cfc

^^Agreed--very well put. I've been a bit puzzled by complaints about Initimidator's size, too. Seems pretty big and sprawling to me. Well, perceptions will probably change as construction progresses.

Folks, let's all take a deep breath and relax here for moment. KD has announced a major new attraction (not to mention a major investment) for 2010. I don't think any of us can really vote thumbs up or down based on a computer animation and set of stats for a ride that has just barely "gone vertical." Time will tell. Personally, I'm looking forward Intimidator 305 next year--but I won't overly condemn or praise a ride I haven't experienced firsthand.

I'm quite pleased that a big hunk of Intamin goodness is coming to Virginia--and that the park is taking on a project of this size in this economy. And I think some competition with my home park will be good for both BGE and KD. EDIT: Too many freakin' posts gettin' in the way of my ^s.

^Piraten, an Intamin Mega-Lite, isn't nearly as tall or as long as, say, Expedition GeForce or the Intamin Superman rides, yet it really delivers the airtime and the thrills. As I said earlier, the proof will be in the riding. I anticipate that Intimidator will be, at least, a very good ride. For me, all it has to meet is one major criterion: Is it any fun at all?

What we have is a low tolerance for posts such as these (and for repeatedly beating a dead horse).

Hey! Quit distracting people from my KD announcement pictures! Seeing these photos (especially the Fiddler's Fling) makes me nostalgic for the old Great America in Santa Clara (before the Dark Times).

^And have names like "Cooter" and "Skeeter."

Oddly enough, when they unveiled the model and showed the video, Intimidator was pretty much what I'd pictured it would be. I've become quite a fan of Intamin rides after Piraten and Expedition GeForce, and if this ride is as good as those, I'll be quite satisfied. But the proof will be in the riding.

And now, a look behind the tarp. No--thank you, Kings Dominion, for a nice event. And for what's to come in 2010. One last look at that intimidating logo. But there is quite a way to go. Yep--little yellow things have been placed on concrete things. Let the verticality commence. Well, let's see how it's coming along. But no actual Intimidator wine (just bottles and flags). There was food, of course. It will be much taller than Pat Jones. Just to give you an idea of how tall this bad boy is going to be. For all you stats fans out there. . . . and the ride layout. Behold the entrance-plaza concept art . . . "Hello! I'm a skeleton, and I'd like to remind you that Haunt is coming up, too." This little preview center will be stationed next to Flight of Fear (near where Intimidator's entrance plaza will be located.) Larry--it's a sign! The part of the car that Earnhardt's opponents have seen the most. "OK, pal! What do I have to do to put you behind the wheel of this baby right now?" One of us is quite intimidated. Lee and Devin with Ken (local ACE representative). And here's the proud modeler--Jack Rimer. Here's another view of the layout, with the back of somebody's head as a bonus. "My butt may never feel this seat again!" "Help! My butt has left the seat!" This ride is pure Intamin. Pay no attention to the B&M train on the track. One view of the layout. A working model of Intimidator 305--cool.

All the speculation about vertical lifts and splashdown pools can stop now. Kings Dominion has made their "official" announcement about Intimidator 305--aka "the Biggest, Baddest and Meanest on the East Coast," which opens on KD's 35th anniversary in 2010. The park celebrated their new ride with a ceremony today (August 20). Attending were such important personages as: Dick Kinzel (Cedar Fair's President and Chief Executive Officer) Jack Falfas (Cedar Fair's Chief Operations Officer) Bill Bolling (Lieutenant Governor of Virginia) Jeff Steiner (Executive Vice President and General Manager, Dale Earnhardt, Inc.) Taylor Earnhardt (Dale's daughter) And me. (Well, I'm not all that important, but I was there.) Ed Kuhlman, KD's director of marketing, kicked the ceremony off, stating how this was "the most exciting announcement" in his 34-year career with the park. KD's vice president and general manager, Pat Jones, echoed those sentiments: "This is a very special ride, 35 years in the making. It's what brings guests to the park--fun and thrills." Will this coaster live up to its NASCAR namesake, Dale "The Intimidator" Earnhardt, Sr.? Time will tell, but it looks promising (and possibly intimidating). Here's a look at the festivities. The tarp comes down at last. They showed a brief video (which was followed by the sun going nova, as you can tell from this picture). Taylor Earnhardt shows her enthusiasm for KD's new ride. Jeff Steiner said that Intimidator embodies the spirit of its namesake perfectly: "You go big, or you go home." Lt. Gov. Bolling used to serve on the Hanover County Board of Supervisors, so he and KD go way back, even though he doesn't seem to be a coaster person: "My wife will be on the first ride, while I watch from below." Come on, Pat's not mean at all. Dick Kinzel and Jack Falfas of CF with Bill Bolling, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. Ed Kuhlman kicks things off. But is he really the "biggest, baddest, and the meanest"? Hmm--there appear to be mysterious code numbers on this track. We could probably find the Lost Continent of Atlantis if we could just decipher their meaning. And Devin Olson, Coaster-net's Webmaster. Sheesh! Everybody what to get into the act. Meet Lee Sandy of Coaster-net. We need more Intamin goodness in this state. Note the rather coy tarps. "What could be behind them?" one wonders. This must be "the pit." Got my "pit pass." . . . don't forget that Haunt is coming up, too. Here's a look at what we're here for, but . . .

^No worries. We all make mistakes from time to time. Oh, and "aught" should read "ought."

As long as there are no more lousy splashdown jokes . . . I'm sure things will improve a bit after tomorrow.

^You shouldn't have much trouble--and there's a single-rider line. ^^There's an Embassy Suites on Moretown Road, and some other suite joints on the Richmond Road tourist corridor. There are a few hotels with "kitchenettes." Hotels near Busch Gardens tend to be a bit pricier than elsewhere in town.

^Then maybe you shouldn't take up comedy writing as a career.

Every now and then, it behooves us all to remember item 16 of TPR's Terms of Service: Don't take Beemer's comment seriously--he's just kidding around. Entemann's should so have some sort of arrangement with Intamin. GeForce donuts could be epic!

The Trapper's Smokehouse in New France is quite popular, but I've found it to be a bit hit-or-miss the last few seasons. The cannelloni in the Italian restaurant in San Marco is pretty good (and you can watch Art Attack). If you're into corn dogs, get them from Pigs in a Kilt (they fry them up fresh when you order).

^The only walk-on was Monstars of Rock.

It's the start of an ad campaign for new Thorpe Park Five-Day Deodorant Pads.

^I knew you'd take up the challenge.

^Please note that the Green Leafe is located in Williamsburg, Va.--not Myrtle Beach, S.C. Shh! Keep this under your hats! But Derek and I are about to get a credit that . . . BIG MIKE DOESN'T HAVE! BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA! And then we're gonna play some mini-golf. Giant carnivorous frogs are a hazard you won't find on any other golf course. Thanks for reading. It appears that the "Fountain of Youth" drains here. We've found Gilligan and the castaways! Hmm--it appears that the Loch Ness Monster is moonlighting. "The rumors of my extinction are greatly exaggerated." Now we must descend and brave Atlanticus's sinister jungle. The true source of Tidy Bowl cleanser! It will make your toilet feel like a teenager again! At last! After years of searching! Ponce de Leon, eat your heart out! Hmm--appears that a lot of people are golfing with the Gods tonight. (It took about 90 minutes to finish 18 holes.) To golf with the Gods, you must scale Mt. Atlanticus. Or so, er, artistic? Who knew that mini-golf could be so educational? "I am defender of the sacred relics, keeper of the holy flame, and operator of the churro cart!" "I am Derek--of the Minotaur Imperial Guard! None may pass!" "'All-powerful,' my butt--which is stuck in concrete, I might add!" Hail, Atlanticus! Home of the all-powerful Gods of Putt-Putt! Yep--that's about it. Here's another view of the park. Ka-ching! This thing was just barely able to complete its circuit. "OK, everyone who feels cheap and used has gotta raise their hands!" Touch it! I double dog dare you! OK. I lied. There was no murder. Here's Derek, very much alive. "Yes, it's Murder on the Orient Express!" "I've called you all here because I'm going to reveal the killer." This wee little park recently opened in North Myrtle Beach.

Are you ready for . . . MONSTARS OF ROCK!? Nope. Me neither. But here we go. Yeah, time to hit the surf. One more set of pics to come. "And in the end . . ." Yeah, I dun failed at takin' pitchers of Iron Horse. But don't be fooled by my pink gun! It'll kill ya good as a gray one! Rattle-rattle-rattle . . . "and roll all night!" Anyway, it's still Led Zep to me. . . . it'll help pass the time. Besides, . . . And educational! It's fun! Come on! And now, match the decade with the adjective! Did you know that time machine has a backstory? Here it is. Of course, it's tucked away in a corner and no one can read the sign because of all the reflections in the glass. . . . when I encountered these five lines. You know, I did feel like time had stopped . . . . . . along with the appropriate merchandise. (I did buy a Monstars kitchen magnet.) Still, I give the park credit for getting another attraction up and running . . . Yep--this is about as good as the ride gets. There is kind of a Mad Magazine/Paul Coker, Jr., vibe about the characters. "Extra! Read all about it! Lame plywood cutouts take over old outlet mall! Extra! Extra!" "Nights in white satin/Never reaching the end . . ." Well, that last line was mistaken.

Derek and I headed six+ hours' south of Williamsburg two weekends ago to 1) take advantage of Freestyle Music Park's remarkably cheap pre-4:00 pm admission (about ten bucks apiece), 2) hit two credits that were closed most of last season (Round About and Soak'd), 3) credit whore at a tiny new park in North North Myrtle Beach, and 4) squeeze in what ever we could before heading back the next day (which turned out to be some time in the surf and bit of mini-golf). Beer was, of course, involved. It made for a helluva good weekend getaway. I thought FMP was "nice," as I did when it was still Hard Rock Park, and it's tough to beat the price. It seemed a bit busier than when I was there with Larry over Labor Day Weekend last year. But there were two bummers: 1. The infamous Monstars of Rock makeover of Nights in White Satin: The Trip--OK, this "new" dark ride is pretty much crap, with its lame plywood cutouts and minimal effects, but I do give the park credit for doing what they could to make sure they could get as many attractions going as possible in a pretty short period of time. What they have here is a decent concept for a dark ride (getting the Monstars to their show on time), poorly executed. It's long and air conditioned, at least, and they still have the nifty flickering candles from last year. 2. The Time Machine--FMP took a high-capacity B&M and made it into a low capacity Vekoma. Really, the operations for this ride need work--now. Guests line up in front of a different door for each decade from the 1960s to the 2000s, watch old music videos, and wait. For a long time. With one-train operation (at least on that day). You don't have to suffer through the Led Zep stuff again, anyway. On the upside, the ride is OK, if a bit rattly, and I think the onride music (we had the 1970s) works better than "Whole Lotta Love." We actually rode up the lifthill to "Life in the Fast Lane," which used to be the music for the Vekoma mine-train coaster back in the day. But the B&M rattle pretty much covers up the music until you hit the midcourse (then we could make out "Rock and Roll All Night" pretty clearly). Round About is an OK family coaster, and Soak'd is what it is--you do get a bit soaked. All in all, FMP will probably live to see another season. And maybe they'll improve Monstars of Rock. I wish them well. Here's a look at a great time in Myrtle Beach. Thanks for setting this up, Derek. "But with every fantasy comes a price, eh, Tattoo?" More to come--after I finish dinner. . . . to ride on some sort of industrial gantry. Interesting, gentlemen." . . . under an enormous fan . . . "So, your fantasy is to queue up . . . "Smiles, everyone, smiles! My dear guests! I am Mr. Roarke! Welcome to Fantasy Harbour State Park!" All in all, a decent family ride--and the "car wash" ending is a nice, refreshing touch. I did like how the music kept changing on the car's "radio." I recall a wee bit of air on this first drop, but that was about it. This is the most interesting part of the ride--the Ferris wheel lift. It's kind of cool. Gotta love British signage. And get ready to hear a bit of Gary Numan's "Cars." A lot. Oddly enough, I don't recall hearing the old Yes tune here at all. Having swept the Myrtle's Beach opposition aside, we headed Across the Pond. Stick around another ten minutes or so, and you just might see a train--blasting thhrough the vortex of time! The key to Round About has always been Myrtle's Beach. Lee knew it. Patton knew it. Now you know it. Here is our first objective. Deja vu increasing. I am experiencing a strong sense of deja vu (which I still have yet to ride). I think the tape over strategic parts of the sign is very "rock 'n' roll," don't you? . . . and the giant, mutant space breasts (Praise the Lord, again). We're between Beach Church (Praise the Lord) . . . OK, let's try to remember where we parked. (Hmm--some row numbers might be a good idea.)

The DC Metro is pretty easy to use. I would stay somewhere in the Arlington/Alexandria area and use the Metro to get around DC. Howl-o-Scream will be going on at BGE. So, it might not be a bad idea to stay in Williamsburg that night, then return for the game the next day (after the morning rush hour is over, of course). That way, you won't have to drive back to DC late at night or rush through the park. If you really want to spend the most of Monday seeing more of DC, you could go to Six Flags America (very close to the where the Skins play) or Kings Dominion (not as far a drive as BGE), if you want to hit a park.

Yes, the guy does have talent, but it's just such as odd act. Quite a few people stopped to watch and had these hilarious "WTF" looks on their faces. Still, I'm glad that BGW is trying some different stuff, in addition to the usual Italian folk and pop music. ^Yes, the Shock Master makes anything better.

^Hmm--actually, I think the "loving" was scheduled to begin before the "bashing."