rcdude

I'm not all that surprised. The Windseeker rides seem like they've had more problems than they should for a relatively simple attraction. It will be interesting to see what this investigation turns up and what the resolution ends up being. I hate to say it because I enjoy the ride, but I'm starting to think these were a bad investment for Cedar Fair and they should have just gone with the regular Star Flyer design. I wonder if Cedar Fair will be buying any more, although I don't think many other Cedar Fair parks would be a good location for them.

I really don't think there are too many coasters that need this treatment. Most rough woodies either don't have that great of layout or just need new trains and a regular retracking. In fact, there are only five I can think of that really need this treatment: Cyclone (SFNE) (Iron Horse) Georgia Cyclone (either treatment) GhostRider (Topper track) Stampida (Topper track) Timber Wolf (either treatment) All of these were once considered great coasters, and all have either deteriorated or been tamed due to reprofiling and/or trims. Some of the other coasters suggested weren't spectacular to begin with, and I don't think this modification can make an average coaster a top ten ride.

^It didn't make sense to ride it when the line was 60 minutes, the Fastpass return time wouldn't work for our schedule, and we've got the same ride a half-hour away from home at DCA. With only one day, there are much better investments of time. Next time I visit, I'll plan two days just so I can be sure to do everything at both parks (especially all the stuff I missed at Walt Disney Studios), as I really want to try most of the attractions at both parks (including the remaining duplicates to see if there are any differences). Since I've got a lot of pictures from our three days in Paris, I'm going to split the Paris report. Part one will cover Friday and Saturday, and part two will cover Sunday. I'll add the last day in London to part two of Paris so I can have this report done in time (school starts next week, and I want to finish this before then). Europe Trip-Part 5: Paris Part 1 (July 13th-14th) The day after Disneyland Paris, we were all fairly tiered so we got a late start. My sister opted to remain at the hotel for part of the day, so my brother, dad and I headed out to Catacombs. Due to arriving right in the middle of the day and the limited number of people allowed inside at a time, the wait was 2.5 hours. We waited, and while the catacombs were pretty neat I don't think they were worth that long of wait. I wouldn't recommend investing more than an hour in line, and I'd recommend going either early in the morning or between 2 and 3 P.M. (if you go later, you risk being refused admission). Since the Catacombs took longer than expected, we didn't have time to go inside Notre Dame, but we still looked at it from outside. We also walked around the nearby area before returning to the hotel and retrieving my sister to go to the Louvre. Everyone says this is a must-do in Paris, and although I'm not that big of a fan of art museums it was somewhat enjoyable. However, there is just too much, and after an hour I was burnt out on paintings. We ended up staying about two hours, by which point everyone was ready to leave. Oh, for the record, the Mona Lisa wins the most overrated painting award, as I thought everything else in the room was more impressive. The next day, we headed out to Versailles to tour the palace and the gardens. This place is huge, and I have a hard time imagining why anyone would want to live in a place this large. Despite the size, the number of tourists made the palace very crowded. The gardens, on the other hand, were much more pleasant. We then went to the Eiffel Tower, another Paris must-do. I don't think it's the greatest observation tower I've been up, but it's certainly one of the better ones. Just be prepared for lines (although you'll have significantly less waiting if you take the stairs to the second deck like we did). The view from the top is pretty good, and I like the fact that there's an open air observation deck, but going all the way to the top is just a huge investment of time. After coming down from the tower and getting dinner, we went back to the hotel. My brother and sister elected to stay in their room for the night, while my dad and I went over to the Louvre to check out a carnival we saw there the day before. It was interesting to see how much different a European carnival is from an American one, and I'm guessing these vary by country over there as well. We only did a couple attractions (a really lame dark ride and the giant ferris wheel), but I'm still glad I got to check it out. We then watched the Bastille Day fireworks from the park in front of the Louvre before heading back to the hotel for the night. Pictures: Random statue near the entrance to the Catacombs. By this point, we had been in line for around two hours. A sign inside the Catacombs. Parts of this place felt like something from an Indiana Jones movie. There were also a few rooms with displays set up. I can't read French to verify it, but I'm guessing these were found down here. The shadows are unintentional, but due to the light they are unavoidable. I see dead people. These signs marked sections, but I can't tell if they were by date or by class (or both). Dead men tell no tales. I'm not entirely sure whether this was just a fancy sign or was something else. This is pretty much all there is to the catacombs. If you're claustrophobic or afraid of skeletons, don't enter as you'll be down here for about 45 minutes. Although we didn't get to go inside Notre Dame today, we still got to see it (yes, we came back and went inside later). The other side of Notre Dame. Behind the cathedral was this park. We also went to a Holocaust Memorial across the street. Finally, we ended our day with a visit to the Louvre. Definitely worth seeing once, but unless you're really into art museums once is probably enough. The next day, we headed out to Versailles. Since I was unable to read most of the signs inside the palace due to crowds, I'm not entirely sure what everything was. I'll just leave the next dozen or so pictures mostly captionless. This artwork is actually on the ceiling. High heels made out of pots and pans. This room was the war gallery. The walls were lined with paintings depicting various battles. At the far end of the room is the most bizarre helicopter I've ever seen. There were fewer people downstairs. I wonder how close these rooms are to their appearance when they were in use. Unlike Hearst Castle, most of them seemed pretty empty. It's much nicer out in the gardens. Despite it being Bastille Day, there weren't excessive crowds out here. The fountains only run on weekends. It's worth dealing with a bit more crowds to see them in operation. Parts of the gardens are like a maze. It's definitely possible to get lost out here. This fountain was turned off. I wonder if they ever use these anymore, or if they only turn on the main fountains. Parts of the grounds look relatively untouched. Another fountain. This one has a statue in it. We walked out to the Grand Trianon as well. Not knowing the hours varied, we ended up getting here before it opened. Inside was a display on the residents of the palace. Outside was a smaller section of gardens. I believe you could walk around to Marie-Antoinette's Estate from here, but we decided not to visit that. Now that we're done with Versailles, it's time for another Paris landmark. As part of the Bastille Day celebrations, a disco ball had been hung in the middle of the tower. The view from the second deck. This is probably where the best views from the tower are. The top has a good view as well, but you're so far above everything that some detail is lost. Another view, with the Seine below. The city is actually very large, much larger than London is. That's a pretty large drop. I wouldn't want to fall off this thing. One last view from the top of the tower. In the evening, we headed over to a carnival near the Louvre. I'm not sure if this was set up specifically for Bastille Day or if it's an all summer thing. There were a decent number of people here, despite the somewhat small size of the place. One thing I immediately noticed different about this carnival vs US ones is a lack of safety barriers. In the US, you've got a four foot (or taller) fence around everything, while here people could walk right up to most rides. Another example. You could hop right on the carousel if you wanted to. This is the largest funhouse I've seen. It was €4, so I didn't do it, but it looked like fun. The most intense ride at the carnival was this thing. It's similar to Speed, a ride at my local fair, but seats 8 riders on each end of the arm instead of just 4. There was a credit, but I didn't do it. I'm not enough of a credit whore to pay €3 for a wacky worm. The exterior of the cheesy dark ride we did. This was better than almost anything inside. There were a total of zero people on the log flume. I'm not surprised given the climate when we were there, although I'm told rainy, overcast weather and highs of 70 fahrenheit are abnormal for mid-July. This was interesting. They put kids in the plastic balls, inflate them, and then let the kids run around on the pool. I think I've seen these in the US before, but they certainly aren't very common. Slingshot. Never done one of these as they don't appeal to me that much. Since we had euros to spend, we took a ride on the Ferris Wheel. I'm not sure how tall it is, but it looked to be in the 150-200 ft range. I imagine it would give some good views during the daytime. What better way to end Paris part one than with a shot of the Eiffel Tower lit up at night? Part two coming next week (Tuesday or Wednesday).

Windseeker: I don't know what's up with the ride, but I do think there absolutely needs to be a quicker way to get the vehicle down. Short of a mechanical malfunction that requires outside help for an evacuation, any ride should be able to be evacuated within a half hour. Three hours is unacceptable. I can't imagine the Knott's version is the only one that has this problem, as if it is why wasn't it fixed to work like the others? In California, being stuck at the top of that tower is more of an inconvenience than anything, but what if one of the other ones (such as Kings Dominion's) got stuck and a thunderstorm blew in? I'd say that could potentially be very dangerous. We'll see what happens due to the upcoming investigation. Charm: Silver Bullet is really the only attraction that damaged Knott's charm, but it left such an impact that the whole park no longer feels like it once did. New Attraction(s): At this point, I'm pretty much waiting for an official announcement on what is coming. I don't care if Knott's gets a new coaster or not for 2013, as Cedar Fair is already building two new coasters (GateKeeper and Gold Striker) at parks that are more in need of them. However, once those are complete, Knott's will become the major Cedar Fair park in most need of a new coaster. I do think Knott's needs something more than a scrambler, however, as their current offerings are getting stale (one new ride (a flat) in four years isn't sufficient for a major park). If we aren't getting a coaster in 2013, here's my five year wish list for the park (probably a bit optimistic, but not unrealistic): 2013: Return of the Scrambler (either enclosed or outdoors), Splash Battle in the lake used for Perilous Plunge, and one or two additional flats (ideally a Flyers and a Top Scan, but no more than one thrill or one family flat). 2014: New thrill coaster, either replacing Boomerang or in the backstage area behind Bigfoot Rapids 2015: Dark ride, either where Kingdom of the Dinosaurs was or as a replacement for the Screamin' Swing 2016: GhostRider overhaul including topper track replacement and new trains (but no significant layout modification) 2017: Camp Snoopy overhaul, including a new family coaster to replace Timberline Twister and new rides to fill in the hole left by Peanuts Playhouse and replace any unpopular and/or dated ones. Changes in Visit Frequency: As long as I live in Orange County, I'll get a Knott's pass and visit at least a few times per year. It's a really good vaule, and even if the park's rides aren't the best they are still good. A new coaster would increase my visit frequency for that season, but not getting one won't decrease it.

It would be great to see the scrambler make a return as the Boardwalk seems to have the smallest number of family rides out of the park's five areas. Putting it where Perilous Plunge was would pretty much return the ride to its original home (I believe it first operated there as Whirlpool). If they are getting a coaster, it could easily be built above and around the scrambler. If they're not getting a coaster, then it would be great to see a splash battle or similar in the lake and a couple flat rides on the land portion of that terrain (the scrambler and maybe a flyers and/or a compact thrill ride such as a Top Scan).

Now that summer is coming to an end and I'll have little time to visit parks once school starts next week, my (most likely) final list is: Local: Belmont Park Disneyland x6 Disney California Adventure Park x6 Knott's Berry Farm x5 SeaWorld San Diego Six Flags Magic Mountain Universal Studios Hollywood First Time Visit: Canada's Wonderland Conneaut Lake Park Darien Lake Disneyland Paris-Disneyland Park Disneyland Paris-Walt Disney Studios Park Marineland Theme Park Martin's Fantasy Island Seabreeze Waldameer Fairs: Garden Grove Strawberry Festival Los Angeles County Fair Orange County Fair Not as many different or new parks as last year, but I probably got more total visits this year due to having a Disneyland pass (a place I like to visit monthly if not blocked out). For the remainder of the year, I'll get at least one more visit to each Disney park before my pass expires next month, as well as one or two more Knott's visits. I may visit SFMM as well to ride Lex Luthor, but there's also a good chance I'll just wait until WCB 2013 for that one.

I think we need another theme park report in this thread. Europe Trip-Part 4: Disneyland Paris (July 12th) Before I start talking about our visit to Disneyland Paris, here's a bit of backstory... When we first planned out the trip, there was no specific intention to visit Disneyland Paris, or any park for that matter. However, once we picked our major destinations, I began looking for a park to add, deciding I really would like to get to one. First, I started looking into Europa Park, the European park I most want to visit. I did a bit of research, and even came up with a possible plan to incorporate a brief (2-3 hour) stop at Holiday Park as well, but when we decided to drive through France instead I scrapped these plans. After all, it is a lot more likely I'll get to these parks than I'll get another chance to visit Normandy. I then started considering other parks, and one by one they were ruled out. Alton Towers seemed too inaccessible without a car, and the same with pretty much every UK park I considered (plus we had limited London time). I also decided that Gardaland didn't appear to have enough to be worth sacrificing a day in Paris, and I figured that would be a pretty hard sell to my family members. Figuring that there had to be some significant reason a park should be included or else the idea would likely be shot down, I was left with only two choices: Disneyland Paris or Parc Asterix. What ultimately made us decide on Disneyland was: 1. much easier to reach on public transportation, as there is a train station right next to the resort, 2. I'd be able to knock two parks off my list instead of just one, 3. my brother said he would not be interested in Parc Asterix, and felt it was too French for American tourists, and 4. Disneyland Paris was offering a 20th anniversary ticket: one day, two parks for $84. Even though we only had one day to do both parks, we decided to go for it. Anyway, due to the previously mentioned schedule swap, we ended up visiting Disneyland Paris on Thursday, July 12th instead of our originally planned Friday, July 13th. We arrived at the Marnee-La-Vallee RER station about 45 minutes before opening, and headed to Walt Disney Studios Park to find a medium sized crowd. At about 9:40, we were let inside. Although we did do some hopping during the day, I'll do everything from Walt Disney Studios first before doing everything from Disneyland Park. Also note that I have only visited the California parks, so any comparisons will be to Disneyland and/or Disney California Adventure Park. Walt Disney Studios Park As soon as we were allowed to do so, we headed straight for Crush's Coaster. The ride began loading about two minutes before opening, and about fifty minutes later it was our turn to board. Crush's Coaster: I've heard this ride called the best Disney coaster, and while I do think it is a pretty good ride I don't feel it's worth the lines the ride usually has. By the time we got off, the line was well over an hour and growing, and I personally can't see myself waiting more than 45 minutes to ride again. That being said, I enjoyed the ride and would definitely try to ride again next time I visit the resort. Due to the theming and dark ride portion, it is probably my favorite of the Maurer spinners I've been on, although the spinning wasn't too intense (my dad, who usually can't do spinning rides, had no problems with this one). B Although I would have liked to do more at Walt Disney Studios Park, Crush's Coaster ended up being the only ride we did there. After getting off, we learned that the park's other major rides had hour-plus waits, and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster was down for the day. We decided nothing else was worth waiting for and headed over to Disneyland, although we did end up returning to Walt Disney Studios Park for around an hour in the middle of the afternoon, just to make sure Rock 'n' Roller Coaster didn't open and to see the one show I refused to miss. CineMagique: I'm usually not much of a show person outside of Universal and SeaWorld parks, but I usually like to see Disney's shows once each. CineMagique is a show I've heard nothing but good things about, and I have to say that it met my very high expectations. This is, without a doubt, the best movie based show I've seen at any park. It's got a great story, and is comedic enough to be entertaining without being over the top. I also loved seeing the many recreations of famous movie scenes. Definitely worth watching, especially if you'll be spending two or more days at the resort. Overall Thoughts: I have very mixed feelings about Walt Disney Studios Park. The attractions they have (or at least the headliners) all seem pretty good, but the park itself reminded me of Disney California Adventure Park at opening. The theming is tacky and cheap-looking, and the place really doesn't feel at all like a Disney park. In addition, there are very few things to do here, and unless you want to see every show and ride every ride you won't need a full day for just this park. I'd like to come back and check out some of the other attractions, but if I only had one day for Disneyland Paris, I'd spend it entirely at Disneyland Park (with the possible exception of getting the remaining credits here). One thing I will say, however, is that even though this is the worst Disney park I've been to it is still in the top third of all the parks I've visited. Disneyland Park After our brief visit to Walt Disney Studios Park, I didn't have the highest hopes for Disneyland Park. Fortunately, I was proven wrong as soon as we stepped through the gate. Disneyland Paris is probably the most beautiful of the Magic Kingdoms, or at least it looked a lot nicer than the California park. It seemed like there was a lot more foliage throughout the place, and the theming quality was a little bit more convincing than what I've become used to. The castle also blew California's away. In fact, I could barely believe that both Paris parks were run by the same company, as the quality level was so different. Anyway, we immediately headed to Space Mountain: Mission 2 in order to obtain Fastpasses, then decided to get an early lunch while waiting for our return time. For whatever reason, the food service line was horrible and it took about a half hour with only 5 people in front of us. Oh well, at least this ended up being a one time occurrence, and it meant that by the time we finished lunch it was time to ride. Space Mountain: Mission 2: This is probably the most unique of the Space Mountains, and is definitely the most intense. Despite being pretty rough, I enjoyed this ride, and ended up getting three rides in during the day. I still think I slightly prefer the California version of the ride, but I really liked being blasted into space on the French version and thought the effects during the ride were a bit better. I just wish the ride was smoother and wish the soundtrack was more reliable (it only worked properly on one of my rides, partly the reason I ended up riding three times). B+ After Space Mountain, we crossed the park to Frontierland to get Fastpasses for Big Thunder Mountain. Unlike our Space Mountain Fastpasses, these weren't good for several hours, so we did several attractions while waiting. Phantom Manor: I've heard this ride called the French version of Haunted Mansion, and while that is true this ride is quite a bit different. Most of the classic scenes are still there, but the overall attraction has a different storyline and a much more gruesome finale. It also lacks narration, but I wasn't bothered by it. As for whether it is better than California's Haunted Mansion, I'd say I prefer Phantom Manor to regular Mansion, but prefer Holiday Mansion to Phantom Manor just because I really like Nightmare Before Christmas. Adventure Isle: The French version of Tom Sawyer's Island, but located in Adventureland instead, this was a much more enjoyable attraction and is probably my favorite theme park playground. The island has an extensive network of caves, several bridges to cross, and quite a bit of area to explore. Plus, due to the island having multiple access points, it can provide a handy shortcut if you know where you're going. La Cabane des Robinson: I wasn't aware that this was located on the island, so finding it was a nice surprise. I used to be a huge fan of the Swiss Family Treehouse at Disneyland California, and was a bit bummed when it was given the Tarzan theme. It's nice to see that the original attraction still exists elsewhere, as I think it is vastly superior to the Tarzan version. This ended up being my least favorite of the three walkthrough attractions we did at the Paris park, but it is still better than any walkthrough in California. Pirates of the Caribbean: Talk about a very familiar, yet very different ride. The Paris version of Pirates has most of the same scenes as the California version, but they are presented in a different order. In addition, several scenes are added and the lift and drops have been reorganized to make sense in the story. This was probably my favorite attraction in the park, but due to the long line (45 minutes) we only rode once. I'm still undecided on whether I prefer this or the California version, as there are things I prefer about both rides...we'll just call it a tie for now. At this point, we went back to Walt Disney Studios Park to see CineMagique and check up on Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. When we got back to Disneyland, we found that we still had around an hour before we could ride Big Thunder, so we decided to check out the last land in the park...Fantasyland. First, however, we grabbed Fastpasses for a second ride on Space Mountain later in the evening. Alice's Curious Labyrinth: I believe this is the only other Alice in Wonderland attraction excluding the Mad Tea Party variants. I was expecting the maze to be a bit larger, but it still took longer than I thought it would. The maze wasn't too challenging, although we did make one or two wrong turns. It's a fun diversion, however, and a popular attraction since there was actually a line to get in. We did make it all the way to the tower and got a great view of Fantasyland from the top. Just like all attractions unique to the Paris park, I'd recommend this one if you visit. Blanche-Neige et les Sept Nains: The French version of Snow White's Scary Adventures, we chose this to satisfy the Fantasyland dark ride requirement as it was only a 15 minute wait and I'd heard it was the most different of the three from the California version. Turns out that difference was just a bonus ending scene. I still enjoyed the ride, but I'd probably say I like California's better since it rarely has a line and you can get a private car (Disneyland Paris did their best to get six per car). Le Chateau de la Belle Au Bois Dormant: Actually two separate attractions, this is the castle walkthrough at the Paris park. We did the dragon portion at this point, and I've got to say that is one of my favorite animatronics. Even though it is simple, it is so...big. It helps that I like dragons as well. We later returned to do the part inside the castle, and although they are static I liked looking at those tapestries and stained glass windows much more than the animated displays in California's castle. There is also an outdoor balcony that overlooks Fantasyland. Combined, these two attractions make what is, in my opinion, the best walk through attraction at any Disney park I've visited. At this point, it was now time for us to ride Big Thunder Mountain. It was while we were in line for this ride that the rain moved in, forcing us to purchase ponchos to avoid getting soaked to the bone. Big Thunder Mountain: Everyone calls this the best of the Big Thunders, and I've got to agree. While the majority of the ride is no different than its California counterpart (other than being ever so slightly smoother), the finale of the ride features a long dark section in a tunnel. It is this section (and the initial tunnel before the first lift) that set this ride above its competition. It isn't a huge preference but I do prefer this ride to the California one and would rate it the best coaster at the Disneyland Paris resort (although Rock 'n' Roller Coaster could possibly dethrone it). B+ After our ride on Big Thunder Mountain, we used our Space Mountain Fastpasses, then got dinner. While we were eating, the best surprise of the day happened. As a result of the rain, the crowds in the park vanished. Space Mountain's line dropped from 80 minutes to 15. Big Thunder Mountain went from 70 to 10. Most other rides had their lines drop to around 30% what they were earlier, and a few even became walk-ons. This meant that after dinner, we were able to wander the park and do whatever we felt like riding. Essentially, we had approximately four hours at the park with the crowd typically found in California on a January weekday. As soon as we were done, we set out to make the most of it. Star Tours: Since Paris still had the original version of the attraction playing, I wanted to ride it. Fortunately, it was a walk on. While I do prefer the newer version of the attraction, the original is still fun and there is just something classic about it. I think I've ridden this version a little too much if I can fill in Captain Rex's French dialogue word-for-word with the English version, however. Casey Jr., Le Petit Train du Cirque: Say what you will, I consider this a credit. While the California ride does not qualify as a roller coaster in my book due to the presence of a driver, the Paris ride is a legitimate credit even if it is powered and I added it to my count. I prefer the French version anyway, as the theming around the attraction was a bit better. Still not something I'd wait more than a couple trains for, but I'd probably try to do it at least once if I returned to the park. C+ it's a small world: For most of the rides, the Paris and California ones rank pretty close together. However, I absolutely prefer this version of small world to the California version. The ride is a much better 6 minutes instead of 13, and I thought the scenes were much better, feeling more like a permanent attraction and less like the somewhat temporary feel California's has. Finally, there are no Disney characters in the French version, something I thought really killed the California ride. We walked right on to this, bypassing the 5 minute line for the front loading station (people really are like sheep sometimes). Indiana Jones et le Temple du Peril: I was a little worried about this ride before riding due to it's reputation, but for some reason I experienced no roughness at all (my brother and sister, on the other hand, said it was almost, but not quite as bad as, an average boomerang). The only discomfort came from a sudden moment of airtime on the hill immediately after the loop. Yes, I enjoyed this ride, and with the five minute wait I wouldn't have minded a second go, but I will say that I wouldn't wait more than 15 minutes or so for it as this is little more than a carnival coaster with moderate Disney theming. C+ Autopia: It only had a 15 minute wait and I was curious how it compared to the California version, so we decided to ride this. Due to luck, my dad and sister got assigned to one track and my brother and I the other, so we were able to race each other around the course. Autopia is Autopia, and while this one is different I can't say whether it is better or worse than the California version, so we'll call it a draw. Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast: Pretty much identical to California's Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, I either got a malfunctioning gun or found a lot of broken targets as I only scored about a quarter what I usually do on the California ride. Yes, California's is better because I can score higher and the wait is usually shorter, but they are both as close to identical rides as you can get. After Buzz Lightyear, we went for another ride on Space Mountain just to see if we could get one with working audio (we did...hooray). My brother and sister then decided they wanted a little shopping time while my dad and I did one final ride: a walk-on ride on Big Thunder Mountain to end our day at Disneyland Paris. Overall Thoughts: I have to be completely honest here...I saw very few of the problems I've heard about at this park. We didn't find any rude or unpleasant cast members, and other than the line at lunch nothing seemed like it took longer than it should have. Operations on rides were just as good as they are at the California parks, and we didn't encounter any noticeable line jumping. The only real issue I have with the park is that there aren't as many attractions as the California counterpart, and I couldn't see spending more than two days at the resort due to this (1 1/3 for Disneyland Park, 2/3 for Walt Disney Studios Park). Walt Disney Studios Park needs more in general, but it looks like their getting there and the buyout would be helpful. As for Disneyland Park, one more E ticket (ideally something for Discoveryland) and some general upgrades to other attractions would really help it out. As it is right now, Disneyland Paris-Disneyland Park is right behind the current Disney California Adventure Park in my rankings, and while I doubt it is possible for it to surpass the original Disneyland in California (still my favorite Disney Park), it is an excellent alternative for Europeans and gives tourists something different to try if they've been to the US parks. Ride Count: Adventure Isle: 3 Alice's Curious Labyrinth: 1 Autopia: 1 Big Thunder Mountain: 2 Blanche-Neige et les Sept Nains: 1 Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast: 1 Casey Jr., Le Petit Train du Cirque: 1 CineMagique: 1 Crush's Coaster: 1 Indiana Jones et le Temple du Peril: 1 it's a small world: 1 La Cabane des Robinson: 1 Le Chateau de la Belle au Bois Dormant: 2 Phantom Manor: 2 Pirates of the Caribbean: 1 Space Mountain: Mission 2: 3 Star Tours: 1 Total: 24 rides in 13 hours (1.85 rides per hour) Pretty good, especially for a Disney park in the summer. I've got a feeling we would have gotten no re-rides and had to have skipped a few second-tier attractions if the rain hadn't assisted us. I'd also like to thank Elissa again for her advice while planning a park visit in Europe. Pictures: Welcome to Disneyland Paris-Walt Disney Studios Park. From here, it looks quite nice, but unfortunately the entrance area is the best themed part of the park. We didn't go in it, but I'm guessing the Animation building here is similar to the one at DCA. Crush's Coaster, the first ride of the day. Overrated, yes, but still a pretty good ride. I would have liked to do this, but time didn't permit. Maybe next time. The Toy Story Playland area had the tackiest theming of any Disney park area. It would be decent theming at most major American parks, but for a Disney park it just doesn't cut it. Credit that I missed due to a 70 minute wait and a closed single rider line. I think this is pretty much a higher capacity version of DCA's Jumpin' Jellyfish. Not worth a 35 minute wait. Closed! That's it, we're done with this park. Disneyland Park was much nicer. As a regular visitor to the California park, the whole place felt like an alternate universe Disneyland. This may not be the most impressive Disney castle, but it probably has the best surroundings. It certainly beats California's castle. Space Mountain: Mission 2. After riding this, I really wish I could have ridden the original De la Terre a la Lune version of the attraction. Big Thunder Mountain looks the same from here, but the attraction is actually located on an island. "When hinges creak in doorless chambers..." Wait, that's not right. Let's try "Lorsque charnières grincent dans des chambres sans porte ..." Not right either. I actually don't know if this has an opening narration, but I've got a feeling it would be different since Phantom Manor is not Haunted Mansion. You get a good view of Big Thunder Mountain from the Phantom Manor queue. I really like how both attractions have connected storylines that tie into the overall theme of Frontierland. Cue Swisskapolka. I'm not familiar with the story of Swiss Family Robinson, but I still really like this attraction. Random desk. Yeah, this is much better than Tarzan's Treehouse in California. Time to climb down. You could get a workout by doing this several times in a row. I believe you can go onto the pirate ship as well, but we didn't get a chance to do that. Looks like there might be a little bit of Peter Pan influence to Adventure Isle. Pirates of the Caribbean looks very different from the California version. I like the spanish fort look and the themed queue found here. In fact, even though Discoveryland is a unique take on Tomorrowland I think Adventureland is probably the most different of the Disneyland Paris lands. Curious and curiouser... A look at the first half of the maze. From the tower, you get a great overview of Fantasyland. You can even see The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror in the distance. Adventureland from Fantasyland. Some say this is the ride of nightmares. I personally enjoy it's a small world, although in California I rarely ride the non-holiday version. It's really not that difficult. Following the leader seems to be an effective strategy for navigating the labyrinth. Be very, very quiet. I think it's sleeping. Foolish tourists. You have woken me from my slumber. I now curse you with the wettest weekend of the summer.

There's a KMG Tango that shows up at my local fair every year. I consider it the most evil flat ride in existence. Yes, it is a great ride, but it is just so uncomfortable I've only ridden twice. You're basically being flung around by your crotch, and the restraints are more to keep you from flying off than to hold you securely in one place. It should be a great ride for Canobie Lake Park, as it gives them a high thrill attraction with a small footprint. I just don't know how much repeat ridership it will recieve. Here's a video I found of the one at my local fair. Every year, they have a sign out front reading "This ride's computer-controlled movements are so unique that they are patented." I don't know if it's true or not, but I certainly think this must be one of the most intense flat rides out there.

When I'm waiting for the park to open, I'm glad to see a ride run empty because it tells me it should be ready at opening. Usually, if it is five minutes to opening and I haven't seen the ride I'm planning to hit first test yet, I'll alter my plan. In the middle of the day, I'm usually glad if a ride is running empty, especially if I was planning to ride it soon. Empty trains mean I don't need to walk over to the ride only to find it closed. However, if it is on my must ride list and I haven't ridden it that day, there is also a bit of worry and/or disappointment instead depending on how late in the day it is. I'll usually keep an eye on these rides, and adjust my schedule to head to them as soon as they are running with riders. I actually like seeing trains run empty. What I don't like is not seeing trains run at all, as that tells me there is a significant problem with the ride and I should wait a while before checking back to see if it is open.

Europe Trip-Part 3: The Drive to Paris (July 9th-11th) When planning our route out, one of the things we didn't decide on until later in the planning stages was how we were going to get from Venice to Paris. We considered both flying and taking a train before settling on driving, and then we eventually settled on a route that would take us through France, with stops at Chamonix and the beaches of Normandy. Although the car rental wasn't cheap, this allowed us to see more of the country and was definitely more fun than a different transport method would have been. The drive began around 11 A.M. on Monday, July 9th when we picked up our car in Venice. After a six hour drive, including one stop for lunch, we arrived at Chamonix Mont-Blanc. We checked into our hotel, then headed over to Parc de Loisirs, a small family entertainment center at the base of one of the valley's several ski areas. Our main reason for visiting was the alpine coaster, Luge de Chamonix. My dad and I did one of these previously at Park City last winter, but for my brother and sister this was their first experience on one. It was quite fun, and although only about half the length of the Park City ride and a little less intense, I would much rather pay 5.50 € for this one than $20 for the Park City one. We also tried several of the self-operated never in America rides such as Sky dive (zipline attraction), komet (mini pirate ship) and my personal favorite, nautic (jumping boat). We then spent the evening wandering around town and checking the place out. The next day, we headed up the Aiguille du Midi cable car to the top of the 3842 meter (12,600 foot) peak. It's not quite the top of Mont-Blanc, but it's close and gives an excellent view of the surrounding area. We also took the Helbronner Gondola across to Pointe Helbronner on the Italian side of the mountains. Once we were done here, we headed back down and resumed our drive, covering the majority of France as we drove from Chamonix to Le Mans using a scenic route. As it was nearly nightfall when we arrived, we didn't do much that evening other than drive around the city for a bit. Wednesday was the last day of our drive, but instead of going straight to Paris, we drove out to the beaches of Normandy. Of all the places we visited on the trip, this is probably the one with the most historical significance to Americans. It was interesting to see where D-Day occurred and where the tide of World War II changed. It's also different from many other historical sites as there are still people alive who fought here. I would definitely recommend that anyone visiting France for sightseeing include this in their trip, if for no other reason than to say they've been here. After we were done at Normandy, we made the three hour drive to Paris. Originally, our plan was to get an early dinner and visit the Louvre this evening as it was a late night, but due to the horrible Paris traffic (seriously, I'd say it was worse than Los Angeles) we had to completely reorganize our Paris schedule. Originally, it would have been: Wednesday evening: Louvre Thursday: Notre Dame, Catacombs, Musee d'Orsay, and general sightseeing Friday: Disneyland Paris Saturday: Versailles, Bastille Day festivities Sunday: Eiffel Tower, Arc du Triomphe, and more general sightseeing However, it ended up becoming: Wednesday evening: minor sightseeing Thursday: Disneyland Paris Friday: Catacombs, Louve, and general sightseeing Saturday: Versailles, Eiffel Tower, Bastille Day festivities Sunday: Notre Dame, Musee d'Orsay, Arc du Triomphe, and more general sightseeing So, with the plan for a very long day at Disneyland tomorrow, we got dinner and then returned to the hotel for the evening. Pictures: The first half are Chamonix, and the second half are from Normandy. To get to Chamonix from Venice, it is necessary to drive. After a somewhat boring drive from Venice to Milan, we were greeted by the sight of mountains. Small castles were scattered all over the hills up here. Is this castle bigger than Disneyland's? The elevation of some of these peaks is high enough that snow remains all year. In the US, mountain roads are often quite windy, but in Europe the builders prefer to just tunnel through whatever is in their way. The tunnel crossing from Italy to France was about ten miles long. Once you get through it, however, it is just a short descent to Chamonix. Of course, this would be our first stop in the valley. This place is a family entertainment center in the summer, but a ski area in the winter. The main chairlift. The alpine coaster covers almost the entire slope to the left of the lift. But as fun as the alpine coaster was, I was more excited about trying some of the never in America rides (finally, I got a picture of my brother). The pirate ship was fun and all, but there's something even better here. Nautic! The ride is basically a 2-3 story ramp... That leads into a jump into a small pond. They are quite common in Europe, but I've got a feeling it wouldn't last a week in any American park. That's about it for Parc de Loisirs. There's more to do in Chamonix. Random picture from our hotel room. Now it's the next day, so it's time to head up to Aguille du Midi (that little peak in the upper left corner). Two cable cars (or aerial tramways as they are official known) are required to access the peak. Our tram approaches. A view from the cabin on the way up. We've now reached the midpoint of the journey. The upper section is hard to see because the lift has no towers, and is just a few suspended cables a couple of kilometers long. Once you get to the top, the view is excellent. Even in the summer, it was quite chilly at this elevation. The Helbronner gondola looks quite old, but it could easily just be the unique design. Mont-Blanc, the actual summit of the mountain. Two days ago, I stood in the ocean. Today, I could go skiing. The gondola ride is ten kilometers round trip and takes an hour to complete. This was about ten minutes in. The start point is just to the right of that peak. This is a popular hiking spot. Pools of water on the glacier. Other passengers making the return journey. Since this is a pulse gondola, there were twelve sets of three four-person cabins, and the lift would slow frequently for loading and unloading. 20 minutes in, one more hump down. Instead of a tower, this is how the lift is supported. These wheels, the two end terminals, and a midstation on the previous hump are all that support this lift. Italian stairs (since we're back in Italy for about ten minutes). We're almost at the turnaround point. There is no choice to exit, you must make the entire one hour round trip on the gondola. Approaching the mid-station on the way back. I've got to be honest...the gondola was really cool, but due to the length I don't think it's something I'd want to do again. By the time we got back to the departure point, I was more than ready to get off. Still glad I did it once, however. A couple more shots from the top of Aguille du Midi before we head down. When it's clear, the view from the top is outstanding. However, the fog is moving in, so now it's time to go. We never figured out exactly what this is. It ran parallel to the lower section of the cable car on its own set of cables. I've got to think it's either: A. an evacuation system, B. used for maintenance, or C. the way employees get to the top in the morning. On the drive, we drove right under another cable car. These things are a lot more common in Europe than they are in the US. Fast forward to Le Mans. Since there wasn't anything noteworthy here, I only took one picture to represent that we'd visited the city. Moving on... Omaha Beach. It looks a lot different now than it did 68 years ago. Look at this picture. A peaceful, empty beach before a calm sea. Now imagine what happened here nearly 70 years ago. Death, dismemberment, and more horrors of war. The opening sequence of Saving Private Ryan...That happened, right here. World War II was devastating to all involved. You read all about it, but it is something to go to where it actually happened. Right up the hill from the beach is the American War Cemetery. A field of crosses. One for each person who died fighting in World War II. And this is only the Americans. There are several other cemeteries in the area for soldiers of other nationalities. While we're here, we might as well go check out this bunker. A monument. I forget what was on it, but I did read it when I was here. Moo. To me, this seems like it might as well read "insert grenade here." Let's go see what's inside. Um, maybe not. Another monument unrelated to the first one. That marks the end of our visit to Normandy. Traffic in Paris was bad. Worse than Los Angeles in my opinion. As a result, we had limited time in the evening, but we did get a little sightseeing in since we got dinner near Pont Neuf. That's it for the driving portion of our trip. Next up: French Disney.

Based on what I've seen, here's how I'd rate rides in terms of capacity: Very Low: kiddie coasters Low: family coasters with one train, shuttle coasters, woodies with one train, wild mice, spinners, anything operating with only one train, most coasters with single cars, and anything with an overly complex restraint system Medium: B&Ms with two trains, shuttle coasters with two trains, most Intamin coasters, family coasters with two trains, Disney spinners, Disney mice, woodies with two trains, and Arrows with two trains High: woodies with three trains, family coasters with three trains, B&Ms with three trains, mine trains, mega coasters, Arrows with three trains, coasters with dual loading stations, coasters with separate load and unload points, and major coasters with simple restraint systems Very High: major coasters at Disney parks and multi-tracked coasters As for what I consider the capacity for each of these categories... Very Low: 400 riders per hour or less Low: 400-700 riders per hour Medium: 700-1200 riders per hour...this is the minimum capacity I feel a coaster should have at a major park High: 1200-1800 riders per hour Very High: over 1800 riders per hour

This should be great for the park, since their kids area did seem a bit lacking from the brief time I spent in it when I visited. From the video and announcement, it looks like a kite flyer, rockin' tug, teacups, and aerial track ride will be added and the existing Kidzville rides will be rethemed. I'm sure a lot of parents are happy about this news, and I also think that despite the slightly deceptive marketing, anyone expecting more than an adult flat ride was probably setting themselves up for disappointment.

^Okay, I thought it might be something like that. We stopped before crossing for a short length of time, so I guess it must have just opened. When standing on the bridge, they looked high enough and far enough forward to not be an issue, but I guess that isn't the case. Time to continue... Europe Trip-Part 2: Venice (July 7th-8th) We left London Gatwick Airport on an early afternoon flight down to Venice. Since the city is located on an island and our hotel was on the far side from the bus station, we opted to take a water bus from the airport to St. Mark's Square. It took at least an hour and a half, but at least we didn't have to cart our luggage through the city. After dropping off our luggage, we got an early dinner and then hung out in St. Marks Square that evening. The next day, we spent our morning wandering the city aimlessly. I usually don't like going anywhere without a plan, but it was actually quite fun. We took a break in the hotel room during the hot and crowded part of the afternoon, then took a boat out to Lido in the late afternoon. On the way back, we took a different line that went through the grand canal, then ended the day with a gondola ride. If you ever visit the city and you want to do this (recommended if you don't mind splurging a bit), do it during the day, as we learned they're about 20% less during the day than they are at night. On Monday, July 9th, we once again took a boat up the canal to the bus terminal, also the location of the car rental shops. After a bit of a wait, we got our car and were off on our drive to Paris. I'll admit that Venice was always the part of the trip I was least interested in, as I've never had much of an interest in visiting the city. I would have rather included Germany in the trip than Italy, but I was overruled by my brother and sister. Despite this, I did enjoy visiting Venice, and I'm glad I went as it was a very interesting place. Very, very different from any other city I've been to. I doubt I'll ever go back, as I prefer visiting places to do things and not just to get away, and Venice certainly seems like more of a getaway destination, but I'm really glad I saw the city. Pictures: The view from the airport while waiting for the water bus. The dock is about a five minute walk from the terminal (in Venice, distances are measured in minutes). The view from our hotel room. Unlike America, most European hotels have windows that open. Time for a tour of Venice. The city is made up of a bunch of streets criss-crossing all over the island. The Grand Canal from near the Rialto Bridge. The Grand Canal provides easy access to all parts of the city. Depending on time of day, there were sometimes a ton of boats on it. I have a feeling this market is busier on weekdays. We were here on Sunday, when it was empty. Once you get away from the main tourist areas, there is nobody around (at least in the morning). Every so often, we'd find a square with a couple restaurants and shops. I have no idea what this building was, but I think it may have been a church. There are few trees in Venice, but they are generally more common on the western part of the island. Parts of the city looked somewhat similar to Tokyo DisneySea, and I'm guessing it's one source of inspiration for that park. Nobody here. This would not be the case in the afternoon. Another random chruch. This is what construction looks like in Venice. There is actually a park in Venice. No, not an amusement park. Random statue. A pathway lined with foliage. Picture of my sister and dad. My brother declined inclusion in this picture. This statue was in the middle of a pond. Since we had passes for Venice's aquatic transportation system, we decided to head out to Lido for a short while. Fun Fact: I have stepped into the Mediterranean Sea, but I haven't entered the Atlantic Ocean despite visiting a beach on last year's North East tour. Night begins to fall on St. Marks Square. We never bothered to visit St. Mark's Basilica. It just wasn't of importance to any of us. We also didn't go up the Campanile because seeing the city by foot is better than getting an overview from the tower. Night falls in the city of Venice. And thus our short stay in the city ends. I'm glad we visited, but I don't see much draw in going back. Oh, one more picture. Venice has named streets just like any other city, but here the signs are painted onto the sides of buildings.

I'm pretty sure the 2013 addition to Kings Dominion will be an expansion of the kids area and/or a new adult flat ride just like others have suggested. I would be very surprised if the park is getting a coaster both because they just got Intimidator 305 a couple years ago and because Cedar Fair is already building at least two coasters next year. The chain isn't one that's known to install several major coasters at various parks in the same year, and with Cedar Point and CGA both getting one, and Knott's likely getting a coaster as well (all three of which are in much greater need of a new coaster than Kings Dominion), I just don't see a new coaster happening at Kings Dominion next year. I'd say that there's a good chance the park will be getting a new coaster in 2014/2015, but just not 2013.

Not that it says anything for sure, but all the Six Flags parks that got new coasters in 2012 are getting either a waterpark attraction or a show for 2013. I couldn't see a show being well recieved at SFMM, so maybe we'll see a new waterpark attraction (ideally a ProSlide Rocket or a multi-slide complex) for 2014. If they put it where Flashback was, it would be real easy to connect the parks (although I'd probably prefer Hurricane Harbor stay a separate charge with two-park tickets than become an included waterpark).

At thrill parks (Six Flags/Cedar Fair) theming isn't really important to me. The more intense the ride is, the less attention I'm going to pay to other things while riding, and while a nicely decorated queue line is better than a generic cattle pen it's not going to make any difference whether I ride or not. At a park like Disneyland where the focus is on heavily themed attractions and areas, it is necessary, but for most thrill parks it's more whether the park looks nice or not than whether it is heavily themed. There is a difference between landscaping and theming, and every park needs good landscaping but not necessarily good themeing.

Warning, technical post ahead... According to the laws of conservation of energy, the potential plus kinetic energy at the top of the lift will equal the kinetic energy at the bottom of the first drop (this is a rough and simplified example, so we'll ignore friction and drag). Kinetic energy is equal to half the mass times the velocity squared, or 1/2mv^2, and potential energy is equal to mass times height times the acceleration due to gravity at a point, or mgh (we'll use 32.2 ft/s^2 as an approximation). Therefore, by applying algebraic concepts, the speed at the bottom of the first drop (in feet per second) is the square root of the velocity of the lift (in feet per second) squared plus twice the height times the acceleration due to gravity, or sqrt(v^2+2gh). This will give the answer in feet per second, and to convert it to miles per hour, multiply the answer by 3600/5280 (approximately 0.682). Applying this math, and assuming the speed of the lift is negligibe, you get: The maximum possible speed of a 91 foot tall coaster (such as Grizzly) is approximately 52 MPH The maximum possible speed of a 70 foot tall coaster (such as Giant Dipper) is approximately 45 MPH The maximum possible speed of a 108 foot tall coaster (such as Gold Striker) is approximately 56 MPH So while some speeds are likely exagerrated, most of them are probably pretty close to the actual speed. This method won't get you the true top speed, but it can prove if the "official" speed for a ride is high (however, keep in mind that lift speed can play a role, especially in coasters with cable lifts, and the full drop length must be taken into account if the ride drops below ground level). If the laws of physics don't allow that speed to be achieved in an ideal case, it won't occur in a real world case.

Let's see what I can say this year... New Rides: I didn't personally ride Wild Eagle, and while I have heard it's good, I would have expected either Leviathan or Radiator Springs Racers to end up winning this. I'm also surprised that Oz'Iris (which has gotten so-so reviews) ended up on here while Transformers: The Ride 3D (which has gotten rave reviews) didn't even make the top five. As for waterparks, I don't follow waterpark additions much outside of my local waterparks, but Mammoth seems deserving of the win. Best Park: Every year, the same parks end up on here. I think I've said it before, but I've been to four parks on this list (Cedar Point, Dollywood, Disneyland, and Busch Gardens Williamsburg) and I would easily rank Cedar Point last out of those four. I usually don't pay too much attention to international parks since 80% of the voters come from North America, but I've got a feeling there are a few others that deserve to be on here. If you look only at US parks, Holiday World is one I would say belongs somewhere in the top ten, yet isn't. Top Ten Steel: I must say that this year's steel list is probably the worst I've seen. Too many rides are ranked highly that shouldn't be, and several rides should be higher than where they placed. Even though I'm not the biggest fan of super intense rides like Intimidator 305, and can understand how some people might not enjoy those rides, based on what I've heard from others that and Skyrush are much more deserving of being in the top ten than most of the B&Ms or Magnum. Also, Millennium Force is not the best coaster in North America. Just for fun, here's where my top ten steel coasters ranked... 1. Bizarro (SFNE)-2nd 2. Intimidator-7th 3. Maverick-21st 4. Griffon-26th 5. Xcelerator-did not place in top 50 6. Leviathan-22nd 7. Dominator-did not place in top 50 8. Afterburn-45th 9. Tatsu-28th 10. Top Thrill Dragster-13th Top Ten Wood: I actually think the wood list this year was pretty accurate, at least the top ten. I've been on six of the top ten, and other than swapping Boulder Dash and Thunderhead they are in the same order on my list. However, I do rank Raven lower and several other woodies higher. My biggest annoyance with the wood list is that rides like GhostRider and Boss continue to place on the list, especially as high as they do. Almost everyone I know would easily rank Apocalypse or American Thunder ahead of GhostRider, and while I haven't been on most of the woodies ranked below Boss I have a feeling many enthusiasts would rank most of them ahead of it. Also, the biggest WTF of the year in my opinion...Mean Streak is on the top 50! Even if only talking about North American woodies, that should not happen. Other Awards: I generally don't pay much attention to the other awards simply because they are either more accurate, rarely change, or aren't things I notice or care much about when visiting the park. However, I would really like to know how Idlewild outranks both US Legolands for best children's park. I haven't been to Idlewild, but I've visited Legoland California a number of times and it seems like the ideal park for elementary-aged children and under. Although I always look forward to the Golden Ticket Awards, I have never really put too much weight on them. It's just fun to see how my opinions differ from what the voters say. Usually, I just figure that if a park or ride makes it onto the list, it is probably a good one. If Nitro ranks 3rd on the steel coaster list, I don't think of it as the 3rd best steel coaster in North America, but I do think of it as a top tier coaster. I also pretty much ignore opinions of international parks and rides in these awards, as due to the voting system they are unfairly represented and don't stand a chance for the most part. For finding the top tier parks and rides in North America, Golden Tickets are helpful (just ignore the ratings and look at the entire lists of finalists). For accurate opinions on which coasters are the best, Mitch Hawker's poll is usually my preferred resource. For opinions on parks in general, especially those outside North America, I trust Robb, Elissa, and TPR's other frequent travellers.

It looks pretty good, but I'd suggest a few modifications. 1. If you don't mind making a slight detour, head to Quassy for a couple hours before heading to Lake Compounce. Wooden Warrior is one of the best coasters for its size, and the detour would only add about 45 minutes of driving time. Lake Compounce will only take 1/2 to 2/3 of a day anyway. 2. Don't try to drive from Massachusetts to Ohio in one day. It is a very long drive. Instead, take one day to drive from Massachusetts to Niagara Falls, then stay in the Buffalo area. The next day, drive to Cedar Point with a stop at Waldameer. 3. Instead of going Hersheypark, Knoebels, Busch Gardens, Kings Dominion, do it in this order: Knoebels, Hersheypark, Kings Dominion, Busch Gardens. This will allow you to avoid a day for just driving. As for the San Francisco parks, it really depends on what you're schedule is. They're both decent parks, but neither of them are really anything special. If you're driving from San Francisco to Los Angeles, I'd recommend California's Great America since it's on the way, but otherwise Six Flags Discovery Kingdom might be the better option (it's a little closer to San Francisco and has a slightly better coaster collection). As for your bashes question, the US bashes are usually during the US trips which typically occur in July and August. Announcements usually occur two to three months ahead. I wouldn't shift your trip to make a bash, as the dates you've selected are probably better for crowds and based on the trip questionnaire it's pretty unlikely they'll be an East Coast Bash next year. I don't have much experience with the East Coast parks as I've only visited most of them once, but I'm guessing that other than Six Flags New England you probably won't need any of the skip the line passes at this time of year. Of course, it's always a good idea to be prepared to buy it in case you find large crowds.

I was just there yesterday, and found people lining up for RSR Fastpasses as soon as early entry started. I don't understand why people use their hour of early entry waiting for a Fastpass when the line was only 30 minutes during that period (it later peaked at 75 minutes, and the single rider got up to 45). Luigi's averaged 30 minutes and Mater's never got above 10 minutes. Anyway, Sunday will probably be quite a bit more crowded, so I'd recommend getting there 30-45 minutes before opening. If your family all wants to ride RSR, get in line for Fastpasses as soon as you can (they ran out within an hour yesterday). If you can, give all the tickets to one person and go do Luigi's and possibly Mater's while they wait (I don't know how long Luigi's will take). If you're by yourself, you're probably better off skipping the Fastpass line and going straight to Luigi's. Afterward, use single rider on RSR, then do Mater's. If you get lucky and most of the early entry crowd is at RSR or in the Fastpass line (leaving short waits at the flats), you could be done in an hour. However, I'd allow two hours to get all three rides done (if Luigi's has a line, it will move very slowly and RSR's single rider could be very long, although it generally moves fairly quickly). Other rides at DCA will probably be busy, but with the draw of Cars Land you probably won't see more than 45 minutes for other rides. Single Rider is available on several rides, and using these lines will usually cut your wait to around 10 minutes (except for Soarin' and RSR). Disneyland will likely be a little less crowded since 2 E-tickets are down (Haunted Mansion and Indiana Jones Adventure), but still expect 30-45 minute waits. If you have a full day and use Fastpass efficiently, you shouldn't have a problem doing everything. Just try to minimize backtracking, and ride the Fantasyland rides (if you're doing any of them) during a parade or after the fireworks.

Disneyland Resort, since I want to go at least once more before my pass expires in mid-October. I'll probably get to the Los Angeles County Fair before then, but I don't count fairs as parks.

I've only been to four Disney parks, so this list is likely to change in the future. Hopefully nothing else becomes last place, however. 1. Disneyland-The original and one of my favorite parks period. Even though I visit at least half a dozen times per year, I've never gotten tired of this park. Many of the attractions are among the best of their type, and this park has more unique attractions than most of the Magic Kingdom parks. 2. Disney California Adventure Park-It's a lot better after the refurbishment, but I still feel it just doesn't have enough to do. I've never been able to spend more than four hours here without running out of attractions I care about, and even with Cars Land I still wouldn't recommend devoting a full day to this park except at the most crowded times. 3. Disneyland Paris-It's not quite as good as California's Disneyland, but I still enjoyed this park. I found very few of the problems that are commonly mentioned (slow operations, bad cast members, etc.). I really enjoyed the alternate versions of many attractions that were present at this park, as most of the attractions are similar but not identical to those found elsewhere. I do hope they add some of the newer attractions, however, as this park did feel like it was stuck in the 90s. 4. Walt Disney Studios Paris-This is by far the worst Disney Park I've been to. There are very few attractions, and most of what they have is overrated and low capacity. In addition, the theming looks cheap and tacky, almost like the original California Adventure theming. I will say, however, that even though this is my least favorite Disney park it is still in the upper 1/3rd of parks I've been to (just not in the top 15% like the other Disney parks) and I'd definitely go back when returning to Disneyland Paris (like DCA, I'd just never spend a full day here).

Space Mountain at Disneyland yesterday. Would have been California Screamin', but the ride was down a good part of the afternoon so I never got the chance to ride it a second time.

This area of the park is going to look so different when I next visit in November. While I will miss Perilous Plunge, I'm very excited to see what will be replacing it. Given that it will likely be gone within two weeks, I'm guessing the ride will just be torn apart and won't be relocated, but we shall see.

This looks like an entertaining game. I don't have an iPhone, but I'm guessing it will work fine on my iTouch. If so, I'll download it tonight and perhaps play with it tomorrow at Disneyland.