WillMontu

A couple more, including progress over at IOA Stitch of the Harry Potter construction More to come, including Toy Story Mania, and some hot Monorail action 360 degree view of the new coaster site A composite shot of The Simpsons ride building DinoTums? It's likely to be a path leading to the new bridge This construction fence showed up in Jurassic Park Warehouse - The Ride? A crane is visible behind Flying Unicorn Over at IOA, the Dragons' castle has been completed with the new theming A trash can. Yes, a trash can. Has Universal been bought out by Cedar Fair? What's behind the fence? The train has a fresh coat of paint Inside the DeLorean The DeLorean and the train at their new location This was the rodent who cut in line for Jaws Yes, that's the same pack of Tums I found on Euroburg's skyride several weeks ago Another Simpsons themed food stand We actually redeemed our Squishee coupons at this stand, over by MIB

Since I was with Erik the same day (though I have nothing to do with the "home edition", which does replicate the ride very well), I took a ton of pictures. I could post a large Photo TR, but Erik would rather I finish off all my existing Photo TR's (there's at least three buried somewhere) before starting a new photo thread. We both took some similar pictures, so I'm just posting stuff that has not been covered already More coming soon The ride vehicle. Similar to the vehicles used for BTTF, but without the video screens Scratchy really wanted to take a POV of the ride This is the second pre-show room, which shows a video featuring a rodent getting super-sized. Probably better than WDW's Pirates and Dinosaur combined Apu running the snack bar And we all know what happens when you stand up on a log flume. The ride goes down for several months and gets retrofitted with restraints that both diminish the ride capacity and prevents most normal-sized people from riding Some of the theming in the first pre-show room The train leaves the track - not a credit! This is the way to get the Taxi Jam credit Although this DeLorean actually runs The BTTF:TR tribute clip You need to see this for the full story The queue moved quickly and the video screens showed various Simpsons clips. Shown here is a scene from Itchy and Scratchy Land More attraction posters Credit? We didn't make it for the preview, even if we both did have annual passes And if they're free, why pass on the opportunity? This was the queue...for the Squishie stand Simpsons merchandise has started popping up in CityWalk I start this off with a POV of the moving walkway at Universal

The mounted guns are a bit more maneuverable than the ones on Buzz, and they work just fine for the attraction. As mentioned before, they are very similar to Pirates at DisneyQuest. I will be posting some of my pictures shortly. In the meantime, here's a short POV of the Simpsons coaster! If you notice, it does have a few rough spots And for those on the Jeff Johnson counting system, the ride counts as at least two credits MVI_8114.AVI Simpsons Coaster POV!

I got to check it out yesterday during the passholder preview. Even then, it had a bit of a wait, though the queue theming was pretty cool, especially the Mr. Potato Head, who even interacts with the people in line. The ride itself is similar to the Pirates attraction at DisneyQuest. Instead of using a trigger, riders pull on a "rope" on the back of the guns to fire them. Another nice touch was that when ride vehicles were backed up, the ride vehicle would go into "Hold Time", in which game would continue, but without scoring. I will post pictures soon

I remember that filming when we visited Kennywood on the Midwest trip. I was also filmed, along with a bunch of other people. I don't expect any footage of me to have made it though.

The Lady Gay should have been the first thing you rode when you got there. But only if you could turn back time...

Here's what I use on my laptop. My desktop PC has a nice stitch taken last year at Kennywood I cropped this and used it as the wallpaper on my desktop PC Just some good old-fashioned Monorail Porn!

So did you get to actually ride the Lady Gay. Was the line too long? Maybe you should have gotten a FastPass And now I've got that Cher song stuck in my head!

More KD If anyone wants me to continue this TR with SFA and SFGAdv, let me know. After getting all the major credits, we headed off to SFGAdv. I missed the mouse because the line was too long, as well as Taxi Jam Naturally they were only running one side. The trains weren't even present on the other Is this the employee break area? Because it lead to a boom in the gravy industry! Rebel Yell was the most historic of the woodies Artsy shot Another woodie credit Stitch of the Hypersonic site, high res versions will be posted if there's demand As does Chuck Erik has the credit Another view of Hypersonic's site, now just cement and trash cans Chuck enjoyed his ride Grizzly is KD's answer to Beast More remains. There is even some track pieces at the back of the park visible from Hurler's lift There are still remnants of Hypersonic on site Ummm...okay KD also has one of those "bridge to nowhere" attractions Hypersonic has been paved over. More trash cans will be there next season I assembled this from everything I took up there, though I missed a few spots unfortunately. Although it wouldn't be so mild if you have a fear of heights After the TOGO Death Machine, it was time for a "mild thrill ride" Nobody wanted to ride with me, so I had to suffer in silence. Surprisingly, it wasn't too bad, but that was probably because I was bracing myself for the ride. The restraint system does not help the capacity of the ride But it was built for pain The layout's pretty short This one's a TOGO! Anaconda wasn't the only Death Machine at this place Next up was Anaconda, the park's Ron Toomer Coathanger Death Machine

That last picture reminds me of a similar shirt I saw last year. Is this a chain-wide thing, or is it just for KD?

More Kennywood Still to come: Jackrabbit, Turtle, Lunch, Walkbacks, and more To be continued.... A closer view of the Arrow/Morgan transition Top of the second drop How was your ride? Of course, it's still got enough to get Jahan aroused. This also probably explains the unusual lap bars The trains retain the original Arrow chassis The lift The inversions were replaced with these air-time hills You can see the difference between the original Arrow and the newer Morgan track here The second drop is the largest, and was a record breaker when it was built. It was extended by five feet when it was transformed into Phantom's Revenge The ride was originally a Ron Toomer coathanger machine, but the second half of the ride was rebuilt The first drop The entrance (and a credit for Terrance) It did have a bit of a line It isn't Kennywood without riding the Phantom Chuck looking a bit ghostly (or is it really his twin Skippy?) One of the last scenes is a rotating tunnel, which is very disorienting Which way do we go? Does PETA know about the living conditions for these animals? The first scene consists of a few Animatronic-type figures They were pretty popular back in the day The Noah's Ark walk-through is another rare ride. AFAIK, there are three still around, including the one at BPB, and a third somewhere, but I'm not so sure. It is mandatory to go to Potato Patch when at Kennywood It's just like Blackpool, with Big Dipper, Pepsi (Max Big One) and Avalanche The park loses points for the Pepsi The Pittsburg Plunge is not a Dan Friendly ride There's also the Pitt-Fall, an Intamin drop tower Time to "ghost ride the Whip". It's an increasingly rare type of ride, especially with BPB finally taking out theirs It is one of the older models with the lap bars that come down from above The park basically took a standard spinning mouse and give it some good theming Exterminator, the indoor spinning mouse So after ERT, we checked out some of the other things the park has to offer

More pictures I already have the credit, so I'm in no rush to come back to ride it though. Dominator at KD with a half-new paint job It was rumored to go to Kings Dominion even before Geauga Lake closed The vertical loop was supposedly a record for the tallest/largest. It was originally named Batman - Knight Flight. When Cedar Fair took over, they dropped all the theming and renamed the ride Dominator It first opened at Geauga Lake when Six Flags took over ownership. Dominator is the park's "new" floorless coaster It's similar to Avalanche at BPB Next was Avalanche They still use the fire effect from time to time Volcano through the trees Scooby poses for the camera Find the credit whore! Erik was the only one to get the credit. The rest of us didn't feel "sad and pathetic" enough. Ready to go? Erik gets his Taxi Jam credit Photo TR creator in training? Jeff brought his family to the park...and we all know what that means Chuck enjoyed his ride While most woodies at corporate parks get butchered with seat dividers and headrests, this one and its siblings at the other ex-Paramount parks, the only addition was seatbelts Scooby Doo was the park's old-school kiddie woodie So which one is Chuck and which is Skippy?

More of Kennywood. My goal is to at least finish Kennywood and possibly Stricker's Grove. I will post Kings Island only if people want me to. We were given permission from Kennywood to take cameras on the rides. Do not try this at home! I'm not feeling creative in the caption department, but this update will mostly consist of coaster porn. There is a lot more on the way, including: Thunderbolt/Phantom/Jackrabbit walkbacks, lunch, and some of Kennywood's other classic rides. By now the park had opened Some people couldn't marathon this ride Robb shooting POV for the new DVD Looking down the lift again How was your ride? Shooting POV's Skid brakes aren't too common these days Going down There are a few brakes during the ride, but without them, there could be some broken bones TPR loves Thunderbolt Mandatory lift hill shot The first drop Approaching the last drop That's a major headchopper! Note the lack of air-gates Returning to the station Going down the third drop... Not the most scenic of rides though Looking down the lift After the second drop, we catch onto the chain lift The ride does pull a lot of laterals to the left side of the train. The first and second drops come before the lift It runs vintage NAD trains Thunderbolt is known for requiring riders to have partners to ride, because the ride does not use seat dividers and has some powerful laterals It was also part of our morning ERT Next was Thunderbolt, another of the park's classic woodies

The next part: I'll start this off with some stitches from Euroburg. I will post higher resolution versions if people want them. More coming soon A lot of the effects weren't working though, and the work lights were on in the tunnel. The "Backlot Stunt Coaster". At least BPB still has its "Italian Job" attraction (and that one probably appeals more to enthusiasts, especially ACErs) Another credit, also launched This was the first "conventional" LIM launched coaster. Of course, credit for the first true launched coaster goes to Schwarzkopf Ready to go? Some of the "real" theming (and a trash can) The "theming" in the queue line Another new credit. Erik is ready to ride It was the first launched inverted coaster New credit! No "running of the bulls" here. We got there right at opening Always a good sight to see Of course, you'll never forget what park you're at. Cedar Fair, what were you thinking? See what I mean? Although it does have more theming than many of the others in the chain King's Dominion is one of the latest parks to be "Cedar Fair-ized" It looks like we're on the right track And some coaster porn to go with it Taken from the bridge between BBW and Nessie Stitch taken in BBW's station

I have reusable bags as well as plastic. If I do get plastic bags, I hold on to them. Every once in a while, I will take them to the grocery store as they have recycle bins.

This trip caused me to overtake Erik in credits, leaving me at 249, not including water coasters and racing coasters. I do have the Dominator credit though Also, with the interest in train porn: Hot coupler action! Euroburg's train ride

Euroburg continued To be continued Looking nice at night, with Beatles playing in the background The dispatch time on it was pretty bad though The Griffin model in the gift store After a few more rides on Apollo, the park was starting to close When you don't have a tripod, use a trash can The bridge over the log flume provides a good place to get shots of Alpengeist Ready to get a little wet? The log flume is another Arrow (I'm assuming) Maybe Chuck needs to practice some more Alpengeist is the only inverted that I know of with a "zero car", though SLC's do have an "end car" at the back. You can get a few good shots from the skyride Next we take the skyride over to Alpengeist again This is all that's left of Drachen Fire We got to see the Clydesdales' backsides from the train ride Another of the park's steep stairways WolfTums RatTums Front row We found a good photo spot near the first lift Time for a few rides on BBW And food of course It has German theming The Festhaus is better than the one at Tamprica There is a topiary Dalmation to go with the Clydesdale

See also Erik's TR and Chuck's TR I do have pictures from Six Flags America and also from Great Adventure, and I may post them if people want me to. This past weekend, I met up with Erik Johnson and we headed north to hit a few parks. With Chuck (cfc) as our guide, we were able to get a few new credits Part 1: Busch Gardens This was my first visit to Euroburg, though I have visited Tamprica several times before. As with other parks in the chain, it is clean, well maintained, and run well.. The park is a lot of scenic than Tamprica, and still has a good collection of coasters. To be continued It can provide a workout if you're not in shape The park is built in some hilly terrain The boat ride had a line, so we passed on it I don't think they have ever synced the trains going through the loops recently. Despite being a Toomer, it wasn't that bad Nessie's station ...it was the first ride that ACErs ever got ERT on Now for Nessie, which has historical significance... BGW still has its train ride You don't get as wet on this one though Escape from Pompeii is like a combination of Tidal Wave and Atlantis Watch out for the goose! Apollo's Chariot Euroburg also has a handful of flat rides, compared to the two or three we have at BGT The CoasterDynamix model of Alpengeist The ride vehicles are similar to Spidey, though not as cool looking Even if it isn't Spiderman, it was still reasonably well done The queue somewhat resembles a hedge maze Dark Kastle = Spiderman on a budget Another shot of Alpengeist and Griffin Random rodent encounter. These guys aren't timid like the ones we have here in Gainesville Is this sponsored by Southwest Airlines too? The ride is very well themed Another new credit The Hummel Boy is one of the biggest attractions at Euroburg, though Chuck fears for the day Terrance stops by. Hey, Disney, there's nothing wrong with boobs! The Land of the Dragons is similar to the one in Tampa, except ours no longer has a yellow Arrow shadowing over it Next up was the Skyride, sponsored by Southwest Airlines. I hope they did all the safety inspections The ride has small accelerometers on some of the seats showing the G-force pulled by the ride Another shot of the first drop The trains are wider, but the station can only load one train at a time, unlike Sheikra's dual loading station I thought that Sheikra's water splash element was better landscaped Having ridden Sheikra, I had a fair idea of what we would be in for First new credit: Griffin It's the bird on a stick from Everest! We arrived shortly after opening Is Disneyland the only park that doesn't have one of these? Even the path leading from the parking lot to the entrance is nicely landscaped Nearly there Chicago O'Hare has the "Magic Moving Walkway Ride", though it does not have a soundtrack My trip first started out with a stop in Chicago for a few things

^ And here are pictures to prove it! Just watch out, he should be riding El Toro tomorrow too! Of course, I got a few new credits too. I only got one at SFA (Wild One, so I don't need to go back anytime soon) because the operations were so bad, but I did get everything at Euroburg and everything at KD except Taxi Jam and the mouse (I got Dominator at GL last year) I expect to hit 250 tomorrow. I'm trying to decide between El Toro or Road Runner. I'll probably go for the latter. Wild One was a great coaster. Too bad the rest of the park was awful. Flight of Fear at KD Evac credit! The kid was free!

Also, if you haven't already, dump Internet Explorer and get Firefox, and install AdBlock Plus.

^^ I actually did that on the Midwest trip, being on the Arrow bus. I still have that coathanger in that form. Maybe I'll bring it to Europe this year. Somebody even told me that I should submit the design to Arrow/S&S for their next ride! From SFNERules' Midwest Photo TR:

Good to see another Kiwi on TPR. Lapbars on Schwarzkopf are sufficient. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL2jdmPCCT0&feature=related This ride stalled in the loop some time back. Although the ride has been renamed and rethemed (and gone through several different ownerships), it still runs (safely) with just lapbars. Those upstop wheels also help, and they are standard equipment on nearly all coasters. As long as you don't do anything stupid (like standing up) ride restraints are more than sufficient.

^ That's if you even have a girlfriend/wife. -If you travel to a different city, the first thing on your mind is the nearby parks -The only games you play include titles such as RCT, Thrillville, and NoLimits -You remember your "milestone" coasters and try to make them something spectacular (or really bad) -You've ridden one coaster...in two or more different locations (e.g. Flashback, Shockwave, Thriller)

I'm not sure about image stabilization, but they do use wide-angle lenses, as they are a lot more effective.

Come to think of it, they did start clearing dirt on the site of the old band practice field here at UF, and it's easily enough space for a decent sized B&M. Being in Florida, it would have to be something good.