aimster

I saw Crowded House last week in Orlando. Awesome show! I've been a fan of theirs since like junior high. Had great seats too... 5th row center!

You know, I didn't even SEE the Whomping Willow until I rode it again with everything working. It's because in that part you're pretty much on your back and looking up and the tree is above you. So I didn't notice it at all when the lights were on and the Kuka arms were in "default/E-Stop" mode. They just face forward the whole time while in that position. That being said though, I really wish I had gone on it one more time, but My feet/legs and heat-warped brain just couldn't take much more after being in the park for 10 hours.

Dragon Challenge has them as well... rows 3 and 6 I believe from the signs I saw last weekend. And I think those are the same rows with the "modified seats" for Hulk as well.

It's really a great ride. I was hoping to do it a 2nd time, but by 7pm I was freaking EXHAUSTED from the heat and having being at the park since it opened at 9am. I went to the single rider line, then all of a sudden my brain was like, "I can NOT do this anymore. Go back to the hotel and REST!"

SWEET! I try to go to Busch Gardens at least once or twice a year since I only live a half hour away (used to live 15 minutes away).

Because you get jerked around quite a bit and during some parts you're flat on your back or tilted at an extreme angle.

Yup, the lights come on after awhile. At first we were basically sitting in the dark looking at the first big movie screen right after you take off for a few minutes. Then the lights came on and I got quite excited. I know! I was kicking myself for not keeping my phone out after we passed the dragon. I kept thinking the ride would suddenly start up again and the phone would go flying. But the dementors aren't that exciting with the lights on. And funnily enough, when the Kuka arms are in that "default" position, I didn't even see the Whomping WIllow until I actually saw it all the regular way because it's above you and the arm tilts you onto your back basically. But even lights on, Aragog the humgoid hell spider was uber creepy. I HATE spiders.

...like that idiot did last week when the ride broke down. So let me set it up for you... After waiting in line for nearly an hour for my first ever ride on Harry Potter & the Forbidden Journey, just as the ride started... it stopped. My "flying bench" sat facing a blank humungiod movie screen for a bit, then the lights came on! Then the Kuka arm moved a bit and I could see... stuff! I'll let the photos tell the rest of the story (sorry for the crappy quality as I snapped them with my iPhone, which happened to be in my pocket): After the dragon, the Kuka arms went into I guess the "default" position and took everyone through the rest of the ride with the lights on. Wish I had snapped more photos, but I was too in awe to pull the phone out of my pocket again. Was weird to see see how it all worked, but fascinating at the same time. I've NEVER been stuck on a ride like that before, so I was pretty freaking excited. They gave everyone front of the line passes for when the ride was working again, but I ended up using the single rider line on my 2nd attempt at the ride (which worked perfectly that time around).

Flight of the Hippogriff at Islands of Adventure today (also rode Dragon Challenge & the Hulk).

I'm betting the road signs that say "Amusement Park" are from when the park was called Deer Park Funland (it started off as a petting zoo in the 50's, then in the late 60's they started adding rides) way back in the day (they changed the name to Michigan's Adventure in 1988). I grew up in Grand Rapids, so the park was a 30-40 minute drive from home. Corkscrew was my first ever coaster. Back then it was painted white with red & blue trains. Last time I visited the park was in 1995 I think. The only coasters were Corkscrew and Wolverine Wildcat. The water park was still pretty new. I'm hoping to make a visit back home next summer and I really want to go back to the park and ride Shivering Timbers & Thunderhawk.

I really can't wait to check this out when I go to Orlando at the end of next month. It looks really awesome and with the level of detail and theming, Universal may just have out-Disney'd Disney with this land. I didn't read any of the books until just before the first movie came out in 2001. The movie looked interesting to me, so I decided to finally give the books ago after holding out for so long. I was hooked. The books are actually very well-written and appeal to more than just kids. Plus as the series goes on, the books get darker and darker and not so much for the kiddies as the earlier books. The same goes for the movies. I'm not totally obsessed geeky fangirl dorky over the series, but I definitely enjoyed the books and the movies. But I understand some people just don't care for it and that's fine. I personally don't get what the big deal about Lord of the Rings is and have no desire to read those books or see those movies. Same with Twilight. Couldn't pay me enough. I am upset the queue for Dueling Dragons/Dragon Challenge got changed so much. It was probably one of my favorite themed queues ever. And really, not serving soda in the land isn't the end of the world. You can buy soda elsewhere at the park if that's what you absolutely have to have. I don't like butterscotch anything, so I'll be passing up the Butterbeer, but the Pumpkin Juice sounds awesome (I love pumpkin flavored stuff... I practically live on Starbucks' pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin bread & pumpkin donuts at Dunkin Donuts from September through Christmas). And I can't wait to get a wand at Olivander's (just for sh*ts & giggles). I saw they have Fawkes the phoenix plushies! Awesome! I may have to get one of those. *EDIT: Ok I just saw what the board did when I spelled out LOTR. LMAO!

Gwazi at Busch Gardens. When I rode it last year, I could still feel my brain rattling around in my head an hour later. Had a MONSTER migraine after riding that SOB. Never again.

Kerfluffle (how's THAT for random?)

I like my coworkers, but there's days I just want to punch them in the face.

Bad night for the Rays against Boston tonight. I didn't see much of the game as I was DVRing the finale of 24 and watching my CBS comedies in their season finales, so... meh. Went to a minor league game yesterday... Lakeland Flying Tigers vs St Lucie Mets. That was fun. Lakeland won 10-4. I'm friends with their right fielder and he hit a home run, which was freaking AWESOME (also stole a base & got 4 RBI). After the game I had dinner with him and a couple other guys on the team. That was pretty cool too.

<---- Wonderpup! He's my traveling companion. He's gone with me to theme parks, baseball games, concerts... he has his own page on Facebook that chronicles his adventures: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wonderpup/80358163548 You can also follow him on Twitter at @Wonderpup17. Yeah... I'm just a big dork who takes a stuffed animal with me places.

So uh.... How about them Rays? 30-11, best record in baseball and now a 5 game lead in first place in the AL East! I really hope this is our year.

OK Go last Friday. Next concerts will be in July... The Go-Go's and Crowded House.

Right now I have "You're So Damn Hot" by OK Go stuck in my head (which is not a bad thing).

The twins look HAWT though!

I can NOT wait to see it all for myself when I go in July!

Montu at Busch Gardens Tampa last fall.

Man I miss Cedar Point. Used to go there almost every summer when I was a kid growing up in Michigan. Last trip there was in 1990. I keep saying I'm going to go back and it never happens. I'd love to get the BF to go with me, but he can't do hardly any rides without getting motion sick, so I'd be stuck having to ride everything by myself since I'd mainly be going for the coasters (and the Cedar Downs horse race carousel... best carousel EVER!!! My friends & I used to bet quarters on which of our horses would "win").

A press release announcing a press release. Redundant much? From what I've seen so far, the area in general looks pretty awesome, theme-wise. Hogwarts castle looks massive. I got some friends in California who are planning on coming out this summer just for this land. Going to try to work it out so I can go with my fellow Potter dorks.

I'm curious to know what all the effects in the dark ride part are. I really want to visit all these parks in the UK & Europe one day. *off to rob a bank for fundage*