rcdude

5 coasters...that's hard to pick. I'm going to say: 1. A B&M Mega (don't care which one) 2. Apocalypse (or a similar GCI) 3. Dominator 4. Maverick 5. Griffon This would provide a good variety of ride experiences, and although these rides may not be the best, many are among the best of their type. I can't think of a name for a park based on five coasters, but I've created my own parks before and I've noticed trends in my coaster selections. Usually they end up having a family/kids coaster (often Vekoma or a custom Zierer), one or two Intamins (typically loopers, launchers, or inverts), two to four B&Ms (megas, inverts, dive machines, stand-up, floorless, flying), a wooden coaster (usually a GCI), a large non-looping coaster (typically a mega), and a unique ride that doesn't always exist in real life. Most of my fictional parks end up with six to eight coasters by the time I'm done.

15/20. I did better random guessing on the LEGO questions than I did on the theme park questions. I also missed a couple from LEGOLAND California. Somehow, I random guessed and got a better score than most people. I must be a good guesser.

X2 at Six Flags Magic Mountain back in January. I'll be riding it again in just under two weeks.

^Don't worry, this isn't high school physics. I'm posting this solution as a third semester college physics student. If you are good with math, high school physics is no problem. I don't know whether or not you will be in a calculus based class, but if you aren't physics is as easy as solving a right triangle. The calculus class isn't too bad either since there are many constants and resulting derivatives/integrals are rarely more difficult than 1/x.

Acoustics is probably the branch of physics I'm worst at, but here is what I would do. 1. Use the definition of sound intensity level: Intensity level=(10 dB) log [intensity/10^-12 W/m^2] to find the intensity of each sound wave. 2. Use the inverse-square law for intensity: [intensity 1/Intensity 2]=[((distance 1)^2)/((distance 2)^2)] to find the two distances. You will also need to use this simple algebraic fact: distance 1+distance 2=110 m. I'm not 100% sure if this will work, but it makes sense and is the only way I can think of doing it. Also, you might want to look up these equations in your book as they are a bit difficult to read on here without an equation writing program.

To my knowledge, Wicked is the only coaster that launches vertically, and it starts on horizontal track. Mr. Freeze has linear motors on the vertical section, but they don't really launch, just boost. Almost every other coaster either launches on level track or a slight uphill. A few have a decent slope to the launch, but it is nowhere near vertical. Rides may appear to have vertical launches, but in 99% of the cases they don't. I highly doubt this new coaster will launch vertically, especially from a standstill. It would take a lot of power to launch a train vertically because the acceleration will not only have to get the train up to speed, but will also have to overcome the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s or approximately 32 ft/sec). I'm guessing that BGW will end up with something similar to Cheetah Hunt if it is an Intamin, or a larger version of SWSD's Manta if it isn't.

Average Reaction Time: 0.2708 Seconds Gender: Male Time Test is Taken: 3:06 P.M. Age: 20 Do You Play Video Games Frequently: No

I haven't been on the Voyage yet, but to me it has always looked like a really good ride, but not the best out there. This summer, I will be riding Voyage (plus Holiday World's other two coasters), Boulder Dash, and El Toro for the first time all within two weeks. I have no clue what I'll think of these rides, but it will be interesting to see.

Invertigo and Stealth at California's Great America Tornado at Castle Amusement Park Space Mountain at Disneyland Wacky Soap Box Racers and Windjammer Surf Racers at Knott's Berry Farm Spellbreaker at Legoland California Screaming Mummy at Pharaoh's Adventure Park Psyclone at Six Flags Magic Mountain Lightning Bolt at MGM Grand Adventures High Roller at Stratosphere Tower Windstorm at Fun Forest Amusement Park

If CGA closes, Cedar Fair will probably move Flight Deck to one of their other parks that doesn't already have a non-shuttle inverted coaster. This pretty much leaves either Valleyfair (more likely) or Kings Island. It would work well at either park, but I personally think it would fit better at Valleyfair. The ride is small enough that it can be relocated relatively easily, and wouldn't require much terrain modification to move. As for the other coasters, here is my prediction. Demon: I have a feeling this would go to the scrap heap. It is old and has a custom layout, making it difficult to relocate. Old Arrow rides aren't worth much anymore. There is a slight possibility another park could buy it, but I think that is pretty unlikely. Grizzly: Sell to the firewood stand. Wooden coasters aren't easy to relocate and this one isn't worth it. Psycho Mouse: Relocate to another Cedar Fair park. Any of the parks that don't currently have a wild mouse could probably use it, and it would be a good family coaster that could be installed fairly cheaply. Taxi Jam: I don't think Cedar Fair would relocate this ride, but I could see someone else purchasing it. The ride isn't that old and would be great for a kiddie park or family entertainment center. Vortex: Relocate to another Cedar Fair park. This could be used at several Cedar Fair parks (namely Knott's Berry Farm, Michigan's Adventure, Valleyfair (if they didn't already get Flight Deck) or Worlds of Fun). I'm guessing it would most likely go to Michigan's Adventure as the layout would be difficult to squeeze into Knott's and Worlds of Fun tried a stand-up once. Woodstock's Express: This probably would be scrapped. It is old and conforms pretty closely to the terrain, so I'm guessing it would actually be more difficult to relocate than it is worth. Of course, I would prefer it if the park didn't close. There isn't enough information to say what will happen yet, but I'm guessing either Cedar Fair will start pumping money in or start pulling rides out (some non-coaster rides are worthy of being relocated too). By this time next year, we should have a good idea which one they have chosen.

This thread is way overdue for an update as I have skied a few days since January. I want to get it caught up before I leave for Utah in a week and a half. February 12th, 2011: Big Bear Mountain Resorts When I go skiing, I prefer to go to bigger ski areas. However, sometimes this is not possible. I only have the financial resources and the time to do two or three multi-day trips per year, so I tend to do at least a couple day trips to local ski areas each season. If there is good snow, I've got a choice of about six different ski areas, but when snow isn't as good, that is narrowed down to two: Mountain High or Big Bear. Big Bear is probably the local resort I frequent the most, primarily because they have 100% snowmaking so everything is usually open. They also are the most expensive, but are also the largest, although the ski area is split up into two independent resorts. Originally, Big Bear Mountain Resorts was two independent ski areas: Snow Summit and Bear Mountain. In the early 2000s, Snow Summit purchased Bear Mountain and began running a shuttle between the two areas. Since a lift ticket is good at both, I usually end up spending some time at each area when I visit. As usual, when I do a day trip to a local area, I usually leave my house by 6:00 A.M. This time, due to the front road to Big Bear Lake being closed, we had to leave earlier. We got to Snow Summit, where we parked, shortly before opening. This gave us enough time to get dressed, rent my brother's skis, purchase lift tickets, and get to the slopes before the crowd arrived. Since Big Bear Mountain Resorts is really two indepentent areas, I'll review each separately. We'll start with the one I spent more time at. Snow Summit Mountain Resort Snow Summit is probably my favorite Southern California ski area because it has a variety of terrain and is a decent size. The ski area boundary encompasses 240 acres of terrain, serviced by 14 lifts (2 High-Speed Quads, 2 Fixed-Grip Quads, 2 Triples, 5 Doubles, and 3 Surface Lifts). These allow access to a mountain with 1200 ft of vertical and terrain suitable for anyone from beginner to expert skill level. The ski area's longest run is 6,600 feet, which is a bit on the long side for a ski area of this size, but I'm not complaining. Snow Summit has a complex layout, but I'm going to try to describe it without a map. There are five lifts out of the base area. The ski area's two Garaventa CTEC high-speed quads, East Mountain Express (Chair #1) and All Mountain Express (Chair #2) both run base to summit. They both are roughly parallel, and have the same statistics (5300 ft long, 1100 ft vertical). They both allow access to the same terrain, although the East Mountain Express does not allow skiers to get to the rightmost lift on the mountain (Chair #9). Anyone from a skilled beginner to an expert can find a way down from the top of these lifts. Running between them is Chair #11, an old slow Hall double. This lift runs approximately three-quarters of the way up the hill, and only allows skiers to access the base area or Chair #3. It also does not access any expert terrain. I have never been when this lift was operating, but I believe the ski area still uses it occasionally on peak holiday weekends. On the left side at the base of the mountain is the beginner's area. This area is serviced by both of Snow Summit's fixed-grip quads (Chair #4 and Chair #8) and the three surface lifts. The two chairs in this area are very short (approximately 600 ft with about 100 ft vertical) and are not good for anyone except an absolute beginner. The surface lifts are all of the moving carpet variety and provide an alterate method of transport up the hill. This area is almost always insanely crowded, and since I am not an absolute beginner I rarely ever go in here. Fortunately for beginners, it is somewhat isolated from the rest of the ski area and doesn't have more advanced skiers zipping through at high speeds. Describing the placement of the other chairs gets a little more complex. To start with, there are three summit areas at the ski area. The East Mountain Express ends at the middle summit, and the All Mountain Express ends at the right summit which is the true summit of the ski area. This is also where two other lifts end. Chair #3 is an old slow double chair that is located to the right of the All Mountain Express. It services the terrain park area of the mountain. All trails off this lift are rated either intermediate or advanced. Chair #9 is even further to the right, and is the rightmost chair on the mountain. This lift is a CTEC triple chair, 2400 ft long with 500 ft of vertical. It services mostly intermediate terrain, although some of the runs in this area are more appropriate for a skilled beginner. The only way to access this lift is to get to the right summit and ski down from there. The left summit also has two chairs, both of which start mid-mountain. Chair #6 is the one on the right, and Chair #7 is on the left. Chair #7 services exclusively intermediate terrain, while Chair #6 has intermediate through expert terrain. Both of these lifts are old slow doubles. This leaves two lifts, Chairs #5 and #10. Chair #5 starts right above the beginner area and goes to a point about halfway up Chair #7. From here it is possible to access Chair #6, but only by a cat track. Chair #5 services advanced and expert terrain (no intermediate trails here), and is the last of the five old slow doubles. Chair #10, a 2700 ft CTEC triple with 700 ft of vertical, ends at about the same location as Chair #5. This lift begins in the trees to the left of the beginner area and services intermediate and advanced terrain. If you put this all together, you will have a rough idea of the layout of the mountain. Keep in mind that left and right are used as if you were standing at the base looking up the hill, not at the top looking down. Snow Summit is a very fun ski area. Skiers and boarders of all ability levels can enjoy it, and they need not stick to one part of the mountain. Other than being small enough that it gets crowded on peak weekends (especially the beginner area and high speed chairs) there aren't too many negatives to Snow Summit. It is semi-expensive, but compared to other areas isn't really overpriced. If you are ever planning a ski trip in Southern California and have no idea which ski area to go to, this is the one I would recommend. Now, time for some pictures. I will add Bear Mountain in the next couple days, and will have Mammoth up next week. First, I think it is a good idea to show the participants. They are the same for this entire thread. Here I am. There is my brother (left) and my dad (right). My dad always accompanies me when I go skiing (or rather, I accompany him), but my brother only comes along on day trips. Yes, my dad is skiing in shorts. It was over 50 degrees for most of this day. Here's the view from the ski area. This was taken from Chair #3, and that lake is Big Bear Lake. Looking toward the summit on Chair #3. Unlike some lifts, Chair #3 does not run right over a ski trail. This means to the left you get this view. To the right, you see this. (note: that's Chair #9 a short distance away) I didn't take that many pictures at Snow Summit, so this is the other area I have pictures of. This is Chair #6. The run below it is called the Wall, and is the steepest trail at the ski area. Dicky's, an advanced run. Even though it is only a single black instead of double (like the Wall), I personally think this run is more challenging. I don't know what this run is called, but it is probably the easiest way down to Chair #6. It was the only closed run when I visited (not enough snow). Finally, a shot of Olympic. This is just the upper part. The lower part is significantly steeper.

Knott's ERT...same as last year, but reversed and including Xcelerator instead of Boomerang. It should be a lot of fun, but (at least in my opinion) unlike the SFMM day, the Knott's day isn't about ERT. Last year, I enjoyed the backstage tours much more than the ERT and given what this year's tours will be, I'm sure those will be the highlight of the Knott's day.

I'd say it depends on the following: Time-If you only have one day for a park, pick Universal Studios. It can be done in about two-thirds of a day if you are there at opening. If you have two or three days, Disneyland may be a better option. Crowds-Disneyland gets very crowded, so if you are determined to get on everything and only have one day, it may not be your best choice. Universal Studios can get crowded as well, but doesn't have as much to see. Attractions-Disneyland has over forty attractions, mostly rides. There are very few rides at the park that could be classified as thrill rides. If you go to Disney California Adventure as well, you add about twenty more rides, some of which are thrill rides. Universal Studios only has about ten attractions, and most of them are shows. Price-Disneyland is more expensive, but better value. Universal Studios is slightly cheaper than Disneyland, but doesn't have as much to offer. In my opinion, both are overpriced, but Universal Studios is more overpriced. I'd recommend talking with your friends about all of these factors and then deciding which you want to go to. Both are really good parks, but they both have their advantages and disadvantages. Personally, I would probably pick Disneyland unless I only had one day, but it is up to you.

I wanted to go to Bay Area Bash last year, but unfortunately the dates didn't work out. This year, I have the same problem. However, I told my Northern California relatives about Bay Area Bash and they seemed interested, so if this event happens and has any special activities that are non-coaster related (such as last year's animal shows), I imagine they would probably go.

If you ignore Disneyland's Space Mountain, Deja Vu is probably my favorite Vekoma. I've only been on it a handful of times, but have always enjoyed it. I usually try to ride it once or twice per year. It was closed both times I tried to ride at WCB 2010, so if it is open this year I'll ride it once. If you've never been on it, the wait is under an hour, and you've done all the better coasters, I'd recommend giving it a ride.

Well, this is a significantly different ERT schedule than last year (at least in the morning). It should be good. Unfortunately, it looks like there is no Tatsu nighttime ERT but I can deal with that since the other coasters should be plenty (and I've been on Tatsu in the dark plenty of times). Fingers crossed for racing Colossus during one of the ERT sessions. That was awesome last year.

I'm surprised the Voyage didn't win again. That ride seems to have a massive following. I haven't been on it, but it just doesn't look like too much more than an oversized out-and-back. Maybe it's following is starting to fall apart as the ride is reportedly getting very rough. I'll judge it for myself when I ride this July. I'll also have to judge El Toro in August. It looks really good. The highest rated ride I've been on is Thunderhead. I'm kind of surprised it is still so high as the ride has gotten somewhat rough, although it isn't too bad. I've kind of expected it to fall closer to where Terminator (my favorite wood coaster) currently is. I find it funny how much my personal list tends to differ from these results every year. I still rank GhostRider and Roar above Giant Dipper (SCBB), Blue Streak below Colossus, and Grizzly (CGA) much higher than last on my list.

If I was old enough to rent a car, I would definitely hang around for a few extra days following the North East trip so I could do this. Unfortunately, I can't rent a car, so it looks like I can't do this. I'm sure whoever goes will have a great time, as these Bash events are outstanding.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Kings Dominion are about an hour fifteen, hour twenty apart, and I'd guess SFNE and Lake Compounce are about the same (or possibly less). Dollywood, however, is quite a distance. On the IntimidaTour, the bus ride from Pigeon Forge (where Dollywood is) to Williamsburg was about eight hours (not including time spent at two stops). A car might be a little quicker, but probably not by too much. I think a Busch Gardens Williamsburg & Kings Dominion trip would probably be pretty good. You have one of the best parks in the world overall one day, and a park with an excellent variety of coasters the next. Since you have already done a Cedar Point & Kings Island trip, the only other two park pairing I can think of (at least that I would choose personally) would be Hersheypark & Knoebels. I haven't been to either of these, but both are said to be really great parks. As long as you don't mind not having any record breaking coasters, that might be a pairing to consider.

It looks like I finally have a reason to go check this place out next time I go to Northern California. I considered it when I was up there a few years ago but opted for Waterworld USA in Concord instead (big mistake...Waterworld was horrible). If Raging Waters San Dimas doesn't get one of these in the next couple years, I'll go give this one a try as I have an interest in these rides. I wish it was one of the incline loop versions, but I'm sure it will still be good. It will still pull some serious g-force, and judging from the park's website will be their most thrilling attraction.

I have only been to Cedar Point once, and only had one day at the park, so others probably have better advice. However, I stayed at one of the Cedar Point hotels (Castaway Bay) and found the early entry to definitely be worth it. If you are only going for one day, it is probably a good idea to take advantage of early admission if you can. If you've got more than that, you likely won't need it. In addition, you get an admission discount if you stay on-site. I visited on a weekday in late August, but I'm guessing early June is probably similar crowd-wise. As for getting the most attractions in, here is what we did. We started out by entering the Magnum gate and doing Maverick first during early entry, then we rode Millennium Force. At this point, it was almost time for the park to officially open, so we tried to beat the crowd to Top Thrill Dragster. It worked somewhat, bue due to rollbacks, a train addition delay, and partial loading due to wind our wait was two hours. If we had got off this earlier we would have gone to Magnum, then headed over to the Wicked Twister Midway until lunch. Instead, we grabbed lunch after TTD, then went to the Wicked Twister Midway to find Wicked Twister was broken. From here, we went Main Midway, Frontier Trail, Frontier Town, Top Thrill Dragster Midway, visiting each ride in each area that we wanted to do. We then went back to Wicked Twister, then ended the day with a ride on Magnum. We were able to get on all of the coasters (except the two kiddies), plus around ten non-coaster rides. Other than our two hour wait at TTD, nothing else except Mantis and Magnum was longer than about twenty minutes (those were still only about a half-hour). Most of the non-coaster rides were walk-ons. This plan would probably work, but I would advise against waiting for TTD before the end of the day if they are not loading all rows or are not running at least five trains. Also, you could probably go around the park in either direction, but visiting attractions as you go is usually the best strategy, especially since Cedar Point is a big park. If you've got more than one day, you probably don't need too much of a plan. You'll have enough time to do everything. I would only ride Mean Streak if you want the credit and/or if there is no line. It isn't the worst wooden coaster out there, but it is pretty bad. The break on the first drop kills that hill, but there is one other good hill in the ride. The rest of it is boring and shaky. Sit toward the front and in the front row of a car for a slightly smoother ride. Cedar Point has one other must ride coaster (at least in my opinion)...Gemini. It may not look like much, but it is actually a really fun ride. It wasn't racing when we were there, but if it is racing don't miss it. Here is a list of the non-coaster rides I rode and thought would be worth doing again: -Cedar Downs Racing Derby -MaxAir -Power Tower -Skyhawk -Snake River Falls The park also has a train, a couple water rides and a few car rides, but most of the other non-coaster rides are pretty standard. You might also want to try Windseeker.

I've had a number of them, but the worst was when I rode Escape From Pompeii. I knew that it was a water ride and that I would get wet, but I still chose to sit in the front row. What I didn't know is what would happen at the top of the lift. When the boat slid back into the water, the front seemed to sink below the surface briefly, and enough water came in to completely submerge my shoes. I spent the rest of that day (and part of the next day at Kings Dominion) with wet shoes. I've also managed the reverse on occasion (I once rode Perilous Plunge at Knott's and got off completely dry).

I'm majoring in Mechanical Engineering. I figured that would be a good fit for someone who likes Math and Physics classes and has always dreamed of designing things.

Here is a short list: -WCB 2010 -IntimidaTour 2010 -First visits to Carowinds, Dollywood, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, and Kings Dominion -Discovering that California's coasters are not among the best out there as I previously believed -Getting on every major attraction at both Disneyland Resort Parks in one day on a holiday weekend

Depends on what they have open for morning ERT. I'd say either Tatsu or Apocalypse if they are open, or you could always try for Superman (even if you rode it before, the experience has changed), although I'm guessing 80% of the attendees will go straight here if we have ERT on it. Last year, everyone went to X2, so I'd stay off that for the first half-hour or so of ERT. This is just a guess, but I don't think Goliath will be open for morning ERT (it wasn't last year, as it is on the opposite side of the park from what they usually open). All of it. There was really no negative part of WCB last year (at least that I can think of). For one specific event, it would have to be either the small group backstage tours (mine was on X2) or night ERT with almost everything open, plus custom Terminator audio and racing Colossus.