Three

Yesterday I went back to Busch Gardens for my second visit to the park since SheiKra opened (and my fifth overall ride on the coaster). We got in line, went up the lifthill (man, that 45 degree angle freaks me out more than the 90 degree drop), and then at the very top the whole trainload of people starts freaking out. Not because of the ride itself, but because the semicircle between the lifthill and the drop, but because the whole place was swarming with wasps! At first I thought it was just a couple, but once we got to the dangling portion, I saw at least 10 flying around in front of me (I was in a third row seat). I was afraid I'd have mushed wasp on my face, and perhaps a nasty sting for the rest of the day. Fortunately I did not. The wasps were just muddobbers -- scary looking, but rarely do they sting. Still, it was freaky as hell and Busch Gardens really needs to do something about it. I've never seen anything like that before at any other parks -- anybody else ever seen swarms of stinging insects at the top of a lifthill before?

I think I've finally decided on: teh krackin!!1

Currently, in no real order: Steel: Kraken Montu Dueling Dragons Big Bad Wolf Sheikra Kumba Apollo's Chariot Wood: Grizzly Dania Beach Hurricane Rebel Yell

Oh, damn! It just occurred to me, I hadn't counted the new credits I already got this year. That'd put me at about 40 then.

Hmmm... Is there a trainer I could use to have one vehicle type on another track type?

Realistically, I'll probably get a maximum of 36. That includes SheiKra, everything at PKD, BGW, SFOG, and Wild Adventures. I have a couple of longshot chances at trips I probably can't afford in addition to the above, so my final number *could* be higher, but 36 is about as high as I'm expecting. Probably less, as I doubt everything will be open.

I'm doing this in intervals of ten 'cause I prefer precise polls. Hopefully if enough people vote, we'll get a cool little bell curve or something.

Awesome, thanks for the tips Robb! I was really a bit worried before, but I think it's pretty doable.

Yeah, I'm stearing clear on Memorial Day weekend -- I meant the one before.

Yeah, weekends are bad, but which day is the generally the worst? Sunday or Saturday? Due to PKD's lousy schedule, they'll only be open weekends when I'm up there. Also, is the weekend before memorial day generally terrible or not?

Didn't they have one of those at WDW already?

instead of just "rumors" how about "news and rumors"? That way, it would me more encompassing, and might relieve some of the clutter in the "Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, and Donkeys" forum.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4494747.stm This sounds freaking awesome. Not because I'm Hindu or anything -- I just think that Indian culture has some of the most bizarre, out there entertainment around, and I'd love to see what they'd do with a multi-million dollar theme park.

I thought PKD's was higher.... How come both websites claim theirs is tallest?

Linkin. Park.

I'll be headin up to PKD and BGW the 22nd and the 27th respectively. (damn SheiKra for opening the day after we leave for Virginia ) Other than that, nothing besides a trip here and there to BGT and Sea World.

I just picked up RCT2, and I have a few problems with it. Keep in mind, my only experience with the franchise before was the first one (no expansions), but still: - Why does everything have to be a seperate type of coaster? You look on the list in the coaster designer, and there are way too many to choose from, when a lot of them are just decorated versions of other coasters. Did they really have to make the manta ray water coaster different from the regular one? In RCT1, you could simply toggle through different vehicle types. Why did they go and make everything an entirely different kind of coaster in this game? It's way too cluttered this way. - I miss being able to put boosters on the corkscrew coasters. Now my recreation of the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster can't have limo trains. Other than those (admittedly minor) complaints, I'm loving the game.

Whoa, coolness. I just picked up RCT2 -- it's good to see I'm not the only one tinkering around with it! edit: Holy crap! I just noticed the batwing on your flyer. That's awesome!

I say they need to put Scorpion back in its original colors. Its current Orange and Blue scheme is too similar to SheiKra's red and blue. Especially since, from certain angles, they blend right into eachother and it's hard to tell which is which. Bring back the orange and black!

Something just occurred to me which might lend credibility to the pod race rumor. Within the past couple of years (since the prequels came out), the Star Wars store at the exit of the ride was entirely retooled. It went from being the Endor Vendor to the Tatooine Traders. It seems to me, since they just spent all this money redesigning the store, I doubt they'll do it again when they change the ride. I also remember it seeming rather stupid to change from the Endor Vendor to Tatooine Traders -- after all, the whole theme of the current ride is travelling to Endor -- the store's theme before fit perfectly with this. Now it's just like, "huh? I thought we were going to Endor." If the new ride is based on the pod race theme, then the Tatooine theming for the store would fit perfectly. [/nerd]

I dunno, I think the pod racing idea has potential. And I don't know how anybody couldn't like that scene -- I thought that and the duel were the only two good parts of the movie.

http://comingsoon.net/news/topnews.php?id=9301 I just happened across this tidbit. Apparently Lucas wants to retool the Star Tours ride at MGM. It sure could use it. You think they'll make it more prequel-ish? Would you prefer it prequelish or based on the original trilogy? Personally, I don't care. As long as it's better than it is now....

I'll answer what I know.... No, it doesn't take long to get from one park to another. Half an hour maximum on a bus from one park to another. Though I'm not sure you could realistically do everything at WDW in two days. Maybe three -- it depends on what you're interested in doing. If you're just in it for the coasters, then you could probably do it all in a day or two. However, if you really want the full effect, I would suggest at least another day. You don't need to take any toll roads between the parks. Everything is pretty much along Interstate-4, which is entirely free.

Well yeah, I plan to get RCT2 (it's pretty cheap these days)... I'd just like to get the original expansions first

While that is certainly cheap, is there any way I could get just the expansions for cheaper?