grinch1313

The dragon wagon rollback was epic! I'm very glad I was a part of it. I do many really nerdy things. Sometimes I even surprise myself. Being enamored when they add a new train or loving watching when track switches. I love the track switch in Expedition: Everest! The best nerdy moment was when I was at EPCOT with Neil (televisedconfession) and we were watching O Canada! And at the panoramic shot of Niagara Falls we both simultaneously point out the shot tower at Marineland!

Great update so far! I wish I could be there the whole time, but that wasn't possible and still remain employed. I will see you guys Tuesday and Saturday though! I can't wait.

Great TR, Natalie! I loved the USH update and can't wait for more. I have to say that I also care about Firefly and Serenity. It's great and it has Nathan Fillion. The Creature show was terrible and hilarious for all the wrong reasons. And the Mummy tour was the greatest thing ever.

I love the seats and restraints on B&M coasters, with the clamshells being my favorite. I'm also really fond of Millennium Flyers and the single position buzz bars of the Phoenix. Least favorite would be SLCs and Volaire's. Deathtraps!

THIS! I agree! Also, yes to this. I haven't seen it since I was a kid either. I would like to watch it again!

Great TR, Natalie! That park looks incredible. And any train ride that has random eyeballs, aliens, and a monster is definitely great! Loved it!

After running halfway across the park and watching it test on Saturday, I am really excited for this coaster. It looks really awesome in person. I will be there as soon as I can after it opens.

^I don't think there's enough alcohol in the world to get me to do that. I considered being at the top of the Stratosphere an achievement for me. I MIGHT work up enough courage to do one of the rides on the West Coast trip, but definitely not this.

Great trip report, Natalie! I was hoping to get to Freestyle Music Park before it closes for good. If it doesn't get busier than that, it might not happen. The idea has so much potential. It just doesn't look like they were able to capture that. On the plus side, I loved the pictures and captions. Oh and the tumbleweed.

Thanks for the comments everyone! It's kind of a strange ride. You sit in those little planes and there are two steering wheels that control the wings. After the ride starts you pretty much rotate upside down, then using the wheel you can upright (this was really hard to do, but I managed it) or you can make the plane do barrel rolls. It was really fun and definitely an experience. Thanks, Dave! I can't wait to see the pictures you take. OK, now on to part 2: The TN Aquarium. The aquarium was really awesome. They have two buildings that are full of fish and assorted other animals. I highly recommend checking it out. It's worth a journey to Chattanooga by itself. All photos taken with my iPhone, most of them are really bad, but I'm posting them anyway. These do not at all do the place justice. I leave you with a Gar fish and Allie giving the aquarium a thumbs up. Thanks for looking! Alligator snapping turtle A really huge Sturgeon Alligators. Very familiar living in FL. Turtle turtle A great example of how the pictures from the big tank turned out. A sea dragon with lots of "branches" Camouflage Starfish! Sea dragon Seahorse. The animals in the smaller tanks photographed better. There was also a display on seahorses. He shall be my squishy. These little guys were constantly moving around the bottom of the tank, pretty quickly too. They were kind of hypnotizing to watch, like a lava lamp. Upside down jellyfish. That is actually what they are called. The room of jellyfish. There was an entire display of many different kinds of jellyfish!

Thanks for the comments, Neil, Natalie, and Roxanne!! The Boat Chute was completely awesome! It was definitely my favorite ride there.

Part Two... Wall of jellyfish. More aquarium photos coming tomorrow! Me in a shark! cage at the Aquarium. As do I... Allie gets a drink. It really is a pretty park. Cannon Ball from the train Wacky Worm and Antique Car track from the train Me on the train Allie on the train jolly jolly jolly So we rode the train instead Attempt at an "artsy" ferris wheel shot. It was having technical difficulties... Genie themed Round Up?? Boat Chute tunnel POV. Yes it was that dark! "Cue" line signage Boat Chute entrance! The neat boats with wooden bench seats. A boat goes back to the station. Boat Chute drop Boat Chute splash down! Paddleboats on the lake. Lake Winnie through the trees!! Wild Lightnin' as seen from Alpine Way

This weekend I flew up to Tennessee with my grandma to help her drive a van down here to FL. While I was there, my cousin, Allie and I decided to take a trip down to Chattanooga. We visited Lake Winnie and the Tennessee Aquarium. We arrived at Lake Winnie at 10:30 AM. The park was not very crowded at all. We paid admission which thanks to a coupon Allie had was only $3 each and then $21 for ride all day wrist bands. Lake Winnie is a great, old-fashioned park. Allie and I spent around 3 hours there and had a blast. I highly recommend visiting this park if you are in the area. It's a great step back in time. Now on to the photos. All photos taken with my iPhone. Alpine Way goes right over Lake Winnepesaukah. Part 2 coming momentarily Terrified of the Alpine Way clown sign Third and final credit. The awesome and pretty much unbraked Wild Lightnin' Cannon Ball station and Drop Tower. I don't approve! Wait, what is this????? They have one of these awesome drop towers too! More Cannon Ball signage and awesome hand brake for all the hand brake enthusiasts out there. Cannon Ball signage. Cannon Ball train in the station. The awesome and incredibly scary Fly-O-Plane! The barrel rolls were intense! The Orbiter. Allie and I could barely walk after this thing. Second credit of the day. The Cannon Ball lift hill. Me being driven. Antique Car POV!! Allie is driving Miss Daisy. Wacky Worm. First credit of the day. Castle signage. All I remember is some buzzing, a truck horn, and bright lights. Castle entrance. An amazingly ghetto dark ride. I'm assuming of course the black lights were intended to actually illuminate things inside. The first of many clown garbage cans we would see that day! Allie tries to show us where we are but my bad photo skills cut off the end of the name. This is my partner in crime, Allie, standing near the lake.

I love that photo!

You got four or five? My sleeping consisted of whatever I could do on the bus. That was hard enough since everyone on the bus is having a great time as well. I think I averaged maybe three hours of sleep a night. You're doing it wrong. You slept on the bus? Sleeping is what happens after the trip is over. I love the update, Robb! I agree with David that it completely made my day. I'll miss you on the trip this year, David (because I have feelings unlike Scott ). This update made me even more excited for August!!

I agree! I'm hitting 350 and 400 this summer, hopefully on crappy kids rides Could just be me (and Jeff) though! Nope, I do that too. I'm getting 300 this summer and it needs to be something kiddie or awesomely fun. My 100 was Whizzer at SFGAm, 200 was Blackbeard's Treasure Train at SFGAd, and 250 was Fiesta Express at Cypress Gardens. I vote Trailblazer or SooperDooperLooper.

Great and hilarious TR, Dave! I agree that Manhattan Express is death. I've been told that I can't "wuss out" of riding it again in August though. I really cannot wait to go back to Vegas and with TPR!! See you in August, Dave.

Great captions and photos, Chuck! I really want to get back to Holiday World soon. Pilgrim's Plunge looks great and I want to ride The Voyage again.

Congratulations to you and Candace! He's a cutie!

Wow! That shuttle coaster looks insane. Great video! I love the cutaway to KT enjoying her ride, while Elissa definitely is not enjoying hers.

Dear wonderful and magical Title Fairy: I was wondering if I could have my title changed to "Full Fledged Hand Dryer enthusiast" or anything else that you see fit. I would greatly appreciate it. You are truly wise and your thread is the best. Edit: Thank you, Title Fairy!

I currently just have Universal Orlando. I also have a Busch Gardens Tampa Fun Card which is good for the rest of the year if that counts.

Great trip report, Chuck! The new area looks very nice and looks like a great addition to the park.

Personally, I love the music. The expedition discs are my favorites because of the music and all the antics. This is why I watch them more. I do like the raw discs because sometime I just want to see the coaster footage, but I like the POV footage on the expedition discs because of the music.

I always watch both the first time through. But I tend to watch the Expedition discs more often. As for a Dark Rides of the World DVD, I would definitely buy that.