CoasterMania 2018

Zen

Yeeeah, that doesn't seem peaceful, it seems disconcerting. I mean, isn't part of the enjoyment the reactions of those around you, the ability to look around at your fellow riders and be like, 'holy balls, wasn't that awesome?'

I mean, I'm a Single Rider (perhaps I should invest in a neon t-shirt :P ) but a train empty except for me just seems... lonesome.

Depends on the ride, probably. Keep in mind Voyage is a dash through the pitch black woods. Being isolated would probably be a bit more exhilarating on Voyage than on most other rides. (Voyage ERT is where I first heard of zen rides, I think.)

No. Still depressing.

;)

Anytime I’ve ever been alone on a coaster I get nervous. I always think that if there would ever be a time for me to die on a coaster that would be it.

Sounds like the last few years of Geauga Lake.

And people still wonder why they closed.

Does it count if it's just your party on the ride? If so, our last trip to Geauga was nothing but zen rides all day long.

I guess I've had a zen ride on Maverick once. It must have been right as an RWC event was ending because I made it back there before the morning chaos. There were a couple of other people on the ride, but I was the only one in the station. Being early morning with only one person on it, the train almost didn't make it far enough into the tunnel for the second launch. I was pretty much expecting them to shut the ride down at that point and leave me stranded in the tunnel for a while. The train eventually crept just enough to launch, but it took forever.

I didn't seek it out intentionally, and I have no desire to do it again.

I just call it a solo ride. The absolute best ride I have ever had on Raptor was when it was just me during ERT one morning. Just the sound of the train and the wind. No one screaming. No one saying they are going to throw up. No one saying how great the ride was. No one jostling with my arms. Just peaceful calm on a beautiful morning.

I don't call that depressing at all. Maybe zen is a better name for it.

Many 'only rider' rides were available on Mantis towards the end of its' life.

Max ERT lines- I’ve gone in 2016 and 2017. Longest line we’ve waited in was Valravn during morning ERT in 2016, maybe 25 minutes.

Re-rides. Seems more common at night than morning. 2016 we rode Maverick 5x to close the night without unbuckling the belt.

Zen Ride- Maybe in Wilderness Run, Rougarou, or Gemini but don’t count on it on the big guns.

As for whoever said only Steel Vengeance and Maverick are open for morning ERT this year, look again at the schedule. It’s a staggered opening; there’s a lot running. Especially if you add in rides that will open for Early Entry.

A Zen Ride on Gemini sounds really depressing. 90% of the fun from that ride is trash-talking the people on the train you're racing against.

^^That's true. What I meant is that SV and Maverick are the only rides operating from the start of morning ERT as opposed to the evening ERT, where lots of rides open at the start and stay open. (Which makes sense... it's probably less of a pain to staff the rides when all the staff are already there than to get enough staff for 4-6 coasters to arrive at 5-6AM.)

Got incredibly close to being the only person on Dragster during a passholder ERT session about 5 years ago. I was surprised the crew didn't shut it down, there were only a dozen people or so marathoning it and there were a good 15 minutes before ERT ended. It is nice when there aren't a bunch people screaming their heads off and everyone is hauling butt to get the ride moving.

I'm slightly disappointed to see Dragster has a very short ERT session for this year. I can understand why S.V. doesn't have a night time ERT session though.

I have a group of 4-8 people going this year, hope to see some of you there!

The best is when there are about 10-15 minutes until ERT begins and enthusiasts are lined up with their fanny packs waiting for it to begin while the ride is a walkon

^also at the end of the night when they're camping by the entrance to be on the last train of the night, when they could probably get 2 more rides in.

^Eh, it makes sense on summer days on Beast/Voyage (where the sun is barely down before the park closes) or last train of the season.

Any idea as to when Coaster Mania tickets go on sale?

Already got Coasterstock tickets!

^^That's why I go to Kings Island in May or August. Usually the park will stay open for around an hour and a half after sunset so I don't need to camp out for the last Beast ride; instead, I can try to get many just-as-good night rides (depending on crowds). As for Voyage, I really won't try to get a night ride until HoliWood Nights. Trimless Voyage ERT at night >>> Voyage at dusk.

^As for CoasterMania tickets, I believe the date they go on sale will be announced at WCO. And as we all learned with WCO, be prepared to buy tickets exactly when they open.

If a tree falls on a roller coaster and you’re the only one riding, will they be able to here you in the station when you have only one non-severed hand clapping?

Dvo said:

^also at the end of the night when they're camping by the entrance to be on the last train of the night, when they could probably get 2 more rides in.

So true, I don't get the last train thing. I've noticed that also, I'm doing laps and enjoying the ride while a group of people are just standing by until the last train.