silver2005

I think the only duel tracked coasters I'd consider as 2 credits would be things like Dragon Challenge or Battlestar Galactica where the 2 sides are noticeably different. Most racing coasters fall into 2 categories- mirror layouts like on Racer and Rebel Yell, or ones that stick together the whole time like Gemini and pre-RMC Colossus. Coasters like Lightning Racer, Gwazi, Monstre and Stampida have some differences, but they have such similar elements that the differences are minuscule. Mobius racing coasters like Kennywood's Racer would absolutely be 1 credit IMO.

I noticed yesterday that RT Potato Works got spruced up on the outside. My old job location is lookin' nice.

^Just to give you an example of the kind of routines I do, I plan on staying until close both days at CP, getting back to the hotel, stay up a little bit to relax for a bit while hydrating before I go to bed (since water intake is a HUGE concern when I go to parks, anytime I'm out in warm weather and being active, I'm in a constant state of dehydration regardless of how much I drink, my job is finding that balance, I don't take notice to this kind of thing until it gets up to the upper 70s with modest humidity), and then get to sleep within an hour of getting back to the hotel. I also have to do a bit of diet and hydrating prep before I go on these trips. It's a lot of work (which has required a lot of research and talking to other people with my condition), but all things considered, its been worth it. A lot of this involves mental prep as well. I'm a huge believer in how mental health affects physical health. I don't need to worry about is as much with small parks such as MIA, especially with the short hours. However, if I'm tackling multiple parks in a trip, especially with long driving distances between them, I need R&R days between parks. Yes, it does mean I have to spend more on hotel stays, but it beats the bad alternatives. There are exceptions, like for instance, if I do an eastern PA trip and stay around the Philly area, I could be up for doing NJFTP, HP and DP back to back to back (all are within 90 minutes of Philly). It just depends on the trip circumstances. I'm pretty thorough on itineraries when it comes to travel time as well to help pace myself (you can partially thank my time band for that). Oh, and despite my efforts to keep myself comfortable, I also have to be prepared for everything to completely fall apart instantly because my health can go south in a big hurry. It's less of a problem now, but its always in the back of my mind. I also need some heads up at least a month before a planned trip, both for health reason and getting off of work. I work with a lot of fellow employees in their late teens/early 20's who don't get how to properly ask off of work and I'm very thorough with my bosses about asking off as early as I possibly can. I'm on very, very good terms with my bosses.

^On the day between MIA and CP, I plan to leave Muskegon early (on the road no later than 10) and just spend some R&R time in Port Clinton and around the lake and then get a very good night's sleep before 2 days in Sandusky, especially because a night ride on Magnum is a must-do for me on any CP trip (my first ride on it, with it also being my first 200 ft coaster, was at night). Part of what helps me out with my medical condition is getting a lot of sleep, so you're preaching to the choir. However, I will try to do things to make the most of the trip since I don't do these kinds of trips often. I also left a day of R&R when I get back to Cincy. Additionally, MIA closes at 7 on the days I'm tackling that park. Unlike malem, I need the extra hotel time. I can't pull off the stuff he does. It helps I'm already very familiar with CP and that MIA is a small park. BTW, thanks a bunch to all who've posted here for the tips and information.

One thing I'm thinking of going is if I get to Muskegon at a decent time and I'm feeling up to it, I may squeeze in a few hours at MIA the day before I go for a full day.

^While that is true, Vekoma's resume is much more stacked with copied designs than B&M. Now that most of the parks that they're more geared toward has their products, its kind of a question of where they go from there. Yes, they have newer designs in the works, but whether they gain traction is another thing altogether.

Today had a perfect example why I choose not to get the dining plans. Festhaus, full queues, only a register on both sides open but one on each side only open for the drink plans. 2 registers are still closed. They have about double the staff they need in the back that they need with the Reds HOF crew there since it was closed until 5 and put way too much pizza out than what the 2 lone cashiers are capable of handling. Unless anything has changed in the food department, all food staff is trained on register. So why weren't all the registers filled?

^Has anyone here been there this season and can elaborate on how it is now compared to previous years?

^To clarify, I mean the menu listing on the overhead menu at the stand itself.

I'm not sure about Coney Mall's PW, but when I worked at the RT stand, it was peanut oil. It was mentioned on the menu listing. EDIT: I find it rather embarrassing that the bigger chain parks don't post food allergen and listing information on their websites while smaller parks do.

I'm interested to see what SIX does with theirs. They still own 5 (Apocalypse at SFA, Riddler's Revenge @ SFMM, Green Lantern at NJFTP, Georgia Scorcher, and Cobra @ La Ronde), and 2 are at parks that already have a floorless coaster and one was kept a stand up coaster as it was relocated and spruced up. Cobra isn't a B&M though, but B&M has put trains on non-B&M rides (see Steel Dragon 2000).

Wait...don't stand ups have height adjusting seats? I find stand ups okay from a seat stand point, but I have to ride them early in the day or my legs will turn to Jell-O. I had a CP trip once where I rode Mantis after dinner time and boy did my legs regret that decision. silver2005, who wishes CP would have kept Mantis' paint scheme.

^I'm about 15-20 minutes west of downtown, and I can hear them echoing through the Ohio River valley (I live just up the hill from the river, I can see CVG from my roof).

I'm sure I've heard this before at the park and I hope it comes back eventually. Great midway music this is. Baby Elephant Walk- Henry Mancini

^Actually, I could see KD getting it. CF wasn't underneath sending one to Carowinds after all.

^What, you don't want to see CF copy the SFNE model of slapping two Boomerang style rides in the same park? Also, CP and KD don't have a Boomerang model.

Was the Emporium split up into so many shops back then or was that set of buildings still one big store? Also interesting to see that what is now a store just to the right of the entrance used to be a lost and found.

I think I still call it Amazon Falls from time to time.

Speaking of Vekoma, I think a CF park (or at least some park) may be getting a Boomerang seeing that Knott's is taking theirs down piece by piece instead of being violent in taking it down.

I kind of given this some thought, but I think KI is going for a bit of a pseudo-Beast vibe with Mr T. Once all those trees grow in, it will be difficult to see the layout from the midway with nothing but the first 2 hills in sight. Obviously you'll see it well from the WWC queue, the flume and the train, but it still has a bit of that aura about it without it seeming to have too much in common with Beast in terms of aesthetics.

^Notice that B&M's design starts you in flight mode and spends little time where the riders are on their backs. That's what Vekoma needed to do.

^Will Ride of the Valkyries or pirate music be involved?

^That's still a shot against Vekoma and their ability (or lack thereof) in improving the design and show that they can make it reliable.

^Firehawk and Nighthawk are notorious for downtime issues.

I find reactions to Vekoma's to be a bit of an over reaction when they're given a negative light. I have had a few headbanging rides on Invertigo, but I've also had pretty smooth rides on it. I agree about the Disney Vekoma's being smooth (I've only done BTMR). Hershey's Sidewinder, a traditional boomerang, wasn't too bad, even with its original train. T3 was funky in how didn't have consistent forces, but I liked the layout. My thing about Vekoma is I wish they did more custom work. It seems most of their resume are their standard designs. While useful for newer and smaller parks, they don't really have much to offer for bigger parks. Their flyers and all their inverted boomerang models are quite unreliable on top of that.