Sk610

How would that work out for the best? You would enter into the water park? What about the main walkway into and out of the park with all the shops and such? Every park needs a great "Main Street" entrance. Dl's is just getting decent, don't change it now. The existing water park area has so much room to expand to expand that it's not funny. A little creative lake draining and refilling will give them tons of space

They could drain a price if the lake and refill without having to drain the lake or have to move picnic areas around. There is lots of space in the current waterpark area to expand as needed.

On the predator topic and I'm not sure how relavent this is but it seems like all the old classic style out and backs are the ones that survived the best. I look at blue streak at cedar point and the comet up at the great escape and both of those are great old wooden coasters. They are basically out and back rides with little to no side to side forces on them. I really think that the heavy trains pushing side to side on the track as opposed to straight up and down has lead to the majority of the problems with it. I say tear down most with the exception of the lift and second hill and make a full out and back that goes to the road turns around and comes back on some bunny hops. I bet that would solve almost all of the rides problems and make it a very rideable coaster for a very long time

I agree that I they are advertising shorter waits or free tickets then they only have two reasons for not putting a second train on rides like ROS. Either they want to artificially inflate their attendance numbers with the free return passes. The other option is they just want people to come back and spend more money. This would be especially true if they only count the turnstiles out front and not paid attendance. Either way if they promised something and are not following through that is not a good thing. At least make an effort to deliver on your own promise. Even if they are waiting until schools are out, those trains should be ready now just in case. It really sounds like poor planning and is definately concerning. The only thing that would Make it worthwhile would be of the crowds overall are on record levels an it just wasn't planned for, but I highly doubt that is the case, sadly... Hopefully they get

I thought one of the big things from the offseason was to get all of the second trains fully operational so they could run two trains on all the coasters that could actually do it. As for the long waits, that is 100% in the training and expectations. Six minutes to load and unload a train is way to long. Ask the people at cedar point how that would fly there. Those ride ops hustle all the time. As for next year, I do not need a worlds tallest or longest anything I just want something good. I honestly would take a clone of the B&M floor less from SFNE. I have never been on it but it has a diving drop, a dive loop and a zero G roll, all of which the park is missing. On top of that it is relatively compact and looks to have some good forces and such. That coaster is pure proof that a ride doesn't have to be 200 ft tall or have 7+ inversions to be a good ride. Plus since B&M already designed it, not much in the engineering fees, just take the plans and drop the in the spot they want at DL and theme it up

I could see the park restricting alcohol sales to certain "restaurant" areas of the park. It creates more of a family friendly atmosphere in the park, and clearly that is what HFE is looking to promote. The only park I know of that sells absolutely no alcohol is magic kingdom. No alcohol anywhere there. The other three parks at wdw sell alcohol but magic kingdom is the true family spot and thus no alcohol anywhere. I hear dollywood and sdc may also be dry, but it doubt totally. I bet you can have a beer in a sit down restaurant at those two parks, but I'm not sure For those of you talking about the campground and PAC, those should and hopefully would be different. I think they are thinking of taking alcohol out of the park itself, and not the surrounding properties. Technically I don't think DL even owns the PAC, I think it owned by live nation or something. Even if DL does, I highly doubt HFE is managing it

So I for one think DL is doing it right. They are taking care of general infrastructure and family attractions first and then going to drop a major ride into the park. In the long run the guests will return and see how nice it is and continue to return. If they just drop a giant new coaster into the park people will come but may not return. If they enjoy their experience they may return regardless of the new ride or not I think HFE is on this all the way for future success. I think we all just need to wait and see what develops after this year Btw, all I hear out of the park is how nice it has gotten and how clean it is. Those are definately not things that were said when sf owned it! Those are very small positive things that go a long way

They had some stuff on the news about it. Apparently it went off without a hitch. It's all about physics and he knows that, hence he had someone ride on a swing type of thing below the wire. He claimed it was more dangerous but in reality it makes it safer. Either way it sounded like it brought in a pretty good crowd, which is exactly the idea. Hopefully they will do more things like this through the year to bring crowds in as they definitely need them.

Yes this is actually a very good idea. They could add one new ride along with two older rides along with a new one and maybe even bring in the magic crept from celebration city and a new coaster or a mack splash battle and that may be quite an impressive offering. I do highly doubt that they will move beaver brothers bay anytime soon. They really don't have a new spot to put it and they have everything they need and want where it sits currently. At some point they may move it, but if they do, they are giving the park an entire overhaul

I would highly doubt it...new slides may go in in the near future but not in that space. That area is way too prime of a space to waste on new water slides, especially having them separated from the entire rest of the water park area. I would expect any and all future water slides to be near the rest of the water park attractions. I do expect the old cuda falls area to turn into something big for the park in the next few years with our next truly new "themed area with a new coaster, some flats and maybe even something the park has been missing in one of those great interactive dark rides

Well if you went to the park, you can answer our question on the lights on the giant wheel. I for one have been hoping for that restoration for years now. I think the park is totally different at night with no lights on the giant wheel. I don't think it would make so big of a difference if it wasn't so tall and didn't dominate the parks skyline like the one at DL does. Heck, it was so iconic that they used it as part of the park logo for a while

I would like to say thank you to all that braved the weather this past weekend to go to the park, and then deliver a trip report. I am very sad that there were not more noticeable changes to the park this year. Even simple things like the concrete or a painted coaster. Even the fact that the new map is the same as the old one, with just adding trees to the old cuda falls area. Also,i am very happy that other have noticed that plot of open land between swirl city and tornado. I think another complex similar to the existing swirl city may actually git in there. I also like the idea of the mat racers between the lake and crocodile isle. I would even go as far a putting a speed slide complex over there. I do however think the area where cuda falls sat is a very big area, if you look at it correctly. You have to include the old changing rooms and even back into the first part of the parking lot. If you include that, you definately have a very large area for which to expand.

So with less than two weeks til opening day, anyone plan on going? If so please write a trip report and take pictures of everything any anything that is new. The giant wheel may be a great spot to get a good look at the old barracuda Bay Area that should now be under construction as well.

^ yes as great as that would be, I really think they are looking at next year already. If they are planning something big they could expand that entire area where cuda now is and behind and bring back rides like scrambler and UFO in that new area and possibly bring in a used ride from celebration city along with a new flat and a coaster and could easily pawn it off as a major expansion with a new coaster and 3-4 "new" rides What is happening this year is set and we will have to wait until next year for anything else at this point.

I got my letter yesterday as well. The new guarantees are very interesting. They are definately there to drive business or repeat business to the park. I would be interested to see if these policies are in place at other HFE run parks or just specific to DL. Also I would like to see how often they were used. My guess with these new policies they spent their yearly budget on fixing any small issues with any and all rides and coaster trains. I think it shows a real commitment to customer service this year to get people happy and then put in something good next year and bring the happy people back

They really should have at least two trains running on any coaster that can run two trains. Basically all of them except boomerang. It is just good business to run two trains on all coasters. Even if there is little line, it just keeps people moving through and then they can do more or ride more with their day. ROS must have two trains operating at all times as it just isn't fair to wait for one train on that long of a ride. I know they have been running one train for a while but that is just bush league. I think HFE is really adding money in the right places. If they are spending money on new trains or at least parts to fix the old ones so the ride lines are cut down, then to me those are good investments. No real measurable ROI but it may help to keep people happy, and happy customers are returning customers

I would like to know where haunt maniac gets his information from? I do think DL will be getting something good and something large for 2015 but to say mark my words is a pretty strong statement. I myself am very cep items to see the prep work and all that goes into building whatever will be filling that spot in the park. If it is a big enough expansion, and seeing as DL may want to build on the publicity that something big and new brings, we may see very early announcement in order to bring in curious crowds this yer looking to see what they are doing. I really think that this expansion for 2015 is the first major step toward the transformation of the park into what HFE really wants it to be. It may also be the signal that HFE no longer just manages the park and actually owns it outright

I agree with goldisk completely on cud falls. Yes I rode them and yes they were fun. But they were old and apparently a maintenance nighmare. I am sad to see them go but what will be in that spot in the future excites me even more. I think if HFE is going to do something relatively large with that space I would expect to see construction start immediately. That itself should spark some interest seeing the bulldozers and stuff. I think it is the best thing to happen at DL in a very long time

Why don't we agree to call it the large swath o land to the right as you walk in? Also, I think all of us are dying to see a trip report, but the park doesn't even open for another month. I am sure somebody here will be going in the month of May and will write a TR. I am very interstes to see what they did with the park this offseason. No new rides, I'm hoping they painted and paved walkways and such.

I am glad that HFE brought in another very good GM for the park. I was sad to see the last one leave as he had very good credentials and experience with HFE. I do however like that he has worked for HFE previously and also really like that he has a background with roller coaster design. That may actually tell you more about what HFE's long term plans for the park are more than anything.

I can't believe we are on the spinning coaster idea already. Yes it's a good idea, but is that the only type of coaster we know about? I really don't care what we get in 2015 but i sure hope it's a coaster and I hope it has some type of inversion that doesn't already exist at the park. Like a dive loop or zero g roll or Immelmann

I think HFE knows how to run a park properly and when to expand and how to expand. The reason why SFO failed was cuz they added too much all at once with like four coasters in one year and another the next. That is not the proper way to go about it cuz then it is expected as the norm. HFE has shown very good management skills with both sdc and dollywood. I expect dl to mirror those two parks in the near future. Neither have 15+ coasters or anything major. They have a nice mix with great family atmosphere and great themeing. I look at what they did with rowdy's ridge and think that if the entire park looked like that it would be a huge win. I feel that eventually it will, but it cannot and will not happen in just one year

Sure they can easily spill into the handicapped parking lot. Parks do it all the time. DL even did it when they added the splashdown area with the lazy river. It sits on a spot that used to parking lot. All they would have to do is make the front of the rows handicapped parking and be ok. Concert parking does not use the park parking area anymore, so that shouldn't be a big issue. It could totally happen and would make for a great flow pattern around that area. Slingshot could easily be moved to just about anywhere very easily btw

Most likely the bridge over the main walkway will be removed as well. If it hasn't already been done. And he's I would expect the bunnies to be relocated as well. That main blue building will probably get torn down for whatever new is to come. If they do I right, I hope the move out to even include silver bullet and haymaker as well into a new area there

Yes they could level that hill down and use the soil to fill in other spots. Especially to make new room over in the water park area. All they would have to do is drain the lake a bit, fill in with dirt and re fill the lake. They could add some pretty large space in the water park without doing much. I also expect part of the lake near mind eraser to get filled in to creat a full circle pathway to go from the spot where cuda falls currently sits to walk around towards ME. I also would expect to see some spill over into the handicapped parking area when they make their expansion that way as well. These are very large projects and I totally expect this to take a few years to complete. My only thing is that I hope HFE doesn't just drop a coaster over there and be done. I would like to see a large themed area with a new restaurant, games and a few good flats along with a coaster. And I would like to see it tied into ME area if you didn't get that from my above post. If they do that, I would thing that ME may finally get a new paint job and may even get re themed to fit with the newly created area