QueerRudie

I remeber vaguely the old entrance- one would ascend (what seemed) a very long escalator up to the general entrance- which was right at the end of the escalators... Now mind you, this was back in the mid 90s- so I might be off on the length of the escalattors up to the attraction. Most of the 'carnival' rides were non-existant at the time; Rim Runner was still up and running (with FOUR rows of seats!) and they ran TWO trains on Canyon Blaster (This was during Holiday Break 1995) and were quite good at doing dual operations as necessary. I also remember the unique 'hotel' smell that CB's platform had to it- which it STILL does to this day. Ah, how I wish for them to upgrade the dome. It's getting tacky, and despite my enjoyment of CB, it's just sad.

Wow- that's funny this topic popped up as my Partner and I were talking about this last night! I can tell you to the day, hour minute and second when it changed for me. I'd ridden a few coasters prior to the 'revelation' of coasters to me. The Scooby Doo at KD and BBW at BGW were my first 'two' coasters- as I'd never had the inkling to ride much; I suffered mightily from motion sickness growing up- which kinda prevented me from riding. Thus, for me, I was rather shy of riding for any reason. Well, in early January 1988, my Family found out that we were headed to WDW for a week in March, courtesy the Company Mom worked for at the time. I was -estatic- despite my hesitiation of coasters to experience Disney. So, on March 8, 1988, at 9:16AM, Space Mountain, Right Side. (As you 'enter' the platform) I took my first ride.... As most (if not all) of us know, SM shoots 'through' the lift hill about 2/3rds the way through the voyage through space, then turns LEFT 90 degrees or so and enters a brief straight track. It was THERE that it hit me. I REALLY REALLY LIKE this. One of those single 'clarity' moments in one's life; very similar to finding true love or discovering something with a passion. In one minute it hit me light lightning- and I've never been the same since. (Which might explain why I'm warped today!)

Whoever in their marketing department decided to make this a 'good' idea obviously has misunderestimated the power of a shuttle coaster- and one that can be particularly 'intense'. The platform will never smell the same again- and Lord help anybody who's stuck on the ride when the burrito takes hold.... QUEEP!

Life. Then I quit to Join choir, theater and um.... because I wouldn't have made it very much further... something about being 'queer'- LOL

Another 'minor' glitch I might have spotted- when I rated videos, they see '0' for ratings- but after I post my 'rating' it shows '5' when I return to the same video. very Minor, I think.

Robb, So far so good- No real problems save one: Inconsistancy in download times (I.E. One video download is fast, the next is crawling)- whether or not this is a 'Coastertube problem' or a 'Broadband' problem, I'm not sure- but if it's any clue: My speed is of download is 'max' right now: I.E. optimal- but then again, I've seen this with other sites before. Thanks!

Hmmmmmm.... I think there are TWO which stand out above all- but one that outranks them all- #3: Cabaret #2: Chicago and the one I saw last Friday #1 Souvenir For those who have NOT seen Souvenir, its a two-person musical about Florence Foster Jenkins, the single WORST opera singer in all of history, and her accompinaist who was there through every awful note. Very funny, very sad, and overall a great evening to be had by all, without question. (It -certainly- was for me, as it was my First anniversary of meeting somebody who's now a major part of my life, as he is the one who stole my heart!)

The idea of a TPR cruise trip DOES sound intreguing...despite one thing- The potential motion sickness of those of us who get -very- seasick! (But the idea DOES sound cool....so long as Dramamine is passed out first!)

WONDERFUL! Now to throw a 'challenge' out to the TPR community... MANY MANY Years ago, Busch Gardens released some -great- promo films about both parks... featuring rides pre-dating 1990.... I HAD both on VHS prior to a fire which wiped out most of my collection of stuff, sadly. They were very entertaining films (about 15 minutes each) about each park and it's rides/attractions. The 'old' Learning Channel (Prior to Discovery Networks takevoer) showed them quite regularly- and had some of the best 'in park' stuff around- including on-ride footage of (At tampa) Scorpion, Python and Congo river Rapids and (At Williamsburg) 'Nessie' and "Big Bad Wolf"- So... HAS ANYBODY SEEN THEM??? (The gauntlet has been thrown down!)

Virgin America's "DOZE" ambient channel on the RED communication system.

Having just had the most perfect Valentine's day weekend with the man I Love, and realizing I've NOT been wrong about what I've been feeling!

"gay as a picnic Basket..." Also used in a Golden Girls Episode when referring to Blanche's Brother.... (Said by Sophia after talking to Clayton (the Brother) and telling Dorothy that she knew) Also Acceptable: Gay as a Three Dollar Bill Gay as the Day is Long (I, of course, am writing this on a Virgin Airbus 320 returning from San Fransisico.... So i've got NO room to talk!)

Let's consider the prospects of a sell off for a second. If SFA were to go to another company, it would require a few major changes from the ground up. While the infrastructure has been updated, the park is in need of some serious other changes- not the least of which are new rides, but also better training and better operational standards. In many ways, SFA is a lot like an old car: It still runs, but not well, and with a large investment, it could become a classic someday. SixFlags doesn't belive in pushing forth the amount of money to make a classic; and it's sitting there, languisihing suburbs of Maryland. If I were in control (And mind you, I'd not want that at all...)- I'd start with the employees. Often unmotivated, very often surly, and lazy- they would be my first target of change. Train the crews that they're there to do a job- such as actually OPERATING the rides on a normal par with what a park needs to- and to dump the attitude- and the Cell Phones/Lunch/magazines, etc. Teach them that they are needed- and that the GUESTS are needed. Give them the tools they need to do their job right- such as rides which WORK, and not just sit there waiting for somebody to do something. Get rid of the people who don't want to be there. Second, I'd invest in better rides. Not necessarily 'big' rides, per se, but good ones that draw crowds. Use the rides I had to full capacity- and to make sure they're capable of handling the workload well. Put in smaller rides with moderate capacity to allow overflow from other rides to be dispersed. Update rides that require attention. Third, I'd add a new coaster, or two, even. While the 'biggest and baddest' often draw crowds from all over, a smaller or more unique ride does get attention from all sides. A good B&M standup, akin to Georgia Scorcher, or a Mack Mouse. Add a decent sized Looping coaster. Something- anything- that would be a crowd-pleaser and something that's different. And... I'd update the water park quite a bit. The Last visit I'd made to the water park (Which is rare, I'm NOT a water park person!) they had long lines for EVERYTHING. A good set of higher capacity slides/raft rides/multiperson lane slides, etc. to offset the larger lines. Add more shaded areas for those that burn easily. Increase the amount of general 'play' areas for both kids and adults- and a good rehab of the existing facilities to make things better appearing- and more pleasant. Now, as people are rolling their eyes, and starting to shout- This is MY idea of what needs to be done. Big Bucks? Yup. Lots of Effort? OH yeah. Easy to do? Nope. But if they want a successful park that's not on the black list of many, they need to do it.

I've belived that for a while. The park has to do something to make it worthwile to guests- not just the season passholders. It's been a -very- long time now since some heavy metal was added in the form of a 'large' hard ride- I.E: Coaster, large water Ride (Penguin River Rapids being the last one) and with attractions only open during certain periods, it makes people nuts. (See also: This attraction open from 12PM to 6PM signs on some rides.) Marketing needs to be spread out- not just a few 'gems' in the crown.

Lisa Simpson in "Simpson's Bible Stories"- "Feh, Slave Labor. You get what you pay for."

"Wyrd Sisters" by Terry Pratchett... the sixth book in the Discworld series.

With respect to the Premier 'bowl' rides, I find both are interesting in their own ways.... Whereas you get some great visuals on the Jinx, the 'out of control' feeling on FoF is intense, too. As for the roughness, I find them nearly identical.

Being a chef myself.... I Like Gordon Ramsay.... I LOVE Tony Bourdain. But I still watch HK just to see the basic screwups in quantity- Kinda like a car crash, only with better aftereffects. So many dimwits, so few lightbulbs.

AH Damn.... And I thought you'd be COOL.... C-A-P-S CAPS CAPS CAPS! Go CAPITALS! (But I think we've just crossed into another forum!)

Ahem.... Select vegetarian foods..... And Lilith Fair.

Somwhere In Between- Stephen Bishop

That was cute. After reading the past few pages, I have to say it's been interesting in seeing how people feel about 'how they show' who they are... I've not been 'in the closet' since I was 17, lo those many years ago. But for some of us, we are 'stealth'- I.E. If you met me and were to talk to me randomly, you'd never expect it. For example: I'm an AVID NHL fan- and used to play amateur hockey. I love sports- and have every ESPN channel known (And I think a few that are 'unknown'). I wear proudly my Doc Martens and Fred Perry shirts. You will find me at the ESPN Zone rather than the Eagle (DC and Rick and Steve reference!) I've been to all three Lilith Fairs. I play softball. Never EVER let yourself lose who you are to be an image of something you're not. We're all special, we're all different. Stereotypes are for people with no imagination. As for hiding it- only if YOU choose to do so. Sometimes it's a good defense, and sometimes all it does is close you up like a book.

Just a little random thinking on this one.... Considering that site prep is underway already (removal of the flume) and that bids are being sought, and there was that 'mysterious' track... But here's the thing that's kinda got my imagination rolling. WHY SO EARLY? If they are intent on a 2010 coaster, with the 2009 coaster yet to be completed, then could this be a very unique ride- I.E. special effects. I know that as a general rule that CF doesn't usually do the 'theme it up the wazoo' thing, but perhaps they're going to give it a go. (Granted, it's a LOOONNNG SHOT!) I'm putting 10.00 that it's the Mystery Beemer in Ohio right now.... and I'll put a steak or sausage on the same bet that it's going to S.C.

I think of all things the survey, while good for concepts, is a lot like Marxism. It works in THEORY, not in PRACTICE. In order to be able to USE a frequent-rider program, you have to have a product that people are WILLING to buy; a product people would WANT to go back to. Since SixFlags America is (currenttly) my 'home park' I have -little- interest in a frequent rider program. If it were SFGAm, I would be -quite- interested in one. The concept is flawed, as until they come up with a more consistant product at ALL SixFlags parks, then it will be useless, as your customer base will not always recognize the product or brand across the board. In the past, Airlines (Which use the FF Concept) which had a poor product attempted to use said programs to lure people onto their planes. They failed miserably, as the product was so bad they had nobody flying on them. SixFlags, until they get some control over the product, will find that it's the exact same thing.

(Quote from A Very Brady Sequel:) "MUSHROOMS? MY MUSHROOOMS???? OH NO! MY MUSHROOOMS!" Shane, once again you threw me back in a time machine- and it -flooded- me with great memories of the park during it's early heyday- prior to corruption by Paramount. I can only hope to someday see such a great park revealed again, and with such splendor as those early years. Classic parks, I hope, can come back from the dead.