cfc

I didn't know that Knott's had a Christmas parade. Personally, I prefer Xcelerator to Kinda Ka, but to each his own.

And I can only judge Voyage "based on the rides I actually got on it"--do you think I'm doing otherwise? (I'm sure you didn't mean to imply that.) For example, I found Balder to be equally amazing in both 2006 and 2009--no other coaster has topped the memory of I have of those rides on Balder (although El Toro and Phoenix come close), and those rides include both ERT and "regular operations." I think consistent performance over the course of a season is important. I'd love to see Voyage deliver the same great rides I had in 2009, but I cannot discount the difference in quality between 2009 and 2010.

Voyage was in my top ten in 2009. It dropped to 36th place in later polls (I now prefer Legend to Voyage). It's just too much of a Jekyll-and-Hyde experience for me to rank it any higher. I was rather shocked at the difference between rides I took in 2009 and 2010 (the last time I visited Holiday World). Have they fixed it since then? I hope so.

Funny you should ask: http://themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=64644.

Best backstory and preshow of all the Towers of Terror.

^How wonderfully enlightened is the son of Kim Jong Ill!

I think the schedule change is a great idea. In addition to the new attractions being ready, the weather should be better, too. Nice work, Robb!

^Take your pick, Scott!

It's warm, drizzly, and humid in Williamsburg today--but it's supposed to drop into the high 30s and mid 40s tomorrow. Wouldn't be surprised if we had a thunderstorrm or two tonight.

Yes, who among us knows what the Chinese name of Wood Coaster is? It could be "Mountain Flyer," "Pretty Sexy lady Coaster," "Chairman Mao's Joy," or even "General Tso's Chicken Coaster with Orange Peel."

It's like they didn't realize that Kaepernick could run: "What? A quarterback who can run? That's crazy talk!"

I'm never get particularly interested in any announced project until they break ground for it--and even then, it's not necessarily a sure thing.

Welcome to China. GCI has a different (and better) name for this coaster on their Web site: "Mountain Flyer" (didn't see this name on any signage at the park, though).

I don't get this either. Troy has always been vastly overrated for some reason. Your theory might be right. dt I liked Troy quite a bit, but I agree that there are better GCI coasters out there. As for Voyage, I understood why people loved it back in in 2009, but my opinion changed drastically a year later.

^Historical interest and importance don't always equal "great ride."

^The shopkeepers in that park were even more aggressive than the peddlers in Shanghai. They would literally drag you to their stores!

Crowe is often very good, but he really seemed awkward in Les Miserables to me--perhaps he was too worried about his singing?

This caption, when taken by itself, shows the importance of context.

^Raising the bar is a good thing.

^Words cannot not do justice to the amazing Hollywood Tour--it's the Dinosaur of Europe!

Yes and no. Take a close look at the sign behind the trains.

Yes--the right side beats you up a bit, but the left side is smoother.

Balder is still my #1 because I've yet to ride a coaster that surpassed the rides I had in 2006 and 2009 (El Toro has come the closest).

I agree that CGA's Grizzly belongs in the bottom ten, but mainly because it's just plain boring. Anaconda and Bandit are brutal and are more deserving of the "worst wood coaster" label.

After making a brief credit stop at Zhongshan Park in Shenzen (the Spinning Mouse and Sliding Dragon strike again), we spent a few hours at Window of the World. Like Beijing World Park, this place features re-creations of famous world landmarks, such at Mt. Rushmore and the Eiffel Tower, in addition to some shows and a few rides. I thought it was a bit nicer than the park in Beijing: the landscaping was quite pretty, the replica buildings were in pretty good shape, and there was a very engaging Chinese goofiness about the place. The coaster there was the odd Greenland Underground Exploration ride, which was themed to time of the Vikings. At least I think it was. The ride vehicle looked like a Viking ship, but the ride itself was do dark you couldn't see a damn thing as it rumbled and slammed and bumped around the course. WOTW also had a very wet flume ride, some nonfunctional Bob Karts, and anatomically correct sculptures. But, first, I have a few more pictures from Knight Valley. Look! I've found the new Mayan Calendar! Turns out the world wasn't going to end on December 21, 2012, and we have a few million years to go. Oh, well. Piers? What are you doing at Knight Valley? I thought you hung out at Happy Valley parks. This is one of the most interesting flume rides I've ever seen. Somehow, I don't think it'll be opening today. On the left is the best theme-park 4D flick ever. On the right is Pandaf*****gvision. To each his or her own. Not being able to "exist" during the show could be a bit of a challenge. We skipped both shows to make sure we could ride the funicular before the group had to leave. It was a lot of fun. Hi there, Wood Coaster. It was very nice at the top. Now that's a a helluva setting for one of these rides. This is another good reason for visiting Knight Valley . . . . . . if some chunky American doesn't block the view. Time to move on. Our latest guide, Jack, did pretty well his first day. But when we reached Shenzen, his entire world collapsed. Here we see him asking some random woman on the street for directions to Zhongshan Park--even though Robb had the place pinpointed on Google Maps. "Dude! The woman in the hat already told you which way to go!" Thanks to Robb, and despite Jack, we found the park. And there was much rejoicing. If I didn't know this was China, I'd swear I was in Reno, Nevada, back in the 1980s. Why, thank you! Damn glad to be here. Time to explore--or at least "Walk Like an Egyptian." When comic book franchises collide. This sculpture depicts the upbringing of Romulus and Remus, founders of the Roman Empire. Or was that of the Romulan Empire. Or maybe it's just some random babies suckling a wolf. At any rate, it's culture. That must be one dangerous grate. Hi George, Tom, Teddy, Abe. "From the Rainbow Bridge of Asgard . . ." It's a boat. It's a roller coaster. One thing it isn't, is good--but it is "interesting." Torture! Torture! It pleasures me! I'm shocked that no one drowned. "Look! Art!" And, as we all know, Robb is an art lover. This is Egypt, not Vegas--even though the sign out front reminds one of Reno. They did do a pretty good job with some of their replicas. The giant fruit is just what you'd find in the real "Land of Dutch." Remember--this is "culture." The Japanese garden was very pretty--even though the Japanese are not too popular in China. Hello, Angus! So, you finally caught up with me. We missed the "Epic Romance," . . . . . . which apparently starred Tobey McGuire as a Chinese soldier. There is an attraction called "Splendid China" in China. How silly is that? Next, you'll tell me there's a "California Adventure" in California. That's all for now.