Samuel

Does Cedar Point still bring in a lot of Europeans to run the rides & live on-site during the year? Are they still around in October? Some of the European crews could fly, and they were often really friendly. I'd imagine there's more of a local hiring drive for Halloweekends, but surely it can't be total turnover from the usually-good regular staff.

I swear to all of you, I never knew until I saw the Seinfeld episode where George peed in the shower that anyone pees in the shower. The thought never crossed my mind once. In a similar way, I've never once felt the urge to spit on anything in my life. Yet, I see it from at least one person at seemingly every public place I visit. The victims are shrubs, pavement, lawns, curbsides, fish, and everyone who has to watch. You can bank on it at concerts, parking lots, in city streets, at theme parks, zoos, shopping areas, next to the movie theater, on the way into the restaurant -- you get the picture -- but why do it? Looking cool? Dry mouth? Culture? Occasionally I can see tobacco as the given excuse, but I see way too many people who are just spitting for its own sake. Nothing like standing in a long coaster line behind some guy who hocks loogies toward his feet every 45 seconds! It gives me the same impression as the practice of sticking gum to tables -- just dumb and classless. Is it just me?

I went last Saturday and the only headache line was the Phantom for the first two hours -- one train operation, and SkyRocket was down. I waited about 90 min for the back, which had a comparable line to all other rows except for the even-longer front. Once the second train came on and SkyRocket started back up, it was about 20 minutes for most rows, 30 for the front. Everything else in the park, haunts included, looked like a manageable 10-30 min. There's an up-charge VIP Coaster Tour if things look unbearable for some reason, but that's probably not going to be the case. ============================================================================================================================================ I'm glad everyone enjoyed the Fright Night pics! A few days out, and I'm still thinking about how I had a blast. October weather conditions can be unpredictable, but they certainly make for some memorable, unique rides when the recipe in the air is just right.

The new coaster buzz put me in the mood to check out Phantom Fright Nights for a couple of hours on Saturday. When I got to the park, there was more fog than I’ve ever seen in my life. It wasn’t until I left the park that I realized it was naturally a very foggy night, and when combined with the in-park fog, the environment put Silent Hill to shame. Jack Rabbit – 10 min – Good fun as always and very smooth. The double-dip didn’t disappoint! Awesome ejector air, and a couple of nice dives into the dark October night. 8.5/10 Phantom’s Revenge – 90 min (back), 30 min (front) – My first ride in the back was pretty good, but the wait for it was initially one-train misery. Thankfully, the crew finally put the second train in service later on in the night to soak up the line. In the back, Phantom delivered solid airtime all over the place, rivaled only in the state by SkyRush. It was running very well, balancing smoothness and aggression superbly. In the front, holy smokes. It was the foggiest coaster ride I’ve ever experienced. I couldn't see anything. The air was crisp, the night was cool, and the Phantom shredded. It felt illegal. The speed and airtime were out of this world. It’s one of the most surreal and memorable rides I’ve ever taken on anything. How good was it? Well, better than my rides on Fury – by far. 10/10 SkyRocket – ERT! – It didn’t open with the park, and then it went down again while I was waiting in the station. When the announcement came on that maintenance was on its way, almost everyone waiting in the station cleared out. I was the smart doofus who decided to wait, and luckily for me it opened back up, sans line, only about 10 minutes later. I ended up not only getting a bunch of rides on it in a row, but an entire train to myself! Like usual, I giggled throughout the layout. The first couple of elements are big-league thrills, and then it’s more of a family ride in the second half. Still, the first spike has awesome air in both the front and back, and the elements are glass-smooth. 8.5/10 I walked all of the scare zones, but didn’t do any of the indoor haunts. The lines for them looked to be about 20 minutes, but I did pass a few and noticed temporary walk-ons or minimal waits. Sometimes I like the haunts depending on the group I’m with, but they’re not must-do for me. In this instance, I just wanted to enjoy the atmosphere and walk around. Overall, the park looked good! Again, the fog was everywhere. I liked park touches such as the out of tune merry-go-round and a disturbingly charming Laffing Sal makeover. Oh, and the Potato Patch fries are amazing. I know that some people get turned off by the sogginess, but I love them. They’re absolutely not overrated in my book! It was way too dark and foggy to eyeball anything in the vicinity of the new coaster. I couldn’t even see Racer’s track while standing in front of its sign! Here are some pics around the park: Fun fact: I used to hate Laffin Sal as a kid. Fun fact: I now think she's fantastic, albeit still a little scary. A short scare zone, but probably my favorite! I was followed by a couple of actors, and I enjoyed the props. Looked like an area someone would make in Planet Coaster! Plus, Death Valley had cameos from old Gold Rusher friends. Ghostwood Estates, the year-round shooter, decked out in green lights. Haunted Noah's Ark looked great! Even its signature whistle sounded appropriately off-key. The Thunderbolt area was popular, with multiple haunts, a scare zone, T-Bolt, & the Potato Patch nearby. The whole park was immersed in this dense atmosphere. Fun! This was BEFORE the real fog rolled in! The only lights you'll find on the Phantom this fall El Phantom fue en fuego! The stillness of the ride and distorted Wurlitzer playing made for one creepy Merry-go-Round. Potato Patch & tenders! Delicious! Now the fog really picked up as I returned to the Phantom for an unforgettable ride in the front. Silent Hill! Lost Kennywood had the only moon that I'd see, as I bid Fright Nights adieu. Seriously, how Phantom-y could this night get!? Just perfect. That second train was my ERT chariot! Check out that line... I enjoyed each of the scare zones.

Wow -- good for Vekoma! Good for Energylandia! I've wanted to see the company really flex on a project with today's engineering and design capabilities, and this looks like a lot of fun! Fluid, twisty, diverse, should have lots of airtime...I'm digging it. EDIT: Intamin is involved, too? So we're seeing two different proposals? Wow -- what coaster drama! The Intamin would be awesome and insane, but I seriously want the Vekoma. With few US Intamin coasters having been built in recent years, I'd rather have Vekoma prove its viability on a big-league hyper and be a true alternative to B&M's hypers. For Energylandia, I think I actually prefer the Vekoma layout to the Intamin! It looks aggressive and graceful, like a kick-butt hands-up ride, whereas the Intamin looks to me to be a bunch of strung-together exaggerated maneuvers. I don't know, it just seems overwrought with stunts. I'm sure Intamin's coaster would be nuts, but my money -- for what it's worth -- is on Vekoma this time.

Fast Lane Plus nullified your question a few years ago! I think Maverick will be the same deal, perhaps a bit longer, but it's not like it's currently some well-kept secret in the back in the park -- it's often 45+ min as-is. Expect lines. If anything, I anticipate the Valravn popularity surge settling like Gatekeeper did after two seasons, and that the crowd will remain focused on each of the big three Intamins, + the new hotness Mean Streak.

Wow! Great find! We can also use the Google overhead to get a feel for the proposed area (look for the buildings to the right of the current park/compare them to the plans). As can be seen, it looks like there will be yet another dramatic setting for another iconic coaster in Kennywood's near future! Check it out Lots of space available space for a real doozy! The terrain looks as juicy as the Phantom area The drop-off & overall ravine is big -- astounding potential for the proposed layout The area from the bridge outside the park

To use everyone's favorite word, it seems a little bit wonky. I definitely see fun potential, but the acceleration and deceleration reminds me of the old Rocket Rods in how it "speeds up to a red light" so-to-speak. I wish the track design would just be fluid in the sense that you could comfortably course through the whole layout at a consistent, decent clip. It looks like something that would appear in adventure parks near alpine coasters and zip-lines. Seems more "weee!" than "WOW," but these could be a neat addition in the right setting.

I log in to Twitter about once a week for my own account, but I study the platform by way of interest in communication more than I enjoy it as a vehicle that has traction in my personal life. Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn are the "big three" for me, with Reddit in fourth and the others as occasional check-ins. I follow businesses and people on Twitter that have value to me, but that amounts to a small collage of accounts and subject matter. I'll also look for real-time news and updates, which almost always beats network news coverage to the punch these days, if I'm interested in a particular event as it unfolds. The platform's impact at large is irrefutable, but I believe that too few businesses offer genuine incentive to follow them (or just broadcast one-way info/treat it as an RSS dump), I have few friends who use it, and I'm not interested in the pop-trends/celebrity hooks that have enticed people like my aunt to the platform (not kidding -- she combs for Heath Ledger gossip every day). Robb, I have five friends who follow your social accounts and love to regularly retweet, share, and like TPR's content. Whereas I love amusement parks and coasters, their hobby is to surface-scratch things like coaster videos, outer space, sea creatures, fun facts, polls, recipes, fashion, and so on. It's like modern-day channel surfing. People jump from videos of bugs fighting in jars to a tweeted "OMG wild ride," and seeking these crumbs of cumulative content throughout the day has become a habit for them. They're super-consumers of social media and I'm sure great cheerleaders for TPR, even if they don't actually care much about coasters. It takes a village. Coasters are very social-friendly: eye-catching, fun, and can be presented in short snippets that make big impressions, which lends well to circulation from influencers and heavy social users, as I'm sure you know! In contrast, I enjoy real connections and deeper conversation in several specific hobbies that hold genuine interest to me. I also like to read and write, so while bite-sized Twitter encourages creativity in the sense of overcoming character limitations, it stifles my ability to interact more deeply with a community. I know that you can now compose longer direct messages, but I already have an established presence on several sites that allow me to do the same. I peruse tweeted updates and photos from TPR's Twitter, but I prefer the donkey hub of TPR itself & its community, as well as a few subreddits for other interests. I may not retweet everything from TPR, but I'm also someone who will plan a trip to go on that ride I just retweeted, and I'll look to further discuss said ride with others who are coherent and enthusiastic about it. From a TPR perspective, there may be more active Twitter users out there compared to me, but from my perspective, if a user's bio is "I like farts and ur mom lol," I'm not going message that person and say, "Hey, I saw that you retweeted the Shambhala video & you seem like an inane wacko! Cool!" So, I tend gravitate to these more focused, boutique-style online communities over the "everyone and anyone has a voice" Twitter approach.

I made a topic about Coaster Works a while back, describing its coaster design editor as being the easiest, most fluid one out there. You can match the tendencies of manufacturers with precision not seen outside of great NL2 work, but you can do it in a fraction of the time. It looks like that four-screen design mode has been transferred to this game. The game will likely be simplistic, and like Coaster Works, the graphics seem rough around the edges. Still, I hope that it gets more eyeballs on the deep and simple editor, and that other coaster game developers take note!

Good points! My feeling is that parks like Kennywood and Morey's have had improvement-from-within in their decision-making DNA for a long time, while that current approach from Six Flags is more reflective of recent financial inflexibility and a current unwillingness to invest in long, new coasters. In any event, I'm glad that Six Flags and others have moved away from the coaster-after-coaster approach that resulted in neglected in-park environments and left-behind older coasters, which are finally getting some TLC. I've often had my own objections about steel track segment modifications -- too expensive, not worth it, no structural reason to do so, new trains would suffice, etc. -- but I'm surprised that so many wooden coasters have been getting track modifications (don't forget Legend, GhostRider, & even Hades 360..I know, I know), while steel coasters like Gourdurix have this "nothing can be done, just make jokes about them" sense of defeat.

The Phantom's Revenge transformation remains fairly unique among coasters. Although RMC is proving itself big-time, I've quietly wondered why manufacturers haven't more strongly communicated the service of at least smoothing out kerchunks and replacing clunky transitions on otherwise okay-enough steel coasters. We are seeing that parks aren't adverse to reinvesting in existing coasters and marketing the efforts as noteworthy improvements or additions. Aside from RMC, here are a few improvement-examples in recent years: - Hulk's new track and makeover - Stand-ups going floorless - Swapping classic OTRS's for vests from Intamin and Vekoma - The Great Nor'easter getting new track - Dodonpa's overhaul is rumored to include some sort of track/layout modification - Virtual reality When I think about Morgan and Arrow track merging so well for Phantom -- and remember, Morgan also later redid and smoothed Phantom's first drop, too -- I'm surprised that ironing out "what the hell?" moments and clothes hanger transitions hasn't become a more common practice by now. Fresh paint and new trains are the usual rehab fare, but it's still rare to see a re-engineered track rehab approach for steel coasters. A subtle improvement might be Raptor's brake snap getting fixed to match Orochi's smoother ending. As a mid-level example, if Vekoma could provide vest restraints and modify transitions on a few Arrow coasters (Vortex, Vipers, Demons), you might turn a "2 or 3" into a respectable "7" and really improve a park from within. Finally, there are coasters like Big One and Desperado that could use modern layout love all over the place and a major restoration of their legacies. Some of those examples may be unlikely for different contextual reasons, but my point is that surely there must be profitable opportunities to improve a hoard of steel coasters through a re-engineering approach of rough layout moments. Do you think we'll start seeing more track-based improvements to steel coasters now that RMC is setting a "rehab tone" in the industry, or will we keep living with kerchunky steel coasters until they're simply torn down?

First off, cool video! It's clear that you put a lot of love into it, and it makes me want to head straight to my car and drive to CP. Your description of Magnum's transitions made me laugh hard. It's very true, though I've still adored *some* rides on Magnum. It does have magic -- and not just nostalgia -- but I don't reliably know how or when it decides to show it. Even with row recommendations and seat belt tightening, I can never tell what kind of ride I'm going to get. Magnum can be boring, clunky, and sometimes painful, or unexpectedly smooth and one of my favorite coasters in the park.

^ Gorgeous train! Definitely TTD-inspired, and the OTRS lap bars look a lot freer and more comfy than Ka's conventional configuration. This thread and the coaster itself have come a long way from the "..wha...is it melting?" panic button that was being pressed months ago.

I never like to see a park shut its doors for good, even if the park isn't on an Astroworld/Geauga Lake scale at closing. The Zierer Crossbow looks like it really packs a punch for its size -- I'd be surprised if it doesn't find a new home sooner than later.

I'm nerdy and I have no shame: I believe the Frontier Trail is the corridor from the MF tunnel to the Wave Swinger/hospital haunt, while the Frontier"town" is the Maverick/Mean Streak area heading toward Gemini -- which area did you mean? Did I miss a support announcement mentioning new stuff, or are you speculating on your own? Other than eventual new plans for the Shoot the Rapids spot, I'd like to see almost no further changes in the back-left part of the park. Aside from some larger restrooms, I'm good. There's already a fine gift shop near Mean Streak that can be tweaked to anchor the coaster's post-op merchandise. The rustic theme and relative abundance of trees in the Frontier areas make for a great change of pace from the beach views & open plazas of pavement elsewhere. While Mean Streak will benefit greatly from surgery, a Frontier face-lift would be at an ironic risk of getting botched. Cedar Fair doesn't have a track record of doing "rustic-modern" like SDC/Dollywood, so I'd prefer it simply resists the temptation to add back there for the sake of change. Aye, many a generic plaza were born this way. Skyhawk fits in well enough and is fun, but I don't want anything else crowding the aesthetic, creating more pavement, or chopping down trees. Same goes for the old-fashioned shops and petting zoo near Millennium Force: keep the pace slower, keep it shaded. Seeing Twisted Son of Mean Streak's 360 Revenge & Maverick be two kick-butt neighbors to one another is the only change I want to see!

Or just another troll job by Cedar Point, they know that we enthusiasts would slobber all over the screen at the mention of that name. Who knows? It could be legitimate, but I'm not jumping on that bandwagon until they actually say so. No need to temper your expectations here...between "Really More Coming" with Hurler, this teaser, & Mean Streak's closure, there's clearly more afoot than the Huss Frisbee ruse at Carowinds a few years ago.

All signs are pointing to a Camper Village expansion.

I see very few people "bitching" or "taking these awards too seriously". Most of us are laughing about them and pointing out ridiculous things within them because it's fun. Amen, Bill! There's a lot of conversation to be had between blind praise and ceaseless complaining, and most of it is enjoyable or we wouldn't come back. I don't think any members are "hate reading" the Golden Ticket Awards or TPR to throw fits. Writing to your local park with an expletive-laden letter about how the list is an injustice would certainly be a buck-nutty reaction, but no one is doing that. The members who simply express themselves seem to be having a good time. I don't see where this narrative came from that everyone is a miserable nerd who takes things too seriously.

I'm proud of Idlewild, Knoebels, Kennywood, King's Island, Dollywood, and others for getting recognized in their respective categories, whether it's cleanliness or great kids' areas. It's good to see thoughtfulness beyond the coasters getting valued and recognized. Lots of well-deserving parks have been represented, which is great to see. As I posted elsewhere, I can accept the B&M people-eaters over some of the more extreme Intamins, given the Beemers' reliability and re-rideability. On the other hand, the aggressive Voyage ranked prominently, so "easygoing hypers" can't be all there is to the theme. I think the list just is the way it is -- some solid consensus picks and some surprises.

Ah, that was simply me, and I should have tacked on some smilies or something -- I'm not groveling in a basement or anything because of the list. Aside from the "controversial" Intamins, great B&Ms like Kumba, Montu, Nemesis, SFoG's Goliath, and Behemoth should handily bump something like i232. In that particular instance, it should be dismissed because it's pretty plain to see that 232 is getting overflow consideration from Fury putting Carowinds in a bigger spotlight. I'm surprised Magnum didn't crack the list in a similar way, given the legacy stature of Millennium Force & Cedar Point. But, when a very aggressive ride like Voyage makes the list, that tells me that this list isn't a greatest hits of re-rideable coasters like you're describing. Catch it at the wrong time, and Voyage is significantly less re-rideable than a lot of major coasters out there. It's just an odd list that goes all over the place beyond a few consensus picks. Disagreeing with discerned insight is not the same as thoughtless complaining. If we're taking the NYC pizza tour and we get told that Pizza Hut is among the best slices in the city, we'd be right to scratch our heads.

* Manhattan Express -- Replace the part between the top of the lift and the brakes with a Leviathan "brake ramp from heaven" that heads straight back to the station * The Leviathan brake ramp from heaven * The Raging Bull trim * Sky Rocket's post-MCBR, eliminate the wave turns with a legit to-the-ground airtime hill or two. Very fun ride otherwise. * Break up some of the B&M parabola hills that have little-to-no airtime with smaller speed/bunny hills, as seen on Hair Raiser * Fujiyama's "WTF finale"

LOL, I have family in Buffalo, and do enjoy my visits there! I'd love a slice of La Nova pizza right about now...

Yes, it was mentioned 5 days ago If true, boy, ain't that just like Kennywood? Some of the terrain acrobatics and even the aesthetics shown on Lightning Rod and Outlaw Run just scream Kennywood all over. If a layout could be carved over the far hillside past Log Jammer and/or along the train hillside a la Boulder Dash, I can't imagine what nuttiness RMC could develop. Come on, Kennywood, be the second park to go for the Chance/Morgan-RMC super combo! Hey, no harm in a little daydreaming, right?

I've noticed a palpable "too cool for school" fringe among young employees in Pittsburgh, in all kinds of jobs, from retail to customer service. I can't tell you how many times I've had orders screwed up at stores and restaurants by a mumbling Slim Shady kid, or a high school junior who flirts with a girl throughout my entire transaction. Kennywood doesn't import European employees like Hershey and Cedar Point do, so I believe it has to make do with local applicants. Two years ago, I witnessed the Sky Rocket dispatcher passively say to another operator, "Okay, just lemme finish this page" -- she was doing homework on the job while the trains stacked. Things could and should improve, but I don't blame Kennywood for not being able to totally wring those tendencies out of the local teens. At the same time, like PennStater pointed out, there are examples of caring, fast-moving employees at Kennywood, and I don't want to forget about them because of a few bad apples. Pittsburgh is an odd place...it culturally stands alone, for better or worse, with few cultural imports or exports. The city is a weird combination of a beautiful skyline, famous sports teams, great museums, food, schools, technology, banking, and Kennywood ...but also some sketchy neighborhoods and "Walmart people" Appalachian vibes that don't foster courteous efficiency as a virtue. I also think that the huge focus on youth sports in the area grows early egos in kids when they're 14 or 15, and when that sets the tone for what's cool, you don't get humble, fast-moving employees.