joelwee

Millennium Force - world's first giga coaster Top Thrill Dragster - world's first strata coaster Magnum XL-200 - world's first hyper coaster X2 - world's first 4D coaster and Arrow's last coaster Revolution - first modern coaster to feature a vertical loop Matterhorn Bobsleds - world's first coaster to use tubular steel track The Beast - world's longest wooden coaster Jack Rabbit - one of the world's 10 oldest coasters still in operation Montezooma's Revenge - last Schwarzkopf shuttle loop still operating in the U.S., and the only one still in its original location. Scream - most inversions on a coaster installed over a parking lot

While not on the Elitch Gardens level of suck, Kennywood was a letdown for me in 2018, as well. Phantom was awesome, Bayern Kurve (RIP) was a lot of fun, Exterminator had us laughing the whole time, and Jackrabbit was definitely a sleeper hit for me, but.... operations were painfully slow; Sky Rocket was closed; the grumpy-looking ride ops pushing a button that played a recorded, cheerful, "All clear!" was simultaneously depressing and comical; and we only got one ride on Phantom because it kept going down throughout the day. But we had also just come from Cedar Point - which was a stark contrast to Kennywood. I think we might have enjoyed Kennywood more, had we gone there first. All that being said, I would go again if I happen to be in the area - mainly for more Phantom and Jack Rabbit rides, and to ride Sky Rocket and Steel Curtain.

Naw, they clearly bought SFDK's Skywarp that was recently put up for sale. RMC fabricated its track, thus making this project an indirect partnership with RMC. Who else can't wait for 35-MPH flybys, now that it only has one train?

One other improvement I noticed last week was that sensor-operated water bottle fillers had been installed at most of the drinking fountains. Of course, they were all turned off, due to L.A. County's COVID-19 rules.... because if you're trying not to get sick, you should avoid drinking water, right? I'm glad to see them installed, anyway. One of my biggest gripes about this park was that the Coke FreeStyle machines do not dispense plain water and the drinking fountains typically did not have sufficient flow to fill up a water bottle - so the only way to get water was to wait in a food line.

Demolition has started on Tidal Wave. The façade behind the Green Lantern station has also been removed. H/T @ourmountain_thrillpark on Facebook and Instagram

I've yet to visit any parks outside the U.S., so for me it's Racer at Kennywood. Steel Curtain is a little further, but was not yet built when I visited in 2018.

I'm planning on swinging by the park this evening for my first coaster rides in over a year. I'm stoked to finally be back. Given that season passes and added perks carried over from last year, does anyone know if the park is still honoring 2020 refillable drink cups that came with the dining plan on a Gold Season Pass? Or will they give me a new cup?

The fam and I stopped by the park yesterday for the last day of Taste of Boysenberry. Though it was a little depressing to see the rides closed, the atmosphere in the park was a lot of fun. There were costumed characters and shows everywhere you look, and the food was delicious. My thoughts on what I tried: Boysenberry BBQ Brisket Mac and Cheese: The meat was good and tender, and had a good BBQ flavor, with just a hint of boysenberry. It was just enough to let you know it's there, but it wasn't overpowering. The mac and cheese was a pleasant surprise, as it seemed to be made with cheddar cheese - not process cheese. 10/10 Boysenberry sangria: While good and refreshing, it seemed a little watered down. I wish the fruit and wine tastes were a little stronger. 6/10 Beer cheese soup in a bread bowl: This was probably my favorite item I tried yesterday. The soup was cheesy and delicious, and the bread bowl seemed fresh-baked. The soup had overflowed and covered the outside of the bread bowl, but the bread bowl cutout allowed me to sop up some of it before trying to pick up the bread bowl and eat it. Eating the bread bowl was a pretty messy process, nonetheless, but it was worth it. 10/10 Salmon and orzo salad with boysenberries: After filling up on carbs, it was time for a healthy snack. The salmon tasted quite fishy and a little overcooked, but the rest of the salad complemented it well. The orzo had a strong garlicky taste - which is a plus, in my book. The salad was also tossed with a few boysenberries and boysenberry vinaigrette - which was sweet, but not too sweet. It made for a good combination. 7/10 Boysenberry and white chocolate chip cookiewich: Finally, it was time for dessert - and what a dessert it was. The cookies were about 5"-6" in diameter, and sandwiched a 2"-thick layer of vanilla soft-serve ice cream. I had planned to share it with my wife, but while walking around to find her in the shops, the ice cream started melting and I ended up polishing it off before I eventually found her. The cookies were soft and chewy. The boysenberry cookies were a great combo with the vanilla ice cream. It was very filling, however, and I wished I hadn't eaten the whole thing myself. I'm glad I saved it for last. 9/10 As is typical for Knott's, this was a very well-executed event. I can't wait to come back when rides are open again.

Mineshaft Coaster in Big Bear, CA

That thumbnail, though.....

The only missed opportunity I can think of is Scandia Screamer. I've driven by that park a few times and thought about stopping, but I had other places to be at those times. It was always in the back of my mind to drive out there and ride Screamer, but I waited too long and the park closed for good 2 years ago.

Harley Quinn was open during my 2019 visit. I skipped it and have no regrets about doing so.

Los Angeles and Orange Counties are eligible to move into the orange tier, as of tomorrow. This means parks can now operate at 25% capacity (instead of 15%), indoor rides/buildings are now limited to 25% capacity (instead of 15), and indoor dining can take place with 25% capacity.

Holy cow, I can't believe it's happening. My last coaster ride was at Magic Mountain's closing day a year ago, and I was beginning to think it'd still be 4-6 more months before they reopened. I can't wait to get back to the park next month.

^ It looks like Tidal Wave at SFMM is being removed to make room for the new Raptor.

Just going by quantity and quality of roller coasters, my vote is for Cedar Point. Six Flags Magic Mountain has the quantity and a decent coaster collection, with a couple of my top-10 coasters. Cedar Point has more coasters I would consider world class. Kings Island is an honorable mention, as well - and I say that without having ridden Orion.

+1 on The Flash. I also visited in July 2018 and it was closed. Harley Quinn was open when I visited and I had no desire to ride it.

Same here. Even with the recent stay-at-home order lifted, nearly every county in the state is a long ways away from graduating from the purple tier.

CGA is a seasonal park and would normally be closed right now anyway. Knott's, on the other hand, is open year round and are just waiting for Gov. ScienceTM to decide that they can reopen. They most likely have the rides mothballed and can be ready to reopen within a few weeks of getting the okay.

CF's seasonal parks will likely follow suit if their respective states don't allow them to reopen by the time they typically open for the season.

I think my only new credit this year was Big Bear's new mountain coaster - but it doesn't look like mountain/alpine coasters are included in the poll, anyway. I also noticed Green Lantern First Flight is still on the list despite being put out of our misery.

Announced today on the park's social media accounts:

The governor just moved most of the state back into the most restrictive reopening tier. SFMM isn't reopening the coasters anytime soon.

Gold Striker would be a good candidate. It has a fun layout, but jackhammered when I rode it last summer.