Midwesterner

Indiana Beach's park map was released for the first time under new ownership sometime this past week. The updated map now includes the new coaster as "Triple Loop". Looks about as massive as it will be in person, re-confirming the color scheme as well. Can't wait! https://indianabeach.com/park-maps/

Per their website, and like many parks currently, IB is maintaining a 50% capacity limit on attendance through July 3rd. Even if attendance restrictions are lifted it's gonna be a whacky year the gauge guest turnout obviously with all parks taking a big hit, especially those not open year round. Likely won't be till late 2021 when IB can start to assess whether the investment is paying off, after a hopefully "normal" operating season.

Part two of the exclusive interview with new owner Gene Staples regarding his plans for the park's future here:

Information about the new owner Gene Staples in an interview here:

https://wgntv.com/news/owner-indiana-beach-amusement-park-could-reopen-this-year/ There are more detailed articles, and I know I'm a little late with this. But, more optimism around Indiana Beach not remaining "permanently closed". Three million in incentives from White County as long as the park remains open for a certain amount of time with a certain number of jobs available. The sale would include the actual land the park is on that Apex previously sold, as well as the park itself. Interest from "multiple buyers" according to Apex. Couple thoughts: 1.They're really pushing hard for a 2020 re-opening, which seems optimistic to me. Purchasing the park, hiring new staff, new signage, marketing, maintenance, landscaping, food deals and in-park partnerships. In less than 8 weeks? As we know it's a full time job during an entire off-season for parks to prepare for each spring/summer. I don't see it happening this year, unless it's a very late opening at best. And you throw the COVID-19 pandemic on top of it all.... just seems very ambitious, but would be an incredible feat if a new owner pulls it off. 2. Regardless of if the park opens for 2020, White County and Apex seem confident they will find someone to purchase the park in the long term. Which is encouraging. Just hope it's the right fit. Indiana Beach really means everything to that community. As others have stated, even though Apex did an OK job running the park, IB has so much potential beyond what it's been over the past decade.

This may have been said here or on another forum I can't remember, so I apologize if I'm being redundant. But I don't understand the whole "Apex will disassemble the rides this spring and take them to nine company parks in California and two in Florida" that's being reported in these articles. All other parks they operate are either water parks, or family entertainment centers (indoor arcades/mini golf/go-carts) type of places right? I don't see any properties Apex currently owns that would accommodate these flat rides, let alone roller coasters. In addition to that IB's Gondola Wheel and Air Crow flat rides are already being listed for sale online. So we'll see where this leads but I'm doubting most of IB's rides end up at other Apex-owned parks unless there's something I'm missing.

Forgive me if this has been posted but I couldn't find anything about it going back in the thread. Splashin Safari's Monsoon Lagoon closed midway through it's 22nd season back in mid-June and has since been removed from the park map. Understandable due to it's age and semi-redundancy with the newer Kima Bay (although there are differences). I guess what intrigues me the most is the timing, why not wait till the end of the season to remove it? Could have needed repairs that the park deemed unworthy if they were planning to close it soon anyway, but is it possible that's the site of the new attraction. Just speculating although as everyone has mentioned there are locations more needing of a new attraction.

Holiwood nights is amazing, obviously and Voyage was running incredible. I do have a small gripe though that I wasn't expecting regarding the new for 2019 Santa's Merry Marketplace. It's a huge improvement inside with all the options I was really blown away and there are exterior improvements as well, it looks like they built a lot more there. My gripe is simply the exterior styling. I guess I had only seen photos of it at night. But on the outside, they replaced the traditional classy white and brown German architecture theme that included murals, etc, and that really had a Santa's village feel, with sort of cartoonish red and yellow walls and roofing //: Maybe I just go to Holiday World too much to notice things like that, but was a little disappointed in that aspect.

RIP Firehawk. Seems a lot of people didn't like it, I for one really liked it, thought it was definitely Vekoma's best coaster model of the time period (may not be saying much but still.) While I really hope it's relocated and not scrapped, I have a feeling it might be with the maintenance nightmare rumors.

The theme and so forth looks, in a word, amazing. But most importantly, I'm glad B&M got the train length right on this wing rider. 6>8

Was fortunate enough to ride it as Dragon Challenge during my trip to Universal and Islands of Adventure in 2014. Never got to experience the dueling aspect it but did get to ride both sides and you can tell how much fun dueling would have been. I can only imagine. A lot of people say it felt out of place but I actually thought they did a really good job with the re-theming to Harry Potter. Just wish I could sit down with a spokesperson and hear, in detail, why they thought it was best to remove this ride and not clear new space (that they have available) to build a new roller coaster. Keeping both would have been best, but they know more than me right?

The Firecracker teaser wasn't even released until Nov. 30 last year and official ride name and details weren't released until the first week of January 2017. So I'd say we could have 3-4 more months to wait if it's close to the same scale of ride. If it's bigger, it may come sooner. (Mayflower was announced at the end of October for 2014.) They really like to draw these things out.

I know they are vouching to the state of Indiana for starting public school later next year. Indianapolis schools went back July 31st and most public southern Indiana schools went back August 9th. That restricts HW's operating schedule to only weekends for 2017 from this point on.

This is big time, Six Flags really surprised me with this one. This thing looks awesome, and that drop? Fahgettaboutit

Hey everyone, I'll be going to SFNE in early July sometime on a week day, probably only doing the dry park as we'll spend just one day there. Was wondering what the ideal order for coasters is for shortest lines? A lot in their lineup that I'm excited about riding for the first time. And then also how is Mind Eraser with the new trains, big improvement, mild improvement,....Just genuinely curious.

Ouch

Yeah ever since the completion of Thunderbird I've thought the "next step" for them as far as coasters go is a great family coaster. A Mack spinner sees like the obvious choice. Although (and I don't think this will happen) I think a larger Vekoma family suspended would be a great fit at the park. They're smooth, and examples like Orkanen or the one at Energylandia look like they pack some decent thrills. Just sayin

I've heard these new SLC's are a lot better than their 1990's counterparts. A large part of that is the new trains, but also there are some minor structural differences in the two. Using Energylandia's SLC wich opened in 2015 as an example, some of the supports are re-done as I've seen side by side comparisons to original SLC's, and it makes you wonder if track profiling might be slightly different, after all they have had 23 years to work with this design. I'm by no means suggesting it's B&M smooth, but it is re-rideable with comfortable restraints from what I've heard. Obviously at the end of the day there are some fundamental design problems in the track that prevent it from being "B&M smooth" no matter how much tweaking you do, so excited to see the next gen Vekoma SLC's if this is truly the last using their "original" track.

Honestly I thought the park's layout was really weird and the entire Thanksgiving section seemed like an afterthought that feels unfinished and desperately needs some trees. I'm also completely baffled by the placement of Hyena falls and the abandoned water ride is a huge eyesore. It didn't take away from my enjoyment of the place but when I think about parks that put a lot of thought into the placement of things, I don't think Holiday World. Well the truth is, The whole Thanksgiving section is not that old at all.. especially compared to the rest of the themed areas. Thanksgiving opened in 2006 with The Voyage. It's a themed area that they aren't finished with at all. The Hyena Falls placement was weird, I grant you that, but that was also during that short time when the big question was who owns the park and who is running it. I guarantee you they have plans for the old Pilgrims Plunge area... and they probably also have plans that will make the Hyena falls placement make a lot more sense for them in the future. Trust that they DO have a master plan and in the end it all makes sense. They just tend to think ahead a bit longer into the future than what some parks seem to do. Yeah I couldn't agree more. They have said on their podcasts that they have a master plan and that includes already developed plans on what they're doing with the Giraffica area. I have to imagine whatever the plans are they involve keeping and reusing the station. People seem to forget that's one of the most impressive buildings in the park and probably the largest station next to Voyage. Well themed and everything. Really hope that stays.

Clearly you've never been to Holiday World. There's a lot of wing coasters shorter than the one at Holiday World lol

Kings Island's instagram just uploaded this picture with the caption "Notice anything different in this photo?" Let the speculation begin My thoughts of course are simply that Vortex is getting a new sign, because the park should warn everyone well in advance of when Vortex's final season will be.

FIRECRACKER Nice rendering of what Firecracker may look like. Was recently put up on the parks website

Pilgrims Plunge (or later Giraffica) hasn't been at the park since the 2013 season after it was permanently removed due to maintenance and technical problems.

Yup actually every water slide or slide complex HW has or has gotten has been made by pro slide. So that's actually cool as yeah it's safe to say they're the best water slide manufacturer and it''s also safe to say pro slide will do whatever the next slide/slide complex is at HW.

Yeah they are adding something, as tykunkel pointed out earlier, there will probably only be one addition of anything remotely significant. But with that said, it is sort of weird we haven't heard ANYTHING yet. Not on the podcasts, or anything. As far as location, I'm 90% sure something is going where their current 70th birthday plaza is in 4th of July, because that won't be there next year obviously. But the 4th of July section could use something to spice it up more as it's by no means "dead" per say, but it's probably the least active of the four dry park sections. Personally I'd love to see another thrilling flat go there, across from Liberty Launch. As far as what that could, well there are a lot of things I'd be ok with . But something, regardless of how significant, is going there for 2017 because I doubt they want an empty lot there even if it's just for a year. Then of course is the former Pilgrims Plunge area, and honestly I don't see that being touched as far as a new attraction for 2017. I'm fairly certain when they do build on it, it's going to be something big. There's a lot of space there regardless of what they put, so 2017 is probably too early. And my final place for something new would be the Hyena Falls area of Splashin' Safari. HW said they don't like the capsule slides as much because they're less family oriented, which I can see to an extent, but c'mon HW it's not that big of a deal lol. HOWEVER, I have heard rave reviews about capsule slides as well as pretty negative reviews like people hurting their back on the transitions and stuff. So if they do decide to add that I hope they get it right, which I trust they will. But it could just be another slide complex or even lazy river that circles the area out there. Those are just my 3 areas of interest for 2017-18 additions. Obviously Splashin' Safari has room other places to add things too but I think Hyena Falls should be one of their first targets. But yeah.