USA TRIP
5th to the 25th September 2005
5th of September arrived at six fags Magic Mountain just after 6pm and walked straight on to viper bit of a rattler these days but not bad as we did not have to q like the last time I was at the park. We had been watching X doing its thing as we entered the park so though we needed some food before we tackled that one! So full of some Chinese food we q for 20/30 minuets for X.
I have to say after viper I was expecting to come of black and blue but was pleasantly surprised that after all this ride had just put me through (hanging on and whooping a lot) I had only banged my leg on one of the acrobatic flips. I was very impressed with the entire ride! I can not understand why more have not been built!
A rumour on the ground also is that Cedar fair is looking to buy the park!!! Also some construction started between the rapids and superman and Ninja and revolution huge area in the centre of the park!
Déjà vu (Supper boomerang) Takes the gauntlet from the bullet for the oh my god what just happened to me coaster so fast and intense left me an need of a beer!
Cyclones still a rough pile of c**p! One of a lot of rough woddies on the trip the only one worth repeat riding was ROAR (that said ghost rider was closed for gardening)
Bat man and Riddler still the great rides I remember them Elaine rate Riddler as one of her favourite coasters!
Superman and free fall down along with the dive coaster
Ninja still fun for a swing coaster along with the min train And you could stay seated if no one wants you seat!
Scream a great very fast b and am Floorless with a Car park theme! Some intense g's on the helix!
Colossus in Elaine’s words retack it of burn it first drop was nice then there was some nasty bouncing and pain!
Goliath was very impressed with this ride looked like A BIG nothing (though it was going to be big and fast) It was BUT it was fun as well first ride in the dark and it was tanking there was floaty air time and some intense helixes the most comfortably trains and the only bad thing is the mid course breaks were a little harsh!
Revolution was also smother that I remember it!
After doing the park in a day and a half we went to knots which was even quieter no q for any thing but a front seat!
Excellerator was really cool fast and FUN the only thing the worries me a little is that the figure 8 bit was great fun after the up and down but Thorpe’s is going to hit the breaks!
Ghost rider shut!
The thing that hit me most about this park I how much had changed since 1998 the rides that had gone and arrived.
Silver bullet billed as 6 and a half loops confused me until I had ridden it but on before the cobra roll dose not quite make it as a loop and it got me every time I rode it!
Had a go on the rapids not as much fun as it was a midnight with mr Bolton back in 1998 and then realising that we were sober!!!
Forgot to mention that knots had a lot of maze construction going on!
After Knott’s and the fun with the car hire (changed car as the fag!?!!?) lighter had been disconnected and Sat Nav would not work) company we headed up to San Jose.
Went vie the 17mile drive which was nice but not as impressive as we though lovely rugged coast but it could have been the 6 hours or so drive and the fact it was clouding over a little that spoilt it a bit. We actually stayed in the same hotel here as Wayne and sue did on there honeymoon across the road from Chillies restaurant we have been near chillies on honeymoon and booked the hotel for this!!
Did great adventure on Saturday have to say was a little disappointed with it as a park seemed to miss signature ride with stealth gone!
It was nice to see the carousel that was in Beverly Hills cop 3 and was a pretty park.
Top gun was fun and smooth but got to say preferred batman and silver bullet.
The Arrow mouse with very large supports was fun but again not a major ride
Grizzly was so rough and bouncy that it mad Colossus seem smooth
Had another head bashing on the was it demon arrow looper thing!
And as for the B and M Stand up it was the most pain I have ever had from a B & M ride!
IMO the best coaster at this park was Vekoma Invertigo!!! (Never thought I would say that)
On the + side sponge bob 4d was great fun wet rapids and there was a bizarre water shoot in the water park that had to be seen to be believed! Pictures below!
You start of at the top of the thin green shoot pic far right shoot up wide green shoot centre pics and over bump to the finish far left picture!
September the 11th and a quiet day at marine world quite sad seeing stars and stripes at half mast! we loved this park with a few surprises they have a Killer Whale and tigers that swim under water!!! Very relaxing with mix of animals same sort of atmosphere as bush and animal kingdom
Very wet rapids here for Elaine I stayed quite dry oops!
Medusa rocked loved this ride fast furious and fun no q's got many front seat rides!
A little sad that Zonga was shut but not to surprised.
Vertical velocity (Intamin impulse coaster with vertical and diagonal end) was a bizarre coaster the twist from front seat was just silly as on first shot you hang almost upside down for a second or 2 the back has the great hand time on the vertical section that I loved about superman at Six Flags World of adventure
.
Roar was what I needed a woodie that could be ridden more than once another great fun ride not tall but fun demented and re ride able YIPPEE!
Vekoma hang and bang not as smooth at traumertizer but not as rough ad top gun (Canada’s wonderland!)
Cobra got to say this is tree tops at Oakwood with snake theme and no trees! (Am I right?)
Monday went to The Winchester mystery house the strangest house ever built by the wife of one of the presidents of the Winchester rifle with a little help from the ghost of the Indians killed be the rifle in the civil war!
There is a stair case to the ceiling, stairs with 9 bends and 40 odd steps the rises 9 feet! A chimney the rises 3 floors only to stop 3 inches from the roof doors the open in to brick walls and a lot odd things around the no13. Also a crescent shaped hedge points to the room where she died!
Also a door that drops 12ft into the garden and on the would drop about 20ft in to the kitchen sink!!!
Has to be seen to be believed! And yes they do flashlight tours every Halloween and Friday the 13th!!!!
On to San Francisco a very beautiful city fisherman’s wharf a bit tacky felt like the Tatty shops in parts of Blackpool!
Pier 39 nice to walk around felt very chilled to wander around can not believe the first time we wandered around the first time and missed the sea lions they are so noisy!
Did the city tour that took you around the site (not posh bits as there is a ban on tour buses) shame as Mrs Doubtfire House was in pacific heights!!! Robin Williams also lives in the city and has a large dinosaur in his garden! The bank of America building was also used for towering inferno!
Alcatraz something I could not really be bothered with but the tour and info was amazing! Self guided with head sets and noises and voice from the prison with officers and inmates narrating! Got locked in the HOLE!
After San Francisco took the drive to Yosemite never seen so many trees driving around many many many many many bends to see more trees!! Just when you start to think please no more trees there is an amazing view! glacier point and Yosemite valley just beautiful and we even had some water in the falls none there the week before! And in spring lots of paths to falls get flooded.
After Yosemite and the peace and tranquillity we headed for the totally contrast of Las Vegas.
Got to Vegas and checked in to Circus Circus (the cheapest on the Strip that we found) Even had a stratosphere view.
After my last visit for a few hours to find all the ride shut all open this time! All hotels WOW. High lights were a bad game of golf at adventure dome see photos! Raining inside Aladdin Belagio fountains the view from the Eiffel tower and the sheer money spent on the very elaborate themeing.
The Rides
New York New York and the Manhattan express I had waited 7 years to do this on and can be summed up in one word OUCH! The most badly designed coaster ever!
Speed Fast and fun I though that the Kink coming out of the station would hurt but it was so smooth!
Canyon Blaster on of the smoothest arrow loopers ever built (maybe it’s been inside that helps no elements to deal with.)
On to the stratosFEAR!!!
Never been so scared in my entire life!!! Me on Insanity circled in yellow! Me on the front seat x-scream taken by on ride camera and the shot of the ride on the edge from www.interactiverides.com the twisted minds that built Insanity and X-scream!
The High roller is a great little coaster for pretty much anyone to ride not at all scary just fun for all which is a shame it is due to be removed to put in a wait for it BUNGEE JUMP FROM THE TOP!!!!! This is according to the Lift(elevator) operator.
Big shot not as scary as I thought it would be apocalypse at Drayton Manor scared me more.
X-scream scared the Spit (and other things out of me) 3 tips a drop and a wobble not been enough had to go back and do the front seat at night!! NOT GOOD! Let’s just say I came home with one less pair of pants. Made worse by being on my own on the front as Elaine did The Gr8 Sk8 at Knott’s camp snoopy essentially a kid’s ride on the ground. I had a better look at the under side of the break system there is a buffer assembly on the underside should the thing over run! This made me feel better about the ride in the air!
Insanity
This is the first ride I would never again re ride! Nothing to do with the ride smooth and not at all scary or sickly. BUT it spends around 3 & a half minuets over the edge and I hate heights! Made worse by the fact I was riding with a complete stranger elaine left me to it on this one!
Grand Canyon we flew from Vegas to the Grand Canyon airport in a small 18 seat plane taking in the spectacular views and the hover dam on route.
On arriving at the canyon could not find it so checked the map!
OH THERE IT IS DOH!
Unless you have been to see it you can not visualise in your head what 17miles by 1 mile deep etc etc looks like! Its just breath taking I was totally gob smacked! Also whilst taking in the view the ice cream shop is pretty good!
The Shows in order seen
Penn and Teller
Shear class an hour and a half of sheer brilliance!
High Lights Teller leaping out of a box that had been on stage for an hour before the show and almost every member of the audience had checked!!!
Appearing fish in a fish tank, playing with Animal traps! Juggeling broken bottles and of Course magic bullets worth the ticket price for this alone!
Rick Thomas
Me with Rick After the show!
Tigers every where on stage with one of the best linking rings I have ever seen very fast the levitation amazing and then Rick flew as well really cool!
Lance Burton
We stayed an extra day in Vegas and gave up our 3rd day at Disney to see this show!
It was worth it stunning magic beautifully done with some great close and fast changes. As well as stunning BIG illusions cars appear and disappear and then fly!
He Materialized on stage similar to how they do the effects on hollow man the movie but this is not CG this is LIVE!!!
Back to LA and a little disappointed but rides at buffalo bills shut the day we went past!
Universal!
Highlights A phone in the loo!!! You do not want to get a call from that phone!!!
New vanhelsing haunted walk through with live actors not to jumpy but great themeing!
Jurassic park was on winter setting very dry!!!(BOOO)
Mummy coaster fun but not as mind blowing as I though it would be.
Studio Tour always good and with the war of the worlds set AWSOME!
Water world stunt show WOW
Shrek 4 d ace got Elanie to close her eyes after donkey sneezes for the second time! So not to see the spiders!
OH YES WE ALSO PAST THE HOLLYWOOD SIGN (yes that's my nose)
Well saved the best till last!
Disney California adventure and Disneyland on the 50th Birthday of the park! Last time I was here in 1998 they were digging up the car park and Disney stood on its own with a few hotels nearby to my surprise 7 years on not just new park new downtown Disney and lots more hotels and monorail system!
Soaring over California made me feel I was flying more than AIR and it was a great way to say to Elaine been there been there as we did the highlights of our holiday on the ride!
Rapids Fast and fun not to wet but watch those drops (2 of them)
Wild mouse standard Mauner with themeing
California Screaming Closed for re zoneing of the trains
Sun wheel fun on swinging cars not as scary as the one in new you as there was no rust or weld marks!
Got elaine on tough to be a bug never seen the black widow attack as I knew that was coming but forgot about another hairy spider OOPS!
Muppets fun as always!
Looks like they are doing a monsters Inc ride!
Tower of terror has more effects in the shaft and a little horizontal movement back wards! Got to say loved the forward motion in Florida but the ride is now way compromised by lack of it in California! Also gone are the lap bars and just has seat belts!!! AIRTIME!!!!
The main park was as fun as I remember lots of golden Mickey ears hidden around the park 50 in all some easy to spot others not so easy!
What can I say that has not already been said all the rides amazing fun park with the most fire works I have ever seen in my life about 45 mins non stop! Fantasmic just brilliant!
Also got the shock of my life as Space Mountain was brand new! Just brilliant in there with on board sound effects and fast paced ride that is not unlike the original!
Highlights have to be its A SMALL WORLD!!! Indy and Buzz light year and Elaine getting P++ssed wet through on splash mountain!
I think that’s everything!