DCody

I rode Python back in the day! I miss it too. As for the giant Arrow at SFGAm, it was originally supposed to stay there. They were going to take out Whizzer to make room for Superman: Mediocre Flight. They changed their minds due to public outcry (when has THAT ever worked before???) So Shockwave went instead. They should have taken out Iron Wolf!

I think Whirlwind was a Vekoma, hence it not being that great. I love, love, love Arrow megaloopers and I can't believe Shockwave at SFGam was dismantled for a friggin' mediocre flyer like Superman.

I am definitely a preservationist, and one thing I truly love about Coney's old amusement area is how non-corporate it has remained. I would rather have the "Brooklyn flavor" that seems to put people off than some sanitized corporate playland. (I enjoy those places as well, but we have enough of them!) If the latter comes to fruition, the entire Coney/Brighton Beach neighborhood will suffer, believe me. People will be driven out by gentrification. My fiance and I are getting married at Coney in August-- that's how much I love it there. And I can't wait to have photos in front of the Cyclone, the old Child's building, and of course, the Parachute Drop. These things might not be shiny and new-- they probably look derelict to most people-- but they're an important part of American culture. Think of it as an outdoor museum. Astroland admittedly wasn't great, and I'm not that sad to see a bunch of portable rides go. But I do hope Coney retains its spirit and doesn't turn into Joe Sitt condo hell. ETA <---- this is me on the old Coney Zipper. It ran FAST!

That's great news! I was hoping our hunch was correct. Looking forward to riding it eventually.

My brother and I were just talking about how inexplicably good the drop on Turn of the Century/Demon is. Somehow it seems steeper and more air-timey than the average Arrow looper.

First of all, I have never had the opportunity to ride any Deja Vu-- they're always closed, it's a conspiracy! I'm wildly curious as to what a good Vekoma is like. So this year, I'm getting on the Vu. I also want to ride 1. Eagle's Fortress (I have a relative living in Korea, so the idea isn't that off-the-wall...) 2. Any Mr. Freeze 3. Shockwave (Schwarzkopf) 4. Boulder Dash 5. Voyage 6. I know this sounds crazy, but I've always wanted to ride a TOGO Ultra Twister, just because I don't have the credit.

Front row on Behemoth at night! But X2 wins in the "Most Creative" category. As for smaller steelies, Whirlwind at Seabreeze has a shockingly badass first drop (especially if you're sitting backwards) and it's only 50 feet tall!

The Robert Coker book has some truly sublime writing. His descriptions of the coasters are the next best thing to actually riding them. I was very impressed by that book. Plus, the photos are top-notch coaster p*rn!

I think I maybe just need extensive therapy!

Starved Rock is cool; a nearby amusement park could be a nice way to round out the weekend for regular tourists. 'Course I could just be excited because I grew up watching endless Santa's Village commercials and I don't think I ever got to go!

It's a flat ride, but there's a sex scene involving an Eyerly Rock-o-Plane in "The Jerk"! Awesome. There's also a very poignant shot of the abandoned Coney Island Thunderbolt at the beginning of "Requiem for a Dream."

I thought I was going to finally kick ass on this, but I made so many little mistakes. A sad 12/20! I hadn't even heard of that Zoosafari Blahblah or whatever!

Did you know the Meteor at Little Amerricka used to reside in a completely private park in my hometown of Lemont, IL? (I never got the credit because you had to literally rent the park in order to ride the coaster!)

I actually managed to DOUBLE my credits this year! (Granted, I had a paltry count before.) And the Behemoth/Ravine Flyer II trip with TPR was amazing.

Natalie and Roxanne are coming on the West Coast Trip? GIRLS OF TPR, REUNITED!!! I'm definitely doing West Coast, but Scandinavia is oh so tempting...

Looks hot! We definitely need a decent woodie in SoCal. I'm with all y'all on the theme, but maybe they'll create some kind of convincing creepy wasteland around the ride.

I think that's a REALLY cool idea, though. A hovering train would never have to be retracked and can you imagine the air-on-airtime!

I was really tired and I passed out during the Fahrenheit segment. I'm going to watch the rest tonight. I love ANY coaster special, and it was cool to see one featuring new rides instead of the usual "OMG hydraulic launch!" footage. Sunday I'm going to try to get on X2 for the first time, so this should whet my appetite.

Coaster is an airtime machine and one of my Top 5 woodies...I can't believe this guy didn't get thrown from the train! I'm a daredevil myself but I hate seeing people break the rules on coasters. If something happens, then the GP assumes coasters are dangerous.

Supposedly deer are often spotted near Dragon Mountain at Marineland. But then, who would be afraid of an Arrow?

I was excited to ride Dragon Mountain and it totally delivered...weird, woodsy, underthemed, loooooong Arrow goodness! But then I went on it two more times and suddenly needed a Tylenol and a nap. Definitely not a coaster you want to marathon. (That's probably true of anything that's not supersmooth.)

My favorite part of the day was when we started doing the "Crocodile Rock" choreography along with the cast at Retro Active, and the girl onstage nearly lost it! I miss Trevor's ding dong! ERT on Ravine Flyer in the rain...no words.

Looking at those lovely photos makes me so maudlin! I WANNA GO BACK! Natalie and Tyler: 2gether 4ever!

Your mom's got a slow shutter, if you know what I'm saying. The picture of the Screamin' Eagle reminded me why I chose "Ice Cream: The Ride" instead. SCARY!

"I LOVE YOU, DIVING HELIX!" Hearing the romantic things people screamed at Behemoth was almost my favorite part of ERT!