SFOG1991

^Could we really finally be seeing this thing open?! I hope they announce an official opening date as soon as they are 100% confident, because if they provide a date, I will be there. Otherwise I'll be there sometime after I see pictures of people riding it.

I can't wait to go to the park again this year. Of all the parks I've been to, I've had some amazing experiences at Conneaut Lake Park. Beautiful park despite the need of property clean up. The setting itself and untouched history is wonderful. The park is still in the red, but having their taxes pretty much paid off now buys them the time they need and asked for to reimagine the park. The trustees that own/operate the park know that it isn't profitable as just an amusement park, and honestly the amusement park will likely never be profitable because the park just doesn't make economic sense with the way the market is today. That being said, the restoration of the water park adds a ton of ticket revenue potential for what is overall a small investment. Between that and the expansion of Camperland (which is already bring in $60,000 a year), it is clear they know that the amusement park isn't the place to invest in beyond upkeep, beautification, and operation/services. There is a reason they aren't buying up old carnival rides and it is a good reason. Looking forward to the new season and the progress the park is managing to make! Now we just need the state to exempt them from future property tax (at least in the areas that are free public use spaces like the beach, lawn, stage, etc.)

Also, the cost of the coaster itself is very low compared to other manufacturers. If they want to stay on a low budget, an Infinity or Eurofighter of a larger than average size would be awesome and still way cheaper than that hyper that probably isn't going to happen.

Do you happen to know how they obtain the wait time information? Is it also done via user submissions or do the park staff handle it in the same way the static signs at the ride entrance are handled? I think they just have ride ops report an approximation based on line length at a few points during the day, not sure. It isn't very accurate but overall it can give you an idea of how busy the park is in general.

Such a nice park! I only wish there was room for a few more flat rides, but other than that it is pretty much perfect. Very nice vibe to the entire park.

The Pokémon CS items definitely help. It is amazing how meh of a game RCT3 is without CS and how great it can be with CS. This park is starting to come together nicely.

I have never understood this because I see the best reaction from all ages on coasters that are very intense. Many people argue that a park "doesn't want a coaster that intense because it won't appeal to as many people" but at most parks, their most intense coaster is often the most popular with the GP. I don't see why notable airtime would make this more or less family friendly. At the end of the day it is very tall and fast, and most people will decide to ride it or not ride it based on that, not on the negative G calculation. People not interested in coasters will go to SeaWorld regardless, so if anything a standout coaster just helps to expand the park's target customer. Regardless of all of that, it is a B&M so it will likely ride like an average B&M hyper or maybe a bit more intense than the average B&M hyper. It isn't going to ride like an Intamin.

If the timing was right I would so do this and use it as an excuse to take another Orlando trip. Thanks for posting. I'm sure some Orlando locals might be interested.

I wish I could see Six Flags wait times before deciding whether or not to go to the park (SFOG is a 40 minute drive and I can go anytime with my season pass). Six Flags has an app and includes wait times but you have to be in the park for it to function, which drives me crazy. I usually just decide not to go in case it is busy since Six Flags prevents me from knowing that information. That being said, I wish there was a popular app that people actually used so all park wait times were available. I just don't think the supply of users willing to provide wait times exists in the "ride wait time" market or social platform (whatever it would be considered). There is likely a reason any app like this has failed.

I am north of Atlanta so for me, SFOG is about 40 minutes away, Lake Winnie about an hour and a half, Dollywood and Carowinds about 3.5 hours, North GA State Fair has a permanent Schwarzkopf 30 minutes away from me, a fun park south of the city has a mid-sized coaster about 1 hour from me, Alabama Splash Adventure is 2.5 hours, and Wild Adventures is 5 hours. Not too bad for being in the southeast, which is a bit dry in terms of coaster supply. I have no limit. I love taking coaster trips and as long as time allows for it, I have no problem driving 20 hours to enter a new region of parks, and then driving a few hours between each park. I just love road trips and actually have a blast in the car!

Wow it looks like it flies through the course.

I really don't care what they do with Ninja, as long as they don't touch Mind Bender for at least 100 years. Always has been and always will be the best coaster they have to me. I've been on many Schwarzkopf coasters and many are some of the best classics out there, but I have yet to ride one in the same league as Mind Bender so I completely agree and honestly think it's the kind of steel coaster that should be kept forever, even if they have to replace every bit of steel over time. As for other coasters at the park, obviously Goliath is a great one, and for me GASM should also live on forever.

There's no way the drop tower is on its way out, I really don't believe this will be a giga. Drop Tower would be a terrible loss to the park. That is one of the best non-coaster rides they have. Vortex is the one that should be on its way out and replaced with something... Maverick 2.0! Vortex is easily one of my favorite coasters in the park and one of my favorite loopers overall. I hope it lives forever!

Wow those are terrible names. I love Ninja am really excited about the investments they are putting into the ride but I prefer the old colors and name. Those new names are awful and the cool Ninja sign and statues will go to waste for something generic.

Looking sharp! I liked the old colors and would've still preferred just a fresh red coat and keeping the name Ninja. It will be sad to see the awesome entrance sign and ninja statues go. Also, the queue structure fit the theme. As for it not going with Cotton States Exposition, I doubt the retheme is with that in mind. Remember Six Flags removed the Cotton States signage from the ivy tunnel entering the area and never put it back up (which drives me mad!). Excited to find out the new name and try the revamped ride. I already absolutely love Ninja so this can only make it even more awesome.

I'm excited to hear the details of your visit! DDD has been down every morning I have gone all season. Sadly if you want to avoid the 3-6 hour lines you have to get there first and sit through the hour of downtime that seems to occur every single day (which is not a good way to start off on a ride that has an hourly capacity of 60 people). Was Mind Bender running 2 trains for you? I was there the night before your visit and I was shocked to see 2 train ops but it went down to 1 after just an hour. Really odd. Glad the rest of your visit was enjoyable! Like I said, can't wait to hear more and see the trip report.

White Lightning is actually a very intense coaster, more so than most of the larger GCIs, so I don't really equate height with intensity when it comes to GCI. That being said, this layout doesn't look as intense as White Lightning. I guess it will come down to the pacing and how much airtime those hills pack. As a lover of wooden coasters, BGW is now on my 2017 itinerary!

I was waiting for someone to post about this here. Why isn't there a Lake Winnie discussion thread? Love that park so much and this looks like a unique new ride. Looks better than a top spin. I'm certainly excited to try it. Also for those of you wondering, it is replacing Genie but Genie will return next season. They are also adding cabanas to the water park, new events this summer, and expanding Spookya for Halloweeen. Lake Winnie is basically a mini Knoebels South. Hopefully we will see them add a new coaster soon. Maybe for their 100th birthday.

I was going to be at the park tomorrow for the Spring Fling event but I forgot to register. However, I will be there tonight for UGA Night. If anyone wants to go to UGA night, it looks like you can just buy your own guest pass on the website for 30 dollars. I've done this before and they have never checked to see if I am with the school or a guest of someone with the school. The event is 6pm-12am. Hopefully it won't be crazy crowded. In the past, it hasn't been, but last year it was a bit busy. So ready for night rides on Goliath, Mind Bender and Scream Machine!

I'm pleasantly surprised by the pacing! Looks like good airtime potential for a B&M. Can't wait to ride!

Wild Eagle restraints were actually very painful for me and by the end of the ride I was hurting pretty bad and having trouble breathing. They have eased off on the amount of pressure the restraints apply now but it is still discomforting. I didn't have much of a problem on Banshee though. Why is it that the restraints need to squeeze the life out of the rider anyways?

Yes, yes, and yes!

I saw "new coaster" and I was super excited and shocked they held back on a coaster announcement for so long... ...then I realized it was another Larson Loop. Good flat ride addition though.

^That definitely happens to me as well. It is really frustrating when I want good sleep for the day at the park.

That's an amazing deal. I was already planning to go to the park but this makes it easier for me to do one afternoon and then the first half of the next day for very cheap.