chauncey
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Posts posted by chauncey
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On another note, I really do like the report. Well done. I'm hoping to make it down there late this year, so I appreciate the comprehensiveness of the report.Nice report, I enjoy seeing different parts of the park as you showcased here. Sometimes, when going through an entire report, its the random pictures of paths and trees that give you a feel for the park. I know it does for me here, and when i'm going through my own pictures that I have taken.Nice report, nice photos.Those Manta pics are AMAZING!!On a positive note, the last section of Manta pics looked good.
thanks y'all — your kind words are very much appreciated!
i'm going to try and get the rest of the photos up some time today, although i'm still debating whether or not to put up the Shark Encounter photos (you can't really see anything, but i think they're sort of beautiful in an abstract way, and it still gives a good sense of the atmosphere of the place. hmm…)
as for the debate…
i've read the rules of this site, i think i understand them, and i honestly think i'm following them! i do use good grammar and spelling, i do proof read and spellcheck, i do try to make my posts easy to read and understand, and as strange as it may sound, i do capitalize plenty! go back read my original post in this topic — there's capitalized letters everywhere (although perhaps not everywhere you'd like them…)
what frustrates me is that i've been here since forever, practically, and i've typed like this since forever, practically, and the only time it's become an issue is right here, right now, in this topic, which is frankly the last place i'd have wanted it to happen (i want people to be focusing on my report, not getting into a debate on grammar, style, and the rules of TPR!)
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i'm so jealous — it wasn't running at all when i went, and i spent the whole day hoping to see it run just once! great pictures, too…
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i just have to say it: this is probably my favorite topic of all time, on any forum! i love all of those great old wooden coasters (my coaster obsession actually began with them), and all of these incredible photos just bring tears to my eyes (yes, i'm one of those guys who takes coasters way too seriously!) thank you so much for sharing them!
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Look! I can now write like a second grader! I am sure my mother will be very proud of me, the women will all adore me, the mods will not banish me and we can all live happily ever after! Is it not amazing?
I cannot go to sleep so I have decided to post more photographs of Manta:
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i'm not being lazy, or even intentionally using poor grammar because i think it's cool, or something, i'm simply writing in the way which makes the most sense to me, and which best allows me to express myself
Seriously, using poor grammar to "express yourself" is simply one of the most foolish things I've ever heard of. Honestly, you don't realize how stupid that sounds?
"Look at me, I write like a first grader" is probably not the best approach to being rebellious. But yeah, good luck with that.
sheesh! i said it was a crappy trip-report, didn't i? what did you expect, e e cummings?
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^ Dude, no one is threatening you. Just capitalize properly like everyone else. Proper grammar leads to more credence on your reports. And trust me, we all know how much work goes into these. Don't you want people to read it, and not just look at the pictures? Poor grammar, like what you've written won't get that. I actually breezed right over most of it because I found it difficult to read.
look, i'm honestly sorry that you find my writing hard to read, but i just as honestly find your writing hard to read! and i promise i'm not saying that to pick a fight (i'm really not in the mood for a fight!)
i also know all about “proper grammar”, namely: it doesn't actually exist! read two different style guides and each will tell you two different things, and read the same style guide from two different eras and each will tell you different things, and so on, and so on — capitalization as we know it today hasn't always been a part of the English language, and it likely won't be forever, and the notion that there's some “Official Way To Use The English Language” is kind of ridiculous!
now, yes, i will concede that capitalization of the first letter in sentences and “i” is currently well established within the English language, but i just honestly don't think it should be, and i'm doing my best to get rid of it! i'm not being lazy, or even intentionally using poor grammar because i think it's cool, or something, i'm simply writing in the way which makes the most sense to me, and which best allows me to express myself (as i'm sure you do, and everyone does.)
oh, and i was joking about the “threat” thing…
And you might want to check this list, about half way down the page:I think you'll see I'm not a random person here.
i knew that, and i didn't necessarily mean “random” as a put-down, or whatever, i just meant that there's a difference between a minor annoyance of a few people, and a major problem with a majority of people! if this is a problem you can overlook (as i'll assume all of the other mods have throughout my time here!), fine, but if it isn't…
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i'm not sure if i'll have a chance to post any more photos tonight, so, for those of you left who don't completely hate my guts (thank you!), here's a few more pictures (including some actual coaster photos!):
and here's the show!
Kraken through the roof!
here's a close up of Kraken taken from my seat at the show!
Kraken through the pirate ship!
i don't know why, but i liked this shot, so it's here.
this is what you see of Kraken as you enter the Sealion And Otter Stadium!
i've never seen a line here before! can someone please explain this to me?
the indoor shark encounter photographs are pretty awful, and i'm not sure if i'm even going to post them, but here are a few from outside that turned out fine!
this was closed today, so, unfortunately, no photos from here! it still looks nice, though, i think…
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well, let me put it this way: because i honestly care even less about what a couple of random people think! if more than a few select people have a problem with me and the way i write, or if TPR itself has a problem with me and the way i write (like if i'm threatened with a ban, or something!), then i'll happily just leave quietly, and move on to other sites — but, for now, i've gotten as many compliments as complaints for this TR, so i'll keep on posting when i can!
but, technically, i'm still on my break, so not now! resizing and converting and posting all of these pictures is more work than it seems, especially since i'm kind of beat from having gone to Adventure Island this afternoon and SeaWorld the day before…
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and, now that i've finished supper, i bring you part three! how many parts will there be? i don't have a clue — as many as i can get in before i run out of photos, or get banned for my improper capitalization!
i love these guys! no, i've never tried their beer (or anyone elses!), but they've been a part of my life for so long, since i've lived so near Busch Gardens for my entire life! i think i'm living in a different zip code for the first time in my life right now, but i'm actually now on the same street (although, it's a big street!) i'll be miserable if these parks ever have to leave the Busch fold…
yes, more boring crap! sorry, but there probably won't be any more cool coaster pictures in part 3!
these have been a highlight of my visits to Busch Gardens and SeaWorld since i was a tiny little baby! how tiny? i still remember when Busch Gardens had a Festhaus, and when the Festhaus still had the Oktoberfest show! i also remember the brewery, the dolphin show, the belly dancers, the monorail, the Questor, and all the other cool crap they've since ripped out! but, they've still got the horses (although i wonder how long they'll last if these parks gets bought by another company?)
horses! yeah, i suck even worse at writing captions than i do at taking photos, or capitalizing letters!
Here Comes The King…
wait, that looks like it might actually be something to do other than take stupid pictures of trees and bushes!
trees through the bushes!
bushes through the trees!
through the tree's shadow! again, i just liked this picture…
fountain the ride?
here's a shot of the Shamu Express train and lift! only, uh, crooked…
kiddie coasters screw with my equilibrium! or maybe they just bring out my inner Orson Welles?
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It's not a bad trip report.
However, we do insist that you use proper grammar on the TPR Forums. Like capitalizing. (Hint, hint)
uh, technically i've been around here for longer than you, and while that doesn't really mean much of anything other than that i've been here a long time (and i don't in any way mean to imply that it does!), in all my years of being here, and posting the way i post, i've never heard a single complaint about it from anyone until now! besides, i do capitalize, but only proper nouns and titles, since i think they're the only things worthy of capitalization, and that capitalizing other things just make it more confusing to read and write! but, if it's really going to be a problem then, honestly, i'll just leave — this is how i write, and how i've always written, everywhere, and i really don't care enough about posting here to bother changing!
Nice TR, I loved that one Manta shot!thanks a lot! but, uh, which Manta shot?
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okay, more from the “photo trip-report” section of this trip-report:
and here's the entrance i was too stupid to take a picture of before we went through!
i've got to get out of here! actually, i just thought this was a cool photo…
…and headless whales! OMG!
…and barrels…
…this room filled with ghosts…
this spooky tunnel takes you down to…
okay, i don't actually know if there was a walrus in that photograph, but this is what a photograph with a walrus actually looks like! and now you can see why i chose to use the one of them hiding…
it's time to play Spot The Walrus! can you see a walrus in this photo?
this is a close up shot of the possibly living or dead polar bear!
this is a polar bear! i can't remember if it was dead or alive… i don't think it matters much…
and then this is what you see when you go through the possibly real or fake wood thing (only blurrier!)
i can't remember if this was real or fake wood!
this is the beluga whale habitat from above, although you can't really see any beluga whales!
we then did Wild Arctic, and this is pretty much the first thing you see when you enter! i know the photo is blurry, but it is what it is, and i still liked it, so i'm posting it. almost all of the indoor photos are going to be blurry and awful, so you can just skip those if it bothers you!
oh, you could see Kraken from there, too (so that all of the Kraken fans don't hate me too much!)
okay, so i didn't take any pictures of Kraken or Shamu Express the first time around, and while i could add in photos from later on and pretend like i took them here, i won't — just pretend like i did take some photos, and they're here, and they suck (since i want your fantasies to be at least somewhat remotely realistic!) oh, and then enjoy the view we had for lunch!
i didn't take this photo! how do i know? i'm in it! just look for the shirt from the other photo…
i know, i know, i know — you've seen it a zillion times! but, just think: now you've seen it a zillion and one times!
here's another picture of Journey To Atlantis, this time with a splash!
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here are some more pictures (but think of these as part 1, or 2, or whatever, since i need to take a break!):
Journey To Atlantis? i thought we were going to the kiddie coaster — whoops!
i couldn't decide which photo i liked better, so you get both!
…and through the sexy trees…
…into the sexy pretzel loop…
this is where i would have used that sexy lift hill photo, so just pretend it's here, and that this sexy first drop photo came after!
oh, there she is! i'm just assuming Manta is a gal since i think she's pretty, and i'm not into pretty boys…
wait — were did Manta go?
…and water!
…and boats…
oh, and this pretty “lighthouse…”
this is what you see right at the front of the park — Manta!
on the way to SeaWorld… you can see me in the mirror, if you care at all…
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i'm crap at this writing stuff (and not much better at pictures!), but here goes nothing:
SeaWorld Orlando (March 22nd 2009)
i went to SeaWorld Orlando yesterday with my mom (because i'm pathetic, i know!), rode a few rides (and finally got my Shamu Express credit!), saw a couple of shows and a few animal exhibits, and then decided to ride Kraken again… we'll get to that later!
we arrived at around 11:30-ish, which was later than i hoped for, but we still got a pretty decent parking space (we didn't need the tram to get to the front gate, or anything!) i had wanted to get Shamu Express out of the way first thing in the morning, but we got a bit lost thanks to Manta's construction (okay, and my picture taking!), and ended up right at Journey To Atlantis and Kraken! since we were there i decided to take ride them then anyways, especially since the lines were about as short as they get!
Kraken (1st ride!)
they were only running two trains and stacking them like crazy, but i still didn't have to wait any more than a few trains for the back seat. the ride itself was pretty much the same as i remember it, only it was even more “forceless…” i got some decent air on the first drop, and there were a few moments of slight lateral and positive Gs right where you'd expect them, but that was about it. a lot of fun, sure, but as tame as tame gets — at heart, it's really just an over-grown Roller Skater! i don't think this ride deserves to be ranked nearly as high as it is on all the coaster polls, or is as great as i've often heard it described, but i do like it.
for those who haven't ridden it before: if you've been on another B&M multi-looper, then just imagine that without any of the intensity at all! if you haven't, then just imagine your favorite kiddie coaster, only bigger, and floorless, and with inversions!
it was also running kind of rough, for those of you that care about that sort of thing (i don't, unless i leave the ride physically in pain, which has only happened once, and it was not on Kraken!)
Journey To Atlantis
the posted wait was about 30 minutes, but i'm not sure it was even half that long (or maybe i just didn't mind?), and the line was actually somewhat nicely themed, although nothing too dramatic, really (it kind of reminded me of a souvenir shop in Tarpon Springs, though!)
what can i say about this ride? basically it has three parts:
a dark ride — the story is pretty weak, the theming can't even begin to compare with Disney or Universal, and overall it's just kind of lame, honestly.
a water ride — a really big, fun, and not-so-wet drop, followed by a really small, fun, and yes-so-wet drop! definitely not an “acceptable level of wetness” for most people, but i love it!
a roller coaster (sort of) — a twisting drop followed by a twisting bunny hill, both of which are “okay”, i guess, but neither are as fun as the first drop, and both seem kind of tacked on to make this count as a “coaster” (and i'm going to say this right now: this is not a coaster! if one drop and hill make a ride a roller coaster than Splash Mountain is a damn coaster [yes, there's a “dry” drop and hill on Splash Mountain!])
Shamu Express
after Journey To Atlantis my mom wanted to have lunch, but i wanted to dry off a bit, and still wanted that Shamu Express credit, so i promised her we'd have lunch right after i got my credit (yes, yes, i'm as pathetic as pathetic gets, i know!) of course, that credit was at the absolute opposite end of the park, but we got there in record time, and i got my second credit of 2009 (after Lowry Park Zoo's Tasmanian Tiger, which most [all?] credit-counting sites don't even have! argh!)
of course, i was the only adult waiting to ride without a kid of my own (but i still sort of count as a “kid”, right? no? fine…), but the line moved mercifully fast for a 1 train operation (i think i waited a couple of trains, maybe) the seats weren't very comfortable, but they also weren't too bad, either, although i have a hunch the restraints aren't designed to do much other than keep adults from actually trying to ride the damn thing! i got the back seat (as always!), and it was surprisingly a lot of fun! this ranks up there with the best of the best of the best of the kiddie coasters (and recent B&Ms) in terms of “tame, but fun” rides! still, i wish that it was a real Roller Skater and not just a knock-off, and had the new Roller Skater seating and restraints (as used on Cypress Gardens' Okeechobee Rampage!) those are comfy!
uh, anyways…
Mango Joe's Cafe
after getting off Shamu Express we considered riding some of the family rides together (since they're the only things my mom might actually ride!), but the lines were too long, and she was still hungry (amazingly, not eating doesn't make you any less hungry!), so we went straight to the nearest restaurant, and that was Mango Joe's Cafe.
i got the fried chicken and watermelon, she got the steak fajitas and watermelon — i thought the fried chicken and the fries that come with it were decent, but the watermelon was pretty awful (how do you make watermelon taste bad? are they genetically engineered to not exceed SeaWorld's incredibly low standards for food, or something?), while my mom said she hated her fajitas, but actually liked the watermelon! as far as i'm concerned, it was a complete waste of $30, but about on-par with out other SeaWorld dining experiences (and they took out the one good restaurant for Manta!)
i do have to say, though: we got a really nice place to sit, right on the lake, and it was absolutely beautiful! there were some birds scrounging around for our food, but at least they were much nicer about it than, say, seagulls (i hate seagulls! and tourists who feed seagulls! “oh, look, a seagull! how pretty! lets feed it!” seagulls are not pretty — they are evil!)
Wild Arctic
after lunch this was basically the first thing we came to, and it's one of my absolute favorite things to do in the whole park. since my mom doesn't do anything more thrilling than Pirates Of The Caribbean, we didn't go on the motion simulator, but i'm honestly not enough of a fan of them to care! the actual exhibit is the most beautiful in the park, as far as i'm concerned, although almost all of my pictures came out like crap (i blame the camera!) it's also a really nice way to cool off on a hot day (although yesterday wasn't really that hot), and all of the animals were pretty active, except the polar bear (i don't think he's actually moved an inch since Electerik's trip report!)
Shark Encounter (fail!)
we then walked around the park some more, took some photos, saw the Clydesdales, etc, and decided to do Shark Encounter — but, there was a line (huh?), and i didn't want to wait in it! oh well…
Clyde And Seymour Take Pirate Island
we wanted to catch some shows, and this was just about to start (i actually thought that we might have gotten there too late, at first!), so we walked right in! i had seen it before, but somehow it wasn't actually anything like what i remember? still, it was funny (well, for a theme park show!), and i enjoyed myself — it had a pretty big problem, though: it needs more otter! right on the map it says “Sea Lion And Otter Stadium!”, but there were hardly any otters! otters are way more awesome than any stupid sea lion!
Shark Encounter (part 2!)
after the show we decided to see the next Dolphin Show, but had plenty of time to kill, and Shark Encounter's line had magically disappeared (huh?), and we went right in! again, the pictures were awful (and, again, i blame the camera!), but that's life, i guess… this exhibit is pretty cool, actually, but i kind of wish there was more to it than there is.
Penguin Encounter
still killing time, we went to go see the penguins! again, it's a cool exhibit, but there's even less here: basically it's just a pane of glass, a moving walkway, and some penguins! i got some “okay” pictures here, though, so that's something…
Kraken (fail!)
Kraken happens to be almost directly between Penguin Encounter and the Dolphin show, but, unfortunately, the line for Kraken was posted as “55 minutes” (the little line clock thing only goes to 55!), and i decided not to risk missing the show (since i'd already done the coaster, and everything!), but i did take a few photos here (which i hadn't done before!), most of which are just me trying to somehow find a way to make the same stretch of track look interesting (i won't post too many of those, though — they're awful!)
Dolphin Cove
they weren't letting people into the Dolphin Show yet, so we decided to take a stop to see the dolphins that weren't being cruelly exploited for our entertainment, but rather being “saved” from extinction, or whatever zoos are supposed to do these days! the Dolphin Cove underwater viewing area is probably my second favorite exhibit at SeaWorld, not because there's a lot to do (there isn't!), but because it's so beautiful that i could basically just sit there all day and not care! but, they were finally letting people into the Dolphin Show, so we decided to have a seat…
Blue Horizons
to put it as mildly as possible: THIS SHOW IS UNBEARABLE! sure, the dolphins were awesome, and so were the parrots, and the “‘not a dolphin’ that really is a dolphin” thing, and all the other animals, but, of course, and as always, the people ruined it! it was honestly funnier than the sea lion show, but i don't think it was meant to be…
Kraken (2nd ride!)
after the show we were ready to leave, but i wanted to give Kraken's front row a try, so we headed back towards the “55 minute” line! it was not 55 minutes! they were running 1 train, and the line was as long as i had ever seen it in my life (the Quick Queue wasn't helping either!) of course, this gave me time to appreciate the queue's wonderful theming, like the authentic concrete walls, and steel hand rails, but still… i think i must have waited well over an hour before i even made it to the line for the front row, and once i could actually see the train cycling (which was probably a half hour after that) i think i had at least a 10 train wait (and, again, that's with 1 train, and operations so slow that they almost managed to somehow stack that!) i think i probably got in the queue around 6:00-ish, and i left around 8:00! however, Kraken was running much better this time around, and while i still say it's incredibly tame, it was even more fun before, and i actually got some decent laterals, as well as great “hang time” on the loops (although that might just mean it was going too slow, it was a lot of fun anyways!) it was probably the best ride i've ever had on Kraken!
i then took more photos of Manta on the way out, and we left.
oh, this took a lot longer to write up than i thought, so here's some photos of Manta, and i'll post more photos of different things later on (i have to eat lunch, and then might be going to Adventure Island for a couple of hours!)
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well, i haven't been on too many coasters, so i guess this is more like “Top 10 Coasters In Central Florida”, or something, but here goes nothing…
based on “best ride ever”:
01. Kumba
02. Gwazi: Lion
03. Gwazi: Tiger
04. Dueling Dragons: Ice
05. Dueling Dragons: Fire
06. Montu
07. The Revenge Of The Mummy
08. The Incredible Hulk
09. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
10. Triple Hurricane
based on all rides (averaged):
01. Dueling Dragons: Ice
02. Dueling Dragons: Fire
03. Kumba
04. Montu
05. The Revenge Of The Mummy
06. The Incredible Hulk
07. Gwazi: Tiger
08. Gwazi: Lion
09. Sheikra
10. Kraken
based on “worst ride ever”:
01. Dueling Dragons: Ice
02. Dueling Dragons: Fire
03. Kumba
04. The Revenge Of The Mummy
05. Montu
06. The Incredible Hulk
07. Sheikra
08. Kraken
09. Expedition Everest
10. Scorpion
i know that some of these rankings seem a little insane, but they're an honest reflection of my experiences, so…
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hummm...is this an indication of dragons or am I reaching too far...
uh, Dueling Dragons already looks like that, at the right time of day… i'm almost completely certain that's just your typical “magic hour” lighting, which occurs right before sunset, and gives everything a sort of “golden” hue, as seen in that picture!
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first things first: the Gravity Group doesn't track their own coasters, so how could they possibly “retrack” somebody else's? huh? the Gravity Group is an engineering firm not a manufacturer, and all of their coasters are either built by other companies (like Boardwalk Bullet, which was built by Martin & Vleminckx), or even the park themselves!
i think that if an “established” wooden coaster company takes on the task of retracking it would almost certainly have to be Great Coasters International! the only companies actually building wooden coasters right now seem to be: Great Coasters International, Martin & Vleminckx, and Ingenieur-Holzbau Cordes — and only Great Coasters International is really known for their work rehabbing rides (i'm not even sure if Ingenieur-Holzbau Cordes is equipped to track “traditional” wooden coasters!)
if Great Coasters International does do the retracking, i think there's a very good chance that they'll reprofile and rebank the most intense portions of the ride to ease mantience costs and make a complete rehab of this type less nessecary in the future — mostly because they've apparently done it on every coaster they've retracked in the past! — but i seriously doubt they'll make major changes to the overall layout.
personally, though, i think any kind of excitment is way premature: we don't know anything about the rehab except that, well, it's happening — it may just be that the ride will receive a basic retracking by the park itself or some random local contractor, and it'll get some boring new trains that'll excite nobody (maybe even the much-hated Gerstlauer trains!?!), and it won't really make a significant difference anyways, and you'll all forget it ever even happened by the end of the season (actually, i'd say that far more likely than most of what i've seen discussed in this topic!)
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are we really reviewing a roller-coaster that nobody has ever ridden before? awesome! here's mine:
frankly, i'm expecting absolutely nothing from it — the layout just looks kinda “meh”, and both Kraken and Sheikra were huge dissapointments for me, so much so that, as much as i hate to say it, i've basically given up completely on B&M! it'll still be cool to finally ride a flyer, though…
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--Robb "Do people really WANT a walkthrough of each queue???" Alvey
well, that all depends… if the queue really has anything worthy of a “walkthrough”, especially story elements, special effects, etc, then, sure, i'd love to see it! but, if it's just a queue (even a very pretty and well themed queue!), then, no, probably not…
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actually, i think the “all lead car” trains were simply done to ease the stress on the axles and wheel assemblies by doubling the number of axles per car — i'm pretty sure the untranslated manual didn't have anything directly to do with the redesign at all (although it did have a lot to do with the accident!)
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am i the only one who likes the supports, then? they're just sort of taking the opposite approach of, say, B&M — B&M uses the fewest beams possible by making them as large as necessary, while Maurer Söhne seems to be using the smallest beams possible by using as many as necessary — but, neither is inherently any more “right” than the other, and the approach Maurer Söhne is using actually has it's advantages, not the least of which is how beautiful it can look (to me, at least!) for instance, i think this is one of the most beautiful rides ever built (although i might be alone in that):
it kind of reminds me of a wooden coaster, actually — a completely screwed up wooden coaster, of course — which i, at least, consider a good thing!
what i don't like, though, are all the different track types they're mixing and matching! it always bugs me when Intamin does it and Maurer Söhne does it even worse! i also agree that the “loop” looks awful (and, yes, i know all about the heartline, but, still…), and the colors could definitely be improved, as well!
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If you come in August, theres also the Ohio State Fair and "Zoombezi Bay" at the Columbus Zoo which has a classic wood coaster.
I'm sorry, I don't fully understand this sentence. What has a classic wood coaster? The state fair, the Columbus Zoo, or Zoombezi Bay? I'm very interested in riding it wherever it is. And we are going in August, so the fair is a possibility.
to confuse you even more, here's the coaster on the RCDB which says it's at “Jungle Jack's Landing” — but Jungle Jack's Landing, Zoombezi Bay, and The Colombus Zoo are all apparently sort of basically the same thing!
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they want it to be “fun" and “not scary?” well, there goes all my excitement… well, no, not really: i've always wished i had a chance to ride one of the original Flying Turns, and i'm glad that someone is trying to bring them back, but one of the reasons why is because i've heard about how incredibly intense and frightening they supposedly were! when i heard the ride was running “too fast” i thought it meant “too dangerous”, not “too scary” — “too scary” is a good thing!
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i'm actually really surprised by this coaster! i hadn't really been following it at all, and wasn't expecting much from it — i've never even seen a Saw film, and a Eurofighter seemed like kind of an “insignificant” investment compared to some of the other coasters at Thorpe Park — but, i think it looks great! the layout looks pretty cool (but, so do all Eurofighters!), and the theming looks incredible! it kind of reminds me of Mystery Mine — i know a lot of smaller parks are buying Eurofighters because they can get a “major” coaster for relatively little money, but it seems like some larger parks are seeing the cost savings as a means to invest in more extensive theming, and it's making for some really interesting rides! i especially love the cool little pre-lift “dark ride" section — it's so much more impressive than the usual “boring turn out of the station”, and makes you feel like you're in for something special!
i actually think it'd be kind of cool to see my home park of Busch Gardens Africa invest in something like that (can't you just hear the GP: “you means it's drop is even steeper than Sheikra? awesome!” — although, you might get some people noticing “yeah, but it only a 4 seater, so it can't be as good Sheikra, which is an 8 seater!” [no, seriously, i have heard people say that!]) — although, i'm not quite sure what they'd theme it to! actually, i do (since i'm dreaming and all): Questor II!
oh, yeah: that has absolutely nothing to do with Saw, at all — you can just ignore me…
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you've got some nice pictures there, Electerik — i keep feeling like i should go to Six Flags Over Georgia since it's probably the closest “major” park that i haven't been to, but then i realize that “closest” means an 8-hour drive, and start to think “maybe next year…” but, i don't know… maybe i will get down (up?) there this year… or, not…
SeaWorld Orlando (March 22nd 2009)
in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
Posted
here's the last of them (except for a few scaps here or there, not all of them bad, but none i have any great desire to post, either):
here are a few more of those Manta night shots which didn't make the cut last time, but which are at least as good as those Shark Encounter shots!
this was my one attempt at flash photography here! it looks kind of cool, too, but i think actually prefer the blurry non-flash photos.
here are the infamous Shark Encounter photos! i've decided that they look kind of cool…
these lamps are all over SeaWorld, and i really liked them for some reason.
here's some photos of random trees from around the same area (between Journey To Atlantis and Blue Horizons.)
here's some photos from outside of Manatee Rescue (we didn't have time to go in!)
this is the Blue Horizons stage.
here's some photos of the Dolphin Cove underwater viewing area.
here's some photos of Penguin Encounter.
here's some photos of Journey to Atlantis.
here's some photos of Kraken.