RailRider

Put a kiddie ride in the middle of an abandon parking lot and kids will want to ride it. Put a penny pony in the grocery store and kids will still want to ride. Theme or no theme it really doesn't matter, unless it is Disney.

What is the difference between this and any other partnership a school has with a local business. There is a benefit for both sides, especially the students, even if it is only one that becomes interested in reading. How many schools have discount cards they sell to raise money for programs, Larosas Cards anyone? What about professional atheletes coming in to schools to read or participate in physical fitness days? Are you telling me that a Cincinnati Bengal visiting your local school is only to benefit the children and not to generate ticket sales, new fans, and jersey sales? Many companies have special programs like "Box Tops" or "labels" that are collected and then after so many a school gets a new computer or two. What about Dr. Seuss day at many schools? Memory serves me correctly in the fact that Universal still has Suess Landing? Book It is a great example of this community promotion. I see no issue with this and it is just a great way to build interest in reading and some cheap marketing to a target audience.

I know myself and many others have been wishing for a Ferris Wheel and a sit down restaurant. Still wish KI would have gotten the one from GL.

Well its not the first time it has been SBNO. I wonder if a retrofit like that of Texas Giant could solve a lot of the issues. Texas Giant had become unrideable in the last few years, it made SoB seem tame. Whoever is in control of Cedar Fair by the end of the summer will have some tough choices to make regarding SoB, but if they find an effective solution then that same solution might be applied to coaster up north with a Mean Streak.

Will be making the trip to Myrtle Beach this fall and I cannot wait to stroll the Boardwalk. The renderings I have seen of the skylift would be an asset to this area and just another step in the redevelopment of the downtown beachfront and Pavillion area.

You know the ride names and logos all look and sound very nice to me. I am quite pleassed with how this has turned out so far. Now the true test is the resulting look of Planet Snoopy. Will there just be new paint or will the signage and decorations of Snoopy and the gang fill the area? That is the true question in my mind.

This new track will make Texas Giant no different than something like Gemini or Adventure Express, steel coaster with wood supports. Should be interesting to see how this turns out and I wonder about the welding of the track. Seems like it could stay as rough as it is currently. Can't wait to try it out though.

Toy Story Midway Mania at DCA. Check it out...

How times change. I remember when folks around here were ready to burn Paramount at the stake and now this has moved to Cedar Fair. Change is always a dificult thing for many to deal with, looks like some are handling it better than others. A lot of the atmosphere has been sucked out of KI over the years. The removal of HBB land, the removal of the tiques and flyers for IJ:ST, the lack of dinning options and shows and weird placement of rides (TR:TR in Rivertown?). Has CF fixed these issues, nope. Have they made changes? Yes some good and some bad. Honestly I think the jurry is still out, have they really been running the show long enough to make a huge impact. Oh wait there was X Flight (errr Firehawk) and Diamondback. Two attractions that are great additions to the park, but there have been sacrafices that have been made. 2010 will be very interesting with the possible change in ownership, the re theme of HBBL (if you are expecting something more than a re paint and a monsters of rock dark ride I am sorry) and just general park opperations. I dont have an opinion one way or the other yet, but it has been an interesting few years of change.

FUN & ONLY, where else? Kings Island.

Again, everyone thanks for the kind words. I appreciate you taking the time to share our journey. I have taken the past few days since completing the trip report and have just thought about the experience at Disneyland overall. My final thoughts. Disneyland truly is a magical place, quite possibly living up to the hype as happiest place on earth. The one thing that I have always loved about amusement and themeparks is their ability to eliminate the worries and troubles of every day life while transporting you to somewhere that does not exist in your everyday life. Disneyland is honestly the first park I have visted that not only did this but continualy pushed beyond what I thought was possible. Magic is the only word that comes to mind when looking at the experience my daughter had at Disneyland. A breakfast with Minnie and friends all to herself, surrounded at the breakfast table by your favorite characters and pretending to eat with them, its a priceless moment that words cannot justify. Moments like this lived throughout the day and each cast member made their lasting impression on us. Disneyland through a childs eyes is real and magical a place where dreams do come true. To my daughter Minnie mouse was real, Sleeping Beauty was real, as were the many other characters and moments we shared throughout the day. I look back now and honestly those experiences were real to me as well. Amazement, awe, excitement, still the only word that truly fits is Magic... I hope you can someday discover and experience the magic that is Disneyland... ~RailRider

^ By my count Terpy, myself included nobody has stepped forward to vote for the sale. As I state earlier I voted no for the Proxy.

I received my proxy information in the mail late this week and just completed my voting ballot. While I may not have the clout of some of the larger owners. I still voted NO to the sale.

I will still keep calling for an attraction that was designed by Mr. George Ferris. Maybe something along the lines of what you would find at Disney's California Adventure. Am I asking for too much?

Cory, thanks for taking the time to read this and don't worry I have all pictures printed, backed up online, on the home desktop hard drive and also the portable hard drive. I think we are good, least I hope. Jasper thanks for the kind words and in all honesty I don't know where this PTR rates, one of the best, that is awfully nice. Most enjoyment I ever had doing one, that is for sure. Now that I have both done Disneyland and WDW I rate Disneyland much higher, actually #1. But I think that is because of the experience, almost like a perfect storm came together for our visit that day, and that we took our daughter to Disney the first time. So my opinion of the parks is definately biased, but if you need a reasson to go to California there it is.

My daughter who is 21/2 could care less about most nick characters. Spongebob is truly the only one she watches on occassion. On the other hand she absolutely loved the Peanuts holiday shows this year and we have those saved on the DVR for her. I actually just watched the Christmas one with her about a week ago per her request. My daughter is more in to Disney than anything else, see the trip report linked at the bottom. I think she will be more excited with Snoopy and the gang than when Nick was in the park.

The Conclusion of a Magical Adventure After leaving California Adventure we entered back in to Disneyland and Mainstreet had come to life with all the store fronts brightly light and outlined in lights as Sleeping Beauty's Castle sat at the end in a beautiful glow of lights. We had only a few attractions to left in Disneyland. Tomorowland was left to explore, along with a night cruise on the Jungle Cruise and yours truly taking advantage of the single rider line for Indiana Jones. We had experienced more than I ever planned, ridden everything we wanted, done the cant miss attractions, and had more magical moments and memories than I thought were possible. At this point we had been in the parks for well over 15 hours and Zoe was wearing down. We decided to head for the Jungle Cruise and catch a night time ride. I was unable to include a picture of the Jungle Cruise or Adventureland at night because the shots did not turn out so well, but Adventureland is amazing at night. The open flames that line the paths and the beat of the drums are amazing. Great ambiance. The Jungle Cruise really comes to life at night in my opinion. While it may be a little cheesy during the day at night it is a completely different attraction. Zoe loved the animals, especially the hipos and of course the adults enjoyed the sarcastic banter. After leaving the Jungle Cruise Zoe hit the stroller and was done. She was asleep in no time. Perfect time for me to catch a ride on Indiana Jones, which is an amazing attraction. I actually prefered this ride to Spiderman. The realism and the theming are amazing along with the detail of the sets. Wonder why this never made it to Florida? After leaving Adventureland we headed over to Tomorrowland where we planned on ridding Nemo, but Zoe was having non of it. She was done and completely exhausted from all the excitement of the day and from all the Magic she had by being a princess for the day. We decided it was best to let her sleep and not force the issue. We were more than happy with what we accomplished in one day. I took my spin on Space Mountain and we headed back to Sleeping Beauty's Castle to get some pictures and to just take in the atmosphere and relive the memories of the day. Still not much in the way of a crowd. This castle is nowhere on the same scale as the one at WDW. Mainstreet was abuzz because the nightime parade before the fireworks was going on. This is the most people I had seen all day. We focused our attention on the castle because it was relatively quite and secluded because of all the parade action. D40 self portrait. Not the easiest thing to do. Roughly 17 hours in the park and the best park experience I have ever had. Ive gone goofy Did I mention how small the castle was. My atempt to crush it. After the sillyness that ensued in front of the castle we decided that it was time to go. We had a few more hours left till the park closed, but Zoe was done for the night. The wife and I had sat down and soaked everything in long enough we accomplished more than we thought was possible and created memories for a life time. As we headed down MainStreet we visited the numerous gift shops and bought so much Disneyland merchandise it wasn't funny. Then again we had the experience of our life just another way to help remember it. I will say Disney has some of the best merchandise around and we as a family have now been Disneyfied... Zoe did wake up long enough on the way out to get her mouse ear balloon. This was the one thing she wanted since we watched the planning DVD. I thought it was fitting it was received at the end of such an amazing day. We exited the park and by the time we reached the parking lot we were able to watch the fireworks display. Zoe didn't stir until we made it back to the condo. All in all it was the perfect end to an amazing day. I cannot count or even begin to tell all of the amazing moments that were experienced that day, but I hope these pictures have given you a slight glance of our experience and the Magic that was so real for one simple day. I hope you enjoy these final pictures and I will write a summary in a few days. This has been the biggest trip report I have ever done and it has brought so much joy and rekindled so many memories while I have done it. I know of a place where dreams come true and where magic lives. I have found that place and will cherish it forever... ~RailRider

Thanks again for the kind words. I think the final pictures will be delayed and will probably go up tomorrow instead. Too much to do and not enough time to finish the report. Glad everyone has enjoyed so far and that I have gotten to share such a special moment with KIC.

Thanks again for the kind words. I too have been to all the WDW parks as a kid and an adult, but I have fallen in love with Disney now that I have gone with my daughter. Also I hope to have the final update done today.

Disney's California Adventure What an amazing park this is. The can't miss attractions we had set out for were the Aladdin musical, the Pixar Play Parade and a last minute addition Lunch with the Princesses at Aerials Groto. California Adventure is a very unique park. It truly has the feel of a cross between Disney Studios, Epcot, and a seaside boardwalk park. Very cool atmosphere with a nice collection of attractions. There are no picture from the Aladdin show, but is absolutely amazing. Broadway quality production in a beautiful theater, has some aspects that will remind you of the Broadway version of Lion King.. The show runs 45 minutes and is worth the time also its a nice break from the park. Let the adventure begin. Love the mountains and mosiacs leading in to Golden Gate Bridge. After Aladdin we road Monsters Inc. Very cool ride and the debrief at the end is personalized to every vehicle. One of the main centerpieces of the park is Mickey's Fun Wheel on Paradise Pier. Notice the moving gondolas on the inside track of the wheel. We quickly made our way up to Aerial's Groto where we had a special lunch engagement with the Disney Princesses. Originaly this was not on our schedule because we were not sure of Zoe's reaction during the breakfast with Minnie and Friends. As you saw from the pictures it was an absolute hit. So while at breakfast one of the cast members helped us with reservations for lunch. Great addition to the day and another example of how small the crowds were. This was a 5 minute conversation at the least. While the experience is definately for the Disney Princesses, the food was quite good. A multiple course meal for the adults that was almost worth the price itself. Cinderella is ok, Snow White much better Belle is much better. Now I thought I knew how the Princesses would rate for Zoe, but I could not have guessed her reaction to the final princess. Princess Aurora. My daughter litterally put both hands on her face and screamed at the top of her lungs, SLEEPING BEAUTY AHHHHH!!! Pure excitement. I never knew and I have lost count as to what Magic moment number this was. After lunch we headed further out the Paradise Pier section of the park. I caugh a walk on ride on California Screamin. Which is a steel multi lunch single loop coaster that resembles a wooden coaster. Anyways, very fun coaster. Also while in this area we hit the other various attraction and the boardwalk games. Zoe absolutely loved the games and the 3 of us played the classic games about 5 times spending roughly $20. We also won a large Dumbo, Woody, and a small duck. Which were all very nice quality and would have cost at least 3 times the amount if purchased in the gift stores. Just another nice surprise. On to Its a Bugs Land, which was some of the best theming I have seen. I really did feel like a bug at times. I love candy corn, wish it really grew like this. Fliks Flyers was amazingly themed. We road in the box of rasins, Zoe's favorite. Mommy doesn't do so well on spinny rides, but clearly she is enjoying this. As I taugh Zoe on the Matterhorn, Hands Up! Quite the fun little train and you ride along with Heimlich and Chew Chew Chew your way through various food items. The Watermellon is so juicy you get sprayed as you eat your way through. The sun was begining to set and we had accomplished so much at California's Adventure we wanted to end our time in the park with the Pixar Play Parade before heading back to Disneyland. One of the best Disney Parades I have seen. Zoe absolutely went crazy. The Incredibles are ready for action. Flames are always cool. Nemo, Crush, and some Jellies. Awesome Dude... Nobody does a parade like Disney. The walking stick was one of the best characters I have seen and was atleast 10 foot tall. Who doesn't love Toy Story? Love the Green Army Men but Mr. Potato Head is so cool. How can you have Pixar without Lightning Mcqueen? And bringing up the rear, everyones favorite Tow Mater. Time to leave California Adventure and head back to Disneyland to close out the evening. So far it has been absolutely amazing. The entry plaza and the entrace to California Adventure look awesome at dusk. The final few Magical moments... (next)

Ive got to tell you that at the Character Breakfast I thought of everything you had told me about the Magic and it truly clicked in my head. I seriously thought if only Jesse could see us now... I was really excited for you to read this and glad you have checked in so far. I must tell you DCA is unlike any park in Florida so I truly think a visit to California is worth the trip. To everyone else thanks for the comments. There is much much more to come.

Terpy, don't worry the updates will be going on till tomorrow so you can pick up where you left off. I would agree I enjoyed the California version much more than the Florida. Not sure why. Then again I enjoyed the California parks much more than the Florida parks, but that I know why. Thanks again for the kind words.

A Flying Elephant and a Song That Will Stay in Your Head... From the moment we watched the Disneyland planning DVD, Zoe continualy said she wanted to ride Dumbo. Matter of fact getting on the airplane at CVG she kept asking if we were going to go ride Dumbo. I assured her we were. Funny story, going through security at LAX for our return trip home, a lady behind us in line asked Zoe if she got to ride Dumbo. She was on the flight out to LA from Cincy earlier in the week. You may be able to ride similar rides at other parks, but their is only one Dumbo. First ride of the day. Then on to the other Disney classic. I still catch myself singing this song in the car and at work. Its a small world afterall... Everybody sing along with me. I see you Mr. Snow covered mountain. The Matterhorn was the first major coaster Zoe ever rode. How appropriate that was. Also the Matterhorn is quite the fun coaster, the Yeti is awesome and Zoe road almost the entire ride with her hands up like her Daddy. Amazing how some things make you so proud. Off the mountain and having ridden every ride in Fantasyland except for the Storybook Canal Boats in about an hour and a half we headed to Toontown. Lets count our ride total. 1. Dumbo, 2. Mad Tea Party, 3. Alice in Wonderland, 4. its a small world, 5. Pinocchio's Daring Journey, 6. Snow Whites Scary Adventures, 7. Peter Pan's Flight, 8. The Matterhorn Truly felt that our Fairygodmother was with us because the day was shaping up perfectly. Welcome to Toontown, where is everyone at? We strolled through Toontown, took in some attractions, did some shopping and really just soaked it all in. Time to go see Mickey. At this point in the morning we had experienced so much and Zoe was needing a good rest. While she naped in her stroller we walked through Frontierland and gave Big Thunder Mountain a spin and headed out of Disneyland and on to Disney's California Adventure. We were making it to DCA about 2 hours ahead of schedule, so we could just relax and take in the atmosphere of a truly unique park and some of the cant miss attractions. I really love how you can leave the gates of Disneyland, cross the entrance plaza and enter California Adventure. Quite convienent. Magic Carpets, Tow Matters, and Princesses ahead...

Yes that is Mrs. RailRider. The weather was 70 degrees during the day, would remind you of a warm spring day. I am the man behind the camera, thats why there are only a few pictures with me in them. Thanks for the comments.

The Magic Begins. We planned our trip to Disneyland with the intention of visiting both Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure in the same day and making sure to do some of the can't miss attractions. I will talk about those as I go. Disneyland is the vision and dream of Walt Disney and it truly is an amazing place. The overall atmosphere is very similar to the Magic Kingdom, but there is something different in the park that I can't quite put my finger on. We arrived to the park early because we had breakfast with Minnie and Friends at the Plaza Inn at 7:00am. We entered the park and were the only guests walking down Main Street. The only people in sight were cast members. To be in Walt's park alone with just my family left me speechless. The Plaza Inn is located at the end of Main Street near Sleeping Beauty's castle. As we arrived at the Plaza Inn we were greeted by some very friendly cast members, Zoe received her first timers badge and her Breakfast with Minnie and Friends badge, and we stepped inside and the Magic came to life. Zoe was immediately greeted with a huge hug from Minnie. We quickly discovered we were the only family at the character breakfast and Zoe had them all to herself... Lots of Dancing. Hugs all around. Pure Joy and Excitement Words cannot do justice to this moment, and the experience we had. Did I mention hugs? Hugs for everyone. Chip and Dale were amazing with Zoe and she loved them. Postcard, maybe? Magic... I now know the meaning. I think Zoe's Fairygodmother was with her all day. The most Magical Breakfast any child could ever have... Pooh gave Zoe a small container of Honey. Tigger passed the Ketchup... Not the biggest fan of Captain Hook, but we got a picture on the way out. A picture in front of Sleeping Beauty's castle after breakfast. The morning was Magical and more than one tear was shed by my wife and I. The park is open and I thought a picture in front of Sleeping Beauty's castle was appropriate. What a day we have ahead of us and I am not sure if it can get much better. At this moment I had a brief moment to think about what Jesse(Avatar) has told me about the magic of Disney and I truly understood the meaning finaly. Wow what a first hour in the park and we just got started. More excitement and Flying Elephants to come shortly...