I decided to hit Hurricane first, before the crowds got to it
Might just be the best view in the park right there (Still haven't gotten around to removing those flowers, will do so soon)
Dare Devil Dive can be seen from all the way across the park
Guy behind me on Mr. Freeze had never been on a launched coaster before. Took it like a pro
I wonder if the park will ever build a taller coaster
Today was a great day for Aquaman Splashdown
Even standing on the bridge was enough to cool off
Verdugo was down... sigh
I rode Grand Stand a few times and got lunch at Andre's
Gyration was testing throughout the day but unfortunately did not open
Scream Machine would really benefit from some new Vekoma trains
Chaos was having problems too.. pretty bad for the week of Independence Day
Funny story: Back in 1995 me and my friend were riding Ship Dip and the guy in front of us throw up and it landed on the old woman behind him. Not so much funny as it was gross, but her reaction was still priceless
Connecticut Cruisers is 10x better than Cab Derby was, in my opinion
You won't be seeing this empty line during Fright Fest, that's for sure
Unlike my last visit where I was greeted with more than 30 cars a lane at opening, I was only behind 4 today
As fall approaches us, the park is preparing for their annual Fright Fest event
Here is the plot for Connecticut, supposedly themed around a serial killer running around with a pair of scissors. Seems a bit.. well, dark, for a park event, but I'm sure it'll be interesting, to say the least
This one sounds particularly fun
There better be free confectionaries with this one, otherwise I'm not satisfied trading this with the Hurricane Candy Trail
CT Twister's train has been removed as it prepares to run BACKWARDS for Fright Fest.
Obviously with the addition of Frontier Fling this year, the graveyard has been moved, though, not too far away. My buddy who works at the park told me 2 NEW gravestones will be added to the collection this year. Let the 2001 speculation begin!
I was also told that there was originally going to be a fourth haunt in Fairgrounds themed after Psycho Clowns, but it was cut due to costs
Americana Morgue will be making it's return to SFCK this year!
I heard that Verdugo might receive a retheme for Fright Fest
Same with The Tower of Doom. (Wow! Look at that line!)
Looks like a few passengers regretted their decision to ride
I unfortunately had to leave early due to work. I'll be back for Labor Day weekend
---Jacob Karse--- --- Mini contest: If anyone can guess the 2 rides being removed the park, you will find out what the new addition(s) for 2001 is/are before everyone else. You do have to guess both right, however, and only 3 pairs of guesses per user.
Guess One Batwing and Joker Inc being replaced by a Discovery.
Favorite @ SFGAm - Eagle ~ Favorite Steel - Skyrush ~ Favorite Wood - El Toro 35 Rides on Eagle in 2015 68 Rides on Eagle in 2016 102 Rides on Eagle in 2017 9 Rides on Eagle in 2018
Anyone can still guess until the first Fright Fest update on Monday ---
Sunday September 3rd, 2000 Labor Day Weekend
I had to get to the park today knowing it's the last summer weekend we can go
Fright Fest Countdown: 20 Days!
I've already purchased my pass for next year! One interesting thing to note - The Pass Perks chart in Guest Relations says that 2001 season passholders get a free cut the line pass to use on next years new "Thrill Ride." I'm excited about the free pass, but I'm guessing this eliminates the possibility of a coaster?
I also got a free line-skip pass to use today, so I instinctively used it on Mr. Freeze
Food lines were surprisingly short for Labor Day weekend, but that didn't matter because...
... I was invited to a private barbecue at the Picnic Pavilions by my fellow members of SFCKWorld.com!
You can get really good views of Dare Devil Dive over here
The park even gave us ERT on Haunted Ranch!
I was in the mood for a bit of upside-down goodness, so I took Zipper for a spin
Scream Machine's fog misters for Fright Fest are being put in
In honor of Labor Day, various Patriotic themed apparel was being sold throughout the park. Picked me up one of these shirts for $4. Not bad
Connecticut Twister BACKWARDS began testing while I was at the park today
It will unfortunately only be able to run 1 train like last time, but I think it's worth it for the thrilling experience.
Random fact: You're allowed to bring you camera with you on The Tower of Doom as long as you let the ride ops know before hand
Harley Quinn was fun, as usual. Not much else to say about it.
The park was doing fireworks over by Hurricane at 9:15, so I made my way over there
I spent a good 2 hours marathoning Sky Wheel and Hurricane (This section SERIOUSLY needs a new attraction) before the show commenced.
I couldn't resist one more shot of Hurricane, through the water
I'm afraid that Fright Fest is cancelled, unfortunately. I made multiple attempts over the past couple of days to work on it but my game file keeps crashing. I actually have 3 2000 files - One is my regular file that I've been having trouble opening, another is a new one I created 2 weeks ago that's a back-up for the first, and the last one is a Fright Fest file, which I have been unable to open for a couple of days. I've got a feeling the new for 2000 stuff might've had a bit of an impact on how my parks runs, as I've noticed it has been working a bit buggy since I installed everything for this year, and not to mention the game crashed multiple times when constructing the Picnic Pavilions area.
Since I cannot bring you an official Fright Fest update, here are the 3 new gravestones. I originally stated that only 2 rides would be removed, but I've come to a last minute decision to take out Dare Devil Dive after only one year to hopefully help my game to stop crashing. The Picnic area will also be removed, as it seems to be very power-hungry due to all of the custom scenery.
El Starfish
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El Starfish's removal is cited with it's excessive loss of ridership due to the incident in 1999
Harley Quinn's Spinsanity/Delirium
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Harley Quinn is being removed to make room for the 2001 addition. You're probably wondering why I used it's original name on the gravestone.. well, you'll have to wait to find out
And of course, Dare Devil Dive
Nobody guessed Harley Quinn's Spinsanity, so the 2001 ride is under the wraps
I'll be releasing a hint or two until the park begins it's 2001 season, feel free and try and guess what the new attraction is, though I will not confirm anything until I post the first update
I was amongst the first to arrive at Connecticut Kingdom for the 2001 season
Already done!
New this year is Catwoman's Whip! A Ronald Bussink Professional Rides Evolution
Something looks different here..
It looks pretty intimidating up close
However, it was acting up in the morning preventing me from getting a ride until later in the day
I headed across the midway for a quick lap on Freeze
Taken from the top hat stall, here's all that remains of Picnic Pavilions.
El Starfish's old sign now sports the park's new logo. The rainbow colors do look pretty nice, to be honest
Grand Stand had no line as per the usual so it was my next stop
Cool picture of the vertical and inclined loops
Playing at the Americana Theater this year is American Pop: Sights and Sounds of the 1950's.
This was the only picture of the show I got (Two girls dancing to Elvis) but I thought it was pretty good. The atmosphere was great and so was the music. Would see again
My friend Jarred told me about the "Golden Row" on Scream Machine (Row 7) so I took his advice and went for a ride on it
Well, it was the smoothest for sure, but that's not really saying much.
Lucky guest got a zen ride on Ship Dip
While on Connecticut Twister I noticed Catwoman completing test runs
I nearly trampled a family with a stroller, but I ended up being one of the first people in line for the first public ride on it ever
The seats were fairly comfortable
I enjoyed it, but the woman next to me threw up. Guess it depends on the person. 8/10
Figuring crowds would take over Catwoman's Whip quickly, I made a mad dash for it at the rope drop
It was closed for maintenance... of course
Knowing that it would probably be open within a half an hour, I hung around and killed some time in the Gotham City Arcade
Joust is probably my favorite game here
I walked out of the arcade to see the security guard unchaining the queue so I rushed to make it on the first cycle of the day
Disorienting delightment! Lol
An hour and a half into the park opening, Hurricane's line was still empty (That side of the park never seems to get much traffic), so I went for a ride
Connecticut Twister really looks nice from over here
I've always liked the architecture of The Lost Rapids's station.
Some new scenery appears to have been added to the ride
I love how Hurricane towers over the ride
The paint on the tables outside Orleans Grille really seems to have faded badly
In fact, this entire side of Pontchartrain Bay looks miserable...
...really odd considering they are in the same area of the park as Hurricane, Sky Wheel, and The Lost Rapids, which seem to be three of the park's most well-maintained attractions
Spike
Overbank
Top hat
Though it may not be as smooth as it was back in 1996, Verdugo's boomerang is still one of the most intense elements in the park
I got this cool shot of Grand Stand (Captured from Bedrock Boulder Roller) before heading out.
I made Connecticut Twister my first ride of the day
It was only running 1 train but that was actually convenient because it allowed me to have multiple re-rides without even having to wait in the brake run (Tuesday in May = No crowds)
I prefer airtime to coffee for my morning energy boost
I went to ride Hurricane but it was closed
Something that caught my mind was that the trains seemed to be gone. Me being the enthusiast I am, I decided to walk through the exit to take a peak
No sign of either train. Very strange
TTOD has been running a bit of an odd cycle lately. Slower ascent and the brakes are hitting harder. Hopefully it will be resolved soon
Mr. Freeze, still the park's best ride. I do have to report that they have turned off the themed music in the queue, which is a bit sad, but it doesn't take too much away from the experience I suppose.
It's been open for a year and it still seems like nobody knows about Frontier Fling's existence. Too bad, it really is one of the park's more fun rides
Fun Fact: Torbellino translates to "Whirlwind" in Spanish
--- Monday June 18th, 2001 Plans uncovered for proposed 2002 coaster, but the project is cancelled
On my last visit to the park I noted the absence of Hurricane's trains from the track. At first I thought it was for maintenance, but it turns out it was a lot bigger than that
My friend who attended a village board meeting last week informed me of some rather interesting news regarding Connecticut Kingdom cancelling plans for a new coaster. I did some searching on their website and found this from the archives of the meeting:
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This sounds (And from the picture provided, looks) like it would've been an awesome ride with a really nice setting, but I understand why it can't happen. Who knows, maybe the park will go with Intamin or B&M for a Hyper now. Actually, back in 1998, the park was considering adding a prototype B&M Hyper coaster where Mr. Freeze sits today. It would've been somewhat of a mirror image to Nitro (which opened this year at SFGAdv) and ran behind Haunted Ranch and Aquaman Splashdown.
The one thing that phases me a bit, is that the park was actually going to remove Hurricane without giving us any form of notice, whatsoever. An interesting thing to note is that as of May 2001, Hurricane has officially survived 2 strikes with the wrecking ball. (The other time being October 1998). The park really seems to want to get it off of their hands. It really wouldn’t surprise me if it is removed in the next couple of years, possibly for a new coaster.
The amount of greenery in this park allows for awesome shots like this one
Catwoman's Whip has had a temporary-looking extended queue set up to accommodate summer crowds. It wasn't too bad of a wait when I rode it, but it filled up later in the day
Aquaman Splashdown was a must on this hot summer day
I took one look at Mr. Freeze's line and said "NOPE"
Verdugo, on the other hand, had a manageable line
Being an air-conditioned ride in July, Haunted Ranch had quite the long line
Heck, even Grand Stand had a 45 minute line
Chaos doing it's thang
My second and final coaster ride of the day was on Scream Machine, which I fortunately happened to walk past after it reopened from a break down. 20 minute wait, still
Someone threw up on Ferris Wheel (How??) so everyone was stranded in the air for 30 minutes while waiting for the janitors to arrive. Oh boy
Connecticut Twister had an hour long line so I rode the Cruisers instead
While riding Sky Wheel I noticed that Hurricane had opened back up.
Thanks. It's kind of funny, most people on TPR seemed to actually want the Giovanola, lol
--- Tuesday July 31st, 2001 End of July
No better way to spot out what ride has the shortest line than Sky Tower
Surprisingly empty for the end of July...
We really need a new coaster to bring the crowds back. The last thing we need is a repeat of 1994
No line for Catwoman!
Down again I was first on when it re-opened, though
Batwing has always been a favorite of mine
I know it was just painted in 1997, but I would love to see it repainted black and yellow to give it more of a "Batman feel". Too much blue with Mr. Freeze and most of the buildings in Gotham Backlot
Guests enjoying a spin on The Monster
Connecticut Twister is still running smooth 9 years later. Kudos to the SFCK maintenance team
A recent rumor on Screamsource said that Ferris Wheel will be replaced with a 9-inversion B&M Inverted coaster for 2002. Ah, the stuff people send in..
This section of the park should be renamed to reflect the ghost town it is.
Scream Machine was my last ride before heading out. Got to say, it's been running smoother lately. Hopefully it will last
Still haven't heard any (logical) rumors of the park may be getting in 2002, but I've been told to keep an eye on the left side of the park.
---Jacob Karse--- --- (And no, it doesn't have anything to do with Hurricane if you're wondering.)
I noticed 2 new signs in the front plaza. The first of which, pictured here, is a directory for temporary ride closures
The other, a much appreciated multi-wait time sign. No longer will I have to ride Sky Tower in the morning to see which ride has the shortest line. The long waits picture here are due to the this being the last week for the Read to Succeed program this year.
Grand Stand was my first ride of the day, only a 5 minute wait
I don't know if they were an enthusiast or not but I heard somebody refer to Grand Stand as "Mini-Mantis". While that is technically true, Grand Stand does have one more inversion than Mantis. (Both have 3 and 4 real inversions, respectively, and an inclined loop)
I noticed something interesting inside of Grand Stand Gifts...
...20% off of Hurricane and Grand Stand toy-models (Though it's most likely because not many people want to pay $35 for a model of a roller coaster )
You know it's Read to Succeed when Spacely's has a near-full queue
I found an exit pass on the ground and used it to surpass Mr. Freeze's 2 hour queue
What do we have here?
Hmm. Looks the like the outdoor seating has been removed as well
I've heard this general area will house the new for 2002 addition(s), but I wouldn't get TOO excited based on the current rumor (Not going to say what but it's not very thrilling)
Crowds were very sparse due to school being back in session (Despite it being a Saturday)
Verdugo's had a lot of downtime this season so I was happy to see it running at park opening
Like I always say, coasters are a much better day-starter than coffee
Thought it was cool that I was the only one riding Haunted Ranch
This may just be the best dark ride in a Six Flags park
Is it just me or do these guys look like triplets?
Always a welcome sight
This ride still packs a punch
Don't think a single person rode The Joker all day... surprised mostly every ride was opening considering the low amount of guests in the park
Woah
Maybe it's more than just Orleans Grille being removed?
Glad this area is finally getting a refurbishment
The construction fence spans all the way around where Orleans Grille once stood to the edge of Orleans Park (FYI - Orleans Park's sign has been taken down...)
Truck parked in the area
Eh, this area had seen better days. I'm not too sad to see it go, especially seeing how it compares to Camp Cartoon Network on the other side of the park
I tried to get a picture from Hurricane but obviously I was way off
View of the construction site from Sky Wheel
Tower of Doom
Ferris Wheel
Sky Tower
I'll be back one more time for Labor Day Weekend, but will not be visiting the park in fall this year. I have some personal news to announce in the next update
^ The renovations will be a great change, for sure
--- Saturday September 1st, 2001 September
In the previous entry, I mentioned that I would be making a personal announcement today. Well, here it is. After doing these updates for the past 9 years, I am getting married will be moving back to my home-state of Illinois this December. My cousin Mark will be taking over starting next season. I'm sad I won't be here for the park's 10th anniversary in May, but hopefully I will be able to return someday. It's been fun, thank you guys for still reading almost a decade later!
I forgot to mention that a new Subway restaurant opened in the food court mid-season. Definitely one of the park's better-quality eateries
Ran to Connecticut Twister before the Labor Day Weekend crowds took over
Going to miss this view
Here's your final update on whatever's coming for 2002
It's all gone
FYI, I've heard from a trusted source that the park will be making a formal announcement in January
I'm not even sure Hurricane will still be here when I come back to the park, so I made sure to get multiple rides on it during my visit
I mean, I could be completely wrong. It could still be standing in 2011. It's just that I have doubts it will exist much longer based on the past few years
No matter what happens, Hurricane is a great family coaster
Weird to think that most of this was just grass back in 1992
Catwoman is still drawing it's "opening season crowds". 75 minute queue pretty much all day
I couldn't leave the park without a few final rides on Mr. Freeze
At least I won't be too far from the St. Louis version
Bringing your camera on board without expressed permission has it benefits (I wouldn't recommend it though)
I would've loved to get a last ride on Verdugo but it was closed. Oh well
Torbellino seemed to be running a faster cycle today
El Scrambler still has one of my favorite settings for a flat ride
I guess I can leave the park thinking Scream Machine is an OKAY ride... New trains would make it a lot better, still
I took one final ride on Grand Stand and headed out.
Again, it's been great doing these updates since '92. Thanks for reading
--- Monday January 14th, 2002 Looney Tunes Land Announced
Mark here. In anticipation for the 2002 season, the park has released an announcement on the addition, Looney Tunes Land
Ethan Gardner, new general manager of SFCK wrote:The past few seasons here at Six Flags Connecticut Kingdom have been mainly focused on thrill rides. This year, our center of attention is on the families that visit out park. We have revamped our old Orleans Park kiddie area to keep up with modern times. "Looney Tunes Land", will open this spring, featuring four rides, including one roller coaster, themed after your favorite cartoon characters, including Bugs Bunny, Yosemite Sam, and more! Join us for our season opening in April! Our winter season pass sale has been extended to next Monday, so don't hesitate to buy your's by then!
These pictures were also attached with the press release...
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Logo for the new area
Yosemite Sam's Road Rage, a Zamperla Convoy ride
Bug's Bunny's Tugboat, a Zamperla Rockin' Tug. Note that this is not the same ride as Lake Pontchartrain Boat Tours (Removed last year). This one is a Zamperla make, as stated, whereas LPBT was an in-house version of the ride
Acme Rock-N-Rocket, a kiddie coaster
The only returning ride from Orleans Park is Spiral Slide, now repainted and renamed "Tweety's Clubhouse" to match with the Looney Tunes theme
Non-ride related, Orleans Grille has been replaced by the all-new "Bayou Grill" eatery. No more outdoor seating, but the dining room is huge! (Note: Colors were messed up in editing. The building exterior is actually red and white)
Looks like a promising addition. Much better than Orleans Park, for sure.
I was invited to check out SFCK's Looney Tunes area before it opens to the public tomorrow...
The park has put up special decorations to commemorate 10 years of thrills
But today we're celebrating the introduction of the Bugs Bunny crew into the park
As far as signage and ambiance goes, this was some of the nicest in the park. By the way, you will see pretty much no other guests in this set of photos. This is due to me getting here before most of the media, due to my work schedule (Real reason: Peeps dislike the back of my park)
Yosemite Sam's Road Rage greets guests at the front of the area
You get pretty close to the employee service road. I'm sure it was unintentional, but it's a nice touch for a junior car ride.
Tawt you taw a puddy tat and need a place to hide? Look no further
You'll be safe inside of Tweety's Clubhouse.
PS: If you're looking for your first spiral slide credit, the weight limit is 200 pounds, so some of you may want to skip out.
What's up Doc? (View is from inside of Bug's Bunny's Tugboat)
A cred's a cred, right?
Acme Rock-N-Rocket had a decent looking station
The trip to the top was fairly quick. (By the way, Acme runs 2 circuits!)
Interesting way to look at the backstage areas of the amphitheater
I think it was actually a bit better than Spacely's. It's still a kiddie coaster, however...
Very nice area! Should be great for the families. One suggestion for the employee road is to include some employee buildings. Maybe some maintenance bays and or employee break areas?
If you want more peeps in the back of the park, one thing I like to do is close everything except the rides you want peeps to go to. That way, everyone has to go to the back of the park.
Nice view of the kiddie coaster from here... it'd look great if they'd plant a few more bushes near the mid-way
You can never take enough photos of such a picturesque ride
Another example...
Just one more...
Okay, Ill stop
Had some lunch at Subway... pretty good food here
Not to stir up speculation so early in the season, but I noticed some men surveying the ground, stakes next to them. The man in the brown suit looks like the general manager of the park. Could just be some electrical work or something like that, but there's something suspicious about those suitcases...
There we some more stakes under Hurricane's station, too...