cfc

I saw Despicable Me on disc and thought it was OK. I liked the Gru character, but I wished they'd build a better movie around him, and didn't care for the Minions. But they could make a good simulator ride out of it to replace JImmy Neutron. I'm glad they're freshening up Spider-man. It's still the best ride at IOA, but a redo with newer technology should make it even better.

It's nice. You're welcome. How come you didn't get your picture taken with the cassowary? I imagine the possibility of being disemboweled by its talons may have been a factor.

Chapter 7--The Ever-so-Melancholy Last Park of the Trip: Merimbula's Magic Mountain The last park visited on a TPR trip is always a mixed bag for me: 1) It's great that I have yet one more day to hang out with some great people doing something we all enjoy, and 2) Well, it's nearly over. Whee! Sniff. There, I'm better now. After a great Aussie BBQ at the Comfort Inn in Merimbula (and the best WiFi of the whole trip), and a laid-back evening exploring the town a bit (where Dan, Amy, and I saw some rather scary/amusing drunken behavior by some of the locals), we were off to ride the credit we had spent all day getting to--a Zyklon named Diamond Python at a little family park called Magic Mountain. Although you won't find anything on the order of Tatsu or Goliath here, this is a very pretty, nice, and eccentric little park. As for the Zyklon, our ERT session was fun. But the real star attraction here is a very long, bizarrely themed alpine slide--and the park very nicely gave us two rides each on it. After that, it was a long bus ride back to Sydney via Canberra (the capitol of Australia), but Robb kept everyone pretty entertained most of the way there. Hell, he even threw crap at people! Here's a look at the last official day of TPR's Australian Trip 2011. Robb and Elissa, thank you again for all the work you did putting together this trip! Australia was amazing--as are the two of you! Here's the view from my hotel window. Merimbula was a nice little town, even though the major activity that evening consisted of two guys walking down the street, one of whom kept shouting, "I'm just tryin' to be a f----n' mate to you!" OK, I'd better not see any freakin' Care Bears around here. What you would look like in the vacuum of space without a space suit. Magic Mountain is a mix of the pretty, . . . . . . the creepy, . . . . . . and the bizarre. "Our quest is at an end! God be praised!" "So, you folks came from all over the place to ride a Zyklon? Don't you have county fairs in your country? Aw, what the hell? Climb aboard!" Someone should theme a Zyklon to Battlestar Galactica--that would rock! "OK, I'm gonna HD video the hell outta this thing!" "This will be the most amazing Zyklon footage ever!" "Yes, the world will sing songs about my triumph for years, nay, centuries to come!" "Hi, Chuck! I'm gonna finish my TR before you do!" To the best of my knowledge, this is the only Zyklon that leaps over a big snake. "3, 2, 1, BRAKE!" Everyone enjoyed jumping over the snake. Here's the park's real star. Let's see . . . an alpine slide named "Toboggan Run" with a caveman lifeguard. Yep, makes perfect sense to me. All lined up and ready to go! "Er, Ginny? Brake? BRAKE!! OH MY GOD! OH THE HUMANITY!" "A planet where apes evolved from zombie Ultimate Frisbee players?" "Do you fear death?" Enjoy your ride on the Dave Thomas Experience! "Mommy, the Dave Thomas Experience was really weird." After riding the Dave Thomas Experience, a dinosaur may chew your arm off--but this is an upcharge. Goodbye, Merimbula--your lamb steaks rule! It was quite a haul to Sydney. This is Canberra. OK, moving right along. I think this is a shot from an Australian Viagra commerical, but I'm not sure. "Oh, you want this?" "Yes, yes! I do indeed want it! Yes I do!" "There here it comes, bitch!" (This is how Robb was doling out the remaining park-related swag.) I think this picture sums up the Robb-and-Elissa dynamic perfectly. I'll leave you with this disturbing doll I found in the Sydney airport. They used to sell stuff like this at Mama Steve's House of Pancakes in Williamsburg as late as the mid-1980s. Thanks for reading!

To sum up . . . Some people prefer Kings Dominion. You can talk about that park in this thread. Others prefer Busch Gardens Williamsburg. You can talk about that park here. I've nothing against comparing and contrasting the two parks, but lets lay off any flame wars or name calling. Thank you. Carry on.

^^Those stones in front of Spaceship Earth have always looked like broken teeth to me. Love to see those things go.

I agree about the Potter movies (which I do think are entertaining), and I feel the same way about the Jurassic Park flicks.

Hey, it's in Texas--what do you expect? I think the trains look great, myself (no more "overdone" than those on Rock 'n' Roller Coaster).

I am OBSESSED with Dole Whip. Same--and DL has a Dole Whip stand in the preshow area!

^I think there's still a Putt Putt operating in Newport News, Va. When I was a kid, we used to play at the one in Modesto, Calif.

There are three good ones in the Lake Tahoe area. Magic Carpet Mini-Golf in Carnelian Bay and in South Shore (both on the California side): Dinosaurs, a cave, a "haunted house"--all kinds of great, cheesy homemade obstacles (many of which are animated) Kings Beach Mini Golf (California side): This one has ample shade and plenty of challenges, such as a slot machine, roulette wheel, holes on top of humps (OK, that sounded wrong), and really nice atmosphere. The Kings Beach course was owned and run by a gent named Boberg for more than 30 years. At the beginning of each summer, the North Lake Tahoe Bonanza newspaper would run a picture of him on the front page hanging up his "Open" sign.

^Moser.

On the plus side, Paris Disneyland is a beautiful park with the best versions of the Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Big Thunder Mountain (that is, when chunks don't fall off and hit people). On the minus side, the customer service is definitely a step or two down from other Disney parks. The food, oddly enough, isn't that great. It also has Disney's two worst coasters ever--Indiana Jones and their version of Space Mountain. Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed my visit there and would happily go there again. But the best park in Europe is Europa.

^About two miles from the park, I think.

I thought the Tiki goddess AA was interesting, but the rest of the show didn't work for me. The more "cartoony" characters just clashed with the more realistic birds.

Considering the insane (but fun as hell) ejector air, I was rather grateful that the lap bars were down tight. My first ride shocked the hell out of me (in a good way). I can understand why they put seatbelts on Shockwave, too.

Rocky Mountain Coasters hasn't finished reprofiling the local Waffle House yet.

As crazy at that ride was during the morning ERT, it definitely upped the ante that night! Whether you think it's a wooden or a steel coaster, it's top-ten (hell, probably top-three) material. What I really appreciated about it, other than the ejector air, was the good mix of airtime and laterals.

^No kidding--the ejector air on that ride is already insane!

I sat in what a friend of mine called "the Magic Seat" on the Georgia Cyclone (last car, second-to-last seat) and had a wild, ejector-air-filled ride marred only by fair amount of shuffling. Other riders on that train, however, were moaning in pain and shaking their heads in despair.

Indeed! Maybe I should post my Texas Giant Bash TR in here.

Quote of the century!! Great TR. It's nice to have a quiet park. That would be quite an accomplishment. If Larry can pull this off, he could rule the world!

It's hard to tell from my crappy phone photo, but there was about three inches of water in the bottom of this log, all of which would drain out as it went up the lift! Texas Giant Bash (and, of course, the New Texas Giant) was excellent! My thanks to Robb, Elissa, and SFOT for putting on such a great event.

It's CONSPIRACY I TELL YOU!!!! Someone clearly was trying to throw the poll!!! Who could it be??? Must start my witch hunt now. BURN THEM AT THE STEAK!!! (mmmm....steak!) Placing Eejanaika anwhere but in the bottom ten is the work of SATAN!

^^It's working for me. The layout for the building section looks particularly intriguing--really looking forward to this one.

Big Thunder at Disneyland Paris is 104. That's a Vekoma ride.