Sir Clinksalot

Wood: El Toro Steel: Tie: I305, X2 (Front Seat), SkyRush Drop Ride: Acrophobia Water Ride: Grizzly River Run

It always had the OTSR's. I rode it the week before the "stripper" started working, it was on the ride but hadn't been tested yet and then I rode it again last year and I honestly can't tell a big difference at all. If anything I grayed a little on the new turn and I didn't gray at all with the old turn. Weird I know. i305 is my favorite Intamin, just too much for my old body to handle over and over. But I usually ride it about 3 times when I'm at the park. Really? I thought it only had lap bars when it opened. Learn something new every day. LOL.

My revised rankings: - Revolution (pre 1993) - Full Throttle - Batman: The Ride - Ninja - Goliath - Gold Rusher - S:EFK - Apocalypse - Colossus - X2 - Road Runner Express - Scream - Viper - Tatsu - Riddlers Revenge - Canyon Blaster - Green Lantern - Revolution (post 1993)

This is pretty much how I decide my list: 1) Fun Factor - Is the ride just balls out fun. If it has any dead spots, is rough in any spots then there is no way it's making my top 10. 2) Rerideability - Is one ride NEVER enough. Do I want to just sit on the ride and ride it all day. Am I able to sit on it and ride all day or is it simply too intense. Because of this, some coasters that I've ridden that many people consider amazing and rank high (like Tatsu) I simply rank lower because I simply can't see myself riding it more than once in any given park trip. Rerideability is also the reason you'll only find two coasters with inversions in my Top 10. 3) Need to ride - Is it a ride I need to ride EVERY SINGLE TIME I'm at a park, even if it's my home park or a park I visit a lot. If it''s not a ride I'll make sure I ride on every visit then it's not at the top of my list. If a ride is good enough you'll either get to the park early enough, get a Flash Pass type device or wait in line. 4) Good enough to travel for - This is a big one. Is it a ride that I'm willing to base a trip around. Good enough to get on a plane or drive 100, 200, 300 miles to get to. So with all of that said, here are my Top 5. 1) Intimidator 305 - I didn't get a chance to ride this before the added trims or without the shoulder restraints, but I don't care. This ride is just a blast from beginning to end. The forces didn't bother me too much and this is most definitely a ride I would travel a long distance to ride and try to ride at least a half dozen times on every visit. I can't think of any other coaster that I've ridden that I NEED to ride as much as I305. 2) Phoenix (Knoebels) - Some people may question me putting this above El Toro but the "re-rideability" comes into play BIG TIME on Phoenix. This is a ride that I could sit on for hours and just enjoy the hell out of it. 3) El Toro (SFGAdv) - The craziest most fun experience. I love this ride and I'd trade every single coaster at SFMM for it. 4) Storm Runner (Hershey) - The best of the "Rocket" coasters I've ridden. While I think the launch on Xcelerator is way more fun I like that Storm Runner is a more complete coaster. 5) Xcelerator (Knotts) - This ride just exudes "fun". It's smooth, it's fast, the most amount of airtime of any coaster in CA, by a LONG SHOT. I'm still hoping for a Xcelerator 2.0 one of these days that adds another 2000 feet of track somewhere. Rounding out the Top 10 would be - Skyrush (Hershey), Goliath (SFOG), Apollos Chariot (BGW), Hulk (IOA) and Nitro (SFGAdv).

Looks like this is going to be the strongest haunt in a few years, good thing we were already planning on making multiple trips including on Halloween. Gunslingers Grave sounds like my kind of maze, been waiting for an awesome Ghost Town/Old West maze. I'm assuming this will be where Fallout Shelter was? Maybe a new location in the middle of Ghost Town? Academy of Villains was really great on AGT last year and I can remember my daughter and I saying they'd be great for Haunt. The Houdini maze also sounds pretty promising.

Since I can't watch it tonight I'm totally down to watch it over the weekend as a group. Also, just FYI ... just was setting the DVR and they are playing some other awesome movies today like Sharktopus.

Great stuff Chuck. We are hoping to FINALLY get to CP next year.

I deserve to be continuously mocked for that one.

I actually would prefer to do the Knott's day vs. the SFMM day but I have a race the morning of the 8th. I could make it down mid-morning (but would miss morning ERT). Can we show up late for the Knott's day?

They actually have some stilt guys at FF. There was one near the Aftermath and one in the black-light scare zone between Viper and Rapids Camp.

Not my thing at all but unlike Brony conventions at least there are hot chicks in mermaid costumes involved here.

^ You mean this guy? (Damn, I'm at the park way too much)

Yeah, the fairy picture was from last year.

Was it this? Did I just save Joey a trip to the park?

Finding out you got a raise a week ago and your boss forgot to tell you.

Haven't visited this thread in a bit but glad to know that the park got everything reopened quickly. I'm actually pretty stoked about all the tunnels, makes the ride different IMO. As for the noise, I agree that if there is a regulation there CF should have made sure they weren't exceeding it. But Prudential just sounded like they were being jerks about it too. When i was up there I walked from my hotel (The Hilton) to Togo's (which is across the street from the Avatar Hotel). I walked right in between the road where Gold Striker and Demon are and both were going at the same time. Demon made just as much noise as Grizzly did so I really didn't get what the big deal was. Granted, my ears aren't sophisticated sound instruments so take it with a grain of salt.

Last time I went to Knott's for Knott's Scary I used Priceline to book a room for the night. I bided $50 (comes to $64 with taxes and fees) for a three star hotel near the park and I got the Courtyard Marriott which was less than two blocks from the park. We were able to walk over to the park and avoided paying for parking. This Courtyard was really nice (if you been to a Courtyard you know most of them are really nice) and really convenient. I'll will be driving down to SFMM from the Central Coast very early in the morning and will most likely drive straight to Buena Park after the day at SFMM and stay at a hotel by Knott's so I don't have to drive to Knott's in the morning (LA traffic is much smoother at night). I will be using Priceline again, hopefully I get lucky like last time and get the same hotel. That Courtyard is typically our hotel of choice for Knott's whether it's for Haunt or WCB. Stayed there last year for WCB and it was great. I even stayed there for the Disneyland 1/2 Marathon weekend last year since I was spending most of the previous day at Knott's. Very nice hotel.

Damn, Scuderi to the Penguins. Sharks re-sign Couture. Guess the Kings need to get busy on re-signing Penner and Richardson.

Went to Six Flags Hurricane Harbor (CA) yesterday. In the morning it wasn't bad. We were just going there for a few hours to enjoy the wave pool, lazy river. Took a ride on Tornado shortly after park opened and waited about 15-20 minutes. Then about 12:00-12:30 the park just got CRAZY. They close the wave pool every hour for about 15 minutes and when they let people in it was a literal sea of people. Won't be going on the 4th again. Also didn't help that only about 1/2 the food lines were open.

^ ^^ I actually like the brakes, it adds to the ride in some strange ways. But yeah, as Joey said, saying it's one of the "Best coasters in CA" is really not saying much. Only 1 coaster in CA makes my top 10 and that's Xcelerator.

^ Yes. Keep in mind that Full Throttle seems to be suffering from X2 syndrome where it will have a shorter line later in the day but if it's open and a walk-on when the park opens by all means go for it.

Awesome pics. That park reminds me a LOT of the Lost Continent area of IOA.

^ Yes, they are letting people choose their seat. But they are still only allowing 1 full train to enter the station at a time. All rows were a 1 train wait, Front was about 3-4. I'm sure when it's busier they won't allow you to choose your row. There isn't a whole lot of space to have a front row waiting line.

Wow, very cool. I never went to this park (at any stage of it's existence) but it's always awesome to see old pics. Thanks for sharing.

Last page of this thread = Went to the park for a bit yesterday (got there around 4:00ish). Full Throttle had about a 15 minute wait. Park overall seemed pretty dead. Got my first Full Throttle Front Row Ride. So much better in the back and much more forceful back there as well (that's what she said).