As coasters get taller and taller...
Why don't you stay home and ride your sofa?
-Nate (who loves Intamin but will stand by B&M's being the smoothest, most perfectly-engineered rides in the industry)
There are two things you are all overlooking is this..
#1.. Dispite what your think and what your park PR friends tell you. Parks don't care about what the "enthusiast" want and will ride in a park. You don't make up as much of thier revenue stream as you think. The general public spends alot more PER visit and there are more of them. Simple economics..
#2.. 6 min. rides, while they sound like a great idea to us, and aside from the cost factor obviously, capacity becomes a HUGE issue. Now before you say "they can add enough blocks to they can run 9 trains at once" think about this. Do you REALLY want 9 trains with 38 people out on the course when you go down for mechanical reasons? You are talking 342 possibly upset guests right off the bat. Not to mention if it is an extended period of time, you now need personel to ALL those locations to help with either a walk-down or to reassure them all is goign to be ok. Just tellign them over a speaker isn't enough. God fobid you have to have a walk-down with all your trains loaded..
It would be a LONG day in the park operations office taking care of guest complaints..
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June 11th, 2001 - Gemini 100
VertiGo Rides - 82
Technical Services - 2002
Frightzone Screamster - 2002
superman said:
But what's the point in making a 400 ft ride if the first drop doesn't give you the experience of dropping 400 ft?
I'm reminded of Manhatten Express when I read this
You could have both, a huge drop, going back up to almost full height and then winding down a very twisted path, like the Flight of Fear coasters do (go back up to almost full height then wind down picking up speed).
For the record, im another on that think Millenium Forces layout could have had a lot more creativity. It is basically and out and back with a bowtie in the middle.
DorneyDante said:I'm reminded of Manhatten Express when I read this"
Well, that's because they wanted it to go around the casino. Nothing real wrong with that.
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TOGO!
Red Garter Rob said:
"
#2.. 6 min. rides, while they sound like a great idea to us, and aside from the cost factor obviously, capacity becomes a HUGE issue. Now before you say "they can add enough blocks to they can run 9 trains at once" think about this. Do you REALLY want 9 trains with 38 people out on the course when you go down for mechanical reasons? You are talking 342 possibly upset guests right off the bat. Not to mention if it is an extended period of time, you now need personel to ALL those locations to help with either a walk-down or to reassure them all is goign to be ok. Just tellign them over a speaker isn't enough. God fobid you have to have a walk-down with all your trains loaded..
It would be a LONG day in the park operations office taking care of guest complaints..
"
Disney does it! They have many high capacity long rides. Of course Disney seems to know how to keep rides running much better than SF, CF, or any other theme park operator. They also have much better customer service. If a park made ride reliabilty and capacity their #1 issue then I'm sure they could do it. Most parks don't want to spend the $$ to achieve that kind of reliablity though.
Ted
I don't think we will see many 400 foot coasters coming, look at the amount of continuous circuit 300 footers, only 2, and i don't see many spending the money for massive beasts with intensive layouts, first and only because of the money needed, look at MF, it costs about 25 Mill. in general for its relatively simple layout, let alone a twisted 6 minute ride which could rise in upwards of a 30-35 mill. coaster. Another thing is space, what parks have that much space. Yes they could inter twine the track with the structure, but still it takes some space...
ok, time to breathe....:-)
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Shaun Rajewski
Rctycoon2k
http://www.rctycoon2k.com
"a recently crowned person in the 'know'"
Ansley,
The Disney rides that you speak of are not roller coasters. To most people, I think being stopped on a roller coaster is a little more scary than if the they get stopped on something like the Pirates of the Carribbean (unless the pirates start attacking :) - is that ride still there?)
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My K'Nex Coasters
Coming to Wyandot Lake in 2003: Hi-Striker's Revenge
I have read that Ultimate is 5.5 minutes long. If a small park in England can have such a long ride and maintain it, then its possible.
And the next big coaster the small park built after that was.............
With three major coasters in the last four years, I think I'd opt for the CP way. But that's just me.
-'Playa
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The CPlaya 100--6 days, 9 parks, 47 coasters, 2037 miles and a winner.....LoCoSuMo.
Do you realize that in 1993, 4 years after it's construction, Magnum was still the only continuous-circuit coaster over 200 feet tall? It wasn't until '94 when a second (and third) 200-footer was built (Desperado & The Big One).
rctycoon2k said:
"I don't think we will see many 400 foot coasters coming, look at the amount of continuous circuit 300 footers, only 2"
Contrarily, it's only been 2 years since Millennium Force's debut, and next year marks the 3rd coaster to exceed 300 feet.
Just something to think about...
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-Vater
Track Record: 117
Red Garter Rob said: #1.. Dispite what your think and what your park PR friends tell you. Parks don't care about what the "enthusiast" want and will ride in a park.
I disagree. I bet they take into consideration enthusiasts opinions moreso than you think. At least the parks that care would consider what enthusiasts enjoy because it raises the bar - a la CP! Listen to the "experts" and you will no doubt hear 'what they want'. Besides, you can't completely ignore one segment of your guests...particularly ones who care most about your arsenal of rides, how they're designed, how they are run, the stats and specs, etc. Enthusiasts tend to be more loyal than GP, so I have a feeling that they cater to them somewhat. And also they consider what the publics impression will be too. Lots of x-factors, lots.
Good God Almighty! Freaky, I catagorically disagree with EVERYTHING you just spouted off.
The only park that I know of that actually listened to so-called "enthusiasts" when they were building a ride is Holiday World. I dont think any other park particularly cares to "solicit" the opinions of enthusiasts.
And there are VERY successful parks that COMPLETELY ignore the enthusiast community. Epcot is in the top five of parks and Sea World Califorinia and Universal Hollywood are at least in the top 20 and there isnt a coaster to be found among them.
And enthusiasts are the most fickle-*****es I've seen outside of the Capital-Metro-Area. Ten years ago, enthusiasts were praising Arrow's great creations, now they are seen a rough and poorly engineered. Just 3 years ago you would have heard *everyone* on the B&M bandwagon, now they are considered forceless and repeatitive. I wonder how long it will take for Intamin to fall out of the limelight!
The public is the ONLY consideration for the vast majority of parks. What appeals to the masses, may (as in the case of S:ROS) appeal to enthusiasts as well or it may not (as in the case of boomerangs). But whichever ride has the best chance of getting butts in the park is what will be put in, period, 'nuff said.
If you think anything else, you're just wrong!
lata, jeremy
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"Sunshine, daisies, butter-mellow! Turn this stupid fat rat yellow!"
Jeremy, this speaks volumes. I think too many enthusiasses follow the new trends...until they become...'trendy.' Then, they must form an opposing opinion, so as to appear 'elite.'
2Hostyl said:
"And enthusiasts are the most fickle-*****es I've seen outside of the Capital-Metro-Area. Ten years ago, enthusiasts were praising Arrow's great creations, now they are seen a rough and poorly engineered. Just 3 years ago you would have heard *everyone* on the B&M bandwagon, now they are considered forceless and repeatitive. I wonder how long it will take for Intamin to fall out of the limelight!"
This is all slightly off-topic, I know, but hey...at least it ain't pancakes.
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-Vater
Track Record: 117
*** This post was edited by Vater on 12/19/2002. ***
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