McSalsa

Kind of. There are also different seat choices (some seats are smoother riding than others), current weather conditions, etc etc. And some people are more bothered by different types of roughness, there is the head-banging variety, the wooden "Dinn" shuffle, the classic "Jackhammer", the sharp turning of older steel coasters... I have had both nearly "B&M" smooth and very painful, rough rides on Flight of Fear at Kings Island alone (never rode it with OTSRs), as an example of how a ride can be smooth or rough, depending on various conditions. Another example would be The Voyage @ Holiday World...it was OK in 2010, but my rides on it one year later we very rough. It's probably very different now as Holiday World went and re-tracked it in 2012. As for the "rides must be big and tall and fast to be good" theory...Steel Dragon 2000 vs. Expedition GeForce. Based soley on height and speed, GeForce should lose, as it is a "pewny" 174 feet tall (not even a hypercoaster!). But it was voted the best steel coaster in the world in the 2012 Mitch Hawker poll, also being favored over such giants as Millennium Force, I305, Leviathan, Top Thrill Dragster, and Kingda Ka as well to win that honor. It has never fallen out of the Top 3. And when you talk wooden coasters, most of the best ones are actually pretty small, while nearly every huge non-prefab wooden coaster ever built has run into serious issues...even Voyage @ Holiday World is starting to have problems, hence why Timberliners were ever even suggested for it.

Yeah, that's what I am figuring. Thanks for the offer though- I wish we could have used it. Would have saved us $110...

^ FUDGE. Looking at the promo more closely, we won't be able to do it- we live in Indiana and these cups are only in Ohio, and are only good until June 9th. We will not be in Ohio until the 13th, the day of the trip. Oh well...never mind. Cedar Point will probably be worth the extra $110 anyway.

No...we got a Hotel Package...already booked and locked...can we still get that discount?

OK, I have another question that has come up. We purchased the "2-Day Ride and Slide" ticket package, but the resort guidelines say we cannot check-in to our hotel until 4PM and check-out is at 11AM. So...does this mean we have to wait until 4PM to get our tickets and enter the park? I'm confused. Can someone explain how Cedar Point resorts work? Thanks... UPDATE: Never mind, we called them and figured it out.

^ Awesome. That sounds a heck of a lot better than what Kinzel's operation was doing...sure, I know they were trying to be super-safe and all (the Magnum XL-200 incidient scared that regime to death apparently), but Beast had its brakes changed to account for rain, and its final brake run is covered up. It should at least run two trains in light rain. And then I'm sure parks like Holiday World are safe, but they run all their stuff in the rain (I assume with multiple trains) and so far, there haven't been any problems there because of it. Granted, Cedar Point could still be different, as under Ouimet the GM's now have more say in what each park does, so I'm guessing the rain policies for different parks may be different... Also encouraging is the fact Terpy posted some comments I read on another thread during his CP trip that suggested rain, but when it was not raining (or perhaps Gatekeeper was running in the rain), it was about a 10-minute wait for Gatekeeper... PS: I still expect "sensitive rides" like Top Thrill Dragster to shut down at the earliest sign of rain. That one I can understand, too. Double PS: I just learned the Hotel is BOOKED. IT. IS. ON!!!

During my single visit to Kings Island in May 2011, it rained for much of the early day. Of the rides I checked out to ride... -Adventure Express 1 train was running, instead of the usual two. (The ride actually has the ability to run 3, but the 3rd train hasn't been needed in years) -The Racer Both Blue and Red Racer were operating, but each side was only running 1 train. -The Beast Yikes- Beast was also running one train. One train operation+World's Longest Wooden Roller Coaster= (It was a 90 minute wait, when it should have been 30!) However, the soaked-up track made it run very fast with intense lateral forces (nearly on the same level as Legend @ Holiday Word), so it was worth the wait! -Diamondback I didn't ride it until later in the day when the rain had stopped and it was running all 3 trains, but while it was raining, it was only running 2. -Vortex Was in a similar boat to Diamondback, and was running 2 trains instead of the usual 3. However, there didn't seem to be any slowdown and the wait was only 20 minutes which was around what I have come to expect from Vortex anyways...is that 3rd train even needed anymore? I didn't have a chance to check any of the other rides, but I think Firehawk was only using its yellow train, and BLSC looked like it was also running 2. Flight Deck was closed until very late in the day, when the rain had stopped. Invertigo was running 1 train as well, but for it, that's normal. Granted, this was while Dick Kinzel was still in command as well. Now that Matt Ouimet is in charge, the Rain Policies at the parks may have changed, but I'm not 100% certain.

Well, I'm bumping this again...I hath questions. Weather-related ones. I checked www.weather.com, and using their 10-day forecast, to get some idea what is expected for our trip to Cedar Point. They are saying there is a 40% chance of scattered thunderstorms (not constant) on Thursday, dropping to 10% later in the day (does not sound like a complete wash-out thankfully). Friday should be clear. My questions are, assuming this weather stays like this: #1-I have heard horror stories about Cedar Point going paranoid and shutting every roller coaster down, even if all that's happening is a light drizzle. Is there any truth to this, or does Cedar Point run in any way similar to what Kings Island does on rainy days (ie, runs the rides but with only 1 train, etc etc.)? #2-How will this weather affect crowds on both days? I'm assuming Thursday will have light crowds, due to the threat of rain and the fact it is a mid-week weekday, but am expecting a decent crowd come Friday because all the people who were going Thursday who didn't because of rain will bump their trip back one day. Any answers are welcome. Thanks!

^ Water Parks can also have wintery themes, like Blizzard Beach @ Disney World. And Splashin' Safari, Holiday World's Waterpark, has a safari theme. There are actually more ways to theme a water park than you listed. There is also...generic. Aka the "Blah" theme. I voted tropical island though. Just seems to match a waterpark so well.

Question, which park actually has every single type of coaster out there that fills up the coaster catalog? I don't understand the "in" thing because there were only 3 B&M hyper coasters that have opened between 2008-2010. One respectively for each year in the United States. Between the 2008 and now, I've seen more relocations of coasters and "new" types of coasters than constantly adding the same type of coaster throughout numerous parks. The new "in" thing is Wing Coasters because there were two that opened last year and one this year. So I guess that cancels out the inversions are no longer fun thought. In 2012, there was not a single Wooden Coaster that opened, so that wasn't the "in" thing, but this year, 3 have opened. Is that the new "in" thing? But to the comment of Hypers are no longer enough, how many parks can add a hyper? Should parks that already have a hyper add another? I seem to look at Canada's Wonderland that has a B&M Hyper and a B&M Giga and both attractions are doing just fine. I've got a few friends that visit that park frequently and both seem to have the same wait times generally. We've seen that the 300 foot mark hasn't curbed people for looking for more speed, height and airtime. Look at Top Thrill Dragster and Kingda Ka. They both have long lines generally. 400 ft plus. So I guess the question you're really asking is when is it enough. Well we won't know until we reach that point. Those who visit amusement parks tastes change constantly with the type/age/area of people. What was once thrilling in the 80s is no longer thrilling in 2013 generally. There are some rides that fit the category for some, but not for others. I guess I'm just frustrated with your post because you are speaking of the thoughts of all the coaster enthusiasts and "everyone." Me, do I want a Giga? Yes. Why? Because I think they are fun (I've only been on Intamin's), they give airtime and I love over-banked turns. Would I be happy if KI got an Inverted Coaster in 2014? Yes. Why? Because Inverts are fun. Would I be happy if KI got a coaster in 2014? Yes. Why? Because the park could benefit from any new coaster. Just because you've heard a certain number of enthusiasts or whatever that have said they want to get their "high" doesn't mean that everyone feels the same way. When talking about Coaster Enthusiasts remember you're talking about a lot of people on here and not everyone here feels the same way that you think all coaster enthusiasts feel. And worth noting- who built all 3 of those hypercoasters from 2008-2010? Cedar Fair. No one else was building any 200'+ coasters at that time. In fact, Six Flags has not added a hypercoaster to any of their parks since 2006 (Goliath @ SFOG)...even though not every Six Flags has one (Six Flags St. Louis comes to mind there). Granted, in 2012, we did get SkyRush @ Hersheypark and Shamabahala (Hope I spelled that right) @ Port Adventura, so perhaps other non-CF parks are starting to get in the hyper/giga mood...but I don't see gigas or even new hypers popping up like crazy, unless it's in China or something, or a new park that is just opening for the first time and needs that "monster" steel coaster in its initial lineup.

Just a heads up, this is not a brand-new system. Holiday World had this in 2011, and probably still does. They call it "HoliCash". Has anyone who has been to HW actually used it? Because I feel Dorney's system may be similar. PS: I never used Holicash myself, BTW.

Ahh, it's ok. Like we would even know each other, since neither us have ever even seen each other faces, even in pictures. All I would know would be "Terpy is here...somewhere...probably on Magnum...or eating Frozen Custard..."

Wow, a Terpy trip report...these are very rare! And very awesome when they do occur! (Like Total Solar Eclipses...or at least Lunar) Glad you had a great time. I wish you a fun trip to CP, just like you did me. Granted, we will probably not be there the same day...unless you delay your trip a week. But why would you do that?

^ Well, at least I now know me and Shaggy have very different digestive system tolerance levels...

I don't see it. I kinda "see it"...but you should flip the Montu image, then it kinda makes sense. And I want what Monroe is having, but give me a soda instead of beer, I'm non-achoholic. Edit: Ironically, as I read this, I am eating a Chicken Sandwhich with Cheetoh's Hot Fries and driking a root beer. So perhaps just Monroe should eat Nachos...for now.

The article says otherwise. PS: I know it's Flight Deck, I was pointing out an error in the article...I found it funny that even the media still calls some of these rides by their old names 5 years after the name change...

^ Hmm...cool article...huh...what da...WTF, California's Great America's B&M Invert is still called TOP GUN? And Kings Island couldn't keep their ride that name!?!? I call BS.

I seriously doubt Adventure Express is going anywhere, for anyone who thinks that...it is an Arrow Dynamics Mine Train coaster. The very fist coaster of this model ever built was Runaway Mine Train, at Six Flags Over Texas, which opened in August 1966...and is still going today. Cedar Creek Mine Ride @ Cedar Point opened in 1969...still going today. Adventure Express...opened in 1991. Compared to the 2 rides I listed above, it's a baby. As for it being unpopular? The 15-minute waits on even crowded days are NOT the result of that...Adventure Express is a high-capacity ride, and at the end of the year, it still gives nearly a million rides. And I don't think AE has severe reliability issues at all, either. And if it is taking up lots of land...I call BS, you just tore down SOB, Thunder Alley and have the entire former Wild Animal Habitat area to work with, if even the AZ midway. You can build a new ride and not have to demolish Adventure Express to do so. Adventure Express is probably staying put, unless Cedar Fair is THAT stupid to remove a popular ride that still has 20+ good years or more left on it...yeah, Mine Trains are a good long-term purchase for amusement parks, it would seem.

For those who do not know, a link to today's announcement: http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?/topic/27456-dive-in-movies/ Well, screw my wet ride theory. Unless they plan on building B&M's answer to Intamin Aquatrax...a dive machine with a 300'+ drop AND a soaking wet splashdown finale...aka, one that actually soaks you! (Would that count for innovation?)

Oh... This is cool. Also very wet. Wait...is this...THE DIVERSION!?!? (Huh, perhaps Terpy already knew about this...and of course Don Helbig probably knew...)

Wait a second...what if this isn't a roller coaster at all being built, but some sort of water ride? Those can have footers, too... Or...Intamin Aquatrax. Half coaster, half water ride, 100% soaking wet fun. McSalsa, who knows nothing and is just throwing everything at this, hoping something sticks...

Hmm...I see, so it was something far worse than anything "Old" Texas Giant or Rattler had...quite sad then. I guess there's a good reason Hercules was dead by 2003, when Texas Giant, a ride only 1 year younger, was still doing OK until around the time it got the RMC treatment... Also, out of curiosity...I am comparing...Mean Streak pre-trim brakes... ...to 2012 Mean Streak... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPQ4AusAgqU ...wow, they nerfed it. It's not even like Beast, where the different brakes are hardly noticeable (at least to me)...in addition to the 2 trims on the first drop, the MCBR's brake settings seem to have been raised as well...then again, you can blame poor design for these rides. Giant turns way up in the air don't work on massive wooden coasters...unless it's prefab.

^ Sorry Terp, but you have confused me...how would Hercules exactly have been un-saveable for RMC? They were able to save Texas Giant (a Dinn wooden coaster that was tearing itself apart) and early reviews of Iron Rattler (a former RCCA coaster) have been positive... I would imagine with that epic first drop and that terrain that a Iron-Horse'd Hercules would have been very possible, and perhaps an awesome ride to boot...

Oh boy...umm..I hath never been on KI's Dodgems before. It's one of the few flats I have never really gotten around to. Heck, I did not even ride Viking Fury until my 1 visit last season (May 5th, 2012)! I'm also missing a coaster credit @ KI, for Flying Ace...and have never ridden any of the pay-per-ride attractions either...and have never been to Soak City...dang, here I am going to Cedar Point when I still have so much left undone at Kings Island... As for Hercules, while I never rode it, based on POVs and pictures I have seen...it looks like it was an awesome ride that, if it got an iron horse makeover like NTG did, would have been by far Dorney Park's star attraction. Alas, RMC came along a few years too late too save Hercules...

I actually did enjoy Voyage, though, even the uber-rough ride I got in 2011...and my rides I had on it in 2010 were amazing. (Then again, I hit the woodies on a bad day in 2011, because NONE of them were running at their best...Legend was by far the closest, running at around 85% of its potential...although only Voyage was truly painful at all due to roughness) As for Mean Streak's layout, it looks...ok. Not the best layout in the world, but it does seem to have a few cool moments...I think the part where you go under a ton of the structure near the end, for example, looks cool...