brenthodge

Hopefully all the surrounding pavers get a deep clean. They look pretty scrungy. Would also be nice if they used the lighting rigs to actually focus light these.

As much as I think the logo is a bit clunky and “inelegant” I like that they have been fully committed to it and really gone for the trim package.

Oh, I agree. They did do a solid B in the eyes of the general public. Folks like us are a more select breed that can appreciate what is there while still seeing the little things that could’ve been done to make it much stronger. It’s a fun game, but I don’t let it ruin my days there.

That’s the problem-1) it’s too convoluted to quickly communicate through visual clues and 2) the visual clues are all wrong. Is it a new building? Old building? The lights on the posts are weathered in the front of the queue, shiny and new in back. It was a nice effort, but it’s all over the place. And that’s BEFORE the Cracker Barrel lush Christmas decorations and a random black glitter disco Christmas tree show up! LOL.

Wonderful detail. Wish they could communicate more clearly the “story” of the ride. The queue, while overall well designed, suffers from looking WAY to new. I never understood why all the mulch and minimal planting when they could basically over planted and let “weeds” take over the landscaping. The wood needed to be aged WAY more and the mishmash of “abandoned in the 80s” yet modern security patrolling it is odd. The “security camera” coverage makes it NOT seem abandoned. I think that tv (which is hard to even see) isn’t even needed and the “radio communication” works best when it sounds like it’s coming from urban explorers on the property. It seems like there are about 3 stories all going on and even the “monster” could be more effective if we never really saw so fully what it was. Projection mapping of vines advancing in the first part of the brake run would’ve helped and WAY more growth all over the entrance to the shed (instead of faded hobby lobby plastic ivy) would make the ending stronger.

I wasn’t implying that things had to be kept “pristine” or never changed, more that with proper planning, a general theme can be maintained. Even Disney is (sadly) much less diligent about their careful sight line planning theses days, but at least at “ground level” there should be more thought out into things. I’m not asking them to play at the same level, but to at least respect some of the thought that went into the original development and design.

That’s not spot on. You can have both with sound planning and creativity. The first few years of Cedar Fair ownership they demonstrated none of that. They were more focused on cramming the biggest thing they could in spots irregards to theme or appropriateness (much like their predecessors) They’ve shown in later years with Mystic and Orion you can have both modern thrill ride and cohesive queue and sighting that integrate into an area. I don’t think this is just “an enthusiast looking for anything to complain about” that’s a lazy place to put the blame. I think a “once a year” attendee would want the best, most immersive experience possible, and a huge steel coaster craned into a “riverfront pioneer town” with a horrible queue and crappy carnival games in its helix is hardly attractive to a “once in a lifetime” guest.

Yeah. Paramount may have screwed up the story line and cohesiveness of the area, but Cedar Fair butchered it beyond belief when they crammed Diamondback in there with the laziest, poorest planning and site use possible. HATED those first few years of Cedar Fair ownership. They screwed up as much as they improved.

Wait… so there’s a paint shop where it can be taken… on site… to be repainted? So why did it get to shape it was in to begin with? I know the “guts” needed to be restored, but there seems to be a need for more on going preventative maintenance on these things. Even if there are a few days during the early season that things are off live or down for a few more weeks of refurbishment.

I don’t think you are being negative at all. My comment about mystic was more to the thought they put into the queue, the way the switchbacks are “hidden” behind the meandering path, and the way they preserved “some” of the old growth tree cover. If they used that idea of “reclaiming an old river side town” for industry and extreme adventure sports, then I’d buy it. I even like the idea of a single rail coaster replacing Vortex and using the idea they did at CaAdv with the dirt bike, explore the abandoned “beast woods”. Develop an underlying story of why this whole town was abandoned. Who found it and realized it would be a great outpost for camping, white water rafting, dirt bike tours and other outdoor adventure, and why being there has angered the “sleeping beast”. As it is, it’s a mess of stuff with vague “western” architecture that we aren’t sure if it’s new or old.

That’s not a valid justification. With good planning and good follow up, the look and feel COULD have been kept similar. Adding Diamond back did not make it mandatory to put crappy modern sunshades over a concrete wasteland with metal poles, the budget made them go that route. Mystic shows what can be done to add a major ride the right way. I’m not sure how it fits the overall “ story” of the area, but it integrates well into the area.

Why is that unpopular? various owners and decision makers have destroyed it over time. From paramounts “ride in a box” themed to a jungle… in the western frontier… in a very visible PDQ metal warehouse, to Cedar Fair’s faded glory ride themed to… sunshades? Repurposed buildings? Snakes? It’s a mess. It doesn’t know if it’s “old west historical period” with freshly painted buildings, old west abandoned with the rickety station of The Beast, old west eighties with Mystic Dance shed, or amusement park modern with the mess that is Diamondback queue.

Agree with the change at haunt. To not do it is super lazy considering it’s screens. The Christmas trim is also illogical. It’s beautiful swags with cotton, wheat and flickering lanterns… in an abandoned lumber mill. Where are the glitchy c9 bulbs and faded creepy blow molds I can give them a pass on the truck in that the whole “period” theming and story is long gone. Id be happy with a “reclaimed urban exporter, outdoor adventure outfitter theme that uses a vintage train to transport their white water raft riders to the head waters. Even age the train so it looks old instead of shiny and new. They just repainted the arcade building which further muddies the story. Is everything old and abandoned, period new, or just clueless theme park architecture?

Pretty sure it was open every night of Winterfest.

The whole space needs more color and detail. Hopefully some of that is coming back.

I for one appreciate the “cleaning up” of the more extreme, scary stuff just littered all around. It looked ok at night under lighting in the dark, but often times just looked trashy during the day. Now that they are actively programming the day as a festival (not just “being open until haunt”) I think we will continue to see that stuff going away or being cleaned up and toned down. I’d be for having some more contained areas be outdoor scare zones that open up in the evening where it wouldn’t matter as much what it looked like during the day. I wish each area had one indoor maze, one thematic outdoor scary zone and one family friendly aspect that each related to the theme of the area. They do this with coney and did with Rivertown Reaping, but what the hell do pirates have to do with a Drop Tower, when there is a swinging ship in another area of the park that could tie into.

I think I think themes other than “candy we own and want to promote” sailed a lonnng time ago in this park. Not sure if they were ever that strong anyway. It was a nice park when I was there, but far from a “theme” park.

And somewhat harder to sustain. Most non-coaster “hype” campaigns are like Tomb Raider in that it’s the story, the experience, or the unknown you “have to ride it to find out” and once they have, the public interest can wane.

Agree. Last thing we need by The Beast is more random, un themed crap like this, the guess your weight thing or the massive soccer game. That area really needs to be cleaned up, not cluttered more.

Especially since knotts still does it in Jan, so any decor or costuming could be shared.

I personally thought it was a bit pointless since it was barely audible and the warning was just slapped on top of it. Unlike mystic, it was just a loop that didn’t “build” to anything. I wish they would “score” the entire ride with off board (on board is tricky and adds lots of weight) audio if they are going to do anything, but the “roar” of the track would pretty much drown out anything.

So focused down lights at a low level, linked into the safety system that in the event of an Estop go to full bright, along with pole mounted floods that turn on in the event of an evac, combined with infrared or low light cameras that can pick up what’s happening in the dark are outside the realm of what’s possible in this day and age? Many things are possible with money and investment (but I do have to agree, the blinding light makes what comes after darker-just wish it had more “purpose” like have two that look like eyes staring you down?)

There are other ways to light light hills. See: pretty much every coaster that doesn’t have blinding flood lights on their lift hills.

If the park puts half the effort you have into all these concepts and squiggles, then we are in for a real treat LOL. I hope you are validated one of these days soon with an announcement, then you can say “see, I told you so in concept #37! Keep up the good work. I hope your check is in the mail.