2010 Golden Ticket Awards

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Franco

Aug 17, 2010
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Tonight the GTAs were held at our very own Busch Gardens Williamsburg. First off, did anybody go? If so, please tell us about your experience. I'll recap the results of the awards show, as pertaining to BGW.

Park Awards:

Busch Gardens ranked in the top five in:

Best Park (5th)
Cleanest Park (2nd)
Best Food (5th)
Best Kid's Area (5th)
Best Dark Ride (5th)
Best Landscaping (1st)

Also, Apollo's Chariot was voted as the fourth best steel coaster in the world, only behind Nitro, Bizarro, and shockingly the top-voted steel coaster for 2010, Millennium Force.

Additionally, Griffon placed 19th overall in steel, with Alpengeist just trailing at 23rd.

Your thoughts?
 
I can't understand how Bizarro could be ranked above AC. If someone gets thrown out of a ride, it should immediately be disqualified.
 
Spencer, Holiday World won cleanest park, as usual. Chris, I totally agree with you. How do multiple people fall from a ride that doesn't even come close to inverting? Intamin. :mad: Plus, I'm really not sure how MF is number one. It has a great drop with cool turns, but it is airless and VERY overrated by the thousands of CP fanboys (and girls). Nitro and Apollo are pretty comparable, but I think AC has better air. A lot of people enjoy Nitro's hammerhead, but AC is definitely my personal favorite. While I think Bizarro is an AMAZING ride with superb air, it shocks me how many problems the ride has had, both mechanical and injury-wise. Therefore, Apollo comes out as my favorite coaster.

The results made me want to throw the judges out a window. That is all.
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I agree, Swift. How does I-305 get rated so high? Even though it placed 11th, that is too close to the top ten for me. Not to mention, I-305 nearly stole the best new attraction vote from Harry Potter after a far too close 24% to 21% poll. TTD at tenth, for the second year in a row? Glorified thrill rides do not belong on a top-ten coaster list. Why did Intimidator at Carowinds place all the way at 21st? And oh yeah, rides that do not belong in the top 50 (in my opinion):

29. Goliath (SFMM) - The WORST roller coaster I have ever ridden.
46. Space Mountain (MK) - Fun, but top 50? Seriously?
47. Steel Eel (SWSA) - Not top 50 material.
48. Revenge of the Mummy (USO) - Fun, but too short and not fun enough for top 50.

More beefs:

Why is the second top-rated looping coaster in the world Mindbender (14) at SFGA?
Why is Manta (33) higher than Tatsu (40)?

What they got right:

20 B&Ms are the most of any manufacturer on the list, Intamin with 14.

And this is just steel...

Sorry for the complaints, but they really screwed up this list. :dodgy:
 
Franco said:
I agree, Swift. How does I-305 get rated so high? Even though it placed 11th, that is too close to the top ten for me. Not to mention, I-305 nearly stole the best new attraction vote from Harry Potter after a far too close 24% to 21% poll. TTD at tenth, for the second year in a row? Glorified thrill rides do not belong on a top-ten coaster list. Why did Intimidator at Carowinds place all the way at 21st? And oh yeah, rides that do not belong in the top 50 (in my opinion):

29. Goliath (SFMM) - The WORST roller coaster I have ever ridden.
46. Space Mountain (MK) - Fun, but top 50? Seriously?
47. Steel Eel (SWSA) - Not top 50 material.
48. Revenge of the Mummy (USO) - Fun, but too short and not fun enough for top 50.

More beefs:

Why is the second top-rated looping coaster in the world Mindbender (14) at SFGA?
Why is Manta (33) higher than Tatsu (40)?

What they got right:

20 B&Ms are the most of any manufacturer on the list, Intamin with 14.

And this is just steel...

Sorry for the complaints, but they really screwed up this list. :dodgy:
Click to expand...

Manta is so smooth and graceful, that alone would be my best guess as to why it beat Tatsu out.

I for one am pretty stoked that SM made the list.. (Disney fanboy that owned in DVC at 18). The nature and theming of the ride is amazing. The queue games in it make it a pretty cool 70+ minute wait. Like I said I am a fanboy of it.

I will agree with HOW THE HECK did half of what is on the list make it on the list. I did not notice if Expedition Everest made it on it but that thin is UNIQUE!.

I feel Lochness should make it on any list just because of the loops
 
Everest did make the list. I think Loch Ness should make the list just because it's about a million times better than about fifteen of the coasters in the top fifty. Tatsu is also extremely smooth and much more forceful than Manta. Tatsu's pretzel loop is probably my favorite coaster element in the world other than the airtime hills on AC.
 
Ive never been to the GTA's where are they held, if there in virginia i would totally go.
 
Franco said:
Everest did make the list. I think Loch Ness should make the list just because it's about a million times better than about fifteen of the coasters in the top fifty. Tatsu is also extremely smooth and much more forceful than Manta. Tatsu's pretzel loop is probably my favorite coaster element in the world other than the airtime hills on AC.
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That might be why. Manta is more friendly to a more significant number of people

I am going to go out on a limb and guess Sheikra beat Griffon due to the bigger immelman?
 
Balak95 said:
Ive never been to the GTA's where are they held, if there in virginia i would totally go.
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These were presented yesterday at ..... Busch Gardens Williamsburg.

And about Bizzaro. The ride used to be Superman first right? That was the one where the guy that died had cerebral palsy, didn't fit right in the seat and the ride attendant shouldn't have let him on the ride if I remember correctly. I think there was another incident before that where the train collided with a train in the station and some people were hurt. To be fair the safety of those trains has changed a lot. They fixed the brakes and replaced the restraints as well.

The safety issue aside, the ride itself, especially in the Bizarro theme, looks pretty awesome. The theming is pretty good on that ride. Lights, fog, tunnels, fire, and music. That's got to be one of intamin's best coasters. Probably thanks a lot to Six Flags New England.
 
It seems like none of you guys really like Intamin coasters too much. Obviously they tend to be maintenance nightmares, but the forces on them just seem to go with my body much better. I love B&M, but I can't ride them over and over again without getting sick. Once I was able to travel farther away, I became MUCH more in love with Intamin and their lack of conservative design. Just my opinion. I love AC, but I would rather ride MF, Bizarro, and I305 any day.
 
CoasterChris said:
I became MUCH more in love with Intamin and their lack of conservative design.
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Um, I'm sorry, coasters that throw people from cars, derail, leave red stripes down rider's necks, etc. are bad rides. Simple as that.

CoasterChris said:
Just my opinion. I love AC, but I would rather ride MF, Bizarro, and I305 any day.
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Would you like that with a side of pain or regret? (Hey, you can add both for $1.99 more!)
 
Swiftman said:
CoasterChris said:
I became MUCH more in love with Intamin and their lack of conservative design.
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Um, I'm sorry, coasters that throw people from cars, derail, leave red stripes down rider's necks, etc. are bad rides. Simple as that.

CoasterChris said:
Just my opinion. I love AC, but I would rather ride MF, Bizarro, and I305 any day.
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Would you like that with a side of pain or regret? (Hey, you can add both for $1.99 more!)
Click to expand...

The problem with your argument is that the majority of Intamin accidents have occurred due to poor maintenance or ride operator flaw. If a team member on Alpengeist sent out a train with a guest that was too large for the restraint but it was still able to lock down once without having the seatbelt buckled, the same thing would happen. It's not Intamin that has a bad track record for safety, it's certain people who purchase Intamin rides. And what do you mean by your second quote exactly? Cause if your trying to say I305 is painful, sucks for you cause it feels amazing to me. No pain, just gain.
 
B&M rides have killed people too. It's not like Intamin is just building stuff with sticks and duct tape over there. I think B&M makes fantastic rides, but Intamin isn't too far behind. I'm not trying to defend Intamin here, just I don't think it's fair to criticize some great rides just because they were made by the #2 roller coaster maker.
 
The problem with your argument is that the majority of Intamin accidents have occurred due to poor maintenance or ride operator flaw. If a team member on Alpengeist sent out a train with a guest that was too large for the restraint but it was still able to lock down once without having the seatbelt buckled, the same thing would happen. It's not Intamin that has a bad track record for safety, it's certain people who purchase Intamin rides.
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Except here's the thing CoasterChris, B&M has built many coasters in Cedar Fair and Six Flags parks just like Intamin, and how many accidents have been had on B&M coasters that caused injury or fatality due to maintenance issues, operation problems, or ride and train design?

ZERO

Yes, it's hard to believe, but it's true.

I know it's Wikipedia, but here's a list of Intamin's incidents:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intamin#Safety_Incidents

And I'm pretty sure this list is incomplete.
 
Franco said:
The problem with your argument is that the majority of Intamin accidents have occurred due to poor maintenance or ride operator flaw. If a team member on Alpengeist sent out a train with a guest that was too large for the restraint but it was still able to lock down once without having the seatbelt buckled, the same thing would happen. It's not Intamin that has a bad track record for safety, it's certain people who purchase Intamin rides.
Click to expand...

Except here's the thing CoasterChris, B&M has built many coasters in Cedar Fair and Six Flags parks just like Intamin, and how many accidents have been had on B&M coasters that caused injury or fatality due to maintenance issues, operation problems, or ride and train design?

ZERO

Yes, it's hard to believe, but it's true.

I know it's Wikipedia, but here's a list of Intamin's incidents:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intamin#Safety_Incidents

And I'm pretty sure this list is incomplete.
Click to expand...

That's 8, and only 2 were due to anything that could be blamed on the manufacturer. I'm not saying its not a bad thing that they have had accidents. I'm just saying that it is ridiculous to completely discredit the company because they have had 8 major accidents in the last 30 years. And the only 2 accidents on roller coasters that involved deaths were entirely due to operator/guest error. The only thing Intamin could have done is to make it so that it is not possible to send out the train unless the harnesses are all locked, and that technology is something that has only been implemented on new B&Ms after those two incidents. Go on a coaster tour and ask if it is possible to send a train on Alpengeist with the harnesses all open, they will tell you "yes."
 
Notable Intamin ride malfunctions/accidents from 1999-2004: http://www.rideaccidents.com/intamin.html

One of the nice pieces of info that you will find in those articles:
Sunday's accident marks the fifth time since 1999 that a rider has fallen from an Intamin-made ride.
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A few newer examples (off the top of my head):
Expedition G-Force
Xcelerator
I would go find links to more, but I'm going to bed.
 
Franco said:
Except here's the thing CoasterChris, B&M has built many coasters in Cedar Fair and Six Flags parks just like Intamin, and how many accidents have been had on B&M coasters that caused injury or fatality due to maintenance issues, operation problems, or ride and train design?

ZERO

Yes, it's hard to believe, but it's true.
Click to expand...

Tell that to Fabio.

:D:cool:
 
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