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AZ Kinda Guy

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Posts posted by AZ Kinda Guy

  1. There is a food stand in Coney where the entire menu is completely gluten free. The name escapes me but I believe the former name of the place was "Its Fried." The wifey and I were pleased to see this as my daughter has Celiac Disease. She is very sensetive to gluten so we highly worry about cross contamination and employees having little to no training when it comes to food allergies. We pack her food regardless but it's nice to know we have an option out there when visiting the park.

    • Like 4
  2. Why am I just now seeing that old aerial shot on page 2? Anyone know the story with the strange labels on said picture?

    Edit: Educate me. Was the train route altered after that aerial picture was taken? If so, presumably for the addition of the waterpark?

    • Like 3
  3. The presentation of that ride is a shell of it's former self. IMO, that was the last attraction where CF really dove into the overall experience of the ride. From the time you entered the line to the time you left the exit it was a full blown assault on all your senses. Unfortunately, it seems like they could care less about this aspect of their rides now which is a shame because that's what made CF rides stick out more than the others and ultimately, a cut above their competitors.

    • Like 5
  4. The elimination of the single rider line on Diamondback was so they could profit off of Fastlane. They can pull the groups of people abused it card all they want but if the groups filled the single empty seats,and they did, then what's the problem? Can't tell you how many times my wife and I used the single riders line together on Sheikra over at BGT last time we went.

    • Like 9
  5. Everything about that ride needs a revamp: from the name, to the interiors, to the theming, to the characters, to the effects, etc, etc. I'll never forget the first time I heard the name, "Boo Blasters on Boo Hill." Really? How long did it take to come up with that little gem? "Hmm...they're ghosts and ghosts go 'boo' and we'll blast them and they live on a hill, hmmm, what could we call it? I know! Boo Blasters on Boo Hill! Genius!"

    Then they thought it would be a good idea to rip out all the good characters and replace them with cardboard cutouts.

    There is no theming, no story...nothing. The ride queue used to be completely engrossing with Maestro playing music and talking to you. Now, it's complete crap. Don't even get me started on the TVs they put in there. Now the queue is even more pointless than it was last year. Playing a music video for Frozen's "Let it Go," really? What's that got to do with Boo Blasters and the whole theme and story?

    Most of the ride is cheaply manufactured, then the ending scene that's pitch black with all the skeletons growling and groaning with glowing eyes is too scary for young kids, so I'm confused about who the target audience was.

    The retheme is just a complete disaster and a complete disgrace to the history of the park and the rides that were contained within that building. I get too riled up just thinking about it so I'm going to end my rant. Thank you for reading. -_-

    ^THIS^ x 1000....My three year olds rode it with the wife and I this past Saturday and couldn't have been more more bored with it. That is until the skeltons at the end, which absolutely terrified them. What a waste.

    • Like 16
  6. ... Those attending Media Day (IMO a bit of a misnomer seeing as it's more likely going to end up like some overcrowded enthusiast event) ...

    Give this man a cookie. Secondly, I've been to several media days and I had the small American Eagle logo on a polo shirt and not a single **** was given.

    • Like 6
  7. I know they do, again I just think it's stupid and pointless...

    Only ride I know a ride op "drives" is Monster, that I could understand, but the rest, you push dispatch or a brake release, maybe a few extra buttons, end of story. Last I checked driving something isn't just a push of the button

    Kings Island calls it the "driver/drive box," and CP calls it "controls." Get over it.

    • Like 13
  8. First off, your assumption of GG coasters having high maintenance costs is wrong. It's actually quite the opposite when compared to other wood coasters with similar stats. Secondly, why would a small park invest heavily into a wood coaster if they know there are going to be "high maintenance costs?" Logic would tell you they would invest into a wood coaster that is the complete opposite. Going by your logic, large corporate parks would be the ones to invest in a GG coaster because they have more money to throw at it. Also, you can't compare CCI rides to GG.rides. There are/were different owners and different people making the decisions. In regards to the Timberliners not being used at HW, unless you know the whole story, which you don't, you really can't use that as an argument against the Timberliners. As for parks perception of them, I guess the perception is good considering more and more of the GG coasters have them now. The Timberliners are doing what they are advertised to do. I can promise you that

    *Italicized for emphesis.

    So how come Hades 360 bombed? I've heard pretty terrible reviews of it.

    I think it comes down to the track design over trains. You can have the best wooden trains imaginable, but the way the track is designed is key. Woodies that are taller, mainly ones with higher curves taken at higher speeds tend not to do well. Wooden coaster structures (wood or steel) sway a lot with that combination of elements, creating rough spots. John Allen was a HUGE believer in this. That's why I'm pretty sure Timberliners wouldn't have saved Son of Beast and they'd probably fail on Voyage as well. Timberliners (nor Millennium Flyers for that matter) are not an instant cure for bad wooden track design. Pre-fabs like El Toro or special wooden track designs like Outlaw Run are exceptions.

    Reviews from who? ACErs? Take their opinion with a grain of salt. Ask the track walkers & mechanics if the Timberliners make their job easier. Trains make all the difference in the world. Retrofit some Vekoma invert trains for a B&M Batman and tell me it's not about the trains.

  9. two words: Gravity Group

    See, I love The Gravity Group rides. I really do. The ones I've been on (Voyage, Ravine Flyer II, Boardwalk Bullet) are all fantastic rides in their own way. (Boardwalk Bullet was also evil in its own way, but that's another topic for another time, after I've recovered from the traumatic brain damage.) Each of those rides has its own personality; there really is no common factor amongst any of those three rides similar to the way that B&Ms, Arrows, or even Intamins can have.

    The thing with Gravity Group rides, though, is that they've all only been installed at smaller parks. And I feel like the (assumed) fairly high maintenance cost has a lot to do with that. Beast and Racer both have their off years, and, dynamically, neither of those rides are too intense for the full duration of the ride. Can you imagine a large-scale corporate park trying to keep a ride like Voyage running well while balancing a maintenance budget for all the rest of the rides in the park? Holiday World seems to balance it well enough, but they're probably the biggest park out there that has a reputation for maintaining CCI/Gravity Group wooden coasters well, and that's with just three "grown-up" coasters. (I know Mt. Olympus has more than that, but I've yet to hear rave reviews for anything that park does for its coasters besides purchase them and pay once to have the biggest one retracked and get a new train.) Gravity Group rides have made this niche for themselves in the U.S. for being these showstopper rides that make small parks a big deal. I think the potentially high ongoing costs of them have kept them from becoming relevant to big parks, whereas a small park is willing to pay a lot more to maintain a ride that's going to keep them relevant versus big corporate parks. Heck, look at CCI's track record--I think the biggest parks with CCI installations are Knott's and Michigan's Adventure. That says a lot, especially when you consider when the parks added them.

    I know there are Timberliners to consider, but I start to wonder how Holiday World's decision to not use them and the mixed reviews of Hades 360 affected parks' perception of them. They really don't seem to be gaining traction, apart from places like Quassy and the park in New Hampshire. Then again, Mike Graham said at the ACE event at KI in December that what rough track remained on Hades 360 would be retracked this year, so who knows?

    First off, your assumption of GG coasters having high maintenance costs is wrong. It's actually quite the opposite when compared to other wood coasters with similar stats. Secondly, why would a small park invest heavily into a wood coaster if they know there are going to be "high maintenance costs?" Logic would tell you they would invest into a wood coaster that is the complete opposite. Going by your logic, large corporate parks would be the ones to invest in a GG coaster because they have more money to throw at it. Also, you can't compare CCI rides to GG.rides. There are/were different owners and different people making the decisions. In regards to the Timberliners not being used at HW, unless you know the whole story, which you don't, you really can't use that as an argument against the Timberliners. As for parks perception of them, I guess the perception is good considering more and more of the GG coasters have them now. The Timberliners are doing what they are advertised to do. I can promise you that

  10. two words: Gravity Group

    See, I love The Gravity Group rides. I really do. The ones I've been on (Voyage, Ravine Flyer II, Boardwalk Bullet) are all fantastic rides in their own way. (Boardwalk Bullet was also evil in its own way, but that's another topic for another time, after I've recovered from the traumatic brain damage.) Each of those rides has its own personality; there really is no common factor amongst any of those three rides similar to the way that B&Ms, Arrows, or even Intamins can have.

    The thing with Gravity Group rides, though, is that they've all only been installed at smaller parks. And I feel like the (assumed) fairly high maintenance cost has a lot to do with that. Beast and Racer both have their off years, and, dynamically, neither of those rides are too intense for the full duration of the ride. Can you imagine a large-scale corporate park trying to keep a ride like Voyage running well while balancing a maintenance budget for all the rest of the rides in the park? Holiday World seems to balance it well enough, but they're probably the biggest park out there that has a reputation for maintaining CCI/Gravity Group wooden coasters well, and that's with just three "grown-up" coasters. (I know Mt. Olympus has more than that, but I've yet to hear rave reviews for anything that park does for its coasters besides purchase them and pay once to have the biggest one retracked and get a new train.) Gravity Group rides have made this niche for themselves in the U.S. for being these showstopper rides that make small parks a big deal. I think the potentially high ongoing costs of them have kept them from becoming relevant to big parks, whereas a small park is willing to pay a lot more to maintain a ride that's going to keep them relevant versus big corporate parks. Heck, look at CCI's track record--I think the biggest parks with CCI installations are Knott's and Michigan's Adventure. That says a lot, especially when you consider when the parks added them.

    I know there are Timberliners to consider, but I start to wonder how Holiday World's decision to not use them and the mixed reviews of Hades 360 affected parks' perception of them. They really don't seem to be gaining traction, apart from places like Quassy and the park in New Hampshire. Then again, Mike Graham said at the ACE event at KI in December that what rough track remained on Hades 360 would be retracked this year, so who knows?

    Ten installations in the past four years say otherwise.

    Edit: I just re-read your post. There's all kinds of wrong in there. I don't even know where to begin. Pro tip: don't assume.

    • Like 1
  11. ...Just goes further to illustrate how preposterous, immature (and annoying) spieling is. Guests and ride ops should take safety instructions more seriously. Paramount Parks until its last few years had a totally different philosophy about guest interaction at rides: Safety is important, be sure you've done as much as you can to assure that. The point of contact at guest boarding is to assure safety compliance, first and foremost. If any spieling is to be done, it will be mechanically reproduced by automated systems, as our ride ops have far more important responsibilities to consume their time and attention. That was the nineties and early 2000's Paramount Parks ride operations philosophy.

    Then somebody got "Welcome Back you crazy Magnum Riders, How was your ride?" envy. Sigh.

    Disagree with you on the spieling. Having been one of those people that have delivered said spiels, when done right, it is effective. Ensuring rider safety, when it comes down to it, is a visual check. A good ride op can ensure rider safety and deliver spiels at the same time. In the Paramount years, the control operator delivered most, if not all, of the spiels. Frankly, I'd rather have the ops on the floor deliver the spiels then the controls operator. The last thing I want, as a rider, is the controls operator to be distracted.

    • Like 14
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