JonnyRCT3
-
Posts
1,956 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by JonnyRCT3
-
-
Cedar Point removed Disaster Transport, Wildcat, and Mean Streak. What's the point anymore?
0/10 would not go again!
-
I hope D.H. Morgan gets their hands on Demon Force before it becomes more trouble than it's worth. I also love the new Hurricane.
-
Valravn, is that you?
-
Sunday, September 18, 2011
James Smith - regular guest
Over the years Valley Hills has grown larger with new rides and attractions popping up almost everywhere. With over 40 rides and attractions, it's hard to keep up with it all. The last update focused on Flat Rides, so this update will focus on the park's 9 roller coasters. Enjoy!
Here we are again at Appalachia's premiere amusement park, Valley Hills.
It feels like forever since I last visited this park back in June.
Black Stallion, a PTC woodie, is one of the first coasters guests will run into.
The ride starts with a 109' chain lift, looming over the Que area.
The 97' drop kicks things into high gear as Black Stallion bucks through its 3,000' course.
The 55 m.p.h. journey features numerous airtime filled hills and twisted turns. Unfortunately, most of the ride is hidden in the thick backwoods, the only visible parts are from the parking lot.
Next up is IGNITION, the parks very own old-school B&M invert.
After exiting the 125.8' lift hill, riders swoop into a curved drop at approximately 60 m.p.h. into a powerful vertical loop.
Riders roar over the station in a classic, snappy, zero-g roll.
The 1-2-3 PUNCH!
One of my personal favorite elements of IGNITION, the elevated carousel spin.
Located inside Planet Snoopy is the family-friendly Cosmic Coaster.
RattleSnake, a 1977 Schwarzkopf classic.
Up the lift hill...
...and through the first vertical loop east of the Ohio River.
White Lightning, the king of coasters at Valley Hills.
This epic B&M dive machine is easily the best Valley Hills has to offer.
Riders ascend the 45°, 185', chain lift hill into the sky.
The 90° vertical drop shoots riders into a towering Immelmann inversion over the lake.
after a quick MCBR, a second near-vertical drop ensues.
This U-turn sets riders up for the second inversion...
...a barrel roll over the station.
A fun splashdown into the pond and into the second (inclined) Immelmann inversion.
A pop of airtime and a high-speed helix finale completes the 68 m.p.h. journey on White Lightning.
Snoopy's Rocket Express, located in Camp Snoopy. Installed this year by Vekoma and already seeing extensive downtime. Did the park not learn their lesson with Deja Vu?
Woodstock Express, also located in Camp Snoopy.
A fun family woodie with some nice lats.
The BIG drop!
Kanawha Railway opened with the park in 1972 as its first and only coaster.
The iconic helix leading into the midway tunnel.
Kanawha Railway's The first lift hill rises behind Music Box. I've always found this to be an extremely tight fit.
The other iconic drop into the second midway tunnel. Arrow Dynamics really took advantage of the unique obstacles with this one.
The second lift hill sends you into a double spiral before heading back into the station.
Pulse
Those twisted towers never get old, so much fun!
The sun goes down but Pulse still rockets into the sky at 65 m.p.h.
I love RatteSnake's lightning package, it blends perfectly.
The same can be said for White Lightning.
And that concludes this update.
~James Smith
-
Awesome! I've made a couple of memes to celebrate this special occasion...
Iconic.
Just read the whole thread, hoping to see this park come back to life!Thanks for the read, the park has always been on my mind.
Contemplating on whether or not to finish this park. Thoughts?I've been working on the next step since the spring. I hope the next update goes over well as the conversion will really help push this park to where I want it to go.
Valley Hills is coming back? The park that inspired me to try to make a park blog? The park with a full website?I'ts good to hear my park is inspiring people. I honestly looked through countless simulated park threads and wanted to give my own spin on it. I never imagined it would turn into what it has become.
-
[youtu_be]
[/youtu_be]~JONNYRCT3
-
That video of the Ohio State Fair incident is the sole reason why I don't visit local fairs and stick to established amusement parks with dedicated maintenance crews.
[youtu_be]https://youtu.be/VBSTm2o84LE[/youtu_be]
-
Has anybody thought that the park may stop construction during the season and then continue after Labor Day or the end of season?
It will most likely be an ongoing process during the entire operating season. Much like NTG.
-
You have to be sh*tting me. I haven't seen a post from you in months and I see that they're still consistently idiotic. Cedar Fair is running a financially calculated company. It's different from handing out candy evenly to your children.
-
^... that's because you haven't ridden it. In reality, i305 was a bunch of bland, high g-forces (for whatever parts you don't black out). The transitions are great, but the fraction of a second you spending going over twisties at a stupid-fast speeds is not worth the time you spend greyed out during the (99% of) the rest of the layout.
I never will understand the appeal for wanting to be crushed into your seat, going through loooonnng turns and undynamic pacing. The coaster is bland because the forces are so constant, none of the forces are even comfortable, and the sensation of speed sucks because i305 is in a grass field. It blows my mind that people love this.
The airtime is too-few and ruined by the OTSR (which, I should mention, by the first airtime hill, have stapled you in to your seat no matter what, thanks to the high g-forces in the flat turn).
The drop felt too short. I believe this is another illusion created by perspective and sensation, but it really sucks that a ride so tall doesn't have a very intimidating drop. The airtime on the first drop is good, but feels too in-control and not wild like Mako's. .
This is seriously the most accurate thing I have ever read in regards to i305... and I agree with every word of it, 100%.
This. Right. Here.
-
This is a mess.
-
when it comes to corporate parks usually the food gets a bad rep. I wonder how can a small family owned park have such good foods a lot of the time but corporate parks which makes tons of money often only make mediocre food.
McDonald's vs a Mom 'n Pop shop on Main Street U.S.A. Which would you rather get a burger from? Why?
McDonald's. It's cheaper.
I'm not looking for nor expect 5-star food in an amusement park. A simple, greasy burger marked up 300% will suffice.
-
Possibly recent picture of Mean Streak from the air from Great Ohio Coaster Club instagram. A LOT of the structure is missing.
Woah.
Years ago I had a similar concept in mind. Removing the track adjacent to the CP&LE Railroad would open up a few acres for future Frontiertown expansion. Most likely in the form of an extended shops & eateries with a possible flat ride of some sort.
this is from July 2015
-
The most GP video of the year award.
-
I've only ridden Dominator & Rougaour. Both exceptionally solid.
-
Sunday, April 4, 1993
Granby Lake
Houston, Texas
Eric Hill, Granby Lake spokesperson.
Welcome Back! The very first season had some minor hiccups but Granby Lake is ready to go for season two!
Many guests are quick to notice the newest thrills looming over the horizon.
An all new Boardwalk, offering various rides & attractions. NEW for 1993!
The all NEW Granby Wheel.
Boardwalk Gifts, Boardwalk Games, and the Granby Grub restaurant greet guest below the Granby Wheel.
The NEW Double Time offers an alternative Ferris wheel experience.
With the success of Swan Boats, a second water-based attraction has opened on the Boardwalk; Granby Canoes.
Also NEW for 1993 is the high-tech BrEaK dAnCe.
Rotor. Originally meant to open last season, a series of malfunctions delayed its opening.
Elsewhere in the park, Dodgem maintains a full queue due to large early season crowds.
Riders cool off on Log Jam.
32 brave "pilots in training" take flight on Flying Ace above the midway below.
4 passengers prepare to drop on Tower of Terror.
Lone Star Saloon has expanded its outdoor eating area this season to accommodate the heavy traffic.
The Lake Monster "eye".
Granby Wheel is visible from almost anywhere in the park.
Riders fully drenched after Log Jam's final splashdown.
Bonus Material! Granby Lake 1993 souvenir map.
Click HERE for full size
Until next time...
Eric Hill, Granby Lake spokesperson.
-
This is absolutely marvelous! I immediately got a Valley Hills vibe from the very beginning of the update, I bet this is going to be even better! I'm somewhat hoping this morphs into a Cedar Fair park, as I've been waiting for someone to do a Cedar Fair in Texas for a while. Keep up the good work!
-RC
Thank you.
I'm guessing some Astroworld rides will show up at this park by 2006.In other words, this is a great park! I'm really looking to more!
We will just have to wait and see.
Looks absolutely wonderful, I can't wait to see this park's progress. But does this mean you quit working on Valley Hills?Working on both parks.
thanks i guess it would be nice if this was real in houston tx! i would so go to it! i feel like houston is nothing these days especially to me!The area is lacking in theme parks. I think it will be fun developing a park with close competition.
-
Sunday, April 5, 1992
Granby Lake
Houston, Texas
Eric Hill, Granby Lake spokesperson.
Granby Lake officially opened its doors a few weeks ago and the first season is off to a fantastic start.
Straight through the turnstiles; guests flood onto the entrance plaza.
Many enjoy freshly made pizza at Plaza Pizza.
Others enjoy soaring views on Sky Tree.
The 360° panoramic views of Granby Lake are unmatched.
The first of many thrill rides guests encounter is Black Widow.
Dodgem
Wave Swinger
With 88% humidity at 78°F, many are already enjoying a refreshing cool down on Log Jam.
With just a few weeks under its belt, The Voyage is already a guest favorite.
Mine Rider, North America's grandest mine train coaster.
Riders ascend the first lift hill.....
.....and down the second lift hill onto Lake Granby.
Exclusive Mine Rider postcard.
Towards the east side of the park, Swan Boats entertains countless guests on its tranquil excursion with plentiful views.
Flying Ace!
Adjacent to Flying Ace is Thunder Bobs, a classic amusement ride.
Guest wanting to grab a quick bite to eat can always stop at Midway Snacks (not pictured) and enjoy their meal at our scenic picnic area.
Tower of Terror, the world's tallest drop ride!
At a height of 135', and a drop of 90°, Tower of Terror reaches a speed of 56 mph.
Rip Tide, another classic amusement ride. Some argue that Rip Tide and Tower of Terror are complete rip-offs from AstroWorld. Let me assure you; they are not.
Lake Monster. The king of Granby Lake. The station is situated high above the midway below.
A quick dip out the station onto the lift hill.
Twenty riders plunge down the first hill.
Two consecutive loops send riders coasting upside down. Pressed firmly in their seats with forces up to 3.7 times gravity.
Lake Monster's signature move, the twin corkscrews above the midway below.
A 405° counter-clockwise helix bring the 2700' twisted steel journey to a close.
After being turned upside down 4 times on Lake Monster many guests find a quick bite at Lakeside Refreshments to be...refreshing.
Parachute
Granby Lake continues to thrill guests after dark.
See you soon...
~Eric Hill, park spokesperson
-
The two RMC types are barely different anyways. And yeah, a lot of GP thinks of wooden coasters as old fashioned or inferior.
This statement is true for the UK.
I'd say this is half-right for the states. Knoebels, Holiday World and Kennywood are the only US parks that have multiple well-maintained wooden coasters. The rest of the gems are spread far, wide, and few between.
-
I have been genuinely curious why all the RMC conversions use the steel ibox track and not their pre-fab wooden topper track like on Outlaw Run and Lightning Rod and other "new" coasters. I guess my question is could they convert an existing wooden coaster and modify the layout using topper track or is there a reason they can't/don't.
I believe it may be do to marketing reasons. I personally find it easier to sell a "brand new steel" coaster. As opposed to "new wooden coaster" on a wooden coaster that was notorious for not being good. Additionally, if you're going to completely revamp a wooden coaster to this extent, you might as well get the version with the least amount of upkeep (i-box).
-
It looks kind of weird to me. There would either be tons of brakes or a lot of friction to only go 415 feet high after that drop without anything else to the layout.
A giant free-fall on the side of a tower is the only trick to the pony. Just like Dragster, it slams straight into the brakes.
-
^What is this boardwalk you speak of, and what have you done with it?
-
As I said, the mention of 2018 and the RMC derivatives are just Tony stirring the pot. Such a simple concept the GP on the net cannot seem to grasp.
-
^It removes the GUI and a more presentable image.
Example:
Kings Dominion (KD) Discussion Thread
in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
Posted
I'm sad to see this unique coaster go. Was such a one of a kind roller coaster
However, the throughput for this ride was downright AWFUL. I queued 45 minutes in a line that looked to be 15 minutes, ridiculous. With the ride being a capacity & maintenance nightmare.
I predict the future attraction in its place to be the opposite. Possibly a new area with new dining, shops ,flat rides, and a possible up-charge slingshot, with a "Congo" theme (i.e. Carowinds' expanded County Fair area). Avalanche could get a re-theme as well to tie in the area better. Bringing back classic flats, new dining options, and utilizing/expanding current assets has been a win-win for Cedar Fair.
I can definitely see this happening in the near future. And a great way to turn a cost issue into a bigger profit for the park. Opposed to a new $15M+ coaster that wont generate significant revenue past the first season.