VF15

I agree that I'll pretty much take any new coaster at this point as long as it's not a Vekoma or some other rough model. I don't think it's likely that we will get anything over $12 million, but with VF being labeled as a "growth park", it's at least possible if you ask me. However, even though it isn't likely, I really hope Valleyfair doesn't get a Eurofighter because we have on 25 minutes away at NU.

Only rode Goliath, so that would be my favorite, but I think Banshee, Helix, Lightning Run, and Medusa also look like real winners. Hopefully I can ride those one of these days.

When I went to Six Flags Great America back in August, the operations were overall pretty good, but I encountered two instances of bad operations on Batman and Viper. At Batman, they were running two trains, but the dispatches were so slow that while I was waiting in line, I thought they were only running one train until I reached the station. However, my Viper experience was worse because shortly before I was about to get on, the ride was stopped for about 15-20 minutes because one of the ride ops just left the station without any reason. I know it's a Six Flags park, but seriously, I should not have had to wait as long as I did.

^ I'd be thrilled if we received an Intamin Mega-Lite, but it unfortunately seems that the Cedar Fair-Intamin relationship is over. I would personally prefer an Intamin over a B&M. However, B&M could still potentially create an amazing ride for VF.

I think it with be either one of the Vortexes at California's Great America or Carowinds because I've never heard anything good about either of those rides. Plus, they are some of B&M's oldest coasters. However, since they are only 23 and 22 years old respectively, it will probably be at least another decade or so before they head to the junkyard. Or, perhaps those coasters could possibly go the Mantis-Rougarou route and get new floorless trains.

^ Technically, Valleyfair already has a launched inverted coaster (Steel Venom), but I wouldn't complain if we got a launched B&M invert. I'd be okay with a launched B&M wing rider like Thunderbird, but I don't see one happening at VF because of the pricetag. A Premier Rides launched coaster would work for me because they are fun, thrilling coasters with an affordable price. Only problem is Cedar Fair hasn't bought any coasters from Premier Rides in the recent past. But yes, I'd certainly be happy if we received any sort of launched coaster.

Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody

A little over three weeks until the offseason begins for me (as well as for many others) . I've already started to focus on my other interests a bit more. I'll still visit TPR daily, play NoLimits and RCT3, watch some POVs, and keep up to date on industry happenings, but I try not to do those too much, or I will suffer from severe offseason depression. I'll probably make a trip or two to Nickelodeon Universe so I don't go six straight months without riding a coaster, but overall, my coastering life will be quiet from November through Early May. I have to agree with others: this is definitely TPR's most depressing thread.

^ Before Memorial Day and after Labor Day before Haunt starts are the best times to come, but if you have to come during Summer, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are relatively quiet. Mall of America/Nick Universe will be relatively crowded during almost any summer day. Besides VF and NU, no other real amusement parks are that close to the Twin Cities. Next closest park would be Mt. Olympus in Wisconsin Dells (3.5 hrs east).

Haven't been there yet, but Six Flags Great Adventure looks like the best park to me because they have Nitro, El Toro, Kingda Ka, and a lot of other great rides, and I hear lots of other great things about it. Six Flags Magic Mountain's coaster lineup looks slightly better, but I'm always hearing about bad customer service there, so if I had to choose between visiting Great Adventure and Magic Mountain, I'd choose Great Adventure.

Sorry about the double post, but here are two pics Dave Frazier tweeted of the demolition/construction.

Goliath at Six Flags Great America. I love everything about this coaster. It's intense, forceful, fast, unique, and tons of fun.

...when you have nothing to do in a math class, you graph parabolas on your calculator that look like airtime hills.

^^ I agree. Cedar Fair can certainly build more than one new coaster in a year. Plus, CW has received two new coasters in the last 3 seasons (Wonder Mountain's Guardian technically counts as a roller coaster), with one of them being a $28 million gigacoaster. I'd say CW is just fine right now in terms of roller coasters. Speaking of Wonder Mountain's Guardian, would any of you ever want to see a dark ride at VF? I'm a thrills-over-theming type of guy, but I'll admit that a dark ride would be a nice addition. Of course, I wouldn't expect one to happen for a while (2019 or 2020) because the park has more pressing needs first (new coaster, new thrilling flat ride, waterpark expansion #2). I just think that a dark ride might be a valid possibility because I remember hearing about Cedar Fair wanting to do more business with Triotech, and they basically spilled the beans on Knott's Berry Farm getting one in the near future.

Any Intamin half pipe?

Linear Gale - Tokyo Dome City?

^ You are right. Power Tower was originally planned to be 300 feet tall, but the FAA limited it to 275 ft because PT is literally right in line with one of Flying Cloud's runways. The restriction doesn't apply to the west side of the park. It would be great if we got a 275+ foot coaster, but unfortunately hoping for a coaster like that at Valleyfair is delusional even with the park marked for significant expansion potential.

Valleyfair allows you to reride once on most coasters if there is no one else waiting for your row. If someone is, they let you get another open seat of there is one. After two rides, you have to walk around again. I like this policy because if I'm looking to get my lap count up, this can help me do it a bit faster. One time when I purchased a Quick Queue at SeaWorld Orlando, they allowed me to keep on riding in the second row on Kraken since that is Kraken's designated Quick Queue row, and there were no other QQ users waiting for it. Although, I will admit that I felt hated by the people in the normal line because Kraken had a pretty long line that day. Looking back on it, I probably wouldn't do that again.

Why would Cedar Point be getting a new coaster in 2016 when they're getting Rougarou next year? Even though Cedar Fair spoils Cedar Point, I don't see them getting a new coaster two years in a row (I know Rougarou isn't 100% new, but still...).

Just saw on a tweet from The Coaster Crew that Dorney Park confirmed they will be getting a new family attraction in 2015 pending township approval. My guess is that it's a new/revamped family area including a Disk'O coaster, similar to the new Gemini Midway at CP and Route 76 at VF. Those two projects were successful, so I could see Cedar Fair spreading these to other parks like Dorney.

I really hope him saying this doesn't preclude a new coaster in 2016 or 2017. I don't mean to sound ranty, but Valleyfair already has enough family attractions with Planet Snoopy, Route 76, and some other rides throughout the park. I totally agree with the waterpark expansion, and I'm okay with another one in the next few years, but if we get another family addition in 2016, unless it's a pretty extravagant one, I'll be very upset. It has been said countless times, but VF desperately needs a ride that will knock everyone's socks off.

American Eagle and Viper at Six Flags Great America both have long queueing lines. Maybe a long time ago they were popular enough to warrant such long queues, but nowadays, I don't think they get lines that long. Kraken has about four different queue houses, but when I went there, it always had a station wait, which really confused me. Kraken is an amazing coaster, but it never had a long line, even during Summer. Steel Venom at Valleyfair used to have an unnecessarily long queue until this year when they took out a bunch of unused switchbacks.

Thank you for the update. Glad that demolition/construction is finally underway. I wonder when they will be putting up the construction cam? Hopefully soon. R.I.P Old Dining Patio and Subway.

Nice trip report and photos. Looks like you had a fun time. I should visit Dorney Park if I'm ever in Eastern PA. It has some great looking coasters and thrill rides.

Roughest coaster I've ridden so far is Demon at SF Great America. I don't think Demon is an "Arrow Death Machine" like some have suggested, but it is still a relatively rough coaster. During the second vertical loop, I banged the back of my head on the headrest pretty hard. Also, the transition into the corkscrews is quite jerky. I actually do like Demon as a whole because it has it's moments, and the tunnel is cool, but it just isn't as smooth as other coasters in the park. Ouch.