[Footballteen58]

I have to wonder how Paramount planned out their new attactions each year. Pulled out of a hat?

[RollerBee]

Each Park's management made the decision after researching ideas at other parks including the other Paramount Parks. Imagine Carowinds was looking at the 2002 plans for the flying coaster, learned that PGA wanted Stealth gone, so they took it to save a buck. Paramount Parks set the budget for each park, and that was one of the factors in the decision every year.
Also, on the topic of Head Spin. I never said that I believed that it would be removed in favor of a hyper coaster in a few years. Why would they spend to move a coaster, then move it again.

[Jonathan]

Back on the topic of Head Spin, rumor has it, it will be replaced by a hyper in two-three seasons.

[Chris]

Back on the topic of Head Spin, rumor has it, it will be replaced by a hyper in two-three seasons.

[coasterdave]

I find it hard to believe that they would relocate a coaster here with the intention of moving it in 2 or 3 years.

Like paramount did with Stealth?

Maybe you should take time out and take a read at this review that was wrote by Bob Coker when the ride opened at PGA. It gives you a back story on just how the ride came to be.

http://www.thrillride.com/stealth/stealth.html

[Jonathan]

Almost forgot how good a writer Bob is.

I laughed out loud a number of times reading that review. It's amazing how fast opinions of those rides fell; that partly explains why it was removed from PGA, I think. The flying concept was pretty mindblowing at the start, but once the freshness of it wore off, it exposed Stealth and all those Vekoma flyers for what they really are, which is mediocre at best rides.

And the beat goes on. As nearly everyone knows by now, the park has received city approvals to build a 172-foot-tall attraction for 2001, to be located near the Xtreme SkyFlyer. Will it be another coaster? "Not necessarily" is all they'll say. But it is promised to be a major thrill ride and that's good enough for me.

Got a good laugh at that as well. I had totally forgotten about that fiasco, which has now come full circle with Hypersonic being removed from Kings Dominion.

[KenB]

The other funny part about all of this is how many times over the years we heard whining from local enthusiasts, here and elsewhere, to the effect of "Carowinds never gets anything!". Examples given of this "neglect" were often SoB, Stealth, and Hypersonic.

Fast forward to 2008: Hypersonic is scrapped, SoB has lost it's loop (and only redeeming quality), and Stealth is now here - and isn't that spectacular. I like it well enough to ride if there's a short line, but will happily walk by it on most visits.

And all these years we've had to "settle" for Top Gun.....

[Jonathan]

Yeah, if you take a look at Paramount's foray into prototype coasters this decade, it's a little grim looking.

2000 - Flying Super Saturator - Relocated or demolished in 2008???
2000 - Stealth - Relocated in 2004; kinks never were fully ironed out, still inefficient
2000 - Son of Beast - massive failure, huge costs, signature feature removed in 2007
2001 - Hypersonic XLC - removed after 2007
2005/6 - Italian Job - pretty much a huge joke; low ridership now, no longer even themed to the movie

[Footballteen58]

Our top gun could probably be the best coaster in the whole ex-paramount chain. (before CF built anything anywhere). If not its up there.

[Jay]

I would say best in all of the *current* Cedar Fair chain as well. Renegade a close second. I'll get to try Behemoth out in about 8 days so that should be up there as well.



*ducks tomatoes from CP fanboys*

[Jonathan]

Absolute MADNESS.

And now the thread devolves completely off topic...

1. Renegade
2. Grizzly (KD)
3. Millennium Force
4. Magnum XL 200
5. Raptor
6. Top Gun
7. Wild Thing
8. Volcano
9. Flight of Fear
10. Steel Force



(I haven't been on Behemoth or Ghostrider)

[cdp123]

Other than the drop and the one pop of airtime, I think Millennium Force is one of the most overrated coasters ever, it really isn't that fun other than the 2 reasons before, Top Gun is better than Raptor IMO also, it may not be better than MF just b/c of the drop.

[Footballteen58]

Maverick? I hear that one is amazing.

I wonder if they'll change head spins name.

[coasterdave]

Ghostrider sucks major hot dog. I would almost say it is up there with the quality of the Beast and SOB.

[bgwfreak]

Maverick? I hear that one is amazing.

I wonder if they'll change head spins name.

Maverick is an Arrow looper on acid. Seriously I got the most head bopping I've had on a new coaster in the last decade. I hate the first drop, and the quick changes were just more jarring than exciting. The only redeeming quality is the tunnel launch which I loved. Otherwise if CF told us they wanted to build one at Carowinds, I think I'd pass on it.

And I also agree with the post above, Afterburn is better than Raptor. Raptor was feeling like it was starting to show it's age last summer. And the overall ride isn't as good, with the exception of the great helix at the end.