DCody

Just came here to post about this! I don't doubt that it happens. All the rich douchebag parents in my neighborhood LOATHE going to Disney and would probably do anything to avoid rubbing shoulders with the unwashed masses. I admit that I have a very low tolerance for lines and will buy any Speed/Flash/Q-bot type gimmick offered to me. I plan to take my kids to WDW in the next couple of years and I'm pretty intimidated by the crowd factor. But yeah, I would never, ever do this. The sense of entitlement really chaps my ass. Not just from people who use these tours, but the people who abuse these policies. My older son has a sensory disorder that makes waiting very difficult for him, and guess what? His ass can wait in line. TEACHING MOMENT.

Chiming in late here to say that I will NEVER get on another ARM drop tower-- which is to say that it's an awesome addition for Knoebels. XScream was the most forceful, sudden drop I have ever experienced. Granted, I am a puss who used to cry on Maliboomer, but yeah...Knoebels made the right choice. That little submarine looks cute too...I miss High-Speed Thrill Coaster.

I've never understood the point of them. They sound cool in theory, but it's not like the stand-up aspect lends an element of freedom or scariness to the ride-- in fact, I feel more restrained and caged-in on a stand-up than I do on most regular coasters. I always ride Riddler's when I'm there, but I enjoy it because of its epic scale and smoothness and despite the fact that I'm squatting on a bicycle seat...I mean "standing up."

Fantastic pictures! What a cool opportunity to visit those grounds. Makes me sad to see a Herschell Skywheel and a Hurricane abandoned though.

I love the Cyclone passionately, but it's rough and sluggish. A GCI refurb is one of the best things that could happen to it. This coaster deserves to be one of the best experiences out there. It needs to become a real attraction with re-ride potential, rather than just a landmark. I'm conflicted about new trains too, but they might be unavoidable.

I bet this park will always have a complex about its size.

I tend to balk at any line over 90 minutes, even if it's something I REALLY want to ride. I can't imagine anything that I'd wait five hours for. That said, I recently waited to ride Peter Pan's Flight in a frigging MONSOON, with my baby who was getting equally soaked, because it was the one DL ride I'd never been on and I was hellbent on finally riding. We got so wet that we had to leave the park inmediately after riding-- and it was 10 am! I guess what I'm saying is that if I was feeling stubborn enough, I might wait a totally unreasonable amount of time for a certain hard-to-get credit.

I haven't been on any outside of NA, but I'd have to say Shockwave at KD for nostalgia's sake. I think it was my first stand-up. I remember thinking a stand-up coaster was going to be so wild and "free" and was surprised to discover myself in a frigging cage.

Isn't it amazing how smooth and beautiful those Anton rides STILL are after all these years? They're just awesome. Thanks for the hot pictures!

19/26. Probably my best score ever (which isn't saying much.)

Arrow forever! R.I.P. Mr. Toomer.

I always liked Revolution at SFMM. It has a classic Mexican feel and just feels intimate and charming, unlike all the crazy modern themed stations they build today. Too bad the coaster isn't what it used to be.

This could actually be a big hit. Night at the Museum did huge business and this has a similar appeal. I know it's hard to imagine something like RCT being transformed into a compelling narrative, but just because they're using the title of the game doesn't mean they have to deal with the constraints of the game. (If that were the case, the upcoming Battleship movie would star a bunch of plastic pegs instead of Rihanna and Taylor Kitsch.) I do sometimes wonder why producers pay for the rights to these properties when they don't really need to. Someone could have made a "theme park comes to life" movie without involving the RCT people at all. Would have probably been way cheaper!

I like B&M hypers a whole lot, so I'm excited about this. The first drop is going to be sick. Obviously, it's kind of a weird decision from an enthusiast standpoint, but the GP are just going to see a humongous roller coaster that delivers a quality experience. Back to daydreaming about the imaginary flipping wingrider of my dreams...

I'm surprised some of you guys in your teens are embarrassed about this hobby. I'm a 33-year-old mom...you can imagine how weird my friends think I am. For some reason, nobody wants to talk about old vs. new style Intamin track. Maybe it's just me, but I'm often surprised by the fact that most grown-ups aren't into parks. I know people who dread taking the "obligatory" Disney trip with their kids.

Olympia Looping! I've also never been on any Ultra-Twister model and I'm really obsessed with trying one.

I'm not super fond of haunted houses/mazes either. This is a very dorky story, but once I was visiting Rick Baker's studio (he's pretty much THE monster special effects guy) and he had this little enclosed haunted maze he'd built right in the studio. I asked if I could go through and get "the credit" (LOL) but he had a rule that you have to go through alone or you can't go through. Even though the thing lasted about 30 seconds, I was SO scared walking through alone! Like I said, dorky story. You couldn't PAY me to go to this. You have to walk alone, and I've heard it's terrifying: http://www.nychalloweenhauntedhouse.com/reviews.html

I remember when Iron Wolf first went up. Me and my 12-year-old buddies couldn't wait to ride the OMG STAND-UP COASTER at SFGAm. It was the hot ticket that year. Sunrise, sunset. Weirdly, I remember being unimpressed with IW even then. I naively thought we'd really get to stand up in the car with unsupported legs (what if you faint?!) so the ratcheting bicycle seat thingy was a letdown. This has been Old Person Storytime.

WOW. Coney Island has really changed even since my wedding there in summer of 2009. I could actually bring my kid there now! I thought I wouldn't like the modernization, to be honest, but it looks so bright and lively and fun. Nice to see the Cyclone getting some love from TPR!

I'm ashamed to say that the haunted house at Knoebels is terrifying for me.

Ooh, this is exactly what I want to read tonight! Thanks for the link.

I am OBSESSED with Dole Whip. Glad to hear this news. I love vintage Disneyana and I'd hate to see all the kitschy old stuff being phased out in favor of new marketing. Between this and the fun old-school posters they're doing over at Disneyland, I'm happy.

Maybe not HATE, but I feel like a lot of enthusiasts dislike Rampage. It's one of my favorite woodies! I don't normally love aggressive rides, but I love that one.

Scariest part of riding a Volare! I can't believe it's legal to operate a coaster where you have to leap face-down into the car and hope the op slams the cage closed quickly enough. They're not bad rides, really. I admire the ambition inherent in making a cheap-ass carnival version of a flying coaster.

I recently rode my 150th-- Loch Ness Monster at BGW. Before that, I wasn't keeping track of which coasters were "milestones." KT is gonna lap me by kindergarten.