Scaparri

Dude, I don't know if you looked at those ballots, but they were obviously questionable. There is no reason for a ride of that caliber (that never has any complaints) to be ranked so far down. It's not like X where it is notoriously rough in certain points or anything. The only ballot that seemed like it could be justified had a dumb ranking system which probably is what made it questionable. You can't argue the legitimacy (or lack there of) of those ballots. Yeah, you made a statement, but trust me, you told us a lot more about yourself besides that you aren't fond of Holiday Park.

We appreciate the photos, but there are actually two threads that already cover those: http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=18656&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=announcement http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=20080

^Yeah, reading this thread makes me happy that Viper is now located at my home park and still rarely has a wait. That sucks for you though. I remember I was pretty disappointed when I heard it was being taken out of SFOG. I guess it worked out well though. It challenges Chang and Thunder Run for the best ride in the park on it's good days.

So when's the announcement for the new ride? Those removal pics really give me the willies about riding Insanity in March. Something about being dangled 900+ ft about the ground just doesn't sit well right now. Still going to do it though!

I don't understand what the point is for waiting an extra couple of months to open a ride that seems to be complete. Just seems sort of dumb to me. -Scott "just whining 'cause I'm not going to get to ride it when I'm there" Parrish

As much as I want it to be, I just don't see it happening (at least not in the U.S. I would love if some small park picked it up, but other than that, I can't imagine it actually getting saved. Its just too old of a ride with not a great deal of appeal compared to today's modern monsters.

Yeah Soren, try not to let them bother you too much. Its your parents' jerkish way of telling you they don't want you to leave. Hell, when I talked about going out of state for school when I was in high school, some of my family members told me I was screwing up my life and would regret it as long as I lived. Just for going out of state to school! They didn't care that it was what I wanted, and I ended up doing what THEY wanted me to do. What THEY wanted me to do though, has turned into a disaster. And now, I'm transferring out of state in the fall (with hardly any credits that'll transfer) and doing what I should have done in the first place. To add some point to this though, I had similar reactions when I got my CP job this past summer. This time, I didn't listen to anybody and I just went and did it. By the end of the summer, they were used to it and were more comfortable with me leaving. It's just something new that they don't like so they have to be immature and childish about it, even though they won't admit it.

Gosh, this just makes my decision on whether to drop by AK at the end of the month even harder!! I don't know what to do, but I don't want to miss out!

There is a Balder clone??? He's joking.

I would definately suggest going on a May weekday if possible, but it looks like school could get in the way of that. May weekdays are easily the least busy of the year. Other than that, as Elissa said, you might try Halloweekends or a Sunday or weekday in the summer. The crowds don't really change much during the summer with the exception of Fridays and Saturdays being really busy.

--Your 2005 year in review: This year was actually pretty good and unique. I started the season like I usually do at my home park, SFKK, in April. Then in May, it was off to CP to start my summer of indentured slavery. In June, I ventured down to Texas for an Indycar race and a visit to SFOT, which was awesome. Later that month I went to Geauga Lake with a bunch of coworkers from CP. The park was depressing, but still had a great time. July was the big month. Finally made it to Michigan's Adventure and then went on a road trip to the Dells, SFGAm, and Indiana Beach. I then went coasterless until October when I finally made it to PKI for the first time in two years. I closed out the year with the Beech Bend announcement and a short stop at SFKK. Overall, it was probably the best year I've had since 2000. --Your first coaster of the year: Chang at SFKK --Your last coaster of the year: Greezed Lightnin' at SFKK --Best new steel to me: Wow, this is tough. No one steel really blew me away. Italian Job is definately pretty high up there. I also really liked Shockwave and Runaway Mountain at SFOT, and Titan wasn't too shabby. --Best new wood to me: Wow, even harder. This is neck and neck between Shivering Timbers, Hades, and Avalanche. All three were stellar rides. They all compose my top 3 woodies. --Best new flat ride to me: Robocoaster at Mt. Olympus. The extra $2 for the extreme version was well worth it. I've never experienced anything like it in my life. Just imagine that you are Will Smith being thrown around by the birthing alien in the first Men In Black. The idea of putting one of these bad boys on a coaster like what was displayed at IAAPA in '04 is crazy. --Best new water ride to me: Actually, unfortunately, I don't think I rode any new water rides. --Best new dark ride/walk through to me: Den of Lost Thieves at IB. I had never been on a Sally dark ride so I wasn't sure what to expect. It wasn't anything to go ga-ga over but I still like it a lot. It's much more fun than Scooby at PKI. --Best new water park attraction to me: The only new water park was Soak City. We ran out of time at SFGAm. Soak City didn't really have anything thing that I could say was the best. --Best new park to me: SFOT. This park rocks. They have an excellent coaster collection, the best bumper cars ever, beautiful theming and scenery, and a decent flat collection (which is now even better). --Best park "moment" of the year: Probably when Bryan humiliated an immature and obnoxious teen that was pestering us in line for Hades. The line he used was so good, I'm not even going to repeat it so that he can still keep the glory of using it. If you really want to know, pm me. --Best overall park "trip" of the year: The Road Trip with Bryan to the Dells, SFGAm, and IB. --Worst new attraction (any kind) to me of the year: Probably Scooby's Ghoster Coaster at PKI. I think my cash and prizes are still swolen from the tiny cars and those stupid brakes. --Best event at a park: The Beech Bend announcement of course! Ok, so it wasn't an event that you are probably thinking of, but I still had a really good time. --Best non-event day at a park: Well, the day at the Dells with Bryan was awesome as was SFOT with my bro, but the best would have to be my day at Geauga Lake with so many of my buddies from CP. We pretty much had the park to ourselves the entire day and we just lived it up and had a great time. --Best non-park related moment of the year: The Texas Indycar race. Not only was the race incredibly exciting, we (my bro and I) got to meet and chat with our favorite driver after the race in his hauler where he ended up giving us his racing gloves. Overall, the trip was the single best road trip I've ever been on. --Favorite TPR post/thread of the year: #1 European Extravaganza #2 Holding your breath reduces negative g's. I'm still boggled that the thread has even produced 3 pages of responses. --Best Amusement related news of the year: The Voyage. --Worst Amusement related news of the year: Astroworld closing. --Ride that I had to rethink my opinion of in 2005: Beast. What once was a great ride is now nothing but a waste of good space and perfectly good firewood. --Hopes for 2006: The Voyage, Goliath, El Toro, and the Rumbler are all as good as they look. I'm personally hoping to break the 200 credit mark. Right now, this year looks to be the best I've ever had, with a trip to Orlando in two weeks, Vegas in March, a southeast roadie in April, the Voyage and Rumbler in May, and an East Coaster on the board for sometime in the summer. Plus whatever else may come up.

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to pass it up. I will be waking up EARLY in the morning on the 28th to go to the Indy 500. Believe it or not, the Indy 500 trumps all. Plus, I've been threatened with my life if I don't attend the graduation of one of my best friends. I'd like to go, but ERT isn't a huge deal to me. I'll just go down sometime early in May.

Awesome! Thanks Elissa! I appreciate it.

Instead of making yet another orlando tips thread, I'm going to hijack this one for a minute and ask just a couple questions for my own trip in a few weeks. My questions mainly revolve around roughness. I will be with my mother who has a hard time riding rough coasters. They usually leave her with pretty bad neck pain the rest of the day and into the next. So how bad is Gwazi and Python? What kind of rough are they? What about the Windstorm, is it very rough?

I'm not sure, but I think she might be referring to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Anyway, all this talk about the slight possibility of riding during the preview, despite not having an AP pass really has me curious. I'm going to be in Orlando during that time and I would love to give this thing a try. I'm just not sure I want to spend that much money on admission for something that is incredibly unlikely, though AK is the only Disney park I haven't experienced.

But you guys are getting an MLS team now so that'll be pretty sweet! Not to mention you have my boy Danny O'Rourke playing on the team! I wish there was an MLS team closer to me. I just can't bring myself to drive 4+ hours to watch a Crew game. Anyway, back on track... You've done something pretty significant if you can get me to eat something with onions in it without me noticing and discontinuing eating it. About the only form of onions I'll voluntarily eat is bloomin' onions. Those things rock. I also have a pretty big issue with mushrooms. It's not that I don't necessarily like the taste, they just weird me out. I think it stems from always being warned as a kid that some mushrooms are poisonous. Now it has just blossomed into an ignorant paranoia. -Scott "I have a bad gerund and second narrative habit" Parrish

Wow! sounds like they are gettin' their head on straight. Let's just see if they can follow through with it. Yeah, I think that is a problem with a lot of parks. A park isn't going to have a great atmosphere if the employees don't feel wanted and appreciated. Its so much easier to enjoy your job and do well if you feel appreciated and receive positive feedback. That was my problem with Cedar Fair this summer. I got sick of being told how much my ride's crew sucked when we were all working our asses off and doing the best job we could. It wasn't until I put in my two week notice did I finally feel like I was wanted and appreciated. So does that mean they actually intend on opening Flashback one day?

"Atari" by Lucky Boys Confusion

Wow, with four minutes left in the 4th, my tape cut out (I had to work tonight). A bit heartbreaking actually, to watch such a great game and then have to miss then end. Hell of a game. I wasn't rooting for anybody in particular. I just knew it was going to be an awesome game. Just can't freakin' believe my tape cut out.

I'm going to Orlando on the 20th!!!!

Ironically, less than twelve hours after I said that, it is confirmed that I am going to Orlando at the end of the month. -Scott "Loves family friends who offer their timeshares" Parrish

"Ordinary" by Lucky Boys Confusion

^^Wow. Now that it's put like that, it really doesn't sound that bad. I can't lie, I fork out $90 for my seat at the Indy 500 every year, which is only 3 hours long. I guess I just never looked at it like that.

Yeah man, often times, long songs are the best songs. The last concert I saw of my favorite band, they played a 26 minute version of their signature song and it was freakin' righteous. Anyway, I'm listening to "Broken" by Lucky Boys Confusion

^I feel the team that will win this championship will be the one that scores the most points.