Skysthelimit

I think hell has frozen over. We’re at BGT and Cheetah Hunt has 4 trains running without quadruple stacking, 90-100 second dispatches and employees telling people to essentially hurry up. It’s a 40 minute wait on an August Saturday. Well I’ll be. Looks like adding a bag checker at greeter has helped.

Really love this! It’s a tad ironic that I’d criticize my non-enthusiast’s friends RCT2 skills back in the early 2000s due to lack of realism (spiral lift on a woodie??) but this ride (and I suppose the plethora of RMCs) has me putting my foot in my mouth

We had intended to travel from Orlando to Charlotte to visit Carowinds for my birthday weekend. Unfortunately the weather and Spirit airlines had other plans on Saturday evening and $600 later we were rerouted the next morning. Spirit customer service was pathetic and there were practically no seats on any flight out of Orlando on any airline for the next morning except Richmond or Knoxville. Eager to get on Pantheon, we opted for the former and booked the expensive JetBlue flight. We checked into the Courtyard early and headed to the park on Sunday arriving around noon. Thankfully they still had preferred left for my Platinum Pass and we were quickly in the park. Guest services honored the 50% discount on Quick Queue that I couldn’t seem to buy online so that was appreciated. We spent 8 hours in the park on Sunday and were gifted and extra 6 hours in the park on Monday due to a delayed flight home on our dear friend Spirit. Here are some highlights: - I’ve always preferred this to the Tampa park. I think Tampa might have a slight edge in the coaster line up, but Williamsburg is significantly better in every other area. - Sunday was fairly quiet but QQ still came in handy and well worth the $65. We managed to snag a ride on Pantheon fairly quickly first thing both days. We had a ride in car two row 1 and I’m car 4 row 2. Not surprisingly, I preferred towards the back of the train. The ride was about what I expected based on the reviews I had read. First portion is…fine… kind of awkward. The swing launch is fantastic. The backwards ejector airtime isn’t a sensation I’ve felt on any other ride. The top hat and outer bank are fun but are taken a little too slow. The stall was better than I expected and the ending was pretty good. Definitely the best ride in the park but not at the same caliber as Iron Gwazi or Velocicoaster. - Alpengiest is my #2 in the park. Unpopular opinion, but I think the cobra roll is outstanding and the ride is a solid 8/10 on the smoothness scale. Objectively, Montu is probably the better coaster but I prefer Alpengiest’s setting. - We enjoyed Verbolten and Tempesto for what they are. I don’t particularly care for how Tempesto looks against the skyline and think Tigris fits in better at BGT comparatively. - Invadr is very underrated and I prefer to White Lightning. Had some Thunderhead vibes to it minus the straight first drop. - Apollo’s Chariot is my least favorite of the B&M hypers but the setting is easily the best. The elements are a tad drawn out and with Mako down the road back home, the airtime particularly in the front is very mild. - Loch Ness Monster was one of the coasters that got me hooked as a kid. This and Alpengiest are probably the two most nostalgic rides in the park for me. Still a well-maintained ride with character that has a certain magic about it similar to The Beast. - Operations we’re pretty solid given the crowds. I was pleased to see coasters running multiple trains even on Monday. SeaWorld has been guilty of dropping to 1 train on Mako on some weekdays had me concerned we’d have some long lines without QQ on day 2 but that wasn’t the case. - Staff was definitely above average. Everyone seemed confident without that deer in the headlights look you get when you ask someone a question. - Food was definitely better than Tampa. Some interesting options for the food festival although the matcha Ice Cream made me gag. Overall we had a wonderful time. As much as I would have enjoyed binging Fury325, I actually think we had a more “full” trip visiting BGW instead. The park looked gorgeous and we had all the rerides we wanted with the exception of Pantheon. It’s such a refreshing change from the manufactured feel of the Orlando parks. Thanks for reading!

Thanks! Yes, I should have specified we’ve been to the park before. The park has been dead on several occasions we have visited which is why I thought it would be worth asking the question. We’ll probably pre-purchase just to be safe

Hey all, I’m flying from Orlando to Charlotte with my partner to visit Carowinds on Sunday 5/22. Given that Nighthawk is still down, do you think Fastlane is still a good idea to ensure plenty of rerides? Any idea if the price is higher day of or at the park? Thanks!

We went to BGT last Tuesday and had a nice time, but the details were pretty in line with what others mentioned before. We’ve lived in Orlando for a decade and have just learned to appropriately adjust our expectations the moment we set sail on I-4 West. What’s kind of sad is that I grew up going to BGW as a kid in the late nineties. My parents are in their 60s and I’ve dragged them to most of the major parks over the years. They haven’t been to BGW since 2001 but they still claim that is their favorite park. The place had (and still does have to a certain extent) a magical quality about it; especially for a young enthusiast. Then there’s Tampa. I actually give a slight edge to the Tampa coaster collection but for such a high profile park, I can’t tell you the last time I’ve been to the place where there weren’t at least 4 rides on the closed board plus more that are unavailable indefinitely. I had bought QQ earlier in the week because I had hoped to marathon Scorpion and The Flume. The latter has basically been closed all year. I asked Guest Relations if I could get a couple of one time skip the lines for next time but got a lecture about their closed attractions page on their website. To their credit, it’s up to date, but it changes last minute so I advise anyone thinking about QQ to wait until the day prior to purchase. Falcons Fury, Scorpion, and Flume we’re not listed to be closed a week prior to my visit. I quickly let it go but it was irritating. Whereas most parks have a “prime” season where everything is essentially opened, staffed and running decently well, I can’t tell you the last time or ever that I saw BGT run on all cylinders. There might be more coaster trains on the tracks and a shorter closed rides list during busier of the year, but there is always a sense of disorganization that is obvious to the average park goer and their TripAdvisor reviews are a testament to that. Still love the hell out of the park, it’s just an unfortunate situation.

I have ridden both and also prefer Steel Vengeance but Iron Gwazi is a solid #2 in terms of my favorite RMCs. I do prefer the first drop on Iron Gwazi but the disorienting, unrelenting nature of SV is just bar none. I will say the engineering of the track design feels more intentional in a way than SV but I think it slightly detracts from the out of control nature. The second half of IG in particular is phenomenal but it is about what you would expect just by looking at it if you’d ridden a good number of RMCs. I am also one of the few that love the last stretch of SV even if it is repetitive. It’s just so good. That said, on IG from the first drop through the death roll, it is quite a rush that truly takes your breath away.

There currently aren’t any single rider lines at SeaWorld. I actually don’t believe there ever have been in recent years but someone will have to fact check me. They have a 1x QQ for $10 option as an add on at the lockers at Manta, Mako, Kraken and possibly JTA that prints your a ticket. Otherwise, Quick Queue is your best bet. Hope this helps!

I know that while Kraken’s new colors have been mostly well-received, some have criticized that the trains weren’t updated. Seems that as they rotate the trains out for annual refurb they are taking care of that!

Hey guys, Does anyone have files for Imagineer John's Coaster Kit they might be able to send me? It's an old set probably from 2007 or so which had Ride Events such as retractable brakes and retractable floors (for inverts). http://www.freewebs.com/coaster-inc/imagineerjohnscoasterkit.htm This is the set I'm referring to but the none of the links work for download. Thanks!

The park has made it very clear (especially on their facebook page) that Batman: The Escape will never be constructed. It was heavily damaged when it was torn down from Six Flags Astroworld and it isn't worth salvaging.

Thanks for the comments guys. I do realize that there is still a lot of detailing to do (including coaster supports) but I will keep you updated on my progress. Let me know if you have any other suggestions.

Thanks Kinderly Are you referring to coaster layouts themselves or scenery?

I started working on this park over the summer and haven't gotten around to finishing it. Please keep in mind that much of the theming, structures, etc are either incomplete or not 100% finished but the basic layout of the park is set. Hucklebuckle Heights is a large park that opened as a campground in 1973 in the hills of Tennessee. The park's original coaster is Maelstrom, an Arrow Looping Coaster which opened in 1979. This monstrous looping coaster led the way for a legacy of family fun that has seen many ups and downs over the years. Stay tuned for more details! Any feedback, ideas or tips would be greatly appreciated Inspired by the Magic Kingdom, the park's railroad goes directly above the main entrance. Neptune's Knot is a gigantic B&M Inverted Coaster which was added to the park in 1999. The ride roars overhead as guests make their way through the turnstiles. Neptune's Knot greets its oncoming riders with a beautiful entrance and elevated station. Opening day is just weeks away and this queue will be filled! The coaster's three trains sit ready for opening day. I spy it making some test runs!! Even though it isn't one of the old-school inverts, this final corkscrew has that classic "snap" that gives Wingriders a run for their money. One of the more recent additions to the park is Fright Gully - An Intamin LSM launch coaster. 0 to 72 in 2.6 seconds! Fright Gully ends with a real bang! A zero-g roll right into the magnetic brakes. Onto the classic - Maestrom! Maelstrom is one of the few remaining Arrow coasters with interlocking loops It also boasts a Batwing too! It's a steel jungle With all these coasters it's easy to forget about flat rides - One of the park's finest is its S&S Tower Complex - All running combo mode! For those who have a need for speed, the park's hyper coaster "Gauntlet" will have you sprinting back for more. The parks most recent addition was Flight of the Phoenix, a B&M Flyer. Passengers soar over the beautiful Tennessee landscape on one of B&M's most intense creations to date! Although it begins with a traditional pretzel loop, the finale of this ride is anything from ordinary. It's never to early to start test runs! An overview of this unique coaster And a quick turnaround back to the station And we will close with Timber Tiger - the park's only wooden coaster.

That option was thrown on the table. It doesn't fit in the building and Zamplera requires a 48" height restriction, no exceptions. I wouldn't be shocked if UFO is gone this season. While no park is "entitled" to a new coaster, from a business aspect Darien Lake DOES need a new coaster. I can't think of any other similar-sized park that has gone 14 years without a major coaster. That being said, I do think that Herschend is moving in the right direction but a coaster should be in the works within the next few season. I don't think many people realize how much the addition of Leviathan hurt the park. The majority of campground/hotel visitors are Canadians. As Canada's Wonderland continues to grow and become more and more appealing, Herschend should be very concerned. I think Blast-off is a wonderful addition. Minus the name and low capacity (then again, PARC/SF scared away a majority of its guests so that shouldn't be an issue) I think that it will be a perfect fit and will compliment Rowdy's Ridge very well. Now that Herschend is settled in, I think things are looking up. I'm interested to see what happens but it is going to take time. HFE is very detailed-oriented and I hope that it eventually translates into a better guest experience. It certainly hasn't happened yet but it will get better. And for what is worth, having two trains operating on Ride of Steel by Memorial Day Weekend this past season was a huge success on HFE's part.

Thanks for the comments guys!

It looks dead on! Great job!!

Here we go with some more screenshots:

Hey guys, I'm a long-time lurker, first-time poster on TPR. I've been playing the RCT Series since day one but I've never shared any of my parks so I thought I'd give it ago. Unfortunately I lost some of my best projects through the years due to bad computers but this is one of my most recent parks. Even though my computer doesn't lag with large parks, it does have a tendency to crash which I think is a result of me using too much CS. As a result, this particular park isn't as detailed as I'd like it to be. Everytime I make some progress on it, it crashes and I start over. It's 2 steps forward 1 step back. But anyways, I thought I'd share and I was hoping for some constructive criticism! More pictures to come. The park crashed while I was taking screenshots but here's some to get started. The Park: Located in northern Maine, Paradise Pier opened in 1978 as a small family-owned boardwalk amusement park. Among its first coasters were an Arrow Corkscrew and a Schwarzkopf Wildcat coaster. Both rides are defunct but the charm of this small park still remains; including its classic Carousel. 1997 saw the addition of "Tsunami" which was a huge hit among enthusiasts but because of improper planning forced the park into bankruptcy. The park sat dormant from 2000-2004 until 2005 when Six Flags purchased the park. Rather than completely rebrand the classic seaside amusement park, the chain decided to revive it to its former glory. With additions such as Updraft, a small, but intense B&M Floorless coaster, Power Surge, an S&S Combo Tower, and Firefly a Gerstlauer Spinning Mouse, business is better than ever. Pulling off the interstate into the beautiful new toll plaza - It looks like Updraft is making its morning test runs! It isn't too busy yet, but I'm sure it will pick up later in the day. After finding a decent parking spot, we head toward the entrance. Power Surge looms over the entire park. I bet it will be a great view of the ocean! Luckily we already have our tickets so we can head straight to the gate. Of course I have to stop for some coffee at Dunkin Donuts I'm glad that Six Flags has kept this little park beautiful. The gardens are immaculate! We'll have to stop at the Wizard's Castle Gift Boutique on the way out for some souvenirs. It's time to ride some coasters! First ride of the day! Luckily the Tsunami crew is pumping the trains out so it was only a 10 minute wait More pictures to come!