Danrarbc

I'm concerned about what this could mean for education overall in the state though. We're already in the middle of the pack, I would want to slip into the bottom third of states.

According to the park announcements email the park opens for the 2020 season on March 18th. First of all that isn't a weekend, and also that has to be one of the earliest opens ever for them. That's a 10 week off-season.

Boomerang needs off-season work, not sure it would have been open for HITP even if it didn't. Yep. They're extremely small footprint. The triple out layout measures 75ft x 250ft and the double out is 50ft x 400ft. The triple out literally requires less land than a Giga/Giant Discovery.

It wasn't open last Friday. just Black Friday.

Is the show at the entrance at closing time new? I know it didn't exist the first two years but I don't remember being up there at close last year. There have definitely been lighting upgrades around most of the park. But wow does this make the area around American Thunder and Moon Cars stick out. American Thunder's superstructure isn't lit up, at least not yet, as has been done in the past. The building across doesn't have lights on it. They don't appear to be using the lights in the red white and blue garland, there are just the lighted stars overhead. The decorations basically begin at Log Flume. I didn't get a photo of the Thunder area, wish I would have. Rather than bog down the forum with multiple photos here's the link to the set from last night. https://imgur.com/a/quAQtjW I still think SFSL wears HITP well.

I'm not sure how important a 4th water ride is. SFOT only got Aquaman because the original plans for the ride fell through. Looks fun though. The short list would have to be Giant Discovery, 4D and Raptor (off the shelf like Wonder Woman). Obviously there are smaller options too - SF has installed a few other flats. Maybe something else new for the chain. I'd take a Mack hyper back there but even at $5M cheaper than a B&M I doubt that happens. You do realize this is Six Flags St. Louis you’re talking about right?! Raptors are supposedly cheaper than S&S 4D coasters by quite a margin. If the $4M number going around is true (it sounds really low, that's Giant Discovery territory from what I can tell).

The rumor mill currently has Tidal Wave's plot tagged for something after 2021. But if rumors are correct 2021 will be a big year, we shall see. I'm not 100% convinced, yet. Oh. I'd have expected the plot to be used quickly. Now I really don't know what to think. Then again King's Island is removing Vortex with no apparent 2021 plan for that land.

I wondered if that was the 'big change'. So. 2021 should be nice eh?

So what kind of change? Holiday improvements or something.. else? On the Ninja front guys think about it. They swapped out the lift hill hardware in barely more than a week. This thing has to be easy to keep running.

The park is closing early tonight due to the rain.

If it's on the list they'll try to open it. If it isn't, then don't expect it to be open. They likely won't have the staff to open more, and there's a chance the trains are already removed and the ride is being prepared for 2020.

Well sounds like that's what is likely. I'm not sure how much they're going to be doing that'd make a HITP opening possible. And as has been said there may be extra work to do with it SBNO.

Another ride has been added to the Holiday in the Park lineup. Fireball is also listed now. This brings the open Midway sections depressingly close to Screamin' Eagle.

The HITP ride list is up. Looks like nothing will be closed that has been open in the past. There is one addition though - Skyscreamer. So the event now officially includes part of Illinois and goes beyond the railroad tracks.

Well we have seen a bunch of Arrow Loopers closing over the last decade+. According to Cedar Fair a service life of 25-35 years was expected. But Boomerangs aren't Arrows, and they're also still extremely common. I doubt it'll be on the chopping block anytime soon unless the maintenance costs are higher than other Boomerang installations.

Quick reminder our Boomerang was modified during transplantation and the lift systems in particular are going to have next to no part commonality with any others and thus with most replacement parts.

Shame this isn't part of the maintenance.

So... This gravel access road at Ninja seems new.

Either way, I had a few frighteningly fast rides on the Beast 1987-1989 (including during the Beast 10th anniversary party in March of '89... in the rain and snow!) People argue endlessly about how the Beast used to be (which usually includes the 1979 POV of the ride, fresh and tight, running very slow during a test run). The discussion is usually ... "well, you were young and you just remember if faster!" No. It was definitely faster on a regular basis. If you got a brakeless Beast ride back then, you knew it. If it went past half-way up the 2nd lift, you got what was (back then) considered a brakeless or near-brakeless ride. 1989 was my last fast ride on Beast. By 1992 (we would drive over from Cedar Point on days off), it seemed Beast lost all it's bite. Forward to the 2000s, and another big step-down in speed. Still fun, and will always be special to me, but not but a shade of what it used to be. Bummer to me, but it's life. Since we are in the Great America thread... there is the case of a brakeless American Eagle! What a treat that was. When the track is in top condition AND the brakes are off, I call that "Voyage meets Phoenix." True magic. You could get a taste of that around 2009-2010 when Shapiro was in charge. Eagle was his favorite coaster in the chain, and made sure it was kept in good condition and ran fast, albeit for a short period. It's back to it's usual self, but I still love it. Late 80s was horrible as the wooden track on the out run made it nearly un-rideable. Then they added the hybrid track; it's got that vibration, but it still runs fairly well. It's kinda impressive how wrong every paragraph is.

Electrical for Catwoman has been going in over the last couple of weeks. Interesting choice to put it at the far end of the kart track like this.

I'd say it mostly replaces Blackout as an intermediate haunt. And is better than it in every way. It has a theme besides 'dark room with a couple people that'll scream', it carries the theme throughout, and has some fun obstacles along the way. Camp Killamore is in a new location this year - and WAY worse than ever. If I paid for a single haunt and that was the one I paid for I'd demand my money back. Back to Blood Bank. I said there wasn't much theming and that probably sounded like a complaint. I actually like that they didn't go overboard - it's pretty chill.

I was in the park last night but never really left 1904 and DC Comics so no picture updates. Those areas look same as always. I did walk in the Blood Bar but forgot to take picks. They've put a couple arcade machines in but not a ton of theming.

I've had these pics for 3 weeks or so but I haven't seen anyone say anything so I suppose they're still relevant. Early in the season I noted the park removed many light strands as opposed to just removing bulbs as it did previous seasons. New strands were already being installed a month ago concurrent with Fright Fest prep. They've also gotten fans with mist capability for the entrance. Good addition on hot days. And a new haunt in a new location.

Actually it's only been three years since Fireball was added. Ban him!!!!