DanTheBooker

Maybe a Mack Spinning Coaster? Good Capacity and fills the new family coaster that Cedar Point has removed lately. Zamperla Wild Mouse is my guess. Why would a park like Cedar Point get a Base Frame Coaster when they could get a MACK Park Model? I guess because they work with Zamperla more than Mack. I thought about that after I posted.... On second thought maybe a Gerstlauer. Like Spinning Dragons at WOF.

I'm 25. It was Mad Mouse at Valleyfair in 1999. I was 10.

Maybe a Mack Spinning Coaster? Good Capacity and fills the new family coaster that Cedar Point has removed lately. Zamperla Wild Mouse is my guess.

I would love the B&M trains on Wild Thing but VF doesn't not get that kind of treatment. The best the park could hope for is a new Morgan designed train to update them, B&M trains would cost too much. 'Bathtub on wheels' is classic, never heard that phrase before but it definitely describes the feel when you sit in and ride a Morgan Hyper train. Before we saw the new trains on WT, I'd think they'd try it ion Steel Force or Mamba first. Just a guess.

You need to remember that the $24 millions is the project cost, not the cost for only building Banshee. I promise you that the removal of the Son Of Beast coaster took away a few millions of the budget. True. But a $20,000,000 project is still substantial.

So true. The length of track is one of the biggest peeves I have with the coaster among others. Adding track could have made this ride better for sure because it is so short but that is just CF treating VF like a red headed step child and not bringing the cash again. They went cheap on Wild Thing (Morgan) too compared to other Hyper coasters built by other companies. This left the park with a Hyper that is the biggest signature ride in the park but after the first drop hill is pretty average and boring. Even though I really like the ride and am happy Steel Venom is at the park it is VF's only Intamin ride and it is just an Impulse coaster and not a full loop one. Going on the cheap again. I don't understand how CF expects to grow attendance at VF when they always seem to go on the cheap side for this park. Renegade is a high quality ride but I think the park just got lucky that CF decided to try it's first GCI because the price was right ($7.5 million) and the park was just fortunate that GCI makes solid coasters. Maybe someday they will make an investment on a coaster that would have guests actually wanting to visit the park more than once a summer because the ride experience is that good. Well, Wild Thing opened in 1996, and that was before bigger companies like B&M and Intamin made hypercoasters, so I really don't blame them for going with Morgan (Morgan hypercoasters are a lot smoother than Arrow hypercoasters). However, when you consider that $14 million for Wild Thing is the most that Valleyfair has ever spent on a roller coaster, and that most modern B&Ms cost $20 million+, I unfortunately feel that Valleyfair will go for something cheap when they finally get another coaster. Keep in mind, Wild Thing was $14,000,000 in 1996. That's over $21,000,000 in today's money. Also, two years prior to WT, CP built Raptor for $11,500,000. So it's safe to assume that Wild Thing was more than a B&M invert would have been. The longest B&M invert is being built right now for a price tag of $24,000,000. A slightly smaller version could be in the budget.

I'd expect they'd want to pay off their recent expansion a bit before delving into another one. Just my opinion.

Thank you for the video, Robb. Great coverage as always. You are totally right about Walter Bolliger. He really doesn't answer any questions. I wonder how much of that is language barrier. I enjoyed the new format but miss the typical Rick at Proslide exploding with excitement holding up his models. It was really neat to hear what people thought about the Freestyle Park. Thank you again, Robb and Elissa and the crew that brought us this video.

Some will say Ferris Wheel... Some will say Flying Scooters.... Some will say wooden roller coaster... What do you say? Disclaimer: this is not a dreamer thread. Don't say B&M winged coaster... Don't say Intamin Blitz... Don't say Huss Giant Frisbee...

So true. The length of track is one of the biggest peeves I have with the coaster among others. Adding track could have made this ride better for sure because it is so short but that is just CF treating VF like a red headed step child and not bringing the cash again. They went cheap on Wild Thing (Morgan) too compared to other Hyper coasters built by other companies. This left the park with a Hyper that is the biggest signature ride in the park but after the first drop hill is pretty average and boring. Even though I really like the ride and am happy Steel Venom is at the park it is VF's only Intamin ride and it is just an Impulse coaster and not a full loop one. Going on the cheap again. I don't understand how CF expects to grow attendance at VF when they always seem to go on the cheap side for this park. Renegade is a high quality ride but I think the park just got lucky that CF decided to try it's first GCI because the price was right ($7.5 million) and the park was just fortunate that GCI makes solid coasters. Maybe someday they will make an investment on a coaster that would have guests actually wanting to visit the park more than once a summer because the ride experience is that good. See, I've never thought Valleyfair has been treated like CF's red headed step child. Wild Thing cost more than the Steel Force or Mamba, it was a huge addition to the park and is still quite popular 17 years later. They replaced Wild Rails with Mad Mouse in 1999. They really didn't have to, but they did. We got a Power Tower in 2000, that wasn't cheap. Steel Venom was a brand new concept to Minnesota when it was introduced in 2003 and I think it only ended up in the location it did because it was spur of the moment. People loved it from day one. 2005 and 2006 brought new thrill rides to the park (Riptide and Xtreme Swing) 2007 was Renegade. 2009 Wave Pool, not huge but still growth. 2011 brought Planet Snoopy. People often overlook this expansion but it did bring seven new rides to the park and rethemed six more! Granted they are for kids and families but let's face it. The families buy the thrillseeker's rides. When you throw in theming and landscaping, this was substantial and that side of the park really looks incredible! 2013 brought Dinosaurs Alive. Sure, it was a chain wide attraction, but we got it. It's Cedar Fair paying attention to this little old park in MN. 2014 New family area, including a Zamperla Disko Coaster. Also removal of IMAX, in preparation for something (most likely Water park expansion). They're hinting at reuse of the amphitheater lawn, presumably for more moved attractions. Cedar Fair is paying attention to us, maybe not the attention we want right now. However, I'd rather be VF than MiA or CGA. Are you going to have years of capital improvement? Certainly! Are rides going to be removed without being immediately replaced? Sure. I'm not saying this park is anywhere close to perfect. I'm just saying don't give up hope. In five years, we will have a new coaster and a beautiful new water park. Then what on earth are we gonna want? Just my opinions.

Totally wrote F-U-L-L T-H-R-O-T-T-L-E. Auto changed... That made me laugh out loud!

40th Anniversary for VF: RMC I-Box track on Excalibur.

I'd expect CF to go big here, there's a lot of competition in the twin cities metro for water parks. I think they'll go full throttle on this.

At first, I thought the water park expansion was gonna happen for 2014. However, I forgot we are already getting Route 76. So water park expansion in 2015 and new coaster in 2016-2017.

I think CF's budget should be close to $99,000,000 this year. Nine percent of revenue goes into capital improvements. Revenue was projected to be near $1,100,000,000 this year. You're right, we know Valleyfair and Ceadar Point's projects are certainly under $5,000,000 each. Banshee is slated for $25,000,000 That's $35,000,000 as of now. Again, say each park receives an additional. $3,000,000 for capital improvements. That's. $71,000,000. Do keep in mind, Kings Dominion is announcing their 40th anniversary later today, so we'll see if that includes anything substantial. Obviously there are more expenses to come. I think it looks good for Knott's. I mean we know what Dorney, WOF, VF, CGA, CW, KI, Carowinds, MiA and CP are or aren't getting. Unless a major coaster is coming to KD (I doubt it, but we should know for sure later today), I'd say the chances are good that Knott's may be in the running for something good. The only thing hurting Knott's chances are the recent addition of the new stuff on the Boardwalk.... Just sayin' Not super familiar with the park, but how much space would the removal of the Mine Ride free up?

Thanks

A few notes: I love the theme and layout of this project. I think it's going to look fantastic. However, I wonder if they shouldn't start with only half the lake developed and use the expansion areas behind Plaza Feliz for the rest of the construction. By developing the entire lakeshore initially, they risk all expansions feeling out of place and non-cohesive with the existing park. Somebody has given much thought, time and research to this project, thus far. It's apparent in the layout as a whole as well as ride placement and amenities as a whole. I think it's great to put the farm on the rear side of the park and draw the customers who may be interested in more than rides. This will increase spending, I think. Stage Coach Rides should be a neat thing. Is another park doing this or anything similar? They've placed a depot as well as a train station and boat rides platform near the front. Hopefully that will entice people straight to other areas of the park, alleviating potential congestion near the paddle boat. I noticed there's not a very strong kiddy ride selection. It seems they are going to make up for that in the family department. I won't be surprised to see a GCI Woodie and a B&M in this park. It seems like it will be first class. Based on placement, I do believe GREEZED LIGHTNIN' was an afterthought. However, placement could also be due to it's theming not fitting the other areas. I'm sure a treasured ride like that will be able to pull people down a long trail, right? I think it would be neat to see a major amusement park open in a market where a major amusement park folded for whatever reason and have a section featuring treasured rides from the former park. Think your consumers would be responsive as well. But in with the new, right? Just my thoughts.

Just my opinions.

Another thought for a new coaster. This could be done even with the work I talked about above ^^^. If you removed the amphitheater and relocated Enterprise to Scrambler's old space, you could easily fit Mad Mouse, Ferris Wheel, and The Wave in that area. This opens up a good chunk of land. With the removal of Cork Screw (Ouimet has implied that a few old coasters would be replaced in the next few years) that opens space for a new B&M Floorless. Again, my mentioning of B&M is simply because I do believe one is coming in the next five years. I'm not trying to be an unrealistic fan boy. It could utilize CS's station and the train could leave the station turning to the right and onto the lift hill. Climbing the lift hill and dropping in to a verticle loop next to Power Tower then a pretzel loop turning towards Wild Thing and a nice curved camel back around PT Island. Up into a zero G-Roll under the first drop heading towards Monster now into interlocking corkscrews near the current Ferris Wheel location. A quick helix into the brakes finishes it off. Okay. Back to reality. LOL. Also another thought. Notice in the mock ups of Route 76 the path just kind of fades away near the fence line? Like it's being designed to connect with another path. Presumably the path would go throughout the amphitheater lawn. I think whatever happens with the next relocation of a ride or rides will include amphitheater going bye-bye.

I think the entire back of the park will be redesigned over the next five years. That's why dinosaurs and Route 76 are up front. Here are my opinions: Beginning at Red Baron and High Roller (station), the only things I expect to remain is the Wave Pool and Renegade. Mad Mouse can be relocated easy enough.... I don't think the water park needs to be expanded per say, just updated, badly. By better utilizing the space in the water park plus some of Excalibur's space, that water park would be great! Wheel of Fortune can stay where it is, it's pretty much out of the way. Relocate: Mad Mouse Remove: Hydroblaster Looping Starship (replace with Zamperla Hawk) Excalibur (Replace with B&M invert. I'm not saying that to sound like a fan boy. We need one.) Thunder Canyon (replace with a new flume ride) Relocate Mad Mouse to amphitheater area. A long skinnier water park would allow a widening of the park back there and a circuit to made instead of a dead end. A path right through IMAX, under the road back to Hawk and the new Log Flume . There'd be room for a new flat between Log Flume and Renegade. The new path loops right around the new B&M invert. The station for the new coaster is n the back side of the park, pulling riders back there and allowing the first drop to take place near the Lake and visible from nearly the entire park. Again just my opinion.

Mr Stratosphere, thanks for updating us all on this project. I for one appreciate it.

Corkscrew Valleyfair

Can't wait for an update when the park reopens on Friday! Judging by their progress, I am sure they'll get a lot done in four days!

Maybe because of their limited experience. Let's remember, the products that RMC have put out are awesome. However, Rob Decker and his team are going to watch them to see how they hold up for at least a few years. Cedar Fair invests for the long haul and they take their investments pretty darn seriously.

This sentence is just so full of fail. Not wanting a Mega-lite is like not wanting to get laid at age 13. Had a very similar thought when I read this. If CF wants to give MiA a Frog Hopper, you take it!