Topping great coasters

This topic has probably been brought up, but I couldn't find it using the search feature, so:

At GAdv. the other day, I was hearing a lot of people whom I assumed were GP saying that S:UF was okay, mostly because Nitro was much better. In other words, it was a good ride, but because Nitro was better and had been around for 2 years, they weren't all that impressed.

What are parks to do about something like this, aside from going the way of CP and shelling out $25m to top themselves? I mean, unless GAdv. got a 4D, or something really f'n tall, not much else would wow their guests.

I suppose customer service/capacity could use work, and a couple Huss giants never hurt anyone, but how do you top Nitro?

This also applies to SFNE's choice to put in B:DK, which definitely hides in S:RoS's shadow, and MM's instalation of Scream. SFGAm. also seems to be running out of new coasters to put in.

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Be polite and ignore the idiots. - rollergator
"It's not a Toomer" - Arnold Schwartzenkoph
"Those who know don't talk and those who talk don't know." -Jeff

That aint true. The addition of more rides such as S:UF solidifies Nitro's backup. It gives the guests a more thrilled day and leaves them at the end of the day with a more than satisfactory opinion. And Flat Rides do help alot, most don't have huge queues, they profide good back ups, and although they often don't satisfy the GP as much, in the case of Ripsaw @AT, it is not considered better than Nemesis or air, but it is still a great ride.

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Colossus [1]
Nemesis: Inferno [6]

Whether parks like it or not, they are going to have to use new ride concepts and take chances. In order to keep guests occupied they must re-invent old favorites. I think the best example of this(although it's not a coaster) is Tomb Raider: The Ride. Paramount used an ordinary ride and added special elements and suprises to make it out of the ordinary. Another thing parks can use are the ride concepts that haven't really been used much, such as the 4D and rocket coasters.

I agree with UK NeMeSiS, 2 days ago when I was at SFGAm, I went on Superman, and even though It wasnt as good as Raging Bull, I still loved it, and spent most of my day around that coaster, so even though one coaster my not be as great as another, it can still be so much fun!

Apolloandy said"but how do you top Nitro?"

Tear it down and let Intamin rebuild it

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Shop @ www.countypaintball.com "Paintball should be fun, not expensive"

Whoa, tear down a 2-year-old coaster? and a B&M even? psycho!

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Scooby High Score: 1830 as of May 3!

He asked how you top it. Thats how I would top it.
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Shop @ www.countypaintball.com "Paintball should be fun, not expensive"

you must not like B&M coasters...
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Scooby High Score: 1830 as of May 3!

I second that point of tearing down Nitro and let Intamin rebuild it. I personally like Intamin better than B&M, however that doesn't mean I don't like B&M. I just love the ejector airtime that Intamins provide when compared to B&M airtime. It's just more better. I'm sure Apolloandy might agree with me on that.

In order to top Nitro, you would need a 4 and a half minute coaster, with Incredible Hulk type seats, with 8 inversions, and to top it off: maz speed of 125 mph. Called "Glitro" :)

I love B&M. I love their inverts and loopers. I dont like their hypers. I find they offer little to no airtime. I dont think that is too much to ask for, airtime on a hyper.

Steelraptor, that coaster wont be coming to GrAdv anytime soon with Medusa being so similar.

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Shop @ www.countypaintball.com "Paintball should be fun, not expensive"

Perhaps you didn't sense his sarcasm... ;)

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If at first don't succeed, find out if the loser gets anything.

Tear down Nitro and build another Intamin Superman clone? I think not. I and plenty of people like Nitro the way it is, and I personally think it blows away SFA and SFDL's Superman. But that's just me I guess. ;)

You build coasters to hopefully *compliment* each other, not to nessessarily outdo than what you built before. Besides, unless your willing to speak for the *millions* of SFGAdv vistors, you can't possibly think *everyone* will like the same coasters anyway.

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Tease Alert!

*Something* wicked this way comes...to the west coast in 2004!

LOL how this became a Nitro vs. Superman / B&M vs. Intamin hyper debate...these always just seem to pop up, don't they? :)

Anyhoot, Andy brings up a good point -- how DO you top such awesome rides? I'd have to agree with the poster that says you don't really have to TOP them, but they do need to be exciting. I mean when we go to parks we don't just ride our favorite coaster over and over and not ride anything else (well, most of the time). We want to sample everything the park has to offer.

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Top Thrill Dragster -- The most intense, unbelievable, and spectacular fifteen seconds on any coaster, anywhere, ever.

I never said build a Superman clone...I said Intamin. Besides Ill take a Superman clone for just the third hill after the first helix alone. That one hill offers more airtime then the entire ride of Notro, Imho

GrAdv already has a wide array of coasters, what else could top Nitro

Stand-ups seem like a passing fade to me and only a record breaker would seem to top it.

4-d, still too unreliable as far as we know,

Woodies dont seem to tickle the gp's fancy like they used to

I dont think an impulse could top Nitro. May look as its too short and just goes back and forth.

Rocket coaster. I cant see GrAdv adding another launching coaster soon, but a 200+ft tophat might be an answer.

These are my opinions and I tried looking at them in a gp kinda light and if GrAdv would add them anytime soon. 4-d and rocket coasters are defintely crowd pleasers, but who knows if they will be added anytime soon. Personally I love flyers and it tops Nitro for me, heck I not hoping for a coaster in 2004/2005 but rather a acrophobia clone or S&S tower complex.

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Shop @ www.countypaintball.com "Paintball should be fun, not expensive"
*** This post was edited by Sugart 5/25/2003 10:44:11 PM ***

Okay. Maybe I should be a little more specific.
How should such parks *realisitcally* (i.e. don't tear it down and build an Intamin) top their great rides?

S:UF definitely complements all the other rides in the park, but I could tell from overhearing GP that word of mouth will not be as great for S:UF solely because it's "not as good as Nitro/S:RoS/whatever amazing ride." It's hard for such parks to market and hype such a ride when it's across the park from something that (from my eavesdropping) GP still think is better, even two years later.

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Be polite and ignore the idiots. - rollergator
"It's not a Toomer" - Arnold Schwartzenkoph
"Those who know don't talk and those who talk don't know." -Jeff
*** This post was edited by ApolloAndy 5/25/2003 10:53:30 PM ***

In that case I dont think you can top a $25 million dollar ride. With that kind of money, the ride is obviously going to be something special ie. tallest, fastest, longest. That appeals to alot of people and in that sense its hard to top. Sure a 3 million dollar woodie can better and offer more airtime than a 16 million dollar hyper, but the "est" always seem to bring in huge crowds and then the next year people seem disappointed. I quess there is no real way to top high priced rides other than another high priced ride. I think you just keep adding coasters and rides that are unique and enjoyable.

P.S i am not saying the more money that is spent the better the ride. Its just big things are more attractive and marketable.

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Shop @ www.countypaintball.com "Paintball should be fun, not expensive"

Before answering your question I think the GP likes superman more than nitro, people in my school say that they think superman is the best. Actually they seem so prefer medusa over nitro to as well. But anyway on to your question...i think Sugart basicly said it all... Standup ,4d, Rocket coaster, and what i think would be most popular(even though similar medusa)is a hulk like ride that launches you at the top at the lift is what the GP would like most.Also i think a simple boomerang coaster would be popular with the GP but not as their favorite ride.

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Coaster count:41
top3 wood:Boulder Dash, Wildcat, Thunderhawk
top3 steel: Steel Force, Nitro, S:ROS@ SFNE

Actually you don't 'top' your marquee thrill ride at all. Instead, you should broaden the appeal of your park by reaching out to another segment of your audience. Look at PKI...they haven't installed a new major coaster since SOB and guess what? CP hasn't put 'em out of business yet...or even come close.

-'Playa
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The CPlaya 100--6 days, 9 parks, 47 coasters, 2037 miles and a winner.....LoCoSuMo.

Thanks for making the point better than I did playa! :)

Of course you have to keep things exciting, but that's a *very* relative term. I think we're all too spoiled by what CP is doing, but I consider that park a freak of nature.

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Tease Alert!

*Something* wicked this way comes...to the west coast in 2004!
*** This post was edited by DWeaver 5/26/2003 12:57:49 AM ***