Go Browns

More Themeing Another video with a little pov and a little reverse pov of an olympic luger riding Looks like B&M weren't able to solve the vibration problems of Arrow's X and Intamin's Furious Baco.

Two more picks showing some of the awesome theming and one hell of a head (side?) chopper.

Like I said above the rumor is that this is just a prototype and that future models may have rotation similar to X2. Gardaland is basically right down the street from B&M and its also rumored that they got this coaster fairly cheap for basically being Guinea pigs. The future of this style coaster from B&M will depend on Raptor's performance. goodyellowkorn if you dig around and read some reviews of the Intamin wingwalker you'll find, despite how it looks, that it rides about as smooth and fluid as SOB. It's not likely we'll see another Intamin wingwalker anytime soon unless they make some improvements. Lets hope B&M has figured out how to do it right.

Raptor (formerly X-Raptor) is a new prototype coaster at Gardaland Italy. It uses a new type of B&M train that sits riders on the side of the track similar to Furious Baco but lower. There is a rumor that future models will have seats that rotate like X2 but it doesn't appear that Raptor's seats rotate. I've been following the construction for a few months and they just started testing it this week. Pictures courtesy of Trico and Bob_3_ at coasterforce.com.

I'm pretty sure the reason for the different types of track are for the length in between supports. If there is a really long stretch between supports then you go with box, if it's short between supports then bi-rail, medium = tri rail, and extemely long = I305 style. Also force from the train might have something to do with that. Supports use a lot of steel so if the structure is high off the ground you are going to want as few supports as possible and use a lot of box track. There must be a formula that decides which track to use and which supports to use in order to make the ride strong but as cheap as possible. There are probably a lot of other factors like landscape and cheetahs to consider but I believe that to be the gist of it.

I got a chance to get $22 tickets for GE day and thanks to some of your suggestions I took advantage of that offer. It's been a pretty long time since I've been to KI so I was really excited to get back to the park and ride a lot of the newer rides especially Diamondback. We got into the park around 11am and got right to it. Diamondback (1)- Walk On - Beautiful ride, loved every second. Hate Hate Hate the footwear policy but whatever thats another thread. The Beast - Walk on - Brakes are a little much but the Turn after the second lift has still got it. Still my favorite even after just getting off DB for the first time. Firehawk - 15min - Cool experience but I didn't like being on my back in the station and I felt like I was straining my neck the whole ride. The first loop was a lot more fun then I expected. Flight of Fear - 30min - Theming was cool, really liked the second half of the ride after the MCBR. After Firehawk and FOF we decided to take a break and grab some lunch. We found a nice bench along the woods near the Wolf amphitheater thing but out in the parking lot to eat the lunch we packed which was perfect. Park food is not my thing. Drop Tower - Walk On - I love Drop Towers and this didn't disappoint. awesome. Flight Deck - Walk On - I loved Flight Deck. Iron Dragon was my only previous Suspended coaster and Flight Deck blew it away. Sure it's short but it's awesome. If Iron Dragon is a nice leisurely jog through the woods, Flight Deck is a sprint. Diamondback (2) - Needed more DB. I was really impressed with how quickly the line moved but whats with the pukers? 2 times the ride had to be stopped and hosed off in what would have been just a 15min wait. To a break riding because I was told I must have Smurf Ice Cream. Backlot Stunt Coaster - 15 mins - Really fun ride, effects were cool, corkscrew climb after the launch was fun, and the dark part was a really nice surprise. Vortex was down so we hit up DB for ride number (3). We couldn't get enough but along with ride #3 we got puke clean up #3. I guess GE engineers couldn't handle it. Vortex - Back up so we took a walk on spin. Not a fan of Vortex. The turns are just too tight and the transitions are just too Arrow. I really did like the look of the ride how it was in the woods and that the batwing was so close to the walk way. Adventure Express - Walk on - Had to hit it up for the nostalgia of the group. Fun little ride, still love the end. Drop Tower (2) - Really had to push the wife to get her back on Drop Tower but how can you turn down a walk on. I love riding this barefoot. Over all great trip with absolutely beautiful weather 12 rides, 3 on Diamondback, and most of those were walk ons. The weather was beautiful and the park seemed to be in really great shape. The only regrets I had was that I wanted to ride the log flume because we obviously don't have one at CP anymore and I would have loved to get on Beast a few more times but I couldn't convince my group. If I had to say something negative it would be the total lack of enthusiasm of some of the staff, especially on Firehawk, which I sort of expect on a Sunday in September. It certainly wasn't like that everywhere but a few places did stand out. I really did not like the Drop Tower area of the park. It was just really ugly, big open space with a water tower in the middle and everything is black and white checker, just not my style and too much contrast from the really nice woodsy feel to the rest of the park. I really feel like an old man when I say I thought the music was too loud especially after reading the other thread about it but what can I say. Those are minor minor nitpicks though at an otherwise fantastic park. Thanks again to those who gave feedback when I asked about GE day a month ago. We had so much fun we almost bought 2011 season passes. Can't wait to get back. Go Browns. *edit accidentally said Flight of Fear instead of Firehawk in my little employee rant

I really love how Busch Gardens names and themes their rides and it looks as if this won't disappoint. The most telling thing I can find out of these new leaked pics is that this one screams Intamin to me.

I always thought an intamin accelerator like TTD would be really cool themed like a fighter jet. Especially with a Zero G roll after the hill. Watching the launch on TTD always makes me think of a jet launching of an aircraft carrier.

As someone suggested over at pointbuzz, a lighthouse theme would have been impressive. Instead we get the same generic CF color scheme.

I don't think it's going to be very easy to see one of these in between Wicked Twister's spikes. Unless maybe if you're standing at the waters edge behind Disaster Transport.

Maybe a clue relating to Cedar Point history. What happened in 1964? edit: that would be Blue Streak so probably has nothing to do with today's clue.

In my opinion this is a pretty good forecast for a Saturday trip to the park. Thunderstorm forecasts scare people away and potentially roll through fairly quickly as opposed to rain which can last all day.

Based on the details given I think I'm going to side with the park on this one and doesn't seem like a racial issue. Marijuana = drugs = not family friendly from an amusement park perspective.

1st clue: site talks about kids spinning in the wind. 2nd clue: link to kids dinosaur site JH says he doesn't think he will ride this? Skyline depends on your perspective (like if you were really short) Site near Planet Snoopy. Sounds like a kids ride to me.

I like the clues, its' kind of fun, but I don't like the "just wait clues are coming some day." It feels more like "when we get around to it" or "we don't know what the heck we're doing yet but as soon as we figure it out we'll post some clues."

The Water Cube was already a really cool venue, it's good to see they've found a way to make it useful after the Olympics.

Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't the work done to Magnum due to the stress the original design was inflicting on the riders not on the track. Or was it both?

Haha that sounds like a lot of fun and for a good cause too, can't beat that. I'd imagine that everyone was nice and freshly showered out of courtesy so I'm sure it wasn't an issue. After all there are quite a few seats at Kings Island that people sit their bare butts on everyday Here is a first hand experience from someone posted over at coasterforce.com. After reading that I would definitely do this at CP or KI. I'd vote for Millennium Force or Diamondback.

Yeah that might be true but that's not the point I was making. You said Intamins were expensive and I was pointing out that they are actually cheaper for the type of ride(tallest,fastest,etc..) that CP wanted.

Same here, could be wrong, but I got that from Jeff Putz who has more access then I do so I'll take his word for it.

From what I've heard that's not true at all. Cedar Point goes to B&M, Intamin, and whoever else and says we want a 300' tall coaster what do you have and how much does it cost. Millennium Force is an Intamin and not a B&M basically for one reason, it was cheaper. The price tag on Intamin coaster specifically isn't through the roof, the price tag on 300', 400', coasters with both a lift hill and lsm launches are expensive no matter who builds them.

Nope but the park did have one of these on the beach at one point in time.

I swear I had nothing to do with that.

I have the opportunity to go to KI with my wife's family on GE day this year and I'm probably going to do it. Has anyone ever been to the park on one of these days? Is it the dream day I imagine with short lines everywhere or surprisingly crowded? Anyone else going that weekend?

I think Polaris and Easton were a huge part of why City Center was closed. I agree with a lot of what you are saying that is/was a kind of nasty area but you can't just right it off it needs improved. Building new parks and condos will revitalize the area and make it attractive again. Building a fancy bridge like the one that is about to open adds to the skyline and can do a lot for the image of the city. It's the second completely unnecessary one they are building that ****es me off. I imagine they will probably enclose the carousel like the one in beautiful downtown Mansfield and rent it out for little kids birthday parties. It might make some money but I don't think that money is going to go to the people that paid for the thing (us). I still think a carousel is tacky and old fashion and has no place in a city that is working so hard on its image. *For the record Brownstgger I'm married and though I don't have kids I realize that's a major priority change but I haven't lived the "single life" in years. I think we just have a difference of opinion here.