cfc

Would definitely sweeten the deal for me.

Hookers and Blow is some sort of PR firm, right?

^A wise decision. Hurler was actually great the first season or two it was open, but I guess it just beats the crap out of itself. I have a soft spot for Grizzly--mainly for the Shed of Death.

Some of the Togos in Japan are actually pretty good. Milky Way at Mitsui Greenland is my favorite standup next to Riddler's Revenge.

^I'd spare the boomerang at Power Park, too. It's actually fun.

^They could use shark and octopus phermones to lure Mega Shark and Giant Octopus there, then force them to fight in the vicinity of Cheetah. The ride will be destroyed, and SyFy will get the movie sequel it craves: "Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus II--Die, Cheetah, Die!"

Hmm . . . let's see . . . - Favorite new coaster Balder (Liseberg)--this ride not only has awesome airtime from start to finish, but can cure a head cold - Favorite new ride Journey to the Center of the Earth (DisneySea)--gotta love the lava monster and elaborate queue (Adventures of Spider-man at IOA and MIB at Universal Orlando merit honorable mentions) - Favorite new park DisneySea--the best thing that Disney has ever done - Most memorable park moment Walking though the entrance of DisneySea and seeing the enormous lagoon and volcano--quite a sight - Most memorable coaster moment Being hulred over the first drop of El Toro--a great "holy crap!" moment - Best ERT session Blader (both in '06 and '09)--you just can't beat hammers, snacks, hats, bunny ears, and beer (Toverland ERT in '08 is a close second, and it also involved beer . . . hmm . . .) - Least favorite coaster Space Mountain (Paris Disneyland)--Disney needs to rip this thing down and start over - Least favorite ride The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (Disneyland in California)--never thought I'd miss the Country Bear Jamboree - Least favorite park FujiQ--lousy operations, bad selection of rides, wretched food, no desire to return - Most interesting ride you've seen introduced Insane (Intamin Zac Spin)--I thought I'd hate this, but ended up loving it (Tranan at Skara Sommerland gets an honorable mention) - Least interesting ride you've seen intoduced Standard Disk-os (although I kind of like the "Survivor" type Disk-os)--just not my thing, but I understand why other people like them - Your favorite TPR moment (favorite post, trip report, video, whatever!) "Pass the sword" on Falken during the '09 Scandi trip--a great, spontaneous event that could only happen when TPR is involved - The decade's biggest flop Hard Freestyle Rock Music Park--a poorly conceived (if nice) park that is being mismanaged into oblivion - The decade's biggest success Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom (despite the problems with the Yeti)--just what this park needed (and a good example of what a Disney coaster is all about) - The best meal you've had at a park The three-course lunch at Magellan's at DisneySea--the creme brulee kicked butt - The worst meal you've had at a park Fried chicken at the Country Kitchen in Kings Dominion--actually had to run to a nearby restroom to puke after eating one piece (the FujiQ "burger" gets a dishonorable mention, as well) - Best park turnaround Although I don't have a strong basis for comparison, I'd say the Disney Studios park in Paris (a very pleasant surprise on the '08 Europe Trip) - Worst park turnaround Kings Dominion--Dominator is a very good addition, but the park still seems a bit dispirited (I have high hopes for Intimidator, though) - What was the biggest trend of this past decade? Hmm--probably the proliferation of Towers of Terror at Disney parks worldwide and the rise of Vekoma (whose rides are steadily improving)

Quoted for truth. Maybe the demo company can give them a two-for-one deal on Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril, too.

I liked Beast, too--in my top 20 this year. But if they make a bonfire out of Son of Beast, I'd definitely attend.

I figure the point of a roller coaster is to entertain. And that video was as entertaining as any ride we took on that trip. To me, anyway. So, it's one of the worst if you ride it, but one of the best if you just watch others suffer riding it?

Oh, I have it...and trust me, that footage WILL surface at some point in the near future! It is, without a doubt, the greatest park-recorded onride video ever!

My brothers and I had Creepy Crawlers and one of those Vac-u-Form machines. We loved playing with them, and didn't mind the occasional singed finger. I was watching some movie on cable where a bunch of people were playing the Green Ghost board game--that thing was awesome!

^^I experienced the same reaction from some of my friends when I took the UK trip in '06, although my family's reaction was, "Hey, that trip sounds great!" And so it was. I think the new membership option is just a logical step in TPR's evolution (just as the site's relationship with the parks themselves has evolved).

I don't think the Grizzly is the worst woodie ever (that honor goes to Anaconda at Walygator), but it's in the bottom ten for me. I rode it the first year it was open and found it incredibly boring.

Proof that great minds think alike, Erik. I ranked Voyage 7th, too (Raven was 5th).

I haven't ridden Prowler, either, but I'm looking forward to it next summer. There is such a thing as the "new coaster smell" effect, I think. Will Prowler have the "top-ten" staying power of rides like Balder, Voyage, or El Toro? The proof will be in next year's poll.

This could be the start of a whole second career, Larry. Time to book your space on the craft-show circuit now! It is a very good idea.

You brought it up--time to drop the other shoe, Anth.

Not everyone takes issue with the roughness on Voyage. I happen to think it's pretty mindblowing. I didn't find Voyage all that rough back in April, with the exception of one noticeable bump on one of the hills. I think it's a great ride, but almost a bit "too much" (have the same minor complaint about El Toro, another great ride).

^I thought the score was one of the best things about it (except for the curious Irish folk tune they played over the closing credits). As I said earlier, a very entertaining action movie, but not really "Sherlock Holmes."

^I've been twice, once with a friend and the other with my parents and a niece, and really enjoyed myself. I agree that the penguin exhibit was pretty weak (only waited five minutes for it the first time, didn't bother to fight the line the second time), but the holiday food offerings have been very good, and my parents liked the shows and decorations a lot. So far, Christmas Town seems to be a hit, so I think BGW will build on this for the future.

Just got back from seeing "Indiana Holmes vs. Lord Valdemort" (also known as Sherlock Holmes). It's an entertaining action flick, and Robert Downey is amusing--but he ain't Sherlock Holmes. The thing is, they could've taken this same story and done it in a more "traditional Holmes" way and it would've worked--they didn't need all the ridiculous action scenes where characters routinely break the laws of physics.

Very well put, Joe! Agreed. The preliminary results make sense to me, even if I don't agree with the exact rankings (Diamondback and Voyage did make my top ten, though). Looking forward to checking out Prowler next summer.

Sounds kinky. Angus just might be into that.

^Hmm--perhaps you shouldn't quote yourself on it, either.