chauncey

Here's my tip: get in as early as you can, and leave as late as you can. Whenever I go I get in early, ride everything I can before it fills up, then go eating / shopping / whatever, and ride/reride everything I can after it calms down. If I hit the low-capacity rides first/last and the higher capacity rides second / second to last, then I get everything in with little wait. Of course that goes for any themepark, but especially one as crowded as IOA (and it is a hugely crowded themepark).

1. If you look, the skulls are not in a random order. 2. We need as many skulls as we can get! Skulls > bushes, and Bush, but not bush. Anyways...

My definition is this: a wheeled attraction (roller), which operates throughout the majority (50%+) of it's course on momentum and/or gravity alone (coast), and offers that indefinable, but unmistakable, "rollercoaster" experience. I count twin rides as seperate, unless they're near or exact clones, in which case I count them as clones. All clones, near or exact, count as 1, unless there's a major change to the experience.

I posted this at NE a few moments ago: "I keep going back and forth listening to Daniel Johnston's "Dream scream", and the cover by Death Cab For Cutie. I'm pretty sure one of them is the greatest song ever recorded, I'm just not sure which, and I'm trying to figure it out. Any thoughts?" And I'm still going... I really need help with this... so... yeah...

I was just thinking about this coaster, and I actually decided it would probably be for the best to not rebuild it. Looking at the No Limits recreation, and photos, etc, I realise it's just badly designed. There are a lot of badly-handled transitions, random flat bits, and a few "what's the point?" moments. What I would like to see is a ride which placed better designed versions of the signature elements (the drop, the helix, the figure 8, maybe the trick track), into a more well thought out layout.

That's what I do, Blitz! I build a scenario from scratch, and then play it! Maybe someday one of my "for fun" ones will be worth showing, or one of my "contest" ones will be finnished! Or not. Probably not. Definitely not. Not that I need to tell you that... Anyways. I agree with Blitz, except the colors. I think brown is a very beautiful color.

I'm probably going to order the big 6 DVD set in a little while! I just have to look over my finances to make sure I have enough for everything else I need / want to purchase. Maybe tomorrow!

I'm watching more music videos! This time it's Mice Parade's "Focus on the rollercoaster". It has some good POV footage of the Dragon Coaster at Playland too.

I have... um... 15? Yeah... I suck...

I'm listening / watching the music video for Coil's "Sea Priestess" at Brainwashed. It's just about the gothest thing I've ever seen / heard. Which is good for this time of year, I guess.

If quality is all you're looking for the only option is the new Quicktime. It is so far ahead of everything else in terms of quality there shouldn't even be a debate! However, if you want to upgrade your codec to something more modern than, but just as standard as, MPEG1, go with MPEG4. Please, whatever you do, don't go with Windows Media, or Divx. For Macintosh users they have the same problems as Quicktime does for Windows users, and the quality is nowhere near the new Quicktime codec. So, really, it's a lose-lose.

I feel wierd that I haven't ridden it. I think it's the only major steel rollercoaster in the state I haven't been on. It's the only one I can think of. Glad you had a good time!

This looks awesome! I wish I could go, but I can't find any way to work it out .

Yes. I didn't mean that particular comment as being a comparison with The Voyage, just as a general thing, essentially hoping people would build really twisted wooden (and steel, for that matter) rollercoasters on this sort of scale, because that's what I prefer.

It looks nice, I guess, but definetly not as good as The Voyage. It's a bit too straight forward, although the turns at the end look insane, and steep drops are always nice. I prefer really twisted sort of rollercoasters, not "out and backs", or whatever. They bore me.

I can't think of an all time favorite! Right now, though, I'm in a Iggy Pop mood... so... that'll do as well as anything...

It was Google, but I forgot what I was searching for... it was a while ago, even though I just signed up...

Really? I've been on it a 1,000 times probably, and it never bothered me. Neither has Gwazi, which is also said to be very rough. Maybe I just have a high tolerance for it? Maybe.

A few points: Nobody ever actually had any health issues after riding The Cyclone, except the occasional nausea. The nurse was put on staff to calm down the insurance company after somebody died on another Harry Traver ride (the Lightning, I believe). The only verifiable reports from the ride said, simply, that it was very intense for it's time. What does that mean to today's riders? Nothing, really. Harry Traver made many other equally intense rides, as did other companies, such as Prior and Church. This rides "legend", is, simply that. Legend. How many of you would really be scared of a less than 50 mile an hour coaster today? It would be fun, but nothing else. I'd love to see a GCI version of it.

Actually, that article gets it wrong. I heard Tim Burton actually likes it! From an interview: "DRE: What do you think about the way Disney turned the Haunted Mansion theme ride into the Nightmare before Christmas? TB: It makes me laugh because when we first made the movie they didn't even want to put out a trailer. It went from that to what it has turned into. I'm just a little upset that they didn't invite me to the opening so I have a little bit of an issue with them. But it's also great too." I would post the link, but, technically, it is a porn site... I swear I only go there for the articles! I'm not even old enough to look at the boobies ...

Yeah... it was my mom's decision, not mine. Well, you're much more helpful than the people who aren't responding.

Hello. I'm 98% sure I can do Disney on the 21st, too! Not Universal though .

My favorite film of all time is "The Bride of Frankenstein", which qualifies as a "scary" movie, I guess. However, I don't really find movies scary. Disturbing, thrilling, grotesque, whatever, but never scary. I think I watched too many horror films, at too young an age. Oh well.

That was wonderful. I especially liked the Lisebergbahn POV, because it's so hard to find, and, I assume, take, good pictures of the layout. It was a bit wierd, though, when the coaster hit the brakes right as the song was in a crescendo...

Okay, so a few updates on this: 1. We're not going to San Francisco anymore... 2. Instead of doing 1 BIG trip around the country, we'll be making indiviudal trips out to each parks by plane. It will cost the same, and be much faster, and comfortable. It also means I can go by myself (possibly), and, so, that would be even cheaper! However, this means we can pretty much go anywhere in the US (or any other place you can fly to for a similar rate). So... What are the 4 - 8 absolute BEST parks in the country, not counting Florida?