Why is there a prominent image of Le Mans in the voting ad if it's not an option? Isn't that confusing even more people, I see an image of the antique cars and an option that sounds car-related (autobahn), that must be the car ride I liked.
2016 Heritage Line T-Shirts
- Thread starter Luke
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I doubt 90% of the people who go to the park even know that the bumper cars actually have a themed name, that isn't "The Bumper Cars". Because I've never seen nor heard anybody actually use it.
That being said, I can really see the bumper cars getting a shirt, just because of the confusion. Despite the fact that Le Mans has a shirt already.
Personally, I'm for The Enchanted Laboratory.
EDIT: Just reading the comments on the post, its very clear. They want a Le Mans and BBW shirt, both that are already offered at the park. I feel like they should have put a side note like, "Der Autobahn (Bumper Cars)".
That being said, I can really see the bumper cars getting a shirt, just because of the confusion. Despite the fact that Le Mans has a shirt already.
Personally, I'm for The Enchanted Laboratory.
EDIT: Just reading the comments on the post, its very clear. They want a Le Mans and BBW shirt, both that are already offered at the park. I feel like they should have put a side note like, "Der Autobahn (Bumper Cars)".
I think that graphically, Enchanted Laboratory and/or Drachen Fire would look cool. I really love "This is Oktoberfest", but unless the utilize the old stage, it would be like any other kitsch German T-shirt.
Aside from the bumper cars, I love every idea there in some respect. I just think they should go for the one with the coolest graphics.
Aside from the bumper cars, I love every idea there in some respect. I just think they should go for the one with the coolest graphics.
I guess a lot of people had good memories of bleeding ears, broken jaws, and various neck and back injuries on it.
Matthew said:
Or all the banging around gave them a concussion and they forgot what it did to you. Haha
I often wonder how many people who feel all of this misty-eyed nostalgia for Drachen Fire actually ever rode it? My chief memories of that abomination are having trouble finding it, and then being rewarded for my efforts with an extreme headache. In my opinion "missing" Drachen Fire is even more incomprehensible that longing for the return of Shockwave. Maybe I will buy a tshirt, so I can burn it in effigy.
Nicole said:
Well said I wish i knew i think it would be interesting to see. I had never gotten to ride drachen fire, i think i was still very small when it was in operation. So i really hold no nostalgic feelings for it (IMO nothing painful will ever give me a warm and fuzzy memory lol). I just have always heard ppl speaking of it( not only on here but elsewhere) about how it was great. Id love to see how many rode it and speak of loving it despite pain or if they are just heralding a ride they never rode.
Nicole said:
Now that's a eulogy!In comparison with the other BGW coasters, DF certainly was in a class of its own in the roughness department. Short of a sea change in their engineering approach - which wasn't happening at Arrow in those days - Arrow really shouldn't have been attempting the maneuvers they committed to with DF. The ride system quality, from design through fabrication, just wasn't capable of supporting their ideas. Riding the thing was not a barrel of fun.
However, I don't remember DF being particularly awful, really, by the standards of the day. Anaconda was notably worse in my mind, thanks to that godawful butterfly-element thing in the middle of the ride. Great American Scream Machine (NJ version) was marginally smoother than DF, but still gave you some real shots to the temple/neck before it let you out. And Steel Phantom, may it rest in peace, was downright brutal at the bottom of its big hill. That thing caused the kind of pain DF could only dream of. Essentially all of Arrow's multi-loop rides as of the early 90s were cranial rattle-and-shake affairs. DF was in the middle of the pack as a headache generator, in my memory.
It didn't help that Loch Ness Monster, right across the park from DF and its direct ancestor from a design standpoint, is essentially laid out in straight lines with relatively simple turns plus one very long helix, sporting only vertical loops as inversions. Arrow was at its best when avoiding complex curves. The resulting smoother ride made DF seem all the worse by comparison, when (again, in my opinion) DF actually was okay as a two-times-per-day ride and would have been perfectly acceptable in a Six Flags or Paramount park.
Can't deny, though, that it was a "challenging" ride to truly enjoy. I really wish the park had waited an extra year or so, and locked in a spot with B&M instead of going back to Arrow. A cousin to Kumba likely would still be standing next to the Festhaus, and it would be awesome.
halfabee said:Nicole said:
In comparison with the other BGW coasters, DF certainly was in a class of its own in the roughness department. Short of a sea change in their engineering approach - which wasn't happening at Arrow in those days - Arrow really shouldn't have been attempting the maneuvers they committed to with DF. The ride system quality, from design through fabrication, just wasn't capable of supporting their ideas. Riding the thing was not a barrel of fun.
However, I don't remember DF being particularly awful, really, by the standards of the day. Anaconda was notably worse in my mind, thanks to that godawful butterfly-element thing in the middle of the ride. Great American Scream Machine (NJ version) was marginally smoother than DF, but still gave you some real shots to the temple/neck before it let you out. And Steel Phantom, may it rest in peace, was downright brutal at the bottom of its big hill. That thing caused the kind of pain DF could only dream of. Essentially all of Arrow's multi-loop rides as of the early 90s were cranial rattle-and-shake affairs. DF was in the middle of the pack as a headache generator, in my memory.
It didn't help that Loch Ness Monster, right across the park from DF and its direct ancestor from a design standpoint, is essentially laid out in straight lines with relatively simple turns plus one very long helix, sporting only vertical loops as inversions. Arrow was at its best when avoiding complex curves. The resulting smoother ride made DF seem all the worse by comparison, when (again, in my opinion) DF actually was okay as a two-times-per-day ride and would have been perfectly acceptable in a Six Flags or Paramount park.
Can't deny, though, that it was a "challenging" ride to truly enjoy. I really wish the park had waited an extra year or so, and locked in a spot with B&M instead of going back to Arrow. A cousin to Kumba likely would still be standing next to the Festhaus, and it would be awesome.
Reading post like these are really nice. I dont really have the knowledge of coasters many have on here. So comparisons (even if all in a persons opinion) are really great to read.
The real problem with DF were the restraints. Had they changed the restraint system, allowing, particularly shorter people more freedom of head movement without bashing into the harness they would not have had the issues they had. In my opinion DFs fatal flaw was the dive twist. But that is a personal opinion. If it were up to me no primary drops would ever twist it, again in my opinion ruins the drop force. But I am not an invert guy I like drops and airtime.
DF never hurt me, but I know it did others. Ultimately I just found it kind of dull.
DF never hurt me, but I know it did others. Ultimately I just found it kind of dull.
I think this poll is actually kind of interesting. Now, this is a N of one and only a correlation, no causation should be inferred, further this is only a hypothesis it has not been tested.
I have said for sometime that the shows, food, and landscaping are at best secondary to the rides to the public and casual fans.
I have said for sometime that the shows, food, and landscaping are at best secondary to the rides to the public and casual fans.
Regarding DF, my wife and I LOVED it when we had gone to the park back in the day. The reason we liked it was because it was unlike any other coaster we've ever ridden. To this day, that opinion still stands. It would throw you around a bit...possibly bruise you...but when we'd get off the ride, I'd look at her smiling and ask the inevitable: "wanna ride it again?" Obviously she said 'yes'. lol. It was one of a kind. The theme was well done, and the red lights at night were very cool. Before you got on it, they'd ask you to remove any earrings, I do remember that. It was the type of roller coaster that may beat you up...but once you got off, you felt like you 'beat' the coaster. Somehow. Hey, we were young once, lol. Years later when we returned to the park, we were upset that DF was no more. We hadn't heard any of the issues that had happened over the years with the ride. But we do have some great memories of it. Nostalgia? You bet. Even so, if I rode it today I'd still think it's an awesome coaster. Bruises and all
flamanar said:Regarding DF, my wife and I LOVED it when we had gone to the park back in the day. The reason we liked it was because it was unlike any other coaster we've ever ridden. To this day, that opinion still stands. It would throw you around a bit...possibly bruise you...but when we'd get off the ride, I'd look at her smiling and ask the inevitable: "wanna ride it again?" Obviously she said 'yes'. lol. It was one of a kind. The theme was well done, and the red lights at night were very cool. Before you got on it, they'd ask you to remove any earrings, I do remember that. It was the type of roller coaster that may beat you up...but once you got off, you felt like you 'beat' the coaster. Somehow. Hey, we were young once, lol. Years later when we returned to the park, we were upset that DF was no more. We hadn't heard any of the issues that had happened over the years with the ride. But we do have some great memories of it. Nostalgia? You bet. Even so, if I rode it today I'd still think it's an awesome coaster. Bruises and all
Finally, someone who had hope for that coaster. I never did get to ride it (too young) but I hear so much about it being a bad coaster and not the good bad. Just wish I could have rode it once just to know what the Drachen Fire was!
SWStevo said:flamanar said:Regarding DF, my wife and I LOVED it when we had gone to the park back in the day. The reason we liked it was because it was unlike any other coaster we've ever ridden. To this day, that opinion still stands. It would throw you around a bit...possibly bruise you...but when we'd get off the ride, I'd look at her smiling and ask the inevitable: "wanna ride it again?" Obviously she said 'yes'. lol. It was one of a kind. The theme was well done, and the red lights at night were very cool. Before you got on it, they'd ask you to remove any earrings, I do remember that. It was the type of roller coaster that may beat you up...but once you got off, you felt like you 'beat' the coaster. Somehow. Hey, we were young once, lol. Years later when we returned to the park, we were upset that DF was no more. We hadn't heard any of the issues that had happened over the years with the ride. But we do have some great memories of it. Nostalgia? You bet. Even so, if I rode it today I'd still think it's an awesome coaster. Bruises and all
Finally, someone who had hope for that coaster. I never did get to ride it (too young) but I hear so much about it being a bad coaster and not the good bad. Just wish I could have rode it once just to know what the Drachen Fire was!
2 words: ultimate rush.
There are some ride-through videos online that are very good quality. Check them out!