chadster

That's a sexy wheel shot Paul!

Come on guys, don't leave me by myself at Worlds of Fun!!!

Thanks to everyone who have donated so far! I'm coming up with a special edition of my vacation adventures that will be tied to donations, details to be announced soon!

Yeah baby, I'm all signed up to ride the worlds most boring hyper for 6 hours to raise money for kids with serious illness, so please, I beg of you, donate and make it worth my while! https://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/chadster/WorldsofFun In that case, please click the link above and donate a few bucks and I'll ride for you!

^Yes, yes you do!

They are also offering a $30 ticket to get in the first two weeks which probably is helping draw the crowds in. Wildfire, Keg, and Thunder all had two trains tho Keg could have really benefited from a third. Not sure what Fire was running. They were also using both arms of the swing which I have rarely seen. According to the dippin dots guy (actually it was the folks running the sandwich shop) told me they were looking at a high attendance day. The parking had the first 5 free lots full and were working on the farthest lot towards the exit to the hwy tho only a dozen cars were in it. The pay lot was also about 90% full as was the handicap lots. One thing I dislike about Wildfire's operations is they wait for the train to completely unload then unbelt any restraints that weren't used on the previous run before letting anyone on board. That 15-20 seconds they waste makes a huge difference in capacity. They seem to treat that ride as if it's gold tho. The line for the burger place on main street easily had 50 people in it at lunch time as did many of the food outlets, goes to show how good their food really is. Over in the exposition you could get on the rides within two cycles minus the kiddie coaster(no, I didn't ride it again ) Another thing to keep in mind is that the major hows were not in operation, that could be another reason the ride lines were long.

Thanks R.D.! The TIV was certainly the highlight of the weekend. The side panels and the spikes are lowered mechanically using hydro's. The vehicle itself uses airbags which also assist in planting it on the ground. They have gone on dirt roads but as you can imagine, it doesn't fare well in the mud. Unfortunately they are still under contract with Discovery until April 1st and can't really talk about the show until then. However I believe that while they are sad to see it go, the drama that was injected by the producers and those wanting face time (primarily Reed) drove it to the point that viewership started on the decline. All in all I think they are glad its gone Sean though was just a normal guy and I was able to talk to him for a good fifteen minutes. I do think you hit the nail on the head, the editing room helped portray him as someone he's not. Thanks Chris, I didn't really notice the look-a-like sign until you pointed it out! I figured you'd like that Ford pic Your Welcome! Thanks for reading! Thanks! And yeah, those footers are sprouting like weeds! The train conductor suggested in about two months they will make an official announcement but I would suspect if they start going vertical they may need to make that announcement a little sooner. I love that they are precast, dig a hole, throw in some gravel, level it out and bam! Insta footer! The flying carpet is indeed still there with a partial cover on it waiting for someone to give it a new home. I plan on going back for World Fest, they are adding Italia this year that looks interesting. If gas hits $4+ I might have to reconsider tho

^They were selling quite a few of those passes on Sunday as the park was jammed! They were offering two types, The "Trailblazer Pass" gets you 8 front of line rides for $25 while the "Trailblazer Super Pass" gets you unlimited rides for $50. The pass I saw most around the necks of people was the $25 pass. Prices are tax inclusive. According this weeks Pathfinder(If you want one, PM me and I'll send it up) the rides included are: American Plunge (Line was out to the beginning of the queue) Fire-In-The-Hole (Line was past its outside queue) The Giant Swing Lost River of the Ozarks (About a 45 minute to 1 hour wait) PowderKeg (Easy 1 hour wait) RiverBlast Thunderation (Walkon) WildFire (all switchbacks were full, about a 30 minute wait)

I guess it's either this or I sit in the hotel all day, which is not cool.

HEHEHEHE I'm a whore...

Finally wrapping up my adventure for this week was a meet and great with Sean Casey, IMAX Filmmaker(Check his works on IMDB), Tornado Intercept Vehicle I and II designer, builder, and owner, and star of the Discovery Channel show "Storm Chasers" His recent movie, "Tornado Alley" was an impressive work that ends with the filming on the inside of a large tornado. His personality on camera matches his in-person personality. Very relaxed and personable. Despite having notoriety he is the kind of guy you could have a beer with, watch a football game with, or go fishing and you would never know he was a celebrity. Some interesting notes from my conversation with him: *TIV II gets 10 miles per gallon *When traveling for appearances promoting "Tornado Alley" TIV II is towed via trailer. *The original TIV is growing old in a field in Kansas *Currently working on shooting the sequel to "Tornado Alley" in 3D *Will begin chasing for 2012 in May *When on Mythbusters the "other guy" requested his vehicle be tethered to the plane during the high end 160mph wind test. They granted his request but left 20 feet of slack in the cable. When the engines reached full throttle the other vehicle started to slide and snapped the tethering cable and then sucked up towards the plane's engines. The TIV, however, stayed put with no damage. *Asked about how it felt to live out his dream he responded by saying it felt wonderful and gave him the feeling of wanting more, which is what he's doing by filming the sequel. All around great guy. Check out the pictures below of the TIV and of some recent damage to Branson. ENJOY! And feel free to post your comments! On my way to the Branson IMAX I decided to take a moment and drive through town. Afterall the IMAX is literally within eyesight of Celebration City, but I really wanted to see once again the powerful destructive forces that a tornado can bring. the low end motels didn't fare too well Over two weeks later the carnage was everywhere. This is the Shoney's that was on the news quite a bit Special photo for ChrisRad Stuff was literally blown blocks away More or less leveled Very sad indeed. Many people left from my city to assist in the days after with some still there. They will rebuild, that's for certain. And one of the guys who not only films these beasts but also helps collect weather related data just happened to be in town! Why look, its Sean Casey and I with the TIV! What a massive beast How amazing is it to see something that's not only been on International television but has also driven through multiple tornadoes! So lets take a look under the hood. This is where Sean normally sits. And this is the turret This would be how thick the door is Did I mention he made this beast himself using a modified Dodge truck chassis? For the seat enthusiasts above the drivers seat. Wiring was everywhere, I imagine some of it was left over from the Discovery cameras and equipment. More thickness shots. Roof shot How about a nice overview These spikes lower into the ground to prevent movement as a tornado passes over it. lets move over to the passenger side. and the passenger floor looking towards the rear. Sean didn't mind people climbing in and getting up close and personal which was really awesome. A few close ups of the turret The 3D camera mounts here. random crap And for the car nerds, I have a series of under shots And there you have it, bye TIV! Thanks to Sean and the Branson IMAX for their hospitality! And another item checked off my bucket list! Hope you enjoyed this in depth look at this modern marvel. Be sure to post and let me know what you think!

Moving on after Silver Dollar City was a stop at the defunct Celebration City to check out the disassembly of Thunderbolt, have a look. Oh, and don't forget to post your thoughts and comments such as how long do you think it will be before they are finished taking apart Thunderbolt, how's the weather, what did you have for dinner, when was the last time you've been to Branson, what would you do.... You think? Almost down And here we have track pieces and track pieces with the one support piece that has been removed thus far and random other stuff like stairs and a catwalk more random parts let's get a little closer shall we? Look, they have a crane! And torch supplies! And some sexy lift hill porn. But now let's go take a look around the park. At least they are keeping the yard mowed. One kiddie ride, no waiting. One OzCat, rotting. pretty sure the steel would need to be replaced it's showing a lot of rust compared to two years ago I would however like to ride it, maybe with skates? or not. I'd hate to fall face forward and splat all over the place. So I will leave that for that other idiot. Speaking of leaving, it's time to go meet up with Sean Casey and the Tornado Intercept Vehicle! Photos coming up soon!

Whohoo! It's here, construction, food, and rides from Silver Dollar City! Opening weekend of SDC did not disappoint and this past Sunday the park was packing them in. The people were friendly, food was amazing (you'll see that here!) and the Rocky Mountain crew is hard at work on the super secret coaster going in! One note, this year the park is not allowing eye wear, tethered or not, onto Wildfire siting an incident at a different park where someone had their eye poked out by flying glasses. Not sure where that happened, anyone know more? Also as a bonus I have disassembly photos over at Celebration City, a few of what the defunct park looks like today AND I got to meet Sean Casey IMAX film maker, producer of "Tornado Alley" and star of the Discovery Channels "Storm Chasers" and got up close and personal with the TIV (Tornado Intercept Vehicle) So batten down the hatches, slip into your frady hole and enjoy this multi part adventure! Well shimmer me timbers, where am on this magnificent day? According to the train, I'm at Silver Dollar City! Yup, pretty sure that's were we are today. Why? Well maybe because I can, but mostly for the food. Oh, and that little thing called dirt. Because we all like dirt right? Even the Irishmen in the second row. Over by this here barn swing we find... Earth Movers! Yay Looking through the fence we find.....DIRT! Oh yeah, and some concrete going in. But before I look at more dirt, man am I hungry. So, I thought I'd pop in over here. OMFG Amazing! So after some yummy cinnamon bread with icing, it was time to cool off, after all it was 80 degrees outside and by gosh I'm melting. Oh, and the line for train was like an hour. Look! I found the 'Lost River'! "Oh @^#!(^(!$!#)&^!)*!#^" "GET IT AWAY FROM ME!!!" But man, all that water riding has me hungry again... So I decided to walk around and figure out what to eat, do I try a skillet with ham or chicken, squash, okra, onions and peppers or string beans? Or should I get some fresh grilled sausage or a turkey leg? Or this? So many choices! Like these potatoes on a stick! Wow, philly chesse and hand formed burger patties! SDC and Dollywood prove beyond a doubt you can have quality inexpensive food in a theme park! I think I gained 5 pounds... They even deep fry their own pork! Such amazing food!! All those good eats (which by the way, all were under 9 bucks) have made me want to sit and digest. So why not sit on the train. Where you can find the lost river again. Wait a minute... I know what's behind the swinging barn... Why it's construction equipment, imagine that. It was shocking to me in fact. DIRT!!!! GRAVEL! It's never good to be a tree when you are wrapped in orange. more random dirt Now it's getting more better! Pre-fab footers for a wooden structure have been harvested! And there are a ton of them growing out of the ground! Like a TON! Ah crap. A hold up. At least they have an out house, you know, after all that food... Right down yonder they r buildin' one them rolling coaster things, but man is they scarey, I'ain't a ridin it Construction office!!! And a concrete doomsday bunker! Or maybe it's a tornado shelter...what? Too soon? See, that pile of wood proves it's going to be a wooden coaster. You saw it here. So work your magic Mr. Dozer cause I think we are all going to really like what you're building! And before I left....yeah, I took a few loafs home.. Be on the lookout for Celebration City pictures coming up in a few!

That's what I heard too, kinda pathetic really and too bad for Knotts. They are such great hosts. I imagine the low numbers are quite the disappointment.

At California prices you'll need a loan

Thanks Bean, and congrats on your first TPR post! As you uncle I'm happy it's in my thread! Windex is not very healthy, I'd stay away from it for the next 21 years, maybe by then it will have morphed into something healthy. Thanks! I thought it was fitting! Best part, he had NO idea I was filming it, he thought I was only taking stills. I'm pretty sure I'll never be able to get away with it again. Yeah, it was all photoshopped, totally fake.....NOT! Coming up Monday 3/19/12 Construction Pictures from Silver Dollar City, what's left at Celebration City, and I get to meet Sean Casey and get up close and personal with the Tornado Intercept Vehicle!

Sorry it took an hour to get food, that is not normal. At all. Can't believe you passed up the log flume, shame.

Just think tho guys, when you brake, you get thrown into the lapbar and you brake while traveling backwards. So the question is now, how many g's does you body experience when you brake? Knowing that should help explain to those that are curious on why OTSRs won't be needed for launch purposes. I'm not a mathematical genius so I can't run the numbers **Edit - A.J. pounded at the numbers and came up with about 1.0G's of deceleration at the brakes so it would appear on paper that the launch with no over the shoulder boulder holders shouldn't be an issue**

Airfare to DFW is cheap AJ, come on down!

Drove by over there over the weekend. More parts have arrived for the structure but not everything is in the holding area yet. New wood is being installed on WildCat at the bottom of the first drop and some additional clearing/dirt work is being done north of the guest parking lot. Not saying it won't be open by Memorial Day, but they have a ton of work ahead of them with the rainy season knocking on the door.

Reliable inside in the know sources whom I also believe leaked it to Screamscape.

Hate to be the good news ferry, but no OTSR's for backwards freeze is the word.

VIDEO! Yeah, I know, it was filmed sideways, but trust me, anyone who has a Canon T2i or T3i will know that is very easy to switch to video mode without someone noticing, and that's what I had to do to get this video, otherwise he'd have caught on stopped, well, he did catch on when I pulled out the real video camera...anyway here it is!

Wow, that is all.

Prior to West Coast Bash I partook in a nice prelude event at Disneyland and DCA with a large group of fellow TPR peeps who probably don't even remember what the hell happened that night. Well, now is their chance to relive it, in color. Get it? In living color. I made a joke. haha. So because I know you all learn better from looking at pictures and reading captions, here they are Video POSTED of Shawn dancing at elecTRONica on Page 48! Ahh. Disneyland. Welcome to the happiest place in L.A. Quick, everyone get a photo of the train station because really, there are no other places to take them in the park. If you have a cold, cut finger, broken heart, or just plain lazy, stop off here and get a handicap pass. Jokes on you tho as everyone else does it too and lines will be LONGER than the regular lines. But go ahead, if it makes you feel special, do it. Look! Its construction way! So this is what happened to #4, it all makes sense now. Ahhh memories, old school memories. Screw this, let's fly over to DCA. Look its the crew from Pan Am! I have to say, I was somewhat glad to move over to DCA, it's much more relaxing, gives me time to reflect on things... Such as, when are they going to take the loop out? and, why is the room spinning? Why look, its JoJo! And she's found her Windex drink! Windex fixes everything you know. "I LOVE MY WINDEX DRINKS!" "OMG, it tastes like windex" Which of these did Jojo polish off? Post your guesses now! So now that everyone was nice and buzzed (not drunk, buzzed) it was time to check into the hotel. It is still a mystery today of what happened to our on ride photo... By the power vested in me, change to night! And my favorite place in all of DCA, TRON! "Mmmmm, Vegans" "Oh gawd" Whoohooo, it's TRON Time! Look at my magic glass everyone! Um, Caesar, your date is behind you. Rock Paper Scissors to see who gets to go home with Jo! "I swear to you Jo, it's this long" This is what things start to look like when you've had a few Seriously, this place kicks ass. Party food foul! "Fifteen second rule" "I'm telling you, it starts here and goes out to here" "Yeah, ok" "It's about to get funky!" Go Shawn, it's your birthday, get down with your bad self Do a little dance, make a little love, get down tonight "Hey David, watch this!" Now the rooms spinning, weeeeeee Jo just found out it really wasn't that long afterall... What in the hell is Shawn doing?!?! This lighted glass has magical powers! Not sure what you call this dance move... I have no words... ummmmm, WTF?!?! "So this is what it feels like to dress up as Fun Ship Freddy" "Do you like my boobies?" If you like Shawn's new boobies, post something! David, wrong boobies! "When you rub my headlights like that, it turns them on" "I've got magic light up ice cubes and suction cup boobies" Shawn is showing us how it's done with his magic light up ice cubes! Want to see video of Shawn?!?! Comment and tell me! So now that everyone is nice and beyond buzzed, it's time for a ride on Hollywood Tower! TPR Takeover of the right side! And with that, DCA is closed and we stumble to our hotels/apartments. What a night, loved every minute of it, good friends, good laughs, good times! Thanks DCA for a great evening!