jedimaster1227

Right outside of Mexico on the shore closest to Odyssey. This is a great TR so far! I look forward to seeing the rest of your update!

^I believe it was mentioned earlier that they are planning to return to the UK in 2009.

^^Here you go! ^Its funny but TPR is the reason I started listening to Andrew W.K. after watching several of the videos they use his music in... Klotten TPR.zip Klotten TPR iPod-ready Video

Another awesome video! I'm currently converting it to mp4 so I can put it on my iPod tonight. Robb, would you like me to upload a copy of the converted file here?

Another reason why I pray my parents will let me do the Canada/NY Addon... This coaster looks like it will be really great!

I wasn't sure how to ask a question in that area as I know some DVD producers (not talking about the major liscenced companies) don't like to have their products "ripped" but I've always thought the idea of a iPod-ready file on the DVD that could be copied would do wonders. I would even pay for the stand alone files if it meant that I would be able to watch those fantastic DVDs on my international flights. I'm definitely excited to hear what you have in store when looking at that "area" of the market. Oh and Robb, if you need any more of the official TPR preview videos converted to an iPod ready format, I will be happy to convert them like I did earlier on--so don't hesitate to ask if you need help in that area!

I'm going to put in my order for the shirt/DVD combo tomorrow. I'm extremely excited about getting the DVD, and sadly enough I think I've watch the last 8 volumes too much to watch again until I see the ninth. Then I have to figure out how to get them on my iPod (as a whole) so I have something worthwhile to watch on my flight up to Philly this Summer!

^I figure the next time I get back to Boomers! (or if they have a Blender on the East Coast Trip), I'll try it... They still look intimidating...

^The original Blue Men are very much environmentalists, and those beliefs are kept in all of their theater shows as well. The video below is of their Earth to Humanity campaign... I have seen Blue Man Group (the theater shows) three times total- once in New York (Astor Plaza) and twice here in Orlando at Citywalk.

^They give them to everyone before the show. The bands are made out of 100% recycled paper (they assure you of this), and the same paper is used throughout the show, one of the final scenes. I believe there is some connection to the paper and the pipes in the show, talking about "feedback" in modern plumbing, but its more of an assumption to be made than an explanation given.

^^^Thanks! I didn't get to do the twinkie feast (or be selected for any of the acts in the show) but I did end up being the guest that got the painting from the show (I nearly killed myself trying to get to the store counter from the end of the show... ^^Nope, no video or pictures this time. But since you seem so interested in my bathroom coverage, you'd be interested to know that they have updated the bathroom loop with more voices, more acapella and more repeats of "bathroom...bathroom" to the beat of Blue Man Group music. ^I really did enjoy Tokyo Dining, and while it wasn't completely authentic, the seaweed salad tasted just like it did when I was in Japan, and that made the meal much more genuine for me... Here are the rest of my photos from the break... To end this update (and my Winter break), I managed to get a photo with all three Blue Men with their work of art! Waiting until the lobby was cleared out (since the painting was still wet), I caught a photo with the whole Blue Man Group rock band! After the show I hurried over to the store to buy the painting from the show. Afterwards, I got a picture with one of the Blue Men! The Sharp Aquos Theater has slowly added more screens to the lobby and is supposed to continue until they have over 20 monitors. Here I am right before the start of the show... The theater is quite large, and very well themed. On January 3rd, we saw Blue Man Group again as a way to end off the break, but per tradition, we had to eat at Bubba Gumps first! The train itself is pretty long, and the ride itself is definitely worth it! Rusty inner workings for the train fans... I got my first major coaster-induced cowlick from riding over 25 times. Such a great coaster! He and his brother rode in back row for the ride I filmed in the front row... I ended up meeting another TPR member by coincidence here! This is what I'm here for! For a small entertainment complex, it is really much better than what we have at Fun Spot... Over at Boomers!, I have a tradition (for two years now, and I plan to continue it) of riding the Dania Beach Hurricane on December 31st... But I'm still afraid of this ride. I'm going on the East Coast US Trip! My parents gave me the one thing I asked for as a gift for my birthday this year... I went to see National Treasure with the family (it was great) and I couldn't help but get a picture with Wall-E! My brother and I went to Epcot on the 21st of December, and found the park to reasonably busy. We rode Test Track, and tried for Spaceship Earth but it had broken down. Goodbye MGM Studios!

Happy Birthday Robb!

This Winter break I was able to really enjoy the local parks (partially because it was my birthday) and had some really great experiences in the process. I visited Epcot, Magic Kingdom, MGM (now Hollywood) Studios, Dania Beach's Boomers!, Pleasure Island, Citywalk and Blue Man Group over the break, so I had plenty of great times for this two week period... I'll let the pictures tell the story... And of this! From our window seat, we had a perfect view of the show... Here I am in Tokyo Dining... And the food was amazing as well! I loved the atmosphere of the restaurant! With a very contemporary design. Mitsukoshi's former restaurant was split in half (and the Tokyo Dining side was slightly enlarged) to become two restaurants. One, Teppen Edo is much like a Kobe's or Benihana's. Tokyo Dining is a much more traditional Japanese sushi and tempura restaurant... After riding Spaceship Earth, my mother and I decided to try one of the two new Japanese restaurants in Epcot called Tokyo Dining. I was happy to find that the mural was still in place. I hadn't seen the line this long in years! The next day, I caught a soft opening of Spaceship Earth (a week after I was originally supposed to preview it). Spaceship really glows now (at least on the outside)... One of my favorite Epcot photos that I have ever taken... MILF now has a new (more professional) sign dealing out the legal information about jokes texted in to the show. During one of the MouseFest meets, we went into MILF (Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor) and saw these new LCDs. It was a truly unique experience... I started out at my first MouseFest representing my newly co-founded site, WDWCelebrations.com (as well as Dreamfinder Forever).

^^I'm preparing a miniDV tape as well (once I get my second entry finished. Once that is done, I will mail it in. But, my DV deck has been tempermental lately, and exporting to DV seems to leave strange marks on my videos (random delays, audio jumps and more). So, I uploaded the first entry as insurance in case my deck dies on me before I can send in the tape.

^That leaves room for even more volumes following this coming Summer's tours! I'm placing my order as soon as possible for Volume 9! I really wish I could make it over to California for this party, but the kids in Orlando start up school again on Monday, so it would be difficult to get over there and back in time...

^A few of us have, but I recommend using SmartFTP as my internet crashed during my first transfer as well. It will take several hours to upload the .avi but it does work.

After 5.5 hours of monitoring my first large FTP transfer, the upload seems to be done. Robb, if possible, could you please tell me if ARThemeparkentry2006.avi is showing in your ftp folder? Since Michael had a file for his entries, I figured I should do the same, so mine is located in the Adam Roth folder.

Does this by any chance mean that Coaster Expedition Volume 10 will cover the Japan and Korea trips?

I have my video compilation from last year ready to send in (once I get back to Orlando) and I am currently editing this year's video as well. I have been looking forward to this for quite some time!

^There is a rumor that we will be getting some kind of coaster along the lines of Hollywood Dream over here at the Studios, but that is purely a rumor at the moment. Though, we are getting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at IOA.

I had the chance to preview Disaster a few days ago, and I figured I would give a review... Looking at the former Earthquake building, you are essentially looking at the same facade, only sporting a new (extended mouth full of a) title. Entering the queue (those of you that had the chance to do Leatherface's house for HHN 17 will recognize the area), the line weaves through a few large set pieces. The first is a plane broken in half (with the line crossing the gap between the tear in the plane's midsection). The second piece is from the fictional movie Apocaggedon and the third is a blantant spoof of Jaws, called Das Schurke (the shark looks the Jaws that is electrocuted, with a giant turbine on its end). Here is where the spoilers begin: Entering the first pre-show room, you notice that the former movie effects windows (snow, rain and august leaves) have been removed, and the wall smoothed over. Quite simply, the room is used for introductions, made by your productions assistant, picking out actors and actresses (from the guests in the room) to help in the third room. You move into the second room which looks somewhat similar to its former, only sporting two new flat screens and a stage covered in movie pictures and memorabilia. Your productions assistant stammers onto the stage, and the owner and director of Disaster Studios appears. The man is none other than Christopher Walken! In an interested mix of screen acting and stage interaction, the assistant and Walken set the stage for the upcoming production, Mutha Nature. Using a screen technology, Walken is projected onto the stage, while the assistant follows automated stage cues so that he can interact with Chris seamlessly (like taking a productions journal from the projection's hand). You move on to the third room, which has basically received a new coat of paint, removed the U-571 set to allow for multiple moving sets to be arranged. The collapsed building set is still present, but downplayed, only dropping a few rocks in front of the three chosen to be evil executives trying to escape a disaster. The actors chosen earlier each star in a scene (some together, some alone). Having just over 6 minutes, they filmed over 5 different scenes, and then release the actors back to their parties. Finally you move into the ride loading station, noticing the new LCD screens built into the trains. You procede into the same subway station, and go through the same experience, only without any loud sound effects and a floor manager telling you when to scream or look scared (he is on the LCD screen). When the experience is over, your car returns to the loading platform at a much slower speed than it made in its previous version to allow for a quickly edited-together trailer using the scenes filmed in the previous room, stock footage of riders on the tram and various comical actions scenes with the Rock. That is the end of Disaster, exiting the ride to the same photo fill-in shop. Overall, I was impressed with the new preshow, and the audience seemed to be as well. The changes to the ride were minimal, so there wasn't much to judge there, but overall, the flow of the attraction is quite smooth, and both Walken and the Rock add something to the attraction that makes it fun and unique (though I do miss Charleton Heston).

^^The song is Sunday Girl by Erasure (the Disco Mix, not the extended or remixed versions).

Its beginning to look alot like Christmas... Even though I celebrate Hannukah! A truly spectacular return to the Coaster Expedition music videos! I cannot wait to put in my order for Volume 9! Thanks again and Merry Christmas to all!

I believe I found where Arrow's Pipeline coaster ended up... It is in Kuwait at Al Sha'ab Leisure Park... Both pictures make this look pretty bad (in the condition it is in, but I guess it is nice that the ride lives on, regardless of its poor, grim look. Formerly Arrow's Pipeline Coaster prototype... Spiral Coaster

^Should I expect it to be continued on the East Coast Trip as well? Now I am afraid to ride any more roller skaters with you guys from that Halloween visit. At least I have something to be remembered by now! Oh, and since I forgot to say it before... Wes, this is another great trip report!