larrygator

Great stuff as always Shane, and I recently learned how to add these to the Park Index in a less clunky manner. Less Clunky addition to the Park Index

Robb and Elissa will probably include Great Escape in a "future" New England/Northeast Trip.

No need to repeat a topic you started. Your post from October 2nd Since no one responded, it doesn't seem like anyone from TPR has visited the event.

Jeff - Great Escape is one of those parks that TPR's Park Index is sadly lacking pictures of. Please feel free to post more pictures if you have them. I'll add to the park index once I return and recover from my vacation. Thanks

Robb and Elissa are headed back to LA as I write, but plan on having flyers for the trips ready this week. Always plan to fly out the day after the last park, not the day of the last park. Generally the bus won't get back to the hotel til evening. As far as arriving, most people arrive the day before (or two days before). Two days allows for sightseeing in London, adjusting to times change and the ability to take advantage of any Day Zero events that might be scheduled for a little extra $. Never arrive the day the trip starts as you will be hard pressed to make it to the hotel before the bus leaves for the first park of the trip. This will all be explained in the flyers.

I would say if you want to own an amusement, make lots of money in another field and then buy a park. Not many amusement park owners come up through the ranks, outside of family owned parks.

Hey Divv - been away from a computer for 13 days and finally got to read. Great stuff as usual, but certainly not looking forward to the next day (if I'm in any of the pictures).

I lost all respect for Elissa with her giddyness in meeting Joey Fatone. I think she is still blushing.

Also LOL at someone suggesting a seafood restaurant to Elissa.

It's possible to get on ET or KK within the first train or train if you hustle, but by the time you get to the second ride the line might already be over an hour. Then after the second ride you might be looking at over 1 hour waits for Nitro, B:TR, Medusa and S:UF. Even for only 5 hours the Gold Flash Pass is worth it during Fright Fest at SFGAdv.

I'm going to rush through this posting just like I did with Dollywood. I only had three hours in the park, but since I'd been there before and was getting a Q-Bot I wasn't concerned. You normally don't take this tunnel driving from Dollywood to New York. Unless you make a wrong turn and end up taking the scenic route through Asheville, North Carolina. Hey Divv! And something that only Jeff would call a credit. Someplace to see Jeff's immediate family. Now my tribute to Jeff Johnson. First, someplace he can never call home, since he won't die. This is the Rain Maker. He makes kids wear silly hats and act stupid. We call this "theming" An even bigger fan of Thunderhead. I completed the triumvirate of old water rides with Daredevil Falls. I had never been to Dollywood during the summer before, only for Smoky Mountain Christmas. Seat #5. My home for 20 minutes. After sitting down, they halted the ride for 20 minutes. That's 1,200 seconds I'll never see again and that could have been better served drying my a$$ after this ride. This ride is awesome and I felt quite scared. He's crafty! All Hail! The Almighty Cinnamon Bread. Q2Q is the answer to a long line, but could not save me from a drenching. At $15 Q2Q is also your friend. I'm a fan of Thunderhead It always looks crowded at Dollywood, but with so many people here just for the shows, lines are never too bad. The Dolly Trolley is your friend.

^During 2008 the park was abrely open (only 6 or 8 weeks) and the economy really isn't any better now versus when they made "the closed for 2009 announcement." So I would venture to say no. I remember when Astroland closed the owners talked of needing to prepare for the upcoming season (ordering spare parts and such) before the end of the current season. If Fun Spot had plans to re-open they would have made a announcement by now.

I can eat without taking my eyes off the road (and the stains all over my car prove it) and without concentrating on eating (yes I have bit my fingers also). I can not text without taking my eyes off the road. I would not be able to fully concentrate on the road while texting. Texting while driving = BAD = SHOULD BE BANNED But as Elissa said their are plenty of other distractions, not the least of which are other people in the car

Then you need the Gold Flash Pass!

SFGAdv always draws huge crowds for Fright Fest. If your desire is to reride the coasters repeatedly the Gold Flash Pass is a necessity, no matter which day you choose. Sundays are usually less crowded than Saturdays at the park. Even on a Friday night you might not got on all the major coasters without a Flash Pass.

^^^The store is awesome, I just wish I had stopped at the biggest one that was much closer to Dollywood. ^^Now Piers, if I had a Flowbee I wouldn't have you waste your time using it on me. ^Correct Erik, this "As Seen on TV" store was very close to I-40. Feel free to stop by the larger one and put my PTR to shame.

^I think many are interpreting "classic" to mean a pre-existing coaster.

Cyclone at Williams Grove is 65 feet Screechin Eagle at LeSourdsville is 70 feet Since the article said 65 feet, and knowing the shape of the Cyclone when I last rode it, if it is going to be a relocated woodie I would guess Big Dipper.

After returning from Dollywood months ago, I mentioned to my friend Linda that I passed a couple "As Seen on TV" stores. Since the local mall only has a push cart of similar products, I promised Linda I would let her know if I was ever in the Dollywood area again. On the morning of September 7th, I called her and she gave me a list of 3 products to buy: a "Bra Buddy", the "Instyler" and a "green thing on a black pole" to clean the windows inside of ones' car. Sounds like a simple task, let's see how I did. Continuing on my way to Dollywood, I pass a new attraction being built and my inner Chris Fourmont says: "Is that the real Titanic?" The final haul, including the Instyler. They keep them behind the counter because they are so popular. Two days after receiving the Instyler, Linda she burns herself with it. Two weeks later it catches fire and she throws it out. Not a good buy. I bought this for myself. Save your money, the product is a sham. I'm still looking for the damn Instyler, but found the Micro Touch. I bought this as a gag gift years ago for Linda's husband. He said it was not as gentle on his nether region as advertised. Just in case you need an extra lift! I can't believe I just posted a picture that I'm in. I haven't seen the commerical in years, but you can still buy the Flowbee. I almost bought one for Piers to make him cringe! PediEgg for Men! Who knew? Not quite the "Bra Buddy", so I bought two of them in case this is a an inferior product. No, thanks! I don't need to scrape off the bottom of my feet. Ooh! Ooh! This is on the checklist to purchase. Nor did I buy the Mini Burger Sensation That's Sweeping the Nation. I got one for free from Harrah's two months ago. I did not buy The Easy Touch, I purchased an early incarnation and it works wonders. Even though I have only opened one can since I bought it I swear by it. There are dozens of TVs set up showing infomercials for such cutting edge products as the Egg Genie and the BaconWave. All these monitors create quite the sensory overload. I hear that you can buy anything that you see on TV at these places. This is not the largest one of it's kind in the Pigeon Forge area, but it will have to do

And I'm sure they will switch the names again. Especially if the parks get sold. References to each name are fine until they keep the same name for a more than a couple of years.

^^ and Astroland and Myrtle Beach Pavillion

19/20 - I thought lil phantom was the oldest steelie at Kennywood.

The problem is that this answer can not be quantified becasue it is personal opinion. I have not ridden Bizarro since the transformation, but I prefered the old version better than Expedition GeForce. How much better = impossible to answer. What do you prefer as a necessity to live, air or water? How much more do you prefer one over the other?

Dave - Speaking of which, my award never arrived in the mail for knowing that Cockeysville is the home of the Dollar Store (back in your food thread). But since it took me months to finally tip Robb and Elissa for the awesomeness they provide as tour organizers, I can wait a bit more if necessary.

We usually like to start a "park discussion" thread when there is actually something to discuss or if someone volunteers to bring "regular updates" from the park to the site. Starting a thread for the sake of starting it isn't something we want to make a habit of. If that hyper (or something big) comes to be reality we will start a SFStL discussion. If someone reliable and regularly in touch with the park wishes to volunteer to maintain this thread, please notify Robb via PM and he'll discuss it with you.