Biggest Disappointment of 2010?

[SharkTums]

Hey everyone!

 

With 2010 quickly coming to a close let's talk about some of the 'not so good' stuff that happened in the Amusement Industry this year and see what you think was the Biggest Disappointment of 2010!

 

This is quite subjective and there are tons of options, I'll list out here what everyone has posted! Please feel free to add more! I'll keep the list updated!

 

**Note these are not personal to me or 'TPR', but a rundown of everything posted in the thread!**

 

2010 Big Disappointments:

- Hard Rock / Freestyle Fail Park not opening

- Ghost Town in the Sky not getting the coaster open and park failing

- Six Flags losing the majority of brands it had bought up the last five years

- World of Color

- SFKK not reopening

- SFNO still sitting there rotting

- 17 Windseekers announced

- InTRIMidator

- Expedition Ge Force being down majority of the Summer

- Dumbing down further of the Shamu shows

- Harry Potter Theme Park / Dragon Challenge Retheme

- Major Halloween events plateauing

- Overhyped Thirteen

- The 'other' Intimidator

- First year without Big Bad Wolf

- Timberliners not working on Voyage

- Terminator losing it's audio so quickly

- Ozcat sitting rotting away

- Shoot the Rapids not opening on time

- Flying Turns...need we say more?

- GASM at SFGAd being taken out (really guys?!?!)

- Coney Island Zamperla Makeover

- Planet Snoopy Makeovers

- Mark Shapiro being fired

- Legoland Florida going with Pepsi

- Indiana Beach new management

- Missing out on a TPR Trip

- Cutback of hours at SFMM

- Jay Thomas leaving SFMM

- Mean Streak not burning down

- Not going to a SINGLE theme park (poor Eric!)

- Dirty water at Paradise Pier at DCA

- Not rebuilding Greezed Lightnin' from Astroworld at Joyland

- Battlestar Galactica having, well, um...'issues'

- Eagle's Fortress...sad

- Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket being down for an extended period

- PNDOL collapsing

- Australia still has pretty much nothing

- SCAD Tower accident

- Demon Drop being shopped around to different CF Parks

- RingRacer and it's blow ups!

- Cobra having many issues

- TEH BIG DIPPER

- Evil Knotts Paint

- Death of Will Koch

- CGA being ignored some more

- SoB still being a giant lawn ornament

- Death of a SeaWorld trainer

- SCAD Tower accident at Wisconsin Dells

Edited December 26, 2010 by larrygator

[jynx242]

Totally bummed that my lazy a$$ didn't get to Hard Rock/Freestyle while it was (briefly) open whenever that was.

Ghost town in the sky - the little park that couldn't?

The Middle America trip had to end (biggest bummer by far )

I am really scared of / disturbed by spinning tower rides so Windseekers, although cool looking, aren't going to be my "thing."

USF - Halloween Horror Nights - although epic as always, seems to have hit a plateau. I was expecting more for the 20th anniversary. I think I let myself down with expectation vs. reality there.

 

David

[robbalvey]

I would say my "top three" disappointments would be as follows:

 

Thirteen - Not that what is there is a "bad ride", I just don't think it matches the marketing, hype, and everything that was built up around it. It's a lot more like "Expedition Everest", but it was hyped to be the most amazing, scary, thrilling thing you'll ever ride. Honestly the ride was "cute", not scary, not "psychologically challenging" (or whatever they called it) in any way at all, and most certainly NOT WORTH the 2-3 hour lines it was getting all summer. Alton Towers did a huge fail in my mind on the overall theming and marketing of this ride. They made a really decent family ride, but marketed it to teens and thrill seekers. Why?

 

World of Color - I just don't "get" this show. I thought it was fine for like the first 4 or 5 minutes, but it really doesn't do anything different for the next 20ish minutes, other than show you different movie trailers on the screens and different colored fountains. It's the most boring parts of Fantasmic!, Illuminations, and BraviSEAmo, all wrapped into one pathetic, really boring show...but the Disneyland annual passholders and California locals seem to be really eating it up. Then again, they could build a giant turd in the middle of main street and the Disneyland annual passholders and California locals would claim it's the best thing that's ever happened to them.

 

Wizarding World of Harry Potter - What can I say? I'm just not into Harry Potter, but even still this land just didn't impress me one bit. It didn't look any better/worse than Lost Continent, but now it's crowded, cramped, and based on a license that I don't care about. The ride was just "ok" to me, the ride system seemed really cool, but overall it was way too much "movie" and not enough of everything else. I was told it was going to "blow away Indy and Spiderman" and I felt that it didn't even come close. I'd put it more on par with DarKastle or Dinosaur. They took what was my favorite land in IOA (and I'm not at all into fantasy stuff to begin with) and turned it into something I visited once, and don't ever need to visit again. Although I can see why Potterheads would die to go here, it's just not for me.

 

Oh, I have one more runner up...

 

Intimidator - Maybe it's just that I'm not into B&M hyper coasters, I dunno, but I just found this version to be one of the weaker B&M hypers I've been on. Especially riding Apollo's Chariot a few days after, which I also considered to be pretty weak, Intimidator made Apollo seem AWESOME. Why was this one so bad?

 

Ok, those are my biggest let down's for 2010.

 

--Robb

Edited December 22, 2010 by robbalvey

[SharkTums]

These are great guys!

 

Keep commenting and adding more and I'll update the first post!

[PayneTrain]

A year without the Big Bad Wolf. The park feels so dead now. runner up goes to Dragon Challenge getting the biggest shaft in my memory.

Edited December 22, 2010 by PayneTrain

[robbalvey]

USF - Halloween Horror Nights - although epic as always, seems to have hit a plateau.

Totally agree. As much as I really do like this event, I felt that this year, I was more "going through the motions" than any year previously.

[SharkTums]

A year without the Big Bad Wolf. The park feels so dead now. runner up goes to Dragon Challenge getting the biggest share in my memory.

 

I updated the "Harry Potter Theme Park" to include the retheme of Dragon Challenge which it was intended to mean as well.

[larrygator]

Although I didn't experience it, Th13teen not living up to the ridiculous hype. I'd like to add the Timberliners not making their debut in 2010 as many people were looking forward to them.

 

For me the biggest personal disappointment was Expedition GeForce being down.

 

I'm not a Harry Potter fan. I can't say I Harry Potter, since I just have no interest. However, that area of the park delivers on the immersive experience many desire and hopefully Universal can capitalize to the increased revenue and attendance by bringing more for the park guests.

 

EDIT: Started writing my post before Elissa's latest post.

Edited December 22, 2010 by larrygator

[Caleb]

Holiday World not being able to get the Timberliners going on Voyage. Love the park, but a little upsetting.

 

EDIT: As stated above. Haha beat me to the trigger!

 

I guess Ozark Wildcat still SBNO is a good one?

[atem122]

Terminator completely abandoning one of its staple effects (audio) before completing a year of operation? It's not the worst, but it was kind of lame...

[palmerleeberry]

Okay, Okay, what were the things I felt were the biggest disappointments of 2010.

 

How about at Cedar Point when a new ride called "Shoot the Rapids" weren't opened until later in the season. You see, I was there in the first week of June and "that dang ride wasn't gonna run" at that time. Another big disappointment at Cedar Point, finding out that they shorten the seat belts restaints on the Top Thrill Dragster and because I couldn't lock in the restraint I couldn't ride.

 

"I got to ride it two years ago and I was a few pound heavier back then. Well, I'll just go on the Top Thrill Paddlewheel cos they ain't got no restraints on their seats!"

 

At my own park of Kings Dominion, I don't believe the Intimidator 305 (with the trim brakes) was a disappointment (okay, you all might disagree with me, but I thought the ride was much better and smoother when going at a slower speed). But I did find that their 1982 roller coaster "The Grizzly" became a disappointment when it didn't get retracked this year (Especially on the first hill that has a "pothole" - Why haven't they got that fixed yet?). Another disappointment, the lack of shows the park had.

 

"Oh come on, KD. I may be a rider and amusement park flyer, but I still take time outs once in a while to see a show. How many shows did you have last season? Only three (I don't count a character meet and greet as a show). Now I have renewed my Platinum Pass for the next season, so don't disappoint me!

 

As for the other parks I visited, I'm happy to say that I wasn't disappointed at all and I hope to be even more thrilled with the upcoming season.

 

"Please tell me you're done. I miss you.

[redfoot12]

I guess a disappointment for me was never getting to go to HRP/Freestyle. Not that it was mind-blowing park but it just sucks that all these rides and attractions are just sitting there unused. And we don't know when or if they'll be available for another park to snatch up.

I guess another disappointment to me was I305, not the actual ride but local area enthusiast reaction to the ride, trims, etc. I think the dissidents were fewer and far between but they sure as hell made the most noise. All that hemming and hawing (I can't believe I just used that phrase) and self-entitlement. My brother, who is not a roller coaster enthusiast by any means, rode it in its least desirable format--after the trims, but before the soft restraints. He told me he thought it was the best damn ride he'd ever been on.

[Big-M]

I went to Knoebels for the first time this year, and Flying Turns still looks nowhere near being open. I hope they can get it running in the next year, or two, or three...

[Jim]

For me I would say Flying Turns not opening again. My youngest son just hit 42" this past summer and we were planning a trip to Sylvan Beach and Knoebels. Right now our vacations revolve around height restrictions because both kids love coasters and don't want to sit out anymore. We wanted to wait until FT opened before going again. Hopefully next year we can ride both new coasters. All turned out well though because we flew out to Silverwood instead. My only disappointment there was the throughput on both wood coasters. All of us loved Timber Terror and Tremors a whole lot but only managed 2 rides a piece on them.

[PayneTrain]

A year without the Big Bad Wolf. The park feels so dead now. runner up goes to Dragon Challenge getting the biggest share in my memory.

 

I updated the "Harry Potter Theme Park" to include the retheme of Dragon Challenge which it was intended to mean as well.

I edited my post as well to say "shaft" instead of "share". While not being the best coasters ever, they feel like they don't even matter anymore.

Swype for Android is great when it works.

[robbalvey]

I guess another disappointment to me was I305, not the actual ride but local area enthusiast reaction to the ride

I would totally agree with this! I think most of the KD fans and locals were a total embarrassment to the theme park industry and coaster enthusiasts in general. I can completely understand why parks get more and more frustrated with "roller coaster enthusiasts" when they build one of the most significant rollers in the past decade, and their locals won't even give them any rope at all to make improvements, changes, tweaks, before blasting them all across the internet.

 

Too all of you who "boo'ed" the park management at East Coast Bash - if I knew who you all were, I'd ban you instantly from TPR and ever going to another TPR trip or event again. Never in my life had I ever been so ashamed of our group. It was probably the single most pathetic moment of any TPR event we've put on. Especially at an event where the park went well above and beyond to do stuff for us.

 

'Nuff said....

 

--Robb

Edited December 22, 2010 by robbalvey

[Jerrykoala2112]

The removal of Great America Scream Machine....

 

Didn't get to ride it on my visit to SF Great Adventure last year, but thought I would get to ride it another time. Turns out not. Now Viper is the last standing (major) Arrow Looper out there.

[Chroniq]

Another year without Flying Turns (The Duke Nukem Forever of theme park attractions)

 

and

 

Luna Park @ Coney Island.. Coney Island has been known for two things over the years. It's original grandeur and it's modern day carny atmosphere. To give this perspective to the rest of the world that hasn't been to Coney Island, imagine going to a place where the entire seedy carnival underbelly atmosphere was loved and embraced by all... The mentality here was the weirder, the better. The Cyclone is an absolutely terrible rollercoaster, but it's mystique comes from the location where it was built.

 

So remove all the campy, crazy, alternative things to do in Coney Island and build a theme park that uses completely off the shelf rides with minimal theme. Sanitize the carny atmosphere by closing so many landmarks (yes, even shoot the freak) and replace it with a smaller footprint.

 

Sometimes expecations breed disappointment. Our billionaire Mayor shared concept art of something more akin to Disneyworld then your local Fun Center. Zamperla is a doing great job with Coney Island and I'm happy the boardwalk even still exists (Imagine that Nathan's Famous Hot Dog's was nearly evicted), but call me sentimental or a dreamer because I just expected more.

 

Props to Zamperla and Bloomberg for getting it to this point, but it's just not what we hoped or were promised the area would become.

 

I'll take Astroland circa 2008 or Luna Park circa 1904 over Luna Park circa 2010.

 

 

Edited to say- I started writing this before I saw the "flying turns comments", Apparently many people feel the same way. Vapor-ride?

Edited December 22, 2010 by Chroniq

[CoasterGuy06]

My only real disappointment was Kings Dominion's operations on opening day, outside of Intimidator 305's crew. Yes, it was opening day but I was also at Carowinds on their opening day and they were polar opposites. At KD Volcano, Backlot, and Grizzly all had sizable lines with one train ops and the crew on Dominator was stacking every cycle while only running two trains. If the way their TL was acting was an any indication of his normal work ethic I don't see how he got that job, because he was the perfect example of a slow and lazy employee. By comparison Carowinds was running multiple trains on everything not only on opening day, but also Easter Sunday (which was KD's opening weekend) even though lines were non existent on everything except Nighthawk.

[alpengeist04]

Cedar Point's failure to burn down Mean Streak.

 

 

Seriously, I was bummed about the retheme of Dueling Dragons.

[chadster]

The firing of Mark Shapiro

[televisedconfession]

My biggest disappointment was Shoot the Rapids. I'm a huge log flume fan, and I even love the Tidal Wave boats, but this was a 7 minute ride where the second drop and finale of the ride was shorter than the first drop. The layout didn't make sense, and just seemed to suck up land that could go for other rides/attractions. There was so little theme to keep you interested in the ride, and instead we just sat there baking in the sun.

I dunno, it just seemed like a waste of money. I could see a similar layout with a whole bunch of logs and a little more theme be so much better. Plus, I really hate the Intamin boats.

 

The only other biggest disappointment of 2010 was not being able to go on a TPR trip. I was all scheduled to go on Mid America, but backed out for pointless reasons that I look back and regret now. Oh well.

[cfc]

Here's my list.

 

Halloween Horror Night at Universal Florida: This was definitely an off year for me. None of the mazes really stood out ("Hades" and the anniversary maze were probably the best), and the Bill & Ted Show was just plain rotten this year, although there was one good joke.

 

Howl-o-Scream at Busch Gardens Williamsburg: BGW lost one maze, but added some scarezones, which tended to be pretty weak. Most of the mazes they had were OK, but it was basically the same event as last year.

 

Planet Snoopy at Kings Dominion: OK, I know I'm not the audience for this particular attraction, but I think this is easily the weakest looking of Cedar Fair's Snoopy makeovers. (Then again, the park did get an amazing new coaster, so it all evens out.)

 

The wooden coasters at Mt Olympus: I was looking forward to Hades and Cyclops this year. Unfortunately, the former was just rotten, except for the tunnel parts, and the latter was just average. (I grant that the airtime in the backseat during that infamous drop is amazing, but that's the ride's only trick.) Zeus and Pegasus were just "meh."

 

Oh, and one other thing . . .

 

Reaction surrounding Busch Gardens Tampa's new coaster: Why I can understand how "Cheetah Hunt" can be misinterpreted, the uproar over the name was simply ridiculous. I'm especially annoyed with those who posted links to a petition to change the name on the park's Facebook page. Posting such a link on your own wall is one thing, but posting one on BGT's wall is simply rude.

Edited December 22, 2010 by cfc

[thomas2]

Biggest disappointment of 2010? Steel Dragon 2000

 

Haha jk

 

The biggest disappointment was making the 2 hour trek on a local train to Parque Espana only to find Pyrenees closed because of the accident. Wow that was a bad day... Luckily it reopened weeks after that and I made the trek again.

[Chroniq]

The firing of Mark Shapiro

 

 

This should have been my number one.. Even though his team made so many choices I disagreed with, they tried to take the Six Flags chain to the next level with intellectual property and the choice to place guest satisfaction over stock holder expecations.