XGatorHead 8904

Glad you enjoyed your time at Kennywood. We went for the first time last year, and I can't wait to go back (especially since I only rode one side of Racer, so I'm sitting here with a 0.5 coaster credit on it... GRR!!! Mrs. Gator & GatorGirl didn't want to wait in line again for the other side). We all felt the same about Garfield's Nightmare. GatorGirl's exact words after the ride... and keep in mind she was only 7 at the time... were "I'm not impressed." Everything else about the park was terrific! Well, except for that long wait for Exterminator, which didn't live up to the 60 minute wait in line... We're heading to PA this weekend, and I am so tempted to go to Kennywood again. But with the uncertain future of Conneaut Lake Park, we've decided to go there instead for GatorGirl's and my first visit. Have to get there while we can. Thanks for the TR!

My ability to remember lyrics and then google them later helped me to learn that the opening number is "New Born" by Muse. That's exactly how I found out that the opening number from last year was Nightmare to Remember by Dream Theater. For years, a few friends had told me that I would love Dream Theater, but I never sought them out. After hearing that song in Ed's show, I did seek them out and those friends were right, they're now one of my favorite bands! I should have listened to their advice earlier...

Yes. (Otherwise, there'd be no event). Gator, who once again, just had to. EDIT: Okay, I better stop with that. Even I'm starting to get annoyed with me!

In October 2011 and the same month in 2012 (the two times I've been to Stricker's), I'm 90% certain they were. What date are you using as a reference? They are the single position buzz bars. I took note, as I am a fan of those and the air time they provide me, unlike the ratcheting ones that I have to be stapled into.

Yes. Gator, who just had to.

Thank you, Snowman, for the kind words. As a long time employee of the park (this year's Haunt will mark my 22nd season with the park) in a variety of positions, and as a fan for even longer, I enjoy sharing any knowledge and insight that I can, and reading the experiences and insights of others. On the flip side, I am sometimes tortured by biting my tongue and keeping quiet on things that I can't talk about yet, or ever. (Lately, this usually happens around this time of year, when we Haunt associates learn of new and returning attractions that haven't been announced yet, and I want to say where I've been placed but have to wait until the official park announcements). I discovered the predecessor to this site, PKIU, while I was employed with the park years ago in a management capacity. Since I was in the position that I was, I just lurked there. But then during a 3 year hiatus from employment with the park, I discovered this site, became a member, and have enjoyed myself thoroughly with the discussions and friendships, both in real life and "virtual", that have been spawned from here. Everything is cyclical, including this site. Like our favorite rides, it has it's ups and downs, it's twists and turns, some people get off, new ones get on, and some of us like to marathon it as much as we can, dreading the day that we reach that final stop in the station.

Don't worry, you'll have plenty of other opportunities to watch the Browns lose. Hopefully I can be there. That's my grandmother's 89th birthday so that has priority, but depending on times for everything I may be able to make it.

Or better yet, a Smurf boat ride!

A half day park?!? We recently rated the attractions and shows at DHS for our trip there next week, and there are so many things towards the top of the list that I'm wondering if we'll be able to get them all in. Now, if you go at an off-peak time maybe it's a half day, but we're going at one of the worst times of the year so I think we'll be plenty busy. I'll let you know if I turn out to be wrong. As far as Star Wars and Cars Land, I'd love to see those. I agree with jzarley though, I can't see them excluding Radiator Springs Racers. That's the main attraction at Cars Land DCA. I read an article online somewhere this week that the only ride from Cars Land DCA that they wouldn't do at DHS is Luigi's Flying Tires because, according to the author, they couldn't dig down deep enough in FL to install the fans that are required for that ride. I don't know how true that is since I imagine footers for other rides have to go pretty deep, but that's the reason the article gave. Who cares if it's the same ride type as Test Track? There's so much story and effects to it that it will be different enough for the typical visitor. Look at The Little Mermaid and Finding Nemo... pretty much the exact same ride vehicle (shell), and that thought process can also be extended to Haunted Mansion, Buzz Lightyear, Spaceship Earth and Journey into Imagination. As for Avatar at AK, I wouldn't mind seeing that being scrapped. I wasn't a fan of the movie. Who knows though, maybe the sequels will change my mind (whenever those come along).

You will have a great time. I liked going to WDW before I had a child, but it's so much better now. We took GatorGirl there for the first time when she was only 20 months old. A lot of people criticized us for that, saying "She's too young, she's not going to remember anything!" Our response: "Who cares? She'll still have fun, and WE'LL remember it!" We have some great video of that trip. I love reliving her reaction (mouth wide open, heading turning all around) to see all the action in "it's a small world", her first ride on Prince Charming's Royal Carousel, burying her head in my shoulder when Malificent appeared, intently watching the Spectromagic parade, nodding off in the stroller as I put her Mickey ears on her for the first time at the end of the night, and so much more. She loves watching that too, and despite the naysayers, can relive those memories that way. Two years ago she got her first ride on Space Mountain (her 10th coaster credit... what can I say, I wanted a special one for that milestone) and loved it. We're heading down next week (DHS on the 16th, MK on the 17th) and she is most looking forward to her first ride on Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. This is about the only thing you've said in this topic that I agree with you on! I love taking the boat in the morning and "sailing to a magical land." Yes, it takes extra time and requires getting there earlier than if the parking lot was right next to the park, but what a great way to start the day! We take the monorail at the end of the night, which provides a fast (and AIR CONDITIONED!) ride back to the parking lot. (There's a great article about the TTC, or Ticket and Transportation Center, why it was built, and why there are boats and monorails to MK here: http://land.allears.net/blogs/jackspence/2011/04/transportation_and_ticket_cent.html). OK, I also agree with you on Stitch's Great Escape. What a Great Waste of Time that was. This week I had everyone in the family rate each attraction and show with either a "1: Absolutely, positvely have to do!", "2: Do if we have time", "3: Don't mind skipping" or "X: Absolutely do NOT want to do!" Stitch and Swiss Family Treehouse are the only two things that all three of us rated with an X (if Sounds Dangerous with Drew Carey was still at DHS I would have rated that with an X too). And yes, I averaged all the scores in an Excel speadsheet and put the attractions in order from most excited for to least excited for. OK, I'm a geek, but I just wanted to prioritze our days.

That's funny, we're going there on August 4th for my first visit, so we'll see it freshened up. I kind of wanted to see it in it's current state, but it will be nice to see it after the work has been done.

Bingo, we have a winner! They were indeed used as props on the Haunted Hayride last year. They had a scene set up with skeletons on the boats. We go to Fall-O-Ween every year, and last year or the year before was the first time they had the boat scene.

That's why I was so excited to ride a full size Tumblebug (Turtle) at Kennywood last year. I hadn't ridden one since Ki got rid of theirs. I've squeezed onto Sticker's Grove's Kiddie Turtles a few times, but it's not the same. And then there's the nearly extinct ride found nowhere else today, Kangaroo. Now that was a fun flat ride!

The description of Forevermore sounds great! I'm getting pumped for Haunt... 8 more weeks until I visit Land of Illusion, 9 weeks until I go to Halloweekends at Cedar Point, and 10 weeks until Haunt starts! In the mean time, I'll get my haunt fix with Twilight Zone Tower of Terror this Tuesday, and The Haunted Mansion on Wednesday!

Newsletter? I haven't gotten an email newsletter from KI all season. I just assumed that the did away with it now that they have a presence on Facebook & Twitter. I must have gotten dropped from the email list somehow. I just re-registered for it.

Mrs. Gator and I watched those specials when they first aired. It's been years, so I don't remember a lot of the secrets. The only thing that stuck with us was the narrator (Mitch Pileggi of The X-Files fame) saying for quite a few tricks "And yet, another dance." Mrs. Gator and I quote that line to this day whenever there's a dance during a magic show.

We're planning to go there on August 4th this year. It will be my first visit, but Conneaut and Idora Park were Mrs. Gator's two home parks when she was a girl. One's gone for good, and I want to visit the other before it is too. There was a monkey island. I was able to find two pictures of it in the History section of this site, links to the pictures are below. http://KICentral.com/history/photos/displayimage.php?album=14&pos=30 http://KICentral.com/history/photos/displayimage.php?album=11&pos=43 As for me, my parks would probably have to be Sesame Place, since hardly anyone I know has been to it or even heard of it, and Idlewild. We loved Idlewild, it's just odd in the sense that it is so kid oriented. I can't imagine an attraction like Story Book Forest ever being built today, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood of Make Believe trolley ride was also a blast from the past (even though it's relatively newer), and Rollo Coaster is a fun little coaster! We're trying to visit a different PA park every year.

I just got the email from Universal yesterday announcing this. I loved the movie, and I would love to see a haunt based off of it! I knew before I watched it that it wasn't a straight up typical horror movie, so this wouldn't be your typical haunt. I've never been to HHN, but would love to go sometime. Unfortunately, at least in respect for me visiting HHN, duty calls at KI's Haunt, which is just too much fun to miss working!

Catching Up: Family of girl who died on Wildwood Ferris wheel awaits wrongful death trial http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/communities/atlantic-city_pleasantville_brigantine/catching-up-family-of-girl-who-died-on-wildwood-ferris/article_ad03b480-d9f7-11e2-a6c7-0019bb2963f4.html

Sad to hear about Massacre Manor. I always liked that one.

I am so sore too. I wasn't this sore last year. But then again, last year I had 96 laps total on Racer, this year I had 99. But the biggest difference is last year I got off for a few laps, this year I didn't get off at all. 29 continuous laps on Racer before lunch, and 70 continuous laps after lunch. Sore, but it was worth it!

We've noticed a difference outside the park vs. inside. My sister, who worked in Food at KI for many years, swears the difference is because the crust in the park is frozen. She prefers LaRosa's inside the park, I prefer outside but inside isn't half bad most of the time, as long as it hasn't been sitting there forever. I practically lived on the pizza in the park the summers of '90 & '91. There were many a time when all I would have to eat the whole day were two slices from the employee cafeteria while on break.

I received my "Congratulations and FINAL DETAILS" email from Give Kids the World last night. I assume the email Don is referring to above is the one from the park with further details like we got last year.

Here's one for guests outside the park say the "darnest" things... I went to Office Depot yesterday to get a tally counter for Coasting for Kids. The guy that showed me where they were located asked if I was taking attendance. I told him that I was using it to keep track of my number of rides and explained Coasting for Kids. He asked if we have to get off after every lap and get back in line, I told him no, we stay on the train. I went on to say that I got 96 laps on Racer last year, and those that stayed on the whole time had about 113. He said "I don't see what's so impressive about that. The real challenge would be to see how many times you can ride with getting back in line each time." When he said that, I'm thinking "Excuse me? 96 laps, the equivalent of 62 miles (or 113 laps / 73 miles) isn't impressive?!?!?" But in the interest of being polite, I bit my tongue. He then went on to ask "How much do you know about the coasters there?" I replied, "Quite a bit." He said "The only rides I can ride there any more are Racer and Beast. I have steel rods in my back, and all the other rides have magnetic brakes, so they pull on my rods and I don't feel good afterwards. But that's why there are signs about medical conditions, but I ignored them. I rode Drop Tower once, and I wasn't right for a week and a half after. I can only ride the rides that still have friction brakes: Racer and Beast." My mind starts going at it again, thinking "Ugh.... Racer and Beast have had magnetic brakes for years! How can I escape quickly to the register?" I just politely said "Oh, yeah," and headed towards the register.

Mrs. Gator and I were talking about that after the show Tuesday. How he can get 3 or 4 girls (I forget how many he does) to come out of a box, we don't know! One girl we could understand, but not that many.