Associated parks:
None
The park was hellishly crowded as we parked in the grass around 2. It was also hellishly hot so most of the people were in the water park. In order of ridage...
Talon (B&M Invert) - After studying the layout while in line I deduced that the money seat was the last row on the left side. After a good first drop I felt that the train go very slow through the tops of the first 3 inversions. The trims weren't even on heading into the immelman yet it crawled up and out the top. It gained a little speed through the lower parts of the ride but in the “S” curve it did a montu-esque stall. This surprised and I have heard nothing but praise about Talon. Must have caught it on a bad day :( . One reason could be is if they switched to soft poly wheels instead of the nylon which I found all the other inverts I have ridden. The best part of the ride was the turn at ground level off to the brakes. I was caught off guard when I noticed my head was suddenly about 3 feet from the ground. It Overall I thought it was forceless yet still fun. (Grade (B))
Hercules (Summers and Dinn)- Rough and slow. I thought trims brakes were suppose to slow the train not stop it? (D+)
Thunderhawk (Schmeck Wooden) - At first I was unimpressed with this classic woodie with a back seat ride but found some great pops of air up front later. I threw an unnecessary trimming flag on the ride for The trim before the last few hops. Herb Schmeck. should rise up from the dead and lay the smack down.
(B-)
“Laser” (Schwarzkopf Looper)- I could push the train up the lift faster myself. The drop and the 2 loops are quite intense and I grayed out. The rest of the course is intense as well. (B+)
Steel Force (Morgan Hyper)- Very smooth but I found the layout to be rather boring. At the top of every hill every gently floated up and back down. The turnaround was lackluster as it kind I felt it kind of meandered around. Rode in the back the first time then took 1-3 in hopes to find some more powerful air. While the ride was better it seemed to tame to me. It’s no Magnum. (B+)
Got in line for the Wild mouse but it started to storm. Soon as the rides were back up since everyone was out of the Water Park huge lines formed so we left.
Capacity - The Talon crew was slow and I sat on the brake run for minutes. Hercules was only running one train yet the line was down the stairs. Thunder hawk and “Laser” ran one train, which was ok, but they had the back cars of the laser train roped off and running empty even though there was a decent line. I know it wasn’t for them being broken because special access people came up once and sat there. Steel Forceless ran 2 but if they had a 20-minute line on Magnum they would be running three. Overall I felt this park had poor capacity and is not inline with its sister park Cedar Point. (C)
Atmosphere/Theming. Well no theming but the character ride signs brought a tear to my eye. :) The park was clean and well landscaped (B).
Operations-Line Jumping is a sporting event here. Those signs which are small don’t do nothing especially when one of the consequences may be you will only be moved to the back of the line. Heck, what do people have to loose when you go out and say that? They need big sings like at SFGadV telling people they will be booted with no refund instead of having a bunch of possible consequences in small print.
On every ride there were morons blocking exits and entrances. They have people at crowd control, but instead of telling the morons that there was a trainload of people trying to get by they would sit there and stare into space. The overall attitude of the employees was indifferent.
Steel Force went down for a wheel change, which I could see by myself, and the ride op was even telling people. I figured it would be no big deal but it took them 40 minutes to change a wheel, mostly due to the mechanic showing up late. Are Morgan's that much more complex than Arrows which take 15 minutes to change? (C)
Overall- I was unimpressed with the performance of the park. The potential is there though, One day I may give it another shot (C).
*** This post was edited by Joe E. on 8/8/2002. ***
Still under 2 trains on all there coaster.... thats real sad, I understand most of them could only run two trains exsept Steel force, but somthing is wrong with ther managment ,becuase ever since last year it has been one train operation on Lazer,Thunderhauk,and Herculies,and two on Steel force, Meanwhile back in 97 when they use to suck compared to SFGAdv to most genaral puplic, they had all 3 trains running on Steel force, two on thunderhauk,and on herculies,(and lazer),and there use to never be lines, that is why I use to love going there, and the same reason is still why I go now, but since they started doing one train operations the lines add up,and it becomes not a matter of pacients ,but being annoied to be standing in the staiton,waiting for a train to come in,and watching the ride operators,and attendents stare into space for 3mins ,and wait to load the next train. that is my only complaint. When at other parks the ride operators never stop moving,I work at a restauraunt,and if the crew I worked with ever stoped moving we'd be packed up with people to the doors, plus our managment could never see us doing nuthing.
Joe E. said:
Thunderhawk I threw an unnecessary trimming flag on the ride for The trim before the last few hops. Herb Schmeck. should rise up from the dead and lay the smack down.
(B-)
Doesnt it make you wonder why they put a trim break at the end of the ride, i mean hasnt the damage already been done by that point. What is the point. Also, what is the point of letting the coaster go thru 2 of the 3 bunny hops un trimmed then on the last one trim it. like i just said, hasnt the damage already been done by this point? I wonder what their motives are behind where they place trim breaks. baffling.
*** This post was edited by DorneyDante on 8/11/2002. ***
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