Park of MOA/Nick Universe

How much room did they make for Spongebob? I get the feeling that the cam doesn't view the whole site.

I know that the location is next to the Ripsaw entrance (and home plate) but will it take from the corner to the north entrance (ferris wheel)?

I'll have to see for myself this weekend.

I'd say it covers 80-85% of it. Probably as much as you can cover from that vantage point without obscuring the view with the Ferris Wheel.

-'Playa

*checks Spongebob coaster webcam*

Congratulations, Minnesota!

You are finally home to half an inversion that was cutting-edge in the early 1990s. That's still almost a twenty-year jump from what we've been forced to settle with before it.

By any means, yay.

-CO

Yeah for the second inverting coaster in the state!

^ and ^^ Come on now, let's be nice!

The SpongeBob coaster area butts right up against Ghost Blasters and extends all the way to the North Entrance. All of the buildings and games and merch that used to be there are gone.

I've been over there pretty regularly and this thing never stops making me smile and be amazed at how they crammed it in there.

Can't wait :)!

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ST chick said:I've been over there pretty regularly and this thing never stops making me smile and be amazed at how they crammed it in there.Can't wait !

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I hereby re-dub this park...."Minnesota Beach"!

Bad Bill -- not until we get our very own LoCoSuMo!

2 is better than 1 - 28 year old rusting looper that I can fall asleep on.

New ad for the new coaster:

"Hey, Minnesota. Are you done getting screwed? Now you can take the plunge!"

Dumb but had to get it out.

With this one in our neighborhood will VF delay adding anything else? Would this have been a factor in their decision to put in a GCI instead of a B&M or Intamin?

Not complaining, just curious.

*** Edited 1/11/2008 2:24:46 PM UTC by WildThingNative***

The GCI cost half as much as a B&M woulda.
And loops or no loops, I think Renegade was a DAMN fine addition. Worth every penny.

Would I say the same about an $8 million Impulse?
*crickets chirp*

The latest CF B&Ms I've seen appear to be about as thrilling as their latest coaster renames. I can't say I'm too upset not to see one. Not to say they suck (Patriot wasn't BAD), but given a choice between Patriot and Renegade? We did well.

Personally--and this is just me--I'd much rather see a off-the-shelf clone of THORPE Park Colossus than any 'new' CF idea I've seen lately. It doesn't even have to be the 10-inversion model. Eight is fine. I only know that's preeeeeeeeeeety.

-'Playa

Sheesh! I keep mixing up Heide Park and Thorpe Park! *** Edited 1/11/2008 7:25:29 PM UTC by CoastaPlaya***

^Just a note: Thorpe is the one with the mega-inversion steelie (ColossUs)....Heide is the one with the Intamin prefab woodie (ColossOs). Way too easy for us in N. America to confuse those, LOL.

P.S. The Heide one IS the one I'd want... ;)

This thing is looking mighty nice. I noticed that RCDB has pics of the lift and first drop (which is just barely visible on the webcam). Has anyone seen a layout for this ride yet?

And does anyone know for sure where Splat-o-Sphere is going or who is manufacturing it?

-Nate

Nate - check your email/priv msgs.

By the way, why aren't the footers actually in cement? Why does it look like a temporary/traveling build with those beige metal beams on the floor? Is that typical of all Gerstlauer coasters? Mamoosh, care to PM ME the layout as well? :) Also, the heartline roll doesn't look like what I've always perceived as a 'heartline roll.' Will/Should it produce a weightless effect? Oh, and one more thing, while you all have your crystal balls out, will this be a classic 'parking lot' coaster (on cement/blacktop; no theming/plants)?

http://rcdb.com/ig3727.htm?picture=8 *** Edited 1/12/2008 4:32:02 AM UTC by coasterMNguy...***

The footer question was answered by Playa on the first page of this thread. The inversion looks like a cross between a corkscrew and a zero-g roll, which could be pretty cool.

Any theming/landscaping would be added after construction is complete, so it's probably a bit early to tell what it will look like at this point.

-Nate

Though I can certainly be no judge of coaster design, at least in the webcam photo (http://info.theparkatmoa.com/Hours/RockPlunge.htm) it seems like there is an unbanked s-turn right after the loop... hmmm.... I guess I"ll be seeing it in person on Friday. :)

No s-turn...after the loop is a sort of immelman/cutback/overbank element. Not really sure what to call it...which then leads into the corkscrew/zero g-roll.

Hope that helps.

No, he's talking about the track immediately after the loop. Doesn't look like an S-turn to me--perhaps the tiniest hint of a bunny hop to clear the emergency exits to the sub-basement.

And Nate's right about the corky-G-roll. The track descends a bit more coming out of the element than you can see from that angle.

The facade on the northwest wall looks a lot nicer than the 2nd floor emergency-exit-door-to-nowhere it covers, too.

Geez are they ever tossing that thing up. Do you realize how much of that wasn't there Saturday?

-'Playa

*** Edited 1/16/2008 4:07:32 PM UTC by CoastaPlaya***

^Ahh...I see what you mean.

I was just thinking the same about how fast they got the track up...what? two weeks? I might have to head out there tonight to snoop around and gawk a bit!

They have changed the camera angle to show the first drop and the vert loop.

So summary of elements based on the camera:

90 deg. lift, 95 deg. first drop (or was it more?) with a slight twist to the left into the vertical loop.

Then the mysterious mini airtime hill into the overbanked lefthand turn. Dropping to the floor againg and into the cork-roll (whatever) then another left u-turn going slightly up into mid course breaks.

After the breaks it dives to the right into another high banked left curve...track goes out of screen...and comes back into a left hand helix to the block breaks.

Or am I just seeing things?

Can't wait!

Not only is all trackwork look to be complete on Spongebob, it looks like they are placing the coaster on the Avatar.

They also have the Splatosphere loaded with test dummies today too.

Can't wait to have a place within 3-4 hours for mid-winter coaster fixes.