mwm1444

Gorillaz (featuring Daley) - Doncamatic

We ate at the Kona Café Sushi Bar during our trip earlier this month, and despite not actually bothering to get any sushi, I thought it was highly enjoyable. The next plan was to resort-hop and take a look at the Christmas decorations, but Mum and I only made it as far as the Contemporary before tiring out, so it's great to see the pictures from the Grand Floridian and Wilderness Lodge. We did, however, buy the Beach Club's rather smaller DIY gingerbread house to take home.

Tears for Fears - Killing with Kindness

Merry Christmas everybody! In my stocking, I got: an Alton Towers Resort pen a flipbook version of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream Wallace & Gromit's Cracking Contraptions Haynes Manual (book) loads of chocolate Under the tree was: De La Soul - De La Soul Is Dead & Buhloone Mind State (CDs) Family Guy Season 9 (DVD) Imagineering: A Behind the Dreams Look at Making MORE Magic Real (book) @Tatum (astroworldfan1) - lucky on the Peanuts pyjamas, been reading my Peanuts Christmas collection all morning.

I just got this today, as a late birthday present, it's great so far - a lot thicker than I was expecting. I actually got to hear Jim Korkis up close, talking WDW history at a fan event in the Beach Club a few weeks ago; his enthusiasm was fantastically palpable, just as it is on the podcasts I've heard him on. Also, I would definitely have asked for Waking Sleeping Beauty, but I don't think they have any plans to release it in Region 2.

1. Enjoying Th13teen, despite the hype, positive and negative - getting to ride it 4 times on opening weekend. 2. The UK trip - particularly all the new friends, old ones, and Splash Landings ERT! 3. The IntimidaTour - new friends, and all the time spent in Tennessee. 4. Showing Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World co-author/Touringplans.com programmer/podcaster Len Testa around Chessington World of Adventures. 5. The MEI-Mousefan Travel/WDWToday Reunion event at Walt Disney World this month - especially all the new friends, and Toy Story Mania!/Osborne Lights ERT.

Apart from the fact that the picture of me looks like the long-forgotten ghost of a pi$$ed-off Southport carnie is punching me in the stomach for daring to bounce on the kiddie trampoline, great TR! It wasn't the first time I'd been to Camelot - I vaguely remembered some of it from when I was 6 or 7 - but New Pleasureland was a first, and just like you, I was disappointed that I didn't get there sooner (and I have much less of an excuse than you, actually living in the same country as I do). Not so much for the funhouse, although that would've been neat - though I probably would have gone flying something ridiculous if I had a go on that lazy susan of death - more for being able to see another classic example of old-time British amusements, that isn't Blackpool (who were partly responsible for the stripping of Southport, as I believe). But we had a good time; the Wildcat was good, despite the interesting difficulties, and the bumper car takeover was brilliant, especially with Robb assigning targets each round.

I miss the 'Fugde' shop so much, sometimes, that it's actually a little fugde up. I really enjoyed our time in Blackpool, even though nothing was open. I love it when TPR spends a few nights somewhere, particularly if it's a place where you can go for a wander after dinner. Pigeon Forge (on the IntimidaTour) was the same, and only narrowly beat out Blackpool due to the fact that stuff was open - and I didn't have to put on a jumper to avoid getting chilly from the Irish wind. Looking forward to your eventual 'Beyond Belief' review - that was one of my favourite ever TPR nights.

The Crystals - Santa Claus is Coming to Town

Pretty much what I was trying to say in my unintelligible post, although I haven't ridden Maverick - or many actual full-size Intamins, for that matter. The restraints were fine, but I think I was actually too short...that weird flap thing was always poking me in the neck. And thanks for the birthday shoutout, Chris/Chroniq!

Some fantastic photos there, Adam. Was great hanging out with you and the rest in WDW all those weeks ago, miss it terribly.

@JoAnna - I know I did I can't think of any massive disappointments - as a rule I pretty much liked everything everyone else hated, and vice-versa. I guess you could say I was disappointed in I305, but that's my intensity-hating equilibrium's fault, really. And that was WITH the trims, so everyone who complains about them can suck on that. I305 was too intense for me halfway down the train; it would've been nice if I could have ridden back row without exploding in a mass of nausea and disorientation, but them's the breaks. It's a good ride, and the intensity people have a winner on their hands, but it wasn't really for me. That said, I was disappointed when 4 consecutive rides on Carowinds' Intimidator left me tired out, so I'm not really a classic example of a coaster enthusiast to listen to.

^^ My first ever night in TPR company, and I went to an adult video store in LA, then watched that in the lobby of the hotel...crazy times...

I'm no longer a teenager! Simple.

It does look pretty cool, great TR. Also, great to hear that Kelly's employed again - and on a slightly odder note, I've never seen you looking more psychotic than in the Ripcord and pretzel photos...

Looks pretty amazing - thanks, Jason!

Alton Towers (x3) Chessington World of Adventures (x5) Legoland Windsor (x2) Adventure Island* Coney Beach* Oakwood* Drayton Manor Park Camelot Southport New Pleasureland* Gulliver's Warrington* Blackpool Pleasure Beach Lightwater Valley* Flamingoland* Pleasure Island* Fantasy Island* Botton's Pleasure Beach* Thorpe Park* (x2) Nick Universe at Mall of America* Carowinds* Dollywood* NASCAR Speed Park* Go Karts Plus* Busch Gardens Williamsburg* King's Dominion* Universal Islands of Adventure Epcot Disney's Animal Kingdom Magic Kingdom Disney's Hollywood Studios * - New for 2010 (for me).

Babelonia - School of Seven Bells

Billy Bragg on Thursday night, pretty decent.

Gorillaz, twice in 4 days, in mid-November. They were pretty amazing.

..and get killed on the next zebra crossing. Sorry, back to the regularly-scheduled Geauga Lake discussion. Mike 'anyone who gets the reference gets kudos' Moody

^^ I know I notice it on dark rides at night, but I already have pretty light sensitive eyes, so I dunno if that means a massive deal. In other news, Vampire (Chessington World of Adventures) at night recently reconfirmed itself as my favourite rollercoaster experience in the world, amazing.

^ Yeah, that's what I was thinking when you brought it up, and it's a valid form of a capella anyway. And I guess even that guy who made the Star Wars noises, and people who can beatbox, could count as a capella artists! Mike 'I LOVE the human voice' Moody

Forgive if I'm wrong, but I always understood a capella music to just be purely vocal music, not necessarily trying to emulate instruments with the voice; a barbershop quartet doesn't attempt to recreate instruments, they just fill in the gaps 'left' by the instruments, with their voices. It doesn't really matter either way, just saying that my understanding of a capella music is that it's type of music that spans as wide a spectrum as 'normal' music (with standard instrumentation/orchestration) does. Somebody who actually knows a little about music can correct me, happily. Lots of apologies for that rant - I love a capella, the human voice is a great instrument itself. I've heard some fantastic a capella folk groups on some of the radio programmes I listen to, and, in terms of recreating a whole sonic landscape with just a voice, Bobby McFerrin is a genius. If all the listener knows is 'Don't Worry, Be Happy', I'd strongly recommend they watch the Pixar short 'Knick Knack' - the whole soundtrack is just Bobby McFerrin's vocalisations.

Currently interested in: The Making of the Empire Strikes Back and Walt Disney Imagineers: A Behind the Scenes Look at Making More Magic Real, both books Toy Story 3 on DVD Goldeneye 007 and/or Epic Mickey (Wii) Scrubs Season 8 DVD Family Guy Season 9 DVD And any De La Soul and/or XTC albums that I don't have, i.e. the majority of them It's my birthday on the 22nd of December, so it's more of a combined list.