Photo TR: TPR 2007 Japan & South Korea Tour

Shockwave · October 7, 2007

First off, a big thanks to the tour organisers and everyone on it who made it a really memorable trip. You know who you are.

Day 0/1 - Getting there, and the first parks of the trip.

My trip started on Friday August 31st, at Manchester Airport. You should all know enough about the trip already, so this needs no further introduction.

But apart from the two big coasters underwhelming like never before, Tokyo Dome/LaQua is a really nice place to hang out. And we'll be back here later in this report.

Why can't you be really good like all the other Intamin Megas?

There's also a Maurer Spinning Mouse with a huge cover over it.

Right now, the group have no idea what's gonna happen next.

And then there's GeoPanic. One of many "WTF Happened There?" rides of thr trip.

Robb finds out what he'd look like if he was black!

Linear Gale was also rather weak. I could have sneezed and launched the train more powerfully.

Thunder Dolphin was a BIG let down.

It looks amazing, and it was an amazing achievement to get such a big ride into a tiny space. But the ride is very bland after the first drop is over, the operations were overly fussy when they should have been efficient, and only 1 train meant a wait of nearly an hour. And there couldn't have been more than 300 people in line.

We came here for that. Although to be honest, I would rather get the Denny's credit next time.

Japanese Denny's! No credit here this time.

After the quirkiness of Galaxy Express, it was time to head to the Tokyo Dome/LaQua complex.

While up front, Shane and Chris do the Seatbelt Shuffe.

Hot Fuzz and Chuck demonstrate the illusion of making your hands disappear.

Just don't fall asleep in the nearly 15 minute pre-show!

Galaxy Express 999 is a unique indoor launched looping Intamin, and was rather fun.

And after check-in at the hotel, we even got to grab a credit or few!

Once on board, it was a 70 minute ride to Shinagawa station.

To pass the time waiting for the Narita Express, I decided to become a vending machine.

I met Peter at Narita Airport. He doesn't look quite as scary in real life.

We were on our way.

But after missing my connection for Virgin Atlantic at Heathrow due to a 2 hour delay, the nice folks at BA put me on their flight to Tokyo.

The connecting flight to Heathrow Airport is not leaving, as this useless piece of junk is very, very broken.

So I'm in the aiport bar (the usual occurence at this point in my trip reports) before getting ready to board the plane. When...

Divv3k · October 7, 2007

Woo! Tom's trip report is here!

That was nice of BA to send you all the way to Tokyo after delaying you.

Japan just looks amazing. One day soon, I'll get there. Looking forward to more!

Shockwave · October 8, 2007

Day 2 - Yomiuirland

The tour was in full swing now, and today we caught two trains and made the journey to Yomiuriland. The park's PR had arranged a filming session on Bandit and White Canyon in the morning before the park opened for guests, so we each got a ride in on the "Big 2" before making our way around the park.

The park had a lot of different attractions, Coasters. flat rides, dark rides and a haunted walkthrough maze, they were all there.

The most memorable part of the day was the Splash Bandit experience. In summary, one of the trains on Bandit would be subject to a fire hose in the face on three separate occasions. The force of the water was so powerful, it knocked my camera unconscious after getting the great photo that Robb posted a few weeks back.

Here's what happened...

Jeff just wanted to sleep. So he did. He'll see you soon.

Lou and Bob love the Shinkansen too!

We all love the Shinkansen!

We were heading south for our next series of parks, and here's our ride.

So that's why they call you KidTums!

And hello Keio line, again.

It was time to say bye bye Bandit.

Go go foam outfit girls!

I nearly forgot this! There was a crazy kids show featuring Manga characters in foam costumes fighting evil robots!

Bandit goes right out to meet White Canyon, bashes your head once and then goes back in the other direction very quickly. A bit like our group did, except we rode White Canyon.

Helix of what, you say?

I quite liked Bandit. It had a great layout with big drops, airtime and fast turns. The shoulder bars were unnecessary, but only a minor inconvenience to myself.

After getting my camera dry, I took a few more shots of the ride from well away from the fire hoses.

Here's why.

Dan would rather strangle himself and get his head cut off by a Viking than ride Splash Bandit.

And then there's Splash Bandit. Translation reads: Dan need not apply.

The dragon ride thinks that it's a tumble bug!

Here's the scary maze, which fortunately was quite scary!

Falafel likes her mine trains with no mine!

SL Coaster was the parks mine train-esque ride.

At least Chris knew that this wasn't a real Space Shuttle!

It has a bubble machine!

It's not just a kiddy coaster on some tarmac.

Robb looks really excited about this ride!

...or stand up! And either way, the ride is really good!

You can either choose to sit down...

Well there's a unique Togo Looper just down the path! And there's a very good reason its unique.

So, where to now?

But today the ride was rather kind to us! It has its violent moments remiscent of the late Psyclone, but wasn't all brutal all the time. The trains did have a "coffin" look about them, but we survived.

White Canyon. I can hardly wait!

Ryan's confidence is waining slightly, because the next ride is supposed to be the most violent woodie on the planet.

After the Bandit filming session, we had one more ride to film on.

It just gets better!

Nice. I like this place already.

The Yomiuri-Dog welcomes us!

Just in case you suffer short term memory loss, this is where we are headed first.

Now this cable car warning sign has made a previous appearance on this site, but I thought you'd like to see it again.

And hello Bandit!

Bye bye rail station...

To get to the park, you take a cable car from the station to the park entrance.

Yomiuriland is easy to find off the Keio line. It has its own rail station.

Team Thriller · October 8, 2007

Nice pics, The Bandit looks awesome, and that park looks nice and clean.

Makes me want to go to Japan!!!

Shockwave · October 9, 2007

Day 3 - Space World

Space World was one of my favourite parks on the trip.

That morning, the park helped us out with filming on Venus and Zaturn before opening time. Inside, the Space theming is amazing, with alien craft crashing into rocks and bizzare indoor rides with disco lighting, it's really quirky and a great laugh.

As for the coasters...

Venus is a Maurer Sohne Custom Looper from the mid-90s, and possibly the last roller coaster with Schwarzkopf parts and design features. It's really powerful and intense all ride long, but could do with some better restraints around the neck/head area, and standing next to a near life-size Space Shuttle, it's easy to find.

Zaturn is a clone of Stealth at Thorpe Park. It felt a tiny bit more powerful than its English cousin, and because it's not in Thorpe Park its automatically better than it anyway!

Titan in an Arrow Hyper that's not quite 200ft tall. Coathanger physics are the order of the day up until a crazy double twist halfway around the course. Not bad.

Clipper is a family coaster like a roller skater, but themed to a Space Shuttle. Everyone gets off certified as a bona fide Astronaut!

Space Coaster (or Boogie-woogie Space Coaster to give its full name) is a family coaster with forward/backward seating. Pretty good fun if you're facing the wrong way.

Black Hole Scramble is the indoor coaster, which has lots of lighting effects and fast turns. Quite good fun all in all.

There's also two good log flumes next to each other, and the smaller of the two has squirt guns to soak each other with! Along a with a huge ferris wheel, a crazy Vekoma flat ride, and some great shops with lots of merch, I really liked this place a lot. Definetly one of the nicest parks on the trip.

Meanwhile we carry on to the next park through, yes, TOGO station! No death machines here though. Uminonakamichi Seaside Park is next.

Elissa and Kristen are going back to the hotel, so they're gonna say bye for now.

Soon it was time to go though.

But he did impress the other characters!

I still can't think of a caption for this.

Which Robb just had to try on!

And she wins a pair of wings!

After they get out, Elissa goes over and plays the bee games.

Look who I found on there as well!

Venus also looks nice, although I liked the previous colours more. This is a bit too garish.

But this bit looks like Ron Toomer had a seizure halfway through designing it.

Titan just looks like an Arrow Hyper.

Ztealth looks good from here.

Told you it was big.

Time some shots from the Ferris Wheel.

BIIIIIIG Enterprise.

As does Mark!

Robb really wants to become a Space Cadet!

I will!

And through here!

Past some great theming.

To get to the indoor coaster, you go up a neon escalator.

Ten points to whoever identifies which way this train is going.

Doesn't matter which way you face, you gotta give a wave!

Boogie-woogie Space Coaster, where crazy waving hand action is essential!

Here's the crazy Vekoma. It's too disturbing to see it in motion.

Everyone stood well back.

The bigger of the two log flumes has a curved drop. This is what happens after it.

Check out the crashed alien craft!

Like Venus, it just got a fresh paint job for this year.

It's a strange ride, but one that is worth a ride or two.

After Ztealth, we walked to the "Forgotten" Arrow Hyper-that's-not-quite-a-Hyper.

1 minute wait! Sweet!

The glitch was temporary, and the ride was going after only a short stop.

Elissa just wants her credit!

Well it should do, beacuse right now, it's not working!

Looks familiar, no?

After we left the sulphuric fury of the coastre that was Venus, we headed to Ztealth!

Yes Chris, it's a real Space Shuttle!

After the soaking on Bandit 24hrs before, I was glad that Splash Venus wasn't running today.

Anton would have been proud of this ride.

All smiles from Shane and Robb!

Venus plans to compete with Expedia in the cheap holidays market.

First stop, Venus! And who's that under the loop?

And here we are!

More parks need their own train stations!

rllrcster · October 9, 2007

I have absolutely no recollection of riding this...and yet...there I am! Well, it was hangover #1.

Good Work Tom, looking forward to more.

thrillerman1 · October 9, 2007

Love the TR so far Tom (my fat chin and all!)...keep it going!

miniviews · October 9, 2007

Hi Tom, Here's a pic of you on Splash Bandit. You must have gotten really wet due to the lady awaiting with her "super" soaker prior to the brake run.

Nrthwnd · October 9, 2007

^^^

You too, Miles???

Great TR, Tom. I liked Space World too. I wish the rapids ride was working. It looked wierd and freaked-up from what I could make out, when I was on the wheel.

Ah well, another visit I guess, hmmm?

Looking forward to more.

Shockwave · October 11, 2007

^^Haha, nice photo! Although I must say that a supersoaker in the face was nothing compared to a fire hose in the face!

Day 3 Part 2 - Uminonakamichi Seaside Park

This is only a short update, but this was one of the most memorable parks of the whole trip, when grown men and women expressed their right to feel like kids again (not that we don't do that all the time, but this was something else).

We had a blast on the off-road go-karts, an Ice House chilled at -30 Celsius, Off-Road Go Karts, roller slides, and more.

The amusement park is a small part of a hgue complex which includes a hotel, aquarium, botanical gardens, beach, and other play areas.

Thanks to the very courteous park staff, who got us a filming session on their roller coaster before we hit the other attractions and even met us off the train.