texcoaster

I thought the same thing... I almost didn't even stop on the way back home from my big coaster trip that first year it was open. The only reason that I did was to add a few more easy credits, since the parking lot was almost empty and I didn't have much time. That was when MegaZeph rocked my world. It was my #1 wood coaster until this year, when Voyage took it down. Fire, I KNOW YOU. I think you'd have LOVED that coaster. It was brutal in all the right ways and had violent airtime. The second drop into the curving, nearly-flat bunnyhop was one of most wicked one-two punches of any coaster anywhere.

The Desperado one is whack. Interesting how they show the coaster running its course while he's still working on the handcuffs... then they back up and show him with both hands free, working on the waist chains and the coaster is STILL going up the lift hill. He was halfway free before the thing even got over the first hill.

Galveston used to have a wood coaster sticking out offshore, and this was many decades ago before current technology. At least a coaster in the bay would only have to deal with the wave action during storms... Galveston's had to deal with it 24/7. There are a number of businesses and buildings built into the water in Galveston, including a bigass hotel. All of these have to contend with 24/7 wave action. All have survived numerous hurricanes. Half of the boardwalk is ALREADY over the water, so I don't think that it would be a stretch to build more.

Haha, that would be nice. Somehow I don't think Kemah can fit in the out and back version though... Galveston Bay is only 8ft deep for nearly a half mile from shore... then it's only around 10ft deep except for the ship channel. How awesome would it be to have the station and the final turnaround on land, then send the rest of the out-back onto a pier sticking out in the water? Besides.... does it HAVE to be in Kemah? They got room for BOTH of these out at Katy Mills. Hermann Park could put the out/backer next to the lake with the miniature railroad outside the zoo. OH, and there's this vacant patch of grass right there where Astroworld used to be......

Me too! I prefer the dog-legged versions. One of the reasons I like twisters better than out/back is the lack of visuals on the out and backs. With a twister, you can catch a glimpse of things to come on the turns and such. If they put the bend into the layout, you will get a nice view of most of the coaster as you make the turnaround for the trip home. That would be cool. Arkansas Twister does this. When you make the turn, you're presented with a stunning view of forested Ozark mountains with a little ribbon of hilly wood coaster track threaded between the trees. It's breathtaking. As a bonus, that coaster makes the turn so slowly that you have LOTS of time to admire the view, lol.

It's not a squirrel, it's an El Loco. Pay attention! Click here to view

Not at all, unless you're referring to three big drops on the way out. Lots of coasters have that. I'd say it looks more like Shivering Timbers than Voyage. I like twisters better than out and backs, and that twister looks wicked.... but check out the double-dip on the third hill in the out/back: OMFG. Daddy wants!!!

Dunno. The boyfriend came over today and I was a little too busy to notice the weather. Some rides are even better than the Bullet!

Those ratcheting shoulder staples look like the system that used to be on Thriller/Taz's Texas Tornado/Texas Tornado that got removed and replaced by regular OTSRs just before it became Zonga. OMFG those things were painful. Just hope that the first instance of positive Gs doesn't let those things ratchet down another notch or two and give you accordion-spine for the rest of the ride. Seeing the cars actually makes me LESS excited about this ride.

I love the Bullet because it's intense, it's fun, and it's unlike any other coaster on earth right now. The layout is just brilliant and everyone is amazed that "they got that much coaster in such a small space." I have just as much fun seeing people's reactions to their first ride as I do riding it myself. Everyone is just amazed that it's better than the stuff Astroworld had... nobody expected that in Kemah! I'm hoping to add nearly 50 coasters to my list this year. I expect my top 20 to be REALLY shaken up!

^ In my experience, driving as slow as 130kph is likely to CAUSE an accident on the Autobahn!!! Much like someone going 30mph in the fast lane in Los Angeles....

Driving between each one involves the Autobahn. That's almost like a ride unto itself! I loved it! Europa Park is one of my all-time faves. None of the rides are really must-do rides by themselves, but there are dozens of rides that are above average. Many of them are unlike any ride in the US, and the park's landscaping and look rival Kennywood or BGW. It's a beautiful place. The can't-miss coaster in Germany, though, is Expedition GeForce. I could justify the price of a trip back to Deutschland even if that was the only coaster I got to do.

That big turn after the first drop reminds me a lot of the turn after the first drop on Boardwalk Bullet. The rest of the ride bears no resemblance, though. Too bad Bullet doesn't have a first drop like that one... it looks sweeeeeeeet.

I'm so glad you did!!! I always have a blast riding with you... and when you got the giggles laughing at that man in front of us who was squealing like a girl, it was infectious. That was my favorite ride of the day.

Same here. I'm trying to sell my house and the closing has been pushed back to "tomorrow" SEVEN TIMES NOW. The delays are being caused by incompetence, laziness, and unprofessionalism... none of it on the part of myself or my realtor. I will sometimes go down to Kemah and ride literally all day to keep my mind away from how pissed off I am over it... and I post here to keep my mind off it after I've stopped riding (or before I go ride). The last thing I want to deal with is a bunch of people who haven't been on the coaster, and probably won't be on it any time soon, suggest that "they don't need constant updates" or "it can't be that good, your opinion is wrong." I stay out of the threads that don't interest me. It never even occurred to me to jump into those threads and pepper them with posts about how I didn't need that information, let alone suggest that NOBODY needs the info. Live and let live, people. There are lots of threads you can post to without poisoning other people's fun. [/soapbox]

It might, actually. I've often wondered if it's possible to retrofit an existing wood coaster with pre-fab track. They would certainly need new trains. It made it much smoother... it didn't really make it much better, though. The back third is still a snoozer unless it's raining. When I rode yesterday, it was going slower than I've ever seen it... I really did expect to have to be evacuated from the anti-rollbacks on the second big hill! I'll bet! The rain rides I got yesterday were pretty painful. Like needles in your face... Same here! Hasn't happened yet, though. (singing) I'm really down, down on the ground... How can you laugh when you know I'm down? WAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!! (not many people on this board are old enough to get that) Driving their WHAT? See? There are people who actually appreciate the updates! Really? I don't think I've spent much time in that seat (or anywhere in the middle of the train), but I do much prefer the right side of the train to the left side. It was both. Bigtime. Don't feel sorry for him just yet... we've got a megatrip planned this summer. Not at all! SoB is a bazillion times rougher than Bullet. So is TxGiant, Rattler, Mean Streak, and lots of other woodies out there. It doesn't open until 1pm-ish, so at 11:14am this morning (redundancy alert!) it was probably pretty slow. ...and YES, I got your attempt at sarcasm. Did you get mine? It is for Kemah. In an odd way, it's wildly uneven rides actually work in it's favor for folks who ride it a lot. There is a wide variety of experiences to be had and since it's the only coaster we have now, that keeps it from getting boring. It sucks for travellers, though, since they usually get their one shot at good rides on it, and if it's running like crap, they're SOL.

And how many of them ONLY rode it that one day, when it was running poorly? Those who proclaim it's greatness have been on it when it runs well enough to earn the praise. I'll be the first to admit that there are times when the Bullet is worse than mediocre... but it can also be an amazing, incredible ride. If a local wants to know how it's running that day before going down there and spending his money to ride, that just sounds like a smart decision to me. If you aren't local, or aren't planning a trip down there, then the daily updates won't hold much interest for you. The thing that seems most stupid to me is that folks complain ad nauseum about the constant updates, but THEY KEEP READING THE THREAD!

^ I'm not saying anything about whether or not they thought it was a good ride. That's all opinion and can't be proved either way. Different people like different things and so what's a "good" ride for one person won't be for another. What I was referring to was their complaints about how rough it was and how much pain they were in after riding a dozen or so times. Was it rough? Yeah. Was it so rough as to warrant all the whining that was done after the photo shoot? No. They're just wusses.

I'd like to start a "worst grammar in a post" award or something. This post probably wouldn't win it, but it would certainly be nominated! I'm not going to ask why you were looking at the little kid's crotch...

No you didn't. That email went around all over the place (and is still going around as if TTD was a "new coaster in Ohio") and shows construction pics of TTD, then at the bottom there's a pic of some girl with wet pants. Look again at that last pic. It was taken at some party, she's probably drunk, and it has nothing whatsoever to do with the coaster.

^ The tracks were freshly graphited over the weekend, but a heavy rain this morning washed off all of it and left dry rails. Dry rails + wet, swelled track + empty train = slow rides. That's true of any coaster, and the more turns in the layout, the more the dry rails will make a difference in speed. Bullet is almost ALL turns, so it's more temperamental to track friction than most rides. That's why a track with water on it (during the rain rides) ran so much faster. They said that the first ride out today was running at 66 seconds. Then the rain washed off the graphite and it went down to 70. By the time it ran for another hour and the track dried out more, it had slowed to 74.

The Bullet was reeeeeeeeeeally slow today. Hitting 74 seconds from lift to brake. It was actually sorta fun in that when I would ride in the back (usually the only one on the train), I really thought it was going to stall a few times. The rains came in the afternoon, though, and apparently everyone down there knows that rain rides are good.... suddenly, boardwalk employees who were on break, management, maintenance, etc were riding and asking for run times -- down to 65 seconds! WOO HOO! Had the Bullet to myself until it rained

posting from the bullet. Brake run is slow enough to allow typing, LOL!

I also get asked by people how I can afford to go on my vacations. My answer is similar to Robb's: I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't have kids. I don't cut back on as much other stuff as Robb and Elissa do, but I'm not supporting a child, either. It evens out. I also make every trip as full as possible. Example: If I want to go to ride El Toro (and I do), I'm not going to fly up there and go to SFGAd and maybe SFA and come home. I'm going to see as many parks as I can. The airfare is going to cost the same regardless of whether you see ONE park or TWELVE parks while you're away.

Spring Break will be crowded. Period. Even Kemah will have lines for Bullet during SB, which doesn't happen any other time. Usually, the coaster is a walk-on, but they are predicting hour-plus waits for Bullet during SB. That said, YES, Bullet is worth a trip down there. It's easily the best woodie in the state. If you add Schlitterbahn Galveston, then even more reason to go. The two parks are only about a half hour apart. SchlitterGal is NOT like your regular Schlitterbahn. The New Braunfels version is incredible, amazing, fantastic, insane, and any other superlative you can think of. It simply blows away every other waterpark on earth, not just for the rides, but because of its unique setting and atmosphere. It's easily a two-days-and-I-still-didn't-see-everything park. SchlitterGal is much more like your everyday sort of waterpark. Small, a few good slides, and a pretty cool wave river. Nothing worth jumping up and down about, really, even though they do have a boogiebahn that opens when it's warm enough. If SFOT will be open when you're here, it's totally worth the effort to get there. Good variety of coasters and a very well-run park.