News Plus Notes took care of the Weekly Topic this time and the topic posed the question, “Does theming matter on a coaster?”

At a quick glance my reaction was yes. Theme adds a ton to a coaster, or so I thought. Then I thought about it a bit more, and of all of the themed coasters I have ever been on, I really just remember the ride.  The theme might help to stir some memories, but the ride experience doesn’t change all that much.

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The Coaster Critic was in charge of this week’s Weekly Topic. He posed the age old question of steel vs. wood coasters, but he added a little twist. Which would you pick if you could only ride one type for the rest of your life? You can read his article here and view other responses.

I really had to box my head for an answer on this one. On one hand I love steel coasters for their speed, height, and inversions. On the other there is nothing like a good woodie. I’ve been on what many consider to be the worlds best of both woodie and steel coasters and overall I would say that I enjoy a top wooden coaster over a top steel coaster.

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Last Monday was April Fools Day, and as part of the usual amusements associated with the day, Jeff Putz, the CoasterBuzz editor, created a site for a park called Charmland USA. The site is generally poking fun of the people who hate when parks remove trees and “atmosphere” from amusement parks for future attractions. It is interesting to note that there are two distinct camps when it comes to this issue. The first is those who want a park to maintain as many trees as they can. The other group enjoys open spaces more than trees. There are very few people who remain neutral on this issue.

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Remember just a few short years ago when Cedar Fair could seemingly do no wrong? When Six Flags did everything wrong? The time I’m talking about was the time period between Cedar Fair’s purchase of Geauga Lake and the purchase of the Paramount Parks. From that point forward, it seems that it has become “trendy” to hate on Cedar Fair. If you have an iPod, iPhone, or any other new gadget, you probably jumped on the Cedar Fair hate train.

Why is all of this anger going around, or is it just me? I frequent many a coater board, and it seems that the tables have turned. There is a lot of optimism towards Six Flags, while Cedar Fair has fallen off of the table. Let’s look at why this is happening.

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I’ve been on quite a few coaster boards while following Fahrenheit construction. During my visits I’ve noticed a trend of people comparing Fahrenheit to Maverick. And for the life of me I don’t understand why these coasters are being related to one another.

Let me start off by saying that they do have a few things in common. The first is that they are both made by Intamin. Both of the rides feature a “beyond vertical drop” (I still hate that term). Finally they have those mini Intiman trains that now seem to be all the rage. If you really want to stretch it you could say that they are both a shade of red, but that’s just silly.

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