Imhotep Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 Park News - (11/7/06) First things first... I’ve got to say something. I’m Sorry, I’m Sorry, I’m Sorry to everyone who sent in the following rumor about SheiKra for the last six months or so. It’s all true... I didn’t believe it and it just sounded completely crazy to every other industry professional I mentioned the rumor to, but it’s all true after all. Sometime in 2007 SheiKra will be upgraded to feature Floorless trains. Swapping out the trains will be the easy part. What I’ve always been concerned with is just how they will manage to install the massive “Floorless” hardware needed to load and unload the trains. Can they somehow manage to pull this off with only minimal downtime or will the park need to close the ride for weeks or even months to make this happen? According to one source, apparently Busch wanted ShieKra to be floorless from the start but B&M wasn’t ready to make it happen in time for SheiKra to open, so they designed it with the space for the upgrade in mind. As for the timeline... don’t look for it to happen until Griffon opens in Williamsburg because they are marketing Griffon as the world’s first Floorless dive coaster. Busch Gardens Williamsburg opens for 2007 on March 24th but their website says Griffon will open “late Spring 2007” so that could mean anything up to Memorial Day Weekend at the end of May. So I guess we’ll have to wait and see what happens. Sounds awesome!! If it pans out to be true.... Although, I wouldn't mind if SheiKra stuck with the Floored trains. I like the idea that the DM's are supposed to offer different ride experiences, plus it gives me a reason to go to BGE more often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 Yeah I heard about this too...if you ask me it sounds really stupid. I've always thought the Floorless thing was a gimmick, and a poor one at that, now redoing the ride less than 2 years old??? BGT must be grasping for something to market other than "check us out we're remodeling a giant section of the park!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primogen18 Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 /\ I agree that its a poor gimmick, it doesn't really add anything to the ride experience itself because honestly who spends any real amount of time on a roller coaster staring at their feet? The only thing that might be interesting is that it is a dive machine, meaning if you sit on an outer seat there will be nothing under your feet at all because of how wide the trains are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yankees15 Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 I don't really like the idea either. It basically defeats the purpose of Griffon having them. Now they will be almost the same ride. IMO SheiKra should just keep the floors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willski Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 Yeah I heard about this too...if you ask me it sounds really stupid. I've always thought the Floorless thing was a gimmick, and a poor one at that, now redoing the ride less than 2 years old??? It's because they realized that SheiKra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wes Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 I said this in the Griffon thread, the psychological aspect of not having the bar in front of the first row is going to be awesome. When you're hanging over the vertical drop with nothing but the OTS holding you in...that's gonna be TERRIFYING. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 ^ I kinda agree with that, but at the same time, don't change the damn thing until I've ridden it!!! Grrrrr!!! Must... Get... Back... to Florida.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheStig Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 Personially, I think it would be an awsome idea! I mean the bar does get in the way a little, and to be able to look straight down with nothing but your feet in front of you would be pretty cool, especially if your in an extreme left or right seat. Plus, the water splash area would be neat aswell. Hopefully this happens, and hopefully it doesnt take too long to complete! Colin C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkdcoaster Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 Kinda seems like a BIG waste of money (and you know it is pricey!) Is it really gonna draw more people in to ride it??? will they even advertise it? I still find it hard to believe that Busch would do this. JEFF (who will fully believe it when he sees it) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARK Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 That makes Griffon a little less unique. Sounds wierd...I think getting rid of the floor won't really affect it....will it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoryPa77 Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 I'd rather them put MF trains on Gwazi and do some track work. I still think this will add to the overall experience, but I don't think you'll even notice in the back two rows. I also wonder if they can just modify the existing train or will they need to get all new trains from B&M. I've heard before that each (traditional) B&M train is way up in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, so that would be pretty expensive to get new ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenshinmac Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 This still seems a bit far out there to me... I mean if I remember correctly there was a show on coasters that claimed each of Oblivions trains cost in the like quarter to half million dollar range. Seems that replacing each train (each of which is larger than Oblivion's) and then adding the modified station hardware would be a ton of money for little gain. From everything I have heard the whole "reinvented ride" thing has rarely really worked for parks. If my numbers are completely off the wall maybe it is feasible and if you know more about the pricing I would love to know... It just seems like such a huge expense for something that most wouldn't really notice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Volcano Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 I'm sorry guys... I dont mean to sound like I'm going with the crowd and agreeing with everyone here, but IMO, this is really the weirdest thing that I've EVER heard about... I just got done reading this on here, and thought I would go to Screamscape and check it out, and sure enough... I mean is this actually CONFIRMED??? If so, whats the point?! SheiKra is fine how it is, its practically bran new, and Busch has a floorless coaster less than an hour away! I mean, I'm sorry... I just dont know what the point is. Floorless has never added any excitement to the ride IMO. I mean theres GOOD floorless coasters out there, but modifying a coaster with regular trains to add floorless ones is kindof crazy... Does anyone know if they will be adding the 10 passenger trains or will they stay with 8? Station may not be wide enough, and same with the support width, but wow, this is weird.. -Justin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMAN962 Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 I personally do not think it's a very good idea. If they order standard floorless trains, the load capacity would not be too good. If the trains are four across, and they have only 3 rows, it will cause it to only have twelve riders per train. If they make the trains longer, then going down the drop, the back row would acquire massive, and probably painful airtime. If they don't make trains 8 across, like the old ones, it could cause horrible lines.... ~Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knottslover77 Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 ^they would be 8 across floorless trains. --Jay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnome Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 I can almost guarantee you that it's just hopeful wishing that grew from there. They would have to completely redo the the station (the floors) and rip up stuff in the process in order to do that, on top of that paying for the new trains and finding something to do with the old trains. But I think its the redo of the station that really rings a bell in my mind that its not going to happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoasterFanatic Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 I don't believe it for a second. Of course I could be totally wrong ... but I doubt it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginzo Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 I don't think it's such a bad idea. Sheikra is really missing something. It's by far the weakest B&M in BGA. Maybe they negotiated it with the purchase of Griffon. I imagine if they do it, it'll be using the same 10 across trains that Griffon will use. Busch is hardly poor. If this was their original vision for the ride, why not do it? Disney spent $100 million on Expedition Everest. That seems a lot more out there to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coaster Sim. Fan Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 Huuum i have to say i would be very surprised to see this happen the same year as Griffin. But here is something wired i remember reading a while ago (probably over a year ago) a rumor that Sheikra in about 2007 or 2008 will be going through a rehab changing the train design (which flavorless would fit that) but that they also said that they might add a second inversion (cause it was originally put in to the design) and if i remember right they said it was some type of roll. Now i know what i just posted sounds kind of out there but being that the train modafacations cam out to be true how know about the layout modifications. Know if something like this really happened it would still surprise me. How much of a market will there really be for advertising a improved ride. Saying come down to BGA and ride the newly improved Sheikra featuring new trans and a new inversion. Chances are the GP wouldn't even understand what the deference really is unless they see before and after pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 Two Things: 1) Cory, I totally agree with you and think that putting MF Trains on Gwazi would be SUCH a great improvement. Unfortunetly, that can't be marketed. 2) If they really go through with this I guarantee BGT has either already paid for it, or will be getting the modifications for next to nothing. Think about it. Montu and Kumba were both built with their stations RIGHT on the ground. Shakira is like 30 feet in the air! Hmmm, odd, or already planned for! Plus Griffon was probably purchased at the same time as Shakira, maybe they had some deal that if they could get the floorless trains for that, they would also retrofit Shakira. See where I'm going here? Busch has historically always ordered entire extra trains from B&M, they obviously have an amazing relationship with the company, I have a feeling they're getting a good deal on these 'new' trains if it happens! But yeah, I still don't agree with it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coasterlicious Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 "Shakira is like 30 feet in the air!" im so stupid.... it took me 5 minutes to realize your not actually talking about Shakira.... i was like.... Shakira?.. how did she get into this conversation. anyways... Ive never been on the ride... so I dont even know what its like with the trains it has now.. so I cant really say anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thefitness Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 I think the new trains would dramtically change the view for riders.Im all for it unless it'll be down for months and months. On second thought why not just build a whole new floorless dive machine right next to Sheikra?!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginzo Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 Adding the Griffon trains would also increase the capacity of each train from 24 to 30 riders, a 25% increase in capacity. That seems like a good thing to me. Also the edge seats will be hanging even further out in the air, which should make it a lot scarier, especially if they extended the hang over the first drop by a few more seconds. Fixing up Gwazi would probably be a better idea, but we all know how much of a priority woodie maintenance is to corporate parks. A lot of GP still believe that rough is the norm for wood. I don't see a downside here though. Busch is going to improve Sheikra, even if only slightly. Who cares if it doesn't make good business sense? Busch parks are backed by a $36 billion parent company. They're not going away. A bad move or two won't affect them significantly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 SheiKra already feels "floorless" enough to me since the seats are tilted back. Although no floor on that first drop has to be freaky. Sounds like a good addition to me! Although, Gwazi still sucks and could use a refurb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkStitch626 Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 I find this idea highly unlikely, unless BGA wants to spend a crapolla more money to fully retrofit the station for Sheikra. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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