palmerleeberry

^ditto on that: staying hydrated can help you prevent such calamities on thrill rides, but I also experienced something like that while riding The Crypt at Kings Dominion ( Top Spin flat ride). After the ride was over and after all those spinning flips were done, I was so dizzy I had to clutch the handrails and walk slowly to the exit. I did recover my senses within a minute, but I decided I wasn't going to ride a Top Spin ride anymore ( of course, I ended up breaking that promise on my next visit and rode the Crypt, and didn't experienced any head rushes). Now, at my advanced age, I tend to take it easy between thrill rides; such as riding a low impact ride in between thrill rides or taking breaks for window shopping or even stopping to see a show. As long as I feel fine, then I will stay inside the park longer than if I wasn't feeling fine. "Hey, if you do feel light-headed or dizzy, then come lie down upon me. I'll get you back to feeling fine in no time, as long as you don't mind sleeping for several days that is."

That coaster looks so sexy, it reminds me of the SOB at Kings Island when I first glanced at it. All that wood and all those twists and turns. But now that SOB is a real SOB and my last ride on it caused me to force up my lunch because it was so [ your favorite expression here] rough that I couldn't eat anything else until mid-afternoon the next day. So I'm hoping that coaster from Troy isn't rough like that SOB. "So you don't like to ride a coaster when it's rough? Then ride me instead: I can promise you that I'm always soft and gentle, never ever rough, for you sleeping pleasures!"

^Not a problem for me since I probably won't be going to Texas until next year (or in a couple of years - still haven't decided where to go for summer 2013), so I'm sure everything would be up, running, and a little weathered by the time I get there. I like how they positioned the brake run by the ocean. I agree that the mechanized shark should be utilized as it rises up from the ocean's depths and tries to attack the coaster beneath where the riders are. "That's it, keep those posts short: the sooner you're done, the sooner you'll be coming to bed."

This thread is becoming more of an adventure story involving all the trials, perils, and pitfalls of our hero, the coaster called "The Thunderbolt", as it leaves its former home in Branson, Missouri in an adventure as it finds its new home at Glenwood Caverns Adventrue Park, Colorado. Somebody call Hollywood; I sense a movie out of it! "(sighs) Whatever happened to those adventure stories that help you fall asleep?"

^ Well Hip Hip Hurray for Six Flags Magic Mountain - let's pass out the champagne! Years ago, while Cedar Point was laying in Sandusky looking high and mighty and proclaiming to be "America's Roller Coast", along came Six Flags Magic Mountain that suddenly challenged Cedar Point to having the world's record for "The Most Coasters in One Park." Of course the coaster count war went back and forth between Cedar Point and Magic Mountain, and even though Magic Mountain lost some coasters during that time (like Flashback and Deja Vu), it also gain worthy replacements, plus coasters you can't ride anyplace else. So will Cedar Point ever get it's record back, or will Six Flags build another coaster to keep it's title alive (they took out the old log jammer log flume, so what's going to stop them from putting in another coaster that matches the terrain?)? But let's not fight over this, shall we? Please no East Coast VS. West Coast rivalry here. This should be nothing more than both parks doing what they can to please their guest and thrill their riders. And who knows, maybe Cedar Point can add something to take the title away from Magic Mountain? Who Knows? "If you don't stop posting and come to bed, I'm gonna have a little war on my own: I call it a 'pillow fight'!"

Okay, okay . . . I've been looking at that latest photo and I cannot determine what type of ride it is. What is it and do we have anything like it back in the good old USA? This rider and amusement park flyer wants to know! "Yes, for once, someone please answer his question or he'll be spending some restless nights, and that's not good for business."

My near death experience happened to me Not by riding X2 at Six Flags Magic Mountain, but by a horrifying discovery after I've gotten off the coaster. As a rider and amusement park flyer, I'm very aware about securing loose articles when riding coasters. I would be wearing my bathing trucks that doubles as shorts and store all my loose articles into a zipper pocket. But during my trip to California, I only brought one pair of shorts that had two buttoned pocket in the front. Before we boarded, I had my sunglasses in the right side pocket and in my left I had a couple of quarters ( to use the Footsie Wootsie machine - hey, I love to use them whenever I'm at an amusement park) and the car keys to the rental I was using during my trip. X2 was wild and I don't think I'll ever ride another coaster like that again. Still, I was an X-cellent ride! But that thrill was short lived after I got off and checked my pockets. I don my sunglasses, then checked my other pocket. Although my car keys were still there, half of the quarters I had in that pocket were gone! As I began to slowly walk to ride Deja Vu, my heart started racing like I was running instead (which I wasn't; I can't run even if I wanted to) as a horrific issue came to me - what if I lost those keys on X2? My vacation would've been over. I don't think those keys would ever be recovered (I lost a wallet before while riding a coaster and never gotten it back), but they could've been replaced, but the car rental place would charge me an arm and a leg for the key replacement, not to mention the time delay and tons of inconveniences (I had a hotel room in Bakersville that night) . Although I begin to get back to normal as the day went on; still, that moment was so horrifying it could also have been a near death experience for me. So after that, I will make sure that one article of clothing has a zippered pocket so all my articles will be secured and I won't be having that experience again. "Too bad that didn't scare you from riding anymore rides, then I would've been one happy pillow!"

^^If the park will allow a 44 year old man that weighs 250 to ride that kiddie coaster, then I'll ride it too. Of course, I may be years older and a few pounds lighter by the time I travel to Glenwood Caverns, but it they could do it then, then they could do it now. I mean, wouldn't it be bad for me getting kicked out of the park just because I rose such an arguement against the ride attendants that barred me from riding the kiddie coaster. I can ride the meanest, baddest coasters on the planet, but when it come to some dorky kiddie ride that wouldn't even scare a sick dog, they won't let me ride it and . . . I think I should go now and water the ducks or something. "No, you should come to bed. I'd even let you cry on me."

I'm planning to visit Knoebels in the first of June (Regardless if the Flying Turns or Lying Turds are running or not) and I will finally be able to ride Black Diamond (I couldn't ride it last year since they were still building it, so I rode many times through their Haunted Mansion in protest! ). Nice to hear that there was no ride removal due to last year's flood ( Seeing what it did to poor ole Smokey made me ), plus I shouldn't be able to tell whether or not there was a flood there in the first place due to the massive cleanup. One last thing to say to Knoebles: keep that park running 'tilI get there, 'cos I'm gonna ride everything! "Hey, I'm been keeping the bed warm and do you show up when you're suppose to? NOoooOO!"

Two things: One - On these roller coasters that offer lots of insane airtime, you must remember to please secure all loose articles such as hats, cameras, glasses, and boobs! Two - Question: why can't we have that lava monster greeting its riders at King Dominion's Volcano? I believe that after the coaster goes through its run and hit the final brake run before moving slowly into the station it should enter a lava filled cave and be greeted by the lava monster. That would be so cool! So please pretty please (I'm actually on my knees and it looks embarrassing)Kings Dominion, that is renovating the Volcano for next season, add that element to your ride. "I've got one more thing I like to add: why don't you come to bed very often?"

I enjoyed your Mall-O-'Merica photo trip. I was there in 2009 during my mid-America road trip in which I also visited Valleyfair that was nearby. I also played on their minature golf course and picked up a pita colada drink from Orange Julius before heading back to the motel. At least you and I had something in common with Shellshock and Brain Surge - I didn't ride them either because they weren't at the park during my visit. Great photos of the coasters, but I didn't see one photo of the Log flume, which I thought was a great ride. I f I ever go back, I'll try to visit a few more stores. One more thing: sorry to hear that you had a bad lunch, so next time eat out at Ruby Tuesdays (that's what I did before I began riding those rides). Then after all that riding and feeling thirsty, get a pita colada from Orange Julius before going. You can thank me later! "And don't forget to visit your pillow every now and then. You can thank me later on that!"

^If I may add my opinion, then perhaps maybe they would add a used flat ride or two just be used for a few seasons to help attract the riders and amusement park flyers until they can generate enough cash flow to purchase a brand new ride (like a kick-@$$ coaster), but I do know for a fact that when you have a few rides that has been sitting idle for a few years and been lying under the weather, you'll need lots of time and money for maintenance. Who knows how much retrackingThunder Row and Twisted Twins will need, not to mention the weed pulling and landscape clearing needed for the Roller Skater? But regardless of what they do and if they played their cards right, then Bluegrass Boardwalk shall rise like Phoenix out of Louisville and be another "must visit or else" destination. As for me, even if they get it running and operational for next season, it might be a few years before I can come by for a visit (nothing personal, but I can only come this way once every few seasons due to other park destinations all around this good old USA). "'I can only come this way once every few seasons'. Bah! You do the same thing to me!"

The Jack Rabbit at Kennywood - the double dip feature. Best part of the ride. "If I had a double dip feature, would you have stayed in bed with me?"

EULOGY FOR THE WILDCAT We are gathered here today to say good-bye to a family coaster from Cedar Point that I have always enjoyed riding everytime I visited Cedar Point. I can remember the first time I rode the Wildcar, the year was 1995 - the first time I've ever visited Cedar Point, and I made it a point to ride the Wildcat on each and every visit. On one visit, I rode it twice: once during the day and the second time during the nighttime with all its lights flashing. Although I'm sad to see this coaster go, I'm even sadder to learn that the Wildcat will be heading to that scrapyard up in the sky instead of being sent to another Cedar Fair park in which I'm sure would've loved to add this coaster to their collection. I felt the same way when KIngs Dominion took out the Galaxy coaster after the end of the 1985 season. But life must move on and I must not forget that even though there is one less Wildcat coaster of its kind, there are still other parks that still run and operate their Wildcat coaster - even though the track layouts may be different, the cars are different, and we know them by different names. And here's to Cedar Point to hopefully find a suitable replacement to fill in that void. Can I get an "Amen"? "Amen! Now will you please stop crying and come to bed?"

Wow!!! I think this might have a huge impact upon me as I decide where to go on vacation next year. I was thinking that Texas was one of the candidates because I haven't been back there since 2004, plus it has two Six Flags theme parks, Schillterbahn, and The Alamo. If I did go to Texas, it would probably be between Dallas and San Antonio. All the sudden, I see Galveston Island Pleasure Pier and it changes everything! I've been to Morey's Piers, Jolly Rogers on the Pier, and Indiania Beach; and riding rides near the ocean (A big lake for Indiania Beach) is always something special, especially when the rides are compact and close together. That park looks amazing! One last note: Indiania Beach also has a dark ride called "Den of Lost Thieves", so I wonder if it'll be the same layout. I guess I'll have to ride both of them and find out. "I have a dark ride for you: it's called 'Sleepytime with Pillow'. Please ride it!"

That is SOOOOOOO . . . Cool!!! I'll be there in August wearing my water clothes and making sure that I get plenty of rides on Mammoth, and not to forget Wilderbeest, The Pilgrim's Plunge, and any old water ride the park has. By the way, I love the soundtrack that was used for the POV video. Does anyone know what it is? "I love it when you make your post short and sweet; it means that you'll be going to bed sooner."

As for me, I'm all for this park to reopen as Bluegrass Boardwalk because an amusement park is a terrible thing to let go to waste. 'Tis a pity that it won't be opening this year because I'll be heading in that direction on my way to St. Louis. As for the pictures, we saw pictures of Greezed Lighting, The Roller Skater, Twisted Twins, and T2. Too bad you couldn't get any pictures of Thunder Run (because it's buried deep inside the middle of the park), but according to the roller coaster data base (in which I've been using so I don't get the coaster names mixed up) the coaster is still there. Now I'm wondering what other flat rides are still there and what more will the new company add to this new Bluegrass Boardwalk since there were quite a few attractions that took up alot of space that Six Flags took out before they lefted for good? I know the answer: wait and see. I wish them the best of luck to reopen this park because (do I need to say it again?) an amusement park is a terrible thing to let go to waste. "Actually, a bed with a soft pillow on top is a terrible thing to let go to waste, and that's what you've been doing, buster!"

I'm sorry to all my fellow riders and amusement park flyers to misquote a line from a movie. The movie I was trying to refer to was Field of Dreams and the correct line is "If you build it, he will come." As for the Benchwarmers movie, it is the character Mel who saids: "If you build it, nerds will come". I'm sorry for any and mass confusion and will end this post with this: "You see, if you had stayed in bed with me more instead of trying to answer every post you find, then this wouldn't have happened."

Hey Ya, I'm back with an update to my post concerning the Volcano. According to a report I read from Screamscape, Kings Dominion has plans to shut down the Volcano before summer's end so the ride can go through a much needed rehab ( a major renovation on the ride and station area that is supposed to increase capacity and allow for three train operation ). So if you can get to Kings Dominion early in the season, then you can ride it while it's still running. I hope they do something else besides increasing the capacity - I hope they will dress up the final brake run area(before you enter the station)into a cave with lava gushing underneath your feet. "I've got a better idea: turn that final brake area into one giant bed so the riders can be reminded that their pillows miss them in bed."

I've spent about an hour going over page and page of this thread and that was one good hour spent. As a rider and amusement park flyer, if Wild Bill's Nostalgia Center gets his collection of dark rides up and running, then that'll put his place on the map (I already put it on my map). High praises for Wild Bill to bring back something that I fear is becoming lost in amusement parks nowadays, but while the larger parks may have done away with the simple dark rides in favor of the bigger, interactive dark rides (which I have no qualms about, mind you), but I'll take any old, simple dark ride for a breather and change of pace inbetween the flats and roller coasters anytime. In the words of a movie I recently saw: If you build it, they will come . . . "Yes, they already built beds, so please come to it now!"

It's nice to see pictures of the maintence crew working on the tracks for the Superdoperlooper (The ride I had to miss during the Springtime in the park and was forced to rideThe Merry Derry Dip multiple times in a silent protest), and I have high hopes that coaster will be up and running by the time I return to the park on June 2. I also have high hopes that I'll be able to ride The Storm Runner and Fahrenhite as well, but will SKYRUSH be up and running as well? By the way, if you like my coloring of this thread, here's a dance for you . . . If you don't, here's my dance for you . . . "Please stop coloring your posts and stop dancing and come back to bed!"

Okay, here's my take on this: I will wish Alaska Presley the best of all luck and intentions to reopen Ghost Town in the Sky. If the park can be opened in June, then that will be step one completed. Step two will be me reading all the reports and threads concerning Ghost Town in the Sky and see whether or not this park deserves a revisit from me (Remember folks, when I visited this park in 2007, I got BURNT!!! ). So you can see why I'm a little weary about returning to this park so soon. Step three would be several years later when the park is doing well, the park had added new rides that includes something that must be on my "must ride or die list", and I plan on heading to Maggie Valley. I know that Ghost Town in the Sky counts as a small park (And I'm not knocking that down because I do love to visit a small amusement park every now and then), but I'm hoping that if Alaska Presley and the rides committee plays their cards right, then this park can grow into a major-sized themepark and become a major draw of tourists, not to mention the riders and amusement park flyers. [NOTE: On an earlier post, Page 11, I made a list of additions I felt this park needs. It is worth a rereading.] "I know something else that is worth a revisit: the bed - with me on it!"

Well, to all you riders and amusement park flyers, I've just survived another Springtime in the Park at Hersheypark and I managed to ride 19 rides (The Merry Derry Dip was the only ride I rode twice). I must say that when I entered Carrousel Circle and saw all these flat rides that were surrounding it ( such as where they placed the Tilt-a-Whirl, the Scrambler, and other kiddie rides) I felt like I had entered amusement park nirvana. Anyway, I managed to get on a few rides before the park began filling up. I didn't mind waiting to ride the Comet, The Great Bear, and Sidewinder; but I decided to skip Storm Front because it was running one train and Fahrenhite because the line was too long. Besides, I was planning on returning in late May so I can ride what I skipped. One more thing to add: Chris Linn's show at the Music Box Theatre - you should see it! Trust me; you won't be disappointed. "I like it when he goes on those long trips; when he comes back home he's so tired he ends up spending all of next day in bed with me. I love days like that!"

^That is one interesting looking raft; I don't think I've ever saw a raft like that on any big raft ride ( mind you, I've seen the cloverleaf raft and the "kiddie pool" raft). Unless I'm mistaken, Mammoth must be the first water slide in history to use a special raft like that. I cannot wait to go to Holiday World so I can ride this "one-of-a-kind" attraction. "Oh yeah? I cannot wait until you get off this site and come to bed.

^ By looking at that photo, it looks like that Apocalypse - The Last Stand is turing out to be one sexy coaster. I cannot wait to ride it. Plus, I'm sure the skull-faced mountain helps add to the theming. As for the coaster credits arguement, I personally don't care about collecting credits, just the knowledge and fact that I actually got to ride a particular type of coaster, regardless what the coaster was before and where it came from. I'm sure that Six Flags America is happy that they're getting this "renewed" coaster and it's not going to that scrap heap in the sky. Here's to the next step in the process to get Six Flags America back to where it needs to be ( here's a hint: how about a few more flat rides next season?). "Aren't you off yet? I miss you in bed."