VF's High Roller

Is HR the only coaster running IAD trains? And were these similar to the ones that Colossus originally ran? I can remember the PTCs on Colossus VERY well, but I don't remember the IAD's as I rode in them when I was very young.

--Robb

There are two trims on HR but the first are almost never on very hard and second is usually hit and miss for too hard or just annoying. There is one bunny hill after the second that gives pretty good air when both are light or off. The first and second hills give air in the back seat but there is just something wrong with that air. It is not that fun.

If they can't put the magnetic breaks on Wild Thing maybe they can just run it breakless sometimes. "Wilder Thing After Dark" and try to sell some twilight tickets or something like that. They could run it full speed and put smoke and lasers in the tunnel and pump loud music into the station. Nothing like revamping an old ride and marketing it again. Turning a train around on Rebel Yell and Racer was the easiest new coaster anyone ever got.

edit: spelling *** Edited 3/1/2005 7:22:14 AM UTC by RavenTTD***

Also why is VF so wishy washy to how hard they trim their ride and WHY? the extra heavy trimming during the morning ERT on HR at an enthusiasts event almost causing the to stop completely and get stuck in the turnaround? Someobody explain that extreme stupidity to me! I'm surprised there hasn't be an uproar about the total forceless rides on HR during an ERT traditionally a time whe most park opens up their brakes to make the enthusiasts happy during the ERTs!!;-( Running a ride good during an ERT session would give the park good publicity, running it badly would(should) give bad publicity!

Hey, at least the IAD trains make HR unique in the U.S.! Possibly the world, rcdb doesn't identify what type of trains at the only other possibility in Mexico (Montaña Rusa).

And really it is too easy to pick on Valleyfair! To understand the park and why it is so tame one only needs to live in Minnesota for a short time. It's a nice/pretty state filled with people who are happy with fishing, hunting, watching and playing sports and that's about it. I am guessing there are less than a couple dozen coaster enthusiasts in the entire state. It's a funny, sleepy place, and folks just seem to like it that way. The fact we're surrounded by the Dakotas, Canada and Iowa explains quite a bit as well.

Fortunately Wisconsin is picking up the slack. It's absolutely hilarious that a little mini-golf course in the Dells has a coaster that destroys anything VF has to offer. You'd hope that Avalanche and Hades would cause a reaction/change, but the Dells barely advertises their coasters in MN at all for VF to view them as competition. Again there will be a couple dozen of us who will journey to the Dells with the primary purpose of riding their coasters, but the *overwhelming* majority see them as an amusing side diversion. This isn't Michigan, where say half the state will go to CP for the weekend.

Mark

But in the Dells, the coasters play second fiddle to the waterparks. Third fiddle if you consider the other non-thrill attractions. Think about that for a bit.

And I would second the enthusiast number estimate, judging from the Coaster Craze lunch numbers and the fact that each dork was allowed 5 guests. Playette took CBaby and Da Midget out of town that weekend, so I invited my Asian Lady friend (bad inside joke)...

-'Playa

Why would you call us dorks? That is very negative. I was proud that day I had only one ketchup stain on my coaster t-shirt! I was surprised how few people were at the event as well. Here is a thought about over braking the rides. Maybe VF is trying to save some of the dorks from there own stupidy. I "heard" someone unclicked the seat belt and did not fully pull down the lap bar to increase the airtime on Wild Thing.

Sure, one ketchup stain. But how many from other condiments? Gravy?

Yeah, I remember a ride on WT and some idiot unbuckled their seatbelt when we were climbing the hill. He was acting all tough then started screaming like crazy on the second hill :)

I think there is a little tail wagging the dog here on the enthusiast numbers. Plop S:ROS, Thunderhead, and a breakless Wild Thing into the park and see if those numbers grow a bit.

As for the coasters in the Dells, although I tell everybody how awesome they are, they are still a well kept secret. I guess that is more re-ride for me. I honestly did not see how BCK&C (now MtOlymp) made money when it had to support those coasters and no one was ever there. As for Avalanche blowing away everything at VF...it actually blows away everything at most parks. Very nice at a park with one short train that you can ride 10 times in a row without getting up.

If Mt. Olympus started selling season passes and Hades turns out to be as good as I hope and VF don't start learning how to run HR & WT right this year than by next year MOTP will get all of my business I used to give VF! And yes it is true tha Avalanche blows most coasters away! It is THAT good!! Yeah where did they get the money for Hades??

I called Mt Olymp once and the girl said they were going to sell season passes but she had just found out that day and did not know the cost yet. A few weeks later I called to get the price and they said they will not have them this year.

I'm looking at next year for season passes since I already have my VF season pass.

I was talking to a new guy at work and he said he loved roller coasters but had only been to VF. He said he rode Wild Thing its first season and it was crazy but the last time he went a few years back it was toned down and he has not been back since. I told him that was because they had new midcourse breaks and he asked why and when they were getting rid of them. It was so weird having this conversation with John Q Public after this thread.

BTW, he thought it was so cool that I travel to parks to ride the best coasters and he wants to travel with me some this summer, so you might just meet him. *** Edited 3/5/2005 5:16:26 PM UTC by RavenTTD***

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Pink Floyd Fanatic said:
... the extra heavy trimming during the morning ERT on HR at an enthusiasts event almost causing the to stop completely and get stuck in the turnaround? Someobody explain that extreme stupidity to me! I'm surprised there hasn't be an uproar about the total forceless rides on HR during an ERT traditionally a time whe most park opens up their brakes to make the enthusiasts happy during the ERTs!!...

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You are having a hard time understanding basic physics here. The reason the trims were on "extra hard" during the MORNING ert was because the ride hadn't warmed up yet, and the loads were fairly light. This means that the train was slower, but the breaking is constant from train to train...

Also, you happened to miss the glorious brakeless ERT on WT at night. What a shame!

While I'm at it, the reason that WT is trimmed so hard is to save maint. The ride was originally supposed to be longer, with a maba-esq return-to-station run, but that got axed due to the access road. The train was coming into the brakes too fast, and would SLAM to a stop (as you sometimes see when the ride is in manual, or even during normal operation) I dont like it, but that IS the reason that the MCBR is on hard.

EDIT: fixed quote *** Edited 3/5/2005 5:32:03 PM UTC by CoasterCameron***

But my biggest beef is the HR which ran so many years completely brakeless (ZERO trims). Why wasn't it a problem than but now and this was with ZERO seatbelts back then? Now with seatbelts the ride should be safer to keep the forces in the ride. If that (maintenance) is the reason rather then to remove the forces (making the ride tamer for little kids), why doesn't VF build a good GCI twister or something in the line of Viper @ SFGAm which has plenty of good floating airtime?

Is VF getting another new manager? I've heard rumors but I'm not sure.

And if VF can good a world class GCI woodie and KEEP IT THAT WAY than they would get the good publicity on the Travel and Discover channel! I don't think WT is in too many people's top ten list anymore! :-( And HR certainly isn't hardly on anyone's top ten unless they have ridden less than ten coasters! :-( I sure would NOT miss HR if they replece it with a steel structure woodie loaded with airtime. I know I've said that before but with the lack of hope to getting just ONE top quality airtime machine in MN because of the heaviest trimming of almost any theme park in the world I am going to have to move to Atlanta if they (SFOG) do get a B&M hyper in the next two or three years!

Holiday World isn't scare of airtime *** Edited 3/6/2005 6:39:32 AM UTC by Pink Floyd Fanatic***

Good publicity on the Discovery Channel? They've shot new coaster specials since when?

They'd get more press there re-theming the Antique Cars to Monster Garage vehicles...

-'Playa