Photo TR: A first time trip to SoCal Theme Parks

[cfc]

It’s just the time commitment which bugs me, you can’t really walk up and watch it so you got to get that fast pass and then just stand there.

This is my biggest issue with World of Color also. I *like* the show enough to put about 5 minutes worth of effort into if I could walk up and stand there and watch it, or even walk up halfway through and watch part of it, but it's that commitment of time that I just don't think the show is really worth.

 

Yep--this is the main reason I've never bothered with World of Color--why is this bizarre Fast Pass even necessary? I assume there's some reason I just don't understand.

Edited November 11, 2015 by cfc

[PKI Jizzman]

It’s just the time commitment which bugs me, you can’t really walk up and watch it so you got to get that fast pass and then just stand there.

This is my biggest issue with World of Color also. I *like* the show enough to put about 5 minutes worth of effort into if I could walk up and stand there and watch it, or even walk up halfway through and watch part of it, but it's that commitment of time that I just don't think the show is really worth.

 

Yep--this is the main reason I've never bothered with World of Color--why is this bizarre Fast Pass even necessary? I assume there's some reason I just don't understand.

I visited DL before World of Color debuted, but I find it really strange that there's a fastpass required. That would push me from watching the show, honestly.

 

Great report, TomTom! I love the comparisons to WDW and the reviews. Can't wait to read the rest of the report.

-Zach

[ItsMe]

People's love of WoC is directly related to their relationship with the Disney movies they pump during the program in clip form. I'm not a Disney guy; I don't wear fursuits and get hardons for Robin Hood, I don't get misty eyed at every single Pixar film, I don't caress my pirate copy of Song of The South, I don't pay attention to how much money their animated stuff is making or how much it is supposed to make. I don't really give a crap about what Walt wanted; apparently he desired picnic tables before coasters, but he was forced to listen to the public on that. I watch it and it feels like the most expensive display of a Youtube montage ever. Some people feel different. That's cool.

 

So true.

 

I am such a fanboy of the show, but when saying this realising I've got every Classic and Pixar film on Blu-ray. Maybe that is the reason it gets me. However I do agree that it takes a lot of your time, because you need the FP for a decent view (or get some food).

 

Great report and can't wait for the other reports. Keep up!

[tomtom]

Alright so I kind of dropped the ball and lost my updating streak.

 

Speaking of dropping the ball, it's time to cover Six Flags Magic Mountain!

 

Okay that's not really fair, it was a lovely day on the Mountain. It would be hard for any park to pass muster when you had just spent the last two days gallivanting around Disneyland.

 

I've spent an absurd amount of time at Great Adventure in my youth, so expect some more of that compare and contrast nonsense I was so fond of in the Disneyland section. Right, onto pictures then....

 

After a scenic drive down what I am told must be referred to as "The 5" as opposed to I-5, we arrived.

 

Riding in with Robb and Elissa, I honestly expected to be the first one there and yet you see 2 cars in front of us!

 

How are you people already here!? We woke up so early I don't even remember waking up and you beat us!?

 

2 points to Magic Mountain for having scenic view of a "mountain"

 

Someone tell the guard to open up the gates!

 

5 points to MM for having actually gates.

 

So riding in with the Alvey's, I provided some assistance with getting everyone checked in and registered. My personally chosen title which I did not make up until right this moment was "Professional Lanyard and Wristband Wrapper Extraordinaire." I learned some cursory things about what it's like to check in a ungodly number of people at an ungodly hour of the morning, but the main thing I learned, is that some of you do not know your own name. You know who you are! Well, I guess technically you don't, but you get it. Anyway into the park we go! The gates are open! And they're never closing them again! Well, until closing.

 

Alright MM, this looks impressive! I am impressed, show me more!

 

Full Throttle is really pretty. I took an alarming amount of photos of it and I will try not to bore you with to many.

 

Fun Fact: Apparently this ride isn't actually called YOLOcoaster! The more you know!

 

Oh It's so nice to be at an ert. There's nobody here but me.

 

And that guy over there.

 

Goliath was actually the first coaster I rode, I know I was posting pictures of Full Throttle, but it YOLO'ed to hard and broke.

 

Goliath was nice, though we got yelled at for pulling our restraints down because when they say "Safety begins with you." they actually mean "Safety begins with our under paid ride ops."

 

I can only assume Californians do not have a healthy fear of death, and thus can not be trusted to properly lower their own restraint.

 

Ok fine you need to check the seat belts I get it, still, you didn't have to be so rude. That'll lose you some points.

 

You know, every time I go back to New Jersey, I take a trip to Great Adventure, and I ride Medusa/Bizzaro/that one in the back and I think to myself, "You know all these trees are just so distracting. It's like I don't even want to look at the track! Then there's all this grass. So much green, so vibrant and lush, laughing in Humanity's face like we'll never accomplish anything! I wish there was a place I could go and ride coasters without all those pesky trees stealing my attention. Some place that would just show that stupid earth hair we call grass whose boss!"

 

Ladies and Gentlemen, I have found that place, it's in California. Ladies and Gentleman, let me introduce to you on the true sign's of man's domination over nature, Scream!

 

Man, all the ranting makes me want to scream!

 

OH! WHAT DO YOU KNOW I HAVE A RELEVANT PHOTOGRAPH!

 

Man, that parking lot though, I could stare at if for day's..... So majestic!

 

Anyway, the rest of morning ert was spent riding Twisted Colossus because it is wonderful. It didn't really do any dueling in the AM but we'd experience that magic soon enough

 

Before ERT ended, I finally got to push the Throttle to Full.

 

I wish I had taken more photos of the entrance and the area around Full Throttle because I had never experienced anything like it before. I'm not talking about the ride, though that forced roll back was certainly unique and interesting. I'm talking about the fact the coaster seems to be themed to joining a cult. It's hard to explain without being there but they got this wierd video going on this giant screen about doing all this crazy stuff. It's hard to explain but I certainly don't want to "Ride it, Live it" I guess it fits with the whole YOLO theme? I will award points for the unique ride elements and subtract points for the creepy cult vibe and call it even.

 

X2's theme on the other hand is just pushy.

 

it says: "Are you going to stand by the side or ride?"

 

To which I respond: "Hey, I'm walking here!"

 

X2 is obviously a very unique ride that I was excited to experience. I have never ridden anything like it, and with a little luck I'll never ride anything like it again. Maybe that's not fair, it wasn't an awful ride and I only did ride it once, but I couldn't at any point just sit back and enjoy the ride. It was a constant battle to keep my person from flopping around from a dying fish inside that restraint. At any moment the entire thing was just liable to rotate any which way it pleased. And not in the fun way either.

 

But the bruise healed, and most of my memory returned. I even got a nice picture!

 

Next, it was time to explore the Mountain part of the Magic.

 

Ninja was nice, You weren't kidding about that mountain though. Geez, you guys should invest in escalators.

 

When we made it to the top of the mountain, our oxygen tanks nearly depleted. We learned superman was closed at this time.

 

We did not climb to the top of the mountain again.

 

Screw that mountain.

 

Oddly, there wasn't really any one there to tell us the ride was broken. No greeter or anything. We actually had a Flashpass so we went looking for that entrance first. We found it but we actually found that the side we had entered was just completely down for the day, so know one was there at all. Just us in an empty preshow-ish room for a few minutes as we wondered what bizarro world we had wandered into. Once we got to the correct side and found an actual employee we were ready to just go eat lunch.

 

On the way down, we saw this sign.

 

yea.....

 

Dear Magic Mountain... I have opinions....

 

Yea! Food! and prizes! and hello's! and food!

 

Don't make a wood joke Don't make a wood joke Don't make a wood joke Don't make a wood joke

Don't make a wood joke Don't make a wood joke Don't make a wood joke Don't make a wood joke

 

Uh.... Uh..... Erections.

 

phew

 

There's Daffy, he was very quaky to see us.

 

Sorry, that's the wood pun still trying to get out

 

After the group lunch, we took a brief hiatus from Six Flags. Coming back, I learned about the part of the parking lot that does not feature coasters.

 

Crap, missed the tour.

 

We slowly lapped around the rest of the park hitting all the roller coasters

 

I finally got to take the tunnel.

 

If only it was running like I was told it use to.

 

It's always nice to ride Batman again. It's just how I remember it back east!

 

Green lantern beat X2 in every way.

 

And by "every way" I mean it beat me up and it was the worst thing I have ever experienced in a coaster.

 

I am subtracting so many points

 

I like lex luthor a lot more than zumanjaro. This one was a lot more scary to me as I didn't have the warm embrace of Kingda Ka's structure to make me feel safe. You are just out there, unable to see anything. The only reminder you get that you are bolted to Superman is when a car goes and the entire thing rattles like it want's to shake you off.

 

Here is your fright fest construction update. Sorry, I'm a little behind.

 

At this point, I was kind of pictured out, so let's jump straight to night ert! I don't remember exactly was open but I do remember we only rode Twisted colossus for about 90 wonderful minutes.

 

Somehow Dallas managed to capture the exact moment my brain went marshmallows from so many consecutive TC rides.

 

Man, what an awesome and long day.

 

In a perfect world, I would end every Six Flags trip like this.

 

So I that's a wrap on day 1 of West Coast Bash. I got a little negative about some aspects of Magic Mountain but I did have a great time exploring the park and hanging out with everyone. If you were keeping score of points at home, I am amzaed because I don't think that points thing I was doing actually made any sense or adhered to any logic but I am declaring Great Adventure the winner, because suck it California. Thanks again to Robb and Elissa and the park for putting together such an amazing event!

 

Stay tuned for the final installement! Coming soon! Probably! Maybe next week! Hopefully before Christmas!

[cfc]

The night rides on Twisted Colossus were the highlight of WCB at Magic Mountain--particularly when it dueled.

[Kyle Coleman]

Those night rides on twisted were just something else.

[viking86]

About bloody time.....

 

Nah just kidding of course! You should do trip reports more often though, you have a real talent for this. Highly entertaining to read and even some great pictures as well. Love the "marshmallow brain" picture on TC!

[tomtom]

^Thanks! Future reports probably have to wait till I actually go to another non Orlando place.

 

The night rides on Twisted Colossus were the highlight of WCB at Magic Mountain--particularly when it dueled.

 

Those night rides on twisted were just something else.

 

We got so many half duels. Those fully dueling rides were like unicorns.

[Blue Turbo]

^I was really lucky and managed to get a perfect duel on both sides on one of my rides that night!

[BackseatBoss]

I wish there was a place I could go and ride coasters without all those pesky trees stealing my attention. Some place that would just show that stupid earth hair we call grass whose boss!"

 

Ladies and Gentlemen, I have found that place, it's in California. Ladies and Gentleman, let me introduce to you on the true sign's of man's domination over nature, Scream!

 

Best line of the whole report I really enjoyed it!

[tomtom]

The final day of the trip was to be spent at Knotts. I couldn't have asked for a better park to serve as a finale to this trip. It's conveient location immediately adjacent to my bed made Sunday the easiest day of them all. Honestly, by this point I was in desperate need of turning the pace down a few notches. Spending 3 days walking around the surface of the sun at theme parks from before open until after close was beginning to take a toll.

 

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy

 

So Knotts, was the perfect place to calm down a bit and just dial it back a bit, but Knotts had given us a full and awesome itinerary! ERT, tours, Q&A, food, Knotts really pulled out all the stops for us. The day was still relaxing, and the entire mood seemed a bit lighter and more peaceful then Saturday.

 

Join me as we travel back to the long past day of September the thirteenth

 

The first order of business was a tour of Sierra Sidewinder's elevator maintenance track

 

It was a very interesting, if a bit cramped, concrete room.

 

I will never tire of the exclusive tours at TPR events.

 

The next order of business, was a look at Ghost rider and its excessive wood.

 

Apparently, California has this little earthquake problem so the solution was apparently to just continue to add wood until a bridge could be built from Knotts to Disneyland so that the earthquake survivors could trade resources without venturing in to the lawless wastelands between the two that would surely spring up when the big one hits.

 

The tour guide told of us of a person before us who took a panorama of the entire structure and how cool it looked. So I stole that idea and did the same. it does look pretty cool.

 

This is where you leave your loose articles when you ride.

 

No, wait sorry, this is where They leave the articles that you lost because you are dumb and didn't leave them where they told you too.

 

Being surrounded by all this wood is starting to make me uncomfortable.

 

Everybody taking in the wood

 

Time to wander back into the park proper and find some ERT

 

So obviously I have never been to Knotts and I kinda wandered off from my group at this point as everyone was still marveling at the copious amounts of wood. Immediately I make a turn the the right assuming it would take me to Montezooma's Revenge.

 

I wasn't wrong... technically.

 

I ended up on the scenic route. Everyone else, being smarter then me took the direct path. I wandered down an empty path, beginning to worry that I would be lost forever and eaten by wolves. "Why o why didn't I get a map with my badge!" I cried to the coaster gods. And the coaster gods responded, "You did, you half delirious idiot"

 

And so it came to pass that I did have a map, and the path circled back to where I wanted to go, and all was well.

 

Gee, guess I don't have to resort to eating my legs after all.

 

I was the only around for Montezooma to extract their revenge on.

 

Wait, no maybe I did go to far, this looks like it might be Mexico. I knew I should of turned left at Albuquerque

 

I know I rode Silver bullet next, but there are no pictures so here's Xcelerator instead.

 

It's like Kingda Ka and Dragster had a baby and then put it into protective custody since neither of them can be trusted as parents.

 

I like the twisty bits.

 

Oh good, the day star is still around. I was worried the temperatures would drop below 1000 today.

 

Man, this place is a real

Ghost town.

YEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAA

 

I made it over to the Iron reef just in time to get hit by some friendly fire.

 

It was a good ride and I think did respectable for a first try.

 

With the park opening for real it was time to hit the classics.

 

It was a bit tight down in the mines but somehow we all fit.

 

Oh, there's Silver Bullet! What do you know I do have a picture of it after all. I would show you pictures from the mines but that are blurry and garbage and they didn't have iphones in whatever time period this mine exists in. So this picture from the Mine train of another ride is all you get.

 

Next we took a lap on the truly impressive log flume, but I didn't take any pictures of it either so here's a train instead.

 

At this point I ran back to the hotel to gather all my stuff and check out. I may have napped, I can neither confirm or deny it at this time. When I got back it was lunch time. Knotts gave us some great food. I got to eat some of those chickens I saw wandering around earlier and some corn and some pie and all the boysenberry soda I could drink, which is a lot.

 

TPRQuest was after lunch and it was quite a sight to behold. There was some air guitar, some pie eating, and a few kidnappings. the highlight was definitely seeing a member of the Knotts management team get swarmed by TPR members and then carried on to the stage!

 

Garbels and Casey lost the air guitar challenge by default, but also won because they got to stay in the shade. I''m pretty sure one of you guys is doing that backwards but at least it's symmetrical!

 

After lunch we took a ride on Ghostrider.

 

Haha, no, not even if it was open.

 

Although I guess I would of had too so I could be informed of how bad it was personally but oh well, Thanks for sparing me the pain Knotts! I hope I get back to ride it when it reopens!

 

I don't have very many pictures from the afternoon. Garbels and I wandered around and got the remaining credits. I know I got some more of that delicious boysenberry inside of me.

 

Sadly, all things most end. It was time to begin the journey home.

 

So the fun was over, and all that was left was the Red eye. I wish I could of stayed longer and visited more of Southern California, but I'm sure I'll be back before too long.

 

I want to re-iterate my thanks to Robb and Elissa, to Magic Mountain, and Knotts Berry Farm, to all the friends that hung out and showed me around the various parks . This was basically the type of trip I have dreamed of since I first found TPR and it wasn't even technically a TPR trip. I don't want get sappy so I'll just delete everything after this sentence and we'll call it a Trip Report.

 

The End! Thanks for reading!

[cfc]

I enjoyed Iron Reef, too, and don't understand why SoCal locals rip it so often; granted, it's not exactly a "Disney-level" dark ride, but it's fun, and I'd be quite pleased if Kings Dominion got something like it. I guess people miss the old Knott's Beary Tales ride too much.

[Marney]

It's a shame that Silver Bullet is probably the sexiest invert in existence, but it really isn't that great of a ride

[robbalvey]

It's a shame that Silver Bullet is probably the sexiest invert in existence, but it really isn't that great of a ride

This is a PERFECT way to describe it! It looks so good, but it rides pretty "meh."

[viking86]

Great end to your trip report! Really looks like it must have been one hell of a long weekend! Thanks for sharing it with us, I really enjoyed it.

 

I will never tire of the exclusive tours at TPR events.

 

That joke was terrible. In fact, it was so terrible it made me giggle. So maybe it was not terrible after all?? I don't know, I'm confused....

[cfc]

^The joke was so bad, it was good.