Nrthwnd

Lynet ~ Farup Sommarland, Denmark

Photos taken in Playland... Interesting, that this 'map' of Playland in the PNE Guide, actually looks pretty close to what Playland looks like! Even the coasters are right. And the brought-in rides for the fair, are beyond the borders of this map, lol. Nothing beats a shot of Coaster. They reinstalled the ACE Landmark plaque. This still makes me smile. And it's still fillable, too! (o; Two down-sized versions of the drop tower and star flyer, brought in for The Fair. One of two fun houses brought in. Both pretty old, and only really fun for the kids, if that. The other fun house. I would seriously love to have a couple of trailered dark rides brought in for this fair. But that never seems to happen, any more. )o: And how many parks spend the money, to let you know a flat ride is leaving the park? Crazy Beach Party. The ride that's leaving. What it does. I always enjoyed a ride on it. Sorry it's leaving. Playland overhead shot, during the PNE. That's it. The park's all there.

Loved the video! I miss Heide so much. Been away too long. The hotel was awesome (but briefly overnight), the food was great, the rides and coasters were a great combination. Rain or shine, it's a great park to visit.

Alfred Hitchcock

Before I get into showing the photos I took in Playland during The Fair, I have this to say to whoever owns and runs Playland. If this Future Plans announcement is going to bear any real change for the park - may I first suggest an easy part? That being, tear up any and all walkways, the pedestrian traffic walks on, through out the park. Anything (i.e. the rides, the arcade) sitting on asphalt, will remain so. And from that, a landscaping around each ride will be built. Buy the good walkway stuff that the Disney and Universal companies would buy, for their parks. And probably do buy. This park has looked way too much like the "parking lot" look it still appears to be after all these decades, with the asphalt every where. Please consider this, and thanks for reading it. A long time visitor to Playland. 9 year season pass holder This stays put. Thankfully.

Oooooooooooh my. EDIT to add: This park needs to hire George Takei for a commercial! Awesome!

The booster ride at Power Park, Finland during the 2014 TPR Tour of Scandinavia. I love this thing, and wish we had one at our park, although smaller than the current Revolution we have (which is an up-charge vs free/included like this was), this is much more fun, easy to load and unload, and I rode it several times without getting ill! This avatar will change in a few days.

^ Agreed, it did look like some kind of laser maze, which would be easy for (most) groups to play. But our time there was very limited. Just enough to get some lunch, the coaster credit, a quick look around (hence my buying the vest) and then we were off! I'm sure it was no more than an hour being there, maybe a few minutes more. But noted, thanks Larry!

More photos, including some shots of the city food carts that took up residence at The Fair, and a show called "Timber" that wasn't really much about lumber jack contests and more about dance routines. Here... Looking down the actual main walkway between the front of the fair and Playland. The annual Prize Home they were giving away this year. Looked nice. I didn't win it. )o: City food carts were all over the fair site. Certainly looked easier than setting up a stall, etc. Then there were a few food trucks who liked to Really Take Up Space! A second grill cheese sand stall, the other in Playland. Now why would people want to pay big bucks for a grilled cheese sandwich? Even with "special toppings" in them? Beats me... The queue slowly lengthens through the day for the Game of Thrones Exhibit. Cool! A lumberjack contest show. Little did I know it be little more than one big dance number....with wood cutting. Great! Somebody's cutting wood! But notice, he's not alone - and they didn't much except dance around the piano, and pose. Eeeha. Speaking of dance numbers... all together or in groups.... yeah. Finally, something the logger gets to do on his own! Followed by...This contest involved using a blonde to help cut a slice of wood off the log. Another solo cutting contest. I got bored of the 'shindig,' and started looking beyond where we were sitting. BTW, these are two of the extra rides brought in for Playland expansion during the fair. One is a down-sized star flyer. The other a down-sized drop tower. woo hoo. This logger and another, made little chairs for a couple of kids in the audience, which was nice. Yipee~i~yay! - a single log rolling contest. Better than nothing. And eventually, somebody falls in - and loses, lol. I look up and am amazed we have such a beaitful backdrop to this fair. The Timber Show ends, guys with their gals. But these two guys look a mite interested in each other, eh?

Cobra - Tivoli Friheden park

Here's some more photos taken, after my jog through the Game of Thrones Exhibit... Our "Showcase." Meaning everything and anything you saw "As Seen on TV"...is probably here. Looking towards an outdoors band shell (sort of) for day and night acts/shows/concerts at the fair. What was sand castles last year - is.... uh...what are these, this year? Oh. Of course! What else could they be! They looked okay. Still, the yarn around the sheep looked creepy. But around the corner here... True Eco-Art! And a harp! Another one 'in flight' with a cello, I hope. Great display. So now I went looking through the Fair Map... uh..... Yarn Bombing??? Sop I went and found it. Yarn Bombing. And I have concerns there is a convention for it, coming up. This looked promising, the caterpillar did. But the rest of it was just swatches and knits around tree trunks. Or hanging up, somehow. I was hoping for more animals, etc. But - the actual park is also usually un-crowded with all the craziness going on that is PNE, and it is a real oasis for peace of mind - and wallet, lol!

^ Totally agree, Bob. 06-25-14 ~ Fun Park Leads To >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Power Park! Not a lot of time was spent at the mall where Fun Fair was. But that was okay. Nobody expected this surprise credit, not to mention an added meal to the tour! After eating, the credit, and a coffee, I checked out the "sidewalk sale" going on, on the floor below us. There, I found a great fall/winter vest to wear, while in Finland. Five years ago, the cooler temp. was fairly easy to endure. Now, I was feeling the cold, and the vest ended up being One of The Best Souvenirs...Ever, I have gotten from a tour! More driving after this visit, then we arrive at the Power Park Resort, are welcomed with evening ERT on their major coasters, back to the main resort bldg,. for dinner, than BACK to the park, to close it, and Evening ERT! It was a long, long day, but so worth it, from morning on the ship, to late late evening, overlooking our race track for the Grand Prix the next morning. A Finnish Food Park(mall) sign. And that word! RAVINTOLAMAAILMA.....! Big Scary Size Daddy's... Daddy's Diner... Daddy's Coffee... Daddy's New Vest. (o; To those, I say... This Store! (Exit 2:02pm) Somebody likes their Rice Krispie Squares, hmmm? Which reminds me - THIS is what Elissa packed for our goodies/snacks times! I was SHOCKED when I saw this pyramid of yum! Once again, Thank You Elissa and Robb, for really taking care of our sugar needs. (o: We arrive and mob the Power ark Hotel Entry Parking Lot. Is this not touristy or what??? One of the TPR mules has started her journey to where her cabin lies... Up - or down? I can never remember shots like this. Clearly, One of The Best Boomerangs I have Ever Ridden, From Around The World! Truth! The new spinner was fun. Not sure what Cary is doing there... Lots of kids stuff for...kids! And my beautiful BOOSTER on the right, there. Fave flat ever. Wish we had this at my home park, than the Revolution a' la Up-charge. This one was included! The Slowest ------ Turning ------- Star ------- Flyer ----------- ever. But it is for families, so yes, it's probably the right speed. But still. Nope. I will still not ride this thing - ever - again. Grona Lund, 2009 cured me of that, lol.

Anything with SPOOKARAMA in/on it, is a good thing.

lust for life iggy pop

Um...maybe not finally? There's the plot of land all behind where Beauty & Beast Rest. and Mermaid ride intersect at the back, there? The path between them, could lead to the: Blue Sky Rumor, that there was ample room to build an an entire Villains Land behind Fantasyland, with Mt.Doom towering up behind it all, as this land's centerpiece. Just a memory of it. Would be awesome, if possible. (EDIT to add: And then they could bring back Alien Encounter!)

The concept art, all looks amazing! And that thing on a track-hill. Maybe a funicular or a cable car transport system, up and down from that main building?

^ Well, this was the last stop on this exhibit's tour. But - there are more photos I took of the exhibit, on the Game of Thrones Thread, here at TPR.... http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=67641&p=1498137#p1498137 I put the majority of the photos there. With a 'different' Iron Throne photo too, lol.

~ The 2014 PNE (Pacific National Exhibition) Visit ~ Here's my report on how my "one day only" visit went, to our annual fair and exhibition, The PNE. I got there very early (Aug.27), before the gates opened, so that I would have a good start at one of the main attractions at this year's fair. Game of Thrones, the series a lot of fans fave currently, had a touring exhibit (through North America, ending here at the PNE) of props, costumes, stills from the series...even an In Memoriam wall, which I thought was nice. I got there right at the opening, did the tour of the exhibit, then continued out into the fair itself, checking out the food stalls, other exhibits, the farm animals, Playland, all of it. However, I didn't ride anything while there. Our season pass does not cover the rides during the fair, and then it's an Up-the-upcharge for them, either as an all day pass, separate tickets, evening pass. And the waits for the regular park rides are usually 3-5 times as long to wait for them, than as walk-ons during Playland's own season. I wish the PNE would do that for us Playland pass holders. Give us a discount for the PNE ride pass, upon showing our season pass card. Possible? I hope so, eventually. Here's the photos from my day there... (Actually over 9 hours spent there, which was a record for me!) The major info pamphlet for the Fair. Which included this main page for Game of Thrones Exhibit - this was free, included in the park admission! Arriving at the main entrance to the PNE, corner of E.Hastings and Renfrew St. Yep. Definitely here. After buying the ticket, now in the entry queue. We're let in at 10:30; fair 'officially' opens at 11. Noted. A reminder of where we are. Where the Game of Thrones Exhibit resides. And the opening queue for it. Interesting PNE Trivia: This bldg. was originally called the Garden Auditorium, and we saw our first PINK FLOYD concert here in..... mid-1970's? A POPular culture tv phenom, becomes POP culture itself. Beautiful costumes, up close. Quotes 'n Stills from the series. Is that a d-d-d-dragon up there? This is the "Fur Era" of the series, yes? Theme Park map? No. Definitely not. "Ascend the Wall" ~ Virtually! The In Memoriam Wall. Who was YOUR favorite death? (o; The Next Season Wall ~ No spoilers give out, I suspect. Then, through the hastily assembled "Gift Shop"...and I'm out of it! (more pix to follow...) Oh, right. Forgot "The Iron Throne" shot. (o; Enjoy.

"modnaR gnihtemoS yaS"

^ Sounds like something you put together, from IKEA.

It still boggles my mind, that the height of Blue Fall drop tower in Japan, is the same height, if not slightly shorter, as Top Thrill Dragster? It still freaks me out, I have not been on this, sooner! Great share, Mark!

^ Maybe the actual lift hill is in the back half of the building, extending up and over the tower? Then the dive into the tower and out through the bottom, carved out, there.. I don't remember the concept art, but do remember, it's all "subject to change", etc.

Hey, it's (now) all publicity for the new coaster. The Best News is nobody got injured.

That was a morning to remember, even without a hangover, lol. Excellent thorough report, Thad. I hope the Tylenol helped Steve out. And that next hotel. Quite the experience. And Burger King, too! Yes, we remember the bunch of you, piling into BK. (o;

the (disgusting) pond has to be cleaned up before winter sets in.