gad198

^ His questions become much more difficult to answer if he's not getting that Early Entry! What should you hit first if you're getting in with the ROTB at 10? I'd still probably recommend going to Maverick first but it's really close between that and MF. I'd definitely avoid TTD and Raptor as those are the rides everyone heads to first (and more importantly, the lines die down anyway after the first few hours).

I think the original post is the key here, right? I'm looking at the DB webcam and the line is 15 minutes right now, if that. The last few days at this time it has been well north of 30. I'm probably heading up after work as long as it doesn't rain (which, incidentally, may be keeping crowds down to begin with). I live close enough, ergo, I can take advantage of the smaller crowds later today. By the way, is there a "Where is everyone from?" topic anywhere on this site? If there isn't then this might be a good idea to start one instead of continuing the dialogue here!

My "most want to ride" 5 are: Bizarro @ SFNE. Not much else to say with this one. Any Intamin Mega-Lite. These things just look awesome for their size. Manta @ Sea World Orlando. I LOVED Tatsu so needless to say I'm anxious to check this one out. Boulder Dash @ Lake Compounce. Will probably take care of this and Bizarro later this summer. Phoenix @ Knoebels. I just want to go to Knoebels to see what the fuss is all about. Having Phoenix there is just an added bonus. Ones just off the list: T-Express @ Everland (Korea). This one looks good but I'm not sure that I'm willing to travel halfway around the world for this, particularly if rumors are true that Eagle's Fortress may have some issues. Expedition GeForce @ Holiday Park (Germany). I've been told by many who've ridden that this rides VERY different depending on when you go. During enthusiast events it's awesome. During regular park visits the trims kill it. Not sure I want to travel that far for a trimmed 'OK' ride.

It would be interesting to see if they would look B&M up for a steelie. What would even a small B&M (floorless/invert) cost these days? 8 mil? 10? I would love to see a B&M there as much as anyone, but when the time came to do a cost/benefit analysis I've always been curious to see how the numbers would lay out. We can always hold out hope, though!

The latest round has ended, and I hope some of you took advantage of this. I'll keep this space for any future offerings!

KI Man - I remember seeing you a few times after rides early in the season and you raving about rows 8 and 9. I talked to you a little while later and you said you liked row 4. I saw you again recently and you said rows 6 and 10 are where it's at. I think many of us are like this, that your favorite row changes with each ride, and also goes to show you that there isn't a one-size-fits-all answer! Personally, I like row 1 (if the train is warmed up...I've had some rides up here where the air here has just been 'ok'), row 16 (best seat for first drop, exit from hammerhead, drop off MCBR and drop into splashdown), but I agree with KI Man that rows 6-10 offer rides that are underrated. Those middle row rides offer the really cool sustained float over each and every hill. I think the worst rows are row 3-5 (you don't get the view like you do in rows 1 & 2 and the air (and speed) isn't quite as pronounced) and rows 11 & 12 (you don't get the float, IMO, nor do you get the pull down the hills like you do in the last three or four rows).

They're back! But there are only 13 left (as of the time of this post), so act quickly! Holiday World Ticket Offer

Not to say that you are incorrect, but I haven't heard any confirmation that Kings Dominion is getting a gigacoaster. If you know something, please explain. Truly interested. Technically you're absolutely correct. KD has NOT announced anything official. However, I'm also going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you haven't been following KD's "rumored" giga coaster construction. There are, however, pictures here and here to check out as a starting point. There are: - Track pieces on site - Packing slips clearly showing this is an Intamin shipment with the words "giga coaster" on them Yes, no official confirmation has been given, but I'm not sure how much more evidence you may need if these photos don't convince you.

^ I agree about Invertigo and RR but disagree about Firehawk. Firehawk is definitely a step above the Supermen: Ultimate Flights (but WAY below Tatsu) from a total ride experience standpoint, IMO, minus the pretzel loops on B&M flyers. Having said that, I'd trade FH for a good B&M invert every day and twice on Sunday. I know it's been mentioned in other places but it's interesting to see the direction CF and Six Flags are going, respectively. Outside of Magic Mountain's new coaster this year (and the one slated for next) Six Flags isn't doing much in the "bigger" coaster/ride department these days, while CF is ramping up with the Behemoth/Diamondback/KD's giga/Carowinds rumored B&M hyper combo. I'm actually more curious to see "when" CF decides to add another big attraction to the parks who recently either received new attractions or are getting them soon.

Excellent trip report. SFOG is definitely one of the most underrated parks out there. It's interesting to hear the Goliath vs. Diamondback debate, particularly when you had a split vote between the two of you. The only thing that separates the two rides IMO is the amount of airtime you get on each. The front on Goliath gives you mild floater, at best, while the front of DB gives you much stronger air in all conditions. I did, however, have a trimless Goliath ride in the back and that one ride was better than "any" ride I've had on DB.

If KI wanted to build an addition that added to the park's coaster count and not spend as much as a bigger coaster then I'd agree. If you wanted to build something that would be a capacity nightmare and have long, slow-moving lines through the day all day then I'd also agree. Kings Island, quite honestly, already has issues with capacity on many of their rides so I'm not sure that would be the way to go, coaster-wise anyway. Having said that, I'd agree with many others that the park needs a B&M invert. Some might say "well, the park has Invertigo", but look at Cedar Point. They have both Raptor and Wicked Twister, so this isn't unprecedented by a CF park.

Actually filling empty seats does speed up the line. Let's say if DB were to not assign seats, your wait is exactly 1 hour, and in that 1 hour there are 50 empty seats. With a seperator (or seat assigner) in place, those 50 seats get filled causing there to be 50 fewer people in front of you...thus less wait for you in line. And, not only does it cause the line to move faster it has a very unusual (perhaps unintended) side effect. The single rider line now, wait-time wise, is frequently longer than the main queue. Even at that, the simple fact that there are single riders in that line at all frequently means that the main queue line is that many people shorter. The end of the night is a perfect example. Watch DB trains go out during the last 10-15 minutes. Once the SRL is emptied there are ALWAYS empty seats going out in various quantities, again, causing the main queue to be longer (albeit marginally, but longer nonetheless). I think the argument of random single riders being paired in the station (without an SRL) doesn't always hold true. There are a lot of assumptions that go into that: (1) that the ride op will announce a single seat is available, (2) that a single rider will actually step up and ride in that train. I can't tell you how many times, particularly on 4 across B&Ms where there are only 3 people in a row. Most times I see single riders jumping in that last seat it's generally an enthusiast. Most members of the GP are probably going to wait for the next train unless something compels them (a non-rider waiting for them, etc.). If you're in a group where you need to pair up so that you're riding on the same train, how many times have you gotten into a row where there are two people waiting in a row only to find out they're actually two singles waiting for two different trains? KI's goal is to maximize capacity on the ride, plain and simple. In reality, most of the people who ride DB, particularly the GP, don't care where they sit. They may request a row (usually 1 or 16), but I don't hear about guests getting upset because they requested row 9 on DB and didn't get it. Most of the time people are looking for four rows: 1, 2, 15, or 16. I think most of the DB ride ops are very accommodating as far as seat requests (less row 1, particularly if there's already a big queue for it) as long as you're polite and ask in a respectful manner, but there will be times when 5 straight groups just asked for the same row you were about to ask for, and that's just the way it works out sometimes. However, as previously mentioned, you're waiting for a shorter period of time with the ride assigner (and SRL), AND, most of the time they're accommodating seat requests. These are both good things last I checked! The system isn't perfect, I'll agree with everyone there, but I'd love to see a better way to find a balance between sending full trains and allowing everyone to sit where they want to sit than what they're currently doing. They're not saying 'no' to seat requests all the time, so this to me seems like it's a bit of relative issue. Would you rather see 12 seats per train go unfilled, terrible operations (stacking of trains for minutes at a time), or be allowed to sit in a preferred row?

I'm pretty sure they pull the toll associates two hours prior to park closing. This has been the case just about every time I've gone. Perhaps on July 3/4 (or other days when people may be coming to the park en masse later than usual) that may not be the case, though, so YMMV.

This is the one thing I was thinking about yesterday. I have purchased exactly one drink at the park in the last two years and fudge on two or three occasions during that time, and here's the thing...I'd be MUCH more apt to purchase something if there was a season pass discount, even if it was only 10%! I know it's been mentioned here before, but Dollywood's 20% season pass discount is really nice. It's not that their regular prices are that much better than KI's, but that 20% discount at least makes you FEEL like there's some value in the pricing. I will usually purchase food in their park solely due to this. Even Six Flags gives out a season pass discount book, which while the deals may not be great for things outside of admission it's at least something of value. I don't want to get too far off-topic, but I still haven't figured out why you would buy a Platinum Pass at Kings Island if you weren't going to visit other parks. There is NO distinguishing between a Gold and Platinum Pass at KI in terms of benefits. Yes, I realize that KI has a high number of season pass holders, but still, if you're going to offer a PP at a much higher price point the least they should do is have some reward associated with that (other than merely getting you into other parks). You would definitely think about buying a PP if you were a regular Cedar Point visitor for the Point Perks (specifically, for the early entry and free parking). There's no incentive to do that at KI.

If I recall correctly, the detour we took around that was as follows (from Route 6): Right on St. Rte. 510 Left on St. Rte. 412 Left on St. Rte. 101 Once you get into Castalia on 101 (at the light) you can either take St. Rte. 269 (left branch) or you can take St. Rte. 101 (turn right). Both will connect you back to US Rte. 6, but 101 will actually bring you almost all the way into Sandusky. EDIT: The detour takes right around 15 mins extra.

The experiences of both parks is really cool. If you gave me a choice to spend 10 days in either park I'd pick Cedar Point 7 days out of 10. There's simply more stuff to do at Cedar Point for people of all ages. Magic Mountain: Tatsu and Riddler's Revenge are probably best in their class coasters. X2 is such a unique coaster and is worth seeing just to believe it. Batman the Ride, Goliath, Scream, and Ninja are more than re-rideable. Plus, you get the added bonus of what looks to be a good wooden coaster in Terminator Salvation the Ride. There are two gripes that I have with this park; lack of shade and lack of flats. Magic Mountain can get very warm in the summer and there's not a whole lot of shade out on the midways. Cedar Point: not much else I can say here that hasn't already been said. I like the coasters and flats here more. Lake Erie, though, is the real difference, as there's nothing that can quite match that setting. All in all, I just feel like I get more out of a day at Cedar Point.

Many of us have our favorite rides. Rides that, without question, immediately come to mind when the discussion of best rides come up. There are also those particular rides on those same coasters that, when conditions are right, transform a good ride into a GREAT ride and make for an unbelievable experience. This poll is all about the stories we have for that one ride that stands out above the rest. My defining ride was on the Voyage during this years Holiwood Nights. The Voyage is my #1 and provides great rides even during the day. This, however, was a pitch black, lightning-in-the-sky, airtime-filled speed journey through the woods. It was like being able to have an actual ride on a coaster you're dreaming about. Trains full of even the most seasoned enthusiasts were cheering and applauding after every run! I think the best part of the ride was being able to ride with someone who was riding the Voyage for the first time. I have to say that having her in my seat most of the ride was really interesting! Watching her reaction after the ride was simply priceless; a mix of exhilaration, wonder, and relief . Sometimes conditions come together just right to bring a ride up to the next level, but this ride simply zoomed from a 10 to a 15. It'll be very difficult to top those rides that night! I can't wait to see some of your stories!

^ I think I saw you in the Diamondback line yesterday. You were with someone in a TTD shirt. Riding El Toro the first time is definitely an experience. You keep waiting for regular wooden coaster vibrations/roughness but you never get it. It's amazingly smooth, and if it weren't for the Voyage it might be the be wooden coaster out there, for me anyway.

^ Yeah, absolutely. I'm assuming you know about the gate by Magnum?* This is the only way to go if you're planning on following your game plan by going to Maverick first (which is wise, by the way) at park opening at 9. Have a great time! * special thanks to Gigacoaster2K for this advice EDIT: PhantomTheater beat me to it. Also good to see TTD is running at higher capacity early!

That would be a negative. They discontinued that system shortly thereafter. I believe that the only ways you can cut to the front of the line now (legally) are to: * Pay for the VIP pass ($375 per person) * Be handed an exit pass after being having a ride malfunction on you (i.e., getting stuck on MF's lift), be stuck for a considerable amount of time on the ride, etc. There are more topics about how to best navigate CP if you're trying to avoid lines, but the one thing they'll all have in common is this...make sure you get to the park early!! If you can take part in early entry at 9 (having a Platinum Pass or staying at a resort on site, including Breakers Express) make sure you do it, as it will save you loads of time. If you can't get in until 10 please make sure you DO NOT go to Top Thrill Dragster first. TTD won't usually run with full trains until at least 11 am most mornings so the line will take much longer to get through early in the day.

You know, it'd be interesting to see if they would do some type of exhibit showing off all the items lost on DB. The last time we rolled through the airport in Cleveland we saw a big display case with all kinds of items they had to confiscate as people went through security (the nunchuks were my personal favorite from that collection), and I'd love to see the things that DB has collected in less than two months. Outstanding! "Here is your cell phone...(display cell phone after having been crushed on ground after flying out of DB)...here is your cell phone after DB." Awesome! How cool is this? I was laughing really hard after seeing the box on DB this weekend for the first time. You just wonder how long that box has been in the works...

Good TR. I'm thinking about heading to those same parks later this summer, so thank you for shedding some light on each park. I like your short, simple reviews of the coasters. Thanks for posting!

^ My brother pointed out the same thing yesterday. Then again, it's also entirely possible the person realized it was missing at the end of the ride and went to have another reissued. I'd be curious to see if they'd waive the replacement fee in that circumstance. Two years ago we were walking by Top Thrill Dragster next to Magnum when we looked up to see a launch. The train was just about to the top when we saw two objects come out of the train. We both looked at each other with "are you seeing what I'm seeing?" kind of looks. Watching objects float down from that high is really wild! Anyway, when the objects were about 150 feet off the ground we finally made out what they were: one cell phone and one pair of sunglasses. The objects were in on our path, and my brother facetiously asked if we should catch them (note, catching objects, any object, from that height is not recommended!). As it turns out the pair of sunglasses ended up smashing on the pavement and the cell phone made it into a grove of bushes next to the tower. A passerby dug in the bushes for about ten seconds, spotted the cell phone and returned it to the rider after the ride. The thing that really capped that off was the fact that the train rolled back, so we got to see three objects fall from 400 feet! To this day I still don't know how that phone ended up safe after falling from that height!

Most of the people I either know or have talked to about Behemoth vs. Diamondback (and have ridden both, myself included) have said that Behemoth is better. Having said that, as the Interpreter mentioned you'll really need to decide for yourself, and both are wonderful coasters. I'm curious to ride Bizarro @ SFNE for the first time. Just as a sidenote, does anyone find it odd that those trains have been modified as many times as they have? What is it about this particular ride that they feel the need to continue tweaking the trains?

^ The SRL these days seemingly is always down at the bottom of the stairs. So far this season I've only used it twice when I've had the opportunity to use it, and both of those instances were very early in the season. The days of getting on quick (<5-10 mins) using the SRL seem to be over, for now at least. I've got somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 rides now. It was interesting because I was down at Holiday World for HWN and I spoke with several people about Diamondback, and they all said that their first rides were just 'meh' but love the coaster now. I really think this is one coaster that gets better with every ride. EDIT: Unrelated, did they take down kiDiamondback.com? I'll miss that webcam, and particularly the shots of how long the lines are if that is the case.