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Theme Parks & Roller Coasters |OT| The Happiest Place on GAF

Goldrusher

Member
Knott's Berry Farm has announced the closing date of Perilous Plunge: September 3.
So you have 2 weeks to ride it for a last time.

The ride opened in 2000. It was and still is the tallest and steepest water ride on the planet.

page0_blog_entry107_2.jpg
 

painey

Member
Rollercoasters scare the fuck out of me. The last theme park I went to was
250px-Valleyfair_logo.png

and only because I got free tickets. The entrance prices for these places are always insane
 
Knott's Berry Farm has announced the closing date of Perilous Plunge: September 3.
So you have 2 weeks to ride it for a last time.
Good, the ride is really boring. It's fun just as you go over the edge of the drop, then you can barely see or breathe until you hit the bottom, then you're just soaking wet. If you want to cool down on a hot day it's easier to just stand on the bridge
 
See this baby here?

TnVGb.jpg


Now this babe may not be the fastest or the tallest, but she'll have you flipping and twisting around tight turns without ever slowing up. She'll keep you on your toes from the beginning to the end and she'll never shoot you down if you want a ride (so long as you're over 4'6"). She's the Georgia Scorcher, and she's here to rock your world.
That thing's seats made me sit on my testicles. Worst coaster in the park, even including the Ninja.
 

slit

Member
Did you ever ride the Steel Phantom before the Revenge was built? I love Kennywood. I grew up going there and we lived in Pittsburgh last year and had season passes. I'd put the Thunder Bolt at the top of my wooden coaster list!

I have and the last few years before the inversions were taken out, it was like having your head slammed in a car door. It was not fun....well maybe a little bit.
 
Did you ever ride the Steel Phantom before the Revenge was built? I love Kennywood. I grew up going there and we lived in Pittsburgh last year and had season passes. I'd put the Thunder Bolt at the top of my wooden coaster list!

I didn't. I heard the stories of how painful it was. It appearently ran a lot quicker than they originally designed it for. Probably accounts for the roughness as well as all the brakes they had to use for it.

The designer of the ride, Ron Toomer, used coat hangers as the basis for the loops on all the old coasters like Steel Phantom. I had the opportunity to talk to him via email, actually. Really cool guy. He started off with NASA on the Apollo program and moved to making roller coasters. He passed away a couple of months ago.
 

D-Pad

Member
That thing's seats made me sit on my testicles. Worst coaster in the park, even including the Ninja.

lolol What Goldrusher stated above and I believe I read somewhere that Ninja's trains were replaced, providing a smoother ride. I'm going to have to check it out soon.
 

D-Pad

Member
A little OT but Frontier Developments, the developers behind RollerCoaster Tycoon 3, has started a limited closed beta for their upcoming roller coaster game:

http://twitter.com/frontierdev/status/235358810406002688

Micheal Brookes said:
As some of you already now we've been developing an exciting new rollercoaster game. While we haven't revealed the details yet we are now looking for some beta testers to play with our new coaster building mechanism. It doesn't matter if you've not played RCT3 or Thrillville before (although it is useful if you have) we want to test the ease of use for the new system as well as it's flexibility and fun. All we can say is that this new method is leaps and bounds better than the old coaster construction.

The test will primarily involve some freeform coaster construction as well as coasters that have to satisfy certain conditions.

To take part you'll need a PC and/or an iOS device (iPhone 4S, iPad 2, or iPad 3). We'll also need to ask you to keep what you see in the test confidential for a short while. If you're interested then drop me a pm. Available slots are limited, but I'll let you know one way or the before the beta starts.

http://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?p=22791#post22791
 
A little park with no less than 12 roller coasters, including 5 world class ones.

Does it still smell like chocolate in the area?

Actually, yes it does. The factory (which is open for tours) is right next to the park so the smell of chocolate is always in the air.
 
Been on most of the highly thought of coasters in the UK and Florida. I still rate Nemesis at Alton Towers highly .....so intense and the theming and setting is fantastic.

Agreed, still the best coaster I've ever been on. It's as close to perfect as it gets in my opinion.
 
A top 10 of the hundred or so different roller coasters I've been on.

Overall
1. El Toro (Six Flags Great Adventure, New Jersey)
2. Phantom's Revenge (Kennywood, Pennsylvania)
3. Voyage (Holiday World, Indiana)
4. Nitro (Six Flags Great Adventure, New Jersey)
5. Space Mountain (Magic Kingdom, Florida)
6. Kentucky Rumbler (Beech Bend Park, Kentucky)
7. Maverick (Cedar Point, Ohio)
8. Montu (Busch Gardens Tampa/Africa/Current name, Florida)
9. Kraken (Sea World Orlando, Florida)
10. Legend (Holiday World, Indiana)

I'm related to the people that own Holiday World. We use to always get in free so we went there like once a year or so. I think the last roller coaster I've ridden of theirs was the Raven. I'm guessing they built some bigger wooden coasters because I've never heard of those.
 

Nelo Ice

Banned
Now this is my kinda thread. I want to ride like every roller coaster out there but have only been to the parks here in CA. Love Six Flags Magic Mountain though I'm always looking for bigger, faster, and taller coasters since even SFMM rides don't faze me anymore.
 

B.K.

Member
Definitely. I'm right on the edge of not being able to fit in some of the sitting coasters ie The Wildcat and Super Duper Looper at Hershey and Superman at Six Flags.

I went to Magic Mountain in 2008 and tried to ride Superman. I couldn't sit down in the car. It wasn't even close. I could get about half sat down and then my knees hit the front of the car. I wasted almost a hour waiting in line and then couldn't fit in the car.
 
*Sees topic* ABOUT DAMN TIME!

I'm flying to Florida tomorrow and will be coming back on the 21st. Staying at the Royal Pacific at Universal Orlando. No Disney this trip, but only because Universal impressed me so much last time I was there. Going to ride Hulk, Spidey, Mummy, and Dragon Challenge endlessly. I'll report back if I see anything interesting going on with the supposed Transformers construction. Can't wait for that.

Because I feel like it, here are my top 5 favorite rides

1. Splash Mountain
2. The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
3. Forbidden Journey
4. Revenge of the Mummy
5. Hulk
 
The Hulk is pretty awesome! when we came over from england we even got my nan on it! she must have been around 65 at the time haha
 

FafaFooey

Member
Felt so bad for my girlfriend yesterday. She's obsessed with theme parks (in a good and cute kind of way, thank god) and she has never been to DisneyLand California. We're from Europe so if we wanna go we have to combine it with a 3 week vacation or else it won't be worth the trip. We went to Florida last year and the year before and finally decided that this year was going to be our first California trip, with a visit to DisneyLand of course.

She's someone who knows all the attractions in and out, has books and documentaries about this kind of stuff and only collects specific statues and snowglobes that have something to do with the parks and the attractions. For the 5 years that I've known her now, there's been 1 attraction that she has resisted looking up on YouTube because she wants to experience it without any prior knowledge..

Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye.

Yesterday she found out it was going to be closed for refurbishment for 3 months starting exactly 2 weeks before we arrive.
 

Desperado

Member
For the 5 years that I've known her now, there's been 1 attraction that she has resisted looking up on YouTube because she wants to experience it without any prior knowledge..

Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye.

Yesterday she found out it was going to be closed for refurbishment for 3 months starting exactly 2 weeks before we arrive.

I'm sorry man, that's terrible.

When I got to go to Disneyland back in 2005, Space Mountain was closed for renovations.

I'm headed to Six Flags over Texas (the original!) next week. I'm really excited, I haven't been since 2006. I'm definitely pumped to ride the New Texas Giant.
 

peach

Member
I didn't. I heard the stories of how painful it was. It appearently ran a lot quicker than they originally designed it for. Probably accounts for the roughness as well as all the brakes they had to use for it.

The designer of the ride, Ron Toomer, used coat hangers as the basis for the loops on all the old coasters like Steel Phantom. I had the opportunity to talk to him via email, actually. Really cool guy. He started off with NASA on the Apollo program and moved to making roller coasters. He passed away a couple of months ago.

That is really neat. The entire ride was basically just forcing your head back so you didn't feel like your neck was going to break. And wearing earrings on it was a huge mistake!
 
Felt so bad for my girlfriend yesterday. She's obsessed with theme parks (in a good and cute kind of way, thank god) and she has never been to DisneyLand California. We're from Europe so if we wanna go we have to combine it with a 3 week vacation or else it won't be worth the trip. We went to Florida last year and the year before and finally decided that this year was going to be our first California trip, with a visit to DisneyLand of course.

She's someone who knows all the attractions in and out, has books and documentaries about this kind of stuff and only collects specific statues and snowglobes that have something to do with the parks and the attractions. For the 5 years that I've known her now, there's been 1 attraction that she has resisted looking up on YouTube because she wants to experience it without any prior knowledge..

Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye.

Yesterday she found out it was going to be closed for refurbishment for 3 months starting exactly 2 weeks before we arrive.
That really sucks. But really, it needs it. Like half the ride doesn't work, and the other half is looking seriously dated.
 

Ellasman

Member
I've been to quite a few theme parks but my go
to place is Cedar Point. My personal favorite has got to be a tie between Wicked Twister and Millenium Force. I'm not a big fan of the dragster or anything like it for that matter.
 
This ride... Ninja @ Six Flags Georgia
Worst coaster in America AVOID!!

That thing's seats made me sit on my testicles. Worst coaster in the park, even including the Ninja.
I can never think of those seats the same again after seeing some girls ride it pantyless.... ugh.
Got to adjust your seat up/down alot to get semi comfortable, Ninja has no redeeming qualities unless you somehow need a migraine.
 
Made to to Universal Orlando but took it easy on rides. Did SpIder Man twice and Forbidden Journey once. We did Spider man at around 3 pm then again at about 8 pm, at which time the fire effect wasn't working. Is this common later in the day? Unlimited express is awesome btw. Going to start with the Studios tomorrow. Maybe a full day at IoA on Saturday.
 
Best part of IOA is the Jurassic Park area. It could use some updating. Forbidden Journey disappointed me for all the hype it got. Haunted Mansion is a much better ride.

Make sure to catch The Blues Brothers show at Studios. It's really good.
 

Shrennin

Didn't get the memo regarding the 14th Amendment
I just went to Busch Gardens Williamsburg and, although I still need to go to more theme parks, Apollo's Chariot is one of my favorite rollercoasters ever. It's so awesome!
 
Best part of IOA is the Jurassic Park area. It could use some updating. Forbidden Journey disappointed me for all the hype it got. Haunted Mansion is a much better ride.

Make sure to catch The Blues Brothers show at Studios. It's really good.

Indeed, the theming of that area is great. I love the replica welcome center. But they especially need to update the Dino's in the water ride, they're super dated.

Also can anyone tell me what that big new Harry potter ride is like? Is it like spiderman where the car moves on a track? Or more like the old back to the future ride?
 

Angelcurio

Member
I have been in Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey, and i only can say that El Toro and Nitro are the best rides i have ever had in my entire life. In the case of Nitro, the first time i went in i just thought that i was going to die after the first "fall", and with El Toro being a wood ride you just think that the whole thing is going to collapse.

I am surprised by the King Da Ka not being part of the best ones list, considering the insane speeds it can get.
 
I have been in Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey, and i only can say that El Toro and Nitro are the best rides i have ever had in my entire life.
They definitely are some of the best. Nitro has a wonderful giant helix that's incredibly forceful, too.


I am surprised by the King Da Ka not being part of the best ones list, considering the insane speeds it can get.
The reason is because it only does two things. It goes up really high and fast and then comes down. There's no layout to the coaster at all. The "award winning" coasters usually do multiple things. I don't really think Millennium Force should be on that list because it just goes fast and turns all the time.
 

lush

Member
Also can anyone tell me what that big new Harry potter ride is like? Is it like spiderman where the car moves on a track? Or more like the old back to the future ride?

The Harry Potter ride is more like the Spiderman ride. Though it isn't a car, you're in a seat which is attached to a robotic arm which attaches to the track. Really great ride, truly one of a kind. The queue is amazing as well, the whole Harry Potter area is beautifully themed. Can't wait for them to finish the London/Diagon Alley section.
 

Goldrusher

Member
Also can anyone tell me what that big new Harry potter ride is like? Is it like spiderman where the car moves on a track? Or more like the old back to the future ride?

It's similar to Spider-Man (and Transformers in the Singapore and Hollywood parks), but the vehicles are A LOT more extreme:

thumb_1_83.jpg


At certain points in the ride, it even becomes a full blown motion simulator with parabolic screens.

oi-forbidden-journey-behind-the-scenes-63-550x308.jpg



Fun fact: the ride never stops. Those domes are mounted on a carousel-like platform, which turns while the benches move around it.
So even when it appears you have stopped, you didn't, as both the bench and the screen are moving.

Both photos are behind-the-scenes by the way, with the lights on, so the tech doesn't look that exposed during the ride. You only see this when you board:

hogwarts-flying-bench.jpg
 

The Technomancer

card-carrying scientician
I always felt a little spoiled living about half an hour from Six Flags: Great America growing up. Then our family started taking vacations to Cedar Point and everything else seemed to pale in comparison
 
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