Six Flags to Announce 2014 plans August 29th

Seriously? Its joke nickname actually came true? That's awesome.

Although Rotting Lumber has actually run decently this and last season, I think a re-do..Rocky Mountain or otherwise...would be pointless. I'll take something new, coaster or not, as long as it's capacity is good (which one could NOT say about a drop tower attached to Kingda Ka.)

Rotted wood can easily be replaced though. I don't see that as enough of a reason to get rid of a wooden coaster.

How many lives does Rolling Thunder have?!?! It has been struck by lightning numerous times, sucks to high heaven, low ridership, yet they still keep it. I guess they want to have some sort of dueling/racing coaster.

Also, why rebuild a pretty awful wooden coaster when it literally intertwines with one of the best on the planet?

Does GAdv. have any form of drop tower right now? It seems incredibly odd for a park of such magnitude to not have one.

And I remember them switching the old KK queue to a make shift one near GASM when they had that accident. I'm pretty sure it was a safety precaution because the old queue ran directly under the launch track where pieces of metal went flying at 128 MPH.

ApolloAndy said:

It seems incredibly odd for a park of such magnitude to not have one.

Every bit as odd as a park of Kings Island's magnitude to not have a B&M inverted coaster.

Hmmmm...

I would suggest that GAdv has *the last operating parachute drop* in the country...

Sure, there's no S&S or Intamin shot/drop rides, but there is a wonderful classic ride of that general type...

Ever since my very first visit to AFGAdv in 1993, I have wondered why they have been keeping Rolling Thunder around. It's one of the worst coasters I have ever been on. I have never seen both sides open or run at the same time.

^^Doesn't happen often, but it happens.

Lord Gonchar said:

Every bit as odd as a park of Kings Island's magnitude to not have a B&M inverted coaster.

Hmmmm...

Well there are only 2 B&M inverts in the former Paramount parks: the ex-Top Guns.
KI - No full circuit invert
KD -Volcano
CW - SLC

A lot of medium/newer Six Flags parks got/had SLC's too: SFNE, SFA, SFDK, SFM

I don't find Rolling Thunder too bad but I always make sure to get a non wheel seat even if I have to wait an extra train. Last year I made the mistake of ridding in a wheel seat and it was horrible.

They don't seem to run both sides except in the summer and maybe Fright Fest weekends? When both sides are running, it also seems like it's only during the peak time of the day. Usually around 5:00 or later depending on riders, they shut down one side (normally the left side since they have Flashpass set up to merge on the right side only). Even with both sides open, they don't race well since the right track's lift is faster.

My first and only visit to SFGA was in 2011 and I got on Rolling Thunder, of course. I was prepared to hate it, braced for it, actually. But I didn't! It was only one side, I can't remember now to tell you which one, but it truly wasn't the rough, horrible ride I thought it might be. The layout wasn't the most exciting, but there were some interesting features, like the flat, non banked drop turns come to mind. I only rode it the once, but wouldn't have minded repeat rides at all.

It would be a quandary, I'm sure, to try to figure out what to do with it. I don't think it deserves to be razed yet, but it does sit along side one of the newer, top rated rides in the world, so its kind of an odd mix. It's a real space waster, too, with it's square-ish layout, and the land might be put to better (read: thrilling) use.