Married a Canadian

I think you are right in that it does fit with the concept of Epcot a bit more and "interactive" is a huge draw nowadays. For me it is just one of these times when I am a little bit too old school I suppose and didn't think they needed all the flashy stuff. I still LOVE the speed test though in either version. Both Potter rides at Universal are amazing and technology wise are jaw dropping. I feel bad critiquing them as they speak for themselves in "wow factor" and ability to draw the GP. I did find however that "Escape from Gringotts", while awesome....just suffered slightly from not quite living up to the hype I had built up for it in my own mind. It had been described to me as "The Mummy on Steroids". When I rode it for the first time I loved it, but not to the extent that it became my favourite ride at Universal. I agree with the poster above about Spiderman/Transformers and The Mummy (couple to Bluto's bilge barges on a hot day) in being my most enjoyable rides at the parks. Sometimes a ride is good and enjoyable, but doesn't quite meet the standard you set for it....which can feel like a letdown. I suppose the lesson is to not have any expectations, but that is almost impossible in the Theme park world. Who doesn't get excited when going on a new ride!?

Definitely: Disney World Canada's Wonderland Universal Orlando Seaworld Orlando Probably: Six Flags Fiesta OR Kings Dominion Would like to but won't have the time next year...Six Flags Great Adventure.

I usually plan a Disney trip or Disney cruise for the "off season". Bit of a shock to the system leaving Toronto in February at minus 25 degrees C and arriving in Florida or the Bahamas! It was more amusing this year with the cold and snow we had up North, the Floridians were telling us how "cold" it was at Disney at the time. All the Torontonians, New Yorkers and Bostonians were in shorts and t-shirts, while the locals were in long sleeves and long trousers!

Fair enough. I think saying "physical assault" is a bit strong though, I don't believe grabbing someone counts as that personally, particularly when said line jumpers had just barged through people (adults and children alike) without worrying who they are knocking out the way. The fact I did not get into trouble at the time told me that I think the GP and park security had had enough as well. Not sure how to educate my son on what is the right thing here if he is the one who has been sent flying by an overzealous line jumper (he wasn't born when this happened thankfully but I recall that other parents at the time backed me up as they couldn't explain to their children why they were being barged.I was 30 years old at the time) I will agree to disagree with you on this one point....which given that I agree with just about everything else you post (and it is your site ) I hope is fair. I will ask the question though...you travel to a LOT of different countries to enjoy this hobby. Do you see a difference in how people treat the queue system, line jumpers, dealing with the "problem punters"? What places would you say handle the situation better than others? I have only visited parks in the US, Canada, France (Disneyland Paris) and my home country of the UK. Do you notice a different approach in the parks you visit worldwide?

In terms of line jumping, I grabbed a couple of teens at Thorpe park in the UK who were just barging through the line with the usual "our mates are at the front" line. It was funny getting the "you can't touch us" (minus expletives) routine from them but them not realising that the WHOLE line they had just jumped agreed with what I did, and they went from having one punter (me) manhandling them to just about everyone else shoving them out the line. Security turned a blind eye to it as well. Sometimes being a teenager counts against you.

. I agree with you Rob, and don't tolerate it myself but sometimes (and I acknowledge on RARE occasions) that stupid looking need or reason to you is actually quite genuine to the parent in question. My son is one of the special needs brigade, from autism right through to mobility. I don't make excuses for it when we travel to theme parks, we work with the system (Fast pass, flash system etc)...and my wife and I make sure that we do everything we can not to take the p*** out of what the park offers in terms of assistance (I loathed the abuse of the Disney DAC as a parent of a genuine special needs child!) We also try to educate my son on doing the right thing and have him try to understand what is going on in the world around him. This of course involves making sure he has gone to the toilet before waiting in a line (be it fast pass or normal). We have been caught in that rare situation when he did not want to use the toilet before going on a ride (and you can't force a child) but did once we got to the front of a line (it was at Disney). In this case the Cast member showed COMPLETE understanding (we were using Fastpass) and allowed us to come back using our DAC (without having to get another time) as one look at my son and our arrangements for him (DAC, doctors letters, hearing aids, orthotics) showed we weren't trying to pull a fast one. I don't know how it looked to the rest of the line, but at that point I did not particularly care as I had done all I could as a parent to try not to upset the general public at large. I had not picked a long line, we had tried to use the bathroom before going on the ride and I had got a fastpass and was using DAC as a plan around the park for the LONG lines. We got caught cold, Disney then did what Disney does best and showed the customer service that makes us return. I know that you visit and see more than I do in the industry, and I am not surprised your patience gets stretched thin because the GP at large can be pretty wearying at times (and I see it myself...and I have seen that DAC being used for things it NEVER should be designed for )...but I just wanted to say that on that very rare occasion...the person who looks like an idiot, really has tried not to be.

Born in 1975. Not a lot from that year that is still operating (only 5 rides). However...to my surprise and delight...Space mountain at the Magic Kingdom was built in that year.....and given that we do a yearly Disney trip, I have been on it. The only other two that I recognised on the list were "Woodstock express" at Carowinds (I doubt I will ever get there...not really high up on the must go list, sorry Carowinds) and "Rebel Yell" at Kings Dominion, which I am sure I will get to in due course. Interesting thread.

Ok...in the spirit of controversy...I am not overly keen on the updated "Test Track" at Epcot. I personally thought it was so much better when it was just a general "car test" with the heat lamps and weather and the like. Now with ALL the high tech flashy's and computer screens etc...it lost some of the appeal it once had. I don't believe in Hi-tech just for the sake of Hi-tech...and that is what happened to Test Track for me. Personal opinion only ( I know it isn't a c*** ride!) Roller Coaster wise? Hmmmm.......tried California Screaming afew times...just can't get into the "feel" or "spirit" of it I am afraid. Sorry.

What threw everyone is that it dosen't after midnight. Toronto (YYZ) like most city airports have strict noise procedures after certain hours (midnight in our case). We have to land on the preferential noise runways (unless weather dictates otherwise). It could be the most high powered VIP you could imagine...after midnight he has to land on the same runway everyone else does. When this Westjet came, orders came down from on high that they would land on a VERY non noise preferential runway. No one could figure out why obviously. If a VIP dosen't get it, why is Westjet..would have been the thought! Hopefully I can get into the hangar soon as I think these "themed" planes are pretty cool personally.

Here is a link to the Westjet information page. There is some interesting stuff on here...not least how it got painted. http://www.westjet.com/guest/en/about/disney-frozen-themed-plane.shtml?sm_cid=social:ws-world:frozen-plane-time-lapse-video:facebook

I work air traffic control in Toronto. This caused quite a stir when it arrived (of the good sort) It was all very secretive...to the point of it coming in on a non noise preferential runway after midnight to hide it from the spotters. There was a bit of confusion amongst ATC as obviously we don't know about the paint job an aircraft has on it. We were being directed for it to land somewhere that it normally woudn't and were saying "Ermmm it is just Westjet". All was revealed afterwards. Awesome. Unsurprisingly the first flight it did was to Orlando. It looks great, and hopefully when it is in the hangar next I will get some more pictures and post them here.

Best first drop? So far I would say Leviathan for me...simply for the sheer size of the coaster, the speed on the way down and the airtime. The tunnel also has a nice "head chopper" feel to it, brief as it is. I also like that it takes time to get to the top of the lift hill so there is that feeling of anticipation as you wait for gravity to take over. All this together makes the start of the ride the most fun part (imo). I have not yet been on I305 (it is on the bucket list in the next couple of years) but from what I read and hear..that is pretty intense. I love Millenium Force....but find the quick ascent of the lift hill just takes away a little bit of the fear of what is coming....awesome though it is. Of my top 5..I don't really have them ranked due to the first drop on any of them. X2...I was too busy figuring out which way was UP to worry about the drop!!

I don't fully understand why you would use virtual reality on an actual ride itself..as that sort of defeats the purpose of a roller coaster ie the whole package is the stimulation from all your senses including the visual aspect of the horizon, coaster elements and interaction with the park. By putting on a VR headset you remove the visual element to replace it with something else. Thunder Run is an odd choice, you go inside the mountain and get to wave at the dragon on each circuit. Is Virtual Reality supposed to up the interaction with the dragon in this case?? Don't understand it personally. I would prefer technology of this ilk to remain on the rides like Transformers, Despicable Me, Spiderman, Escape from Gringotts etc etc. Leave roller coasters as those simple/complex structures of steel and or wood where all the stimuli you need come from the elements of the ride itself.

My son is 7 years old, and I can say for SURE that both Planet Snoopy and Kidzville can be done in a day with plenty of time to do other attractions with him (try Thunder run or even the Guardian as that is do able for a six year old). I usually start in Kidsville and move through to Planet Snoopy but there is no right or wrong way. We usually do "silver streak" first, as that is often a "first time" coaster for some kids so the line can grow even on quiet days. Other than that I don't have any advice that you won't find on just going and enjoying the areas. We have done Dinosaurs alive and it actually isn't too bad. I know it is not everyones cup of tea, and some people do object to paying extra for it. I find however, when you have children who are interested (mine is) it is very interesting, well done and you can take as long or little time as you choose. The dinosaur animatronics are not too bad (better than MOST museums), there are areas to learn, buttons to push to make the dinosaurs move, the larger models are pretty cool and the predator dinosaurs always get the young ones going when they roar. It is a nice distraction if you want to get away from the park hubbub for any length of time. The length of time you stay there is dependent on you and your son...there will be no "time" as such. Have a great day at the park.

If the last couple of years are anything to go by, the weekend October crowds are VERY manageable, and if the weather is cooler, a LARGE percentage of rides are walk on. This has been my experience the last two years (especially in the mornings), so Fast pass could be a decision on the day option..shouldn't really need to book it beforehand. It gets VERY busy in the afternoon/evenings in the run up to Halloween but not so much early in the month. If you arrive first thing for park opening you will definitely have a good couple of hours before it gets even remotely busy. In a way you should HOPE for cold weather as that seems to keep a lot of the GP away! As for itinerary...everyone has their own opinion.....personally my only guide is to do the Guardian first, as it does not have fastpass options, can be temperamental and has an awkward queue if it gets too long (outside the mountain!). Apart from that...if the park is quiet, you can get everthing done pretty easily. Leviathan is a good start point (outwith Guardian) as it puts you in a good area geographically to work around the park in either direction. If you start at the other side (Flight Deck and Time Warp)...you are starting with two of the...shall we say not so popular..rides in the park and it can be pretty off putting getting slammed around on Flight deck first up!! Don't forget to try the flat rides as CW has a pretty good selection of those. If Sledge hammer is working...I would thoroughly recommend it. Hope you enjoy your trip.

Impossible really to do a "subjective" list of the best coasters because the whole idea of being a coaster enthusiast is all about personal preference. What I like...others might not....what might be a good coaster to me....might not be to others. That seems to be the case on the TPR forums..and that is kind of the idea really. I don't take offence at the list....because I take it as an opinion guide only. No right or wrong really. So the Top 50 steel coasters...to me is really just a list of what some of the enthusiasts think are GOOD coasters. The order is not really all that relevant. Millennium Force is not my number 1.....does it make it a crap coaster though??? Of course not! I actually like the GTAs simply because it gives me an idea of some of the rides that are considered popular in the coaster community. You could have some fun with these awards though. There was some "census" recently (can't remember where) where a group of people were trying to get "Jedi knight" recognised as an official religion. Supposedly if enough people put this as their religion on the census form there was a law somewhere stating it could be recognised as such. Apply this to coasters....pick the crappest one you know...and try to get enough other coaster folk to agree to vote it as the BEST for the GTAs.....imagine the top 50 steel coaster list with say "Flight deck" (worst at Canada's wonderland) topping the rankings because 2000 people voted for it to be so!!

I don't feel that a name makes any difference to the actual coaster itself. I am not going to choose NOT to ride something because I don't like the name of it...pretty sure the manufacturers and theme park knows that aswell. I would like to see if a manufacturer or park one day would have the gumption (or sense of humour) to build some launched inverted 300 ft giga dive coaster with an RMC section etc and name it something like "Fluffy" or "Golden labrador puppy". See what the GP makes of that!

Coasterbill...glad you had a good trip. Interesting that you like Thunder Run...I think it is a great ride and a good intro for families....I am surprised it is mentioned on an enthisiasts trip report though. Nice. Great expression. I actually USED to like FLight Deck/Top gun when I first moved to Canada (10 years ago). The older I got...the ROUGHER it got....so I do fall into the "too rough" category now. My wife cut her ears on it (earring problems) so she HATES it now.

Are Griffon and Sheikra the only other two dive coasters in the US then? Is there another I am missing. Fact or opinion?? Can never tell sometimes on these forums!

I have been on Oblivion, Sheikra and Griffon......and am VERY excited to try this new coaster at CP. Looks like it will be good fun. The brake holds at the top always have people screaming and using creative language! I saw a comment in the thread earlier about there being few Dive coasters in North America. I don't know the others outside the two Busch Garden parks. What others are there on the continent? I presume you are British...because then I could give you credit for what is awesome use of deadpan sarcasm. I do seem to read it a lot on some of the coaster forums....I never realised how well it can be used when describing some useless investment at probably one of the worst roller coaster parks in the world.

Wonderland. I will prempt this by saying I think Cedar Fair has done an EXCELLENT job with CW..and the 3 mistakes I write are personal opinions only. The good outweighs the bad by a vast amount. Still if we are allowed to be nitpicky..... 1 Guardian....Have mentioned and agreed with people on the Wonderland thread that the theming is incomplete...and the ride NEEDS a better queue system and maybe a souvenir shop on the exit. 2 Backlot stunt coaster....the special effects section is totally pointless now there are no actual special effects anymore (no helicopter, gunfire or flames). Is there a reason for that?? 3 Tomb Raider/Timewarp.....This was a pretty weak addition from the Paramount days!

Although an amazingly fun hobby, riding coasters does involve time, money and geography...which makes it difficult to get round everything that you would like to. Some of the TPR guys and gals make it look a lot easier than it actually is...and I have respect for all the trips people make to check out a new coaster somewhere. That being said....I am sure for many of us..there will be a ride somewhere that might be on the bucket list..but you know deep down..that a trip to visit might be not easy, affordable, geographically do able, family unfriendly etc etc. So I am interested to know some of the rides that fall into these categories for people..and if appropriate...the reasons why you don't think you will ever ride them. In my case I have 3...that I know I probably will not get to ride...although I would like to. 1 Formula Rossa....I would love to go on the ride BUT it is a LONG way to travel to an area that dosen't have much else to interest me. I am not really a "car" fan either...so Ferrari dosen't really excite me (I know this might be controversial to some!). 2 Fury 325....There are other areas of the US that my wife wants to visit BEFORE the area that Carowinds is in. There are lots of other parks ahead of this one...and we do Disney once a year...it will be a LONG time before we get here methinks. 3 Shambala...I like B and M hypers...I find them fun...this ride appeals to me in that sense....distance to get there though and the fact that I can do beach holidays closer to Canada means this will remain on the wait list for quite a while longer.

Great report of a very interesting park. I am not really a Banksy fan..but I have to admit the dark sense of humour to this park does actually appeal. The detail is awesome. The miserable staff are hilarious....especially as I have seen that at various theme parks where it is probably not supposed to be part of the joke!! Thankyou for posting this.

Nice warm weekend for a visit aswell!! How were the crowds yesterday?

Where has the idea of a wing coaster come for 2017 come from...that seems to be the ONLY type of coaster that people seem to mention in terms of what "might" be coming. Is it because it is on the wish list...or a rumour from somewhere else. My question is if Cedar Point had Gatekeeper installed recently...would they want to put a wing coaster in CW OR would they want to put something in that CP does not have...to create choice. My personal "wish" is for a B and M flyer in the style of Tatsu. I watched a TPR video last night of a B and M flyer in China (starry sky ripper?) and it has the forceful elements that enthusiasts like (the TPR crew seemed to enjoy it and those pretzel loops are cool) and also are not too common (not many in North America..B and M wise). The ride can be also be fit into numerous different layouts and take advantage of terrain at the park. These rides are popular with the public aswell..as Manta proved at Seaworld. From a purely "stupid" viewpoint aswell...with everyone speculating on the name "Ziz"..surely a beast of the air would be compatible with a flying coaster. Negatives I can see....Would it be enough of a "people eater" for capacity? Does Tomb raider/Timewarp count as a flying coaster (I know it does bit in a bit of a lame sense)....would the park want to up the ante with a B and M My opinion only...I am biased because Tatsu and Manta are in my top 10..and I have ridden Air at Alton towers and found it fun. I promise I won't be dissappointed WHATEVER they build in 2017. I have been reading the Six flags great Adventure thread recently and those guys are TOUGH on their new stuff! In fact it has made for some rather amusing reading...and I say that with the British deadpan sarcasm that I am known for!