DILinator

FWIW, even as somebody who has to travel from a long ways to go to the park, and has visited a number of different times of the year, I've never thought the crowds were obscene. Now, maybe I got lucky, but from what I'm hearing, you never know about this park, and if you're smart about it (not going weekends in the Summer or FF), you should be fine.

September 12th. Thank you!

I have been operating under the assumption it's going where the Elephants were. That's where the "Snake Warning" sign was, and there is plenty of room for this coaster there. Also, the integrated snake queue will fit in better there, where the other animals are, then in the ride section of the park.

^Thanks for that! I haven't seen the official press release yet. It looks like it'll be one of the first things you come to in the water park, which is nice for me, since I'm not likely to spend much time in the park, and I won't have to go far into it!

Wow... This park is really looking fantastic these days! I definitely hope to cross the border and check it out one of these years!

Ditto! That's what I keep thinking! I've heard they are pretty strict about assigning seats on the other two Raptors though... Is that the case? And if so, should we expect that here at GAdv with Jersey Devil as well? Regardless, I am sure that'll be the money seat on this coaster, and very popular, so hopefully it works out for me to ride it there at least once!

So, are we to take from this that Six Flags isn't officially re-branding Frontier City at this point?

I'm not a Water Park guy, but I AM a Water Coaster guy, so this will actually get me to go into Hurricane Harbor for the first time ever next year! GAm is my "home" SF park, and I've never been in there. I also haven't been since 2016, so I'm planning to take advantage if their steal of a Flash Sale, and get myself and my kids Memberships. It's shaping up to be a Six Flags year, next year! Also, does anybody have any idea where in Hurricane Harbor this will go? It seems like it'd have to be a decently sized area.

Yeah, compared to what many (myself included) thought SFOG was getting, it's a little underwhelming. But I love what they're doing with that Gotham City area back there, and while Scramblers aren't really my thing anymore, those new Endeavors look awesome! Also, note that there are other "exciting announcements" coming soon. Probably won't be much, but this park already looks to be one of the best in the chain. I really hope to finally make it out here next year!

I don't care what anybody says, I think these look super fun! I'm excited to finally ride one, as I don't usually pay for up-charge rides, and haven't had the pleasure of riding one of these yet. I think I'll finally make it back to SFStL next year, so it looks like I'll have a chance!

I still remember seeing the TPR video about one of these, and I thought it looked really cool then. This one looks even better! Great addition for SFFT, and contrary to what some people are saying at the moment, I think it was an excellent teasing campaign by Jeffrey Seibert, and a great way to hype up people for a pretty unique and thrilling attraction! Oh, and RIP Texas Gunslinger! This will definitely be a more picturesque use of that pad!

The first Aquasplash in the US is awesome enough, but I really am glad that they're going to year-round operation as well! I know once when I was looking at going, they weren't going to be open when I was in the area, and I was surprised at that time they weren't open year round. So definitely a couple of stellar 2020 additions for the OG Six Flags!

I read elsewhere that this is not the first time that particular station leaked GAdv's announcement early. Makes me wonder if this is the "final straw" (cue Milton voice), or if it's just something the park will continue to look past. As for the potential for massive crowds at the park, and an intolerable line length, I agree that it will definitely be bad once Summer is in full swing. However, I have also found that you can do this park with minimal crowds on days you wouldn't necessarily think would be like that. Case in point: my last visit was the day after the 4th of July, and had hardly any waits all day long, and left a few hours early because we'd been able to do everything we wanted. So I feel like there will still be good days to go, and get on Jersey Devil reasonably quick. Of course, outside of days when school is still in session, good luck figuring out exactly when those days will be!

Obviously, Jersey Devil is the highlight of the SF announcements for 2020, but I am very much loving this addition as well! Not only am I big fan of snakes, so the interactive queue is awesome, but I LOVE Ragin Cajun, and consider it one of the most purely FUN coasters I've ever experienced! So this is a great addition all around to me! Now I just have to figure out how to get to this park one of these days (or years), and I'll be able to enjoy it (and all the other great additions they've received lately!)

I knew SFGAdv would be getting a coaster soon, and really felt 2020 was the year, and they sure did get one! It's even better than what I was thinking it would likely be (WCR clone or S&S like Maxx Force), and instantly becomes one of the best new coasters coming in 2020 in my opinion! This will absolutely get me out to NJ with my kids next year to "visit my relatives" that live nearby, and I can't wait to finally get on my first Raptor! If there's anything that's surprising about this to me, it's that SF isn't marketing that Raven Dive as an inversion, as it certainly appears to invert to me. Regardless though, all these elements are amazing looking, and yes, from the POV on the site it's clear that a couple of those airtime hills on the way back to the station at the end are off axis, first one way, then the other, before a standard airtime hill, and then pop onto the brake run. This whole thing is going to be so amazing! I'm glad that Congo Rapids is staying, even though it's not something I'll probably ever go on. It's a classic and historic part of the park, and the more rides and attractions they can keep, the better! It also appears, according to the announcement post Robb made, that Safari Kids is staying. So that pretty much gives us our footprint for the coaster. And as Boldikus mentioned, night rides are going to be fantastic on this thing! Such a perfect location, and theme, for this particular coaster, and an absolute home run of an addition for GAdv! I wonder whether the "Summer" opening for this means SF's typical Memorial Day opening, or if it's implying it may be a little later in the year than normal? I'm going to be making a bit of a coaster trip with my kids in the weeks following Memorial Day, so I'm curious as to whether this might be open by then. I definitely want to try and get on it before kids are out of school during the week, if possible, because this is absolutely going to draw massive lines, regardless of the capacity! I mentioned it before, but I'll just close by mentioning it again: What an excellent, and fun teasing campaign by GAdv this was! Kudos to them and their marketing department for this fantastic lead-up, and reveal! Even though it leaked a little early, they still did a great job of keeping it under wraps, especially in comparison to Candymonium, Pantheon, and Orion, three of the other top 2020 coasters announced. I know it's popular to give SF crap in enthusiast circles, but I think once again they did a great job with all of their additions this year, led by this crown jewel of a coaster!

Wow! So much has happened since I woke up 8 hours ago! After the official announcement, I'm looking forward to discussing this "monstrous" and "legendary" addition that is coming to GAdv much more! As for the TTD vs. KK debate, I've ridden TTD a ton including right after it opened and it still had all the theming on the trains, and I've ridden KK about 4 times, all in the front row. KK is a little better than TTD in my opinion, and my dad and sister, who were my fellow riders on my rides felt the same as well! Now, I understand that anywhere else on KK is rougher, and not anywhere near as good, so I'm speaking only of front seat rides here. However, the effect of the OTS was completely unnoticeable to me, and the speed, and height both felt more powerful, not to mention the nice hill after the drop. And don't even get me started on the light-years better color scheme of KK! While I do enjoy TTD (on the random occasions these days when its actually running when I am there), it's not in my Top 5 at CP, and not in my Top 50 overall. Even KK doesn't crack my Top 40. So I guess you could say I'm just not as big of a fan of that type of coaster as many are. They're great coasters, both of them, and honestly, they're not that different (at least considering KK in the front.) But if I could choose to have only one in my back yard, it would definitely be KK! Let me just say that GAdv really knocked it out of the park in regard to their teaser campaign this year! Unlike some other other prominent teaser campaigns I've seen, they stayed on point, interacted in an intellectually honest manner with all the different kinds of people reading the teasers, and kept things fun, and everybody guessing! I'm sure the locals and regulars will be ecstatic over whatever's coming their way, and even though there will likely be some enthusiasts complaining afterward about one thing or the other, I think most will be pretty excited as well. This has honestly been my most anticipated announcement this year, since the other three prominent ones all leaked WAY in advance, leaving little to find out. Props to SFGAdv for managing to keep things secret so long as well! And I'll just go on record as saying I have no interest in seeing Boldy eat his foot, so let's give him a reprieve on that statement, and maybe he can just buy those of us who were believers a beer (do they even have craft beer at GAdv though?) if he ever meets up with us at the park!

I'm not saying I think is what it'll be, as I've been on the S&S FreeSpin for a while. But with the new clues, and news of the Axis Arena removal, I now wonder whether a Raptor themed to Poison Ivy might be what's coming. I measured it out, and if it's a clone of WW at SFFT, it would definitely fit at an angle in that plot where Axis is, behind The Joker, and stretching almost to Batman. Again, that's probably grander than we should be expecting at SFOG this year, but it seems like it's still a possibility at least.

As somebody who will be going to CW in less than two weeks, and as we get closer, the forecast is now calling for possible showers and thunderstorms (after looking beautiful a week ago), I am glad to hear that even with it raining, you're still able to ride plenty of things, and have a good time. The FL+ benefit was mitigated, I'm sure, but in the end, the goal is to wait less, so however that is achieved is what's important. Here's hoping I have a similar day, with a threat of rain, but little actual rain, and low crowds as a result!

Well, if this isn't the most "La Ronde" way for a ride to make its final run... https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2019/08/25/fin-abrupte-pour-le-super-manege-de-la-ronde Copy/pasting that French text into Google Translate produces the following: The iconic Super Ride of La Ronde came to an abrupt end as a passenger's safety harness broke off when one of the trains climbed on Sunday, triggering an emergency stop. "Safety sensors on the Super Manège stopped the initial climb of the train. All passengers were evacuated from the arena to continue their visit to the park. The safety of our customers is always our top priority and the ride will be closed for a thorough inspection, "Six Flags, which manages the amusement park, emailed the company. It is on this note that ended the life of this carousel which was at its last weekend of operation after having entered service in 1981. Culminating at 22.9m, the Super Manège was the first roller coaster with inversion of La Ronde. It reached a maximum speed of 65 km / h. The new roller coaster that will replace the Super Manège will be unveiled on August 29th. RIPieces Super Manege Interesting to note that the article specifically says that it will be replaced by a "roller coaster". I mean, I think most of us feel that this is GL from SFMM, but still interesting that apparently local news has been given the impression it's a coaster as well.

Still not convinced eh? Is that your foot's well being talking...? In all seriousness though, it's interesting you mentioned S&S and Maxx Force, because the day before you posted, after clue 5, I had started to zero in on something along those lines as the addition. Given their recent working relationship with S&S on Maxx Force, and the clear success that's been for SFGAm, it seemed like a logical conclusion, especially given the nature of the clues. In particular, the idea that it both "slithers" and "soars", prompted me to think of Maxx Force. I do think it'll be a custom layout, rather than a direct clone, but still very similar. I thought maybe the launch would go into a twisty banked section instead of being all about straight-line speed, which is what the "slithering" clue is teasing. And then after that it would "soar" up and do an elevated inversion, similar to Maxx Force. This would definitely fit the area we know it's going in, and it would also fit the straight type footprint your source mentioned to you Boldikus. Let me make it a point to say that while what I just described is what I am personally feeling like this addition will be, and feel very confident this will indeed be a coaster of some sort (note that "some sort" may not necessarily reflect everybody's definition of a coaster) even if it's not that, I am still allowing for the slight possibility that this is only a water attraction, or a mid-sized flat, or even a kids expansion (least likely, for many reasons), because with SF, and GAdv, you just never know. So I am fully ready for something much smaller than what I'm expecting to end up being announced! Still, I have felt strongly since before the clues and teasing even began that this would be SFGAdv's year to get a larger coaster, and have seen nothing since then to lessen my feeling that it will indeed be, finally! Whatever is coming, I am just glad for extended family that lives close to SFGAdv, and allows me more ready access to visit this park than most non-local parks! Sure, I hope it's some sort of RMC, most likely a medium sized Raptor with a custom layout (not buying the T-Rex rumors or hype at all.) But I don't think that's most likely, and I will look forward to returning to SFGAdv before too long, regardless, as it's already a full park, and this addition will only make it better!

I can verify that the Gold Pass is having an impact! Even up here in mid-michigan, I was buying some some stuff at Aldi the other day, and the checkout guy saw my CP shirt and excitedly asked me if I'd heard about the Gold Pass! He had apparently already purchased one for himself, and his wife and kid. I responded that I had, but had splurged on Platinum Passes for myself and my kids! Still, it was a clear sign that the Gold Pass is really resonating with your average, everyman park-goer!

^Thanks for the response! It's good to know and anticipate all those things in advance!

^Yeah, this was my thinking as well. I am just going, expecting that the FL+ lines will be longer than normal for a Sunday after school starts. Hopefully they're not too bad still, but it is what it is, and with it being free, I can't really complain. So, for those of you from the US who have utilized an Enhanced License to cross the border into Canada (and back), how did that go? Smoothly? Complicated? I got mine for the first time this month, and am heading over to Canada next month for the first time since before they changed the policy, and am just wanting to have an idea of what to expect. Thanks in advance! Another question for regulars of CW I have, is perhaps a little silly, but I was wondering if Leviathan still has a dedicated store, and merch. I love the name, colors, and logo of this coaster, so unless the ride is an abomination (which seems impossible), I'll be wanting to get a shirt, and maybe some other merch. If they don't really have much in that regard anymore though, I wanted to get a heads-up in advance, so I won't be surprised upon getting there. Again, thanks in advance!

While I still don't think it looks better than SV (at least given my personal tastes), I will say from the POV's I've seen with riders on Zadra (particularly from the back seat), it looks more wild and crazy than the official POV made it look! Definitely a great looking coaster, and while Robb has sufficiently tempered my expectations, I do believe this is still a park I want to make an effort to get to when I finally make it overseas!

I enjoy meeting up with people when it works out, and it seems like KI is the place I've done that mostly, lately! Years ago I met a bunch of people at CP from a site I frequented at the time (now defunct), and many of them are still close friends! However, I also have met people, particularly from one site and club which shall not be named, who were A-holes, for the most part (ironically, at a KI event), and then of course there's the ones you always hear about who frequent Enthusiast events, that are... shall we say, socially challenged. All that to say, the people in the community I least like to be around, and I'd have the least interest in meeting up with, aren't actually the overly nerdy ones who are socially awkward, or even the alleged "entitled enthusiast" who may not have a nuanced or mature perspective on coasters or the hobby, but is at least a decent and friendly person. It's that other group, the likes of which I met at that one event I referenced earlier, who think they're better than other enthusiasts, think they know how everything in the industry works better than other enthusiasts, and just generally act like cocky, condescending A-holes to anybody who dares have an opinion that they find inferior. That's who I avoid, and thankfully, most of the people I've met up with, outside of that one club, are not that kind of enthusiast (who, humorously enough, also often try to dis-identify with being an enthusiast the most often.) To me, enjoying parks and coasters is about fun, and just having a good time doing something you enjoy. People in that last category suck all the fun out of the hobby in my opinion, and I often wonder why they're even involved, if they've reduced it to such an elitist and pedantic endeavor. Sorry for the rant, I was just thinking about this topic, and saw this as an opportunity to bring up my thoughts on the matter. As for yourself Ape, I'll have to let you know next time I go to KI, and I don't know if you've met up with RAWKIN yet, but we often meet up when I go down there. Not sure if I'll be back this year for Haunt (which would sadly break my streak of going), but I'll definitely be back next year, if not for Opening Day, I'm definitely planning on going for Coasterstock, and also during a family vacation the weeks after Memorial Day. I bring my three oldest kids with me when I go to parks typically now, as we all have a blast together, and they're my favorite people to be around and ride coasters with, but I'm always open to meeting new people too! Man, what a difference 5 days makes! The 15th was a beautiful day as well, and the park was possibly the least busy I've ever seen it! Never waited more than 15 minutes for anything in the standby queue, including 10 minute or less waits for Mystic Timbers, which I've never had before. Of course, the downside was Diamondback was down the whole time we were there. Luckily though, KI is awesome enough, that even without our favorite coaster there, we all still had a blast! What you're describing makes me nervous about our trip to the frequently busy CW in a couple weeks, as it'll be a Sunday, and even with FL+, I worry it will have some waits like you mentioned. It'll still be better than not having FL+ though, so there's that consolation. I'm just not typically a weekend (or midsummer) park goer, so crowds aren't usually too bad when I go places.