RCjunkie

^ As I have said before I think the slide complex they chose for VF is better and more thrilling than a Snake Pit like they have put at other CF parks and am glad it was the one they picked. But if your research is true it is just another example of CF going cheap on VF. Why not spend a few more $$$ and get into the top 10? Just ONCE spend a little and throw VF a bone and let the park have a decent something? Maybe CF will surprise everyone and actually spend some $$$ on the next coaster but not getting my hopes up.

A Mack would be sweet, especially a launched one but they do run on the expensive side and CF has never purchased one yet and that is why I don't even contemplate one at VF. But if CF wants to make VF a test park for Mack like they did for GCI I say "Bring it on!" .

I would love to see a floor less, even over an invert. And if VF got one as thrilling as Kraken I wouldn't complain for a decade.

I have heard the same from other people who have worked at the park and now you who also worked in the park echoes the same thing. Thanks for sharing. The reason I have heard is that when CF bought the Paramount parks in 2006 they curtailed some expansion plans at parks to save money to cover the debt of the purchase and why VF got Renegade instead of a B&M. Luckily VF got Renegade, even if it is cheaper it is still one rock solid ride.

Hopefully you can keep your promise, see you in ten. Wild Thing is a medium sized coaster? While not probable it is totally possible CF will make another investment that large 20 years later in 2016 or beyond.

That looks nothing like the art work supplied for VF. If it turns out like that then I will be much more impressed.

Cheap shot, but definitely funny.

Sure, their last expansions match this one but unfortunately those parks started with bigger water parks and had more expansions over the years than VF. Even after this expansion VF still arguably has the worst waterpark in the CF chain. I just expected a little more. I do give CF credit though for not just dropping in another Snake Pit, this slide package looks MUCH more thrilling and is definitely what the water park needs among other things. Now if they just would have added a swim up bar for adults like WOF and CP I would have been much more excited.

Exactly, it's just like all the other splash pads with half the space devoted to landscaping (which is nice) and chairs (which are much needed at VF's water park) but the art work fits the description. The artwork rendering can always be off but it can also be pretty spot on just like Route 76 last year.

^ That guy could pass for Snidley Whiplash's brother. Snidley Whiplash

Please stop, WOF's water park is much bigger and better than VF's already so it did not need much. They got their slide package last year also so 'Big Deal' if we are getting more than them just this year. Take a look at all they have compared to VF for a park that is similar in size. https://www.worldsoffun.com/things-to-do/oceans-of-fun I will say VF's slide package looks much more thrilling though so I am happy the park chose this one. Just expected a little more. VF can still arguably be the worst water park in the chain even after this expansion.

If your getting sick and tired of opinions or complaints I would stay away from the internet if I were you. No thanks on building my own park, too much time to raise all that capital plus the time and headaches to build and run the place. As always I will just vote with my dollar and reward parks that already have what I want. Unfortunately that is rides and attractions that VF rarely gets but most CF, Six Flags and Herschend parks already have.

I think with Route 76 we got a good new ride in Northern Lights, brought back a popular old ride (Antique Autos) that is all new and integrated with NL plus a refurbed Scrambler and Tilt-O Whirl. All this together brought life to a desolate area for the park with more room for flat expansions if they decide to do so. With the Soak City expansion all the park got was a slide package (which I do like and think will be popular) and an underwhelming kid area (at least per the supplied artwork) that can be easily beat by local city water parks. With the removal of IMAX, Hydroblaster and possibly the old dining patio I just think most people were expecting more and that is why we are seeing more negative reaction. To me this expansion does not say "Growth Park", it just says "Were just trying the keep up with everyone else and nothing more." Of course I like anything new added to the park but this was not enough to get me that excited, Route 76 was better in my view.

Sure, go right ahead. I was waiting to see what they were going to do with the water park expansion to see how serious CF was going to be with VF being a 'growth park'. With this announcement obviously it is not that serious and I am disappointed overall. I actually like the new slide complex over a Snake Pit because it looks much more thrilling and even I will go on that next year and get me back in the water park for the first time since the 90's. But the kiddie area is very underwhelming, local cities around the Twin Cities are better than that by far. With the removal of IMAX and Hydroblaster and possibly the old picnic patio I expected more. This is OK but not that exciting. If they would have also added a Tornado, or expanded the lazy river, or made a better kiddie area I might have been 'Wowed' but this just seems like they are just keeping pace to be average again. If they would have added a flat, removed the amphitheater or restored the carousel in addition to this expansion I would be much more excited but it just looks like CF went on the cheap with VF again. Just once I wish the park would get something thing that would make you go "OMFG I cannot wait to go and ride that!". This just does not inspire me to renew my season pass but I probably will one more year to support CF and see if they bring a coaster the following year. The good news is it does improve the water park (not very hard to do when your last in the chain) and it will be easily marketable and probably draw in more attendance which is good for the park and their ROI which is what CF is after at the end of the day. I think Looty summed it up the best in his post: "

It will happen before Haunt for sure. GM Dave Frasier said the announcement will happen before or on the 17th. I am impatient now also, I want to know all the details especially since GM Dave also said there would be demolition in September so we know there will be at least one serious change to the water park. With you not making Haunt opening weekend who is going to post a review on all the new stuff and changes this year?

If it does happen I will be visiting for sure.

^ Exactly. Then we can praise or complain about it depending on what the announcement brings. And when we are done with that we can squarely focus on what will become the new #1 need of the park which will be a new coaster. Then we will speculate, complain and come up with some real stupid ideas while having some fun.

^ Yes, he was at Valleyfair this summer. The show he did at VF was worth seeing once and entertaining. Hopefully the same goes for his show at WOF.

^ Who said Mantis was leaving? They just said, 'Last Stand'. They didn't say, "Last Sit." or "Last Ride".

That is the question and I think CF knows that is the big question too. That is why they have added Camp Snoopy, Route 76 and the expected water park expansion in the last 3 years so they have more to offer and show people during the attendance spike a new coaster usually brings in an attempt to keep them coming back and raise the average yearly attendance. The last 3 years have brought more changes to the park than the last 10 years. A new coaster will never bring in as many visitors as it does its first year but it can move the bar for average attendance for following years just like Wild Thing did in bringing in more than 1 million visitors to the park for the first time the year it opened and attendance for the park has never fallen below that mark since. The old saying is still true in any business, you gotta spend money to make money. Hopefully CF does spend that money.

I never get my hopes up with VF, it's been my home park for as long as it has been open and CF rarely treats it well. Just mostly on the cheap side when adding rides or attractions. I am though cautiously optimistic for the first time in almost two decades for the park. With CF top exec's indicating they view it as growth park (which I assume means they see it as worthy of finally putting some real money into the park), the additions of Camp Snoopy and Route 76 over the last 3 years, creation of the new corporate/group Picnic area (so they can drop the old one next to the water park for the expansion) and the removal of the Hydro Blaster and IMAX for the water park expansion also it looks to me like they have a nice long range plan in place and have been working it the last 3 years. It has been the most activity at the park in 10 years. I think they are doing this so if/when they do get that shiny new coaster and get the crowd bump that usually comes with such new rides that they will be able to show off a more well rounded and updated park to keep them coming back. If they would have put a new coaster in 3 years ago it would have attracted crowds at first but with the run down kiddy area (before Camp Snoopy), the weakest water park in the chain and the former desolate area where Route 76 is now it would not have had as much impact as it can if they add one in the next couple years now with the new additions. How much money they put into the water park expansion will tell us how serious CF is and why I am anxiously and cautiously optimistic waiting the announcement. And I don't believe everything I read in this thread but I do believe a new coaster will come to the park in the next 2-3 years because CF has added a new major coaster or attraction every 5-6 years to the park since it opened and it has been 7 years since Renegade was added so history tells me one is coming, hopefully this time not on the cheap. Depending on how much money they put into the badly needed water park expansion will tell VF fans if we can dream about a new B&M or Mack being added or if the park is going to get a Vekoma or a re-located Mantis. I feel with a new water park and a good new roller coaster VF could be an average to a little above average park and finally hit its potential. It will never be a great park but it easily could fall in somewhere between decent and good if the money is spent on it.

No, no, no! Please keep your Vekoma to yourself. VF needs a real coaster, not more junk. Plus the park already has a shuttle coaster that is actually pretty good. But if you want to trade it for Excalibur and throw in a Dip-n-Dots stand or two plus a couple of trash cans I would listen to your offer.

I didn't find it rude either, just his opinion and it was not vicious or anything. I just didn't agree with it at all. The 9 million comes from CF and the research they did on this market. The market included South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa and Western Wisconsin which they could draw visitors from due to distance and none of those area's having a park as big as VF and what it has to offer. Like you said, Minnesota has about 5.5 million in people in the state with 2.75 to 3 million in the Twin Cities area including all the suburbs. According to garyman6 when he walked with GM Dave Frazier this year he referenced the 9 million people also when comparing the Twin Cities (VF) to Cincinnati (KI) and said they are looking at KI and what they do and what VF could do to approach their attendance considering they have a similar market size. (HINT: Get some good rides like KI ) He used that number which (according to CF research) is about the same size market as Cincinnati area which is 2.2 million with a wider market of 9 million due to northern Kentucky and the southern half of Ohio. We will find out if their research is right. I personally think it is close to right. When I visit KI in Mason, see Cincinnati and the surrounding suburbs and what they have to draw from I don't see a big difference. I think with the right attractions VF should be able to draw at least half the attendance KI does and maybe a little more than half. CF seems to think the same but we have to see how much $$$ they are going to invest over the next 5 years, until then it is just talk.

I am also glad the Apollo merger did not go through and that VF ended up staying with CF over Six Flags but at the time I was actually hoping for Herschend would have picked up VF. I just thought at the time they would have treated the park with better investment and adding a local flavor like they do with their parks. But now that it looks (at least CF is saying) like CF is going to put some money into the park over the next 3-5 years and I am happy they stayed with CF and we will see. The announcement of the water park expansion and how big it is will tell us how serious CF really is. Obviously CF is really serious now about Carowinds, love that new entrance too.

The reviews by coaster enthusiasts have been great and I like air time so of course I would like VF to get one. It could replace Corkscrew, an old Arrow for a new Chance (Morgan/Arrow). I am just jaded that VF already has two Arrow/Chance Morgan coasters in the park. But if they added a new Chance ride and replaced CS with it or added a ride which brought NEW trains to WT or a re-designed turn around for WT in addition (I know...dreaming here) then I would welcome Chance to the park again. But like you said, this park needs new inversions after 34 years so I am hoping for something else first. But as VF fans know, beggars can't be choosers.