TombRaiderFTW
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Posts posted by TombRaiderFTW
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Horrifying.
Absolutely horrifying.
I am nauseous. I don't even know what else to say in the wake of that.
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I've been to 47. (If all goes to plan, Disneyland will be my 50th!) I see @McSalsa's point about not counting places that don't really have significant/any coasters, but Epcot is such a weird halfway point in those rules (no coasters, but I love the place and it's definitely a park) that I ended up counting every park I've been to, including places like the Columbus Zoo.
The list: Animal Kingdom, Beech Bend, Busch Gardens Tampa, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Camden Park, Canada's Wonderland, Carowinds, Castles 'n' Coasters, Cedar Point, Columbus Zoo, Coney Island (Cincinnati), Conneaut Lake Park, Dollywood, Dorney Park, Epcot, Fun Spot America (Kissimmee), Fun Spot America (Orlando), Hersheypark, Holiday World, Hollywood Studios, Indiana Beach, Islands of Adventure, Kemah Boardwalk, Kennywood, Kentucky Kingdom, Kings Dominion, Kings Island, Knoebels, Luna Park (New York), Magic Kingdom, Michigan's Adventure, Nickelodeon Universe, SeaWorld Orlando, SeaWorld San Antonio, Six Flags America, Six Flags Fiesta Texas, Six Flags Great Adventure, Six Flags Great America, Six Flags New England, Six Flags Over Georgia, Six Flags Over Texas, Six Flags St. Louis, Stricker's Grove, Universal Studios Florida, Waldameer, Worlds of Fun, and ZDT's Amusement Park.
Coming soon: Silver Dollar City, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Disneyland, California Adventure, and Knott's Berry Farm.
My favorites: Animal Kingdom and Busch Gardens Williamsburg.
My least favorite: either Six Flags America or Six Flags New England.
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^ Yes. Dollywood and RMC both consider Lightning Rod to be wooden. Some people disagree. It ultimately doesn't matter since we're all probably going to want to ride RMCs regardless, but we're all enthusiasts here, and what are we if we don't split hairs to pointlessly categorize roller coasters, gosh dangit?!
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^ Isn't it also on Tremors? Not being sassy-- legitimately asking the question.
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People who don't consider Topper Track coasters wooden tend to do so because the portion of the track that contacts all train wheels is one singular steel structure. Compare to a traditional wood coaster, where the main track structure is wood, with two or three strips of steel between the wood and wheels to protect the wood.
RMC's Ibox track is 100% steel. Topper Track is probably something like 70% wood, 30% steel. But, the portions that are steel are the important parts that would most single-handedly determine the smoothness of the ride experience. RCDB and RMC consider them wood. I've been on three Topper Track rides and three Ibox rides, and smoothness-wise, there's not a ton of difference.
To me, they're steel. Your mileage and reasoning may vary.
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It's been 6 years since I was last there, but I actually thought Great Adventure's food choices were a little nicer than the average chain park's. I distinctly remember getting a taco salad at a food stand beside El Toro and being really impressed by how good it was.
The rest of your parks' food wasn't particularly memorable, good OR bad.
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In terms of additions, especially around the early 2000's, Kings Island.
At least towards the end, I think they said Carowinds was their flagship? But, like... I don't think it showed in how their capital was spent.
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On 3/6/2018 at 3:18 PM, VekomaRulz said:
Great Nor'easter vibrates and rattles the entire ride
Just curious--have you ridden it since the track replacement last year? I've wanted to go to Morey's forever, especially after that was announced, but I've never heard any reviews since. Maybe that's a sign?
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23 minutes ago, Kenban said:
Vekoma is actually very good at custom coaster design and fabrication. You are likely just thinking of their old boomerangs and SLC coasters. They do a ton of work for Disney including, Seven dwarfs mine train, Big Grizzly Mountain, the TRON ride, Expedition Everest, and the Rock n Roller Coaster. There are more but that’s just off the top of my head.
Vekoma has other good coasters but most of their custom coasters are not in the US so you are unlikely to hear about them.
I agree that those rides are fantastic, but I also can't help but wonder what part of the quality of the ride is good because of Disney. The Big Thunder Mountain Railroads came into being in the middle of Vekoma's Boomerang and SLC eras and ride completely differently. Disney almost certainly doesn't own a steel mill, but I'm wondering if they insisted on a different fabricator for the track or tighter tolerances or something.
I am very curious, though, to know how smooth Vekoma's new track design (starting with Battlestar Galactica at Universal Singapore) rides. I haven't been on one yet--to my knowledge, there aren't any stateside. The rides look great, but I wonder how they actually ride.
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3 hours ago, Magenta Lizard said:
I would bet there will be at least one familiar face, but there really are so many talented performers out there that it is entirely possible there won't be.
I mean... Considering how the last four years have gone, it's only right if Josh is the one to come back, right?
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4 hours ago, Maverick44 said:
Right but I don't think they would just straight up tell some random person there plans or that will not do one thing from another. They may have said "think" for a reason.
Friend... They might have said "think," but we're still talking about an HR manager having the scoop on a multi-million dollar business's five-year plans.
The HR manager where I work is an incredibly intelligent person, but they probably couldn't name everything our company produces. In terms of proximity to creative decision-making, that's like claiming that the Dippin' Dots guy's coaster enthusiast boss as a reliable source.
I understand the desire for a giga and generally enjoy the speculation, but I think you might be barking up the wrong tree on this one.
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^^ I'm not sure I follow. Kings Island has made it to that level of revenue without a coaster over 300' tall. Whatever it is that KI is marketing themselves as is apparently relevant enough without it. That doesn't mean we won't get one, but it also doesn't mean we're owed one or in dire need of one or something. A gigacoaster isn't an award for being towards the top of the chain's EBITDA...
3 hours ago, Maverick44 said:Right but why would he just tell anyone. I mean it could be true but I don't think someone that high up is just going to flat out say that. I mean that's just my thoughts though.
...It's the head of Human Resources. I'm sure he or she is a very talented person, but his or her sphere of influence is in staffing. I'm not sure why he or she would be part of strategic planning for future attractions. I imagine that person is probably fluent enough in the industry to speculate on whether or not our apparently inevitable giga will come from Intamin.
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I second that description. The times I've visited KD mid-summer, the dry park doesn't have extensive lines except for rides with lower capacities, like Volcano.
On that note, I recommend getting to KD at opening and heading straight for Volcano (if passholder ERT on it isn't available.) Even if the park isn't too busy, Volcano's queue can be very warm because of how enclosed it is in parts. It's especially icky when it's humid. (And if the park IS busy, you'll beat the worst of the crowds.)
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Am I a bitter old man and/or elitist hipster if I say that the areas of the park are not overwhelmingly distinguishable at this point? In 2007 or prior, I feel like they were considerably more pronounced than they are now. (I'm sure many would also say that about pre-Paramount KI.) I feel like Diamondback, Banshee (and the accompanying reworking of Action Zone), the removal of the Glockenspiel and addition of new Festhaus signage, the removal of Coney Mall's sign, and the clear-cutting of many trees have slanted the areas of the park towards a generic, modern feel. It's minimalism done in a way that looks clean and neat, but it's not overwhelmingly geared towards the themes the park already has. Pretty much the only indication that you're moving from area to area is that the buildings start looking different. Since almost all of them are food buildings (with foods that are entirely unrelated to the building's theme) or generically-themed games, it's pretty possible to spend an entire day at the park without realizing there even were themes. I'm not trying to tear down this poll for existing (it's great conversation!); I'm just mostly not a huge fan of how the themes have changed over the last 10 years or so.
That being said, I feel like Mystic Timbers and the new Rivertown funnel cake building were a nice step in the opposite direction. I hope future additions work in that direction. I would not be upset if, assuming we're getting a gigacoaster and it's going in Coney Mall, it had some kind of amusement pier/California Adventure-Paradise Pier-esque theme. Some intricate white-painted woodwork in the station (think Kennywood's Racer) would be a really neat effect. But that's me.
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I honestly don't think the outcomes of Tomb Raider and Son of Beast would have changed much. Tomb Raider was frankly unsustainable on a seasonal park budget, CBS was apathetic, and park attendance and guest spending slumped during the 2008 recession. If CBS had owned the parks up to the recession, I think Tomb Raider might have gone away even sooner than it did. I'm assuming that Son of Beast's 2006 accident and 2009 medical incident would still have happened in our hypothetical world; if so, I don't really believe that anyone in charge would have tried to redeem it much more than Cedar Fair did. Maybe some sort of leadership change at Paramount Parks during the rise of RMC might have saved it, but if PP's leadership around 2005/2006 was any indication, I don't think they would have been in the business of carefully trying to untangle the liabilities of that ride instead of just replacing it.
As far as additions go... I imagine it would have been the "cheap and cheerful" route through at least 2008. If a new coaster showed up, I would imagine it wouldn't have arrived any sooner than 2009, and even then it would be because it was already well in the works prior to the recession. CBS wasn't enthusiastic about owning the parks; they wanted to get rid of them. If we're not selling the parks in this situation, then I imagine that some amount of restructuring within Paramount would have put the parks in some other Paramount-owned brand's hands sooner or later. At that point, maybe we might have seen some more movie-themed E-ticket rides arrive at the park. Oh, and maybe Flight of Fear would have gotten an MTV-related makeover that was rumored at one point. Kings Dominion either wouldn't have a Flight of Fear anymore, or it would be a completely different experience.
Winterfest-wise... I dunno if it would have actually come back in 2006 or not. If it did, surely it would have had more attractive pricing than the 2005 version.
I don't know what else you could predict more than a couple years beyond 2006, but if we're open to daydreaming, it would have been really interesting to see them switch hands after the recession and focus on turning the park into some kind of year-round destination with Universal- or Disney-quality rides. I realize that's not what Kings Island was originally meant to be and not what it is now, but that's where early-2000's KI was trying to head, in my opinion. It didn't work, but as an eternal fanboy of Tomb Raider, it would have been cool to see that level of detail work out and inspire similar additions.
I know the original post specifies that the Paramount parks weren't sold in this situation, but I honestly feel like the parks would have been individually sold one way or another if Cedar Fair hadn't bought the lot. I don't know who would have bought each of them, but it feels like KI would have gone to Cedar Fair sooner or later. There was a lot of heavy speculation and rumoring around then that Kinzel wanted Paramount Parks specifically for KI. From a business perspective, that makes some sense.
This was a fun topic to think about. Thanks!
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6 hours ago, Hawaiian Coasters 325 said:
RMC didn't work out because of how with Lightning Rod, the launch system has never been used before on a wooden platform.
I would respectfully speculate that there are multiple companies that offer LSM technology that could be applied to roller coasters. I very much doubt that RMC designed the LSMs. That Lightning Rod's didn't work right out of the box and Thunderbird's did probably says more about one or more entities involved (not necessarily the coaster manufacturer, either) than it does about whether or not LSMs can be applied to wooden coasters.
TRFTW, tremendous fan of RMC, B&M, Lightning Rod, AND Thunderbird.
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I've got two.
First: this is a little cliched around here, but it annoys me that the park has front-and-center buildings being used as Haunt attractions. I don't mind having structures that only exist for Haunt that are unintrusive during the regular season (e.g. Slaughterhouse, Board 2 Death, CarnEvil.) I don't love that an entire arcade (KillMart) and a themed ride building (Madame Fatale's) are very much visible components of themed(-ish) areas but aren't accessible except for six weekends in the fall. Especially since both could be used to further enhance the themes of their respective areas, given the right funding and focus.
Second (which I don't know necessarily qualifies as a nitpick, but I'll throw it in anyway): I'm finally going to Disneyland this year for the first time after having visited Walt Disney World a couple times over the last few years.
When you buy a ticket for Disney World, there's so much pre-planning to get excited about. "Make your profile and reserve your FastPasses!" they exclaim. "Have you booked a hotel room? Made your dining reservations? Do you want us to shoot a reminder to your phone when it's time for [show] or [character meet and greet]? How do you want to receive your Super Special Plastic Ticket Card(s)? Get your magic ready to go!" There's a whole hype train attached to buying a Disney World ticket. If you want it, your experience starts at least 30 days before you ever go.
When you buy a ticket to Disneyland... you buy a ticket. And that's it. The lack of hype is comical (to me, anyway) compared to WDW. Did you buy your ticket? Good. Now go print it off and sit on your hands or something.
I've got all this Disney park-related excitement but literally nothing to channel it into, haha.
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I would definitely say I'm Flying--
1 hour ago, King Ding Dong said:The first person to say a kiddie coaster is going to come off as rather creepy.
--straight to the answer of Adventure Express. Eh heh heh... heh.
Actually, I think I'm a CCI. Well-meaning despite the execution sometimes not being great. Also, I get mean when it's hot out and sometimes beat the tar out of people.
Just kidding. I'm an Intamin. I always let people down when they make plans with me.
Nah... nah. That's not it. I'm a Larson looper. No one's excited to see me coming.
I'll be here all week!
(Serious answer, though: probably something like Verbolten? I like having fun outside, but I have a lot more fun in my imagination [the inside]. Let's go with that.)
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EDIT: What @jcgoble3 said.
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Dane's just looking out for your theme preferences!
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I mean, *I* think it is, but I'm also not as giga-crazy as you.
I thought Leviathan was pretty forgettable, and not because it's a B&M--Fury is one of my favorites.
For me, the draw for Wonderland is Vortex, Wild Beast, Thunder Run, and the unique flat rides, foods, and live entertainment. (And Wonder Mountain's Guardian, but I think I'm alone on that one.) It's a really well-rounded park that unfortunately just doesn't seem to have a singular star coaster. It's worth at least one visit, if nothing else.
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I've always imagined that maintenance costs played a big part in that.
Kentucky Rumbler is the worst maintained GCI of the ones I've ridden*. There are 12 cars to a train on that ride; when I rode a few years ago, maybe half of them had all of their ornamental pieces still attached. I wouldn't accuse that ride of being rough. It opened in 2006.
Meanwhile, Voyage frequently has extensive retracking (or even redesigning of supports, like in 2012) that the park actively promotes alongside any additions or renovations to the park. Steve Gorman has said at enthusiast events that Ravine Flyer II has two layers of steel on the insides of the track to try to keep it firm and resistant to damage (which causes roughness.) Boardwalk Bullet is probably second to only Son of Beast in terms of how rough it can be. All opened the same year as Kentucky Rumbler or later.
I love both companies, but I get the impression that one costs more longer-term.
*Not including the ones that originally operated with PTC trains. Those ones are in a class of terribleness all on their own. I'm just talking about the ones that have always operated with Millennium Flyers.
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Does anything ever come out of B&M vs. Intamin debates besides flames? Not trying to police what y'all talk about, but it seems like we hit up this subject every six months around here and never get anywhere constructive with it.
Not to mention that in recent years, manufacturers like S&S and RMC have opened more rides in America than either B&M or Intamin... But that's just my two cents.
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1 hour ago, jtro223 said:
the trains have been replaced with Gerstlaur trains
And then you wake up in a cold sweat.
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Person Dies at Schlitterbahn Kansas City
in Other Amusement Parks & Industry News
Posted
@Rivertown Rider: I couldn't agree with your post more.
ASTM exists for a reason. The ASTM F24 committee exists and convenes regularly for a reason. The standards they produce are produced for a reason. Safety is paramount.
That Jeff Henry and Tyler Miles considered themselves above those standards shows an astounding arrogance and a sociopathic apathy for the value of human life. Where I am at with exploring the amusement industry and the people in it, I can't wrap my mind around how someone that reckless ever found themselves in the decision-making positions they found themselves in. The lack of accountability is staggering.
Coincidentally, they might get their wish of reshaping ASTM's standards: they've provided a case study of exactly what not to do. (I'm being serious--that's not me making light of this incident.)
Given that this is a public forum with a decently large audience, I think it needs to be said that for every Jeff Henry or Tyler Myles, there are a hundred people in this industry who are 100% at the other end of the spectrum when it comes to concern for safety. I've met industry folks who, in their younger years, were in proximity to safety-related incidents they had no control over. Decades later, they tear up telling the story of how it shaped their passion for keeping people safe. The people (for lack of a better word) behind Verruckt are not the norm.