Overhauling Adventure Express

[brent]

I always wished the entrance to Banshee was off of the octoberfest side-not the ...whatave theme side(or at least two entrances that merged) and had the European graveyard theme. Then AA could be part of the “Bavarian mystical  Forrest” area with the tunnels as caves, some other “mystical Forrest” critters and make the two play off each other as a Mystical dark woods mini land that more organically flowed out of octoberfest

[IndyGuy4KI]

2 minutes ago, brent said:

I always wished the entrance to Banshee was off of the octoberfest side-not the ...whatave theme side(or at least two entrances that merged) and had the European graveyard theme. Then AA could be part of the “Bavarian mystical  Forrest” area with the tunnels as caves, some other “mystical Forrest” critters and make the two play off each other as a Mystical dark woods mini land. 

I like that. I think the park needs to hire you for theming. You have some great ideas.

[BeastForever]

To those who are claiming AE to be "towards the end of its service life" - some food for thought...

Runaway Mine Train (SFOT), Dahlonega Mine Train, and Cedar Creek Mine Ride, the first three mine trains built, are still operating at 53, 52, and 50 years old respectively.

Adventure Express is 28.

[Magenta Lizard]

For some reason people are like “it’s jerky, therefore it’s bad/breaking down/at the end of its life”. No, it’s a runaway mine coaster, it is meant to feel wild and out of control, and like you might get chucked out. It isn’t and was never meant to be a smoothly transitioning glide through the woods. So other than the effects, which are showing their age (some years more than others), the ride is giving the intended experience, feeling just like it has been since it was installed. 

[IndyGuy4KI]

4 hours ago, Magenta Lizard said:

For some reason people are like “it’s jerky, therefore it’s bad/breaking down/at the end of its life”. No, it’s a runaway mine coaster, it is meant to feel wild and out of control, and like you might get chucked out. It isn’t and was never meant to be a smoothly transitioning glide through the woods. So other than the effects, which are showing their age (some years more than others), the ride is giving the intended experience, feeling just like it has been since it was installed. 

I totally agree with this. I remember riding it on its opening year, and I don't feel the ride experience has really changed.

[Rogue KI]

It will get some love eventually.

[bjcolglazier]

The ride was inspired by Indiana Jones. Whatever Cedar Fair does with it, I hope they can subtly remind people about Indiana Jones without getting sued. Same for BLSC...it's still The Italian Job...and once we showed our kids the movie, they totally got it. This is what CF paid for---run with it!

[Maddog]

11 hours ago, IndyGuy4KI said:

For some reason people are like “it’s jerky, therefore it’s bad/breaking down/at the end of its life”. No, it’s a runaway mine coaster, it is meant to feel wild and out of control

11 hours ago, IndyGuy4KI said:

I totally agree with this. I remember riding it on its opening year, and I don't feel the ride experience has really changed.

I agree, the ride experience and movements are all part of the design!

Just imagine if the ride was smooth as butter, people would be saying "it's too boring, it needs more speed/forces, take it out and replace it!" SMH... 

 

[HandsUp]

On 7/25/2019 at 10:33 PM, super7 said:

Retheme it ti Barvarian Railroad to match Oktoberfest.  

^this

[KatieF]

I am actually a sucker for family coasters like AE. Plus, it's one of the few rides in the park that has the potential of being "Disney"-ish to me. I would really love to see it get some TLC to really make this ride more special. Better lighting, maybe props or fog?, etc. 

 

It has gotten WAY rougher the past few times I've ridden it. It hurts my back way more than The Beast.

[SonofBaconator]

Its been over a year since the last entry on this thread and I'd like to try and keep it going if I could. I'd be super interested in the idea of adding a break run with a show scene before the 1st lift hill and/or expanding the final tunnel over the transfer track like Mystic Timbers. Like I've mentioned previously, I don't know how feasible something like this would be but I always welcome more elaborate show scenes on rides. The additional mist, sound effects, and lighting would also be welcomed.

[BeeastFarmer]

When I rode AE recently, they had added in the "whooshing" sound in the tunnels.  This was huge for me.  The creaking of the lift hill, the wooshing, the arrows...I'd say they are doing great with it.  Hopefully the last lift hill will get some TLC soon, but other than that, I think the ride is great!

[brenthodge]

48 minutes ago, BeeastFarmer said:

When I rode AE recently, they had added in the "whooshing" sound in the tunnels.  This was huge for me.  The creaking of the lift hill, the wooshing, the arrows...I'd say they are doing great with it.  Hopefully the last lift hill will get some TLC soon, but other than that, I think the ride is great!

Agree! I hopped on sat night when I saw the “theme” lights on. It’s like they gave someone a couple hundred bucks and let them run to Lowe’s for a few floodlight bulbs. There were sound effect and actual red lights in the “lava” tunnel. Now if we could just get a few LED lights in the first two tunnels ( maybe the condition is so bad they don’t want us to see) and a LOT of love to the final lift. It’s BAD. Like falling apart, something will fall on my head from the rotting ceiling bad. There is so much that can be done with (relatively) inexpensive projection mapping to enhance or even replace the physical effects.(look at Big Thunder Mountain Disneyland new explosion lift hill)  I think it’s time to either move away from the jungle and make it a European (German) abandoned mine to fit  Octoberfest, OR lean into the “South American jungle” look and play up that area with Hanks. Reface the restrooms, the airbrush and the freestyle to look Mexican, add flags and maybe a couple of drink or small carts so the area looks like a fiesta in Mexico. Make Octoberfest and Fiesta Plaza part of International Streets

[PKIDelirium]

On 7/27/2019 at 8:16 PM, brent said:

I always wished the entrance to Banshee was off of the octoberfest side-not the ...whatave theme side(or at least two entrances that merged) and had the European graveyard theme. Then AA could be part of the “Bavarian mystical  Forrest” area with the tunnels as caves, some other “mystical Forrest” critters and make the two play off each other as a Mystical dark woods mini land that more organically flowed out of octoberfest

Could also transform Action Zone into being part of Oktoberfest because AZ isn’t really a “theme” and is only that way because of Paramount making it their “backlot” area. BGW’s Oktoberfest section is huge, and existing rides would easily work, just get new names for Drop Tower, Skyflyer, Congo and Invertigo.

Obviously there would be a lot of general theme work to do, but it could be done. Landscaping would be a major factor because of Paramount turning Adventure Village into a concrete slab, but again, possible. 

[coaster sally]

AE needs trims to combat the jerkiness.

[PKIDelirium]

I... Uh...

I can’t post an honest response to that opinion without getting banned, so I’m just gonna step back...

[kirbias1]

On 7/28/2019 at 4:08 PM, BeastForever said:

To those who are claiming AE to be "towards the end of its service life" - some food for thought...

Runaway Mine Train (SFOT), Dahlonega Mine Train, and Cedar Creek Mine Ride, the first three mine trains built, are still operating at 53, 52, and 50 years old respectively.

Adventure Express is 28.

I think AE is safe for now. Vortex, Invertigo and FoF were the only rides listed still in operation in Orion's theming along with all of the other defunct rides of KI's past . Vortex was closed shortly after. Invertigo and FoF are only ones left on that list that aren't retired. If we read into the theming, they will probably be the next to go. But having said that, Vortex was closed because" reaching end of its service life" but there are other rides similar in scale by Arrow still in operation like Lochness Monster at BGW which is almost 10 years older than Vortex was. So, who really knows with Cedar Fair. AE is a great Mine Train ride, I hope it's here for a long time.

[TombRaiderFTW]

26 minutes ago, coaster sally said:

AE needs trims to combat the jerkiness.

...The Eleventh Commandment would like a word. A very, very emphatic word.

[chad_1138]

I'd be happy at this point if someone would close the dang door at the start of the last lift hill...

[CorkscrewMcPuke]

On 7/30/2019 at 9:51 PM, KatieF said:

It has gotten WAY rougher the past few times I've ridden it. It hurts my back way more than The Beast.

I must be the only person alive who actually enjoys all my coasters rough.

[FUN&ONLY!]

49 minutes ago, chad_1138 said:

I'd be happy at this point if someone would close the dang door at the start of the last lift hill...

For real! The last couple times I have ridden it, the door has been wide open, making the final tunnel even worse than it already is.

[brenthodge]

50 minutes ago, chad_1138 said:

I'd be happy at this point if someone would close the dang door at the start of the last lift hill...

Lol. I thought the same thing Sat eve. 

[SonofBaconator]

On 7/26/2019 at 12:28 PM, jdawg1998 said:

That's because Express has some potential. BLSC can't really be fixed, honestly. It's a concrete jungle. And it's literally themed to a concrete jungle. The very basis of it disallows it from any good theming.

On a slightly unrelated note, I have a nitpick for BLSC. Why have the trains remained one solid color after the rebrand/detheme? It would have been cool if each car was painted a different color. For example one train would have blue, silver, and purple cars, the 2nd should be red, purple, and black, and finally the 3rd would be teal, white, and orange. With the park repainting The Beast trains it would be cool if they expanded this with BLSC. 

Another small nitpick I have are the street signs. Since the ride was initially theme to The Italian Job stunt track you had a lot of billboards that said "Hollywood" and such. I think it would have been cool if they would have changed the Billboards to reflect the region. Heck maybe local companies could have paid to have their brands on the billboard like the Reds, P&G, etc. Imagine paying to have a billboard in an amusement park. I know I've pushed for a  retheme of Backlot Stunt Coaster to something to reflect the wild west but I think seeming a ride to the region of Cincinnati would be just as cool

[CorkscrewMcPuke]

7 minutes ago, SonofBaconator said:

I think it would have been cool if they would have changed the Billboards to reflect the region. Heck maybe local companies could have paid to have their brands on the billboard like the Reds, P&G, etc. Imagine paying to have a billboard in an amusement park. I know I've pushed for a  retheme of Backlot Stunt Coaster to something to reflect the wild west but I think seeming a ride to the region of Cincinnati would be just as cool

I love this idea, but I do have to wonder how they would fit the attack chopper into that. One thought that comes to my mind for making the theming cool is a post-apocalyptic city. They could 'Mad Max' the trains up a bit to seal the deal.

[Pagoda Gift Shop]

I thought the one color trains went well with the other theming elements of "piles of gravel" and "shipping containers".

Brutal.

(Image from https://www.themeparktourist.com/content/images/backlot-stunt-coaster-trains-0)

[BeeastFarmer]

^Well, it is the Junkyard Coaster, after all!

[dbackdreams]

On 8/17/2020 at 9:18 AM, coaster sally said:

AE needs trims to combat the jerkiness.

Ummm mean Sally you need trime to combat your jerkyness!!!!!!

What are trimes

[teenageninja]

1 hour ago, dbackdreams said:

Ummm mean Sally you need trime to combat your jerkyness!!!!!!

What are trimes

They are brakes that slow the ride down and don't stop it.  Diamondback has trim brakes on the hill after the first turn around.  The brakes after that, where the coaster can complete stop, are called block brakes.

[Skibum]

On 8/17/2020 at 12:24 PM, CorkscrewMcPuke said:

I love this idea, but I do have to wonder how they would fit the attack chopper into that. One thought that comes to my mind for making the theming cool is a post-apocalyptic city. They could 'Mad Max' the trains up a bit to seal the deal.

I would appreciate adding back the effects on the second lift hill of AE.  My personal "wish" would be (as someone stated a page ago) that a fully enclosed quick drop and/or helix would follow the second lift hill and then into the brake run.  I get that the second lift's main purpose is to raise the train back up to the station level after dipping down into that valley-ish area.  However, not much else needs to change.  I like the red lighting that is in the mid-course tunnel and that could be implemented in the first tunnel.  I enjoy riding this coaster although I have shifted to the center of the train to eliminate some wear/tear on my neck.  

RE: Backlot Stunt Coaster:  I know this is off-topic but...I wish that they would plant some trees around it and eliminate the concrete aesthetic.  Fully enclose what was meant to be the staircase (I think) just prior to the mid-course launch.  I don't mind the scene with the helicopter except that it is rather ugly.  Plus, that burst of heat off the flames is a bit rough when it is 95 degrees outside.  Is this coaster part of Coney Island or Rivertown?  Pick one (probably Coney) and then theme it that way.  Have some flashbacks to the old Antique Cars by making part of the ride go through a covered bridge.  I wouldn't really change the trip through the tunnel but maybe add some very low lighting.   

[NegativeGs]

AE is my 10-year old daughter’s favorite ride at KI. MT is a close second. I understand the ride was originally themed to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, during the days of Paramount. Today, I would like to see the ride remove the old theming and utilize the native landscape with additional tunnels for effect. What to do with the second lift hill? No good ideas come to mind yet.