scooterdoug

On Wednesday, August 26, I'll be visiting Six Flags New England for my first time. Can't wait to ride the number one steel coaster in the world (according to Mitch Hawker's poll, of course)! -Doug

I'd be delighted to add to this conversation! I am personally a fan of new world (e.g. California) wines. I like my Cabernets way oaky. Same with Chardonnays. Back in my college days, I used to host a wine and cheese tasting party once a year. Everyone would donate some money to the cause, and I would buy tons of wine. I would go to a wine store near campus where the owner would pick out about a dozen bottles of wine for me. He was very smart about it, picking wines in pairs. For example, a French Chardonnay and a California Chardonnay, or an Australian Shiraz and a California Syrah. It was a great way to compare and contrast. I would then buy tons of different cheeses (a good triple cream brie was always a favorite), crackers, and cucumbers (slices to cleanse the palate between wines). Everyone would dress up and spend the evening tasting. For living in a place that had a lot of great parties, those annual wine and cheese tasters were my favorite. It was always tremendous fun to experiment with different pairings...simply a delight for the taste buds! Tasting pairings of wine and cheese are one of my great joys of life. If I could taste wine and cheese while riding a coaster, my life would be complete Great topic! Now, let's here from other fellow wine aficionados. Welcome to the wonderful world of wine, dammie16! -Doug "Loves good wine, but also has a soft spot for a good Belgian Ale" Heim

This is easy...front!!! True, the wait is significant, but it's worth it. I tried both the front and the back. I didn't find any significant increase in airtime in the back, with the notable exception of the first drop. But, the marvelous view from the front can't be beat. If I ever get back to SFGAdv, I will ride in the front, and only the front. -Doug

Hello all, I'm going to Vermont in a few weeks, and found that I will be able to squeeze in a SFNE trip. Obviously, I'm very excited to FINALLY ride Bizarro (aka Superman, aka ROS). So, I, once again, am appealing to TPR's collective knowledge for some trip advice. I will gate crash, and then can stay until 4:00pm on Wednesday, August 26. Bizarro is the only ride I can see myself wanting multiple rides on, though we might do a few on Pandemonium, as my wife likes the idea of a spinning coaster. So, if I want re-rides on Bizarro and only one ride on everything else (gotta get those credits), will 5 & 1/2 hours be enough to get that all in? Would a FlashPass be something to be recommended? Necessary? If so, would a regular one do the trick, or should I spring for the gold? Thank you all for your help. I can't wait to ride that Intamin Mega!!! -Doug

The first time I visited Cedar Point, my friend (a local and regular season pass holder) told me that CP looked at a number of companies to build Millennium Force, including B&M (I am in no way saying this is fact, or anything close to it...just saying what my friend told me). He went on to say that B&M said they couldn't fit the lift hill supports into such a small footprint. Intamin said they could, and we now have Millie and her nifty lift hill support structure. Like I said before, I am not claiming this to be fact. Just something interesting I thought I'd add to the conversation. -Doug

Lovely TR. Ahhh yes, Sandusky weather. Lake Erie totally creates it's own climate, and no weather forecaster can say what's gonna happen on any given day. Lake Erie decides what the weather will be, and that's that!! Great pictures, makes me want to go back. -Doug

Well, try as I might, I will not be able to make it to this event I "reserved" a space via a TPR Store purchase, but held off on paying until I was sure I could make it. Since I won't be able to, do I need to do something more to cancel my unpaid reservation? Thanks for offering this new TPR get-together. Hopefully, I'll be able to make it in the future. Ride Medusa 'til you puke!!! -Doug

^Yes. After you go through the main gates, you'll get to a big courtyard with a fountain in the middle. Go straight around the fountain and you'll see it on your left. -Doug

^I never rode Nitro in the back, only the front. As for El Toro, I rode both in the front and back. Personally, I preferred the front. The view is awesome, and I, for some reason, didn't find much g-force difference from front to back. Back on topic, I was lucky when I went on May 31. They did the quick (and very temporary) fix on KK, and I got that credit in before it broke down again. Nowhere near as good as Top Thrill Dragster, but it feels good to be able to say I've been on the tallest and (until Ring Racer opens) fastest in the world! -Doug

^^^Dude, I'm right there with you. I'm a shameless air drummer!!!

I did a trip late May/Early June from Six Flags Great Adventure to Cedar Point, with a stop at Hersheypark on the way. While the coasters at SFGAdv and CP were certainly much more wild, I honestly enjoyed HP the most out of all the parks. It's a lovely atmosphere, the town of Hershey is charming, and the coasters (while not blow-your-mind panic inducers) are plentiful, varied, and fun. I can't recommend a trip to HP enough, it's a delightful park! -Doug

Thursday. I'm of the opinion "the less people, the better". I personally find even major league baseball games to be painfully tedious, and I would gladly sit through three for a low crowd day at Kings Island. I have yet to visit the park, but would definitely go Thursday if I was in your shoes. Whatever you choose, have fun! -Doug

^Makes sense. In that case, I'll sign up. Then, I'll hope that the event doesn't sell out before I get confirmation work-wise. Thanks for the info! I sure hope that I can make it...I've wanted to be a part of one of these events for a long time. -Doug

Oooohhh, a TPR event that I can possibly make it to!!! It looks like this question was already answered for Calicoasters, but I'll ask anyways just to be sure. I think that I will be able to attend, but I won't know if work will be a prohibitive factor until later this month (certainly well before August 3rd). Can I sign up, but wait to pay until I find out if I will have to work then? Like I said before, I would know for sure well before the August 3rd deadline. Thanks for the information. I do hope I can make it out there, as I would love to meet all these crazy people from this site and FINALLY make it out for a TPR event. -Doug

Where did you ride, though? In the first 2 rows you don't really get any airtime, in the back you do. I rode in the front and in the back. While I do recall some airtime in the back, I didn't find it to be terribly overwhelming. I certainly found considerably more airtime on the El Toro's first drop. Though, I'm not saying that SheiKra isn't fun. It just found it to be somewhat tame. -Doug

SheiKra is the only B&M Dive Machine I have ridden. Of all the B&Ms I have ridden, SheiKra was by far the smoothest. While it was fun, I did not really notice any truly notable airtime on the ride (though that was before I became more attuned to airtime and more of a connoisseur). Don't get me wrong, it was a fun ride. However, after the first drop and Immelmann, I just wasn't that impressed. It's fun, but a bit of a one-trick-pony...nothing to get too worked up over. As my 65-year-old mother said after our first ride on it (SheiKra being her first coaster in 15 years), "That's it?!? I want to go again!" -Doug "Still wants to ride Griffon" Heim

I've been to two parks in Japan. Here are my thoughts: Tokyo Dome was an enjoyable place. It's right there in the city, so the sheer convenience makes this place a must-visit. Although, be warned that Thunder Dolphin looks FAR cooler than it actually is. I mean, it's not bad or anything...it's just ok. I certainly found it to be a letdown. Fuji-Q Highland was a good time for me. Now, from what I've read on this site, my day there was far more the exception than the rule. The crowds were manageable, allowing me 1 ride on Dodonpa, 3 on Fujiyama, and 3 on Eejanaika...something that, from what I understand, is not common at all. You'll be in Japan around the same time I was there. Perhaps if you go on a weekday (like I did), you'll have the same good luck I did. If you are lucky enough to go on a low crowd day, then you would certainly enjoy a visit to that park. Well, those are my two cents. Also, for non-theme park related advice, I can give you some culinary advice. If, perchance, you get over to the Kansai region (Kyoto, Osaka, etc.) and have about $100-150 to spare, go to the city of Kobe and treat yourself to Kobe beef...without a doubt the best steak you will EVER have in your life (by a wide margin). And, that's all the advice I have to offer. Whatever you do, enjoy Japan. It's a fun place! -Doug

^^^That was my first thought. I'm thinking that mom coached her son on what to say. I mean, I've worked in plenty of elementary schools, and no kids that age readily use the word "symbolize". -Doug "Suddenly wants that poster" Heim

The last time I went to Disneyland was for my ex-girlfriend's grad night back in '95, so my advice might be outdated. However, I can tell you that when I went there, the park was horrifically mobbed. I mean, I have NEVER seen it that crowded before. So, keep in mind that average day wait time predictions might be thrown off due to schools from all over SoCal (we even had San Diego schools there) crowding the park. Crowds or no crowds, have fun! -Doug

I was there on Sunday, May 31. While the only other time I was there was 16 years ago, I can give you some advice. First off, get there early and head straight for El Toro. Gate crashing pays, and you can get a couple of good rides in before the line becomes unreasonable. Everything you've heard about the ride is true. It is absolutely amazing. I rode it in the front and back...definitely preferred the front. Once you've had fun on El Toro, keep an eye on Kingda Ka. If you see it running, then head over. Like my cousin said when we were there, Kingda Ka is all records. Nothing terribly spectacular. Get the credit for sure, but I wouldn't run straight to that ride. As for the Gold Flash Pass...I can't recommend it enough. Turned a day of hour waits into a walk-on day. Also, the unit vibrates when there is news, such as KK being open. That is helpful. As for rough rides, I avoided GASM, as I've been on it before. KK was smooth enough, I rode it in the very front. Bizarro beat me up quite a bit, more than Scream at SFMM. Nitro was delightful, and the lines move quickly. Superman was smooth and fun, but a let down after Tatsu. Finally, The Dark Knight should be ridden only for the credit, and only if there is no wait. It's just an indoor wild mouse with theming. Well, that's all the advice I can give you. Mainly, get a Gold Flash Pass and ride the spectacular El Toro as many times as possible. Have fun! -Doug

I'm quite pleased to say that I have been on 7/10. I have not been on Silver Star, SD2K, or Titan. I see that I am very lucky, having been able to get on the big three (multiple times, to boot!) at Fuji-Q. I was able to add my 7th (Kingda Ka) last week. Glad they got it up and running while I was there! -Doug

While my coaster count is less than 100, I recently rode El Toro. That is, by far, the most airtime I have ever experienced on a coaster.....by a huge margin. I mean, I was expecting a crazy ride, but it took me completely by surprise. The strongest ejector airtime I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. MF used to be my number one coaster (and, yes, it does have airtime...just floater, no ejector), but El Toro took that spot really quick. My favorite coaster. Ever. -Doug

Solid TR! I also was very impressed with your Fahrenheit splash photo. I was there June 1 as well (my first time ever). For a park that seems to be perpetually crowded, it was wonderfully quiet that day. I mean, I would consider a day that nets one 6 rides on Fahrenheit (3 in front, 3 in back) and 5 on Storm Runner (all in front) a success. I also thoroughly enjoyed my multiple rides on Lightning Racer. That was just plain old fun! Again, great TR. -Doug

F**king Intamins! First Storm Runner (which, thankfully, is now open), then Kingda Ka, now Millie, my favorite coaster. I'll be at CP next Wednesday and Thursday. So, I'm guessing that the chances of it being up and running in time for my visit will be roughly the same as the chances of me giving birth to an albino elephant. I am NOT a happy camper right now! Oh well, I guess that means I'll be spending my morning ERT whoring myself out to Maverick. Well, now that I say it, that's not such a bad thing -Doug

Just a little FYI for all of you people who (like me) are fretting over Storm Runner's status. The ride is officially open again! The "down for maintenance" notice is off the website, and a park representative confirmed this when I called to inquire. So, for those of you who live nearby, this is not a big deal. But, for those of you traveling great distances for a rare (or first time) visit to the park (again, like me), rejoice! That is all. -Doug