VinTheAttendant

^Thanks a lot! The "no single riders in front and back row" was one of the things I heard. After learning about that, I was mildly annoyed but I can ultimately live with it. The one thing that grabbed my attention was the no single riders policy on Jet Star 2. Given the seating arrangement on that coaster, I'm a bit hesitant in what awkwardness might come should I ask someone to pair up with me.

Hey guys! So I've pulled together all the funds I need to make a trip to Lagoon for the first time, all I'm waiting on now is a confident opening date for Cannibal. After doing quite a bit of reading up on the park, it's sounding like Lagoon is not exactly the most single-rider friendly place. Any advice, tips, or suggestions from anyone who has gone to the park solo (or knows enough about the park to help)?

1. Do you have your videos set to auto-play on your: a. desktop computer and/or b. mobile device? Yes to computer, no to mobile device because I still don't have a smart phone. There are times I want to turn it off, but in general, I'm fine with leaving it on. 2. Do you regularly "share" content from Facebook "page" (like the TPR page) to your own personal Facebook page? And have you shared something from the TPR page? Not usually. A lot of my friends aren't enthusiasts, and I'm a little self-conscious about over-saturating their news feed with roller coaster stuff. But I do occasionally share the contents of question 3. 3. What kind of content are you most likely to share? (Videos, Photos, News Stories, etc?) A majority of TPR content I share are news/announcements that I feel others might be interested. Even if it's far away, a lot of the really big stuff usually does generate plenty of excitement. Every now and again, I'll share a video if, again, it's interesting; or if it means something to me or someone else. 4. How long on average do you watch a video posted to Facebook for? Do you watch the entire video? First 30 seconds? Until you get bored? It really all depends on the video in particular. Some videos I will completely skip or maybe watch five seconds in, but that's typically the case if I've already seen it on Youtube, or if I'm just passing through to see how my friends and family are doing. I'll almost always watch the video all the way through if it's something I hadn't seen before, something I hadn't seen in a long time, something I'll be riding in the near future that I'm extremely excited for, or something hilarious. 5. How important are "video thumbnails" to you? Not terribly. I'm not a fan of text in the thumbnail, but I'm not against it either. The thumbnails do typically do a good job of reminding me if I had watched that video or not. 6. What do you like/dislike about Facebook? What features do you use the most and which ones annoy you? Invites to play games/game progress notifications. I also don't like getting ads for that one thing I looked up that one time and now Facebook thinks I'm obsessed with it. One thing that has been bugging me are people tagging their friends in the comment section of a photo or video. It's not something to start a boycott over, but I much prefer seeing actual discussion. 7. Is there anything that TPR does or doesn't do on Facebook that you think we should be doing more/less of? Overall, it's great. I would like to see something like the "Ostrich getting run over by a roller coaster" thing happen again; something special that can provide a week's worth of fun during a tedious off-season.

A - Afterburn - Carowinds B - Boulder Dash - Lake Compounce C - Coaster - PNE Playland D - Dominator - Kings Dominion E - El Toro - Six Flags Great Adventure F - Fahrenheit - Hersheypark G - Goliath - Six Flags Over Georgia H - Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit - Universal Studios Florida I - Intimidator 305 - Kings Dominion J - Joker's Jinx - Six Flags America K - Kumba - Busch Gardens Tampa L - Leviathan - Canada's Wonderland M - Millennium Force - Cedar Point N - Nitro - Six Flags Great Adventure O - Orient Express - Palace Playland (It was either that or a standard dragon wagon I rode also called Orient Express...) P - Possessed - Dorney Park Q - R - Ravine Flyer II - Waldameer S - Skyrush - Hersheypark T - Thunderhead - Dollywood U - Untamed - Canobie Lake Park V - Volcano: The Blast Coaster W - Wild Eagle - Dollywood X - X2 - Six Flags Magic Mountain Y - Yankee Cannonball - Canobie Lake Park Z - Zoomerang - Lake Compounce So in making this list, I found that 10 of the 16 coasters I rode that start with the letter "D" include the word "Dragon" in it, I have ridden more coasters that start with the letter "S" than any other letter, and I have ridden as many coasters that start with the letter "X" as coasters that start with the letter "O". Also, no "Q" for me either.

Thanks a lot! When I saw your TR surface, I was thinking the exact same thing. Great pictures, I've never seen Star City during the day, it looks great being able to see everything clearly. You've also got great taste in ice cream. Too bad you couldn't get on Star Flyer. I was able to ride it just a few days before heading back to the States, and (I can't believe I'm saying this) it's actually a fun, not-at-all painful coaster. It was a huge surprise. Glad you guys had a great trip! EDIT: I just noticed that Enchanted Kingdom got an Air Race. Were you able to try it?

Loving the report! Sky Ranch was not open last time I went to the Philippines, I had no idea it would be the size it is now based on the pictures. Also, I rode Dream Coaster (aka Silver Streak) as a kid, I thought it was gone forever; very happy to learn that it found a new home. I can't believe you photographed a full train on Wild Wind. When I went, everyone in the park was afraid to ride it. The drop tower at Enchanted Kingdom was not upcharge when I went; though it's a shame it wasn't operating when you went, those Larson towers are insane. I always enjoy reading your reports! Can't wait to see more.

Ugh! I thought I was done with Comcast forever! Did not think I would be spending half an hour of my day on hold; now it's just a game of whether this crappy hold music will break me or not...

In 9 days, I'll be moving across the country to start my new job. While I am extremely excited to get my career going, I can't help but think "typical" that I'm moving away just as my home park is getting an RMC; also, I'll be four hours from the nearest amusement park. Whelp, you win some you lose some, at least now I have an excuse to get out and travel. I already have a bunch of weekend trips lined up. Something tells me this is going to be a great year!

Almost definitely Bizarro/Superman: Ride of Steel for me. Thunderbolt is probably a close second just because I've been riding that since even before I became a coaster enthusiast.

Wacky Worm at Baja Amusements.....this might just be my saddest post to date.

Every year, I tell my friends "Buy your Thanksgiving train tickets early! Like, an entire month early!" And this year, I forgot my own advice. So many sold out trains and ridiculous prices! Despite all this, I think I got a pretty good deal on my tickets given my current school situation. If I ever need to take a train around Thanksgiving after this year, I will NOT make this mistake again.

The only real 100% Achievements I have are: 100% all Backlot Stunt Coasters 100% all Vekoma Flying Dutchmans Other made-uppy ones or ones that weren't particularly challenging are: 100% North American Giga Coasters and Strata Coasters 100% American Intamin Launched Coasters/all American Accelerators in the front seat 100% North American Zamperla Volares (......yay?) 100% Coasters in Maine 100% Coasters in Rhode Island (Not counting alpine coasters, I'm three away from all New England coasters) 100% Coasters in Massachusetts (again, not counting alpine coasters, hope to knock this one out this winter) On another note, I'm 2 coasters away from 100% B&M Stand-ups

First coaster: Space Shuttle at Enchanted Kingdom January 2nd. Last coaster: El Toro at SFGAdv November 2nd. Not bad, started the year on what I consider my favorite standard Boomerang, and ended on one of the best coasters in the world (which was running awesome towards the end of the night). With the exception of February and March (and most likely December), I got to visit at least one park every month this year.

Definitely: Six Flags New England Probably: Six Flags Great Adventure Knoebels (why have I not been to this park yet!?!) Possibly: Lake Compounce Dorney Park Hoping to plan a summer trip to Texas 2015 will be my first year as a graduate; hard to predict what will turn out or where I'll even be.

The only new-for-2014 coaster I rode was Thunderbolt and I actually kind of liked it ..... or rather, I like it more than most people do. The two rides I got were rough, but weren't quite "ruin your ride" rough; and aside from the awkward restraints, I got a lot of enjoyment out of the airtime hills. So it's not a top 10 or 20 (or 100?) coaster for me, but I had fun. That being said, there really is no excuse in this day and age for a brand new coaster to ride like the way it does, especially for a company that does engineer quality rides. So I completely understand where the hate for the coaster comes from. I really hope that Zamperla does some serious work on the coaster during the off-season, they're the best thing to happen to Coney Island in a long time. As far as the most appealing looking roller coaster that I haven't ridden, it has to be either Banshee or Lightning Run. I'll jump on that bandwagon, those rides look awesome!

The Walking Dead: I love how this series takes advantage of its apocalyptic settings as a catalyst for what would normally be ordinary people to express their true colors. Good use of suspense both with and without zombies, memorable characters, and a plot that always keeps you guessing; I cannot wait for the Season 5 premier tonight! Breaking Bad: I only got into this show after AMC began airing every single episode a few months ago, and ever since then, I was absolutely sucked in! It's a very intelligent show, and it treats its audience as intelligent people. Given the elaborate, and often times, creative methods used by the characters to keep their secrets, it's really fun watching how every single situation affects different parts of the plot as the series progressed. Great characters, great writing, great camera work, and great action; it's my new favorite show and I wish I could have caught the series in its original run. The Legend of Korra: Season 1 was pretty good, and Season 2 was mediocre, but Season 3 has me convinced that this is absolutely the best animated series that is (sort of) on TV now. The world these characters live in is so immersive and beautiful, but so complex with its mix of politics and the supernatural. Despite being marketed to kids, it's very adult in many of its themes, and I don't think there's a "kids" show on air right now that isn't afraid to show characters die on screen. Fantastic series, it's a shame the way Nickelodeon is handling it. Red vs. Blue: Kind of cheating here as this is an online series, but it has come a long way from being a goofy machinima series to the phenomenon it is today. I love how far each of the characters have come, love how the style shifts from season to season, love the newer drama incorporated, and most importantly, love that it's still absolutely hilarious.

National Lampoon's Vacation is on TV right now. Gonna bid goodbye to Colossus in spirit.

^^^ and ^^^^ I actually did not realize just how many people did not like Thunderbolt until I looked up some peoples' thoughts yesterday. I happen to be in the group of people that really enjoyed the ride. I found the ride to be rough and the seats uncomfortable, but it never got to ruin-a-ride rough and if you completely empty your pockets then the restraints are bearable. Both my sister and I got two rides on it, and we both agreed that it was a great addition to Luna Park. Can it be better? Uh...yeah, absolutely, there's no arguing that there. It was just a little surprising (but understandable) seeing how people said it was awful. Also, smooth Coney Island Cyclone was a huge surprise. A part of me misses the spine-rearranging rides I used to get, but really it's fantastic that Cyclone is now rerideable.

From the pictures on their website, it does resemble a Manta clone.

When you go to a movie theater, you are probably notified up to five times to turn off your cell phone; so how is it that I still hear text and ring tones in the middle of my movie? Also, I'm all for movie-going being a fun-for-the-whole-family ordeal, but why bring along your hyperactive child who was probably not even interested in seeing the movie in the first place? I don't know which is worst, the child kicking my seat due to boredom, or the mother constantly saying "Shut the **** up" to a 3 year old. Get a baby-sitter.

Have Ridden: Batman & Robin: The Chiller, Robin side (SFGAdv) - I only ever saw it running twice and only got one ride on it. Packed one hell of a punch, and I hope it eventually finds life again, even if it is far away from the States. Big Bad Wolf (BGW) - This was always a personal favorite of mine, and it still was when I got my last ride one week before its removal was announced. The night rides on it were always unpredictable. Catapult (SFNE) - Yes it was uncomfortable, yes it took forever to load, still really enjoyed this ride. Cyclone (SFNE) - What can I say? First drop in the back row is still one of my favorite moments on any coaster. Déjà Vu (SFOG) - Wasn't going to include this one, but since the new trains were added to Goliath, may as well. Plus, it was my first GIB. Great American Scream Machine (SFGAdv) - It hurt, but if I had a chance to ride it just one more time, I'd like to. Jaws (USF) - A very fun attraction with very cool effects, and made more fun with a very good skipper. Haven't Ridden: Big Apple (Astroland) - Dude! A Wacky Worm with a turn table! Seriously though... Any Coney Island coaster built from late 1800s to 1927 Alien Encounter (WDW MK) - When Disney does hardcore, it's the best kind of hardcore. Batman & Robin: The Chiller, Batman side (SFGAdv) - I've still yet to experience an inverted top hat. Crystal Beach Cyclone (Crystal Beach) - One of the most insane looking coasters in history. Drachen Fire (BGW) - I'm an Arrow fan, and I would have wanted to give Mr. Toomer's most ambitious design a try. Eagle Fortress (Everland) - Why? The TPR video! Son of Beast (KI) - I genuinely wanted to give this coaster a try. Brutal or not, people talked about it for a LONG time.

Funny you should mention El Toro's restraints. These were the lap bars a few months before Bizarro opened. Not the same, but certainly smaller.

Right. Because that's EXACTLY what RMC is known for. Tearing down rides. Oh trust me, I agree with you. I'm very near certain that the RMC rumors are true; just entertaining any and all possibilities, including reasonable doubt, given the surprises Six Flags can pull. I still remember early summer of 2012 when we were definitely going to get the world's tallest Star Flyer for 2013. Not saying that's going to happen again, but I wouldn't have shared those pictures if I wasn't excited to see what RMC has up their sleeve

I went to the park last Wednesday and this morning to take a few pics of Cyclone and hang out at the park. I didn't post any pictures last week because there really was nothing significant to report. But as was mentioned in the last post, some track removal is underway, and there are a few other interesting things to note. This picture was taken last Wednesday, but it's still the same today. No track work has been done on anything past the lift hill. "An American Classic" has been removed from the bottom of the sign. The old entrance. Some orange things are in the area that was cleared out. I can't quite tell what they are, but they look like barriers. The entrance and exit queues looked untouched. The air gates are hanging over the exit rails. Now onto today's photos. Track has been removed from the station leading up to the bottom of the lift hill. Trains are gone, and it appeared that track had been lifted from the station. Pieces of track were laying about nearby. Loose article bins have been removed and look like they've been wrapped up. Now for the interesting part. This Bobcat was parked by the ride and was holding onto some track pieces; if we take a closer look... RMC! Now, SFNEOnline raised a good point; it is possible that RMC has just been contracted to remove the ride. Still, it's exciting thinking of the rumored ride to come. The orange things were removed, but there is still equipment in the cleared area. And a lift was parked out by the brake run. So nothing is definite at this point, but it is cool to see that work is well under way.

^ RIP I'll be wearing a black SFNE shirt, a Canobie Lake hat, and cargo pants. Please feel free to say "hi" if you run by me.