One time only

Reading the thread "I'm not allowed to ride coasters this year!" got me thinking about my own sacrifices and compromises in marriage.  Sure, I get to go to a lot of parks, but I can't remember the last time I had a marathon, or stayed till closing.  (well, actually I can but it's rare)

In fact, as I look at my track record, out of 77 coasters, 25 of them I've ridden only once each!  This includes Millennium Force, Raging Bull, Desperado, Viper (SFMM and SFGAm), X-Flight, Alpengeist, Loch Ness Monster, etc. etc.  Many of these had nothing to do with the length of the line, but just wanting to ride everything in a limited amount of time.

Anyone else find themselves in the same situation?

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You can't spell "dishonorable" without "honorable."

yeah, i do...  but you can only do with what you are given.  Ill give Millennium Force a ride in your honor.
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Live on the edge and remember the Twist of Fate.

I used to call Cedar Point my home park, been to the park hundreds of times, yet I have only ridden Mantis one time!!! Something about this coaster just never attracts me at all. I always put off riding it in favor of another ride on something else.  Also, on my trip two years ago to SFGAm, due to time issues and wanting multiple rides on Raging Bull, I only got one ride on the wooden coaster Viper. I couldn't honestly explain the coaster to anyone, I did enjoy it, but felt it was running sluggishly and wanted to ride it at night. Stupid Bull!!!
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Have you ever considered that maybe it's not the park that's the problem, but YOU?

Except for the season passes to CP, the other coasters I get to ride are limited by family or money.  My hubby doesn't want to go "out of the way" to ride coasters, but he will let me go, and will compromise.  My teenage son is to the point now where he'd rather go with friends than hang with old mom.

Actually, now that my hubby is drag racing, I have MORE opportunities to visit other parks.  And since I've joined these forums, I'm hoping to meet with other members at parks and events.

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

Well, with a wife that does not ride coasters, many of my coasters I  have also riden one time.  Last year going to CP and SFWOA I only rode M-Force and X-Flight once each.  I also only rode about half of the other coasters at those two parks only once.  I have been lucky to be able to return to Florida and get more rides on some of the ones down there that I have only ridden once.  My wife has only so much patience waiting for me and I totally understand.  I feel lucky that she makes time in her vacation for something I love to do and that I have riden what I have.  She has put up with alot over the years and she deserves a ton of credit.
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Bob Hansen

New Top 5:
5-MF; 4-X-Flight; 3-Hulk; 2-Kraken; 1-Raging Bull

There are many I've been on once mostly in the interest of time. For example, I hit all three B&M's at SFGAdv just once, then left for Dorney. Would I like to have taken a few more laps? Sure, but not an hour wait a piece.

The multiple laps are always easiest early and late in the season, but that's not always the most convenient time to travel.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com, Sillynonsense.com
"As far as I can tell it doesn't matter who you are. If you can believe, there's something worth fighting for..." - Garbage, "Parade"

I would say that besides my ol' CP stomping grounds, MOST of the coasters in my track record have given me only one lap. Since I truthfully don't have the stamina for an all day stay, my SOP for a day at the park is now to ride each coaster once, then get a couple more laps on my day's favorite.

For example, on my first-ever trip to SFWoA last year, we hit every coaster, then at the end of the day (4:00 p.m. ACK!) I got a couple more laps on B:KF. I would've liked to hit X-Flight twice as well, but the lines made my decision for me. What a beautiful thing when a B&M floorless is a WALK-ON!!! Hallelujah!!!

Later,
EV
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"Just remember, wherever you go, there you are." - Buckaroo Banzai

I try to give each coaster at least two rides. 

If I only give them one ride, it is usually because of a lack of time or a lack of interest.

Take Dorney park last August.

Arrived at around 4pm

Rode in this order...

Talon, Wild Mouse, Hercules, Thunderhawk, Steel Force, Steel Force, Laser, Talon, Talon, Hercules, Thunderhawk, Steel Force, Steel Force (last ride of the night).   (also hit The log flume, Dominator (both sides), and the Whip).

The reason why Laser and Wild Mouse only got one ride... lack of interest. 

At SFA, hit Two Face, Wild One, Joker's Jinx, BatWing, and Roar each once (S:RoS and Mind Eraser were closed) because of lack of time. (thanks to a large crowd and slow and / or incompetant ride ops).

What I do not understand are how some people can ride a given coaster an insane number of times in one visit... unless that is all they see of that given park.  For me, unles it is my home park (Hershey) that I get to a few times a year, or a park with only one or two coasters (like Knoebels or Sea World Florida), I don't see how you can ride the coasters multiple times and still have time to see the rest of the park.  For instance, when we visted IOA, the park was open from 9am to 6pm.  Rode Hulk 3 times, each side of Dueling Dragons twice, and Flying Unicorn once (there is that "lack of interest" vote).   Granted, we could have rode and re rode Hulk or Dragons several times, but, only haveing 1 day at IOA and knowing we would not be returning for at least 2 years, we decided to spend time in the rest of the park.  As it was we were there at 9am and stayed till closing.

SLFAKE: Sometimes the "Gods of all things which do not suck" are on your side and you can just end up with a really uncrowded day. Like my visit to SFWoA the day after CoasterMania. I was able to get 5+ laps on Villian, 7+ on B:KF, and oh like a dozen or so on S:UE. Not to mention a couple each on Big Dipper and X-flight. During that day we also toured the 'Life' side and took a sucktacular spin on Mission: Bermuda Triangle. i think we also were out of the park for about an hour eating lunch (right CMMike, SuperJewels?).

Okay, we did skip Mind Eraser and Serial Thriller, but I wasnt really *interested* in riding those anyway. So it *can* happen, though I'll admitt, not very often.
jeremy
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Besides, if we were really shutting down people we disagreed with, would Jeremy (2Hostyl) still be around? :) I think not. - Jeff 1/24/02

If it's a "new-to-me" park I really DO try and follow the two-ride minimum.  This of course, is time-permitting, and granting that the "Goatwdns" are in fact on MY side.  Of course, a really poor ride means I *may* reconsider.  Sorry, bigkirby, THIS is where RWB got caught up.  A park with that many GOOD coasters means I may not get my two-ride minimum on those that are truly unimpressive.  The only other woodie that hit earned that poor of a mark was Hercules.  (jeremy's "beloved" Chang-and-Bang would have fit this criteria had it not been for the "re-ride" coupon in the season passholders booklet....we figured it MUST have been us or something, so took another spin....same lame game, sorry 2hostyl, just 2rough for my tastes).  
Rides really do deserve two *shots*, different seats, different time of day, whatever...still waiting for my second ride on Steel Force - it could NOT have been THAT devoid of airtime!  Lastly, SLFAKE, I know opinions vary, sometimes WIDELY, but I can't imagine getting off Lazer and not wanting more... 
Of course, there are always the rides you only INTEND to do once, just to check them off....GregLeg will agree once he gets that "check-off ride" on Python, LOL.
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Florida needs an Intamin and/or CCI soon...PLEASE!
Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!

*** This post was edited by rollergator on 2/27/2002. ***

I've ridden most coasters on my track list more than once.  I've ridden X and Deja Vu once due to time.  I've ridden Flashback at SFMM once because it was painful.  I rode nearly every coaster at CP once with the exception of MF and Iron Dragon, which I rode twice, and Woodstock Express, Jr. Gemini, and Wildcat, which I didn't ride.
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I was asked to describe X in one word. The word? -- OhmygoshwhathaveIgottenmyselfintothisisthescariest
thingintheworldhelpmeIamgoingtodieAHHHH!!!