azza29

Yes. Do you think Full Throttle will be open on Memorial Day?

It's no big deal - the park probably just shouldn't have announced it would remain open is all. DCA set a high standard in terms of limiting the impact of construction on guests, particularly with regard to managing people's expectations.

^Very impressive!

I haven't seen an official announcement on this but according to another Coaster Guy update the Gold Pass early entry perk gets you in 10 minutes prior to park opening, and rides will be ready to go. So depending on the number of gold passholders at the park on any given day it could mean a nice short wait for X2 or Tatsu.

No, they are just as safe as they have always been. The sense of entitlement attached to this sort of opportunistic, trivial lawsuit really gets under my skin. Not just a US phenomenon either - recently a woman sued Wet'n'Wild because she didn't make it the whole way around the Aqualoop, panicked, and hurt her arm getting out of the slide. The park won but the case shouldn't have even made it to court. Life is inherently risky. Sometimes you get hurt and it's nobody's fault. [/rant]

If it's true then I can't wait to see what they come up with. Mines of Moria dark ride would be cool - I'm thinking something along the lines of Indiana Jones at DL. Disney shouldn't be too worried, after all what's Lord of the Rings when you have AVATAR?

Currently 33 C (91 F) outside. Forecast for tomorrow is 41 (106). Hooray for summer!

^Thanks. Looks like it's going to cost me the same amount either way. Season pass might make a nice souvenir though.

Looks like it'll be closed when I'm planning to visit (early May) but might be open the weekend I'm heading out of LA (mid June). Is the log ride worth going back for, or should I just leave it for a future trip?

NEW SODA CREDIT: Coke Zero Cherry has debuted at the supermarket near my office. Tastes pretty good but most Aussies hate cherry-flavoured soda so I doubt it'll be around for long.

I'm trying to decide whether I'm better off purchasing a season pass rather than a single day ticket when I visit BGW later this year (will use parking, tour discount and 50% off at SWSD benefits). One of the perks is a "Discount on single-day tickets for friends and relatives during regular operating season" - anyone know how much of a discount this is?

It was a decent show, but unfortunately poor old Terminator hasn't aged well. The fact that it's been around this long suggests the park was having trouble finding something to replace it with. I'm interested to see what the plans for Hogwarts West look like, particularly how much space they end up dedicating to the Harry Potter theme. Are they just adding in the HP + Forbidden Journey clone, or was a full 'land' announced?

Happy New Year all! 2013 is going to be awesome!

- Machu Picchu - Italy - Venice, Rome - Yellowstone - Spend a week on a remote South Pacific island

Caught a New Year's Eve screening of Les Mis last night, different to what I had expected but overall I liked it. Perhaps a story that works better on the stage than on screen but they did an excellent job. The cinematography was superb, with an intriguing use of camera techniques during certain songs. I thought that having the actors sing live on set worked well, even if the final result wasn't as perfect as a studio recording might have been. Next up is Jack Reacher on Friday - expectations are very, very low for this one...

One of the reasons I like the TPR vids is the commentary - hearing Robb's 'wheee' and 'loop-de-loop!' during the rides makes them much more interesting than just coaster noise. Nothing wrong with the odd expletive either - I can think of quite a few rides which cause me to yell words I don't often use! If the OP is concerned about swearing he should either watch the vids before showing his kids, or just turn off the sound. Problem solved. Robb, the personality in your vids makes them great, love your work!

I kind of agree with this, but like the addition of Lurtz in FoTR, they needed a character to lead the orcs to give the battle some focus. The prologue also helped to fill a fairly significant plot gap that (from memory) the book doesn't reveal until very late - why the dwarves are on this quest, and why Bilbo decides to help them. One review I saw compared it to The Phantom Menace, which is a bit unfair. The tricky part of this film is that it's setting up everything to come and the payoffs will come later. I suspect by the time the trilogy is complete the first part will be looked upon more favourably.

Something at Movieworld - probably Scooby Doo Spooky Coaster.

Where did all the Emo kids go? Seriously, it's like they all disappeared in 2008 and haven't been seen since.

^Great to hear - still a few weeks until it's out here but definitely on my 'must-see' list. Managed to see The Hobbit earlier this week, had only moderate expectations but was definitely a fun film. On a par with Fellowship of the Ring I think, and the writers have done a good job with filling out the story. I'm not surprised it's ended up as three films - although the book isn't terribly long, there is an action setpiece in almost every chapter so even two films would seem rushed. Maybe it's just because I prefer practical effects, but I thought that the prosthetic orcs from LOTR trilogy looked better than the CG ones in The Hobbit. Anyway, looking forward to the next one in year's time.

^^Even for SFMM, that image is a terrible Photoshop job (they could at least remove the grey line around the logo!). Anyway, looks like Memorial Day opening at the earliest.

How much is it with the season pass discount?

^Is that because Ohio schools go on vacation earlier? When I was planning my trip for next year my Google results showed a few that finish in late May.

^^They are just as bad in Melbourne. But down here they are all clad head-to-foot in brightly coloured lycra, like an army of human sausages - a phenomenon I don't recall seeing last time I was in San Francisco.

^I used to check out the fanboy sites when I was planning my first trip, now they are just for kicks and giggles. The things people find to complain about never cease to amaze (and amuse) me.