Nrthwnd

Well, the TONYs have come and gone. "Maybe Happy Ending" grabbed Best Musical, while the play "Purpose" won in it's Best Of category. That said there are now three musicals .... uh ..... biting the dust, etc. And they are (neither of them won a single TONY <sad>): Smash - Closed today. and Real Women Have Curves, along with Dead Outlaw next weekend (29th). That said, it's great they have, indeed, produced Original Cast Recordings. Good for them! ....And add to the current closings list .... Boop! will be shutting down on July 13th. (Also, has a cast cd, available.)

That's sad about Oakwood closing. It was actually one of my favourite parks in previous UK tours. And my #100 was there - Clown Coaster, naturally. Do you know, or anyone else (Elissa? Robb?) that this was the only amusement park in Wales? Just curious. And so --- many --- t-shirts you got !!! As well, that's a mighty collection of magnets, too. It was great following you on your UK trip, Bert.

This just in... 2025’s Global Liveability Index: The top 10 1. Copenhagen, Denmark 2. Vienna, Austria 2. Zurich, Switzerland 4. Melbourne, Australia 5. Geneva, Switzerland 6. Sydney, Australia 7. Osaka, Japan 7. Auckland, New Zealand 9. Adelaide, Australia 10. Vancouver, Canada We just slipped in there, last on this list!

^ Thanks. We are at year 53 right now. Still holding on, lol.

^ Yep. Nope, And it didn't "break down." It broke off.

^ QUICK! Send me a plane ticket!

It all looks and sounds impressive. That said, I just hope most (if not all) of this does "come to life," as only Disney can do it.

^ lol. It's going to be interesting (and hopefully, fun), in figuring out, how the actual track layout will (might) go, with this new concept art.

^ It all - looks - so - niiiice!

Just a photo reminder of what I used to get, for $1, each container - ten years since The Beast opened in 2015! Was nice while it lasted, even during the PNE, where the refills were accepted, and done. Also, here's the link to this summer's PNE, and everything in it: https://www.pne.ca/fair2025/ The offer was great, while it lasted. I mean, a buck for all this popcorn? Sold! Wonder if they'll do the offer again, eventually, in a different version of...

Been awhile, but .... Young Star Coaster / 飞马家庭过山车 Chimelong Paradise (Panyu, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China) 2012 TPR China Tour - we had a good laugh on that one, from a rider screaming OMG! all through the ride.

My latest visit to The Park (the 25th) was met with a lovely cool-ish sunny day. And the crowd was HUGE! Lines on the 'thrill rides' easily an hour or more. I decided to just do a walk around, and get a couple of rides on the "less thrill" (?) rides. It ended up being the Carousel and the Gladiator, that I rode. Somewhat bad news, was finding out that the One Dollar Refills (both popcorn and beverage) were not being offered this season. <sad> Hopefully, they may change their mind, and reinstate it. Got the whole summer to find out, lol. What the new printed pass looks like. On the way to the main gate. Looks like everybody's inside, now. Running, running. This was around 2 pm at the Coaster lineup. I was told there were $1 Pop Refills here. But still. No popcorn refills. This is on top of the operator's booth at the Sea-To-Sky Swinger. Great theming! Play Quarters games still closed. Wonder if they'll ever re-open this part of the Arcade again? Rest of the Arcade open. But not Crossbow. Hmmm. Is it considered a "too dangerous" game? Who knows? Ready for a launch. Up.... And over! Bug Whirld. Action shot. And don't forget to "Spread Your Wings." This is how you spread your wings. <g> Skybender in action. My first ride of this visit. Have to remember, not to put camera in front of face. I'll get it right, eventually. My only other ride this visit: Gladiator. Great fast and high cycle. But it coming down to a stop ... took - for - ever. Wheee! Meanwhile ... Big lineup for this one, too. The Beast in unload-reload position. Eventually, on a future visit, I will get food and drink here. Great burgers, fries and shakes..... See? Told ya. And that was it, for this visit to Playland.

It all looks amazing, that art work.

^ Oh my. All those scooped balls of ice cream placed on top of each other..... That's amazing to look at. The whole ship looks amazing. And that seafood plate you had there - oink. All looks great!

My way of transferring camera photos to Online Photos keeps changing on me, lol. Nonetheless, I decided to tackle the current photos taken yesterday...and was successful! Most of them are of the new Amphitheatre being built (opens next summer). At the entry gate, you can see the cranes being used, to build the new Amphitheatre. Testing, testing. The arcade, and most food spots, don't open until noon. Still no Play Quarters Games seen. <sad> A closer look at construction. Peeking thru a fence, for a slightly better look. Seen from the queue for Skybender. My one and only ride, yesterday. Till next weekend...

Went to Opening Day, today. Rained all the time I was there. But the crowd there, was BIG! That said, a lot of the rides weren't operating, due to everybody heading to ThunderVOLT and other thrill rides. Poor "Kids Playce" was practically abandoned, except for the few of us (me included) who rode the park's little Carousel. Which was a nice rest for me. Since my Massive Fall last June, I haven't had my legs operating perfectly. Pain here and there. But I digress .... Am heading back there, tomorrow. Better weather (i.e. sunny) predicted. Hope they're right, heh. In the mean time, here's the email announcements I received for this weekend. BUT ... I didn't go on Sunday. My legs needed a longer rest, the weather was (again) looking to be a wet one. But the rain never showed up. Figures, lol. Will hit the park next weekend. p.s. HAPPY VICTORIA DAY WEEKEND, all Commonwealth countries! BUT - it looks like (to me) that the Dollar Popcorn and Drink Refills is no more. Stay tuned on that.

Tomorrow is Opening Day at Playland(PNE), Vancouver ... finally! But - weather isn't going to be clear and sunny. More rainy most of the afternoon, etc. But rain or not, I planned to get there at opening and get my printed pass (no cell phone, so .....pffft.) and then tour the grounds. See how the north side of it all looks like, now that they're building the new Amphitheatre for 2026. Lost a sit down bar there (R.I.P. Ride Side Bar), but they have a few 'Beer Cabins' (don't know what else to call them) with seating near by. So, hopefully, I will be able to hold up, for standing in line and waiting, etc. Fingers crossed! What used to be, at the north end of Playland. Great spot to cool off, relax...and drink a beer or three, lol.

Same happened for us, back around the 2006 TPR tour. I TPR toured it there, twice, first had one of those clone corkscrews; the 2nd visit (2010) had the replacement motor cycle (?) coaster. Very speedy that was. BUT - still "No Adults" on that kids' only one. I remember one of the group, who was 11, touring with his mom - no go - was turned away. That was sad to watch. The dark ride was just new back then, so I guess it's seen better years. And Kumali was GREAT back in 2006! I think I rode it several times, during our visit there that year. One of the more perfect SLCs imHo. And then I rode/loved/lived on Mumbo Jumbo on the 2010 Tour...bliss. Wanted it here in Vancouer at Playland. But we got ThunderVOLT instead. <sighs> Good TR on it and the zoo, Bert!

When I first read about this announcement, I thought it was either a) A very VERY early April Fools, 2026... Or b) A few months too late for the same, 2025. I/we couldn't possibly be able to afford it over there, any way. Whatever the case...., hope it all works out for (most of) all involved. p.s. Thanks for the 'consolidation (sp?) of,' Adam.

We're hoping to make it over to Disney Paris (and Eiffel's Tower, Musee' Dorsay, etc.) near the end of the decade. This will certainly add to the excitement of getting there! I think it's our fourth visit to the resort. This time, like last visit, staying onsite. Sequoia Lodge. Wonderful past stay there. What the room used to look like, in 2019. Of course Bambi made an appearance, there. Sweet, but not very 'woodsy' to us.

omgomgomg..... that's the"Plane On A Stick!" Too bad it wasn't operating, during your visit there. Great shot of it, 'parked', lol. Great TRing of your entire cruise and land adventures, Adam.

Just a reminder...

sfMexico was one of my favourite SF parks that I've visited, over ten years ago, with TPR. Great rides, great atmosphere...and great drinks, too! Great TPR tour that was, in March 2013. Several of our touring bunch. No, it's not saying GOD .... Medusa, before the re-tracking re-do, was my # 600 coaster! Yay!

Well this is an unusual post for any amusement/theme park's 'history.' Just discovered this article in our local paper..... 'Historically Significant Find: 1870s Cannons, First World War machine-guns unearthed at PNE' https://vancouversun.com/news/historically-significant-find-more-military-artifacts-found-during-excavation-of-pne-land This is in conjunction with the PNE now clearing land, and building a new performance amphitheatre, scheduled to open next summer. Cool!

Got an email yesterday, that sort of went like this... Hello. Your season pass will be available for pickup on the first day of Playland! (Sat. May 17th) Kind regards, Mason (They/Them) TICKETLEADER (Hopefully, I will be shown the right ticket booth for pickup, OR pick it up at Customer Services which is right as we enter the park.)