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Scream If You Want To Go Faster in the [Rollercoaster & Theme Park Thread]

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  • ASimPersonASimPerson Cold... and hard.Registered User regular
    edited August 2015
    Full Throttle at Magic Mountain launches you at 70mph into a 160 foot tall loop, currently the tallest roller coaster loop in the world.

    868px-SFMM-_Full_Throttle.JPG

    On the way back to the station, you go back over the top.

    Here's a video, but the ride has a surprise in the middle, so click the spoiler and watch the video at your own risk:

    ASimPerson on
  • ChincymcchillaChincymcchilla Registered User regular
    Yeah ok that loop is insane and scary

    I wanna do iot

    I have a podcast about Power Rangers:Teenagers With Attitude | TWA Facebook Group
  • PhasenPhasen Hell WorldRegistered User regular
    I used to like Rollercoasters but as I've gotten older my head can't handle it. Me and the wife have done islands of adventure twice though because we love the theme portion of it.


    Never doing that Harry Potter ride again though.

    psn: PhasenWeeple
  • ChincymcchillaChincymcchilla Registered User regular
    I think when Star Wars Land is built, I'm going to have to have a nerd week and go see it and harry potter world since I haven't done either

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  • DidgeridooDidgeridoo Flighty Dame Registered User regular
    Awesome thread! :D

    We've got a park near us that's pretty great. One of my favorite rides there is the Sasquatch:

    maxresdefault.jpg

    It's your pretty standard raise 'n drop ride, but they have a second tower that shoots you up at high speeds instead of dropping. The view is fantastic, and it's especially nice in the fall when you can see the trees changing colors.

    I also lost my lunch outside this ride, but it wasn't directly the Sasquatch's fault. I'd broken my own rule about never going on rides that spin you in circles, and Sasquatch was the straw that broke my stomach's back.

  • sponospono Mining for Nose Diamonds Booger CoveRegistered User regular
    We went to Universal Studios Hollywood over the weekend. There are only a few rides (and most of them are simulators), but Jurassic Park is still awesome. I remember going on that thing when it opened, thinking it was the scariest / best thing in the whole goddamn world.

    The Mummy is a poor man's Indiana Jones ride.

    They're building a Harry Potter section of the park that you can see peeking up behind The Simpsons' boardwalk. It's pretty weird to see all these tall spindly buildings right behind Disco Stu's.

    Jimmy Fallon now partially narrates the studio tour, which is still excellent. The Fast and Furious section they added at the end is gloriously stupid. The whole thing looks like a bad 90's FMV game, starring Vin Diesel, Tyrese and Michelle Rodriguez. Bonus: they have The Rock show up on the tram car's video screen. It's fucking stupid and amazing and you all need to see it.

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  • KrieghundKrieghund Registered User regular
    Phasen wrote: »
    I used to like Rollercoasters but as I've gotten older my head can't handle it. Me and the wife have done islands of adventure twice though because we love the theme portion of it.


    Never doing that Harry Potter ride again though.

    Yeah, that one gets me motion sick too. The new one at Universal is pretty good though.

  • NoisymunkNoisymunk Registered User regular
    spono wrote: »

    They're building a Harry Potter section of the park that you can see peeking up behind The Simpsons' boardwalk. It's pretty weird to see all these tall spindly buildings right behind Disco Stu's.

    This is always the thing that blows me away about Disney. They pay attention to sight lines. Hogwarts in Islands of Adventure is backed by tall palm trees and jungle plants from the Jurassic Park area.

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  • ChincymcchillaChincymcchilla Registered User regular
    I love really well themed areas

    Its probably why I have such a deep love of bush gardens

    It doesn't really bother me when you see other areas from where you are though

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  • FaranguFarangu I am a beardy man With a beardy planRegistered User regular
    The first time my then-gf now-wife and I went to six flags great america she told me that she wasn't sure she would be able to handle coasters any more after her treatments, and I felt silly for not asking before

    She went on a smaller coaster once or twice, and thought she could handle bigger ones. Unfortunately her next choice of ride was Batman, which was not smart as that thing puts you through some tight turns. She was kinda done with coasters after that, which is unfortunate because they finished Goliath not long after that and I really want to give it a go.

  • Romanian My EscutcheonRomanian My Escutcheon Two of Forks Registered User regular
    Noisymunk wrote: »
    spono wrote: »

    They're building a Harry Potter section of the park that you can see peeking up behind The Simpsons' boardwalk. It's pretty weird to see all these tall spindly buildings right behind Disco Stu's.

    This is always the thing that blows me away about Disney. They pay attention to sight lines. Hogwarts in Islands of Adventure is backed by tall palm trees and jungle plants from the Jurassic Park area.

    Honestly, I actually like the effect that creates a lot.

    Though it does give it kind of a weird Haunted Mansion vibe, at least for me.

    [IMG][/img]
  • SheriSheri Resident Fluffer My Living RoomRegistered User regular
    Noisymunk wrote: »
    spono wrote: »

    They're building a Harry Potter section of the park that you can see peeking up behind The Simpsons' boardwalk. It's pretty weird to see all these tall spindly buildings right behind Disco Stu's.

    This is always the thing that blows me away about Disney. They pay attention to sight lines. Hogwarts in Islands of Adventure is backed by tall palm trees and jungle plants from the Jurassic Park area.

    Honestly, I actually like the effect that creates a lot.

    Though it does give it kind of a weird Haunted Mansion vibe, at least for me.

    It's lazy, unprofessional theme park planning.

  • NiryaNirya Registered User regular
    Yeah ok that loop is insane and scary

    I wanna do iot

    Come out to LA and we'll go to Disneyland and Six Flags together.

    If you wait till next year we can add Universal with our own WWoHP and Knotts, which is a secretly great park.

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  • ChincymcchillaChincymcchilla Registered User regular
    I've actually heard of knotts even though I'm on the opposite coast

    Its a local park?

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  • NiryaNirya Registered User regular
    I've actually heard of knotts even though I'm on the opposite coast

    Its a local park?

    Kinda? It was actually opened as America's first theme park weeks before Disneyland, although it didn't really have rides originally. The park's early claim to fame was their Ghost Town, which was an actual abandoned town that had been moved to the property, and Mrs Knotts famed chicken dinners, which also included boysenberries (invented at the park).

    The park also innovated the scary Halloween trend with Knotts Scary Farm, which remains their most popular event yearly. A few years ago, he park got bought by Cedar Fairs, and they've done an impressive job of pouring money back into the park. The guy put in charge of the park is a former Disney exec, so there's been a bigger refocus on theming as well. It's definitely the fourth major park in the area, but that doesn't mean it's bad by any stretch.

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  • ChincymcchillaChincymcchilla Registered User regular
    That's really cool

    Its awesome when smaller places have a real history to them and that sound like something that would be neat to see just from a historical perspective

    Maybe ill make it out there one day

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  • ChincymcchillaChincymcchilla Registered User regular
    This is now the phineas and ferb thread

    what a great underrated show



    Also, that ride seems very unsafe

    I have a podcast about Power Rangers:Teenagers With Attitude | TWA Facebook Group
  • LanglyLangly Registered User regular
    I didn't realize that this season was the last and that they literally have a song called "All The Convoluted Reasons We Pretend to Be Divorced" for the alternate reality doofensmirz and his wife, and it talks about like, tax reason and stuff.

    the show is amazing

    also the dad is voiced by richard o'brien

  • ChincymcchillaChincymcchilla Registered User regular
    Langly wrote: »
    I didn't realize that this season was the last and that they literally have a song called "All The Convoluted Reasons We Pretend to Be Divorced" for the alternate reality doofensmirz and his wife, and it talks about like, tax reason and stuff.

    the show is amazing

    also the dad is voiced by richard o'brien

    I love doofensmirz

    I have a podcast about Power Rangers:Teenagers With Attitude | TWA Facebook Group
  • Mr_GrinchMr_Grinch Registered User regular
    No talk about UK theme parks? Wife and I recently had a child free getaway to Thorpe Park where we've got the pretty damn awesome "Swarm" where you ride on the wing of alien invaders, busting through bill boards and blowing shit up:

    swarm-4.jpg
    swarm-3.jpg
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    They've also got Stealth which is pretty much like taking off in a rocket. Going from 0 to 80 in 1.8 seconds, then shooting vertically up 60m-ish, before coming back down to earth. It's simple but really fun:

    IMG_20140902_211823.jpg

    A ride themed around the movie "Saw" was a previous highlight that I'd been on but was unfortunately shut due to the whole "Smiler" issue at Alton Towers (it uses similar tech). Speaking of which, being most of you are in the States you might not have seen Smiler. It was pretty awesome:

    5331211-large.jpg
    It features 14 inversions and holds the world record for most inversions on a roller coaster.

    Very smooth, very tightly packed roller coaster. Unfortunately, and sadly, now likely to be permanently shut and dismantled following a serious accident, details in spoiler:
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/11792583/Alton-Towers-rollercoaster-amputee-tells-how-she-nearly-died-twice-on-The-Smiler.html

    I believe two young ladies both lost a leg. There was an empty ride cart on the track that failed to return back, and the safety procedures didn't fire to prevent the next going in to the back of it. Saw, mentioned before, uses the same tech by the same company so has been shut down as a precaution.

    Loads of other decent coasters at Alton Towers though, my favourite being Nemesis.

    Then we have my favourite amusement park, Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Crammed in to this wonderfully tacky seaside town are a shed load of amazing rides:

    The Big One - 62m drop with a fantastic view out to sea. When this first opened it was the tallest and steepest roller coaster in the world, along with being one of the longest (1,675 m). I've loved this ride ever since it opened:

    bd8cb806-275e-481f-a360-41106d989a4d.jpg

    [IMG]https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3126/2346609409_134bc6fd0d_b.jpg <- View from the ride[/IMG]

    We also had the Avalanche, which was a sort of bobsled/roller coaster cross over. Prone to problems but absolutely fantastic fun:

    DSC_3042-509x309.jpg
    latest?cb=20120318200613

    Then there's my favourite. The entirely wooden Big Dipper, dating back to 1923 and extended about 10 years later it's still operated by giant wooden switches.

    Big_Dipper_(Pleasure_Beach,_Blackpool)_02.jpg
    bpb11.jpg

    A runner up for favourite would be the Grand National at Blackpool. Another wooden rollercoaster, this time with two almost identical tracks running parallel to each other. Both sets of carts set off at the same time and it's a race to see who passes the finish line first. Built in the 30's it hasn't changed much, save a little refurbishment after a fire on one section:

    Grand_National_Blackpool_Pleasure_Beach_Blackpool-762x556.jpg
    nationalb.jpg

    And there are a load more rides I could go on and on about at Blackpool, but I think that'll do for now.

    Finally, a shout out to an old child hood favourite that recently shut down:

    IMG_0004.jpg

    RIP Camelot, you were a bit shit but I always loved you.
    And now you're abandoned and a little scary:

    JPR_LEC_060715CAMELOT_10.jpg
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    Though this shot just makes me a little sad:

    JPR_LEC_060715CAMELOT_14.jpg

    Many fond memories sat in there with my Mam and Dad, drinking coke and eating sugary treats, fighting off wasps, watching "Knights" battle it out.

    So any other British theme park visitors here? There are loads more places than I've mentioned. Anyone remember Frontierland at Morecambe? Blobby Land? Any Americans visiting our fair lands and sampled our white knuckle delights? We're not as good as you guys at 'theming' our Theme Parks but they're up there when it comes to adrenaline rushes.

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  • ChincymcchillaChincymcchilla Registered User regular
    Abandonded theme parks are god

    damned

    terrifying

    I would love to see some of those, Swarm in particular is a really really cool idea that I've never seen anything like

    shame about those ones that got shut down, thats super tragic

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  • Mr_GrinchMr_Grinch Registered User regular
    Swarm is especially awesome if you take to the alternative queue, sit on the rear carriages and ride backwards. Honestly if anyone from abroad visits London I'd schedule a day to visit, it's pretty close.

    and I have a bit of an obsession work abandoned places, I'm fascinated by them. We don't really get ghost towns here in the UK, I'd love to visit some in the states.

    I mentioned Blobbyland before, the pictures of that now are nightmarish:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1220390/Pictured-The-abandoned-ruins-Mr-Blobby-theme-park-ravers-trash-site.html

    Also if you're unaware who Mr Blobby is, stay that way.

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  • ChincymcchillaChincymcchilla Registered User regular
    Mr_Grinch wrote: »
    Swarm is especially awesome if you take to the alternative queue, sit on the rear carriages and ride backwards. Honestly if anyone from abroad visits London I'd schedule a day to visit, it's pretty close.

    and I have a bit of an obsession work abandoned places, I'm fascinated by them. We don't really get ghost towns here in the UK, I'd love to visit some in the states.

    I mentioned Blobbyland before, the pictures of that now are nightmarish:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1220390/Pictured-The-abandoned-ruins-Mr-Blobby-theme-park-ravers-trash-site.html

    Also if you're unaware who Mr Blobby is, stay that way.

    Ahem:

    AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
    AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

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  • NoisymunkNoisymunk Registered User regular
    Ooooh spaghetti coasters like that Smiler are my favorite. I'd rather go upside down than high in the air.

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  • Mr_GrinchMr_Grinch Registered User regular
    Surprises are mentioned at the top, my favourite roller-coaster with a surprise is Thirteen at Alton Towers it's horror themed and
    plays out as a normal coaster until it pulls in to a creepy cabin, almost pitch black. Then you hear the wooden ground cracking beneath you and all of a sudden there's a free fall drop. The coaster then finishes by rolling backwards. Great fun!

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  • SporkAndrewSporkAndrew Registered User, ClubPA regular
    Mr_Grinch wrote: »
    Surprises are mentioned at the top, my favourite roller-coaster with a surprise is Thirteen at Alton Towers it's horror themed and
    plays out as a normal coaster until it pulls in to a creepy cabin, almost pitch black. Then you hear the wooden ground cracking beneath you and all of a sudden there's a free fall drop. The coaster then finishes by rolling backwards. Great fun!

    I went into thirteen completely unaware of anything to do with the final section. I took my glasses off and as we rolled into the creepy cabin thing I had no idea what was going to happen. It was amazing.

    I've also been wanting to ride the smiler ever since it was announced. Hopefully they sort the issues out and I'll get a chance to go on it one day as its everything I love about coasters.

    And BPB is my home park. I grew up a mile down the road in St Anne's and still visit parents there a lot. I really like infusion which got transported from Southport, and am really impressed by the Wallace and gromit ride. I was one of the first people on Valhalla, too, back when all the effects were switched on. The uncle of a friend of mine was head of marketing and got us tickets to a VIP opening event - we got to ride it with a load of local celebrities. There used to be so much snow in the winter section that you could reach out and grab handfuls of it to throw at everyone else in your boat. I think I realise now why they turned that down..

    The one about the fucking space hairdresser and the cowboy. He's got a tinfoil pal and a pedal bin
  • wanderingwandering Russia state-affiliated media Registered User regular
    facetious wrote: »
    New techniques in building wooden rollercoasters have made them completely amazing. Old, rickety wooden coasters are fucking terrible though. (Seriously, Mean Streak should have been torn down like 10 years ago. It's unrideable behind, like, the first four rows.)
    Psh getting banged around by a rickety old wooden coaster is the best

    Ideally you should walk away from a wooden coaster with at least mild brain damage

  • Der Waffle MousDer Waffle Mous Blame this on the misfortune of your birth. New Yark, New Yark.Registered User regular
    I was at Disney a few weeks back.

    The Rock-n-Roller was surprisingly intense.

    Like, it just goes and then you can't breathe or tell which way is up anymore.

    And I guess there's Walk This Way blaring in the background.

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  • Mr_GrinchMr_Grinch Registered User regular
    Mr_Grinch wrote: »
    Surprises are mentioned at the top, my favourite roller-coaster with a surprise is Thirteen at Alton Towers it's horror themed and
    plays out as a normal coaster until it pulls in to a creepy cabin, almost pitch black. Then you hear the wooden ground cracking beneath you and all of a sudden there's a free fall drop. The coaster then finishes by rolling backwards. Great fun!

    I went into thirteen completely unaware of anything to do with the final section. I took my glasses off and as we rolled into the creepy cabin thing I had no idea what was going to happen. It was amazing.

    I've also been wanting to ride the smiler ever since it was announced. Hopefully they sort the issues out and I'll get a chance to go on it one day as its everything I love about coasters.

    And BPB is my home park. I grew up a mile down the road in St Anne's and still visit parents there a lot. I really like infusion which got transported from Southport, and am really impressed by the Wallace and gromit ride. I was one of the first people on Valhalla, too, back when all the effects were switched on. The uncle of a friend of mine was head of marketing and got us tickets to a VIP opening event - we got to ride it with a load of local celebrities. There used to be so much snow in the winter section that you could reach out and grab handfuls of it to throw at everyone else in your boat. I think I realise now why they turned that down..

    Heh, I wasn't quite as local, but close, over the bay in Barrow.

    I've always love the revolution and had a strong love hate relationship with the wild mouse. I went on Valhalla opening week, insane queue! I went in it not too long back and, even toned down it's still pretty intense with the fire.

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  • NoisymunkNoisymunk Registered User regular
    I was at Disney a few weeks back.

    The Rock-n-Roller was surprisingly intense.

    Like, it just goes and then you can't breathe or tell which way is up anymore.

    And I guess there's Walk This Way blaring in the background.

    Everytime I ride I hope I get the 2FAST4U train. It plays Sweet Emotion. I like going through corkscrews and singing along at the top of my lungs.

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  • LadaiLadai Registered User regular
    I adore roller coasters.

    I grew up a 45-minute drive from Six Flags Great Adventure. It's wooden coaster, Rolling Thunder, was my first ever roller coaster.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOFzRcr7AJM

    It's a shame it was closed. What replaced it is Zumanjaro, which I'm told is the world's tallest drop tower, so I guess I'll have to check that out.

    I also love carnival rides. My old K-8 Catholic school always had a carnival every June, and climbing on those rickety disassembled-reassembled rides starting at the age of 5 meant I never developed a fear of them. I think the worst thing that ever happened was the operator of the upside-down Ferris wheel once just kinda walked away and let the ride go about seven minutes too long. A few people got sick, but it wasn't too bad.

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  • Ms DapperMs Dapper Yuri Librarian Registered User regular
    I'm not a huge fan of roller coasters (I mean I'll ride them if they're there) but I am super into the dark rides and stuff like that. I'm currently running a D&D campaign based off the Haunted Mansion.

    Speaking of: HAT BOX GHOST!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAg3pP-PYok

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  • ChincymcchillaChincymcchilla Registered User regular
    I love those too

    the spiderman one in particular

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  • Ms DapperMs Dapper Yuri Librarian Registered User regular
    The Spider Man one is great. Wonder what's going to happen after they lose the Marvel rights.

    The Harry Potter ride is probably the best technical ride I've been on.

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  • NiryaNirya Registered User regular
    Ms Dapper wrote: »
    I'm not a huge fan of roller coasters (I mean I'll ride them if they're there) but I am super into the dark rides and stuff like that. I'm currently running a D&D campaign based off the Haunted Mansion.

    Speaking of: HAT BOX GHOST!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAg3pP-PYok

    Hat Box Ghost is just so legit. It also turned his debut weekend into a fucking nightmare because the lines were super long to see him.

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  • builderr0rbuilderr0r Registered User regular
    I haven't gone on nearly enough rollercoasters in my life. I've been to Six Flags, Canobie Lake Park, and Hershey Park (although depression kept me from enjoying Hershey at the time ><). I love theme parks in general though - from the rides to the overpriced food to the arcades.

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  • cabsycabsy the fattest rainbow unicorn Registered User regular
    Ladai wrote: »
    I adore roller coasters.

    I grew up a 45-minute drive from Six Flags Great Adventure. It's wooden coaster, Rolling Thunder, was my first ever roller coaster.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOFzRcr7AJM

    It's a shame it was closed. What replaced it is Zumanjaro, which I'm told is the world's tallest drop tower, so I guess I'll have to check that out.

    I also love carnival rides. My old K-8 Catholic school always had a carnival every June, and climbing on those rickety disassembled-reassembled rides starting at the age of 5 meant I never developed a fear of them. I think the worst thing that ever happened was the operator of the upside-down Ferris wheel once just kinda walked away and let the ride go about seven minutes too long. A few people got sick, but it wasn't too bad.

    I used to love carnival rides, but idk if it's the increased anxiety (thanks wellbutrin) or the increased weight or the combination of the fact I now weigh 90lbs more than I used to AND I have anxiety but last time I went on carnival rides I nearly had a panic attack

  • TallahasseerielTallahasseeriel Registered User regular
    They just announced the new coaster they are opening at Cedar Point next year.

    It's called the Valravn and it's going to be the tallest longer fastest dive coaster in the world.

    It has a 90 degree drop.

  • ChincymcchillaChincymcchilla Registered User regular
    Uriel wrote: »
    They just announced the new coaster they are opening at Cedar Point next year.

    It's called the Valravn and it's going to be the tallest longer fastest dive coaster in the world.

    It has a 90 degree drop.

    -983c2bfdf75fb1a7.jpg

    Uh

    Yes

    Yes I want this

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