foss123

Awesome, glad to know Gravity Max isn't just cool to look at. I can't wait to experience it!

I'm going to be living in Taiwan (specifically New Taipei City) with a host family for a few weeks this summer, and I wanted to check in with some of the more worldly enthusiasts on this forum to see which parks I absolutely need to go to. I know of Janfusun Fancyworld and Lihpao Land, but are there any other parks I should visit while I'm on the island? More importantly, is Gravity Max worth the two-hour drive? It looks insane but if it's often down, I don't know if I should bother. Thank you in advance!

Maverick in 2007, and I'm hoping to give Thunderbolt a ride when I'm in New York this summer. My count is pretty weak. Remove the home-park degree of difficulty and I'm not much better off, but I can tack on Flying Ace Aerial Chase (2001), Firehawk (2007), Diamondback (2009) and Banshee (2014).

I'm currently working on sketches for the 5-year plan. They will include concept art for each land, as well as a map of the entire park with later additions slightly discolored. Here is the entire list of planned rides and attractions (please keep in mind that names are still a work in progress): THRILL -Aftermath, a GCI woodie -Mayday, a disaster-themed Zamperla Air Race -Nosedive, an Intamin drop tower -Flash Flood, a Maurer-Sohne launch coaster -Surge, an Intamin Hyper Splash -Voodoo, a Vekoma Tilt Coaster -The Raven, a HUSS Jump^2 -Night Terror, a B&M Dive Coaster -[Dueling AquaLoops] -Canopy Cruiser [MasterBlaster] -Whirlpool [bowl slide] -The Nest, a body slide tower with three slides, the tallest being themed to an eagle's nest FAMILY -Soaring Eagle, a Vekoma suspended family coaster -Crowd Surfer, a Zamperla disk'o "coaster" -All Shook Up, a HUSS Troika -Square Dancer, a Tilt-A-Whirl -Hot Wheels, a 50's-style classic car ride -Interactive Fountain -[Family Raft slide] -[Wave Pool] -Zipline KIDS -Wilderness Roundup (Whip) -Tremendous Tire Swing (Zamperla Lolly Swing) -Tree Climber (Zamperla Jumpin' Star) -Crazy Bus (Zamperla Crazy Bus) -The Campfire Coaster (Kiddie Coaster, manufacturer undecided) LIVE ENTERTAINMENT -[unknown], a 20,000-person outdoor concert venue to host season-opening and season-closing music festivals, featuring many local artists. -Music City Pavilion, an indoor theater that will host live shows and revues. -The Campitheater, an amphitheater in the rear of The Campground where kid-friendly concerts and sing-a-longs will take place. At night, a scoutmaster will tell guests spooky stories. -Scareactors in The Swamp FOOD -Johnny Rocket's [Music City] -Hard Rock Cafe [Music City] -The Mess Hall [The Campground] -S'mores stand [The Campground] -Castaway Café [survivor Island] -Witches' Brew (smoothies) [The Swamp] -Haunted Snack Shack [The Swamp] GAMES -Archery Practice [The Campground] -Relay Racers [The Campground] -Test Your Strength [Music City] -Balloon Darts [Music City] -Ring Toss [Music City] SHOPPING -Music City Records (CDs, classic and contemporary band t-shirts, park merchandise, drinks and candy) [Music City] -Hard Rock Gift Shop (Hard Rock Cafe merchandise, park merchandise) [Music City] -The Canteen (park merchandise, drinks and candy) [The Campground] -Unknown Shop (sunblock, swimwear, drinks and candy) [survivor Island]

It seems to me like they waited an awfully long time to actually start doing track work if they want the ride open by Memorial Day! I'm excited for this one, but I fully expect a delayed opening. There's just no way.

She's warmed up a lot. It's the most evident on the zero-g roll, where there used to be a bit of hang time all the way into the middle of the train and now even the front seat whips you around.

^ And that's all that needs to happen in order for the park to launch a marketing campaign. I'll say it again, I think it would be perfect for the fortieth anniversary. It would make sure the ride lasts AT LEAST another forty years. EDIT: I'm coming across like an RMC fanboy. I'm not-- I'm actually a fan of The Beast just the way it is-- but I'm playing with the idea from more of a marketing standpoint.

No one's saying it isn't, we're only having fun and letting our imaginations run wild. Nothing to be pressed about.

^I don't think there's any reason to rename a coaster just because of a layout change. I'm not exactly pro-Iron Horsing the Beast, but I do think an Outlaw Run style renovation could work in the park's favor. Just think about it: RMC could eliminate any and all need for trims, they could do some work on the banking, and they could add another drop or two without robbing the coaster of its wooden status and while sticking to the spirit of a terrain coaster. No inversions, no steel topper track, but a much-needed revitalization. It could be for the 40th anniversary, and the project's tagline could be something along the lines of "Over the years, 50 million riders have managed to tame The Beast. But this year, something's made him very angry... And he's not about to roll over." (Get it? No inversions!) Obviously there would be some backlash, mostly from enthusiasts, but I think that there's a possibility for an incredibly successful marketing campaign in there somewhere. ESPECIALLY with the removal of Son of Beast and the addition of Banshee, whose wails indicate a death in the family. It opens the door for the park to build an enchanting narrative around some of its main attractions, past and present, and that much attention to detail could possibly start KI on the journey from themed amusement park to full-fledged theme park. I'd pay to see it.

I absolutely despise when people refer to roller coasters as THE "__________." If the ride is called Nemesis, don't call it THE Nemesis. If the ride actually has the word 'the' in the title, a la The Beast, that's an obvious exception, but would you add a 'The' to the title of a movie? No, so don't tack one onto the name of a coaster!

I have slightly reworked the layout of the campground, though the concept art I posted wasn't that clear to begin with. Between the Campfire Coaster and the amphitheater would be an interactive fountain, similar to those seen in many public parks. A similar interactive fountain, seen in concept art for the recent renovation of Cincinnati's Washington Park. The shop in the concept are would be called The Canteen (of course) and would be placed next to a buffet-style restaurant called The Mess Hall. The Crash Site has been eliminated as a separate land and would be placed adjacent to The Campground with a short wooded walkthrough to the line, imitating the lost scout's discovery of the wreckage.

Thank god!

I'm afraid that Kings Island might be closing down Drop Zone. I'm wildly speculating here, but its been SBNO since mid-season last year. Three weeks into this season might not be enough time to tell, but with the massive renovation of the Action Zone, do you guys think it's a possibility?

Yup! I realize that I could have worded that better, but the bottom line is there were people inquiring about it and I answered their question. In no way do I condone breaking park rules because you think they're stupid or redundant, but I was simply observing that the restraint does not cover the seatbelt and prevent the rider's access to it.

I ran to the park for a few hours last night, and was pleasantly surprised. There couldn't have been more than a couple hundred cars in the lot, and nearly everything was a station wait. Firehawk, for which I've never seen a line shorter than forty five minutes, was literally a walk-on. Unfortunatey, it felt a bit more rattle-y than usual. Most other lines were station waits or under fifteen minutes. Banshee had what looked like a twenty minute line that didn't take any more than eight. After I was strapped in, one of the operators started cheering because the train the just despatched was still on the dive loop and it was their "fastest cycle yet". Glad to see they're learning the ropes so magnificently! On the other side of the spectrum, the Diamondback crew seems to still be struggling with the new seat belts. The wait was about thirty minutes when I rode. Good news to those of you who are upset by the new seatbelt rule, though: they do not affect the ride experience in the least, and if you're really that opposed to them, the clamshell restraint does nothing to prevent you from taking it off. Now, as for ride experiences, I think I've been to the park enough this season to determine that good or bad rides on coasters that used to deliver the opposite haven't just been flukes. The Bat (Flight Deck/Top Gun for you name purists out there) feels quicker and more intense, but rides with an awful squeak the entire time. The Beast was recently retracked and delivers a (relatively) smooth ride, but suffers from a similar violent squeak-- more like a scream-- in the tunnel over the 540 degree helix. Flight of Fear has always had a rattle, but it's slightly more pronounced. I didn't get the usually Vekoma headache after riding Invertigo twice in a row. The only ride I'm really worried about is Drop Zone. I haven't seen it running since the middle of last season, and I know I'm probably jumping to conclusions but I'm afraid they might be taking it out. I mean, think about it; The ride is low capacity, a lot of the general public is too afraid to go on it, and the Action Zone is currently undergoing a major renovation and (I'm presuming) retheme. I was heartbroken when they tore down Son of Beast, but I guess I understand their reasoning. I just don't think I could forgive the park if they removed BOTH of the attractions that made me an enthusiast so soon in their operation.

As promised, here's the color version! As you can see, the primary color scheme of the land is green, yellow, and brown. I was going for a very neutral, earthy look a first, but I think since the area is primarily for younger visitors, brighter shades of the same colors might work better.

Look-- concept art! I've been doing some sketches lately, and the park is really starting to take shape. Below is approximately what I want the children's/family area of the park to look like. Currently just called "The Campground", I'm hoping to come up with a clever coaster pun to use in the title ("Camp _________"). This land features two roller coasters; a suspended family coaster by Vekoma ("Soaring Eagle") and a Zamperla kiddie coaster ("The Campfire Coaster"). The land also includes a whip ride ("Scoutmaster _____'s Wilderness Roundup"), a Zamperla Jumpin' Star (working title: "_____'s Watchtower"), a Zamperla kiddie swing themed as a tree with tire swings ("_____'s Tremendous Tire Swing"), a Camp ______ gift shop, s'mores stands, and an amphitheater for sing-a-longs and campfire stories. As you can see, I'm still working on developing the land's mascots. My scanner is being incompetent, so unfortunately this is in black and white. Hopefully I'll get everything worked out and re-upload this soon. Until then, imagine a rustic summer camp feel. Lots of browns, greens, and yellows-- especially around The Campfire Coaster.

Thanks for the input! I also thought The Flood Zone as its own land was underwhelming, but combining the two never even occurred to me! I think I got too into it while I was writing this and forgot I was supposed to be summarizing. I understand where you're coming from, but my idea was that each ride would be a part of that story and the guests could piece it together throughout their visit (if they wanted). I was hoping it would still work if they didn't wish to piece it together. Does that make sense?

While I identify with your distain for smokers in parks, do you not think that was a sign from the universe to not wear expensive things to a place you know will be dirty and full of obnoxious people.

I've never been as excited about Lightning Run as some other TPR members have, but I'm especially wary now. These pictures of the spaghetti bowl remind me of something I would have built in RCT3 career mode on an extremely low budget.

I desperately need to ride El Toro, but I also want to ride a MegaLite and dive machine before the year is out.

I just got back from a two-hour trip to the park, where I got in three rides on Banshee (I'm up to 24!) in less than 45 minutes without Fast Lane. The ride is a people eater if there ever was one. However, in the short time that I was waiting in line, it started to dawn on me just how drastically the park has changed for the better. All of the queue TVs have been updated to flat screens that play "FunTV", which is like Cedar Fair's version of E! News, and the park playlist has branched out to include popular alternative music like Bastille as well as more obscure, experimental artists like St Vincent. I'm sure I got some weird looks, but I jammed out when they started playing digital witness. On top of that, every ride in the park feels revitalized. Invertigo seems to be faster, smoother, and more intense; The Bat is more forceful than I remember; The Beast is incredibly smooth, even though the trims are getting more and more noticeable; Diamondback is still mostly rattle-free. I feel like Cedar Fair has really stepped up their game this season, and it gives me hope. I won't be able to make it to any other CF parks this summer but I hope they get similar treatments.

^Four times last night, once today. The turn into the in-line twist after the second vertical loop glues you to your seat and it's incredible.

Banshee is INCREDIBLE, but lord, riding it so many times in a row was a mistake. I lost count after 14 because they stopped making me get off and get back in line, and my head is still reeling.

Banshee is a B&M, I doubt that it will have 2 hour lines On most days it will be longer than 2 hours. Other than the first day it opened to the public, when was the last time Diamondback had a 2 Hour Queue? Even on Saturdays in July in '09 and '10 the Queue never got past 1 Hour. I rode Diamondback on opening day in 2009 and I swear I didn't wait more than twenty minutes.