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Thanks Robb! Once again, great job on the videos and the IAAPA coverage overall.

I'm just now getting the chance to get caught up on all of this and I have to say, you did an awesome job of covering the show! I look forward to the IAAPA coverage every year, and you guys had the best coverage this year. Looks like a lot of fun, I would love to attend one of these someday.

These are some great photos; of all the projects in the works for 2011 I am most excited about this one. With X2 being my favorite coaster and B&M being my favorite manufacturer I can hardly wait to see what B&M does with the 4D Concept. I hope it is as successful as I anticipate it will be (I imagine they have been working on it for years) and I would love to see a version with the seat rotation here in the US eventually. I ran across this video (it is subtitled Italian, but is in English) there isn't too much more information than has already been known for a while, but he does mention a 90 degree banked turn and more interestingly to me, some "technical tricks that will take your breath away" which piqued my interest. I originally found the video on newsparcs.blogspot.com/

It took me a while in that last photo posted to see that it was of the lift hill going up. Looks like a very gradual ascent to me. I'm really anxious to see the layout of this thing, and even more so to see what they do when they get to the point of testing a version with the rotating seats.

^Something about the entire idea of selling alcohol at SFMM seems like a not so good idea to me.....

Great TR and great pics, thanks again for taking the pics and for hanging out with me Sunday night. Great job on the captions, too. I am guessing Amy was wearing contact lenses in those pics-I thought I saw her eyes looking like that when we were going through the mazes and walking around Sunday but thought I was just seeing things, so I didn't say anything. Love that last pic-so far, Corn Stalkers is my favorite maze of the year, thought I cannot say for sure until I see all the others in a few weeks.

Well if we're going to go there, another Orient Express! But make it better, faster, stronger than it was before. The Orient Express was the very first coaster I ever rode.....and it was back in the 80s. All I remember is that is was really scary to me as a little kid and never rode it again! The Orient Express was responsible for me craving bigger and faster coasters with more inversions and crazy elements. That was the first "big" coaster I had ever been on, and I was nervous but I absolutely loved it. It skyrocketed Arrow to being my favorite coaster company for the longest time-at least until B&M came along. But I rode it when the ride was only about 3-4 years old; I heard that it got rough, as many Arrows have with age. I do want to see S&S perfect the 4D Coaster.....and they might want to get on that, as speaking of B&M, they're in the process of doing their own "spin" on the 4D.....

I know I may be in the minority, but I love Silver Bullet and find it offers a pretty intense ride. I actually experienced a grey out on the overbank and a full blackout on the helix once more intense than the ones I have had on the Goliath helix at SFMM. Now, granted, that particular day it was more me than the ride-I was being my usual idiot self by drinking all diet soda and no water at all all day (results: dehydration), and didn't eat anything before and rode 4-5 times in a row, but even under regular circumstances, that helix is pretty crazy all of the time, at least for me. Tensing the legs muscles can prevent the greying out, though, in my experience.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how this ride turns out. If B&M does as well improving on the 4D Coaster as they did with the Inverted, Flying and Multi Looping coasters, this could be the next big thing.

Knott's replied back to my Facebook post, I thought that was really cool! I would do Twitter, but I don't have a Twitter account and no idea how to use one. I finally just posted my TR, I meant to have it up last night, but I had a nightmare hornet's nest of phone calls from clients come up on Monday evening that I had to deal with and had to get back to the office today.

Now that I have fully had time to rest, recover and replenish my energy, I wanted to post a TR of Sunday's event, and relate a bit more what an awesome experience it was to be monster for the evening. I had an early start on Sunday, up at 5, at the gym from 6-7:45, and then getting to Knott's at about 8:45 for the event that made me very glad that I had decided to turn in about 10 Saturday night. I pulled into parking about 8:50 and was up at the front gate right at 9. After a few minutes of initial confusion as to where we were supposed to go to retrieve our tickets, I got my lanyard, wristband and required items and was on my way. I didn't see Robb or any other familiar faces from TPR up front, so I figured I would run into them somewhere at ERT. I started off with about three or four consecutive rides on Silver Bullet-still my favorite ride at Knott's and running better than ever. The crew was doing an exemplary job with two train operations and I thoroughly enjoyed all of my rides. I decided to take a breather, and made my way over to GhostRider for a ride. I secured a place in the front row (the only seat on GhostRider I can ride) and Robb and a few others from TPR came up as I was waiting and Robb joined me for the ride. (By the way, I loved your response to someone asking where the least rough place to sit was!) It was a decent ride-not as rough as usual but still plenty aggressive, but I enjoyed it. It's still my favorite wooden coaster in California (Terminator at SFMM would win that honor if it were just a shade longer) but I wish something could be done about the roughness. I'm not certain as to the reason, but there seemed to be grease on some of the seats which was interesting. I thought about snagging a ride on Sierra Sidewinder after that, but I elected to head back over to Silver Bullet and catch a few more rides, which I did. By this time the park was open so I decided to get some rides in on Xcelerator and Supreme Scream. I ran into Robb again on the way over there and then was pleasantly surprised to see that Xcelerator had a very small wait even with one train operation. Said hello to Ryan (G-Force) who I had not seen in a while as restraints were being checked, and had a great ride. Xcel is running better than ever, and it never gets old. After this I took a ride on Supreme Scream (which seemed to be having an issue with the towers, we ended up moving towers twice before finally riding) which was enjoyable-I am trying to get used to the height thing in preparation for steeling myself to ride Windseeker next year, and then I just sort of leisurely took my time enjoying the park with a very light crowd, great weather, and very small wait times on everything. Aside from running into Robb, Amy (amyzoo) and Joey (jray21) who were taking photos and said they were heading out for a while before the events were getting started at 3, I did not see a lot of other familiar faces. Managed to get in at least 10 more rides on Silver Bullet, 2 more on Xcelerator, La Revolucion, Wave Swinger, Sierra Sidewinder, the Log Ride, Calico Mine Ride, Montezoomas and Boomerang (where I ran into Jorge who I knew from West Coast Bash a few years back and said hello) and just kind of leisurely enjoyed the park. Feeling a shade hungry since all I had had was a blueberry muffin (I was trying to hold out for the buffet later and get my money's worth) I broke down and bought a small bag of salt water taffy (I just couldn't resist Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough flavored taffy and it was quite good) and a Diet Pepsi and then took some time to walk around the park some more, then out to the car to stash anything I didn't need and get a pack of smokes. Walked around the Marketplace some and in the shops and overheard an amusing conversation between a mother and her son who was terrified to go into any of the stores because he thought the ghosts in the window decorations would get him, went back in the park for the night and got one more ride on Silver Bullet before heading to the Boardwalk Ballroom and waiting for the doors to open. Everything flowed smoothly as they let us in and the "Haunt Makers" took their places at the table set up on stage in the Ballroom which they did a fantastic job of setting up and decorating for us. We sat down at our tables, and then the Q&A began, and I have to say that it was absolutely one of the most entertaining Q&A sessions I have ever attended. Everyone's questions were answered honestly and with a great sense of humor, with some hilarious behind the scenes stories that were just priceless. It was interesting to hear the process by which mazes come about, some of the ideas that have been considered, and hearing about some of the things we don't usually see. After the session was complete, it was time for the behind the scenes tours. At that point, we were told we should go ahead and take our souvenir cups-filled with a souvenir bumper sticker, 3D glasses, and raffle ticket-with us (and I am glad I opted to do so) and line up for the maze tours. Daniel Miller and Gus took us on some exclusive tours of the two "new" mazes for this year, Virus Z and Fallout Shelter, first initially previewed for us at West Coast Bash in March. (Although I have to say that after seeing some of the existing mazes, especially CornStalkers, last night that a lot of the other mazes seem entirely new and improved as well). The tours were informative, up close and personal, and gave me a greater appreciation for the sheer amount of effort, work, planning and detail to go into all of the mazes themselves. Through everything it was profoundly evident that all of the Haunt Makers truly have a passion for their work and love what they do. It was very interesting to go through the mazes both on a backstage basis and then later during Haunt when they truly come to life due to all of the effects and talent and just the energy of all involved that brings them to life. We returned for our Pre Scare buffet dinner-filled with an impressive array of absolutely delicious food in abundance, and as we entered we received our gift, which was a free t-shirt commemorating the event, which I thought was nice. The buffet was out of this world, and even better than the one last year with the obligatory and delicious Mrs. Knott's chicken, potatoes and gravy, salad bar, a wide assortment of breads, pastas, swedish meatballs, sides, ribs, freshly carved Prime Rib and turkey breast, a good assortment of desserts, an overflowing soda fountain and more. If anyone is doing Haunt this year I highly recommend doing the pre scare dinner-the food and hospitality is top notch and it is more than worth it. We all sat down and ate our fill, and the Haunt Makers joined us as well, eating at the table they had presented from earlier. After dinner, we were reminded to put our raffle tickets into the bowl for the raffle, so I did, and the raffle began. Meghan, our host for the event was assisted by Johanna and there were a variety of cool prizes-including retired costume pieces from the Gauntlet and more. It was at the end of this that my night would take a dramatic turn from what was already shaping up to be a great one into an awesome one. I have been doing events at Knott's now since 2005, especially Solace. Every year, I buy several raffle tickets, yet I had never won anything. Sure, I had won things at events, but never anything really "big". As they were drawing the numbers for the two grand prizes-the chance to be taken to wardrobe and makeup, be transformed into a maze monster, and actually be put in a maze to work for a while-I thought to myself, "Wouldn't it be something if I won that and what would I do if I did?" When the number being read off matched the one on my ticket stub, I looked at it to be certain, felt for a moment as if I had won the lottery, and went up to claim the lanyard feeling as excited as a kid on Christmas morning. I was in shock and disbelief and wondering what the experience would be like. Very shortly thereafter, Johanna escorted myself, the other winner, Daniel, and Robb backstage to get us started. I have to preface by stating how impressed I am with the entire Haunt Operation, there is a tremendous amount of effort, work, and behind the scenes people who put themselves into haunting the park with all their passion, and it shows. We were first escorted to wardrobe, where it was determined that we would be vampires in Club Blood, we were issued costumes (mine was a shirt and cape) and escorted over to makeup to be transformed. I had had makeup done in the past-one pretty extensive one for a horror film a friend of mine had done as a school project but it has been many years-and I had no idea what to expect. They have an entire makeup shop back there like something you would see at a production studio with some talented artists working hard all night and taking their work very seriously, and it shows. You can tell it is truly a passion for them. Kristin G was the artist assigned to me, and after asking me if I had any allergies to latex, etc and I responded no, she did an absolutely incredible job. I look scary enough to begin with but she made me look downright creepy and freaky. Having my confidence boosted somewhat by the new look I was ready to go. I put the shirt and cape on over my clothes (thankfully, I had worn black jeans and shoes that night) and I even decided to take my hair out of the ponytail (which I generally never do at any park event) to add to the realism. The other artists did a bang up job with Robb and Daniel as well. After a brief stop over at the offices to stash our personal effects, we were handed off to Stephanie who showed us the zones we could occupy in the maze given our character, costume and the theme of that zone, where we could dash out to get air, and hooked us up with some of the incredibly talented monsters working in the maze to help us out. Robb and Daniel went off to other areas and I was in the club area. I was still a little anxious about how to go about getting out there and really scaring but my rationale was all nonsensical on the topic, e.g., "What if I scare some big drunk guy or his girl and he punches me?" or "What if I traumatize some little kid by accident?" but I was able to quickly squelch those once I talked to the very helpful veteran monsters I was sharing the room with who gave me pointers. Since I'm not a really aggressive person in real life, being scary is acting for me.....so I called on the years of experience singing for bands when I would take on a different persona to connect with a song, or the times I did acting and took on persona for a part, or the time years ago when I was in my friend's horror film for school and that worked. While I can't get the snarl down like these guys have (my attempt at a snarl comes out resonating more like a snore) and my banging the wall with my fist turned out kind of weak, one thing I found that I was able to do was be silently creepy and offer a menacing stare-which I did. I would sit on the couch and stare at people walking through-singling out the ones who were immediately on guard as I know when I go through mazes, or walk the scare zones on the other side, that's mostly the bait they look for when seeking a good scare. If I saw someone looking away or nervous, I would make like I was about to get up and lunge, but I didn't actually do that, I just maintained the menacing staring and following with the eyes. That was when the girl who was in there helping me took the opportunity to do what they call a tag team scare: she would stand opposite from me around the corner, and as the guests would be staring at me wondering what I was going to do, she would jump out and and get them with a good snarl. It was a lot of fun and it quickly became evident why the people who do Haunt every year do it.....there's a certain sense of power, it is somewhat cathartic, and it just made me appreciate what these guys do so much more. If I could put into a nutshell what I think I enjoyed most about it, it was that you really get the opportunity to step outside yourself and be someone else, play a role you might not play the rest of the year and in your day to day life.....and if that is not the very epitome of what the spirit of Halloween is, then I don't know what is. After the highlight of being in the VIP couch room (which was two girls coming through having their picture made with me) they wanted me to move out into the club zone into the area with the cage/pole dancers. The guy I was working with out here was equally helpful and would give me pointers of when to lunge towards someone, who to go after and things I should do. I was still doing the silent menacing staring thing, and when I would see someone nervous I would make like I was going to lunge or give them a more menacing look, and finally, the monster working the area with me pulled me aside and told me something that finally made it all click for me: "Don't be scared of them-they're scared of YOU." I'm so glad he reminded me of that simple truth as it shook me out of my wanting to look scary to being scary for the people filtering through with nervous trepidation. It was so blatantly obvious, yet totally honest-anyone coming through there wanted to be freaked, it was what they came and paid for, and part of the opportunity I had won was to have the chance to deliver that. I was really getting into the swing of things then, hiding behind a gate and swinging out to scare people when they turned the corner in the section I was in and I managed to get a few really good scares in. And I was thoroughly enjoying it with glee. While I'm certain that none of the scares I managed to give people were anywhere close to anything resembling the caliber of the thousands delivered by the dedicated Haunt employees who have had years of practice and are dedicated to their craft every night of the event, I still enjoyed it immensely and it really broke me out of my shell some. Just as I was getting the hang of it, they came and pulled us out as we needed to come out of the maze and rejoin the living as our brief stint as temporary creatures of the night had to come to an end. We thanked Stephanie and our mentors, and were escorted back to take off our makeup and get back into civilian mode. I was shocked to discover we had been in there for nearly two hours, as although it was work to do what we were doing, it literally flew by-a sheer indication of how enjoyable an endeavor it was! I finally got the makeup off (thank God for the jar of Albolene that was in there!) and had a chance to talk to some of the other monsters going home for the night and with every one I talked with, it is overwhelmingly clear that all of these guys truly love what they do and it is truly a passion-the people who hire them definitely know the ones to pick. Not only that, I can tell just from the brief glimpse I experienced that working Haunt must be a blast; they seem to have a real sense of family, teamwork, and doing a tough job but having a great time doing it. Just watching them work is fascinating, but being in the middle of it firsthand provides and entirely different perspective and really makes you more appreciative of all the work behind the screams. I had always wondered how so many could work a full time job and then come and faithfully put so much energy into every night every October, and now I really get it. If my schedule frees up before they do auditions next year, I am very seriously considering giving it a shot merely based on how much I enjoyed my brief excursion into the underworld on Sunday night. Robb, Daniel and myself made our way back into the park and met up with Joey and Amy and we decided to catch up on seeing some of the shows and mazes at that point. We attempted to go through Fallout Shelter first, but they seemed to be having some kind of technical error with the effects. We ended up taking a breather while Robb transferred photos to his computer and prepared for the trip home to TPR Headquarters. At this point, I unfortunately had a terrible episode of acid reflux/heartburn that was threatening the rest of my night. In retrospect, I know what it was now-it certainly was not the awesome food we had had earlier, as that was world class. I realized that aside from two quick stops at the water fountain I had not had any water all day or night but had been drinking Diet Pepsi all day, in the heat, and also at dinner I accidentally ate a corn muffin that had jalapeno in it and I think it was a combination of that and just being tired. Fortunately, I was able to get it under control, and my meal at the Pre Scare buffet did not make an unscheduled repeat appearance. (Sorry to those who I was hanging out with if I was kind of slow due to feeling kind of nauseous and faint for a while). I am thankful that I was finally able to get through it, and even more thankful that it did not kick up really bad until after I was out of the maze for the evening! Robb took off for the night, but Joey, Amy, Daniel and I enjoyed some more of the Haunt. With all of the riding I had done earlier in the day, and given how I was feeling, I knew there would not be any more rides so the agenda was shows and mazes. Here is my nutshell review of each: The Hanging: Although I was still fighting the heartburn during the show and not able to fully focus on it, what I saw and heard was hilarious and entertaining as always, better than last year, and I loved the finale. I look forward to seeing it again when my friend and I come back for Pre Scare and a night at Haunt on the 21st. Slider Show: An unofficial show by the street sliders, this was AWESOME.....these guys deserve their own official show. Very entertaining and enjoyable performance that I feel certain you would not see anywhere else, from some very talented people dedicated to putting on a good show and obviously enjoying the act of doing it. Virus Z: Even better than in the tour! Very talented monsters, great scares, great set design and execution. Corn Stalkers: This is my official favorite of the year so far, considering I have still not seen all of the mazes and rides. Massive improvement overall, with highlights for me featuring one of the best scares I have ever gotten at Haunt ("Look at pumpkin!") and two very scary and truly freaky animatronics, one of which is pure nightmare fodder. GREAT job on this one, guys. Labyrinth: Fantastic as usual. Great talent, one of the most visually interesting and astounding as well as beautiful maze offerings. Has been consistently good every year, and this was no exception. Fallout Shelter: With all of the lighting, effects, and talent-all of which were really on their game-this should be a hit for years to come. Great concept, great effects, good execution. I particularly loved the spider pig and the tribute to one of my all time favorite horror films, The Thing. Slaughterhouse: Although I missed the Farmer Willy's sign out front, this maze-which has been a favorite since it debuted has gotten even darker, more gruesome, and more disturbing. I noticed the absence of the freezer section, which I think actually makes it flow better. Again, some really good talent, especially the sideways "wall people". Asylum/Lockdown: Good again this year. We did this one a few minutes before close, and even still the remaining talent was in there giving it their best. Another very disturbing but well executed maze. Club Blood: We had to go through from the other side (although this was like the fourth time for Joey and Amy as they had been through numerous times earlier getting photos of us!) I enjoyed it from the other side as well, and that thing at the end NEVER fails to freak me out.....it has gotten me every year consistently. One thing the day's events including the evening truly left me with was a greater appreciation of what Haunt at Knott's is all about, the spirit of the event as well as the sheer effort all of these people pour into it, from the head Haunt Makers to the Creative Team to the costuming, the set design, makeup artists, the talent, the whole park staff, including those who put up with massive ride lines until the last minute most of the time, and everyone else involved. It is ever apparent how it really is a dedicated, passionate group of people who are doing something they love for the fans who love it, both those who dedicate most of October to attending and think about it year round, to first time visitors who just want to have a great time being scared out of their mind by the pros. As I returned to my usual role at Haunt as patron and scaree, I found I was enjoying the mazes more than I ever have and with a greater sense of appreciation for how hard everyone works on transforming the Berry farm into the Scary Farm every year. And if reaffirmed my personal opinion that both at Haunt and the rest of the year that Knott's is, at least in my opinion, a world class park. With the mazes and the show we had time for complete, the park closed as it was beginning to sprinkle rain (which thankfully did not arrive until the event had ended). I walked out to the parking lot with Joey, Amy and Daniel, wished everyone well and started home-completely drained and exhausted, but in the best way possible. I am eagerly looking forward to returning to have another night at Haunt on the 21st and catch all of the mazes, shows and haunted rides (Log Ride and Calico) that I didn't catch this time. I just want to say thanks one last time to: -Robb and TPR/Club TPR for your part in putting this together, and another great event -Meghan at Knott's for all she did to put together such a great event and for having us be a part of it -All of the staff at Knott's, from those who provided the delicious buffet to the ride ops who put up with us during ERT -All Of The Haunt Makers for their extremely entertaining Q&A, taking us on the tours, and overall making it a great event. Jeff Tucker has to be one of the funniest and most entertaining speakers I have encountered at any Q&A session, and Daniel Miller and his crew gave us some great tours where it was evident that they love what they do and take pride in their work, and rightfully so. It was great to see Fallout Shelter from its inception at West Coast Bash, then to see it behind the scenes and then to experience it firsthand-and I think it will be a hit. I look forward to seeing what you guys did in the mazes I haven't seen yet when I go back in a few weeks. -Johanna, who let us put our stuff backstage and got us started on our transformation once we got to wardrobe/makeup -Everyone in wardrobe and makeup, especially Kristen G who did a bang up makeup job and made me look and feel scary enough to be worthy to be in a maze for a while -Stephanie, who gave us some much appreciated time in the maze you manage and for letting us have the opportunity -The monsters in the maze who worked with us, helped us out, and shared some of their knowledge to make it a more fun experience for us -Amy, Joey and Daniel for hanging out with me for the remainder of the night and for all the photos taken -The entire staff of Haunt and all of the performers, scareactors, and talent for just rocking it out and putting on a great performance not only Sunday night, but every night. I know more than ever how hard you guys work now, but I also understand that it's purely out of passion. Forgive me if I left anyone out, got any names or spellings incorrect, I did my best considering what a crazy day and night it was! I know this got really long, but I wanted to try to communicate what was a first time and one of a kind experience for me at one of these events, and one that came at a good time too, as aside from West Coast Bash and a few visits to Knott's and SFMM, the past year has been filled with an overwhelming amount of work between a full tiem web development job and two freelance development businesses (which caused me to miss two planned vacations and my hope to attend the Bay Area Bash) and very little play. This was an extremely refreshing antidote, and, as I said, the most memorable and enjoyable time I have ever had at Haunt.....again, major thanks for a day and night I will not forget!

I just arrived home from what had to be absolutely the best time I have ever had at Haunt...I always had an appreciation for all of the effort not only on the part of the park but of all of the talent, behind the scenes people, and crew do to keep making it a great event every year, and now even more so. I was already having a great day at the event but winning the opportunity to actually be a part of Haunt for the evening was just awesome. Major, major thanks to everyone at Knott's for such a great event. and for the opportunity and to TPR for offering the chance to go to TPR Members. I will post a TR telling a bit more about the experience once I have gotten some sleep but just wanted to say thanks for a great time to everyone instrumental in putting this together.

I will be there for the full day's event! Really looking forward to it. Even taking Monday as a vacation day for recovery time. What time are we supposed to arrive at the park? I did not get a time on the confirmation e-mail, so I am just assuming that we show up at the park between 8-8:45AM for registration.

Thanks for putting this together! Looks like quite an awesome event-I'm definitely going to make this one. I've always been a fan of Knott's and an annual passholder every year since 2004, and go there fairly often. I very much enjoyed the hospitality the park showed us at West Coast Bash, and really looking forward to this. I might even take advantage of the hotel deal too. I have been waiting for some kind of Haunt related TPR event, and I echo the sentiment many have already stated that this is a really good deal. Ordering my tickets next week, I am going to attempt to convince a friend of mine to come along as well. Although I am confident it will be a blast, I doubt that anything at Haunt will frighten me as much as thinking of trying out Windseeker in 2011.....that is the only ride I have seen in years that I am actually terrified to go on!

I am planning to catch a ride on this when I visit family back East sometime in May. Looks to be one of the best of the B&M Hypers, with some unique spins on the usual elements (the twisted hammerhead, the second drop turn to the right with the twist, and the downward helix.) And it looks as if they are doing a great job as far as keeping the lines moving fast and running three trains, from all the TRs I have been reading......

This is quite the flume ride.....I would not be surprised if we see some of these go up at other Cedar Fair parks that lost a flume recently (Valleyfair, Carowinds, etc).

Knott's: Thanks for viewing-next year, I am buying all new batteries so I can get more pics! Scenery just before the lift hill in Calico Mine, as this guy perpetually hammers the same spike in a neverending cycle Looking up the lift hill.....first time I rode many years ago, I was sure this was going to turn into a mine train coaster In case you've ever wondered what was down in this hole.....it's only about a foot deep. It is obvious KBF went out of their way to make this accessible for us, as you can see the boards laid on the track to enable us to walk around inside safely Start of the lift hill Ride controls After years of the rogue Exit Sign attempting to escape, Knott's finally had no other option but to put it into a protective cage for its own safety. Another look up the lift hill into the upper caverns, so deep they have still never been able to find the organ player..... My photo fail which was meant to be a shot of the inner workings of the mine that rider's don't see It was time for the Roundhouse Tour Locomotive being backed onto the coaches Close up view Train connecting to coaches Train residue (I have no earthly idea why I took this photo) The Galloping Goose! Front view Inner workings of the Galloping Goose engine Not what you would expect to see under the hood of a train..... The wheels, just thought this was interesting Our guide explains the inner workings of the Roundhouse and gives us a look at the Machine Shop Big wheels at Knott's Giant barbells or train wheels? "Marion, don't look at it. Shut your eyes, Marion. Don't look at it, no matter what happens!" Another part that must be maintained.....I never realized how much work the park did on these trains. Coach hiding in the back of the shop Another look at the shop. Behind her is a deep pit where the locomotive is usually parked over. I thought this was an interesting assortment of lanterns. The world famous Calico Glory Hole! Sorry these are a bit dark, flash was not behaving That crate that is always getting moved around The track leading past the first view of Glory Hole before it enters the water caves A random morning shot of my favorite coaster at Knott's to add to my 600+ other photos of Silver Bullet.

Here are the best of the photos I was able to take: SFMM: Those unfortunately were the only ones I got worth posting from SFMM. I managed to get a few backstage at Knott's, coming up next. The backside of Deja Vu This is the sole ride at SFMM that still unnerves me..... .....it's that hang time at the top of the spikes that does it. Parts for the thrilling new coaster for 2010 My favorite element on Terminator, the highly banked turn after the first tunnel A very different view than in 2009! Riddler's and the new Blue BTR from a different point of view A ride I would love to go on-and one that the thought of riding actually makes me very nervous. Still, just to do it at least once would have to be a rush. Riddler's Dive Loop action Riddler's airtime hill I didn't realize it, but these did take after all-these were the only photos I was able to get on the Excursion Scream's first drop. Parking Lot or not, this is still one of my favorites at SFMM.

I know this is embarrassingly late (2 weeks!) in being posted, and it is far later than I had hoped or anticipated in getting done thanks to chaos at work when I got back, my cold returning with a vengeance, and something coming up to interrupt me every time I tried to sit down and write it all down! Although it may get lost in all of the Intimidator and other threads, I wanted to go ahead and post this anyway. Having since recovered from one of the most exhausting but one of the best weekends I have had in a very long time, I still wanted to document the events of this memorable and fantastic weekend by posting my very belated TR along with the few photos I managed to get with my very temperamental camera (actually, thankfully, it was not the camera but the batteries which presented the problem, which has since been corrected). Friday: Prologue I had been eagerly looking forward to the 2010 WCB for months, not very fun months filled with a great deal of stress, medical issues and dental surgeries and other life inconveniences. I bought my tickets back in January and as of last week, had my rooms in both Valencia and Buena Park booked and set to go and had even taken Friday and Monday off. Unfortunately, Tuesday I ended up with a nasty cold and initially feared I was going to be unable to make the event I had been waiting for. Thankfully, I pounded the cold medicine, vitamin C and took care of myself and by Friday night I was feeling better and set to go. I got into the Holiday Inn Express in Valencia around 11pm, and although Denny's seemed tempting to grab a bite to eat, and I had not had much that day, I wanted to get some more rest, so I opted instead for a $1.75 Hot Pocket and a muffin out of the vending machine. HI Express was as good as it always is, great room, reasonable price, and a good place. I highly recommend it to anyone staying at SFMM. Saturday: SFMM Popped awake at 5:30, hit the hotel gym for a half hour and snagged a cinnamon roll and made it to SFMM by around 7:55. Truly a gorgeous day, nothing like the downpour we had back in 2009! Parking was a breeze-I had my pass ready to show and told the attendant I was there for WCB and he simply asked me to "Have A Six Flags Day" and waved me through. Parked down front and trekked to the gate, although I think the park did have trams going. Check in was extremely well organized and efficient, and I got my packet, shirt, and TPR welcome packet in a matter of minutes. I spoke to Chris Godsey from RideWorld for a few and said hello, and then Neal gave the opening address-I got a kick out of his jokes about the weather (apologizing for the weather and saying they were going to turn on the water hoses soon) and the Revolution OTSR April Fools' gag.. Great stuff, not only a great host but a great sense of humor. The gates opened and we were all off. I stopped to get an all day locker and made my way up to X2. I practically walked on to the the front row, stairs side and the nice person I rode with who was visiting from Nor Cal (my apologies, I forgot your name!) asked me if I wanted inside or outside seat and I opted for inside as that is my favorite. That first ride on X2 was a great start to everything-that was one of the best and smoothest rides on X2 I have ever had in my life. I will also add that the X2 Crew was already doing a great job, one they would keep up all day and well into the night-I don't think I experienced even one temporary delay the entire visit. I immediately followed with a second ride, and decided to head up to Katy's for breakfast and another jolt of coffee. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they had muffins this year, and not only that, the cream cheese ones I have not seen anywhere in a while. I grabbed a donut, muffin and some coffee and then noticed that Eric (EBL) was sitting at a nearby table and we talked for a while, which was when I realized ERT was until 10:30 rather than 10! We ended up hanging out for most of morning ERT, catching a couple of rides on Tatsu (running as good as ever) and then went down to Terminator. I was surprised that they made us do the preshow during ERT, but it didn't keep me from enjoying a front row ride on what is rapidly becoming one of all time favorite wooden coasters. When the ride ended, it was almost 10:25 and I wanted to catch one more X2 ride pre opening, so I made a brisk walk up and over the hill and made it there just before the park opened. I was hoping to get my on ride photo, but the registers were down at that moment. Another awesome ride, and when I was going up the lift and leaving the ride, I noticed the queue was full and all the way to the entrance, so I am glad I rode when I did. Unfortunately, as I was heading back across the bridge, the new sunglasses I had just bought on my last SFMM visit broke, with the lenses popping out, which marked the beginning of having to manually put them back in all day. I chalked it up to having them in my pants pocket during rides (given that all of the other things I have bought at the park are still holding up great, including the coffee travel mug I use daily), and headed down to the locker to get my camera. Stopped in the newly remodeled restrooms, and I have to say, the remodeled bathrooms are a vast improvement. However, when I went to my locker to get my camera, it was then that I realized that the Excursion I was scheduled to go on at 2:30 and the Photo Tour were two separate events, and I was supposed to be at the Photo Tour at 10:30! So I made another quick jaunt over the hill, hoping that I would be able to join one of the later groups. I explained the situation to William, who was standing at the tour start point and he let me join the next group. (Thanks again!) I had put what I had assumed to be freshly recharged batteries in my camera that morning, having had the battery charger for my still camera going as well as the video camera charger going all night. As we proceeded on the photo tour, past the dirt which is soon to become the Mr. Six Dance Coaster and around the backside of Deja Vu, it seemed to be working just fine, as I got a few shots of Deja Vu, Terminator, and Dive Devil. However, as we approached some great views of Batman and Riddler's, it began shutting itself off even though there was ample space on the card and it was showing a full charge. I managed to get a few photos, until finally it shut down completely. I took some video instead, to add to the footage for an SFMM video I am working on. Even though my camera was not cooperating, it was still great to get the opportunity to see the park from this vantage point, and I thought the tour was very well done. Having some time before lunch, I headed over for a ride on one of my favorite SFMM coasters, Scream, and on the way stopped in the designated smoking area for a smoke. While there, I ran into Steve (shpm5150), and his group invited me to be a member of their team for the Scavenger Hunt post lunch. Having enjoyed playing and being on one of the winning teams at the 2009 West Coast Bash, I happily accepted the invitation. They said they were going to ride Colossus, I said I would catch up with them at lunch. I made my way to Scream, only to realize that I still had my camera and did not have a dollar for a locker. I had a twenty, but the attendant and the park employee who was there could not break it. I went to the on ride photo, and they broke the $20 for me with no problem; these two helpful employees were yet another example of the friendly employees I encountered all day. Since there was a bit of a line, I opted to go for first available row and ended up towards the back; good ride as always. I have no issue with the parking lot below-sure, I think landscaping would be great and I once thought of how cool it could be if they enclosed the cobra roll and the portion of the ride after the MCBR and added effects and so forth-but it doesn't matter. It is still one of my favorite rides there, parking lot or not. I met up with Steve and the others as I was leaving the ride, and we all walked over to lunch. After putting my camera and jacket in my locker, we headed in. The food service was good and efficiently handled, with friendly employees and some different food options this year. I liked the addition of the baked rather than fried chicken and the extra barbecue sauce available, and even though I didn't partake of any I thought it was good that there was a vegetarian lasagna as an offering. At lunch, I sat with members of the team I was joining as well as Chris Godsey and family, and later we were joined by none other than Jay Thomas, and it was nice to get a chance to talk to everyone there. I would have liked to talk longer, but it was time to get going with the Scavenger Hunt, as we were assigned a team number of 33 and began the multiple choice question portion of the challenge. And challenging it was-although it was nowhere near as challenging as the Hunt itself! We made our way around the park-riding the Orient Express up the mountain to get one answer, doing a "star search" all around the park (and those who kept insisting that the one on Attitudes was NOT one of them were in fact correct, it seemed too obvious but we were rapidly running out of time), and doing our best to figure out the questions we needed to answer. Some really good tricky questions on there, as well-those who play next time, prior to next year, just spend some time walking around the park and drinking in the details, because attention to detail is really important on these. Unfortunately. I was completely unaware of the magnitude of the task which awaited me in deciphering the Evil Paragraph and was unable to finish in time. As we had a 2:40 Excursion Card, we scrambled to turn in our results. As we did, I saw Ryan (G-Force) and some of the others on my team (Team 16) during last year's Scavenger Hunt (sorry I never caught up with you guys again this time!) near the Theater and quickly said hi, and we barely made it in within about 10 minutes of the 2:30 endgame time. Unfortunately, it was a shade too late to make the departure time for our scheduled excursions, but thankfully, William sent us on a different one. We were instructed to meet Donald Spieler (hope I have the correct spelling!) down in front of Scream and he was there, right on time for our backstage tour of Colossus. After giving us some handouts, he took us back behind the Colossus station where we got some great back stage views of Scream and the Six Flags training center first, and then we proceeded around the front of Colossus. We found out some interesting history about the ride, including information on the re profiling after it first opened and why the trains no longer raced, an anecdote about Chevy Chase filming "Vacation" at the park, and got a look at a rather out of place looking tractor out next to the fence. Robb was in the group and took a group photo, and we all slowly made our way back towards the park. After a stop at the eatery formerly known as the establishment where you could "Eat Out Loud" (now Ben And Jerry's) to get some water (I felt so sorry for the girl working there by herself, she was doing the best she could and still smiling and doing a great job) and a rest, it was time for the group photo (if this event gets any bigger, they'll need a bigger camera or a crane to get everyone in!) and to shuffle in for the afternoon presentation at Magic Moments, where West Coast Bash had been given placement on the Marquee once again. The presentation was enjoyable as always, and thanks to the park for providing us with water-much appreciated, as it did get warm during the day. The show commenced with a slideshow of images which had been taken throughout the day interspersed with a gradual reveal of what rides would be open during Night ERT-which turned out to be all coasters other than Ninja (which was closed all day for rehab-and speaking of, I for one was glad as I am certain others were to hear the confirmation during the Q&A that despite the fate which has befallen many of the older Arrow Suspended Coasters, Ninja is a keeper at SFMM!). IN addition, they would be racing Colossus and Terminator would be receiving a "special" audio upgrade. The Q&A with Jay Thomas, Neal Thurman and Tim Burkhart was entertaining and expertly handled as always, and I have to say it again-in addition to being gracious hosts with a good sense of humor, these guys are doing an exemplary job of turning SFMM around. In the past few years, it has almost become like a brand new park, while still retaining its personality. Every time I go, there are constant improvements, be they updated and clean restrooms, better ride operations and atmosphere, better food service, just an overall better feeling to the park. All of the usual Q&A topics were addressed, from lockers to the parking lot under Scream to new ones, involving the Mr. Six height restriction and retro merchandise, and they were answered very well, I thought. This part of the event finished up with William announcing the Scavenger Hunt Winners, Robb announcing a special prize to the person who brought him a Starbucks, a well deserved round of applause for the Operations and Rides teams (who were really on top of their game both during ERT and during park hours and went out of their way to make the vent great for us) and those who put the event together, and finally, a presentation about Club TPR, which I am glad to have become a member of. After the Presentation, I parted ways with Team 33 for a while and met up with EBL again. He had a ticket for the dinner at Mooseburger as well coming up shortly after the presentation, and after I got a heavier jacket out of my car, we headed there. The dinner at Mooseburger was nothing short of great: my compliments to whoever provided the Chicken Alfredo pasta, the bread sticks and the rest of the buffet, as I enjoyed it but especially that chocolate cake-if that's not a regular item on the menu, it should be! Service was great as well-with friendly servers, bottomless drinks, and even an entertainer making balloon animals and doing card tricks. All in all, I would do the dinner again-well done, and a class act. It wasn't quite time for ERT yet, so in the meantime I stopped by the Season Pass center to get the coupon book I didn't get when I had bought my Extreme Pass and then we hit Viper (still a great ride, and it was riding well), Revolution (a classic and worth the ride, even with the OTSRs), ran into and said hi to Jodi who I had not talked to since the X2 Campout, and then headed up towards Rapids Camp. Tatsu still had quite a line-not as long as the one stretching down towards Deja Vu as there had been earlier in the day but still to the entrance, so we decided to head up to the Sky Tower as I had not been up there in a while and wanted to see what was new in the Museum. That elevator ride up there sometimes still gets to me-it's one of those funny things how I love the front row on X2 and Supreme Scream at Knott's, but an elevator ride can sometimes unnerve me. We walked around for a few; I love the museum up there and especially get a kick out of the old commercials, particularly the Revolution ones ("Man was not meant to do that!"). After the ride back down to Earth, with Ninja closed, we queued up for Superman. This turned out to be the longest wait of the day, but it was a fun ride. Afterwards we headed down to Goldrusher - at which time the park closed to the public-and then rode Riddler's in the back row and the new "blue Batman" in the front row, with no lines. Riddler's was great but I didn't do the seat just right and ended up hovering most of the ride, and Batman rode better than ever. We then went and caught an enjoyable night ride on Scream, and on the way from there over to Goliath, I realized that my Club TPR card had somehow slipped off my lanyard and made it from under my jacket and gotten lost somewhere. (In retrospect, it was probably on Riddler's). The night ride on Goliath was great (including some great airtime on the third hill and a trip through the helix strong enough to make me briefly blackout) and we decided to trek back towards the back of the park and get night rides on Terminator and Tatsu and finish up at X2. Terminator in the front was awesome, although we ended up getting the silent train on our ride, and for night ERT the preshows were not mandatory and all the effects were working great. (I did hear the special audio later-well done!). AS we approached Tatsu, Eric decided he was going to call it a night. I took a wild back row ride on Tatsu - great as always - and then headed down to finish up on my favorite, X2-this was the first year weather had permitted it to be open during WCB night ERT and I wanted to get at least one ride. It was about a quarter to midnight when I got down there, and I had a great ride in the front row-fire effects, audio and all. We returned in time for me to get another ride. And another. Finally, after wondering if I had the times wrong, I ran into Steve again who joined me for a night ride-and he told me that ERT was going until 12:30 (at least on X2!) This was a great surprise and I ended up staying on the ride until the last train, having the time of my life. There were only a few of us left riding but the crew was keeping up and doing a great job. I knew I had to drive to Buena Park and be up at 5 or 6 am. But I could stay on that coaster for hours and it was a great finale to an already great day, too good to pass up. Finally, after a great last ride, I made my way to the locker to get my camera and other belongings I had stashed there and headed for the gate. I picked up my complimentary group photo, and as Neal Thurman was standing there, I shook his hand and thanked him personally for a fantastic event. He told me they have fun at the event too, and I believe it. More employees were seeing us out the gate (one of them said "Leaving already!?" ) with a smile. All in all the best day I think I have ever had at SFMM. Thanks again to all, for a great event and a job well done! I got to the car and made it to Knott's Resort Hotel where I had scored a room for a decent discount for being a Cedar Fair Platinum Pass Holder and had a reservation. Thankfully, I managed to arrive and get checked in and in my room before 2am. The hotel and the room were more than adequate but at that point I didn't care as much about the accommodations as I did getting some sleep and getting ready for day two, at the park just a few steps away from my hotel. Sunday: KBF Perhaps it was just excitement combined with the cold medicine I was taking, but surprisingly, I snapped awake just before my wake up call at 5:30am. I made some hotel coffee and drank some lukewarm green tea (if I had one complaint about my room, it would be that unlike HI Express, there was no mini-fridge for energy drinks), but I was still short of getting to a fully awake and energy filled state-so I did the one thing that gets me going better than caffeine in the mornings-I went down to the hotel gym for some cardio. For a hotel gym it was very, very nice with a full weight room and a battery of cardio machines. I tried the Elliptical but theirs was a little herky-jerky so I opted for the classic stationary bike. After about a half hour I had sweated myself awake and gotten the adrenaline jolt I needed, so I got back to the room. Since checkout was not until noon, I just got ready, grabbed my camera and made my way down to the registration, being grateful I had stayed right at the park. I made it to the front gate around 7-7:15 am and met up with Eric again, and after getting our welcome packets (with the nice touch of a custom map and schedule they had created just for WCB-a very nice touch!) we signed up for both of the backstage tours. First up was the much anticipated tour of the Calico Mine Ride; at this point I was completely unaware that there were in fact two separate tours of two areas. The first one was the area where the train enters the lift hill on the ride (and every time the ride gets to that point, I remember thinking the first time I rode that the ride would turn into some sort of Mine Train coaster and wondering how exactly that would pan out with the seating arrangement and lack of restraints!) While we did not have anyone offering a narration or explanation of what the area was, we did have a chaperon and there was an employee present to eagerly answer any questions we might have. One detail that really impressed me about the tour was that it was obvious that someone had taken the time to place wood over the track area where we would be walking, to ensure our safety-they had gone out of their way to make this first time opportunity to go backstage in the Calico Mine both safe and enjoyable. Sure, it was a brief tour-but definitely a special privilege they went out of their way to arrange for us, and every bit worth it. Thankfully, I was able to get the camera working to take a few photos. When this tour was done, we walked past the other tour meeting near the exit of the Mine Ride, which led me to believe that perhaps it was a different tour. We made our way to the start point for the Roundhouse tour, deciding to stop back and ask about the second tour later. The roundhouse tour had a sign there instructing us where to wait, and although we were right on time, we had to wait a few moments for the engine in the shop to pull out and go to connect with the coaches. Our guide was both friendly and knowledgeable, offering some background information, and then leading us back so that we could watch the train connecting to the coaches from a closer but safe vantage point. Afterward, we got an up close and personal look at the Galloping Goose, and some background on what it is before proceeding into the Roundhouse. While inside, we were given more information as well as the opportunity to take photos and ask any questions we might have, so long as we heeded the admonishment to steer clear of the "Pit" which had opened up in the area where the engine was parked. Overall, it was a very interesting, well thought out and executed tour. We ran into Robb who was telling us to spread the word about the 11am Group Photo next to Sierra Sidewinder, and also discovered that we might have the opportunity to take the second Calico Mine tour of the world-famous "Calico Glory Hole" area if room was open on one of the groups. We made our way over there, and the hostess was very accommodating, arranging for us to join another tour where there was room. Again, they had placed boards in the track for our safe passage, and an employee was there to answer any questions we had. I took a few photos and some video here as well. Overall, I think Knott's did a great job putting these tours together, and I enjoyed them a great deal. Having completed the tours, it was time to take advantage of the ERT! We took a ride on Supreme Scream (great as always), Boomerang (which I understand the park had opened just for our group-very cool), the classic Montezoomas, and Jaguar. It was getting close for the park opening and I was feeling the need for some breakfast (not having taken advantage of having breakfast delivered to my room in the morning-a nice benefit the hotel offers which in retrospect, I should have taken advantage of). We debated trying to go to McDonalds or seeing if something was open in the front of the park, but as it was so close to opening, we opted to wait. (I do wish the park had opened the bakery or some place to get something to eat during the morning events; I did remember later that the restaurant out front does open at 7:30 for breakfast, but I am not sure how it would have worked with hand stamps. In the thanks thread, I put forth the suggestion that next year it would be great if one of the food places were open.) Just prior to park opening, we got in line to be some of the first Silver Bullet riders of the day, and the crew let us up into the station to wait as the park did their morning opening ceremonies. Had a great morning front row ride on Bullet (still my favorite coaster at Knott's, even if I do sometimes wonder about the color scheme!) and then headed for the Ghost Town Bakery to grab something to eat and some coffee. After a muffin and a coffee, we headed over to the group photo location. We all had to wait a few moments for Snoopy to show up, but he did and there were several photos taken in front of the Sierra Sidewinder sign. I told Robb about the untimely loss of my Club TPR Card at SFMM, and he agreed to send me a replacement. (Which arrived this week-thanks! This time it went directly in my wallet.....as it should have at SFMM!) I went back over to the hotel to check out, stow my camera, pack the car and grab a soda. Check out was fast and easy, and after I had the car packed, I got back into the park to meet up with Eric over by the Log Ride. I met him there and although we had thought of grabbing a ride on the Log Ride, we opted instead to take advantage of another perk the park was offering WCB attendees-2 for 1 rides on Screamin' Swing. A great ride as always (albeit a bit short). I wish sometimes that they had one of the large 40 seat versions instead, I would definitely ride more often if they did. By this time, lunch was approaching so we headed across the street to the picnic area. The food was great as always, although I was surprised that there was no cheese for the hamburgers or the usual potatoes and gravy. Still, it did not keep me from enjoying lunch, the chance to sit down and rest and talk to people, and refresh with the endless fountain of Diet Pepsi. We stayed for a while and watched the post lunch games (During which I thought the hostess did an exemplary job, I have never seen as much participation in the games when they had them at Solace). It was very entertaining, and a good chance to rest up for the remainder of the day. There was not too much time remaining before the afternoon presentation in the Charles M. Schultz Theater, but we managed to get rides on Sierra Sidewinder and the Log Ride, finishing up the ride on the latter just in time to make the 3:00 presentation. The afternoon presentation was one of the highlights of the event for me and I thought it was all very well executed. First up, Kevin Rohwer from S&S Worldwide gave what I thought was one of the best and most honest manufacturer presentations I have ever seen. After a multimedia presentation which offered a thorough over view of S&S and its offerings, we were treated to a sneak preview of a brand new coaster concept, which looked very interesting. The was the Q&A session, which I thought was expertly handled, particularly the questions on Ring Racer and Hypersonic, but also a few regarding the new 4D in China and my own regarding whether or not S&S would ever re-enter the water ride market with Arrow's old flume concepts. After the presentation, I was left with the opinion that S&S is a quality manufacturer poised to be in the same elite ranks as B&M, GCI, MACK and Intamin, and a company to watch, as I think we will be seeing some great things from them in the future. Next up was a Q&A with not just one but many members of Knott's management with nearly every department represented. Marty Keithly, Vice President and General Manager of Knott's did a very nice talk on the history of the park and his experiences working there, and what Knott's is to him, and the "MC" of the presentation, Jeff Tucker (who was hilarious, entertaining and did one heck of a good job) went through all of the pre-submitted questions expertly posing them to the panel. All of the questions were answered very well and honestly I thought (I unfortunately did not think of any until later), including questions about Xcelerator, the park in general, and the usual "When is the park getting another big coaster?" (I loved the answer to the "What color will the new ride be?" as "Clear" and I still don't know which rides bushwhack you at Knott's. ). Aside from a question or two that shocked me in the way they were worded, the whole Q&A was great. Daniel Miller then gave a very interesting presentation offering some insight into Haunt, ending with a well done sneak preview of one of the mazes we might see for Haunt 2010 (definitely a privilege as it had not yet been seen by anyone else). The maze looks great and original, and I hope it does surface over the lake come October, as I would like to check it out. This was followed by a mostly Haunt related Q&A session (again, I drew a blank during for questions, but thought of many post-presentation). Finally, all of us gave Knott's, Robb and Chris a resounding round of applause for working so hard to make it a great event for us. (I for one am hoping for the possible TPR Haunt event that was discussed this Fall!) After another presentation on Club TPR, the presentation ended. Eric and I met up with Jim Disney (from Westcoaster) and his wife outside, and talked to them for a few, then went over and caught a ride on the Calico Mine Ride and then headed up to try out the new Pink's Hot Dogs at the front gate for dinner. Good call-the food was great, service was great, and they offer the Annual Passholder Discount. I had the Scotty Dog with cheese and a side of onion rings, and it was easily one of the best hot dogs I have ever had. Definitely worth checking out next time you are at the park if you have not already. We got back into the park with a little time left prior to evening ERT, and got the event t-shirt over by GhostRider (I thought it was great that there was a different shirt for each day) and walked around for a few. We tried to catch a ride on La Revolucion (one of the flat rides I really enjoy) but it broke down, and as it was so close to 7pm, they would not be reopening. So we elected to catch a ride on the Wave Swinger instead, and then headed over to the Silver Bullet entrance as night ERT was about to commence. After a front row ride or two, we headed over to catch a night ride on GhostRider. The line was a shade longer than anticipated as the park was still clearing out for the day, but we waited for the front row. Although it was a shade bumpy in places, it was still the same wild and out of control GhostRider i enjoy and definitely worth it. Eric decided to call it a night, and I headed back to finish out the last 20 minutes or so remaining on Silver Bullet. Just as I had finished off the previous night with back to back re rides on my favorite coaster at SFMM, X2, I enjoyed a great finish to the weekend with several back to back rides on my favorite coaster at Knott's. The ride ops were all pleasant and on top of their game, and the one on the mike kept cracking me up talking about the price of pickles among other things. As the last train of the night pulled back into the station, the ride operator asked if we wanted one more ride, and he responded to everyone's affirmative answer with, "That will be your ride home" . They wished everyone a good night, and the weekend had come to an end. Exhausted, I made my way to the front gate. Robb was there, looking as tired as I felt and I thanked him once again for putting together such a great event. As I still wanted some dessert, I made a brief stop at the Bakery in the Marketplace; they had this orange Bundt cake that looked great but wouldn't sell me a single slice so I just bought the whole thing for $8 (and still have some left and it is very good) and then got a piece of fudge from the Berry Market for the ride home. Once I got unpacked and got a shower, I was dead asleep within seconds of hitting the bed. Monday: Epilogue Although I had initially intended to do this TR and more on the Monday after, I ended up sleeping the entire day and trying to take care of myself as I felt my cold returning. I was spent, but thoroughly satisfied from an absolutely fantastic, world class weekend. Once again, I cannot say thank you enough to everyone who made this entire event-TPR, RideWorld, SFMM, KBF and everyone else-such a good one, and I can hardly wait for next year-and plan to tell some other friends to consider checking it out then as well. The first part of 2010 has been very rough for me, with dental issues, health issues and work nightmares, and being able to go and just let all of that go for a couple of days and enjoy not only the rides and the event but the company of good people who in all our diversity share a common interest and a love of having fun means a lot to me. As tired as I was afterward, it definitely reaffirmed how grateful I am to be a member of this board, Club TPR and RideWorld. Sorry that was so late and really long, now for what pics I was able to take (in the next post).

My apologies for being late chiming in to this thread, but I ended up sleeping most of the day away (thank God I took today as a vacation day from work!) as I was recovering from one of the most exhausting, yet one of the most awesome weekends I have had in a very long time! I have been doing West Coast Bash now since 2005; for the first couple of years, it was Solace one day and then the early morning West Coast Bash event the following morning. I watched WCB grow very quickly, and although it has always been a fantastic event every time I have attended, over the past couple of years it has gotten better and better. After the 2008 and 2009 West Coast Bash, each time I would say to myself "How are they going to top this one?" only to later realize that somehow, they would. Robb and Elissa(TPR), Chris and Natalee (RideWorld), and all of the staff at SFMM and Knott's from the executives to everyone else in the parks truly deserve a standing ovation and all of the thanks we can offer, because this year was truly the best yet and so far the most fun and the best time I have ever experienced at a coaster/park event. I had been looking forward to this weekend for a long time, especially after a rough first part of the year filled with back to back oral surgeries, work issues and health issues. As I always do, I registered as soon as it was open, and booked my hotels (even though I am a So Cal resident, I still do hotels for these events and make a weekend out of it). I was all set to go, and then, the week before I caught a nasty cold and my heart sank. Fortunately, I had Friday off and was able to shake the worst of it by Friday night (thank you Vicks, Tylenol Cold and Ricola for not allowing lingering symptoms to sabotage the weekend.....) and got into Valencia around midnight. I will post a full trip report in the next day or two as I still need to download and sort through all of the pics and gather my thoughts, but for now I want to post my thank yous, highlights, and feedback: THANK YOUS: Robb and Elissa (TPR) and Chris and Natalee (RideWorld)-I think that all of you deserve a standing ovation from all of us for putting this whole thing together, giving of yourselves and going above and beyond to make it great for everyone involved. I have watched the event get better and better over the years, and this year topped them all so far. I have no idea how you guys could top this year next year, but I am sure you'll find a way. Again, thanks so much for all you did. And I hope everyone was finally able to get some rest last night! Everyone at SFMM-it really seemed to me this year that everyone at the park-be they staff working in rides or food service at the park or the upper management really was glad to have us there and enjoying the event as well. When I went up to thank Neal as I was leaving at 12:40am on Saturday he said that they have fun too, and I believe it. Everyone went above and beyond to make it a great time and it was much appreciated. Special thanks to: Jay Thomas, Neal Thurman, and Tim Burkhart and the entire SFMM Management Team for being such gracious hosts and a having a great sense of humor Jay - for all of your efforts at make SFMM a top park once again, it was good to get a chance to talk to you at lunch Neal-for a great sense of humor (I loved the welcome address, both the apology for the weather and the April Fools') Tim-for making X into X2 and making it ride smoother than ever, I had some of the best rides ever on it this weekend. William-for your dedication to the event, and kudos to you for creating some maddeningly impossible questions on the Scavenger Hunt. One of these days I imagine we will see you standing up there with Jay, Neal and Tim during the Q&A. ALL of the ride crews but especially the X2 Crew, for keeping the ride running great all day (I don't recall even one temporary delay the entire time) and for giving us ERT until 12:30-truly awesome Whoever made the chicken alfredo, breadsticks and especially the chocolate cake at dinner, that was one of the best pieces of chocolate cake I have had in a long time. Everyone At Knott's - I have been doing Solace now since 2005, and this was the first non-Solace event I have been to, and all of you guys rolled out the red carpet! The whole staff made me feel welcome but there were a lot of little things: I could tell in the Calico Mine walkthrough that someone had gone through and placed boards so we could stand safely on the track, I don't know of many parks where they would add a bacon funnel cake to the menu, and all of the ops at ERT seemed happy to have us there. And the presentation in the Theater was absolutely fantastic-with the management openly answering questions and having an awesome sense of humor. Knott's has always been a place I have loved, and I went away from the event with an even greater appreciation for the park and the people who run it. Special thanks to: Marty Keithly-very much enjoyed the history of Knott's and the honesty in answering questions about the park Jeff Tucker-absolutely HILARIOUS going through the Q&A and sort of MC'ing the afternoon presentation-great job! Daniel Miller-for the very interesting Haunt presentation and some insight into the event as well as a well done sneak preview of one of the mazes we might see for Haunt 2010 Whoever organized the tours of Calico and the Roundhouse, both were extremely interesting and well put together in my opinion The girl who did the games at lunch, thought she did a great job and kept it entertaining. I have never seen that kind of interaction with the games when I have been at Solace Kevin from S&S-for an excellent presentation, very honest and informative and answering my question in re whether or not S&S would ever enter the water ride market using old Arrow concepts. Based on the philosophies shared and the presentation, I think S&S will continue to grow in popularity. All of the staff and ride crews, everyone did a great job. Other thanks to: Team 33-to Steve and the others on Team 33, thanks for asking me to join your team! I had a great time playing the game and hanging out with you guys-and sorry I was not able to defeat the "Evil Paragraph" in time-it was truly evil! EBL-thanks for hanging out with me during ERT and most of the time on Saturday and Sunday, was good to hang out and catch up. PM me your e-mail again and I will send you copies of the pics I took on the Calico/Roundhouse tours. Everyone else I met or saw from previous events, was good to see familiar faces and meet new people. Highlights It's difficult for me to pinpoint specifics as I enjoyed everything, I'm still recovering for going on minimal sleep for two days and am still regrouping, but here were some of my highlights: SFMM: -The welcome address, and how easy and efficient check in was set up -Morning ERT-first ride on X2 was one of the best I have ever had on it, and the others that followed were nearly all as good and Tatsu and Terminator rides were great as well-ride ops on all rides were fun, pleasant and efficient -Breakfast-thank you for having muffins as well as donuts, the cream cheese muffin was delicious -Backstage photo tour-although my camera was having issues, it was great to be able to go backstage and see things from that perspective -Lunch was great, was good to have baked instead of fried chicken as well as BBQ sauce on the side and the staff was cordial and welcoming -Scavenger Hunt-WOW, very challenging, but a lot of fun. -Magic Moments presentation-as entertaining, honest and enjoyable as ever. Yes, many of the anticipated obligatory "asked every time" questions I was expecting were asked, but I thought management did a tremendous job of fielding them as well as the others. -The evening dinner-food and service were all outstanding!! The chicken alfredo and breadsticks were great, and the chocolate cake was fantastic. -Night ERT-got to ride just about everything at least once, all of the rides were running great, and the ops were all enthusiastic even though I am sure were at the end of a long day. -Getting 8 great front row rides in X2-with fire effects and all-when ERT was extended was the perfect ending to a great day. Knott's: -The fact that I was able to get up and get going in time on very little sleep and still made it down to the park before 7:30! -Both tours, Calico Mine and the Roundhouse, as well as being able to get on both of the Calico tours and being able to get some pics. -Morning ERT-was able to get on everything at least once -Silver Bullet letting us get in line just before the park opened so we could get out on the first couple of trains -Half price ride on Screaming Swing -Lunch was a nice chance to relax, socialize, and catch a breather and I thought the games were entertaining to watch -The whole presentation in the theater: the S&S presentation (including a sneak preview of a new coaster concept), the Knott's management Q&A, and the Haunt presentation-very entertaining and informative and we got a first look at something for Haunt not yet seen by anyone else -Trying the new Pink's hot dogs location out front-very good food at a reasonable price -Some great rides on Silver Bullet and a very good front row ride on Ghostrider during night ERT and being on the last train out on Silver Bullet for the night. Other Feedback: Although I cannot come up with any "complaints" about anything, there were a few very minor things I thought of which could improve next year's experience: -At SFMM, I was surprised that we had to watch the preshow on Terminator during the morning ERT, and I thought it would be better if the option existed for those who had not seen it and wanted to stay and watch it could but allow those who had seen it and wanted to just ride proceed through it (although this seemed to be corrected during the night ERT) -At Knott's, it would have been great if there had been a place inside the park-maybe the bakery or one of the stands-open for us to purchase something to eat, coffee, donuts etc before 10am. I suppose we could have gone out to the Chicken Dinner Restaurant, but not sure how that would have worked with getting back into the park pre hand stamp opening. Another very minor thing, more likely an oversight than anything else-the hamburgers and the chicken at lunch were great, but I was surprised there was no cheese for the burgers and none of the mashed potatoes we usually have. Again-both of these were trivial and posed no interference with my full enjoyment of the event. -In re some of the questions that came up on the index card submitted questions on the Q&A on both days: I was shocked at the fashion in which a couple of them were worded, particularly a few on the second day, which seemed to be worded in way which to me came across as a shade ungrateful and a bit rude. As years of internet forum posting has taught me, sometimes the cloak of total anonymity can bring out the worst in people, so why not have the pre submitted questions be posted by users in a thread prior to the Q&A so that those asking can be identified via their screen name? There were a few more possible thoughts I had along similar lines I will post in another thread but those three things were the only things close to any kind of critical feedback I could think of. I really thought everything was well executed and absolutely note perfect throughout the entire weekend. In fact, all in all, the entire event-both days-were an EPIC WIN in my opinion, and thanks to all who made it happen. I cannot wait for next year! Full TR and the few pics my camera allowed me to take on both days are coming soon.

Just signed up!

The cards look GREAT......I can hardly wait to sign up!

Last time I checked, Mooseburger Lodge did. I looked at Longhorn's last time I was at the park, but the only reason I didn't eat there is that I didn't want any of the sides they offered and all the options came with a side. According to the menu on the website for the actual Longhorn's BBQ Restaurant in Castaic (longhornsbbq.com/menu.html), they offer more variety there.....if they had the option of the Bacon Mac And Cheese at the SFMM location as one of the sides, I would definitely eat there!

WOW! Glad to hear you guys are okay and that no one was hurt. If I was on the elliptical at the gym where I live and something like that happened-and especially if there was no alarm-I would be completely freaked out.....I'd definitely voice my concern to the apartment owners.

1. What are your initial thoughts? I think it's an excellent idea! 2. Can you think of anything else we could be offering? Nothing specific off the top of my head, and I think the price is more than reasonable for the proposed offerings. 3. Is this something that interests you? Yes-I would definitely sign up. 4. Why would you NOT be interested in this? I can't think of any reason why not.....nothing against ACE but I would sign up for this a lot faster than I would an ACE Membership. 5. Any additional feedback you can give us based on the information you see here. My only possible reservation about the idea is as a few others have posted that those who do not elect to purchase a premium membership could somehow feel left out from some of the perks, etc. or feel pressured in some way rather than enticed to upgrade to premium, which I feel would work itself out but could create some tension initially. Great idea, though-I'd definitely purchase the Premium Membership, even though I have not yet gone on any of the trips beyond local events-if for no other reason than to support what I feel are the already existing great perks of being a TPR member (including West Coast Bash, Tatsu Media Day, events at Robb & Elissa's, a very well maintained community etc etc.).