pvcoasterguy

Exactly. What if... With continual maintainence, it would be assured that the rubber seal would not break. And, that recent drop tower accident in which the "cable" snapped did not have a backup, either. But, that cable has continual wear and tear on it. A rubber seal would not, and there is no friction of moving parts. Yes, I'm sure the rubber seal could be affected by the friction of the air, but it wouldn't be terribly much friction. It's extremely unlikely that it would fail.

OMG! That ride looks crazy! But, would that ride really need a safety backup? The whole air-resistance thing seems pretty fail-safe. I don't think it would be possible for the ride's braking to fail.

Dollywood looks really nice. I need to get down there sometime. Nice TR!

^ Six Flags Great America isn't bad by any means. In fact, it's probably one of the best (and most underrated) parks in this country. Quite a few of the original rides are still in the park, it is run well, quite a bit of the original scenery is there, and it has expanded well. It's actually a great park.

LOL... great job! The Dan one is so funny!

I liked the theme of the ride and the use of the OMNIMAX screen. Unfortunately, the ride left much to be desired. I'm sad... it was rough, but the theme and OMNIMAX was worth enduring the beating the ride provided.

^ Yep. The link was posted in this thread on the last page. The POV/queue line walkthrough is located here: http://www.jtcent.com/disneysea/american/amwtot.html

^ LOL... "Call to your mama." Other point of this post: almightyfire, I see you're relatively new to the boards. Please use correct spelling and puncuation in posts, and don't overuse caps. Internet shorthand isn't good either... don't use it. Gracias! It makes TPR better for everyone, including yourself.

^ Our crappy little Canadair Regional Jet that we get all the time at my local airport was freaking scary. We were on the tarmac at O'Hare, waiting for clearance due to storms near my home airport. All of a sudden there was this piercing, loud, prolonged, high-pitched beeping noise coming from the row behind me (the emergency exit row). It continued on for about 30 seconds before it subsided. Then, it did it again. And one more time after that. We had no idea what the hell was going on, and it was a tad concerning. Those jets are total POS's... they are really uncomfortable and unreliable.

I'm sure I've told this story before, but it's always worth telling. In it's last year in the park, I got my first (and only) ride on Shockwave. And I loved it. It was as smooth as glass, and I was sitting in the very last row. It was incredibly intense, and the only place of roughness I had was the turn into the MCBR. Definately one of my most memorable coaster moments. If the Arrows ran like that all the time, they would be amazing rides, as the design of them is good. It's just the roughness that kills their rides sometimes. But really, that was one amazing ride. And, I got a really good ride on Iron Wolf last year. It was in the very front row, and it showed what Iron Wolf could really do. The second half of that ride is incredibly intense and is just really insane. I love the American Eagle! Great America has been running it really well the past couple years, especially this year. The brakes are on very light throughout the course, and the helix was really forceful this year. Airtime city on Red's out and return run. Blue is okay, but it's just not as good. Front seat = awesomness on the American Eagle. Smooth, intense, fun ride.

Le Monstre looks like it could be an amazing, though it has sucky trains. Imagine Millenium Flyers on that thing... it could probably rival some of GCI's best designs. Cause it looks insane with helices of doom and stuff... How was it though? Could you give us a review, cause hardly anything is said about this amazing looking coaster. BTW, this was the better TR.

Ah... another Cobb that runs great in the rain. The Tornado at Adventureland (Iowa) runs amazingly in the rain. The thing was going so incredibly fast, the ride was smooth, and there was a ton of airtime with buzz bars. (Especially in the front row/car.) Unfortunately it's a very tempermental coaster, so it usually runs just "okay."

Nice... There were simply way too many birthdays up there.

Thanks to whoever moved the post/new topic I made! Couldn't find this thread. Anyway... ^^ Didn't think about that, but now that I do, it makes a lot of sense! I also think this is a better story than what we have in the states. ^ Um... yeah. I don't think so. Elissa doesn't need anymore self-adopted 12-year-old stalkers/weirdos.

Sigh... Loose articles are very dangerous. Please follow park rules with loose articles... please. Zippered or velcroed cargo pockets are your friend.

Today the new Tower of Terror opened at Tokyo DisneySea, and I just wanted to say that this version looks amazing. The story is far different from that of the current US versions, but in a good way. In fact, I feel it is a better storyline. Ride's official story: "Anyone who visits American Waterfront will soon find their gaze irresistibly drawn to the unique form of the lofty Hotel Hightower. The building's unusual design and extraordinary proportions were symbols of the wealth and power of its notorious creator, antiquities collector Harrison Hightower III, and indeed the stories of the man and the hotel are inextricably linked. After inheriting his father's mansion, Harrison Hightower III decided to renovate his home, adding gardens, a pool and spa, the five-story "Caliph's Tower," the eight-story "Indian Tower," with its many guestrooms and a ballroom, and finally the 14-story "Great Tower," in which Hightower kept his personal apartments in the penthouse suite. Although the overall style of the hotel is Gothic, to a certain extent there are elements of other architectural styles from all over the world. Also, as a further testament to his greatness, Hightower installed many artifacts he had acquired during his globe-spanning expeditions in various places around the hotel. Harrison Hightower III was a collector of cultural antiquities. Accompanied by his valet, Mr. Smelding, he traveled to every continent to collect his curiosities, including Asia, Europe, South America and Oceania. Once he found an artifact he wanted, he would use any method available to acquire it, including on occasion outright plunder. In 1899, Hightower embarked on the most hazardous expedition of his life, heading up the Congo River and into the dangerous parts of uncharted Africa. Though his intention was to collect the art and craftwork of the region, Hightower soon found himself the object of attacks by hostile local tribes, and many members of his team lost their lives. Then one day, Hightower's severely reduced party was chased into the area of the dreaded Mtundu tribe. Though greatly feared by neighboring tribes, the Mtundu welcomed Harrison Hightower's ill-fated expedition quite cordially, and actually invited the adventurers to eat with them. During the meal, Hightower learned of the existence of the tribe's protective idol. The statue was called "Shiriki Utundu," and Harrison Hightower wanted it for his own. He tried to persuade the village headman to sell him the idol, but was refused, which only served to increase his desire. He then told his men to prepare for battle, and grabbing Shiriki Utundu from its altar, stole the idol and escaped the village. The expedition was nervous and afraid that the many warriors of the Mtundu tribe would pursue and attack them, but strangely they only stood by and watched expressionlessly as Hightower took their idol. Some thought they may even have been slightly smiling… On December 31, 1899, Harrison Hightower III was back in New York and held a press conference in his private office at Hotel Hightower to unveil his latest "find." Manfred Strang, a reporter from the New York Globe-Telegraph, asked if Shiriki Utundu wasn't really cursed, but was then thrown out of the building. After that, Hightower was his usual bombastic self, giving a heroic description of his adventure and allowing no real questions. That evening, he gave a spectacular New Year's Eve party to celebrate his return from Africa. Though the party was a success, Hightower left early to find a place for Shiriki Utundu in his penthouse apartment. As Hightower boarded the elevator, Mr. Smelding warned him to give proper respect to the idol. Hightower refused to pay heed, and, sneering in defiance, even put out his cigar on Shiriki Utundu's head! As the clock struck midnight, all lights in the hotel went out and the party was plunged into darkness. People outside witnessed a dazzling green light bursting out from Harrison Hightower's rooms at the top of the hotel. From the top floors to the bottom, the benighted hotel was pierced by hundreds of thousands of volts of electricity. The arched windows in front shattered with a loud crash, causing broken glass and other debris to rain down on the onlookers below. Small fires had broken out, and panicked party guests scrambled to escape, with many injured in the rush. However, the most astonishing thing of all was that Harrison Hightower III, who should have been in his rooms at the top of the hotel, abruptly disappeared without a trace. With the explosion on the top floors, the cables of the hotel elevator were also cut, and Harrison Hightower III was heard screaming in fright. The only thing that was found in the remains of the shattered elevator, though, was Shiriki Utundu. Harrison Hightower was gone. Had Hightower somehow escaped from the elevator unharmed, or was he not even riding it when it crashed? Could he have been transported away somewhere? No one knows the truth. After Mr. Hightower's mysterious disappearance the hotel was closed down. People in New York began calling it the "Tower of Terror." For 13 years no one dared to enter the hotel until the New York City Preservation Society, led by its president and founder, Miss Beatrice Rose Endicott, began a plan to offer tours of the building to the public. The Society hopes that through its efforts people will again appreciate the architectural beauty of the hotel and the cultural value of the treasures in Harrison Hightower's collection. Still, dark rumors persist amongst the people of New York. Some say how they saw the "strange, green lights" on that fateful night, while others recall hearing "a terrible scream." The passage of time seems only to have increased the mystery surrounding Hotel Hightower." (Photo courtesy of Disney) (Disney concept art/found at Wikipedia) (Potential Spoliers Ahead) Anyway, there is a great article over at MiceAge that tells a great plot overview of the ride, and there is a video of the ride here: http://www.jtcent.com/disneysea/american/amwtot.html I just think this ride looks great, far above the current Towers we have now.

Ah... I love EPCOT. Looks like you had fun! (600th post!)

Ouch... that would be awful. Why would they make you do that?

It reminds me of when the Amazing Race was coming out of a great season... ratings were high, and everyone was talking about it. Then they decided to do the family edition, and ratings nosedived after about the first two episodes because it was so dumb. The ratings only became marginally better for this past season (with the hippies). It'll flop.

^^^ That's one of the best ways I've heard it put, ever. Very nice.

I would personally strangle that guy... Airports are loud and obnoxious enough as is... we don't need someone making it worse. And yes, I would for sure classify that as "airport hell."

^^ I actually found that, when I went to SFGAm just last month, that the Demon crew was hauling ass. Trains were continually being dispatched, and even though the line was out to the cave from the lift (with no switchbacks), it only took about 10 minutes. It was great. The ride itself was bumpy, but nothing terrible. In fact, it was actually an enjoyable ride, and my non-coaster-freak friend said that it was good, and I had to agree, as it was. Pretty darn good for a ride about 30 years old. Also adding to the good experience was the fact that the Demon song was playing in the queue, which made it really fun and retro.

Ewww... Why would you want something that has had 10,000 asses on it? And we're talking at a theme park, meaning sweaty and/or wet butts. Gross. And what could you possibly do with the cushions? Get some better theme park merchandise than a cushion from a coaster. Eww.

I actually like the Arrow corkscrews of doom. Nice pictures. BGT was a really nice park, and ShaKira was awesome. (Yes, I refuse to call it SheiKra.)

Whoa, Demon's logo looks really cool. The one at Six Flags Great America is still the original (with creepy eyes) on the trains, but that one looks pretty darn good. Nice TR! If Six Flags would just put the resources and cash into the entertainment departments, they could pull off a great parade/show.