Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (SFDK) Discussion Thread

Perhaps SFDK will get a Zierer Family Drop coaster, like Polar X-Plorer. They could put in the Land or Sea sections and theme it either to the wildlife or sealife (depending on which land it is in). Once can dream.

^ As much as I would like to see a well themed family thrill ride like Verbolten at SFDK, a SF park is one of the last places I could see one going into. Part of what seems to make Verbolten so great is that it got many things right, the location, the theming, the back story, etc. And Six Flags parks aren't to well know for things like that.

Well Six Flags has some pretty good dark rides already so its not the last place to get a new one of some type.

I was just at the park today and had this very discussion. Personally, I'll like to see Kong taken down for a new coaster. I don't want a drop tower considering Great American and Santa Cruz has something similar. While I get the whole Marine World animal vibe, I think this park can be something special with a coaster or two that can really make the park stand out. I agree with some of the staff that bringing back the water ski show would be nice, considering they will have to do a major clean up job of the water. But a coaster like the Manta at Sea World San Diego would do wonders!

One of my main arguments I've made over years for Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and Great America is that you don't have to build tall and giants coasters to make them fun. I think these parks can be successful having various multi launch coasters similar to Maverick, or Verbolten. Even a backlot stunt coaster ride would be a nice addition and something different. I also would not mind if they added something like a Boo Blaster (located at king dominion and king Island).

I was always curious to who owns the lake by the park. Wishful thinking but would be awesome if they can drain some of the water out and extend the land for more rides.

Madvaz

I was always curious to who owns the lake by the park. Wishful thinking but would be awesome if they can drain some of the water out and extend the land for more rides.

A coaster out over the water would be pretty interesting too.

^It would be... But I just wish that there wasnt a 150 ft limit...

^^ Sadly will most likely never happen due to the NIMY neighbors that live around the lake.

^Yep. It's because of that lake we have a height restriction. I think the county owns the lake, and extending the park over the lake would probably devalue the lakeside properties and make some people very upset. Still... in my wildest dreams they build a coaster over Lake Chabot.

Maybe we'll get something relocated.

Relocate Zonga back.

Feel free to take Green Lantern from SFMM!!

Personally, I'll like to see Kong taken down for a new coaster.

I agree with some of the staff that bringing back the water ski show would be nice, considering they will have to do a major clean up job of the water. But a coaster like the Manta at Sea World San Diego would do wonders!

I agree with all of this. For the past few years I have wanted to see Kong go. It's had it's time. It's one of the first major rides the park put in. With the limited space the park has it shouldn't let these older rides linger and should try to focus on keeping the quality of their rides higher.

Ski show absolutely needs to come back, and not in stupid Batman form or like.. any 'themed' form, just plain gold ol' talented jumping with a little bit of Lights, Motors, Action! with boats mixed in.

I've had a similar wish to this, but mine was spawned more by Cheetah Hunt than Manta, but ultimately Manta would be the better style for this park. But a Mantish coaster with a Cheetah Huntish route would be good addition. The ride would start near the picnic sites along the water, go over the parking lot road, and out by the parking lot and back, maintaining a pretty low profile. Or they could just put it in Knog's spot. I'd be fine with that too.

^ May I ask what Zongo was like.

If you have any respect at all for Anton Schwarzkopf, then it was amazing. If you are typical GP, it "hurt my head!" Personally, I loved it and still think it's one of the best coasters I've ever ridden. I still have one of the queue signs in my room talking about how violent the ride is, I'll post a picture of it tonight when I get home.

^Yep. It's because of that lake we have a height restriction. I think the county owns the lake, and extending the park over the lake would probably devalue the lakeside properties and make some people very upset. Still... in my wildest dreams they build a coaster over Lake Chabot.

The lake is split, The property line goes through it giving about 2/3 of it to SFDK and 1/3 to the city. Also the park's height limit shrinks as you get closer to the water. Where boomerang is, the max is 125', Skycoaster is 100' (that why the launch towers in the back were modified a year after it opened from their original 120'), and right along the shore it's 70' (or maybe 65... i'm not positive on that one).

Also the height limit was there prior to the houses (those came after the park was built anyways) and it has nothing to do with the value of the land. The land was original zoned for a city park (like Dan Foley Park across the lake). Now that SFDK is a full theme park and is building rides, they can petition for the land to be re-zoned. But now you DO have the houses and neighbors that put up a fight and put pressure on the city, so the park doesn't bother.

Lastly, Family coasters are cool, but this is still Six Flags and they like big rides. Also everyone keeps mentioning launched coasters... They already have 2, do they really need another? Personally, I would like to see a traditional coaster built at the park, with a good old-fashioned lift hill.

Sorry for the confusion but when I say launch coaster, but I meant more of a multi launch coaster much like Manta or Maverick. Great America could also benefit from having one of these as well. I'll be happy if find they find a way to bring over a big ride or another traditional coaster. I wouldn't mind having a Hybrid wooden coaster as well.

Madvaz

Sorry for the confusion but when I say launch coaster, but I meant more of a multi launch coaster much like Manta or Maverick.

OHHHH... So a Multi-Launch coaster isn't really a launched coaster at all?

^ May I ask what Zongo was like.

 

If you have any respect at all for Anton Schwarzkopf, then it was amazing. If you are typical GP, it "hurt my head!" Personally, I loved it and still think it's one of the best coasters I've ever ridden. I still have one of the queue signs in my room talking about how violent the ride is, I'll post a picture of it tonight when I get home.

The ride is still active if you really want to ride it, it is currently operating (with the same paint scheme) as Tsunami at Isla San Marcos Parque Temático in Aguascalientes, Mexico. The park only operates for a few weeks a year though, apprently it's some kind of permanent state fair.

Sorry for the confusion but when I say launch coaster, but I meant more of a multi launch coaster much like Manta or Maverick.

 

OHHHH... So a Multi-Launch coaster isn't really a launched coaster at all?

I think he just meant that even though it is a launch coaster, it's different from the two launch coasters that SFDK currently has. To me, something like Manta or Maverick would certainly be different enough from V2 and SUF, I would love to have something like that.

^I'm aware of Zonga's new home, but not sure I would visit that park, even for Zonga. I've seen pictures and think I might get robbed, or killed, or both.

As for the launch, we me see it as a different ride, but the GP doesn't always see past that. I've talked to many people don't see much of a difference between Superman and V2 even though an enthusiast could argue to the death about how different they are. I just think a unique coaster that doesn't rely on one or multiple launches would be a better mor rounded choice for the park. I think a Fahrenheit style ride would be great for the park.

I figured you knew but I didnt think the previous person did, my reply was more for his benefit.

I agree with your assessment though you said exactly what I was thinking but didn't want to say Plus it's literally the only coaster there, you'd have to REALLY want to ride Zonga to go through all that. It's probably more of a "if I just happened to for some reason be in Aguascalientes at the right time I might make a side trip" thing, but how likely is that

The park already had 2 shuttle coasters, so why did they need a 3rd one?

A launched family coaster wouldn't be confused with Superman or V2 at all, especially since it would be a complete ride. I don't think a park already having a couple (shuttle) launched coasters means they don't need anymore. In the sense of a manta type ride its just a way of giving a small coaster some speed without having to take up space with a lift hill, and possibly have the coaster be faster than a lift hill would provide anyways.

And I agree with what someone else said about a dark ride a few posts back. If they put a Sally shooting ride in the place of the Dinosaur thing that would be awesome. If they just copied the other Scooby Doo ones that would be fine. The location would be perfect because its unused, and with the shrubbery and stuff there they could make it look like some old spooky house in the woods.

Take out Kong and put the Manta type coaster there, and make the entrance where the old Kong entrance was and it could really revitalize that area of the park.

Well Six Flags has some pretty good dark rides already so its not the last place to get a new one of some type.

And where is Six Flags hiding these pretty good dark rides, I can only think of two off the top of my head.

^Hmm. I know what one of those two is. And I'm pretty sure I know what the other one is too. FWIW.

Well since those rides are basically 100% made by Sally, you can look at the quality of any ride they make, not just the Six Flags ones. But at Six Flags I can think of a couple Ghost Blasters, and the Yosemite Sam ride at Fiesta Texas.

If you want to look at Sally on the whole, there is Hershey park, Legoland, and a bunch of other places.

^Ah 3, I forget about Yosemite Sam's at SFoT.

But let's get back to talking about SFDK.

Well since those rides are basically 100% made by Sally, you can look at the quality of any ride they make, not just the Six Flags ones. But at Six Flags I can think of a couple Ghost Blasters, and the Yosemite Sam ride at Fiesta Texas.

 

If you want to look at Sally on the whole, there is Hershey park, Legoland, and a bunch of other places.

Is that Yosemite Sam ride next to the Bamboo Shoot that everyone talks about in the park? Cause I never rode either of them!

But yes I think any Sally dark ride is perfect for any park... They don't even have to theme it to Scooby, but they can theme it to animals and your trying to shoot them. But they can't have hippos because the Anaheim Animatronic Hippo Conservation Society will petition against it!

But yes I think any Sally dark ride is perfect for any park... They don't even have to theme it to Scooby, but they can theme it to animals and your trying to shoot them. But they can't have hippos because the Anaheim Animatronic Hippo Conservation Society will petition against it!

I don't think you would be shooting the animals. You would probably be "tagging" them for conservation purposes. They figure out some way to spin it so that they can make it politically correct...

I would also like to see a dark ride at SFDK, even if it's not a shooting ride. Yosemite Sam's Gold River Adventure at SFoT is good and Monster Mansion at SFoG is amazing. As long as SFDK kept the ride maintained well a dark ride would be an awesome addition to the park.

The park already had 2 shuttle coasters, so why did they need a 3rd one?

What third one? Are we considering Superman a shuttle now, too?

I just think there is a huge gap of misunderstanding between a lot of enthusiasts and the parks. Look at the parks that have added multi-launch coasters. For the most part they were part of some large expansion and came a number of years after the last installment of a major ride (Maverick 4 years after TTD, Cheetah Hunt 6 years after Sheikra, Verbolten 5 years after Griffon, and Manta 8 years after Atlantis). These aren't rides you see just plopped down into parks, which is likely why we haven't seen any at a SF park. SFMM has a good chance at getting one next year, but look how long they have been preparing for it, and that is a park that SF would make that kind of investment in. It just doesn't make sense for Six Flags to spend the money on that kind of coaster at SFDK when something cheaper could have just as big an impact to the GP.

I honestly think the park could really benefit from water ride. They were supposed to get a log ride back in 2002 but the V2 remodel pretty much destroyed that plan. The park's two water rides are extremely popular and it gets hot a lot in Vallejo. I think people would really take to a log ride or Shoot The Rapids style water coaster (which would help in the family ride area as well). These are rides that fit the type of budget SF would spend on the park.

I honestly think the park could really benefit from water ride. They were supposed to get a log ride back in 2002 but the V2 remodel pretty much destroyed that plan. The park's two water rides are extremely popular and it gets hot a lot in Vallejo. I think people would really take to a log ride or Shoot The Rapids style water coaster (which would help in the family ride area as well). These are rides that fit the type of budget SF would spend on the park.

As much as I would like to see a new coaster, I don't see it happening. I would like to see a new water ride or even just a big, marketable flat ride (like an S&S Screamin' Swing or something). I would also like to see SFDK fix some of the pathways in the park. A lot of the pavement is looking old and cracked now.

I honestly think the park could really benefit from water ride. They were supposed to get a log ride back in 2002 but the V2 remodel pretty much destroyed that plan. The park's two water rides are extremely popular and it gets hot a lot in Vallejo. I think people would really take to a log ride or Shoot The Rapids style water coaster (which would help in the family ride area as well). These are rides that fit the type of budget SF would spend on the park.

I also agree that a water ride would be beneficial. One one of my visits back in 2006 when we took on triple digit temps, the rapids just happened to be down all day (go figure). That lead to everyone flocking over to Monsoon Falls (which I did not even dare get in line for), and there were some spray features over in Tava's Jungle Land for a quick soaking. They were even hosing down the elephants with passengers on board over at the elephant rides. Sure, one can still play in that Water Works thing in the Looney Tunes area, or stand on the bridge of Monsoon Falls but adding another water ride wouldn't be half bad at all. Maybe I'm spoiled by CGA's abundance of water ride options as even on some of the hotter days, there's enough to disperse the crowds (Rapids, Chute, Log Flume, plus Boomerang Bay and Rain Maze).

That log flume concept you mentioned many pages back seemed like a neat, standout idea. It was to go through some of the animal exhibits, right?