Nozzy

OK Larry, posted reviews for Steel Pier and Aquatica Orlando for an even 10 total.

OK, got reviews up for the 4 Florida Disney parks, bringing my total to 8. Need to run, but will check for more later.

^^Alright Larry, I have 4 new reviews up (Dollywood, SeaWorld Orlando, Legoland, Busch Gardens Tampa), and I can try to get some more in though I already have most of the parks I've visited. I might need to stretch my mind back pretty far, I want to at least get to 5.

Nice flyer, maybe I'll try something like that in our student office. I'm still working toward $75 minimum as well, a little less than half-way there. Any help will be really appreciated!

You are so right about Pigeon Forge. Thank you for showing us the Jurassic Jungle Boat Ride. I am baffled by its existence every time I drive by it, and have always wondered just how bad it is...

^^^Thanks for starting me off Jeremiah!

I had an intro before, but figured I'd try again and add pictures. I'm Steve, a structural engineering grad student at Virginia Tech. I grew up with Great Adventure just minutes away, which is where I really got into coasters and had my first job, operating rides- I managed to run almost every coaster there at some point or another. I know that it's still a long shot, but I'd love to become a coaster engineer. I found TPR almost 10 years ago and that's when I started to see just how many beautiful parks and great rides are out there, and been invaluable for planning trips. After never getting to any events I actually got to 3 bashes last year and hope to get to more this season. Other than coasters, when I'm not studying I play video games- I love Nintendo franchises, puzzle games, and got pretty good at DDR and Rock Band during college. I read when I have time- lots of science fiction and dystopias. I also volunteer at a local one screen nonprofit movie theatre, which has been a lot of fun and let me see awesome weird indie movies. I'm happy to be able to put my coaster riding to good use with this event, and appreciate any help I can get. I'm currently bringing up the rear of Team TPR at King's Dominion, so please help me try to catch up with the others! My page is https://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/nozzy/KingsDominion. Thanks! While my friends spent Spring Break at the beach, I went to Legoland! Showing off my research beams Please donate so I don't get eaten!

SkyRush at Hersheypark.

I really liked both Adventure Express and Vortex when I visited, so I'd try to take a spin on both of them. AE is definitely a nice Minetrain, I know others have bad opinions on Vortex. Otherwise, make sure to ride Beast at night after dark. I found it made a big difference.

Here's something rather old: GAdv's Runaway Minetrain This is the main operator panel, a lot simpler than all those new B&M's posted. Sorry the buttons can't be read, they are: Auto Mode Light/Trouble Light/Ride Stop Control Power Key/Lap Bar Release/Lift Start Advance Train/Air Gates/Dispatch Train The panel is a bit interesting as it has changed over the years. The labels suggest that only one button was originally needed for advance/dispatch, but now both must be pressed for either. The release lap bar button works the lap bars that replaced the originals, but it had some quirks as well. The button HAD to be pressed every cycle to release the lap bars- if it was not pressed, the train would not dispatch. Additionally, it could be used only once per cycle, so after the lap bars automatically relocked after a timer, attendants had to use the pedals to release any bars. The rest of the controls for maintenance are on the panel behind the operator: These buttons include the block indicator lights, brake releases, maintenance mode keys, and the E-Stop. I've got another panel unlike any posted so far, but before I post that, I'd like to get some donations for Coasting for Kids. Please consider contributing using the banner in my signature, and once I get a total of $25 from TPR I'll post another set.

I am in with the King's Dominion group! url: https://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/nozzy/KingsDominion Hey everyone, I'm Steve and while I don't post too regularly I've been lurking around TPR for nearly 10 years. I grew up in NJ and grew to love coasters thanks to Great Adventure being so close by. I had my first job there operating rides, and now am in graduate school at Virginia Tech for structural engineering, hoping to design coasters someday. I also am into video games, consider DDR my main form of exercise, and reading science fiction. I've never done a charity event like this before, and never knew much about Give Kids the World, but after reading about their mission I feel like this is a great first event to try out. I know how much visiting parks has brought joy to my life and given my family so many bonding experiences, and allowing these children's families to have similar experiences is great. I'm glad that TPR is promoting this event as it prompted me to act, and am thankful for any support! Thanks, Steve

Unsure of how you handle name changes, but the Sideshow Spin at Dollywood no longer has Veggietales theming. Here's the new sign:

Here's pictures of Revolution's signs from Lake Compounce:

I don't know if I just have really good luck, but both weekdays I went last summer had at least 2 trains on everything except Hurler (I305 started with 1, got a huge line, then ran as a walk-on the rest of the day with 2). I've always felt lines at KD were always of acceptable length, except Volcano and Shockwave. Until I went to Haunt (which is a completely different beast) I had never had wait times more than 30 minutes for anything other than those 2. I'm a bit nervous how much waits will increase, mainly for Flight of Fear- I feel like Volcano can't get much worse and Intimidator won't really be affected if there's 2 trains (one train is a problem though).

I'll be visiting next week and had two questions: 1. Does anyone know about when the Busch Gardens Shuttle from Orlando arrives at the park (it just says 11:30 at latest), and around how long after closing it leaves? 2. I'll have a back pack with all my stuff in on my last day after checking out of my hotel. Are the single-use storage bunnies outside of rides big enough for backpacks, and is there any sort of time limit on them? (If you can tell me about Seaworld's single use lockers as well I'd appreciate it, I'll be there before checking into hotel). Thanks!

Great job on going the whole day, and thanks for all the updates! It was nice to see how the day went, and the coverage was very amusing, as usual.

I had the opposite reaction- I would go to Dorney a few times a year, enjoy myself every time and could stay there all day. When I went to WoF my friend and I were so bored we left after just 3 hours. I guess the big difference for me was operations. Dorney always tends to run 2 trains on everything and not have any lines when I go. WoF had only one train on everything with waits around 30-45 minutes of listening to pop music at deafening volumes and the ops belittle the other rides in the park. Patriot was a bad Talon clone, Mamba wasn't all that different from Steel Force... the only positive I had about the park was Prowler, which is a great coaster. It was the beginning of the season, but Timberwolf never opened, the park was in pretty bad shape (opening delayed a bit to get bulldozers out of the way). If you could do Silver Dollar City, I'd definitely recommend it instead. It would be further out of your way though, and more expensive... Otherwise, I might consider spending a day in St. Louis, and visit the arch and City Museum, or try for pushing up the others and Indiana Beach (I've never been there though, but I'm trying a similar trip this summer as well, and that's my plan).

You remember when this was? I'm just curious since now it's braked a ton and they won't even let 4 adults ride in a car... wonder if they got stopped sometime

Let's see... King's Dominion Six Flags Over Texas* Silver Dollar City* Worlds of Fun* City Museum* Kennywood* Dorney Park Great Adventure Coney Island (Luna Park/Scream Zone) Keansburg* Jenkinson's Boardwalk Adventure Park USA* Quassy* Six Flags New England Lake Compounce* Carowinds* Six Flags Over Georgia* Dollywood* With all with a * being parks I visited for the first time this season. Overall I've had a pretty good year, I really liked a lot of these places that were first time visits. I'm glad that the Bash events got me to 2 great Six Flags parks too!

^^Both things actually. If I recall correctly The rolls were putting extreme forces on the trains, and after an incident in June 2006 the ride was SBNO until the replacement of the rolls for the new season. Also, the ride had stalled in the rolls in the past... guess it would have just enough momentum to make it into them backwards before stalling.

I've visited the past 2 Saturdays. Both times the park was pretty deserted at opening, with most of the crowds being families. If you hit Dominator before opening, Volcano and Flight of Fear at 10:30, and Shockwave at noon everything else should be smooth sailing. Intimidator hasn't been getting any real line til the afternoon. I am a bit puzzled that Dominator's third train was put away last Saturday- they had needed to put it on the week before, and I would imagine that the crowds aren't going to let up at all... I used to think Grizzly was a waste of time. Ride it at night in the back, you shouldn't be disappointed.

^NTAG is the abbreviation for New Texas Giant. Don't ask what the A stands for. I think best airtime goes to El Toro at Great Adventure. You literally fly over the first few hills, and the crossover is ridiculous. Other great contenders are Voyage (so bruised afterward), Shockwave in Texas, and though GeForce did not impress me as much as I hoped it would (it was a rough day), it did have amazing air. Back row of Intimidator 305 can be pretty nice too, especially the first drop.

^I heard the Dominator start-up alert when I was getting to my car around 11 PM and was wondering what was up, so I assume that was it. We left the park from Ironworx though, so I wasn't too close to actually see... I wonder what could have caused that though... weird. I guess I left just in time too, "only" took ~15 minutes to get out of the lot... traffic was crazy though, I'd hate to be randomly passing the park at that time! As you said, home at 3:30 but well worth it. (Might do it again next week, especially if the weather is so perfect again!) I got used to walking through scarezones from time working in parks. They are just actors, and if you remember that then you can make it through- that's not to say you won't be startled at times, but if you walk with a purpose and don't stop to scream you can should keep the tears to a minimum. I benefited from my friends as well- having people who aren't scared and just strolling through, laughing and commenting on the atmosphere, can be very reassuring. Seeing other obviously scared guests make it through can be a confidence boost too. Finally, if you absolutely don't want to go through a Scarezone, you can try to get to the rides without them as long as you aren't in the back right corner of the park at 7. I believe the Dominator path is empty. The junction with the basketball game is safe as well. To get to Intimidator, keep to the right, passing by Backlot Stunt Coaster and Anaconda. For Grizzly, it's a bit trickier, but still doable. The clowns seemed to stay to the right (Shockwave side) of the games midway. Keep to the left of the planters up to the ferris wheel. Go between the Skycoaster and restrooms, avoiding the tunnel. In both of these areas there may be actors chasing people out of the Scarezone, but they generally retreat back afterward. There were also some roaming actors I encountered on International Street, and outside mazes, but going through it is well worth the rides.

Had a great visit yesterday. The park was empty until about 2:00, when crowds for the Haunt started to arrive. Most rides had full queues but the crews were doing a good job of moving them through- they even put the third train on Dominator. I had never been to Haunt before, and I enjoyed the atmosphere- so much fog, and the lights on the tower were awesome. While I am a pretty big chicken, I enjoyed the scarezones I had to pass through for rides, and did actively go through Ironworx, and thought it was pretty cool. The first time through most actors were more talkative than scaring or going after other groups, but on the return I had a pretty good fright. I really liked it. I must also finally recant everything I've said in the past about Grizzly being a complete waste- I finally got the night ride in the back that Skycoastin Steve recommended months ago and was blown away. Thanks Steve!

Thinking about going on a Saturday in October. -Does anyone know if Flight of Fear be open during the daytime hours? I can see on the Haunt map that it is just listed as a Haunted Maze, but can't find anything saying if it's closed all day or just at night. -How intense is the Haunt? I'm quite the wimp at haunted attractions (I'd be going mainly for coasters)