Grizzly

[Zachary]

Was it a poor idea sure but enforcement would have been simple one employee going going hey the lone doesn't start till 8 if you are in line before 8 you will not be counted and problem solved.

Except if they tell people not to line up, instead, people will just form a massive mob as close as possible to the entrance and then there would be a mad dash to the entrance at 8. Without a line, the event was doomed. They should have created a dedicated space for people to queue and had security posted to prevent line jumping.

What I wonder about was KD so out of touch that they didn't realize that the event would be popular?

My guess is, honestly, yes. KD is really, really bad at engaging with their fanbase and has been for years now. BGW has a bunch of times each year where they have something that draws all of their passionate fans out to the park. It feels like KD never even attempts the same.

 

[warfelg]

If you want to do a limited items event they should do registration. Maybe they should learn from BGW in that.

 

[horsesboy]

If you want to do a limited items event they should do registration. Maybe they should learn from BGW in that.

I mean that an option or just plan ahead. They could have easily run a waiting line starting any time they wanted through the old Dinosaur Alive area and had it out of the way and controlled. I have no objection to that and most of the people I heard complainly were complaining not that people were ahead of them but they the park had advertised the line as not opening and then let it open. To be blunt that is actually blaintant false advertising.

 

[rswashdc]

If they hadn’t advertised the free t-shirts, and just made them a surprise, the line probably doesn’t happen. People do irrational things when it comes to free giveaways.

 

[WrierSiamang152]

I mean that an option or just plan ahead. They could have easily run a waiting line starting any time they wanted through the old Dinosaur Alive area and had it out of the way and controlled. I have no objection to that and most of the people I heard complainly were complaining not that people were ahead of them but they the park had advertised the line as not opening and then let it open. To be blunt that is actually blaintant false advertising.

So, if you look closely when you turn out of the station, you can see that all of the GrimmWoods stuff from last year's haunt is out in the old Dinosaurs Alive area still.

 

[horsesboy]

So, if you look closely when you turn out of the station, you can see that all of the GrimmWoods stuff from last year's haunt is out in the old Dinosaurs Alive area still.

I am aware but there is still plenty of room to have lined people up that way and the gates would have allowed for easy crowd control. It's still was a viable option and a better one then the don't line up oh to hell with let them do what they want plan the park went with.

 

[warfelg]

I am aware but there is still plenty of room to have lined people up that way and the gates would have allowed for easy crowd control. It's still was a viable option and a better one then the don't line up oh to hell with let them do what they want plan the park went with.

In any way there were options available. I think to me what makes it bad was the “we don’t want to deal with backlash so we’ll let people do whatever” attitude my friend got.

They joined KD this year on my recommendation and said it sorta soured them with that and another experience getting on Anaconda. I really did feel bad with what they were told in both cases as it seems at odds with what most are saying.

 

[Thriller]

So illogical. Lining up 30 minutes before ERT for a coaster that normally has much less wait thsm that. Plus missing 30 mins of park time for an ERT.

 

[horsesboy]

So illogical. Lining up 30 minutes before ERT for a coaster that normally has much less wait thsm that. Plus missing 30 mins of park time for an ERT.

I would say for most of the people it was the free limited edition shirts.

 

[Thriller]

Aw ok. I didn’t realize

I would say for most of the people it was the free limited edition shir

 

[horsesboy]

Aw ok. I didn’t realize

yeah and there were only 200 going to the first 200 in line which was why the whole you can't get in line till 8 oh people are doing it anyhow let's just let them so they won't be mad became an issue.

 

[horsesboy]

I don't mean to beat a dead horse on the issue but felt like this was worth sharing.

Friday night after I got home I took the time to send KD's customer service an email regarding my experience at the event and my feelings on it. I sent it with no more intention then to share feedback in hopes that maybe they would look at the issues I listed with an eye to improving future events. I honestly didn't expect to get a reply back but I received one today and thought I would pass on a summary of the response.

1:The park stated that the don't line up before 8 was to insure that the path was not blocked for those wishing to ride pre event and as long as they were not blocking the line it was none of their business if people lined up earlier. OK I can buy that but that wasn't what was stated.

2: Two they couldn't enforce spot holding and cutting cause this wasn't an official queue line and it wouldn't be fair to deprive people of ride time or to exclude them from getting a shirt because they didn't want to wait. Um then how was it fair to exclude those that waited till the 8 time frame from getting one. Especially true of those of us there were solo and would have had to sacrifice our ride time to wait. I am honestly puzzled by what seems like double speak to me.

At this point my honest best guess is that the park didn't think that they would get many over 200 and wasn't sure how to proceed with the seen that they were met with.

 

[Mushroom]

1:The park stated that the don't line up before 8 was to insure that the path was not blocked for those wishing to ride pre event and as long as they were not blocking the line it was none of their business if people lined up earlier. OK I can buy that but that wasn't what was stated.

To be fair, that’s how I initially interpreted their post. They said “Please refrain from lining up and blocking the entrance prior to 8 PM as Grizzly will still be open to the general public” (emphasis mine). I read “lining up and blocking the entrance” as one action, and clearly that’s how the park meant it too. Like the email stated, they weren’t saying you can’t line up; they were asking guests not to line up in front of the ride so as it to prevent the general public from getting in line before the park closed.

 

[VB06Hokie]

I don't mean to beat a dead horse on the issue but felt like this was worth sharing.

 

[Fiender]

So, I did a thread search, and it turned up nothing, so I'll just ask:
Were there any markings on Grizzly leading up to the refurb? Particularly on the footers?
Just... wonderin'

 

[Thriller]

I got to ride this. My first visit was last Sat. Busy park but no line for Grizzly.

Every ride I heard comments about how rough it is. People remember what’s most recent and the last 1/4 probably undoes the great first 3/4.

It was a poor investment to not fully retrack. By the looks of the line, people aren’t re riding. It’s not marketable with the rough finale. Jackhammer rough.

The retrack did make me realize it has an exciting layout. They should have just invested in Titan track. I don’t think this years wood will hold up long term and even by the time they retrack they rest there will be a difference.

The loss of trees in the turnaround is a shame. Even though one side of the coaster and the other turnaround are already barren. Coasters in a forest are do rare and this used to be that .

 

[Unagi]

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[rswashdc]

I got to ride this and it’s a big improvement from where it was. Even with the bad sections, it’s in a little better shape than Racer 75.

As others have noted, it would really help to finish off the retrack and make this a top flight option in the park.

 

[Crunchewy]

I hope the only reason they didn't finish the retrack is they wanted to have it running during the main season and after the main season they will finish it. I strongly disagree with titan track instead. The GG retrack is amazing and retains the wooden coaster feel, because it is a wooden coaster and not steel.

 

[Thriller]

After re riding this, I find the roughness on the first hill the retrack ends disturbing. So rough it feels kind it’s going to come apart. I can’t believe they don’t shut it down for a few days and fix that section.