RAWKIN_coaster38 Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 One other thing I noticed today but forgot to take a photo of..there is attached to SUF a thick wire (looks almost like a guy wire?) that is attached to the top of the first hill (right before the loop) where the train stalled a while back. It appears to be anchored to the ground backstage. Not sure what this is accomplishing.. That's been there for a while, pretty much since the incident. I believe it's a pulley system so that workers/rescuers can easily get up if there's a problem. Thanks for pointing out the orange train/yellow train issue with Kong. I wondered, too, why sometimes I'd get decent rides and sometimes I wouldn't. Now I know! I've actually enjoyed Kong this year and maybe I've just gotten lucky and gotten the orange train every time. I'll have to test your theory next time I'm at the park, but it sounds logical to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
singemfrc Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 NP. They sent me a park survey today so I mentioned the Kong trains and the open gate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XYZ Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 It must be horrible with Kong having one train operation with the yellow train. I never thought one train was better than the other, Kong always gives some pretty bad rides. Kong acts like a rough woodie with OTSRs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrewoplis Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 Kong acts like a rough woodie with OTSRs. How about a Rcca/togo with vekoma slc restraints?!! Just thinking about that makes me want to take a painkiller! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tmcdllr Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 Kong acts like a rough woodie with OTSRs. How about a Rcca/togo with vekoma slc restraints?!! Just thinking about that makes me want to take a painkiller! reading that just made me take a Vicodin.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
singemfrc Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 It must be horrible with Kong having one train operation with the yellow train. I never thought one train was better than the other, Kong always gives some pretty bad rides. Kong acts like a rough woodie with OTSRs. I never noticed either until I rode both back to back. If it was one train operation on yellow, I would skip the ride entirely. Try riding back row orange..I mean again it's still a Vekoma, but if the yellow train is a 10 out of 10 in roughness (and it is), and Medusa is a 1, then the orange train is a 4 or a 5. Rough, but enjoyable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noobitizer Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 NP. They sent me a park survey today so I mentioned the Kong trains and the open gate. While that area is Restricted, it is not connected to the Restricted Area of the ride. This gate in question is an access gate to the tram yard that was re-located here after we built Sky Screamer. However we do appreciate the extra set of eyes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark549 Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 A small thing. I was at SFDK this weekend and noticed the trim brakes on Medusa were no longer in place. They're on the gap between the lift and the first drop, and also coming out of the zero-G roll. They weren't merely off, the brake pads were not there. Perhaps they've been removed for a long time (I don't get there that often). Superman was pretty intense. Short and powerful. Credit #214. After riding I think that Full Throttle will also be a powerful ride, although Superman seems to be a more convoluted track. The only previous Premier coasters I've been on were the "spaghetti bowl" launchers at Kings Island and SF America (and the KI version rode much better the day I was there than the SF America version). It seems to have the most airtime of any California coaster, although Green Lantern has something resembling airtime although it's in a category of its own. It was bizarre but not quite one of my favorites. It's definitely more intense than Medusa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrewoplis Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 ^ Yeah, those trims have been removed for as long I can remember. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
singemfrc Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 ^^ Yeah Superman has quite a bit of "airtime" if you count putting your arms up during the roll and hanging on the lap bar by your knees Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Double0Kevin Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 A small thing. I was at SFDK this weekend and noticed the trim brakes on Medusa were no longer in place. They're on the gap between the lift and the first drop, and also coming out of the zero-G roll. They weren't merely off, the brake pads were not there. Perhaps they've been removed for a long time (I don't get there that often). The trims have never been used... ever. While the one on the lift has the brake skis on it, the one after the Zero-G never received them. If Medusa ran all hard plastic wheels then it would go faster (too fast) and need significant trimming, however it runs a mix of hard plastic and polyurethane (hard plastic is just on one car) that keeps the ride at a good pace without needing any trimming (with the exception of the small amount in the MCBR). The majority of polyurethane wheels is also a big reason why Medusa is one of the smoothest and best aged floorless coasters. One other thing I noticed today but forgot to take a photo of..there is attached to SUF a thick wire (looks almost like a guy wire?) that is attached to the top of the first hill (right before the loop) where the train stalled a while back. It appears to be anchored to the ground backstage. Not sure what this is accomplishing.. That's been there for a while, pretty much since the incident. I believe it's a pulley system so that workers/rescuers can easily get up if there's a problem. It was there before the incident, it's not a direct result of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tmcdllr Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 Medusa is one of my favorite coasters, so smooth and fun and im glad the speed has been perfectly 'set up' so it does not need to be trimmed heavily and I agree it has aged very very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLUSHIE Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 Haven't seen what your taking about but it sounds like one of these. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The49er Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 How do you guys think the new Bay Area coasters match up against each other (Superman and Gold Striker)? Granted, GS isn't open yet... I've been informed that the nearby middle school might actually be going to SFDK in 2013 for the first time (the year CGA opens a new coaster >:O), and I was curious as to which might be a better ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angry_Gumball Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 Honestly I don't think you can really compare the two... They are 2 different experiences. It would be like comparing surfing to snowboarding. They're similar yet they are different experiences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tmcdllr Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 One is short with an inversion, the other is longer with a bunch of hills- besides the fact that one is a launched steel coaster and the other is wood.... 2 completely different rides. No comparison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrewoplis Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 How do you guys think the new Bay Area coasters match up against each other (Superman and Gold Striker)? Granted, GS isn't open yet... I've been informed that the nearby middle school might actually be going to SFDK in 2013 for the first time (the year CGA opens a new coaster >:O), and I was curious as to which might be a better ride. So you mad that CGA is seeing more business? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justice Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 (edited) Honestly I don't think you can really compare the two... They are 2 different experiences. It would be like comparing surfing to snowboarding. They're similar yet they are different experiences. I don't understand this at all. The entire point of a comparison is to compare two different things. They are both new coasters at parks in the Bay Area. That completely validates a comparison. I think Gold Striker will the vastly superior experience. A longer ride, more complete in terms of forces, and has a much better visual appeal (sorry, but I hate the Superman red-blue color scheme). Edited September 23, 2012 by Justice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrewoplis Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 ^ Really hope you meant to say "Gold Striker." And besides, Gold Striker isn't even open yet, so how can you compare the two? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XYZ Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 And besides, Gold Striker isn't even open yet, so how can you compare the two? I think he asked them: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Double0Kevin Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 I think Gold Striker will the vastly superior experience. A longer ride, more complete in terms of forces, and has a much better visual appeal (sorry, but I hate the Superman red-blue color scheme). WOAH! That's amazing that you already know how great GS is! Maybe we should just keep the CGA fanboy predictions to a minimum. Superman has proved to be an amazing ride, I'm sure GS will be great to. But I have to agree that it's hard to compare a wooden twister to a steel launcher. Vastly different experiences that cater to different tastes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
singemfrc Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Another busy day at the park today, but an eventful one. Got there before gates opened this morning with the intention of getting 2 or 3 rides on SUF before the line got up to 20-30 minutes (which doesnt take long) and getting my first ride in the front row. Mission accomplished! SUF ops will normally not allow you to choose your row so you have to get lucky. On my third visit, I landed in row one on the second train of the day. Verdict: Row one is MUCH better! The view of the in-line twist with nothing in front of you is amazing. Went back around and lucked into a second straight front row ride! For you control panel fans (like me), SUF has one of the coolest. Digital display and complete live video surveilance. SUF crew was on fire this morning, the line was really moving fast. For a low capacity ride they were absolutely getting the quickest possible dispatches and it was noticeable. After a couple rides on SUF I decided to head over to V2 which appeared to be closed. Walking up a little further it appeared they were just finishing up the testing and the line was short enough to get on the first train so I got in line and sure enough about 10 minutes later got onto the first train of the day. About 45 seconds later, this happened: A broken Intamin ride? The hell you say! Someone call CNN, we were stuck for about a half hour. There are worse rides to be stuck on though (coughKONGcough) and worse places on V2 to be stuck than just beyond the station. SFDK was kind enough to hand us out these one time flash passes that as you can see would not work on SUF. Since I'd already ridden it twice and the whole park was busy, that was OK by me. Medusa line out to the entrance? Wow it must be a 2 hr wait! That or the ops were just sleepwalking and not bothering to use the switchbacks. Seriously in sharp contrast to SUF, the Medusa team seemed to be falling asleep on the job. No line management and trains stacking badly all morning. 30 minute waits should have been 15-20. Medusa needs a single rider line, lots of empty seats being dispatched all day. I left at 2:00 and almost everything had 30+ minute rides, the park was getting pretty busy for an "off" season weekend, and there was still a large stream of folks coming into the park as I went out. There were quite a few people actually forking over the cash for flash passes today, there were "priority boarders" in front of me on just about everything except SUF. Of the major rides, SUF had the shortest wait (about 20 mins) because the crew was so on the ball - they were making sure the next group of people were entering right behind the exiting guests to get that next train moving ASAP, I thanked a couple of them for doing a great job because I actually noticed while waiting in line that it was moving much faster than usual. Kong for some reason had the longest line, the line was all the way to the bridge, so I only got one ride in on that. As much as I like Kong, I'm not waiting a half hour twice. Overall though Cobra again had the longest line, it looked to be 45-60mins, all the way through the entire switchback and out the entrance. SFDK might want to think about another kiddie coaster in the next couple years, cause this was not isolated..that line is at capacity every time I walk by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark549 Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 SFDK might want to think about another kiddie coaster in the next couple years, cause this was not isolated..that line is at capacity every time I walk by. Yes. As much as I'd like them to install super thrilling mega coasters (a reason I like Magic Mountain more than SFDK), SFDK definitely needs another family coaster. I have three young relatives (12, 8, 6) who've been to the park several times. The oldest loves Medusa. The middle won't dare go on Medusa but was willing to go on Big Spin (now gone). The youngest wants to go on Medusa but isn't tall enough (he loves Cobra). They need something between Medusa and Cobra in terms of intensity, especially with the number of families with small kids who mostly go there for the animal shows. The one good thing about Kong is it keeps the other lines shorter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
singemfrc Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 ^ Well, there's Roar. That would be firmly in the middle of Medusa and Cobra I think, although it is a pretty rough ride. Roar had a 30min wait today too, so I didn't bother with it. My favorite part of Roar is how cool the que station is, there's usually a nice breeze through there on hot days. Good point on Kong. If it's shut down, Medusa's line doubles. This morning after I got on the second train of the day on SUF, I went straight back around and there was already about a 25 min line (or what normally would be, but it was about 15 because of how fast they were dispatching) and that was probably partially due to V2 being down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donkeyman18 Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 If roar sucks as much as the one in SFA they can be burnt with SOB! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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