What features would you want on Holiday Worlds new coaster?

I'm not sure if I can describe this correctly but I'll try.... I'd like to see two separate "twister bowls" connected by an "out and back" straight section filled with bunny hops. A splashdown finale similar to Sheikra's wouldn't hurt either! ;)
I'd love to see anything similar to Shivering Timbers as well. I really got rocked on that ride and reading about it here makes me want to go back this season and power ride it!
Rideman I agree with you about Big Dipper. I've had some amazing rides one visit and then BAD rides on the next trip back. I still love it and give it respect because when you're 80 years old you've earned the right to have bad days! :)

I think it really matters where you sit on Big Dipper as well. Anywhere else but the front car for me gives me back pain. I wish they would re-track the entire out section as well, or at least the first drop.

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The_Lost_Phantom said:
How about this. A clone of the Idora Park Wildcat. That is one of the coasters I'd LOVE to see brought back from the dead.

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Back when we had just opened The Raven, we received a 16-page handwritten letter from a fellow begging us to bring back the Idora Park Wildcat. It was an unbelievable letter -- I'll never forget it!

Paula

Wow...I'd love to see that letter!

...it was rather repetitive.

Paula

It has already been announced, there adding a new themed section, what will be in that section is still anyones guess. Unless someone snuck into Paula's office and stole the designs, then please send them to landon1600@yahoo.com (Sorry Paula!) Otherwise, it's not good to say "Holiday Worlds new Woodie is coming!" when we dont even know what will be in the new section... Remember they only have like $13 million for the entire project, and thats not much.

I would LOVE to see a new woodie at Holiday World as much as anyone else, but I don't think its a good idea to be asking people "Now that we know when it is getting announced (july 13), so what features do you want on this new gravity group wooden coaster. " When we dont even know it will be a coaster... ;-)... Some people may get there hopes up when we find out the section is called "Wonderland" full of baby and kiddie rides. =-)

NOTE TO PAULA: If there will be a woodie, be sure it uses the landscape to its advantage (Like Raven and Legend). But I'll leave it up to you guys, you have not went wrong yet, and I doubt you will... Keep up the good work!

PSS) Whens the webcam for HW coming back online? I miss seeing the park... *** Edited 6/28/2005 12:47:40 AM UTC by Landon***

I think the idea of the ST start and then some tunnels and a Raven or Legend style end is what almost everyone including me wants. I will leave it in the good hands of HW and TGG however. I am pretty sure it will be great.

Landon, yeah it is not announced yet....but it is a woodie. ;)

And even if it turns out not to be a woodie, there are ple--

Never mind. I'm not going to go there.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.
"It's a family park..."

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RavenTTD said:
I think the idea of the ST start and then some tunnels and a Raven or Legend style end is what almost everyone including me wants.

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This is basically what I was trying to get across. As much as I love Timbers, I find the layout rather boring after the turnaround. Bunny hop after bunny hop gets very boring. I love bunny hops, but space `em in between some big drops and twists & turns. To me, twisters with a good amount of airtime (and some nice laterals) are superior to out & backers with loads of airtime. How do ya make airtime better? Combine it with a strong lateral like the last drop on Raven (under SRM Insane Mode conditions)--now that's what I'm talking about. :)

Basically take Shivering Timber, add Hades 140 foot 65* drop and tie it in a twisted knot and you have a #1 ride but PLEASE I HATE deads or weak hills that don't hardly work and yes everyone knows what I think of the hill over Zeus it sucks! SO NO DEAD HILLS! It is soooo stupid when a hill does absolutely nothing and that is way too common. Too many woodies have that problem. Why do designers make stupid mistakes (completely forceless hills tame enough for the most timid kid) like that? Ok I just gave you my rant about dead hills so flame away! :-) By now everyone got the message I'm sure!

^Amen! :)
Considering how both of those dead hills on Hades are shaped, I bet TGG were expecting the train to crest them much faster. The spiral drop has an initial straight drop which would allow for some good air in the back if the train was moving at a decent speed. And look how round the top of the Zeus crossing hill is. It's like they made it extra round to prevent dangerous ejector air on that hill.
Imagine if they shortened the train to three cars like Avalanche. I bet those dead spots would be anything but dead. There's talk of adding a sixt car to the train. Anyone else think adding a sixth car can only make it worse?

The topic of dead hills is interesting. I don't think they were pulling punches on Hades at all. It makes me think that a good hill has some "chance" to it. Maybe they cannot design it precise enough to know for sure how much air the hill will have. The final speed of the ride may be a mystery to them till the ride is broken in.

edit: I agree that 5 cars is probably better than 6 on Hades. *** Edited 6/28/2005 1:47:04 PM UTC by RavenTTD***

I knew that hill was going to be slow because it is about 60' about Zeus and the turnaround was like 90' and that was so far away. Even I knew there wouldn't be ejector air at all and my fears were realized (sp?).

Hades was designed for a 6-car train. When that 6th car is added next year it'll be a whole new experience.

And frankly I don't know what y'all are talking about when you say that return hill was dead. It certainly wasn't slow or dead when I rode it two weekends ago. The only spot one could get a breather was atop the turn around.

That hill was completely dead when the ride opened. It is much better now (see my TR if you want) but it is still not close to ST levels.

Of course its not to ST levels...you can't expect a ride that's been open less than 2 months to have broken in to those levels yet.

I'll agree with Moosh here. I rode two days before he did and although it was somewhat sluggish in the morning, it was flying over that hill next to the lift by evening offering a nice float. Same thing goes for the turnaround hill at the street. Not every hill is always designed for mega doses of airtime. Variety is the key. Give people a time to relax and/or catch their breath and lull them into a false sense of security before you bean them over the head again with nonstop action. That's classic wooden coaster design psyche.

What Thrillerman describes above is called pacing. Good pacing tells a good story. Instead of focusing on one hill look at Hades as a whole. It has excellent pacing and tells a great story!

*** Edited 6/28/2005 4:26:11 PM UTC by Mamoosh***

If this ride is going to get that good in another month, I guess all I can say is OH MY GOD!

How did you come up with "in as month"? Seems so arbitrary. It might not be at that level until next year. Each coaster is different and has its own break-in period.