rollin_n_coastin

Nissan has had a lot of issues with overall quality perception of late..you can tell they've cheapened the interior and the tuning is a bit lackluster. The do look good on the outside in comparison. For that price range, I think Kia is excellent value. Really like the Kia Soul. Read a review about it and the 2012 model is a good improvement in terms of ride and engine updgrades over the outgoing model. Interior has been improved as well.

Love the Fiat 500 Abarth one. Very European... Also thought the America's Got Talent commercial was kinda funny I'm surprised we actually saw some of the same commercials that you guys see in the US. Normally we get only the Canadian-produced attempts at good ones

Don't you think they should actually finish Dragon Mountain first??? ^Beat me to it I think we have nothing to worry about there. It took years to build Topple Tower after all. Plus their next big attraction is that aquarium. I hear where Moose is coming from and agree. Sure, we could say that it's just the lift hill, but the supports from that alone is all it takes to dominate anything under it. Grona Lund, on the other hand, seems to have done it right. You still get a great view and experience on each ride. They're more extensions of each other.

Adam, great pics! Seeing Amity boarded up is still kinda sad. All in the name of progress? At least we still have Disaster... haha Funny how Woman in Black opened this weekend showing how Daniel Radcliffe could move on from Potter. Why couldn't everyone else? Mini golf is looking great so far!

Joey, thanks so much for putting these up! The best set of VIP tour pics that I've seen on the net!

This is awesome. But really, seriously, watch out for the tree branch Loving the station and the workmanship. They are using actual wood and masonry! The good folks in Sandusky obviously weren't able to override this one with the 'generic' build out....

^Very true. I'm not a fan of the "trying to mimic Times Square" and the finished area, but, you have to admit, they turned an area of town that was so run down and 100% sketchy that no one visited into a place that tourists love. It's always busy and packed. I lived around the corner from that area during school and watching it change over the years was bizarre. Definitely a huge accomplishment and a good thing for the city overall. Not to worry, Zanzibar is still standing.... But you're right, still love checking out that part of Yonge Street in the Kids in the Hall movie before they tore down all the 'sketch'. For us in the city, it's an easy area to avoid since we go to the new cool places (which is all relative I guess) while at least knowing that the city is drawing in people to keep it busy and afloat. Agree about the CNE. Ever since Conklin Shows stopped doing big events, the midway was never the same. But, the CNE itself is working in other areas because attendance has actually been growing. I wish it was, but in reality, I guess it isn't always about the midway, flumes, water park or even the cool shops on Yonge that are long gone for that matter. That was a great event. Same with Symphony of Fire (do they even still do that?)

Totally agree! I loved re-riding it but then, I only ever tried the front to middle. Then, rode the back once and wow....that was enough for a year. But then a lot of folks say that organ re-arranging feeling is what gives it all its charm. To a point maybe Hopefully a train re-build will suffice instead of a full replacement. They are definitely part of what makes the ride.

This is awesome news! Even those of us who may not be the biggest fans of their coasters can admit that GCI has done an amazing job re-tracking existing structures while keeping the spirit of their original design. Boulder Dash to me is an awesome CCI/ GCI love child, as an example

LOL So true and really funny! Always seems to be the initial reaction. Tried it a few years ago for the first time and don't really remember anything special about it other than it took forever to find it and you had to walk through the wasteland that is Ontario Place to get there. I do admit, the theming was the best I've seen on a log flume outside of Europe, so it definitely has that going for it. The only reason I tried it was because admission to Ontario place was free during the CNE, as is tradition. The flume at Wonderland seemed a bit more memorable and no one said anything when it was torn out for Top Gun/ Flight Deck. The place opened in '71 and became irrelevant after that decade. I remember it being boring and couldn't think of a reason to go as a kid or adult other than seeing a show or concert. Sure, the views from the property are awesome, but to pay that admission price to get in just for a view? Obviously that stopped working. No one knows what's going to happen to the property but it's become clear that it's dead since the government is broke and not in the Expo/ amusement park business. The management still thinks it's 1971 in 2012. The fact is that there is no money to keep it open under its current form since no one is coming. A small water park, a log flume and a kids playground can't sustain an entire property. It's a great spot with a lot of potential and here's hoping that whatever they do will be great for the public in the end. This describes me exactly. Needless to say, I won't miss it terribly. So true! But thanks to sites like this, people can see what happens when an attraction is left to die decade after decade, sucking taxpayer money.

In that last group of pics, is that hat on the drop tower supposed to be crooked, or is it just my imagination? Being the huge drop tower fan that I am, always good to know good and valid reasons to avoid them Hopefully, when we see more progress on the ride, seeing the potential for it not being a 'modern/ standard' B&M layout will definitely get this ride more attention I'm sure.

The province is so broke, the water park and playground area being the only draw are just not enough to keep the entire massive property open. Thankfully and hopefully, this 'crisis' situation caused by over two decades of ignoring the place, has kick started the revitalization planning that was announced over a year ago. Ontario Place opened as a mini Expo '67 or Epcot type showcase, highlighting Ontario's past present and future. It's never been an amusement park--that's left to the CNE next door and Centreville. Time and reality have leap-frogged over the past, present and future and this "Place" just got left way behind. There's nothing really left. I remember the Lego pavilion and playground were great draws. One of the main draws, since torn down, was the Forum concert venue inside the park. It actually brought people into the central areas of the park, who spent money at the outlets. It's been replaced by the Molson Amphitheatre, which isn't even inside Ontario place, just sitting on the edge. The Amphitheatre also took the headliners away from Canada's Wonderland, but they managed to keep Kingswood and the park alive. Atlantis and Ontario Place used to apparently be an awesome nightspot a long time ago but that moved downtown Toronto. I still think it can become a modern take on an Expo by modelling it like an Epcot. It just takes money to do that and the province has none, so seeing restaurants or maybe a hotel will help. Condo development is forcing a lot of clubs and nightspots to close in the Entertainment District downtown, so maybe there's a chance to pick up some displaced business again. I don't think the Cinesphere, water park or flume are going anywhere. They just need refurbs and/ or upgrades, which the province again has no money to do. They could try out a public-private partnership to kick things off. A little trip down memory lane: Ontario Place Theme Song The government actually made and sold this on 45s--this was the B side! People actually bought these. Who would have thought? Ontario Place 1971 in a Labatt's 50 Commercial Unfortunately, not much has changed since...

Pass the egg? I miss Europe

Love El Toro and the top few I think are a good call. I was honestly hoping that Balder would be a bit higher. I'm down for an Intamin around the World trip

^Except for the snow...haha ^^^Sign up for LeviaTHON

^^Pretty much sums up how I feel about it too. Not at all diminishing the seriousness of what happened, which is intolerable. Joe was institionalized at Penn and as such, the whole community failed the victims, assuming Joe followed proper protocol. It really is tough to balance thoughts on success against a major, major error in judgement, especially when adding the emotion of someone losing their life partially because of it.

What an awesome thread. Looking through these pics was such a treat. It's official, TPR members have the coolest cats, dogs, reptiles, birds and rodents ever I think. After growing up with hamsters and fish and still knowing I wouldn't have time for a puppy, I kinda took a different route and brought home Mia the Ausie bird a few months ago. She's a cinnamon pearl cockatiel and is a blast. Having a pet again is fantastic. First day at home. Hangin' out Catching up on current events...

Is it worth getting a Flash Pass at the Mountain?

In terms of giving you great experience for your future, I don’t see how life guarding can be worse than any other front of line position. I think being a ride op would be so boring, but everyone is different. In fact, I’d argue that guarding can be better. I think any job in this type of college program will give you responsibility and important training in life and on the job skills. But, being a lifeguard also introduces you to other job requirements that equal more responsibility and more pay, given the qualifications. My friends who worked at Splash Works at CW, working up to supervision duties, absolutely loved it. The best hours, best pay, amazing experience in terms of responsibilities. You get to manage and work with teams. I’d agree that you’d get more at a water park than resort as a guard. When I wasn’t a summer counselor I took life guarding jobs. When not at busy locations, I picked up instructor shifts from parent and tot up to guard trainer to keep it interesting, since that option was available. You just have to look at the benefit in whatever position offered. This program for Canadians closer to the East coast unfortunately meant sticking students at Epcot. Yes, at the Canada pavilion. Give me a resort guard position over that any day

The Bourne Legacy and Skyfall for me so far. The only vampire movie I'm maybe a bit interested in (since Underworld) is Tim Burton's take on Dark Shadows, which may actually be interesting since it will hopefully turn vampire stuff back into something campy...

A "little" Phantom story for the Phantom fans out there, which was in a way inspired after all the Orlando Les Mis excitement over the past few days. I remember the only reason I actually went to see a musical was to see how they did stuff on stage, being a major tech geek. Maybe that's why I love flat rides so much, leading to this theme park obsession? Since Phantom was marketed by Cineplex, who owned the Pantages, it was marketed like a huge summer Hollywood blockbuster and everyone and anyone saw it as a result, for various reasons, through its 10 year run in Toronto. It was the first musical I ever saw for that reason after the folks said we're having a night out in the city one cold winter night in 1989. The show itself kinda put me, my sister and the folks to sleep in all honesty when nothing but singing was going on. But, what made me appreciate a musical beyond the the tech and cool stuff was an actor/ singer's ability to wake you up whenever on stage and instantly give you goose bumps. In Phantom's case, it was Colm Wilkinson, fresh off of Les Mis' London and Broadway productions. He'd finish up a song and the whole audience was just "wowed". I saw it more than once and checked out Les Mis because of that. Paul Stanley from Kiss taking over when Colm left kept ticket sales going and actually worked out. Who would have thought? Then, the producers were convicted of the biggest accounting fraud in Canadian business history and all of their shows closed. Many would interpret that as a happy ending I think? Because Phantom was a marketing machine, they even had an educational program to help fill Wednesday matinee seats. My second time seeing it was for this "Phantom Educational Experience" on a grade 7 field trip. It involved a film about musical theatre and Phantom in the AM, a Q&A with some of the actors, then the show itself. It was bizarre because our teachers told us to get all dressed up and then we rode the yellow cheese wagon into the city. Meanwhile, all the retirees from up-state New York, Rochester and Buffalo got nice coach busses. Consider it like a TPR Bash event for musical theatre. For all the tech, theater and Phantom geeks, I came across that "Educational Video", promo and documentary that us elementary kids at the time, had to watch. Part 1 of 4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5kN5cTc6NQ Here's an example of some of the at times over-the-top promo work and its results http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4Dm5XFekXY Finally, you couldn't have a mega marketing machine and build hype without..the documentary (Part 1 of 7)... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVoaExWJbzo

^Confusion! Seasons Pass Benefits - Exclusive Sneak Preview VIP Night April 27, 2012 - 6pm to 10pm Don't forget that the website just launched so there are few bugs to work out. The calendar may not match up perfectly yet.

April 27, 2012, in the late afternoon, I'm assuming just before it opens for Seasons Pass Sneak Preview Night. It'll say on Leviathan's page if you go to "Auction" then "Ride Auction" then look under "A Great Day". It's also in the press release posted above.

I think it totally depends on the park and their particular installation. Our double drop large turn table Arrow flume was taken out after 14 years. Our Arrow looper is 31 years old and isn't going anywhere. The Arrow suspended is 21 and not going anywhere and hopefully won't I hope rapids rides stick around for a long time. It's so nice that there are rides that don't require interaction. As for flumes, maybe more Shoot the Rapids or extensions of Pilgrim's Plunge type rides will take over from the older ones.

For those that in all fairness aren't able to afford the add-on, just think of it being kept as an add-on as a great thing, unlike the Disney method where it is included in your admission. This way helps keep the general admission options more affordable for those that may not otherwise be able to visit the park.