cfc

I just found it boring--definitely one of the least of the B&M inverts I've ridden. But your mileage may vary. PAL, I echo your comments regarding the old Roaring 20s section. This part of the park was unique, but now it's generic.

^Agreed--the two Intimidators are the main reason I renewed my Cedar Fair pass. I've always thought that Carowinds was a "nice" park that needed something big to put it on the map--the addition of Intimidator should give the park another first-class coaster to go with Afterburn. And I like it that KD's Intimidator will be an entirely different ride experience.

I agree completely. Silver Bullet, a mediocre invert, at best, just looks so out of place at Knott's (Ghostrider makes sense there, anyway).

One set more, from me 'n' Tor. And, so, we bid a fond farewell to HHN with this, the signature shot. Stay tuned for Howl-o-Scream at Busch Gardens Tampa. Aghh! Soap bubbles scare Tor! Mus' get outta here, after more Jel' Shot . . . "Aw, you're so lucky to be locked up with all those adorable rodents!" . . . Rat Woman! Tor t'ink bearded lady hot! But she got nothin on . . . Cirque du Freak was next. "Stupid purple dinosaur crabbin' my act!" If you survive Barney, that is. Chucky will scare the crap out of you. JELLO SHOT FOR TOR NOW! What playin' at drive-in? Maybe see Tor in Bride of Monster! "Yeah! They put the wrong brand of bottled water in my fridge! Heads are gonna roll!" Chainsaw Guy: "Who put the brown M&Ms in my trailer! I hate brown M&Ms!" Tor like big lights! Nice work this year, Chucky. . . . and used his vampiric mind powers on us! "Look into my eyes! You will fly to Japan! You will visit Universal Osaka! You will get a Jaws ball cap and bring it back to me! Obey!" Mike Roddy shared his thoughts . . . "Presenting the 'Squeezinart,' from Ronco! It squeezes and drips and squashes and oozes! And if you order now, we'll throw in a set of Ginzu steak knives absolutely free!" Tor think great deal for $19.99! Dracula has devised a very efficient system for feeding his older, "feral" brides. . . . not-so-lovely vampire bride. Look OK to Tor. You get her number? Lovely vampire brides . . . Hmm--looks like Angus McNasty had a go at Renfield's cat.

Tor back! Chuck back too! We both back! My local Home Depot doesn't carry this chandelier--maybe Ikea? Tor can make one easy--from scratch! One more set pitchurs to come. This is an actual used coffin. If you have a body creamated, but want a "viewing," you have to pay for a coffin. Such coffins can't be reused, so they're sold cheap. Great for Halloween mazes--or as a cheap spare bed for annoying guests. Looks like the count has quite a bumper crop of corpses this year. Nice to see that he takes such pride in his garden. Next stop--Castle Dracula. And, buddy, that'll teach you for trying to peek through people's windows! Yep--I knew that wiring was dangerous! I'm pretty concerned about this wiring. Was your electrician bonded? But Elissa hadn't recokoned on the Sister of Frankenstein! "Piers, you WILL perform 'Illumigaytions' this week!" Hey! You Swedish! Like Tor! Be worried--these are Dr. F's dental instruments. You may recognize this fellow from the last year's "Body Collectors" maze (er, the one on the left, that is). Waste not, want not. Tor got craving for Buffalo wings now. Not sure why. Tor want pecs like that! "I'll need you to sign for it, buddy--gotta pen?" "OK, did somebody here order a new heart?" . . . Stoopid Monkey!" "Hoo, hoo! Ha, Ha! . . . Tor lookin' fer new head. You got spare, maybe? If no head, will settle for pelvis. "Hello. I'm Dr. Herbert West. If you're through with the cat, I'll take it off your hands." Again, I think Dr. F needs to have a word with those contractors. Takeout here for Tor! Tor hungry!

Erik no deny destin'y! You mus' be Tor great nephew, or som'thin! NO DENY TOR! Easy, Tor, easy--there are a lot of people named "Johnson," and they're not all as large as you. Yeah! Tor BIG Johnson! Er, yeah, sure. Let's move along to . . . Halloween Horror Night at Universal Orlando Yeah! Tor like Hor' Night! Want to write 'bout it, but Tor ha' too many Jello Shots, so little fuzzy ag'in. Chuck write, 'stead. OK, Tor--if you insist. HHN 2009, "Ripped from the Silver Screen," was excellent this year--the best of the five HHNs I've attended. I was particularly looking forward to the haunted houses inspired by the classic Universal Monsters--the Wolf Man, Dracula, and Frankenstein. They were all great, but I was pleasantly surprised by the Chucky (Child's Play) and Saw houses, too (never been a big fan of Saw, but it sure made for an good maze). Here's how I rank the houses, starting with my favorite (it was a pretty tough choice). Frankenstein: Creation of the Damned: This maze picks up where James Whale's The Bride of Frankenstein leaves off. The good doctor patches and stitches his ruined castle back together to continue his experiements in reanimation; of course, it doesn't go as well as he might have hoped. This is an excellent updating of the old movies, and I liked the "steampunk" look and feel of if. Very, very detailed. Chucky: Friends till the End: One of the biggest suprises of the night. I've never found the Child's Play movies (outside of the first one) particulalry scary. (Hell, you can easily punt Chucky across the street.) But this maze involving possessed toys is beautifully done--scary and funny (often at the same time). It builds to a great finish, too. Dracula: Legacy in Blood: Don't look for some guy in a tuxedo here. Universal has taken this legend back to the source that inspired Bram Stoker--the history of Transylvania's nororious Vlad the Impaler. It turns on one key line from Stoker's novel--"I shall turn your women against you." And the good count has been busy, not only turning our women against us, but impaling their men, as well. Again, amazing atmosphere. The Wolf Man: My fondest memory of the first HHN I ever attended was the old "Monsterama" maze (2000, I think), which featured the "classic" versions of Universal's Monsters--the Wolf Man scared the crap out of everyone in my group when he practically bounded over our heads. This new maze is great, too--a very good expansion of the old Lon Chaney, Jr., flick from the 1940s, complete with a "living" forest. Leave it to Cleaver: Welcome to Meetz Meats, where the choicest cut is prime rib of . . . YOU! (Yeah, I've used this joke in other "Haunt" write ups.) This tour of a 1950s meat-processing plant for cannibals is largely played for laughs, and works nicely (apparently, I'd look "good on the buffet"). The goofy plastic masks worn by most of the scareactors make them look like mutant versions of Bob's Big Boy. Saw: I'm not a big fan of this series, but this is a very good maze. All the elements and traps from the movie are there, and Billy, the trike-riding puppet, is one of the creepiest little bastards ever. Silver Screams: This year's "icon" maze comes off a bit weak, mainly because, I think, it tries to do too much. The movies represented here range from Army of Darkness to My Bloody Valentine to Shaun of the Dead, and there really isn't enough space and time to do them all justice. But the Usher is a good character, and the maze does have atmosphere to burn--the Shaun of the Dead section is particulary well done. At any other park haunt, this maze would be a headliner. The Spawning: This is the most "generic" maze at HHN (mutant lizards on the loose in a city sewer system), but it's still a lot of fun. The "Sculdurs" (Scully/Muldur, anyone) are pretty good monsters. We enjoyed a great behind-the-scenes tour of the three main houses this year, and Michael Roddy, the creative director of HHN, spent some time with us, too--my thanks to him and the Universal staff for treating us all so well. And seeing the houses lit up did nothing to diminish the scares that night. I really liked four of the scarezones this year (the freaks, the chainsaw drill tream, the zombie war, and the Horrorwood Drive-In). But zones tend to be a hit or miss, depending on crowds and timing. The only minor bummer was probably this year's Bill and Ted show but I think the problem was the weakness of our pop culture last summer (not a very rich vein to mine there). Fun, but not as good as in past years. Oh, and Rip Ride Rockit was damn good, too. My thanks, again, to Universal, and especially to Robb and Elissa for setting up another great day and night at Universal Orlando. Here's a look at it. Hmm--I'm not sure this repair work is up to code. More to come. First stop, Frankenstein. Off to the soundstage mazes. "This is Universal. There are no 'Hidden Mickeys' here. Thank you." Look! A Hidden Mickey! Looks like they're "slashing" the budget. Hmm--this looks like a very troubled production. Time to unmask a little horror. This year's affable HHN host. Hmm--I think this popcorn has been here a while. You no want, Tor eat! Very nice work. Here's the model theatre they used in their commercials and online. I so want a "Leave It to Cleaver" bobblehead. The "Unmasking the Horror Tour" includes these models. "Magnum PI is the greatest show in history! Shakespeare, Moliere, Shaw--their stuff is nothing but crap next to Magnum!" "MY GOD! WILLIAM SHATNER! I LOVE HIS PRICELINE ADS!" HHN hasn't even started yet, and Jon is already freaked. "Oh, goody! I've always wanted to tickle a Dutchman!" I'm willing to bet that flames will be shooting out of there tonight. My--that's a big one. Hmm--unless I miss my guess, this is some sort of "scarezone." And it was good--this element particularly. Tor too big, no ride. Tor sad! Didn't even get kill dumb bird! . . . but the bird broke it!" Tor kill dumb bird! Easy, Tor--they'll fix the ride. "Hell-o-o-o-o, ladies! I was gonna take you on the ride of your life . . . Another sign brought to you by the Department of Redundancy Department. Now, did everybody get that? I repeat, did everybody get that? Is the signage clear? Tor no get it. Here's the reason we're all here, right, Tor? Don' forget Jel' shots! Dis how Tor pick up wimmins at Hor' Night! Me look more han'some in color.

Most likely BGW--for their Christmastown event (Griffon is supposed to be running, weather permitting).

^Agreed. All the Disney "Magic Kingdom" style parks have distinctly different "personalities."

CHUCK! YOU POST MORE PITCHURS NOW! OK, OK, sheesh! Giant ghoul wrestlers have no patience at all. That's it for now. Say good night, Tor. TIME FOR GO TO BED! TOR SLEEP! The not-so-scary walk out. Oh. Dere candy! Tor tire of floats! Where candy? I think this float is new for this year. Tor no 'member it, neither. But Tor dead long time, so don't 'member much. The Gravediggers Drill Team--up close and personal. Arr! Scurvy pyrates! "It's really not so scary . . ." That song will be burned into my brain until Halloween is long past. These cast members were instantly possessed by the "Boo to You" song. Mean Tor still more scairt of giant blue baby! Here's the Headless Horseman. You know what that means, right, Tor? Tor take this pitchur, too! Want live here someday! Yes, red-hot Tootsie Pop shrapnel rained down on the crowd! Oh, the humanity! The Candy Blast caused many casalties. This is the only picture of Space Mountain in this TR. No Space Moutin' make Tor sad. Aw, I'm sorry Tor. . . . and me and Brad. Tor is passed out on the floor. I think a ride on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority will sooth Tor's jangled nerves. Presenting Jon and Stacey . . . "You can learn an awful lot from the flowers,/Especially when they cause your doom . . ." Dis too confusing for Tor! Mad Hatter and Alice girl stoopid! Settle down, big fella. Tor get more candies now!

Part the First: Fear and Loathing at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party Hi! This be me--Tor! Chuck, he let Tor talk about Hal'ween Flor'da stuff. He do same for Tor friend Criswell few years go. He kinda weird, but buy Tor beer, so he OK. You might 'member Tor from Ed Wood movies, like Plan 9 fro' Outer Space an Bride of Monster. I get be star of Beast from Yucca Flats, but that no Ed movie. Me use pro rassle, too. So, Chuck, he say we talk 'bout Disney Halloween stuff now. Tor little fuzzy 'bout that, but he get lots 'o' candies. Tor like candies. . . . OK, that's enough for now, Tor. If you're good, maybe I'll let you write a few captions. I apologize, everyone. Mr. Johnson is very enthusiastic about being on TPR, but being dead for, oh, the last 40 years or so has made him a bit . . . befuddled. Now, where were we? Oh, that's right, Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom. There are no haunted houses or mazes or scare zones or Jello shots at this event, but there is a parade, fireworks, short lines for major attractions, and, of course, candy. Lots of candy. TOR LIKE CANDIES! JEL' SHOTS TOO! Yes, you've already said that, Tor, thank you. This event is always a nice way to kickoff the Florida Halloween season. Why, some members of TPR even dressed up for the occasion--a more than not-so-scary notion in itself. Let's have a look, shall we? HOKAY! Thanks, Tor. . . . only frightening! Tor morel scairt of giant blue baby! More pitchurs to come. Yes, it's Toontown . . . My camera simply cannot capture the splendor that is Disco Ice Bat. Ice Bat rock Tor world! It's the Castle of Doom! It's Disney--with extra horror! OK, OK Tor--just don't piledrive me or something. Not near 'nough! More candy for Tor! Tor sick of rain! Tor want candies! Well, to pass the time while it rained, Ol' Granpa Taco warmed himself by the fire and told us stories about the old days: "You see, back in my time, we didn't have your fancy blue-corn tortillas and nacho cheese and such. All we had was hamburger, some cheddar cheese, lettuce, and maybe a few chopped tomaters. But we all felt blessed." . . . that it's raining. Rainy days and Mondays a'ways get Tor down. Tor take dis pitchur! It is a little blurry, but it does get one idea across . . . Aghh! Dey all scare Tor! Have a Twizzler, big guy. You'll feel better. Tor t'ink baby scary! Baby scare Tor! Yes, I'm here! Hot damn tamale! OK, now I'm getting a bit scared--and aroused. Tor like Choc-o-Tacos! That's nice, Tor. This is a little less "not-so-scary." This isn't quite as "not-so-scary" as it gets. We're a bit early, so let's enjoy the decorations, OK? Patience, Tor. Patience. But before we enter the park, here's a shot for Scott. Look! They're moving Monorail Silver from one beam to another! Geeking out yet? Tor want see candy! Me Tor! Me a'prove this caption!

Scottish Steve, I salute you.

All squared away now, Robb--thanks.

^^No arguments there--what a great week! Thanks, Robb and Elissa!

No, not nearly as bad as that, I think. ^Thank you!

Yes, there was a busy little spammer (or bot) tonight. I've deleted the account and (I think) all the spam--but if you see any more, be sure and use the "report" button (as one member did). Thank you, Chuck

After having ridden this thing last June, I'm pretty sure that the park can improve on it without too much trouble.

^I've merged your topic concerning the Blackstone purchase here. Please keep all the discussion of this topic in one place. Thank you, Chuck

^Not sure about waits for season-pass processing (mine is simply renewed every two years). HOS is a popular time to buy passes, though, so be sure to get there early. Unless there's lightning in the area, the coasters should stay open in the rain (high winds will close the sky ride, though). Opening times for the park's various sections (and the HOS stuff) are provided on park maps. The "older gentlemen" was the Burgermeister (real name, Bob Bauman). Another thing--Quick Queue includes HOS mazes, in addition to rides. Might be worth considering for those Saturday crowds. EDIT: Just found out that Mr. Bauman died just recently (not "a few years ago").

^And let's not forget his one-man goon squad, Big Mac. "Begorrah! It's off to the station house with ye! Send in the paddy wagon!"

Wow! Those birds are strong!

What's truly disturbing is how well Elissa's face goes with the "Karloff" voice.

^A symptom of an undead-cable attack. Nosferatu! Das wampyr!

^^But what if the cable is . . . undead? Yes, not even Mr. Shark can stop Cable Nosferatu, Lord of the Undead Intamin Coaster Equipment! Yes, soon its mind force will reach out to other Intamin rides around the world! Weep for the fate of humanity! Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!

The reaction in Williamsburg has been positive so far; in fact, the local tourism industry is breathing a sigh of relief.

Hmm--not so sure about that. BGW and Colonial Williamsburg have been selling combo passes for the park, the historic area, Jamestown, and Yorktown for a few years. I imagine this has been a pretty good arrangement all the way around, or else they wouldn't do it.