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

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Posts

  • facetiousfacetious a wit so dry it shits sandRegistered 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.

    I mean, not to denigrate this because 90 degree drops are awesome, and I've wanted to ride a dive coaster for a long time, but

    Maverick at Cedar Point has a 95 degree drop.

    90 degrees is no longer the limit of coaster engineering!

    "I am not young enough to know everything." - Oscar Wilde
    Real strong, facetious.

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  • ASimPersonASimPerson Cold... and hard.Registered User regular
    So I just got back from two solid days of roller coastering in LA.

    I rode Twisted Colossus at Magic Mountain and it is fantastic. The trick is getting an actual race going, but if it happens when you're on it, it's wonderful. X2 remains a fickle beast; I had one fantastic run on it and one run that was shaky just coming out of the station. Many of my buddies got their heads whacked pretty hard on it. Full Throttle is just great. I rode Tatsu at night in the front, which is almost certainly the best way to ride it.

    Day 2 was at Knott's, which just recently closed Ghost Rider for rehab so I didn't get to add another wooden coaster to my list. I'd never been to Knott's before and the main thing I admire is that it's got more character than any Six Flags I've been to, and it's cool to see how they've made use of the space they've been given. Xcelerator is pretty good and the top hat is fun, but I probably liked Silver Bullet better.

  • NiryaNirya Registered User regular
    Did you ride the new Voyage ride? I've heard it's real good. Also both Timber Mountain Log Ride and the Calico Mine Rides got separate million dollar refurbs to get them new state-of-the-art animatronics, which is really neat.

    Knotts is really doing a good job of plussing everything recently. Also Jaguar was my first ever non-Disney coaster, so I have a soft spot for the park.

    t70pctuqq2uv.png
    3DS: 2981-5304-3227
  • ASimPersonASimPerson Cold... and hard.Registered User regular
    edited September 2015
    Nirya wrote: »
    Did you ride the new Voyage ride? I've heard it's real good. Also both Timber Mountain Log Ride and the Calico Mine Rides got separate million dollar refurbs to get them new state-of-the-art animatronics, which is really neat.

    Knotts is really doing a good job of plussing everything recently. Also Jaguar was my first ever non-Disney coaster, so I have a soft spot for the park.

    I didn't do the Log Ride because I didn't want to get wet, which as it turns out was unfounded. The Mine Ride was neat, though if I ever do it again I need to sit on the other side of the car because I had to turn my head to see most of the scenes.

    Voyage to the Iron Reef was neat, but it probably made me more queasy than any of the roller coasters I went on over the course of the weekend. (Also, we did Knott's after we did Magic Mountain. This was part of an event thing, so we were at MM until 11:00 PM, drove down to Knott's and checked into the hotel there. I probably got 5 hours of sleep and then was at Knott's at 8:00. Suffice it to say, I wasn't in tip-top shape most of the day.) When my buddies went back to do it again I decided to do Silver Bullet and took a ride on the railroad.

    ASimPerson on
  • NiryaNirya Registered User regular
    Silver Bullet is really a fantastic roller coaster. We went on a marching band trip to Knotts once, and there was absolutely no one in the park, so my friends and I got to ride Silver Bullet about 7 times in a row without getting off. Walking was a bit challenging afterwards.

    t70pctuqq2uv.png
    3DS: 2981-5304-3227
  • GanluanGanluan Registered User regular
    I surprised my wife with a trip to Disneyworld for our 10th anniversary in a few months. We are big Disney fans who have been to Disneyland several times (we even went there on our honeymoon), and our last trip was with our son for the first time since he was a bit too young to really get into it before. The trip to Disneyworld is just for us this time though :D

    We've never been to Disneyworld, so we're really excited, but it's kind of overwhelming given the scope compared to Disneyland. We will be there for 6 nights and staying at the Grand Polynesian, which is supposedly good since it's near the monorail. If anyone has advice on restaurants or cool out of the way stuff, I'd love to hear it.

  • rhylithrhylith Death Rabbits HoustonRegistered User regular
    edited September 2015
    Ganluan wrote: »
    I surprised my wife with a trip to Disneyworld for our 10th anniversary in a few months. We are big Disney fans who have been to Disneyland several times (we even went there on our honeymoon), and our last trip was with our son for the first time since he was a bit too young to really get into it before. The trip to Disneyworld is just for us this time though :D

    We've never been to Disneyworld, so we're really excited, but it's kind of overwhelming given the scope compared to Disneyland. We will be there for 6 nights and staying at the Grand Polynesian, which is supposedly good since it's near the monorail. If anyone has advice on restaurants or cool out of the way stuff, I'd love to hear it.

    When are you going?

    Also if it's not too late to snag a reservation and you're willing to splurge and go all fancy for a milestone anniversary dinner, look into Victoria and Albert's. I haven't been able to go there personally, but i know a few forumers who give it rave reviews.

    rhylith on
  • ASimPersonASimPerson Cold... and hard.Registered User regular
    Nirya wrote: »
    Silver Bullet is really a fantastic roller coaster. We went on a marching band trip to Knotts once, and there was absolutely no one in the park, so my friends and I got to ride Silver Bullet about 7 times in a row without getting off. Walking was a bit challenging afterwards.

    I don't quite have the constitution required to just sit on a roller coaster and ride it consecutive times, but yeah, it's great.

  • GanluanGanluan Registered User regular
    rhylith wrote: »
    Ganluan wrote: »
    I surprised my wife with a trip to Disneyworld for our 10th anniversary in a few months. We are big Disney fans who have been to Disneyland several times (we even went there on our honeymoon), and our last trip was with our son for the first time since he was a bit too young to really get into it before. The trip to Disneyworld is just for us this time though :D

    We've never been to Disneyworld, so we're really excited, but it's kind of overwhelming given the scope compared to Disneyland. We will be there for 6 nights and staying at the Grand Polynesian, which is supposedly good since it's near the monorail. If anyone has advice on restaurants or cool out of the way stuff, I'd love to hear it.

    When are you going?

    Also if it's not too late to snag a reservation and you're willing to splurge and go all fancy for a milestone anniversary dinner, look into Victoria and Albert's. I haven't been able to go there personally, but i know a few forumers who give it rave reviews.

    I'll check that out, thank you. We booked a reservation at the California Grill as we heard good things about it, but still have some openings.

    We're going in late January, after kids are back in school and the marathon event is over. I booked it 7 months in advance so we could snag a Disney Vacation Club room instead of a regular room.

  • BlueBlueBlueBlue Registered User regular
    So my sister did not want to drive over last night - since I had the hotel and early Harry Potter stuff I figured I'd go ahead and go and just meet her when she got here

    Turns out at Universal Studios if you are Florida residents you must both present ids and must both be present to get any tickets

    Ha ha

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  • Ms DapperMs Dapper Yuri Librarian Registered User regular
    Tokyo Disney is having a special event for October where they have recruiters for the villains, which means they have people in Villain inspired costumes that look really cool!
    Ursla:
    tumblr_inline_nvb62lhM3x1qdvtbl_540.jpg

    Evil Queen from Snow White
    tumblr_inline_nvb6g5xJ8q1qdvtbl_540.jpg

    Queen of Hearts:
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    Cruella DeVille
    tumblr_inline_nvb82v4G671qdvtbl_540.png

    Maleficent:
    tumblr_inline_nvb6nw2Ufy1qdvtbl_540.jpg

    Frollo:
    tumblr_inline_nvb6r6936v1qdvtbl_540.jpg

    Hades:
    tumblr_inline_nvb6ycDG8H1qdvtbl_540.jpg

    Captain Hook:
    tumblr_inline_nvb77rHD7Q1qdvtbl_540.jpg

    Scar:
    tumblr_inline_nvb7a0pObW1qdvtbl_540.jpg

    Jafar:
    tumblr_inline_nvb7q2dAye1qdvtbl_540.jpg

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  • NiryaNirya Registered User regular
    See, now if Disneyland did stuff like that, I'd consider spending the money for their Halloween thing.

    But I'm going to Knotts Scary Farm near the end of October so it's fine I guess.

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  • SheriSheri Resident Fluffer My Living RoomRegistered User regular
    edited October 2015
    Noisymunk wrote: »
    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.

    I always get Love in an Elevator

    Maybe I'll ride it after work tomorrow

    Sheri on
  • SheriSheri Resident Fluffer My Living RoomRegistered User regular
    Ganluan wrote: »
    I surprised my wife with a trip to Disneyworld for our 10th anniversary in a few months. We are big Disney fans who have been to Disneyland several times (we even went there on our honeymoon), and our last trip was with our son for the first time since he was a bit too young to really get into it before. The trip to Disneyworld is just for us this time though :D

    We've never been to Disneyworld, so we're really excited, but it's kind of overwhelming given the scope compared to Disneyland. We will be there for 6 nights and staying at the Grand Polynesian, which is supposedly good since it's near the monorail. If anyone has advice on restaurants or cool out of the way stuff, I'd love to hear it.

    Hi yes you can PM me

    Also are you staying at the Grand Floridian or the Polynesian

    Probably good to clarify before you get here

  • ChiselphaneChiselphane Registered User regular
    I know this is an old thread (didn't see a newer one) but there was no mention of Silver Dollar City and that is unacceptable. The most beautiful park I've ever visited. It's a theme park in Branson,MO where the theme (1880s era hill country for the most part, with some nods to early 1900s as well) encompasses the entire park, there aren't 'worlds' per se, and it's used to great effect. They went to great lengths to incorporate the exiting natural elements, so in many places the park is literally still in a forest. It actually got its start from a giant cave structure, which is open for tours still and is HIGHLY recommended, especially the last tour of the day which is done by handheld lantern light.

    spoilered for size
    fcvpneyeqeiy.jpg

    Not the best pic but that stair structure is 4 stories tall, so you get an idea of the scale of it.

    It's definitely a 'family' style park but it has some world class coasters, including Outlaw Run which is easily a top 5 world wooden coaster, and my personal top coaster overall (it's that one in Facetious' post on the first page, the first two pictures with the corkscrew etc). It's fast, it does just crazy things for a wooden, and it screams like a banshee when you ride it. There's Powder Keg, a launched coaster, and Wildfire, which is a suspended coaster; both are good, maybe not *great* but they are built on the edge of the park where there's a very steep dropoff so the views are incredible and they make you feel like you're much higher up than you actually are. Thunderation is a mine coaster which is geared more towards kids but it still hauls around the curves, and at one point they had a car installed where you faced backwards, although that probably won't return. A lot of your typical other park rides which are largely themed to some degree or other, theres a particularly fun dark ride called Fire in the Hole which has some decent surprises in it the first time you ride.

    I won't go on about it for now although I could talk about it all day :)


  • facetiousfacetious a wit so dry it shits sandRegistered User regular
    I've been living in Williamsburg, VA since the start of the year, like 5 miles tops from Busch Gardens, but have been super broke and been unable to visit the park. A friend might be taking me on Wednesday. The last time I went to the park was 16 years ago when I was still terrified of rollercoasters, so I've always regretted missing out on some of them (also I'm sad I'll never get to ride Big Bad Wolf :(). I'll update with my experience!

    "I am not young enough to know everything." - Oscar Wilde
    Real strong, facetious.

    Steam: Chagrin LoL: Bonhomie
  • facetiousfacetious a wit so dry it shits sandRegistered 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.)

    ALSO ALERT ALERT MEAN STREAK IS SOON TO BE ABOLISHED. THIS IS THE BEST NEWS OF THE YEAR.

    "I am not young enough to know everything." - Oscar Wilde
    Real strong, facetious.

    Steam: Chagrin LoL: Bonhomie
  • NiryaNirya Registered User regular
    Great America up in Samta Clara opened up a Mass Effect 4D ride, and I somehow was there during opening weekend.

    Hot damn that was a garbage ride. I felt bad for the people I was with because the ride doesn't bother explaining anything that's happening or who anyone is, and even I was struggling with some of the stuff.

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  • ChiselphaneChiselphane Registered User regular
    Yet again necroing this thread but I have no park obsessed friends lol

    Universal Orlando made an official announcement of their 3rd park. (They have a to-me-annoying habit of referring to Volcano Bay as their 3rd but I don't count it as such). First new entire park in the US in something like 20 years. It's frustratingly short on actual detail but looks like Nintendo Land on the left, with a peek at the Donkey Kong coaster on the far left, which is rumored to have a jumping element. Then top left is an entire land devoted to Universal's classic monsters (Dracula, Frankenstein, etc) which holy crap I am super stoked for. Top right is Fantastic Beasts... which ok not as iconic as Hogsmeade/Diagon but a magic-infused old New York could still be cool. And bottom right is apparently a How To Train Your Dragon/ general Dreamworks area. Not the biggest fan but a viking/dragon themed land is probably going to at least look really cool, and that racing/dueling twin coaster has tons of potential.

    I'm really liking that they seem to be ditching connecting paths between the lands, and making you return to the hub. It creates a potential traffic problem but the tradeoff is greater immersion, keeping the 'lands' more self-contained allows for more detail. Think how Diagon Alley is handled, you can't see into it from outside, and you can't see the rest of the park from within; then apply that to an entire land. Great stuff. It's going to be hard wait.

    It's a big park too, as pictured it's bigger than either existing park. The parcel of land it's on is bigger than all their existing land combined so lot of room for the future. Also helps explain why they've built so many hotels in such a short time frame. It'll be interesting to see how they handle transportation; if they do anything besides buses. Some park friends have suggested light rail but I don't know if it'd be worth that amount of effort, it's not THAT far from the other parks.

    https://blog.universalorlando.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/BLOG_Image-Final-2.jpg

  • facetiousfacetious a wit so dry it shits sandRegistered User regular
    Jumping element...?!?

    Also I am back to living in Williamsburg and once again have a Busch season pass. They just officially announced their new coaster for next year, Pantheon, which will feature an element that's only on I think one other coaster in the world right now: fast-switching tracks, so that you launch forward up a hill, and while you do that the track changes behind you, then you roll back and launch backwards up a hill, then roll back forward and get launched again over the hill and continue.

    "I am not young enough to know everything." - Oscar Wilde
    Real strong, facetious.

    Steam: Chagrin LoL: Bonhomie
  • ChiselphaneChiselphane Registered User regular
    edited August 2019
    facetious wrote: »
    Jumping element...?!?

    Also I am back to living in Williamsburg and once again have a Busch season pass. They just officially announced their new coaster for next year, Pantheon, which will feature an element that's only on I think one other coaster in the world right now: fast-switching tracks, so that you launch forward up a hill, and while you do that the track changes behind you, then you roll back and launch backwards up a hill, then roll back forward and get launched again over the hill and continue.

    Yeah it's going to be incredible if they can pull it off. Basically the car you ride in is on its' own set of tracks that are for show, and the real wheels and track are below you. The link below shows a patent diagram where you can see a gap between the top tracks, and the bottom track rises up to simulate a jump over the gap.

    https://www.coaster101.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/universal-donkey-kong-coaster-patent.png

    And a clip of it in action, easier to parse:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=23&v=kAuVOvpC_kg

    Chiselphane on
  • Grey GhostGrey Ghost Registered User regular
    I went to Kings Dominion last weekend and rode the Intimidator 305
    It ruled! I almost greyed out!

  • facetiousfacetious a wit so dry it shits sandRegistered User regular
    I'm hoping to finally get to King's Dominion by the end of this summer. I'm only like an hour's drive away but I don't have a car...

    "I am not young enough to know everything." - Oscar Wilde
    Real strong, facetious.

    Steam: Chagrin LoL: Bonhomie
  • CelloCello Registered User regular
    edited August 2019
    Grey Ghost wrote: »
    I went to Kings Dominion last weekend and rode the Intimidator 305
    It ruled! I almost greyed out!

    Twisted Timbers was also very cool and I didn't cry once, I'll have you all know

    Cello on
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  • KetBraKetBra Dressed Ridiculously Registered User regular
    I am going to Fuji Q Highland next weekend and I am puuumped for all the rollercoastering I will be doing

    KGMvDLc.jpg?1
  • KetBraKetBra Dressed Ridiculously Registered User regular
    KetBra wrote: »
    I am going to Fuji Q Highland next weekend and I am puuumped for all the rollercoastering I will be doing

    Fuji Q is real fun y'all

    It's got some quality roller coasters

    0n64qpg71kcj.jpg

    KGMvDLc.jpg?1
  • MagellMagell Detroit Machine Guns Fort MyersRegistered User regular
    I went to Busch Gardens a couple weeks ago and went on Tigris. It's a pretty cool ride and you spend a lot of it feeling weightless.

    I'm going up to Universal in a couple days and hopefully this time the Hagrid ride will be working and I'll finally get to try it out.

  • DJ EebsDJ Eebs Moderator, Administrator admin
    I read someone's article that was like "i waited nine hours to ride the hagrid ride and it wasn't worth it"

  • MagellMagell Detroit Machine Guns Fort MyersRegistered User regular
    Nothing is worth that much of a wait. So if there's a real wait I'll just ride something else.

  • ChiselphaneChiselphane Registered User regular
    You wait 9 hours for a ride so that you can announce to other people that you waited 9 hours for a ride.

  • MagellMagell Detroit Machine Guns Fort MyersRegistered User regular
    I tried going a week after it opened and when the park opened you were funneled right into the line for the ride and then it was having technical difficulties. So a bunch of people stayed in the line and then I just went on other rides that didn't have any wait time. It was nice.

    Forbidden Journey is like the best ride and I rode it twice in a row with no wait time since I went in the single rider line.

  • KaplarKaplar On Google MapsRegistered User regular
    KetBra wrote: »
    KetBra wrote: »
    I am going to Fuji Q Highland next weekend and I am puuumped for all the rollercoastering I will be doing

    Fuji Q is real fun y'all

    It's got some quality roller coasters

    0n64qpg71kcj.jpg

    Holy hell that is a drop.

  • DJ EebsDJ Eebs Moderator, Administrator admin
    You wait 9 hours for a ride so that you can announce to other people that you waited 9 hours for a ride.

    Her deal was, apparently, that she wanted to ride all the Harry Potter rides in one day. I think at some point, she was like, "fuck it, I can write something about this"

  • ChiselphaneChiselphane Registered User regular
    Magell wrote: »
    I tried going a week after it opened and when the park opened you were funneled right into the line for the ride and then it was having technical difficulties. So a bunch of people stayed in the line and then I just went on other rides that didn't have any wait time. It was nice.

    Forbidden Journey is like the best ride and I rode it twice in a row with no wait time since I went in the single rider line.

    FJ is great but I have to close my eyes during the video portions or I legit get motion sickness. And I can handle the other screen rides fine, it's just that one that does it. I'd hate to be a ride op on that one

  • KetBraKetBra Dressed Ridiculously Registered User regular
    Kaplar wrote: »
    KetBra wrote: »
    KetBra wrote: »
    I am going to Fuji Q Highland next weekend and I am puuumped for all the rollercoastering I will be doing

    Fuji Q is real fun y'all

    It's got some quality roller coasters

    0n64qpg71kcj.jpg

    Holy hell that is a drop.

    Yeah that ride (Eejanaika) was definitely one of my favourite roller coasters I've been on. The seats in the cart stick out from the central rails, and so also rotate during the ride, meaning you're looking backwards as you're going up the ascent, and then straight down for the drop. It's great.

    KGMvDLc.jpg?1
  • NiryaNirya Registered User regular
    KetBra wrote: »
    Kaplar wrote: »
    KetBra wrote: »
    KetBra wrote: »
    I am going to Fuji Q Highland next weekend and I am puuumped for all the rollercoastering I will be doing

    Fuji Q is real fun y'all

    It's got some quality roller coasters

    0n64qpg71kcj.jpg

    Holy hell that is a drop.

    Yeah that ride (Eejanaika) was definitely one of my favourite roller coasters I've been on. The seats in the cart stick out from the central rails, and so also rotate during the ride, meaning you're looking backwards as you're going up the ascent, and then straight down for the drop. It's great.

    Oh, it’s a 4D coaster? I thought that track looked a lot like X2 that we have out here at Magic Mountain.

    t70pctuqq2uv.png
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  • Sir PlatypusSir Platypus Registered User regular
    Just booked my hotel and tickets for Universal Orlando. First time in 10 years and first Halloween Horror Nights. I loved Jaws, T2:3D, and Dueling Dragons, but I hope the Harry Potter lands make up for it. I'm waiting for the charge to hit my card before I complete the trip with flight and Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween, which will be the first time I've been there since the castle was a dang cake.

    I'm gonna have a good ole spooky theme park time!

  • ChiselphaneChiselphane Registered User regular
    Just booked my hotel and tickets for Universal Orlando. First time in 10 years and first Halloween Horror Nights. I loved Jaws, T2:3D, and Dueling Dragons, but I hope the Harry Potter lands make up for it. I'm waiting for the charge to hit my card before I complete the trip with flight and Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween, which will be the first time I've been there since the castle was a dang cake.

    I'm gonna have a good ole spooky theme park time!

    I'd pay dearly to recapture going into Diagon Alley for the first time. If you're at all a Potter fan you're in for a real treat.

  • MagellMagell Detroit Machine Guns Fort MyersRegistered User regular
    I have gone on Hagrid's coaster and its great. The queue is really well themed, but I went right as the park opened and was only in line for about 45 minutes.

    When I get home I'll probably make a more detailed post.

  • KrieghundKrieghund Registered User regular
    Magell wrote: »
    I tried going a week after it opened and when the park opened you were funneled right into the line for the ride and then it was having technical difficulties. So a bunch of people stayed in the line and then I just went on other rides that didn't have any wait time. It was nice.

    Forbidden Journey is like the best ride and I rode it twice in a row with no wait time since I went in the single rider line.

    FJ is great but I have to close my eyes during the video portions or I legit get motion sickness. And I can handle the other screen rides fine, it's just that one that does it. I'd hate to be a ride op on that one

    Is that what the issue is? Because I'm fine on the Gringotts ride, but man, Journey sometimes gets me really motion sick. Even Transformers gets me a little sick every now and then. I was figuring it me just getting older and not being able to handle the rides anymore.

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