Noxegon

Don't forget Volcano.

Time to buy an airline ticket -- there are two more of them in Europe!

Oops, you're right. However, Lynet is a LSM ride - as is Rock'n'Roller Coaster at Disley, Xpress at Walibi World, and Formule X at Drievliet. There are also at least two more LSM rides going in next year, one at Plopsaland and one at Europa Park.

Love the picture of Robb!

Eh, what? You'll climb a two hundred-odd foot lift hill and not know a drop is coming?

In your dreams!!

Rubbish. Adventure World in Perth was small but awesome. The Gold Coast parks are among the nicest I've been to. Operationally they were pretty awful (one train ops, NO loose items anywhere, etc) but in terms of ride quality they were top of the line. The two Luna Parks have some serious history behind them, and while both are half day parks I'd still recommend them to anyone.

Whaaat? Desert Race (Heide Park) Furius Baco (Port Aventura) Rita (Alton Towers) Lynet (Farup Sommerland) Stealth (Thorpe Park) And those are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

Unaccompanied minors typically need special paperwork to fly overseas, but accompanied ones do not.

Jaysus... sounds to me like she's better qualified on foreign policy than Sarah Palin

I've been posting trip reports from this trip on my own site for those seeking a little additional reading matter: http://www.bannister.org/coasters/trips/2008/

Can I assume from the commentary that Anaconda at Walygator Parc is still, er, a useful addition?

Okay, can we safely assume that this was all a massive hoax at this point?

Is there some unwritten rule that all visits to Efteling have to be made in overcast or rainy weather? Every time I've been there it has been horrid... And I agree, Plopsa Indoor is simply awesome.

There is a Big Apple in Funtasia in Bettystown. Ireland's biggest coaster - and in fact the only adult coaster that isn't a Spinning Mouse - is the Shockwave, a travelling Schwarzkopf Looping Star. http://www.themeparks.ie/fairs/2007fund/shockwave5.htm

Hey now, Leisureland is the closest thing this country has to a proper amusement park Looks like the rides haven't changed much since last year when I visited. Relief really that I don't need to go back... http://www.themeparks.ie/fairs/2007llfw/index.htm

Yeah, that was seriously imppressive. She seemed to enjoy it a lot too, though she did say that her legs were shaking afterwards which is not normal. Yes it is. I've done four Skycoasters now and they still do that to me every time. That's why I enjoy them so much

Precision German Engineering

I call false advertising on that one. A relocated coaster, perhaps, but Batman: Knight Flight took its first riders many years ago

Well, they've one more day...

I'm not sure that's a valid statement, to be honest; speaking as someone who doesn't live in the United States I'm not hugely enthusiastic about visiting your country around either of the two public days; the July 4th weekend costs a small fortune in flight tickets, and August is way too hot for those of us used to western Europe. It just so happens that I've family in Ohio and I was over in August a few years back, but I wouldn't go that time of year again if you paid me to. OTOH one might argue that the park does make it possible for anyone who's prepared to put themselves out to ride, neatly wiping out my argument

In terms of thrill value the Fabbri-built towers win every time, even the smaller ones. There's one at West Midlands Safari Park in the UK that's positively terrifying. However, in terms of sheer enjoyment value give me the one hundred plus metre Intamins any day - either Blue Fall or the Dreamworld Tower of Terror. The latter was simply awesome

Ah now, that's a bit below the belt. Talk to Martin Valt or Lisa Scheinin if you want a real credit whore

I've got a truckload of photos to post at some stage when I have time.

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/news/default.asp?article_id=39861 Bastards. Bound to be Arson.