SKULLY

It depends on which coaster but my favorite inversion in the world is either the Immelmann on Alpengeist or the sea serpent on RnRC.

It may be a strange one but I consider the first tunnel after the small drop on Space Mountain WDW, the one with the travelling blue lights before the turn to the lift, to be my favorite tunnel. It may be a slow speed tunnel with very old fashioned effects but it just lets me know I'm in the Magic Kingdom.

Tower of Terror at Disney Studios Florida is likely my favorite attraction anywhere let alone favorite drop tower. I think it needs little explanation. As for my least favorite, I would have to say Acro at SFOG. It looks like it will hurt and it DOES hurt.

Personally, I take my hat off to BGW for even building an attraction with the Spiderman style ride system. A non Disney or Universal park with this kind of technology really speaks loads for their management. Now as to which is better, just look at the budgets. Spiderman came in at around $100 million or more while Darkastle, I believe, came in around $20 mil. Even without development costs for the new technology, that's a lot of extra money for sets and effects. Spiderman is a bit more intense and does indeed have many features that Darkastle simply lacks, especially the fireball scene with the Hob Goblin's flaming pumpkin. However, despite costing close to five times more, is Spiderman five times better. I think the answer is quite obvious.

Perhaps they will name their new ship the Sea Traveling Dynasty. I understand that Bill and Michelle have already ruined the bed in my stateroom before I sleep in it but I would rather not know that Sasha and Jake were there at the same time.

Wow, that whole age limit idea seems quite ridiculous. Sure, you are a former fighter pilot and have fought on a battlefield yet these tiny five g-forces and fiberglass spooky trees may possibly do you in.

Wow, not only do they remove it but they rip it to pieces like it's some Togo from the eighties. I know it makes no sense to take it down nicely but I feel like I am watching one of my own pets from my childhood get put down with a chainsaw. Seriously, this can't be worth it. Blackstone better get something Universal quality into that location because I feel that not even another great B&M machine can make me forget these pictures.

Relax, I have been offline for awhile. Then just consider my advice another approach to the question.

Sacrificing a day at Busch Gardens by itself shouldn't be worth driving to check out two coasters that may not even live up to your expectations after hearing all this hype. I understand that people have their opinions but after you ride those two coasters and get your fill, what are you going to do with your days? If you feel like you must experience them than by all means, check out those two parks. But if you want some all day experiences, then please go to the Virginia parks. After all, the poll currently reads thirteen to thirty one in favor of Virginia for a good reason.

I must admit that I am quite scared of this rehab. I loved the ride the way it is but that was before I got a ride on its Disneyland sibling. And it's not necessarily anything wrong with the coaster itself, it's all in the music. As long as MK's Space Mountain lacks a soundtrack it will be an inferior attraction. It's the older ride of the two yet the least improved and as much as I like classics, would you rather drive a Ford Model T or a Ford GT?

I know that "it" happens but consider this, how many times have the cables on the Tower of Terror snapped? Only once from what I have heard but luckily that incident turned out with only minor injuries. Just imagine the stress that those cables have to endure almost constantly everyday of the year. Sure, Disney has a much higher budget to work with. But it still makes me truly wonder about these Intamin products. Don't get me wrong, I think that they make the best layouts out of anybody else in the business. Yet, I think that there is something a bit strange going on. I understand that MOST of the breaks have been uneventful but the Xcelerator, SFKK and Top Thrill Dragster incidents show that injuries have occurred. If events such as this were happening on a certain make of commercial aircraft than the entire fleet would be grounded until a solution was found. And just to throw it out there, I highly doubt that Cedar Fair goes cheap when it comes to scheduled maintenance on their beloved attractions.

I hate to jump onto the other side of this but I am actually quite disgusted that the park would do this sort of thing. Call me soft but it makes me quite scared to become famous and than suddenly die.

It hurts much worse than I anticipated to see those pictures. Really, charge me an extra $5 per single day admission and keep the thing running for another twenty five years. Sure, it won't happen and the public wouldn't approve. But despite the fact that I had calmed down about it's removal by now, knowing that it's finally closed really starts to make me sick to my stomach. Those pictures make it look as if it's ready to be fired up and entertain for years to come.

The new expansion looks beautiful but some of what they're calling attractions are just cheap and embarrassing. How about just scrap this whole new expansion and build a clone of 20K Leagues Under The Sea in Fantasyland as a tribute to the best attraction Disney ever demolished?

Just a quick top 5. 1. Splash Mountain: It's long, has great theming, a nice soundtrack, and quite a few wonderful drops. But when it comes down to it, I put the one in MK over DL's for a multitude of reasons including how fast the boats in DL seem to zip through each scene. 2. Popeye at IOA: Just the most intense rapids ride I have ever been on PERIOD! 3. Journey to Atlantis: It had probably seen better days before I rode it's long and had theming almost up to Disney standards. Not to mention, it has a nice coaster style drop. 4. Kali River Rapids: The rapids aren't the best but I really enjoy how beautiful the surrounding environment is around the attraction. 5. Grizzley River Run: While I love the theming and actual rapids on this one, I think that it lacks the beauty that's on Kali IMO. Honorable mentions would include Roman Rapids and Escape from Pompeii at BGW, Dudley and Jurassic Park at IOA, and the old Powder Keg Flume at Carowinds.

I thought that California's Great America was greatly overrated. Not by the coaster community but by the general public in this part of California.

Speak to any Navy pilot or top fuel dragster driver and they would laugh at us. I have heard Kingda Ka manages 0 - 135 in 3.5 seconds while a carrier launch can be as quick as 0 - 165 in 2 seconds flat. Even more crazy, a real top fuel dragster can do 0 -325+ in 4.5 seconds and 0 - 100 in just .7 seconds. I can only imagine how badly that must hurt. As for my most powerful LIM/LSM launch, definately RnRC. I have also done FoF, Joker's Jinx, and California Screamin but those feel weak compared to the Disney coaster. Maybe I'm just weird like that? Also, Hypersonic was the most powerful launch I ever experienced.

I never really looked at it that way but you're right. I truly feel that Busch Gardens Williamsburg now has a new record, the only park to remove two legendary coasters in less than only ten years.

It's probably just a precaution in case pilots are completely ignoring their altitude on final to the runway. It is strange that they were trying to locate a tower in foggy conditions though. Either way, I can see why they would impose a limit. God bless all those that were on Flight 212.

Probably Raptor and Magnum in addition to the three rides you chose. Also, Gemini is a bit fun and I have heard good things about the Blue Streak.

Could a Space Mountain movie be that far off?

Since I will be making my first visit to the park this Friday, did they really have to close the entire ride for an investigation?! It broke just as every ride does from time to time. I really wonder if they're just trying to please the public or really do feel the need to spend all this money and downtime to try to look for a cause. Regardless, one of the park's few coasters is closed.

I am starting to feel that more and more coasters are alike. You go up, drop, turn, invert, etc. To be honest, you can probably do all of those to a MUCH greater level in a good aerobatic airplane. Although, coasters are quite a cheaper alternative. On the other hand, you really can't replicate a Big Thunder Mountain or Space Mountain on any other experience. So please, don't give me another ride, give me an adventure.

Honestly, I can't see them really wanting to spend too much money on something that they're just going to scrap afterward. As for my experiences, I have been to the park probably close to twenty individual times and I can't ever remember seeing this attraction closed. I understand old rides break but if it's happening more and more than I would attribute it more to lack of funding than the old age. After all, spending the money to keep it running in top condition would probably no longer be justified due to the smaller crowds in its queue.

I hope to get some good pictures of Six Flags Discovery Kingdom from overhead in the next few days. I just hope that the weather that far inland from the bay will still manage to stay VFR.