California Great America (CGA) Discussion Thread

[KDCOASTERFAN]

^Great! Can't wait to ride when it opens (soon, by the looks of it).

 

Slightly off topic, but I found this on Newsplusnotes...anybody guess what it is? Hint: It's from a certain park in Pennsylvania

 

[attachment=0]invertiblue.jpg[/attachment]

I'm guessing the invertigo with a new paint job?

 

That is one butt ugly color scheme...blue on blue just doesn't go well together.

[BaMiTsPaT]

That color scheme reminds me of the spongebob coaster at MOA

[rolercstrluvr]

At least most of us got to ride it in it's original location.

[CoasterBeagle]

Well if a flat ride goes there, I have no idea what it could be, I guess anything. But I'm hoping a coaster goes there, maybe an Intamin Zacspin or some kind of insane Eurofighter coaster..........something good. Otherwise I have no idea what they are going to do.

 

A ride like abismo at parques de attractiones might fit at cga.

 

 

Also good news for CGA regarding NFL

http://www.seattlepi.com/sports/article/Lockout-remains-after-appeals-court-sides-with-NFL-1382546.php

 

[Tmcdllr]

Ha ha...GOOD!

[Mechanic]

How is the NFL lockout continuing good news for CGA? The NFL isn't going to dry up and blow away. The stadium issue will still have to be dealt with sooner or later. As long as it's still looming over CGA, all it does is continue to provide uncertainty that will make it highly unlikely that Cedar Fair will invest significantly in the park unless the issue is resolved in their favor.

[CoasterBeagle]

It's a good thing because it gives cedar fair and Santa Clara more time. Yea it won't dry up but if anything is learned from the hockey lockout it hurts the fans and players. Basically it's good news and even if it is built the stadium would make more problems then cga. I have said in many other posts it is the politics of the cities that is more affecting the stadium being built. Scbb has being around since the 1920s I believe so it proves that cga can survive. It brings in enough money and because invertigo is gone the money they are bringing in won't go to that maintenance nightmare of a ride.

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

^Unless they put in an Intamin...

[Tmcdllr]

When you guys say Invertigo was a maintenance nightmare, how exactly do you mean that? Wasn't that the most reliable of all the Invertigo/GIB coasters? Besides the one major breakdown the whole world knows about, what other incidents would classify it as a maintenance nightmare? Everytime I have gone to the park that ride has been open and operating unless it was going through rehab, but I have never had any problems with it and I have gone many, many times. So, what classifies it as a maintenance nightmare?

[KI Kidd]

Just to be clear, the NFL lockout in no way prevents the 49ers from continuing their plans for a new stadium. The day to day functions of the teams can go on as normal. It is simply that they are not allowed to have any interaction with their players/draft picks/free agents. Any business dealings that teams or league have with other parties (i.e. the City of Santa Clara, Cedar Fair) can continue as normal. As has been stated in this thread, Cedar Fair is activly looking to sell CGA to the 49ers.

[CoasterBeagle]

So you are telling me CF has been activly trying to sell cga for the past 10 years when the didn't own it? Yea like I keep saying it's politics between the cities. The 49ners would already be down in Santa Clara. It's like when the Oakland a's wanted to move to San Jose.

[KI Kidd]

^...No, I'm not sure where you are getting the 10 years thing from. Dick Kinzel has stated that CF is currently trying to sell the park to the 49ers. The quote from him is on page 170 of this thread.

[ABW]

And if it dosen't happen by the end of Kinzel's term as CEO (which it most likely won't) then it won't get sold. That's just Kinzel wanting to get rid of another park that they never wanted to take care of. He will be out here soon enough, so don't try to act as if it's a sure thing.

[CoasterBeagle]

^...No, I'm not sure where you are getting the 10 years thing from. Dick Kinzel has stated that CF is currently trying to sell the park to the 49ers. The quote from him is on page 170 of this thread.

 

My dad actually. He has been reading about it for the past 10 years. It's kind of like how they say the next big earthquake will happen every 30 years but never does. They said 30 years when my parents were little and 30 years now. Let's not forget also that Worlds of Fun has always been on the chopping block as well.

[TopThrill182]

I'd agree that the future is looking pretty grim for CGA. And although a lot of people on here are seeing this new Inverti-Garden as a good sign, I'd like to point out that GL similarly used landscaping to cover up removed attractions ("Central Park" to cover up the remains of Mr. Hyde's Nasty Fall, Khoi ponds to make the old lazy river look better, etc). So, there's evidence to suggest that a new garden isn't necessarily a good thing.

 

And Kinzel visits all of CF's parks, regardless of how prominent they are in the chain; as long as CGA is part of the Cedar Fair family, it still falls under his responsibility. So I'm not sure this is a good sign either.

 

I still think that Invertigo's removal spells out CGA's doom. CF executives have repeatedly gone on record saying that you have to spend money to make money. Right or wrong, CF really seems to believe that they have to invest in their parks on a regular basis if they want to maintain a consistent level of attendance. CF doesn't downsize their parks; their overall business plan is to invest, invest, invest. If they do remove an attraction from a park, they replace it. GL stands out as the only time they've ever truly downsized, and everyone saw how that turned out. Given CGA's incredible ambiguity on the "attraction" they're developing to replace Invertigo, I have very little faith anything is actually in the works. Typically, I feel like CF would've given a little more detail regarding the new attraction to ease the aggravation of a loss.

 

Of course, only time will tell, but so far, I don't see any real signs of hope for this place.

[ScottBrown]

When you guys say Invertigo was a maintenance nightmare, how exactly do you mean that? Wasn't that the most reliable of all the Invertigo/GIB coasters? Besides the one major breakdown the whole world knows about, what other incidents would classify it as a maintenance nightmare? Everytime I have gone to the park that ride has been open and operating unless it was going through rehab, but I have never had any problems with it and I have gone many, many times. So, what classifies it as a maintenance nightmare?

 

I have a question, if it was a maintenance nightmare why would Cedar Fair relocate it to another park where it would continue to be a maintenance nightmare as opposed to selling it off

[StarTrekGeek]

I also have a gut feeling CGA is in danger. I'm trying to be optimistic but I honestly think that what is in Invertigo's place (Inverti-Garden) is a bad sign. Why would CGA put in a garden in the area where they say a new attraction will go up next year? I think the writing could be on the wall IMO...

Edited May 23, 2011 by StarTrekGeek

[CoasterBeagle]

As grim as everyone is making it sound, maybe all the negativity in this thread can spell out the doom. If you really want to keep the park the way to keep it going is to care about it. CF can't do all the work in order to invest they need money and in order to make money they need attendance. If you want it to stay make group days with friends, schools etc to make attendance go up. There is always a solution to a problem and it doesn't always have to be a solution like GL. Think about it this way what if (big what if) but what if for some reason a higher up in CF management reads this thread and see's all the negativity. It will just further the doom of the park but if we try as GP/Coaster enthusiasts want to see this park succeed then it really is up to us.

 

Also for the stadium, unless CF found a loop hole it is an FCC regulation that an NFL team can't own a theme park as it hurts the business' around it

[Tmcdllr]

As was said already, simple inexpensive landscaping looks a lot better than a pile of dirt and the simple landscaping can be easily removed when the attraction is ready to go in. Seriously, if it was your park, would you leave an ugly pile of dirt there for all to see or spend a little money on some nice looking temporary landscaping?

[Sunfire]

As a former Invertigo supervisor, I'd like to comment that I've seen our attendance actually rise this season. At least on Saturdays. School groups here for whatever reasons have made coaster lines consistantly long on Saturday afternoons. I'm not sure if this is a good sign, but all we can do is hope. And visit the park, make attendance rise people!

[Mechanic]

Maybe the lines for coasters are longer because there's one less coaster in the park? Just a thought.

[Flagg O'Dim]

I have noticed attendance rising this season. I went today, and for a Sunday, it was pretty busy. Some of the longest lines were Tiki Twirl (nearing the entrance), Logger's Run (in the photo building), and Demon (out by the grassy area). Even the walkways were hard to navigate with people everywhere. Whether or not it's because of Invertigo is hard to tell.

 

It was great to ride White Water Falls! Rode three times, and on the third time, the boat seemed to do a nosedive at the bottom of the hill. It almost went to a complete stop, and it created a HUGE wave which covered the entire boat. I got more wet than riding on the Rapids. As a side note for the Haunt fans, at the top of the lift hill, you can see the car that they had flipped upside down in Werewolf's Canyon's line parked beside6 the Pictorium.

 

Speaking of the Rapids, they now have a drying booth outside of the ride. For 5 bucks, you can spend three minutes in infrared light...

 

Had an interesting (bad) experience on Rue le Dodge. Ryan was probably the most strict ride op I've ever seen. While I was riding, he was constantly yelling over the microphone "Follow the arrows, or I'll stop the ride!" It wasn't directed at me, or anyone for that matter, everyone seemed to have been following the arrows. After probably a minute of riding, he stopped the ride, and just said "Ok, ride's over." We were all confused, and everyone stayed in their cars for a few seconds, until he said "Get up and exit!" Honestly, that really pissed me off. Pretty soon there will be a "no bumping" rule on the ride.

 

I just felt like ranting. Had a fun day nevertheless.

[CoasterBeagle]

I have noticed attendance rising this season. I went today, and for a Sunday, it was pretty busy. Some of the longest lines were Tiki Twirl (nearing the entrance), Logger's Run (in the photo building), and Demon (out by the grassy area). Even the walkways were hard to navigate with people everywhere. Whether or not it's because of Invertigo is hard to tell.

 

It was great to ride White Water Falls! Rode three times, and on the third time, the boat seemed to do a nosedive at the bottom of the hill. It almost went to a complete stop, and it created a HUGE wave which covered the entire boat. I got more wet than riding on the Rapids. As a side note for the Haunt fans, at the top of the lift hill, you can see the car that they had flipped upside down in Werewolf's Canyon's line parked beside6 the Pictorium.

 

Speaking of the Rapids, they now have a drying booth outside of the ride. For 5 bucks, you can spend three minutes in infrared light...

 

Had an interesting (bad) experience on Rue le Dodge. Ryan was probably the most strict ride op I've ever seen. While I was riding, he was constantly yelling over the microphone "Follow the arrows, or I'll stop the ride!" It wasn't directed at me, or anyone for that matter, everyone seemed to have been following the arrows. After probably a minute of riding, he stopped the ride, and just said "Ok, ride's over." We were all confused, and everyone stayed in their cars for a few seconds, until he said "Get up and exit!" Honestly, that really pissed me off. Pretty soon there will be a "no bumping" rule on the ride.

 

I just felt like ranting. Had a fun day nevertheless.

 

I was relieved from Rue Le Dodge for a break by Ryan. My basic spiel is the typical one but I also add "also you must go in the direction of the arrows at all times and there is no head on bumping" What people have to remember is if you go in the direction of the arrows you won't get stuck. Instead of stopping the ride, I tell people to turn the wheel if they are stuck. Since I have warned people in the beginning about the rule of arrows and head on bumping I do have a right to stop the ride but it would only be a case if the person does it for a long period of time without clearly listening. The only time I have had to press E stop is when some GP jumped out of the car to retrieve her purse. Now I tell people that they either put it in the cubbies or put it down below and not on the seat.

Another thing is after the ride ends I tell them to walk to the exit. I'm usually the rule nazi on that aspect. Just don't want people to hurt themselves. "Please walk to the exit do not run. This is for your own safety please walk to the exit. Please WALK! to the exit. DO NOT RUN! this is for your own safety. Thank you"

[jab88]

I have noticed attendance rising this season. I went today, and for a Sunday, it was pretty busy. Some of the longest lines were Tiki Twirl (nearing the entrance), Logger's Run (in the photo building), and Demon (out by the grassy area). Even the walkways were hard to navigate with people everywhere. Whether or not it's because of Invertigo is hard to tell.

 

It was great to ride White Water Falls! Rode three times, and on the third time, the boat seemed to do a nosedive at the bottom of the hill. It almost went to a complete stop, and it created a HUGE wave which covered the entire boat. I got more wet than riding on the Rapids. As a side note for the Haunt fans, at the top of the lift hill, you can see the car that they had flipped upside down in Werewolf's Canyon's line parked beside6 the Pictorium.

 

Speaking of the Rapids, they now have a drying booth outside of the ride. For 5 bucks, you can spend three minutes in infrared light...

 

Had an interesting (bad) experience on Rue le Dodge. Ryan was probably the most strict ride op I've ever seen. While I was riding, he was constantly yelling over the microphone "Follow the arrows, or I'll stop the ride!" It wasn't directed at me, or anyone for that matter, everyone seemed to have been following the arrows. After probably a minute of riding, he stopped the ride, and just said "Ok, ride's over." We were all confused, and everyone stayed in their cars for a few seconds, until he said "Get up and exit!" Honestly, that really pissed me off. Pretty soon there will be a "no bumping" rule on the ride.

 

I just felt like ranting. Had a fun day nevertheless.

 

Saturday has also been quite busy for the parks, usually due to the schools that are there for band competitions. As for that car used out front of werewolf canyon, it was a pain at times, had to tell many guests last season to not play on it or in it, or in one case as a guest did climb on top of the underside of the car and start walking up it.

 

As for Rue Le Dodge, interesting, I'll only use the P.A. system (during the ride cycle anyways) when a guest is clearly doing something they should not be and need reminding of the rule they are not following. I'll give the guests several (at least two, three if I feel like it) warnings at the Swings, usually along the line of 'For your safety please do not twist in your seats while the ride is in motion' as most of the time it is the twisting in the seats or they hold hands constantly while the ride is going, and as much as I hate to do it, I have to stop the ride, remove the guest(s) not following the rules and then restart the ride for the guests who did not get a full ride cycle. It did happen once yesterday, but last week, it happened far too much.

 

As for 'no bumping' on bumper cars, I recall the Santa Cruz Beach Boradwalk having those signs 'no bumping' a few years ago when I went there, I never did quite get what is the point of a Bumper car if one can't bump other cars with it.

[Sunfire]

I too, can get pretty strict with rules, especially working at Whitewater Falls. A boat with no seatbelts, what could possibly go wrong?

 

Yeah, sometimes ride ops can be strict, but it's tough when you have half the GP COMPLETELY ignoring our safety spiels requiring us to put our "follow the rules" face on. That said, I don't think us ride ops should ever have to yell or sound mean on the PA. We're just following the policies Cedar Fair trained us and requires us to follow.