IBEW_Sparky

I will most definitely be doing both events, and am looking forward to both!

Since a lot of different factors kept my park trips very limited last year... and my trips to KI were none.... I am going to be there on Saturday to revisit some favorites, and reunite with some very close Friends. I am also going to be doing some weekday trips to the park before the end of the school year, so I can actually enjoy it, as well as my regular Pride Night trip (that I also missed last year). I am going to give Cedar Point exactly ONE chance to redeem themselves to me from an employee and park operations standpoint after FailMania last year, and will be doing that on a weekday as well to give them the best fighting chance. Further trips to CP will hinge on that. I am fighting an internal battle as to whether or not I am going to hit Holiday World, but since I am only 1.5 hours away Im likely going to make the trip. Worlds of Fun and Adventureland are both must dos this year, and that trip is already scheduled for early June. First time visits to Stricker's, Waldameer, and hopefully Knoebel's are also tentatively planned, and returns to Dollywood and Kings Dominion are very high on my list. Of course, in a perfect World Id also like to add BGW, Carowinds, and Alabama's Splash Adventure to the list, but those are ones that might have to wait until 2017.

While I know neither was "cheap", changing the restraints on Maverick, and converting Mantis to Rougarou is in a totally different financial league than building two multi million dollar complete roller coasters in back to back years. I saw this NL2 YouTube creation last week, and left it there where it belongs for a reason, because the title is not only misleading but also totally unrealistic. Its a REALLY good creation, but as McSalsa said, dont see anything like this happening until 2018 at the very earliest. EDIT: My reasoning is based on more than dollars and cents, it is also based on the article posted on these forums in recent days, that spoke of what the CF Marketing Team has been doing in regards to focusing on ALL of the parks. This is no longer "Kinzel Fair", where the lion's share of CapEx was most often focused on his Crown Jewel, in my very honest opinion I dont think people should expect another new coater installation at the Point until 2019/20. Granted, my little selfish desires would Love to see what Ive wanted to see since 2014.... a revision/conversion of Mean Streak.... but thinking about it using the current CF business model I have virtually abandoned that entire concept.

I wouldnt doubt for a second that they took a screen capture of your face from one of the security cams and have it posted in all ticket booths, and they will still find a reason to deny entry, even if that reason is the old fashioned "We reserve the right......"

If you cant make the train suit the ride.....

That sounds like something Cedar Fair would use to claim a "record", LOL! OH, and the container would be named SombreroHawk.

OK.... I agree 100% with Terps list above, and like Ive said before it makes total business sense to go with the manufacturer that they have recently, for those reasons. I also feel that this topic from the beginning is as....futile.... as a topic started regarding PC vs Mac, in the respect that it can go downhill in a really big hurry. I will say, that I am impressed with how civilly this has all gone. I also feel that it was bumped, as was alluded in the bump, as a PR play to either confirm what may be in the future or to confuse. I have my thoughts on which that was, and my thoughts are the same as they have been since any 2017 talk even was hinted at. In regards to re-rideability, my body is internally different than most, in that I can very easily re-ride I305 as often as I can... or shall I say choose to... re-ride a B&M. What I mean by that is, by the time my body says "OK, stop NOW and take a break" in regards to 305, I stop out of sheer boredom with any B&M Ive ridden other than Banshee. That rides pacing and elements make it really, really fun time and time and time again, so I will definitely give them that one. I have not ridden Fury, yet, and I have a feeling that will be one I enjoy greatly, but DB as an example is a 5 Star snore machine to me. Im "OK" with either manufacturer being installed at any said park, because I understand fully that I am not generally the target market and I will never in my natural Lifetime have the resources to finance my type of park (90% full- on thrill machines and 21+ age requirement to enter), but looking only at the black and white of "Which Manufacturer do I as a rider prefer" I choose Intamin. EDIT: There is one other B&M that I could ride from open to close with a great big smile on my face.... the one that should be here instead of One-Trick-Ponyhawk.... Dominator! I LOVE that ride, and always have.

For me, from a standpoint on building a roller coaster that does what I truly enjoy getting from a roller coaster.... Intamin smokes B&M every day of the week and twice on SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY. The unfortunate part is, from a reliability standpoint, B&M makes the better product. With that, and given the choice between standing in a 2 hour line to have the ride have a mechanical 10 minutes before I get on it (yes, Im looking at you TTD and Maverick) or standing in that 2 hour line to actually consistently be able to enjoy and ride.... I have to somewhat begrudgingly give my vote to B&M.

Not confusing at all, really. Sometimes a flower pot is just that, and nothing else.

You couldnt be more right about that! I can think of numerous times when the landscapers didnt consult us before doing finish work, and then having to come re-finish the asme areas after we trenched in feeder cables to an emergency generator building or for perimeter lighting.

Right on, Ive been saying that for months. Drop something in at KI like Prowler or Renegade, and they will have a sure winner from both the GP and enthusiast points of view. Lets figure this, Banshee cost $24M, Fury cost approx. $30M..... Prowler came in at $8M in 2009, so lets make that $11M today. For less than the cost of a Banshee, or a Fury, KI could install a hot GCI AND a really good flat. Im all for that!

Of course, they will just paint over the word "T3" and replace it with "Landscaping".... the park doing their part, recycling ya know.

I wrote out a 5 Star, Gold Medal quality rant about what I saw in that photo, but I then realized that this whole thing just isnt worth it to me anymore. It seems that its all just a game now of "do anything to save money and pay some PR ***** to spin it to make it sound like its something we are all going to LOVE". Im not stupid, I know its always been that way, but its just becoming so much more prevalent and blatantly obvious now, to where they really dont even try to hide it (at least thats how I see it). All I can say, is this is why I am so pro-RMC. I WANT a roller coaster that is going to make me breathless and totally out of sorts when I return to the station, and it seems that those are the only ones I dont have to be in constant fear of some bean-counter coming in and trying to change it to make it do less of what a roller coaster is supposed to do! It seems that every single hobby I enjoy, and every group/community is changing in ways that just honestly make me sad.

Understood, my thought behind what I was saying was that I could certainly see a non US park having more of a "like it or lump it" stance on something of that nature... much like chugh said.

OK, looking at it in that capacity, I can certainly see it as feasible. I know Adventureland in Altoona, IA is taking over the Central Iowa Make a Wish Foundation's "Jolly Holiday Lights" festivities, and I could see KI doing something similar in the respect of setting up light displays and a guided tour of them around the park. Good points you made, all of them.

Which is precisely why I clearly stated "wild card", and listed my reasons for such.

All of what he said, plus two.... rare-gotten night rides on Thunderbird and Voyage. That alone, kills the competition, the pure and total darkness (with the exception of any possible moonlight) on the back 2/3 of Voyage is just..... words fail to describe. I know some really dont like the ride, and in 2011-2014 I didnt either, but last year it totally redeemed itself to me.

OK, this is one area where I have to say NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO to automation. First, look at how many people cant seem to grasp the "Insert card magnetic strip down" instructions on an ATM machine. Second, that is the absolute last place we would want one of the automated machines to malfunction/fail. Can you imagine the congestion/road rage/disaster that could result from that?? I am a big, big proponent of self-checkout lanes at stores, but a busy parking lot toll gate..... no.

I looked at the full list of CF parks, and to be absolutely as realistic as possible concerning a Winterfest, the non-California parks that I see possibly doing it are Carowinds and KD, with a wild card going to Cedar Point or Valleyfair. Now, my reasons for this are as follows..... Of all of the non-California parks, Carowinds and KD have the best chance of POSSIBLY being able to operate some of the rides while following Manufacturer recommendations, and the two wild cards are populated with a demographic that is accustomed to cold and snowy weather. That would allow for putting in a temporary ice skating rink, and (if the midways are snow covered) even possible sleigh rides around the park. I simply have a hard time seeing the viability/profitability of holding a Winterfest at a park where all of the rides are closed due to cold weather and/or little else to keep people occupied. Since I was not around during Winterfest at KI, did the park ever use the pool where International Fountains are for ice skating?

Hmmmmm, a tilt-a-whirl with the cars painted like wood barrels would look GREAT there! Hey, a guy can hope, cant he??

But, Terp, does that question apply in the UK? Does the UK have a law similar to the ADA in the US, and if so, what constitutes "reasonable accommodation" in the UK?

This is a great article, and something Im really happy to see. When I first opened the page, the kid in me admittedly looked at the illustration and said to myself "SWEET, they are releasing a Cedar Point pop-up book" .... fooled again!!! I actually only laughed at one paragraph (season passholders stoping by for a meal, really??), and I am quite pleased with what they are doing as far as market research. My only fear, with Worlds of Fun being my adopted home park that hasnt had a major ride installation since Prowler in 2009 (that ridiculous WindSeeker relocation doesnt count), is that by the time the marketing team gets to the "less crucial" parks it may be too late. Id at least like to see that park get SOME Love, even if its retracking/reconfiguring Timber Wolf. Id actually be ecstatic with that!!!

Yeah, sounds like spin for "We are neutering the ride to reduce maintenance costs, since the other idea didnt work out as planned". Im definitely looking forward to riding RF II this summer for the first time, because I have heard a ton of really good reviews.

Im not even going to go near the subject of the Timberliners... nope, not with a 10 foot pole. I know good and well all about that, and my question was what it was.... if they were unhappy with them when Voyage opened, what changes (if any) were made to the later/current PTCs that changed that feeling on the parks part. I know Terp, and maybe chugh, will know. As for Voyage, I personally Loved that ride last year, I personally have not felt that ride in that good of form since the first time I rode it in 2010.

OK, so that lends the question.... what changed? What quelled the parks dissatisfaction with said PTCs on Voyage?