Nrthwnd

More on Nagashima Spaland including... - David finds his turkey legs! - Bill rides the park's Star Flyer... - And White Cyclone still goes round and round, and round and round and round..... We're still on the park's Sky Wheel, so here's a few shots of The Helix Coaster - White Cyclone! On the left - helixes. (DbM) And on it's right - more *&%# helixes! (DbM) ...And as you can see, everybody coming back into the station is doing anything but laughing and clapping. Is Dan looking for his shoes? And I think Jon is just hoping and praying that it ends, soon. Some of the group on the park's shuttle loop coaster, called... Shuttle Loop! (o; David gets his Turkey Leg!. And no, he isn't a pig - one is for me, lol. The other one looper - Shooting Star, a Schwarzkopf with some more track (and only running forward) than the shuttle, lol. Me, after riding the park's crazy bob-karts. Actually I really enjoy these rides. Wish we had one 'some where" on one of our mountains, heh. Starting to get late - last looks at the park, before we leave. Unfortunately... I didn't ride the Shoot The Chute this visit. For some reason, I didn't want to get as wet as this, this year... ...Or that.... But it was fun to watch under the safety of wood and (I think) strong plexiglass. (o: The Star Flyer - pretty to look at - good lift and starting spin - but it starts to come down, as you barely reach the top! I mean WTF? Ours is Much Better, IMhO. Everybody gathering to head to the airport. A ride op on a passing train tries her best to entertain us, from feeling too that we're leaving Nagashima Spaland. But we have a plane to catch - to Sapporo! Bye bye Shuttle Loop. We'll be back, I'm sure. And bye for now, Steel Dragon 2000! Liked the new train, still hate the Bunny Hop Sauna Tunnels, lol! But we'll be back, count on it!

Continuing on with the photos... After both coasters, we take a (slow) spin on the park's Sky Wheel. (DbM) David is happy for the overhead shots he can take, in parks like this. Where the Ultratwister and the Corkscrew now sit, around Steel Dragon 2000. The two coasters used to sit here, until new housing set some noise rules in place. And thankfully NS didn't just tear them down. It re-located them! Looking over a part of the midway. A ride that "did me in" in the TPR China Tour. Will not ride again, any time soon. (DbM) More various rides, including those gigantic Viking twin Swing Ships. (DbM) Looking beyond the park and waterpark. The Mine Train coaster - down for maintenance. (DbM)

June 29 - Nagashima Spaland Thee was a film crew here at NS for The Travel Channel, and Matt and Lauren became the "it couple" with cameras following them all around, on the coasters etc. The price of fame..... We started on White Cyclone, which now I remember, was a very - rough - coaster. Right when you hit the lift hill! Of course I advised David not to ride, heh. But I got him on Steel Dragon 2000, complete with it's two little "Sauna Tunnels" over the bunny hops. Some things never change. And we took it pretty easy through-out the park. David found The Turkey Leg(s) he'd read/heard about, and wanted to try. He liked them, as did I. And this would not be our only encounter with the large drumstick. Eventually, there would be Disney... They had a Star Flyer here, just like ours in Playland (PNE), but I was very disappointed in the cycle of this one. It didn't turn very fast, and it hardly got to the top of the tower, and it was already coming down! Ours was/is much better, I felt. More later on... On the way to Nagashima Spaland. I liked the look of this building. The Travel Channel is here, setting up, usual stuff. And we're here too! Robb giving us the lowdown on what's happening. In the mean time, Steel Dragon 2000 was up and testing. JC and Priscilla sitting in front of a really nice palm tree. And Ben (on the right), is questioning his existence in coaster life. So, David waved his magic camera and POOF! Everybody was gone, for a better pic of the palms, LOL! (DbM) Look! There's people on it!

Soundtrack to Tokyo Disneyland Resort's 30th Anniversary ~ Happiness Is Here ~

^ Oooo and a new Springfield? Just wishin'... (Even if the Japanese never knew the series - they'd probably still do an awe$ome job with the area, any way, lol.)

A 20 year old german shepherd, named Schoep, passed away a couple of days ago. His owner took him into a lake every day to ease his arthritis. Photos and videos of them became viral popular. And now sweet Schoep is gone - but not forgotten. RIP Schoep. (And they were online celebrities, as people sent in over $25,000 for Schoep's medical bills. The owner knew this was way too much money for just one dog, so he set up a fund for dogs and their owners, going through similar medical crap.) The photo that went viral - Schoep and John in Lake Superior to help ease Schoep's pain.

I/we missed Universal Japan. Next TPR visit. Great coverage of the park, Chuck.

Love it. Of the "20 Best in Europe"... I have been to all but three of them!

Next year, next year!

The pizza looks Must remember this place (and days/times) when I ever get back to NY, Larry. Thanks for the tour of the beach area, too!

Sunny, sunny...and sunny! Around mid-20'sC on average. Love it. And with all the tanning I have done in the last couple of TPR Tours (Mexico and Japan), there's no need (for myself) for lotion! Woo hoo!

BBQ Buffet?

Apple Tea Soda ^ Ditto.

What is the food like, there? Do they have one-of-a-kind snacks or meals, like the rides there? And that is quite the queue for a Gravitron ride!

"Younger Than We've Ever Been" Catherine Calder

Am bumping this, because besides the Gay Day that happens once every July, some times there is interesting stuff going on at my home park, apart from that. That said, I found some new photos to share from the park - the best one for me, is their new Warning Signs located at Coaster, Hells Gate, and a couple of other thrill rides. Very effective visually, I thought. See for yourself... Artsy shot of the shadow of the SkyWheel I ride, every visit... For a shot like this, just across our inlet/harbour. And another shot the other way, overlooking Playland, itself. And - a very Awesome WARNING Sign!

From next week's park photos ~ Nagashima Spaland! It's all about helixes at Nagashima... (DbM)

Huh - big number of members on the site, today/night/morning. 577+ ? Kewl!

For myself, the Western Railroad in Tokyo DIsneyland. It's an attraction in itself, since if they put more than one station in the route (i.e like other Disney parks) then TDL will get taxed as "public transport". But the Japanese still wanted a train ride, so they did a full circuit attraction, which starts and ends at the same station. It travels around Adventure Land, Critter Country, all around the Rivers of America, and then enters the innards of Big Thunder Mountain, and there you'll find...... (no spoilers here) I always enjoy that train ride.

^ Actually, I'm pretty sure we happened to walk by where you guys were watching the lagoon, at the railing, we took a look, and then all of a sudden, at least one dolphin jumped out of the water! And then we saw the boats in the same area and went Whaaaaaa? It didn't make sense to us, this danger to them from the boats, in the same waters. But then - we agreed - this IS Japan. And that was that, heh. And "for the record," I am pretty sure this wouldn't be happening any time soon in a Canadian park, either.

And here's the video I took of several in the tour, all riding Blue Fall at Sea Paradise Park. It's hard trying to catch at least four ride vehicles (almost) falling at once, lol. Judge for yourself. [coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=MVI_2367_cr3h[/coastertube] I was told Erwin would be screaming the loudest on this, but I never really heard him with all the screeching of the tower's brakes, and other screamers, etc.

I think i did something wrong here, and accidently posted this part of the trip report, before I had finished posting pix! My bad. And moving right along... We were heading over to Blue Fall for our first OMG experience. Even my David was ready for it, LOL! (DbM) This time I checked out the "non-no" List - and guess what? I can still ride it! Woo hoo! Although two years ago, the ride op thought I was 65+...grrr. But - I'm not! I'm 45 like the rest of everybody else, right guys? Guys? After that we made our way over to Surf coaster, rode it, and got the fridge magnet for it, LOL! See? But it's more of an in-station photo, than an on-ride pic. (o; From the revolving observation tower, we got great views of the park and the surrounding areas. David took this shot of Blue Fall and the GI-normous Aquarium (on the right) at Sea Paradise. (DbM) It is a big set up, with an arena show, the tanks, viewing ports... a good couple of hours easily spent in it. (DbM) And inside - playful Polar Bears! (DbM) And everybody's fave flightless bird - Penguins! (DbM) You want crabs? They got crabs! (DbM) I loved this shot of all the colours there, in the water. (DbM) Oooo this was especially beautiful to see. (DbM) And - one of many there. And your friendly neighborhood Whale Shark Taxi! Outside of the aquarium, while waiting for David, I try another "landscape shot" here. Some of these palm trees are just amazingly HUGE! And just before meeting up with everybody and leaving, we found a rocky shoreline for a last look back at Sea Paradise Park. (DbM)

(still) June 28 ~ Sea Paradise park This has become one of my favourite parks in any TPR Japan tour. Not because of the rides (Blue Fall ) or the one coaster it has, halfway over the water.... it's really a big wonderful display of the creatures that inhabit the oceans and waterways, around us. The Aquarium there is huge, and a real workout of a walk through. The show there is pretty standard, except for of course, the Japanese go awesomely overboard in verbal/action presentation... then there's that Whale Shark in the show. Awesome beast, gentle as a lamb (I have been told). And - I even got David on Blue Fall! Surprised me he'd do it. But apparently, he's always enjoyed drop towers. I guess we just haven't been to that many in the past, heh heh. And we did the coaster - getting a nifty little photo fridge magnet - which still had the great views of the harbor area, not to mention helix after helix after helix after.... it was still fun. David went touring through the Aquarium for a couple of hours, while I cooled my feet and stayed in the shade... and looked for more capsule machines, of course lol! I have some of his photos taken inside, that I'll share soon enough. But - here we are at Sea Paradise park! Here's the entrance way to the park - and it's their 20th Anniversary, too! Cool! Just off shore, there's a little scenic tour boat that looks like a mini-paddle wheeler. Looked like fun, going back and forth across the waters. (DbM) Getting closer and closer, now. The park map. I think that red rectangle w/white characters is our "You Are Here".

Dodonpa. Fuji-Q Highland Park, Japan. I felt like my eyeballs were being pulled out (or pushed into - I forget) of their sockets, last time I rode it.

Only less than a year - till my next TPR Awesome BigButt Overseas Coaster/Themepark Tour. Sacndi, Scandi, Scandi, Scandi, SCANDI! That is all. I am happy.