PGA and coaster size - CoasterBuzz

Why has great america neglected to build a coaster over a hundred feet. I would'nt consider tidal wave as a plus 100ft ride.

Is there some kind of height rule as in at sfmw?

After going to every other park in CA, pga seems like it was built for a 7 year old i hardly ever go there anymore, even though i live about 10 miles away from it.

You'll see something 'pretty darn cool' at Great America very soon. The park has never really bothered me. It has it's good days and bad days, but overall it's a fine, fine park. The coasters range from very good(Top Gun, Invertigo) to average(Psycho Mouse, Stealth) to horrible(Grizzly). But has never had a really stand out, got to ride it, coaster. If what I hear is true, that may very well change as soon as next year(I smell Setpoint).

Still, PGA has some outstanding flatrides and at least to me, a MUCH better atmosphere tham Marine World.

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"Escuse me, can you tell me where the heck the Mystery Lodge is"?

Invertigos and Flying Dutchmen are both over one hundred feet. Why they have not built a huge steel coaster... I dont know about height limits, but they are a Paramount park.

They are doing a great job at marketing them as a family park. Perhaps a large hyper coaster is something that they want to shy away from (even when we really know you can have a 300' coaster, and still have it family-oriented))

outkast-how do yo know there going to build something pretty darn cool?

a couple a years ago they bluffed a hypersonic

The park may not have the biggest or best coasters but I think its always fun to visit. And I agree with Outkast that the atmoshpere is much better then that of Marine World.

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Steel: 1)MF, 2)Goliath, 3)Magnum
Wood: 1)Villain, 2)Beast, 3)Roar(SFMW)

OutKast said:

But has never had a really stand out, got to ride it, coaster.

News to me...I sure busted my butt to get out there for Stealth..."World's ONLY Flying Coaster"....of course, I know now that flyers aren't *all that*, but I'd say for a year there, PGA had a "got to ride it" machine that no one else had....

*** This post was edited by rollergator on 7/24/2002. ***

Notice I said "stand out, got to ride it". Something tells me you didn't run back to PGA over and over to ride Stealth.

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"Escuse me, can you tell me where the heck the Mystery Lodge is"?

I went back the next day in fact, but the park was closed for the season....bummer...:(. Oh well, I did get that ONE ride, and it was a GOOD one. Considering the problems they had that opening season, kinda surprised other parks got them SO fast....(makes me wonder about all the speculation re: X)...

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If you're not watching "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart", you're just watching the news....

Chazz - you can call Greased Lightning whatever you want, the fact remains it is indeed over 100 feet tall. PGA coasters over 100' according to rcdb.com:

Demon [102'], Top Gun [102'], Stealth [115'], Greased Lightning [137'], Invertigo [138'].

Besides if history has taught us anything "bigger" does not always equal "better."

Matthew

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"There's nothing sweeter than a bowling ball with a liquid center" - Homer Simpson

*** This post was edited by Mamoosh on 7/24/2002. ***

Closed for the season? That is a bummer. I remember a trip I took to SFMM a few years ago, only to have the entire park closed becuase of thunderstorms. We thought we'd find an empty park, not a closed one.

I agree with you about X. Most park execs are smart enough to know a prototype will experience growing pains. They're also smart enough to know what a ride like X will do for their park. If other parks were not seriously interested in the 4D, we wouldn't see Six Flags so desperately trying to wrestle it from Arrow. ;)

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"Escuse me, can you tell me where the heck the Mystery Lodge is"?

PGA has a really good collection of coasters (except in the wooden dept.) even without something "really big." I must admit, however, that a park with a skyline that includes 3 or more coasters taller than 150' looks quite a bit cooler than one where the tallest is an Invertigo.

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Nothing... NOTHING... can prepare you for... the Fourth Dimension!

Sorry to burst your bubble but Tidal Wave stands a proud 137' high, and was the tallest in the world when it opened in '77 ( a year before Gurnee's). That's above 100' if you ask me. :)
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Brad Sherman
BuzzCon Frequent Flyer, responsible for guests fleeing the queue in horror!
Model coasters and rides

OutKast said:

You'll see something 'pretty darn cool' at Great America very soon. The park has never really bothered me. It has it's good days and bad days, but overall it's a fine, fine park. The coasters range from very good(Top Gun, Invertigo) to average(Psycho Mouse, Stealth) to horrible(Grizzly). But has never had a really stand out, got to ride it, coaster. If what I hear is true, that may very well change as soon as next year(I smell Setpoint).
Still, PGA has some outstanding flatrides and at least to me, a MUCH better atmosphere tham Marine World.
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"Escuse me, can you tell me where the heck the Mystery Lodge is"?

Outkast, can we stop the PGA and SFMW comparisons? And question, where is the collection of good flat rides? I see one(one god flat ride that doesn't cost money to ride). The collection has been taken out over the years. What were the best three flat rides before Delerium have all ben taken out.

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Lake Compounce-So Fresh and So Clean Clean

We have to keep something in mind. Some of PGAs coasters where the firstor second of there kind. Also the last years Marroit owned the park they didn't any big capitol improvements.

They have plenty of coasters over 100 feet. Does anyone remember teh accident on Drop Zone? It was horrible he fell from 226 feet high.

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Sean

Working there, I was always bummed...but hey, there's a little park in England with a more severe height restriction.

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"If the beats were made of meat then they would have to be me ..." - L.L. Cool J

SomeGuy said:

We have to keep something in mind. Some of PGAs coasters where the firstor second of there kind. Also the last years Marroit owned the park they didn't any big capitol improvements.

IF only Paramount asked the same question and gave a little... ok a lot of extra money like Cedar Fari di, we'd wouldn't have the world's shortest stand up and instead we'd have Mantis. It bugs me that most of Vortex's ride is the lift hill and the brake-turn brake finale.

Top Gun is so awsome, the most intense coaster I've been on. But that intensity becomes a bad thing with such a short layout. It's over so quick, you hit the world's greatest helix saying "this is amazing" and imediately after the helix is the brake and you're like "that was it? There's gotta be a second course?" Top Gun is such a great ride, but what you get for the hours of wait on that thing just doesn't make it that reridable.

Invertigo, only complaint I have, why is this thing braking down every couple of hours?

You can't blame Paramount for being innovative, but I want a coaster that's not shortest of its kind, that's not clsoed 75% of the time, that actually lasts forover a year or atleast a ride the last over a minute before you hit multiple sets of brakes. In simple form, a winner!!!

-Stealth is good for one ride, but reridable, no and I'm not waiting three hours every time for that thing, it's no Millenium Force or X and is not worth that kind of wait.

-Demon is washed up. Paramount took the life out of it. The caves, rocks, and theming are all gone. When the best part of the ride is actually the midcourse brakes(or 3/4 brakes because the ride is more than half way over) and a 10 mph turnaround, then you know this ride is desperate.

-Grizzly needs a new name. How about...... UGLY BEAR THAT NEEDS A MAKEOVER!!!

-Greased Lightnin' is getting a little better and may be able to shine through as a good ride again.... that is once PGA turn of those brakes after the launch and before entering the station, it ruins the ride completely.

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Lake Compounce-So Fresh and So Clean Clean

Heres a little question I have for you guys. I guess it was about 4 years ago on my annual trip to PGA with my cousins there was a sign that said "Get your last ride on Grizzy as it will be closing forever." It wasn't in those exact words, but it was something along those lines. What happened there, were they supposed to tear down Grizzly and add another coaster or what?

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"This time I think ... I think it's ... it's going to work!" - Dr.Bruce Banner

Vertigo, just to name a few:

Delirium, Revolution, Flying Scooters, Triple Play, Orlean's Orbit, Celebration Swings, Logger's Run, Columbia carousel, Drop Zone Stunt Tower, Whitewater Falls, 7th Portal, Barney'sOldfield Speedway, Revolution, Fiddler's Fling.

Um, you were saying?

And since SFMW is PGA's main competition, it makes all the sense in the world to compare them.

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"Escuse me, can you tell me where the heck the Mystery Lodge is"?