No Coaster Con-SFGAM ?s

Where can I find information on this event, I checked ACE-online, but their PDF didn't work for me, dunno.

Is the event free for "non-members", whoever they might be? Is it sponsered by any one company, or is it pretty much for fun? I'm clueless, if you couldn't tell..haha.

Is it necessary to register somewhere to attend, or is it just a show up and attend kinda thing? Any help is appreciated!

Thanks-
Jeff

I don't know how to get you the event form if the pdf file on the site doesn't work, but the event is $47 for non-members (those that are not in ACE) and registration is due postmarked by tomorrow, January 5th. There is *NO* late registration and no "walk-up" registration the day of the event.

So unless you can somehow get:

1. a form

2. $47

and 3. to a postoffice...

all by tomorrow, I don't think you'll be able to attend the event this year. :(

Joe "will be in attendance" C.

btw, what SFGAm questions were you asking?

$47 for a get together at a hotel with some park officials?

I will wait for the play-by-play when someone posts what happened. :)

Why wait? Lance has already spoiled the low-capacity SFGAm surprises on Screamscape.

-Nate
*** Edited 1/5/2004 9:20:26 AM UTC by coasterdude318***

Jeff, you probably need to download Adobe Reader. But do it now! There is no registration at the day of the event.

I went in 2003 and I enjoyed it. The presentations/freebies are fun and it's a chance to catch up with some old friends, at least for me.

A lot of attendees go out to Safari Land after the conference, which has a decent indoor kiddy coaster (Tiger Terror) and a few indoor flats such as a tilt-a-whirl, TONS of games. It's a blast!

The only thing that I didn't like about the conference was sitting for 7 hours. :-(

-Tina

*** Edited 1/5/2004 11:37:11 AM UTC by coasterqueenTRN***

WHoa....that was close...If this thread hadn't been posted, I would have missed out. I printed the reg form last month and it got placed in the to-do stack (here at work) and since I have been out the past two weeks, I completely forgot about the due date!

Well, needless to say, I just came back up from the post office in my building. ;)

I agree with you Tina, I am planning to bring an additional cushion. Those meeting room chairs with virtually nonexistent padding are painful after 2 hours! ;)

Also ClubXJeff, you must be a guest of a ACE member. From the reg form, "Non-members may only register to attend ACE events as a guest of a member who is also registered to attend." *** Edited 1/5/2004 3:24:19 PM UTC by redman822***

Ah...so I guess I'm screwed...haha
I have Acrobat Reader 6.0, so that's not an issue, I tried all the PDF's on the site and one out of every few worked. But I guess the news is out, from what I hear, I always thought it would be interesting just to go, and experience one of these things.
I'm sure any and all of us would appreciate a trip report from those of you attending if you guys would be -oh so nice-

Also, to those of you that have been before, what is this event all about? What is discussed and how far do they dig about the park and its future, if the even do?

Thanks-
Jeff

Chitown, imo, it's worth the $32 (I dunno if I'd spend $47, but I might) to go and (like Tina said) catch up with old friends, listen to some presenters show off their videos and trips and hear the park PR people hype up their new stuff for the upcoming season.

Also, you gotta love the free stuff they throw at you. I won a really nice MiA pullover one year...had to cost $60 easy. Also, PKI gives out comp tix usually, and Cedar Point tosses us exit passes every now and then (though with the abuse at EastCoaster I heard about, I *doubt* they'll do anything like that this year - such a shame). Also, if two years ago was any indication, I'd suspect PKI to throw on one helluva show after hours as well. ;)

So yeah the cost can be justified for everything you get!

ClubXJeff,

There are always question and answer sessions after the end of each parks presentation so you're free to ask anything you want -- but you don't always get the answer you want. :)

Ive heard it is a good timem the parks pr people sometimes will hint at whats to come and they usually show some good video's and i have heard enough free-bee's are passed around to pay for the vent if you use them.
I just wish i was off from work so i could go to one of them.

NCC2003 thread...

NCC2002 thread... *** Edited 1/5/2004 7:13:55 PM UTC by redman822***

---

coasterdude318 said:
Why wait? Lance has already spoiled the low-capacity SFGAm surprises on Screamscape.

---

Eh? Low capacity? How is a 700pph spinning coaster, an 800 pph top spin and an 800pph frisbee low capacity? That's adding a 2,300pph total park capacity increase with just those alone (didn't care to see what the balloon race capacity was...since I cannot *stand* those things :)). What exactly were you wanting, Nate? :P

Oh, I know they won't always hit those capacities, but they seem pretty reasonable (ie 3min dispatches on top spin and frisbee isn't toooo far fetched).

I don't have a problem with the flats, but I do have a problem with a park the size of SFGAm installing a wild mouse. You and I both know there's no way the park will *ever* get 700pph on that ride. Wild mouse manufacturers frequently exaggerate their rides' maximum capacities. 700pph means three dispatches each minute. I bet that ride will get less than 500pph on a good day.

Your 2,300pph capacity for new additions theory is flawed for the same reason that you can't add Deja Vu and V2 capacities together for one high-capacity ride. *If* every park guest rode just *one* of the new additions, then your theory would work. But that's really not going to happen. People will flock to the mouse most of all (because it's a coaster). That means that as many people attempt to ride, say, Iron Wolf each day will attempt to ride that mouse each day. But there's a huge capacity difference there, a huge problem, and there will be a huge line.

Again, low capacity coasters simply don't belong in huge parks. And especially not after two low capacity coasters having been installed in 2001.

-Nate

CD318, your logic is flawed in regards to lines for the wild mouse. You assume that everyone in the park will want to ride it "because it's a coaster". Not everyone will ride the wild mouse. Some will look at it and say "Wild Mouse 1" looks too tame for me and walk past (stolen phrase from RCT).

More proof your logic is flawed - real life scenario...Spacely's Sprocket Rockets is a coaster, has low capacity, yet doesn't have lines...Why? because of it's location and "targeted audience" young riders and their families. It's entirely possible that they could install the mouse in /near one of the kiddie areas. *** Edited 1/5/2004 9:42:48 PM UTC by redman822***

Right, like I said I know they'd never get 700pph on the mouse, but even at 500pph, that's better than Deja Vu. :) I still think it's an excellent addition because it's not a huge marketable coaster...in fact, none of the attractions being installed are. Therefore, I *don't* see the crowds running for the mouse first or for the top spin or the frisbee. I see them running to SUF, Bull, Vu, and V2 like always. This gives them three new experiences in the park and I'm willing to bet that the lines are rarely long for any of them. And 2,300pph more people will be able to be eaten up by these attractions...Well, let's take off 200 apiece for them and say 1,700pph. That's very good, I think, for expanding the park.

I honestly don't think the mouse will have that long of a line (maybe 30mins most days). When it gets to a certain point, I think the "thrillseeker" crowd will pass it up in favor of a more thrilling coaster.

Remember when we were worried about Cedar Point getting an Impulse...

Look how that turned out.

Joe "Never seen a line longer than 30mins for a mouse" C.

---

redman822 said:
You assume that everyone in the park will want to ride it "because it's a coaster". Not everyone will ride the wild mouse.

---

I didn't say everyone would ride the wild mouse. Just as not everyone in the park will ride B:TR, Viper, or V2. But I *do* think a brand new mouse will have as much drawing power as the fourteen-year-old Iron Wolf. And I've seen Iron Wolf with an hour wait (and it's a *much* higher capacity ride).

---

More proof your logic is flawed - real life scenario...Spacely's Sprocket Rockets is a coaster, has low capacity, yet doesn't have lines...Why? because of it's location and "targeted audience" young riders and their families. It's entirely possible that they could install the mouse in /near one of the kiddie areas.

---

Sprocket Rockets doesn't draw crowds for three reasons: (1) It is clearly a kiddie coaster, (2) It is hidden away in an area people without young children don't go, and (3) it has a maximum height limit. The mouse will fit none of these categories (sure, it could be installed in a kiddie area, but I highly doubt it). On the contrary, a spinning mouse has drawing power because it's new, it's *not* tiny, and it spins.

Joe: I guarantee the park will market its new attractions. They probably will not do a one minute TV or radio spot to advertise the new mouse, but it will get mentione in commercials. Again, you can't add capacities for new rides together because people *don't* ride just one. I'm sure it will get passed over by some thrillseekers, but it will also draw a lot of people who don't ride things like Batman or Raging Bull. I'm still not sure why CP's impulse doesn't ever draw crowds, but the mouse and that are not, IMO, comparable for several reasons, especially given the mouse's *much* lower capacity.

-Nate (who *has* seen lines longer than 30 min for mice)

---

Legendary said:

Also, you gotta love the free stuff they throw at you. I won a really nice MiA pullover one year...had to cost $60 easy. Also, PKI gives out comp tix usually, and Cedar Point tosses us exit passes every now and then (though with the abuse at EastCoaster I heard about, I *doubt* they'll do anything like that this year - such a shame). Also, if two years ago was any indication, I'd suspect PKI to throw on one helluva show after hours as well. So yeah the cost can be justified for everything you get!

I did feel like I got my money's worth last year. Jeff and the PKI guys were hilarious! The freebies were nice and the auctions were tempting.

I don't know about the CP exit passes. I have heard rumors they are not going to use them this year due to idiots abusing them/selling them on Ebay, but I don't know that for sure. CP will put on an excellent presentation regardless, as will all the other parks involved.

I won't be going this year but I am sure there will be plenty of TR's. Have fun to those who go!

Redman, GOOD idea on the extra padding!

-Tina

*** Edited 1/6/2004 1:00:37 AM UTC by coasterqueenTRN***

---

Nate. We know your feeling for mice in big parks but lets be realistic here.

This is the year that I was expecting nothing, nada, zero, attractions to be installed.

4 new attractions (and definitely rides we need), are being installed in 1 year. Who cares if the mouse coaster will have long lines? After awhile, the fad will die down and it will have average lines.

Its a coaster that I can hold out to ride until the crowds lighten up on it. :)

I'd rather see no coaster than this coaster. What will this do for the park? Absolutely nothing. SFGAm has a QUALITY coaster collection, and this ride will increase the quantity of the collection but decrease the quality.

Reverchon spinning mice are only good indoors, ala Kennywood. They're ugly, boring, and stupid when they're outside. And plus, there are SEVERAL other smaller parks who could use this ride. SFGAm doesn't need it!

A low-capacity attraction at a large park is NEVER a good idea. For proof see: Face/Off, PKI; Hypersonic, PKD; Various Wild Mice at other parks (Valleyfair!, Dorney, Busch, etc....) *** Edited 1/6/2004 1:33:49 AM UTC by VolcanoTBC***

---

coasterdude318 said:

Sprocket Rockets doesn't draw crowds for three reasons: .... (3) it has a maximum height limit.

---

It does? I've seen many a large man and myself ride the ride solo. Not a word from the ride attendents.

VolcanoTBC.

Give it a rest with your whining. If you don't like it, don't ride it. Let the families who go to SFGAm enjoy another coaster that all of them can get on.