CoastersRZ Posted August 18, 2004 Share Posted August 18, 2004 I headed up to the park today for a couple hours before the closing hour of 8. I arrived at the park around 5:30 to a moderately filled parking lot, nothing extreme but a little busy for a week day. Once inside the park, I headed to Adventure Express where there was a wait of a couple trains. It seems that this ride has returned to two train operation. The third train has been removed from the tracks. Why in the past couple of years does the park seem to barely ever have the third train running on this ride. On the Thursday, the day of the announcement, the line for this thing stretched all the way out to the beginning of the line. I assume that they removed it to get a head start on the off season maintenance, but how come they used to have all 3 trains on until October? After Express I headed to the forwards Racer. Nothing special, just the same old classic Racer, and they were Racing. The trim brake on the forwards side appears to be braking harder. Also, the tent structure that protected the Nick Parade floats has already been removed and all that remains is a large sea of blacktop. After Racer, I headed to Vortex, and perhaps one of the longest waits of the day, along with my wait for Flight of Fear. I waited about 15 minutes to ride, with the line starting at the stairs to cross over the tracks. I sat in the back seat and got to experience the massive air time that the back seat delivers on the first drop. While on board I saw that The Beast had a short line. So after about a 10 minute wait. The Beast is the same old excellent Beast. The crew was getting the trains out in a hurry. Most of the time, the train slowed down, but did not stop in the brake run after ending the ride. One curious thing I have noticed is that the park has installed a camera on the operators booth. They have then mounted a television to the right of the small kids pen that displays the view from the camera. I found this to be quite odd. I assume it is some sort of new safety feature but why you would need a tv displaying what the camera is capturing is beyond me. I next headed up in the Tower to check out any developments with the `Tiques. Nothing apparantly has happened to the site. All the cars still remain on the track with about four parked behind the wall like usual. Upon leaving the park, I noticed that the only visible sign the ride is closed is the temporary sandwich sign the park placed in front of the entrance saying that they were building a new Italian Job ride for next year on that location. The sign for the `Tiques still remained and the exit was not gated off in any way. It appears as if nothing visually has happened to the site yet since they closed on Sunday. After the Eiffel Tower, I headed to Son of Beast. I had a terrible ride on it. My back got really stiff while I was on the ride from all the slamming and sudden, forceful side to side motion of the trains. Either it was my particular seat or just me, but it seemed as if the ride was rougher than normal. My ride was excruciatingly brutal, and I heard others complaining about Son of Beast being the roughest coaster they`ve ever been on as I got off. I know the ride is still being fine tuned by the park, but they still have some major work to do. Normally, I have no problem with SoB. In fact, in 2000, I rode it 9 times in one day! After my ride on it tonight, I doubt I will take a spin on it again this year, and maybe for a couple of years. While I enjoy riding roller coasters, I don`t enjoy getting beat up and thrown around on a ride. After my painful experience on SoB I headed to a walk on Top Gun. After the short ride, I marched across the park to FoF. The line started at the entrance to the UFO. Flight of Fear is still one awesome coaster since they redid the bars on it. By the time I got off of FoF it was just about 8. I headed out to my car in the parking lot. For being at the park for only 2.5 hours, I got a lot of rides in. Overall, with the excpetion of Son of Beast, I had an excellent time at the park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZosoBeast Posted August 18, 2004 Share Posted August 18, 2004 DUDE! I got there the very same time you did! You didn't happen to talk to someone out in the parking lot about making sure to check what spot you were parked in did you? If so, I believe you were parked in the drop zone section where as I was in the Face/Off section. Anyway, I wish I knew the FoF line was so short, I would have taken that for a spin! I did manage to get my 7 year old on Top Gun AND SOB for the first time today. Unlike you, my ride on SOB today was the smoothest ride all year! 1st car, second row! My daughter didn't know it had a loop. I had to hide that fact from her in order to ride it! She does not do loops, until today! She loved it! But she did come off of it with the classic SOB line "I now have a very small headache!" LOL! The dude running the drivers box on The Beast (not naming names) was just ANNOYING beyond belief on the mic! Yelling out stats to the crew. Trying WAAAY to hard to be funny! Just speaking like he OWNED the ride! Everyone in line covering there ears as he spoke! Dude, turn down the volume next time! Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastersRZ Posted August 18, 2004 Author Share Posted August 18, 2004 Nope, I parked in the Goldpass lot. I rode Flight of Fear right around 7:30 which could have had something to do with its short line. I rode Son of Beast in seat 2.2 and had a terrible ride. I seriously doubt that I will ride that ride the rest of the season. I found myself hoping for the ride to end sooner because it was beating me up so bad. Aren`t roller coasters supposed to be enjoyable? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browntggrr Posted August 18, 2004 Share Posted August 18, 2004 It is too bad that SoB seems to "brutalize" riders on matter what PKI does to correct the problem (i.e. retracking). The only idea that I can think of to correct the problem is to buy new trains. I don't know if this is possible due to the loop, but it seems that is the only thing that PKI has not tried yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Christopher Posted August 18, 2004 Share Posted August 18, 2004 I rode Son of Beast in seat 2.2 and had a terrible ride. I rode the exact same row with Bill the morning before the IJ announcement. Odd how I had my smoothest ride all year and it seems to beat other people up. Not to mention I somehow always get a smooth ride (IMO) on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coney_man Posted August 18, 2004 Share Posted August 18, 2004 It is too bad that SoB seems to "brutalize" riders on matter what PKI does to correct the problem (i.e. retracking). The only idea that I can think of to correct the problem is to buy new trains. I don't know if this is possible due to the loop, but it seems that is the only thing that PKI has not tried yet. They need to make the trains a little shorter to at least make ride at least enjoyable, or just get Intamin Wooden coaster trains...(they at least make the ride smoother) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PKI_Diana Posted August 18, 2004 Share Posted August 18, 2004 "Also, the tent structure that protected the Nick Parade floats has already been removed and all that remains is a large sea of blacktop." ---They loaded up the floats onto semi trucks about 1.5 hours after the last parade. I watched from atop the tower--- "One curious thing I have noticed is that the park has installed a camera on the operators booth. They have then mounted a television to the right of the small kids pen that displays the view from the camera. I found this to be quite odd. I assume it is some sort of new safety feature but why you would need a tv displaying what the camera is capturing is beyond me." --Not safety, theft deterant! It's so that everything that is left in the station is taped, so we can cut down on the theft that occurs at rides...don't be surprised if those type of cameras show up everywhere over time.--- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vortexlover2 Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 I thought they put the camera on the first hill to make sure it gets over before they send the next train up because if it's not... just think of a train falling backwards off a lift hill, and crashing into the next train. so someone wtches the tv to make sure it gets over the hill. and if it doesn't within 5 minutes htey know something is teribly wrong. Train one sudenly stops for no reason on the 1st hill the cameras aren't there. The next train starts going up the hill, and doesn't stop. Train 2 crashes into Train 1, and the y both fall backwards, train 1 at a higher speed, because it's higher, in hight. VL2 AKA Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZ Kinda Guy Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 They need to make the trains a little shorter to at least make ride at least enjoyable, or just get Intamin Wooden coaster trains...(they at least make the ride smoother) Shorter trains would make the ride more enjoyable how?.....And you've rode in a Intamin wood coaster train?...Geesh, please think before you type. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZ Kinda Guy Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 I thought they put the camera on the first hill to make sure it gets over before they send the next train up because if it's not... just think of a train falling backwards off a lift hill, and crashing into the next train. so someone wtches the tv to make sure it gets over the hill. and if it doesn't within 5 minutes htey know something is teribly wrong. Train one sudenly stops for no reason on the 1st hill the cameras aren't there. The next train starts going up the hill, and doesn't stop. Train 2 crashes into Train 1, and the y both fall backwards, train 1 at a higher speed, because it's higher, in hight. VL2 AKA Eric It's called a block system... Like I told that other guy, please think before you type. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browntggrr Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 They need to make the trains a little shorter to at least make ride at least enjoyable, or just get Intamin Wooden coaster trains...(they at least make the ride smoother) I am sure he meant CCI, and made the honest mistake of confusing Intamin and CCI. We are not perfect. Please think before you type. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZ Kinda Guy Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 It wasn't an honest mistake...BTW, CCI doesn't make wood coaster trains. Hell CCI isn't even around anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoddaH1994 Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 Also, it is nearly impossible for the train to roll backwards down the lift hill. That clanking noise you hear is the anti-rollback mechanism (invented by John A. Miller). If the chain were to break, or the car miscatch, the train would just stay still. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browntggrr Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 It wasn't an honest mistake...BTW, CCI doesn't make wood coaster trains. Hell CCI isn't even around anymore. So CCI closed in 2002. They still have 34 coasters that they built, just because they are no longer in operation does not take away from the fact that they did build coasters. The honest mistake would be that GCI has used Millennium Flyers on coasters like Thunderhead. Some may confuse the term Millennium and refer it to Intamin. Yes, an honest mistake. And also, please take your "Holier than thou" attitude and go back to the other PKI site. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZ Kinda Guy Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 I'm not going to sit here and argue about someone else's stupidity. It's not that big of a deal to me..."Holier Than Thou attitude"?...Right. So I can't post on this site? Why not? The peeps who run this site have no problem with me so why should I go? Seems like your the one who has something against me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dane Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 Now you see, Sparky lives right down the street from me. I am frequently over at his house. If you knew him, you would think this is hilarious because he is so nice offline but when hes on the boards, well, you see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browntggrr Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 I'm not going to sit here and argue about someone else's stupidity. It's not that big of a deal to me..."Holier Than Thou attitude"?...Right. So I can't post on this site? Why not? The peeps who run this site have no problem with me so why should I go? Seems like your the one who has something against me. I have nothing against you, just the way you treat others. Why could it not be a mistake? Oh ya, just because you say it is not. That is the "holier than thou" attitude that I am referring to. Constantly trying to embarrass someone that makes a mistake or posts a comment that is wrong is not that big of a deal, you don't have to make rude comments, just explain why they may be wrong and move on. I am glad that you are a great person to be around, but here, you are, well you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZ Kinda Guy Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 Which basically translates into me being an ass on here. Which I do not argue with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vortexlover2 Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 I'm not going to sit here and argue about someone else's stupidity. It's not that big of a deal to me..."Holier Than Thou attitude"?...Right. So I can't post on this site? Why not? The peeps who run this site have no problem with me so why should I go? Seems like your the one who has something against me. I have nothing against you, just the way you treat others. Why could it not be a mistake? Oh ya, just because you say it is not. That is the "holier than thou" attitude that I am referring to. Constantly trying to embarrass someone that makes a mistake or posts a comment that is wrong is not that big of a deal, you don't have to make rude comments, just explain why they may be wrong and move on. I am glad that you are a great person to be around, but here, you are, well you know. I agree, I was kinda embaresed when you said think before you type to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PKIDelirium Posted August 21, 2004 Share Posted August 21, 2004 Which basically translates into me being an ass on here. Which I do not argue with. good, nothing to argue there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtySteve Posted August 21, 2004 Share Posted August 21, 2004 If you guys wanna have a ****ing contest on here, than use PMs. Don't do it in the trip reports. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts