fudgey

I think it does depend on the school. I'm a teacher at a high school in the UK and regularly organise theme park trips for various groups and we get no hassle. Mind you it helps when I'm off riding things all day (some teachers will just spend all day in the coffee shop you know!) We even take a group abroad to do Disney Paris and Parc Asterix at the end of the year. Some of my colleagues often ask me why I bother. I often reply 'beacuse the kids enjoy it' when I really mean 'because it doesn't cost me anything to get in or to travel there....'

Something that I have used in the past when operating a frisbee ride and some people looked nervous and asked ''Is it safe?'' ''Yeah sure, don't worry. If the restraints come up in the middle of ride then just hold on real tight...'' and then I walk off the platform

Great TR so far, so funny. Is this where we're going to find those covert photos that you were discreetly taking at random points during the trip....

No its quite funny really. We waited an hour on the following evening for a night ride which was great. During the 8 hour thing most of the other rides were closed as well so it was a choice of either wait in the rain for the first train of Maverick, go back to the hotel, or wander around the park looking at closed rides. Alot of people decided on the hotel and TGIs, some hit the other rides and had problems due to constant closing due to weather. We decided to wait and had a blast doing it. After Maverick we managed Mean Streak, Gemini (one side), The Mine Train, Magnum, Skyhawk, and front seat of TTD so I think we did pretty well. We then hit all of the other credits the following day by lunchtime (longest wait - Mantis - 45min) so we had the rest of the day to do the other stuff (Power Tower, MaxAir, Rapids, Soak City and then TTD and Maverick again).

Heres a picture Beth. Remember when it rained........ - who stood out in the rain and who ran to the nearest shelter while we kept that persons place in the line 4.00pm.....

Oh yes - that song as well. We are now quite intimate with the maverick music playlist which included Pirates of the Caribbean randomly. I can honestly say that I had never been in line for anything for more than 2 hours before this. Can anyone beat or get close to 8 hours 20 though.....?

Was it worth eight hours - perhaps not, but the eights hours we all spent together was hilarious. It comes to something when you are looking forward to the Dallas theme tune on a music loop which lasts two hours. We did the night ride the following night and that was awesome - the Dallas dance made its reappearance........

Right, before I post this video, I have to explain a few things. The two days we spent at Cedar Point were freakin awesome (or as one CP ride op spieler put it 'SUPERTASTIC' - which I'm sure is not a word but as part of the international contingent on the trip - we loved it. Loads of memorable things happened - Robb and Elissa worked so damn hard to make it such a great two weeks and it so was!! So we left SFGA at 4.30 CT and arrived at CP at 2.15ish ET (due to sucky Chicago traffic). We pulled up outside Hotel Breakers to find out the power was all off and eventually we were given flashlights to enter the hotel and find our way to the rooms. Hotel Breakers has a really eerie feel about it (Lake Erie get it...... ) and it was so like 'The Shining' when walking to our rooms. Pretty cool stuff. Anyhow 3am and into bed. Up at 8am to meet everyone for Hotel ERT on MF, Maverick, Skyhawk, Raptor at 9am. Of course we decide to do the running of the bulls for Maverick. Now I'm not the most athletic person.... but ended up about 30 people from the front - not too bad. Other TPR crew made the very front of course. 9am rolled around and Maverick remained closed and it starting raining - booooo! No Maverick for us. Now bear in mind none of the other rides really opened much at all during the bad weather we had and so we had a choice - tough it out or TGI's for breakfast. I'm not running for nobody without a payoff and so a hardcore (or stupid..... ) group of us stayed and waited for Maverick to open...... I'll let the video explain the rest........ TPR Maverick Madness.wmv Maverick Line Madness

Right first trip report on here so go easy on me...... Firstly I'd like to thank Rob for putting the invite out to go to the media day for the new ride. Having not been to Camelot before (and the fact I have the Summer Holidays off), I thought I'd take the opportunity to go. Shout out to the Camelot staff who were extremely nice (free cookies and hot chocolate as already mentioned) and all were very helpful. For those of you who don't know, the Zierer custom Schwarzkopf came from Kobe Portopialand in Japan and was known as BMRX. Its taken Camelot a while to build due to the crap weather in this country but its finally open. Anyhow I spent about 2 hours at the park, and then it would have been rude not to go to Blackpool for the pleasure beach. So I took a side trip up there to ride Infusion (their relocated Vekoma SLC from Pleasureland Southport). Queued about 5 mins for this and was quite impressed. The water features make it unique and it is a good addition for the pleasure beach, although it desperately needs a major attraction to draw the crowds back. Then queued about 40 mins for the Big One, which strangely had Richard Rodriguez on it trying to reclaim his world record for constant rollercoaster riding. He is going to ride the Big One during the day and then transfer onto the Big Dipper at night for as long as possible. So it was good to catch a brief word with him, although I don't envy him for coping with the Big One's roughness all day, every day....... I believe he is going against two guys from Germany who are attempting to do the same thing on a Boomerang at Freizeitland in Germany. Anyhow, heres a few trip photos for everyones enjoyment (and I don't mean to be sarcastic, it just comes out)..... And just for the those Valhalla 'I'm the best water ride in Britain because I eat people, drown them and then leave them to freeze to death in a coastal resort which with very cold winds is a great idea' fans. From the non existant queue.. More wetness fun - infusing all the senses (see what I did there). And yes, you do get a little wet especially if the wind is right... Infusion goodness Just needed both trains in shot (and Sun!) for a good picture.. and Infusion... Now to bigger and better things... Sunny Knightmare, now thats better. Ahh yes the Rack - a torture contraption from back in time or a Vekoma Canyon Trip - you decide. According to aboutbritain.com, the ride is Europes only split level Rollercoaster............................... LOL Damn you weather, damn you!! Damn fine British Weather! Ride ops say we're ready and really, really enthusiastic about our brand new rollercoaster.... Psycho drop fun with train number 2. '5G Psycho drop' - and it was quite Psycho at the back of the train. Happy and content riders. 2nd drop. Curvy chained lift hill fun. Helix fun. This lady won with 126dB - didn't get the world title though. Camelot knight is very interested by her..................... scream. King Arthur held a Screaming contest - aiming to break the Guinness record for the loudest scream. Alas, this lady let out a meager wimper. King Arthur apparently, I was not worthy Station, with random Camelot Jousting Knights Nice new ride sign mmm, Knightmare fun

Hey everyone. Well just joined the board after ageeees - been reading the website for a while.... I'm 24, from West Midlands in the UK and I'm a teacher by profession. I've had an avid love of all things theme parky and especially rollercoasters ever since my dad took me on my first looping coaster (the Python at Busch Gardens Tampa (sorry.. Africa)) back when I was alot younger. Since then I haven't looked back. I've done all the major parks in the UK (helped by the fact I can now get in free when I organise trips through school... what a bonus), all the major parks in Florida several times over and Disney Paris, Parc Asterix, Europa Park, Port Aventura over in Europe and I'm now looking to increase my count alot further. Oh yes, and Halloween Haunts at parks in October absolutely rock. Fav Coaster: Silverstar Fav Woodie: Tonnerre de Zeus Fav Dark: Revenge of the Mummy Fav Water: Popeye Bilge Rat Barges No doubt you will see me posting around the place. Dave.