rcdude

This looks like a cool ride but to me something about it makes the ride unappealing. I'm not sure if its the fact that you're riding in an enclosed capsule on a water park attraction or the fact that it pulls some extreme g-force (it's rare for coasters to go above 4-4.5, so 6 is crazy), but it really looks like something I'd ride once for the experience and then go back to more traditional water park attractions.

If Lagoon wasn't already on the map for enthusiasts, Cannibal will definitely put it on there. I really hope I have time to get out to the park again next year, as this ride looks like it will be really good.

As far as the stand-up to floorless conversion goes, I could see it happening on the Carowinds Vortex but I doubt it will happen to the CGA Vortex until the coaster is relocated (if it ever is). I don't know how much the conversion costs (I'd guess $1-2 million, though that might be a little high), but it would be very difficult to market in the bay area with Medusa at SFDK within a two hour drive. I don't think it would be a non-floorless sit-down conversion for reasons that have been discussed regarding the Mantis conversion (such as potential heartline issues). I heard a rumor on another site that Knott's may be removing Xcelerator in a couple years, and while I am highly skeptical of this occurring without more evidence if Xcelerator was actually removed I wouldn't be surprised if CGA received it. If the park removed Vortex and the Action Theater, Xcelerator could be installed in that space. Vortex could be given a floorless conversion and make a nice low-budget addition to Michigan's Adventure or Valleyfair.

Well, depending on how it is interpreted summer could simply mean June (or anytime after Memorial Day, as that is considered the summer season). I expect Twisted Colossus will open sometime between Memorial Day weekend and the official start of summer in June. RMC knows what they're doing and given the current state of construction it will be ready plenty early to avoid a July opening.

Thanks. Based on what I've read and what I experienced, I have a feeling we visited on better than average days, but either way Hersheypark is still one of the best thrill parks I've visited. I really hope Fast Track is different next year as Hersheypark is the only major park I've visited that doesn't seem capable of running a skip the line system effectively. Thanks. I sometimes wonder if Wildcat's dislike comes more from the fact that it isn't as good as other GCIs than from the fact that the ride itself is bad. It was GCI's first coaster, but I still think it is better than over half the wood coasters I've been on. Fahrenheit was a huge surprise for me...I expected to like it but not love it, and it ended up being my favorite ride at the park. Also, I could definitely see a valley occurring on Reese's Xtreme Cup Challenge. That ride has the weirdest ride system of any dark ride I've been on, almost like it was originally going to be a coaster/dark ride hybrid and Hersheypark changed their mind at the last minute. You like Wildcat better than Lightning Racer? Everyone's got their own opinion, that's just not one I've heard very much. If the last 1/4 of Great Bear was as good as the first part of the ride, it would be a top tier inverted coaster, but in my opinion it is instead at the top of the middle tier inverts (comparable to Flight Deck at California's Great America). Now for the highlight of the Mini East Coast Trip, at least for me... Trip 2, Part 9: Knoebels Amusement Park & Resort-August 1st, 2014 I was not originally going to do the Mini East Coast Trip, as the price of both trips combined was close to $3,000. However, two factors convinced me to do it: 1. My family's New York and Boston trip, and 2. A chance to finally visit Knoebels, a locals' park that is legendary in the enthusiast world. Our hotel was only about an hour from Knoebels, so the departure time wasn't too bad (8:30 A.M.). Upon arrival, we met with a number of other TPR members (this was the Club TPR day for Mini East Coast), then with Rick Knoebel, current manager of the park. After a group photo under the famous Knoebels sign, it was time for ERT to begin. Knoebels Amusement Park & Resort Knoebels pulled out all the stops for us, with over two hours of ERT, two meals, and more. Our morning ERT was originally going to be an hour on Twister, but due to anticipated crowds we were given morning ERT on Flying Turns as well. Flying Turns has pretty terrible capacity (even with our small group the wait was still about 15 minutes), so ERT on it was greatly appreciated. Following a single ride on Flying Turns, I headed over to Twister for the remainder of morning ERT. Once ERT ended, I retrieved my wristband and Haunted Mansion ticket, then met up with my roommate Evan and toured the park with him. I don't remember what specific order we experienced the park's attractions in, but I do know that by dinner we got on all the significant attractions, some more than once. Lunch was two slices of Cesari's Pizza and a soda, and while not the best pizza in the world Cesari's was still very good. As the day progressed, clouds moved in and the threat of rain increased. Then, while making the climb on the Stratosfear drop tower, we heard thunder, leading to the scariest drop tower I've experienced. Following the ride, we made our way to the dinner pavilion just before the rain arrived. Dinner at Knoebels was good, probably the best park meal of the trip, though it's been so long I can't remember what was served. During dinner, Dick Knoebel (the original creator of the park) came and did a Q&A session with our group, and Rick told us some about Impulse, the park's 2015 coaster, and urged everyone to buy glow before night ERT. After dinner it was time for the TPR Fascination takeover. Like at Indiana Beach, I spent around $10 on the game here, though unfortunately I didn't win anything. After Fascination, there was an unofficial Flyer takeover, then everyone was free until the Skooters takeover at 9:30 P.M. If there is any theme park ride I thought I could be injured on (other than a really rough roller coaster), it is Knoebels Skooters bumper cars, but I did three rounds without incident. By the end of the third ride, the park was closed, so I headed to Phoenix for our 90 minutes of Phoenix Glowfest ERT. Since I ran out of time to buy any glow, I was forced to borrow a necklace from someone. The ERT session was one of the best I've experienced, with double rides on one of the world's best wood coasters. Unfortunately, all things must come to an end and at 11:30 P.M. ERT ended. It was after midnight when we finally got back to the hotel, but I didn't care. I never thought Knoebels would be a full day park, but even after spending 13 hours there I still didn't do everything. I'll give more thoughts on the park below, but for now I'll say Knoebels lived up to the hype and if the trip ended here I wouldn't have complained. Coaster Reviews: Knoebels is not a coaster park, and they only have three proper adult coasters in the park. However, the park's three coasters are all better than many of their type or are at least unique, and with the addition of Impulse next year I'd put the park's collection on par with somewhere like Holiday World. Plus, any park with a top ten wood coaster is worth a visit regardless of what else they have. Flying Turns: No, Flying Turns is not a super amazing ride and it has pretty poor capacity, but this ride is definitely a unique coaster. Unlike most coasters, loading on this one has to be very precise and takes a while as riders are weighed and adjusted before being locked into a loading pen to await their train. The ride itself is a fun family coaster and does get a little intimidating when the cars ride high on the wall, but it is very short and seems to take almost as long to return to the station as the actual ride was. Fun and worth a ride, but probably not worth the 60+ minute wait it typically gets more than once. B- Twister: Of Knoebels's two traditional wood coasters, Twister is the less good ride. However, the park's largest coaster is still a top 20 woodie on my list of 60+ and is better than most in the Six Flags and Cedar Fair chains. The ride has an interesting layout with a split lift design, and features quite a bit of airtime and plenty of strong laterals while remaining mostly smooth throughout. It does die out after the mid-ride double helix, but Twister is still a great ride that would improve the collection of almost any park. B+ Black Diamond: Black Diamond may be more dark ride than roller coaster, but I still consider it a credit as the ride is gravity powered, has four lifts, runs on a track, and occupies three stories. As a roller coaster, the ride is about a D+, but as an overall attraction Black Diamond is good. There are better dark rides out there (including another one at Knoebels), but this is still worth a ride. Phoenix: In the coaster enthusiast community, Phoenix has become one of those rides everyone must experience. Doomed to die when Playland Park closed, Knoebels spent carefully disassembled and reassembled the ride without the use of blueprints. Today, the Phoenix continues to thrill riders of all ages, providing more airtime than any coaster not manufactured by Intamin AG and running with buzz bars just as it has since 1948. Is Phoenix a top 5 coaster? In my opinion, it just misses that mark (I rank it 6th), but it is still an amazing ride that pictures and videos don't do justice. A Kozmo's Kurves: While it may be just a kiddie coaster, Kozmo's Kurves is one of the best designs E&F Miler has built. The ride is just right for younger riders and intense enough to give older children and adults a mild thrill. No official grade for this one, but I will say it was better than several full size coasters on the trip. Non-Coaster Summary: I've been to over fifty parks and it is difficult to think of any with a better non-coaster collection than Knoebels. To start with, Knoebels has the best flat ride collection of any park I've visited, and many of their rides are run at the most intense or thrilling settings possible. In my opinion, the best of Knoebels's flat rides is the Skooters, an old Lusse skooters bumper car attraction run at full speed. Collisions on this ride are more jarring than a low speed car crash, and if cars collide in the right direction they will tip a bit. The park's other absolute must ride flat is the Flyer, an old flying scooters attraction powered by a gas engine and run fast enough to make snapping easy. In addition to these, the park has a number of unique flats including Cosmotron (an indoor Himalaya), Downdraft (a unique Darton Downdraft), Looper (the last Herschell Looper in operation), and the Grand Carousel (which still features a working ring dispenser and grabbing the brass ring), in addition to more standard flats such as a drop tower, swings, and a tilt-a-whirl. The only hole in Knoebels's flat line-up is in the kiddie ride department as the park lacks much other than the basic rotary rides, but this is made up for by low height requirements (a 42" child can ride all but the most extreme flats if accompanied). Knoebels non-coasters in the other departments are not quite as spectacular, but are still better than many parks. The park has two dark rides, the coaster/dark ride hybrid Black Diamond (reviewed previously) and the Haunted Mansion, the best old-school dark ride I've ever been on. The ride is two stories tall, close to four minutes long, and cages are minimal. It is an upcharge, but is absolutely worth the price (only $2 if I remember correctly). For water rides, Knoebels has a good log flume and a decent splash boat (with the creative name Skloosh). In addition, the park has a vintage car ride, two train rides (the Pioneer Train is especially good), and the best Skyride I've seen at any amusement park (fun fact: the Knoebels Scenic Skyway was originally the Spring Fling Triple at Sugarbush Ski Area in Vermont). Overall Thoughts: I've always heard Knoebels was an enthusiast favorite, and while I was a bit skeptical of those statements they were proven true. I absolutely loved Knoebels and the park exceeded all my expectations. In the ride department, Knoebels has it all: great coasters, great flats, decent water rides, a good dark ride...the only thing I thought was missing was a good steel coaster, but Impulse will fix that. Knoebels has some of the best food I've ever had at an amusement park, rivaled only by Dollywood and Holiday World. I love the park's setting, as it doesn't really feel like a park and feels more like a bunch of rides set up in the forest. Sure, there is no theme and it isn't the easiest park to navigate, but part of the fun is wandering around and discovering for yourself what is over the next bridge or behind a nearby building. Lastly, all of the staff members were great, and operations at every ride were as fast as reasonably possible. So, how does Knoebels rank compared to other parks. Well, it's not a major park so it's difficult to compare it to them, but I will say that I had more fun here than I've had at any other park I visited this year (except possibly Holiday World due to waterpark ERT) and while it's probably not my favorite park, Knoebels is definitely in the top five. Put it this way...if I lived outside of California and was offered the choice to take a trip to Disneyland or Knoebels, it would be a difficult choice. The park really is that much fun. Every enthusiast does need to visit Knoebels at least once, and unless you're only into parks for theming or high intensity coasters you'll probably want to go back ASAP. Ride Totals: Note: Since I didn't record my rides at Knoebels until a few days later, it is likely I missed a few, but I am certain I did the following... Black Diamond: 1 Flying Turns: 1 Kozmo's Kurves: 1 Phoenix: 8 Twister: 6 Cosmotron: 1 Downdraft: 2 Flyer: 3 Flume: 1 Grand Carousel: 1 Haunted Mansion: 1 Looper: 1 Pioneer Train: 1 Scenic Skyway: 1 Skloosh: 1 Skooters: 3 Stratosfear: 1 Whipper: 1 Total: At least 35 rides in 13 hours (2.69 rides per hour) Flying Turns is a ride 8 years in the making. Construction began in 2006 and the ride took its first riders in October 2013. What's that hidden behind the trees. I've never seen anything like it before. A test train winds through the course. Yes, we are actually going to ride this today. And Flying Turns is open. I'll be honest, it's a good ride, but I think Avalanche at Kings Dominion is a better ride and Flying Turns is more worth riding because it's unique than anything else. The Pioneer Train warming up for the day. If you only do one train ride at Knoebels, this is the one to do. After Flying Turns we had ERT on Twister. If this coaster was in any other park, it would probably get a lot more praise as it's got some pretty stiff competition here. Turn the wheel...turn the wheel...step on the pedal and turn the wheel... While the Flyer is good, the Skooters are the best non-coaster at Knoebels. If there is any ride I thought had injury potential, it's this one. Much of Knoebels looks kind of like this. It is an amusement park, but doesn't really feel like an amusement park. Satellite is a Roll-O-Plane. Unfortunately, the ride broke down before I got a chance to ride and was closed the remainder of the day. Knoebels Scenic Skyway takes riders to the top of a mountain next to the park. The only other park I know of with this type of skyride is Lake Compounce (and it was closed on my visit to that park). Prepare to Unload. Keep Tips Up. Check for Loose Clothing and Equipment. Oh wait, this is a round trip ride. While the way up is nice, the good views are all on the way back down. Twister sits on the far side of the park. Knoebels isn't a big park, but it's not small either. From the top of the nearby mountains, there is little that reveals an amusement park lies in the valley. Stratosfear is clearly visible, but Phoenix can just be made out amongst the trees. Knoebels is so well hidden, you won't realize where you are until just before you arrive. My initial thought upon arrival was that someone simply had a ride in their backyard, then I saw the chairlift and realized we were at the park. Robb Alvey cameo! A lot of trip participants were riding this around the same time (it's the perfect ride to do after lunch), so the ride was kind of a TPR parade. Hey, it's a chairlift (specifically a 1978 Borvig triple). Let's take it for a ride. If you have not been on Knoebels Bumper Boats, too bad. They have been retired. Next year, Impulse will stand in their place. If this ride is as good as Wicked, Knoebels will have a top tier steel coaster next year. Welcome to Knoebels, the best non-major park in the United States. The Flyer is one of Knoebels best rides. This installation runs at full speed on a gas engine and is very easy to snap. Flyer is right next to Flying Turns. How appropriate. The fun of the ride comes from trying to flip the cars over. It takes good timing and some muscle, but it is possible to get into a continuous spin on this ride. Looper, also known as the squirrel cages, is a very unique ride (I believe it's the last one of its type in operation). The ride itself isn't all that exciting and just goes in a circle. Riding a wooden roller coaster in a thunderstorm? No problem. Riding this drop tower and hearing thunder while you are ascending the metal tower (which happens to be the tallest ride in the park)? True "Oh S***!" moment. So, which came first: The Roto-Jet at Knoebels or Rocket Jets at Disneyland? I'm inclined to say this one. Paratrooper through the trees. Knoebels has a really good mix of classic old-school flats and modern thrill rides. And our night ended with Phoenix Glowfest. Believe it or not, this is best picture of it I managed to get (and it's pretty poor). Check out Robb's video to see the true craziness that occurred that night.

^ 1. Fridays at Disneyland often have low crowds in the mornings and heavy crowds in the evenings because of the number of passholders that come after school or work. Saturdays are always busy, though Sundays are often worse due to So Cal passes being valid on Sunday but not Saturday. 2. Friday and Sunday are usually early entry at DCA and Saturday at Disneyland. Radiator Springs Racers does not start distributing Fastpasses until official opening time, but a line will form during the early entry period. It may be quicker to go straight to Radiator Springs Racers and ride using the standby or single rider lines rather than waiting for a Fastpass. 3. I don't do sit-down restaurants inside the parks very often, but from what I hear the Carnation Café on Main Street and Café Orleans in New Orleans Square are the best full-service restaurants inside Disneyland. I've never visited it, but many people say Carthay Circle at DCA is really good (although a bit more expensive). In the Downtown Disney area, my favorite is Naples, and Storyteller's Café at the Grand Californian is a good moderately priced full service restaurant.

Three things I learned from today's IAAPA coverage: 1. Six Flags can actually build a better dark ride than Cedar Fair 2. I really need to do a Texas trip 3. Games-U-Ride actually looks like a great concept and not a possible fail as I originally thought it might be Great coverage as usual, Robb! I can't wait to see what else is in store this year. Last year's IAAPA seemed a little light on new concepts and announcements, but just today's coverage was full of interesting things.

All I can say about this is that I liked ElecTRONica but never bothered to attend the Mad T Party. I honestly couldn't care less if there isn't another nighttime party, but if there is I'm hoping its got a more interesting theme (as suggested on another site, a Marvel themed party could be good, especially if Disney is interested in developing a Marvel Land for DCA). I just really hope Disney doesn't do something dumb like a Frozen nighttime party because the primary audience of their family movies is probably not the primary audience of this type of event.

They are both defunct. Six Flags New England and Kentucky Kingdom

I really like the look of that Twisted Colossus train, and I'm guessing it will look even better in red. It's probably my favorite RMC train. Given that the park is redoing the entire area as the Screampunk district, I'm guessing we might finally be getting a repaint for Scream and a new restaurant in place of that closed one uphill from Colossus. Hopefully this will be more like DC Universe and less like Full Throttle Plaza. Also, after the announcement about Justice League: Battle for Metropolis I'm really hoping SFMM gets one of these in the near future. DC Universe expansion for 2017 with Justice League and a couple flats, anyone? It'd be perfect timing to promote the new movie.

While there are individual coasters I like better, I have yet to visit a park with a better overall coaster collection than Six Flags Magic Mountain. While nothing at the park is one of the best in the world, the park does have four to six top tier coasters (depending on who you ask) and even their worst major coaster is still a good ride, plus there are no obvious holes in their lineup. If you look at a park like Cedar Point, they have four or five top tier coasters as well (including one that could be considered a top ten coaster worldwide), but several of their major coasters are just okay at best. In addition, Cedar Point is clearly lacking an above average wooden coaster. Of course, everyone's opinion is different and whether you're more of a B&M or Intamin fan probably has a lot to do with it. I'm more of a B&M fan and Tatsu is one of my top 5 steel coasters (it actually ranks higher than anything at Cedar Point for me), so SFMM's collection is more to my liking. Either way, I think it's a safe bet to say that both Six Flags Magic Mountain and Cedar Point are among the best coaster collections anywhere. Now, which is overall the better park is an entirely different story...

From this summer's trip... Pleasant Surprises: -American Eagle: While not a spectacular ride, I enjoyed this one quite a bit. -Banshee: Best B&M I've ridden since Tatsu. -Beast: The layout looks dull, but the ride is actually a lot of fun, especially at night. -Fahrenheit: Excluding Disney coasters, this is probably my favorite Vekoma. -Goliath: My first experience with a RMC didn't disappoint. -Fahrenheit: I never expected this to become my favorite coaster at Hersheypark, but it ended up doing so. -Lightning Run: I never expected this to be a top ten coaster, but after riding I'd definitely consider it one. Unpleasant Surprises: -Bat: Kings Island's suspended is similar to Canada's Wonderland's but isn't as good. -Flying Turns: I'm glad I got to ride it, but it really wasn't that exciting of a ride. -Possessed: I thought the holding brake would make the ride better, but it actually made it worse. -Skyrush: I expected a super intense but really good ride, and I got a reasonably intense good but not great ride with moderate discomfort. -Talon: A lot of people consider this the last good B&M Invert (until Banshee), but I consider it only slightly better than Silver Bullet. -Thunderbolt: Oh man this thing sucked, and it looked so good too. -Whizzer: Fun but not as amazing as all the Schwarzkopf fans make it out to be. -Six Flags Great America: If I had to pick the most underwhelming park I visited this year (not necessarily worst), it is definitely this one.

After riding it this summer, I'm going with the Python at Coney Island in Cincinnati. That thing was not good. For a general type, the basic Arrow Corkscrew model is probably the worst. I generally don't consider kiddie coasters for this type of question, but if they were included I'd pick Beech Bend's Dragon (or the powered Miner Mike at my local Boomers).

No, the vertical loop is not going anywhere. It is one of the fundamental inversions on roller coasters, and while we may never see one on a wood coaster again I've got a feeling the majority of inverting steel coasters will continue to have them. Consider this: There were 35 coasters built in 2014 with vertical loops, and two of the four new inverting steel coasters in North America have one. The ones that don't are an S&S El Loco and a Rocky Mountain conversion, neither of which typically have one. At least three new North American coasters will have a vertical loop next year, along with a number outside the country, so I don't see them disappearing anytime soon.

^Not going to happen as long as Six Flags maintains their new attraction at every park every year policy. If we're going with spending habits, then I think that they're more likely to grab a super looper and call that their 20th. Yeah, that's entirely possible as well, though I have a feeling a super loop might be a little harder to sell at SFMM than some other parks. That said, I wouldn't be surprised at all if the park got a super loop in 2016, Justice League in 2017, and a legitimate new coaster in 2018 and promoted 20th coaster twice. Well, X-Flight was in the $12-15 million range and SFMM's recent major additions have been in the $6-10 million range, so I'll let you make the call. I will say that Six Flags corporate seems pretty reluctant to spend more than $10 million on any park in a given year and has said that $20+ million coasters are a thing of the past.

^Considering the company's recent spending habits, I'm guessing a giga is out of the question. Even a wing coaster similar to X-Flight would probably be a bit of a stretch. My guess would be a Eurofighter or similar if going for a thrill coaster, though a family coaster (possibly second-hand) is probably more likely. I may be completely wrong, but I honestly think the park and chain would care more about promoting 20 coasters than making the 20th a specifically notable ride.

A majority of the currently operating wood coasters. The Iron Horse treatment is an economical way to revitalize wood coasters, but many aren't good candidates for the treatment. Specifically, any of the following shouldn't be touched... -Any "classic" wood coaster (namely those built before the 1970s) -Any GCI -Any Intamin Prefab -Any smaller wood coaster (if it's much under 100 ft tall or 3000 ft long it's probably not worth the investment) -Any wood coaster at a park that already has an RMC It's much easier to name the coasters that should be given the treatment: Dinns and major woodies that were popular in the 1970s-1990s but have since become excessively rough. Some CCI and Gravity Group coasters could be on this list as well, but most would be good with just a major topper track replacement.

Voyage to the Iron Reef sounds like a pretty good fit for the park and is pretty much what I expected: an improved version of Wonder Mountain's Guardian. Although I would have preferred something with less screens and more sets, any new dark ride is good, and I am glad this seems to be a pure dark ride and not the coaster/dark ride hybrid Canada's Wonderland got. I just worry about this losing popularity due to its similarity to Toy Story Midway Mania just down the street. Drop track to descend???? I wouldn't get your hopes up. Kingdom of the Dinosaurs was completely contained on the second story and unless the arcade below closes soon this will probably be the same way. Plus, it doesn't really make sense to ascend in order to go under the ocean or drop to return to the surface. EDIT: Here's the full sentence...sounds like it's all on the second story.

I'd say that's a pretty reasonable list of what you can do in a day during this time period. Christmas Day and the day after should be just as good as any other time in that period, and I'd definitely pick Disneyland on Christmas Day as there is more to do at that park and it may be slightly less busy. Regardless, shoot for arriving at the resort 90 minutes before park opening on both days. Have you ever heard of the website touringplans.com? The touring plan optimizer on the site (free, but you have to register) can take a list of attractions and put them in the best touring order based on your date of visit and other parameters (walking speed, scheduled breaks, arrival and departure times, etc.). It's not perfect and should only be used as a guideline, but if you allow a couple hours of reserve time you'll probably complete at least 90% of the plan and if you have a smartphone you can re-optimize it after each attraction based on real-time data. I just went ahead and stuck your priority lists in (along with a few other attractions) and based on it and my experience at the park I'd suggest something similar to the following: Disneyland: 1. Indiana Jones Adventure 2. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Fastpass (estimated return start time in 10-11 A.M. window) 3. Haunted Mansion Holiday 4. Splash Mountain (if you want to ride) 5. Pirates of the Caribbean 6. Use your Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Fastpass 7. Space Mountain Fastpass (estimated return start time in the 12-1 P.M. window) 8. Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage (skip if line exceeds 45 minutes) 9. Snow White's Scary Adventures & Pinocchio's Daring Journey (either order...skip if line exceeds 30 minutes) 10. Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters (skip if line exceeds 45 minutes) 11. Star Tours Fastpass (if desired...estimated return start time in the 6-7 P.M. window) 12. Use your Space Mountain Fastpass 13. When you can, get a Roger Rabbit's Car-Toon Spin Fastpass 14. Peter Pan's Flight & Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (either order...skip if line exceeds 45 minutes) 15. Matterhorn Bobsleds (use Single Rider if line exceeds 30 minutes unless you need to kill time) 16. Use your Roger Rabbit's Car-Toon Spin Fastpass 17. Alice in Wonderland 18. It's a Small World Holiday (if you want to ride) 19. Use your Star Tours Fastpass (if you have one) 20. Free time (see latest Fantasmic showing) Disney California Adventure Park: 1. Radiator Springs Racers (don't get a Fastpass, just wait it out) 2. Luigi's Flying Tires (skip if line exceeds 30 minutes...not worth more than that) 3. Get your World of Color Showpass at Grizzly River Run 4. Goofy's Sky School Fastpass (if you want the credit, otherwise grab one for California Screamin') 5. Toy Story Mania (skip if line exceeds 30 minutes) 6. California Screamin' 7. Fun Wheel 8. Use your Goofy's Sky School Fastpass (if you have one) 9. Golden Zephyr (skip this if the wait is more than 15 minutes...not worth more time than that) 10. The Little Mermaid 11. Tower of Terror Fastpass 12. Monsters Inc. 13. Mater's Junkyard Jamboree (skip if line exceeds 30 minutes) 14. Soarin' Over California (skip if wait would compromise Tower of Terror Fastpass) 15. Use your Tower of Terror Fastpass 16. Free time until World of Color (I recommend seeing Aladdin if convenient as well) I usually suggest touring somewhat flexibly, so don't use this as a rigid order, but the more crowded the park is the more important it is to have a good plan of attack.

^^Oh, that line for Bat was awful! That's the second longest I've waited for a boomerang (waited an hour for the Knott's one once only because it was a friend's second favorite coaster at the park). For whatever reason, every Six Flags park does a great job of Flash Pass except Six Flags Great America and La Ronde. ^Getting stuck on Demon was somewhat of a blessing in disguise as it allowed us a second ride on American Eagle. There are a limited number of things the park nailed, but the way they handled that incident was great. I really hope Six Flags Great America improves their customer service parkwide next year because it is not only bad for the theme park industry, but bad by the standards of Six Flags. I think it's time to get the Mini East Coast reports underway. These reports will be less photo heavy since the trip didn't really include any backstage tours, but I'll still include what I've got. Trip 2, Part 8: Hersheypark-July 30th & 31st, 2014 Officially, the Mini New Hotness trip ended upon arrival at the airport on July 30th. With a 4:15 A.M. departure to accommodate those doing both tours, sleep was minimal. Most of the dozen or so TPR members doing both tours were split between a direct United flight to Harrisburg or a Delta flight connecting through Detroit (this one was mine). At noon, everyone joined the waiting crowd of new tour participants to kick off the TPR Mini East Coast tour. It wasn't too far from the airport to our welcome lunch destination: Lancaster Brewing Company. The food was good, not great, but the best part of the lunch for me was meeting the new trip participants. Most of those I had hung out with on Mini New Hotness did not continue on to Mini East Coast. Once everyone was done eating we got back on the bus and headed off to the first park of the trip. I half expected a bonus stop at Dutch Wonderland, but it was not to be. Instead, we went directly to... Hersheypark Hersheypark is one of those parks I've wanted to visit for some time despite hearing mixed reviews of the property. According to what I'd read, the park contains some great coasters but is overall underwhelming compared to the major Cedar Fair and Six Flags parks due to subpar operations and extreme crowds. Despite this, I went in with an open mind and ended up having an excellent time. I really wonder whether we got lucky with lighter crowds and better operations than are typical or if reviews just tend to blow things out of proportion. My approach to Hersheypark was similar to my approach to Cedar Point: Use the first day to pick up all the credits, then re-ride your favorites on the second day along with non-coaster rides. We had roughly 6 hours on the first day to explore the park, which was sufficient to get all the credits except the kiddie. I re-rode a majority of the coasters on the second day, got the kiddie credit, did a decent number of non-coaster rides, and explored Chocolate World. Due to a 4 P.M. departure to allow for a group dinner I didn't have time to check out the waterpark, but it didn't appear to be anything special. What about TPR perks? Well, Hersheypark gave us more than expected in the ERT department, with 60 minutes the first night on Fahrenheit and Storm Runner (we were originally told 30 minutes on Storm Runner only), plus we got to join resort guest ERT the next morning, which included all of Founder's Circle and the Hollow plus parts of Music Box Way. In addition, we received meal tickets for both days (with included souvenir cups) and Fast Track tickets for both days. Coaster Reviews: While not up to the standards of the nation's top coaster parks, Hersheypark probably has the best coaster collection outside of Six Flags or Cedar Fair. The park features three Intamins, three woodies, a decent B&M, a historic Schwarzkopf, and several other smaller coasters. The park's top coasters are all good enough that any park would benefit from them, and even a lot of Hersheypark's second tier coasters would be top coasters at most of the country's mid-size parks. There is one significant flaw among Hersheypark's collection, however, particular with the steel coasters. Excluding Skyrush, every steel coaster at Hersheypark is on the short side compared to others of their type. Lightning Racer: I am a GCI fan, and in my opinion Lightning Racer is the most creative of their North American designs. Independently, each of the ride's two tracks would be considered somewhere in the middle of GCI's coasters: they're not too intense for families but thrilling enough for everyone, they have a little airtime and a good amount of twists and turns, and the coaster is decently long, but there isn't anything to make it a top tier ride. Put the two tracks together, however, and you have one of the most fun wooden coasters I've been on. Solely due to the dueling aspect, Lightning Racer is in my top ten woodies, ranks as my second favorite GCI, and is my favorite of Hersheypark's three woodies. A- Wildcat: Wildcat is GCI's original coaster, and it's quite interesting to see how far they've come in under 20 years. While it's probably the worst GCI creation I've been on, Wildcat is still a decent wood coaster that gives a fairly thrilling ride. The coaster is a bit rough, but not terrible by any means, and has a great first drop leading into a truly twisted ride. B- Storm Runner: This was the last North American accelerator for me to ride. Even though most people consider it the best, for whatever reason I think it's my least favorite. Don't get me wrong, it's still an outstanding ride with more air time than any of the others, but I didn't find the inversions particularly exciting and the top hat is smaller than any of the others so the drop isn't quite as good. Put it this way: If Storm Runner and another accelerator were placed side by side, I'd ride the one with the shorter line, but if an ERT session included both I probably would spend more time on the other accelerator. A- Skyrush: This ride gets extremely good reviews, but after riding I was disappointed. Everyone raves about it being one of the most extreme coasters in North America, but I found the ride somewhat sluggish and intense but not insane. I did hear other people with similar comments, and I did later ride in a wing seat, but while I found that experience significantly more intense it was too uncomfortable for me to enjoy it. Now, the ride does have good airtime and it is just as twisted as other recent Intamins, but like Intimidator 305 I consider this coaster overrated. Skyrush is a very good ride, but not quite a top tier coaster in my book and surprisingly my least favorite of Hersheypark's three Intamins. B+ Comet: Comet is good mainly because of its classic status than because it is a particularly good coaster. The ride isn't bad by any means, but it has very little airtime and just isn't worth the long waits it typically gets (probably partly due to low capacity). Fun to ride once or twice, but not a coaster I'd wait more than 15 minutes for again. C+ Sooperdooperlooper: Okay, I expected to really like this one since it is somewhat like Revolution but still has only lap bars. Unfortunately, I actually found the ride to be fairly dull. It definitely felt like the ride was trimmed somewhat strongly, but I think the biggest factor was that I was expecting a thrill ride when Sooperdooperlooper is more of a family looping coaster. Fun, but not the legendary Schwarzkopf experience I'm still looking for. C+ Great Bear: If Great Bear was longer, it would be a top tier inverted coaster. The ride starts off strong with an interesting helix/first drop combo and three great inversions. Unfortunately, after that point it just winds its way back to the station. The ride is certainly unique and is still better than some of B&M's more recent inverted coasters (such as Silver Bullet), but it still only a middle tier invert in my opinion. B Trailblazer: While not the worst mine train ever (in fact, it's not even as bad as Cedar Creek Mine Ride), Trailblazer is nothing to write home about. This is a pretty short and uneventful mine train with a couple jerky spots. Every park's got a worst coaster, and this just happens to be the one for Hersheypark. D+ Sidewinder: Sidewinder was my 10th boomerang, and if such a thing as a good boomerang exists I think it is this coaster. Sidewinder uses the new Vekoma trains first seen on Carolina Cobra, but unlike the latter ride Sidewinder is fairly smooth. A boomerang is a boomerang and they only get so good, but Sidewinder is one I would not only be willing to ride again but one I'd be willing to wait for again. B- Wild Mouse: A standard Mack wild mouse with one exception: no trims on the switchbacks. Due to this, the ride is actually pretty fun and features stronger laterals than many of these coasters. A wild mouse is a wild mouse, but Hersheypark's is on the better end of the spectrum. C- Fahrenheit: I always thought Fahrenheit looked like a good ride and would be quite fun, but I never expected it to be my favorite coaster at Hersheypark. After one ride, however, I knew it was. The ride may not be the biggest or the fastest, but the elements on the coaster just flow together really well and the ride is perfectly smooth. It has just the right number of inversions, a great drop, one strong airtime moment, and some twisting as well. I didn't ride this one until night ERT the first night, and due to being extremely tired (I don't do well on less than 4 hours of sleep) I only got a few rides in. Unfortunately, Fahrenheit has terrible capacity so I didn't get as many rides as I would have liked, but I would absolutely wait whatever length the line is for this coaster on a return visit. A Cocoa Cruiser: Hersheypark's brand new Zamperla kiddie coaster, this is the smoothest of its type I've been on. I think it did two or three laps (don't remember for sure), and I did enjoy it more than Trailblazer. Not much else to say about the ride. Hersheypark Coaster Ranking: Must Ride: 1. Fahrenheit 2. Lightning Racer 3. Storm Runner Good Coasters: 4. Skyrush 5. Great Bear 6. Wildcat 7. Sidewinder Average Coasters: 8. Comet 9. Sooperdooperlooper 10. Wild Mouse 11. Cocoa Cruiser Credit Coaster: 12. Trailblazer Non-Coaster Summary: Hersheypark has one of the better non-coaster collections, with a good selection of flat rides, two quality water rides, a unique dark ride, and numerous other attractions. Of the flats I rode, my favorite was Frontier Flyers. While not the best flyers I've been on, this was one of the better ones and had a nice setting. I also liked the Claw and Flying Falcon, though I found Hersheypark's Whip on the weak side. In addition to flats, I rode the three scenic rides at the park: The Monorail and Kissing Tower offered some good views, but Sky View was probably the worst chairlift I've ridden anywhere. In the water ride department, Coal Cracker is one of the better flume rides I've been on. Although it only has one drop, there is an airtime hill at the bottom and the ride is quite dry. Lastly, I did ride the Reese's Xtreme Cup Challenge. It's one of the worst interactive dark rides I've been on and doesn't make much sense at all, but it's worth riding for the WTF factor. In addition to what I rode, Hersheypark has numerous other flats (mostly geared toward families), a railroad, a splash boat, and a small waterpark. Finally, there is also the Chocolate World dark ride just outside the park, which is an absolute must ride and is just one step below some of Disney's attractions. It even has its own theme song. Overall Thoughts: I went to Hersheypark with an open mind and left with a new top ten park. The park is quite large, but feels more like a family owned park and less like the corporate Cedar Fair and Six Flags properties. The entire park is nicely landscaped, with decent (although limited) theming throughout. The park has a good selection of attractions, and in addition to rides there is also a zoo, waterpark, and Chocolate World. All the employees I encountered were great, and operations for the most part were great. Food quality was decent, certainly better than a lot of major parks. Lastly, we got lucky with crowds and managed to avoid any waits longer than 30 minutes. There are, however, two major issues I have with Hersheypark. Firstly, the layout is very awkward. The park is long and narrow, but doesn't form a complete loop, so Pioneer Frontier and Midway America are essentially a dead end. I could see this being a major traffic issue if the park was busy. The second issue is the park's Fast Track system. Hersheypark uses a punch card system, where a Fast Track gets you on a set number of coasters once each, similar to Quick Queue. However, at Hersheypark riders are restricted to a single boarding row and must return in a 45 minute window, or at least in theory. I found that operators tended to not enforce the end of the return windows, and would let you on early if there weren't any other Fast Track users waiting. Additionally, when it was more convenient Fast Track riders were sometimes seated in other rows than the designated one. Finally, they would occasionally forget to mark the card, allowing multiple uses. Yeah...either enforce the rules or don't have them. We also discovered that Hersheypark limits the number of Fast Track tickets sold for each return window to 17 and makes no effort to fill the Fast Track row if no users claim it. By my calculations, that's as many as a hundred empty seats per hour. Due to all these issues, along with the excessive price ($50 for 9 rides or $25 for 5 evening only rides) I would recommend against using Fast Track and suggest Hersheypark either switch to an unlimited use system, cut the price, return times, and assigned seats, or increase the number sold to ensure the seats are filled on every single cycle. Regardless of these issues, Hersheypark has become one of my favorite parks. In terms of thrill parks, Hersheypark is second only to Cedar Point in my opinion, and when compared to all major parks it is just behind Dollywood for overall quality. It isn't a park I would make a trek to visit every year, but is definitely one I have interest in returning to. Ride Totals: Cocoa Cruiser: 1 Comet: 2 Fahrenheit: 4 Great Bear: 2 Lightning Racer: 3 Sidewinder: 1 Skyrush: 3 Sooperdooperlooper: 3 Storm Runner: 8 Trailblazer: 1 Wildcat: 1 Wild Mouse: 2 Chocolate World: 1 Coal Cracker: 1 Claw: 1 Flying Falcon: 1 Frontier Flyers: 1 Kissing Tower: 1 Monorail: 1 Reese's Xtreme Cup Challenge: 2 Sky View: 1 Whip: 1 Total: 42 rides over 2 days (~13 hours in park; 3.23 rides per hour) The bus left Hersheypark at 4 P.M. on Thursday. Despite an adequate number of reminders, nearly 1/4 of the tour was left behind (1 person didn't make it and took a taxi). We had a group dinner at Funck's Restaurant that night, an interesting restaurant with some decent but not spectacular food (though better than Lancaster Brewing Company IMO). At about 6:30 P.M. we headed back to the hotel in order to get plenty of rest for the next day. Although a full day with a late night was in store, it was perhaps my most anticipated day of the entire tour, as I would finally get to experience the legendary Knoebels. Sooperdooperlooper has a good loop. It's too bad the rest of the ride is quite dull. Sky View...the most pointless chairlift ever. Seriously, you get on, cross the river, then turn around and go back. Now get ready, here we go! I didn't ride Howler, as this isn't really my type of ride, but these tend to be pretty fun rides. I wish Intamin built more rides like Fahrenheit. This ride really surprised me, and I'd consider it an underrated coaster by enthusiasts. That's a big splash! No wonder Tidal Force is officially part of the Boardwalk. Even though this is one of the better Wild Mouse coasters, it is one of the worst coasters at Hersheypark. ...but since there were only a half-dozen major slides and none looked particularly unique, I passed (plus this was the busiest section of Hersheypark). The Boardwalk is Hersheypark's waterpark. I was originally planning to spend some time here... I like the architectural style of the buildings at Hersheypark. It's nothing fancy, but it looks nice. While it doesn't quite have enough capacity for a major park, I could see one of these fitting in really well somewhere like California's Great America or Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. Hersheypark is up there with Busch Gardens, Dollywood, and the Disney parks in terms of atmosphere. It is enjoyable to just walk around the park. Music Box Way serves as Hersheypark's kiddie area, but I found rides suitable for kids dispersed throughout the park. For a family-friendly park, this is a much better strategy. Skyrush is Hersheypark's largest coaster, but is only average sized compared to other hypers. Welcome to Hersheypark, the best major park in Pennsylvania (major being the key word here). Although the bus didn't leave until 4 P.M., I left Hersheypark around 2:30 P.M. on the second day. That gave me a good hour or so to explore Chocolate World. While not part of Hersheypark proper, I definitely recommend allowing an hour or two to check this place out on a Hersheypark trip. I think there was a sign explaining this lighthouse-like thing, but I forget what it said.

^Unfortunately, Sundays are usually the busiest day of the week at the Disneyland Resort, and with the holiday theming I'd expect the parks to be pretty crowded. Assuming you've got all day, you should still be able to get all the top attractions done, you'll just have to wait in some lines. For a first time visitor, I'd typically recommend only doing one park if you only have one day. However, if you want to do both parks there are two options: Option 1: Visit DCA first, do everything there, and then head over to Disneyland. DCA only has about 6 must see attractions (less if you've done them at Walt Disney World), so it can easily be done in a few hours first thing in the morning. For this, I'd recommend arriving at the resort an hour before opening so you have plenty of time to park and get to the park. Head inside DCA, then decide whether or not to join the Radiator Springs Racers Fastpass queue (it is quicker to go straight to the ride and just wait in line, but it will burn your chance at short lines for other headliners). After riding or Fastpassing Radiator Springs Racers, get a Fastpass for Soarin' Over California (if you haven't done it in Florida), then go to Paradise Pier and get a Fastpass for California Screamin' (as of my last visit, this worked). If you want to ride Toy Story Midway Mania, ride it (if not, you've got free time for whatever), then use your Fastpasses and get one for Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Once your remaining Fastpasses (Tower and possibly RSR) are good, ride those rides, then head to Disneyland. Once you get to Disneyland, your Fastpass priority should be Star Tours/Space Mountain (don't Fastpass Star Tours if you've ridden the new version in Florida), Indiana Jones Adventure, then Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Fill in the gaps between Fastpasses with whatever rides you feel like doing. I'd recommend waiting until the evening before doing Space Mountain (if you don't use Fastpass), Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, or Splash Mountain, but other than that the attraction order shouldn't matter too much. Option 2: Morning at Disneyland, afternoon at DCA, evening at Disneyland. This is my preferred option. Like option one, get to the resort an hour before opening, but head to Disneyland instead of DCA. Once the rope drops, grab a Star Tours Fastpass, then get to Space Mountain as quickly as possible (if you've been on Star Tours: The Adventures Continue in Florida, get a Space Mountain Fastpass instead for a second ride). Explore Tomorrowland until your Fastpass is ready (it will probably be good around 10 A.M.). After using your Star Tours Fastpass, go across the hub and grab one for Indiana Jones Adventure (you'll probably get a return time around noon). Ride Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, and Splash Mountain (in that order), then do whatever until it is time for Indy. After riding Indy, head to DCA. At DCA, proceed directly to Soarin' Over California (if you haven't ridden it at Epcot) and get a Fastpass, then head to Paradise Pier and pick up a California Screamin' Fastpass. If you want to ride Toy Story Midway Mania, now is the time to do it. Otherwise, feel free to explore until your Fastpass is ready. Ride Screamin', ride Soarin', grab a Twilight Zone Tower of Terror Fastpass, then ride Radiator Springs Racers (use Single Rider unless your group really wants to stick together). Once your Fastpass is ready, ride Tower, do anything else of interest in DCA, then head back to Disneyland. Once back at Disneyland, grab a Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Fastpass (they'll probably still be available with a return time around 8-9 P.M.) and enjoy whatever you're interested in for the remainder of your visit. A couple other notes: -Crowds will be light in the morning, heavy in the afternoon, and light in the evening. After the fireworks, a large portion of visitors will leave. -Note that Fantasyland and Toontown will close early for fireworks and Paradise Pier will close early for World of Color. Fantasyland will reopen, but the other areas will not. -For Fantasyland, you'll have the best luck going before or during a parade or after the fireworks once the area reopens. Avoid the area immediately after a parade. -If you want to see Fantasmic, go to the second showing and you can get a good viewing spot 15 minutes before showtime. If you want to see World of Color, get a show pass at Grizzly River Run and return to DCA at the appropriate time. It is difficult to see both, so I'd recommend picking one or the other (my preference is Fantasmic). -Fastpass is available on... Disneyland: Autopia, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Haunted Mansion, Indiana Jones Adventure, Roger Rabbit's Car-Toon Spin, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Star Tours Disney California Adventure Park: California Screamin', Goofy's Sky School, Grizzly River Run, Radiator Springs Racers, Soarin' Over California, Twilight Zone Tower of Terror -Single Rider lines are available on Indiana Jones Adventure, Matterhorn Bobsleds, Splash Mountain, and all DCA Fastpass attractions (except Tower of Terror) -Lastly, if you are a show person make time to see Aladdin at DCA. It is basically a 45 minute Broadway musical. I often get a Tower of Terror Fastpass, see the show, and then ride afterward. I hope you have a good time. Disneyland is a great park, and it's always fun even if the park is busy.

1. How do you most often watch videos? (DVD, Blu-Ray, Digital Download, Streaming.) I still primarily use DVD, but streaming is growing on me. I use Blu-Ray on occasion, but I have to borrow my brother's PS4 for that (which isn't always possible). I don't use digital download at all. 2. What streaming services do you use the most? Amazon Prime. I used to use Netflix but their movie selection isn't very good and I don't watch too many TV shows. 3. How many DVDs or Blu-Rays do you buy a year on average? Usually 3-5, including any TPR DVD releases. I only buy DVDs for movies if it's something I know I'll want to watch multiple times. 4. Do you use a device like Apple TV, Roku, or Chromecast? No, and I have no plans to do so at this time. 5. How much do you watch videos on YouTube versus all the mediums listed in the poll? I watch YouTube videos on a daily basis, but they are mostly shorter videos. I rarely watch full-length TV episodes on there.

You are picking one of the worst weeks of the year to visit the Disneyland Resort. No matter which day you pick, expect lines of 2 hours for headliners (possibly more in some cases) and 30-60 minutes for everything else. Before you read any further, ask yourself the following questions: 1. Have you visited Disneyland before? If so, when? 2. Will you likely have another opportunity to visit the park in the next couple years? 3. Are you willing to visit under the expectation that you may only get to experience 10-15 attractions per day? If the answer to question 1 is yes and you've visited in the past 5 years, I recommend skipping it this trip. If the answer to question 2 is yes, same deal. If the answer to question 3 is no, save your money. However, if you do want to go I will tell you this: It is possible to visit the parks when it is busy and have a good time, but it will be more work than usual. I haven't visited during this particular period, but I did visit on Black Friday a few years ago and managed to do close to 40 rides in 16 hours, it just left me exhausted for the rest of the weekend. Most of these tips are based on that experience, so while conditions may be a little different they should overall be close enough. As far as days to go, if you can manage to go on Christmas Day or even Christmas Eve, you may have slightly lower crowds. Other than that, the day probably won't matter as much. In general, weekdays are less crowded than weekends, but every day will be packed during this period. Disneyland doesn't often hit capacity, but it can happen during the end of December. Whatever you do, avoid New Year's Eve. Lastly, Disney California Adventure will probably be slightly less busy than Disneyland on any given day, so if one of your visits happens to be on a weekend do DCA on that day. Now, for touring the parks when it is busy, keep the following in mind: -GET THERE EARLY! If nothing else, do this. I'd recommend 90 minutes before opening in order to allow enough time to get parked, get to the park, and be in a decent spot at rope drop. You'll also find that you can probably get more done in the first two hours than you can in the following 6-8 if you are quick about it. -I strongly recommend one park per day, not park hopping. If the park reaches capacity and you leave, you may be denied re-entry until crowds go down. Especially if you haven't visited before, each park has enough for a full day. -Tour by areas. You'll want to minimize travel around the park as will take some time to cross it, so try to do all rides of interest in a particular area before moving on. You should only leave an area and return if you need to use a Fastpass before it expires. -Use Fastpass and Single Rider, but don't rely on them. Once you get to mid-afternoon, Fastpasses will start running out. Single Rider lines may close at any time, and if you really want to ride you're better off waiting it out than chancing the Single Rider line reopening. -Have a ride priority list. Look at the park's website with everyone you'll be visiting with and try to decide what attractions are must rides, time permitting, and skippable. For a first time visitor, I would consider the following the must see attractions: Disneyland: At least 2 Fantasyland Dark Rides Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Fantasmic! Haunted Mansion Indiana Jones Adventure Pirates of the Caribbean Space Mountain Splash Mountain Star Tours: The Adventures Continue (if you haven't ridden it in Florida) Disney California Adventure Park: Aladdin (trust me, this show is not to be missed) California Screamin' (for coaster people) Radiator Springs Racers Soarin' Over California (if you haven't ridden it in Florida) Toy Story Midway Mania (if you haven't ridden it in Florida) Twilight Zone Tower of Terror World of Color -Lastly, if it's not obvious, if you've been to Walt Disney World don't waste time with any clone attractions. The only exception would be those listed above. Now, for some specifics for each park... Disneyland: Normally, I would advise going for a Space Mountain Fastpass first. However, due to crowds you'll want to make a beeline to Indiana Jones Adventure at rope drop and grab a Fastpass, then head to Tomorrowland. Do Star Tours and anything else of interest in Tomorrowland at this time. As soon as you can grab another Fastpass, get one for Space Mountain (don't be surprised if it isn't until mid-afternoon). Once you are done here, head over to the other side of the park and do the Frontierland and New Orleans Square attractions, as well as redeeming your Indiana Jones Fastpass. You may be tempted to use your next Fastpass for Haunted Mansion, but instead get one for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad whenever you can, and Splash Mountain after that. Do Fantasyland either before or during a parade, and avoid that section of the park immediately afterwards. Remember that Fantasyland and Toontown close during the fireworks, so keep that in mind (Fantasyland will reopen, Toontown usually doesn't). If you don't want to see Fireworks, that is a good time for anything you skipped earlier. For Fantasmic, go to the latest Fantasmic showing of the day and get there 45 minutes before for best views or 10 minutes before for decent views (anywhere from the riverboat dock to the courtyard in front of Haunted Mansion is good viewing for the show). After each Fantasmic showing and the fireworks, a large wave of people will leave the park, but I can't guarantee you will have a low period at the end of the day (it should get less crowded after 9-10 P.M., however). Disney California Adventure Park: Most recommend getting a Fastpass for Radiator Springs Racers, but as long as the ride doesn't break down and you are there sufficiently early it will probably be quicker to go and ride first thing. After getting off the ride, go to Grizzly River Run and get a World of Color Fastpass, then backtrack to Soarin' Over California and get a Fastpass there (the World of Color Fastpass has no time restriction). You now have a choice: do you want to ride Toy Story Midway Mania? If yes, head to Paradise Pier and get a Fastpass for California Screamin' (as of my last visit, it worked), then ride Toy Story Midway Mania. Use Goofy's Sky School as your next Fastpass. If you don't care about Toy Story Midway Mania, head to Hollywood Land. When the timing is right, get a Tower of Terror Fastpass. See Aladdin when convenient: The show is 45 minutes, so I usually go to a showing that will enable me to use the Tower of Terror Fastpass immediately afterward. Once you've done one (Hollywood Land or Paradise Pier) switch and do the other (if you've got no Fastpasses upon arrival to Paradise Pier, grab one for Goofy's Sky School and then California Screamin'...you'll probably be able to hold both at once). Once you've done all this, you have free time until your World of Color showing. Be sure to get to the viewing area at least 30 minutes before showtime or you may be left with a bad view. Once World of Color is over, go back to anything you missed, though note that Paradise Pier will not reopen after the first World of Color showing (a few select rides may reopen between showings). Hopefully this is helpful, and if you go then good luck! Try not to get discouraged by crowds and just try to enjoy yourself. After all, you're at the happiest place on Earth.

For rides I can't ride, that's pretty much any kiddie ride where I wouldn't fit or the rules prohibit me from riding. For rides I don't ride, those are flat rides that fall under one of three categories: -Rides that rotate on skewed axes (such as a Wipeout) -Rides that rotate backward (such as most Himalayas) -Rides that suspend riders upside down for prolonged periods (such as swinging inverters) There are exceptions to these three rules, but in general I don't ride these types of rides because I don't like getting super dizzy and having to sit on a bench for a bit before doing anything else, plus I'm not particularly crazy about hangtime. I'll ride pretty much any track based ride except for some water rides on cooler days.

I think Space Mountain-De la terre a la lune is probably the best ride soundtrack that's ever been created. Sadly, I never got to experience the coaster with that soundtrack, but just listening to it while watching videos makes it seem like the ride would have been outstanding. As for other coasters I've been on with a soundtrack, they tend to fall into one of four categories... Excellent: -Space Mountain (Disneyland-new & Ghost Galaxy) -California Screamin' -West Coast Bash soundtracks (Terminator and X2) Good: -Revenge of the Mummy -Space Mountain: Mission 2 -Space Mountain (Disneyland-old) -Banshee & Beast lift hills -Terminator Salvation: The Ride -Casey Jr. (the Paris version counts as a coaster in my book) Okay: -Bizarro (SFNE-new soundtrack) -X2 -Green Lantern lift hill -Top Thrill Dragster pre-launch -Bombora Disappointing: -El Loco -Rockin' Space Mountain -Rockin' California Screamin' -Bizarro (old soundtrack)