XGatorHead 8904

McSalsa, if you click on that steel coaster (Black Diamond), you'll see that it's actually a coaster that's being relocated. It was previously called Golden Nugget from Dinosaur Beach in NJ, and has been in existence since 1960.

As I was leaving KI on Sunday after getting my bobblehead, I was driving on Western Row. Just as I was passing under the 71 bridge, a flatbed went over the bridge with green coaster track, which I automatically assumed was Chang/Green Lantern. I just though it was funny that I saw it where and when I did.

Two big anniversaries for us next year. 10 years at Coney for you, and 20 years at KI for me. I worked at KI from 1989-2004, didn't work there 2005-2007, and returned to the park to work Haunt 2008-present. (As a side note, the three year period 2005-2007 is the only time KI has operated without me or one of my family members working at the park. My grandmother started there in 1972 in the executive kitchen, and later moved to Housekeeping and worked there until about 1993. My uncle was in Entertainment for several years in the '70s, dressing as Scooby and various Banana Splits. My sister worked there in Food 1992-1999, and then there's me.) Of course, our anniversaries are nothing compared to Coney's!

^And this post from him isn't agreeing with them?

Raptorguy, fire can and will happen anywhere, it's not limited to Halloween events. Take a look at Terpy's post above yours... CP had two fires this year, neither of them related to anything doing with HalloWeekends. Should they discontinue using storage rooms and working on wood coasters too? Thankfully no one was hurt with the SFNE fire (and both CP fires for that matter).

We had a great time there yesterday for Fall-O-Ween. We got there about 1:00 and stayed until the end. Perfect weather for it too. We didn't get too many rides in, but that's alright becuase we spent a lot of time doing all the Halloween stuff. We started out with the kiddie rides for GatorGirl, did all of the Halloween events, and then squeezed in a few rides at the end of the day. Now that I know what the ring is for I got the 2nd most intense ride of my life on Rock-O-Planes (the most intense being when we rode it at Lesourdesville Lake and the ride op wasn't loading/unloading it properly, and kept us on for far too long. That time wasn't enjoyable in the least, but yesterday's ride was excellent). We got the last ride of the season on Ferris Wheel! Ride count for yesterday - Ferris Wheel 1, Giant Slide 2, Rock-O-Planes 1, Tilt-A-Whirl 1, Trabant 1 I'm already planning on taking June 21st next year off from work to go to Coney (as long as that's the date they're actually opening the time capsule). CoastersRZ - We saw you twice but didn't get to say hi. The first time was while GatorGirl was on Helicopters and you were walking by River Runner, the second time you were walking by Tilt-A-Whirl while we were riding it. It's a lot harder to say hi when you're not working a ride!

Hmmm... I wonder who that could have been... Sam the Butcher perhaps? You just never know what he's going to say, and I have it on good authority that a lot of times he doesn't even know until a split second before it comes out of his mouth.

Great post, DeLorean Rider! I was wondering how long it would be before you chimed in on the subject! I, for one, absolutely LOVE WDW's FastPass system. It's an excellent tool to help the guests fit everything in during their visit, especially those of us with kids who don't visit the parks more than once a year, and only spend one day in each park. On our last visit, I don't know that we would have even been able to do Toy Story Midway Mania without it. We had my stepmother who has trouble standing/walking for long periods of time, plus a then-three year old GatorGirl. The standby line was 1 1/2 to 2 hours, which would not have been handled well by either of them (I just regret not seeing Mr. Potato Head, but I'd rather have missed out on that than deal with a potentially grumpy little girl). Through the years it also allowed Mrs. Gator & I to do Soarin' quicker while the other kept GatorGirl occupied, both of us to do Tower of Terror while GatorGirl took a nap, both of us to do Space Mountain (I took GatorGirl on Astro Orbiters... my first time on the ride, and Mrs. Gator took her on the People Mover), and me to do Rockin' Roller Coaster. Not to mention the countless other times it helped bypass long lines on all the other rides that all of us could ride together. You just need to know how to use it. One of my first times using it, I got a FastPass for Test Track. When it was my time to go, a storm with heavy lightning hit Epcot and the ride closed. We went off to do other things, and by the time we were done the time on the FastPass had expired. I thought that I missed my opportunity. I didn't find out until later on this website from a post of DeLorean Rider's that they could still be used after the end time on the ticket. Since then I've used that tidbit of knowledge to my advantage (but I have yet to ride Test Track! ). Just from this personal experience, I wonder does the average park guest know that they have more than the alloted time printed on the ticket? I think they probably don't. Having the end time on there probably acts as a deterant and helps in the long run. A friend of mine is an engineer at WDW, his work involves theoretical ride capacity vs. actual ride capacity. He tried to explain to me exactly what he does, but it was little over my head. But from him and from personal experience, I know Disney does a lot of research into ride wait times. They pass out these plastic cards (or at least they did the last few times I was there a few years ago) every so often at the beginning of the line, and the person that they give it to hands it to the ride op in the station before getting on the ride. These are used to determine the wait time. I got one once on It's a Small World when the ride was a walk on. And once we went to Epcot with my engineer friend, and they handed him a card at the beginning of Maelstrom's line. We had a good laugh that out of all the people in our group, they gave it to him. If FastPass didn't exist, those people would still be in the standby line in front of you, which would make the standby line even longer. To say that Disney doesn't understand is just preposterous. I've also used the QBot at Dollywood last year for Christmas in the Smokies. It was well worth the small fee that we had to pay, since it gave the wait times for various rides, allowed you to reserve a spot from anywhere in the park (unlike Disney where you have to go to the ride for a ticket), and allowed us to reserve spots at the shows when we first picked it up. We want to go again this year but it's up in the air... they're closing Mrs. Gator's plant so she will be out of a job 10/29... but if she does get a job rather quickly, you can bet we'll be there and using Q2Q again!

^Agreed. Every trip to the park, GatorGirl will ask "Are there fireworks tonight?" She gets disappointed when there are not. It's an excellent way to end the day, and I enjoy hearing them from my house every night during the summer. Back when I worked at the park during the summers, a friend & co-worker of mine summed it up nicely: "Where else can you work and see fireworks every night?" Well okay, I can think of a few places, but he made a great point IMO.

Too bad the laser show isn't returning this year, we enjoyed it last year. We'll definitely be seeing the Madcap Puppet Theatre though, they're a very talented troupe.

^Looks like we'll be going to Coney on Sunday. I reminded Mrs. Gator about it yesterday, but she didn't say anything about us going because we already had plans for KI on Sunday. But today she said that we should go KI on Saturday and Coney on Sunday because we had a lot of fun at FallOWeen last year. So after I pick up my Snoopy bobblehead at KI Sunday morning (and maybe get in a ride or two), it's off to Coney!

This is Jack's second year.

I picked Voyage as my favorite of the 3 (it is my #1 woodie after all). Opening day (I only visit once a year, on opening day... but I'd go more if I could) the past two years have been a test of endurance for me, especially this year. The airtime, the 90 degree banking, the quick turns... I love it all. And it's fun to see just how many times I can take it. When I ride, I like to try to keep my upper body in the same position, while allowing my lower body to move with the coaster. While I'm riding, I think of a mogul skiier, how you only see their lower body twisting with the bumps. I use the same concept. Marathoning Voyage definitely wears me out... but I wouldn't have it any other way. Legend... hello laterals! From the howl at the top of the hill (which I just have to howl along with every time) to the interaction with the waterslides, to the strong laterals... another great ride. Raven: I love this one too. My one problem with it is it's just too short, but I love the rushing through the woods and over the lake. For HW's first wooden coaster, its an excellent one. All three rank in my top ten woodies. How many days until opening day? Too many!

OK, so either your memory is going or mine is... ...and apparently it's mine!

I wasn't aware that I was in high school anymore. I know I don't act my age a lot of the time though... Thanks Gordon, you made my day!

I know this has never been your favorite haunt thematically, but I appreciate you honoring the talent. It's a very good crew in there, in some ways I think better than last year (although a few people from last year are missed... they know who they are. And if they don't, then they should know). The guy outside is Bubba. He's good at what he does, and I agree he is very entertaining. The woman greeting inside is Mama. She likes to make sure that her boys and all the guests play nice together. The guy in the first room with the messed up head... I don't know that he has a name (I'll have to get Sam to ask him this weekend since they both work in that same room), but a lot of people seem to be scared of him for some reason. Glad you liked it!

It has always just done one rotation on the way up. Gator, who rode it at the press preview event in 1999...

Then in addition to International Street, I have something else to thank Mr. Bushman for. Thank you, Mr. Bushman, for helping make the Disney parks some of the bigger-people-friendly parks anywhere!

But we do have an inverted coaster with a loop. It's called Invertigo. Sure, it's not a full circuit coaster, but it is inverted and it does have a loop...

^Most of the time he's in the room after the freezer, popping out to see if you would like a taste of their freshly chopped meat. Sometimes he's the host, informing future victims that choose to tour the facility that nothing will touch them except for the saws, knives and cleavers, but they only hurt for a little bit. Last year he was even known to inhabit the kitchen a time or two. You just never know where you might run into him. So if you see a bearded man with a black & white doorag on his head, wearing a nametag that has a cow's head on it and the words "Sam Butcher", make sure to say "hi". He likes to see a friendly face... as long as that face shows some fear as well!

Sam the Butcher is very pleased with all the positive reviews of Slaughter House.

EDIT: nevermind...

GatorGirl loves to play skeeball. Of course, it's the only game I'll let her play at KI, other than that clucking chicken game in the Coney Mall arcade. Can't really beat the price: 1 token (25 cents) per game.

^Hmmmm.... I'm starting to think that someone here may have had something to do with those great pictures...

My sister (a former KI food associate/supervisor, 1991 - 1999) is the same way. She says it's because the dough used in the park is frozen, whereas in the restaurants outside the park it's made fresh. My favorite is any place that serves blue ice cream! OK, for regular food I'd say my favorites are LaRosa's and the Backyard BBQ.