downunder

^The launch is so powerful I could never believe they were just inflated tyres rubbing against the underbelly of the train.

So the launch is generated purely from tyres spinning under the train? That launch is a great trick shot, and that inversion before the first drop is nice as well. If I hadn't seen the House on Haunted Hill just before I went to IOA, I never would have saw that launch coming.

^If there was a TPR Olympics, getting Dan wet would be one of the main events, along with ACE Bashing, and Jeff Johnson credit counting.

I'm going to carry a water bottle with me everywhere now, in case I see Dan in Sydney. The only thing better than emailing Dan - drenching Dan.

^You're not alone, I hate motion simulator rides period, I don't even consider them rides, I prefer real live action rides to simulators.

^Sounds like you need a new pimp JJ.

^But it was always free to point and make fun of him before, now we've got to pay $5.

^That's why I voted for Dragon's, they were really forceful the whole ride and very smooth in October last year when I visited. Even Harry Potter couldn't tame them.

I hear that Prince Desmond will be sending an invitation to all women of TPR to join his harem, just send $100 to secure your place in the glorious presence of the Prince.

Give generously to Price Desmond and your loin will be fruitful in the belly of your woman (oh, that wouldn't apply to most here for various reasons). Besides with Somali Pirates spending their booty on Nigerian real estate, sending prices and rents through the roof, the Prince needs to make his ever increasing rent.

Dragons for me, then Hulk, and Mummy. Men In Black is my fave dark ride, I'm not a big fan of motion simulators with projections so Forbidden Journy doesn't get a nod, but the Potterland is a nice piece of work overall.

^After visiting Rye Playland in 2008 our group had various names for the place like Rye Stabland and Rye Gunplayland etc. It wasn't that dangerous a place more us being facetious. I think some of the rides were more dangerous than any of the patrons.

Maybe Ghostrider has been fixed up a bit, I had a couple of good rides at Scary Farm last year, albeit in the front with a mostly empty train. Though my 2007 and 2009 rides were in the "please make it stop" category.

I love the look of that loading station during X2 ERT, empty as Snooki's cranium. That log flume tour looks great, I love that ride, even when the treatment it gets at Scary Farm has been avaerage it's still such a fun ride. Any scoops on Scary Farm or are you all sworn to secrecy? How was Ghostrider running, like a Rocky Mountain candidate? Edit: Haunt scoop just came up on Twitter: "Haunt 2011 - DELIRIUM - Enter a waking nightmare where what is real and what is illusion is blurred. The madness is real. Former Club Blood"

^^Violated by Volare, thanks Zamperla. I've got some good shots from Rye Gunplayland in 2008, of agony with no ecstacy, don't have them handy right now. I've been on half the Volares in existence, this makes me sadder than George Michael would have been when he had to leave prison.

Wow, Jeff Johnson is now an upcharge, is that a tactic to suppress high demand? Meanwhile, NASA scientists continue looking for a number high enough to express JJ's credit count. I'm more interested as to whether King's Island is in league with the Empire (Industries).

^Though you don't have to chase the train on a mouse like you do with the Volare is probably more what I found striking. Soon one of these things will be mugging people at Coney Island.

What I find most unusual is that the trains never stop, they keep cycling around continuously, and slow down so you can catch one at the loading bay. I can't think of too many coasters that operate like that (waits for people to cite 100s of coasters that do that I don't know of).

^Big Bad Wolf - oh darn, just remembered. That was my last coaster at Busch Euroburg. My last coaster was Montu at Busch Tampa in October last year. Elissa's last coaster before Superman? My mind boggles, that could have been anywhere, Robb's Rollercoaster of Love?

^We're talking about the lord of credit whores here, he will find a way to count anything as a credit. Don't doubt the master.

I've been on at least 3 Volare's and they are the kind of coaster you would imagine the damned would be forced to marathon in hell - Dante's Inferno my ass, more like Dante's Volare. These coasters are very mediocre on top of being downright nasty, I almost missed the foothold on my first one and started sliding down for a jolly good neutering.

Hopefully the dinosaurs won't eat all the ACErs doing their morning walk-back and die from cholesterol blocked arteries before they get to SOB. And will the great man Jeff Johnson count the dinosaurs as credits?

Maybe negotiations with Six Fags fell through and this was a backup deal. I didn't even like Smurfs when I was young, are they going to modernise them perhaps, turn them into gangstas? I only liked the Smurfs on Robot Chicken - that would be cool.

^Thanks for that, sounds like they've got it right for this season.

The impression I got that there were two big factors (correct me if I'm wrong): *The experience was a bit too intense for the average guest *The g-forces in the first first turn were wearing out wheels at a frequency, that long term, would have had major ongoing maintenance cost implications. But good on them, instead of just leaving the trims on, they did some major work that should please most coaster enthusiasts (we'll see what riders think).