DILinator

Oh, one thing I was wondering, is whether Forbidden Frontier is still open. I haven't done it of course, since I haven't been this year, and it looks intriguing!

^Thanks for the detailed rundown, as it definitely helps in creating an idea of what to expect! As for the crowds, it's unfortunate, but it is what it is. It's not like we haven't been there before, and I wasn't even planning on going this year, so whatever we do is more than we were going to do. I'm not getting FL+ at CP, not now, not ever (unless it's free), so we'll just deal with whatever awaits us.

^^Thanks, jynx242! Sorry to have been remiss in thanking you sooner, but I tend not to post when I'm on my phone, and when I got back online and was posting, the SFOG thread was buried again. I appreciate all of your advice! Regarding rope-dropping Dare Devil Dive, I was wondering whether they still have the practice of opening up Twisted Cyclone at 10:00, when the park opens at 10:30. If they do, would it work for us to go there first for a couple of laps, and then rope drop DDD when the rest of the park opens? As I'm looking at maximizing our thrills over the course of that weekend (we're likely to go down the 16th and 17th of November), I am looking at potentially doing Carowinds on the 16th, as it's open until 8 on that Saturday, whereas SFOG is only open until 6 both days. What I was wondering though, as somebody who hasn't ever been to SFOG, is whether it's worth 2 full days there, at the cost of not doing Carowinds as well? We went to Carowinds last year, so Copperhead Strike would be new, but otherwise, we have been there before, and don't NEED to go back (though getting a ton more rides on Fury is ALWAYS welcome!) But will we be able to do all the major coasters and other attractions like Monster Mansion, in one 10:30 - 6:00 day at SFOG? Or should we allot two days to fully enjoy it, and get to do everything? As you correctly recalled, jynx242, I am not a "Fast Pass Guy"! Thanks again for all the assistance, both jynx242, and anybody else who wants to weigh in! I'm really excited to finally get down there and visit this park!

I just don't understand enthusiasts. A better looking Great Adventure sounds f*cking awesome. I will also go on record as saying that while I'm not as thrilled for a Red Force coaster at BGW as I would be for a lift hill coaster of that height, it's still awesome, and clearly, it's going to have more to it than RF, TTD, or KK. So it'll be freaking awesome! And while I get what people are saying about the BGW aesthetic, I have a feeling that once it opens, it will look like it always belonged there, because this park is so great about assimilating everything into the environment!

Yeah, I try to temper my enthusiasm for things that hint of speculation, but as you said, the track record of this source is impeccable! Hence, why I previously stated that it was very legit. I am definitely stoked to see what it is, and also am ecstatic about one of my favorite parks adding two major coasters in two years, to an already impressive lineup! And to clarify my comment previously about the height, I was saying that they got permission for the highest point on the ride to be 355 feet, but acknowledging that it doesn't automatically mean whatever is going there is actually going to be 355 at its highest point. Sorry if it was confusing as stated earlier...

Ignore the haters, and if you haven't seen The Bourne Trilogy, you' should definitely check them out! Love those movies! Easily Top 15 movies for me, and I'm actually pretty excited by the notion of a show themed to them!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Seattle (it's my favorite city!), and love the Seattle Center and Space Needle! Thanks for the pictures! I definitely hope to get back out there some day, and these really bring back the memories of my last visit! As you can see below, I'm a major Seattle Mariners fan, as depressing as that may be! I look forward to the rest of your ODDventure photos from there!

I have only ridden one of those "Sky Coasters" once, 18 years ago, and never again... However, it's not because I am scared to, but rather, quite the opposite! The one I rode was "the world's tallest" (at least at the time) at Old Town (now Fun Spot) in Kissimmee, and after that amazing rush of a 300 foot freefall, and then swing out to over 70 miles an hour, I've never felt like paying money to ride something inferior in height! I highly recommend the experience to anybody who is on the fence about it though! Such a rush, and it should definitely be on every thrill seeker's radar! As for KI, I keep making plans to go some Friday night, and keep having to call it off for one reason or another. I'm not sure if I'll make it down to Haunt this year, or before Vortex is gone, which is a little disappointing, but it's not like I'm not doing enough other fun parks. But I do love me some KI Haunt! Perhaps the closing weekend, though I'm sure it'll be mobbed! Oh well... I've ridden plenty, so going to just relax and enjoy what I can isn't the worst thing! We'll have to see what happens...

Regarding the CW Pass question, this came up with me a couple months ago when I was looking to buy, and the conclusion that was reached was that you should be able to process it into the card at any park. I found it on the site then, and just looked it up again. Here is what it says when click the button to purchase the Platinum Pass: I bolded the relevant part. So yeah, it sounds like you had bad luck with employees at WoF who didn't know what they were doing, as it clearly is meant to be able to be processed "at any Cedar Fair park." Of course, as coasterbill said, if you can make a trip up to CW at some point, and experience that park, I'd highly recommend it! I just purchased Platinum Passes from CW for myself, and my three oldest kids, and the discount is fantastic! Coupled with the payment plan, I'm enjoying having the Passes for the 4 of us for under $60 a month! We did end up making that trip, to CW, and Niagara Falls, and it was a wonderful family trip! If you or the kid haven't seen the Falls from the Canadian side, or taking the boat to the Falls, I highly recommend it! And CW wasn't too bad either... (Which reminds me, I need to finish my TR! lol) Switching gears, I have a question myself, for those who actually brave CP during Halloweekends (what it'll always be called for me!) My sister got the Gold Pass due to the great promotion, and wants to go to CP with me and the kids this Sunday. I acquiesced to go, even though I usually avoid it like the plague this time of year, since she was really wanting to go and spend time there with us, and I haven't actually made it out there yet this year, and we all have the passes, so why not... So, not counting this past Sunday of Columbus Day weekend, how have Sundays this Fall been at CP? Are we still going to be looking at long waits just to park, and ghastly lines for all the major (and not major) coasters? I know in years past, Sundays haven't been as bad as Saturdays, or even Fridays, as of late. But with the Gold Pass promotion, I know the park has been extra mobbed. Just looking for a little heads-up so I know what to expect, and to prepare myself and my party accordingly! Thanks!

You know how you feel when your spouse, or significant other, or somebody that you love deeply, does something that makes you feel like you can't stand the sight of them, even though it's temporary, and doesn't change your love for them at all? That's how I feel when I see this!

LR is just too short for it to get any higher in my rankings. I love what's there, but it's like the ultimate cock-tease... Just when it gets going, it hits the breaks. It's an amazing ride, and Top 10 still isn't shabby! But I prefer my coasters to be relentlessly paced, and then once they get going, keep going, like SV. That's what makes a coaster perfect for my taste! The mountain setting of LR is fantastic though, and night rides are amazing!

I was very seriously looking at finally going to PPP this year, but it just wouldn't quite work out, unfortunately... However, I'm am absolutely planning on making it out to Knoebels finally next year, if not for PPP, just for a regular day there! It's definitely more than time!

I have to say, I was watching a video on CW's Haunt the other day, and it struck me as... odd, I think would be the best way to describe it. The scare actor interactions seemed far cheesier than I've seen other places (and they're cheesy to begin with), and there were other aspects of it that didn't seem first rate. Now, this is just impressions based off of one person's video, but from the comment above, am I to infer that maybe that is the case?

^It definitely will be!

So, I'm super excited to be planning my first trip down to SFOG EVER, for next month! It'll either be the first weekend, or the third weekend, I haven't decided yet. I'll be taking my oldest kids, as usual, and we'll probably spend two days there to really get a good experience of the park! So, with that in mind, does anybody have any tips, tricks, or important info to know before we go? I know if we go that first weekend, it'll be open late for Fright Fest, and likely be warmer. But it'll also be more crowded, I would imagine. Plus, waiting two weeks gives me an extra couple weeks to set aside some money for it. So I'm leaning towards the latter date, but may still try to squeeze in the early one. If I do go later, will it be dark by 6:00? If so, what are the best rides to ride in the dark? Is there anything non-coaster related that shouldn't be skipped, besides the Monster Mansion, and Acrophobia? At any rate, I'm super excited to finally get down to this park after all these years of being an enthusiast, so hopefully it's a great time!

It's never "wrong" for anybody to state their personal opinion and preference in roller coasters! That's the beauty of this subjective hobby! For instance, as much as I love LR, and consider it a Top 10 coaster, it's not only behind SV (which I prefer in part BECAUSE it's not so short, and seems to go on forever), it's behind Twisted Timbers in my RMC rankings! And that doesn't make me "wrong" either. Different strokes for different folks. LR is really great though, and Dollywood as a whole is a fantastic park!

This is actually really old news now. There's updated info released by the same site that leaked that info, and it's all very legit, and very clearly for a roller coaster. It's possible that the 355 foot height waiver won't be the full and total height of the coaster, but it also seems very likely the highest part of the coaster will be close to that height, and has been described as "looking like a knife blade" from the closest nearby community. In other words, it's very possible it's just a top hat element like Red Force, but with more to it than that, and TTD and KK have. Personally, I'm hoping for the tallest traditional lift hill giga, but honestly, suspect that's not what it'll end up being. Either way, it's going to be an awesome addition, and yes, SEAS parks are absolutely KILLING it right now!

I think they must be really trying to focus on pumping trains out rapidly on their B&M Hypers at SF parks. I was just at GAm, and every single train on Raging Bull they had a 30 second clock running, and were telling the oncoming riders that they were going to be leaving in 30 seconds, and people needed to rapidly load the trains, so they didn't get left behind, or hold the train up. They were doing a good job of hitting their goal a lot too, though they didn't make it every time. Still, it was impressive to see in action! Now, Superman, on the other hand...

And that's exactly why B&M is so successful. And that's why I generally love B&M coasters so much!

This is me too, 100%! I go to amusement parks, and ride coasters to have fun! If a coaster isn't fun, or provides any measure of discomfort or pain, that's not a coaster I'm likely to ride again, or very often, as that's not why I get on a coaster in the first place. There isn't any magic in coaster credits, or laps on a coaster, as far as I'm concerned, and whether you've ridden 100, or 1,000, your experience is simply your own, and doesn't really matter much as far as anybody else is concerned. As I mentioned previously, coaster experiences are so subjective, and as others have mentioned, many different variables such as height, weight, age, and body configuration can contribute so much to each person's unique experience. So yeah, it's all about fun for me, and if the fun factor is outweighed by the discomfort factor, or needing to ride it a certain way to get a good ride factor, it's not going to be a popular coaster for me to get on. Case in point, Raging Wolf Bobs is one of my most hated wooden coaster experiences, and the coaster I'm least sad to see go with GL. But you enjoyed it, and didn't find it rough. Yet you agree about Vortex. Again, as I said before, it's fascinating to see all the different nuances in how different people feel about different coasters, and how they affect them! I rode Invertigo for the first time in many, many years earlier this year, so my sons could check it out, and I found that it was a lot better than I remembered! I actually found it really fun, especially being able to look across and see the faces and responses of the people across from you! I definitely would rather see Vortex go, than Inverti-go! Honestly, I feel that this isn't predominantly an enthusiast issue. If anything, enthusiasts, and people more involved in the hobby will understand the rationale of removing an aged coaster, and the natural circle of life of most coasters, and parks. The people who I see most riled by things like the removal of coasters, especially older, classic coasters like Vortex, are the non-enthusiasts, and the everyday park goer. Just go on any social media site for a park removing a coasters, and the comments are not predominantly from enthusiasts, or people that have ever darkened the door of an enthusiast site like this, or are a part of a "Coaster Club", or visit enthusiast events. They're just your everyday park fans, and attendees, who don't understand the ins and outs of why a coaster is getting removed, and are more prone to be be upset by it. So I contend, that if KI were indeed to remove a coaster a third year in a row, it would be the GP, or regular park attender, who would start to protest and grumble most vocally to KI about it, not enthusiasts. I'm not saying there's not a segment of enthusiasts that can be vocal, obnoxious, and reflect poorly on the community. But I also feel like there's often more people complaining about enthusiasts in a generally negative and dismissive way, than I see people actually acting that way. There's a certain bit of self-cannibalizing that I see often in the community which I find unfortunate, because I tend to think that most people in it are really great and cool people. Or maybe I've just been blessed by all the great people I've gotten to know personally in the hobby over the years. Every fandom has its pros and cons, and I find that focusing on the positive over the negative has led to a lot more enjoyment in it for me personally over the years. Just my 2 cents...

Ride experiences are so subjective, it's strange... We of course have all the people coming out saying this is their "favorite coaster EvAh!!!" (sorry, I'm not buying that), and then the obligatory "I rode it and it's not rough at all" comments. However, I've been riding the same coaster, and finding it progressively worse every year, and all my kids have now ridden it, and none would call it smooth, nor do any of them want to ride it again. I probably wouldn't have ever ridden it again, except with it closing, I am thinking I'll probably go down this Friday, and pay my last respects. I saw it compared to Corkscrew at CP earlier, and I'd agree, it's not as bad as that. I am not sure I'd even ride Corkscrew again if it was getting removed, it's so awful! But again, this all goes back to how subjective, and individual ride experiences are, and how one man's trash, can literally be another man's treasure. There is no right or wrong opinion, and everybody's body responds to coasters differently. I will say though, and I've had to acknowledge this fact about one of my favorite removed coasters, Drachen Fire, if the park has deemed it bad enough, by whatever metric they've used, then there must be a lot more people experiencing the bad side of Vortex, than the good side!

^ Changing topics for a moment, for those who went to WinterFest at KI last year, what were your thoughts? Was it a fun event? I have older kids for the most part, but could bring my 5 year old as well. Do you feel there's enough to do for a family that's normally into thrills, to justify the 4 hour plus drive? We all love Mystic Timbers, so I imagine we'll be marathoning that a ton, assuming it doesn't close if it gets too cold. It looks like a nice event, and I'm inclined to check it out this year since we have the Platinum Passes already. I also was wondering about how crowded it was, if you went last year. Thanks in advance for any info!

I've been going to Cedar Point literally my entire life (sans the first three years of it, if you want to be super literal), and as a general rule, have preferred Cedar Fair parks over the years. However, I also have had many great days spent at Six Flags parks, including just this past weekend at SFGAm, and I am one of the more vocal critics of how CF operates as a company, and does business at times. While I've seen SF become more well rounded, and a better run company over the years, I feel like CF has become more corporate, and detached from the consumer, and customer service (not entirely, but in a number of ways.) Now, that doesn't mean I don't still love CF parks, and am glad that they've been in existence over the years! Overall, I still prefer CF to SF. However, I definitely don't hate SF, and I do think it's become absurdly cliche to rip on them about any number of perceived shortcomings these days. I think both park chains have their strengths and weaknesses, and I think they each have established a nice niche in the world. So that's the perspective I'm coming at this possible M&A by SF from. I don't automatically think this is is bad news, and signals the death of Cedar Fair as we know it. Honestly, as others have alluded to, being a part of Six Flags would obviously be a boon for smaller parks like MIA, VF, DP, and WoF. It also doesn't mean the larger parks won't still get attention, and decent new additions. Heck, the 2020 addition I'm most excited for isn't at a CF, or SEAS park, but a SF park! Sure, the days of large B&M's may end, but even then, there's no guarantee, depending on what impact the additional revenues bring in for SF. So while I would personally prefer that the chains remain separate, and keep doing what they do best (or worst), I also don't view this possibility as some apocalyptic, end of times action, that will doom the amusement industry. You never know... It could even end up being great for all parks involved, in the long run! However, my 15 year old son who is an up and coming enthusiast may disagree, and is not taking this news too well at the moment! But he'll come around, and hopefully calmer heads will prevail, and nobody will stay too worked up over this. We don't even know any details, and there is a very strong chance that nothing comes of this, and the status quo will be maintained. And even if SF does succeed, and take over, there's no assurance that they won't take on more of the CF management philosophy, and actual personnel, and we won't have any idea what all will be affected in the different parks for a couple years out at least. So while this is definitely some interesting, out of left field news, and certainly brings up some interesting questions, I think that's all this is at this point.

Geeat TR, Janae! It was a blast to go to the park with you, and my kids, and I look forward to our next park connection, whenever and wherever that may be! I am planning on posting a TR as well sometime, but I didn't take as many pictures as you, so I'm glad you got a bunch. Plus, everybody's still waiting with bated breath I'm sure for Part 2 of my CW TR, so I need to decide whether to skip over that to do GAm!

Goliath at SFGAm! I got 6 rides on this fantastic RMC over the weekend, 3 of them in the front (including a mind-blowing ride in the dark, when the pic below was taken), and it's definitely moving up in my ranking a little! So great, and a bit underrated, I feel like!