29yrswithaGApass Posted March 14, 2014 Report Share Posted March 14, 2014 Great Adventure has often been the trail blazer with new technology and first-of-its-kind rides. While it does give the park bragging rights to showcase prototypical rides, often similar models which are installed years later are bigger and better. Check out this pole and vote on which one you prefer? Please feel free to discuss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFGadv123 Posted March 14, 2014 Report Share Posted March 14, 2014 At first I chose to be the first, but after thinking, it doesn't matter if the ride is an original, as long as it is really good and hopefully better than the others of its type. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted March 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2014 What made me think of this question is what parks are offering this year. Here is an extreme example- Kings Island is finally getting an inverted B&M which promises to be an exciting ride but it is over 20 years since they were first introduced. We were fortunate to receive one of the first models back in 1993 (Batman The Ride) but by today standards is very small. On the flip side, it has taken forever for us to get a drop tower but now we are getting a record setter. Hence the debate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoshi Posted March 14, 2014 Report Share Posted March 14, 2014 I voted for be the first since it is always cool to see the newest ride types at your local park. Even with Bizarro being the first floorless coaster it's considered to be one of the better floorless coasters and some of the newer floorless coasters after Bizarro like Hydra aren't nearly as good. Although I didn't ride Batman The Ride until 2007, having the only inverted coaster in the area at first must have been really cool for the riders. I remember walking past the ride one of the first years it was open and couldn't believe there was a coaster where you rode below the track and went upside down and seeing very long lines for it back then since it was so unique. There are some exceptions. I'm glad the park waited on getting a hypercoaster from B&M instead of an Arrow or Morgan coaster in the 90's. Steel Force is fun but doesn't even compare to Nitro. Also with Green Lantern even with it relocated is considered one of the better B&M standups compared to the first ones from the early 90's that supposedly haven't aged well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Master Posted March 14, 2014 Report Share Posted March 14, 2014 (edited) Being the first is forever, it can't be taken from you. No matter if you are tallest, fastest, best, whatever, sooner or later someone will one up you and take the spotlight. Then again being the first sometimes means you have older, outdated, less advanced versions of the ride, such as Batman and Congo Rapids. I like Batman but Talon and Great Bear are better. Really it is a paradox. Edited March 14, 2014 by The Master Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29yrswithaGApass Posted March 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2014 If you are first you also have the chance of having a ride that doesn't work out but is fun while it lasted (with the accompanying headaches sometimes). Examples of this include the original Bat (first suspended coaster), UltraTwister, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Master Posted March 14, 2014 Report Share Posted March 14, 2014 That is true too, it is why its a tough call. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlumeOp1974 Posted March 14, 2014 Report Share Posted March 14, 2014 I voted for wait. We waited for KKA, Sky Screamer, Nitro, SO wait is good. Allow the builders to work out the kinks and machincal issues. that come along with being the first. But take a look how many firsts have we seen removed or presented down time, Just sayin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RC98 Posted March 14, 2014 Report Share Posted March 14, 2014 I'd say wait since you will get a better ride in return. For example imagine if instead of having a Batman clone we could have an invert like Montu or Banshee? Or having a custom flyer like Tatsu instead of SUF? You have to admit it would be great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Password121 Posted March 14, 2014 Report Share Posted March 14, 2014 (edited) ^^ I absolutely agree, but I've always wondered- why is it that Intamin/Great Adventure went with OTSR's on Kingda Ka? I've been on Ka and Dragster, and while Ka was slightly more intense, I liked the lap bars much better. Why would they do this? The speeds are so similar, it couldn't have been safety reasons like MF to I-305? Edited March 14, 2014 by Password121 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RC98 Posted March 14, 2014 Report Share Posted March 14, 2014 (edited) Edit: Basically what GAcoaster said below me... Edited March 15, 2014 by RC98 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAcoaster Posted March 14, 2014 Report Share Posted March 14, 2014 The OTSRs are safer and make loading faster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdc12192 Posted March 15, 2014 Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 (edited) I vote wait, but not to the point of where we are one of the last ones and behind the 'times' so to speak. I feel like our park has set the path to be somewhere in-between first, and short wait to where it is still somewhat fresh and one of the 'first'. Edited March 15, 2014 by jdc12192 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Password121 Posted March 15, 2014 Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 I say wait. When you're riding that coaster, the experience isn't better because its a prototype. If it is an improved version, the ride experience will likely be improved, and that's what matters in a coaster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoasterPrince Posted March 15, 2014 Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 I say wait. I'd much rather Gatekeeper than Raptor at Gardaland. It's nice to be in the media for the year the new innovative ride opens but after that no one really cares ie. Medusa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coaster Justin Posted March 15, 2014 Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 Best cause no matter what happens, Cedar Point/Six Flags Magic Mountain will be famous for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrpq Posted March 28, 2014 Report Share Posted March 28, 2014 OTSR really makes loading that much faster then lap bars. I must admit the lap bars on Dragster where great. i liked the more open feeling the seat had Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coasterharrison'98 Posted April 3, 2014 Report Share Posted April 3, 2014 wait... always wait unless its from a trust worthy company. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Moonracker7 Posted April 12, 2014 Report Share Posted April 12, 2014 The only reason that if want a first of its kind is ask for it yourself, like TTD, FF, and my own idea, a dueling strata, white lightning(top hat like KK at 500ft. and one like Chiller-batman at knida Ka's height) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coasterharrison'98 Posted April 16, 2014 Report Share Posted April 16, 2014 Do you even know how much power that would suck in not even to mention the cost! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonlee Posted April 23, 2014 Report Share Posted April 23, 2014 I was going to say get it first, but then i thought about viper. I think a ride that stays popular for a long time due to it's stats, is better than being the "one and only" or first. Kingda Ka wasn't the first, but it still holds records and is still very popular. It doesn't take long at all for a ride to gain a bad reputaion. Once a protype rides gets that bad reputation, then six flags will spend more money to improve it, then ultimately removing the ride which costs even more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericthewanderer Posted May 8, 2014 Report Share Posted May 8, 2014 I was going to say get it first, but then i thought about viper. That's what I was thinking!!It seems like for every Medusa that comes along,there's at least one Viper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitro#1 Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 I say to wait for better with coasters and flat rides because people don't really care if you were the first. They want the best rides and don't care about their age. Also, with Chiller, Viper, and now Zumanjaro, they weren't proven designs and had many issues. I predict the Zumanjaro will go the way of Chiller and Viper because it breaks a lot and had so many problems the put KK, the flagship attraction out of commission. Eventually, they will just get rid of the darn thing if it continues to have a reputation as a dog. It got stuck halfway up the tower in the morning putting KK out of commission until almost 1pm. KK would have been open if it weren't for Zumanjaro's issues. I refer to Zumanjaro as the "mother of all mistakes". All this precious money spent on a crappy ride that breaks a lot and puts the flagship out of commission when it does amidst budget issues and walkways that crumble beneath our feet. I would much rather ride something like Dorney's Dominator, Great Escape's Sasquatch, or Cedar Point's Power Tower that was reliable and did not put another ride out of action when it broke. However, with water rides, I say be the first. Action Park was the first modern waterpark and sort of an experimental place. It had many rides just thrown together with little consideration for safety, physics, or anything else really. Some of the older rides leave you thinking "Who the hell designed these rides?" when you get off. The older rides are 100 times better than the newer ones which are forceless, boring, and don't give the rider any control whatsoever. On some of Action Park's rides, you can control how fast you go, how far you go, and if you go forwards or backwards. Some of the rides are designed to allow the tubes to spin giving you a different ride each time. Surf Hill which is my personal favorite, is the best racing slide out there, and I have never ridden any others. They actually encourage getting a running start while most other parks prohibit it. The pool is pretty short at the bottom and they don't care if you overshoot it, which I do every time. The splash pools at most other parks are too long and make the ride the same exact thing every time. On Surf Hill, you can try and overshoot the pool and actually do it which means a different ride each time. Their older rapids rides from 1984 are so much better than their newer double tube slides. The only new rides that are thrilling are High Anxiety, H2OhNo, and Zero G. The rest of the newer rides (Alpine Pipeline, Vertigo, Vortex) are just plain boring and not much fun. Vertigo and Vortex barely even get you wet and Alpine Pipeline only gets you wet due to an overhead sprayer. In my opinion, a waterslide should not need any sprayers of any kind at all to soak you. Action Park has a lot of old rides, but they are far better than the newer ones and that is why the park is the best waterpark in the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RC98 Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 (edited) ^ I'd give Zumanjaro another chance next year since there were rumors a while ago that they will make the fixes needed to allow the two to run at the same time. As for Action Park, I agree, all the old AP slides are way better than the newer ones. Unfortunately with the regulations around today we won't see anything new that is quite as insane as what they used to add in the 80s but with it being AP again maybe we can see some new unique stuff. Edited October 13, 2014 by RC98 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScreamSource Posted November 17, 2014 Report Share Posted November 17, 2014 (edited) I voted wait because our RMC will be better than NTG, which was the first RMC Edited November 17, 2014 by Yoshi edited shorthand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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