Speedwell Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 I LOVE the back story and theming. Very cool. But a lot of the guests aren't as crazy as we are. Many of them won't know of the 66 Days at Sea campaign or the legend or anything prior to visiting the park. I feel like many of them will be confused about what Thunderbird has to do with Thanksgiving. I think it would be a really good idea to put a mural of the legend on the wall somewhere in or around the station for people to read! Maybe even a TV or two with a pre-ride video? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firechaser Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 To answer all of the theme questions this is what Holiday World says...LEGEND: In 1620, as the Mayflower neared the end of its 66 days at sea, a mighty storm nearly capsized the ship, taking it hundreds of miles off course. As passengers and crew feared all was lost, an immense bird appeared in the sky. The thunderbird, whose wings created the thunder and eyes flashed the lightning of the powerful storm, rescued the ship by launching it through the sky to the New World. I think the main question was how the modern day farm themeing played into the story. I think it is supposed to look like the buildings that the pilgrims built and lived in after the Thunderbird saved them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intimidator305 Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 I'm still curious how they're going to deal with... 1.) Hyena Falls being in the middle of a Thanksgiving themed area, considering it seemed so random already 2.) Make the long walk (we're talking 2004-2007 Dollywood Timber Canyon walk here) somewhat nice looking with theming The ride looks great though - I just wish it would have started a new holiday themed area or fit in with Thanksgiving much more. For a theme park that brags about being the first theme park, Thunderbird seems a lot like a recent Cedar Fair addition (Banshee) theme wise when fitting in. It seems much more like a Doomsday or Halloween themed ride than Thanksgiving to me, haha. But like I said, the actual ride itself looks great, exactly what this park needed in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlahBlahson Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 Holiday World is the enthusiast's dream come true. A company that actively does everything they can with every ounce of money they have to create something new, practical, and exciting every year. They care SO much about their park and making the best possible time for everyone who goes there. The backstory and campaign for this ride is so much more impressive than what places with 20 times the budget put together, and I'm so excited to go back there soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoinItForTheFame Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 I think the park has a great new addition on their hands. I am also thrilled to see B&M finally getting into launches. Everyone is going to have different opinions on the coaster, but I think its a solid addition, and that HW did a GREAT job with the back story, and getting us all hyped up for the announcement. It's disappointing to see how NEGATIVE some people are being. In the end... It is STILL a new coaster, we should all be thankful for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prozach626 Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 Paula, Does Holiday World offer any law enforcement discounts? Yes, we sure do: Police, Fire & EMS Discount As a special thank you to police, firefighters and EMS, we’re offering a discounted ticket price all season long. Simply show your official i.d. at the ticket booth and save $5 off the price of General Admission tickets (save $2 off Guests-under-54” and Senior tickets). If you arrive after 3pm CDT, the savings are $11 for General Admission and $7 for Guests-under-54″/Seniors (60+). This discount applies to up to four tickets per visit. Thank you so much! We really appreciate your support! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djrappa Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 I can't help but point out the hilarity of reading through the past dozen pages or so that pretty much in the space of one post go from: "This is the stupidest theme ever, it makes no sense, and the park has lost the plot" to: "OMFG Holiday World is the greatest park ever, their team has some up with the most amazing theme for a coster ever created" Had to check the URL that I wasn't on micechat.com. Perhaps people shouldn't jump to conclusions so fast and be so quick to judge from one video and a press release. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tarheel1231 Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 I remember something Robb said on the Carowinds thread: When a park needs a "Toyota" - something that just runs, and keeps people happy, and will be solid & reliable, they buy a nice B&M. When they need a "Ferrari" - something that will F**KING BLOW PEOPLE AWAY AND MAKE THEM GO "WHAT THE F**K" DID I JUST RIDE?!?!? HOLY SH!T!!!!!" They buy an Intamin. I think most people were expecting too much out of this coaster. HW might not have a 'Ferrari', but can enthusiasts be happy with a 'Toyota'? I mean, at least it's not a 'Saturn'. Vekoma is the Saturn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Sabo Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 I just wanted to weigh in with a guess as to why they are employing a flywheel. (I have an electrical engineering degree, so it's at least an educated guess.) As most of us know, any sort of magnetic launch requires a very large amount of power in a very short amount of time. I suspect that Santa Claus Indiana's connection to the power grid might not have enough capacity to safely accommodate the spike that Thunderbird will require. (The park has to account for a worst case scenario. If they were to create a spike when the rest of the area was already drawing a lot of current, they could cause a blackout.) Many parks build their own power substations, but Santa Claus is relatively far from a major city, which would make the cost of running extra power lines to the closest power plant(s) VERY expensive. ($1 million might get you 2-3 miles of line) The flywheel gets "charged up" at a relatively constant rate, and is able to release its energy into the LSMs very quickly, creating the necessary spike without greatly affecting the grid. And I must say, I got a little teary-eyed at the "Will power" bit. Good explanation of how the flywheel launch works! I hope I got this information correct. I thought I heard Paula say on the podcast that the most important clue was across the street from HW in that the park installed a substation for this season. I don't recall when/where/if the clue was posted in the 66 Days at sea website or if the clue was people attending the park to see if they got this as one of the hints. I thought it was pretty funny how she said that people missed perhaps the most important clue and it was across the street..lol So, I guess the park already planned for how they will power the launch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Sabo Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 KK's faces last night at the annoucement:@ The fact that it's a launched B&M coaster @ the fact that it's a wing coaster @ the fact that HW finally has a Large Steel Coaster @ the fact that it has 4 inversions @ the fact that HW dropped $22 Mil on a single ride! Post of the year award!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZeroGravity55 Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 (edited) So not only is the park not raising prices, but they're also setting up the option to make payments on season passes. If you sign up before August 15th, it is only $15 dollars per month. Awesome! As for the theme, I really hope the park sort of explains the legend buy posting the journal entries throughout the queue, kind of explaining how this all ties into the 66 days at sea with the pilgrims. They would need to explain the back story behind the journal first, this way the farm theming makes sense. I think it would go a long way in helping their guests understand how this all fits into Thanksgiving. Also, I'm glad the park decided to put their own twist on this whole story. As someone who is studying to be a history teacher, this 66 says journey, like many things in history, is not a very pleasant story. I believe Paula alluded to that last night when she was talking about sometimes struggling with what to write for the journal. Edited July 26, 2014 by ZeroGravity55 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeykaise Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 HW is amazing, did anyone else see on their FB page that ticket prices aren't going up next year even though they are building a $22 million dollar new coaster, truly amazing! More good news for 2015: We don't plan to take gate prices up! And we have an Easy Pay Plan for Season Passes: $15 per month if you sign up by August 15: http://www.holidayworld.com/park-tickets/season-passes/ Meanwhile, be sure to visit us this season - before summer slips away! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickrollercoaster Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 How are people complaining about it? I mean do you guys want an SLC? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intimidator305 Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 I'm pretty sure just as usual, there are actually just as many, if not more, people complaining about the complainers. It's a theme park forum, it'd be pretty boring here if everyone loved/hated the same things. On the topic of Holiday World though, I'm not too familiar with the HW/KK demographics and market, but even for smaller parks both their gate admissions seem very reasonable (if not a tad low!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mudvayneimn Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 On another topic ... I wanted to share that last night as the animation played and Thunderbird's orange track appeared for the first time, the 1,000+ in attendance let out a giant roar. "That's it!" I shouted to whoever would listen. "It's the 'B&M roar' I've read about - that was the B&M roar!" Okay, so no one knew what I was so excited about - they knew I'd had very little sleep and just sort of nodded and half smiled, then turned away. Look what you've done to me, TPR! With this being The "Thunderbird", I really really really hope this ride isn't filled with sand. I really miss that old B&M roar ala Chang/Green Lantern. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZeroGravity55 Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 ^^ Well KK is located in a major city, we all know that. HW is located right next to a major interstate that runs from St. Louis to Louisville and that is basically where they market from east to west. Then I'm guessing from Indianapolis to Nashville is where they market from north to south. HW really counts on their value to bring families in from all around. Right now, I'm guessing KK is counting on the major market of Louisville to supply the majority of their attendance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickrollercoaster Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 I love Lightning Run, but Thunderbird is going to tear it apart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HolidayWorldFTW Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 Wow... Easy pay season pass option. That's just insane. Any other park do anything like that? It's prolly the option I will take! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intimidator305 Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 Wow... Easy pay season pass option. That's just insane. Any other park do anything like that? It's prolly the option I will take! All Cedar Fair parks and several others Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZeroGravity55 Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 Holiblog post kind of giving behind the scene details on how the park decided on the name, Thunderbird. It also explains the legend in great detail. http://www.holidayworld.com/holiblog/2014/07/25/legend-thunderbird/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
necoastergp Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 Wow... Easy pay season pass option. That's just insane. Any other park do anything like that? It's prolly the option I will take! All Cedar Fair parks and several others Including Six Flags as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teknohillbilly Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 Maybe it's the wine opening me up a bit this evening, but I feel like I've bitten my tongue for far too long about this. It's really sad to see so many people complaining and bitching about every little thing on here, and others basically attacking people over their opinions and doing their best to make them feel bad or stupid. I've been following posts on here and other sites for almost 20 years, and every year I've contemplated going on one of the TPR tours or sharing information I have about certain things. (For the record, I work in public relations, first for a park that closed and now for another park that is mentioned on here quite a bit.) I've even been given permission to leak things before, and decided against it because I dreaded reading the damned snarky ass comments people leave. It does not reflect well on the coaster community, and believe me when I say it is discussed often where I work, although the few times we've hosted TPR folks they've been wonderful. I'm guessing all the Debbie Downers on here aren't really that involved in TPR functions. Why on earth anyone would want to take a forum about something that is meant to bring people happiness, relaxation, and a break from all the terrible things going on in the world is beyond me. I've learned in my 37 years on this earth that people who try their best to tear other people down have something significant missing from their lives and would be better served using their time working on self improvement than bitching at people on a forum because they stated their opinion. There's a big difference in having a civil discussion and being a whiny eight grader that feels the need to feel big. If someone doesn't like this coaster or that one, why jump on them over it? It's not like they are going to put a gun to your head and force you to hate it too. Read their opinion, state yours in response without being snarky, and move the hell on. To Raven Maven, you are a legend (was that a pun?) in the PR game and the way you have handled the Thunderbird announcement was excellent! I wish we could hire you away to work at our park. LOL. To Rob Alvey, you are a master and thank you for all the trip reports, especially from the overseas parks I'll probably never get to see. If I see you at my park any time soon I'll introduce myself. To all the people on here who are not negative about everything and really understand what being a coaster enthusiast is about - happiness - keep up the good fight. I've met a few of you (even though you don't know it) here at our park. To all the Debbie Downers on here, see you in hell. Now to go to bed, head to work in the morning, and see if they fire me for refusing to monitor the forums any more. (You can delete this post and my account here if you see fit or I crossed any lines here.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glucky11801 Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 Teknohillbilly- you said it perfectly. Amen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superbatboy Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 On another topic ... I wanted to share that last night as the animation played and Thunderbird's orange track appeared for the first time, the 1,000+ in attendance let out a giant roar. "That's it!" I shouted to whoever would listen. "It's the 'B&M roar' I've read about - that was the B&M roar!" Okay, so no one knew what I was so excited about - they knew I'd had very little sleep and just sort of nodded and half smiled, then turned away. Look what you've done to me, TPR! With this being The "Thunderbird", I really really really hope this ride isn't filled with sand. I really miss that old B&M roar ala Chang/Green Lantern. I love the B&M roar too! Love listening to Mantis, Riddler, Raptor, Afterburn, Batman. It's such a signature sound, and gave the rides such an aura of intimidation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manic Monte Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 Such a funny thing, opinions on a forum. Everybody wants theirs to go unchallenged (good or bad). But that's just not the way the world works. If you have an opinion, people are going to disagree with it, challenge it and sometimes even ridicule it. It's a normal part of any discussion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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