natatomic

Tyra Banks. I just think she's really annoying. If I, one day, came upon her and she was on fire, I'd probably roast some marshmallows. Then I'd put the fire out. I mean, I'm not completely harmless. Has this post reached the the italic maximum yet? How about now?

I think I'm in love.

^I agree, it is kinda weird. I never really understood the point of it, since there were still two logs being dispatched at a time at the exact same intervals. The only thing it'd speed up was the loading of the front log, but Load 2 still had to wait for the previous passengers to get out before they could get in, so any time saved at Load 1 seemed to go to waste, if you ask me. Oooh, and yes, PHRED-A talks all the time. I don't think she said any thing during an intrusion, but if there was a ride stop (the automatic ones happened when logs were stopped too long in either the station or at one of the Pre-Lifts or Drops *cough*Drop 5*cough*), an E-Stop, during resets, and sometimes just to say hi and chat about the weather for awhile. Ok, not that last one so much, but still. I heard her often enough to the point where her voice still haunts me to this day. By the way, whenever she said "Reset," it always sounded like "Resit," and the word was squished together as much as possible. You know, like, rhymes with "grease it." Eh, okay, not that interesting, but it always gave me a chuckle to hear it. That's right, a chuckle.

It could be a safety thing too for all I know. But that's just what I was told during training. It's in my notes and everything! There's single, double, and triple modes for dispatching the logs. Single and double are pretty much self explanatory - when we either dispatch one log or two logs at a time, respectively. In triple mode, we still load, unload, and dispatch two logs at a time (the front log isn't visible in the picture); the difference is that we unload the 2nd and 3rd logs back (those gates rotate 90 degrees - look for the little plug things in the ground next time you're there!), that way when we move the logs up - again, 2 at a time - the front log is already empty and waiting to be filled by the people in Load 1, though Load 2 still has a log waiting to be unloaded. Hmm, it's kind of hard to explain without actually seeing it. Hopefully you're getting the general idea, though. I was talking to one of my friends not too long ago who still works on Splash, and she said that during this past refurb they were adding a third loading area and changing up the dispatching a bit to where they could dispatch one or two at a time as needed or something like that. I never saw it, though, so I can't back this up. Has anyone been there since it reopened last week? Yeah, in Florida A-Lift and B-Lift come first (B-Lift is the one going into the mill, the one people can see as they walk by the attraction), and then Drop 1 takes you into the Mountain. Drop 2 and Drop 3 come a minute or two later and are pretty much separated only by a short U-turn, with Drop 3 being the "roller coaster." Then C-lift is the big one that takes you to the top of the climactic Drop 4, and then Drop 5 is the little sorry excuse for a drop at the end that always, ALWAYS gets backed up. It's also where people always, ALWAYS decide to suddenly stick their hands in the water. I think that area of the ride gets spieled to more often than any other. Also, that box to the left of Drop 5? Know what's in there? Ponchos. See, if the ride has an E-stop, the poor people stuck there are next to the waterfall. Not that the waterfall is exactly drenching, but sitting there for 15 minutes will, at the very least, keep you wet. And that's what the ponchos are for. So, if you ever get stuck on Splash, Drop 5 is the place to be, especially if you're a free poncho enthusiast.

^I have no idea. I didn't know the breaks weren't always there. The only thing I know about the Drop 4 break (that was indeed the official name of that area of the ride), is that it's the only place that you're not allowed to be walking around unless the ride is actually powered down. So, if an intrusion is there, rather than hit the Ride Stop, you HAVE to hit the E-Stop before you send a runner in to check it out. And that means that the Mountain has to be reset (which can take anywhere from 10-15 minutes - if it ends up taking longer than 20 min for some reason, then we have to evacuate before we reset), which means you've got about a half a dozen or so CMs running around the Mountain reseting all the drops and lifts. I always enjoyed a good reset. Also, the Drop 4 brake ONLY comes up during an E-Stop (either a manual one or one automatically set by the computer for some reason), not during a ride Stop. And if a log happened to get stopped by the Drop 4 brake, which really didn't happen as often as you'd think, then we HAD to evacuate. The reason for this is that the the only way to get the log out of the Drop 4 Brake area is to push it, and while it's possible to push a log with people in it (we have to pull them back all the time when we evacuate inside the Mountain since some areas where the logs stop don't have reachable walkways), it's an area right out in the open where guests can see, and it's considered "Bad Show" to have to push a log full of guests.

Hmm, it worked fine for me. If you're having trouble, just go to my myspace (link in my signature), click my profile picture to view my photos, and click on the Splash Mountain Album. Plus, you can see all my other theme park photos there, too. I think you might have to have a myspace to see them though. That could be the problem.

Oh, and here's a story for you that happened while I was there. A woman was on the ride and trying to take a picture of her daughter when she accidentally dropped her camera in the flume. So the woman got out of the log and JUMPED IN THE FLUME to get the camera. Another log was coming, so she jumped out, let it pass, and then GOT BACK IN. Apparently this happened in an blind spot of the cameras and a non-sensored area of the Mountain because Tower had no idea a guest was doing this until the second time she got out of the flume when a sensor was finally tripped and the alarm went off.

I think Photosensitve High-Resolution Electronic Display. As for the "A," um...Appliance? Apparatus? Ashtray? Axe-Murderer? Yeah...I don't remember.

Yeah, now that I know about the lights on Splash, I look around in the stations at all the other dispatched rides to try to figure out what signal is used. It's usually some sort of light. BTTM is very similar to Splash, too.

I was a CP on Splash Mountain (WDW) last year, and I was told this too. It supposedly happened on Drop 3 (right when you go into the "Laughin' Place"), and since that room is known for being colder than the rest of the Mountain, that's why they claim it's haunted. Anyway, here's some things I was taught during my training. Don't read if you don't want the magic spoiled. -The window above the logs in the station is where the "Tower" is (the porch to the left of the window is the break room). That's where the computer system (PHRED-A) is and all the monitors where we watch all ya'lls enjoy the ride. -There are sensors all over the mountain. If you stand up or get out (or if a bee flies by), the sensor is triggered, an alarm goes off in Tower. The Tower Op stops the ride, turns on the lights in the Mountain (and the lights get brighter in the station and the queue in the tunnel and the barn, so if the lights come on while you're waiting, chances are you'll be waiting a few extra minutes), and sends the CM in the Unload position into the mountain to run the intrusion. -There are three staircases in the mountain, 15 doors (they're in numerical order from the outside of the building, but inside, they're all mixed up inside that crazy labyrinth), and (I think) 9 phones; and if you're running intrusions or running a reset, that's how you get around and stay in contact with Tower. -In Tower, there are 27 individual monitors (and two larger screens, for close-ups), but 40ish cameras on the ride. 5 of the 27 monitors are blank, and you can use them to put up any of the other cameras that aren't normally already up. -I forget how many sensors there actually are around the mountain, but there aren't any in most of the Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah-Day room (where the showboat is). I'm not suggesting that you do anything stupid though! If any of you try jumping out of the log and swimming around in the flume, well, you'll still probably die a painful, horrible death (if the logs don't get you, the amoebiasis in the water will - I kid, I kid). Still, there's no walkways in that room within reach of the log, so there's not all that much you can do even if you wanted. -People get out of the logs ALL THE TIME. I never knew this before I worked there. I didn't think people in the world were actually THAT clueless, but you know what? I seriously underestimated the stupidity of humanity. It took me about a week of working at Disney to learn that. Really, though, people get out probably 3-4 times a week on average (and at least ONE person stands up in the log during the course of the day). Most CMs like it though - intrusions are actually quite fun what with the running around in the Mountain and yelling guests. CMs don't usually get to tell guests what's really on their minds most of the time, unless they plan on getting fired. -When you're in the station, watch the lights in the lamps. Two of them are in sync with each other, and they're either off, blinking, or on. When the lamps blink, as long as the guests are seated in the logs, the person(s) at Unload (we sometimes have two people depending on how many logs we're dispatching at once) hits their dispatch button, which causes the lamps to stay on. When the lamps are on, it let's Dispatch know that it's clear to actually dispatch the logs, and he/she hits her button and off they go. The lights go off, and they won't start blinking again for 11.5 seconds (PHRED-A won't allow otherwise - keeps the logs safely spaced). Also, if the logs are stopped in station for too long, the ride automatically stops, and Tower has to do a quick reset (nothing major, it takes only a few seconds, it's just annoying). -If the line reaches the bottom of the staircase, the line is roughly 10-20 minutes (if the FASTPASS line is empty, it COULD be as little as 5 minutes). From the barn doors in the queue, the line is roughly 30 minutes (15 if no FASTPASS). If the line is longer than that, it's hard to judge, but if FASTPASS is stretching past the barn, you may be standing in one place for a long time. I always suggest getting a FASTPASS for Splash and riding BTTM while you wait. It seems to work better than the other way around. -Operational Hourly Ride Capacity is 1800. -Total ride length is 11 minutes and 24 seconds. -The maximum number of logs that can be on the flume at any given time is 56. -An empty log weighs 1 ton. I've got a few other trivia bits (show scene names, CM position names, etc.), but I don't know how much info is too much info, since Disney is so secretive about backstage things. Having said that, I've got some photos over at my myspace that you can check out here: http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewAlbums&friendID=14892200 I just have to keep my fingers crossed that Disney doesn't sue me or send a hit man after me or something.

The original story line was SO much better. It was Zeus vs. Poseidon (at least, I think it was Zeus...anyone wanna confirm?), and a feeble, old man was the "tour guide;" though at the end we find out that he was actually Zeus in a mortal disguise trying to protect us. That's right, *protect us* because POSEIDON was the bad guy. So when they changed it to Poseidon vs. Darkennon (how dumb of a name is that, anyway?), I was all like, "I gotta root for the original villain now? Something in my conscience just does not sit well with that." But the special effects were basically the same in both versions, and that's pretty much what makes the show, so I guess the meat of the show kept it's dignity. The only other difference was that treasure room (or whatever it's called - the 2nd room) was decorated differently, but that's about it. Still, the original? Soooo much better.

One time when I was working on Splash Mountain at MK (College Program), I was at Dispatch, and as I sent the next log, I heard the woman in the front row ask her husband, "This is Thunder Mountain, right?"

I have to point this out in one of your photos, because it CRACKED ME UP. 1. Back 2. Belt 3. Butt

Looks like someone is about to win one of a Million Dreams! Lucky bastards...

4/30/1986 US: Addicted to Love - Robert Palmer UK: A Different Corner - George Michael

1. Grapes 2. Strawberries 3. Fuji Apples (nice, crisp ones) 4. Bananas 5. Pineapple 6. Kiwi 7. Oranges 8. Tomatoes (preferably in sun-dried, pizza sauce, or ketchup form, I don't like them just as regular tomatoes, which is why they're this far down on my list) 9. Blackberries 10. Raspberries

It's FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Call me crazy, but I've been once a year for the past 3 years, and you aren't missing much. You seem to like it enough to have one of its rides (with the park's name clearly attached on top, mind you) as your avatar.

Great TR you've got there. And judging by the pictures, I'd say you made a nice choice for your new camera. By the way, how were the crowds? The mid-ways looked pretty dead, but I see there was a full train on Thunderhead.

Great TR for you too! I LOVE the "on-ride" photo of Storm Runner. You know, though, the poor snowman looks like he's been hanged, poor thing.

I don't know about worst, but Scream! at SFMM is a rather unoriginal name. It's like coming up with a brand new food and naming it Digest!. Maybe?

To me, this poll has the same level of accuracy as the Golden Ticket Awards. They're both fun, but absolute crap.

No, no track or anything. Still just dirt piles. I think they've just recently begun the land-clearing, so it might be awhile before we see and vertical construction.

Here you go: Nevertheless, still an awesome trip. See you next year, Hershey! More crowds. See the pumpkin trying to eat the masses? This was taken Friday, but oh well. The Boardwalk, LR at night, and my mom. Hi mom! A filler Ferris Wheel photo Oh yeah, another Halloween-themed coaster rename But you know, I can live in a world of crowds and temporarily out-of-service rides so long as there are S'mores. I can only assume that these people have self-destructive tendencies... Now this is one ride that I will voluntarily skip over. I have the credit, that's all I need. As is Lightning Racer. See the person walking along the train? Storm Runner is down for now Here's some Wildcat before the line got ridiculous Next time I see this, there will be a coaster here! Sometimes dirt can really turn me on. This is one of those times... That's right - The Nantimi Conspiracy has finally broken ground! Hmmm...these look familiar... But wait - what's this?! Great Bear had about a 45 minute wait Or maybe a LOT more crowded Yeah, looks like it might be a bit more crowded today And, of course, Lightning Racer A drive-by photo of Storm Runner - through the trees, yes? Am I allowed to use the long-established TPR inside joke? Taken while driving by the park. I'll let you make your own sexually implicit comments here. The possibilities seem endless. But back to Hershey - Happy Anniversary! Hey Dutch Wonderland. Still don't have any of your credits you know... Dang, I look so CUTE Amish! A step back in time

(Side note: Friday night was SO dead in the first hour that while I was riding SR they let us have re-rides since they were afraid the trains wouldn't otherwise have enough weight to get them over the top hat.) Day 2 began with a visit to Lancaster, PA to take a look at Amish Country. We also waved to a closed Dutch Wonderland as we drove by. Coming back into Hershey we ran into a lot of traffic as we got closer to the park, which is never a good sign. And yeah it was CROWDED - a lot more so than last year. But it was a gorgeous night, it's still the 100th anniversary year, and it rained the night before, so I figure those three things probably all attributed to mass of humans that swarmed the park. Storm Runner went down for a couple of hours in the afternoon. During that time Thunder got stuck on LR, and both sides were down for awhile. That made Wildcat's line over an hour long for a while and Wild Mouse's line extended outside the queue. (By the way, yes, Wildcat is a MUCH better ride now that it's got the new Millennium Flyers. I didn't even need a sports bra! Great investment, HP!) We decided to try Comet and ended up waiting an hour anyway. :S When we headed back over to LR toward the end of the night, it was only running Thunder (you know, the one that was down only a few hours earlier), which made the line about 30 minutes despite the thinning crowds. And again...no SooperBOOperLooper. But still, we had an awesome time and made the best of it despite the insane crowds. Some people may think this park is overrated, but I think it's got a solid coaster collection (boomerang aside) and wonderful maintanence. Maybe my love for chocolate has left me blind, but HersheyPark is definitely one of my favorites. EDIT: My photos got messed up so I'm having to upload them again. They'll be back soon.