11/24 SFMM Dear God, it's Coalhouse. Turn off the misters please.

Coalhouse · #1 11-24-2001, 07:57 PM

I woke up today and Franklelock talked me into going to SFMM...so I did. At the time it was only lightly sprinkling and thought nothing of it. By the time I had left it was raining, but it was off and on. I expected it to clear...and thus we see Coalhouse was wrong.

When I got to SFMM at about 1:30 it was raining...hard. I hadn't brought an umbrela, but did bring a "waterproof" jacket. When I had gotten into the park there were tons of people leaving, and I was suprised they even let me in. I've never been on a coaster in the rain, and was kinda nervous about. SO I did what any crazy person would do...headed to Flashback. I figured if I didn't die on that ricky piece then I'd be good for the rest of the coasters. I wasn't expecting Flashback to be open and from the looks of it, it was closed. The only thing was, was that there wasn't a trashcan in the way. So I walked the que and by the time I had reached the top of the stairs I saw two people huddled in the corner on the loading platform. They told me that I had to wait for another person, but then told me I was the first in an hour. So, I decided to walk back through the line and head over to Goliath. By this time it was really coming down. Along the way from Flashback to Goliath I would stop under things to try to stay dry...nothing doing.

I walked through the Goliath que and saw something I've never seen before...the misters were OFF. Those things are always on!...night, day, cold, hot, doesn't matter. I guess the rain turns them off...hm. They closed off the front row which made me disappointed, but they told me to trust them that no one in their right mind would want the front row. So, I took the second row. They were running one train op, and I just walked on. While I was waiting my one train before I got on I looked around at everyone. It seemed like I was the only one in the park that wasn't given a blue Six Flags Poncho. I think they handed them out in the regular line, not Season Passholders. Anyway, I dunno if any of you have gone on a coaster in the rain, but I had no idea that rain could hurt so bad. When the train had gotten outside the loading station I realized that it was in a full blown downpour. Goliath is bright orange, and I couldn't see the top of the lift hill when we started going up. It was about this time I was second guessing my going on this ride now. However it was pretty cool going up a lift hill into a cloud. Anyway, about half way down the drop I droped my head from the sting of the rain on my face and tried a couple more times to look up, but it hurt too bad. The mid-course brakes were on, but the train slid through them like ******EDIT***** on your wedding night. Good ride, a lot of pain, still my fav. Oh, BTW... the way up the lift hill I looked back to see if their was anything behind Batman, but I didn't see anything because of the low visibility.

I headed over to Batman, but there was a line. By now I was soaked to the bone and wondering WHAT THE HELL I WAS DOING. I was under an overhanging with about 20 mexicans who were spending their day off with their families soaked. It was then I had an epiphany. Here I was *****ing and complaining about being at an amusment park while it was raining, but all of you guys live in Ohio, Michigan, and other crappy places where it's snowing and your parks are closed. Sudddenly my day was getting better. I headed back to Deja Vu suprised to see it was open. This ride really made my day. There was only enough people to fill half a train, but the loading times really sucked. I didn't mind. It was really cool because the Station for Deja Vu is covered except for the actual track. So I'm getting loaded into the train, but being blasted by rain at the same time. When you are pulled back the first tower a big stream of water falls down onto the people in the front from all the build up on the track and also on the trains...well, I thought it was pretty funny. When I was being pulled back the first tower I looked in the bone yard to see if there was any lumber like people are reporting and there was. BUT from what I saw it looked like a pile of plywood, a pile of 3x5's and a fat pile of walls from mazes from Fright Fest. I'd wait for a really big shipment of wood before we get all crazy. Anyway, Deja Vu was really cool in the rain. While I was walking around to Viper, it was announced on the loud speakers..."Due to crappy weather, the park is now closed". It was 3:30. I was ready to go home so I didn't mind. On the way out they handed me a ticket for coming back. I think I'll give it away as a Christmas present and save some $$$$.

Questions, comments, spam? Feel free to respond.

RiFT · #2 11-24-2001, 08:15 PM

Hahaha.

Nice trip report. I'd like to visit a park when it's raining like that once, must be quite the expirience.

Coaster Boy · #3 11-24-2001, 09:15 PM

Wow. That must have sucked. I know how you feel. When I went to Florida this summer, it rained (literally) EVERY DAY for two weeks. Fortunately, it wasn't a constant downpour. But it rained for over an hour a day. It sucked. Especially since it's like 90 down there and it's 100% humidity.

Also, what are these misters you mentioned? I have been to SFMM twice and saw no misters anywhere.

Wackokid · #4 11-25-2001, 03:57 AM

there are misters in the Goliath queue and Batman queue and some of the others

THECHILLER · #5 11-25-2001, 08:30 AM

That's just like me. Our family plans a trip to a theme park, and it hasn't rained in months. Then when we get there, it's starts pouring! Just our luck.

GhostRider85 · #6 11-25-2001, 06:45 PM

I went too Coalhouse! I went on Goliath when I first got there and I got drenched. But I thought it was worth it. Having it not stop practically at all in the mid course breaks was really cool. Then I went to Riddler's Revenge, and I got my sister to go on it. She loved it. We then went to Viper. Viper hurt even more than Goliath because it was raining now..not sprinkling. It was calm on the ground...but when the train slowly went up the lift hill...it was like slowly going into a storm..it was really windy up there. That was easily the best ride I have ever had on Viper. Then we went to Batman. When we were in line the rain had almost stopped. My sister and I chose the front row...big mistake! When we started to go up the lift hill, it was puring. I put on my hood hoping the water from the track alone wouldn't get me too wet. But right when we started to drop my hood would not go back on. Going through the loops on Batman got my legs completely soaked. Those were some of the funniest pictures of people I have ever seen. Everyone was either squinting or trying to hold their hood on. After Batman we went to go get something to eat at that place by Goliath. It was really hard to find a seat because everyone was in there. But we sat there hoping the rain would stop, but it didn't. So we went to go see what we could do. I wanted to go on Goliath again, but my sister and dad wouldn't even consider it. So we headed for Goldrusher, and that's when they told us the park was closing. I was really happy that we got 4 free tickets back since I have a season pass. Now I can take my friends for free!

alex@ucla · #7 11-27-2001, 11:46 AM

I went on Goliaths opening media day when it was raining crazy, raindrops at 80mph do hurt indeed, i got the onride picture, you can realy see the pain in my face, lol. Another note, great of SFMM management that they gave out free passes and raincoats, lots of other parks would just point to a little note on your tix, no rainchecks, very classy of SFMM!

DHollon · #8 11-29-2001, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Coaster Boy
Wow. That must have sucked. I know how you feel. When I went to Florida this summer, it rained (literally) EVERY DAY for two weeks. But it rained for over an hour a day. It sucked. Especially since it's like 90 down there and it's 100% humidity.

Oh yes the 5 o'clock shower. It happens EVERY DAY during the summer. I find it quite humerous how all the outdoor vendors at the parks start pulling stuff inside around 4:30 and then they pull it back out around 6:20 after it has stopped. It's almost ritual. AS FOR HUMIDITY, you haven't experienced it until you come to MO in July & August.

DHollon · #9 11-29-2001, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Coaster Boy
Also, what are these misters you mentioned? I have been to SFMM twice and saw no misters anywhere.

How can you miss the misters in the Goliath line? It's literally like taking a shower getting to the queue house from the entrance to the line. Why they think they need THAT many is beyond me. I think it's more a liability threat than anything and CA is never THAT hot. Their "heat waves" out there are nothing compared to the Great Plains, and I love how the television stations have "STORM WATCH" when there is a piddly little shower and they will have "on the scene reporters". Oh I will quit my rambling now

coasterlove · #10 11-30-2001, 12:31 AM

I'm surprised that they even ran trains in that amount of rain. At least you got to go on a few rides before the park was closed.

DHollon · #11 11-30-2001, 08:48 AM

Oh come on now, they don't know what Rain is in LA. Didn't you watch that talk show last night about the crisis. RAIN: in LA

LOL

TDMAMBA · #12 11-30-2001, 11:39 AM

Dang I wish I could ride a coaster in the rain. Does rain affect the way the coaster works like with friction or somethin!

DHollon · #13 11-30-2001, 12:03 PM

Well just think how most trims work. They squeeze a fin that is under the train to slow it down. Ok now take that fin, and add water to it. This acts as lubricant and forces there to be less friction and thus creates the term "jumping the brakes". This is why most coasters can not run in a down pour. There is just too much risk and the block system becomes almost non-existent.

Besides, it's not too much fun being pelted by rain going 70+ mph. Wanna know what it feels like? Next time it's downpouring while you are on I-435, stick your head out the window.

TDMAMBA · #14 11-30-2001, 12:16 PM

No way if it was a down pour, but if it was light rain I would risk it. I haven't had the experiece of a rainy coaster ride. There have been times though that I came close. I went to WOF on 8/24/01 a friday. I lightly rained early in the morning but cleared when I went. It was a warm KC humid day. Midday it sprinkled for 50 seconds while under that gun target game. Right before riding Boomerang. But then got suuny. I thought it was going to rain at BGT. It was cloudy but was very cloudy when I rode Kumba. which was about noon. but it didn't rain. After Kumba the sky cleared but was windy for a couple of hours.

arlok2 · #15 12-08-2001, 11:36 PM

coasters in the rain is sooooooo fun. I would never miss it. The train feels so much faster and the blocking slowdown is enough to make the airtime on hypers on the bunny hills insane. I rode nitro in the pouring rain and i barley could open my eyes. I twas awesome. We blasted through the brakes and got insane air on the bunny hills. Our photos looks like water tourture. While walking up medusa's stairs the train came by. rocket like jets of water came out the sides of the train as it blew by. we got socked by the train it was kinda cool. On batman the ride that day, the big water ctching thigys on the train worked until we got a car that did not have one of the tubes. all of the water found it's way into my lap. rain on coasters in really fun. never miss it.