Intimidator 305 opens at Kings Dominion

:) I'm only here to meet boys.

^ Wow, me too! :)

That was predictable.

Carrie M. said:
I don't even like roller coasters.

You jest, but I kind of feel that way. I dig them, but I rarely ride more than once or twice on any given visit - even coasters I really enjoy.

I've found that I enjoy amusement parks much more than I enjoy roller coasters. I think that's kind of why I have no interest in events or ERT or early admission perks and stuff like that. Been a KI platinum pass holder since the start and never used them once to enter KI early.

...might have to try that tomorrow. :)

I have interest in early entry/EMH when staying at Disney, does that count?

EPCOT is also my favorite park on the planet, and it doesn't have a single roller coaster. Go figure.

Don't get me wrong, I like them and think they're really fun, but I get in a couple of rides, then I go and do a nice sit-down meal and see some animals or something. That's how I like it. There's too much stress involved with every day, especially at work, to bring the same kind of "gotta get as many rides in as I can" stress. (I'd call it stressful, because after a while the fun wears off)

Hell, last time I was at Cedar Point, we re-did more haunted houses than we did rides.

They should call Extra Magic Hours something else, like Extra Crowded Hours.

Except for a diasterous evening EMH at then MGM my last trip I have never had a problem with them. I use EMH in the morning always at AK (the animals are so much more active at 8:00 vs 9:00) and usually at the MK. Evening EMHs rock at MK and Epcot the key is not do any of the headliners during the first hour (walk around WS the shops and rides back there all stay open or do some high capacity MK rides) and wait out for that last two hours. The best memory from my last trip was of my mom, dad, brother, Chip, Dale, some other assorted teens and myself riding Dumbo at 3am in the morning (July 1st.)

Jeff said:
That was predictable.

Sorry. I'll try to be less gay in the future.

It wasn't the gay that was predictable.

^^Why? It's you, it's normal :)

When is the last time you heard someone say "I'll try to be less heterosexual in the future?" Know what I mean, jellybean? Oh... I think I get the sarcasm now, Moosh ;)

Does anyone remember when Kings Dominion was in the talks (before Anaconda) about incorporating a steel coaster around or in the turnarounds of Rebel Yell? Too bad that hasn't happened yet, it's a great idea.

I don't remember that at all...

Jeff said:
It wasn't the gay that was predictable.

Is that like "the google"?

^Maybe it was like: "are you 'the gay'" from Margaret Cho ;) For anyone that saw that...

So, this big new coaster - and you don't get to pick your seat? I could never understand that. It's not very difficult to fill seats AND let people pick the front or back...

I'm with you there Demon. While I understand that the parks are trying to fill as many seats as possible for a popular ride, not being able to pick "near the front", "middle", or "near the back" is almost not worth the extra capacity. ...And that's coming from a guy who complains a lot about capacity. People wait in line for an hour or so; they want to be able to at least pick what kind of ride experience they want.

The whole first year of Millennium you weren't allowed to wait for a seat. But, they did let you sit where you wanted. It was first come first choice and they only let in a train full of people at a time. It seems to me, that worked pretty good.

P.S. Thanks Richie :-)

^It didn't work well for me that first year when I did the old 'count the heads before they let you in the turnstyle' thing, and 2 brats nearly knocked me down to get the front seat I counted out... and the ride ops rushed me so I didn't get a chance to rectify the situations (and the ops didn't care).

It's a nice courtesy for the park to help people at least get what seat they want. If not, at least let folks wait for it. I mean, come on?! It's not very difficult.

I remember when Great America used to walk in front of the air gates between trains and make sure everyone had 2 riders - if people wanted to wait to ride in a group of 4 or 6, the ride op would do a little juggling and the next train went out full and on time - with everyone riding where they wanted.

The 'Seniors' on Thunderhead at Dollywood seemed to get it - as well as everything else. The best coaster crew I have ever seen.

I think the real issue isn't with letting people pick their seats. It's more with people who leave an entire row empty to wait for their friends. Or when you see a single in row n and a single in row n+1.

^And with a half-competent crew, all that can be taken care of. I've worked on coasters, and it isn't very difficult. It's just a little more than standing there like so many ride ops seem to do these days.

Winston said:
Is this the first coaster actually made in reference to a real person? If so, that would be a great honor.

This one is WAY earlier than Mike's...and I'd even argue more appropriate: http://www.rcdb.com/3431.htm

I agree that people should be able to pick their seats. There are any number of reasons that folks want to sit in a certain area of the train, including comfort. I don't think it makes sense to force them somewhere else.

I will also say that I think people get a little too worked up sometimes about maximum capacity. Entire rows should never go empty, I'll give you that. But the occasional seat due to single riders really shouldn't bother anyone.

Now if train after train is going out with single riders in rows, then sure, there's a problem. (I get the point you made, Andy, was about back-to-back rows with single riders, which I agree is silly. Though even then it's possible the riders (or the ops) didn't realize that would be the case until folks were already seated.)

For some reason, there are folks who think that people riding a coaster by themselves are somehow not entitled to the same experience as everyone else. When I'm riding by myself and waiting for the front row, I often get looks and whispers as if I'm negatively impacting the people behind me. Their wait would be the same if I had someone with me, so what's the big deal?

I know Great Bear at Hershey has a row they indicate single riders are supposed to go to...I think it's 4 or 5. I never do. Why should I have to sit in one of the lamest rows on the train just because I'm by myself?

(I think I might become a single riders advocate or something. ;) )