SFDL TR May 14 through 16 here goes:
1) Lodge on the Lake rating (A+)
2) Superman Ride of Steel rating (A+)
3) Batman Stunt Show rating (A+)
But, this is where the good stuff ends.
4) Ride operators rating (F-)
5) Security rating (F-) (F minus squared) (bunch of hillbilly wannabes )
6) Beaver Brother Restaurant rating (Z-) ( Beyond pathetic ) (I could write paragraphs on this one)
7) Landscaping rating (F-) Terrible constant smell from the black top and that green stuff they sprayed everywhere to grow grass.

FRIDAY
Driving down highway 77 virtually in the middle of nowhere this huge Steel Structure is sticky high up in the air. Look everybody it’s a bird, it plane, no it Superman The Ride of Steel. It is quite simply one spectacular looking site. Checked into the lodge around 8:30PM and S:ROS looked like it was finishing up it final runs for Press Day. So far so good no complaints yet.

DAY1 (Saturday)
The weather for the entire weekend was absolutely beautiful a sharp contrast to the harsh weather we experienced at PKI during their opening weekend in April. The day was going pretty well and I was able to get some good shots of S:ROS. Around 5:00PM we thought we would try Predator before getting something to eat. I rode this last year and it wasn’t too bad. But, yesterday after a second attempt to ride. One word describes this ride - "Painful". I notice that only one train is running and I now know what they mean by "SF likes making you wait". The platform is terrible you are scared to touch it in fear of getting a splinter, get some paint on this thing. We are then faced with "Jim the Nazi Ride Op" (No ride for you!) who was taking joy in intimidating the guests on the ride and in the queues. "Jim the Nazi Ride Op" makes everybody on the ride to put their hands up in the air while the lap bars drop and then makes you keep them up while he checks them. For the people who don’t know SFDL’s queue lines do not have gates on them only a yellow painted line on the floor. Then "Jim the Nazi Ride Op" goes up and down the platform with his height check stick threatening to smash your toes if they cross the yellow line. When we get to the front of the queue I ask him what is wrong with the second train. He responds, "nothing and that I normally works on the Boomerang". (Mental note - stay away from Boomerang) Then an announcement, "Please do not board the next train". Then a few seconds later security is on the exit ramp and then with no explanations comes, "Please clear the queue house" well! I think they said "Please". After 30 minutes in line no explanation just clear the queue house. Then a guest who was pissed off lit a smoke up and security grabs the mike and announced over the PA to put it out. This is where security showed their true moronic state of mind and also fitted in with their completely classless operation. Security started to argue with the guest over the PA system. The security morons had great lines like this, "Hey buddy come over here and say that to me". Security should have gotten off their ass and rushed over to the guest rather that arguing over a PA system. Here is what they should of said, "I am sorry sir but, for the safety and comfort of the other guests there is no smoking in the queues and besides sir, this platform is made of wood". Well we did attempt our fate once more on Sunday after Superman. Both trains were running and no more than a 5 minute wait. Luckily "Jim the Nazi Ride Op" was gone and the lap bars dropped without his Nazi antics. About one quarter of the way into the ride I was in pain. The laps bar was killing me, the bumps were hard and painful. This was the first time I wanted off a coaster since my cousin forced me onto one when I was a kid. I was using one hand trying to keep the lap bar out of my gut and the other one wiping away the tears. Would I get on again? NO! Well at least not that day.

After being kicked of the Predator we decide to head over to Beaver Brothers Restaurant this is where it turned from bad to worst. When we walked into the joint there were only two other tables that were being occupied and we are greeted by someone saying that it would be at least 40 minutes for food. This should have been our first clue to get the hell out of there. A long story short after 90 minutes only half our table of nine got some resemblance of their order. What we did get was either wrong or ice cold. So we got up and left. We actually were able to get a pretty good laugh from our Beaver Brothers experience after everything settled down.

So here it is almost 7:30PM and the park closes at 8:00PM and PCW JUNKIE never got to try Superman. I had convinced Donna to ride with me and she was ready. We were pumped and we were finally going to get to ride our first hypercoaster. Could it live up to the hype? Excitement level raising! So Donna and I mosey on down to queue up for Superman. We were so excited and yet tense but, we wanted to let our inhibitions go and go for the gusto. We get to the entrance of Superman at about 7:25PM and we are greeted by a ride op and a security wannabe and the ride is already closed. We both feel cheated. The queue is less than half full and it is only 7:30PM. Donna and I go back to the Lodge to pick up coats for everybody else. We come back from the Lodge and pass by the Superman queue at about 7:50PM and the ride is already empty. Am I a spoiled Paramount Brat, I ask you ? PCW closes the queue lines at closing time and run the ride until the queue is empty. I also had noticed that they got Predator running again and that they had also closed that ride before 8:00PM. I see why they need security there because with those antics they are only asking for trouble from the more rowdy guests. The ride ops got it all wrong. They are not doing us a favor by allowing us to ride the rides.

DAY2 (Sunday)
Superman was supposed to open at 10:30AM, but from the Lodge it was obvious it was still testing. We walked over to the park and seen that the line up for Superman was pretty long. So I convince Donna to try Viper. Viper looks very good in its new green and black paint job. I had a walk on front seat ride on Saturday and I never noticed on Saturday on how uncomfortable the trains were. The OTSR were really heavy and continually weighed/pressed onto your shoulders and the padding on the head rests dug into your shoulder blades. We then head over to Mind Eraser a Vekoma SLC. I rode Mind Eraser twice on Saturday, but I have never had my ears banged so hard before like I did on Sunday. I am sure if a rode it a few more time my ears would have turned into cauliflower and fallen off.

Then a bright spot in our weekend happens. We head over to catch the 12:00PM showing of the Batman stunt show. This was really good and a must see if you visit. Donna and I are ready to temp our fate at Superman once again. Donna really wanted to try it and no coaxing on my part was required. The queue for Superman is not very big and I would have expected it to be much larger. The queue was about ¾ full when we got in line and it moved really fast. Donna said it was moving to fast for her. I think she wanted a little more wait time. I got to watch how the LIM brakes performed a few times. We were on and off the ride within 25 minutes. We rode front seats fourth car. I think the best part of a coaster is doing it for the first time. We were both very nervous and anxious before we got to push the lap bars down. The ride up the lift was a long/tall one and this is where you are at your most anxious state. Then finally you are at the top of the lift and only about 30 ft short of PCW’s Drop Zone WOW! Then downnnnn you go, what a rush, picking up lots of speed and banking very fast to the left before you go up the second hill which is pretty darn high on it own right. Some good airtime over top of the second hill and down into a very a large very fast helix which brings you back to a third a hill which is almost beside the second hill. Over the top of the third hill for a little more airtime and down into another large helix which then brings you over a couple of more smaller hills then into the LIM brake run which is just a few feet before the station. This ride alone was worth all the bs we put up with. They had pictures and we were going to purchase one because it was our first ride but, on par for the weekend the Ride Photo had broken down. Coincidentally the accident happened about 10-20 minutes after our ride. Donna and I wanted to ride Superman one more time before we left but, that was also at the same time when the ambulance was there at the ride. So we headed back to Lodge for our vehicle. On the way back to the lodge an idiot security guy was driving a marked SF car extremely fast on the walkway and almost hit the people walking in front of him. At least we were able to get out of the way in time.

FINAL SUMMARY
1) SFDL can advertise all they want because the ads will only get you to the park the first time, and it is how the parks treats you as a guest that brings you back.
2) Superman:ROS is a great ride but, one great ride does not make a park. Get rid of the bad ride ops and security with that hillbilly attitude. Send their people to Paramount to see how employees should treat their guests.
3) Lodge on the Lake is a really nice place. I can’t believe it is run by same company. Along with the Batman Stunt show, also worth the trip.