DILinator

Well, I've ridden it back to back without getting off in the front seat at night after Midnight with the mist rising up from the ground all around the coaster... And it didn't crack my top 10 coasters then, and that was 12 years and many coasters ago! But I get what you're saying, as it was an absolutely amazing experience, and one I've never forgotten! I just got to ride it again after Midnight in the second to front row this past Friday, and loved experiencing that again! A night ride on The Beast definitely makes it a Top 5 wooden coaster experience, however. It is just so much better at night. On the topic of night rides at KI, this past Friday was so amazing, as my wife and I went there and got plenty of awesome rides after dark! Not only is The Beast amazing, which I already knew, but Banshee was SO much better even than it is in the day, and Diamondback was fabulous as well! Even Firehawk and The Bat went from being "meh", to being pretty darn fun! I think the biggest surprise, however, was Adventure Express. That ride was just bonkers at night, and my wife and I were laughing the whole time! In the end, we got to ride Diamondback 3x, Banshee 2x, and then single rides on The Beast, Firehawk, The Bat, Adventure Express, Backlot Stunt Coaster, Delirium, and Windseeker. Considering it was pretty busy on a moderately temperatured fall night, I think that was pretty good. KI is definitely THE place to go to get a ton of great night rides on coasters!

You'll find the same advice year after year. Fridays are better. People are there for both rides and haunts. Most haunts are 15 minutes wait. Beast and low capacity rides have longest lines. If you get there at opening and stay till close you'll find short waits in the first and last couple hours. Yes, I wasn't clear, but we are going on the 9th, a Friday. It'll be fine, I'm sure. Not a mob scene like Opening Night or a Saturday. There are thunderstorms in the forecast for the day, but it looks like the night will clear up. I hope that holds true. I am very excited about getting some good night rides in on Banshee and Diamondback, because I have not had the privilege yet. I have been on The Beast at night, for two back to back rides in the front row after Midnight with the mist rising up from the ground in fact! I'm definitely still looking forward to a few more night rides on that as well. My wife and I don't do haunts, so night rides on coasters are the primary reason for going - besides just getting away for an overnight and riding coasters together for the first time in many, many years! Such is life when you have four kids!

As it turned out, I had my friend bring his ticket over and show me, and it said it was good for any Friday, Saturday, or Sunday of Halloweekends. So we made the call not to go. I had a friend who works there report to me that it was really bad, and sand was piled up on the Wicked Twister midway. So that was the final straw. I received the same report mentioned above from a friend who was there that night (and took a few pictures of the valleyed Iron Dragon), that only Maverick, Rougarou, and Blue Streak were open. So yeah... Definitely a good call not to go! We're tentatively rescheduled for the 16th. Hopefully the weather is a lot better. Maybe not much warmer, but at least not as windy, and hopefully not wet! Thanks for the input to all who chipped in!

^Bleh! I'm going in a week, and I was really hoping for subdued crowds - at least for the coasters. Were most of the people doing the haunts? Or were there pretty long lines for the coasters as well?

I'm going to CP tonight! Wish me luck that not all of the coasters are closed due to high winds... At least the crowds should be pretty low since it's a terrible night to go! (I probably wouldn't be going except somebody in my party bought a couple of day-specific tickets for tonight... )

Count me in the group that considers GateKeeper one of the best coasters at CP! No, it's not the most intense coaster there, but it sure is a fun and unique experience!

Thanks for the responses, guys! I'm hoping the light crowds continue at least another couple of Fridays!

Piggy-backing on this, I was just talking to my Brother-in-law about this yesterday, and explaining that Cedar Fair and Six Flags are really "Amusement" Parks, as opposed to "Theme" Parks. Hence, you're never going to see major theming applied to coasters at those parks, as randomly theming one coaster in a park that isn't a themed park, would indeed generate poor ROI from a business standpoint. It'd be awesome to see coasters like this at CP, for instance, but it'll never happen, and I think that's understandable.

Question for anybody who went to CP this past Friday night: How were the crowds/lines? Particularly on the coasters? I'm looking to go next week (Oct 2), and am curious what kind of waits to anticipate. The last time I went to a Halloweekends Friday night, was many years ago, and it was dead. I'm guessing it's gotten busier over the years, however... Thanks!

That's actually an excellent idea, in my opinion! I know as a Michigander, I'd be happy with that... compared to nothing, or something smaller.

Seriously, I think we as enthusiasts can forget this at times! (Unless you were riding SoB - that was NOT fun! )

^I felt the same way when B&M's Flying Coasters came out. They were pretty basic, and not overly exciting. I saw the potential in them, however, once they utilized their unique riding position, and existing terrain, and better elements. Now, since Tatsu, the newer models have been doing this, and are decidedly more exciting than the early versions! I don't even think they've reached their full potential yet. Maybe we'll see something close to that with what they're building at Universal Studios Japan. Like I said before, I have enjoyed all of the Wingriders I've been on so far. I agree with what you're saying, though... There is still so much more than can be done with the model, and concept, than they've even tapped into yet! I'm definitely excited to see what the next 5-10 years provide as far as further enhancements to the design, and also whether Intamin makes any more, as they're always good for pushing the boundaries!

Personally, I DO think the three B&M Wing Coasters I have ridden are "Great" coasters (GateKeeper and Thunderbird are at least - X-Flight is "Very Good"), and the GP seems to eat them up as well! Why, just the other week my wife went with a group of people to CP, all but one of them who were new to GK, and they all thought it was a "great" coaster. The ONLY place I have seen any less than stellar opinions of the rides are in "enthusiast" circles...

Good one! I laughed loud enough that my co-worker actually asked what was so funny!

I've said this numerous times, and as a father of four (three of which are avid coaster riders - all under 12), I am certainly qualified to speak on behalf of the "family" contingent. Automatically equating additions like this to being "family friendly", and coaster additions to "not family friendly", is a misnomer. I think maybe "young child friendly" might be a more apt designation. Most of the kids 6-13 I've known and observed over the years, love a good coaster as much as the next enthusiast (well, maybe not that much! ) That being said, my kids do really like Flyers (as do I), and I think this is a solid addition for Valleyfair! This is also something I feel the need to remind people of periodically... One strange tendency I've noticed across most enthusiast sites, is this blind acceptance that corporations like Cedar Fair and Six Flags automatically know better than any of us what is and isn't a good addition to their parks. Obviously, I would agree that most of the time, that is the case. But there are plenty of people out here, with the understanding of the industry, business acumen, as well as innovative park concepts, that would be just as good doing the job of people working for those companies, if not better. If there's one thing I've learned working in the Mental Health field for over 17 years, it's that just because somebody has a higher degree, and a more prestigious position, doesn't mean they are smarter than you, or even better at their job than you would be. Cedar Fair and Six Flags have both made mistakes over the years, some which they have owned up to, others which they have not. It's the nature of business. But to automatically assume everybody in high-up positions there, is smarter about what they're doing than anybody here, is a false assumption, in my opinion, and not something I have seen borne out in my professional career... And again, let me be clear: I do NOT think these Flyers are a mistake on VF or CF's part!

No, they haven't announced yet. Vortex getting converted to being Floorless is the big rumor for CGA, but I've never actually heard anything solid regarding that, aside from enthusiast speculation. I've always heard it assumed, and thus, have assumed it myself. But who knows... Maybe they're not getting anything major either... As for Dorney, they haven't announced, and unless you count the enthusiast speculation/trolling about Shockwave going there (which, who knows, could actually happen I guess), I haven't even heard any solid rumors. It'll definitely be interesting to see what they end up getting, if anything... Regarding MiA, I'm taking the stance that they are getting nothing next year, and will have no announcement! That way, if they do have an announcement, and get something, it'll be a pleasant surprise!

A few thoughts... 1) I always thought Flyers were what was going to come here, and thought most people here thought that too! I mean, making additions like this has been CF's M.O. with their smaller parks for a few years. VF was completely due for a Flyer, and now they have one. Good news for you guys? Maybe now that they've checked that box for VF, a coaster is that much closer! Or not... 2) Count your blessings that even got an announcement, and a new addition! As a "fan" of MiA, I am fully expecting to for 2015 to turn into 2016, without any announcement of anything at all! Maybe it's better this way though... At least by expecting this, I will be pleasantly surprised if they announce out of the blue that MiA is getting the Screamin' Swings from Knott's! 3) I think the reaction on social media to the announcement reinforces something I've said for years, that tends to get largely dismissed by enthusiasts... While some enthusiasts take great pride in bashing other enthusiasts as being whiny and unrealistic when it comes to getting large new additions (which, is certainly the case sometimes), my experience with the GP, is that they are also excited about large new attractions, and notice when a park has been (prepare yourself) neglected in that department for some years. Being in Michigan, there is definitely a lot of ambivalence about MiA, and complaining about the lack of new, marquee attractions. Now, maybe a part of this is because CP is also a virtual "home park", and has spoiled everybody. But it's actually a legitimate feeling for people to have, and is not inherently indicative of somebody being a "spoiled, whiny, enthusiast." People - everybody - like to see the big new coasters, not just enthusiasts. Are smaller additions like Flyers, water park epansions, and shows crucial to rounding out a park's experience? Totally! But if a park goes too long without that new coaster, everybody, including the GP will take notice, and start to feel jilted. Like it or not, it is simply the reality that an amusement park has to face. I have a pretty good understanding of why CF has taken the tack they have with their older, smaller parks like VF, Mia, WoF, and to a lesser extent, Dorney. But that doesn't mean it's any easier for people to accept as the years tick by, and CF continues to raise ticket prices. Heck, in truth, we enthusiasts actually have the understanding and knowledge of the industry to understand BETTER why parks aren't adding the big coasters, as opposed to the GP. Just a word of caution against piling on enthusiasts when they express disappointment over years of no large additions... Oh, and if it wasn't clear: my personal stance on this addition is that it is a fine, and perfectly commensurate one for VF, and will be a fun addition to the park!

This definitely describes my memory of both of my rides on Shockwave, and Sky Rider years ago!

My favorite roller coaster makes sweet, sweet music! Honorable mentions for CP's Dynamic Duo! And my favorite woodies!

I just referred to it as he did, since I was responding to his post. But if it makes your day brighter... The dive loop extended out to just next to where Wildcat used to be, still occupying the footprint that the theater, and its surrounding area did. So, in my 33 years of going to Cedar Point, I've never parked at the Marina, nor gone over there at all. I've never been to either restaurant. Are people able to park over there if they are just going to the park? Or, if it's reserved for Marina and restaurant visitors, can you go to the restaurant, and then enter the park while still parked there? I'm just curious, because it seems like the Marina Entrance will be a really cool way to enter the park now, but if your only way to do so is either park up front and walk all the way down there, or take a boat to CP, then it seems like very few people will get to appreciate that view/experience...

^^^Well, a demo could definitely be considered an "alteration"!

This. It's more annoying to read complaints about complaints than the actual "complaints" themselves. But now I'm complaining about complaining about complaints lol No, Wildcat was further down, where the grandstand to watch Luminosity is now. Essentially, that second immelmann will be right next to where Wildcat was. It remains in the footprint of the former IMAX building, and surrounding queue areas. If you look on the current Google satellite view, you can see really well where Wildcat used to be, in that area between the trees next to the theater, and the bathroom (and Wildcat is still there on the Street View, as was mentioned previously.) Those trees are still mostly shown in the Valravn images, with the immelmann going just to the East of them towards the midway.

That would be SUCH an "MiA thing" for them to do! Know that I am laughing on the outside, but crying on the inside... (Not over a Disk-o - I think that's a great addition for MiA! Just that it would be considered a "coaster", after all these years of waiting for a new one...)

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo!

I haven't been to SFMM since before YOLO and TC, but Tatsu was actually my favorite coaster there, and not X2. Yet, it's behind three CP coasters in my personal rankings, MF, Maverick, and GateKeeper (I don't get the hate, and never will.) However, I don't see much purpose in going down the list comparing them, because they have such diverse collections of coasters. You can compare rides like Goliath and Magnum, B:TR and Raptor, or Scream and Rougarou (all of which I side with the CP coaster), but there's no way you can compare anything at CP to X2, or anything at MM to Maverick (other than maybe TC.) At the end of the day, coaster-wise, both parks are among the very elite in the world, with some awesome coasters, mixed in with some duds. Comparing the two parks, and trying to decide which is best, will likely come down to personal preference, and whether you care about overall park experience or not.