Samuel

In regard to Fury/Carowinds, I think Charlotte's overall growth may have a lot to do with an attendance bump... "Charlotte is currently the third fastest-growing major U.S. city. If its population growth continues, Charlotte's population is set to surge by 47% from 2010 to 2030, growing from 1.87 million to about 2.74 million in just twenty years." Charlotte Stats

Looking good! It's nice to have that first test run in the books, and Steelers Country looks like it's developing swiftly now. A solid clickety-clack scores points in my book, and it seems/sounds like a quiet, smooth ride. I'm really looking forward to this now!

Since RMC became a household name to coaster enthusiasts, I've started seeing this notion across forums and social media that coasters have expiration dates (think milk). It's come up particularly when I read rumors about which coasters might receive RMC treatment in the future, but I've seen discussions extend to current steel coasters, too. I've understood that coasters can have declining ridership, a poor ride experience, high maintenance costs, and/or occupy land that could be put to better use. I can see how a combination of these and other factors could make a park consider overhauling or removing a coaster, but now I hear things like, "That GCI is only supposed to run for 20 years -- and then it expires," or, "Well, that coaster will be 17 next year, and it wasn't designed to run much longer than that." And I think, "Huh?" What are these shelf life claims based on? There are certainly many older wooden and steel coasters that have been maintained for decades and run just fine. On the other hand, a few steel coaster tracks have been replaced in recent years. Off the top of my head, Hulk's track was replaced, Phantom's Revenge eventually added more Morgan track up to its lift hill, and Python at Efteling replaced most of its track. Is there some underlying "expiration" truth, or did these coasters just have case-by-case reasons to get new track? I'd love to hear from someone who can authoritatively affirm or dismiss the idea that coasters can have actual expiration dates, as opposed to multiple factors that naturally add up over time until a park feels that it needs to address a ride.

I did the coaster tour last year. I recall Phantom & Racer were walk-ons via heading up the exit ramp, and Thunderbolt was a merge in the station with the regular line. It did save a lot of time on a crowded Saturday. The only bummer was that a middle car was reserved on Phantom for the VIPs -- we weren't able to get the front or back. I don't know if it's changed this year or will change next year. Unless you go on a Saturday and/or a coaster's only running one train, most waits are usually 15-40 min. But who knows what kind of line Steel Curtain will have? You'll probably be fine going to the park and just seeing how busy it is early in the day before buying the VIP tour. A full lot and crowded entrance = busy. The passes are sold right in front of Garfield. One day should be enough for multiple re-rides, and I recommend the dark rides & rare flats, too.

For anyone who attended Coastermania, how did the lines during ERT compare to FL+ lines during a typical weekday? I know that the boat ride, Q&A, food, community, etc., make the event about more than ERT, but hey, I'm still curious.

I'm glad you loved it -- Valravn is solid! I haven't read or heard anything downright hateful about it, but I'm sure a few people prefer the older restraints. It's also common to be lukewarm toward any newer B&M not named Fury, but I think most people would agree that Valravn's fun & one of B&M's better styles. It might even be underrated with so many great coasters in the park. The big drop always puts a big smile on my face, and with FL+ you can usually walk right into the station and onto the next train -- I'd gladly do that all day. I know what you mean about the abrupt pedal-pumping stops in the brakes. Not awful, but awkward. There can be a lot of mini-stops as the train goes down the slope. It's funny when there's so much refinement in a well-engineered ride, and then the brake run of all places is the spot you gotta be ready for.

Let the record show that I think Beast is still the best (and by far the most fun) ride in the park! I thought that it'd start to feel dated by now, but I've enjoyed it every time. It still feels bonkers to me, even with trims, and rides like SkyRush haven't changed that. Please, no touching Beast or other classics like the Coney Island Cyclone, aside from more traditional rehabs.

I'd go with Viper, and then sponsor the naming rights for a middle name to snack brands. Then you can cover clothing and blankets in branded decals and make a little money. "Viper presented by Doritos Extreme Zesty Sour Cream"

Most memorably, I remember waiting over two hours for the Millennium Force pass that gave you a one-hour window to return in order to get in the actual line, which was also several hours with the pass and a breakdown or two. Millennium Force was so busy those first couple of years that it felt like a pop culture event to wait and actually get on it, and it was worth it. Most pleasantly, the longest I ever waited was my first time on Dragster. It was down so often in 2003 that it was rare to see it testing let alone to ride it. My group decided to camp in front of it on a Sunday after we'd already ridden everything else that weekend, and we eventually got on around 6 p.m. -- seven hours later. Since the line was unofficial and outside the closed Dragster entrance, we'd tag in and out for bathroom breaks and food/drinks (I'd never wait that long otherwise!). And sure enough, it was down again not long after my initial ride. Most UGH-ly, the original X. I don't hold it against Magic Mountain or the X2 crew today, but the line was "give me my money back" slow. I remember empty trains just sitting for a few minutes before the gates opened, and then loaded trains would also just sit with riders wondering what was going on. I had whatever the premium tier of Flash Pass was at the time and still waited a few hours, but the entire stand-by line was horrifying -- it had to be 5+ hours. Most understandably UGH-ly, any wild mouse on a Saturday at a packed park. Steer clear!

Hah, oh I see it now. Yeah, that's a bit too in-your-face for my liking.

Yeah, I notice a lot of pop-up Instagram accounts and YouTube channels that just rip off somebody else. You get your oddball-spam YouTube channels with TPR videos being misused now and then, but there are some (I suspect) kids who aren't aware of copyright and attempt to build a social media presence with no original work. I haven't seen the egregious watermarks that were mentioned -- maybe they have become obnoxious, I don't know -- but I don't blame someone for wanting to protect their images and videos.

I see two sites reporting that several recently-installed pieces of track have since been removed from the top of Steel Curtain's big Drachen Fire dive/drop. I'm not sure if the sites are TPR-friendly to include the links, but they're easy enough to find. Without a set opening date beyond the broad span of "this summer," my fingers stay crossed that the coaster is pulled off without trouble and is a great experience. Alterations and tweaks happen with new coasters, but no one wants a reason to doubt or be reminded of Gale Force's wearisome issues. Hopefully construction continues confidently. In S&S We Trust!

I believe that there are couple of reasons for this. First, the land on the other side of the lake is residential, and the homeowners don't want noisy roller coasters echoing across the lake. Second, management keeps that side of the park quiet so as not to disturb the animals. I think that those are the main reasons for the lopsided layout of the park. The decommissioned naval base accounts for the 150' height restriction in the park. I could be wrong, but I believe those are the reasons that the park is laid out the way it is. That is what I have heard as well. Makes perfect sense really. Thanks guys, and everyone else who chimed in, too. I've always been curious about the tightly-packed rides areas compared to most of the rest of the park!

Is there a reason that most of the coasters and big rides are packed along the front areas of the park? I remember Pandemonium, Zonga, and now Superman and this new DC nook all working along the same strip. I'm wondering if it's simply the space that's most readily available, or if there is some reason that this is where the park has to pack in its rides.

Just for fun, my guess is that the next big coaster will be a controlled spinning coaster from Mack that beats Time Traveler. Tallest, fastest, longest, etc. in a sparse category wouldn't be too hard to achieve, and it'd be a new experience for the park. Cedar Fair is working with Mack on Copperhead Strike, so bingo, bango, bongo -- there it is.

This is my first comment on the ride -- I think it looks gorgeous and spectacular. I love that it has a few great-looking traditional airtime moments to balance the sideways misdirections and inversions. I could gaze at the blue-and-white color scheme all day (it looks good on Twisted Cyclone, too). And what a structure, even after the big helices were removed. I see nothing to be skeptical about. Skyrush and Maverick are proof that you shouldn't, err, rush to judgement on new coasters during construction (but I would bet on this being fantastic!). Aside from my anticipation for the coaster itself, my tolerance for internet coaster conjecture is zapped. Too many kids and shut-ins. Bedroom hot takes on YouTube and fantasy No Limits 2 uploads with three-mile-long giga coasters distort expectations. Checking out Hakugei on social media, I see a lot of, "Not Steel Vengeance, so it's a letdown," and then, "Why didn't they just build that one No Limits coaster I saw that one time and it was much better? By the way, I knew everything before my thirteenth birthday." Sometimes you gotta run screaming from the conversations and just enjoy the rides.

Rats! It was always closed during my trips to KD, and the closest I got to it was watching it test for a few hours while maintenance worked on it. At least I got to see the fire effect erupt out of the volcano -- such a unique attraction! I've always been interested in the queue, mountain, and any leftover features from the Smurfs/log flume that I've only caught glimpses of on YouTube and in old pictures. I hope the mountain will live on!

This is a real gem if you're from Pittsburgh, and I think TPR will dig it, too. It's a lot of footage from the classic documentary Kennywood Memories that didn't make the final cut, put together to make a new program that just debuted last night: p.s. check out the stand-up experience on Thunderbolt! For some reason I'm having trouble getting the video to work with tags. If anyone can edit this or successfully post the video, feel free.

New POV animation with a lot more refinement! There should be some serious headchoppers throughout the structure. The banana roll looks more like a banana roll now, too. I like this POV better than the previous one with generic Schwarzkopf NL2 track. I don't think there will be that much water underneath the ride, but it's a nice animation overall. I gotta say, I thought this was a weird gamble of a ride, but the trains unveiled today and this new POV give me a lot of confidence. Update: S&S has posted two more videos to its YouTube page...

I like the trains for Steel Curtain! They're really committed to that Steelers theme, but more than that, the restraints look minimal and open for such a massive looper. I think they look more appealing than both the Dodonpa/Gale Force and four-across thrust air coaster restraints. I'm not wild about inversion-heavy coasters anymore, but I want this to be a solid ride for the park. The trains give me confidence.

Yikes. The details speak to someone who's circling the drain, and I hope Jeff doesn't further hurt himself or anyone else. Another article says that one of the drugs was meth, so it's not like this was some local marijuana bust during a traffic stop. I don't see how the parks can keep moving forward while attached to such a PR nightmare.

I feel the same way, but maybe for different reasons. I relied on those old horse collars to keep myself from being tossed around. I'd hold onto them high around my cheeks, and I could keep myself upright and just enjoy the wild transitions. The ride becomes a chore on my upper body when I can only grab the handles on the heavy horizontal bar. I also never liked that the heavy bar staples my butt to the hard seat, and the seatbacks feel stiffly affixed to those pylon boxes. It's the same thing with Fahrenheit, i305, etc. I know that Intamin isn't totally satisfied either, because it regularly tweaks and/or overhauls its train designs and restraints year after year. It's interesting to see so many modifications and different seat molds in the last decade or so. And just to disclaimer, these are little gripes that you might give to a family member you love -- Maverick's still awesome as-is.

I'll be so disappointed if these photos don't turn out to be Wade Shows website jpegs. Kidding, kidding. I never root for people or places to seem poor and dirty, but less than ideal places can make for interesting trip reports. From a glance, it looks like a pop-up "rides in the grass" sort of park. I doubt I'll ever get to these obscure Chinese parks, but I enjoy checking out reports from them. You have a lot of coasters and parks under your belt, so I hope we'll get some cool trip reports in the future, too. Welcome!

I'm bummed that I won't make it to the park this year, which seemed unfathomable back in August, but all of my possible dates were rained out and windy or insanely busy for the park. My last hopes were the past two days, but I have no regrets now seeing the packed crowds, gusty wet weather, & rides going down often. I love the park atmosphere for Halloweekends, but some years that dead Friday with clear skies just never happens. Anytime it ends up being wet with an hour-plus wait for Corkscrew, forget it. Look like I'll be taking a Steel Vengeance-Steel Curtain makeup trip next spring.

Do you think they'll repaint Valravn when they change the park's colors? I wonder how long it will be until they repaint Dragster and other prominent coasters on the skyline to match the park's style guide. If you're being sincere, no, the park isn't going to do that. I notice that this might be sarcasm toward me and the idea of a park referencing a style guide, but it isn't a new concept. My employers and clients have them, update them periodically, and adhere to them. Some people scratched their heads at Valravn's unique colors when the ride was first announced, and the colors make more sense if the park wanted to use them for branding purposes, too. Hah, agreed! I've gone over color swatches with branding teams, and sometimes I'll think, "Oh, now that would be a handsome coaster."