steel

^It's in your signature, lol. Steel Force's brakes were hardly on. Lotsa airtime. Thanks to everyone for commenting.

^Exactly what I thought when I heard this. *coughMillenniumForcecough*

^You can do 5 at a time, which works well when you are writing the TR itself. It reall isn't that big a deal anyway, because if you have 100 photos, they won't all fit in one post and you can take breaks in between. I'm sure power toy is an easy way to do it too. Also, a lot of cameras take pictures that are bigger than the maximum size on Power Toy, Image Shack, Photobucket, etc. Xanga is easier that way.

^Injuries an deaths are very different things.

^actually it doesn't take long at all.

^I believe a certain "topdrag" is making one over at ThrillNetwork.

From the Des Moines Register - State agency to investigate rollercoaster injury TOM ALEX REGISTER STAFF WRITER July 27, 2006 The Iowa Division of Labor Services is investigating a Monday accident in which three people were injured while riding a rollercoaster at Adventureland. One of them, an 11-year-old girl, was hospitalized and is in fair condition with a head injury. The girl was hurt by a falling board on the Altoona amusement park's famous Tornado rollercoaster. The Division of Labor Services regulates amusement rides in Iowa and inspects the rides every year. The board was left behind on lattice work by accident and eventually vibrated free and fell on the girl as she was riding the rollercoaster, according to an Adventureland spokeswoman. The girl was not identified by Adventureland officials who provided information about the accident. Two other riders suffered minor scrapes but did not require hospital treatment. Molly Vincent, a spokeswoman for Adventureland in Altoona, said workers left the loose board behind on the Tornado's lattice work. The board was off to the side and above the part of the ride where the injuries occurred. Vibration apparently released it from its perch and it struck the girl on the head. Vincent said the girl was alert and conscious as she left the park. Altoona police and fire officials said earlier that they were not called to investigate. Sorry if there's alreaady a topic about this. I couldn't find it anywhere. Anyway, this is sort of an odd accident. Wouldn't workers have double checked the area after completing work?

Get an account on xanga. You don't have to give any info other than you email, or actually start a blog or anything, but you can upload photos. When they're uploaded, click on the one you want. It will go to a screen that includes a small version of the picture. Click on it. You will be able to pick one of five different sizes: square (very handy for avatars), small, medium, large, and original. Medium is a good size for Photo TRs, so right click and save it as what it already is, if that makes any sense whatsoever.

So we did MIA on the 14th. On the 15th, we went to a wedding (my dad lived in Muskegon for a year). On the 16th, my mom took a train home and my dad and I took the ten hour drive to Gettysburg, PA, where we have family. On the 17th, we did absolutely nothing. And on the 18th, we went to Dorney Park. This would a huge visit for me because I'd be getting my 100th coaster. I had it all planned out. 96 - Hydra, 97 - Laser, 98 - Thunderhawk, 99 - Steel Force, 100 - Talon, 101 - Wild Mouse, 102 - Woodstock's Express. And it was the perfect day for it. It was 100 degrees or more the whole time we were there, and the park was empty. So we entered the park and heraded to Hydra: The Revenge, my first floorless coaster. The Jojo roll is amazing. I would ride it again just for that. I actually really enjoyed this coaster. It isn't great, and yes, it's pretty forceless, aside from the split second of airtime you get near the back. We rode in the middle the first time. 69%, D+. Next, we rode Meteor, which was great fun, but not as good as those good, old-fashioned Kamikazes. 77%, C+. On our way to Laser, we rode The Whip. This was by far the best non-Steel Force ride in the park. I could ride it all day. 95% A. My twin cousins then headed to Wildwater Kingdom, while my aunt, uncle, dad, and I walked down to Laser, which was very painful and not much fun. But I'm glad I got to riding now that there is talk of it being removed. 61%, D-. Thunderhawk was next. We were in row two (we wanted to wait for the front, but we were two trains behind, and Special Access came along, so we gave up). I loved this ride. The airtime you get every time you hit anti-rollbacks is simply divine. 89%, B+. Steel Force proved to be the best coaster in the park. Lots of airtime everywhere. The tunnels were over-rated, but the rest was a tad better than Mamba. And to those who insist that Steel Force and Mamba are clones, you are wrong, wrong, wrong. Mamba has a turn after its second drop, you then ascend the third hill, where there's a straightaway before a curving drop into a helix with some of the best head-choppers in the coaster world. There's a strange pop of air before you hit the brake run, and there is one more bunny hop. The final turn is also much wider and is a bigger drop. On Steel Force, there are no turns, save the one out of the station, until the third hill, which does not drop down very far. There is a straightaway, and the helix begins without a large drop. This helix does not have noteable headchoppers and has a tighter radius. There is no air on the way to the brake run. Also, Mamba is a tad taller, at 205 feet, where Steel Force is only 200 feet. Steel Force is a bit more fun, however, and the terrein is miles and miles better than Mamba's. 95%, A. After this, my aunt and uncle gave up and went to Wildwater Kingdom to join their daughters. On our way back to Talon, we hit Thunderhawk in the back, which wasn't quite as good, and Hydra in the front, which was awfully rough and completely forceless. The floorlessness does nothing for me. And then it was time. Talon loomed on top of the hill. There was no line, so we headed straght for the back (my favorite spot on Patriot). The verdict: Worst coaster in the park and one of the worst coasters I've ever had the displeasure to experience. The only fun park on this coaster is the first half of the first drop, which pales in comparison to Patriots. The rest is a whirl brain-crushing positive forces. For the first time ever, I nearly blacked out on a coaster. Talon is extremely rough, where Patriot is smooth as silk. Talon pummels you through its elements too fast for comfort, where Patriot's pacing is perfect. Talon has no airtime, where Patriot has a substantial amount. Talon's positives are over-the-top, where Patriot's are just enough to keep comfortable. In short, Talon is far from B&M's best piece of work. This was Dorney Park's version of "this ride is not as cool as it looks." 38%, F. After that ordeal, I decided to try out Screamin' Swing before getting on Skyhawk (hey, it's only $5, why not?). I was not disappointed and became very excited for Skyhawk, and especially for ERT on Xtreme Swing at PresCon (!!!!). BTW, Screamin' Swing does have those carribbeaners. 95%, A. Headed to Wild Mouse. Booooooooooooooooooring. Also, we waited in the station for way too long, watching people who were in line behind us board the ride. 60%, D-. Then I decided to ride Talon again, to see if it was any better in the front. I was sadly mitaken. And we saw our second occurrence of the ineficiency of Dorney Park staff. So we get in line for the front, and there are five people in front of us - two groups of two and a single rider in between. The first group of two and the single rider walk through the gates, as normal. The group of two sits down and the single rider goes to put his loose artcles away. Seizing their chance, the second group of two boards the train. The single rider comes back and tells the ride ops what had happened. I became appauled as I watched the second group of two pull down their harnesses and ride. The worst part: the harnesses weren't even locked yet, and the ops did nothing about it. The single rider rode with us in the next train. Then, of course, while my dad was doing loose articles, the group of two that was behind us tries to board. I told them what was goin on, and, being park guests, they wouldn't have it. Thankfully, they did not ride. So, DP staff: 65%, D. Then, we credited Woodstock's Express, which was great fun. Very forceful for a kiddie coaster, but I made the mistake of putting the bar between my legs. Ouch. 71%, C-. We did Steel Force again after that, this time in row two, which wasn't quite as good, and finished off the day with one last ride on Hydra, in the back row, which was the best ride I got on a B&M all day. Even better, when we got in the station, they had to close the ride because they saw lightning. Sure enough, A huge storm began and pretty much everything closed. We left the park with everyone else. Overall, I absolutely LOVED Dorney Park. It is by far, the prettiest and best landscaped park in the CF chain, and, though none of the coasters really stand out, not including Steel Force, I woud place it number two on my list of CF parks I've visited (Cedar Point, Dorney Park, Valleyfair, Worlds of Fun, Geauga Lake, Michigan's Adventure) and number three on my list of parks overall. 99%, A. EDIT: I forgot, we went on Dominator somewhere in there. I did green (Turbo Drop, basically). This was probably my first downward launch on an S&S since the second year Valleyfair!'s Power Tower opened, and it was well worth it. Great view of Hydra from up there. 92%, A-. Jojo roll, woot. I bet you have never seen anything like this before. This thing is called a sign. In the words of Robb Alvey "in case you forgot what park you're at." Believe it or not, I took this picture at about 5:30 pm. In other words, it got dark really, really fast. This officially makes Dorney Park worth it. If they took out Steel Force, Thunderhawk would be the best ride in the park. Talon looks way too cool for its own good.

Be afraid. Be very afraid of the "includes a nice surprise." I bet you anything that's an German Surprise Egg. I have a collection of the toysthat come inside them. I might be the dorkiest person alive.

Oh my. Hold me. I'm frightened.

^Only the farmer grandpas and grandmas who live in little cottages on farms that don't grow. I once was talking to a little kid in line for something. It may been MF. Anyway, I told him wher I live and he's like: "Iowa is where hobos live." "Um... sure," I responded.

^Yeah, it lasts more than 30 secs. It lasts about 5 min. I cannot stand that ride. I have never seen lines that long at Adventureland. Usually, Dragon's line doesn't reach past the turnstyles, and SplashOver's doesn't even use switchbacks. You should be glad you did not ride SplashOver. Certain places near your legs would most likely never forgive you. Outlaw "was smooth as glass." *snort* I'm assuming you rode near the front. You certainly could not say the same for the back half. You really should come back and ride Sawmill Splash some time. It's worth the wait. You don't get too wet unless the raft is weighed down at one end and you get a free foot massage going up the lift. Sidewinder is also great. Second only to Huss Giants in the frisbee world. It isn't Iowans who are obnoxious like that. Only non-coaster people whose home park is Adventureland. They think their park is the best in the world. Personally, I am baffled as to why you enjoyed Dragon. To each his own, as they say... I must ask. Where did you find those t-shirts? I have never been able to find t-shirts like that at Adventureland. Yes, we are Iowans. No, we aren't all that tacky. Only the old-fashioned farmer-grandmas. What, you didn't ride Space Shot? Best ride in the park, my friend. I can't help but chuckle every time we pass Terrible's. I'm glad I'm not the only one. Sounds like you enjoyed our little park. Glad you had a nice time.

I've been on Dragster and Storm Runner. Both were very smooth. However, at 120 mph, you don't notice much.

On to the coasters! We arrived in Muskegon at about 1:00 pm and drove out to Nowhere, Michigan to do some coastering. We got into the park, after getting tickets through our sister park passes, and made a beeline for Zach's Zoomer (I already had the credit, but I had to ride again for old times' sake. Strangely enough, it feels a lot tamer than it did when I was six. I'd give it a 73%, C-. I then braved Corkscrew. Have to get the credit, doesn't matter how. This was probably the second slowest moving line I have ever encountered (first being Wild & Wooly Toboggan at Little A-Merrick-A during ERT). I was standing in the station for about fifteen minutes. And it was a crap ride. I should probably mention this now - every park we visited had at least one coaster that looks really cool, but is quite the opposite. This is MIA's example. 25%, F. Next, we walked to Wolverine Wildcat, which was way better than I expected. It's not packed with air, like Shivering Timbers, or particularly fast, but it's great fun. 88%, B+. And the moment we've all been waiting for... Shivering Timbers! Great ride. Not nearly as rough as I've been told, but definately not what I'm sure it once was. This thing is PACKED with floater air. I rode it two times before we headed to Mad Mouse. 96%, A. Mad Mouse sucked. 56%, F. Next up was Big Dipper, the kiddie coaster. Surprisingly good for a kiddie. Much better than crap like Mild Thing or Wacky Worm. 69%, D+. After the crediting was done, I did Shivering Timbers two more times. The first time was awesome. The second time, two things happened before I boarded. First, someone threw up in right side of the seventh row of the blue train, so loading stopped for a minute before they started running the green train again. Second, I realized that the screen of my dad's cell phone had cracked during the helix of the previous ride. Needless to say, I was a little worried about getting off as I boarded. I knew he'd understand, but it meant we'd probably have to get him a new cell the next day. We then left. Overall, the park was nice, but there is nothing, and I mean NOTHING to do there aside from Wolverine Wildcat, Shivering Timbers, and (I imagine) RipCord. 73%, C-. The next day, we did end up going to the Verizon store, where both my parents got new cells, and they decided to get me one (woot!). Shivering Timbers has six big hills (including the lift hill) before its turnaround. Every one of them has good airtime. At last, a quality coaster. Kind of an arts shot. You can see the combination double-up/double-down on Wolverine Wildcat in the background. The clone of Valleyfair!'s Mad Mouse (VF!'s is actually better). Corkscrew looks way better than it did eight years ago, but it's still crap to ride.

Sounds as though you had a great time. It's too bad Timber Wolf was closed, though. It's a great coaster and it's getting way better. It's best in the front, if you do get the chance again.

Disaster Transport. Cold and cheese-filled. I guess we were supposed to be all like "OMG!! BLACKLIGHTS! THE RANDOM SPLOTCH OF WHITE ON MY SHIRT IS GLOWING!" BTW, does anyone know the actual storyline of Disaster Transport?

Alright, I know I got you excited, but there probably won't be any coaster pics until later today or tomorrow. Part One: Chicago We arrived in Chicago on July 12 at about 3:00 - just enough time to check out Millennium Park and get dinner at 312 before heading to the non-coaster highlight of the trip - the hit musical "Wicked." Wicked was incredible. There is no way to describe it and completely do it justice. Our Elphaba was not quite what Idina Menzel was, but that didn't take much away from the wonderful performances and the heartfelt story of the witches of Oz. Definately a 10/10 play. The next day, we walked through the King Tut exibit at the Field Museum, which was fascinating, and took a water taxi over to Navy Pier, where we met some family friends to have lunch and do some rides at Navy Pier park. We ended up riding the ferris wheel (once) and the wave swinger (twice). We went back to Millennium Park for a while, then said farewell to our friends and walked to the Chase building for the other non-coaster highlight of the trip - a taping of NPR's "Wait, Wait,... Don't Tell Me!" WWDTM (The Oddly Informative News Quiz, or NPR Without the Dignity), if you do not know is a news quiz hosted by Peter Sagel and starring Carl Kassel and a panel of three comedians (in this case, Roy Blundt, Jr., Paula Poundstone (woot!), and Richard Roeper (that's right, from Ebert and Roeper)), along with another well-known figure (in this case Jeannean Garafalo (sp)). It was a riot. Paula Poundstone is a comedic genius. I would go back and see it again in a second. We then drove back to our hotel, visions of sugar plums, Michigan's Adventure, and several dancing monkeys in pink suits looming in our minds. Wait, Wait,... Don't Tell Me was awesome. *snort* McDonalds... Pretty... Very true. Wicked!

On Thunderhawk at Geauga Lake - *train pulls into the station (everyone has a headache)* Op: "Welcome back, riders! How was your ride?" Someone near the back of the train: "HURTFUL!"

No, that is definately Goliath. That is Goliath's exact layout, the colors are the same, the train is the same, the design is the same, and the backdrop is the same. As they say, "If it looks like a duck, eats like a duck, tastes like a duck, and poops like a duck, it's probably a duck." It's Goliath. And I got a WAY cooler toy than you.

Universal has the rights to the musical "Wicked," so... I thinhk a Universal park needs to make an airtime packed coaster called "Wicked" - the tagline being "Defy Gravity," of course. Maybe when they come to their senses and make it into a movie there will be a better chance of this happening.

Well, I had a great time. I got bunches and bunches of photos of CP construction. Ended up hating Talon. I'll explain that in the TR.

Probably Legend at Arnolds Park, built in 1927 (same year as Cyclone).

I've done eight whole songs now. I'm such a dork. I can't do anything past Beginner. And I still get C's. But my favorite is "La Bamba."

^Actually Little A-Merrick-A has an awesome kiddie coaster and one of the last remaining Herschell Mad Mice, along with a great train ride and a Roll-O-Plane. They've even got a small Parachute Drop. Black Hawk Motel my look nice, but you want this one: http://www.usa.travelmall.com/content/hotel_info/Best+Value+Day's+End+Motel+Wisconsin+Dells--code--866.html It's very close to all the parks, it has a few water slides, some cute little rooms, and one of the cleanest environments I've seen. It's one of those "old fashioned" motels.