rollin_n_coastin

Chuck, awesome again! I almost forgot about sliding on rat vomit there for a minute lol

When I googled "Yo Gabba Gabba Snacky Snack Snack," this post came up as the eighth result! That's so funny! Wow, I feel so humbled to be metatagged (is that what it's referred to?) for the TPR Yo Gabba Gabba contribution

Chuck, how sweet this is, you’ve started your TR! Look forward to seeing more. Between you, Robb and Big Mike maybe some more of us will get the motivation to start piecing one together. It was great when our jetlagged group bumped into yours. We didn’t know if anyone else had arrived early. Well, we saw Big Mike from a km away and all of you in tow. That was a great afternoon! So happy to hear that you and Jess both ‘found’ your luggage later that day. Cheers, J

^Ah ok, so I wasn't doing the wrong thing afterall Those BROMS certainly were intense...

What a crazy ride. I personally really enjoyed it. Honestly, when the owners told us to flap our ‘wings’, it seemed easy enough. But seriously, with just a seat belt and the seatbacks being no taller than the side rails of the cars, I did not let go until at least the third or fourth ride. I think this is what TPDave is referring to. The jolt from one particular maneuver definitely made me grab back on lol Leg room wasn’t bad but only because I I let my legs slide around the seat in front of me, which coincidentally Erik was sitting in. With one of the jolts, I had Erik on my leg. It hurt a ‘wee’ bit given that there was no padding on the other side of Erik and my leg. Totally my fault for sticking my legs so far forward but it was kind of funny. Tranan sure is a fun and unique concept for a family ride. With a bit more refinement (I remember the owners telling us that S&S will be coming to work on the lift) it’ll be even better. It was pure eye candy to watch and a really bizarre and cool ride experience for sure.

That place was almost surreal and the pier was the perfect complement. Loved the derby and whip! They were seriously turbo charged!

Is it normal to start salivating when someone says or types Yo Gabba Gabba? Robb, you've trained us all well! ^Yep, very much missing Lina, Jonas and the entire bus experience too! Well it’s 10:30 and snack time here (mmmm…..I love snacks). I just grabbed a yogurt . Yes, I know, a yogurt…for Jason! I really do wish Plex could have just handed one over but such is life.

Wow, it's tough leaving after everyone else. Just sitting at baggage claim in Copenhagen in front of where Moose, Hotfuzz and I grabbed our luggage over two weeks ago. It's crazy how last week flew by. Nostalgia and jetlag blow lol What an awesome experience! Robb and Elissa still continue to put together phenomenal trips, which is definitely a great thing for TPR members and trip participants. Thanks to R&E and everyone on the trip. It was a pleasure spending the last two weeks with all of you. Cheers, J

^Same here, not that crazy yet. I really enjoyed watching though but have to get over a basic drop tower fear before attempting that. I'm still in awe of all the people that did it and of course to TPR photographer Hanno for braving the cold and rain/ wet snow up there to take some phenomenal pics. With a park wristband, the SCAD jump worked out to about $10.00 USD The park was awesome and even let the jumps go in the rain but the wind wasn't too crazy. Congrats to everyone who did that thing. For some, Cobra and Pegasus were adventurous enough lol An amazing trip so far, without a doubt.

As with Dave sitting right across from me right now, I paid for 'value' internet access and had a few minutes left. I also wanted to to comment on how incredible this trip has been so far! We may not have done a 'large' park but the atmosphere, people and craziness along with some of the most imaginative attractions around have made the trip worth every penny and then some. Stay tuned for Hansa and Fluch Von Novgorod updates! Can't wait for Sommerland Syd and Legoland tomorrow! Oh, in addition to the amazing company, parks and cities, snack time will be a favourite time. ^Unfortunately, the rumors are true (for various reasons) but the other improvements coming will only continue to maintain the park's traditions and uniqueness.

Agree. You can have an amazing training program but frontline employees have ample time to mess up after that. Once the training is over, if the supervisor is properly trained, frontline employees would be acting as they are supposed to on a daily basis. Maybe standards haven't been updated, who knows. There are those instances where things just happen though. Maybe too much so at SFoG based on comments. I personally didn't notice enough to negatively impact my first visit. You're right, a themepark isn't the Ritz, but many may expect and receive a different level of service entirely in foodservice or retail as compared to a themepark, even though employees may make around the same.

Went for the first time in April and loved the park. A big part of it was being with great company but above all, I really liked the look of the park and the rides. Overall, it has what you need to have a great experience. Yes, people do complete the experience but really, in a themepark, they should blend into the background and make the experience seamless except for the rare occasion something isn’t right and you need assistance at a supervisor or higher level for example. I don’t think that that’s a huge % of the people attending a park in a given day. Unfortunately, we’re all human and not everyone is experienced enough in dealing with guests, especially challenging guests, but hopefully a supervisor or manager can assist. I do agree that the supervisor should be properly trained to deal with guests as they really do have the ability to save the day, in a fair and reasonable way. Of course, not everyone is fair or reasonable these days unfortunately. This would definitely impact a day if something escalates to that level and they’re not properly trained or qualified and would create a halo effect as to my opinion of every employee at the park. Is age really a huge factor? Some of the best supervisors I’ve dealt with (if necessary) have been in their late teens or 20s. Overall, it’s about the right attitude and experience in the right positions. If this isn’t the case at SFoG, hopefully they’ll work on it. I noted, only on one occasion a sterile/ uncaring attitude of some employees when getting food but made no big deal about it as I did get what I needed through kind points (literally) in the right direction. They blended into the background otherwise and were doing their jobs. As long as the employees do not go out of their way to ruin your day or be rude to you or your group in a singled out manner, then it shouldn’t really have an impact on the main park experience for the most part. Bad operations? I remember Hershey being worse. So, that can happen at any park as well. I’d still go back to both because the product is great. Sorry, just my who knows how many pennies

^lol Well for a roller coaster, it was as close to a religious experience as you could get... They certainly went above and beyond to make sure that the ride stayed open for us that night.

Hey Kim, looks like you both had a lot of fun and definitely looks like a great little park. Honestly, a crazy looking flying plane thingy and a home-made looking boat ride with a chute....count me in some day. I wonder how long the drive is from up here?

Now that is cool news and it looks really fun! Hopefully it keeps working so that TPR has a chance to try it out soon.

Hey Eric, great TR...brings back some amazing memories. What an fun and unique place. I wish I made it to ride Phoenix in the morning but my camera flew out of my pocket on Twister so spent too much time trying to find that, which I did thank goodness. Mr. Knoebel bragged about the food there and rightfully so, nothing like that pay by water weight pasta at the Italian eatery we were at off the highway lol On a more important note, congratulations to you and Candace on the arrival of li'l Dylan "Roller Coaster" W.! Just incredible. Looking forward to seeing the rest. Cheers, Jason PS: That night at the Dorney bar was awesome! I remember most...but sadly not all. I do remember walking in with Olivier and there being no one there. I remember you, Jason and a bunch of other people coming in and we were all cemented to that table talking and drinking. Were we that occupied that we didnt' notice it fill in with clubbers until we turned around for a "huh?" moment? Ah, Allentown!

Rich, great report man. The ride looks fantastic. So glad to hear that the ride is enhanced rather than changed. What music was playing through the speakers, was it more like a movie soundtrack? Oh, somewhat as important, how was the free food at Johnny Rockets? Cheers, Jason

Has anyone ridden Boulder Dash this year that rode it last year? Here's hoping that they didn't 'hurt' it over the off-season. It was still hauling in the cooler weather back in October.....just amazing! Robb, awesome updates again. Thank you! Cheers, Jason

Robb, this is fantastic! Great to see all this again. Thank you for the updates. Tyler, cool videos! I can only imagine how great the DVD will be. Looking forward to that and the other pics. Cheers, Jason

Those rides are insane! I wish we had fairs like that here. My heart was racing watching your shuttle video Robb and honestly, if a Disc-o makes me queasy with the illusion that it might fly off the track, I can't even imagine the 'death shuttle' roll up that first track. Those pics really put it in perspective. BTW, the fair being in Spain, and knowing how some if not all countries in Europe showcase their products, I could have sworn at first glance that the Falling Star was being used for a show and that the cages in your first pic were full of Go Go Dancers!

^^,^^^ Erik and James, thanks very much for the info, a great help. If at all possible, would love to try and get down there in the late summer/ early fall.

Chuck, great pictures and captions (as always)! Love the Son of Beast reaction! Is Holiday World a 1 to 2 day park? Thanks for the TR! -Jason

Erik, great TR and pics! Did you guys stay near Cincinnati for the trip or stay close to the Holiday World? Did you find that 2 to 3 days was enough for both parks with travel in between? Have a great weekend, J

Robb, this is awesome, thank you!

It's a really fun park and quite nice. The water park is great, especially the water coaster! Definitely make a point of trying that out. Just don't break it like I did lol Flats, well, they still have a few cool ones like the mad house and the fly swatter if that's your thing. There are a few others as well. Superman is the main attraction but there's still a lot to see and oh yah, another great little park is only about an hour away. I thought Thunderbolt and Cyclone were both great rides and a lot of fun. Yes, Cyclone is rough but once you remember where the rough parts are you can prepare for it. The back is crazy