dj snow

A few thoughts on a few parks: I like Great Adventure a lot, but sometimes ride closures can lead to disappointment for those who travel long distances. It's a very nice park, sorta the Cedar Point of the East in terms of its scale. Lots of trees and fantastic coasters. Go on a weekday. Do not miss Kennywood. Phantom's Revenge does not get the notice it deserves! It's seriously one of the best, most aggressive steel coasters anywhere. I liken it to a distilled SFNE Superman--a shorter ride, but just as (if not more) potent. The rapid-fire ending is unbelievable. The rest of the park is great as well, and you must stay til after dark. It lights up real nice. If you have a Six Flags season pass, get the QBot at SFNE, as they have in the past offered some very good deals to passholders. I really enjoyed my use of the QBot there, and it seems like they underestimate the waits on those things, so a Gold one may not be necessary. Enjoy the trip!

I'm kinda the same way--enjoy the music, not really into the club scene. Part of that may be because of all the electronic music they played at the first HHN I went to a few years ago... But whatever, I enjoy it. Speaking of the music, it's a little troubling that XM has put The System on hiatus this month so they can play wacky Christmas music (though I do enjoy some of those selections as well).

It's probably an accounting issue. Newer rides may not yet be fully depreciated, whereas an old ride can be scrapped with minimal if any effect to the company's earnings statement. To put it another way: There's much more incentive to place or sell a newer ride, since it holds more value as an asset.

I hear what you're saying and am sure I'll have a better perspective come July. But I would still disagree with anyone that says the weather absolutely precludes a park from being successful here. The population base is strong; with some creativity and the right mix of attractions, I'd see it being a "go." Oh, and saturday97: There's no cow smell at my house, though that's not always the case when driving to/from. Mmmm... Manure.

I'm new to the Phoenix area, so I haven't yet been out to visit Castles 'n Coasters, but it sounds like I'll have to make plans to visit, posthaste. You're all heaping such praise upon the ride! Hmm... Maybe next weekend...

Why not focus on evening hours in the summer then? I haven't yet experienced a Phoenix summer (just moved here), but I'd imagine that, while people retreat to the indoors on really hot summer days, they might be enticed to come out to play at night. And this time of year, a park could continue to operate, if weekends only, during daylight hours. The weather's beautiful now!