No El Toro for Opening Day

[coasterrider1998]

I have just gotten a response back from Kristin and it is not that bad.

Hi Robert,

El Toro is coming along, but it is not scheduled to open on opening
day.  We don't have a date, but it won't be that early.  It's a massive
project that will take some time.

ks

[David Jr]

Why am i not surprised :roll: .

[Metsman.]

Not at all surprised.... If this "massive project" is so massive, then why wasn't it started earlier   :roll:

I assumed that the park learned something from Kingda Ka  :x

[GAcoaster]

Construction required closing the whole Hernando's Hideaway section.  As it was, closing it in September caused a lot of *I LOVE DOGGIES!*ing and moaning among guest (especially Season Pass Holders who complain about EVERYTHING like the park owes them something) over closed rides.    

Whenever the park builds a ride, they never promise it will open with the park, just "Spring".   Traditionally, very few rides have opened with the park.    As long as a ride is opened by the height of the season (Memorial Day) that's what really matters.    

The worst case scenario is that Rolling Thunder and the Plaza del Carnaval section were closed for 2 months in the Fall of 2005 and 2 months in the Spring of 2006.   Fall and Spring are not the parks peak season.   If you have to close a section of the park, those are the best times to do it.  Plus, staffing is most difficult those times, so it actually works in their favor to have a section closed.

[sfgadvfreak]

Hmm...i was hoping they would rush it, and that they would pull this one off...guess not.

[Cyclonic]

I would rather see them do it right then to rush it.  Better to have a ride open a little later in spring then to break down mid-summer.

I don't think anyone really expected this ride to be open on opening day anyway.

[Nitro1118]

This could have damn well been prevented. It is one thing to be angry about the RT area being closed, but it is a lot worse when a brand spanking new ride is sitting there, along with those other rides that they closed the season before are still not open. GADV should suck it up and close the rides if construction on a new ride permits it. Most parks close those rides so the new coaster will be open the next year on opening day, or as soon as possible. DP did it with Hydra, and most other parks of GADV's size get new coasters up within the first 1-3 weeks of the season.

Oh well, can't do anything about it now, but this thing SHOULD have been open on opening day or by spring break, which it will likely be not.

PS- Cyclonic, this is not a breakdown probe ride like KK was, the structure and some things could have sped up a little if it meant getting the ride open a few weeks earlier. I have N-E-V-E-R see a lift hill take so long (we are going on 3 months here, and they still need to do the turnaround and drop).

[overlord]

^Nitro is right. I mean yes we lost some riding time to RT since they had to close the area off, but that doesnt mean it wasnt going to come back next year. The sooner they get el toro done, the happier i am because that means 2 (3 if you count RT as 2 coasters) coasters open up. Besides, all we ever hear is "RT is soooo rough." If its so rough, why ride it? You know. And i know they cant work on any part of the other tracks because of the boxing in, but there has got to be something they can do to speed up the process. It really hasnt been that bad of a winter either.

[Bubba Z]

Has a coaster opened on opening day lately, anywhere ?  I also think , yeah it does seem slow but than again the lift is 188ft of wood not steel. Yes they could have done things a little different, but either way it seems people will complain no matter what. It's a loose loose situation.

Personally,  I would have knocked down Viper during the construction of Kingda Ka If they knew it wouldn't operate in the 05 season. This would have saved a couple of months, and Rolling Thunder could have been opened  all year.

Right now I'm thinking it will be snowing in April, so I can wait until it warms up a bit. Now if it takes till June than I will be upset.

[DianaR]

Please, don't say the "S" word and especially for April. I will hunt you down in April Joe if you Jynxed us LMAO! It will be interesting to see how Sevart effects everything but, I've heard alot of great things about him  

[Bubba Z]

^Not sure how much Sevart can influence UNION carpenters, but we will see.

snow, evil snow muhaha

[DianaR]

Uhm, I'm not going to comment on the Carpenters, I heard they can be a bit on the scary side when angered LOL.

[Cyclonic]

Bubba kinda hit on what I always say, the coaster is being built in the People's Republic of New Jersey, does anyone really expect it to open when the park would like it to open, and don't you think the park would like it to open on opening day?  I mean, really, some folks have to put it in some perspective.

Knoebels is building a Flying Turns.  Does anyone expect it to be done by April 29?  Will anyone complain when it is not?  Why bash on GAdv over something they can't control?  Remember, it is what it is.

[CoasterPete]

Nevermind the fact that it's being built by NJ carpenters, but how about the fact that GA is our home park and we have some respect for it.  Let the rest of the coaster community bash the park for it, but as GA lovers we should defend our home park.  Be thrilled that we're getting this amazing coaster at all, rather than being upset at the park for not getting it open by opening day.  I personally will be thrilled whenever it opens and will be at the park for opening day regardless of what rides are open or closed.

Pete

PS-I'm not making this comment with any haste.  I just feel, as many of us already do, we need to just appreciate how lucky we are to be getting a new coaster at all.

[DianaR]

Pete, except for here, 80% of the time I disgust people with my Pro- Six Flags attitude LOL. I am quite sure that just as was the case with Golden Kingdom, whatever amount of time it takes it WILL be well worth the wait an visually pleasing when all is said and done. I will wait patiently and, show support as I always have!

[Nitro1118]

Has a coaster opened on opening day lately, anywhere ?  I also think , yeah it does seem slow but than again the lift is 188ft of wood not steel. Yes they could have done things a little different, but either way it seems people will complain no matter what. It's a loose loose situation.

Personally,  I would have knocked down Viper during the construction of Kingda Ka If they knew it wouldn't operate in the 05 season. This would have saved a couple of months, and Rolling Thunder could have been opened  all year.

Right now I'm thinking it will be snowing in April, so I can wait until it warms up a bit. Now if it takes till June than I will be upset.

Yes....every ride at CP is open on opening day (yes, even TTD opened with the park in 2003), HW's Voyage, which is a MUCH larger project than Toro will be ready for May, SFOG's Goliath will be all ready for their opening day, Hydra was open for DP's opening day, the Italian Job's have opened/will open with their respective parks, Nitro and Medusa opened with GADV....most parks open their new coasters on opening day.

Yes people will always complain, but it would have been better for a few people to complain about RT being closed for the last 2 months rather than that and ET being closed for the 1st 2 months of the next year.

Viper being knocked down earlier wouldn't have done much in terms of keeping RT open, as vertical construction couldn't have started with RT open.

I am just so disappointed in GADV. last year was a lot worse, but there is no reason a P&P woodie can't be open for opening day. GADV is SF's shining star, it should be treated and ran like one.

[overlord]

^I was just going to say the same thing about the Voyage. Yes it may be built out of steel but the steel has to be put together to make it look like wood. Unless they are going for the Arrow effect. Anyways, its not really dissappointing that it wont open for Opening Day but how long after that? Maybe even stretch into may? Maybe longer. Who knows as of right now. It just shouldnt take THIS long for just a lift hill to be constucted. Its been over a month since we have topped this beast and the only part we have finished is the straight track into the turn. I know there are a set of 2 bents that stack on each other to reach the 188 ft mark correct? So why cant they start the bottom ones instead of saying concrete is ready for constuction. We already know its ready. Its been ready. Its just a little dissapointing.

[rjholla2003]

Because by starting vertical construction in those places you guys want them to, they will still box in the cranes.  For some of the taller things, like the turnaround and some of those hills, the lower bents are 98 feet tall.

Patience everyone.  I know no one wants a crane smacking them in the face when they ride.  Just be patient and let them build in the way that they have to.

[overlord]

Its just frustrating to see very little progress.

[KingdaKaRuler05]

The ride will be done when it is done. I think starting in February we will see a lot more progress with this ride through March. Also, the weather will probably improve, which is always good.

-KKR05

[Nitro1118]

February is usually the worst month for snow, so we shall see. The good thing is that the 2nd half will go up very quickly, but I said that over a month ago when this was topped off, but they have done very little vertical construction since then, none of the PDC, none of the theming, station is still a mess, etc...

Oh well, I can't wait to ride!

[chilled182]

I do not see the point of not having a least the ride ready for opening day.  However, i guess now that i think about it we are the only people that go for opening day, and i guess its too cold for most of the GP to hit the park.

Nevertheless, i'm still disappointed.

It wont snow so much in February.  We keep getting these warm fronts coming in, and the horses at my girlfriend's barn are already shedding their winter layers.  I don't mean to be a farmer or say anything crazy like that.. but that's a sign that winter isn't going to be that much longer.

We'll see it go up fast i think as soon as the drop is finished.

[ChuckR]

The station actually is all ready for track to be put in. They were finishing up modifying it for El Toro at the top off.

[blazzinmatt]

Thats good to know though Chuck. I mean some progress we don't see from the pictures on the site so its nice to know that there are other things going on that we don't know and some progress is actually being made on the ride in terms of other than the lift hill.

[Bubba Z]

Yes....every ride at CP is open on opening day (yes, even TTD opened with the park in 2003), HW's Voyage, which is a MUCH larger project than Toro will be ready for May, SFOG's Goliath will be all ready for their opening day, Hydra was open for DP's opening day, the Italian Job's have opened/will open with their respective parks, Nitro and Medusa opened with GADV....most parks open their new coasters on opening day

Ok, so I missed a couple , but I will and did still ride those coasters  the first year they were built. It's not a big deal that the coaster won't be open for three weekends in April. That's only 9 days of operation. It's not like that's the only ride going to be open come opening day. I can wait.

Viper being knocked down earlier wouldn't have done much in terms of keeping RT open, as vertical construction couldn't have started with RT open.

They wouldn't have had to gone vertical. They could have put in footers Earlier than Oct 2nd worked on the station. cleared out the whole infield of RT. With Viper gone  it would have saved some time is all I'm saying.