Nrthwnd

^ You had to be there, really.

Great TRs Eric. My gods & goddesses, I couldn't keep track of half of what you've listed in all your lists there! Very impressive. Makes me want to go back thru all my park maps, the tour guide and all the souvenirs, and re-live (mostly) all of it. Nice to meet you and share some theme park time, here and there. Hope you will consider maybe the Japan trip - as I know you'd do a great TR with the country and culture.... not to mention the coasters and rides, too, heh heh!

That's why I put a week+ onto the TPR UK Tour - just to have visiting 'options' open, altho I did tend to stick close to my hosts' homes etc. Nice TR Julie. All that architecture..... Mmmmmm. Segways looked like fun, too!

^ Well, as long as you explained yourself, lolol. "for the record..." Here's me with the first attempt at bandaging a 'snipped tip' when my left index finger and scissors got in the way of each other outside, last Thursday afternoon. And just a few hours before we were to see the latest Cirque de Soleil show here, Varekai. We did did make it and saw the show, and enjoyed it too, with the good 'first bandage attempt,' later made better the next morning, thankyou local clinic, kiss kiss. The new bandage covers it muuuch better now, thanks.

My finger hurts. Damned cut tip.

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagreat.

I liked Nemesis Inferno too, Nicole. A bit better than (gasp; dare I mention it?) Nemesis, in Alton Towers! hey - it's all in what ya like, hmm? I enjoyed this, being more above ground much better than the majority of it sunk into pits and trenches. Eh... I was on the Train of Death @ Stealth. Whatta finish to the 'official last day' of Da Tour! Awesome, feathers and all. Thanks for sharing your pix and comments, Niiic.

And a lot of it totally random too!

Well, I think it's just one of those sad now-they-find-out kind of heart breaks. You can't predict that type of reaction, really. I mean, who knew, until after it was too late?

The child was reported as having 'died of natural causes,' that being some sort of heart defect, not even the parents knew about, maybe? Or did they know? That's what we heard, over here in Western CanadaLand. Sad, all the same.

Cars 9.5/10 Really REALLY well done in all aspects of animation and adult scripting. Ther's a lot more to this movie than just being 'for the kids.' The scenic rendering was amazing, and it was wierdly "right" that they actually pulled off an animated film about cars - using (naturally) the long winding, sometimes unending byways of the Southwest. Really remarkable. Good characters too. Several of us in the audience were laughing our heads off, with Ye Wee Barren probably not even remotely into it - 'cept when the 'pretty cars' came onscreen - ooooooooooooooo. Yeah, shure nuff. What-ever. Very fun film. And I will definitely get the DVD when it comes out. AND - most important - stay right thru the credits - it'll be worth it, trust me. Why not 10? I have never given any movie a 'perfect 10.' Hasn't been made, yet. Near as I can make out...

^^Yep - guess you're the only one, hee hee hee. Hey Ryan - a friend sent me a pic of this. Thought I'd share with ya. With those KinderEggs and all. And that's all I'm sharing. The photo. Hah hah. "Doobie doobie dooooooooooode!" It's amazing what they can pack into a plastic egg, hmmm?

It seems to boil down to the GP, who aren't being supportive enough with their $$$. But then, we know that families of four+ would have a hard time to do a proper dinner at such a place as Mythos, hmm? Same happened at DisneyParis BIGtime. Apparently a lot of the bigger restaurants were just that - big table service restaurants with (what I heard) exceptionally GREAT FOOD being served. But "the general public" didn't want big restaurants in their new Disney a/k/a GO-USA theme park - they wanted the fast food as much as what the US parks were serving up. And so they all slowly faded out of sight - and now it doesn't matter whether you're in Adventuerland, Main Street or even... Disney Village. Pizza, burgers, chicken, fries and stuff go well in any atmosphere it seems, now. Though there are still a few (like Auberge de Cendrillon and the German {?} one in the Village) around doing full table service and more than 'the above' - they are few.

You sure you took enough photos, Chris??? It's looking great. Hope whatever landscaping they can put in, under and around it will be nice. One Pagoda-like entrance arch does not a 'themeing' make. Or something like that. (Haven't started the book yet, BTW Chris. Soon soon.)

^ AND the two POUNDs that Big Mike got from two of the skaters during the bows, hmmm? I think Ryan nearly wet his pants with glee when that happened, not once but twice! Couldn't hold the boi down after that, lolol. My Humble Critique: Mostly cheesy as hell. Second half not as good as the first. So Paul, you and the others IMhO got the better part of the show (1st part) before you left. And I thought the 'thick hair' hanging everywhere from the costumes and backs and 'other places' was a bit.... freaky. But I still got the CD of Part 1 and always laugh at the inanity of the 'WhipTango' number, heh heh.

Lookin' good so far. You're never too young to start drawing and/or putting your thoughts and ideas down on paper. Looking forward to more of what you come up with in your designs.

^ Well, they did what they could in the time allotted, before re-loading the boat, and launching it, etc. I was very impressed that they even had this kind of 'thing' available and being used - the water vac, I mean. At Valhalla.

I cut the tip of my finger off earlier! But now all patched up, and going to CIRQUE DE SOLEIL in a few minutes!!! (The Varekai Tour.) Good red wine is helping out too, I must say, heh heh.

I'll agree with Nicole, as I remember seeing nothing happening with it, from the Big One's lift hill and/or when the coaster is coming back to the station. Maybe that's why no reports and/or critiques of same.

^^ Agreed. And ^ agreed again, heh heh. And I actually got a ride in on the Grand Prix, the Flying Machines, walked thru Impossible, Trauma Towers & Noah's Ark, got most of the dark rides (curses, missed the River Caves!), all of the coasters, Valhalla 3 times (yesss), Bling..... Considering how 'travel worn' a few of us probably were, missing the BPB Flume ride was 'no big deal' and altho I may not have a chance again to get to BPB in the future, missing out on the flume ride for me was not a mistake. Missing out on the River Caves, was! Call me a wierd tourist, eh?

SPEED at Oakwood Park, Wales.... from the recently past TPR UK Tour. Over 12 times - I actually lost count after it started blurring on me, lolol!

The way the postings are popping up all over the site - it's a wonder we can make out what iddy biddy or-dere this tour acktually......tuk. j/k And that's^^^ .... well that's just ^^^....... um .......^^^ I've blocked it out now.

I would take where my home park is, Playland, and make the wooden coaster the focal point. Then, on the east side of it, where the Empire Stadium used to be - and on the west of it where the rest of (ahem) "Western Canada's Premier Amusement Centre" (oy) lies, plenty other space beyond that towards the new park area allotted by the city for park rebuilding, etc... I would dig the hell out of both areas, reshape the soil, landscape it up like a West Coast forested area, bring in new flats and rebuild a couple of the old thrills (Wild Mouse, Corkscrew) and finally turn it into the Theme Park that Playland should have been made into, a few decades ago, or more. If I only had a million dollars.... or several.

And I still want to stay on Lou and Steve and Tom's 'current time' m'self. That said... A photo is worth... Enjoy your day, Ryan. OMG - can you like - drive a vehicular machine mm, Dude???

Sometimes y'know, you just have to make a choice. For me, I think this was (somewhat) in comparison to the way some of us had to go with the Thursday at Blackpool - with dinner and then rush to the Ice Show? This was 'kind of in reverse' ("show" before "dinner"?), but I was okay about missing out on the Pepper Steak. The Ice Bar was a more freaky unique kind of way to be a part of ending the tour . And very tasty, too, heh heh. And - we still got our 'one last ride' on Balder, before we left the park for the coach- hah! And two of us got to break our ice glasses, Karen and me!!! In front of the Balder Big Sign Entrance! Very c-c-c-cold carrying them things over from the Bar to the Balder, lol. Very cool thing to do, too. I hope the pix (and a vid?) taken, turned out ok. Skoll!