Going to SFMM for first time. Any Tips?

Is Knotts still open?

If you want maximum ride time, do as I did when I went this year. I call this tactic Ring around the park.

#1) Get there early before the park opens, and hit X (Front seat is a MUST on this ride. Unlike any other front seat ride out there). Then ride Viper.

#2) After X, go to De Ja Vu (if open), and ride on the outer seats, great ride.

#3) Make like a mountain goat up the hill (hold on, I'm still catching my breath) towards superman. I got 2 straight rides on that (the ride op let me stay on) and one of them I was the only person on the coaster.

#4) Ninja. Not a bad ride.

#5) RR, great ride, really bad on the calfs.

#6) Batman

#7) Goliath (Line is hard to explain. You'll see it. Not too bad of a wait, even in the middle of the day. It's a combo of rows and twists, but the entire line is never used) This ride is in need of Paint!

#8) Scream (roughest B&M I've ever been on, not smooth at all) and Colossus.

#9) Hit up Revolution. This ride is great, front seat is awesome. I love how this coaster is cut into the hill so nicely. Hopefully, Tatsu will be like it.

Final analisis. The park is a 3 out of 5 stars for me. While the coasters are cool, there are no thrill rides. I was done with all the coasters before noon, I had planned on spending 2 days at the park. I think I spent so little time in thanks to the fact that I was on the first X train of the day, so while everyone was still in line @ X, I was walking onto every other coaster in the park. Fun day. Like CP, it seems that the more coasters you have, the less you wait in most lines.

I thought The Rattler (Hydra @ Dorney) and Dominatrix (Batinator @ GL) were the roughest B&Ms with Scream! trailing those and being much more fun. Not sure what went wrong with the floorlesses after Medusa and Kraken.

+Danny

Tim, no, cause moosh referred you to it ;).

I would actually recomend anyone to SFMM, but I'd also tell them to not expect anything great. They do have decent coasters, and it is worth the time for your first time. At least now I know what to expect if/when I go back.

italianstallion, on Scream, what row did you sit in? I find the front much more smoother than the other rows. CP's Mantis was smooth in the front, and a bit rough in the back. And I thought that B&M was perfectly smooth. Guess I was wrong.

/\ On the contrare, most of my best and smoothest rides on Scream! were taken in the very back row. The front in my experience on the ride, rattles around too much. It's not a horrible ride in the front row, but the back gives the best kick on Scream! However, on Batman The Ride and The Riddler's Revenge, your best rides will definitely be in the first row.

I rolled in the back on scream and the front on RR and Batman. Scream was just not as smooth as the other B&Ms I've been on, more headbanging. I've ridden in the back on Medusa and batman @ SFNE, and those were smooth rides. But, the back on Scream was just not cutting the B&M standards from what I thought. Maybe B&M is starting to make their rides rough to keep from spoiling people with smooth coasters...Nah!

EDIT: I only rode Scream that one time. I didn't really like the parking lot theme they had going on there. *** Edited 10/23/2005 3:47:34 PM UTC by italianstallion***

A tip?

Don't laugh.

Viper: your going to have to look at other parks websites if you want to know hours and what not, We're not going to do all the homework for you.

Ditto to what others said.

X should be your first stop asap, then make your way around the park. Everyone runs to X when the gates drop so be ready for the running of the bulls marathon.

For some odd reason when I have been there both times, Goliath was a walk on which was sweeeeeet.

I bet Batman the Dark Knight is rougher than Scream! :)

Anyways, I'd check on "X" like the poster above said since it valleyed.

I think Revolution may be closed due to Tatsu construction too, but don't hold me on that. *** Edited 10/24/2005 6:27:34 PM UTC by Willh51***

/\ Yup, Revolution is closed due to its close proximity to Tatsu's construction site. Same said for Roaring Rapids and Orient Express.

Ride X in back. The first drop is Captain Insano.

Oh yeah, on X, is one side of train facing forward and the other backward?

No. And let me save you some time and answer all the other questions you're bound to ask about SFMM and the park's rides:

1] Yes, counter-clockwise.
2] Yes, if it's cold.
3] Don't count on it.
4] Pretty rough.
5] Probably only one side.
6] It's been closed for years.
7] It's been closed for years, too.
8] No, the ride isn't offered for FastLane.
9] Laughing Dragon if open, otherwise Mooseburger Lodge.
10] An hour before opening.
11] Yes, at the interstate exit for the park.
12] Sunday.
13] Probably not.
14] 70 minutes without traffic.

There....that should do it ;)

I don't quite get the 'roughest B&M' rap that Scream gets.. I thought it was the smoothest of the floorlesses that I've been on (granted, that's only 3..) For me it goes Scream, Hydra, Medusa in order of smoothest to roughest (with Medusa far behind the other 2 in roughness). As far as B&Ms in general across types, I still find Medusa and B:TR @ GAdv rougher than Scream (Is it something GAdv does to their older Beemers?).

Perhaps I just caught Scream on a good day. Perhaps my opinions will change in March when I can take a lap or 2 on everything again. (insert obligatory 'YMMV' here)

EDIT: The 't' key is too close to the 'r' key. *self-bop* *** Edited 10/25/2005 4:20:07 AM UTC by dannerman***