New Ride(s) for 2014

[GoBears]

The park just tweeted this after that happened...

[X-Flight2012]

I wonder if the park might want to break the looping wooden coaster record. I would want that.

[PfightingPolish]

On Facebook, Six Flags Great America showed a picture of a barrel ride and said wait until the 29th to see how this fits in to the new addition.

I think it is the rotting, decaying Intamin Drunken Barrels ride at Six Flags St Louis. What do you think this could mean?

That was on St. Louis' page, not Great America's.

Decent chance they're getting one of those rumored AquaTwists.

[tp41190]

It seems like parks now are trying to build the cheapest coasters, with the most gimmick just for the sake of getting people into the park. Which honestly, is a pretty good business decision, however eventually down the road it could degrade the quality of a parks coaster collection.

Full Throttle was way over hyped, and pretty much every little element was marketed as something. Plus the YOLO thing was pretty ridiculous. If this Ermahgerd thing actually becomes used for this ride, my opinion on Six Flags as a whole will drastically change.

For comparison of actual ride content, it would be like if El Toro hit the brakes right before the 5th bunny hill (the one under the lift structure). Without that finale, the ride would not be rated as high as it is. To me, this addition is just sort of a quick/cheap way to get people into the park and to add something. I would understand it from a Through Put perspective, but all a shorter layout is going to do is make a longer stack time.

I know I don't have to buy a season pass, or ride this coaster, but that doesn't mean the park coudn't put a little more effort into something to make it a worthwhile investment. The GP does know about ride length. One of the most common things you usually hear is "the ride is really short". All of the new Cedar Fair additions are real worthwhie investments, and Im sure it pays of for them very well. They also let the rides seem themselves, instead of making up obscure records/stats and overhyping everything down to puke splatter on the exit platform.

I dont' consider myself an enthusiast anyone, but complaining about the park will be the last bit of nerdom I will hold on to.

[ilrider]

^I do not think for a second it is named "oh my God" the coaster. Looked like a fun placeholder until the real page is ready. I also think that reveal was totally intentional, like Kings Island did with their mock The Bat wing coaster.

Short does not mean bad. What coaster are people speaking most fondly of this year? Outlaw Run. Ride time? Just over 1 minute.

You have to have a way to market the coaster. Highest speed and steepest drop, if they come to fruition, are not gimmicks to me. They will make for an amazing coaster that might be one of the best coasters in the world.

[bluebear816]

Based on that picture, I think it's pretty safe to say that we'll have lap bars, not that anyone actually really considered that there would be OTSRs.

[DeathbyDinn]

Full Throttle was way over hyped, and pretty much every little element was marketed as something. Plus the YOLO thing was pretty ridiculous. If this Ermahgerd thing actually becomes used for this ride, my opinion on Six Flags as a whole will drastically change.

Full Throttle has actually gotten good reviews, and why wouldn't the park market the unique features of the ride?! Even though Full Throttle was nothing groundbreaking, it did have things that were new and it would be dumb not to promote them.

And obviously the name won't be used Ermahgerd.

[GoBears]

It seems like parks now are trying to build the cheapest coasters, with the most gimmick just for the sake of getting people into the park. Which honestly, is a pretty good business decision, however eventually down the road it could degrade the quality of a parks coaster collection.

Full Throttle was way over hyped, and pretty much every little element was marketed as something. Plus the YOLO thing was pretty ridiculous. If this Ermahgerd thing actually becomes used for this ride, my opinion on Six Flags as a whole will drastically change.

For comparison of actual ride content, it would be like if El Toro hit the brakes right before the 5th bunny hill (the one under the lift structure). Without that finale, the ride would not be rated as high as it is. To me, this addition is just sort of a quick/cheap way to get people into the park and to add something. I would understand it from a Through Put perspective, but all a shorter layout is going to do is make a longer stack time.

I know I don't have to buy a season pass, or ride this coaster, but that doesn't mean the park coudn't put a little more effort into something to make it a worthwhile investment. The GP does know about ride length. One of the most common things you usually hear is "the ride is really short". All of the new Cedar Fair additions are real worthwhie investments, and Im sure it pays of for them very well. They also let the rides seem themselves, instead of making up obscure records/stats and overhyping everything down to puke splatter on the exit platform.

I dont' consider myself an enthusiast anyone, but complaining about the park will be the last bit of nerdom I will hold on to.

Considering the tight space they have to work with (though they could've removed the Wilderness Theater but I heard it's staying), I say this layout doesn't look too bad. Compact layouts don't mean the coaster can't be awesome. If it is an RMC and anything like Outlaw Run (or better), we might be looking at not only the best coaster in the park, but one of the best woodies in the entire world. For that tight of space, that's pretty impressive. I can't say anything for sure though until we get all the details next Thursday and obviously ride it next year.

[CoasterDave316]

Sounds like they are putting up multiple web cams to watch the construction. Hope they let us move them around this time.

You know, they could just put up no webcams at all and we could rely on random people driving by to take pictures like the old days.

Couldn't agree more! Enthusiasts are so spoiled these days.

[PfightingPolish]

^I do not think for a second it is named "oh my God" the coaster. Looked like a fun placeholder until the real page is ready.

Seconded, though the image hastily created below would have been hilarious (and why I don't believe this is the name of the coaster).

Based on that picture, I think it's pretty safe to say that we'll have lap bars, not that anyone actually really considered that there would be OTSRs.

What happened in Texas was pretty bad PR. I was reasonably serious when I said it could, and probably should, cross parks minds to consider OTSRs for wood coasters that take you past 90 degrees in any direction (drop, overbanked turn, whatever). I know none of us wants them, but people falling out of coasters is something none of us wants, either, and it happened. Yes, the woman was an abnormal size, but if anything, it's easier to make the case for someone like that not to be able to ride when you have OTSRs they don't fit in rather than by saying, "Well, you're fat and we think you might fall out."

In the litigious society we live in today, I would seriously not be surprised if we see them at some point and I don't think any of you should be, either, though personally, I also don't see what would be wrong with just over-the-shoulder seatbelts, like what we use in cars. And, if push comes to shove and it's a choice between having cool coasters doing stuff like what the Texas Giant did/does with OTSRs or not having coasters that do those kinds of cool things, I'd take the OTSRs, especially if they keep trying to make them more comfortable, as they did with the next-gen ones on the wing coasters. OK, they're not perfect yet (a little tight), but they're sure better than the Iron Wolf/Batman head-bashers.

I'm not necessarily advocating them. I'm just saying, don't rule them out.

[CoastsToCoasters]

The situation on Texas Giant could have & WOULD have been prevented IF it had seatbelts. If the seatbelt doesnt buckle, you dont ride. You are not only relying on a lapbar when you have two "restraints". Lap bar fails, you have that seatbelt. & the seatbelt really will hold you in. Not that I should ever admit to this, but as a former CP employee, weve ridden Millennium without lapbars aka kept them up very high. Im 115lbs, that lapbar was no where near me & that seatbelt held me in.

With that said, seatbelts are an extra safety precaution that EVERY COASTER SHOULD HAVE. After the introduction of Maurer Sohne, many firms/companies see that OTSRs arent necessarily, well, necessary.

[Sporlo]

I've always found it ironic that rides with extreme negative vertical forces are usually the same ones without OTSRs, but the rides with mostly positive vertical forces DO have OTSRs. The only purpose of OTSRs on non-negative rides is for rollbacks or inverted stalls, things that hardly ever happen except for specific rides.

I am all for two factor harnesses in the form of lapbars plus seatbelts.

What would be nice is if all OTSRs could be replaced by a seatbelt system if the lateral reinforcement is unnecessary.

And want extra protection without OTSRs? Add foot positioners to decrease the chances of slipping out. Like those B&M trains for Steel Dragon 2000. They have shin guards to add that extra obstacle for anyone who might slip out.

[rb1]

Agree this new one will probly have seatbelts on them looking through the pictures it doesnt even look like it will have inversions at all just a helix and a bunch of airtime hills. It could just be the steepest or fastest in the world but if it does have some I wouldnt be suprised if SF add otsr and seatbelts on the ride because of what happenned at TX. As for the name of the ride I dont think they would name it after a greek mythology or god it does say follow the journey maybe a wild animal through the woods theyll add a lot of forest or wilderness theming maybe who knows. There a lot of trees in the wilderness iron wolf area just a guess well have to wait and see.

[Sporlo]

Check the layout again. At the south end, the track pinches together into one line. That is not a turn. If it's not an inversion, the train would have to come to a stop before getting out again.

[rizash]

This oddly looks like a 4D coaster, I cant be the only one thinkin this...

I was thinking the same since a day after the second teaser was released with the x hat. Its playing mind games with me. I would swear this was 4d if it wasnt for the report saying it was a woodie. I mean beyond vert drop... vert drop.... zero drift inversion?

[CoasterZ]

you can obviously see two barrel rolls in the track layout on the height conversion table they released. I belive this wooden coaster will have 4 inversions (record) steepest drop (record) and fastest woodie (record). this is just my speculation if they are truly going for 3 records that is what they will be.

[AirTimeDaz]

Hey Everyone! I'm brand new here and very excited about the news of a new coaster coming to SFGAM!

Over the spring/summer I was one of those chosen for 4 of the commercial shoots this year for 1. Batman backward and 2. igNight where we also ended up shooting footage for 3. Viper backwards and 4. Fright Fest on Ragin Cajun.

RE: The new coaster, I've been reading here and elsewhere about the possibility of the second half of the ride going backwards, I was wondering aloud how that would work? Would the train stop, a switch track section would engage and finish backwards then switch again to enter the platform forwards?

[coasterkidd100]

^ That is the only way I could see it working. I would guess it would have to switch tracks like Expedition Everest at Disney World.

[AirTimeDaz]

@coasterkidd100 thanks for the reply. I'll have to check that out on youtube!

[CoastsToCoasters]

This oddly looks like a 4D coaster, I cant be the only one thinkin this...

I was thinking the same since a day after the second teaser was released with the x hat. Its playing mind games with me. I would swear this was 4d if it wasnt for the report saying it was a woodie. I mean beyond vert drop... vert drop.... zero drift inversion?

Well Im glad someone else saw it. haha ;D

[Coastermonkey61]

Every part of me wants this thing to be named Ermahgerd!

[tp41190]

you can obviously see two barrel rolls in the track layout on the height conversion table they released. I belive this wooden coaster will have 4 inversions (record) steepest drop (record) and fastest woodie (record). this is just my speculation if they are truly going for 3 records that is what they will be.

The height chart is not a layout. Think of a over bank turn of some kind. As its turning, it's not going to change elevation that much. Compare that to the top side and its clearly a town of some sort.

[UWW-10]

I highly doubt this coaster will go backwards at any point on the ride course....if that were the case, you would see another section where the aerial view was "pinched" together again (like the southern left corner) to get the train to go forward again. Most people are pretty confident that area of the track is some sort of diving loop inversion

I'm also not convinced that there's any kind of additional launch/acceleration on this coaster other than the lift (someone mentioned on a previous page). From the Zoning Meeting last night the one male resident asked what kind of mechanism was going to power the coaster and Hank specifically said a chain lift.

[AirTimeDaz]

I highly doubt this coaster will go backwards at any point on the ride course....if that were the case, you would see another section where the aerial view was "pinched" together again (like the southern left corner) to get the train to go forward again. Most people are pretty confident that area of the track is some sort of diving loop inversion

I'm also not convinced that there's any kind of additional launch/acceleration on this coaster other than the lift (someone mentioned on a previous page). From the Zoning Meeting last night the one male resident asked what kind of mechanism was going to power the coaster and Hank specifically said a chain lift.

Yea, I was thinking that "pinched" section must be an inversion also, since I can't find where a second switch track section would be in the layout. Either way, exciting times!

[Sporlo]

You don't need a second pinch to make the train go backwards. Just stop, launch backwards after track switches.

But that is still a silly idea and I'd much prefer an inversion anyway.