steel

The Beast Shivering Timbers Wild Thing Magnum XL-200 I'm a big fan of one-word names. Prowler Renegade Outlaw Patriot Thunderhead Mamba air Nemesis Raptor Talon Oblivion Sheikra Montu Kumba Alpengeist Nitro etc.

Okay, yeah, whatever, you keep telling yourself that.

Woo, 2010 ftw!

Fiddler is really long and very historical, but it has some great music. Legally Blonde is pretty superficial. It's basically the same as the movie, but with catchy songs.

People will scoff, but Gold Rusher is by far the most fun roller coaster at SFMM. It isn't particularly thrilling or intense, but it's exciting and enjoyable. 1. Gold Rusher 2. Tatsu 3. Riddler's Revenge 4. Revolution 5. X2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY5WwZeEmSU There's my submission. Yeah, I didn't think this would get any attention. Oh well.

We've been getting some pretty intense theatre at my school in the past few years. My freshman year, we did Grease. Sophomore year was Les Miserables and this year was Jesus Christ Superstar. Les Mis was by far the most fun (JCS was terrible - it was a pretty good production, but everyone hated each other and no one had a good time, so it wasn't as great as it could have been), but I think Ragtime would have the ability to surpass that.

Loved Glee. Favorite part was in the preview for the next weeks when the cheerleading coach says, "That was the most offensive thing I've ever seen, and that includes an elementary school production of Hair." ROFLMAO. Right now there's a 90% chance we will do Ragtime this fall, a 7% chance we'll do Assassins, 2% Urinetown, and 1% something else. Perfect. Super excited.

Let me begin by saying again that I completely respect the work moderators do and I understand how difficult and time-consuming it is (I could certainly never do it). Additionally, I totally agree with the motives behind thread-locking and post-deleting 99% of the time. And, again, I understand that this site is not meant to be completely serious, and, again, 99% of the time, it is ridiculously funny, and I enjoy that. That's what puts this site ahead of others for a lot of people and that's what makes this site unique (aside: not that other websites aren't also fantastic - don't tell anyone, but I actually prefer ThrillNetwork *gasp*). But sometimes that humor gets a little out of hand. I understand that constantly closing the same thread gets annoying and that every idiot teenager seems the same, but behind the mask of all-caps posts and sentences with disproportionate ratios of number to letter, they are people with lives and feelings. That sounds shallow. But it's true. It's possible to be funny and cynical and sarcastic without being mean. That's all I ask.

I agree with MG for the most part. Most of the time, our moderators are really, really good. However, there have been numerous cases that I would go so far as to call mean. Nine times out of ten, the perpetrator is simply not informed, and sarcastic or mean-spirited comments on the part of the moderator are completely uncalled for. Being rude doesn't work. It may not be as fun, but it doesn't hurt anyone to explain in a brief message exactly why the thread is being closed, pure and simple. That's one of my problems with this site. I understand the whole sarcastic influence going on, but sometimes it turns kind of mean, and I would love to see that change. EDIT: Actually, now that I think about it, the "Dumbest Things Said on TPR" is a great example of the mean-spiritedness that I think is kind of a downfall for this (otherwise excellent) site. I understand that some things people say are just ridiculous, but that thread leans much more heavily toward open mocking than innocent teasing.

1992 - Monkey Element - Water by a lot. Wood got 1, lol.

So I have no idea how much interest this will get. Probably none. That's okay, I tried. Alright, quick introduction (exposition is key, you know). Eric Whitacre emerged at the end of the 1990s as a force in modern classical composition. His use of minor seconds and other varieties of unresolved dissonance quickly became his signature. Within a decade, he has risen to a level of near-God-like fan worship. And he deserves every bit of it. His music is exciting, meaningful, and incredibly beautiful. Whitacre composes for concert band, string ensemble, accompanied choir, and a capella choir. He also wrote the score for the sort of techno opera Paridise Lost. His most famous stuff, though is for a capella choir. Many Whitacre fans consider Sleep to be his quintessential work (I among them). In April, I sang Sleep in an octet for state music contest after four months of preparation. Sleep has an interesting story. It was originally intended to be a setting of Robert Frost's Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening (These woods are lovely, dark and deep,/But I have promises to keep/And miles to go before I sleep,/And miles to go before I sleep.), but legal complications kept Whitacre from publishing it. So he asked a friend, Charles Anthony Silvestri, to write an entirely new poem to replace Stopping By Woods, which he did. This is Sleep: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xn_Qo_WXMg The evening hangs beneath the moon A silver thread on darkened dune With closing eyes and resting head I know that sleep is coming soon Upon my pillow, safe in bed A thousand pictures fill my head I cannot sleep, my minds a-flight And yet, my limbs seem made of lead If there are noises in the night A frightening shadow, flickering light Then I surrender unto sleep Where clouds of dream give second sight What dreams may come, both dark and deep Of flying wing and soaring leap As I surrender unto sleep As I surrender unto sleep So there you have it. Now,onward my friends, into the dark. A couple days ago, Mr. Whitacre posted a fantastic idea on his outstanding blog (www.soaringleap.com). Create a virtual choir. Upload a video of yourself singing your part of Sleep onto YouTube and they will be combined into one massive Internet choir. Later, if all goes well, Whitacre will compose a piece specifically for this virtual choir and it will be premiered on YouTube. This is an incredible opportunity for anyone at all interested in singing or choral music. I'm really excited about it, and I would love to recruit some of you fellows. Complete directions are available at Whitacre's blog (www.soaringleap.com). Have fun, kids.

I don't usually have a problem with losing my glasses on rides (though bafflingly, they will not stay on my face during show choir), but I usually don't wear them anyway. For me the wind in my face is an integral part of the ride, and glasses hinder that sensation. So I remove them.

The band and orchestra kids were there for Worlds of Fun Festival of Music. It's pretty much every weekend for all of spring for middle and high school bands, orchestras, and (I think) choirs. I went to Worlds of Fun with orchestra my eighth grade year for that. Mamba was wet because it's right next to Monsoon and Fury of the Nile, so they get a lot of wet patrons. No different than Wild Thing. They just don't have time to inspect every seat for dampness ever time. I have to say, I could barely disagree more about Wild Thing's first two hills being better than Mamba's. I don't know if you noticed but you get about four seconds of massive floater air on Mamba's second hill. Possibly because you didn't ride back row (although third row is fantastic). Great trip report. Glad you enjoyed Prowler and Worlds of Fun!

Someone asked about the train. Yeah, you can't take any video or pictures. You also can't ride if you're pregnant. It's ridiculous, I know. Okay, video. Have fun. MOV05807.MPG Okay, here's the whole thing from the exit ramp. As you watch this, keep in mind how much track the train is traversing while you can't see it, and you'll get sort of an idea how fast it is. Layout here: http://prowler.worldsoffun.com/public/ride/stats.cfm MOV05791.MPG The first riders roar down the initial plunge. MOV05789.MPG Cutting the ribbon.

Okay, here we go. There you go. Videos coming later. Be patient. I'll leave you with two of my favorite shots of Prowler. Me trying to take a picture of the super cool bridges that Prowler uses to get over the creek. And failing. Tree cover everywhere. Alright, here they are. Magic hour at Worlds of Fun. Prowler Plaza at night from the station. Little-known fact: Zulu has the coolest lights ever. My sad, pathetic attempt at a night shot of Prowler in a moving queue without a tripod. Nice shot of Mamba at dusk. WoF just sitting there being awesome. You go, WoF. Inverted airtime FTW! Always beautiful. This is one of my favorite shots of Patriot ever. Why is it that the best photos are taken when you try least? The Lift is also new this year. Used to be Norseman's Niceties. I thought it was pretty bland until I saw that they are selling back issues of Theme Parks magazine! (Pretty pictures!!!) Pretty. At this point, I went back to Prowler for more pictures, but the light was perfect and all the pictures were outstanding, so I'm going to come back later. In the mean time, this is a view you couldn't really get of Boomerang before. Good old Eli. Going to be much more popular this year. This is the best way to see Prowler in action. Sit on the lefthand side for the best view. Pity you aren't allowed to take pictures or video. Detonator hasn't changed much. I didn't have a great ride because like two people were too big to ride pretty much every time and the line was long to begin with. Obligatory skyline shot. Prowler didn't actually change this at all. You can see the top of the lift from the road, but that's it unless you're right next to it. I like this shot. They gave out nifty black bracelets that say "PROWLER Unleashed 2009" and"saveoursiberians.org." The blue one says "MISANTHROPE" because I am. The station looks really nice. Photo booth from ride exit. Beautiful trains. The new Prowler plaza from the queue. Station from queue. Somehow, I managed to find a nearly empty queue for Prowler. w00t! The area right next to Zulu was totally closed off last year. This is the first look you get at Prowler after entering the park. Back to more familiar stuff. View from the exit ramp. The first riders return. You get a pretty good view from the queue. Getting the official stuff out of the way. Entrance plaza as I arrived. There she is. On the way to the park entrance. I think I have about twelve of this shot from different days.

Had an awesome day at Worlds of Fun yesterday. The season is off to a fantastic start. Left at about 6:00 am yesterday morning and arrived around 9:00. Got the platinum pass processed and waited until the gates opened at 9:30, at which point I went straight to Prowler, naturally. Several people said things and the ribbon was cut without too much delay. I was seated in the back row, right side for my first ride. Out of the station, the train makes a little 90 degree downward-sloping turn to the lift. The drop is fun, but it isn't the best. As you crest the second hill, it becomes clear that this is going to be very wild. You hurtle down a straight drop through the lift and away from the Prowler midway into the forest as your picture is taken. Forever changing direction, Prowler leaps up and down through the trees before navigating a simple turnaround. Airtime is imminent. After the turnaround, you cross a short straightaway, followed by a tiny hop, and three or four impossibly small bumps that act as a triple down of sorts. One turn later, the train hits the brakes and after just under 45 seconds, it's over.And that's before it warms up. Every time you ride this thing, it gets better. Then it gets dark. After a couple rides each on Patriot and Mamba, a blast off on Detonator, and a trip to Prowlerland on the train (and a fourish-hour nap at the hotel), it was back to Prowler to see how this baby could move at night. Quick note before the fun stuff: Patriot is running beautifully, as always. Smooth and full of surprise air, just like it was when it opened. Mamba is running really, really well this year. They've turned down the MCBR a TON. It barely shaves off any speed this year compared to the other Morgan hypers (read: Wild Thing) and to last year, so the bunny hops are dreamlike. I'm hoping against hope that this won't change for ERT at Coaster Con this June. Speaking of ERT at Con, I am super pumped for the first night at WoF, because we get ERT on Prowler until 12:30 am. Why does this excite me so? Glad you asked. At night, Prowler is a whole new Beast (pun intended). The only lights are on the lift hill and the rest is in the woods, so for 85% of the ride, you can't see a thing. After the first drop and second hill, the ride photo blinds you for a second. This strobe is placed at exactly the point where the train leaves the lit portion of the ride. In other words, when your vision returns, there is absolutely nothing to see. At this point, Prowler has warmed up completely, so it's not so much speeding through the course as rocketing (imagine how insane this will be in August). Riding Prowler at night is like riding a weird lovechild of Voyage, Beast, and Zeus, but built by GCI. It throws you around so much that even those of us who killed half an hour memorizing the layout are baffled. And it doesn't slow down at ALL until it hits the breaks. Prowler is not only an outstanding roller coaster, it is precisely what Worlds of Fun needed. Before this year, it had a good group of coasters and great atmosphere. Now, it feels like a complete park. I had a great time and I can't wait to come back later in the season. RECAP: Detonator: 1x Train: 1x Mamba: 2x Patriot: 2x Prowler: 9x (4x in the morning, 1x just before sunset, 4x at night) NOTE: I do have a bunch of photos and some videos. I will post them soon, but not right now, as the internet is being touchy and I don't want to upset it by uploading loads of files.

IMO, everything it does during the day is amplified tenfold at night. I rode four times, all in the last or second-to-last row at night. It is freaking intense. The drop and second hill are great, but then the photo blinds you and it is pitch black for the rest of the ride. I am very, very impressed.

Taking a break from the park for a while. WOW! I am completely blown away. Prowler is incredible. It simply does not let up at all. Totally disorienting. So excited for the trees to grow in for ERT CoasterCon. It's about 45 seconds from the drop to the brakes, and it does not slow down at all. Relentless and butter smooth. I'm weird, but I put it at number two wood behind Beast and number four overall behind MF, Maverick, and Beast (and above Voyage, which is why I'm weird). Someone asked about assigned seating. Yeah, it's loosely assigned, but they will let you sit where you want. I was lucky enough to get the back three out of my four first rides (the fourth time, I was in the front). This thing is flying now. Wait until August. Anyway, I have a bunch of pictures and some video that I know you will devour.

How many trains was Patriot running? I've seen it run both on totally dead days. And that is a fantastic coaster to marathon. One last thing about Timber Wolf. I haven't actually ridden it this season yet, so they may be at some weird point in the retracking process that makes it unbearable (but that isn't actually what I've heard from other sources so far). At any rate, I haven't had a truly horrible ride on Timber Wolf since before they started retracking. Since then, it's been way more intense and packed with airtime. I'll have to check it out for myself on Saturday. That's interesting. I've never heard that before. I guess they do have some similar rides, though. I honestly liked Dorney better, but WoF is just my standard park. Patriot is not a clone of Talon. It's pretty close, but they are very different riding experiences. Patriot is much smoother and faster. Talon emphasizes positive gs while Patriot emphasizes negative gs.

Jackhammers through the whole ride? I'm sorry, but that just isn't true. I've ridden Timber Wolf tons of times and it's been uncomfortable sometimes, but it has never jackhammered. Voyage jackhammers a lot through the last half if you sit in the wrong place. Timber Wolf is totally manageable even in the back row. In fact, it even has a bunch of really intense airtime on good days. Even on bad days it's pretty enjoyable before the helix. Now that I think about it, Boss actually feels a lot like Timber Wolf, but on a way bigger scale (incidentally, I LOVED Boss as well - it seems like it's going to suck majorly, but then you hit the bottom of that drop and WHAM). Either you got it on a SERIOUSLY bad day or something weird happened with your ride. Same thing happened to me with Talon. It really isn't that bad. I would advise you not to expect too much from Adventureland. Dragon is horrible and Underground is a big waste of space. Outlaw, Space Shot, and Sidewinder are your best bets. Splash Over isn't bad either, and the Falling Star runs crazy fast. The best part (aside from the mini-doughnuts) is the staff. Highly underpaid, but the friendliest group you'll ever meet. Have fun!

Nice photos across the board! I'm going to go ahead and agree about Mamba being better at night. I wouldn't call it boring ever, but it certainly is better at night. Timber Wolf is not that bad, you wuss. Neither is Detonator. Detonator is actually one of the strongest S&S towers I've ridden. Then again, everything has good days and bad days. I've had some awful and some outstanding rides on Timber Wolf, as well as some powerless and some rocket-launch-out-of-your-seat rides on Detonator. Too bad you didn't wait until Saturday to do Worlds of Fun! That's just bad planning. I'll be at WoF while you're at Adventureland. Have fun at my home park! Don't forget to try the mini doughnuts.

I forgot about this park. I was stupid and I started it like a week before going to a ton of Ohio parks, and that effectively sapped all of my interest out of it. I might come back to it sometime, but I sort of doubt that. Sorry. PS. JFleming, Prowler is definitely at Worlds of Fun, and not Dorney Park at all. I would know, as I plan on attending Prowler's opening day.

This coaster looks really cool! Great pictures! Wissen Sie, wo Waldshut liegt? Diese Stadt ist ungefähr zwei Stunden von Europapark. Dort machte ich einen Familienaufenthalt für eine Woche (vor ungefähr zwei Wochen). Wir sprachte über Europapark sehr viel, aber es war die ganze Woche leider noch geschlossen. Im März ist es zu kalt für Achterbähner in Deutschland. (Ich hoffe, dass mein Deutsch gut genug ist. )

(It's my birthday, too...) Happy birthday, Robb!