Nrthwnd

^ QFT

20/26 Not bad, from what my little brain can remember, lately.

I really REALLY didn't realize how BIG Lotte World, even with all the past TRs on it, etc. Good job of covering everything, David! And may I say, I really think that shot you weren't too happy with, is a great shot, IMhO! It looks like its snowing over them on the curve, lol. And I think the only thing you'd have to photoshop out of this pic, if you wanted to do it, is those two bits of purple above the car. This shot. It's actually quite good, honest!

Oops. My mistake Chuck, lol! Hmm, for some reason at the time, I just cancelled it out in my mind, the loop I mean. Maybe from the previous encounter with one of these 'altered' toboggans..... I blocked this one out, LOL.

^ David, the toboggan at Chuanlord didn't have any loop with it. Just a basic toboggan. But remember it being down, and Robb tried and tried and tried to get it open for us...but couldn't? It was a valiant effort on his part I must say. Yeah, if TPR goes back to Chuanlord Holiday Manor in say, a few years, maybe there's some way they could be contacted and have the Ghost Ship re-programmed to "Level 8" for the group. That would be awesome!

I have always loved this flume since I first rode it with my mom in....1963??? And the best part for me is still the inside drop. The surprise drop. The unexpected drop. And at that time there were massive stalactites and such built around the u-turn in the flume for the 2nd lift hill. Whatever they do with it now, I can only hope they keep the awesomeness of it, that's still as good as Disney IMhO.

If only Knightmare would come to Flamingo Land... And put back a mountain around it! My wish.

Hmmm. My S-S-S (Secret Santa Sendee) hasn't posted whether he received his prezzie... or not. I sent it out on November 30, so.....who knows? And - it was within the country, too. (EDIT to add: My mistake. I checked, and s/he got the presents!)

A coaster in Mexico! (You'll have to ask Elissa which one, in which park, lol.)

Are we finished with this, now? Or is there now another End-Of-World Date we haven't been told....yet?

"Carry on, just a little bit longer..."

The heat and humidity started to really hit me at Chimelong and continued through to Ocean Park in Hong Kong. That's mainly why I decided not to do the Hong Kong tour after we visited OP. I'd just had enough with the heat. And the Hollywood Hotel's pool at HKDisney was soooooo nice.

QFT

^ And speaking of meals - but in a big group - together.... Here's an assortment of photos of some of The Group Meals we had together on the tour. I didn't take photos of all of them. And frankly, like a lot of those kids' coaster credits, I can't remember everywhere we ate at. We were usually driven to some spot where we'd either park, or get out in the street and play frog hopper with the traffic. Extra fun! Then, we would sometimes go upstairs to a meal, or downstairs "somewhere in the building." Some meals came with hot tea and later for dessert, watermelon. And sometimes, not. It was an experience not to be forgotten, and definitely a unique part of what is touring in China. Here we go.... and these are in pretty much the right order, as we ate. Bon apetit! Thsi was the first group meal for those of us who arrived a day early of the tour starting. A sign of many more to come. So there's this place we ate. Another kind of "group meal." The ceiling chandelier was nice to see too. And this is where a rather unsavory liquor was put on our tables - awful stuff, but Ben apparently wanted another bottle. Go figure. So this was an early dinner, I suspect. And Holger is ahead of the rest of us... Another group meal. 'Nough said. Doesn't matter which dinner or lunch it was. My plate usually always turned out looking like this. And I probably still didn't recognize half of what was on it. So for this meal, they put us in sectioned rooms of the place.... Complete with sliding glass deviders around us! Fun. And wierd-feeling at the same time. I think this meal was in the vicinity of the Pearl Tower, in Shanghai. I think. A look at the table I sat with. Good looking bunch, hmm? And surprise! It's french fries! Betty is happy. This was on the neon-lit floating Dragon restaurant. Close to the water level. And this is my last group meal shot. Hey you guys! A HAPPY NEW YEAR and see some of you in 2013!

We gotta still kill an hour and a half before.... But for right now - HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!

I liked this park a lot. But this was the first day of it starting to get very humid, for myself. And then we kept finding places we wanted to eat, closed for their season. A bit frustrating, but we eventuially found a place indoors, and with chicken feet! (not) The photo in question below? Something happened either during the run or near the end of it, and we all just broke up laughing, into the station. Or it was a Religious Experience, yeah. I totally forget, though. Anybody on that train remember? Help? Tears of Joy and Funny. Of what, I cannot remember.

I got this at Disney Sea last year, Larry. It was for the park's upcoming 10th Anniversary, and promoting Fantasmic's opening year. Sorry you missed it. And I am definitely going to be on the lookout during this summer's visit to TDS for anything Lava Monster-ish, Dave. There's DisneySea Pluto in the middle, there. Hong Kong Mickey is on the right, and one of the Bugs (?) from a Happy Valley park, on the left. Big Bad Wolf from Efteling is below, lol.

^ I know, and realize that. I was just hoping that maybe TDS would keep some of it's (then) merchandise by the time I got back to the park. But the Disney brand sells, no matter which park or land one is in, there.

This I posted in my report on the TDS part of last year's tour. Admitted, they still did have Tower of Terror stuff available and NOT overtaken by Disney character branding. Duffy was definitely more visible through the park, as compared to 2007, when he only occupied One Table in the Cape Cod souvenirs shop! Time change, hmm? I am hoping some things do return, like the leather bomber jackets for either Indiana Jones or Capt.Nemo. That would be nice. My three cents. Yeah, I like "20K" a - lot. And I'm glad I bought the cap from Disney Sea, back then! Not there in 2011, sadly. And this is the candy dish I picked up in Port Discovery! I loved it! Gone, when I returned, four years later.

"Homeward Bound / Home" by former cast of GLEE Season 4 Volume 1

^^ Thanks for posting the pic of that bizarre and wild walk-through, Dan. ^ And Larry and Dan, it was totally awesome - once you got past the "movie" LOL! I remember thinking as we were watching.... really? And then we started leaving the place. And it went on and on and... And the WATER! Total freakout! We came out of it going omgomgomgomg, and immediately told anybody we came upon to Do It! "Get past the first part and then..." and left it at that. Great walk-through. Wish there were more like this in the world. And yes, still use that movie to throw everybody off, lol. Perfect. And that number system makes me wonder what is #1 Level like - total bland or...? And then #8 Level. Could - not - imagine what they do there. But maybe we can get to come here again (in 2016?), have somebody contact the park for our Level 8 Tour, LOL!

Can't wait to see you branch out and franchise to other cities!

Look there, see? It's Brenda Lee! Great retro stuff, Mark. Wish I'd gotten to Opryland at least once in it's lifetime.

On to Sept. 24th, the Monday, where we did the parks we were supposed to do on the previous day, but didn't because of the flight cancellation, and Robb changing things around....... and it worked! This was now the day to be visiting Chimelong Paradise, followed by Chuanlord Manor, with our dinner to be at the second park. Chimelong was a big park, boasting seven coasters to ride there, but it had only five of them up and running. Which was okay. It was getting to be a really hot and humid day that day. Our biggest problem appeared to be finding a place indoors that we could eat a lunch we recognized, understood, and not pay too much for. But we found something, and it worked out okay. There was also a half-pipe coaster in this park, as well as a 10 Inversion coaster called... 10 Inversion Coaster! The motorbike launch coaster was pretty cool too. Now Chuanlord Manor was a really interesting park, as that it was set up as a huge resort for the locals, and everything from the buildings to walkways... all done in BROWNS, all of it mainly wood built. Was fascinating to walk through. There were also 'questionable' animal acts, such as Diving Pigs. It looked more like pigs falling off a high level to me, lol. Two coasters were down here (a mouse and a toboggan NOT with a loop), but that was okay. A newer bigger steel coaster was in the future for this park, so there atleast three credits to come back to, lol. And our group dinner was at this park, in a nice corner of the building, with a view of....outside. On our way to our first park. And another tower to pass by I liked the 'pattern' of this at the side of the highway. The entry map at Chimelong Paradise. It is a big park. Dive Coaster! The Half-pipe. The Motorbike Launch Coaster. Jon and me in my fave mythical animal - Pegasus! Or as called here... Flying Horse! Where we ate lunch - and I must apologize here - I had No Idea I had sweat that much, till the photo came back. But it's honest themepark sweat LOL! And at this point..... Betty SCREAMED, when the soup lid was uncovered! And that's when we found... Mmmm yes. Freshly boiled chicken's feet. Yum. (not) And so after that, we left one park (bye bye 10 Inversion coaster).... And ended up here at Chuanlord manor. See map. And colour of wood. Oh look, it's an operating mouse. And a non-operating toboggan! And this. Which 'apparently' can count as a few credits, if all ridden? Uh huh... And this. Does that look like a pig diving, to you? Or being thrown off the Group Perch? Speaking of groups - our dinner meal there at the park.

No. Do you celebrate your birthday every year with others?