Mechanic

^That could be its own movie! Not kidding.

^ I knew what you meant, I was just messing with you. Those 2 sentences, one right after the other, just made me laugh.

Bipolar much?

Matt's hair was beyond epic at WCB. I can't wait to see the third installment of the Hoodie franchise. And long live Jeremy's Captain Jack! You guys keep up the great work! Don't let the work and money woes get you down. I'm sure that someday you're both going to be filthy rich, but will still look back on these days as some of the best.

^ Which will all break within a couple seasons.

It was only a matter of time before those track bolts started eating up the wheels.

Order placed! It'll be myself and the 2 youngest kids, Charlie and Whitney. My wife would have loved to attend as well, but she's having shoulder surgery just a week before the events. To Robb, Elissa, SFDK, and CGA, thanks again for pulling together a pair of TPR days for those of us in NorCal. Let's hope CGA has some good news at the Q&A about the park moving forward with the new leadership taking over. - fingers crossed for luck -

Click here for episodes avaliable online.

As several others have mentioned, the thought that this might have been a suicide definitely crossed my mind early on during reading and watching coverage of the incident. Not that I'm saying it was, just that there were more than a couple peculiarities that had me thinking along those lines. The thought that it was the only ride he rode all day being the one that really stood out.

Discovery Bay at Disneyland back in the mid 70s. Link

7/20. Considering that all but 2 were guesses, I imagine that's about right.

Yay! I'll get my head count finalized and order up tickets this weekend. Thanks Robb!

Big Mike, you are THE MAN! Great show, and Megan is definitely a super hottie.

Hello Kitty! Absolutely loving the updates.

fixed

Aside from weight distrubution, what exactly controls how much the seats are allowed to spin on the ZacSpin models?

Just because you don't know the reason, or don't agree with it, doesn't mean they didn't have one. Considering that's it's been gone for close to decade now, I'd say it's time to get over it and move on. It's gone and it's never coming back. End of story. The more immediate concern is whether the park itself is going to survive, not any individual ride. Considering the good repuation that Mr. Ouimet had at Disney, we at least have some reason to hope for the best going forward. I've already resigned myself to the notion that this park is history. I would love to see that notion proven wrong and witness a return to better times for the park, but I'm not getting my hopes very high just yet.

I visited the Walt Disney family museum today with my family. The museum is definitely something any Disney fan should check out if they find themselves in the bay area. The various exhibits are laid out in chronological order, with the first actual exhibit after the lobby basically being the genesis of the Disney family, right up to Walt's birth and his early years before hitting it big with the cartoon shorts for movie theatres. As you proceed through the various sections, you're basically walking along hand in hand with Walt through his life as told by Walt himself and those who knew him best. There is an immense treasure of original artwork, letters, models, more awards than you can imagine, the actual train from his backyard railroad, etc. all mixed in with a number of cleverly done video screens and interactive displays that you can move through at your own pace. The last room is entirely dedicated to Walt's passing. Anyone that's ever felt even the slightest touch of "Disney magic" would probably have a tough time not getting at least a little bit choked up in that last room. I saw more than a few tears on the cheeks of those in the room with me, and if they bothered to look at me they'd have seen the same. All in all, I thought it was a very well done tribute to an extremely visionary, innovative, and irrepressible man. Different people have different opinions of Walt Disney, and rightfully so, but there is no denying the incredible influence he wielded, both during his life, and beyond. It was a great way to spend my Father's day. P.S. Sorry, but I don't have any pictures since they're not allowed.

I'll never believe that without photographic evidence.

To be fair, yes, Knott's is a half day park if you're looking at it from a credit run perspective, but the Ghost town area in particular has lots of little nooks and crannies that still have the old Knott's charm. There's plenty to do at Knott's besides the rides. They have a few fun, campy shows, and plenty of interesting things to discover if you take the time to look for them.

Thrillshot's spot seems the most likely for a tower ride, but you never know. A drop tower is certainly near the top of the list of missing attractions at the park. Magic Mountain has a history of doing things differently than other parks, even other parks within the chain. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if they introduced a new concept in tower rides. Exactly what, I don't know, but I have faith in the leadership that they'd come out with something to "wow" us. With the mountain's renewed relationship with Intamin, we have at least some reason to hope for the best. I really do hope that at some point in the future they entertain the idea of adding some type of dark ride to the park. Given the heat of Valencia summers, an option to enjoy an indoor, air conditioned, attraction would be a real crowd pleaser and yet another reason for guests to shell out the bucks for a Flashpass. I know I would. It wouldn't need to be a Radiator Springs Racers, or anything on even half that scale. I'd be perfectly happy with a fun, campy little ride-through like the new Haunted Castle at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, or some sort of interactive 3D shooter. After having seen the awesome new concepts from manufacturers like Sally, it makes me wonder why parks like MM don't have more interest in those types of attractions. I know that we always get the, "It's just not as marketable as a coaster" excuse, but if that's the case then how do other parks justify installing dark rides? Back to the drop tower idea for a moment, have we ever heard what became of the Maliboomer? I know everyone will probably say it's far too similar to Supreme Scream just an hour or so down Interstate 5, but if the price was right it would give them a decent bang for the buck. The enthusiast crowd may cry foul, but enthusiasts don't exactly make up a very large percentage of the park's bottom line revenue. Besides, they could just give it an exceptionally bouncy program, name it "Oingo Boingo", and a fair number of the enthusiasts would be appeased.

^^ Like so: Click for youtube link And this, kids, is why you stay out of fenced areas in theme parks.

^ Isn't that a disincentive?

I think the theme worked out great, even the shoes as coaster cars. I remember the old Road Runner cartoons where Wile E. Coyote strapped on the rocket roller skates, so it makes perfect sense. This is a great addition to the park. Thanks for the pictures.

Remind me to take an aspirin before I read one of your posts next time. Oh, and the answer to all your questions is NO! Even if it wasn't a yes or no question, the answer is still NO!