YoshiFan

Marathon Weekend is the 7th and 8th, marathon races are run all over the WDW area. I was there the first week in January this year and last year. Last year crowds weren't too bad but this year they picked up more. It wasn't jammed but the major rides had up to an hour wait standby. Over at Universal, IoA was packed, Forbidden Journey was posted at 120 minutes standby in the middle of the day on the Wednesday of that week. I later found out that schools went back later than normal this year because of the way the holidays fell on the calendar. I think the same thing will happen this year because this year they offered free dining the first week of January, for 2012 they did not until the 2nd week. It can be warm or freezing. Last year, it was in the 40's most days and one day we left the hotel to go to Animal Kingdom and it was 39 out. By night it was in the mid 30's. This year, it was in the 70's and much more comfortable. Because Big Thunder Mountain is closing on January 9th, Splash Mountain will not be closed this year.

Skyrush, probably the only new for 2012 coaster I will ride not counting Stinger.

And all the numbers are including every seat is filled which is probably never the case, probably on Medusa an average of 4+ seats are going empty on every train. At Great Adventure I have seen as many as 9 seats go empty on the B&M's which can be very frustrating.

Last time I was there for Christmas Candylane, the Wave Swinger was open and they moved one of the Merry Dip Fun Slides into Comet Hollow as well.

The new trains caused less headbanging but I noticed a rattle/vibration throughout the entire ride the entire circuit when I rode the coaster in 2008 and 2009. It was so bad that I didn't go for re-rides on either trip even though it was a 1 or 2 train wait. I hope to get there next year to try it. I won't miss Jersey Junkyard. I waited almost 20 minutes for it in 2005 and couldn't believe how short the ride was and not that great. I will miss Curse of the Mummy a little but not too much. I'd like to see Morey's get an interactive dark ride at some point though.

Yeah you are right, it was texts

The LoQ for phones is already being used at Lake Compounce. I used it last year and it was great. You buy credits for $1.00 each and each ride takes a certain number of credits, 1 - 3 depending on the ride and crowds that day. When I was there the coasters were 2 credits each, everything else was 1 credit. It was well worth $1.00 per person to skip a 30 minute line at Ghost Hunt and the Log Flume.

I guess reading coaster/park message boards and playing a lot of video games. Unfortunately, my other main interest after riding coasters is baseball which almost follows the coaster season, from April to October so it makes the off season extra boring. I'm considering going to Sesame Place next month for their holiday event since it is only a 30 minute drive and their Vekoma Jr. Coaster is going to be open if it is warm enough out, so that will at least give me a small coaster fix. And every year I'm still hoping that Hershey will consider at least opening up a coaster or two for Christmas Candylane. I'd gladly drive almost 2 hours even for Trailblazer. I don't understand why they can't. Sunday at Great Adventure it was in the mid 30's during the last hour the park was open and they didn't shut down any rides because of the cold so the rides can run in cold weather. April 7th (Great Adventure's opening day) can't come soon enough.

Whatever they decide, if it is reasonably priced and not limited hours I will consider getting it. Since getting a Great Adventure pass in 2008 and going to the park 59 times from 2008 - 2011, I have eaten in the park twice because I am not willing to pay the prices they charge for food. A burger and fries is $10.99, add a soda for $3.49 and it's over $15 with tax. I almost always eat right outside the park at WaWa and can get a sandwich, a bag of chips and a soda for under $6 and sometimes plan my trips to the park so I am not in the park during meal time or can wait until after I leave the park, like if I am going from 5:30 to 10:00 like this past Sunday, I had a late lunch and ate dinner after I got home. With a meal plan, I'd probably stop doing that and eat at the park every time I am there. I know season passholders have a reputation of not spending money in parks, but I do spend money on arcade games and will occasionally buy some souvenir when they have discounted items.

Great Adventure never lets people coming up the exit have the front or back row unless there are so many people at the exit it can fill up a whole train (Spring Break 2010, I had a Funatics exit pass and still had to wait 20 minutes for Nitro and a couple of times they let exit pass people take the whole train and I got the last row). They also require a boarding time for anyone with a disability, they have to wait the length of the line just not in the actual line. I saw people getting a ride time last week.

Superman Ultimate Flight at Great Adventure last night around 10:30, last train of the season.

Steel Force about 8 hours ago.

Until the accident on the Zamperla Wild Mouse at Gillian's in Ocean City, NJ in 1999, the City Jet at Gillian's, Flitzer and Miler Wild Mouse at Playland's Castaway Cove all ran without restraints. It was a lot of fun riding a coaster with no type of restraint. Sadly all had seatbelts added to them. Great photos, that log flume looked really nicely themed.

I have only ridden Demon Drop at Dorney and am not really a fan of the ride. I don't like the cars, if you have broad shoulders there really isn't enough room between seats and if you sit at one of the end seats, there isn't a lot of room there either. The drop itself is great but it is really painful at the part where you are lowered from lying down to reversing. Not about the ride itself but I also wasn't happy to see the bumper cars removed for the ride.

The first Friday night of Frightfest is usually very empty, this year they were actually going to be closed that night but I guess because they moved the buyout, they decided to open the park not just for those attending the Gay night. I was there today and I agree that they really tried to keep the lines moving. I wasn't sure how great operations would be since I thought it might be difficult to find enough ride ops to work on a Monday in October but everything was running the maximum amount of trains and they had both sides of Rolling Thunder and the Skyway open plus the Log Flume. I was very impressed.

Dark Knight at Great Adventure today

I let it go for 2 reasons. First I usually go to parks alone so if it's a group cutting, I don't want to take any chances after seeing past altercations with others. Secondly, even if I did report it, nothing will happen when I go to Great Adventure which is probably around half my park trips. Twice I have been in line for Superman and have been cut, others near me in line reported it and both times the cutters didn't get in trouble at all and the first time, the group was threatened by the cutters after the guards left. Even at Dorney where I also go to a lot, they usually get away with it. Only once did I see someone removed from the line. It bothers me when people cut in line but I just deal with it.

Rolling Thunder right track at Great Adventure 2 days ago.

With the low capacity, I could see them having it as an upcharge to Gold or Platinum Flashpass like how X2 is at Magic Mountain.

There are so many visits I skip Rolling Thunder because of how slow the dispatches are. In June, the line was still in the station and it was close to a 20 minute wait only having to wait 4 trains. I won't wait more than 2 trains. 2 weeks ago the line was just at the end of the stairs. In the mid 90's, that would have been a 15 minute wait, now it's probably close to 45 minutes.

Superman at Great Adventure, there are only 2 small sets of switchbacks so most of the queue is just a long walk to the station. Even without any line it takes a while to walk through it. Green Lantern at Great Adventure for excessive switchbacks, I know they have been used but the entire set of switchbacks at the beginning of the queue can't be bypassed so when that part of the line is not full, you either have to walk through all of them or climb through an opening (which I don't like doing but if you don't, others will and then you get cut). Kingda Ka's original queue, I know it was only used for a few months but I remember hearing it could hold a 7 or 8 hour line.

Great Adventure for Fall Family Fun Night (season passholder night).

Sounds like the complete opposite of opening night for Haunt last year, 90 degrees and no rain. I was originally planning to go tonight but I didn't even expect the park to open and didn't feel like walking around in the rain.

Disney World doesn't on most coasters (or all of them?). They ask you to check the restraint yourself to make sure it is locked.

It's just one of the entrance gates at the front of the park and isn't always open.