pianojohn

--Your car license reads "RLRKSTR" (RLRCSTR was already taken) and your past plates have read "DRACHEN" and "ALPNGST"

Ah yes, the Blue Streak the way it USED to be! It was an awesome ride, especially at night right on the lake. Here is a pic from my first summer working there in 1986.

I am about 99% sure that Rocky Horror will be back. They spent a lot of money on the tracks and rights, and the audience seemed to really enjoy it over the usual Beetlejucie show which can be seen anytime. Adding a special HHN only show can only help to bring more people in. I still remember one show I saw in 1999...maybe 2000. It was called "Jacked Up" and was basically sexy clowns and contortionists. Loud music, strange concept, pretty much an excuse to have shirtless guys and hot girls dancing around. When it was all over, I turned to my friend for what her opinion. I will never forget what she said: "Clown porn." 'nuff said!

For me, the thing that sucks about Mean Streak is that it LOOKS like it should be so awesome, but it fails miserably. It is slow, rough, non-exciting, no air, etc. Potential for a good ride: 10. Living up to that potential: 2. I have been on many coasters half as tall with twice as much fun. Even at CP give me Blue Streak over Mean Streak. Of course, they have also ruined Blue Streak by changing the station flow and adding the seatbelts and head rests to the trains. Back in the 80's (maybe even the 90's), the ride op crew was awesome at dispatching trains quickly and safely with just the beige lap bar. Remember that? And the entrance to the coaster was on the right side of the house, not behind it.

White Castle for me is all about the steamed and soft hamburger buns. The burgers (if you can call them that) are the smallest and thinnest pieces of hamburger they could find. They they pile on onions, pickles, ketchup and mustard if I remember correctly. Great hangover food or 3am bar food.....but you will regret it the several hours later or the next morning. In Florida, all we have are Krystal's. Gimme Whattaburger anyday!!

And while they are at it, how about building a HUGE BBQ restaurant like the one near Sheikra at BGA or the one past France at BGE. They were both built those to deal with the huge crowds near the coasters, and they are (in my opinion) the most efficient of the restaurants in the parks. Not to mention the deilicious beef brisket!!

That is so sad. I went to the park as a kid and rode the Wild Mouse but was too chicken to tackle the Big Dipper.

20/20 on my first try! Either beginner's luck or I am a genius. I will say beginner's luck!

Rising Star opens at Universal Orlando's City Walk I am officially a rock star! Well, not really, but I sure feel like one! After a month of rehearsal, the new venue Rising Star officially opened at City Walk in the old City Jazz location. The club decor is a swanky Vegas style lounge with lots of dark purple curtains, new carpeting, and some high tech enhancements. I will be playing at the club as a sub musician, so if you get the chance to come out on March 29th, April 4, 5, 11, and May 3rd, you can see me tickling the ivories! The concept is basically a karaoke bar with a twist: instead of singing to pre-recorded tracks, you sing to a live band with two female back up singers and a male MC. It's a total blast! The local FOX affiliate did a story about the club. Here is the link: http://www.myfoxorlando.com/myfox/pages ... 1.1&sflg=1 Anyway, onto the pics! One more shot! Taken from backstage Out front of the club Your view from the stage (actually the balcony!) Name that tune! One of my bosses Richie took the stage last night. Sang "Livin' On a Prayer." On our preview night, Joey Fatone from NSYNC took the stage! And with some of the band Backstage with my friend Lindsey, one of the backup singers. The logo at night There are three plasmas above the stage that show the words as well as live HD video of your performance! My office The new decor OK, maybe one! Please, no autographs! The new signage out front of the club. The new logo on the wall of logos on the walkway to CityWalk. One of our daytime rehearsals as the club is being remodeled.

Thanks for the trip report! 2007 was the only year I have not visited BGW (as we used to call it in the biz) since I worked there from 1991-97 and came every year since. Nice to see the German Show is still up and running. I always liked the early part of the season, but when there are no leaves on the trees, it looks kind of barren. I prefer the late fall when the leaves change and then the park looks spectacular! (500th post....woo hoo!!!)

Corkscrew at Cedar Point in 1978. I had finally gotten the courage to ride the Gemini, and my brother made me go on The Blue Streak and Corskscrew as well. I wish I would have done the Jumbo Jet as well, but I never got the chance.

Happy Birthday!!! And many more....

Tonight: Clear skies. Gusty winds during the evening. Low near 40F. NW winds at 20 to 30 mph, diminishing to 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow: Plentiful sunshine. High 66F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph.

Since 2003 been driving a 2000 Toyotal Echo which I love. Very reliable, great gas mileage, fun to drive. Right now it has 185,000 miles on it, so I started looking for a new car. And of of next Monday/Tuesday, I should be the proud owner of a 2003..........Toyota Echo! Exact same car, different color, and much less mileage! But my favorite car I owned was my Nissan 240SX SE convertable. Loved it....but also got up in mileage. And even though I live in Florida, I only got to drive it with the top down in the fall and spring. Too hot in the summer!

Hmm...count me as a strong possibility! My family lives in Cleveland, and I was planning a road trip to CW, Martin's, Darien, and Waldameer. Thanks!

Those pics are so great! I remember my 1st trip to Epcot in 1984 and then working there in 1989. I sure miss the way it used to be!

If you have the time and money, I would suggest doing three parks: Kings Island, Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, and Holiday World. They are relatively close together, and you can get lots of credits. I used to LOVE Kings Island circa the late 80's, but you can still find some cool coasters there. And riding the Beast is sort of a rite of passage for most coaster enthusiasts. It used to be about riding a great ride, and now it is about riding a shadow of its former self and hoping your back holds out!

Luckily my boyfriend (I should say partner since it has been 5 years!!!) loves coasters! Of course, the first time we did TTD, he had his eyes closed. I tried to tell him that it makes it worse, but kind of hard to reason with someone at 120mph! He did go to Germany in 2005 and go the Expedition Geforce credit, so I am pretty jealous of that! Shawn's 1st visit to CP in 2004 and his first ride on Cedar Downs!

I have a question regarding this whole endeavor and Dubai in general. It seems that the country is catering to the super rich since they have the only (if not of the only) 7 star hotel in the world. Do you think these parks will also cater to the richest of the rich, since the cheapest airfare I found was $1223 roundtrip? And that is just to get there. I highly doubt that Super 8 will be building affordable hotel rooms on one of the fronds of the Palm tree. It seems almost like the movie Jurassic Park in which they cater to the super rich. Sure, the people in the area may be able to afford it, but for us on the other side of the world, do you think we would be willing to shell out a lot of money for a few credits? Just curious what the cost of living and recreation is in Dubai and how a BEC park will adapt to the climate (financially speaking).

Some more pics from the Nakheel press packet. Like I said, there were not a lot of details provided about the BEC parks, but the whole project is immense. Amazing The top of the palm is where Worlds of Discovery is going to be built. You can get a sense of the scope of this project from this picture. Hmm....wonder if Kumba or Griffon will make it to the UAE? Another pic of the area where Worlds of Discovery will be constructed.

Just got back from the BIG announcement! BEC will be building 4 parks in Dubai with the first phase set to open in 2012. The entire project will be called Worlds of Discovery, and will consist of Sea World, Busch Gardens, Discovery Cove, and Aquatica. They are being constructed on one of the man made Palm islands. When the entire project is complete, it will resemble a giant killer whale. (See pics below!) There were not a lot of details about the parks and what attractions would be in each one, but it looks all very exciting. The official press release can be found here: WORLDS OF DISCOVERY PLANNED FOR NAKHEEL’S THE PALM JEBEL ALI IN DUBAI On to the pictures from today's event! This little otter did not want to stand still for his picture! Another furry friend LOVE this pic! Me and some more animals Polly was about to bite my nose off! Hmm..a relation to Yeti ball? Meet Armadillo ball! Just hanging around... On the way out, they had lots of animals for photo ops! This was was so cute! Desserts fit for an ACEr! Delicious! Free food? Sign me up! Thanks Shamu! Daytime fireworks The logos At the end, the three men came out for the finale. Worlds of Discovery Whale-Shaped Island in Dubai – (Feb. 28, 2008) – Worlds of Discovery - SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, Discovery Cove and Aquatica - will soon have a home on a whale-shaped island located on “the Crown” of The Palm Jebel Ali in Dubai. The announcement was made today by Busch Entertainment Corporation (BEC), the family entertainment division of Anheuser-Busch Cos. and Nakheel PJSC one of the world’s largest property developers. Crowning Whale of Dubai - (Feb. 28, 2008) - Busch Entertainment Corporation (BEC), the family entertainment division of Anheuser-Busch Cos., today announced an agreement with Nakheel PJSC, one of the world’s largest property developers, to build the Worlds of Discovery – SeaWorld, Aquatica, Busch Gardens and Discovery Cove – on The Palm Jebel Ali in Dubai. Worlds of Discovery will occupy a section of The Palm Jebel Ali known as “the Crown,” which will resemble a giant killer whale. The resort! This pic was taken of the big screens. The next one is from the press packet. Mr. Marwan Al Qamzi More speeches. I didn't want to put the wrong name with the wrong picture. The four speakers were Jim Atchinson and joe Couceiro from BEC, Chris O'Donnell from Nakheel, and Marwan Al Qamzi, Managing Director of The Palm Jebel Ali. Nakheel is the property developer who is building the complex. They also included information about the company in the press packet. More speeches Several speakers from BEC were on hand. Shamu and friend came out to get our attention! That's right. Media. They had the huge BELIEVE screens up and running for the big annoucement. My escort Melissa who showed me to my seat in the Shamu stadium. Thanks! A couple of the local news stations were there too. Had to get a pic of the Shamu bug. Yeah for GPS! Almost there.... Hmm....I may need to get a new one soon with that mileage! Yup, that's my car. It's COLD here in Orlando, but I have my TPR shirt and I am ready to roll!

www.myspace.com/johnbdehaas

Great TR! If you are still in Australia, be sure to pick up a box or two of TIM TAM, the BEST cookie anywhere! Loved them when I visted Aus back in 2000.

Actually, MILLIONAIRE ran for over 5 years from April 7, 2001 to August 19, 2006. In theme park show years, that is pretty impressive. If they can run IDOL for 3-5 years, that would be considered a success. And since Toy Story Mania will be right around the corner, this will definately help with crowds.

The BAT footage is great, but I miss how the BEAST used to go over a small lake/pond before the lift hill.