Decoding Episode II: Rivertown 2017 and the Falling Trees

[freaks76]

Hang on for the ride!

[Sythe]

Hmm... I'm surprised at how many people voted for Giga on my poll. I was expecting more of a 50 50 for giga and gci...

By the way, what is leading people to say giga anyway? I know all of the other major cf parks have one, but that really doesn't exactly mean KI will get one. ._.

At least, that's my opinion.

[LovinMeSomeBanshee]

I guess you could say that a Giga is the crown jewel of coasters, and with the third highest-revenue-making park in the chain not having one, it's only a matter of time. 

[Logan Goddard]

There was a rumor from Screamscape and the blueprint tease, that is what I think is making people think this is a giga. I'm not on either side right now as their isn't enough evidence to support either side imo. 

[LovinMeSomeBanshee]

Has anyone drove past CSF recently?  Any new track out and about?

[sixohdieselrage]

I lied.

And drove by 10 minutes ago. No new track. Crappy picture, but the wife wouldn't slow down.

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[LovinMeSomeBanshee]

How late into the year did CSF start putting Fury track out in 2014?

[Steph88]

What's that yellow track for? The coaster going to China?

[Logan Goddard]

I think that was around mid June. We would probably see track for us, pretty late in the summer because shipping won't take nearly as long.

[sixohdieselrage]

What's that yellow track for? The coaster going to China?

Pretty sure. Either China or Japan.

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[Sythe]

Also, why do people say Gigas and hypers are such different experiences? For the GP, Diamondback would look exactly the same as a giga. And parks add rides based on the GP.

[LovinMeSomeBanshee]

^ Ride Diamondback, then ride Fury.  Totally different, at least to me.

[Rockfrog33]

^ Ride Diamondback, then ride Fury. Totally different, at least to me.

When I when't last year to Carowinds the difference between fury and intimidator was huge. Intimidator was all air time hills, where fury was a fast a furious ride with only one are time hill. Fury also didn't give you much time to catch your breath between elements. They are totally different experiences.

[BeeastFarmer]

I thought the same way before riding Fury 325.  I'd love to see a gigacoaster at KI someday.

[fryoj]

We'll see footers long before we see track at CSF if its a B&M.

[LovinMeSomeBanshee]

We'll see footINGS long before we see track at CSF if its a B&M.

FTFY

[fryoj]

 

We'll see footINGS long before we see track at CSF if its a B&M.

FTFY

 

Meh. Most everyone who I know that pours concrete calls them footers. It's a slang or regional thing on what you call them. I know footing is the proper terminology, but when you've been calling it one thing for 20 years, you usually just go with it.

[upstop]

Here are the best footers...

http://zgt-thumb.storage.googleapis.com/assets/content/cache/made/assets/content/cache/remote/http_storage.googleapis.com/zgt-article-ss/footlongconey_jcigrill_houston_680_340_85_s_c1.jpg

[The Interpreter]

From Houston?

Really?

[upstop]

Sadly it was the first picture I found.. Besides I never met a cheese coney I didn't like.

[sixohdieselrage]

Skyline Chili FTW!

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[Flight Deck'd]

Meh. Most everyone who I know that pours concrete calls them footers. It's a slang or regional thing on what you call them. I know footing is the proper terminology, but when you've been calling it one thing for 20 years, you usually just go with it.

Agreed. I've never heard of the term footer used for a sandwich/chili dog. Always hear footer used for footing in the construction world.

[Flight Deck'd]

We'll see footINGS long before we see track at CSF if its a B&M.

FTFY

Meh. Most everyone who I know that pours concrete calls them footers. It's a slang or regional thing on what you call them. I know footing is the proper terminology, but when you've been calling it one thing for 20 years, you usually just go with it.

Dang, I blew the quote!

Agreed. I've never heard of the term footer used for a sandwich/chili dog. Always hear footer used for footing in the construction world.

[Beast Gal]

Maybe the coaster will be at the front of the park and utilize some of the parking lot by great wolf lodge and next to Action Zone.

[diamonbackandbeastlover]

I don't see them putting a coaster in the front of the park and making it look good at all. Rivertown, X Base and out by The Bat are my 3 areas I see for expansion if we are in fact getting another coaster. In this case we are seeing signs of Rivertown but nothing has been confirmed of a coaster.

[Beast Gal]

By looking online @ rides by the manufacturer of Diamondback takes up a ton of space. If it's made by them they would have to basically remove all the trees back in that area. The track looks bigger than other coasters and the cylinders that holds the track up look bulky and takes up a lot of space.

[Creed Bratton]

Maybe the coaster will be at the front of the park and utilize some of the parking lot by great wolf lodge and next to Action Zone.

 

It has been said by a top Cedar Fair official, that for now you will not see a new coaster at the front of the park at least integrating with the front gate. That has been mentioned on the site a few times. I also don't see Cedar Fair using the parking lot near GWL or by Action Zone as they typically use that portion of the lot for busses and preferred parking.

 

By looking online @ rides by the manufacturer of Diamondback takes up a ton of space. If it's made by them they would have to basically remove all the trees back in that area. The track looks bigger than other coasters and the cylinders that holds the track up look bulky and takes up a lot of space.

 

Coaster designs can be made to fit an area that has a lot of trees or not....it depends on the park. It's not specific to the coaster manufacturer.

[Existential]

I am of the grouping that believes this to be a family dark ride or thrilling family water ride.  I would love a nicely themed Rivertown, compact GCI but doubt it.  I can't imagine putting a Giga there whatsoever, and why would they?  I'd be happy if they simply expand Rivertown into a nice area similar to Cedar Point's Frontier Trail..

[gad198]

By looking online @ rides by the manufacturer of Diamondback takes up a ton of space. If it's made by them they would have to basically remove all the trees back in that area. The track looks bigger than other coasters and the cylinders that holds the track up look bulky and takes up a lot of space.

 

Diamondback does take up a fair bit of space, but the coaster is over a mile long!  I will slightly disagree about how much space B&M megacoasters take up relatively speaking. 

 

The B&M megacoaster layout strategy can really be summed up in three words: long and thin.  B&M megacoasters typically are built linearly, with track kept as close as possible where the track runs in parallel directions so as to minimize the coasters footprint.  Even after the coaster changes direction the line of travel will then straighten right back out.

 

Diamondback is essentially four straight lines of travel: (1) the lift hill out to the bottom of the second drop, (2) the third and fourth hills, (3) the MCBR and final two airtime hills, and (4) the run back to the station.  The track is also close to each other on the third/fourth hill combos as well as the second hill/last two airtime hill combinations.  This picture posted to KICentral a few years ago really highlights this: http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp151/TombraiderTy/Kings%20Island%20Aerial%20-%20Batch%201/9.jpg

 

Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure is an even better example.  RCDB has a great overhead shot of the layout: http://rcdb.com/1106.htm#p=1664.  Notice how the coaster is essentially two straight lines and that the outbound track in each direction is close to the inbound track.  Nitro needed to clear trees for the layout, but notice how few trees were taken out relatively speaking.  The tree cutting wasn't indiscriminate; the trees were cut down in a small swath in straight lines.  Nitro is longer than Diamondback, but notice how relatively compact the footprint is.

 

I'd argue that B&M doesn't get nearly enough credit for their making excellent use of space.  B&M does all they can to minimize a coasters footprint, the land it uses, and the trees that need to come down.  I'll end this post with just a couple more examples:

• Mako: http://rcdb.com/12758.htm#p=68552
• Fury: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/MWnrqi-fkN8/maxresdefault.jpg
• Intimidator Carowinds: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UOrPDP1kMk8/VLxIy4leKvI/AAAAAAAAiEk/SJ1uTObXFDA/s1600/Screen%2Bshot%2B2015-01-18%2Bat%2B6.33.11%2BPM.png

 

 

[Beast Gal]

I am going to disagree. By looking online, rides like Diamondback takes more space to make turns than other rides. It's like trying to make a u turn in a suv vs a mini cooper. I finally figured out the name of that yellow one at Hershey park I like. Skyrush has sharper curves and takes up less space to make the turns. That is why I agree with my husband and think if it's a coaster it will be like the cowboy coaster at Cedar Point by that company. Could the maker of Diamondback make a coaster with tight turns?