SteveR

I am also anxious about Bonfante Gardens, since they are a non-profit organization. (It's not "Paramount's Bonfante", but simply "Bonfante, managed by Paramount") It's such a gem. Perhaps it will be a good tax shelter for Cedar Fair. As it is, Bonfante has no Paramount theming, but rather a unique local farming theme. While there, you are completely unaware of any Paramount presence. I can't imagine CF injecting Snoopy into such a beautiful place. It also attracts a lot of non-theme-park type visitors (folks who go to enjoy the landscaping) who I suspect would revolt if any leaf or circus tree was harmed. I think CF is smart enough to leave well enough alone in this instance and to simply quietly manage BG as Paramount has.

Everyone has been so helpful planning our So. Cal. Coaster Tour, I thought I would ask about accomodations. What is a good hotel near Magic Mountain? Cheap, but not a fleabag. We don't plan on spending a lot of time in the room, but we don't want to be awake all night with people screaming "TATSU!!!!" up and down the halls! I'm turning 40 in during our trip in May and we old men enjoy our sleep. What about Knott's Berry Farm? Steve

We visit PGA often and are trying to figure out where they are going to put Survivor. From the few construction photos available, it looks to me like PGA is going to plop it where Centrifuge is. (They'd have to remove it.) In one photo you can see a cone-shaped buliding: Kid's Stuff, and the gondola ride: (Delta Flyer). It's one of the few places with a clump of trees that will fit in with the jungle theme. And it's near the water park. On a larger note, I wish Great America would add more "real" coasters. In the past few years they have been concentrating on Boomerang Bay, their water park. Sadly, their thrill rides have suffered. (Top Gun and Invertigo are awesome, though!) On a positive note, PGA has been making a strong effort to make the park more "Family Friendly". Going to PGA is always a much more enjoyable experience than any Six Flags park provides: i.e. Marine World. So I guess we are mixed up. We like the family atmosphere goal of PGA, but want more thrill rides. Which park is best at achieving that balance? Steve

We visit PGA often and are trying to figure out where they are going to put Survivor. From the few construction photos available, it looks to me like PGA is going to plop it where Centrifuge is. (They'd have to remove it.) In one photo you can see a cone-shaped buliding: Kid's Stuff, and the gondola ride: (Delta Flyer). It's one of the few places with a clump of trees that will fit in with the jungle theme. And it's near the water park. On a larger note, I wish Great America would add more "real" coasters. In the past few years they have been concentrating on Boomerang Bay, their water park. Sadly, their thrill rides have suffered. (Top Gun and Invertigo are awesome, though!) On a positive note, PGA has been making a strong effort to make the park more "Family Friendly". Going to PGA is always a much more enjoyable experience than any Six Flags park provides: i.e. Marine World. So I guess we are mixed up. We like the family atmosphere goal of PGA, but want more thrill rides. Which park is best at achieving that balance? Steve

Ha! Yeah, Wyatt loves coasters. (See his own web site at www.worldofwyatt.com ) In fact, "love" doesn't begin to describe his feelings toward them. Funny that you mentioned height requirements: my kid is all too aware of them; previously a source of frustration. Last year he was a half-inch under 52", the requirement for many coasters. So I wrapped Ace bandages around his feet before putting on his shoes! It gave him just enough boost and he dubbed them his "trick shoes". Ahh...nothing like having a kid willing to beat the system. Thanks for your thoughts on SFMM. I guess to follow up, my question is, what are the highest-traffic coasters? Which ones should we sprint to? Are there any that have consistantly light queues? And yes, we are credit whoring. (I love that term!) Steve

Elitches in 1982. It is very sad to see the pictures of what’s left of Elitches. I grew up in Denver and worked for two summers at Elitches. I was 16 and 17 respectively: two of the happiest summers of my life. 1982 and 1983. The first year I parked cars in the parking lot and tore tickets (Guest Services); the second year I worked the Games. While working in Guest Services, we were encouraged to “make extra bucks”. If, for example, Coors rented out the park for the day and non-private-event people came to the gates, we would negotiate pocket money and let them in. When I worked the Games, you can bet that you would win a stuffed animal if you were a cute girl! We had no “Six Flags” jurisdiction. And it was fun. Elitches was in a bad part of Denver. The management gave us large chains to carry at night to patrol the parking lot which was prone to gang activity. (Teardrop bandanas!) Obviously, this was in the pre-“Six Flags” days and we were barely a notch above carneys. But it was a blast. When we were hired, we were taught about Elitches and its history. It was a family park and the owners (Sandy and Bud Gurtler at the time) were always present. Every morning, employee volunteers were recruited to test Mr. Twister and The Wildcat. After riding Mr. Twister hundreds of times and “Twister Two” at the new park once, I can tell you that the new coaster pales in comparison. In a pre-chain (i.e. Six Flags) era, we regularly sent an employee out for a beer run and drank Budweiser on the job. Often times, the guy sent out was the supervisor. Them days are gone. But it was fun. While working in Guest Services, I once parked William Shatner’s car and escorted him to the Elitch Theater. Whatever your thoughts about that man, he was one of the nicest people I had ever met. The Elitches Theater was a hub of entertainment in the west. It attracted the biggest stars for over a century. How sad to see Robb’s pictures! I recall escorting many stars-of-the-day through those now-dilapidated doors. Damn. They MUST save this structure. How sad to see the once-great Elitches carrousel (actually, a merry-go-round: it went clockwise) reduced to a dog-park diversion. Do the current residents even know its history? I was there. How sad to see the great “Elitch Theater” falling into rubble. This was the very theater that showcased Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey and countless others. What will become of it? Will it be demolished to make room for another ugly suburban Denver townhouse? How sad to see the demolition of Mr. Twister. A coaster landmark that regularly drew me to enticing girlfriends onboard. How sad to see the Wildcat demolished. When I was eight-years-old, this was something you could impress friends with. Thank God Lakeside survives. It’s a crappy old park down the street from the old Elitches… but it’s a blast. Steve

We are planning “Coaster Tour ‘06” May 15- 19 with my 9-year-old son who is obsessed with roller coasters and intent on collecting credits. Well, okay, so am I. Coming from San Francisco, we are planning two days at Magic Mountain and two days at Knotts Berry Farm. Questions: HELP! Can we realistically ride most of the coasters at SFMM in two days? And the bigger question, what is the best way to attack SFMM? We are interested in riding as many coasters as possible. What are the best, and what is a good order to approach them? I know the current strategy is to race to “X” when the park opens. What next? Which coasters have the longest queue lines? Give me an agenda to follow with military precision. Our trip is during a school week: on Monday and Tuesday, before Summer Vacation (the joys of homeschooling) so it should be somewhat quiet at the park. Is MM still crazy in an off week? Suggestions?? Also, what about Knott’s? Never been there. What’s the best plan of attack? COASTER CREDITS! COASTER CREDITS! Thank you much! Steve