PAL Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 Will there be film of Dolly's cupcakes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samisthabomb Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 I'm going to Sandy Lake this Sunday (day after Texas Giant Bash)! Is anyone else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chadster Posted May 10, 2011 Author Share Posted May 10, 2011 Without much fanfare, I present to you the "Running of the Giant Bulls" video shot on opening weekend (April 22, 2011) of the New Texas Giant. Â Enjoy, and PAL, hope you're happy now! Â Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAL Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 Holy herd of humanity! It was worth the wait. I hope you wore protection. Â Great choice of music. Is the vid still rendering at YouTube? It repeatedly hangs with 50 seconds left - so minty fresh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cal1br3tto Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 I'm so glad I wasn't there during the walking of the giant bulls. Looks like it was an impressive sight, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAL Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 Woohoo, made it to the end credits. "Made especially for..." I was relieved to escape your wrath. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chadster Posted May 10, 2011 Author Share Posted May 10, 2011 ^ Glad your finally satisfied, lol. It must have been youtube, I watched it two or three times before I posted it to TPR without delay. One of these days I will start uploaded to coastertube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chadster Posted May 12, 2011 Author Share Posted May 12, 2011 After a week long work related conference, I took a few extra days off and made my way to Dollywood, that's in Pigeon Forge for you leaving under a rock, on April 29, 2011. Disappointedly, I was only able to spend 6 hours at a park that is full of life, rides, attractions, food, shows, and has a well manicured landscape. Â Pigeon Forge itself is full of amusements outside of Dollywood including NASCARSpeedPark (credit whore opportunity, sadly, it was out of service on my visit), Jurassic Jungle Boat Ride, and go cart and mini golf courses that stretch for miles. In my personal opinion, this is certainly a destination that one could spend a weekend at and never be bored. Â Ride wise, Thunderhead is now in my top 5 wooden coaster. It carry's its speed well, nice drops and turns and unlike many wooden coasters intermingles with the structure and a variety of ways. Tennessee Tornado was a pleasant surprise. I was expecting a little headbanging, especially taking my first ride in the rear. On the first drop, OMFG! I felt like I was going to fly out of my seat, total surprise. Taking the suggestion of a special someone, I tried out the front seat of the last three cars which made, for me, a more intense ride, but nothing beat the rear. The second half of the Eurofighter was money with the fire and video screen at the top of the lift, and Blazing Fury was loads better IMO, than Fire in the Hole at SDC. Oh, and I also whored out Veggie Tales. Â The only ride I was really disappointed in was the disk-o. I found it to run a rather weak program compared to it's counterpart at SDC. It was either that, or I've become immune to them. Â Anyway, I had a fantastic time, and although I missed seeing Dolly, I certainly have plans to return sooner than later. Â Enjoy the pics! Welcome to Dollywood!! I showed by Club TPR card at the gate, received my discount and headed toward the woodie. Here we are! Imagine that, it's a Wooden Coaster So here we are going into the station fly-thru Had a few posers going up the lift hill. Get me off of this thing!! ahhhhhhh weeeeee It was a really nice day, a few clouds, bluish sky, and comfortable temperatures. What is this thing? A giant dildo? Timber Tower. Yup, sounds like a dildo to me. Whatever it is, the sign is permanent and since my visit, they have posted an even more permanent sign indicating the ride will not open this year and that they are in a dispute with HUSS. So, there you have it. The themed Euro Fighter The first half was blah, second half made up for it. A ropes course! Included! A ropes course! (again) A ropes course! (again again) Unfortunatley, many tornados had just torn up many parts of the state. The good news, this arrow did not tear me up. A solid ride with a nice big round thing. Time to try out Blazing Fury. Like I said earlier, i found this powered coaster much better than the one at SDC. NOTED! And an outdoor view of the attraction. Birds in houses told ya! Walking around the park I found this harmless looking attraction Maybe Dan would approve? or not Off to what I really came to Dollywood for, one of my top 5 flat ride types! Well themed. Typcial of airlines these days Which way to I go? I choose left. If you can't follow these simple directions, you shouldn't be allowed in the park. Load em' up boys! These buttons make ride go swoosh! Up Up And AWAY! Another S&S that delivers! So walking around toward the carnival type area I found the carousel With a traditional cock. And a nice aviator NOTED! Time to do my whorish duties. And no one laughed or cared So, I left. Thanks Dollywood for a fantastic time! See you soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chadster Posted May 19, 2011 Author Share Posted May 19, 2011 So it's April 30th of 2011 and after an interesting drive thru the mountains in the dark (wish I had done that during the day just to take in nature) the night before, while texting (NAUGHTY), I made it safely to Carowinds about 30 minutes after opening. Upon my arrival, I found the line for Vekoma's finest flier to be at the queue entry point, so I made my way to Intameidator. I waited in the normal person line for about 15 minutes for my first spin which I found to be, well, tame and rather non-exciting. So, having now noted the single rider line, I made my way around for several more laps before realizing my initial reaction was correct. A few bits of air, but overall, not very forceful, and quite frankly, not very memorable. Â The best ride in the crowded park for me was After Burn, full of force, turns, swoops, and dives, this one's a winner. The non-racing woodie was fairly smooth bringing back memories of Rebel Yell. The boomerang was rather pleasant with the new trains and restraints, I'd hit it again. Hurler was not memorable, but it didn't crack my neck, so it wasn't bad either. Vortex was decent, but flying ace was no where near the quality of Steel Laso at Frontier City. Easily the worst ride in the park for me . The flier was ok, and the sun shield on the brake run was welcome. While I tried to get the kiddie credit, no kids were around to bribe, so I ended with multiple rides on my now #2 B&M Invert, After Burn, which hauled some serious ass at night. Â One thing I noticed, this park lacks flats. If they were to add more flats, they would have a well rounded park. All in all, it was great day, the park was busy, which was a good thing, and I would certainly return. Welcome to Carowinds! Where you can go North or South, your choice, but I like going down South. where you can fill up on funnel cakes Or ride Intamidator. Honestly, I was disappointed. The best part of the ride, imo Even this turn was less than forcefull, it really felt to me like a drive down the interstate. So yeah, this was the best part of the ride. Now, I will say the ride crew was on their game. Hardly ever three trains waiting and minimal time in the brakes with three trains. So, I'll run thru some pics of Vekoma's finest. It does have a few strong points. It's photogenic for one The ride crew was on top of things It didn't beat me up either But, I just don't find them comfortable So we go over here and experience the new trains and restaints. Silky smooth. All boomerangs should have them, maybe we wouldn't bitch so much if they did. Then you have this, i swear, people couldn't figure out how to get in this thing, cars were stacking and it wasn't the ops fault, it was ignorant people who didn't know how to get in, sit down, and hold on. One of the few flats they have with Skycoastin Steve's old gig in the background. So that's all I have. I spent more time riding and crowd fighting than taking pics since it wa my first time to the park. Hope it was entertaining for you! Thanks Carowinds! Â Next up, SFOG! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJ728 Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Is the Tennessee Tornado an actually smooth Arrow? I haven't heard anything about it, but I know it's one of the newer ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chadster Posted May 19, 2011 Author Share Posted May 19, 2011 (edited) ^ YES! It's actually one of the better Arrow's, that first drop included some unexpected air time, felt like I was going to fly out! Edited May 19, 2011 by chadster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAL Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 I still want to hit that flier. It picked up and moved cross country before I could get to it at California's next new Great Asphalt lot. Intamidator is pretty even if you found it pretty boring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaMiTsPaT Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 I'm glad you had a good time at Carowinds. I really enjoy the park, and I think Afterburn kicks butt too! I do think Intimidator is great too, and I agree about Flying Ace Vekoma Jr. SLC. It stinks! Thanks for the photo trip report. I really liked the Dollywood photos as its a park I've never gotten to and really want to go to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatdaddy Posted May 22, 2011 Share Posted May 22, 2011 I think I need to go back to work so I can afford to go to these parks. It looks like way too much fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chadster Posted May 22, 2011 Author Share Posted May 22, 2011 From a fun filled day at Carowinds, I slept in a little on May 1st before making the short drive from my first ever visit to Six Flags over Georgia on May 1st, 2011. I arrived at the park around 1pm and went straight to the flash pass office to Gold Pass it up. As with many Six Flags parks, the pass is really really valuable on some rides and not needed on others. I was pleased to find that all of the coasters and several of the flats were included on the pass. There were only two rides that it really wasn't needed on, those being Ninja and The Great American Scream Machine. Wait times were no more than 20 minutes, with Batman having the longest wait on the pass. Most other rides were 10 minutes or less, yeah!!! Â Mindbender was a pleasant surprise and will be ranked high on my steel poll should I ever actually finish one. Nice out of air time and a well laid out ride. Superman was a decent flier, nothing special, Ninja didn't really slap me silly, and Goliath is > Intamidator by far. The Georgia backbreaker was not memorable and I can say I would rather ride a boomerang than this piece of firewood. Oh, and the drop tower, while certainly a unique experience, it can have a dramatic effect on ones manhood, an effect that could result in the inability to have children. Â But nonetheless, the park looked nice, the ops were friendly and mostly on their game with decent dispatch times, even on the stand-up. My only gripe (and lets get real, its not really a gripe) was the confusion on if you could take crap to the ride or had to leave it in a lock box thingy. Goliath allowed you to drop off your drink cups, but nothing else. Wished I had known that, but oh well, I knew if for the second go round, AND I shouldn't bitch as I got free drink refills from the DD stand at Dare Devil Dive all day. Apparently the people working the stand were familiar with TPR and were like, take it. So yeah for me!! Â So, now, off to the pics! Welcome! Please proceed thru the body scanners. But before you go thru the body scanners, be sure to drop your bitch off here. Once inside, have a look around, take it all in, very Southern like I have yet to try the park branded pizza, but what I have tried is the flash pass, and to get on of those here, you turn to the right at this here pizza place. First up today, Goliath. Queue wait time, 45 minutes. Gold Pass wait time, 12 minutes. Up Down Up And around. Kick A$$ ride indeed. So after the ride I went by to play a miniture version of the Santa Claw - R.I.P. On the way to check out Dare Devil Dive construction, I thought I'd stop by and have my pork pulled. Integrated Dots and Dive, also a source of free beverages (if any one asks, I had a wristband ) Lifty thingy Twisty Thingy Lifty and Twisty Next, rode this re-rideable stand up B&M weeeeee yayyyyyyyyyy Enough of that, let's go here and thru here for flash pass entry to batman, the longest wait on the pass BATMAN Wave Mindbender is a landmark, and a damn good ride Superman! The loop for me was the best part Loopy Flyey Closed Hyyy Yah Not a bad ride, not a great ride, but it had a 1 minute wait on the FP Good Wood Flying with wood out and back So lets see, what else, oh yeah, a wet ride, and it's wet. This hill was not as bad as the torture hill at the Mountain. Whore'd this one out The Mansion was on the pass, but I skipped it. To ride this thing, that squashed my thing. wooooshhh So before I left, I took another spin on Mindbender, everyone of you should ride this ride!!! Â Thanks SFOG! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParkTrips Posted May 22, 2011 Share Posted May 22, 2011 The Mansion was on the pass, but I skipped it. you are pretty fucking stupid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chadster Posted May 22, 2011 Author Share Posted May 22, 2011 ^ It was my choice, tired, hot, just wanted to go to the hotel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cal1br3tto Posted May 22, 2011 Share Posted May 22, 2011 I am very interested in visiting this park. GASM looks lovely, both aesthetically and ride-wise. And upon visiting, I'd probably pick up at least a couple new steel coasters in my top, say, 20 or 30, or maybe even 10! Â The Mansion was on the pass, but I skipped it. Seriously? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chadster Posted May 22, 2011 Author Share Posted May 22, 2011 The Mansion was on the pass, but I skipped it. Seriously? Â Grrrrrrrrr...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAL Posted May 22, 2011 Share Posted May 22, 2011 ^Some one's a little cranky. Jeff Johnson would have counted it as a credit. You could too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thrillrider Posted May 22, 2011 Share Posted May 22, 2011 How can you go to this park and not ride the mansion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chadster Posted May 23, 2011 Author Share Posted May 23, 2011 (edited) So it's New Texas Giant Bash day, for those of you keeping track, that would be May 14th. For those of you traveling to the park on a Saturday, I strongly suggest you obtain a flash pass. Why you ask? Well, the answer to the why will be contained in the pictures below. Â I won't bore you with my usual dissertation on the park and what's near it as there are plenty of reports and information out there on SFOT, so I will just dive right in to what everyone wants to see, the pictures! Â OH!!! And if you ever wanted to know what TPR Quest/Triva is, I have posted videos to the NTGB thread here. Welcome to NTAG BASH! Rates charged to store your horse and buggy Look, it's a bird, it's a plane, no it's a helicopter! TPR has the local news asking, what are all of these people doing at the park so darn early!! You can only get this shot from the super secret group entrance...after you go thru the body scanners. Robb had to catch up on the porn he missed from the night before, so he hung out in the chicken coup Happy Happy Riders! NTAG KICKS ASS! OMFG! OMFG!! OMFG!!! OMFG!!!! After ERT, a shed load of us went to the Flash Pass office where we got 10% off on top of the parks SP discount, a helluva savings. See? It pays to be a CTPR member! Â After we passed it up and attended the QA session with the park Prez, we headed to Mr. Freeze. This ride will NEVER get old. FP wait time, < 15 minutes. The wait time for these people >>>>>>>>>>>>> 15 minutes. Next up we had Batman all ready to go thanks to the FP. So now, sit back, relax, and enjoy a few Batman photos. So, I bet you are asking, how long was the line to get on a solid ride like this? Longer than this... It stretched all the way out to the games!!! All of the switch backs were full. The park is doing some incredible business this year. I've seen commericals in my area where over the last 4 or 5 years, I have seen none. Hopefully corporate will continue to invest in this park next year as a result of the crowds. Next up was one of my personal favorites, the tallest in the world, S&S combo tower. weeeeee Soon to be renamed and re-themed. I'd look for that to happen mid summer The park was soooo busy today that you needed a flash pass just to get food! So how about a little Judgement. Now, I know some people are spoiled... And tend to complain... about a rough woodie... but look, not every woodie can be a GCI... And personally I don't find JRS all that rough... So if you are one of those who doesn't like JRS because it's too rough... May god help you, because you'll never be able to ride Mean Streak, Georgia Cylcone, Wildcat @ Lake Compounce, Jack Rabbit, Rattler, The Boss, Timberwolf, or Boulder Dash. oh, why not still wrapped and still a boomerang. I have to agree with a very knowledgeable fellow coaster enthusiast, this rang is actually pretty good. So I snuck off to the hotel for a bit after TPR Quest/Triva. If you have not seen the video of the event, and have not ever participated or experienced Trivia/Quest, you should watch the videos in the link provided. So, it's ERT time on Shockwave. TPR is ready. Superman is ready. These folks are ready. The Oil Derek is ready (and it was open toward the end of the day as well, I know, shock) and these guys were ready. But Shockwave was not ready. So Robb checked out some more porn. Until Jermey, the friendly area supervisor, told us that we broke it real good and that we should head over to NTAG, so we did and I rode and rode and rode and rode and rode some more. Â Great event, great people, and great operations folks at SFOT. Had a blast. Will be doing another bash real soon, and you should too! Edited May 24, 2011 by chadster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterbear30 Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Hey Chad, Â It was nice meeting you at SFOG! Glad you enjoyed our park. You even got my partner and two of my friends in your Acrophobia picture! LOL Hopefully catch you around at some other parks/events. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samisthabomb Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 It was great meeting you, man! TGB was so much fun Very nice shot of Titan by the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chadster Posted May 23, 2011 Author Share Posted May 23, 2011 ^ & ^^ It was nice meeting you guys as well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts