coolhandluke

Flight of Fear loads and unloads at different stations, so I don't think you meant what you typed...but yeah, I agree with everything else. I've seen people at Firehawk stash bags on the platform that should have gone into lockerss, but that's certainly the exception more than the rule. Typically it seems like it's just a guest that got by the line attendant unnoticed, and by the time they make it to the station it's way tougher PR-wise to send them all the way back out, so they acquiesce. Flight of Fear seems to let some smaller bags/purses in, but I've always seen them taken on the ride, set in the bottom of the car. Maybe the shin bars on the restraints make them feel more okay about allowing that, but (from what I've seen) usually anything around those drawstring bags or larger get stopped at the entrance and lockered. ETA: Regarding the new slides and entrance, I'm way more excited for the new tolls than the slides (which are a fine addition!). I come from the north on my visits, and anytime the north entrance is closed off can be a small nightmare. There's no dedicated left turn lane from that direction at the entrances, you're at the mercy of oncoming cars letting you into "your" toll lane, and traffic from either direction clogs onto the main road since the current booths are entirely too close to the road. I'm really happy about this change, even if I'd prefer resurfacing the parking lot a little more. Bleh

They did say that the game will have a snapping feature available, which should help somewhat: More broadly, as a Mac user, my excitement is a bit tempered with the lack of any plans for a Mac release, but that's okay. I'd much rather see them focus on making a high-quality product than worry about expanding the compatibility of a lackluster one.

I've already forewarned my family that I'm taking a day trip here on our Virginia Beach vacation this summer, but I'm currently in the process of trying to turn it into a full family event. Verbolten is becoming excellent leverage for the kid in our family who just passed the 48" mark this winter. And for the thrill seeking cousins. And to a lesser extent, for the tamer, soak-in-the-atmosphere-and-charm parents. So basically, it's shaping up to be a winner in every sense. This thing looks so cool.

I'm still baffled by the masses of people who feel that a Tumblr written by a sophomore in college is more empirically substantive, unbiasedly objective or factually supported than the main video in question (although I'm not suggesting that's what was being done in this thread). I've seen many people link to it as a sort of "IC sucks, see? He says so. Check, and mate!" type of thing. I appreciate as a sort of "reality check" on Invisible Children, but I think more and more lemmings are using it as blindly as the original video. As I see it, it's advocating more complete awareness on the issue, not refuting the overall mission. And it's doing so with its own fault, much like the original impetus. But at least it was done with fewer donation dollars, so that's good. I'm not financially supporting Invisible Children, but I fully support their cause. There are other causes and charities/NGOs I've been vested in longer and to a greater degree, but to me, that doesn't devalue the objective here.

I went to X-Fest last Sunday, a radio station-sponsored rock festival. Downplay, Emphatic, Black Stone Cherry, Kopek, Adelitas Way, Skillet, Alter Bridge, Five Finger Death Punch, Theory of a Deadman, and Staind. The first two were pretty good, I missed Kopek (what I overheard was meh), BSC and Adelitas Way. Skillet (my favorite band) killed, although after watching their full set with pyros and everything in June, it wasn't mind-blowing for me (my friends held other opinions fortunately and couldn't stop saying how impressed they were). Alter Bridge is way too talented at their instruments, their dueling guitar solos was fascinating. 5FDP was simply disgusting, in a good way. They were actually cut a song short, and Ivan, the lead singer, also claimed that they were asked to tone it down a bit because they were getting the crowd too raucous. He followed by demanding that everyone in the crowd "surf your f**king way up here and shake my f**king hand"...later he was calling out younger kids to come up from the crowd and stand beside the elevated stage out of fear for their safety from all the moshing and surfing in the crowd. Why parents would bring littler kids to a thing like this in the first place baffles me...Theory was what I expected, but I'm not huge on them so I took most of their set's time to catch up on the football games. Staind was fantastic for a closer, although they ended really awkwardly on a softer acoustic song, and just kinda walked off the stage. That excepted, they had a solid mix of classic Staind with their new edgy heavy stuff. At one point between songs, Aaron Lewis stopped to say that if he saw any guy trying to cop a feel on a surfing female, he'd stop the song, "single the motherf**ker out and not start the show back up until all the guys around him beat the f**king s**t outta him." Such a scenario did never happened. I think Shinedown did a better job closing the previous year, but regardless, it was a very solid day of music. Next show will be Anberlin and Switchfoot at the end of the month.

I'm a fan of all four. Especially live, they all put on great shows. I never got into dubstep, but that was in part because my introduction to dubstep was several friends of mine "discovering the awesomeness of SKRILLEX" on Facebook and linking to that bombastic "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" song. Since then I've discovered some other stuff that's not bad. Typically I'm drawn to the more melodic variations of the genre instead of the stuff that's almost exclusively Transformer diarrhea. I'm not knowledgeable enough know who I'm "supposed" to like and who it's cool to hate, but Mt. Eden's "Sierra Leone" was the song that made me give the genre a second chance. Much better than stuff that samples from cup stacking celebrations...And I know DnB is separate from dubstep, but I think my increasing fascination with Pendulum is worth mentioning. They're just too fun. I'm a rock guy when it comes down to it, though. I generally like words with my music, as the stories or messages in the lyrics are often just as important to me as the tune itself, if not moreso (Bob Dylan...). I suppose I like too many mainstream bands to actually "know" anything about music, according to some "musically superior" individuals I know. But considering I rarely listen to the radio to find out which acts are indeed mainstream at the moment, I don't feel too guilty about it. Skillet, A Day to Remember, Paper Tongues, Ben Folds, and Muse are big for me at the moment. And lots of stuff from the seventies. Goodness, the seventies had fantastic music.

^At the very least, their main banner on the homepage has a link to information on the new "Fast Lane" passes: http://tickets.visitkingsisland.com/shop/shopping_corporate_partners_list.cfm Fast Lane appears to be available for select hours of the day (12.00-7.00), although the number of uses is unlimited, and for 5 coasters and 5 other rides: Diamondback, Beast, Flight of Fear, Firehawk, Back Lot Stunt Coaster Drop Tower, Delerium, Windseeker, Boo Blasters, Log Flume

^It took me two tries to get there, but I definitely agree. I saw a midnight screening and left a bit disappointed, because I found myself constantly comparing it to the book and even anticipating what was about to happen because of the book ("oh man, xxx is about to yyy...wait, what? No, that's not how it happened..."). I saw it again tonight (IMAX 3D is alright) and enjoyed it much more. I wasn't worried about what *didn't* happen this time, so I could enjoy what they *did* make happen. And that made a huge difference. There were a couple spots I could've used a bit more coverage or attention, but all in all the entire cast finished wonderfully. Especially Alan Rickman, who gave me chills both nights. Goodness, he is phenomenal. Fantastic close to the series. I was a bit worried, but I'm more than pleased.

Given its namesake, is anyone *actually* surprised that the ride now featured/features a rattle? In other news, I'm liking the favorable reviews of Windseeker. I wasn't expecting any blown-away reactions, so hearing the news that's being reported is perfectly fine for me. And the killer lighting package just sweetens the deal.

^Hey, I was there too! That was indeed a really fun set. Most all acts I saw that weekend were great.

^^That park's in Sweden, where people aren't idiots. Regarding Wildcat, I wouldn't mind either way if it gets removed for a future project. It's never a must-ride for me on my visits, but it never makes me wish they were doing something more productive with its land, unlike the northern tip of the park. It just sits there quietly in its corner, plodding away.

This report is fascinating! I've always been impressed with how meticulous Disney is with thinking out...well, everything, but this is really hammering that home. Also, I think this is what they were going for in Norway...? I believe this fits all the parameters the book laid out And the original to compare

Yeah, I don't see where it confirms this is opening this year either. And with the stuff parks like BGW and Hershey are doing this year for their 2012 additions, I wouldn't be too surprised if this is KI getting a jump on their own big 40th Anniversary project. Of course, I have no insider info on the project, so it could open this year. I just haven't seen anything definite either way. Fortunately, I don't have long to wait

Isn't it obvious what KK's theme is?

I'm with the majority in that theming won't do much to alter the positioning of rides on either extreme (great rides remain great, crap rides remain crap), but it can work wonders in the middle ground coasters. One thing I always find interesting as well is how big an impact queue line theming impacts the entire ride's perceived theming. It seems like many rides (particularly coasters) have exquisitely-themed queues and stations, while the ride itself is generally free of enhanced theme, woods or plants notwithstanding (Dragon Challenge appears to be like that, though I haven't seen it myself). I also think it's interesting to see how much the setting of a ride is taken into consideration regarding its overall perceived theme. For example, whether Hulk's prominent placement over the path and lake enhances the theming sensation, despite its lack of connection to the Hulk story. Or how Powder Keg's trip through the woods lacks artificial theming (in contrast to its intricate station area), but it's still viewed as a plus for the ride's theming (I'm aware of the ride's subtitle, yes). I suppose the TTD/KK theme debate could go here too, with KK's isolation enhancing its theme, and TTD's prominent setting adding to the feel of witnessing a spectacle from the midway and grandstands (much like real drag races), and not just a ride.