BeemerBoy

Who's complaining? Where I come from it's called discussing. You guys are entitled to your opinions. I respect that. But since we're throwing out quotes from uncle Walt..... "You hate to repeat yourself. I don't like to make sequels to my pictures. I like to take a new thing and develop something, a new concept." "I've never believed in doing sequels. I didn't want to waste the time I have doing a sequel; I'd rather be using that time doing something new and different." "To this day, I don't believe in sequels. I can't follow popular cycles. I have to move on to new things. So with the success of Mickey, I was determined to diversify." Hmmm, I get the feeling he was against sequels, and/or repeating yourself. But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

Yes, I agree times change, and the man would have too in many respects. I'm not arguing that. The only point I believe that would have held steadfast is that Walt would never go back and change something which was a proven success. If anything, he would have pulled the ride out before succumbing to a lack of creativity by "touching up" a classic. Do you think DaVinci would go back and make the Mona Lisa smile more because sales of his painting reproductions were sagging? Walt was a man of principals, and I think there's alot of folks out there who are with me on this.....Johnny Depp would never be seen on this classic. That's a safe call IMHO.

^ Money never mattered to Walt. Creativy and originality did.

^ Agreed. With EE and several other examples aside, the "Imagineering" department is pathetic these days. 90% of what the company puts out goes against the very credo that Walt lived his professional life by.....NEVER REPEAT YOURSELF. Note to The Walt Disney Company: It's really sad when Phantasialand (sp?) in Germany produces something to rival EE. It may be time to look in the mirror, put Lion King 141/3 on the back burner, stop relying on Pixar to improve your reputation, and start churning out original ideas on your own. It's easy for everyone to always ask what would Walt do? Sometimes that answer can be complicated. In the case of POTC, Johnny Depp's mugg would never be immortalized in such a classic ride under Walt's supervision. By making these changes, you are simply admitting you are out of fresh ideas! And that, my friends, is not what the company was built on.

Hmmm, good post. This one had me thinking for a bit. I'm one of those who generally feel that when it comes to "theming," there's Disney, and then everthing else. However, upon closer inspection, there really are some good examples throughout the other chains. My personal favorite of all time is EPCOT's World Showcase. After that, I can think of several non-Disney parts of certain parks that come to mind. Ironically, two of my favorite places on earth are respresented by Universal Studios Florida's Martha's Vineyard area, and Sea World Orlando's Florida Keys area (I think it's specifically Key West). They both seem very authentic in theme park terms, and make me wish I was really there. BGW also does a good job throughout the park with the different European countries that are represented. Like someone else stated, Dollywood looks really good too from the pictures and video I've seen (hope to see for myself this summer). Finally, I guess you could mention any of Universal's "Islands", so I'll just say the whole park gets a vote. They obviously studied WDW long and hard before designing IOA.

Okay chief, it's called sarcasm. Re-read the thread again, and try not to take everthing literally.

^ Jar Jar Beaks.....very clever. Here's a pic of a stray I found over the winter. We housed him for about a month before we were able to find a great new home for him. His name......Frank Sinatra.

Yep, and the Grand Canyon is just another hole in the ground, the Great Wall is nothing but a big fence, and Derek has a beer every now and then, right?

I just remembered. We saw Zoso, a Led Zeppelin tribute band not too long ago at a small club in Chattanooga, TN. I'm not real big on "tribute" bands, but I gotta say this.....if you're a Led Zep fan at all, you need to catch these guys if they're in town. They are the closest you'll get to Paige and Plant aside from, well, Jimmy and Robert themselves...guaranteed!! Check out their website for tour info. They are constantly touring clubs; generally east of the Mississippi. www.zosoontour.com

^ Correction. You just wasted YOUR time.

I couldn't have said it better myself. I think more people would rather look into the future than having their past flash in front of them. Just my opinion...I could be wrong.

^ Does anyone have good pics of this flume? I'm really curious about it now.

Thanks for the response and the compliments so far, guys. There's some really good stuff you've all mentioned that I seem to have forgotten. Bumper cars, log flumes, Indy @ Disneyland, ToT, Mummy, etc. Those are all really good nominations. The tricky part, I guess, would be deciding which one would stand out as the best in their respective category. By the way, pete4winds, thank you for mentioning the Battleship Cove Carousel. I drive past that thing 2 times a year on a trip that takes me from Fort Lauderdale to Martha's Vineyard and back, yet I had NO clue whatsoever that it was there. You just made me alter my plans after I stop by SFNE on the way up this month.

Nice PTR guys. Time for my quick "I remember one time when it was raining and the park was empty story." I can remember IOA one day in January ('00?) when a buddy and I renewed our season passes. It was about 50 degrees with steady drizzle all day. That just meant the park was basically empty. We got strapped into DD, began up the lift hill, and BAM....downpour as we reached the top. Needless to say, not even the cash in my pocket was dry after that ride....but at least we were riding Fire. Sometimes those are the best days if you can grit it out. Glad you all enjoyed yourselves.

This is the biggest downer of my day.

I know the board gets this type of post all the time, but it usually just involves coasters. I'd like to broaden the scope just a bit, and see what you all think. I attempted this post a while back on another forum which will remain nameless. Unfortunately, the response there was almost nonexistent to say the least. I figured an attempt at a wider, more knowledgable and experienced audience may elicit better responses. It's tough to say for everyone that the following 10 rides are necessarily the greatest ever for pure enojoyment and ridability(is that a word?), but I composed this list based on what I feel are the greatest and most significant rides in amusement/theme park history, if you will. So keep in mind the cultural significance, uniqueness, engineering mastery, continuous lines year after year, and finally the simple fondness many of us hold for each in their own repsect....and that's how the list came to be. IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER (It was just too difficult) 1) The Carousel: Which one? Any. They remain an amusement park staple and a true artwork. The craftmanship that goes into each one is amazing, and as simple and overlooked as they may be when sitting next to a 400+ foot monster, you can't help but wanna ride one when you pass by...especially the rare remaining brass ring ones. 2) 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Submarine Voyage (WDW): Think about it...has there ever been anything more ambitious than letting guests experience a "real" submarine ride in a park? Also, in the age of quickly produced cheap Hollywood Movie themed rides (i.e. Tomb Raider, etc.), was this not WAY before it's time, and the best example ever? 3) Pirates of the Caribbean: One word...Audio-Animatronics. This ride set the standard. I mean, just one pirate's leg continues to amaze millions! Please don't mention Disney's newest attempt to butcher a classic with the Depp character......that's still a sore spot. 4) The Haunted Mansion: Along the lines of Pirates, but still deserves it's own spot on the list. "Is this room actually stretching, or is it your imagination?" 5) Spiderman (IOA) The bar was set high with this one, and quite honestly may never be reached again. Sure, there were simulators before this, but this ride is true sensory overload! I can't comment on DarKastle, as I haven't ridden it yet, but I imagine anything will fall short of the ever-popular Spider-man character. 6) Dueling Dragons: As some enthusiasts continue to debate whether it's one or two separate coasters, the fact remains that regradless, this is a masterpiece. Individually, are they the greatest inverts out there?....No. Together, are they one of the most unique coaster creations in the world?....UNDENIABLY. Just remember folks, the B&M boys don't get to design a coaster, build it, test it, take it down, ship it, rebuild it, and then open it to the public. So the next time you're gazing in wonder at how close those feet get in the loop, remember the engineering involved to get it that way. 7) X: Always a mixed bag of reactions with this one, but it's hard to deny the brilliance behind the invention itself. These days, it's hard to capture the imaginations of enthusiasts. This was possibly the last time ALL of us were "in the dark" as to what kind of ride experience we could expect, you know? Let's face it, we had nothing similiar to compare it to. 8) Nemesis: It's easy to build record breaking height and speed coasters. It's not easy to build a "Top Ten" invert below the local tree line, and only B&M could handle a project like this one. This remains my number one "I wish I had the chance to ride that" coaster. The trenches, the blood river, the theme music (is it still played?). C'mon, this is another true coaster masterpiece, and the reason Germans are licking their chops at the thought of this year's Black Mamba! 9) Magnum XL200: The modern coaster wars started here. Funny how easy it is to slam the typical Arrow mega-looper for the rough rides they now produce, but Ron Toomer should be proud that Arrow sits strong in this list. Steel Force (Dorney) may be a smoother improvment by a competitor, but Magnum will always be the one to turn to. It may not be the ride it once was, but the location, the sheer fun of the ride, and the historical significance cement it's spot here. 10) The Matterhorn/Space Mountain: Why the combo? Well, although the Matterhorn was first, they both are so unique to the coaster world. The Matterhorn was the first tubular steel coaster. Some would argue that alone should put it in this list, and I wouldn't disagree with that. And Space Mountain (besides having a soft spot in my heart for being my first coaster ever), you can't dispute how this ride stood out when new, and still draws crowds. Maybe it's just the giant "flying chocolate chip cookie" projection flying overhead in the queue line? (at least, that's how I saw it as a kid) I congratulate all of you who made it past that. I just thought it was a different look at the classic top ten list. Call it the Ride Hall of Fame, if you will. I'm sure I may have missed some significant ones out there, so it's up to you all for the feedback. Here's some honorable mentions to consider: The Disneyland Monorail Top Thrill Dragster Batman: The Ride Star Tours Coney Island Cyclone Millenium Force London Eye Flyers Von Roll Sky Rides Noah's Arc @ Kennywood The floor is open.....

I: 1. have been known to be fairly opinionated and sarcastic at times (though I'm working to curb the latter) 2. am VERY unselfish. 3. am a dedicated Christian. 4. Love my wife! 5. wish the divorce rate would drop, parenting skills would improve, and most of today's teens (you know who you are) could collectively receive a swift kick in the butt......I told you I was opinionated.

Always nice to see good parenting.

Now that's good comedy.

I always thought they'd be better off just getting rid of that old arcade and go-cart track, and using that land for something. I can't remember what's to the immediate south of the track though?

Okay, time for me to throw my 2 cents in as well. Seriously, if you think about it, there's a HUGE percentage of films based on real life tragedies that Hollywood is capitalizing on. The list is way too long to include all, so I'll just give you a couple genres in which to consider. First, any "disaster" film.....such as Titanic, Towering Inferno, or any film with a natural disaster in the story line. They may not all be based on specific events, but try getting the folks in the Gulf Coast, or the tsunami victims to watch any disaster flick where a city is flooded by a huge wall of water. Second, and most widespread is any war film ever made. There isn't any region of the world who hasn't been affected by war at some point in the last century, whether directly or indirectly. Everyone is connected to the experience of warfare in some way, shape or form. Think of any vietnam vet with lingering "problems" from their experience and ask them how they feel about folks like Oliver Stone or Stanley Kubrick making millions off their painful memories that haunt them to this day. Possibly even worse, imagine how any Jew still with a number branded on their arm feels about Hollywood raking in millions from another emotional take on what happened in WWII. Finally, something that everyone continues to overlook is the onslaught of video games over the last two decades which simply trivialize warfare. I know this could really open a can of worms, but think about it. How would you feel if you were drafted into any of the major wars of our country's history? How would it feel to sit back and watch your grandson playing the latest simulation of what it was like to hit the beaches of Normandy when YOU actually did it? Sorry, Robb. I know this is your field, but don't consider it a personal attack. The overall point is that as long as tragedies continue to happen, people will undoubtedly profit off of them. It's a viscious cycle, but one that you can easily ignore if you so choose. I think Robb actually put it best when he made the porn analogy.....if it's not for you, then don't watch it. -End of my rant.

I seriously doubt you'll ever see any amusement park in either Broward or Dade county. For starters, it's pretty much land-locked unless you wanna build next to the Everglades, which would suck. Secondly, I highly doubt any city commission would ever aprove a proposal to do so. There's already too much else to do and spend your money on. Plus, they realize that Orlando has cornered the market, so there's really no reason to try and compete. Don't get me wrong, while I lived there, I always wished for a Six Flags, but the closest we ever got was Six Flags Atlantis water park in the 80's, and then even that just faded into obscurity. Hmmm, if anything, that's what needs to return to the region...a world class waterpark. That's something Boomers could really expand into. There's still plenty of room surrounding it, if memory serves me right.

Good question. The time involved and the fact that they're one-offs could fetch decent money.

Nice report. Great pics. And, yes, good idea to stay away from the stone. Is it just me, or does "President's Park" look a little creepy?

Okay, first off....those models look amazing. I too, was shocked to see the quarter for size reference! There's no doubt about your attention to detail, and I can truly appreciate that. Alright, with that said, now onto one thing I hesitated to mention....but I must. Rollermonkey, thank you for saying what you said. I realize it's off-topic, but it had to be addressed. Blue, you like these boards, right? I'm guessing you do. If that is in fact the case, then continue to swear in your house, trailer, whatever. However, out of respect to the Alveys....you know, the folks who provide this forum for you.....keep your attitude about swearing anywhere but here. Mods...I apologize for the off-topic rant.....it just becomes too disturbing at times to see kids acting like this. ECZenith, definitely keep up the great work!!