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California Great America (CGA) Discussion Thread


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^Sometimes, in one of the wheel seats toward the back of the train, you can get a microscopic pop of airtime on the last hill. That's it. That's the only difference. There is no airtime anywhere else. I get that they were trying to make this Grizzly more family friendly, so it couldn't do EVERYTHING the KD version does. However that doesn't mean that it should do NOTHING the other Grizzly does.

 

Most Summers/Dinn woodies woodies started out great and got worse later on. Not this one. It was dissapointing from day 1. This Grizzly resembles the original in the way a road-killed cow resembles prime rib.

 

Although, I do have to give GCA gredit for maintaining it well. The real Grizzly is very rough, possibly worse than Hurler. This one, though, is really one of the smoothest wood coasters I have ever been on.

 

Cedar Fair has a huge collection of wood coasters that need massive repairs, but the only one that actually gets them is the most boring one. Funny the way the world works. (Yes, Mean Streak did get retracked. But, that should have happened a long time ago)

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My trick with Grizzly (which is perfectly safe by the way): riding in the back seat and relax your legs rather than brace them. As much as you shouldn't have to do that to feel airtime, with Grizzly's track shaping, you have to in order to feel really gentile floater air. I've done it a few times with the first drop, coming off the first turnaround, and coming over that last hill.

 

It would be cool to see a reprofile/reshaping of some of the sections happen (like a reverse of SFMM's Colossus coaster) but I'm sure with the costs of doing that, you may as well just purchase a new (or used) ride to add to your arsenal.

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^I'd like to experiment more with staying relaxed on coasters. It also seems to help on more intense rides, or at least it shows what the forces do to you. I noticed El Toro makes your arms fly up on the first few drops.

 

^^Yes, I've found Grizzly gives one or two minimal, basically inconsequential pops of "airtime" in the back of the train.

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^I'd like to experiment more with staying relaxed on coasters. It also seems to help on more intense rides, or at least it shows what the forces do to you. I noticed El Toro makes your arms fly up on the first few drops.

 

^^Yes, I've found Grizzly gives one or two minimal, basically inconsequential pops of "airtime" in the back of the train.

 

On the front of the Grizzly, I feel 0 gs, not negative Gs. It's like the Gs experienced going on the back spike of the Intamin Twisted Impulse coasters.

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What exactly is the difference between this and KD's Grizzly. The only thing I can possibly see is that this one looks like it is more "stretched" making the hills more drawn out. I think KD's is a fantastic ride that carries it's speed well and some great toss you around forces.

 

Couldn't agree more,CGA's version is mirrored as well.

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What exactly is the difference between this and KD's Grizzly. The only thing I can possibly see is that this one looks like it is more "stretched" making the hills more drawn out. I think KD's is a fantastic ride that carries it's speed well and some great toss you around forces.

 

Couldn't agree more,CGA's version is mirrored as well.

 

When Grizzly was built, the original Wildcat profile from Coney Island, (Cincinatti, OH) was 'tamed down' quite a bit off of the two that were nearly identical (Wilde Beast/Grizzly KD) as it had fewer hills, as well as a more drawn-out course. Length wise, the rides are nearly identical- but with some minor 'tweaking' of the profile of the ride itself.

 

The Bush Beast at Austrailia's Wonderland was a clone of the Grizzly at Great America- and featured a nearly identical layout- but with PTC trains similar to the Wilde Beast/ Grizzly.

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What exactly is the difference between this and KD's Grizzly. The only thing I can possibly see is that this one looks like it is more "stretched" making the hills more drawn out. I think KD's is a fantastic ride that carries it's speed well and some great toss you around forces.

 

Couldn't agree more,CGA's version is mirrored as well.

 

When Grizzly was built, the original Wildcat profile from Coney Island, (Cincinatti, OH) was 'tamed down' quite a bit off of the two that were nearly identical (Wilde Beast/Grizzly KD) as it had fewer hills, as well as a more drawn-out course. Length wise, the rides are nearly identical- but with some minor 'tweaking' of the profile of the ride itself.

 

The Bush Beast at Austrailia's Wonderland was a clone of the Grizzly at Great America- and featured a nearly identical layout- but with PTC trains similar to the Wilde Beast/ Grizzly.

 

OMG, there's a clone of this one?

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^Now I know why I've never regretted not being able to ride it (as I often do with defunct wooden coasters).

 

 

OMG, there's a clone of this one?

 

OMG. I appologize for quoting just this, but for some reason I damn near fell out of my chair laughing when I read it.

 

I visualized a scene from "Futurama" when I read these...

 

(The 'Sardine episode:)

MOM: "Well what DO you plan on doing with them?"

Fry: "I'm going to share them with my friends on the only way a Sardine should be enjoyed: On a Pizza."

MOM: "HOLY HELL! YOU'RE GOING TO EAT THEM?"

 

At least the clone had PTC trains... as those Morgan pieces of crap need to go... sooner rather than later.

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OMG, there's a clone of this one?

 

YUUUP:

 

Bush Beast from RCDB.com

 

Australia's Wonderland was a co-op between KECO and local developers- which explains the lineage of Bush Beast to Grizzly (GA).

 

I wonder if those trains were the orignals from KD? KD got the newer ones with the ratcheting bars to replace the ones that the ride first opened with in 82.

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I wonder if those trains were the orignals from KD? KD got the newer ones with the ratcheting bars to replace the ones that the ride first opened with in 82.

 

Actually: The trains on Grizzly (KD) were the same ones as delivered in 1982- the modifications to those trains, plus Rebel Yell's overhaul- ran concurrant with the PTC trains delivered to Hurler in the same year (1994).

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^What!? They actually cloned Grizzly has a clone!? The conversation with Summers probably went like this:

 

KECO: We want a new wood coaster. I want it to be as disappointing as possible. Make it good looking, and build hills that look like they were meant for airtime, but aren't.

Summers: Awesome! I am pretty good at that, once you start adding trims to the drops of all my rides.

KECO: No, you don't understand. We want BORING. No fun at all. We want the ride to be completely free of forces. Do not design it to be exciting. Make it so boring, it doesn't need any trims to rank as one of the worst coasters in the world.

(Bush Beast opens)

KECO: Success! We built the crappiest coaster possible, and made money off it! I knew investing in boring parks was a good idea! Summers, can you build another one for another one of our boring parks.

Summers: what park?

KECO: CGA

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What stuns me most of all is this: KECO had those fantastic 'original' plans used on Grizzly (KD) and Wilde Beast- both decent rides in most respects... and then the 'wussed' them up the wazoo for GA and for AW. Those original designs (Which, for the record, were almost identical to the originals, save for five extra feet in height, and the 'flush loading' platforms) were gems- and KD's Grizzly to me still is one of the better 'semi twisters' out there- and on a good day can really pack a whollop all around.

 

It shows that there will always be an element of true stupidity in the theme park world.

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Fora new coaster, why not Eurostar from Gorky? That might fit in the Invertigarden. If the ride was closed do to unreliablity, B&M's could replace some of the equipment, considering it uses Giovanola track, like early B&M's. It could be branded as Invertigo II.

 

Although, that is assuming the park wants another 4-across invert, and the ride wasn't sold to the Russian mines for equipment, or a fair. (it is listed as defunct on RCDB.)

 

CGA is so coaster starved, even another B&M-looking invert (even though it is an Intamin) would be a welcome addition.

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The park is also replacing the wood "deck" near Loggers Run. I am glad that the park is finally doing some of these smaller improvements that also go a long way!

 

Finally they replaced that wood, it was aging and was very rough.

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Yes, I'm glad they're fixing it. The uneven-ness has almost had me trip over, or I've had my pant leg snag on what I think may have been a nail or just a rough spot.

 

It's funny how people on Facebook are complaining, saying it's still going to look old, and things like 'they need to build a coaster not all of this other stuff.' The reality is that a park isn't just about the coasters. Atmosphere is another major part. If the park looks run down then the experience will not be as good.

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Not even that, although I do agree. The GP does not understand that the park also has to be safe, whether on rides or people just walking around and this deck could have been to the point that it had to be replaced because it simply was not safe anymore and presented a trip hazard. As you said your pants got caught on it and it was uneven, im sure those were not the only things wrong with it.

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Well when you aren't selling the place, you might as well keep it up a bit. I really hope CF's new management puts some focus into this park. It's location is in the 11th most populated metro area in the US and has some of the most consistent and favorable weather for a theme park outside of Southern California. It has the potential to really make a lot of money for CF if they put some effort into keeping people interested.

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If they put in that GCI coaster, I can guarantee a huge jump in attendance with the proper marketing & advertising. CGA's marketers who do the TV ads say they have a tough time doing it because there is no new product to talk about.

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