texcoaster

I have to put in my vacation by October... I wonder what the chances are that OutRun will be open for WorldFest?

WOAH, it's expensive to fly anywhere near Branson. Looks like I've got an excuse to take the MINI Coupe up Arkansas Highway 7 after all! Six hours of ho-hum east Texas, two hours of ho-hum Arkansas highway, and about 2 hours of insanely beautiful, mountain roads full of.... TWISTIES! Already looking forward to it.

I mentioned that same feeling in my blog review of Iron Shark yesterday: http://www.coasterguyonline.com/coasterblog/2012/8/9/iron-shark I met a Gerstlauer guy at the pier on one of my visits and told him how much I liked Iron Shark and how much I appreciated the lap bar-only vehicles. He said he agreed they were nice and was glad I liked them. I asked him if future installations would be using the same design and he said, "I hope so."

Notice that the holes are various diameters and shapes and placed at irregular intervals.... It's obvious that the steel wheels will interact with the holes like a mad music box and it will play it's own theme music as it goes. Why y'all didn't get that before is just beyond me. It's so obvious! I'm predicting Flight of the Stagecoach Bee.

I'd also include The Ultimate at Lightwater Valley with that in-house designed track, those long-ass trains, and the insanely slow lifts. Plus Wild Mouse at Blackpool, and one of the möbius loop coasters (Grand National, Kennywood's Racer, El Serpiente del Fuego). Gotta throw in a portable coaster (pick a Schwarzkopf) as well as a Steeplechase, Bobsled, Flying coaster, Standup coaster, Mine train, and a classic woodie like the Coney Cyclone or Blackpool Big Dipper.

Ok, here's the thing: A park chooses to build a wood coaster for a number of reasons. Firstly, there's a nostalgia factor in that old-school look to a wood structure even if it does steel-like acrobatics. Secondly, SDC have made numerous references to this being an "old west" theme and that the coaster was designed to blend in with the wooded terrain. Thirdly, SDC clearly wanted something that would break some records and get the excitement going. If you go steel, you're going to have to spend a huge amount of money to break any records. There are a lot of more easily-obtainable wood coaster records to be had on a smaller budget. As for the "is this really a woodie" question, I'm voting yes. A traditional woodie has a stack of lumber with a steel plate on top that the wheels ride on. The track is box-shaped (basically) rather than rounded like a pipe, which gives the trains a bit of room to slide side-to-side on the rails, one of the trademark "out of control" feelings that woodies give. Since the stack under the steel rail is wood, temperature differences, moisture differences, and other factors can affect how the coaster runs at any given time. The only difference in a Topper Track coaster is that the steel rail is the same size and shape as an entire piece of lumber rather than just being a strip of steel on top. Everything else is the same. I'm calling this a woodie, but I'm not going to throw a fit if others don't. Let them argue about it while I enjoy the ride.

Rides and the heights there don't bother me. I know that everything is controlled and safe. I'm not as OK with observation towers or scenic overlooks. I'm not OK at all with ladders. I guess it all comes down to the relative amount of risk.

Is there something going on with Rattler until 10pm, cause I thought the park closed at 9pm? I'm guessing that the queue closes with the park and they'll keep running it until the queue is depleted... probably at least an hour.

Except that it's the name of the one in Galveston already. Am I the only one not at all scared of Star Flyers? I thought the 360ft one in Vienna was rather relaxing and I'm one who doesn't like heights much.

I'm thinking you meant "reins," but the unintentional connotation of "reigns" might actually hold true in the long run! If this project delivers as promised (adding to the success of Giant last year and most likely Rattler next year), RMC might just be the "go-to" company for new coaster projects in the same way B&M was in the 90s. Everybody will want one! RMC will rule! Hmmmm.... RMC has three basic products: Iron Horse makeover, Topper Track makeover, and Topper Track original. We've seen the Iron Horse, we're seeing the Topper original. If Rattler gets a Topper makeover, that would provide them a proven portfolio of badass rides to prove their worth.

^yeah, you'd think... but La Vibora is one of those coasters that nearly everyone in the family can ride. It's fun enough for the big kids but tame enough for the little kids. The only time I ever ride it is during ERT because the lines are always so long otherwise. If they ever do remove it, I'd love to see them replace it with a higher capacity bobsled from Mack ala La Trace du Hourra (need more room, though) or Heide Park's Schweizer Bobbahn. Even better... a custom job with the epic length of La Trace and the intensity of Schweizer! Ok, I'm dreaming now, I know, but still. As long as I dreaming about extreme bobsleds, how about dropping one off the cliff where Rattler used to be?

der Stengel? I thought he said, "Herr Stengel" (Mr Stengel) - although "der" is kinda funny. I'll be the first to admit that my Deutsch ist schlecht and I occasionally got a bit overwhelmed when they'd be talking fast with background noises going on, or when more than one person talked at a time. Speaking of that... did you notice that when Lord Anton spoke, NOBODY dared interrupt him or talked while he was speaking?

If SFStL puts new, OTSR-less trains on Flashback, they could have a winner on their hands. I went back to Prater right at the end of my trip and tried out the Boomerang again, this time making sure I had contact with the butterfly bars on the way up the backward lift. Oddly, they weren't uncomfortable against my ribs at all, even with all my weight resting on them. They just LOOK painful, lol. I've never had so much fun on a boomerang.

Did anyone else catch, just before the 37minute mark, that the narrator placed SFOT in Houston? ...also, that kid chowing down on a proper Pink Thing right after that, at around 37:15!

OMG, the opening commercial for Greezed Lightnin' I can't believe that I was running the audio in my head from memory as it played... even though I hadn't seen that ad since 1978. I had to wait three long months between GL's opening day and my first ride (I didn't live in Houston then and I was just 11 yrs old), and that commercial ran several times per day all summer long. I had it memorized. The ride did not disappoint. I'm stoked on it re-opening at Cliff's next year.

OK, I'll be the first one: Pink jacket and rainbow stripe on the drawings. No wonder he's good at design!

But it was Six Flags that let it deteriorate into the bone-jarring mess it became. My point stands.

For all yooz guyz complaining that the ride is too short, I'll give you two words: Iron Shark. When GIHPP posted the No Limits POV of their coaster, Facebook lit up with comments like "that's IT? I thought you were going to build a real coaster, this thing is TINY!" I'll admit that my enthusiasm for the ride plummeted after seeing the video. It went from "can't wait" to "ok, add the credit." When it opened, you could hear a few folks in line commenting about how "it's over just about the time it gets started" and some even timed the ride: a mere 20 seconds from top of lift to brake. TWENTY. SECONDS. ...and do you know how many people complain about it while on the brake run? Zero. There are screams, laughter, a lot of OMGs, and woo-hoo'ing, but the only comment I've heard from the GP after the ride is "that was freaking AWESOME, let's go again!" And that is music to the ears of any park manager. The trick here is that if you're going to build a short coaster, pack it with enough intensity to be a full-size monster. It's not the track length that creates a badass ride, it's the experience. Cram a lot of stuff into the ride (like SDC have obviously done) and the short length won't matter much. Folks will hit the brake run breathless, dazed, and with their adrenaline pumping. Throwing that amazing barrel roll in right before the brakes practically ensures that returning riders are going to be cheering and clapping all the way back to the station, which pumps up the next load of riders. The only downside is that if the queues gets insanely long, the shortness of the ride might still be a downer, even with the epic intensity... if this thing has high throughput and the queue is well-done and interesting, even that can be overcome. Knowing SDC and their attention to detail, I doubt we will have any issues with this ride whatsoever.

The problem isn't being a wood coaster in south Texas. Tx Cyclone ran just fine for 29 years - the only thing that ruined the ride were those awful trains. The problem is being a HUGE-ASS wood coaster that requires a massive amount of yearly maintenance and being at a park unwilling or unable to provide it. Both SFOT and SFFT let those coasters get far too far "gone" before doing anything and the result is that they basically became unridable in all but a few choice seats. Moral: don't build a ride you can't afford to maintain properly.

Went to Prater yesterday and had a great time. Rode that odd "Tornado" swing with the lightning bolt and liked it a lot. Could've done with less flipping, though, as the best part was when the rotation of the support hit a sweet spot with the arc of the swinging and you soar down toward the midway. Tried to talk the lady running the Autofahrt woodie to let me ride, but no credit whoring allowed there. I seriously doubt I could've gotten both my feet in that car, anyway, let alone sat in it. Prater Turm (Star Flyer) wasn't a thrill at all. It was ungodly high, but the gentle rotation made it relaxing. Almost at the end of the trip down, it kicks into high rotation, which was fun. Super 8er Bahn, Wilde Maus, Dizzy-Mouse, Hochshaubahn and Mega Blitz were all running pretty well. Had to do the Rotor, since I hardly see those any more. The KMG afterburner (forget what it's called) was swinging waaaaaay past 90deg, but it didn't spin very fast. Still, a total blast. Did a couple of funhouses, had some delicious Mohnnudln (possible misspelling- hand rolled potato dumplings drowned in melted butter, powdered sugar, and about two cups worth of poppy seeds) at Schweizerhaus, then headed for Black Mamba. I almost skipped it, since it looked like a skyscraper with a little extra oomph (due to the dual spinning arm) and I just rode the skyscraper in Paris last week. I gave it a try, though, and OMFG. Rode it twice. Don't think I could take a third time without a break in the middle. Seriously, damn. That ride kicks azz. The boomerang was the only coaster I hadn't done before (it was closed last time I was here) and I was anxious to try out the OTSR-less trains. I did worry a bit when I saw the non-padded steel butterfly bars and the position of the grab bars, but I figured that it couldn't be worse than a normal boomerang. The trip up the first spike gave me a good workout, keeping my body off the steel bar, but it wasn't difficult. As it turns out, boomerangs are hella fun when you aren't getting battered. The trains were plenty comfy, the non-padded bar wasn't an issue at all, and I got off the ride smiling. Can't ever remember that happening on a boomerang. Speaking of not smiling after a ride, Volare. For the love of all that is holy, fix that first turn after the dip at the beginning. That part is just brutal... not that the rest of the ride is pleasant. It's not. Anyway, I had a great time at the Prater and I'm hoping that Black Mamba will find a stateside presence soon.

I'd guess that on a weekday in the hottest month, the crowds shouldn't be too bad. You probably won't even need a fastpass, unless you're only going for a short time. As for Giant, it pulls significant negative Gs on nearly every hill in nearly every seat. Since you get air all over the train, it doesn't matter much where you sit... except that the back seat has a substantial OMGWTF falling-off-the-world feeling on the first drop. It's worth the extra wait for the back seat at least once.

Last time I rode windseeker at night back in may I froze my butt off on that thing,it's sure colder 300 ft in the air than on the ground so it looks like I'll be wearing a jacket & gloves if I ride at night during haunt. I've not yet been on one of these, but I'm doing the 360ft Star Flyer in Vienna tomorrow. Whee!

THIS. I did it solo and that climb seemed to go on forever. Periodically, the cable pulling me up would adjust itself on the harness connector as the angle changed... with a thunk, a pop, and a bit of vibration. Each time (about 4 of them!) I thought that the harness was failing. Not funny at all. When I got to the top, I wasted no time in pulling the rip cord and getting the flying part started!

They didn't rebuild, they rebranded. Aside from two used coasters and a bunch of super hero crap theming, SF didn't really do much to what was there already. YES, they kept it alive a bit longer, but it was still in great shape (physically) when they took over. I loved Jazzland a lot more than SFNO, even with the two used coasters added (a bat-clone and the old Joker's Jinx backward corkscrew head-basher from SFFT).

Spent most of the day at Europa Park today. Got there right at opening and knocked out Pegasus, Poseidon, Matterhorn Blitz, and Schweizer Bobbahn while everyone else ran to Wodan. It was raining, but not heavily, and since I got two rides each on Wodan and Blue Fire yesterday, I wanted to get in as much stuff as I could before repeating anything. Matterhorn Blitz is a fairly uneventful mouse that becomes a must-do simply because of the lift system. Scweizer is a decent bobsled, but if bob's your thing head to Heide instead... or even Parc Asterix. The park itself looked fantastic with everything in bloom and even the rain couldn't dampen the beauty of it. Got in another ride on Blue Fire and I gotta say that I wish more parks would install these trains on their steelies. They have all of the necessary safety features without being intrusive or uncomfortable. Also, they allow insanely fast loading/unloading. I have never seen a standard style coaster that moves a line faster than this one... with the possible exception of Silver Star, but it holds nearly twice as many per train! Got in three more rides on Wodan. I've read the previous ho-hum reports and I honestly wasn't expecting that much from it. I was wrong. Firstly, let me add to the kudos on the queue line - not just the themed parts, but also the bits that snake under and through the structure. It might be ( structurally) the most beautiful wood coaster I've ever seen. And the ride? Maybe it was just because of the light rain, but this thing was hauling serious azz. Direction changes were intense, the second half of the ride was almost as good as the first half, and that little pop of airtime in the middle of the banked turn/drop before the station flythrough was a legit OMGWTF moment. Apparently, it doesn't always run this well according to the other reports on here. Pity. Here's an odd thing: after five rides (one front seat, one near the back, and two in the middle), I think that GCI has done something that I thought impossible - they made a wood coaster that gives the best rides to the middle of the train. Seriously. I've always thought that riding in the middle of the train is like kissing your sister: it's not completely unpleasant, but what's the point? Wodan, however, thrilled me best just slightly forward of dead center in the train. Weird. Going back to the subject of moving the queue lines like Blue Fire and Silver Star... I was watching the loading/unloading process and was asking myself, "why don't any parks in the US move queues like this? Cedar Point does a good job, but even they aren't this efficient." After some observations, I think I know why: [1] American parks usually allow you to choose your seat. People get distracted talking with their friends and/or don't pay attention. By having an attendant at the front of the queue telling you which row to enter, the line keeps moving. [2] Euro guests understand that the train needs to GO and don't have a "they'll wait for me" attitude. When Euro guests put their backpacks in the cubbies, they hurry over, toss the bag, then hurry back to the seat. In the US, unfortuneately, it's often "social hour" at the cubbies while people are putting away their things. There's no hurry. [3] Redundant safety checks? Not so much at Europa. The Silver Star (and probably Wodan and Blue Fire as well) trains have indicators on each seat position that let the ride ops know that the bar is down and locked sufficiently. No need to come by and tug on each restraint, a look at the light and a look at the rider to make sure the bar is down far enough is all they do. All clear and dispatch. US parks usually require that each restraint be hand-checked by a ride op before dispatch. [4] Riders are used to pulling down their own restraints in Europa Park. By the time the ride ops walk the train, everything is pretty much done already. US ride ops spend half their time buckling someone in who was afraid they might do it wrong or something. [5] Europa Park has ADULTS for ride ops. Actual grown-ups! I didn't see a single pimply-faced high schooler working a ride. These are folks who have had other jobs before, understand that it actually is a job (not just a hangout with a paycheck) and that they have to do it well. There were some ride ops in their late teens and early 20s, but a good number of them were 35+ and a few seniors on the flat rides. That said, there is one beef I have with Euro Parks vs US ones: smoking. I often felt that I and my partner were the only adults in the whole park who weren't smoking. Some of the queues forbid it, but everywhere else there was a noxious nicotine cloud. Disney was even worse. Sadly, I don't see this changing any time soon... there are even cigarette vending machines along the walkway from the parking lot to the front gate. (sigh)