Coaster Palooza

Thanks I am glad you like it. I have just a couple more days to add and a video. Hopefully I will get some more time soon to add them. Yes, Todd Oliver was there. Very good show. He had a new dog with him. Bob Nichols hosted and the Showstoppers were really great! They can sing so beautifully. Andrei and Marina were the Russian couple that just put on a fantastic show. They wrap around each other and do some very acrobatic acts on a small stage.

Ryan, nice report. Glad to see you made it back. We weren't impressed with SFKK at all. Their operations weren't very good. Chang wasn't running, and too many things weren't working. I agree on the T2, that was a one time ride for me. Looking forward to the rest of the trip!

Continuing with the pictures, thank for reading! and if you're not too tired.... This one is good too RIDE IT!!!!! end of the day, beers at Pizza Hut next to the hotel. and fireworks with a little bit of a laser light show There was fire too! This was so neat with the holograms against the rocks Time for the fireworks show I do my best to fill it in Hey, it's a big chair Typical muscle shot. No problem, I think we will Yeah, yeah....

Day 8 – Friday – Silver Dollar City, Showboat Belle and Celebration City here we come!!!! OMG, what a day! We arrived at SDC before 9:30am (they open at 9:30) and paid $5 to park in the season pass holder’s preferred lot right up front! We bought season tickets before our trip. We went into the park through the season pass entrance also and went straight to Powder Keg, which was a walk up. We rode it 3 times, once in the front and once in the back. The launch is pretty good. I like the second lift hill. There was a lot of airtime in the back and the view from up there was incredible. We went to Fire-in-the-Hole next and got pretty wet because we were in the front row. Next we went to ride Wildfire. We got on this one 3 times too. Wildfire is a floorless that is similar to Medusa at SFMW and SFGAdv. We walked around the park a little and went to their new area Great Exposition. They have a kiddie coaster, but the line was pretty long. I rode their disk-o coaster instead, yes there was another disk-o coaster on this trip. It is called Electro-Spin. I have ridden three of these this year and this one had a little more kick to it than the other two (Zamperla at Mt. Olympus and Survivor at PGA). They also had a ride called the Racing Regatta, which looked more like the Peter Pan ride at Disneyland only outside. They had a BBQ and Bluegrass festival going on too. It was ending on Sunday. The BBQ was in full swing as you entered Grand Exposition. They had a humongous eating area right in the front. The bluegrass was on nearly every stage throughout the park. We went to Thunderation next. Not much to say here except you gotta ride it if you haven’t. We wanted to ride the train, but we kept missing it. We decided to ride the Flooded Mine next. It is a dark ride in a boat, but you get to shoot targets that give you a score on your gun. It’s interesting and you don’t get wet, just dirty from the gun’s cord. Finally we were able to ride the train. The station was really crowded because they take a lunch break for a half hour before the 2 o’clock train. After the train ride, we went to the front to leave by 3pm for our cruise on the Showboat Branson Belle at 4pm. This is a really great cruise, good food, and awesome entertainment. The people are just so friendly there. The cruise ended around 6:30 and Celebration City is open until 10pm with the fireworks starting around 9:30. We rode the Wildcat a few times along with their other beat you up coasters. The Jack Rabbit and Thunderbolt aren’t the most comfortable coasters to be on. We also did the Ferris wheel along with the drop tower and other rides. The fireworks show is really good. They incorporate a hologram type movie on the rocks along with fire, fireworks, and lasers. It is a must see if you get the chance. You can’t see it from anywhere else but the grassy area at the end of their boardwalk. We got back in enough time to have a beer at the Pizza Hut that is right next door to the Lake View Inn. We liked the Wildcat though This one too. Very painful rollercoasters The day ain't over yet, let's go to.... The end of the show.... This was the Russian couple. They have been performing there for 9 years They were just moving so fast, but I had to click a photo It was from Phantom of the Opera This lady could sing very well Some blurry pictures coming up but go ahead and try to put your coat on. No Gyendolynne, it isn't too windy.... The Captain was steering the ship with his foot Some incredible views... Nope, didn't drop the camera We walked around the ship to take some pictures It was really nice to just relax on the cruise. Dinner was included with the show too. There are a number of tours your can take in Branson. This one is actually a land and water ride. We saw it just dive into the water, I missed the pic though. This is the stage and being us, we had to get it... You can buy your picture they take once you get on board Hey we're on board We went to ride the Showboat Branson Belle for their 4pm cruise Here's our Wildfire on-ride photo The dog perked up a little bit after a gunshot That's where they buried MA The dog on the porch seemed a little exhausted Good, at least our guy on the left has a gun That's the crooks home Oh man! We finally get on this and we're being robbed! We finally got on the train after missing it 3 times in a row! Here is the flooded mine ride I had to throw Gyendolynne in the stocks after that ride Another Jam packed queue. This day was great! TARNATION....Oh I mean Thunderation but this is what is was called This reminded me of the Peter Pan ride at Disneyland I'm looking a little bored, no it's not a coaster Disk-O Coaster Here is the BBQ part of it. This was in their new Grand Exposition area. More bluegrass music This shirt cracked me up! This is where they were performing. It is funny because I know a place called Dockside in Orlando, Florida The BBQ and Bluegrass festival was also going on....sorry about the blurry picture, there will be a couple more. They really know how to get some good food going! mmmmm....Good cookin' The queue may look bad, but it was only 1 train wait for the front seat Here we are going to ride wildfire This is inside Fire in the Hole That's her again going down the hill There's Gyendolynne all the way to the left. again, just some neat theming for the ride Here is the empty queue, pretty much Yep, here it is... Hey, they have an on-ride photo Neat theming Time for the first coaster WoooHoooo!!!! Make sure all firearms are left in your vehicle We parked right down there in the preferred season pass parking for $5

Erik, Great report! We are hoping to get to PKD and BGE later this year. I heard about the Italian Job having the speakers working at PKD, but they don't work at PKI. What is said over the speakers?

I added OPA! POV in the Video section. Here is the link. http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=25841

We saw Nathan's hot dogs at a couple of spots, but no Skyline Chili's coneys. Are they the same?

We were so disappointed with American Eagle not being open with the park. When we finally got back around to it, the line was too long. Hopefully we'll get another chance at this park.

Man, I didn't have any of those, but at they had Pronto Pups at Indiana Beach!!! We ate their "World Famous" tacos instead.

^^Wally, we were thinking about you at PGA while we were at SFGAm. ^We did have a good time. We just wish it wasn't so crowded.

Day 7 – Thursday – I had to ship some stuff home because we were flying to KC tonight. We were able to get to SFGAm before they let the ropes down for the run after paying $15 to park! You have a choice, either go right to Ragin’ Bull, or left towards Superman. We chose left. This place is laid out exactly like PGA with a little more space. I did get some eerie feelings of déjà vu by walking through it. We rode S:UF in the back row and got the picture. Next we went to the right to ride Whizzer, Ragin’ Bull, and Viper. Everything was a little too crowded except for Viper. We rode in the front row and got the picture there too. We continued to head to the back, after riding Demon. Yes, I have no idea why I got on this. Gyendolynne was smart, she didn’t ride it. After Demon, we were by American Eagle, but it wasn’t running. WHY???!!!! The park has been open for an hour and a half at this point! We rode Batman instead because V2 and Ragin’ Cajun had such long waits already. Marvin the Martian in 3D was a show that I wanted to see. It started at noon. After Batman we went to watch this. It is good and I think they can probably 4D it sometime soon. It ends a little too abruptly though. We thought we would bite the bullet and wait for Ragin’ Bull now. It took just 45 minutes and we rode in the front row! Great ride, very similar to Apollo’s Chariot at Busch Garden Will…umm Europe?? I’m still getting used to it. We went back to American Eagle, but the wait was too long. We had to catch our plane! I wish they would post the waits for the rides at the entrance to the ride so you could ballpark it to see if you want to wait to ride it. That is one downfall I noticed all day. It is also neat how similar SFGAm was to PGA (Our hometown park). You are right, I did geek out a little bit about it. We think SFGAm is a little bit of PGA and SFGAdv combined. We got to the airport in plenty of time and flew to KC. It was a short drive to Branson, with the last 100 miles in the pouring rain, and we’re there! We stayed at the Lakeview Inn. The people are nice, but I wish the rooms were a little better. We're on the plane! See you in Kansas City... at least they had Harry Caray's bar If you want a restroom in Chicago's airport, look for the Toilets sign Good-bye PGA, ummm I mean SFGAm You were either flipping off the camera, or grabbing boobs in the on-ride photo on Ragin' Bull. On-ride photo Yep, there is American Eagle They had a band playing over by American Eagle Hey, did they take over the world Nice shades Gyendolynne It was starring Daffy Duck too Marvin the Martian show Hi Tweety! They have the space shuttle over by go-karts all because of that line. Even the kid out front is mad! Not riding you today..... Hey, it's the batmobile Smashed penny machine works here, but they had a few that didn't work. see I told you it was my arm.... That's my arm in the second row Yes I did ride this Foghorn Leghorn but wait, they have an on-ride photo. Here is the Viper shot Superman is a little bit more of a stud though Batman is a stud! Here's the queue line Yep, PGA doesn't have this I am certain this is PGA, but with these characters and all the Six Flags stuff, I must be at SFGAm Welcome to PGA...errrr I mean SFGAm Great parking spot!

Day 6 – Wednesday – Mt Olympus and Timber Falls in Wisconsin Dells. What a great time and great parks! You don’t have to pay to park here. Mt Olympus is very easy to navigate. Our first stop was Hades, which is just to the right as you enter the park. Cyclops and Zeus are close by too. What can I say about Hades? The drop….awesome, the tunnel….incredible, the 90 degree bank turns that you can’t see….unexpectedly smooth. The ride is absolutely fantastic. It feels like you’re underground forever on the way out. On the way back, it just feels very fast. Definitely a top woody! When we first got to the ride, we saw a couple workers tightening bolts. I thought, oh no, we will have to wait a little bit. Next thing I see is a train being dispatched and going right over them! I couldn’t believe it. We rode Zeus next. It is a little on the short side, but a good coaster. Cyclops is right next to these two and has a drop right by the parking lot next to Hades. The layout of the park is really awesome. Poseidon’s go-karts were right next to Hades. I heard about this track and how it goes under water. I wanted to ride it and I was able to talk Gyendolynne into it. All the go-kart tracks are pretty good. I would say if you want air, ride Medusa, if you want speed, ride the Trojan horse. We rode Pegasus, Titan (kid coaster) and Zamperla (their disk-o coaster, is it really a coaster??). While we were at Zamperla, I noticed the construction where I thought their new coaster Opa is supposed to be. It isn’t on the map. We went over there and, yep, it’s there. We rode their new spinning mouse coaster and also got a POV on it….to be posted later. As the day at Mt Olympus wound down, we decided to go to Timber Falls to ride Avalanche. Timber Falls is really close by. If you go to Mt Olympus, make sure to have a little time left for this place. I am sure some people will suggest Riverview Park and Waterworld, but we just didn’t have the time for it. Timber Falls is a miniature golf place with a log ride and a wooden coaster. It is a good one. Not great, but good enough. After riding that we headed into town because we heard they had a Famous Dave’s. We have only been to the one at Cedar Point and we love the BBQ rub. We stopped by there to buy some and then went to Moosejaw pizza & brewery for a microbrew. The bartender told us there is a Laundromat in town and it was right by Famous Dave’s. We did laundry and had dinner at Famous Dave’s and then went back to Gurnee. Until tomorrow….. I miss you already.... Last two pictures of Mt. Olympus They had neat old time slide shows If you order a pizza, they will deliver it to you in this car off to Moosejaw Signature muscle shot move Front row, hands up! Train far away Next ride, going over the lift hill Me coming back into the station Another shot of the miniature golf View of the full park with the train going around going up the lift hill, I'm a little scared There's the train pulling out of the station... Another superior on-ride photo, thanks! You also shouldn't be ashamed of a smashed penny obsession.... It's a nice little park and you don't have to be a mountain man to enjoy it. Yes, that is Avalanche's banked turn coming around the entrance at Timber Falls and one final shot of Hades Trojan Horse as we are leaving If any of you know the Seinfeld episode with "The Jimmy" you will know where I am going with these shoes. Jimmy can jump... You can actually pick up some good speed on this track Coming around for the second lap Heading up the track I am in the back car on Trojan Horse's track I am coming into the finish This is a good track, you can actually catch air going down there More of Medusa... Here I am riding Medusa's go-kart track Here's is the great OPA! I have on-ride video that I will post later Didn't do the second one on this ride because we couldn't both fit into a seat Yep... Did I say something about a habit forming? The under water go-karts On-ride photo. This could become a habit Cyclops, you're next! Mt Olympus didn't have any on-ride photos, so we did our own Before getting on Zeus Make sure to observe all safety rules.... We'll throw caution to the wind though and ride it A little scary having those guys tightening bolts while the train is going by. Time to concur Hades Wooo Hooo, we're here!

^That is what threw us for a loop. We had to take a detour off of 55 I believe and once we did that, we couldn't find our way. Saw a drug deal though...

Day 5 – Tuesday – Indiana Beach opens at 11am. I am sure that is to account for the time change. It wasn’t crowded at all. We parked in the south entrance to go over the bridge. This park is so awesome. Everyone there is nice and they didn’t put up with anything. There were mostly kids there and a couple of them tried to cut in line. The operator saw this and told them to get out of line. The kid looked at him like what are you going to do, and he yelled a little louder and deeper. The kid left the line. We rode all their coasters and other rides. We were very surprised by the air you get from Corn Ball Express. We rode in the front and back a few times. If you get the chance to go to this park, please do. It will surprise you. It is right up against the lake and you can take a cruise around it. If we had more time, we would have done this. Their dark ride is called Den of Lost Thieves. They also have an interesting coaster called The Lost Coaster of Superstition Mountain. This ride sits you face to face, so someone is riding backwards. It is also in a cage type mine car. Very cramped quarters. It takes you up a lift (like an elevator not a lift hill) and then around the “mountain” inside. Don’t miss it if you go. Their swing rides take you out over water and as does their Sky Coaster ride. We traveled back up north of Chicago to Gurnee for our hotel. The last 15 miles took an hour. Have I said Chicago traffic sucks yet? We had dinner at the Cracker Barrel and checked into the hotel. The front desk person didn’t seem to want to help us find a laundry mat. We needed to do laundry because of how hot it was. We didn’t pack exactly right. Needless to say we didn’t find a laundry mat, but we bought a couple pairs of shorts. We stayed right across the street from SFGAm This must be our hotel room in Gurnee Ending the day at Cracker Barrel. Our waiter actually used to work at SFGAm and told us everything to do there. Thanks Josh! This is the ONLY smashed penny machine they had You can go on a 75 minute cruise around the lake aboard this boat Did I say we liked riding this? The dark ride is next A little snugger fit, but not to worry... Next Coaster This ride has no restraints or seatbelts Time for a smaller ride Personal on-ride photo Hoosier Hurricane is the ride that runs the length of the pier. It is really neat in that you are actually heading toward the water quite a few times. Had to have a muscle shot First on-ride photo This ride does give unexpected airtime Just waiting around We're here to ride more coasters We didn't do this, but we hear it is really great Time to ride the swings over the water This is how the car looks and how it is loaded Here we are in our cage of doom about to go backwards. Try to ride this going forwards first please This one however is in the mountain. Look at the goodness of coasters by the water Gyendolynne, the bridge bounces. Need to cross the bridge, safety first! It's not that crowded though After the long trip and drive, I can't believe we made it here!

Day 4 – Monday – Today was a quick trip to PKI to ride Italian Job Stunt Coaster and get a couple other rides in. We were at PKI in 2004, so we have been on most of the rides. We have VIP passes from PGA and thought we could use them to park in the VIP lot. They let us! This is another park we didn’t have to pay to park at. The park was very crowded again, but manageable. We rode SoB first. This ride sucks! I don’t know what they think they did to make it better, but it is terrible. We got the crap beat out of us. After the ride we went to look at our on-ride photo and the person said she had to censor it because the kid in front of us flipped off the camera. I asked, “What are you going to do to him?” She just shrugged. I couldn’t believe this. You can have any rule you want at a park, but it is all about enforcing them. As we were walking back to Italian Job, we noticed how the crowd was. It was busy, but everyone seemed to be getting around really well. Italian Job is a good time. We both liked the little Mini Coopers. I can’t wait to ride the one at PKD. The Beast was a walk on, we rode it twice and then headed to Wyandot Lake in Columbus, Ohio. Our flight was from Columbus to Chicago at 5:30. The park is mainly a water park with one rollercoaster called Sea Dragon. It is a wooden coaster that is a shorter version of wooden coasters at the boardwalks. It is old style where the operator has to pull on levers and such. If you like water parks, this might be worth the time. They also have a zoo that uses the same parking lot. We paid $3 to park at this Six Flags! I thought we were closer to the airport than we were, so we had to really make up some time! We got to the airport in enough time to return our rental car and get through screening. We were flying Southwest to Chicago and already had our boarding passes for group A. Everyone was on board and we weren’t ready to go. There were bad storms in Chicago and all flights were grounded. This flight had the most kids on it than I have ever seen. It originated in Orlando! Every time one of them would cry, it would start a chain reaction. The flight attendant came around to get everyone’s drink order before take off. I asked for a Vodka-Cran and so did Gyen. I asked how much it would cost because I like to give them exact change. She said if this (Screaming) keeps up, they’re free! The kid in front of us was named Michael. We know this because his parents kept saying his name every 5 minutes. “Michael stop that, Michael sit down, Michael quit it, Michael…” You get the idea. I have no idea what his sister’s name was though. This flight was supposed to be one hour to Chicago. The whole ordeal ended up taking 4 hours! Once we landed, we didn’t have a gate because of all the delays. One of the parents thought it would be a good idea to change their kid’s diaper in the seat while we wait for a gate. We found out about this once we got a whiff. They sat directly across from us. Michael’s dad asked how old their kid was and then borrowed a diaper to have his wife change their daughter. We started to move toward the gate and I thought we were saved, but he told her to change her anyway! It was the worst flight and the best flight. The crew was great, but all the other problems made it a bad flight. I would like to have that crew on every flight. We landed and still wanted to hit the Hard Rock Café. Thank goodness we did because we got lost pretty bad in downtown Chicago. It would have sucked to be there the next day with traffic. Today wasn’t bad because it was Memorial Day and no one was working. Traffic construction caused most of the problems. Chicago is a tough city to navigate through. We drove to Indiana Beach after Hard Rock. We arrived just after 1am at the hotel…..WHAT!!! IT ISN’T 1, IT IS 2am….NOOOOO!!!! Another time change. We need sleep. A little worn out, but we can still smile. 4 hours later, we still made it to Hard Rock Cafe in Chicago We were happy until we found out we'd be here for the next 2 hours instead of in Chicago after a 1 hour plane flight. Time to leave and catch our flight More smashed pennies That you controlled steering from the sides...a little bit different The bumper cars were cool. They were surf boards Our personal on-ride photo. I also took a POV on this ride. I will post it later yep, that's it Wyandot Lake, we hear they have a coaster Different scene...where could we be? ya just gotta know what you're doing. WOW, how did we get VIP parking with passes from PGA? The Beast's queue Here's our on-ride photo. I am so glad they included the border. Nice mini cooper alright, chase is on as soon as we get in our car Okay, we will Look at how happy everyone is, they must have not ridden SOB! No, it's the Italian Job!!! Something that has you go through water??? Just a little bit of a wait for... Here's the queue line for this coaster Are we back in California? Bubba Gump shrimp is what they got.... Here we are waiting for our LAST ride on SOB. This ride is so bad...I don't know what the girl was thinking about behind Gyendolynne We're here at PKI bright and early, but that is the line for Season passes BEFORE you enter the park!

Day 3 – Sunday – Got up early….AGAIN….to drive to Louisville, Kentucky (75 miles) for SFKK. It wasn’t a bad drive, but you lose and hour going there. We arrived just after 11am and paid $5 for parking AT A SIX FLAGS!!! This was our first time paying to park on the trip. We went straight to Twisted Twins and rode it a couple times. Not a bad ride, but when you just got done riding Voyage, Legend, Raven and Kentucky Rumbler, anything else would have to really step up. I have been on worse wood rides though. This was much smoother than we expected. We rode Thunder Run next and went to get our on-ride photo. The picture had a border of the ride in the display, but the guy didn’t print it. He said we didn’t ask for it! We couldn’t believe it. That has never happened before. We just got some generic picture. AARRGHHHH!! Roller Skater was near by, so we rode that and then walked through the water park to get to Chang. IT WASN’T RUNNING!!! I rode T2 because we were there, but I will never ride it again. It was so hot too. A lady actually passed out from the heat and the emergency crew had to come. Only a couple of the smashed penny machines were working too. This park was disappointing to us. We decided enough was enough and left for Hard Rock Café for lunch. A 105ish mile drive was ahead of us to Cincinnati, Ohio for PKI. We checked into the hotel and as we drove by the park, it was packed! This was the Sunday before Memorial Day. After a little rest, we went to Lonestar for dinner and then to PKI for some night rides. There wasn’t a parking attendant when we showed up, so we didn’t have to pay! We walked around a little and saw so many long lines. The park was so crowded. We went straight back to ride The Beast. There wasn’t too long of a wait. We rode it once, and then we waited for the front row. This turned out to be the best move. By the time we got up to the front, the park was closing. They had fireworks at the end of the day and we were lucky enough to be on the lift hill in the front row when the fireworks started! It was an awesome ride and it was also in the dark. Hot tubs in rooms are not overrated! This is one of the reasons why it is great Now for a great hotel room right by PKI They had a kids' band setting up too Time for a beer at Hard Rock My shirt is actually soaked from sweat. I know it is shocking for anyone that saw me at Holiday World, but I do sweat. At least they are smart enough to have a billboard of a good coaster and amusement park just outside their exit We don't feel like sitting there either. Nope, too hot to wait in that line This was the same show they do at SFMW Now the waterpark is open So few Excedrin So much pain Oh my gosh, this is a bad idea Lift hill looks innocent enough I know, instead I'll ride T2...BIG MISTAKE! Until we get to Chang See, all is fine Don't be sad, I'm sure the ride is okay ooops getting caught with my smashed pennies The fly by.... I think everyone wants to ride Thunder Run Hey, is that a Boomerang... I couldn't tell from our on-ride photo because the guy didn't know we wanted the cool border printed with it! Thunder Run, oh is that what it is... See it's a neat little ride This neat little shoe ride wasn't operating yet I guess a couple others wanted to face their fears Nope, no one up here It doesn't look like anyone else want to though We will face our fears A stage for some show later on...man it was hot! Here is the water park before they open Chang, I thought I would ride you today Walking across the walkway over the road to the otherside of the park Gyendolynne seems happy Oh man, can we go back to Holiday World? Good-bye Santa's Lodge, same time next year??? in case you forgot the name Santa is everywhere... The front of the lodge Looking out the window from the restaurant The two of us in the sleigh The train.... The following are a few shots in the lobby of Santa's Lodge Unfortunately it is time to leave Holiday World

^Hey Ted, have fun in the UK. ^^^Yes, I did have my TPR shirt on at PKI. Come on up and say hi next time! We were having a blast. I am going to try to get the other days up ASAP. I would rank the parks more than the rides, but we had fun at almost every stop. After I put out all the days, I will put the rides and parks down. Right now though, Voyage, Hades, The Beast (Mainly for the night ride!), Kentucky Rumbler, Legend, Raven, Cyclops, Ragin' Bull, Superman Ultimate Flight, Hoosier Hurricane - all were incredible rides. I am missing a coule, but I am tired.

Day 2 – Saturday – Got up at 8am, don’t ask me why. Gyendolynne and I aren’t water park people, so we weren’t going to Splashin’ Safari. We got to Holiday World around 10:45 and rode Legend. We took a walk around the park and then decided to head back to Beech Bend to ride Rumbler. I called them and they said it was running after a power failure. I asked what the wait time was and she said 16 seconds as she was laughing. We left Holiday World around 1:30 and arrived in Beech Bend around 3:15. I am so glad we didn’t call again because Derek said Rumbler was down around 2pm again. The ticket person at Beech Bend said if we waited 45 minutes, we could get in for half price. We needed to get back to Holiwood Nights, so this wasn’t an option. I rode it 6 times and Gyendolynne rode it 5 times. It is a good ride and we’re glad we got on it. The fly-by the station and the bank turns are great! The operators of the ride are really great people too! We had a lot of fun with them. Dinner at Holiwood Nights was at 7:30pm. We sat with Chris and Natalee Godsey from Rideworld. Everyone headed to Voyage after dinner. We were waiting in line with Memphish and his dad on the ummmm, ummm, ummm, pier, yeah, thanks Memphish! We rode it twice in complete darkness. I thought this ride was great, but in the dark it becomes even more awesome. When you don’t know which way you’re going and can’t even see it, OMG! It just seems to get faster and faster. We headed to Raven and Legend for some night rides. All these coasters at night are absolutely incredible. I can’t remember how many times I rode them, but I think I dislocated Ted’s shoulder twice, until he started to lean forward. J A couple more rides on Voyage in the dark and then we called it a day. It was a great event. We enjoyed meeting so many people and talking to everyone. Here is a straighter shot Oh yes, time to ride Legend Here is the on-ride photo of Rumbler Another fly by, I think I can see Gyendolynne.. A picture of the fly by, it is pretty quick and dark. Nope, not yet, keep going We're all trying to find the cheese at the end of this I think we're starting to move, here's proof, the picture is blurry Here we are waiting patiently, Michael, his dad and us Now we have to wait on this bridge to ride Voyage This is a very neat structure The bridge back to Indiana Too much fun Oh yeah! Having a good time by the way, we did make it back to ride the Rumbler! Okie doke, we will Use this turkey caller to get them back here Hey the turkeys got away These guys were stuck there for a little while That's where the ERT was this morning. More pics of the different areas We decided to take a walk around the park

COASTER PALOOZA X I don’t know if it is actually “X” but it sounds good! I know in the calendar I say 13 parks in 9 days, it was actually 12 parks in 10 days, even though we didn’t do any parks on our last day (Sunday). There were 7 time zone changes, 10 states – Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Missouri, and Kansas (including our flights out and back, California, Nevada, and Arizona), 4 flights, 3 car rentals, 6 hotels, and around 3,000 miles driven. Day 1 – Thursday, Friday - Red-eye to Columbus, Ohio to arrive around 5:30am. We actually gain an hour on the drive to Bowling Green, Kentucky, so we thought we could arrive around noon. The drive is 340ish miles and after an all night flight, it was really sucking. Once we arrived to Beech Bend, we saw that the Rumbler wasn’t running. We walked up to the gate and there was a park person to greet people. She said that the Rumbler was struck by lightning the night before (Thursday) and they are expecting a part for it sometime today (Friday) to arrive from Ohio. We decided to ride the other rides since we were already there. Looping Star is one of the most painful rides I have ever been on. We also rode Power Surge, which is similar to the feeling of X at Magic Mountain, only you don’t have a track to know which way you’re going. It isn’t a roller coaster, so don’t get me wrong, but it flips you around similarly to X. We left after a few other rides and headed out to Holiday World, only 105ish miles away. J We were staying at Santa’s Lodge, along with most everyone else. The hotel is great. If you go to Holiday World, just stay there. No other reason to stay at any other hotel, unless it is sold out. With no sleep still, we went to Holiday World for Holiwood Nights. We saw Ted and Catrina, along with his group once we got there. We hung out with them for the rest of the night. The event started with a ride on Voyage. Oh my god! All the reports are absolutely right. This thing kicks a$$. Gyendolynne says it is like riding a quarter horse that is out of control and on the way back to the stables. I can’t believe all the airtime. The first ride felt like the train was actually jumping off the track many times. We were in the middle row too! Just when you think you’re at the end of the ride, you go flying by the queue line (underwater thing) and then you’re still going. It’s like it will never end. When we arrived back in the station we saw Michael Moore (Memphish, not the movie director) and his dad. They hung out with us too. All of us waited to ride the back row next. It was even better. We ate the awesome pizza dinner and had fudge, then rode Legend and Raven a couple of times. This was our first trip to Holiday World. Legend is a great ride. Raven has some fun spots too, but I liked Legend better than Raven. Voyage was definitely the best though. Had some beverages back at Santa’s lodge and then off to bed. We were up since 5am the day before. Here is our first ride on Voyage. I think it was intense! Rub the Belly, Rub the Belly... Here's a random pic of Gyendolynne and I behaving goofy during dinner. Sorry, not too many pics of Voyage. I thought ya all probably have seen plenty, but here is Ted! and this is why we are here but first, Will Koch would like to address all the enthusiasts Oh yes, looking forward to riding you Raven... Yep, there's the entrance We must be at Holiday World! All the furniture made the atmosphere there just great! Here's our room at Santa's lodge Parting shot of the Rumbler, will we get to ride you on this trip? Hey, I'm Dale Earnhardt Now it's starting! I know that grin is fake! Hey Honey, why don't you try riding it? Wow I didn't like that at all.... Oh dear lord, now I am upside down! Uh oh, I think I am going in a direction I hadn't planned on.... It just spins, right? What seems to be the problem? Will he take my tickets for the ride? Let me try Power Surge....yeah that looks comfortable Have I said that the Rumbler was down today? Nope, don't need to ride you today Oh my gosh! That drop is a little unexpected. Just keep going up.... See, nice and easy.... Hey Gyendolynne, how about riding Shooting Star. No, there shouldn't be anything wrong just because no one else is on it. I can still smile even after getting bashed around! I think I will start to hold on, maybe that will help Oh my gosh that is bashing me... Happy now, just wait.... I know, I will ride Looping Star, that will make this 340 mile trip worth it....Won't it??? It's just right there, so close... Oh how I wish we could ride it Look at that monstrosity just waiting for us to ride it NOOOO!!!! Are you kidding me??? As we continued our drive through Cincinnati, I found this Billboard funny Of course we had to have breakfast at Cracker Barrel We're off on the trip at 8:30pm!

^I have no idea when the Westcoaster was painted yellow, but it looked that way when we were there in March.

^^^Tatsu in the rain isn't bad at all because most of the time the rain is hitting the ride since the track is on your back. When it started to pour it was pretty bad though. ECZenith - We're always up for meeting people. I met Rugged One while riding Tatsu. We were very disappointed that the Sky Tower wasn't operating. ^The reptile store is right next door to Adventure City. When we pulled in I thought it was inside Adventure City, but it wasn't. Thanks again for the advice on the park with the crowds all heading to Tatsu and X. Goliath and Batman were awesome and the operations were incredible. I can't remember the last time I rode those rides so many times in a row. Coaster Palooza Midwest Tour coming up!!!!!

Trip continued..... th, th, tha, tha, that's all folks..... Night ride on Tatsu First ride on Tatsu and rain some more..... and rain... Yes it did rain... Nighttime Tatsu with no one in the station. Did I say there were babies? More geese Another little baby. These geese are over by Scream! Home, Bart and Krusty and finally Revolution coming around. here's more Tatsu pictures that no one has ever seen!!! More characters ACE's lunch, good fried chicken. Very happy with the operations Batman's queue I'm the Flash I'm Batman Goliath's queue at 10:39am ..... What Sunday would be complete without a cheer competition? The 2 new things at SFMM.

Gyendolynne and I headed to SoCal for the ACE Tatsu event last weekend. We flew down Saturday morning and went straight to Knott’s Berry Farm. It was a little crowded, but we rode Xcelerator and Supreme Scream. After walking around a little bit we decided to head over to Mrs. Knott’s for some chicken. Neither of us has eaten there before, but I won’t bore you with it because I am sure you have all heard about this place. We headed back to KBF for a quick walk around and then left. Adventure City is right down the street, so we went there since we haven’t been there before. It was a nice park. There were all sorts of groups there. The staff was extremely polite to us. Tree Top Racers was a fun ride, thank goodness for the padding. The little drop tower was fun too. We walked through the reptile shop and then headed to Santa Monica Pier. We were able to get our rides on the West Coaster that we missed when we were down there during the West Coast Bash. Once we were done there we went up to Valencia to have dinner at Claim Jumpers with R&E. Thanks for meeting up with us! Sunday – ERT at 8am. We arrived at SFMM just after 7:30, registered and headed up to Tatsu around 8:15am. It was a great time. I remember reading about putting your stuff in the lockers, but they let you set everything down before you rode. They did this throughout the day too, not just for the ERT. After around 12 rides on Tatsu and 4 rides for Gyendolynne, we rode X for a little bit. Four rides and a concussion later L I had about enough. Gyendolynne stopped after 2 rides. The park was opening and I wanted one more ride on Tatsu. We got there just about 10am and I ran into Evan (What Now). At 10:03 the GP was already filling in. I thought, “WOW 3 minutes to run from the gate to here, now that’s fast!” I rode in the front row and then we headed to Goliath. There was no line at all and Robb said that with Tatsu and X it seems like the rest of the park is empty. He is right. Goliath and Batman were both walk-ons. The operations were much better than what I was used to at SFMM too. The kids were really hustling. We had to have our ride on Colossus and then head over for the ACE lunch. On the way to lunch, this man with his kids was saying, “You don’t want to ride Colossus, it is old and rickety and made of wood.” I just started laughing. It was also funny that we had the same thing for lunch two days in a row. J One more lap around the park, and a stop by the not operating Sky Tower…GRRRRR, then we left to get a nap before dinner and ERT at 10pm. ERT at 10pm. We arrived back at the park around 9:15 and headed straight to Goliath. It was a walk-on and we must have ridden it around 6 times before heading back to Tatsu around 10. The ERT on Tatsu was fine except for the rain. I was surprised that they cleared out everyone that wasn’t with the ERT so fast. It was sprinkling at first and then started to pour after our 3rd ride. A person named Brian Metgers (sp?) was there and rode with us in the front row one time. He helped build Tatsu and it was interesting to get to talk to him. After around 6 rides and pouring down rain, we decided to leave. Our flight was in the morning and we had to get up at 3am, which gave us around 3 hours of sleep. Monday was a very long day. That’s all I have. Tatsu kicks butt, X kicks you’re a$$ and the ERT was great. I liked Tatsu’s lift hill, but the egg roll is very hard on the sinuses. Thanks for reading! I can't believe I did this and posted it. Hey, is that Chevy Chase? No one has ever done this.... Ellos tuvieron estos anuncios por todo el parque. They had these signs all over the park. Ninja dude, never seen this guy before. More characters.... At least there were characters. Just getting packed. Unbelievable, everyone runs to this now. Here is the queue at 10:03. I ran into Evan (What Now). Just before the park opened. Yep that is Mantis Man in the last row. Skyride NOT operating today. This was before my head was bashed around. Alright, let's go ride X. hmmmm yep, you can't get enough. Heheeee Tatsu..... More Tatsu photos. I am on the ride somewhere. The pole is in the way, but that is my hand. Tatsu is here to make you fly! No one has this picture Here we are at ACE registration and what trip isn't complete without some smashed pennies Now it's our turn Hard G's being pulled here. Extreme lift hill We're here to ride you West Coaster. Santa Monica Pier. Finally! I thought this was pretty cool. These turtles were actually moving very fast. The reptile store was next. We rode the train before we left. Neat little drop tower Hi Gyendolynne We were very happy with all the padding Nice fit Tree Top Racers Having a wonderful time. I'm in, but it looks like a tight fit behind me Look at the terrain Time to squeeze into the kiddie coaster. I see you!!! Very colorful flowers just inside the entrance. Next place on the list, Adventure City. Hey what's this? Silver Bullet Another Silver Bullet Exclusive.. The stagecoach Silver Bullet One more photo of the crowd More of the event They had some event going on with a few religious groups singing. Mrs. Knott's Waiting to get on Supreme Scream Here's the queue Here's the walk-up Xcelerator wasn't... Silver Bullet was too crowded early.

The videos and photos are great! It looks like you both had a good time. Your videos are so entertaining. I'm looking forward to both these parks next weekend. Hopefully we can see you this weekend.

That one is a bit on the wild side.....Not that there's anything wrong with that. Hopefully there are Seinfeld fans out there still...