The Coaster Critic's Blog

Does Theming on a Coaster Matter? | Theme Park Round Table
News Plus Notes provided this week's topic. NPN posed the question: "Does theming on a coaster matter?"

I'm going to surprise even myself and say no. My answer is really more of a 'yes, but...'. Let me explain. Theming on a coaster is something that I'm quick to give points for. It can take a ride from mediocre to memorable. But, I can't think of a time where it can take a coaster that would be a '5' to a '9' or even an '8'.

While I really enjoy the Egyptian theming on Montu at Busch Gardens Tampa, it doesn't completely affect my overall opinion of the ride. To me, theming is like seasoning a dish. If you start with a sirloin and add the perfect seasoning, you've got a winning dish, but the sirloin would still be quite tasty without it. And inversely, seasoning a gross dish usually doesn't make up for its grossness.

Also, my top 10 coasters are a bunch of great rides with just a pinch of theming. And in some there's nearly none at all like in the case of Cedar Point's Magnum XL-200. While I really enjoy theming, no amount of theming could equal Magnum's wild, almost soulful ride. It's like it has a personality. Theming can add a lot to the experience of riding a roller coaster, but in the end it all comes down to the quality of the ride.

See what the other bloggers have to say on this week's topic:
Coasterdom
A Walk in the Park
Theme Park Village
News Plus Notes

What's your take? Does coaster theming matter to you? Leave a comment below.

Steel vs. Wood | Theme Park Round Table
For this week's Weekly Topic I thought I'd invoke the eternal battle in the coaster enthusiast community. Like PC vs. Mac, conservative vs. liberal, Pepsi vs. Coke. Most fall into one or the other. It's a simple question that's been asked and discussed countless times. Which do you prefer wooden or steel roller coasters?

I would like to add a wrinkle to this classic question. What if you could only ride just one type of coaster? I know that there are many woodie fans that swear by their beloved wooden coasters, but still enjoy the extreme heights, speeds, inversions of steel coasters. Well, I'm making them choose. If they could ride exclusively wooden coasters, would they still choose their allegiance to those old amusement park staples.

Steel Coasters: State of the Art Thrill Machines
I fall in the steel coaster camp, but I've grown to appreciate wooden coasters as I've started to travel more. Rides like Boulder Dash, Voyage, and Hades are amazing to say the least. Even still, I prefer the smooth ride, jet fighter-like inversions, and insane heights that steel coasters can offer. I also enjoy the many varieties of steel coasters. The last few decades have brought us a plethora of new ride types including dive, flying, inverted, and hyper coasters to name a few. With the many flavors of steel coasters comes an wide range of sensations that riders can experience.

Wooden Coasters: Timeless Amusement Park Staples
Woodie fans love the classic and time tested feel of being thrown around on a rickety old wooden landmark like the Coney Island Cyclone. I credit a large amount of the love for wooden coasters a result of nostalgia as many fans grew up riding them way back when.

Many woodie fans prefer the roughness for the challenge that it brings. This was no more apparent than when Intamin's first pre-fabricated wooden coaster debuted in the U.S. with Great Adventure's El Toro. Enthusiasts like myself applauded the smooth as glass ride (not to mention the abundance of airtime), but wooden purists scoffed at the idea of a wooden coaster with an overly smooth ride. They claimed that El Toro much like Son of Beast, when it had its loop, were abominations and were not what wooden coasters were meant to be.

See which side of the great debate these other theme park bloggers fell on:
Responses:
News Plus Notes
Theme Park Village
A Walk in the Park
Coasterdom
What's your take? If you had to choose one, would it be wooden or steel? Leave a comment below. Photos courtesy of CoasterImage.

Weekly Topic | Theme Park Round Table
In Response to Coasterdom's 'Trees Please'.

As Nate from Coasterdom wrote, there are two sides on the issue of having a lot of trees at theme parks. On one hand you have the enthusiasts that argue that parks look better with a greener, more natural atmosphere. On the other hand, removing trees allows for parks to create larger midways and walking areas which can keep congestion and bottlenecks at a minimum.

I'm in the former group. I'd prefer an attractive park with trees that provide plenty of shade. Trees also enhance a park's skyline. There's nothing like a lift hill rising above a vast, green forest. The abundant foliage at Busch Gardens Europe is one of the reasons I love that park. Another advantage that Nate mentioned was that the trees help to hide a coaster's layout. Apollo's Chariot at Busch Gardens is a perfect example. There's no way to see what's going to happen on that ride unless you actually ride it.

Aside from Busch Gardens, it seems like most of the greenest parks are smaller parks. Knoebels, Holiday World, and Dollywood all have beautiful green surroundings. Some larger chain parks do okay with the best of both worlds. I remember Six Flags Over Georgia being pretty green when I visited back in 2002.

I can also see Patt from A Walk in the Park's point. You go to theme park's for the attractions first and foremost. But if I'm asked about my favorite theme park, the first parks I think of are the most aesthetically pleasing like both Busch Gardens parks.

What's your take? Leave a comment below. Also, see Coasterdom's article and A Walk in the Park's response.