Valleyfair (VF) Discussion Thread

[VF15]

^

Yeah, you're right about the GCIs. Still, I'd say that the biggest reason we won't get a Eurofighter is because we have Rock Bottom Plunge 25 minutes away because having two of the same type of ride in the same metro area is pretty pointless. (Well, San Antonio does have two B:TR clones, but still...)

 

As for the SLC, I'm still not sure why everyone is so confident that VF will get one. I'm not going to repeat anything I've said before, but I'd be very surprised if Valleyfair/Cedar Fair stooped down to that level. Yeah, Valleyfair is second to last in capital in the chain, but if they play their cards right, I'd say a B&M or some other quality coaster could happen within the next three to four years.

[DanTheBooker]

As for the SLC, I'm still not sure why everyone is so confident that VF will get one. I'm not going to repeat anything I've said before, but I'd be very surprised if Valleyfair/Cedar Fair stooped down to that level. Yeah, Valleyfair is second to last in capital in the chain, but if they play their cards right, I'd say a B&M or some other quality coaster could happen within the next three to four years.

 

 

For the record, I showed my opinions of an SLC in the last page or two.

 

B&M is where my money is. Has been for years. Granted we have received an Intamin and a GCI since then, but still.

[dippindotsguy8]

Over the last 8 years or so, I've come to realize that nobody really can pinpoint what the park will get. Everyone's been talking about a B&M since 2009 if not earlier, and here we are in 2014. I'm really happy with what the park has been adding, because it rounds out the park, but I think we're taking shots in the dark when it comes to something so specific as coaster styles. Especially when we try to guess based on how much money the park supposedly makes. For all we know, we could expect something even bigger, because they mentioned that VF is a park they see as having room for substantial growth.

 

I also find the "there's another ______ x miles away" to be a bad indicator, because there are plenty of examples of those things happening (although I would definitely be bummed if the park got a eurofighter)

 

Any time we try to guess more than a year or two out, the odds don't seem great. Things change fast in this industry. The most we can really do is look at what we feel the park is missing (Good waterpark, decent sized new coaster) and guess based on that.

[Looty]

I wouldn't rule out Gerstlauer just because CF has never purchased one before. VF has many 'first' attractions purchased by CF (Wild Thing, Renegade, Xtreme Swing, perhaps even Mad Mouse). Also, I believe CF still owned Camp Snoopy when Timberland Twister (another first!) was purchased. I think a launched Gerstlauer with inversions would be a great fit at Valleyfair. With that said, I'm still hoping for a B&M.

 

Also, for what it's worth, the GM of VF used to be the GM of NickU, so I tend to believe he has a positive relationship with Gerstlauer as three major attractions at NickU were manufactured by Gerstlauer. But, perhaps his push isn't as significant now at a more corporate amusement park.

[DanTheBooker]

Double post, I'm sorry.

Edited April 8, 2014 by DanTheBooker

[DanTheBooker]

Over the last 8 years or so, I've come to realize that nobody really can pinpoint what the park will get. Everyone's been talking about a B&M since 2009 if not earlier, and here we are in 2014. I'm really happy with what the park has been adding, because it rounds out the park, but I think we're taking shots in the dark when it comes to something so specific as coaster styles. Especially when we try to guess based on how much money the park supposedly makes. For all we know, we could expect something even bigger, because they mentioned that VF is a park they see as having room for substantial growth.

 

They started talking about a B&M invert in 2002 or earlier. Falcon: Flight of Fear was heavily rumored back then. Totally agree with you about the latest additions. Of note: I don't know anyone who saw Route 76 coming and everyone seems to be happy with it. We are completely taking shots in the dark but that's half the fun of being enthusiasts. Good point about bigger due to expansion.

 

I also find the "there's another ______ x miles away" to be a bad indicator, because there are plenty of examples of those things happening (although I would definitely be bummed if the park got a eurofighter)

 

I agree with this statement. However, a standard Eurofighter WILL NOT happen at VF. I'd bet my life. I know your not saying it will either.

 

Any time we try to guess more than a year or two out, the odds don't seem great. Things change fast in this industry. The most we can really do is look at what we feel the park is missing (Good waterpark, decent sized new coaster) and guess based on that.

 

If we didn't spend the offseason guessing and being armchair planners, we'd go nuts. Lol

 

I wouldn't rule out Gerstlauer just because CF has never purchased one before. VF has many 'first' attractions purchased by CF (Wild Thing, Renegade, Xtreme Swing, perhaps even Mad Mouse).

 

Good point. Btw, Mad Mouse was Arrow and MiA got one the same year. So business as usual there. But still a good point.

 

I Also, I believe CF still owned Camp Snoopy when Timberland Twister (another first!) was purchased. I think a launched Gerstlauer with inversions would be a great fit at Valleyfair. With that said, I'm still hoping for a B&M.

 

Yes! Only with trains. Not these cars Gerstlauer seems to fancy.

 

IAlso, for what it's worth, the GM of VF used to be the GM of NickU, so I tend to believe he has a positive relationship with Gerstlauer as three major attractions at NickU were manufactured by Gerstlauer. But, perhaps his push isn't as significant now at a more corporate amusement park.

 

Valid point. Makes you wonder how much pull a GM has in a corporate park.

 

 

Long post but I had to do something waiting for the Wildfire announcement!

[linearinduction]

Isn't Cedar Fair still operating each park as it's own Individual Business Unit? If so, then I would imagine management has remained the same with the VP and GM of each park calling the shots on local decisions with input on corporate capital expenditures.

[Diamondbacker27]

The park gets what it gets. I mean complaining and saying you hope they don't get an SLC won't help. The park will get what is best and in there price range. And a B&M probably isn't, this park is like the Six Flags America of Six Flags to Cedar Fair. It's one of the least money making parks. Meaning, they will get cheaper rides, I think anyways.

For example, Canada's Wonderland makes a ton of money. They are getting a new ride, same goes for Kings Island. If the park makes money they will get a new roller coaster about every 5 years. Not always, but most of the time. IMO, so that is just my 2 cents.

[VF15]

^

Yeah, I guess VF/SFA are relatively similar. Neither really have a top 10 coaster lineup, and they haven't really invested a lot into their coasters. At least Valleyfair doesn't get hand me down coasters. Although, come to think of it, I think VF could get a relocated B&M coaster in the future, and I'd be okay with that as long as it's not a piece of trash like Vortex (CGA) or Mantis or something like that. I thought that Flight Deck (CGA) might have been a good candidate to get relocated, but since it just got repainted, I think it's there to stay. On the topic of SLCs, maybe I would be okay with one if the newer models are guaranteed to be smooth, but I still think that an SLC isn't the most likely option.

[Randomman295]

Hey, at least this park gets more attention than Michigan's Adventure.

[valleyfairfanatic]

Hey guys, just a few questions about the park that you may be able to help me with. We are going to visit the park for the first time this summer, and need some help in our planning.

 

1. How long do the lines typicly get on a sat in July? Is a fast lane pass nessersary?

2. Will we be able to hit all the coasters in one day? And if so, whats a good way to attack the park?

3. We typicly like to choose a indoor type restaurant to eat in, so what are some good recomedations?

4. What are some hidden gems of the park that we should check out?

 

Thank's for any input.

 

 

 

one advice, don't go on a saturday in july, the lines are horrible and it is very crowded, try going mon-thurs thats usually when i go and i have walk on rides. 2. No, if you are going on a saturday. 3. chickie and pete's might be a good option. 4. make sure to hit the back of the park. But if saturday's your only option, go anyways, having some coasters is better then having no coasters at all!

[Randomman295]

Hey guys, just a few questions about the park that you may be able to help me with. We are going to visit the park for the first time this summer, and need some help in our planning.

 

1. How long do the lines typicly get on a sat in July? Is a fast lane pass nessersary?

2. Will we be able to hit all the coasters in one day? And if so, whats a good way to attack the park?

3. We typicly like to choose a indoor type restaurant to eat in, so what are some good recomedations?

4. What are some hidden gems of the park that we should check out?

 

Thank's for any input.

For a Saturday: Unless you plan on incessantly reriding Monster (worst capacity in the park by far), a fastlane pass shouldn't be needed, given that you know how to time your rides well. Hit water rides either really early or late, and I would advise going straight to Renegade rather than Steel Venom or Wild Thing. Hit those two late in the day. Do that, and you should be able to hit all of the major rides in a day.

Valleyfair's food selection is really limited, so I would advise bringing a lunch if possible and then having dinner at the sports bar next to the inverting ship and the trabant.

As for underrated gems, their Corkscrew is criminally underappreciated. Probably the best custom Arrow Looper there is IMO. Same exact thing with their Arrow Mad Mouse, which is really fun.

High Roller is pretty fun if you can stand bumpy coasters, but it's made better by the really comfortable cars.

Excalibur on the other hand, is ridiculously rattly and I wouldn't recommend it if the wait is any longer than 10 minutes. Besides, it's in a really secluded section of the park.

Renegade is best in the very center of the train, as are High Roller and Excalibur. Wild Thing is incredibly smooth and is a lot of fun anywhere in the train, especially the very front or back. Steel Venom is one of the jerkier Impulses, and it's best in the very back (if you're up for an intense ride). Corkscrew is great in the first half of the train.

 

As for flat rides:

-Monster: Again, terrible capacity. The ride takes an incredibly long time to load and unload, but when you are on it, it's a lot of fun.

-Riptide: The most intense Huss Top Spin I've ever been on. The cycle it runs can end up with as much as 5 inversions in a row (!!!), but keep in mind that Valleyfair's version of this ride is a water ride that WILL get you wet unless you're on the very ends of the car.

-Xtreme Swing runs an incredibly underwhelming cycle, even on off days. Don't bother unless the wait is less than 10 or 15 minutes.

-Wheel of Fortune: The park's Trabant, which is really tame. Well themed and runs a fairly long cycle, great for families but can't compare to trabants such as Knott's.

-Looping Starship: Really uncomfortable, but the ride has great capacity so the line never gets that long.

-Power Tower: One of the better S&S combo towers. Nothing special, unless you haven't ridden an S&S combo tower before, in which case I fully recommend if you can stomach drop towers.

I haven't actually gotten a chance to ride Supercat or the Bumper Cars, so I'm not going to talk about them too much, but from what I can tell, Supercat's capacity is pretty good.

 

As for Soak City (Keep in mind that this is free with park admission):

-Hurricane Falls: Usually has a really long line, but it's pretty fun.

-Raging Rapids: Superb capacity for a water ride, and it's easily the best ride that Soak City has. Lots of fun.

-Panic Falls (the collection of 5 body slides): Great fun, but as expected from being fairly long body slides, wait times can be bad. Surprisingly smooth.

Wave pool and lazy river are both sub-par, nothing noteworthy.

 

Also I've just been informed that they took out their Tilt-a-Whirl. I'm going to scream now.

[thrillrider]

Thank's for all the great info guys.

 

We have no choice but to go on a sat, but may be able to also hit the park for a couple of hours on sunday morning as well.

[VF15]

one advice, don't go on a saturday in july, the lines are horrible and it is very crowded, try going mon-thurs thats usually when i go and i have walk on rides. 2. No, if you are going on a saturday. 3. chickie and pete's might be a good option. 4. make sure to hit the back of the park. But if saturday's your only option, go anyways, having some coasters is better then having no coasters at all!

 

I'm not really sure what you're talking about. Even if you went on the busiest day of the year, you will still be able to ride all 7 coasters plus lots of rerides, as Valleyfair has less attendance than many other amusement parks. If you think that Valleyfair has long lines, you probably have never been to Six Flags Great America. I went there last year on a Monday in July, and everything had at least an hour long wait, including the kiddie rides. I'm going back this year, and I will buy at least a Gold Flash Pass.

 

Hey, at least this park gets more attention than Michigan's Adventure.

 

Yeah, I'd much rather have Valleyfair as my home park than Michigan's Adventure or California's Great America. In fact, all the people that complain about having VF as a home park are starting to bother me. Would they rather live in Minnesota and have Valleyfair, or live in a coaster deprived state like Nebraska or Montana and have nothing? I wouldn't say I've been complaining in these last few pages. I've just been speculating.

[thrillrider]

With a large city nearby, I am amazed that vallyfair is(as small) the size that it is.

 

I base this in comparison to other parks in simular sized markets like Carowinds and Dorney parks that seem larger.

[RCjunkie]

Also I've just been informed that they took out their Tilt-a-Whirl. I'm going to scream now.

 

You were informed incorrectly. Both the Tilt-A-Whril and Scrambler are being restored while adding LED lights for night time riding and being relocated to the new Route 76 area at the front of the park this year.

[RCjunkie]

With a large city nearby, I am amazed that vallyfair is(as small) the size that it is.

 

I base this in comparison to other parks in simular sized markets like Carowinds and Dorney parks that seem larger.

 

I completely agree. Cedar Fair's CFO said last November that VF is one or their top 3 growth parks so we will see over the next 3-5 years if they invest to grow the park.

[VF15]

Saw this on the Kings Island Discussion Thread...

 

Looks like we'll have to hold off on Banshee pictures for awhile. Kings Island GM is at ValleyFair, I would think some pictures from there will be popping up soon.

 

I wouldn't know why the King's Island GM would be at Valleyfair, but who knows? Maybe it means something good might be coming. Then again, that's just speculation.

[Vffreak07]

Saw this on the Kings Island Discussion Thread...

 

Looks like we'll have to hold off on Banshee pictures for awhile. Kings Island GM is at ValleyFair, I would think some pictures from there will be popping up soon.

 

I wouldn't know why the King's Island GM would be at Valleyfair, but who knows? Maybe it means something good might be coming. Then again, that's just speculation.

 

Greg Scheid oversees Kings Island and Valleyfair — Each Cedar Fair park is basically "overseen"/run by at least one General Manager, two for the smaller parks. In this case, Valleyfair's GM (Dave Frazier) reports to Greg Scheid (KI's GM).

[RCjunkie]

Greg Scheid oversees Kings Island and Valleyfair — Each Cedar Fair park is basically "overseen"/run by at least one General Manager, two for the smaller parks. In this case, Valleyfair's GM (Dave Frazier) reports to Greg Scheid (KI's GM).

 

I saw the same thing and had the same question. Thanks for explaining that about the reporting/management structure that CF uses. So he must visit at least once a year if not a few times then. Do you know the entire CF GM reporting structure for their parks and if you did can you share it? I would be curious to see it .

[VF15]

The webcam is finally back online. As expected, a lot more progress has been made.

[valleyfairfanatic]

one advice, don't go on a saturday in july, the lines are horrible and it is very crowded, try going mon-thurs thats usually when i go and i have walk on rides. 2. No, if you are going on a saturday. 3. chickie and pete's might be a good option. 4. make sure to hit the back of the park. But if saturday's your only option, go anyways, having some coasters is better then having no coasters at all!

 

I'm not really sure what you're talking about. Even if you went on the busiest day of the year, you will still be able to ride all 7 coasters plus lots of rerides, as Valleyfair has less attendance than many other amusement parks. If you think that Valleyfair has long lines, you probably have never been to Six Flags Great America. I went there last year on a Monday in July, and everything had at least an hour long wait, including the kiddie rides. I'm going back this year, and I will buy at least a Gold Flash Pass.

 

Hey, at least this park gets more attention than Michigan's Adventure.

 

Yeah, I'd much rather have Valleyfair as my home park than Michigan's Adventure or California's Great America. In fact, all the people that complain about having VF as a home park are starting to bother me. Would they rather live in Minnesota and have Valleyfair, or live in a coaster deprived state like Nebraska or Montana and have nothing? I wouldn't say I've been complaining in these last few pages. I've just been speculating.

 

 

 

I have been to six flags great america. I have gone multiple times on saturdays at valleyfair and the lines are considerably long for a small park such as valley fair, i went on a saturday and i only got on about 4 rides. I know what lines are long and what lines are short. Renegade's line was out of the queue once and going into the area where the pictures were

[VF15]

^

Well, I guess that was your luck because I have never been to Valleyfair and had wait times like that, even on a Saturday.

[valleyfairfanatic]

yeah even hydro blaster's line was full and the train was packed, ever since i go on week days except for friday, i also go on rainy days, rainy days+weekdays=walk on rides!!!!

[RCjunkie]

VF just posted via their Facebook account they have the base of the relocated Tilt-O-Whirl up close to where the old Steel Venom queue used to be.

Tilter.