Valleyfair (VF) Discussion Thread

I'm interested in offering your park a used boomerang. Would any of y'all like to purchase Carolina Cobra?

Seriously, will you guys take our boomerang? While you're at it, can you buy Flying Ace Aerial Chase? I'm not particularly fond of Vekomas, but I know VF would like a new addition.

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No, no, and no. I probably sound like a broken record for saying this, but VF seriously needs a new high quality coaster, not some rough old Vekoma . It would give the park new inversions, but they would be crappy inversions.

Another haunt update.

Random question, but I'm considering going to Haunt at night sometime this year because I've never actually been to it (only been on Sundays afternoons in the past). Does anyone know how cold it must be for Valleyfair shut down the coasters/rides? I know it is 40 degrees in a lot of places, but that may or may not be the case here. I'm asking because if show up and all of the rides are closed, then I'll have wasted my time going to the park.

 

I didn't find it rude either, just his opinion and it was not vicious or anything. I just didn't agree with it at all. The 9 million comes from CF and the research they did on this market. The market included South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa and Western Wisconsin which they could draw visitors from due to distance and none of those area's having a park as big as VF and what it has to offer. Like you said, Minnesota has about 5.5 million in people in the state with 2.75 to 3 million in the Twin Cities area including all the suburbs. According to garyman6 when he walked with GM Dave Frazier this year he referenced the 9 million people also when comparing the Twin Cities (VF) to Cincinnati (KI) and said they are looking at KI and what they do and what VF could do to approach their attendance considering they have a similar market size. (HINT: Get some good rides like KI ) He used that number which (according to CF research) is about the same size market as Cincinnati area which is 2.2 million with a wider market of 9 million due to northern Kentucky and the southern half of Ohio. We will find out if their research is right. I personally think it is close to right. When I visit KI in Mason, see Cincinnati and the surrounding suburbs and what they have to draw from I don't see a big difference. I think with the right attractions VF should be able to draw at least half the attendance KI does and maybe a little more than half. CF seems to think the same but we have to see how much $$$ they are going to invest over the next 5 years, until then it is just talk.

Actually, when you read Cedar Fair's portfolio online, Kings Islands total market area is 15 million. The words "total market area" aren't included in Valleyfair's description like they are for the other properties. They have 3 million in the area and they only say "combined population base of 9 million people".

I guess we'll see what Cedar Fair does with the park over the next few years. But don't get your hopes up to high. Can't believe everything read on here because those that know usually don't speak.

Random question, but I'm considering going to Haunt at night sometime this year because I've never actually been to it (only been on Sundays afternoons in the past). Does anyone know how cold it must be for Valleyfair shut down the coasters/rides? I know it is 40 degrees in a lot of places, but that may or may not be the case here. I'm asking because if show up and all of the rides are closed, then I'll have wasted my time going to the park.

I would recommend going early in the day and staying until night. We did that for Kings Island's haunt and the park wasn't really busy, but at about 6 people start piling in. And I would think that 40 degrees is everywhere but I'm not an expert.

Random question, but I'm considering going to Haunt at night sometime this year because I've never actually been to it (only been on Sundays afternoons in the past). Does anyone know how cold it must be for Valleyfair shut down the coasters/rides? I know it is 40 degrees in a lot of places, but that may or may not be the case here. I'm asking because if show up and all of the rides are closed, then I'll have wasted my time going to the park.

I would recommend going early in the day and staying until night. We did that for Kings Island's haunt and the park wasn't really busy, but at about 6 people start piling in. And I would think that 40 degrees is everywhere but I'm not an expert.

I was there last year on the last Saturday of September, and it was pretty quiet from 2 until 6. Almost a walk on, on every ride. Rode Wild Thing back-to-back-to-back in about 20 minutes. Then at 6, it got a lot busier, and we stayed until after 11pm. It was busy, but the longest wait for Wild Thing was probably 15-20 minutes. It was pretty chilly that evening, so a light jacket is a must. It was probably in the upper 50s or low 60s, and the "breeeze" was chilly on the rides. But at dark, with all the fog, was amazing. Added a new level of "thrill" to the rides.

I'm interested in offering your park a used boomerang. Would any of y'all like to purchase Carolina Cobra?

 

Seriously, will you guys take our boomerang? While you're at it, can you buy Flying Ace Aerial Chase? I'm not particularly fond of Vekomas, but I know VF would like a new addition.

No, no, no! Please keep your Vekoma to yourself. VF needs a real coaster, not more junk. Plus the park already has a shuttle coaster that is actually pretty good. But if you want to trade it for Excalibur and throw in a Dip-n-Dots stand or two plus a couple of trash cans I would listen to your offer.

I guess we'll see what Cedar Fair does with the park over the next few years. But don't get your hopes up to high. Can't believe everything read on here because those that know usually don't speak.

I never get my hopes up with VF, it's been my home park for as long as it has been open and CF rarely treats it well. Just mostly on the cheap side when adding rides or attractions. I am though cautiously optimistic for the first time in almost two decades for the park. With CF top exec's indicating they view it as growth park (which I assume means they see it as worthy of finally putting some real money into the park), the additions of Camp Snoopy and Route 76 over the last 3 years, creation of the new corporate/group Picnic area (so they can drop the old one next to the water park for the expansion) and the removal of the Hydro Blaster and IMAX for the water park expansion also it looks to me like they have a nice long range plan in place and have been working it the last 3 years. It has been the most activity at the park in 10 years. I think they are doing this so if/when they do get that shiny new coaster and get the crowd bump that usually comes with such new rides that they will be able to show off a more well rounded and updated park to keep them coming back. If they would have put a new coaster in 3 years ago it would have attracted crowds at first but with the run down kiddy area (before Camp Snoopy), the weakest water park in the chain and the former desolate area where Route 76 is now it would not have had as much impact as it can if they add one in the next couple years now with the new additions. How much money they put into the water park expansion will tell us how serious CF is and why I am anxiously and cautiously optimistic waiting the announcement. And I don't believe everything I read in this thread but I do believe a new coaster will come to the park in the next 2-3 years because CF has added a new major coaster or attraction every 5-6 years to the park since it opened and it has been 7 years since Renegade was added so history tells me one is coming, hopefully this time not on the cheap. Depending on how much money they put into the badly needed water park expansion will tell VF fans if we can dream about a new B&M or Mack being added or if the park is going to get a Vekoma or a re-located Mantis. I feel with a new water park and a good new roller coaster VF could be an average to a little above average park and finally hit its potential. It will never be a great park but it easily could fall in somewhere between decent and good if the money is spent on it.

If CF believes that VF can support a B&M Invert and it's a good investment, they will do it. Will there be an attendance spike the year they install a new coaster, probably. Will it maintain that attendance level the following years? That's the question.

That is the question and I think CF knows that is the big question too. That is why they have added Camp Snoopy, Route 76 and the expected water park expansion in the last 3 years so they have more to offer and show people during the attendance spike a new coaster usually brings in an attempt to keep them coming back and raise the average yearly attendance. The last 3 years have brought more changes to the park than the last 10 years. A new coaster will never bring in as many visitors as it does its first year but it can move the bar for average attendance for following years just like Wild Thing did in bringing in more than 1 million visitors to the park for the first time the year it opened and attendance for the park has never fallen below that mark since. The old saying is still true in any business, you gotta spend money to make money. Hopefully CF does spend that money.

I think that's the direction they're headed with the waterpark expansion. Before the wave pool the area was packed on nice days. Now that's it's about tripled in size it's still packed on nice days. I get the idea a lot of this is new traffic as opposed to diversions from existing rides. People aren't driving from North Dakota to see the new wave pool like they would a B&M invert, but it's attracting a lot of visits from locals looking for something to do on a hot day. Same with Camp Snoopy with locals looking for something to do with their kids.

I was just doing some thinking about what Valleyfair's next coaster should have, and there are two things I really want out of it: I hope VF's next coaster is smooth as glass, because the park lacks a coaster that's completely smooth. Wild Thing is pretty smooth but it has one or two bad spots in the turnaround, and also, Steel Venom has some headbanging coming down the first spike. Also, I hope that VF's next coaster does not have a mid-course brake run, because if it does, that would allow them to trim the life out of the second half (cough...cough...Wild Thing...cough...cough).

Ok, don't you all just really hate when people on other park threads CONSTANTLY COMPLAIN about not getting a new coaster for 3 or 4 years? Like we haven't gotten one for almost 8 years, and THEY are complaining about not getting one for a few years. Take KD for example, people are complaining all the time for not getting a new coaster for 4-5 years. That's not a long time at all, especially if your last coaster you received was a GigaCoaster! It drives me nuts of how greedy these people are on other threads. Just had to get that out

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I do agree with your point, but Valleyfair fans aren't the only ones with a right to complain. I'd say that Michigan's Adventure, Dorney Park, The Great Escape, Elitch Gardens, Darien Lake, Adventureland (Iowa), and a few other parks' fans have complaining rights too. But yeah, it seems like the larger a park is, the more impatient it's fanboys are for a new coaster. In fact, I'd like to see Six Flags Magic Mountain go 5 or 6 years without any coasters, not only because the park needs other things than coasters, but it would also be entertaining to see how the fanboys react.

Also, if anyone on here goes to VF this weekend, could you please fill us in on any demolition/construction going on? Thanks.

^^ I'll be going tomorrow to ride some rides with Fast Lane passes with friends (who aren't coaster geeks ), so if I have time/see anything I'll be sure to let you all know!

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I do agree with your point, but Valleyfair fans aren't the only ones with a right to complain. I'd say that Michigan's Adventure, Dorney Park, The Great Escape, Elitch Gardens, Darien Lake, Adventureland (Iowa), and a few other parks' fans have complaining rights too. But yeah, it seems like the larger a park is, the more impatient it's fanboys are for a new coaster. In fact, I'd like to see Six Flags Magic Mountain go 5 or 6 years without any coasters, not only because the park needs other things than coasters, but it would also be entertaining to see how the fanboys react.

 

Also, if anyone on here goes to VF this weekend, could you please fill us in on any demolition/construction going on? Thanks.

Don't get me started on Adventureland (IA). They do a great job with park upkeep and get good-sized crowds, but they haven't had a new coaster in 18 years. That's just sad.

It seems in America, if you're west of Illinois and north of Missouri, you're in roller coaster enthusiast hell for the most part. That whole wide area of the country hasn't had a decent new roller coaster since 2008. It really makes you wonder why they keep cheaping out Valleyfair, given it pulls in not just Minnesotans, but Iowa and the Dakotas. I really hope the plans to give Valleyfair a lot more attention are not just rumors. It needs love.

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Also, if anyone on here goes to VF this weekend, could you please fill us in on any demolition/construction going on? Thanks.

I'll be going to VF tomorrow to finally take advantage of my"one free-pass" that came with my 2015 SP. (or I guess it's today now,(Sunday ). I will definitely be doing some visual-surveying. I'll post anything that seems worth posting.

So I am expecting an announcement this week, I'm very excited to see what new changes will come to the park!

My prediction is that the announcement will happen this wednesday because its in the exact middle of the two dates we were supposedly given

I hope it will be announced this week (no Thursday because of 9/11)

I was there today and saw nothing especially interesting

This isn't related to anything, I just found it amusing. http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/26450513/ever-noticed-valleyfairs-beautiful-landscape

I know that VF has some really good landscaping (compared to other Cedar Fair parks *cough* Dorney *cough*) but I think that the "garden guy" just wanted to be paid to go to Valleyfair.

This isn't related to anything, I just found it amusing. http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/26450513/ever-noticed-valleyfairs-beautiful-landscape

 

I know that VF has some really good landscaping (compared to other Cedar Fair parks *cough* Dorney *cough*) but I think that the "gardenx guy" just wanted to be paid to go to Valleyfair.

Send him to Busch Gardens Williamsburg.

Don't get me started on Adventureland (IA). They do a great job with park upkeep and get good-sized crowds, but they haven't had a new coaster in 18 years. That's just sad.

 

It seems in America, if you're west of Illinois and north of Missouri, you're in roller coaster enthusiast hell for the most part. That whole wide area of the country hasn't had a decent new roller coaster since 2008. It really makes you wonder why they keep cheaping out Valleyfair, given it pulls in not just Minnesotans, but Iowa and the Dakotas. I really hope the plans to give Valleyfair a lot more attention are not just rumors. It needs love.

I guess you're right on that one. We do have one kick-butt wooden coaster at Valleyfair, and that's Renegade, but yeah, besides that, it can be hard being a coaster enthusiast in this part of the country. But hey, I'm glad we at least have Valleyfair and Nick Universe instead of nothing.

Also, has anyone else seen this ridiculous page on Facebook?

Love the profile picture!