rcdude

I really don't care one way or the other about Anaconda. If it is still there next time I visit, I'll give it another ride. If it's not, I won't miss it. Although it's my favorite of the Cedar Fair Arrow Loopers I've been on, it's still not worth more than a ten or fifteen minute wait.

Since it's unlikely I'll visit any parks outside of California next year, Full Throttle is probably the new coaster I'm most looking forward to riding (followed by Gold Striker). However, I'm also looking forward to seeing what the general reception is on GateKeeper and Outlaw Run (and to a lesser extent Iron Rattler), and watching the trip reports from TPR's 2013 trips (especially Mexico).

Gravity Group: Are the Timberliner trains compatible with any wooden coaster or only with your designs?

Proslide Q2: Most of your recent innovations have been for tube slides. Do you have any ideas for new features suitable for body and/or mat slides?

Proslide Q1: What is the steepest an open-flume plummet slide can get before there is a chance of riders falling off?

My off-season will be primarily taken up by college (Mechanical Engineering is not an easy major), with the occasional ski trip thrown in. I may still be able to visit Knott's occasionally (maybe three times between now and Memorial Day, excluding WCB), and I'll probably go to SFMM once (excluding WCB), but other than those I don't plan to visit any other parks until I get out of school in mid-June. I'll just get my coaster fix by browsing TPR on a daily basis, watching Robb's DVDs, and planning next year's theme park trip(s). Oh yeah, I'll also be seeing plenty of movies and playing the occasional video game.

Last one for Intamin. Intamin Q4: Is there a specific reason that Intamin attractions tend to have more downtime than similar attractions built by other manufacturers?

Intamin Q3: Will the future likely hold more completely new elements on coasters (new track elements, new launch systems, alternate track types/positioning, etc.) or variations on existing elements (more comfortable/less restrictive restraints, new seating arrangements on trains, etc.)?

Intamin Q2: While enthusiasts tend to love your most recent coasters, often ranking them among the best in the world, do you think that they may be pushing the envelope a little too much for the average park visitor (or is this a uniquely American problem)?

Several for Intamin. Intamin Q1: What are some of the unique challenges associated with building wood coasters vs steel coasters and vice versa?

B&M: With the similarity of many of your coasters (especially more recent installations), are they typically made from a standard design modified to fit the park's needs or are they all custom designed from the ground up?

My rule of thumb is the following: If I am at the park, I want to do everything I am able to while visiting, but the park needs to have a reason for me to visit in the first place. For example, if I was to visit Six Flags Over Texas (a park I've never been to), I'd take the time to do Wile E. Coyote's Grand Canyon Blaster provided I'd already been on the higher priority attractions. However, I wouldn't drive over to Sandy Lake Amusement Park (another park I've never been to) even though they have two kiddie coasters simply because there is nothing of interest for me there. I also will not bother with a kiddie coaster unless there is no maximum height restriction or child requirement, and I don't mind skipping them if there are long lines. The main reason I take the time to do them, along with other non-major rides, is because some of them are actually pretty good rides for their size and you never know how an attraction will be until you ride it. Once I've been on a ride, I won't bother with it again if I didn't care for it, but otherwise I prefer to go on many rides once each versus a few rides over and over. In my opinion, people who go to a park and only ride the headliners are missing out, but if that's all they care to do I guess that's how they should spend their day.

Rocky Mountain: Which allows more design freedom: Iron Horse track or Topper track?

GCI: One of your new for 2013 projects, White Lightning, uses a steel support structure instead of a wooden one. What factors led to this decision, and is it likely that more of your coasters will use a steel structure in the future?

What are some of the main challenges that come with designing and constructing a wood coaster versus a steel coaster?

When GhostRider opened, it was considered a top ten wooden coaster by many. On the Mitch Hawker poll, it peaked at #4 in the world in the year 2000. I first rode it in 1999, and up until the mid-2000s it was my favorite coaster, wood or steel. I don't know that it would still be a top ten coaster given what else has been built since, but I would say the ride would definitely be a top 25 if it ran the way it did the first few years. I doubt a re-track and new trains could restore it to what it once was, but it certainly could be improved significantly as the current ride is worth no more than a 15 minute wait (at least in my opinion).

This is all based only on rides I've been on. The two coasters I disliked being removed the most were Stealth and Deja Vu, but since both were relocated they don't really count as defunct. For a coaster that is actually defunct, I'd probably say the Wacky Soap Box Racers, although this is mainly based on pictures as I don't remember it very well (my parents say I did ride it, however). The coaster that I cared least about its removal was Spellbreaker, as I never really cared for it and it's replacement is a very unique ride. In my opinion, the biggest upgrades for defunct coasters were Windjammer Surf Racers to Xcelerator and Psyclone to Apocalypse the Ride, and the biggest replacement downgrade was Wacky Soap Box Racers to Windjammer Surf Racers. For non-coaster rides, the one whose removal I dislike the most is probably Perilous Plunge since it was a very fun and unique ride, although the replacement does look like it will have a much wider appeal.

2011: Wood: 1. El Toro 2. Voyage 3. Boulder Dash 4. Thunderhead 5. Apocalypse the Ride 6. American Thunder 7. Legend 8. Raven 9. Comet (GE) 10. Giant Dipper (SCBB) Steel: 1. Bizarro (SFNE) 2. Maverick 3. Tatsu 4. Top Thrill Dragster 5. Kingda Ka 6. Millennium Force 7. Intimidator 8. Griffon 9. X2 10. Apollo's Chariot 2012: Wood: 1. El Toro 2. Voyage 3. Boulder Dash 4. Thunderhead 5. Ravine Flyer II 6. Apocalypse the Ride 7. American Thunder 8. Legend 9. Raven 10. Comet (GE) Steel: 1. Bizarro (SFNE) 2. Tatsu 3. Maverick 4. Top Thrill Dragster 5. Kingda Ka 6. Millennium Force 7. Leviathan 8. Intimidator 9. Griffon 10. Apollo's Chariot Although I rode a decent number of new coasters this year, there weren't that many changes to my lists. On the wood list, Ravine Flyer II was added causing Giant Dipper to get bumped off. On the steel list there were a couple of changes: Tatsu moved ahead of Maverick, X2 was removed from the list, and Leviathan was added.

I've got a lot if you include everything, so I'll just list my top five theme park related highlights (in no particular order): -The Knott's day of WCB 2012. Even though I was very tired from only 10 hours of sleep over two nights and a full day at SFMM, this is still one of the best days I've had at the park. -Visiting my first European park (Disneyland Paris) and getting to do almost everything in one day due to unusually rainy weather in July. We even got walk-ons on several rides (Big Thunder Mountain, it's a small world, Phantom Manor, and Star Tours) -The whole LeviaTHON trip, even though not everything went according to plan. Highlights of this particular trip included Conneaut Lake Park (especially Blue Streak in the pouring rain and getting evacuated on the lift), Waldameer (the best non-major park I've visited), and Leviathan Bash at Canada's Wonderland (2nd or 3rd best bash day I've been to at my new favorite Cedar Fair park). -Having a Disneyland pass for the first time since 2005, as well as a three day school schedule for a quarter so I can enjoy it. Disneyland is rarely empty anymore, so getting the chance to visit on weekdays January through March and experience 30 minute or less lines for everything was a lot of fun, as well as getting to enjoy California's two best parks more than once a year for a change. Even though I didn't renew my pass at this time, I will get a new pass if I have a school schedule that is less than five days per week again in the future. -Solo rides during normal park hours on a number of attractions, including Indiana Jones Adventure, it's a small world, and Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland as well as Bigfoot Rapids (only person on whole attraction), Montezooma's Revenge, Perilous Plunge, Riptide, and Xcelerator at Knott's Berry Farm (I almost got one on Supreme Scream too, but they wouldn't send it without at least six riders).

22/24. Considering I'm good enough with statistics that I could usually eliminate 2 of the possibilities immediately, I'm not surprised by this high of score.

I can't think of any 2012 ride that I was disappointed by. Manta is easily the best family coaster I've been on, Radiator Springs Racers is my second favorite ride at Disney California Adventure Park (after California Screamin'), Mater's Junkyard Jamboree is quite fun, Transformers is not the best ride ever, but it's still in the top tier, and I'd place Leviathan in my top ten list (although it isn't my favorite B&M). I even thought the Red Car Trolley was a fun addition to DCA, although it has weird operational policies. Actually, the one new attraction that I'd say was disappointing was Luigi's Flying Tires simply because the ride seemed pointless and always has an excessive line. As for the most overrated, even though I didn't get to ride it I'd probably say OzIris. A lot of the early reports made it out as the best B&M Inverted coaster to date, but almost every trip report I've read from the TPR Europe trip seems to say the opposite. Of the rides I went on, it's Transformers since even though it's a great ride it isn't the best simulator ride out there like a lot of people claim.

It may just be me, but it seems that every California announcement for 2013 has been met with a lukewarm response at best. Disappointment that Gold Striker was "just another GCI," a ton of complaining about Full Throttle, and now a number of people unhappy with Knott's new addition. Yes, it is not a giga coaster, but to be honest I don't think Knott's is the right park for a giga, and I think anyone who expected Cedar Fair to purchase three major new coasters in one year was probably getting their hopes up a little too high. As for me, while I would have preferred a new B&M I do think this is a fantastic addition and will probably work better in the long run. Coast Rider may just be a wild mouse, but of the stock wild mouse designs the large park is my favorite and assuming it's not trimmed to death this could be the best of Knott's family coasters. While the capacity is isn't great, it's not too bad either (900 riders per hour shouldn't be an issue at Knott's except during peak periods). As for the other two rides, scramblers are always fun (in my opinion they are one of the best family flats), and when it was originally speculated that the park would add new flats I was hoping one would be a flyers attraction. This addition will add diversity to the thrill-centric boardwalk and other than perhaps a splash battle I can't think of a better family ride for this spot. The only minor complaint I have is that the Coast Rider name just doesn't work at Knott's, as while it's certainly better than some of Cedar Fair's names it's too similar to GhostRider and will probably cause confusion among visitors. Why not just call it Wave Runner, or even Wild Mouse (I'm sure plenty of boardwalks had coasters named this)?

I'm excited to see what Disney can do with Star Wars. While I don't hate the prequels like many fans do (I actually prefer Revenge of the Sith to Return of the Jedi), I do think Disney's got a better shot at making a good sequel trilogy than George Lucas ever did. As for park attractions, Disney now has the one franchise that I think has a good chance of beating out Harry Potter if they use it for lands and not just individual attractions. I hope they do a Star Wars land at WDW instead of cloning Cars Land or proceeding with Avatarland, and I'd like to see new Star Wars and/or Indiana Jones attractions at the other resorts as well. How long until someone buys theme park rights to The Lord of the Rings? I think that's the biggest film franchise left without a theme park attraction, and with the Hobbit trilogy coming I can only see it becoming more popular. Maybe that will be Disney's next purchase (although I doubt it).

I'm guessing there's a pretty good chance that I won't be on a tour next year since the only one I'm 100% sure I could afford (Mexico) holds little interest to me. If I get a significant amount of Christmas/Birthday money, I might be able to do Mini-UK, but I'm not counting on it. I'd love to do Japan, but the full tour is out of my budget range and it's too expensive to fly over there for just three days, plus I wouldn't want to go and miss out on Tokyo Disney. Texas/MidWest is out due to budget, length, and timing. Maybe I'll get on a tour in 2013. If not, I'll look forward to attending bash events (West Coast Bash, Bay Area Bash (if it happens), and possibly a Texas bash) and hopefully be able to do another trip in 2014.

1. Maverick at Cedar Point: Overall great ride with a semi-launched lift and a mid-ride launch. The ride itself has a little bit of everything. 2. Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point: Better launch than Maverick, but it only has the one hill. 3. Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure: Almost as good as Top Thrill Dragster, but the shoulder harnesses make it a bit uncomfortable due to vibrations. 4. Xcelerator at Knott's Berry Farm: Although it's got the best launch of the three Intamin AG Accelerator Coasters I've been on, the ride just doesn't have the same wow factor Top Thrill Dragster and Kingda Ka do. 5. California Screamin' at Disney California Adventure Park: Not as intense as the others on this list, but still an outstanding ride. In my opinion, the best coaster at any Disney park. 6. Volcano, The Blast Coaster at Kings Dominion: A unique inverted coaster with two launches. I just wish the ride didn't end so suddenly. I've been on a number of other launch coasters, but these are the ones in my current top 25.