chemical_echo

I'm just thankful I got to visit the park before it closed. Only got to spend about 2hrs there, but walked on every coaster multiple times...except RWB since it had it's accident a few days earlier. Whatever happens to the ride, I hope it turns out for the best.

I love water parks, and I love themed water parks even more. If I ever get a chance to go to the Canary Islands, I will definitely visit this place. And since me going to Europe wont happen for another few years, who knows what they'll have added by then. On another note, I've never been on a steep speed slide that ends in a pool before. Wonder what that's like...

Nice pictures, you even got Cesar...the half million dollar horse on CW's carousel in a shot. (I worked on that ride one season and it was one of the things we had to know...you know, in case somebody asked about it)

I've had one on TTD, and yes they let you ride again (if you want to). The brakes slowed us down way before we got back to the start of the launch point, a crew member came out and asked if anybody wanted to get off, once everyone said they wanted to stay on they launched us right from there. No getting off and waiting for empty trains. PS - It was awesome. In the front seat we were able to start looking down the downward side of the top hat and into the spiral before we started slowing. Next thing we knew we were looking at the sky again and falling backwards.

Fixed, but I'm sure you realize I meant air...

Most of mine were free or on sale: -Storm Runner -Knoebels (hoodie showing off Phoenix...mostly bought it since it was pouring rain and I was freezing) -Raptor (on sale) -BORG Assimilator (won it at the PCW end of season dance) -Sledge Hammer (won at a PCW crew event, horrible quality picture) -Behemoth (pink with one of the concept pictures pretty much ironed on the front; free because I was a volunteer at the park's math and science day) -Goliath SFMM (step-mom living in California mailed it to me because she knows I love coasters) I wear most of them to sleep.

There's so many that I really like... As everyone else has stated, Splash Mountain at MK and Dudley Do Right at IOA are awesome and just in a league of their own. I really liked the one at Dorney Park. We must have went on it 3 or 4 times last year. No line, fast flowing water, decent drop, and did a great job of cooling us off on a hot day. Hershey's was also a lot of fun, and I'd put it up there. One that I haven't seen mentioned yet though is the Wilderness Adventure Ride at Ontario Place. A fairly long ride, good speed for the water, some pretty good theming, and a good sized drop that doesn't get you too wet. I've yet to go on one I haven't liked yet though.

I would also re-theme Time Warp (aka Tomb Raider) at Canada's Wonderland. I came up with this idea while I was operating the ride opening year, so it's still Tomb Raider themed, but can easily be un-branded. Basically, enclose the whole ride in a building, with exteriors on the front and two sides to look like an old temple or Mayan/Aztec Pyramid. The queue would be the same, but the TVs would show a video from Lara Croft saying she found a hidden treasure/chamber inside the temple. The video would also show a map inside the temple displaying the route to the hidden room (this would be a picture of the layout, highlighting a spiral rising passageway to the top, and tight corners). The video would go on to show Lara's newest transportation device: a kind of indoor hang glider to keep yourself up and away from any hidden traps. The end of the queue, entering the indoor station would be an opened passageway into the temple and the station would be themed to the main burial chamber of the temple with crumbling statues and shiny golds treasures. Once passengers are in their Indoor Hang Gliders, they ascend the rising spiral passageway which could be decorated with pictures of a sky or sun god. The first small drop would be like a broken passageway, but you regain your balance and turn a tight corner. The two spiral rolls would be passengers dodging traps set out. As the car flips, passengers feel a strong blast of air and hear sounds like arrows are shooting out of the walls. The final part of the ride (bottom area with all the turns) would be the hidden room filled with gold, coffins, and other treasures, and would be split up by walls that you twist and turn around. The final brakes would be either another burial room or a small temple to one of the gods. ...I had a lot of time to think while operating that ride. It pretty much just required me to sit there, look pretty, and change my gaze from a TV screen, to the cars leaving the station, to a computer screen; everything was automatic.

They got worried about guests hitting on Tarzan and Esmerelda? Imagine if they had a Jessica Rabbit walking around the park. The line to meet her would be longer than most rides and would be the perfect place to find your son/brother/father/husband if your group separated.

I've always loved the way attendants on Cedar Point coaster platforms have a headset and give off stats of the ride among other things. I had never seen anything like that before going to Cedar Point, and since then I've always loved it. The way Disney cast members go beyond their duties (and sometimes rides) to stay in character. Once a CM from haunted mansion followed my mom out of the ride and almost past the queue line with his face inches from hers. Creeped the hell out of her. The way tons of Disney employees wish you a happy birthday if you wear the button. If you wore that button at any other park, I doubt many employees would stop what they were doing just to say Happy Birthday. There's more I just can't think of right now. It's always easy to remember the bad times, but almost impossible to remember the good ones.

Grad night. Park closes a little earlier so they can get ready for the grads.

Truth, but I live about 4km from Wonderland and I can see Behemoth from on the main road What main road are you referring to? I can sometimes see the ride from Rutherford and Weston if I get the right view over/between trees when I'm driving from my girlfriend's place.

Rats. Well, if thats the case I can always use one of my sick days. I'll see how it plays out.

I think you mean the 400. I really don't think the ride is visible from over 30km away.

Thanks for the update. Question though, depending if the factory I work at is going to be open or not that day (Civic Holiday) I'd have to miss the morning ERT. Would I still be able to show up for the rest of the day and evening ERT?

One of the worst was last year at King's Island. My friends and I were in line for a night ride on Beast when it closed down for fireworks. The employees told us that the ride would be open for 10-15min after the fireworks if we wanted to go watch. My friends and I left to watch but when we went back the ride attendants did everything they could to try and tell us the ride was closed and we couldn't ride. It turned into a pretty big argument between us, a few others dealing with the same problem and the ride ops/attendants. Finally after holding them up for about 5min they allowed us to ride. Once we got off we went to Guest Relations to complain. That was the only time I have ever complained about ride employees. Another bad experience, also at King's Island but back in 03. While me and my friends were walking through the Paramount Walk area an employee and his friends tried to pick a fight with me, for no reason. They just walked past me, stopped, and started talking shit to me; saying things like I looked at them the wrong way and they would F me up. My friends and I just asked what the hell their problem was, shook our heads and walked away. I wish I had got the employee's name so I could have filed a very strong worded complaint against him.

I'm not a fan of the look either. I was hoping that with OCC as sponsors, there would be a much cooler paint job on both the track and the bikes. It also would have been nice to see some kind of stretched out layout instead of a cramped compact thing. Oh well, beggars can't be choosers.

The park isn't open during the week yet, so we wont know till Friday.

I just added Behemoth to my coaster counter account, and it has officially become my 100th credit. Not a bad way to break a milestone. Really though, it's probably something like 105 since I've been on several traveling coasters, mostly clones, that aren't listed anywhere.

Actually, it's only 2 things. The employee cafeteria was changed to "Oscars" when South Side Grille was changed to Backlot Cafe...so that was 2006, I believe. The employee cafeteria has also gone through another name change since then, I believe it's something like Cornerstone. -Did you know the dragon inside Thunder Run is named. I think it's Herman. -Did you know that one of the horses on Antique Carousel at Canada's Wonderland is worth something like $500,000? (It's an original, and is named Cesar. It's non moving and can be distinguished by the PTC emblems on it) -Did you know a few of the rides in Canada's Wonderland have had their names changed (Before Cedar Fair): Oribiter was Sol Loco and themed to Aztek ruins Dragon Fire was Dragon Fyre Wild Beast was Wilde Beast Nightmares was Knightmares The Rage was Viking's Rage Spinovator was Quixtoes Kettles Thunder Run was Blauer Enzian -Wonder Mountain is hollow and used as storage space -There used to be much more waterfalls on Wonder Mountain, a few above the ones in the front, and some along the back and sides -People used to be able to walk to the top of the mountain and behind the waterfall (paths are still there) -The GM of the park once had to take a full page ad in all Toronto Area newspapers to put an end to the rumor that the park was moving to Niagara Falls. Unfortunately, to this day, people still ask when the park will move. And finally one that isn't Canada's Wonderland. -Dragon Mountain at MarineLand was supposed to have a waterfall partway through the ride that looked like Niagara Falls with a rock cave in the middle where the coaster would fly out.

Did you know the waterfalls at Canada's Wonderland provide air conditioning to some of the park buildings?

Got to ride Behemoth on Friday after my volunteer work at the park was finished up. Sat in the very last row and got a great ride. Nice airtime down the first drop and over every hill. Only the first trim was on, and it barely even touched the train. Can't wait for Behemoth Bash to ride it again.

Personally, I can't stand Wildcat with the new trains. First time I rode it with PTCs it was bearable, but with the new trains I refuse to ride it anymore. Went on it twice last year, hoping the first ride was just an off ride but was sadly mistaken. Ops pushed lapbars down too tight and they even clicked one or two more during the ride. I had never wanted to get off a ride right atfer the first drop before. Now it's just one less ride I have to wait in line for this season.

I guess I'm behind on my Wonderland news, but today driving past the park I couldn't help but notice orange supports on the Bat. What in gods name are they doing painting the bat red and orange?

Apparently it was all a misunderstanding. The two usually go around looking for scrap metal to recycle and found the track. They say that the track was by the curb and looked like it was trash since it was all rusted. Plus, it sounds like the place they took it from has been suffering from some major financial woes. So, really, who knows if the place was actually going to end up building the coaster at all. http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080502/NEWS0117/805020379/1092/NEWS01