Jerrykoala2112

I really don't see this giant gap. If anything, it's barely a millimeter. It probably is shaky from being the first B&M Coaster ever, and especially with it being a stand up, you shouldn't go expecting a butter smooth ride. I love this ride, shaky or not, and it delivers some amazing rides in the back.

When Texas Giant Bash was announced, my awesome friend and I decided to plan a great mini Texas-Tour. We'd stop at Sea World San Antonio, Six Flags Over Texas the next day, and Six Flags Fiesta Texas the day after. The trip turned out great, and I plan on making photo reports from all the parks! So stay tuned.... First park we hit was Sea World San Antonio. Crowds were light, and it wasn't too hot, with the high reaching 92. Only the rapids ride wasn't running, but I managed to ride everything else, even with a few re-rides. Apparently, this day was the last operating day of Texas Splash Down (the log flume), which I did manage to ride! While it wasn't as good as the SW Orlando park, it was a park I enjoyed, definitely worth a visit. Texas Splash Town - Apparently, this was the last operating day of the classic log flume! The ride looked it was falling apart and leaking all over the place. I'm glad I got to ride the ride before it was closed. Any idea what is coming in it's place? Maybe a Manta style ride? Steel Eel - Definitely my favorite Morgan Hyper out of Mamba and Wild Thing. I do enjoy Morgan hypers, but this one had the best layout with the most airtime in the front and back! The hills were very weird, it's like the track slowly got steeper and steeper, and then you slam into your seat once you start heading back up. I'd give it a 9/10 Great White - Wow, I've read reports where this Batman clone was the most forceful out of them all, and I could definitely feel it! I nearly blacked out on any inversion and turn when sitting in the front, and my legs really burned from all the forces. A little too forceful for my liking, but not too bad! 6/10 Journey to Atlantis - SW San Antonio really got a standard version of Journey to Atlantis, with only a little scenery in the station and at the bottom for the drop. It was still a fun ride, and the backwards drop was somehow forceful... 7/10 I did see the Sea Lion + Otter show, along with the dolphin show, which were just as good as they were in Orlando! I skipped the Believe show because I really wasn't impressed with what I saw in Orlando, and the showtimes really didn't fit our schedule. Now onto the photos! The entrance was really nicely designed... It looked like it was built out of legos! Our first ride of the day was Shamu Express, which was a walk on! I didn't want to wait 20 minutes for it later in the day. I really liked the park set up more than Orlando. The rides were more spread out all around the lake. Steel Eel looked amazing from anywhere around the park! What I found odd about Steel Eel was how none of the supports were parallel! Never seen anything like it before... Sea World San Antonio didn't have half the amount of animals that Sea World Orlando had... But what they had was still nice. When walking around the park, there was a whole lot of open space... You'd have to walk through pathways of nothing to go from ride to ride. Steel Eel is very photogenic.. Just stare at it! Is there a name for this type of element? I think it's a cammel-back or something like that... My friends and I were waiting for the back of the park to open... So the penguin encounter kept us busy. Too bad the dang Puffins wouldn't hold still! Steel Eel and Great White were running one train... So getting a shot with a train in it is just eye candy! According to Sea World's blog, Friday the 13th was the last operating day for the ride! Maybe a Manta style roller coaster (either one) will replace this chunk of land! Seeing another animal enclosure at Sea World San Antonio was a rare citing! Great White was such a fun ride, but way too forceful for me. Talk about Journey to Atlantis being stripped naked from scenery... Backwards section makes up for that though! The trains are definitely stylish, I did the dolphin feeding... And this dolphin was all like "Gimme some grub or I'm swimmin' away!" The Seal and Sea Lion feeding was so funny! They do so much to get attention for one little bite of fish! The scream, splash water, tackle each other, such an amazing site. If you've seen this show... This Walrus can do more sit ups than I can... The dolphin show was a big hit with the kids! Now comes the end of my report... Steel Eel is such a great ride. I'd say it's up there with Goliath at SFOG in terms of airtime and awesome layout. There goes a train full of happy riders, thanks for reading! Stay tuned for a Texas Giant Bash update.

The water park does look great and I love the fact that it looks like it was built out Legos! Legoland California, and all the Legoland parks for this matter seem to have an amazing atmosphere. All their rides have unique theming. I wish I had a chance to visit Legoland when I was still into legos 10 years ago! Still tempting to go there now...

Damn! When you first look at the photo, it seems like the first is coming off of Son of Beast! Oooooh the irony!

My sister just had a baby, I'm off to the hospital! Won't be around when you guys hit 1,000,000 but CONGRATS!!! Post number 777? A little part of that 1 million are my posts

Wow I really miss Six Flags St. Louis... such a great park! Thanks for posting the report... Seems like you guys had a good time! Glad that Boss is running better! Really awesome ride.

Longest line I ever waited in was Top Thrill Dragster back in 2004. Line was about 4.5 hours. There were spiders in the queue and breakdowns occurring all the time, but I still managed to enjoy the ride! Worse line would have to be Goliath at SFOG. They really messed up building the tents of the queue houses... The sun made that place a incubation hell for people.

Wow.... This place looks like a McDonalds play place on steroids, and not as colorful! But it does look like a boat load of fun. So sad I couldn't come along, but seemed like you still had a blast! Have you ever been in the arch? So scary! Thanks for posting Griffin!

Great Photo TR, I haven't been to Kings Island since 2009, so it hasn't been too long. You're still lucky to live by such a close "big" theme park... Al though Kings Island didn't impress me too much, with me finding the rides a little dull, it would still be a nice park to live by! Thanks for posting. Never realized how close Diamondback got to the Crypt!

Six Flags Great America posted an awesome video of the American Eagle being built over 30 years ago! The park is very happy to have operated the tallest, fastest, and longest wooden racing roller coaster on the planet

I loved TimberWolf at Worlds of Fun! There might be a select few people that like it.. But apart from that, I'm still in the minority of the minority!

$4.49 down the street from my house...

My high score is 27566.6 seconds... I never would turn down the volume because the song actually never got annoying. Although I had to wait to watch videos on Youtube till after I closed the tab!

Yeah, I really knew that the Superman clones were lacking the extra "umph" that other flyers being built had, especially Manta and that new one in China! So I really looked down upon B&m Flyers until I got my chance to ride Manta. Thanks! And I agree... Sea World is definitely a park where quality beats out quantity... And it definitely worked out well!

So opening day tickets at $19.81.. and regular parking is 20 bucks? I knew there would be a day when parking at SFGAm would be more expensive than admission

They sold out of the clocks when I called! Poop!

Prince William is pretty impatient! Just look at the little girl's face!

From February 2nd to the 10th, I took a nice family vacation down to Florida. We went on a Royal Caribbean Cruise for 4 days to the Bahamas, and afterwards, we went to Sea World and Universal Studios / Islands of Adventure. I gotta admit, everyday was boat loads of fun and everything went soothingly! If you are a picture person, you can skip the the pictures, but here's a nice (but long) written up review for everything! Reviews Cruise: I'll try to keep this short since I want to focus on Sea World Orlando mostly, but Royal Caribbean had some really nice deals for cruises in February. (I'm talking 150 dollars a person for 4 days!) I was sailing on Monarch of the Seas, which was a pretty decent sized ship for my first cruise. We departed from Cape Canaveral and we stopped in Nassau and at Royal Caribbean's private island. It was a blast, especially because Chicago received over 2 feet of snow when we drove down to Florida, so it was a nice break from all the snow! I totally recommend Royal Caribbean to anyone who wants to plan a very affordable cruise, the service was great, restaurants were delicious, and even though the rooms were small, you don't want to spend time in there when you're on a ship full of fun things to do! Now onto Sea World Orlando! This was my first visit to the park (February 7th) and I had no idea what to expect! It was also my first Sea World park, and I have yet to read one person that does not like Sea World! On the website, it said Journey to Atlantis would be down for Winter rehab, but the ride was up and running, which is a total plus in my book! The crowds were very minimal, it was a Monday and there were clouds up all day, which didn't turn out nicely in my photos, and it did eventually start to rain 5 minutes after the park closed. The animals were great, I didn't even have enough time to see all of them. But the rides were fantastic, and am glad Sea World did it's best to operate the rides even with the passing storms. The shows, I would say, are average. We first saw the Shamu Show, the now defunct "Believe" and I couldn't be more disappointed! The whales did a couple of tricks, and most of the show was talking, and the only thing keeping me awake was the wind blowing from the top of the stadium. We next saw the Sea Lion, Otter, and Walrus show, and oh my god, the best show I have ever seen at any park, no joke! It was extremely funny, had a great plot line, cute animals, and the tricks were definitely amazing! How can someone not like sea otters?! The last show we saw that day was the dolphin show by Manta. It was alright, it was pretty cool, I didn't really get the whole show, but the kids I was with loved it. Journey to Atlantis - Walk On - Now, this ride was suppose to be down for today, at least according to their website, so I was not expecting to ride this baby! It was pretty chilly that day, (mid - 60's), and was glad I did not get very wet on the first drop, but I can't say the same for the second "dip"! The ride was pretty interesting and I like the hidden drop at the end, wonder how the other Journey's compare at other Sea World parks. Kraken - Walk On - Our first attempt at riding this was shot down because of a lightning strike somewhere in the area, but the ride did eventually open. I'd say it is above average. I've ridden Dominator, Batman: The Dark Knight, and Bizarro, and I'd say it's the 2nd best floorless behind Dominator. I liked the tunnels and the great ending, and the cobra roll was pretty intense! Rode it twice in the front and back. Manta - 10-25 minutes - We first waited 25 minutes for the back, they were running one train all day. Before riding, I really did not like B&M Flyers, especially cause Superman: Ultimate Flight at SF Great America could have been a whole lot better, but Manta changed my mind a bit! I loved the layout and the many inversions, and I sat on the edge closest to the water splash down and it was a very interesting, but good experience! I rode it again in the back, and it confirmed that Manta is definitely a really great flyer! Sorry for all that typing and my overuse of the word "and"... Here are the photos and feedback is appreciated! To start off the trip, we had to shovel the 2+ feet of snow, and it was still snowing when we left. It ended up being the biggest blizzard since 1999 in Chicago! This is the best picture I got of the Monarch of the Seas. It was a pretty decent ship, but I am not sure how it compares to any of the Disney ships or Carnival Cruise ships. On the first night, I decided to explore the ship with my camera, and I took my most favorite picture I have ever taken, which is now my desktop background! Stunning.... It was neat seeing the famous Atlantis Hotel that we got a tour of. I was surprised at how small the whole city of Nassau was... and Atlantis was the biggest thing there! Here's the last photo from the cruise that I'll post. The private island had shallow water, so the ship had to stay far away, and a smaller boat would carry passengers back and forth between the island and ship. On the plus side, free food on the ship AND island, simply paradise! Now onto Sea World. This was the first thing you would see when entering. I'd say it's alright, seemed a little dull except for Manta straight ahead. They were running one train on Manta and Kraken all day, so I already excuse myself for not having many photos with trains in them. I do love the layout of Manta though! Manta had a steeper lift hill than Superman, and I liked it a whole lot better, Superman's lift hill makes me want to puke. I love the entrance sign and the actual entrance, it really does not feel like an entrance! And I was surprised by the lack of queue's for Manta, where would all the people wait on crowded days? I really loved the animals at the park. This one reminded me of Crush from Finding Nemo : ) Sea world did an excellent job creating an atmosphere, it really felt like a whole new world. Here's another picture. I was surprised at how large the park was, but I didn't mind the walking. Please enjoy one of the only things the whales did. Was I disappointed with the show? Yes. I felt like it could have been a whole lot better and am glad they installed a new show sequence. The pretzel loop was a whole lot bigger than Superman's, and it was a whole lot better! Now I won't look down upon B&m Flyers. Journey to Atlantis could have been build with a building like Jurassic Park's, but the building it is in is just amazing! The setting all around was great, really didn't feel like a "amusement park" or "theme park," it barely felt like a zoo! The dude running the show did an excellent job improvising when something went wrong! Seriously a funny show and I recommend it to anyone! I'd say that Manta is very photo-genic. I liked the Dolphin show a lot more than the killer whale show. The trainers swam with them and did a lot more tricks. All the flying and trapeze wasn't bad either. The one of 2 pictures I actually got a train in. And they both turned out pretty bad! You can see the clouds starting to come in, which will eventually start a big down pour. This dolphin cove thing was very cool! Although sea gulls would try to steal your food, the dolphins were definitely friend to all of the park guests! I love the detail Sea World put into on making this Kraken! Although I wish the fence wasn't built right up against it. Kraken is pretty well hidden away from the path. And notice how the ride entrance is part of the "kraken" posted above. These corkscrews or whatever you call them on a flyer were very fun, I'm glad Manta was built how it was, it's perfect. Here's the last shot before it started to thunderstorm. Thanks for reading and Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure (Harry Potter!) Will be posted in the next couple of days. Now go dance the Macarena!

Will do Ryan! Thanks! I'll make sure you ride the Voyage in the front. Kentucky Rumber Looks awsome... and the last picture of Voyage looks great! Zachary Thanks! And yeah, Voyage looks great, but it's barely above average! Thanks Patrick! And yes, you do need to ride Kentucky Rumbler, let's just hope Beech Bend won't be closing anytime soon, it's just as good as American Thunder! Yeah, you should get to Holiday World, and I hope you have a better visit than mine! Thanks! Thanks! Yeah, I gotta say Voyage turned out really nice in a lot of the photos.

Whopping total of 6! - Boomerang - Elitch Gardens - Flashback - Six Flags New England - Boomerang - Worlds of Fun - Flashback - Six Flags Over Texas - Boomerang Coast to Coaster - Darien Lake - Sidewinder - Hersheypark

Any idea if the ride will be under rehab for the Rocky Mountain topper track? While the ride wasn't unbearable last time I rode it, it could be smoothened to prevent any unnecessary shuffling... And any idea why they're choosing to repaint it now, when they just had all of the off-season to work on the ride?

I'm very happy about the new additions to the park! Especially the Steeplechase coaster (Which I presume is a moto-coaster?) and the Zamperla Flyer! I actually rode that flyer at Elitch Gardens back in 2006, so I'm glad I have another chance to ride it. Still one of the few people that enjoy those "death traps." Cannot wait to stop by this summer. I really hope they don't replace the trains for the Cyclone... Or do any extensive track (No Topper Track from Rocky Mountain) because I feel like that would damage a lot of history in the coaster. But whatever needs to be done to keep the coaster another 100 years, I'm all for.

Texas Giant is at SFOT, not SFOG. Blah! Yeah... My bad. Must of had a mind blank when I was making the list

I used the little "ballot helper" on the front page, and it made things a lot easier to organize, thanks! Here is my top 25... (Don't think you guys care for how I rank a lot of kiddie coasters) 1. Kanonen-Liseberg 2. Revenge of the Mummy- Universal Studios Florida 3. Storm Runner- Hersheypark 4. Maverick-Cedar Point 5. Powder Keg: A Blast in the Wilderness – Silver Dollar City 6. Volcano Blast Coaster- Kings Dominion 7. Bizarro-Six Flags New England 8. Mr. Freeze- Six Flags St. Louis 9. Millennium Force- Cedar Point 10. Titan-Six Flags Over Texas 11. Firehawk-Kings Island 12. Lisebergbanan-Liseberg 13. Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit – Universal Studios Florida 14. Thunderhawk-Michigan's Adventure 15. Griffon-Busch Gardens Europe 16. Big Bad Wolf- Busch Gardens Europe 17. MagnumXL-200- Cedar Point 18. Sooperdooperlooper - Hersheypark 19. Dueling Dragons Fire- Islands of Adventure 20. Dueling Dragons Ice- Islands of Adventure 21. Wildfire – Silver Dollar City 22. Top Thrill Dragster- Cedar Point 23. Dominator-Kings Dominion 24. Goliath-Six Flags Over Georgia 25. Manta – Sea World Orlando

I'm a up an coming roller coaster enthusiast, so all the coasters that I have ridden that are now gone are only happened a couple years ago. - Python (BGA) - Big Bad Wolf (BGW) - Flying Coaster (EG) - Rexo Coaster (GB) - Jumbo Jet (ODNP) - Deja 'Vu (SFGAm) - Texas Giant (SFOG) - Rockin Roller (SFSTl) That's a whopping total of.... 8. Hopefully (in a sad way) my list can grow, eventually.