What park should have an Intamin Mega-Lite?

[PeggedSole]

How about a Mega-Lite on that additional 10 acres of land that was recently purchased by Fun Spot America in Orlando? Obviously, that is dreaming really, REALLY BIG for this small park, but who knows what the future holds for FSA. If their current ride expansion turns out to be hugely successful, just imagine if FSA somehow pulled off a Mega-Lite further down the road! If nothing else, it's just something fun to think about.

 

I doubt that. White Lightning is basically the same concept, just wooden.

 

We'll have to wait and see how White Lightning actually rides, but I understand what you're saying. Then again everyone seems to think Holiday World would be a good location for a Mega-Lite, and it's sort of a similar situation. It's not like I really see a Mega-Lite coming to FSA anyway, even though I would love to see it happen. If (and that's a big "if") they were to add another coaster in the future, I would guess FSA might go with a compact steel coaster with inversions...perhaps an El Loco, a Eurofighter, or maybe a launched Maurer Söhne like Freischütz or even a Skyloop.

 

I think someone might have already mentioned it, but Silverwood would be a good location for a Mega-Lite. That park is about the right size for a Mega-Lite, and it could be a nice complement to the other coasters there. Then again, isn't it rumored that Silverwood is getting an RMC?

[Nrthwnd]

Playland In Vancouver Canada would be a great park,

to wrap one of these around and back.

 

 

Definitely a somewhat different layout, with the way the

park's laid out and all. Think rec - tan - gle.

[adavis]

Over the pond at Michigan's Adventure.

 

[Lareson]

Which one?

 

Adventure Lake, the one around the train station, the one behind Grand Rapids, or the two in the back?

 

Unfortunately, if something is to be built into the lake, it'll also have to have a spot for the water to take its place. That pond with the island in it is actually the spot where they had to get the fill for Thunderhawk. All the lake there is mainly for drainage and from keeping the place from flooding.

 

Where I think a Mega-Lite would go is either behind Wolverine Wildcat or east of Grand Rapids (the Intamin rapids ride, not the city.) The park needs to move east as that's where the property is. Pretty much this whole shot here is what Cedar Fair owns, also own the lot across the street, not pictured.

[OldJJman]

I still don't see one of these getting built in the US unless it's trimmed/braked to death and has OTSRs. Too many forces for the US audience that is just not used to them.

 

dt

 

This.

 

End of story.

[Midgetman82]

^Throw in those sidings like what was later installed on Xcelerator as well, and a park would probably consider.

 

I'd love, as much as anybody else (within a certain vicinity of the park), for one to be built at Holiday World. But, like what was written above, the coaster seems pretty intense for a family park. Sure Voyage is a beast of a coaster and a lot of their coasters can have some pretty strong laterals, but I'd expect HW to invest in a less intense steel coaster so that more of their target audience would want to ride it, be able to ride it, and be comfortable riding it.

[RCF]

However, when looking at rides that have similar price tags (Outlaw Run, NTAG), you can tell why these will probably never become popular: they don't have enough marketability.

Because a wooden coaster with inversions is nothing new, apparently. As stated before, you can market anything in the amusement industry just by saying one word. I mean, Full Throttle got its name from putting YOLO into the promotional ad before you even knew what the ride was, and that is an acronym.

[simon8899]

After visiting last week I think a Mega-Lite would fit nicely with the Hansa-Park coaster selection.

 

So far they've two looping coasters (Schwarzkopf Loopingracer, Gerstlauer Launched Eurofighter) and 3 family coasters (Vekoma MK-750, Gerstlauer Family, Maurer Wild Mouse). They would profit from a fast non-inverting coaster with lots of airtime.

[AusCoasterFan]

Please somewhere in Australia! Dreamworld has the room for it, not to mention the desperate need for a decent complete circuit coaster!

[_koppen]

I'd love, as much as anybody else (within a certain vicinity of the park), for one to be built at Holiday World. But, like what was written above, the coaster seems pretty intense for a family park. Sure Voyage is a beast of a coaster and a lot of their coasters can have some pretty strong laterals, but I'd expect HW to invest in a less intense steel coaster so that more of their target audience would want to ride it, be able to ride it, and be comfortable riding it.

 

I would classify a Megalite as a family-thrill coaster.

 

They are certanly not to intense for kids 8 years and up, assuming they have the length.

It's a very popular ride at Djurs Sommerland, and most people who rides it are family's with kids that are not to old, and I have never seen anyone coming back crying or something like that, which you can sometimes see on bigger rides.

 

Most people are laughing there asses of.

 

You need to remember though, that they only have a theoretical capacity of 800/h, and that's why you will probably not see one at any of the bigger parks (I have no idea about what capacity Holiday World are looking for in their coasters).

 

I still don't see one of these getting built in the US unless it's trimmed/braked to death and has OTSRs. Too many forces for the US audience that is just not used to them.

 

dt

 

This.

 

End of story.

 

So rides like Skyrush and I305 is okay, but not a Megalite??

[Midgetman82]

^i305 went through three phases after it opened: 1) Trims on the first drop. 2) Change in restraints. 3) Shortening the length of the huge turnaround and removing the first-drop trims.

 

As far as what you said about the megalite, you're probably right. Capacity-wise, Holiday World would be more than perfect for it (in my opinion, of course). HW's water park usually have the longest lines due to the summer heat, and some because they can't handle the wooden coasters, but I'm very certain it would be a huge hit at the park if it were implemented there.

 

I guess I've only seen grown-folks enjoying their spins on the megalites rather than kids. *cough partly thanks to TPR POV's cough*

Edited April 29, 2013 by Midgetman82

[A.J.]

I think that the issue with Mega Lites in US parks is the marketing.

 

Skyrush had the enthusiast crowd going gaga over its layout and winged trains. It had the casual crowd going thanks to it being Hersheypark's tallest and fastest roller coaster. Intimidator 305 did the same thing for Kings Dominion.

[netdvn]

If SF Mid-America can advertise Boomerang like it's the best ride in the world since sliced bread and bacon breakfast, you can advertise a mega-lite all you want.

 

^i305 went through three phases after it opened: 1) Trims on the first drop. 2) Change in restraints. 3) Shortening the length of the huge turnaround and removing the first-drop trims.

 

The trims and turn were there because the ride was starting to tear itself apart (eating wheels and wearing down track). As for changing out the OTSRs, I figured they originally planned to have the seatbelts when the ride first opened, but weren't able to get them on time. I hear the ride's still pretty forceful regardless.

[cfc]

As for changing out the OTSRs, I figured they originally planned to have the seatbelts when the ride first opened, but weren't able to get them on time.

 

I think this is correct. I remember the park saying as much when they switched the restraints.

[Koasterking48]

If Holiday World were to go with a Mega-Lite, what's wrong with the restraints on Pilgrim's Girraffica and STR at CP? Are the restraints not outfitted for the forces of a roller coaster, let alone a Mega-Lite? I understand people in America have trouble fitting into Millennium Force and TTD so I doubt they will use those types of restraints.

[TheAmazingCP]

Really, one of the only places I could see a Mega-Lite in the US would be at Knoebel's. They're lacking a major steel rollercoaster, so a Mega-Lite could easily be advertised there as opposed to a Six Flags park. The park's size also helps, since they don't need a B&M people eater, but they're still big enough to afford a Mega-Lite (I think, correct me if I'm wrong on this). The only problem would be where to put it. Knoebel's is pretty much surrounded by woods, and though a Mega-Lite through the trees could possibly be the world's best coaster, all of the tree removal costs would drive up the price tag even more.

[MrSum1_55]

I think the major problem with a Mega-Lite is as follows:

 

The design does not have any gimmicks to it.

 

In the advertising world, we need gimmicks. Sure, you could argue that the capacity is a little low, but it is certainly better than a wild mouse or SFDK's S:UF. Heck, most of the coasters in California probably do not even reach 800 pph on a regular basis. So, that may not be too big of an issue.

 

What is an issue, however, is the lack of gimmicks. In the advertising world, gimmicks are needed. I305 and Skyrush both have the gimmicks of being very tall, and one has a unique train design. It does not matter whether the unique train design actually enhances the experience or not, but in general, the GP are more easily swayed by gimmicks that award-winning designs. A Mega-Lite would cost about the same as a GCI of similar size, but the GCI would have the gimmick of being a wood coaster, so it could be marketed as such.

 

On a related problem, I could see a 108 foot coaster with no inversions at a large park being falsely labeled as a family ride to the average park-goer on first examination. Therefore, it would lead to these cases:

 

-A thrill seeking individual would skip over it, thinking it to be more of a family ride

-A person that does not have the desire for intense coasters would ride it, thinking it to be not very intense, then complaining that it is too intense

 

I do have another possible reason why one has never been built in the US. Maybe most American park managers have simply never heard of the design. I have heard the concept of building a Mega-Lite be brought up at many TPR events, and it seems that the vast majority of American park managers have never heard of the design. Can anyone name a park manager who, at a TPR event, had heard of this design outside of a question from a TPR member? (This also seems to be the case with an Aquatrax, as well, but that seems like a design less likely to be built by most parks)

[Fooz]

Put it indoors?

[DougMJr]

I agree with MrSum for the most part, but I will argue that for some parks it might be a wise investment. Perhaps in a family-oriented park that wants to put something for the thrill seeker but will not scare the kiddos out of the area.

 

Another possibility is a park like Fun-Spot. Their current expansion is phenomenal, and I think that a Mega-Lite would be an awesome investment in the future. And while the other coasters in that park are impressive, a mega-lite would steal the show.

 

So, yeah you can't put it in a park that already has a good selection of coasters. But in a smaller park, I think it could work.

[Koasterking48]

^^^ the thing about having a GCI at a park with 3 wood coasters (Knoebels, Holiday World) is that it really isn't necessary for the ride to be wood. These smaller family-oriented parks probably wouldn't really have too much trouble with accepting a steel coaster into their line ups.

[cfc]

I do have another possible reason why one has never been built in the US. Maybe most American park managers have simply never heard of the design. I have heard the concept of building a Mega-Lite be brought up at many TPR events, and it seems that the vast majority of American park managers have never heard of the design. Can anyone name a park manager who, at a TPR event, had heard of this design outside of a question from a TPR member? (This also seems to be the case with an Aquatrax, as well, but that seems like a design less likely to be built by most parks)

 

Not sure I go along with this, being as the Mega Lite is one of the designs touted on Intamin's Web site. I do think that a smaller, independent park U.S. park might benefit from a Mega Lite more than one of the big chains would (a way to get "Gigacoaster thrills" on a lower budget).

[rcdude]

I think the only place in the U.S. a Mega-Lite is ever likely to appear would be a park that is small enough that capacity won't be an issue but large enough to afford the investment, and that doesn't already have a large non-looping steel coaster. Off the top of my head, these are the parks that would fit the above criteria:

 

California's Great America

Great Escape

Knoebel's

Lake Compounce

Michigan's Adventure

Morey's Piers

Mt. Olympus

Wild Adventures

 

I'm sure there are a few I missed, but there's really only about 10 parks in the U.S. that I'd even consider good candidates, and some in the above list may not even be a good candidate due to reasons I'm not aware of. As others have said, it mostly comes down to the mentality of thrill seekers in the U.S., where the bigger a coaster is the better and if it doesn't go upside down or have a 200 ft drop it's a family ride, along with the perception that airtime is caused by a design flaw and makes the ride unsafe. That being said, any park that installed one of these would immediately become a must visit destination for enthusiasts.

[Gnome]

I think the major problem with a Mega-Lite is as follows:

 

The design does not have any gimmicks to it.

 

In the advertising world, we need gimmicks. Sure, you could argue that the capacity is a little low, but it is certainly better than a wild mouse or SFDK's S:UF. Heck, most of the coasters in California probably do not even reach 800 pph on a regular basis. So, that may not be too big of an issue.

 

What is an issue, however, is the lack of gimmicks. In the advertising world, gimmicks are needed. I305 and Skyrush both have the gimmicks of being very tall, and one has a unique train design. It does not matter whether the unique train design actually enhances the experience or not, but in general, the GP are more easily swayed by gimmicks that award-winning designs. A Mega-Lite would cost about the same as a GCI of similar size, but the GCI would have the gimmick of being a wood coaster, so it could be marketed as such.

 

On a related problem, I could see a 108 foot coaster with no inversions at a large park being falsely labeled as a family ride to the average park-goer on first examination. Therefore, it would lead to these cases:

 

-A thrill seeking individual would skip over it, thinking it to be more of a family ride

-A person that does not have the desire for intense coasters would ride it, thinking it to be not very intense, then complaining that it is too intense

 

I do have another possible reason why one has never been built in the US. Maybe most American park managers have simply never heard of the design. I have heard the concept of building a Mega-Lite be brought up at many TPR events, and it seems that the vast majority of American park managers have never heard of the design. Can anyone name a park manager who, at a TPR event, had heard of this design outside of a question from a TPR member? (This also seems to be the case with an Aquatrax, as well, but that seems like a design less likely to be built by most parks)

 

You don't really need gimmicks. Honestly a brand new ride for the region to conquer is gimmick enough. Just make the ride look cool and interesting. There's also word of mouth. I think the "gimmick" might be necessary for parks like Six Flags who generally have a low quality park experience to begin with, but for places like knoebel or Holiday World that are generally regarded as good as is, any sort of new addition would only continue to add and build upon the current experience.

[CpBluestreakCp]

I think a Mega-Lite would fit well in Kennywood's new valley area they just purchased. Something intermediate but big enough to draw crowds for that park! I could also see it at smaller scale Cedar Fair park such as ValleyFair or Michigan's Adventure, as well.

 

We just need one in the United States period!

[MrSum1_55]

^^I was mainly talking in terms of a large park, in the way that a Mega-Lite would seem small compared to rides at a medium-large park. Although I could see a small park benefiting massively from one of these, I believe these to be the reasons why no parks in the US have installed one.