Samuel

I went to Cedar Point a few years ago with five friends who all rode and loved Dragster, ran back in line to do it again, and then emphatically voted "NO CHANCE ON EARTH OR IN HELL ARE WE RIDING THAT" in regard to Power Tower, which I ended up riding alone. I've been to parks with a fair number of coaster-enjoying friends who simply won't budge with drop towers for a variety of reasons (they feel more vulnerable in comparison to being on a coaster, imagine being in a precarious position if the ride breaks down, don't like the anticipatory anxiety of a startling drop, visually don't like to dwell on heights, think the butterflies in the stomach feeling is unpleasant, etc.). I've also ridden three slingshots solo (well, an employee hops on with me) while my friends watch and think I've lost my mind. In fact, in recent years a lot of the Intamin and S&S towers I've been on have been walk-ons or minimum waits in otherwise busy parks...I do wonder if they scare off more ridership than intended.

Well, that Shockwave transition was notorious, but Raptor's snap into the brakes fits your description. If you mean only among transitions into MCBR, Alpengeist's is also quite abrupt and inconsistent with B&M's usual design gracefulness.

I never understood the seemingly deliberate under-banking through turns on CCI woodies. I think CCI was going for fun Kennywood-style Thunderbolt laterals, but instead a lot of those turns, transitions, and crests of hills were jarring nightmares on otherwise solid layouts. The moment one of those woodies slipped out of top maintenance shape, the painful and exaggerated laterals stuck out like sore thumbs. It also didn't help when Gerstauler trains started popping up on some of them with Magnum-style lapbars, hard plastic seats, and shuffling that felt like riding an angry bull during an earthquake. Myrtle Beach Hurricane comes to mind... I think that's a great call in both cases. Gatekeeper at least has some funky banking and the wingspan of the trains gives unique visual perspectives while riding, but there's absolutely nothing going for either of these elements. "Meandering" shouldn't be in the description of big-time coasters, but I've felt that way about some of the newer B&Ms. In contrast, Kumba has a second half with purpose -- the tight, low-to-the-ground elements feel like a real finale and not a tacked-on way to halfheartedly extend a coaster.

In regard to the pro-RMC talk, there was never a cause-effect where RMC came along and put a halt to a buying bonanza on the Intamin prefabs. After each highly-rated Intamin woodie came out, enthusiasts kept expecting them to pop up all over the place and it never happened, years before RMC was an acronym in the coaster world. Explaining the relative lack of prefabs in terms of “well, because RMC is here,” is like claiming that dinosaurs died off because humans squeezed out their habitat through deforestation. To add to the high cost speculation, Intamin’s reputation has also gone through the mud in terms of accidents, reliability, and engineering blunders. For as much as I love its creations, it’s only for Intamin rides that I’ve had to call multiple parks to ask if rides are running or have re-opened after accidents, structural modifications, cable snappings, motor meltdowns, computer glitches, never-ending rollbacks, etc. El Toro has been down during busy operating days for weeks on-end while “just waitin’ on that new cable.” It's frustrating. It’s like Intamin hits huge home runs and then accidentally doesn’t touch home plate and gets called out. RMC has certainly come along and seized the opportunity that we all thought Intamin would have realized years ago (and more), but RMC didn't cause a mass migration away from Intamin prefabs or explain why more weren't purchased.

Like a few others have said, hate is too strong of a word; I love coasters after all, but I’ll contribute that I think flying coasters are to the sensation of flight what Jack Skellington’s “Making Christmas” campaign was to Christmas: A good intention that couldn’t achieve its concept. I haven’t tried the Stingray, but the older Vekoma Dutchmen are clunky, and train stacking makes me feel like I’m stuck in a dentist’s chair that’s reclined too far back and the dentist has walked away, leaving me uncomfortable and with no clue as to what's happening. The B&M versions are ho-hum, save for the strong signature pretzel element, but even that’s more of a stunt than a deliverance of the coveted sensation of delightful soaring and flight. And the Volare? Ooph. Every flyer I've ridden has been in the "once was enough" category, although I've been generous in revisiting them to see if I'll one day grasp something amazing that I currently don't detect. In my opinion, the first few pendulous swings on a sky coaster and some of the B&M inverts do flying better than the flying coaster. Yet, I have a few coaster-seasoned friends who believe flyers are up there with anesthesia, refrigeration, and indoor plumbing in terms of innovation, and the flyers tend to draw lines and get good GP reception in the station.

Well, I hope competition brings out the best in everyone moving forward. It’s like RMC has made "traditional wood coaster" a passé term. In addition to its new woodies and major overhauls, RMC's topper track may also go up against GCI's rehab services, which in my opinion have been excellent in their own right when they repair older rides, but oddly haven't made a huge difference on their own coasters. Shake-up competition like RMC doesn't come along every day, but it doesn't mean that everyone else in the industry just shuts off their lights and goes home. The B&M invert never stopped Vekoma from selling oodles of SLCs, with one even under construction in Poland today. When El Toro debuted at Great Adventure, I also recall the "oh, %@#!" fan speculation that Intamin would squash other manufacturers and own the playing field in multiple coaster categories within a few years. Intamin prefab woodies were supposed to pop up in every other backyard throughout the world (and I still dream that dream), but it didn't quite happen that way. GCI and GG both have some Jekyll/Hyde tendencies across their coaster portfolios. When they're good, they're AWESOME. In terms of ride-feel, I think Lightning Racer is just about perfect. I believe a "traditional" ride experience like that would have a place in any park's coaster lineup for decades to come, even if it stood next to an RMC coaster. Then I think about Roar (East), the only coaster that's literally beaten me to the point of laughter as a defense mechanism, and I do begin to wonder how that ride experience and the maintenance implications you brought up are considered by a park when it reviews GCI's body of work. The same applies to GG with a great ride like Ravine Flyer II vs. Hades 360...just day-and-night experiences. As a coaster fan, I haven't been this excited since the 2000-2003 coaster wars, which seemed to mostly be a battle for record-breakers among parks...but now, I hope RMC is lighting a fire among manufacturers that leads to some fun, funky, and easier-to-maintain rides for all of us to look forward to in the future. ** If RMC is ever brought in to rehab a GCI coaster, the following year IAAPA should put their booths, along with the Chinese knock-off manufacturer that always tries to sneak in, in one corner and just see what happens.

Just to give credit where it's due, it's actually a Zamperla Giant Discovery. The spinning isn't my cup of tea, but I was real impressed by its intensity...the forces at full swing had me thinking, "holy smokes, this ride is wild!"

It worked for me, too. I didn't expect to see the name, and I was instantly delighted. There were a few Peanuts films beyond the holiday specials that I adored growing up, and still do! Race for Your Life is a great family movie. So long as they have Peanuts, I like Cedar Fair demonstrating thoughtfulness by giving a nod to some of the deeper cuts within the brand, even if the references are't immediately picked up by everyone. It's easy enough to put Charlie Brown's face on a kiddie ride, but the Kite Eating Tree frog hopper? The Red Baron circular bi-plane ride with Snoopy in the cockpit? I genuinely appreciate those extra touches. --- Thrillrider, this was a nice trip report! I enjoyed combing through the pictures. The new interactive maps and posted queue times are a good touch. I believe that some parks have stuck to the sign-post-with-a-zillion-arrows-vaguely-pointing-toward-all-rides-in-all-directions for far too long. For years, malls, sporting venues, and public transit systems have been using practical technology like this to help people orient themselves, understand their options, and make a decision on what they want to do next...but adoption among parks has been uneven. Still, I'm glad KI now has them. As a coaster fan, even when it's easy to figure out where everything is located in a park, it always stinks to waste time on a busy day just jogging around to compare different lines. Finally, I've plugged it before/I'll plug it again -- I really like the candy store at KI. Candy stores aren't typically a park priority for me, but KI maintains a nice selection of treats behind the glass. The peanut butter & Oreo fudge have become must-haves for me when I visit the park.

Hey RoCo, I want to toss you a compliment from off the beaten path to say that your descriptive captions really enhanced the photos and were a total delight to read -- a great mix of humor, information, and personal insight. Both the pictures and those parks are compelling on their own, but having a little extra context to garnish each photo made me slow down and admire each shot. My nerdiness still enjoys galleries of contextless, zoomed-in-on footers and bolts, but your writing put a personal stamp on this report that made it a real stand-out to me. Great job!

In the past, weather and crowds were two potential impediments to having a good time at a park, and the only answer was to offer prayers to the amusement park gods. While weather conditions are still less than assured, fast passes have been nearly essential at times for me to make the most of days at crowded parks. Ensuring at least one major variable won't be an issue is a big plus. With work, I get to parks when I can, and sometimes this means getting creative to make time for parks on days where I fly in/out of cities. I don't regularly have the luxury of hand-picking those few dates where parks are more likely to be empty. Also, I'm more willing to pay up at a Six Flags/Cedar Fair park...last season, I didn't use the fast pass systems at Hershey or Kennywood. I also don't think they're necessary or fitting for a Knoebels or Waldameer -- traditional parks that often have modest lines and typically pleasant guests. In regard to the big chains, though, a two hour wait for a Batman clone on a roasting hot summer day, watching my 7th grade queue neighbors flirt, line jump, punch each other, and play an impromptu half-court game with their souvenir basketballs = GIMME FAST PASS!!

Guess away! Since it's been several days with no guesses, I'll add a couple of hints: - I don't believe many TPR members have ridden this, but it has drawn curiosity from others on the forum. - Not an obscure jet coaster "I'm not going on Roller Coaster 1 while it's raining!"

Cobra at Oktoberfest?

The Old Mill at Kennywood becoming Garfield's Nightmare...I hope that classic haunted gem gets restored sooner than later. Also, Disaster Transport for Gatekeeper -- and the thing is, I'm only half-kidding! It was time for DT to go, but it had refreshing AC, still delivered a solid family ride, filled a role in the shrinking middle class of the park's lineup, could house a haunt in the building, and the MST3K fan in me could laugh along to the uneven and totally campy 80's sci-fi theme. I like Gatekeeper's nice paint job and the revamped front gate, but not a whole lot else. Another high-capacity coaster with a seating gimmick & categorical records to promote, sure, but a sorely-needed Gold Striker-esque woodie would have filled a much greater need in the park's lineup. If the Mantis conversion goes over well, it's possible that the park's two older B&M brothers make their younger winged sibling a superfluous add.

I was in the "I don't get Maverick" category until this season. I had two issues that I completely solved after a lot of experimenting: Headbanging- Hold on to the horse-collar restraint around your head (near your ears), and just hold yourself upright during the transitions. When I do this, the wild laterals are totally thwarted. Like the game Operation, now I don't touch the sides! When I held the lap grips or just put my hands up, my head and body would uncomfortably flail about, but holding on to the horse-collar itself has improved the ride experience dramatically. Thigh/Butt Stapling - This one is a little bit trickier, and mileage may vary by body type, but I try to give myself a little bit of space in the seat when I first get on the ride. I sit forward while the restraints are being checked, and then I'm able to sit back with some wiggle room once the ride starts. I used to sit as far back as I could, get stapled in, and then my thighs and butt would go through an Intamin-guided tour of hell. I don't like having to "game plan" before going on a coaster, but Maverick otherwise has so much going for it, that it's worth a few personal adjustments to get the most out of one of the best rides in North America.

Forces and speed would only be intolerable if they were designed to be intolerable, and I'd trust just about every major designer in 2014 to be able to work out any issues with forces. Steel Phantom suffered from wonky 1991 Arrow design, not from it happening to go both upside-down and 80+ mph at different parts of the ride. She rides in the front rows of the cars and props her legs up a bit, but she doesn't have to fight the ride at all. In the second rows of the cars, she knows that there's that hollow floor area so you can't support your back against the strong airtime, but the front rows deliver a very comfortable ride. A bit of well-designed airtime not only doesn't bother her, it's what she loves...it's any ride that nauseates her, beats her up, or coaxes her into fighting it in order to have fun isn't her cup of tea...and that stuff is unfortunately the bulk of the undercard at a lot of major parks.

To support your points, my mom is in her mid-sixties and this is all that's on her menu these days: Millennium Force, Phantom's Revenge & Jack Rabbit (KW), Diamondback, Ride of Steel at DL, and RCT "transportation rides." Most woodies, anything that goes upside-down, all spinning/flat rides, and even old family-category coasters like Arrow mine trains are out of the question for her, but she has no problem paying full admission just to ride Millennium Force all day. I personally love the occasional "Whoa, Nelly!" experiences that you find on something like Skyrush, but if I'm a park GM and tasked with sinking $30 mil into a new coaster, I probably won't be looking to over-serve hardcore fans with a looping giga while alienating a much larger percentage of guests.

Although I've read that a successful Peanuts movie would offer some positive shrapnel that could hit the Cedar Fair parks, Peanuts does sustain its own presence throughout the year with lots of seasonal holidays and those TV specials. Whether intentional or not, it was smart of Charles Schulz to weave the series into the fabric of American holidays as it moved from a comic to a cartoon. The Muppets movie did a great job of reinvigorating that franchise and bringing those characters to a new generation (in part, by poking fun at the premise of the Muppets being outdated). If they manage to get that Looney Tunes movie off the ground (mentioned in Robb's link), it could be a nice shot in the arm for everyone involved...hey, I didn't think Jurassic World would come to fruition, so never say never. I will say this for the non-Disney/Universal parks, Six Flags or Cedar Fair trying to chase after all of the here-today-gone-later-today characters and brands that aren't owned by the aforementioned movie-making juggernauts wouldn't make any sense given what those parks are. When I go to ride Twisted Colossus, I'm not expecting a Harry Potter-level of immersion...I have no problem with these parks being sprinkled with a familiar motif of characters, whether Peanuts, Looney Tunes, etc. And yes, Robb, the channel is usually on Disney or Nick. I try to get them to watch different things for the sake of variety, but they only like to take TV marching orders from a seven-year-old neighbor who influences a lot of their tastes and preferences! They couldn't be more simple, or more complex.

I'm just wondering what everyone thinks. I recently gave my nieces an old but perfectly playable Looney Tunes board game that I've kept for years, and they had no clue who Bugs, Daffy, Porky, Elmer, etc. were. The four-year-old actually told me, "This must be very old because I don't know them, so umm...let's go play with my princess castle!" At the same time, she shows me her licensed toys (often Disney) and I always have to ask her, "OK, so who are all of these characters? Are they in a movie? Are they on TV?" Whatever the pulse is with kids today, I know I'm not on it. What I do know is that a little girl who is old enough for kids' area rides at parks gawked at me for giving her a Looney Tunes game (she's sweet, and is just in that overly-honest phase). As a kid growing up in the 80's and 90's, my grandpa and dad enjoyed Looney Tunes, and I became a fan, too. Looney Tunes was big. At that time, they were re-running Merrie Melodies episodes on multiple channels nearly 24/7, and without as many channels to choose from, it was nearly impossible for anyone with a TV in North America to not know those characters. Six Flags must have enjoyed riding the wave of 90's revival interest -- everyone knew the "Duck Season/Rabbit Season" gag, Tiny Toons was popular, crowds packed into movie theaters for Space Jam, and Marvin Martian merch was everywhere. Six Flags and Looney Tunes have been synonymous for decades now, and while a part of me thinks that use of the characters for the parks will continue indefinitely, I also know that I thought the same thing about Paramount Parks. See, my older brothers grew up in the 70's and 80's, and they preferred Hanna-Barbera shows over Looney Tunes. They were obsessed with the Flintstones, Yogi, He-Man, and the Smurfs (plus Fraggle Rock). When I was young, my family went to King's Dominion and Carowinds, and I remember not "getting" Smurf Island and Mountain like my brothers did, just like my niece didn't "get" Looney Tunes as I do. Eventually, those Hanna-Barbera brands cooled off as pop culture moved on. Scooby Doo stuck around, but the other TV shows faded into a nostalgia niche, and we all know that those park areas were removed and transformed by Paramount (Hi, Volcano!). So, there is a precedent for parks to evaluate deeply-ingrained licensed/themed kids areas and make big changes if they deem it necessary. While parents surely know Looney Tunes well, it isn't easy to find on any of my 300+ TV channels today, and all the kids I know are obsessed with Disney and Nickelodeon. Are kids going to start walking around Six Flags saying, "Mom, who is that guy with the guns and a big mustache?" "Why is there a yellow bird?" "What is that giant rooster?"

If I'm at a park that I don't visit too frequently, I often just say "OK, I'm going to do my favorite ride one last time and then hit the road." At home parks and those I visit more often, however, I've noticed that I've developed more nuanced rituals for how I spend my time before the park closes for the night. Like the grand finale of a fireworks show or an encore at a concert, it's more fulfilling to leave the park satisfied and on a high note. So, I thought it'd be an interesting topic to invite the sharing of stories of what everyone like to do at the end of the night, perhaps for personal or sentimental reasons, or to recommend great night rides, marathon-able empty lines, or good places to get food/merchandise on the way out the door. - At Cedar Point, I always close the night on Raptor. Being right by the main gate, it's easy to hop a quick ride before you leave. Even though I've read that many people like to do this, I've never waited beyond the station when I approach near closing (5 min max). In addition, Raptor was one of the first big coasters I ever rode, and my dad taking me on was a major catalyst for me developing an interest in coasters. After a few surgeries over the years, my dad decided to play it safe by "retiring" from riding coasters, which was a big blow to him -- he's the original aficionado before me. So, taking that last spin on Raptor is also a nod to my dad, and gives me a chance to reflect with gratitude on being able to have a great day at the park. - At King's Island, it's always Beast and then fudge. Night rides on the Beast probably need no introduction here. The candy store on the main midway has very good fudge! I strongly recommend the peanut butter -- there's probably no magic to it, but it's been very fresh and some of the best I've ever had when I get it. - At Kennywood, I always ride the Merry-Go-Round and then get popcorn near the Jack Rabbit before I go home. Another thing I used to do with my dad when I was little, I now get to take my nieces on the Merry-Go-Round. Being enveloped by the atmosphere provided by the great lighting package, beautiful Wurlitzer music, and awesome Dentzel horses, it's as classic an amusement park experience as it gets. As for the popcorn, it's salty and tasty, and since they fill it up past the top of the box, you can get some serious snacking done as you make the long walk back through the tunnel and into the parking lot!

Is there a local lore behind the name, like the New Jersey Devil, that I'm missing? If I were in a "name the coaster" meeting at Lagoon, I'd never give Cannibal my vote, unless there'd already be a widely-understood campy/humorous context that would fit the attraction, or a strong Halloween tie-in. A huge attraction shouldn't risk tripping over itself with a name that carries an off-putting connotation, right down to the images and page results that could come up when kids or families planning a visit to the park type "cannibal" into a search engine. Is it any worse than "Murderer -- it murders other coasters, get it?" It seems like a name that might work in a kitschy-humored European park, but I never got that vibe from Lagoon. I do think the ride nevertheless looks awesome! I'll raise my glass in a toast to hopeful smoothness. I'm glad the park is getting a legitimate big league attraction, and I hope it's a hit!

I think the original question and a few subsequent posts have mentioned or implied the notion that an arms race between park chains is still going strong, but outside of some big players clustered in sunny-weathered locations, the competitive landscape of parks is a battleground fighting for disposable income and entertainment dollars in a much broader sense than the "this park vs. that park" battle lines that we draw up through our conversations as enthusiasts. I had lunch with a few executives from a well-known regional park recently, and one thing we talked about was how the park's competitive landscape is shaped significantly by local entertainment competitors, as opposed to other parks hundreds of mile away. Dinner and a movie, attending a college sports game, using the Internet all day, shopping at a local mall, or just staying in to watch TV...these are some of the identities of competition that traditional amusement and theme parks face. Of course parks like bragging rights within the industry, but most of the gate that rolls through a typical Six Flags or Cedar Fair park isn't thinking along the lines of, "I'll fly into to Dallas, Texas next year if Six Flags builds this, or to Germany if Holiday Park builds that," like we do on this site. I'd like to see more giga coasters like everyone else, but it'd be ridiculous for Six Flags to start buying them up on the basis of not wanting to fall behind on the enthusiasts' scorecard of how many each park chain has built. We may see one at Six Flags St. Louis one day, for instance, but it won't be because the park needs to retaliate against Leviathan or i305 --- that's a battleground that only we're imagining. With Six Flags, it does seem like a "with some new stuff here, and some new stuff there, here new stuff, there new stuff, everywhere some new stuff" approach takes precedent to ride length and quality -- and these county fair fireball flats are really stretching it as far as something to get excited about. One of my non-enthusiast friends once declared years ago in his layman's terms, "Cedar Point has real coasters, and Six Flags Ohio just has a bunch of cluttered little upside-down crap." In fairness, both chains have done their share of ride recycling in recent years, and have built some amazing and not-so-amazing rides. It'd be great to see a few gigas at Six Flags parks, but I'd honestly rather see them put some $ TLC into their current rides and park operations. Fix up bathrooms, move beyond tacky facades that lead to coasters in the parking lot, landscape consistently, make sure all ride operators have a pulse, put at least a second train on the already-existing coasters, etc. Not all Six Flags parks are like this, but the ones that seem most giga-eligible already have sufficient thrills, but could use a face-lift in so many other areas.

As others have mentioned, the first over-banked turn on Millennium Force is usually a blur to me. Some others include: - Exiting the vertical loop on the Vekoma Dutchmen when riding in the last row - Storm Runner's giant sidewinder/immelmann...the pull-up into it is pretty tight, and I think it's an underrated (or at least generally unrecognized) spot of high positive G's - The pretzel loop of Tatsu

I'm glad that Kennywood has done a great job maintaining its classic wooden coasters -- they were all running very well this season. Also, although not specific to the industry, I'm thankful for Robb indirectly introducing me to Carrabba's years ago through his trips, and now I've had great meals at multiple locations throughout the USA. The atmosphere is typically warm and cozy, prices are reasonable, and the menu top-to-bottom looks good. The grilled chicken breast is easily the best I've ever had! If I'm traveling and there aren't any one-off landmark restaurants or unique foods I have to seek out, my next step is to see if there's a Carrabba's nearby. They tend to pop up not far from some big amusement parks, and they make for a reliably good meal on the road.

Just for fun, what coasters regularly produce an exceptional amount of clapping and hootin'/hollerin' from GP riders when they return to the station? While TPR members aren't shy about vocalizing the fun they're having, the makeup and attitudes of riders on regular operating days can vary. Still, it perks me up to see average riders being expressively ecstatic when they get back to the station, and this surely occurs on some rides more often than others. I think some important ingredients for a great reception include a solid ride, riders who are willing to let themselves have fun, and enthusiastic employees who can project and generate excitement through their interactions with guests. I'll offer Maverick, MF, and TTD at Cedar Point as my examples -- the GP is often very pumped to ride these three, and a regular ride can feel more like the camaraderie experience of being with TPR members, where just about everyone is raving and enjoying themselves. I'm aware that although quality rides sometimes totally deliver and the employees do a fine job, returning riders can act "too cool for school," get weirdly shy, or just quickly lose their buzz (especially if trains stack), so I tend to stick up for good rides by giving a sincere applause, even if others won't play along. Also, I think crews of knowingly dated/rough coasters should stop polling for post-ride opinions that invite fun-killing silence or even jeers, and instead should just say, "thank you for riding such-and-such, when the train comes to a stop..." Anyway, what coasters do you feel typically get a great response?

Yep! And WFChris, if you remember that there was an unfinished "roller coaster 1" that came with the Volcania scenario, so your guess wasn't without merit!