2004 the year of the Mouse?

I call the year the "Year of the Mouse". It seems we have entered the post coaster revolution. Gone are the days of more inversion, Taller lift hills, and parks willing to tale risks on new coaster technologies. Do you think TTD was last of the coaster wars or do you think that we are just in an "OFF" season?

So you consider the building of Storm Runner, Silver Bullet, and Thunderhead an "OFF" season? Granted, that is only 3 big new coasters, but I think parks are just wising up and starting to realize that its not always the big coasters that bring crowds. You have to please everyone.

*** Edited 1/17/2004 7:06:34 PM UTC by MarimbaGuy87***

Agreed. And it seems to be the small parks, for the most part, putting in the mouse coasters. These are a good investment for these parks, they present a new coaster to their local market while not costing and exstrodinary amount of money. They also provide a more family friendly ride, something the smaller parks like.

Now if only Knoebels would put in a wooden wild mouse ;)

BTW, I can name all of the democratic candidates :(

*** Edited 1/17/2004 7:14:31 PM UTC by Black 7***

Cedar "Counter" Point - you are making those outlandish statements based on what 2004 is like? That's really stupid. Just 'cause we have one or more mouses coming in one season doesn't mean it's the end of rollercoaster progression altogether...

Well I can see what he is saying. I can think of six new spinning mice for 2004, which is perhaps their biggest year to date. I think the death of 'big coasters' is a bit of a stetch though.

There are also a lot of waterpark related additions going up in 2004 (Boomerang Bay, Tornado waterslides, Soak City additions, Castaway Bay,...) if you're talking about "general park" things, but for the majority of coasters overall, there are a few woodies going up for 2004 as well- Thunderhead, Tsunami, Falken, Wild Mouse, and the new one in the Dells and Mont Saint Sauveur.

I can only think of 5 mice opening in 2004- Cheetah Chase at BGT, Crazy Mouse at DelGrosso's, the Reverchon coming to Great America, Wild Mouse at Luna, and Jungle Coaster at Legoland Windsor,... Maybe you're counting "spinning coasters" from Gerstlauer and Maurer-Sohne as well, but they aren't actually mice.

Don't forget that as far as "major coasters" go, Borg Assimilator at Carowinds, Gauntlet at Magic Springs, Golden Lion at Tivoli, Triton at Big Chief, and Revenge of the Mummy at USF and USH are opening as well. There are also the "mini" Flyers coming to PCW, Prater, and Rye plus a couple "new" Boomerangs opening overseas. It's really an interesting year that's really all over the place in variety of attractions being added. I can't wait to see what response the Intamin Half Pipe coaster gets at SFEG.

On your side, more parks are realizing that "families" visit as well and that's why the smaller coasters and flat rides are opening at parks that have added "bigger" lately like SFGAm and SFOG.

-Danny

I like how on this site people can't disagree with out someone having to bash someone. Anyway I wouldn't say its an off year who says mouse coasters aren't any good some of them can be just as fun as any other coaster.

Get over it... disagreement isn't "bashing" unless you're a spineless blob that can't take disagreement.

I don't think there are enough mouse rides. I say build more. Of the parks I frequent or live close to, Kennywood is the only one that has one.

And there never were any coaster wars, only the realization that building really big coasters was good for business.

Well as long as Gerstlauer keeps building those arsekicking mouse coasters I'm all for it...

OK...Here's one for everyone to ponder. Why haven't we seen anymore mouse rides like the one made by Vekoma at Idlewild? That's a great version of the mouse.

Wood - anything else is an imitation

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Thrillerman said:
OK...Here's one for everyone to ponder. Why haven't we seen anymore mouse rides like the one made by Vekoma at Idlewild? That's a great version of the mouse.

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That's an easy one. 'Cause they don't sell those anymore.

I think until more mice like Arrow's Mad Mouse are on the market, these things won't hit off like they can. Until these companies realise that it's not about purposely painful turns and drops, it's about tight and fast turns and drops, without the pain. Mack and Maurer Sohne need to get something new - their design essentially hasn't changed since the 1950's.

I've never ridden the Arrow design, but it looks a heck of a lot more graceful and smooth, and faithful to the concept of the Wild Mouse. Gerstlauer too are onto something with G'sengte Sau, the hybrid mouse, but I think until certainly Mack wake up and get something a little more modern, the mouse won't take off like it has the capacity to, particularly while the industry, and economy are as they are (or have been).

I'd say next year is the year of the Mouse, with Disneyland's 50th and resort-wide improvements and additions at WDW.

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auscoasterman said:

I've never ridden the Arrow design, but it looks a heck of a lot more graceful and smooth, and faithful to the concept of the Wild Mouse.

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The Arrow was, IMHO the roughest type of mouse I've ridden. Lots of painful transitions and bottoming out that was real painful on the tushy.

The Reverchon spinners were IMHO my favorite.

The only thing that CAN be proven is the fact that the number of coaster installations this year is down from the past two seasons. However, that being said, 2005 just might make up for the 2004 season.

-Dho

Guess looks can be deceiving. Well, I think they're on the right track with the banking and the more flowing looking design.

I just remembered that new Gerstlauer mouse, "Vilda Musen", the crazy one that uses the Schwarzkopf coaster for support. Now that looks like a mouse. They need to go further abroad and share their magic... or does this thing too have roughness issues? :)

I've ridden two of the Reverchon things, and I thought for the most part that they're pretty uninteresting, and the spinning novelty largely wears off by the end, with the exception of that last little dip which you take still spinning. *** Edited 1/18/2004 4:41:28 AM UTC by auscoasterman***

I really LOVED the Arrow mice at MiA and MBP...other than Kennywood's, my favorite mice...for me the banking was a big improvement, esp. compared to the vicious braking that takes place on MOST other mice. Of course, Bob's ridden different Arrow mice than I have.

I'm more looking forward to the *spinning non-mice* than to any "real mice", spinning or not.

I've ridden 2 mice...SFKK's Maurer Sohne and Lake Winnie's L&T Systems versions. The verdict...I have to say I'm not down with them. I would prefer riding a mine train, Jumbo Jet or a Schwarzy Wildcat instead if it's going to be a smaller type "family" coaster. Hmmm...that could all change if I ever get to ride one of the spinning versions. Is it possible to replace the non-spinning stock with spinning stock on older mice? I imagine some of the upper track supports were built too close to lower tracks to allow for spinning stock.

I think we could be seeing new mice in '04 because of the Reverchon's at AK. I wonder if Disney is starting to think that it was a slight mistake in installing the ride('s)? After a lot of parks get spinning mice, they are hardly going to be as unique to Disney as before.

I LOVE Reverchon's sinning mice. I've had only intense rides on KW's Exterminator. The widely known secret is to unbalance the weight in the RV; everyone knows that, right?

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Jeff said:

And there never were any coaster wars, only the realization that building really big coasters was good for business.

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I can name many "big" coasters that didn't do good for a parks business. Also depends how ur defining big. Big as in track length or height or both? *** Edited 1/18/2004 7:15:25 AM UTC by DorneyDante***

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DorneyDante said:I can name many "big" coasters that didn't do good for a parks business. Also depends how ur defining big. Big as in track length or height or both? *** Edited 1/18/2004 7:15:25 AM UTC by DorneyDante***

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Well, I think he means "big" just as in "big" like in a general sense of the word.

An attraction that sets a new record is obviously going to make people a little more curious about it than one that doesn't, but regardless, when any attraction that the general public would consider to be "big" is put into a park, it helps.