Chrisrad

KCAL is currently saying it's a SERIOUS accident And it's 'possibly' a worker. Here's the first news clip that I recorded - turn the volume WAY up - sorry! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6mxS62Go_g

Tatsu roller coaster- 30 year old received injury to his hand. Watching Kcal 9 right now. "Tiatsu" shut down, park still open. That is all.

Ouch! I might stick with the Costco deal.. 4 days for $200 I believe, then you upgrade it toward a pass. It was nice having a premium pass, but I'm fine with the deluxe.

Does anyone know if the passes will be going up as well? My premium pass is up in July.. Don't know if I'll be getting another one.

Anyone think that the WCB version of B:TR will be resurrected for Fright Fest?

This. End of discussion. With a brother-in-law who is a personal injury attorney, I can support this ideology.. Some of the lawsuits I hear about make me want to slap the people who file them.. You'd be amazed. CA Screamin' the other day: 3+ people in the control booth, one person at the control stand, one person directing the fastpass line, one person on each side of the train lowering restraints (not checking them.. they actually lower them for the riders). When you stand in the station and watch how they operate the ride, it really makes sense (in my opinion), that it has to do with liability - they seem to be eliminating any chance for a potential lawsuit.

^^^ A dollar to come back another day? Am I reading that right? When did season passes first appear at SFMM? Staying on topic, Green Lantern looks great! Colors work really well!

You don't have to use a $1 l.ocker for each ride - use one at, say, Goliath, and go ride Scream, Batman, Colossus, and Riddler. Then come back and ride Goliath again. Same for the rest of the park - use a $1 l.ocker at Tatsu - ride Tatsu, X2, Apoco, then Tatsu again. I got through WCB by doing this most of the day. Of course, I've also been to SFMM countless times and have not needed one l.ocker all day. Comparing the policy to Knott's or Disneyland? Disneyland has one looping coaster - California Screamin' - there are little mesh bags on each train. Knott's has some decent rides, yes, but nothing as intense as SFMM - especially since SFMM has the most loops around (am I right, everyone?). You need to take a backstage tour to see how much crap flies out of pockets - you can find cell phones, keys, money, etc. And if you think cubbies would be successful at SFMM, think of the clientele (for the most part) - teenagers. Who's to blame when your stuff goes missing? Or broken? Or if it's lost? They'd rather hear bitching about $1 l.ockers, instead of "My phone fell out of my pocket," "the restraint broke my phone's screen," "someone stole my stuff out of my cubby," "I dropped my so and so." "I lost my keys/wallet/etc." If they have to go searching for something substantial (car keys/wallet/etc.), you're talking ride closures. So really, plan ahead. Knowing that WCB was ALL day (8 am to midnight), I brought a backpack along - (snacks/jacket/etc.). But for a casual visit to the park, leave your phone in your car if it's that important. Regardless, can anyone tell me why this bitch-fest has more hits/comments than my awesome TR?

I apologize for that. I was simply building on the SFMM Q & A trend that revolved around everything going backwards with explosions. I guess I didn't realize that every question would be answered.

Ok, where were we? Let's finish up SFMM... After the Tatsu tour (and just so you know, there were 2 other tour options!), it was ride time, 2nd lunch time (for the other enthusiasts, or water gun time on log jammer - it just depends on how you spent your time between the tour and Q & A. Arrown't you glad to see that both rides are open today? I heard that Viper's twin back east was torn down. I guess some enthusiasts protested by strapping themselves to the poles. As I posted on TPR's FB, nobody ever wins the giant ass panda. But in this case, bears do get fondled by octopuses. I guess you could say that the octopus is tugging at the bear's heart strings? Yeah. Moving on. You heard about backwards Road Runner Express, right? This guy told me. And it was confirmed at Q & A. You think he's selling cryogenic ice cream? Yeah, no. He's selling confidential info. So, it's Q & A time! Not only are we getting backwards RRE, but we're also getting soft restraints on Rev. These guys were not mocking us, they were simply highlighting the new restraints. There was not one bit of joking going on here. Not only did we get: Batman with fog 'that works' and lights. Scream with music and strobes. X2 that was awesome (Queen at the top of the lift? That was awesome!). But, drum roll please, Cloaked Tatsu! Yes, SFMM heard too many complaints from old farts that missed the 'non-Tatsu' photo opp. So.. they made it invisible for the rest of the evening. The things they do to please us. hi-Ya there.. no lines! What? Something out of the ordinary? You didn't hear a while ago that SFMM had to change some theming? How's that for awesome! Oh wait... check out the ride photo below to see how it was. Oh.. there we go! A little bit brutal with rain pelting your eyes on the drop, but still amazing! NOTE: the SFMM cameras picked up the effects of Mother Nature. This picture is straight from my camera.

If you are not able to get there at opening, take the backwards route - Goliath, Riddler, Batman, Apocalypse, etc. Then back over to Scream/Colossus whenever (they don't ever get too busy. Then, head back toward the front for X2, Tatsu, Viper, and Revolution. At 10:30, almost everyone will head toward X2 or Tatsu - like the running of the bulls - seriously! When I got off of X2 at 10:35 after WCB, the line was down the bridge (a few hours long), and people were all breathing hard. They ran from the front gate.. Yeah.

Shall we continue? How about an awesome TPR Tatsu tour? There might be some camera fondling, and close-ups with flying dragons, maybe a tragedy, but it'll be fun, I promise. Thanks again SFMM for the tour! An awesome experience! Here's part of the group. Wrong curve. But still. I have scary thoughts of suicide bombers when I see Rev rounding a corner. It gives me nightmares greater than those induced by Intamin cables. I'm a shooting star leaping through the skies Like a tiger defying the laws of gravity I'm a racing car passing by like Lady Godiva I'm gonna go go go There's no stopping me I'm burning through the skies Yeah! Two hundred degrees That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit I'm trav'ling at the speed of light I wanna make a supersonic man of you Oh wait, that belongs on X2. Hmm..... THERE we go. Much better. Yes, spelling is wrong. This is how close you get. And there were people who didn't want to get to WCB because "it was too expensive?" Wow. The tour alone was worth the price. Anyone know why that brake is there? Just a random thought that crossed my mind. Didn't believe me earlier? See. A nest. Carnage. Dragon wings. B&M parts. Roller coaster paraphernalia. Nerd parts. Whatever you want to call it, you'll only see this stuff on a backstage tour. She'll be coming 'round the mountain when she comes.. More coaster stuff. If you were a member of the GP right now, you'd get arrested and banned from SF parks for life. Luckily, our awesome lanyards prevented this from happening. You get so close on the tours that you can hear conversations! See. Wow. That's why everything cost "Tatsu Dollars" at SFMM. Damn ride gets tickets every 5 minutes or so. Seconds later, Robb got the camera to flash him.

So.. here we go again! Based on my last picture, we're still up in the sky tower, and there's still more awesomeness to see. I heard Superman re-opened today, so let's see how it's doing with the GP. Seems to be a lot of conversations down there. As a side note, and on a serious level, that line looks short. Anyone wait in it to see how long it was? See.. the statue's back. You all have no faith in SFMM.. As they said at Q & A, you just can't see it from the ride. On a serious level, check out the parking lot - it didn't make it into overflow. On a Saturday. On Superman's opening day. I'm guessing this is because of the weather? There were a lot of temps today. Apparently, based on my ability to read minds from hundreds of feet in the air, SFMM employees had mixed feelings about the temporary recruits. Poor guys. They seemed nice. Egg loop. I could have done something with Paint on this one, but meh, there's a lot more funzies coming. And don't think I'm weird for using that word. Based on the WCB Q & A, it might become more popular than 'winning'. We shall see. 'Cause she's so high... High above me, she's so lovely She's so high... Like Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, or Aphrodite She's so high... High above me For those of you wondering, a lot of items are missing from the museum. Damn 'heavy crowds' for WCB weekend. I know it's not us. See. Oh well, as long as it's open, the darn thing could be empty. Here's how X2 is doing on a Saturday. Is it bad to know that I'll be riding it at night without any lines? I kind of feel sorry for these people. Kind of. This Plus some of these: http://www.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&biw=1280&bih=596&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=ninja+star&aq=f&aqi=g10&aql=&oq= Plus this (thanks Joey) Equals this. Use your imaginations. So coming back down to earth, I rode Whipper Snapper with a short wait, but then, again, the GP followed me. Found Gertrude. She found a safe haven from a bunch of people in black shirts trying to talk to her. Headed over to get some lunch. Apparently, because of our uproar with Apocalypse's temporary sign, they are finding other ways to please TPR. Here is one example. Notice something else? A line, to not wait in line? It's like rain on your wedding day It's a free ride when you've already paid It's the good advice that you just didn't take Who would've thought ... it figures

Yeah, apparently it did. Apparently too many people thought it would be cool to see "how much damage a penny will cause when it's dropped from about 350' in the air." I'm bummed. I wonder if it would ever open for 2012 WCB ERT? And thanks!

That's it for tonight. Don't worry, there's a lot more 'unedited photos' coming your way. Stay tuned. And mods.. if anything has crossed the line, just delete it!

Before the MS Paint-induced fun ensues, let me take a moment to thank Robb, Elissa, TPR helpers, SFMM staff members, and Knott's staff members! Despite some rain late Sunday, WCB was the most fun I've had in a long while. I met some great people, rode some awesome rides, ate some awesome food, fed some chickens, learned about Knott's history, and wondered how WCB could get any better in 2012 (Seriously.. it's getting harder to top each year). So, here are some photos. I'm the guy at Knott's who asked about Pony Express and chickens; I apologize if I offended anyone at TPR or Knott's. PLEASE DON'T TAKE ANY OF MY COMMENTS SERIOUSLY! Son.. of...a... Doesn't look like I'll be seeing the colored sprinkler show tonight. She heard there was lots of fire at WOC so she came prepared. G' Morning. I'm not a Chicken. So I'm not going to crow. But yeah, hi! Please don't let ACErs step on me. I forgot to mention that this was my transportation to SFMM on Saturday. Hope you like it. Someone stole ma' damn hubcaps. This is why WCB rocks! Remember this photo. It was from 10:15 AM. I got two rides in after taking this. Found this while waiting on the stairs. Since this might fit in a pickup, someone should call Prince Desmond. He can use it on his woody. I managed to ride X2 twice and left the queue for the maze tour. Here is the GP line at 10:35 It was ALMOST to the stairs, all the way down the bridge to the Griswold arrest scene. Maze time. I some some photo online where there was a watermark on the roof. Weird. Hot legs, wearing me out. Hot legs, you can scream and shout. Hot legs, are you still in school. I love you honey. Da da da da da.. Copyright DC Comics 2011. All rights reserved. I'm surprised the bats were flying.. they should have been sleeping since the lights were on. They would clean up this mess, but they used all of the bleach over at Scream. This reminded me of the Christmas calendars where you open the flap each day and get a piece of chocolate. Unfortunately, no chocolate - just the big cheese. Hey Knott's - SFMM can still have their chair-on-a-wall. ADA compliance be damned. The chair is not upside down, just the camera. Enough maze time. Now it's time for sky tower. Here are the doors that lead to the outdoor deck. I wish it were still open Here's a top view of the maze building. Forgive me. I forgot to watermark it. And edit it. I noticed this sign while I was up there. I didn't edit it, I swear. There's a nest on Tatsu. Serious. That's why the crane was working on it and X2. Damn dragons laying eggs everywhere. Deja Vu was running. In my head. Here are some ideas for its re-opening. So they re-did Superman. The planes flying over Disneyland should have told you. It got the Mr. Freeze treatment. Disneyland lost their contract with McDonald's so SFMM picked them up. The exhausts on the roof provide a pleasant aroma all over the park. Nom nom nom. Yes, for WCB we got re-themes of almost every ride. You remember my disclaimer? It said to not take anything seriously? This time, I'm serious. They wanted ACErs to fell at home so they gave them a food-themed ride.

^ It was really nice of Big Mike to hold up that sign for us while we took the photo; I'm guessing it was pretty heavy. And your TR is awesome! Looking forward to Knott's.

I do not enjoy the rain at all, but the tour of Xcelerator sounded amazing! I would've given anything to see the "innards." I wonder if it wasn't raining if you would've gotten such a complete tour like you did??? The rain didn't really start until after the Q & A was over; yes, there was some sprinkling and wetness earlier in the day, but no downpour until at least 5 pm. The tour guides were all awesome. The one from Xcelerator allowed us to ask as many questions as possible - he didn't hesitate to answer them, or rush us. Random fact - an Xcelerator cable is $17,000, plus shipping and installation.

I will also have a full report coming, but I just wanted to add a few things. Yes, Ghostrider did seem A LOT smoother than in the past. I rode on rows 2 and 4 and was actually wondering where the really bad rough spots went; yes, it was jerky, and jostled me around a bit, bit it was definitely re-rideable. The lunch was awesome - I was seriously hoping for fried chicken all morning; my wishes were answered, and then exceeded. The tours were amazing. I must admit, I only rode a few rides yesterday - with the Q & A, lunch, tours, etc., I was beyond satisfied, and have a better understanding of Knott's and its history. Thank you TPR and Knott's for such an incredible experience. I apologize for some of my questions at Q & A - they had to do with Chickens and Pony Express.

I have a feeling Robb is going to get a lot of Starbucks this year..

Don't waste your money. With ERT, there will be plenty of time to ride almost everything. With the tour(s), lunch, presentation, etc., you won't even need to worry about spending time during the day riding rides. Last year, I didn't go on ANY rides during regular park hours - there's just too much other fun stuff going on. I guess if you're from far away, and you've never been to SFMM, and you want to make sure you ride everything, then yes, splurge on a flashpass.

They were also writing over Disneyland and Knotts yesterday. Awesome!! I commend SFMM on their efforts to expose the new Superman - the skywritings, technical rehearsals, press events, and segments on news channels (I've seen two already!). Sure, you'll never win-over the die-hard Disney fans (like the ones who wear costumes to the park [true story]), but still.. more visitors = more revenue = possibly more rides in the future! And, regardless of getting new rides or not, more money could potentially result in a better overall experience - (upkeep, etc.).

I agree - it's basically a kiddy coaster, but it has an adult element. I am wondering how extreme GL will be.. it's not a controlled spin like X2 so I'm guessing it will be a crazy ride!

Well, honestly, think about a POV for Superman.. it would be, well, backwards. There wouldn't be any point to it until it shows the descent into the station. From what I've seen on youtube videos and local news videos, it looks like a pretty awesome launch! If there's not too much craziness during the regular operating hours at WCB, I might try to catch a ride on it. But then again.. so much to do, so little time.. X2 has been calling my name for a long time now.

The ice podium? Great idea and a lot of effort, but they're not supposed to be outside I've seen dozens of those things where I work and they hardly last when they're indoors, with the AC on, over a bed of ice. Great report! Those shirts are awesome! And the ACE pictures? Priceless. Like you said, they just could not have been staged any better than that!