thrillseeker4552

If replacing all the track on these Zierer coasters is a thing, I hope that happens to Jaguar at Knott's. That ride has also been running year-round for 20+ years.

^I agree with you. I've never been to the park, but adding a solid Premier coaster and an RMC to an already incredible B&M trio and several middle ground coasters like Cheetah Hunt, Cobra's Curse, and Scorpion, along with arguably one of the best drop towers out there... dang, I gotta get down there in 2020! Time to contact my cousins in Orlando! lol

I never visited the park despite driving past it around a billion times over the years. I was always intrigued by the coaster and the drop tower but never cared enough to make an effort to visit. It's sad to see this park go, but also not too surprising.

Right when one Intamin Invert bites the dust, another is getting a fresh coat of paint and re-theme to it. I never thought Volcano would be the former and V2 would be the latter.

I love the classic Boardwalk wooden coaster look (white supports and red railings). This is such a great addition to the park and Kentucky Kingdom is really on my radar now.

Sweet! Can't wait to see more of it get built. The fact that Maxx Force is this far along (which isn't saying much) and there aren't even pieces on site for West Coast Racers really has me curious that there is something going with SFMM and Premier beyond the usual "Six Flags slowness."

This one definitely hurts more than most. I had no problem with Cedar Fair removing their old Vekomas (Boomerang, Stinger, Firehawk), but this removal is definitely the largest and most iconic of them all. I'm glad I rode it 4-5 times in 2017. I really appreciate the coaster's uniqueness. There was nothing like it when it was built and even 20 years later, it still stood as the only launched full-circuit invert. That being said, nothing lasts forever. And knowing Cedar Fair and Kings Dominion, I'm sure the replacement down the line will be worthy. Cedar Fair really is cutting the crap with their overly-high-maintenance coasters. They're not playing any games.

Nerd alert, but I am very glad the seat belts (as we expect from Cedar Fair) clip in front like a typical shoulder harness rather than a lap belt. This should make operations much smoother. Also love the colors and this whole coaster in general!

The (relatively) new BBQ restaurant near HangTime and Xcelerator is fantastic. Aside from Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner, it has my favorite food in the park. If BBQ isn't your thing, I would recommend the Mexican restaurant in Fiesta Village (I forgot its name, but it's next to the carousel and underneath Silver Bullet's first drop). Good burritos and nachos. There's also your basic burgers, chicken strips, pizza, etc. at several places throughout the park but I don't find any of it considerably better than your average theme park meals.

California's Great America posted on their blog that their Intamin Drop Tower will receive a nice new paint scheme this year! You can read more about the "theme" behind it on their blog. https://www.cagreatamerica.com/blog/2019/fun-news-drops-now Also, is that B&M track in the lower right of the image? Just thought I would open that for speculation...

What made the Knott's Boomerang so bad (for me) were the dumb restraints. If it had the basic Arrow restraints, the ride would have been a bit more comfortable since most people's head sits above the top of the restraint. But Boomerang's had these dumb SLC-like pads that basically forced you to bang your head and there was no avoiding it. But even with the world's smoothest, most comfortable trains for a Boomerang, I would still take HangTime in a heartbeat. That was such a good move by Knott's.

^Great news. Since they're pressure washing down the paint, I assume they're going with a new color. Good. That maroon and purple was one of the ugliest coaster color schemes IMO. I guess this also puts to bed any rumors that the park is going to remove the ride soon...

Everything seems to be working just fine for me on Chrome for Windows 10. I am very happy our rankings from last year saved. I only rode about 20 new coasters in 2018 so adding those throughout my ranking is much easier than starting all over! I really like the way the poll is set up. Thanks to everyone involved for their efforts!

It's going to Kentucky Kingdom, remember? But in all seriousness, I wonder if Cedar Fair is becoming done with their Vekomas. They removed Boomerang, Stinger, and Firehawk all within 2 years. It makes me wonder how much longer their SLCs will last. I believe CW and MA are the only two Cedar Fair parks with one?

Yeah, I suppose you're right. Just remember that the new B&M Dive coaster that opened in South Korea last year features B&M's original restraints, which leads me to believe it is a park decision and not B&M's. I think it could really go either way, and even though it's a small feature, I really do think it makes a difference in ride experience. But I digress. This is a fantastic addition to the park and the first B&M in SoCal since Tatsu 13 years ago, so I'm thrilled.

Based on the layout and series of elements/inversions, I am really getting Valkyria vibes from this. My fingers are crossed it has the regular 6-across dive trains (like Baron, Krake, etc.) as opposed to the ones with vests. I can see it going either way.

At least there isn't a single dull moment on the coaster. They use every inch of track to their advantage. I suppose I would rather have a short coaster that kicks a$$ than a long, drawn-out snoozefest.

That's exactly how I feel too!

I'm not gonna lie, I totally forgot this was coming! I LOVE S&S Screamin' Swings. What a perfect addition to a beautiful park. S&S is really on a roll this year.

I mean, October 2016 to January 2018 was roughly the entire time frame Silver Dollar City was building Time Traveler, and there haven't been any major issues as far as we know. Icon was also built in that time frame and, again, hasn't had major structural issues as far as the public knows. Copperhead was also built very quickly in the last few months. Granted testing hasn't begun yet, but part of me is skeptical about that article.

That's funny, to see those tiny pieces of track sitting on the supports! Lol I didn't hate Firehawk, but I also didn't really love it. I don't mind one bit it's getting scrapped. Onto bigger and better things. I have faith in Kings Island to make the replacement worth it!

I’m still patiently waiting for RMC to construct a zero-g stall that does a trick-track while upside-down (think Wicked Cyclone’s stall but more direction changes). That’s an element I’ve had in mind ever since Wicked Cyclone came out. Just a random thought. I also find RMC projects 100x more exciting when we don’t know the layout very well (this, the one at Nagashima, Steel Vengeance the first year of construction). I love being surprised by each new piece of track put down.

1. Name 3 of your favorite roller coasters, but not your top 3. GhostRider, Nitro, Millennium Force. 2. About how many different parks did you visit in 2018? I visited 8 different parks. 3. Which 2018 park visit was your favorite? I had an excellent first visit to CGA. Great weather, rode all the rides I wanted multiple times, short lines, good food, fun time with family. Couldn't have gone better really! 4. Your favorite 2018 park addition (ride, food, show, etc)? That I've experienced, Railblazer! Otherwise the answer would of course be Steel Vengeance. 5. What ride exceeded your expectations the most in 2018? Superman at SFDK. I prefer it to Full Throttle, and it's amazing how much better (and faster) the coaster is with two-car trains and no dumb comfort collars. Rode it more than any other coaster in the park. 6. Best meal/food at a park in 2018? California's Great America and Seaworld San Diego both have great food. I don't think I can pick out a certain meal. 7. What was your favorite new coaster of 2018 NOT made by RMC or Larson? HangTime! 8. Name one park you will definitely visit in 2019. Lagoon. 9. Best ride themed to a bird? Tatsu is themed to a bird, right? 10. Lamest ride/coaster you rode in 2018? Grizzly at CGA. It's really not too rough, just SO boring and with painfully slow operations. 11. What roller coaster currently sits at the top of your bucketlist? (degree of difficulty: NOT a new-for-2019 ride) I have many, but probably Eejanaika or Dinoconda since I LOVE X2 and apparently those are even better and more insane. 12. What new-for-2019 ride or coaster are you most looking forward to? Overall, Steel Curtain. But the only new-for-2019 coaster I am certain I'll be riding is West Coast Racers. 13. Name the first totally middle-of-the-road (not bad/not great) park that comes to mind. Definitely Dorney Park. 14. You're in Orlando and magically have a 1-hour ERT session on 1 coaster of your choice at any park in the city. You choose... Mako! 15. Holiday In The Park vs. Winterfest. Who reigns supreme? Holiday in the Park, for sure. 16. Mystic Timbers mystery shed or Wicker Man fire infusion? Wicker Man fire! 17. Which Six Flags have you been to most recently? Magic Mountain on December 26th. 18. Intamin or Schwarzkopf? You may only choose one. As much as I love Schwarzkopf, I have to say Intamin. 19. Battle of Kings Coasters: Island or Dominion? Pick one. Kings Dominion. I love both parks but KD has better coasters and more "atmosphere" IMO. 20. What was the longest you waited for a ride/coaster in 2018? My sister and I waited exactly 2 hours for HangTime during Knott's Scary Farm. 21. What roller coaster have you ridden more than any other? Either Montezooma's Revenge or Silver Bullet. Something at Knott's for sure. 22. Best drop tower under 150 feet? Any S&S Double Shot. 23. Maverick or Millennium Force? (If you haven't been to CP, pick what you want to ride more) Maverick, no question. 24. Log flumes or sky rides? You can only choose one. Log flumes. 25. What are 3 things you enjoying doing at your home park other than riding rides? Eating (of course), spending time with friends/family, people-watching. 26. What is your second favorite Cedar Fair park and why? Kings Dominion. Like I said earlier, a solid coaster lineup, very green (which is impressive to me as someone from the West Coast lol), good flat rides, nice atmosphere. I went in 2017 so I imagine it's even better now with TT. 27. What is your home park and give us two good reasons why we should pay it a visit. My "true" home park is Knott's. It has great charm (that has been restored immensely in the last 7 years under new CF management), a solid top 5 coaster line-up, not too big so it's easy to navigate and you don't get too tired, an excellent one-of-a-kind log flume and dark/train ride, and well-themed in some areas. It has a different feel than many other Cedar Fair parks due to its history. My "secondary" home park is Lagoon while I'm at college in Utah. It actually draws many similarities to Knott's: nice charm in areas, an "above average" coaster line-up (especially with our two wonderful Schwarzkopfs), of course Cannibal, good location and easy public transportation from SLC airport. Many museums and interesting pieces of history in Pioneer Village, two very old-school dark rides, many vintage flat rides, lots of shade and water attractions in the summertime. I would compare it to a slightly more modern version of Knoebels. 28. Launch or Lift? I love powerful launches, but my top 5 coasters all have lift hills, so I'm conflicted. 29. Did you buy fast pass at all in 2018? Nope. 30. What is your least favorite wooden coaster? Most boring: Grizzly at CGA. Roughest: probably Wildcat at Hersheypark. 31. Disney fanboys: cool or cult? I don't really have strong opinions about Disney in general, so no comment. 32. Best Batman themed ride? Well, the B&M Inverts, of course. 33. Name something that tend to take home from parks that you didn't bring with you. I really can't think of anything. I pretty much never buy merchandise, nor do I ever bring home a "sickness" or something like that. Hmmmm. 34. Best wooden coaster over 110 feet tall? (rcdb will help you) El Toro, duh. 35. Have you ever been hit with something (loose change/a tree/vomit/etc) while riding something? I caught my brother's hat (who sat a few seats in front of me) on Jaguar at Knott's. I also came VERY close to getting hit by a phone on El Toro back in 2016. And of course bugs on many coasters at Cedar Point. 36. Skywarps: credits or no? State your case. I go with what RCDB says because I really don't care enough to argue either way, so I suppose it's a credit. 37. Turkey legs: nah or yaaaaassssss? Too large and too messy for what it's worth. 38. What is the most recent B&M that you rode? Silver Bullet at Knott's on New Years Day. 39. You can eat nothing but corn dogs, churros or funnel cake for the next 48 hours, which do you choose? Wow. I don't "really" like any of those three foods. I guess churro is the one least likely to make me throw up. 40. Post a great on-ride shot of you from 2018. (DO IT!) See my profile pic! This was from December 19, 2018.

This isn’t too unusual based on SFMM’s history. They couldn’t even open a flat ride until mid July. Their last new ride that opened in the Spring was Twisted Colossus. Even Full Throttle didn’t open until late June. I expect West Coast Racers to open in late June/early July at the earliest.

They are horrible capacity wise. That is a fact. The lines don't get too long, because the ride is not universally loved. Don't get me wrong, they are by no means "good capacity." I was just speaking from my experiences with Superman and Electric Eel, both of which kept the line moving quite well with good operations (particularly Superman). I wish I recorded it, because that crew was sending out trains every 30-40 seconds. But you're right, even with the world's fastest ride operators, the ride will never have a high throughput. The lines for both coasters just exceeded my expectations for how fast they were moving relative to what people describe.