The trend of non-full circuit coasters.

Well, its become pretty obvious that parks are taking to these coasters. The more popular parks in this country( SFGAdv, SFGAm, SFMM, and "OH MY GOD CP etc.) seem to be installing these coasters. My take on this is even though alot of you balk at the idea of these high customer volume parks getting these coasters due to capacity probably should look at it from another standpoint. A park with more than 10 coasters really isnt making a bad decision by doing this. With that many coasters in the park it should spread the flow of traffic more smoothly so with the addition of non-full circuit coasters only adds to the coaster count but wont be the primary focus of the park. A coaster that is popular along with 10+ other coasters already in existence makes good sense.

Get used to it because it has become a trend.

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""An hour wait for a 2 minute thrill. Yes, we need our heads examined""

I agree that it has become a trend, but I have to admit I prefer the model of PKI with Face/Off and Drop Zone, or SFGAm with V2 and Deja Vu, or SFoG with AcroPhobia and Deja Vu. That is, I think it works much better if a shuttle coaster isn't the park's only new installation for the year. The latest ride gets all the media attention, hype, and sales efforts from the park. That's only natural, and good business. With smaller parks, the low capacity nature is not a problem. But for the megaparks of CP, PKI, and the big-market SF parks, if a shuttle is THE new ride for the season, it virtually guarantees long lines. I suggest they get a new coaster AND a new flat ride like the parks I mentioned earlier, (or maybe refurbish and market an existing wooden coaster!) to prevent long queue lines - which have many negative consequences...
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the buzzer formerly known as gatorwoodie
Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!

Shuttle Coasters have been around since 1977. Maybe there is a rescent breakout of major parks adding them to their lineup, but the shuttle coaster is nothing "new." Vekoma, Intamin and Premier are making MUCH better shuttles than in days past, maybe the quality of "modern" shuttles are whats giving them populatity.
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"X" marks the spot in 2001!

If you're a Cedar Point, Magic Mountain or Great America, what else can you do? There comes a point in time where you have to do shuttles to keep variety. At the other end of the spectrum, some of them are inexpensive enough for smaller parks, so they make sense there.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com
"As far as I can tell it doesn't matter who you are. If you can believe, there's something worth fighting for..." - Garbage, "Parade"

I don't know if Vekoma, Intamin, and Premier are making better shuttles. I'd take a good old Schwarzkopf shuttle loop any day of the week over an Impulse or Boomerang. Here's hoping that SFoG's Viper finds a new home.
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Scott W. Short
mailto:scott@midwestcoastercentral.com
http://www.midwestcoastercentral.com

Amen to that Shiv. I miss that ride with a passion.
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"The Peoples Elbow" or "The Spinaroonie?. Cant decide which is the most electrifying move in sports entertainment!!! LOL

Amen to that, ShivTim! SFoG's Viper still has LOTS of great rides to give...and it WILL be at some SF park next year. The only shuttle coaster that comes close for me is the Intamin Impulse. B&R:TC, I will have to re-evaluate following the lapbar installation. Deja Vu, that must have just missed me. I thought it was an improved design over the inverted Vekoma shuttles, but not by THAT much...
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the buzzer formerly known as gatorwoodie
Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!

I've yet to ride one of Schwarzkopf's shuttle loopers:(
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Dayuum, Your HOT!

Here is hoping that the impossible will happen and Viper will come back to SFGAm as Tidal Wave <G>

I agree totally. I will take a Schwarzkpf any day over an impulse or boomerang.

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Bob Hansen

"Excuse me while I kick the sky!"
kickthesky@hotmail.com

The other issue not mentioned is that of space. Not to start a "Cedar Point doesn't have a space problem" issue, because I firmly believe it is a non-issue, but a lot of parks do have that problem and a non-full circuit coaster can have a major impact on those parks.
I think there is a thrill on a launched non-full circuit coaster that cannot be compared to a chain lift coaster and a park like Cedar Point, that didn't have one before, should get one.
I always like the Lightning Loop (or whatever it was called) at Kennywood and was sorry they couldn't have moved it to make way for Steel Phantom.

*** This post was edited by wahoo skipper on 11/28/2001. ***

Kennywood's shuttle was Laser Loop, and I still miss it sometimes. Given a choice I'll take Phantom, but I would like both.

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--Greg
"Beat the rush, sign up for your post-Mean Streak MRI now..."
My page My other page And my coaster page

I think for the most part they are good additions, especially for bigger parks. The newer ones really offer experiences that full circuit's can't do, as is the case in impulses and boomerangs. As is the case at SFGAm, they were both (V2 and VU) big hits!

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Ride the New England Bush!

I personally hate the idea of non-complete-circuit coaster, I think that it is just a cheap way to say that a park as another coaster, they are cheap, and that is the only reason parks like them. It has definitly become a big trend, and the Boomerang design didn't help at all, there are some 30 of them I believe. I think that they are good with a small park that has no room for a complete-circuit coaster, but even then they should invent something new instead of putting in a boomerang. These are just my thoughts though.......

I see the trend and I like it. the parks are simply catering to all their visitors. this is a great investment because shuttles are usually inexpensive and draw certain types of people. my shuttle experiences have been good and I'm glad to see that parks still know how to thrill all of their visitors.
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Knott's Berry Farm Cuba ~South Park

I think shuttle coasters are a joke. They are simply 'partial' roller coasters. Some have a great element to them, like a double-spiral for Wicked Twister, but what does that really give the rider? Especially when these same elements could be found on complete circuit coasters. I feel as though ride designers could easily implement these features into a complete circuit coaster in order to get more riders through the ride. For shuttle coasters there is just the one train and a lot of hype for nearly nothing in my opinion.

Sure a shuttle loop is nice , I mean Monte is fun and all but heck its just not as intense as a SUE, or V2 or a Wicked Twister.
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SFMM Season Pass 80$ drink 10$ ripping of six flags by coming back 100 times Priceless......

rollergator said:
...I think it works much better if a shuttle coaster isn't the park's only new installation for the year... the megaparks of CP, PKI, and the big-market SF parks, if a shuttle is THE new ride for the season, it virtually guarantees long lines. I suggest they get a new coaster AND a new flat ride like the parks I mentioned earlier, (or maybe refurbish and market an existing wooden coaster!) to prevent long queue lines - which have many negative consequences...
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Don't forget about Snoopy on Ice. Cedar Point is not just getting a roller coaster next year, they are getting a top-notch live show to add to their already awesome lineup of live entertainment. That show will definitely draw some large crowds from all age groups. I am sure the park will also get some maintainence work too (landscaping, sidewalks, etc.). Don't forget about those things for next year too.

Why is the number of coasters a park has even a factor? Do you think park managers sit around and think, "Hmmm, how can we up the coaster count inexpensively?" Not only that, but when did $9 million become cheap? It's not a game, folks, it's a business.

Look back at the opening of all of the existing Impulses in the last two years... people rave about them. Heck, some people at SFGAdv choose V2 as their favorite, and that park has some of the best coasters I've ever been on! People dig the ride, and parks will continue to build them.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com
"As far as I can tell it doesn't matter who you are. If you can believe, there's something worth fighting for..." - Garbage, "Parade"

coasterfreaky said:
these same elements could be found on complete circuit coasters

Not all of them. Shuttle coasters send the riders backwards through the elements, don't forget, something that full-circuit rides don't do.

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--Greg
"Beat the rush, sign up for your post-Mean Streak MRI now..."
My page My other page And my coaster page

GregLeg,

You beat me to the punch. I don't know of any full-circuit coaster that can give you the weightless feeling you will get when Twister ascends the spiral - slows - pauses - and then descends.

All of you history buffs out there (that came out of the woodwork at the Hotel Breakers announcement) don't realize that some of the first roller coasters were shuttles or non-full circuit. We base their history on the likes of the Russian Ice Slides, the Switchback Railways, and so forth. Those were not full circuit in any sense of the word.

Gee, get over it already!