JJLehto

As a treat for myself for dominating my calc 3 exam I'm going this Friday, hoping the school trips won't be killer but sounds like even when they've been there it hasn't been terrible. I am largely there to marathon the 2 big coasters, maybe hit some others for the creds if I feel like. If by any chance someone will be there this Friday the 5th, lemme know!

Oh god, that's horrible. Hope the best for them going forward.

If you're expecting El Toro ejector you'll be underwhelmed. The big thing is that this has extreme but short pops of ejector all over the place while El Toro has 5 or 6 long drawn out hills with great ejector. A couple of the hills on Wicked Cyclone give you more extreme pops of ejector than the Rolling Thunder hill on El Toro, but the hills are so small that by the time you realize what hit you, you're into the next turn. I've ridden Wicked Cyclone about 10 times over 3 visits now and it's a great ride with perhaps the most relentless layout I've ever seen on a coaster, but I still find Bizarro, El Toro, and Skyrush to be superior by quite a bit. It's very much worth traveling for, especially with another top coaster a couple hundred yards away that really completes the full package. If you're staying for the whole day you'll get the more ejector filled rides late in the afternoon if that helps at all. Oh I see. Well good to know what to expect, and yeah I really love the layout and flow of it. Yeah I plan to stay the day. Guess I got caught up in the hype, I assumed it would be sustained ejector but we know what happens when you assume

So it's confirmed it's been running inconsistently? I was afraid of this. I would say it'd suck if I get a bad ride because it's a 3 hour drive but 3000 miles! Hope you don't get an off ride. Well, I know even when it's "off" it's good but I'm hearing a pretty big divergence, either "nothing but ejector, super intense, top ride" or "yeah it's pretty good" Hope I get a wicked intense ejector filled one! It seems I will be going this Friday (still not sure I wanna risk a weekend) and regardless I am excited.

Agreed, it's still a seriously fun ride.

I love Cedar Point, so mad I had to miss Coastermenia the ERT is pretty much the stuff of my dreams, but glad you had a rocking time! Makes me excited to go later is all Yes, MForce front seat is one helluva experience!

Yeah, I am never one to get too over thinky about accidents, they will happen, but this one seems too unusual. IF what we are hearing is true, this is a bit beyond the realm of "accidents happen" and sounds like legit poor design. Which given Smiler's already long list of incidents, + the companies previous incidents you mention, it does not bode well. As it's been said, it's the wait and see game, but if this turns out to be a bad a malfunction as it seems, it's not good. We get mad when the media/GP over hypes standard accidents/human error ones but we shouldn't be quick to dismiss poor design either. I don't know about the wheel but someone on CF said people have seen bolts coming out, a tad bit scary! Last line says it, I pray the rumors I heard about loss of leg and etc are false. Best to them all.

OK, due to TPR being down then having class (and other errands) I've not been on the net for 8 hours now. Any more word? How is everyone involved, and any more word on what exactly happened? Was there human error or was it a breakdown? Not to overhype, we all know accidents happen, but given its short life so far, it's had quite a few incidents many seeming to be breakdown/mechanical and I heard how rough its transitions are, and something about how bolts were seen coming out. I wonder if this just wasn't the best designed coaster... and no dont freak out, not saying OMG they're dangerous and regulate rides and all that, just my two cents and maybe Smiler wasn't well designed.

Oh this! Admittedly: I only rode in back seat, but there at least I had some really sick airtime, like body touching lap bar and even feeling the slight tug of the seat belt. Had the shakiness a wooden needs but it didn't pummel me and was a fun ride. Had no wait and did it 5 times in a row I liked it so much.

Rattle also doesn't bother me at all, I was more concerned about those couple of reports saying WC randomly started running poorly and the airtime was lacking, hoping that was a bad run/it got ironed out!

Xcelerator is definitely worth it, especially for someone who has I think done KK and TTD, you'll love it. You launch from right in the station and then do more than just go up and down like most of the other accelerator coasters. Indeed I have and they're not really worth it, though I have Stormrunner for my accelerator needs I'll surely cave, I can't resist new creds and parks

I always ride in the back Wildact at Hershey, back row. Until it breaks my spine I love it forever!

I think people tend to forget that the Hurlers were not made by CCI, and that CCI actually has some pretty good rides (Timber Terror, Tremors, NM Rattler, Rampage, etc.)... Yes, CCI has made some brilliant rides, I wonder if this poster is having some fun or just is whacky. I mean besides those: Boulder Dash! And while I haven't ridden I hear nothing but praise about Cornball Express, TDZ, Shivering Timbers back in the day, Ghostrider way back in the day, The Raven of course. People seem to like the Boss if they can tolerate roughness. Even the Great White was a fun rife. Honestly, I loved CCI and they did birth GCI and Gravity Group for us

...."Typical, rough B&M invert" I...do we live in parallel universes? Anyway: Pleasantly surprised. El Toro. "It looks cool but it is just a wooden coaster" and keep in mind at that time, + being HS seniors with little travel experience we never knew ejector airtime existed. Needless to say what we thought would be a fun ride left us speechless the first time. Skyrush. Same thing, it looked fun but "It's just some hills and turns, I know it doesn't need to be super huge and fast but just doesn't seem like much to it" and really I was hoping it wouldn't be a letdown. Wow, not sure I was ever more mistaken... OK, I wouldn't call these unpleasant surprises especially since both are in my top 10 but they were let downs, maybe I had them overhyped in my mind. Boulder Dash. I'll give it botd of a bad day, but the air was a lot of pops, one or two moments out of seat, but I always heard how that thing had you "bouncing off the seat moment you land back down" and constant air and at least the ride I had was most certainly not that. Bizarro. It's always been a top 2 steel coaster, and the snarky comments about how it's like MForce but with forces... I was expecting an ejector airtime machine and forceful ride, it was super fun and I liked it...but I found lots of strong floater airtime throughout. Is it possible the sucky ass restraints they use now? Or having ridden Skyrush and I305 before maybe just have higher standards of airtime and forcefulness?

Honestly, KBF will be up to my friends in LA and San Diego, if they are around (one is in military) I may have to chill with one of them, but if neither is free Knotts it is! I'm leaning towards it anyway just because, what type of enthusiast can turn down the creds/new park? We shall see, though all the stuff you guys mentioned does sound wonderful.

I know it has only made a small difference, but I still am hoping at least once I get a ride on it where the MCBR isn't on full stop at the least just to experience the unrestrained ride, as it has been for all of its life. And I have often heard the second half was the wildest, best part of the ride so yeah, hope I get 1 unrestrained! Still I am excited to finally get out to this park and ride Voyage, it's now the #1 on my coaster bucket list so finally crossing it off. Also I've always wanted to visit this park Also I'll be riding Gatekeeper this year, my first wingrider so I can compare it to Thunderbird

Very sad. Regardless of anything else, very tragic and what a truly horrible way to go, on an amusement ride.

Was hoping it'd be sooner, but sometime next week SF:NE for WC!

Though Knott's has less coasters, in the last few years their WCB extras have included Backstage Tours and Q&As that SFMM did not offer..I havent gone before but I've heard from those that did that the Knott's day has been much more fun than SFMM in recent years. KBF, in my opinion, is just a more enjoyable day altogether if you care about anything other than coasters and ERT. Well that's what I was wondering, if other backstage or fun things are offered. I will probably end up going anyway just because I'm there and I'm sure it'll be an awesome time.

The price of Knotts is also pretty high, considering it's a smaller park has less to offer, which is why I didn't go last time but everyone assures me it is worth it, and they really knock the pants off SFMM (granted that may not be hard to do) I'm still torn if I'll do knotts or not, could spend the day in LA or go down to San Diego.

Do you mean a ride itself, or a whole project? Because obviously a lot more went into it than just the track, but Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom cost $100 million OH! I totally forgot, Steel Dragon 2000, due to the need to make it earthquake safe, cost $52 million US. I am not sure but in terms of just track structure, that has to be the most expensive.

It really is all about park maintenance, as it's been said Apocalypse at SFMM was brutal after just 5 years, while Lightning Racer at Hershey is still really good. Gotten a little shaky but given how much longer it's been around... Comments in this thread make it seem like other GCIs are holding up well, so really it's on the park. And they make great rides still. Sure, they aren't the smooth machines of Intamin, or do the insane stuff of RMC but I don't know...I still like a traditional wooden, and even feel a bit of shaking is kind of what makes it a wooden coaster experience. I hope GCI don't go anywhere, nor do I think they will!

I hope not! I love GCI

Obviously not anything mindblowing but looks like a really fun ride, long as it's not too trimmed which new B&M hypers seem to be avoiding thankfully. It is a nice layout, has all a hyper really needs, lots of hills, decent speed and the few turns are a nice touch.

LOL all this is hilarious because it's true. Hey, kudos they are giving some great theming and done so in a way where they need minimal effort and no upkeep, it really is brilliant. Nice. I know it's a Weds but I'm hoping I get a day like this.