Coasterguy21
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Posts posted by Coasterguy21
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^Ah, I just figured they designed the ride vehicle like when this type of attraction was announced as being on the market.
http://www.blooloop.com/news/triotech-and-zamperla-to-deliver-the-next-generati/3407#.UiCKi9I2ZKo
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^When TRIOTECH & Zamperla announced they were joining together to create this type of ride vehicle and experience, they stated it, theoretically, could have 800 riders per hour. They could've upped that number since November or tweaked something for the design at Wonderland.
At any rate, I figured it'd be TRIOTECH since July. I think this is a great addition to the park.
Yet, the Facebook page just irks me.
Then there's the lack of business sense and everyone believing its possible to add a coaster every year without removing anything. All I see on that page now is "But we wanted another Koazter". Sorry, I'll save this all for the GP Facebook thread.
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This ride looks incredible. The "inverted zero-g stall" is insane. Congrats to SFGAm for getting a major coaster so soon after X-Flight. But Six Flags sure is fast and loose with the "record breaking" superlatives. Tallest wooden coaster? No way. Fastest wooden coaster? Probably, but debatable. Reminds me of SFMM calling YOLOcoaster the tallest looping coaster. Anyway, I'm not complaining - the ride looks amazing, and the marketing people are doing their job!
The three records they advertise are actually all being broken by this coaster (if all goes according to planned)
-Tallest Wooden Coaster Drop-Previously held by El Toro at 176 feet...this is 180 feet.
-Steepest Drop on a Wooden Coaster-Previously held by Outlaw Run at 81 degrees...this is 85 degrees.
-Fastest Wooden Coaster-Previously held by El Toro at 70 mph....this is 72 mph.
As for Tallest Looping Coaster, yeah that one irritated me. Of course they were talking about the tallest vertical loop, but still, that along with YOLO was just...yeah...
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I'm still not at the point to post a link, but Wildwater Kingdom will open Snake Pit, a waterslide complex for 2014.
It will feature three trap-door slides, two tube slides and a constrictor slide (which is also a tube).
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^Yeah, they used to close Labor Day weekend (I believe) but I believe they have actually been trying to extend the season.
At any rate, while I'd love to see a Halloween Event up there (The Haunt is located just Southeast of there in Walker, a northern suburb of Grand Rapids), and they get good business. But ride wise, it gets pretty chilly at night during that time of the year up in Muskegon, especially that close to the lake.
At any rate, the Waterpark is a major draw of business for the park. With that draw, operating HalloWeekends or a Haunt without the waterpark might not necessarily draw a return that the chain or park would want.
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While I'd say Michigan's Adventure because of everything you listed....I'll have to say Kings Island.
Sadly, if it's a Late September Trip, Michigan's Adventure won't be open. They close September 8th for the season.
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I don't think the video was that bad, especially since they acted that way in their audition video, which many people voted for and won. Tony also did a great job producing it. Someone complained on another board and he flat out asked "Why?". He'd like to know because he produced it. Cheesy? Sure....but it happens. All in all, solid addition to the park in my opinion, and that's what I was more concerned with, not the video. No more black top according to the renderings. That's a Plus! Looking forward to seeing the new redone area and these two rides open. We might even see some new food options or something up there.
As for the comments on the video being disabled. They are disabled on all of their videos I believe. I think they're getting sick and tired of the fanboys who know nothing about amusement park operations (or other parks besides Cedar Point) saying "OMGZ WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO BUILD THE 500 FOOT, ULTRA LOOPING COASTER".Put them on a Togo!
Robb, I believe the height requirement for the Surf Dog at Kings Island is 48 inches to ride alone but 44 inches to ride with an adult. I hope there are some more smaller height requirement rides coming in the future to help fill the Paddlwheel & Space Spiral voids.
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^I think I prefer Wicked Twister to V2, but it's really hard to say. I like the double twisting on WT but I also love just the straight spire on V2 (definitely gives a different sensation).
I get what you mean about Great America though. My favorite park is Cedar Point, but with Great America being a bit shorter drive a way, I always want to go out there. It may not have all the "World's Best blah blahs" but it has a great selection of coasters and flats in my opinion. Also, when I go (late August usually) the waits are usually short.
Both parks are very enjoyable to me and I'm glad you got to do the trip.
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It's a family attraction or something along those lines.
Edit: Im pretty sure this is from the boardwalk concept art for Knotts but it was teased on Twitter.[attachment=0]image.jpg[/attachment]
That was from yesterday. It was discussed on the last page and a copy of the Knotts concept art was posted I feel that this is for whatever this attractions concept art is, but either way, there are striking similarities. Look at those lights. We'll just call those "boardwalk lights". Very similar to Knotts and the area in question was near the beach. As Mr. Ouimet said, they're always looking into more ways to incorporate the beach. This is a perfect way I feel. A family coaster and some classic flats. Sounds pretty good. But who knows what it may be haha.
There's been teasers going out about this time each day. I wonder if we'll see one soon today.
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^That'd make sense. But, if it were just a mountain repaint/redo, then Mr. Pirtovshek wouldn't have tweeted a photo of the hole saying "I bet you're wondering why there's a hole in the side of the mountain" (I believe he wouldn't if it were something like that).
There are also markers up in the mountain and extending down into the field area.
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^He had already announced they'd be investing $45-$60 million in their hotels for upgrades and such. He stated previously that they weren't necessarily interested in opening up a new hotel up there though.
Today's photo according to the Tony's Twitter page shows "happy people" and hanging lights that look a lot like the lights in Knott's New Boardwalk section.
As one of the photos kind of looked like the beach, this may be a new boardwalk section for the park. Mr. Ouimet did say that the beach was under-utilized and he wants it to be incorporated more. This would go hand-in-hand with the resorts upgrades too, kind of bringing everything closer together.
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^Or they could've accepted none and just had thirteen weddings. I believe that he actually wanted to be "married" there, which just isn't legal at this time (sadly). If they would've gotten 13 weddings, then there would have been exactly zero vow renewals.
As much as I would love for anyone to marry whoever they like there, it just isn't legal. If they wouldn't have had Thirteen Weddings, they may not have done it (and who knows if they would've made it to number 13 anyway). Or who's to say if they didn't get enough that they might not extend it for commitment ceremonies?
Anyway, I do get what you're saying. You definitely know something like this could possibly surface with a contest like this, but I don't know if they really expected it to spiral out as much as it did. Maybe a different version of the contest could be done in the future and instead of calling it "13 Weddings" they can call it something else to include not just weddings, but vow renewals & commitment ceremonies.
I do wish they'd address it again though instead of just letting it fly out of control. This happened at the beginning of the month and the press is just now grabbing ahold of it
Moving off of that subject and onto 2014, that definitely appears to be near Planet Snoopy/The Beach/WindSeeker. This could be interesting.
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Tony Clark had stated they were looking for legal marriages, people with wedding licenses and that they would actually be married. The promotion was specifically called "13 Weddings" and they asked for renewal of vows as backup. But same-sex marriage is still illegal in Ohio (as much as I'm sure most everyone on here believes in equality in one way or another) we can't change the law. They did say that if it were 13 Acts of Love then there'd be no issue. But they were shooting for 13 weddings and if they didn't get that number, they wouldn't have held it. They would've only accepted one or two vow renewals probably because the focus was real weddings. There is a complete response from Tony Clark on PointBuzz regarding this topic that was posted weeks ago (because all of this went down at the beginning of the month and it just now got to the press apparently). But I'm not at the 50 post threshold yet so I'm not going to post the link.
The park has already stated they do not discriminate and have offers Beach Packages to ALL couples (Weddings, Commitment Ceremonies, Renewal of Vows etc...), but no in park ceremonies yet.
Also, the park is working on a formal wedding program, which would include commitment ceremonies. So to say the park discriminates when they are working on something like that just isn't fair.
They cancelled to not discriminate. They said they would be interested in attempting it again in the future if/when same-sex marriage becomes legal.
This is a touchy subject so this is all I will say on it. If anyone wants me to remove my post, just let me know. I'm just pretty much stating what the park actually said about it all because there is a lot of misinformation out there in the press (what a surprise) and the postings on the Facebook page are taken from all the misinformation (lots of maturity and people not knowing the actual truth about what the park did). From the way its blown up, it just seems that Cedar Point is anti-gay and ran by morons, which really isn't true at all.
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I should've turned it off too. Lots of racist comments, lots of bad language, and just straight disrespect. Sure we all have fun on here but they just cross the line way too far on the LiveStream.
At any rate, this was a pretty big announcement and the resort does look nice. Excited to see more info about the coaster as well.
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The tweets so far are:
"TO the B walk!"
"I can hear the roars,screams,and shouts....to the _________ already!"
The fact that they said roar kind of gives me hope it could be something more than just a water slide...but I'm still not counting on it. But what could the capital TOB mean?
Where was the photo of the land taken? TO the B Walk could mean the Boardwalk (referencing the Fiesta Bay Boardwalk area of the park)?
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^^World's Tallest Vertical Loop is held by YOLOcoaster right now at 160 feet.
^The total drop on GateKeeper is 164 feet, but the inversion is taken at the highest point of the ride (170 feet), so it wouldn't take the tallest inversion record at 165 feet, but it could take the tallest vertical loop record.
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^^Outlaw Run's overbanked turn does count I believe. I know when it was originally leaked it didn't state it as one, but now the park, RMC, RCDB, the fact sheets (etc.) all say that it has three inversions. So that more than likely isn't it.
I have a good feeling that this will be some sort of launched coaster and I would not be surprised if it was a Full Throttle layout.
EDIT: Robb, you just win! Automatically corrects to YOLOcoaster. It's hilarious!
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^I totally understand. It doesn't always look so good on paper either because things can change quickly. I know there is a difference between "experience" and "experience", I study it and use them for my papers and such, but I haven't worked on the business side of an amusement park (and as much as I love them, I don't really plan to either). So I'll just post what I know from what I've studied every now and then and rely on everyone else here for the other information . It's a good place for it, there's lots of knowledge around here.
Yeah, that really was a shocker. Quite a few parks went up then too. I'm just glad to see Cedar Fair focusing on shedding some weight and focusing on the debt load and upgrading resorts. I like the direction the company is going.
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^I don't see any of those parks being sold. In terms of attendance, Michigan's Adventure has the lowest but pulls in a profit like some of the bigger parks.
Not meaning to be rude, but you're 21 years old and probably know very little about how the amusement business works. While I don't see any of those parks being sold anytime soon either, I've seen some CRAZY things happen in this business and nothing surprises me.
So please just take that into consideration when you make posts like this.
No offense was taken Robb, and I understand one may think I have "lower credibility" due to my age, but really that shouldn't mean anything. But honestly, my major is Business related (I say that because I'm a double major) and I have studied these models, so I know a lot about how it all works. It has been pointed out by Cedar Fair themselves as well as in several articles that Michigan's Adventure has one of the highest profit margins in the chain. Of course, that doesn't mean it makes the most money. Even in the FunForward presentation last year, it was specifically stated that "Michigan's Adventure pulls in less than 1 million people but pulls in the profits comparable to some of our larger parks" (speaking specifically about margins though because the profit itself is nowhere near the higher parks). Age is but a number , but I got into studying this stuff when I was really young because it really interested me, and I can tell you that the park is an asset to the chain. One may ask "Then why are no rides put in?" but that's another story on its own.
I do agree with you on CRAZY things happening. Lets say from a "what we know" standpoint, there's lots more behind the scenes that we don't know from what is made publicly or to investors every year. So I'll say "I hope those parks don't get sold". I get what you're saying that "things can rapidly change" etc... I don't see it happening based on their current model and portfolio shift, but that doesn't mean its impossible.
But it really makes sense presently with the direction that the chain is going to get rid of those waterparks. It'll really help with the resort upgrades.
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^I don't see any of those parks being sold. In terms of attendance, Michigan's Adventure has the lowest but pulls in a profit like some of the bigger parks.
Truth be told, I'd keep an eye on Wildwater Kingdom, but I think the sales will cease for awhile. It's good to see the chain is getting rid of a bit of properties they know in the long run may not be as beneficial as the other properties and using the money to upgrade the resorts.
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^Michigan's Adventure has one of the highest profit margins in the chain. It isn't going anywhere nor being sold anywhere. Even when the chain was looking into selling parks, Worlds of Fun & Valleyfair were the first ones listed. I'm glad those stayed.
The sale of this park and the San Diego park to SeaWorld were good sales in my opinion. This one isn't much different than the one adjacent to Knott's Berry Farm anyway.
Now the question is, will Wildwater Kingdom eventually get sold or will it remain as the sole waterpark in the chain that isn't adjacent to an amusement park?
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IF they were to remove Boomerang, which CF park would be most likely to recieve it?
My money would be on Michigan's Adventure. Another Vekoma. It wouldn't be a bad fit, Thunderhawk did very well up there and still is. But, whichever park makes the most sense business wise. Is Boomerang rumored to be leaving too now?
The WindSeeker deal makes perfect sense to me. It's not worth fighting on it anymore. Moving it to another park is cheaper than ordering a new one for that park (and that park rumored is Worlds of Fun)
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^Or that could also be listed in the Top Border (that one is just the bottom). Who knows? Guess we'll find out soon.
EDIT: Nevermind, on the site now and I see how it works. It'll go at the bottom of the image haha.
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B&M and Launch are two words that don't go in the same sentence.
The Incredible Hulk is a B&M Sit-Down Coaster that features a launch and 7 inversions
I'm placing bets now for it being a wing-rider named the Bat.I just think that's what it looks like from the plans, and that logo looks like it took some time to make. I used to work as a web developer, and I created sites with dummy content like that all the time before the client sent us the final copy/images to use.
That's just my bet - I'll be checking in tomorrow to see if I have finally guessed an announcement right. I'm like 0/4 at this point.
I do some web design work as well and I 100% agree, but I just have a feeling about this one. Apparently, the logos and stuff from Flight Deck are starting to disappear. Maybe that will become The Bat and Banshee will be next door?
Studying the blueprints, it's got to be an invert. Only the leaked site or the blueprints can be right (or neither?). I'll go with blueprints. So I'm saying Invert. For the most part, I'm going that route because I hope Cedar Fair IT wouldn't end up making the same mistake two years in a row.
Best Additions for 2014
in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
Posted
Here is my list (in order and why) for 2014. While some parks still need to make announcements here and there, a lot of the major ones have already been announced, especially with season passes now being on sale for many of the chains.
1-Goliath (Six Flags Great America)- While I am a huge Cedar Fair lover at heart, I believe this takes the cake over Banshee for next year. Don't get me wrong, I am very excited to ride Banshee, but these two coasters will just be so amazing that I had a hard time picking which one I think I might like better. Goliath just seems so amazing! A wooden coaster with some AMAZING inversions, hang-time, a below-ground drop, a steep drop, great speeds and just compact craziness. I am definitely looking forward to it.
2-Banshee (Kings Island)- This coaster just looks amazing. I love Inverts and I think this one will be among the royal family of inverted coasters. I love the elements and if the theming sticks, it'll be a great ride (well, it'll be one either way). I particularly like that it dips into the ravine. I can't wait to ride this one either.
3-Wonder Mountain's Guardian (Canada's Wonderland)- A good dark ride going into a Cedar Fair park. Of course I'll like this. It sounds like it really is a great innovative ride and with all the "secrets" that haven't been let out, I can't wait to see all of them for myself.
4-Harry Potter: Diagon Alley (Islands of Adventure)- I loved the Wizarding World, so this will just be great too. Not sure if I'll make it there next year, but I hope to. I'm particularly excited to get some information on the new attractions. The Gringott's coaster will be great.
5-Falcon's Fury (Busch Gardens Tampa)- A new generation of drop towers. While I sometimes have some fears of facing drop towers, sometimes you just can't say no. This thing just looks intimidating and amazing.
6-FireChaser Express (Dollywood)- While it may be a family coaster, just the way it is explained sounds great. Sounds like it could be fairly thrilling and the special effects sound great. If all adds up, it'll be a great ride.
7-Gemini Midway Revamp (Cedar Point)- This ranked a bit higher than the rest on my list BECAUSE I feel this is something the park needed. Two great family rides (hopefully with adequate height requirements for families), an outdated midway redone, a new restaurant, some theming and even more on the way it sounds. Oh, did I mention the removal of the blacktop? I also like that Hotel Breakers will be renovated. Also needed IMO.
8-Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (WDW Magic Kingdom)- It just looks cool. A mine train with swinging coaster cars? I'd definitely give it a go and Disney just has great rides.
9-Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom (Six Flags Great Adventure)- It isn't too high on my list, but definitely looks like a scary and amazing ride. I'll give it a shot if I make it over there this year. It's pretty high but will leave a lasting impression I'm sure.
10-Medusa: Steel Coaster (Six Flags Mexico)- While I probably won't make it down to ride it this year, it looks like it'll be a Kick Rear ride. I like the way the drop looks for sure and while I'm not the biggest fan of the name, I can see why they went that naming route.