GrandPoobah

I rode it yesterday for the first time this year. I thought the ride was just as rough, but the new trains made it a little more bearable. I agree with everyone who says the first drop is the best part of the ride. The rose bowl was really rough. Overall I would give the refurb a solid B. It's not a great ride (yet) but I still enjoyed it.

I rode TRTR yesterday for the first time this year. The music was there, complete with the narration that it has always had. The program (believe it or not) is the same as it has been since the ride opened. The theming was crap, especially in the ice field and the lava pit. In the lava pit NONE of the red lights or water jets worked. But for me the most annoying thing was the leg lights that stayed on throughout the whole ride. No longer is the ride pitch black as it flips. What's the reasoning behind this? Cedar Fair could be being extremely paranoid about safety. I personally feel it's unnecessary and detrimental to the ride experience, but whatever. It pains me to say this, because I love the ride despite its flaws, but TRTR either needs some major theming rehab or it needs to be taken out/dethemed completely. I don't care if the vast majority of the GP doesn't give a rats behind about theming. It's a matter of pride - if you're willing to put forth a half-ass effort in one area or on one ride, you're liable to do it in other areas of the guest experience. It's unacceptable. But as we all know, its about the bottom line, and there's no reason to expect CF to do anything about this ride.

I assumed that they were changing the trains not just because of the weight, but because of the seating configuration. The current seating position, which forces your legs up into your chest and is very uncomfortable, was required so that the ride could go through the loop without OTSRs. Now that the loop is gone, they should be able to replace the trains with newer ones that have a more comfortable seating position. That should reduce the painfulness of the ride greatly. And since the lighter trains reduce the wear and tear on the structure, its a win-win situation.

I'll probably hit up TRTR to see if CF has restored any of the original theming elements (not likely)...

Cincinnati chili does indeed have cinnamon in it, and it tastes great Really nice trip report, glad you enjoyed your trip.

Cool, anybody happen to have a pic?

I'm pretty sure that ugly statue was there for the second half of the 2001 season. Tomb Raider opened in 2002. The statue was placed at the top of International Street, just as you enter the park.

KI hasn't had a bring a friend free day like that in a while.

I think KI will pay whatever it takes, even if its some exorbitant amount, to keep the case out of court. Companies always do this, to avoid negative publicity. I just don't see any way that this is any different. And you may be right: this plaintiff may want to air out all their gripes about SoB in public. However, when presented with a choice between a big fat check, and a months-long legal battle with an uncertain outcome...that would definitely influence them. That's precisely why you don't see cases like these end up in court.

Someone looking to make a quick buck off of a settlement. This case won't make it to court.

From what I've heard, it doesn't look like Winterfest will be back this year. As you said, they've stopped selling tickets for it.

Wow...I'm not sure what the big problem is with a few stands closing early. You have to remember that first and foremost PKI is a business whose primary concern is making money. And don't think that will change now that CF is in charge. The management of KI is basically fighting to keep their jobs with Cedar Fair, so you can expect there to be a big push to generate as much profit as possible for the rest of this season. This past week was unusual anyway, in my opinion. On the days when it rained all day, there may have been only about 4000 people in the park around 8 or 9 pm. With that low attendance, you can't justify keeping everything open and paying all the associates' salaries when they can't be expected to make much money.

If a stand isn't making money (i.e. is losing money by being open), it makes perfect sense to close it.

Low attendance most likely.

Not only is it an eyesore, it's also not that great of a ride. Especially if the theming isn't up to par.