DILinator

Six Flags Great America, a week from today! I'm looking forward to getting to ride my first RMC! That'll be a nice "gift" for my birthday!

I just had a thought, looking at the leaked water park layout... Many people are disappointed, feeling like the water park expansion clearly did not necessitate the removal of Thunder Road. Looking at the alleged layour, that clearly seems to be the case. As I stated earlier in the thread, I think a new coater will be in part of TR's old footprint eventually, mitigating some of the angst. I was looking mostly at the still empty station land, and figuring it would have to be a smaller coater. However, I did notice that in addition to that part of the old footprint, there will be a cleared spot of land in the middle of expansion, and then a lot of additional cleared space where TR's turnarounds were. Potentially, a larger steel coaster (possibly an RMC even, I suppose) could head right down that way, how TR used to, coming down in the middle before ending up in the bigger section for most of it, and then returning. Given that they already have both a Hyper and a Giga, I'm not sure that there's another coaster that would work with that kind of footprint, other than an RMC potentially. It's likely we won't see this, but I did note that it's at least possible, given the open land remaining...

Arrow - Hypers Coaster (Magnum XL 200) B&M - Giga/Hypers (Tough call, since I love so many of their products!) Chance - Chaos Gerstlauer - Coastersaurus (Clearly, I haven't been on many Gerstlauer's! ) Giovonola - Hyper (Considering I don't even like Goliath, it's no wonder they went bankrupt!) HUSS - Giant Frisbee Intamin - Blitz/LSM Launch Coaster (Maverick) Larson - Super Loop (barely edging out the Tilt-a-Whirl - yipee...) Mack - Log Flume (Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls) Mondial - Windseeker Morgan - Hyper Coaster (Phantom's Revenge) Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters - Blue Streak Premier - Batman and Robin - The Chiller ( ) Reverchon - Spinning Coaster (Exterminator) RMC - Haven't ridden any yet (But I imagine it will be Goliath in a week! ) S&S - 4D Coaster (X2) Sally - Dark Rides Schwarzkopf - Shuttle Loop (Montezooma's Revenge) Vekoma - Expedition Everest (Imagine my shock when I realized a Vekoma was in my Top 10!) Zamperla - Spinning Wild-Mouse (Ragin' Cajun) Zierer - Jaguar (By default, I think it's their only coaster I've ridden!)

^^Great TR, and pics! I tell you, every time I see pictures of this place, it just makes me want to go even more! Which in turn, makes me sad, because I simply have no idea when that is going to work out...

This question got buried at the bottom of my last post, so I'm not sure if anybody noticed it, but I was wondering when KK is likely to open for the year next year? I know they've only been reopened a couple of years, so it's not like there's a "norm" to go by really. But if any KK frequenters can shed any light on this, that'd be great!

As much as that's a sweet complex, and would certainly only enhance MiA's already stellar water park, MORE water slides seem like the last thing that park needs right now. Having just been there a week ago, I was struck by how large the place was, and how many different slides they had already. The number of slides outlasted my ability to stay out in the blistering sun riding them, actually! There are so many other areas the park really needs to address (and I'm not even talking about a coaster here, either) before adding to the one part of the park that already is well above average. So all this to say: yeah, that's exactly what MiA is getting in 2017 after 2016 brings us nothing significant!

I love this concept, personally! I've always thought it'd be so much simpler to have separate entrances (while still keeping it one price), to allow for people to access the water park directly from their car, and then return after changing before going into the dry park at that entrance. Personally, I'm fully expecting this to only be the beginning of expansion there. I noticed that there is still some room left over where I suspect they'll add some sort of small, coaster, possibly launched, and of course, the Action Theater seems like a prime location for their future Amusement Dark. It seems like having addressed the front of the park with Fury and the new gate, they're now turning their attention to this side of the park. By the time this expansion is done, they'll have really brought some more life into that part of the park. One thing I noticed when I was there for the first time earlier this year, was that area back there seemed really quiet. While that made it more endearing to me than the unshaded and crowded front of the park, it definitely seemed like an area primed for some expansion. Maybe you all see it differently, but those are my impessions, looking over the next 5 years or so. By that time, I'll probably be living in North Carolina, so it may be my home park, depending on where in NC we end up settling!

Pretty cool news! That picture of the coaster they're getting is clearly Python based not just on appearance, but the buildings visible behind the coaster, which match up. I've never found those kind of coasters to be that great, but hey: a coaster is a coaster. If I'm in the Detroit area sometime, I'll look the place up - probably as much for everything else as the coaster, but that's not a bad side benefit!

See, I agree with you in spirit, but would say "neglected" is too strong of a term. MiA is the only park that could really make a serious claim to that designation, and even then, they haven't really been neglected. That being said, there is no doubt that the Paramount parks purchase affected the smaller parks in the CF chain greatly, and it does make for an interesting game of "What could have been?" From Steel Force, to Talon, to Hydra, major coaster additions were on a routine four year schedule prior to the Paramount parks. Then the transplants began three years later, after GL's closure, and then back to four years later for another relocation. Interestingly, if they continue that pattern you are due for another transplant in 2016... How convenient one coaster just became available! In all seriousness, however, had CF not purchased the new parks, I doubt DP would have more coasters than they do currently, but at least they would have likely received an original coaster, instead of Stinger. I think the GL purchase and closure would have happened, regardless, so there's a strong chance you still would have received Possessed.

However, in all liklihood, a B&M Invert or Wingrider seems unlikely, given their price tags these days. I found it interesting that Patriot cost WoF $14 mil, and eight years later Banshee cost Kings Island $24 mil. Granted, Banshee is definitely a bigger, and more costly coaster even without inflation figured in. Thunderbird was $22 mil. Now, X-Flight was only in the $12-$15 mil range, and that was only put in a few years ago. So it's plausible to think a smaller, more basic Wing Coaster built on flat terrain could work at WoF. Still, I think the idea of a launched coaster for WoF is a good one, just you're more likely to get something like Wicked at Lagoon, as opposed to Thunderbird. Question: As a stockholder, do you guys get detailed, itemized reports on all expenditures and profits? Just curious. I too, doubt an investment of that size ($20 - $25 mil) is forthcoming at any of their smaller parks, just for the record... Regarding California's Great America, I find that interesting, considering they've spent most of their ownership of the park cutting it back, and they themselves acknowledge in last year's report that it's pretty much maxed out for space to expand. Makes one wonder if they have some land aquisition plan up their sleeve, or are going to 'shuffle the deck' inside the park property a bit... FWIW, I actually could see a coaster like Fury, or at least a hyper, going in there next, since there is definitely room for a coaster with a skinny, but long, footprint.

This point drives at an underlying issue that annoys me as well. When we are here online, talking about non-kiddie coasters, nobody should even be invoking the term "forceless". We are talking about roller coasters, which by their very nature exert forces on every single rider, every single time! Granted, not all "force" is created equal: some forces are stronger than others, and different forces, exert themselves on the rider in different ways. One of the wonderful things about roller coasters is all the variety of forces one can experience on the same coaster, but do so safely! Now, not all people are created equal, and therefore forces can also affect people in different ways, or not at all. It's simply intrinsic nature. That's why two riders, even from the same family (with many similar genes) can sit next to each other on the same coaster, and come away with different experiences. It's happened to me many times, as I'm sure it's happened to you all as well. Does that mean a coaster's "force" is there for the one rider, and not for the other? Of course not! The difference has to do with the person, not the coaster. Because unless you're riding Wilderness Run, or something like it, you're experiencing forces on a roller coaster. And like Coaster Hero mentioned, even B&M coasters max out with some pretty strong forces!

Yeah... Definitely sounds like the snap ruined it for me... I only "love" it, instead of... Wait, there isn't anything greater than that! Hmm... Guess somebody has some reading comprehension issues... I can't speak for others, but I am in a constant state of at those who complain about B&M's not being forceful. I'm actually one of the bigger B&M defenders there is! Raptor is amazing in the front Raptor is definitely the cat's meow in the front! That's definitely the money seat for that ride! The overall intensity of the ride, and especially the jarring snap at the end, definitely get worse as you go towards the back of the train. No, there is no world in which the end of Raptor could be described as smooth. You may not be bothered by the snap at the end, but that's your personal preference. That part of the coaster IS rough, especially in the back. Period. I've been riding it longer than many posters here have been alive, and with many, many different people, and not a single person who sat in the back with me would describe that small part of the ride as "smooth", even if it didn't bother them much. I'm not even complaining about the coaster as a whole. I would never describe it as a "rough" coaster, like Son of Beast, a Vekoka SLC, or as you mentioned, the horrific old Aarow loopers! It IS an intense coaster, and has a rough transition up into the brake run. That's it. Still a great coaster! This is the thing that gets me... Sometimes people around here act like we should all experience coasters the same way as they do, or we're less-than. That is simply incorrect! So some people prefer more intensity, or even like their coasters a little rough. Good for them! But that doesn't mean those who prefer their coasters smoother, or less intense, are any less of a coaster enthusiast for that preference. It doesn't mean they should be made fun of or belittled. Everybody's different, and will have their own personal preference. And something to remember: us enthusiasts will typically have a higher tolerance for intensity and roughness than non-enthusiasts! This is certainly something that decades of riding coasters with non-enthusiasts has proven to me. When Raptor snaps back into the station like it does at the end, particularly in the back, it will typically be at least slightly jarring to MOST normal people who aren't ready for it. I know how to ride it to minimize that, but most GP won't unless one of us tells them, so that's going to be their last impression of the ride. Most probably won't let it ruin their ride, but certainly some will walk away with a sour impression and a sore neck and - here's the key thing - that makes sense. It doesn't make them wimpy or less tough. That snap doesn't diminish the ride terribly in my eyes, but I certainly wouldn't mind if it ended less awkwardly. Maybe some people around here are "spoiled" (ok, so there's no "maybe" for some people!), but I most certainly am not one of them. I have a very firm grasp of not only the nuance from coaster to coaster, but also person to person, especially comparing the minority enthusiasts, and the majority GP, and take all these things into account when forming opinions, and stating facts. I'm not trying to tick anybody off, but the one-sided nature that conversation was taking, dragging people (like myself) with logical, well-formed perspectives down, was inaccurate, and I felt the need to point this out. Dislike or write me off if you will, but I'm not the one who started mocking people simply because they experienced a coaster differently than me...

Just to be clear, lest anybody lump me into a category falsely... There is a difference between expecting this all to be a ruse, and allowing for the possibility that it is all a ruse. I certainly would bet on a Dive Machine called Valravn with the specs we've seen to be announced in just over a week. But am I putting all my expectant eggs in that basket? No way! You just never know, and it's not like trickery is unheard of from CF or even CP. I'm really trying to tamp down on my excitement about this, simply because it'll make the disappointment less if it turns out to be something else, unlikely as that may be! Also, regarding the Raptor/Maverick 50/50 claims... That does seem very high to me, as both of those are extremely popular coasters, and I know of hardly anybody personally who dislikes then. Still, it wouldn't surprise me if a fair number of their GP riders, say 20-25% tops, would deem then to be a bit rough for their tastes. Maverick is no doubt an aggressive ride, and there was a fair amount of headbanging, especially before the new restraints. And Raptor is definitely one of the more intense Inverts, ending with that brutal snap as you come into the break run. Don't get be wrong: I love them both, particularly Maverick. But I can see somebody coming off of them, especially a casual coaster rider, and thinking they were a bit rough for their tastes. 50/50 is definitely too high, however, in my opinion!

I too was fortunate enough to get a couple of rides on it without the MCBR at HWN, and I agree with this. Other than that triple-down, the second half of the ride is still bat-krunk crazy with the MCBR activated. With or without it, I still love that ride!

You're right, it does look screwed up! But my dad and I loved the ride, and rode it twice (which was a big deal back then in my non-enthusiast days!) My brother, however, rode it that first time (sitting right next to me), and hated it because it was "too rough". My dad and I thought he was nuts. It looks like he was right, however!

I rode Mamba in the rain a couple of times, and that was bad enough!

Thanks for the clarification, and for those comparison pictures! So I did ride it in its original form then! Good to know! My memories of it, besides enjoying it a ton (it was my favorite ride there after that visit), are basically just that awesome first drop/inversion, and lots of going upside down!

I realize that. I'm just saying that for a marriage to affect the way a business is being run, especially one that other people are in charge of, would be/is pretty unprofessional! If CF doesn't care about that, then that pretty much proves my point that they're not terribly concerned about MiA. If they really wanted something at MiA, neither the GM's husband nor the Head of Maintenance would stop them. I guess all this to say, if that's really what's going on behind the scenes, MiA's situation is more disappointing than I originally thought! Having said all that, I really decided the other day not care if it ever becomes anything more, and accept MiA for what it is. Clearly I have some work to do in that regard!

You cant blame CF. The GM is the one choosing not to put new rides in. CF wanted MIA to get knotts windseeker. CF wants MIA to get a drop tower. The GM and head of maintainance dont want the headache. Which is a shame. An amusement park that doesn't want to build amusement rides because of the work and budget it involves I know you keep saying that, but with all due respect, I have a VERY hard time believing Cedar Fair's higher-ups would allow the GM of a park they own to dictate anything to them. Add in the nepotism factor - from a head of maintenance no less - and you get a situation that reeks of un-professionalism, if true! If you are correct, however, that is a very big shame indeed, and CF is culpable in dropping the ball by not canning those two...

cfc (or anybody else who knows), did they re-profile it before the 1994 season, or after the 1994 season? I've never been clear on that. That was the year I rode it, FWIW...

^Thanks! Those are great! Oh, Drachen Fire...

Granted, I'm a suspicious person by nature, but I have to say I agree with you here! As much as I'd love for it to be pretty much what we've seen, it all just seems too perfect, and predictable...

Apologies to its fans, but...

Honestly, I've always been surprised at how much traffic you guys normally have in here, given the size of your park! It's pretty impressive!

I honestly want to know what possible reasoning you have for your opinion here? Well, I can't speak for him, and I am sure I'll like Lightning Rod more, but I can see people preferring Storm Chaser. For one, if somebody likes inversions in addition to their airtime, SC gives them that. On top of normal inversions, SC has a first drop inversion, which seems like it'd be pretty mind blowing! Yes, personally, I'm more excited for LR's launched hill and dual airtime hills before the drop. But different people have different tastes in their coaster experiences. I'm sure there will be people more excited for Valravn than either of these RMC coasters, and that's ok too! I know I won't be, but that doesn't make those who feel this way wrong, or dumb... On a different note, I was wondering, from the KK regulars, when does the park typically open for the season? Or is there no "typical" yet, since it's so new?