itnotfair

Thanks for the clarification. It makes sense that there would be no solid pieces, as there is no real backstage area to hide anything very large and the lagoon will be filled with moving fountains and lights. I stand corrected. Still, I'm willing to bet its going to blow Fantasmic's Chernabog "out of the water." Zing.

This is an awesome TR! Thanks for posting! BTW, I think the fruit in the first part of your report is called a Rambutan. Does that ring a bell?

I haven't seen Fantasmic in a while, so I was unaware of this. That being said, I did some research and found that he only appears in scenes from Night on Bald Mountain projected onto the water screens. In World of Color, a giant, solid Chernabog will appear in the water, and from what I've read, the only projection will be of his facial expressions. That's why I mentioned it as an element that could be considered a "Fantasmic killer".

One word. Chernabog.

I noticed when I went last Thursday that the guns that were initially supposed to be mounted to the front of the Terminator trains were no longer sitting idly on the side at the end of the ride. I wonder if they're attaching them now, or if they have been permanently scrapped.

Cool, thanks for the info, guys! I'll definitely have to get out there this year. But this time, no pre-ride malt liquor in the parking lot! (Don't ask!)

Haha! Good point, we're very lucky here in California to have In-n-Out! I pay a bit more homage to the great fast food chain in my Scandia TR. We even stopped at the University of In-n-Out, where you can get your degree in burger flipping! Thanks for the kind words and for catching the Will Ferrell reference! Still...I'm sad that no one has caught the Tom Jones/Dana Carvey allusion...

^Agreed! My first coaster was the Matterhorn, so I think I will always have a soft spot for Arrow. I especially enjoyed the bunny hills on Desperado. They are less curved and more angular than any I've been on, so the airtime pops were pretty intense! See what I mean? Pointy hills!

Cool TR! Don't worry about the picture order, I think everyone makes the same mistake the first time. I know I did! I've never seen that park before. It looks very well themed (the fun house looks awesome!), and with the addition of that twisted GCI, I definitely want to go!

Thanks for the comments! ^To answer your question, yes, I think "Roller Coaster" at NY NY is cheaper the second time around, and yes, like Larry's Aunt we also declined another ride! Why? First of all, it's rough. Second, the shoulder restraints are painful, and third, its just not that fun. It's pretty tall, but the track never goes below a certain point, so you never get any really great drops or airtime. I enjoyed the dive loop element, as I mentioned earlier, but that's about it! Still, I'd say it is definitely worth riding for a coaster junky, as it's the only other Togo this side of KD, and the highly-themed hotel serves as a great backdrop for the coaster.

I will agree except for Universal. That place is whack-tastic. Everything there is subjugated to the needs of the studio. Therefore, all three (count 'em, three!) rides are crammed indoors to prevent the screams from disrupting filming. There is only one coaster, the Mummy. The Simpson's ride is fun, and Jurassic Park is cool. Everything else there is a tired show or a crappy new show. King Kong is dead, and...what else...oh yeah, they don't sell "Bort" license plates at the Simpson's gift shop! Among its MANY rides, Knott's has Xcelerator, arguably the best coaster in California, Montezuma's revenge, the only Schwarzkopf shuttle loop on the west coast, and Perlious Plunge, the best drop on a water ride I've ever experienced! I tire of arguing the obvious.

Wow. Amazing shots. I need to change.

Sorry you missed Roar, I missed Kong when I went. I'm just really surprised you skipped Tony Hawk for motion sickness, and yet you rode that hammerhead flat ride! I took one look at that thing after my dizzy ride on Tony Hawk and nearly fainted! You are truly brave. Also, I like that you research your coasters before you ride them, it makes me want to include more info in my TRs. Great job!

This trip occured in late March, so forgive the 5 month time lapse. After I saw the Deep South TPR travelers gagging on Beverly, it reminded me to get my TR together! I was so excited to hear that Speed: the Ride was reopening just in time for our trip. That meant we'd be adding four new coasters to our lists. One last nostalgia shot of Desperado on the way home. Can you see what we ate for breakfast? Thanks for reading! ...at least not by us! Penn and Teller rule! Luckily, we had one more awesome thing to do before leaving! No...no firearms were fired during this trip... Post-coaster depression shot #2. She doesn't want to either. Post-coaster depression shot #1. I don't want to go home. Sadly, this is the best shot of the coaster I got. This Premier launcher was a great coaster to finish the trip, and if you haven't yet, I recommend riding it ASAP, as it may not be there much longer. Speed was the best coaster in Vegas, hands down! I think I will make up a new word to describe its excellence...Launchtrilescent! Laurice was glad to leave Circus Circus, and I can't blame her! We did like the coaster, though! Next on the itinerary, Speed: the Ride! This coaster was intense! It whips you through two loops and a double corkscrew before you can say "This casino/amusement park is kind of depressing." Time for the second Arrow of the trip, The Canyon Blaster. Next stop...adventure! Honey, it's moving! Beverly. These girls were watching us just to see our reactions, and my reaction made them laugh. I, however, could only cry. ...and...oh dear lord, no! ...home of this creepy thing... In the same complex was this little gem... The M&M's store was right across the street. I'm not sure what's happening here. For example, why is he smelling his finger? I was!! I couldn't help it, seeing how this was the view from our room! Not a smooth ride, but the dive loop had some pretty sweet hangtime. Next stop, Vegas! Wait, no, New York! You decide! Most importantly, it's my first Togo... Do I look excited? Though we didn't ride it, the flume ride looked pretty cool, it went through the casino, and even had targets for shootin' at. And they give away free money! Unfortunately, we learned a new rule. "Win small in Primm, lose big in Vegas!" ...which is themed pretty extensively on the inside! The loading station is actually in Buffalo Bill's casino... Desperado = rough, but really fun! My Mom rode this when she beat her breast cancer. Go Mom! Its probably my favorite Arrow after X2. Mmm...Arrow hyper-goodness... But wait, what's that I see on the horizon?! I was not excited to drive the rest of the way. Laurice was excited to drive halfway!

^^ I've never been on them, but I think the Flight of Fear rides at KD and KI are both the same model as Joker's Jinx (Premier LIM coasters) and are both indoors. Anyway, that extreme pass sounds well worth it for the free parking alone. The extreme parking fee is probably the reason I don't visit MM weekly.

Yeah, like the Shrek movies right?

I've been searching the web and the TPR forum for any mention of the coaster lineup at the 2009 OC fair, but I couldn't find anything. Anyone have any info? Thanks!

Ack, the Beverly! My gf and I tried it at the Coke store in Vegas and these girls next to us were literally spying on us to see our reactions, and when we nearly hurled, they were like "HAHAHAHA!" Actually, we thought it was funny, so we started spying on other people, too. Also, Alton is the shizzle.

That mouse looks like a blast! I gotta get over there. I heard you had to have a kid with you or be an ACE member to get in. Seeing as how you are neither with children nor morbidly obese, I guess this is no longer the case. Thanks for the TR!

I see that you have already booked your tickets, so my advice will be a bit late for you, but for anyone else planning a trip and looking for a cheap solution, the BART worked great for me when I hit SFDK earlier this year. Though there are a few transfers to deal with, the conductors and busdrivers in the Bay area are very helpful and will make sure you get to where you want to go. Anyway, I'm so jealous! I haven't been to CGA since I was like five, and all I remember is the double decker carousel. Have a great trip!

Got my third ride on T:S today, and this time the misters in the tunnel were turned on! That was a great element, especially on a warm day like today. Has anyone noticed that the ride ops are getting better at moving the line through the preshow? The first two times I rode, I noticed a lot of the seats were empty as the trains went by. It bothered me that people were stuck in the preshow when they could be riding the coaster. Today, the trains were full and, though the line was longer than last time, it took only 30 minutes to get through the queue. I like the theming, though I still haven't paid much attention to the storyline in the preshow, as I am easily distracted by flashy lights and mechanical torsos. Common yells something about "You have to get out of there now!" and the sweaty chick is all, "Hi, I'm in...Valencia." And then you ride a roller coaster. Oh well, as long as the the ride delivers! Where does all that speed come from on the first drop? It's a real nutgrabber! Terminator is a great addition to MM's lineup, and I can't wait to find out what's next. I would say Thunderhead still gets my top GCI vote, with Roar West taking the 3 spot. Maybe it's just because Thunderhead was my first ride on a GCI, or maybe its because I miss the Smokey Mountains! Still, T:S is definitely my favorite woodie in California.

^Thanks for the Ghostrider tip! I'll try it out next time for sure.

Ooooo! Can I come? I still need that credit!

^Don't you need a kid with you to get into that park?

Here's a rundown of the coasters at Knott's: 1. Hit Ghostrider, but be warned: its fast and has a great layout, but its pretty rough! 2. Xcelerator has an incredible launch and is a must! 3. Silver Bullet is a buttery B&M invert, and is always a good time. 4. Montezooma's Revenge is a classic Schwarzkopf, and very fun! 5. Sierra Sidewinder is a decent spinner. 6. Pony Express is really only worth riding for the credit. The same goes for Boomerang, Jaguar and Timberline Twister. If you get on the first 4 or 5 of those coasters, that's a pretty good KBF trip IMO. If you get on all of them...credit city!