rcdude

^Only Platinum, and only with an upcharge. I'd recommend just going there immediately at opening rather than paying for a Flash Pass.

Of the three I've been on: 1. Voyage 2. Ravine Flyer II 3. Wooden Warrior Voyage and Ravine Flyer II are really close, and I think the main reason I prefer Voyage is due to it's length. That ride just feels like it goes on forever, and honestly while it is far from smooth I didn't find it overwhelmingly rough unless you sat in the back. Ravine Flyer II is just a tiny bit too short in my opinion, but it is non-stop action and is much smoother than Voyage (though still a little rough). Wooden Warrior is not a bad coaster, but it just doesn't quite stack up to the other two and I find it a bit overrated.

I'll definitely visit Disneyland and Knott's Merry Farm, as I have passes to both. It's possible I may visit Grinchmas at USH as well as I've never been, but unlikely. I'll also probably be visiting SFMM over winter break but they don't really have a Christmas event.

Let's see (no particular order)... -Back to the Future: The Ride (Universal Studios Hollywood) -Kingdom of the Dinosaurs (Knott's Berry Farm) -Log Jammer (Six Flags Magic Mountain) -PeopleMover (Disneyland) -Perilous Plunge (Knott's Berry Farm) -Rocket Jets (Disneyland) -Submarine Voyage (Disneyland) -Superstar Limo (Disney California Adventure Park) -Wacky Soap Box Racers (Knott's Berry Farm) -Everything at Wild Rivers Waterpark

On Xcelerator, the sides of the seat are just a couple bars, so even with the lapbar lowered operators can still verify the seatbelt is securely buckled. That being said, Xcelerator did originally have a rule that the "operator must drop lap bar" and they would unlock the train if someone pulled it down early. From what I remember, Full Throttle and Goliath's seats are somewhat like a well and the lapbars are rather large, so it would be very difficult to check a seatbelt once the lapbar is lowered. I do wonder why the operators don't just leave restraints unlocked, check the seatbelts from back to front, then lock lapbars and check them front to back, as that seems the more efficient way to do it and would prevent the problem of guests lowering the lapbar early. It's more the extreme slowness of dispatches (2:30 is unacceptable for an 18 person train even with multiple restraints) than the addition of seatbelts that annoys me.

I prefer to travel light at theme parks. In general, I bring two Ziploc sandwich bags and stick one in each button/Velcro pocket on my shorts. One bag contains my wallet, keys, sunscreen, and any documentation I'll need infrequently (tickets, show schedule, etc). The other bag contains my cellphone, camera, and any documentation that may require frequent access (park map, touring plan, etc). On 90% of my park visits, that's it. However, there are a handful of times that I'll bring additional gear as noted below: -Full day summer visits: Disposable water bottle (bring one and refill with drinking fountains) -Rainy days: Poncho (only when steady rain is predicted for a majority of the day) -When including a waterpark: Backpack/TPR bag with a swimsuit, towel, extra shirt, sandals, and a plastic bag for wet stuff (this often goes in a locker for the day and I don't carry it around with me).

My favorite dark ride is Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland. The ride may be close to 20 years old, but it is still my favorite ride at the park and my favorite non-coaster ride anywhere. Some of my other favorites include (in no particular order): -Haunted Mansion/Phantom Manor (Haunted Mansion Holiday>Phantom Manor>Haunted Mansion) -Pirates of the Caribbean (been on California and Paris versions, with a slight preference for Paris) -Toy Story Midway Mania (best interactive dark ride I've been on)

1. I would not expect it to be packed, but I would not expect it to be empty either. My guess is major rides will be 30-45 minute waits. If it's busy, start in the Boardwalk and go counter-clockwise around the park. Expect two train operation on everything with two trains except Jaguar (I visited last weekend and the second train was in pieces). Thanksgiving is always a tricky time to predict theme park crowds as all the schools have different break schedules. You are better off going before Thanksgiving than after, however. 2. GhostRider varies between moderately rough and violently rough depending on how it is running on that particular day. On average, I'd say it's comparable to Roar in terms of roughness. For a smoother ride, go early in the morning and ride in the front of one of the first three cars. If you've never been on GhostRider you should definitely try it once. 3. If you mean something like a backpack, then yes. If you mean a rolling suitcase, I don't believe so (I'm not even sure if you could bring it into the park), and I don't know of anywhere outside the park to store luggage. You can try contacting the park for a definite answer, but you're probably better off going to the hotel and then back to Knott's. 4. Yes. I always like to see what people think of my local parks compared to my own opinion.

I've only been on one of each type, so my opinion may be slightly skewed, but I would rank them: 1. Hydromagnetic Rocket (Wildebeest at Holiday World's Splashin' Safari): This ride are outstanding, and I assume many of the others are nearly as good. Better airtime than a lot of roller coasters and I love not having to climb a tower to ride. I do wish they felt more like a normal water slide, however, and although it is one of the best water park attractions out there I'd have a hard time justifying a 60+ minute wait for one of these (Tornados are still my favorite water slides, but 45 minutes is about my max for any waterpark attraction). 2. Master Blaster (Rendezvous Run at Cedar Point's Castaway Bay): This was my first experience with a water coaster, and while the ride is short it was a lot of fun. The Master Blaster slides aren't as intense as the Hydromagnetic Rockets, but they do feel more like a water slide and less like a roller coaster. I have a feeling that I would rank a very good Master Blaster over a Hydromagnetic Rocket just because they feel more like waterpark attractions, but a good but not great Master Blaster comes up a little short. 3. Conveyor Belt Rocket (Typhoon at SFNE's Hurricane Harbor): As a ride, this is probably better than Rendezvous Run, but I really didn't like the jerks created by the conveyor belts. At the bottom of each hill, there would be a jerk as the raft would slow down for a split second and then be yanked forward by the conveyor belt. It may be because I rode this less than a week after riding Wildebeest, but while I enjoyed the ride I wasn't crazy about it and only rode twice despite having an hour of ERT.

I like the new video format, but it seemed more like a survey of random questions asked for fun than actual interviews about the manufacturers. Yes, there were a few industry questions, but it would be interesting to hear more about projects that the companies can talk about. Not every company needs an interview every year and often unless they have something new to discuss they just restate what is already known. However, for those with big new projects I always enjoy hearing what the designers have to say about it. Perhaps a hybrid video would be something to consider: spend 15-20 minutes on full interviews with the companies with the biggest announcements and then 5-10 minutes of random questions at the end. Craziest idea question: Marilyn Monroe duplicate-Garner Holt Son of Beast-Jeff Pike Floating a ride with balloons-Jim Seay

An asterisk indicates it's the only one of it's type I've been on. Boomerang: Boomerang at Knott's Berry Farm Flying Dutchman: Stealth at California's Great America* Giant Inverted Boomerang: Deja Vu at Six Flags Magic Mountain* Invertigo: Invertigo at California's Great America* Junior Coaster: Gadget's Go Coaster at Disneyland MK-1200: Ninja at Six Flags St. Louis SLC: Kong at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom Suspended Family Coaster: Flying Ace Aerial Chase at Carowinds The following aren't clones but for completeness these are the other Vekoma models I've experienced: Mine Train: Big Thunder Mountain at Disneyland Paris-Disneyland Park* Powered: Casey Jr., Le Petit Train du Cirque at Disneyland Paris-Disneyland Park* Custom: Space Mountain at Disneyland

Well, it happened again...IAAPA started and I got distracted from my school work . Seriously, other than reports from TPR tours this is the coverage I look forward to most every year. It sounds like there are some interesting concepts this year. I always love GCI's ideas, even if they aren't the most innovative, and it's neat to see them branching out a bit from the standard twister designs they've become known for. The Mack Splash and Drop also looks like a great family water ride...perhaps Knott's will be getting one in Camp Snoopy next year (also related to Knott's, Garner Holt redoing the Calico Mine Ride will be the do not miss for So Cal next year). I can't wait for the video interviews, as those tend to be quite interesting. Also, at the assumptions the Switchback is going to Elitch Gardens. I remember similar thoughts when the one that used SFFT as the backdrop premiered. Not saying it won't happen, but GCI does these concept videos every year and I don't think one has been built yet. Then again, there are rumors that Lake Monster is being done by GCI and the same company owns both Darien Lake and Elitch Gardens...

This was one of the first Coaster Expedition videos I saw that made me think "I have to visit some European parks someday." Well, last year I did get to try a few self-operated rides in France and they're an experience for sure (funny story: I had to help one of the locals operate the Nautic Jet because they didn't know how it worked). I also am surprised that none of the small/medium sized parks in the US have invested in a Gerstlauer Bobsled Coaster yet. They seem like a great high-intensity family coaster. I miss the Coaster Expedition videos. Hopefully the series is merely on hiatus and hasn't been retired.

Only considering US locations, I'd say Arizona is the most in need of a new park. The only park in the whole state is Castles n' Coasters in Phoenix, and that is a very small park. It doesn't necessarily need to be a major park, but a medium-sized park could be a great fit. However, the summer heat is a problem...perhaps a park with an indoor section open all day and an outdoor section open mornings and evenings could work (the whole thing could be open all day outside of summer). Washington could be another good candidate, but the Seattle area already has two parks (Wild Waves Theme Park and the Washington State Fair), although both are relatively small. Still, I'm not sure that there is another part of the state that could support a medium/large park. I think a new park would have to be positioned to draw from either Oregon or British Columbia to be a viable option.

For me, the highlight of next summer will be TPR's Mini New Hotness trip. I'm looking forward to all the parks on the trip and am especially excited about getting to experience a RMC woodie by riding Goliath. Other than that, I'm also excited about the possibility of getting to a few out of the way parks (namely the Colorado parks) even if they may not have any notable attractions.

Honestly, while I would probably watch these if there was a link to them I wouldn't go searching youtube for them and would just view the regular trip report. Personally, I much prefer a traditional trip report to a photo slideshow, but for those who don't use the site this would be a great way to showcase the best reports. I do think it would be a good idea to cut the photos down so the video is only about 5 minutes long (this one felt too long to me) and keep the captions to two lines so everyone will be able to read them (I didn't have a problem with the three line captions, but I couldn't finish the four line ones and I'm a reasonably quick reader). It also might be worth considering either muting the vine videos or turning the music way down as the audio track conflicted with the music. I still think the Coaster Expedition-style music videos are my favorite of all the video content TPR has produced (in fact, those are the reason I joined the site in the first place) and I would love to see them make a return. However, I'm guessing those take far longer to produce and would probably have less appeal to the youtube crowd, so it makes more sense to go with something like this slideshow.

Depends on the hill. If it is a large hill or one loaded with airtime, then I say hills. However, I'd rather have a ride filled with loops (and other inversions) than one with a bunch of small, shallow, or slow hills.

I've never visited Florida (it is high on my "to do" list), but based on what I know Central Florida seems better for a vacation but SoCal seems better for a place to live, at least when it comes to theme parks. Central Florida has more parks and all of them are of a high quality, but there isn't the variety present in SoCal (Florida lacks a true coaster park and unlike in California, USF is completely artificial). In terms of everything else, there are certainly pros and cons to both locations: SoCal has almost every activity you can imagine and the weather is typically very good, but traffic is terrible and there's a high percentage of not-so-nice people. Florida is probably a better run state and the cost of living may be lower (not sure), but there doesn't seem to be much to do in Central Florida other than tourist attractions. I've lived in SoCal my whole life and while I can't say it is the perfect place it is somewhere I wouldn't mind staying. However, I also wouldn't mind moving somewhere else, although Central Florida wouldn't be my first choice (I'd like somewhere in the North East). However, if I were given unlimited funds to go on a vacation to somewhere in the US, it would probably be Central Florida.

Major/Chain Parks or Small/Independent Parks?

I've never been to Silver Dollar City, but Dollywood is a very good park and one of the few parks I'd go out of my way for without a major new attraction to experience. As far as coasters go, Silver Dollar City seems to have better coasters but Dollywood has slightly more variety within their lineup. For non-coaster attractions, Silver Dollar City has Marvel Cave but most of the other attractions are similar between the two parks. If someone were to ask me which I'd more like to visit at the moment, it would be Silver Dollar City as I've never been there, but I wouldn't be surprised if I ended up preferring Dollywood overall.

I've never been to Walt Disney World so at the moment I would absolutely pick a visit there versus a visit to Cedar Point. That being said, once I've visited Walt Disney World I wouldn't be surprised if I didn't care about returning for a while, especially if I continue to live near Disneyland. As to which I'd prefer, that is impossible to say without having visited Walt Disney World, but I will say that Cedar Point is one of my favorite parks and I personally like it a tad better than Disneyland (however, I've only visited Cedar Point once and visit Disneyland at least once a year (often several), so that could influence it). They do appeal to completely different audiences, so it is impossible to declare one better than the other.

This is one of my favorite TPR coaster videos. I've been on this ride several times and while I don't think it is a downright terrible coaster, it certainly is a below average one and not worth the obscenely high price they charge (last time I went, it was $14!!).

5 or so. Usually I only buy movies that I know I'll want to watch multiple times. I buy almost exclusively DVDs as the only Blu-Ray player I have access to is my brother's PS3 and I can't always use it. Maybe 1. I do stream movies on Netflix, but I rarely purchase a digital download and would only do so if no hard copy version was available. iTunes or Amazon. Download to my computer and transfer. Not for my computer, but it would be too large for my iTouch.

I've been to seven Six Flags parks (Discovery Kingdom, Great Adventure, Great Escape, La Ronde, Magic Mountain, New England, and St. Louis) and seven Cedar Fair parks (California's Great America, Canada's Wonderland, Carowinds, Cedar Point, Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park, Kings Dominion, and Knott's Berry Farm). I'll evaluate both chains using the same criteria I use when evaluating an individual park: Coasters: Six Flags wins here. Excluding clones, there are few coasters that I'd consider unenjoyable at any of their parks. Under the same criteria, I've found a number of coasters at Cedar Fair parks that just weren't that good. Also, Six Flags tends to have more top tier coasters per park than Cedar Fair does. Dark Rides: Cedar Fair. Six Flags has only a handful of dark rides in the entire chain and has shown no indication that they want more. Cedar Fair has several shooting dark rides and one or two others, but they are showing interest in developing new dark rides for the chain. Flat Rides: Cedar Fair. Most Six Flags parks have a poor flat ride collection consisting of a small number of standard flats, but every Cedar Fair park I've visited has had an adequate number of flat rides and often a couple unique ones. Kiddie Rides: Although Six Flags has more, Cedar Fair has better kiddie rides and does a better job of spreading them throughout the parks. On the downside, Cedar Fair's height requirements tend to be higher than average. Water Rides: Six Flags. Most Six Flags parks have at least three water rides, while few Cedar Fair parks have more than two. Additionally, Six Flags tends to have better waterparks. Cleanliness: Cedar Fair. I guess those trash cans must count for something. Food: Cedar Fair, but only because they offer a greater selection of outside vendors. Six Flags has slightly better park made food at slightly cheaper prices, but they force you to buy everything in a combo meal. Landscaping: Cedar Fair. Six Flags considers a parking lot landscaping, Cedar Fair at least puts grass under the ride. All jokes aside, both chains are actually pretty equal in this aspect as it tends to vary significantly by park. Theming: Six Flags. Although their attempts are minimal, Six Flags does at least try to theme their rides. Other than Knott's, the Cedar Fair parks tend to be almost devoid of theming other than what Paramount left behind. Employees: Cedar Fair. While I've encountered good and bad employees at parks in both chains, Cedar Fair's tend to be better on average. Operations: Six Flags finds it acceptable to run one train on their major coasters during peak season, even on rides with three trains. I have rarely seen one-train operation at a Cedar Fair park during the summer, and it is usually due to weather issues. Overall, Cedar Fair wins. Six Flags does have some good parks and great coasters, but many of their parks are not places I'd go out of my way for and a couple I wouldn't care if I never returned to. I have yet to visit a Cedar Fair park I didn't like, and while they may not have the most extreme thrills they tend to offer a more complete park experience.

Best moment: The Timber Mountain Log Ride tour at West Coast Bash. Best individual ride: My first front-seat ride on Medusa at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. Funniest moment: During an after-hours AP party at Disney California Adventure, I saw two adults driving around on Tuck and Roll's Drive 'Em Buggies. They were the only two people on the ride. Scariest moment: After my first ride on Full Throttle, I thought I had lost my wallet and keys. Fortunately, I had just forgotten that they were in a different pocket than normal. Strangest moment: Encountering a friend's family at Knott's Berry Farm (my friend was not with them), and not recognizing them until I hopped onto Xcelerator in a free seat in their car. I ended up spending the afternoon with them. Favorite individual park visit: The Knott's day of West Coast Bash. Nerdiest moment: When being evacuated from Goofy's Sky School, I took a minute to get a close up view of the brakes and sensors before climbing down the stairs. Best non-coaster related thing to happen at a park: Visiting Six Flags Discovery Kingdom on a day where most of the lines were under 30 minutes and almost all operators were great (on my two prior visits, most lines were near an hour, almost every ride had one train and operations were terribly slow). Best thing to happen on a park trip outside of the park: Most of the sightseeing my dad and I did on our Pacific Northwest Road Trip, namely Lassen Volcanic National Park and skiing at Mt. Hood in August. Favorite new experience: Doing a personal road trip for the first time (instead of a TPR trip). Although amusement parks were only a small part of it, the entire trip was excellent.