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Just a quick note, according to Screamscape, both WDW and the DLR have raised their one-day parking fee to $14 from $12. Eric

One thing interesting was that they sent out an empty train to race with us. We got ahead, but it caught up and passed pretty quick. I remember when Colossus first ran backwards with the old three-bench PTC trains in the early '80s. Initially it was done for Fright Fest, but later on ran like that all year. The ride has two tracks, so why not? Only then, the backwards side was the track closest to Goliath. So I've ridden both sides of Colossus forward and backwards! Eric

^ I waited about three trains for backwards Colossus last Sunday, so I'd imagine that you won't wait too long either. Eric

^ Regarding your last sentence, the key is to visit SFMM on a quiet Sunday. As you said, you would likely not even need the Q-Bot. Eric

^ Good for you! I got my black belt in the Levi's Outlet store in our outlet mall! I'm happy for the cool weather over the last few days. Hot doesn't do me very well. Eric

For me, it's all about walking. Not a great fat burner, but a good, low impact way to exercise. A long walk with some hills included gives you a decent workout. When I go out, I try to log at least five miles. Eric

^ I wasn't aware that Chrysler made their PT Cruisers out of pewter. Eric

^ That brings up a good point---transportation. If you stay on-site, you can use Disney monorails and buses to get from your hotel to and from the parks, but from what I've heard, sometimes the buses are slow and crowded. (To be fair, I've never used a Disney bus, so what I just said is heresay.) On our October 2006 trip, we got a minivan for our group because we wanted to visit USF/IoA, and it made things a lot easier getting to and from the airport. Something to consider if you want to visit SeaWorld, USH/IoA, or even take a 90-minute drive down I-4 to Tampa to see Busch Gardens Africa if you have the time. Eric EDIT: Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but once you pay to park at any of the WDW parks, your parking is free if you park-hop to a different park on the same day, provided you keep your parking ticket stub.

May the force be with you, even if you can't wear it. Eric

^ Funny...this past Sunday, I had about a two- or three-train wait for X2. On and off in less than 15 minutes. Eric

The advantage of staying at a Disney hotel is getting the Extra Magic Hours to the various parks. When I was there three years ago, it was a good way to see addtional attractions with less of a crowd. I've been to Florida in both July and October, and I prefer October's weather by far. Eric

When I was there on Sunday, backwards Colossus opened at 6pm. I wasn't over there during the afternoon, so I don't know whether it ran or not before then. Eric

Interesting...I was at SFMM yesterday, too, and didn't even notice that the place was no longer Eduardo's. Funny thing, too, is that I never ate at Eduardo's for some reason. Eric

With regard for the Panda Express at Knott's, in a sense it is thematically correct because Chinese laborers were brought over to build the railroads in the late 19th century...about the same period that Ghost Town is themed to. Eric

Even chains can break, though not as often as cables. Mechanical stuff sometimes...just...breaks. It's the nature of it. Perhaps the best way to avoid this is to replace the cables more often than called for in the specs. Eric

^ Right. When I mentioned a CD changer, I made the assumption that it would be loaded before the driving began. At least if I had a changer, I'd load it first to avoid having to do so while behind the wheel. Eric

The Garden of Eden. Remember, Adam and Eve had the place to themselves... What would happen if gravity ran out?

^ Your car radio is built into your car. No one needs to hold it. Your car radio also has preset buttons for the various stations---no need to fumble through them looking for a station if they're set to ones you like. Your car stereo may have a CD changer, again, something that doesn't need to be hand held to operate. Eric

Because there would be no reason for In-N-Out Burger to exist if we didn't. Why didn't Coca Cola use blue in its design graphics?

One time, a load of clothes was done with its cycle in the washer. When I was pulling the clothes out of there to put them in the dryer, a few dollar bills fell out of a pair of pants. It was then that I realized that I was guilty of money laundering. Eric

Kmart Brand---anything. Why aren't there any green Taiko smilies here at TPR?

When I was teaching Diana to drive a couple of years ago, I always told her, "When you're driving, that's what you're doing---and nothing else." People in general just can't shut the hell up anymore. For whatever reason, we need to be in contact with SOMEONE 24/7. I remember when I was growing up: if you needed to talk to someone, you did it when you got home. You might have had to wait for...OH NOES---FIEV MINNITS!1!! My phone is on vibrate, and it sits on the floor of my car right below the table between my front seats. It's there when I need it, but out of my hands. As for texting while driving---Stupidest. Thing. Ever. Eric

^ Even though I have done so, generally I stay off of the "regular" rides at Haunt and concentrate on the mazes, so I agree with you. Why spend time taking rides on the coasters when you can do that anytime? The only exception would be to ride specially themed attractions like Colossus backwards (SFMM), Terror Tram (USH), Blood Falls (Knott's), etc. I would think that the same would apply for HHN. In 2006, I did go to HHN in Florida, but have not done HHN here in California. There, we did the mazes and the rides (we had an insider who got us front of the line access). This year, I also hope to try HHN, but am not sure as to when (or if) right now. Eric

Not where I come from. There, it's a kind of pudding with fruit and bits of cilantro mixed in. Why are there so many different kinds of storage media for digital cameras/camcorders?

I've been driving my CR-V for over seven years, and it's running like new with 140,000 miles on it. Eric