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Showing content with the highest reputation since 02/19/2024 in all areas

  1. For the record. In the new Invision board software running here the button to ignore a user is found by hovering over a username for a second or two. A little profile preview pops up and you can ignore there - best I can tell you can't do this from a full profile page.
    7 points
  2. There's still a chance. Now coming 2025.
    4 points
  3. Was really looking forward to going to Japan next year and not being allowed to ride it.
    3 points
  4. The scaffolding has been removed. Looking state-of-the-art already. Pics by Efteling and their designer, Jeroen Verheij:
    3 points
  5. Well the people who paid to ride things can't ride anything anyway since it's all closed, so it seems only right that they should make them pay their fair share... ... I hate this place
    3 points
  6. Day 18: Tuesday, June 20th part 3 (of 3) - back to finish off the night at the fantastic Grona Lund On the way back in, stopping to snap a pic of the park map. it LOOKS way smaller than it is, because things are just piled up on top of each other. the big green area in the bottom right, is the parking lot the park announced plans in 2023 to expand into. of course, my first stop on the way in was the Carousel. . . Big Mike had other plans tho, he was missing the kiddie credit, "Tuff-Tuff Tåget" (Choo-Choo Train). So while he went to do that. . . Didier and I rode the Carousel. my happy place. his too, apparently for such a small carousel, it's just lovely, and appears hand painted. after my Carousel ride, I went over to the coaster to get proof of Big Mike riding it, in talking to the ride op - who was a total hoot! - she said it's a ride that's way more fun than it looks, as the sharp turns give a "whip" effect. She encouraged us all to ride it. sooooooo. . . (and she was right, it was way more fun that I had looked. and she let us ring the bell as we exited the station). back over to Vilda Musen for a "water free" ride, and we bumped into Hans and Matthew walking along the outside of the park, to get a different view of Twister and a crane across the lake, painted like a Giraffe. for some reason. Sweden! by going around the outside, we were gonna end up in the "haunted" section. . . and had also bumped into Andrew, sMisty, and Erik. . so we all headed that way together. that's Kvasten ahead of us, the Vekoma suspended coaster. whee. . . in the SPOOKY section now.. had to stop for a photo op, tho apparently we were boiling nothing for dinner. the flying carpet ride (not operating today) is over here for some reason. . . maybe they are tying in the Genie in the center of it with the spook/magic vibe of the area? Gotta ride Blue Train. . this thing is SO messed up. insanely silly, and with some needless nudity, and scary pop ups. . I adored it. rode this sucker at least 4 times on our trip. the name is brilliant. it's BLUE. . and it's a Train. see???? ooo. .scary! that creature has got "lady parts" !!! Scary!!!! so silly, and so much fun. every park should have a ride like this. and Grona Lund has several! the Starflyer doing it's thing from underneath Kvasten. we were in line for the very well done walk thru Haunt. I do believe that this is an upcharge attraction, but Elissa had arranged for us to all get admission (hence most of the group showing up here at a certain time). they send you thru in groups of 6-8, and said pictures were ok, as long as it didn't hold up the flow. it's got an outdoor section. . that's a group going thru the house up there on the balcony. fly, bird, fly !!!! now that bird knows what Fabio felt like, I suppose. my group's turn. . . howdy! ready to be a scared. . . nice mix of props, and live actors in here. great effect. . . choose your door carefully! he's coming to get you, Barbara. . . time for a birds eye view of the park on the starflyer. they are VERY serious about no loose objects on this ride. so only got pics from the queue, and before the ride started (with permission) it really is in the middle of everything. . surrounded by Coaster track on all sides that's Icarus doing it's thing back there. . Jetstream ,the Bobsled, AND Insane, all with cars on the tracks in one pic. that's a huge win for me, as I usually end up with no trains on the tracks hard to see in this pic, but Icarus has now tilted at the top, and the riders are hanging face down. a stage for musical performances. . . but we next headed over to the dual drop tower: Frit Fall & Tilt Hans & Matthew (and a very intense man who was wondering why I was taking his picture) chose to ride the "tilt" seated sides. while Big Mike and I (and a terrified girl), chose the stand up "Fritt Fall" side. it truly IS rather terrifying. and of course they have a camera on this side to capture it. I bought a magnet version, that came with a digital copy. glad I did it, but never again. walk around entertainment as well in this park. Not a LOT of it, but we were there on a weekday. in addition to lunch, snack, and dinner coupons, the park had gone all out and also gave us booklets of game coupons. the games were mostly hard, but there were some easier ones, and I think most everyone won some sort of prize. while they played that ping-pong game, I went into the bathroom next to it. . .and made a discovery. down a dark, bricked pathway/tunnel. . . there's this. just lovely. and when you go to wash your hands? yup. . a haunted toidy! gah! different mirrors have different creatures. . . LOL I had waited long enough, I was ready for Ikaros - the face first drop tower. again, some lovely art deco designs all around it. all the way up to the top. . . then, tilt forward. . so you will be hurtling face first towards the ground! gahhhhhhhh. . . . .it truly is a terrifying experience. and I absolutely LOVED it. we got some ERT on it at the end of the night - along with the operator making us sing ABBA and other disco songs as we ascended - and I think I rode every cycle I was able to get in on. scary, but THAT good. and you get pretty close to the ground before the seats swing back out to "normal" position even tho I know I'm a klutz, and the funhouse is a disaster waiting to happen for klutz'. . .I went ahead and did it. it's a really good funhouse. .and really ways to hurt oneself. I didn't get a pic of the entrance, but it's a "moving" ladder, that you have to climb up. . potential for injury right from the start! but it's full of whimsical, and fun obstacles. . that one really can't go around. you MUST go thru. bouncing walkways. . pitch black infinity rooms. . . truly confusing mirror mazes. . . yeah, all in one funhouse! and this is how you exit (the only option). . . you get a mat. sit on the mat, on the platform. . and the platform tilts, and shoots your ass down the slide! um.. . . . whee ? the view from the bottom. . . and yes, that IS an airtime hill at the bottom of the slide. I told you, it's trying to kill you! some of the prizes offered at the games. . . .I sucked at most of them. but lots of people won. here are some of them. and Matthew ended up gifting me that pink monkey, and he hangs out in the comic room now I used a snack coupon for this ice cream. . but I was so full from lunch still (earlier I had sushi and Chinese food from a floating barge/restaurant on the side of the park). oh remember that rooftop Himalaya across from Jetline? yup, I did go back and ride it. very loud music, and fun. with some nice, views of the Twister refurb going on. ok then. not sorry I missed THIS boat. I mentioned some rides were on floating platforms connected to the park? the octopus is one of them. Blackfisken ? LOVE that name. and it looked amazing. . very steam punk. that it "rocked" along with the waves as the pier moved made it that much more fun. Erik & sMisty, goldballs, myself, and John say "wheeee!" I think this pic is courtesy of Big Mike perhaps? but he doesn't ride spinny stuff. . so maybe Matthew? a better view of Icarus doing it's tilt thing from the side and an offride pic of Fritt Fall / Tilt heading up with folks in the standing position. and yes, we did go back for the indoor Breakdance. not the most intense cycle on one of these I've ever been on (that would be the carnival in Belgium last year). . but inside, with loud music? it sure felt intense and fun. oooo..caught a "parade". . . at least rainbow mermaid bubble cart guy looks to be having fun! and was happy to see me this isn't the star flyer, but rather the flying Carousel that was on a floating pier. (see that fun ticket booth in the background). it's a nice pic, one of my faves from the trip. the dinner was also excellent, in a restaurant built next to / into Monster - the supports for Monster go thru the restaurant and the train zooms really closeby outside. wasn't super hungry, but what I had was good. couldn't finish it tho. after dinner another couple of rides on the relaxing "Blue Train" and the Tunnel of Love. . . or "Karleks Tunneln" freaky. . I imagine this is what a camera doing a Colonoscopy sees. . . . still naked. . still blurry. . LOL. .. you'll just have to imagine! hey..I found Gene Simmons in a stairwell. I guess KISS played the park at some point in the past? as evening set in, the dancehall started filling up. I swear this seemed to have the most people anywhere in the park this evening. another bathroom with theme. . this one seems to be people who played the park. seems someone tried to peel off Marilyn Manson, tho without much success hey! I finally won something!! I found a game that was relatively easy - guns shooting corks at targets. if you got a high enough score, you won a prize. Barry, Didier, and Big Mike also trying out the cork guns. makes sense, if Bert can win this one, must be fairly easy! see? LOL. . .Didier really wanted an animal to bring home, and was having no luck, so I gifted him my bear. (I think that's why Matthew offered me his pink monkey later). . . I didn't mind tho, as I didn't really need another bear stuffie, I already had one from this trip from Tusenfryd awwww. . . Barry and his bear. (totally should be his profile pic) and then it was time to meet up for evening ERT over at Jetline. (interesting, in this pic you can see the one drop tower I didnt' go on, operating. it was the shortest of the park's offerings, so I didnt' mind skipping it, but it hadn't been running earlier when I went by it). this made me laugh - especially since the "Knight Butt" painting was "backstage" earlier. this is a lenticular, and depending on where you stood, Adam & Eve were more or less naked. yup. .just on a wall in the middle of the park. would have bought this in a second if on a magnet. but made sure to snap a pic so I could print it out and make one. ending ERT on Jetline . . got another group pic (thanks Robb).. then we headed over to Ikaros for some ERT. (since I rode so much, my phone stayed put away in my bag. . so no pics) then on the way out of the now closed park, we stopped for a group pic in front of Monster. all in all, an EXCELLENT day. I was wiped out tho, in the morning we had to get up and would be traveling all day - including a flight to Finland. so we took the short walk across the street, and I showered and crashed hard.
    3 points
  7. Wow, PLOT TWIST. I was so certain this project was dead. Good for Knott's.
    3 points
  8. Särkänniemi is a city-owned amusement park with a great location and an interesting and varied collection of attractions. Its coaster lineup is perhaps a bit lacking, though, and there aren't a whole bunch of them. Which is okay by me, but maybe left a lot of my fellow trip participants ready to move on well before I was. Which is a shame, as there are sections of this park I felt like I really had to rush through, and some areas I never even saw. 24: Born To Boom Näsinneula Observation Tower & Tornado greet us as we enter the park. Also, some really pretty benches, all at weird angles to make sitting more challenging and fun! Tornado's station is impressively dark and spooky and carved out of rock. And one of its two heartline rolls similarly sweeps under mountain. Which is cool, because when I think "Tornado," I think "underground caves." A good ride, but a bit rattly. On the other hand, I exclusively rode on the much less full train, and those on the more heavily-weighted train did not seem to agree with my 'rattly' accusation. So take that for what it's worth. Tornado intertwines with the park's log flume, Tukkijoki--which means "log nonsense" (maybe). Also, that "floating" faucet would maybe be more convincing if they, like, tried. Is it better to boom before pizza, or after? No, serious question. The park wants to know. It's hip and cool and for the trendy kids. Except that it is actually kind of cool looking. Oh, wait, if I think it's cool, then it definitely isn't, because I'm old and decidedly unhip. So I don't know what it is. It's the Park Shop. Beware of smartphone zombies. These symbols actually spell out a word! See it? All aboard the hype train! See, because, the ride is called Hype. And it has a train. Stop in the name of burger. Also, take off. Piggy Town is Pouta Pig's hometown. "Pouta" means dry weather in Finnish. And that's good weather for a candy cane. Thus, this photo. If you look closely you can not see me. Because I didn't ride it. But you can see Smusty and Goldirt. I did ride--and very much enjoyed--this seaside car ride, though. "The ride is calm, although the steep cliffs can be a bit exciting." Järvikaruselli is a beautiful old Schwarzkopf ride that's very gentle but still really fun. To stumble across it felt like finding a rare coin worth way more than the amount printed on it. MotoGee is a Zamperla straddle coaster (no, seriously...is that what we're calling them??) It was...fine, I guess? I barely remember it. Anyway, here's a photo of some random Fins acting like goons because they're about to ride it. Love when park guests treat photo ops like benches. Yeah, you're number 1, dude. Hope nobody else is here to have fun. That's pretty great for a bumper cars facade. Going up the observation tower for big time looking at stuff. Yes, here we are at the top of the Näsinneula (or, "Eye Stabber") Observation Tower. Except we're not quite at the top, because there's a ceiling above us. And above that, another floor! Looking down on the rapids ride and petting zoo kids farm area. A group of us had lunch at the Observation Tower's rotating restaurant. Here you can see Misty doing that thing where you're so focused on making every other part of the photo work that you forget to pose yourself. Culturally, full-service dining in Finland is meant to be relaxed and unrushed--even more so than in the Netherlands. So the decision to eat here (admittedly, championed largely by me) certainly contributed to my having less time to explore the rest of the park. So at least some blame on myself for that whole situation. I do not remember what this was, exactly. But I don't remember anything not being good. Except for the first drop, you can see most of Tornado's layout here--among other things. The non-amusement park we visited in the last update can be seen off to the right across the water. Särkänniemi also has an aquarium, located at the base of the Tower. Slither Fish Koskiseikkailu, which means "butt splasher." No, I'm never going to get tired of these dumb translation jokes. See? Proof that what I said was true. The Doghill Fairytale Farm area of the park. I'm not sure if I saw all of it or not, but what I saw I liked. Raatiuone means "Town Hall." No, wait, it does actually. However, I believe it was a bakery or something. Certainly, there was no lively local political debate, much to my disappointment. Okay, loaded fries. And some kind of kebab. And um.... Okay, wow. And a vegan thing. Got it. This is like a haunted indoor play structure, or something? (A rather unkind description of me, but sure, I guess so.) Oh, Mr. Fancypants Child has to be led to the haunted play structure on a horse. Lad-di-da! I don't know what's wrong with me. But thanks for wondering! Sheeeeeeep! See, it's cute. It's a fun area. This area needs a dark ride. And by "this area" I mean "this park." But I feel that way about every area and every park. Sometimes I'm on a dark ride and I think, "Hmm, you know what this dark ride needs? A dark ride." Park Score: Um, I'm not sure? There are some rides I was interested in but never made it on. I dunno. 6 or 7? Let's give them the benefit of the doubt and go with 7. Next up: The final park of the trip!
    3 points
  9. With 100 days until opening, Disney has released a huge amount of new info about Fantasy Springs at Tokyo DisneySea! https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2024/02/everything-you-need-to-know-about-fantasy-springs/ What is Fantasy Springs? Located between Arabian Coast and Lost River Delta, Fantasy Springs is themed to a magical spring leading to a world of Disney fantasy. This all-new, eighth port at Tokyo DisneySea will be home to three areas inspired by Walt Disney Animation Studios films, “Frozen,” “Tangled” and “Peter Pan,” plus the all-new Tokyo DisneySea Fantasy Springs Hotel. Frozen Kingdom Taking place after the film’s finale, you’re invited to visit the kingdom of Arendelle, where Elsa is finally able to embrace her previously hidden powers. On the attraction, Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey, you’ll board a boat voyaging through the “Frozen” movie scenes and the tale of two sisters discovering true love. The story begins with Grand Pabbie, the leader of the trolls, retelling the tale we have all come to love. Soon you’ll be whisked away on a journey through Anna and Elsa’s memories, accompanied by songs from the film including, “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” “For the First Time in Forever,” “Love Is an Open Door” and “Let It Go.” The story will build to Anna turning into ice in an attempt to save Elsa from Hans. In Frozen Kingdom, you will discover two dining options, the Royal Banquet of Arendelle and Oaken’s OK Foods. Anna and Elsa have opened the gates to the castle, which has been transformed into a dining area filled with books and artwork of beloved “Frozen” characters. Inside the Royal Banquet of Arendelle, you can even dine in the place of Elsa’s coronation — it’s like you’re stepping into the film! Oaken has opened his doors to hungry visitors over at Oaken’s OK Foods! You will be saying hoo-hoo for the Scandinavian specialties he’s prepared, including a fluffy, cardamom bread filled with Scandinavian-style spiced meat and lingonberry jam. Rapunzel’s Forest For those who love “Tangled,” Rapunzel’s Forest will transport you directly into the world of the Disney Animation film where Rapunzel has lived since she was a child! For the first time ever at a Disney park, the story of Rapunzel will come to life at Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival. The journey begins at Rapunzel’s tower where she’s seen singing “When Will My Life Begin,” from its window while Flynn Rider watches on. Rapunzel then escapes the tower with Flynn at her side, visiting locations you may recognize from the film. The journey will come to an end with their love blossoming at the Lantern Festival complete with “I See the Light” and countless glowing lanterns. We’ve had a dream of seeing the floating lanterns gleam and it soon will come true! There’s a very quaint place, perfect for you at Rapunzel’s Forest! Hidden among the foliage, you’ll find The Snuggly Duckling, bringing to life the tavern from the film. Here you can chow down on the “Duckling’s Dream Cheeseburger” or the “Sweet Ever After Dessert” served in, you guessed it, a frying pan! Peter Pan’s Never Land Join the fun-loving and adventurous Lost Kids on an epic adventure in Peter Pan’s Never Land, from Captain Hook’s pirate ship to Pixie Hollow. There’s not one, but two attractions in Peter Pan’s Never Land! On Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure, join Peter Pan, Tinker Bell and the Lost Kids on an epic adventure to rescue John from Captain Hook and his band of pirates. Here you’ll board a boat sprinkled with fairy dust by Tinker Bell and soar into the sky while encountering Wendy, Michael, the mermaids and even Captain Hook’s moored ship, the Jolly Roger. Over in Pixie Hollow, Fairy Tinker Bell’s Busy Buggies will explore the fairy valley and its changing seasons. From flowers and mushrooms to painting utensils and pieces of nibbled cheese, you’ve been shrunk down to the size of a fairy. After such a wonderful adventure, fuel up at Lookout Cookout! Made from parts of a shipwreck washed ashore in Never Land, you’ll also discover items from the Lost Kids such as pajamas and hammocks, inside their self-made hideout. The menu includes Lost Kids’ Snack Box with chicken tenders, seaweed fritters, banana chips and shrimp chips, as well as a “Pixie Dust Soda (Kiwi)” with a star that dissolves into a silver sparkling effect — just like pixie dust! And that’s not all, there’s even a new popcorn flavor at the popcorn wagon in Peter Pan’s Never Land! Available for the first time at Tokyo Disney Resort, the Roast Beef Popcorn features a robust flavor seasoned with salt and black pepper, and aromas of roasted meat and gravy. Tokyo DisneySea Fantasy Springs Hotel Not only is Tokyo Disney Resort welcoming a new port to Tokyo DisneySea, but an all-new hotel will open too! This park-integrated hotel is located right next to Fantasy Springs and offers the unique opportunity of fully immersing yourself into the magical springs. Featuring interiors inspired by Disney Princesses, flora and fauna with motifs themed to the port, there’s also 3 dining experiences to discover: Fantasy Springs Restaurant, Grand Paradis Lounge and La Libellule. Shop and Special Merchandise You can’t go to Tokyo Disney Resort and not take a look at the special merchandise inspired by the world of Fantasy Springs and its attractions! Fantasy Springs Gifts features an interior with designs inspired by the springs and their surrounding nature and wildlife. You can also find a few more items at Springs Treasures, a quaint little cart along the pathway leading from Arabian Coast to Fantasy Springs.
    3 points
  10. I have to respectfully disagree. I really don't think the DOJ will take a merger between theme parks all the seriously and I don't think they will give it the same consideration as say merging airlines, or tech companies, or media companies. In other words they are not likely to consider the theme park industry as essential use. Also, SF/CF would have likely gotten some behind the scenes assurances that it's going to go through or they wouldn't be publicly touting it will be a done deal by summer. I could of course be totally wrong, we shall see; but I will be surprised if it is blocked.
    2 points
  11. he wasn't mentioned (or shown). . but since they are naming a ride after him (it's a Nebulaz). . .and all other "named" rides have statues of the characters in front of them (even Kid Flash). . . I'd expect we'll get a statue, and a character meet opportunity. (pic from yesterday)
    2 points
  12. I'm actually a fan of Looney Tunes and DC, and I like them more than Snoopy. Superheroes will never die.
    2 points
  13. You know... while the demolition crew is in the area, maybe let's do something about all of this???
    2 points
  14. Wow... that's a lot. Counterpoint: the reason that nobody goes to this place is that it sucks, there's no need to over-analyze it or make it a microcosm of anything greater than that. The Garden State Plaza mall is less than 15 miles away and every time I drive by it it's packed beyond packed (and often traffic spills out onto 17 and brings everything to a standstill). The major rides weren't closed because you were unlucky or because it was the offseason, the major rides were closed because you went to the American Dream mall and major rides are closed on any day of the week that ends with the letter y. They're also severely lacking in shops, they occasionally have shootings, the water park has theming elements that fall from the sky and try to kill you, their ferris wheel offers sweeping views of the Jersey Turnpike and the world's worst NFL stadium, but the promised "sweeping NYC views" can be better experienced from one of the 758 observation decks that are actually in NYC. Oh... and their ski slope catches on fire. It's the worst-run park in America by a lot and season passes (if you were to purchase one for each "season" are more expensive than they would be for any park or even chain of theme parks anywhere in America except for Disney...
    2 points
  15. I'm satisfied that one day I will have lower my expectations for the ride experience instead of lowering my expectations for being able to ride it at all.
    2 points
  16. Tear it down and risk losing our Coaster Capital of Missouri status? We'll be right back here: I hope you don't work in marketing, Steve. You're trying to send us right into the Stone Age by dipping us back into the single digits. Get out.
    2 points
  17. Day 18: Tuesday, June 20th part 2 (of 3) - Voulez-Vous; off to the ABBA museum! getting to the front of the museum, we were met with this sign. sadly a pipe had burst overnight and flooded a lot of the museum (kudos to the clever wordplay and how quickly they got the sign up. . .tho it does make me wonder if this happens a lot??). So probably 2/3rds of the Museum were closed to the public, as they did clean up and repairs. as this was our only time to visit - and as they were offering a pretty substantial discount to enter (and I really mainly wanted the gift shop access anyways), we went ahead and decided to do it. Tho with so much closed, what would have taken probably 2-3 hours, only took us about 40 minutes to do. still. . worth it for the ABBA nerd in me. one exhibit hall that was open was the whole section about the VR ABBA "the Voyage" show in England. with lots of props, and info about how they scanned the band members in for the holographic performances. yes, the fashion nerd in me (it's the gay gene) was all verklempt over these. .the sketches and the finished costumes. Then downstairs to the main museum. . tho really all that was open were the final two rooms: the "after ABBA" sections, really. the stage sign from the final tour. . . only half lit, due to the water damage issue that took out power for much of the museum. at least the B is lit. . . B is for Bert! assorted licensed ABBA merch display. and then it was onto the Post-ABBA rooms. . . starting with a photo op from the Land Rover from "Mamma Mia!". . no, really. no other option than to be Benny here. . but oh well. . . wall of gold/platinum records a wedding dress from the film. . scale model of the main film set. . Meryl Streep's ass sat here! it was roped off, but could peek into the prior room of the museum, that was all about the breakup and reason's why. then onward to the separate sections about what each of the members did once the band split. Pretty large, and interactive sections. so this was quite interesting. (tho only one minor mention of the big hit from this show "One Night in Bangkok" which was surprising to me) Agnetha's "Grammi" she won in 92 for a solo album More Mamma Mia! stuff. . including the dress in the poster. the layout of the full museum. . basically only the left 3rd of the map was open. so I didn't get the Arrival Helicopter photo op. oh well. . when I next go back to Grona Lund (and I WILL at some point, I hope), I'll do the rest of the museum. a Potty break before heading back to the park, revealed rock n roll restrooms - themed to the backstage dressing rooms. baby, I'm a STAR! heh. . covid signs.. better than singing Happy Birthday. up into the gift shop. . where I would spend way too much money! But at least could run right upstairs and drop it in the room and not have to carry around the park. not gonna lie. . I TOTALLY wanted this Mumu dress. . but it was silk, and they wanted way too much for it. dressing room, again forcing you to be Bjorn. . . and with a quick stop to the room to drop off purchases, we headed back over to Grona Lund! to be concluded.
    2 points
  18. Day 18: Tuesday, June 20th part 1 (of 3) - the magic place that is Grona Lund woke up a bit giddy today, as today was the full day we'd be spending at Grona Lund! (after seeing it every day from our hotel across the street, and getting just a taste on the night we arrived in Stockholm, with that surprise ERT on Monster). we were met before park open at the front gates by one of the park owners (a SUPER nice guy), and handed off to a couple of guides who would be with us this morning for a while, walking us to certain things to get some rides in before park open. we went in via, what I assume, was the original main gate to the park. Over in the section with the smaller family/kiddie rides, and lots of games. the original ticket booths for the park, I believe. . . just inside the main gate. classic carousel. . small, but with some lovely carved animals. seeing this pic, I realize, I never came back to ride this. . LOL. . I totally forgot it was i the park, as there are SO many other things to ride. a mini drop tower. . if we count this one? Grona Lund has a staggering FIVE drop tower rides. a flying elephant ride. . this area really is lovely. but we were headed up the stairs (a clever "bridge" that goes over a street) into the much bigger section of the park. . with all the thrill rides! and "Mexican" food.. which sadly, I didn't try. I was SO full from the snacking, and the wonderful dinner we were served, I just never got back to it. but I do love the added touch of the painted grate, so the place looks open even when it's sealed up tight. our first stop was going to be some morning rides on Monster! (we hadn't ridden it in the daytime yet, so a wonderful first stop). thru the Jetpass line, of course, even tho the park wouldn't open for a couple of hours yet. whee! I mentioned the other day, what's so amazing about Grona Lund is how the rides are all built seemingly on top of each other. there are four different coasters in this pic. . main track is Monster, the white track is Insane, the blue track is Jetline, and the yellow track at the bottom of the pic is Vilda Munsen after a few rides, I stepped out to take pics while others continued to ride. Rarrrghh. . I'm a monster Insane. . the tunnel of love ride at the park. . that ended up being SO bizarre (one of several strange and bizzare rides at the park), that I rode it multiple times today. the exit to the "it really WILL try to kill you" / "NEVER in America" funhouse. looks harmless! in this pic you can see two of the drop towers on the right, and the Starflyer on the left. and Jetline's 1st drop. Funhouse on the left, tunnel of love on the right. and Insane lurking on the upper right. play with Grona Lund's famous Woody? oh My! the Monster station is underground. . and I absolutely adore how they themed it to a subway stop. even doing some great tilework on the part of the ride the General Public can see, as the train comes back into the underground station. Morning ERT on Monster done, our guides walked us over to Insane. . . lovely scenery around this coaster. it looks like an S&S freespin on steroids (oh, it's much, much worse). I rode it twice, only. the first time I really disliked it. so rode again to make sure. . and yup, I did not like that much flipping that's not sustained. I mean, I LOVED Arashi at Nagashima Spaland (an S&S Freespin), but that's pretty consistent spinning. Insane does a lot of spinning, with a bunch of rocking back and forth in between the spins. and the forces due to the design simply weren't comfortable for me. glad I rode it, but yeah, not for me! random theming viewable from the Insane station. very pretty park! all smiles - prior to my 1st ride. stepping out to get my "land legs" back after my 1st ride.. snapped a few pics of others riding. it really IS pretty photographic are they having fun or screaming in agony? as noted, the setting for the park is just lovely. . . turning my back to the ride, and enjoying the view some rides at the park are built out onto piers - that seem to move with the water. . made for some fun ride experiences. I believe this is thanks to Elissa - edit. . it's actually from Chuck! Thanks CFC I don't appear to be in pain, and hell, it kinda looks like I'm having fun. this is my 2nd ride, and I think perhaps Jon and I are laughing because we sat together on one side, and Ryan is by himself on the other. . so we were pretty off balance the entire ride like this. HA!!! wonderful design for the old ticket booth (I guess the park used to be individually ticketed, as several rides had boarded up ticket booths by them). I believe this is Icarus - the face first (no really) drop tower. but here's where we were headed. . . Vilda Musen. (and the Starflyer starting to test behind it). we were gonna have some fun on this Gerstlauer Bobsled. . . TPR was gonna do the "water challenge" a look into a section of the park that would open a bit after the main park opened. that coaster is Kvasten (Broom). . a Vekoma suspended coaster that's themed to Witches flying brooms. That whole section was "scary" with Blue Train, and the Haunted House located there as well. before heading into the queue for the Vild Musen, I snapped a pic of the other drop tower that was across from us. this is "Frit Fall" - a STAND UP drop tower on one side, and "Tilt" a tilting drop tower (think Acrophobia at SFOG for the angle of the tilt) on the other 3 sides. again. . great theming everywhere! and no. . this Queue Line stantion is NOT why I loved Grona Lund so much. . . . but it didn't hurt. . . LOL lots of cool art in the station for the Bobsled tho you really have to be quite slim for this queue (luckily we were there before park open, so bypassed the squeeze). but I love how you can see the cars going up the lift hill via the windows in the station. sure! let's hold open glasses of water while riding this to see how much water is still in the cups after each ride. looks smooth! looks like most of them did well. . . Sarah is smiling, tho Steve looks like he's got an empty cup. looking down the entrance way from the queue. stuff to look at everywhere! I guess Jon lost. . . . not everyone chose to participate. . . tho Jere sitting behind myself and David was a poor choice! LOL. . hey, I never said I'd be good at it. end result of our ride was hella fun, despite my face.. . and every time water hit Jere I was laughing. . . (again, thanks either Elissa or perhaps Andy for this pic) ha! just realized Robb is in this pic. I think I was trying to get the ironwork design of the sign. the park was about to open, but our guides wanted to get us on one more coaster before that. So we headed over towards Jetline, the park's custom Schwarzkopf ooo. . very art deco over here. what is "Rock Jet"? Why it's a rooftop Himalaya with lots of disco lights, of course! I'd come back later for this. . . and yes, it looked AMAZING at night. retro cool Jetline entrance - thru a repurposed Diner car. the woodie in the background here is Twister - it was closed for refurb work during our visit, so I'll have to go back to ride it. Per the TPR Videos Robb has posted, it looks like a really fun coaster. shiny/glittery trains. . .loved it! (wish it showed up as sparkly in the pics) oh.. forgot to mention that Barry has rejoined us! I love the fact that even injured, he was determined (with Doctor's approval) to ride roller coasters. SO MUCH twisted track. whee! Briefly stuck on the brake run. I blame Hanz . . . this really was such a great coaster. I rode it multiple times this morning, and also in the evening when we got a bit more ERT that first drop is pretty steep, hence hanging on - tho I tend to hang on anyways. I guess I should mention, that Jetline has been closed since just after our visit last year, due to a terrible accident where some folks were injured and killed. I feel terrible for the park owners, and workers. they are all such wonderful people, and I'm sure the accident weighs very heavily on them. seeing these pics are a bit of a reminder to me to enjoy every day to it's fullest as you never know - the accident happened, I think, just 4 days after our visit. great coaster. . hope it reopens. end of ERT shot courtesy of Robb! but before we were cut loose in the park (which was now opened), our guides asked us if we were interested in a workshop tour of the Insane Maintenance bay. of COURSE most said "yes please!" so we headed back over that way. what is this??? very musical in the windows outside. is it a Rock and Roll store? Nope. . an indoor, disco Breakdance! oh yes.. would be coming back for this too. but first? behind the scenes at Insane I love going "backstage".. we get to see all the cool stuff that the park employees get to see. such as this amazing view. the maintenance bay for Insane is *under* the ride. the sections of track (with a car on them) remove and drop down into the bay so they can maintain the ride, cars, etc. very cool to see. How many TPR group members does it take to tune up an Insane train car? (the world may never know) Ha. . as noted, I love seeing behind the scenes and what the workers like to leave laying around for fun. Noted! "Nermal" in Swedish is "Niemand" ! HA! wonder where this used to be in the park? Knight butt. . . . Moana???? yes, it's time for the Tunnel of Love. . which is themed (I think???) to gnomes/fairies/witches/smurfs? living in harmony. . . or something. it's just fucking weird! and yes, I LOVED it. Hi Didier! me being sad I'm going into Tunnel of Love all alone it's a slow moving log flume, basically. . . with fairy titties. I didn't blur this on purpose. . the log seemed to speed up when I passed it. . . and then suddenly, the fairies are gone, and there are gnomes baking. for some reason. . . and then it gets a bit Greek. .. and Medieval. like I said.. it's fucking weird. see?? what was that??? let's ride again! awww. .a lil fairy house. hi Big Mike!! so we did ride again, but then Big Mike and I had something else on our agenda that we simply had to do while we were in Stockholm. yes, we stepped away from the park, crossed the street back to our Hotel, and visited the ABBA Museum (sorta). coming up next. to be continued. . . .
    2 points
  19. no way was that a wrong decision to do lunch. . it was a FANTASTIC meal. yeah, it cut into the time, but it was a fantastic meal. based on my picture I took of the menu (and i have a similar pic of that dish, so we must have had the same "Finnish Price Fixe" meal). . that was Hazlenut Ice Cream with a Celery topping over hazlenut crumble.
    2 points
  20. I still haven't gotten this email, and my membership price hasn't gone up in a year. Maybe because I have Diamond Elite VIP (which was given because I continued payments during the pandemic)? Which I'm keeping for as long as possible, because not only does it get me 50% off most merch and food, but 4 Fastpasses per visit. Can't beat that. That said, I'm not going to be surprised the day they announce memberships will be revoked, and everyone will have to go back to the seasonal AP. Honestly, I'm surprised it's lasted as long as it has. I suspect the merger may finally put the nail in the coffin for this by next calendar year.
    2 points
  21. ^ It's actually going to be a new stunt show arena where the cast just rides T3 over and over for twenty minutes seven or eight times a day. Real dangerous stuff, I'm surprised OSHA is allowing it.
    2 points
  22. I agree, but won't get on a soapbox about it.... Looney Toons has gotten the woke treatment but yet look at the FPS games out there and the violence in action movies and they label Looney Tunes as too violent, makes sense to me but I"ll hush.
    1 point
  23. Yeah. The most scary part to me is that it's a private sector arms race at this time to see who can make the best programs the fastest, without thinking about the consequences. God only knows haw fast governments are moving on it. This will be ether a spectacular success, or failure catastrophic to all of us who have absolutely no say so. I'm not a fan of government regulation, but I feel the need for some kind of intervention. Everyone is so concerned with us vs. them social issues right now that most people I talk to have absolutely no idea this is all happening. (by design?) Those most influential with AI claim it will be immeasurably more significant than the industrial revolution, and it will happen much faster than anyone will see coming.
    1 point
  24. ^ I think the GL ride is not specific to WHICH GL. . . so that will count to cover all. (unless they slap a giant Hal Jordan on top - currently it's just the pole, so I'm assuming a big GL Logo symbol will go there)
    1 point
  25. So I made it to the Metrolink to Knott's on Tuesday. The ride was nice but I felt like I was riding in a one-third full 1980s Southwest Flight with no cabin service because of turbulence. The bathrooms were decent. The sign states drinkable water but I didn't test it, as I didn't believe it. I brought my own bottle of water. The train arrived a few minutes late but we arrived approximately on time due to 30-second station stops. I ended up walking to and from the Buena Park station to Knotts's so no added bus or Under fares on that end of the trip. I ended up with 25,000 steps and was buzzed enough to take Uber home from Riverside and I walked back the 3 miles today to pick up my car today to pick up my car from the station. A few notes: Camp Snoopy and Coasters Diner restaurants have re-opened There are new Fastlane scanners at all of the Fastlane attractions where you scan your one-time pass or bracelet and can't proceed unless you get a green light. If you get a red light, you can't go through. Single Prestige Pass Fastland passes still need to be redeemed in one of three stores and you can't just scan your pass at the ride and need to pick up a daily one-time use ticket from a store. There are no more ribs on the meal plan at either Ghosttown BBQ or Boardwalk BBQ. Pulled pork is also gone from Boardwalk BBQ Ghoasttown BBQ now gives two sides with entries where Boardwalk is still one side plus corn bread but Ghosttown has no boysenberry BBQ sauce still. The small railroad around the lake has a lot of rotted railroad ties being replaced I can's find Beatboxes at the park any longer Metrolink train Room for bikes or scooters Bathroom in each car plus drinkable water? The bathroom is larger than a plane bathroom. A total breakfast of champions, and only champions if you thought Maddog 20-20 or Boones Farm were also breakfast of champions. If Big Macs are $18, you can always get a Coke and hotdog for $1.50 from Costco or 2 roast beef sandwiches from Arby's for $6. There are new Fastlane scanners at the entrance to Fastlanes rides, this is La Revolution, so you need to scan your single-use pass or wrist band and you get either a green or red light letting them know for you to advance. This is pizza and a side salad from the pizza place by the Charles Shultz Theater. Ribs are off the meal plan for Ghost Town BBQ and ribs and pulled pork are completely gone from Boardwalk BBQ. It must have not been a price issue on the pulled pork as you can still get it as a sandwich at Ghosttown and tri-tip at Boardwalk. New camp Snoopy coaster. The lounge has 12 different free snacks for Prestige Pass members, free water, drink plan beverages, and a limited supply of alcohol that is not free or discounted from the normal park. I believe I had a white wine and some free Grandma's cookies. They had no Knott's snacks though. My local Winco had racks of Boysebenberry Knott's cookies for 28 cents. They could easily stock up before Beatriz discontinues the line! I asked maintenance if the log ride was close to being completed but no one had a date, but one told me there was still some work to be done and possibly not for a month or two but he wasn't sure. I guess all the log ride boats are hanging in line for Xcelerator? Knott's log ride door is open, so what's inside? I took all of the pictures from the doorway without stepping inside but this is the backside of fun. A spacious train ride home.
    1 point
  26. Lots of changes being talked about by the park among those being Skyflyer officially being finished, new VIP area at All's Well Hall & the demolition of multiple buildings around Thunder Run/The Fly for "future development". Also there's notice of even more news next month! https://fb.watch/qOdi7MNLBg/
    1 point
  27. 1 point
  28. If you would have told me a few years ago that a park would open an hour from my house that was indoors, open every day of the year, had an Intamin multi launch, an air race, a drop tower, a record-breaking Gerstlauer, an Intamin half-pipe, a legitimately-kick-ass frisbee and a bunch of other kick-ass rides and I would never go there I would have never believed you. If this park was even operated moderately-well, I would spend $500-$600 a year on a season pass and not bat an eye. It's stunning how terrible this park is, and I want to love it. Sandy's Blasting Bronco operates less frequently than any other coaster in the region... even the ones at parks like Rye Playland that open in May, close in September and are often closed weekdays. And like, if I'm begging for your operations to be on the level of Rye Playland then you really, really, really suck.
    1 point
  29. Also looks like you can't get in for free anymore if you aren't riding anything. Website says $10 for entry with no idea now.
    1 point
  30. so. . I just got an alert thru the Six Flags app. . the Speedy Parking is now FREE for my level pass (Diamond). all I had to do was sign up for it, and I have it for free for the rest of the year (thru Jan 1st 2025). I have to assume that the upcharge pricing for it was a big flop. . . but hey, I'll take it! was super easy to sign up, just need to give them your license plate, and good to go. tho it means less folks at the booths when coming in. . .
    1 point
  31. Update: they are adding a Christmas event and opening late Nov - Jan 4.
    1 point
  32. I'd much rather they order Gravity Group precut if they're going to be doing something like that.
    1 point
  33. Just an FYI from an email from SF about the legacy memberships if you still have one... Our membership goes up a buck per membership a month. Still totally worth it for the parking, admission, and meal plan that we get. Also says Joker CoC (hehe) will open this summer. (probably not gonna happen on time)
    1 point
  34. The last piece of track was installed Monday for the new coaster!
    1 point
  35. I'm not surprised by the renaming in the slightest. Curious though if it was a cost-cutting maneuver by Cedar Fair, a licensing fee increase by Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI), or a combination of both. Knowing how Teresa killed DEI in the race world, wouldn't be surprised if it was a licensing increase at renewal which CF just said "nope" to.
    1 point
  36. From what I have read at TDR sites, there is no plan to close down the Peter Pan ride in TDL. I was actually surprised too, when they first announced this new part of Fantasy Springs. But nothing else I have read (rumor or not) about Pan in TokyoDisneyland. And the system for this new Pan ride will involve ride vehicles like those used for Spiderman at IOA! And special effects to simulate ....flying! (woohoo!) The ride vehicle for the new Peter Pan Never Land Adventure!
    1 point
  37. After the video of Pandemonium testing earlier this week this update on Facebook shows more testing is coming soon. BOTH water rides are receiving TLC for decking. The work on the deck around the arcade is actually somewhat interesting to me because I don't even think it was in the worst of condition - the Colossus deck is in need of it way more. But if the arcade back there becomes Joker's funhouse for the themed queue then they're going to want anything you might see or walk on through there to look nice and fresh.
    1 point
  38. I know it's very short for big plans and the parks (why???) are closed during the week. Time: I can take vacation from mid September. Thinking 2 weeks. Thinking about carowinds, dollywood, holiday world, silver Dollar City Good? how many days per Park are the best? What do you think? I did the TPR East Coast tour 2015 ... so I want new... Or is west coast better for this short planing time? Please help! PS: if someone lives near smokeys , please contact me for hints during Park free time in the week
    1 point
  39. We got the chance to ride Psyke Underground last year, and it was a LOT of fun. We enjoyed it much more than we thought we would. Howevever, I can say the LIM launh defiantly feels slower than the flywheel launches. It doesn't have the same inital "punch." Stil a lot of fun though, and having it enclosed was an awesome experience!
    1 point
  40. Working at a fun and stupid project to celebrate my 200th counted credit later this year, and wanted to share it. As you can see I did the same with my 100th counted credit a couple years back. I will be using almost all of those pictures in the 200, for people who wonder where I got those pictures they are mostly my own, for the 100 I was 3 pictures short that I had to get from the Internet, 2 of those I will replace for my own in the 200 the other was from a ride closed even back then. Also missing 2 photo's of rides for the 200, 1 I will be picking up before nr. 200 as I was already planning to get to that park again anyways. I have to say the 2 came out better then expected but the 0 just look off. Oh well like I said it's a stupid project for a stupid celebration, but I like doing it.
    1 point
  41. Such a great report! Seeing all of those Hard Rock/Freestyle rides certainly brings back memories.
    1 point
  42. wonderful pictures, Garet! I've enjoyed following along, and these locations are truly stunning. really makes me want to attempt to get to these places at some point in the future! thanks so much for sharing.
    1 point
  43. Perhaps I am in the minority but I really think the park should focus on maintaining their current 20 coasters and, dare I say, have a portion of the year where they are all open at once - as well as fix up a bunch of the severely outdated infrastructure throughout the park before they open up coaster #21. With that being said, coaster #21 will bring them attendance and $$$ versus fixing up operations and infrastructure which doesn't have an ROI so, what do I know lol.
    1 point
  44. I didn't try to ride it (for the credit) back in Sept.2016 (WCBash) 'cause it was just - too - small for me. Go figure.
    1 point
  45. Yes, it's the magic flyer. For a brief time, they built a wooden facade on either side of the tracks to give the illusion it looked like a mini Colossus.
    1 point
  46. It certainly could be, looks like that was the only kiddie coaster in the late 70s and early 80s.
    1 point
  47. Isn't this coaster currently the Magic Flyer https://rcdb.com/749.htm. This coaster has moved locations a few times and has had many rethemes.
    1 point
  48. ^Anyone know what that ride buried in the trees at 1:37 is?
    1 point
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