SFMM TR and Scream Review- April 3

Well I woke up at 6:30, finished typing a paper for a class that I was missing to go to SFMM. Priorities, you know?

Got on the road at 7:50, and with minor traffic through LA, arrived at the park at 9:15. The parking lot was open and the attendant at the booths was friendly. I however, ended up with 8 dollars.

I was one of the first 10 cars in the lot, parked first row right next to Colossus. I walked to the season pass processing center to process my newly purchased pass. I was a bit frustrated that they didn't open until 9:40, but was at ease when I discovered they had the most efficient processing procedure I had ever encountered- much better than Disneyland. They simply took my ticket, took my picture and 30 seconds later my new pass popped out of the machine. Great job!

It was now 9:50 and I waited for the park to open. When it did, I sprinted to X. Got there and was second in line. The attendant said the ride would open in 40 minutes. I knew that would happen, but it would be well worth it, my first X ride since Media Day!

Right on cue, X opened and I was on the first train of the day in the front row. Awesome. And just as it had been a year earlier, this ride is still the best thing since sliced bread. The flips and spins are all poetry in motion. That ride left me very happy.

Decided to go for the back of the park. Deja Vu was open, so I opted to try it. I had been on it once before and found it to be uncomfortable and not a ride that I like too much. I was assigned to the 7th row, and I can still say that Deja Vu is not a ride that I like. Why must the restraints lock a minimum of 4 inches away from my body? Do I really appreciate leaning my entire weight on that silly Vekoma restraint? No I do not!

Since it was so close, I decided to hit Psyclone. I had been on this twice before, both in the same day. I thought it was pretty impressive and a fun ride. Well after this ride, I won't be so quick to stick up for this ride. It was ok, and the gratuitous use of anti-rollbacks and brakes really hurt this one for me. Not painful, just a bit.. lame.

Next up was Riddler's Revenge. I had been on this several times before and really like it. Its a very forceful B&M with a well designed layout. Rode in the 6th car I think, and had a good ride.

After Riddler's I decided to hit one of my favorites- Batman: The Ride. This ride performs every single time I ride and never lets me down. Still intense, still a great layout, and still one of the best theming jobs around. Another great ride this time, in the front of course.

Took a walk towards Goliath. This was a very dissapointing ride for me. Never really liked it a whole lot in comparison to the other hypers I have done. Sat in the back seat this time, 2 train wait. I hadn't done the back before, and you know, its probably the best seat on the ride. Still not great, but the mist was on in the tunnel and the helix made me gray-out, a first on that ride. So, it was an improvement over previous rides, but it still doesn't really do it for me.

Since I had never done it before and had never been at the park when it was open, I decided to do Flashback. Wow. That was really as bad as everyone said. My ears are still red and sore to prove it. A lot of times I think enthusiasts are hypersensitive about pain on rides, to the point of complaining if their head even brushes the restraints just once. But this one deserves all of the ire it recieves. Just awful. I'd never do it again.

At this point, you may be wondering where my Scream review is. Its on the way.

Walked down to Wendy's to get lunch. After a tasty burger, I met a few friends there and we drove up to go to Scream's PR shoot. Like most locals I had been watching construction closely and was very excited to ride. A new B&M. Doesn't get much better than that, right?

Well actually, yes it does.

Scream Review

A new B&M floorless immediately gives me very high standards to live up to. I adored Medusa at SFMW, my 3rd favorite Steel coaster. But Scream! just didn't have that inspired B&M touch that Medusa had.

It was rough and rattly at several parts of the ride, which really surprised me. I'm not nitpicking here, it was quite noticable. Mostly smooth, but a few parts of the ride really jostled me around.

I'm not generally one to harp about theming (or lack thereof), but like SFMW's Medusa, parking spaces abound underneath the ride.

The layout was good in parts and a letdown in others. The first drop is excellent, save for the jolt at the bottom. The helix after the brakes steals the show for me. Its low to the ground. fast and very intense. The highlight of the ride for me.

So all in all, Scream! was by no means a bad ride, it was certainly not a great one, and based on my expectations for a brand new B&M, this one just didn't measure up for me. I hope and believe that in time, those rough spots will be smoothed out. If they can eliminate those, it would be a huge gain for the ride.

Do go out and ride it for yourself and see what you think. This is only one person's opinion.

The Rest of the Day

After doing Scream! 10 times in a 2 hour period, I wanted to go and do the park a little more with some friends. We met at X, and in just 15 minutes got on the ride, this one in the second row.

I chose an outside seat this time. Wow. What the heck happened? I was thrown around like a rag doll, up down and all around. Shoulders banging on the restraints, legs slapping the car. Yikes. Was this really the same ride I had been on this morning? I attribute the change to sitting on the outside seat and also not having the operator push my OTSR all the way down to my shoulders. That inch or two of room really gave a ton of room to be thrown around. Even so, X is still an awesome ride, the best IMO, and I prefer to judge the ride based on my experince in the morning rather than the evening.

After a bout of group indecision, we decided to try to get back to Scream! one more time. Though it was a few minutes after its closing time, they were still going. I grabbed a ride in the second row. It was a nice way to finish up the day. Like I said, its a cool ride and is a lot of fun, but has its flaws. So 11 rides on Scream! today, not bad.

That was it at the park for us. We went to Del Taco and grabbed some dinner. After that I was on my way home....

It was a very fun day with all of the favorite rides at SFMM and I was honored to get to ride Scream! so early on.

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The Trip: CP, SFWoA, PKI, KW, HW, IB, SFGAm, MiA and LeSourdsville too.
8 Days- 10 parks. May 2003

Good TR matt... really interesting to hear about Scream. A mirror clone of Medusa East, with non-smooth sensations? I guess every ride is entitled to it's bad days... Reminds me of attending the B:DK media day last year, hitting lots of rough spots on it, and going back to sfne later in the year and getting much improved rides on it.

Cool to hear about Scream. I was suppose to go to SFMM over spring break from Chicago but my grades kind of slippend so my mom cut the trip :( . I would of been there yesterday and today.

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Whats red yellow and blue at SFGAm...???
*** This post was edited by Blinkcoaster 4/4/2003 10:13:19 AM ***

How is a brand new B&M ride, presumably with brand new wheels, rough?

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - Sillynonsense.com
"The world rotates to The Ultra-Heavy Beat!" - KMFDM

You're the only person I've ever seen complain about NOT being stapled. Interesting, to say the least.

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SRM 2003-Look for the guy with my name on his chest

Jeff: I have no idea how it was rough, but I certainly wasn't the only one yesterday who thought so. I think that it should smooth out over time once it breaks in a bit.

Mark: There's no reason not to be stapled (or at least have the restraints close to you) on X. Not like there's any airtime or anything. X in the inside seats is perfect, the outside seats are bone-jarring.

As for Deja Vu, there is just something disconcerting about having all of your weight leaning on a restraint several inches away from your body on a vertical lift hill. Besides, who cares about stapling on Deja Vu? Its one of the least forceful rides I can think of.

Other than those two, I'm not really into being stapled. ;) I promise.

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The Trip: CP, SFWoA, PKI, KW, HW, IB, SFGAm, MiA and LeSourdsville too.
8 Days- 10 parks. May 2003

I rode Kraken two weeks after it opened and found the ride very choppy for a brand new B&M. Almost as if someone forgot to take the packaging off the wheels. I then found the same problem on B:DK it's opening year. Hard to explain, but I've heard both rides have since smoothed out.

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People complain about clones, yet can't even come up with original conversation, which is ten times worse.

Umm. is it just me or is this guy talking crap??

Scream is not yet open. As stated on the six flags website it does not open until Sat April 10, so what is this guy going on about??

Seems rather sad to be lying about going on a coaster which has not opened yet. Anyway get a life CoasterfanMatt.

cheers

Not to be mean, but gyjdnb get the facts before posting. Right now, you are the one talking crap here. CoasterFanMatt went to the PR day for the ride and that is how he rode.

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Knott's Unlimited
http://www.knottsunlimited.com
"Your Guide To The Farm"
*** This post was edited by SpongeBob 4/4/2003 11:34:45 PM ***

Or maybe I was invited to PR day. That would explain it. I understand that we should be careful about what we read here, but I'd put a little more thought into my post before I simply jump to conclusions...

EDIT: Spongebob and I posted at the same time. Thanks for helping to clear that up. :)

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The Trip: CP, SFWoA, PKI, KW, HW, IB, SFGAm, MiA and LeSourdsville too.
8 Days- 10 parks. May 2003

*** This post was edited by CoasterFanMatt 4/4/2003 11:35:55 PM ***
*** This post was edited by CoasterFanMatt 4/4/2003 11:36:54 PM ***

Wow a new B&M rough well since its a mirrored ride of Medusa than you won't have nothing to worry about the ride will smooth out. The only shaky part of the ride is the corkscrews but you still won't get any head banging. Coasterfanmat don't you just hate it when there is atleast one person that has to be the slow one out of the group lol.

honously (spelling?!?) i think many of these coasters which you think 'suck' are awesome, every rollercoaster i have been on i have really enjoyed. i believe that it is not only the ride which makes it good, but it's your own pychological state. I myself liked to get hyped up before a ride, like i do at one of my major sports:) anyway good to read some TR's, i'm sure Scream will be great the next time i visit.

edit: just a simple mistake above

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UK, home to the King of Inverts, Nemesis, and the soon Heir, Inferno
*** This post was edited by UK NeMeSiS 4/5/2003 3:48:11 PM ***

My apologies Coasterfanmatt, you did not say that you were at the Pr day in your trip report, and i jumped to the wrong conclusion that you were staking claim to riding Sream before everyone else. Sorry about that, it has happened before though.

Hopefully Scream will 'smooth' out before i get the chance to ride it in Sep. Nice trip report though, one question, what mark did you get on your paper that you wrote in a rush before going to SFMM??

Newborn roughness aside, I can completely understand why you'd like Medusa over... well, Medusa (Scream.)

Medusa at SFMW, not unlike Kraken, has the straight drop rather than the curved one (which, I believe, makes the ride remarkably better), and the elements just seem to be a laid out a bit more 'inspired-ly.' No, not just because it wasn't the first floorless coaster, but I think it's just the evolution.

Scream's not going to be a bad ride. It's just like saying that Raptor is better than Batman: the Ride. Two great rides, and you'll get some disagreement, but evolution helps.

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"Well, I'm sure I'd feel much worse if I weren't under such heavy sedation." - David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
http://www.loopscrew.com
*** This post was edited by I-Nar 4/6/2003 12:32:55 AM ***

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gyjdnb said:
My apologies Coasterfanmatt, you did not say that you were at the Pr day in your trip report, and i jumped to the wrong conclusion that you were staking claim to riding Sream before everyone else. Sorry about that, it has happened before though.

Nice trip report though, one question, what mark did you get on your paper that you wrote in a rush before going to SFMM??

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No problem at all, I guess I should have mentioned I was at PR day. :)

Not sure on the grade just yet, we'll find out soon. ;) Not like I had to write the whole thing, I had done most of it the night before. ;)

And about Scream's "roughness." I think I ought to clarify that it is more strong vibration than pure roughness. Its not anything that kills the ride by any means, but it is undoubtedly noticable. So please don't be any less excited about Scream! and go ride it for yourself, it is a fun ride and I'm sure its only going to get better. Just thought I should clear that up...

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The Trip: CP, SFWoA, PKI, KW, HW, IB, SFGAm, MiA and LeSourdsville too.
8 Days- 10 parks. May 2003

I just rode Medusa(east) yesterday and I was very impressed. It is by far the best ride at SFGAdv. and has changed over the past couple of years. I assume Scream will make the same changes.

I rode Medusa in 2000, 2001 and 2003. The first year it seemed smooth and, don't kill me for saying this, boring. The next year it was a little bumpier but still rather forceless.

This year was the best. The coaster is a little rickety but in a good way. The first drop is great. The force at the bottom is greater than I remember. Also, it was the first time I actually felt like I was going to come out at the top of the first loop.

I've never been impressed with the dive loop. Medusa's is nothing special and B:TDK's is lame. However, yesterday was different. The dive loop made my stomach drop. It was amazing. The zero-g roll was great as usuall, and the cobra roll was amazing. I never liked cobra rolls. However, the one on Medusa is silky smooth. It's a great feeling. There is still that little bump after the cobra roll and before the MCBR. Nothing too bad.

The helix was okay but the best part were the corkscrews. They were awsome. I used to think they were kind of boring but yesterday was the first time I felt the whip effect. It was great.

What I'm trying to say is give Scream some time. I do think it's wierd that it's brand new and kind of bumpy. It took Medusa a few years to get that way. Hopefully it will turn out to be a great ride for SFMM.

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"Life is like a roller coaster; there are ups and downs and it's over all too fast."

Fight Back at: www.realizethis.com

Was X running well all day. How many trains were running?

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Sean Newman

X was running just fine all day. Opened 40 minutes after the park, but I pretty much expected that.

The ride was running flawlessly in the inside seats (I was on the first train of the day, front row). Just as good as I remember it being on Media Day.

My ride later on in the day in an outside seat was a nightmare. I was jostled around so much, just thrown around within my restraints.

The moral of the story? Sit on an inside seat and you will be experiencing (or should I say Xperiencing) the best the ride has to offer.

X ran 2 trains all day.

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The Trip: CP, SFWoA, PKI, KW, HW, IB, SFGAm, MiA and LeSourdsville too.
8 Days- 10 parks. May 2003

Medusa did gtt kind of intense when I rode it like 2 years ago it was boring, now its more older and broken into itself and got the intensity that I wanted, the same would happen with Scream, or maybe your used to the taller more intense rides at Sfmm and Scream didn't feel like them, maybe thats why.

Medusa did get kind of intense. When I rode it like 2 years ago it was a ok ride, now its more older and broken into itself and got the intensity that I wanted, real fun. The same would happen with Scream it would get better, or maybe your used to the taller more intense rides at Sfmm and Scream didn't feel like them, so thats maybe why it didn't real live up to what people think.