Chadley

My first thought was of an old Mystery Science Theatre episode called "Warrior Of The Lost World"....really post-apocalyptic! Then I started thinking of those occasional PTR's that show up on sites where people sneak into old closed down parks for photos...but then it hit me...this park is actually OPEN!

Unfortunately the Wis. Dells books they have sent us have been very skimpy on details about the motel. And these are the books for the entire area. One gives all the ads for WD, and the other is the updated '06 price list for all of the attractions/accomadations in WD. The give just the basic info. about the place and it's amenities. No pics! Thanks for you're help Mr. Morgan/Benzo. Anybody who knows about WD, please help out.

Hey Robb! Wondered if you and Elissa have ever heard much about the Pleasant View Motel, or if you yourselves have ever stayed there. I can't seem to find out much about it, the lady I talked to there said that the property is old, but is well kept. We want to try and keep this trip somewhat economical since we are also saving back for WDW or DL/DCA next spring. Were planning to go during my works summer shurdown the first week of July. Plus, we would like to get the 4 parks free with our stay that Mt. O offers. Any help you could give me would be great! Thanks! Chad Brown Kettering, OH

1. Thunderhead 2. Dueling Dragons 3. Top Thrill Dragster Honorable Mention: Lakeside Cyclone

Good point Beemerboy. Mean Streak = world's biggest bonfire ...see it can be useful.

Wood The Beast - Used to be fun growing up, but hasn't been interesting in 15 years. SOB - No comment needed! Legend - I don't understand the appeal, it's fun, but not deserving of all the attention it gets. Mean Streak - This is just a terrible coaster, and boring to boot. Villain - Used to be fun, now it's just painful to me. Steel Italian Job: Stunt Track - Yeah it's a nice little family coaster, but for all the hype it's way overrated. X-Flight - It looks impressive when you're driving to the park, but pretty lame when you're actually riding it. Raptor - Good ride, just overrated. Magnum XL200 - This coaster has been lesft in the dark ages technology-wise. To me, it can be fun if you're with the right people, but other than that... Top Thrill Dragster - It's a kick in the butt thrill ride, but as a coaster, big time overrated. Alpengeist - It's fun, don't get me wrong. But Apollo's Chariot is much better IMO. Hypersonic - Glad I only waited 5 minutes, this ride just plain sucked! Mantis - See Above. If this thing was a floorless I'd love it! Vortex (PKI) - Everybody it seems in my life loves this coaster, but this thing is just bad.

You'll feel like a champion once you conquer BGW. They have four great coasters there, though from my first two trips there in '04 & '05 I'd have to say that Loch Ness Monster was one of the smoothest riding Arrows I've ever ridden. The one that was roughest on me was Big Bad Wolf, and it wasn't too bad at all.

As said before, AC is such a relaxing ride. It literally floats over the hills, and is just an awesome feeling. I still rank it up there with Millenium Force as two of my favorites. This ride is a blast, don't sweat it, have fun on it. There are too many coasters out there that can scare the crap out of you...don't make AC one of them.

Thanks again for the pics and all. You guys are probably the only way I'm going to see Europe any time soon. Blackpool does look sweet, (esp. at night). When and if I ever get over there, it's on my list along with Alton Towers, (just for starters).

I guess the kid can be glad his fall happened at Cypress Gardens, and not another park where he would've undoubtedly piledrived himself into the concrete!

My favorite is Geauga Lake. That shot from the waterpark just totally kicks, (esp. at dusk). And I swear I take that same pic everytime I'm there, I probably have a dozen pics of that same perspective. Also, CP does really look beautiful from the causeway. But I love CP from the marina boathouses next to the causeway at night. And though it's not an entire park shot, seeing TTD from I-250 at night is very impressive. It's about 5 miles away (out by Kalahari), and those backround light really bring it to life at night.

Well, we can be pretty sure airtime didn't throw him off...there isn't any. But I too have to say he was screwing around. Probably thinking, "I always wanted to stand up on one of these, and this is a little coaster it can't possibly hurt me."

It sounds as though things were may have been rumored around PKI as early as last week. Maureen Kaiser (Anybody who knew Jeff Siebert @ PKI would recognize Maureen as being Jeff's right hand) a spokeswoman for PKI was quoted in the Cincinnati Enquirer (Feb. 17) saying, That we would remain Paramounts King's Island through opening day April 17. Nothing was said about the immediate future following that date, but it sounds as though someone asked about a sale already having been made, and that was her reply. I'm probably reading too much into it though. Here's hoping everything were hearing is true, and is good for the chain, and industry. Here's the article link: http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2006/02/20/story5.html

Who knows what's going to happen under the Snyder-generation with Six Flags, but on my visits to SF parks, most employees I came in contact with really had no happiness about them. And that will lead to crappy service more times than not. My point: Every time I go to DW, Holiday World, or Busch Gardens Williamsburg I see totally different attitudes. Employees seem to love there jobs at these parks. And while they can be really fun jobs, I have to believe they can be a real drag at times, and really stressful, (mainly for ride ops) at other times. I believe the common denominator for all these parks, and others, is that the employers treat their employees with total respect in every way possible, and that makes them want to be happy, and do the best job they can. Plus, their happiness is genuine. Sorry...just had to rant!

Before I forget, did anyone ever get to ride Thunder Eagle @ Race World in Pigeon Forge. It's all gone now, I didn't get a picture, but it's just a plot of land behind the strip near Comedy Barn. I was there for Christmas two years ago, and it was already SBNO, and since then it's moved to a ski resort in Canada. Don't know if it's ever been re-constructed, or not. http://www.rcdb.com/ig606.htm?picture=6 I was just wondering what it was like? Awesome...Good...Terrible?

Euro Mir

I've been to WDW, and it was fun, (mainly AK) But DisneySea looks awesome! OK...that makes two Disney parks I really want to visit now. The other is DCA. Not a big deal to most, but the last time I was in California I was a year and a half old.

Yeh, she's joked in the past that everything added to that park gets her personal stamp of approval, (not to mention, her name or likeness). So if you don't like Dolly, DW's gonna be hard on ya, (unless you go for the coasters and food only...not so hard then!).

My wife didn't get to ride TH while we were there, and while we were watching Coaster Expedition '04 earlier she said she'd like to go back sometime this year...just so she could ride TH. We will make sure it's warmer ourselves, (even though it was almost 60 most of our visit). We would both go back to DW for TH, but I agree with you Guy that I wouldn't go just for TT. Being that it is an Arrow Looper, I still think I was fortunate to get such smooth ride, I haven't heard many great things about it in the past. I rode it with the express purpose of getting the credit. As "Theme" parks go though DW has become a favorite for me. The food is always great, the music is good, the park has always seemed clean, and well run, and I like how the employees play roles in a lot of areas of the park, ( I guess somewhat like Disney does, but not nearly on the same level).

I'll cut straight to the coasters because I really didn't go to DW for anything else. I was with the wife and kids so time was had at Country Fair, and all I have to show for it is a credit on Veggietales Sideshow Spin, (Hey! It's a credit.) Not a bad little kiddie at all. But the litmus test here was my 5 year old. She had no real emotion at all on it. She just wanted to hurry over and see her picture. On a five year olds scale...3/10 Next was Blazin' Fury. Now it's been almost nine years since I rode a coaster at DW, and this was all I had ever done there. Once again, on a 5 years olds scale this one was a 10/10. The theming was cool to her, and the drops were surprising enough to really get her attention. The oncoming train scene, as well as, the Bridge Out! parts were her favorite, (outside of getting splashed at the end). This was a re-ride for her, and mom got the honors on ride #2. On my scale this was a 7/10. It is a fun little ride, and it seemed like a totally new ride to me, since the last time I rode it was my honeymoon, (9 years ago...once again), and coasters weren't exactely what was on my mind that trip. (Wink, wink!) Tennessee Tornado This ride was shorter than I thought it would be, but it made up for it in intensity. Once you rounded the bend over the lift hill it kicked in, and never let up until the station. Great inversions on the vertical loop and iron butterfly, they were actually smooth, which I was not expecting. I also liked the last curve into the station, but the dip right at the end was a killer. Overall though an 8/10 And now, the ride that eluded me the last time I was at DW...Thunderhead. I waited all day for this, and was hoping to ride it during the day, but I had to settle for an evening ride. This woodie was everything I had hoped for in a wood coaster, so far. Most might see a 40 degree temp. as being a very negative part, but once the ride started the adrenaline kicked in and I never even noticed it. The temp. kept dropping afterward and by 15 min. after my ride they had to shut it down. As for my ride...Awesome! Even with out of control feeling this woodie wasn't too bad at all. The speed, very sharp turns, and many of the headchoppers made this ride great. Near the back of the ride it was pitch black with only the stars in the sky...very cool. The fly-through station went by so fast it really had no affect on me in the dark, but that truly was the ONLY negative about the ride. This was a 10/10 for me.

Ok...that was like the 3rd time now I've watched the BonBonLand video and...that is a seriously screwed up park, but at the same time it's totally great! Man, the stuff you can get away with in Europe that we'll never see stateside! My two year old keeps asking me to play the dog fart coaster over and over, (he's a true man, even at two). The wife thinks it looks like a fun place, and my five year old daughter just rolls her eyes at me, (she's a cheerleader).

I almost went with Stitch...but the water themed pics were just too good! 1. Tinhead 1 - Shark Attack! 2. Angry_Gumball 1 - Log Flume Kid 3. Smallfish - The REAL Periless Plunge ...And by the way, thanks for the Paul Ruben photo, now I'll be having nightmares, if not being forced into therapy!

For wood, I have to say the best airtime I've experienced has been on Raven. But the most enjoyable for me was Big Dipper @ Geauga Lake. The return trip is great through all the small hills. For steel, my favorite will always be Apollo's Chariot, but Magnum also kicks, (esp. at the end).

I would have to be Apollo's Chariot because I spend most of my life floating up and down through life with not much care, or concern about what happens.

To add to what PGAThriller said, "If you win one of those obnoxiously oversized stuffed animals...take it to the car!! Don't carry it in line, and don't joke with the ride operators about letting the thing ride with you." Also... "When at a park that has a pond(s)...don't spit in the pond to watch the Carp (Sewer Bass) fight each other to eat it" and please, please, please! If you're part of a gang, good for you! "But leave your weapons at home or in the car, (at least)." I've already seen two occasions where kids have either had knives in the park, or have had one confiscated at the gate.