Condor

(South Park Mickey Mouse voice): "Do. Not. F___. With. Caesars!" SkyVue never had a chance from the start.

^My rides were all in the last car so maybe that's the difference. It's my #2 as well. I only rank Boulder higher.

I'm one of those that ranked Boulder Dash higher than El Toro and I rode both for the first time in 2012, but have not ridden Voyage yet. Since I was new to both, I obviously can't comment on how each ran compared to previous years, but I felt both ran very well and lived up to my expectations. I noticed El Toro did have two spots of surprising roughness: one on the far turnaround and another in the twister section. It was steel coaster smooth other than that. Boulder Dash had no such roughness anywhere. I prefer BD because of the terrain, "authentic" woody feel, and the airtime still felt about 80-90% as strong as El Toro's. It's only conjecture on my part, but if the rough spots on El Toro are something new, perhaps it needs a bit of retracking and that might explain the results?

I think I'm more excited for this than just about any of the 2013 coasters (the 2 RMC rides being exceptions). If all goes well the Scandi trip next year will be my first visit to any international parks!

Fantastic news if it happens. It would fill one of the few holes left in SFMM's lineup.

1. Skyrush 2. Boulder Dash 3. The Voyage 4. El Toro 5. (tie) Phoenix 5. (tie) Raptor!

I'd just like to see B&M at least try to come up with a dramatic ending to ANY of their recent coasters, Gatekeeper included. Other than that I think it looks better and better with each new set of photos!

I saw SFGAdv from the top of Kingda Ka once.

Depends on whether or not I go to SFMM or Disneyland before my planned Midwest trip in June. So probably one of either California Screamin', Tatsu, or Skyrush.

It's like Steel Dragon 2000 all over again.... *shakes head*

53 in 2012 with visits to SFNE, SFGAdv, SFDK, Hershey, Knoebels, Compounce, Dorney, CGA, and SCBB. I think my second best was something like 25 credits in 2002.

Hey guys, what do you think TPR would be like today if LaMarcus Thompson never built the Coney Island Switchback Railway in 1884!?

You should take Roar for a spin. Roar west is equipped with Millennium Flyer trains. I think Roar west was the first GCI to use those comfy trains. You're right, I forgot that West had Flyers from day 1. It's rough but still early GCI, so I'd say it's likely an exception.

^It's not what the layout offers on paper, but how it all comes together in terms of forces and pacing. Every element packs a punch in some way or another, something that cannot be said for most B&Ms, and the sequence of inversions and drops/turns hits all the highs and lows at just the right moment for me. Raptor also has a few big moments to look forward to after the MCBR, again unlike some of its cousins.

Cedar Point + Epcot would be pretty incredible. Epcot's theming, food, dark rides, and shows + CP's coasters, flats, and lakeside peninsula setting. Then swap out Breakers/Sandcastle Suites for the Yacht & Beach Club/Boardwalk and you have the perfect resort.

Raptor was actually my favorite steel coaster for about ten years until 2012. I completely get why some don't like it as much as B&M's later inverts, but for me it's always been the closest thing so far to a perfect inverted coaster. Only demerits I have for it are the total lack of effort whatsoever to landscape it even slightly and two spots of headbanging in the cobra roll and final turn into the brakes. I've always kind of enjoyed having such an underappreciated coaster as one of my favorites.

We probably don't have to worry about Gold Striker getting rough over time like Roar and the other early GCIs. I can't think of any of their other coasters equipped with Millennium Flyers since day 1 that have developed that level of roughness so far.

DLR's Big Thunder Mountain! Still my favorite Disney coaster from either coast. Here's hoping the 2013 overhaul only makes it better.

^That's just how the suits running Vegas think. Once one resort does something, you can bet the farm that every other property said company has will get one too and all of the competition will jump on the bandwagon with their own version until the market is way past saturation. "Why build something different when we can let someone else's market research do our work for us?" So, in other words, it's exactly like every other industry!

Having previously lived in Vegas, I'm extremely skeptical about a lot of these proposed projects when they are announced. I cannot fathom that we will see TWO giant wheels and THREE water parks in that city. The High Roller wheel backed by Caesars will continue, Skyvue will join Echelon and Fontainbleau in mothball status, Wet n' Wild and Cowabunga Bay will both probably make it, but the Circus Circus water park has no chance. Or you know, I could be letting cynicism get the better of me and be totally wrong about everything......

I love how the lift hill is at the same angle as Raptor's first drop. I think this will be one of those coasters that people will get more and more excited for as construction photos keep popping up. I have a feeling the renderings haven't quite done Gatekeeper justice.

I think positive g's (and inversion until now) are not usually seen as being important for wooden coasters the way they are for steel. I've always seen woodies to be more about airtime and laterals, with relatively few being noticed for their strong positive g's. The ride experience of most woodies does'nt lend itself to strong positive forces quite the same way. But you're right, with new, smoother track and train technology on these newer coasters that could all change.

I'm proud to say this is the first year I've had something resembling a respectable wood ballot! Abrupt Airtime_____________________________,y,y,1 Floating Airtime___________________________,y,y,5 Lateral Forces_____________________________,y,y,3 Out of Control Feeling/Directional Changes_,y,y,4 Positive G's/Loops_________________________,y,y,2 Sensation of Speed_________________________,y,y,6 Boulder Dash Lake Compounce CT,y,y,1 El Toro SFGAd NJ,y,y,2 Phoenix Knoebel's PA,y,y,3 GhostRider Knott's Berry Farm CA,y,y,4 Apocalypse S. F. Magic Mountain CA,y,y,5 Lightning Racer - L Hersheypark PA,y,y,6 Lightning Racer - T Hersheypark PA,y,y,7 The Beast Kings Island OH,y,n,8 Twister Knoebel's PA,y,y,9 Cyclone SF New England MA,y,y,10 Giant Dipper Santa Cruz Bch Bdwk CA,y,y,11 Big Dipper (SBNO) Geauga Lake OH,y,n,12 Comet Hersheypark PA,y,y,13 Grt Am Scrm Mach SFoG GA,y,n,14 Racer Kings Island OH,y,n,15 Blue Streak Cedar Point OH,y,n,16 Thunderhawk Dorney Park PA,y,y,17 Giant Dipper Belmont Park CA,y,n,18 Wildcat Hersheypark PA,y,y,19 Gwazi-Tiger Busch Gardens-Tampa FL,y,n,20 Gwazi-Lion Busch Gardens-Tampa FL,y,n,21 Georgia Cyclone SFoG GA,y,n,22 Roar SF Discovery Kingdom CA,y,y,23 Rolling Thunder SFGAd NJ,y,y,24 Colossus S.F. Magic Mountain CA,y,y,25 The Grizzly Great America CA,y,y,26 Thunderbolt SF New England MA,y,y,27 Woodstock Express Kings Island OH,y,n,28 Mean Streak Cedar Point OH,y,n,29 Son of Beast (SBNO) Kings Island OH,y,n,30 Rattler Fiesta Texas TX,y,n,31

Of course they will remove pavement, SFMM has the patent on placing Roller Coasters on parking lots!! I'm pretty sure they said it will be landscaped where the track crosses over the parking lot. Believe this was answered during a Q&A or something.