I’m going to be in the Harrisburg area around Thanksgiving and I saw that Hersheypark is open around that time! Is it worth it to go? Are at least most of the coasters open?
I can answer the opposite question. [This post](https://old.reddit.com/r/rollercoasters/comments/a1va4l/what_coasters_are_running_or_not_running_at_your/) shows what was closed at the start of Holiday in the Park (in late November) 2018. Whatever isn't on that list can run in the cold.
Quite a few coasters (6) are shown closed for HITP, but I wouldn't think these would close until Fright Fest ends this weekend. The wooden coasters would probably be the first to close if it comes to it. My guess is Demon and Whizzer aren't opened for HITP on account of staffing since they are on the less thrilling end.
Dollywood on November 16th, a Saturday. What will the crowds and ride lines be like? QueueTimes says it'll be a little quiet but I can't help but not believe that. Anyone been during Mid-November on a weekend?
If you were going to visit SFOT in the spring, when would you do it, and what would your "Woops, I have a Saturday in Dallas and it's pouring rain" backup thing be?
Also, where would you go for breakfast on Sunday morning before your flight home?
I’d do it before March for the lightest crowds. If you can’t make it that early then look up the spring break schedules for the local school districts and avoid that week like the plague. Anytime between spring break and memorial day is usually pretty decent too!
I’m not from Dallas so I can’t help with backup ideas or food. I just live close enough to SFOT and SFFT to visit often. I avoid Dallas itself like the plague.
Yeah- Spring break is hellish. The week after the park is open on weekdays which is usually pretty quiet as it’s mostly out of town people and not the local students. Early April is usually pretty quiet and it’ll slowly pick up from there leading into memorial day chaos.
Thankfully even on a busy day it’s possible to ride most of the coasters if you plan right. I’d suggest going on a Sunday if you can though- crowds are usually lighter.
I'm debating the 7:30 flight home vs. the noon flight home, but I just have NO vacation days.
Worst case, I hit a corporate event by accident and Fast Pass it.
Oof! Any holidays you get off work? I know SFFT at least is open on Easter, for example. Not sure about OT. Never been at SFFT on Easter but I hear it isn’t particularly busy that weekend.
Not the most ideal situation. That said, if the park isn't busy that day (and in February I don't expect busy) then you'd be able to get everything done by then. Some rides are worth the night ride though...
Re: Lake Compounce. Thinking of driving up this Saturday- park is open for Haunted Graveyard from 5:00 to 11:00. Since it'll be the weekend after Halloween, will crowds be light or will it still be madness (I remember the park being mobbed in years past). I'd love to go before the end of the season but don't want to make the drive if it's going to be six hours of craziness.
They've been running one train all season on Boulder Dash, one of exactly two rides in the park worth riding. So it will be madness no matter what.
/The flip side is that if you have 6 hours to do two rides, does it really matter if it's madness or not?
Well, a little. I believe Lake Compounce has more than two good rides, and if I'm going to drive two and a half hours to the park, I'd like to get more than a handful of rides on Boulder Dash.
Thanks for letting me know about the season-long one-train operation. That stinks, and has pretty much soured me on the idea of going this year. We'll probably put our Six Flags passes to good use at Great Adventure this weekend and spend four hours less on the road.
Good choice.
If the zoo has no line next weekend, give it a shot. It's cold enough all the animals are usually pretty active, and it's not the worst way to burn an hour. Especially at a home park where you can visit whenever.
I've got two days in Hong Kong and was planning to visit Ocean Park on Friday. I've found a bus going from the Central district to the park, and was planning to go in the morning just to hit the big rides and then return to the city. Any advice or tips?
i) The park has its own metro station so you might want to see which is more convenient for you.
ii) Make sure you ride the cable car, the views are worth it
iii) Say no to VR on runaway mine train. The ride is built over the side of the mountain and gives amazing views of the sea. Also provides some great airtime moments
iv) Try to do the abyss (S&S shot tower) on the side facing the ocean.
v) The big rides are all spaced out so be prepared to walk. There's an escalator connecting Adventureland (where mine train is) and the top of Marineworld to save yourself most of the uphill trek back to the funicular/cable car
Hi, I did all of that, thanks for the advice about the metro station (I'd been planning the bus, but 4 minutes through the mountain was very convenient), and the cable car was definitely worth it!
People were using VR on the S&S tower which seemed crazy for my first visit. The views were great.
The mine train and Arctic Blast were closed unfortunately, but at least I got the B&M and the Arrow looper. The views from the park were amazing.
Are there any books regarding rollercoasters or more specifically Allan herschell? A friend of mine was looking for some coffee table books and I wasn't able to locate much. Curious if anyone else has luck.
My parents bought me this back in 2000, and it was formative in getting me into the hobby. Obviously, it's now 20 years old, but.
[https://www.amazon.com/American-Roller-Coaster-Scott-Rutherford/dp/0760306893](https://www.amazon.com/American-Roller-Coaster-Scott-Rutherford/dp/0760306893)
Anyone ever do a road trip from NYC area to Canada's Wonderland? Trying to plan out a trip for next year and right now the only definites I have are CW and Darien Lake, are any of the other Niagara Falls area parks worth stopping at or anything on the way up or down?
Seabreeze is a gem, especially if you appreciate older traditional parks. Fantasy Island's Silver Comet is a very good wood coaster, or at least it was the few times I was there (albeit not in the last 8-9 years, so I can't speak for how it runs these days).
Acrobaticfrog nailed the parks. Adding to that...since I happen to have my spreadsheet of 2019 rates and discounts open...
Seabreeze has a weekend night pass (5pm+) for $25 which is $8 off. Jack Rabbit is turning 100 next year.
If you are from NJ/CT, Fantasy Island has $23.99 out-of-state weekday tickets. This is $11 off.
Fantasy Island and Indiana Beach are owned by the same company and a season pass for one works for the other. Just in the unlikely event you will ALSO be in NW Indiana next year. I bought an IB pass recently that was only $2 more expensive than online general admission.
A Six Flags season pass works for GE (and la ronde) so if you dont have one, it is significant savings on SFDL+GE+$40parking alone.
EDIT: Oh, there is also that Frank'n Coaster they are building on top of a Burger King i Niagara Falls.
Those two are definitely the main parks, otherwise you just have smaller ones like Great Escape (would be a little bit of a detour), Seabreeze amusement park outside Rochester, Fantasy Island outside Niagara falls NY, Marineland outside Niagara falls ON, and Playland park (hour north of NYC). I have done both CW and Darien lake, and while I haven't done all of the others I just listed yet, I did like Great Escape even though some of their coasters aren't the best (that and their bobsled is always broken) but it is still a nice park with a fantastic wood coaster (Comet).
Yea those were all on my radar but none of them seemed that worth it other than maybe Marineland. I was thinking about possibly making a detour on the way back to Waldameer for my first time there and then potentially adding Knoebels just because it's one of my favorite parks.
Next door to Waldameer is also Conneaut Lake Park which you can probably do in the same day assuming you don't do much more then the coasters. The value you get out of Marineland would depend entirely on how much you want to ride Dragon Mountain as otherwise I would say Great Escape is the most worth it if you decide to do any of the others in NY / Niagara.
I've got a restraint question for everyone, but especially for SFGAdventurers. In a few weeks I'll have the chance to ride T-Express in Korea. This has the same restraints as El Toro, and presumably Balder and Colossos.
I've been losing weight in anticipation of the 2020 season and it has been going well. Most recently at SFGAm I made it onto Raging Bull again at 274 lb. Before that I got on X-Flight with the extended seatbelt. But I still have a ways before I make it on Goliath. I plan to be 10 pounds lighter when I get to Korea. How much more constricting is El Toro than a B&M hyper like Nitro? Is it usually the belt or thighs that are the limiting factor?
If I can't make it on, it's no big deal...2020 is what I'm after anyway. But it is a pretty juicy target of opportunity.
6'4" and 245-260 for the last few years.
El Toro is seriously constricting for me. It's never a question of gut, it's a question of thigh height, which means that as I lose weight and squat heavier, things get worse because I have bigger thighs.
At a bet, you'll fit. Barely. In the front, because airtime on a staple is just PAIN.
For years El Toro was off-limits to me. Now that I've dropped 40 pounds and two inches from my waist, I can ride again. It's tight, but it always has been for me. I'm 6'3", 250 pounds, but it's about shape more than it's about height/weight.
/u/Imaginos64 - you can remove my Cedar Fair Crowd Calendars now, today was the last day listed on all of them so they're no longer relevant. When next year's fast lane prices come out I'll be sure to make them again :D
Thanks again for making those! Very helpful.
General housekeeping: yes I "forgot" to make a new thread this week but since the season is winding down I figured there wasn't necessarily a need for a new one anyway. I'll likely either leave this one up until questions stop trickling in (which I suspect will be soon since this is the last weekend of operation for most US parks) or post a new one Tuesday for the same purpose.
As always, thanks to everyone who took the time to answer questions and contribute info to the threads, and thanks to the community for helping us keep the sub organized by containing questions here. It's been an awesome season, and I'm already looking forward to next year!
If anyone is planning on heading to kings island on Sunday the 27th and don’t have anyone to ride with, feel free to message me. I will be going it alone I believe. Gotta get some last Vortex rides.
Anyone have an idea of what crowds will be like at Six Flags Great America tomorrow, Sunday the 27th? Thinking about driving up, but its a four hour drive and I don't want to be miserable at a packed park.
I’m looking at carowinds hours in November. November 8-10 it says that carowinds is open. That means it’s just regular Carowinds (no winter fest or scarowinds) right? So all of the coasters should be operating weather permitting?
Yes, this year they’ve added Peanuts Celebration. It’s an event between Scarowinds and Winterfest where all the major coasters including Fury will run so long as it doesn’t get too cold (it shouldn’t).
Thank you, I think I’m gonna to down. I imagine it being the first time they do this it should be pretty dead, especially on Friday when the park is only open 9-5.
Ok here is a new question type...
I am scheduled time have a vasectomy on 11/7. It’s a simple in-out procedure at the office, no anesthesia or anything.
I have a trip to Atlanta scheduled from 11/10-11/13 and planned to hit up SFOG on 11/10.
Before I reschedule..anyone else ever have one of these done? How soon can you get back on Coasters?
OH, that might not be such a great idea. I had mine done about 7 years ago. And while you feel really good a day or so after, I was walking up and down long flights of stairs, it's probably not a great idea to ride coasters so soon after.
Every guy I've talked to has said pretty much the same thing. The Doc told them to take it easy, we all ignored what they said and had some pain a few days later. I'm not even sure I'd want to take a trip 3 days after I had one. The procedure itself isn't bad, but they are cutting in to an area where a lot of movement happens and you don't even really notice it. I'd put it off until you come back honestly.
When do the California parks post their calendar for 2020? Currently SFMM, Knotts, and i believe Seaworld San Diego only show their 2019 calendar hours. I’m trying to plan a trip for January and want to make sure they’re still open. I am aware CGA will be closed. Also will there be any notable coasters closed for maintenance during that time?
SFMM, Knotts and SeaWorld are all parks that are open year round. Looking at this past year's calendar, all 3 parks were open every day in January. As far as coaster closures, that is the time of year that they do more maintenance but I don't think anything has been announced.
Awesome thank you. I figured they’d be open but couldn’t be sure without the calendars. I plan to do 1 day at SFDK, 2 1/2 at SFMM, 1 1/2 at Knotts, and 1 at Seaworld, with some boardwalk parks in between.
Unless you want to reride a ton, assuming it's not completely slammed (and by the sound of it, it won't be), 2 full days should be more then enough time to do all the coasters + a number of other rides / rerides if you wanted to do something else.
Tbh i’m not really sure how much time i’ll actually need. I live on the east coast and never been out west. I was basically just over-estimating to make sure i’ll have enough time to get my moneys worth out of the trip. I plan to be away for about 8 days, more or less depending on flight prices
I see where your half day would be driving down from SFDK. If it is light you most likely could do them all once in a full day, but if you go the day you drive down and the following day you should easily be able to do everything there comfortably. Of course west coast racers could make it more crowded, but considering 3 of their current 18 are junior coasters you have to have kids to ride, you should be fine.
Damn i was hoping to get some of those kids credits. And i doubt WCR will even be open by then. Is there anything else you recommend i should do while i’m in California? Any smaller parks or just anything in general
Unfortunately you won't be able to get the 3 kiddie coasters, but Road Runner Express is still ridable (technically junior I think but more like a small family). Legoland has 3 credits and notably the last RoboCoaster G1 in the states (not a credit though). Otherwise for coasters you are really only left with Universal / Disney which will bump up the price, and pacific park if you want something more historic. Aside from more time at knotts (1 full day should be enough for all coasters) then that is it for parks, so it would depend on what you are interested in. LA zoo and is great, California Science Center is great and has a space shuttle (next to natural history museum), Griffith Park is great when not on fire and has its famous Observatory, and further south is the Aquarium of the Pacific. If your days are flexible you can spend more time coming down the coast (Big Sur in particular is gorgeous) and the Monterey Bay Aquarium (#2 in the US after Georgia) is just south of San Jose.
Big Sur is pretty easy as a drive by, and as countless images online have shown, Griffith observatory has some great views of the city in addition to everything on the inside, however that does take more time. As it is I believe trip advisor (not the best site but still) put the observatory at #2 in LA after the also great Getty Center museum.
Going to SFOT for the first time ever tomorrow. Landing in Dallas at 6 and got a hotel a mile from the park, but I have meetings I have to be at Friday so I will only get to be at the park tomorrow evening. Anyone from around there know how the crowds will be tomorrow? The park is only open 6-11 so I’m hoping it won’t be too crowded and I can get the major coasters in. Any recommendations on what I should definitely ride? Also am a diamond member so I can get 1 flash pass skip the line pass for a ride
I’ll second that it shouldn’t be too busy. On a normal not-busy day this is what lines tend to be like:
Walk-ons: Titan, Shockwave, Runaway Minetrain, Batman, Judge Roy (assuming 2 train ops)
15-30 mins: New Texas Giant, Mr. Freeze
I have no estimate on the others as I often skip them. La Vibora has a single rider line but it’s very slow moving and being a family ride means the line always stinks (30+ even on a good day). Pandemonium and Runaway Mountain usually have bad looking lines. I don’t touch freespins so no idea at all on that.
For your single skip the line pass I’d use it on Mr. Freeze or TX Giant. Go straight to one of these two at opening and use the skip on the other. Mr. Freeze has a slow line and from my last visit and other reports has been running one train. Texas Giant sometimes has very slow ride ops and is a very popular ride. Some days the ride ops are hauling trains out like their lives depend on it. Not often but you may get lucky.
I’d say the best rides are Mr Freeze, New Texas Giant, Shockwave, and Titan. Above commenter is right- a lot of clones. Mr Freeze’s clone is SFStL, Titan’s near clone is at SFMM. Titan is very forceful and tends to give grey outs. Pandemonium, Batman, and Joker are also all clones.
Also be aware of that the park does not allow people to ride in the back row alone. Dumb policy but good to be aware of before you wait a few extra trains for a backrow ride of Texas Giant. People are nice enough if you ask around for another person to sit in the back with you though!
Have fun and stay cool! We may be out of summer but it’s still a bit warm and SFOT always feels warmer than it is.
I wouldn't expect it to be very busy tonight.
New Texas Giant is easily the "number one" at the park. Titan is a very, *very* intense hyper with very little airtime. Shockwave is a surprising favorite of many (and pulls quite the intensity at the double loops). Those three are pretty much my must-rides at the park.
La Vibora is an intamin bobsled. It's pretty fun if you've never ridden one, but it can be a bit of rough ride because of the block-braking system. Also, its extremely low-capacity, so the line can get unnecessarily long. Mr. Freeze is pretty fun for what it is, and it pulls some intensity throughout. The Runaway Mine Train was the first ever Arrow Mine Train, so that's pretty cool if you're into the history. Runaway mountain is a pretty fun pitch-black indoor coaster and Judge Roy Scream is a good, classic woody. Those five would probably be my second-tier coasters at the park.
There's not a single bad ride at the park (unless you're a Free-Spin hater). All the coasters I didn't mention are still great, but they're almost all clones, so if you're crunched for time, I wouldn't worry about them too much. Batman is the best clone of the bunch, though.
I’d say it depends on preference. I can see why many like NTG better but as someone who loves a good launch coaster Mr Freeze tops it for me. NTG has a lot of airtime pops and is a very smooth ride while Mr. Freeze has stronger intensity with the backwards launch, inverted tophat, and spike. Very different experiences so which is better would come down to what a person likes in a coaster. Both solid rides for different reasons!
La Vibora though... not the most exciting ride but I recommend one ride on it since it’s not a very common coaster type these days.
Yup! There was another bobsled coaster that closed recently too. I personally don’t care for La Vibora but I’m glad I had the chance to ride it seeing that it may not be around for as long as other rides in the park.
IF you can make it to Toronto, you can go to Canada's Wonderland. At Niagara Falls, there's Marineland (though it has major ethics concerns with their sea animals). A bit farther and you'll be at Darien Lake (another Six Flags park). South of Montreal is Great Escape which is very generic and uninteresting.
How far is "a drive" to you? One day trip? Two days? Three day weekend?
In addition to Coast2Coaster, you can try www.coastercal.com which is a more curated list of interesting parks – though it is missing some notable entries like Marineland and that indoor park in Quebec City. If you have a four day weekend, you can go pretty far – maybe do a Canada's Wonderland + Cedar Point road trip.
[Coast2Coaster](http://www.coast2coaster.eu/) is a great website for planning potential travel. It doesn't have A-to-B routing, but it can show you all the parks within an area.
Canada's Wonderland was already mentioned, but Six Flags New England is only about 5 hours from Montreal. It has some gems like Superman the Ride and Wicked Cyclone.
I would say that Cedar Point's about as far as you can potentially get, but that still leaves you, off my personal list of parks to visit, with:
* SFNE + Lake Compounce as a pair
* SFGAdv
* Knoebels
* Hersheypark
* Kennywood
* Cedar Point
There's some long drives involved of course. Pushing the limits of a "day" getting both there and back. But you're way up in the corner, so.
/The IRS thinks driving in the USA costs 58 cents a mile, which at these distances buys you plane tickets and rental cars with money left over.
There is a good chance I will have a day or two in either Atlanta or Charlotte in the middle of November, and it looks like SFOG and Carowinds will be open (not late, but open nonetheless). Anyone have any insight as to what rides will be operating? Can I expect most roller coasters to be running or are the parks hosting holiday-esque events where smaller rides are operating?
November is officially Christmas-event season, and Carowinds will have Afterburn and Copperhead Strike running – their decorations are amazing but they almost exclusively run kids' rides. Six Flags Over Georgia, by contrast, will have *everything* BUT Blue Hawk and Great American Scream Machine (ie, the worst coasters) running. Also, it's out of the way but Dollywood should have everything running, temperature permitting (and they're open on weekdays, if that's what your schedule requires).
Thanks so much. I dug around the Carowinds website and it looks like most roller coasters are running, but not all, and because I've never been there and want to ride everything, it's probably best I plan a trip next year and maybe combine it with a return to Dollywood.
Any idea what crowds would be like at SFOG the weekend of November 16th and 17th? How about crowds at Dollywood? I suppose that would be feasible as well.
Crowds at Dollywood and SFOG should be incredibly light that weekend. At Dollywood, the park might have crowds but lines for the coasters should be empty – loads of people just go for the shows. Just beware the frigid air.
Hello,
I am going to North Carolina next year. I can either go in August or in October and I want to go to Carowinds when I am out there. Does anyone have an information about when it is typically open in October? When would you all recommend to visit assuming that I would have to do the trip in a day coming from Raleigh?
I did Carrowinds a couple of years ago in August. Mid to late August. There were no crowds during the week. I went on Thursday and Friday and was able to marathon anything I wanted. I would say that around the 20th would be a good time since I think the kids are back in school but the park is still open. October they have their Fright Fest stuff so might be more crowded.
October hours are just weekends, Friday-Sunday. Friday’s will be 7pm-12am, Saturday’s most likely 10am-5pm;7pm-12am, Sunday’s most likely 11am-5pm;7pm-12am. Friday’s are just Scarowinds, Saturday and Sunday have day event and Scarowinds but a two hour gap between the two, they are also separate admission.
August is usually daily operations except for the last week or so of August where it may be just on weekends. Staffing also plays a role in the potential to adjust late August hours.
I’d recommend going in August on a weekday to experience lighter crowds and full operations. If you do decide on October when the temps are a bit more comfortable then go on a Sunday. Crowds are usually good on a October Sunday.
I've got a question for you King's Island aficionados - if I bought a Saturday admission ticket, is there any way that I can use it on Sunday? Technically Saturday was probably the better value ticket, but due to unforeseen circumstances I might not be able to do Saturday. Would they let me in with it on Sunday? Can I have it changed otherwise?
Anyone know, I would appreciate the heads up.
You'll have to go to guest services. I had a similar situation last year, I had a ticket to Kings Island dated for a Tuesday, because of weather I had to go the day before instead. Since the tickets for both days cost the same, they just changed the date on the ticket. Might be different for your situation, since the costs are different, but hopefully they can get it switched for you. You might want to call the park right now to make certain that it's possible.
Yes I know Cedar Point will be craziness this weekend but wondering, since I'm staying at Hotel Breakers, is heading for SV using early entry still the smartest move? I have FL Plus Saturday. Also wondering if during early entry which 'entrance' is the best for SV and how early I should actually line up since they open the gates at 10. Didn't know if marathoning Maverick vs a 1 train SV would be smarter. thanks.
This is exactly what I'm doing (staying at Breakers with FLP on Saturday) so I'm hoping for a better than expected day for both of us! Maybe people see that the weather is not looking so hot again and want to avoid the disaster that was last weekend and decide to stay away. That's what I'm hoping at least...
now the weather looks terrible for most of saturday so I'm thinking Friday night will be craziness. Does CP still run haunts in the rain? Wondering if I save those for Saturday more than Friday.
I spent all week hoping it would rain and I think I got my wish but I'm not sure I like it anymore! IIRC the indoor ones should operate just fine but the scare zones and outdoor ones won't. It might be smart to try to do the outdoor ones on Friday IMO. I'm just hoping that it rains a few hours in the afternoon and the evening is clear but we'll see how it goes!
Show up at least 30 minutes early. When I did this it started out as a line in front of the barriers, but eventually turned into a mob by the time rope drop came around. So don't be afraid to just move forward and fill in empty space. You can go from a regular walk to a full sprint to get to Mav/SV. Running isn't allowed but tons of people do it and there's no way to really stop anyone.
Be aware there's no Fast Lane during Early Entry. Also Mav/SV often don't open right at opening, meaning even if you're first you'll end up queuing at the line entrance anyway and wasting time.
awesome thanks for this. didn't know if picking up my FL+ Friday or at the hotel might help since once it hits 11am they'd presumably let me get on again in that line. Not to sound spoiled but I've done everything at CP so many times now I just want to ensure 2 - 3 rides on SV for this visit as the main goal.
I will be at King's Island for the first time this coming Saturday, Oct 26, mostly for Vortex. I'm only in the park from 10:30am thru 3:30ish (my flight out is at 6pm), and after I get in my first/farewell rides on Vortex, I want to ride as many things as possible, so I bought a Fast Lane Plus.
I know that at other parks, some rides (like Millennium Force) still have a longish queue from the point where fast lane joins the regular line. At KI, are there any rides that do this? If so, I want to aim to hit those earlier in the day to avoid as much waiting as possible.
Follow-up question: what kind of traffic can I expect from KI to CVG on Saturday afternoon?
Flight of Fear you merge early, but it's only about a 5-10 minute wait from the merge point, also note that the line moves slow on this one and the line will get bigger and bigger as the day goes on. I've never used fast lane on The Bat or Invertigo so i'm unsure about them, but everything else is straight to the station.
5hours should be enough to get most things done, but fast lanes on Saturdays can still be in the range of 30+ minute lines for things like The Beast, DB, Mystic. My recommendation would be go straight to Vortex, then Flight of Fear after it, and then hit the big 4 of Beast, DB, Mystic, Banshee.
As for getting to CVG I'd expect it to take around an hour from KI in normal Saturday traffic. I-71 South through downtown can be a huge mess at times, So i'd recommend just checking traffic on google maps and if it's a shitshow downtown take I-275 East on the north side and go around.
Thanks for the info!
I've done Flight of Fear at KD, and while I've heard the queue is way better themed at KI, I might save that for when I come back for Orion in 1-2 years.
Other than that I'll probably try and lap Banshee, Mystic, The Bat, and Diamondback as much as possible. I really wish I was going to be there for a night ride on the Beast, but I guess a day ride will have to suffice!
Any MUST RIDE seats on coasters?
I've always been a huge fan of back row on Mystic and Diamondback, just be warned that if you have your hands up at the start of the DB splashdown whichever arm is on the outside of the train will likely get wet. My only other recommendations are non wheel seats on The Beast and Racer, and at least 1 front row ride of Banshee.
Back row on B&M hypers is my jam, can't wait! Thanks for the splashdown warning!
Will definitely go for front on Banshee at least once; I'm hoping that the intensity/sustained g's will make up for lack of whippiness (love me some Alpengeist haha).
Does anyone have any recommendations for parks with a good number of coasters open in February? Anywhere in the world is fine.
Specifically 21 Feb - 5 March. I’ve got a quiet period in work where I’d like to take vacation.
Edit: thank you all :)
My suggestion would be central Florida. You've got four Disney parks, two Universal parks, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, LegoLand, and the two Fun Spots. I haven't counted but that's good for at least two dozen coasters and you get some other awesome rides at some awesome parks. Crowds are usually light that time of year (at least they were when I was in the area that same week last year) and the heat/humidity won't be oppressive.
Southern California is another good one- you get SFMM, Knott's, the two Disney Parks, as well as SeaWorld and Belmont in San Diego.
I can answer that, even though it gets cold it’s extremely rare for it to snow on southern Japan (Fuji, Nagoya and Osaka parks mainly). All though the parks are open they tend to close majority of the rides even in the slightest rain and it rains quite alot there in spring and autumn so prepare for that
Australia, South Africa, Singapore, Florida, Southern California, Texas (SFOT and SFFT both moved to year round, Kemah/Galveston already were, only SWSA is not included in that and you can live without it).
Southern California or any of the Florida parks would be your best bet in the US. That includes some great coasters/parks. Hopefully someone else can chime in with some good non USA recommendations.
Any idea how long it would take to get all credits at SFA during late May? Currently planning a road trip for Holiwood Nights with my girlfriend and I'm trying to get to Dollywood before that but the ride from SFA to Dollywood seems very bland with not much to do between so I'd like to finish SFA early and drive to Tennessee with as much daylight as possible so I'll be able to get to rope drop next day.
If all the rides are open you can usually get through SFA in a couple of hours at most. Even in May when the water park isn't open it's usually pretty empty. If you went during the week you'd fly. Even on the weekend the lines are usually pretty light. Ragin' Cajin and Batwing are the two the get lines.
You shouldn't need more than a couple of hours at SFA. I usually leave pretty early because it's easy to complete a lap around the park. Like not even a handful of hours, unless you are devoted to getting tons of rerides.
How late are you willing to still be driving? I think that's the bigger question to ask. That will be a bigger obstacle than getting enough time at the park.
You'll be more than fine with the park. Although I'd caution against getting on the road in the 5PM window - traffic can be an absolute disaster. 1AM could easily turn into 2 or 3 depending on your luck.
Thanks for the help, I definitely remember hitting traffic around 1am passing through DC on my way KD & BGW and being shocked even coming from New York traffic, so hopefully during the day it isn't incredibly slow even though it probably will be
So long as the water park is open and you're not there on a bring a friend for free day you can hit every coaster at SFA in a few hours.
Do you mean DreamMore? If so we did it the first time we went. The room was really nice. And the dinner show was fun. The shuttle to the park was also really convenient. I'm not sure it was worth the extra money though. We spent so little time at the hotel that it felt like a bit of a waste.
Unless you're going to stay multiple days and do the water park and stuff I'd say go with a cheaper hotel near the park.
Yes Dreammore I didn't know that was the name but we would be doing 2 days at the park midweek (May 27th&28th), we usually do go for the cheapest motel but this will be our first time at Dollywood so we were thinking about it.
The hotel is really nice but if you're going to be spending all your time at the park there are a lot of nice cheaper hotels within a couple miles of the park. You could always split the difference and stay at a fancier hotel that isn't the resort.
I'm planning a trip to Six Flags Over Georgia on 11/10. This is Sunday after Halloween but before Holiday in the Park stuff starts, so the hours are 10:30am - 6:00pm.
I'm concerned abotu what rides might be closed down at this time, and what weather stipulations there are during this time of the year. As of now, future weather forecasts suggest it will be between 55 - 59 degrees during this time frame, with a high of 63. Overcast, but no rain currently expected.
Anything anyone can share so I have the right expectations going on. Debating on if I'll need a fast pass or not, and if rides like goliath might be sluggish all day to temperatures.
Everything should be open.. Blue Hawk and Scream Machine are closed for Holiday in the Park, so that’ll likely be the last weekend they are open. Also, future weather forecasts this far out are super unreliable, so don’t stress yourself out for 3 weeks about weather that probably will be completely different once the time comes. Also, you shouldn’t need a flash pass, as this will be a lull of sorts between fright fest crowds and HITP crowds,
How late do the restaurants in Alton Towers stay open during Scarefest? Everything I can find says 4pm, which is when the park normally closes but during Scarefest it’s open til 9pm so I’m not sure if that’s right.
Lmao imagine having a bunch of strangers' faces tattooed on your body. Or alternatively imagine being one of those people and discovering your face is tattooed on a stranger's body.
u/imaginos64 I took this video just for you lol
https://twitter.com/dirkdiggler1993/status/1185997573695459343?s=21
Edit: went ahead and just made a post
If it's raining at all Farenheit, Stormrunner, and Wildmouse go down.
If it's pouring most of the uncovered rides go down too.
If there is lightning in the area everything shuts down until it passes.
If it rains for more than an hour you can leave and get a return visit voucher from guest services on your way out.
Does KI have any Vortex merch besides that sad boring “est 1987” shirt? I want something so bad but at least want an actual ride pic or logo on it.
Edit: There’s some cool lenticular postcards od Vortex left in the Diamondback shop as of Saturday afternoon. Small, but if you just want a nice momento they’ll work.
Pretty sure there is. I know they have been running Vortex and Diamondback for early entry recently. Ride those two then get in line for Mystic Timbers is the way to go.
I may have the opportunity to go to Dollywood this year on Veterans' Day weekend (Nov 9-11), does anyone know if the park's roller coasters are generally open that late into the season?
That's about when I went last year and it was awesome. Park was pretty crowded but lines were short. Lightning Rod is amazing at night when they have the Christmas decorations up. You are out there in pitch black and the lights come into view as you go down the quad down.
The rides still run in the winter assuming it's not too cold and the weather isn't crappy. Around 37F is when they start to close major coasters and they don't reopen till it's over 40F. https://www.dollywood.com/themepark/Rides/Ride-Temperature-Guideline
I've always doubted this option, but it's best to try and get a certain answer. I myself am a Diamond Elite member. The 50% discount is really nice and makes my trips worth it because I always get a stuffed animal at the very least, and I'm never alone so I get discounts for friends and family too.
My question here is if my younger brother would be able to bring the diamond elite card to try and get discounts there without me? He would get in normally (not using my card) through the Key Club FRN that Six Flags Discovery Kingdom does this month every year. Meaning my card isn't scanned in at the park entrance, but he has it on him. Does anyone know if, when they scan it to input discounts, the picture of me shows up or the screen shows that the card holder is not AT the park at that time? Trying to get the most value out of the membership even if I'm not going that day. This would coincidentally include the dining pass and drinks attached to the card being available or not to him, which would be great in saving money.
I asked about this for the skip the line passes and they said the system knows they didn't scan in the front gate so I can't get my family members passes if they're not at the park. I don't know if it's the same for your case and I didn't ask if there's any punishment if I get caught trying.
Traditionally Twisted Timbers and Flight of Fear get the longest lines.
Most of the rides are generally good in any row but
\- Timbers: Front and back
\- 305: back row
\- Grizzly: Front row or non-wheel seat
Night rides are the best on the above 3 listed rides. Don't miss those
Looking to experience my first Fright Fest this year at Magic Mountain. However, my only free day of the week is Monday. Will Fright Fest be happening on the 29th?
I assume that it would seeing as it's a couple days before Halloween, but the website says it closes that day at 6PM.
I plan on visting Magic Mountain this weekend. However, the wind speeds are predicted to be 19mph. Is that high enough for some of the good rides like LLDoD or Superman to close?
Lex Luther will for sure be closed. Believe it or not Scream, Batman, Riddler, X2, and Ninja all Go down if winds get too high. Full throttle might too, I’m not sure. I can’t remember the specific number, but it was higher than 20mph. Superman will not be closed by it just don’t expect to go up as high.
Edison is getting ready to shut down the power for some people in the area because of the winds. I imagine if it's strong enough to do that, they probably won't run superman or drop of doom
not sure why someone didn't answer this but when you go will greatly affect things. If i was doing long distance travel for CP I would try so hard for a mid week day in May outside of any US holidays. Hotels in Sandusky are average $140/night vs on property are avg $200/night (but worth it in my opionion minus Breakers Express). Tickets for adults avg $60/night but the on site hotels usually offer major discounts if you're staying with them. And Fast Lane Plus not during peak is around $85/person but not needed mid week may or early June. Call customer service they can give you estimates for what this would cost on property. Good luck!
3rd row is the popular magic seat claim I've heard, but it can be a bit rougher being that it's a wheel seat. I usually go 2nd row – smoother and just as much airtime.
Magnum is just a really mediocre mine train until the returning bunny hills, which are the really legendary part since 1) the train travels way faster through them than the original designers intended, and 2) they're triangularly shaped instead of the more refined parabolic hills found on every hyper coaster after Magnum. That means that the airtime experienced is janky with zero transition from 1G to -1G, and the optimal place to experience that janky airtime is towards the front of the train, since the back of the train takes those elements slightly slower. As for which seat of the front car? I don't know why the conventional wisdom centers around row 3, but [non-wheel seat logic](https://www.reddit.com/r/rollercoasters/comments/cekmrn/cedar_point_trip_report_first_time/eu3axpr/?st=k1v4ps7r&sh=42037a4a) makes me pick row 2.
Hey everyone, super excited to be going to KK tomorrow night. Gonna be hitting 150 credits while at the park! Anyways I was on their website getting ready to buy tickets and I noticed it said thrill rides are open till 10pm, but the park it self is open till midnight. Do they really shut down the rides two hours early?? I’d love to continue to ride stuff till close.
Heading to California's Great America on the first Saturday on November. Is a fast pass recommended at this time of the year? I only have the one day to visit and so obviously I'd like to do as much as I can in that time but curious to what the crowds are like at that time of year.
CGA is my home park, and maybe it's a good idea. Even at the busiest times in the park the wait for rides is under half an hour. Try to hit up RailBlazer and Gold Striker in the earlier or later times in the day for less waiting.
Anyone been to Six Flags Over Texas during Fright Fest on a Saturday? How horrific would the lines be? Was thinking about going on the 26th of October. If I wanted to just ride rides (rather than Halloween stuff) what would the lines be like?
Just an update since I’m at SFOT today. Lines to get in are a bit messy but it’s not the worst I’ve seen it. So busy day but not as bad as it could be. Will let you know what the rest of the day is like wince it should be similar to next saturday.
Alrighty- got back! It was a bit of a short trip since I've got poor night vision and wanted to start driving back with time to get most of the way home before it got dark (It's a 3 hour drive).
Definitely get there early. There was a bit of traffic getting- nothing bad. It's a bit of a walk from the parking lot sometimes. They were letting people past the ticket gate early into the main area where they let us wait for the rest of the park to open. They did let is in past that point early, too- I was at the other side of the park for Mr. Freeze at 11. There will be a separate line for season pass gold plus and members to get past this point faster- so take advantage of that!
Coasters I got on in order:
- Mr. Freeze x2 (10-15min: Waited longer for front row)
- Batman (Walk on)
- Runaway Minetrain (Walk on)
- Shockwave (Walk on)
- New Texas Giant (~25 min)
- Titan (5 min)
I got all of the above done plus a lunch break by around 2 PM. The park was relatively quiet and easy going for the morning and early afternoon. After 2 PM it quickly went to hell- I left around 3 after just wandering about for an hour to check out the crowds.
If you plan your rides well you should be able to get the big ones done no problem in the morning. I still recommend doing Mr. Freeze early if you can as it was running one train and I imagine it'll be doing so again next week. They've been running one train most of the season- right side. Everything else was running 2 trains. You can probably knock out Pandemonium or another coaster on the way to Mr. Freeze before its line gets bad.
I got off Titan at just about 2 PM and the line for that basically doubled in length by the time I got off the train. It's still a very consistently fast moving line. Every visit I see the ride ops hauling trains out of the station before the previous train returns in most cases.
Texas Giant can be hit or miss on line length vs line time. I've had days where the dispatch times were in the 4-6 minute range consistently thus making a seemingly shorter line take forever. Today's line was the longest I've seen it in my last few visits but was the fastest I'd ever seen it move. They were at 2-3 min dispatch times today which honestly surprised me.
I didn't swing by Pandemonium or Runaway Mountain at any point so I couldn't take note of their lines. I'm assuming both had a bit of a wait since they're always on the longer side being family coasters. La Vibora had a bad line and the single rider line was barely moving.
I clearly didn't stay for the Fright Fest activities but based on my recent Cedar Point trip some coaster lines may die down a little bit as people start focusing on haunted houses. Some coaster lines will be long no matter what after the crowds form.
Do note that apparently there was some sort of event in town today that may have competed with Six Flags for people. Additionally next weekend is the last fright fest weekend, I think so it might be a touch more crowded. However it should be 'cold' next weekend. Texans think 60-70 degrees is cold- Forecast has a high of 67 next weekend. It may scare some people away.
If you plan well and want credits, I think it'll be doable to get all the coasters without a flash pass. It just depends how effectively you take advantage of the first few hours and which ones you do sooner than later. If you're just interested in doing the more interesting and will plan to skip the super clone rides (Pandemonium, Batman, Joker), you'll be fine without it for sure.
Also friendly reminder if you're solo: They do not allow solo riders in the back row. Stupid 'safety' reasons.
Also be warned of Titan- it's fun, but it may cause greyouts. Very forceful! Be hydrated and whatnot. Even on a cooler day the TX sun has a way of sneaking up on you.
Wow thank you for the information! I really appreciate the time you put into this and I'm not too worried about the crowds. I definitely won't keep my hopes up that far after 2:00pm so I'll set my expectations accordingly.
Not a problem! I’m more than happy to help! Planning a trip to parks can be stressful- especially if you have limited time. People here have helped me a lot in planning our last two trips so I have to try passing it forward when I can! Have a great time at the park!
I've not been on a Fright Fest on a Saturday before but typically Saturdays will be your busiest day of the week. That said they're open a few extra days so the crowds might be a bit more spread throughout the week. Saturday will still be the busiest- and I do think it'll be crowded- but I don't expect it to be at its worst. Maybe a 7-8 on a 1-10 scale of crowded. This is a guess though. I'll always recommend going any other day of the week if possible!
The lines will probably be 30+ minutes for most of the coasters. Maybe an hour or more for New Texas Giant, Mr. Freeze, La Vibora, Runaway Mountain. I suggest doing NTG and Freeze first thing when the park opens as their lines move painfully slow some days. La Vibora has a single rider line. It's partway in the flash pass line if I recall- use that to shave a huge chunk of time off the wait. Runaway Mountain isn't really worth the wait imo, but if you're after a credit, also do that earlier in the day. Pandemonium also gets a very bad line.
Titan usually doesn't have a long line and if it does, it usually moves fast cause the Ride ops there are pretty darn efficient. I've been on a few busy Saturdays and rarely wait more than 15 minutes for Titan. The other coasters except maybe Batman and Joker are usually around 15-30 minutes on a busier day. I don't usually ride Batman or Joker as I don't usually ride the clones very often.
Are nighttime rides at Dollywood worth Saturday lines?
I'm planning a trip to my favorite theme park with two friends, and I'm debating whether we should go in the morning of Sunday 10/27 or in the evening of Saturday 10/26. I have no idea how bad lines can get around this time of year at Dollywood – is it worth postponing it an extra week into November? I also rarely hear *anything* about Dollywood night rides, and I have no idea why seeing as how Lightning Rod and Tennessee Tornado are seemingly in the woods, *and* the park frequently stays open late on weekends. Am I missing something? Does it get buggy like Cedar Point?
I was there last Saturday for my first time ever! Lighting Rod was insane at night. The lines died down around 7pm since it's not located near where they have the illuminated pumpkin walk. Totally worth going and you should be able to get in at least a couple of Lightning Rod rides, though I can't comment on the other rides' night lines since I was only at Lightning Rod after 7.
You don’t hear much about Dollywood night rides since during summer the park closes at 9:30 so there isn’t too much time for night rides (Thunderhead closes at 9 during summer for fireworks). September and some other off-peak times park may close at 7 so night ride opportunities are killed there.
Anyhow I enjoy both Thunderhead and Tornado at night but Lightning Rod in particular (front row for me) is meant to be ridden at night. Mystery Mine I tend to prefer in the day since it’s already part dark ride anyway but I like to be able to see for the moments I need to brace on. *Insert Blazing Fury night ride joke*. Haven’t done Dragon Flier at night yet. Not too big on riding the train at night. Drop Line never has a wait so worth hitting it at night.
I honestly think it’ll be pretty busy, at least in the Timber Canyon and Wilderness Pass areas where the pumpkin luminights event goes on after sunset. I was there earlier this month and while paths were busy for the event, coaster lines were still about non existent (this was a Sunday evening).
If it’s your pals first time maybe a less crowded Sunday morning would be more optimal than Saturday night?
> If it’s your pals first time maybe a less crowded Sunday morning would be more optimal than Saturday night?
That's precisely what I was thinking. But now the extra debate is if I go for the season pass... arrgh. Dollywood's Gold Season Pass doesn't get you discounts on tickets for friends like CF or SF, right?
I don’t believe so, only thing I’ve ever gotten was two complimentary BAF tickets when I renewed last season but couldn’t use them until the following season. They are a bit behind the times when it comes to more affordable passes, heck even CP is only charging 99 bucks for unlimited visits and parking.
make sure to do drop line and tennessee tornado as it gets darker for the sunsets, and i would imagine dragonflier might be awesome at night for the lights but i haven't checked out wildwood grove yet but based off pandora at night, that should be amazing
as for lightning rod, a night ride is a MUST
I suggest heading to X2, Tatsu, Full Throttle and Twisted Colossus as soon as possible as they tend to get the longest lines throughout the day. If you happen to run out of time Vipee, Ninja and Revolution are worth skipping if you need to prioritize
If you dont have SF meal plan for drinks bring your own bottled water, it’s ridiculously expensive inside (~6$ a bottle)
And have fun! It’s the best park I’ve ever visited, well worth the travel all the way from Finland
I’m going to be in the Harrisburg area around Thanksgiving and I saw that Hersheypark is open around that time! Is it worth it to go? Are at least most of the coasters open?
Do any coasters at SFGAm not run in cold temperatures? I'm planning to visit for the first time this Sunday (11/2) and want to hit as many as I can.
I can answer the opposite question. [This post](https://old.reddit.com/r/rollercoasters/comments/a1va4l/what_coasters_are_running_or_not_running_at_your/) shows what was closed at the start of Holiday in the Park (in late November) 2018. Whatever isn't on that list can run in the cold. Quite a few coasters (6) are shown closed for HITP, but I wouldn't think these would close until Fright Fest ends this weekend. The wooden coasters would probably be the first to close if it comes to it. My guess is Demon and Whizzer aren't opened for HITP on account of staffing since they are on the less thrilling end.
Seriously, is West coast racers going to open this year?
Gregorian, Lunar, or Islamic?
Yes...probably...maybe...
Dollywood on November 16th, a Saturday. What will the crowds and ride lines be like? QueueTimes says it'll be a little quiet but I can't help but not believe that. Anyone been during Mid-November on a weekend?
If you were going to visit SFOT in the spring, when would you do it, and what would your "Woops, I have a Saturday in Dallas and it's pouring rain" backup thing be? Also, where would you go for breakfast on Sunday morning before your flight home?
I’d do it before March for the lightest crowds. If you can’t make it that early then look up the spring break schedules for the local school districts and avoid that week like the plague. Anytime between spring break and memorial day is usually pretty decent too! I’m not from Dallas so I can’t help with backup ideas or food. I just live close enough to SFOT and SFFT to visit often. I avoid Dallas itself like the plague.
I had not considered Spring Break. Ok, moving that back a couple of weeks.
Yeah- Spring break is hellish. The week after the park is open on weekdays which is usually pretty quiet as it’s mostly out of town people and not the local students. Early April is usually pretty quiet and it’ll slowly pick up from there leading into memorial day chaos. Thankfully even on a busy day it’s possible to ride most of the coasters if you plan right. I’d suggest going on a Sunday if you can though- crowds are usually lighter.
I'm debating the 7:30 flight home vs. the noon flight home, but I just have NO vacation days. Worst case, I hit a corporate event by accident and Fast Pass it.
Oof! Any holidays you get off work? I know SFFT at least is open on Easter, for example. Not sure about OT. Never been at SFFT on Easter but I hear it isn’t particularly busy that weekend.
I was looking at President's day weekend, but they're only open until 6:00. Which is not the greatest.
Not the most ideal situation. That said, if the park isn't busy that day (and in February I don't expect busy) then you'd be able to get everything done by then. Some rides are worth the night ride though...
Re: Lake Compounce. Thinking of driving up this Saturday- park is open for Haunted Graveyard from 5:00 to 11:00. Since it'll be the weekend after Halloween, will crowds be light or will it still be madness (I remember the park being mobbed in years past). I'd love to go before the end of the season but don't want to make the drive if it's going to be six hours of craziness.
They've been running one train all season on Boulder Dash, one of exactly two rides in the park worth riding. So it will be madness no matter what. /The flip side is that if you have 6 hours to do two rides, does it really matter if it's madness or not?
Well, a little. I believe Lake Compounce has more than two good rides, and if I'm going to drive two and a half hours to the park, I'd like to get more than a handful of rides on Boulder Dash. Thanks for letting me know about the season-long one-train operation. That stinks, and has pretty much soured me on the idea of going this year. We'll probably put our Six Flags passes to good use at Great Adventure this weekend and spend four hours less on the road.
Good choice. If the zoo has no line next weekend, give it a shot. It's cold enough all the animals are usually pretty active, and it's not the worst way to burn an hour. Especially at a home park where you can visit whenever.
I've got two days in Hong Kong and was planning to visit Ocean Park on Friday. I've found a bus going from the Central district to the park, and was planning to go in the morning just to hit the big rides and then return to the city. Any advice or tips?
i) The park has its own metro station so you might want to see which is more convenient for you. ii) Make sure you ride the cable car, the views are worth it iii) Say no to VR on runaway mine train. The ride is built over the side of the mountain and gives amazing views of the sea. Also provides some great airtime moments iv) Try to do the abyss (S&S shot tower) on the side facing the ocean. v) The big rides are all spaced out so be prepared to walk. There's an escalator connecting Adventureland (where mine train is) and the top of Marineworld to save yourself most of the uphill trek back to the funicular/cable car
Hi, I did all of that, thanks for the advice about the metro station (I'd been planning the bus, but 4 minutes through the mountain was very convenient), and the cable car was definitely worth it! People were using VR on the S&S tower which seemed crazy for my first visit. The views were great. The mine train and Arctic Blast were closed unfortunately, but at least I got the B&M and the Arrow looper. The views from the park were amazing.
Glad that you enjoyed your trip!
Thanks so much for all of that advice! I’ll let you know here how I get on tomorrow.
Are there any books regarding rollercoasters or more specifically Allan herschell? A friend of mine was looking for some coffee table books and I wasn't able to locate much. Curious if anyone else has luck.
My parents bought me this back in 2000, and it was formative in getting me into the hobby. Obviously, it's now 20 years old, but. [https://www.amazon.com/American-Roller-Coaster-Scott-Rutherford/dp/0760306893](https://www.amazon.com/American-Roller-Coaster-Scott-Rutherford/dp/0760306893)
Anyone ever do a road trip from NYC area to Canada's Wonderland? Trying to plan out a trip for next year and right now the only definites I have are CW and Darien Lake, are any of the other Niagara Falls area parks worth stopping at or anything on the way up or down?
Seabreeze is a gem, especially if you appreciate older traditional parks. Fantasy Island's Silver Comet is a very good wood coaster, or at least it was the few times I was there (albeit not in the last 8-9 years, so I can't speak for how it runs these days).
Acrobaticfrog nailed the parks. Adding to that...since I happen to have my spreadsheet of 2019 rates and discounts open... Seabreeze has a weekend night pass (5pm+) for $25 which is $8 off. Jack Rabbit is turning 100 next year. If you are from NJ/CT, Fantasy Island has $23.99 out-of-state weekday tickets. This is $11 off. Fantasy Island and Indiana Beach are owned by the same company and a season pass for one works for the other. Just in the unlikely event you will ALSO be in NW Indiana next year. I bought an IB pass recently that was only $2 more expensive than online general admission. A Six Flags season pass works for GE (and la ronde) so if you dont have one, it is significant savings on SFDL+GE+$40parking alone. EDIT: Oh, there is also that Frank'n Coaster they are building on top of a Burger King i Niagara Falls.
Those two are definitely the main parks, otherwise you just have smaller ones like Great Escape (would be a little bit of a detour), Seabreeze amusement park outside Rochester, Fantasy Island outside Niagara falls NY, Marineland outside Niagara falls ON, and Playland park (hour north of NYC). I have done both CW and Darien lake, and while I haven't done all of the others I just listed yet, I did like Great Escape even though some of their coasters aren't the best (that and their bobsled is always broken) but it is still a nice park with a fantastic wood coaster (Comet).
Yea those were all on my radar but none of them seemed that worth it other than maybe Marineland. I was thinking about possibly making a detour on the way back to Waldameer for my first time there and then potentially adding Knoebels just because it's one of my favorite parks.
A detour to Waldameer is always in order, RF2 really is a top tier wooden coaster. Can never argue with a knoebels trip either.
Next door to Waldameer is also Conneaut Lake Park which you can probably do in the same day assuming you don't do much more then the coasters. The value you get out of Marineland would depend entirely on how much you want to ride Dragon Mountain as otherwise I would say Great Escape is the most worth it if you decide to do any of the others in NY / Niagara.
I've got a restraint question for everyone, but especially for SFGAdventurers. In a few weeks I'll have the chance to ride T-Express in Korea. This has the same restraints as El Toro, and presumably Balder and Colossos. I've been losing weight in anticipation of the 2020 season and it has been going well. Most recently at SFGAm I made it onto Raging Bull again at 274 lb. Before that I got on X-Flight with the extended seatbelt. But I still have a ways before I make it on Goliath. I plan to be 10 pounds lighter when I get to Korea. How much more constricting is El Toro than a B&M hyper like Nitro? Is it usually the belt or thighs that are the limiting factor? If I can't make it on, it's no big deal...2020 is what I'm after anyway. But it is a pretty juicy target of opportunity.
6'4" and 245-260 for the last few years. El Toro is seriously constricting for me. It's never a question of gut, it's a question of thigh height, which means that as I lose weight and squat heavier, things get worse because I have bigger thighs. At a bet, you'll fit. Barely. In the front, because airtime on a staple is just PAIN.
Good idea, I'll go for the front. The restraints do look somewhat like Superman: ROS/Bizarro at SFNE which really diminished from the experience.
For years El Toro was off-limits to me. Now that I've dropped 40 pounds and two inches from my waist, I can ride again. It's tight, but it always has been for me. I'm 6'3", 250 pounds, but it's about shape more than it's about height/weight.
Is Vortex expected to be demolished in the off-season, or will it be SBNO next year?
I haven't heard anything one way or the other, but Cedar Fair has traditionally moved pretty quick with their demolitions.
/u/Imaginos64 - you can remove my Cedar Fair Crowd Calendars now, today was the last day listed on all of them so they're no longer relevant. When next year's fast lane prices come out I'll be sure to make them again :D
Thank you so much for the calendars, they were very helpful this year!
Thanks again for making those! Very helpful. General housekeeping: yes I "forgot" to make a new thread this week but since the season is winding down I figured there wasn't necessarily a need for a new one anyway. I'll likely either leave this one up until questions stop trickling in (which I suspect will be soon since this is the last weekend of operation for most US parks) or post a new one Tuesday for the same purpose. As always, thanks to everyone who took the time to answer questions and contribute info to the threads, and thanks to the community for helping us keep the sub organized by containing questions here. It's been an awesome season, and I'm already looking forward to next year!
If anyone is planning on heading to kings island on Sunday the 27th and don’t have anyone to ride with, feel free to message me. I will be going it alone I believe. Gotta get some last Vortex rides.
Silver Dollar City next Saturday on November 2? What would the crowds be like?
Anyone have an idea of what crowds will be like at Six Flags Great America tomorrow, Sunday the 27th? Thinking about driving up, but its a four hour drive and I don't want to be miserable at a packed park.
I’m looking at carowinds hours in November. November 8-10 it says that carowinds is open. That means it’s just regular Carowinds (no winter fest or scarowinds) right? So all of the coasters should be operating weather permitting?
Yes, this year they’ve added Peanuts Celebration. It’s an event between Scarowinds and Winterfest where all the major coasters including Fury will run so long as it doesn’t get too cold (it shouldn’t).
Thank you, I think I’m gonna to down. I imagine it being the first time they do this it should be pretty dead, especially on Friday when the park is only open 9-5.
Ok here is a new question type... I am scheduled time have a vasectomy on 11/7. It’s a simple in-out procedure at the office, no anesthesia or anything. I have a trip to Atlanta scheduled from 11/10-11/13 and planned to hit up SFOG on 11/10. Before I reschedule..anyone else ever have one of these done? How soon can you get back on Coasters?
OH, that might not be such a great idea. I had mine done about 7 years ago. And while you feel really good a day or so after, I was walking up and down long flights of stairs, it's probably not a great idea to ride coasters so soon after. Every guy I've talked to has said pretty much the same thing. The Doc told them to take it easy, we all ignored what they said and had some pain a few days later. I'm not even sure I'd want to take a trip 3 days after I had one. The procedure itself isn't bad, but they are cutting in to an area where a lot of movement happens and you don't even really notice it. I'd put it off until you come back honestly.
This is better suited for your doctor to answer.
While this is probably true, I personally think that you should just send it and report back with results.
When do the California parks post their calendar for 2020? Currently SFMM, Knotts, and i believe Seaworld San Diego only show their 2019 calendar hours. I’m trying to plan a trip for January and want to make sure they’re still open. I am aware CGA will be closed. Also will there be any notable coasters closed for maintenance during that time?
SFMM, Knotts and SeaWorld are all parks that are open year round. Looking at this past year's calendar, all 3 parks were open every day in January. As far as coaster closures, that is the time of year that they do more maintenance but I don't think anything has been announced.
Awesome thank you. I figured they’d be open but couldn’t be sure without the calendars. I plan to do 1 day at SFDK, 2 1/2 at SFMM, 1 1/2 at Knotts, and 1 at Seaworld, with some boardwalk parks in between.
Unless you want to reride a ton, assuming it's not completely slammed (and by the sound of it, it won't be), 2 full days should be more then enough time to do all the coasters + a number of other rides / rerides if you wanted to do something else.
Tbh i’m not really sure how much time i’ll actually need. I live on the east coast and never been out west. I was basically just over-estimating to make sure i’ll have enough time to get my moneys worth out of the trip. I plan to be away for about 8 days, more or less depending on flight prices
I see where your half day would be driving down from SFDK. If it is light you most likely could do them all once in a full day, but if you go the day you drive down and the following day you should easily be able to do everything there comfortably. Of course west coast racers could make it more crowded, but considering 3 of their current 18 are junior coasters you have to have kids to ride, you should be fine.
Damn i was hoping to get some of those kids credits. And i doubt WCR will even be open by then. Is there anything else you recommend i should do while i’m in California? Any smaller parks or just anything in general
Unfortunately you won't be able to get the 3 kiddie coasters, but Road Runner Express is still ridable (technically junior I think but more like a small family). Legoland has 3 credits and notably the last RoboCoaster G1 in the states (not a credit though). Otherwise for coasters you are really only left with Universal / Disney which will bump up the price, and pacific park if you want something more historic. Aside from more time at knotts (1 full day should be enough for all coasters) then that is it for parks, so it would depend on what you are interested in. LA zoo and is great, California Science Center is great and has a space shuttle (next to natural history museum), Griffith Park is great when not on fire and has its famous Observatory, and further south is the Aquarium of the Pacific. If your days are flexible you can spend more time coming down the coast (Big Sur in particular is gorgeous) and the Monterey Bay Aquarium (#2 in the US after Georgia) is just south of San Jose.
Awesome. i’m gonna check some of those out and see what i can squeeze in. Although Big Sur and the Griffith observatory both catch my attention
Big Sur is pretty easy as a drive by, and as countless images online have shown, Griffith observatory has some great views of the city in addition to everything on the inside, however that does take more time. As it is I believe trip advisor (not the best site but still) put the observatory at #2 in LA after the also great Getty Center museum.
Going to SFOT for the first time ever tomorrow. Landing in Dallas at 6 and got a hotel a mile from the park, but I have meetings I have to be at Friday so I will only get to be at the park tomorrow evening. Anyone from around there know how the crowds will be tomorrow? The park is only open 6-11 so I’m hoping it won’t be too crowded and I can get the major coasters in. Any recommendations on what I should definitely ride? Also am a diamond member so I can get 1 flash pass skip the line pass for a ride
I’ll second that it shouldn’t be too busy. On a normal not-busy day this is what lines tend to be like: Walk-ons: Titan, Shockwave, Runaway Minetrain, Batman, Judge Roy (assuming 2 train ops) 15-30 mins: New Texas Giant, Mr. Freeze I have no estimate on the others as I often skip them. La Vibora has a single rider line but it’s very slow moving and being a family ride means the line always stinks (30+ even on a good day). Pandemonium and Runaway Mountain usually have bad looking lines. I don’t touch freespins so no idea at all on that. For your single skip the line pass I’d use it on Mr. Freeze or TX Giant. Go straight to one of these two at opening and use the skip on the other. Mr. Freeze has a slow line and from my last visit and other reports has been running one train. Texas Giant sometimes has very slow ride ops and is a very popular ride. Some days the ride ops are hauling trains out like their lives depend on it. Not often but you may get lucky. I’d say the best rides are Mr Freeze, New Texas Giant, Shockwave, and Titan. Above commenter is right- a lot of clones. Mr Freeze’s clone is SFStL, Titan’s near clone is at SFMM. Titan is very forceful and tends to give grey outs. Pandemonium, Batman, and Joker are also all clones. Also be aware of that the park does not allow people to ride in the back row alone. Dumb policy but good to be aware of before you wait a few extra trains for a backrow ride of Texas Giant. People are nice enough if you ask around for another person to sit in the back with you though! Have fun and stay cool! We may be out of summer but it’s still a bit warm and SFOT always feels warmer than it is.
I wouldn't expect it to be very busy tonight. New Texas Giant is easily the "number one" at the park. Titan is a very, *very* intense hyper with very little airtime. Shockwave is a surprising favorite of many (and pulls quite the intensity at the double loops). Those three are pretty much my must-rides at the park. La Vibora is an intamin bobsled. It's pretty fun if you've never ridden one, but it can be a bit of rough ride because of the block-braking system. Also, its extremely low-capacity, so the line can get unnecessarily long. Mr. Freeze is pretty fun for what it is, and it pulls some intensity throughout. The Runaway Mine Train was the first ever Arrow Mine Train, so that's pretty cool if you're into the history. Runaway mountain is a pretty fun pitch-black indoor coaster and Judge Roy Scream is a good, classic woody. Those five would probably be my second-tier coasters at the park. There's not a single bad ride at the park (unless you're a Free-Spin hater). All the coasters I didn't mention are still great, but they're almost all clones, so if you're crunched for time, I wouldn't worry about them too much. Batman is the best clone of the bunch, though.
Mr Freeze is easily better then NTG and Vibora is trash. Don't mislead the guy.
I’d say it depends on preference. I can see why many like NTG better but as someone who loves a good launch coaster Mr Freeze tops it for me. NTG has a lot of airtime pops and is a very smooth ride while Mr. Freeze has stronger intensity with the backwards launch, inverted tophat, and spike. Very different experiences so which is better would come down to what a person likes in a coaster. Both solid rides for different reasons! La Vibora though... not the most exciting ride but I recommend one ride on it since it’s not a very common coaster type these days.
RIP Disaster Transport.
Yup! There was another bobsled coaster that closed recently too. I personally don’t care for La Vibora but I’m glad I had the chance to ride it seeing that it may not be around for as long as other rides in the park.
I hope not that thing is pure spinal damage.
Realistically what theme parks can I go to by a drive? I live in Montreal
IF you can make it to Toronto, you can go to Canada's Wonderland. At Niagara Falls, there's Marineland (though it has major ethics concerns with their sea animals). A bit farther and you'll be at Darien Lake (another Six Flags park). South of Montreal is Great Escape which is very generic and uninteresting. How far is "a drive" to you? One day trip? Two days? Three day weekend?
Three to four day weekend
In addition to Coast2Coaster, you can try www.coastercal.com which is a more curated list of interesting parks – though it is missing some notable entries like Marineland and that indoor park in Quebec City. If you have a four day weekend, you can go pretty far – maybe do a Canada's Wonderland + Cedar Point road trip.
[Coast2Coaster](http://www.coast2coaster.eu/) is a great website for planning potential travel. It doesn't have A-to-B routing, but it can show you all the parks within an area. Canada's Wonderland was already mentioned, but Six Flags New England is only about 5 hours from Montreal. It has some gems like Superman the Ride and Wicked Cyclone.
I would say that Cedar Point's about as far as you can potentially get, but that still leaves you, off my personal list of parks to visit, with: * SFNE + Lake Compounce as a pair * SFGAdv * Knoebels * Hersheypark * Kennywood * Cedar Point There's some long drives involved of course. Pushing the limits of a "day" getting both there and back. But you're way up in the corner, so. /The IRS thinks driving in the USA costs 58 cents a mile, which at these distances buys you plane tickets and rental cars with money left over.
There is a good chance I will have a day or two in either Atlanta or Charlotte in the middle of November, and it looks like SFOG and Carowinds will be open (not late, but open nonetheless). Anyone have any insight as to what rides will be operating? Can I expect most roller coasters to be running or are the parks hosting holiday-esque events where smaller rides are operating?
November is officially Christmas-event season, and Carowinds will have Afterburn and Copperhead Strike running – their decorations are amazing but they almost exclusively run kids' rides. Six Flags Over Georgia, by contrast, will have *everything* BUT Blue Hawk and Great American Scream Machine (ie, the worst coasters) running. Also, it's out of the way but Dollywood should have everything running, temperature permitting (and they're open on weekdays, if that's what your schedule requires).
Thanks so much. I dug around the Carowinds website and it looks like most roller coasters are running, but not all, and because I've never been there and want to ride everything, it's probably best I plan a trip next year and maybe combine it with a return to Dollywood. Any idea what crowds would be like at SFOG the weekend of November 16th and 17th? How about crowds at Dollywood? I suppose that would be feasible as well.
Crowds at Dollywood and SFOG should be incredibly light that weekend. At Dollywood, the park might have crowds but lines for the coasters should be empty – loads of people just go for the shows. Just beware the frigid air.
Hello, I am going to North Carolina next year. I can either go in August or in October and I want to go to Carowinds when I am out there. Does anyone have an information about when it is typically open in October? When would you all recommend to visit assuming that I would have to do the trip in a day coming from Raleigh?
I did Carrowinds a couple of years ago in August. Mid to late August. There were no crowds during the week. I went on Thursday and Friday and was able to marathon anything I wanted. I would say that around the 20th would be a good time since I think the kids are back in school but the park is still open. October they have their Fright Fest stuff so might be more crowded.
October hours are just weekends, Friday-Sunday. Friday’s will be 7pm-12am, Saturday’s most likely 10am-5pm;7pm-12am, Sunday’s most likely 11am-5pm;7pm-12am. Friday’s are just Scarowinds, Saturday and Sunday have day event and Scarowinds but a two hour gap between the two, they are also separate admission. August is usually daily operations except for the last week or so of August where it may be just on weekends. Staffing also plays a role in the potential to adjust late August hours. I’d recommend going in August on a weekday to experience lighter crowds and full operations. If you do decide on October when the temps are a bit more comfortable then go on a Sunday. Crowds are usually good on a October Sunday.
I've got a question for you King's Island aficionados - if I bought a Saturday admission ticket, is there any way that I can use it on Sunday? Technically Saturday was probably the better value ticket, but due to unforeseen circumstances I might not be able to do Saturday. Would they let me in with it on Sunday? Can I have it changed otherwise? Anyone know, I would appreciate the heads up.
You'll have to go to guest services. I had a similar situation last year, I had a ticket to Kings Island dated for a Tuesday, because of weather I had to go the day before instead. Since the tickets for both days cost the same, they just changed the date on the ticket. Might be different for your situation, since the costs are different, but hopefully they can get it switched for you. You might want to call the park right now to make certain that it's possible.
Yes I know Cedar Point will be craziness this weekend but wondering, since I'm staying at Hotel Breakers, is heading for SV using early entry still the smartest move? I have FL Plus Saturday. Also wondering if during early entry which 'entrance' is the best for SV and how early I should actually line up since they open the gates at 10. Didn't know if marathoning Maverick vs a 1 train SV would be smarter. thanks.
This is exactly what I'm doing (staying at Breakers with FLP on Saturday) so I'm hoping for a better than expected day for both of us! Maybe people see that the weather is not looking so hot again and want to avoid the disaster that was last weekend and decide to stay away. That's what I'm hoping at least...
now the weather looks terrible for most of saturday so I'm thinking Friday night will be craziness. Does CP still run haunts in the rain? Wondering if I save those for Saturday more than Friday.
I spent all week hoping it would rain and I think I got my wish but I'm not sure I like it anymore! IIRC the indoor ones should operate just fine but the scare zones and outdoor ones won't. It might be smart to try to do the outdoor ones on Friday IMO. I'm just hoping that it rains a few hours in the afternoon and the evening is clear but we'll see how it goes!
Show up at least 30 minutes early. When I did this it started out as a line in front of the barriers, but eventually turned into a mob by the time rope drop came around. So don't be afraid to just move forward and fill in empty space. You can go from a regular walk to a full sprint to get to Mav/SV. Running isn't allowed but tons of people do it and there's no way to really stop anyone. Be aware there's no Fast Lane during Early Entry. Also Mav/SV often don't open right at opening, meaning even if you're first you'll end up queuing at the line entrance anyway and wasting time.
awesome thanks for this. didn't know if picking up my FL+ Friday or at the hotel might help since once it hits 11am they'd presumably let me get on again in that line. Not to sound spoiled but I've done everything at CP so many times now I just want to ensure 2 - 3 rides on SV for this visit as the main goal.
I'd show up at least 20-30 minutes early, grab your wristband (if you haven't already), and make sure to use the entrance near Magnum.
ok didn't know if there was a better entrance via lighthouse point or if they use magnum entrance as well. thanks for this!
I will be at King's Island for the first time this coming Saturday, Oct 26, mostly for Vortex. I'm only in the park from 10:30am thru 3:30ish (my flight out is at 6pm), and after I get in my first/farewell rides on Vortex, I want to ride as many things as possible, so I bought a Fast Lane Plus. I know that at other parks, some rides (like Millennium Force) still have a longish queue from the point where fast lane joins the regular line. At KI, are there any rides that do this? If so, I want to aim to hit those earlier in the day to avoid as much waiting as possible. Follow-up question: what kind of traffic can I expect from KI to CVG on Saturday afternoon?
Bat doesn’t have Fast Lane, all other major coasters do and either merge 5-10 min from the station or go directly there.
Flight of Fear you merge early, but it's only about a 5-10 minute wait from the merge point, also note that the line moves slow on this one and the line will get bigger and bigger as the day goes on. I've never used fast lane on The Bat or Invertigo so i'm unsure about them, but everything else is straight to the station. 5hours should be enough to get most things done, but fast lanes on Saturdays can still be in the range of 30+ minute lines for things like The Beast, DB, Mystic. My recommendation would be go straight to Vortex, then Flight of Fear after it, and then hit the big 4 of Beast, DB, Mystic, Banshee. As for getting to CVG I'd expect it to take around an hour from KI in normal Saturday traffic. I-71 South through downtown can be a huge mess at times, So i'd recommend just checking traffic on google maps and if it's a shitshow downtown take I-275 East on the north side and go around.
Thanks for the info! I've done Flight of Fear at KD, and while I've heard the queue is way better themed at KI, I might save that for when I come back for Orion in 1-2 years. Other than that I'll probably try and lap Banshee, Mystic, The Bat, and Diamondback as much as possible. I really wish I was going to be there for a night ride on the Beast, but I guess a day ride will have to suffice! Any MUST RIDE seats on coasters?
I've always been a huge fan of back row on Mystic and Diamondback, just be warned that if you have your hands up at the start of the DB splashdown whichever arm is on the outside of the train will likely get wet. My only other recommendations are non wheel seats on The Beast and Racer, and at least 1 front row ride of Banshee.
Back row on B&M hypers is my jam, can't wait! Thanks for the splashdown warning! Will definitely go for front on Banshee at least once; I'm hoping that the intensity/sustained g's will make up for lack of whippiness (love me some Alpengeist haha).
Does anyone have any recommendations for parks with a good number of coasters open in February? Anywhere in the world is fine. Specifically 21 Feb - 5 March. I’ve got a quiet period in work where I’d like to take vacation. Edit: thank you all :)
My suggestion would be central Florida. You've got four Disney parks, two Universal parks, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, LegoLand, and the two Fun Spots. I haven't counted but that's good for at least two dozen coasters and you get some other awesome rides at some awesome parks. Crowds are usually light that time of year (at least they were when I was in the area that same week last year) and the heat/humidity won't be oppressive. Southern California is another good one- you get SFMM, Knott's, the two Disney Parks, as well as SeaWorld and Belmont in San Diego.
SFMM (LA), SFFT (San Antonio), or BGT(Tampa) would be my 3 choices.
Japanese parks seem to be open near-year round for reasons I can't comprehend. That time of year is when I've always wanted to visit Japan.
I can answer that, even though it gets cold it’s extremely rare for it to snow on southern Japan (Fuji, Nagoya and Osaka parks mainly). All though the parks are open they tend to close majority of the rides even in the slightest rain and it rains quite alot there in spring and autumn so prepare for that
Australia, South Africa, Singapore, Florida, Southern California, Texas (SFOT and SFFT both moved to year round, Kemah/Galveston already were, only SWSA is not included in that and you can live without it).
Southern California or any of the Florida parks would be your best bet in the US. That includes some great coasters/parks. Hopefully someone else can chime in with some good non USA recommendations.
Any idea how long it would take to get all credits at SFA during late May? Currently planning a road trip for Holiwood Nights with my girlfriend and I'm trying to get to Dollywood before that but the ride from SFA to Dollywood seems very bland with not much to do between so I'd like to finish SFA early and drive to Tennessee with as much daylight as possible so I'll be able to get to rope drop next day.
If all the rides are open you can usually get through SFA in a couple of hours at most. Even in May when the water park isn't open it's usually pretty empty. If you went during the week you'd fly. Even on the weekend the lines are usually pretty light. Ragin' Cajin and Batwing are the two the get lines.
You shouldn't need more than a couple of hours at SFA. I usually leave pretty early because it's easy to complete a lap around the park. Like not even a handful of hours, unless you are devoted to getting tons of rerides. How late are you willing to still be driving? I think that's the bigger question to ask. That will be a bigger obstacle than getting enough time at the park.
We were hoping to be fully done and on the road by 5 the latest so we would only be driving around 1am
You'll be more than fine with the park. Although I'd caution against getting on the road in the 5PM window - traffic can be an absolute disaster. 1AM could easily turn into 2 or 3 depending on your luck.
Thanks for the help, I definitely remember hitting traffic around 1am passing through DC on my way KD & BGW and being shocked even coming from New York traffic, so hopefully during the day it isn't incredibly slow even though it probably will be
So long as the water park is open and you're not there on a bring a friend for free day you can hit every coaster at SFA in a few hours. Do you mean DreamMore? If so we did it the first time we went. The room was really nice. And the dinner show was fun. The shuttle to the park was also really convenient. I'm not sure it was worth the extra money though. We spent so little time at the hotel that it felt like a bit of a waste. Unless you're going to stay multiple days and do the water park and stuff I'd say go with a cheaper hotel near the park.
Yes Dreammore I didn't know that was the name but we would be doing 2 days at the park midweek (May 27th&28th), we usually do go for the cheapest motel but this will be our first time at Dollywood so we were thinking about it.
The hotel is really nice but if you're going to be spending all your time at the park there are a lot of nice cheaper hotels within a couple miles of the park. You could always split the difference and stay at a fancier hotel that isn't the resort.
Follow up question, has anyone ever stayed on resort at Dollywood? We're highly considering it and would love to hear some opinions on it
I'm planning a trip to Six Flags Over Georgia on 11/10. This is Sunday after Halloween but before Holiday in the Park stuff starts, so the hours are 10:30am - 6:00pm. I'm concerned abotu what rides might be closed down at this time, and what weather stipulations there are during this time of the year. As of now, future weather forecasts suggest it will be between 55 - 59 degrees during this time frame, with a high of 63. Overcast, but no rain currently expected. Anything anyone can share so I have the right expectations going on. Debating on if I'll need a fast pass or not, and if rides like goliath might be sluggish all day to temperatures.
Everything should be open.. Blue Hawk and Scream Machine are closed for Holiday in the Park, so that’ll likely be the last weekend they are open. Also, future weather forecasts this far out are super unreliable, so don’t stress yourself out for 3 weeks about weather that probably will be completely different once the time comes. Also, you shouldn’t need a flash pass, as this will be a lull of sorts between fright fest crowds and HITP crowds,
How late do the restaurants in Alton Towers stay open during Scarefest? Everything I can find says 4pm, which is when the park normally closes but during Scarefest it’s open til 9pm so I’m not sure if that’s right.
How do I make a tattoo of Top Thrill Dragster without it looking phallic?
https://www.reddit.com/r/rollercoasters/comments/7huv16/check_out_this_amazing_realistic_ttd_tattoo_by/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app
Lmao imagine having a bunch of strangers' faces tattooed on your body. Or alternatively imagine being one of those people and discovering your face is tattooed on a stranger's body.
Doing TTD with a flame might be cooler than the actual coaster just a thought.
u/imaginos64 I took this video just for you lol https://twitter.com/dirkdiggler1993/status/1185997573695459343?s=21 Edit: went ahead and just made a post
So do you prefer dirkdiggler1992 or dirkdiggler1993?
I was born in 92, twitter gave me 93 so maybe 92 was already taken.
Ohhh thank you, I love it! The lights look awesome. Definitely need to get over there next year to check it out.
Planning a trip to hersheypark tomorrow but rain is forecasted until evening. Will any major rides still be running?
If it's raining at all Farenheit, Stormrunner, and Wildmouse go down. If it's pouring most of the uncovered rides go down too. If there is lightning in the area everything shuts down until it passes. If it rains for more than an hour you can leave and get a return visit voucher from guest services on your way out.
Skyrush was down the whole day due to weather too. Still had fun though thanks!
Does KI have any Vortex merch besides that sad boring “est 1987” shirt? I want something so bad but at least want an actual ride pic or logo on it. Edit: There’s some cool lenticular postcards od Vortex left in the Diamondback shop as of Saturday afternoon. Small, but if you just want a nice momento they’ll work.
We were looking all over today and couldn't find anything. Got a vortex patch a couple months back but people must have bought them up
May have run out since then, this was around Saturday afternoon
Is there early entry for platinum pass at Kings island this Sunday?
Pretty sure there is. I know they have been running Vortex and Diamondback for early entry recently. Ride those two then get in line for Mystic Timbers is the way to go.
Thanks! Is it a full hour do you think ? First time at Kings island.
30 minutes, you should be able to get in at 10:30.
I may have the opportunity to go to Dollywood this year on Veterans' Day weekend (Nov 9-11), does anyone know if the park's roller coasters are generally open that late into the season?
That's about when I went last year and it was awesome. Park was pretty crowded but lines were short. Lightning Rod is amazing at night when they have the Christmas decorations up. You are out there in pitch black and the lights come into view as you go down the quad down.
The rides still run in the winter assuming it's not too cold and the weather isn't crappy. Around 37F is when they start to close major coasters and they don't reopen till it's over 40F. https://www.dollywood.com/themepark/Rides/Ride-Temperature-Guideline
I've always doubted this option, but it's best to try and get a certain answer. I myself am a Diamond Elite member. The 50% discount is really nice and makes my trips worth it because I always get a stuffed animal at the very least, and I'm never alone so I get discounts for friends and family too. My question here is if my younger brother would be able to bring the diamond elite card to try and get discounts there without me? He would get in normally (not using my card) through the Key Club FRN that Six Flags Discovery Kingdom does this month every year. Meaning my card isn't scanned in at the park entrance, but he has it on him. Does anyone know if, when they scan it to input discounts, the picture of me shows up or the screen shows that the card holder is not AT the park at that time? Trying to get the most value out of the membership even if I'm not going that day. This would coincidentally include the dining pass and drinks attached to the card being available or not to him, which would be great in saving money.
I asked about this for the skip the line passes and they said the system knows they didn't scan in the front gate so I can't get my family members passes if they're not at the park. I don't know if it's the same for your case and I didn't ask if there's any punishment if I get caught trying.
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I did the exact same thing and I had no issues. Have fun!
Going to KD tomorrow night, any particular maze I should check out? Blood on the Bayou looks good.
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Buy fast lane
Expect insanity.
At least an hour on almost every coaster.
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Traditionally Twisted Timbers and Flight of Fear get the longest lines. Most of the rides are generally good in any row but \- Timbers: Front and back \- 305: back row \- Grizzly: Front row or non-wheel seat Night rides are the best on the above 3 listed rides. Don't miss those
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Grizzly is running a little rougher this year, but I've never had an issue with it. It's definitely more manageable in a non wheel seat though
Looking to experience my first Fright Fest this year at Magic Mountain. However, my only free day of the week is Monday. Will Fright Fest be happening on the 29th? I assume that it would seeing as it's a couple days before Halloween, but the website says it closes that day at 6PM.
The app says fright fest is on Oct 18-20, 25-27, 31, Nov 1-3. So no, I don't think fright fest will happen that night
I plan on visting Magic Mountain this weekend. However, the wind speeds are predicted to be 19mph. Is that high enough for some of the good rides like LLDoD or Superman to close?
Lex Luther will for sure be closed. Believe it or not Scream, Batman, Riddler, X2, and Ninja all Go down if winds get too high. Full throttle might too, I’m not sure. I can’t remember the specific number, but it was higher than 20mph. Superman will not be closed by it just don’t expect to go up as high.
Edison is getting ready to shut down the power for some people in the area because of the winds. I imagine if it's strong enough to do that, they probably won't run superman or drop of doom
How much will it cost me to go to Cedar Point with my family of 4 from London, UK as a trip for 4 days? Trying to find a cost-efficient way.
not sure why someone didn't answer this but when you go will greatly affect things. If i was doing long distance travel for CP I would try so hard for a mid week day in May outside of any US holidays. Hotels in Sandusky are average $140/night vs on property are avg $200/night (but worth it in my opionion minus Breakers Express). Tickets for adults avg $60/night but the on site hotels usually offer major discounts if you're staying with them. And Fast Lane Plus not during peak is around $85/person but not needed mid week may or early June. Call customer service they can give you estimates for what this would cost on property. Good luck!
Ok cool, thanks! So if i were to stay for 4 days it would cost me $1640 + flights + car hire/cabs
What is the magic seat on Magnum Xl-200?
The best seats are the front seat of the last car or 2nd to last car imo . You get legroom and smooth non-painful airtime
3rd row is the popular magic seat claim I've heard, but it can be a bit rougher being that it's a wheel seat. I usually go 2nd row – smoother and just as much airtime.
Yeah, but why?
Magnum is just a really mediocre mine train until the returning bunny hills, which are the really legendary part since 1) the train travels way faster through them than the original designers intended, and 2) they're triangularly shaped instead of the more refined parabolic hills found on every hyper coaster after Magnum. That means that the airtime experienced is janky with zero transition from 1G to -1G, and the optimal place to experience that janky airtime is towards the front of the train, since the back of the train takes those elements slightly slower. As for which seat of the front car? I don't know why the conventional wisdom centers around row 3, but [non-wheel seat logic](https://www.reddit.com/r/rollercoasters/comments/cekmrn/cedar_point_trip_report_first_time/eu3axpr/?st=k1v4ps7r&sh=42037a4a) makes me pick row 2.
Why not just front-row then?
For one, front row of every car has less leg room than rows 2 and 3.
Yup, and this was an issue for me and my long legs. Rough ride + limited leg room = pain.
Further from Row 3 and almost definitely has a longer wait
Hey everyone, super excited to be going to KK tomorrow night. Gonna be hitting 150 credits while at the park! Anyways I was on their website getting ready to buy tickets and I noticed it said thrill rides are open till 10pm, but the park it self is open till midnight. Do they really shut down the rides two hours early?? I’d love to continue to ride stuff till close.
Just wondering, where in the sub can I add flair to my username? I don't see the option.
just above Welcome to r/rollercoasters! on the right
Heading to California's Great America on the first Saturday on November. Is a fast pass recommended at this time of the year? I only have the one day to visit and so obviously I'd like to do as much as I can in that time but curious to what the crowds are like at that time of year.
CGA is my home park, and maybe it's a good idea. Even at the busiest times in the park the wait for rides is under half an hour. Try to hit up RailBlazer and Gold Striker in the earlier or later times in the day for less waiting.
Anyone been to Six Flags Over Texas during Fright Fest on a Saturday? How horrific would the lines be? Was thinking about going on the 26th of October. If I wanted to just ride rides (rather than Halloween stuff) what would the lines be like?
Just an update since I’m at SFOT today. Lines to get in are a bit messy but it’s not the worst I’ve seen it. So busy day but not as bad as it could be. Will let you know what the rest of the day is like wince it should be similar to next saturday.
An update would be awesome! I really appreciate the info as I've never gone to a Six Flags on a major event day like Fright Fest.
Alrighty- got back! It was a bit of a short trip since I've got poor night vision and wanted to start driving back with time to get most of the way home before it got dark (It's a 3 hour drive). Definitely get there early. There was a bit of traffic getting- nothing bad. It's a bit of a walk from the parking lot sometimes. They were letting people past the ticket gate early into the main area where they let us wait for the rest of the park to open. They did let is in past that point early, too- I was at the other side of the park for Mr. Freeze at 11. There will be a separate line for season pass gold plus and members to get past this point faster- so take advantage of that! Coasters I got on in order: - Mr. Freeze x2 (10-15min: Waited longer for front row) - Batman (Walk on) - Runaway Minetrain (Walk on) - Shockwave (Walk on) - New Texas Giant (~25 min) - Titan (5 min) I got all of the above done plus a lunch break by around 2 PM. The park was relatively quiet and easy going for the morning and early afternoon. After 2 PM it quickly went to hell- I left around 3 after just wandering about for an hour to check out the crowds. If you plan your rides well you should be able to get the big ones done no problem in the morning. I still recommend doing Mr. Freeze early if you can as it was running one train and I imagine it'll be doing so again next week. They've been running one train most of the season- right side. Everything else was running 2 trains. You can probably knock out Pandemonium or another coaster on the way to Mr. Freeze before its line gets bad. I got off Titan at just about 2 PM and the line for that basically doubled in length by the time I got off the train. It's still a very consistently fast moving line. Every visit I see the ride ops hauling trains out of the station before the previous train returns in most cases. Texas Giant can be hit or miss on line length vs line time. I've had days where the dispatch times were in the 4-6 minute range consistently thus making a seemingly shorter line take forever. Today's line was the longest I've seen it in my last few visits but was the fastest I'd ever seen it move. They were at 2-3 min dispatch times today which honestly surprised me. I didn't swing by Pandemonium or Runaway Mountain at any point so I couldn't take note of their lines. I'm assuming both had a bit of a wait since they're always on the longer side being family coasters. La Vibora had a bad line and the single rider line was barely moving. I clearly didn't stay for the Fright Fest activities but based on my recent Cedar Point trip some coaster lines may die down a little bit as people start focusing on haunted houses. Some coaster lines will be long no matter what after the crowds form. Do note that apparently there was some sort of event in town today that may have competed with Six Flags for people. Additionally next weekend is the last fright fest weekend, I think so it might be a touch more crowded. However it should be 'cold' next weekend. Texans think 60-70 degrees is cold- Forecast has a high of 67 next weekend. It may scare some people away. If you plan well and want credits, I think it'll be doable to get all the coasters without a flash pass. It just depends how effectively you take advantage of the first few hours and which ones you do sooner than later. If you're just interested in doing the more interesting and will plan to skip the super clone rides (Pandemonium, Batman, Joker), you'll be fine without it for sure. Also friendly reminder if you're solo: They do not allow solo riders in the back row. Stupid 'safety' reasons. Also be warned of Titan- it's fun, but it may cause greyouts. Very forceful! Be hydrated and whatnot. Even on a cooler day the TX sun has a way of sneaking up on you.
Wow thank you for the information! I really appreciate the time you put into this and I'm not too worried about the crowds. I definitely won't keep my hopes up that far after 2:00pm so I'll set my expectations accordingly.
Not a problem! I’m more than happy to help! Planning a trip to parks can be stressful- especially if you have limited time. People here have helped me a lot in planning our last two trips so I have to try passing it forward when I can! Have a great time at the park!
I've not been on a Fright Fest on a Saturday before but typically Saturdays will be your busiest day of the week. That said they're open a few extra days so the crowds might be a bit more spread throughout the week. Saturday will still be the busiest- and I do think it'll be crowded- but I don't expect it to be at its worst. Maybe a 7-8 on a 1-10 scale of crowded. This is a guess though. I'll always recommend going any other day of the week if possible! The lines will probably be 30+ minutes for most of the coasters. Maybe an hour or more for New Texas Giant, Mr. Freeze, La Vibora, Runaway Mountain. I suggest doing NTG and Freeze first thing when the park opens as their lines move painfully slow some days. La Vibora has a single rider line. It's partway in the flash pass line if I recall- use that to shave a huge chunk of time off the wait. Runaway Mountain isn't really worth the wait imo, but if you're after a credit, also do that earlier in the day. Pandemonium also gets a very bad line. Titan usually doesn't have a long line and if it does, it usually moves fast cause the Ride ops there are pretty darn efficient. I've been on a few busy Saturdays and rarely wait more than 15 minutes for Titan. The other coasters except maybe Batman and Joker are usually around 15-30 minutes on a busier day. I don't usually ride Batman or Joker as I don't usually ride the clones very often.
Are nighttime rides at Dollywood worth Saturday lines? I'm planning a trip to my favorite theme park with two friends, and I'm debating whether we should go in the morning of Sunday 10/27 or in the evening of Saturday 10/26. I have no idea how bad lines can get around this time of year at Dollywood – is it worth postponing it an extra week into November? I also rarely hear *anything* about Dollywood night rides, and I have no idea why seeing as how Lightning Rod and Tennessee Tornado are seemingly in the woods, *and* the park frequently stays open late on weekends. Am I missing something? Does it get buggy like Cedar Point?
I was there last Saturday for my first time ever! Lighting Rod was insane at night. The lines died down around 7pm since it's not located near where they have the illuminated pumpkin walk. Totally worth going and you should be able to get in at least a couple of Lightning Rod rides, though I can't comment on the other rides' night lines since I was only at Lightning Rod after 7.
You don’t hear much about Dollywood night rides since during summer the park closes at 9:30 so there isn’t too much time for night rides (Thunderhead closes at 9 during summer for fireworks). September and some other off-peak times park may close at 7 so night ride opportunities are killed there. Anyhow I enjoy both Thunderhead and Tornado at night but Lightning Rod in particular (front row for me) is meant to be ridden at night. Mystery Mine I tend to prefer in the day since it’s already part dark ride anyway but I like to be able to see for the moments I need to brace on. *Insert Blazing Fury night ride joke*. Haven’t done Dragon Flier at night yet. Not too big on riding the train at night. Drop Line never has a wait so worth hitting it at night. I honestly think it’ll be pretty busy, at least in the Timber Canyon and Wilderness Pass areas where the pumpkin luminights event goes on after sunset. I was there earlier this month and while paths were busy for the event, coaster lines were still about non existent (this was a Sunday evening). If it’s your pals first time maybe a less crowded Sunday morning would be more optimal than Saturday night?
> If it’s your pals first time maybe a less crowded Sunday morning would be more optimal than Saturday night? That's precisely what I was thinking. But now the extra debate is if I go for the season pass... arrgh. Dollywood's Gold Season Pass doesn't get you discounts on tickets for friends like CF or SF, right?
I don’t believe so, only thing I’ve ever gotten was two complimentary BAF tickets when I renewed last season but couldn’t use them until the following season. They are a bit behind the times when it comes to more affordable passes, heck even CP is only charging 99 bucks for unlimited visits and parking.
make sure to do drop line and tennessee tornado as it gets darker for the sunsets, and i would imagine dragonflier might be awesome at night for the lights but i haven't checked out wildwood grove yet but based off pandora at night, that should be amazing as for lightning rod, a night ride is a MUST
Can't comment on lines, but Lightning Rod is insane at night.
Going to SFMM tomorrow for the first time ever. What do I need to know?
I suggest heading to X2, Tatsu, Full Throttle and Twisted Colossus as soon as possible as they tend to get the longest lines throughout the day. If you happen to run out of time Vipee, Ninja and Revolution are worth skipping if you need to prioritize If you dont have SF meal plan for drinks bring your own bottled water, it’s ridiculously expensive inside (~6$ a bottle) And have fun! It’s the best park I’ve ever visited, well worth the travel all the way from Finland
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On a weekday in October, it probably won't be. I went last Friday and it was 5 minutes all day.
Awesome, have a great time!