Electerik

Hey, why didn't I start this thread?! As STR8FXXXINEDGE mentioned, it can be surprisingly difficult to find new and interesting mini golf courses ahead of time when traveling to a new area. I do also want to endorse Hillbilly Golf in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. And though it's sort of the opposite of "old and funky," I think WDW's Winter Summerland might be the best/most interesting mini golf in Central Florida. I've been to a few mini golf places in other areas of the country, but can't really think of any that stick out as especially awesome. But that might be because I just end up at whatever one I stumble across. Hopefully, this thread will help next time! /Ice cream thread?

Went to Busch Gardens Tampa yesterday. Lots of Cheetah Hunt testing. Yes, it looks slow. But I'm kind of okay with that since I hate the restraints so much. Forgive me if these photos don't offer much new. I've actually kind of been staying away from this thread. But I assume that more Cheetah Hunt photos are always welcome. They've done a really good job updating the look of the old Sky Ride/Monorail building, in my opinion. Some trains have been completed with cheetah decals, while others haven't been yet. Good ol' Intamin. I've never seen such hip, cool-looking water dummies before. Pretty easy to get photos now. The last element. Love the banners, love the supports, love the color scheme. It's just a gorgeous ride. And...I'll end there.

I don't think that's it. Top Thrill Dragster has lapbars, and Kingda Ka has over-the-shoulder-restraints. Enough people prefer the lapbars that they chose Dragster over Ka. Yes, that's a big gap. But there are some (including me) to whom restraints are a really big deal.

With respect, Cameron, I think you're contradicting yourself. Cedar Point is the poster boy for changing to stay relevant, and have become very generic as a result of that. Indiana Beach is taking heat for changing/removing good things that people like. And people are right to complain about it, in my view. When I tell people about Indiana Beach, "the swings that go out over the water" are one of the first things I mention. I seriously doubt that "the swings that were plopped down in a parking lot" will be very high on my sales pitch list. Will this ropes course be cool? Sure, probably. But it'd be a whole lot cooler is we didn't have to give up so much in exchange for it. What, Indiana Beach ran out of water to go out over?

Pretty sure I say this every year, but Millennium Force sure does well for a coaster that so many people complain about seeing in top 10 lists, and is frequently the first coaster mentioned when somewhat brings up "overrated" rides. And this year, it even went up a couple of spots.

I agree with everything you just said. Prepare for construction updates!

I know that these ropes courses have their fans around here, but the swings no longer over the water? That's like moving Space Mountain outdoors.

It was a 1/4lb premium beef dog (step 1), with spicy jalapeno hula sauce (step 2), pineapple fruit sauce (step 3), and mango mustard (step 4). They also have lemonade that they squeeze when you order it, which was quite tasty, as well.

This photo is truly dreadful. I'm glad Adam is dead.

[Edit: Unfortunately, the physical Hula Dog (or, as it was later know, "Kona Dog") building has closed. However, they now apparently have a food truck!? -Erik] When it comes to food, I think it's safe to say that I'm a bit more "Oddventurous" than Smisty. So I ended up going to this next place by myself.... Hula Dog Located on I-Drive, near Wet 'n Wild, beneath a giant billboard advertising McDonald's (natch), Hula Dog offers "authentic Hawaiian-style hot dogs." I've never actually been to Hawaii, so I'm in no position to judge their authenticity. But Hula Dog was opened about three months ago by a guy who was stationed in Hawaii and apparently really liked their hot dogs. Help me, magic surf board! How does this work?? Below this are more boring ingredients you can get if you prefer your hot dogs a bit less Hawaiian. But what fun would that be? Ta-da! The bread is very soft, and pretty much covers the entire dog. What you see here cost me about $7.50. If I have a complaint, it's that the hours are a bit unpredictable. (I can't stand when a place is closed between "lunch" and "dinner.") But I guess you have to kind of expect that when it's just a couple of guys bootstrapping a new business and trying to do everything themselves. And, in any case, the hot dogs are really good! I don't get it.

Obviously, I don't want to give these people any money. On the other hand, I'm even less interested in going there (or, really, anywhere) on special free day. But I do want to see it--both from a completest standpoint, and out of morbid curiosity. If I am going to do it though, I want to make sure that it's epic. So the team-up idea seems like a good way to help justify it. Smisty and Bryan are on board, but no word from Adam yet.

Now there is an attraction worthy of a true Erik & Smisty, Bryan & Adam Orlando All-Stars team-up! What do you say, guys?

Church?

Yes, but you see, I have already done it...WITH BRYAN!

^^ Good, noncommittal answer. I hate Titanic. Let's go to SeaWorld.

Well, I'm no math wizard, but I'm pretty sure that 5000.33333% less of anything greater than zero is still something, and 250% more of zero is still nothing. So that should work out fine, since I still have two more Bryan-oriented updates waiting in the wings! (Including one that will change the way you view athletic competition forever.) Still, we should definitely hang out. How do you feel about The Titanic?

One of Smisty's stated life-goals is to visit every Ripley's Believe It or Not Odditorium/Museum in the world. Of course, we've already shown you the one in St. Augustine earlier in this thread, and the one in Gatlinburg in the old Smoky Mountain thread. (And we still have one in Key West to show you as well.) But we actually visited the one in Orlando early last year--I've just been sitting on the photos because they seemed to be missing something. But what? And then it hit me! What we needed was someone who hates Ripley's museums to really put this report over the top. And that person is freshly-returned-to-Orlando TPR celebrity Bryan Stoll! He and I visited just last week, but through some photographic wizardry, I intend to convince you that all three of us hung out together on the same day. (Actually, that's just the cover story. The sad truth of that matter is that Bryan emailed me a bunch of photos of himself visiting Ripley's and asked me to make it look like he was hanging out with us. I guess Adam was busy. But that's just between you and me, kind reader.) Believe It or Not! Oh, crap! What happened?? I hope they're still open! Oh, right...theming. "I am a horse made out of horseshoes. Which is so lame that you don't even have to pay to get in to see me!" This is actually the first Ripley's we've visited that was all one level. Bryan, no! That's his dingus! Meanwhile, Smisty is buying tickets. AT THE EXACT SAME TIME that Bryan was being perverted. I have two cameras. "Hello. I am dead." That was really stupid, but it made me laugh when I typed it. This entire portrait was created using nothing but nail polish! Which I found really impressive until "Ripley's-hater" Bryan pointed out that nail polish is really just a type of paint. This is, like, some stuff. I dunno, I guess it was unbelievable or something. Here we see Bryan falling for the oldest trick in Ripley's book: Hey, make silly faces in front of this "mirror!" Smisty points out the penis sheaths while making a face that I now have to somehow come up with a funny caption for. "Hey, is that your penis sheath, or did a Jaragua Lizard shed its skin? Bwa-ha-ha-ha!" Effing holograms, how do they work? Wall-E, made out of trash. Which is actually kind of appropriate. Because he's, like, a trash robot. Okay. Uh-oh, this trick gate isn't gonna make Bryan like Ripley's any better. No, no, that's a good look for you. NOTHING IMPRESSES BRYAN Meanwhile, my brain is reciting: "Now old Sam had two rules when he played pool. This first: You always bet all your money. And the second: Sam always got the first shot." The standard man-hanging-by-his-nipples exhibit. Bryan and I really bonded over this skull, and we are now best friends. (I actually wanted to call it a "bro-mance," but Bryan said no.) The beauty and frustration of Ripley's is that it can in no way be considered educational, because anything and everything there might simply be fake. "Believe It or Not! We Don't Care!" Bryan refused to pose with the world's fattest man. I am not sure why. So this is, like, The Terminator. But he has a a bunch of other pop culture icons on him. Or something. Okay, I really have no idea what's going on here. Bryan thinks this is fake. But I say it's clearly made from ver. The Last Supper, made entirely from pocket lint. Which I found really impressive until Bryan pointed out that lint is really just a kind of thread. Some Star Wars crap, a tiny rhino, and a porn star or something--ALL MADE FROM HUMAN SALIVA!!! Droid crotch!!! ("Hey dude, I think we found your penis sheath.") "I would really rather not be next to the crotch droid." At least try to look scared for the photo, Smisty. "Nope, I'm not falling for that. I know a two-way mirror when I see one. And I'm only seven." "Now that you realize what a fool we've made you look like, come give us money to make a fake photo of you. You can trust us this time, honest." Um.... That's actually really believable. Ripley's, you have failed me! Now that I've seen a man shove a snake up his nose, none of this stuff bothers me. "If you've come this far, maybe you're willing to come a little further." We were all there at the same time. Robert Wardlow was so tall, he could only be measured in bed pans. (Yet he was still shorter than a single Goodyear tire!) "I am a horse made out of human shoes. I am worthy of being indoors." Dogs are weird. What could be scarier than a little kid with a rifle? "Without me, my rifle is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless." This is Misty's passionate face. We sleep in the dark. This guy really went to a lot of trouble to draw attention to his nipples. And this is Bryan's passionate face. Or so he says. I would not know. WHAT ARE YOU ACCUSING ME OF??? Spinning tunnel is spinny. My passionate face. What can I say? I get excited by deformed souvenirs. Well, that's it for Ripley's Believe It Or Not in Orlando. For more big time Florida fun, make sure to check out The Bryan and Adam Show Thread at http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=45969

I like Mellow Mushroom, as well. But please tell me that you went to the Georgia Aquarium! Rock City...?

No idea if there's any chance of a future for this ride or not, but I'm so glad that Misty and I finally went down and rode it this year. I really would have been kicking myself now if we'd missed it. It was, as others have said, really quite good. Our TR from January, if anyone is interested and missed it: Boomers & The Dania Beach Hurricane

Now that you mention it, yes. Right, forgot to mention that it was so dark by the end that Misty hit her ball lightly down the green and it disappeared.

As far as I can tell, the only mini golf in the Florida Keys is Boondocks in Ramrod Key. But it's not just a mini golf course, it's also a restaurant! We arranged things so that we could have dinner there and play the course on our way out from Key West. Just one small problem: the service we got at the restaurant was so ridiculously slow that we weren't able to start on the mini golf until dusk, and didn't get back on the road until dark--which had not been our plan. Now, obviously, the service someone else receives might be different. And, indeed, there were people seated after us who were finished with their meals and gone before we'd even gotten our food. And this, no doubt, cast a pall over the entire experience. Still, I'll try to be as fair as I can with our review.... The Boondocks mascot is a caveman, for some reason. As you drive in, the mini golf is on the left... And the restaurant is on the right. Like every restaurant in the keys, it's open-air. So, the waitress talked up a particular type of fish to Misty, but then told her they were out when she tried to order it. Okay. So she ordered a different type of fish, which unexpectedly came out as a fish sandwich. My burger was quite good, though. And it was what I ordered. You're not fooling me, Boondocks. I know a store-bought ice cream bar plopped down on a fancy plate when I see one. Attached to the restaurant is a gift shop. I like that they sell their own branded merchandise. But I hardly think there's anything here that would make one want to purchase it. On to the single 18-hole mini golf course. this was interesting: Instead of just handing you a golf ball, they give you a token which you use to get your ball out of a gumball machine. Pointless, but different and cool. On the other hand, somehow a simple ball return could result in a free game. Or you're supposed to just drop it in the bucket. Your guess is as good as mine, honestly. The course looks nice enough. Standard "adventure golf" style, but flags always add a touch of class. There was apparently some sort of special "glow golf" event scheduled for that evening, at least some of which was already set up. Honestly, it looked pretty silly. I liked the "rough" areas as well (though they're hardly anything unique). Starting to get dark now. A couple things of note in this shot: 1. the glow stick wrapped around the wooden pylon, and 2. the net on the left edge of the green, to be used if you accidentally hit your ball into the water. "Hello, I'm a caveman. That's different, right?" This hole was quite tricky. (Note Smisty over on the left, fetching the net.) Wait, what does a Buddha statue have to do with cavemen?? Wow, a second round on the same course? How exciting! Well, there you have it: Boondocks--standard mini golf with a few small flourishes and a questionable restaurant. I can't really say I'd recommend it--unless, of course, you're attempting to play every mini golf course in Florida. (But that would be crazy!)

We only went Sunday, and we thought it was a bit crowded. Getting the pie wasn't so bad, but once you had it, there weren't enough tables set up for everyone to sit down. (There was room for more tables, though--so hopefully they'll have more in the future.) Still, we had a good time and were happy we went. I would read such such a thread with much interest. The more the merrier, says I. Speaking of which: Could a B&AS/E&SFO crossover be brewing? Hmmmm....

Well, it wasn't really a pinball machine, is the thing. More like plinko. So, no. We were only able to attend on Sunday. Got there early, but were wiped out (by the sun) by 3:00pm. I assume that stuff happened on Saturday. There didn't seem to be anything like that while we were there. And, in closing, let me just say: Pie!

^ Nice! Yeah, I was singing it every time I saw one of those signs.

If you follow either Smisty or myself on Twitter or facebook, then you already know how excited we were for this next one.... The Great American Pie Festival Ah, Celebration, the town Walt Disney didn't build. There was an exotic car show in town at the same time, but that's not really our bag. It's the pie-nal countdown! There is nothing that isn't funny about this sign. From the website: "The American Pie Council® (APC) is the only organization dedicated to preserving America's pie heritage and promoting America's love affair with pies." Simply awesome. We decided to start with some real food. Er...sort of. Yes, this is a cheeseburger with brisket on top. And yes, it was amazing. The "world's largest pinball machine." I'm on a pie-way to hell! I'm so happy I could pie! Yes, they're about to open up the best thing here: the Never Ending Pie Buffet. Must...not...be...distracted. The buffet consisted of six or seven different companies offering 4-6 of their best and/or most interesting types of pie. Honestly, I'm not sure how many different types of pie there were altogether, as many companies had overlapping offerings. Still, there was plenty of variety. Wait...shellfish? White Chocolate Cherry Dream ended up being my personal favorite. Publix grocery was also there, offering pie, ice cream, and swag! And Village Inn gave out little binocular thingies (in addition to pie, of course). It's 92 degrees out and there's almost no shade. Who wants coffee? The topping bar looked interesting, but turned messy pretty quickly. We passed. The California Raisin Marketing Board brought some pretty interesting pies. The one pictured turned out to be Misty's favorite, and she doesn't even like raisins. S'cuse me while I kiss this pie! Smisty is not unimpressed. Sometimes I just can't resist pie-eling it on. Heading back for round two, we find it's...picked up a little. Isn't Key Lime pie supposed to be green-ish? Oh well, it was really good! And this week's 'Misty is going to kill me photo' is.... Moving away from the pie buffet we find plenty of other pie-related activities. A dream come true, for me. Check one off the list. Cooking demonstration? Check. Me misreading the sign as "demon station"? Check. Okay, so we paid $2.00 for a bottle of water at the food truck, it's free in the buffet area, and here it's...I don't even know. Spin the wheel for a free prize! Also, there was a drawing for the grill. Which Misty won. Bounce house! And, for some reason, a parrot. "Piecasso" pie-pan decorating. I approve of this pun. And last, but certainly not least, bored children waiting to do something fun. At last The Pie Judge arrives and it's time for the pie eating contest! Good job, kids! We're not laughing at you, honest. It was hot, it was crowded, and we had to carry this damned grill all the way to our car--but we had loads of fun! And about 17 slices of pie, between us. I want to pie like an eagle, to the C...! (Celebration, that is.) Pie pie now.