mightypotato

Darien Lake getting PIttfall would actually be enough to get me back to the park. The place is in dire need of something new and exciting. Sure, the drop tower wouldn't be "new", but it is exciting. I recall it being pretty decent last year during my Kennywood visit.

Those restraints look awesome. Way more open and free than the other top scans I've been on.

I'm still not sure how I fell about those. At times, it can be a pretty drastic slowdown, which makes it feel a bit "off". That said, I did get a ride in 2011 where the brake caught pretty hard and it made for a killer hang before the drop. Sky Rocket has something like that. There's a brake at the top of the top hat that almost stops the train hanging over the vertical drop. It's not 400+ feet, but it was pretty cool.

That's one of my biggest issues with the Golden Ticket Awards. If the park or ride is in a country not normally visited (i.e., Korea, etc) it will get passed over. For all the talk about "TPR breaking it", at least the Mitch Hawker poll takes that into account. All in all, this is really just pointless complaining about something. Because well...we're coaster enthusiasts and that's what we do.

Well to be fair, it's not like the Grammys are real awards anyway. "Oh thanks! An awards statue! Oh...a Grammy" *tosses off balcony*

For one brief, shining moment, Space Spiral was the world's most intense drop tower.

^^Hahahaha, yes they were. Still did the whole hand over the eyes thing too. ^It was a Wednesday in early June. I want to say June...6th maybe? We were a bit rushed to get the credits since the park was only open until 6pm. But, we managed to get it done.

Part 5: Six Flags Great Adventure Holy crap, I have really put off doing this After the disappointment that was Six Flags America, we made our way to a far better park, Six Flags Great Adventure. Pretty much nothing had changed since my 2011 visit with TPR. So, here's a brief "Cliff's Notes" version of my thoughts. - El Toro is still my favourite coaster. Dat Rolling Thunder Hill... - Kingda Ka is still tall, fast and shaky - Batman and Bizarro were better than I remembered - Rolling Thunder still sucks So...yeah. Not as exciting/lengthy as my other reports. But, when I 've got nothing new to say...I've got nothing new to say. I also didn't take as many pictures as I did at the other parks. But, here are some pictures anyway! Wow...and I thought we had driven a long way! Hi. I'm in...Delaware. Getting there bright and early and greeted by Superman Our first stop because of course it's going to be our first stop. Still TONS of airtime to be found! Glorious! I also love the Intamin fart, because I'm apparently 5 years old. Going down! Still lots of air here! We were going to ride Kingda Ka next, but it broke down once we got in line. So, we made our way over to Green Lantern instead Ride sign Divey loopy goodness Didn't get too much headbashing/nut squashing in the wingovers. Logically, our next stop was Superman: Ultimate Flight I neglected to take pictures of it last year, so I'm glad I came back! Flying! But without real forces. Twisted mess of track Mmmmm...pretzels. This was one of those rides that if you've never been on it, you probably should. Don't know how much longer it'll be around for Kingda Ka was still closed, so we hit up Rolling Thunder (not pictured) and Bizarro. Bizarro #1? Well...maybe the SFNE one. Not this one. Though, zero-g loops are my weakness In the misty corkscrews, at the end of the ride... As you can see, it wasn't a really busy day. This picture quota? FILLED. Nitro from the skyride. Not that I need more pictures of Nitro. This corner of the park always seems like such a mess. On your right, pleasure. On your left, pain. Choose wisely. Rawr. Skull Mountain is still fun. Ba-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na...BATMAN! Lift hill funtimes Lots of fun in the zero-g roll There were better forces in the loops than I remembered Second half of the ride Mouse in a box. Meh. YES. This ride rules. Kingda Ka is finally open! Hurray! I would still take Storm Runner and TTD over it. New hotness for 2012. These things terrify me. Not cool. One last shot of Kingda Ka as we left for the day Up next, Dorney Park!

"Top 10 Steel Coasters: 1 - Millennium Force 2 - Bizarro (SFNE) 3 - Nitro 4 - Apollo's Chariot 5 - Texas Giant 6 - Expedition GeForce 7 - Intimidator (Carowinds) 8 - Magnum XL-200 9 - Goliath (SFOG) 10 - Diamondback."

I recently stumbled upon a nice orchestrated Chrono Trigger soundtrack video on Youtube. This caused me to start playing Chrono Trigger again. I really forgot how much I loved the game. I'm currently in Zeal, working my way towards fighting Queen Zeal and having Magus join the party. The next boss battle is Twin Golems, which if I remember correctly, is a tough one.

I'm a real sucker for different interpretations of various songs. For instance, here is a death metal version of Total Eclipse of the Heart. Your guess is as good as mine. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fu2gQkbjkIA Also, that is the greatest album art of all time.

Holy crap, Texas/Midwest trip. If I could, I would absolutely put my deposit down now for that. Time to start saving!

^ You should be OK if you get there at opening. With Fast Lane, you should be able to easily get your credits in 6 hours.

It was folk metal night last night for me. Went to see Korpiklaani, Moonsorrow and Tyr in Toronto. Tyr was WAY better than I remember them being, Moonsorrow kicked ass as always and Korpiklaani is just too much fun. Here are some pictures! Tyr! Moonsorrow! Korpiklaani!

Volbeat freakin' rules. I've seen them a few times now, and it's always a killer show. Also, is the guitarist from Mercyful Fate still touring with them? He was playing when I saw them in February.

How do people think Maverick is rough? When I last rode it (granted, that was in 2010), it was still smooth. You may get a wack or two, but that's from quick transitions, rather than roughness. That said, I305 is smooth too. You might get thrown around a bit in the quick twisty snaps (which are awesome and fun). But...like someone else said, loosen up and go with the flow. You'll enjoy both rides immensely.

^ It's a long weekend. The park will be even more crowded than normal. Fast Lane would be a must.

I was at the park yesterday evening and Behemoth is indeed up and running. Hurrah. Also, I now remember why I don't go to the park on weekends. The place was packed and remained so right until closing. On a positive, I did finally see Starlight Spectacular. The person who put that together better have gotten a raise. It was fantastic.

I love the random things that only seem to happen in infomercials. It's like watching a world where Idiocracy is more documentary than anything else.

Various Batman rides I've been on: Batman: The Ride - SFGAdv The Dark Knight - SFGAdv Batwing - SFA Batman: The Dark Knight - SFNE (I've also been on GCGEFAA and Catwoman's Whip, but I suppose those don't count) Out of those, I'd say my favourite is Batman: The Dark Knight at SFNE. It's a fun little custom floorless that I feel is often overlooked. I actually prefer that ride to bigger floorless coasters like Dominator.

If I can remember/work this out correctly, it should be: 1. Mighty Canadian Minebuster - Canada's Wonderland 50. Gemini - Cedar Point 100. Phoenix - Knoebels 150. El Toro - SFGAdv 200 is coming up, though I probably won't get to it this season. Who knows where 2013 will lead...

^^ The worst part is, here in southern Ontario, they play that commercial NON STOP during the summer. Every time I hear it now, I get a little sick to my stomach and more than a bit angry.

I used to have dreams about Dragster for years after I first rode it in 2005. After riding it again in 2010, all those dreams stopped. Kind of weird. I occasionally have the odd theme park/fair dream that involves rides that don't exist or are radically different. Like, Behemoth being in the middle of the park or Canada's Wonderland having an Intamin looper.

El Toro would take the top spot for me. From the first drop to the end of the ride, it's all about intensity and airtime. Crazy ejector airtime on almost all the hills and it contains the greatest moment of airtime I've ever experienced...the Rolling Thunder Hill. I'm pretty sure that hill could launch someone into orbit.

^ There are often protestors outside of Marineland whenever I drive by it. To be honest, I'm not surprised at all by this. Tragic news from the park (animal death, etc) is a common occurrence here.