RMC. However, from the looks of it the update will likely come too late when it doesn't draw the hype that it used to. The time for the conversion to be most effective would have probably been last year, before Goliath came into view. Although it would be an enthusiast pleaser for sure, it likely won't have as much success with the GP. Also considering the fact that within the last few years another one our existing rides, Mr Freeze, was already updated and marketed as a "New" ride. I really hope thing change, soon.

Although you're putting a lot of stock into the 'clues', that's a pretty good analysis.

But how can this be?!?! We just got Boomerang last year!

Okay Paula... Laugh it up with yesterday and today's posts... The children ARE restless. Throw us a hint, already!! We're tired of being below deck!

We've kind of run out of options and we're going to have to go on Thursday. My wife and I are buying fast lane passes before we hit the park, just in case. If you have the cash to do so, I recommend it.

It's just the American mindset. "Bigger is better." "More is better." Unfortunately, it has always lead to quantity over quality, because that's what the American consumer has been brought up to expect. The best example I can always think of is the American sports car industry vs the rest of the world. American car companies produce massively heavy cars with a lot of power. A lot of true driving enthusiasts find these cars numb and boring, despite their speed. Foreign car companies have figured out that you can take a car and put more design creativity into it, giving it half the weight and half the power, but twice as much fun to drive. I think about the shittyness that I experienced at Magic Mountain compared to how awesome Liseburg looks. Not even half of the coasters, but it looks like twice as much fun. Another large factor is how sue happy America is. It still blows my mind (in a good way) that a place like City Museum is allowed to exist.

I'm over it.

I'm thinking about taking a return trip to the point this Thursday and Friday. My wife and I were planning on going to KI, but it looks like it will be jam packed with people from the Spirit Song Festival. Are there any special events going on in the park that are going to pack it full like KI? Thanks.

^ Thanks for the reply. I think I might take a detour to Cedar Point, instead. That way my wife and I can stick to our original plan of getting Twilight passes on Thursday and enjoying the park all day Friday with fast lane.

Haha. I know you had to have found this just a 'little' funny. Trolls will be trolls. Any press is good press, right?? This Scandi trip looks incredible. I've never been this interested in following the overseas trips until now. It's making me want to venture out of the US and try some foreign parks.

Thanks for your ever so helpful response, but we're obviously talking about a special event being held at the park and not a typical weekend. I was trying to find out if the park is going to be packed to the point on Thursday to where it won't be worth it, even with a fast lane.

^ It's from an employee of the park who has direct conversations with Dave Roemer (spelling?). He's a knowledgeable guy and he has been very reliable. Within the last year IRON Boss WAS discussed and it was stated that the down side to the transformation would be that they would most likely have to shorten the ride due to the ride's length and the affect that would have on the cost for the I-Box conversion. We were also told not to expect the conversion anytime soon.

If they couldn't tell from the storm clouds and the thousands of people going for shelter, I say let Darwin take over. Who's to say that yelling "TAKE COVER!!!" over the PA won't make people panic? There's no reason for endless complaints about one incident about an announcement that didn't happen.. in reference to the tornado that didn't happen.. and had the probability of not happening.. or hitting the park. Or we can all petition for six flags to have a PA announcement, flashing red lights, pictures of tornadoes lit up in the sky, an airplane to drop brail pamphlets for the blind, and rail transportation to the billion dollar under ground tornado proof bunker..... all in addition to the... LOUD... TORNADO... SIRENS.. I prefer my world with less bubble wrap and I could do without the word "liability" completely.

Is the festival all week long, or just the weekend? I'm hoping to barely dodge the bullet by going Thursday.

Same here. A lot of the hotels in the area were booked and they are having the spirit festival. I'm thinking Fast Lane is a must... Should I just go ahead and order it now? It is very likely that this could be one of the few weekends that Fast Lane sells out. The park is an absolute zoo during Spirit Song. I would highly recommend going another weekend if possible but Fast Lane is a must if you are going any of those three days. Damn. Thanks. Do you think I will be much better off going on Thursday, instead?

Same here. A lot of the hotels in the area were booked and they are having the spirit festival. I'm thinking Fast Lane is a must... Should I just go ahead and order it now?

Truth. I'd rank it higher than most parks, if that were the case.

I'm with you. I'm thinking water coaster all the way. Especially with the pits/trenches near the footers. Again... I really hope I'm wrong, since I have no desire to walk around in soaked clothes and shoes for mediocre thrills. That and the wife won't ride water rides, so I'd be riding one solo ride for the credit.

I'll still read the clues, but I'm done putting any stock in them. They are too abstract, especially any possible clues in the pictures. The only consistency is water. I think we're better off putting more observation into the construction site.

Oh God so corny... my wife came in mid video and started making fun of me.. You should have learned that in health class hah!

I interpreted this differently. I interpreted it as the ride is massive or intimidating, so the riders are doubting their decision to ride.

You should always go on Batman for two reasons: 1) It's just a great ride with a powerful layout. 2) You can see how they are all a little bit different. Some seem smoother and faster than others. Ours is pretty good and possibly my favorite, out of the 6 or 7 I've ridden. Last time I went to SFGam, their Batman was getting a little rough.

Makes sense to me. I meant nothing by it, I was just curious. The down fall to my coaster habit is that I'm not much for crowds, since I deal with the public in the worst way with my job. That's pretty good luck that it worked out that you're going to be there opening day. Have a great time and let us know how you liked it!