Vekoma

What do you think the future of the large Vekoma arsenal at Geauga Lake will be? Cedar Fair now has it's first Vekoma SLC and Vekoma Flying Dutchman. I've ridden many "Hang 'n' Bangs", and I have to say that the Serial Thriller is by far the roughest one I've been on. I didn't enjoy that ride at all. Do you think this ride's days are numbered in the name of the traditional Cedar Fair B&M's?

And what about that flying machine they have over there? I haven't been on X-Flight, but I have heard some negative comments about it. It just appears to me that Cedar Fair and Geauga Lake is more fit for B&M than Vekoma.

One possible plan: Move Serial Thriller and X-Flight to Michigan's Adventure or World's of Fun, and build two B&M's in their places. These rides would be a perfect fit for the smaller Cedar Fair parks. Of course, if Cedar Point get's their rumored flyer, there may not be a need for new B&M's at Geauga Lake. 2 B&M inverteds, and 2 B&M fliers within a couple hours of each other may be overkill.

When was the last time you rode Serial Thriller?

It's fairly obvious Cedar Fair doesn't think much of Vekoma, as they've never built a custom Vekoma coaster. And as they will find out first hand, X-Flight is a b*tch to maintain.
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Jes
JesLive.Com
Six Flags Worlds Of Adventure Ride-Ops Crew 2002-2003!
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But if those rides are as bad as you say, why would you give them to other Cedar Fair parks and replace them with better coasters? When all you're doing is playing favorites with two Ohio parks now and "screwing over" the other Cedar Fair parks. Now yeah, I wouldn't mind it because I attend each Cedar Fair Ohio park at least 4 times a piece each year. But we have to keep everything in perspective. Cedar Fair won't do that to other parks and stack up these two. That's just not how they are. Cedar Point just brings in the big money and a lot of people. That's why they get stuff all the time. And these Vekoma's at GL aren't broken so they probably aren't going to be shipping them off to the sister parks.

Yeah, let's take a couple of decent coasters, spend money to tear them down and ship them across the country, and then spend even more to build similar rides that the general public probably wouldn't notice as different after the first year.

I personally think all the current coasters at GL will stay as they are for the time being.

I haven't been on the two at GL specifically, but I've been on a couple of SLCs and the flyer at SFA (Batwing).

The Vekoma flyer is great, and I liked it much better than B&M's flyer at SFGAm. They are cranky, but CF has a track record of investing the time to understand the maintenance and operation of cranky rides until they get them to work well. See Xcelerator and TTD.

If you ride the SLC defensively, it too can be a hoot. I like to try to ride leaning as far into the harness as I can, which moves my ears a bit forward of the padding---this is similar to the Mantis defensive riding posture. The SLC layouts are so compact that they're relentless. You don't get the swooping of a B&M invert, but you don't get a break, either.

Why does everyone dislike SFGAm's awesome B&M flyer? When I rode X-flight, all i could do was concentrate on not falling to my death, but when i rode Superman (SFGAm), I actually enjoyed the ride, and even put my arms out to "fly". And that one dive is amazing.

Anyway, GL should keep its coasters, because other Cedar Fair parks don't need them. Who cares if GL has a few sucky rides? If you're disappointed, CP is a short drive away. Michigans Adventure, on the other hand, is in the middle of nowhere, and it should have decent coasters, because no one is gonna drive that many more hours to get to the next amusement park if MA disappoints them.

Am I making any sense?

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Millennium Force is MY baby.
Where would we be without CP?:)

I don't see why people are obsessing on removal of teh coasters when the CEO of the company already answered this question during the conferance call.. Someone called and asked if the rides are going to me moved.

They are staying..

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June 11th, 2001 - Gemini 100
VertiGo Rides - 82

I visit SFWoA often cuz it is close to my home, and I ride Serial Thriller, but must admit it is "head-banging" rough. X-flight is usually broken so I don't ride it too often, but when I did ride it, I felt that I was going to fall out of the restraints. I didn't like that ride at all. Raging Wolf Bobs is very rough and I leave the park covered with bruises from it, so I quit riding it. I hope Cedar Fair improves these rides.

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Loyal Mean Streak fan 4ever:)

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that one dive is amazing

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Yes. That one dive *is* amazing. The rest is "meh". Not bad. Worth a ride. Not worth a long wait unless the other major rides have been hit that day.

The vekoma flyer, on the other hand, tosses you around in a serious way. I like that. Hopefully, someone will commission a new flyer layout from B&M that has some teeth to it.

Yeah Brian, I have to agree with you on that one. I like the B&M trains better but when it comes to track layout, I prefer the Vekoma.

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2003 Season Visits: 42 Dragster: 27 Rollbacks:0

I have been to the Six Flags, now Geauga lake once. I thought the Serial Thriller was a good layout, but too rough. If CF can smooth it out, I think it would be a great ride.

I havn't been to Geauga Lake in a few years, but when I was there they started X-flight with just one train, then added a second train while I was in line. X-flight has three trains, right? With Cedar Fair seems to have a great record for ride up-time. Six Flags Word's of Adventure had a very nice looking sign permanent sign located at the entrance to the park to tell people what rides were not runing that day. Of the two Cedar Fair parks I have been to neither one had a sign like that. Cedar Point does tell ther guests when a major attraction is closed due to matinence, but they don't keep a sign at the front gate. Anyway, I would like to think that Cedar Fair will be able to keep at least two of it's three trains running.

Unfortunately, Cedar Fair has a very limited time to get things running properly. I don't expect to see a major improvement in 2004, just because of the time crunch. Although a few years in the future, I suspect Cedar Fair can get the rides to run up to par with the other ones.

Last year Cedar Point had at least one sign at every entrance most of the year if Top Thrill Dragster. And I am assuming that in the past will Millenium Force when they knew it was gonna be down they would have signs posted.

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'04 TL Speed Zone
'03 Speed Freaks (Hats n Such)
TTD 72 rides (2 nonpaid rollbacks, 5 paid rollbacks)
TaeKwon-Do First Degree Black Belt. (1st dan)

Hmm, I suprised about Serial Thriller, as many people I've talked to think it's one of the smoother ones.

I do think it is hilarious tho, that the entrance to Geauga Lake has places for 16 "Ride Closed" placards to be put in a slot. Thats a lot!

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Jes
JesLive.Com
Six Flags Worlds Of Adventure Ride-Ops Crew 2002-2003!
Cedar Point Raptor Crew 2004! (Find me, and win a prize!)

That may be hilarious, Jes, but there were days I visited that park and 16 slots were not enough.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Yes, I remember the signs they had at the park if Dragster was open or not. Those signs were temperary. Six Flags obviously invested money in a nice-looking sign to tell guests which rides were open and which were not.

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Zero-G said:
When was the last time you rode Serial Thriller?

It's fairly obvious Cedar Fair doesn't think much of Vekoma, as they've never built a custom Vekoma coaster. And as they will find out first hand, X-Flight is a b*tch to maintain.
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Jes
JesLive.Com
Six Flags Worlds Of Adventure Ride-Ops Crew 2002-2003!
Cedar Point Raptor Crew 2004! (Find me, and win a prize!)

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I would just like to say I would *love* to run that ride, Superman (whatever the rest of it) or the Batman: Night Flight. Mmmmm...

I've said it before in my livejournal: If they wanted to move me to GL, I'd actually be fine with it just as long as they provided me with free housing... I live for free here near CP so that'd be my only consession. Other than that I'd be gone in a second. I'm there when they need me, where they need me... I've told my sups that and I'm serious! :P

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'04 Twister ATL
'03 Twister/Sky Ride (Spent month@Disaster too)

Just FYI: SF doesn't / didn't have night maintanance.... CP does. SF's rides were being 'fixed' during the day, but CP got smart from either the get-go or after a while and said... wouldn't it be smart to fix these things at night? This is the only reason SF had a perminant sign: They had too many complaints about not being able to tell which rides were closed due to routine maintanance. I must say I was a bit peeved to find out that Superman wasn't open... it was the whole reason 1/2 our crew went to the darned place!

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'04 Twister ATL
'03 Twister/Sky Ride (Spent month@Disaster too)

Back to talking about ST. I have been on 4 hang and bangs and I feel that ST has the best location (on the lagoon part of the lake) and I feel it is by far the smoothest. I don't know why people think it is so rough. You just have to know how to ride a Vekoma and not let it ride you!

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Zero-G said:
It's fairly obvious Cedar Fair doesn't think much of Vekoma, as they've never built a custom Vekoma coaster. )

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Actually, I think Woodstock Express is a custom Vekoma. Also, CF has put in stock Vekomas, mainly boomerangs. I am not sure if they have anything else Vekoma though.

-Sam
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Avalanche Run - My first Roller Coaster.
Magnum XL-200 - The BEST Roller Coaster!

Woodstock isn't a new design, and neither is World's Of Fun's Boomerang.

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Jes
JesLive.Com
Six Flags Worlds Of Adventure Ride-Ops Crew 2002-2003!
Cedar Point Raptor Crew 2004! (Find me, and win a prize!)