nick42085 wrote:I was watching the groundbreaking and heard hank talking about the ride possibly opening in the spring of 2014. Has anyone heard differently?
When else would it open?
Yeah, my guess is Memorial Day weekend if everything is on schedule. But at this rate I could see it opening on opening day.
nick42085 wrote:I was watching the groundbreaking and heard hank talking about the ride possibly opening in the spring of 2014. Has anyone heard differently?
When else would it open?
Yeah, my guess is Memorial Day weekend if everything is on schedule. But at this rate I could see it opening on opening day.
Thanks! That's the weekend I'm going first this year
nick42085 wrote:I was watching the groundbreaking and heard hank talking about the ride possibly opening in the spring of 2014. Has anyone heard differently?
When else would it open?
Yeah, my guess is Memorial Day weekend if everything is on schedule. But at this rate I could see it opening on opening day.
According to the park, they are aiming for Memorial Day weekend. If they do have it ready for opening weekend, it would probably be just for season pass holders. They are planning a preview opening just for pass holders like they did with X-Flight. It's an easy way to market their regular and gold season passes. Right now, I would say it will open to everyone on Memorial Day weekend and will be open to pass holders the weekend before.
Founder of http://www.sfgamnation.com Favorite Steel: 1. Maverick 2. The Incredible Hulk 3. Millennium Force Favorite Wood: 1. Outlaw Run 2. The Beast 3. American Eagle
According to the park, they are aiming for Memorial Day weekend. If they do have it ready for opening weekend, it would probably be just for season pass holders. They are planning a preview opening just for pass holders like they did with X-Flight. It's an easy way to market their regular and gold season passes. Right now, I would say it will open to everyone on Memorial Day weekend and will be open to pass holders the weekend before.[/quote]
Thanks! Really looking forward to it!! Counting the down the days..
According to the Sun Times who spoke with SFGAm PR Katy Enrique, Goliath is set to open Memorial Day weekend (which we already knew) which is May 24-26 but have an invite only unveiling on May 22nd. I'm assuming that's a media day. I wonder if they are still planning a season pass holder preview like Brandon Bruce told me.
Founder of http://www.sfgamnation.com Favorite Steel: 1. Maverick 2. The Incredible Hulk 3. Millennium Force Favorite Wood: 1. Outlaw Run 2. The Beast 3. American Eagle
They could have the season pass holder preview before media day like with Batman backwards. I believe every park has been doing either pass holder previews or pass holder ERT for the past two years, so I think it's safe to assume that there'll be something.
All it takes is for corporate to say that something is too expensive and they wont do it anymore. I wouldn't expect or assume anything until it is announced.
-Remember there's nothing but air beneath the chair.
I hope they do a preview like they did with X-Flight. This ride is going to be bigger than X-Flight was so I imagine the line for this to get really long (and the capacity on this ride won't be the greatest). Or at least invite enthusiasts to media day to fill up the seats.
Ace wrote:All it takes is for corporate to say that something is too expensive and they wont do it anymore. I wouldn't expect or assume anything until it is announced.
How would a season pass holder preview be too expensive? Besides, considering we went from none of the parks having pass holder previews to all of them having them over the past few years, I think it's safe to say that corporate wants them.
Ace wrote:All it takes is for corporate to say that something is too expensive and they wont do it anymore. I wouldn't expect or assume anything until it is announced.
How would a season pass holder preview be too expensive? Besides, considering we went from none of the parks having pass holder previews to all of them having them over the past few years, I think it's safe to say that corporate wants them.
The season pass holder preview should be a money maker with the park. All they have to do is advertise it around the park and their social media pages that they are opening Goliath early to pass holders and wallah. Quite a bit of people who don't already have passes will likely purchase one or even upgrade their ticket to a pass while at the park that day to be able to ride Goliath early.
Founder of http://www.sfgamnation.com Favorite Steel: 1. Maverick 2. The Incredible Hulk 3. Millennium Force Favorite Wood: 1. Outlaw Run 2. The Beast 3. American Eagle
Despite how you feel, it takes money to organize and publicize an event. Additionally it costs money to run and operate the ride (maintenance, security, operators, some park services, and management). No matter what you think just because you bought a season pass to the park they do not owe you anything. Which leads me back to my point dont expect anything until its announced.
-Remember there's nothing but air beneath the chair.
Ace wrote:Despite how you feel, it takes money to organize and publicize an event. Additionally it costs money to run and operate the ride (maintenance, security, operators, some park services, and management). No matter what you think just because you bought a season pass to the park they do not owe you anything. Which leads me back to my point dont expect anything until its announced.
I didn't say what I just said because I hope to get some extra ride time with a season pass. In fact, I haven't even purchased a pass yet and I might not get to it until June since I'm moving in May. X-Flight's season pass preview was a success according to the park which is why Brandon Bruce of the park's PR told me just a couple weeks ago that they are planning on having one for Goliath. I'm not saying they will have one, but if the last one was a success, I don't see why this wouldn't be a success.
Founder of http://www.sfgamnation.com Favorite Steel: 1. Maverick 2. The Incredible Hulk 3. Millennium Force Favorite Wood: 1. Outlaw Run 2. The Beast 3. American Eagle
Thinking way into the future of Goliath and roller coaster history. Ok, I believe that eventually, no idea how long it will take, someone will solve the wooden coaster loop. I also tend to lean towards RMC to be the ones to figure it out when it happens.
Looking at Goliath's design I see a perfect spot to put in a loop when they figure it out. After the first overbanked tophat; pretty much where the airtime hill is.
Dreaming big. I don't expect this anytime soon obviously. Goliath is already way ahead of it's time as it is and I could not be more excited about it. I just put in for a vacation the 3rd week of June. It should be open by then and Ill get on it a lot that week. But I do see a wooden coaster loop happening eventually and I think Goliath with it's impact in wooden coaster history as the perfect coaster to get it, RMC to be the perfect company to do it, and the airtime hill the perfect place for it.
Maybe it's just me but I'll take an airtime hill over a vertical loop any day. It's possible that RMC could build a vertical loop with a future project but I think adding one to Goliath would take away from the fun of being ejected out of your seat on that hill. Of course, I should probably ride Goliath first before stating that this hill will act as an ejector hill than just a floater.
Founder of http://www.sfgamnation.com Favorite Steel: 1. Maverick 2. The Incredible Hulk 3. Millennium Force Favorite Wood: 1. Outlaw Run 2. The Beast 3. American Eagle
Son of Beast had a wood tracked vertical loop. Only decent part of the ride.
If you're talking about a totally wood structured loop, it'd be quite easy to incorperate one within the structure of the lifthill, but I think the more exotic stuff is way more marketable at this point.
Favorite Wood Coasters: The Voyage, Ravine Flyer II, Thunderhead, Balder Favorite Steel: Voltron Nevera, Steel Vengeance, Expedition GeForce, Olympia Looping Parks visited: 232, Coasters Ridden: Steel: 894, Wood: 179, Total: 1073
They'd most likely start off with a water slide type loop first, where its on a bit of an angle (not completely vertical). Then, they'd work from there
Consecutive Trips Riding X Flight: 92 SFGAm Lifetime Trips: 104
Only reason they got rid of it was because of most of the rest of the ride which was not built to spec. The premeir trains were to heavy and at the time there was no other manufacturer of wood coaster trains that would sign off on them doing an inversion.
Favorite Wood Coasters: The Voyage, Ravine Flyer II, Thunderhead, Balder Favorite Steel: Voltron Nevera, Steel Vengeance, Expedition GeForce, Olympia Looping Parks visited: 232, Coasters Ridden: Steel: 894, Wood: 179, Total: 1073
FParker185 wrote:SOB's loop was entirely successful.
Only reason they got rid of it was because of most of the rest of the ride which was not built to spec. The premeir trains were to heavy and at the time there was no other manufacturer of wood coaster trains that would sign off on them doing an inversion.
Well it was faster and taller than other wooden coasters so it needed stronger wheels, stronger axles, and thus heavier trains. That's why I never understood the idea of replacing the trains with lighter G-trains. Yes I was the Doofus that asked that at NCC.
SOB was only open for 2000-09. It's loop was only open till 06. There were 2 major incidents. The design of SOB was flawed. Im not saying ride experience. It looked very fun, but its very boring now.... Ride experience means nothing if the ride can't function for more than 10 years. If someone does another wooden coaster loop they will be shooting for more than a 6 year run for sure.
Heavier trains = more stress on the structure. Every accident involved a broken bent. The lighter trains prevented that, but Gerstlauer refused to sign off on the passenger containment system being certified to perform inversions. So the loop had to go.
Also, there's no such thing as stronger wheels, stronger axles and all that. They were stock Premeir wood coaster trains there was nothing stronger about them, identical to the trains running on Bandit in Germany, an exact mirror image Viper clone also designed by Dennis Starkey and also with the extra dense structure, and it ran like utter crap due to the trains, one of my bottom ranked coasters, I've never been on a rougher wood coaster in my life, SOB included. At the time it was built they were the only wood coaster trains out there that the manufacturer would allow to perform inversions.
Favorite Wood Coasters: The Voyage, Ravine Flyer II, Thunderhead, Balder Favorite Steel: Voltron Nevera, Steel Vengeance, Expedition GeForce, Olympia Looping Parks visited: 232, Coasters Ridden: Steel: 894, Wood: 179, Total: 1073
