Cedar... um I mean SFOG - Monday July 31
Associated parks:
None
This was supposed to be Cedar Point, however the weather issues in that area caused me to scuttle that plan. Honestly, I'm glad I did.
So, we head to Atlanta. We being my beautiful and talented girlfriend Lorena, and two of our friends, we'll call them Mike and Lance. Mike has been to SFoG once years ago and had a terrible time, and Lance hasn't ridden a coaster since he was 12. We're making wonderful time. At 9:40 we're on I-20, about 10 mins from the park when there's a huge wreck. You don't know torture until you're stuck in traffic with Goliath in view. The crash finally gets worked out and we're at the ticket booth at 10:10. We notice the "We're open 10-9 tonight" sign and griace, as we planned to do a full on marathon, 10-10. Me, Lore, and Lance get tix with the Wendy's $15 off promo, while Mike had online tix, and we're in the park at 10:15 and sprinting towards Goliath. I suggest the Scorcher and everyone says "Why? We'll be back". Why is because I really dig it, and no, we won't. This day starts off on an awesome note, as we WALK ONTO the third row of B&M's best coaster (ask Claude). It is, of course, awesome, and Mike wants a reride in the front. Waiting for the reride I see a guy with a Voyage hat. Was that any of ya'll? After a 15 minute wait, we're on the front, and yeah, it's exponentially better up there. I can't wait to see G next year already!
After that, we all wanna do Superman UF so we take that long stroll only for it to break while we're getting in line. So we go hit the Scream Machine - which was running terribly yesterday, go fig - and a front ride on the Ninja, which wasn't too bad for me, also go figure. Lance and I dug it and the other two - in 2-B - cursed my name.
However, it had a really unnerving brake run that I didn't remember, where it was shaking and wobbling as if it's gonna fall apart. Which would NOT be a horrible thing. Honestly I really like the layout, maybe they should make Revenge of The Ninja based on the layout but built by B&M. It would make a rad floorless.
Anyhoo, we're all hot so we get a locker and goof around in Skull Island - the new "waterpark" - for a bit, when I point to the sky. SUPERMAN IS RUNNING! We haul tail over there and after a 10 minute wait we're on the front. I take back every negative thing I've ever said about Superman UF. It rocks. I still prefer BORG, but in the right seats it's anything but forceless.
My people went and ate. I don't eat park food so I went and looked at Deja Vu to see if it was running. As I surveyed the line it broke. I also was a sucker and walked over to the smoking area, even though I saw people smoking in the park all day.
I get back with my folks and ate some of their fries. Now we ride the Skybuckets over to the Cyclone. I got a rather nice ride in the 3rd seat, pretty shaky in the helixes but I dug it. Nobody else seemed to. Acrophobia is down and remained so all day. I was saddened. But I was soon cheered!
Ladies and gentlemen, Freefall. Not so many parks ever had these, the 1st gen Intamin freefall. I love it. Love it love it love it. After a 50 min, Acrophobia-being-down inspired wait, we're on with nickels on our knees. I can say without hesitation that it's an equally fun ride to Acro and I definitely hope SFoG resists getting rid of it, as they've done with Mindbender.
Speaking of which we're right by Gotham City, so WELCOME TO THE BATCAVE...
after at least an hour wait. I'm just not used to this sorta crowd on a weekday. A 10
year old copy of a 15 year old design with an hour+ wait. SFoG's Batman runs basically unbraked and really does rip through it's tiny course. Front ride as usual for the day.There's a reason Batman's at every big SF park, to this day it holds up as a great ride IMO.
While we're in Gotham we grab a ride on the aformentioned Schwarzkopf classic with a few train wait. I love MB, it's not nearly the most intense ride in the park but it's just an absolute blast, the perfect Steel Coaster 101. That definitely has something to do with the wonderous landscape beneath it. Everytime I ride it I like it more. None of my friends share quite the same enthusiasm but seemed to like the ride. After this, we go to four different places to ask for icewater and are told they don't have the complimentary cups. I - at first politely, eventually rudely - insist that they give me a big Coke cup - as Carowinds does - and am refused. These are the
problems with this chain in a nutshell. After taking as much cash as possible they still give you as little as possible.
We head back to the water park and I'm again denied the Canyon Blaster credit with a 30 minute line and nobody willing to wait for me. After some aqua refreshment we go book a skycoaster flight and the dudes eat a funnelcake. I go ride their Enterprise with Lorena. This park really really badly needs flats, Mr. Shapiro. The coaster collection stacks up with almost any park, and there are enough kiddie flats, but the high thrill flats are virtually nonexistant if you don't like Intamin drop towers.
As they eat their funnel cake, we watch Deja Vu have ten minute launch intervals and I think valley once, and I strongly try to get out of waiting for it. But the noobs are ascinated and Lore really likes it as well. However, we still have to do...
The skycoaster. I get this credit wherever possible because it's the best ride in
any park that it's in. Me, Lore, and Michael hop in and after a really fast rise we hear
3-2-1 Drop and it's all love. Flying around between Superman, Ninja and GASM is
just wonderous. I'm so amped it's not even funny. By the way, I think the one at Carowinds pulls you up slower, as it seemed to fly up to the top. Great ride. I beg for the Ninja reride and am denied. We head over to wait for the Big Green POS That Happens To Be A Great Ride When You Finally Get On It. Not a huge line, but for half of it they're launching
trains every five to ten minutes. After a while, a safety inspection, and two 10-15
minute breakdowns they get it worked out and start launching as quickly as this
thing can be launched. Even Michael notices how wonky the loading is. We're on in two hours and yes, it is a great ride. Honestly I
shouldn't complain, I've gotten two rides in two trips and waited a total of 2hrs 45mins. Some people still don't even have the credit.
So it's 8:50. Deja Vu has killed my chances of the Mindbender nightride credit. In present company I can't possibly justify taking it over Goliath. We haul tail for Big G as it gets dark. We wait for the front but it becomes obvious we're not gonna get it, so we get in the very back after a 40 minute wait and the very last ride of the night. It's pitch black and wonderous. It's a fitting end of the day to say the least.
Afterwards we hit Hooters for some wings and some sleepy discussion and we ride back to SC.
Some general thoughts - in case SF is reading:
The final consensus was everyone enjoyed it.
Michael dug it but said he probably wouldn't be back til the Next Big Thing - he
prefers theme parks and the food quality/pricing and general indifference of the
employees irked him.
Lance loved it.
Lorena said "yup, it's still SFoG".
I think it's an excellent park with room to improve. For christ sakes, it's the only
park in the world - as far as I know - with TWO different generation Intamin drop
towers! That's gotta be worth something.
Busy for a Monday but I rule at line management.
I know it sucks to work in a theme park, I've done it. But if you can't fake enjoyment, jobs dealing with the public aren't for you. The lack of enthusiasm on some people was just incredibly rude, and led to me returning rudeness to them.
We need flats.
Is this regarded as the best Deja Vu? I'm batting 1.000 on getting a ride per trip.
Acro being down all day sucked. Especially since I had to wait an hour for Freefall. :)
SFOG rules. I'm glad I didn't go to CP. Yeah. I said it. *** Edited 8/1/2006 5:49:53 PM UTC by Vincent Greene*** *** Edited 8/1/2006 5:54:04 PM UTC by Vincent Greene***
I live in upstate SC, so 3 hours to SFOG is a day trip.
SFOG has a nice selection of rides (Georgia Cyclone! Mind Bender! Monster Plantation!), but I don't really see anything the park is missing, other than an in-park water park. *** Edited 8/1/2006 9:31:09 PM UTC by Arson***
- Ryan - http://www.tideblue.com/painter/
As for Deja Vu, I'll chalk it up to luck -- I'm nowhere near the Mendoza line myself! Acro is going to be down for the year from what I understand, bummer. LOL @ Freefall pulling 50 mins and you walking on to Goliath, where are people's priorities? ;)
Nice review.
S:UF seems to be having a lot of downtime this year. I Visited the park last Tues, it was having computer problems, the ops were having to lock most of the restraints with T-bars.
50 min wait for freefall... Ugh! Never seen it with more than a 15 minute wait, even on a busy Sat., even with Acro down. Agreed it is an awesme ride!
Great TR!! *** Edited 8/2/2006 1:25:15 AM UTC by MindbenderManiac***
After this, we go to four different places to ask for icewater and are told they don't have the complimentary cups. I - at first politely, eventually rudely - insist that they give me a big Coke cup - as Carowinds does - and am refused. These are the
problems with this chain in a nutshell. After taking as much cash as possible they still give you as little as possible.
Well said. I couldn't agree with you more. Glad you still had a great time at the park.
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