shuttle coasters: Are they essential for a park?

Yes, they can be a good move... but, a park like CP that adds a single train shuttle... same with PKI, SFGAm, SFOG and SFMM, its questionable. CP, if you really wanted to add a new coaster in the beach section, there were other ways.

SLFAKE, while I have to agree that most of the parks you mentioned are some of the best in thw world especially IOA, BGT and Knoebels. I would definitely not say they have some of the best coaster collections around, although all three parks have two or three amazing coasters. So they may not be essential to have a great park but IMO shuttle coasters are essential in order to have a excellent and well rounded coaster collection. most parks with over ten coasters have at least one shuttle coaster.
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My name says it all. 2 coasters help but dont stop long lines.
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3.2.1 launch

I don't like shuttles all that much, everything about them is short expcept the line. The expierence is short, the track is short, the thrill is short. You have to wait so long for such a little expierence.

With my opinion about shuttles aside, there are two main reasons that parks add them.

1.) Most of them are clones, and are therefore cheap.

2.) They take up little space.

If you look at it from the parks point of view, shuttles are very nice additions to the park. A park gets it's money from the GP, not from the enthusiasts. And since the GP would consider a boomerang a good ride, than why not. They take up little space, which is all some parks have. Everybody is talking about CP and Wicked Twister. I'm sure that if there was some room somewhere elses in the park for a coaster, and who knows why they didn't add it. Maybe this is the begginning of the downfall for CP. I don't know if it was the room factor or not, cause like Absimilliard said, there were ways for CP to add a different coaster. At least CP made a modification to WT instead of cloning another impulse.

The only thing essential at a theme park are BATHROOMS. You can have a perfectly fine park without even having a coaster (see Epcot, SWC...)
jeremy
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"Nobody writes about the planes that land." Steve Salerno Washington Times 7-10-01

How ironic that my favorite "shuttle" isn't even located in a park. Speed:The Ride, located in the Nascar section of the Sahara hotel in Vegas, is the best shuttle I've ever ridden.
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"Conviction is a luxury for those who sit on the sidelines"-A Beautiful Mind(best film of 2001)

*** This post was edited by DWeaver on 1/26/2002. ***

2hostyl, as I have mentioned before in another reply, I think that the shuttle coaster is essential for a good coaster collection, not to make a good park. anyways, I have to disagree with you on Epcot, I love the place but lately I think of it more as a shopping bazaar than a amusement park, since it only has like one real ride. I'm sure more visitors spend time shopping there than going on rides.

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Then by your assement seth, I guess neither BGT or BGW have good coaster collections. I thenk many ppl would beg to differ (self included).

Oh, and I'd go to Epcot just to eat all day :)
jeremy
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"Nobody writes about the planes that land." Steve Salerno Washington Times 7-10-01

Like I said in a previous reply on this topic, (I really hate to repeat myself but it's necessary) BGW and BGT both have three excellent coasters but they do not have a well rounded expectional coaster collection. BGT has two amazing B&M's and a very good GCI, plus the fun little Scorpion, it is still lacking a lot of what makes a good coaster collection. Variety of experiences, thrills. And BGW also has four great coasters but noticeably lacks a woodie and in my belief a good shuttle or luanched coaster. Both parks have quality coasters but are a few away from having a rounded collection that offers a variety of sensations.

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You didnt need to re-state yourself. I'm just saying that many, like myself, would disagree with you.

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"Nobody writes about the planes that land." Steve Salerno Washington Times 7-10-01

I guess the distinction that needs to be made here is the difference between a "theme park" and a "thrill park". A great time can be had at a theme park with one or even NO coasters (perish the thought). But what makes a thrill park, or borrowing a slogan, Xtreme park, is coasters, and the more the better...launches, shuttles, woodies, backwards trains, bobsleds, suspendeds, hypers, inverteds, floorlesses, twisters, out-n-backs - gimme the whole bunch!
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PoTP acolyte - remove fear to reply
Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!

While I think there is a vast difference between "theme" and "thrill" parks, lately the line had been blurred by parks like IOA, BGT, and BGW. It seems like many more theme parks are adding coasters and "thrill"parks are trying to add some them and atmoshpere to their park. Prime example is the thrill park PKI and the addition of the highly themed TR:TR. Even disney is adding in some thrills.
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There is only so much time left in this crazy, I just crumbling erb. they don't understand the master plan, i just cumbling erb.
Outkast

PKI has always been a thrill park with theming added according to what their audience, attendance, budget, etc. can handle. Disney has always been a theme park with thrills added according to their audience, attendance, budget, etc. You don't see extreme Disney theming at PKI, because they don't get the amount and kind of visitors and money that Disney does to do so. That's where the major of Disney's near hundred million dollar projects go to is the theming.

Disney and thrills then for the same reason. Disney has an outstanding secret formula they use for making their attractions or they wouldn't be as popular as they are after so many years. They know when and where a thrill ride needs to be put in. True that TRTR may be the biggest themed ride they've ever put in, but the theming was pretty major on The Beast, Adventure Express, HB Land, Top Gun, FOF, Phantom Theatre, Nick Central, etc. when they opened as well.

About shuttle coasters: I don't believe they are essential, but it indeed makes for some nice variety and a different style of thrills as many have said. They're very complimentary to a large park and coaster collections as well as being a cheaper decision for smaller parks. I agree with the many large parks who added either a major thrill ride and a shuttle coaster or two shuttle coasters in the same year(ie, SFGAm, SFoG, PKI, SFA, SFMM, etc.), but adding only one shuttle coaster could be a little risky as far as waits go(CP). We'll have to wait and see though. Best of luck for their sake anyway.
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Danny

Shuttles are good!boomerang's are very bad!
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You will never forget the name........GOLDUST

Lesse... IOA, MGM, Kennywood, BGT, & BGW (to name a few) have no shuttles and are allstar parks. Does that answer your question?
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2 Shuttles help, but only if they are both running at the same time. SFGAm was smart by adding 2 shuttles on 2 differentt sides of the parks but it doesn't do any good if only one of them is open at a time. I think shuttles are essential since most can fit in small spaces and they are fun.
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Shuttles are placed in parks for two simple reasons. 1. Increase coaster count to wow its general public audience. A park can say that such in such park has so many coasters. The GP will marvel at this fact. Whatever makes an each buck. 2. Most of the GP will only go to 3-4 parks in their life time. They will not even question weather or not if it is a clone or not.

Whatever makes that extra buck.

Coasterman Mike

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Total rides on Phantom's Revenge: 49
Total rides on Pittfall: 255
Total rides on Superman:UE : 633
Feel free to IM me @ CoastermanMike