Magenta Lizard

In that case, next should be a resurfaced parking lot followed by the return of the backwards Racer. I do also feel that since Mike Koontz became general manager, the park has been paying a lot more attention to guest feedback, though. Especially on the little things that make a big difference.

RCDB can only settle that score if you accept them as a governing authority

Definitely agree. Someone willing to flout the rules in a way that is as clearly obvious to those nearby as a lit cigarette or plume of vape is not someone who believes the rules (or other people) are important. They are going to do what they want when they want, whatever that might be.

Yesterday there was a guy in front of the cashier for Slingshot smoking. There is a smoking section within clear sight of there. One of the major problems with making the park smoke free is that it isn’t going to make jerks like that stay away, or even change their behavior unless they are kicked out, and I really don’t see that happening (although I have heard of a few occasions of people being kicked out for the safety hazard of a phone on the ride, personally the worst I’ve seen is it being removed on the lift hill and handed back by security after a “stern lecture” of about ten seconds). What banning smoking park-wide /will/ do is move the respectful smokers who already use the designated areas now into either restroom stalls or just outside the entrance, where you’ll likely be walking through a toxic fog every time you walk in or out from the parking lot. I already notice that more than the smoking sections, especially when everyone is leaving at the end of the night and a good number of smokers light up immediately outside the gates to smoke on their trip to their cars. Tobacco smoke gives me migraines, so I’ve always been pretty sensitive to the situation. But /believe me/ smokers and smoking are way less of a problem than they ever have been in the past. You know phones out on rides being a problem now? Imagine burning ash. When I was a kid, people were allowed to smoke in queues (really /anywhere/ outside and a good number of smoking sections indoors). And those lines were typically much longer than anything we see on a regular basis today. It was impossible to avoid cigarette smoke. Except for a few outliers, whose behavior wouldn’t be affected by a total ban, it is very easy to just avoid getting too close to the current smoking areas. I worry very much that trying to crank down any more on it will make avoiding it way worse than it is currently.

Me, I’m mostly here for Gravity today. But the crowds are quite a bit larger than I expected

The number is 69050 and is meant for “safety or security concerns”, I’m not certain that smoking outside the designated areas is really that. I’ve only tried to use it once, and wasn’t particularly satisfied with the response. Someone in front of me on Mystic Timbers’ very first train of the day had his phone out in his raised hand for the whole ride (after I asked him to put it away on the lift hill because I was worried the ride ops would actually stop us). I took a pic of him at the bottom of the exit stairs and sent it with a description of what happened to the number. I got an immediate bot response but nothing else so I assumed they were just going to take care of it or not, and it didn’t really need my further intervention (I had included that it was the first train and he had it out in the photo, so it wasn’t just my word against his, they could call up the funpix to confirm). Over an hour later, I got a human message that asked if I was still there and could speak with a ride supervisor about it. Obviously I hadn’t been hanging around waiting for a response for the whole hour, and there was really nothing I could add other than direct the ride supe to the proof as I already had (and since the ride supervisor isn’t security and I’m sure the kid wasn’t hanging out in the immediate area any more either, I don’t know how it would have helped, anyway) so I told them it had been an hour, so no, and they thanked me in reply and that was it. So while it is a cool idea to give guests an implied direct line to security, so we can report things without having to get into potential scuffles with other guests, I wouldn’t plan to use it for a serious or pressing concern. It would be better to direct such information to the nearest employee and let them contact security, if there is no security member nearby.

Said it before and I’ll say it again: if you want to be pedantic and set yourself as the judge of the only “acceptable” definition for a term that is actually defined by how people use it, not any sort of governing body, then fine. It’s not the shortest Giga. It’s the tallest Hyper. Now, go find someone who is actually impressed by your “superior knowledge.”

It wasn’t the Brewhouse, because it is new this year. It was Red’s Hall of Fame Grill

There’s some sort of infestation in the construction fence box. Not sure what to make of it...

This is making me think of the audio before the Gravity shows

Said it before and I’ll say it again: want to be pedantic and insist one definition is “the” definition of something that has no definition outside of usage? Fine, it’s not the shortest Giga. It’s the tallest Hyper. Maybe you can find someone to tell about that who will be impressed by your “knowledge.”

Aha, but WHY is the Blue Racer going backwards in the ONLY cgi version they have?! *conspiracy intensifies*

Thank heavens. We can use fewer overly-entitled passholders at the park. (Not my creation but spot on)

Hope springs eternal for me when it comes to sdrawkcaB recaR because it is something I would like so much. I had pretty much convinced myself that this year, with the strong emphasis on nostalgia (International Street, Antique Cars), would be the year even though there were absolutely no indications from the park. It wasn’t until a pic and a video had been released by the park in the week before opening day, showing each side was still running forward, that I accepted the truth. So, while I have zero doubt that Don Helbig believes it is NOT coming back, after I asked him last night (he actually seemed peeved by the whole thing, although he’s good at not giving into fully displaying when he’s angry), hope allows me to recognize a couple other factors. First, it isn’t his decision to make (or at least not entirely - I would bet his thoughts are taken into account). Second, this banner is going to make more than just me think it is coming back. I know people are already pretty vocal that they miss it going backwards, and this reference is only going to make that stronger. When I accidentally started the rumor a couple years ago that Antique Cars were going in where they took Dinos out (I just said it would be cool and within a week I had people telling me it was going to happen), it ended up making it clear that people missed them and would love to see them make a return. I make no claims that is why the park made their decision to bring them back this year, but it couldn’t have hurt to see the support for the idea. So, while I’m fairly sure a side won’t be going backwards in 2020... maybe this makes it more likely for 2021?!

I was too wiped out emotionally by the time I got home I couldn’t even get through reading the threads much less writing anything. It really was a rollercoaster of emotion starting at 10. The announcement itself was nearly exactly as expected, awesome, with the mild surprise they actually did use Orion, and the stronger surprise about Area 72, but the stats most of us already were counting on. Then the wild ride truly began. I waited for a bit as the crowd, which I had been avoiding by standing on one of the curbs under Racer rather than in the plaza, now flowed out past me into Coney Mall. Once I could, I headed into the plaza myself. Just as I was noticing the banners on the fence, I ran into a friend who told me to put my hands over my ears so I couldn’t hear what people were saying, and approach the fence closer to see something I was really going to like. When I saw sdrawkcaB recaR there was much squealing and dancing and I was on a complete high. I wasn’t fully willing to believe it though, so I asked Don Helbig and he very directly and definitively (it was clear he wasn’t playing) said “that isn’t happening!” I was crushed but I’m glad I found out before I had much time to believe it. So I went back over to the fence, a little down at this point, and started discussing things with the others still hanging around. Someone walked towards us, as I turned to see, first I noticed the video camera held by one of the men, then the microphone in the other man’s hand, and finally, who was holding it. I was excited to meet THE John Matarese after all his coverage of this so far, but less excited by that camera. I tried to step out of the way and let him interview the person I had been talking to (ok... I may have barked “they aren’t my kids!” in an attempt to move his attention off of me and onto the father of the cute kids), but he said “no, no, it’s fine” and started asking questions. I managed to convey my excitement about the ride and not curse, so I at least felt good about that, and he went on to interview someone else and I crossed my fingers mine wouldn’t be used. After a little longer, I headed out of the park in a daze from all that had happened, and drove home. Before I left in the morning, I had set my TiVo to record the WCPO 11:00 news because I figured John Matarese would have a segment about the announcement, so I did watch that, was relieved not to see myself in it, set up to record the morning news just in case, then fell asleep really quickly. So this morning... well out of however many interviews Matarese did last night, he chose two for the morning segment, and there I am, shining like an oil slick after being in the park and sweating since 9:30 AM, looking like a goober... I’ll spare you the whole thing and the horrors of my double chin (I’m sure those of you who have met me are well acquainted with it anyway) but here’s a “great” still from it: I guess it’s good to get the kind of recognition I deserve *sigh* Now I just need to deal with it being the last weekend of Gravity, and no more weekday ops. At least I have excitement about Orion to help get me through it

It was ten minutes or so standing in AC, definitely not difficult to sell me on during a hot afternoon I also don’t remember many of the audio things in the outdoor queue and had noted that some seemed new earlier in the season. But, I almost never hang out in that area so it’s hard to say for sure. It’s possible they are just playing them louder or more clearly. I don’t think the person who mentioned it was necessarily trolling. Also, about FoF, I noticed the week after I mentioned that memo on the printer, it was no longer there. No idea if the park removed it, but if it wasn’t them then SHAME ON YOU whoever did ;p edit: oh, and the park map in the box wasn’t me, I don’t know who added it but I saw it. There were things left in the other too boxes two but I haven’t checked them again since this morning.

Thanks @WailsLikeABanshee

Btw, I stood in the fastlane queue and watched the entire FoF video and it is the exact same as it has been.

The park itself is streaming the announcement, and I know Don is setting up to record for it in a primo location. Theirs will most likely be the best.

I dropped off some more presents in the teaser fence box

Me and @exscream team almost made it in the background of WXIX’s live newscast at one point. They wrapped up about 15 seconds too soon

Well, the reporter on Fox19 described what she sees behind the fence and didn’t mention seeing any track :/

One of the guys in the Local12 studio (the station who sent the one who went up the tower yesterday) was actually mocking last year’s big announcement of the Antique Cars. I think he was trying to contrast how cool it is we’re getting a Giga vs the cars not being that big of a deal, but It didn’t come off very well. “But I mean, you go from Antique Cars, this you know” (starts miming holding a steering wheel in a goofy way) “you know, crotchety old ‘doot doo doot do doo’ to tossing people off the Eiffel Tower! But not really tho!”

“Fox19 Now” goes from 4:30-9:00AM and then Fox19 Morning News Extra runs from 9-11. So a lot? At least on this channel. I set up to record John Matarese’s station this morning before I went back to sleep, in expectation/hopes they’d be there today. The woman who went up in the tower yesterday was so disappointing because she wasn’t into it, I was hoping for someone who actually seems interested. But so far all they (WCPO) keep doing is showing a few pics from the story so far while saying the announcement is coming tonight. This one is fun tho

Heh, the Dorothy card was actually my friend’s addition to the box, apparently. Enjoy your spoils!