Great rides for $2 mil/ under

With park budgets dwindling. I just wondered, what rides are out there for about two million or less that would be great additions to parks.These are tough times and calls for rides that are a better value that will both entertain, create real thrills and most importantly draw attendance. What ride do you feel would do all of the above?
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You're right. I'm wrong. You're pretty. I'm ugly. You're smart and I'm stupid :)

used swan boats

:)

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"Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time." Personally, I'll settle for a ride on a decent coaster.

to bad CCI still isn't around they could build Raven for $2 mill

At exactly 2 mil one can get an S&S Screaming Squirrel!

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Bob Hansen
Operation Wicked Twister 2 - Goal: Lose 100 pounds by next season so I will DEFINATELY be able to ride Wicked Twister. Progress: 25 pounds. Doin' the Atkins!

Heh... don't forget used dodgems :)

I can't believe that the new spinning mouse coasters for CS and WOF are 4 million each. That seems a little steep for a mouse ride. Especially when Arrow's version is half of that. For 4 million an extreme version of an ArrowBAtic, GCI, Virginai Reel, or Super saturator. May have been a better choice for that amount of money.

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You're right. I'm wrong. You're pretty. I'm ugly. You're smart and I'm stupid :)

How about a car ride with Porches instead of the old tin lizzies? ;)

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"I go out at 3 o' clock for a quart of milk and come home to my son treating his body like an amusement park!" - Estelle Costanza

Counter Point - that's because neither coaster is a spinning mouse. They're Gerstlauer spinning coasters and while they do have "mouse-like" elements their custom layouts are much more spread out than a mouse. A better comparison would be to think of spinning cars on Knott's Jaguar.

mOOSH

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The only 2004 Wood Coaster Calendar still available, plus holiday & all-occasion cards. All at S&D Greetings.

*** This post was edited by Mamoosh 11/3/2003 12:30:54 PM ***

Flyers. Without a doubt the cheapest ride for the greatest thrill. Hell, if I had 2 million I'd have some in my backyard :)
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Corey
"Afterward, services resumed for about 20 minutes until the congregation realized the church was on fire." - www.channel3000.com

In addition to what Mamoosh says, remember that CF often includes many elements of the ride (theming, marketing and installation) into ride "costs" given out to the press. Gerstlauer is not pocketing $4 mill. per-coaster for this deal.

Adam

Two people come up to you on the street offering you an extremely complex structure:

Company #1 has had an unfortunate recent track record of poor ride performance, doesn't have installations of any of the ride they're offering to prove it, but will give it to you for $2 mil.

Company #2 has at least one installation (I believe) proving the ride works, and they'll give it to you for $3.5 mil.

Personally, on something that complex and that requires that much attention to detail not only to make it work, but to make it safe, I'll spend the extra few bucks to make sure it's done right. Discounts on engineered structures just seems shady to me ...

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Brett
Resident Launch Whore

You have to read what CF press releases say and don't say.

WOF has a $4 million cap budget which features a Gerstlauer coaster. That's the cost of the coaster plus any new food stalls, signage, and so on.

KCS-MOA is smack in the middle of an indoor mall. Not only does this mean they have to take extra time/consideration into moving construction equipment in and out, it also means they can only work in the late night/early morning hours.

-'Playa

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The scholar, the eternal question and a lot of REALLY stupid jokes. Celebrate Pancake Day 10/27. Check local listings for events.

Didn't I read somewhere that Cornball Express was about $2 million? That'd get my vote.

Later,
EV
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"Everybody has desperate days of quiet questioning.
Everybody has times when they feel like they don't fit in."
- Color Theory, So Many Ways, 2001

I think that a lot of CCI rides were built for "around" $2 mil. Raven, Legend, the Big Chief coasters and probably a few others were all rather inexpensive. Only the large and complicated ones (Shivering Timbers, Boulder Dash) cost big bucks.

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-Rob
A.C.E. member since 1990
Posting @ Coasterbuzz since 2000
E.C.C. member since 2002

...And I think that could have been the problem. While wooden coasters are cheap, it seems that CCI was cutting the price under market value in order to maintain business. In the long-run that doesn't seem to have been the best business model.

Adam

ROFL....yes, there does seem to have been a flaw with that particualr business model. On the flip side, some smaller parks got GREAT deals on coasters that would've simply been unavailable through any other manufacturer...

For $2M now, I think you're looking at used rides ONLY in terms of coasters, and the smaller flats available in that price range. Not that they can't be very good, intense rides, they just won't feature the capacity of the big boys.

bill, drooling and thinking about Jaguar! with spinning cars...:)
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Mistakes were made, others are to blame...

The $9000 Hillcrest Little Dipper comes to mind :) (wish I was at that auction to pick up the dirt cheap skee-ball machines).

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Vist Ripple Rock Amusement Park
Flying Scooter now open!

At least one of them. Talk about a great thing to put in the basement. Next to the mini bar and pool table, of course.

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-Rob
A.C.E. member since 1990
Posting @ Coasterbuzz since 2000
E.C.C. member since 2002

rollergator said:

bill, drooling and thinking about Jaguar! with spinning cars...:)

Huh?! Wha??
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"I go out at 3 o' clock for a quart of milk and come home to my son treating his body like an amusement park!" - Estelle Costanza

How much does it cost for the average GCI or S&S wood?

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You're right. I'm wrong. You're pretty. I'm ugly. You're smart and I'm stupid :)