Anaconda
- Thread starter I305Evan
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Do you mean reduce by not trimming the train as much? I would think that even with new trains, that the track would still see the same forces from the new trains versus old. Despite the new trains being more comfortable, the track layout in the figure 8 section is just bad and everytime a riders head bangs into the restraints is also an area the train is slamming into the track causing structural wear and tear.
It also emphasizes the long snakiness of the train -- ? I think the answer to the design would always be "don"t do that", it switches from left to right at the bottom of a valley.
I used to kind of like that element, not sure why, maybe wasn't as bad. Otherwise the main weakness of the ride is being short.
This isn't Vortex -- I think more effort should have been put into keeping Vortex which was one of the best examples of an Arrow Looper -- but it's still a decent ride. There's no reason to campaign for it's removal and I think there is a very good case for Vekoma MK1212 trains here but if the ride were to encounter some kind of serious problem this isn't one that I would expect the park to put ongoing heavy investment into. My point is just that we can say we want ____ coaster at KD but I don't understand the need to say that we want _____ coaster in place of ______ coaster.
I kind of think it's a cool layout TBH.... and I also think that people drastically underestimate the impact that the Vekoma trains would make. We've already seen how much of a drastic difference they make on the boomerangs literally turning them into nearly unrideable machines into something enjoyable.
If you think I’m campaigning for its removal, I think my position is being misunderstood. I’m more in the camp of don’t go out of the way to extend the service life.
I'm not. I was highlighting your point in agreement but just saying that I think there is room for some investment in the ride (Vekoma trains, theme) as I wasn't sure if you were counting the trains as extending it's life.
I do. Mostly because of the investment. I think with the Jungle X theme they should just let it be.
I don’t see issue with giving Anaconda the Jungle X treatment, particularly if it’s done in a modular way that allows reuse once Anaconda is past its service life. Honestly, if I compared Anaconda to Tumbili from a pure ride perspective, I’d take Anaconda most any day of the week. Theming up Anaconda definitely is an opportunity to breathe new excitement into it, a’la what Hershey did with their boomerang.
Is there any chance as a way to update it do some Phantom's Revenge type treatment preserving the lift hill and the drop in the tunnel and make something new after that?
As much as I’d love to see a Phantoms Revenge of the South, the likelihood it would happen is another story. With phantom they retracked the first drop and second drop and the layout pretty changed completely. To do something like that in Anaconda’s plot would more than likely require draining the small amount of water that it sits on, potentially removing it all together, to pour new footers.
Not to Mention that Morgan is technically defunct. Technically they live on as part of Chance Morgan but I think the only coaster they have built recently is Lightning Run at KK
I don't know that there really is a purpose for something like this. They could much easily build a new coaster that just uses the tunnel. PR was a case where the first two drops were not only super unique and well loved but also more substantial than Anaconda's lift and drop.
Morgan *is* Chance..... It's more S&S is Sansei than Arrow is S&S. It wasn't an assets transfer but a complete acquisition of a business that still functions inside of another company. They've also done coasters since Lightning Run but LR is one of their most notable not to mention that Hot Wheels is getting a ton of attention right now. It's also important to note that LR is literally the same exact track technology that Morgan hypers have (with SD2000 being the only slight variation because of earthquake codes).
Clearly my understanding of their situation is incorrect then lol. In that case I would like to see Anaconda get rebuilt like Steel Phantom after Volcano's replacement is done. They can re-do the second half of the ride leaving the drop and tunnel as is.
I had maybe the best ride in years I've had on Anaconda yesterday. I have no clue what combination of time of day, temperature and maintenance may have led to it, but it was way less of a headbanger. Made me appreciate what it may have been like early on in its life.
I do think Anaconda's biggest liability is that there is so little tolerance for lateral rider movement in the seat (aka error), within a design and fabrication scheme that was inherently prone to error in any complex curve. In comparison with a great many wooden coasters, the lateral jarring on Arrow loopers like Anaconda isn't very much at all. It's just that a ride which needs to allow for perhaps 5" of comfortable, unencumbered lateral head movement per side only allows for 2-3" to either side before smacking a fairly unforgiving hard-foam-wrapped steel bar.
I can't really think of any classic Arrow looper, maybe anywhere, that would have felt "rough" -- particularly by the standards of the day -- if the restraint were a tight fitting lap bar system or maybe a vest, instead of on OTS in close proximity to the rider's temples (or, in my case, jaw). Setting aside money, complexity, realism, etc. for just a moment: make that one change, and a large pile of public badwill likely goes away.
I can't really think of any classic Arrow looper, maybe anywhere, that would have felt "rough" -- particularly by the standards of the day -- if the restraint were a tight fitting lap bar system or maybe a vest, instead of on OTS in close proximity to the rider's temples (or, in my case, jaw). Setting aside money, complexity, realism, etc. for just a moment: make that one change, and a large pile of public badwill likely goes away.
This is exactly why parks need to be getting the Vekoma trains for their Arrow Loopers. I saw some stuff posted about shipments headed to Dollywood that seem to be trains from Vekoma and I'm really hoping that they are becoming the first ones to pull the trigger on this with Tennessee Tornado. I honestly wish BGW would have done this instead of getting the new trains from S&S.
I thought Nessie got Vekoma trains a few years ago, just didn't opt for vest restraints?
Otherwise, since Anaconda's inversions aren't particularly high speed/forceful, I'm wondering if a lap bar retrofit into the existing trains would be acceptable? Or would that actually make it worse?
Otherwise, since Anaconda's inversions aren't particularly high speed/forceful, I'm wondering if a lap bar retrofit into the existing trains would be acceptable? Or would that actually make it worse?
I think Anaconda looks ugly over the water. Whether that is from the deteriorating physical ride or the deteriorating lake setting below, I don’t know. But LNM, with its similar track and supports, just looks so much more aesthetically pleasing diving down out of the trees on its bright yellow track. The waterways at BGW interact with guest walkways and attractions very differently than Lake Charles does with Anaconda. Lake Charles is way more of an afterthought, hidden behind overgrown bamboo and inaccessible to guests outside of a queue line. No nice benches to sit on next to it, all because Anaconda’s ugly ass with that concrete maintenance walkway obstructs the possibility of future development on the lake.
Maybe Anaconda would be less ugly if it didn’t have the faded red/orange over brown water. As is, the ride landscaping leaves so much to be desired with the kind of land that it sits on. What should be the most beautiful steel coaster in the park is IMO more of a metal headache over a nasty looking drainage pond. And the concrete and metal staircase in the middle of the lake kills me.
I’m in the camp that Anaconda needs to go because it’s sitting right on top of wasted real estate, impeding what could otherwise be the park’s most signature photo op. (Interestingly though, BGW went and took the wooded Ireland bridge and slapped Finnegans and a gravel pit next to an otherwise picturesque spot). I say tear down Anaconda, cut down old landscaping for an open waterfront overlook by the Anaconda entrance, and then build a new queue for a smaller attraction closer to i305. It would make for a much prettier line of sight from the water to the peak of Volcanos replacement, and make the I305 plaza less isolated. I guess this would require getting rid of the chicken though
Maybe Anaconda would be less ugly if it didn’t have the faded red/orange over brown water. As is, the ride landscaping leaves so much to be desired with the kind of land that it sits on. What should be the most beautiful steel coaster in the park is IMO more of a metal headache over a nasty looking drainage pond. And the concrete and metal staircase in the middle of the lake kills me.
I’m in the camp that Anaconda needs to go because it’s sitting right on top of wasted real estate, impeding what could otherwise be the park’s most signature photo op. (Interestingly though, BGW went and took the wooded Ireland bridge and slapped Finnegans and a gravel pit next to an otherwise picturesque spot). I say tear down Anaconda, cut down old landscaping for an open waterfront overlook by the Anaconda entrance, and then build a new queue for a smaller attraction closer to i305. It would make for a much prettier line of sight from the water to the peak of Volcanos replacement, and make the I305 plaza less isolated. I guess this would require getting rid of the chicken though
