Lenaapple1974 Posted January 22, 2009 Posted January 22, 2009 Woah. I really wanted to go to SFA based on the coasters there. I actually was supposed to last year, but things didn't work out. I guess that was for the best! I will definitely try to replace that trip with another park now. Based on all the reviews from the East Coast Trip... What a waste of time! Any suggestions? I live in NY. I've been to SFGA of course, Dorney and Hershey. Looking to broaden my roller coaster horizons in a day trip! Great PTR, even if the park sucked!
Goliath513 Posted January 22, 2009 Posted January 22, 2009 Another awesome trip report Brent. This park truly had more wasted potential than any other park I had been to (although Kings Dominion would prove to be even more of a waste). Superman was the most boring hyper I had experienced. Even more than Steel Forceless. Mind Eraser was hands down the worst SLC I have ever ridden. I never thought any SLC could be worse than SFDK's Kong. Roar was absolutely terrible and ranks in the bottom 5 on my woodies list. Those PTCs wrecked the track more than the fire that destroyed the haunted house next door. Too bad that fire couldn't have spread to put the crappy coaster out of its misery. Everything else was just far below my expectations. Yosemite Sam was offering HJ's for money just to afford the Greyhound to escape. He made $4.99 from the Thunder bus. OMG Woah. I really wanted to go to SFA based on the coasters there. I actually was supposed to last year, but things didn't work out. I guess that was for the best! I will definitely try to replace that trip with another park now. Based on all the reviews from the East Coast Trip... What a waste of time! Any suggestions? I live in NY. I've been to SFGA of course, Dorney and Hershey. Looking to broaden my roller coaster horizons in a day trip! It really depends on what coasters you are looking to ride. Hershey has Stormrunner, Fahrenheit, and the GCI woodies, but Dorney has Talon and the awesome water park. Both were run greatly for us! - Sam "that murky water in the closed down rotting waterslides would make a good place to hide the bodies of shooting victims" J
SFAfan#1 Posted January 22, 2009 Posted January 22, 2009 Wow this has to have been the most racist SFA report I have ever read. You should re-read what you have written because I did not think any of your jokes about getting shot, cut, or that crack addicts joke was funny. I now work at SFA, but when TPR visited the park, I was one of those "ghetto" kids that visited the park, in fact I was at the park that day. (you might not have said ghetto, but you obviously hinted towards it) Lastly, I would like to say that I am very hurt that someone would say such things about the people visiting the park. If you hate the park, its not because of the guests/part-time employees, its about how the park is ran. I hope you realize that if you put yourself in my shoes, you'd understand how I feel.
Speeddeamon128 Posted January 22, 2009 Posted January 22, 2009 Nice pics Brent & I laughed at the comments. So true
downunder Posted January 22, 2009 Author Posted January 22, 2009 Wow this has to have been the most racist SFA report I have ever read. I hope you realize that if you put yourself in my shoes, you'd understand how I feel. Excuse me, but where was any reference to race made in my trip report? Because I mentioned crack etc, am I implicitly singling out any particular race? In your mind - yes, but not in my mind. I didn't notice what races people were at SFA because I don't notice what race people are, but what I do notice is attitude and service, which was poor that day. I am a foreigner and we think everyone in America is a gun toting crack addict no matter what their race is - sorry, just stirring you all. I'm sorry if I offended you but I think you are reading too much into this. My comments are caustic but very much tongue in cheek, and I sincerely hope that SFA improves because it could be a fantastic park with a little love. Maybe we are just a little less PC downunder and for that I am thankful. I'm also acutely aware of the struggles people have because of racial discrimination in my own country and yours and I'm very much against this. I'm also very glad that race couldn't stop the best man for the job becoming President in your country.
Wood Dragon 1988 Posted January 22, 2009 Posted January 22, 2009 SFAFan#1: I am with Brent that he did not mention race once. I also think it is perfectly fine to dislike a park based on clientele. I hate SFA and Cedar Point, and the visitors are certainly one of the problems. If you don't like the "regular crowd" at a bar, that's a perfectly good reason not to go, same thing with amusement parks. Honestly, you have to also take everything in this TR (and on this entire site) with a grain of salt. Satire is found in basically every update. All parks have been made fun of a bit, at least the way I am reading it. Other comments about the TR it self: I've been to the park 5 times and had half of a good day there. The coaster collection used to be REALLY good IMO. As long as you didn't expect perfection, SROS was awesome, Wild One was wild (that ride got me started liking wooden coasters), and JJ, TF, and BW were all good filler rides. I think SROS aged a whole lot last season, and Wild One hasn't been the same for a couple of years. I've ridden Joker's Jinx about 20 times, and have never had a bad ride. The part in the middle is slow, but it has ALWAYS started and ended very good. I have grown to not like SFA too. Perhaps since I live in the area I gave it more of a chance than I should have, visiting it each of the past three years. The $50 season pass, and two formerly great coasters a few miles up the road was good enough for me. I think SFA has dug themselves in a hole that will be very hard to get out of at this point. Who knows, maybe this "big announcement" will save the park? If a park the size of SFMM can turn it around, anyone can.
astroworldfan1 Posted January 23, 2009 Posted January 23, 2009 I'm happy to finally see a "recent" P:TR of SFA. I'm loving your TR's! They're funny! -Tatum "I love TR's of 'ghetto' parks!"
jedimaster1227 Posted January 23, 2009 Posted January 23, 2009 Wow this has to have been the most racist SFA report I have ever read. You should re-read what you have written because I did not think any of your jokes about getting shot, cut, or that crack addicts joke was funny. I now work at SFA, but when TPR visited the park, I was one of those "ghetto" kids that visited the park, in fact I was at the park that day. (you might not have said ghetto, but you obviously hinted towards it) Lastly, I would like to say that I am very hurt that someone would say such things about the people visiting the park. If you hate the park, its not because of the guests/part-time employees, its about how the park is ran. I hope you realize that if you put yourself in my shoes, you'd understand how I feel. SFAfan, I have to say that you seem to be taking this the wrong way. Knowing Brent personally, I know without a doubt that he meant no offense in his words (and from the looks of it, no one else found any harm in them). If anything, I think the fact that his thread, which has been continually updated for quite some time is filled with similar[ly funny] comments, jokes and statements all made with the best intentions--to entertain and deliver his report on the trip that many of us shared this past Summer. In regards to Six Flags America, I can tell you that the park definintely earned its status during our visit--but that isn't to say that anyone specifically was to blame. In fact, I found management at the park to be some of the most personable and dedicated we saw from the Six Flags parks we visited on the trip. Our ERT was plagued with multiple break downs, and each time a problem came up, management gave us an alternative to appease--and in the end, we still ended up getting to ride the coasters we wanted to (including Superman) multiple times thanks to their continued hospitality during our visit. While its not to say that the management doesn't try hard enough (because they were one of my favorite teams that we met during the trip), their A+ work ethic (at least that I saw) wasn't enough to reflect positively on the other aspects of the park. Dead atmospheres, disinterested (if not unconcerned) staff and an overall unwelcoming air of the park (and I don't mean the kind that you breath) overpowered the positives without a doubt. To me there were very few attractions in the park of value, with Batwing, Joker's Revenge and Penguin's Blizzard Run leading the pack. Of the many parks we visited on the trip, there were a few that seemed to be a little less safe, friendly or welcoming (at least in appearance) and this happened to be one of them--again, not a reflection of the superb management team. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the park just didn't deliver the experience that almost all of the other Six Flags (and most of the Cedar Fair) parks gave throughout our three week journey. Back to the point of Brent's comments, I can assure you that there are no racial remarks or slams intended. Maybe you are looking into this a little more than you need to--people see things the way they want to see them... All in all, I find that most of us here could distinguish joke from prejudice, and seeing as that is the case, I will refer you back to what I believe is one of the greatest rules/disclaimers/terms of use on this site: 16. You need a sense of humor to view the forums. If you don't have a sense of humor, or are easily offended, please turn back now! Oh, and back on topic: I've loved all of the latest updates Brent! Let me just say how glad I am that you haven't posted that picture of me with Yosemite Sam near Mind Eraser... I'm not sure I could handle that!
downunder Posted January 23, 2009 Author Posted January 23, 2009 ^Ditto on the management, I was talking to the PR on the way to Wild One and she was really switched on and cool, I really felt awful for her that the park wasn't working quite that well on the day. I'm looking forward to knowing what the big announcement will be and what it will mean to the park.
packfanlv Posted January 23, 2009 Posted January 23, 2009 Thanks for all of the great pictures Brent. Your humor is appreciated and I agree that it didn't cross the line in my mind. I am really sad to know that S:ROS is running so poorly there. When we visited in May of 2007 it was running really good and was a ton of fun. I agree with just about everything you said about this park otherwise. I think it has a great deal of potential, but falls short in so many ways. Thanks again.
downunder Posted January 23, 2009 Author Posted January 23, 2009 ^Thanks, and I have certainly enjoyed your world tour reports as well. I guess what made it so frustrating with Superman is that many of us had been on the Darien Lake one a week earlier and that was identical layout but ran so much better.
PKI Jizzman Posted January 23, 2009 Posted January 23, 2009 Thanks for the trip reports, dude! I'm loving the comments and the pics! -JZ
BeemerBoy Posted January 23, 2009 Posted January 23, 2009 If you hate the park, its not because of the guests/part-time employees, its about how the park is ran. The park doesn't operate on auto pilot. Someone has to be responsible for making the experience suck. I hope you realize that if you put yourself in my shoes, you'd understand how I feel. Are you a gun toting crack addict? If not, then why worry about it? Oh, and I enjoyed the humorous report.
Fry Posted January 23, 2009 Posted January 23, 2009 I agree with what has been said, that was freakin' HILARIOUS! SFA almost redeemed itself by having a Dippin' Dots freezer at lunch, until I realized it was empty Hopefully they can turn the place around, cause I agree, the management at ERT did at least seem genuinely concerned. WalMart and Hooters were MILES better though!
SFAfan#1 Posted January 23, 2009 Posted January 23, 2009 Beemerboy, robb already cleared things up, your input is not needed, thank you. Robb, I understand I took it way too personal, I'll try not to next time
downunder Posted January 23, 2009 Author Posted January 23, 2009 Woah. I really wanted to go to SFA based on the coasters there. I actually was supposed to last year, but things didn't work out. I guess that was for the best! I will definitely try to replace that trip with another park now. Based on all the reviews from the East Coast Trip... What a waste of time! Any suggestions? I live in NY. I've been to SFGA of course, Dorney and Hershey. Looking to broaden my roller coaster horizons in a day trip! Great Photo TR, even if the park sucked! Thanks for the comment, I'm the same, I really wanted to go there based on the line up. If you are in New York. I would definitely recommend visiting Six Flags New England and Lake Compounce. I'm not sure how far away it is but Knoebels is fun though it's a bit more down to earth rather than the giant, sanitised big park experience. Kennywood is also fun, a bit more of a traditional park as well.
Mike Austin Posted January 24, 2009 Posted January 24, 2009 I actually liked SFA's Superman, and I rated Batwing as A LOT better than Air, but the park was still DIRE. The park also had the 2 most painful coaster on the trip- Roar and Great Chase. WHY do parks build them god-awful Vekoma Family Gravity Coasters??? Do they not realise that everybody who comes off them needs a new spine afterwards???
stingrock23 Posted January 24, 2009 Posted January 24, 2009 I definitely agree with the sentiments of this park. It was such a difference from my visit a few years ago. Superman was such a different experience back then, although it didn't help that we had just ridden ride of steel at SFNE a few days before.
downunder Posted January 28, 2009 Author Posted January 28, 2009 ^I just compared SFA's Superman to the mirror at Darien Lake which we had ridden a week earlier, there was such a difference in the ride experience. Also from what I have seen in polls in the past the SFA SROS has been highly rated. I'm dying to know what the big announcement will be, hopefully it will be something really positive.
downunder Posted January 31, 2009 Author Posted January 31, 2009 Busch Gardens Eurobeer Part 1 of 4 We pulled into the Hilton Garden Inn in Williamsburg which was by far the best hotel of the trip, bravo. It was nice to be in a Hilton that doesn't leave you itching downstairs. Williamsburg looks like a cool place I'd like to visit in the future, especially the historical stuff. But TPR ain't no culture club (well the thunder bus on the other hand) we were there for the Busch. We arrived early and took about most of the night deciding where to go eat, we went to Chilli's and the guys from the Thunder Bus, the one's who don't even like girls, went to Hooters, epic fail from team hetero. We headed off to the park the next morning, which was close, for some positively righteous ERT - Griffon, then Aplengeist, and then a walkthrough of Curse of the Dark Kastle. It was looking good. Next up: Busch II - The Taming of The Delinquent There were plenty of suicidal faces at the end of the tour. Hanno (in the background) believes that if you photograph him you steal his soul, i've got it up on eBay if you want it. But seriously, a BIG THANKYOU, to Busch for a great tour. Bext Instalment - Busch II: The Taming of the Delinquent. This is what the faces of the people in the line looked like when we walked past them with our fast passes. They just didn't understand. More magic, TPR tourists threw themselves in front of the train not wanting to leave. After fifty beers even this looks good, it's a good thing Australian cricketers don't come here. True story, I know a guy who got so drunk he tried chatting up a Christmas Tree. There was a ton of books in the library that were popular with the TPR tourists like "How To Deal With Hairy Palms and Blindness", "Basement Decoration", and "Linux for Lovers". Overdue notices have been sent. The human steadicam works his magic, Axel and Max cower in awe. Have a look down the lens of the master coaster pornographer, someone out there might actually be horny. Busch dude applied a wonderful chop to one insistent videograher's throat for repeatedly filming him like he was trying to do a colonoscopy (who could that be)? Times had been tough for the big trees since their Lord Of The Rings heyday, the wonderful people at Busch saved them from a long walk to the social security office. The TPR tour fawned over the Busch dude's every word like he was a lost and drunken cheerleader. Spiderman was disappointed that he didn't get to kick some butt in the darKastle, he left that for the ride geek polls. I like it with the lights on, the magical busch tour was about to begin. Next it was the Curse of DarKastle backstage tour, we slipped in the backdoor for some ride geek paradise. Those bushes look like they need a trim but it's too late for this train. We call it bush bashing down under and not the type that has been in fashion recently. The location may change but the B & M loop stays the same, it's like Vekoma without pain. Down she goes, I just love how every ride is shrouded in bush at Busch. Aplengeist was big and beautiful though a little cranky in the morning. Not tight but a lot of fun anyway. Next up it was Alpengeist, Busch had great theming especially the theming provided by mother nature. The skier is a life size replica of Hanno in the off season trying to ski and take photos at the same time. Mike "the six million complaint man" Austin found a friend, although the weight on his shoulder nearly crushed him. After complaining "you are a RUBBISH friend!", new friend crapped on his shoulder and flew away. The Jolly looking Busch official in the light blue shirt in front of Elissa looks disappointed that he had found a relative. Who could that be? The first train for ERT on Griffon had been hand picked to reflect different demographics so they could shoot a promo. I didn't make the cut, come on, ugly people want to go to Busch Eurobeer as well. German Axl Rose didn't make the cut either, it was a sad place to be. But little did he know, Sylvester had successfully auditioned for "Bear and Sylvester Make A Gay Porno". The bear was smiling but Sylvester seemed surprised, and Kevin Smith is suing. After all this time I had finally noticed that young Bethany had three arms. Sylvester the cat appears to be auditioning for a remake of that other Sylvester's (Stallone) film, the Italian Stallion.
Speeddeamon128 Posted February 1, 2009 Posted February 1, 2009 Another great update Brent! Your comments keep getting funnier & more entertaining.
Fry Posted February 1, 2009 Posted February 1, 2009 the guys from the Thunder Bus, the one's who don't even like girls, went to Hooters, epic fail from team hetero. And we had an epic time That was another awesomely funny trip report! I can't believe it has nearly been six months already!
Speeddeamon128 Posted February 1, 2009 Posted February 1, 2009 ^We are already 6 months away from West Coast
downunder Posted February 1, 2009 Author Posted February 1, 2009 the guys from the Thunder Bus, the one's who don't even like girls, went to Hooters, epic fail from team hetero. And we had an epic time That was another awesomely funny trip report! I can't believe it has nearly been six months already! Thanks Ben. Rub it in on Hooters why don't ya. Though we had $2 Margaritas at Chilli's so any girls there started look like Hooters girls after a while.
Goliath513 Posted February 1, 2009 Posted February 1, 2009 Those two hours at Chili's were better than the entire time we spent at SFA earlier that day. $7 for a meal at Chili's was far cheaper, better, and more filling than any meals that were not included in the trip cost at the parks. BGE was certainly a great day. It was one of the few parks where I feel like I got the full experience - meaning, I got to ride everything (including all the non-coasters, especially water rides) that I wanted to ride, as well as have a relaxing day. Looking forward to seeing the next part of the BGE trip report as well as what you come up with to say about the park that thinks they're better than Busch.
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