PhantomNick

Another very cool update Kara! I loved Perkins restaurants as a kid, but sadly there aren't too many around close to where I am. Dorney's Team TPR riders are sitting at $1,945 raised.....so close to breaking the $2,000 mark! Kudos to all my Dorney teammates! Let's get Team Dorney up over $2,000!

THIS. Absolutely this!! I am just loving the look of the trains, and those outer seats look about as minimal as anything I've ever seen coaster-wise. Which is a good thing! And with the many new photo updates posted, I just am reminded how beautiful Skyrush looks overall. It is going to be a stunning ride to photograph for sure! I'm already counting down to our trip there in August!

Wow Kara, I had no clue at the size of the place.....that is seriously impressive!! Also, thank you for sharing that video segment! I've already emailed a link of it to my initial distribution list, and I plan on posting it to Facebook as well. I do my very best explaining this amazing charity/place to people who ask about it, but that video sums up Give Kids The World way better than I ever could!!

Kara, those 2 star stories made me tear up.....this place is just more amazing with each update you post! Also, a big thank you to you and Matthew for your generous donations during "Good Giving Easter Weekend"!! After reading these recent updates, I decided not only to match your donations, but to double them as well. That's another $33 headed to GKTW! Hopefully Team TPR is even closer now to that awesome milestone of $10,000 raised! On a personal note, I am now within striking distance of my goal, which I thought would be a long shot to reach when I raised it. A huge thanks to all those from TPR who have donated!

Awesome update Chuck! Thanks for posting it. Verbolten is looking fantastic, and they're really going the extra mile with the theming. It looks like the perfect coaster for BGW!

I couldn't agree more about all the complaining about Fast Lane (and similar systems).....I guess I just will never understand that. Truth is, formulating some myth that the capacity of a ride will be crippled by a virtual queue-ing system just because you may not be willing to purchase one does not make it a truth. The parks, including Cedar Point here, are not trying to anger guests or make waits longer for the guests waiting in line. As many have said, they're just trying to offer a better experience for those guests who are coming to a park that they may not come back to for many years, if at all. Aside from some initial kinks, these systems have little to no effect on the queue line. In previous years, I wasn't exactly able to shell out the extra money for these systems when I visited a park. Even when I was able to, I initially didn't see the point of the extra expense and still didn't bother getting them. And you know what? I still had a blast when I visited parks with the systems in place! There just wasn't any effect on my time waiting in line. And by no means did I feel "slighted" or whatever when those who did have the systems passed by and merged into the line. Maybe I'm just weird, who knows. Then last year my wife and I were going to Six Flags Great Adventure in the midst of summer and I had booked us a package deal from their hotel partner website. Since we saved a lot of money on that, we decided to use the savings to get a Gold Flash Pass. And it was wonderful! We don't get over to New Jersey very often, and it was a great benefit to us so we could get the most out of our trip. We rode plenty, and got to experience some shows that we otherwise might not have been able to check out. Now I would totally budget to make use of similar systems in the future. I just do not see these systems as anything but a benefit for the guests willing to make use of them! As for Fast Lane, I think it is about time that one of the busiest parks in the country introduces this. And we might very easily purchase them ourselves when we go in May with our friends who have never gotten to experience Cedar Point before. I hope it proves to be wildly successful for the park and its guests. Just my take on it.

Incredible work everyone!! $10,000 in donations, here we come! It makes me wonder how high Team TPR's total will get by June..... Keep it up, guys and gals!

We will be heading to Cedar Point in mid-May with some friends who have never been there before, so that will be a lot of fun!! So, my next park will either be there or Kennywood if I decide to head there on opening day.

Kara, that playground is fantastic! I'm just amazed at all the wonderful things you have for the kids there! It warms my heart to know that all of us from Team TPR are supporting such a great place. I'm going to extend the matching donations offer for one more day in hopes of getting some extra donations for GKTW! Dollar for dollar matching still in effect until 11pm Eastern tomorrow. As always, any support is greatly appreciated!

Thanks so much for the donation Matthew!! Remember guys and gals, I am still matching all donations made to my page (up to $100 total) until 8pm on Easter. So keep the donations coming - current total for Good Giving Easter Weekend sits at $16 and counting!

Kara, thanks for that awesome story and insight into that lovely carousel! Also, thanks for the donation for Good Giving Friday. With the holidays this weekend (and the light response today), I'm going to EXTEND this to become a "Good Giving Easter Weekend"!! Now until 8pm Easter Sunday, I will still be matching each donation made to my fundraising page.....dollar for dollar.....and will also up the total matching amount I will cover for the weekend to $100! So, if I can accumulate $100 in donations by Sunday night, GKTW actually gets $200!! Please consider supporting Good Giving Easter Weekend. And thank you for the continued support!

Okay TPR donators, in honor of the upcoming Easter holiday (and helped by our just received tax refund), I'm going to try something today. It's time for: Good Giving Friday!! Here's how it works - From now until 8pm Eastern time, I will match every donation made to my fundraising page, dollar for dollar, up to a total matching amount of $75 for the day. Here's your chance to make a donation to GKTW and have double the effect! Your $5 donation becomes $10; your $20 donation becomes $40! Let's keep up the wonderful support of this fantastic organization! To help keep track, please either post in this thread that you donated, or reference TPR in your donation comment. Okay......ready?? GO!!! Good Giving Friday is underway!

Larry, thank you very much for the donation!! I really appreciate it! Kara, the train station looks awesome! Good stuff. I think it's incredibly cool that Team TPR is closing in on hitting $10,000 raised! Way to go everyone, and let's keep those donations coming in!

^^ Kara, another great update! I had no idea the characters came specifically to GKTW....that is so cool! Also, the villas you showed earlier look unbelievable!! Here's hoping Team TPR raises a boatload of money to help more of those get built! Larry, I decided to add another 5 park reviews for good measure, since I love the rating system! I've added: Dorney Park, Hersheypark, Holiday World, Michigan's Adventure, and Morey's Piers!

Thanks for posting these pics! I always like seeing some of the behind-the-scenes stuff from these off-season tours.

Thank you so much Robb! That is awesome! And I have to say, I thought all the other profiles were great. Nice work by everyone!

Nick McSparrin came into the world on April 22, 1979. I was born in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, due to my dad being in the Air Force. Ironically, that is the only time I have been to Florida, and I don't even remember it! My childhood was a fairly normal one growing up. I played with the awesome toys of the '80s, like Transformers and GI Joe, and I watched cartoons when they were actually on Saturdays!! First of many random fun facts - In the 5th grade, despite my parents not wanting me to wear shorts to school, I snuck and wore them anyway.....and was called to the office for wearing "shorty shorts". Smooth. My parents actually divorced when I became a teenager, and although it was rough, I turned to my sense of humor and laughter to help get through it. This was also about the time that I discovered a new hobby and turned to it for comfort - riding roller coasters. My first roller coaster ride happened when I was 4 and my dad took me on the Jack Rabbit. My passion for riding coasters wasn't truly unlocked until 1991, when I conquered Kennywood's Steel Phantom. After that, the coaster nut who still exists today was born! I do have 1 brother, who is 8+ years younger than I am. We get along much better now than we did when I was younger, and we even share a love for roller coasters, which is awesome. High school was high school....I did well, but had zero game with the ladies. Fun fact - My prom date ended up hitting on our limo driver. She sat in the front seat with him going home. They proceeded to date for several years and even got engaged! I went to college at Penn State and graduated in 2001 with a degree in Electro-Mechanical Engineering. I got a job with Emerson Process Management later in 2001, where I still work today as a turbine projects engineer. We basically design control systems that run turbines in power plants. Here is my donations page: http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/nickmcsparrin/DorneyPark Okay, before I totally lose you (I see you nodding off!!), time to start sprinkling in pics: As a kid I though it'd be cool to be a cowboy. Apparently the urge never left me.... I do like donuts a lot, though sometimes I struggle knowing if they are real or not..... Mmmmm, donuts! Pizza is another favorite food of mine. Favorite Topping? Pepperoni! Nom, nom!! Here's what I would look like with a mullet! I met my beautiful wife Erin in 2006 on a blind date. I work with her uncle, who thankfully took a chance on setting us up! We hit it off immediately, and the rest (as they say) was history. Fun fact - I did briefly freak her out on date #4 when I told her I loved her. She responded with "Thaaaanks!" Luckily she didn't run for the hills, and she said it herself a couple months later. We got engaged in November of 2007, and married on November 29, 2008. Erin is my soulmate, and I love her more than anything in this world. She is more amazing than anything I could type here! Want to meet her? There she is! Fun fact - Erin's married name rhymes! And speaking of weddings, here's a few pics from ours: Awwwww I really was such a pretty groom! We live just outside of Pittsburgh with our dog Lacey. We enjoy hanging out with our family and friends, occasionally traveling (both to parks and otherwise), great sex (how'd that sneak in there? ), and just having plenty of FUN together! Erin teaches preschool, and for the most part really enjoys it. As for more Nick info, get ready for the whirlwind photo finish that gives a nice glimpse into me..... Flock of Seagulls anyone?? Right after our wedding, we spent 4 days in NYC....Erin called this our "mini-moon". The next year we took our true honeymoon in St. Lucia! From the same NYC trip, in our hotel lobby We do clean up nice..... .....but we usually keep it casual! Taken in front of our summer home.....either that, or we visited DC..... I had a brief attempt at a career in modeling.... ....but my campaign as a corn dog spokesmodel fell flat! Those jerks! I got to pet a wolf once, which was awesome! Sometimes I admittedly struggle to control my emotions.... Random Pirate boobs from Kennywood.....because boobs rock!! I once was almost eaten by a shark, and that was scary stuff! Hanging out at my alma mater Erin has coined this awesome footwork "The Nick". Relish in it! We do love our sports teams around here, especially the Steelers and Penguins! It's a hockey night in Pittsburgh! My 2 closest friends I have known for decades. They're an awesome couple that are a ton of fun! You might as well meet 'em! Us with Jonathan & Melissa I volunteer at my work and play Santa for the annual children's Christmas party! I've held this position for the last 8 years and have such a blast doing it! Ho ho ho!! Almost there.....here's some last-minute quick hitting facts: *Favorite color - Blue *Car I drive - 2010 Subaru Forester *Home park - Kennywood *Middle name - Ebbert (named after my great grandfather) *Favorite athlete (in my lifetime) - Mario Lemieux *Wood or Steel? - Steel *Favorite season - Fall *Favorite Disney character - Tigger *Lifetime Disney visits - 0 *Favorite coaster - El Toro! *Favorite cuisine - Italian *Favorite bands - Breaking Benjamin & Staind *Best concert - Bon Jovi, 2011 *Favorite sport - Football *Favorite musical - Wicked *How many kids do I/we want? - 2 or 3 *Favorite holiday - Christmas *Favorite TV show (currently) - Modern Family *I don't drink very often, but when I do, I like Long Island Iced Teas *Shoe size is 10 and a half *Fast food of choice - Arby's *My first car was a Dodge Omni.....it met a firey death on the side of the road when the fuel line ruptured. Luckily we got out safely! *I once was a paper boy *Harry Potter, yay or nay? - Yay....I did enjoy the movies, although I never have read the books *Best vacation taken - Our honeymoon to St. Lucia *Facebook user? - Yes *Favorite app for my iPhone or iPad - Need to get one first *We own a Wii, and my favorite game for it is Super Mario Galaxy (both of them) *Favorite animals - Tiger, Dolphin, Polar bear *I am a worrier *I am mildly OCD about some things *I like my job, but I cannot picture myself being there my entire career *Favorite park - Busch Gardens Williamsburg *Besides my home park, I have been to Cedar Point the most *TTD or Kingda Ka? - Top Thrill Dragster! *Favorite cookie - Oreos *Admitted chocolate lover *I really like Pixar movies! *Favorite website - Theme Park Review *I would like to take a TPR Trip at some point Well, that's me in a nutshell. I have to reiterate that it is a pleasure to be taking part in this wonderful event supporting this amazing charity. I look forward to meeting some TPR peeps on June 10, and until then I will work my tail off raising as much money as possible! Please consider donating to one of Team TPR's riders! And if you can't decide who, why not send a donation over to my page?....Senor Nick would really approve! Ole!! Coasting for Kids es muy bueno!

Sorry to double-post (I can combine the posts if you want), but I was able to add 5 more reviews to bring me up to an even 10. I just added: Darien Lake, Idlewild, Kings Island, Six Flags Great Adventure, and Waldameer. That's all for tonight. I like the review feature for the parks!

Alright Larry, I hit the park index and added 5 reviews: Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Cedar Point, Carowinds, Kennywood, and Kings Dominion! I may add some more to that list as well.

Alright, so as I mentioned before, I was looking to put together a flyer of sorts to mail out in our neighborhood, and also post on the bulletin board at our church. I'm by no means an expert at this, and I do want it to look good and grab attention so to hopefully get some more donations for GKTW! That's where you guys come in. I was hoping you could look this first pass over and give some honest feedback on it. Robb/Elissa/Kara, I'd particularly be interested in your thoughts. Okay then, fire away! Coasting4Kids_2012.doc Flyer - 1st attempt

Kara, I can't express enough how awesome these updates are! It is great to get an "inside look" at the charity we are working very hard to support. I truly love this organization, and the whole team, including dedicated hard workers such as yourself, deserves an incredible amount of praise! Kudos to all that you do for these more than deserving kids and their families. Seeing your updates just makes me want to work even harder to try and raise as much money as I possibly can and try to make a difference for these kids. I've pretty much spread my fundraising out in as many different directions as I can think of, and I'm already thinking of printing some sort of flyer and mailing it to everyone who lives in our immediate neighborhood. Anyway, thanks again for the updates, and I look forward to reading your future ones!

I'll say! That's an AWESOME start to any coaster season!! I've still got about a month and a half before my season kicks off. First park up for us is either Kennywood (if we go in early May) or Cedar Point for our trip in mid-May.

^ Yep, that's exactly what the "Intamin fart" is! Just lets you know that the ride is totally hauling tail at that point!

^ Donation sent your way! Go Team TPR & glad to see another coaster rider from the 'Burgh participating!! Good luck!

After making her TPR debut in the Coasting For Kids thread, here's a picture of our dog Lacey! She's only slightly spoiled. Lacey says "Hi TPR!!"