New Texas Giant media day- Thursday April 21st

LostKause said:
Oh. My. God! I just saw footage that SF took of the NTG, and I have to admit that I am Capitol IMPRESSED! WOW!

wtf @ 1m43s ?

Man, this thing looks awesome.

It looks amazing.

Andy said Gravy, Thats the Seal of Approval :)

jonnytips said:

LostKause said:
Oh. My. God! I just saw footage that SF took of the NTG, and I have to admit that I am Capitol IMPRESSED! WOW!

wtf @ 1m43s ?

Is that fire CGI? Because that's certainly how it looks...

Apart from that, it looks awesome! Although it bothers me how SF is advertising this as if it were a wooden coaster. Sigh...

Why does it bother you? Most People consider Gemini a wooden coaster.

Yes, but I wouldn't expect the average person to be able to make the distinction. A world class amusement park, on the other hand...

Is marketing to the average person who likely isn't making the distinction...

I guess I'm just voicing my own personal issues with these types of "wooden" coasters. Granted I haven't ridden this yet, I dislike El Toro because it simply doesn't feel like a wooden coaster.

That is a completely different issue from whether it actually is a wooden coaster which is a completely different issue from whether they should market it as a wooden coaster.

Valleyfair Enthusiast said:
I guess I'm just voicing my own personal issues with these types of "wooden" coasters. Granted I haven't ridden this yet, I dislike El Toro because it simply doesn't feel like a wooden coaster.

Regardless of its classification, I don't see how that changes whether it's a good ride or not.

I know right? I have a hard time respecting an opinion based on something silly. If you don't like it because it's not your thing okay. But if you don't like it because it doesn't feel like a wooden coaster and that's it? Take some time away from the hobby.

It's not that its classified as a wooden coaster that bothers me, its that it doesn't feel like a wooden coaster. I love that feeling of the track shaking and the sense that the structure could fall apart at any moment, even though I know it won't. That's one of my favorite sensations on any roller coaster and it adds a lot of excitement to the ride value, IMO.

That said, Andy was right. This has virtually nothing to do with the topic. My apologies. :)

They could market it as a monkey powered suicide machine and I couldn't care less.

Perhaps I swing too far in the other direction? :)

File this one under "enthusiast issues." Outside of our little circle, no one cares.

(Hell, inside our little circle no one seems to care ;) )

Valleyfair Enthusiast said:
It's not that its classified as a wooden coaster that bothers me, its that it doesn't feel like a wooden coaster. I love that feeling of the track shaking and the sense that the structure could fall apart at any moment, even though I know it won't. That's one of my favorite sensations on any roller coaster and it adds a lot of excitement to the ride value, IMO.

So...do you dislike steel coasters?

The biggest problem to the park referring to the coaster as a wooden one is the fact that park guests will look at it and call it a wooden coaster. It causes confusion for guest patrons, which the park definitely doesn't want to do. I definitely don't like when companies misinform their customers, but in this case, I think it would cause more confusion than clarity...

Jephry said:
It causes confusion for guest patrons, which the park definitely doesn't want to do.

Confusion? Maybe... but short-lived and without consequence, so there really isn't much harm in it. I'd be willing to say that only coaster enthusiasts genuinely care (or, whomever is the "navigator" of the family park map at the time)

Jephry said:
The biggest problem to the park referring to the coaster as a wooden one is the fact that park guests will look at it and call it a wooden coaster.

So what? I don't get why it matters.

It causes confusion for guest patrons, which the park definitely doesn't want to do.

How and why?

So the average non-enthusiast calls it wood and thinks it's wood. They're not confused. And how would this affect the park in any way?

I definitely don't like when companies misinform their customers, but in this case, I think it would cause more confusion than clarity...

It really doesn't matter.

This is one step above complaining that a park and GP are calling a coaster red when it's clearly a lovely shade of vermillion. It just doesn't matter.

---

And I'm going to contend that it could be called wood - as long as you quit thinking in traditional enthusiast mindsets. We refer to the material the running rails are constructed of as it's usually a decent indicator of how the ride will be. But what if that's not the message the park wants to convey. What if we're talking about structure type? It's easier to point people to the big wooden coaster rather than trying to be 'that guy' and flash an ACE card and explain the follies of calling what is clearly a steel-tracked coaster a wooden coaster.

Coaster constuction is changing. (gasp! scary change for enthusiasts!) Trying to lump the rides and the kinds of experiences into two categories is going to get real old, real fast if we keep limiting it.

*stepping off soapbox, flipping the bird and walking away*

Exactly. No different than a guest saying the ride goes straight down when it drops at a 60* angle. It's not like they're being dishonest.

Just ignorant. ;)