Hilltopper39

^Wow, that is a pile of trash! This picture reminded me of how much I absolutely HATED that que line! It was like they just stuck a bunch of switch backs on whatever available concrete they could find near the ride and called it a day.

I don't think that I've ever seen any of the Rocky and Bulwinkle show (at least not enough to leave a lasting impression) but Ripsaw Falls is still one of my favorite attractions at IOA and maybe ever. I'm sure that if you know the characters than you would enjoy it more but that attraction (IMO) is good enough to stand alone for an audience that has never seen the show. I kind of like Toon Town for that reason, it's sort of a throwback to classic cartoons and comic strips that don't really exist anymore, it's has a weird nostalgic feel to it. How many people that ride Tower of Terror have actually watched the Twilight Zone series? I never have, but it doesn't take away from the ride experience for me.

I don't necessarily think we will see more big time ooh games with the 4 team playoff format. I may be wrong but I have a feeling that for elite programs there is more to lose with one loss to anyone than there is to gain with a win over a major out of conference opponent. If the format was 16 teams with 11 conference champions automatically qualifying and 5 at larger bids we would see more major ooc games but with only 4 teams playing for the title every game will be as valuable as it is now. Translation, one loss still might put you out of contention so big name teams will likely still schedule very conservatively.

^Yeah, very well said there. I mean I really like watching Oregon play football, and West Virginia and Oklahoma State and all of those teams, but there is a reason that no one in the SEC runs that style of offense. When Oregon played Auburn in the BCS title game a few years ago Auburn really wasn't that good defensively and Oregon had one of the most prolific offenses in the history of college football yet one player nearly shut them down and completely changed that game. Another things that those teams have going against them is that they tend to play these marquee match ups the first week of the season or in a bowl game after team has had several weeks to prepare for the quirky offense. I'd love to see Oregon play at Georgia (or wherever) in October when they only have 1 week to put it together. One of the things I like about the idea of a playoff with conference champs being automatic qualifier's is the idea that a non-conference loss won't hurt your championship aspirations as much. If that were the case, in theory, I think you would see a lot of major programs schedule more big time non conference matchups however with only a 4 team playoff in the works this probably won't be the case. Anyways, back to the current season, this weekend is probably the best weekend of football thus far with 5 games between top 25 teams not including Miami at Notre Dame in Soldier Field. I'm really looking forward to LSU @ Florida and Georgia @South Carolina (SEC homer I know) as well as West Virginia at Texas. All 4 SEC teams mentioned still have a lot to prove as far as being a national contender so it should be nice to see what that teams do in big time games (my picks are Florida and Georgia). WVU @ Texas? First one to 60 wins I guess....

I remember reading back when The Forbidden Journey at IOA opened that there were a lot of complaints about larger people not being able to ride, then I also remember reading somewhere a few months later that there was some sort of upgrade in the works for the ride vehicles to accommodate larger guests. Does anyone know of this ever happened? Did they add some type of "Big Boy" seat? (I know this question is kinda out of the blue but I'm planning a trip some friends and am curious if we can all fit)

Yeah, that was a classic Tony Romo 5 picks on MNF performance. Elsewhere in the NFL the circus that is the NY Jets continues to spiral out of control, seriously that team is a complete mess and they looked absolutely awful against the 49ers. They have no weapons on offense, their best defensive player is out for the year, and then there's Tebow. In pro sports they always say (and I don't know who "they" is but I've heard it many times) if you are going to be bad at least be interesting, so I say throw Tebow in and lets see what happens.

Sounds like a pretty good event, thanks for the info!

I did a quick search and didn't find what I was looking for, so forgive me if this is the wrong thread for this question, but is the California Version of the Mickey's Halloween Party basically the same thing as the Florida version? Any major differences? Is the admission still limited like Florida? Parade and Halloween Fireworks? Does California do anything cool that Florida doesn't? Thanks!

^The only reason that I thought Knoebels was maybe a candidate for a High-5 coaster wasn't because of their collection of and tendency to build wooden coasters, but because they seem like one of the only parks in America that can get away with some more relaxed standards legally. How many rides are at Knoebels now that you would never see be able to operate at a Six Flags or similar chain park? If they can trust their guests to stand in a station without que gates and not throw themselves in the way of oncoming trains then maybe they can trust them to sit responsibly on a roller coaster? I don't know if Knoebels can finincially justify building a multi million dollar dual track multi train coaster, and I didn't ride the High-5 like you guys so I don't know how crazy it really was, but I would think if anywhere in America could get away with one without getting sued like crazy it would be Knoebels. How was the Wooden Coaster at Knight Valley? I haven't see very many "reviews" of that one yet, but the pictures you guys posted looked amazing.

Agree, I've heard the argument that 5 guys is expensive before too and also don't get it. Yeah it's a bit more expensive than Mconalds or Burger King, but as far as a counter service style up scale fast food goes its about on par price wise with Panera, Moes, Newks, Chipolte, Firehouse, or any other place like that. A burger fries and drink is about $10, which to me is a reasonable price for what ya get.

I'm all for the new offensives that find creative ways to get the ball to your athletes in space but I feel like at the end of the day you have to be able to line up, line men with their hands on the ground, QB under center, and run iso/power and there's an awful lot of pteams that just don't do that anymore. I like what Oregon does a lot actually, they run the ball almost more than they throw it at times and their running game is a downhill power option that just takes place out of the shotgun. Those offenses work just fine when you have superior talent but against guys who can make plays in space, and defensive fronts that dominate the line of scrimmage it's a lot harder to establish continuity and grind out long drives.

Geno Smith is a great player no question with an incredible arm, I just don't see him putting up those kind of numbers against halfway decent defenses. I've never been a huge fan of that style of offense simply because I think it makes your defense soft in the process.

The Big 12 is terrible on defense, that West Virginia Baylor game was ridiculous. Poor technique, poor tackling, poor effort defensively for both trams. I know they are great offensively but come on, 70-63? Come on.

Yeah I was a bit surprised at that one last night, but then again Thursday night games are always weird.

^I agree, but I have a feeling the magnetic trims help to significantly reduce maintenance costs and off season repairs that are necessary to keep that thing half way ride able year in and year out.

I was kind of joking about the where ya from and where does it rank thing, but thanks for all the feed back! I've always just found it interesting much of a love/hate relationship a lot of enthusiasts have with the Beast. Everyone I know from Ohio are Beast fanatics but most enthusiasts I know have it as either a top 3 or no where near the top 20 kind of ride. While it's personally one of my favorite coasters for nostalgic reasons it's no where near as good as it once was, and I'd be all for some type of extensive overhaul with additional ride features, new trains maybe even an extended layout to make the longest coaster in the world again. Not that it's a bad ride now, I just think with some of the advances in modern design it could be an incredible experience once again.

^The new hot Turkey Roaster Sandwiches at Arby's are really good, I prefer Arby's over the majority of fast food chains any day. Arby's Turkey Sandwiches and Chik-Fil-a Spicy Chicken are my fast food "go-to's".

I'm from Kentucky and it used to be in my top 5 but recent rides on it fall somewhere near the bottom of my top 10. Anyone else care to share what state they are from and how the Beast ranks for them?

"^GASP! How dare you utter such blasphemous words about the God of all wooden roller coasters. The spirit of the Beast will eat your soul for such horrendous remarks." -All Ohioans

Interesting, kind of a strange partnership but I could see it working.

I'm a big Whatburger fan too and probably rank it just slightly below 5 Guys in the grand scheme of things fast food burgers. I'm kind of surprised that Dairy Queen ranked dead last, I mean it's obviously not gonna win a Michelin star anytime soon but as far as crappy fast food joints go I've always thought Dairy Queen was way better than Mcdonalds or Burger King and many others? It is unfortunate the the best Dairy Queen's are usually in the worst parts of town though......

I've seen this site through several different outlets and it seems like an interesting concept. I've personally never donated any money to any project because the whole thing seemed a little sketchy no matter how great the project was, but I may re-consider in the future. There was one last fall where 3 guys from Kentucky were trying to raise 2 million or so dollars to fund a Superbowl commercial to promote the state of Kentucky. That one seemed pretty cool to me(native Kentuckian), but I never donated because I thought the goal was way out of reach. They did eventually fail but said they would try again this year for the 2013 Superbowl, and if they so I'll give em a couple of dollars.

^Yeah that's a rough stretch right there, we'll see how good they really are. Georgia definitely won out in the SEC scheduling roulette of death this year by avoiding LSU, Bama, and Arkansas (which obviously now isn't that big of a deal but pre-season was). I think I still like Georgia to win the East, but I wouldn't be surprised if Florida or South Carolina wins out. Like I said earlier, the style of ball South Carolina plays with Lattimore healthy they can play with anyone.

I kind of like the new podcasts app myself. I can have instant access to the 4 or 5 podcasts I regularly listen to without having to go to itunes and search and check for new content and download each podcast individually. Give it a chance, I think it makes the podcasts much more accessible.

^Yeah, the more I watch South Carolina the more I think they really do have a shot to compete with Alabama. They are fast and physical on defense and have a nice downhill power running game, which you have to have to beat Alabama. I think Bama is way to athletic defensively for someone to throw the ball all over them or successfully run any type of fancy finesse offense option offense (see West Virgina or Oregon). With that being said to beat them I think you have to take some shots down field through the air and I don't know if South Carolina's QB (who ever it might be) is good enough to complete big time throws against that secondary under pressure. I think Georgia is better match up on paper to beat Bama, but if Lattimore get 30 carries Carolina has a shot against anyone (Browns and Jaguars included).