Interesting Poll Results so far

I voted "sometimes". I may be "enthusiastic" about coasters, have been for over 30 years, and spend a lot of time on the internet reading about coasters. But that does not mean I have great knowledge about the industry. Enthusiasts can memorize track design, know who makes what, how big, how long...statistics are easy to memorize, and anyone can spout statistics. But understanding how a business is run takes years of working IN the business, and it takes an entire team of people to run any business properly.

I don't entirely blame the school system for our youngsters views of how the economy works, afterall they are not going to completely understand it until they are out in the real world, working and living on their own. 13-24 year olds think they know everything, and sadly, feel the world owes them. I know my 15 year old feels this way. I'm sure I probably felt the same way when I was 15, but that was too long ago. We are the people our parents warned us about.

So, you can be an enthusiast, you can be a knowledgeable enthusiast, but I don't think that qualifies anyone to have a good grasp on the amusement industry, certainly not enough to know what is a good or bad move for a particular park.

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I'd rather die living than live like I'm dea

I have trouble actually defining what a coaster enthusiast really is in the first place.  What comes to my mind is a person that knows EVERYTHING there is to know about roller coasters, the amusement park industry, and is nuts about them both.  I love to talk about coasters, parks and such with other people and when I quote some statistic about a park/ride in particular I make sure I know what I'm talking about before I even say it or else I just keep my mouth closed and try to learn something new.  So I truly don't consider myself an "enthusiast".  Now my friends that aren't into coasters and such (a broad spectrum of the GP) would consider me an enthusiast.  I dunno...it's all so confusing sometimes.  I just like to go to parks, ride rides, and talk about/read about the stuff.  There are worse "habits".  :) 
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God please let SFKK get something in 2002. ANYTHING!!

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Anyone who's disappointed by any parks newest addition is missing the point of it all entirely.
 

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Well, I can't say that I'd entirely agree with this statement.  I think we're all entitled to make subjective judgements on rides using whatever criteria we deem important.  Just because someone isn't happy that Cedar Point opted to install Wicked Twister does not mean they don't have a grasp on what the industry is about.  I think the opposite is true, as well.
Personally, I'm not jumping up and down over the installation of Wicked Twister, but I understand that it's a viable action within the context of a business.  I don't feel like Cedar Point is required to make me happy with their new rides, but I do have the power to go elsewhere with my money.
In that vein, I would think that most 'enthusiasts' aren't informed about the industry - but I also think we should not expect them to be.  They are 'roller coaster' enthusiasts, after all, and not 'boring business model' enthusiasts. 
I'm sure there's a small contingent of flat ride lovers somewhere that whines every time Cedar Point announces *another* roller coaster.  The point being, I think it's important to realize what all of that enthusiasm is for.
~ Michael ~

*** This post was edited by Chernabog on 11/27/2001. ***

Good point, Chernabog.

However, I look at it this way. I consider myself an "ethusiast" in that I know a bit about the rides (certainly more than the GP would) and I enjoy riding coasters in my free time. Any coaster. I have as much fun on kiddie coaster with my daughter as I do on the biggest and baddest with my wife and friends. It's all good. Any coaster addition to any park is a good thing. It means there's another ride for me to take on.

You used wicked twister as an example so I'll go with that. Does this ride get me particularly excited. Not really. I rode S:UE at SFWOA this summer and got off wondering what the big deal was. I guess it takes a little more than a fast launch to get me going. Did I enjoy it? Of course, but like ever other fan out there I have my favorites and the impulse isn't one of them. Will I travel from Allentown to Sandusky this summer to ride it? Hell yeah! It's a coaster!

To say "that's not the ride I was hoping they'd built, this sucks, I'm going somehwere else" is ridiculous. Should you flock to it like it's mecca? Probably not, but in my eyes an enthusiast, a true coaster enthusiast who just loves the thrill of the ride, will be just as happy to have this 15th option at the point as any other that could've been put in.

Any new coaster is a good thing in my eyes.

I think it's important to realize that there's a big difference between being disappointed, and thinking it was a bad move on CP's part. Being dissappointed simply means you were hoping they were going to put in the 400 footer. It doesn't mean you thought it was a good move on their part, or you expected them to, or you think they owed it to you. It's when you start making comments like that, that you're just being ridiculous.

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The legend lives!