restoca

Well, "reason" and "need" are quite subjective terms in the hands of ride operators.

sooo...... no headrests? or am I being too optimistic, and they'll be fitted with those later?....

My first visit to DW was in 2005 and we stayed in Pigeon Forge. Meh. Second visit was two weeks ago and this time stayed at a Hampton Inn about five miles south of DW in Gatlinburg, which is a beautiful area. Much more to see and do within walking distance of the hotel. Pick up a Gatlinburg brochure and you'll see all there is to do. Regarding the crowds: like Silver Dollar City, it always seems crowded to me, most everywhere but the rides. I opted for their Q2Q system, as recommended by others in this forum. Just remember if you schedule a show, then change your mind, you have to return to the Q2Q "shop" to delete it. (It won't let you reserve a ride during a time it thinks you're in a show.) This year I tried to notice all the unique food offerings at DW. Don't miss the bakery near the entrance! Have fun! Gatlinburg sky lift - nice view, but nothing up there DW bakery - everything is huge!

I know I've seen some kind of counter-weight mechanism involved with some coasters' lifts. This weight sort of bobs up and down when the train hits the lift. I certainly don't know all the technical aspects, but I think its purpose is to keep the chain taut. Just a guess...

Fantastic photos! I'll bet the park's brochure doesn't feature such well composed shots. When/where's your next trip?!? Well sure! That gap between the track and upstop wheel gives Arrow riders that quality jackhammer sensation.

I went down there myself tonight after dinner across the bridge. Arrived just as the fireworks show was ending. More spectacular than I've seen at some amusement parks. Every Friday at 9:30 thru July. Seems the mystery regarding the path to the station is solved. Can't tell if it's wide enough for two-way traffic, so there may still be a separate entrance/exit access. Unsuspecting riders on that path will be startled, to say the least, when a train at the bottom of the first drop passes either directly below or next to them. I can hear that tin roof over the walk way rattling already. Thanks again for the photos Jason!

Thanks for sharing those great photos. As much fun as this unique park is during the day, it really transforms into something dreamy at night, when a ride on the Shafer Queen paddle wheel boat is a must. Here's a photo I took from it a few years back. IB@PM

Make sure you have the latest version of Flash.

Finally! What is it, almost six months after we first learned of the ride and its location? Unusual these days for the animation to remain under wraps for that long. Thanks a lot for Jakizle, for sharing that link. I wonder if it's a Keith McVeen product. This is only a guess, but I think some of the banking will actually be more extreme than in the animation, almost 90 degrees in a couple of places. And I get the impression there will be no shortage of airtime, especially in the front.

Another beautiful day lured me to Kemah. This time I talked with an employee (adult-type/non-teen) of the Boardwalk who was standing near the entrance of the construction site. He didn't have any info in regards to the path to the station, but he did say they'll consider themselves lucky if the coaster is operating by July 4th. That's unfortunate, since June typically has severe thunderstorms on an almost daily basis. Maybe the crew can get "ahead of schedule" now while the weather is so good. So, there's a bit of info for all of you in far-flung places who need to make vacation plans several weeks in advance... no views of the bay to be had on these three turns this shop should be selling BB merchandise already, I say showing how close to the ground those turns will be tracks that will hug the base of the lift turn structure "bottleneck" almost complete

Doesn't part of the track pass underneath the station? I need a second look at the models. I wish all the models could be in one place just one click away... : ( You can sort of see it in the link BiCoastal Kid provided on the previous page.

Doesn't part of the track pass underneath the station?

Has to be this pop revue at Funtown USA in Saco, Maine. (Should I mention this is the only park show I've ever seen?) "A" for effort... well, maybe "B+"...

I went to the construction area today to check things out. It was a beautiful day for coaster riding, but anyway... From the parking lot it's really looking massive, relative to its surroundings. And the second tallest section hasn't even begun to be built. Great views to be had from the observation tower. I can't recall if anyone has made the following predictions, but if they have, I agree: I spotted three hills within the structure that have a small radius given the speed I assume the train will be traveling. Has me thinking of the airtime on a certain small S&S woodie... From the steps of the Saltgrass restaurant next door it's easy to see the footings currently under construction for the remaining section. The bottom of the first drop will nearly be touching the wall of the Starbucks building. I wonder if that section will be tunneled. It's going to be awfully close to a pedestrian area not to be enclosed. If anyone has any ideas on how the passengers will reach the station, please share. I've studied the various photos of the model and I can't find an area that doesn't have ground-level track between the perimeter and the station. Hey, maybe a chair-lift will be involved... It looks like the tallest vertical sections of timber for the station are in place. Also in place is the pulley/wheel for the chain at the top of the lift. Looking forward to Jason's next photo installment.

If that's a reference to the TX governor, he's in office until 2010. If that's a reference to the president, I think he's president of Ohio as well... In any case, more room in the queue for me!

to power grid, etc. See Glens Falls, NY newspaper article here. Some of these upgrades will allow AstroWorld's Vekoma SLC to operate there in the future.

Mmmmm Mmmmm Good! A steady stream of beautiful weather like this will speed that construction right along. Thanks for your dedication in keeping us informed, Jason.

I can't remember. So it must have been one of those Mind Eraser things.

rail is present, and rusty already

Looks like the upstop wheels are doing their job in that avatar photo.

I strongly agree with many that have been mentioned: Zinger, SFNE Superman, and the obvious Voyage and Hades. I didn't see any mention of the original Elitch's Twister. The Knoebel's Twister has a good replica, but the original was somehow more effective. Speaking of Knoebel's, I love the curvey tunnel of the Phoenix from the station to the lift. Perfectly pitch dark at noon or night. original Elitch's Twister

Since it's being built by a restaurant conglomerate, I was fearful it would get a food-related name (Fish Sticks?). I guess it could be worse than Boardwalk Bullet. Maybe the western theme is to tie it in with the western steak house nextdoor. Many restaurants serving huge portions + intense coaster = I hope they have a clearly marked puke zone off to the side of the ride's exit...

I have wondered if Togo's coaster trains are designed for smaller people, or if they're just uncomfortable for riders of any height. I've ridden five of them in the US and each time have thought the average Japanese person must be smaller than the average American. Really enjoyed your interesting photos and narration. I hope you'll share your next adventure as well!

I can't see where the left side of the mountain is missing. The bobs is snug against it in both photos. In any case, it was certainly beautiful in the older photo. The Volcano structure and Outer Limits box are not so beautiful. Is that a restaurant in front of the mountain? In the newer photo it seems to have lost its right half. As far as the big water features and such being gobbled up by expansion projects, I think that's sort of their purpose in a park's initial design scheme. It's just a shame that such beautiful features are usually replaced by a not-so-beautiful (or appropriate for the area's theme) new attraction. (Wasn't Mantis placed on a former waterway?) Surely IOA won't ever use this method of expansion. Oh yeah, the parks that don't have beautiful water features just use their parking lots!

August 2006, Mt Olympus, Opa. Both of these girls were working when I rode, just prior to taking this photo. I guess the operator's console doubles as the employee breakroom. Later at Hades, a couple of brilliant riders exited on the wrong side of the train after their ride. Instead of stepping back through the car they walked around behind the train and stepped down onto the track to cross to the exit. Due to the language barrier, all the Ride Op could muster was something to the effect of "do you grow up in the jungle?". Almost every employee I heard speaking at Mt Olympus (as well some other businesses in the Dells area) seemed to speak Russian much better than English. "I go on BRRREK!"