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Many of us found all of the angry corns (there were a ton of them!) to be the best of the very amazing and expansive halloween decorations. Angry Corn has a chance at unseating pumpkins as the major symbol of Halloween.

The projections look great! It's good to see the Studios park stepping up its game without the Osbourne lights.

I've only been to Bobbejaanland once, and I enjoyed it quite a bit--such a wonderfully odd park. Thanks for the report.

Excellent photos! I was impressed with Pandora, too--Disney hit the ball out of the park with not only the land itself, but also Flight of Passage.

The goal every year is to get enough candy so that you are just running out by the time the next MNSSHP rolls around! I've done the party three times this year now so I think we will have accomplished that goal! As the Klingons say . . .

^I think it was "off-season," and they were short staffed. I found it annoying, yet comical.

What's the maximum rider height for this contraption? I guessing about this size.

We visited Skyline Park on our way from Munich to Europa. I didn’t enjoy Skyline as much as Bayern, but I think we hit the place at an awkward time. They seemed to be running an “off-season” schedule with staggered openings and closings for the rides; in fact, single ride ops would work a half-hour at one ride, close it, then move to another. Some of us were heading to the park’s Galaxy coaster with what we thought was five minutes to spare, only to see the operator close the line (after which she ran over to the spinning-mouse coaster). Bob and I tried to ride the Galaxy later, only to see the op close the line ten minutes early. I think she closed five minutes earlier each cycle, so that she can walk past her rides, wave, say the ride’s closed, then head home early. Skyline had one unique ride: Sky Dragster, an odd, powered “Steeplechase/Motorcycle” coaster by Mauer in which the rider controlled the speed (sort of). The cars used in-line seating, with handlebars and a throttle in front. The ride looks cool, but it’s a bit sluggish. Speaking of Mauer, Skyline also has a SkyLoop called Sky Wheel (they also like to use “Sky” in their ride names). These rides are unnerving but fun, and they run you through the cycle twice at Skyline. We had to wait for the ride op to close the nearby Huss Condor though before we could ride the coaster. Here’s a look at Skyline. Yet another smiling predator welcomes you to another Bavarian park. In Germany, even the wheelchair ramps are a challenge. Inverted candy tornados are a common hazard in Bavaria. Now there’s a creative way to use an old toilet. The park opened the slingshot ride for us. No worries, guys. Spider-Man is ready for action in the event of any trouble! This is either a petting zoo or one of those hostels you see in Eli Roth movies. What? They’ve replaced this bear’s guts with a soft-serve ice-cream machine? Why isn’t PETA all over this? And they say SeaWorld is bad! Sky Dragster does look pretty cool--nice layout. A sign for Larry. If the makers of Star Trek designed a ride-on mower, it would look like this. Set phasers to "mulch.” Captain, the engines canna take much more ‘o’ this! “Just wrap your legs . . . “ . . . ‘round these velvet rims . . . “ . . . and strap your hands ‘cross my engines!” Bob and I missed the Galaxy twice. But being as we’d ridden Galaxies before, it wasn’t a huge loss. We did get on Sky Spin. Joey is the zen master of Sky Spin. Why is the trash can winking at me? Just back slowly away, and don't make eye contact. I do like these Mauer SkyLoops. The double cycle did catch me off guard. You too, Jack? (Photo by Robb.) Almost forgot this spinning cow coaster. It made me queasier than the Sky Wheel. Walking Dead: The Kiddie Ride. Just set a few zombies loose in here and scare the crap out of the little darlings! They had self-operated Nautic Jets. Probably best to keep your mouth closed and avoid swallowing that water. Goodbye, Skyline . . . . . . and hello, Hotel Colosseo! That’s all for now.

I'm glad everyone is enjoying this trip report. But the time has nearly come to leave Munich and Oktoberfest behind. Part 3--Two Half Days at Bayern and Skyline We visited a few traditional German amusement parks during this trip. I’m going to handle two of them here: Bayern and Skyline. “Traditional” parks in Europe are a bit different than those in the United States. In general, they’re more like gardens or forests with rides and other attractions scattered about. Many of these rides are self-operated, such as Butterfly coasters and Nautic Jet jumping boats--rides you’re not going to see in our more litigious country. (The Germans trust people to be responsible.) We visited Bayern during our second day in Munich. The park itself is beautiful, with well-maintained grounds and gardens, tall trees, and even a small lake with a stern-wheeler boat ride. It also has the usual attractions you find in many similar parks: self-operated Butterfly coasters (one outside, one indoors), a crazy self-operated indoor swing ride, kiddie and family coasters, and some slides. But these rides make it stand out: Freischütz--I have mixed feelings about Mauer coasters, and Freischütz left them as mixed up as ever. This launched X Car ride was pretty shaky and rough in the second car (the ride toward the front was a bit smoother). It does have a good layout and would be more enjoyable it wasn’t trying to shake the fillings out of your teeth. It was OK, but not something I need to ride again. Two alpine slides--These differ from alpine coasters. Instead of being mounted on a track, your sled rolls free in a stainless-steel trough. Lots of fun. Tube Racer--Think of this as a huge “Slip ‘n’ Slide.” Spinning boats--This is a nice, relaxing trip through a beautiful garden that ends with cave featuring a mural of naked women (you won’t see this in the States). Eagles Challenge--You’ll never catch me riding one of these Gerstlauer “flying” flat rides, but many people enjoy flipping upside-down continously. Go for it. Thaolon--Trolls and treasure await you as you bounce around on this indoor mini-drop-tower ride. I enjoyed ambling around Bayern. Let’s amble together. First, bye-bye Munich. We’ll be back later. Hmm--according to Google Translate, "Bayern" is German for "Bavaria." Mike the guide was really into Bavarian flower boxes, too. These are particularly nice. KT takes care of TPR business on the Butterfly coaster. Joy or terror? You make the call. Bring the prisoners to the Castle of the Inquisition for judgment! You see just a sample of the terrors that await you, heretic! Perhaps some time in our Blue Ball Pit of Never-ending Frustration will soften your spine! Confess, heretics, and your suffering will end! Yes, the Inquisition has technology you can barely conceive of! Behold the Green Ray of Eternal Righteousness! So, you still refuse to confess? Very well! The Swing of Satan will strip the skin off your bones! We escaped the Inquisition long enough to ride an alpine slide . . . . . . and a regular silde. Tube Racer is fun, but . . . . . . hang on to your hat. Why am I having Knott’s flashbacks? I skipped the tiny kiddie coaster, but rode this one. Spot the TPR member in the stern wheeler. “Hello. I’m what they call ‘theming.’ Enjoy me.” How about a nice spin around the gardens? All very pleasant and family friendly . . . . . . in a very European way. Best spinning boat ride ever! Caesar is, like, pumped for alpine slide number 2. This is Thaolon--one of the strangest kids rides ever. It’s a small, rotating drop ride with different animated scenes that look like some Tolkien fan’s fever dream. It's like Tower of Terror, only dorky. If you’re into dwarfs, hobbits, and elves, you’ll probably like it. Now we get to the main event: Freischütz. It isn’t the worst coaster ever . . . . . . but not really the best, either. But it’s pretty impressive for a small park like Bayern. So, heretics, we meet again! Bring them to the Eagles Challenge! You think you have the strength to defy the will of the Inquisition? Confess! "I totally confess to whatever it is you want me to confess to!" “I can’t help myself It’s who I am!” Oh, come on! somebody confess! You’re making us look bad! The lion bids us “good day” as we head back to Munich. More to come.

There was one particularly "bad" spot--just after the inversion. Other than that, I enjoyed it (rough but not outrageously so).

Surf Coaster is proof that all the good Togo rides are in Japan.

If you're interested in doing some river rafting, you might want to try the Nantahala Outdoor Center in North Carolina: https://noc.com/plan-your-trip/whitewater-rafting. I rafted the Nantahala with friends a few years back and it was a lot of fun.

I'm not a big Thor fan either, but this movie looks pretty entertaining.

That was such a fun evening--I love this event. And, yep, consarn it, I dug all them Big Thunder tunnels myself with my trusty pick ax and little bit of dy-nee-mite!

^Frostbite has improved since the beginning of Howl-o-Scream, but I agree that they've scaled back the event (shows are still pretty good).

Liseberg is a great park--all it lacks is a good dark ride (but it does have Hotel Gasten). Balder is still my favorite wooden coaster, but I have yet to ride Helix.

I took my last ride for the season on Apollo's Chariot last night at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. It was running great in the pitch-black darkness.

I did a quick Google of the Post Taverne (it's in one of the photos), and I think the town was Garmisch-Partenkirchen (or maybe just "Garmisch"). It was nice to cruise through Oberammagau, as my parents did see the Passion Play years ago (and spent a day at Oktoberfest afterward).

^I'm not sure. The alpine coaster was in Oberammagau, but I'm not clear if that was the town we stopped in (it probably was). The first palace was, indeed, Linderhof.

Hansa is a park in transition--they theme it up a bit more each year. To me, Karnan (like Skyrush) in genuinely terrifying.

I just removed some political posts from this thread. Please stay on topic--no political flame wars. Thank you.

Everyone needs to experience City Museum at least once in their lives. There really is something new around each corner.

As I recall, I promised you a castle. Here it comes. Welcome to Linderhof Palace, one of “Mad” King Ludwig’s homes. This fountain goes off every half hour, and it was very important that we see it. That’s why our guide spent a lot of time talking in front of a rack of postcards until about four minutes before “spout off.” I barely made it. Here’s the palace unblocked by the fountain. Looks like a very nice place. “Hey, you guys almost missed the fountain. What? Your guide kept you by the postcard rack while he talked about Ludwig and the palace? Shall I eat him for you?” We were all deeply moved by the fountain experience, our lives changed forever. The intricately detailed sculpture of a cherry picker shows that Ludwig was a man ahead of his time. “A tissue and an air-sick bag for my horse, please!” “Ugh! The puking horse is making me hurl, too!” But, seriously folks, the Linderhof’s gardens were very pretty. Now it’s time for the main event: Neuschwanstein Castle. Let’s take a photo of the castle from that bridge! No one ever thinks to do that! The view was worth the crowded bridge. Yes, Neuschwanstein Castle is quite beautiful . . . . . . and not even my big head can spoil it. There was a nice view from the other side of the bridge, too. When I flew over from Dulles, it felt like July. It was nice to experience some “real” fall weather and color. Ludwig spent his childhood in nearby Schwanstein Castle. Out with the old Schwanstein and . . . . . . in with the Neuschwanstein. The castle is above, lunch is below. This is where I had some traditional Bavarian pork knuckle. It was OK, but I prefer a nice schnitzel. We found a Smurf village nearby. Almost time for our tour. Looks like Ludwig is having some work done--no doubt at great expense. Another look at the bridge. I bet no one has ever taken this picture, either. You can understand why Walt Disney was inspired by this castle when he built Disneyland. But it looks a bit more like DarKastle here. No photos were allowed inside. The finished rooms were beautiful; although the throne room had a raised platform for a throne, Ludwig never got a chance to use it. Yes, it was a very nice day in the mountains. But we’ll be hitting some parks later. That's all for now.

Part 2--Culture Day While Oktoberfest is “culture,” most of us are more likely to consider museums, historical sites, and scenic vistas under that term. It’s always nice to take a break from coasters, insane flat rides, and funnel cake to appreciate a place’s heritage and natural beauty. And if you can throw in an 8,000-foot-long alpine coaster down the side of a mountain, that’s a plus. So, we set out from Munich with Mike the tour guide to see the Bavarian Alps, ride down the side of one at about 40 km/hour (about 25 miles/hour), and tour Neuschwanstein Castle--the pet project of “Mad” King Ludwig II and Walt Disney’s inspiration for Sleeping Beauty’s Castle at Disneyland. The thing about Ludwig is that he wasn’t really insane, nor was he a particularly “bad” person; however, he wasn’t all that interested in governing his country, either. He was more into the arts (particularly theater and music) and architecture. He went deep into debt building Neuschwanstein, and only completed 10 rooms inside the huge castle before his own ministers had him declared insane. He was deposed and forced to leave Neuschwanstein for Berg Castle, where he was later found dead in just a few feet of water in Lake Starnberg. An autopsy found no water in his lungs, so the circumstances of his death remain “mysterious.” But he did leave behind one of Bavaria’s biggest, most beautiful tourist attractions--so I guess there’s that. I happened to sit next to Mike the tour guide at lunch, where I told him about Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s version of King Ludwig ala Curse of DarKastle: a “wicked ruler of a corrupt kingdom” who killed his parents and political opponents and was also a sorcerer and werewolf. His response: “That’s just mean!” Maybe, but I think Ludwig got a better deal at BGW. Let’s hit the road, shall we? Welcome to the Bavarian Alps. I imagine you’ve guessed this already, due to the big mountains in this shot. Look closely, and you’ll see someone who’s much braver than me. I wonder how close he is to that rocky peak. How could you miss a huge mountain like that? Nice view, but time to go. We stopped in this picturesque Bavarian town, which I think was called Garmisch. If a bull with two axes ever charges you, I suggest running away. A fountain in celebration of beer--why not? OK, the guide said there was a bakery down here somewhere. Murals like these are common in Bavaria. They often depict religious themes. Here is a representation of the finding of the Blessed Bagel of St. Brot of Glutenberg. “Icicle lights have been hung to honor the Blessed Bagel, as you ordered, my liege.” “Break out the Sacred Cream Cheese! Both with honey and with chives! And warm up the Righteous Toaster of Antioch!” Bad gas? Good thing the toilets are nearby. This is Mike, the guide. He said many things. Guides tend to do that. It was a very pretty town. Wood carving is also a big thing in Bavaria, which makes sense when one has wood. Is it necessary to tip a horse waiter if you can't understand what he's saying? This is how they stack wood in Bavaria. Mike was quite knowledegable on anything having to do with Bavarian wood--and how to stack it. I didn’t take my camera or phone up the chair lift to the alpine coaster, but they did have good on-ride photos. A vending machine dispensed them at the bottom. This was definitely worth it. The ride was fast, fun, and (at times) terrifying. I don’t think anyone did the ski jump. More to come.

Aren't they having enough trouble with Tapu Tapu at Volcano Bay?