VGplay

While I've never read the books, I have enjoyed the movies. If the themeing we have seen so far extends to the rest of the area, I'm really excited. Though I'm still sour about Dueling Dragons being closed when I was there two weeks ago...

Steve, once we know for sure we're going and we get closer to the trip, I'll get in touch with you. I plan on joining Club TPR, too. Thanks!

I went to Lake Winnie last summer as well. I thought it was a great classic small park. I'll return either when they add a big wooden coaster or I go back to Dollywood, whichever comes first.

Cedar Fair parks will let you process your pass at any park. Towards the bottom of this page it says they only "encourage" you to process it at the park it was purchased at. http://www.cedarpoint.com/public/admission/season_passes/index.cfm And if you want your pass to be from your home park, but will be visiting a different Cedar Fair park before its processed, they will let you use your voucher as a ticket once. I did this with my Cedar Point voucher at Kings Island last year. My voucher scanned at the gate no problem.

I actually went to Dollywood this past summer. I had a blast and loved the park, but it'll probably be a few years before I go again. Thunderhead was awesome and is my favorite GCI (put it #6 overall in my poll), by the way. Thanks for the comments, guys. It definitely sounds like Rampage is worth it. Hopefully things will work out and we will have a visit of the same caliber that I did at Lake Compounce last June (~40 Boulder Dash rides in two hours).

My friend and I have been discussing a four day amusement park trip that would lake place July 28th-31st. Six Flags Over Georgia is a park I've been wanting to go to for a while and is the main purpose of the trip. On the way back up we'd spend a day at Carowinds and stop by Camden Park. Originally the idea was to drive straight through from here in Akron, OH to Atlanta (10 hours) and spend whatever was left of the evening at Six Flags. Then I remembered Rampage. I love wooden coasters. Give me a great wooden coaster over a great steel coaster any day of the week. It doesn't add much to drive to Alabama Adventure instead of Six Flags (11 hours). The park closes at 8pm on the 28th which would let us still drive to Atlanta (2 1/2 hours) before it starts getting late. Looking at the park, other then a credit ride on the boomerang all we'd do is re-ride Rampage until the park closes. Is Rampage worth the price of admission and extra 3 and a half hours of driving? Our only day at Six Flags would then be the 29th, a Thursday. Can we experience the park in one day? Without the extra evening a Flash Pass would be required, wouldn't it? Day 1: Alabama Adventure or evening at Six Flags Over Georgia Day 2: Six Flags Over Georgia Day 3: Carowinds Day 4: Camden Park and back home Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated. Thanks!

Here's my list in a rough order of visiting: 1. Idlewild 2. Geauga Lake 3. Cedar Point 4. Myrtle Beach Pavillion 5. Opryland 6. Magic Kingdom 7. Epcot 8. MGM Studios 9. Animal Kingdom 10. Universal Studios Orlando 11. Islands of Adventure 12. New York, New York Casino 13. Tuscora Park 14. Kennywood 15. Hersheypark 16. Kings Island 17. Waldameer 18. Holiday World 19. Indiana Beach 20. Darien Lake 21. Kings Dominion 22. Busch Gardens Williamsburg 23. Dollywood 24. Lake Winnie 25. Beech Bend 26. Seabreeze 27. Sylvan Beach 28. Lake Compounce 29. Six Flags New England 30. Quassy 31. Six Flags Great Adventure 32. Dorney Park 33. Knoebels 34. Delgrosso's 35. Lakemont Park 36. Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom This season I plan to add: 37. Sea World Orlando 38. Busch Gardens Tampa 39. Memphis Kiddie Park 40. Michigan's Adventure 41. Six Flags Great America 42. Timber Falls 43. Mt. Olympus Theme Park 44. Nickelodeon Universe 45. Valleyfair 46. Arnold's Park 47. Adventureland, IA 48. Worlds of Fun 49. Six Flags St. Louis 50. Coney Island, OH 51. Canada's Wonderland 52. Marineland 53. Martin's Fantasy Island 54. Conneaut Lake Park 55. Six Flags Over Georgia 56. Carowinds 57. Camden Park 58. Jungle Jack's Landing

If you look at satellite pictures, there's a random undeveloped piece of lakeshore. The park owns that and it has been mentioned in articles that they plan on expanding there with a boardwalk area of sorts. The park is also surrounded my modular homes that, as far as I know, are on land leased from Waldameer. With the park growing I would expect the park to reclaim the land. http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=42.10742202601427~-80.1566237810282&lvl=17&sty=h And I hope the new system doesn't require scanning your wristband. I wasn't very fond of it at Indiana Beach, it seemed that it really slowed things down.

I visited Darien Lake for the first time in 2008 and just about instantly loved the park. It really does feel like a bunch of rides in a state park, which reading those press releases, is exactly what they were aiming for. It also helps that it reminds me of Geauga Lake, both built-up by Funtime. And although no one's going to believe me, I had some FANTASTIC rides on Predator (in the front seat) on closing day this past October. Ejector airtime on every hill, aggressive (not to be confused with rough), and FAST. Yeah, I was confused too. But if the ride's running like that this year, its going to move up my list very quickly, it seriously was that good.

Ordered along with an OMFG Orange t-shirt. Looking forward to it.

I'm not sure how optimistic I am about being able to afford the Japan trip, but I'll save over the summer and see how things look come deposit time. If I won't be able to afford it for 2011, I'll keep saving for next time. WHen I do take a TPR trip, I'm thinking the first will be Japan.

Is it just me, or does the layout look like something the CCI could've built ten years ago? I think its the sweeping turnarounds and bunny hills on turns.

That's not quite right. 2000 saw record attendance for the park. 2001 was flat or slightly down with the joining of Sea World. 2002, yes, saw a pretty big drop in attendance. However, 2003 things picked back up and could have been considered "acceptable" for a park of its size. Six Flags Worlds of Adventure was making money and I've seen it mentioned that it was one of Six Flags' biggest money makers. The only reason they sold the park was because they talked Cedar Fair into paying $145 million for it. If they couldn't have gotten that kind of money, I'd bet it would still be open as a Six Flags park today.

This is how I looked after riding Deluge at Kentucky Kingdom in 50 degree weather. I should've gotten a behind photo, because my entire back half was soaked. I wasn't totally dry until I was at Kings Island later in the day.

Looks like a modern version of Knoebel's Looper.

1. Boulder Dash 2. Ravine Flyer II 3. El Toro 4. Cornball Express 5. The Voyage 6. My Favorite Steel (Fahrenheit) 7. Thunderhead 8. Lightning Racer - Thunder 9. Lightning Racer - Lightning 10. Grizzly (Kings Dominion) 11. Raven Bottom 5 5. Fairly Odd Coaster (Coasters below are ones I actually think are bad) 4, Racer (Kings Island) 3, Son of Beast 2. Mean Streak 1.Hurler (Kings Dominion) A lot of new coasters for me this year. Grizzly surprised me. I only got one ride on it, but I was really impressed. And just like how I don't foresee Boulder Dash ever getting unseated from #1, I expect to never ride anything as bad as Hurler.

#1: Rollo Coaster (Idlewild) - I wonder if this is the root of my love for terrain wooden coasters. #50: Top Gun, Son of Beast, or Flight of Fear (Kings Island) - Whichever it was, it was at Kings Island. #100: Thunderhead (Dollywood) - Great ride, a new favorite. #150: Skyliner (Lakemont Park) - I had thought Leap the Dips was #150, but I just realized I never put the ride I got on Ravine Flyer 3 into CoasterFanatics. Skyliner was a fairly decent ride, though. #156: Thunder Run (Kentucky Kingdom) - It didn't disappoint, some nice airtime. I'm not sure what new credits I may get next year. Maybe Kennywood's new coaster and Intimidator at Kings Dominion, but its not looking like any new parks.

After 16 new parks and 80 new credits, I finished my season Sunday with an evening at Cedar Point. Got rides on a little bit of everything, with my last ride being Raptor's "final ride of the decade", as the operator put it.

Here's what I came up with: http://tinyurl.com/ylk5f24 Day 1: Drive up to Kings Island. Maybe spend the evening in the park? Day 2: Kings Island Day 3: Drive to Cedar Point. Half-day in park. Day 4: Cedar Point Day 5: Drive to and visit Kennywood. Day 6: Drive to and visit Hersheypark. (Dorney Park and Knobels are also in the same area. But if you have to pick one, choose Hershey.) Day 7: Drive to and visit Six Flags Great Adventure (with Gold Flash Pass). Day 8: Drive to and visit Kings Dominion. Day 9: Drive to and visit Busch Gardens. Day 10: Drive home. Ten days, seven parks. I realize you said only six, but three are Cedar Fair parks. With a Platinum Pass you only spend $160 on admission for them. Another money-saving option would be to swap Hersheypark for Dorney, which is a Cedar Fair park. Busch Gardens, I think, is such a fantastic park that you do not drive within the vicinity and not visit. I hope this helps.

Just ordered one. I'm betting it will be nice and cozy when my dorm heat can't keep up.

The park's owner bought the land for the landing strip back in the 80s. He then decided to do more with the land, and built an amusement park. Up until they built the water park it was a fully functional airport. Now it is just used by the owner and people with prior permission. And I think the park owns something like 750 acres.

Sounds like you hit the park on a bad day. When I visited a bit more than a month ago, everything was open and I thought the park as a whole was in pretty immaculate shape. And how were you stapled on Wildcat? It has buzzbars.

Ravine Flyer II, both the ride itself and how accessible rerides are. I can get 15+ rides on a normal visit to Waldameer if I want. And with my recent trip, I can easily say Boulder Dash as well. Over 35 rides in the two hours I was at the park. I have proof. Below is the operator's count of empty seats during the 3 o'clock hour. Each 23 is me alone in the front seat. Halfway through some employees came for one ride, but didn't take the front. I just returned to the station, was asked if I wanted to go again, and away I went. Plus one as I made a credit sweep of the park, and I distinctly remember counting 7 during another ride streak (and I rode more in that streak). Too bad the park closed at 4pm for weather. The next day I left Six Flags New England early for about 20 more rides. I love Boulder Dash! 26 rides on Boulder Dash in one hour.

Thank you very much for your help. The drive on 287 wasn't bad at all and I'm glad I took that route. Across the Tappan Zee Bridge as opposed to the George Washington Bridge. I got to the park at about 6pm and the downpour on the way must've emptied it out. Everything was a a walk-on. It rained for only a few minutes when I was there. I was able to get a ride on every coaster (except Blackbeard's and Road Runner) including rerides on El Toro and Nitro. So I'm going to just relax tomorrow and take it easy. And El Toro was just absolutely ridiculous. However, I don't like it better than Boulder Dash. That ride was amazing. Thanks again!

Tomorrow I'm leaving on a week-long coaster trip and Six Flags Great Adventure is really the only park I have questions about. I will be at the park Saturday evening and all-day Sunday. Saturday I'm not going to have a plan. I'm just going to go in and ride whatever I feel like. But Sunday I'd like to see the whole park. Although it is getting into the meat of the season, I'm not expecting extreme crowds. Is that about right? If that's the case, then should I skip on the Flash Pass? If for some reason the park is packed, is the Gold Pass worth the extra money? When I visit a park, I like to make a complete loop, riding pretty much everything. Then when I'm done with the whole park I go back to what I want to ride again. Would this strategy work at Great Adventure? Where should I start and what direction should I take through the park? Where is a good place to eat? Saturday I'll eat before I get to the park, but for Sunday is there anywhere notable in the park? I know the park's kinda in the middle of nowhere, but are there any places in the area I could leave and come back to for dinner? Finally, some driving questions. From Bristol, Connecticut I'm planning on driving I-287 around New York, to avoid driving through New York. Is that a smart move? Google Maps (and probably my GPS) route me on I-87 and I-95 through the city. Since I'm going to be on the New Jersey turnpike for a little stretch. How much does it cost? As bad as Pennsylvania or New York? Worse? And how is driving to the park from Princeton (Plainsboro) through I-295 around Trenton? Can I expect pretty heavy traffic? From my experience (DC and Virginia), traffic in Ohio is nothing. Is New Jersey similar to those areas? And if you're wondering, I'm staying near Princeton to both avoid paying $100+ a night and to be closer to Dorney for Monday. Thank you very much for the help!