Nrthwnd

^ This is a great "starter set" for anybody who really wants to start off right, in their Broadway cast recordings collection. A lot of the classics are included, as well as a few revivals (Carousel, Man of La Mancha, Anything Goes, The King and I) in place of the original. They are good substitutes. And Sondheim is well repped here with Company, Sweeney Todd, Into The Woods, and Gypsy which he supplied the wonderful lyrics for. I might check it out myself, for a possible future gift to someone I know, who'd definitely enjoy this collection. Thanks for the heads up on this, Joey. (EDIT: I just realized I probably missed out on this, time wise. Darn. Ah well...)

Now - if anybody is keeping track... It's another Happy Valley Day! This one of course is Shanghai's. Rain. We got it on and off at this park. We thought that sometimes, one or more of the coaster were going to shut down due to weather. But we did get to ride everything, including their big woodie, called Fireball. And a dive coaster. And a minetrain. And a mega-lite.... Sweet. And after all that park was covered, we headed on our way to a park we hoped would still be open, as it has a really REALLY unique flying coaster.... Stingray. Well, the park had just started to shut down and ready itself for a "bought event" there by a company for all it's employees. But Robb & Co. worked their Need-To-Film magick, and we all got in, and got at least one GREAT ride on Stingray. I really enjoyed it, and didn't think there were any wierd parts to it, enough to throw your body out of whack, lol. After that, we headed out to our next group dinner. A "country-style" dinner we were told. It - was - creepy. The restaurant itself as we arrived, looked like a Chinese version of "Psycho". Don't know why. It just did. And the meal wasn't too much different from what we had in previous meals. But it was all so hushed, even from our servers. Felt - wierd. And then - out to a resort for an overnight's stay.... So this is The Map for Happy Valley Shanghai. Easy to read, yes? Even He was here! Why? I have no idea! This is what a Dive Coaster. Called "Diving Coaster". Did I miss something at the Name-This-Coaster meeting? Ah, originality... And there a bit of SPLASH too, with this one. It was IMhO a great dive coaster. I really enjoyed it. And here's a group ready to get their woodie on, hee hee. This is Fireball. Jon, Betty and Cheryl with Fireball in back. And the mine train called what else? "Mine Train Coaster". It was nice and twisty, this one was. Some "ethnic dancing" going on here. And I swear I actually saw a the same-such dance group in 2 other Happy Valleys! Hmmm... This is the entrance to Suzhou Giant Wheel Park. We timed it tight, but everything worked out great. And I think that's pretty much The Whole Group waiting out front, there. And this is the Giant Wheel in question. No time to ride that, though... THIS is what the rush was for - STINGRAY. I loved it. I want one for my own park, PLEEEEZE? It was awesome. And our "Country-Style Dinner" destination. Things are starting to blur here. Definitely not holiday lighting here...

Something Baroque* (*Well, go and fix it, then.)

^ That sounds interesting. Where did you do/get that? Makes it all the more 'mysterious' to both parties, lol.

Holiday Bump! Time to show your holiday tree if you put one up, and decorate it to bits, heh heh. Mine I'll show, when I get everything downstairs, set up - and lit.

(seeing the pizza...) Oh - my - - - damn! I am immediately drooling and visualizing the awesome PH creations we had while on the recent China tour! I luvs The Hut - but so far, ONLY in China!

^ Wow. It's just amazing how that park fits so many attractions into that somewhat limited area! IMhO, I think they "out-blackpool" Blackpool sometimes, lol. Can't wait to ride the new star flyer in a couple of years!

I need a hero.

Isn't anybody from the Black & White Panda Love Club going to post a supportive photo or something? Anything? Tsk. Tsk. Just like a bamboo-eating bunch of b/w pandas...

^^ it's looking better and better. Practically EPIC, the way the design of the Entrance Gate looks. Very impressive. Can't wait to get back to China in....2016?

Now I want to see that toast, LOL! EDIT To Add: Deadline tick tick tick tick.....

^ I don't think anybody did the ear cleaning thing, Bob. But maybe somebody did do it, and isn't fessing up, heh heh. I think somebody mentioned it also being done with wax, too? But - tuning forks???

We're almost at 40,000 AirMiles saved up! Which is basically almost 4 return flights to say, Japan?

^ QFT

^ Well I would still give X2 a try, having not gotten it as a credit still, lol.

Mine is off and away. That is all.

^ I honestly don't/didn't remember much of Dinosaur Park, except the memory of that "discussion" I had with a ride op concerning my age (59) and the "age limit" (being 60) to ride Dinoconda. I even had proof on me I was under the limit, but for a while he wasn't buying it. Then, as if by Dinosaur Magik (ha), he let me on, your pic shows me there, still looking po'd about it, LOL! And once was honestly enough for me. I am still not sold on these 4Ds, but also having never ridden the original at SFMM, how can I really compare? Both this one and Fuji-Q's were/are rough to me and more vibration in them, than I ever wanted in any coaster. Thanks for taking so many pix of the park, Chuck. And nope - still don't remember much of it, lol There I am, second row, hands together, still fuming over the 'age discussion' with *(&^%$@# ride op. The ride, unfort. did not help in easing my...tension, lol.

I am so glad you finally got ANOTHER RED BUTTON to push, Chuck! With no "dire repercussions"!

^ "Best Thing Inside a Dark Ride" I do now remember people saying, after coming out, lol. So for now we're just left with Luxun Park to tour through, not for the credits (of which i think the park had only....one?) but I think the park itself was very nice to walk/run/whatever, through. It was all set up for Some Major Festival, we weren't sure. The banner coming into Shanghai alluded to a Tourism Festival happening as we were there. But all of what we saw, it didn't look as though it was to be used ongoing. So many of what you'll see was also set up for night lighting and some of the creations themself, were strung with lots of lights. I would have loved to come back to this park, and see it at dusk, or early evening. Then again, this may have all had been a setup for China's end-of-Sept. Moon Festival. I never found out. Whatever the case, I also wondered if any of this would look awesome under a black light...? Enjoy what's here. Entering Luxun Park. Wait, it gets much better. EEEK! And I was soooo hoping a few of the umbrellas twirled, too. Then there was this along a walkway, that showed me that some of the it was also strung with lights. Cool! Now THIS is one of thsoe creations I would have LOVEd to see at night! Very nice. So much colour! It was so eye-popping! Some of this looked light they were floats too. But I don't think they were. Possibly 'backdrops' to shows or just for the size of the crowds that show up! Even on the lake (?) that was inside the park itself!! This all looked very awesome, even in the daytime. More arches, more black light colours, more lights., more more MORE! And there was a nod to Buddha and Pearl. (o: Peking Opera Masks! Size XXXL One per customer, please. Another wonderfully colourful setup. I don't know if it's even religious in content, hah. (I think the colour fumes are getting to me...) Ahhhh. another archway. Nice solid colour choice. And then there was this one, which kept giving me....dirty naughty thoughts... I liked the stuff on the waterway, but totally forgot to photograph what was winding all around this and me - a DRAGON in plates! Chuck's TR of it has a better shotn, and in the main TPR-TR too. Truly amazing - and scary if even one plate loosened or broke! "The China Chain Reaction", heh heh. And here we leave Luxun Park - with a team of Battlefield Floats ready to take to the field. Yes it's back! ~FLOAT WARS~ is Ba-a-a-a-a-a-ak!!! (HA HA not really - though I wish, maybe...)

It's basically "all of the above" (re:CE)for myself when it comes to a TPR Coaster Expedition. It's really great to see a few of those you (now) know, who you've toured with - and enjoyed the parks and coasters with. It is a unique kind of "family album" in it's own TPRish way, lol.

^ Oh darn, I KNEW there was "something" about that particular dark ride.... Thanks for reminding me, Chuck. (The panda! It was the panda!) EDIT TO ADD: BTW, the poll I got going here, (B/W vs. red pandas) is still... "Red Ahead"

Another day - more credits than ever - and one in particular...... We did as many as we could,with the bus driver and guide getting us there as fast as possible (huff huff), we managed to rack up a good number of worms, dragons and spinny mousies I am quite sure most of us will never ride again, LOL! For a lot of us on the tour though, i know that it is also the parks themself that lend to an interesting random version of "find the coasters" within some really lovely and winde spread parkland. Within whatever cities we were in at the time! And for myself, Luxun Park was really a unique small park experience. And that park, I will post in a separate post, following this one. You'll see why. At the end of the day (I believe Century park was our last one with s-a-p coasters?) there was a split up of people - and for the life of me, I can't remember why some of us chose another Tea Demo (moi inlcuded) and the others chose _________ ? But for those of us that chose Tea, I am pretty sure we weren't as impressed by the presentation as the first one we attended. And the tea bulb didn't bloom so great in the glass, either, heh heh. And then - a group meal of course! I believe our first park of the day. Name of? I forget, already, lol! First time I had ever seen a DOUBLE ROW one-of-those-things. (o: This park also had something a bit bigger for those of us who craved..... bigger. And even had one of these bobkarts! And yes Ledgy, that IS the direction you have to go. (Silly person.) This caught my eye on the way to more credit(s) in another park. Very meandering and soothing, yes? An ocassional (usually) bad dark ride was found, and ridden... and forgotten. And I got a kick out of trying to "square the star" from the bus, on our way to Luxun Park. And that park will be in the next post, k? So AFTER Luxun park's visit.... Another streetway, another sculpture. This was called.... SunDial. Uh huh. Ok. We hit Century Park, I took another lousy blurry map pic, we did the credits - and we're out! I do remember that these banners in CP were very cool - notably for a small shoutout to Canada there. Impressed! And after Century Park, this was when the group split up - and there was SPACE IN BACK of the bus! Our charming model Jon.... shows us how much space. But before dinner - More Tea! (demo) She was "okay" but not as impressive or "bubbly" as our first Tea Host, back in Beijing. Heck, the "blossoming flower" didn't blossom that great or look that appealing (as compared to the first one we saw). Then dinner, then back to hotel.

^ That was all very cool to see.

"After The Gold Rush" by Neil Young k.d. lang from Hymns of The 49th Parallel

Like Fuji-Q Highland park!