pianojohn

And for those Crystal Beach fans, here are some pics I took during the 1984 ACE Convention. Comet Yes. The maintenance guy was standing in the front row checking the track. They stopped the coaster at the top of the lift, and he either walked down or sat down and rode. Whoops. Unless you spell Amusement with two m's! Giant Coaster

Sand Blaster at Boardwalk Amusements in Daytona Beach. Although I only live an hour from there, it wasn't until my road trip home from Carowinds that I had the time to add this credit!

If you get there early enough, you should be able to do both parks without an Express Pass. Even with summer crowds, the finally consistent Gringotts usually has a 30 minute wait, and they move through it quickly. I would suggest doing Minions 1st since that always has the longest wait and lowest capacity. Crowds are about the same as Sea World and Busch, but you don't have the 3000 people dumps after big shows that Sea World does. Have fun!

Totally agree. When they let it go natural, it looked old and run down. It was a fun out and back coaster.

2 parks. Euclid Beach Park even though I went there when I was very young. I remember Laughing Sal and some kiddie ride. I was probably 3 or 4. The second park would be Freedomland in NY since that is where Cedar Point's dark rides Earthquake and The Pirate Ride came from. I was lucky enough to visit Idora Park many times and had a season pass for Geauga Lake for many years. All of the following pictures were taken in June 1985 Corkscrew at Geauga Lake. They were notorious for locking the harnesses but not putting them down on empty seats. Corkscrew at Geauga Lake with Big Dipper in the background Corkscrew at Geauga Lake. Corkscrew at Geauga Lake. Double Loop at Geauga Lake Double Loop at Geauga Lake Double Loop at Geauga Lake Double Loop at Geauga Lake Double Loop at Geauga Lake The Wave at Geauga Lake The Big Dipper at Geauga Lake The Big Dipper at Geauga Lake The Big Dipper at Geauga Lake The Big Dipper at Geauga Lake The Big Dipper at Geauga Lake The Big Dipper at Geauga Lake The Big Dipper at Geauga Lake

Yahoo! Just booked 4 nights at the KBF Hotel and saved a ton! Thanks for the tip! My 1st WCB and beyond excited for it. And like someone else said, if I have to do SFMM, the only way to survive it is with TPR folks!

This:

I would say Knoebels and/or Kennywood.

Anyone at the park on a regular basis? Looking to purchase the DVD 40 Years of Fun: The Story of Busch Gardens® Williamsburg. Please PM me if possible along with the cost. I worked at the park 1994-97 and would love to have a copy of this. Thanks!

Thanks! I may just have to do that since I'm rarely on the West Coast!

Just got my rental car (thanks Priceline for $25/day!!) and roundtrip airfare on JetBlue to Long Beach! LOVE that airport WAY more than LAX. We have a layover in Austin, but they have Salt Lick BBQ at the airport, so well worth it! My game plan: Two days at Disneyland/DCA prior to WCB. SFMM Saturday, Knott's Sunday, then Sea World on Monday since my husband and I both have platinum passes. Was hoping to get the Rewind Racers credit, but they are only open on Sat/Sun. Cannot WAIT for my 1st West Coast Bash AND my husband's (yes, we're legal now...deal with it!) 1st trip to Disneyland since 1989. I wonder if there is anything new there?

It's all good! And Thunder Road wasn't too rough, just the last few hills. And I guess I was spoiled from riding KI's Racer during its heyday when it was smooth AND ran one side backwards!

What? I was going to say the same thing. You might remember his Carowinds TR a few weeks back (with the debate about souvenir purchases). If I recall correctly, his idea of "rough" is different than the majority of people. Although I have no idea how Thunder Road can be smooth for someone who considers a brand new B&M giga coaster "rough." Never said that, and I did NOT write a trip report from a few weeks back. Not sure how this quote got attributed to me, but I never said or wrote that. It should be attributed to certifiedcoastergeek

What? What is right. I never wrote that in my trip report, and not sure where you got that quote, but it was not me. It should be attributed to certifiedcoastergeek

Nice! I hated that motor as well, but I found Fury to be a tad bit rough and Thunder Road to be pretty smooth. Which side of Thunder Road did you ride on? Just curious... I rode on the right side looking at the station head on. So when I entered, I took a right. And yes, it was brutally hot. That's why I came home a day early. Plus I was able to ride everything with little wait. Intimidator was another story. The line should have been 15-20 minutes but was more like 45. The crew consistently stacked the trains and seemed to be in no hurry with their dispatches. After I rode it, they even forgot to unlock the bins which left about 15 rides waiting in the already crowded station to retrieve their items. It seems like they felt Fury was the new kid on the block so there was no need to be in any hurry. Hopefully just hit it on an off day.

Just got back from a whirlwind trip to the park. Left Orlando on Saturday at 6am, arrived at park at 3pm (damn traffic) stayed til about 9:30pm, slept, then drove back to Orlando today and made much better time! Even on a busy Saturday, I was able to get 5 rides on Fury 325, and the longest wait was about 20 minutes. They really work hard getting guests on and off the trains. I do wish they had a single rider line since many times I would see an empty seat or two. I even saw one train with about 10 empty seats. Fun coaster, smooth, fast, but I still prefer Millenium Force. Also I wish they could have made the queue line somewhere else. Part of it butts right up against the lift hill and motor, and it's LOUD. I can't think of any other coaster queues that are that close to the machinery. I doubt you would need Quick Queue especially on a weekday. If you do want to ride Fury tons, then I would suggest getting Quick Queue Plus since very few people had it, and those I saw with it rode the coaster over and over with no waits. Thunder Road was rough, but it is still sad to see a coaster go. My friend who works at the park told me it is being removed (not renovated) for more waterpark. I am sure there is a way to build slides around it (just like King's Dominion), but perhaps they just wanted it gone. As far as the all day meal plan, if you plan on eating a LOT then go for it. I think it's $29.99 for the whole day which gives you a meal every 90 minutes. Seeing as how I spent $15 on lunch, this sounds like a no brainer. Have fun!

Here is a video I shot of the Blue Streak last week. The park was in good condition but very empty. I would suggest visiting it this summer before it's too late. [youtu_be] [/youtu_be]

5000000000 Japanese Yen equals 41324400.0000 US Dollar $41 million? That seems like a LOT of money to convert this ride. But then again, TDL never does anything halfway. If only WDW/DL would invest that kind of cash instead of looking for ways to cut corners. One can dream!

Last post on this show! (I promise....sorta) Here are the reviews of my show. We don't open until Saturday, but I invited three reviewers to our final tech/dress. ORLANDO SENTINEL Matt Palm Orlando Sentine May 11, 2015 In "Just This Once," John B. deHaas has created a cycle of songs dealing with the hope and dreams and fears surrounding love, dating and life from the perspective of someone approaching 30. It's familiar ground, to be sure. But the joy in this lovely production directed by Andrea Canny is in the moving melodies deHaas has composed and the superior cast he has assembled to sing them. DeHaas's hummable tunes would be right at home in any professional cabaret — well any good, professional cabaret. One of the show's several comedic highlights advises "If you're gonna do bad cabaret, don't do cabaret at all." Songs like that have extra appeal to the Broadway crowd, and there are musical-theater flourishes throughout, but this show is for anyone who has ever been in love — or wanted to be. In this well-traveled territory, there's bound to be the occasional lyric that feels derivative, perhaps one too many trip to the "Where am I going?" motif, but more often than not the words hit home. One clever medley has the guys (Kevin Kelly, Paul Padilla, Shawn Walsh) singing about different stages of love, all tied to that moment when you want to fall asleep but your racing mind won't let you. The guys also score with a comic ode to washboard abs. (Imagine the Andrews Sisters… if they were a trio of gay men.) The women (Kelley McGillicuddy, Susan Williams, Stephanie Warner) have their turn to shine, too, especially in "My Child" with its lovely, interlocking melodies. I saw an early technical rehearsal in which the performers masterfully ignored microphone pops and hisses and lighting miscues. Those glitches, easy to fix, couldn't detract from "Just This Once." That's a testament to how strong this cast is, and how strong this show is. • Gold venue, 60 mins., 7+, $11• Remaining shows:May 16: 6:30 p.m.May 17: 2:15 p.m.May 21: 7:45 p.m.May 23: 12:15 p.m.May 24: 6:30 p.m. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ORLANDO WEEKLY Fringe 2015 review: "Just This Once" Posted By Seth Kubersky on Mon, May 11, 2015 at 11:59 am The Orlando Museum of Art has finally fully embraced the Fringe this year, opening their auditorium up as the festival’s Gold venue. Between the newly installed color-changing LED lights and comfy padded seats with excellent sightlines, this could become one of the best performance spaces at the Fringe, provided they can work out some sound system snafus. So it’s appropriate that the first Fringe show to preview in this gem of a venue is John B. deHaas’ delicately crafted song cycle "Just This Once." deHaas has been one of Orlando’s most in-demand pianists and prolific composers for nearly two decades, but this piece dates to his days as Williamsburg, Virginia, theme park employee. Originally written for his 30th birthday, deHaas has revived the work for his 50th, and most of it still feels surprisingly relevant (if endearingly naive) 20 years later. Unlike some of deHaas’ other creations, this song cycle is not a fully formed musical, but a plotless series of loosely related numbers, with little movement and zero dialogue to connect them. Characters go unnamed, existing only for the length of a song, but a common theme of longing for love links the vignettes together. deHaas’ Broadway pastiche melodies always seem oddly familiar, as if you’ve always known the tune, and if the lyrics aren’t as trickily witty as some of his later work, they a bear straightforward simplicity befitting the show’s tone of insecure optimism. The cast of "Just This Once" is directed by local favorite Andrea Canny, and includes some of the area’s most talented singers inside (or outside) a theme park: Kevin Kelly, Kelley McGillicuddy, Paul Padilla, Shawn Walsh, Stephanie Warner and Susan Williams. Each gets a solo or two (mostly midtempo power ballads about unrequited love) in which to shine, though my favorites were the comic combos – a barbershop ode to washboard abs, Padilla and Walsh whining about the worst dates they ever had, or Williams and Warner despairing at the deficit of suitable straight men. A few bits, like a twee lullaby with a trio of mothers-to-be, come across as overly precious, but the bulk are quite charming. The cycle’s best moments come during the full-cast opener and finale; when this entire ensemble joins their beautiful voices, the blend is something you’ll want to hear more than just once. "Just This Once"Lusty Lils Music Company – Ocoee, FLVenue: Gold Length: 50 minutesRating: 7 and up Price: $11 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ink19 http://blogs.ink19.com/…/2015/05/10/just-this-once-a-song-…/ Just This Once: A Song Cycle Just This Once: A Song Cycle Composed by John B. deHaas Directed by Andrea Cann Lusty Lils Music Company Gold Venue Orlando Fringe Festival Loch Haven Park, Orlando, FL With a nearly full-equity cast and material written by one of Orlando’s best composers, this is a sure-fire winner filled with the sort of relationship songs that make you actually long for a relationship. A dozen and half songs flow and mesh, and while there’s not an actual story line to follow you can see yourself in at least one of these emotionally laden melodies. Ensemble numbers open and close the show, but the best material is in the solos and duets. “Worst Date of My Life” (Paul Padilla and Shawn Walsh) brings down the wrath of the mislead on the heads of those who would start a relation with Metallica tickets, while “The Dating Guide” (Susan Williams and Stephanie Warner) offers pseudo-useful tips from the other side. I loved “If You’re Gonna Do Bad Cabaret” (Kelley McGillicuddy), but then I’ve been fortunate and not seen much bad cabaret in recent months. That leaves Mr. Kevin Kelly, his big number “I Can’t Get You Out of My Heart” was another sad love song that made you feel lucky for what you have. This show is in the new Gold Venue, I can happily report it has good sound, good sight lines and comfy seating. Stick around; maybe there will be an encore. This show was part of the 2015 Orlando Fringe Festival. Information on tickets and times may be found at www.OrlandoFringe.org.

Like everyone else has posted, you didn't miss much. I was able to go the week before Labor Day and ride everything with no waits at all. RPM was not working that day, but Nights in White Satin more than made up for it.

Since we're talking about musicals, a quick little plug for MY new show! Brief synopsis In January of 1995, I turned thirty years old. What had I done up to that point with my life? Where was it headed? Who would I meet in the future? Who had I let fall by the wayside? These and a million other thoughts were going through my head for about a year before my birthday. I began to jot things down, write lyrics, compose songs, establish situations and characters, most of whom were basically me. I wanted to tell what it was like for me, what it is like every day, for anyone who ever wondered “What now?” The songs deal with the many aspects of love, relationships, families, dating in both the straight and gay worlds, death, loneliness, and the search for answers in a world so filled with unanswered questions. I staged a production on Just This Once in August 1995 and have been working on it ever since, adding songs, creating scenarios, and basically trying to bring the story to life. The cast consists of three men and three women, all strong singers and actors. Fast forward to 2015, and I am finally restaging the show at the Orlando Fringe Festival. I plan on recording it as well in the coming months. If you're in Orlando, PLEASE check it out! Tickets available here: http://orlandofringe.ticketleap.com/just-this-once/

I used to collect a TON of stuff, but as I have grown older, I now try to stick to quality not quantity. Lately I have been getting old Cedar Point mugs from Ebay. Two of them I have owned for 40+ years but the others are new to the collection. An awesome 20th Anniversary collectible from Tokyo Disneyland 2003 A 2000 banner from Epcot that they sold to cast members. Not mine, but my husband got these when working at EuroDisney before they changed the name to Disneyland Paris. The back of the mug

DO's: Get in early and ride MF and possibly Maverick before opening Start at the back of the park and work forward If you really want to do the water rides, do all 3 at once (Thunder Canyon, Shoot the Rapids, Snake River Falls) and then change clothes since you will be soaked. If possible, take a mid afternoon break and walk the beach or just get away for a bit. I love walking through the museum in Frontier Town See a show! DON'T: Get in a line no matter what. Gatekeeper's wait times drop off considerably once everyone has moved on. Just because it's at the front doesn't mean you have to do it first. Take the Sky Ride 1st thing in the morning. The line will be long and you can always come back to it. Bring any unnecessary loose objects with you. I leave my camera in the car for the morning rides and retrieve it later so I don't need to rent a locker for every ride.

I love how they pick rides that haven't even OPENED YET!

On the bright side they are FINALLY closing that train wreck Entwined and I REALLY hope the new Festhaus show celebrates the heritage and pure fun that This is Oktoberfest was. However, since the majority of the Entertainment staff was laid off a few months ago, I am not holding my breath.