151 replies to this topic

[The BeastFan]

http://www.canadaswonderland.com/2012/

There are definitely signs that something big is coming to Canada's Wonderland next year. The park's website has links to the site I just posted, and there is a countdown set for August 18th. To add some more bits to this, there is construction going on around Dragon Fire. Not sure if this means we'll be down one more Arrow looper, but regardless, there is something definitely worth watching here.

[Reapers Ashes]

I beat you to this on another forum im a mod at lol. Im excited to see what they get seeing as im in the epicenter of 4 different theme parks! Well parks with in 5 hours 6. canada wonderland being one of them.

[Tyler Carlton]

Boom. Giga'd...allegedly...



#CedarFairPleaseSpendSomeCashOnCedarPointNowOK?

[CPF]

Ugh...Why Cedar Fair? Why? Why do you need to make me get a passport, why?

[Tyler Carlton]

A bit off-topic, but you don't exactly need a passport. Us Michigan residents can get an enhanced license for much cheaper that lets us cross the border.
http://www.michigan....13045--,00.html

[CPF]

45 dollars for the special license...ugh...Cedar Fair, please make Cedar Point in line next. I am begging you!

In the meantime, what exactly is that a picture of?

[Tyler Carlton]

From what I can tell on the label it says :
UCC Group (http://www.uccgroup.com/)
Giga Coaster Caps
Concrete Caps and Grade Beams

[Thunderhead]

They have Behemoth.

/me is disappointed.

[drachenfirebgw]

Yeah, their lineup is pretty stacked already though. In my personal opinion a major launch roller coaster would have been appropriate. A Blitz Coaster like Maverick or iSpeed would have been perfect in that location. Interesting if it is a Giga with Behemoth right there. While they could have filled a bigger need a Intamin Giga and B&M Hyper in the same park would be just surreal.

Also, think about this. Intamin's recent additions have been more about sustained speed throughout, think about Intimidator 305, the Mega-Lites, and Skyrsuh. They focus less on particular elements and sensations and focus more a flow and speed, specifically maintaining speed throughout the course. In the past, parks have focused more so on the use of elements in their rides. Dragon Fire at Canada's Wonderland is the perfect example. The principal is that the two loops and two corkscrews are the primary elements and the purpose of the rest of the ride is simply to connect them together while trying to establish some sense of flow. Hyper Coasters are guilty of this as well. Think about Behemoth. The airtime hills are the primary element and the rest of the course is simply connecting them together. Now modern manufactures have done a much better job at establishing a flow between elements and have even begun using other elements as connector elements such as the hammerhead. B&M is brilliant at this. Kraken, Apollo's Chariot, Dominator, Montu, these are the ones that come to mind that I have ridden that while focused around elements, they do a fantastic job at establishing a flow and sense oneness to the layout rather than element/die time/element/dead time and so on and so forth. This modern principal that combines the elements theory with this idea of a seamless ride is my personal favorite. Maverick and El Toro are also good Intamin examples of this principal.

Now what happens if you go to the other end of the spectrum, and focus less and less on elements and more of transitions, flow, speed, and connectivity. Now we have come full circle and arrive at the rides I mentioned earlier like Intimidator 305, the Mega-Lites, and Skyrush. On this scale so to speak, their are two things missing, and they both happen to be on the complete opposite side. Canada's Wonderland lacks a one-trick pony, a ride that focus one single elements. Top Thrill Dragster, Kingda Ka, HyperSonic XLC, and the like. They also lack a ride that focus on attributes we talked about at the beginning of this paragraph. Thus, you could argue that a Giga like Intimidator 305 is a need. All of Canada's Wonderland's roller coaster fit somewhere in the middle of this spectrum, but don't really push the edges of it. A Giga would do just that.

Do I think in the grand scheme of things a Giga is necessary. Absolutely not. Does it work at Canada's Wonderland? In my opinion yes.

[biZarRo]

In my opinion, this is the coaster that Canada's Wonderland needs. The only really good coasters there are Behemoth, Vortex, and somewhat Minebuster. The rest are basically clones with the exception of Dragon Fire and SkyRider, neither of which are that good.


This giga, in my opinion, should mix MF and I305, with cool overbank to start it off, and then goes into the I305 style s-turns, with airtime hills in between.

[The BeastFan]

A couple of things if this turns out to be a giga.

First off, I do like its placement. Its on the complete opposite side of the park from Behemoth, which means one won't dwarf another. Secondly, I have to agree with drachenfirebgw on the differentiating giga's from hypers part. Aside from Steel Dragon, the 2 other gigas focus on speed and positive g's while most hypers go for air time. In that, they kind of compliment each other and the sensation of long drawn out areas of high speed can be equally as thrilling. Also, given that Intamin likes quick transitions, what better place to put them than on a 90+ mph giga coaster, eh? Also, this helps them immensely in terms of upping the competition. La Ronde doesn't have nearly the attendance figures nor the ride selection Canada's Wonderland has, and a giga for the later would be a huge boost in their image to go to more extremes in ride building.

I also imagine this 'giga' will have plenty of interaction with other rides, as CW doesn't exactly have a lot of open space in the area where footers and construction are currently, unless they pull a Six Flags and eat up the parking lot. Speaking of which, it would look awesome having a giga in front of the park like that. Talk about eye candy!

[Thunderhead]

In my opinion, this is the coaster that Canada's Wonderland needs. The only really good coasters there are Behemoth, Vortex, and somewhat Minebuster. The rest are basically clones with the exception of Dragon Fire and SkyRider, neither of which are that good.


This giga, in my opinion, should mix MF and I305, with cool overbank to start it off, and then goes into the I305 style s-turns, with airtime hills in between.

Are you saying that it needed a Giga specifially? Or it just needed another big signature coaster?

[The BeastFan]

I think what biZarRo meant is that a giga would fill a niche CW has until now, overlooked. None of their rides have a real sense of speed or have quite the intensity a giga could offer. Yes, Behemoth reaches 80 mph, but there aren't long stretches of it and its more of a ride geared to delivering airtime. It would also be a nice signature ride they could advertise.

Wow...drachenfirebgw's and my ramblings now make me want a giga at Kings Island.

Edited by The BeastFan, 03 August 2011 - 05:24 PM.

[biZarRo]

^yes that is what I meant.

[Vater]

I totally get the disappointment about having a giga and hyper in the same park. Just look at how horribly that combination failed at Cedar Point.

[krosscoasters]

Evidently, CW is well on it's way to becoming a third entity in the coaster wars.

[drachenfirebgw]

Turning into parking lot roller coaster. Large part of the employee parking lot has been blocked off, now has markers all over it, and they are clearing some of the land that transitions between the two. Also, a box was found in the construction site that says "GC Seats". I'm usually not a TPR follower or supporter, however, someone over there is posting pictures of the construction site almost daily if not every other day.

[Reapers Ashes]

Anyone from michigan want to take a road trip to cw next year?

[Daniel Westfall]

Check with Tyler Carlton and Patrick Leaske (CPF). They are the only ones for sure (besides you) that I know are from Michigan.

[biZarRo]

I probably won't be going back up there for a while. Prices in Canada are way too ridicilous.

[Daniel Westfall]

Yes, they are. Thanks to you (and your parents even more) for going. I know it wasn't cheap. I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you do get to go back sometime in the near future to experience what looks like a new giga-coaster coming their way.

[drachenfirebgw]

It the latest twist. Supports or some variety arrived today at CW with what we traditionally see as labels from B&M manufactured roller coasters on them with an 'MC' prefix. MC usually stands for Mega Coaster, which makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. The supports look Intamin-like to me so maybe they were manufactured at the same Ohio plant B&M track and supports are manufactured, hence the label. Either that or something really fishy is going on here.

[The BeastFan]

^I saw the photos of the supports, and I'm kind of astonished by this. Could we really be seeing the first B&M giga? Talk about going out of the box! (If I remember correct, B&M said they had a height limit on their rides, I believe around 250 ft was for their hyper coaster). We are seeing Intamin go a little out of the box a bit on Skyrush, so maybe B&M is following suit with a giga coaster, perhaps with better maintenance issues than Intamin's. Also, knowing B&M's designs, I'm wondering if we'll see a shot at the length record with this.

Also if I remember, Intamin parts show up via shipping crates whilst B&M show up on truck beds. I believe Intamin has their own fabrication plant in Switzerland and nothing here in the states from as far as I'm aware (though I did do some research and found a California plant who produced both B&M's like Tatsu and BTR at SFMM and Intamins like Superman: The Escape and V2 at SFDK).

If this turns out as epic as this, I'm calling for this as best ride in 2012.

EDIT: I just did some comparisons, and the supports in question look a bit identical to a few supports for Diamondback's train shed.


http://www.cwmania.c...&page=1&sort=dd

http://rcdb.com/4253.htm?p=22247

Edited by The BeastFan, 08 August 2011 - 10:56 PM.

[sethdawg17]

Like in the pictures above, they do look similar to those of transfer track supports, or train shed supports. Also to note is the "X-Works" on the label, which has been seen on track that is for B&M's wingrider coasters.

So most rumors are either Intamin Giga, then B&M GIga to maybe a B&M wingrider...Who knows, but I definitely think this is going to be one of the better rides for 2012.

[Tyler Carlton]

From what I can remember the X-Works label shows up regardless of the style of track.

Proof: The new inverted coaster at Parc Asterix's label. As you can see its IC.