RCjunkie

Darn it, I have to miss Opening Day again next year. The other thing that bothers me is why they wait until mid-May to open. If VF can stay open until early November, then they should at least be able to open in mid-April. I think the only reason they are open in October and November is Haunt. Haunt gets people to visit and spend money which makes it worth it for the park. When I went on Saturday the park was dead with Halloween over (I was not there at night though). And from the reports on here Sunday was even worse if you could get 17 rides in a row (as cool as that is its not good for the park). Without an event as big as Haunt I doubt it would it be worth for the park to open in April, just too hit and miss for cold weather when all you have to offer is rides. Haunt can be done in the cold and still draw people, with just rides you would only get the amusement park geeks or pass holders like ourselves showing up in April. The general population will just wait for a warmer day if it is just rides being offered. So I guess the trick is to come up with an idea the park can use to draw people in on weekends during the hit or miss weather days in the spring to make it worth while for the park to open. I think opening the park for a Saturday a week or two ahead of the opening date and have a special like 'Double Ride Day' (meaning you get to go twice in a row with de-boarding) could maybe draw enough people whether it was cold or not. I am up for anything to get the park open earlier too. Maybe even a Season Pass Holders Day sometime in April or 1st week in May to get a crowd in there. And thanks VFVSGirl16 for posting the opening date.

I would not say upset but I would definitely say a little disappointed. Like you I think Flyers are the perfect fit for Route 76 and wondered why they were not included in Route 76 since other CF parks have already received them. I think you are right that we will see some in the next few years at VF.

I went Saturday instead. Now your killing me with these details, should have went Sunday. 17 times would have put me over 75 laps this year on Renegade! Note to self: Go on the last day next year. Way to take advantage of the situation and don't forget to post those pictures.

Flying Scooters would fit in perfect in Route 76. Like VF15 has suggested ( and I really like the idea) many pages back a Max Air where there the Amphitheater currently sits in the turn around of WT and then it could swing out over the walk way at the corner there would be fantastic. Can you imagine walking into VF looking left and seeing that right away? Put some LED lights on it and it fits in perfect next to Route 76. After a coaster the park does need to boost its flat rides, in the first 20 years of the park that was definitely a strength of the park. If not new rides then definitely a refurb of Enterprise and Monster along the lines of what they did with Tilter and Scrambler this year. Those 2 rides turned out great.

They have increased every year in attendance? Probably not since CF reported last year a decrease in attendance for the chain. I can't be sure since they do not break out individual park numbers but I am assuming VF had a part of that decrease and decreased a little too. I never said attendance has increased, I just said the park did not have a decrease in attendance due to the way that the back of the park is designed. At least that is the point I meant to make but in re-reading my comment I see I was not that clear.

Sorry that I was not clear enough. I choose a list of CF, SF and Independent parks to illustrate my point that all parks add a coaster to increase attendance and that VF is no different. I feel VF is ready now to add one in an attempt to grow the park. But since I'm stupid I would appreciate your help in under standing all the MASSIVE infrastructure upgrades in detail of what and where that VF needs to finally accommodate a new coaster. With you sharing all your knowledge I can stop making dumb or 'trolling' comments. And if you have the time could you list all the MASSIVE infrastructure upgrades that KI, CP, WOF and CW did the year before they added a new coaster?

Never said screw customer service. You can add a coaster and improve customer service at the same time, you don't have to give up one for the other. A park would add a coaster every year if it made sense for ROI but it doesn't. No fan of VF is asking for a coaster every year, just one every 8-10 years would be nice. The back of the park is not perfect and can be improved but it is not bad enough to keep people away. It has been that way for years and VF has had no decrease in attendance so your your really overblowing how bad the back half of the park really is.

Not sure if you are being serious here, but in case you are - the #1 need is not a rollercoaster at this time. A list of needs in no specific order. 1. Upgraded restrooms 2. Expanded (beyond what is even being added for 2015) waterpark 3. Modern flat rides. 4. Expanded menu options (up to and including another sit down restaurant) 5. More efficient workers in food services. 6. Better guest flow in major corridors (some has been taken care of already) 7. Removal of "dead" areas of the park and/or unused facilities. Are you serious? Everything you listed except more flats rides or water park expansion can be done during one 'General Improvement' year when the park does not add a new attraction. They did not add one of the things you listed when they added Wild Thing and it moved the park past 1 million visitors in a year for the first time and they have never looked back. Not saying what you listed does not need to be addressed someday but it is NOT preventing the park from adding another coaster if it wants too. "I'm going to go and get a season pass because of new bathrooms, restaurants, better guest flow, removal of dead areas and unused facilities." said no one EVER. And no marketing campaign to increase traffic at a park said, "Come see our new bathrooms!" or "Come check out our new guest traffic flow!" You think the 2 hour plus line waits at times for KI and SFGAm this year were due to new bathrooms and expanded menus? Nope. I have a hint for you, it was Goliath and Banshee that brought those crowds and not general improvements. Parks realize this. So much so they have even begun to revitalize older coasters like Texas Giant, Mantis and Colossus in the past few years because the remodeled coasters bring in the crowds just like new ones if done right. And what did Kentucky Kingdom do when it reopened this year to bring the crowds in? They added Lighting Run and have already told all their season pass holders that the former T2 roller coaster will indeed reopen in 2015 as “T3”. If VF wants to be a 'growth park' like CF has claimed them to be the best way to grow attendance is a new coaster now since it has been 9 years come 2016 since the last one was added.

I disagree. I think Corkscrew is more likely, given its age. Plus the land Excalibur sits on isn't really ideal for construction. However Arrows everywhere are in the high risk category, IMO, so who knows. We'll just have to wait and see. Arrows are at high risk just due to age so it could be Corkscrew for sure but they just repainted it in 2011 and it still runs pretty well for an Arrow. I just think Excalibur will be first because it just does not have the ridership, especially compared to Cork Screw. They shut it down during Haunt and it usually only runs 1 train unlike CS which runs 2 about half the time. Parks usually take out their least performing coasters in terms of ridership provided it is not a physical issue with the ride (and due to CS's age that could be a factor like you say but I still say Excalibur.) And I hear you on the land where Excalibur sits currently but they did build Excalibur there and Renegade also in the flood zone so the park is not against putting new rides back there. The limits on available land for VF to expand due to the flood zones is tough for the park. They are either going to have to remove a coaster to add one or move/remodel parts of the parking lot to create space. Going to be interesting over the next few years and how it plays out.

C&P's is one and the Coasters restaurant is the other. The park is not big enough for a third one because I have never seen both of them at capacity at the same time. Plus nobody is coming to VF just for sit down food, this is not Epcot. I'm sorry, WHAT? C&P's and Coasters get filled up almost every day. While there are slow times, it would help to have a third large-sized restaurant on most days. Also, while guests may not go to a park specifically for good sit-down food, they always appreciate the convenience. Sure, I don't go to a park for the restrooms, but I'm glad they're there. Having nice locations to take a break and eat something good is a major plus at a park. It's becoming an expectation because it helps complete the experience. Like you said they ALMOST get filled everyday but rarely both at the same time. Next time you see both are filled with a line at both restaurants take pictures and post them. In the last 5 years I have seen that maybe a half dozen times. Sure it would be a nice luxury to have a third sit down restaurant as an option at VF and I am not against it. I am just saying it is NOT a reason the park cannot add another coaster like CaliforniaPinto indicates along with outdated bathrooms and walkways. Sure nice restrooms are becoming expected more often now a days and helps the experience but restaurants, bathrooms and walkways have never stopped a park from getting a new coaster. Would it be great to update all that stuff? Of course. Are any of them stopping a coaster from being added to VF? Nope. VF has many needs like most parks but a coaster is now #1 on the list if CF wants to really increase attendance.

SWEET!!! Can't wait.

I will be going both days. Shoot me a private message if you want to meet up for a couple of hours and hit the rides.

Yes it does if VF wants to keep up with the rest of the parks in the CF chain. Every other park in the chain over the last 5 years has received a new coaster except Mia and KBF. During that time KBF got a Windseeker that was removed and had also has received much love with Camp Snoopy, Calico Mine and Log Ride revamps among other additions. If VF does not want to become MiA they need a new coaster soon, it will be 9 years in 2016. The water park is undersized some but it's not like it has lines running out the entrance ever. On the busiest of days you may need to wait 15 minutes for a tube on the lazy river but it not like it is a mob scene in the place, just very crowded. It can get very busy and have the biggest collection of visitors at the park in one place at one time but is is not GROSSLY undersized, it just needs some more room and next years expansion will address that and we will see how much more traffic the new slide complex really brings in. It is only decent because of Renegade, you remove that ONE coaster and the line up becomes very weak. Seriously, what other park closes a coaster during all of Haunt because it is so bad? The park needs a new coaster. C&P's is one and the Coasters restaurant is the other. The park is not big enough for a third one because I have never seen both of them at capacity at the same time. Plus nobody is coming to VF just for sit down food, this is not Epcot. True, but what park in the CF doesn't need that? A restroom has never been a roadblock to add a coaster in any park ever. If it truly is an issue they will add one when they add the coaster. And in next years water park expansion they will be replacing and upgrading the restroom they just demolished. The park does have traffic flow issues but it has had them since it was opened due to its funky layout and that has not stopped the park from adding anything ever. Even when Wild Thing (the biggest attraction in the park) was added the traffic flow did not stop them. Plus the traffic flow really improved since Camp Snoopy and with next years water park expansion and the demolition of the bathrooms near by this will address they #1 traffic flow problem in the entire park. How you say the park can't handle the crowds if a new coaster was added with generalities like 'traffic flow' and 'remodeled bathrooms' is really off base in my opinion.

You must be a major water park fan-boy if you think that VF does not need a new coaster and needs more water park expansions. VF received Breakers Bay in 2009 and now Breakers Pipeline, Breakers Plunge and Barefoot Beach for the Soak city Expansion in 2015. The park has not had a new coaster since 2007 and no new coaster inversions since 1980. It needs a new coaster as soon as possible. The park may get a waterpark expansion in 2016 (I doubt it though, why wait and have another year of cost increases instead of doing it all in 2015?) but saying the park does not need a new coaster is just foolish.

One person stabbed and killed at CW. So sad to see at a place of fun.

And it will be 35 years in 2015 since the last new coaster with an inversion (Cork Screw). If/when VF adds a new coaster I agree with you that it will be a full circuit steel coaster with inversions. Until then we get to speculate about the Type, Manufacturer and where it would fit into the park.

And then I said that that they should just burn down Excalibur and replace it with a full circuit steel coaster with inversions that is taller, steeper, longer, faster and more thrilling.

^ He was invented by the parks original owners as a mascot for the park to appeal to children. What their inspiration was I have no idea but it was different to have a park mascot not based on a cartoon, movie or book compared to most other parks. Even after CF bought the park they let VF keep him so he was there from the opening of the park until 2010. When VF built Camp Snoopy in 2011 they retired him. I say bring him back and let him walk the Route 76 area to welcome in the Early Entry customers and after that move him to the main gate as a greeter to the park. Put a little piece of nostalgia back in the park.

VF's GM Dave Frazier tweeted the picture below today of an old friend walking the park today. Colonel (Baron) Omm Pah Pah lives!!! Since they are getting rid of the classic neon sign out in front of VF please bring back the mascot! He can co-exist with the Peanuts gang CF, just bring him back. I love this guy because he was a park mascot that was original and exclusive to the park, totally unique and thankfully not mass marketed. Then again they probably could not have mass marketed him because he looks like the neighbor's drunk uncle your parents warned you about. The best mascot VF ever had.

Yup, it is not a bad coaster but definitely not a good one either. Thankfully it is not brutal. Once they removed the little hill after the drop they had to crank up the trim on the top of the lift hill to make the first turn work and it has never been same and it was not that strong of a coaster to begin with. Too short like you said, needed another 500-600 feet for another element or two. When a park shuts down a coaster for Haunt while all the other coasters in the park are open you know it has problems.

+1 +1 also. That coaster does not belong at the park with all of the other good ones there.

The GM of VF Dave Frazier had a tweet yesterday about a 'celebrity ride operator' at VF. I posted the picture below. I cannot tell who it. My only guess is CF CEO Matt Quimet but it is so hard to tell with the hat. Does anyone really know who that is? Any guesses? Who is this? Anyone know?

They would probably have to make the 'new' parking lot more east/west according to the map below of what land CF owns. Might be the only way to expand the park. If they don't put the new sign out front in the same place of the existing one that will fuel all kinds of speculation. Map of land owned by Cedar Fair.

I was stuck on Wild Thing at VF this year for about 8-10 minutes at the top of the lift hill but it felt longer just because we were 'stuck'. Also got trapped in the final break run this year for 5-10 minutes on WIld Thing also because the other train would not dispatch. Thankfully that it all they were. Tough year for WT this year. The only other time I was stuck on a coaster was on Raptor during morning ERT for about 20-25 minutes as the 2nd train in the station after we came in from a run (at least we were not the 3rd train stuck at the mid brake). I felt sorry for that group because they did not get anyone up to them for about 15 minutes to give them the news, at least since we were in the boarding area they were able to come out and talk to us and let us know what was going on. I am slightly claustrophobic so if it lasted any longer than 30 minutes I am sure I would start to get real uncomfortable. Then there was a time on Maverick (morning ERT again) but I don't know if I would call it 'stuck' but it felt like it. Trapped 15-20 minutes on a train right at the starting point locked in and had the thumbs up to be dispatched when they stopped it because they had to clean up a car behind us because someone blew their morning breakfast all over the place. Amateurs!

^ The park stays open during that time and you do not have to leave. I am thinking the same thing but it just depends on the weather and that will determine wether I go on the 1st or 2nd. I just have to ride during November for the first time at VF.