Nrthwnd

Yep. Musical Circus > Escalator Ride. And I also nearly missed it too. Nothing out front lets you know WTF is in store for your 'entertainment' lol. Looking forward to that video, heh heh. (Parque Espana ROCKS!)

And so continuing on here... And faster, too! You'll notice I don't have as many pix for some parks as others - a few only get one lonely little photo, sniff. But that's okay. You'll have Robb's and Chuck's and everybody else's TRs to get looks at everything and anything that was part of this crazy Japan Tour! ~ ~ ~ Set B - From Space - to WTF Gokarts - and Helloooo Kitty! Four parks I'm showing now: Spaceworld Uminonakamichi (whew) Harmonyland Wonder Rakutenchi Spaceworld was great with the fake shuttle and all. A great log flume with a coaster-like curving slide - and very wet too; a huge double seat Enterprise to ride; my first Space Wheel to ride - and only 16 min. or so for a complete rev!; a Japanese Stealth, heh heh; a Hyper with the "WTF is That?" screwed up entanglement of track (NOT a 'figure 8' hmm?) near the end of it; and KFC for a meal! Uminonakamichi is a seaside park, which is actually a "nature-oriendted amusement park"... okay. Still, it had one of our first Ice Houses to enjoy (although this first one was freakin' C-C-C-Cold!); the infamous Obstacle Course that TPR has shown before (eh); and a set of gokarts with two choices of pavement... smooth.... or OMF-ING GAWD WHAT IS THIS non-pavement course... It was AWESOME! And totally screwed up and I know there would never be a course like THIS is the US parks, lolol! This definitely made "the park," for alot of us, heh heh. Oh, and Shane decided to make a record out of riding and riding Jet Coaster...how many times Shane? Ten? Twelve? I forgot. Harmonyland was Hello Kitty and all of those wierd (but wonderful) animes or creatures (?) that we all know and can't get away from, lol! A lovely little park, with a "controversial" train/coaster taking us down, down down to this park's version of.... yes, "It's a Hello Kitty World"! Tolerable and actually fun, especially when the penguin got spanked . Wonder Rakutenchi was another park where transport (this time a neat funicular railway, like Orient Express at MM) took us uuuuuup the mountain.... to a wierd double ferris wheel (did not ride); a coaster that still wasn't (I heard) "okayed" by the Japanese Gov't. yet after it had been shut down.. but now it's open! ; a sad, sad-looking zoo (poor raccoons and gorillas); a WTF walk-thru dark house that was pretty neat; and ... Duck Races! (I did not bet, lol). And a great view of whatever city we were looking down on, heh heh. And me and Au$$ie Rich also had dual 'breakdowns" on this wierd driving road sort-of Autopia that took us down down down into the woods - and we then ended up having to hike back up after the cars "died" on us just before the uphill part. ~ ~ ~ Also - I have had some photos sent to me by SteveC, so a couple of (ahem) Add-Ons are making their debut in this photo set, with my thanks to Stephen. Enjoy.... (to be continued) Me and Chuck/cfc (thanks for taking it, Barry) after crossing the suspension bridge at Wonder Raku... Hot day, great view, and a non-Gov't approved credit! Add-on #2 - Here I am at the left, in The Funicular Train Group Photo that Robb took for his TR. I got left out of his photo. But not SteveC's - hah! (o: Another happy boatful of (mostly) TPR peeps just come back from "It's a Hello Kitty World". Although that lady with/hat in the back, looks somewhat unmoved, lol. Add-On #1 (thanks SteveC) Me giving 'directions' to Au$$ie Rich, who is "driving" our Sky Jet at Harmonyland. Yeah, sure he is.... Harmonyland - and a (&^#$# horned Pegasus! Not in my Books of Mythology, buddy. But I still rode it anyway, lol. Jet Coaster at Uminon... and Shane rehearsing what will come in handy later, at another park. That being, riding and riding and riding... how many times on this, roomie? (o; The obstacle course in question, at Uminonakamichi - not on my life, heh heh. Leaving Spaceworld back to the train station - but seeing a great shot of the Wheel, thru Zaturn! (o: "Memorial" Gift Shop? Memorial to what? We never quite figured that out. Also note - wrong footwear on - the blisters start to develop, bwa hah hah! This is me in the Space Wheel (thanks fot taking it, Mark) being happy, that this thing only takes 16 minutes to do a full revolution! My First Sapce Wheel! And a great view of Spaceworld, too. A view thru all of the Zaturn track - and the lifthill. And of course, one must include one's self in a shot of said shuttle. You can't miss that shuttle when you get to Spaceworld, lol!

^ I would love to see that happen... You throwing cupcakes at (annoying) customers, I mean.

^ or a badly-made cocktail... Shaken - not stirred. A lot.

Yep. That's about how it went for myself. I was on the opposite side as you were, Robb. Other end of that row. Not the same time of course, which would have made for some really great stereo cursing for Ginny, LOLOLOL! But at least I know I felt it the same as you, lol. And Ryan thought I'd cry like a liddle girl - HAH! I screamed more blue stuff than I think he thought I knew possible, hee hee. Thanks for putting the vid together, Robb. Instant memory renewal, ha ha.

^ There was a version of that at Liseberg in the add-on last year, Mark. Called the Tornado, if my nearby park map serves me correctly? It does. I wanted to try Moonraker too, and the Hospital Haunted walk-thru. But that was still 4+ hours of time spent for just two rides that lasted a total of less than five minutes. And there just wasn't any time left, except for the Thomas Train coaster, lol. And finally to try some Dippin' Dots, LOL! Ah well - five credits down, and when we do Fuji-Q again, I can demurely decline particular attrac..........tions. Found it in the UK'06 Tour reports - thanks Robb! (o: Here is...Tornado in Liseberg, Sweden. Akin to Moonraker, hmmm yes?

All for one. from the Broadway Cast CD of Monty Python's SPAMALOT

Seems to be most different flavors of Trident now. Dunno why. Just is.

Yes...... Canadians. Actually, I agree with the above statement.

^ The Japanese are indeed a patient, quiet people. And what's sometimes seen/read on t-shirts is still completely beyond me. I saw several I would even blush to repeat here, verbatim. But - it made me remember, it IS a Yin/Yang thing with these people. There is always a quiet tranquil tea garden to be found, in the middle of several million people, cars, houses, buildings, advertising. Love it. Want to go back, even with the long lines, LOLOL!

I still can't quite believe, that now that I've just finished an amazing TPR trip to the Far East, that I'm now even thinking let alone considering, that there's another TPR Tour coming up for me and others next June! Sweet.

We finally went and got to see The Simpsons Movie last night. I know it's been awhile since opening, but I've had other movies, and a Japan Tour to get ready for, and do..... 7/10 It was the tv series, UPSIZED in several spots; some of the animation played around with (fire effects...oooooo) and oomphed a bit here and there; and a bit more 'story' for the characters (Lisa 'maybe' gets a bf, Marge & Homer's ongoing marriage sh**, Bart rethinking about his dad...). But I enjoyed South Park: The movie more, and I enjoyed the new Disney animated "Rattatouie" more as well. Still, it was a cool thing to see everybody up there on the Big Screen, lol.

Yep. Are you wishing it was tomorrow already?

You guys are being way too mean to him. But --- since you did ask.... Well, Brian?

^ Are those the "cups" that actually look like they'd take one of those infamous "Yards of Beer" in them? We have had them too, at our park. But I know absolutely nothing about "stoners useage" with them, *cough*exhale*cough*cough... Thought I'd put up some more of the Japan 2007 Tour stuff I bought and brought back with me. This close-up pic shows the "collector holders" I got, when I bought something to drink/eat. In a small bunch there, is the transluscent MM holder (for my massive ice cream dessert - mostly all grape!); the small yellow ceramic (NOT plastic, note) Hunny Pot for my lemon-honey sherbet (which itself had an 'insert cup' for it, and that's beside the cup with a little souvenir bear in it)... The clam shell holder that held my Sea Salt Ice Cream (I kid you not - and not bad either!) from Mermaid Lagoon in TDS w/lid in front of it; a big "Holographic" drink cup (top of pic) from Chef Genie in the Arabian Coast at TDS; the fold-down tray/box (at left corner) my foot-long deli sandwich came in, at New York Deli in the American Waterfront at TDS... Couple of pressed pennies there (Scary Teddy at HM/NBC and Tokyo Disney Resort Line); ONLY 115 Yen in coin left in my pocket when I returned home (!); and a couple of the VooDoo Dolls I couldn't resist buying, including one from one of the first um.... Rastifarian Gift Shops we saw at a few of the more remote parks on tour? Yeh mon. Trippin'. Stuff within stuff - to collect! Really unique things to bring back home, especially from Tokyo Disney.

^ I totally agree with you on that. We have had the joy of having several cats own us thru the years for a few decades. Meow, indeed. But now - Taiko Drum Roll please! - I reveal to you all now my TT#1 pick of the TPR Japan 2007 Tour! (as if you're going to be surprised by this, hmm?) My Top Ten #1 PICK of the TPR Japan'07 Tour - Ms. ELISSA ALVEY! ~ ~ ~ Firstly, a lot of Most Honorable Mentions should go out to all of you guys who helped Robb and Elissa throughout the tour, but espeically when it came time to dealing with, and helping with that Happy Screaming Bundle of Stuff, Miss Kristen Alvey. Chris, Dan, Joey and Ryan I could see you were part of the main support group for the Alveys and THANKYOU for spending a good part of your touring time, helping them have a better time on tour, themself. Doing everything from keeping the KidTums happy and 'occupied', feeding and holding, carrying/folding/lifting the stroller, etc. etc. It was also a treat to see the "koochy koochy koochy" come out in all of you, heh heh. Most heartwarming. ~ ~ ~ Then there's Elissa's "other child" we all had to deal with. Robb, it was great see you again, touring with you again, and I'll especially have good memories of us at Nagoya Zoo and you on that "controversial" coaster, heh heh. Photo to follow in TR. Awesome tour, Mr.A. ~ ~ ~ And Elissa, I know the lot of us in this tour, past TPR tours, and many tours to come will drone on and on about ya... But you know what? It's all a Great Thing! And well-deserved. And needed to be told to you every so often, okay Ms.A.? You were truly AWE-SOME and an Oustanding Tour Organizer, bar none. One of The Best and you are Ours, all OURsss BWA - HAH - HAH!!! Bright Blessings to you, Kristen and Robb and your close family and friends. And here's to more touring together as She-Who-is-Now-Getting-Credits proceeds to blossom and bloom, grow and.... run around - hah! Take care - BIG BEAR HUGS. Bill (and shameless PR here - next installment of my TR goes up tomorrow/Friday!) ...And amaaazingly packed it all into this set of itty-bitty liddle bags! And an extra carry-on, too. Hee hee hee. ...I took all of this....crap and stuff (everything showing here except the t-shirts, above'em all)... My charicature (sp?) from Cosmoworld in Yokohama 16/09/07. And why do I appear to look so "slightly smug" here? Well, maybe it's because....

^ I think the whole timing of the day wasn't working in (most of) our favor, starting with the coach taking a lot longer to get to the park due to construction on the highway, and causing more longer traffic delays than E&R figured in. They certainly figured in enough time for "Point A to B" as they always do that with their amazing daily schedules. But this was just un-expected traffic sh** nobody counted on, including them. Then the light (extreeeemely light) drizzle was holding up immediate opening of ALL of the coasters at Fuji-Q, something a lot of us were NOT too understanding of (myself included I will admit), probably based on a previous park we went to that didn't open anything for us due to "rain" ~ separate rant, lol ~ and then it became a game of "is it open, is it testing? yes it is testing - should we go over to the line? no, wait till we see people on it..." etc. etc. Most of us started at Fujiyama, then proceeded to the smaller coasters (the indoor, Wild Mouse) making sure we could see both Dodopna and Eejanaika for testing, etc. And Peter/Loefet & myself dashed from the Mouse line, once we saw peeps on Dodop. To get into that never-ending queue. Got very frustrating - and we ended up in 2 hour+ lines for both Dodop and Eeeeeej - and that four hours+ spent in two lines, sort of killed the rest of the afternoon for a lot of us. I didn't get two of the other coasters (the two rodents, hee hee) out of the 7 there, because of the huge lineups, and changing trains on Eeeej, blah blah. It was a lot of "bad stuff" that sort of all played into that one touring day. Poor Fuji-Q. Just one of those visits.

I would tend to "lean" towards the latter, hah hah. (^Thanks Dave. We figured that, too, lol. Baseball IS such a big thing over in Japan - a few of the guys actually went to a game while in Tokyo, near the end of the tour!)

Our city's civic workers' strike (read: NO garbage pickup) is now in it's 70th Day then

Thanks, it probably is. We chatted it a bit when we first saw it, and majority ruled on it being some sort of driving range setup. But still - seeing it in the photo just makes me initally go WTF is that? Then, I remember, heh heh.

^^ The eyes got me immediately. And my cat Camille has had enough of this cutesy dog stuff - and is on vacation right now. She'll be back. Yep - she's on vacation now, LOL! Nice looking getaway spot, actually. (o;

I'm Not That Girl. Sung by Idina Menzel from the Broadway Cast CD of ~ Wicked ~ One of the best shows on Broadway today.

Thanks. She Owns us.

Your report is definitely worth BUMPing...

^ I've already clicked on Watch this topic for replies.