downunder

Glad you had a good second day at Cedar Point, I've been there when there was no wait for anything and that's just gold. I went to Great America last year, luckily we had gold q-bots because it would have been awful otherwise for lines. You really dodged a bullet on Iron Wolf, that coaster is terrible and rough. I had another awesome coaster tour in August, so it's really cool to read your reports, it really brings back memories.

^Oops, I meant Tom the guy who started the thread, sorry Cadboy. Looking like the Dull Knight, hopefully I'll get the credit during ERT and then forget about it. I think Six Flags has copped the tip and won't be buiding any more - you could have built a much better coaster for the dosh they splashed out on that.

^I think you are incapable of telling a tongue in cheek remark from a serious one. Do you think I'd seriously risk potentially copping an assault charge and a criminal record because of some overzealous ride op, I don't think so - I'd just complain if I felt strongly enough. Back on topic, I'll be back at Great Adventure in August - we have been advised this week that we have ERT on El Toro (and possibly Kingda Ka and Dark Knight) as well as having Gold Flash Passes for the day, so it should be a great day as long as the weather holds out. Cadboy, on top of your review of Dark Knight, it seems quite unaminous that it is a bit average to put it mildly. The bigger shame is that Dark Kight replaced Chiller, which was a really good coaster (based on my rides on the Robin side), fair enough it was very problematic for the park, but still a real shame.

I went on a vertical speed slide at Wet and Wild Orlando with a trap door and that was nerve racking enough let alone having a loop as well, I'd definitely go for it.

Fire, but only just, I thought Fire was just a little more intense but there really wan't that much of a difference from what I can remember from 2004.

Probably with El Toro and Nitro you have to be careful, I saw a guys sunnies float off his face on Nitro though he managed to catch them before they flew away. Cedar Point lets you wear glasses on anything even Dragster as long as you have a strap. I think it varies from state to state in the US, for example at Knott's, another Cedar Fair park, won't let you wear glasses even with a strap. I'm suspicious that MW is making a lot of money out of those lockers at SE.

If it had been a guy I would have decked him, but a reasonably cute girl - I'll let her off.

Next time I will say "rendered incapable of reproduction". In my experience SE has the most draconian rider restrictions I have come across in the world, this girl thought I had stuff in my pockets when I go in my seat so I had to stand up and she padded me down including my back pockets. I would have been really pissed off if a guy op had done that. Even X lets you have your wallet in your back pocket, and believe you are in danger of losing your wallet on that ride. It will be interesting to see what GAdv operations are like this year I haven't been there since their operations allegedly stopped being totally crap.

Front row is worth the wait for KK as it is much better than anywhere else on the train though you are increasing the odds of getting hit with a breakdown with a longer wait. I'm glad I did a Gold Flash pass the last time I visited in 2006 because I swear continents moved faster than the regular KK line. From what I hear operations on KK are much more improved now. I prefer exclusively front row for floorless or inverts, and front or back row for all other coasters - though most woodies I have been on seem better in the back like El Toro, Voyage, Hades, Cornball Express, and Cyclops. Avalanche was the only woodie I have been that was better in the front than back though it has really short trains. The third row in the front train on Magnum is called the ejector seat and for good reason, you should have seen the look on one of my friens faces last year when he did the ejector seat on his first ride on Magnum, he just about got neutered.

I don't see Kingda Ka's height record being broken any time soon, though with all the cashed up development in Dubai who knows what will happen there. I believe the German coaster (and it only barely scrapes in as being classified as a coaster) Racecoaster will beat the speed record but is low to the ground. As far as Kingda Ka's launch goes Top Thrill Dragster is more intense and that was the consensus from everyone I know who has done both including myself. There is three pulses with Kingda Ka whereas Dragter is one big pulse. Also I found that KK is very shaky (except towards the front) which takes away some of the sensation of speed. When I go back this year, will I ride KK, yes but probably only a couple of times max. El Toro on the other hand I plan on spending most of the day riding, Nitro will get some attention as well. All other rides will get one go at best as I have ridden them all before except for Dark Knight. A Gold Flash Pass and ERT will certainly improve the day as long as the weather co-operates.

Kingda Ka has also been called Kinda Krap (bad downtime in the past), and Kingda Klosed (which spoiled my first visit after it opened). Good to Dark Knight is just the Dull Knight, I'm going again this year so I'll just ride and forget about. I love El Toro, I'll be riding Superman Ride of Steel and El Toro within a day of each other (rather than a year apart) so I can finally make a definitive decision for my # 1 coaster. That bus service from PABT is really handy, it makes it so easy to get there - I caught the first one at 7.30am and got there nice and early. Also I used a Gold Flash Pass last visit and it was worth every cent, I wouldn't go there without one if the lines are long.

For what it is, it looks OK, but it it is not enough to make me visit DW anytime soon.

The song by Midnight Oil called River Runs Red is in my mind for some reason? At Luna Park Sydney, the old Big Dipper did derail not long before the Ghost Train Fire. Most coasters have upstop wheels these days that should stop derailment, though a Final Destination 3 style catastrophic structure failure could theoretically happen, just remember if it's your time, don't dodge the reaper.

The latest incarnation of LP is pretty weak, the tools who live on the cliff line above LP shut down the big dipper for noise reasons but I think it was more about Big Dipper blocking their view and reducing property values. I used to work at North Sydney when the big dipper was going up, so each day on the train I could see the progress, which was cool. Developers have been trying to get their hands on that piece of land for a long time and little by little they are. A Eurofighter or an exciting indoor coaster (can't complain about noise then) would be great but I don't think there is any chance of that happening.

I agree with being open a bit longer, and it would probably give them justification to increase the admission price a bit. Wild West Falls would be great for Halloween there is so much they could do with that like they do at Knott's. I hope they add some mazes (did have they any this year?) and stuff like that in coming years, which might spread the crowd out a bit more. If I hear it is going to be better next year (I was impressed with this year from the photos), I might even come up for it.

Having ridden a large number of woodies this year, I thought I might be qualified to comment. 1. There has never been a decent woodie in Australia, though I was too young to remember what the Sydney Luna Park original Big Dipper was like, so it's hard to judge woodies on Australian ones. 2. GCI woodies are great, if Kentucky Rumbler was any indication of their quality. 3. Intamin Pre-fabricated woodies like El Toro are unbelievable. 4. Woodies can suck if they were badly designed and/or not well maintained. 5. Woodies can be great if they are well maintained and were well designed, even if the are old, Phoenix at Knoebels was originally built in 1948 and that is still great by all reports.

When Cyclone was at Luna Park you had to walk up stairs to get to the load platform as well, the cliff was on the other side. I can't remember if there stuff like sideshows underneath the platform, possibly the logic of doing it that way was to keep the queue off the midway or maybe to have a shorter lift hill but it seemed odd when it was at Luna Park. Regarding second hand rides, I don't care if it's second hand or new as long as it is a good ride, and IMO Chiller certainly was a good ride.

Unfortunately I have only been able to ride the Robin side and I really liked it, the ride was intense, this was while it still had the zero g roll. I believe some of the problems were with the LIM's, from what I have heard the power drain if they launched both sides at the same time could take out the power grid. I have heard all kinds of stories about LIM's and their power consumption, like that Wicked Twister eats up $50 worth of electricity every ride. Maybe someone more knowledgeable than I can enlighten us? As far being at Movie World I wouldn't mind at all, at 200 foot high I am not sure if this is pushing the limit on height restrictions imposed on Movie World? I really liked the ride, and with a little more TLC than what Six Flags was giving maybe it could be a star. I have been impressed with the two Premier launched coasters I have been on, the other being Flight Of Fear at King's Island which was a fun ride, though if it had still had over the shoulder restraints I would still be in a coma.

I went on Deluge, the hydro coaster at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom last month and that broke down just before I got on it (must have been Alvey and all the big boys riding it) it appeared to be something to do with the conveyor belt at that one. I'm surprised something that is realtively simple like that could break down.

Maverick probably isn't big at 105 feet tall but boy it was good. Top Thrill Dragster owns Kingda Ka, it such a better ride, Dragster was the ride that got me over to Cedar Point.

Let me think about that, first I must consider my top ten: 1. Superman Ride of Steel @ SFNE - Intamin 2. El Toro - Intamin 3. Maverick - Intamin 4. Top Thrill Dragster - Intamin 5. Millennium Force - Intamin 6. X - Arrow 7. Nitro - B & M 8. Magnum XL-200 - Arrow 9. Superman Escape - Intamin 10. Storm Runner - Intamin Not sure, but I think I'll have to go with Intamin. I think the Dive Machine from B & M would make the top ten if I had been on one & Raptor and some other inverts just miss out. B & M have forceful inverts, and without considering their Dive Machine, the rest of their stuff isn't that forceful (relatively speaking) and they all mostly have the same layout with their loopers. If an intamin used Nitro's layout it would be the most insane ride ever.

I haven't been on that many good woodies, I have Ride of Steel and El Toro neck and neck at 1 and 2, I'd rather ride El Toro than any other steel coaster except Ride of Steel, but El Toro is probably not indicative of the average woodie. Going down the list, the standout woodies I have ridden are Ghostrider and Lightning Racer which are well behind my favourite steel coasters, but I think when a wood coaster is done right like El Toro it can be as good or better than most steel coasters. I will be riding Voyage, Hades, Avalanche and many other more top class conventional woodies next month so I will have more information to base my preference on. Most of the woodies I have ridden so far have been mediocre and or at worst jackhammering spine snappers.

Glad you had a great time at Cedar Point, brings back memories of my first time there, going around Cedar Drive past Millennium Force and looking up at it is just awesome. I'll be there for my fourth visit next month, rides aside I think it is a wonderful spot.

I find I don't have a problem if I keep my head back, though it helps that my head is mostly above the restraints. On my last two visits I have only ridden in the front so I don't know if it is better there, from a heading banging perspective. It's still a reasonably good ride but it would be nice if they modified the restraints a bit for rider comfort.

I went on sat June 9 and SE had a particularly bad day, it tested in the morning but before anyone could get on, there was a fire alarm (I don't know if there was an actual fire) and they herded everyone back to the fountain because they said a fire truck was coming. It broke down another three times that I know of, including one that required evac of riders from the launch position. It was a particularly cold day, which I know doesn't agree with Intamin rockets.