calakapepe Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 But it seems like the ride wasnt originally inteded to alwaays stop. The track banks almost completely sideways out of the breakrun. I think it was designes to only stop if the next block wasn't clear.. Anyone able to vouch how FOF used to run if it ever simply trimmed through the MCBR? Ive heard Kings Dominion doesn't fully stop you either 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver2005 Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 FoF has always had a hard brake set up on the MCBR (I've ridden it at least once a year since 1997). The KI and KD versions are prototypes of a completely new propulsion system and were supposed to run 4 trains after all. I'd speculate that Premier's thinking was that the faster lap times/average speed on the track with a MCBR along with quick loading times (I remember early FoF crews having pretty quick loading times when the ride wasn't deluged in downtime) and a separate unloading station would equate to ungodly capacity. I think the FoF twins might have been the first launch coasters that were also full circuit as well. The only launched coasters prior to that which I can think of are Arrow's launched loops (see Screamin' Demon) and Schwarzkopf's launched shuttle coasters. Premier got their act together with the bigger (and faster) outdoor versions (ex. SFA's Joker's Jinx and and SFFT's Poltergeist) of that layout which all have the MCBR scrapped. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOPGUN1993 Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 Did anyone of you ride FOF this season? Mid season until closing day it flew through the MCBR hardly stopping. But what do I know 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magenta Lizard Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 ^I can vouch for that. It was surprising the first couple of times I experienced it. I kind of missed the time to look down when I rode in the front seat, but overall it was an exciting change. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt112986 Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 I've been on FoF plenty of times over the years when it only slowed a little or didn't brake at all at the MCBR. According to RCDB Jokers Jinx is only 4.6 ft taller and 6 mph faster which wouldn't really be noticeable. And it still has the MCBR, they just don't use it. One time back when Paramount still owned the park FoF had absolutely no line and the gate attendant was yelling for people to ride because they needed at least 10 people on it before they could launch. I rode it 11 times in a row that night with the only wait being for more people to get in the train. I've seen Cedar Fair launch the coaster with less before though so maybe the rules changed. With the newer restraints those 11 rides would have been much more comfortable 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magenta Lizard Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 There was a morning last season where I rode it ten times in about 45 minutes (once per row). Half those rides were alone, the other half had no more than four other people. So it definitely doesn't need ten people now. Because I try to hit it first thing in the morning, almost /none/ of the times I rode it last season were half full or more. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McSalsa Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 4 hours ago, TOPGUN1993 said: Did anyone of you ride FOF this season? Mid season until closing day it flew through the MCBR hardly stopping. But what do I know I did- it was pretty crazy. I would even go as far as to say running like that, FOF was more intense than any other coaster in the park (Invertigo may pull slightly stronger G's, but that ride is over much quicker to boot). I wonder if they are gonna keep it running like that, or resume using the MCBR once the 2017 season starts... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calakapepe Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 I hope FOF runs like that this season as well! I did ride it, I THOUGHT it was towards the last half, but it must not've been because I wasn't so lucky to catch that experience hah 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndyGuy4KI Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 Let's get back on topic. I sure hope the MT tunnels are as dark and fun as The Beast tunnels. I hope it is total blackout. And intense ride. I have never been on a GCI, so at this point don't know what to expect besides others experiences. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reon Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 1 hour ago, IndyGuy4KI said: Let's get back on topic. I sure hope the MT tunnels are as dark and fun as The Beast tunnels. I hope it is total blackout. And intense ride. I have never been on a GCI, so at this point don't know what to expect besides others experiences. Your in for quite a pleasant suprise. Every GCI I've been on (American Thunder, Lightning Racer, Roar SFA, Thunderhead, Wildcat Hershey) has been a top 20 worthy, or atleast EXTREMELY reridably wooden experience. I literally spend hours at a time every time I go to Dollywood JUST marathoning Thunderhead alone. Needless to say, I have some pretty high hopes for our newest addition...GCI is easily my favorite wood company (not counting RMC because RMC is life) 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xdog42 Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 8 hours ago, Reon said: Your in for quite a pleasant suprise. Every GCI I've been on (American Thunder, Lightning Racer, Roar SFA, Thunderhead, Wildcat Hershey) has been a top 20 worthy, or atleast EXTREMELY reridably wooden experience. I literally spend hours at a time every time I go to Dollywood JUST marathoning Thunderhead alone. Needless to say, I have some pretty high hopes for our newest addition...GCI is easily my favorite wood company (not counting RMC because RMC is life) You said the rides are rerideable which sounds good but are GCI intense? I really don't want/expect GCI to be intense but just wondering because I haven't ridden a GCI before and personally wondering how the company builds their rides. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Creed Bratton Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 You said the rides are rerideable which sounds good but are GCI intense? I really don't want/expect GCI to be intense but just wondering because I haven't ridden a GCI before and personally wondering how the company builds their rides. They are aggressive for sure. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xdog42 Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 14 minutes ago, chugh43 said: They are aggressive for sure. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Sweet, Makes me even more excited to ride MT. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivertown Rider Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 I love to marathon Thunderhead as well. It is almost always a walk on after opening. The thrill seekers at Dollywood don't realize what a gem that ride is. I would agree that it is agressive but it is a fun aggressive like Beast when it is at its best. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calakapepe Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 It's as aggressive and smooth as voyage within the first year or so of retraking But not as fatiguing 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IBEW_Sparky Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 ^That, is a great description!! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
upstop Posted January 28, 2017 Share Posted January 28, 2017 This is how we will all react to what's in the shed! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calakapepe Posted January 28, 2017 Share Posted January 28, 2017 I guarantee I will not.. unfortunately. It's very hard to make me jump when I know something will probably happen. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver2005 Posted January 28, 2017 Share Posted January 28, 2017 On 1/26/2017 at 5:18 PM, Xdog42 said: You said the rides are rerideable which sounds good but are GCI intense? I really don't want/expect GCI to be intense but just wondering because I haven't ridden a GCI before and personally wondering how the company builds their rides. I'll put it this way- they are pretty much anti-straight track between the lift and brake run. The entire track will be littered with pops of air, slight laterals, and very sudden forces you won't see coming because GCI is very subtle about adding them in. I call it elements within elements. What you think is a simple banked curve may have a unexpected pop of air in the middle. The pacing is very fast paced, you won't catch your breath until the ride ends. A reason Millennium Flyers are more comfortable than PTC's or any multi-bench cars is due to each row being its own car (an articulated design as the industry calls it). Each row of wheels can independently steer so there's not as much shimmying and thus they track better. GCI isn't afraid to take advantage of that, and you'll see transitions that are much more aggressive than a lot of other wooden coasters. They age quite well and are comfortable despite those more aggressive lines. I don't think the renderings will do it a justice (that 2nd hill in the computer rendering is way more stretched out that how GCI normally shapes their hills, but the actual construction does reflect that). I do wish they would have squeezed in a station fly-through as that was unexpectedly slick on Thunderhead, but regardless, this will be a great ride. I've ridden HP's Wildcat, Lightning Racer, and Thunderhead. I rode the later 2 both early in their existence and about a decade after they were built and they ran very good each time. Wildcat is a different story as it was GCI's first coaster and designed with PTC's (MF's didn't come until 1999, Wildcat was in 1996) and I am of the opinion it was better with the PTC's. All 3 are near the top of my favorite woodies list. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveinphoenix Posted January 28, 2017 Share Posted January 28, 2017 ^ the only one that i rode that was rough and not comfortable from gci is Apocolypse at Magic Mountain. But i dont want to say they built it bad, i think with wooden coasters alot has to do with where it is built and the climate and how well the maintenence is kept up on it. MT will be smooth and fun for a very long time because its in ohio and KI has probaby the best park and ride maintenance program of any park i can think of with the exception of Disney. You would never see a wood coaster built somewhere like where i live in phoenix or say Las Vegas...the upkeep on keeping the wood from just drying out and becoming bad would be ASTRONOMICAL. and at Magic Mountain that particular coaster has just had a bit of bad luck do to a few other mother nature issues like earthquakes etc, if im not mistaken. But generally GCI makes top notch rides. Hands down. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnaalexis Posted January 28, 2017 Share Posted January 28, 2017 Random Side Note: the CoasterRadio Podcast is playing a game next week called "Try to make EB laugh" and the question you supposed to answer to get him to laugh is "What's in the shed?". Its going to be fun listening to all the submissions to see what people say from the universe of shed related humor. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goettablitz Posted January 28, 2017 Share Posted January 28, 2017 One of my favorite parts of Thunderhead is the station flyby. It is probadly the only straight piece of track on the ride and the interaction with those waiting to ride is really cool. Also right after the train flys through the station there is a short drop and turn. As previously stated it's one of those subtle things on GCIs that don't look like much but it takes you by surprise and gives a nice pop of air. Also I completely agree with the element within an element type of design that GCIs loves to do. Can't wait! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calakapepe Posted January 28, 2017 Share Posted January 28, 2017 Yeah some of the rendered hills in MT appear to be almost too big to give anything more than floater.. but quite as poor as Roar's big hill after the turn.Despite this.. there still seems to be a fair amount of quick paced changes too~ 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver2005 Posted January 28, 2017 Share Posted January 28, 2017 Another part I'm looking forward to is the turn around. It makes a high banked s-curve as it rises up and as its switching to make the turn, it enters the tunnel. That's got a whole lot of potential to be awesome. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveinphoenix Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 4 hours ago, silver2005 said: Another part I'm looking forward to is the turn around. It makes a high banked s-curve as it rises up and as its switching to make the turn, it enters the tunnel. That's got a whole lot of potential to be awesome. I agree, that turnaround will have some good fun. The only thing that me personally am not a huge fan of on this coaster is the curved first drop. I mean dont get me wrong, to me all coasters are fun even with a curved first drop...but i like the thrill that a straight drop has...but thats just my personal preference a straight drop always for the first hill. I realize that a lot of time it is also done for saving a bit of real estate that is taken up by a straight drop, especially on coasters over say 180'+ feet that entire lift hill and drop takes up lots of precious space. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xdog42 Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 10 minutes ago, steveinphoenix said: I agree, that turnaround will have some good fun. The only thing that me personally am not a huge fan of on this coaster is the curved first drop. I mean dont get me wrong, to me all coasters are fun even with a curved first drop...but i like the thrill that a straight drop has...but thats just my personal preference a straight drop always for the first hill. I realize that a lot of time it is also done for saving a bit of real estate that is taken up by a straight drop, especially on coasters over say 180'+ feet that entire lift hill and drop takes up lots of precious space. I find the curve drop fine and pretty steep for a curve, Also for the straight drop you want you on Mystic Timbers there is one on the second hill and it looks pretty nice. Here is a picture of it. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calakapepe Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 But the straight drop is good because of not having started the adrenaline rush But I agree curved drops can be good too... similar to a straight drop, curved drops are best in the back. Banshee in the back right, Phantoms Revenge, Thunderhead etc..I cant wait to have MT in the back ~ 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCoaster25 Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 You can't deny though that curved drops sure do look great in a classy way. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveinphoenix Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 33 minutes ago, JCoaster25 said: You can't deny though that curved drops sure do look great in a classy way. OH i must agree with you there, aesthetically it is extremely a sight to see....showing off some darn fine carpentry, but i think all wooden coasters have a striking apearance for the eyes to behold...such a massive gathering of huge lattice style supports (bents) of various heights from small to gigantic showing off thousands of skilled man hours to create...just makes me look at it in awe. And thats before i have even ridden it yet. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Creed Bratton Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 On 1/23/2017 at 7:49 PM, SonofBaconator said: Just as a side question, what's the difference in Millennium Flyer trains vs Timberliner trains? I know one is GCI and the other is Gravity group. Is there any difference in ride experience or which type of train works well on a specific layout? *Disclaimer* I'm can't find where this actually posted and it popped up when I went to reply, so I'm thinking it was just a draft and didn't get posted. Millennium Flyer trains are much more comfy. The restraints are easier to deal with I think. Timberliner trains are interesting to say the least. The restraints are kind of awkward, you feel more forced into your seat with them IMO. They come at you from the side of the train. I think they are less comfy. 2 hours ago, steveinphoenix said: I agree, that turnaround will have some good fun. The only thing that me personally am not a huge fan of on this coaster is the curved first drop. I mean dont get me wrong, to me all coasters are fun even with a curved first drop...but i like the thrill that a straight drop has...but thats just my personal preference a straight drop always for the first hill. I realize that a lot of time it is also done for saving a bit of real estate that is taken up by a straight drop, especially on coasters over say 180'+ feet that entire lift hill and drop takes up lots of precious space. It's a GCI signature thing...I can't think of any GCI's off the top of my head that don't have a curved drop. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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