ytterbiumanalyst

Mamba last night. Still crazy after all these years.

^This. I reject Tilt-a-Whirls not because I assume they will make me sick, but because I have been on them before, and they do. Teacups rides too. I can handle any kind of forward motion without trouble; hence coasters are great and can do whatever and I'm fine. I'm also good with Himalayas and the like because it's basically forward motion. So people are different. I'm glad tea cups are there because people enjoy them. More people having a good time = more return guests = more money for rides I like! More to the topic at hand: Today in line for Patriot, a little girl near me asked "Is the Orient Express still here?" 1) I'm totally impressed she knows about it. 2) How do I break it to her it was dismantled before she was born? 3) Holy crap, rides I went on as a teenager were dismantled before today's kids were born....

Silver Dollar City--we go about once a month. We also get season passes to either Six Flags or Worlds of Fun and go about 4-6 times a year to whichever one we've chosen.

Why is it in District 11? I wouldn't be holding my breath right now, but that would be fun. Atlanta could probably support 2 parks, too, as long as the second can distinguish itself from Six Flags.

Thunderation, front row, yesterday.

I went to the event last night. Overall it wasn't bad, but it did feel a bit disorganized. The parking filled up very quickly, and they had to improvise an overflow plan. I got there just a few minutes late at 7:10 and got one of the last parking spots. Right after I got there, they started parking people up the hill (where the old tram used to be) and shuttling them down--in the owner's SUV! Would have been cool to have gotten to talk to him, maybe I should have arrived later. It took nearly an hour just to buy a ticket. They had two volunteers working literally by candlelight, so the line moved very slowly. By the time I got up to the front, I could see that they were working quickly, but two people just couldn't handle this crowd. There were several hundred people there (and at $10 a head, that's some pretty good cash!) Only the village was open; the rest was off-limits. There was some obvious construction going on; some of the buildings had new framing wood set up, but unfinished. There's a long way to go before this can be re-opened as anything, but it really does look like they're serious about fixing it up. The whole thing felt very much like a construction zone; the lighting was very poor throughout, and I felt like I had to step carefully to avoid debris. They had games and facepainting set up for the kids, and a gallery with paintings, photography, and blown glass. Apparently the new owner is a glass blower himself. I also got to talk with a couple of the volunteers who told me the plan includes fixing up the train, but that is to be the only ride. The haunted hayride, the star "attraction," took us through the rest of the park that is inaccessible on foot at the moment. It had only one scareactor, with some pretty cheap makeup and costuming. Some people were complaining, but it had become clear to me by this time that this event is intended to be a fundraiser, so it was just fine for what it was. Art shop Super klassy ashtray. Several food trucks were set up in the village square. Incredible inflatable arm-flailing pumpkinhead! They're serving Dippin' Dots! It's legit!

It certainly scared off a good number of people today. Virtually everything was a walk-on, including all the coasters, with a 2-3 train wait for the front or back. It was overcast but no actual rain after about 9 AM. Perfect day! Scarecrows are the only scares you'll find here. Hill street was all decked out. Nature outshines even the impressive level of theming SDC has. Fair warning: lots of pictures of trees ahead. Just a couple more weeks until an Old Time Christmas. Some if the decorations were out already. The frogs are happier among the fall colours. Some happy insects among the trees. The crafts booths are spectacular as always. They don't generally like you taking pictures of their stuff, so I don't. The trees here are beautiful. This is near Echo Hollow. JJ Fiddle--ahem, Lucky the Fire Dog store. It was decently warm today, and very humid. There were a few people on Lost River. We skipped it, though. That's right, it's the woods. Old and new together. Still love that old bridge.

^ I also played the Star Wars Battlefront beta. I'm not a big fan of shooters or MMOs, but it was amazing. I got to play as Luke Skywalker and take down Darth Vader at the Battle of Hoth. Brilliant game, very fun indeed. I'll probably wait for it to come down in price, as I generally don't pay full price for anything these days, but it'll be one I pick up eventually.

Seconded. It's fantastic, as is Little Dipper next door. SFGAm may have the best children's coasters with those two.

Frontier City really impressed me this summer. They pack a lot into a small space.

Yeah, SDC advertises Powder Keg as a family coaster, and it has a 42" minimum height, but it's pretty intense. More intense than Wildfire. I rode Steel Lasso this past summer and I thought it was a great family coaster. I rode several times with both my son and older daughter. My son usually goes for the more intense rides (relatively, he hasn't quite hit 48" yet) and my daughter definitely does not. Both of them loved Steel Lasso. So a definite hit there.

Thanks, Neil. I've been reading this topic for a few days but I haven't said anything yet, because I'm honestly torn on the idea. On the one hand, Six Flags like any business has a responsibility to its disabled guests to ensure that they can have a good time like anyone else. It also has a responsibility to its guests who are not disabled to ensure that they can have a good time. These goals don't necessarily conflict, but we all know sometimes they can and do. My son has autism. I don't think I've shared this before on this forum because I don't want to be one of those Parents of Special Needs Children. I've met a few on other forums and sometimes in real life, and those people are obnoxious. Having a disability doesn't mean you need a free pass for everything, and I think we can all agree on that. Theme parks have been a great way to connect with my son, and for that, I am very grateful. We have fun as a family at theme parks in ways that don't happen in other places. I have never seen my son smile as big as when he's on a roller coaster. Screamin' Eagle is his favourite. So the last thing I want is for a theme park to make things more difficult for people like us. Just looking at my son, you may not see his disability, but get to know him and you will. We don't ask for special favours, and we don't want to make things difficult for anyone else. We wait in line, and go on days when lines aren't too bad. We do take up a bit more space in the queue, as my son doesn't stand still well, but people have generally been kind and allowed some room. I think it's been a great learning experience for him. There will always be lines, in grocery stores and school and everywhere else. Learning to wait is hard but necessary. So how does Six Flags protect its disabled guests and also weed out the aforementioned Parents of Special Needs Children? I don't know. I hope this works out well for everyone.

I would love it if the trains looked like the armoured vehicle in that second photo.

Woohoo, another Boss fan! Totally agree with your assessment. There are parts of that ride that kick your butt, especially that helix. If you liked it, you'll love Legend. I wrote a trip report here earlier this year, and I believe I wrote something like "I only thought Boss's helix was forceful until I rode Legend." It's a great ride, and the other three are even better! Have fun!

^

Great report so far, even without photos. I especially enjoyed your description of our anthem tradition. We've grown up with it, so it's just the normal, expected thing at places like sports games and theme parks. Fun to hear it from another perspective. Looking forward to reading the rest!

RMC's spend a lot of time close to the ground specifically so they don't lose speed. They all come roaring back into the station and are intense from start to finish. Well no, actually, Being close to the ground causes it to loose more speed, not less. It's low to the ground because that's how they like to build their coasters, an I must say: it works for them. Hmm, interesting. How does the math work on that? The way I see it, the maximum speed will come from the height of the first drop and speed at the top, and the loss of speed comes from friction. Since larger hills use more track than smaller ones, being lower to the ground should mean less loss of speed to friction.

RMC's spend a lot of time close to the ground specifically so they don't lose speed. They all come roaring back into the station and are intense from start to finish.

^ Agreed. I know a lot of the attention is going to Lightning Rod--and rightly so--but I am very excited about having a dive coaster within a day's drive of me. Looks to be a very fun layout too. I'm working on a way to get to Cedar Point next summer, and Valravn is a big part of it.

No, you can't sneak people into a hotel room. What you're proposing is the same as trying to hand someone your season pass so they can get into a theme park for free. It's theft of services. Hotels price their rooms for double occupancy, and that's why the price goes up if you have more than that. The hotel is incurring extra expenses related to the extra guests, so you are compensating them for that. Monte Carlo is a great and not terribly expensive hotel, and it's got the "Vegas feel." That would be my choice among the ones you've listed.

So last I've heard was the log flume closed. I would expect it's been dismantled by now. Anyone have photos?

I will admit that Screaming Eagle is smoother in the front than the back, but it's not rough. I mean, it's not Topper Track smooth, but it is 1970s wooden coaster smooth. That's just how it is. Nothing wrong with it at all.

B&M: Superman: Ultimate Flight - other than the pretzel loop, this was terrible. I rode in the back row, so the pretzel loop was AWESOME, but one element does not make a coaster. Intamin: I've only ridden two of their coasters, Vertical Velocity and American Eagle, and liked them both. Probably the worst Intamin I've been on is Thunder River at SFStL. Decent but not great ride. GCI: I've liked every one of these, but Kentucky Rumbler was probably the least exciting. It was still very good, though, just not quite as good as some of the others I've been on.

The weekend of 10/23-25, we'll be at Silver Dollar City, Dogpatch, Legoland KC, and Worlds of Fun. Fall break!