cfc

One last look at WCB, Knott's Berry Farm style! As opposed to "Pony Express: The Walkthrough Attraction." It's brief, but fun. "OK, you riders--mount up! That there mail ain't gonna deliver itself." "Yee-haw!" "It's alright if we pick a little fight, BONANZA!" "OK, everybody needs to clench and squish extra hard to accomodate Snoopy in the group photo. After all, he does have a rather large, overstuffed butt." Oh my God . . . It stopped briefly on the lifthill, so I thought God had smiled on us. He hadn't. Anybody know a good chiropractor? "I'm going to stay here the rest of the day." All he needs is his "Donkey" costume. "Hello, there! Welcome to the Calico Mine Ride. I'm a piece of theming. I hope you enjoyed me." "Heh! I just totally farted." "GAWD! He totally did!" "Hello. I, too, am a nice piece of theming. Enjoy!" "Yep--I been a'workin' up here fer 50 years now. Never even been in the Glory Hole. Guess I ain't worthy." It's great to see the Calico Log Ride in operation again--a true classic and my favorite attraction at Knott's. Yes, there may be taller, more intense rides here, but nothing tops this one. LUNCH! At Knott's, you have to round up, catch, and kill your own chicken dinner, just as our frontier forebears did. I actually helped Snoopy move a trash can out of his way, for which he blew me a kiss. Kind of disturbing, actually. "Don't mind me. I'm just killin' time until Haunt." We rode the train in Matt's honor because he likes trains. Did you know that? Well, now you do. We also checked out Mystery Lodge, which was, um, "interesting." And look--at the giftshop, you can buy "THE SHIRT"! Yes, women just can't resist a dude in a three-wolf shirt. "Whoa, Nelly! This is harder than it looks!" It just dawned on me how much Eric (EBL) looks like Mr. Wilson from the "Dennis the Menace" comic strip. Silver Bullet by day . . . . . . and by night!" Backstage at Piers's photo shoot. "OK, Piers--now think about trains! Oh, yeah! That's so fancy!" Vampire Johnson strikes! Whew! What a great day! Good night, Knott's. Thanks for reading.

It was a long haul for a short sleep after we finished West Coast Bash Day 1 at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Good thing that traffic in the wee hours of the morning is pretty light between Valencia and Anaheim, where our hotel was located. (Thanks for doing all the driving and setting up the lodging, Matt.) So, fortfied by, maybe, four hours of sleep, Matt, Erik, and I made the short drive to Buena Park for WCB: Day 2--and what an excellent day it was! Knott's Berry Farm had big shoes to fill following SFMM, but fill them they did: tours of the "roundhouse," where they maintain the old steam locomotives, and the Calico Mine Ride (which is as old as I am! ); morning ERT; lunch (with, of course, boysenberry pie); a hilarious and informative Q&A session; and evening ERT. I was especially grateful for the look inside the old mine ride, as I've liked this attraction ever since I was a kid. I have one suggestion for making this tour even better. As I understand, there were two groups touring at one time--one group was taken up to the top of the lifthill where the cavern room is, while the other got to check out "the world-famous Glory Hole." In the future, I think the two groups should be allowed to switch after, oh, ten minutes, so that everyone gets to see both sections of the ride. But this is a minor quibble--my thanks to Knott's for giving us this exclusive look at the Calico Mine Ride and roundhouse. I'd also like to give extra thanks to the gentlemen (whose name escapes me--sorry about that) who conducted the roundhouse tour; he obviously loves his job and was very informative. When I last visited Knott's in 2008, I was a bit under the weather. The WCB day was much better, even without Xcelerator (my favorite coaster there)--plus, I was able to get one new credit (Pony Express). Here's how I rank the coasters I rode during WCB: Silver Bullet--I must admit that in 2008, I didn't care much for this ride; however, in 2010, it was running much better (the helix was especially forceful). Although this is not my favorite invert, it may have moved up a space or two. I still find its location in Ghost Town a bit overpowering though. Montezooma's Revenge--I'm glad this old Schwarzkopf creation is still alive and kicking. It packs quite a punch into a small space. Sierra Sidewinder--This spinner is a solid family coaster, and a good fit for Camp Snoopy. Pony Express--Jeff Johnson mentioned that he felt this ride ended right when it started to get interesting. I agree (the bit in the covered bridge is pretty cool). Jaguar--This meandering family coaster is OK for what it is--which isn't terribly exciting. It does have a very nice, rather large themed queue. Ghostrider--Rough, rugged, and painful. I actually rode this twice. In the morning, it was "Son of Beast" nasty all the way through. At night, the first half was OK, but the second half was not. Still, I prefer it to . . . Boomerang--Yes, I rode this again to keep Matt company. He needed the credit. Afterward, we both needed Advil, a massage, and a spine realignment. Timberline Twister was available during morning ERT, but our group was denied for being "too tall." (Oh, well--such is life.) The log ride was up and running again after its rather lengthy rehab, which was still going on when I was here in '08. It's still my favorite flume ride, thanks to its still very good theming and hidden drop in the dark. Before we go to the pictures, I would, once again, like to thank Knott's for working with TPR and Rideworld to put on an excellent event. I appreciate the park management's sense of humor during the Q&A, as well as the sneak peek at their new Haunt maze, "Fallout Shelter" (should be a good one). I hope Knott's Berry Farm remains a part of future West Coast Bashes. There it is, rising up through the fog, a major source of pain: Ghostrider! Silver Bullet dominates the KBF skyline. It's not a bad ride, but it does tend to dwarf the park's entrance and Ghost Town. Look how Monty has to "compensate" just to be noticed. Is it sponsored by the makers of Viagra? Yes, today, we enthusiasts belong to Knott's. They even gave us a special keepsake map--nice touch. Unexpected stationary bobsled ERT! We struggled through the fog to find the meeting place for our roundhouse tour. (Hmm--looks like the Calico Mine Ride is "compensating" a bit, too.) These poor souls had been wandering in the fog for days. They were fortunate to find us. Yes, this is definitely Matt's moment, as we are about to check out . . . . . . a train! "You know, Matt likes trains." "Really?" "I hadn't heard." "I come in peace." If you're a big train fan, get out your tissues. The steam was condensing on the roof of the roundhouse, so there was a constant drizzle inside. Hmm--in some ways, trains are much like people. We all need to be "drained daily." "I really, really like trains, I must say." "OK, anybody here like trains?" "In this shop, we all adhere to a strong Code of Honor." "Here's what's left of the last guy to break it!" I've ridden in Knott's big steam engines, but I've never been on this one. Next up, a look at . . . . . . "the world-famous Glory Hole"! "We been a'sawin' on this here timber fer nigh on ta 50 years." "Your fellers shore are earnin' a powerful lot 'o' overtime on that there hunk 'a' wood." You know, I have no idea what this is. More Glory Hole, I guess. Looks like a volcano erupted, or something. "Tonight on Ghost Hunters: Will TAPS solve the mystery of the Glory Hole's self-propelled ore cars?" "GOD! THE EM LEVELS HAVE SPIKED . . . oh, wait, they dropped again." Looks like they tapped into a rich vein of rocks. Time for morning ERT. Jeff guides us through the nearly impenetrable labyrinth that is Jaguar's queue. These old Schwarzkopf shuttle loops still rule. Yeah, Monty may be the oldest coaster in the park, but it still packs a whallop. Did I mention that Matt really likes trains? Just wanted to make that clear. OK, why am I doing this? Because friends don't let friends ride Boomerangs alone . . . . . . although they probably should. He's Jeff Johnson, Vampire! I think he and Count Dracula were in the same bowling league. More to come.

Were they selling ostrich burgers at the ostrich ranch?

We were both disappointed equally. I've ridden it before, but not this trip. It's my least-favorite B&M ride next to Vortex at Carowinds (just kind of rough and boring). Because it's kind of cool the way you're hanging over the edge on the ride's banked turnaround on the left side--rather scary. That's where I sat both times. Did the same at Fuji-Q, but it didn't seem to matter.

^^They told us at the media day that Europe in the Air is due to open in May. (Sorry about the inadvertant bad poetry.)

Agreed. The stickers on the front of the car look like something a kid would do with a race-car model and a set of decals. That being said, even though I'm not a NASCAR fan, I think the theming is OK, overall, and I'm looking forward to riding Intimidator and its cousin at Kings Dominion.

We already have a thread devoted to favorite inverted coasters: http://themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=11220#p11220. Feel free to post in there. Be sure to use our "search" function. Chances are that if it's a fairly big topic or recent new item, there's already a thread. Thank you.

Intimidator looks great. B&M has been on a role as of late with Behemoth, Diamondback, and this sucker.

When last we saw our intrepid little crew at West Coast Bash, they were just finishing lunch at Six Flags Magic Mountain--little knowing what lay in store! Once again, I'd like to thank Magic Mountain's staff and management team for being such great hosts that day. Hey, I got another great idea! Let's ride "Oliati" after lunch. So, we ambled through Oliati's long, rambling queue, which is quite attractive. But there was still an hour wait. So, we decided to hit this one during ERT. But we did learn some interesting facts. Did you know that Oliati wore size 45, double-E sandals? Now you do. Yep--that's a lotta cement. You could mend a whole mess of driveways with all that cement. "Hi there! Remember me from DCA? Well, I've still gotta buttload of berries and the urge to dump! You've been warned!" Time for excusrion #5! We meet at the appointed place. We weren't allowed to take any pictures in the cycle shop, but the tour was very interesting, and our guide obviously loves his job. Thank you very much! Time for a little Sky Tower love. Hi Tatsu! This is my favorite geeky coaster pic of the day. I had no idea that a Viper train had sneaked into my shot until I got home and loaded this onto my computer. "Yo, Angus." "Yo, Syl. Ever catch that little yellow bird, loser?" Back in the old days, Magic Mountain's coasters were fitted with cushions from New Orleans brothels. Matt, Ninja is very embarrassed and very sorry that it was down for rehab during your visit. Please accept its most sincere apology. The Troll, however, was talking smack behind your back. He's askin' for a butt kickin'. Oh my god! Charo is coming! "I'm gonna find the theatre where Charo is singin' tonight on this map. I could go for some of that 'hootchie-kootchie-kootchie' action!" Looks like this person has had too much of a "Six Flags Day." Q&A sessions make Matt jump for joy! "Yes. I-too-am-looking-forward-to-the-Q-&-A-session." "Hey, kids! Have enough 'Six Flags Days,' and you'll look as sexy as me!" Matt looks like he belongs on that float. Again, I have learned so much st SFMM. Who would've thought that oxygen was "exhilarating"? One last backstage tour--this time, at X2. Looking up X2's skirt! I'm so naughty, I'm so naughty! Yep. Those are some mighty big wheels. As I recall, they're part of the seat-rotation system. This train is taking some time off. No doubt, it has earned it. Yeah, the new color scheme is much better. It's hard to take a pink coaster seriously. Hmm--getting closer to nighttime ERT! "Hey, little boy! Come and ride the carousel with the nice man!" "Can I ride the carousel with the nice man? Can I, can I, can I?" Cameron works that pole. Jo and Holden are quite intrigued. "He tasks me! He tasks me, and I shall have him!" Superman ran quite well during ERT. You could hear that sucker roar all night from all over the park. Now this is what ERT is all about. Gotcha, Oliati! Sigh! The first day of WCB is just about over. May as well go out with FIRE! Thanks again, Six Flags--and Robb and Elissa! What a great day!

"You see, Chuck. I told you that wascally wabbit was fickle!" Always listen to your inner Elmer Fudd.

More from WCB at SFMM. Everybody's little shutter fingers were a'twitchin' for the backstage tour. Deja Vu. It's a ride and a lawn ornament. I do like the colors. Behold the magical pile of dirt that will become . . . . . . Mr. Six's Dance Coaster! Most people would be bummed about being left in the back of the park. But Buddha is probably OK with it, being, well, "Buddha" and all. He probably doesn't mind the compost pile, either. "You can't skip the preshow! Everybody has to watch the preshow!" "Oh, the sun is very bright and warm, I must say." Sheesh, look at all those geeks wearing the same shirt . . . oh, wait. Never mind. Excuse me little boats, but you're supposed to be in the water. OK, can anyone tell me what the heck this stuff is? "What's this? The Riddler back in Gotham City?" "Riddle me this, Dynamic Dunderheads! How is a raven like a writing desk?" "Holy conundrum, Batman! There's no answer to that one!" "Crap! You're right, Boy Wonder! Another brillant criminal scheme down the tubes!" "And thus we see the erratic nature of the criminal mind, Robin." "Well, since that riddle was too hard for us, here's another: How many copy editors does it take to screw in a light bulb?" "Unclear. Do you mean to replace the bulb, or to have sex in it?" "Damn you, Batman!" "Ya know, even warriors from the planet Zarkon need to take a leak sometimes. How about a little privacy, OK?" Any park can have "peligro." But only SFMM has "peligro extremo!" "When last we saw the Dynamic Duo, they were hurtling toward the Riddler's 'Tree of Death'! For you, an entire day has passed. For them, only a few moments! But wait! The worst is yet to come!" Vertical water is the best kind of water. Thanks for the walk, Six Flags--we all enjoyed it. Hey, I have a great idea! Let's walk up Samurai Summit and ride Superman: The Escape! Yes, it's quite a trudge--but it'll be worth it! "Your efforts are about to be rewarded, citizens! Soon, you will soar with me, the Man of Steel!" At last! The Fortress of Solitude! I hope Superman has an air-hockey table. Jo loves holding sweatshirts and bags for coaster nerds. Oh, boy--almost there! "Ladies and gentlemen. We are experiencing technical difficulties." D'oh! Wait a minute! You mean, we could've ridden up this freakin' hill? "I feel so ashamed and used." Well, there's always lunch to pick up our spirits--and nighttime ERT! OK, which line for the crappy, mediocre food? "I'm just s-o-o-o-o dead sexy!" The woman behind you begs to differ. Hey, the sign was right and true! The BBQ beef is pretty good! This reminds me of what animator Chuck Jones once said: "Bugs Bunny is who we aspire to be. Daffy Duck is who we are." More to come from SFMM tomorrow. It's getting late.

Renee, truer words were never spoke. Moving right along . . . it's time for the first day of West Coast Bash at Six Flags Magic Mountain! I'd last visited this park two years ago for a TPR DVD premiere party and had a great time. SFMM and Robb put on a sort of "mini-WCB" back then. This whetted my appetite for more. And SFMM, TPR, and Rideworld didn't disappoint this year, either. The Magic Mountain day was long and epic, with ample ERT (morning and night), good meals, and some very cool "surprise" excursions. Everybody was assigned a time for a "backstage" tour behind Terminator, Batman, and Riddler's Revenge for taking pictures; but we were also assigned numbers, times, and meeting places for different excursions. Some received a backstage look at Scream during block-brake testing. Others got to check out the mantainance bay of X2. As for my group, we met at the exit to Batman and were given a very informative tour of the only "cycle shop" (dedicated to rehabbing trains) in the Six Flags chain. They were working on a trains for Revolution and Tatsu at the time. One interesting fact: According to our guide, a Tatsu train takes 14 weeks to completely rehab, while a Goliath train takes only 4 weeks--but his favorite trains to work on were on Gold Rusher. In some cases, if there was enough space, you could tag along on another excursion (I was able to check out X2 behind the scenes). My thanks for Magic Mountain for working with TPR to make this happen. These sorts of tours are what makes TPR events stand out. As for the coasters, here's how I rank 'em (best to worst): Terminator: Salvation--Yep. This is now my favorite coaster in the park. This little GCI is completely nuts from start to finish; there isn't a dead spot on it. I like the theming and even the preshow. Plus, it has FIRE! And you haven't lived until you've experienced the special WCB soundtrack. Really, you have to hear it to believe it. Goliath--Sorry, big man, but Terminator knocked you down a space. But you're still pretty damn good (particularly in the front row on the left side). X2--I am not a fan of Ejan, er, Ejanik,er, Fuji-Q's 4D coaster (in fact, I really hate it). So, I was pleasantly surprised by X2. Yes, it is rather rough, but I thoroughly enjoyed my two rides. I think the secret lies in the seat rotation. Fuji likes to flip you over and over like a shirt in a dryer. SFMM didn't overdo the rotations--they flipped the seat enough to make it interesting, but not so much that you felt like you were tumbling around in a trash can. The soundtrack and FIRE are a big plus, too. Batman--Everytime I ride one of these, I understand why Six Flags cloned so many of them. It's still one of the best B&M inverts around. Tatsu--This is a excellent B&M flyer in a great location, but it's a one-and-done for me, thanks to the intensity of the pretzel loop. Riddler's Revenge--Not a big fan of standups, but this one is very good with it's twisty, tricky layout. Superman: The Escape--Yes, it's a one-trick pony, but it's still a pretty damn good trick. I was amazed at how loud this thing is (like a jumbo jet taking off). Viper--This is my second favorite of the old, twisty Arrow rides (Tennessee Tornado is the best one). Kind of rough, but quite bearable. Colossus--SFMM raced both sides during ERT, which was a definite plus. Overall, this is a decent ride, but it has seen better days. Revolution--A once great ride that is but a shadow of its former self. Rough and painful. Gold Rusher--This ride's motto should be "Banked turns are for wussies." The layout of this old Arrow minetrain is rather "eccentric," and it will slam you around quite a bit. I didn't get around to riding Scream, but I have been on it before. Ninja was down for rehab, and I skipped Deja Vu, as well. SFMM provided a very informative Q&A session, too. Guests submitted questions on slips of paper during lunch, and Jay Thomas and his group answered each one of them. Considering the source of those queries, that took guts. Once again, my thanks to the management and staff at Six Flags Magic Mountain for being such excellent hosts, and to Robb, Elissa, and Chris (Rideworld) for working so hard to make this event happen. And to think it's only half over . . . Here's a look at WCB's first day. Before we amble over to SFMM, I'd like to wish Kristin "Happy Birthday" once again. "I am the Birthday Queen!" I'm glad Russ survived the birthday party, as well. Hmm--looks like the sun is just barely up. Yay! Nerdledee and Nerdledum followed us to Six Flags! Step right up, folks! If you weren't a sexy beast before, you will be now in one of these uber hot WCB shirts! They're already having an effect on Cameron. "Hmm . . . let's see . . . last name 'Butts,' first and middle names 'Ineeda Seymour' . . . Yes Inneda Seymour . . . hey, wait a minute!" "Yes, not only have we removed the OTSRs from Revolution, but we're going to strap you into Tatsu using only twine and chewing gum!" Can you hear the bulls snorting? Well, . . . . . . let the running of the bulls begin! What to do, what to do? I know! Let's ask the degrading stereotype mouse! Viper first? Well, why not? I have a bottle of Advil with me. This part is actually pretty good. This part, not so much. Still, it's not a bad ride, overall. Next up, the biggest, most pleasant surprise of the day for me. Wasn't sure I'd like this one after the "rolling-in-a-trash-can" experience at Fuji-Q. But X2 was a great coaster, even if I'm not sure I could stand more than two rides a day on it. Nothing beats coasters and dounts. I think it's good that Six Flags has an "official sausage." I mean, without the "official" stamp, vendors would be free to sell bootleg sausages. And who wants that? OK,now that we're fortified with those donuts . . . Hey, how's that crueller sittin' for ya? "Oh, god! I never should've ate that pink one! But it looked so cute!" That's not what I would call a "donut-friendly" layout. This ride is personally approved by the Govanator. "Ah, a designated smoking area. I think I'll sit down, light up, and casually toss the still-burning match over my shoulder." OK, who's got the remote? I'm gettin' sick of this channel. I always do what Indians on TV tell me to do. So, I will stand by. Aghh! A prototype Schwarzenegger! "I'll be back! As vill you, to watch zee preshow again!" Take the . . . OK, you've heard this one before. My god! Skynet has opened some sort of interdimensional vortex! These poor souls are being sucked into an alternative future! A future without donuts! More to come.

Since his last trip with you?? Rimshot! Just came to me as I was sorting through the pictures on Tuesday night, but it has such wide application here.

We wandered across the esplanade for a great evening at Disneyland. Join us, won't you? Yes, here we are at Walt Disney's original Magic Kingdom! And look--two adorable Disney characters are here to greet us! Say "hello" to . . . . . . Nerdledee and . . . . . . Nerdledum! Hi, Renee. How's that fancy new pass workin' for ya? Not so good? Well, I'm sure Tinker Bell or someone will get it straightened out. Look at that cute little castle! You just want to hug it and take it home with you! First, a spin on Space Mountain, following a "35 minute" wait. Well, it was worth it--it was running great that night. Look! Those two adorable Disney characters have followed us to Space Mountain! "Live long, and prosper." I think you know what this sign means. Yep--meat on a stick! Snakes! Why did it have to be snakes? Vines! Why did it have to be vines? Columns! Why did it . . . Shaddup your mouth! This was my favorite ride when I was a kid. The rest of my family went to the Matterhorn at rope drop. I always went here. Good to know that Mr. Toad is "certified" and "compliant." They must've changed his meds. Hmm--there is a certain resemblance. Time to get our jet-lagged bodies to the motel. Later, Disneyland. Good night, DCA. There'll be WCB pics tomorrow. I promise.

I’ve traveled with TPR to the U.K., Japan, and across Scandinavia and a big chunk of Europe, but I had never experienced West Coast Bash. I decided that it was high time I did. How can any red-blooded coaster enthusiast and TPR member avoid going to at least one WCB? So, I hopped on a plane in Richmond, Va., and landed at the much-beloved LAX, where I met up with Matt, Jo, and Renee at the ever-so-exotic Hertz desk. But something was wrong. It was Thursday. WCB didn’t start until Saturday. What to do, what to do? Go to Disneyland—what else? Where Erik and Cameron had a head-start on us! That simply would not do. We spent a great day at Disney’s Construction Area and Disneyland, jet lag and all. Both parks were busy, so much so that DCA kept a few areas open an hour later than usual. Even so, we got a lot done, checking out the Aladdin show at DCA (a first for most of us) and most of DL’s major attractions that evening (with Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride thrown in for good measure). The park’s three coasters were delivering particularly good rides that night (especially Big Thunder Mountain). It was a bit too chilly for water rides, though. And the company makes a big difference. The WCB experience was awesome—my thanks to Robb, Elissa, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Knott’s Berry Farm, and, of course, my fellow partners in goofiness. And they know who they are. But first, here’s a look at our little “pre-Bash” at DLR. This is where we parked. If you go there now looking for us, prepare for disappointment. Behold one of the most cunningly disguised show buildings anywhere! DCA says, "Do I make you 'orni?'" OK, this will be the only Austin Powers gag in this whole TR. I promise. See the big hubcap? Well, don't get used to it. It'll be going bye-bye. As Robert Frost wrote, "Nothing gold can stay." First things first. This definitely beats the little box of Total cereal I had on my Continental flight. Here's something you can't get across the way. In your face, Disneyland! Look! Mickey! On a wheel! And high-tech fountains that spew magic pixie water! (OK, that just sounded wrong.) Hey, I gotta helluva idea! Let's ride Screamin'! And let's use the single-rider line! Hot damn tamale, this idea just gets better and better! Too bad it broke down five minutes later. "Hurry, hurry, hurry! Hoop the stuck coaster train! Win yerself a kewpie doll!" DCA got 'er going again a hour or so later. And now, a look into the future of DCA. And what a high-tech future it is! See how Disney takes your "standard Zierer crown" and applies magic! This looks vaguely familiar. Where have I seen a similar entrance before? I'd call the feeling "deja vu," but that's at SFMM. Disney on the cutting edge! The new World of Color show will use animated paper cut outs! You've never seen this before. Unless you watch "South Park." But does "South Park" have high-tech magic fountains that spew pixie water? In your face, Matt South and Trey Parker! OK, I kid because I love. I like it that DCA is getting the boost it needs--particularly Cars Land. We picked up some Tower of Terror Fast Passes, then wandered into what seemed to be some sort of strange liaison between a prince, a horse, and a squirrel. Really, what is the prince whispering into that equine's ear? Why are they leering so much? Why is the squirrel so into it? Sick, I tell you! Sick! We had enough time to catch "Aladdin" before we had to use our Fast Passes. And we had to climb way up there. Yep--that's pretty dang high. The show was fun, though--particularly the actor who played the Genie. There is a Sixth Dimension beyond that which is known to Rod Serling. It exists in the back row of an "ordinary service elevator," and it is an area which we call . . . . . . the TPR Zone! "OK, I'm gonna cut loose all over this stone bear's nose. And I've been eatin' lots of berries, you stupid bear!" Yay! Screamin' is going again! Jo is the first of our group to triumph over the single-rider line! She's going to Disneyland! As are the rest of us--shortly.

In my humble opinion, it is. At least the theming of "Big Bang Smurf" explains some of the seemingly random stuff at Walygator.

There was milk at SFMM's breakfast (I had some with my coffee and donut). Maybe they were out when you came through the line. This was my first West Coast Bash, and it was excellent at both parks (I especially appreciated the sense of humor the folks at Knott's showed during the Q&A session). PS--It's difficult for me to thank Robb and Elissa enough for setting up this awesome event. I hope to have a TR posted this week.

The reason they gave was that it had "reached the end of its service life." BBW was a pretty tough ride to maintain. Thanks for sharing the photos. This is the first preview day I've missed in five or six years, but West Coast Bash was great, so all is well.

^The water to fill that dummy has got to come from somewhere; perhaps this dummy has expensive tastes.

^I've always found it ironic that so many people eat lamb on Easter, when Christ is often referred to as the "Lamb of God."

Yep--roughly a half-hour drive.

^That's my impression of Blackstone, too--they seem to "get it." I think the Busch parks are in good hands.

BGW’s New Highland Stables, Irish Show, and Simulator When Busch Gardens’ original Clydesdales were shipped off to St. Louis last year, this left the park with a problem: “What do we do with the stables?” And how can you have “Busch Gardens” without Clydesdales? The solution: Get new Clydesdales. Heck, why not sheep? Why not turn the Highland Stables into a Scottish farm? The park experimented with some “temp” Clydesdales during Christmas Town last season, and guest reactions were uniformly positive. So they bought four new Clydesdales (two males, two females), along with eight Scottish Blackface Sheep (one ram, seven ewes) and four Border Collies (two males, two femalse) to herd them. Yes, there will be regular herding demonstrations at BGW, but not right away. The dogs are still pups, and they have to learn how the sheep “work” to gain the confidence they’ll need to herd them. This will all be part of the “Highland Stables Up Close Tour,” which will include photo ops with the Clydesdales, personal interaction with the dogs and sheep, and lessons about Scottish farming techniques. The cost for the tour will be $19.95, but the park is running a half-price special for passholders during Spring Break, which ends on April 11. But you don’t necessarily have to pay $19.95 to see some sheepherding. The sheep themselves will be herded across the park, starting in Ireland, to Highland Stables at 11:00 each morning, then back at 4:00 or 5:00 in the afternoon. (Talk about adding atmosphere to the park.) The park also shared some information about their new simulator and show for 2010. Corkscrew Hill in Killearney ended its eight-year run last season and is being replaced with Europe in the Air, a “flying tour.” (“You’re up in the air”—get it?) The park had been thinking about making this change for a few years, said Larry Giles (VP of operations). The same type of simulators are used to train pilots, so “why let it do what it does best—fly?” Like any good theme-park attraction, there is a backstory. An Irishman named O’Shea has started his own travel business (“No-Time Travel”) and has built a special machine that can fly guests from Ireland, past Stonehenge and London, to Paris, to Germany, to the Alps, to Italy, and back again in five minutes. (If only all flights to Europe were this fast.) The footage used in the simulator was shot from the nose of a helicopter by In-Motion Entertainment and includes a flyover of the Roman Coliseum from only 50 feet. The simulator also boasts a larger curved screen; three new digital projectors capable of projecting at 50 frames per second (the standard is 24); and a picture that is “seven times” sharper than HD. (And, no, it isn't in 3D.) The preshow segments are being shot this week, and the ride is scheduled to open in May. It sounds like a great replacement for Corkscrew Hill. Finally, Celtic Fyre, a new Irish dance show, will be debuting in the Abbey Stone Theatre. The theatre is being redone to resemble a large Irish pub, which is hosting a wedding reception. There will be toasts to the bride and groom, dancing in the aisles, and even tables for park guests adjoining the stage. The show is still in rehearsal, and they haven’t finished the theatre’s transformation from a ruined abbey to a pub yet; so, the show will probably be in “preview” mode going into the summer season. My thanks to everyone at BGW today for giving is this look at what's in store for this season. Hmm--and what sort of "adventures" will we have today? Why, adventures with sheep, . . . . . . horses, . . . . . . and dogs! Meet Jennifer--the trainer. And now, meet some Scottish Blackface Sheep! These lambs are only seven and two days old, so the sheep have already been "busy." "What's that? You have feed, you say?" These sheep come from a Virginia breeder, as do the collies. "Are ye eyeballin' me? Ye best not be eyeballin' me, laddie! I'll butt yer head as sure as shootin'." Aw, cute little bugger isn't it? "Help! This man has a jar of mint jelly in his pocket! Let go of me, you fiend!" Well, it is lunchtime--guess we'd better move on. Next up, fiesty Border Collies. They were originally bred on the near the border of Scotland and England--hence the name. Trainers call this "using positive reinforcement." Dogs call this "giving us FOOD!" They've been learning the basics, such as "shake" and "rollover." And they're learning to respond to typical Scottish commands, such as "That'll do" for "Come here." "Can we have some more 'postive reinforcement,' please?" "This is my ball! MINE, I tell you!" Meet Dakota, who is quite the "escape artist." This horse can actually duck under the top chain and get out, so a second chain was added. That's pretty limber for a Clydesdale. Dakota is three years old, stands about 5', 11' tall at the withers, and will probably grow another two inches. "Yum! 'Positive reinforcement' for me!" "So, Dakota--are you enjoying Busch Gardens?" "Well, I was a bit distressed that the rides can't handle someone of my girth. Then again, I do weigh 1,800 pounds." Time to herd some sheep! Let's follow them to Ireland, shall we? Larry Giles fills us in on "Europe in the Air." Goodbye giant hand. Wonder what the new entrance will look like? "Celtic Fyre" will be opening at the Abbey Stone Theatre this season. Still in rehearsal. The show will feature live music. I've always appreciated this touch about Busch's shows (not as much dependence on playback). One last look at a Clydesdale. Good to know that they'll still be part of the atmosphere at BGW. Thanks for reading.

Quoted for truth. What a great park, and what a great set of pictures.

I know many who hate it, and a few who like it. So, I guess you're one of "the few, the proud."