VF15

I'd assume the crane is probably there for pre-season maintenance on Wild Thing, though it could be for something else.

Not completely sure, but it looks like the new path near Mad Mouse will be brick instead of the regular pavement . They're also pouring the concrete for the lounging area near the splash pad.

Is that the exact photo you saw on Instagram? If so, I don't know if the background of that picture is at Valleyfair or not. I would be thrilled if Valleyfair received a Slingshot, but I'm not going to get excited about one until I see proof that it is going up.

It seems pretty odd that it happened, not really sure what caused it. I guess the parks haven't had much good luck this past week, have they?

A coaster like that would be perfect for Michigan's Adventure. I just hope that it would run faster if it was actually built because if had the animation's pacing, the first half might be a little boring.

Right now, I'm thinking that they're expanding the parking lot to that area so they can remove part of the current lot for future park expansion, but they did just start the land clearing, so it's really anyone's guess at this point.

I've been hearing that Mike Fehnel was interviewed by a local news channel yesterday, and he said "Cedar Fair officials hope to make Carowinds a roller coaster mecca". If he means it, then that is great news for the park. Carowinds definitely has the potential to be another coaster mecca, and it could mean that Cedar Fair might be dropping the mentality of "Everyone must bow down to Cedar Point". Should be interesting to see what this actually means.

^ The colder weather is probably what pushed some people away (the high in Charlotte today was only 50 degrees). I think Fury 325 will have its longest lines this summer because if you're the typical visitor that goes to the park once a year, why wouldn't you wait until a warmer day to go?

Was reading some Facebook comments about Fury 325, and since it doesn't have over-the-shoulder-restraints, a lot of the GP thinks that means it is "an accident waiting to happen" and "suicide". Sigh... The GP will never learn.

I read on Screamscape that Worlds of Fun has removed Octopus (their Monster ride). It is not showing up on the park's Family Rides page, so it's pretty much official. Screamscape also reports that Octopus' parts will be going to Valleyfair to help maintain their version of the ride.

The more I see it, the more excited I get . I'm sure that the speed slides are going to be the new best attraction in Soak City. Only 7 weeks left until Valleyfair is open. Hang in there, everyone.

THIS! THIS! THIS! THIS! THIS! THIS! THIS! I honestly do not understand the mentality shared by so many people that "if new coaster is not automatically your OMFG #1 blow me away ride, it means you HATE it and want it burned to the ground." I get this so often and it's so insanely stupid and annoying. There are a TON of coasters that I *like* and would go out of my way to travel for that do not appear on my top ten list. Hell, Tokyo Disney, Europa Park, and Grona Lund are some of my favorite parks in the world that I would spend thousands of dollars to travel to, and not a single one of their coasters appear in my "top ten" list. But to some coaster nerds, if you're not violently ejaculating milk cartons over the newest coaster, you're the most evil, vile person on the planet. And this sort of thinking really needs to stop. It's a cancer that infects this hobby. FFS people, just enjoy the rides for what they are regardless where they fall in yours or someone else's ranking list. I can't say this enough and I know for some people it will never sink in. Well said, Robb. I'm never going to figure out why a lot of folks think "if it isn't a top ten ride, it's garbage." As long as a coaster succeeds in putting a smile on my face, I think it has done it's job, and it sounds like Fury 325 will do just that when I eventually ride it.

http://fox43.com/2015/03/26/amusement-park-worker-hit-injured-by-roller-coaster-during-testing/ This is unfortunate news. At least the worker is okay, and I hope he recovers soon.

Hmm... At first, I thought it was for the structure of the splash pad, but now that they're building them closer to the slides, I'm not sure what they are. I guess we'll find out soon enough. Unfortunately, with how narrow they're making that path near Mad Mouse, I don't expect the traffic situation to get much better. We'll have to wait until the park opens to see how things will actually go, but it doesn't look good right now.

Valleyfair already has plans to get a new electronic entrance sign to replace the old sign. It's unfortunate that the old sign is going because it was one of the things that helped VF retain its unique charm, but I guess the park decided it was time to bring its entrance sign into the 21st century.

^^ If you look carefully at the track right before entering the tunnel, you can tell that's it a darker track color. Obviously they made it that way to make the tunnel seem darker. Wild Thing and/or Power Tower would probably be considered VF's most iconic landmark(s) because they're the rides that really make a visual statement.

Yes, it seems like the train is stuck right after the final brake run. Even though the firefighters were brought in, I think the news is making too big of a deal out of it (though that's not uncommon with things like this).

With Cedar Fair's recent trend of going all out entrance signs, it's certainly possible that VF could go the same route with the sign for their next major attraction. I think High Roller's lights are perfect for that coaster type, but it would be nice if Wild Thing got a new lighting package, although that's not a necessity.

Fury 325 was featured on the Today Show earlier today, and the riders in the video seem to be loving it. The beginning is really cheesy though. The video also confirms that a higher-quality mounted POV has been shot. http://www.today.com/video/today/57158317#57158317

The speed slides are going up.

Do any of you think Opening Weekend will be more crowded than usual this year because of the marathon? Normally, Opening Weekend crowds are relatively light, but I feel that the people participating in the marathon might make the lines longer than they usually are (once the marathon is over).

^ Exactly. If there was to be a coaster on the amphitheater lawn it would have to be something awfully small. It makes much more sense to remove the northwest section of the parking lot (and rebuild it near the employee dorms) for coaster space.

It appears that the 8 inches of snow from last night is not stopping the construction . Hard to believe there are only 53 days until the season begins.

I think their reason for not putting Tempesto on Quick Queue is because the lines will be long enough as they are, and QQ users would just make it even worse.