pianojohn

I have POV footage from 1998 but I am currently in Virginia through Dec 24th. The coaster was pretty fun but always felt like it could fall over at any moment.

WOW! Those pics are great, and they remind me of my first visit to the Magic Kingdom in 1979. It seemed sooooooo magical back then.

GWAZI: retrack it and put in Millenium Flyer trains BEAST: also retrack, possibly MF trains, or at least restore it to its former unbraked glory SOB, Mean Streak, Psyclone: fire wood Those are the top three or so for me. The sad thing is that at one time these were great rides, but through years of neglect and/or abuse, they now are a shadow of their former selves.

I really hope they put in another flume soon. The only water rides at the park are Snake River Falls and Thunder Canyon, both of which get you SOAKED. I liked WWL because you could ride it and not worry about getting drenched. Of course, I still miss Shoot the Rapids, the pre-WWL in house built flume ride with wooden troughs and boats. Anybody else remember it? It was AWESOME!

I loved it! I actually drove down from Orlando a few years ago to ride the coaster and see a movie (Hedwig and the Angry Inch which would not open in Orlando for a few more months). The ride was fast and fun, and the lack of crowds made it easy to get MANY re-rides. Definately worth the trip!

345...I cannot even believe it! My goal back in 2000 was to reach 200 that year. I guess I did! 400 here I come!!

Hmm....I am flying into Norfolk that day to start work on a show in Virginia Beach. If I get there early enough, I could bop on over to BGW for some Apollo's Chariot action!!

Just got back from my weekly trip to Busch Gardens Tampa. While riding Sheikra, I noticed at the exit that they were selling DVD's of the ride. To be more specific, DVD's of YOUR ride! Has this been done anywhere else yet? Yes, they have 5 or 6 cameras mounted throughout the course that film each and every train. From what I remember, there is a camera on the mid course brake pointed at the first drop, one at the bottom of the first drop, one at the 2nd drop, one at the splash down, and one on the brake run. When they play the footage back, it seemed to be in slow motion so you could make out the faces. The cost was $17.99 or 18.99. Pretty cool! If I had my camera, I would have taken pics of the displays. Nevertheless, a very cool idea! Also got a sneak peak at Hallow Scream and one of the houses called The Hunted. VERY well done! Also saw the show "Haunt Me Baby One More Time" written and directed by the guy who used to do all the Bill and Ted shows at Universal. The show is very similar in style with some Disney, Universal, and even Holy Land Experience bashing! Lots of fun!

Looks awesome and I cannot wait to ride it in '06. Not sure if this was mentioned in any of the previous posts (sorry....didn't have time to read all 12 pages) but wouldn't it be great if SFGAdv gave a little TLC to Rolling Thunder in the off season? Seeing as El Toro will be right next to RT, I think that the time is right to re-track and basically repair RT. Any thoughts on this?

Those are amazing pics, esp the tents. The only beer halls I have ever been in were at Busch Gardens in Virginia and Florida. Love to visit there someday! Thanks for the great pics!!

AWESOME pics and captions! I sometimes try to take an interesting person (ie ACER or fashion handicapped) picture without his or her awareness, and usually use a friend as a decoy to stand in front while I focus behind them! Good times!

Well, just got back from a week in NYC. The prior weekend I was in Chicago for a wedding, and I wanted to get as many coaster credits as possible. I called Mt Olympus a few times before my weekend to make sure they would be open. I arrived in Chicago on Friday September 17th about 11am. As I was getting my rental car, I called Mt Olympus again JUST to make sure they were open. I also asked if the coasters were running. The woman on the phone replied "yes." After 3+ hours of driving, I arrived in the Dells. MAN, they sure like their water parks! I was amazed at how big these water park resorts were. Maybe another trip up here will be in order some day! I got to Mt Olympus and was one of about 20 cars in the parking lot. Sweet! Not to mention the weather was PERFECT, about 70 and sunny! I parked right by Hades tunnel and walked to the front gate. SURPRISE! The sign at the ticket booth said that all of the coasters EXCEPT for Hades would be closed today. Hmm...I was PISSED! Of course, there was no one at Guest Relations or even a Guest Relations area at all. I paid $35 and basically got to ride Hades and that's it!! Now, in hindsight, I would have been more pissed if all of the coasters EXCEPT Hades were running, but still! Arrgghhh~ However, Hades was AWESOME! The first ride was really terrifying since you hit that tunnel SO fast and then it's pitch black and about 20 degrees colder since you are underground and surrounded by concrete. The speed and pacing were amazing, and even after 5 rides, I was still blown away. But 1 out of 6 coasters running? Come on! Drove back to Chicago then farther south to Indiana. Got some sleep. Woke up early Saturday to drive to Michigan's Adventure. The park was very nice, small but clean and well run. I was impressed with the Wolverine Wildcat. Compact but well run and pretty fun! Shivering Timbers....hmm. I liked it. It was fun, fast, pretty to look at, but I just didn't get the air time that people rave about. I rode it 4 times, in the front. middle, and back, so not sure why it just didn't blow me away. Sunday morning headed up to Six Flags Great America. Luckily I got there early since it was some huge picnic day and Season Passholders got to bring a friend for free. I did a quick loop of the park and got all of the credits I needed except for the spinning wild mouse (Rajun Cajun I think is the name). In a nutshell: American Eagle was HORRIBLE. It was only running backwards. Viper was a pleasant surprise. Lots of speed and fun. Raging Bull: not bad, but still not as fun as Apollo's Chariot or NITRO in my humble opinion! And FINALLY got my Deja Vu credit. Waited an hour, it broke down, and then reopened. I will NEVER have to ride it again. Drove to Chicago, flew to NYC, worked all week, then last Saturday, made it to Six Flags Great Adventure. The park was not too crowded for a Saturday, and luckily we got there early. Did the mad dash to Kingda Ka, rode it once, then headed to Superman. Got that credit then hit the rest of the park. Kingda Ka was pretty well run, and the double loading station seemed to keep the line moving. As for the ride itself, I felt that TTD was more fun and seemed faster with the alternating red and white track. And the final speed bump/hill didn't really do anything. By the time you reach the top of it, you are hitting the brake run and slowing down. Well, enjoy the pics. I am off to Virginia for the next 3 months to music direct two shows. Hopefully I will make it to BGW once or twice! PS I added some more photos...enjoy! Get me off this thing! Less leg room than flying coach! Yes, I am a credit whore and the biggest person on this kiddie coaster! Waiting on the brake run..and waiting...and waiting. TEN minutes of hanging around! After my ride on Kingda Ka. Check out the girl behind me! Me, after waiting in line for an hour, and it breaks down. DAMN YOU VEKOMA!! Damn you to hell!! Best t-shirt EVER...and yes, the man had ONE arm. And apparently a sense of humor! My artsy shot....from the queue line of VIPER. View from the first hill...check out the empty parking lot!! Hades ROCKS! Not a coaster, but this is the view from the apartment I stayed in in Brooklyn Heights. The view into the 2nd tunnel...cool! Medusa from the Safari...note the monkey sign! The first ever Batman DejaVu running! Quick...get a picture! Shivering Timbers from the parking lot. Wolverine Wildcat at Michigan's Adventure

I keep getting the error message that the file is corrupted. Anyone else? Maybe it is just being downloaded a lot right now.

OH MAN!! Since I just got back from riding HADES last week and was blown away by it, I am REALLY looking forward to The Voyage. This could be the one to beat for 2006!!

OK, I worked at IOA actually playing the organ at Circus McGurkus when it first opened in 1999. From what I heard from the area techs, there were several problems with the ride. First, it was designed like a bumper car so guests could literally bump the car in front of them. Why no one thought this was a horrible idea is beyond me! Secondly, the company that built the ride went out of business soon after it was completed. When they were told they needed to build some sort of escape route over the entire ride, they either could not or would not and left the park with the ride. Apparently, another company was brought in to try and salvage the ride, but they either couldn't build cars to fit the existing track or were having problems with the whole escape plan. Now, since the ride has been inoperable with people since Day One, this could all be Urban Myths, but that's what I heard when I worked there. Also, since I played the organ, I was probably the closest person to ever see the cars from my vantage point.

I had almost forgotten about the dark ride in addition to the Voyage! I will definately be there in 2006! Woo hoo!

I am most excited about The Voyage. I FINALLY made it to Holiday World for the first time this year, and I was really blown away by everything I experienced from the rides, attractions, awesome water park, and food to each and every worker I met there. There was a real sense of pride that each worked had for his/her job. When I saw the plans for The Voyage, I could not believe it! One of my all-time favorite rides WAS The Beast due to its use of tunnels and landscaping. I really have to commend Holiday World for the way they integrate their coasters into the existing landscape. Add to this the height, length, and abundance of negative G's, and Holiday World has another winner on their hands!

Elissa, Can you change mine to "What I do and who I am" since my name is pianojohn! Thanks! And wish me luck this weekend: I am trying to hit Mt Olympus on Friday, Michigan's Adventure on Saturday, play piano for my friend's wedding in Chicago Saturday night, and then hit Six Flags Great America on Sunday before flying to NYC Sunday night to play piano for auditions all week and THEN hit Six Flags Great Adventure NEXT Saturday! Whew!

What a fun trip report and great photo captions, esp the woman with the "sexy" tattoo on her back. I beg to differ as well!

How about DisneySeas stateside? I absolutely loved the park and the attention to detail that was evident everywhere. I also appreciate all of the live entertainment at the park.

Wow. When I first joined ACE in 1984, all everyone could talk about was the Texas Cyclone and how amazing it was. Now flash forward 20+ years and it may soon be gone forever. Sad, and I never got to ride it.

I bought the monorail and EPCOT ball to put under my Christmas tree, but during the other 11 months they just collect dust! They are cool to have, but they do take up valuable space during the off season.

I will be in Chicago this weekend for a wedding, and I have managed to squeeze in three parks! I would like to have an idea of what the crowds will be like when I am there. Friday: Mt Olympus from about 1pm-7pm. Saturday: Michigan's Adventure from 11am-3pm Sunday: Six Flags Great America from 10am-4pm Thanks for any advice!

Me too! I would move there in a minute. It is a GREAT country, and the people are the friendliest I have ever met in my travels!

As far as coaster enthusiasts go, I would have to say Cyclone at Coney Island for sure. For nostaglia and Hollywood sake, I would have to say Rebel Yell and Revolution since they were both stars of the movie "Rollercoaster." Still wished I could have ridden the one at Ocean View Park in Norfolk, VA. I was about 5 years too late!