QueerRudie

WCB Day 3: Part I My time with Monte... An early start to my day was intended here, as with limited amount of tickets for the Backstage Tours available, I wanted to be sure to get there reeeeeaaaaly early to get my 'special time' with Monte... as in: Before even Robb got there. True to my form, though, I did get line-jumped for check in, but did get the sacred tickets to the Monte backstage tour. Knotts is a unique park, in every respect- and I think that is part of it's charm. In many ways, it is way too landlocked- but it still is able to be beautifully maintained, and very clean. However, my notice of this was after... well, if you're reading this, you already know.... It's Monte time. Warning: This section contains graphic descriptions of coaster-porn. Viewer discretion is advised. The last time I'd had with Monte was wonderful. He and I spent almost four hours together, repeatedly going back and forth, and making me beg for more. Anton had trained Monte well- and he knew exactly how Monte would do it. Monte was precise, fast and smooth, and wanted everyone to scream with pleasure every single time- he was an expert at it. He'd been doing it right for years, and knew just what to do... Silver Bullet might have the best photo ops of ANY B&M inverted... I see you... and know you're waiting for me... An interesting touch, I think! Oh yeah... Anton's waiting for me... and I'm MORE than ready... It's time to get up close with Anton... Anton was waiting for me- getting tuned up to make me scream... You seem to be very happy to see me, Anton... it HAS been a while since we last met up... Ohhhhhh you look GOOD today... Now this I liked: To install a Schwarzkopf wheel, gently warm them up in the hot tub first... then they slide right on... Monte's wheels off the car, ready to be greased up and used right. A backup motor in case Monte gets stuck while thrusting hard. Monte has one huge rotor to power his forceful piston. It's big and covered in grease... Anton always knew how to put up a hard column with a cone and plug... Anton knows to give it the right amount of power... every time. The gearbox on Monte is, well, impressively huge... linking the launch drum to the flywheel... all greasy and dirty.... Monte's flywheel was huge... it had to be to push that hard every time, so hard that everyone screamed out loud... those huge nuts keep Monte going... Monte's thick cable rounded the massive flywheel drum, lubricated heavily with teflon.... Monte's loop is penetrated by Jaguar. Monte's massive flywheel has tight rubber belts to keep it moving... Anton made sure that Monte's large hoses were tight, firm and full of pumping fluid... Monte's cable is long... really long, and goes all the way to the end every time... Anton always knows what button to push to make me scream- and Monte is no exception... Monte's done this before... but to me he's ALWAYS got me begging for more, more, MORE! Monte had me so dizzy my pictures went blurred... Monte's slot is well greased, so when he pushes hard, nothing gets stuck and he can thrust faster... Monte's large piston is ready to go... every time. Monte is waiting to be ridden hard, fast and repeatedly... Another look at the thick, hard pusher ready to fire off... Monte's long launcher is so greasy, dirty, moist and slick... Looking at these, when Monte gets going nice and fast, these squeeze real hard but smooth.... YES Monte, soon you will make me scream really hard... When you push these buttons... Monte thrusts you hard, fast and long.... Anton knows how to do it right- every time... This is where Monte throws you on your back, and makes you scream for more.... In the end, Monte and I spent 22 amazing cycles together, each time better than the last. If you've not experienced Monte... do so. You will NOT be disappointed. At all. I wasn't. R.D. (The rest of Knotts, plus two more parks coming soon....)

So I'm giving RCT 3 another go... Work in progress for a future project. Shot0042.bmp Overview of the future...

Hint maybe??? And yet, we don't get a photo-walkback tour...

I honestly don't see where this argument is coming from about people jockeying for outside/inside seats. In most cases, people won't give a crap about it- as they haven't about B&M Inverteds, or for that matter, floorless coasters. In all reality, the only people who will be fighting over the edge seats are enthusiasts who feel entitled to them- and the GP won't care at all. Single row boarding will work just fine in every way- like it has for many other coasters before SkyRush.

Awesome as usual, Chad- And I did wash my hands afterwards....

In the case of things like a TopSpin, etc. most parks will usually allot the end seats if there is a handicapped guest for access- however, parks are exempt in some cases if there are integral stairs (I.E. the guest must leave the chair and ascend up). Usually, if this is the case, the person who's chairbound will have somebody to assist getting them off/onto a ride. In my case, I try to have at least one person with me in a park- as some rides/attractions require some help getting into/out of the vehicles. Most of the rides designed prior to 1990 are not that easy to access- for example, Arrow's Suspended cars, and looping vehicles. These have higher sides than most new vehicles- and in the case of the suspended coasters, require me to sit on the hood of the car, and slide in backwards to access the seats. Not fun- and in some cases, quite funny. A second person can help here by giving me a support to slide down into the car with. Flat rides, especially earlier builds, can be terribly difficult to get into. Schwarzkopf's Enterprise wheels are nearly impossible to get me into easily- and usually requires one person to hold the gondola, and one person to help me get into it! The A.D.A. does allot exemptions for flat rides for the most part- provided that most people can access the ride with assistance from another person.

^ Agreed completely- Lifts make life a LOT easier in many ways... Case in point: Goliath at SFoG has the WORST ramp system ever devised by man. Not only are they long- as in you have to go up about three stories (34 feet) to get to the platform, but they wind around in an odd way, making sure you're going up in different angles and pathways. To even GET to the ramps, you have to go through a narrow, crowded gift shop- which for a person in a chair is difficult to negotiate. To make things worse, you have the outflow of people off Goliath at the same time snarling traffic while you're trying to get to the platform, and then there are the stragglers/waiters outside the gate, making it nearly impossible to get to the top easily. Parks are quickly becoming wise to the problems with ramps to a ride- and that a lift entryway/queue makes a lot of sense, and saves space. Effortwise, it takes a lot of the stress off of those of us who are handicapped, as it's less walking/climbing to get to the platform, and after a day at a park, every bit helps out tremendously.

Yes and no to the A.D.A. question: The 'current' version of the A.D.A. dates to 1995- when 100% accessibility was required by the government for all major attractions not only at theme parks, but also museums, etc. (Large-scale buildings/locations.) Any attraction dating after 1995 had to be built with one of two different systems: 1.) Fully integrated entry/access to a ride, show or attraction- such as what Knotts did with Windseeker. 2.) A dedicated entry route that has wheelchair accessible minimums of 36 inches, and a slope/ramp gradient of less than 12.5 degrees, or an elevator/lift system. One or the other MUST be integrated into a park for all attractions 1995 on. However, many parks have either retrofitted or added systems for handicapped access- a few better than others, but most are now covered for all guests. In the case of Great America, they are choosing to retrofit existing attractions with lifts. R.D.

I will take a look at this- and PM the answers back to you. R.D. Games Forum Management Team

Under the A.D.A. regulations, Waterparks are exempt provided they have at least 50% of the available capacity of their attractions' capacities accesible via either ramp/immersion points (Lazy rivers, wave pools, etc.). Since the overall capacity of most waterslides is quite low, a single wave pool and lazy river are enough to ensure exemption from that regulation. However, with the advent of things like the Aquaveyor and the Master Blasters, there are more accessible attractions for the handicapped/mobility impared. Parks like Wild Wavi and Schlitterbahn are doing things right. (However, I still don't do water. There is an unacceptable amount of wetness involved with waterparks...) R.D.

OK: Now I'm very angry. As a HANDICAPPED PERSON myself, and one who needs assistance in parks to board/unload from rides, I think it's about time that parks install elevators for ALL attractions with stairs. For me, and around 40% of disabled/handicapped park visitors, stairs are an obstacle that is like climbing a steep mountain to work with. It is dangerous for us to try to go up them, as very often one or both of our legs may not be able to handle it. In other cases, you will find people who cannot fully use the a foot- making balance nearly impossible across the board for movement/walking. And in some cases, people in wheelchairs are also able to ride these attractions- even standup coasters, as they may have a condition which makes walking difficult for long periods. This could be anything from a muscular issue, or neurological disorder that makes walking hard. In my case, I've got M.S. (Multiple Sclerosis) where I have very little function in one leg, and partial function in another. I can still stand just fine, I can get around with assitance just fine- but stairs to me are nearly impossible to work with- without a great deal of effort. For those who have been joking why a person in a wheelchair might ride a standup coaster: Look to those of us in TPR- and outside of it- who don't use chairs. Those elevators are for not only chairbound guests, but also those of us with mobility impairments that cannot negotiate stairs. And I really am sick that people would joke about this. It's terribly disappointing to me that people cannot understand that there are guests in a park who like to ride coasters, and should have access to every attraction. R.D. Surviving with MS for 16 years and PROUDLY HANDICAPPED.

1.) There are no bad angles of you. 2.) You're always looking at porn. Ask and you shall receive! ADD ON TR: HOW TO FOLD AND IRON A TOWEL PROPERLY! As now two people have witnessed, I have a slight OCD problem with regards to laundry and towels. Yes, I'll admit it, I have two irons, one for home use (Industrial-strength GE and a travel iron...) as well other things such as spray starch, etc. for keeping things nice, neat and well-folded/groomed. So, in response to the 'towel' questions, I have decided to make this update entitled "How to fold and iron a towel... PROPERLY. Your basic towel, ready to be ironed Iron the towel's front side, pulling it out to remove any pleats or wrinkles. Turn the towel around, to ensure the opposite end is ironed correctly. Fold the towel lengthwise into thirds, with the front side out, hiding the seam inside the folds. Iron the top of the folded towel, pulling out any wrinkles. Reverse the towel, ironing the opposite end. Place the towel flap/seam side down, and iron the top side. Reverse again, and iron the other end, pulling the towel taught to remove any pleats that may have appeared. Fold the towel 1/3rd over along the width wise. Fold the other end on top of the towel, forming a 3x deep fold. Iron both the top and bottom of the towel, ensuring that it is flat and shaped right. Voila! How a towel is properly folded and ironed, and ready for use... So long as it is hung up properly after use in the right place. This is how a towel SHOULD BE FOLDED and IRONED. In threes. Properly. WCB at Knotts will be coming tommorow- and go fold your towels right. R.D.

I say the guy is building the coaster the way he wants- and that is all the reason that he needs to build it that way. If he likes the supports, so be it. Personally, I like the look of it- as the way it is built fits the plot, has structural differences that require some different measures, and overall it's one of the better custom B&M hypers I've seen in the exchange in a LOOOONG while. In a nutshell: Let the man build his ride the way he likes- and stop beating a dead horse. All I can see from your post is bitching about the way he did it. R.D. Games Forum Moderating Team

Once again- another beautiful trip report, and in so many ways. I guess that is an example of what one can do when you have a reaaaaly big..... lens.

It's the principle behind the wave-motion that I question here- not the wind vs. airfoil dynamic. Tacoma Narrows proved one thing: The longer the unstructured span, the greater the waveform dynamics will be applied force-wise to the structure. Adding six extra tons to the top of the tower, then letting Superman off will push the oscillations quite a bit more. Considering the profile of the span (From top to bottom, not front to back) you're looking at a 400 foot long span that will be only structured on one end. Add that weight, and without a counterbalance, you're going to see some movement. That's where I'm raising the question long-term.

I have to say the sway factor on that ride alone will be the one that I'd be most concerned about over the long-term. I know towers such as that are built to handle it, but adding an additional six tons of weight to the top while Superman launches will cause and oscillation that will be felt everywhere on the tower, and most likely under it. Thinking of the sway there means that, should something happen such as a tremor or a hefty wind, you could see some serious shake to it- and that's never good for steel. For some reason I keep seeing something akin to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge disaster in my mind- only this time it won't be nearly as pretty.

Ask and you shall receive, Chris! You're going to have to up the ante with that, Gregg... I mean REALLY up the ante. From DSB in September, let there be... JO in the AIRPORT! Sorry, Jo. It wouldn't be a PTR without a picture of you in an airport! Oddly enough, at DSB I was the 'bagholder' for a whole bunch of TPR people under Acrophobia... I guess I AM the purse-bearer for the group. On to the show- of Day 2! Six Flags Magic Mountain: The morning was a very early start for us as we headed North by Northwest to Valencia- and Six Flags Magic Mountain. I wasn't quite prepared for the bonechilling tempertures that presented themselves, but I have no complaints at all, as it could be a LOT worse. This was my first time back to SFMM since Batman: The ride was new, and quite a bit has changed to me from year to year. The first stop was to pick up tickets, and figure out were to go and what to do early on. Since most of the parks' ERT attractions were towards the back of the park, it would be a TON of walking early on- and my body wasn't too happy with this. SFMM: BRING BACK IN PARK TRANSPORTATION. Chad messaging- again. What will we call the tickets? SFMM's PR staff - with the lanyards, wristbands and other fun stuff. The Boss... and The Boss's Woman. Tickets in hand, it was time to start the mad rush towards the back... save one thing: Guest Services was open, but nobody was home. (You may insert joke here if you wish.) After a 15 minute delay, stop off for juice and donuts, it was off to start riding. First on the list was Colossus, which proved to be a decent ride (at least to me) compared to years in the past. Mind you, I recall the days in [CLASSIFIED] when it had the double-downs, and the three-bench trains. Onto Goliath, which to me was not a bad little ride, very smooth, nice views, etc. However, I found the Gs lacking all over- and while the floater gs along the course were nice, the positive Gs were, to me at least, totally lacking. Not even a hint of brownout... Up the hill I started with Pup in tow, and onto Green Lantern. Here is where I give the warning: R.D. does not spin or rotate. However, being the whore I am, this did not stop me. It should have. So onto the Intamin Zac-Spin we went. Nerdporn. I see you Intamin fanboys. Go ahead, get your kleenex out. Something seems missing here... oh wait. It's the shell that hides the 'dirty parts' of GL More Intaporn. Go ahead, take a look. GL doesn't mind. One of the things I found most disconcerting about GL was how difficult it was to get into- The seats are built for safety for all guests, but for me it was nearly impossible to wrench my fat a$$ into them without aid of a stool and the help of another person. I don't expect any manufacturer to build a car/ride seat for the handicapped- but for F&%@$ sake they could at least TRY to make them easier to get into and out of! The ride itself was quite smooth, and very different. However, that is the last compliment I will pay to that *&@#$%@#$#@ ride. Any time I turn green on a ride, it's bad. Any time I can feel breakfast making a round trip, it is worse. Two sick sacks WAY up. Honestly, I don't care what people say. This ride made me seriously queasy all over. Looking up Green Lanterns' goodies... After a bit of 'recovery' time, it was off to ride Batman: THE CLONE in the same hues as it's Georgian cousin. Access to the ride was considerably easier than the previous attractions, and I found that the ride itself was running quite well- smooth, fast and thrilling. Onto Riddler's Revenge, which to me was a very pleasant surprise overall. The walk into the ride reminded me a great deal of walking through the far recesses of a long lost world- or perhaps O'Hare airport. Finally getting to the platform area and, gasp! It appears there are lockers! lockers as far as the eye can see! ' I did Riddler in the front- and it was quite nice... but for the real money, I did Riddler in the rear- which was AMAZING all over. VERY powerful and potent, and forceful- just the way I like it. By this point in the day, the park began to open, giving me a chance to do GoldRusher, which yet again was a gem of a ride- despite the LOW LOW CLEARANCES of the bushes along the course. The views from the course DID provide for some nifty views of the future 14 inversion wooden LIM Shuttle Aquatrax coaster site. It's good to see one coaster preserved like that- especially a decent mine train with interesting two-tube construction. After Goldrusher, and yet another long walk, we came to Termocalypse/Apocanator. This was another first ride for me, and a genuinely good wooden coaster from GCI- smooth, fast and thrilling. And with FIRE, too! Termocalypse flying under the exit ramp. Termocalypse Porn... if you dare! Clmbing over the top of the mountain, I soon grabbed a reservation for Tatsu as we headed towards lunch at the picnic groves- on the other side of nowhere. I will give SFMM credit: If one wants to lose 20 pounds, they will do it for you! A quick stop after lunch provided my second roller-skater credit in the form of Road Runner's Express. Not surprising at all was the number of fellow TPR members whoring out this junior coaster- to the point that there were more of 'us' in the line than children. Also, true to my form, Road Runner broke down after the first of what was to be two rides... go figure! Returning up the mountain (AGAIN!) but this time by the Funicular Railway- and down to Tatsu. It isn't any secret that i don't dig heights; and once again, the 'Must get the credit' part of my brain kicked in. I really do need to get this fixed... One thing I did notice was the, well, discolouration of the track and supports- as in: What was once orange was now a light pale pink... Hmmm- it looks ORANGE from here... Tatsu was a good ride overall- but the height element on it pretty much has guaranteed it to be a 'one-off' ride. And, well, Pup learned the hard way that one should ALWAYS secure all loose articles before riding- as his keys went flying off to the base of the pretzel-loop element... WARNING: THE NEXT SECTION CONTAINS ADULT MATERIAL. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. As most people now know, I have a certain 'orientation' that is well known around TPR as being to the edge of extreme. I'll admit it: I'm out, I'm Proud, and I'm not hiding it: I'm a Schwarzphile. Only Anton knows how to give it to me, and give it to me good. Revolution, the first modern looping coaster still reigns over her mountainside setting like the day she opened 35 years ago. Sadly, though, the aftermarket remods for this ride have taken a terrible toll on the ride itself, and it feels nothing like it did in it's younger days. Even I found some of these changes were far too drastic- and I'm sure Herr Achterbahn rolled in his grave when they added trim brakes and stations. His finest shape- despite the 'other' things encroaching... Overall, Revolution was running quite well- save the 'stop on a dime' braking to slow the ride down. For those of you who haven't ridden Revolution before all the atrocities commited against it, please don't hold those things against it. Revolution ran perfectly well for 20 years before they started to 'change' the ride drastically- and may I say this: There is NO REASON for those OTSRs to be on the ride at all- despite what some SFMM staff may say. Hopefully, with the overhaul of sooderdooperLooper at HersheyPark this year, SFMM might get the hint to restore Revolution to its original glory again. I see you, naked and waiting, dripping with wet lube... It's good to see you today... It looks like there's something waiting for me there. So, your place or mine? Anton did treat me well, though, and through 19 rides over the day it was quite good- for everyone who could bear the atrocities that were done to it. At night the ride flew quite nicely, and reminded me of why Anton does it right every time. At this point, my camera started to act very flaky. Sadly, none of the pictures from this point on turned out well enough to be used in this portion of the thread, so let me give a brief rundown of the rest of the evening: Q&A was followed by a quick trip down to Scream to log it as a credit, then out to 'liquid dinner' with Chad and a few others. Returning to SFMM, I headed up to Ninja- and had six very good rides on an old Arrow classic that still packs a bit of a punch- and officially closed out my 'North American' suspended coaster credits. Down to Viper, where I discovered this: Ouch. Viper sucker-punched me in the jaw. TWICE. After moving back a row, Viper then did an upper cut to the chin, followed by a right hook to the shoulder. To close out the day was a ride on yet another "I shouldn't do this, but I need the credit" rides: X2. Now, I will give evey ride a chance, and X2 was no exception to the rule. Not a bad ride, but the 'falling face first thing I could have done without. And there was FIRE! Overall, not a bad way to end out the evening at SFMM. Coming soon: Part III: Knott's Berry Farm... and I feel up Monte. R.D.

In September last year I attended my first TPR event at Deep South Bash in Atlanta- and realized something rather important: WHY WASN'T I ATTENDING MORE OF THESE THINGS? Fast forward to February 16-20 2012: Or as I'd like to call it.... QueerRudie DOES WCB So let's start off with the voyage and days leading UP to WCB 2012. After some conversations with some of my friends around TPR, we decided that we'd like to visit as much as possible- and as little time as possible- a daunting task for a smaller area such as Atlanta or Dallas- but one of epic proportions for something like LA. I'd not been to most of these parks in over a decade, so grabbing credits was a key issue here- and I will say that I was for the most part successful in my endeavours. Day 1 begins with a mid-day departure from my current home of Phoenix to the crater of blight... LAX. Mind you, I hate LAX. I REALLY hate LAX. We're talking with a gun to my head I go there. But for a total airfare of 5.00, I'll go... reluctantly. Domo and I packed our suitcases, and headed to the airport... as always, Domo had a better boarding number than I did- as he's just cool like that! DOMO! Domo is a good Southwest Airlines passenger- and always keeps his seatbelt fastened when seated... A brief hour flight and I'm in the City of Angels, but somehow, it's LAX, and it's hell on Earth. Whomever designed LAX terminal 1 was obviously born with no arms, no brain and missing a foot, as it is readily apparent that humans were NOT part of the design process. It is a long way from anywhere at LAX to get to anywhere at LAX. Did I mention that LAX sucks? Really. LAX SUCKS. So leaving on the Super Shuttle for Knotts, LA decided to give me it's finest welcome it could ever give! OK: WTF? At least the driver had a good humor about him, and the trip took about 50 minutes overall. My roomate/partner in crime for most of this voyage wasn't due in till a bit later than I was- so after dropping my luggage at Knotts, it was time for some BEE-R-T. Red Trolley Lager... NUMMY! So while Chad and others ventured forth to see other things in the LA area, I chilled out, had a nice dinner at Mrs. Knott's and then started my ritual of being in a hotel. In my case, this means unpacking, ironing, refolding the towels, and cleaning. (Yes, I do have OCD. Get over it. The towels must be folded right- and that's not a request.). As I finished up the ironing, I had a most unpleasant surprise... The iron committed suicide. Really- that's no joke. I killed the iron. And I still had four towels left, too. NOOOO!!!! R.I.P. Hotel Iron. You died valiantly in the battle of the misfolded towels. Mourning the Iron, I slept preparing for Disney the next morning- something that I was looking foward to in every way... DAY 2: Disney or DEATH! Morning comes early, and it's time to conquer Disney. With the most generous help of a friend, I had the two parks in Anaheim for free- and I am so very grateful to her for that! So this would be a rather interesting trip, as I had several things to visit to gain the ever-elusive and growing list of credits to my name. I'd yet to visit DCA, so for me this would be a new park- and a whole other experience. Meeting up with Jo at her hotel, it was time to go to the Happiest place on Earth! (No, it ISN'T Muensterhausen, Germany...) DL was starting the Mardi Gras stage and performances in New Orleans Square... and with it being President's Day weekend, it was, well, a wee bit crowded... however I do get one advantage: The LineBuster 3000! For the most part, it came in handy with DisneyLand- and we were able to access some of the more crowded attractions easily. Jo, First thing in the morning... Chad first thing in the morning... (Don't they just look SOOOO happy that I'm taking first thing in the morning pics???) First up for the day was StarPort 77... AKA Space Mountain. Meeting up with two MORE TPR people- Gregg and his son Josh, we formed a perfect group of six for a voyage into the dark recesses of Anaheim. SP77 is a great ride, and while I prefer the original SP75 in Orlando, it still packs a decent punch and is a fun ride for all. Heading out of there, a Jedi Mind Trick was used to load us onto StarTours II- which was for me a great experience- even with C3P0 being a lousy pilot. I sort of regret having eaten this before boarding, though: Tasty! Following StarTours, I saw a very interesting character patrolling the galaxy close close to here... Storm troopers invaded StarPort 77... NICE! For me, some of the fun of DL was spending time with people I truly care about- and that made it that much better for me. It helps that they have similar personalities all around- and I do enjoy having them around. Seeing a park like Disney with them will be a highlight of my life- and as much as they might not realize it, that is a very special thing to me- and something I cherish deeply. Onto my curse: For 21 years now, I have had a curse around my neck: Every Vekoma Roller Skater ride I've ever tried to ride has, in one form or another, broken down or was closed for repairs at EVERY SINGLE PARK I'VE BEEN TO. That's not a a joke. So, since DL wasn't an announced stopover for me, I figured I would sneak up on one, and try to score it when it wasn't looking. We migrated to ToonTown... and there it was waiting for me: Gadget's Go Coaster. The elusive Vekoma Rollerskater... Fortunately- there was success this time- and five of us piled into the small train and logged in this credit for me- finally. I guess it really WAS a Magic Kingdom for me that day! A quick trip around the park via the WD RR, and a few of us were off to the wonderful world of Disney's Construction Adventure, opposite the Magic Kingdom. This was a new park for me, and while the park was full of construction walls, it was still a nifty place to visit. Walking in, I got a preview of an attraction that was forthcoming for me: Soarin'. OOOH! Plane credit! Hotel in the trees... A short walk around towards the back of the park, and we meet up with the fun that is California Screamin. This was a new credit for me, and one that I was looking foward to, considering my, um, 'feelings' towards fine Swiss-German quality. CS did not disappoint at all- and was a very interesting ride from all perspectives. The loading/unloading of it was amazing to see- and extremely efficient in every way. MMMmmm... Intamin Looper goodness! Launch Track goodness READY... SET... GO! Switch track porn for those who like that sort of thing (You know who you are...) More switch track Porn... Platform porn... I found this interesting... trains are coloured AND numbered! I found Mickey's Wheel to be the most creative use of theming yet- and it fit so nicely into the Boardwalk area. Mind you, I don't generally do ferris wheels- and this was no exception- but it sure did look awful pretty! A good use of theming- and a nifty looking ride overall. Mickey has a HUUUUGEE wheel for a mouse. While I also missed out on the flying swings, they too looked amazing to see in person. OOH! Silver swingy thingies! One of the things I found interesting about DCA was that you could get alcohol there... Some of us partook in said libations- which would be needed for my next conquest du jour. Jo and the pink lemonade thingy... Jo and a blue thingy... After letting liquid strength set in, it was time to conquer a major fear of mine: I don't do freefalls/Drop towers. At all. As in: I've been on ONE up to this point- and I -hated- it. I am not a freefall type, never have been, never will be. And Hollywood Tower Of Terror is PROOF of that for me. I will give them redit, the theming was over the top in every way, and I was thoroughly impressed with how they handle the masses in this key attraction for DCA. Tower's Lobby Even the dust was themed well. Theming- CHECK. I had the urge to find a shampooing machine and clean this... I really did. Details everywhere- and yet no dusting rags! Even the pipes are perfectly broken... Perfectly built junk... I had to resist the urge to reach over and sweep the dust off. At this point, I knew that things were going to get hairy. I was right. I won't bore y'all with details from this point forth. Suffice to say, I was scared S#@!less on ToT, and was justifiably paid back in spades on it. I think I bent the steel pipe in front of me grabbing on for dear life above. NOT FUN. What's weird: I turned as white as the ghosts in the attraction in terror on it- and I'm very happy to say I won't be returning to Tower Of Terror again. Ever. I mean that. NEVER. This poster was just plain cool: COOL POSTER! Heading back to the Magic Kingdom, I wanted to log in a few of the 'standard' credits- including Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain ("Don't worry- you won't get wet on this ride!" Best lie I'd heard in a while...) and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Timing the return for the parade, it was a bit crowded, but we were able to knock out most of the Dark rides in Fantasyland- as well as dinner and the aformentioned above rides. New Orleans Square Big Thunder Mountain: Still fun after all these years! And around it goes! This ride is beyond photogenic! TRAIN CROSSING! This was a 'lost' portal that belonged to the first 'mine train' at Disneyland- and I loved seeing a little bit of history while wandering around there! As darkness fell across Anaheim, I found myself by myself and decided to take some time to revisit one of my favorite rides... STARPORT 77! I've always had a fondess for Space Mountain, and all it's siblings- so it is fitting that this would close out this segment of my TR- with a few geekshots of details in the entry queue! SP77 logo- nifty! Cool touch to the theming! An interesting bit of trivia: StarPort 77's 'track' is known as Gamma... while StarPort 75's tracks are Alpha and Beta. Disney thinks of everything... Coming soon: Part II: Whoring out at SFMM... R.D.

An awesome little park with more charm and theming than SFMM ever WISHES it would have. It was a great day all around, and better so with good friends along for the ride. And the Wild Mouse should NOT be missed- those are a rare credit to begin with, and this one is well preserved all around.

As an Arizona 'resident' I can say you're doing a decent job with the rides, etc... but with one major problem: There's no green in Arizona. I mean that. It's open desert here. I live in a taupe and brown house, where I have dune, sand, dusty brown and ecru coloured lands and stones, and brown everything. While it is great to think that a large park could afford the irrigation to make it green and lush, unless you've scored an underground spring or have a fortune to spend, I'd consider 'de-greening' the park, and sticking with more native plants, desert colors and rocks. Here's a few examples of what you'd find scenery wise: 1.)Open green lawns aren't common here- the water bills are too high. Instead, place green sections in small islands throughout the park. 2.) Bushes should be carefully arranged to fit the scene, and use rocks or bolders surrounding Palm (Taller) trees or smaller desert shrubs. 3.) Reduce down the number of non-desert trees to an ABSOLUTE minimum. Pine trees will not survive here, nor will you find Oak, Maple or other types of trees. It's simply too hot! They will broil into oblivion in no time flat. 4.) Shade coverings are a MUST over most major pathways: Consider adding canopy type structures over most midway areas- Your guests will appreciate this 5.) Water attractions are not going to be big here, unless they're enclosed completely. Due to the dry hot climate, you'd have a huge amount of evaporation EVERYWHERE, and a River Rapids ride would be out in no time flat. Arizona is a great place- but you might want to re-think the greening of the park if you're going for accuracy here. R.D. GFMT

Bottom_feeder 13... You just won 50 points- Looking good, too! A reminder to everyone, you have 8 more days to deliver your B&M compact looper- time's running out, and who will win the TPR t-shirt and DVD??? R.D. GFMT

Reviar: When it comes time for Anton Gardens to build it's flyer- you're hired. Your flyers never disappoint- and are truly wonderful rides. Tiger: The park looks beautiful- but I'd SERIOUSLY re think the wooden coaster in the foreground, especially after the lawsuits when the track breaks and there's fatalities....

50 questions- at least it's a start- based upon 'when did it open' type questions. Feel free to edit/remove/change as needed! R.D. coaster_trivia_master_RD3.xlsx

Theming? SixFlags? You'd have to tell them the definition of that, as they don't know what that word means.

I've got some spare time tonight- I'll take a crack at it.