CoastersNSich

This is what I have been trying to say for a while. Why do I like B&M? Airtime, family friendly, smooth, reliable, highly rated, high capacity. PKI has the opportunity to become my favorite park once again, and to steal that Golden Ticket from CP. IJST has some appeal, but it is limited. And while we're on CP, I find it surprising that IJST has a height requirement of 48": the same as Millennium Force, once again rated #1 steel coaster by Amusement Today. And why is the MF line often so long after 5 years: people love it. What I get from some posters on this board is that PKI is the absolute best park ever, and that Six Flags parks are horrible. Both chains have their pros and cons, and as a fan of the amusement industry, I am not shy to point them out.

http://www.sixflags.com/parks/overgeorgia/.../GOLIATH_A.html I've been wanting to go down to Atlanta to see the city and SFOG - this is a better reason to go! Although an old parachute drop ride (few of these remain) was removed to make way, this will definitely (IMO) fill the void, as the fan of B&Ms and hypers that I am.

I saw the pretty full parking lot as I drove by on I-71 to pick up a friend in Mason to go to Cedar Point... My Trip Report On the way, when exiting off I-71 to turn left on Kings Mills Rd, some ****ing jerk just parked their *** car in the middle of the intersection, so I honk a little, but they give me the big fat bird. Nice tennis fans you have out there!!!!! Back to the topic, CP was pretty packed too. Even in the evening, we waited over 45 min. to do Raptor. Monday was also very crowded, it wasn't hard to wait 1.5 or even 2 hours for something (like Millennium Force or Top Thrill Dragster). Mustve been a combination of last minute before back to school and the deep ticket discounts.

Thanks for the nice replies. Unfortunately I did not get to ride maXair nor Demon Drop, but it's very likely I'll be back to visit on a fall weekend. I have been unemployed since graduating in June with my bachelor degree, and one place I interviewed at had a lot of bad strings attached to it, like being a temporary position, and NO time off, even if its for a few hours for something you planned (and paid for) well in advance. I was concerned that if I accepted the job (if offered), I would be ****ing away a money I paid for some great sporting events out of town. If I were to turn it down after being offered, some relatives would be ****ed at me. Not to mention family income is down, and expenses are up... But I am optimsitic something good will come.

Trip Report: Cedar Point – 8/21-8/22 Sunday – 8/21 With summer fading fast, and gas prices rising like never before, a good friend and I decided to make good use of our season passes and head for Cedar Point, my first time since CoasterMania in June. After church services and battling hothead drivers leaving the tennis tournament near Kings Island where my good friend lives, we were on the road to Sandusky, arriving about 4 hours later, and getting to Gemini before 7pm. Gemini (twice: 5-10 min. each) Rode on both sides, one near front, other near back. I will note that I haven’t been to Kennywood, but this is hands down my favorite steel coaster. 27 years old, and still very smooth, fast, and loaded with airtime. One of my favorite coaster stations, as well. Magnum XL-200 – 30 min. I went for 1-3, which I love so much because of the violent airtime on the way back on the bunny hills. I know how some complain about the roughness, but the air and speed make up for it. Corkscrew – 15-30 min. Back car, first row. If there was a low point on this trip, this would probably be one of them. Normally, the wait for Corkscrew would be within the station, if not a walk-on. Why so long? Because of the seatbelts that have been added, connecting the OTSRs to the seat base. Also, these seatbelts, when detached, can hit people in the head when boarding or exiting the train. Power Tower (Up) – 5-10 min. Not as forceful as the shorter S&S towers, but still fun. Blue Streak – 5-10 min. 2-1 – Although having been neutered from Coaster Classic status (ratcheting lap bars, headrests, seat dividers), has good airtime and a fast turnaround and rides smooth (at least in my seat) Raptor – 45 min. Next to last row – Raptor always seems to have a long line, especially this time, but due to popularity – this is a people-eater, and still one of the best inverted B&Ms out there. Sky Ride and Space Spiral were down due to high winds. This was the last night of the Snoopy Summertime Spectacular, it was very entertaining and loaded with great music, as well as a patriotic theme at the end. I would, however, would like them to get rid of the college team section (or at least shorten the Ohio State part, it felt like being at a political rally that I disagree with). The accommodations for the night were at the Clarion Inn, near the Sandusky Mall. The place looks a little dated, but I appreciated the rate around $50 and the quieter location. For some reasons, however, I was unable to sleep, partly because of some personal and family conflicts that having bad effects on me, as well as having some dessert and caffeine before heading to bed - but at least my friend was able to sleep. At around 4 am, I stopped at the Meijer down the street for some Tylenol PM, but no luck getting sleep. Monday – 8/22 We arrived at around 8 am, parking in the Gemini lot, and waiting at the entrance used by many of the resort guests – and there seemed to be many of them by the time we got in line for Joe Cool Club and resort ERT. Top Thrill Dragster had many successful cycles, so most everyone went there first. We were expecting some friends from Columbus, who unfortunatlely, were running late, so they missed ERT by an hour or so. Top Thrill Dragster – 15-30 min. Second car, first row, red train. Oddly, the differently trains perform different, where red is faster (airtime!), and gold is slow (tendency to roll back). The gold train was not in use, kept on the transfer area. Magnum XL-200 – 5 min. 6-1 – airtime similar to last night. This ride is so rightly deserving of its ACE plaque. Mantis – 15 min. Row 8 (back), outside seat. Intense but not too painful. Did this early because dispatches are time-consuming, resulting in quickly accumulating lines. Iron Dragon – 5 min. Had a little crowd, but the quick 3-train operation provides a quick but fun experience. WildCat – 15 min. Also having not too much of a line, this is a terrific Schwarzkopf I try to ride once on every CP trip. Sky Ride (East) – 5 min. Having some time to kill, we take the Sky Ride, which had a short line on the upper ramp, to the other end, and go eat at the Midway Market. Lunch was $11.95, but we got $1 with the Joe Cool pass, and there were plenty of tables available, so we got started right away, at around 11:30. We got a good view of Raptor, which had an almost-full queue of around 1.5 hours. After eating, we went to TTD to meet our friends, but they are still waiting for the front seat (but are in the station). Power Tower (Up) – 5-10 min. After riding alone on PTU, we finally meet up personally with our Columbus friends, who have been seated in the front seat on TTD, and are ready for lanch. Magnum XL-200 – 30 min. Great ride, like before, but our wait in the station can be proof how getting groups to line up can suck. Gemini (twice: 15 min. each) Rode on both sides, first time in 1-1 (the four of us split in two different sides), second time in 1-2, but different trains each time. Fun as ever! Mean Streak – 10-15 min. With crowds as big at as I could maybe remember them, this was my longest Mean Streak wait so far. But still short – my friend and I rode in the back car, first row, while the other two rode in the first row of the car in front of us. Millennium Force – 1 - 1.25 hour I have heard the horror stories about MF’s dispatch times and saw the huge queue being halfway full, not to mention noting that FreeWay is no longer, so I was very wary of going this time. The line, however, was consistently moving, and within an hour, we were at the station. We decided to wait for the front seat, which lengthened our wait even more, even noting that one of the seats in the front row were out of order. We did, however, have a strategy – one of us would sneak up when the yellow train arrived, and grab the single seat. I was the first to do so, and my friend followed only 2 cycles later. Our other two friends decided to wait for the front together though, but we were done with MF before too long. The ride? Purely breathtaking. My MF experience was probably one of the best surprise on this trip. I was insisting on going to the Snoopy ice show at the Good Time Theatre, but a desire to eat and do other things had us parting ways just before the 6:00 show began, and we began to get back on the road, leaving possibly my favorite park. Before leaving, I got some good photo shots of Gemini, including one that included both my dashboard and the two trains full of people. We ate at the Ruby Tuesday at Sandusky Mall, and then drove towards Cincinnati. I wasn’t feeling too great after the hotel stay of no sleep, so I let my friend drive after a gas fill-up in Mansfield, and he drove until reaching his place in Mason (near Kings Island), and I had the energy to drive home to Springdale. I didn’t have much success in hiding my problems, but they were unable to make my trip a disaster, as Cedar Point was still as great as I remember it being.

There must some confusion here... The topic of the original post and article had to do with Water Works/Boomerang Bay expansion for 2004. Some here are thinking that Great Wolf Lodge is this mega water park that may be a Beach-killer. I'd hate to say this, but those who see the actual water park may be a little disappointed. The main purpose of the GWL is that of a HOTEL. The most striking amenity, of course, is the indoor waterpark, but it is much smaller in size and water demand/capacity than Boomerang Bay or The Beach. The features of GWL's indoor water park are several slides, a small wave pool, play areas, and an outdoor pool - something, again, small and exclusive to the guests of GWL (like any motel/hotel pool would be). I am, however, excited to see the Great Wolf Lodge coming next to PKI - it will be a great place to stay for families visiting Cincinnati and PKI, and a destination within itself. Also, I think the Beach is still a great water park, as it has some neat, intense slides, and a nice wooded setting. Closing the Beach just to get its water supply is much more than GWL would really need.

Do you remember about 10 years ago when people used to reproduce the old "Taste Great... Less Filling" Miller commercial? That used to own. How I loved, and miss that. Viking Fury to me isn't a ride that's worth screaming on...

SFGAMworld has good photos of Six Flags Great America's Revolution, their HUSS Frisbee. It opened there last year, but was previously located at Great Adventure.

They replaced the buzz-bars with the individual racheting lap bars most likely because the old bars allowed people of smaller size and height to stand - the new ones are tailored to people of different sizes. This change at KI I guess happened in the early 1990s, but the retractable seat belts weren't added until 2004. I guess that in the more litigious and idiotic society we live in today, we won't go back to the buzz-bars, although some coasters still have the simpler restraints Some examples are Beastie at PKI, Stricker's Grove's wooden coasters, Camden Park and Geauga Lake's Big Dipper, the woodies at Indiana Beach, and Thunderhawk at Dorney Park. The Beast, while it originally had the buzz-bars and no headrests (and 4-row cars), was originally equipped with seat dividers, probably the first wood coaster to do so.

You can, however, get discounted tickets for $16.99 with your 2006 Pass. These tickets are good during any day of Winterfest; this is good if your plans are up in the air...

I was there from 6:30 to 10:30 today. Crowded as expected for a day like this, but managed to have a good time. I saw "School of Rock" for the first time, was great. Full queue for Delirium, but glad to see it running again. CYoung2003 also said it opened at 3 pm, but I passed it up, but I'll be back on a day that's not so busy. Did Adventure Express: slow today, 2 trains, unlike the full 3 on less busy days... I got Gold Pass tickets: Beast for around 8 pm, and IJST around 9 pm. I only waited for a front seat on Beast, but when I got to the Italian Job, the queue was empty. Not good. This was followed by The Racer, one ride on each side, and then 6-2 on Son of Beast, then went home.

Most times I've been to Geauga Lake, almost everything was a walk-on, except for X-Flight, which sometimes only runs one train and takes some time to load. Sometimes you can wait up to an hour, depending on the parks crowds. But for the other coasters, the new owners have done a good job with capacity, running two trains on most coasters, including Villain, Dominator, and Thunderhawk. The Raging Wolf Bobs has been retracked, and a second train added. And yes, don't miss the Big Dipper, especially in the front! Flats and non-coasters: When I'm there, I make an effort to ride the Bel-Air Express Monorail and the Skyscraper, a gyro tower with a panoramic view of the park. There's also the top spin, the Texas Twister, among several flats. Make sure to try the Carousel, which dates back to the 1910s and has a beautiful organ. For food, can't think of a place that is very outstanding in the park, but there are a couple of sit-down places, including the Beachcomber, which I think has table service. I saw that on some weekends, you can purchase tickets to an all-you-can-eat picnic buffet for around $10 in the new lakeside picnic pavilions. I seem to be an advocate for Geauga Lake and Cedar Fair - they have put a new attiude into this park, and are trying to earn back the people Six Flags lost. Slowly but surely, I think they'll be back, with $25 general admission and the new, included Wildwater Kingdom water park.

1) I did get to drive the Antique cars before their removal. I honestly miss the scenery, including the covered bridge. 2) I'd prefer the classic cars returning. I think KI can be creative and use some of the vacant land that's around IJST as well as where the dolphin stadium once stood. 3) What rumors do I not know?

Not the longest... but quite possibly the best. I hope to be among the first riders next May. Also, I've heard that Holiday World will be the co-host park for CoasterCon in 2007, along with (P)KI. We can hope something good and big will come in '07 for KI...

Make your choice, feel free to comment, any details, and what you would like to go with the name change (in more realistic terms, not necessary your #1 ideal) (Edit: I know that the topic is already being discussed. I'm just establishing a poll.)

The three days of Nights of Fire were surprising to me as well, especially when I entered the park on the 2nd, and saw guests on the top deck of the Eiffel Tower, even as signs said that the tower would be closed on the three days. Also, the coasters that they were to close at 8 pm, actually closed at 9pm, and most actually reopened for an hour or so (except for The Beast). The tower itself also reopened. I thought the show was weak compared to previous years, but not bad. The cool lighting on the tower was neat. Why don't they do this every night when it gets dark?

I didn't really see the show, but I could hear Captain & Tennille's "Love Will Keep Us Together" coming from the amphitheater as I walked toward the Eiffel Tower leaving Coney Mall just the other day.

I think Stricker's is also open to the public for one day in October (if not, September). On those days the park charges a flat POP, where parking is free, and rides and soft drinks are included. I last went a couple of years ago, and it's definitely worth visiting if you've never been. The Tornado and Teddy Bear are good wooden coasters, and I agree with Bill on Tornado... there's some sort of dip that is ejector-style! They also got Cedar Point's old Schwabinchen ride, which last ran in 2002, though I don't know if it has been installed yet. There's even some flying scooters, among the several flats they have. Also, check out the minature train ride. For food, you can either bring your own, or buy a good grilled meal of burgers or hot dog, corn, and potato salad, for $5 or less!

My first visit was the first full season after I was born... 1982, when I rode the Wild Animal Habitat Monorail. There might have been a few seasons that I did not go at all, but it seemed every single season I went once, until in 1994 when I got my first season pass, which I continued to do through the 1997 season, when I became an employee in 1998 and 1999. Transportation isses kept me from working there in 2000, so I used a season pass for my visits for that year. I returned as an employee in 2001, but resigned for health reasons in June, and used complimentary tickets for park admission that I had earned, until the 2002 Gold passes became available in August. I have repeated the process of buying next year's pass each fall since then. Note: I did not factor the number of visits as an employee... only as a guest.

also 25/25. The Monorail closed after the 1993 season... it actually operated over part of Top Gun's queue.

Knowing how often the ride broke down last Saturday, I think it's a good idea to exclusively do ride reservations. Having to wait half and hour (or less) plus a breakdown can be hard, what about those having to physically stand in line for hours? Those with common sense will head for this thing first. If the complaining gold passholders missed their rides that day, the shouldn't forget they can always come back another day for free,

Their two woodies were actually built by Custom Coasters International (CCI), now defunct. The trains on both, however, are made by PTC.

I did maXair while I was at CP today. It's just about the great ride I expected after doing Delirium so much, but I supposedly heard it swung higher. The queue area was much smaller than PKI's, so the line went out onto the Wicked Twister/Oceana midway.

Here's another: while on rides, people who scream 'Oh my God, we're gonna die" and/or those who use profane language throughout the ride. I also have issues with those who think some of the coasters and thrill rides are dangerous.... Interesting observation, since I was probably cut off and tailgated several times on the way to or from the park.

I actually left my check card in an ATM in Rivertown Friday night. I withdrew my cash, and walked off forgetting my card was still at the machine. As soon I discovered this problem (the next day), I went to guest relations and filled out a lost & found - but to be safe, I called my bank and they put a block on it, and they will be sending me a new card soon.