teacherkim

No, we will have to add that one to our list. Easy enough drive to get there. I really want to go to Universal's HHN, we may do that one next year if I can work it into a quick weekend.

Hmmmmm.........hope they get the issues with non working lights fixed soon, it is still early in the holiday season, but that is a pretty basic element to a Christmas event to have not working. I think we will wait and go closer to Christmas. Of course I have the usual friends who are wanting to bogart my bff hitp tickets I usually do my best to cheerlead for SFSTL, remind everyone that we are essentially a small regional park, not in a vacation destination and that in the grand scheme of things not having a hypercoaster near you is certainly not the end of the world. All of which is true. However, I do have to say that my son and I made a quick trip to Carowinds the last weekend of October. A park in a similar sized city that is not a particular vacation destination (although it is in a warmer climate and close to the Blue Ridge, so nearer vacation spots than us) and their Halloween event blew us away. I've been to lots of other parks but not for a special holiday event. I'm sure just the experience of a new to us event versus the event we had been to several years in a row played a part BUT.......their haunted houses were just outstanding and the atmosphere of the whole park blew SFSTl out of the water. It was really fun. While it had it pros and cons like anything else, I cannot deny it was of a higher quality than our park.

My son and I did our Carowinds trip this past weekend. The haunt mazes were all great and got on all 13 coasters. Thanks to those that advised about NOT moving the car during the Sat down time between regular park hours and Scarowinds. There were people already lined up at the gate by 5:15 so definitely the right thing to do. We had a great time despite the bad Friday weather which actually made the crowds really low that night.

Yeah I think I answered my own question on the web site. Apparently, if you buy fastlane it is good for either the daytime hours OR Scarowinds.

So, if we purchase fastlane plus for the normal daytime hours on a Saturday, is it still good during Scarowinds? Or does everything "reset" when the park reopens for the Halloween stuff. I realize the mazes have a separate fastpass to purchase.

Yeah but again Cincinnati is a day trip to a much larger population than St Louis, we are just a little too far west. Anyway, we could discuss the whys and hows all day but again the fact remains that St Louis is just not a destination city; even if it should be, no matter how much we wish it were.

I travel a lot and have been asked about Ferguson many times. Sadly, it's become a thing St Louis is known for. An attraction like the Arch tends to be something people stop at as they drive through. Maybe instead of expecting/depending on Six Flags to draw int tourists the city should be engaging in a little more overall self promotion as a place to spend some vacation time. Unfortunately, I think our proximity to Chicago hurts us greatly as people will choose that if given the option.

Exactly. And most people don't make their travel plans based on the amusement park nearby. They go to the amusement park nearby to where they want to travel. The exception probably being Orlando.

Yeah, but that is a bit of a misnomer. It is actually a day trip from St. Louis, Indianapolis, Louisville, Lexington, Paducah, Nashville and a few other places that I haven't thought of off the top of my head. All relatively small markets but together ....... In fact the whole discussion about "markets" is way more complicated than just the size of the city the park is located in. Dollywood's actual location doesn't have a huge population but obviously because of Smoky MT NP it is a big vacation draw, same with SDC. Unfortunately, St Louis isn't a huge vacation draw or quite the crossroads that Holiday World is.

Yes, been to several other Cedar Fair parks but not Carowinds. It was a reward offered to the boy for raising his grades and then he went and did it so I had to follow through, lol. We both have Fri 10/26 off school so, fly down Fri morning, Scarowinds Fri night, regular park Sat day, Scarowinds Sat night, utilize fastlane/frightlane, ride everything, go through all the mazes, eat junk food til we puke, and fly home Sun morning.

Thanks guys! The tip about walking to dinner and leaving the car is welcome for sure. I was kinda wondering about that down time. Prozach you know I am firmly in the get the fastpasses camp if you aren't there on a regular basis. Because we need to fit it in a quick weekend we are just flying down so I'm not going to skimp on fastpasses if I'm already spending money on plane tickets and a rental car. I was able to get two free night at the Hampton Inn near the park with Hilton points, so that helps. I figure with fastlane plus and two night of haunts with the fright lane passes we should get to see everything. Now that I'm hearing tales about the backup to get in we will be sure to allow plenty of time.

My son and I will be making a quick trip down from St Louis the last weekend in October. We will hit Scarowinds on the Fri and Sat night and do the regular park hours during the day on Sat. Will be our first trip to Carowinds but not our first to a Cedar Fair park. We are park traveling veterans but anything we should know about Scarowinds? Or the park in general?

While I personally prefer to travel as light as possible and also sometimes wonder why people need the enormous backpacks: A) You just cannot always do that if you have young kids and B) No park is going to restrict people on the amount of stuff they bring in, they just aren't and C) If you are doing the waterpark there just usually isn't a way to avoid towels and sunscreen and such; although I suppose they could do separate bag check security for the water park. They do have an entrance outside the main gate that could be utilized.

I have never understood the horrible waste of water that is the giant hose. Still don't like the castrated Boss, but then I've never had an issue with roughness or pain; just have to battle some motion sickness. Batman is one of the worst rides in the park for me on that issue. (Other than spinny things like Fling or Excalibur, don't even try those anymore) Usually have to wear a patch to ride that one! Based on my observations of entrance procedures at many other parks; I think it would be much more efficient if they had a bag checker assigned to each metal detector instead of the separate table and/or they just need more people at rush times.

I seem to remember very clearly (I was 15 or 16 so not a little kid) that it was closed down immediately after the accident and while one side reverted back to Mine Train the other side closed down and Ninja went in like 4 or 5 years later. I looked it up on rcdb and it only shows it operating during the 1984 season and I seem to remember the accident was pretty early on in the season. I know we wanted to ride it but never were able to. But it was a long time ago so maybe I'm mixed up. Were you around at that time? Anyone else remember the details? P.S. - I do remember the news interviewing her family at the time and thinking they didn't sound all that upset.....it was kind of weird. The Railblazer did close for a bit after the accident, but reopened with additional seatbelts (unlocked with a special key) and staffed with about a dozen crew members it seemed. I rode it after the accident, and due to the slow, extra careful loading the capacity was terrible. I’m sure this was the real reason that it only lasted for the 1984 season. I was in college when it happened, and a guy in my dorm worked first aid and was there that day. He couldn’t say much, but the circumstances were suspicious. The other mine train operated as a sit down ride until it was removed. The year that we had The Condor here (ride rotation program - one year only in 1987) it sat where the Ninja is, and that side of the mine train was SBNO with a chunk of track removed. It left in 1988 I believe. FYI, Jet Scream was removed at the end of the 1988 season, and Ninja opened in 1989. Ok I guess I just didn't remember the reopen but that's a little closer to what I thought. I knew it was gone at the end of it's first season. I also remember the suspicious nature of the accident and seem to remember info coming out later in the news about a large life insurance policy and suspicion on the husband. Too bad. I remember that commercial!! It looks hilarious now, lol!

I seem to remember very clearly (I was 15 or 16 so not a little kid) that it was closed down immediately after the accident and while one side reverted back to Mine Train the other side closed down and Ninja went in like 4 or 5 years later. I looked it up on rcdb and it only shows it operating during the 1984 season and I seem to remember the accident was pretty early on in the season. I know we wanted to ride it but never were able to. But it was a long time ago so maybe I'm mixed up. Were you around at that time? Anyone else remember the details? P.S. - I do remember the news interviewing her family at the time and thinking they didn't sound all that upset.....it was kind of weird.

It was my first looper too. Though it was fun, I always thought it was a bit short. I suppose you remember Railblazer too. I rode it once or twice (after the accident). It was rather lame. I remember $5 tix after 5 promotions. Ahh, those were the days when you didn't need a whole bunch of cash to visit the park for a few hours. I do remember Railblazer but never got a chance to ride it before they shut it down. It didn't even make it through one season due to the fatality. Oddly, I don't even have any memory of what it cost to go when I was kid, guess I wasn't paying!

And.........finally the web site is working again and I was able to renew the passes (whoops sorry we have MEMBERSHIPS now) Wonder what the next marketing scheme will be

Jet Scream was the first upside down coaster I ever rode. I didn't think it was even that long, don't remember that much after the loop but it was a long time ago, lol. That was back in the days when they used to do "double rides after 5 Friday nights".....everyone got to go twice on every ride from 5 pm til close.

Yes, Sunday should be near walk ons for everything. The weekends between Labor Day and FF are traditionally pretty dead and Sundays are the slowest of the two days. If you get there right at opening you will most likely have the lowest crowds.

I waited too Prozach.......but we have been given a reprieve. I just checked during lunch and they have now extended the flash sale deadline til midnight on Sunday the 9th. I assume this means the web site is near death at the moment.

Yep.....and just went to try again and they have now extended it by 24 hours. Apparently, so much volume that it crashed. It was doing some crazy stuff. I will try later tonight and if that is still a no go, I'll try tomorrow morning during a break at work. Anyway, so much for the non-coaster new ride keeping any significant number of people from renewing passes or memberships....

Has anyone tried to buy/renew passes/memberships this weekend? I've been trying off and on all day and the web site is NOT being friendly and allowing you to make the purchase. The sale ends at midnight, hoping it will be extended if it is down all day and evening.

I don't know if it will happen but I think 2021 is the best shot. That will be the 50th anniv. of the park which would be easily played up in a big way through the local media. And I agree while the enthusiasts are obviously not thrilled with a flat, at least it is a new ride and not a hand me down. This isn't the end of the world people.

Lol, sorry, I was not giving advice from a beer oriented position. I don't really like beer, I'm a whiskey girl. My bad.