Drachen77

Maybe it was because I grew up in Virginia, but Disney's America sticks out in my mind the most. I remember watching Gov. George Allen talk it up, believing it could bring in billions of dollars in direct/indirect tax dollars. However, it was a pretty horrible idea from the start and was opposed immediately. They wanted to build it very close to famous battlefields. It also would have increased traffic and congestion in Northern Virginia which has been bad for decades. Anyone who's been to the NoVA/Washington D.C. area knows what I'm talking about. The park was also battled with a lot of silly rumors and hearsay. There were rumors they would have to build a ride or exhibit about slavery which obviously didn't go over well. Plus nobody really wanted to go to theme park based on history anyway. It just didn't sound fun. If I remember right, Disney wasn't particulary popular at the time anyway. Eisner was in charge and Disney had a real money grubbing reputation then. The project reeked of a money grab and showed a real misunderstanding of what people wanted and how they feel about American history, especially in Northern Virginia.

I haven't gotten to the point of feeling sick on coasters yet. I can even eat a full meal and go right on one. However, my lower back problems are affecting my riding habits big time. B&M's don't bother me too much but older rides, especially Arrows, really cause me a lot of pain.

Looks like a ton of fun. Hope they didn't have to spend too much time in LAX. That is one crappy airport, the worst I've ever been too anyway.

The new Lamborghini Aventador.

I wish I knew that back in April. Incredible Hulk is the only B&M to ever give me a headache. It was really rough to me after that first loop. It was kind of disappointing to me. Still a great ride, just not quite what I had hoped it would be.

I haven't been to Cedar Point since 1990, so I'm WAY over-due. I love looking at these trip reports to see what I'm missing. Hopefully one day I will figure out how to get up there. Great trip report! Looking forward to updates!

^ Good to hear. I love taking pictures but I want to be able to take better ones, I was just curious. My wife hated the Giant Spider too, she is scared to death of them. I just thought it was gross when it spits at you.

Beautiful pictures, especially the panoramic ones. Quick question: Please don't take this wrong, I am really just asking a simple question here. Are some of the photos crooked to show unique angles or is is some other photo trick?

^ Good to hear. Hopefully they get all the problems worked out now and it doesn't become a yearly thing with major breakdowns.

Straight and married for over 13 years to a wonderful woman.

I live in North Carolina, so it's all Pepsi all-the-time. It all being in New Bern, NC after all. Honestly, I don't mind any of them. Dr. Pepper is my #1 choice but I don't make a fuss if its not available. I actually like Pepsi Max though, but Coke Zero is pretty good too. Danged soda is my achilles heel!

1. US 2. Canada 3. Mexico 4. United Kingdom 5. Germany 6. Italy 7. Switzerland 8. Austria 9. Liechtenstein 10. France 11. Luxembourg 12. Belgium 13. The Netherlands 14. Portugal 15. Spain 16. Turkey 17. South Korea 18. Japan 19. Qatar 20. Kuwait 21. Iraq

The Canucks make no sense to me. One minute they look great, the next they look like a team with only 20 wins. It's not even half way through the First Period in Game 6 and it's already 3-0 Boston.

I've been playing L.A. Noire like crazy. Finally beat it this weekend. It's an incredible game that is really like nothing else out there. I got the Rockstar Pass so I have been playing the DLC too. They are excellent add-ons that have been a lot of fun to play. I'm really looking forward to more DLC.

I went to see X-Men: First Class with my son on Saturday. We both really loved it. One of the best superhero movies out there along with Batman, The Dark Knight, Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Superman II. I watched Black Death on Netflix last night. Hmmm...still not sure what to think. It could have been two movies really. The end feels really tacked on. Almost as if they forgot about it until the last minute. Overall it was ok, nothing special.

Hellloooo Ladies!!

Busch Gardens Williamsburg is my home park so I have to vote for them. I eat at Trapper's Smokehouse every time I go. When I used to work there, I would get over to the Three Rivers Smokehouse (that's what it used to be called) almost every night for dinner. Ristorante della Piazza has some fantastic Italian food and is really a can't miss. If I remember right, its all home-made right there. Having lived in Germany for 3 years, I can also vouch for the food in Das Festhaus. The sausages and german potato salad are pretty spot-on. Maybe I didn't eat at the right places, but Walt Disney World's food didn't really impress me. We had some crap burgers in Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. The food at the Morocco pavilion was awful. We ate at the Rainforest Cafe in Animal Kingdom so that doesn't really count. We had some pretty mediocre fish and fries in Magic Kingdom. The quality never really matched the price. We had some amazing food at The Three Broomsticks in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure. My wife and daughter had huge chicken salads, my son had a a great turkey leg, and I had a fantastic plate of chicken, corn and potatoes. But...hands-down THE best restaurant I've ever eaten at inside a theme park has to be Sharks Underwater Grill at Sea World Orlando. It was sooo expensive but very worth it. My wife had one of the best New York Strip Steaks ever. I had a perfectly grilled Alaskan Salmon steak and my kids shared delicious chicken pasta alfredo. If you can spare the money, it really can't be missed. Also, go there early in the day and reserve your seats right next to the shark tanks. It will be one of the most amazing dining experiences of your life!

The Cedar Fair Corporate Offices must be a real interesting place to work.

Windseeker looks amazing! People should be able to see that for miles.

Great update Chuck! It will still take me years to get used to the idea that Anheuser-Busch doesn't operate the park, but I do like how the park is being operated. Oktoberfest's update is pretty solid, the new rides look to be pretty good additions. They seem to be holding true to Busch's conservation and animal friendly-ness. Maybe its me, but the park just feels...different...still.

I'm 34 and my first coaster was Das Katzchen at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.

This is easy for me; its Mission:Space. Its interactive and one of the most intense rides I've ever been on. I love rides that you really participate in and Mission:Space does that plus has a really cool setting. Probably the best theme park ride I've been on.

I am incredibly jealous of you! I have always wanted to go and reading this trip report only re-energized me. I checked out the website and it is quite expensive to go (Packages start at $199!) but there seems to be a ton of stuff included. You get tickets to one of the other parks in the area (Aquatica, SeaWorld, BGT) included. Food (including breakfast, lunch, snacks, and BEER!) is also included along with all the gear and sunscreen you need. Parking is included and most of the adventures you saw him doing. The dolphin swim is extra which is kind of bunk, but I guess they probably want to reduce the numbers of people with the dolphins. After seeing this trip report, Discovery Cove is officially on my Bucket List.

I would have to say both Hurlers at King's Dominion and Carowinds were brutal. I don't think I have ever been so miserable on a roller coaster. Manhattan Express was pretty rough too, one ride was enough for me.

^ I agree. We were lucky enough to get over to Paris while I was stationed in Germany. We went to Disneyland in October '09. The staff at the hotel (We stayed at the Magic Circus Hotel) was very nice. They even helped me speak some servicable French during our stay. They gave us tons of info on how to use the trains going in to Paris and the best ways to get around and see the most stuff. However, inside the parks things were terrible. They were dirty and not maintained well at all. The cast members were rude and didn't care to try and help anyone, not just us crazy Americans. Like your picture showed, there was no crowd control with anything and really did become every man for himself. I realize that your standards go up a bit after going to Disney World, but they are the same company. In my honest opinion, it felt like Disneyland Paris had been totally forgotten by the Disney Corporation. Anyway, thanks a ton for the great trip report!