garyman6

Here is a question for all of you. What do you think of Thunder Canyon? Year's ago I could not go on the ride without getting soaked completly. It was a lot of fun. The last couple of years it has become a joke as to who will get "splashed"! Thunder Canyon is in need a major facelift. I don't want it removed as it is pretty fun but it needs some TLC. What does everyone think?

If you're talking about full-circuit inverts, then it would have to be at least 196 feet tall because Alpengeist is 195 feet tall. I am aware that Valleyfair was noted as having potential for significant growth, but still, I don't want to set my expectations too high, or else I might be setting myself up for disappointment. Also, I couldn't agree with you more on the second part. Valleyfair puts the "Fair" in "Cedar Fair", but yet they've never gotten the treatment that Cedar Point has. Valleyfair will never be a Cedar Point, but for being one of the company's first parks, it really gets ignored and left behind. I stand corrected on the height record for a full circuit invert.

They already have the tallest and fastest coaster in the area! Wild Thing! 207 feet and 74 mph! Magnum is clocked at 72 mph.

I've always thought that a coaster at Valleyfair that travels over the midways would be a cool idea. It would be similar to how Wild Thing's figure-8 crosses over the walkway to soon-to-be Route 76, but much more of the ride would take place over the midways. Pespi Orange Streak at Nickelodeon Universe is a good example of this. It would also be cool if they could do something Gatekeeper-like and have a coaster travel over the entrance. I've noticed that a lot of the new coasters are using tunnels as well as over the midway. Let's not get stuck on the idea that a roller coaster has to stick within a box. Watch the POV for Nemesis. An amazing B&M invert. The que line actually goes through one of the loops. VF may have height restrictions but that doesn't mean we cant have great coasters. We could actually have an B&M invert that would be the worlds tallest. Banshee kept I believe just 2 feet short of the world record for height. Why? I've read rumors that they may bring that record to VF. Doesn't mean it has to be the longest! Just a couple of thoughts! Sorry, but the world's tallest invert isn't going to happen at Valleyfair. Any steel coaster that breaks records usually costs in excess of $20 million, and because of their budget, I wouldn't expect VF to pay more than $15 million. Technically, the world's new tallest invert would have to be at least 216 feet tall because Wicked Twister (215 feet tall) is the true tallest invert. Besides, I really don't think that anything record breaking would fit in at VF. Yes, Wild Thing does have the world's longest zero-G section, but it's not exactly the most noteworthy record out there. I meant to say full circuit invert. 170' would set a new world record. Put it into the 3500' range and that might fall into the 15 million category. Let's not forget though that along with Carrowinds and California's Great America, Valleyfair has been earmarked by Cedarfair Corporate for significant growth. Maybe 20 million is not out of the question. Let's also remember that Cedarfair has some history of putting record breakers or near record breakers into Valleyfair. When Wild Thing opened it was the world's second tallest coaster just behind Magnum XL-200. Only a couple of feet separated them. Also, Power Tower was slated to be 300' tall but had to be shortened due to Flying Cloud Airport across the river. I believe that would have been a record at the time. Does everyone know how Cedarfair got it's name? Cedar Point, a single park, decided that they wanted to expand into an amusement park company. Their first acquisition was, you guessed it, Valleyfair! They took "Cedar" and "Fair" to form the corporate name of Cedarfair. So given the historical value that Valleyfair has in the Cedarfair chain, Valleyfair should really be one of their flagship parks!

I've always thought that a coaster at Valleyfair that travels over the midways would be a cool idea. It would be similar to how Wild Thing's figure-8 crosses over the walkway to soon-to-be Route 76, but much more of the ride would take place over the midways. Pespi Orange Streak at Nickelodeon Universe is a good example of this. It would also be cool if they could do something Gatekeeper-like and have a coaster travel over the entrance. I've noticed that a lot of the new coasters are using tunnels as well as over the midway. Let's not get stuck on the idea that a roller coaster has to stick within a box. Watch the POV for Nemesis. An amazing B&M invert. The que line actually goes through one of the loops. VF may have height restrictions but that doesn't mean we cant have great coasters. We could actually have an B&M invert that would be the worlds tallest. Banshee kept I believe just 2 feet short of the world record for height. Why? I've read rumors that they may bring that record to VF. Doesn't mean it has to be the longest! Just a couple of thoughts!

Have the coaster wrap around Power Tower!

Corkscrew at least runs 2 trains and still has lines unlike Excalibur. Corkscrew does have to go someday too but like you said it just got painted and it is the parks only inverted coaster so it will still be here for a while but that does not mean it doesn't need to leave. CS does run smooth for a corkscrew so kudos to the maintenance team at the park but I think we will see CS go once CP announces they will be getting rid of the their corkscrew and MiA will follow along with us. Who knows when it will leave but my guess is it will leave before High Roller. I know High Roller does not ride as great as it did during it's glory days with the trim on the turnaround turned up so high now, it really takes the thunder and air out of the bunny hills on the way back. Too bad you didn't get to ride it in the 70's and 80's before that happened. It is still a decent mid size coaster but not what it used to be. Personally I hope it stays as long as it can because I think every park should have an old school white out and back woody. Someday though that day will come when it needs to come down and that will provide a lot of space plus there is even more space north of High Roller where the picnic area used to be. I think there is a decent amount of space if you remove CS and use the land left vacant after the Camp Snoopy upgrade. Below I have CS outlined in Red and the extra area next to it vacated by old kiddy rides in Blue. You could move the loading station and set up a new coaster. Both the Red and Blue areas together would provide some decent room for a mid size or family coaster. It would have to be built over the water like CS but that could turn out pretty cool. Let's not limit ourselves to just within the lines. Who says it can't wrap around power tower? Look at what they have stuffed into Nick U. and they have plans for more! Let's hope for something bigger!

If you talked to Dave Frasier you know more than I do for sure. With IMAX being gone I believe 2015 will bring the park a water park expansion for sure. Hydroblaster could easily return and I am with you thinking it would be better in the water park, it would get more use that way. My guess is Looping Starship will be removed or relocated with the water park expansion/addition so that will leave plenty of room to bring it back if they want. You get rid of that amphitheater next to Route 76 and you have a nice plot of land for some new flats or relocation of older ones. I am hoping Monster gets restored for next year like CP is doing this year. It would fit right in with the refurbished Scrambler and Tilter. Moving the looping starship is probably a good bet. There are plenty of areas to put it. Mr. Frazier asked me for idea's on what to replace the tilter and scrambler site's with. A "Tango" manufactured by KMG would be a great addition next to Wild Thing where the tilter was. They do have park models available! What do you think?

OK, I just watched a POV video of a B&M Flyer "Skyscrapper" located in China. WOW! What an awesome coaster! I'd be good with that!

So, last October I was talking with Valleyfair's GM Dave Frazier. he asked me if HydroBlaster should be part of the main park or the water park. I told him the waterpark. There was no option for just removing it outright. I believe that 2015 will see a great new water park addition as well as the return of HydroBlaster in its new home! What do you think?

Agreed! VF needs an invert or floorless before a winged coaster. I heard the gatekeeper is somewhat tame.

This is my first time on this discussion thread. I wanted to chime in and say I think VF is doing all the right things right now. Of course I want a new coaster like everyone else and we will get one soon. Personally I think that after we get a huge water park expansion next year we will receive a new coaster in 2016 and possibly 2018 or 19. We are also due for a major new flat ride such as a giant Frisbee.