HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: aq009@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (David A. Johnson)
Newsgroups: rec.roller-coaster
Subject: Six Flags Policies (was Re: Coaster Names)
Date: 14 Oct 1992 04:48:48 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Reply-To: aq009@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (David A. Johnson)
NNTP-Posting-Host: hela.ins.cwru.edu


In a previous article, mac18@po.CWRU.Edu (Michael A. Cornell) says:

>Well if SF is owned by WBros, yeah I shoulda know that, then they
>should just go right ahead and do what's right.  I mean they
>obviously have THE BEST parks in the country.  I mean King's
>parks PALE in comparison.

I'm detecting some sarcasm here, so let me pile on my opinions too!

Relating to your article on seat selection, one thing I really like about
Kings Island is that you can always choose your seat on any of their
(full-size, at least) roller coasters.  Sometimes, on busy days, they'll
place a ride attendant at the end of the line for the Beast to do "soft"
seat assignments; but if you want a particular seat, they'll let you go
to that one with no hassle.  (Curiously, Kings Dominion doesn't allow
seat selection on the Rebel Yell; this really annoyed me--anyone know why
they have this policy?)

The layout of Kings Island is also quite convenient, too--much more so
than Six Flags Great America.  I haven't visited any other SF parks
recently enough to give my opinion on any others, though.

And very important in my eyes is the fact that all of Kings Island's
full-size coasters have a certain spirit about them that is lacking in
just about every other theme park I've been to...

The Vortex is one of the greatest megaloopers around (much better than the
Shockwave at Great America, IMHO);

The Racer is loads of fun, a great "classic" style ride, quite photogenic,
and they run one side backwards for an original twist (they've been doing
it for a long time, remember);

The King Cobra was the first stand-up coaster in the world (though I admit
it's not quite as impressive today as it used to be--it's still popular,
though);

The Beast (nothing else like it anywhere; what else can be said?);

The Beastie (it's a PTC junior woodie--and painted blue!);

And Adventure Express--every time I ride it, it's more impressive.  If you
want lateral G's, ride this thing in the back seat!  Put your arms up and
you'll be dangling over the side of the car.  A pretty rippin' ride,
especially for the generally tame mine ride genre.


(I've never ridden the Scooby Zoom--sorry.)  :-)


I really think Kings Island is one of the coolest theme parks around. 
Their policies are generally rider-friendly, and their rides are overall a
bit wilder than typical "theme-park" fare.

Let's hope their new ride lives up to their record.
-- 
_________________         David "Buddy" Johnson         _________________
      "I'm       \     aq009@cleveland.freenet.edu     /   ...no one
   looking for    \       "The Beast is always        /  seems to have." 
    something...   \       lurking in ambush."       /     -Mudhoney
From: betsey@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Elizabeth Fike)
Newsgroups: rec.roller-coaster
Subject: Re: Unique Amusement Rides (old ones)
Date: 13 Oct 92 21:36:06 GMT
Reply-To: betsey@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Elizabeth Fike)
Organization: Columbia University

In article <1992Oct13.203216.3388@sei.cmu.edu> mapike@sei.cmu.edu (Mary Ann Pike) writes:
>2) Suspended sailplane ride - you could move the rudder to make the plane
>   go in and out (or dive and rise, depending on how you look at it). 
>   The only other one I've seen is at King's Island.

Geauga Lake had one of these, but they took it out many moons ago
(when they were building the Wave, and the other lakefront stuff,
maybe?  I was not all that old at the time...)
>
>3) Caterpillar - complete circle of cars with a cover that came over the
>   entire train during the ride, with a blower at one point underneath. I
>   don't know of any of these still operating, and West View had actually
>   removed theirs before they closed.

Geauga Lake actually had 2 or 3 of these, but they took the
covers off a long time ago.  I don't even know if the rides
themselves are still there.  I haven't been to Geauga Lake in
about 8 years.

>Also, I have never seen anything like Kennywood's Kangaroo anywhere else.
>Is this a unique ride? What other old rides are coming close to extinction?

Describe it!  What does it look like, what does it do?  I'm sure
I'm not the only one here who has never been to Kennywood (a
shame, I know, for someone who grew up in Cleveland.  At least my
family went to Cedar Point, Geauga Lake, and Kings Island fairly frequently)


betsey


*******************************************************************************
Betsey Fike <betsey@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu>
CC '94/SEAS '94, Computer Science/Electrical Engineering
From: buck@cavlry.enet.dec.com
Newsgroups: rec.roller-coaster
Subject: HallowScream (was: Wild One Mania?)
Keywords: wild one maryland
Date: 9 Oct 92 21:16:05 GMT
Article-I.D.: engage.1992Oct9.211605.2537
Reply-To: buck@cavlry.enet.dec.com ()
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation

In response to Ken Dayton's original question
on the Fall Event at Wild World in Largo, MD:


>Anyone have more details on the Wild One Mania in Maryland?  

Here's the scam...

DATE:  Saturday, Oct 24th

TIME:  3:30 - 5:00 -- Registration at Park
       
       4:00 - 10pm -- HallowScream Event

COST:  $10.00 to any Club member (ACE, WNYCC, MACC, NAPHA) 
	*with* Club ID.

INFO:  Wild World -- 301.249.1500

	The park is closed for the season, but as with the 
	Phall Phun Phest at Knoebels, select rides will be
	in operation, including -- a Haunted Train, Haunted
	Hayride, Addams Family Fun House, and the WILD ONE
	roller coaster.  There will also be a Trick or Treat
	trail, a Witch burning, and Misc Halloween shows,
	Food, Games, etc.

	As with the Phall Phun Phest, Costumes are suggested.

DIRECTIONS:

	Largo, MD
	Exit 15A off I-95
Newsgroups: rec.roller-coaster
From: geoff@pmafire.inel.gov (Geoff Allen)
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 92 14:14:49 GMT
Organization: Roller Coaster fanatic with no hope for a cure
Subject: Re: A simulated coaster ride
Summary: 
Followup-To: 
Organization: Roller Coaster fanatic with no hope for a cure
Keywords: 

"Christopher E. Hagen" <cehagen@nectarine.ucs.indiana.edu> writes:
>mac18@po.CWRU.Edu (Michael A. Cornell) writes:
>
>>Geoff...
>>	One question...is there ROOM in Disney World for Mt Fiji?
>>Ever since they put in Mickey's Starland (why,oh why?) there isn't
>>much room left to put ANYTHING...let alone an entire MOUNTAIN.
>>They only thing they cold do is build across the RR tracks, and
>>for some reason, i don't see that happening.
>
>  err....  I thought Mt. Fiji was going to be in Epcot????

Right.  The rumor is that Mt. Fuji would be a roller coaster built at
the Japan pavillion in EPCOT Center.  The alternative rumor is that the
Matterhorn would be built at the Switzerland pavillion.

The really interesting rumor is of a ``Boardwalk'' theme park to be
built at Walt Disney World, which would include a wooden roller coaster,
essential to any boardwalk from the 1920s.

T'would be nice!

Geoff ``Disney fanatic'' Allen

-- 
Geoff Allen          \  Disneyland is going to be a place where you can't
uunet!pmafire!geoff   \  get lost or tired unless you want to.
geoff@pmafire.inel.gov \                    -- Walt Disney, 1953
Newsgroups: rec.roller-coaster
Newsgroups: rec.roller-coaster
From: Thorsten_Kitz@mk.maus.de (Thorsten Kitz)
Subject: Re: Kings Island vs. Cedar Poi
Organization: Mausnet
X-Gateway: MausGate/Mail 1.14
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 10:33:00 +0000

Hey Geoff,

Geoff Allen wrote on Friday 09th of October 1992 15:06 in rec.roller-coaster:

GA> Guten Tag, Thorsten!  Ich hab' ein bisschen Deutsch, aber ich wird auf
GA> English schreiben, weil ich hab' *nur* ein bisschen Deutsch. ;^)

Not bad, at least better than my English :-)

GA> Yeah, but as a German coaster enthusiast, you have access to all those
GA> wonderful creations of Herr Schwarzkopf that we Amerikaners only dream
GA> about, like the Thriller and the Olympia Looping.....

Do you have more information, where the coasters are located ? I have nearly
no information about German coasters, except the ones I have ridden (not too
many): The 3 coasters in Phantasialand (Phantasyland), which are 1 mine ride,
and one, which is a bit like Matterhorn, but no bobsled and the newest one,
which is called Space Center (like Space Mountain in the Disney Areas). One
corkscrew coaster in Fort Fun and one steal coaster in another theme park,
which name I don't remember. But I think, there was no Schwarzkopf (is he
German, too ?) coaster, I have ridden in Germany.

Bye for now,

Thorsten.
From: bchoplic@pixmap.seas.upenn.edu (Brian Choplick)
Newsgroups: rec.roller-coaster
Subject: Re: A simulated coaster ride
Date: 7 Oct 92 04:05:18 GMT
Organization: University of Pennsylvania

In article <1992Oct6.200511.11142@sei.cmu.edu> mapike@sei.cmu.edu (Mary Ann Pike) writes:
>While at the mall the other day, I noticed that they had one of those
>simulators that looks like a miniature version of a shuttle from Star Trek.
>They were running a simulation of the Beast, but, unfortunately, I didn't
>have the time to try it out (we were late for my neices' birthday party).

I saw one of these at a local fair (in Bloomsburg, PA) last September, if I
can picture what you are describing. It was basically a white box with some 
sort of hydraulic legs that could accomodate around six passengers. You 
entered from one side, where there were double doors that opened outward. 
After paying around $3 or $4, you could take a ride on it.

>I was wondering if anyone had tried this particular simulation out, and 
>how it compared to actually riding the roller coaster. I've never been in
>a simulator like this. I've been in those 360-vision things, but you don't
>have any motion to match your visual input, so I find them very unpleasant.
>This simulator actually moves, so it might be more like the experiencing
>the event for real.

I paid the bucks to ride this contraption, and it's definitely sub-par. I 
don't know if you ever ridden a quality simulator like those the Disney parks 
or Busch Gardens, but this was the lowest common denominator of those.

First, the screen where you were supposed to be viewing the "action" is very
small, especially in comparison to the big league simulators, where the screen
dominates your whole visual field. 
Second, the motion is very abrupt and artificial. Basically, there's three 
positions: 1) uphill 2) straightaway and 3) downhill. I guess you can imagine
that you don't get much of a the feeling of a real roller coaster.
A nice, but cheesy, special effect was some air that was blown through vents,
to simulate the wind.  

I do have one positive point: They do show some pretty nice POV footage of a
ride on The Beast. I don't know how rare such footage is to come by, but if 
you're into that sort of thing, you might want to check it out, just for that.
Otherwise, seek out a real simulator. Some of the new ones are really nice.
(Though I don't know of any with roller coaster themes :-(... maybe somebody
else can help us on that one)

>If people seem to favorably compare it to the real thing, I'll make sure to
>try it out next time I see it.

Well, that's my $.02.

>Mary Ann Pike   (mapike@sei.cmu.edu)    
>Software Engineering Institute          
>Carnegie-Mellon University              
>Pittsburgh PA                                   


Brian (bchoplic@ENIAC.seas.upenn.edu)
Mechanical Engineering 1995
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
From: pab@po.CWRU.Edu (Pete Babic)
Newsgroups: rec.roller-coaster
Subject: Re: Walt Disney World coming attractions
Date: 12 Oct 1992 18:20:18 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Reply-To: pab@po.CWRU.Edu (Pete Babic)
NNTP-Posting-Host: slc5.ins.cwru.edu


In a previous article, geoff@pmafire.inel.gov (Geoff Allen) says:

>This info comes to you hot from rec.arts.disney.
>
>p.s. The ``Tower of Terror'' is the 13-story free fall that Disney is
>     building.
>

Just wondering, is the Disney free fall an Intamin Free Fall or is it 
a different mechanism?

-- 
Pete Babic  -  pab@po.cwru.edu          ///
LIVE TO PARTY, SKI TO DIE!!!           ///  /\
Member of A.C.E                  \\\  ///  /--\MIGA  
(American Coaster Enthusiasts)    \\\/// MS-DOS or a Mac? What's that?
From: aweir@ttd.teradyne.com (Alan Weir)
Newsgroups: rec.roller-coaster
Subject: 2nd BATMAN!! - was Re: SHOCKWVAE heads south!
Date: 12 Oct 92 13:56:23 GMT
Organization: Teradyne Inc., Telecommunications Division

In article <1b4t9nINNq3g@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu>, mac18@po.CWRU.Edu (Michael A. Cornell) writes:
> 
> GREAT! I'M GLAD TO HEAR IT!
> I hated that ride...seemed like a waste of metal after riding the
> Shockwave at KD.  The only question NOW is, what are they gonna
> put in its place.  <stuff deleted>

This weekend our local paper the "Waukegan News-Sun" (Waukegan is 4
miles from SFGA Gurnee,IL) had in interview with the head honcho (forgot
his name) from Time-Warner. He was in town to congratulate SFGA on a 
record year. Along the way he attributed some of the success to the
BATMAN ride and said that a second copy had been order and was to
be installed in SFGA NJ!!

	BTW on real slow days ( wet, cold etc ) they let you choose
your own seat on the BATMAN ride. So far the shortest wait I've had for
the front row is 25 minutes - it's worth putting a coat on for ;-)

	Alan 
Newsgroups: rec.roller-coaster
From: "Christopher E. Hagen" <cehagen@nectarine.ucs.indiana.edu>
Subject: Re: A simulated coaster ride
Organization: Computer Science, Indiana University
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 00:49:32 -0500

mac18@po.CWRU.Edu (Michael A. Cornell) writes:


>Geoff...
>	One question...is there ROOM in Disney World for Mt Fiji?
>Ever since they put in Mickey's Starland (why,oh why?) there isn't
>much room left to put ANYTHING...let alone an entire MOUNTAIN.
>They only thing they cold do is build across the RR tracks, and
>for some reason, i don't see that happening.


  err....  I thought Mt. Fiji was going to be in Epcot????


-chris
-- 
* Chris Hagen   "<risco"  *MAIL ME ANYTIME!*         cehagen@ucs.indiana.edu *
* 409 E. 16th St.       The love you take is equal to the love you make      *
* Bloomington, IN  47408                               (812) 334-3098        *
From: rhino@cruzio.santa-cruz.ca.us
Newsgroups: rec.roller-coaster
Subject: New for 93 at the Beach/Boardwalk
Keywords: SCBB.  Chance Wipe-out.
Date: 8 Oct 92 16:40:47 GMT
Reply-To: rhino@cruzio.santa-cruz.ca.us


    Just got word yesterday that the SCBB will be replacing the Auto
Scooters (the older set of bumper cars down by the Dipper) with a Chance
Wipe-out.  I was told that it will ship in about 30 days and should be up
in about 120.  I don't have any more info on it, but I think that we'll
keep the name as if really fits the "ocean" theme that we have.

Hope this proves intresting...
Jim Jensen
rhino@cruzio.santa-cruz.ca.us
Newsgroups: rec.roller-coaster
From: maglione@media.mit.edu (Tom Maglione)
Subject: Re: Six Flags Policies (was Re: Coaster Names)
Summary: Reasons for not allowing seat choices.
Organization: MIT Media Laboratory
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 23:44:12 GMT

In article <1bhr1bINNcfj@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu> mac18@po.CWRU.Edu (Michael A. Cornell) writes:
> (some stuff deleted)
>As for KD not letting you ride the Rebel Yell in whatever seat you
>want, I think they don't have the room for it.  There's no room
>in the station.  It's been a while since I've been to KI so correct
>me if I'm wrong, but I think the Racer has a bit more room in the 
>station.
>The problem I have with Six flags is, these are NEW coasters, and
>they insist on makeing stations which do not allow you to sit 
>where you want.

Hey Michael,
	I basically agree with you about the lack of room in the
station for the Rebel Yell, but I think there may be more behind
the scenes. Recall that many new coasters feature individual cattle
gates which automatically open and close in front of each seating
position on the train, under operator control. This type of mechanism
allows better control by the operators over idiotic patrons who tend
to stray into the path of incoming trains and other stupid actions
that tend to get people hurt. As I recall, the KD Rebel Yell does not
have the control gates, so they may be paranoid about someone getting
hurt while waiting in their queue gate line either by themselves or
by getting pushed by the crowd behind them. This is the kind of
situation where the operators are always repeating "please stand
behind the yellow line" ad nauseum all day and night long.

>Another thing I don't like about them is the
>amount of Twin rides out there.  If I recall correctly from the
>queue line for the GASM, the Shockwave is the same ride except
>the lift hill on the GASM is three feet higher. WOW-WE-WOW! I
>sure am impressed.  My family got tired of how boring SFGAd is
>we've only been there once in the past 5 years, and that was to
>ride the GASM and Shockwave.  I didn't mind the GASM, it's
>just in the WORST location known to man, next to the parking lot.
>The commercials they showed, were of the Shockwave in Great 
>America, and gave me the imprssion that it ran by the lake.  I
>was dissapointed.  That's why I like the Vortex at KI, it
>uses the terrain so well.  You look from the top of the lift hill
>right into the Beast...great stuff!
>
>That's enough flame for now, don't want anyone to choke on it.
>
>Mike "Call Batman the Jersey Devil" Cornell

Mike, feel free to flame as much as you want, that's how we get the
news out, and maybe even effect some changes, too. I certainly agree
with you about the clones of same rides throughout the SF chain; it
may be (again) due to financial considerations: they only pay Arrow
to produce one design (known as Non-recurring Engineering costs) and
then pay only to make slight variations of the design and for the
cost of the actual construction.

Tom "let's encourage originality in the industry" Maglione
From: cf170@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Kevin R. Russell)
Newsgroups: rec.roller-coaster
Subject: Re: Coaster Cloning (was Re: Six Flags Policies)
Date: 15 Oct 1992 16:51:44 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Reply-To: cf170@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Kevin R. Russell)
NNTP-Posting-Host: slc10.ins.cwru.edu


In a previous article, mac18@po.CWRU.Edu (Michael A. Cornell) says:

>
>Geoff...
>	My problem with the SF clones is the fact that they 
>usually try to hide the fact that they are clones.  Why did they 
>have to make the GASM three feey higher than the Shockwave? who
>cares.  Why wasn't the GASM just called Shockwave..it's the same 
>ride.  Oh, maybe they wanted to give the impression that they
>are different, but they aren't.  They are fooling the public
>when they do this.
Every park wants to be able to claim that they have "the tallest" for
advertising purposes.  The whole issue that went to court on tallest
lift vs. biggest drop for woodies is a good example of PR garbage.

Some of the parks advertise a height that is not exactly what the ride
manufactarer would give for the lift height, or round up or measure 
from the top of the footings to the top of the handrail.  Unless
you have surveying tools or a long tape measure and a key to the park, 
the average person can't tell whether any of these claims are true.

Interesting trivia note.  The Shockwave was origally to be installed
at SFGAd and was switched to SFGAm when SFGAd had some pr problems.  Kind of 
explains why they are both in the parking lot.  Also, they are some profile
fferences leading into the block brakes. FWIW the bruise factor is
higher on Shockwave.  

-- 
Kevin				
"Friends don't let friends ride E.T."
From: sysop@elan.glassboro.edu (Ken Denton (Supervisor))
Newsgroups: rec.roller-coaster
Subject: Re: Seats: you choose vs. they choose (Re: 2nd BATMAN!! - was Re: SHOCKWVAE heads south!)
Date: 15 Oct 92 15:24:56 GMT
Organization: Rowan College of New Jersey

>Disneyland doesn't let you choose.
>
>Others?

SFGAd:
	Rolling Thunder is the only one they let you choose on, and even
	then its only if there isn't a large crowd.  GASM and Shockwave, 
	no dice.  The Runaway Train, I don't remember.

King's Dominion:
	Rebel Yell:  They don't let a lot of people onto the platform
	any more, and they don't exactly force you into a seat.  If you're
	first on the platform, you run to the seat you want.
	Grizzly:    You choose.
	Anaconda:   You choose.
	Shockwave:  You choose.

Busch Gardens:
	You choose for all rides.

Knoebel's:
	You choose for the Phoenix.
From: mac18@po.CWRU.Edu (Michael A. Cornell)
Newsgroups: rec.roller-coaster
Subject: Re: 2nd BATMAN!! - was Re: SHOCKWVAE heads south!
Date: 14 Oct 1992 01:09:53 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)
NNTP-Posting-Host: slc12.ins.cwru.edu


Another thing that bothers me about Six Flags, is their INSISTANCE
on the fact that you don't care where you sit.  I mean every seat
gives the same ride, so therefore you really shouldn't care.

Six Flags should try catering to the public, and build a station
where you can actually choose where you want to sit.  The other
way may make the line move faster, but I'll take that extra time to
sit where I want to.

Mike "SF should get their head out of their *ss" Cornell
Newsgroups: rec.roller-coaster
From: kucharsk@solbourne.com (William Kucharski)
Subject: Re: 2nd BATMAN!! - was Re: SHOCKWVAE heads south!
Organization: Solbourne Computer, Inc., Longmont, CO
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 17:24:10 GMT

While reading article <1bfs11INN4mv@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu>, I noticed that
mac18@po.CWRU.Edu (Michael A. Cornell) said the following:
 >
 >Another thing that bothers me about Six Flags, is their INSISTANCE
 >on the fact that you don't care where you sit.  I mean every seat
 >gives the same ride, so therefore you really shouldn't care.
 >
 >Six Flags should try catering to the public, and build a station
 >where you can actually choose where you want to sit.  The other
 >way may make the line move faster, but I'll take that extra time to
 >sit where I want to.

Sorry, this just isn't true.

In my experiences at Six Flags Great America, they "force" seating on new,
very popular rides only, in order to keep the line moving.  For example, when
I was there this Summer, there was "forced" seating on Batman: The Ride, and
Iron Wolf, but you could sit anywhere you wanted on any of the other coasters
in the park (Shockwave, American Eagle, Demon, Willard's Whizzer.)

I can't speak for other SF locations though...
-- 
| William Kucharski, Solbourne Computer, Inc.     | Opinions expressed above
| Internet: kucharsk@solbourne.com   Ham: N0OKQ   | are MINE alone, not those
| Snail Mail: 1900 Pike Road, Longmont, CO  80501 | of Solbourne Computer, Inc.
| President, "Just the Ten of Us" Fan Club        | "Dittos from Longmont, CO"
From: DHBHM@nervm.nerdc.ufl.edu (Bruce H. McIntosh)
Newsgroups: rec.roller-coaster
Subject: Kings Dominion, and any hope for Florida?
Date: 8 Oct 92 17:10:29 GMT
Organization: University of Florida, NERDC

Two questions:
1.  I've not seen any mention of Kings Dominion in r.r-c.  I have several
fond memories of the place (my first-ever coaster ride was the Rebel Yell
on a rainy day).  Is it still in business, and what is the scream-ride
quotient these days?
 
2.  I used to enjoy being a couple hours' drive from KD, Busch Gardens,
Hershey Park, etc., but now I'm stuck in the sticks of North Central
Florida, pining for roller coasters.  Aside from Space Mountain, and the
Python at BG/Dark Continent (which seemed really ho-hum to me - I guess
I'm more of a rattly-wooden-coaster man :-) ) what is there to ride around
here?
 
Bruce H. McIntosh    brucem@neufhou.mail.ufl.edu            Jesus has risen!
                     bhm@cis.ufl.edu
                     dhbhm@nervm.nerdc.ufl.edu
 UF Housing user support on IBM Aggravation System/400 :-)
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