End of Epic Roller Coaster

[shark6495]

The Golden age of Roller Coasters was, according to ACE, the 1920s .

The Revival was 1972.

The Preservation era of the 90s and now in the realm of record breakers and pushing the limits.

We all know about the Euthanasia Coaster. But I ask when will we stop? At what point do we stop pushing the limits because the only limit is death?

Are we nearing that edge now? We can only have so many inversions or speed or lateral gs, or length, etc before the body cant handle it.

Look to CP. They pushed the limits with Millie, TTD and then throw at us Maverick and Gatekeeper. KI had SOB and then answered with Diamondback and Banshee (breaking a length record).

I guess I wonder if we have seen the last of the Roller Coaster Wars or if they will return for more record breakers in the near future. Do you create a park with such high thrills that only a select few want to visit or do you go the safe route and make the most money?

Personally, I think we have seen the end of the coaster wars for at least the next decade or two. What else can be done in coasters? 4d, suspended, stand up, inside, outside, inverted, flying, many flips, no flips, speed, height, splash downs, backwards, forwards.

[thedevariouseffect]

I'm sure some limits are being approached and the body can only tolerate so much, and the average person can only tolerate even less.

Right now I see rides coming up with ingenious ways to push the envelope and offer new things and bring new thrills and excitement. Think for years how drop rides have just been pick you up, drop you down, same thing different height, restraint, thats about it. Then comes Falcon Fury, where the ride tilts you down and lets you plummet straight down. New, ingenious, and great thrills.

Look at water rides like Proslide making great new attractions and now water coasters. Then Verruct over in Kansas City, pushing the boundaries of Mega Coasters.

There are limits, but there is always ingenuity as well regarding the future.

[JTW]

Also every coaster has somewhat of a gimmick to sell the idea to the public. Usually it's nothing more than the seating style, and it seems to come and go as trends and popularity shift.

Most Arrow loopers were built in a relatively small time frame. As were most stand ups, and most inverts. Now wing riders are RMC rides are hot. I could continue.

What's gimmicky that hasn't been thought of yet? A refined or new style 4G experience? More family orientated coasters based off companies larger designs?

[KI FANATIC 37]

I had never heard of that rollercoaster before. Its very neat but...bizarre in the same way. I don't quite understand why someone would want to design a rollercoaster for the sole purpose of killing them.

[thedevariouseffect]

End of happy life, end stage disease processes, terminal illness, death of loved ones/everyone around them, etc.

Euthanasia is actually surprisingly a wanted thing for many older people. There are even companies in other countries dedicated to helping these people achieve that wish of a peaceful death.

[KI FANATIC 37]

More of an exciting death. I wouldn't call that coaster peaceful!

[thedevariouseffect]

That's the point, one last thrill and bit of excitement to end your life with. By I believe it was the second or third loop you will fade out and you will be brain dead via hypoxia

[Dieseltech20]

It would also be used for executions. Quick and painless.

Edit: The first two loops would kill most anyone. The rest...

Subsequent inversions would serve as insurance against unintentional survival of particularly robust passengers.

[Buckeye Brad]

For amusement park rides, I believe these are the only two real limits on the human body:

1. Sustained G-forces

2. Violent changes in direction

Speed, length, and number of inversions, are practically limitless as long as #1 and #2 are kept in check. For example, we sent my 60+ year old father in law on a stunt plane "ride along". Its length, speed, and number of inversions all exceeded the craziest coaster, and he did just fine because the pilot was smart with #1 and #2. Obviously economics is a big reason Kingda Ka's height record has lasted a decade.

Given those limits, I think we can keep building coasters forever and not get bored. For example, even though the swinging suspended coaster has supposedly run its course, there is still so much potential with this concept. Imagine one 5,000 foot long, with open “dangling feet” trains, minimal restraints, with much of it buried in trenches with all kinds of near collisions and footchoppers. Not to mention a section where you skim inches from the water at 90 degrees. It could be just as thrilling as the best coaster today, plenty safe, unique, and be a big hit with the public. True, one hasn't been built yet. Then again in 1971 (before Racer opened) how many people envisioned The Beast, The Voyage, or Outlaw Run? I am also encouraged by the success of Wooden Warrior, an amazing looking “micro-coaster”.

I think our Banshee is a good example of how the coaster wars will continue for a while. Banshee was built exactly 20 years after Raptor, yet it to the average person it is not especially bigger or even fundamentally different from Raptor. Heck, less than 200 yards away from Banshee is another inverted coaster (running since 1999) that inverts its riders 6 times, and even goes backwards. So why is Banshee going to be a huge winner? Not because of any newfangled gimmick, significant world record, or even breathtaking intensity. My guess: because it is big enough to be intimidating, awesomely themed, and very re-ridable. It is impossible to miss, and it has personality and charisma. It takes an existing good idea and simply improves on it.

[The Interpreter]

It is always darkest before the dawn.

Everything goes in cycles. Until it doesn't.

[OleShawn]

Named must your fear be before banish it you can.

[purdude86]

And it's not a bad thing to go away at all. Honestly I think some of the best coasters aren't ones that are setting out to break a record but focus more on the quality.

Look at Banshee, yes it has the record of longest but not by much and it's one that many people aren't going to focus on. The general public looks at height, speed, and number of inversions. But Banshee is a hit because it is a quality ride.

Same with Maverick at Cedar Point. I think it's one of their best coasters and there was nothing record breaking about it, just a fun compact coaster that focused on a great experience, theme, and thrills.

And Universal and Disney are major destination places that people travel from all of the world to go to and shell out tons of money and I rarely see the push the boundaries on the extremes. What they focus on is a quality ride experience and that's how it should be.

[CedarPointer]

We've already hit the point of rides being too intense for people, just look at Mission: SPACE. I don't really want to ride something that has a body count.

[jcgoble3]

What's wrong with Mission: SPACE? I loved that thing. If you're talking about the fact that it literally has barf bags inside each ride vehicle, I personally found that hilarious.

[CedarPointer]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission:_Space#Controversy

At least Horizons never killed anyone. Should a ride really need that many warning signs?

[shark6495]

Pre-existing conditions killed those two....

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[jcgoble3]

Arguably, their pre-existing conditions were what killed them, not the ride itself. Otherwise, Firehawk has a body count too.

And I don't see any problem with the number of warning signs. It's not really that many.

[shark6495]

Guns don't kill... It's the bullets really

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[bkroz]

If you've never been on a truly aggressive thrill ride and then ride Mission: Space, you may just discover an undiagnosed pre-existing condition the hard way. What indication would any of us have to imagine we might have a pre-existing heart condition or something? Why would we submit ourselves to tests that we couldn't even imagine we need?

For all we know, the folks who died on Mission: Space might've died just as suddenly and tragically on Diamondback if they'd selected Kings Island as their destination instead of Epcot.

And for all we know, they might've died in a terrible car accident en route!

Either way, the push now is toward family attractions. So the cycle repeats, and so great, well-rounded parks become even stronger.

[shark6495]

True! I believe we as a community had the same spirited discussion about injuries on SOB

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[KI FANATIC 37]

Speaking about record breaking rides, I haven't ridden it but The Smiler looks like it would just about throw me over the edge.... And I would consider myself having a strong stomach.

[The Interpreter]

The Mission Space as it runs today is a substantially tamed down version of what it once was.

That's probably a good thing.

[bkroz]

And then there's a healthy fraction of the ride's multi-million dollar arm equipment being used on the "Green" mission.

[Hank]

I feel that if new coasters are built with quality, no gimmicks would need to be employed on said rides. Picture a wooden coaster with a moderate height, g!ood speed, nice theming, extra boosts along the course, a bit more lengthy than usual, no loops or inversions, but lots of fun built in. These are the machines that need to be built. The smile on the rider's face when they step off the train will be the proof in the pudding that the coaster was a good investment for the park.

Fun is the ingredient most needed, and most lacking, in the minds of today's coaster designers. They need to figure out how to make fun rides without having to break records all the time. This will also, hopefully, reduce the cost of some of the installations.

Just my thinking

[Banshee Back VII]

The coaster wars will continue. There will also be new types of rides. Imagine an X² type of ride, but the seats spin all ways, like a human hamster ball.

[bkroz]

The coaster wars will continue. There will also be new types of rides. Imagine an X² type of ride, but the seats spin all ways, like a human hamster ball.

Okay, and the question is... do people want that?

Are people really clamoring for an ultra-extreme ride where you flip endlessly in a hamster ball? Because if there is not a significant market for it, parks won't buy it, manufacturers won't design it. If it's some niche ride that only the "XTREME RIDE WARRIORZ" are going to come to the park for, why would Cedar Fair spend $10 million + on it? And for that matter, why would a reliable ride manufacturer put their resources into designing and offering one?

The "Age of the Coaster" is not over. Roller coasters continue to be staples of major amusement parks. They continue to be the biggest draw at those parks, too. But we're entering a realm here of family-focused rides, "best day" experiences, and quality over quantity. And truth be told, it's overdue.

[shark6495]

And I think that was my point (or one of them). I think we are at a point where Epic Coasters are not going to be the norm. No more coaster wars of fastest, tallest, etc for the time being.

I, too, agree that the era of family coasters is a very welcome sight

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[The Interpreter]

Somebody tell Magic Mountain.

And Six Flags as a whole.

[shark6495]

Well to be fair you don't see (at least yet ) CF answering back with another bigger badder one ...

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[The Interpreter]

See also Six Flags Great America...