2018 Announcements

[skiguy777]

In the past SurfD or myself would post the Six Flags video where they announce all the rides at once. But this year they announced WWGLC early. It seems the other parks are joining in by setting a date and making a big announcement. Instead of making a thread for each ride, we can put them all in here.

Six Flags Fiesta Texas
http://attractionsmagazine.com/wonder-woman-golden-lasso-coaster-coming-six-flags-fiesta-texas-2018/

A TEN Syllable name. That has to be a record. I guess I'm calling it WWGLC for now or Lasso Coaster.

I went back and looked at the 2017 announcement thread which is here.
https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en#!searchin/rec.roller-coaster/2017$20announcement%7Csort:relevance/rec.roller-coaster/JlKXgYpNBQk/DuIG-rN9DwAJ

Back then we'd only post a thread for Six Flags. Now we can add all the parks and compare what each is getting. I do that on my attendance page comparing SF to CF and I've already started filling in the 2018 results.
http://www.nogodforme.com/USA_Park_Coaster_Attendance_Results.htm

In the past no one really cared about this. A park would make an announcement, people would read it, watch a video, and move on. But it's interesting to compare all the parks and track what they're doing. This is a good way of holding the parks accountable, especially comparing CF Vs SF.

What do I think of WWGLC? Good, I hope that's just the prototype and they don't clone this version everywhere. It's basically a double out and back, very short, more like a drop ride. Looks to have OTSRs in the video.

[s***@hotmail.com]

Post by skiguy777
Six Flags Fiesta Texas
http://attractionsmagazine.com/wonder-woman-golden-lasso-coaster-coming-six-flags-fiesta-texas-2018/
A TEN Syllable name. That has to be a record. I guess I'm calling it WWGLC for now or Lasso Coaster.

"Lost Coas-ter Of Su-per-sti-tion Moun-tain" is also 10. 11 if you put "The" in front of, although that's not in the official name.

Sharon

[s***@aol.com]

Rock n Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith has 11 syllables!

[r***@aol.com]

Post by s***@aol.com
Rock n Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith has 11 syllables!

Mr. Peabody & Sherman's Time Adventure (Malaysia - https://rcdb.com/13812.htm) has 12!

So does Velikoluksky Miasokombinat-2, I think (Russia - https://rcdb.com/13953.htm), but I don't speak Russian so I can't be entirely sure.

[r***@gmail.com]

Post by r***@aol.com

Post by s***@aol.com
Rock n Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith has 11 syllables!

Mr. Peabody & Sherman's Time Adventure (Malaysia - https://rcdb.com/13812.htm) has 12!
So does Velikoluksky Miasokombinat-2, I think (Russia - https://rcdb.com/13953.htm), but I don't speak Russian so I can't be entirely sure.

Wallis's Wonderful Wriggling Wirral Wacky Worm has 13...

https://rcdb.com/2730.htm

[David H.--REMOVE "STOPSPAM" to reply]

Post by r***@gmail.com

Post by r***@aol.com

Post by s***@aol.com
Rock n Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith has 11 syllables!

Mr. Peabody & Sherman's Time Adventure (Malaysia - https://rcdb.com/13812.htm) has 12!
So does Velikoluksky Miasokombinat-2, I think (Russia - https://rcdb.com/13953.htm), but I don't speak Russian so I can't be entirely sure.

Wallis's Wonderful Wriggling Wirral Wacky Worm has 13...
https://rcdb.com/2730.htm

LOL!

Richard, have you been on any Wacky Worms? ;-)



"With the first link, a chain is forged. The first speech censured,
the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us
all irrevocably." -Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
"The Drumhead", _Star Trek: The Next Generation_

[r***@gmail.com]

It's funny you should mention that. I did my 200th different Wacky Worm on Friday :-)

[skiguy777]

Post by r***@gmail.com
It's funny you should mention that. I did my 200th different Wacky Worm on Friday :-)

Hershey announced... Coaster Mat had the POVs up first.

White Cap Racer POV

Breakers Edge Water Coaster POV

Good additions. Hershey is calling it their 14th coaster. Uh, that's like Cedar Point calling Pipe Scream a coaster. Or Six Flags calling their Larson Loopers a coaster. Not going to be in RCDB, NOT A COASTER. But yes, I know they're called water coasters.

Here's the history...
1906 - Park Opened May 30th, 1906
2007 - 2,940,000 (+9.2%) (Boardwalk, Water Attractions)
2008 - 2,840,000 (-4.4%) (Fahrenheit)
2009 - 2,807,000 (-1.2%) (Boardwalk Seaquell, Water Attractions)
2010 - 2,891,000 (+3.0%)
2011 - 2,949,000 (+2.0%)
2012 - 3,140,000 (+6.5%) (Skyrush)
2013 - 3,180,000 (+1.3%) (Boardwalk Expansion)
2014 - 3,212,000 (+1.0%) (Cocoa Cruiser)
2015 - 3,276,000 (+2.0%) (Laff Trakk)
2016 - 3,276,000 (+0.0%) (Hershey Water Works at Hershey Lodge)
2017 - (Triple Tower)
Dropped behind SFMM for 2016, even though attendance was the same.

I guess if you're a water park fan, you'll be happy. Most will want to ride Breakers Edge, but the slide tower should help with capacity. So we're going on 6 years without a major thrill ride (2012 - 2018). Will they do something big for 2019?

[s***@aol.com]

Water coasters are a lot of fun. The one at Splish Splash was really awesome. Hersheypark has had a lot of success since having a water park inside the theme park. Not surprised they're adding to it. I suspect Wildcat will eventually come out and be replaced with more water slides.

[s***@aol.com]

Post by s***@aol.com
Water coasters are a lot of fun. The one at Splish Splash was really awesome. Hersheypark has had a lot of success since having a water park inside the theme park. Not surprised they're adding to it. I suspect Wildcat will eventually come out and be replaced with more water slides.

Out of curiosity, anyone here who keeps a track record count these water coaster rides? Crush N Gusher at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon as an example.

[s***@aol.com]

Electric Eel at SeaWorld San Diego was approved today apparently, as announced on their Facebook page.

[skiguy777]

Post by s***@aol.com
Electric Eel at SeaWorld San Diego was approved today apparently, as announced on their Facebook page.

Cedar Point - Steel Vengeance.

YouTube videos from CP...
Trailer

Official POV

Birds Eye

Coaster Guy 101 Covering Live (Loud, Turn Down Sound)

Ride Stats
Height: 205 feet
Speed: 74 mph
First Drop: 200 feet
Inversions: 4
Length: 5,740 feet
Duration: 2 minutes, 30 seconds
Actual Duration from Top Of Lift: 1 minute, 20 seconds
Height Requirement: 48"
Trains: 3
Riders per Train: 24
Riders per Hour: 1,200

Coaster Records Broken
1. World's tallest hybrid roller coaster (205 feet tall)
2. World's fastest hybrid roller coaster (74 miles per hour)
3. World's steepest drop on a hybrid roller coaster (90 degrees)
4. World's longest drop on a hybrid roller coaster (200 feet)
5. World's longest hybrid roller coaster (5,740 feet)
6. Most inversions on a hybrid roller coaster (4)
7. Fastest airtime hill on a hybrid roller coaster (73 mph)
8. Most airtime on a hybrid roller coaster (27.2 seconds)
9. Most airtime on any roller coaster (27.2 seconds)
10. World's first "hyper-hybrid" roller coaster

Park Records Broken
1. Most steel roller coaster track at one amusement park (57,865 feet/11 miles)
2. Most roller coaster track at one amusement park (60,423 feet/11.4 miles)
3. Most rides at one amusement park (71)
4. Most roller coasters over 200 feet tall at one amusement park (6)
5. Most roller coasters with a first drop of 90 degrees or more at one amusement park (5)

So I guess they invented a new class called Hyper-Hybrid along with just plain Hybrid. Wow. If you ask me, this is a steel coaster and the only world record they're breaking is the most airtime on any coaster, which I didn't even know was a stat until now. The park records are fine and legit.

The name is OK, the abbreviation most will use is SV. At least it's not a do-do bird that eats babies or a 10 syllable name like WWGLC.

Going to my bucket list page here
http://www.nogodforme.com/USA_Top_Steel_Coaster_Bucket_List.htm
and comparing the length, this is the longest RMC in the USA at 5790. NTG is 4200, TC is 4990, LR is 3800. The ride time from when it leaves the lift hill to when it hits the brakes is 1 minute and 20 seconds, now that will be worth the wait.

[skiguy777]

Post by s***@aol.com
Electric Eel at SeaWorld San Diego was approved today apparently, as announced on their Facebook page.

Silver Dollar City - Time Traveler

YouTube Video From Thrill Central

• Fastest – Top speed of 50.3 miles per hour
• Steepest - A 10-story, 90-degree vertical drop…straight down. Custom-engineered to have
an immediate out-of-the-station, gravity-driven drop down an Ozarks mountainside
• Tallest - Custom-designed for mountainous terrain with its tallest point at 100 feet
• First & Only with Three Inversions - a Dive Loop, a Vertical Loop and a Zero-G Roll
• First & Only with a Vertical Loop - A 95-foot tall loop
• First and Only Double Launch – 0 to 47 mph in 3 seconds; 30 to 45 mph in 3.5 seconds

More records for a new category of Spinning Coaster.

Not quite the excitement of Cedar Point, but a good coaster non the less. This will make my bucket list and I'll have to go back. Was there in 2015.

[skiguy777]

Post by s***@aol.com
Electric Eel at SeaWorld San Diego was approved today apparently, as announced on their Facebook page.

Kings Dominion - Twisted Timbers

YouTube POV

Twisted Timbers sits at the edge of Candy Apple Grove and gives riders a one-of-a-kind experience. Plummet down a 109-foot-tall barrel roll drop that sends you twisting across 3,351 feet of track with two more inversions and 20 airtime hills at speeds of 54 miles per hour. Hold on tight, because this is a ride with a twist… this is Twisted Timbers.

This is more of the 55MPH variety. This will be the longest of the 55mph RMC coasters, most likely putting it at the top of this sub list I have made.

Meaning, we'll have a bunch of RMCs at the top, then

Twisted Timbers
Storm Chaser
The Joker
Wicked Cyclone

[skiguy777]

Post by s***@aol.com
Electric Eel at SeaWorld San Diego was approved today apparently, as announced on their Facebook page.

California's Great America - Railblazer

CGA YouTube Video

Blaze a new path in 2018 on RailBlazer at California’s Great America! This groundbreaking single rail steel roller coaster will be the first of its kind on the West Coast. Once you’ve made your way to the trailhead, climb aboard an adventurous ATV-inspired coaster train for an “off-road” trip over rocky peaks and twisted valleys. With an initial 90-degree drop of over 100 feet, RailBlazer dares you not to scream through 1,800 feet of track and three inversions – including a zero gravity roll.

A mirror image of WWGLC (clone). A little bummed but at least they added the tunnel. This is almost a carnival coaster because it's cloned and the length is so short. But it will probably end up in my bucket list along with WWGLC.

[skiguy777]

Post by s***@aol.com
Electric Eel at SeaWorld San Diego was approved today apparently, as announced on their Facebook page.

Valley Fair - Delirious

A Larson Looper - Sucks. This will not make my bucket list and I won't be visiting. Not a Coaster.

[DJ Wiza]

Post by skiguy777

Post by s***@aol.com
Electric Eel at SeaWorld San Diego was approved today apparently, as announced on their Facebook page.

California's Great America - Railblazer
CGA YouTube Video
http://youtu.be/Uyke0pI4b98
Blaze a new path in 2018 on RailBlazer at California’s Great America! This groundbreaking single rail steel roller coaster will be the first of its kind on the West Coast. Once you’ve made your way to the trailhead, climb aboard an adventurous ATV-inspired coaster train for an “off-road” trip over rocky peaks and twisted valleys. With an initial 90-degree drop of over 100 feet, RailBlazer dares you not to scream through 1,800 feet of track and three inversions – including a zero gravity roll.
A mirror image of WWGLC (clone). A little bummed but at least they added the tunnel. This is almost a carnival coaster because it's cloned and the length is so short. But it will probably end up in my bucket list along with WWGLC.

This might actually make CGA worth going to for me.

[s***@aol.com]

Knott's Berry Farm- HangTime

Knott’s Berry Farm will welcome HangTime, a brand new steel rollercoaster - and the only dive coaster on the West Coast - to the theme park during the 2018 summer season. HangTime will tower 150 feet over the Boardwalk area, showcasing gravity-defying inversions, mid-air suspensions and twisting dive tracks.

Guessing this is going where the Boomerang was.

[skiguy777]

Post by DJ Wiza

Post by skiguy777

Post by s***@aol.com
Electric Eel at SeaWorld San Diego was approved today apparently, as announced on their Facebook page.

California's Great America - Railblazer
CGA YouTube Video
http://youtu.be/Uyke0pI4b98
Blaze a new path in 2018 on RailBlazer at California’s Great America! This groundbreaking single rail steel roller coaster will be the first of its kind on the West Coast. Once you’ve made your way to the trailhead, climb aboard an adventurous ATV-inspired coaster train for an “off-road” trip over rocky peaks and twisted valleys. With an initial 90-degree drop of over 100 feet, RailBlazer dares you not to scream through 1,800 feet of track and three inversions – including a zero gravity roll.
A mirror image of WWGLC (clone). A little bummed but at least they added the tunnel. This is almost a carnival coaster because it's cloned and the length is so short. But it will probably end up in my bucket list along with WWGLC.

This might actually make CGA worth going to for me.

Recap so far...

Six Flags
SFMM -
SFNJ -
SFGAm -
SFoT -
SFoG -
SFNE -
SFFT - Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster (RMC Raptor)
SFDK -
SFA -
SFSTL -
SFGE -

Cedar Fair
Cedar Point - Steel Vengeance (RMC)
Carowinds - Camp Snoopy (Playground, 5 Kiddie Rides)
Kings Island -
Kings Dominion - Twisted Timbers (RMC)
Dorney Park - Tidal Wave Café (Dorney Announced a Restaurant)
California's Great America - Railblazer (RMC Raptor)
Knotts Berry Farm - Hangtime (Gerstlauer)
Worlds of Fun - Nordic Chaser (Flat Ride)
Valley Fair - Delirious (Larson)
Michigan's Adventure -

Agree with the assessment of SV. What you're looking for is floater air time verses ejector air. The 1st two hills after the drop will have it. A huge wave turn like Lightning Rod would have been better. Instead, the wave turns happen inside the structure. A wave turn is cool because the coaster practically stalls at the top as you look down at the ground. But instead we got a big floater hill followed by an outward banked hill.

For Railblazer, the water was already there, look at the google satellite image and you can find that bridge going over the water where the RC boats are. The SFFT version is taller by a few feet (RCDB) but it appears the CGA version will be theamed better. Bummer this is a clone.

Yeah, Dorney Park announcing a restaurant is a joke. Hangtime will go on my Carnival Coaster page. Agree about the assessment of Twisted Timbers in terms of the ride elements. They could have put in a big wave turn on this one as well, but no. It's more about bunny hops which is ejector air. I'm frustrated they only used the land available in the existing structure, when there was more land in the back graveyard area. This means they'll do the same thing at Carowinds for their Hurler.

Here's the recap video where I made all these comments.

Honestly, the people over at TPFR are eating this stuff up because they don't want to get banned. But there's really only 2 major coasters for 2018. There's a clone, a carnival coaster, a Larson, a flat ride, a kid area, and a freaking restaurant. The running joke is the MA is getting a new park bench, or a light fixture. There's no construction started from Six Flags except for SFoG, so I'm guessing it's more of the same BS from them, which we'll find out on August 31st.

[skiguy777]

Post by DJ Wiza

Post by skiguy777

Post by s***@aol.com
Electric Eel at SeaWorld San Diego was approved today apparently, as announced on their Facebook page.

California's Great America - Railblazer
CGA YouTube Video
http://youtu.be/Uyke0pI4b98
Blaze a new path in 2018 on RailBlazer at California’s Great America! This groundbreaking single rail steel roller coaster will be the first of its kind on the West Coast. Once you’ve made your way to the trailhead, climb aboard an adventurous ATV-inspired coaster train for an “off-road” trip over rocky peaks and twisted valleys. With an initial 90-degree drop of over 100 feet, RailBlazer dares you not to scream through 1,800 feet of track and three inversions – including a zero gravity roll.
A mirror image of WWGLC (clone). A little bummed but at least they added the tunnel. This is almost a carnival coaster because it's cloned and the length is so short. But it will probably end up in my bucket list along with WWGLC.

This might actually make CGA worth going to for me.

I also wanted to say that CGA is worth the visit. SFO appears to be the cheapest airport to fly into. Heavy traffic, use the avoid tolls option. It's free traveling north over the Golden Gate bridge, but you have to pay a toll come back into SFO heading south. Instead travel to Santa Clara on the Oakland side to avoid tolls. You'll get to visit Discovery Kingdom to the north, then drive all the way down to Santa Clara to visit CGA. Along the say you can visit the tourist section of SanFrancisco which is the pier area (Ghiradelli Square and Fisherman's Wharf). I did this at the very end before returning my rental car at the airport.

You can see my TR to get a few ideas here.
http://www.nogodforme.com/sanfrancisco2016.htm

I just went in 2016, so I doubt I'll be heading all the way out west again for Railblazer and Hangtime (Carnival Coaster).

It's interesting in that all the parks are worth visiting, it's just that some are marquee like a CP and SFMM. Even a super step child like Michigan's Adventure was worth visiting. I drove 5 hours from Chicago to hit that park just to ride Shivering Timbers. Their steel collection really sucked and I didn't even go on the SLC or Arrow. Everyone one of these parks could be something special but a few are neglected when it comes to new stuff.

Dorney Park announcing a restaurant, wow.

[w***@gmail.com]

Post by skiguy777

Post by DJ Wiza
This might actually make CGA worth going to for me.

I also wanted to say that CGA is worth the visit. SFO appears to be the cheapest airport to fly into. Heavy traffic, use the avoid tolls option. It's free traveling north over the Golden Gate bridge, but you have to pay a toll come back into SFO heading south. Instead travel to Santa Clara on the Oakland side to avoid tolls. You'll get to visit Discovery Kingdom to the north, then drive all the way down to Santa Clara to visit CGA. Along the say you can visit the tourist section of SanFrancisco which is the pier area (Ghiradelli Square and Fisherman's Wharf). I did this at the very end before returning my rental car at the airport.

My vague memory tells me that the prices for rental cars vary greatly depending on which airport you use...translated, don't just compare flight prices at each airport to make a decision...compare flights and rental car prices COMBINED to see which deal is better.

[skiguy777]

Post by w***@gmail.com

Post by skiguy777

Post by DJ Wiza
This might actually make CGA worth going to for me.

I also wanted to say that CGA is worth the visit. SFO appears to be the cheapest airport to fly into. Heavy traffic, use the avoid tolls option. It's free traveling north over the Golden Gate bridge, but you have to pay a toll come back into SFO heading south. Instead travel to Santa Clara on the Oakland side to avoid tolls. You'll get to visit Discovery Kingdom to the north, then drive all the way down to Santa Clara to visit CGA. Along the say you can visit the tourist section of SanFrancisco which is the pier area (Ghiradelli Square and Fisherman's Wharf). I did this at the very end before returning my rental car at the airport.

My vague memory tells me that the prices for rental cars vary greatly depending on which airport you use...translated, don't just compare flight prices at each airport to make a decision...compare flights and rental car prices COMBINED to see which deal is better.

Since we have 10 days until the big SF announcement, I wanted to reflect on what we have so far.

Dorney park announced a restaurant. I wonder what the capacity will be? How many people will it serve an hour.

Along with a new park bench, Michigan's Adventure made an announcement in this 9 second video here.

The other interesting thing to talk about is how everyone got the prediction wrong for CGA (Railblazer). What's funny is that little pathway they made with the foot steps is probably the entrance to the queue. No one would have thought a coaster would fit in that tiny spot. I was thinking it was going to cross over the midway to the other side. A few thought it was going to be a kiddie ride.

Railblazer is very compact at 1,800 feet. If SF announces more on August 31st then I'm calling it a clone and it probably won't go in my bucket list. In theory, it's already is a clone, the same ride in two different parks, mirror image. It seems RMC does not have an exclusive with anyone as one is going to a SF park and one to a CF park.

I added 4 coasters to my bucket list, but didn't add the two clones. Part of me wants to add them because I like to have all coasters of Intamin and RMC listed. But if they're going to clone it everywhere, then bla. I've added
Steel Vengeance
Twisted Timbers
Wave Breaker
Time Traveler

Steel Vengeance will easily make it into the GTA "The List" knocking some other coaster out. Twisted Timbers and Wave Breaker won't make it. Time Traveler probably won't make it either since it's in the middle of the country and the people from the north east won't go there to ride it. Visiting Branson MO is out of the way. Requires a flight into St. Louis or Kansas City, then a 5 hour drive. Would be cool of WOF or SFSTL added something cool to make the trip worthwhile, but instead WOF is adding a flat ride.

Definitely visiting CP and KD with the platinum pass in 2018, father's day weekend is a good time to go. A visit all the way to San Antonio just to ride Wave Breaker? If it wasn't for the bucket list and wanting to go on every Intamin in the USA, I probably wouldn't go. Same thing with Time Traveler, it's a 26 million dollar family ride. I am visiting BGT this weekend, where I will ride Cobra's Curse for the 1st time, so I'll get to see what a Mack spin ride is all about.

[skiguy777]

Post by skiguy777

Post by w***@gmail.com

Post by skiguy777

Post by DJ Wiza
This might actually make CGA worth going to for me.

I also wanted to say that CGA is worth the visit. SFO appears to be the cheapest airport to fly into. Heavy traffic, use the avoid tolls option. It's free traveling north over the Golden Gate bridge, but you have to pay a toll come back into SFO heading south. Instead travel to Santa Clara on the Oakland side to avoid tolls. You'll get to visit Discovery Kingdom to the north, then drive all the way down to Santa Clara to visit CGA. Along the say you can visit the tourist section of SanFrancisco which is the pier area (Ghiradelli Square and Fisherman's Wharf). I did this at the very end before returning my rental car at the airport.

My vague memory tells me that the prices for rental cars vary greatly depending on which airport you use...translated, don't just compare flight prices at each airport to make a decision...compare flights and rental car prices COMBINED to see which deal is better.

Since we have 10 days until the big SF announcement, I wanted to reflect on what we have so far.

And one more thing I wanted to talk about, marketing. I subscribe to a bunch of YouTube channels. That's how I get a lot of my content since I cut the cord with Comcast. Best decision I ever made, get an HD antenna for the major channels.

Anyway, you'd think the big CP and KD announcement would trend on YouTube. Nope, not in the trending videos. Try it. Go to YouTube, click the Trending link and see what videos appear. They show the most watched videos for the last few days.

This is more proof the marketing departments at all park chains have no idea what they're doing. All that teasing, super secret, don't let anyone know. The video finally comes out, the big reveal, it gets repeated by a bunch of fan channels, but none of it trends, not even the official videos by CP.

If you ask me, CP made their coaster so secret, that no one even knows about it.

If they ran ads in the Orlando airports, that would help.

[skiguy777]

Post by skiguy777

Post by skiguy777

Post by w***@gmail.com

Post by skiguy777

Post by DJ Wiza
This might actually make CGA worth going to for me.

I also wanted to say that CGA is worth the visit. SFO appears to be the cheapest airport to fly into. Heavy traffic, use the avoid tolls option. It's free traveling north over the Golden Gate bridge, but you have to pay a toll come back into SFO heading south. Instead travel to Santa Clara on the Oakland side to avoid tolls. You'll get to visit Discovery Kingdom to the north, then drive all the way down to Santa Clara to visit CGA. Along the say you can visit the tourist section of SanFrancisco which is the pier area (Ghiradelli Square and Fisherman's Wharf). I did this at the very end before returning my rental car at the airport.

My vague memory tells me that the prices for rental cars vary greatly depending on which airport you use...translated, don't just compare flight prices at each airport to make a decision...compare flights and rental car prices COMBINED to see which deal is better.

Since we have 10 days until the big SF announcement, I wanted to reflect on what we have so far.

And one more thing I wanted to talk about, marketing. I subscribe to a bunch of YouTube channels. That's how I get a lot of my content since I cut the cord with Comcast. Best decision I ever made, get an HD antenna for the major channels.
Anyway, you'd think the big CP and KD announcement would trend on YouTube. Nope, not in the trending videos. Try it. Go to YouTube, click the Trending link and see what videos appear. They show the most watched videos for the last few days.
This is more proof the marketing departments at all park chains have no idea what they're doing. All that teasing, super secret, don't let anyone know. The video finally comes out, the big reveal, it gets repeated by a bunch of fan channels, but none of it trends, not even the official videos by CP.
If you ask me, CP made their coaster so secret, that no one even knows about it.
If they ran ads in the Orlando airports, that would help.

Here's the Six Flags big announcement video. Midway Mayhem was first so I'll post it.

I've update my page here, scroll down for the comparison of CF Vs SF.

http://www.nogodforme.com/USA_Park_Coaster_Attendance_Results.htm

Let's look at SF V. CF for 2018.
Six Flags
SFMM - Crazanity (Giant Zamperela Discovery)
SFNJ - Cyborg Cyber Spin (3 Axis Flat Ride)
SFGAm - Larson Looper
SFoT - Harley Quinn Spinsanity (3 Axis Flat Ride)
SFoG - Twisted Cyclone (RMC)
SFNE - Harley Quinn Spinsanity (Giant Zamperela Discovery)
SFFT - Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster (RMC Raptor)
SFDK - Harley Quinn Crazy Coaster (Figure 8 Flat Ride)
SFA - Wahoo River (Lazy River)
SFSTL - Typhoon Twister (Water Slide)
SFGE - Pandemonium (Flat Ride)

Cedar Fair
Cedar Point - Steel Vengeance (RMC)
Carowinds - Camp Snoopy (Playground, 5 Kiddie Rides)
Kings Island -
Kings Dominion - Twisted Timbers (RMC)
Dorney Park - Tidal Wave Café (Dorney Park Announced a Restaurant)
California's Great America - Railblazer (RMC Raptor)
Knotts Berry Farm - Hangtime (Gerstlauer)
Worlds of Fun - Nordic Chaser (Flat Ride)
Valley Fair - Delirious (Larson)
Michigan's Adventure - A Park Bench

We have 3 real coasters for Cedar Fair, and 2 real coasters for Six Flags. What do I mean by real? Not a carnival coaster, although the Raptor coaster is a clone.

You may be saying, "Who cares about your stupid bucket list Robert?!?!" Well, it's not only me, but think of fans who travel for coaster credits. They may skip the parks that are only getting a flat ride or a water slide.

I've already started to play for 2018. The only thing is, Six Flags is very late when it comes to ride openings. Not set in stone, but this is what I'm thinking so far.

Trip 1, fly into DFW, drive to San Antonio, visit SFFT for WWGLC, Sea World of SA for Wave Breaker, drive back to Dallas and visit SFoT. Fly to Springfield MO and visit SDC for TimeTraveler. Only 2 airlines service Springfield MO, that would be AA from their major Hubs and Delta from Atlanta. Otherwise you have to fly into St. Louis or Kansas City and drive.

Trip 2 is easy, that's fly to Richmond VA, visit KD for Twisted Timbers, then fly to Columbus and visit KI and CP.

Notice I'm not listing any of the other parks. If there's a flat ride along the way, then I might try it if there's no line.

[spacemtfan]

Post by skiguy777

Post by skiguy777

Post by skiguy777

Post by w***@gmail.com

Post by skiguy777

Post by DJ Wiza
This might actually make CGA worth going to for me.

I also wanted to say that CGA is worth the visit. SFO appears to be the cheapest airport to fly into. Heavy traffic, use the avoid tolls option. It's free traveling north over the Golden Gate bridge, but you have to pay a toll come back into SFO heading south. Instead travel to Santa Clara on the Oakland side to avoid tolls. You'll get to visit Discovery Kingdom to the north, then drive all the way down to Santa Clara to visit CGA. Along the say you can visit the tourist section of SanFrancisco which is the pier area (Ghiradelli Square and Fisherman's Wharf). I did this at the very end before returning my rental car at the airport.

My vague memory tells me that the prices for rental cars vary greatly depending on which airport you use...translated, don't just compare flight prices at each airport to make a decision...compare flights and rental car prices COMBINED to see which deal is better.

Since we have 10 days until the big SF announcement, I wanted to reflect on what we have so far.

And one more thing I wanted to talk about, marketing. I subscribe to a bunch of YouTube channels. That's how I get a lot of my content since I cut the cord with Comcast. Best decision I ever made, get an HD antenna for the major channels.
Anyway, you'd think the big CP and KD announcement would trend on YouTube. Nope, not in the trending videos. Try it. Go to YouTube, click the Trending link and see what videos appear. They show the most watched videos for the last few days.
This is more proof the marketing departments at all park chains have no idea what they're doing. All that teasing, super secret, don't let anyone know. The video finally comes out, the big reveal, it gets repeated by a bunch of fan channels, but none of it trends, not even the official videos by CP.
If you ask me, CP made their coaster so secret, that no one even knows about it.
If they ran ads in the Orlando airports, that would help.

Here's the Six Flags big announcement video. Midway Mayhem was first so I'll post it.
http://youtu.be/Ved-SrG3FDE
I've update my page here, scroll down for the comparison of CF Vs SF.
http://www.nogodforme.com/USA_Park_Coaster_Attendance_Results.htm
Let's look at SF V. CF for 2018.
Six Flags
SFMM - Crazanity (Giant Zamperela Discovery)
SFNJ - Cyborg Cyber Spin (3 Axis Flat Ride)
SFGAm - Larson Looper
SFoT - Harley Quinn Spinsanity (3 Axis Flat Ride)
SFoG - Twisted Cyclone (RMC)
SFNE - Harley Quinn Spinsanity (Giant Zamperela Discovery)
SFFT - Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster (RMC Raptor)
SFDK - Harley Quinn Crazy Coaster (Figure 8 Flat Ride)
SFA - Wahoo River (Lazy River)
SFSTL - Typhoon Twister (Water Slide)
SFGE - Pandemonium (Flat Ride)
Cedar Fair
Cedar Point - Steel Vengeance (RMC)
Carowinds - Camp Snoopy (Playground, 5 Kiddie Rides)
Kings Island -
Kings Dominion - Twisted Timbers (RMC)
Dorney Park - Tidal Wave Café (Dorney Park Announced a Restaurant)
California's Great America - Railblazer (RMC Raptor)
Knotts Berry Farm - Hangtime (Gerstlauer)
Worlds of Fun - Nordic Chaser (Flat Ride)
Valley Fair - Delirious (Larson)
Michigan's Adventure - A Park Bench
We have 3 real coasters for Cedar Fair, and 2 real coasters for Six Flags. What do I mean by real? Not a carnival coaster, although the Raptor coaster is a clone.
You may be saying, "Who cares about your stupid bucket list Robert?!?!" Well, it's not only me, but think of fans who travel for coaster credits. They may skip the parks that are only getting a flat ride or a water slide.
I've already started to play for 2018. The only thing is, Six Flags is very late when it comes to ride openings. Not set in stone, but this is what I'm thinking so far.
Trip 1, fly into DFW, drive to San Antonio, visit SFFT for WWGLC, Sea World of SA for Wave Breaker, drive back to Dallas and visit SFoT. Fly to Springfield MO and visit SDC for TimeTraveler. Only 2 airlines service Springfield MO, that would be AA from their major Hubs and Delta from Atlanta. Otherwise you have to fly into St. Louis or Kansas City and drive.
Trip 2 is easy, that's fly to Richmond VA, visit KD for Twisted Timbers, then fly to Columbus and visit KI and CP.
Notice I'm not listing any of the other parks. If there's a flat ride along the way, then I might try it if there's no line.

The Six Flags announcements are mostly all smart moves for their parks. Six Flags Mexico is quite popular and they haven't gotten a coaster since 2014, so the Freespin, replacing their go-karts, is a smart move. Over at La Ronde, the 3 new family flat rides are going in a new themed area and I hearing interesting whispers about one of them.

I am quite shocked on the waterpark side that they didn't buy at least one new FlyingSaucer30/RocketBlast water coaster from Proslide for 2018. They seemed to have enjoyed the one at SFFT so it is quite surprising. Replacing the lazy river at SFA is brilliant and they are getting something either Kings Dominion or Water Country USA would never install. Water World in California getting a tipping bucket structure is something I predicted as it was sorely needed.

Great Escape new flat ride is a great throwback to the past: its a Chance Freestyle and its replacing a long removed Chance Trabant. Shocked to see SFMM keeping their bumper cars and even renovate them!

[skiguy777]

Post by spacemtfan

Post by skiguy777

Post by skiguy777

Post by skiguy777

Post by w***@gmail.com

Post by skiguy777

Post by DJ Wiza
This might actually make CGA worth going to for me.

I also wanted to say that CGA is worth the visit. SFO appears to be the cheapest airport to fly into. Heavy traffic, use the avoid tolls option. It's free traveling north over the Golden Gate bridge, but you have to pay a toll come back into SFO heading south. Instead travel to Santa Clara on the Oakland side to avoid tolls. You'll get to visit Discovery Kingdom to the north, then drive all the way down to Santa Clara to visit CGA. Along the say you can visit the tourist section of SanFrancisco which is the pier area (Ghiradelli Square and Fisherman's Wharf). I did this at the very end before returning my rental car at the airport.

My vague memory tells me that the prices for rental cars vary greatly depending on which airport you use...translated, don't just compare flight prices at each airport to make a decision...compare flights and rental car prices COMBINED to see which deal is better.

Since we have 10 days until the big SF announcement, I wanted to reflect on what we have so far.

And one more thing I wanted to talk about, marketing. I subscribe to a bunch of YouTube channels. That's how I get a lot of my content since I cut the cord with Comcast. Best decision I ever made, get an HD antenna for the major channels.
Anyway, you'd think the big CP and KD announcement would trend on YouTube. Nope, not in the trending videos. Try it. Go to YouTube, click the Trending link and see what videos appear. They show the most watched videos for the last few days.
This is more proof the marketing departments at all park chains have no idea what they're doing. All that teasing, super secret, don't let anyone know. The video finally comes out, the big reveal, it gets repeated by a bunch of fan channels, but none of it trends, not even the official videos by CP.
If you ask me, CP made their coaster so secret, that no one even knows about it.
If they ran ads in the Orlando airports, that would help.

Here's the Six Flags big announcement video. Midway Mayhem was first so I'll post it.
http://youtu.be/Ved-SrG3FDE
I've update my page here, scroll down for the comparison of CF Vs SF.
http://www.nogodforme.com/USA_Park_Coaster_Attendance_Results.htm
Let's look at SF V. CF for 2018.
Six Flags
SFMM - Crazanity (Giant Zamperela Discovery)
SFNJ - Cyborg Cyber Spin (3 Axis Flat Ride)
SFGAm - Larson Looper
SFoT - Harley Quinn Spinsanity (3 Axis Flat Ride)
SFoG - Twisted Cyclone (RMC)
SFNE - Harley Quinn Spinsanity (Giant Zamperela Discovery)
SFFT - Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster (RMC Raptor)
SFDK - Harley Quinn Crazy Coaster (Figure 8 Flat Ride)
SFA - Wahoo River (Lazy River)
SFSTL - Typhoon Twister (Water Slide)
SFGE - Pandemonium (Flat Ride)
Cedar Fair
Cedar Point - Steel Vengeance (RMC)
Carowinds - Camp Snoopy (Playground, 5 Kiddie Rides)
Kings Island -
Kings Dominion - Twisted Timbers (RMC)
Dorney Park - Tidal Wave Café (Dorney Park Announced a Restaurant)
California's Great America - Railblazer (RMC Raptor)
Knotts Berry Farm - Hangtime (Gerstlauer)
Worlds of Fun - Nordic Chaser (Flat Ride)
Valley Fair - Delirious (Larson)
Michigan's Adventure - A Park Bench
We have 3 real coasters for Cedar Fair, and 2 real coasters for Six Flags. What do I mean by real? Not a carnival coaster, although the Raptor coaster is a clone.
You may be saying, "Who cares about your stupid bucket list Robert?!?!" Well, it's not only me, but think of fans who travel for coaster credits. They may skip the parks that are only getting a flat ride or a water slide.
I've already started to play for 2018. The only thing is, Six Flags is very late when it comes to ride openings. Not set in stone, but this is what I'm thinking so far.
Trip 1, fly into DFW, drive to San Antonio, visit SFFT for WWGLC, Sea World of SA for Wave Breaker, drive back to Dallas and visit SFoT. Fly to Springfield MO and visit SDC for TimeTraveler. Only 2 airlines service Springfield MO, that would be AA from their major Hubs and Delta from Atlanta. Otherwise you have to fly into St. Louis or Kansas City and drive.
Trip 2 is easy, that's fly to Richmond VA, visit KD for Twisted Timbers, then fly to Columbus and visit KI and CP.
Notice I'm not listing any of the other parks. If there's a flat ride along the way, then I might try it if there's no line.

The Six Flags announcements are mostly all smart moves for their parks. Six Flags Mexico is quite popular and they haven't gotten a coaster since 2014, so the Freespin, replacing their go-karts, is a smart move. Over at La Ronde, the 3 new family flat rides are going in a new themed area and I hearing interesting whispers about one of them.
I am quite shocked on the waterpark side that they didn't buy at least one new FlyingSaucer30/RocketBlast water coaster from Proslide for 2018. They seemed to have enjoyed the one at SFFT so it is quite surprising. Replacing the lazy river at SFA is brilliant and they are getting something either Kings Dominion or Water Country USA would never install. Water World in California getting a tipping bucket structure is something I predicted as it was sorely needed.
Great Escape new flat ride is a great throwback to the past: its a Chance Freestyle and its replacing a long removed Chance Trabant. Shocked to see SFMM keeping their bumper cars and even renovate them!

The rides are good if they're operational. Six Flags has 7 flat rides. I don't count the Larson Looper or Skywarp as a coaster (neither does RCDB thank you), they are flat rides. 2 water attractions, and 2 coasters. If you're a flat ride fan then you're happy.

Cedar Fair has 4 coasters (one a carnival), a kiddie playground, restaurant, 2 flat rides, a park bench, and nothing.

Let's look at marketing. The videos appeared on Thursday, a few channels like Midway Mayhem were quick to post the videos, but they didn't take off.

As of Friday at 06:00am.
Midway Mayhem - Six Flags Announcement video - 942 views
http://youtu.be/Ved-SrG3FDE

Coaster Force - Six Flags Announcement video - 3,189 views

Coaster Studios - Six Flags Announcement video - 42,740 views

TPFR - Six Flags Announcement video- 31,000 views

None of these videos are trending on YouTube. You can see the trending videos here.
https://www.youtube.com/feed/trending

Someone rescuing a kitten from Harvey flood waters gets more views than the big Six Flags announcement.

Does it matter? Does it prove anything? To me it proves the parks don't know how to market when it comes to social media. Six Flags sent out their announcement video to a bunch of coaster sites (or media people) and it didn't trend. I didn't pass around any of these video at my job.

You know how I think the parks need to market this stuff. TVs in the airports that show the announcement videos. Full page ads in the airplane magazines, or articles written about the new attractions. I've never seen this. I go on trips walking through multiple airports and see nothing about Six Flags or Cedar Fair until I'm a few miles from the park.

Now we wait for the rest of the parks to announce. Hershey already did with their 2 water attractions. We've got Cedar Fair, Six Flags, Disney, and Sea World. What about the rest of the parks? I thought of tracking all the American parks, but I doubt they'll all announce something. That would be the smaller parks with this list here.

Dollywood
Silver Dollar City -- Time Traveler
*Wild Adventures
Kennywood
Lake Compounce
Holiday World
Kentucky Kingdom
Darien Lake
Buffalo Bills
Lagoon
Knoebels
Nickelodeon Universe
Luna Park
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
*Waldameer
*Fun Spot America
*Mt. Olympus
*Alabama Splash Adventure
*Conneaut Lake Park
*Quassy
*Beech Bend
*Silverwood
*ZDT's

[s***@aol.com]

As far as smaller parks, Adventureland in New York announced earlier this year they're replacing their Ghost House dark ride with a brand new suspended two level dark ride. So far, I'm most looking forward to this above everything else.

[spacemtfan]

Post by skiguy777

Post by spacemtfan

Post by skiguy777

Post by skiguy777

Post by skiguy777

Post by w***@gmail.com

Post by skiguy777

Post by DJ Wiza
This might actually make CGA worth going to for me.

I also wanted to say that CGA is worth the visit. SFO appears to be the cheapest airport to fly into. Heavy traffic, use the avoid tolls option. It's free traveling north over the Golden Gate bridge, but you have to pay a toll come back into SFO heading south. Instead travel to Santa Clara on the Oakland side to avoid tolls. You'll get to visit Discovery Kingdom to the north, then drive all the way down to Santa Clara to visit CGA. Along the say you can visit the tourist section of SanFrancisco which is the pier area (Ghiradelli Square and Fisherman's Wharf). I did this at the very end before returning my rental car at the airport.

My vague memory tells me that the prices for rental cars vary greatly depending on which airport you use...translated, don't just compare flight prices at each airport to make a decision...compare flights and rental car prices COMBINED to see which deal is better.

Since we have 10 days until the big SF announcement, I wanted to reflect on what we have so far.

And one more thing I wanted to talk about, marketing. I subscribe to a bunch of YouTube channels. That's how I get a lot of my content since I cut the cord with Comcast. Best decision I ever made, get an HD antenna for the major channels.
Anyway, you'd think the big CP and KD announcement would trend on YouTube. Nope, not in the trending videos. Try it. Go to YouTube, click the Trending link and see what videos appear. They show the most watched videos for the last few days.
This is more proof the marketing departments at all park chains have no idea what they're doing. All that teasing, super secret, don't let anyone know. The video finally comes out, the big reveal, it gets repeated by a bunch of fan channels, but none of it trends, not even the official videos by CP.
If you ask me, CP made their coaster so secret, that no one even knows about it.
If they ran ads in the Orlando airports, that would help.

Here's the Six Flags big announcement video. Midway Mayhem was first so I'll post it.
http://youtu.be/Ved-SrG3FDE
I've update my page here, scroll down for the comparison of CF Vs SF.
http://www.nogodforme.com/USA_Park_Coaster_Attendance_Results.htm
Let's look at SF V. CF for 2018.
Six Flags
SFMM - Crazanity (Giant Zamperela Discovery)
SFNJ - Cyborg Cyber Spin (3 Axis Flat Ride)
SFGAm - Larson Looper
SFoT - Harley Quinn Spinsanity (3 Axis Flat Ride)
SFoG - Twisted Cyclone (RMC)
SFNE - Harley Quinn Spinsanity (Giant Zamperela Discovery)
SFFT - Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster (RMC Raptor)
SFDK - Harley Quinn Crazy Coaster (Figure 8 Flat Ride)
SFA - Wahoo River (Lazy River)
SFSTL - Typhoon Twister (Water Slide)
SFGE - Pandemonium (Flat Ride)
Cedar Fair
Cedar Point - Steel Vengeance (RMC)
Carowinds - Camp Snoopy (Playground, 5 Kiddie Rides)
Kings Island -
Kings Dominion - Twisted Timbers (RMC)
Dorney Park - Tidal Wave Café (Dorney Park Announced a Restaurant)
California's Great America - Railblazer (RMC Raptor)
Knotts Berry Farm - Hangtime (Gerstlauer)
Worlds of Fun - Nordic Chaser (Flat Ride)
Valley Fair - Delirious (Larson)
Michigan's Adventure - A Park Bench
We have 3 real coasters for Cedar Fair, and 2 real coasters for Six Flags. What do I mean by real? Not a carnival coaster, although the Raptor coaster is a clone.
You may be saying, "Who cares about your stupid bucket list Robert?!?!" Well, it's not only me, but think of fans who travel for coaster credits. They may skip the parks that are only getting a flat ride or a water slide.
I've already started to play for 2018. The only thing is, Six Flags is very late when it comes to ride openings. Not set in stone, but this is what I'm thinking so far.
Trip 1, fly into DFW, drive to San Antonio, visit SFFT for WWGLC, Sea World of SA for Wave Breaker, drive back to Dallas and visit SFoT. Fly to Springfield MO and visit SDC for TimeTraveler. Only 2 airlines service Springfield MO, that would be AA from their major Hubs and Delta from Atlanta. Otherwise you have to fly into St. Louis or Kansas City and drive.
Trip 2 is easy, that's fly to Richmond VA, visit KD for Twisted Timbers, then fly to Columbus and visit KI and CP.
Notice I'm not listing any of the other parks. If there's a flat ride along the way, then I might try it if there's no line.

The Six Flags announcements are mostly all smart moves for their parks. Six Flags Mexico is quite popular and they haven't gotten a coaster since 2014, so the Freespin, replacing their go-karts, is a smart move. Over at La Ronde, the 3 new family flat rides are going in a new themed area and I hearing interesting whispers about one of them.
I am quite shocked on the waterpark side that they didn't buy at least one new FlyingSaucer30/RocketBlast water coaster from Proslide for 2018. They seemed to have enjoyed the one at SFFT so it is quite surprising. Replacing the lazy river at SFA is brilliant and they are getting something either Kings Dominion or Water Country USA would never install. Water World in California getting a tipping bucket structure is something I predicted as it was sorely needed.
Great Escape new flat ride is a great throwback to the past: its a Chance Freestyle and its replacing a long removed Chance Trabant. Shocked to see SFMM keeping their bumper cars and even renovate them!

The rides are good if they're operational. Six Flags has 7 flat rides. I don't count the Larson Looper or Skywarp as a coaster (neither does RCDB thank you), they are flat rides. 2 water attractions, and 2 coasters. If you're a flat ride fan then you're happy.
Cedar Fair has 4 coasters (one a carnival), a kiddie playground, restaurant, 2 flat rides, a park bench, and nothing.
Let's look at marketing. The videos appeared on Thursday, a few channels like Midway Mayhem were quick to post the videos, but they didn't take off.
As of Friday at 06:00am.
Midway Mayhem - Six Flags Announcement video - 942 views
http://youtu.be/Ved-SrG3FDE
Coaster Force - Six Flags Announcement video - 3,189 views
http://youtu.be/j0pQmjykpPc
Coaster Studios - Six Flags Announcement video - 42,740 views
http://youtu.be/EwWmgXbJ1XM
TPFR - Six Flags Announcement video- 31,000 views
None of these videos are trending on YouTube. You can see the trending videos here.
https://www.youtube.com/feed/trending
Someone rescuing a kitten from Harvey flood waters gets more views than the big Six Flags announcement.
Does it matter? Does it prove anything? To me it proves the parks don't know how to market when it comes to social media. Six Flags sent out their announcement video to a bunch of coaster sites (or media people) and it didn't trend. I didn't pass around any of these video at my job.
You know how I think the parks need to market this stuff. TVs in the airports that show the announcement videos. Full page ads in the airplane magazines, or articles written about the new attractions. I've never seen this. I go on trips walking through multiple airports and see nothing about Six Flags or Cedar Fair until I'm a few miles from the park.
Now we wait for the rest of the parks to announce. Hershey already did with their 2 water attractions. We've got Cedar Fair, Six Flags, Disney, and Sea World. What about the rest of the parks? I thought of tracking all the American parks, but I doubt they'll all announce something. That would be the smaller parks with this list here.
Dollywood
Silver Dollar City -- Time Traveler
*Wild Adventures
Kennywood
Lake Compounce
Holiday World
Kentucky Kingdom
Darien Lake
Buffalo Bills
Lagoon
Knoebels
Nickelodeon Universe
Luna Park
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
*Waldameer
*Fun Spot America
*Mt. Olympus
*Alabama Splash Adventure
*Conneaut Lake Park
*Quassy
*Beech Bend
*Silverwood
*ZDT's

Waldameer already announced two new attractions for 2018: a Zamperla Samba Balloon family flat ride for the dry park and a Proslide Cannonbowl 30 tube slide for the water park.

Quassy also announced their new attraction: a new slide tower from Proslide that will feature 3 different slides: a Tornado24/Tornado24 hybrid slide and two tube slides.

Lake Compounce is more than likely going to expand their waterpark in 2018. The land is already set aside and cleared.

You forgot to talk about Walt Disney World. The Studios park is going to open next May/June a custom double launch Mack Youngstar Coaster as Slinky Dog Coaster.

To be honest, the North American park market is considered "mature" and the days of multiple 20+ million dollar coaster investments are over. Next year, we only have two rides that qualify as that: Time Traveller and Slinky Dog Coaster. The rest are more reasonable investments that APPEAR to be costly, but are a bargain for their parks. Cedar Fair largest investment is Steel Vengeance and that is more than likely a 10-15 million dollar ride.

B&M, Vekoma, Mack and others have amazing rides, but in 99% of cases, they are getting built overseas. Did you see this amazing ride?

Lech Coaster hardware cost only 5 million USD and its been getting rave reviews. Vekoma has also sold two of the new "Firestorm" launched coaster to China:

[skiguy777]

Post by spacemtfan

Post by skiguy777

Post by spacemtfan

Post by skiguy777

Post by skiguy777

Post by skiguy777

Post by w***@gmail.com

Post by skiguy777

Post by DJ Wiza
This might actually make CGA worth going to for me.

I also wanted to say that CGA is worth the visit. SFO appears to be the cheapest airport to fly into. Heavy traffic, use the avoid tolls option. It's free traveling north over the Golden Gate bridge, but you have to pay a toll come back into SFO heading south. Instead travel to Santa Clara on the Oakland side to avoid tolls. You'll get to visit Discovery Kingdom to the north, then drive all the way down to Santa Clara to visit CGA. Along the say you can visit the tourist section of SanFrancisco which is the pier area (Ghiradelli Square and Fisherman's Wharf). I did this at the very end before returning my rental car at the airport.

My vague memory tells me that the prices for rental cars vary greatly depending on which airport you use...translated, don't just compare flight prices at each airport to make a decision...compare flights and rental car prices COMBINED to see which deal is better.

Since we have 10 days until the big SF announcement, I wanted to reflect on what we have so far.

And one more thing I wanted to talk about, marketing. I subscribe to a bunch of YouTube channels. That's how I get a lot of my content since I cut the cord with Comcast. Best decision I ever made, get an HD antenna for the major channels.
Anyway, you'd think the big CP and KD announcement would trend on YouTube. Nope, not in the trending videos. Try it. Go to YouTube, click the Trending link and see what videos appear. They show the most watched videos for the last few days.
This is more proof the marketing departments at all park chains have no idea what they're doing. All that teasing, super secret, don't let anyone know. The video finally comes out, the big reveal, it gets repeated by a bunch of fan channels, but none of it trends, not even the official videos by CP.
If you ask me, CP made their coaster so secret, that no one even knows about it.
If they ran ads in the Orlando airports, that would help.

Here's the Six Flags big announcement video. Midway Mayhem was first so I'll post it.
http://youtu.be/Ved-SrG3FDE
I've update my page here, scroll down for the comparison of CF Vs SF.
http://www.nogodforme.com/USA_Park_Coaster_Attendance_Results.htm
Let's look at SF V. CF for 2018.
Six Flags
SFMM - Crazanity (Giant Zamperela Discovery)
SFNJ - Cyborg Cyber Spin (3 Axis Flat Ride)
SFGAm - Larson Looper
SFoT - Harley Quinn Spinsanity (3 Axis Flat Ride)
SFoG - Twisted Cyclone (RMC)
SFNE - Harley Quinn Spinsanity (Giant Zamperela Discovery)
SFFT - Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster (RMC Raptor)
SFDK - Harley Quinn Crazy Coaster (Figure 8 Flat Ride)
SFA - Wahoo River (Lazy River)
SFSTL - Typhoon Twister (Water Slide)
SFGE - Pandemonium (Flat Ride)
Cedar Fair
Cedar Point - Steel Vengeance (RMC)
Carowinds - Camp Snoopy (Playground, 5 Kiddie Rides)
Kings Island -
Kings Dominion - Twisted Timbers (RMC)
Dorney Park - Tidal Wave Café (Dorney Park Announced a Restaurant)
California's Great America - Railblazer (RMC Raptor)
Knotts Berry Farm - Hangtime (Gerstlauer)
Worlds of Fun - Nordic Chaser (Flat Ride)
Valley Fair - Delirious (Larson)
Michigan's Adventure - A Park Bench
We have 3 real coasters for Cedar Fair, and 2 real coasters for Six Flags. What do I mean by real? Not a carnival coaster, although the Raptor coaster is a clone.
You may be saying, "Who cares about your stupid bucket list Robert?!?!" Well, it's not only me, but think of fans who travel for coaster credits. They may skip the parks that are only getting a flat ride or a water slide.
I've already started to play for 2018. The only thing is, Six Flags is very late when it comes to ride openings. Not set in stone, but this is what I'm thinking so far.
Trip 1, fly into DFW, drive to San Antonio, visit SFFT for WWGLC, Sea World of SA for Wave Breaker, drive back to Dallas and visit SFoT. Fly to Springfield MO and visit SDC for TimeTraveler. Only 2 airlines service Springfield MO, that would be AA from their major Hubs and Delta from Atlanta. Otherwise you have to fly into St. Louis or Kansas City and drive.
Trip 2 is easy, that's fly to Richmond VA, visit KD for Twisted Timbers, then fly to Columbus and visit KI and CP.
Notice I'm not listing any of the other parks. If there's a flat ride along the way, then I might try it if there's no line.

The Six Flags announcements are mostly all smart moves for their parks. Six Flags Mexico is quite popular and they haven't gotten a coaster since 2014, so the Freespin, replacing their go-karts, is a smart move. Over at La Ronde, the 3 new family flat rides are going in a new themed area and I hearing interesting whispers about one of them.
I am quite shocked on the waterpark side that they didn't buy at least one new FlyingSaucer30/RocketBlast water coaster from Proslide for 2018. They seemed to have enjoyed the one at SFFT so it is quite surprising. Replacing the lazy river at SFA is brilliant and they are getting something either Kings Dominion or Water Country USA would never install. Water World in California getting a tipping bucket structure is something I predicted as it was sorely needed.
Great Escape new flat ride is a great throwback to the past: its a Chance Freestyle and its replacing a long removed Chance Trabant. Shocked to see SFMM keeping their bumper cars and even renovate them!

The rides are good if they're operational. Six Flags has 7 flat rides. I don't count the Larson Looper or Skywarp as a coaster (neither does RCDB thank you), they are flat rides. 2 water attractions, and 2 coasters. If you're a flat ride fan then you're happy.
Cedar Fair has 4 coasters (one a carnival), a kiddie playground, restaurant, 2 flat rides, a park bench, and nothing.
Let's look at marketing. The videos appeared on Thursday, a few channels like Midway Mayhem were quick to post the videos, but they didn't take off.
As of Friday at 06:00am.
Midway Mayhem - Six Flags Announcement video - 942 views
http://youtu.be/Ved-SrG3FDE
Coaster Force - Six Flags Announcement video - 3,189 views
http://youtu.be/j0pQmjykpPc
Coaster Studios - Six Flags Announcement video - 42,740 views
http://youtu.be/EwWmgXbJ1XM
TPFR - Six Flags Announcement video- 31,000 views
None of these videos are trending on YouTube. You can see the trending videos here.
https://www.youtube.com/feed/trending
Someone rescuing a kitten from Harvey flood waters gets more views than the big Six Flags announcement.
Does it matter? Does it prove anything? To me it proves the parks don't know how to market when it comes to social media. Six Flags sent out their announcement video to a bunch of coaster sites (or media people) and it didn't trend. I didn't pass around any of these video at my job.
You know how I think the parks need to market this stuff. TVs in the airports that show the announcement videos. Full page ads in the airplane magazines, or articles written about the new attractions. I've never seen this. I go on trips walking through multiple airports and see nothing about Six Flags or Cedar Fair until I'm a few miles from the park.
Now we wait for the rest of the parks to announce. Hershey already did with their 2 water attractions. We've got Cedar Fair, Six Flags, Disney, and Sea World. What about the rest of the parks? I thought of tracking all the American parks, but I doubt they'll all announce something. That would be the smaller parks with this list here.
Dollywood
Silver Dollar City -- Time Traveler
*Wild Adventures
Kennywood
Lake Compounce
Holiday World
Kentucky Kingdom
Darien Lake
Buffalo Bills
Lagoon
Knoebels
Nickelodeon Universe
Luna Park
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
*Waldameer
*Fun Spot America
*Mt. Olympus
*Alabama Splash Adventure
*Conneaut Lake Park
*Quassy
*Beech Bend
*Silverwood
*ZDT's

Waldameer already announced two new attractions for 2018: a Zamperla Samba Balloon family flat ride for the dry park and a Proslide Cannonbowl 30 tube slide for the water park.
Quassy also announced their new attraction: a new slide tower from Proslide that will feature 3 different slides: a Tornado24/Tornado24 hybrid slide and two tube slides.
Lake Compounce is more than likely going to expand their waterpark in 2018. The land is already set aside and cleared.
You forgot to talk about Walt Disney World. The Studios park is going to open next May/June a custom double launch Mack Youngstar Coaster as Slinky Dog Coaster.
To be honest, the North American park market is considered "mature" and the days of multiple 20+ million dollar coaster investments are over. Next year, we only have two rides that qualify as that: Time Traveller and Slinky Dog Coaster. The rest are more reasonable investments that APPEAR to be costly, but are a bargain for their parks. Cedar Fair largest investment is Steel Vengeance and that is more than likely a 10-15 million dollar ride.
B&M, Vekoma, Mack and others have amazing rides, but in 99% of cases, they are getting built overseas. Did you see this amazing ride? http://youtu.be/qnH6nW3k1ZY Lech Coaster hardware cost only 5 million USD and its been getting rave reviews. Vekoma has also sold two of the new "Firestorm" launched coaster to China: http://youtu.be/6XqfJhBhyHQ

Thanks for the updates and the POVs. I hadn't seen them yet, but they look awesome. I keep saying, "out with the old, in with the new."

I no longer ride the old school Arrows, SLCs, Boomerangs, and many of the water rides. Seriously, all the SF and CF parks could remove them and use that land for new coasters like the POVs you just posted. But they hang on to the old because the GP keeps going on them. You'd think the life span of an old school arrow or SLC would be up, but they're still around.

The old school stuff was designed 40 years ago before the modern day cam programs could tell the exact forces on the body. The newer RMC rides do all kinds of twisting maneuvers and it's smooth.

The thing that's bugging me lately, is each park only gets ONE attraction for the year, and sometimes it sucks. Honestly, they need to come into a park and update it to the current standards (new rides). Look at Disney and Hollywood Studios. Are they doing one ride, one little attraction? No, they're doing TWO WORLDS at once. They're putting in a Tron coaster at the Magic Kingdom, and a Star Wars land at Disney Land.

What is it with CF and SF doing one attraction at each park, and only a couple major coasters.

Michigan's Adventure got a park bench. They need to remove that old school Arrow, SLC, and put in something better. Dorney announced a restaurant. Are you kidding me? Yes, I know all about the shareholders, the crooks who steal your money. I don't care about them.

[skiguy777]

Post by skiguy777
Michigan's Adventure got a park bench. They need to remove that old school Arrow, SLC, and put in something better. Dorney announced a restaurant. Are you kidding me? Yes, I know all about the shareholders, the crooks who steal your money. I don't care about them.

Keeping on this thought of removing outdated rides, I made a web page about it.
http://www.nogodforme.com/USA_Old_Skool_Rides.htm

Carowinds and Darien Lake win with 3 of them. If you go to the web page, you can bring up the RCDB links, otherwise this is what it looks like.

Six Flags
SFMM - Viper (Arrow)
SFGAm - Demon (Arrow)
SFoG - Blue Hawk (Vekoma)
SFNE - Flashback (Vekoma Boomerang) Mind Eraser (Vekoma SLC)
SFFT - Boomerang (Vekoma Boomerang) Road Runner Express (Arrow)
SFDK - Boomerang Coast to Coaster (Vekoma Boomerang) Kong (Vekoma SLC)
SFA - Mind Eraser (Vekoma SLC) Batwing (Vekoma Flying)
SFSTL - Boomerang (Vekoma Boomerang) Ninja ( Vekoma)
SFGE - Flashback (Vekoma Boomerang) Steamin' Demon (Arrow)

Cedar Fair
Cedar Point - Corkscrew (Arrow)
Carowinds - Carolina Cyclone (Arrow) Flying Cobras (Vekoma Boomerang) Nighthawk (Vekoma Flying)
Kings Island - Vortex (Arrow) Firehawk (Vekoma Flying)
Kings Dominion - Anaconda (Arrow)
California's Great America - Demon (Arrow)
Worlds of Fun - Boomerang (Vekoma Boomerang)
Valley Fair - Corkscrew (Arrow)
Michigan's Adventure - Corkscrew (Arrow) Thunderhawk (Vekoma SLC)

Hershey Park - Sidewinder (Vekoma Boomerang)

Herschend
Dollywood - Tennessee Tornado (Arrow)
*Wild Adventures - Boomerang (Vekoma Boomerang) Twisted Typhoon (Vekoma SLC)

Parques Reunidos
Lake Compounce - Zoomerang (Vekoma Boomerang)

Other
Kentucky Kingdom - T3 (Vekoma SLC)
Darien Lake - Boomerang Coast to Coaster (Vekoma Boomerang) Mind Eraser (Vekoma SLC) Viper (Arrow)
*Silverwood - Corkscrew (Arrow)

When you visit these parks, it's a wasted ride not worth going on. All of these need to go. Sell them to China or some other developing country.

[spacemtfan]

Post by skiguy777

Post by skiguy777
Michigan's Adventure got a park bench. They need to remove that old school Arrow, SLC, and put in something better. Dorney announced a restaurant. Are you kidding me? Yes, I know all about the shareholders, the crooks who steal your money. I don't care about them.

Keeping on this thought of removing outdated rides, I made a web page about it.
http://www.nogodforme.com/USA_Old_Skool_Rides.htm
Carowinds and Darien Lake win with 3 of them. If you go to the web page, you can bring up the RCDB links, otherwise this is what it looks like.
Six Flags
SFMM - Viper (Arrow)
SFGAm - Demon (Arrow)
SFoG - Blue Hawk (Vekoma)
SFNE - Flashback (Vekoma Boomerang) Mind Eraser (Vekoma SLC)
SFFT - Boomerang (Vekoma Boomerang) Road Runner Express (Arrow)
SFDK - Boomerang Coast to Coaster (Vekoma Boomerang) Kong (Vekoma SLC)
SFA - Mind Eraser (Vekoma SLC) Batwing (Vekoma Flying)
SFSTL - Boomerang (Vekoma Boomerang) Ninja ( Vekoma)
SFGE - Flashback (Vekoma Boomerang) Steamin' Demon (Arrow)
Cedar Fair
Cedar Point - Corkscrew (Arrow)
Carowinds - Carolina Cyclone (Arrow) Flying Cobras (Vekoma Boomerang) Nighthawk (Vekoma Flying)
Kings Island - Vortex (Arrow) Firehawk (Vekoma Flying)
Kings Dominion - Anaconda (Arrow)
California's Great America - Demon (Arrow)
Worlds of Fun - Boomerang (Vekoma Boomerang)
Valley Fair - Corkscrew (Arrow)
Michigan's Adventure - Corkscrew (Arrow) Thunderhawk (Vekoma SLC)
Hershey Park - Sidewinder (Vekoma Boomerang)
Herschend
Dollywood - Tennessee Tornado (Arrow)
*Wild Adventures - Boomerang (Vekoma Boomerang) Twisted Typhoon (Vekoma SLC)
Parques Reunidos
Lake Compounce - Zoomerang (Vekoma Boomerang)
Other
Kentucky Kingdom - T3 (Vekoma SLC)
Darien Lake - Boomerang Coast to Coaster (Vekoma Boomerang) Mind Eraser (Vekoma SLC) Viper (Arrow)
*Silverwood - Corkscrew (Arrow)
When you visit these parks, it's a wasted ride not worth going on. All of these need to go. Sell them to China or some other developing country.

In surprising news, Palace Playland in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, announced they are closing down their Galaxi on Monday September 4th 2017. They bought a small parking lot behind the coaster and they will built a brand new family ride that is taller and bigger on the new land.

[skiguy777]

Post by spacemtfan

Post by skiguy777

Post by skiguy777
Michigan's Adventure got a park bench. They need to remove that old school Arrow, SLC, and put in something better. Dorney announced a restaurant. Are you kidding me? Yes, I know all about the shareholders, the crooks who steal your money. I don't care about them.

Keeping on this thought of removing outdated rides, I made a web page about it.
http://www.nogodforme.com/USA_Old_Skool_Rides.htm
Carowinds and Darien Lake win with 3 of them. If you go to the web page, you can bring up the RCDB links, otherwise this is what it looks like.
Six Flags
SFMM - Viper (Arrow)
SFGAm - Demon (Arrow)
SFoG - Blue Hawk (Vekoma)
SFNE - Flashback (Vekoma Boomerang) Mind Eraser (Vekoma SLC)
SFFT - Boomerang (Vekoma Boomerang) Road Runner Express (Arrow)
SFDK - Boomerang Coast to Coaster (Vekoma Boomerang) Kong (Vekoma SLC)
SFA - Mind Eraser (Vekoma SLC) Batwing (Vekoma Flying)
SFSTL - Boomerang (Vekoma Boomerang) Ninja ( Vekoma)
SFGE - Flashback (Vekoma Boomerang) Steamin' Demon (Arrow)
Cedar Fair
Cedar Point - Corkscrew (Arrow)
Carowinds - Carolina Cyclone (Arrow) Flying Cobras (Vekoma Boomerang) Nighthawk (Vekoma Flying)
Kings Island - Vortex (Arrow) Firehawk (Vekoma Flying)
Kings Dominion - Anaconda (Arrow)
California's Great America - Demon (Arrow)
Worlds of Fun - Boomerang (Vekoma Boomerang)
Valley Fair - Corkscrew (Arrow)
Michigan's Adventure - Corkscrew (Arrow) Thunderhawk (Vekoma SLC)
Hershey Park - Sidewinder (Vekoma Boomerang)
Herschend
Dollywood - Tennessee Tornado (Arrow)
*Wild Adventures - Boomerang (Vekoma Boomerang) Twisted Typhoon (Vekoma SLC)
Parques Reunidos
Lake Compounce - Zoomerang (Vekoma Boomerang)
Other
Kentucky Kingdom - T3 (Vekoma SLC)
Darien Lake - Boomerang Coast to Coaster (Vekoma Boomerang) Mind Eraser (Vekoma SLC) Viper (Arrow)
*Silverwood - Corkscrew (Arrow)
When you visit these parks, it's a wasted ride not worth going on. All of these need to go. Sell them to China or some other developing country.

In surprising news, Palace Playland in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, announced they are closing down their Galaxi on Monday September 4th 2017. They bought a small parking lot behind the coaster and they will built a brand new family ride that is taller and bigger on the new land.

General comment. The Golden Ticket Awards came out for 2017.

Results
http://goldenticketawards.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/2017-GTA-Results.pdf
Top 50 Steel
http://goldenticketawards.com/top-50-steel-coasters/
This is the list I use to create my bucket list page. I checked the USA coasters, there are still 37 on the list, I have been on all of them.

I have since added 5 coasters to my bucket list
* Steel Vengeance (CP)
* Twisted Timbers (KD)
* Twisted Cyclone (SFoG)
* Wave Breaker (SWSA)
* Time Traveler (SDC)

Comparing SF to CF and SW parks, the total on the list are
Six Flags = 15
Cedar Fair = 12
Sea World Parks = 7

Here's the main point I want to make. Holiday world put in a B&M called Thunderbird and they on the list in the 39 spot. Lake Compounce put in a Sky Rocket II and they're not on the list for steel. That's the difference of what I'm talking about when the parks put in the carnival coasters. The highest carnival coaster is once again Cannival at Lagoon in the 32 spot. Lake Compounce doesn't appear in the Ride and Park Winners section of the PDF. There is an article about Jerry Brick, which is a Publisher's Pick. In other words, it's a default award because LC doesn't appear anywhere else, except in the wood list. I didn't see the show live, don't even know if it was on YouTube, but it must have been something for LC to host and see award after award go by, and wonder why they were not mentioned. Oh well, when you put in a crappy carnival coaster, that's what you get.

I don't really care about the order of "The List," more about what rides are on it and whether I've been on them all. The park that seems to kick butt in this format would be Dollywood.

Next year some rides will get kicked out as SV and possibly TT will be there.

[spacemtfan]

Post by skiguy777

Post by spacemtfan

Post by skiguy777

Post by skiguy777
Michigan's Adventure got a park bench. They need to remove that old school Arrow, SLC, and put in something better. Dorney announced a restaurant. Are you kidding me? Yes, I know all about the shareholders, the crooks who steal your money. I don't care about them.

Keeping on this thought of removing outdated rides, I made a web page about it.
http://www.nogodforme.com/USA_Old_Skool_Rides.htm
Carowinds and Darien Lake win with 3 of them. If you go to the web page, you can bring up the RCDB links, otherwise this is what it looks like.
Six Flags
SFMM - Viper (Arrow)
SFGAm - Demon (Arrow)
SFoG - Blue Hawk (Vekoma)
SFNE - Flashback (Vekoma Boomerang) Mind Eraser (Vekoma SLC)
SFFT - Boomerang (Vekoma Boomerang) Road Runner Express (Arrow)
SFDK - Boomerang Coast to Coaster (Vekoma Boomerang) Kong (Vekoma SLC)
SFA - Mind Eraser (Vekoma SLC) Batwing (Vekoma Flying)
SFSTL - Boomerang (Vekoma Boomerang) Ninja ( Vekoma)
SFGE - Flashback (Vekoma Boomerang) Steamin' Demon (Arrow)
Cedar Fair
Cedar Point - Corkscrew (Arrow)
Carowinds - Carolina Cyclone (Arrow) Flying Cobras (Vekoma Boomerang) Nighthawk (Vekoma Flying)
Kings Island - Vortex (Arrow) Firehawk (Vekoma Flying)
Kings Dominion - Anaconda (Arrow)
California's Great America - Demon (Arrow)
Worlds of Fun - Boomerang (Vekoma Boomerang)
Valley Fair - Corkscrew (Arrow)
Michigan's Adventure - Corkscrew (Arrow) Thunderhawk (Vekoma SLC)
Hershey Park - Sidewinder (Vekoma Boomerang)
Herschend
Dollywood - Tennessee Tornado (Arrow)
*Wild Adventures - Boomerang (Vekoma Boomerang) Twisted Typhoon (Vekoma SLC)
Parques Reunidos
Lake Compounce - Zoomerang (Vekoma Boomerang)
Other
Kentucky Kingdom - T3 (Vekoma SLC)
Darien Lake - Boomerang Coast to Coaster (Vekoma Boomerang) Mind Eraser (Vekoma SLC) Viper (Arrow)
*Silverwood - Corkscrew (Arrow)
When you visit these parks, it's a wasted ride not worth going on. All of these need to go. Sell them to China or some other developing country.

In surprising news, Palace Playland in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, announced they are closing down their Galaxi on Monday September 4th 2017. They bought a small parking lot behind the coaster and they will built a brand new family ride that is taller and bigger on the new land.

General comment. The Golden Ticket Awards came out for 2017.
Results
http://goldenticketawards.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/2017-GTA-Results.pdf
Top 50 Steel
http://goldenticketawards.com/top-50-steel-coasters/
This is the list I use to create my bucket list page. I checked the USA coasters, there are still 37 on the list, I have been on all of them.
I have since added 5 coasters to my bucket list
* Steel Vengeance (CP)
* Twisted Timbers (KD)
* Twisted Cyclone (SFoG)
* Wave Breaker (SWSA)
* Time Traveler (SDC)
Comparing SF to CF and SW parks, the total on the list are
Six Flags = 15
Cedar Fair = 12
Sea World Parks = 7
Here's the main point I want to make. Holiday world put in a B&M called Thunderbird and they on the list in the 39 spot. Lake Compounce put in a Sky Rocket II and they're not on the list for steel. That's the difference of what I'm talking about when the parks put in the carnival coasters. The highest carnival coaster is once again Cannival at Lagoon in the 32 spot. Lake Compounce doesn't appear in the Ride and Park Winners section of the PDF. There is an article about Jerry Brick, which is a Publisher's Pick. In other words, it's a default award because LC doesn't appear anywhere else, except in the wood list. I didn't see the show live, don't even know if it was on YouTube, but it must have been something for LC to host and see award after award go by, and wonder why they were not mentioned. Oh well, when you put in a crappy carnival coaster, that's what you get.
I don't really care about the order of "The List," more about what rides are on it and whether I've been on them all. The park that seems to kick butt in this format would be Dollywood.
Next year some rides will get kicked out as SV and possibly TT will be there.

Lake Compounce saw an attendance increase with Phobia Phear Coaster. Holiday World saw an attendance DECREASE with Thunderbird. There goes your theory that the Golden Ticket Awards drive attendance in any ways as to be honest: it doesn't mean anything except to a few thousand coaster enthusiasts.

Phobia is a great success at Lake Compounce and helped them make it through this summer when Wildcat only opened at the end of August. Now, with one train ops for Haunted Graveyard on Boulder Dash, Phobia will be an even bigger help.

[skiguy777]

Post by spacemtfan

Post by skiguy777

Post by spacemtfan

Post by skiguy777

Post by skiguy777
Michigan's Adventure got a park bench. They need to remove that old school Arrow, SLC, and put in something better. Dorney announced a restaurant. Are you kidding me? Yes, I know all about the shareholders, the crooks who steal your money. I don't care about them.

Keeping on this thought of removing outdated rides, I made a web page about it.
http://www.nogodforme.com/USA_Old_Skool_Rides.htm
Carowinds and Darien Lake win with 3 of them. If you go to the web page, you can bring up the RCDB links, otherwise this is what it looks like.
Six Flags
SFMM - Viper (Arrow)
SFGAm - Demon (Arrow)
SFoG - Blue Hawk (Vekoma)
SFNE - Flashback (Vekoma Boomerang) Mind Eraser (Vekoma SLC)
SFFT - Boomerang (Vekoma Boomerang) Road Runner Express (Arrow)
SFDK - Boomerang Coast to Coaster (Vekoma Boomerang) Kong (Vekoma SLC)
SFA - Mind Eraser (Vekoma SLC) Batwing (Vekoma Flying)
SFSTL - Boomerang (Vekoma Boomerang) Ninja ( Vekoma)
SFGE - Flashback (Vekoma Boomerang) Steamin' Demon (Arrow)
Cedar Fair
Cedar Point - Corkscrew (Arrow)
Carowinds - Carolina Cyclone (Arrow) Flying Cobras (Vekoma Boomerang) Nighthawk (Vekoma Flying)
Kings Island - Vortex (Arrow) Firehawk (Vekoma Flying)
Kings Dominion - Anaconda (Arrow)
California's Great America - Demon (Arrow)
Worlds of Fun - Boomerang (Vekoma Boomerang)
Valley Fair - Corkscrew (Arrow)
Michigan's Adventure - Corkscrew (Arrow) Thunderhawk (Vekoma SLC)
Hershey Park - Sidewinder (Vekoma Boomerang)
Herschend
Dollywood - Tennessee Tornado (Arrow)
*Wild Adventures - Boomerang (Vekoma Boomerang) Twisted Typhoon (Vekoma SLC)
Parques Reunidos
Lake Compounce - Zoomerang (Vekoma Boomerang)
Other
Kentucky Kingdom - T3 (Vekoma SLC)
Darien Lake - Boomerang Coast to Coaster (Vekoma Boomerang) Mind Eraser (Vekoma SLC) Viper (Arrow)
*Silverwood - Corkscrew (Arrow)
When you visit these parks, it's a wasted ride not worth going on. All of these need to go. Sell them to China or some other developing country.

In surprising news, Palace Playland in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, announced they are closing down their Galaxi on Monday September 4th 2017. They bought a small parking lot behind the coaster and they will built a brand new family ride that is taller and bigger on the new land.

General comment. The Golden Ticket Awards came out for 2017.
Results
http://goldenticketawards.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/2017-GTA-Results.pdf
Top 50 Steel
http://goldenticketawards.com/top-50-steel-coasters/
This is the list I use to create my bucket list page. I checked the USA coasters, there are still 37 on the list, I have been on all of them.
I have since added 5 coasters to my bucket list
* Steel Vengeance (CP)
* Twisted Timbers (KD)
* Twisted Cyclone (SFoG)
* Wave Breaker (SWSA)
* Time Traveler (SDC)
Comparing SF to CF and SW parks, the total on the list are
Six Flags = 15
Cedar Fair = 12
Sea World Parks = 7
Here's the main point I want to make. Holiday world put in a B&M called Thunderbird and they on the list in the 39 spot. Lake Compounce put in a Sky Rocket II and they're not on the list for steel. That's the difference of what I'm talking about when the parks put in the carnival coasters. The highest carnival coaster is once again Cannival at Lagoon in the 32 spot. Lake Compounce doesn't appear in the Ride and Park Winners section of the PDF. There is an article about Jerry Brick, which is a Publisher's Pick. In other words, it's a default award because LC doesn't appear anywhere else, except in the wood list. I didn't see the show live, don't even know if it was on YouTube, but it must have been something for LC to host and see award after award go by, and wonder why they were not mentioned. Oh well, when you put in a crappy carnival coaster, that's what you get.
I don't really care about the order of "The List," more about what rides are on it and whether I've been on them all. The park that seems to kick butt in this format would be Dollywood.
Next year some rides will get kicked out as SV and possibly TT will be there.

Lake Compounce saw an attendance increase with Phobia Phear Coaster. Holiday World saw an attendance DECREASE with Thunderbird. There goes your theory that the Golden Ticket Awards drive attendance in any ways as to be honest: it doesn't mean anything except to a few thousand coaster enthusiasts.
Phobia is a great success at Lake Compounce and helped them make it through this summer when Wildcat only opened at the end of August. Now, with one train ops for Haunted Graveyard on Boulder Dash, Phobia will be an even bigger help.

Legoland Florida - VR for Project X (Wild Mouse) roller coaster. Ugggggh. Can't imagine the capacity after that. From the station to the brakes is about 01:30. To me, these rides are great as they are with the 180 turn as the car seems like it will go flying off the track.

[s***@aol.com]

I hadn't heard about that one. I wonder if it'll do well. Project X is kinda the odd coaster out at that park. Wouldn't mind if that got replaced by another coaster or something cool.

[s***@aol.com]

Sesame Place is supposed to make their announcement today.

[s***@aol.com]

https://sesameplace.com/philadelphia/rides/oscars-wacky-taxi/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=Oscars_Wacky_Taxi&utm_content=SPL.9.20.OscarsWackyTaxi

"Oscar's Wacky Taxi" new wood coaster at Sesame Place for 2018

[j***@gmail.com]

Post by s***@aol.com
https://sesameplace.com/philadelphia/rides/oscars-wacky-taxi/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=Oscars_Wacky_Taxi&utm_content=SPL.9.20.OscarsWackyTaxi
"Oscar's Wacky Taxi" new wood coaster at Sesame Place for 2018

Nice....do we know who is making it? I did not see anything with a quick glance

[s***@aol.com]

Based on comments on their announcement on Facebook, Gravity Group. Though that is comments from followers, nothing official from the park that I've seen.

[CanobieFan]

Gravity Group announced on their Twitter account that they were the ones building it

[j***@gmail.com]

Post by CanobieFan
Gravity Group announced on their Twitter account that they were the ones building it

cool

[skiguy777]

Post by skiguy777
When you visit these parks, it's a wasted ride not worth going on. All of these need to go. Sell them to China or some other developing country.

I updated my Old Skool web page here.
http://www.nogodforme.com/USA_Old_Skool_Rides.htm

Taylor posted a YouTube video where he visited Elitch Gardens and ran to Mind Eraser as the 1st ride because that's all they have.

That's when I realized I needed to add that park to my web page along with any other parks that have an SLC.

At the bottom of the page we now have...
Other
Kentucky Kingdom - T3 (Vekoma SLC) <--- Most Painful Ride on the planet. #1. Guys, wear a cup.
Darien Lake - Boomerang Coast to Coaster (Vekoma Boomerang) Mind Eraser (Vekoma SLC) Viper (Arrow)
*Silverwood - Corkscrew (Arrow)
*Elitch Gardens - Mind Eraser (Vekoma SLC) Boomerang (Vekoma Boomerang) Sidewinder (Arrow)
*Morey's Piers - Fly The Great Nor'Easter (Vekoma SLC) Sea Serpent (Vekoma Boomerang)
*Magic Springs and Crystal Falls - Gauntlet (Vekoma SLC)
*Wild Adventures - Twisted Typhoon (Vekoma SLC)

I was looking at the satellite image of Elitch Gardens over head, and honestly, 5 rides could be removed. The 3 Old Skool rides and the 2 water rides could go, giving this park more room to work with. They could also RMC Twisted II. 5 rides at Elitch Gardens could go, freeing up a bunch of room for the new.

Elitch Gardens and Darien Lake were once Six Flags parks, so was Kentucky Kingdom. You can see the blue print of what they did, putting in the same rides which are still there today. Old Skool coasters, a flume water ride, a raft ride, all outdated. What's interesting is how nothing has changed at the parks I've listed above, they haven't put in a new coaster for 10+ years. They're stuck in the 1990s, the parks are now "mature" and won't do anything else. The new coasters they have put in are kiddie rides.

That's the reason I haven't visited the parks with an * next to them. I would visit the RCDB page, look at what rides they have, and decide not to visit because I'm not going for credits.

Will someone buy these parks? Probably won't be Six Flags or Cedar Fair, they're already stretched too thin with step child parks that get nothing. Ed Hart? I don't think he has enough money to buy another park, or the time to run it, but if he did at least he'd put in an RMC. Herschend? They're not doing much with Wild Adventures, but they are putting in a nice ride at SDC. It's almost like Wild Adventures is the step child park of Herschend. Holiday World and Koch Development? They didn't buy KK so no on that one. Seems they have enough to do running HW.

Looks like the parks I've listed are stuck in the 1990s with no buyers out there, the owners would need to win a record lotto jackpot to update the rides. Surprised that's never happened, someone win lotto and dump it all into their park. Well, it did happen once, Hard Rock park, but that guy had the backing of a major company in the beginning until no one showed up and it was shut down the next year. If Ed Hart won Lotto, that would be cool.

[s***@aol.com]

To be fair, those parks were Premier Parks (not Six Flags [yet]) when they had the SLCs and boomerangs and stuff put in.

[s***@aol.com]

Ray Rush at Aquatica Orlando

[s***@aol.com]

“Tantrum” at Darien Lake.

Awesome name for a ride. Surprised it hasn’t been used before.

[skiguy777]

Post by s***@aol.com
“Tantrum” at Darien Lake.
Awesome name for a ride. Surprised it hasn’t been used before.

Tantrum is what I'm having after hearing this news. While many may be happy Darien Lake gets something, their ride line up sucks. This is a carnival coaster. Besides ROS and Predator, they have 3 Old Skool rides that need to go, which would be Boomerang, Mind Eraser, and Viper. I also consider Moto Coaster a carnival ride.

I visited this park in 2014. I went on Mind Eraser and that's when I said I'd never go on an SLC again. I knew Viper was going to be a head banger, and I didn't even go on Boomerang.

So with Tantrum, they'll have 2 carnival coasters, and 3 old skool rides. They need to go back to the drawing board and scrap all this crap. Many parks are stuck in the 1990s, 20 years ago.

[David H.--REMOVE "STOPSPAM" to reply]

On Mon, 13 Nov 2017 18:50:46 -0800 (PST), skiguy777

Post by skiguy777

“Tantrum” at Darien Lake.
Awesome name for a ride. Surprised it hasn’t been used before.

Tantrum is what I'm having after hearing this news. While many may be happy Darien Lake gets something, their ride line up sucks. This is a carnival coaster. Besides ROS and Predator, they have 3 Old Skool rides that need to go, which would be Boomerang, Mind Eraser, and Viper. I also consider Moto Coaster a carnival ride.
I visited this park in 2014. I went on Mind Eraser and that's when I said I'd never go on an SLC again. I knew Viper was going to be a head banger, and I didn't even go on Boomerang.
So with Tantrum, they'll have 2 carnival coasters, and 3 old skool rides. They need to go back to the drawing board and scrap all this crap. Many parks are stuck in the 1990s, 20 years ago.

You do realize that a tantrum is something that an immature child throws,
right?



"With the first link, a chain is forged. The first speech censured,
the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us
all irrevocably." -Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
"The Drumhead", _Star Trek: The Next Generation_

[skiguy777]

Post by David H.--REMOVE "STOPSPAM" to reply

Post by skiguy777

Post by s***@aol.com
“Tantrum” at Darien Lake.
Awesome name for a ride. Surprised it hasn’t been used before.

Tantrum is what I'm having after hearing this news. While many may be happy Darien Lake gets something, their ride line up sucks. This is a carnival coaster. Besides ROS and Predator, they have 3 Old Skool rides that need to go, which would be Boomerang, Mind Eraser, and Viper. I also consider Moto Coaster a carnival ride.
I visited this park in 2014. I went on Mind Eraser and that's when I said I'd never go on an SLC again. I knew Viper was going to be a head banger, and I didn't even go on Boomerang.
So with Tantrum, they'll have 2 carnival coasters, and 3 old skool rides. They need to go back to the drawing board and scrap all this crap. Many parks are stuck in the 1990s, 20 years ago.

You do realize that a tantrum is something that an immature child throws,
right?

Holiday World - Tembo Falls, Tembo Tides, Voyage Re-tracking.

I'd say the re-tracking is something that would happen every year on one of the coasters, so them announcing it really isn't needed.

If they RMC The Voyage that would beat Steel Vengeance. The purists want The Voyage to stay as is, but honestly screw them. I'd be perfectly happy if they RMC'd it and added new elements. At least the triple down would come back and they wouldn't have to stop the train before it. But what's interesting is how the train can come to a rolling stop, but make it back to the station.

[s***@aol.com]

Noah's Ark will introduce Raja™ - The World's Largest King Cobra in 2018! The tallest and longest of its kind, Raja allows riders to race side-by-side on tubes from six stories up, along 335 feet of twists and turns with a finale that includes a sudden 37-foot plunge into the mouth of the massive cobra.

[s***@aol.com]

Bombs Away at Splish Splash, New York
Riptide Racer at Splish Splash, New York

[s***@aol.com]

Merlin’s Mayhem at Dutch Wonderland now officially a 2018 coaster according to their Facebook page, the ride will not debut until 2018.

[s***@aol.com]

Wild Whizzer, spinning family coaster at Mariners Landing (Morey’s Piers), New Jersey.

[s***@aol.com]

Rebel Yell’s name is being changed to “Racer 75”. Ricochet’s name is also being changed.

[Dave Althoff, Jr.]

***@aol.com wrote:
: Rebel Yellâ??s name is being changed to â??Racer 75â??. Ricochetâ??s name
: is also being changed.

Am I the only one who is a lot more offended by "Apple Zapple" than by
"Racer 75"?

Actually, I don't really care that much about coaster names, but I wish
parks would pick names and stick with them. When parks go changing ride
names it causes me all kinds of grief if I am trying to maintain things
like photograph metadata......

--Dave Althoff, Jr.
/X\ _ *** Respect rides. They do not respect you. ***
/XXX\ /X\ /X\_ _ /X\__ _ _ _____
/XXXXX\ /XXX\ /XXXX\_ /X\ /XXXXX\ /X\ /X\ /XXXXX
_/XXXXXXX\__/XXXXX\/XXXXXXXX\_/XXX\_/XXXXXXX\__/XXX\_/XXX\_/\_/XXXXXX
NEW! When emailing this account, include the 'canonical magic word' in
the body of your message for a quicker response.

[SLC Headache]

Post by Dave Althoff, Jr.
: Rebel Yellâ??s name is being changed to â??Racer 75â??. Ricochetâ??s name
: is also being changed.
Am I the only one who is a lot more offended by "Apple Zapple" than by
"Racer 75"?
Actually, I don't really care that much about coaster names, but I wish
parks would pick names and stick with them. When parks go changing ride
names it causes me all kinds of grief if I am trying to maintain things
like photograph metadata......
--Dave Althoff, Jr.
/X\ _ *** Respect rides. They do not respect you. ***
/XXX\ /X\ /X\_ _ /X\__ _ _ _____
/XXXXX\ /XXX\ /XXXX\_ /X\ /XXXXX\ /X\ /X\ /XXXXX
_/XXXXXXX\__/XXXXX\/XXXXXXXX\_/XXX\_/XXXXXXX\__/XXX\_/XXX\_/\_/XXXXXX
NEW! When emailing this account, include the 'canonical magic word' in
the body of your message for a quicker response.

Yeah, I'm actually okay with Racer 75. It's a nod to KI's Racer while keeping it distinct.

Apple Zapple, however, is just cringe.

[s***@aol.com]

Batman the Ride backwards at Six Flags St. Louis this year.

[s***@aol.com]

America’s Fun Park - new park in Branson, Missouri

[skiguy777]

Post by s***@aol.com
America’s Fun Park - new park in Branson, Missouri

Link
http://www.ozarksfirst.com/news/new-branson-amusement-park-to-open-by-may-2018/977147196

Good luck to them. Similar name to FunSpot America.

If these people are smart they'll visit all the FunSpot parks and see what rides everyone is going on. The two wooden coasters are good. Family SLC also ok. The spinning mouse ride is usually a one and done, those are best enclosed. Go-Kart tracks are good. Then it's a question of the flat and kiddie rides. Giant swing ride, and a Cyclose (Head Rush) are good.

[s***@aol.com]

Fun Junction in Atlanta is now officially renamed Fun Spot America Atlanta and is also building a new go-kart track.

[Robert]

Post by s***@aol.com
Fun Junction in Atlanta is now officially renamed Fun Spot America Atlanta and is also building a new go-kart track.

And getting the paratrooper from Fun Spot Orlando which is getting a new Head Rush 360 (which is a popular ride at the other park).

[s***@aol.com]

I’m hoping and expecting that park to get a wood coaster at some point.

[s***@aol.com]

Battle Of the Fire (VR ride) at Busch Gardens Williamsburg

[s***@aol.com]

America’s Fun Park in Branson, Missouri announced on their Facebook page today that they are getting a coaster. From the photo it looks like a Super Cyclone zyklon model. It may be called Groovy Train from the post. I asked if it was new or used, but no response.

They’ve also announced they’re getting a Spider flat ride and a kids motorcycle ride so far.

[k***@aol.com]

Post by s***@aol.com
America’s Fun Park in Branson, Missouri announced on their Facebook page today that they are getting a coaster. From the photo it looks like a Super Cyclone zyklon model. It may be called Groovy Train from the post. I asked if it was new or used, but no response.
They’ve also announced they’re getting a Spider flat ride and a kids motorcycle ride so far.

RCDB lists the coaster as being from Lake City Amusement Park.

[s***@aol.com]

AH ok, thanks!

[s***@aol.com]

StarFlyer at the Vue at 360 next to I-Drive 360 will officially open May 11, 2018. This ride is 450 feet tall, tallest Starflyer in the world. Soft opening prior to May 11 is expected.

[skiguy777]

Post by s***@aol.com
StarFlyer at the Vue at 360 next to I-Drive 360 will officially open May 11, 2018. This ride is 450 feet tall, tallest Starflyer in the world. Soft opening prior to May 11 is expected.

Dollywood - Vekoma 453m Suspended Family Coaster, 8 rides, 5 acre expansion.

Video by Taylor is here with super imposed Google images.

RCDB is here.
https://rcdb.com/4593.htm

Video has a good point about Dollywood putting in a thrill coaster, then a family coaster a couple years later. Won't make my bucket list as it's just a clone of a family ride, but at least it won't be a head basher. Think of it as Freedom Flyer at Fun Spot Orlando.

[s***@aol.com]

Isn’t this for 2019?

[s***@aol.com]

Just announced on their Facebook page 5 minutes ago (still not on RCDB)- America’s Fun Park in Branson, Missouri announced their second coaster. It’s a Windstorm. Don’t know where it’s coming from (assuming it’s used). It’s green and has the same ride marquee that the traveling one owned by SJ Enterpirses owns, according to the 2 photos they posted.

[s***@aol.com]

It appears this is the one that’s traveled with SJ Entertainment. It’s unclear whether they’re leasing it or if they bought it outright.

[s***@aol.com]

Adventureland (NY) announced that due to inclement weather forecasted, opening weekend will begin on Friday, March 30th instead of the planned Saturday, March 24th. Egg scramble event postponed to Saturday, March 31.

[s***@aol.com]

Six Flags Great Adventure just announced the same opening weekend postponement- March 30 instead of this coming weekend.

[s***@aol.com]

Stranger Things has been announced as a haunted house at Halloween Horror Nights at USF, USH, and USS. The HHN fan community is going crazy with that news.

[s***@aol.com]

Six Flags Great America is getting holiday in the park

[s***@aol.com]

AstroTower, a freefall tower ride is being added to Luna Park in New York.

[s***@aol.com]

2 new summer shows for SeaWorld Orlando this year:

Touch the Sky (dolphin show)

Elmo Rocks (Sesame Street show)

[s***@aol.com]

Trick r Treat HHN house announced. Both USH and USF

[s***@aol.com]

Six Flags has entered a purchasing agreement for 5 additional parks. Frontier City, White Water, Darien Lake and 2 Wet N Wilds. Interesting since most of those had already been part of the Premier/Six Flags chain.

[skiguy777]

Post by s***@aol.com
Six Flags has entered a purchasing agreement for 5 additional parks. Frontier City, White Water, Darien Lake and 2 Wet N Wilds. Interesting since most of those had already been part of the Premier/Six Flags chain.

Park list is here from Premier. The deal doesn't include Elitch Gardens.
https://rcdb.com/r.htm?ot=3&po=15996

Darien Lake is the big one.
https://rcdb.com/4581.htm
I visited this park in 2014 with a visit to Niagara falls and Anchor Bar where the chicken wing started.
http://www.nogodforme.com/Ohio2014.htm

What do I think of Darien Lake? It suffers from what most Six Flags / Premier parks do, Old Skool Syndrome. A bunch of outdated rides I no longer care for.
We go to the page here and see that DL has 3 of them.
http://www.nogodforme.com/USA_Old_Skool_Rides.htm

If this purchase agreement goes through, SF won't upgrade this park or the others which also have older rides. DL gets Tantrum for 2018, a carnival coaster.

If you ask me, the only reason people would be visiting this park is a couple good coasters (ROS, Predator), the water side, hang out and eat chicken wings, watch concerts.

I wonder what the current attendance is? They're not on the radar of any reports, so it's hard to say. I would probably rank this park similar to a Kentucky Kingdom at 850k guests a year, except they're not getting an RMC for a while.

I'll wait for the sale to actually go through, then update my attendance page which has DL on it for "Other" parks.

[s***@aol.com]

Reithoffer Shows is debuting a brand new, so far unnamed coaster at the State Fair Of West Virginia on August 10. Photos are up in their Facebook page.

[s***@aol.com]

Rampage is the name

[s***@aol.com]

From carnivalwarehouse.com:

Freddy Miller of Miller Spectacular Shows was proud to announce the addition of a Chance Sky Wheel to its ride lineup. The wheel which debuts this weekend at the Duquoin State Fair in Duquoin, Illinois was previously owned by Georgia based Gold Medal Shows. Miller's Sky Wheel is one of two Sky Wheels currently traveling in the United States. The other Sky Wheel, an Allan Herschell model, is owned by Big Rock Amusements.

[spacemtfan]

Tokyo Panic Cruise, an Oceaneering dark ride similar to Curse of Darkastle and a maze at Toyko Dome City will close September 2nd 2018.

A replacement will be announced in Novembre 2018.

[s***@aol.com]

Both of these must have been added after my 2008 visit.

[spacemtfan]

Post by s***@aol.com
Both of these must have been added after my 2008 visit.

Opened around 2009-2010 in the basement of the Geopanic building. It replaced the Geopanic roller coaster and Zombie Paradise dark ride.

[s***@aol.com]

Ah that entire building was closed when I visited.

[s***@aol.com]

Haunted Castle, a new traveling dark ride owned by Fair Ride Entertainment (Bobby Myers / Joey Weaver). The ride is made by Gosetto and is currently open at the Minnesota State Fair through Labor Day.

[s***@aol.com]

VR on Freedom Flyer will end on September 9. The coaster will continue to be open without the VR option afterwards.

This was the first of the three coasters I’ve ridden using VR. (Kraken Unleashed and Project X being the other two). Of the three, this was probably the best, I only rode each once, as I’m not a big fan of it, but I didn’t hate it as much as I thought I would on this one. The other two I disliked it a lot more.

[skiguy777]

Post by s***@aol.com
VR on Freedom Flyer will end on September 9. The coaster will continue to be open without the VR option afterwards.
This was the first of the three coasters I’ve ridden using VR. (Kraken Unleashed and Project X being the other two). Of the three, this was probably the best, I only rode each once, as I’m not a big fan of it, but I didn’t hate it as much as I thought I would on this one. The other two I disliked it a lot more.

Wet N' Wild Fort Lauderdale is officially dead.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fort-lauderdale/fl-sb-water-park-lauderdale-20180904-story.html

The problem with South Florida is it rains practically every day in the summer time. I live down here and went to the Six Flags water park as a teenager. Sad to see it go, but they turned it into a shopping center. A water park will not work down here unless it's indoors.

The other problem is the Fort Lauderdale city commission asking for too much. They basically wanted Steve Henry to completely renovate the Lockhart stadium complex. Now they have nothing. Honestly, the area next to the stadium wasn't much to work with. The baseball team left the area when the commission wouldn't make improvements. Now they have two empty stadiums sitting next to an executive airport. When you think about it, that location isn't the best because it's hidden between an airport and warehouses. No traffic would see it from the main road.

[skiguy777]

Post by skiguy777

Post by s***@aol.com
VR on Freedom Flyer will end on September 9. The coaster will continue to be open without the VR option afterwards.
This was the first of the three coasters I’ve ridden using VR. (Kraken Unleashed and Project X being the other two). Of the three, this was probably the best, I only rode each once, as I’m not a big fan of it, but I didn’t hate it as much as I thought I would on this one. The other two I disliked it a lot more.

Wet N' Wild Fort Lauderdale is officially dead.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fort-lauderdale/fl-sb-water-park-lauderdale-20180904-story.html
The problem with South Florida is it rains practically every day in the summer time. I live down here and went to the Six Flags water park as a teenager. Sad to see it go, but they turned it into a shopping center. A water park will not work down here unless it's indoors.
The other problem is the Fort Lauderdale city commission asking for too much. They basically wanted Steve Henry to completely renovate the Lockhart stadium complex. Now they have nothing. Honestly, the area next to the stadium wasn't much to work with. The baseball team left the area when the commission wouldn't make improvements. Now they have two empty stadiums sitting next to an executive airport. When you think about it, that location isn't the best because it's hidden between an airport and warehouses. No traffic would see it from the main road.

General Comment. The Golden Ticket Awards for 2018 came out. I'll put the links here. The 2017 GTA results I posted is up above earlier in this thread.

Results PDF (Coaster listing only goes to 25)
http://goldenticketawards.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/AT-GoldenTickets-2018-LowRes.pdf
Top 50 Steel
http://goldenticketawards.com/2018-top-50-steel-coasters/
This is the list I use to create my bucket list page. I checked the USA coasters, there are 38 on the list, I haven't been on the 2018 coasters because of bad weather at CP earlier in 2018 and SV was only running 1 train, and I had other things come up. For the 2019 season, I'm only adding The Steel Curtain to my list, so I should be able to check of more coasters next season.

The 3 coasters that were added to the GTA list for 2018 are.
3. Steel Vengeance (CP)
18. Time Traveler (SDC)
38. Twisted Timbers (KD)

Other coasters I need to ride on my list are
* Twisted Cyclone (SFoG)
* Wave Breaker (SWSA)
* The Steel Curtain (KW)

I don't really care about the order of "The List," more about what rides are on it and whether I've been on all.

Steel Vengeance coming in huge at the #3 spot. Honestly, I wouldn't rank it that high due to the problems it had (one train operation). They've since worked things out and appear to have 3 train operation now, which will be good for the 2019 season. But it does prove I had it right when I have New Texas Giant in my top RMC spot. I knew SV would be a hit since both rides are similar. It's just that Alan went crazy with the elements on SV.

My bucket list page is here.
http://www.nogodforme.com/USA_Top_Steel_Coaster_Bucket_List.htm

[Marshall]

Post by skiguy777
General Comment. The Golden Ticket Awards for 2018 came out. I'll put the links here. The 2017 GTA results I posted is up above earlier in this thread.
Results PDF (Coaster listing only goes to 25)
http://goldenticketawards.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/AT-GoldenTickets-2018-LowRes.pdf
Top 50 Steel
http://goldenticketawards.com/2018-top-50-steel-coasters/
The 3 coasters that were added to the GTA list for 2018 are.
3. Steel Vengeance (CP)
18. Time Traveler (SDC)
38. Twisted Timbers (KD)

Wow. What little interest I had in these awards is dashed by reading these lists...

Besides the obvious of Phoenix being the most over-rated ride ever listed...The unrideable Voyage holding the #3 spot is a joke and the list is peppered with mediocrity...
Are there really that few good wooden coasters left? And why is the highest ranked Inverted all the way down at 29?

Funny...

[s***@aol.com]

I do think Phoenix is great and NOT overrated (although I’ve only ridden it once NOT at PPP at night).
However, this list certainly doesn’t reflect my personal feelings on a lot of these rides. Is Coney Island Cyclone not worthy enough anymore of a top 25 list? Really?
Most of the rides on this list are from major corporate parks, and while there are several good or great rides that these parks have, many of the best coasters (in my opinion) are at places that are not giant corporate owned parks. So I wouldn’t take this list too seriously.

[s***@aol.com]

Busch Gardens Williamsburg has canceled their member sneak preview of Howl O Scream 2018 this Friday, September 14 due to hurricane Florence.

[s***@aol.com]

Busch Gardens Williamsburg will be closed this Saturday, September 15 due to Hurricane Florence.

[s***@aol.com]

Carowinds will be closed Friday, September 14 for hurricane Florence. I’d guess the entire weekend as well, but so far only Friday announced. Unused tickets good until October 14 according to their Facebook page.

[s***@aol.com]

Carowinds closed September 14-16, tickets for these dates good through October 14. Park reopening September 21.

[s***@aol.com]

Anyone hear anything from Family Kingdom? Their Facebook page is a little too quiet, in my opinion.

[s***@aol.com]

Family Kingdom posted today that the park survived hurricane Florence.

[s***@aol.com]

Weeki Wachee announcements:

Because of the expansive renovations to the mermaid theater, the mermaids will not be performing November 26, 2018 through March 15, 2019.

Due to the renovation and construction of the other high-trafficked areas which will occur in early October, the park has decided not to hold the annual “Wild-n’-Wicked Nights” Halloween event, as well as the “Winter Waterland” holiday event.

[s***@aol.com]

Family Kingdom posted this on their Facebook page today:

Family Kingdom will open this Saturday, Sept. 22 from 5pm-11pm. For EVERYONE who comes this Saturday, we are offering a SPECIAL $10 Wristband Pass.

In an effort to help those affected by Hurricane Florence, Family Kingdom will donate $1 from each wristband sold this Saturday to the Horry County Flood Relief effort.

This weekend, we will ONLY be open SATURDAY - not Friday or Sunday. So come on out and enjoy 38 rides, 2 coasters & more.