XGatorHead 8904

Well, I was going to say it depends on what exactly is offered for ERT... if DB is offered, I may go there first, or WS. But then I saw that my fellow KICer's that I'll most likely be with have responded WS, so I put "Whatever the KIC group is doing".

As other people have said, cargo shorts are the way to go. I have several pairs of shorts that for several reasons I find more comfortable than the cargo shorts I have. Unfortunately those shorts didn't have zippered pockets. So what I did was put iron-on velcro on the inside edge of the pockets of those shorts, and that worked very successfully for me all season last year! And back in my day, we didn't have cell phones. So when our parents dropped us off at the park, they gave us a time to meet them at the pick up area... and if we didn't meet them at the designated time, there was hell to pay!

^Greenberg was very nice. The only person there with an attitude was Marshall Faulk. Everyone else was great.

I'm with you on that. We'll see. It's still two months until opening day, and I've been around the park enough to know that things are always subject to change. That should be an option for every poll when enthusiasts are involved... Ain't that the truth! As far as this poll goes, and since we're picking 4 rides, in my ideal world ERT would include: Diamondback - because it's still relatively new and is so easy to re-ride Beast - because it's a classic and provides a nice contrast to Diamondback WindSeeker - because it's the new ride this year and will potentially have long lines Firehawk - because this line almost always tends to be long during the day and adding extra time could help alleviate some of that

Over the past few days I haven't been on the site as much as I usually am, and I was dreading reading this topic when I saw it had grown to 17 pages in the span of just a few short days. I was dreading it because I just knew it was going to be full of b1tching and moaning and conspiracy theories. I have taken time to read the entire topic today, and I was right, at least regarding the beginning of the topic. People seemed to really be jumping the gun and drawing their own conclusions about what the WS/Vortex ERT meant for the future of the DB/Beast ERT. I'm glad now that b1tching and moaning as for the most part calmed down, and the topic has now become more of a call to arms for those who are opposed to the DB/Beast ERT going the way of Swan Lake to actually contact the park and let them know their opinions. While I can understand your frustrations, especially those that come from several hours away, I do take issue with those that say they bought a SP "just for ERT". For those of you b1tching and moaning on this site and not doing anything else about it, more power to you. For those of you calling the park to let them know of your displeasure, more power to you. For those of you boycotting the two ERT rides, more power to you. I for one will not be calling the park or complaining about the change. I'm looking forward to the WS ERT. Sure, the potential (and I say potential because there is always the chance that the park won't do it) loss of the DB/Beast ERT is a little disappointing to me, but I'm not getting worked up about it. I'm thankful that there is even any ERT at all... and that there's even a park to go to. Amen! But Chaos Theory dictates that because enthusiasts complained and the neighbors' dog ate a Tootsie Roll and you reread We The Living and I stubbed my toe on November 8th, that that's the reason FD got the paint job! Quite possibly the most intelligent thing I've read on this site in quite a long while.

Same here...although I am guessing that most of the kids are asking who is Avery Schreiber! I had to Google to find out who Avery Schreiber was. Of course, growing up in the 70's and 80's, once I saw his picture I knew exactly who he was!

The highlighted section was my first thought as I read this. Don't get me wrong, I love using Fastpass and have been able to use it successfully to my advantage my past few trips to WDW, but allowing people to reserve times way before they even get to the parks could add a whole new level of frustration to many visitors. At least with Fastpass everyone pretty much has an equal opportunity to get them, given that you have to be in that park that day in order to put your ticket into the machine. I'm not sure that I'm 100% behind this new idea of Disney's.

As long as any person in the car has a gold pass it's fine, it does not need to be the driver.

I've been interested in going for a few years now, the only problem is finding the time to go. As it is, almost every weekend of my summer is already planned and it's only February!

The Beast has high speed sections??? I kid because I care. The Beast is still my #2 woodie for sentimental reasons.

I couldn't agree more! When I was an employee, I loved being sent to Beast games to work "Pinball Derby" which sat directly in front of Kentons Cove Keelboat Canal. I can still smell that pond and hear those sounds when I think about it... ~Josh Please tell me you didn't work Pinball Derby in 1991 & 1992. If so, we hated you guys! Well, some of you at least. Those are the two years I worked in Rivertown Karts, and there were quite a few times while working in the Thelma's Soft Frozen Lemonade stand across from Pinball Derby that we couldn't hear because the Games people had the mike up too loud!

^Wow... only you would think of that Gordon!

I agree with you there. I also am amazed how one person in particular could make coasters based on a twisted wire hanger!

I'll trust you on this Terpy, but I thought that the upcharge was around before Paramount. Per the timeline, the safari/habitat only lasted 1 1/2 seasons after the Paramount acquisition. Sorry Terpy, but I'm with KIfan on this one. I know Lion Country Safari wasn't around until 1974, but I'm very certain that the upcharge existed before Paramount. Before we had season passes, my family only went to KI once a year. My grandmother worked in the park from the beginning, first in the Executive Dining Room, and later in Housekeeping. We used the tickets that she got from working there for our yearly visits. In addition to the tickets to enter the park, there were also separate tickets that she received and gave to us that were for the monorail. And when I started working at the park in 1989, I'm pretty certain that I received those tickets too. I have a friend who worked at Lion Country Safari/WAH for years. I'll try contacting her to see if she remembers when the upcharge started. I heard back from my friend last week but forgot to post in here what she said. Here's what she told me: The first cost she remembers was 50 cents, then $1.00, then $2.00 when WAH closed. Perhaps when Paramount took over was when the price was raised from $1 to $2, and that's where the confusion came in? I can certainly see people being upset with the price doubling like that.

Luckily for Jason it wasn't just wives. Plenty of other people brought their friends too. We kind of felt like we were on The Amazing Race... we had nicknames for pretty much every pairing like they do on that show. I had never listened to Mike and Mike before that trip, but seeing their interaction with each other got me to start. The only problem is they're on at the same time as Bob & Tom, so when one of those goes to commercial I flip over to the other!

^You would think so. But this year I finished way worse than my typical 2nd place!

It was time for the game. The referees went over some of the rules with us, touchdowns scored by the men were worth 7points, touchdowns by women were 9 points. That little tidbit quickly set up the strategy for our team. We were lucky that we had some good women players on our team! We put on our belts with our flags and hit the field. The left tackle and I started out having to tie two belts around us just to get them to fit our waists. As the game went on this wasn't working for either of us as the belts would come undone, so the ref allowed us to go without them and in order for us to be "tackled", it was like touch football for us. One thing that everyone noticed was that Bettis and Faulk were very competitive with each other. They verbally spared with each other quite a bit. At first we thought they were playing around, but we quickly learned they were pretty serious. There was of course some rivalry between Mike & Mike, but theirs' was much more playful. For the first half of the game, Bettis and Golic acted as our coaches. The opposing team however decided to use Faulk as their quarterback while Greenberg acted as coach. A few plays into the game, the opponent I was blocking accidentally ran into me. The ref came out and told me that I couldn't make contact. I told him it was a complete accident. A few plays later, the ref got after me again, but this time for following the person I was blocking, and having my arms outstretched. What can I say, I'm used to basketball where you follow your opponent. The ref told me that I was only allowed to go forward and side to side, and that if I did one more thing wrong I was out of the game. From that point on I was very careful to keep my hands to my side, and once my opponent passed me, I didn't follow them back. These refs were pretty serious. Apparently there are flag football leagues (who knew?) and these refs were hired from one of them. They were much more serious than we the players were. The second half was soon upon us. We decided to mix things up a little and use Bettis as our QB for a while. Then cam the lay I was dreading. In the huddle, Bettis said that we're going to surprise thm, and he wanted me to run out and catch the pass. We line up, I run out, and Betis throws the ball to me. It hits me in the chest, and before I have a chance to close my arm around it, it falls to the ground. Faulk immediately started yelling "Ineligible receiver!" I asked "Why?" and he said "Because you're not wearing flags!" I start to tell him that the ref said t was okay, but the ref intervened and told Faulk that he was allowing it for the other guy and me. After that play, Bettis said to me "Why don't you go ahead and sit out for a little while?" I eventually got back in the game, and finished it out. Thanks to the efforts of the team, and in particular one really atheletic girl on our team, we ended up victorious! It helped that the girls' TD's were 9 points. Our team was presented with the trophy (who's whereabouts are currently unknown... it's probably sitting in BDub's corporate office or something). We were also given these individual glass(?) trophys, while the losing team got silver medals that said "2nd". After the game, we all headed up to the pirate ship area, where we lined up to have our footballs autographed. While he was signing my ball, Greenberg made the comment that he just devalued my ball since everyone else were former pros and Superbowl winners, and he was just a broadcaster. We had a nice reception with tasty sandwiches and all the hops, barley and wheat we could drink. After we partook of the food and beverages, we went up and explored the ship. They shoot the cannons off when the Bucs score a touchdown. Just imagine standing right there when that happens! It was soon time to get back out to the bus. Outside the stadium I snapped a few more pictures. Just outside the stadium is the stadium where the Yankees have their spring training. BOOOOOO!!! We headed back to the hotel, and on the way the group decided to go out to karaoke that night. Jason and I found a restaurant a few blocks away to have dinner, and when we got back from dinner we ran into a bunch of people from our group who were getting a cab to go to a karaoke bar. Sorry, no pictures of me singing, but I did get up there. If you really must know, I did Stone Temple Pilots' "Plush" and Garth Brooks' "Ain't Goin' Down Til the Sun Comes Up". We closed that place down (it closed really early compared to what I'm used to), and we caught a cab back to the hotel. Some people went back to their rooms, including Jason, while some of us, including me, went to another place down the street where we shot some pool. After a long day, it was time to get some rest. Sunday, February 14th We woke up to another sunny day. Still too cold to go to the beach, but it looked nice. Soon it was time to catch our flight back. When we first filled out the forms for the trip, we had the option to extend our stay (any expenses would be up to us to pay). It was a three day weekend, but we decided not to. But, had we known something a few months prior, we certainly would have! The Daytona 500 is historically two weeks after the Superbowl. For some reason, in 2010 it was the following week, the week we were in Florida. Had we known that, we would have stayed another day, rented a car and driven across the state to go. Oh well. It was Valentine's Day, and we both had wives and kids to get home to. BDub's had another contest this past season to play flag football, this time at the Rose Bowl with Deon Sanders, Jerry Rice and Mike & Mike. Sadly, neither Jason or I won this time. While on the bus back to the hotel, my whole team tried to convince the event coordinator to have us back this year to defend our championship, but that wasn't to be either. We also asked if we were going to get a dvd of the whole experience, since they had a professionional videographer there who recorded the whole thing,interviewed us and taped individual introductions of eac player. She wasn't sure, but I never have gotten a dvd out of it. Oh well. Even though it was my coldest trip ever to Florida, we had a great time. It's something I'm sure to always remember. I hope you enjoyed reading this. Now to eventually do my TR's for Hersheypark & Sesame Place, and for Kemah Boardwalk & Schlitterbahn...

Here it is the first weekend without football... again. I've been meaning to type this up for a year now, but what better time to do it than now, when we're faced with the dreaded offseason (of a different type). To help alleviate the pain of no football, here's a little trip I took last February, the weekend after the Superbowl. My friend Jason and I go to the BW3 in Mason every Monday night during football season to play QB1 on the Buzztime game system. We've been doing this for the past 11 years or so. Back when we first started, we had a large group attending; now it's pretty much just Jason and me every week, and every once in a while another friend will stop by for a night. During the 2009 season, BDub's was having a drawing to win a trip to Tampa to play flag football with Jerome Bettis, Marshall Faulk, and Mike Golic & Mike Greenberg from ESPN. I entered every week (after checking the official rules online, I found that I could). Jason only entered once, not knowing that he could enter multiple times. Well, towards the end of November I got a call saying that I had won, along with 21 other people. I had a few days to let the event coordinator know if I could go, and who my travelling companion would be. Being the good husband that I am, I first asked my wife if she wanted to go. We contemplated possibly buying a ticket for my daughter to come along with us, or leaving her with my mother for a few days. But then Mrs. Gator decided that she wouldn't have fun with all the football stuff, and she agreed that I should invite Jason. I texted Jason that night with the message "What are you doing February 12 - 14th?", and he replied back "Huh? Tampa?" It didn't take him long at all to decide that he would go with me. Over the next few weeks, we got forms and waivers we had to sign and get notarized, got our flights coordinated and received the itinerary, as well as a surpise $150 in American Express gift cards to use on our trip. Friday February 12th Jason picked me up at my house bright and early to drive down to CVG for our 9:05am flight. We had decided to just do carry-on luggage, since we would have been responsible for paying the charges for checked baggage (thanks, Delta...and most airlines...for charging!). This was the first time either of us had never had checked bags. I decided I didn't want to bring my bulky winter coat, so I wore a fleece over my Halloween Haunt hoodie over a t-shirt. When we got to Security, I was patted down... probably because I was bulky wearing all of that. Then my bag gets stopped as it goes through the x-ray machine. I knew to put all my liquids (all under 4 oz bottles) in a clear bag, but didn't know I had to take them out to have them run separately through the machine. Then Jason's bag gets stopped because he had an aerosal can in it... neither of us knew that wasn't allowed. They took his ID and confiscated the aerosal can. After getting his ID back (and probably being put on the watch list) we made our way to McDonald's for breakfast, then the gate. We boarded our plane, started taxiing to the runway, then the pilot comes over the loudspeaker and says a warning light has come on and we need to go back to the gate. Maintenance replaced a sensor, and an hour after our flight was to take off, we're on our way. I had been checking the weather in Tampa online all week, and knew it was supposed to be about 20 degrees cooler that normal, with a chance of rain. Sure enough, as we landed, it was cloudy, rainy, windy and cold... but not as cold as Cincinnati! At the baggage claim area we met our contact, and were escorted outside to our transportation to the hotel... a party bus! There were two other groups on with us... a husband and wife from Wisconsin and a husband and wife from Newport. It was at about this time that Jason told me there better be other people who brought their friends because he didn't want to sit in the stands with a bunch of wives! We got to our hotel, the Hilton Clearwater Beach, checked in and went to our room. We quickly noticed a bubbling noise. After a quick search, we found that rainwater was gathering in the track of our sliding balcony door. Oh no! Our room was taking on water! I instantly had flashbacks of the sinking of the SS Gator! But the rain soon let up and we could go out on the balcony... even though it was still cold and windy. We had to go down to the lobby to check in with the event coordinator, and we got our gift bags. I got a nice backpack with the BW3 logo on it, and inside was a football to get signed, a jersey with my name on the back to wear during the game, and a bottle of medium sauce. Jason got a bag with a football for him to get signed. We then went in search of someplace to eat. We walked north from the hotel, didn't really find anything. We then went south and ended up a place called Crabby Bill's. Jason agreed with me that while on vacation, we have to go to local places, not national chains! Although we did pass the original Hooter's several times on our rides to and from the airport and the stadium, but it was too far to walk to from our hotel and we didn't want to spring for a cab. If we had a car, we would have gone, since that's another vacation rule of mine... if you're in a town that originated something, go to that place. That rule started when I went to Sloppy Joe's in Key West and I ordered... wait for it... a chicken wrap! I've been kicking myself ever since for not getting what they invented, the sloppy joe. So when we went to Philly, we went to the originator of the cheesesteak, Pat's. Anyway, back on topic, we both got yummy seafood platters, then we headed back to our room. There wasn't anything planned for us that night, so we watched the opening ceremony of the Olympics and went to bed. Saturday, February 13th The day had come. We had breakfast at a little diner across the street, then soon we were on the bus to the stadium with the rest of the winners and their companions. I'll be honest, I was a little nervous, and actually dreading it a little bit. Those that know me know that I'm no athlete. Heck, you can probably tell just by looking at me. I've only been on one sports team in my life and that was basketball back in 6th grade... and I wasn't too good. Actually, I take that back. I attempted to play softball several times on my department team at KI (yeah, not so good at that either) and was on my department's volleyball team (a game which I'm fairly decent at... it involves just short burts of running). Well, I figured that with 22 winners, there was a good chance I wouldn't be the worst player, and I was right! We pulled into the stadium and were escorted onto the playing field. It was another cold and cloud day, but as soon as we stepped onto the field, the sun came out from behind the clouds and it started to warm up. My favorite thing about watching Bucs games on TV is the pirate ship... it has to be one of the coolest features in any pro football stadium. We were standing around, putting our jerseys on, when they turn on the loudspeakers in the stadium. And the first song they play? "Welcome to the Jungle!" The couple from Newport and Jason and I felt right at home. The celebrities were up in the pirate ship doing interviews, but we didn't have to wait too long before they started coming down. Jerome Bettis was very nice, and went around to everyone to shake their hands and introduce himself. Marshall Faulk just kind of stood off to the side by himself. Mike & Mike came down soon afterwards, and it was time to start. I was on Bettis and Golic's team, and they put us to work very quickly. First order of business was determining who could throw the ball well enough to be our quarterback. They had us throw balls back and forth to each other. After they narrowed it down, they then determined who would be the receivers. They had us run routes and try to catch the ball thrown by the quarterback candidates. Look at that height I got going for the ball! Oh wait... you can still see my feet in the picture. Oops, I should have cropped that photo a little bit... While we were working on our team, our opponents were working on theirs. It was no surprise to me that I got picked as an offensive lineman. I was chosen for right tackle, and the only guy bigger than me on the team was the left tackle. We then started working on different plays that we would run. This is what we were playing for: a nice shiny trophy. Before the actual game, we had a Quarterback Challenge. There were several inflatable referees set at different lengths with different point values to them. The goal was to get the highest score in 5 balls. When it was my turn, I immediately started trying for the 40 point goal. After three failed attempts at that, I hear Mike Golic say "Go for the 30!" I aimed for the 30 point goal and hit it. On my fifth ball, I missed the target again. Bettis ended up being the overall winner, beating everyone else, Marshall Faulk included. And at least I didn't come in last!

My fanny pack days are long over... they were actually kind of cool to wear when I was in junior high/high school. Okay, maybe not. Mrs. Gator wears one quite a bit though just because it's more convenient than a purse. Instead, I put iron-on velcro strips onto the inside edges of the pockets of two pairs of my favorite shorts! Those are now my park shorts... it's a lot less obvious than the fanny pack bulge!

I think if they really want to sell WS merch, they can just wheel one of those Merch carts over that way. That's an easy solution that wouldn't require any additional construction, just an electrical outlet for power.

I agree with sheikra_rocks, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man at IoA is my favorite dark ride as well.

We went on Labor Day last year (first time ever) and the park wasn't too crowded. It's a great little park, and I can't wait to experience the cliff again!

Cause of death determined to be oxycodone overdose: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/article_e40c37a4-3477-11e0-94a6-00127992bc8b.html

Some thoughts on the removal of Snow White's Scary Adventures: http://www.orlandose...,3599889.column

Splash Mountain has reopened with lapbars: http://www.orlandose...0,5468272.story