Valleyfair progress.(2015-2016)

went to check the valleyfair webcam to see the progress with the snow we got last night and I got lucky and caught them doing test runs of the Northern Lights.

http://64.122.237.18/

anyone going to be there opening day and be the first rider with me on the 16th?

I'll be there, but it might not be until later in the day

it almost looks like they may not be ready in time. only 30 days left and they still have a lot of concrete to pour.

dummy testing today exciting!!!

Much smaller than Wild Thing, but it will have a really good impact, for example, people would think of riding the light green steel monster after this warm up!

im thinking the antique cars are going to be an enjoyable ride going around and under all the coaster tracks. im wondering if its going to make foot traffic a bit heavy in the area the paths are not that big down there.

Even before the expansion the area was ready to handle the foot traffic. I look forward to seeing how opening day goes and I am excited to be able to try out the new ride during dress rehearsal. One of the many perks with working for the park. I am sure the area will be ready. Even though we had a harsh winter that might have set them back a bit. Testing has started which is a good thing.

See you opening day!

[TTD03]

Don't know why, the camera won't load for me.
When I click the IP or go to valleyfair.com it gives me nothing.

It did load for me last week, but they might of taken it down as it's not loading now.

Just got home from Valleyfair and I would have to say that I was impressed!

I was going to take pictures but my phone is no more. So me and my 2 boys got there at about 7 and was surprised at how many people were there. Last year we came on opening day and we were almost the only ones in the park, no joke. this year there were just enough people to give you the busy amusement park feel, but there was not 1 line in the entire park.

We started off with the new Disk'o "Northern Lights". This was my first Disk'o coaster and I was expecting a bit of a lame ride, but it was much more than I expected. Sitting in the back row I felt some nice forces, and my youngest one Dylan(7) almost pooped himself, being his 2nd coaster ride ever. When it was over everyone was happy and had fun.

Next we tried the Antique Cars and it was exactly the same as the one they removed 2 yeas ago. The one thing that made this one 100% better was the layout and placement. I enjoyed going under Wild Thing, and Northern Lights, and watching them zoom over head. Another thing that made it fun was getting back to station to see that my older son Devin(11) had crashed his car into another. Darn kids. Apparently it was an "accident".

Then we moved on to the Scrambler and Tilter and it was... well.... the Scrambler and the Tilter. Both had new paint jobs and new light kits and looked very nice. I could also tell they had undergone some hardcore renovations on the inside as well. I could feel the difference from last years rusty bucket of bolts, to this years well oiled machines. I remember riding the scrambler last year thinking "this thing is going to shear off" as the entire bucket you ride in shook and rattled. Not this time, not a single squeak or rattle.

Next was Steel Venom. I was disappointed here. I'm not sure why but the ride was kind of bumpy and there was a nasty jerk in the track just as it starts to climb. what did they do to it over the winter? it was so smooth before.

Then we hiked over to Camp Snoopy, for Dylan. Swings, Rocket express(my favorite coaster), Cosmic Coaster, and the Peanuts 500.

Devin loves the High Roller so we went there next and OMG THEY RETRACKED SOME OF IT!!! yup a few large sections of track had been replaced, and wow you can tell. Was much smoother in the new spots and seemed to get more airtime too. The second train was in storage with all the test dummies still in the seats, kind of weird.

Then on to Renegade CLOSED!
they were running 1 train empty and the angry mob told me the reason was "a train had broken". I'm not sure what exactly that means and I'm pretty sure that's not really what happened, but anyway I don't like to wait so on we went. I also noticed that they added antiroll-back to the section before the end break run. Not sure why that's needed.

Not wanting to hike 3 more miles to get a ruptured disk on Excalibur, we decided to head back and hit up the Corkscrew and Northern Lights again on the way out.(we were hungry and was about 50?????? and getting colder)

some of the other changes around the park included
-TV's and speakers all over the place playing music and videos.(kind of cool but dumb at the same time, got very annoying)
-Lots of places had been cleared of nice old trees and replaced by little saplings.(why would they do this???)
-Hydro blaster has been removed
-IMAX has been removed, and was replaced by a sand volleyball court. whaaaat....
-Security was EVERWHERE in pairs even. maybe for first day but I have never seen it like that.

I didn't mean to write this much. next time ill get pictures and get to everything. we only spent about 2 1/2 hours.

I noticed the TVs at dorney too, I assume its new for all cedar fair parks? It is kind of silly, but the trivia questions that pop up are funny.

[TTD03]

Yea, hopefully they get different content playing in there throughout the day. Gets very annoying after awhile.

[Coasterkidmwm]

CP has the new TV's as well. They play trivia, "reason number ###" to have a platinum pass" (they have several hundred reasons supposedly but really only 5 or 6), music, and show the current weather/time.

I wonder if there might have been a grain of truth to that rumor that one of Renegade's trains is out of commission for a bit. I was there on opening day and the day after, and it was one-train operation all day both days. Or rather, it was one-train operation on Friday once it opened from the sounds of it... we got on around 2:30 in the afternoon I want to say, and I had barely seen it run before then.

Anyway, point is that single train operation might have been expected on Friday as crowds were still pretty light, but by midday Saturday it was actually decently crowded and Renegade continued to run the same single train it had been running until we left around 5. I can't help but be suspicious about it now...

We got on Northern lights too and I have to say I was a tad disappointed. This was my first Disk'o coaster, too, so I guess I have no frame of reference. However, I feel like it would have been a little more exciting with the usual outward-facing seating, but I don't know if they're very comfortable. I also hate that giant sphere in smack in the center of the car which really blocks the view for those sitting in the middle of the front rows.

That said, it was still a good amount of fun and I caught some nice floaty air on the ends, though expected a little more on the hump. The visuals are nice being so close to Wild Thing's turnaround and the area is well-groomed and charming. I'm a real sucker for classic flat-rides and thoroughly enjoyed my turn on the tilt-a-whirl (Twirler) and Scrambler. All-in-all I think this was a nice little addition for VF.

PS: I'm not sure what you were feeling on Steel Venom... I thought it was running pretty much like I remember, but I've only been on it one other visit (a bunch of times over a couple of days at that, though).

[Coasterkidmwm]

Yeah I went on Pipe Scream today and was expecting more spinning than I got but that's okay. It's meant as a family ride, not a spinny ride so I'm not sure why that disappointed me.

[TTD03]

Well that's good, Pipe Scream is at least running now.

also it seems to be a new rule that you can re-ride, but only once :/

Excalibur was awesome though!

[TTD03]

Better than Dorney, no re-rides at all.

so Valleyfair is WAY overdue for another coaster but it is looking like 2015 addition will be a new waterpark. from the rumors I hear it sounds like rebuild of the current waterpark area plus an expansion. Cedarfair parks got a snakepit waterslide bundle in 2013 and 2014, now most likely valleyfair in 2015.

So.... I was looking at were they would put a new coaster in maybe 2016, and this jumped out at me. the amphitheater has been unused for years. and the enterprise is really rusty and in need of some TLC. I could see them moving it. the trees on the other side of the entrance is dinosaurs alive.

to me it looks like enough room for a Gatekeeper! any thoughts?

Cool spot! I definitely think they're due for one and that's surely where they're going to put it. I heard from GerstlCrazy that he saw construction HAPPENING in the area encircled. Prep for 2016?

the only question I have is - would they build a coaster over dinosaurs alive?
IMO I say yes but it would take away from the dino theme with a giant metal beast passing overhead.

I realized that piture is an old one without the dino area. here is a more current one.

[mkingy]

Nice spot! A wingrider would be a really sick addition in there - I'd love to see B&M make some more low to the ground sections with a wingrider - is there possibility for that above the entrance (before pulling into a beastly immmelman)?