SFA 5/12 - 20 flights!

Got to SFA at 5:30 Sunday night. Being a Sunday night early in the season, and with rain in the forcast, the park was more empty than I have ever seen it since the addition of Superman! Since I have a season pass, I used this night to marathon Batwing since it usually has a long wait. BTW, I have read these boards for a long time, but this is my first post, so bear with me.

First order of business was my first ride on the new Jokers Jinx. Waited 3 trains for the front and it was great. I rode FOF last year, and I think Joker is smoother. There is no shuffling, and the coaster is arguably the smoothest in the park now considering Superman's occasional vibration and Batwing's shuffling. FOF's darkness is great, but so are the handchoppers on Joker. This was the longest wait of the day.

On my way to the back of the park, I see Batwing running two trains and Superman's line in the station. I choose Batwing. It is running with two trains, both reclining on the lift, and with dual stations! Plus, there is a crew of 12-14 people on the platform, and they are regularly dispatching trains on the straightaway before the turn into the barrel rolls at a perfect interval. Combine this with the park's emptiness, and I rode Batwing 20 times with a 0 to 1 train wait, including 15 times in the front row, 1 in the third row, and 4 in the back. It was so empty they were often dispatching empty trains! There couldn't have been more than 20 people riding it total. The dual station really improves capacity, even with only two trains. Train one seemed to be a small touch smoother than train two, but I think Batwing is very comfortable no matter which train or seat. For some reason, train two was popping up on its way into the station as normal, but train one came in locked in the prone position, and then popped up.

I took one ride on Superman's front seat (1 train wait) before the thunderstorm began around 8:00. In 2.5 hrs at the park, I rode Superman and Joker in the front, along with 20 rides on Batwing. Thanks SFA for running full capacity on all your rides despite low crowds.

BTW, since I haven't seen this mentioned before, fastlane at SFA now costs money, 5 rides for $10. The ticket they give you is supposedly good for any ride at any time, including Batwing. The booth is by the first aid counter on main street.

*** This post was edited by SFA rules on 5/13/2002. ***

Great TR! Welcome aboard and glad you got to find SFA empty!

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X-Flight World's Only flying coaster!
Batwing World's only flying coaster!
S:UF World's only flying coaster! Don't you love SF ?

I don't know if I could take 20 rides on Batwing. After riding it multiple times for the media preview and the Discovery Channel Shoot, once, maybe twice in a day is about all I can stomach. I'm glad you agree with me (and others) about Joker's Jinx vs. Flight of Fear.
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If you want expensive rides, you're going to pay for them, in one way or another.

Great TR and welcome to coasterbuzz,it seems the joker is now everyone's new favorite ride in the park and I'm glad you had a chance to expierience Batwing running somewhat the way it was designed to. Knowing my luck it will be back to single train operation when I go this weekend and someone besides me has noticed the rather rough and shaky ride that S:ROS has been giving lately,too bad you didn't get to expierience the parks two woodies as they really take pride in how they are maintained for the most part.I can hardly wait to ride JJ myself and see just how great it is.

WOW! Sounds awesome!! 20 rides on Batwing in 2 hours. That is definately awesome. That reminds me of IOA in its first summer. I got 18 rides on Dueling Dragons in approx 50 mins in the morning!! Awesome TR and I am glad you had a great time!! Welcome to the 'Buzz.

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X Looks Awesome! Oh Yea!!

Thanks guys. For the record, I went to SFA 15 times last year and have always had a great time. Often Batwing ran one train, but I have seen several occasions where it ran two trains out of one station. The dual station operation, which I have never seen before, was great.

About my marathoning Batwing, I have never had a problem with roughness on a roller coaster. Two years ago I rode Mind Eraser 40 times in a day. I've ridden Steel Phantom, Shockwave, GASM at SFGadv, and the original OL:FOF. Sure a ride may slap me a little, but it has never ruined a ride.

Wild One really is a great ride, and the train rehab and new wood from the off season made it even better this year. Roar is good for its type, but I have never been a huge fan of wooden twisters - I like airtime woodies more.

Last note: Superman has two new signs in the station about being properly restrained in the train. I'm glad SFA is taking the precautions with this ride, updating the brakes, turning on the magnetic trim, I think stapling riders more this year, and adding these signs. KBF will probably modify PP, plus if you look closely at the Xcelerator restraints, the lap bars are beefier and angled differently.

I didn't notice any new signs in S:ROS's station regarding proper restraint procedures,I have howver noticed the excessive amount of stapling though.

The seating signs were just added last week. They are on the exit side of the platform, so you have to read them looking across the train.

I've always found that Batwing is quite comforatable provided that 1) you don't ride of the outside of the back couple rows, and 2) you relax. If you tense it tends to bruise your collar bone.

Yes, JJ is smoother that FOF at PKD. (I haven't ridden FOF at PKI since the conversion) It seems to track better than FOF which still has some fairly stron lateral jerks, though not painful with the OTSRs removed. I think the Robin: The Chiller may have been even smoother. It was down right silky when I rode it at Coaster Celebration. I really want to try JJ in the dark now.

SFA sounds like it is improving a lot this year. I cannot wait to get down there when I get home (I'm away at school now). But I'll be home this week, and I'm getting my season pass processed this coming weekend. Hopefully this years quality improvements will be followed by a new addition next year!

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So...you can't handle a rollercoaster huh? Well...you ARE the Weakest Link! Goodbye!
Number 1 Batwing Fan!