thrillseeker4552

For me, my "bucket list coasters" are almost exclusively outside the U.S., since those will take me the longest (and most money) to get to. So, in no particular order: Do-Dodonpa Eejanaika and/or Dinoconda Formula Rossa, Flying Aces Taron Expedition G-Force Walibi Holland trio (Goliath, Lost Gravity, new RMC) The crazy Intamin hyper going to Walibi Belgium The even crazier Intamin launched coaster going to Parc Asterix Wildfire Helix, Balder Hyperion, the new RMC, and all the other 2430584 coasters Energylandia's gonna build in the next decade If I had to pick a few in the U.S. I've still yet to ride, I would say: Voyage Phoenix Lightning Rod Outlaw Run Steel Vengeance All of the Florida B&Ms

Whether it's operating or not, I'll still plan on stopping and checking the place out. I care more about riding the Big Apple Coaster since it's new to me (I know, I know, it's a terrible coaster), but I figured Desperado would be a nice bonus too since I haven't ridden it in years. Heck, I've been to Cedar Point twice and ridden Magnum probably a half dozen times since I've last ridden Desperado. I'll post any photos/findings here after I go. I'm just as interested as you guys. I actually like the coaster quite a bit.

Does anyone know if Desperado has been operating recently? I'll be driving down to California next Friday (the 14th) and was hoping to ride Desperado since I haven't ridden it in probably 5 or 6 years. The website says it will be operating 12-8 that day, but if it hasn't operated in several months, I'm not sure if I trust the website. I also plan on riding the New York New York coaster (never done it before), but I think that one is much less of a wild card than Desperado in terms of operations and reliability.

This didn't seem right, but I suppose it's easy to forget about Vortex, Nighthawk, and Cyclone since those coasters are kinda irrelevant to begin with. Fury, Intimidator, Afterburn, and now Copperhead. That's a SOLID top 4. Rip out Vortex and Nighthawk and replace them with an awesome GCI somewhere down the line, and Carowinds will have probably have the best top 5 in the country outside of Cedar Point. I love how much this park has expanded and improved over the last 6-7 years.

Yes! That *absolutely* counts! In that case, I'll be riding a roller coaster next week! Sweet.

Looks fantastic. I’m loving the look of Intamin’s new gen LSM coasters. The trains look like they have the comfort of the Mack versions but still retain the intensity that we would expect from Intamin. I especially love the second half of the layout.

I still believe Houston and Phoenix are the two biggest contenders for medium-to-large sized amusement parks. Houston is the 4th largest city in the country by population (after the obvious big three), and Phoenix is 6th. I know population isn't the only factor that allows a park to thrive, but I'm still surprised after all these years that Phoenix only has Castles n Coasters. At least there was a Six Flags in Houston for several decades. I wonder why nobody has attempted to tap into the Phoenix market? I've heard the excuse of "excessive heat" throw around, but it's not like California or Florida are much cooler.

The ads initially took a little getting used to, but I don't really have a problem with them now. I'm just glad the forum is still around and appreciate all the work you guys put into maintaining it. I will continue to post until the day it goes away.

West Coast Racers will operate exactly like Twisted Colossus where you ride both sides every ride, however whether it's mobius or not is debatable since you do not unload after riding one side. I've heard the term quasi-mobius thrown around, if you want to get technical lol

I totally forgot about Pony! What's even more embarrassing is it's at my home park that I grew up with Still, 11 years is fascinating. I'm glad to see Cedar Fair expand their portfolio of manufacturers they purchase from other than B&M and GCI: now we have RMC, Mack, and Gerstlauer on that list. Hopefully Intamin again, one day...

Just a little fun fact that I noticed today. Copperhead Strike is Cedar Fair's first launch coaster in 12 years - since Maverick. It initially didn't seem right to me, but it makes sense. They haven't worked with Intamin since 2010, they've never built a Mack launched until now, they don't have any modern Premier launch coasters, and the only B&M launched isn't at a CF park. I know it doesn't mean much, it's just a little bit of information I was pondering today that surprised me a little. Unless I'm wrong and missing a coaster between 2007 and now.

A front-row night ride on HangTime at Knott’s, Tuesday night. Being held at the top in the front row at night with all the lights around is so awesome. Love this ride. Next coaster will likely be at Holiday in the Park at SFMM, in about 3-4 weeks. Excited!

Very interesting, thanks for sharing. I'm pretty sure I would crap myself if I ever had to evacuate from Tatsu. That lift hill is awesome but also incredibly terrifying being so high up on the mountain.

Six Flags does an excellent job with their Holiday in the Park events. Dare I say I even prefer it to Knott's Merry Farm. Thanks for the report. HITP is my favorite time of the year at Magic Mountain. It's not insanely hot, the lights are amazing, and it's easier to get night rides! Can't wait to go in December.

The animations show 6 cars of 4 people each... 24 passengers per train. Exactly what Kennywood described at their initial announcement.

Part of me is glad that this super loop is being relocated, since I don't think it ever really fit at a large "flagship" park like Great Adventure, but I'm also a little disappointed because assuming this one stayed and the one going to La Ronde was new, the only two parks in the entire chain of 15 parks without a super loop would have been Magic Mountain and Mexico! I wanted Six Flags to complete their collection! lol

I rode CraZanity for the first time last month, and that thing is so wild and better than many of the coasters at SFMM. Anyone who attends SFGAdv or SFFT next year should really consider themselves lucky! The regular models (like the one going to Georgia) are still insane, but you can really feel the extra height on the 172-foot version.

Very nice addition. I figured after the Log Ride and Mine Ride got major overhauls, it was only a matter of time before the same happens to Bigfoot Rapids. I'm excited to see how this plays out.

YAY for lap bars on Steel Curtain! I was really crossing my fingers that it doesn't have those Free Spin/GaleForce restraints. Also LOVE the Kentucky Flyer train and new train design from GCI! Gosh I love IAAPA. Thanks for the coverage!

Is Nitro the largest roller coaster in the country (at a seasonal park) that runs during a winter event? I'm having a hard time thinking of a bigger coaster.

I can't wait to get down to Florida and ride BGT's wonderful collection of B&Ms at some point, particularly Kumba. I absolutely adore Riddler's Revenge (which I hear people call the "Kumba of the West"), so it sounds like my type of ride... and probably a little more comfortable than Riddler, too.

What happened to the Intamin 10-inversion coaster they were going to install? Is it still in pieces or did it get sent to another park?

Dominator @ Kings Dominion. A fantastic Floorless coaster!

Green Lantern closed roughly around the same time Xcelerator closed, in late summer / early fall of 2017. Of course, Xcelerator has since reopened. I can't speak for Apocalypse, but I rode it last December.

Aside from location and visibility, I think this is the main reason. We all know how much work Kings Island does on the Beast every off-season, both to the trains and the track. A new, well-designed GCI likely involves much less work, at least for now. We'll see what happens several years down the line.