The real "What is Holiday World up to?" thread

In my days as a ride operator I was witness to skid brakes failing several times on the Geauga Lake Big Dipper.

Not to get off track to much from the topic, but in regards to breaks on wooden coasters. Have you ridden Mean Streak lately? I rode it a couple of weeks ago and it could barely make it down the first hill it was braking so hard. Never have I been going down the first hill of a coaster and wondered if the brakes would not let go....Please free the brakes...

Is 13.5 million minus other attractions enough for a length record breaker? Where is that rumor coming from? For some reason I have a bad feeling about the quantity of airtime if they get an "economy record breaker".

"Have you ridden Mean Streak lately? I rode it a couple of weeks ago and it could barely make it down the first hill it was braking so hard. Never have I been going down the first hill of a coaster and wondered if the brakes would not let go....Please free the brakes... "

CP is renaming Mean Streak to "The Tooth Chipper" in response to this.

Shaggy

;-)

^^^Question, why the hell did you even get in line for Mean Streak?

RideMan:

I feel that I have ridden several of the top wooden coasters besides the Beast. My top 10 is the following:

Top Ten Wooden Coasters

1. The Beast at Paramount Kings Island

2. The Legend at Holiday World

3. The Raven at Holiday World

4. The Knobels Twister at Knobels

5. Lightning Racer at Hershey Park

6. Wildcat at Hershey Park

7. The Villain at Geauga Lake

8. Viper at Six Flags Great America

9. Thunder Run at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom

10. Phoenix at Knobels

I have my hole track record and all my rankings on an excel file, if any one wants it, just private message me.

Anyway back to the subject. I might be a little biased, but I rode the coaster recently at night and was still blown away. Also, don't you have to think some people like it a lot, for it to consistantly be ranked so high? The only coaster ranking it is just ok in is Mitch's rankings, however that samples only coaster fans that are online and take the time to fill that thing out. Also if the ride is so bad and rough, then why were people loudling cheering after they got off. I don't think people do that on most rides, only Millenium Force did I see that.

Holiday World has too of the best wooden coasters in the world. I feel the Legend is the only wooden coaster that can match the Beast in intensity and fun. I don't see what is wrong with perhaps questioning them building a huge wooden coaster that might be the longest. Especailly considering the success they had with more medum sized ones. Yeah I know coaster fans love that park, but I don't think you have to blindly think that every move they make is great. I don't think there is anything wrong with offering some constructive critisim on their new ride (which we don't really know anything official about)

For some people that dislike the Beast, Rideman and chuck I saw you ride it a lot as a ride operator my 3 years there (2001-2003). I also saw you ride the flying eagles quite a bit, and think some of this negatism to PKI is because of the removal of it. Why go to the park and ride it that much if you don't like it?

Anyway we will know in a few weeks what the ride will really be. For all we know it could be 6000 feet of track and not the longest. Who knows it might not be a coaster for all we know.

*** Edited 6/6/2005 9:28:12 PM UTC by Beast Fan*** *** Edited 6/6/2005 9:30:23 PM UTC by Beast Fan*** *** Edited 6/6/2005 9:34:52 PM UTC by Beast Fan***

There you go again saying I dislike The Beast. I never said that. I said it's in the middle of my rankings.

Most (not all) of the people posting here are not saying they dislike the Beast because it is rough. They are challenging your claim that PKI has the best woodie maintenance because Beast is rough. Beast is one of the roughest woodie I have been on in some parts in some seats, but I still think it is an excellent ride. It is tied for 10 at the bottom of my personal woodie top ten. Sure it lacks air. It does a lot of things well too.

PKI has just done a few things that indicates to me they either can't have or don't care to have the best wood out there. If they knew so much more about woodies than any other park does, they would have never built SOB the way it is. They built a record, not a good ride. The best in the industry should have known it would not have worked out. Also, if they were the best at taking care of woodies, you would think that the helix on Beast would not shake so badly.

If you want to measure experience/expertise with woodies soley by feet of woodie track, then measure the total feet of quality woodie track that CCI and the Gravity Group combined have built. They are who take care of the track at HW and they are the best in the business, IMO.

As for breaking the length record being a slap in the face, I am sure you are the only one who thinks so including the management at PKI. Records are made to be broken, and boycotting a park that broke a 25 year old record is just about the silliest thing I have ever heard. *** Edited 6/6/2005 10:01:43 PM UTC by RavenTTD***

Actually I happen to know Will and the gang from HW make a annual trip to PKI in late august durring the last week when HW is closed for school.

Ive seen em three years running riding SOB and Beast.

HW and PKI have a good relationship, as Im sure HW and just about any park except maybe it and SFKK have. (Gotta love them HW signs outside SFKK).

I also don't believe HW is out to take buisness from anyone, Just grow their own as they have successfully done for over 10 years now.

Chuck, who was told by some CoasterMan that KI actually does pretty good maintence on their woodies. For the technology and equiptment they have and were built with. (Non articulated trains ect.)

We get along great with folks at the other parks ... and do ticket trades with a bunch of them.

We swap info and advice back and forth.

A few years back, I spent a delightful afternoon with Jeff, David and a few others from PKI (Shaggy, you came along as well, right?). We laughed ourselves silly.

And guess what? The next year PKI added a water ride similar to our Zinga. No one here gave it a second thought--we're happy for them (and ProSlide).

If someone has a crummy experience at *any* park, they may never visit another. So we all want to see the industry shine. Of course, we're competitors, but it's not ugly.

Sorry to disappoint...but there's no snarling going on.

Paula

"A few years back, I spent a delightful afternoon with Jeff, David and a few others from PKI (Shaggy, you came along as well, right?). We laughed ourselves silly."

I did Paula. Actually just last week I went on a jaunt to Geauga Lake with the PKI gang as well, and we had a blast!

Heck, I have been at PKI when the CP gang was visiting. Last year quite a few visited in order to check out Delirium. And we all know what resulted from that!

No snarling at all. Actually, from what I can tell, the industry is a very friendly industry and many park owners/operators have known each other for years. It makes no sense for them to be cut throat.

Within this region, I can think of only one park that in a minor way ostricizes themselves from the rest.

There is competition. But from what I have witnessed, it has very little effect on the friendships that exists from park to park. It's all in good sport.

Shaggy

Thanks, Paula, for that insight! You know, that's not unlike the kind of relationships that we tend to have in my business, higher education. We compete with other institutions for students, but we're all in the same business, and once you get past Admissions, we tend to be friendly.

Something I have noticed over the years, just as a (not so?) casual observer is that the amusement business is all about entertainment, customer service, and making sure that people have fun. That becomes part of the corporate culture. I wonder if it also comes from the traveling part of the industry, where it is not unheard of for competitors to assist one another. A showman was telling me last winter about how his company lost a significant amount of equipment in a storm and played several dates using equipment borrowed from another show.

I guess that's what happens when the business is not just a job, but rather a way of life.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

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Raven Maven said:
If someone has a crummy experience at *any* park, they may never visit another. So we all want to see the industry shine.

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Thanks Paula, for summarizing the past 6-7 years of "my life's work" in such a succinct manner. I guess I can go home now...;)

What is HW up to? Leading the way! :)

That's a good philosophy for a lot of business. My company is in a situation where it has to play nice with a competetor. It does neither of us any good to take cracks at each other. Actually, we played nice first, and they soon found out that it didn't pay to play naughty...in the eyes of our mutual customer.

It's all about long range vision folks.

You all should jack up the price when a competitor comes to your park...especially if it is on a hot day. ;)

Those boys CRACKED ME UP!

I only wrote about a tiny portion of our conversation (the tour takes an hour). I hope I captured the essence of their "advice." They were a hoot.

:) Paula

Free unlimited price-jacking? LOL! :)

Thanks Paula, you never fail to make me smile...

Paula, that blog entry sums up a good 75% of the people that post on this site. "Hey, I am great at Rollercoaster Tycoon so I could run a park."

At least these were boys so it was humorous. Some here are a little more grown up and still think RCT is a good barometer for the real world!

You mean the SFI execs that read 'Buzz? ;)

Hi-larious blog entry, Paula. For a few seconds it allowed me think of something other than trying to guess what you're going to announce for 2006 ;)