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The one picture I am really dying to see is a picture taken behind the portion of the batwing being worked on now, showing the zero-g roll in the background. It would be fun to see the scope of the elevation change from the roll down into the valley, and a get truer sense as to how big the batwing really is.

I might actually do the poll this year, so thanks for the heads up on this. I'll list my top 15 and then the bottom 5: Top 15: Boulder Dash Voyage Favorite Steel (Bizarro - SFNE) El Toro Shivering Timbers Prowler Thunderhead Phoenix Ravine Flyer II Hellcat Renegade American Thunder Hades Raven Apocalypse Cornball Express Bottom 5: Son of Beast Wildcat - Lake Compounce Mean Streak Wolverine Wildcat Wilde Beast - Canada's Wonderland

^ I'll add to that and say that there are only a finite number of possibilities as far as how the operations will go. I think we can safely assume that the train on the lift hill won't be able to be released onto the course until the train ahead of it has safely passed through the first set of brakes at the end of the ride. We also know that the train isn't being sent up the lift by launching it - either by LIMs, LSMs, cannon or by a band of circus elephants. There is going to be a point on the ride - be it once the train is released from the lift, the first vertical loop, etc. where the next train can be released in the station. Those are all pretty strict parameters so there are only so many different solutions. Sure, we (as the general public) don't know exactly how operations will function but I haven't seen anyone definitively stating that they do know either. Some of us have offered some ideas as to how we think that it may work, but that's it. We'll all likely know for sure - at the latest - once testing starts, at which point we'll all have our spirits lifted a bit (no pun intended).

The two largest B&M rides I can think of that have a combination of long layouts with no MCBR are Goliath at SFOG and Leviathan. Goliath is a two-train operation coaster and has a lower theoretical capacity than Banshee will, but Goliath can still move close to 1300 pph with a good crew. Leviathan and Behemoth move approximately the same volume of people (theoretical capacity is around 1500 pph and I've personally seen them get to that mark), even though the latter has a MCBR while the former does not. My wish on Banshee is that they use a two speed lift like they have on Goliath. Have a slower setting for the initial portion of the lift to allow the train on the course to clear the first block at the end of the course and then speed up when the train on the course does clear through the final brake block. It would allow the operators to send trains out from the station more quickly and get the next available train unloaded and loaded sooner. I trust B&M has got all that figured out and they'll still be able to move tons of people through.

I'll go the other way. I thought the On Broadway show at Cedar Point last year was one of the best shows I've seen at any park. The cast they assembled there was amazingly competent and sang really well, both solo and together. The production - aside from a few minor missteps - was absolutely fabulous IMO. It was the best half hour I spent at Cedar Point this year, and I would LOVE to see a production like that at Kings Island.

Skyrush is fairly reliable. I went to Hersheypark last summer for two days and it wasnt down at all. The only reason youd miss it would be in the case that the cable broke, but its very unlikely.Oh and if you go to Hershey, buy your tickets at the Giant Stores because they let you in from 7-10 one day for a "preview" and you will also be able to go to Hershey the next day all day. I'll echo this post. If you use the preview plan at Hershey you also only have to pay for parking during your preview visit. Just keep the parking ticket the same way you keep your admission ticket and they'll waive the parking charge the next day. As far as the Intamin mega coasters you mentioned...the general rule is that the Intamin megas (and gigas) are actually pretty reliable, but any Intamin that launches is much more hit or miss. If you want to ride an Intamin launch coaster and you see it running just get in line, particularly if you're at a park that you might not get back to for a while. Regarding the original question, my 2014 plans are pretty much the same as always. Hit every park I come across with a 3 Point Challenge and win at at least three quarters of the parks. I'd like to hit a few new-to-me parks (Six Flags Over Texas, Fiesta Texas, Silver Dollar City, and the Northern California parks) and see if we can get to 275 credits this year.

As far as the rides and associated temperature - it generally has to be around 40 degrees for Dollywood to open the coasters. When it dips below 40 Thunderhead will usually stay open, but the steel coasters will generally cycle through what's left of the line and then shut down. I know several people have mentioned - myself included - that they've ridden Thunderhead while it's snowing. If you want night rides get them as close to sunset as possible, particularly if the temperature might be a factor. If you happen to be going on a Saturday, you'll want to ride (and see any of the larger shows) as early in the day as possible. Dollywood opens at 11 on Saturdays and - assuming the rides are open - you'll be able to get on the rides in very short order the first three hours. Crowds really start picking up around 3 as people come in to see Dollywood lit up at night. Dollywood may be my favorite spot in the country in November and December after night falls because it's such a visual feast for the eyes. If you're staying overnight on a Friday or Saturday book as early as you can. Rates are jacked way up on weekends and the earlier you can book the better, especially if you can find places with advance rates. Having said that... I usually stay at one or two hotels, but neither is in Pigeon Forge. The hotel I use that typically fits within the budget parameters you specified is the Quality Inn on Winfield Dunn Parkway (the main strip) in Sevierville. The rooms and beds are clean, you get a lot of room for the money, and you get a decent breakfast spread to boot. It's about a 15 minute drive to the park from that location.

Really nice article. There were two lines in the article that pertained to new ride additions I thought were particularly interesting: and Those statements - in my opinion - not only provide insight as to where future additions may fit in but also come off as veiled shots at Intamin. The Interpreter has been saying that we have pay more attention to what's being done (i.e., what's actually being installed) and less about what's being said. We've seen Cedar Fair shift towards rides that are more "fun" versus "intense" and lean towards manufacturers that have reliable track records (B&M, GCI). Guardian at Canada's Wonderland will certainly be an interesting case study because it strays quite a bit from Cedar Fair's comfort zone. What it also tells me that they're not afraid to spend the cash if they think the return on investment warrants it AND presents the opportunity to do something cool and unique at the same time (think Gatekeeper and Cedar Point's entrance). I really hope it's successful because I'd love to see a unique dark ride like that at KI in the near future.

It looks like the first photos of the zero-g roll have been posted to KI's Twitter. My biggest concern about this whole project was whether the roll would have any real "snap" to it. We still need to see how much speed the trains have going into this element, but judging by the shaping in the photo we're in for quite a treat!

I'm sure that there were times that the crew was hitting 1600 - 1700 pph, nearly double Maverick's capacity. Most people think that Gatekeeper wasn't as popular as the big Intamin coasters because the lines at the end of the day were much shorter at Gatekeeper, when the reality is that Gatekeeper just pumped through a ton more people than the Intamins did which allowed lines to shrink during the day. Wasn't there some talk about Gatekeeper reaching 2 million riders this season if it hasn't done so already?

B&M inverts and dive coasters tend to be the smoothest B&M coaster types. The only B&M invert I've ridden that has a discernable vibration during certain parts of the ride is Alpengeist. Both the older inverts (the Batmen) and the newer inverts (Patriot) are still very smooth so I don't believe it'll be an issue with Banshee.

That's really where I was going with my initial comment. From what I've seen they still need to (at the very least) put up the railings on both sides of the catwalk and install the metal mesh that runs up and down the length of the lift to keep objects from falling to the ground. They've only installed three (very small) supports in the last ten days, supports that were really easy to put in with smaller equipment. Those smaller supports are not near paths accessible to the public like where the dive loop will be. Of course, the other possible explanation may be that they are going to use the larger crane to put up the dive loop and traditional loop and the crane simply can't be in two places at once. At the end of the day it doesn't really matter if more track goes vertical tomorrow or in January. It would have been nice to have been granted a more definitive first-hand glimpse on what the first few elements will look like this season but that's becoming a less likely proposition. C'est la vie!

It's becoming evident that there's not going to be a lot of additional track and support erection until after the season ends. It's unfortunate that we probably won't see much else going vertical while the park is still open, but construction is really going to fly once the park is closed. It wouldn't surprise me if vertical construction is done by the end of the year.

The safety systems did what they were supposed to do and everyone is OK. Not really sure why this is a story. I really believe that Universal Orlando should have been a junior B&M hyper along the lines of Hollywood Dream instead of Rip Ride Rockit. It would have interacted much better with the park and had a much higher capacity. Does the state of Florida have a moratorium against speed coasters?

The roar from B&M coasters is mostly sound resonating through the support. I asked this specific question in the Montu behind-the-scenes tour and the gentleman working the tour (the head of maintenance) said that the sound comes almost solely from the support. When we walked up the steps just shy of the MCBR platform we were standing right next to a support and you could hear the roar buzzing directly from the support. You can see the steps we were on if you click the link below: http://rcdb.com/87.htm?p=28083 Stand right next to that big first drop support next to the walkway on Diamondback and you'll hear the roar. There's a reason you can still hear Diamondback from outside the park when it's running down the bottom of those first few big drops. It takes a lot of force and a really large amplifier to be able to produce that kind of sound, and the supports are the only mechanism capable of transmitting that kind of sound.

Looks great! I guess it's all downhill from here.

The Sunday before Columbus Day (October 13 this year) would also be a Sunday to avoid at Cedar Point and Great Adventure. Notice the extended operating hours at Cedar Point that day (open til 10 instead of 8).

I agree, although I think that the biggest visual impact will be in two areas located in the park itself - near Delirium and as you're walking through Coney Mall. The Coney Mall view is actually more interesting to me at the moment because it provides the best "feel" for how big this coaster really is. B&M coasters are always visually appealing but this one is really going to be stunning once it's finished.

Seems to me that the biggest bottleneck for getting this ride up is how fast track pieces are being produced. Adena always works quickly. Wild Eagle was seemingly put up overnight, as they had loads of track and supports delivered before the bulk of the vertical construction started. I'd imagine you'll see elements put up just about as fast as they can produce the track pieces. Unlike with Diamondback construction there are very few areas of public access they have to work around. It's going to be awesome to potentially see the lift hill, drop, and the first few inversions from the midways before the season ends!

There are still a number of Six Flags parks that use a variation of the Visual Scan seen at Great Adventure. They just call it the Take 5 at those parks. Six Flags New England, Over Georgia, St. Louis and America have all used those this year on many of their rides. The crew on Prowler at Worlds of Fun even used a variation of this when I was out there a couple of weeks ago. Had me forget I was at a Cedar Fair park for a minute!

This. The rides this year on Diamondback, particularly in the back couple of rows, have been shakier than I'm comfortable with. Some enthusiasts think it's an issue with the trains, but it's not the trains that are causing the problem IMO. Behemoth and Intimidator both delivered smooth rides this year in all seats. I don't know if the problem lies solely with the wheels or if it's the wheel assemblies that need fixed but I'd love to be able to see this addressed sooner rather than later.

Busch Gardens is having a ticket sale on select days the rest of the season. The deal is only good for one-day admission on Fridays and Sundays, but if you're out that way it might be worth looking into. See link below for more details: https://www.livingsocial.com/events/cities/162-hampton-roads-peninsula/838336-busch-gardens-williamsburg-ticket?msdc_id=162-hampton-roads-peninsula

Best Amusement Park - Cedar Point Best Theme Park - Busch Gardens Tampa Best Wood Coaster - Voyage, Holiday World Best Steel Coaster - Bizarro, Six Flags New England Best Flatride - Skooter Bumper Cars, Knoebels Best "New" Ride - Gatekeeper, Cedar Point Most Beautiful Park - Busch Gardens Williamsburg & Tampa Best Park Staff - Dollywood Best Kids Area - Seuss Landing, Islands of Adventure Best Live E - Dollywood Best Dark Ride - Harry Potter, Islands of Adventure Best Ride Operations - Cedar Point

Have you had a chance to ride Boulder Dash in the last year or two? The coaster is running fantastic right now. I thought Boulder Dash - particularly in the first car - was the best coaster I've ridden this year even factoring in rides on I305, Skyrush, El Toro, Bizarro at SFNE, Voyage and others.

Claw strength is determined by the payout schedule. You may see someone win something like a small stuffed animal before the payout schedule is hit, but you can pretty well forget it if you're talking one of the electronic items (iPads, iPod Touch, Kindles, etc.) until the machine has hit its targeted money target.