Trip Report MILESTONE TRIP! First Orlando Visit, Final Disney Park!

THE TIME HAS COME!

In just about a week, I will be starting my very first ever trip to Orlando…and all therein that may be explored.

As the title suggests, among other milestones, this trip will see me visiting my 12th and final Disney Park – Magic Kingdom itself! I have traveled extensively, with all the other Disney Destinations worldwide under my belt, yet somehow I have so far resisted the allures of the Vacation Kingdom. In this week days leading up to my departure, I’ll be going over “why not yet,” “why now,” my itinerary, maybe even soliciting some travel advice.

But for now…Who’s going?

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Me after a hike at Bryce Canyon (the real Big Thunder). My beard is much calmer now.​

Just me. Doug. Typically I’m a regular of the Imagineering forums, but I'm just a dilettante on these Trip Report boards. Traveling solo, as is my wont.

Where? Universal’s Endless Summer Resort for three nights, then the Walt Disney World Swan for like a week.

When? September 21st – October 1st.

The broadest plan is to see as much of Orlando as I can (both Disney and beyond) in the week+ prior to Magic Kingdom’s 50th. That means plans to see Walt Disney World, Universal, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, even the Fun Spots.

Over ambitious, perhaps? Sure it is, but I’ve done my research, and I know my travel style and what I'm capable of! Let’s do this!
 
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D Hulk

D Hulk

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
ABOUT THAT 200TH ROLLER COASTER!

Among my various interests, I am a bit of a budding coaster enthusiast. Coaster parks don’t operate on the same wavelength as Disney – it’s true that many of them, especially Six Flags, can leave a lot to be desired in comparison, especially if you're interested in theming above all else – but an excellent roller coaster offers a fun physical sensation and an adrenaline escape which can be just as invigorating as a well-themed environment. Cedar Point stands alongside Disneyland and DisneySea in my Top Three favorite parks worldwide.

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Cedar Point as seen from the top of Valravn (part of a backstage tour)​

Velocicoaster is a major reason I’m visiting Orlando! Once its POV first hit YouTube, I started researching flights. (Back then, I still thought Iron Gwazi would open in 2021.) Of the nearly 200 roller coasters I’ve ridden so far, Velocicoaster legitimately looks like a contender for Top Five, and a rival to Cedar Point’s Maverick.

Velocicoaster will be my 200th roller coaster!

I started officially counting my coaster credits earlier this summer. Credit counting is a “right of passage” for coaster fanboys. How many distinct roller coasters have you ridden? At the start of this summer, I began officially tallying everything I’d done so far. Eventually it became clear that I’d hit #200 at some point in Orlando. Such a major milestone needed to be something special! So I spent my summer shoring up my numbers in advance.

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Iron Rattler at Six Flags Fiesta Texas​

Because of SWO and BGT, I now have a SeaWorld Platinum Pass. To make the most of it, in August I headed out to visit SeaWorld San Antonio. While in Texas, I also visited Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Six Flags Over Texas. Between these three parks, I rode somewhere around 25 new credits. (Side note: Iron Rattler is totally a Top Ten coaster!)

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The Los Angeles Summer Fair​

I spent the summer roaming the greater L.A. area visiting carnivals and fun centers and boardwalks, grabbing every random little janky local coaster I could find.

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Colossus at Lagoon in Utah​

I flew out to Lagoon in Utah a few weeks ago, to enjoy Cannibal and the rest of their classic collection. That got me all the way up to #199. I am now on the precipice!

When I fly out to Orlando this coming Tuesday, all that work pays off! Velocicoaster, #200, awaits!
 
Songbird76

Songbird76

Well-Known Member
D Hulk said:
That is a fantastic idea! Animal Kingdom and World Showcase in particular will likely jog memories.

"I'd love to travel to a lot of different countries, though I have to admit that I am not as adventurous as you are."

I've found that with more experience, international travel gets increasingly easier. There are some overseas destinations, such as England or France or Japan, which would make good starting points for a novice would-be adventurer. For Disney World fans who like a bit more comfort and security, Adventures by Disney (which I haven't done) looks like an excellent - albeit pricey - way to explore the world.
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Well, I live in the Netherlands now, though I grew up in Wyoming. I've been to Yellowstone, Bryce Canyon and Zion national park, Mount Rushmore (several times, as it was close to where I grew up) and Wind Cave, Jewel Cave, the Badlands, Custer State Park, New York....and since living over here, I've been to Dublin, London, Paris, DLP, Germany, Belgium....so I've traveled, but still have a lot more on my bucket list. But you've had some truly exotic experiences that I'm not sure I'd have braved. It's very cool to hear about it though!! And then those of us who don't dare to do it ourselves can live vicariously through your experiences!
 
D Hulk

D Hulk

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Orange Cat 2 said:
Hey enjoy your trip man! I’ll try & follow along
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JokersWild said:
I'm just here so I don't forget to come back. Have fun!
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'Sup, guys!!! :D

Songbird76 said:
Well, I live in the Netherlands now, though I grew up in Wyoming. I've been to Yellowstone, Bryce Canyon and Zion national park, Mount Rushmore (several times, as it was close to where I grew up) and Wind Cave, Jewel Cave, the Badlands, Custer State Park, New York....and since living over here, I've been to Dublin, London, Paris, DLP, Germany, Belgium....so I've traveled, but still have a lot more on my bucket list. But you've had some truly exotic experiences that I'm not sure I'd have braved. It's very cool to hear about it though!! And then those of us who don't dare to do it ourselves can live vicariously through your experiences!
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The more I travel, the larger my bucket list becomes. There are always new places to explore. You've had some good experiences too, it sounds like. I envy your easy access to Europe, and your time spent in the Wyoming & Dakotas region. (That's the road trip leg I had to cancel last year due to wildfires at home.)

akneeconnors said:
I'm in! And will be there around the same time, 9/24 - 10/2!

Also, you hooked me in starting with a Bryce Canyon photo (one of my favorite places in the US). The surrounding areas make for some of the best driving I've done!

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If we cross paths at WDW, I'll be sure to wave!
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If I see you, I'll be sure to say "Hi!" That second pic must be the Valley of Fire. Such a striking landscape; you captured some amazingly vibrant colors.


FLORIDA ITINERARY​

So, here’s the general plan for my time in Orlando.

Tuesday the 21ST
Fly out from LAX to MCO on a midnight red eye flight, layover in Dallas
Check in at Universal’s Endless Summer Resort hotel
IOA & USF park hoppers (focus on #200 Velocicoaster!)
Dining reservations: Late 10:15 dinner at Toothsome Chocolate Emporium (not so late from my time zone perspective)

Wednesday the 22ND
IOA & USF
Dining reservations: Lunch at Mythos; Dinner at Cowfish

Thursday the 23RD
IOA & USF
Halloween Horror Nights
Dining reservations: Lunch at Lombard’s @ 1:30
Generally, I plan on using Universal’s Stay ‘n’ Scream to remain in USF for early HHN access

Friday the 24TH
Check out of my Uni hotel and go straight to DAK,
DAK (with a planned friend meetup)
Dining reservations: Lunch at Tiffin’s
Check in at the Walt Disney World Swan (staying here for the rest of the trip)

Saturday the 25TH
A day off from parks to explore Disney Springs and resort area hotels such as Wilderness Lodge and the Poly, with a late evening Boardwalk area stroll
Dining reservations: Brunch at Raglan Road; Dinner at Cona Café

Sunday the 26TH
DHS
Dining reservations: Afternoon drinks at Oga’s Cantina; Dinner at Primetime Diner

Monday 27TH
Epcot
Dining reservations: Breakfast at Cape May Café (precedes Epcot’s 11 AM opening); Dinner at Tepan Edo
The 27th is the first day when Space 220 starts doing reservations. I’ll try getting a table here when reservations become available on the 20th.

Tuesday the 28TH
Magic Kingdom
Dining reservations: Dinner at the Skipper Canteen

Wednesday the 29TH
Go to MCO to grab a rental car, then drive to Tampa
Busch Gardens Tampa
Drive back to WDW

Thursday the 30TH
The Fun Spots
Plus possibly SeaWorld or Gatorland if things go quickly
Since I’ll still have the rental car by now, I might try driving out to Orlando’s local food scene for the evening

Friday the 1ST of October (50th Anniversary Day)
Check out of the Swan
SeaWorld Orlando
Fly home that evening

I have rough plans for where to grab quick service meals, and for which rides to attempt in which order. While the general idea is to hit rope drop as often as possible, this may not always happen since I’ll be transitioning from Pacific Standard Time.
 
Songbird76

Songbird76

Well-Known Member
D Hulk said:
The more I travel, the larger my bucket list becomes. There are always new places to explore. You've had some good experiences too, it sounds like. I envy your easy access to Europe, and your time spent in the Wyoming & Dakotas region. (That's the road trip leg I had to cancel last year due to wildfires at home.)
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I'm so sorry you had to cancel that part of the trip!! I have the issue that the more I travel, the more I realize how much I didn't get to do and I always want to go back as well as go somewhere new. There seems to be an endless number of destinations to explore! We traveled to South Dakota several times each year when I was growing up, so I've seen Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse and Custer State park more times than I can count. We've been through the Badlands several times on our way through to Illinois to visit my mom's family, and we took camping trips with the girl scouts to the Black Hills and saw Wind cave and Jewel cave a few times. We always stopped at Devil's Tower on the way. I've been to Yellowstone a few times, but that was farther away. We were supposed to do a comprehensive Wyoming and South Dakota trip this past Summer so I could take my kids to Yellowstone and all the historical sites like the forts, Independence Rock, the Petroglyphs, etc, but we had to cancel since we aren't allowed into the US yet. So I hope we'll get to go next Summer instead. Do you have plans to try again any time soon? I really highly recommend it. The Badlands are stunning, and of course Yellowstone is pretty unique with all the thermal features like geysers and springs, aside from being gorgeous. If you go just outside of the main tourist season, it won't be so crowded, but the weather will still be decent.
 
D Hulk

D Hulk

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Songbird76 said:
I have the issue that the more I travel, the more I realize how much I didn't get to do and I always want to go back as well as go somewhere new.
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There's more to see than can ever be seen.

More to do than can ever be done.

Songbird76 said:
We traveled to South Dakota several times each year when I was growing up, so I've seen Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse and Custer State park more times than I can count. We've been through the Badlands several times on our way through to Illinois to visit my mom's family, and we took camping trips with the girl scouts to the Black Hills and saw Wind cave and Jewel cave a few times. We always stopped at Devil's Tower on the way. I've been to Yellowstone a few times, but that was farther away. We were supposed to do a comprehensive Wyoming and South Dakota trip this past Summer so I could take my kids to Yellowstone and all the historical sites like the forts, Independence Rock, the Petroglyphs, etc, but we had to cancel since we aren't allowed into the US yet. So I hope we'll get to go next Summer instead. Do you have plans to try again any time soon? I really highly recommend it. The Badlands are stunning, and of course Yellowstone is pretty unique with all the thermal features like geysers and springs, aside from being gorgeous. If you go just outside of the main tourist season, it won't be so crowded, but the weather will still be decent.
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I'd would still love to visit the greater Wyoming region! All that you're describing sounds fantastic. Right now it's mostly a matter of finding enough free time to visit these areas properly. I can't wait for the opportunity.

ThemeParkPriest said:
Have a great time in Orlando! It’s one thing to study the parks, another to imagineer them, but the best is to experience them for the first time!
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D Hulk

D Hulk

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
While it isn't typical to post Imagineering ideas in the Trip Reports section, today I feel like breaking that convention.

enhance


Today is the One Year Anniversary of DisneySky!​

DisneySky is a third gate I designed for the Disneyland Resort. The park is designed around ideas of flight and aviation, with seven fully-themed lands to explore. I am extremely proud of this solo project, which goes into extreme detail visiting every ride, every shop, every restaurant, even every restroom. If anyone here is at all curious, please enjoy...

DisneySky - COMPLETE & RESTORED

DISNEYSKY “Welcome one and all to a realm where the sky's the limit. DisneySky imbues all who enter with a spirit of curiosity and excitement. Here scientists, dreamers and adventurers explore the space above our heads. DisneySky is dedicated to Man’s yearning for unknown horizons. May this...
forums.wdwmagic.com forums.wdwmagic.com


This thread will become a Trip Report again very shortly. At midnight on Monday/Tuesday, I fly out to Orlando, and the adventure begins! Stay tuned.
 
TheOriginalTiki

TheOriginalTiki

Well-Known Member
Oh gawwwd, I have so many notes haha. With Uni you picked the perfect dining. Toothsome I had one awesome meal at and one hit or miss one, both with the same dish (fettuccini alfredo) but the theming is top notch and Penelope is an S Tier original theme park character. Cowfish is a freaking slam dunk. Had it three times on my last Uni trip and it blew me away every time. I've not been to Mythos but heard nothing but solid things and the exterior alone is incredible.

I had to cancel a Tiffins reservation for budget reasons last trip, but I've heard nothing but incredible things about the food and I'm sure you as an adventurous eater will love it. I'm going to go ahead and place bets now that it's your favorite meal of the trip haha. EXCELLENT idea to do Saturday as a resort hop day. The monorail loop bar crawl is an absolute must. Freaking loved Ragland Road (though a bit iffy on the Covid front tbh, maybe opt for outdoor seating if that's a concern. It was the one time last trip I was like "eh...this is sketchy..." haha) Cona is pretty much at the top of my list of dining at WDW I haven't done yet but want to do.

I'd REALLY try to go to the Brown Derby Longue to get their Cobb Salad if you can. The longue serving is way lighter than what they have in the main restaurant and it's legendary. THE food item of Hollywood Studios bar none.

TEPAN FREAKING EDO!!! Such a fanboy for that place haha. Not sure if it's going to be as authentic as what you've experienced in Japan of course, but oh god that's a prime example of a meal that just sticks in my mind years after I've had it. Busch Gardens is a really tricky park from a layout perspective. It's really easy to go a wrong way and end up walking a WAY longer path than to get to the same destination (had that with going from the back of the park to Montu/Cobra's Curse. Ended up walking all around the "savanna") I'd study walkthrough videos if you have time. A tip I'd have is to NOT start with Cheetah Hunt. Everyone floods to it at the start of the day because it's right there but in my experience by the late afternoon it's pretty much a walk-on.

Okay my friend, you've got your priorities way out of whack in regards to Fun Spot > SeaWorld. Doug, please...I beg you. Do NOT leave Orlando without riding Mako. It's genuinely the best airtime I've ever experienced. Might not have the ejector factor of RMCs, but the "floater" sensation is so long lasting on the hills it's just ridiculously graceful. Plus Manta is a damn solid #2 coaster with a setting that's just absolutely perfect for a flying coaster and Journey to Atlantis feels like the closest thing we have to an old school Epcot dark ride like Maelstrom.

I would suggest hitting Fun Spot Kissimmee first to crack those credits out. In my experience Mine Blower > Lightning Rod but the Kissimmee Park feels a lot more run down and sketchy compared to the Orlando park which really impressed me and felt like Vanilla Roller Coaster Tycoon come to life. I'd go from FSK to Gatorland if that's on your radar, which is should be because it's vintage Florida tourism history and can easily be cracked out in a couple hours. SeaWorld is really easy to crack out in 3-4 hours if all you're looking to do is the credits and don't care about the shows or exhibits. From SeaWorld, Fun Spot Orlando from what I've heard is a top tier night-time park and that's really the way to experience it anyways. It's pretty much built to be a local hangout spot after the parks close.
 
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D Hulk

D Hulk

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
PolynesianPrincess said:
200 coasters is an AMAZING accomplishment!! I am very jealous you'll be hitting the last 4 Disney parks you need! All the Disney parks are on my bucket list and so far I've only done the 6 in the states!
I'll be at Epcot Monday 9/27 and MK 9/28 so maybe I'll see ya!!
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Your coaster count comment got me revisiting my list. Figured I'd see how it looked chronologically, see what my previous milestones were before the upcoming #200............

:eek:

I miscalculated!
I completely forgot to add the coasters from California's Great America!!
I'M ALREADY OVER 200!!!
#200 WAS COLOSSUS AT LAGOON!!!!
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:cry:
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For what it's worth, here's the revised coaster count of 206. For clarification, anything the Roller Coaster Database counts as a coaster is in here. Double-tracked rides only count as two if their tracks are notably distinct. I've bolded my noteworthy milestones to date (including a shocking #200).

  1. Matterhorn Bobsleds [Tomorrowland side] (Disneyland)
  2. Matterhorn Bobsleds [Fantasyland side]
  3. Space Mountain
  4. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
  5. Corkscrew (Knott's Berry Farm)
  6. Timberline Twister
  7. Montezooma's Revenge
  8. Wacky Soap Box Racers
  9. Boomerang
  10. Colossus (Magic Mountain)
  11. Gold Rusher
  12. Ninja
  13. Revolution
  14. Viper
  15. Psyclone
  16. Batman
  17. Superman: Escape from Krypton
  18. Ghostrider (Knott's)
  19. Gadget's Go-Coaster (Disneyland)
  20. California Screamin' (DCA)
  21. Goofy's Sky School
  22. Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (WDSP)
  23. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (DLP)
  24. Indiana Jones et le Temple du Peril
  25. Xcelerator (Knott's)
  26. Coast Rider
  27. Pony Express
  28. Silver Bullet
  29. Sierra Sidewinder
  30. Jaguar!
  31. Banshee (Kings Island)
  32. Diamondback
  33. The Beast
  34. Backlot Stunt Coaster
  35. Vortex
  36. Racer
  37. Flight of Fear
  38. Adventure Express
  39. The Bat
  40. Firehawk
  41. Woodstock Express
  42. Flying Ace Aerial Chase
  43. Raptor (Cedar Point)
  44. Rougarou
  45. Millennium Force
  46. Maverick
  47. Cedar Creek Mine Ride
  48. Magnum XL-200
  49. Gemini
  50. Top Thrill Dragster
  51. Corkscrew
  52. Valravn
  53. GateKeeper
  54. Blue Streak
  55. Iron Dragon
  56. Mean Streak
  57. Full Throttle (Magic Mountain)
  58. Goliath
  59. Twisted Colossus
  60. Scream!
  61. Riddler's Revenge
  62. Green Lantern
  63. Apocalypse
  64. Tatsu
  65. X2
  66. Road Runner Express
  67. Flight of the Hippogriff (USH)
  68. Revenge of the Mummy
  69. Hair Raiser (Ocean Park Hong Kong)
  70. Arctic Blast
  71. Mine Train
  72. The Dragon
  73. Hyperspace Mountain (HKDL)
  74. RC Racer
  75. Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Train
  76. Raging Spirits (DisneySea)
  77. Flounder's Flying Fish Coaster
  78. Gadget's Go Coaster (TDL)
  79. Space Mountain
  80. Flight of the Hippogriff (USJ)
  81. The Flying Dinosaur
  82. Space Fantasy
  83. Hollywood Dream
  84. Steel Vengeance (Cedar Point)
  85. Wicked Twister
  86. Mystic Timbers (Kings Island)
  87. Lightning Run (Kentucky Kingdom)
  88. Roller Skater
  89. Thunder Run
  90. T3
  91. Storm Chaser
  92. The Voyage (Holiday World)
  93. Thunderbird
  94. The Legend
  95. The Raven
  96. Jack Rabbit (Kennywood)
  97. Racer
  98. Thunderbolt
  99. Exterminator
  100. Phantom’s Revenge
  101. Phoenix (Knoebels)
  102. Black Diamond
  103. Flying Turns
  104. Impulse
  105. Twister
  106. Wild Mouse (DelGrosso's)
  107. Fahrenheit (Hersheypark)
  108. Wild Mouse
  109. Lightning Racer [Lightning]
  110. Laff Trakk
  111. Wildcat
  112. Storm Runner
  113. Trailblazer
  114. Great Bear
  115. Sooperdooperlooper
  116. Skyrush
  117. Comet
  118. Lightning Racer [Thunder]
  119. Wild Mouse (Dorney Park)
  120. Thunderhawk
  121. Steel Force
  122. Possesssed
  123. Hydra the Revenge
  124. Talon
  125. The Great White (Morey's Piers)
  126. Rollie's Coaster
  127. Flitzer
  128. Doo Wopper
  129. The Great Nor'Easter
  130. El Toro (Six Flags Great Adventure)
  131. Bizarro
  132. Runaway Mine Train
  133. Nitro
  134. Batman
  135. The Dark Knight Coaster
  136. Skull Mountain
  137. Green Lantern
  138. Kingda Ka
  139. The Joker
  140. West Coaster (Santa Monica Pier)
  141. Quicksilver Express Mine Coaster (Gilroy Gardens)
  142. Timber Twister Coaster
  143. Giant Dipper (Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk)
  144. Sea Serpent
  145. Undertow
  146. The Joker (Six Flags Discovery Kingdom)
  147. Harley Quinn Crazy Coaster
  148. Medusa
  149. Kong
  150. Gold Striker (California's Great Adventure)
  151. RailBlazer
  152. Demon
  153. Psycho Mouse
  154. Flight Deck
  155. Patriot
  156. The Grizzly
  157. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (SDL)
  158. TRON Lightcycle Power Run
  159. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (TDL)
  160. Battlestar Galactica: Cylon (USS)
  161. Battlestar Galactica: Human
  162. Revenge of the Mummy
  163. Hangtime (Knott's)
  164. West Coast Racers (Magic Mountain)
  165. Manta (SeaWorld San Diego)
  166. Electric Eel
  167. Journey to Atlantis
  168. New Texas Giant (Six Flags Over Texas)
  169. Titan
  170. Runaway Mountain
  171. La Vibora
  172. Shock Wave
  173. Runaway Mine Train
  174. Mini Mine Train
  175. Pandemonium
  176. Judge Roy Scream
  177. Mr. Freeze: Reverse Blast
  178. The Joker
  179. Wonder Woman Golden Lasso (Six Flags Fiesta Texas)
  180. Superman: Krypton Coaster
  181. Iron Rattler
  182. Road Runner Express
  183. Steel Eel (SeaWorld San Antonio)
  184. Wave Breaker
  185. Great White
  186. Texas Stingray
  187. Journey to Atlantis
  188. Super Grover's Box Car Derby
  189. Goliath (Six Flags Fiesta Texas)
  190. Streamliner Coaster
  191. Pandemonium
  192. Freeway Coaster (Adventure City)
  193. Rewind Racers
  194. Screamin Demon (Castle Park)
  195. Merlin's Revenge
  196. Olympic Bobsled Coaster (Los Angeles County Fair)
  197. Wacky Worm
  198. Roller Coaster (Lagoon)
  199. Wild Mouse
  200. Colossus: The Fire Dragon
  201. The Spider
  202. Cannibal
  203. The Bat
  204. BomBora
  205. Puff the Little Fire Dragon
  206. Wicked
 
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D Hulk

D Hulk

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Soooo...Deep breath...There will be no milestone roller coasters in Orlando. When the trip concludes on October 1st, my count of 206 will be around 240 or so.

Anyway.


ONE DAY UNTIL THE TRIP!

At the moment I am at home with the day off, getting the final to-dos done so I'm ready to leave. The mail delivery is paused, the cat sitter is arranged, the trip arrangements are pretty much covered.

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Mostly packed. Mr. Goldfinger isn’t coming. ​

I fly out of LAX a little past midnight tonight. The red eye flight transfers in either Dallas or Houston, I'm too shell shocked at the moment to recall. Then I arrive in MCO, Orlando, a little past noon local time, though to my body it'll be closer to 9 AM. From there I'll take an Uber to my Universal hotel, check in, drop off my luggage, and head straight off to the parks. Originally, I'd planned on making a beeline to Velocicoaster back when I thought it would be #200. At this point (I'm still in the first stage of grief presently), I'm not certain what my IOA/USF touring plan will be upon arrival.

My flight tonight is with United Airlines. For all of my international travel, I'm not super familiar with the domestic carriers. So I'm not terribly thrilled right now to learn that since I cheaped out and got the basic economy seat, I'm not allowed to bring my usual carry-on onto the plane. What sort of nickel & dime BS is that?! A little laptop bag is permitted, but my backpack - the carry-on which is typically my only travel gear since I detest checking luggage - that'll have to get checked at a $35 upcharge when I get to LAX tonight. For some reason United's fakakta website cannot handle advanced baggage checking this morning.

Getting down to LAX will be an adventure unto itself, and not a fun one. It really is the worst airport in the area. I far prefer flying out of Burbank, which is a glorious no-frills 1930s throwback of an airport. My recent domestic travels - including my trip out to ride #200 in Utah, apparently - have all been through Burbank. In contrast, LAX is crowded, inefficient, and it's a multi-stage, multi-hour process just to get down there. I'll keep you updated on all that tonight.

For now, though, rest and relaxation. I had a wild, insane weekend (my muscles are sore and my stomach hurts) from which I haven't yet recovered. Until then, seeya!
 
TheOriginalTiki

TheOriginalTiki

Well-Known Member
Oh man, I feel your pain on the credits miscalculation and that it happened with CGA of all parks (probably my least favorite major park in California, though Discovery Kingdom POST shutdown is definitely the worst park experience I've ever had bar none) On my side of things Lightning Rod has been VERY hit or miss on even opening through September, which leaves me super anxious and also scrambling to plan more non-Dollywood days since without that as an anchor the value of their overall coaster collection goes down significantly and their oddities like Mystery Mine and Blazing Fury become the main priority.
 
TheOriginalTiki

TheOriginalTiki

Well-Known Member
@D Hulk's error led me to redoing my credits list from the ground up to make sure everything was accounted for. At the moment, I'm at a round 90. Dollywood has eight credits I can get. Do alpine coasters count, because oh my god it'd be really frustrating to be so close yet so far to the #100 this trip haha. I was thinking about having the first day of the trip be just local Pigeon Forge stuff anyways since we'll probably be exhausted from the flight (we fly in at like 2AM or something stupid like that haha), so if I could crack out a couple credit outside of Dollywood that day I'd be golden. There's definitely a couple rather intriguing newer credits in the alpline/mountain department including the world's first single rail and "flying" mountain coasters, so they'd definitely be a first choice for me to pad out the list if they do indeed count towards credit count. Any clarification here, Hulk?

  1. Mad Mouse (J's Amusement Park)​
  2. Dragon Coaster (Various carnivals)​
  3. Jet Star 2 (Various carnivals)​
  4. Tiger Coaster (Oakland Zoo)​
  5. Sea Serpent (Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk)​
  6. Hurricane (Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk)​
  7. Giant Dipper (Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk)​
  8. Cobra (Six Flags Discovery Kingdom)​
  9. Kong (Six Flags Discovery Kingdom)​
  10. Medusa (Six Flags Discovery Kingdom)​
  11. Roar (Six Flags Discovery Kingdom)​
  12. Tony Hawk's Big Spin (Six Flags Discovery Kingdom)​
  13. Joker (Six Flags Discovery Kingdom)​
  14. V2 (Six Flags Discovery Kingdom)​
  15. Batman: The Ride (Six Flags Discovery Kingdom)​
  16. Boomerang (Six Flags Discovery Kingdom)​
  17. Physco Mouse (California Great America)​
  18. Vortex (California Great America)​
  19. Runaway Reptar (California Great America)​
  20. Flight Deck (California Great America)​
  21. Grizzly (California Great America)​
  22. Gold Striker (California Great America)​
  23. Railblazer (California Great America)​
  24. Patriot (California Great America)​
  25. Terminator Salvation: The Ride (Six Flags Magic Mountain)​
  26. Gold Rusher (Six Flags Magic Mountain)​
  27. Scream (Six Flags Magic Mountain)​
  28. Colossus (Six Flags Magic Mountain)​
  29. Batman: The Ride (Six Flags Magic Mountain)​
  30. Riddler's Revenge (Six Flags Magic Mountain)​
  31. Ninja (Six Flags Magic Mountain)​
  32. Tatsu (Six Flags Magic Mountain)​
  33. Viper (Six Flags Magic Mountain)​
  34. X2 (Six Flags Magic Mountain)​
  35. Superman: Escape from Krypton (Six Flags Magic Mountain)​
  36. Green Lantern: First Flight (Six Flags Magic Mountain)​
  37. Goliath (Six Flags Magic Mountain)​
  38. Revolution (Six Flags Magic Mountain)​
  39. Twisted Colossus (Six Flags Magic Mountain)​
  40. Full Throttle (Six Flags Magic Mountain)​
  41. Quicksilver Express (Gilroy Gardens)​
  42. Timber Twister (Gilroy Gardens)​
  43. Revenge of the Mummy (Universal Hollywood)​
  44. Flight of the Hypogriff (Universal Hollywood)​
  45. Ghostrider (Knott's Berry Farm)​
  46. Pony Express (Knott's Berry Farm)​
  47. Hangtime (Knott's Berry Farm)​
  48. Coast Rider (Knott's Berry Farm)​
  49. Xcellerator (Knott's Berry Farm)​
  50. Jaguar (Knott's Berry Farm)​
  51. Sierra Sidewinder (Knott's Berry Farm)​
  52. Montezuma's Revenge (Knott's Berry Farm)​
  53. Silver Bullet (Knotts Berry Farm)​
  54. Matterhorn Fantasyland (Disneyland)​
  55. Matterhorn Tomorrowland (Disneyland)​
  56. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (Disneyland)​
  57. Space Mountain (Disneyland)​
  58. Gadget's Go Coaster (Disneyland)​
  59. California Screamin' (DCA)​
  60. Goofy's Sky School (DCA)​
  61. Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster (Universal Orlando)​
  62. Hollywood Rip Ride Rock It (Universal Orlando)​
  63. Escape From Gringotts (Universal Orlando)​
  64. Revenge of the Mummy (Universal Orlando)​
  65. The Incredible Hulk (Islands of Adventure)​
  66. Hagrid's (Islands of Adventure)​
  67. Flight of the Hypogriff (Islands of Adventure)​
  68. White Lightning (Fun Spot Orlando)​
  69. Freedom Flyer (Fun Spot Orlando)​
  70. Mine Blower (Fun Spot Kissimmee)​
  71. Galaxy Spin (Fun Spot Kissimmee)​
  72. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (Magic Kingdom)​
  73. Barnstormer (Magic Kingdom)​
  74. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (Magic Kingdom)​
  75. Space Mountain (Magic Kingdom)​
  76. Rock N' Roller Coaster (Magic Kingdom)​
  77. Slinky Dog Dash (Magic Kingdom)​
  78. Primeval Whirl (Animal Kingdom)​
  79. Expedition Everest (Animal Kingdom)​
  80. Manta (Seaworld Orlando)​
  81. Journey to Atlantis (Seaworld Orlando)​
  82. Kraken (Seaworld Orlando)​
  83. Mako (Seaworld Orlando)​
  84. Cheetah Hunt (Busch Gardens Tampa)​
  85. Cobra's Curse (Busch Gardens Tampa)​
  86. Kumba (Busch Gardens Tampa)​
  87. Shiekra (Busch Gardens Tampa)​
  88. Scorpion (Busch Gardens Tampa)​
  89. Sand Serpent (Busch Gardens Tampa)​
  90. Montu (Busch Gardens Tampa)​
 

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