bert425

World's 1st *Subterranean* RMC ??? #2021 rumors

I gotta say, maybe it's the time of the year you went, but being "pricey" is just not true. I went with 3 people last May to get on Steel Vengeance, we paid for 1 night in a 2 bedroom hotel room with queen beds and a view of the park. We got tickets for both days (the day we arrived, and the day after we stayed the night at the hotel), we got drink wristbands for both days, and early entries on both days if we showed up early enough the first day. Stay Duration Mon. May. 21, 2018 - Tue. May. 22, 2018 (1 night) Guests 3 adults [48" and taller and under 62 years] Room Room 2 Queen-Size Beds & Sleeper Chair Rate 2 Day Ride & Refresh Total $410.64 ($387.40 + $23.24 Taxes & Fees) At $136.88 per person, that is an effing bargain to visit Cedar Point and stay on the peninsula for 2 days if you ask me. you're talking 3 people for 1 night (with a special package deal), vs 2 people for 4 nights. so yeah, that's where Bill is getting "pricey" from. is it worth it? absolutely, but yeah, it's not as inexpensive as staying off site. (tho I would never go and stay off site. . . for me, Breakers is the place to stay when going to CP, since not a local - it's a rare destination visit for me)

. . . said everyone who's ever purchased a ticket for "Manhattan Express/NY NY/Coaster" and immediately regretted doing so.

I enjoy Star Wars as much as the next person. . . but is it weird that I want to go now, NOT for the new rides, but for the food options? holee crap, I wanna try some of those food offerings! (and it likely works in my favor that everyone will be in line for the rides, which might make the food lines shorter). I honestly wasn't in any rush to get to DisneyLand for the Star Wars stuff. . but now penciling in early 2020 for a visit.

congrats to Kristen! looks like she's having a ball in those pics too!

lost two today: the original Marilyn Munster, Beverley Owen (she played Marilyn for 13 episodes before quitting and being replaced by the better known Pat Priest) and the one that hit me a bit harder, as I was a big fan: R.I.P. Mark Hollis from Talk Talk Founding Member, main songwriter, and lead singer. [youtu_be] [/youtu_be] [youtu_be] [/youtu_be]

Last night, FANTASTIC set by Spear of Destiny (the band Kirk Brandon formed after leaving Theater of Hate). They had a couple of minor US hits in the late 80's (videos below), but were much more popular in the UK. first tour in many years, and only a smallish number of stops - but included Austin. not many folks came out to support them, but just a fantastic sounding show - guitars clear as a bell, and his vocals are as great as they ever were. Interestingly, they are touring as a 4 piece, since the Bass player is ill, but they made due with keyboard bass, and it wasn't even noticeable. . course that could be why the guitars were so great sounding. really, really good set, and of course got to hang out with Kirk and chat after the show. sounds like we might be getting a full on Theater of Hate reunion tour sometime in 2019. .so really looking forwards to that. if you're not familiar with Spear of Destiny (or Theater of Hate). . I'd describe them as a nice mix of Post-Punk & Folk music. good stuff, and they put on a fantastic show. [youtu_be] [/youtu_be] here's their biggest USA "hit". . but they did NOT play it - which I thought was brilliant: [youtu_be] [/youtu_be] but after the smallish crowd begged for one more song, they broke out the Brilliant "Liberator". .which they hardly ever play live, and haven't been playing on this tour. When it really kicks in around the 2 minute mark, the whole club was just bouncing [youtu_be] [/youtu_be]

Really like "Carnival of Chaos" as the name. watching thru the video - did I miss the info on the rethemed Whirlygig? (ie: are they going with Gotham Crime Wave (as it's named in SFOG)?. . . didn't see it in the video, but was skipping around. surprising news about Hustler (because it was there last Sat and operating). . but it really needs a repaint, so glad to see it's getting one.

Just a note, I believe Panda at SFFT has been closed since at least early December, but it looks like they're doing a lot of work there, including rebuilding the entire awning above it. I think there was probably a lot of work to be done inside, as well. dunno about that, since I was there in early Feb, and tho as noted, I never ate there? would have noticed if it was closed, and did not notice. but hey, could be mistaken. an Asian style restaurant changing over to an Asian style restaurant? seriously doubt any kitchen remodel was needed, since the kitchen would have been set up to produce the same kinds of food, and would still require the same type of cooking set up/equipment. they are changing the front of the building tho (obviously new signage), and painting - hence the awning is being redone too. here's the pic from last weekend that I took, once wall/sign went up.

back from Corteo. . . enjoyed it immensely, tho thought the 2nd half (post intermission) had several problems and weakened the overall show. the "Romeo & Juliet" clown scene brought the show to a screeching halt and just looked messy. overall a very solid show, that would rank in the top half of Cirque shows, tho not sure it would crack my top 5 (maybe #6 or 7). the staging and set design overcame some weak acts (the trampoline we've seen done better, but having them designed as beds really elevated it.. and same can be said for the teeter-totter set piece. some very unique acts tho, the floating "pole" is something we'd never seen before and were really impressed. also the Trapeze done without an actual trapeze (opening of 2nd act). . unique and so very cool to watch. the giant balloons floating the performer over the audience, bouncing her with their hands was also quite the experience. I did enjoy the music very much - enough that i bought the soundtrack CD during intermission. overall? liked it, and would see it again if it comes back thru.

Dinosaur! (near Primeval Whirl) is a much more solid choice anyways, and if you have to wait in line for one of em? I'd pick Dinosaur! every time.

Hey! It's not a lousy lousy kid coaster it's a lousy adult coaster. Get it right. Seriously though... that coaster is terrible. we had a blast on it when there (tho to be fair, was with a TPR group, so it was gonna be fun regardless). . those hairpin turns as it progresses were a mix of pain and howls of laughter. the Mini Golf there looked really nice, as did the bumper boats - tho the big race car track was just being built when I was there. I'd absolutely go back, and plan to when I'm in town for Dragon*con over Labor Day weekend. so yeah.. . .agreed its not a MUST do, but I enjoyed my time there.

the rendering of the new entrance plaza upgrade is lovely.

I'll be trying it this Saturday if it's open. Since I have the dining pass I will be overjoyed if it turns out to be even slightly tolerable. as I noted in my SFFT report from last Sat, they are changing over the Panda Express to Chop Six there too. and that one went from fully operating Panda Express in early Feb, to middle of re-construction/re-branding on 2/16. so, yeah.. they seem to be a quick change over (I suspect they don't need to do any changes at all in kitchen set up). . so might be open for ya. I never ate at Panda Express, even before we had dining plan. . so don't expect that to change for us even if Chop Six is an option. . but you never know. and it is nice to have more choices. Out of 4-5 rides I took on it, the majority were full carriage, and still got full flips.. but there were one or two where it just felt like we were swinging back and forth. so maybe it's just the luck of the draw program wise? I will say that sitting in an outermost seat gave me the best rides, as the Head/Foot chopper effects from the spinning pipes really add to the effect.

yeah. . just saw that . the Monkees were a "gateway" band for me, tho haven't listened to any of the music in well over 40 years. https://ew.com/music/2019/02/21/peter-tork-obituary/

I got the email about Marriott changing their rewards program to "Bonvoy". . I just tossed it in my virtual trash. I too, thought the name was idiotic. . maybe if Marriott was a Cruise Line? I'm a rewards member, but really only use it when I go visit my Dad to stay in the Springhill Suites near his house (as that one uses so few rewards points, it's always a "free" room - and we don't have to actually stay with him.

wonderful to see so many great photos and the construction update report! Impressed how (seemingly) quickly they've come along. . . wow, so that's all the new rides in place already? they must be ahead of schedule, and now starting to focus on queues and landscaping. this area is gonna look amazing, although it's not gonna offer a *lot* of activities for those of my age (with no kids), we certainly will stop in that area to partake in a couple of things. My favorite thing, of course one I likely will never get to ride, is the "Steeplechase-ish" Bear ride. but that could just be because of how much I love the ride vehicles

I was gonna say. . umm. . . I'm not seeing any sexual ads. LOL

we're in Texas tho. Texas "cold" counts about as much as California "cold". . .LOL. . as in . . not really. People thought it was "cold" when I went to Fiesta Texas on Sat, and it was in the low 60's. (I moved to Texas when I was 7, so I remember New Jersey winter. . THAT is "cold") ETA: it *is* a bit chilly in Austin today, with the temps hovering around 42, and drizzling all day. So I wouldn't argue it was chilly, or "cold" if someone wanted to describe it that way today. . .

thanks, tho wasn't really expecting much/anything to be done since i was there just about 2 weeks ago. what was interesting is how quickly they pulled down the Panda Express signage to start change over to the Six Flags branded restaurant. . it was up and operational just the other week!

it's getting lots of coverage locally here (I wonder if it's because we're "close" to SeaWorld San Antonio). I do fear this might cause this ride to shut for quite a while, as the headline on the morning news here was: passengers stuck for *hours* included a baby, and a partially paralyzed park goer. To be 100% fair, I could absolutely see how terrifying it could be to have be evact from a swinging gondola if you have mobility issues. Tho no idea if this is one of the folks that's been talking to the news. hopefully they wont' remove the ride, but for sure expect if/when it reopens, the slightest wind will bring the ride down.

they really could use a good dark ride tho. . .maybe something along the lines of Black Diamond at Knoebel's, or the Mine Train at Knott's. . . so they could call it a "coaster", to go with the "America's Roller Coast" tagline. hell, they call Pipe Scream a coaster, so I'm hoping for a large Dark Ride (in the current location of the Arcade)

Pics from our trip to Fiesta Texas yesterday. not the usual, full report, from me - since was just there ~2 weeks ago for Mardi Gras, so just a few bullet points and the pics. -- Spouse went with me this time, so didn't intend to ride anything "big" sticking to things he'd go on with me. Park wasn't packed tho more crowded than it was when I went the other week. Most things had 15-30 minute lines (even Rattler was only 1/2 way up the ramps to the station, and Roadrunner was actually almost a walk on, and was back to running 2 trains) . . longest line was Wonder Woman which looked to be ~an hour. -- we were there about 3 hours and rode 5 things: Carousel, Pirates of Deep Sea, WaveRunner (Scrambler. . which was running a super long, and intense program!), Pandemonium, and Roadrunner Express. We would have ridden the train too, but it was closed. We also ate lunch at the Mardi Gras food stands, listened to the zydeco band in Rockville, and met/took pics with a bunch of park actors. and yes, I counted 10 separate stilt walkers, but also a few actors & photo ops that hadn't been out my prior visit. (If I had been alone, yeah, I would have simply waited for the bigger coasters, but he was willing to go, so was happy just eating, walking, and riding a few things). -- I noticed it several visits ago on Goliath, but it seems to have spread to queues thruout the park now: SFFT is "holding" the line prior to the Flash Pass merge. So, for example, Pirates appeared to have a good 40 minute wait, as the line was in the outdoor queue, but that was only because the Flash Pass operator was holding the line there. When he eventually allowed 30 or so people in the outside line to go, we found no line at all in the indoor portion of the queue, and walked right onto the ride. We saw the same thing happen on Roadrunner Express too..LOOKED like there was a line, but really was a walk on, just being held at Flash Pass merge. Not a biggie, I guess they want to make the pass a better value. .but just mentioning it for awareness. -- as noted in the post above, the Mardi Gras drinks were't super strong - a bit too sweet. . .but the alcohol content was bout "Applebee's Level" and got to keep the themed plastic glass. .so that was neat. -- Six Flags no longer offers bottled water 2/$7 in the stores -- something they have done for *years*. the water is now 2/$10, and they add tax, so was almost $11 for the two waters. No, they have no pricing signs up, so a bit of sticker shock when I went to get the water for our lunch. -- on related note, the Bottled Water (and Sodas) from the machines are now $6 each. (so still cheaper to get at a store and get 2 at once). -- they have fixed the camera on Bug's White Water Rapids. We didn't ride it, but saw other's pics when getting the professional pics loaded onto my card at the Photopass booth, and commented that the flume pics were now crystal clear (and the guy at the booth said they had fixed the camera last week). -- Panda Express has been removed from the park (it was in Crackaxle area), and signs are up that a "new" restaurant will be in that location called "Chop Stix" - that will be on the dining plan. on to the pics: first thing we see upon entering the central plaza? the baton twirler from the other week. .and she was still having a blast. told her I posted a pic of her and that "Baton Twirler who DGaF is my hero". . she loved it and we posed for this pic. Then Nick posed with her partner. we never did figure out why she was carrying the fake rifle. She wasn't twirling it or marching with it. . but it was so "odd". . we loved it. Don't think I've ever taken a picture of this clock in Spassburg. . . and it nicely has Batman and Scream behind it (and was clear enough was able to get a nice pic). . so here's my hubby and the clock! and then we met Lola and Bugs in Mardi Gras outfits. no line for them, which was a surprise of course. like we aren't gonna stop to ride this?? LOL My lunch from the Mardi Gras food stands -- Jambalaya with corn bread. it was good, but a bit dry. my solution was to ask for some "boom boom" sauce from the Boudin balls to be put on top (they were happy to do it when I asked), and it made what was 'good but dry" pretty dang amazing. i was impressed. Nick doesn't like spicy food, but they have these Roast Beef Sliders on the Mardi Gras menu too, and they were really good too (I had a bite). the Zapps chips (only in Voodoo flavor) come with any of the sandwich options (Cajun chicken po-boy, cajun shrimp po-boy, or the roast beef) My Hurricane. . a bit too sweet, but it did have some alcohol in it. and I liked the mardi gras theming on the "glass" I got to keep. it was ~$10.50 some characters that hadn't been out the other week. "King" turned my hat that way just before the picture was taken, so I posed appropriately douchey and a new Photo Op set up the throne is back out too! got a nice pic of heading into Fiesta Bay Boardwalk. . can't see Wave Runner, but behind the palm trees is the Pirates of the Deep See, and the park's Ferris Wheel. in line for Pirates of the Deep Sea, showing some of the outdoor queue theming. we didn't know this was really the only part of the queue that had a wait. we were on the ride less than 10 minutes from this as indoor queue was empty. a rare pic I took of Poltergeist -- it actually has the train in it (LOL). from the wave runner queue. Nick thought he was photobombing - he didn't realize I was waiting for him to lean in to take the pic. that's why the weird face he's making. . LOL More characters out. . we snagged a pic with them while listening to the zydeco band on the stage directly behind us. a better view of the Whirlygig chassis sitting on the ground near Batman which was operating this visit! (tho I didn't ride, as I had told Nick I was fin just riding smaller things WITH him this visit) the fish in the Koi pond near Batman/Whirlygig are getting really big! no real progress on the update to "Gotham City Crime Wave" since my last visit. looks like really nothing has moved. tho some better signage has gone up on the fencing over where Twister used to be, and where Joker is going to go) holding camera up over the fencing -- no real progress from this side. but from the far end looking over, some of the machinery seems to be in place.. so maybe they are about to start working on it. Didn't ride this trip, but did notice this bright, shiny sign. With a much younger Superman on it. not sure if they got a new sign, or just cleaned the old one buh bye Panda Express. . . I guess the employees won't be spending the day telling folks they aren't on the dining plan any longer. how very Six Flags. . . heading out in the afternoon, what do I spot across the parking lot while walking to the car? the giant ornament from Holiday in the Park. Just hanging out off to the side of the parking lot. . . LOL. . guess they didn't have the proper screwdriver to dismantle? official pic from Park Photographer. . but I'll point out that I had to ask him to come over to here to take the picture (and then several folks lined up to get a similar pic). you'd think the official photogs would hang out here? tho the original pic is much better because we sat in the front row of the back train, we had a fantastic ride (the smoothest I think I've ever had on Roadrunner). but it made it impossible to get both of us in the photo frame! kept cutting Nick off, unless I made us bigger (too big for the train) and moved over. but eh. . it's cute I guess