Top Thrill Who?

[DjfunkmasterG]

http://rcdb.com/document132.htm


Great Adventure to whup Cedar Points A$$ in the coaster department.

[BorisTheFish]

no offense, but i wouldn't call an extra few feet and an extra hill whooping a$$. Plus with Six Flags' maintenence records, it won't be all that great

[DjfunkmasterG]

True, but at least they won't trim brake it to death like Cedar Point/Cedar Fair does all their rides.

[IEATPASTE001]

Funny you say that. At the peak of the bunnyhill is where the brakes start. Also OTSR suck, why would you want them on a ride like Kingda Ka? No thanks, I'll take TTD anyday of the week.

[RollerC]

your kinda late there

and also, i would call adding a hill and a few extra feet, fun...and they have OSTRs

[Duane]

Originally posted by DjfunkmasterG
http://rcdb.com/document132.htm


Great Adventure to whup Cedar Points A$$ in the coaster department.

With all due respect, I disagree. Six Flags is simply playing follow the leader. Those who have taken A ride on dragster will not make A special trip to ride Kinda Ka. The experience will be too similar. I don't think that building Kingda Ka was an unwise decision, but I believe that there were more beneficial options available. Six Flags "Great Adventure" will have A great collection of coasters in 2005. Kingda Ka & Nitro are the only true outstanding coasters at Great Adventure. I'm not trying To discredit Superman "Ultimate Flight" or Medusa, they are both wonderful. Cedar Point has four standout coasters: Top Thrill Dragster, Millenium Force, Raptor and Magnum XL200. That is one tough lineup to compete against.

Originally posted by DjfunkmasterG

True, but at least they won't trim brake it to death like Cedar Point/Cedar Fair does all their rides. [/B]

I strongly disagree with that statement. I have been very happy with all of Cedar Fair's trim brake configurations. I have only been to Cedar Point, Michigan's Adventure and Dorney Park though, so I can't speak for the rides at Knott's Berry Farm, Geauga Lake, Valleyfair or World of Fun.

Anyway, Thanks for the enthusiasm.

[DjfunkmasterG]

I hate trim brakes... WHO the hell puts a trim brake on a drop?

Cedar Fair Trim braked the drops of...

Hercules, Mantis, Shivering Timbers, and the big woodie at Cedar Point (Sorry Name escapes me).

Cedar Fair even Trim braked Thunderhawk at Dorney Park in 2 places... The First Turn around, and the 2nd rabbit hop on the return to the station... Why would you trim brake a rabbit hop? On Steel Force they stop the train on the bridge before the camel humps... ruining all airtime. They only started doing that in 2002.

They claim it is safety, but I found out from a maintenance guy who works DP&WWK that is to lower costs on the overall upkeep.

Some would say thats fair... NO I am sorry it;s not!

Do you see Knoebels Trimming Phoenix, or Twister? Nope, why? because it would take away from the overall ride exp.

Next time your at CP or you fave Park in General.. fill out a comment card and Just Say No to TRIM BRAKES!

[RollerC]

Im sure glad that they put trims on Mantis....and the reason they put trims on Mean Streak and all the other woodies is cause sometimes they go to fast and that rips on the wood, and cause for more maintence....your just a SF Fanboy

[Harpo]

Of course, Hercules is now gone.

Six Flags takes a different approach at some parks. Instead of trimming on the hill, they slow the lift to a crawl as it nears the top, giving it a slower start from the beginning. Serves a similar purpose as the trimming, but slows the general ride throughput, and, in my opinion, is a bit dull waiting for the ride to get over the top.

[raptorrvnge4928]

Thats true Dj, Mantis and Mean Streak are trimmed out... as well as the back turn around portion of Magnum (you forgot that one), however, that leaves Blue Streak, Raptor, Wicked Twister, TTD, Corkscrew, Disaster Transport, Gemini (I think) all to be ridden without trim brakes...

And at least Cedar Point has more than one train running on a consistent basis, thats more than you can say about 80% of Six Flags. Granted you have Kingd Ka... enjoy it, if you even get a chance to ride it.... I dont think it would be open very often.

[majortom1981]

I have never seen there coasters with 1 car .The only one that did this when it wa sopen was viper. At least half the time nitro was running 3 trains. I even had to wait 3 or 4 times for them to roll out the 3rd car. Also the shoulder harnesses on kingdA ka look loose fitting so they wont be as bad as the cp fanboys tell you they are.

Also 95 percent of the time every ride was open except chaos,viper and batman side of the chiller. during fright fest every ride was open. I hink kingda ka is looking cool .Also just because there are brakes on the downward part of the hill doesnt mean they will be on hard. Also this isnt the only thing being added. There will be a whole section added and the tigers will supposedly be by the que for kingda ka so you have them to look at while u are on line.

[BorisTheFish]

you have to queue up on-line with tigers to go on Kingda Ka! Wow, technology has improved well! [/sarcasm]

[Harpo]

I've only been to Great Adventure once, a couple of years ago, and that was sufficient. It was a beautiful day in late June, no weather issues at all. 9, count 'em, 9 adult rides were closed, including 3 coasters. In my mind, that's inexcusable.

That tells me that either the maintenance is pathetic, or they just aren't hiring enough staff to open the whole park. There were quite a few other rides, including 2 coasters, that opened a couple of hours late, giving credence to the lack of staff theory. Considering that, at the time, it was also the most expensive park I've ever visited, that just made things even worse. (I had a Six Flags season pass, so I didn't have to pay the $54.95 gate admission, but I still had to pay the $10 parking fee, and a hot dog, small Coke and fries cost $12.)

Personally, I'm not a big fan of shoulder harnesses, but I've been on some rides where they're very comfortable, and some where they're medieval torture devices. So, I would withhold judgement about the shoulder harnesses until I experienced them first-hand.

However, with my extreme displeasure with Six Flags, noted to them in multiple letters and guest complaints, I'm not all that certain that I ever want to visit another Six Flags park, and I don't know that Kingda Ka is sufficient to change my mind. Of all the parks I've visited, I have come to count on Six Flags being the worst. (Keep in mind, I've visited every Six Flags park in the U.S. and Canada within the past 5 years.) It's very rare for me to visit a Six Flags park when there isn't at least one coaster closed, trash overflowing the trash containers, staff being remarkably (even dangerously, at some times) inattentive and inefficient. My thinking right now is to give them a few years to try and fix their issues, then maybe I'll give them another try. It's always possible that I'll change my mind and visit one or two of their parks in 2005, but it isn't currently in my plans.

[raptorrvnge4928]

Originally posted by majortom1981
I have never seen there coasters with 1 car .The only one that did this when it wa sopen was viper. At least half the time nitro was running 3 trains. I even had to wait 3 or 4 times for them to roll out the 3rd car. Also the shoulder harnesses on kingdA ka look loose fitting so they wont be as bad as the cp fanboys tell you they are.

Also 95 percent of the time every ride was open except chaos,viper and batman side of the chiller. during fright fest every ride was open. I hink kingda ka is looking cool .Also just because there are brakes on the downward part of the hill doesnt mean they will be on hard. Also this isnt the only thing being added. There will be a whole section added and the tigers will supposedly be by the que for kingda ka so you have them to look at while u are on line.

Well perhaps Six Flags Great Adventure doesnt operate by these standards, however, I base my experiences from my trip to SixFlags Great America, in Gurnee Illinois. When I was there, they had one train running on Iron Wolf, one train running on Viper, one side of American Eagle was shut down completely, people were cutting in line for V2, and Deja Vu' was not even running. Mind you, that this is possibly a one time event, perhaps a bad day, I must also concede the fact there may be something to this, as alot of other people can claim similar stories about the Six Flgas franchise, at different theme parks.

Let's face it here, not everybody is a Cedar Point fanboy... and besides, we could also argue that your defending of Six Flags would make you a SF fanboy. Nonetheless, long story short, even though it is only a few feet taller than TTD, I am sure Kinda Ka will be a great addition to SFGAv... but let me just say that I am one of the few people who wasnt impressed with TTD to beign with. Now Storm Runner looks fun!

[majortom1981]

I am not a fanboy but i am a six flags stock holder. I stick up for them when people lie about things. There has only been one coaster that runs one car and that is viper. SFGADV is not as bad as people say it is. They have one bad day and say the park stinks. They are doing pretty well considering the poeple who go there. Mostly people from nyc wich most dont care about anything.

KIngda ka is being used to draw people to the park. They have plans for this park and kingda ka will bring in the money they need to do those plans. THat all this coaster is there for. They started training the staff for the coaster at the end of the 04 season. They are serious about this coaster. Also remember its the park that says what they want in the coaster and intamin designs it.

[raptorrvnge4928]

[I am not a fanboy but i am a six flags stock holder. I stick up for them when people lie about things. There has only been one coaster that runs one car and that is viper.

Jesus Christ... then tell me where I am lying then? Tell me where Harpo is lying? Our experiences with Six Flags are false, because in your experience YOU say differently? Just remember, Six Flags, the corporation is a little bit more than your little park my friend... and plugging one hole cannot save a sinking ship. Hey thats great, I hope it saves your park... Hell, I hope it is working. And I truly hope what you say is true. As I particularly hope that when I come to Great Adventure, (and this trip to NYC was planned well before Kingda Ka) that all the rides are working... but believe me, there are other coasters in that park that I would like to ride well before Kingda Ka. But hey, if you want to believe that Kingda Ka is God's gift to a dying theme park chain, go right ahead. And by the way, as a stockholder... how have your Six Flags stocks been doing? The last that Ive read on the newssites about those stocks is that yet another quarter has come with another big loss. If I were you, I would sell. Invest it in google or something.

[IEATPASTE001]

So we are fanboys because we go to Cedar Point and enjoy ourselves there, but you aren't, yet you are a stock holder of SFI? This makes perfect sense.:rolleyes: I witnessed how poorly SFI handled SFWoA in Ohio. Sure I have had bad experiences at CP, but who wouldn't when frequenting a place for over 15 years. One ride is not going to solve the multi-million dollar loses SFI is getting year after year. But competition is what makes companies try harder, too bad SFI didn't get that memo.

[Duane]

I'm afraid that Premier Parks (Six Flags) may already be in A downward spiral. That makes me happy. :noob: We should take A poll: (Choose which Day, Month and Year: Six Flags will file for bankruptcy.) My Pick: December 12th, 2006.

I visit several parks annually. Six Flags is by far the most poorly managed. I feel safer at Poor Jack Free Fair's than I do at Six Flag's Parks. I would love to go on A rant of all of the mistakes they have made and continue to make, but I don't have that kinda time. There are alot of CP/CF fanboys here, and for good reason. Six Flags just adds luster to Cedar Fair's shiny image.

P.S. I would love to see Bill gates and Daniel Snyder pull off A miracle by helping to turn the franchise around. I'm not even sure if God could pull that one off. :noob:

Thanks for reading.

[Harpo]

Originally posted by majortom1981
I am not a fanboy but i am a six flags stock holder. I stick up for them when people lie about things. There has only been one coaster that runs one car and that is viper. SFGADV is not as bad as people say it is. They have one bad day and say the park stinks. They are doing pretty well considering the poeple who go there. Mostly people from nyc wich most dont care about anything.

KIngda ka is being used to draw people to the park. They have plans for this park and kingda ka will bring in the money they need to do those plans. THat all this coaster is there for. They started training the staff for the coaster at the end of the 04 season. They are serious about this coaster. Also remember its the park that says what they want in the coaster and intamin designs it.

I'm sorry to say it, but I also own some Six Flags stock -- I bought it at a point where I thought it couldn't go much lower, but I was wrong. (It was around $7.50 when I got it.)

Fortunately, I also own Cedar Fair stock, which has been my best investment since I first bought into it in 1990.

As for the people at Great Adventure... On my visit, I talked to a lot of guests, and found many of them to be wonderful people. Talking to the guests was the highlight of the day. So, blaming the park's issues on them is certainly not a fair thing to do. One of the guests told me that she was a regular visitor to Great Adventure, and, in all the time she'd been going there, there was one coaster (Viper) which she saw run once during its first year, but she hadn't seen it running on any of her visits since. She indicated that she tended to get to the park a few times each year. Now, that was in 2001, so it's possible the situation has changed since then. Obviously, I can't say what's happened there since my last visit. But, I do know that, on average, I can expect at least 1 coaster to be closed on any visit to any Six Flags park -- it's been the pattern for the past 5 years in visits to every Six Flags park in the U.S. (and La Ronde in Montreal), including multiple visits to Worlds of Adventure (before it was sold), Kentucky Kingdom, Great America, and Magic Mountain. In most cases, it appears that the ride closure is an attempt to save money, which, in my view, is a ripoff for the consumer.

[majortom1981]

Sfgadv main problem is personel. THey pay there staff almost minimum wage . There are alot of people who go there who litter,and jump lines and get pretty violent waiting on line. IF sfgadv paid there employees better the park would be better. The parks problems are not the ride selection or the maintanance people. Also i believe that the new head honcho is trying to turn things around. They are building a whole new section that caters to adults and children. And are adding about 300 new jobs this year.

[Duane]

Originally posted by majortom1981
Sfgadv main problem is personel. THey pay there staff almost minimum wage . There are alot of people who go there who litter,and jump lines and get pretty violent waiting on line. IF sfgadv paid there employees better the park would be better. The parks problems are not the ride selection or the maintanance people.

I think that lack of training and supervision have more to do with it than their salaries. Granted, being under paid is A morale killer. I imagine that the turnover is ridiculous. Does anyone know if SF has an ample incentives program? (I'm guessing "NO") I also feel that the parks are understaffed too often.

Rides Selection:
When Premier Parks aquired Six Flags in 1998, they built alot of great rides and bought alot of parks. They produced some great rides, most of which came from reputable manufactures, such as B&M and CCI. They cloned and mirrored too many rides and themes. They produced too few "standout Attractions" Bugeting :down: Where is the logic in buying A high number of parks and making the experiences similar? Will people travel 1000 miles to be reminded of their backyard? :eek:

I expect, Kinda Ka will draw in huge crowds. TTD sure did for CP. But, they might as well have cloned TTD. I would be embarrassed to be member of the SF development team. Park development has slowed to A crawl due to their huge debt. 2004 was A toal letdown, and 2005 looks to only have three major additions to the Six Flags chain. Kinda Ka, Hurricane Harbor (SFGam) and the long overdue Superman: Ultimate Escape (Mexico). So much for growth. I can't wait to see which park they sell next.

I don't have A problem with their maintenance. I do have A problem with major attractions being closed due to employment issues. Premier Parks has certainly ruined Six Flags reputation.
I guess that's what happens when A company specializing in small parks decides to go big. :confused:

Thanks for reading my babble.

[Harpo]

Personally, I do have a problem with their maintenance.

As an example, take a look at the Vekoma SLCs that are at many Six Flags parks, as well as other parks. Now, by nature, Vekoma tends to make a rough coaster. But, the one at Kentucky Kingdom is, by far, the roughest I've been on. I last rode it in 2004, and thought it was HORRID. I've been on that one in previous years, and didn't think it was anywhere near as bad -- it's condition has definitely deteriorated. The one at Astroworld is also particularly bad.

In contrast, there's one at Morey's Piers that is far smoother.

Also, take a look at Geauga Lake. Cedar Fair indicated it is going to do MAJOR renovations to Raging Wolf Bobs and Villain, which they claim is desperately needed due to neglect. Villain isn't even a particularly old coaster. Those renovations are part of the off-season plan to prepare for the 2005 season, along with phase one of a major waterpark addition. Quite a bit of the old water park is being torn down due to its poor condition, as well. Some parts that are capable of renovation are being moved to the new waterpark area.

There's really no good excuse for such things. The rides need to be kept in better condition, or else they start to become dangerous, as well as uncomfortable.

[Duane]

Yea, T2 is kinda rough. Woodstock's Express at CP is the smoothest Vekoma Coaster I have ridden. This may sound silly, but that tiny coaster is one of my favorite Vekoma designs. That little thing will surprise you.

[Harpo]

I enjoy Woodstock's Express. I do think Cedar Point should make some modifications to add a second train to the ride, but, low throughput aside, I think it's a fun little coaster. Incidentally, it's about 2 feet taller and a bit faster than the Cedar Creek Mine Ride, a mine train coaster build in 1969.

[soundgodz]

In some ways Great Adventure and Great American Scream Machine hold a special place for me. I finally beat my fear of coasters when friends got me to ride GASM. Eyes closed the first time, went right around for a second. But this was October 1992 and there weren't really any coasters up. Just GASM, Rolling Thunder, and the Mine Train. Batman was announced for next year, Lightning Loops were gone, all the rest cycled out to other parks. Nothing until getting to Disneyworld in 96. Big Thunder down for refurb, rode Space Mountain once, with the lights on. 1999 brought IOA and RCT (is there a connection?), and I was off. Once the disposable income kicked in, I started doing major coaster treks and quick trips. I've now been to several Six Flags parks, and on the whole, am less than impressed. How many times do you have to build Batman? Superman? I'd say Six Flags America was the worst. The place just looked beat up. I won't tell you what some locals call it. Ride operators making too much small talk instead of picking up the operational tempo. They might have two trains running, but they are so slow dispatching that they might as well have only one train on. The supports on their Vekona SLC had some pretty obvious rust but the inverted face off boomerang was comfortable and enjoyable and I hate boomerangs. Great Adventure in June, 2003 saw almost all coasters running except The Chiller, both sides, and Viper. Rolling Thunder only had one side running. By afternoon Viper and the Robin side of Chiller were open. Superman was running flawlessly until a thunderstorm popped up. Did the whole park by 5 PM. Great America was fine, staff were pretty professional, all rides operating with multiple trains, in October. Skipped V2 and Deja Vu because, just because. Six Flags over Georgia, not too bad, all rides operating until Ninja shut down mid-day for a while. Oh, Deja Vu and Acrophobia were down on our second trip, but Deja Vu tends to be a maintainance queen at all three installations. Six Flags St. Louis, not too bad, staff pretty ok. Their LIM launch, Mr. Freeze went down while we were queued and didn't come back up by park close. Gueaga Lake while it was a Six Flags park was fine as well. All rides operating, although Superman made this God aweful noise with every cycle, however I caught a coaster show that featured the ride and heard the same noises I had heard in person, but the tape was from at least a year or more before my visit. During my stay at Cedar Point (over Coastermania 2003) Raptor was down repeatedly for structural issues and let's just say that in 3 days I saw them shoot TTD once, without people, during Coastermania (why can't Cedar Point keep their rides running?) Six Flags Darien Lake didn't have their woodie running late in the season last year, but it was supposed to be a semi private event night for campground guests instead of the park being open to the public. We didn't return the next day for the one coaster we didn't ride. Finally Magic Mountain. Superman was only half running and then that side shut down. Deja Vu was broken, Flashback never runs in the summer. Colossus only had one side open, but two trains running. X was running two trains! But over at Riddler's Revenge, the ride operators weren't paying attention to the crowd in the station, were slow loading trains, and had their minds elsewhere for a ride that has special needs when loading passengers. And I noticed trim brakes all over the place at Magic Mountain! Overall, the Six Flags parks didn't sparkle and their guests tend, in the more metropolitan areas, to be gruffer than your average Disney guest., but they were fun, cloned rides and all. I rode two of the three Superman hypercoasters, but only after the guy fell out last year, and didn't notice too much discomfort from the added ankle restraint. I understand that a similar modification was installed on Millenium Force as well.
I see so much here about TTD and Kingda Ka, but only one person mentions Storm Runner and nobody mentioned Xcelorator. If the OTSR's on Kingda Ka are like those on Storm Runner, then you'll be OK. I'm guessing that Six Flags wants the extra restraint to prevent someone from flying out. Storm Runner is more thrilling than TTD (without my riding TTD). The track does more things and you do come close to some tree tops, the stream, and people on Storm Runner, something you don't do on TTD. Kingda Ka, big deal, 450 feet. It's over before you've begun. I liked Hercules and Mean Streak is one of my favorites, trim breaks and all. As for Raptor's place on the inverted food chain, don't overlook Great Bear, Montu, Alpengeist, and the Dragons, (I haven't ridden Silver Bullet). Most Six Flags parks need work, but if you could only get more of the staff to care, that's the real battle.
I hate SLCs and boomerangs!

Disclosure: I own stock in Disney, Vivendi Universal, and GE. I might buy Paramount, Cedar Fair, Anheiser Busch , and depending on price, Six Flags.

Sorry for the ramble. Fan Boys be Damned!

[alyash]

I rode two of the three Superman hypercoasters, but only after the guy fell out last year, and didn't notice too much discomfort from the added ankle restraint. I understand that a similar modification was installed on Millenium Force as well.


MILF's seatbelts were shortned, but they didn't add those horrendous ankle restraints.

[DargonZetaQuell]

I agree with maintenance issues. Six Flags isn't exactly known for the level of safety Cedar Fair parks have made a benchmark. Most coaster-related accidents happen at Six Flags parks, and to be honest the only original coaster Six Flags have ever had were the freefall launch Superman and X (which doesn't work right half the time anyway). If they really wanted to one-up Cedar Point like they're always trying to, why not make a taller, faster coaster that's more than just a one-trick pony like TTD?

[soundgodz]

Let's be fair. The Superman flying coasters were the first of their kind. The Batman inverted was the first of it's kind. Revolution, or the Great American Revolution was a first of kind. I think Superman
ultimate Escape (V2) was a first of type as well. Deja Vu is a first of type. I'm pretty confident that Six Flags did lead with these types. Too bad they cloned them all afterwards. Also, didn't Six Flags debut the B&M floorless and hypertwisters?

[RCT2head]

Originally posted by alyash
MILF's seatbelts were shortned, but they didn't add those horrendous ankle restraints.

hey, i don't know if i was the only one to catch this, but if i didn't know what this forum was about, i'd be left wondering:confused: :haha:

[soundgodz]

Yeah, never heard it called MILf before.

[alyash]

Originally posted by soundgodz
Yeah, never heard it called MILf before.

Well that's what I prefer to call it:p :D ;)

[RCT2head]

just think of what the term 'milf' implies... think american pie:haha:

[alyash]

Originally posted by RCT2head
just think of what the term 'milf' implies... think american pie:haha:

Yes, I know. That's why I gave it that nickname. (not that it is a mom I'd do things with) If it fits, why not use it?:D

[soundgodz]

It doesn't fit. It's not a mother you'd like to do anything with other than ride, but that mother requires a second word to turn it into a compound word. To call Millenium Force a MILF is just plain silly because it doesn't fit. Following your convention, it's MILR, "R" for ride.
A more appropriate acronym would be MMF or Mean Mother (add your own f word here).

[RCT2head]

or RILR for Ride i'd like to ride, but never

a MILF when talking about ankle braces and seat belts... the sickness of that :eek:

[iAMpaste001]

Sir Paste and I haved used "MilF" on occasion, but we usually refer to it as "the M F'er"...and let people infer whatever they wish from that.

As for the actual topic of Kingda Ka- I don't see myself making a special trip to ride that. I've been on Dragster a number of times and I love the ride, but it's not my favorite. I prefer Millennium Force and other rides. So building a Dragster with a few more feet on top isn't going to do it for me. Besides, the coolest part of Dragster for me is the view from the top. I have a hard time believing an SF park could top that.

[RCT2head]

hey...
i wouldn't do it either... besides the obvious it's too much $ to go out there and CP, the rides are about the same anyways

[soundgodz]

In 2003 I had a coaster trip that included 2.5 days at CP, SFWoA, Kennywood, HersheyPark, Dorney Park, and SFGrAdv all in 9 days. We had annual passes from Knott's that had 4 months to go and a new SF annual pass from Worlds of Adventure, which I'm glad I didn't renew. Because I have to go to Ct. for a wedding over July 4th, we'll do SFNE (7 miles away) and should get to Great Adventure, perhaps even Dorney Park and HersheyPark as well. Maybe.

[Griffman]

viper is closed so much because someone died on (her hair got stuck in the rings. (her fault there were signs that say TIE YOUR HAIR) I have had no problems with SFGRAV. I go twice a year.