thrillseeker4552

Just visited the Golden Gate for the first time last week, and being the buildings/architecture geek I am, I am glad this was never a thing. The Golden Gate is an absolute work of art and sometimes it's OK to not have a roller coaster on everything! lol With that being said, I am a *little* bummed that monstrous Arrow coaster never happened on the Stratosphere! Oh how cool that would have been.

^I was watching it test last week and noticed the train shakes A LOT when traversing the immelmanns/dive loops. I was hoping that was because the train was empty and that it wouldn't shake as much when full or riders, but maybe not. These skywarps seem to be one of those rides that is really fun to look at and watch go around but, like you said, isn't as much fun to ride. I'm a little bummed I missed its opening by a week though, I would have at least liked to try it, whether it ended up being great or horrible.

^I actually didn't think Gold Striker was too bad. That could be because I rode GhostRider countless times when it was at its worst, before the renovation, so my standards for what constitutes a rough ride have been raised a lot. But at the same time, new GhostRider is definitely smoother. Heck, even Grizzly was smoother, albeit much less exciting. I could see a total retracking project ala GhostRider come within the next few years for Gold Striker if it gets worse. Also, Railblazer kicks butt. I REALLY hope Six Flags AND Cedar Fair clones these coasters. They are so crazy intense and fun. Once CGA gets their hyper, they will have a really, really solid top 4.

On Sunday I got back from my California trip where I hit all the major NorCal parks plus Knott's, SWSD, and Belmont, so now that I'm back home in Utah, my next park will definitely be Lagoon.

I rode HangTime for the first time last week. I think it's my new favorite ride in the park. That could just be because I have been to the park a zillion times growing up and this one is big and new, but considering some of the negativity surrounding the ride (not here, mostly on social media), I was pleasantly surprised. The seats/restraints are GREAT (up there with B&M clamshells and Mack launch as my favorite restraints), and the hold is pretty freaky with all the freedom the lap bars give you. The inversions are fun and have some cool moments, but the double down is definitely my favorite element of the ride that isn't the lift/drop. You really fly outta your seat there, especially in the front row. Also, the capacity really isn't too bad. It's not a "high throughput coaster" by any means, but the line moves pretty consistently, and watching the coaster go all around you keeps it interesting. There's also some nice little touches of theming. Nothing much, but it's effective and nice to see. The park has also pretty much been set on running two trains, which I have no problem with. The crew is never fast enough to make three trains beneficial, and operators get into a nice rhythm with two trains. Overall it works out pretty well in terms of capacity and operations. GhostRider's line is still BY FAR the worst in the park. I really hope Knott's does something about that. Operations could always be faster, but considering the length of the ride, super speedy operations would be useless if it takes a whole minute for the next train to arrive in the station. At least it's mostly indoors.

I picked up two new RMCs (for me) this last week: Joker and Railblazer. LOVED both, but Railblazer was the one that really shined. My rankings... 1. Twisted Colossus, still (mostly because you basically get two rides in one, occasionally race, and tons of airtime) 2. Railblazer (LOVE this coaster, the restraints don't bother me a bit, and the ride hauls a$$ like no other) 3. Wicked Cyclone (a really solid RMC that still shouldn't be looked down upon) 4. Joker (even though this is my least favorite RMC, I still think it's a top 10-15 coaster!) Even the worst RMC is still fantastic. That says a lot about the company!

Montezooma's Revenge at Knott's. 40 years old and still as good as ever.

Railblazer at CGA! Absolutely loved it, and it is a new top 10 coaster for me.

Joker is back open now, with two trains. I guess it was just a valleyed train they’ve dealt with before. It was only closed for about 5 hours. Props to SFDK!

^That was my initial thought because the back car looked pretty “off” from what I can see from the gate and through the structure. It probably isn’t, but it was really squeaking and making noise earlier today on those hills so it is simply a possibility that crossed my mind. Has this coaster valleyed on those hills before? This is my first time at the park so I’m not sure what to expect.

At the park right now. Joker is stuck on the hills before the lift hill. It could have derailed, I tried to get a view from Wonder Woman, but it’s hard to tell since that section is so twisty and weird anyway. I can’t really get any photos of it.

I am so glad they put shade over that "queue." The line is bad, but being shaded makes it a lot more manageable for sure.

Wow this is totally awesome! I'm not a sports fan, so I really have no opinion on the name or the area surrounding the ride other than it looks great for locals. With Phantom's Revenge and a number of airtime filled classic woodies in the park, I think a huge mega looper is exactly what Kennywood needed. I'll be very interested to see the trains once everything is finalized. Also glad to see S&S step up their game yet again, although I really hope they have more luck with this ride than they did with Gale Force and Merlin's Mayhem.

I rather like Iron Reef as well. I think locals are so used to being wowed by Disney and Universal attractions that this one is a let down, but I really like it for what it is and think it fits in well at Knott's. It's better than an empty, deserted building for sure.

Awesome report! I can't wait to see what RMC does with White Cyclone, like you said there is lots of potential there.

I would be 100% happy with that coaster. Looks like a ton of fun.

Well that will be a fun birthday present, for me! I’m pumped.

Truer words have never been spoken.

I pretty much share your same opinions about this park and all of its coasters. I also thought Roar and Wild One were quite good (the latter being better), but Superman was also not bad at all. It just doesn't compare to other Intamin Megas/Hypers out there that do much more than helices. Bummer you didn't get on Batwing. It's not an *amazing* ride by any means, but I actually rather like it and Firehawk. They are pretty fun and intense coasters.

I feel like GhostRider is really in its prime right now (since the refurb). It has been two years since all the work was done, so it has really broken in a lot and is hauling a$$, but it's still very smooth, relatively speaking. I really hope it stays this way for a while and doesn't turn to crap again after 5-8 years. Can't wait to ride in on Friday, I haven't been since March.

Nice report so far. Kennywood is slowly climbing my "new parks to visit" list, especially with their big new 2019 project. Can't wait for more!

Hahaha. I think I spoke just a little too soon. SFDK posted on their Instagram "Harley Quinn Crazy Coaster coming your way SOON!" Not that that tells us much, but hopefully they're getting close to solving whatever issues they've been having. I'm really crossing my fingers for it to be open when I'm there on the 23rd.

If you count Wild One, since it was relocated, then that. If not, then Roller Coaster at Lagoon.

^This lol. Have fun! You're going to a lot of great parks. Please try and share as many photos as you can, they make reports so much more fun to read, IMO.

I use W-A-S-D and clicking/scrolling on the center mouse wheel. It is definitely different than RCT3, but I've been playing exclusively PC for a few months now and it feels natural. I went back on RCT3 the other day and it drove me nuts that I couldn't navigate as well as I used to! Also, if you press T on your keyboard, it toggles to another navigation mode when W-A-S-D will take you in the direction you're facing (like NoLimits). This mode is better for fine tuning details inside buildings and things like that. Hope that helps.