Nrthwnd Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 Was just cruisin' thru www.Screamscape.com and found this, posted just earlier: (1/6/06) One of our readers tells us that the Japanese park, Kobe Portopialand has announced that it will close forever on March 31st, 2006. Hmmm. Too bad if it's true. Would like to have seen Porta-Potty-Land in 2007. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petestrash Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 Mitsui Greenland also has a bus but we were pretty much told to take a taxi and it was a pretty cheap and fast taxi ride (about 15 minutes $15) I'm always scared to take Taxi's in Japan as they are generally known for their very high fares, But $15 is certainly reasonable. Actually we were trying to drive to Seibu Yuenchi after sunset which made negotiating nameless streets more difficult. I am going there today by train which will be much easier! So how was 'loop screw coaster' at Seibu Yuenchi today ? If you are interested in things besides amusement parks up north, the Sapporo Snow Festival is fantastic, and winter sports are plentiful. Schuss-boom! Unfotunately I leave on the 30th so will not be there for the snow festival. I am planning on doing some skiing, usually I go to Gala Yuzawa which has a base of about 2' this time of year, but with this years unusually strong winter it currently has 13' of snow!! There are tons of parks on Kyushu, as well as other parks you may not have found on your first trip here. I usually just use RCDB to help plan trips overseas, do you have any other more comprehensive resource links for parks in Japan (any language)? We were thinking about visiting China, but figured we'd put it off for our next visit. There are some other parks also in the area being built or getting new things so I think we'll be back in a couple of years! Quite a few new coasters are being built independently by Chinese companies. But of all the decent coaster manufacturers that they could have choosen to copy from, they choose Vekoma instead. If it's true what is they say about copies getting slightly worse with each generation can you imagine riding a Chinese copy of a Vekoma SLC... ouch. Peter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petestrash Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 Portopialand have being saying that they will close 'next year' for at least the last 3 years. But this time the rumour is correct as they now have a countdown on their home page. It will be a shame to lose the BMRX, it's a nice tight Schwarzkopf coaster with a curved lift hill, but still using a chain lift not tyres as is more the norm. I was disappointed not to have ridden the bobbahn before it was damaged by fire at Phantasialand, so I made sure I rode BMRX before portopialand was closed. Peter. BMRX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rollermonkey Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 I made it to Seibu Yuenchi today, I'll post more later. I am getting down to Kobe Portopialand tomorrow (New For Me!) and I am hitting Central Park in Himeji as well. I have POV of the TOGO loopscrew at Seibu Yunchi, any guesses how it was? More later, someone was robbed and killed less than 100 meters from my house on Wednesday (In Japan!) and my wife is a little afraid to walk back to the house from the train station past the scene of the crime. The guy was caught the next day due to the insane number of cameras in this country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 From everything we've done in Japan (which includes a number of buses, trains, and taxi's) I believe the rumor of overpriced crazy expenisve taxi's only applies to Tokyo! We took several on this last trip and never felt that we paid anything unreasonable. As for China, there are a few new parks with Intamin Rockets and S&S rides so it's not all bad! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelPeppe2000 Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 For elissa robb and everyone else interested: I can compile a list of kanji with trains/buses/station names and their pronunciation. Everyone interested in some explaination about japanese language, feel free to pm me anytime. Anyway tokyo has a capillar bus/train system, so it is not reccomended to use them unless you need them... I hope they will reopen the DonQuijote halfpipe soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woah_killa Posted January 7, 2006 Share Posted January 7, 2006 Why didn't I see this thread earlier? I just now realized what this was and read all 40 sumthin pages! Looks like you guys had a really fun time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rollermonkey Posted January 8, 2006 Share Posted January 8, 2006 I just posted some notes on Kobe Portopia in it's thread about the closure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admiral_Ackbar6 Posted January 8, 2006 Share Posted January 8, 2006 OMG guys, I'm pissed. I wish I had more internet time My home park has been Spaceword for the last 10 months or so. If you are wondering why the Space Shot was not operating, it is Japan's obsession with safety (think Steel Dragon 2000). Some accident occurred like 5-6 years ago, hasn't operated since. But ARG! II could have given you the complete, comprehensive tour of Kyushu theme parks. But alas. I still like Mitsui Greenland best, s every time I go, its completely dead, and it reminds me of the RCT parks I used to build with crazy paths darting in and out of roller coasters and such. Anyway, glad you had a great time coming back. /me vows to try to get online more and check TPR. ~~~>Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted January 8, 2006 Share Posted January 8, 2006 ^Yeah that's a bummer! I think we also liked Mitsui Greenland the best! There were so many wacky rides, and the park was huge! We'll be back soon I promise, so we'll have to meet up then! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admiral_Ackbar6 Posted January 8, 2006 Share Posted January 8, 2006 Alas, I come home on Tuesday. I will probably be back again, though, as a JET. Looking forward to swwing everyone again at Solace again later this year after missing it this year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captain Posted January 8, 2006 Share Posted January 8, 2006 Hi, first of all a big thanks to the Alvey`s for sharing their impressions with us. Brilliant! Because someone also ask about travelling to Nasu Highland: Can anyone please post which is the nearest JR Station to Nasu? And do anyone know if the park is open in April and how long do I need to do all the attractions at Nasu (because I`m thinking to do Nikko`s temples in the morning and Nasu in the afternoon). I`m really thankful for any tips. Thanks a lot Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 I believe one of the closest JR stations is Kuraiso. From there you can take a bus or taxi to the park. The park IS open in April but might close as early as 4pm. If you just want to credit whore the place you can probably be done in 2 hours. The park had a few other attractions as well (really good space shot), the coasters are good, but you won't need to reride the majority of them. Have a great time, let me know if you have any other questions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rollermonkey Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 Because someone also ask about travelling to Nasu Highland: Can anyone please post which is the nearest JR Station to Nasu? And do anyone know if the park is open in April and how long do I need to do all the attractions at Nasu (because I`m thinking to do Nikko`s temples in the morning and Nasu in the afternoon). I`m really thankful for any tips. If you are staying in Tokyo, you can take the Shinkansen (75 minutes) to Nasu Shiobara station then transfer to the JR Tohoku line one stop (6 minutes) to Kuroiso station. The bus takes about an hour from there. From Nasu to Nikko, you can take either the Tohoku JR line or Shinkansen to Utsonomiya, then transfer to the JR Nikko line. The trains themselves run 62 - 66 minutes, but the transfer times make it closer to 2 hours, depending on when you leave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captain Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 Thanks for the quick answers Elissa and Chris. 1 hour from Kurioso station with the bus - man that`s a long journey. So I think I`ll have to cut down a bit of my Nikko visit. Chris do you know the Bus Number and some kind of timetable (is this bus a Nasu Highland shuttle or an official bus and how often does it go?) And by the way, is there any offical site where I can see their opening times? Thanks again Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 Here is their official information about prices and opening times: http://nasuhai.co.jp/data/list.htm When you scroll down to their hours, the first column tells you the normal hours for the month. The 2nd column tells you of any special dates, and the 3rd column tells you days they are closed. This is the information on how to get there: http://nasuhai.co.jp/data/access.html The bus is a normal city bus that makes a bunch of stops, that's why it takes so long. I would recommend a taxi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captain Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 As I read some pages before you`re saying that it`s not to expensive to take a taxi outside Tokyo. Can you approx. estimate what it will cost from Kurioso station to the park and how much time it will take? I`m so glad to have you guys! :lmaolmao: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 I hate to guess, since I didn't actually do it, but I would 'guess' $30-$35 each way. We took a 35 minute taxi ride from Hamamatsu Station to Hamanako Pal Pal park (because we were told the bus takes over an hour) and it was $41 each way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rollermonkey Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 My taxi from Himeji station was 2830 and 2680 yen to return from Central Park, a distance of about 18 km. (Slightly different route each way.) Nasu seems to be about the same distance. Chris B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patty Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 Man it sure does look like you had a sweet time in Tokyo...the only thing fun im doing this year is going to Alton Towers for 2 days! (Maybe Drayton Manor on the 2nd Day!) Anyways good Park Review and Great Pics! Patrick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smells_like_team_disney Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 I've only gotten through the first 32 pages, and I can honestly say this beats all other updates thus far. Can't wait to finish reading through the rest of the update (Tivoli Park looks amazing!!). One question: What is up with all those ride-around stuft animals? Ok, just finished the rest of the TR, and I am blown away by Japan as a whole. Can't wait to see the TDR... someday. Thanks for taking the time to post your awesome pics and caps. You rock, Alveys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrownStreak Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 Odd that the Tokyo Castle is Blue- I don't know if anyone has ever pointed this out. I was told that the florida castle was blue to cool people down and the pink-ish castle in Paris was designed to make people feel warm in the winter- seems that the Tokyo Castle would be a warmer colour seeing its open when its snowing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted January 11, 2006 Author Share Posted January 11, 2006 Ok, so now that we are back, caught up on sleep and gotten over some wicked jet lag now it's time for..... THE RE-CAP UPDATE!!!!! So what is the re-cap update? Well, quite simply we took thousands of photos (no joke!) while on the trip and only posted about 500 of them. So here is a quick re-cap of the trip from start to end, but only picking out a "select few" of the un-used photos. We will start doing our "front page" updates which will consist of about 3 to 4 pages of photos on each park in about a week or two. Usually in a re-cap update, I end up going back and finding some REALLY embarassing photos that I think "Why the hell didn't I use these before??!?!" Anyways, here goes! THE OFFICIAL THEME PARK REVIEW ASIA RE-CAP UPDATE!!!! (and, oh yeah, there is a Raging Spirits POV in the members only section too!) HA!!!! The whole Asia trip was a LIE!!!!! We really WERE asleep! Dreaming.....in the self-service car wash! "Ugh...this really sucks." =( "Please....please don't make us have to go back home....." OH!!!!!! The most important part!!! I totally forgot to mention that this was the guy that laughed at us in the Yakatori bar for not knowing how to eat the shrimp with the legs and head still attached! "Meanwhile back in the real world....." (anyone get this movie reference?) Here's an overview of Tokyo Disneyland. Isn't it totally awesome? "Muwaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!!" "Would you like to be with me....in the back of one of those boats....and we'll pay the guy 5,000 yen to look the other way...." "Hello ladies. Quaker here again. Check out how hot I am! Let me give you the tour of DisneySea...." OMG! It's those GIANT poofy Japanese snow hats attacking Journey! OMG!!!! "Yes, I know our advanced Japanese technology will allow me to communicate with aliens on another planet, but will it help my male pattern baldness?" Did we ever mention Thunder Dolphin in the previous updates? Hmm? No? Oh, I guess it wasn't worth mentioning! "See this would never REALLY happen....yet more proof were actually asleep.....dreaming....in the self-service car wash." Oh, look....coasters in the snow. What a wonderfully smart idea! "I just had my nuts squashed into oblivion by the Batflyer and I LOVED every second of it!" "Hey everyone! Here we are on the awesome Togo ride!" "Be quiet woman, I think I've just captured Japanese side boob on video!!!" More awesome Togo Death Machines that don't hurt at all! I really hope we wake up from this car wash dream soon enough! It might say "Oreo" it might resemble "Oreo" but damn, those are NOT Oreos!!! From Switzerland we go to Tivoli in Denmark. Damn, this is a really strange trip to Japan! See, we can prove it. Only in Switzerland do they have Squirrel cages with over the shoulder restraints. It's because those damn drunken swiss squirrels can't be trusted! Here we are in Switzerland! No, seriously! We're really in Switzerland! For those of you who are going to miss Kobe Port-a-potty-land, here is a scale model for you to take home with you. Simply recreate what you see here and then sell it on Ebay. MARK!!!!! You killed a poor unsuspecting Japanese man with your candle! Oh, well, this is only a dream...so let's EAT HIM!!! MWAHAHAHAHA!!!! Togo Death Machines that don't hurt. Yeah, this isn't real. We must be asleep in that car wash..... Oh great, our day ends up spinning around like crazy inside a teacup themed to a giant kitty...or is that a penguin? Does anyone really know? We made a quick stop at "RCT Park" where we saw duck races, shotgun rides, and temples down an abondoned path. Are you sure we're not dreaming this up, fast asleep in a self-service car wash somewhere? The giant poo monster made sure we wouldn't ride Jupiter today, but that's ok because at Kijima, it's all about the Vekoma Roller Skater! "If a giant poo monster comes out of the snow I'm gonna be REALLY pissed off!!!" "Hey Joey! Eat this!!!!!" "We can hide our space program by building a roller coaster around it....they'll never notice." Ahh, Japan....forget the culture, forget the cool cities, it's all about the vending machines. Where the cold stuff is cold, and the warm stuff is warm....all in the same machine! "This is the worst picture of me....EVER! And oh yeah...we're in Japan. See....I can prove it...here's my rail pass!" "I'm only on this trip because of the McDonalds." "Hi ladies. I'm the Quaker. Don't mess with me or I'll blast you with....um....with this....um.....pretend toy laser gun....yeah." Time to flashback to the park that looks just like Disneyland in California, but thank goodness it's not in California! Yup, it's the coaster with a nice view. "Wow, we really look like crap after the red eye" THE PUSSY CARD!!!!!!!! So here we are in Hong Kong....known for lots of buildings, cheap suits, and..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USRoadTripper Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 OMG! I had the exact same dream last night, only when I woke up it looked like this!!! Nice unexpected update, by the way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted January 11, 2006 Author Share Posted January 11, 2006 Wow, creepy! And I thought I was the only one that feel asleep in self-service car washes and dreamt about bizarre Japanese coaster trips! --Robb "I feel so much better now!" Alvey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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