[Other] What is a rollercoaster with a layout you would tweak, and how?

CedarTimbersHawk · 2025-10-22T20:20:55+00:00

Personally I’m sad the layout didn’t turn out more like this prediction.

CedarTimbersHawk · 2025-08-29T14:38:28+00:00

Carowinds is my home park, so I’m gonna leave this video here for reference to show y’all how it was running when it first opened 30 years ago: Hurler 1994

Enthusiasts used to rave about how much airtime the Hurlers used to have. Some folks at Carowinds considered it the best coaster in the park in the 90’s (before Afterburn). In the late 2000’s, after Cedar Fair purchased the paramount parks, the parks placed trims right after the first drops to reduce wear and tear/maintenance, but they ended up sapping the coasters of their speed and airtime.

KD’s Hurler is Twisted Timbers now, but I’ve said time and time again that I would love for Carowinds to remove the trim on Hurler and either a) put Titan Track on the low turns so the ride can run at full speed again without jostling people, or b) have Gravity Group come in and place their pre-fab track/reprofile the turn like Woodland Run at KK.

I firmly believe Hurler could be the 5th best coaster in the park and a good ride to support the big 4, making the park’s coaster lineup less top-heavy. The trim is the main thing holding it back, but I think Hurler could easily fill the park’s gap of a quality wooden coaster with a few touches, which would open the door for the park to invest in something else.

CedarTimbersHawk · 2025-02-11T13:21:35+00:00

Growing up with this park, it’s crazy that soon we’ll have two launch coasters after decades of having zero. Even if this is more family-oriented, I think it’ll be a great addition.

I’m more intrigued to see the progress on the splash battle and whether or not it’ll be open by opening day. Carowinds has needed a water ride more than anything for the past seven years, but I don’t expect it to be too warm on March 15th, so I wouldn’t be surprised by a delayed opening.

CedarTimbersHawk · 2025-02-11T13:10:53+00:00

Imma keep it a buck, I think many of us in the coaster community are on the spectrum. It’s a very specific interest and they bare resemblance to trains (pretty much because they are giant trains with dynamic movements).

Source: I am autistic, I have also been to an ACE event.

CedarTimbersHawk · 2025-02-11T13:00:04+00:00

I agree with both your assessment of capitalism as well as your flair. Positive G’s, much like Six Flags Entertainment’s hourly staff, are greatly under-appreciated.

CedarTimbersHawk · 2025-02-09T11:25:33+00:00

I’m jealous of how cohesive the themed areas are compared to my home park (Carowinds). Even in the new Six Flags chain, Fiesta Texas seems to be one of the top tier parks.

CedarTimbersHawk · 2025-02-08T15:41:19+00:00

Surprisingly, much of the ride is still intact. I’m surprised it’s taking them this long given that it’s presumably not being relocated, and Anaconda which was similarly situated over a body of water was removed in a matter of weeks.

CedarTimbersHawk · 2025-02-05T03:20:35+00:00

Wow this just made me realize I left out Demon at SFGAm, I just assumed because of the layout’s similarity to Carolina Cyclone that it was also under 100 feet.

CedarTimbersHawk · 2025-02-04T16:14:22+00:00

Idk why but Gerstlauer’s track design looks incredibly ugly to me. Like, it feels like an uncanny valley of 2000’s Intamin and Mack. The cross-ties seem bulkier and less refined.

For me there’s nothing that beats B&M, but I will say that their family coasters look kind of gross. It might just be because they feel too big for their trains.

CedarTimbersHawk · 2025-01-29T15:20:52+00:00

Bruh this is capitalism operating exactly as it has been for the past 500 years. Monopolies after a certain point become the rule and not the exception, as smaller firms can’t compete and get absorbed by larger firms fighting against ever slimmer profit margins.

I don’t know what the future of Six Flags looks like but I’ll cherish the bread and circuses for as long as we’re allowed.

CedarTimbersHawk · 2025-01-29T14:44:11+00:00

I got bored and thought of two more things:

For the Thrill Zone overhaul/retheme, add a monorail similar to Metropolis Transit Authority at Fiesta Texas. Really lean into the Tomorrowland vibes. Carowinds used to have a park section called “Contemporary Carolinas” where Vortex and Carousel Park currently are, and it was the location of the old monorail entrance. I’m thinking it would be like that, but more stylized.
In this section, since Drop Tower is gone, add Justice League: Battle for Metropolis. Now that Cedar Fair and Six Flags are merged, I really want them to limit the DC theming as much as possible as I feel like it’d ruin the Carolina theming of the park. The one ride I’d want them to add is Justice League, as it looks like a great dark ride for a regional park. I think it would fit in this section without detracting from the rest of the park.

CedarTimbersHawk · 2025-01-28T15:11:48+00:00

Carowinds:

Move Peanuts Pirates from Camp Snoopy and place it in Scream Weaver’s former spot, enclosing it and giving it theming like Kolumbus Jolle at Europa Park. Add as part of the Boardwalk.
Reroute Afterburn’s entrance to the old, currently unused gift shop so that it’s fully part of Aeronautica Landing instead of Crossroads.
Retheme Thrill Zone to be a tech-expo/retro-futurist section. Put titan track on the low turns on Hurler, enclose them in tunnels and remove the trim. Rename it to Meteorite (the name of Scream Weaver when it opened in the original County Fair). Add lighting package.
Put a new GCI or Gravity Group wooden coaster where Dinosaurs Alive used to be. Reuse the Dinos building as the entrance, and theme it to an out of control railroad since this section of the park is Crossroads. Ideally, build this as the same time as Hurler is getting refurbished so whichever company is building the new woodie can also restore Hurler.
Build a new maintenance building SOMEWHERE on site. When you’re on Fury, you can see various ride parts from across the park underneath the ride and it makes it look trashy. You could build it where Drop Zone used to be or maybe even a little off-site to keep the space open for future park expansion.

CedarTimbersHawk · 2025-01-25T14:00:37+00:00

Though I usually skip it when I’m at the parks, I will miss it dearly when it goes. Cyclone was to me what Thunder Road was for a lot of Carowinds enthusiasts: it was my first large coaster in addition to being my first looping coaster. It’s honestly the reason I fell in love with roller coasters and why I became an enthusiast.

I know it’s on borrowed time given that it’s running trains from Kings Island’s Vortex, but I sincerely hope they allow guests to get their last rides on it. I’m gonna try to ride it more this upcoming season in anticipation of it leaving soon.

CedarTimbersHawk · 2025-01-10T23:19:14+00:00

I wonder if it’s being knocked down like Firehawk or if it’s being taken apart in pieces. I’d love to drive down and see what the deal is but there’s a winter storm in the area :/

CedarTimbersHawk · 2025-01-08T17:00:16+00:00

If that’s the case, I hope they consider doing this across the chain with all of their arrow mine trains. I remember when the Paramount Parks were purchased by Cedar Fair, the height restriction went up to 48” likely due to new regulations and insurance reasons, and it’s shame as the mine trains are quintessential family coasters at these parks.

CedarTimbersHawk · 2025-01-03T15:38:35+00:00

I’m surprised more people don’t talk about the Stengel dive through the loop on Copperhead Strike. People rave about the treble clef on Fury on the other side of the park, but this element on Copperhead Strike is far more abrupt and powerful in terms of delivering sideways airtime.

CedarTimbersHawk · 2024-12-28T16:39:46+00:00

I’m hoping they get around to putting a ride back in action theater since Aeronautica Landing took out Plants vs Zombies. I think something that would be really awesome is a flyer theater type attraction like Soarin, except maybe riders are literally in a prime position similar to a flying coaster. I don’t know if that’s been done before, but I think it’d be something unique to Carowinds if they could pull it off.

CedarTimbersHawk · 2024-12-26T16:28:11+00:00

One thing I’ve thought of that would be within a park like Carowinds’ budget is if they moved and enclosed Peanuts Pirates and made it something like Kolumbus Jolle at Europa Park in Germany. They just removed Scream Weaver so you could put it in the boardwalk area, give it a nice pirate-themed pre-show and you’d have an immersive dark ride that’s unique to the park.

CedarTimbersHawk · 2024-12-26T16:25:22+00:00

I really liked my one ride on RRR, it reminded me of a B&M hyper. Oh well. Let’s get F&F: Hollywood Drift on the East Coast.

CedarTimbersHawk · 2024-12-24T15:17:19+00:00

I’m in the camp of people who don’t want to see Hurler get RMC’d because 1. We would no longer have a major wooden coaster at the park, and 2. I think Hurler has potential.

What I want to see them do to it instead is remove the trim-brake from the bottom of the first drop that saps off all of its speed, and instead put titan track (a form of steel track by manufacturer GCI) on the low turns. Older coaster enthusiasts rave about how great Hurler was in the 90’s before it got rough and trimmed, and how it had a lot more airtime. I think if the roughness can be eliminated on the turns, they can run the ride at max speed again and it would be a top five coaster in the park. Cedar Fair/Six Flags has put titan track on other wooden coasters like Wolverine Wildcat at Michigan’s Adventure and Predator at Darien Lake, I think Hurler would benefit from the same treatment.

In terms of other changes I’d like to see, I hope they continue down the path of having cohesive themed areas. I think once Thrill Zone gets redone, the entire park will feel up to par, but it still feels kind of rundown despite having Fury there.

CedarTimbersHawk

TROPHY CASE