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[shavethewhales]

The evidence is really split right now, so I couldn't tell you what is true or not. I've heard several conflicting accounts now from people asking employees or those connected to the park - they're saying everything from a G-Fighter in the middle of the city to the woodie near Echo Hollow. Maybe the park is trying to confuse us. 

I would certainly be surprised if it's anything but a G-Fighter or a woodie though, so at least it's narrowed down.

[Copper]

I think you could be on to something.

[sdcfan17]

I was at sdc a couple of weekends ago when bluegrass began and I was down at the grand expo and was looking for any construction flags and I found some I took some pics with my phone but they are really crappy quality and the new echo hollow entrance is takeing shape and looks really good, btw does anybody know that they brought back the petting zoo area its off to the left of the town square?? I would load up thoes photos but don't know how.

[shavethewhales]

If anyone plans on going soon, please get some shots of these famous construction flags for the rest of us. There were a few posted on CoasterCommunity a while back, but it sounds like more and more are showing up of all different colors. Soon they'll be clearing land from the sounds of it.

^The petting zoo has actually been there for several years now since the threat of foot and mouth disease dissipated. It's been growing slowly back; when it first moved there it was only a couple of chickens and rabbits, a pony, and a huge dog. Now it's actually a small zoo again.

[sdcforever]

^I'll be going in the next three weeks or so (hopefully).  I'll try to get some shots of the construction flags. 

[History Buff]

the new echo hollow entrance is takeing shape and looks really good

This will be great for the show.  There are lots of people who don't know about the show (no matter how much they advertise it) or can't find it.  I hope the entrance to EH is a great draw to both the theater and the Grand Exposition.

[History Buff]

Anybody thought of ride names or themes for these new projects?  What would the wooden coaster be called, assuming it is located in the Expo area?  What would it be if located in the Landing area?

And - can someone point me to a G-Fighter so I can know more about what we are talking about?

[shavethewhales]

Whatever the name is, I just hope it's neat and original like ThuNderaTion rather than simply something like 'Mystery Mine'.

^Here's the Mystery Mine we've been talking about: http://rcdb.com/id3609.htm
  And here's another couple of examples: http://rcdb.com/ig2721.htm?picture=31   http://rcdb.com/ig3573.htm?picture=6

[sdcfan17]

they will prob theme it for like a logging comany or something like I think that would be cool and call it Loggers Run that would be neat. I don't know any rides named that.

[sdcforever]

^I don't see them giving it a logging theme, since we already have American Plunge, which is a log flume ride and pretty heavily themed that way.  That's a good guess, though.  I just keep pondering the fact that HFE said it will be their largest capital project to date.  That's pretty lofty.  Maybe they'll announce the new area in addition to the new coaster.  Does anyone know what their largest capital project is right now?  Wildfire cost $14 million, and Powder Keg cost $10 million (helped out by using 30% of the existing track from BuzzSaw Falls).  If they're largest capital project is just a new coaster, it must be pretty grand! 

[History Buff]

I know it's too much to ask, but I'm a fan of dark rides done well.  If the Landing is going away, why can't they just change it and work it in around a dark ride and themed area still based on Mark Twain's books.  I see a wonderful, fully-developed ride with all the best parts of the Tom and Huck stories.  The area is prime for this kind of make-over, and can still be the "family" area it currently is, while accounting for the heavy trafficway and a multi-million dollar special-effects riddled, animatronic blockbuster.

More to the topic, though, if a coaster was placed in that area, could it be themed to Twain?  That would take some doing.  I'm just convinced the Grand Expo is the prime area for the wood coaster.

A lumberjack theme could be cool, but I don't think that's in the sights.  I could see such a coaster, looking completely unfinished and rickety, and (with tongue firmly in cheek) since the park is so "green", they could claim they didn't want to finish it in order to save the trees!  Please, say it isn't so!

[Old Guy]

When Six Flags opened in the early Seventy's in St. Louis they had a boat ride based on the  Tom Sawyer story. You floated past scenes from the story, were attacked by Injin' Joe' and emerged from the caves as its song said "Out of the Darkness into the Light". It wasn't that popular and it went away a long time ago. I can't see the City doing a Twain Dark ride if only because the precedent from that one. I'm not even sure that the Twain theme is one they are  concerned with anymore. It's a great idea though.

[Swoosh]

IF it is a coaster, I doubt it will be a woodie.  Several reasons play into that assumption...

1. They said it was going to be the LARGEST capital expansion yet.  Wooden coasters are not really all that expensive, whereas steel coasters are

2. The fact that GCI (they built OzCat) is going to be very busy next season with 2 known woodie installations in the US (and possibly two more as well -- that's 4!!!).  I HIGHLY doubt that HFEC will go with anyone else since GCI has proven themselves with OzCat and Thunderhead.

3. Don't you think SOMEONE would have seen a mention of a wooden coaster by now on a survey?

[shavethewhales]

^Hmmmmmm, good arguments, especially #2, seeing as WOF may be looking at one for 2009. If anything, now would be the time for SDC to pull out their own Mystery Mine-status ride to really wow people.

^^^It's  a nice fantasy, but I think we can forget about Twain coming back to the park. Like I've said before, the character is too tainted with misconstrued theories about the story being somehow racist for them to want to spend millions on it. Besides, even if it weren't tainted, it's old and considered lame, even though it fits the theme so perfectly. With SDC growing ever-more outright profit driven, I just don't see them jumping on anything that isn't fresh.
Man would I love to see one of the Mack Splash Battles themed to Twain though, that would be perfect...

Also, about the possibility of a wooden coaster going into the expo: I don't know if I think I've said this before already in different ways, but I really don't want to see that area of the park grow that much until it can be more settled out. It's a nice area, but it's too much of a jumble of rides and not enough of a themed area for me. Maybe if the new coaster was part of a package that would re-vamp the whole area into more of a World's Fair, but just a wooden coaster tacked on to all those rides would just not feel right. 

[sdcforever]

^I agree with you.  I think GE hasn't really found an identity yet.  It seems like a jumble of rides to me too.

^^You make some good arguments.  I didn't think about the fact that a woodie isn't all that expensive, and probably couldn't surpass Wildfire's $14 million price tag to become the largest capital expansion.  It would have to probably be a hyper coaster in order to do that.

I tend to believe that the new coaster will be going in the GE area or the area around TGS.  I know people have talked about it going in where the Landing is now, but that doesn't strike me as practical.  There are so many establishments right there (the playhouse, salloon, Aunt Polly's, ribhouse, dockside theater, Lost River, etc.) how would they get supplies in and out without really disrupting the park?  It would be hard, if not impossible, to fence it off.  All of the additions/new rides have been at the boundaries of the park.  Is there even room for a coaster where the Landing is now?  It would be hard to get any work done in the offseason and have it ready for the 2009 season; the winters the past few years have been harsh down there.  That's why I believe it will go in either around TGS or (most likely, IMO) in between Echo Hollow and the Grand Expo.