USCoaster

The last day Cyclone will be operating is the 20th. They are letting season pass holders ride it for two hours at the end of the day but I believe that is the only thing that is planned right now.

The traffic signs were something they started this past weekend. I think the thought behind them is people might pay attention if they are amusing. I smiled every time I passed one this weekend. (I always use my blinkah.) I am not liking the reviews of the new Goliath trains. I will have to head out there soon to try them out. It was always one of my favorite rides at SFMM and at SFNE.

And smoother. It is supposed to open with its new trains before Memorial Day. Testing has been going well. BIZARROS AUDIO IS WORKING PERFECTLY!!!! Can you actually hear it on that bizarro? The first time I rode the one at great adventure it still had the audio but I couldn't hear it at all (except for the lift, MCBR and brake run) You usually can't but they have it working at the volume level that they want. I'm so excited. At least they're trying! The speakers worked during both of my rides on opening day and you could hear it the entire way through the course. My only complaint is once you hit the brake run at the end, the music keeps playing at full volume until you enter the station. Its almost uncomfortable with the speakers right behind your head blasting the music. I feel like they could just cut the audio once you hit the brakes and it would be much more enjoyable.

^ I think it was closed most if not all of the season. I was there opening day last year when they had first moved the Season Pass processing to its current location in Whistlestop Park and First Aid to the location near Hurricane Harbor. I seem to remember the shortcut being closed at that time since there wasn't a need to provide easy access to First Aid. As for Goliath, I don't think it will be open this weekend. The station platform looked like it was full of water dummies and other stuff and while I was at the park, there were people working on it in the station, and at various points in the day, up in different sections of the two towers. NESS looks like most of the actual ride and ride platform are ready but the queue is still under construction in the former Catapult area. Some thoughts I had regarding the rest of the park. First, Bizarro, Mind Eraser and Batman were all running 2 trains the entire time I was there. Cyclone really needs the topper track from the top of the lift through the first drop. It was pretty rough in the back seat today. I know I was probably asking for it by riding in that seat, but the topper track sections were noticeably smoother. Bizarro was running well but they seemed to be having trouble getting the train dispatched due lap bars not being down far enough. It appeared that the only person who was able to tell if they were in the correct position was the operator in the booth and she kept having to lean down a squint to see if the display said it was OK. I'm not sure if it was just glare on the monitor or what, but it definitely slowed the process down a lot.

I'm playing and so far I like the extra level of quests required to complete the tasks. It adds a little more depth and potentially could help keep minor characters involved later in the game. I will say the dragging the task to the person may become tedious if you ever end up setting people on tasks while waiting for the next update. I also managed to mess up the Facebook sign in on my game. I backed out of linking it to Facebook and now every time I try to log in, Consuela pops up and says no. Right after I posted this, I checked in the "Help and Support" section of the Main Menu and it told me how to fix it.)

Considering construction is done and the park has posted pictures of the swings being lifted into the air, I think it will probably be earlier than the "opening this summer" posted on the website but I'm not expecting them to be ready for opening day. I don't know if I've heard of any reports of the ride actually testing yet. To be honest though, I'm not worried about when it opens because I will never get on it (other than I really don't want to be in the park on the ride's opening day).

I broke down and bought 10 spins last night and got snowman Lisa, Maggie, Homer and Grandpa, Christmas Skinner House, Claus and Co (should finish building sometime after midnight) and $4000. I may be convinced to buy another 10 depending on how the next couple spins go.

So far I have 'won' a second Marge snowman and 2 $1000 prizes.

How do you find the status of the global gift giving? I haven't seen it since the first time when the global quest was introduced. I'm assuming that the gift giving levels are so high and the free gifts are relatively low to try go convince users to spend donuts to get more gifts.

^ Check the very far right in the Christmas items page in the build menu. I know that I was just able to buy the Xmas decorations for the Volcano Lair (which I didn't have last year). It cost me donuts, but I think that it may have been the same setup last year for some of the houses.

I try to get in every night or every other night at a minimum but it's starting to feel a bit tedious sometimes. I don't think this version is going to hold my attention as long as the previous DS version did.

Check the App Store. I just downloaded the update and the dialog started as soon as Springfield came up. There will be a lot of visiting other towns with this update. (And I think either the boardwalk issue may have been fixed or I accidentally tapped on the last tile.)

Halloween is a lot of work. I did just figure out that you can scare villagers in other towns to get lollypops so that makes it a bit easier to complete the Creepy Furniture series that Jack gives you.

I had to pass the fashion check 4 times before she decided to open up shop.

I just got back from seeing Pet Shop Boys at House of Blues in Boston. It was a great show and a nice mix of classic and new music. I've been trying to see them for years and my schedule (or theirs in the case of the canceled show at the Hollywood Bowl that I had tickets for) just never worked out so it was great to finally get to see them live.

I'm not a big pumpkin beer fan but last year I developed a taste for Shipyard's Pumpkinhead (I think it may be something to do with the cinnamon rim they sometimes put on the glass) so when I saw Shipyard's Smashed Pumpkin sitting on the shelf in Whole Foods, I had to grab a bottle. I must say that I am pretty impressed and despite it being very pumpkin tasting, I would actually drink it again. Shipyard Brewing Co, Smashed Pumpkin

Six Flags New England's "Out in the Park" is this Saturday the 14th but it appears to have just gone to a normal operating Saturday with 4 hours of ERT from 8-midnight. I might head out on Saturday since they seem to be honoring Season Passes (if you tell them you are there for Out in the Park when you enter the park, I guess they are going to let you stay for the ERT) but I'm not sure if I will last long enough to get the ERT. The drive back to Boston would be rough if I leave the park at midnight.

I'm considering heading down to the park on Monday or Tuesday for the first time. Any advice on crowds and/or which coasters to hit first, etc?

SFMM uses the same weekend only schedule during the winter. Hopefully SFDK is able to better manage their train rehab so that all trains are available during the busiest months.

I like the idea of SFDK being open year round because the weather is almost never that bad in the bay area. That said, my only worry is that it will result in a similar situation to SFMM's train rehab schedule.

The slingshots send out 2 and 3 shots depending on silver or gold. I think the net and fishing rods make it easier to catch bugs/fish (I think the net gets a bigger "catch zone" and the fishing rods have a slightly longer trigger time when a fish bites). The axes are stronger and makes special patterns in the stumps. I'm not sure what the shovel does. The watering cans water more flowers each time you use them.

^Maybe its just a weekend thing? When I was there on Monday they have both trains running and I don't think I saw a single security guard in the station or line. That said, the line never made it past the first set of shaded switchbacks outside the station. I'm not sure about running one train though. That is crazy on a weekend.

^I was there on Monday, but I may get in the car and drive out from Boston tomorrow. (It gives me something to do besides trying not to buy a laptop or new cell phone on the Tax Free holiday this weekend.) If you need a ride still, give me a call in the morning and I'll head in that direction. See PM...

^ palm trees you may have to get some from another town's island. I should have some on my trees either tomorrow or sunday night.

I seem to remember liking Canyon Blaster in the front seat. Its not an amazing ride, but it is a fun little mine train with some decent landscaping and theme around the main part of the ride. (I know it would be a lot of money to spend on an old ride, but a tunnel over part of the track could add some extra thrill to the ride.) Of the two rides I had on Comet on Sunday I preferred the one in the front seat. The first drop was definitely better in the back seat but the front seat had some nice floater air over a couple of the smaller hills and entered the turns fast enough to give you some decent laterals. My ride in the back seat was definitely soured by the lap bar dropping at the bottom of the first drop resulting in a bit of a gut punch every time the train would try to launch me into the air.