bulldogmom

Beautiful pics! The detail on the Tree of Life is amazing. Loved the animal pics, especially the one with the monkeys picking each other. And Oprah and Rosie!

Thanks for the beautiful pics! Amber is cute, and Griffon looks awesome. I was at VA Beach once- loved it.

Great! I loved it! Awesome pics, and Hippo is so CUTE! I think hippos are cute- I tell my bulldog he looks like a baby hippo. The one of Steel Pier made me want to jump into the pic and transport myself to the Jersey Shore.

Disaster Transport, Space Mountain. And I know it's powered, but I really liked this indoor mine-train type coaster at Canada's Wonderland called Thunder Run- don't know if it's even there anymore. In my opinion, take any ride, put it in the dark, and add sound effects and a light show and even the lamest ride can be awesome.

This is a hard one-- 'worst' can mean a lot of different things. After giving it some thought, I came up with a few worsts. Most painful- Vortex, King's Island. Extreme headbanging. And ugly. Most overhyped- Mean Streak. You stand in line for hours to get a headache. Just dumb/lame: Raging Wolf Bobs, Geauga Lake- I din't think this was fun at all. And it has a dumb name. Mindbender, SFOG- Another one I thought was boring/didn't get.

Abdolutely, totally disgusting. Like somebody else said, she looks like somebody from Star Trek. It's obvious that she's trying to send some kind of message, but what, who knows. I must say I get a perverse pleasure in reading about all of these celebs' problems- them going to rehab, passing out in public, etc- it makes my own problems seem small in comparison.

Thanks for the TR- very fun. I wil consider this my multicultural experience for the day. Beautiful sunset pics!

Beautiful pics. Nothing more photogenic than a sunny Florida sky, palm trees, and a freshly-painted coaster. Loved the captions, especially the one about Python. Beautiful Kumba shots too- especially the one through the trees. That's coaster pinup material. Good close-up of the dirt on Kumba (please don't come to my house and take pictures). You're right- those T-shirts are awful. Looks like one of those wannabe Flashdancer torn sweatshirts I had circa 1983

How about goat turds? They're round- they could spin, I guess (I worked at a zoo once, that's how I know so much about goat turds). I can see it now- "The Rolling Goat Turd Coaster".

Great TR. (except for the snails). Loved the captions. Loved the photo with Minnie and the one of you and the orange fish. It looked very cold there! Anyway, it looks like you had a fun time.

I've never been on TTD yet, but I've seen videos, and I agree the pre-launch sounds are really cool- they fit perfect w/the theming. At Busch Gardens Europe, at least the last time I rode it in 1993, on the Big Bad Wolf they said "Prepare to travel at the speed of fright". I thought that was cool. And on Drachen Fire, they said something about "riding on the flames of the Drachen Fire" - also cool. Also cool is the soundtrack on the lift hill in Disaster Transport. It follows the theme, like you're on a futuristic transport to Alaska and something goes awry. The last thing you hear before the drop is "I'm losing controoooooll...."

Ferris wheels- the bigger the better. Bonus points if it overlooks water, like at the Jersey Shore or CP. Drop rides- also the taller the better. I love the Pitt Fall at Kennywood. That thing ^ (Spin Out)- uh uh. No spin-n-barfs for me.

Good video- I even liked the music. No question Kovalev is a great player- his stats are impressive, and his puck-handling is great. I am a hockey fan- my team is the Avalanche, who, sadly, are having a sucky year. Probably because they've lost the best goaltender of all time (Patrick Roy) a few years ago, one of the best defensemen, Rob Blake, and my favorite and who I think is the greatet player in the world, PETER FORSBERG. I love Peter, as you can tell- I named my pug after him. Sadly, Peter is not doing so good himself this season w/the Flyers, as he has a bad foot. I live in Pittsburgh, and am not a Pens fan. And yes, I'm tired of hearing about Crosby even though he seems to have brought some much-needed life to the team.

I just read it- a wonderful and very descriptive article and pics. I actually remember the Ghost Ship, although I was too little to ride it. I even remembered the Road Runner (damn, I'm old!) I always loved Kennywood's classic dark rides- the Old Mill, Le Cachot (the king of cheesy dark rides), and the Gold Rusher. I DON'T like the redone Noah's Ark- too Disney-ish, and since I'm claustrophobic, I hate the place where you stand in the chamber. I know I'm going to sound incredibly old, but I don't care for the new-fangled, hi-tech dark rides- I prefer the historic ones (pass the Geritol). I'm also a history buff, and I think rides like these let you appreciate when things were simpler.

Thanks again for the great TR and beautiful pics! They were great to look at as I sit here and listen to the ice storm outside, where it's about 5 degrees. I like that you took so many pics from different angles, and not the standard touristy ones. Liked the fog effect- that was cool. And the ones of Big Thunder Mtn- having never been on it, I didn't realize how much theming there was. I'm like you- I can't get enough of looking at that castle! It's just so- magical! (I guess that was the point). Seagull thing was weird- I knew they stole food, but ice cream? And in inland Florida? Speaking of food, that pizza looked good!

WOW- these pics are awesome! Especially with the sunset and the lights. Just beautiful. Looks like fun- except for the enclosed slide thing- I'm claustrophobic, so I wouldn't go near something like that

I work in the criminal justice field, so I do have some knowledge on the subject- probably more than you'd like to hear . Pedophiles specifically (or unconsciously) seek out places and/or jobs where there are kids- hugging kids at Disney World would be the ultimate for them. Many of them are described as childlike in behavior and seem to "really get along with kids". The scoutmaster, the favorite uncle, etc. Most are never reported or convicted, so most screening is not going to weed them out- they look and appear totally normal (they have to- that's how to get kids to trust them). They ARE sick, by the way- pedophilia is an actual paraphilia, or sexual dysfunction. It actually does not surprise me at all that a Disney character (or anyone who chooses to be in close contact with kids) would be a pedophile. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure most of these people truly love kids and families and their jobs- but statistically, there are bound to be a few proverbial bad apples in the bunch.

Okay, I went back and read the original post and realized the intent- to name rides that are in some way innovative or historic. My earlier list was purely my own personal favorite top 10 rides. So, after giving it a lot of thought, I have come up w/a new list of rides that I think are in some way standouts or examples of what rides are meant to do. (I have not ridden all of these) Thesis: Amusement parks, particularly beginning with Disneyland, and amusement rides in general, are created with a specific purpose: to fulfill a fantasy. Whether you want to fly (who doesn't?), travel at high speeds, or experience a haunted house, rides are created to create some sort of fantasy or illusion for the rider. With this in mind, my revised list... 1. Haunted Mansion and Peter Pan's Flight- Magic Kingdom. These are, I think, the ultimate fantasy rides in that they truly put you right in the middle of the fantasy. The awesome effects, which I think only Disney can pull off, allow you to suspend disbelief for a few minutes and totally immerse yourself in the fantasy. The reason I picked Peter Pan: the unique track, in which you board a little boat-shaped car and soar above the landscape. It really gives the illusion of flying over the landscape. The sequence where you "fly out the bedroom window" truly makes you feel you ARE Peter Pan (or the kids, I guess- it's been awhile), not just riding some ride. 2. Racer, Kennywood- a classic woodie, and one of the three remaining (correct me if I'm wrong) racing coasters in the world that's made of a single track. Ingenious design. The tight twists and turns of this coaster make it feel much faster than it actually is. The coaster is truly an original, not a clone of anything- it was designed specifically for the hilly landscape in 1927 by then-famous designer John Miller. 3. Someone mentioned the Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland, for being the first modern "steel" coaster (it has steel rails). I have to concur, although I've never ridden it. I've seen video footage, though, and it looks great! Again, give Disney credit for creating both an innovative ride complete with the fantasy experience (in this case, you're actually on a bobsled). 4. Revolution, SFMM. This debuted in 1976 and is, correct me if I'm wrong, considered the first modern looping coaster. In that way it's both a classic and at the time was a precursor of things to come. As someone said, Herr Anton was an innovator in his time, with his shuttle loops that, while lame by today's standards, represented the future of coasters in the mid 1970s. As a bonus, Revolution was featured in my favorite (and probably every coaster fanatic's favorite) movie, "Rollercoaster". The classic line: "The loop! The loop! Here comes the loop!" Remember, those were the days when a loop was a huge deal (I'm old enough to remember, unfortunately) 5. I'm still sticking with Magnum, my personal favorite. Sure, it was the first "hypercoaster" that started the "biggest, tallest, fastest" race, but for me it's not about the numbers. There are bigger and faster now, but few better than Magnum. It's the entire package- the smoothness, the speed, the drops, the airtime, that awesome lakeside view, the bunny hops, the laser-and-fog-filled tunnels. 6. Cinema 360. Remember these? The dome-shaped buildings where you sat inside and watched a movie where the screen was the whole building. The movie was a POV that made you feel like you were flying, surfing, in a car race, whatever. We had one at Kennywood circa 1979. I personally did not like these- they gave me motion sickness, believe it or not- but I think they were the precursor of the simulator rides that have become so popular (ie Spiderman, etc). Again, an innovation in using all of the senses to create an experience that you're actually THERE (wherever that is). 7. Demon Drop, Cedar Point- this was one of the first "drop" or "freefall" rides that started a trend saying, "Wht don't we just drop straight down?" Now we have bigger and better, like the PittFall, Giant Drop, etc. Another theory: there's nothing like that few seconds of weightlessness, intense negative Gs, and adrenaline-rush like a good freefall provides. Maybe the sensation of falling triggers some happy chemicals in the brain? Somebody should do a study. 8. Skycoaster- these are now ubiquitous. You know, where you are strapped into a harness and literally flung into the air. I have never ridden one, only because I've never found a willing partner. Humans have always had a fascination with being able to fly like a bird, and I think this is as close as it gets. 9. Ferris Wheel- the oldie but goodie. The original wheel was built by George Ferris (who lived in Pittsburgh for a time) for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. This giant, at 364 feet high, had more people looking at it than riding it. Nothing like it had ever been conceived of before. Then came the variations- Sky Wheels, spinning wheels, etc. If you want to read a good book, read "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson. It tells the simultaneous tale of the Columbian Exposition and the career of early serial killer H H Holmes. There are some interesting parts about George Ferris and the development of his idea. 10. Big Shot, Stratosphere, Las Vegas. Never been on, but would absolutely love to. Somebody was innovative- they took the tallest freestanding bldg west of the Mississippi, at 1,149 feet tall, and put a thrill ride on top of it! This shoots you 1,081 feet into the air. I don't think there's anything closer to being shot into space than to board an actual rocket.

Wow, this is a hard one. In no particular order: - Haunted Mansion, WDW- the king of all dark rides - It's A Small World, WDW (stop laughing, I was 9 when I rode it) - Ferris wheels- the bigger the better. Some of my favs are the one at Cedar Point and Steel Pier in Atlantic City. - Vekoma Boomerangs- yes, I am another fan of these. My first was The Bat at Canada's Wonderland- I thought it was the greatest thing - Drachen Fire BGW -RIP one of the greatest coasters ever- I think it was absolutely criminal to dismantle it - Magnum, Cedar Point- enough said -The Beast- truly an original - Georgia Cyclone, SFOG - any Sky Wheel (double Ferris wheel)- you rarely see these nowadays -The OLD Old Mill, Kennywood- not this new Garfield crap- one of the last of the classic dark rides. (for those of you who don't know, a couple years ago Kennywood took this piece of history and rethemed it into "Garfield's Nightmare", with neon Garfields and Odies in it.)

You guys are the cutest! Great pics, especially the ones of Everest. Looks like a great ride. Love the captions, too.

Thanks for a great TR- your excitement was contagious! Can't wait for the next part!

Thanks for the great pics! Rage looks like a really fun coaster- I even like the colors.

I know it's been said before- the french fries at the Potato Patch at Kennywood are the best on the planet! They're big and thick, and you can get toppings like cheese, gravy, or vinegar (sounds gross, but its good). I think the food at BG Williamsburg is very good- expecially in Italy. Yum, Italian food! And so authentic. I know it's not a theme park, and don't know if it's food, but at the Jersey Shore parks (Atlantic City, Wildwood) they have this stuff called water ice- it's like slush, but it comes in a paper cup and you eat it w/a spoon. They have all kinds of flavors, my favorite being pina colada. I've never seen this stuff anywhere else before- has anybody else?

Great pics- thanks! Looks like a nice park. It's about 5 degrees here, so it's kind of hard to imagine going to a water park. Re: entrance price- Yikes!

Very sad. It's always tragic when someone dies so young. The pressures of being a celebrity must be very hard to deal with- look how many of them kill themselves. I would vote for booze and painkillers- as Ginzo said, the newer antidepressants are non-toxic, which makes sense, as the people they're prescribed for are the most likely to try to OD on them.