Nrthwnd

These are from one of the best (I was told) World's Fairs of it's time - the Montreal World Expositon, EXPO 67. They had a huge amusement area, which is now know as La Ronde. And in that area they had this massive pair of pyramid-like structures making up what was then called GYROTRON. Like a present day omnimover, a continuous track of 4 seat benches, first entered the larger pyramid and circled up and up through the darkness, with glimpses of spacecraft, astronauts and planets circling inside the building. Then about midway, the cars came outside and travelled along a "bridge" to the second smaller pyramid (called The Volcano), and entered from the top. And inside was "the lava creature" (more like a space age crab I thought) ready to (the PR said) "gobble you up". And then the ride was over. I never got to EXPO 67, but I heard the ride went very slowly and there wasn't much 'motion' to the creature at all. Still, it's an early one to note. The larger of the two buildings of GYROTRON. With the "space stuff" inside. Note the 'bridge' above on the right there? The second smaller building ~ The Volcano ~ with "it" inside. Heading towards our doom... Hello gorgeous! Not you. What's behind you! Look out!!!!!

I remember seeing CARS toy merchandise in electronics (several levels) stores, in toy sections, as well as at the Toys 'R' Us beside Toshimaen Park, in their own section, along with all the power heroes and anime' etc figures. In both TPR Japan tours 2007, and 2011. So I think that CARS has been there in Japan since the first movie came out. At least by 2007.

^ Great on-ride shots. But, uh, don't you mean for that last one.... "Front row left"...? Our left, you mean? Just checking here. Unless you've gone through some.... changes recently? Between Millenium Force, and GateKeeper?

10 Inversion > Colossus Chimelong is one of the parks I really enjoyed, on the TPR China Tour last Sept. Definitely want to go back to that one, again. Thank you for showing us, a great TR with you and your friends at the park.

In my own humble opinion, it appears to me (having ridden a good number of these coasters around the world), they all seem to go through this system of a pause, then a slight push forward to the lift hill and then they connect and the lifting starts. I think that if the car itself just hit the lift hill on it's current speed, than being slowed down for the lift, this would add imeasureable ongoing stress to both the (what I call) "hook" on the car and the chain of the lift itself. Slowing it down to a stop, then loading it onto the lift seems a better use of energy and stress on the entire system. IMhO.

^ LOL, you look like you definitely want to ride, again.

This is more "On Ride: In The Station" kind of photo, lol. It was taken on Wed.March 27th in Parque Bicentario, one of the parks in TPR's Mexico Tour, back then. This one was located between Mexico City and Guadalajuara. With this loopscrew coaster, called Montana Rusa. Which several of us found funny, as an earlier coaster we'd ridden, at La Feria park in Mexico City ~ a mobius wooden coaster ~ was also named Montana Rusa. Huh. And so it goes... (EDIT to add: And here's the Trip Report where this photo came from: http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=65318 ) Me, JC and "others" (hi others!) on the loopscrew, in the station, at Parque Bicentario.

^ I know, I know! It was awesome, there. Definitely one of the reasons to go back to Mexico, yes? Yum. And here's a "preview pic" from next week's Day 5 of the tour, where we go to Selva Magica Park, and then really discover the makings...of the true, tasty, joy of TEQUILA! This = Tequila!

^ Thank you, Joey! Not exactly an easy catchy name to remember, lol. But that's ok. Awesome sponge candy!

Sponge candy is awesome! One of the franchises here (Cadbury?), has it in a bar, covered in purple foil and labeling. What is it called again...?

And to add... (sorry for the two posts in a row) When I looked at the prototype (possible) ride vehicles for Ratatouille at WDS, I realized these were also the first trackless vehicles I'd seen, to allow the car to actually spin around, on it's base! All Disney's previous trackless attractions, turned with the car and the base. Now how cool would that be, for "Kitchen Kalamity"? (I like spelling it with a "K") A nice probable turning pedestal that vehicle is sitting on, on it's base. And the base looks much "thinner", too. Awesome if it's created like this!

Day 4 ~ Parque Bicentario, cont. ~ Dinner in Guadalajuara! So when we got to our smaller coasters, after riding the loopscrew, we found that one of them, Selva del Raton (Wild Mouse), wasn't going to allow our group on it unless we had children with us on the ride! And just in front of us, was this big group of school children planning to ride the mouse as well as us... Elissa introduced our group to the adults with the children, asked if it was possible for us and them to 'pair up' thereby getting us the credit, and hopefully contributing to the kids having a good 5time, as well. And the answer was YES, but no to Ellissa offering candy, or money! They would have none of that, so each of us got our own little Coaster Buddy for the ride! My guy was named Pedro and he held on as tight as me and yelled out just as much as I did! It was really awesome to connect with the kids, and my only regret is that I didn't get a photo taken of Pedro and me. The whole thing happened so fast, we all just jumped into it and got our ride credit.... so if anybody from the tour, has any photos at all of this wonderful event at PB, PLEASE POST IT/THEM HERE! With much thanks from me. Well after that happy time, we did some more time in the park, had a lunch there (excellent home made burritos!), then continued on our way to Guadalajuara. Settled into our room, then headed out for dinner. And with the advice of our helpful doorman, a group of us found a restaurant just around the corner from the hotel. Crammed with locals, the service was great, the food and drink was excellent. So it was a delicious end to a really memorable day on the tour. A water raft ride. I "heard" you really got WET on this, so I thought no, not today. A swinging pirate ride. I liked the statue, but that light pole ... no comment. (o; Themeing - live swans! Now this coaster (a wacky worm) we could ride on our own. Go figure. And I also later found out, you were allowed to walk across the grass, unlike us who at first walked allllllll the way around on the pathway. To get to the mouse coaster. But better to be safe...then find out later, lol. And here's the Wild Mouse, with the great group of kids we rode with. Again, Please Post Photos (group, pairs, etc) here. Much appreciated, guys. Lunch. And it (the burittos) was Awesome! The typical melted cheese and chips was...ok. Now on our way to our hotel in Guadalajuara. Liked the cloud formations here. Arrived - then immediate snack buying, across the street. But who names a bakery franchise BIMBO? Must mean something different in Mexican. Snacks what I bought. The Churrumais were ok. The Freskas were better. Wish I had bought more of them. Our nice room at the hotel. Hi JC! Comfy? I laughed when I saw the "Dorothy" up there. Don't know why. Must have been an OZ thing, heh. Lobby shot. And this was a Holiday Inn, believe it! Starting our great dinner, around the corner from the hotel. Group shot - JC, Jo, Cheryl, Ginny, and Betty. Me and Ginny enjoying our meal..... I think. The Bank. For paying The Bill. Which was really reasonable, even with the beers/alcohol. And the place is called La Chata. Check it out if ever you are in Guadalajuara. I certainly will, next visit! And our first evening there, ended.

^ Well, it's going to be exciting to find out, once it opens next year! But yes, I understand that logic with dispatching the vehicles 3 at a time.

Interesting to me, is every time Disney designs a new attraction with trackless vehicles in it, the number of ride vehicles ups, lol. Aquatopia TDS - 2 vehicles, two tracks. Pooh's Hunny Hunt TDL - 3 vehicles, three tracks. Mystic Manor HKDL - 4 vehicles, four tracks. now Rattatouille at WDS - (possibly) 6 vehicles, six tracks! (Or a possible 3 vehicles. Stay tooned...) Makes me wonder if any trackless attraction(s) is/are built at Shanghai Disneyland, it will be interesting to see if it's a clone of one of the above...or something else, original. And more vehicles!

I am in awe looking at it all. And it 'looks' like they are going to send off, three vehicle 'rats' at a time, yes? No? (EDIT to add, Actually it looks like six 'rats' might be released at a time! Huh.)

Happy National Burger Day Everybody! (USA)

Happy National Burger Day, Everybody! (in the USA)

Not available to Canada, either.

I think the combination of the two track styles works great here, especially with all the surrounding vegetation and landscaping. I think it all depends on the colour of the track (really!) and what the surroundings are, with it. Looks great. Thanks for sharing the update photos! I love all of this, how it looks among the trees, etc.

Nope. Not working here.

^ Not to mention Luigi and Guido selling tires in Japanese. Or Flo making the language all the more.....mmmm fine, lol.

But before Wednesday comes.... a Video! This was taken at Parque Bicentario, along part of the tent covered walkway, in front of their REPTILE HOUSE. I wasn't interested in the reptile house at all, but the blowup jitter-bugging gator in front, along with the booming voicetape to get us in there.... it was fun to watch and hear. [coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=MVI_1835_p8xw[/coastertube]

Day 4 ~ Parque Bicentario - and on to Guadalajuara! Today we left Mexico City and started our drive to Guadalajuara. And along the way, there was a nice city park with rides for us to enjoy. With one Very Special Time I think everybody enjoyed there. Bicentario is spread out without too much trees or shade. There was this huge tent you walked through to get to some of the other rides. And with tables and chairs, this was definitely a setup for families and groups to bring their picnics and enjoy them in the park. So we went in, and headed towards our first coaster credit - Montana Rusa, a loopscrew coaster. (Interesting that it was named the same as the mobius wooden coaster at La Feria!) On our way to Bicentario and Guadalajuara. And this is how freeway landscaping starts out... ...And how it ends up! Very simple but nice, I thought. Then there were these I spotted along the way. Reminded me of Seattle and the few unfinished on and off ramps they had, for years. Another one. Unfinished. Sad. Now this... This reminded me if either a Blade Runner-style theme park; or something Disney would design for their Evil Villains City theme park. You decide. I like either. And here's our park stop ahead - Bicentario. Portable landscaping, lol Very nice and a lot of them on the entrance mall to the park. I'm not too sure who this was. But obviously, an important guy, right? Park map. That's all I got. Big Signs! Big Words! I'm Sold! What am I Buying?! (And supported by your International Tostitos/Doritos Company.) More nice simple landscaping in the first turn (to the lifthill) of the large coaster in the park. And here it is - interestingly enough, also called Montana Rusa! A "loopscrew" coaster. A view of architecture we kept seeing from the bus, but I couldn't take the right photo - till now, in the park. I like it. More on Wednesday...

MMM, I think I am starting to smell the blossoms on the trees in that welcoming area. And that castle is becoming one of The Most Magnificent Disney Creations - Ever. IMhO.

And there is definite space for something new in the top left corner of Disney Sea. Right beside the Lost River Delta area. (A new version of ExpEverest, perhaps?) And I wonder if they could ever pull off maybe a Marvel Land "cross over land" - literally from Disney Sea to Disneyland and so on. Now that would be a challenge to the imagineers, if they wanted to trump Universal Orlando. EDIT to add that there IS some parking lot behind Tomorrowland itself that could be used for Marvel. But a crossover land, park-to-park would truly be unique AND a First, of it's kind, for Disney. This is the space, rumors have put a possible future Marvel Land in, at TDR. All speculation of course. But still.