What do you mean no Whizzerthon?
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And that is the reason I dont join any coaster enthusiast clubs(except this one :) ) or sport coaster shirts, hats, buttons, etc.
No offense to anyone that does, but I dont want to be stereotyped as a coaster snob.
Scott----- who prefers to be a coaster enthusiast in disguise :)
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Ric Flair was hitting on the female host, he told her - "Space Mountain may be the oldest ride in the park, but it has the longest line." WOOOOO!
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"You can't kill what's stronger than death" - Zakk Wylde
Sky Whirl Guy said:
Coaster Sam said:Anyone know what happened to the skywhirl?
Unfortunately, Sky Whirl was recycled. It was cut into small pieces and hauled to a local steel recycling facility. I hope Sky Whirl and Whizzer don't share the same fate!!*** This post was edited by Sky Whirl Guy on 7/28/2002. ***
You sure about that? I remember seeing quite a bit of the ride lying around in the employee areas that you can see from the train ride.
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Bob Hansen
A proud CoasterBuzz Member
"So you think your'e really brave, gonna see the DEMONS cave.
You silly dude, your'e only food, for the DEMON"
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When will Breaking All The Rules come out on DVD?
*** This post was edited by Marky Mark on 7/29/2002. ***
I'm not sure why being an enthusiast makes one a snob. I'm definitely the former and not the latter. I never realized that some persons identifying my enthusiasm would label me a snob. I don't doubt that there are many enthusiasts who are coaster snobs--people who think the parks and their patrons owe them something for their devotion to roller coasterdom. Just please don't put me on that list.
There is no question that a tremendously popular park like SFGAm has no need for enthusiasts to be successful. However, just think what might happen at other parks that aren't quite so jammed if they tried to encourage interest in the coasting hobby and to provide reasons for enthusiasts to visit their parks. Look at what's happening at HW. Continual record-breaking attendance ever since Raven, and later Legend, were installed. HW is about as non-metro a setting as one can find, so where are all these people coming from? Does the goodwill of the enthusiast community have anything to do with this? Admittedly, I'm sure it has mostly to do with the Kochs and their common-sense approach to park operation, which appears to include putting the customer first. Then again, they host SRM. They provide significant discounts to enthusiasts. The Kochs are smart people; they must have a good reason for doing these things. Maybe other parks should think about that.
I readily admit I have absolutely zero experience in managing an amusement park of any size or type. However, I do know that business success partly depends on developing and maintaining relationships with parties that can help you succeed. I mean real relationships that show genuine care for the other person, not just convenient manipulation (just a contrast to make my point--not an accusation pointed at anyone). So why shouldn't a park look to enthusiasts and say "we value your dedication to our industry" and provide some recognition of that dedication (especially when it costs next to nothing)? Why shouldn't a park be obsessed with the idea of providing patrons with the best possible entertainment value and enjoyment? Sure, they're in business to make a profit, but you get the most profit from people who like you, not from ones who tolerate you. Build relationships.
I don't expect special treatment from any park because I'm an enthusiast; I actually expect worse. They've got my fix. I'm stuck coming back. They built it, and I will come. However, non-enthusiasts have no such "attachments". They can decide to spend their entertainment money on movies or bowling or golf or whatever anytime. Why not catch a little free promotion from the enthusiasts? I mean, almost all my friends are non-enthusiasts, and I talk to them about how well (or not well) a park treats me. I rave to people about HW and tell them how they should try to find a way to visit it. I complain about some other parks whose names I won't mention.
No, I don't expect special treatment from parks. But they might be smart to give a little anyway.
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Revised projection for 2002: 35 parks & 120 coasters. 21 & 88 through 7/30
*** This post was edited by ACBLuke on 7/30/2002. ***
I don't know what snobbery has to do with anything. I was just making it a point to mention that the park doesn't need enthusiasts, and suggesting they owe you anything is lame.
Think about it... would a park suffer any ill consquences if enthusiasts didn't exist when they build a Millennium Force or Nitro or X? Of course not.
The pay back for large parks catering to enthusiasts is zero to none. It might benefit smaller parks (who otherwise would know of Holiday World), but the big parks don't need us. The sooner we realize that, the better.
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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com, Sillynonsense.com
"Let's stop saying 'don't quote me,' because if no one quotes you, you probably haven't said a thing worth saying." - Dogma, KMFDM
True enough, Jeff. There certainly is no entitlement, and I didn't mean to overemphasize the "snob" part.
If the larger parks can't justify the expense of "enthusiast outreach" (it doesn't seem like it would be that expensive, but I'm no expert) in terms of financial return, then why should they do it?
Anyway, I agree with your fundamental premise: no coaster enthusiast should expect to be treated better than any other patron by any park. I think we can agree as well that every person who paid to get in the park's gates has the right to expect great treatment (whatever that is). But that's a different topic.
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Revised projection for 2002: 35 parks & 120 coasters. 21 & 88 through 7/30
Get over it. King's Island does a lot for enthusiasts and yet gave no advance warning of King Cobra's impending doom.
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1989, 9 years old bawling my eyes out because I didn't want to ride Magnum. I did anyway and look at me now. Why did ya make me do it Dave? ;)
I was thinking of starting a topic about this, but that'd seem like a waste of space. Here goes...
Since there is no official goodbye for The Whizzer, how about Mini Coasterbuzz event? Nothing official, just a few Chicago Area Buzzers meeting up on the 11th and Power Riding Whizzer. I'd use the meeting calander, but that often gets overlooked, especially by the newbies. If anyone is interested, just post a reply here, and a meeting time and place can be established.
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Thank You for challenging TOS: The Ride. We hope you enjoy the rest of your day, here at SFCB.
Marky Mark said:
Where is the Whizzerthon, a-la SFOG's Viperthon? In my opinion I think Great America cares very little about the enthusiast!
Do they not care about enthusiasts or are they not aware of them?
SFOG seems to be aware of ACE and invites members to come to media day events for their new coasters.
Which leads to the question, How did the Viperthon come to pass anyway? Did someone at SFOG PR decide to throw a party for ACErs or did someone from ACE ask if we could throw a wake for Viper?
Has anyone asked SFGAm about throwing a Whizzerthon?
Alan T.--who is counting his blessings because his local parks do tend to do things for enthusiasts
ACE day at Lake Winnie--Free Admission, Free Rides, Free ERT and Free Lunch
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Proud to be a CoasterBuzz club member, ACEr and blacklisted as an enthusiast!
About the snobs/bad enthusiasts. It's a shame how a few bad apples can ruin things for everyone. I've seen that happen too many times at enthusiast events. I'm afraid there's no way around it. Some people are just like that :(
I'm only an enthusiast when I'm at home, surfing the net while couped up in a hotel room, etc. When I'm at the park, it's all about having fun riding coasters with friends and family just like the rest of "the normals" at the park. No stats, comparisons, Vekoma bashing, or want for special treatment because I'm a coaster geek at home.
Truth is, I feel bad for many of the bad apples when I see them at parks. They never seem to be having much fun, and only seem to criticize.
Just because of some bad apples, I hope no one is discouraged from joining something like ACE or ECC. I do it just for the magazines, and it's worth it!
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- Peabody
*** This post was edited by Peabody on 7/31/2002. ***
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Rob
"Some people spend an entire LIFETIME wondering if they made a DIFFERENCE. The MARINES don't have that problem." -President Reagan 1985
But enthusiasts are some of the best advertising a park can get. A lot of places realize this and do special things for enthusiasts. Like the Ace walkback at PKI or Coastermania at CP or SRM. We are owed nothing and yet these parks go the extra mile. Maybe some reasons the enthusiasts appreciate them so much.
As for whining about no Whizzerthon, go there that day and ride all ya want.
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All I need is 4.5 million bucks and a half a mile long sliver of land and maybe someone could build me my very own Shivering Timbers. ;)
Peabody said:
I'm only an enthusiast when I'm at home, surfing the net while couped up in a hotel room, etc. When I'm at the park, it's all about having fun riding coasters with friends and family just like the rest of "the normals" at the park. No stats, comparisons, Vekoma bashing, or want for special treatment because I'm a coaster geek at home.
Just because of some bad apples, I hope no one is discouraged from joining something like ACE or ECC. I do it just for the magazines, and it's worth it!
Wow, I thought I was the only "at home" enthusiast around. Sitting here is where I obsess over details, track records, stats and the like. At the park I'm there to ride, not scrutinize.
However I am one who's been put off by behavior and attitude of "official enthusiasts" (I'll spare club names) and I saw this attitude long before I considered myself anything remotely close to an enthusiast and certainly before I even had 1/10 of the knowledge of the whole enthusiast "community" that I do today. Basically I was strictly "GP" at the time and for someone in the "GP" to notice a group of "coaster people" acting that way means something is seriously wrong. Sadly, I still see this attitude and while it's easy to blame "a few bad apples", each time I've been in a park at the same time as one of these groups it seemed like a majority has a certain arrogance about who they were (or thought they were). Sadly many enthusiasts do seem to believe they're "owed something" and it seems the more hardcore they are about promoting just how much of an enthusiast they are, the more they feel they are "owed something".
This isn't meant to generalize and I know many buzzers belong to several of these organizations. I'm just passing along my personal experience and it's been enough to stop me from tossing down a few bucks and joining any club up to this point.
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www.coasterimage.com
Dorney Park visits in 2002: 15
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