JonnyRCT3

Millennium Force at night. Nothing else like it. Honorable mention is Gemini in the back seat. The radius at the top just snaps into the max vertical angle thanks to that coat-hanger design. So it feels like you're being catapulted over the hill. And that head-chopper makes the airtime terrifying.

Wednesday, June 1, 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. So I've compiled only the park's flat rides together to showcase them in full detail. Enjoy! Upon entering the park the first ride many notice is Parachute Tower, a 130' airborne excursion with plentiful views of the park. Also pictured is the HUSS inverting ship ride Patriot. Even with over 25 years of operation, Patriot still delivers an excellent first thrill of the day. Music Box retains a lengthy queue after all these years, and is equipped with an on-board audio system. Some ride cycles have retro 90's music, while others play modern pop hits or even classic rock. What was once Towering Inferno. (moving along) If you're willing to pay $8 (which isn't THAT bad compared to similar rides at other parks), Valley Scream will make you scream. Clever name. Buccaneer, unlike most rides of this variety, has a lengthy 3 minute ride time filled with pops of floater airtime on every swing. The unique placement inside Wild Waters' ride area helps maintain some loose "theming". Wild Waters is hands-down my favorite log flume ride ever. Especially after receiving a light theming package, a surprise move for a Cedar Fair park. (photo credit: Valley Hills) Not only are there $5 lockers, but also $5 dryers located conveniently next to the ride. Moral of the story; you need $10 to ride Wild Waters. Yet another loosely "themed" ride at Valley Hills is Barrel Blast. It's your average tea cup ride, but with added bonus of it being way more out of control and nothing like your average tea cup ride. Continuing a trend of spinning rides, Chaos takes the cake by being the most bizarre of them all. Its pretty color scheme makes for great photos. (side note: You have to basically walk through an eatery to get to the entrance of the ride. Seems like forced advertising if you ask me.) Next up is Camp Snoopy, a PEANUTS themed family area with a total of 10 rides. 2 coasters & 7 flats to be exact. First up is Snoopy's Deep Sea Adventure. A typical Octopus ride surrounded by lush greenery that made it hard to photograph. The Camp Wheel has an unfitting name since there is nothing "campy" about views of a giant B&M Dive Coaster. Maybe it's just me. (Side note: This ride has been relocated 3 times since its inception in 1974.) The relatively new Snoopy vs. Red Baron. The $5 up-charge Snoopy's Bounce House. I didn't see anyone interested in this attraction. Camp Carousel. Another ride generously surrounded by vegetation. At least the "camp" theme is somewhat maintained. +1 point. Krazy Kars is one of the "new for 2011" family rides. Unfortunately, Apple Twists, the classic paratrooper ride that opened with the park, has gotten the boot and has been replaced by an up-charge rock climbing attraction. Also new this year is Flying Beagle, a Larson flying scooters attraction. The beautiful lakefront setting is appealing, the strict "no snapping" policy is not. Now that Camp Snoopy is out of the way, we can get back to the thrill rides. And it doesn't get anymore thrilling than ZER0, spelled with a zero at the end for those who didn't know. A great Intamin drop tower of 272' vertical. Not the biggest fan of heights, so ZER0 is easily the scariest ride in the park to me. To get to the next wave of high-tech thrill machines, you must pass through an underground tunnel. The natural cooling from the Earth can be quite soothing on those hot & humid summer days. Next up would be the Valley Lift's Eastern station, however Cardinal is too good to pass up. Hands down the BEST flat ride in the park. A great mix of Huss, Intamin, and B&M. For those looking for another way to beat the heat, Blackwater Falls has you covered. This ride has some light theming to it, although I'm not certain what gunpowder cannons and such have to do with a waterfall. I believe this was the final ride Valley Hills purchased from Arrow Dynamics back in 1995. One of last year's new additions was the return of Rotor, a once defunct ride in the park. Charlie Brown's Wind-up, a children's whip ride, also debuted last year. But now appears to be gone. Still no explanation on this. Treetop Flyers dominates the entrance to the second PEANUTS themed family area, Planet Snoopy. PEANUTS 500. Woodstock's Whirlybirds. Planet Snoopy has a classic mat slide, Race For Your Life Charlie Brown! A rather lengthy name. And a Zamperla Rockin' Tug by the name of Lucy's Tugboat. Kite Eating Tree is perfect to prepare the kiddies for the larger thrill rides. This ride scared the parents more than it did their kids. This first big thrill ride to be added to the park in 1974, and also the world's first permanent Enterprise installation. Trout Spin remains ever popular with the kiddies exiting Planet Snoopy who want to try out the bigger rides. Since I missed the Eastern station, here is an obligatory shot of Valley Lift's Western station. Scrambler is nestled in right next to IGNITION's towering inversions. Unfortunately, Scrambler seems to have gotten a more tame ride cycle. Shame. This was the only decent picture I could get of the West Virginia Turnpike. This ride always seems to be forgotten, which is probably due to its zero visibility from the midway and its entrance being pushed behind a headliner coaster's entrance. I didn't see many people on this classic Arrow Dynamics attraction, it makes me wonder if its days are numbered. (photo credit: Valley Hills) Now that we've gotten a good look at all the flat rides in the park, it's time to get acquainted with the numerous world class coasters at Valley Hills. Which will be saved until next time. ~James Smith

Thank you. I felt the need to get rid of the old, and bring in some fresh CF treatment. That's exactly what SRE is for, a stepping stone coaster. But it's still a light thrill coaster even adults can enjoy. Thank you. I usually dread doing maps because they take forever. I think this one may be my best one yet. $20 million is a lot of money. I don't know...seems expensive. Sorry for the delay. I've been in the process of switching laptops, and I've finally had time to get back into RCT3. This is the third PC the park has been hosted on since starting it back in February 2014. My new laptop has 5x the processing & graphical power as the original system. Valley Hills used to drop down to as low as 7fps (un-playable) on the original system, and I can now play in a solid high frame rate, with no issues. The next update will contain the last set of photos that were taken on my last laptop, and were taken about a week ago when I was planning to update the park. But just decided to wait until I got my new laptop.

Wow, Rattlesnake looks insane! The coaster seems to have checked every box for an outstanding wooden coaster. Airtime, banked turns and lots of twists. Also, at 141' Rattle Snake would be the world's tallest wooden coaster in 1989.

Because people go in thinking it's the greatest thing since sliced bread, and expect old-school 1993 Kumba forces on a 2013 wing coaster. I should also mention that it's not Intimidator 305, so people automatically will not like it due to less intense forces. If you strap yourself in and just ride the damn thing you will certainly have a good time. GateKeeper is an all around enjoyable coaster with gigantic inverting elements that are uniquely enhanced by the unique seating. It's also very re-rideable, with a different experience depending on where you sit on the train, and one of the most unique coasters at Cedar Point. But then again, everyone likes to complain and use disproportionate comparisons to justify said complaints. So I guess it's crap...

There is an official thread for questions like this. --->The Official NoLimits/NL2 Help Thread And to answer your question. I don't beleive there is a way to take a screenshot while in editor mode through the simulator. However, if you're using a Windows machine, simply press... ..and a screenshot will automatically be saved to your picture folder.

Well, let's take a deeper look. Worlds of Fun Dorney Park Valleyfair Nothing too-major has been done, but the parks have certainly become more rounded than prior to these investments. All receiving new additions and upgraded areas/waterparks, which certainly improve the all-day experience. It's probably nothing an enthusiasts would go crazy over, but they are additions that certainly help improve a casual park goers experience. Like I wrote earlier, these parks are getting mid-to-large scale expansions/upgrades that help round themselves out more. The Kings Dominion S.S. expansion, and each Planet Snoopy expansion listed would easily equal the cost of a new coaster. Parks have to cater & invest heavily into attractions aimed towards people outside the thrill-seeking demographic, as thrill seekers only make up a portion of their income.

Based on the animation, Sky Ride only runs one side. I remember at the time of the GateKeeper announcement it was mentioned that they were still deciding on what type of station gates to use.

That was probably a hyperbole. I agree with this. Here is a chart documenting every large scale scale coaster inside the Cedar Fair Chain between 1996-2016. Excluding the obvious Cedar Point. Carowinds, Kings Island, and Canada's Wonderland are the only parks that seem to consistently receive large $20+ million coasters. Worlds of Fun and Dorney Park seem to have gone through quick bursts of large coaster installations, and Valleyfair's has been sprinkled around every-so-often. For the time being, every other park is getting mid-to-large scale expansions/upgrades that help round out their respective parks more. This is just an overview of what's been happening in the chain, and probably an explanation as to why there aren't coasters popping up in every park.

This thread in a nutshell.

The park just made it's largest investment ever 5 years ago. Plus the park has invested into multiple ride rehabs, much needed infrastructure upgrades, Windseeker, Dinosaurs Alive, Planet Snoopy & Soak City expansions, and next year's Delirium. That would easily be greater than or at least equal to another $25 million coaster. I don't know about you but I'd take the multiple additions per year for multiple years, than a singe ride for one year with a drought between. Park demographics are made up of more than just thrill seekers, hence Planet Snoopy, Soak City & every family ride ever.

June 2009

Everyone who isn't an enthusiast (anyone who doesn't post on this forum & 99% of park goers) will find WT a fairly fun ride. Not the BEST, but it is still FUN (which is the purpose people ride these things anyways). The only people who care about driving a 8 hours to ride slightly better rides that will do the same thing (thrill people) as the rides 20 minutes away are people like us. Or people that have already planned an out-of-town trip. You conveniently forgot the last 5+ years worth of additions. Valleyfair isn't a coaster-mecha in any sense of the word. So why people believe that the park "needs" world class coasters to stay afloat is beyond me. Valleyfair as always focused on a mix of mostly flats, family rides, water additions. And the occasional thrill ride. 96-07 has been the only time period this park has ever tried to push thrill rides with such consistency and scale. And it seems they've reconsidered, and are going for the tried-and-true approach that has made the park into what it is today. You're reading too far into it. If you want that $25 million dollar inverted-giga-rmc, you're going to need to spend $25 million more dollars.

^^Probably China. They'll probably name is "Wing Coaster two keyhole combo".

I do agree that Wild Eagle is a really enjoyable and re-ridable coaster. Gatekeeper, on the other hand, is less impressive. See, they can be very enjoyable coasters. I'm sure if KD were to receive one, it would easily be in the top 3 ridden rides at the park.

You must have a very loose definition for "great". Seeing as how more than one or more has been built every year since its debut proves otherwise. Also, GateKeeper and Wild Eagle both draw massive crowds at their respective parks with arguably better coasters. They will continue to be built, and the small enthusiasts community mindset of what makes a great coaster is still irrelevant.

Yes, most would say that the Diamondback & Maverick would easily beat out any coaster at Valleyfair. However, just because there are better coasters out there DOES NOT mean that the coasters at VF are bad. For everyone within a 2-3 hour drive of the park, Wild Thing is the biggest coaster they'll ever ride, which is roughly 80%+ of VF's customer base. I doubt the revenue, much less profit, at Valleyfair would generate the needed funds to invest in $20+ million projects nearly every year across the chain. Parks with higher attendance tend to generate more money, so therefore will receive larger investments. Parks will lower attendance tend to generate less money, and therefore will receive smaller investments. Of course everyone would love for their home park to have the latest and greatest rides in the industry, but you need the funds to back it up. If you want better/more expensive rides, you need to spend more at the park. The greater LA area has a Six Flags, Knott's, Universal, Disneyland, Pacific Park, and Adventure City, and they all seem to be doing fine. Large population centers are a cash cow for amusement parks. I really don't see an issue with this, at all. Even the twin cities have two amusement parks, Valleyfair and Nick Universe. So if Valleyfair doesn't build something better than Nick Universe or Great America their attendance will suffer? Valleyfair offers more family rides, thrill rides, and coasters than NU. VF nearly has 2x the amount of attractions NU has. Plus they have a WATERPARK, that by itself could easily lean someone towards VF. If anything, NU needs to step it up. Also, I don't see how a park 5 hours away would deter the casual park goer (everyone who isn't an enthusiast) to visit a park that offers the same things (rides) they can find within a 45min drive. Most enthusiasts fail to understand this simple concept. SFGAM has put in multiple B&M's & Intamins, and yet VF still stands. Whoa! Impossible, right?

It makes sense, honestly. The rumor seemed to have CGA all in favor for the conversion, then Joker was announced, and now this. Seems a bit more than coincidental.

Apparently the dozen or so people behind such investments with years inside the industry and heavy park management experience seem to differ. It's not like the people behind the scenes who've run the park for years don't know what the park needs. Every park has things it needs to approve upon, and will be dealt with eventually. This isn't RCT3, everything can only be done one step at a time.

A park can go without a specific type of ride an enthusiasts thinks it "needs". Parks simply balance out the types of rides that draw guest to THEIR park. VF has never been a "coaster destination" in any sense, and has always focused on other essentials that has kept the park afloat all this time. Like family and water attractions. There is the occasional coaster, which helps balance out the family with the thrill rides, creating an all-in-one family destination. Why people expect this park to get a coaster every few years is beyond me. Maybe Cedar Point or Magic Mountain, where the money is abundant and coasters have always reigned supreme. Route 76 & the Soak City expansions were rather large, and are both easily a combined $10 million. (The park does spend a lot of money on every type of ride, not just coasters. So it's no surprise that next year will be downsized, investment wise) Why spend the same amount on a single coaster, when you can invest in multiple attractions over 2 years (twice the market exposure) with a much higher marketability & attractiveness to the most essential demographic to the park? When you have rides for families, and waterpark attractions (which are attractive to any age) you can easily draw families that will buy 4-6 tickets and spend money inside the park. As opposed to the two teenagers/adults who buy two tickets to ride the few coasters and leave. This is a business at the end of the day, and apparently VF finds the family market a viable field of investment. Enough so that they've easily invested the cost of 3-4 Renegades (coasters) since 2007 into family based attractions. That speaks volumes in itself as to what keeps bringing in the money.

Are you serious? What major parks (outside of Disney) do you know that operate coasters with 4 trains? Don't TTD and Maverick run 4-5 trains? Yeah, they both run 6.

It's funny that people are so up in arms about having two coasters of similar color in the same park. Iron Dragon and TTD are right next to each other with similar colors, but no one complained about that. Then you have parks like BGW that can't seem to stop building blue coasters, but people don't hate on it. Also the Valrvn track looks coser to brown to me than orange, but then again, Alpengeist has blue supports that I and many other people see as more greenish, so meh. If a park would build seven "insert favorite coaster here" no one would say anything. Gotta love that enthusiast logic. I find it interesting how the zero-g rolls into a downwards curve, and then straight into a camelback. There are lots of unique forces & transitions in such a small amount of time. Should be a very fun ride. Easily the best second half to any dive coaster.

Just goes to show that you need rides that appeal to everyone. And i305 is far from checking that quota.

It depends on the financial situation, which we enthusiasts have no knowledge about. If they're looking to up the ante on revenue, you will see some type of major investment. Such is the case with Delirium. They park has been going for similar sized investments the past few years. Due to the obvious sign that i305 didn't usher in a new wave of thrill rides for the park, the next coaster will likely be more demographically inclined. Something like a B&M wing, an Intamin or Mack family coaster. However, the park may still be trying to find its footing ( ) and Delirium is a gamble on the high-thrill market again,