Arthur_Seaton

Indeed. I went to the park tonight, mostly to just walk around and people watch. I figured with Spring Break, the lines for rides would be long. In fairness, they weren't that bad, but still much longer than I'm willing to wait. When I went a couple of months ago to process my season pass, you could at least get through a little pathway from Silver Bullet, past Sol Spin / Jaguar, and into the La Revolucion area. But that's all blocked off now. Furthermore, quite a few of the non-fiesta village rides were down, and it just didn't really feel like there was much to do except walk. There's some mass food binge thing happening right now, so it seemed like quite a few guests were just there to stuff their faces. Plus, you can really tell that the glory days of the chaperone policy are over

Even though I find the drop tame, the ride still freaks me out because the tower shakes so much and that thin track looks like it could peel away from at any moment. I did indeed get stuck at the top once, for a good 20 minutes. It seemed that the pulley had disengaged from the car, but the magnet was still holding it in place. The kids running the ride were as freaked out as we were. Really, really unpleasant experience.

Yeah, they're fairly unobtrusive and Arrow rides don't force them into your chest like other rides with "comfort collars" tend to (I'm thinking of Premier). That said, Boomerangs can be pretty jarring and rickety. I rode this particular one a few months back just to see how it was holding up, and it was terrible — not because of the restraints, but because of square wheels and wire coat-hanger design. For as brutal as those old arrow cars can be, there's something delightfully unnerving about how much open space there is between the seat and the restraints.

Boomerang is well positioned in the park and looks great in that entry plaza. That said, they can add as many comfort collars as they like — I'm still not riding it! I think I tried some "improved" Boomerang at Hershey or something. It was still very much a boomerang, IMO.

Drove down this morning to process my 2023 pass. I'm still not sure what pass I now have or have upgraded to, but I know it gets me into multiple parks, and that's all I care about. I think there are some other perks, and the ticket processor told me to grab some souvenir cup, but I've no need for something like that. I'd originally purchased a 2023 pass back around labor day, but SFFT absolutely snarfed the processing and cancelled the whole thing. I was going to sit the year out as the result, but this sale made the price only $10 or so more than normal. Anyhow, the park was absolutely dead, so I was in and out in an hour or so. Two rides on WW (I thought they were closing this for rehab or something? It's still rattly and rough, but they seem to have ironed out that gnarly pothole by the camera section). Two solo rides on Superman (business as usual). One on iRat (single train with part of the train roped off it seems). Two on the new drop coaster (felt less bumpy as well, as though somebody took an iron to that track, too). Two on Poltergeist (business as usual). It seemed like everything else was up and running except for the flume ride, but I haven't seen that thing running in quite some time.

^ Yeah, I saw that and will likely grab one. Kind of a trip to see them go from such significant price jumps back down to almost the regular annual membership price. I think I've been paying something like $80 for all-park access for years now. This would have been the first year in quite some time that I didn't buy a pass (both SFFT and SFMM are "home" parks these days) because of an in-park processing screw up.

Interesting. This is the first year that I haven't bought a SF pass in eons. I actually did buy one in last year's flash sale, but my home park screwed up the processing so bad that it really soured me. I'll likely grab a pass at this price, though.

I grew up around that park and visited often when the ride was still called "The Devil's Cascade." I vaguely recall an effect like this as well, only it was a different mask. They also used to have a couple of vertical-drop wooden slides in that same general area that were just as terrifying.

I dropped by Knotts during Saturnalia to process my 2023 pass and the place was pretty slammed then as well. I kind of expected that, though, and really didn't plan on riding anything anyway due to some recent health nonsense. I just did a couple of loops then bailed. The line for Ghost Rider was almost down to the entry cave, Silver Bullet was in the switchbacks, and Hang Time was hanging out of the entrance. I hadn't followed closely, but I knew something was going on with Montezooma's Revenge. I didn't know how hacked up that whole area was, though. Lots of bottlenecking going on over by Sol Spin and whatnot.

Yeah, that week is slammed at all the SoCal parks. The week leading up to Xmas, though — not so much. I seem to recall marathoning West Coast Racers with you on Xmas eve I think it was? It was that week when the ride first opened. I'm amazed SFMM got away with the low season pass pricing and "open all day" business for as long as they did. I took advantage of that for years and would often go for a few hours during the week and crush the place. When I first transferred my work to Texas, I recall hearing that SFFT was a "year round" park but I had a very different perspective on what that meant. Whatever's going on with the company right now, I hope they make it out the other side. I may end up skipping a pass this year for likely the first time in a decade.

^ Yes, the Cliffhanger trains were half-filled at best. In fact, the other one cycling — for quite a few laps — just had one rider also riding again and again and again. I'm guessing it's the train design as the roughest sections were basically the same moves (any turns that also doubled as dips). It can't be tracking issues for such a new ride, but it felt like tracking issues, as though the wheels were hitting potholes. It wasn't just rattly in a B&M sense but actually quite bumpy. For what it's worth, I preferred the front. I felt that the airtime on the first drop was more or less the same throughout, but the front gave a better sense of speed. Most of the mazes were just reboots, and I doubt they even dismantle them during the year. That might be why the new one felt so cheap and basic? Because they do need to dismantle that one? In terms of the missing effects in Buried Alive, it may have been a staffing issue. The elevator effect was there, but it wasn't functioning and it was basically just a section to walk through. Last year, or the year before, the doors closed and the room started shaking to make it seem like you're going down a mine shaft. Still, I dig mazes like what SFFT (and other SF parks) offer, perhaps even more than the big-budget places. There's a camp charm to store-bought rubbery props that I kind of like.

I dropped by SFFT’s Halloween event tonight — a good move as the park was quite dead (ha!). From what I gather, there was some ambiguity online as to whether the park was open, so this — combined with the weeknight — may have been to blame for how quiet the place was. Either way, all of the rides were a walk-on and all of the mazes were a walk-in. I managed to ride all the usual rides multiple times as ride ops were letting folks take re-rides in open seats. Wonder Woman seemed to be having issues, and the mechanics ended up pulling one train off completely. The one that remained was not tracking well at all. Iron Rattler, Superman, and Poltergeist (the park’s best rides) were all running as well as ever. I also took my first rides on the new dive coaster — several, in fact, since there was nobody waiting in the station when the trains returned. As such, I got try all three rows in a range of seats without having to go through the queue show rooms each time. However, it didn't quite do it for me. I like B&M dive coasters, and I really enjoyed Valravn when it first opened even though enthusiasts didn’t seem all that enamored. This one looks good, is well placed, and does all the things it needs to do to draw crowds in. In other words, it’s fine. For me, though, I thought the first drop was the only real stand-out moment. B&M should make all subsequent dive coaster drops extra steep as the additional degrees DO make a difference. You get a proper (albeit brief) free fall feeling akin to Knotts’ Hang Time no matter where you sit. The inversions that follow are standard-fare B&M conventions, but what followed the mid-course break run felt somewhat meandering, and that bunny hill didn’t do much for me in any of the rows. But what really surprised me was how bumpy some of my rides were. I suspect it’s the fault of the trains, as the middle seat in all three rows was much better overall. But a ride this new — especially a B&M — shouldn't feel the way this ride feels. There were three or four areas in the track where the train was not just rattling but jolting around. In fact, after five or so rides, I started to get a headache. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not unpleasantly violent or overly aggressive, but it did feel unusually jerky for a B&M. In terms of the Halloween stuff, I’ve always had a soft-spot for the way Six Flags and their shoestring budgets handle such events. Given that it was a weekday, the event wasn’t well staffed, which I expected, so there weren’t that many scare actors around. But those who were dressed up were pretty into their roles. In terms of the mazes, I still like Slaughterhouse the best. It’s probably the most maze-like with some of the goriest effects and tricks throughout. House of Houngan is still the most detailed and most impressive looking. Rockkill High looked the same as previous years, as did Buried Alive. However, quite a few of the main effects in Buried Alive from recent years were no longer working (the elevator effect as well as a number of animatronic props). CarnEvil just isn’t up to par, and the new Trapped was by far the least impressive of the event for me. For the most part, it was just an asylum setting with minimal props, decor, and lots of rags, sheets, blood, and smeared poop. The standard walkway scare zones weren’t particularly effective, but the park had a couple of zones that were much longer and more immersive. Fear Acres for instance, hosted in the water park, was particularly strong. Overall, a good night to go. The mazes haven’t changed much, but (aside from Trapped), they all do the best they can with the resources available. A few pics: Fear Acres is a good example of a scare zone functioning more like a maze. If I recall correctly, much of this used to be in the queue line for the rapids ride. The usual entryway props. This one was over by the water chute ride entrance. A general view of how quiet the place was. Same spot but different path. More large-scale props in the main entry plaza by Boomerang. This was the main entry way around 9pm. The place was empty.

I'm impressed SFMM was able to keep the full year-round thing going for so long. It always seemed like a terrible idea, but I took advantage of it often and would time my visits on days when I knew the place would be a ghost town. I remember hearing that SFFT was also open "year round," only to discover that meant "weekends only" for chunks of the year — days I try to avoid. Kudos to SFMM for keeping this up (along with dirt-cheap passes) for as long as they did, and I hope they put a moose out front on days they're closed. There are all kinds of variable involved, from the day you visit to proximity to Halloween. It's nothing like Universal where you can find lines hitting 2+ hours, but it can get pretty slammed. I don't think I've ever waited more than 30 minutes, even on busy nights. Many will be a walk-through if you time things well and are there for the SFMM equivalent of "rope drop" (in the Full Thröttle plaza area).

Obviously there's no way a ride like The Ultimate could be moved somewhere else since the terrain is basically the support system. I grew up pretty close to that park and would visit often as a kid. They certainly had a penchant for strange rides and additions. I always loved The Rat and have semi-fond memories of Soopa Loopa, Devil's Cascade, and the Hell Slide.

I'm with you on this, and I figured it was just me getting older. I think RMC has done amazing things for the industry, but some of the newer ride elements that enthusiasts seem to rave about (like outward-bank airtime hills and stalls and whatnot) do kind of baffle me. The first roll on this thing just looks really unpleasant, even though it's likely cool to watch from the ground. It probably won't be long before RMC does their first fully inverted chain lift or an outward-bank turn that slowly grazes you up against a cactus or something. And, as always, great report!

Ruh roh! They did that one as well? That's it; I'm calling the police. Coast Rider was pretty much always lame, but the new restraint system was so ill-conceived that it was kind of funny.

Ugh. I rode that thing and sat on the break run with the restraints cutting off circulation. Far, far worse than Skyrush IMO. The seats themselves were garbage as well. What on earth are they doing to this ride!?

Yeah, they're super good. And I couldn't quite tell what was different, but I swear the SFMM WW collars are better than the SFFT ones. The collars on West Coast Racers, however . . .

I drove up to the park today with the express intent of checking out the new Wonder Woman ride and then bailing. I’m very familiar with the version at Fiesta Texas, and I was looking forward to this one as I’m not a huge fan of the original. I do ride that one when at Fiesta Texas, but I find the intensity too over-the-top, worsened by the ride’s utter brevity. I expected to like this version more, and that was the case. I think all the same intensity and aggression is there, but the ride has much better pacing overall and feels like a proper rollercoaster whereas the Texas one feels more life a swift bludgeoning. I rode this one six times as there was basically no line and the operations were stellar. I found the back significantly better than the front. I think others have commented on this too, but it’s not just because of the way the train flies over the first drop; it's because the mid-front seats are a bit rattly, and there are even a couple of rough-ish spots. The back seats don’t seem to have this problem at all. Fortunately, I rode the very back three times and the very front only once. The first drop, as you might expect, provides extreme ejection toward the back of the train. You start accelerating while still on the lift, so the effect is similar to the back seat of the original raptor rides. It's very aggressive, but not painful. In the front, the first drop isn’t all that great. It has some of the falling sensation you get on Twisted Colossus, but it’s nothing noteworthy as track levels out fast. The first dive thing is odd because the track shifts to the left so much that it feels like an actual pre-turn. It seems as if this would be to profile the riders' heartline, but that doesn’t seem to be the case as it turns left and then flips over on the left. This element has some great hang time in the back of the train, but the front is just kind of an aggressive mush. The subsequent airtime hill is what you’d expect in the front (extreme ejection), but the back seat sustains the air for longer than expected. The stall is whatever (I think the Twisted Colossus one is more freaky due to the structure). The turnaround is whippy, but not sustained grey-out whippy like the Texas version's spiral. I actually found the corkscrew more interesting than the stall as it’s about the same height, only you take it slower. The second half is fine and really quite fun, but it does feel like RMC could have come up with something more radical there (a ground-level barrel roll, for instance). The trim doesn’t engage, so the drop is aggressive and the turn is forceful. The off-angle bunny hops didn’t do much for me. I thought they would be uncomfortable in that weird RMC outward-bank way, but the angle wasn’t enough to produce any bizarre effects other than standard airtime. The same is kind of true for the last couple of hills and the turn toward the station, but it’s also there where the front seats seemed to hit some clunky spots. The back seats were fine, though, and the train even feels sort of graceful going through that section. Overall, a very good ride for the park. Exceptional operations, even though the station design is a bit of a disaster (that locker situation is going to be such a nightmare in terms of line cutters). Plus, that station will likely produce trauma for those of us who had the great misfortune of ever riding Green Lantern. And anyone expecting lush greenery (it's a draught-laden desert, folks) or major animatronics or anything of that nature will be disappointed. I haven't ridden the new SFFT ride yet, but I know they went above and beyond with the pre-show stuff. Personally, I just want to get on the ride and skip all that, and I was kind of glad when the old Terminator ride ditched all that and became Apocalypse (closed today, for what it's worth). But I get the appeal, and none of that is here. Hopefully they'll do stuff with the vacant spaces on either side, as there's kind of lot of room there. Rebuild Freefall is what I say A good day to visit the park, even though I was in and out fast. TC and WW were both running three trains, but the coasters on the other side of the hill seemed to have what a staff member on Viper called "Monday Operations." A few pictures, not that there's anything here you haven't seen before.

Got it. For what it's worth, I was at SFMM today and noticed the sky-high parking prices. I also happened to notice a lot of A4-style printed tickets in hands. I seem to recall some back and forth between the Gold Plus membership thing and that weird monthly fee thing they were pushing. I'm glad they caved and we were given the $70 or so Gold Pass option. It should probably be something like $140, though.

Am I missing something? It seemed to me that SF has been basically giving season passes away for years now. Is it that the GP tend to pay for single-day / at-the-gate pricing? During pandemic, I've really only visited SFMM and SFFT, so I'm not really paying close attention. I remember the days when you'd take an empty coke can to SFMM and get discounted entry. I swear, the season pass I've been buying for the last several years is (I hate to say it, and I assume I'm on my own in this regard) wildly underpriced.

Thanks for the report, Bert. I'll likely drop down to SA to give this a ride in the coming weeks. I've always found dive coaster to be more fun than intense, and installations like this one really hit their mark in that they have huge visual appeal / draw while also mowing through crowds. And my condolences on your loss; glad to see you're getting out and spending time with friends.

^ That's the key — how much of "everything" you want to do. I visited a few years ago and was in and out in just a few hours, mostly because I didn't have much interest in stuff beyond the major rides. I'm glad I got to see the place, and I get why so many folks like it, but it wasn't my cup of tea at all. It's the kind of spot I'd set time aside for if passing through the area, but I personally wouldn't want to be there that long. It's worth it for Phoenix and the cool, old-school dark rides. Twister is good as well. When I visited, I managed to ride everything multiple times in a short stretch. The only ride that proved tricky was Flying Turns, so I'd try to be strategic with that one and line up for it as soon as it opens. It's not a big place, so you can ricochet around grabbing re-rides if that's your thing. I had to pass on the food choices, even though I know Knoebels grub is popular with enthusiasts.

I left the area as this was opening, so I'll give it a whirl when I return in a couple of weeks. Out in SoCal right now, so I'll likely head over to SFMM and check out their new one in the meantime. I seem to like B&M dive coasters more than the average coaster dweeb, and I'm anticipating that this one will prove more fun than thrilling. I'm surprised, though, that the final airtime hill is allegedly quite tame. Seeing the track profile in person a few weeks ago definitely made me think it'd cause brutal ejection. Initial video reports suggest otherwise, with and without a full train. Fine by me as I'm not particularly fond of thigh-smashing jolts.

I rode that Vekoma Mouse a lot as a teenager when it was still at Alton Towers. The lift hill was originally meant to be in a spinning tunnel, so the tilted track was designed to add disorientation. It was definitely a quirky ride with a unique layout, and it sat next to a great Jet Star III and close to a Zeirer Bobsled. That area, positioned sort of behind the towers in the woods, popped up fast as was gone again within a couple of years. These small park trip reports are great. Bummer you've hit a few closures, though.