StuckInSD

I'd like to imagine the guys working at Shibaolai tying their necks to that Star Flyer and hanging themselves in shame. Without the seats, it looks like a glorified weed whacker.

Unless I wait for the front or back specifically, most of the time I get crammed in the middle. Now, this has produced some great experiences (like Manta in San Diego) and some incredibly bad ones (like Ghostrider). I'd choose the front over the back more often than not, mainly so I can see the ride unhindered by heads and that I'm deathly afraid of whiplash. But out of the three, I'd still choose the middle; I get the best luck with floater time.

Both Giant Dippers look very nice, akin to a bygone era of boardwalk amusement. In particular, the colors on Santa Cruz's version just make it pop. It's historical! Seriously, this thing is ancient. Of course, Belmont. <3

Manta at SeaWorld takes the cake for me. It's a very pretty projection and the train rocks back and forth. All are pretty distractions, as it grabs your attention long enough to make you forget that you're about to be launched straight into an ridiculous air-time monster.

I'd probably still rank it far below the 1st incarnation of Disney's California Adventure. At least the hat has sort of a cult following; I don't remember anyone having fond memories of Eisner's hack-job. I think a Buena Vista Street approach would be appropriate for a renovation, bringing out more character to properly represent Hollywood's "Golden Age" years. Maybe they could do special events at the theater when new films come out and replicate an old-timey premiere party. That'd be cool!

I got a good selection between SeaWorld, Legoland, and Belmont Park (plus some other micro-credits). But my absolute favorite park is Disneyland (DCA is growin' on me, tho), which is all the way up in Orange County. My 2nd favorite, Knott's Berry Farm, is right up the street from Disneyland. Do note that I have yet to go to Orlando.

I'm right across the bay from Belmont Park, SeaWorld San Diego... and all the Blackfish hippies. All 12 of them.

How else do you think this dysfunctional family makes income? It's gotta come from somewhere. I love living in California, but I'm inclined to agree that some of the folks down here are baaad. They'll sue for just about anything, even if someone looks at them funny, and this is no exception. They should know that this was going to be an adult-oriented event, and they should be thankful that the recommended age is THAT low. Was the actress' colorful language really necessary? Probably not, but it's not like she's directly harming the person's innocence and virginity. People take words way too seriously now these days, and this just reconfirms that. This isn't "nacho cheese burning taste-buds" bad, but it sure is stupid.

Well, you're not wrong. I didn't even realize there was one amusement park left in Myrtle Beach. But you don't see Family Kingdom pushing itself as a go-to destination outside of the surrounding area, something that Hard Rock/Freestyle tried to be, but didn't really do. Also, bad news makes better headlines, so it doesn't surprise me a good little park goes unnoticed. Not that its a bad thing, because at least Family Kingdom is good! Exactly. If I really wanted to spend my time in theme parks on my vacation, I'd head to SoCal or Orlando where there's a ton of parks centered in one area. Myrtle Beach has astounding mini golf and your typical tourist-y beaches, but that's about it. This reminds me of San Diego's city council, but at least they can keep one park above water (i.e. not Belmont). Quite honestly, if Hard Rock/Freestyle Music Park was built around a city with a bigger rock following (or just a bigger city in general), like Cleveland or L.A., it would probably be doing better off. Even then, the way they advertised and projected themselves would have still caused them to lag behind. Trying to establish a new theme park during a financial crisis did help bring it down, but there's so much they could have done to turn the park around. It's sad to see it go, but this just proves the importance of timing and reassuring your product. It was an awesome idea, but the execution, while at first was great, was overall bad. Eh, I guess for now, we can rely on Dollywood as our go-to destination for musician-inspired parks.

I love the small parks we have down here, but my favorite has to go to Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. I'm bias to my Belmont Park, but SCBB is not only older, it's also bigger, has more rides, and really captures that boardwalk feel more than the other parks (for the most part). It's a total tourist trap, but I got my credits, so it was worth it! I haven't been back since Hurricane got swapped out for Undertow, so that definitely warrants a future visit! Sorry, Belmont.

Mine is definitely Knight's Tournament at Legoland California, which is a KUKA "Robocoaster" (huh, so Six Flags wasn't first in that fad). It's a capacity nightmare, but I love it regardless. 5 levels to choose from, and the top level on this thing is insane.

Maybe it's my inner Dragon Ball nerd, but I've always loved the trains on Dodonpa. Never have zebra stripes, cheetah print, and the color pink been so intimidating.

I'd be lying if I didn't admit to strolling around Belmont Park at least once a month, sometimes once a week. Now, with that being said, that doesn't meant I rode something every time... ok, most times, but not every. Beyond that, it's sort of a three-way-tie between Disneyland, Legoland, and SeaWorld. I tend to go to at least two of the three every year.

If Jurassic Park was real, my city would've gotten one of those fancy-shmancy amphitheaters! It'd be like a love-child of SeaWorld and the San Diego Zoo... and the Natural History Museum! Screw the Chargers! Gimme the giant man-eating lizards! However, if it actually played out like in the movies... I'd be dinosaur food when Lost World's plot rolled into the second half.

Goudurix. I think we've had plenty of people have a "taste of danger" for long enough, messed-up spines and all. I'd rather see a wild mouse in that spot than the 7 Inversions of Hell. I mean, they could afford a B&M invert, for God's sake! At least mow it down so that the demonic vortex that has formed within the ride could disperse.

^I couldn't agree more. Everything at Aquatica is on struts and stilts, and I tend to get freaked out when walking up. It feels worse when the steps are slippery and you're freezing in line while the wind is blowing. I'm not a big fan of speed slides, especially after I got a gnarly wedgie on one when Aquatica used to be Soak City, U.S.A. I walked a bit funny for an hour or two after I got off.

Honestly, I would love something along the lines of Maverick or Helix, if not a RMC anything. RMC anything at any Cedar Fair park would be welcomed. And seeing how rough Timber Wolf has gotten, that would be a good jump-in.

Eh, just a guess. The size of the ears and nose match.

If it isn't Matt Ouimet, then I'd guess that's Ryan Stiles of "Whose Line" fame.

My first for the year was Space Mountain at Disneyland, and so far, my last is Manta at SeaWorld San Diego. If I manage to sneak in the Legoland trip this year, then I might end it off on The Dragon or Test Track... or Coastersaurus if I'm foolish enough.

How about The Brooklyn Back Breaker? Now it sounds like the king of Wacky Worms.

^ And swag. I can't help but think of The Tickler when I look at that face on the train in the rendering. Honestly, that face alone would be enough to scare away a few people from the GP... not that I'm complaining, cuz that would mean less people in line! I do like the entrance concept, and it pays homage to the original in a way as well, which is cool. It actually reminds me of the haunted houses and mazes that are all over in the parks right now, especially of Clowns 3D at USH. But for a Six Flags park, this is pretty ballsy of them, and given Magic Mountain's track record, almost sounds like total BS. I guess we won't know until everything is finished, and if they sweep up Scream! in the process, then I'm all for it.

Let's give it a shot! Wodan: +100 Manhattan Express: -100 Ravine Flyer II: +100 Roar: +100 Intimidator 305: +300 Now I hate Manhattan Express even more. 500 isn't bad... ok, it's bad.

So many great things coming in 2015, but I gotta go with Twisted Cyclone. It's RMC's 1st Iron Horse that "duels"/in California, and I have no doubt in my mind that it'll open the floodgates for more of these beauties to hop over to our side of the US. My first candidate for the next RMC-makeover: Ghostrider. Thunderbird is a close second; a launched wing-rider that's 100% B&M at one of my favorite parks, Holiday World. I may not get to ride it anytime soon, but I sure will as soon as I'm able. Really though, I'm excited for just about everything that's coming. 2015 is gonna be a great year for parks!

Sea World sits right on top of Mission Bay, which is also home to Belmont Park (Santa Cruz Boardwalk's little brother), The WaveHouse (basically a stand-alone Boogie Bahn with a bar/club), tons of other bars and diners, sport fishing (including charters), plenty of beaches and hiking/biking paths, and hosts festivals, thunder boat races, and Over-the-Line (which is essentially drunk baseball on the beach; a local favorite). Hallo Sea World & Belmont Park! :3 Head south, and you're right in the middle of downtown San Diego. There's over 70 micro-brewries in San Diego County, and 15 of them are in the city limits. There's also Old Town, where San Diego got its start (and the Wailey House... spoooky). I tend to frequent the Embarcadero a lot, which is where the Maritime Museum and USS Midway are... I like boats. Seaport Village, Gaslamp Quarter, Horton Plaza, Little Italy, Hillcrest- literally anywhere you go, there's gonna be some sort of micro-brewery, some sort of mall, and some sort of tourist trap. And of course, there's the mandatory shout-out to the San Diego Zoo and Balboa Park; yeah, laugh all you want at how "over-glorified" the San Diego Zoo is, but it really is spectacular. Oh, and Comic-Con. The skyline is relatively short, due to the airport right next door. Head north along the 5 and you'll run through the beach communities. There's the Birch Aquarium and beaches in La Jolla, the Del Mar Fairgrounds/Racetrack... with more beaches, in Del Mar, and, my other home park, Legoland (which now triples as an aquarium and water park), in Carlsbad... and more beaches. Credit whores. Credit whores everywhere.