cfc

They should ugly up the trains and dub it "Warthog"--the nickname of those tank-killing planes.

You forgot that evil villian in the Hall of Presidents. Just another character that half the nation is divided on, yet you never see anyone protesting his likeness in that attraction. I've only heard "dead center of the gallery," which hardly seems offensive. But I'll wait and see what the new changes are like before passing judgment. Hmm--actually, there are a few "evil villains" in that Hall of Presidents.

That's why I was puzzled when they changed the original "pirates chasing wenches" scene to "pirates stealing food." It's OK to auction wenches as brides, but not to chase them around? Did the wenches consent to being objects at auction? But I also believe that this is why Pirates remains so popular--where else in Disney do the bad guys win? It's like a tonic to the fairy-tale sweetness elsewhere.

Actually, the world ended some time ago. We're all just figments of the imagination of a race of hyper-intelligent beings on the planet Talos IV, who are using visions of us to test the wills of various other species in their alien zoo. They also like muffins. In fact, the Talosians are merely figments of the imagination of a Giant Space Muffin. Unless I just dreamed all this, of course.

But can you name that crotch in just two notes? I think the apparent "vampire pig" is one of the most disturbing park mascots ever (and I've see the "ratcatcher" that used to run around Euroburg).

^Sounds like "burst mode"--great for taking coaster pictures, though. I second Elissa's question! I'm really looking forward to checking these European parks out.

It's too bad that they didn't put a Christmas tree in the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse. There was a Christmas scene in that flick.

Gee--poor Troy! "Come back with my wood! I need it for New Year's Eve!"

Excellent, as usual, Robb and Elissa. Really makes me regret not going to Spain.

Soon, vith Igor's help, I vill rule zee vorld! Heh, heh, heh!

At long last, a TR from Lou. Can't wait for the next installment.

Yep--when I was in high school in central California back in the faraway time of the 1970s, everybody just called the place "Marriott's."

I remember the airtime on the Turn of the the Century at Marriott's Great Adventure--before they "demonized" it. And I remember the old Knott's ads, too--from when it was great park. Sigh . . .

Seriously? I thought Sweeney was definitely THE best movie I saw this year. I'll go along with that when it comes to Anthony (the sailor) and Joanna (Sweeney's daughter)--those are the most thankless roles in the movie and stage versions (they're basically just reflections of Sweeney's past life). But the rest of the cast did a great job with their characters.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street kicks butt--a very good screen interpretation of the Soundheim musical from the 1980s. Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, and Alan Rickman give excellent performances--and Sasha Baron Cohen (aka "Borat") contributes a nice bit, too. The old-school-looking animated opening credits are great.

I think passes from all the old Paramount parks require a visit to guest relations for a ticket at the other Cedar Fair parks (I had to do that at Dorney with the Maxx Pass I got through Kings Dominion).

Hmm--seems to me that the administration would provide a fork. And, yes, you probably would be dragged off by the Secret Service for trying to sneak your own fork into a dinner with the president. Choose your analogies carefully.

^^Hmm--based on the examples you cite, it looks like Disney has all the age groups and both genders pretty well covered.

^Good question--Disney's strongest franchise is the POTC series, yet I wouldn't call them cuddly family flicks.

^"Slap the faculty" for following school policy? Yep--if you're a teacher, you're damned if you do, damned if you don't.

I didn't find the last National Treasure flick to be all that "family unfriendly," unless you're counting brain damage to kids because of its fairly dumb (if somewhat entertaining) story.

There's nothing wrong with having Jahan on the side! Really--what's a bacon cheeseburger without the French fries?

I think it's just you.

Nice use of the Price is Right "loser theme."

In Virginia, there was a huge flap a few years ago over a high-school kid who brought a hunting rifle to school, which he left on the rifle rack of his pickup. The cops were called in, which made perfect sense to me, and the parents raised hell because, by god, what's a boy gonna do during hunting season? Why make him go all the way home to get his rifle, thus missing valuable varmint-shootin' time? This might've made sense back in the days of Daniel Boone, when you had to hunt to survive. But in the 21st century? People can be amazing idiots at times.