CedarFlags

Here's a fantastic photo from the summer ice show, Blockbuster Beagle. This is the principle couple for the show, Delene MacKenzie and Bob Moskalyk. photocred: Knott's Network

I agree with you. It was very intentional marketing that seems to have totally worked.

I had the same thought the other day. It would be funny to see how close they could get without officially going over.

HURRAY!!!

The Superman, The Bizarro! I die

I'm sure they have a reason, and at least they gave a few days of notice.

I knew a girl who swore that the seats didn't used to rotate on X before it became X2. I tried to tell her differently, but she said "maybe it was different for you, but when I went, they didn't spin."

Speaking of Halloween Haunt.... Reassembly has begun on Forevermore.

Won't open until September. An inspection found that the lift was not up to code so they're doing a whole refurb. Of course the ride won't be open when I go to this park for the first time next month. Not up to code? The ride isn't THAT old. What the heck?

Clearly you have no idea how much money it costs to keep a ride like Indiana Jones and all its effects working up to Disney's show standards. There comes a point when it just doesn't make sense to keep filling the money pit. Well it's not like Disneyland doesn't make literally BILLIONS of dollars per year. Seriously... what percentage of the park's net income would it take to keep the practical effects up and running?

Just my 2 cents.... I've been sick of projections ever since they replaced the bride in Haunted Mansion. I'll always choose a practical effect over a projection, and I think the move toward more and more projections is diminishing the "disney magic".

I would venture to say that SFMM's staffing was already stretched pretty thin before TC opened (long drive for most people, low-paying job, school still being in, a ton of coasters to find ROs for), and finding a double sized crew of existing employees to train wasn't feasible. Perhaps they could have built the 2nd station and just waited to use it until summer time, but then come September, it'd be the same problem. Building the 2nd station would have added cost and complexity to an already expensive and complex ride, and it would only be feasible to use for less than half the year. CP gets away with double stations because it's a seasonal park tat only has to compete with school schedules for a few weeks, and because none of their ROs get paid overtime. CP can staff a ride for the entire season with 10-14 people. They work 10-12 hour days, usually 6-7 days per week, and none of it goes beyond $8.10 an hour. Magic Mountain needs to account for overtime pay for: above 8 hours in a day, above 40 hours in a week, and the 7th day in a week. In order to achieve the same staffing while remaining in budget, they'd need a crew of 20-25 for the same ride. edit: fixed the space/time rift

Okay, so... TC and the racing again... I keep seeing videos where the synchronization of the racing is off because the Blue side is ahead of the Green side... Why is this happening? Blue has to catch up to Green on the lift, so it's understandable that Green would be ahead of Blue, but why in the world would the programming of the lift allow the trains to line up evenly and then get off again?

Idk... considering CP's history of innovative / record breaking coasters, a Dive Machine just seems so... common.

I was going to say Coney Island Cyclone, but I didn't realize until now that it isn't as old as the coasters in Santa Cruz and San Diego. My oldest is also the Santa Cruz Giant Dipper.

My forecast was the same for my trip a few weeks ago, but the weather can change really quickly, so there's still hope! It ended up raining a couple times, but only for a few minutes each time and I still got on all the rides.

I generally enjoy sitting somewhere between 2/3 and 3/4 back on most coasters. The speed seems the most consistent to me... far enough back to not always be waiting for the rest of the train to catch up, but not so far back that you feel like you're being constantly yanked around.

1. It's extremely weather sensitive, and being right next to a Great Lake makes the weather at the park a bit volatile. 2. The launch system has to operate with ridiculous precision in order to get the trains up over the hill with just the right amount of speed. So, seemingly tiny things not happening right will make the ride computer throw a fit. 3. The forces generated by ride are tremendous, especially on the launch, and so I wouldn't be surprised if sensor connections get knocked loose every so often. 4. The fact that it dispatches nearly every 60 seconds means that a LOT of trains get sent every day, which accelerates the normal wear and tear process.

Ya, has anybody heard any updates on Goliath recently? It's been down for quite a while already.

The problem I have with the ride, at least, is those darn trains. As someone 6' tall and with a long(ish) torso, those Arrow trains are the only things I've ever ridden that give me discomfort. The restraint cannot close all the way and it really just puts way too much force on my shoulders. New trains like those Vekoma ones would make this ride really amazing for me. For right now, though, I can't really enjoy it. I feel you on the torso vs harness struggle, but I hated Viper LONG before I hit 6 ft tall. I've refused to ride it for 10+ years.

Staying on-site can really be quite a deal. My room at Breakers Express came with breakfast at the DQ across the street and parking for both days of my visit, and then early entry on top of it. There's $45 worth of stuff (plus that sweet early entry) included with my room that was only $100 per night. Totally worth it in my book.

It's actually very relaxing if you learn to relax and just surrender instead of fighting it. Put your hands up, look at the horizon, and try to enjoy the fall. Act like you WANT to drop. The more you relax, the more fun it is. Clutching the metal restraints actually makes the drop more stressful. Just put your hands up, and relax every muscle in your body. Many infantry soldiers deal with combat stress by pretending that they are already dead. If you accept the fact that you are already dead, it is much easier to deal with combat. Same goes for Drop of Doom. Just pretend you are already dead and that you are just floating gently to the ground. Sounds very weird but it works. Once you master this technique, the best part will be watching the people next to you freak out. I regularly witness grown men scream like babies. I'm not scared anymore, it was just a new experience.

I'm with you. My first time was actually legitimately scary. The swaying from Superman's cars, and the drop that seemed to never end...

Have you all read this article about Geauga Lake? It's seriously FASCINATING. And the comments section is full of people who are still so upset about the whole thing. It's quite a long read, but super worth it if you're into the Amusement industry. www.themeparktourist.com/features/20140824/28153/lost-geauga-lake-how-worlds-largest-six-flags-disappeared

That's crazy... it's not like they have to pay overtime or anything.