Visionland set to open Memorial Day Weekend

Well its good to hear they got the park open again and Rampage is not SBNO. Does anyone know how much they had to do with Rampage to get up and running again?

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Mike
Favorite Wood: Viper at SFGAM,Shivering Timbers
Favorite Steel: Magnum and Raging Bull

I believe it cost $4 million and they have "fixed the track" and stuff but they have not reprofiled or changed it. (I am pretty sure, but don't freak out if this is wrong!)

The Rampage did not cost anywhere near $4 million to rennovate. Please have facts when you fire off info.

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The Empire will Strike Back....
"What do I know, I only work in an Amusement Park?"
"You are paying to get in. Period."*** This post was edited by Agent Johnson 3/3/2003 6:48:20 PM ***

AJ - I think that while he was completely off the mark, he did state "I am pretty sure, but don't freak out if this is wrong!," which I'm pretty sure you did (freak out that is).
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SWOOSH
MIG-The Midwest Information Guide http://sfne.com/~swoosh

I did not freak out. Please watch the fresh mouth. Its just that rumors abound on the net from frivilous comments. Of course, if anyone involved with that comment could not have thought it through, as it cannot physically cost anywhere near that amount of cash to repair the coaster. It would have been replaced. How do I know, well he nor you have full time jobs in the parks, and I do, and I am stating a fact. Therefore, I am correcting a wrong comment. Period.

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The Empire will Strike Back....
"What do I know, I only work in an Amusement Park?"
"You are paying to get in. Period."

FWIW, I think there *was* a bona fide bid from one of the contractors that was around $4M, and included a lot of rebuilding the structure, etc. That's NOT the bid that was accepted based on all credible info, not surprisingly. Here's hoping that the contractor who *did* get the bid did great work nonetheless. My *guess* is that what WAS done was some relatively minor retracking and SOME replacing of the 2x6s....

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Dr. Thrill IS my family practitioner
Would you just LOOK at what you've done to CoasterBuzz - you're going to have to clean it up

If my memory is correct one of this bids in the multi-million dollar range was from GCI. They were going to reprofile the first drop along with rebuilding most of the support structure and adding more supports. That could easily push the cost up into the millions.

I'm looking forward to visiting the park this summer to see the difference. I think this park has the potential to be a great small-medium park with a little work.

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Syntax Error

It looks like a great coaster either way!

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If you haven't rode Raging Bull in the back row you haven't lived. The feeling on that first drop cannot be explained in words!

I'm glad to see the park is reopening. I hope to be there on opening day.

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"Grit Your Teeth, Bare The Load, Enjoy your ride, on Thunder Road"

I was over at PTC on Tues., and Tom Rebbie said that he had gotten a call from Visionland on Monday for all sorts of parts. Evedently when the park closed, everything was just left. When the new owners went in they literally found tools just laying out, buildings still opened up, like a ghost town. The trains for Rampage were left out to the elements the whole time, so they have all sorts of problems. The coaster may not run nearly as well as it once did until the trains can be completely overhauled.

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"If you make it too smooth, it'll be like sitting in your living room."
-Bill Cobb - Designer, Texas Cyclone

Black 7 you said "When the new owners went in they literally found tools just laying out, buildings still opened up, like a ghost town. The trains for Rampage were left out to the elements the whole time, so they have all sorts of problems." I happened to work at visionland last year and I know for a fact that the trains for the rampage were not left out to the elements. They were broken down inside the maintenance building, and the park will have a new wave pool by opening day.

I am just relaying what I was told. I can't say I was there myself. I consider Tom to be a pretty reliable source.

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"If you make it too smooth, it'll be like sitting in your living room."
-Bill Cobb - Designer, Texas Cyclone

They were not left in the elements, just as gadget said. By the way, Who are you Gadget?

I am curious what Acer was asking about Visionland's business at PTC, and I would have been offended if I heard third or fourth party rumors about a park far far away. And Tom does not pass bad info, or for that matter, any negative info on other parks. FYI.

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The Empire will Strike Back....
"What do I know, I only work in an Amusement Park?"
"You are paying to get in. Period."

I am new to this board. I worked for visionland the past two years. And there will be a wavepool but it wont debut untill June, but it is a 800,000 gallon wavepool with over four foot waves and a sandy beach shore. They have also added a new water slide 7 story drop to make you feel like your coming off the slide. But with additions they have made a cut by taking the Stratosfear Drop (Re-Entry) tower out and leaving only the Shot (Launch) :(*** This post was edited by Gadget 4/26/2003 10:18:12 PM ***

I think Agent Johnson did freak out about previous posts. And the comment "Please watch the fresh mouth" should be applied to Agent Johnson. If anyone so far has had a "fresh mouth" it is Agent Johnson. And compared to posts from rollergator & SyntaxError there was a chance of a large amount being spent on the coaster. The comment "well he nor you have full time jobs in the parks, and I do, and I am stating a fact", I find this comment very amusing. Unless Agent Johnson is a Corporate Executive of Southland he would have no real clue on what was actually spent on renovating the coaster. He would be relying on rumor, company info or news media coverage. And that amount may not be the actual amount spent by the corporation.

The Birmingham News articles I have read so far, have the cost of the coaster renovation ranging from $200,000 to a possible $2.5 million. Could be more, could be less.

Comments/attacks like Agent Johnsons make some people not want to post on bulletin boards like this. Read the posts and show respect before you attack someone. Willh51 stated he believed the amount to be correct, but that it could be wrong. Agent Johnson on the other hand thinks his information is fact because he is a "full time" employee in the park. In the real corporate world Agent Johnson it doesn't always work that way, so your information could be just as inaccurate. By the way, since you seem to know facts, what is your job at Visionland - ticket booth, ride operator or what?

I'm just glad the park is reopening. Lets hope they get enough attendance to stay in business.

And these are just my comments. Period.

*** This post was edited by 4/4/2003 4:26:53 AM ***