Lightning Rod: Launched RMC Coming to Dollywood!

Murphy's Law itself...

[Metazoanhaddock]

rcking04 wrote:

I hope it's open when we're there in 2 weeks <:c

Well, the article does say the ride is now in technical rehearsals, meaning they received and installed the recalled part. Now we just have to hope to god nothing else goes wrong and that the tech rehearsals go well enough for it to open....

The site says the ride is "closed", but is in technical rehearsal. Better wording: its closed right now.

[Coasterkidmwm]

tiepilot35 wrote:

Cyclone and Colossus were complete, total, utter pieces of sh!t and I can't imagine Six Flags making a better decision than when they went with working with RMC.

Getting rid of the other Roar would have been a better idea. The only inherently broken ride they have converted was Rattler, and since Texas Giant was made by a less-than-fabulous designer that choice makes sense as well.

They really killed a classic with the other two, especially Cyclone since it had those kill kinked hills. They looked fine unless you're a 16 year old pain in the ass. For some reason most 16 year old boys nowadays think literally everything is rough, and I'd estimate 1/3 of the 12 to 16 year old teenagers at CP will not ride Maverick (pre-vest restraints) because they think it's too rough. You just fall into the category of people that can't handle getting shaken around a bit. Senior citizens frequently handle rough rides better than the teenagers.

tiepilot35 wrote:

I feel so terrible for both parties involved, both RMC and Dollywood.

Yeah, and you probably didn't feel bad for Six Flags and Vekoma during the GIB disasters.

yeah I can't imagine the amount of smooth rides nowadays for a new coaster rider. the newer generation has more of a chance to ride a smooth ride before a rough ride. It's getting to the point where it will eventually be hard to find a rough coaster. I've heard a few claims now that El Toro is too rough now that it's unrideable.. doubt it we'll see next week.

[slosprint]

tiepilot35 wrote:

Cyclone and Colossus were complete, total, utter pieces of sh!t and I can't imagine Six Flags making a better decision than when they went with working with RMC.

Check yourself before you wreck yourself. Cyclone was a fantastic ride right up until the last 2 years, and if it hadn't been for Six Flags' negligence it would have continued to be a good ride long after. It offered airtime unlike that of any other coaster; and was FAR more unique than Wicked Cyclone is or will ever be. I've ridden both and while you will never hear me say WC is bad; it's far more cookie-cutter; and there is now nowhere to go if you are looking for what it is that Cyclone offered. What about Cyclone made it "Sh!t"? The fact that you couldn't predict and prepare for every little force you were hit with? Because it had LATERALS (god forbid)? Maybe if you pulled your head out of your ass your neck wouldn't be bent when you hit a bump, and it wouldn't hurt so bad.

[Paradox]

slosprint wrote:

tiepilot35 wrote:

Cyclone and Colossus were complete, total, utter pieces of sh!t and I can't imagine Six Flags making a better decision than when they went with working with RMC.

Check yourself before you wreck yourself. Cyclone was a fantastic ride right up until the last 2 years, and if it hadn't been for Six Flags' negligence it would have continued to be a good ride long after. It offered airtime unlike that of any other coaster; and was FAR more unique than Wicked Cyclone is or will ever be. I've ridden both and while you will never hear me say WC is bad; it's far more cookie-cutter; and there is now nowhere to go if you are looking for what it is that Cyclone offered. What about Cyclone made it "Sh!t"? The fact that you couldn't predict and prepare for every little force you were hit with? Because it had LATERALS (god forbid)? Maybe if you pulled your head out of your ass your neck wouldn't be bent when you hit a bump, and it wouldn't hurt so bad.

Agreed. Cyclone was a great ride especially with that weird kink in the first drop, but during it's last 2 years of operation SF just ran it into the ground and it was slow, screechy, and boring.

To me it doesn't matter how they got that way as you can't rewrite history. The fact is my last ride on Cyclone I thought I was going to be done riding for the day it gave me such a headache. What exactly was the incentive for SFNE to keep it? So that future generations could be treated to "former glory" crap?


And Colossus, for all it's beauty, was a GIANT BORE. It wasn't rough, it was dull. No airtime, lifeless hills, trimmed to the Gods, and nearly ready to fall to the ground it was so badly rotted.

RMC turned both rides into star attractions, and whether you like them or not, you can't deny that.

[Coasterkidmwm]

Manic Monte wrote:

And Colossus, for all it's beauty, was a GIANT BORE. It wasn't rough, it was dull. No airtime, lifeless hills, trimmed to the Gods, and nearly ready to fall to the ground it was so badly rotted.

I don't understand how you get a headache from a wooden ride. But alas, you described the typical GCI in that post lol.

^ It's the rattling and Jack Hammering. I wish you could take a ride on Apocalypse in it's current state or Hades or Ghostrider before the refurb, and then you would get what i mean. Headache city. But there is nothing worse than Jack Hammering on an older wooden coaster, because it's like the ride is trying to shake itself apart around you.

Combine that with SF maintenance, and it shouldn't even be a question why some of these RMC rebuilds needed to happen. Even if SF found the budget to restore these rides while keeping them wooden, they would just go back to crap in three years anyway.

And although I happen to like GCIs because of their controlled speed from beginning to end, I can see how others find them boring.

[slosprint]

Manic Monte wrote:

To me it doesn't matter how they got that way as you can't rewrite history.

Ok, what? You can restore a wooden coaster, people do it all the time. Holiday World just got through restoring all 3 of theirs in one off-season. Cedar Fair restored GhostRider as well. Only Six Flags is so lazy as to go "screw it, tear it down".

The fact is my last ride on Cyclone I thought I was going to be done riding for the day it gave me such a headache.

What year was this? I'm pretty sure I covered in my post that it was bad the last few years; In fact I think they specifically let it slide downhill after remaking Texas Giant because they had already planned to tear it down when it was still a good ride.

What exactly was the incentive for SFNE to keep it? So that future generations could be treated to "former glory" crap?

Not former glory, current glory. They successfully maintained it for just under 30 years, I refuse to think that it would slide so far downhill in 2 years without some negligence from the park.

RMC turned both rides into star attractions, and whether you like them or not, you can't deny that.

I didn't deny that (well the Colossus redo looks like garbage), but at the rate RMCs are going up (and burning down rofl) they will be all over the place before long. As much as you moan and complain about about not liking what other people like, the rides that I like don't tear down the rides you like in order to exist. Would I want to tear down Fury 325 in order to throw a classic wooden coaster in its place? No, I'm not stupid and while it's not my kind of ride, I respect the people who say it's the best on earth. What irks me is when people say the rides that I like are garbage, and try to convince me that they are better off changed into something that I don't find quite as fun.

It's the rattling and Jack Hammering. I wish you could take a ride on Apocalypse in it's current state or Hades or Ghostrider before the refurb, and then you would get what i mean.

I rode Hades before the refurb and it was much rougher than Cyclone if you don't count 2013-14.

Combine that with SF maintenance, and it shouldn't even be a question why some of these RMC rebuilds needed to happen. Even if SF found the budget to restore these rides while keeping them wooden, they would just go back to crap in three years anyway.

Like I said Cyclone was fine UNTIL Texas Giant got refurbed, at which point I'm sure the decision had already been made to redo it.

And although I happen to like GCIs because of their controlled speed from beginning to end, I can see how others find them boring.

*Slams head through wall*

^ And you can continue to slam your head through a wall riding these rough ass wooden coasters, but I no longer have the patience for it. lol

Just because YOU don't like something doesn't make anyone else wrong. I happen to rank Twisted Colossus in my top ten and so do many others (including some that post here), Colosucks didnt even warrent a ride from me most visits as I'd rather have a root canal.. I don't know how much more clear I can be about it. That ride was crap. I absolutely celebrated its demise and Cyclone's. Oooo..Cyclone had a great drop, but the rest of it was like pushing someone in a shopping cart down an LA freeway. YMMV.

If Six Flags can't maintain a wooden coaster, why in the hell would they restore one back to wood when they don't have the desire to take care of it? That makes absolutely no sense to me whatsoever. Yeah, leave that to Holiday World, a park that treasures it's wooden coasters.

As someone who is a SFMM local and rode Colossus on about four out of five visits, I'd say it was a ride that was fine as is but not something I regret losing to a RMC transformation. Out of 19 coasters in the park, Colossus would have ranked about 12th at the time of it's closure for me. Twisted Colossus, however? While it may not look it, that's the best ride in the park. Yes, the original ride was a classic, but it had been toned down significantly over the years and there was no chance it would ever return to it's original configuration. Plus, it was no longer a popular ride, so replacing it made sense. Roar at SFDK was a similar case: fine as is, but not a huge loss, and the least popular major coaster has now become the most popular.

SFNE's Cyclone is the only other ride I've ridden pre-conversion, and that is the one ride I would say was maybe worth sparing. When I rode in 2011, it was a bit rough in places but that was still my second favorite coaster in the park. If the park was willing to maintain it, I think a complete GCI retrack and restoration of the original layout may have been a better option for that particular ride. Now, I have not ridden Wicked Cyclone yet to compare, and if it is a top ten coaster now then it is definitely an upgrade, but I will say that Wicked Cyclone looks like one of the less unique RMC rides despite replacing a very unique wood coaster.

Back to Lightning Rod, I heard from someone who was there on Wednesday that one of the trains had been removed from the ride and that an employee said it would be at least a week before the ride resumed operation. I hope those who will be visiting next month have good luck, but at this point I would say it's best to assume it won't be running unless you see otherwise. Some may disagree with me, but at this point I think it's fair to call this project a blunder and stop giving RMC and Dollywood any leeway.

^ I really wish they had just gone the lift hill route instead of trying to get cute with a launch the ride didn't need.

[slosprint]

Manic Monte wrote:

Just because YOU don't like something doesn't make anyone else wrong.

Which is exactly what I did NOT just say, and which you then go on to do for the remainder of your post. Maybe a little self-awareness is what you need.

If Six Flags can't maintain a wooden coaster, why in the hell would they restore one back to wood when they don't have the desire to take care of it? That makes absolutely no sense to me whatsoever.

Did you not read anything I wrote? They maintained it just fine up until they decided to RMC it, after which it went downhill fast.

^ I read everything you wrote. I just disagree with you on almost everything.

I HATE SF wooden coaster maintenance, and disagree that everything was fine. It's just that simple.

[slosprint]

Manic Monte wrote:

^ I read everything you wrote. I just disagree with you on almost everything.

I HATE SF wooden coaster maintenance, and disagree that everything was fine. It's just that simple.

And that's the issue I have; what you like overrides what I like in this real world scenario; whereas what I like almost always gets the short end of the stick. So you're coming in here and telling me to step in line or something? Why? People like you complaining is legitimately the only reason the things I like are far and in-between, and every time I see a ride I love scrapped or remodeled it honestly breaks my heart. So all I can ask is please for the love of god stop acting as if these rides which you don't find comfortable are fundamentally flawed because they aren't. They are "fine" for a large group of people, and when you run around whining and bitch-moaning about how you broke a nail or something on one of them, the park hears that and uses it as an excuse to tear it down for something which costs less to maintain and everyone seems to like. You don't want to ride wooden coasters? Don't. But don't act like they are better off not existing.

[Metazoanhaddock]

slosprint wrote:

well the Colossus redo looks like garbage

While it may look that way, until you've ridden it, you really can't understand just how much fun that ride is. It's the only ride that has actually made me giggle uncontrollably in the past 7-8 years due to how wild and strange the transitions are, especially in the high five section. Additionally, there's a surprising amount of airtime that the original was missing by the time of the conversion, and most if not all of it is ejector. I honestly wasn't thrilled about the layout when it was first released, but you really can't judge the coaster until you've ridden it; there's just no way to describe or expect the way the coaster just throws you around.

[slosprint]

Metazoanhaddock wrote:

slosprint wrote:

well the Colossus redo looks like garbage

While it may look that way, until you've ridden it, you really can't understand just how much fun that ride is. It's the only ride that has actually made me giggle uncontrollably in the past 7-8 years due to how wild and strange the transitions are, especially in the high five section. Additionally, there's a surprising amount of airtime that the original was missing by the time of the conversion, and most if not all of it is ejector. I honestly wasn't thrilled about the layout when it was first released, but you really can't judge the coaster until you've ridden it; there's just no way to describe or expect the way the coaster just throws you around.

Ok I'll take your word for it

In addendum, I have only been on 2 RMCs so far, and already they are far more insane than anything I've been on just due to their design.

Twisted Colossus was one of the best new rides I've ever had the pleasure of riding, just as Goliath at SFGAm was. I'd gladly see any of the poorly-maintained woodies under SF's care get RMC'd. After riding Apocalypse over the years, I'm more than convinced SF can't maintain a wooden coaster.

RMC is a godsend to them.

[Metazoanhaddock]

I remember riding Apocalypse (formerly Terminator) in its opening year, and it was amazingly smooth....

....until I came back the next year. It's truly a testament to the abysmal maintenance at SF parks that a brand new woodie was basically destroyed in less than a year.

slosprint wrote:

Manic Monte wrote:

^ I read everything you wrote. I just disagree with you on almost everything.

I HATE SF wooden coaster maintenance, and disagree that everything was fine. It's just that simple.

And that's the issue I have; what you like overrides what I like in this real world scenario; whereas what I like almost always gets the short end of the stick. So you're coming in here and telling me to step in line or something? Why? People like you complaining is legitimately the only reason the things I like are far and in-between, and every time I see a ride I love scrapped or remodeled it honestly breaks my heart. So all I can ask is please for the love of god stop acting as if these rides which you don't find comfortable are fundamentally flawed because they aren't. They are "fine" for a large group of people, and when you run around whining and bitch-moaning about how you broke a nail or something on one of them, the park hears that and uses it as an excuse to tear it down for something which costs less to maintain and everyone seems to like. You don't want to ride wooden coasters? Don't. But don't act like they are better off not existing.

When did this become about all wooden coasters? I'm talking about a select group of rough, neglected wooden coasters within the Six Flags chain.

I've lost faith in their ability to take care of their wood coasters, nothing more, nothing less. And I agree with their decision to RMC them rather than continue to let them run like crap.

That in no way means you or anyone else has to agree. It just so happens I'm on the side of history that favors my opinion so I'm enjoying it while it lasts? Please don't tell me you're one of those doomsdayers that thinks the wooden is in danger of disappearing?

[Paradox]

I hate the whole RMC craze in general. Every RMC reuses the same elements and people insta-orgasm whenever one gets announced, but how many are going to be built before people realize it's the same elements just copied and pasted in different ways and sequences. People seem to believe that a wooden coaster can't be good anymore when in reality some wooden coasters are better than steel coasters.

If anyone ever thinks that Boulder Dash would be a better ride if it was iron horsed, please leave this planet. Honestly, if Cyclone was restored to its former glory rather than being iron horsed that would have been great as well. Cyclone in its last years was horrible because as Slosprint mentioned above SF just stopped caring because they were going to tear it down anyways.

Seriously though RMC better not lay a finger on Boulder Dash.

I kind of agree with people saying that woodies with "apparently awkward, not intentionally for the thrill" transitions needs RMCing or some retracking, but most traditional out-and-back or GCI twisted ones have neat characteristics to keep riders and designers amused. Well, I personally find RMC ideas truly awesome because they have changed the looping woodie history so far! Just my personal opinion.

Calm down you guys.

Dang, I tossed out a little bait and you guys bit, HARD.
Manic Monte always comes to the rescue when it's needed most haha. Some of my favorite posts of all time on dis page.

Paradox they will never RMC Boulder Dash; I would bet my life on that. Management teams only make the smart decision to upgrade roller coasters that are complete trash.

Anyone have any insider info on Lightning Rod? I assume at this point that it's being designated as a statue instead of an amusement ride. As it is almost entirely made of wood, it can't even function as the object that it's named after.