Cameron

It will mean the end. Cameron.

How well does Robb suck??! Cameron (who also really wants a Dyson) Silver..

In 1998 some friends of mine (who live 10 minutes from Six Flags Great America) bought me a season pass so I could go with them during the summer. I had no intention of going, since I was pretty much scared poop-less of coasters. However one day, at their place, they all decided to go and I couldn't think of a reasonable enough excuse to get out of it. I couldn't admit to being scared, since the kids (5 and 10) were so excited and I didn't want to look like a retard. So I went .. First ride was American Eagle, and while it was almost "brown trousers time" I did survive - I even liked it. Next up was Demon .. and after that I was having a great time. The following year I dragged them down to Stark Raven Mad, and Coaster Mania at Cedar Point .. and have since dragged them to several other parks/states. They've all outgrown it by now, but I'm still going. I don't think I consider myself a true enthusiast though .. I don't run around the parks with a notebook counting rides, and seats. I haven't even ridden the kiddy coaster at my home park (Six Flags Great America). I do like the rides, and the parks, but I'm certainly no fanatic .. (pausing to turn the page on my wood coaster calendar to November).. Plus, I actively dislike buffets.. Cameron.

Thanks Robb! Oh man, just watching that video makes me laugh all over again! Cameron

Ugh .. now why do you go showing us pictures like that, when so many US parks are closing for the (long, long) off-season?! Seriously, though .. it looks fantastic, thanks (really) for all the updates! Cameron.

So many good suggestions already .. but I feel I have to add American Eagle at Six Flags Great America (the red - forwards - side). Cameron.

That's because "everyone" is an idiot! You need to remember that people who post online (all boards and usenet) are just hobbyists. Sure it's fun to discuss the business, but most people don't actually have a clue about running a business (myself included) .. and I'd bet none of them have ever run an amusement park. So all the "Six Flags Sucks Because Of All Their Debt" nonsense is .. well, it's nonsense. Snyder, if he actually were to execute his ideas, would be *terrible* for Six Flags Inc (who are no worse than Cedar Fair, really). The chain is improving, and is in position to become something really great in 5 or so years. If Snyder takes over, he'll destroy it. I'm not at all opposed to a change in management, just Snyder. He sounds like those kids on the other board who think they know what's best for Six Flags just because they were able to beat all the scenarios in Roller-Coaster Tycoon. Cameron.

There's plenty of room at the park without removing anything. There's a good size triangle between Whizzer, Viper and the IMAX theatre. Even more if the go-carts are moved. There's also a lot of space around the observation tower and the space shuttle .. again, even more if the go-carts are moved. There is also room on the other side of the park, between Superman and the rapids. I also agree that maybe days are numbered for Iron Wolf. I don't actually have any real information .. just the belief that it's the least necessary coaster there. Removing Whizzer or Demon would be disastrous as they both fill such important rolls. Iron Wolf, despite how much I actually like it, seems to be one of the least popular coasters .. and it's really not giving good rides anymore. Plus, the location could be home to a sit-down looping coaster as tight and intense as Batman The Ride. But the water-park will likely receive the bulk of the improvements for the next several years. Even though I really don't care for water-parks, I can't fault them for favoring it since it's such a massive draw. Cameron.

The water park saw a huge increase in attendance, they'll milk that for a few more years before adding another coaster. And, as much as I'd like a coaster too, we really don't need one .. especially not as much as we needed the water-park. Good to see another Chicago resident here! Cameron.

You know, I could live with that crappy slogon .. I could live with less coasters .. and I could live with higher priced season passes. But please, Please, PLEASE don't inject MORE freaking advertising into our lives. Oh man .. that would just be the last straw for me. It's already bad enough to have to wait in line and listen to Ellen De-whatshername prattle on in her "I'm a retarded 5-year old" kind of way .. and see ads for stupid TV shows and other crap all over the place. This, of course, comes after driving 30 miles and seeing nothing but billboards every 10 feet along the freeway. It's enough already. Mass market advertising is a horrible, *horrible* thing, that is totally and completely out of control. If Red Zone wants to add even more advertising, then he needs to just go and get the hell out of there. It's not needed, not wanted, and not the solution to Six Flags' problems. Cameron.

Will it have regular lapbars, or the backpack straps found on the rockets?? Other than that, I think it looks quite spectacular! Cameron.

I've played the lobster Skill Tester games at many coin-op shows .. they are pretty odd. For some really strange reason they play the Twilight Zone theme while you're trying to grab the lobster.. Fun, though. Sadly, at the coin-op shows we never got to eat the lobster .. they just dumped them back in the tank. Cameron.

^^ Real, I thought you were just interested in other panoramas .. not necessarily ones that were taken before yours .. sorry. And I agree that the stitching on mine is terrible, so bad that I almost didn't even post it I do have several others that are much better .. but that's for another thread, another time! Cameron.

^ Think again, Real: http://www.buzzneon.com/coasters/michigans_adventure_2005/timbers/index.php?title=panorama.jpg

Those who were at the park with the Alvey's a few weeks back will be pleased to know that the condom is still present on the brake run (rode it yesterday 8-30). Can't be sure that it's the same condom; though if it is, someone should use it before it's no longer any good. I also have to agree with pvcoasterguy's comments about American Eagle. I think that it is a pretty great coaster - considering its age. Although yesterday it was running very poorly .. shuffling, and squealing through-out the entire course. A real shame.. Cameron.

I also had a great time .. to think I almost didn't go because I was just so tired from the previous week, and then I ended up staying until close. It's the first time I'd been there from open to close (in fact, I don't think I can recal ever staying at any park from open to close). Thanks for the invite, it was an excellent day. Cameron.

I'd like to sign up for this too .. haven't see you guys for way too long. Cameron.

I know I'll get slammed for this .. but man, a $25,000,000 ride, and some shleb has to manually push the train over the top! Cameron.

I think you should ask your doctor, idealy the one who treated you when all this happened. Obviously he won't be able to make any guarantees, but he can probably steer you in one direction or the other. As for the ride experiences, I vastly prefer V2 (in the back row) to Deja Vu. I really get the willies going up the back spike, and it's awesome. Deja Vu is sort of fun, but the clunky ride experience and long lines mean I usually just skip it. There are plenty of great rides at Six Flags Great America, so you'll have a terrific time even if you are unable to ride these two. Cameron.

I have heard that, while working on Batman, the inverted trains were installed on Iron Wolf as a test (no, no-one would have ridden them!). This would lead me to believe that the track gauge is the same. Cameron.

OK .. I give up. What the heck are you talking about?! Cameron.

I was there on Sunday as well .. arrived during the brief snow-storm .. but loved the empty park it created. I could only stay for about two hours, but I was still able to hit every coaster there, some multiple times. I didn't see any breakdowns (well, everything was down when I arrived, because of the rain). Even Deja Vu seemed to be running constantly, the station heaters were cranked .. it was nice! Things did seemed a little sluggish, probably due to the cold, but in general I was happy with what I saw .. and suspect that this will be a pretty great season. Cameron.

Elissa, When were you in Melbourne? Where else in Australia did you go? I was fortunate enough to climb Ayers Rock when I went on a school camping trip through Central Australia in 10th grade .. it was awesome! Seeing it sitting there in the middle of the desert is quite spooky - almost disconcertingly so. But climbing it was quite spectacular. I always encourage people who visit Australia to spend as little time as possible in Melbourne and Sydney (both are nice, but they're really just more big cities). Central (and Western) Australia is totally amazing, and so few people get there (most Australians don't even see it!). Thanks for the comments! Cameron (who can't think of a witty thing to put here) Silver..

Hi, Just got back from two weeks in Melbourne, and I of course swung by Luna Park while I was there. It was an amazingly sunny and warm day, and the sea-side park was bubbling with activity. Date: Wednesday April 6th, 2005 Luna Park is a true 'old time' amusement park. It sits right on the beach in the amazing suburb of St. Kilda, in Melbourne. It's a wonderful location, and the park is just more and more terrific each time I visit. There are "only" two coasters here, and neither will win awards as being thriller/air-time machines, but both are a great deal of fun. The Scenic Railway, which opened in 1912, is the second oldest operating coaster in the world. Even though Leap The Dips is older, the Scenic Railway has run more or less consistently for its entire lifetime. Like Leap The Dips, the Scenic Railway is a side-friction coaster .. meaning that the train runs on rails (much like a real train), and in a deep trough. The train is not locked into the track like a modern coaster, so it never reaches very high speed (it's designed to be scenic, remember!). This is one of the last remaining 'Scenic Railways' in the world .. and also one of the last coasters to feature a brake-man. The only brake on the coaster is on the train, and is operated by a staff member sitting between the two cars. There are several long sections of new wood/track at the base of many hills, which is good to see. Also the train is in stunning condition .. with awesome paint, and comfy seats. It's so cool to see so many people enjoying such an old coaster (it's far more popular than the Galaxi) .. it's really coastering in its purest form: views, hills and fun! The other coaster at the park is a pretty standard Galaxi model by SDC. This, along with the whole rest of the park, has recently been restored and is running well. It's also running brake-less, so it was going quite fast. However, the center-piece of Luna Park is the awesome old PTC carousel: http://www.lunapark.com.au/magic_carousel.html It's great to be in this park, and think back to a time when all parks were like this .. it really is purely about the fun. It is hard to imagine that the massive, faceless corporations like Cedar Fair, Six Flags and Paramount, all had their roots in small-time parks like this. While the monster parks of today were inevitable, it is a shame that more people don't have the chance to experience parks like Luna Park. Anyway, I (of course) have nerdy pictures and wobbly digital camera video: http://www.buzzneon.com/australia/march_2005/luna_park/ It's great to be back (and I really like this forum), Cameron.

This is a real quick photo I snapped on the Scenic Railway at Luna Park in Melbourne, Australia. This is a side-friction coaster built in 1912, and still runs as designed (complete with ride-along brake man). The coaster has been restored since this photo was taken, but it still mostly looks the same. I love how the tunnel (in the center of the photo) looks like some sort of weird portal into another dimension! [Edit to make picture smaller ..] Scenic Railway - Luna Park: Melbourne Australia