KerryB

Thank you to those of you that accepted my challenge for today! Just FYI...The Carowinds TPR team is only $35.00 away from our team goal of $1,500. If anyone would like to bump that up...it would be fantastic!! Everybody have fun this weekend. Work is running me into the ground, but I'm looking forward to some air time stress relief this Sunday!! Thanks again! KerryB

OK...I just did a mad scattering of donations to multiple members!!! Some of you, it was a thank you for a previous donation. Others...it was why not! Go Team TPR!!! (Robb...it appears to have been a $90 round of donations...does that still earn some bonus TPR fun?) Go Team TPR!!! PS...I'll be working a 12hour shift tomorrow. When I get home, I will match up to $10.00 per donation the first five donations I receive throughout the day...how does that sound? Game on!!!

You and me both!!! I couldn't take a trip this year due to job instability...here's hoping for next year! Let me know if you decide to sign up for a trip. It is so great to see familiar faces having a blast in Japan though...scream a little for me!

You are amazing!!! Thank you!!!

Got my Team TPR pack...I've send out some email blasts to try to get that last bit to reach my goal! There are only three members in the Carowinds group, but we are only $115.00 away from an even $1,000 raised..so close! Hop on in there if anyone still wants to work towards the generous bags of crap offer! Here goes one more shameless plug on FB!! Go Team TPR! And for those that donated to my page, thank you!

My tax refund finally came through...so I just made a quick round of donations. Getting excited for the event! I'm still way off from my goal as I decided to raise it, but it's all good! Just glad to go beyond contribution and participate this year! Go Team TPR!

I work weekends at a hospital with very few people to cover my shift if I take off. Mid-week is perfect for me! I personally love this idea!!

Back in the late 80's or early 90's I remember hearing about two guys flipping a river rapids boat at KD. Supposedly they stood on the outer portion of the seats and rocked it. Death of some sort was involved. Also, parks shutting down log flume rides because people have been jumping out from the upper levels into surrounding trees and such. Rather than closing due to upkeep issues.

Question...I am updating my profile and such now that the link works. I would like to post something on FB about once a week for right now, preferably some kind of video or even, Kara, some of your stories and photos that you have posted. Something to catch people's eye and then cause them to hopefully be willing to click on that donation link. Is there a way a file could be created for us to pull from? Something that we could then personalize with a statement and the links to our individual pages? Or is it cool for me to copy and paste what is posted here? I just know that videos, stories, and photos draw me in and I am sure that will catch the attention of others as well. Thanks!

Hello Team TPR!! I am so excited that I will be able to participate in this years event. My link had some issues for a bit, but it is up and running now. First donation was from a FB friend I haven't seen in person in over 20years. Here's hoping many follow! Later, KerryB Here's my link: http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/KerryBuchanan/Carowinds2013

^Agreed! Ice Cream and maybe the Nobel Peace prize! I'm loving this update. I'm so proud of the TPR family for really supporting this event. I can't wait to participate next year. Go Team TPR!

I am proud to say that I'm a Harry Potter fan, but even if I was not I think this is a great move for the park. Some updating is very needed there and why not take advantage of this boon of a franchise. I'm not a great fan of carbon copies either, but we do need to remember that the majority of the public out there do not get to visit the same amount of parks that we park geeks do. It's only a carbon copy if you have the interest and ability to travel to each version. I would love to see a shift in the focus however..such that others have mentioned. Diagon Alley instead of Hogsmeade. Maybe even with Gringotts, including the dragon escape, in the magic potter box rather than FJ. There are plenty of options without having a complete clone. I am sure whatever they decide, they will see a good result in the numbers from this decision.

Glad to say that the first Blue Ray's I will own of any kind will be TPR! Now I just hope I get that Blue Ray player I'm counting on for Christmas...Also, I used my Club TPR codes without any problems. Thanks again Robb & Elissa!

Ice Bat demands your presence at this event! So now you must attend... dt Although the trip was Ice Bat approved...it was unfortunately not MRI approved. If only I didn't need the job to keep my house, eat, or go on fabulous TPR vacations! Have fun and fingers crossed for next year!

I'm seriously considering this...if I can get off work! Should find out this week...fingers crossed!

I was able to hit quite a few haunted events this year. I still have not made it down to Orlando, but one day hopefully soon! It's late...so I'll probably ramble...but I'm not ready for Halloween to be over! My co-workers were playing Christmas music last weekend...I'm still watching zombie movies! Anyway, any NC locals or those that like to drive a bit...if you get a chance next year check out Nightmare on Scales St in Reidsville, NC. Take your time and don't run through as their house is set up with multiple scenes. They were able to get two authentic screams out of me this year! I'm easy with the little yells here and there...and I enjoy a good B Horror movie scream...but these were not fakes! Next year they hope to open the third floor of the building and they plan to bring the scares on that floor to a R rating level. They are just trying to figure out how to get the non-R group out without hitting that floor. Whatever they do, I'll be sure to check it out! Scarowinds...very good sets, some good new additions...weak on some of the old ones. Cornstalkers was one of my favorites last year, this year...nothing! What a shame. We were there on a good night where the lines were not very bad, so they actually broke the groups up. My cousin was there on a different night and they only stayed about two hours. They were too disgusted at how they were pushed through like cattle. I appreciate getting in as part of my season pass, but I know this will just increase the crazy crowds. Kersey Valley Spookywoods...lots of buck...little bang. They even charge for parking now they've grown so much. This is one of the top haunts in NC. You do get a Haunted house, tram, corn maze, and two different trails through the woods. However, we were pushed through with overly large groups, rude guides, and then quite a few of the scareactors were not in what you could call a costume at all. Just some face paint and dark clothes. I don't mind paying more if the haunt lives up to it, but this historically good haunt let me down this year. I'm not sure I'll even go back next year...(although I really do want to try the haunted zipline!) Woods of Terror...again very big for their britches...will probably focus on the smaller local haunts next year. I will say though that their zombies were awesome! One even kind of spit on me as he did a quick turn and snap at my face. It was a little nasty, but also very well executed so I had to give him a thumbs up! This one does send you through like cattle as well, but we would just hang back and let the obnoxious groups play through. I did get to really scare some people when I screamed inside a school bus! There were no actors in there, but I made a few people run! It was great! Castle of Horror and Cannibal Creek- we did this the same night as Nightmare...I thought it was great. A little weird when one of the inbred boys grabbed me on the arm and pulled me running down a path away from my group. I've never had that happen before, so that was interesting! Xtreme Fear-smaller guys taking on Woods of Terror...I will let them scare me another year! Trotterville-we started off our season at this trail. I thought it was pretty cool in a very broke down, redneck, Halloween loving kind of way. We talked with the owner for quite awhile after we were done. He really admires the big boys, but I like the rough style of this trail. I do think someone, or more, honestly will get injured on this trail...but you can tell he loves what he's doing. The corn maze was very frustrating though...after quite awhile I asked one of the actors to help us out and he got lost! Afterwards, the owner admitted he just plowed down random trails to nowhere...and he'd added a few just that day. Bad thing is he didn't pull the pushed down corn out of the path. People were slipping on the stalks and crap. The best scareactor this season was here...just because he was so dedicated! We came across him multiple times from the woods to the corn field...busting through trees and underbrush to get at us. Always in character (Michael Myers) He even scares the owner...and his co-workers. As long as he's not really a serial killer...it's all good! Finally...Boogerwoods!! I have wanted to get to this trail for years! It only runs five days a season and always sells out with the wait averaging 3 to 4 hours. You can only buy tickets in person for the day of the event and it is in lovely Rockwell, NC....which means in the middle of nowhere to me! Anyway, one of our group drove an hour down to buy tickets that day, came back to Winston, and then made the trip back down later that night. All proceeds for this haunt go to Cystic Fibrosis research and all of the people involved are volunteers. It may get a little silly every now and then, but some of their effects are fantastic! And being a Michael Myers fan...I absolutely loved the finale! Although quite a few people weren't too happy about it...something about being locked up all smashed into one cage didn't appeal to a few group members. My little evil heart thought it was awesome! I think that's it....for organized events anyway! Sorry for the novel, but I haven't posted in awhile...and I'm going through Halloween withdrawal...and it's late...and you asked for it! So Boo already!!

Parks like Gilroy Gardens is one of the things I love most about traveling with TPR. If I were to go to CA on my own, I would probably never have visited this park. It was one of my favorite on the trip just because it's so cool, quirky, and beautiful. Thank you for resurecting this thread! Somehow I had missed the Bay Area update...(yes, I do feel very ashamed!!) And Dave, Ice Bat gets complete credit for my win at the raffle! I just wish I had one the sloth!!

This is so freaking awesome!!!

You are doing a fantastic job!!! I went to the Club TPR page this morning for a quick fix on any surprises and noticed that the hidden updates were gone. I'm sorry that people can't just be happy with the bits you were surprising us with and realize that full details will be here soon. Also...I have always been surprised there hasn't been any kind of a fee for TPR before now. So, I am ecstatic that you are working on such cool perks for us! I love discounts and special gimmicks, but more than anything I am happy to support the site and all of you that work so hard to make TPR what it is. Thanks again Robb! (and yeah...Disney doesn't give ANYTHING away...so no surprise there!!)

Saw it..did it...thought about doing it again... (by the way, is the club arnr supposed to be there or have they infiltrated?)

I'm ready and waiting to send that money...I look forward to the charter member tag! I am so excited that you are offering the members a way to help out the site and still get some awesome treats for doing so. You guys are amazing and I thank you for all you do to keep the TPR family entertained! I am really excited about the quarterly DVD. That's so much better than magazines that I don't read, but feel bad to just recycle them...(oh, and I think zonkeys are cool, so just a quick thank you to the title fairy!!)

The third movie "The Prisoner of Askaban" was directed by Alfonso Cuaron. He wanted to add quite a few new, mystical creatures to the story-line, but this is the one that stuck. Rowling nixed several ideas, which is fine with me as they already have to cut so much content due to time. She only allows creative changes that are in keeping with the world/story she has already created. It makes sense that the school would have a choir, so why not add frogs I guess. It is kind of cool that he created the choir director role basically to keep Warwick Davis involved in the film as they had cut his role Prof Flitwick out of the movie. I do not remember a frog choir in any of the books and Neville is the only semi-lead kid to have a frog/toad as a companion creature in the books. There's a bunch more trivia type things that go along with the choir, but I've geeked out enough already! I am a shameless HP fan and am very excited to see a re-creation of this particular world. If you haven't read the books, I highly recommend them...The first few will probably seem fairly juvenile, but they were written for readers the same age as the characters involved...so that would make sense. After the last movie, I'm somewhat concerned if the next two will hold a candle to the books...but I for one wait anxiously to find out! Thanks for posting the pics and keeping up with the steady updates. I look forward to seeing how the land continues to develop!

And we quite like the name "Club TPR" as oddly enough, it's what we've been calling it for short for a long time and then I noticed other people started randomly using it to! --Robb For the record...I like "Club TPR", I just want to know when the video game will come out. I'm a penguin fan, but I'm sick of all the Club Penguin love from the kids in my life. I think a Club TPR game with a little TPR trip flair would be awesome! Also, I'm catching up on posts. I've noticed some saying to send little or no stuff with the membership. I also want to go on record saying I'll be happy to get whatever TPR bags of crap you want to send me! I love free stuff and I love TPR stuff...mail that is not a bill in general is pretty exciting to me! The $40.00 is still a bargain, I'm still happy to pay it, and I'll look forward to getting some more TPR mints and a name badge whenever you're ready! --KerryB

I voted yes on the premium option...I've actually been surprised that there wasn't some type of a fee for all of the great things that TPR offers. I understand the concerns people have been stating, but I really don't see the base website experience changing. It has been an oddly cozy feeling that TPR is free to everyone to this point...but it would be much less cozy if all of the sudden TPR was gone due to rising costs both financial and time-wise for R&E. I'm most likely not going to go on a TPR trip this year, but I'm still ready to send my $ to help the site. I was thinking about donating after the Christmas dust settles, but of course I prefer getting something for my donation! Looks to me like a win/win situation. I think the biggest issue would be for the international members. It would be good if they could give you some actual/valid ideas of what would make a premium membership a good value for them. I joined ACE because it was the first coaster enthusiast group I came across. I have kept my membership up for the magazines, but I don't really read those either! I was excited when I found TPR and was surprise when the site was free. I am perfectly happy to replace the ACE membership completely with the TPR membership! I'd much rather support a group that I have traveled with and that I want to see continue to grow. One other thing...I know many are against the two bus trips. I really don't have an issue if the trips grew back to two buses. I think it actually lets the personalities kind of separate into like minded bus riders! And it was kind of cool to have a greater mix of people. I wouldn't want the trips to get out of control big, but I think they are just going to keep growing in popularity. I would rather a few more get to experience the trips than to never be able to get on one. I think people shouldn't rely on a premium membership to get on a trip. You have to act fast and send in that deposit! I don't think that is what Robb is saying anyway. New guys have just as good of a chance with getting on a trip as everyone else. You just can't wait and see, you have to respond to the trip offerings immediately as they are going to fill up. So basically, I'm good with this decision. I don't have any real suggestions for improvements thus far, but I'll think about it and get back to you if I do!

Well, I seemed to have escaped Dead Roy and a shark attack. But I missed the chat! I did hop in just a bit ago...and I did discuss the Intimidator, so please call off the sharks!! (Unless you send them trained and ready for me to use as guard sharks at my new house. That would be awesome!!)