FLIPDUDE's Midwest PTR

[FLIPDUDE]

Well, the trip started at Ben Gurion intl. Here in Tel Aviv Israel.

 

 

After a 10 hour flight I finally landed in Newark, then realized I missed my flight to Cinicinatti(I'm a middle eastern teenager traveling alone. I wonder why they stalled ME for extra security checks?), but went on the next one and still got there in time.

 

 

 

When we were there Robb and the TPR gang were waiting around

 

 

Dave sporting my t-shirt design. It put a smile on my face during the trip to see people wear my shirt design.

 

Luke and Shirley are some of the people I clicked with right from the start. They were very fun all during the trip.

 

 

Adorable baby Kristen.

 

Sorry, ma'am, I don't think she's quite yet old enough to be abducted for Jr. Gemini credits.

 

Jahan seemed to have died for some reason.

 

"Okay, everyone, before he wakes up, steal his pants."

 

 

About what was actually said:

Robb: "Okay, so when the buses get here we will head over to the uber secret surprise bonus park..."

Me: "Which is not Coney Island. "

Robb: "...Which is not what FLIPDUDE just said..."

 

 

 

I'm an architecture nerd. so sue me.

 

 

 

Anyhow after waiting for a while the buses showed up and we all boarded the buses according to Cora's snazzy signs(which id ont have pictures of but pretty much every other TR does).

We headed over to the bonus park, which I figured out while talking to Terrance as the most logical choice.

So on the bus Robb goes "So FLIPDUDE, where are we going?"

And because he asked that I'm sure were NOT going to Coney Island and he's just trying to make a little fun of me, so I go "Ugh... Coney Islaaanddd...." in a "yeah, yeah, lets get the joke over with" kinda tone.

And he goes "Coney Island!"

And everybody on the bus goes "Yay!"

So I am left confused.

 

After a while we finally get to Coney Island and our buses end up being to big for the gates so we had to go around. we got our wristbands and coney bucks and headed for the park(I came in last though, having forgotten my camera ont he bus, though).

 

 

The extremely odd abstract castle-ish buildings that surrounded the parking lot made it clear this was not gonna be your plain old boring state of the art place, but on the way in we saw the weirdest things yet.

 

Giant wooden dueling... WATERSLIDES?!

I never even knew they exist! I mean, obviously, the slide itself wasn't wooden(Oh, the inconveniently placed splinters!) but the supports were.

 

 

 

 

We didn't actually go into the waterpark but the crowds were huge anyway:

 

We entered the park from the back(closest to the Pepsi Python, the park's only credit)

 

 

 

Pretty much everyone rushed straight for the credit. Me coming intot he park last, having forgotten my camera, meant big lines for lil' old me.

It's kinda weird to look at pictures I took then and recognize people I did not know at the time I took the picture.

 

Well, for a park it's size, this is a big line.

 

I have a pinafari at my home park but I soon learned that no Pinafari is alike. I expected a mild ride. This turned out to be one crazy@$$ wildride. And weather it's a good thing or not is up for discussion.

 

The bottom of the first drop pretty much squishes you. WHILE pulling you forward out of your seat. I... never experienced nothing like it. Imagine going too fast over a speed bump, but pulling 6Gs while you do it.

 

"Who's up for extreme pain?!"

 

"I am! I am!"

 

I like the terrorized faces on the kids in the back.

 

 

 

 

 

Coney was actually a pretty awsome park! It's been ages since I've been to a park I didn't know every corner of by heart, so it reminded me of the excitment when coming to an amusement park.(You could say it was actually more exciting than coming to Cedar Point, seeing as I've already been there before the trip.) It was small but it was a quality park nevertheless.

 

After riding the Python I went and rode the pure blood-in-head awsomeness that is the Rock-o-planes. I had alot of fun, that is... Untill the ride stopped and the kid in the car above me decided to lose his lunch.

This experience taught me I do not like having to wash off my clothes in a public restroom sink. Who knew?

 

 

This was my first time on an old-fashioned-2-person-seat ferris wheel. It was cute but it made me nauseaus so I asked 'em to stop it.(For some reason I got sick alot and had alot of headaches in Coney.)

 

View from the ferris wheel. Seriously, what is up with those slides?

 

I do NOT know what that is.

 

Very simple refreshment station(I'm uncomfortable using the term "Ghetto" in that way but you catch my drift)

 

Me, Will, and someone I don't remember rode the boats in the lake.

 

The water was suspiciously green.

 

 

 

"Ew, TPR members."

-"Ignore them, maybe they'll go away."

 

 

The giant roundup of happy crazyness.

I didn't ride it, having an upset stomache that day, but I heard good things about it. And it did spin really fast.

 

Trailer mounted slide.

 

 

The park also had a cool mini golf who I played with Shawn, a tiny village made out of tiny child-sized houses(We really wanted to find Casey and get him there but it was getting late), and lots of wide open spaces. It was a pretty awsome park.

 

But then came the time to get on the bus and head over to what would be our hotel in Lousiville for the next 3 nights. It was an awsome hotel(Holiday Inn, I think?). It was surrounded by hotrods, because apparantly Louisville was hosting ahotrod convention. We all hung out in the lobby/bar a bit(even though I was dead tired) before hitting the bed for the night.

 

All and all it was an awsome day!

 

Next up... Holiday World!

[Reon]

Glad you enjoyed Coney Island. I love seeing all these satisfied reports about the place I work. Also, I was working Python the whole time you were there, mwahaha.

 

-Jared, the TPR member no one noticed.

[FLIPDUDE]

^ You were there? how come oyu didnt say nothing?

[matteocrepaldi]

^^ I think I've seen you a couple of times when you talking with Robb in Python's station!

[jbuck]

looks like it was fun there. I want to see more pictures.

[Reon]

Yeah. I was the guy in yellow with the frog (Senor Croakems). I was on python until 3:30, then I hung out with you guys until the bus was ready...

[FLIPDUDE]

^Oh, cool! I wonder who else we accidently bumped into without knowing.

 

I know I saw Dan at Cedar Point... I didn't know he was supposed to be there so I thought "Is that...? Nawwww...".

I called out to him once, but he didnt turn around, probably didnt hear me, but I didnt want to call him agian because if it isn't him I'd be making a fool of myself. But later found out it was him.

[ms13]

Great update!

Can't wait for future entries!

 

BTW- I love the shirt you designed! Wear it all the time.

[FLIPDUDE]

^Heheh, thanks, man! Glad you like it!

[disneygurlz2s]

First of all, I want to say that I love your artwork... I guess I never really looked at you cartoons and stuff until Robb mentioned your t-shirts at Kings Island (because my 9 year old kiddie coaster prostitot daughter wants a TPR shirt in her size). You are awesome... and reading your trip report I am getting the idea that you hadn't even met some of the TPRers that you draw? Awesome!!

 

Second, since you seem so interested, I thought I would enlighten you on a couple of Coney things... the slide is called the Zoom Flume and has been around FOR-EVAH!! Long before there were "waterparks". I am not sure if you ever could actually race. It's been YEARS since I have been down that slide! The "castle structure" is where the Riverbend Music Center (outdoor ampitheater) is housed.

 

Glad you had a good time there.

 

Shari

[FLIPDUDE]

^Heheh, thank you very much! ^___^

 

And actually, seeing as I technically live in Asia, I haven't met ANY TPR members prior to the midwest trip.

 

You make me wonder how old that slide is.

 

And I recall the castle being an ampitheater type thing, but I was reffering to botht hat and the horse racing bleachers building that looks like a giant castle who's missing a very important peice and the entire structure jsut kinda dangles in mid-air. I never seen stuff like it so together witht he wooden waterslides I knew this was gonna be one weird place

[FLIPDUDE]

Part 2: First evneing and Holiday World!

 

 

After coming back to the hotel from Coney Island me and Ryan saw that there's a Carabass restaurant around there somewhere, and knowing how much TPR love Carabass, and how much I love italian food we tried to get Robb to round everyone up for a trip to Carabass but when we called him it turned out he and a bunch of other people had already left for the buffalo wings place everyone posted about. We checked witht he front desk and it was not within walking distance.

So me and Ryan went out to wander and see what's around there that was edible.

 

I saw an "Olive Garden" place across the street, and, never having actually seen one of those, but heard the name brought up alot in movies, I asked Ryan about it, apparantly it's Italian food, so I figured I'd love to try some. We went in, and asked for a table. While we were waiting the receptionist told us there was a group of people with nametags/wristbands like ours sitting in the back. We thanked her and went to join them.

 

And true enough, in there was sitting a bunch of TPRers

 

The groups split into two tables(big table shown above). We joined the smaller, oh so much sexier table.

 

I found it hillarious that we all loved the Italian food, except for Matteo, who was, in fact, Italian.

 

Well, after finishing we went back to the hotel, and I sat int he lobby pretty much half asleep so I could upload my pics on someone's laptop, and then hit the hay.

 

After I woke up I went to the dining room to grab some breakfast(who was pretty nice). breakfast at the hotel was always nice because there would always be someone at the table with a laptop. Turns out Robb was doing an incredible job and actually posted updates ALREADY! I couldn't figure out when he found the time, the sec we got back ot the hotel we were all dead tired, and the update was already up first thing int he morning!

 

Next up was Holiday world!

(Why are there two water towers next to each other?)

 

Voyage kinda snuck up on us while driving down the highway. it popped out of nowhere and all of a sudden it was huge and so pretty.

 

Fred, our bus driver, mentioned some fun fact, dont remember what it was, ever since people have been encouraging him to give us Fred's Fun Facts. he never did.

 

Elissa, looking over her kingdom of fanboys.

 

We pulled into the parking lot(That had a beautiful view of the town of Santa Claus(which was about as big as the park itself), and... *snort* Lake Rudolph...)

 

and right from the start you could tell it was going to be a busy day:

 

 

We all kinda hung out in the parking lot for a while(I think it was the Legend lot)

 

 

This is what our buses looked like in case you were wondering.

 

View of Raven and the front gate from our parking lot across the street

 

 

 

 

Well we all headed over through the tunnel into the front gate plaza where we hung out for a while(and took nerdy, nerdy pictures of Raven testing)

 

 

 

Raven, what a tease.

 

Our first welcome sign! Yay!

 

Tsk tsk tsk, America, tsk tsk tsk.

 

Is that a lift hill chain I hear?! Huzzah!!!

I was in the middle of tlaking to Holiday World staff and Robb himself when I heard the lift hill go off, and ran to take pictures. It was so rude and sutpid of me, which I only realized after having run off.

 

But... look at it go!

 

I dont have pictures of it from alter on so I might as well say now that Raven was shockingly smooth. It wasn't such an incredible ride(Unlike everyone, I spent my night ride on Legend, not Raven, but I'll get to that later) as I thought it would be but it stillr ocked enoguh for me to ride it twice.

 

After that the PR lady notified tus that the park was gonna give out free drinks and free sunblock all day long! How awsome was that? Not to mention she told me she reads the Lil' Robby Rob comics! I was blown away! And the walkbacks!!! These four facts (plus the 3 facts that have upstop wheels and cool holiday theming) made this one of my two favourite parks on the trip.

 

Well after a while, at 9:15 sharp, if im not mistaken, we were let into the park from the side of the main gate for our walkback. it was very cool.

 

Casey-fitted passageway.

 

 

Ooooh yeeeah...

 

 

Well its almost 7:30AM here(these things always take me longer to make than I thought htey would), I better continue this later...

[methos]

its nice to see the parks through the eyes of someone who is not used to the us norms. its funny to listen to what we have that makes no sense. tomi loves to pick on the automation of our society. i never really noticed the amount of "lazy people" devises we have in our country. i would like to thank tomi for showing them to us.

 

as for the ptr its great. i love the fact some one other then me was able to like coney island. it may be a permeant carnival but its still fun.

[Freefallbestrideever]

It's nice to see things from a regular persons point of view.

[FLIPDUDE]

^Which reminds me people.

 

 

At what point in time did soemone go "Eeeeh... cranking this faucet's handle is so friggen tiring! I wish someone would automate it!"

 

The airport had these weirdass automated faucets that took me longer than usualt o figure out how I'm supposed to operate.

[Wes]

^ That's more about not getting germs on your hands from touching handles and ensuring the water isn't left running after the person leaves the sink as opposed to laziness.

[FLIPDUDE]

^Well nevertheless, I encountered alot of weird, unnecessary, fat-enablers during my visit.

 

Not to mention my trip to SFGADv a couple yers ago when I saw everyone walk around with funnel cakes, and not knowing what they are I figured I'd go over to the nearest food place and order whatever it was on the menu that I didn't recognize. I ordered something, and got a large paper bag, and inside it were a dozen, 2 inch thick greasy donutballs laying in an inch thick layer of sugar, which you had to dip them in and then eat.

Also, I saw a triple hamburger for the first time, not to mention it was the first time in along time I couldn't finish a plate of pancakes because it was too huge.

 

But who am I kidding, I ate the donutballs, I ate the hamburger, and I ate the pancakes untill I couldn't eat anymore. I'm just saying.

[gmoney422]

Those are called Zepolis, and they're awesome, aren't they...?!

[bpbbabe99]

 

Fred, our bus driver, mentioned some fun fact, dont remember what it was, ever since people have been encouraging him to give us Fred's Fun Facts. he never did.

 

Hehe Flipdude!! His 1 n only fun fact was "did you know the Ohio river doesn't actually run through Ohio"

 

I can't believe that was the only 1 we got, oh Fred, why oh why!!! Fred's fun facts!! Fred gave us many laughs, me n Swedish Meatballs couldn't get enough of Fred comments and the sweets at the front of the bus!!

[spaceace12]

The two water tower explanation.

 

The non rounder looking one is the old one, it used to supply water to the town and holiday world. A year or two back, HW added thier own water tower just for them.

 

http://www.holidayworld.com/holiblog/2005_04_10_archive.html

[scruffy]

 

Fred, our bus driver, mentioned some fun fact, dont remember what it was, ever since people have been encouraging him to give us Fred's Fun Facts. he never did.

 

Hehe Flipdude!! His 1 n only fun fact was "did you know the Ohio river doesn't actually run through Ohio"

 

Also the Ohio River is in Kentucky.

[Nrthwnd]

But who am I kidding, I ate the donutballs, I ate the hamburger, and I ate the pancakes untill I couldn't eat anymore. I'm just saying.

 

There ya go!

 

Great TR you are posting here.

[FLIPDUDE]

Those are called Zepolis, and they're awesome, aren't they...?!

 

They certainly are!

 

^What do you mean? And thanks!

[Nrthwnd]

^ I meant good for you, you ate everything up.

 

[KrakenKing]

My head is randomly in one of the Raven pictures, haha!