MoonCadet

Taking the plunge again this year but changing it up for Carowinds http://support.gktw.org/goto/Moonpop Year #4 lets get rolling!

The other 2 Derby Racers are at Cedar Point and Pleasure Beach Blackpool. I've ridden all 3. Rye and Blackpool are better(faster) than the Cedar Point in my memory though it has been many years since I have ridden the Cedar Point and Rye Playland versions. That was honestly my favorite ride at Rye Playland for a long time makes me sad the horses no longer "race" on any of the Derby Racers.

After you set up am account you will receive an email. In that email will be a link to your participation center.

Last year Kings Coasting for Kids made a series of promotional videos during the 2013 event. Several of these feature TPR members and give you an idea of what inspires people and what the event is like. California's Great America Canada's Wonderland Carowinds Cedar Point Kings Dominion

So I set up a team TPR page for Kings Dominion http://support.gktw.org/goto/TPRKD You can sign up to ride for team TPR at Kings Dominion through that site. They are using a new platform this year fundraising is no longer set up through Firstgiving but rather a custom site though Convio which I am incidentally familiar with from work. The site is not quite finished and polished as some of the options and font colors are awkward but it is fully functional. This platform does ultimately allow for some more flexibility and probably better integration into their databases. My personal fundraising site is http://support.gktw.org/goto/mooncadet

I am generally of the opinion "if it spins it wins" I love things that spin rotor, round up, gravitron, every Huss Frisbee ever teacups... you get the idea. I also will not pass up rare rides and in fact seek them out.

I have definately had a few. In 2000 or so I was at one FREEZING COLD rainy opening day at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Everything was walk on but several times I would be ready to get on a coaster train and they would have to shut it because it was too cold. When I did get to ride the "rain" felt like needles especially on Apollo and Alpengeist and I could not open my eyes. I spent New Years eve 2000-2001 in Disney World and it was colder there than in New York City I got caught in a horrible storm at SFA with my friends horizontal rain hail and flooding and an amazing show of lightning and thunder. Pretty sure I have some crappy phone video of that somewhere. More recently in 2012 while working a Busch Gardens Williamsburg I had several crazy weather experiences. Sudden storms blew people and tables over chairs got broken and table umbrellas got ripped to shreds. We had to rush people into the Globe theater as the path became a river and we got pelted with peanut sized hail. There was even lightning strikes in the park. Some guests ended up watching Pirates 4D three times that day. The park basically shut down no parking trams to get you to your car... just Pirates 4D over and over...... The worst weather by far though was when the Busch Gardens actually did shut down. The park went on complete lock down because of a tornado everyone was forced inside buildings immediately. I was not in my usual zone because I had just gotten off work and had wandered back to New France(the main employee access to the park is right next to The Smokehouse). I had stopped by the little coat of arms bag embroidery shed because one of my friends worked there. I actually ended up locked in that flimsy little shed with swords on the wall with my friend. All the while I was thinking I might end up reenacting a scene from Twister. They had literally padlocked us in so we could not get out until the unlocked us, so we cowered behind the counter listening to the wind hoping nothing sharp or heavy would fall or go flying and hit us. We lived but I will admit that actually was scary if exciting. My last crazy experience isn't really weather but a force of nature none the less. August 23, 2011 I was at Kings Dominion with a friend. We were riding Boo Blasters and remarked that it seemed a lot more difficult than we remembered. Came out people were running around screaming and crying as if the world was ending. Go figure... it was an EARTHQUAKE. All the rides closed we hung around for a few hours and ate then left. Everyone who was in the park that day could return another day free. It was also fun getting flooded out of Outer Hanks during coasting for kids this year.

This is amazing! I obviously have not been looking in the right places all I find are little bags and I do LOVE Swedish fish.

So I picked up the box from the mail room it was pretty heavy, so I got all curious and opened it up. Lovingly wrapped Aww they are all wrapped in cute snowman paper guess I should wait til Christmas, I am sure they would look lovely under my tree... when I get a tree. But who am I kidding I have the patience of a 2 year old and I need some holiday cheer to get me through exams anyway. So open I will! Package 1 was pretty heavy... ooh a box. It is a pretty nice box but I must see what is within. Oh a caffeine molecule mug. Must have read my mind. That is probably the single thing I will need the most between now and the 19th. So what else does my Secret Santa have in store for me... I think I'll wait and spread the excitement the mystery of the other 2 packages shall wait til another day!

Hmmm usually a woo hoo for any good drop and laughter throughout except for a few of my personal favorites that I have ridden a lot. For those I tend to have my own personal soundtrack of rhythmical sounds.

Volare! they are evil hideous things. Uncomfortable with very abrupt "transitions." I will ride one once for the credit and the slim miracle chance it might be fun(that hasn't happened yet).

I would have to take a Bayern Kurve complete with horn to make all my neighbors love me. There just are not enough of them around anymore.

So I am pretty sure my gift arrived today. I got a notification from my mail room. Sadly, I received that notification while I was on the train to CT so I will not be able to report for sure on the nature of what I have received until Monday. Also according to USPS tracking the package I sent to my "Santee" has been delivered.

I'd love to take part in this. I like surprises. I am an engineering student. I wear shirts size small or medium. I like useful stuff, unique stuff, funny stuff.

Pay per ride vs Pay one price

I honestly cannot fairly decide since I have never been to Silver Dollar City. It is way up there on the places I want to go. But I do REALLY like Thunderhead and Tennessee Tornado is a good bit of fun too. Of course who can forget Wild Eagle... not so much the ride but the SONG. One trip to Dollywood... that song has been stuck in my head for months. I will vote Dollywood for now but one day Silver Dollar City may eclipse that.

It is 100% Disney World for me. I love super forceful record breaking roller coasters but when I am at Disney I don't miss them. The atmosphere, food and "magic" outweigh my need for thrills. Even now when Disney literally feels like a second home too me it is so familiar just knowing that hundreds of other people are experiencing the magic for the first time makes me happy. Disney is also not lacking good rides. Not every ride has to be thrilling omgwtf awesome to count as one of my favorites. I happen to love Winnie the Pooh, and The Peoplemover(suck it Disneyland ) Disney also has several parks and each feels very different thus adding a lot of variety to the experience. Epcot has been my favorite park since I was 7 followed by the Magic Kingdom. Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom have always felt a little half done and slightly lacking in the overall feel. Something about Hollywood Studios while I enjoy the rides atmosphere is a bit off putting to me though I do love it during Star Wars weekends. Animal Kingdom has excellent atmosphere for most of the park(Dinoland USA... meh) but it seems to have a lot of untapped potential and it is the biggest pain to get around. Who's idea was it for a parade there... the paths are entirely too narrow without enough redundancy to avoid the parade route. However regardless of the short comings there is still the pervasive Disney magic that always makes me smile even when waiting forever to be seated at a restaurant. (I really like the flavor of the Disney Kool-aid... must be laced with a super addictive drug because I show more patience at Disney than I do at any other park ever) Cedar Point is also not lacking good rides... good thrilling amazing rides or meh boring lackluster rides... but what it does lack is interesting food, atmosphere and theming. I am a sucker for good theming it may not break the experience for me but it certainly makes it. If I have to wait in a long queue I want it to be a pretty one. It makes for a better vacation when I can enjoy not just the rides but the spaces in between. I love it when a park takes some time to do some storytelling it just makes for an overall more enjoyable experience for me. Location Location Location. Cedar Point unfortunately never had a chance if location is considered. Yeah the lake is pretty but being at Cedar Point you are pretty much stuck with Cedar Point and a meh water park. Disney has tons of options and the Orlando area no contest. If I am at Disney and really want some thrill rides I can head over to Universal, SeaWorld, or Busch Gardens Tampa. If I am at Cedar Point and want some awesome theming I am out of luck. That is why for me... it is Disney World all the way!

I grew up a Six Flags girl because that is all I really had access to but I am a fan of Cedar Fair. Now my closest Cedar Fair park is Dorney and I have never been there but I have been to Kings Dominion many times. I have also experienced Canada's Wonderland, Cedar Point, Kings Island, Carowinds and when compared to SFNE, SFGAdv, SFA, and SFMM I feel Cedar Fair feels like a more well rounded experience. I know I haven't seen all the best SF has to offer but that can be said for Cedar Fair too. Don't get me wrong I have a good time at most SF parks SFNE is my childhood playground and I had multiple birthday celebrations at great adventure. However, sometimes at SF parks the atmosphere feels stale and like enjoyment is almost forced and I think a lot of that stems from the employee lack of enthusiasm and general park upkeep. The Cedar Fair parks I have been to on a whole look better cared for. I was at Great Adventure recently and Nitro was a faded peeling mess, the ride was still good though. Cedar Fair also puts more effort into its Halloween events and decoration which adds to the energy of the park. True some Cedar Fair employees are just as unenthusiastic but speaking percentages it is much less prevalent. As such I just tend to prefer Cedar Fair parks when compared to their Six Flags counterparts (except when certain rides come into consideration... like El Toro).

El Toro at SFGAdv will probably be my last coaster until November 7th unless I get my sorry butt over to Luna Park.

I was at SFGAdv last Monday sitting at an outdoor table at Best of the West when a group of about eight 20-somethings sat down at the 2 tables behind me with some beers and tried to decide what to ride next. One of the girls said "You wanna ride the 4D multi-sensory coaster experience Bizzaro or some old wooden coaster El Toro?" The tone of her voice apparently she was really pushing for Bizzaro(ex Medusa). There is a fair bit wrong with that statement not that Bizzaro is a horrible ride but I then felt the urge to immediately ride El Toro to make sure the mean lady didn't hurt its feelings with the insult.

The top of Griffon is a very cool place I got to accompany a tour up there when I worked at BG for a summer(got paid for going on the tour too). The scariest part for most people was the open grate stairs you have to use to climb out of the trolley and onto the top platform, you could look straight down right through them.

El Toro at Six Flags Great Adventure

Having ridden Roar East, both sides of Lightning Racer, Wildcat, Thunderhead and Kentucky Rumbler I have to give it to Thunderhead. Don't get me wrong the Lightning Racers and Kentucky Rumbler and Wildcat were a lot of fun and Roar used to be fun . However, my rides on Thunderhead was pretty much out of control amazing. I rode Thunderhead and Kentucky Rumbler on back to back days and I actually felt bad I had ridden Thunderhead the day before because that direct comparison made Kentucky Rumbler pale in comparison. Though I did get to ride 2 loops on Kentucky Rumbler because they forgot to stop us in the station even though people were waiting.

40/100 for me though that will go up for me as I will finally get my much overdue trip to Busch Gardens Tampa... sad thing too considering I have an annual pass... never seem to get out of Orlando when I am in Florida. Also should be 41 but X2 hates me... if there is any chance I will be near SFMM it tends to break for an extended period of time.

I am blessed to have a world class coaster at any of the parks I might claim as my home park. SFNE: Bizzaro Lake Compounce: Boulder Dash Six Flags Great Adventure: El Toro