500' Barrier Ever to Be Breached?

We should be looking towards the Asian markets to see the 500' barrier broken. Their parks are growing rapidly, they have the capital to make that kind of investment, and they are playing the "one upmanship" game that we experienced here in the States from the 80's until the last decade.

One thing I know for fact is a certain theme park CEO has made the determination that $30 million coasters simply are not smart investments. That is not to say they never will be built, it just will be a rare occurance. For instance, there is a park in the USA that recently lost out on receiving a major new coaster and that contract was shifted to another park simply because it was deemed not feasible or appropriate to build a major coaster at said original park. One's loss is anothers gain but this defintely is a shift in thinking from some leaders in the industry.

What you're describing sounds like a new ride, so you must not talking about Dorney...

Is it wrong that I really, really want the park that recently lost out on receiving a major new coaster to be Michigan's Adventure?

Ensign Smith said:
What you're describing sounds like a new ride, so you must not talking about Dorney...

Yes, we only get recycled inverts. Lol

I wouldn't be surprised to see a Vegas resort build the first 500 footer.

I would. Vegas has been trying to revert back to trendy sex, alcohol and gambling. A coaster is not any of those things.

Yeah, when was the last coaster built there? Over a decade ago?

Re-building Speed: The Ride and a new giant wheel is not trendy sex, alcohol, nor gambling. One of those is a coaster.

Lord Gonchar said:

Yeah, I actually think this is dead on.

I think we're going to see more novelty in layouts and design than in height and speed.

No we won't. That causes poor capacity and we all know that'll kill off the parks ;).

Ensign Smith said:

What you're describing sounds like a new ride, so you must not talking about Dorney...

LOL, My first thought was the rumor that Leviathan was originally intended for Knotts.

Re-building Speed: The Ride and a new giant wheel is not trendy sex, alcohol, nor gambling. One of those is a coaster.

Yes, but key word here is 're-building'. If I can get a cheap coaster to bring some business into my new smallish entertainment venue and only move it a couple miles down the strip, that's WAY different than what the rest of Vegas is doing.

City Center has no rides or similar attractions. Neither does any other big proposed resort or cluster of resorts planned or under construction in Vegas.

And Speed hasn't been rebuilt just yet. I hope it definitely does get rebuilt, and I hope Premier removes the OTSRs, but it isn't a done deal till the first launch.

Kill off the parks? I never even implied that... Ever. I thought that you wanted me to drop it, and here you are bringing up (and mis-stating) my valid opinion for me?

I have no intention of annoying you or anyone else. I just type my thoughts in this window and hit the submit button. Ironically, now you are annoying me.

If you can't think for yourself once in a while, at least don't disrespect those who do.

LostKause said:

I thought that you wanted me to drop it, and here you are bringing up (and mis-stating) my valid opinion for me?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPw-3e_pzqU

Plus they're moving the ride from one ass-end of the strip to the other. Everyone knows the sex is at the middle now. That's where the attractive people hang out.

Since multiple people have mentioned Maverick being a new standard in ride design, "bigger is not always better," I just wanted to point out that since then we have Griffon (same year), Diamondback, Behemoth, Leviathan, Intimidator 305, Intimidator, New Texas Giant, etc.

We've seen some new designs that are smaller like Verbolten, Cheetah Hunt, and the B&M wing coasters but for as great as Maverick is, I don't see a new trend starting just yet.

LostKause said:

Kill off the parks? I never even implied that... Ever.

It was an exaggeration. It was meant to be a joke. Remove the bunched up underoos from your butt crack.

I thought that you wanted me to drop it, and here you are bringing up (and mis-stating) my valid opinion for me?

In ten years you've never dropped it, I was supposed to think that finally you were done? And who said it couldn't be brought up again by either of us? I missed the memo from Jeff.

I have no intention of annoying you or anyone else. I just type my thoughts in this window and hit the submit button. Ironically, now you are annoying me.

Okay, I'm going to get real for a second. First, I don't care that I'm annoying you. Honestly, Travis, you've been posting the same nonsense for the last ten years. Your opinion is fine. No one said it was invalid. But you oft herald the apocalypse. FOL Access is bad and parks will pay. Low capacity rides are disservices to customers. They do that so people will HAVE to buy FOL. Eventually the parks will learn.

I'm sorry, isn't that what you've been arguing for years? And every time we point out that it's fine not to like it but the parks aren't hurting as you so adamantly claim they're eventually going to be. Opinions are fine. Complaining sucks.

If you can't think for yourself once in a while, at least don't disrespect those who do.

So because several people don't agree with your opinions we're all victims of groupthink, but you're one of the lone rebels out there bucking the system, thinking for yourself?

That's beyond annoying. That's self righteous bull ****.

And don't worry, I won't spend the next ten years getting on your nerves.

Tekwardo said:
Remove the bunched up underoos from your butt crack.

You don't get to make comments like that and not be called out. If you could all kindly put your shirts back on and be civil to each other, that'd be great.

Ditch the inflammatory tone or you all go to bed without dinner.

*secretly glad no one has noticed I'm wearing underoos*

Pretty sure we just breached some sort of barrier, nothing to do with roller coasters.

Lord Gonchar said:

*secretly glad no one has noticed I'm wearing underoos*

You know they make them for adults now, right? I have Superman & Batman & Flash...

I'm conflicted. I'm trying to understand why I just felt compelled to plus-one Gonch for wearing underoos while at the same time not particularly regretting my decision to do so.