CoasterMania

I'll be attending. This will be my thrid straight. However I never actually meet anyone on here before :-/

^^^Closer to 8000 current members worldwide. I have been to over 30 coaster events, (not all ACE events) and have only had a couple bad experiences.

The one I can remmeber off the top of my head was a kid at Coaster Con in Florida last year who was bragging about the fact that he took out his phone on Hulk and made a phone call during the ride. I confronted him about it, and he couldn't understand why I was upset. Idiots.

That being said, 99% of enthusiasts I've met are respectful of the parks rules and courtious to others. *** Edited 6/12/2007 3:44:35 PM UTC by Jason Hammond***

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Jeff said:
I find almost zero benefit to being a member of that club

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Yea their website and magazines have no advertisements or pop ups, probably seems bizarre to you.... :)

j/k

I've only been to a handful of events and I never witnessed any trouble coming from the attendees. Teenagers, yes. :)

^The problem is that sometimes the attendees Are teenagers. :)

^ Why is that a problem, because teenagers fly further and cause a bigger scene when they are run over/tackled by a group of 35 year old, 250 pounders with huge fanny packs, wearing food-stained, ripped shirts from rides and parks most people have never heard of, hair that hasn't been cared for in 3 years and smelling of gravy farts, whining because the line's not moving fast enough and their favorite ride is closed/changed/has the same size seatbelt and *their* seat is 10 times bigger?

Or is it because the teenagers are the ones who really don't care that the 35 year olds have been to 95% of the parks in North America and have ridden 400 coasters, they aren't going to move out of the line just because someone's riding statistics "award" them that privilege?

Or is it just because the bulk of the "GP-ish" teenagers who show up tagging along with their friends, or just trying out this coaster club thing show up the enthusiasts on not only in-park behavior, but general decent human behavior and generally have a better time?

Just curious ...

*** Edited 6/13/2007 2:35:30 AM UTC by Impulse-ive***

^Wow. Someone needs a valium.

I would agree that there is that annoying percentage of enthusiasts as well, but of the major infractions I've been a witness too, they have all been caused by teenagers.

I was nearly trampled in the queues of Kinda Ka, blatent attempts at line jumping on Mamba, my previously mentioned kid making a phone call on Hulk. Inall the only thing that I can think of adults doing that really annoys me is smoking in line. And some of them were teenagers too. *** Edited 6/13/2007 3:53:30 AM UTC by Jason Hammond***

I dunno.. I found it pretty equal on the trample factor with teenagers or adults (or the family gauntlet).. At least with teenagers I have a fighting chance not to have shoe prints on my back due to their typically smaller stature.

However this being my third CM event, I do find it amusing reading the posts above that some are not only "line snobs" with respect to public -and with public I sometimes can be too- but even within our own group.. If you read between the lines, what some are really saying is "I wish less coaster enthusiasts were going to this event.." Sort of defeats the purpose of the organizations than huh? LOL

But I digress.. I like being in a group of people who share the same interest and still know in my mind that im in a park that has several thousand less people it could once the gates open at 10am.

I enjoy going to Coastermania, and I have every intention of going to future CoasterManiaa. That being said, virtualy anyone can go to the event. Tickets are $32 with no extra fee added for the guests. So, 2 friends could split the cost of a CoasterBuzz membership for the sole purpose of going to CoasterMania and it won't cost them any more than if they had just sown up and bought tickets. Plus they get a free lunch. I can see kids with low budgets making this the one day a year they go to the park.

There are many coaster clubs. Basicly all of them can get into Coaster Mania. And while most people here are talking about enthusiasts in general, I have to take exception to the people who are putting down ACE'rs. The club is definatly not for everyone. I can understand that. But ACE has strict guidlines about conduct. And I've seen people removed from events for not adhearing to said guidlines.

On the off chance that someone does see something happen at an event, please say something to an event coordiantor. That person will be delt with. But, don't just shake your head, wag your finger and assume all enthusiasts are idiots.
*** Edited 6/13/2007 3:57:18 PM UTC by Jason Hammond***

I'll be there, the wife will be there, heck we're even bringing our 16 month old son. It's just a long, fun day to spend at the Po!nt. I especially cannot wait to go to the Q&A and see what whiney enthusiasses will pick apart this year.

I can only imagine how annoyed my son will be when we wake him up at 5:30am to go riding coasters. Heh!

Jason - Very well put! :)

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ridemcoaster said:
...what some are really saying is "I wish less coaster enthusiasts were going to this event.." Sort of defeats the purpose of the organizations than huh?

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Honestly though, that's not all that far from the truth. As much as I dig the rides, I find that the number of people in the community that I have something in common with is tiny. Maybe it's ironic, but the last thing I want to do when I'm at a park is talk about coasters with people I don't know. Sure, I'll bang out a dozen rides on something, but I'm less interested in waiting for hours for a ride, or marathoning 30 laps, or boycotting Kings Island because they took out one stupid ride.

I used to go to a ton of events, but now, not so much. It's not that I think I'm better than anyone or something stupid like that, I just don't get a lot out of it. I probably wouldn't even organize CBC events if it weren't for the likelihood that my closest friends would be there.

The Q&A thing doesn't really appeal to me, but like Rob said, it is sometimes fun to watch the geekiness in progress ;)

-Tina

Tina,

The first couple of years I was in amazement what some people will complain about. Now it's just pure entertainment to watch and they don't disappoint.

Unfortunately every group will have their share of what my dad calls 'Get a Lifes.' Him being a former Trekkie he had more than his share of stories over people who fretted over the dumbest things. It was simply mind boggling over what people would lose sleep over. He just liked the show and I'm sure when nobody was looking, wear the uniforms. He wasn't worried about what Mr. Spock's dialect was or if the Enterprise could achieve 'Ludicrous Speed'.

A lot of the enthusiasts that show up to these kind of events are all the entertainment that I need for the day. My fiancee and I just love to people watch and they don't disappoint. Pay special attention to TTD at the night ERT's and you'll see the biggest group of grown adults (most around their mid-late 40s) bowling over groups of normal-paced walking members to shave off that extra 1-2 minute wait time for a ride. All just to catch that glimmer of hope being yelled out by a ride-op, "Any single riders?" whereby they try to push through the crowd in the station from the ramp preceding the station, hands in the air, yelling back "RIGHT HERE". My favorite thing to do is to walk as slow as I can and try to get in front of the rampaging idiots that all-out sprint for a ride ( like Maverick's OD) and see how many people will run into me at full speed from behind (seeing that I'm a pretty big guy) and fall backwards like they just hit a brick wall. As much as I enjoy coasters and parks, I enjoy people watching even more and this just takes the cake!!! Do not get me wrong though, I have met a lot of people from the CB/PB club events that are really nice and very fun to be around. just like HeyIsntThatRob? said, no matter what the hobby,you will always find those that take it WAAAAYYYY to far. I do have lots of fun at these events and enjoy talking to the normal enthusiasts in regards to the hobby that I enjoy so much.

Ah! The typical coaster event, turned into an ACE bashing thread. You can always count on one of these to happen on this forum, whenever an event approaches. I go to bed every night praying that, one day as can be as perfect as all the CB'ers on this board.

Dear God please make it so.

Get over it. So people disagree with you. Happens to me every day. A lot of people don't see any value in ACE, others do. If you dig it, join it, if not, don't.

If our disease was only the love for Star Wars

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Jeff said:
Get over it. So people disagree with you. Happens to me every day. A lot of people don't see any value in ACE, others do. If you dig it, join it, if not, don't.

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Your funny. I need to get over it. The consistent bashing of the club (ACE) that, pretty much started it all for the rest of these clubs, especially this one.

I'm starting to think that the rejects from ACE got together one day, and said, We'll show them, let's start our own club. We'll call it Coasterbuzz.

See ya's at Da Point.....:)