thrillseeker4552

Aw man, that food looks delicious. Can't wait to visit in a few weeks. Thanks for sharing!

Not gonna lie, that video made me a little sad too! Holiday in the Park is such a magical time (cheesy, but true). I love visiting SFMM in December. I even prefer it to Knott's Merry Farm. Holidays just won't be the same this year.

Great to hear confirmation from the park. Hopefully this works out and makes the ride reliable. I can't help but wonder, however, if 5-10 years down the road they'll end up just replacing the remaining portions with I-box.

My initial hunch was an RMC Raptor, but yeah, after seeing Premier Rides' tweet, I can definitely see this being a Sky Rocket II. Really any steel coaster would be a great addition to this park.

The video stated it is "the biggest addition since the park's beginning." This is a pretty bold statement, implying it will be larger than Rampage (whether that's literally or financially). I suppose they could have meant the biggest addition since re-opening as well.

Maybe I missed it somewhere (even though it hasn't officially been announced), but I wonder if new trains are coming with this "upgrade" as well. I could see them purchasing the 2nd-gen RMC trains that may handle the elements better, but perhaps the current trains are a non-issue and once the track is upgraded, that's all the ride needs to operate consistently? I guess time will tell. I can't get over the fact that an RMC is getting RMC'd. Anything can happen in 2020!

That sounds about right to me. I can't wait to see hardcore enthusiasts melt down over whether this is still a wooden coaster or not. Grab the popcorn!

I am currently in the early stages of planning a trip this June that would start in NJ and end in OH. Of course, I am looking to visit Kennywood along the way. But I will admit it is discouraging to hear the park going downhill. If it weren't for Phantom and Steel Curtain I would probably skip the park entirely. Fingers crossed Steel Curtain will actually be open next summer...

Part of me: I live 110 miles from the park. Is it really worth it to drive all the way there, see some lights, and drive all the way back. 4+ hours out of the day for that? Nice that it's free for active members though, and definitely appealing to those who live very close. The other park of me: When else in my life will I EVER get the chance to drive through the theme park?

I also tend to agree with the sentiment that many RMCs feel similar. However, I have not ridden Steel Vengeance and, obviously, not Iron Gwazi - those could be different animals. But based on my experiences with the smaller-to-medium RMCs (Twisted Timbers, Twisted Cyclone, Wicked Cyclone, Joker, Twisted Colossus), they tend to feel quite similar in style. Based on POVs, I think I would prefer Iron Gwazi over Steel Vengeance. Despite it being shorter, it looks to have a less-repetitive layout. Back-to-back, repetitive ejector pops really don't do much for me. Instead this one just has wacky, awesome elements. That outer-bank over the station looks wild. And that diving roll.... dang. But like always, all judgement reserved until riding. I am still more drawn to VelociCoaster personally. But a Florida trip within the next few years is on my radar now more than ever.

Yeah, for those of you that have BGT has your home park (or live in Florida in general), I am extremely jealous. What an amazing looking ride to an already stellar coaster lineup.

Gotcha, thanks for sharing. I was also speaking just more generally about all Floorless coasters. Scream at SFMM runs terribly about 80% of the time, but sometimes you get a smooth and enjoyable ride. I also got mixed rides on Dominator during my visits in 2017 and 2019. But Medusa at SFDK has been super smooth every time I ride it, and my few rides on Superman were also glass smooth. Floorless coasters just seem to be a mixed bag in my experience.

Great report! Fiesta Texas is one of my favorite Six Flags parks too. I think I would only put it behind SFMM and SFGAdv, if I had to rank them. It has a very different feel than other Six Flags parks and the ride lineup is solid. I went last December and would love to go back soon. Also, it is interesting you found a rattle on Superman. Floorless coasters are so temperamental. Sometimes they are smooth as glass and other times they run on square wheels.

As a 21-year-old who considers themselves a "mild enthusiast" (at least in person) and often uses single rider lines, it's not that complicated... Be friendly, say hello. Maybe ask if they've ridden this ride before. Casual conversation. You don't need to ramble about all the coasters you've ridden and parks you've been to, nor do you need to be silent and cold. Do people not know how to interact anymore? lol

Plot twist: they are GCI-ing it with the Titan Track.

Very nice to see the park do this. Based on the information I can find, the only thrill rides open will be Delirium and Dominator. Didn't they have Twisted Timbers open during Winterfest last year?

Hold on a second. So they are building a brand new theme park in the middle of nowhere Iowa - including a relocated Intamin and SLC - and nobody is talking about this? Wow. This is awesome!

Sofa! Vekoma Giant Inverted Boomerang or Intamin Impulse?

Oh, I could definitely see Cedar Fair installing this track on other GCIs in the chain as well. I just brought up GhostRider because it operates 365-year-round and probably cycles way more than any of the others, and a solution like this may be more long-term and viable for a park that doesn't have a proper off-season. Just something interesting to think about given how much the park treasures the ride (and rightftully so).

With GCI's introduction of their Titan Track (steel track introduced at IAAPA last year), I wonder if Knott's is interested. I know Knott's wants to keep GhostRider a true wooden coaster. However I can't help but wonder if putting that steel track at high stress areas (like the bottom of the first drop, or various places in the second half) is attractive for the park. I know they dump so much money into maintaining that ride each year. And don't get me wrong, the ride is currently running great (well, when it was open... sigh). But when it comes to something long-term for the coaster, I could see Knott's jumping on it. Thoughts?

It will definitely run fewer trains given the length of the brake run/station. However, I wonder if this will be a taller version with a third "level" of hills. The tight radius of the raven dive on the far left seems to point to that. Maybe not. Smaller or bigger, it is still cool to see a custom layout.

It carries a lot more speed through the heartline roll than I was expecting. Not quite Maverick-pre-opening level, but that is going to be a great element to finish the ride. And it has lap bars! Intamin is just

Wait, there is actually going to be a safari-themed ride in Safari Village? Is that allowed?

This sounds about right. In 2020, we want to go back to 2019. In 2019, we wanted to go back to 2018. And so forth. I am hoping, at the minimum, that all parks are able to open in 2021. Even if all of the same guidelines are still in place, I would hate to see a park not be able to open *again* due to some ridiculous state/county mandate and likely close indefinitely as a result.

I know you are subtly referencing Nitro here. I am curious: what is the lowest temperature you have seen Nitro run? Genuine question from a West Coast-er who thought 40 degrees at SFMM's Holiday in the Park was absolutely freezing.