Dr. M

What is this awful sinking feeling I'm getting in the pit of my stomach?

^Could you perform inversions with traditional coaster track? No? Of course it's the steel that allows for inversions. Did you happen to notice what SOB's loop looked like?

Well I have to admit, that's not something I ever thought I'd hear. Yeah, at the time I didn't even know what an SLC was, and I thought maybe the name "Mind Eraser" was too literal. Having your head banged around so much you have memory blackouts. Definitely never again.

This is the whole question, and I'm glad I'm finally not the only person asking it. The steel is attached to the wood, so of course the steel "needs" the wood to be there. But ask yourself this. Common sense says inversions are only possible with steel track. It's the steel that makes topper track able to perform inversions. Therefor... But I seriously don't want to get into this again. Most people don't care if it's wooden or steel. Seems obvious to me it's much more like steel than wood, I mean just look at the layout. Seems obvious most people disagree, which is fine. End of story.

This is the observatory, right? Whatever they do with the area, they have GOT to keep this building standing. It's easily my #1 favorite piece of amusement park theming outside Disney World.

I'll be very curious if this applies to Zumanjaro as well. Someday I'm going to find out why two rides that both rely on the same principle, hoisting you up, then freefall, could provide two different experiences, one a terrifying dead-weight drop (ARM drop rides) and the other a more fast-elevator kind if sensation (Intamin drop rides).

Funny thing is, I remember a time when Bizarro (when it was Medusa) seemed to really rip through those interlocking corkscrews. Of course I was much smaller then so everything felt more intense. Or is it possible it's actually slower?

^Having it as your home park certainly gives you a different perspective in it, versus me who had to drive four hours to get there. I probably "love" Dorney more than most non-PA residents despite my frustrations with it. The only thing I'd like to make clear is I don't *really* have a problem with SFA's coaster line-up, and I am NOT comparing it to SFGAdv in any way, shape, or form. My main problem with it comes from the landscaping, the theming, and the overall vibe and atmosphere, all things that have very little to due with the size of their budget. I can see how it has potential, and can believe it may even be better now than when I went a couple years ago. Not that I'm planning on ever going again to see for myself, of course. Unless I get another friend with a season pass who can get me in for free.

Agreed. Rides so smooth and is a solid fave of mine @ the park after Nitro and El Toro. I used to like Bizarro a lot, but honestly Green Lantern kicks the crap out of it and puts it to bed without supper. I feel Bizarro is redundant now in their line-up, as GL is superior in every way except for location and the whole stand-up issue. I know a lot of people around here just can't enjoy stand-ups, I used to feel the same way but I actually really enjoyed GL when I rode it. Bizarro (along with Superman) will now be the coaster I skip unless there's literally no line and I get the very back row. I know you're probably saying "how can it be redundant when they're not even the same type of coaster??" I would say that Bizarro simply "feels" like the exact same kind of ride as GL, except less intense, therefore it "feels" redundant. If I'd never been to the park I might not say this, but after my last day there this is the distinct impression I got.

^^Red?

^I don't exactly consider the tallest drop ride in the world a "relatively small" addition....

^What do you love about it? Love is a pretty strong word.

^There has never been a topper track ride with polyurethane wheels, no one will know if this will feel more like Outlaw Run or NTAG until it opens. Of course, it won't feel that much like either, considering how unique the layout is. But will it be smooth like steel or a little more rough-and-tumble? That's the big question, I am intensely curious to find out what the answer will be. Perhaps the designers don't even know for sure.

^Ditto, looks like a big improvement to me.

The issue of the train's safety indicators and whether or not they were functioning properly has been in question since day one. Surely you know this?

That half of the park feels so claustrophobic. They need to just open the whole thing up into a giant garden. With a big family-friendly flat in the center.

Just because the park doesn't get a lot of money invested in it doesn't mean it can't be a pleasant place to visit though.

^My first thought was the double-up as well, but that doesn't really make much sense, since I doubt the airtime is that strong. If he was thrown out due to forces, a la NTAG, which we don't even know, I would assume it was around one of the turns, generally the part of any wild mouse that's the most intense. Given the openness of the cars I can easily see someone getting thrown off around a turn if not restrained properly... but it's this last part I have a hard time imagining. Will the cars even dispatch if the lap bars aren't all down?

This this this this this. The fact that all their rides are clones/relocated doesn't help because it means none of the rides can interact with the landscape, or make any sense at all given their location. Superman is a great example, randomly l-shaped, flat stretches of track that could be bunny hops, etc. Each ride is confined to its own little box and that's it, it adds to the "parking lot of coasters" effect. But is that the park's primary problem? No no no a million times no, the primary problem is all the ones I listed in my original post so I won't bother repeating them.

I'm not sure why people keep mentioning Dorney and SFGA as competition, Dorney at least is way too far away to be considered competition, most people in Maryland would not drive four hours to spend a day at Dorney. But I'll add that Dorney is a fine example of a park that went through severe corporatization and several mediocre ride relocations, and came out of it a fine-looking park with lots trees and shade, and at least a sliver of soul.

I can't tell who's joking and who's not, but yes, "Opa!" as in Greek for "Hooray!", not "Opa!" as in German for "Grandpa!". Glad we've cleared up this very important matter.

The colors may make it look a little Minecraft-y, but this is CF we're talking about, they couldn't have gone too dark and scary. The fact that we're getting a coaster station that vaguely resembles a Gothic cathedral is still freaking awesome, I think it's going to look great.

Haha, I was about to point out that Wild One is the only coaster that's unique and original to the park, turns out that's relocated too. Still a good ride though, worth the trip just for that if you have a season pass. But yeah, my point stands, SFA has no soul. EDIT: I do revise one prior statement though, more theming would help, but only if it was quirky and unique. Something, anything, that says, "We enjoy amusement parks, we like what we do, we have a sense of humor, and we are capable of making decisions thay don't come straight from corporate headquarters."

I thought that might be misunderstood, my "used car lot" analogy wasn't implying all the coasters are used, it refers to the way they're all just plopped down next to each other on a flat stretch of land with no imagination or flow. The fact they're almost all clones doesn't help.

Let's see how many terrible jokes we can make. Now we know why they call it Opa! Because that's the sound you make as you feel your head being cracked open on the concrete floor.