Taylor Finn

That whole experience was just perfectly strange in the best way. Naw! I'm glad you''re enjoying my long-winded approach to writing these. I am a detail guy and this is partly for me to remember the trip for when I return. Yeah, I remember Robb discussing how viral the ride went. And that there were people traveling there to experience it... I would say for the average person, it would not be worth going there for it. Going with a large group like TPR, the whole experience was bumped up a notch. Plus, we are crazy. Yeah, it was truly amazing. I love finding places like that. I went to a Speakeasy in Brooklyn that was hidden in the back of a normal functioning laundromat. This place, though, had the mystique and also delivered the goods.

Day 8: Washuzan Highland, New Reoma World, and a Speakeasy Well, today was another two park day. And honestly turned out to be another surprise great day, even with rain coming down most of the day (only one of a couple days the whole trip with rain). Off we go from the Universal Studios station. Between this trip and the longish one to Washuzan, I stopped at some shops. Picked up some sweets. Not from there, though. 7 Eleven, of course. As would be a recurring theme, when we took bullet trains, I opted for a different beer and a random snack or two. Etiquette in Japan is very important (as Kristen informed us early on), but it IS acceptable to eat and drink on the Shinkansen, but not on normal local Subways. Reason being, you have a lot more room to yourself and are usually on them for much longer. They actually have carts that come through as well as vending machines on the train. Always stock up beforehand, though. Better prices and variety. WE HAVE ARRIVED. I have seen pictures of this station on previous trip reports to this park. Kojima is the Holy Land of Jeans, as it is home to many textile mills and denim manufactures. They really embrace denim here. Without this information, this station would be bizarre. Even with that information now, I am really confused at the lengths they have gone. Stairs. And a group picture, of course. Even the vending machines were denim themed. Washuzan Highland: After a short cab ride (we often had to take cabs once we hopped off the subway), we arrived. Before talking about the park...some notes about cabs in Japan: Generally, at the stations we needed them at, they were already lined up waiting for us in a very orderly fashion. Also, cabs are quite expensive (gas and cars are way pricier here). Just something to keep in mind. I believe I took a picture at some point for this report of the pricing that was on the back of the seat. But most taxi trips we took were 3000-5000 yen ($30-50) each way from the Subway. Something to factor in if you plan to visit. We split up into taxi groups of 3-4, which really helps to trim the cost. Now, as far as Washuzan Highland goes..probably one of the least impressive of the parks we went to, but still had two great attractions we all enjoyed and the overall WTF feeling I had walking through the park makes this visit more than memorable. It is themed to Brazil (though I can't say how effectively). The park (as with most others) is built on a NOT flat plot of land. Tons of stairs everywhere and literally not a single guest in the entire park except for us. I'm sure the rain contributed, but from what someone told me on the trip, Japan doesn't really 'do' part-time employment. So the park stays open most of the year, even during the dead season to support the employees. They have 3 coasters in the park, though I'm not sure if the Jet Coaster or Ultra Twister are still operational at this point (they were both closed on our visit). The third is a Togo looper that has two trains (one stand-up and one backwards-facing). On busier days, they will run both at different times during the day. They were only operating the backwards train on our visit). The other noteworthy attraction is the sky-cycle, which as you will see is a harrowing, wobbly, insane, only-in-Japan kind of experience. Really, my two laps on this made the visit to the park worth it as it resulted in my second favorite picture of myself on the trip. Oh! There is the SBNO Ultra Twister. I was really hype to ride it, but I would get my fix later on in the trip. BUSY BUSY DAY. Most of the parks we visited were on the coast and offered incredible views all around (hence the Ferris Wheels). Whatever this means! Happy rain, indeed. We were greeted with a map and this coupon book. I was very intrigued by Brazilian Bingo. The lady at the front office put x's on the rides that WOULD be open (a bit confusing but alas). They only had about 6 or so rides open for us, though the park did appear to have maybe a half dozen or so more, including two others coasters. No matter! Did not get to play, however. They were kind enough to hand us ponchos for free due to the rain (we returned them, but still a nice gesture). Highly themed steps of doom. Seriously, there were A LOT of steps. Way too many steps, really. Fortunately, I only went up and down them once. Quick shot of the star of the show. Star Jet, that is. Observation tower and drop tower, both closed. This guy is authentic. What a horrifying contraption. What could it be. Is it a coaster? Nope, but it WAS absolutely insane. The supports noticeably shook when we turned this corner (later on, there were 6 or so of these lined up one after another turning this corner). I truly don't think this ride had experienced that big of a rush of people in years (though it seems based on reviews I read that these parks do get crowded other times during the year, which would be interesting to see). Just a really neat picture and a super awesome experience. To be able to stop around that turn with that view was just breathtaking (and a bit spooky because we were very far off the ground). The cafe/bar up top had a very interesting design for the canvas. I never ate in these smaller parks that were empty, because we usually were in and out in a couple hours and how fresh could this food be? Time to ride the Wheel. Like I said, a gorgeous view from the top. Now, to ride this death trap. I am not really a fan of coasters that go backwards (I get a weird sensation in my stomach on Expedition Everest where it feels like we go upside down). But I was here, so I would at least give it a shot. Ride operator (there was 1 guy) had to make an announcement, leave his post, check our restraints, return to his post, make some more announcements and then dispatch. It's weird. Slow operations in the US can be frustrating, but here you get this weird sensation that they are slow because they are taking precaution. And so it is totally just excusable. More often than not, operations were a okay, still. There is our stand up car. I actually found this ride quite fun. I only did it once, but it was pretty smooth, considering the rust. I am just very confused how the Togos I have ridden in the US have turned out so, so poorly while the ones I rode in Japan were all quite fun. We got animals here, too! Well taken care of. Story time. When I got off Star Jet, I heard some music coming from the bottom of the steps. I walked down to find a Samba group performing. There was a few instrumentalists and two dancers (from Brazil, I believe). They likely started performing before anyone from TPR (or anyone at all) was down there to watch/listen. The whole thing was bizarre to think about. If we hadn't been there, I truly got the impression that they would have still performed to no one. After the show (which was honestly really fun), the two instrumentalists hustled off stage and brought out an easel of sorts and started flipping through a history lesson on Brazil (presented in Japanese, naturally). They tried to get us to participate and had people attempt to pronounce certain words, and the whole thing was just amazing and bizarre. I truly felt horrible leaving before the show was over (but the entertainment was continuous throughout the day, it seemed). They didn't mind, though and were so grateful we were there. It warms my heart. Here they are! They were really enthusiastic and just lovely. And we're off. I do remember this train trip being one of my favorites of the trip. One of the best parts about these three weeks was honestly just relaxing in the bullet trains taking in the country. I know that you can't REALLY take it in at these speeds, but knowing how much of the country side we did traverse is just awesome to me. Definitely would not be possible without the JR pass. Also, different beer and different snack. These I remember liking a lot. Some views from the train ride. Like I said, all these parks seemed to be built on the coast (where civilization tends to reside, I guess). They had these long escalators down to the parking lot below. We got dropped off out front. I remember (it was either this day or a different one) that someone forgot their phone in the cab and a minute or two later, the driver came running out with it to give to the person. Another example of Japanese people NOT taking advantage of tourists and just being sensible and kind. New Reoma World An Italian Theme Park. This place had loads of charm, a really kind of surprisingly good haunted walk-through, one of my favorite dark rides of the trip, some fun coasters (including a forceful mine train coaster, and a Space Mountain Knockoff), and really friendly staff (as would be a theme). I really enjoyed it here and was easily able to fill the time we had in the park with stuff. It is definitely out of the way, but it is a fun little park. They look kind of lonely. We have arrived. As with many other parks, they had a covered 'main street' with shops and places to eat. It rains a lot in Japan, so this makes a lot of sense. Much better! This park seemed a bit more successful than the last. They had a hotel on property and seemed well maintained. Here is our first stop, Vivace. A really fun little ride. Smooth and forceful. They had the obligatory shooter. Most every park had one of these and they were varying levels of good. I remember this one falling in the middle of the pack. Will never pass one up, though. OH BOY. This ride was just a trip. An incredibly long, incredibly detailed, incredibly confusing (until I rode a second time and began to follow) dark ride. If I remember, it was about two competing groups. The first group of animals/people liked to turn other animals into mechanical things (be it a plane, car, etc.) for their own personal use. The other group was attempting to remove all the color from the world. Neither were especially noble or good. But in the end, they all got along. This doesn't really do the ride justice. Find Robb's POV. Probably my favorite or second favorite dark ride not at Disney or Universal. Space Mountain: elevator edition. We walked over from the dark ride and found a large group of TPR folk waiting to be let in. I dunno if the ride runs at intervals. I think it was because they had to go over the safety info to everyone or something. Then you went through a pretty thorough line before taking an elevator up. Following the line a bit more, you arrived at the coaster which kind of meandered around inside the building but was still pretty fun! You got off and then the car went up the lift hill (a la Pirates in Florida). Excellent. Nothing to see here. For what it's worth, adults seemed to pretty much always ride kiddie coasters here (dunno if I've mentioned that already). So I never felt AS bad. Also, I had company. Might be hard to see, but the ferris wheel had two carriages that were different from the rest and had your feet dangling. No thanks. They had some sort of train exhibit set up in the park. Wanted to escape the rain for a moment. They had a dino maze I believe. I dunno if it wasn't open or if I just didn't get around to it. I feel like it wasn't open. They had this goofy little lady bug coaster. It was actually quite fun. Like a more spread out wild mouse with a great setting. No shame here. Vivace. They had lights strung all over the car and the park, but unfortunately park close was a bit early to witness. Most parks closed around 5 PM that we went to, including bigger ones (not Universal and Disney). Okay, so that does it for New Reoma World. We traveled back and I had some plans for the night. We probably just traveled back to Osaka Station via the bullet train and then I split off with a few others. We decided to explore the station a bit first. So as far as these major stations go, they often had mini shopping malls built into them and this one I believe had a few big department stores attached. But our mission had been to find a cool fountain. I didn't know anything about it, but yeah. Here it is. Very neat! From there, we went to a different Okonomiyaki place. This one we didn't cook it ourselves, but it was equally yummy. Had a bit of sake as well. I had found a bar that seemed neat and I convinced a few people to join me. It happened to be pretty close to Dotonbori (where our dinner was at), so we went on our way, not really knowing what to expect. Just walking around. Please read this. It will bring you joy. And with that, I'll leave you for now! And were greeted by this nondescript door. I honestly felt like I was about to enter someone's apartment. But that little logo is here. We took the fire escape up to the 5th floor. We went the area that Google Maps directed us to, knowing the place was not going to be clearly marked. We found a sign that indicated what was on all the floors for a building nearby. One of the signs looked a bit suspicious. Upon approaching this smaller door, we were greeted by this sign. We walked in and the bar itself was really small. There were maybe 8 seats at the bar and a few tables, with a narrow walkway in the middle. If there were no seats, the bartender told new guests they would have to wait outside or move along. We took a seat and were told he did not have a cocktail menu (he apologized). He informed us that we would tell him what kind of flavors we liked and that he would make us a drink accordingly. I told him for my first drink that I wanted something sweet and also bitter. I think he asked me for my spirit of choice and gave me a few general flavor options. What came out was a glorious, glorious cocktail that I'll remember to this day. We hung around for a while and then ordered a second round. This time, I wanted something that had a 'tea-like' flavor to it (they had no tea). He worked some magic and out came another very different, very tasty drink. I tried everyone else's drink in my group and loved them, as well. The place was incredibly fascinating. The bartender spoke great English, aimed to please and even took a small swig of each drink in the shaker glass before serving (for science)! One time, he did that and actually did modify the drink. It seems like every cocktail is an adventure for him, making something a bit different to suit the taste of the guest. Cocktails ran 1400 yen (no tip), which I felt very fair for Osaka, given the experience we had. I can honestly put this experience in the top 5 for the trip, easily. 5th Floor, 7 Nights a week, Wouldn't you like to know... hmm. I wonder what that could be. So... We first turned left and opened another door. Turned out to be the bathroom. This door seemed normal enough so we thought we had turned the right way, because the door to our right was... rather small. I dunno if this picture does it justice.

This looks like a neat little place. Tons of places have that obligatory kiddie credit. It's always nice when they opt for something a bit more on the family side. The flume also looks really unique! A bit pricey but certainly unique.

I'm proud to say this is standard in Chicago and there are actually signs to promote the practice. This is also normal on the DC metro. Apparently people get pissed if you stand on the wrong side, but I haven't experienced that myself since I don't live close enough to the DC subway system. Oh! Well, I visited Chicago this year and did take a few subways. I didn't notice signage, but maybe the stations I went in weren't all that busy so it wasn't super important. Certainly in Japan, it is super helpful at busy stations for people who need to get somewhere. I haven't really been on the DC metro too much. My friend takes it daily, though. So I'll have to check with her. Fair, fair. I don't know what it is for me, but Universal just doesn't do it for me. Like I really enjoyed Flying Dino, Spiderman, Space Fantasy, and Jurassic Park... but I felt ready to head out before the night even ended. I'm sure if there were limited lines on everything, I would ride stuff again. But I felt content to get one re-ride on a couple of the big rides and be done with it. I'm just a Disney guy at heart, I guess.

Yeah, there are so many fun but generic coasters out there. This was not one of them. Super happy I got another ride in 2017. Remember being fascinated by this coaster when I was younger due to a roller coaster book I loved. Very disappointed about this as it rode so nice.

Day 7: Universal Studios Day 1 The night after the Earthquake we were scheduled to have our first day at Universal Studios. We had our tickets, our express passes and we were all ready to go. We didn't see any of the coasters testing as we waited at the gate before park open, but we were optimistic that would change. Our luck didn't turn out for us, BUUUUT thanks to hard work by Robb and Elissa, we did eventually get on the coasters. Read on to find out a bit more. Here we are! Handsome bunch, I must say. Yeah, more Snoopy. Get used to it. I really didn't take too many pictures of the park that day, but our first stop was back that way toward Flying Dinosaur. Certainly a coaster I was really excited about. I do enjoy the B&M flying coasters a good bit. And was optimistic this would become my favorite. However it wasn't open. So we pressed on toward Space Odyssey (this time using standby and next time with our Express Pass). They were running a Final Fantasy VR overlay. This was my first VR experience and I feel this is the kind of coaster that thrives on VR; I did find it enjoyable though I was a bit nauseous when it was all said and done. They were only loading the front half of each car though which was really inefficient. They WERE, however, incredibly quick about securing the headsets on everyone. The headsets were clipped onto the cars, so the second time I rode it, I removed it and to my surprise, a large portion of the practical effects and lighting were actually on. I am a bit sad I couldn't experience the ride in its normal state. But this was fun too! A friend back home is really, really, really, really into Snoopy, so I have a couple more pictures here that I showed her. But yeah, Snoopy had a whole indoor land plus a restaurant and tons of merchandise. Off to Hogwarts. Our express pass included admission into the land (in the event there was a line), as well as a skip the line for Hippogriff and The Forbidden Journey. I have been to the Hogwarts land in Florida and this is practically identical with a few differences. I do enjoy the land and the immersion is really just insane. It doesn't take well to large crowds though and that can be a bit of a problem. Hippogriffs line looked to be longer than The Forbidden Journey, so the express passes were clutch. I enjoy the castle ride and the line itself is really awesome. Except for the long spider portion (I cover my eyes like a coward), I don't get too nauseous. The Black Lake is one feature that is unique to Japan. It does make for some nice photos. The park itself has a lot of stuff that feels a bit dated, but is still enjoyable. Backdraft and Terminator come to mind immediately. Terminator has a...LONG...pre-show. Backdraft is kind of one long pre-show plus a minute of action at the end. But, the king of all pre-shows goes to Despicable Me. Using the former Back to the Future ride system (I do wish I could've experienced that, I enjoy those movies more) works pretty well. But, there are like three separate pre-shows. Made a bit worse by the fact that they were in Japanese. Jurassic Park: The Ride is still really fun. Nothing beats a boat ride for me. One boat ride that was unfortunately down for refurbishment was Jaws. Snoopy. I don't have any pictures to prove it but we did go to the Waterworks stunt show, which was definitely the most enjoyable show I saw in Japan (excluding Disney). It was really well done and quite popular. Hello Kitty world... Yeah, so here are just a few photos I didn't take that I stole from our Facebook thread. Coasters. Closed. Still. Well, actually... it says Backdraft is open. So I am assuming this was taken on our second visit (just pretend its closed). They would't open that day. So Robb went and talked to the customer service folks (if you want to call them that). They were hesitant, but eventually agreed to refund the portion of our express passes that was the coasters. These passes are quite expensive (I believe our tickets and express passes totaled around $300). We each got 9000 yen back, which was good for another day's admission. The next day, we basically had the option to go into the park in the morning to get our credits in. Yeah, here is one of the Express Passes for your reference. Some of us left the park before close. I really had done everything I needed to do and didn't care about the parade (ended up being cancelled that night anyway), so we headed back to Dotonbori. If you have been following along, on my free day in Tokyo, I had attempted to get Ramen at a place called Ichiran in Shinjuku. However, the line was outrageous so I passed. The day before this, I walked past a place that looked quite popular and didn't think anything of it. During our day at Universal, I had decided I WOULD have Ichiran Ramen (found out they had a location in Dotonbori). Turns out the place that was popular from the night before was in fact this place. We waited outside in the drizzling rain for a bit (staff actually provided us with free umbrellas to borrow). Went inside and were greeted by these vending machines that looked a lot like lottery ticket machines in the US. You inserted your money and selected everything you wanted and then pressed a submit button. A little ticket printed out as well as your change and then a host took you to your seat. They had a little map of what seats were available. Basically, you had your own little cubby to eat in, complete with a faucet for water and an optional divider on each side. If you knew the folks to your left and right, you could drop the divider and enjoy their company. If not, solo dining was perfectly functional. They actually opened up an American outpost of Ichiran in Brooklyn (prices are 2.5x higher). This toilet paper thing struck me as odd, but I saw pictures of the Brookyln one and they had the same setup. Here is the final product. I dunno if you can see it in the corner of the picture, but there is a little block they give you that had an orange and a green side. There was also a little marked area on the table where you were instructed to place the block if you wanted more food (orange side up), or were ready for your dessert (if you ordered any, green side up). Let me just say that this was the best ramen I've had. It is without a doubt the food item I miss the most. Just so, so complex and tasty. I also had a Matcha Pudding for dessert that was solid. Strolling through the Namba district. Tons of shops as I mentioned last time. Tsutenkaku Tower looms in the distance. I will say, this was a misfire. Not much was open and not much to really see or do, unfortunately. Oh well! Did see one of those places where you fish your own dinner. And Spa World. Not the Spa we were interested in on this trip (foreshadowing). You bring your ticket with you and are handed a little sheet to complete about your ramen preferences. I'll leave you with this. It was a very high tech racing simulator. It was quite pricey, I think. But it struck me in the moment that in cities like Osaka and Tokyo, there is a market for anything. Down this random side street there was apparently a market for a little business with two or three of these simulators. Next time, we visit two parks. One of which was absolutely the most sketchy of the trip. Some delicious Matcha pudding with lovely lovely sauce. Decided to check out Shinsekai that night. Had heard it was an odd hybrid of Paris (northern half) and Coney Island (southern half).

Yeah, I was somewhat determined. I kind of hustled over to the Panda coaster because it was so low capacity, thinking it would give me a few odd minutes. I made it a bit of a goal of mine to jot down a lot of the events that 'defined' Japanese hospitality and random oddities. The cabbie not acting selfishly was certainly an example. I am so glad you're enjoying the report and thank you for the kind words! Thanks Steve! I figured this would be a good way to re-live some of it and kill the off season. I am doing swell, hoping the same to you. THANK YOU to everyone for the kind words. We have a ways to go yet and I am having a great time sharing the trip with you all.

Day 5/6: Travel Day, Misaki Park, and Adventure World Well, the next few days were quite eventful. After a couple very nice days in Tokyo, it was time to travel to Osaka (we will return to Tokyo at the end, don't worry)! This first day was largely travel. We had a nice buffet breakfast at the Shinegawa Prince Hotel. It was VERY popular among hotel guests and had a huge variety. The whole space was really nice. Sorry if any of you foodies were hoping for pictures. We used the bullet train for the first time and had our seats reserved (we did this reservation on our own). Future reservations were done by Elissa (THANK YOU) who would just grab our rail passes, reserve us all together and then return them later in the day. Again, you don't need to reserve seats. There are cars that are non-reserved cars. You guarantee yourself a seat if you reserve (generally not an issue for them to run out unless you are there during the very busy season). From there, had a nice afternoon at City Walk, and a great first evening in Osaka. The next day would bring some unique challenges to the group. Enjoy! Here we are. Leaving Shinegawa for Osaka. The rail pass itself. It's like a little laminated pamphlet. You can see that mine was active from 6.17-6.30. Important to consider your options as far as whether to get a 7, 14, or 21 day pass. If your first bullet train trip is not at the beginning of the trip and you will just be taking local trains, the rail pass isn't providing you optimal value (you'll be paying + a day to ride local trains that are usually .50 each). ....But a bullet train trip from Tokyo to Osaka will run you 0 or so each way, so the value is most certainly there. I personally waited to activate mine until this day and just used the Suica Card (think Metro Card in NYC, pre-loading money on, etc.). This is the card you get for your reservation. I brought a more subtle 'fanny pack' along for the trip and had my passport, rail pass, money, battery block, and any train reservations kept in there. Remarkably, this trip departed and arrived on the minute. Crazy for a multi-hour leg. We arrived in Osaka, but had to take a local shuttle to our final destination. I wonder where that might be. Snoopy is way, way more popular here than in America, as you'll see. Also, it was interesting that in Tokyo, it was customary to stand on the left side of the escalator if you were not in a hurry. In Osaka, it was the opposite. Either way, this was a really nice cultural tick. Impossible for something like that to be implemented in America, I would assume. People just get it in Japan. We've arrived! We would be staying at the Hotel Universal Port for the next few days. Easy access to City Walk and Universal Studios, proper. Some familiar faces, here. Can definitely get used to a view like this from the hotel entrance. We had some free time to explore the area and get settled in before our welcome dinner. Clearly referring to the aging of steak. Took a quick peak around the Studios entrance. That evening we went to Yakiniku Karubii Champ for dinner. It was all you could grill and eat meat plus sides and a 'beverage bar' for around . You had a little touch screen at your table and could pick between a variety of meats that they would bring out (rather quickly, I might add) and you would cook them yourself over a little grill. We stuck with beef and pork but had some veggies, rice, and other sides as well. Mmmm! I am really missing this place. A bit of an idea of the setup. If you are hanging out in City Walk, I would recommend this place! So. much. meat. That evening, a few of us went to Umeda Sky Building. It is a famous skyscraper and as you'll see, it has a unique design. I dunno, this guy was just chilling at the base of the building. Okay, so those two little lines up there are escalators that cross from one side of the building to the other and offer ridiculous views of the city. It's super unique. You take an elevator up to the escalators, then the escalators, and then some extra steps to the observation deck. We paid like to do this (though not everyone seemed to pay once we got off the elevator and they never collected any kind of ticket, so I am not really sure what to say about that). Better view of the escalators. After that, we went and explored the Namba District, specifically the Dotonbori area, which is 100% the most popular destination in Osaka. This is one of many shopping 'malls' that jet out from the main dotonbori canal area. Nicely covered and tons and tons of people and shops. This, unfortunately, was not open on our visit. Don Quixote Ferris Wheel is its name. Has had some troubles apparently since its initial construction. Very funky, nonetheless. Here we are on the main bridge in Dotonbori. Basically, you have this levels worth of shops as well as some more on water level below. There are boats that pass through (you can buy a ticket and ride them) and the whole area is very lively. This is Gilco Running Man. Gilco is a Japanese food company headquartered in Osaka. This particular advertisement has been situated right here since 1935 (various iterations). Every so often, the running man would animate a bit. Just exploring some of the side streets. Tons and tons of lights everywhere. The tower used to be an operational drop tower. Now, we just have a rock wall. That next morning, we left our hotel and attempted to travel to our first park of the Osaka leg of the trip, Misaki Park. Unfortunately, at (I believe) Shin-Imamiya Station, there was an earthquake a few minutes before our train was due to arrive. It was measured at around 6.0 intensity. As you can see here, the radius was pretty large, but it was centered around the Osaka area. Compliments of Elissa. Yeah, I was sitting up against a wall when it happened and honestly, at the time, I had thought two trains had just collided or something because it was a very loud noise. I dunno if it was because a train came to an abrupt halt or what. The actual quake did cause the station to wobble a bit. I believe it resulted in a handful of casualties and the prime minister even spoke about it. I can say that it was intense enough to provide a little scare, but if it had been much worse, damage would have been significant. This was really the only noticeable change in the station. And 10 minutes later, it was being fixed. The whole ordeal took a couple hours before trains resumed. Even then, a lot of the express lines were suspended and trains were making stops at basically every station. We were determined to press on, because some CRAZY AWESOME credits loomed in the distance. Getting close to our first park. I believe we were due in around 9:00 AM to the park; Instead, I think we arrived around noon or a bit after. We didn't know at this point if we were going to make it our second destination, but the group decided to hustle our way through for the credits and get on our way. Robb buying us our ish. We were not shaken (hah) by the Earthquake. We WERE to ride coasters today. Our first stop at the park was this odd Hopkins wild mouse. We all wondered what the old one was like. Despite what you see here, this was probably the tamest coaster of the trip (including kiddie coasters). In its own strange way, I liked this. It was bizarre, kind of pointless, but still.. The ride operation attempted to brace every car that approached the brake run (definitely the most intense part of the experience). Some more pictures of the place. It was obviously empty (which was a trend for the trip). The ride operators sort of followed us around as we did things. Children's Coaster was up next. It was actually a cute little kiddie coaster. Sadly, the train would have to wait for my next visit. Another developing trend was the presence of animals (usually pandas are a staple) that you could ride around any given area. They move rather slow, and I assume you just leave it wherever you end up when your time is up. This one may have seen better days. This was a side-sitting affair. We are... very proud of ourselves. It was a nice little park! I believe this is the entrance to the final credit, the Jet Coaster. It was actually my second favorite coaster of its kind on the trip, I think (just behind Red Falcon at Hirakata Park). Here we are on Jet Coaster! So, it was at this point, I believe around 1:00 or so. We stepped into the subway station and Robb and Elissa laid out our options. Elissa and some others were going to head back, because she thought it would be a bit tight trying to make it to Adventure World (our second park) before 4:00. The park closed at 5, but last admission was at 4:00. Basically, we would need our next train to arrive exactly on time to pick us up and drop-off/get a cab right away to the park. A handful of us agreed to give it a shot (not much else would be open back in Osaka, we figured). Some quality instructions, plus panda. So, yeah. Some more train pictures. The trip actually took us along the coast, which was really nice. Then, to the cab. And we made it! At like 3:55, to boot. The park was celebrating its 40th anniversary. Robb acquired our park admission tickets (around ), which didn't cover our coaster rides (just the zoo portion). He was informed that the rides closed at 4:30, so we had 30 minutes to work with. Just breezing through the ride area to our first destination. BIG ADVENTURE. A very anti-climatic but still enjoyable stroll around the perimeter of the rest of the rides. After this, we hustled over to Pandafull Coaster, which seemed promising. More fun animals. As thrilling as you can imagine. Another wonky wild mouse type ride with loads and loads of block brakes. Also, here is Adam. Adam and I went on the New Hotness Trip in 2012 and he joined this trip at the last minute. It was quite nice to have a familiar face on the trip! After a quick trip on the powered coaster, Adam and I hustled over to the main attraction (at least for me). They have two separate panda exhibits. I believe one is more for breeding. They, I believe have the largest breeding program outside of China. After leaving the park, we had a long trip back to Osaka (still not too many express trains running). We took a cab back to Universal and our cab driver got a bit lost. Instead of just 'taking us for a trip,' he turned the meter off and only charged us probably half of what the trip oughta cost. More Japanese decency and in the least expected of places. At this point, we were starved. Unfortunately, nothing was open except for Lawsons (another convenience store). I ate a very nutritious dinner (jokes) and just kind of took it easy. Thanks again for following along! I'll be back with some Universal Studios pictures next time.

^Whoops. Thank you for that heads up. I see that right in the instructions. So I'm sorry for missing that when I read through.

I dunno if I am just doing something wrong. I added all my new for 2018 coasters, but cannot drag and drop to insert them into my rankings. It seems in active or something? Same with spreadsheet option, it just won't let me type in new numbers. Thanks again for all your hard work!

^^Not a problem! I really am grateful for how much free time was built into the trip because of the early park closings. Made it to a lot of the "Greatest Hits" as well as some more personal interests. ^And absolutely. That and just being able to stop at them before hopping on the Shinkansen to get a beer and a snack was one of my favorite parts about Japan. The only time a convenience store failed me was the day of the earthquake when all that was open was Lawson. I really didn't find anything too good there and think I ate deli meat, cheese, and chocolate.

Day 4: Tokyo Free Day The main reason I wanted to arrive a bit early for the pre-trip was to get myself adjusted a bit from jet lag so that on this day, I could explore Tokyo. No coasters on this report. But was definitely one of my favorite days of the trip, anyway. This was the main arrival day for the remaining trip participants (there were about 25 of us, total). One thing I had decided early on was to head off on my own on these free days we did have. I am a bit different than most in the way I travel. My girlfriend and I will fit a lot more into a normal vacation than most (at least for now... we're young). I am a real planner when it comes to this kind of thing, so I had jotted down quite a few things I wanted to do while in Japan. I think I accomplished a lot of that, discovered quite a bit of stuff along the way, and had a great time doing it. One of the reasons I was so excited for the trip was that it WAS all planned (expertly) by Robb and Elissa, as far as hotels, transportation, and parks. I could rest easy knowing I could simply wake up and be on time to the lobby and have a solid day. That freed up all my energy to finding things to do and eat during my free time. So, with all that out of the way! Come explore Tokyo with me. Let's see how much ground we can cover in 16 or so hours. Started my day in a pretty typical fashion. But look at the variety and quality of options at this 7 Eleven! They had a variety of noodle dishes, sandwiches, onigiri (basically a rice ball that might have a fish or something mixed in that is shaped into a triangle). In addition to the cold food area, they had your typical convenience store snacks, but done well. 7 Eleven branded items were actually pretty good too. Remember having a Matcha and chocolate chip cookie which was delicious. I can't remember which of these milk teas I liked the most, but they're all delicious. On my way to our first destination. just your typical panda ball. Kabukiza Theatre. This is the main place in Tokyo to watch Kabuki, which is a traditional show that takes the form of dance-drama. I just walked past on my way to bigger and better things. I didn't really capture much of what happened between the last picture and here, so I'll catch you up. I stumbled upon a very nice ceramics store that sold tons of tea cups, plates, etc. It looked modestly sized from the window and first floor, but there were a set of steps that led to a significantly larger upstairs. Prices were fair. I got a few little things that I had wrapped and put into my bag to trek around for the day. Then I walked a bit further until I reached Tsukiji Fish Market. This WAS the largest fish market in the world. Read on to find out what happened. But yeah, this guy was just casually driving goods through and everyone parted off to the sides to make room (there was really none). Okay, so you read on. I do remember reading this when I visited but I completely forgot about it until I google Tsukiji to get the spelling right. They actually moved the entire market 1.5 miles away from the existing one and built a brand new building for it in October, a few months after my visit. From what reviews indicate, (2.5 on trip advisor), people are not thrilled with it. Seems to look very sterile and not much like a market anymore. Might be more functional, but part of what drew me was the history and scale. Oh... the picture. This guy is torching oysters. So, I made it my mission to try some stuff while I was here. This was absolutely not the right choice but it intrigued me. It was snow crab (I imagine imitation by the size) that was grilled and then torched. From there, you could have it covered in a buttery sauce or not. I tried it and really didn't care for it too much. Tamagoyaki. This was only 100 yen (< 10). Had a bit of a line that had formed so I checked it out. Basically it's an egg omelette of sort. Was very tasty. To prepare it, they have a square skillet that they very lightly oil (with a sponge) and then they pour a thin layer of egg over the whole surface. Once that cooks up, they roll it over itself. Then they add more egg to the remaining part of the skillet and repeat a few more times. You get an omelette with many thin layers of egg. It was tasty. Explored a bit more and settled on an indoor sushi place. Here is the menu (sorry for the rotated image, you're just going to have turn your head). I am more of a sucker for Nigiri, which is just a piece of fish over pressed rice. So I had a few pieces and can remember asking for my check in Japanese (all of two words) and the waiter being so, so happy to hear me attempt the language. It was adorable and further solidifies how much they appreciate foreign tourists (we could take notes). Some kind of bank building as I was walking. So, I had to get a picture in front of it. It was pretty, I guess. Naturally, we have a guy cleaning subway steps. From Tsujiki, I went to visit the Imperial Gardens, hoping to get a good view of the Imperial Palace itself. It was really a nice, serene place. One thing I appreciated was the seamless blend of modern architecture, parks, and shrines, etc. Lay of the land. I don't know what you're looking at, but it's historical in some way. On ground level, you can almost forget you aren't in Tokyo. I didn't actually find out where I needed to go to get a view of the Imperial Palace proper (not really accessible directly to the public), but alas, was still a nice little detour. More signs. From the gardens, I headed to Akihabara, which is the Electronics mecca of Tokyo. Tons and tons of streets just full of retro game stores, maid cafes (a cosplay cafe where they will treat you like their master.... very odd), and arcades. Did not experience, but there were loads of girls dressed up encouraging me to visit. By now, it was lunch time. Found a place just on a side street that looked good. I ordered a small Tonkatsu, which was like 600 yen (didn't feel like checking the menu in the above picture). It was plenty of food and was really tasty. Also they gave out forks to everyone here to use, which was a nice thing (maybe traditional with this specific meal). As was the case at most places, complementary iced tea was served. Here is the outside for any of you that decide to visit and copy my every move. Next up was a place that I had heard a bit about from Robb and in my research, Super Potato. I recognize I am contributing to the main issue people have with this place now... it is overridden with tourists who don't have an exceptionally large passion for retro video games. But yeah, I wanted to visit anyway. The store takes up the 3rd-5th floors. I didn't get much here, but it was a pretty neat store. Very tightly packed (as is typical) with tons of goods. Divided by floor depending on what consoles you're interested in. Can't speak on prices, but have heard they aren't super competitive anymore. From there, I visited a couple arcades in the area. This is one of the more unique things about Japan... there are quite a few multi-level (I'm talking 4-7 floors) arcades scattered around Tokyo, many of which are located in Akihabara. Most had floors dedicated to specific types of games. For example, the first floor or two might be dedicated exclusively to UFO crane games (which are incredibly challenging), with a floor for competitive racing, then a floor for music games (where this game was found). It was kind of like DDR but I don't really see buttons specifically on the floor there. On my way out of the area, I stumbled upon an idol group. Didn't appear wildly popular... but. Idols are generally just manufactured celebrity figures. They are generally placed together by an agent of sorts and usually don't directly contribute to the creation of their sound/writing of music. But Japanese folks fawn over them. Before I left, I explored Bic Camera, which is a chain of electronics stores in Japan. This particular location was a bit overwhelming. About 30 or so staff per floor and many a floor. I ended up buying this for my girlfriend. It is a paper model of Osaka Castle that you must craft. She still hasn't touched it (OH WELL). Yeah, it's extensive. I took a quick subway ride from Akihabara to the Edo Tokyo Museum. But on the station platform, I caught a glimpse of the top of the Sumo Stadium. Unfortunately, the Sumo season is fairly limited and wasn't occurring during the trip. I would consider going on my next visit. Stumbled into a little museum right next to the stadium. On my way out of the museum, noticed a cat cafe. It appeared new... you can pay a fee to go inside and just exist with cats. Cats suck, so I am not sure why this is appealing, but there was quite a crowd. Pets are very expensive in Japan and often aren't practical given tight living quarters, etc. A bike parking lot! Edo Tokyo Museum. Yeah admission was very cheap and I had read good things about the museum. But I never could've expected my experience to end up being as great as it was. Weird escalator to get inside. The top floor had HUGE scale models of what the area looked like during the Edo period (1603-1868 under the rule of the Shogunate). Descending to the bottom floor was a very comprehensive look at the development of Tokyo with time and at a lot of the innovations that came with this development. But they also host cultural experiences daily. This day, they were doing a demonstration on Japanese Acrobats. This man was insane. I am only showing two of the things he did here. But he was narrating his every move in Japanese (and there was an English translator enthusiastically conveying it to us). The whole thing was just insane. This is sped up so I could show you more, but he stacked item after item on his nose. Why are Japanese people so skinny when they have escalators this small. From Edo Tokyo Museum, I visited Shinjuku, which is a large shopping and entertainment district. I visited one of the many huge department stores (Isetan, I believe). They are mostly really upscale and can be 10 floors plus. It is insane, really. But the reason for my visit was the food basements. Think a giant upscale food market. One thing they are infamous for is pristine produce. Around 0 melon. Yeah, look at those prices (divide by 100 to get a rough USD). 5 cherries. Just beautiful though. Much of the stuff is actually decently affordable. From there, I attempted to find dinner. The place I found originally didn't pan out (Ichiran Ramen). The line to get in was EXTENSIVE. But read on to future installments of the report. The Ramen Saga is not over. I believe this was just a a random shrine I stumbled upon on my way to Ichiran. BLURRRRRY. From Shinjuku, I had one last stop. Shibuya. I would say it is like the Times Square of Tokyo in many ways. I was in here searching for a very specific Back to the Future shirt she had seen at one a year or so ago and hasn't found since. Don't judge. But yeah, 6 floors. I also found out that Tower Records is alive and well in Japan. This specific outpost actually recently was remodeled and expanded. Ironically, they don't sell much in the way of Vinyl. Just a wonderful retro vibe. Look at this directory. Hachiko, a dog made famous for his loyalty to his owner, whom he would meet daily at Shibuya Station. When his owner died, he continued to wait there for 10 years until he died, too. Really, really popular statue. It is located right at Shibuya crossing. Which is... INSANITY. It is the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world. There are many different crosswalks that all get walking rights at the same time. Controlled chaos (no one bumps into you). A novel little newspaper vending machine. Not pictured here... but my quest for Ramen was moderately successful. I stopped off on the way back to Shinegawa at a Ramen place. I can't find a picture and can't remember the station it was off of. But it was pretty solid and not crowded at all. Home is in the distance. At long last. 16 hours, 14 miles of walking later. Thanks for reading along. I hope I am not boring you guys with trivia and history, etc. Hope you enjoyed!

Thank you all for your kind comments! I'm excited to have you guys along for the journey. Sure! Yeah, so Elissa kind of let us know ahead of time that would be the case. Really, the Disney property and Universal property hotels we stayed at later were indistinguishable in size to most US chains. The first hotel and especially the one we stayed at later on in Nagoya were a bit more "Japanese." It was probably about what I expected, but having never been in a room this size, it was still a bit of a surprise. With big suitcases for a three week trip, it was a bit challenging to find space for it on the floor. So, there are multiple ways I could've done it. For one, it would've been smart to get a credit card that didn't have foreign transaction fees (mine was 3%). But the way I looked at it... 3% of $1000 would be $30 extra. I don't think I spend much more than $1000-1500 for the whole trip. But I opted to just withdraw Japanese currency once I arrived. Airport currency exchange desks generally offer poor exchange rates. But the 7 Eleven atms offer the same exchange rate as what you see if you google it. And the fees are very insignificant (somewhere around $1.50/$100). So i just withdrew 20000 yen at a time (around $200) and went from there. I brought a tiny bit of American cash, but really didn't use it. Japan is largely a cash culture, though they are adapting a lot for the Olympics. I could've paid with card more often, but I felt it easier to track how much I spent via cash. Just to echo what was said already, I think this was done largely because of the park's location in a major city (Tokyo). If you go to amusement parks in the suburbs or further out from the city centers (ie- most of the trip for us), I don't think it would be nearly as likely. This was one of only two parks I went to that was right in the city (other being Tokyo Dome City). Thanks for all the great questions and comments, guys.

2018 TPR Japan Trip Day 1-3: Arrival, Yokohama Cosmoworld/Sea Paradise, and Tokyo Sightseeing Day 4: Tokyo Free Day Day 5/6: Travel Day, Misaki Park, and Adventure World Day 7: Universal Studios Day 1 Day 8: Washuzan Highland, New Reoma World, and a Speakeasy Day 9: Hirakata Park, and Kyoto Day 10: Nagashima Spa Land Day 11: Parque Espana Day 12: Legoland, Higashiyama Zoo, Culture, and Heavy Metal Concert Day 13: Hamanako Pal Pal and Lagunasia Day 14: Transfer to Tokyo, Free Day Day 15: Fuij Q and Disney After 6 Day 16: Benyland, Lina World, and Sega Joypolis Day 17 and 18: Tokyo DisneySea/Disneyland Day 18 (Cont'd) Day 19 and 20: DisneySea and Disneyland Day 3/4 Other 2018 Martin's Fantasy Island / Erie County Fair Give Kids the World Village Fun Spot Kissimmee and Busch Gardens Tampa 2019 Trips Phoenix Phall Phunfest Hello all! I have done a couple trip reports here and there, but never anything quite like this, so you'l have to bear with me. I don't think I have the same knack for incorporating humor into reports as others, so you may not get that here, but I do hope to convey just how incredible a time I had in Japan traveling with TPR for three weeks. Also, the photo quality isn't great. I personally value just capturing things even if it's not done... perfectly. Just a bit of a backstory here on my time with TPR. I joined in 2010 and believe my first post was asking how feasible it would be for me to go on a TPR trip after my senior year in high school. I was a sophomore at the time and wasn't sure if it would actually happen, but it was in the back of my head. Fast forward to my senior year and my parents both put me into college prep overdrive, offering me a bribe to study harder for the SAT/ACT. They were hopeful that if I did very well it would translate into some scholarships. The bribe was an all-expense ticket on the New Hotness 2012 tour. It was an unreal experience and one I am so grateful for. I did not post a report from that trip, unfortunately. Fast forward a couple more years and I am reading all sorts of trip reports from Japan trips of years past. I especially remember showing friends, family reports from Tokyo Disney Sea, because of just how amazing the park looked. It was a few years ago that TPR announced the end of public trips as we know them. Folks told lots of stories about some of the questionable behavior on trips, others sang praise for Robb and Elissa for the incredible planning and patience/tolerance. I chimed in and ended up reaching out to express interest in future trips, specifically Scandinavia and Japan. Elissa reached out to me one day with information on an extensive trip, covering some of their favorite smaller parks, as well as the major heavy-hitters. I knew right away I was going to do what I could to tag along. Fortunately, my job at the time was a field position where it wasn't uncommon for us to work 14 12 hour shifts in a row to make up for vacations we would take, etc. So I talked to my boss about 10 months out and he gave me the go ahead. Trip time rolled around and that brings us to June 2018. Hope you enjoy following along. I know I am really enjoying revisiting the trip a few months removed. Days 1-3: Arrival, Yokohama Cosmoworld/Sea Paradise, and Tokyo Sightseeing As all good trips must start... Chik-fil-A My itinerary was a bit goofy, traveling to Toronto and Montreal en route to Narita. I left around 7 AM and arrived the following day around mid-afternoon. Here we are after the first quick jaunt (of which I actually slept during). This guy. Yeah, I opted for Tim Hortons. Very much the cheaper option Really quality in-flight games kept me occupied the entire time (not). Yeah, it's a bit of a long trip. I flew Air Canada and did not upgrade my seat at all. I'm tall at 6'3" but I really can't sleep on planes regardless of the space I am given. First of three meals on the trip was actually pretty decent. Some orange chicken and couscous, plus a cold corn salad and a dessert. Had a nondescript sandwich for second meal, and then got a little breakfast as well. So, I did try to make the sleep thing happen. I brought along some Emergenzzz and bought a fancy new travel pillow. Also, had three little bottles of complementary wine. Almost there, it seems. And we've arrived. I did notice in retrospect the flight seeming very quiet and relaxing. So, upon landing I had a few things I had to do. First, I went to acquire some money from a 7 Eleven atm. As became a recurring theme on the trip, my bank card gave me a bit of a hard time (did alert them in advance of travel). After three tries, I did get some money. Then I was off to a travel desk at the airport to get my JR Rail Pass all set up. For those of you who don't know, Japan offers tourists the option of purchasing a rail pass that allows them access to most bullet train (Shinkansen) routes, as well as all JR local lines. As the report goes on, I'll try to shed a bit more light on how it all works. But basically, Elissa handled purchasing our passes, giving us the option to get a 2 week or 3 week pass (depending on our specific trip plans). I set mine up to activate the day we were scheduled to take our first bullet train and then had to go downstairs to a shinkansen office to make my seat reservation for the trip (guaranteeing you a seat). Then, I made a bus reservation from Narita to the Shinegawa Prince Hotel, which was honestly very affordable and (unsurprisingly) efficient. There is a desk right in the airport that shows departure times and you can book a round trip at that time if you want to save a few dollars. Also, discovered and utilized Japanese vending machines for the first time Milk Tea became my drink of choice and is something I desperately miss to this day (have found some similar products at home, none quite as good). Drove past Disney on the way to the hotel. One of many big wheels. After checking in and picking up my room key from Elissa, opted (upon recommendation) to keep it simple for dinner and order some American food. There was a vending machine to order from and prices were decent! To appease the American tourists, a classic option: Bacon and french fry pizza. I decided on this, though and it did not disappoint. Checked into my room that night and can remember being a bit surprised by the room size (though I had been prepared for it). Honestly, I would rather have a small, clean room and pay less as a result. Woke up and stopped at the 7 Eleven for the first (of many) meals from there. Teriyaki chicken and egg sandwich for breakfast was a great option. We gathered in the lobby and then headed toward Shinegawa Station, one of the busier hubs and one of only a few places in Japan where Shinkansen stop. Really a convenient hotel option (tons of places to eat and a two minute walk to the station). We arrived at the Yokohama station and were greeted with some huge skyscrapers and a very "friendly" lady who enjoyed following us around. Robb kindly explained it was a private group and we carried on to my first park of the trip (I joined the group for the final of three add-on days of the trip). Not before I snapped a picture of the station in case I ended up lost. And we're off! Yokohama was a really beautiful area from what I saw and in the distance is the second big wheel of the trip so far. The bridge offered great views all around and was a cool way to approach the park. We were greeted at the park entrance by a representative from Senyo Rides (for whatever reason, that doesn't sound correct, but google told me that) who Robb has worked with in the past. I can say his name in my head but don't want to screw up the spelling. He escorted us over to Diving Coaster: Vanish! to get some early morning rides (before the rain was supposed to hit). The first of many great signs we saw during the trip. I talked to some folks who visited this park later on in the trip on a free day (they didn't join the pre-trip) and they mentioned they were checking everyone with a breathalyzer. I made it a bit of a quest to try a bunch of different drinks from the vending machines. Unlike America, vending machines are everywhere, found in large quantities together, and have significantly more variety. This was kind of a lemony soda water. Not for me. Diving Coaster was decently fun. Roughest part was the tunnel after the dive and the cars were set up such that the back row was significantly smaller (leg room was at a premium). The other ride we rode before park open was the Log Flume, which had a strange coaster feeling in the sections between the lift and the drop. This gave some pretty solid air time. But! They also had this here scoreboard. The louder the screams, the higher the score. A nice little idea for some interactivity. Oddly enough, did not take a spin on the giant wheel, despite it probably offering some great views. This became a common trend (and one I appreciated). A large portion of restaurants had displays of the food available. Buying things without knowing what they look like can be annoying, so this comes in handy! This was one of the only parks we visited that operated on a ticket basis. Robb and Elissa provided us enough tickets to do some of the other dark rides and flats. This was an odd little dark ride where you had a device that functioned like a touch screen. You would look at the screen which would show what you were aiming at and then you would need to tap the screen aggressively to destroy stuff that would pop up on the screens. Really not the best description, I know. This was I think a more traditional shooter. But, I don't seem to have a picture of it, but the park also had a motion simulator. I don't know where the picture of me with the paper mask on my face went. But yeah, we had to be weighed and then wear a mask for contamination reasons. The ride was pretty fun, actually! The park had quite a few dark rides. Then came this haunted dark ride. A bit odd, but you could select the level of scare (1-3). We selected very scary and were... less than scared. But we WERE riding in a cage , which was odd. First of many capsule machines. First ice house of the trip. This one was in less than ideal conditions. By now, it had started to rain and so we really wanted nothing to do with this, but we figured why not. It was actually the nicest of the trip (not in size but in intricacy). Upon leaving, my waterproof rain jacket had ice drops (if that's a thing) all over it. The park is separated into two areas. This side has the flat rides and the kiddie coaster plus some more shops. The Family Banana (Stand) Coaster. Best kiddie coaster that I rode that day. Another shot of the ice house. Our friend from Senyo gave us these very nice sushi/yakatori keychains. Still haven't found a great use for them, but still! They were all individually wrapped. The first of many instances of how amazing Japanese folks treat tourists. In case you want to know, I am front right. I learned a bit as the trip went on, that a nice smile worked a bit better. Really started the trip off with some authentic food. Explored Queen's Square for a bit (a very large mall that was the first of many indications that retail was alive and well in Japan) trying to search for a friend who was already at Shake Shack. I will say, it was good, but wow is beef expensive. I believe a SmokeShack, fries, and little shake was around . After lunch, we had a bit more time before meeting back up, so I went off on my own to the Cup Noodles Museum. I wouldn't go out of the way for it, but if you are going to be in the area, it is worth stopping at. If you can figure out how to do it, reserving a time slot in the lab would make the trip more worth it. As it stands, admission is 500 yen. The museum is multiple floors, but only one of them is really the museum. The bottom is the lobby and gift shop, and then there is the lab, and a restaurant floor. This was a cool room with all sorts of different pre-packed noodle options. Yeah, the lab area was insanity. I think you get to make your own 'recipe' of sorts and design your own container design. I remember it being really affordable and there was multiple huge school groups there when I went. A neat little photo-op. On the way back to the station, finally passed the proper entrance. Neat little tid bit. This bridge was built by the New York Bridge Company. Really doing their best to hide that fact. Always the cleaning type. But yeah, this cute little truck was on the bridge. There was also this ship you could tour. We departed for Sea Paradise, home of Blue Fall, the pitfall famous for its hesitation at the top. Yeah, it was still raining a bit, but we were going to make the most of it. I loved, loved, loved seeing all the English translations throughout the trip. Often, they were rather funny. Just parking em halfway up. Some big birds. Surf Coaster was actually really fun. A nice, wonky Togo. Got a few trips on it. There were multiple sections where a huge fountain of water would spray up (depending where you were sitting, you would get a bit wet). Yeah, just take it all in. Didn't spend too much time in the park, but did make time to stop at the Booze Cafe for some.. booze. Surf Coaster. That evening, a few of us visited Sensojii Temple, something that was already on my list of must-sees. Pros of visiting at night: The Temple looked beautiful at night and the crowds were minimal. Con: The shops and street food vendors were all shut down for the day. This is apparently a great place for that kind of thing. This guy. I do remember dropping 74 into a bin at one of the buildings off to the right and shaking a cylindrical container that had a bunch of wooden rods inside with Hiragana written on them. You shook the container until a rod slid out of a small slot and then matched the characters to a drawer that had a bunch of fortunes inside. Fortunately, the fortunes were written in English as well. If the fortune was good, you were to keep it. If the fortunate was not so good, you were supposed to wrap it up on a rack. CULTURE! Believe this is Tokyo Skytree. Did not get to visit. The area is also home to Hanayashiki, a little amusement park with the oldest coaster in Japan. Not open for our visit. Alas, another time. Would make for a nice little afternoon between the temples, shops, and amusement park. For dinner, we visited Sometaro, an Okonomiyaki restaurant. This is the menu. Basically, okonomiyaki is a savory pancake that can contain a variety of fillings. This variant contained egg, cabbage, some other stuff, and your choice of a filling. We opted for three between the four of us, plus a noddle dish. Got a kimchi one, a cuttlefish one, and then a more traditional pork belly one. This place was a bit different than the okonomiyaki I had later in the trip. We actually prepared it ourselves. We were given a bowl with our ingredients unmixed and after we mixed them, we poured them onto our flattop and formed them into one big pancake. After about 5 minutes, you flip and let finish. We didn't know at the time what toppings were generally used, so we just cut it up into 8 slices and served. The waiter came over and politely explained that we had forgotten the 'barbecue sauce' and Japanese mayo. He re-formed our pieces into a circle and properly finished the dish. If you look up a few pictures, at the top of the menu it does clearly say, "Paste the sause, and if you don't mind, sprinkle the green cavel. Then you can eat it." So, in retrospect, it was really quite clear what we were supposed to do. But, alas. Here is a bit of a better look at one of them properly prepared. It was honestly really tasty and as you can see from the menu, super affordable. I am sure there are tastier spots, but if you are in the area, it is definitely a good touristy option. An experience that is hard to forget. The outside was real neat. Strolling back to the train station, stumbled upon some interesting things. Love hotels are common in Japan and can be rented for a few hours or a night. They aren't your typical sketchy prostitute type motels in the States, but they can have some odd 'features' to them, like dungeons, etc. Also, didn't go to a Denny's, but have heard some interesting stories about them. Stumbled upon a place serving up Fugu, the deadly blowfish made a bit more famous via the Simpsons episode. I'll leave you with this! Stay tuned for more detail-oriented, but not especially humorous captions in the next installment. Thank you so much if you even made it this far!

I expect to be back at the park again this year. My friend works for P&G and they rent out the park one of the weekends between Summer season and Fright Night. I'm real excited about the front transformation (and the Antique Cars, honestly). I really do enjoy Kings Island as a park more than Cedar Point, though I give the nod to Cedar Point coaster wise.

Great report, as always. I specifically made a point to watch the Muppets show when we visited last time because we were in the area. It really was quite well done and one of those things that would be great to accidentally stumble upon. The smaller scale entertainment like this that you don't plan your day around can end up being really great still. I particularly enjoyed this, the acrobats in Animal Kingdom and the Pandora drum show.

1. Name 3 of your favorite roller coasters, but not your top 3. I would say The Beast for its night rides, Phantom’s Revenge because it’s near and dear to my heart, and Twister at Knoebels, which would be #1 at most parks. 2. About how many different parks did you visit in 2018? 30-35, thanks to 20 or so in Japan 3. Which 2018 park visit was your favorite? Tokyo DisneySea: got an unlimited popcorn pass, saw Mickey play drums, rode a gondola through Italy, ate lunch inside a volcano, and abused the hell out of the Indie single rider line. 4. Your favorite 2018 park addition (ride, food, show, etc). Steel Vengeance without a doubt. It took me all day to brave the line (had heard horror stories of the spiders which while true was worth suffering through) 5. What ride exceeded your expectations the most in 2018? Flight of passage probably. I really knew nothing much about it but it’s just fun from start to finish. The whole experience. 6. Best meal/food at a park in 2018 Didn’t make it out to Knoebels but likely something from Disney. Did have some decent food at Fuji Q and Nagashima but I’ll give the nod to Epcot. 7. What was your favorite new coaster of 2018 NOT made by RMC or Larson? Eh, I didn’t ride enough new stuff honestly to pass too much judgment. 8. Name one park you will definitely visit in 2019. Kennywood to ride my home park’s new hotness (it it opens). 9. Best ride themed to a bird? Yeah, this is easy. Phoenix 10. Lamest ride/coaster you rode in 2018? Oh boy. There were certainly some lame ones out in Japan but each of those usually had some sort of ‘charm’ to them. Probably New Wild Mouse at Misaki Park. Just kind of crawled around. 11. What roller coaster currently sits at the top of your bucketlist? (degree of difficulty: NOT a new-for-2019 ride) I would say Olympia Looping. I don’t think it’s in the cards just yet. I’m really hoping to get to Germany before it’s retired. 12. What new-for-2019 ride or coaster are you most looking forward to? Steel Curtain as it’s the only one I can guarantee I’ll ride if it opens. 13. Name the first totally middle-of-the-road (not bad/not great) park that comes to mind. I find this difficult and kept bouncing between places here. A lot of places are just good or bad for me. I would say Delgrossos though because it has a lot going for it (nice water park and food) but really has little in the way of unique rides. It’s a really nice local park though. 14. You're in Orlando and magically have a 1-hour ERT session on 1 coaster of your choice at any park in the city. You choose... Space Mountain probably. I feel like I won the lottery when I sit in the front. My eyes water and I end up smiling when I hit the brake run. 15. Holiday In The Park vs. Winterfest. Who reigns supreme? Haven’t done either, but I do love me Dollywood’s. Been the last couple years. 16. Mystic Timbers mystery shed or Wicker Man fire infusion? Mystic Timbers was funny for me because I knew what to expect but I hyped it for my girlfriend. 17. Which Six Flags have you been to most recently? Six Flags America 2017. Hoping to visit Great America soon though! 18. Intamin or Schwarzkopf? You may only choose one. If one disappeared today I would likely miss Intamin more but it’s really close. 19. Battle of Kings Coasters: Island or Dominion? Pick one. I’ll echo someone else. At night, Island. Otherwise Dominion by a small margin. 20. What was the longest you waited for a ride/coaster in 2018? Probably Flight of Passage at a hair over an hour, getting in line just before park close. 21. What roller coaster have you ridden more than any other? Oh, I’m sure it’s something at Kennywood. Likely Thunderbolt. That or Gemini which I rode 60 tines in one day at Coasting for Kids. 22. Best drop tower under 150 feet? SratosFear at Knoebels. 23. Maverick or Millennium Force? (If you haven't been to CP, pick what you want to ride more) Maverick without a doubt. Nimble and fun from start to finish. 24. Log flumes or sky rides? You can only choose one. Log Flumes all the way. Splash Mountain. 25. What are 3 things you enjoying doing at your home park other than riding rides? Enjoying a nice thanksgiving meal at the cafeteria or a golden nugget dip cone. Bringing in a picnic lunch. Family had a long history of bringing in some delicious chicken and sides and sitting under the pavilions. Enjoying or marching in the fall fantasy parade which I did in high school and college. The lights at night are just special. 26. What is your second favorite Cedar Fair park and why? For me, it’s tough to decide between CP, KD, and KI 1, 2, 3. but I’ll give King’s Island #1, and then Cedar Point. The coasters at Cedar Point are definitely top tier, but the overall feel of Kings Island is better for me. 27. What is your home park and give us two good reasons why we should pay it a visit. As it’s probably been made clear by now, Kennywood. 1. The solid balance of old and new. The cafeteria building is nearly original to the park, Kangaroo, Auto Race, Turtles, Noah’s Ark, and the three woodies counter the new so well. 2. Pittsburgh. If you’ve never visited, there’s a reason so many folks seem to stick around. Wonderful people, a huge food and beer scene and plenty of other things to do and see. 28. Launch or Lift? I’m a woodie fan at heart, so I’ll go lift. 29. Did you buy fast pass at all in 2018? I did not. 30. What is your least favorite wooden coaster? This is kind of tough. It would be between Hurler at Carowinds, Predator at Darien Lake, or one of the two at Canada’s Wonderland. 31. Disney fanboys: cool or cult? I think it’s probably possible to be a bit of both depending on who you’re talking to. 32. Best Batman themed ride? Really no opinion. 33. Name something that you tend to take home from parks that you didn't bring with you. Maybe a pin or something. Not too much souvenir shopping for me. 34. Best wooden coaster over 110 feet tall? (rcdb will help you) El Tori, though I’ve not been on it for a while. 35. Have you ever been hit with something (loose change/a tree/vomit/etc) while riding something? Lots and lots and lots of bugs at Cedar Point. 36. Skywarps: credits or no? State your case. Nope. Definitely not. I have no case. 37. Turkey legs: nah or yaaaaassssss? Never had one but probably yaaaas. 38. What is the most recent B&M that you rode? Wild Eagle a month or so ago. 39. You can eat nothing but corn dogs, churros or funnel cake for the next 48 hours, which do you choose? Funnel Cakes but I’m not big on any of them really. 40. Post a great on-ride shot of you from 2018. (DO IT!) From Robb’s camera on Steel Dragon, a bucket list coaster for me.

^The Ole Smoky Moonshine at The Island also charged. They actually charged $7 ($2 donation to a charity), but you coujd only stack two coupons together at a time and they expire in a week. Sugarlands never really expire they say and can stack unlimited. There is a third moonshine place I believe that is in Pigeon Forge that I’m not sure if they charge. And oh! That changes things completely as far as the season pass goes.

Some of our favorites: Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster (at night): Granted, we have only done this mountain coaster and I am sure they are all fun! We have found Groupon discounts which make it a bit more affordable. Old Mill (lunch): This is by no means a hidden gem. It is probably the most popular restaurant in Pigeon Forge. But if you go before 4 PM, you get an entree, two sides, bread, corn fritters, and a cup of soup for $10-12. It is shareable, which is insanity. Dinner is the same food, plus a dessert/salad for $20. Which would be overkill. Old Mill Pottery House: Right next door. They have an all day menu, so we often go here for dinner after Dollywood or something. They have a pecan crusted chicken breast with moonshine sauce on it, which is divine. Crockett's Breakfast Camp: Again, not a hidden gem but still really delicious breakfast. Only open until like 2, but the earlier you get there, the better in terms of wait. They sell these enormous shareable breakfast skillets which come with a 6 inch tall pancake, ham, bacon, sausage, sausage gravy and a biscuit, grits (or apples), potatoes, corn pudding, and 2 eggs. Mmm. Moonshine Tastings: We have done both Ole Smokey and Sugarlands, which are the two popular ones. Sugarlands stands out for us because of the way it operates. You all gather around a giant circular bar and enjoy delicious moonshine. It is one of the most fun 15 minutes out there. It costs $5 and that goes directly toward moonshine purchase (and they are stackable, so every 5 people who do the tasting equals a free container of moonshine to enjoy on the trip). Mountain Stuff: Again, these are just the things we have done and are most popular anyway. 1. Clingmans Dome: follow the main road up the mountains in Gatlinburg up to Newfound Gap. There are nice overlooks on the way up (some great spots to catch a sunset). Newfound Gap itself provides nice views, but if you continue until you find Clingmans Dome road you'll follow that even further up to a parking lot and can "hike" up a concrete 0.5 mile path (much steeper and strenuous than you would expect) to a beautiful overlook. 2. Roaring Fork Motor Trail. This is a really peaceful little ride through the lower parts of the mountain. Make sure to pick up the little $1 guide as you enter the loop. My group enjoyed stopping at each numbered marker on the loop and reading the corresponding tidbit. There are various pull offs to see old lodges and a nice little waterfall toward the end. Also the gift shop at the end sells Three Bears coffee which is a Knoxville coffee shop (only outpost in the Smokies is this gift shop). 3. Cades Cove: An hour drive from Gatlinburg. A different kind of motor trail, but equally beautiful. Again, try to grab a guide before you enter for $1. Recommend doing this early as it gets crowded and can be annoying to stop behind people all the time. We saw 7 bears on our way in/during/on our way out from Cades Cove. Lots of old churches, houses, etc. to pull off and see. Can easily break this loop up with a packed lunch about halfway through. 4. Alum Cave Trail: We have hiked probably 6 or so trails now, so by no means are we experts. But our favorite of the bunch by far has been this trail. Not terribly challenging (a little under 5 miles total out and back). Again, best to start this early before it gets hot/crowded. There are two beautiful stops along this trail. First is Arch Rock. You go underneath the arch and there are steps. Further up, you'll reach Alum Cave, which is more of a bluff and offers beautiful views. I echo what others have said. The season pass is a no brainer. You can visit at your leisure (stop in at night or leave midday, etc. and not feel badly about it). Gold Pass helps a lot for food and merchandise discounts, too.

Hey! All sorts of good advice here. Not much to add, really. Fun Spot's late night deals start at 9 PM and save you $15. I don't know if I saw that explicitly written anywhere. Only thing I would suggest and I don't necessarily know if it is in the cards with your current plan...On my arrival and departure days into Orlando I volunteered for six or so hours each day at Give Kids the World. It was such a lovely time and really humbling. Depending on your personalities, you can really get a ton out of the experience. You can request more appealing assignments like Carousel or Train operator, village shuttle driver, late night pizza delivery (they do shifts in evenings and early morning, so it could work out even for just a 6:30-9 AM/PM shift). It is a shameless plug, I know. I had a really nice time there and they always can use a lending hand even if it is just for a 2.5 or 3 hour shift. You can decide impulsively to go as well (just need to clear a quick background check, which you can do a day or two before or just do now if you think there is even a remote possibility of it). Have a great time!

For me, what drew me to travel with TPR to Japan was: 1. Culture/food and Disney 2. Quirky parks and weird dark rides 3. Coasters That’s what drew me in and that’s how I’d rate the trip after going. I enjoyed a lot of the coasters but I’m more of an amusement park guy than a coaster guy. I’d travel to a coaster if it was historical in some way but largely I’m going to parks to see the whole package. I love how they all strike a different balance on flats, dark rides, water rides, and coasters. That, combined with varying levels of theming, different layouts and food/entertainment makes every park a new adventure. Coasters are just the icing on the cake.

I’ve been following them on social media ever since they opened the rink! Is the plan for 2019 to have a handful of small rides like the kiddie wheel and coaster and then the fun house?

Just feeling like I returned from Japan and wanting to return again already has me psyched to see this!

So, obviously a good sign that any new ride is being added. I think this will be a good fit if it goes anywhere near the lake.

Great reports! Been keeping up with them to remind me of what a great time the trip was. Honestly, a swell day at this park. Far exceeded my expectations. Lines were manageable with the fast passes, found Auntie Anne's, had a great lunch at Meat Meet, and enjoyed the Soarin' knockoff quite a bit (especially the pre-show). Looking forward to your Disney Pictures!