Retro Photo TR: Busch Gardens Tampa 1998 Patrick's Park Pics

sethdawg17 · August 2, 2010

Nice report Patrick, love the pictures I really can't wait to venture to this park.

ratdogg68 · August 2, 2010

Great report, loved the Holiday World pics.

traincrossin · August 3, 2010

Here is the video that I made in memory of Will Koch, I hope everyone likes it.

[coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=2010-07-10_Holiday_World_vsmh[/coastertube]

traincrossin · September 7, 2010

Hey guys! First up, I uploaded my Holiday World music video onto YouTube so be sure to check it out for the slightly better quality. Holiday World mentioned it on their Twitter and Facebook page too, thanks Paula!

Theme Park Review day at Six Flags Great America 8-13-2010

What can I say about Theme Park Review day, it was amazing! Six Flags Great America rarely has any events for the enthusiast community, so when I heard that Theme Park Review was going to have a special day at the park I was super psyched! I was actually leaving for college the next week, so this was the last time I saw my coaster friends before I left. I also met some famous TPR celebrities along with other people from around the community. Overall the event was everything I had hoped it would be and I can't thank Robb and Elissa enough for organizing it all! Everyone including myself had a ton of fun!

My day started out with registration where I finally met Robb! Then once the Midwest trip got to the park, we were all walked back to be the first riders on Superman! That was a nice treat just because Superman always has a long line during the day. After that we were able to roam the park on our own. The crowds weren't bad at all that day which is always a plus. We headed over to the picnic grove for lunch and a Q&A session with some of the higher ups at Great America. Here's a summary of the Q&A session.

-Acoording to Hank Salemi, Iron Wolf isn't going anywhere anytime soon, even if we did get Chang.

-They also have no plans to close Whizzer. For being the only kind left in the world, it's surprisingly a low maintanence ride for it's age.

-While SFGAm was hoping to get Chang, the plans were never set in stone and they were just planning in case it did happen.

-The lockers have decreased theft by 93% and there have been less objects flying off of rides. Lockers are here to stay.

-Sally actually came to Six Flags Great America 2 or 3 years ago. If they did make a dark ride, it would probably be branded.

-It is a massive undertaking to fix the holding brake on V2. They're trying to fix it, but it's not happening anytime soon.

-From a manufacturer and liability standpoint, American Eagle won't go backwards again.

After the great Q&A session, we were walked over to a secret entrance to get a behind the scenes tour of Superman, Dark Knight, backstage areas with lots of Fright Fest props, the landscaping department, Iron Wolf, American Eagle, Raging Bull, and Viper!!! I took over 200 of my 300 pictures on the backstage tour alone! There were a ton of great views that guests never ever see.

The plan for the end of the night was to get ERT on Little Dipper before the park closed and then head over for ERT on Viper and Raging Bull. Things didn't go quite according to plan though. Towards the end of the night I started to feel a couple raindrops coming down. I was waiting in line for American Eagle at the time and the ride shut down due to lightning in the area. Then it happened, a massive storm rolled through the park! There was lightning everywhere and the rain came down hard. I texted Robb if ERT on Little Dipper was still going to happen and he texted back saying that he didn't know but to come down to the bridge by Little Dipper anyways. All of TPR had gathered under this bridge just waiting to see if we would get any ERT at all that night. To pass the time, we had an epic BRIDGE PARTY!!! This was seriously one of my favorite memories of the day, everyone was just having a really good time while waiting for the storm to die down. Eventually it did and we were able to get our ERT in on Viper and Raging Bull! Viper was incredibly awesome after the rain and everyone could just keep re-riding Raging Bull. The entire day was just fantastic and I had a blast with everyone! he event was so much fun that I decided to join Theme Park Review on a trip next year! Thanks again Robb, Elissa, and everyone at Six Flags Great America that helped out with the event!

And here is video from the epic bridge party!

It's time for an awesome day at Great America!

Cameron looks very excited, doesn't he?

The Theme Park Review Mid-America group arrives at the park.

Stalker shot of Robb

I met some people for the first time at this event! On the left is Lindsay, middle is Ted from Midwest Thrills, and on the right is Jeff from Coaster Warriors!

Flying with a coaster celebrity! Wait, is Robb having a seizure?

Batman was celebrating it's 25th millionth rider ever today!

Nananana Batman!

For those shoe lovers out there

Jon looks stoned

There's a train somewhere in this pic

Having some fun with the sun here

I see you Griffin!

I found a new spot to take pictures of Batman!

Comin' around the bend, watch out for those trees!

Forget about Little Dipper ERT, I want bridge ERT!

Oh hey Batman, you've got some sexy curves there.

Theme Park Review does Little Dipper in the rear!

Ready to get squished guys?

Griffin's face = SURPRISE BUTTSEX

Jon and Griffin are wet, make your own joke here.

I see you Chang track!

Apparently an arm broke off of the kraken. Doesn't that thing have like 8 arms to crush unsuspecting victims?

Lunch time!

Damian Nelson (director of operations), Hank Salemi (park president), and Robb Alvey during the Q&A session

Wow, there's theming in the picnic grove!

Backstage tour time!

Coaster boys get your tissues ready

Of course they would be using the tissues to wipe away tears of joy. Why, what did you think they were going to do?

Hey look, there's a train. How are you holding up coasterboys?

FLY!!!

So many different angles, so many pictures. I almost went into a picture coma after the backstage tour.

Hey, look, clouds!

Everyone's enjoying the backstage tour!

This picture needs more twincest

And one more Superman pic

Hey Dark Knight trains, why so serious?

I lied, here's another Superman shot

Gavin is being blown by Dark Knight

Robb's excited about this number for some reason, maybe because it's a multiple of 3?

Hi Jo! Where are those twins?

There are crop circles backstage at Great America

Ted and Lindsay backstage

Grab a rubber

Fire hydrants, satellites, and a staircase from Shockwave, oh my!

Barrels and the famous puking toilet

Monster!

RIP Sky Whirl

There is a ton of Fright Fest stuff back here!

Credit?

Organized chaos

Anyone need a casket?

And now a look at the landscaping department!

Flowers everywhere!

It's amazing how many plants there are here!

I'm sure someone know what this all is

I think that this is the County Fair Games sign that was replaced by MagiQuest

I remember this ride!

Train, Iron Wolf, and a defunct kiddie ride.

I don't know why I keep riding Iron Wolf, must be a love hate relationship.

Train wheels for those train lovers out there!

Above the trees!

Peek-a-boo!

Lens flare doesn't make this ride better

First drop fun

Everyone, get your cameras out!

Right in the middle of the train tracks

TRAIN!

Iron Wolf

You can't get these pictures anywhere else!

And another one of Iron Wolf

And i'll end part one with a picture of Hoop-A-Cow. Part two coming soon!

Mr. Starr · September 8, 2010

If me and Griffin would've sat in the very back of Little Dipper, we definitely could have stalled it

deathbydinn · September 8, 2010

^ That would have caused a much bigger problem than a stalled dragon Wagon...which means a much bigger win!

Hi Jo! Where are those twins?

traincrossin · September 9, 2010

Part 2

Time for a backstage tour of American Eagle!

American Eagle goes into quite a big trench

American Eagle is such a sexy ride!

A reverse view of the group picture.

You can't get this view from anywhere else in the park!

Hey Theme Park Review, i'm backstage at Great America!

That's a lot of wood

And now we're going to see the backside of Raging Bull and Giant Drop!

I really don't have anything funny to say, there are just a lot of great angles and views back here!

A look back down Eagle

Hi blue side!

Raging Bull

Timing is everything! This is my favorite shot from the backstage tour.

Raging Bull

This is Jason, a group sales guy. He made sure that we didn't get in any trouble on the backstage tour. Thanks Jason!

Lift hill shot

Did you know that the sky is blue?

Another super-artsy pic of Raging Bull and Giant Drop

Oh coasterboys and their cameras

"Twisty!" - Robb

Giant helix!

Raging Bull

A rare look at some Hurricane Harbor slides

Where would you like your train? On the trimmed hill?

Or the first drop?

Raging Bull

Hi Viper!

Yummy

Peek-a-boo!

Raging Bull and Viper

Viper

Lift hill

Double down!

We pretty much just walked around the whole park!

Hi Robb!

Sexy turn

Raging Bull and Viper

This is a classic "Griffin" moment at Jersey Mike's

Hey look, a Jeff Johnson silly band!

Uh oh, storms are rolling in!

THEME PARK REVIEW BRIDGE PARTY!!!

Batman in the rain

Oh my god, DAN IS WET!!!

If you're proud of Dan for facing his fears of H20, email him! mrt0ad13@aol.com

Yay, the rain cleared up just in time for night ERT!

We had an awesome ERT session on Viper and Raging Bull!

I'm actually glad it stormed because wet Viper is amazing!

That is Robb's arm as he hypes up the train. Are you ready for some awesome ERT?

Time to grab the bull by the horns!

This is what ERT looks like, completely empty station!

How's ERT going Jeff and Ted?

What an awesome day! I had fun with the TPR Midwest group, met some new TPR members, learned a lot from the Q&A session with management, took a ton of pictures on the backstage tour, and had one of the sickest ERT sessions ever! Thank you so much Robb, Elissa, and everyone at Six Flags that made this event possible!

tedten · September 9, 2010

Great Photos, Patrick!

It was fantastic meeting you, and I'm glad we ended up getting ice cream after! Good Times!

The park president was wrong about the removal of whizzer only ever being a rumor. He said he'd only been there since '06 or somwhere there abouts, correct? So it was before his time. They were going to take it out and even had signage saying so! The backlash from the park patrons was so strong they changed their mind!

Photo: http://www.coastergallery.com/1999/SFGA31.html

Dragon Khan · September 9, 2010

BRIDGE PARTY ! an awsome souvenir ! I remember how everyone YELLED when Robb finally announced we would be getting our ERT ! And Neil lying in the rain... unforgettable ! Great video and amazing pics too !

saginawhxc · September 10, 2010

Thanks for posting the video. Great memories. Somehow I avoided your camera perfectly even though you did get my son.

traincrossin · October 7, 2010

Thanks for all of the comments guys, they're always appreciated.

Another day at Holiday World!!! 9/26/2010

I was not expecting to go to Holiday World twice this year! Although it's closer now that i'm at college, I don't have a car. The closest park is Kings Island which is only 30 minutes away so i'm hoping to go there soon. Luckily some of my coaster friends in the midwest said that they were going to go to Holiday World for the day and that they would pick me up! The park was completely empty. All coasters were only running one train, but we were re-riding everything the whole day! Sometimes we didn't have to leave the station, other times our seats. It was a cold but fantastic day! I'm so glad that I was able to get back down to Holiday World because it is a great park. I was able to meet and thank Pat Koch personally at the beginning of the day for all of the hard work she and many others have put in to Holiday World.

Before you check out pictures, here's a video Jeff took of a major collision on the bumper cars!

I always love seeing Voyage from the road!

Before we went to Holiday World though, we stopped by the Santa Clause statue that's being restored next year.

There are nice quotes on each side of the statue

As you can see, it's in bad shape.

If you didn't know, it was Will Koch's dream to buy and restore this statue and I think it's great that Holiday World is doing that.

The reindeer has a hole in it.

You can see Pilgrim's Plunge from here!

Of course our first ride of the day was on Raven!

This was a common site during the entire day

It looked like it might rain that day, so we made sure to get on all the coasters in case they shut down.

See those guys waving? Those are my buds Ted and Jeff. Empty Voyage station = tons of re-rides!

Old PTC train, new Timberliner train! From what i've heard, they're testing the Timberliners during the week.

It was a cloudy and cold day, that didn't stop us though!

I tried getting more "reaction" shots today, wish my camera was better for that!

The water rides were still open that day and for some reason people were still going on them!

I didn't have time to ride Paul Revere's Midnight Ride last time because of crowds, what a fun ride!

My coaster pals Ted, Danny, and Jeff. (thanks for driving Danny!)

Jeff and his "steed". Did you watch that video yet?

Liberty Launch!

Remember the last time I went to Holiday World and took a self-timed picture? I did it again! This is going to become a tradition.

Danny made a new friend.

Jeff wants to join the Village People

OMG DANNY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!?!

Voyage, yea, awesome!

Danny is too short to ride Revolution.

We even re-rode Revolution today!

This picture isn't crazy enough.

Howler is more intense than Legend.

Oh Voyage, how I love thee.

I can't wait to try out those Timberliners!

Lift-hill

You can never have enough pictures of Voyage!

This is probably my favorite picture of the day! I have all of the original pics if anyone wants one.

Jeff and Ted decided that they wanted hypothermia

Me being all fancy with Jeff's camera

If I remembered correctly, this eating area will be covered and have AC next year.

Jeff has a crush on the grandma

Legend time

I spy lots of empty seats! Seriously, once the waterpark closes for the season the rest of the park is dead!

Danny and Ted like Legend in the rear.

Raven lift hill shot

Again, no one here!

Do you see the green guy on the lift hill?

Green guy is bundled up tight!

Awesome clouds behind Legend

Creepy

Thank you Holiday World for another awesome day! I can't wait to come back for Holliwood nights next year!

sethdawg17 · October 7, 2010

Great pictures! Funny that such a great park is so empty!

tedten · October 7, 2010

A good time was had by all. Jeff (CoasterWarriors) had never been on Pilgrim's Plunge. I wasn't going to ride and then decided, "What the hell? Let's do this!" I can't wait to get him on Frightful Falls either. I love that crazy flume!

I think we got in the ballpark of 20-25 rides so around the same # of laps as during Holiwood Nights. We took alot of breaks during HWN though because the ERT was at the end of a very long day & we had 2 non-coaster geeks with us. Assuming I can make it, I'll def be hitting 10 on Voyage instead of this year's annoying 9.

I hope to get at least 10+ laps on all three woodies in a single day at some point.

wlmoorer · October 8, 2010

That was an awesome TR...I HAVE to to get up to Indiana and go to that park!

traincrossin · December 9, 2010

Busch Gardens Tampa - 3/16/1998

I long time ago when I was 6, my family and I went on vacation to Florida for spring break. During that trip, we went to Busch Gardens for a day. It was a long time ago so I don't remember much about the place, if I screw up on something let me know! Since my brother, sister, and I were too short to ride the roller coasters, we spent most of the day going on kiddie rides and looking at the animals. I found these pictures and thought that I would share them with everyone. Enjoy this look back at Busch Gardens Africa!