PhantomNick

Ooooo, Nicole, I'm jealous!! I've never been there yet......too bad you couldn't swing by the Pittsburgh area and "force me" to go too! My next park, I'm hoping, is a trip to Kennywood again sometime soon. I need to try me some Black Widow, and in general it's been almost a month since I stepped on a coaster. Not cool, current suck-tastic work schedule, NOT cool!! Besides that, there's our trip to Hershey in August where we are meeting up with some awesome TPR friends.....super excited face!!!

WOW. I always knew we had an amazing site here, but the outpouring of overwhelming support for this fantastic cause has simply been remarkable!! You ALL deserve hefty praises for just hitting this one completely out of the park! With the huge surge in donations again today, I figured we probably broke $30k (which is beyond words), so I ran a total as of 5:15 pm here in the East.......*drum roll* Team TPR's new donations total is......$30,784!!!! Unbelievable work by everyone, and the best part is - there's still time to donate!! Here's the latest breakdown by park: CGA - $2,120 (1st place team) CW - $2,527 (1st place team) Carowinds - $1,202 (1st place team) C.P. - $2,983 (1st place team) Dorney - $3,230 (1st place team) KD - $6,365 (1st place team) KI - $3,332 (1st place team) Knott's - $5,334 (1st place team) MiA - $1,419 (2nd place team) VF - $1,342 (1st place team) WoF - $930 (1st place team) Can Michigan's Adventure's team make it to 1st place? Can Worlds of Fun get another 70 bucks in donations, putting every Team TPR team over $1,000? We'll find out, so keep those donations coming!

Goal reached.....congrats!! Plus, with the return donation (added to the $10 cash I got from a coworker just now), I've now hit my goal as well!! Thanks again to everyone here at TPR that helped me get there! You guys are so freaking amazing!!

I just kicked 30 bucks your way to officially bring you up to 4-digits! Way to go Chuck!! (Besides, gotta support a fellow Team TPR member who has awesome photo trip reports from his travels!) This last surge of donations that everyone is seeing is just awesome! Way to go everyone!! Also, thanks to a similar surge, I'm now less than $100 away from reaching my fundraising goal, which when I last adjusted it I would've thought it would be unlikely to reach. If anyone is feeling the urge to help me get there, I would certainly appreciate it!! Let's go for broke and hit $30,000 raised!!! Team TPR is AMAZING!!!

Yeah, I stayed up to watch the OT, and that was an awesome goal to win it. He stretched Marty out until the last minute and then fired it past him when he had the opening. Great stuff! I am amazed how awesome the Kings have been on the road during the playoffs! I wonder if any team has went undefeated on the road through the entire playoffs when winning the Cup??

Expedition Everest (a ride that I will hopefully hop aboard when I finally make it to Disney World in 2013! Fingers crossed.....)

^^ It's actually kind of funny that you mentioned that. I was curious the other day how Team TPR fundraisers stacked up at each park in regards to the top fundraisers. As it turned out, Team TPR is just doing awesome on all fronts!! Of the 11 parks that are taking part in the event, Team TPR has a member in the top 3 fundraisers at NINE of the parks!! And of those 9 parks, the top fundraiser overall at 5 of them is from Team TPR! Fun little facts right there. But more than that, I'm just so amazed and proud of what our little coaster riding community has done for this wonderful cause! The fact that we have a legitimate chance at hitting $25,000 in donations as a group is incredible, and also a testament to all the hard work each member of Team TPR has done collecting donations. You ALL deserve a pat on the back.....or a beer.....or something! Kudos to everyone!! And with under 10 days until the event, I am by no means ashamed to ask for some more help reaching my goal if anyone would like to donate! When I adjusted my goal a while back, I honestly thought it was too "lofty" and not reachable. To my surprise, as we all hit the stretch run, I'm actually within striking distance of it! We'll see if I can make it!

Went to the park last Sunday for the first time this season to take advantage of the "Bring a Buddy" day. Always great heading back into the home park for the first time of a season. Weather wasn't too bad overall. It was very hot/humid the first part of the day, but once some storms rolled through for about an hour or so in the late afternoon it actually got quite comfortable! We ended up staying until about 8:00, and as we left you could see lightning again off in the distance. Crowds were fairly heavy, but we thought the lines moved great, which is a kudos to the ride crews! I know early in the season can be rough as crews get used to things with some new members, but they seem to be picking things up fast. Great job guys and gals!! Phantom switched over to 2 trains fairly early (around 1....although it still baffles me why they don't just open the coaster with 2 already. It's not like the ride is unpopular!), and had a line that came just about back to the ride's entrance, although the switchbacks weren't being used. Despite that, when we rode it only took us about 30-35 minutes to get on. Sky Rocket had a queue that was about 3/4 full, and it took maybe 25 minutes. That crew has been awesome since the coaster opened. It amazes me how quick they keep those 2 trains cycling! We got 1 ride on all the coasters except for Exterminator, and also got on Ghostwood Estate, Paratrooper, and Log Jammer. Also checked out the new "Steel City Rhythm" show and we both thought it was pretty good. Very lively and entertaining. Phantom was running in insane mode and overflowing with airtime.....WOW!! That is seriously an underrated coaster! The woodies were all in top shape, and Sky Rocket was simply awesome. I don't know what it is about that ride, but I totally dig Sky Rocket. I just love it more and more each time I ride it! Lastly, Black Widow and the surrounding area looks fantastic! I'm really looking forward to riding it. They tested it once that I saw in the afternoon, but it was not spinning and only went up to what I'd guess was 3/4 of the maximum height. Not sure what's up with it, if anything. Not a huge complaint, but it is a bit frustrating that there seems to be this new trend of new rides opening later and later. I remember as a kid that new rides opened on opening day for the park, period. Just an interesting change to what we see today.

This drop tower just looks crazy!! Imagine being on that outer seat, and with only a lapbar?? Not gonna lie, I'd probably wet myself! I do love drop towers, but they are also still a ride that actually makes me nervous. There's just something about being at the top and staring out at the view just knowing that the inevitable is coming! Quickens my heart rate every single time. Can't wait to see it testing for real soon.....

Wicked Twister at Cedar Point on Sunday, closing out an AMAZING weekend there!!

I think your mom and my wife would be best friends! She already has claimed that exact location when we ride it in August. Fine by me, even though that will "force" me to take a winged seat.....oh, the horror!! After seeing the POV, Skyrush looks even more awesome in my book. Can't wait to ride it, and in the meantime, can't wait to hear some early reviews from folks on here!

^ Have a blast! It's a really nice park, and my wife and I really had a great time when we visited the year Diamondback opened. We'll be heading to Kennywood for the first time this season on Sunday! Always great returning to the home park for the first time after an offseason.

Great report, and your photos are simply stunning!! Wow! We were also there this past weekend, and I can concur that the crowds definitely picked up as Sunday progressed. Nothing like Saturday when it was packed to the gills with people (several waits posted at 2 hours), but still pretty crowded. In fact, the couple we went with (who had never been to Cedar Point before) enjoyed their Fast Lane experience from Saturday so much that they asked if we minded getting it again on Sunday when crowds started picking up. We did, and I still thought it was worth every single penny! I'd much rather wait 10-15 minutes for TTD and Millennium versus an hour plus!

Great report and photos, Larry! I had actually never heard of that Italian place you stopped at in the 'Burgh.....I am intrigued now. Glad to read some Sky Rocket love too. I really think that was a perfect addition to a park like Kennywood. The airtime/hangtime is pretty impressive for such a compact coaster! And it's one of those rides I like more and more each time I ride it. I'm also in total agreement about that zero-g roll - might be my favorite inversion on any coaster I've ridden.

Quicksilver Express @ Gilroy Gardens

As of now, my Top 5 B&M inverts (which incidentally is one of my absolute favorite coaster types) would be: 1. Afterburn - Carowinds (I thought this layout was perfect, and it was full of forces!) 2. Talon - Dorney Park (As someone else mentioned, I feel this coaster is extremely underrated. Love this layout as well!) 3. Raptor - Cedar Point (I've always thought this one is awesome. Still get pumped to ride it after all these years. Great elements, including that awesome ending helix!) 4. Alpengeist - BGW (Massive invert that delivered in every aspect.....totally dug that wicked first drop!) 5. Batman: TR - SF Great America (I know they're clones - and damn good ones! - but for some reason of the 2 I've ridden I thought this one was better. Old school intensity at its best!) Honorable mention goes out to Great Bear at Hersheypark. I know some say it's rather short, but I adore the helix right off the lift leading into the plunge to the creek!

Awesome updates Robb! Really digging the updates from this trip, as you guys hit up some of my favorite parks to visit. I love Hersheypark too, as there's just such a great variety of coasters/rides there and plenty of other things to do as well. I cannot wait to head back there in August, as I have TWO Intamin hotties to catch my first rides on - Fahrenheit and the great new hotness known as Skyrush! Really looking forward to the next update as you headed to my home park of Kennywood! I'm very curious to hear what the Alveys thought of Sky Rocket.....

Woohoo Team TPR for hitting $18,000!! I'm really thinking the $20k mark is reachable, which for our group is just amazing! Just about 3 weeks to go before we are all coasting for kids!! And Larry, I couldn't agree more with the unbelievable job Jason is doing at Kings Dominion.....way to go Jason! To have raised almost $3,000 is simply incredible! Not to mention 3 individual donations of at least $700. Wow!

Yeah, Phantom in the rain isn't the most pleasant.....yet I still find it hysterically fun!! And Elissa, I remember seeing some of the photos from people's trip reports and how hard it was raining....that's CRAZY - and awesome - that they ran Sky Rocket anyway for you guys! I really love that little coaster. It's 2nd in the park for me, behind only the Phantom. Looks like Black Widow is now testing and getting close to opening up! I have to say I love the look of the ride area. Someone posted a video catching some of a testing cycle. I am so stoked to ride this!! And I'm totally digging the spider webs painted on the ride's control booth! Nice touch there.

Wow, Hanno.....those photos are truly magnificent!! Thanks so much for posting them, and for covering the opening of one AWESOME looking Beemer! Someday I will check out these European parks......someday.

^^ Actually, the way I read the itinerary, all the participants DO get all those perks! (preferred parking, fast lane, etc.) That is extremely generous of Dorney to offer all of that, quite honestly, as I'd be there regardless!! See, I think those are 2 separate lines of text. The first line being that from 8:30-10 there will be "Registration, Breakfast, ERT on Stinger, and Kickoff" (as in kickoff for the event itself). Then the next line starts with "Participants will receive......" That's how I read it anyway. We'll all find out for sure in a few weeks! Good to see Steel Force on the list, as expected. In reality, Dorney is really smart......after having ERT on a Vekoma, marathoning a Morgan hyper will be a breeze!! I'm hoping my donations pick back up a bit. They've gone kinda cold for the last week or so. Perhaps my fundraising will have to get a little more creative....

^^^ Kara, I just watched that video.....wow. That really hits you to see a personal story of the amazing memories that your organization gives to these wonderful kids!! I cannot say enough how thrilled I am to be fundraising for such an awesome place like GKTW! What a beautiful video! I'm borrowing that one for my Facebook page so people can see for themselves how great a charity this is. Thank you again for what you and all the volunteers there do! And before I forget, I hope you feel better really soon!

I have to say, with each update of Team TPR's progress, I am more and more impressed of this awesome group of people we have doing this! Absolutely AWESOME job everybody!! Also, just as an fyi, it looks like my brother joined Team TPR as well for Dorney. I think he got nervous that if we weren't on the same "team" that we wouldn't be able to ride together. Just thought I'd point it out if someone saw him there and scratched their head, since he doesn't actually have an account here......at least not yet. I'm hoping once he meets our awesome people at Coasting For Kids that that will change!

Nice! That drop track looks pretty freaking sweet!! I can't wait to get a chance to ride this thing.

^ I know! I mean, what kind of world are we living in?? A coaster is set to open up, and it has what looks like a great layout, and some coaster enthusiasts are EXCITED to ride it?!?! How terrible!