MattyD

That's a really wierd idea but I think I kind of like it! Just imagine, a hot sunny day at Disney World, clear blue sky with a few clouds - but they're all shaped like Mickey Mouse! That would really add to the Magic, I can just imagine how awestruck a lot of younger park guest would be - I think it's a really good idea actually! All they need to do now is find a way to make the Sun Mickey Mouse shaped and they'll be on to a winner! Matt EDIT: There's a video on www.flogos.net - having seen that I don't think it's much different from watching balloons really but still pretty cool!

^ I can't blame you Mike, it is a good TR! Really enjoyable TR, and another attractive female coaster enthusiast, what is this world coming too?! I was even more impressed when I read this was only your second TR, good work! Matt

Just realised I never posted my vote! I wasn't sure what the little kid was looking at in #19 but he seems to like it! and #15 seemed to be falling out of her bikini! Both good, but I think I am stuck between #23 #6 and #3! #23 I just think looks pretty and a bit like my girlfriend, #6 and #3 just appealed to the Big Mike side of my personality! Does it make me almost as perverted as Big Mike that I went into so much detail in my votes?! As a said before, The Roadshow Rocks, keep up the good work Mike! Matt

^ So are you suggesting Disney should read TPR more often?! And I honestly don't understand what people are complaining about with F'in Mania, I wasn't that impressed by the video but 1) A video can't do that sort of attraction justice 2) It's not supposed to be a major attraction anyway so it doesn't have to be the most amazing ride since sliced bread 3) No one who's complained about it has actually ridden it yet and 4) it is still a completely unique ride experience, if you can name one other park that has a 3d nintendo wii strapped to rotating cars with a giant (and rather impressive) potato animatronic out front then I'd be suprised! Disney do unique ride experiences, and they do them very well! So I guess my point is people are too quick to judge Disney and pick holes in everything they do - I personally think Ellen's Energy Adventure is Cr*p but I don't hear loads of rants about it and the general public seem to enjoy it; it's a unique attraction, I don't know any other like it! Disney are good at creating unique attractions and there recent ones have pretty much all been unique whether we enthusiasts like them or not! I do agree that ignoring all criticism is bad but I can understand why an imagineer wouldn't want to spend years working on an attraction and then spend the next few years trawling through all the cr*p people are writing about it! Maybe if people cut Disney a bit of slack and, rather than saying nasty things about everything, they came up with more 'I liked this about the ride but it was let down by this' kind of comments then the reaction from Disney would be that they want to hear everyone's comments rather than no one's! Sorry about that, I think I might have ranted a bit there! Matt

Wow Mike! Just Wow! Your camera skills amaze me, you got enough Bikini photos for a top twenty five without getting arrested!!! Bravo! Good to see you having a good time in Mexico and still going out of your way for us roadshow fans! I'm waiting patiently for the next hilarious installment! Matt p.s. How did things go with your T-shirt signing lady friend? I think she was in to you!

I've already got Carnival Games on my Wii?! or did you mean Carnival Games from this ride? I can't say I was that impressed with the video, although Potato Head looks really good, but I think I'd still give it a try because I don't think it's the kind of attraction that would work if you filmed it! I think of it this way, if you filmed mission space or star tours or many other disney rides then they would look terrible but when you ride it in person it is a whole different experiences, you couldn't film 'it's tough to be a bug' because it would look like a dodgy pirate dvd of Bugs Life, but it was still a pretty fun 3d Film when you watch it at AK for the first time! That's just my opinion though! Matt

Ah, Skippy - he must be really evil if he's trying to take the attention away from you in that photo, stealing your spotlight, it's just plain rude really!

it wouldn't be called 'Heaven' if there wern't coasters there, it would be called 'Hell'! Which is better: A BeerTR or A PhotoTR?

This is the thirdtime in a row that magical freshwater shrimp has cast a spell to ruin my day...

Those panoramas are brilliant, is it just me or is Chuck in one of them twice?! Good to see the range of theming there too! Nice TR! Matt

It's funny you should mention the lack of Disney in the UK - we could have had Euro-Disney! One of the original sites Disney looked at was about 5minutes down the road from me, it would have been in the Medway River Valley near Rochester in Kent but the government wouldn't allow Disney to buy the amount of land they wanted and so they bought land in France instead! I guess that's why I get over-excited at Disney Parks too Matt

Wow Big Mike, you always deliver the goods whether you're at a park or chillin' on the beach! Glad your having such a good time in Mexico and I hope the Bikini Contest goes well, although you've got plenty of pictures already - good work! Your trip reports always put a smile on my face, keep up the good work! Matt

^ Thank You, that was more the point I was trying to make! I wasn't saying the GP don't say stupid things i was merely suggesting that some of the things said by the GP aren't always stupid as they don't know as much about coasters as we do! Matt

^ Yep, they've got all the main bits from Rhyl as well as the Turtle from BPB and King Solomans Mines is also onsite in Margate. I'm not 100% sure if they've got the whip or not but BPB have been supporting thier efforts so it wouldn't suprise me if it goes to Margate, I'm fairly certain they donated the turtle so you never know! It's all on www.savedreamland.co.uk somewhere if you want to know what bits and pieces they've bought or aquired from other parks! Matt

then they included a tiny picture of X2 to prove their point... hmm...

...you venture into Fantazy Land, Egypt just to get a Kiddie Credit!

I was waiting for a photoshopped photo after the adventureland sign so it looked like it said 'This Weekend:' and then on the next one 'The Big Mike Roadshow!' - you missed a trick there! Was great to see you find some credit whores to hang with whilst risking your own safety for us at Boomers and glad the Roadshow is still going strong! Yet more great TR's, can't wait for the next installment, keep up the good work Big Mike! Matt

Not trying to anger anyone on here but I think some of these are a bit unfair! The GP do indeed say some really stupid things but I don't think I would class a lot of these as stupid! Just as an example: Jason10 you were saying your friends comment about 'does colossus go upside down' was dumb as it is 'the grand 10-looping coaster with 4 inline twists in a row and a cobra roll with two corkscrews and a loop in plain view!' but he's not a coaster enthusiast, he might not have realised the loop belonged to the ride you were talking about and might have never heard of colossus before. Sorry to use you as an example, it's one of many I don't really agree with! I think some people forget that the GP don't know or care about half the stuff coaster enthusiasts would know but that doesn't make them stupid just because they don't know the exact statistics of every rollercoaster in the world! There have been some really stupid ones in this thread though! Matt

^ I have also contributed a small amount towards the campaign before the fire and it is sad to think we won't see the heritage park for a few years but if the money can be found to restore the Scenic Railway then I think we will still get to see the Heritage Park in years to come. I am so glad I got to ride the Scenic Railway so many times over the years, it may not be the highest, fastest, wildest ride in the world but that didn't matter, it was still one of the most fun in my opinion! It's good to know Nick Laister is being so positive, he's already done so much for Dreamland and the Scenic Railway just by being positive and putting the time and effort into save it so I think he will be able to get the heritage park back off the ground. Matt EDIT: And if you look at the picture on the front page of the savedreamland site I think that is a very positive image, it shows there is still a large portion of the original ride to work with if they do rebuild it!

I'm sure many of you have already but be sure to check out www.savedreamland.co.uk as there is a lot of photos and information on there about the campaign and the tragic fire. There is also a photo showing how the end closest to the sea front is still in one piece and from what I've read it is structurally sound. They will never be able to get back this amazing piece of rollercoaster history however the council and the people who own the site are looking to work with the Save Dreamland Campaign and English Heritage to get the ride rebuilt and to open the heritage park (I believe the original date was something like 2009 but I am sure that will be pushed back!) I am definitely suspicious of the developers who were looking to build on this site, I know that very few were happy with the council deciding that at least half the site had to be devoted to a theme park of some sorts with the Scenic Railway as the center point so I have a sneaky suspicion they might have burnt it down so they could build flats on the whole plot instead of just half of it. But that is just my personal opinion. I just think it is strange how the fire started right at the very heart of the ride where the trains, workshops and lifthill are located so that however well the fire was handled the most vital bits of the ride would already have been damaged. I used to ride this rollercoaster a lot and I am very sad to see this happen, hopefully she can rise from the ashes! Matt

Can't help noticing you're going to FRANCE on your tour but not to see your Fans in England - I had the Media all ready to go and everything! ; ) Well if you do decide to channel hop when you're in France let me know and I can take a day off work to accompany you on a tour of the parks of South East England - although I am sure you must have those credits already! But in all seriousness, yet another great trip report, good to see the Big Mike Roadshow is doing so well! Matt

I'm sure you can get the equivalent of a PRS License for using music in films etc that are made to be sold, I read up on it for Media A Level, but if you have the permission from the artist then you can use it for free and not worry. Also, as someone stated earlier, I believe there is some sort of fair use clause that means because of the way the dvds are made and marketed and because of how Robb uses the music there is no legal issue! If you know the details of all this Robb that would be great if you could clear this up for everyone to stop any arguements!? However, If royalties etc are costing you money, you can use my bands music royalty free! Matt

Coheed and Cambria - The Willing Well II: From Fear Through The Eyes Of Madness Awsome song, Awsome Album - really helping the working day go faster!

Those are some amazing shots - well done! Do you take photographs professionally or is it just a hobby? Those look like they should be publicity shots for Disney so if you're not already I think you would do very well in professional photography! Very beautiful pictures! Matt

^^ It always used to be legal tender down here because my aunty lives in Scotland and used to send me cash in the post for my birthday - bad Idea I know! But now not even Primark will take it and they take anything - even poker chips if you draw a pound sign on it! - because apparently they think the Scots are all fraudsters! And what's with your £1 notes? we got rid of those years and years ago! I'm part Scottish so I don't why I am saying 'we'! Matt