CoasterFEV

Genghis Juice Best marinade/sauce/gravy/juice ever to be served with 100 minutes of beer

Honestly....I'm pretty damn sure that the photo of Hanno on the Flowrider is going to haunt my nightmares alot longer then Texas State Fair Park's unicycle clown

^ Agreed! One of the highlights of the TPR Japan Trip! I would go back to Hokkaido JUST for another 100 minutes at the Sapporo Beer Garden

Martin/Cheryl: Forgot to ask and didn't see it in your TR. When you were at Dengue/Malayria/Ebola/Danga World, did you also get on their indoor powered coaster? Probably one of the only coasters around where you have to dodge the giant styrofoam planets hanging directly above the ride track otherwise you will hit them and....well....probably catch something nasty

I would not entirely disagree with that statement

^ Isn't this the same crazy-awful show that was included in the 2010 TPR UK Trip? It may have been the beer.....but I clearly remember Robb & Elissa sending us off to a lounge-singing/magician/animal show at Blackpool with a large woman (who may or may not have been a man) hitting on Josh and the rest of us nervous about who/what may happen next.

Gotta be honest - this photo really does beat the whole bowling pin thing. God help us all if there is a video. I just hate to think what these furries would do to that poor bowling pin if they ran into it behind a strip mall on I-Drive somewhere.

^^ Don't know about anyone else on the trip - but I definitely felt that the two Schwarzkopfs were the best coasters running at Nagashima the day we all visited

^^ Correct The background of the walk-around characters is no secret. The Transformers walk-around characters of Optimus Prime and Bumblebee were originally created by Universal Studios Singapore's Entertainment Costuming team in partnership with Michael Curry Design. Michael Curry Design is well known in the business - and has a long history with Universal, Disney, and Cirque du Soleil. They are an amazing company to work with and includes some of the most talented costume artists in the business. Universal Studios Hollywood later brought these same designs to their own park - and followed-up with the addition of the Megatron character to the line-up. These characters were then brought to the Orlando park. Here is a link to the Michael Curry Design website - you'll notice that both Optimus and Bumblebee are part of their portfolio: http://www.michaelcurrydesign.com/index.html

The "gum" law is definitely one of the more famous - put into place long ago in order to keep the sidewalks and streets looking clean (just think about all those dark black circles on streets and sidewalks in the USA from old chewing gum) - but there are some laws in Singapore that a tourist should be aware of before visiting. In general, visiting (and living) in Singapore is all about being courteous to one another. Simple laws such as no littering, no jaywalking, no spitting, and no food or drinks in trains and train stations make sense - they help keep the city exceptionally clean (and safe). The stronger laws that a tourist should be aware of before visiting are: 1) Drugs: Possession (yes...just simple possession) of a control substance that would be considered a narcotic drug brings with it the death penalty. Get caught with drugs in Singapore and you'll be hanging from the gallows before the end of the month. It's a law I particularly like and has proven that if you take the drugs out of a society - all drug-related crime disappears as well. 2) Weapons: Weapons including guns, large knives, bullets, or anything else that is considered a weapon is very much illegal in Singapore punishable by significant jail time and probably some caning thrown in for good measure. No individual in Singapore owns a gun - and those large "hunting knives" behind the counter in your local WalMart are also illegal and won't be found in the country. Even the possession of a single bullet will bring you 7 years in jail There also are a few other things that are illegal and shouldn't be attempted to be brought into the country including unopened cartons of cigarettes, pornography, or excessive alcohol - these just aren't worth the risk. (oh...and to flip things around...pornography is illegal...but, don't worry, prostitution is completely legal) I really have nothing bad to say - the government runs the country like a business and, in doing so, has created a country with exceptional finances and a very high standard of living. The laws are strict, but the result is a country with one of the lowest crime rates in the world and a place where someone can walk anywhere in the middle of the night and feel (and be) safe. Sound strict, I know, but the system works....and works very very well.

Not entirely true. Technically...."Malaria" could totally be considered as a "theme"

I agree that the Timeshare option is a possible (although an annoying) alternative to getting good deals on tickets to Orlando theme parks But buying tickets on Craigslist and EBay is absolutely asking for problems. There is nothing like getting your ticket scanned at the park's turnstiles - only to be led away for a 2-hour interview in Security. The Orlando theme parks are leading the nation in their undercover operations in battling illegitimate ticket re-sellers. The words "non-transferrable" are clearly printed on the back of every ticket. It's just not worth the risk to purchase tickets to the Orlando parks (or most any park) from unknown sources. I'm certainly not a moderator - but I would seriously question anyone posting on a TPR forum offering "special deals" or "reliable sources" on Orlando park tickets that you "have another way, too, but if anyone wants to know, you will have to pm me."

At Ocean Park - both Hair Raiser and Arctic Blast were running Single Rider lines. At HKDL - Big Grizzly Mountain, Space Mountain, and Toy Soldier Parachute Drop have permanent Single Rider queues. Surprisingly, I didn't see one at RC Racer - although there is a Single Rider queue at the same ride at the park in Paris. Note that, compared to other Disney Parks, HKDL does NOT have very extensive use of Fastpass. There is currently Fastpass only at the following attractions: Space Mountain, Festival of the Lion King, and The Many Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh. None of the attractions in their expansion areas have FastPass (nor does it look like these attractions are going to get it anytime soon)

Just wrapping up a weekend in Hong Kong visiting both Hong Kong Disneyland and Ocean Park. If you plan it right - one full day at each park should be absolutely fine. There are 4 coasters at Ocean Park (for now....make sure to get all 4 in while you can) and 3 coasters at HKDL. Here's the trick with the parks at Hong Kong - every time I visit these places, it seems eerily similar to a few regional parks in the USA (SFGAdv for example) where most of the guests don't arrive until after 11am. I've found that if you get there before park opening - you can cover TONS of stuff before any sort of crowd starts arriving. Disney, for example, officially opens at 10am - although the front gates open at 9:30am with a rope drop at the Hub at 10am. If you're at the turnstiles at 9:25am, you'll be in great shape. Also, both parks - especially Ocean Park - have challenges keeping guests in-park after dark (which means the lines start dropping fast after dark. For both parks - hit as many rides as you can before 11:30am. Save the crowded afternoon hours for the two live shows at HKDL and the animal exibits at Ocean Park. Couple more tips: Ocean Park: Upon arrival - take the funicular. Most guests take the cable car in the morning - the funicular rarely has a queue and is a fraction the time. It drops you right into Thrill Mountain. HKDL: Skip the fireworks (they aren't that great anyway). All the major rides typically have no wait time at all the last 30 minutes of the day with all guests crowding onto Main Street. It's 30 minutes of ERT on Mystic Manor and Big Grizzly Mountain! Finally - both parks are GREAT with Single Rider Lines at the coasters. Most important, have a great time!

Isn't Korean Thanksgiving the 3rd week of September this year? (19th Sept?) The reason I ask is that you would be much smarter going to Hong Kong in September rather than the 1st week of October - it's actually one of the absolute worst weeks of the year to try visiting Hong Kong, with the only other exception being Chinese New Year. Understand that Hong Kong's tourist attractions are significantly affected by the holiday calendar in China. In 2013, the 1st week of October is China's Golden Week - which means the number of tourists visiting Hong Kong from mainland China will be CRAZY!

....it's also brilliant marketing to increase multi-park ticket sales!

And not a single new attraction with Gary Sinise !?!?!?!?!

Hollywood Dream is already running 2 trains backwards (with the other 2 running forwards - giving guests a choice). Folks on the TPR Japan trip Add-On will get to experience Hollywood Dream - Backdrop just a few weeks before the park returns the attraction back to it's normal operation in mid-July. I'm pretty confident this has proved to be a very popular decision by the park! http://www.japancrush.com/2013/stories/customers-queue-for-7-hours-to-try-backward-roller-coaster.html

I really need to get back to Orlando some day! The front of the building looks like it was originally a grocery store and I'm still not 100% sure where this went in.... Did it take over the old Gooding's Mercado location?

Cast Member previews of Mystic Manor started this weekend (the weekend of the 6th & 7th) If you're in the area the weekend of the 13th & 14th - it might be worth the trip. But - don't worry - even if Mystic Manor doesn't soft open to guests next week - you'll still get the chance to ride Big Grizzly Mountain !!! As Chuck said, Grizzly is worth the trip alone!

25 kilometers (about 15 miles). It's a 20- to 25-minute taxi ride from Changi International to Sentosa Island

Nerd!

Reading this thread - my gut tells me that you are REALLY under-estimating what the crowds are like during Easter week/peak Spring Break in Orlando. It's as bad as Christmas week and, honestly, most guests aren't really prepared for just how crowded the parks can get. It's that time of year when people-eaters like Pirates of the Caribbean hit 45-minute waits Great that you are pre-planning and going in with a war plan. It's the absolute only way to survive those peak weeks in Orlando.

Great stuff! Bringing up some great memories of the trip! Looking forward to the next report - remember: Sometimes, a bonus Louvre Wacky Worm is WAY better than DLP!

There are plenty of hidden gems in Malaysia - just not for a Theme Park enthusiast Langkawi is amazing. Great beaches, snorkeling, and diving. Beautiful part of the world. I strongly recommend renting a motorboat and driver for the day to explore the islands. Padang is VERY traditional Malaysia. Bring some patience and a get ready to try some good local food! KL can be alot of fun. Suggest staying within walking distance to the Twin Towers as a "base camp" If it's just you and your girlfriend - plan on spending a night at the clubs along Jalan Ramlee near the towers. If not for a great time - then at least to see the number of "working women" who are part of the KL nightlife. Don't forget to take a few hours and climb the steps of the Batu Caves and battle the hundred of evil monkeys that live there! Legoland Malaysia is about a 4 hour drive from KL. It's literally right along the Singapore border in Johor Bahru. Have a great trip!