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Yes, and our chinchilla liked his chew toy. Have you sent in your Census form yet?

I was terrified of the Matterhorn till I turned about 10. Having ridden both WDW's Space Mountain and the Disneyland Matterhorn, I do find that the seating is more comfortable in Florida, but agree with Columbia that keeping riders seated on the floor of the sled as they currently are would maintain a more true feel of a real bobsled. (I've never ridden a real one, but would if I ever get the chance.) On another forum, I mentioned that the top of the tunnels might have to be raised to prevent facial damage to riders. I seem to remember them doing some work like that awhile back, but haven't really taken notice during any of my rides in the last year or two. Eric

Grizzly is---and has always been---the wooden coaster we like to make fun of. Top Gun/Flight Deck is indeed quite a kick. Honestly, I like it a bit better than Batman---The Ride. Eric

^ Limited vocabulary. < Limited funds. V Just...limited!

^ If you've created one, then you have to make sure that it is displayed with your posts. Go into your profile and check your board settings. Make sure that the "Yes" bubble is checked next to "Display signatures." Eric

Thanks for sharing, Soren! Glad you're having some fun while you work. Eric

One of the interesting "food themed" rides at Gilroy Gardens is the Banana Split---a giant swinging banana! Then there's the monorail with lap bars. Nice report. To me, Gilroy Gardens is a hidden gem. I wonder how many people drive past it and not even stop, just assuming it's "just another boring garden." Eric

No, but for some reason I count how many stairs there are from one floor to another. I think there's a pill for that... Are the amusement/theme parks in your area open year round?

"It was called Easter Vacation, but in these PC days it's Spring Break and whenever the schools decide." (BeachKidBoy) That's right, and to this day I still call it "Easter vacation," then correct myself with "spring break." Same with "Christmas vacation" vs. "winter break." And I will look into the AAA event, but first we'll see how some other things pan out. Eric

I don't understand this "new" spring break. Back when I was in school, the week before Easter was spring break for EVERYONE. At least here in SoCal it was. Joey and Elissa know their stuff, so I'd take any advice they have about going. It's already been three weeks since WCB, and I too am getting an itch to get back to SFMM sometime soon. Maybe once I get my tax returns in and my back yard finished I can pick a day. Eric

Since X became X2, I've been able to ride it much easier. But that second raven turn is my very least favorite part of the ride. It's there where I seem to get the worst of it. However, not once have I walked away from X2 in pain of any kind. The original X? A few times... Eric

A few times, but it was only to Tijuana, Mexico. But the last time I was there (1993), I didn't know if there were any coasters there. Have you done your taxes yet this year?

^ Funny...I hadn't realized that Scream! was taller than Medusa/Bizarro, but I just checked here and here (Roller Coaster Database) and found out that Scream! is eight feet taller, yet its track length is the same. Obviously, to keep the track length the same, they had to have cut a corner or two somewhere. And that could certainly affect the ride. Eric

I just find it odd that two coasters with the same layout (well, mirror images of each other) give two completely different rides. There's the story of one of the track pieces being dropped for Scream! during the construction process (the section at the bottom of the first drop from what I've heard). Could the manufacturing process have changed a bit? Could it be that the asphalt/concrete of the parking lot under Scream! doesn't "give" like the dirt and grass under Bizarro? I don't know. What I do know is that I rarely have bad rides on Scream! and will ride it any time. Eric

^ I also like Silver Bullet's overbanked turn. To me, that's a cool element on any coaster, but especially on an inverted one. What I find funny about the Scream! debate is that no one seems to pick on SFGAd's Medusa/now Bizarro, of which Scream! is a mirror image. The two rides obviously have different settings (park vs. parking lot), but I'm referring to the ride itself. Not having ridden it, I don't know whether Bizarro is all rattly and rough. If I recall, wasn't it the very first B&M floorless coaster? Eric

Personally, I don't mind Scream! It's not my favorite, nor my least favorite. What I don't understand is why a coaster MUST! be forceful or it's no good. Some rides are just a good time. Silver Bullet at Knott's has been called "forceless." Really? That final helix kicks some butt, and there's some decent airtime on it. As for Batman, I had a hard time riding it for awhile because of the forces it can generate. But I think that was due to my own illness, as riding it now doesn't cause the problems with me that it did. Ditto for Viper. I guess the bottom line is that we're going to like what we like, and not like what we don't like. To each his/her own. The management at SFMM has said that they will continue to bring us the big rides, but there are other issues that have precedence. One thing at a time... Eric

^^ Don't feel bad about "just" getting your first HDTV. We got our first one during the Winter Olympics, just a couple of months ago. That said, it's back to breakfast... Eric

When I first watched the video, I thought it was an Impulse until I noticed them going through an element that looked more twisty than the spirally track on that. Eric

"Featuring six dancers/drummers, “SlamBang” blends found-object drumming, body-movement percussion and aerial arts on a multi-level stage and platforms interspersed throughout the 900-seat theater." I could swear that at one time, the Magic Moments Theater had 1200 seats, but maybe the seating section will be reconfigured for this show to increase the stage size. The name SlamBang attracts attention, which will get people to the show. I think they call that "marketing." Eric

^ I get out to SFMM many times each year, and I'm never bored. But I also don't go out there and try to pack as many rides as I can into the day. What I like is watching people, walking up and down the hills, and just being in the park. To me, if anyone is ever "bored" with this park or any other, just don't go as often. Eric

Maybe there's some wood headed to "Europe" sometime soon. After all, "Africa" already has some... Eric

Believe it or not, I've never ridden Heimlich's Chew Chew Train at DCA. And I've been there many times, too. A note about an East Coast Matterhorn: actually, there were plans at one time to build a Swiss pavilion in the World Showcase at Epcot, and that pavilion was going to have a Matterhorn ride as its main attraction. But that never happened. Erik, this wasn't your first visit to Disneyland/DCA, was it? Anyway, I'm glad you had a great time here. Eric

^ The only one you missed was Enterprise, but I don't think that one ever went into service in space. As much good as I think the shuttle program has done, I think it's very wise to retire the remaining fleet. After 25 years and multiple missions, I'm sure that if the program continued, we'd have another Challenger or Columbia disaster. It amazes me how much stress these vehicles have withstood during their multiple trips to and from space. Eric

^^ I almost said that it was pretty windy out here today...till I read your last part. Eric

I wonder what "O.D." stood for? Those initials remind me of the time I met a distant family relative in Texas by the name of D.L. [surname omitted for privacy]. I asked him, "What does 'D.L.' stand for?" He replied, "D.L." You ask a silly question... My coaster track record is still in the double digits, but I have not ever ridden one of Hopkins' coasters. Here in the U.S. there aren't that many (I can only think of four off the top of my head), but two of them are only a few hours' drive from me (in Phoenix), so I should make the effort to add them to my count. Eric