TPR's 2013 Japan Trip - Mini Updates!

[robbalvey]

But Dodonpa and Eggy-J were stupid-awesome. I had sort of lost my love for 4D coasters, but figured I'd suffer through Fuji-Q's just because, what the hell, we were there and it opened. I'm glad I did. The coaster gods were indeed smiling upon us that day because I got two insanely amazing rides out of that thing, no really bruising roughness, just forceful, exhilarating maneuvers from start to finish.

Eejanika has been very hit or miss for me. One visit I got one of the roughest coaster rides ever, the next visit it was just "ok", about on par with X2 not on a good day, but not on a bad day either. Then again, I'm not the biggest fan of 4D coasters in the first place.

 

Dodonpa still scares me...so that's gotta say something about that ride!

 

Fujiyama...I actually like the first half of it, and then it starts to try to murder you. But it's not a bad ride.

 

IMO, Fuji-Q has four really big coasters, and what stands out the most is that no other park in Japan has rides like this or as many, I just wish I liked all of them a bit more. Dodonpa is by far my favorite of the four, but it's not something I can re-ride. Maybe twice in once visit at the most. The damn ride does actually HURT! (Even though it's really GOOD!)

 

This is why I feel the park is a lot like Magic Mountain - a lot of their coasters IMO are "good" or "very good", but not "great", and the operations leave a lot to be desired. Quite a few B or B+ coasters in a park with C- operations...on a good day!

[JJLehto]

Finally a good quality Dodonpa POV!

Thank you TPR

[GO MUFC!!!]

I apologize if this has gotten redundant, but thank you so much for the Dodonpa POV.

[shivtim]

I got a car unlocked on Dodonpa for a tissue stuffed in the bottom of my pockets that I didn't even notice was there when I emptied my pockets they were definately extremely thorough on what goes in the fluffy, fluffy bunnies filled with medicine and goo.

 

I had the same thing happen on Thunder Dolphin. It was a kleenex! One of the ride ops took it from me and put it in a lock-er. Bizarre.

[rctneil]

My favourite issue was, I was told I had to remove my watch on Takabisha, from my wrist and place it in a locker for which I was given a solid metal key on a very flimsy piece of elastic that had seen better days to wear around the same wrist as my watch but was a lot looser than my watch and had a much higher rate of flying off!

 

Go figure!

[kidcoaster 2]

^ That was hilarious! We determined though that if you were to remove the key than they would make you take off the band

[PalmTree55]

Japan looks fantastic!

[cfc]

My favourite issue was, I was told I had to remove my watch on Takabisha, from my wrist and place it in a fluffy, fluffy bunny filled with medicine and goo for which I was given a solid metal key on a very flimsy piece of elastic that had seen better days to wear around the same wrist as my watch but was a lot looser than my watch and had a much higher rate of flying off!

 

Go figure!

 

Yes, that was a bit strange. But I do give them credit for providing free, lockable storage boxes in the station--rather handy if everyone is required to empty their pockets.

 

Of course, in Japan, you could pile your stuff in an unsecured plastic box and feel confident that no one would steal anything.

[Garet]

 

Yes, that was a bit strange. But I do give them credit for providing free, lockable storage boxes in the station--rather handy if everyone is required to empty their pockets.

 

Of course, in Japan, you could pile your stuff in an unsecured plastic box and feel confident that no one would steal anything.

 

I always like the Asian services when it comes to taking care of your stuff or parking the strollers for you, I was always a fan of Lotte Worlds valet service on Atlantis when they wheel the trolley over for you to put your stuff in and then wheel it over when you get out, I understand wheeling it over when you board makes for faster loading since people don't have to walk over and shelve it but I always find it amusing when I disembark and something that is only 5 steps away is wheeled over to me.

Edited July 13, 2013 by Garet

[Nrthwnd]

I think that when all is said and done, we should be thankful they go to so much trouble

to make sure the ride is safe for everybody... storing tissues included, LOL! I mean, if even half

of what they do, was done in the parks here, it could improve parks' guest relations

immeasureably.

[robbalvey]

A little bit of Fujiyama for you all!

[SuperShawn]

I appreciate the 2 second turn away from the lift hill since I couldn't picture where Takabisha was exactly built in the park. Those last few twisty turns look as awkward and brutal as ever... thanks for dealing with them multiple times to get great video.

[Nrthwnd]

I am so glad you took the physical 'hit' for us Robb, for getting the video shots.

 

I didn't ride Fujiyama at all this time - I actually remembered from the 2011

tour on it, and it sounded just as you recorded, on that last part of the

coaster, there.

 

Thanks for sacrificing your body - again, Robb.

[robbalvey]

Those last few twisty turns look as awkward and brutal as ever... thanks for dealing with them multiple times to get great video.

It's just so disappointing because the ride actually DOES start out really GOOD! And then it goes into some awful meat grinder murder machine!!! Ugh!!!!

[jray21]

Another great POV! The ride definitely looks brutal in the second half.

Edited July 14, 2013 by jray21

[rctneil]

fujiama was a very odd ride. Those weird rift to left and back again swoops near the end try there best to kill what is left of you by that point but the first part I the ride is actually really nice. This was my first coaster at Fuji Q which was odd as a few of us had said that Dodonpa was our highest priority and Dodonpa ended up being the last coaster I rode that day! I think it was because Robb and Elissa both stated to grab Fujiama first thing due to the queues building up later and unsurprisingly their advice worked perfectly and all Fuji Q coasters were ridden by lunchtime for pretty much everyone!!

 

Turned out to be a pretty decent day overall!

 

Oh, this was also the day with the Haunted Hospital but no ones shoulders died so all was good!

 

Thanks for the POV too Robb. Came out really nice

[Nrthwnd]

Oh, this was also the day with the Haunted Hospital but no ones shoulders died so all was good!

 

Yes! And the lineup was non-existent when we went through it. And we loved it!

But were totally exhausted, by the time we came out of there, lol.

 

It's a physical workout.

[cfc]

The Haunted Hospital does have great atmosphere. I wonder if it has more scareactors based on what time of the year it is? Still worth checking out, although it's not on the level of Hotel Gasten at Liseberg.

[Nrthwnd]

But...... Stairs.

 

Why - did it have - to be STAIRS???

 

[rctneil]

It was definitely more of a subtle scariness then jumpy scariness. You spend all the time expecting things to jump out or do something but the majority of the time, that does not happen. It's quite unerving being in what looks like an old abandoned hospital and hearing peoples screams coming from afar and just following the arrows with nothing but a torch! It was very well themed, all real old medical equipment and the atmosphere was very creepy but overall I really enjoyed it.

[Nrthwnd]

And all of that stuff in each room and hallway we went through....

 

Hands up from those who think this'll work in North America?

Too many lawsuits in there easily waiting to happen.

 

I was amazed at how extremely careful we some times had to be in this place.

And then there was the actual (*%@# SCREEMING and running down the hallway!!!!

 

Yeah, that was us. "He" really freeked us out, almost immediately,

and BAM! we're hauling hallway LOL!!!

[jray21]

Just went through this report again and am now so depressed I wasn't able to make it.

 

Japan really does have some amazing haunted houses. They are just so bizarre and creepy. One of the best ones I ever went through was at La Qua. You were given a comb and had to brush a Grudge style girls hair.