ejot

I headed over to Quassy tonight after work on a whim to checkout WW and the cheap dogs. Got in a ride in the front with some daylight left and a ride in the back car after dark. I think it was the second or third to last run of the night and the ride op sent us around for a reride! Awesome!! Brass -I feel for ya, losing keys stinks, been there done that. But I gotta laugh a bit, the million warning signs actually convinced me to toss my keys in the cubby boxes for the first time ever on a ride. Thought I was being extra cautious but I guess not, wow!

I can imagine an automated cable system to pull the train back to the station. Yes it has to go through an inversion but I still think it's possible with a rotating connection point. And with B&M now on a launched coaster project, there will be a new class anyway: the reliable launched coaster. This actually seems like it would really draw my interest. With wing coaster restraints I think it would be quite comfortable.

DrachenFire BGW, 1994

Also interested to find a reference to the law that bans this design in MA and/or NJ. I just read through MA 520 CMR 5.0x and some of NJAC 5:14A, and I'm starting to wonder if some sort of misunderstanding has created a rumor. The MA law does include some specific design requirements in section 5.07 but treads pretty lightly, mainly offloading the burden via the inclusion of ASTM standards into the law. I started reading these and even they seem quite vague. Perhaps we should maintain a healthy skepticism until there is a conclusive document

Indeed, did not mean to get you guys derailed .... so to speak. For what it's worth, 305 ran flawless for the entire weekend I was there in late May. It was also virtually walk-on at one point that Volcano was over 40min. Fine with me - got in many, many rides.

I mean I have hit up a couple other "major" SF parks (Great America, Great Adventure, and New England). And Knotts, CP, and KD too on the CF side. I just like MM, what can I say... I'm different. And isn't MM tied for first place as the park with the most coasters on your own top 10 list? What other Six Flags beats it then?

I tend to agree on Maverick and XL. Along a similar but opposite contrarian vein, I was absolutely smitten by Mean Streak. Love at first sight. Opinions ... those funny things.

It's generally believed that SFNE will be keeping much of the Cyclone's structure and updating it with a steel track and some new elements.

Not to get too far off KD, but I guess I just disagree. Not being able to pick 2 headliners is kind of the point: I find it a well-balanced, enjoyable collection across the board. Tatsu and X2 do stand out to me. But Goliath gets me grinning like crazy. Not a huge GCI fan who is but somehow Apocalypse is totally infinitely reridable to me. Dislike B&M standups but theirs is way above average, almost enjoyable. YOLO had me clapping for it like crazy first ride. Dunno... just love the park. Love the views and the desert. Which probably is a "bias" but hey, landscape is part of ride right?

That would make sense. Good question then. Perhaps the most worn trains have parts that SFMM considers unridable condition. But I've only been a casual visitor to this park, haven't taken a good look.

It's unfortunate that only one train is available but we can't really lay blame down too hard here right? Kind of a freak event, I'm impressed it's up again at all so quickly. Not that typically praise SF ops. I'm sure the second train took quite a beating, and I wonder if replacement parts might be quite tricky to dig up? I tried ebaying for Arrow suspended coaster fairing and got no hits

what does this mean. what park's lineup isn't average if you take away their two signature rides? Cedar Point barely fits in this category leaving Magic Mountain the only park firmly there. I think there is enough fun to be had at KD for two full days of light lines, but I just love being at parks.

Braved the crowds sans flash pass and hit up SFNE with two friends for Cyclone's final weekend. We'd intended to stay just for Saturday but realized we could use the second day so stayed the night. Having got on the road a bit late, thus through the gates around 11am, we pointed our noses toward Cyclone where we had a perhaps 35-40min wait for a ride in the back seat. I'd gotten three rides (front, middle, back) in on Cyclone the week before during my brief first look at the park. Enough experience to heartily recommend a ride in the back, so that we did. The first drop from the back seat on this ride was a unique and intense experience as recently described here; we all loved it. From the front seat the ride is pretty tame so we didn't have particular reride ambitions. Wish I could have experienced Mr. Cobb's original design before the corporate neuter job. Taking a peek at the adjacent SkyScreamer line, it was running well over an hour, probably pushing 90min to actual airtime. I'd already had a go, and one friend was leary, so we passed. Pandemonium looked fun, but the wait ... yikes! ... and we all really just wanted to get to Bizarro anyway! So over we headed. Expecting well over an hour wait based on the signage, we were pleasantly surprised to be on the platform in under 40min. We waited for front row and within another 20 minutes the sweet, sweet feel of ratcheting restraints flooded our hands. This line was cruising, no breakdowns of any sort. Quite remarkable, frankly. This was my first dash on Bizarro, and yes, I was expecting the world. Was a bit let down with my conclusion "just a fun lil ride", with a delicious second tunnel and cool effects, but actually a touch lacking on airtime intensity and pacing, and probably not a top-10. (BTW - we later rerode x2 and the story changes ; ) By this point it was well into the afternoon, and thoughtlessly breakfastless, we were starving. Headed back to the car and dug into the cooler for a seriously delightful lunch. No part of the park food scene do we enjoy, sorry. Actually - lie - typically I do genuinely enjoy a $7-10 "premium" brewski as the sun gets deep. Unfortunately, SFNE managed complete ruin of a finely crafted SamAdams seasonal by mixing it with warmness and flatness. Oh well, it is SF after all, you're gonna win some and lose some. Next ride! Batman Dark Knight was exactly as one might anticipate. Fun of course, but I do prefer both Dominator and Scream/SFGAd Bizarro in the floorless realm. A discourteous bending-of-the-rules by ride op for a highly self-indulgent platinum pass-hole put a sour taste in my mouth, so I may be biased. The wait was probably at or under 1/2hr to front row. Moving next door to Mind Eraser, we were locked into place in the front row within 25min of joining the line. I'm sorry - enthusiast consensus be-darned - I just can't get off the front of an inverted Vekoma without a big freakin' grin slapped across face. B&M standups hurt me way more. This one rolled smooth and quiet, way nicer than SFA's steaming pile of Eraser. I like Wild Mice so we did the Gauntlet. Weee! Yay! Catwoman's Whip? Let's do it! If you been ignoring this little coaster, you should give it shot. It is just a ton of fun. Has the longest train I've ever seen. And let me tell ya, it is not without some thrill. I started sliding across the seat something fierce and it most definitely did not feel like the little chrome lap bar was going to keep me in. Ill get on I305 or KForce or Ka or Zumanjaro without so much as a knot in the belly these days, but this, THIS, there was some genuine, if brief, terror. Fun and smiles. It's why we're here right? Next we headed back toward Goliath. The second train we saw run after hitting the line came back down the second tower slow, so we knew something was up. They got on the horn announcing tech issues, and sensing it could be awhile, we moved on. On a whim, we headed into Houdini's Great Escape. I knew absolutely nothing about this ride, and it was a total trip! If you like flat rides whatsoever and haven't done this, you have to check it out. I seriously recommend NOT learning anything about it beforehand because that really made the experience. Also, there was no wait other than letting the group before you finish up the 5-10 min cycle. Heck yes! Is Goliath up? Nah. A suggestion is voiced to chill on the Blizzard River. I reluctantly agree to go through the "wet-sneaker extravaganza". Actually, compared to SFA and Lake Compounce's versions of these Hopkins raft rides, this was unexpectedly tons better thanks to the mists obscuring what was coming, and the drenching waterfalls from the side. I got lucky (IMO) and stayed pretty dry. Was not a terribly warm day. Next, after the aforementioned beer homicide, we finally got our ride on Goliath by twilight, then a nighttime pass on the Thunderbolt, and finally a glorious, backseat Bizarro reride to cap off the night. Tis late and those experiences/opinion reversal will have to wait for another post if anyone is interested. I will say, I do have a new #4 behind Skyrush, X2, and Tatsu. Sunday was waterpark (Bonsai pipelines! wooohooo!!) and get our itch for more Bizarro scratched. Finally, I've sugarcoated my experiences here. It was a day riddled with your typical Six Flags operations disasters. I try to expect them, look past them, forget them, and just have a blast. Cheers.

I'm visitng SFNE tomorrow with two friends, primarily as our last chance to ride Cyclone in original form (well not quite original, but...yeah). We like to pack a nice lunch and return to the car to eat when we visit parks. Are there any shade locations and/or picnic tables in either the preferred or regular parking lots? I see the picnic grove on the park map but this appears to be within the gates, not what we're looking for. What is the preferred parking upcharge for Gold pass holders (free regular parking) ? Couldn't find this info on their site. Finally: entrance to the preferred lot, coming from the south, is on the right about 1500' before the left turn for the main lot, yes? Thanks!!

My first Arrow was Drachen Fire at Busch Gardens Williamsburg about '94 when I was 9. After a nearly two-decade coaster hiatus, my second Arrow was Ninja at SFMM, in December of last year.