VF15

Thunderation since I haven't been to SDC since I was seven. Valleyfair

Haven't been to BGW yet, but Apollo's Chariot looks very good. Next: Kings Island

Control panel for Atomic Collider at Nick Universe.

Not a defunct coaster, but I was just barely able to ride Lightning Rod at Dollywood. I rode it on the very first day of technical rehearsals (May 23rd) where you had to get a special pass to ride. I had to leave a few hours after riding LR to get ready for my flight home, so the fact that I actually got to ride it is almost a miracle.

Renegade at Valleyfair, ridden it a total of 376 times.

Granted, but they cost triple the amount of most other drinks. I wish grown adults would stop ducking next to the height stick and stop asking "Am I tall enough?' (As a ride op, this is very annoying.)

Worked Wild Thing at VF this past season and had a lot of fun doing it. It's a very fast-paced ride to work at due to the crowds we get (didn't get long lines that often due to high capacity, but we almost always had a constant flow of people coming). Usually we'd have to really hustle while checking restraints to prevent stacking. Favorite position to be in was definitely controls since it's neat to be the guy pushing the buttons that make the "magic" happen, and spieling is fun as well. Got to walk all the way to the top of the lift at night once, which was both terrifying and exhausting.

North Star lighting testing from VF's Twitter. Going to look great at night on the skyline.

-Banshee (longest inverted coaster) -The Beast (longest wooden coaster) -Wicked Twister (tallest inverted coaster) -Lightning Rod (fastest wooden coaster) -Fury 325 (tallest non-launched coaster)

Patriot at Worlds of Fun. It's short and semi-forceless but still a pretty fun ride.

Haven't been on a Sky Rocket II yet but it looks like it would be a great fit for Worlds of Fun if it did happen. They already have a decent coaster selection and I felt that the lack of a launched coaster of any type was the only thing preventing the lineup from being very well-rounded.

Spinning tests have begun. Photo from Dave Frazier.

Spinning Dragons - Worlds of Fun

^ B&M trains wouldn't work on Wild Thing because they have a 6 ft maximum height requirement due to the higher heartline. It worked for Steel Dragon 2000 because the average person's height in Japan is shorter than in the U.S. Here, B&M trains would prevent a good chunk of VF's clientele from being able to ride Wild Thing. As for three trains, we're required to have six loaders on the platform during three-train operation, don't think any of their improvements will change that but we'll see.

Awesome to hear that they're making changes to my baby. Looking forward to the improvements.

Always iPhone Wallet Keys Sometimes Water Bottle Sunscreen If visiting waterpark: swim trunks, towel, and change of clothes. I always wear cargo shorts or a jacket with zipper pockets to keep my essentials safe while riding.

Expecting our first winter storm of the season today in Saint Cloud. Forecasted to have 4-7 inches of snow and strong winds.

Granted, but you'll be there on the absolute most crowded day of the year. I wish for the offseason to go by fast.

Goliath - SFGAm Rougarou - Cedar Point Lightning Rod - Dollywood

FireChaser Express at Dollywood for me. While not an intense ride, it has some decent forces for a ride that only has a 39 inch height requirement. I'll also give an honorable mention to the two Gerstlauer spinners I've ridden (Fairly Odd Coaster at NU and Spinning Dragons at WOF).

Spinning Dragons at Worlds of Fun.

Valleyfair 1) Renegade 2) Wild Thing 3) High Roller 4) Excalibur 5) Steel Venom 6) Corkscrew 7) Mad Mouse 8) Cosmic Coaster

The press release for North Star said that they're expecting it to be completed by early to mid-December, they probably just want to have everything done before the winter weather hits. I'd also assume that having it done this early might help boost ticket/season pass sales now that the ride is already visible on the skyline. I doubt that we'll see any testing until spring though.

It's done!

They definitely aren't wasting any time with the construction, they're almost done with the tower.