Xcelerator Closed

The only thing that makes me mad about all this was that we called them very recently and asked if the ride was scheduled for maintenance and they said no, and denied that any parts had been delivered for the ride, even though the pictures had been out on the internet for days. I can understand downtime when something breaks suddenly or whatnot, but if they've known about this for months there's no reason to get our hopes up only for us to get there and find out that they'd been planning this all along.

Kristin - if it makes you feel *any* better in the last 20 years of travelling I've had my share of disappointments. My big four are:

I missed The Bat, which PKI closed it for good a week earlier; Montana de Rusa, after travelling all the way to Mexico City; Phantom's Revenge, which opened 2 days after I was at the park and to add indult to injury both Jack Rabbit and Thunderbolt were also closed that day; and an entire park, PGA, because I was stupid enough to drive to LA the weekend before their season started instead of calling ahead and getting operating hours.

You're going to have a blast in LA ;)

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"Outside of a dog, a man's best friend is a book. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx

I hear ya. I'm about to give up traveling with the luck I have. We watched Hypersonic test the entire day we were at PKD, after being told it might open that day but never did.

We waited an hour and a half to ride Whizzer for what we thought was the first (and last) time right before they were supposed to close it, but in reality they had just closed Shockwave the day before to start dismantling it and we never did get to ride it.

We drove 3 hours to Fun Spot just to ride Afterburner, and consequently missed a half day at Indiana Beach because they had problems with the launch and after they told us it might be opening soon we waited and waited until they just gave up and closed it. That same day a ride op at Fun Spot neglected to engage the station brakes on Zyklon, causing our car to crash into another one in the station, giving one of my friends whiplash for several months.

I'm about ready to just quit traveling. I've been mislead or blatently lied to at so many parks it's really starting to get discouraging. :(

Hey ArrowGuy, you by chance haven't worn your Wally World T-shirt in the past couple of weeks, have you? ;)

Seriously, I am frustrated at this right now, considering we called the park about the pieces in the parking lot, and they assured us the ride would be open on the day we told them we are going to visit. Kind of shady, if you ask me. But, whatever, I guess complaining won't open the ride and I should make the best: I guess that means more laps on Ghostrider!

Big Picture: I am getting out of Ohio to (semi)warm California with friends to ride lotsa coasters.

Small Picture: There's another Intamin launched coaster we're going to have to do a "fake-POV" on.

So Moosh, you're right, we'll still have a blast in LA, although I would still really really like to have a "blast" from 0-82 in 2 seconds in Anaheim :(
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- Chris

I put the "D" in DDR.

And do consider that there are many that would argue Ghostrider is the best coaster in So Cal.

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Without the chaindog, you'd never get up the lifthill...

Disappointment: Seeing Texas Tornado last year all around Astroworld, and not being able to ride it:(
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If you have a problem with clones, the solution is real simple—Stop traveling.

You have no idea how upset I am, MooreOn. When I called a few weeks ago I said "There are parts for Xcelerator in your parking lot. When is it going down for service?" Their reply was: "It will be open for the dates of your visit."

Here's a loose transcript of the 2nd phone call I made to the park (today at about 6:45pm EST):

Me- "Hi. Are there any rides scheduled to be down for rehab or other reasons next week, as that's when I'm visiting?"

KBF- "No, no rides are scheduled to be closed this week."

Me- "Xcelerator is not going to be closed?"

KBF- "Xcelerator is scheduled to be open"

Me- "I heard it's going to be closed through the 24th. What's the deal with that?"

KBF- "Let me find out for you"

[3 minutes of the music "Linus and Lucy" target="_blank">

KBF- "Yeah, Xcelerator will be closed all this week."

Yeah, thanks for telling me. I'm glad I didn't have to beat it out of you or anything. Words cannot describe how pissed off I am. Not that the ride is closed- there's nothing that can be done about that- but their guest service. I'm not even at the park yet and they're not doing a good job!

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- John
Dag, yo
Support Rob in the Great DDR Challenge!

Well, you have to realize that they did tell you, and being a park open year round (unlike MM, nearly 365 days), there has to be a time to do this. It could have happened any time in the past few months, and other people would be just as pissed as everyone is now. I don't blame you, but don't put too much pressure on the park to keep everything open every day.

I'm under the impression that this is necessary to ensure the safety of the ride. If that is the case, there's nothing wrong with it. In fact, there was no way they were going to let it be down for Solace, and they have to get it back up for peak, Spring Break time, so this three week period was really the only chance they had.

But then again, I'm just putting words in their mouth. If they really fudged this, and knowingly lied about Xcelerator being closed, you have a great point. They shouldn't deceive people just to get them out to the park and close (what I believe to be) one of their only draws. (I was not overwhelmingly impressed with Ghostrider, but that was just me.)

Edit to add: If it means anything, they really do have X operating at a better clip right now. Last Sunday they had two trains on it for the entire day, and they were dispatching them at a pretty good pace. And hell, Flashback is open. (Ok, I'm sorry...)

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"Well, I'm sure I'd feel much worse if I weren't under such heavy sedation." - David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
http://www.loopscrew.com
*** This post was edited by I-Nar 3/6/2003 10:32:28 PM ***

Same thing happened to me....I called them not even two weeks ago and they told me that XCelerator was scheduled to be open so I ordered the season pass from them. I live in Chicago, and I'm going to be in Las Vegas march 16-21, going to KBF on the 17th. If XC would have been down I'd have not ordered the pass. Grrrrrr.....how six flagsish.

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NICK

WOOD: It does a body good.

A little off the current matter at hand, but does Intamin have a fabrication plant in the US? If so, where? Thanks in advance. :)

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Track Record: 164
Favorite Wood: Phoenix at Knoebels
Favorite Steel: Millennium Force at Cedar Point

No offense but if those of you coming to So Cal next week are already pissed at the park you're already doomed to have a bad day. You've created a self-fulfilling prophecy. Yes, it sucks that Xcelerator is going to be down but with all the problems its been having there was no guarantee you'd get a ride even if the parts weren't on-site. I seriously doubt the park purposely misled you, it sounds like an honest miscommunication and I'm sure we've all been guilty of that at times.

From conversations I've has w/ Kristin and Rob next week was the only week they were able to come to LA...isn't that right? Are you telling me you would have cancelled your entire trip to go to three other large parks that are new to you because ONE ride is closed at a fourth park?

Trust me...if you just stop complaining about what you cannot control and enjoy the rides and attractions that are open you'll have an awesome time!

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"Outside of a dog, a man's best friend is a book. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx

No, we wouldn't have cancelled the trip. It's just frustrating that when I specifically asked the park a few weeks ago about Xcelerator closing (and the parts in the lot) they said "yes it will be open." Then again TODAY when I asked if it would be open they would have happily left it as "yes, it will be open" had I not inquired further.

I'm not complaining about the ride being closed, it's something that needs to be done. What I'm upset about is the way they handled NOT telling us when we asked- very SPECIFICALLY- what was going on. Doesn't Park Ops ever talk to Guest Services?

I'm going to have a great time on the trip, but I'm already frustrated with KBF. If they fail to redeem themselves I will complain at the park and then move on to Disneyland the next day and have a great time.

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- John
Dag, yo
Support Rob in the Great DDR Challenge!
*** This post was edited by Michael Darling 3/6/2003 11:25:09 PM ***

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Mamoosh said:
Kristin - if it makes you feel *any* better in the last 20 years of travelling I've had my share of disappointments. My big four are:

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My big one is missing the Idora Park Wildcat by ONE DAY! No, I'm not kidding :( We drove by the one day of the week they were closed. "We'll just come back next year" Well, there was no next year

Oh, how bout looking at Dodonpa and not getting to ride it! (It could be worse, Kristen!)

Guys, I do feel very sorry for you :( I have had similar coaster disappointments, but, in a few months you will not care about Xccelerator after riding the bigger, better version not too far from your home. Be happy you will ride GR, X, etc. which aren't coming to Ohio anytime soon! :)

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- "I used to be in the audio/visual club, but I was kicked out because of my views on Vietnam........and I was stealing projectors" - Homer Simpson
*** This post was edited by Peabody 3/6/2003 11:36:28 PM ***

I agree with Moosh, you might as well cancel you Knott's trip and spend the extra day at Disney. You've already doomed your trip to Knott's. If you called the park a "few weeks ago", that was a mistake. How the heck can they guarentee that a ride will be open weeks in advance? You even said yourself that the park's response was that Xcel was "scheduled" to be open, but as it was explained to us at Solace, the ride's scheduled downtime was manuvered so that it would be available for Acers during Solace. So somewhere along the line, things changed. Did you want someone to notify you by email if there were changes?

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"Run Betty! The giant chicken's sticking to the pan"!

I realize "a few weeks ago" is a while. But TODAY I called and they said "yes, it will be open" until I mentioned that I heard it would be down. As I said, I'm not upset about the ride being down, but how they handled not telling people who asked.

And I don't appreciate being patronized, thank you very much.

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- John
Dag, yo
Support Rob in the Great DDR Challenge!

Big misunderstanding..let's see if I can clarify a little. I'm not mad at Knotts for closing Xcelerator, I totally understand the need for maintenance and that it's a technologically complex ride which has its share of problems (after all, CP is my homepark and we've had the same issues with Wicked Twister and Millennium Force). It doesn't mean that I don't want to go to Knotts anymore or that I would cancel the trip altogether, I'm just really disappointed that this trip, which has been a dream of mine and my friends for a long time, just got a sudden reality check two days before we leave. Now I'm really uncertain about X as well.

My main disappointment is that I never expected this many rides to be closed. We took a trip to Florida last year at this time and nothing except Kumba was closed, which was down because of a mechanical problem.

Naturally I assumed that one or two rides would be closed, not close to a half dozen. Since nobody told me any different, I assumed that March would be a good month to go, with spring breaks and all. I wish someone had thought to mention that a lot of rides get their yearly maintenance now.

My next trip will definitely be in the summer. I'm not mad, just discouraged. It'll be a long time before I'll be able to make it back out to California again, and it's hard to adjust to so many rides being closed after being used to seasonal parks. I'm still excited about the trip, I'm just hoping this is the last of our major problems. :)

It's too bad you'll miss the ride. I hope the rest of your trip goes well. :)

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"Run Betty! The giant chicken's sticking to the pan"!

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Doesn't Park Ops ever talk to Guest Services?

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Actually it's not Op's fault. Ride Maintnance has the final say-so in what's up and what's down. My contact is in that department and told me the ride was going down after Solace even before the "mystery" pictures started showing up on the net.

This is a very common thing. Chances are most of Op's didn't even know (except some of the higher ups) till very recently, if they still don't know.

You'll have fun anyways.. Too bad Collosus is closed.. It's a neat ride..

Everyone got thier building permits? ;)

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June 11th, 2001 - Gemini 100
VertiGo Rides - 82
Technical Services - 2002-2003
Frightzone Screamster - 2002-2003

*** This post was edited by Red Garter Rob 3/7/2003 7:03:18 AM ***

You know? It happens... Yeah it sucks that the park didn't straight up tell us that Xcelerator was going to be closed, it also sucks the service you received John, but I'm still going to have fun. Moore On brought up a great point...

At CoasterMania we had a 215 ft tall Intamin Statue to play with, at Knott's we'll pretty much follow the same thing by playing around with a 205 ft tall Intamin Statue ;) I remember having the best time at Cedar Point when Wicked Twister was down. I know it took alot to get to California, but it happens and we also have a 420 ft version to look forward to ;)

However, I wasn't expecting this many rides to be closed going to California (Deja Vu, Screamie Meamie... er Collosus, Xcelerator, and possibly X). But I'm not going to have a bad time after plopping down 4 months of planning, working a second job, saving, and whatnot because a few rides are closed. Heck I'm still going to Disneyland!!

I'm planning to hit my 200th coaster while out in California, so unless some catastrophe happens to where 50% of the rides are closed my goal will happen (I'm currently at 187). Maybe then I'd be really upset and complain because of spending so much to do this. However, I also get to see the Pacific Ocean for the first time, get a break from the crappy weather we've had up here, and I get to spend that with my closest friends. John, Chris, and Kristin... Some of these rides are closed, but dangit we're going to freaking California!!! w00t!!!

Look at it this way... you've got less than two months now to ride the bigger version. Less than two months already!

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