The Bat

Great start to your report, Bill! I really wish that credit at Chiba Zoo would have been open. It was a LONG way to go to stare at a coaster. But, the suspended monorail was pretty cool. And... I want credit!!! It was NOT TPDave leading the group with EB - it was ME!!!!! -- Dave

^ First off, I agree: March is definitely the time to be there. My best friend lives in KW, so I've been down basically at all times of the year and March is the best. I was there this time for 8 days and ate at all of the restaurants that I mentioned. Michael's is fantastic: steaks and seafood. I try to go there every time I visit. Sarabeth is great - for breakfast or dinner. Blackfin is a new favorite. It is on Duval and has probably the best burger I've ever had. Not too pricey, either. Service is first rate. Martin's is on Duval, upscale, great seafood and martinis. I've been to Latitudes (the restaurant on Sunset Key) before and the food was much better. I might just have had a not great meal this time. They've recently reconfigured the restaurant so that you can see sunset from the restaurant (basically moving the restaurant to the other side of the dock). It is MUCH better than being at Mallory Square (cruise ships often block the view). My advice would be to get a reservation there about an hour before sunset. Folks tend to linger at their tables and if you have a reservation within 30 minutes of sunset, you probably won't get to see it from your table. Oh, and for planning purposes, the boats head out to Sunset Key at 15 minutes and 45 minutes after the hour, so be sure to factor that in to your planning... -- Dave

I was there the same time as you! We lucked out with weather - it was fantastic. As others have talked about, the island is Sunset Key. We took the boat out there for dinner last week. The view as incredible. The food could have been a lot better (especially for the price). There are a lot of great restaurants both on and off Duval. Michael's, Sarabeth, Blackfin, Martin's, etc. The Disney Magic was in KW that day. I geeked out and watched it dock (was on her in early Feb). Regarding beaches, there are a few, but KW isn't really known for them. It is a great town, though. Definitely worth a visit! Thanks for the pics - I want to go back! -- Dave

Really great images. Thanks for sharing! -- Dave

Just think about the Sword of Power on that move! Now we can pass the sword (or the egg) from train to train!! Woo Hoo! -- Dave

Easy: The Bat. Eagle's Fortress is the closest thing to The Bat that is out there. Absolutely insane. Miss that ride. But, The Bat still reigns. Long live The Bat. -- Dave

Great report Martin!!! You guys had a big year. I really liked some of the choices of the images. Hope to travel and coast with you again soon. -- Dave

SCAD TOWER SCAD TOWER SCAD TOWER SCAD TOWER SCAD TOWER And, yes, Cobra was crap. That is all. -- Dave P.S. SCAD TOWER

Yep. On Kanonen at Liseberg this year during the TPR Scandinavia Trip. In fact, they provided a rollback intentionally: they told us before the launch that we were going to get a very special ride. We were thinking that it just meant a double ride, but we did get a rollback. Now, Kanonen isn't nearly as tall as KK or TTD, but it was still fun. -- Dave

I, too, somehow missed the little boat ride. Steve's face in that pic is HILARIOUS. Great update, Chuck! I want to go back. Grona Lund was all kinds of awesome!! -- Dave

I heart Robb. Robb is awesome. -- Dave

Uhhh... Big Mike... love ya, but I gotta keep it real. I think you sat on the seat for the PICTURE and then stood up during the game. I saw it with my own eyes. I believe that is called corroborating evidence! BOOM! Great update, Chuck. LOVE the captions!! -- Dave

Great update, Robb! Grona Lund was amazing. They really rolled out the red carpet for us. They also get MAJOR points for being one of the only parks with merchandise. I could finally get a sweatshirt so Hot Fuzz would shut up! Robb, I loved the last caption in the first part. Yes... I could see it... if I turned my head! -- Dave

Yay! Another great Chuck TR!!! Off to a fantastic start! -- Dave

Great update! Yes, Liseberg was THAT amazing. Balder is my new number one! I've ridden El Toro and T Express and Balder is simply without equal. The haunted house at Liseberg is amazing. Yes, I did crumple in a corner on multiple occasions, thanks so much, fellow Panthers for pointing that out! Liseberg pulled out all the stops for us. It was a truly memorable day. -- Dave

I second that statement. The post-thunderstorm rides Saturday night were the best rides I've EVER had on Voyage -- so completely intense and aggressive and out of control. I'll remember those for a LONG time... -- Dave

I was at the media event yesterday. The ride is terrific and you get absolutely soaked. I really think everyone needs to withhold judgement on the ride UNTIL YOU ACTUALLY RIDE IT FOR YOURSELF. I thought it was really fun! The elevator lift is a little unnerving -- especially the subtle tilt to the side as the elevator passes the other one. At the very top of the lift, a bird has made a nest in the track -- there are little blue eggs in there. Every time a boat got to the top, the poor bird freaked out. The whole area that has been developed for Pilgrim's Plunge is very nice. They've done a terrific job with the station and you can see the first hints of landscaping, too. The area is quite nice. The boats are very cool and pretty comfortable. Once dispatched, the boat moves pretty quickly through the course. Watch the big turn, there's quite a wall of water for the front of the boat! After the quick and unsettling elevator lift, you get a terrific view of the park (and a new one, too!). The drop is best from the front seat -- obviously. The splash down is long and the actual splash is fairly sustained. Those in the front will get a lap full of water once the boat begins to slow a bit. The splash might not look very big from a non-rider's perspective, but it is pretty impressive when you are in the boat surrounded by a huge wall of water! Overall, I think Holiday World has an absolute winner. Families are going to love this ride. It is going to be one of those big spectator rides that will be almost as fun to watch as to ride. The park really has been so thoughtful and smart in their additions and expansions to the park. Pilgrim's Plunge is another smart and well-placed ride that will create a buzz for the park and hopefully keep those attendance numbers growing. Thanks to Will, Pat, and Paula for the great hospitality and a great event despite the chilly temps and a few drops of rain. I ate my pizza with Santa -- not bad dinner company at all. I rode probably 10 times and was absolutely DRENCHED each and every time. Pilgrim's Plunge is great! Enjoy the ride. -- Dave Okay... now on to some pics: No trip to Holiday World would be complete without a couple of slices of their fantastic pizza! Thank you Will, Pat, Paula and all the crew at Holiday World for a terrific media event. Pilgrim's Plunge is gonna be HUGE! Really... there's no splash? Really? Just wait till you RIDE it! Ker SPLASH! Santa wants to go again! It was cloudy, cold, and rainy. But, we didn't care! They did a terrific job with the station. Unload area and station approach. Inside shot of the station. It's capable of loading several boats at a time. The official first boat gets ready to go. Santa, Will, Pat, and the rest of the gang take the maiden voyage... I mean plunge. All aboard... or ahoy matey... or party on pilgrim… or something. I see you Paula!!! See? Pretty boats in a trough full of Indiana water. What more could you want? The boats just wanted out for a swim. Honest. The approach to the station has been beautificationamized. Weeeeeeeeeeeee! And here we are! PP is truly a great addition to the park. Media day realness: We get to go in employee entrances! Wooooooooo! Oh sure... Santa gets all the attention from the press. It's not like he gives everyone presents or anything. Errr... wait a minute... Woo Hoo! Made it. I see you hills of thrills!!! On the road again... boring roads in Indiana.

We ended up riding it four times today. The morning rides were definitely more sluggish than the afternoon rides. I'll say this, it really grew on me. Overall, I think it is a great ride and a wonderfully SMART addition to Kings Island. While not the most intense or airtime-filled coaster I've ever been on, I have to say that it was really fun. The whole Rivertown area is transformed with the addition of Diamondback. The lines were crazy -- at one point, it went all the way through Nick Universe, around by the Eiffel Tower and circled back by the Beast entrance. However, the longest we waited was probably around 90 minutes. So, it wasn't too awful. Congrats, Kings Island!! -- Dave

Great interview, Robb! The game looks terrific. I'll have to put that on my 'must purchase' list. Congrats!!! -- Dave

I wasn't a fan of the curry popcorn. The black pepper was the best. Sea salt and honey were pretty awesome, too. Great part 1, Robb! -- Dave

Wow. I'm overwhelmed... First off, great job EVERYONE. The captions were great. Eric and Mike: I think yours were my favorites! Special shout out to Eric for taking that pic and, of course, to Robb... BITE ME. (just kidding) The funny thing is: I don't even remember what that ride was!! Thanks all for the laughs. -- Dave

Another great update, Eric! I loved our new lady friends that we danced with that night. They were a trip!! You are so right, no matter how many times you've been to WDW or DL, finally being at Tokyo Disneyland was completely surreal and amazing. Looking forward to the next update! -- Dave

^ Agreed. Back seat on Expedition GeForce: a religious experience. Pure art - plain and simple. -- Dave

Great update, Eric! I'm glad to see the pics of the dark rides. I couldn't remember a lot of the names of those things. Big Boom and the spinning coaster RULED! Can't wait to see more. -- Dave

Hmmm... I thought we were listening intently to stories about somebody's girlfriend... And, yes, Fuji-Q is just as awful as everyone is saying. I have NEVER seen such horrible operations. The beer wasn't even good. But, the evening of beer and meat certainly made up for it. (but Fuji-Q can still DIE a horrible painful death) -- Dave