bubala

Hey Gang! I still have a few bucks left to donate to some fellow TPR'ers! If you have not reached the $75 minimum fundraising requirement and you are planning to physically attend the Coasting for Kids event, just reply to this thread and I will do my best to help you out! First come, first served! -Jason

Done and done! Have a great time you two!! -Jason

Got you to the $75 minimum. But, don't stop now. Good luck! -Jason

I got you covered for the minimum $75 donation. Don't stop now though. Hit that pavement and raise some more! -Jason

I'm a ways off from the minimum this year, if you or anyone else wants to help me at least reach that https://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/zerethon/CedarPoint2013 Big thanks to anyone who helps Done! Have a great time!! -Jason

Got you and your friend covered! Have fun! -Jason

You are now at $75! Have a great time! -Jason

Team TPR, I have some monies to donate to Team TPR'ers! Anyone who is planning to participate, but has NOT raised the $75 minimum in donations, reply to this message! I will make a donation to you. I cannot promise to get you to the $75 mark, but I will do my best to help out where I can. Funds are limited and will be doled on a first come, first served basis, so hurry! Good Luck Everyone! -Jason

Does anyone know what the deadline for posting donations is? Thanks! -Jason

I have just joined Team TPR! I am listed on the Dorney Park page even though I will be attending the event at Kings Dominion. (Long story! Kara at Give Kids The World is aware and has assured me everything will be fine!) I do not really need any donations, because I have already raised a LOT of money. (I haven't posted any of it yet, but trust me, it's a lot!) I will also have some donation dollars to spread around to other members, and I will be announcing ways that you can get yourself some of this donation money in the near future. Best of luck to everyone in your fundraising efforts! -Jason http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/bubala/DorneyPark2013

I would just like to point out that I was talking about my love for Star Jet all the way back in June... Here: http://themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=62923 I see now that I am definitely in the minority on this one, so I shall go away now and be sad all alone.

Biggest frowny face in the world!!! I actually liked this ride and traveled to Seaside Heights two times this past summer just to ride it! The views going up the lift hill and around the first turn were incredible. Nothing but ocean all around you. I will miss Star Jet! May she rest in pieces... Poor ol' Star Jet!

Happiness is... being healthy enough to be able to travel around the country and the world to ride roller coasters. Now, if only I could find me a Sugar Daddy to pay for this habit!!

Thanks so much for your advice guys! Much appreciated! I will try to post updates from the road, but this is going to be a pretty full trip, so I am not sure if I will have the time. -Jason

During the first week of August, I will embarking on my own little mini tour of the American Midwest. I'll be visiting six parks in six days. It's not going to be an easy trip, but I have done this kind of thing before, so I am confident that I will be able to pull it off. I am planning to visit... Six Flags St. Louis - St. Louis, MO Silver Dollar City - Branson, MO Magic Springs & Crystal Falls - Rockwell, AR Frontier City - Oklahoma City, OK Worlds Of Fun - Kansas City, MO Adventureland - Altoona, IA If anyone has any suggestions, advice, comments, questions, etc., please post them in a replay here. Also, if anyone wants to meet up at any of these parks, please let me know. I will be traveling by myself, so I will be scared and lonely... My Midwest Tour!

They actually had four cars on the track. Only one operator though, so dispatching each train was about a 7 to 10 minute ordeal. Then, right when we're the next train to be dispatched, the ride operator figured that would be a great time to stop dispatching and try to repair a part of the ride queue using plastic zip ties. Lol!

Oh, I enjoyed day. Any day riding coasters is a good day. I was just disappointed. Always makes me sad to see a park not living up to its potential.

After spending the morning and early afternoon on the beach at Sandy Hook, NJ yesterday, we decided to stop by Keansburg Amusement Park on the way home to ride to ride Wild Cat and to (hopefully) score my 402nd credit on Sea Serpent. We had been to Keansburg one other time a few years ago, but I couldn't remember having an opinion on the park one way or the other. Being the amusement park nut that I am, I hate to speak ill of any park, but... Keansburg seems a bit run down. A lot of the rides look faded and rusty. The ONE ticket booth attendant was painfully slow. There were only three groups of people ahead me in line, but after it took 12 minutes just to help the first group of people, I gave up and walked back across the park to find a man who had earlier offered to sell me his extra tickets as we walked in to the park. I bought 50 tickets from him for $20. Good deal since the ticket booth was selling them for 60 cents each. First stop was Wild Cat. I had ridden this coaster on our previous visit. They only had one ride operator at the coaster, and they can only dispatch one car with a maximum of four guests in it at once. So, even with only 12 people ahead of us, it took about 25 minutes to ride! The ride operator would dispatch a car, then have to go wait at the end of the ride to let those guests off and then push the empty car up to the loading area, dispatch the next car, and then do it all over again. Ugh! And, it was hot out there, so the ride operator was understandably not all that enthusiastic! I actually like Wild Cat! It is very smooth and a great tweener coaster. I would have ridden it again, but... (see above) After Wild Cat, we headed over to Sea Serpent. The last time I was at Keansburg, they would not let me ride Sea Serpent since I am childless. This time, however, I explained to the ride operator that I travel all around the country to ride coasters and that I keep track of all of the ones that I have ridden. I told her that I had never ridden Sea Serpent. She asked me a whole bunch of questions about coasters around the country, and since there was literally NO ONE else waiting to ride Sea Serpent, she let me on! Of course, my husband didn't ride with me on this one, so I am sure that I looked hilarious riding another kiddie coaster again all by myself! Oh well, it's another credit! Next, we headed to the Spook House. I am a big dark ride fan, so I always seek them out everywhere I go. I always enjoy them no matter how corny or lame they are, and Keansburg's corny and lame Spook House was no exception! It was great, cheesy fun! Oh, and it smelled like stanky old mildew in there, which only added to the charm of the ride! We stopped in the gift shop to see if they had any Keansburg branded souvenirs. The gift shop was in worse shape than some of the rides! There were empty racks all over the place and very few actual souvenirs. Mostly just beachwear and sundries. Very disappointing... After a tasty twisty soft serve ice cream cone, we headed out and went on our way home. Not the best day that I have ever spent at an amusement park, but certainly one that I will remember for at least a week or two. Has anyone else been to Keansburg recently? If so, what did you think? -Jason

Why, yes! Yes, I have! Just the other day at Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, NJ, I was the only one on the Hot Tamales coaster. Of course, that might have been because all of the parents were too afraid to put their children on a roller coaster with a 41 year old coaster geek! Even my husband was too mortified to join me on this one! It was number 401 though! That's me all by myself! Nerd?!? Who you calling a nerd?!?

I totally forgot about Milennium Force. That is a great view!

We are spending a couple of days in the Seaside Heights, NJ area, and I decided to get a few rides on some of the coasters at Casino Pier and Funtown Pier. As I was going up the lift hill on Star Jet, I remembered why I liked this particular coaster so much. The view of the ocean as you are going up the lift and as you go around the first turn at the top of the lift is INCREDIBLE! Especially if you are sitting in the outside seat. All you can see beside you is the ocean. It seems as if the coaster is just floating above the water. It got me to wondering about what everyone else might think are the best views from a coaster lift hill? So, what is your favorite lift hill view? Mine is Star Jet at Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, NJ! -Jason

Thanks! The way it is going now, Flying Turns might end up being my 1,000th!! -Jason

You're welcome! That was my intention, so I am glad you liked it! -Jason

I put together a little video of my trip to Knoebels and Dorney Park last week. During this trip I rode my 400th roller coaster! I'll let the video tell you all about it. -Jason P.S. All of this video footage was shot in places totally accessible to the public. No park rules were broken during the filming of this clip.

Let's not lose sight of the real reason that we participated in this event. Even though there may have been problems at some parks, we still managed to raise a whole lot of money for a great organization! That is what yesterday was really all about. As enthusiasts, we can go to parks any time and ride coasters until we pass out. But, it is not every day that we have have the opportunity to make such a huge and wonderful difference in the lives of children all around the country. The money that we raised is going to do so much good for so many people. That alone is enough to make it all worth it. Any coaster rides that you got in yesterday were just icing on the cake! Special thanks to the Kings Dominion team for a great time! It was nice to meet you all. Hopefully, we will meet up again at a park some time soon! -Jason