California Great America (CGA) Discussion Thread

[TheJewelOfJool]

But, the rest of the parks got a cloned slide complex, and used flat rides.

[coasterbill]

But, the rest of the parks got a cloned slide complex, and used flat rides.

 

Do you ever not bitch?

[PhantomPoster32]

WHAT? Cedar Fair came up with an unoriginal name?

 

Let me put on my sarcastic shocked face.

 

No. They are using the name of B&M inverted coaster at WOF. That's my beef.

[grsupercity]

But it is a very good name, and fits the area very well. Plus its only been used 1 other time on the other side of the country

[RollerManic]

Oh my god! Get used to it. Who cares if its a reusued name? Your whining will never be truely heard here so stop filling up this thread with it. It has already been decieded what the name will be. Its over.

 

The other ride is halfway across the US, in a regional park I'm certain even most enthusiasts in Cali would not give a crap about. I sure don't and I have family up there, and opportunities therefore to go.

 

I was very excited when they I read the name. Patriot is actually one name they've used lately that makes f**king sense. It's nice to see them think about the Americana charm the park is named for.

 

It's a shame they aren't painting it in WoF's scheme. Its a kick ass scheme I would love to see again.

Edited August 18, 2016 by RollerManic

[John Peck]

Well, Paramount did build 4 coasters named "Vortex" within 5 years... so we lost a Vortex and got a Patriot.

 

Also, I'm not sure if this was mentioned, but the press release said that this was the oldest operating stand up coaster in the US... are they forgetting Iron Wolf/Apocalypse?

 

Anyway, great change.

[singemfrc]

At least cedar fair isn't running around with a ton of coasters named Goliath and cloned b&m coasters called Batman the ride.

Thank you. I don't think naming a coaster Patriot in a park called Great America is a bad idea. Like djackson, I'm just glad it's not Superman, Batman, or any of the other overused comic book characters.

 

Well, Paramount did build 4 coasters named "Vortex" within 5 years... so we lost a Vortex and got a Patriot.

 

Also, I'm not sure if this was mentioned, but the press release said that this was the oldest operating stand up coaster in the US... are they forgetting Iron Wolf/Apocalypse?

 

Anyway, great change.

I think they consider that a 2012 coaster because that's when it was moved and reassembled.

[Josh Linn]

But, the rest of the parks got a cloned slide complex, and used flat rides.

 

I mean they're basically getting a new coaster and replacing a bad one with a decent to good one.

[VegasBaby]

This is a great move for CGA and if it turns out anything like the Mantis/Rougarou conversion, then it's going to be a huge hit for the park. I would typically skip Mantis on my trips to Cedar Point, but now I ride Rougarou several times each visit. It's bascially like getting a brand new coaster. I really like the 2017 additions for CGA and Knott's, Cedar Fair gave both of these parks exactly what they needed.

[PhantomPoster32]

Oh my god! Get used to it. Who cares if its a reusued name? Your whining will never be truely heard here so stop filling up this thread with it. It has already been decieded what the name will be. Its over.

 

The other ride is halfway across the US, in a regional park I'm certain even most enthusiasts in Cali would not give a crap about. I sure don't and I have family up there, and opportunities therefore to go.

 

I was very excited when they I read the name. Patriot is actually one name they've used lately that makes f**king sense. It's nice to see them think about the Americana charm the park is named for.

 

It's a shame they aren't painting it in WoF's scheme. Its a kick A$$ scheme I would love to see again.

 

Thank you for taking the time to provide a tutorial on posting habits and etiquette for us older posters. What would we do without you know-it-all millennials? I realize your generation is big on the whole overreacting and blowing things out perspective, but honestly I think I would hold off notifying Websters that "filling up this thread" in fact means "two posts on the subject" and one clarifying what the first post meant.

 

I do agree with you on one point, most of the country will not care that a well known B&M inverted coaster's name is being used by a converted coaster in a regional park in California. Most people are surprised to learn this park is open still let alone exists. However I think that being an older poster I might explain to you why naming this coaster Patriot was a lost opportunity. The amusement industry thrives on brand recognition. Unfortunately CGA suffers from this. They are quite literally the park in the chain that has the least unique names. You will find more reused names from the other parks in the chain at CGA than any other park owned by Cedar Fair. One would think they would want something to set them apart but they are quite literally going from one copied name to another (and this one isn't even the same type of coaster).

 

Naming aside, this is a great move for the park. If Invertigo had not been at the park the last time I visited, Vortex would have been by far the worst steel coaster there. I think the conversion will definitely help click count for the ride.

[Superbatboy]

Love the color scheme!

[southpuddle]

I hope they'll take this opportunity to add the station house that was never built when the ride was new!

[rolercstrluvr]

I hope they'll take this opportunity to add the station house that was never built when the ride was new!

 

And maybe now we'll get to see all that unused queue get filled up for once.

[I305forever]

Love it when they take a crappy coaster and make it into something actually good. I'm also a fan of the color scheme.

[knaiwear]

I'm curious how the park plans to market a floorless coaster effectively when one has already operated in the same region for 17 years. A much bigger, statistically impressive one at that.

 

I'm also concerned about the roughness. The second half of the ride has some of the worst tracking of any B&M out there, and I'm not sure I would attribute that to the standup trains. I hope they're going to address that because currently it won't be comfortable even in floorless trains.

 

Rougarou seemed only moderately well received by crowds, and that layout translates better to a marketable floorless concept than Vortex. Not to mention it's the only one in a 6 hour radius (ignoring the former BKF/Dominator) so it fills a gap that Patriot does not. I have to assume they've done their post-Rougarou research and think that this is worth it, but I am very interested to see how this plays out.

[coasterbill]

I'm curious how the park plans to market a floorless coaster effectively when one has already operated in the same region for 17 years

 

The same way they marketed a wood coaster effectively when one has already operated in the same damn park for almost 30 years. If you can't market a new or dramatically improved coaster then you suck at marketing.

 

I hope they're going to address that because currently it won't be comfortable even in floorless trains.

 

Don't forget the heartline. Why oh why is nobody talking about the heartline?

 

So funny story, remember when they announced Rougarou and all of the "experts" on this site kept saying the same thing ad nauseam, constantly and wouldn't shut up about it? They said it with tremendous authority as if they thought of something that the experts who actually design coasters for a living had never thought of. And then remember when Rougarou opened and it was great and they were all wrong minus a few delicate p*ssies who refused to admit they were wrong so they started talking about how they could "feel" the lack of a heartline or how it was still "rough" even though just about everyone else unanimously agreed that it was super-smooth and a great ride?

 

Good times... good times. Rougarou is a huge improvement, it's a ton of fun, it's amazingly smooth, they know what they're doing.

[tiagohummel]

I actually get an annoying headbang in the last turns on Rougarou, and I think that the new vest restraints could improve that. I'm a really fan of them, they can make almost everything smooth... so yes, I wish that Patriot had the vests.

 

(The only exception for this is the dive machines. The old restraints give you an insane airtime on the drops, and the rest of the rides are just 100% smooth so it's not a big deal.)

[coasterbill]

I actually get an annoying headbang in the last turns on Rougarou

 

 

Rougarou is perfectly smooth. Anyone who complains about roughness or headbanging on any B&M floorless coaster is not worth listening to. Maybe you should stay home and sit on the couch to avoid any potential headbanging.

[boldikus]

Not sure even the couch is safe for some.

[Invertalon]

I actually get an annoying headbang in the last turns on Rougarou

 

 

Rougarou is perfectly smooth. Anyone who complains about roughness or headbanging on any B&M floorless coaster is not worth listening to. Maybe you should stay home and sit on the couch to avoid any potential headbanging.

 

 

There is a nasty jolt coming out of the dive loop that has been there for many years... More of a track issue then train/maintenance... All else is good though for the most part.

[tiagohummel]

hahahaha no I don't really need to stay in the couch just because I have a different opinion from yours actually! I love riding the coasters without headbang, I even enjoy riding the ones I find uncomfortable, I just dislike the headbanging and gave my opinion. Its no big deal

[Manic Monte]

I just rode Vortex for the last time last week, and although the ride is absolutely ready for an upgrade, I had a fairly smooth ride on it. Once again, I feel like the whole "roughness" reputation is somewhat unearned on this ride.

 

Those trains however, are a claustrophobic nightmare. All stand up trains need to die. I can't believe I've spend so much time being contained by those stand up coffins.

[knaiwear]

I'm curious how the park plans to market a floorless coaster effectively when one has already operated in the same region for 17 years

 

The same way they marketed a wood coaster effectively when one has already operated in the same damn park for almost 30 years. If you can't market a new or dramatically improved coaster then you suck at marketing.

 

Sorry bill - I meant I was actually legitimately curious about HOW (specifically) they were going to market. I didn't accuse them of being unable to do it or anything like that. I just believe that it's going to take a different approach than a ride that's never been seen before in the area. It's quite common for parks to have multiple wood coasters, and certainly for parks in the same region to have similar wood coasters. Not nearly as common for a park to tackle the same "gimmick" as a competitor did a long time ago.

 

If I was in their shoes I'd look to Dorney as an example, since they put in Hydra after Medusa. And Dorney has a long history of installing the same type of ride that their nearby competitors do

[grsupercity]

I actually get an annoying headbang in the last turns on Rougarou, and I think that the new vest restraints could improve that. I'm a really fan of them, they can make almost everything smooth... so yes, I wish that Patriot had the vests.

 

(The only exception for this is the dive machines. The old restraints give you an insane airtime on the drops, and the rest of the rides are just 100% smooth so it's not a big deal.)

 

I would take a very slight headbang on rougarou over the pain the vest cause. They tighten and tighten and kill my groin and shoulders

[coasterbill]

I think you may be giving people too much credit. Six Flags Fiesta Texas built a clone of an invert that's literally down the street and nobody questioned it. I just don't think a lot of people will notice, and even if they do it'll deliver a good enough ride that they won't care. People really pay very little attention to this type of thing. Some people won't even realize that it's Vortex with new trains. Plenty of people think Rougarou is a brand new ride.