ariznglori

Can anyone guesstimate about how far away these slides should be visible from? I feel like it will be most noticeable in the park, not sure about the visibility from the highway or parking lot.

I cannot wait to see the waterpark from Wild Thing's lift hill next season.

Midway games were probably awesome in the days before gaming consoles. I've never played a midway game and no one I go to parks with even bothers to try them. I'd like to see them turn the midway games area into more of a food court area, with each window being a stall, maybe a fortune teller somewhere...put a dark ride over there. Sideshow attractions a la "cirque du freak", give the whole place a "dark side of the fair" vibe--even the dark ride (since Cedar Fair is customizing dark rides to individual parks). I'm picturing a games island turned bar with stools on the midway and carny lights. It would be cool to go through such an area on the way to the intense attractions, and would help differentiate it from the 50s area and Route 76, and it would be a natural opposite to Planet Snoopy, catering more to adults and teens... Footers are great progress! The slides should be open when the waterpark opens, right?

Did the cones correspond to the water level during flooding? Keeping the parking lot from flooding will help the park even when the river's not cooperating.

Good point. The parking lot is probably the easiest thing to move and rebuild to allow the park to expand. Though it's unlikely, I'd love to see an invert between Mad Mouse and Renegade. They could move the sheds and buildings to a new area off the parking lot and still have easy access to the park for maintenance, repairs, storage, etc. I feel like they are focusing on getting as many attractions as possible in the parts of the park that don't flood. Valleyfair's density and compact layout really gives it a lot of atmosphere. Another coaster back by Renegade could stay within the berms to avoid flooding, and attract people to the back of the park even if there is flooding and Renegade is closed.

Doesn't Universal go without saying, though? I was going along the lines of regional parks, like Six Flags, in which case Dinosaurs Alive is a great leg up, at least while Jurassic World is going.

I was under the impression that Dinos Alive was a travelling attraction that stayed for a set number of years and then left. Haven't any parks that gotten it lost it? Either way, this still benefits Cedar Fair overall compared to its rivals. And I stand by it likely being the most benefited park in the region, even over the zoo.

I'm glad we have Dinosaurs Alive while Jurassic World is coming out in theaters. The movie will probably give any dino-themed attraction a good boost. We get to be the park that will benefit the most from the walkthrough animatronic garden. If we had to have it at all, this was the ideal time.

It may not be the only pipe going to the splash pad. But then again I'm not an engineer.

With the rate at which LED tech is improving, there may be a viable neon substitute available in the next few years (fingers crossed). The park seems to be actively updating its ride lights and signage, it's possible that might accelerate.

I'd like to see more funky neon lights and color in the area from Extreme Swing to the amphitheater. I know real neon is prohibitively expensive, but I am pretty sure that there are efficient alternatives that can give the same look. In the area back by Excalibur, I'd love to see some Norse mythology theming, to pull in the Vikings and Scandinavian roots of Minnesota. Like you'd go through the tunnel and come up in a completely different world (on a Valleyfair budget of course). There's gotta be some potential fun ride names in Norse mythology that aren't copyrighted by Marvel.

With Cedar Fair calling the investments in atmosphere at Knotts Berry Farm a success and hinting at applying that concept to other parks, is it likely we may see more attention given to theming at Valleyfair? There's the entrance area, the area that is vaguely 50s Americana, Route 76, the Western area to the back, and Planet Snoopy right now. What improvements might we see in these areas, if any? Are there any themes from other Cedar Fair parks you'd like to see implemented here? Or is Valleyfair sitting pretty good with current theming?

I love that idea. It would really help improve the waterpark's appeal to people who would want to use it without dealing with flocks of kids around their recliners.

Idk if they could find a spot for a swimup bar, but that would be a definite bonus!! Even a simple open air bar would certainly make them more money than a volleyball pit. It would be perfect in that space, too. Give it a beach shack theme, tables with umbrellas and chairs and some funky verandah lighting. If the waterpark is included in admission, then any additional revenue stream is worth looking at.

That's the spot, thank you! I was wondering if it was possible to fit the tower of a slide complex there and have the slides end in the older part of the waterpark with maybe another connecting bridge/path between the two areas alongside the slides. Not much room there and just unsure what could be done besides maybe expanding the dining options in the waterpark. I understand SFGA has a bar in their waterpark, maybe that would go over well in Soak City.

Not sure what you mean by "premium sunbathing grass patch". Are you talking about this area... No, it's near the wave pool and goes right up to the wood fence. Just a flat square area of grass where they place lounge chairs and upcharge for their use (because they are more spaced apart I guess). Or has that been done away with already and I am crazy?

Does anyone know if the premium sunbathing grass patch is popular? I have wondered for some time if that space could be used more effectively.

The slides are going to be a great addition. I loved all the colors in the artwork for them. It gets me even more pumped up to see what will happen to the rest of the waterpark. I have a feeling that the old splash pad may be the next spot for new waterpark attractions. I cannot begin to speculate on what will happen to the old waterslides in that area, just hoping whatever replaces them is very colorful--not more white and blue. The Midwest is white and blue for 6-7 months a year naturally and I'm getting sick of seeing it.

This was my exact thought the first time I visited Valleyfair. Wild Thing currently is not the star attraction that it should and could be. My first home park was Six Flags America (yes, the one on the East Coast). Valleyfair and SFA have a lot in common; similar ride lineups, coaster counts, etc. Valleyfair beats SFA hands down on charm, layout, atmosphere, etc. SFA beats Valleyfair in thrilling star attractions. Superman and Wild Thing are of similar size (Superman is 4 feet shorter but has a 4 ft longer first drop and goes just 4 mph faster). However Superman delivers a superior thrill. True, Superman is 400 ft longer than Wild Thing, but that extra length is wasted on straight shots of track--Wild Thing's layout feels more effectively used. The trains made the biggest difference to me. I hope to one day see Wild Thing deliver a ride experience on par with the best coaster in the worst Six Flags park. That's not too much to hope for. That's the last time I will bring up Wild Thing's trains.

Valleyfair does make more money per guest than other Cedar Fair parks, so that is probably why we're slated for growth. Not social media.

I think Cedar Fair sees dollars and cents, not web activity, as a sign of their parks' success. Certainly keeping a pulse on the buzz is good, but people are talking about the parks on the forums because of park investments and rumored investments, not the other way around. These parks have been around longer than social media and fan sites. I do suspect that they look at the forums and muse on ideas every now and then, just to get a better insight into their consumers and what might be done to improve that they perhaps have not thought of (unrealistic I know).

If the Rougarou revamp of Mantis is a success for Cedar Point, it's possible that Cedar Fair may focus on upgrading trains on existing coasters throughout the chain to improve ride experience--and not just for stand-up coasters. It's cheaper to get new trains than a new coaster and has gotta be cheaper than a full coaster remodel like Six Flags has been doing with their wood coasters. I like the idea of the company strengthening the experience of its existing lineup while saving up to add a new record breaker here and there, even if it's a few years further apart per park etc. I'd also rather have upgraded trains on older coasters than adding disappointing flat rides (like most Six Flags parks this coming year) or none at all. I would love to see Wild Thing live up to its name and I think more open trains can help. But...how successful was the Iron Dragon 2000 train switch? After doing some snooping around, those seem the most likely switch to make. I heard height restrictions may be a problem with them, and cannot find any reviews about how the experience has changed.

Phantom's Revenge at Kennywood has nice trains that look compatible with Wild Thing. Otherwise has anyone heard how the trains on the new Lightning Run feel? I like their minimalist, low profile look. I'm thrilled at the idea of new trains on Wild Thing. More than the mcbr they ruin the ride for me. I want the new trains to be something open and thrilling. Just a lap bar if possible!

I think that, as they do renovations and rehabs of different areas around the park, they are phasing in more brick and concrete pavement and removing black asphalt. It seems to be a pattern visible from Google Maps. Planet Snoopy, the entrance, etc. I suspect that remaining asphalt areas will be done as part of larger attraction additions until they are are replaced altogether.

With Canada's Wonderland receiving Wonder Mountain Guardian and Knott's Berry Farm getting their own dark ride in the near future, how likely is it that Valleyfair could see a dark ride addition in the coming seasons? Where would it go and what would it be themed to? I'd prefer a roller coaster, but dark rides go over well with families and we could use one.