The Interpreter

That Six Flags is giving up the lease and selling the equipment in place that it owns to the Zoo for $2 million. This is the last season under Six Flags.

(And if you love Dragster, there's this little park up in New Jersey that has this thing that is even bigger--456', even faster--128mph, and has a hill after the drop--that hill is taller than Beast--but doesn't have any airtime--its major purpose seems to be to slow you down! The front seats of cars on that thing are very grand...some say riding in the back seats of cars on that one is not unlike riding a jackhammer, though. It has OTSR's, but you'd never know, and many prefer them to Dragster's T-Bars...) To be fair, many prefer Dragster. It's a grand ride. But if you ever get the chance, be sure to try the one up in Jersey, too. --The Interpreter, who has been trying to be good and not mention Kingda Ka...but finally had to...

And this one: http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20060624/1057725.asp

See this article for more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13515092/

If you haven't been on a rollback, how do you know they are fun? --The Interpreter, ever the curious one

Oh yes. And I am quite certain Messrs Snyder and Shapiro realize their time is potentially limited. Thus the "fire sale." And the need to QUICKLY raise funds. Banks love to get money back....that always makes them happy.

Again, MM IS profitable. It is just worth far more as land than it is as a park. Further, the thrill factor at MM is not consistent with what SF wants to become, and converting MM to what SF sees itself as wanting to be is too costly, if it is even possible...

Loose articles are not permitted on the ride. Anything not attached to the rider is a no-go. Glasses with straps are not a problem.

Perhaps Sandy Beaver was visiting from Geauga Lake's Beaver Land Mine Ride... http://www.rcdb.com/ig634.htm?picture=1

And it has happened to many, many, many parks over the years...

That might have something to do with the blocks of wood strategically placed under your feet. Blocks that have gotten bigger over the years, as a matter of fact. Bringing new meaning to the term "jury rigged."

Yes, but do they have season passes to the CS tour?

Shades of Fabio! (If you don't know what I am talking about, Google "Fabio" and "Apollo's Chariot" You'll be surprised what you can learn! Describing a rocket coaster to one who has never ridden one is not unlike trying to describe what vanilla ice cream tastes like to someone who has never eaten any flavour other than chocolate. Just ride it! I HIGHLY recommend the front seat, though the after-dark front seat advice is, (pardon me, I can't help it) "spot-on."

You apparently didn't 'get' that post. I don't just like Big Bad Wolf, I adore it. And I also understand a primary purpose of such rides is also to let little ones ride with their parents on a ride that both groups can enjoy. And those rides do it very, very well. I just hope Busch totally understands that. There are nasty rumors about that this is BBW's last year. I certainly hope not, and I pray (and bet) they are NOT true.

One thing is for sure. If that is what Coney is getting, I bet they don't fell all the mighty oaks to put it in.

A better illustration of what Cedar Fair does to trees can be found at Knotts Berry Farm or Dorney or Worlds of Fun. Parks they acquired. Compare the number of trees at ANY of them to the number before the acqusition. Especially at Dorney. Dorney still has quite a few large trees, but for the most part the larger trees have all been removed. And not replaced with smaller ones, either. Jazzland had that problem down in New Orleans. After Six Flags bought the property, they installed literally hundreds of mature trees at a cost of thousands each. And the hurricane wiped the entire park away, trees and all... Virtually ALL park chains seem to make more moves to save trees and build around them than they used to. That is what concerns me about the new ride at Cedar Point. I certainly hope it was NECESSARY to clearcut that area. I feel that way about Italian Job, too. No matter what one thinks of the ride, it could have been placed in such a way to better conserve the tranquility and beauty of the park. At Kings Dominion, it was.

Ever the contrarian, some of my BEST visits to Cedar Point have been in rain. Same for Conneaut Lake, Kings Island, Kentucky Kingdom and on and on. As long as it doesn't lightning.... In the olden days, CP used to close rides at the first drop of rain. They haven't done that for years now.

No one said Magic Mountain is losing money. It isn't.

Great and wonderful report. Thanks for posting that. Kings Island is at its very best when it makes memories. I, too, tear up greatly when I think of several of my many, many Kings Island visits. Good times at the park with family and friends. THAT is what the theme park business should primarily be about.

And it happens...and is no big deal. Mamba out to Worlds of Fun was famous for melting wheels its first couple of years. Again, wheels wearing on big Arrow and ChanceMorgan coasters is not a big deal. The coasters were designed with this in mind. The wheels are constantly checked for wear.

Iron Dragon. One of my favorite rides at Cedar Point. You should watch young daddies and mommies with their little guys and gals on that thing. It has a purpose. And the kids come off giggling. Most of them, anyway. I consider it Cedar Point's fairly odd coaster. Big Bad Wolf at BGE does the same thing. Top Gun is more adult oriented. That's okay, too. Just don't fault Iron Dragon for doing exactly what it was designed to do. Not every ride has to be aimed at you. I, for one, don't much care for Flying Carpet rides. But I don't get upset they exist.

There is a difference between scary and rough. Rough can be not scary at all, but that doesn't make it smooth or enjoyable. The loop is the only part of that thing I enjoy. It's been that way since my first ride. My ONLY question when I ride that thing (with friends who want to) is "How bad will it be THIS time?" It has days when it is not as bad as others. But to me, at least, to call it enjoyable is not credible. Kind of like comparing trips to the dentist for a filling. Some are better than others, but I'd take a day at the opera over any of them. And I don't even like opera.

Since any material public disclosures must be made to the entire public at the same time, I am quite certain Mr. Kinzel couched any disclosures he made at that breakfast with terms like "We are looking at....," "We intend..." "A program that did [thus and such] would be good....", etc. I doubt Cedar Fair has even decided what the season pass program will look like yet. They no doubt will want at least some input from the managers at Paramount, and they might even want to do some surveying and testing before they decide. For example, one of the biggest issues will be whether or not to to allow processing the year before the pass is valid (Cedar Fair typically doesn't, while Paramount not only lets new (and renewing) season pass buyers process, but also to use that pass for admission the remainder of the current year. Then there are parking issues (valid only at home park? Other parks' season pass parking available? Paramount typically won't sell season pass parking unless your pass if from the park where you want to buy parking....want season pass parking to two parks? Got to buy two passes...at least at Paramount). And season passes bought early at Paramount usually include parking as a free perk. To my knowledge, most Cedar Fair parks charge additional for season pass parking, though Dorney used to include AND have a season pass parking lot--the latter is gone as of this year, and passholders there are NOT happy about it). Then there is how you get in a park other than your own with a pass. Paramount makes you go to guest relations...which until just recently this year didn't even open until the gates did. Practices at Cedar Fair vary all over the place, from going to GR to using the stroller gate (Soak City gate at Cedar Point...and you find this out ONLY after you stand for 20 minutes in the ticket selling line you used to use at that gate, ugh)

If the guests are there at 11:59a.m, that is very possible. Train wreck, eh?

Which means B and M design steel coasters...the track, as you said, is built near Cincinnati, by another firm.