End of season recap and 2013 predictions

CGA's season ended on Oct. 28, and now is a good time to look back on the 2012 season, easily the best I've had since I started going in 2008. My highlights and predictions for next season are as follows: 

The reason why 2012 was so great. This picture was taken in early September, and a lot has changed since then.

Highlights

- Gold Striker construction! I'm sure this is everybody's highlight. The first time I saw that picture of land clearing back in May was probably the best moment I've had yet as a CGA fan.

- Five-person raft on Didgeridoo Falls (with fellow Theme Park Review members). Never before have I felt a near-death experience on a ride. If I hadn't held on, I would have certainly fell out. Easily got a foot or so out of my seat!

-Trying out the body slides for the first time. Can't wait to go on these again!

- Five-person Logger's Run.

- Kiddy ride takeovers: Pumpkin Patch, Woodstock's.

- Haunt!

- Mini-ERT session on Drop Tower to end the season.

- Firefall open for the first day and whole season. Also, getting a backwards flip and flying over the water, Stealth-style.

- Getting addicted to Flying Eagles.

Predictions for next season

- Gold Striker opens in late April/early May, and the ride consists of 50 percent tunnels. My goal is to be there on media day (please be on a Sunday!).

- That ugly blue on the Pictorium gets repainted to at least match Gold Striker.

- An older flat ride is removed. Amid all this excitement for Gold Striker, it wouldn't surprise me if a ride is ripped out for no apparent reason (remember, this is still CGA, after all).

- Demon's red train returns, orange gets sent back to rehab.

- Cabin #1 on Drop Tower returns, another (I'm going to say #4) goes down for the rest of season.

- No new mazes for Haunt, but Werewolf Canyon gets the next "Revamp'd" treatment.

- New shows.

- An announcement for a 2014 water slide, but nothing more.

Halloween Haunt 2012 opening night review

Talk about a busy opening night. Attendance was easily doubled compared to opening night last year, which can only be a good thing for the park. This time, CGA prepared for the lines by setting up a maze of queue ropes for each maze on opening day, and yes, you have to walk through all of them (Beware of the line Nazis!)

Toy Factory's queue was nearly half full by 9 p.m. and Massacre Manor was nearly full. Although, for some reason, Club Blood was nearly empty all night (possibly because it's gotten even harder to find).

Being the first night, there were a lot of glitches. The songs for Cornstalkers, Toy Factory and Dead Man's Cove were off for a while, and I even saw a mechanic fixing some electrical box about halfway through Club Blood.

Also because it was the first night, scare zones were pretty much non-existent, especially Dead Man's Cove. Underworld Alley is still my favorite.

Here are my rankings of the mazes, from best to worst, based on opening night experience. A few shake-ups in my rankings from last year:

Halloween Haunt 2012 full details

The official website for Halloween Haunt 2012 is now live.

New this year is Madame Marie's Massacre Manor, a voodoo-themed maze located in a new building behind the former Invertigo site.

Club Blood will be getting a makeover with Club Blood Revamp'd.

New shows and Fright Lane (front of the line passes) will round out the year.

Gold Striker officially announced

CGA officially announced Gold Striker today, the fastest and tallest wooden roller coaster in Northern California. For images, video and stats, visit www.cagreatamerica.com.

Project Au13 construction update

Au13, to be announced Aug. 29, is really coming along. I visited CGA on Saturday (Aug. 25), and this is what it looked like. One of the turns is nearly complete:

The park's skyline is really starting to change.

For a more in-depth look at Au13's progress, check out Au13 Construction Watch, a new blog devoted to all things Au13.

More Au13 pictures

CGA has posted a bunch of new pictures of "Au13" on their Facebook page. One of the turnarounds looks nearly complete.

"Gold Striker," likely the coaster's name, will be officially announced Aug. 29.

Via Facebook

New coaster codenamed Au13, to be revealed Aug. 29

CGA has posted teasers on their Facebook about a full reveal of "Au13" on Aug. 29. The image, showing a gold miner, teases that the coaster will "strike new records."

Via Facebook

Cedar Fair has recently trademarked the name "Gold Striker," which seems will be the name of the new coaster, based on the teasers.

Meanwhile, the coaster has achieved vertical construction:

Via Facebook