Mini Photo TR: Valleyfair New Coaster 7/14

I know there is already a thread about this, but this is the first time anyone from here at TPR has gone out there and gotten some photos of the markings and stakes, so if future discussion could be concentrated here, that would be great. Also, if anyone else posts photos in this thread, let me know so the tagline can be updated.

FRIDAY, JULY 14, 2006

VALLEYFAIR FAMILY AMUSEMENT PARK

SHAKOPEE, MINNESOTA

Since I was last out to my home park, Valleyfair (a week), I have been doing some digging into what may be going in at VF. A combination of a new version of Bench: The Ride and the world's largest Pepsi machine seem to be the rumor du jour about the newest installation. However, that rumor has been around since 1999, and has gotten a bit stale after we got out invert (Steel Venom), but not that bench-and-Pepsi machine combo.

Last Friday was the first time I had seen some stakes out at VF, and I figured I had better go out there, get some photos, and try and make heads or tails out of the mess, which is what I did today. After making the usual circuits (Wild Thing 3 times, High Roller, Corkscrew, and walking out to Venom which was down mechanical), I headed back to the path going out to Excalibur and Thunder Canyon.

For those of you who haven't seen it, the clearing on the other side of the path from the Hurricane Falls splashdown zone has four stakes with various colored ribbon on it. All the stakes have orange ribbon, and some of them have blue ribbon. There are also wooden hubs pounded into the ground near the stakes with blue ribboning on it.

The stakes with blue and orange ribbon on it are control points. For those of you not in the survey business, control points are used on construction sites to establish where the total station (our very handy-dandy instrument) is. From there, you can put down any point you have loaded into the instrument. That's the simplest way I can think of to describe control points.

Since there were only four stakes for a suspected coaster, I figured I had better ride Thunder Canyon and see if there were any more to be had. I ended up riding three times, which is more than I have ridden it in about the last 10 years. The first time was to see if there were any stakes, and there were two more control points in the Thunder Canyon course. The second time was to read the markings on the stakes, and the third time was so I wouldn't look like a total doofus going around to the exit ramp to try getting pictures of the two stakes in question. Since it's a boiling hot day, it didn't feel bad to have wet shirt and shorts, a condition that two fast rides on Excalibur quickly rectified.

What's even more interesting is that on the second ride, I saw an area cleared out behind Thunder Canyon, on the river side of the property. There was a large rolloff Dumpster, a large pile of steel pipe, and equipment befit of a construction site (a front end loader and other accessories). Presumably, the steel is for piles, as Valleyfair sits on at least 30 feet of glacial river bottom silt, and you have to go a ways before you hit sufficient bedrock to build on. All was quiet at the site. I would have taken some pics, but I didn't want to chance either A) dropping my camera in the river, B) getting caught by Cedar Fair's camera policy, or C) soaking my camera.

VF is going to be able to keep this thing a very tight secret until it goes aerial, and even when it does go aerial, they don't have to start their steelwork where it's visible to the public until after the season is done. However, I suspect that us enthusiasts may get some sort of clue at Coaster Craze, two weeks from today. I just hope this coaster isn't like American Eagle at SFGAm, that is SO FAR from the park that it's a royal pain in the butt to re-ride.

I'll keep TPR abreast on the goings-on out at VF, and when we hear something concrete, you'll be one of the first to know!

Paul

Now on to the pics:

This is not a good sign...

A close up of this stake, taken through the fence

The stake on the left side of the last pic

"...You do the hippy stake-stake with all your might!"

The other two stakes up front

"...you stake it to the right..."

"Well, you stake it to the left..."

The knoll area again

And the other stake. The last tow pics are from the exit ramp to Thunder Canyon.

Stake #1 in Thunder Canyon. Sorry about the quality, or lack therof. This was cropped from a photo taken at 6.4:1 with a digital zoom.

The area behind the sundry store, across from the waterpark. Pink flags designate wetland.

I'll leave this caption to your dirty mind.

Sattelite photo with site overview.

Several sites posting rumors that it may be a B&M invert.

PIGEON!!!!! Yay!!!! Finally!

--Robb

Just a quick update. I've driven by several potential vantage points for the new coaster out back, and it appears that Valleyfair has quite possibly the perfect construction site to keep nosy enthusiasts like us out of the loop. I tried looking at VF from the bluff near Flying Cloud Airport (the same one that kept Power Tower to 275 feet instead of 300), and could only see the top third of Excalibur and the very top of the Hurricane Falls giant tube slide. Until this thing goes aerial, there isn't going to be much updating about construction progress.

Paul "If only CP or the Mountain had a construction site like this" Miller

MY bet's on a B&M invert.

MY bet's on a B&M invert.

Yes, that's what all of our money is on, but that rumor has been floating around since 1999, and nothing has come of it, so that rumor has fermented to "crying wolf" status.

Paul

Yes. There has been talk about Valleyfair! getting a new coaster in 2007. Most of them say a B&M invert. I've also heard predictions of a CCI wooden coaster. Now I'm not so sure about the wooden coaster theory, because I found it on the www.rollercoasterpro.com boards. I am hoping though, for a B&M invert though.

Everybody is thinking that Maverick is to be the name of Cedar Point's new coaster. While there just might be a chance that it is the name of Valleyfair's new coaster.

Just an idea

Yes. There has been talk about Valleyfair! getting a new coaster in 2007. Most of them say a B&M invert. I've also heard predictions of a CCI wooden coaster. Now I'm not so sure about the wooden coaster theory, because I found it on the www.rollercoasterpro.com boards. I am hoping though, for a B&M invert though.

Yes, because CCI is still around and making quality wooden coasters.

-Bryan

Sorry dude. CCI stopped making coasters years ago. You are way behind the times.

I don't know about that. GCI is building a coaster at Toverland next year, I didn't know that! Maybe CCI got back together and is secretly building a coaster at Valleyfair. Or perhaps its GCI. Or maybe its a B&M. Perhaps its a spinning coaster. Or maybe its not a coaster at all but a monorail. Whatever it may be, the suspense is killing me!

I've put off my trip to the VF! until next year now just because of this mystery attraction. Whatever it may be, I'll ride it! (unless its an Evolution run at super slow speeds)

It's GG that's the new CCI. Maybe it could be GG that makes it, but I hope it's a B&M! That would be awsome!

I hope they go with a floorless! Something simular to Hydra but more intense with a better layout! the parks needs a good looping coaster and I think it is a great park and I want to make a trip out there next year!

As much as I'd love to see VF get a major new coaster, I have to take any rumors about it with a whole shaker of salt untill CF makes an announcement. As to why, go to http://deckernet.com/minn/Flood2001/ and scroll down to the last few pics. I have not so fond memories of visiting the park several different years and not being able to ride Thunder Canyon or Excalibur because the not-so-mighty Minnesota got delusions of grandure.

It would be great to get a new coaster, but considering the extra $$$ that would have to be spent making it floodproof and dealing with the DNR and hight restricitons and VF's limited season... I'm not sure CP will make the investment.

It will be the three letters that we all dread

SLC

It'll be a GCI.

I have an exclusive inside source and they are telling me it will be the first hyper Snails coaster!

I think that would be possibly the best move the park has ever made putting in one of those things. ^

I

I

dam right, give it two vertical drops ... throw in some loops here and there and whamo ... coaster gold!

Nothing better than a "Hyper Slug"

The B&M Factory is currently fabricating some track. They have supports in the front lot - unpainted track in the side lot, and painted track indoors. It was hard to see the stuff indoors - but all I could tell about it is that it is white with a blue stripe.