pete4winds

"What's this button do again?" And then there was THIS experience I had (not so much what the ride-op SAID, but what he DID...) that I posted in another thread:

SROS/SFNE...no question about it. If I couldn't have that, it would probably be a toss-up between Raptor and Great Bear, and for coasters I haven't been on, I think Nemesis.

I'm partial to interactive water rides, IE: Roller Soaker and Canyon River Rapids at Hershey, and the former Polar Springs Plunge at SFNE. In the right weather I like pretty much any and all water rides, but I think those are my favorites.

^ One of the best holiday experiences I ever had was back in Edaville's earlier heyday before their struggle to survive the 1990s. Don't know if you remember, but back then during the "Holiday Festival of Lights," the train always had two of their open-top summer cars running along with the enclosed cars. I know they only have the closed heated cars during the winter now, but back then the conductor would always announce that the "open cars are available for the truly brave." F**K yeah, I took me an open-air ride in December! That's awesome that they have Whalom's Tumble Bug. It's be nice to see Whalom's Herschel Looper join it.

I'm partial to Hershey's Dry Gulch Railroad, but I've also always been big fan of Edaville Railroad. For those of you not familiar with it, it's an entire park in Carver, MA built around a narrow gauge (not necessarily miniature) train, albeit mainly geared toward families. No coasters, but still a great way to kill an afternoon, especially if you're into trains or train history. Plus, they have a few classic flats and a decent antique car museum.

^ I totally agree with you on GADV's Viper. Loved it. I also really enjoyed Disaster Transport (maybe it was the air conditioning, maybe it was something else).

Someone who can appreciate a REAL credit! Before I got my Blazer (4X4 thank you very much) I had a pretty intense winter-driving experience on President Ave. I had a Monte Carlo at the time, and lost traction coming down the hill...I slid through the intersection (thank whatever-deity-you-worship for green lights) and came to a stop under the railroad bridge by Globe Liquors facing BACK UP President Ave. On that experience alone, you'd better believe I count it as a credit!!! And on airtime, I actually find that going UP President Ave. produces some mean forces. After launching myself skyward I bottomed out nicely about a month ago on that top landing (for lack of a better term) with the flashing yellow just before Robeson St.

In line for Batman: The Dark Knight, on a rare non-Qbot day for me last August: This group of three or four guys, maybe late teens, started talking about some rides they have gone and/or would be going on. One says "Have you been on that Switchback ride yet?" Another says "Which one is that?" First one says "That's the blue and yellow one over by Cyclone. Y'know, the one with the six loopty-loops." The third one says "Isn't that the one the guy died on last year?" First one says "Yeah, that's the one." Finally I got to the point where I couldn't deal any longer, so I jump in with "That was Superman, dumbass. And the ride you're thinking of is Flashback...FLASHback." Sweet sweet silence from that point all the way to the station.

Favorite: The B&M howl (I know everyone else calls it a roar - but being the Hallowe'en fanatic I am, howl seems more appropriate to me). Other likes: the scraaaaape scrp scrp on Hersheypark Comet's brakes. Comical: TTD's "Arms down" soundtrack from my visit in '03 - "Arms down...arms down...arms do...do..dow...arms down...head back...head...head...arms...arms...arms down..." Dislikes: The huge back-seat BANG at the bottom of Riverside Cyclone's first drop prior to the retracking. Absloute least favorite: Ride-op to my wife - "Ma'am, your son won't be able to ride...he's too short." Me - "What? I'm 5'5", and I'm not her son...I'm freakin' 33!" My wife, to the ride-op - "This is my husband." My wife, to me - "I told you the men in your family were short..." Sorry, that last part is an inside joke in my family...couldn't really resist.

^ Whattaya mean you don't count cars and planes and stuff??? The city I live (Fall River, MA) in was literally dropped on top of a big hill (a pretty spectacular elevation change, by coastal Massachusetts standards - sea level to 256 feet in 3/4 mile), so I totally count my Blazer as a credit, especially on President Ave (AKA Seven Hills)...featuring the world's only (?) septuple-down element (or septuple-up if you're heading east). On the other hand, do I count Dragon Wagons, etc? Nah...at least not until my child is born in January...then you'd better believe I'm totally counting them!

^ Yet another plan that works well in theory, but not so well if you're doing a ton of photos at once.

Was this taken at the Seafarer's Center? I have some great video of that place from my last visit in '95...looks like sailors never change.

What's next...a WWII dogfight-themed dueler called "Aces High?"

^Yeah, they'll hire Imagineers to figure how to reanimate the dead, then dig his body up and apply the technology...

Hey, is that a Zoltan Speaks I see? Nah, stupid vending machine!!! Borrowed from this PTR

hmmm...let's see the flaws: Gwazi is the worlds longest wooden coaster-no Gwazi is the fastest wooden coaster-no Gwazi is egyptian themed-no Wooden coaster track is flimsy-no Gwazi has 7 inversions-no ...but you got to love the media and the lawyers that will back them up. Once again, the man probably had a medical condition(which the family will dispute), and the family will blame the park. Captain Literal here also failed to inform us that: A - Busch Gardens water park IS NOT, in fact, a water park... B - Roller coasters DO NOT, in fact, eat children... and C - Gwazi DOES NOT, in fact, travel 107.93 MPH. But, hey...I suppose we're all entitled to be totally oblivious to the really obvious satirical point on occasion.

^ Comet was built in 1946 Thunderbolt was built in 1941

Giant Dipper at BP.

^ I'm surprised Dave didn't catch this! Dubai is neither in India NOR near the Meditteranean. It's actually in the Persian Gulf region, near the entrance to the gulf (the Straits of Hormuz). Unlike Dave, I'm not cool enough to live there, but having been there six times, I'm definitely saving my money for THAT trip! MUST.RIDE.COASTERS.IN.DUBAI!!!

Thanks for the heads-up...never woulda know it was on otherwise...

Twice: One was during Superhero Celebration 3 at SFNE, on Mind Eraser. Vomit-ops on the train ahead of us, so we were stuck in the brake run for about ten minutes. Not so bad for me, since I'm only 5'5", but my brother is almost 6" with VERY broad shoulders...let's just say he needed a few laps on Bench: The Ride to work the kinks out of his back once they pried him out of his seat. The other was Batwing in 2001 or '02. My cousin's restraint jammed upon our return to the station, so we were stuck there for about 8 minutes or so. I tried to talk the op into just saying F* it and let us stay on, but no dice

^ True...but one could argue that YOUR point almost makes MY point that much more accurate!

Suddenly Hili Fun City and Fantazy Land almost seem charmingly inviting...

^ A fat morbosity. What is the "Alvey-recommended" DVD player for TPR's DVD library?

^ Guy. This one should be easy. Name the park in DubaiDave's latest "Worst Theme Park in the World" adventure?