Theme Park Discussion / Dinn Coaster Extinction?

Alright, I've been looking at alot of parks and rides on RCDB and stuff when I found out that Dinn woodies are literally being taken down or changed every year. The main reason that I even posted this topic is that seconds ago, I was on coaster crazy and learned That the Mean Streak caught fire
I'm kinda dissapointed that the website made a big deal out of the small fire( the huge Mean Streak On Fire banner) , but nevertheless it reminds me of how dinns are dissapearing.
From what I've seen, Dinns are extremely uncomfortable, and hard to maintain after so many years of running.
So I have a question for the community: do you guys (and maybe a girl or two) think that by the next 15 years, Dinn rollercoasters will no longer exist?

It's really hard to say. It's gonna come down to the park deciding whether the ride should be replaced or not. Hercules at Dorney was the tallest wooden roller coaster in the world in 1989. But it just wasn't enough to see past the multiple malfunctions and the headaches riders received from it. Parks are always trying to move ahead for a better experience, so its easy for them to replace a coaster. Besides, Dinn's are large coasters that take up a lot of space and don't bring that amusement park charm like a classic Schmeck or Allen coaster.

I'm gonna say at the most ten years before they're all gone. I maybe wrong but if a parks looking for a new look, expect that to go first.
-JDP

The Intamin prefabricated ones will replace all of them imo.

But seeing that SFoT is going to refurbish the Texas Giant for 2011, I'd say they may be around for quite a while if the parks they are in decide they want to preserve them due to their classic-ness.

If they do decide to preserve the Dinn woodies then I'd say JDP's estimate is reasonable - 10 years max.

If they don't want to keep the oldies running, then I'd give em 5 years tops.

^yea, Texas Giant will be around for a while, I agree.

Also, another big Dinn woody, Mean Streak at Cedar Point is rumored to being refurbished sometime very soon. Apparently, the success of Maverick has led to more interest in that area of the park (no doubt, Maverick is the shit), and thus CP has taken MS's refurbishing into consideration. I like this ride, though more than 2 rides on it might induce pain. A refurbishing is definetly needed, and thus would shoot down the hopes of many who thought they would tear it down for something newer and better, like an Intamin prefab like El Toro, which was a rumor I saw floating around.

I think these two will last, but with all the new developments in the coaster industry, I dont see many of them lasting thru 2020.

-Taylor

MS has so much potential (energy) that they could easily modify the structure and profile to make the ride a hundred times better.

@Insanity: Are you a member of coastercrazy?

^im logged in but i don't consider myself a member

K thanks,maybe you've seen me in the forums yet

I think Dinns and rougher woodies in general(maybe not all of them) will be re-done, like TG. Ever since that was announced, I've been waiting for the news on Mean Streak. I agree that the ride has much potential, but does CP have the money/balls?

When I rode the MS there was a freaking trim break RIGHT in the MIDDLE of the first drop. It ruined the entire ride for me. Is it still like that?

Yep. Not the best woodie I've ever ridden
Regret it every time...

The thing is there only going to want to refurbish the bigger rides. For the price of Giants makeover they could have just bought a completly new GCI. Smaller parks and smaller rides won't want to turn on that investment. As for MS getting the TG treatment, I say go for it. CP has always rumored a new pre-fab and this is almost the same thing.

Talkin about Prefabs,maybe somethin like Balder,but I hope that it comes out like T-Express.

^Win. The only problem is where to build it...

As for small parks, I completely agree. It does cost more to demo a ride and build a new one than it does to just build a new one.

Balder should fit,if I'm right.

Well what I meant price wise was look at TG's makeover price. TG was first built for 5,500,000, and the renovation is 10,000,000, compared to some coasters, Voyage was 8,500,000, Evil Knieval was 7,000,000, Balder was 9.5. Its alot of money, bassiclly. And it better be damn good

Only prefab I've ridden is Colossos,one of the best rides in my life,I rode it 5 times now and it kicks ass,but doesn't rape it,as Bandit does.

Couldn't you consider CCI coasters to be made by Dinn?

^No. His daughter was involved in the company but if the split of engineering talent from CCI to GCI (only a few), Gravity Group (the majority), and S&S (Dinn), leaves us with pretty good evidence of where the coaster design, innovation and engineering came from.

I think the smaller Dinn's could use some mild re-profiling and a little TLC but otherwise could stick around. My only experience with the smaller Dinn's is Wildcat @ Michigan's Adventure and I see no reason why it can't remain more or less as it is... A little fresh lumber would go a long way, but it's perfectly ride-able regardless.

The BIG Dinn's are a dying breed for a reason... They're impossibly expensive to maintain properly, they fail to attract crowds, and are generally a bad investment. If a park sees it as a signature attraction (SFOT) or is really determined (hopefully CP) they'll find ways of modifying them to make them better rides that will attract more positive attention. If not they'll go the way of Hercules...

In general big wooden coasters are difficult to maintain. The biggest of the CCI's (The Boss, Villain, Shivering Timbers, etc) are known to be deteriorating, especially if they're not getting a ton of TLC... Shivering Timbers (from what I've read) is still going strong thanks to still being the signature attraction at it's park, but many of the others are blowing away). The Voyage has already had trims added, lighter trains switched in, and a couple sections retracted and it's not even five years old! I imagine Holiday World will keep it up and kicking but it's clearly going to be a long, steady investment to keep it together.

The Intamin's are strange and I don't feel like I can comment from a rider or engineering standpoint. They seem a bit more durable but also seem to vaguely miss the point of being a wooden coaster? But those are seems... I'd have to ride some now and again in 10 years to really comment.

Ride6

The rides that should exting are RCCAs,they suck.Bandit is the worst ass-raping-mixer I've ever ridden!