Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (SFDK) Discussion Thread

[KDCOASTERFAN]

From the park's FB page, I just love this pic....

 

 

The POV makes me really want to ride it. Looks very smooth.

 

I swear,you look at the above pic & wonder"how can the cars negotiate that transition through the roll?" as it's banking & turning at the same time...same thing with the front spike on the impulses.I always marvel at some of the qwirky track geometry that designers come up with sometimes.

[Tmcdllr]

^I agree! It's fantastic and incredible!

[154bmag]

I recently got back from the park, Superman was freakin' awesome! There's also a really good pop of airtime on the ride.

[Double0Kevin]

On a rollback does the train stop and the ride cycle has to be completely restarted or does it try to launch it again within the same cycle?

 

It causes an error and has to be reset. Park management told me that was the first one they had since initially dialing it in. I don't think a rollback is something that is expected to be common like Intamin Accelerators.

 

Glad to hear that Superman is an excellent coaster and despite the capacity it's at least something unique. Thanks for the reviews, photos, and videos.

 

I know you didn't intend to restart all the complaining again, but we need to let the capacity thing go! The ride is what it is, and what it is is excellent! The load/unload time is really quick. We'll see how it fairs this season. Wednesday will be a big test.

[grimby]

Cant wait to ride this thing. Sounds great. But very annoyed about the ugly cars. I mean, what the hell were those designers thinking??

Sometimes I think the public (you? me? whoever) would be better left to offer input because some of the things professionals come with are just silly.

A blight on an otherwise amazing coaster.

[simaticable]

^Can you not be so negative about everything? I swear, most of your posts are negative in some way.

 

Anyways, as long as SFDK can keep the line moving, the park will have a winner in my book!

[grimby]

^But I said it was amazing too!

[Double0Kevin]

^ It still comes off as negative. Who cares what the train looks like? It was engineered to function, not look pretty for you. It's a fantastic ride and that's all that really matters.

 

Sounds like the park was holding steady at 2 hour lines all day. Granted that is a long wait, it's fairly reasonable based on what everyone was expecting. It's no 5 hour wait!

[Angry_Gumball]

While 2 hours is far too long for me to wait in, I'm relieved it isn't longer. After thinking things through when watching the POVs, reading the reviews, I came to the realization that loading a 12-passenger train should be fairly quick. And if the noodles are a rather simple setup (as in just pull the lapbar down) the whole process should be speedy. Top it off that the ride cycle happens pretty quick, the line should hopefully feel like it's moving. I'm really wanting to head up to Vallejo real soon and ride this coaster, or perhaps get a SFDK pass to join forces with my CGA pass and have 2 parks to hit up for 2013.

 

And I like the look of the trains. Sure, they look like stylistic mine carts but I like them.

 

Random note, I remember getting ready to take on the line for Pandemonium later in the day last year when after waiting 5 minutes we cut out and headed to V2 instead. The line felt like it was just stationary, not moving whatsoever.

[sfmman2000]

Does anyone know what typical 4th of July crowds are like at SFDK?

[rolercstrluvr]

Yesterday was just an amazing day for me at the park. It was season pass holder preview day, so I managed to get 8 rides in during that. My friend got in 18 rides, man this ride packs a punch, sure doesn't look like it but go for row 6 or 3. I was just blown away at how great this ride is. I also saw some of the park management waiting in the exit, they were at the bay area bash last year, I told them they had a winner on their hands.

[Andrewoplis]

Does anyone know what typical 4th of July crowds are like at SFDK?

 

Like any park on the 4th of july, I'm sure it is going to be VERY crowded. Just run to Superman the second the park opens and you should be ok!

[RAWKIN_coaster38]

Saturday I went to the season pass preview and I'm glad I took the no spoilers route because the coaster completely blew me away! The first time off I almost keeled over at the exit... SOOO INTENSEE!!!

 

I rode 19 times total: 18 in the morning and one in the afternoon with a two-hour wait. The lines were surprisingly very short for the season pass preview, and actually got shorter until about 8:30 am when the ride first broke down for about 30 minutes. After that the lines were a little longer, but nothing worse than 15 or 20 minutes.

 

They assign rows, and you can't switch. The employee told us she was being more lenient for the pass holders but once the coaster is open, you don’t get to choose which row you want.

 

My lap count per row: row 1: two times; row 2: once; row 3: five times; row 4: four times; row 5: twice; row 6: five times.

 

I think the best rows are row 1, 3, 4, and 6. My personal favorite: ROW 6!!! It is by far the most extreme. Coming out of the barrel roll into the vertical plunge there's an INTENSE thrust of ejector followed by some very strong positive Gs in the loop. Basically you're thrust upward just before being shoved downward... really insane feeling.

 

That being said... they assign rows in the station, and you can't switch. The employee told us she was being more lenient for the pass holders but once the coaster is open, you can’t choose your row.

 

I was surprised how quickly they dispatched this thing. The two hour wait seemed to be more because of technical difficulties rather than bad capacity. When the coaster didn’t have any issues, the line moved fairly quickly.

 

Conclusion: SFDK has a GEM on their hands here. It really is a remarkable coaster and easily the best in Northern California!

[Andrewoplis]

^ For some strange reason, I found the lap bar on my ride in row 6 to be much tighter then my ride in row 2. ( I only rode a few times.) I don't know if it was the way I was sitting or what, but it happened. But other than that, Superman is an outstanding ride! The park really has a winner on there hands!

[cal1br3tto]

I think the best rows are row 1, 3, 4, and 6. My personal favorite: ROW 6!!! It is by far the most extreme. Coming out of the barrel roll into the vertical plunge there's an INTENSE thrust of ejector followed by some very strong positive Gs in the loop. Basically you're thrust upward just before being shoved downward... really insane feeling.

 

That being said... they assign rows in the station, and you can't switch. The employee told us she was being more lenient for the pass holders but once the coaster is open, you can’t choose your row.

And since there are only 6 rows, from your review it sounds like seating might not matter too much for many people. While I'm often one to completely ignore the front on any given ride in favor of the very back, on some rides I strongly prefer the front and the front of any car, and I'm guessing on this one I might especially like rows 1 and 4.

[Double0Kevin]

^ It's pretty amazing in all rows. I personally found the front having more airtime because of the crazy pop you get going over the top into the barrel roll. The back gets more of a pop than the front on the cliffhanger drop but all seats are pretty good there.

[RAWKIN_coaster38]

And since there are only 6 rows, from your review it sounds like seating might not matter too much for many people. While I'm often one to completely ignore the front on any given ride in favor of the very back, on some rides I strongly prefer the front and the front of any car, and I'm guessing on this one I might especially like rows 1 and 4.

You’d think so, but I was surprised the difference one row made on this ride. Row 5 was just okay but row 6 was like ZOMG!!! Row 4 was nice because it was the best of both worlds... it had more of the intense positive Gs, and it has a better view than any row aside form row 1.

 

I agree with Kevin that row 1 had the best airtime coming from the first vertical twist to the barrel roll, but I thought the transition from the cliffhanger into the non-inverting loop from row 6 was much more intense because of how quickly it went from the awesome ejector to the crushing positive Gs.

 

Think of it this way: the two portions of the ride that had the most intense feelings were the transitions from the vertical to horizontal track and vice versa. The closer to the front, the more intense the first transition is; the closer to the back, the more intense the 2nd transition and the non-inverting loop... but you lose some of the view.

[cal1br3tto]

Row 4 was nice because it was the best of both worlds... it had more of the intense positive Gs, and it has a better view than any row aside form row 1.

That's pretty much what I was getting at in my thinking. I'm not as big on unobstructed views as a lot of people (for example, I rarely go for the front on inverts), but with a lot of Premier and Intamin train designs I need the extra open space in front of me that comes with sitting in the front of a car.

[wolverinechris]

I was at the season pass preview event for Superman today.

Were you by any chance the guy I hung out with in line for a while? ACE sweatshirt?

[osbornse]

I'm going to be visiting this park on Monday and I was really curious about size restrictions. I have been kicked off of a ride before for being too large and it's embarrassing so I'd like to know beforehand which rides are worrisome for larger individuals. I know that it depends on body shape, but even the local fair that comes through my town has a list of the rides where "large people may not fit". Anyway, thanks to anyone who can help!

[rolercstrluvr]

Saturday I went to the season pass preview and I'm glad I took the no spoilers route because the coaster completely blew me away! The first time off I almost keeled over at the exit... SOOO INTENSEE!!!

 

I rode 19 times total: 18 in the morning and one in the afternoon with a two-hour wait. The lines were surprisingly very short for the season pass preview, and actually got shorter until about 8:30 am when the ride first broke down for about 30 minutes. After that the lines were a little longer, but nothing worse than 15 or 20 minutes.

 

They assign rows, and you can't switch. The employee told us she was being more lenient for the pass holders but once the coaster is open, you don’t get to choose which row you want.

 

My lap count per row: row 1: two times; row 2: once; row 3: five times; row 4: four times; row 5: twice; row 6: five times.

 

I think the best rows are row 1, 3, 4, and 6. My personal favorite: ROW 6!!! It is by far the most extreme. Coming out of the barrel roll into the vertical plunge there's an INTENSE thrust of ejector followed by some very strong positive Gs in the loop. Basically you're thrust upward just before being shoved downward... really insane feeling.

 

That being said... they assign rows in the station, and you can't switch. The employee told us she was being more lenient for the pass holders but once the coaster is open, you can’t choose your row.

 

I was surprised how quickly they dispatched this thing. The two hour wait seemed to be more because of technical difficulties rather than bad capacity. When the coaster didn’t have any issues, the line moved fairly quickly.

 

Conclusion: SFDK has a GEM on their hands here. It really is a remarkable coaster and easily the best in Northern California!

 

I can't believe you left me out of that entire post, I was there with her for the most part and had an amazing day. Especially when we were both single riders and got paired up with each other.

[Double0Kevin]

I can't believe you left me out of that entire post, I was there with her for the most part and had an amazing day. Especially when we were both single riders and got paired up with each other.

 

Don't feel bad, she never acknowledges me either.

 

I'm going to be visiting this park on Monday and I was really curious about size restrictions. I have been kicked off of a ride before for being too large and it's embarrassing so I'd like to know beforehand which rides are worrisome for larger individuals. I know that it depends on body shape, but even the local fair that comes through my town has a list of the rides where "large people may not fit". Anyway, thanks to anyone who can help!

 

It's always a case by case situation, but I saw some pretty big riders on media day, including the guy who lost his phone in the POV of Bob and me.

[RAWKIN_coaster38]

I can't believe you left me out of that entire post, I was there with her for the most part and had an amazing day. Especially when we were both single riders and got paired up with each other.

I already wrote an entire novel! Didn't want so much info that nobody would read it.

 

I can't believe you left me out of that entire post, I was there with her for the most part and had an amazing day. Especially when we were both single riders and got paired up with each other.

 

Don't feel bad, she never acknowledges me either.

OMG hahaha this actually made me laugh! I didn't think either of you wanted me to mention it, because some people are private like that. And neither of you mentioned me until now either.

 

Okay non-abridged TR since you asked for it:

 

As a single rider, I got paired with other single riders but it wasn't long before I realized most of the single riders were enthusiasts. I hung out and chatted with this cool ACEr guy for a while (possibly the one you're talking about wolverinechris) and another ACEr guy later. I plugged TPR wherever possible. There was this one dad with his young new enthusiast son who was SO CUTE. The little boy was all excited and knew all the stats and stuff... I mentioned TPR and they seemed interested.

 

Every time one of my single rider buddies would leave, another would join. I was like whoring all the single riders.

 

I saw a few people with TPR shirts and was like, "YAY TPR!" and high-fived them. One of those was rolercstrluvr. I found myself alone again, and I was in the station when I turn around and rolercstrluvr was right behind me! I guess they announced to the queue that they needed a single rider, and he was in the very back and volunteered to come through.

 

Then after we rode several more times, we hung out the rest of the day and did a lot of the animal exhibits to detox from my 18 rides and his 8 rides on Superman. Later we waited 2 more hours to get one more ride on Superman. A different friend of mine said the line was only an hour wait at noon... either way that's really not too bad for opening day. We did Medusa later too and I feel like they had less trims and the ride was much more extreme, but maybe my head was still rattled from Superman?

 

I'd post pictures, but rolercstrluvr still has my camera. Maybe he can post the pictures for me??

 

BTW, rolercstrluvr and I think we should do a butterfly ERT session. The butterflies are so awesome but oft ignored. Or maybe a TPR-takeover of the shark experience?

 

 

And I'll leave you with the quote of the day: "This coaster is propelled by LSMs... Linear Synchronic... MAGIC!!!"

[Double0Kevin]

ACEr guy... ...who was SO CUTE.

 

When I read your post, all that I could see was this. It's something I thought I would never see.

[rolercstrluvr]

Just be glad that she's with a TPR member and not with an ACEr.