Geauga Lake Discussion Thread

[TheStig]

Hummm its leaving eh? Sweet, I unknowlingly rode it in its last season at GL!

 

But anyways here is my .02 worth about GL. I thought it was a very nice, well kept and small park on the park side. I actuially didnt visit the water side because it was wayyyyyyy to cold when I went, but the ride section was great! All the pathways were clean, trees trimmed, nothing looked run down at all. All the rides looked good, in fact I thought all the coasters looked close to new (except Double Loop, big dipper and RWB). Do I think this park is going to be parted out to other CF parks? Probably, I really wouldent be surprised. Do I think that with the right treatment and advertising CF could bring in more guests? Absolutly. The park has a great setting, and I feel that it really could be turned back into a thriving park.

 

As for X Flight, yeah I didnt notice any themeing at all untill I saw some runway lights, runway numbers on the walkways, and I guess its themed to a runway of sorts! But one thing I absolutly HATE seeing was how the ops treated the ride. Usuially, the seats are supposed to come up and go down when the ride is in the station, but they raise the seats while the ride was moving into the station! It was horrible to watch! It was like as soon as the train dispatched, they flipped the switch to raise the seats so they didnt have to when it came to a complete stop back in the station! So I would suspect a lot of money being sunk into it just because of things ride ops do like that. Oh well.

 

Colin C

[xericx]

There's apparently been talk a little bit of construction going on around Racer at PKI before the season ended.If that is indeed true, that along with the surveying van from Cincy, I think the odds of this going to PKI are highly high.They could definitely use another coaster, especially if you take in account the crowds PKI draws.

[coaster05]

As I read this I am not surprised by the move since, as said, GL comes no where to drawing enough people for this many rides. Heck they actually had to cancel their Halloween event, which was good.

 

That being stated I pray to heaven that X flight does not end up at MIA. MIA is pretty close to my house and a park I actually enjoy, but I hate that coaster as it is one of the few on my no longer ride list. If they move it there I will have to go again since it will be there. To be honest I wish they would have just scraped it.

 

I enjoy GL and have always like the layout and awesome views of the lake. It makes me sad to think that eventually there will not be a park there, but I agree with Robb, it's only a matter of time.

[Carnage]

That being stated I pray to heaven that X flight does not end up at MIA. MIA is pretty close to my house and a park I actually enjoy, but I hate that coaster as it is one of the few on my no longer ride list. If they move it there I will have to go again since it will be there. To be honest I wish they would have just scraped it.

 

The thing about MIA though is that it needs more ride. Any rides at all. I found there to be little to do at MIA when I went.

 

That being said I'd expect MIA to get ignored a bit longer. Seems more and more likely that PKI is getting X-Flight.

 

I guess this leaves Batwing as the only Vekoma flyer to stay in one spot. At least for now.

[pierced_b0i]

Awwww thats the closest *real* park to me and its the best ride there IMO. Just so they don't take Steel Venom next

[Vekoma Fan Boy]

I hope it goes to PKI becuase i may be going next summer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

--VFB "Not this upcoming summer, the next one"

[Scaparri]

Yeah, I pretty much saw this coming when Cedar Fair bought the place. I just didn't want to acknowledge it. I knew there was no way they were going to do a great deal with this park when CP is so close, as many people have already mentioned.

 

Though it seems inevitable, I really don't want to see this park disappear. Under CF rule, yeah, it makes sense, but the whole lake scene is such an amazing setting for an amusement park. With the proper care and management it deserves, Geauga could be one heck of a park., but that's never going to happen if it's run by CF. So maybe closing is the best.

[PKI Jizzman]

If X-Flight comes to PKI, I would love it! I really really liked BORG, it was smooth and was forcefull. I think X-Flight could be even better if it had some theming, and the barrel rolls and extra helix looks awesome!

 

Psh, Face/Off is a great ride! But SOB...no soo much

[CHROMEDOME]

WE WANT STEALTH!

 

I think PGA still has some other the footers...

[PKI Jizzman]

Damn...I wonder how much it would cost to ship Xflight to PGA. ....XD more debt for CF! PKI does have expansion room between FOF and SOB...or SOB will be furture expansion room XD

[Reon]

^Just enough space for X-Flight, and to rebuild Cobra

 

 

-Reon (But seriously, that would kick a$$)

[kraxleRIDAH]

Would it fit where Bigfoot Rapids and Mystery Lodge are???

 

Just sayin' ...

 

It probably would fit. But that was just a rumor being speculated on Screamscape which in reality makes no sense at all. To replace a popular family water ride and special effects attraction with one lousy Flying coaster that will be competing with Tatsu just 2 hours north? Don't think so. Plus, the park has a new spinning coaster on the way for next year.

 

For those that are making comments about X-Flight making its way back to Great America in Santa Clara (joking or not), it's not going to happen. The reason why Stealth was removed in the first place was because there was no more land to expand for the Boomerang Bay plans, so its removal was warranted. If not, Stealth would still be at Great America.

 

Other definite rule-outs. Paramount's Canada's Wonderland IS NOT going to get this ride. They already have Tomb Raider, though not a Vekoma Flying Dutchman, it STILL employs the same concept of the Flying coaster --- to which having X-Flight installed there would be completely redundant and pointless from a marketing standpoint. It's like putting in a B&M Inverted coaster at a park where a Vekoma SLC is already operating. They may be a little different, but they are the exact same ride concept.

 

It's NOT going into Cedar Point for multiple reasons, many of which you can think of off the bat on your own.

 

It's not going into Carowinds. BORG Assimilator.

 

There's a high chance it won't be going into Michigan's Adventure due to the park's considerably very low annual attendance pulls which does not warrant a ride the size, magnitute, and marketing draw that is X-Flight.

[steel]

I could definately see it replacing Boomerang at Worlds of Fun. God knows we need a worthier replacement for Zambezi Zinger.

 

I would also not be surprised if they moved it to the back of Michigan's Adventure. If any CF park needs a good steelie, it's MIAdv. I understand that the attendance is pretty low, but I'm sure the funding is available somewhere for something like this.

 

BTW, I really enjoyed X-Flight when I rode it last year. Certainly not as much as Steel Venom, Dominator, or S:UF (don't kill me for enjoying these), but definately a lot of fun! The only crap involved was being forced to stare into the sun at the beginning and end. Also, the harnesses sort of hurt my arms during the barrel rolls.

[Carnage]

I would also not be surprised if they moved it to the back of Michigan's Adventure. If any CF park needs a good steelie, it's MIAdv. I understand that the attendance is pretty low, but I'm sure the funding is available somewhere for something like this.

 

Is CF even building anything yet at MIA? I remember they weren't going to build anything there until a problem with the county was resolved?

 

Wonder how much taxes and duties CF would get hit with if they tried to send it across the border? 14% on a multi-million dollar roller coaster?

[scruffy]

I also think that X-flight will be going to PKI.

[YoshiFan]

I hope it doesn't end up at Dorney. It looks like the ride takes up a ton of room and that seems like something Dorney doesn't have so it would probably end up replacing something.

[kraxleRIDAH]

I could definately see it replacing Boomerang at Worlds of Fun. God knows we need a worthier replacement for Zambezi Zinger.

 

That makes no sense from a financial and business standpoint. Boomerang will only be 7 years old next year and is in perfect working order, and from what I can tell, a popular ride among guests. Not only that, but a Vekoma Boomerang and Vekoma Flying Dutchman do not share the same footprint size.

[BarryH]

^Besides, the WoF Boomerang was one of the smoothest Vekoma boomerangs I've ever been on!

 

So if GL is taking out X-Flight, what will go in its place? I can see it becoming parking spaces or a small picnic area with 10,000 trash cans.

[DerekRx]

I could see Xflight going to PKI or MiA, as they are both close enough that it wouldn't cost too much to transport, and they could both benefit nicely from it. I just wish it was going to MiA more than PKI, as that place desperately needs another big coaster to occupy people's time (and waiting in line for that thing and its slow loading will definitely occupy time!) I doubt it will go somewhere like Dorney, they take too long to get approval from the stupid people who built their homes near the park.

 

As far as I know, Paul, the problems have been worked out with the county, and MiA finally got a Coasters Diner and a rapids ride this past season.

[Scaparri]

Yeah, I'm really hoping it goes to MIA. The park has tons of land, and could really use a staple steel coaster. Seeing how the state has little to nothing, I think X-Flight could be a big hit over there for the crowd that they draw.

[Reality15]

Is CF even building anything yet at MIA? I remember they weren't going to build anything there until a problem with the county was resolved?

The park stated they would not be installing things that required such an infrastructure (like a hotel or a campground) until the water and sewer lines were brought to the park.

 

Also, the water and sewer service is supposed to be ready by June 2007. When I headed out to the park to take photos last week I looked at how they were coming along on the lines, and it looks to me like they're a bit ahead of schedule.

 

I can easily see X-Flight going to either Kings Island or Michigan's Adventure. Anywhere else, I just don't see it happening, sorry.

[EuroTre]

Well, I never actually cared for for GL. It looked dumb and didn't have much to offer (except for Steel Venom and Batman). I wouldn't care where X-Flight went, but by the sound of it, X-Flight will be opening at PKI.

[Carnage]

So if GL is taking out X-Flight, what will go in its place? I can see it becoming parking spaces or a small picnic area with 10,000 trash cans.

 

I'm going to guess nothing.

 

It's not like they use the parking spots they've got already. They don't need more.

[CedarPoint420]

X-Flight could really help out MIA. There attendance increased 18% in 2005 to 550,000 with the addition of a Proslide Tornado, which definitely shows they have the potential to become a bigger park. I can only imagine what the addition of a new roler coaster would do to the attendance.

[dj snow]

But one thing I absolutly HATE seeing was how the ops treated the ride. Usuially, the seats are supposed to come up and go down when the ride is in the station, but they raise the seats while the ride was moving into the station! It was horrible to watch!

 

Actually, that's how the ride is more or less supposed to work. It saves time in the station if the seats raise/lower while the train is still in motion.

 

In fact, the ride is designed to be able to dispatch with the seats upright, and the rows then recline one-by-one as they reach the lift. I rode it one day when it was actually doing this, and it was an interesting sensation since the recline was almost perfectly timed with engaging the lift, such that the increasing angle of the track offset the decreasing angle of the seats. The end result was that the recline was almost imperceptible.

 

Again, this mode of operation saves time in the station--no more waiting for the seats to recline before dispatch; just send the train out and let it recline on the lift!