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The Great Trip Recap!! Part One
166 Plays1 month ago
Bryant and Allison are both back from their big Europe trips, and there is so much to talk about!! (spoiler alert, Jenn surprised Bryant in Europe as well and she's still there, which is why this episode is only 2/3 of us.) They dive into Bryant's Colorado and Utah trip, Allison's full 10-parks-in-10-days Europe trip, and her NYC/NJ/east coast cred run trip. Oh, and her engagement?!
Stay tuned, because Part Two will be Bryant's full Europe trip, and Jenn's surprise trip!
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Transcript
Introductions and Excitement for Return
00:00:00
Speaker
You are listening to the Inverted Creative Podcast. I'm Allison. I'm Bryant. And I'm Jen.
00:00:16
Speaker
We are so back. We are so back. In multiple ways. I'm especially so back. It has been forever since you've heard my voice. It has. We're back from trips, too. but We are finally back for some trips.
00:00:31
Speaker
I believe our third host is still on one. That's why you're only hearing the two of
Allison's Recovery and Personal Challenges
00:00:35
Speaker
us. One of these days, the three of us will be on a podcast again. Next time. Hopefully next episode. It better be. Well, how are you, Allison? Like I said, i am it's been a little bit.
00:00:45
Speaker
Yeah, it's been a little while since we've thought well we've texted. Literally, like, all day. but yeah And for a while. But, no, I'm doing good. I'm finally rested up from Europe and Other trips that we'll talk about, even though we're literally going on another trip about three hours from now.
00:01:03
Speaker
Yeah, well, we can talk about that. That's like a a skip for you. Yeah. not even ah That's not a big trip. ah Yeah, same. I mean, we're going to talk about my the big trip I went on, I think, next episode.
00:01:16
Speaker
Yes. We're going to start with the smaller trip that I went on already, yeah, over a month ago at this point. um Yeah, but when's the last, I think the last time you heard me was like early May. It's been probably close to two months, right?
00:01:31
Speaker
Something like that. Yeah. So I should explain a little bit. I do want to do like a full disclosure about like where I was, why I wasn't on the show. So obviously recovering from my injury as the week started turning into months.
00:01:47
Speaker
I think you would understand my antiness, my frustration of not being able to physically participate in this hobby.
Accessibility Series and Personal Life Priorities
00:01:55
Speaker
It was growing. And consequently, my interest in consuming roller coaster amusement park content and definitely talking about it was at an all time low. I just I wanted no part of it. It had been over three months since I've been able to do anything.
00:02:15
Speaker
I decided that, and this is why you and Jen are two my best friends. You completely understood. um i just need a break. I need a break from all sorts of content until I was officially back, which you're hearing my voice. So guess what, guys? I am officially back.
00:02:30
Speaker
You're so back. I'm so back. And then consequently, you know you guys did such an amazing job with your accessibility series. That's a topic that ah required my full focus, my full attention. I did not want half-ass that. I did not want to go through the motions, which is mentally where I was when you guys were recording that.
00:02:53
Speaker
I thought it would have been a complete disservice to our guests for that topic for me to just wing it. um So that was another reason. Um... But you guys did amazing.
00:03:04
Speaker
Thank you. Thank you again for both you guys and the listeners for your understanding as I officially, I mean, I'm still limping a little bit. I'm not 100% there. But I am, for all purposes, I'm back.
00:03:18
Speaker
I am back. to job Clearly, I wrote as well. We'll get to that in the next two episodes. But I've had one of my more productive months in my enthusiast life, which, oh, did I need?
00:03:29
Speaker
Yeah. I really needed it.
00:03:32
Speaker
Yeah, we are glad to have you back. I know, i think I mentioned on one of the other episodes when you were kind of taking your little hiatus, we agreed before we even started, before we recorded the first episode, life before podcast. If there is something going on in your life that you need to take care of, do that.
00:03:49
Speaker
This is not, we don't make a living off of this. We make negative money because I paid $20 a month to Zencaster. Fair. Yeah. No, I love both of you for for that support.
00:04:02
Speaker
um It was needed. It was for sure needed. Yeah, we all need reset sometimes. Especially, it was like that, it's like, not that any of us have been locked in a cage before, but that's what it felt like. It's like, you're locked in a cage for three months, and you know the door's opening soon, but it's not there yet.
00:04:17
Speaker
And you're just look like, get
Roller Coaster Adventures and Personal Milestones
00:04:19
Speaker
me out of here. And part of that was just like, I just need to wait until I'm actually going to parks again before I can talk about it. And now you've been to those parks.
00:04:28
Speaker
little bit, little bit. I've been to a few parks in the last month.
00:04:34
Speaker
I was so close to that 100 coaster threshold. So i have videos coming out. I don't want to say if my 100 credit challenge was a a success or not.
00:04:46
Speaker
I will say yeah it was close either way. It was very productive, that is for sure. But yeah, 100 credits in a month. That was... that was fool ah This has already been my last month. Just my last month has been my second most productive year credit-wise already.
00:05:09
Speaker
2023, I think I added 208 credits in 2023. That will never be topped, ever. But this year is already number two. Not bad for the same year I tear my Achilles. I think my highest credit year was like 137. 137.
00:05:24
Speaker
Wow, I beat you in a year and something. Wow, that's actually surprising. But I think I've passed that this year. Yeah, that's true. and
00:05:36
Speaker
I really hate hey how are you like, like I just said, I've been more productive than ever and you you still somehow expanded our gap in credits. The worst.
00:05:48
Speaker
I'm up to like 130 new credits. Yeah, like we've had long running thing. ah For a long time, I was 100 credits plus ah ahead of Bryant. And then we narrowed that gap.
00:06:01
Speaker
And there was one point when we were both in Europe, and I'm like, depending on how many I get today, i could get to that 100 coaster threshold again. i don't think you ever did, though, right? No, it was within, like, five.
00:06:14
Speaker
Yeah, so, like, right now, I am now at... This is insane. 625, which which is My god. I can't believe I'm over 6. Yeah, I feel this. wow i'm I'm at a 7.06.
00:06:28
Speaker
seven ah six Okay, so I got 19 over you in that. Well, I'm getting a plus one tomorrow. I'm getting a few pluses in the next few weeks. Don't worry. I'm done with major trips for the year, i think.
00:06:43
Speaker
Same. i think I don't know. No, I take that back. We do have one more trip where I should get a decent chunk.
00:06:56
Speaker
Actually, will say, ironically, my next park will also be international.
00:07:03
Speaker
Might be a new credit that's opening or has opened recently.
00:07:09
Speaker
yeah it's ah It's international, but yeah and I know which one it is. I will also be writing that very soon. So anyway, we have some trips to go over, and this is just yeah part one.
00:07:21
Speaker
i think this was always going to be a two-part episode. Yeah, there is no way. And I think ah it works out better that Jen's not here because... A quick spoiler, she happened to be involved in one of these trips unexpectedly.
00:07:36
Speaker
Well, at least for me. Unexpected for you. I know. yeah A little bit, a little bit. So we're going to wait for my Europe trip until um episode two of this series.
00:07:49
Speaker
In this episode, we're going to focus on Allison's trip to Europe. But then also my redemption, my first ever, first ever, first trip since the Achilles to Colorado and Utah, where I hit some parks for the first time in my life.
00:08:08
Speaker
So where do we want to start? Do we want to start with me? Do you want to start with you? Do you want to just go park for park? Like we just take turns? um I think I hit a lot more parks than you did. That's, yeah, well, at least the first part, yeah.
00:08:21
Speaker
Well, I think you should start because you actually met up with one of our former guests. I did. it was like literally, we I think like a couple days before ah went over to England or to, you know, the whole Europe trip.
00:08:37
Speaker
Maybe it was like a week before. um The lovely Gina, if you remember, we interviewed a GC artwork. She does some incredible watercolor paintings, drawings. um She came to the US s for the first time on a um It was a Pleasure Beach Experience.
00:08:53
Speaker
urge Your Experience Guide. Yeah, that one. Whatever their current name is. But they did a U.S. trip, and so she joined that. And it happened to be the first park that she was going to before that trip was Kings Island.
00:09:05
Speaker
So I went up to the park, met up with her, got to ride some coasters together. She got to experience Mystic Timbers, which was a lot of fun. um Stayed and sat and watched the fireworks.
00:09:17
Speaker
Which is a really fun experience. I like have never sat and watched the fireworks at Kings Island. Yeah, I didn't know you never saw the fireworks before. Even I've seen the fireworks. I've seen them, but I've never just like sat down and experienced it.
00:09:29
Speaker
And like watching them see it for the first time after the first time at Kings Island. It was nice. and must like I can't imagine. like She looked like she had such a great time. i went to so many parks.
00:09:40
Speaker
It's weird thinking of like coming to America for the first time and just realizing, wow, there are so many what they perceive as probably like these mythical bucket list coasters that are just like second nature to all of us. But then it's like, consequently, when we go to Europe, its you never think, oh, yes, Skyrush and Mistake Timbers and El Toro. These are all these like oh huge coasters that you know we can go on every year, but I'm sure it was, like, incredible for them.
00:10:07
Speaker
Yeah. And she, like, tripled her cred count over the course of her trip. And then um she flew back. Her home park is Alton Towers.
European Trip Plans and Highlights
00:10:16
Speaker
And she flew back the day before we were at Alton Towers.
00:10:20
Speaker
Oh, my God. ah We were really hopeful that we'd be able to meet up, but she was not able to meet up at Alton Towers. But she very much enjoyed living through my experiences at the park for the first time.
00:10:30
Speaker
Nice, nice. Oh, that would have been funny. Ha ha. It was some very very fun text between us. but Very nice. ah I love that. It was very good to have a ah podcast guest turned friend.
00:10:42
Speaker
Yeah, that's definitely like if I was healthy, I made ah might have tried to made that make that work. But alas. Going forward, i don't have to worry about that anymore, though. Yeah.
00:10:52
Speaker
If want to make something happen, I can make it happen.
00:10:57
Speaker
And then um I guess i will we'll start with my trip and then we can talk about your European madness. Yeah. So beginning of June, and I had planned this trip, I think, beginning of May, and just like crossing my fingers that I'd i'd be okay to be able to to walk around.
00:11:16
Speaker
And i would say for the most part, I was able to. um I got on a flight to Denver, Colorado. And ironically, this was not my first visit to Denver, but it was my first time flying there.
00:11:30
Speaker
Because when Megan and I went on our cross-country road trip, ah We drove to to Denver from Connecticut. So it was my first time experiencing the massive Denver airport and seeing some of the conspiracies about that place. Look that up.
00:11:45
Speaker
Have you ever heard about that? then I have heard about some of them. Yeah, it's crazy. ah It was nice. I have not, I've been you know missing a road trip. um I went up into Wyoming for the first time in my life, just stopped at these random towns, these random landmarks. It was amazing.
00:12:01
Speaker
I love stuff like that, especially being from new England, just seeing any place out West. so I don't care how boring it might seem. I loved like every minute of it. But the final destination,
00:12:14
Speaker
through ah Wyoming was Farmington, Utah for my first ever visit to Lagoon. It was definitely, it was the biggest park in the U S that I had not hit yet. As far as credits went, um, 11 total there.
00:12:30
Speaker
That is also where I started my 100 credit challenge. Cause like, well, I know my last park in Europe is literally a month to the day of when I went to Lagoon. So i'm like, let's try to get a hundred credits.
00:12:41
Speaker
And it's the first time i'm this is where we differ a little bit, is I've never really been cred hunter. Like, there have been plenty of parts. I'm like, I'll skip the kitty cred. I'll skip the wild mouse.
00:12:53
Speaker
I'll skip the boomerang. This was the first time, like, you know what? Screw it. I've been desperate for roller coasters. Let's try to ride every single thing possible. And Lagoon was a complete success. 11 for 11. 11.
00:13:07
Speaker
I know that. Yeah, it was um it was. all And I did in like four hours. that It was not busy at all, which was incredible. And this I know would have been nice to talk about in the accessibility ah series. But it was the one park because I was still limping.
00:13:22
Speaker
I wouldn't say pretty heavily, but very significantly at least. um where I did actually use an accessibility pass. Lagoon system essentially is a virtual queue.
00:13:35
Speaker
where you go up to the front entrance of a ride, um you give them your slip, and then they give you a return time. That return time is whatever the current weight was.
00:13:46
Speaker
um And I really only had to use it for Primordial and Cannibal. Everything else is pretty much a walk-on. um If you go to my YouTube channel, did a whole video on my Lagoon visit. Very, very successful.
00:13:58
Speaker
um but Charming little park. i forgot yeah Have you been to Lagoon? Nope, I have not. that So those are more credits. There you go. Anyway. That and Minneapolis are like the two hot spots I still need.
00:14:12
Speaker
Well, I need Northern California, which you have. so i guess yeah Anyway, ah yeah Lagoon's great. It's very, very expensive. don't know if you've seen the cost of a one-day ticket with parking. I want to say it's like $110.
00:14:25
Speaker
That is insane. that is insane But they have a monopoly of like, that's the theme park. Right. think Glenwood is the nearest park and it's like four and a half hours away.
00:14:38
Speaker
So, you know, they can charge what they charge. um Cannibal is incredible. And that's, I'm very excited to ride that. I wasn't sure how I'd like it because, you know, it doesn't have a launch. It doesn't really have a ton of airtime.
00:14:54
Speaker
But that layout is, that's one of the scariest drops of all time. but like absolutely terrifying, especially like on the side and the back, my goodness, but a great drop that lagoon roll that actually hurt my Achilles a little bit because of the pressure of my foot, like upside down.
00:15:11
Speaker
Right. Not great, but still awesome. Um, yeah. Lagoon, I mean, cannibal, I think I said it, it doesn't quite hit my top 25. Definitely not now after Europe, but, uh, definitely top 50 rollercoaster. Um,
00:15:27
Speaker
Views are insane. The views in that park are just wild. Let's see. Other highlights. Colossus the Fire Dragon. I immediately texted Jen and said, if you like Silver Bullet at Frontier City, you're going to love Colossus. That, I think, is my favorite Schwarzkopf outside of Shockwave and over Texas.
00:15:48
Speaker
Okay. It's either of those two. Like, holy crap, the forces is are great. You get so low to the ground on some of those helixes. That was low-key. I think my second favorite coaster there Maybe a hot take?
00:15:59
Speaker
um and I don't think I would call that a hot take. Yeah, because Wicked, the launch was amazing, especially going up vertical. Wild drop. There's like one really good airtime moment after the drop.
00:16:12
Speaker
Then the rest of the ride is just so... It's like they forgot. They just gave up on the design and just threw irrelevant elements after that. Did the Roller Cursor Tycoon auto-complete?
00:16:25
Speaker
does that Yeah, probably. There you go. Yeah, I haven't played Rollercoaster Tycoon in like 25 years. so The original. That's how old I am. Let's see. Primordial as a rollercoaster is fine. As an attraction is awesome.
00:16:39
Speaker
Like the fact that that's at like that kind of park, you could say it's on par with like a Disney Universal ride. There's that surprise. i don't know. I don't want to spoil anything for you. If you don't know what it does.
00:16:53
Speaker
It has some surprise elements. I know what it does. listen might not It was great. um Let's see. yeah there were Other than Bat, their Vekoma Hang and Bang, which I think I said that coaster might have invented the term Hang and Bang because that's exactly what it did.
00:17:12
Speaker
Bomburu, it's like a family coaster. little rough, but still fun. Those are the only two rides that I would say are bad to okay. The rest of the lineup is great. um The Wild Mouse is fun.
00:17:24
Speaker
couple of good dark rides that were really good. The sky, the sky ride going by the mountains. Phenomenal. um A roller coaster, the 1921 wooden coaster, shockingly smooth.
00:17:40
Speaker
The goon was great. I would highly recommend. I don't know if there is any deal on tickets, but ideally try to find one. i'm Paying for that and paying for a flight to Denver.
00:17:52
Speaker
Hmm. Denver, you can get surprisingly cheap flights because it is like a huge hub. But, and then I also checked out Salt Lake City a little bit, which is, enough that maybe is my favorite skyline that I've ever seen of any city in the U.S. Salt Lake City is holy crap beautiful.
00:18:08
Speaker
Like, it looks it looks like they just like rolled out a backdrop of mountains and just stuck it right behind the buildings. But it's actually real. I am looking up pictures of it right now. Oh, yeah. It's insane. Oh, wow.
00:18:22
Speaker
Insane. Okay. Okay. but you Better than Denver because the mountains are closer. And then um I want to take a break talking. You should talk a little bit about your trip.
00:18:34
Speaker
um Okay. We'll break it up. We'll do park by park. Okay. Obviously I'll finish a lot faster than you do. but we'll We'll see how far I get. Maybe I'll do like the first through like two parks.
00:18:47
Speaker
Okay. um I think that'll be a good. yeah There we go. Punch my desk. Breaking point. Okay. So to start off our trip, it was me and Mike and John, Mike and Nate. um The four of us flew from Cincinnati to London Heathrow.
00:19:01
Speaker
um We had about seven hours in London before our flight over to Brussels. So naturally, we spent that time to go to Lego and Windsor with a 50 pound Uber each way for the four of us.
00:19:14
Speaker
It was expensive. What's the pound equivalent rat it to the dollar? It was probably like 60 bucks. oh Okay. Each way. Close to the euro then. Yeah. yeah uh i think i'm i didn't really pay attention um it was it was like a 20 minute ride something like that interesting driving on the other side of the road for the first time or riding i didn't drive oh was that your first time on the left interesting okay yeah it's kind of terrifying yeah but that was more terrifying in ireland but we'll get to that part um
00:19:47
Speaker
yeah we just you know I think we spent like an hour at Legoland. Very cute. It was a lot cheaper than the ah American Legoland parks. I think it was like $35 or something like that. um one that about Fun fact about me, I still have never been to a Legoland.
00:20:01
Speaker
It was only my second Legoland. Not even the one in New York, which is like two and a half hours away from me. Well, they're so expensive over here. That's exactly the reason. yeah I know they have like shopping passes that you can do and people use that to ride coasters, but I have not done that.
00:20:18
Speaker
I would probably want to enjoy the park. Yeah. i'm not they're They're cute. um Yeah, we did the new minifigure speedway or whatever it's called.
00:20:29
Speaker
The dueling zero, I think. Sure. I don't know. It was really cute. I know. That's usually my job, but and it's it's like a dueling family boomerang kind of thing.
00:20:41
Speaker
Oh, very nice. Okay. So that was a lot of fun. More forceful than we expected. um Got both sides of that. Did their kids coaster theme to a Duplo, which has the most annoying soundtrack on it possible.
00:20:53
Speaker
was cute. Like the train was super cute. it was a giant like Duplo dragon or not dragon. It's a dinosaur, but it was a lot of fun. Got some good pictures of that. Did their don't even know what what manufacturer is, but dragon.
00:21:08
Speaker
Their version of it. um It was it was a lot longer than I thought it was fun. And then Dragon's Apprentice was closed. So already we missed out on the one first day of the trip. Good. Wow.
00:21:20
Speaker
Thank you. I'm pulling up RZDB because I got ah have four coasters there. Wow. Well, five credits. Five credits. Yeah, we're sad to miss one on day one, but that's okay.
00:21:36
Speaker
Yeah, cute park. Had some good coffee there. It slides all through the park. like It's on a like giant hill. So like going down hill, there were like slides going down. So like the slides, like adult slides, like, or um mostly kids.
00:21:49
Speaker
Okay. Just like, know, not water park slides. Just no, no. Just like little playground slides going down different little sections. ah Took the funicular back up. um Oh, the coolest part of the park, I think, is when you walk in and there's this big like viewing area and you can see Windsor Castle like beautifully. Yeah, I remember seeing those pictures. I've actually to one up you, but.
00:22:11
Speaker
I've been to Windsor Castle, so and it's the act it's gorgeous. yeah we We talked about stopping there if we had more time, but we didn't feel like we had enough time. In reality, we probably did have enough time because we just chilled at the airport for a little while.
00:22:24
Speaker
um Hindsight. You never know how airports are going go. ah Yeah. um So then we went back to London Heathrow and flew over to Brussels because this was like the stupid edition part of our trip where we knew when we were landing in London Good song, by the way. Love that song.
00:22:42
Speaker
I reference that song a lot by Three Doors Down on this trip. um We knew when we were landing in London and we knew when we needed to be in Ireland. And we're like, okay, we have like 24 hours of time to fill.
00:22:53
Speaker
What are we going to do? And we ended up going to Brussels and going to Wallaby, Belgium. um I had way more fun at that park than I expected to.
00:23:05
Speaker
It's a good... Well, I mean, I'll talk about my experience a couple weeks, but... Yeah, this was the only... It's a good park, yeah. This was the only park that overlapped for us on this trip. Yeah, which is crazy.
00:23:18
Speaker
Yeah. All right. It was the only park in, like, mainland Europe that I ended up at. And I want to say you're there, like, maybe five days before me or something like Something like that. Yeah. don't know, like, Sarah and Taylor were in Brussels area at the same time as well. Yep, yep.
00:23:34
Speaker
It was... Ridiculous. How many people were there? um So i don't know if you want to kind of like chime in a little bit at least about... Yeah, I can make some points and then do... I could talk about my personal experience at next episode. yeah We can talk about the rides.
00:23:50
Speaker
um Yeah. Meclodon. How amazing was that? So good. And so cute. Love the trains. Obsessed with the trains. The one rule about like your bags ride with you is That's awful. yeah Absurd. It's an airtime machine.
00:24:07
Speaker
yeah I don't understand. I think that's the park. like they knew what like They ordered a ride and then didn't realize what some of the elements would do. yeah and They're like, oh, it's ah it's a family coaster, so it's not going to be too intense.
00:24:20
Speaker
but then oh no There's some elements that like yeah that things are going to fly out. Yeah, my bag was definitely floating a little bit. yeah I didn't have a bag, but I could see yeah people being frustrated about it.
00:24:32
Speaker
um But no. Fantastic ride. i That's one of my favorite Gerstlauers, period. It's probably my top five Gerstlauers. like Very comparable to like Big Bear Mountain kind of thing.
00:24:45
Speaker
We need more coasters like that in the US. Yeah. then i My ironic lament when I was there was, well, we can talk about Quantum Accelerator and that true disaster. Well.
00:24:58
Speaker
um I'm like my big thing with quantum accelerator, like when before they announced the ride, i was like, oh, I hope it's been 10 years for six, six flags, New England. I wish they made it like locally themed.
00:25:10
Speaker
And here's Mecladon, a family multi launch, same different manufacturer, but same type of ride that New England wanted. And it's themed to like a fishing dock and and sharks.
00:25:23
Speaker
And you you see like that whole area and you're like, that reminds me of New England. Why didn't we get that? What the hell? Because it's amazing. And I, you know, quantum accelerator could be great, but it's good.
00:25:38
Speaker
I don't think it's going be mechaladon. Yeah, no, agree.
00:25:43
Speaker
That's a whole different. ah Yeah. whole different conversation. Yeah. Yeah. um Let's see. Turbine. Love Turbine. That thing tripped me up a little bit.
00:25:54
Speaker
That is like maybe the darkest coaster I've ever been on. Like pitch black. Yeah. That was my short um first short cup shuttle loop.
00:26:05
Speaker
Same here. Yep. Never went on Montezuma. so Yep. it was It was wild. I really enjoyed that. Awesome. Awesome. um We'll get to condo last. yeah I am very curious about your thoughts of Loop Guru.
00:26:21
Speaker
Um, so I'm going to spoil my video a little bit. Um, I did little skit where I got up pulled out a phone I said, RMC, help.
00:26:33
Speaker
Cause that needs to be an RMC. It's not, it, okay, go ahead. I did not hate it. I didn't hate it. It just does nothing. Yeah. It was very weird in that it's smooth, but bouncy.
00:26:46
Speaker
Yeah. That's, that's accurate. It was very strange, but a but and you're riding on a couch which is nice yeah that was weird it was a very it was just it was strange in a fun way we just cackled laughing the whole time oh i was alone so maybe that's why i was maybe little more grumpy about it but and i waited 40 minutes for it and i'm pretty sure so i mean whatever i'm gonna get into it a little bit um If there were 5,000 people in that park, I was maybe one of 100 that was over the age of 18. Jeez.
00:27:19
Speaker
geez Yeah, it was. And in that line specifically, I was maybe one of five people over the age of 18. Wow. For 40 minutes. It was hell. but the right Yeah, it was. I mean, it was rough, but not like incredibly rough.
00:27:35
Speaker
It was a good layout, unique layout. Hence why I'm like RMCing it as I'm riding. Yeah. know And um my point was, if you have a new RMC with Konda, I'll be at Wild of the Park every other year.
00:27:53
Speaker
Yeah. um I was told Vampire was one of the worst SLCs. I had no issue with it. No. I think it was the... I called it the best of the bulky restraint SLCs.
00:28:10
Speaker
Yeah, I can kind of see that. mean, it's not great. Yeah, but it's an SLC. I've been on worse. I went on a worse SLC not too long after. so in England?
00:28:22
Speaker
No. Oh. Where? We'll get to that. Okay, we'll get there. yeah Skip it ahead. Yeah. Condor. Condor. Oh my god.
00:28:35
Speaker
I think we only got like three rides on it. The whole area is stunning. Oh my god, that maybe is my favorite front entrance of a coaster. Yeah. Incredible. ah Everything I want in a coaster.
00:28:48
Speaker
yeah i i think we rode towards the back all all three times. um ah About five or six days later, discovered a giant bruise on my thigh, and I'm pretty sure it's from Honda.
00:28:59
Speaker
Probably. It was on my left thigh, and when you go down that hill, you are thrown to the right. Did it remind you of Skyrush a little bit? Like the kink? A little bit. Yeah, that was my first thought.
00:29:12
Speaker
And that was also in my debate because I'm like, well, I think Skyrush was my second favorite Intamin before Kanda. And now, well, it might be Kanda. Could be another one I wrote in here.
00:29:24
Speaker
I'll save that discussion. But um yeah, that was insane. ah it's It's so good. The mix of floater and ejector air time hills. Amazing. cause a Phenomenal layout.
00:29:38
Speaker
Um, just like ah you said, the presentation of that building, the the music in the station, like those drums going off, like the station itself is gorgeous. Like it pumps you up. And I think I wrote my very first ride was in the back row just by luck.
00:29:54
Speaker
Uh, wrote four times. I, the third ride, fourth, third or fourth ride. I was a single rider. I just flat out asked the app. I'm like, I'm here one day. Can I wait for front? And.
00:30:06
Speaker
He gave that like thought process and then he's like, yeah, I think you can go now. Yeah, let's go. So I got a front row ride. Nice. I don't know which I like better. they both There's positives to both.
00:30:19
Speaker
Kanda's in my top 15 right now, for sure. i will I will save my ranking. Well, not my full rankings, but I know um somebody did ask for like my top four coasters where I end up ranking them.
00:30:32
Speaker
I will save that for that part of the episode. Same. And overall, like i the beginning of my Europe trip. And as I started hitting like all the bucket list coasters, I was ranking them as I went.
00:30:43
Speaker
Eventually I'm like, I got to stop doing that. Cause recency bias is playing. And now I have officially said, I'm not even thinking about rankings until like the fall.
Ireland Adventures and Travel Challenges
00:30:53
Speaker
Not even going to play with that.
00:30:55
Speaker
I did like preliminarily rank the like five coasters from the trip. And we'll see. um We'll see if it sticks. Um, My one thing about condo is like there was one of the rides where I had a good amount of room.
00:31:08
Speaker
And at the end of it, I said, I don't know what the point of this thing having a seat is because my butt did not touch it once during that ride. Yeah. Yeah. It's it's it's a masterpiece.
00:31:19
Speaker
Yeah.
00:31:21
Speaker
Try to think any other highlights from Wallaby Belgium. and We just had a good day at that park. Good. Very nice. It's beautiful. Like I was sp surprised.
00:31:33
Speaker
Yeah, got every single credit. I did not.
00:31:39
Speaker
but I missed one. The boomerang. Oh, wow. Once again, I was told that that was one of the worst boomerangs, and ah it was not. It actually looks nice. i like the wear the paint scheme in that area.
00:31:51
Speaker
Yeah. Oh, we did the Popcorns Revenge Ride. i don't know if you did that. That was a lot of fun. not of time for that, no. I know Sarah got a... don't know if she you've seen her... Yeah, I heard ah the stuff. Oh, from the live stream, yeah. yeah we We saw the stuffed versions in the park, and I was very close to getting one. I'm like, I can't fit this in my bag this early on.
00:32:08
Speaker
Yeah. It's like I'm missing a... I mean, we got Pulsar. I literally have RCDB up for right now. Tikiwaka was fun. yeah, Tikiwaka. That was my first ever Gerset Hour bobsled coaster.
00:32:21
Speaker
It was not for me. no Fun pilot. Phenomenal. Yeah, we did fun pilot. yeah well Oh, Calamity Mine. There we go. That was phenomenal mine train. That was great.
00:32:33
Speaker
was Big Thunder Mountain. like i'm like i'm on It was better than T-Move, Big Thunder Mountain. But it felt like ah this weird weird reality where same trains, same theme, but a different layout.
00:32:47
Speaker
I just remember I made a ah really dumb joke in line. Because like you know the whole thing's over water. And there was a bottle of Fanta. And that's a whole other thing. The Fanta in Europe. ah We have a thing. Give us this day our daily Fanta. Oh, I need to talk about the food that we had there too.
00:33:02
Speaker
One second. But there was a bottle of Fanta in the in the lake or whatever. And I look over at Nate and I'm like, is this the real life? Or is this just fantasy? Oh my god.
00:33:14
Speaker
And he just wanted to smack me. um The cringe. Yeah. Yeah. But ah we had something to eat there. i don't even know what it was called. I think they just called it like some kind of burger.
00:33:24
Speaker
But it was like a chicken sandwich with a Belgian waffle for the bun. Some kind of like Thousand Island dressing or something on it. It was the messiest thing I've had in a long time.
00:33:35
Speaker
it was so good. I would have done that without the dressing. But that so here's the thing. i especially when I'm alone, um I don't eat in the parks very rarely. So I did have a waffle snack, just a straight up waffle. Yeah.
00:33:50
Speaker
I mean, they're intelligent. We have to. Oh, yeah. No, but especially when I was doing my cred run and it was a busy day when I went. Yeah. I just have a big breakfast and then a big dinner and that's that. Yeah.
00:34:02
Speaker
It was a place like right under Meclodon. I was like right by the little like slalom run of Meclodon. Oh, OK. But delicious. Recommend.
00:34:14
Speaker
Yeah. Wally Belgium. Great. Yep. I mean, I'll talk about the other Wallaby and next episode. was going to say, want you to know you've been to, what, two years ago?
00:34:24
Speaker
Three years ago. Three years ago. That was already three years ago. Like, literally, it might have been like three years ago today. oh no way. ah so Approximately. um We had some fun on the ah flight over to Dublin, where our flight was delayed two and a half, three hours on Ryanair, which was its own thing. And um we were...
00:34:45
Speaker
if we had kept our original car rental in Ireland, ah that place was not open when we landed. and like the flight also was just, we were in an exit row on a Boeing on a Ryan air and there was no air conditioning on this thing. It was a mess. And we were basically like, when we landed, we're like, we are either going to barely by the skin of our teeth, make this car rental reservation, or we're going to sleep in the airport.
00:35:11
Speaker
Oh yeah. I remember the saga on your, Instagram stories. we We got it figured out. It was a mess. So who drove? Nate. Had he driven before?
00:35:22
Speaker
Yes. He had driven on that side of the road. um So he was the only one who was driven on that side of the road and could drive a manual. Oh, and a manual. Oh, forget it. we weren't We didn't originally have a manual, but when we had to rebook a different car rental place that was still open when we landed, we had to get a manual. Oh, what a nightmare. Oh, God. I would have been panicking so much.
00:35:42
Speaker
It was rough. And then like we got we stayed at a place called Killing Castle. OK, it was really cool. But ah we got there after the ah front office closed. So we had to like Mike called them from the Brussels airport. of Like we are landing after you guys are closed.
00:35:56
Speaker
But they were they were fantastic. Put some keys into Dropbox for us. Able get into our hotel. Oh, thank God. And that is where I will.
00:36:06
Speaker
Send it back to you. Back to me. And I'll pick it up back in. All right. Back back back to Utah. so We're going be all over the place here. huh So let's see. After Salt Lake City. Oh, I want to shout out my friend Jeff.
00:36:18
Speaker
um He invited me to stay with his family in Park City at their beautiful timeshare, which was awesome. Very cool. I got to hang out with Jeff, actually, in the UK. Oh, yeah. Yeah. He was on your trip, too. That's right. yeah Actually, this was the day before Lagoon, so flip up the days.
00:36:34
Speaker
ah no After Lagoon, now, I could have stayed the whole operating hours, but i just I was driving to my next park, Glenwood, which I literally just said was over four hours away.
00:36:47
Speaker
I think I forever have PTSD of driving rental cars at night after I hit my deer two years ago. So I'm like, I am leaving at four.
00:36:58
Speaker
So I do not have to drive through the Rocky Mountains ah in the dark. Yeah. Because I just know something would pop out. ah So I got to the Colorado border. I stayed in what what was some random middle of nowhere town right on the Utah-Colorado border. Rangeley, Colorado. Look it up.
00:37:18
Speaker
Population probably like a thousand. Let's see. Population. How do you spell that? R-A-N-G-E-L-Y. Rangeley.
00:37:30
Speaker
I think I still just spelled it wrong. with It was a very, very barren draft. That's for sure. It was great. Population of Rangeley, Colorado, 2,286 as was pretty close though.
00:37:43
Speaker
Anyway, Glenwood Caverns the next day. I met up with two people I'd never met, but were all in the Coastal Studios Patreon. um Anthony and Ernie. um I actually spent the rest of the trip, or at least the park days, with them.
00:37:57
Speaker
um And we had a great day at Glenwood Caverns. It was my second visit there. That was also a stop on our cross-country road trip in 2020. But it was my first ever time on Defiance.
00:38:11
Speaker
They're a good star Eurofighter. The views are insane. I mean, that is that has the best views of any park in the US. It looks like it. But like, it's not even a debate like and if you get a clear day, which we had all I could rave for hours about how beautiful Glenwood is.
00:38:31
Speaker
And Defiance was fun. It's very, very short. That's for sure. I wish it didn't have over the shoulders. Yeah. But it's still a good ride. I wouldn't say it's some people say, oh, it's so rough. It's not so rough. Like it's a Eurofighter.
00:38:49
Speaker
And then obviously we did all like the crazy rides like ah the Canyon Swing, which was amazing. Anthony. Scream and Swing, right? What's that?
00:38:59
Speaker
Scream and Swing. Yeah, yeah. Right over the edge. Crystal Tower, which was the former Haunted Mine Drop. I will go on record and saying that is probably the scariest drop tower in the US.
00:39:13
Speaker
It's only like 120 feet tall, but the drop is so perfect, like and takes you gets gets you completely off guard. The theming is great in there.
00:39:25
Speaker
I cannot recommend that attraction enough. It's terrifying. Um, road cliffhanger for the first time, which was great. A surprisingly good ride. There's like, there's like almost like a dive loop.
00:39:37
Speaker
You don't go upside down, but you get close. Like it's that like crazy of a turn. um Yeah, no, we spent like a few hours at Glenwood. Great time. Beautiful day. We got a little tour of the Defiance shop.
00:39:51
Speaker
oh but Yeah. By our friend Arthur. um Yeah. No, Glenwood's great. I wish I was closer. I would go there every year if, you if I was within like a four hour drive, it's top tier.
00:40:04
Speaker
One day I'll get there. Yeah, you will. You'll probably one day do the same trip that I did. Yeah, true. It's a weird trip. like Denver, Colorado, it's just like they're far away and there's a lot of credits, but they're all like atypical.
00:40:21
Speaker
There's no B&M's. There's no Intimate. I forgot. A lot of credits in manufacturers that you wouldn't expect. Yeah, I don't think I realized ah really paid attention to that. There's a no B&M's.
00:40:34
Speaker
In that region. I mean, Lagoon, a lot of it's in-house. That's, you know. And then Elitch is a couple of a co- well, I'll get to Elitch next. Glenwood was great. um Then that night I drove to Denver.
00:40:49
Speaker
The Glenwood Springs to Denver Drive may be the best highway drive in the States. Like an interstate, I-70. Mountains, mountains, mountains, mountains, the whole drive.
00:41:01
Speaker
Incredible. You get up to an elevation of like 11,000 feet at one point. Damn. It's, ugh. Cannot recommend that drive enough. And then I think I've mentioned on the podcast that one of my bigger than any goal for coasters is I need to see a game at every Major League Baseball stadium.
US Park Visits and Engagement Stories
00:41:21
Speaker
And I got my first ever visit to Coors Field in Denver. which was my 18th stadium. 12 to go. I cannot even tell you what the team is over there.
00:41:34
Speaker
The Colorado Rockies. Ah, okay. I made a funny pun because the stadium actually, you can see the actual Colorado Rockies in the distance while watching the Colorado Rockies baseball team.
00:41:47
Speaker
And they are currently on pace for the worst record in the history of baseball. And they did indeed lose to the New York Mets. But it was great. Beautiful beautiful stadium. like Top five that I've ever been to.
00:41:58
Speaker
The sunset over the mountains is like I was like shedding a tear. It was heaven. Baseball heaven. Not only the team was better. Yeah, not so much. Yeah, they're like, as we're speaking, like 21 and 72, which is horrendous.
00:42:17
Speaker
I don't even know baseball, but I know that's not good. not good
00:42:23
Speaker
Yeah, and then I'm going to send it back over to you because I only have two more parks left. I have a lot more. You do. and we We're 40 minutes in and I'm on day three of my trip.
00:42:39
Speaker
Of the first trip. At least we're into the UK-Ireland part. Yes. um So we, like said, we stayed at the Killing Castle Hotel.
00:42:52
Speaker
And there is actually, it is on the grounds of a castle. So we woke up and went and checked out the castle, took a little walk over there. Very cool. Very pretty. I felt like it made me, I actually felt like I was in Ireland.
00:43:04
Speaker
Shocker. Ireland. Yeah. I still need to go to Ireland. It was cool. Bucket list for me. Um, took our, our, uh, we called it the Irish natty van. Um, we took that over to Emerald and i think we stayed like 20 minutes from Emerald park.
00:43:19
Speaker
Um, There were some ah very narrow roads. And when you're turned on the wrong side of the road and then you turn a corner and then suddenly there's a semi-truck right there. jeez.
00:43:30
Speaker
It was terrifying. Yeah. And we were not in a small vehicle. But ah we only screamed a few times, so it was fine.
00:43:40
Speaker
We yeah we got every got everywhere in one piece, thanks to Nate. There we go. I stopped at a coffee shop, too. It was nice. As you should. Yes. um So Emerald Park... was over yeah I hear Alex like sitting up in his seat like oh they're talking Emeril let's go forgot he loves that place oh yeah um very cute park ah overrun the school children that day always fun oh so many ah best themed visa spinner I've ever been on so okay yeah that was the first thing we did let me pull up our CDB again it's Lady Bird Loop it was very cute um
00:44:19
Speaker
Yeah, we did that. We did, like, all the kids' coasters first because we knew that those lines were going to be horrendous, so we tried to get them done as quick as we could. We did not make rope drop because we were just very slow getting out that morning.
00:44:31
Speaker
i Yeah, I can imagine. ah We also got in very late, as is a trend for most of this trip. um Flight school is cute.
00:44:44
Speaker
and like The theming for that's really cute because like you it's kind of themed to, like, an airport and you like the entrances arrivals and then the exit path is departures. That's cute. Yeah, I'm looking at it now.
00:44:55
Speaker
I flip flop that, but we did Dino Dash where you get surprise hit in the face with water. That was a lot of fun. ah yeah um The Ternanog, whatever area that the new area.
00:45:12
Speaker
Gorgeous. Loved it. um So like they have the family boomerang and quests. kind of integrated with the Fianna Force suspended thrill coaster.
00:45:26
Speaker
Fianna Force was fantastic. I loved it. Unbelievable. ah So good. ah Very, very strong positives. I was getting the feet tingles.
00:45:36
Speaker
Lots of airtime in there. It was fantastic. It was like... their tribe hu ah and Yeah,
00:45:46
Speaker
super comfortable Goes over like the quest station. Or like through the quest station. When you're loading. I loved it. I think we read it like three or four times. Something like that. um But I love that whole area.
00:46:01
Speaker
was a lot of fun watching and taking pictures. ah And then. then i don't I never know how to pronounce it. Kukulain? two one Yeah that works for me. who call Whatever it is. yeah um I am not.
00:46:14
Speaker
shy about the fact that i have a very strong distaste for timberliners and this was no exception ah i think um my words when i got off were a great layout absolutely ruined by timberliners damn yeah have you yes you've been on hades yeah similar yeah same thing oh they i don't know what it is. it just pinches my hips and my thighs weird and it is not comfortable and it just vibrates the entire time.
00:46:47
Speaker
so i feel like Timberliners, when they're not on the family, like the Wooden Warriors, the Oscars, the Kentucky Flyers, if they're not on that layout, I can't think of one that's like actually smooth.
00:47:01
Speaker
yeah Yeah. I don't even really remember much about the layout because I was too... hating my life on the timberliners did you only ride once yeah only rode once um yeah we didn't spend like a huge amount of time at the park because we had a flight with about 50 buzz bars members all on the same flight from dublin to london that's when this started yeah uh yeah we had was kind of an add-on for our stumble across the pond uk trip so i think we probably had about 45 50 of us in ireland
00:47:34
Speaker
in ireland um On the way back to the airport, we stopped at some pub right outside the airport so people in our group could get their Guinness in Ireland. Of course, yeah. I took one sip of Guinness and I was like, yep, that is not for me.
00:47:48
Speaker
Oh, yeah, I would never. Megan would love it. I took a sip to say I had a sip of Guinness in Ireland because I felt like I had to. That's all you need. Yeah, but no, Emerald Park was cute.
00:48:00
Speaker
One more sip than I would take. yeah But as a whole, Emerald Park was very cute. I wish there were less kids. I know other people in our group had more issues with the kids. Like defacing their property. Basically.
00:48:13
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. i had a few old man yells at cloud about children in Europe. Yeah. That's what we get for traveling there in summer.
00:48:25
Speaker
to i mean, and not to listen, we do things. Something's worse in America. We do some things better. We need to integrate a chaperone policies need to start yeah yeah i definitely agree um so we all flew over from dublin back to london and heathrow got to ride in a double-decker bus but and went to the one hotel where we were actually there more than one night we were there for three nights it was kind of our home base for a few days nice s airport um no airport no nice hotel is what i tried to say ah um
00:49:04
Speaker
So from there, we kind of started the group trip for the next five days where we all had these charter buses where those were another issue. Issue? there were we had ah Tom was not happy with that bus company for very good reason. i will not go into a lot of it. I was on the bus that was not quite as bad okay with the issues. But if you want to go hear about it, go listen to Drunk Riders or Spills, Chills, and Spills podcast where they go into very full detail about that.
00:49:33
Speaker
Oh, boy. yeah I just have the memory of our bus in Georgia, which is great. so yeah oh Also, update, never fell off the bus. Oh, yeah! I forgot about that. I did good. I did not fall the bus. There Pretty good.
00:49:50
Speaker
Yeah, I was very proud of myself. um So the next day, don't I guess I'll go through the next day and then the day after. get us up to Get us through the smaller parks and then we'll get to the big stuff, I guess.
00:50:03
Speaker
We'll figure out. um So the next day we went to Chessington. We had, well, one of the buses made it for ERT on Vampire. Oh, one. i was I was on the bus that made it um to ERT. So I read Vampire about 10 times.
00:50:18
Speaker
It great. like There's one, like there is one turn on it and every single person on that trip will know what turn it is. Or you just like, it meanders for a second and then it just like hard turn to the right.
00:50:33
Speaker
And it is very quick and aggressive. Gotta love Arrow. Yeah. those Those trains were interesting. Like, thinking how it used to be, like, standard suspended Arrow trains, and now they're not.
00:50:44
Speaker
It was very open and nice. Okay. But I enjoyed Vampire. It was fun. um Mandel Mayhem. I know a lot of people in our group did not like it. I was pleasantly surprised by it.
00:50:56
Speaker
I did not really know what to expect. I know it's not, like, a gatekeeper. But it was fun. No, no. Um, completely forgot that it launched backwards to start. Oh, you spoiled it.
00:51:09
Speaker
Oh, I was going to say my line that I can't be involved in any yeah UK discussion because you're going spoil everything. That's true. Already ruined that. Yeah. Well, I guess you got to get to Emerald Park and forget anything I've said.
00:51:22
Speaker
Um, it was a lot of fun though. Um, just different sensations on that thing. Would you call it a family coaster? thats Yeah, I think so. Yeah. Okay.
00:51:34
Speaker
I mean, it's like and teetering that line between family and thrill. It always bothered me calling anything with an inversion a family coaster. but it just It has the one inversion. it doesn't take it super fast. ah It kind of meanders up that spiral, which is odd.
00:51:48
Speaker
Yeah, that that does look like a very weird. it's just It's strange, but you know, it was fun. It wasn't bad. It was not rough.
00:51:59
Speaker
Rattlesnake exists. Wrote it once and forgot about it. Yeah. Dragon's Fury was a lot of fun. The ops there were great and like super having fun with our group, asking where everybody was from.
00:52:12
Speaker
We happened to be like with Javi and he's like, Costa Rica, what? yeah it was It was good. We got some good spins on it. Fun layout. Enjoyed it. ah We did the croc drop thing.
00:52:26
Speaker
Drop tower. That was awesome. It looks nice. it looks nice It looks nice. It does not do much outside of Yeah, I mean, it's it's very tiny, right? Yeah, it was cute.
00:52:37
Speaker
Trying to think what else we did. like we did There was a dark ride there that we did, a like a shooting dark ride that I think we did a couple times.
00:52:45
Speaker
Where Nate was saying he was so good at this game and he was going to like get an ultimate high score. or Maybe it was Mike who said that. Somebody like wrote it a second time they're like, I know how to beat this and then did worse the second time and blamed it on the gun. I think it was Mike for that one.
00:52:59
Speaker
um Food there was really good. I had like a Some kind of like po' boy. Like a pulled pork po' boy or something like that. So much food. It was good. um You said the food was really good in the UK. That's shocking.
00:53:14
Speaker
That was one of the better meals, I think.
00:53:19
Speaker
Yeah. Something like that. Chestington, was really cute. Well-themed. not Obviously not a huge amount of coasters there. But still enjoyed our day. um After that, we went into London.
00:53:30
Speaker
Did a... um Little river cruise on the Thames, like a site one of the sightseeing cruise things. Got to see all the got to see the London Bridge. Take some fun pictures. Tower Bridge or London Bridge?
00:53:43
Speaker
Oh, shoot. Whichever one. The famous one the one? Yeah, I guess it's Tower Bridge. There are a lot of bridges. you know where the actual London Bridge is? Yeah, but it fell down.
00:53:56
Speaker
Here's the trivia question of the day. I said I wasn't going to give a trivia question. Where is the actual London Bridge? I'll give you 10 seconds. I don't think Allison knows. I don't know. It fell down, obviously, according to the nursery rhyme.
00:54:07
Speaker
It's in Arizona. What? Yes. Look it up. The original London Bridge is in Arizona. I feel like maybe we talked about that on the trip. I could be wrong. Nope. Anyway. um But after that, um group kind of split up. Mike went and did like a soccer stadium tour of London because that's what he did and went and got the plus one.
00:54:26
Speaker
ah didn't care enough. Yeah. It was my first time in London and I've dreamed of going to London for 20 years. So I went and saw the very touristy things. Oh yeah, you got it. Went saw, you know, Big Ben.
00:54:37
Speaker
um London Eye? We could see it, but we didn't go right. We didn't have time. But we like walked over to Buckingham Palace and saw the guards. Oh yeah. All that fun stuff. see Eight at ah Westminster Arms.
00:54:52
Speaker
Something like that. Some historic place. I don't know. We thought it was busy and then we went upstairs and there was nobody up there. ah We had a good group of us. I like a chicken Caesar salad burger or something. Oh. Not bad. I didn't do much of the stereotypical stuff.
00:55:06
Speaker
um I did do fish and chips in Blackpool. Okay. So. At least you get one. yeah Like it was my last day in the UK. I should probably have that at least.
00:55:20
Speaker
So yeah, I got back on buses, went back to the hotel, and then the next day we went over to Poulton's Park. Poulton. I was... Pleasantly surprised by this park.
00:55:31
Speaker
Okay. um yeah i Well, they got a lot of credits there. Holy crap. Yeah, they do. just about to say There's actually quite a bit there. um Things that are just a lot of fun, well-themed. Storm Chaser, I guess, is their newest one.
00:55:44
Speaker
Cute little spinner. The only Storm Chaser in the world. Yeah, it's true now.
00:55:51
Speaker
Wind Chaser. Wind Chaser. It was a lot of fun. Very nice. Nice American theming. Love it. So was it like all Western? Yeah. Of course. Let's Caterpillar was like some weird, it was like trippy. Oh god, this freaking Zero Car.
00:56:10
Speaker
Yeah, it was very trippy and like weird animal combinations of things. They were all like punny and I tried to figure them out but I couldn't figure them out. um Flight of the Pterosaur is their family Vekoma suspended? Something like that. Whatever they are.
00:56:28
Speaker
One of the good ones. It was a lot of fun. call them SFCs. Yeah. That one was actually ah lot of fun. We enjoyed it. Good forces. Good theming. Looks beautiful.
00:56:42
Speaker
I hit 650 on Velociraptor. Just because Velocity. Well, actually, it was like three of us lined it up to get a milestone together. So John Mike hit 500. hit 650. And then i hit six fifty and then gary Oh, God.
00:56:58
Speaker
insane person he is hit 1,400. Jesus. All of us hit it on the same ride. i was just going to say, like, oh, I remember when we were all of us were, like, at 200 and 300, and over 500 and 600.
00:57:10
Speaker
Gary just, he couldn't go. The fact that me and John Mike have since also hit more milestones and still don't have combined what Gary has. It's insane. Yeah. We love you, Gary.
00:57:21
Speaker
You're maniac. Yep. Um... Fun little family boomerang. Smack my hand on a brush on a bush. ah it's hot Audibly.
00:57:32
Speaker
Yep. um Did their Gerstlauer bobsled Cobra. That thing was fun. Good air time on that. I've been on more Gerstlauer bobsleds than I thought.
00:57:43
Speaker
They're building Eurofighter. They were teasing that whole area and it's going to look fantastic. was going to say I'm looking at the concept art. They were actively working in the station for Cobra. There were drills...
00:57:54
Speaker
being used in the station for Cobra. Cause I think they're redoing that one as well to match that theme. Um, what else do we do there? We did the disco.
00:58:07
Speaker
you count it? No, that was my first like extended disco. And I'm like, I will ride it and see what I got off. like I think we went through like the first run and I'm like, no, it's never done a disco ever.
00:58:21
Speaker
It was fine. There's a bee that was hanging out that I was watching the whole time. You would. I don't like bees, okay? oh
00:58:35
Speaker
I forgot what I did for food. We got like a food voucher and I like upgraded something. It a really good garlic dip that I had. Okay. I can screw with that.
00:58:47
Speaker
and sure Sure. Garlic always has my heart. Oh, yeah. I don't remember anything else significant at Paltons. It was just a cute park.
00:58:58
Speaker
Very nice. Lots of gardens. Oh, I think they had a ah
00:59:03
Speaker
um like a ah very odd shooting dark ride. like The system was very weird where like the thing like you're rotating to like different screens or something like that and it's like part screens, part like practical effects.
00:59:18
Speaker
Ghostly Manor, I think it's called. Maybe that's similar to the one we did at Legendia.
00:59:26
Speaker
i don't know neither of us would know um was gonna say i i think there was i think i skipped the dark ride at legendia when i was there i like i was just hit with like i am not feeling well no well talk about that next week yeah um so after paulton's we took a drive over to stonehenge oh okay where absolutely nothing exciting happened. Anything happened there?
00:59:52
Speaker
Yeah, just bunch of rocks, right? Yeah, just a bunch of rocks. And then I was also given another rock when Mike proposed there. Hey, let's go! Well, right at the hour mark, almost timed it perfectly.
01:00:04
Speaker
I planned it that way. Congratulations, Allison. Thank much. I've been waiting. I've been waiting. That's amazing. I was wearing my inverted creative podcast shirt. I saw. I saw. So I think y'all are literally the first people I texted. I'm like, look what shirt I'm wearing when it happened. Yeah, I was like, holy...
01:00:19
Speaker
I almost want to say because it's engagement, but you know. so So, full disclosure, and he knows this now, I knew he had a ring when his stepmom let it slip one time, and I um pretended to ignore that fact.
01:00:35
Speaker
And i continued to ask when he was going to buy me or ring. um But no, I knew he had one, and i had suspicions he was going to propose on the trip. hu I had narrowed it down to three possible places.
01:00:48
Speaker
And then I told him later what those three possible places I had in mind were. He's like, yep, those are the exact three I was thinking of. And I'm like, cool. I know us. um Meant to be. so I was not fully expecting Stonehenge.
01:01:01
Speaker
I mean, I was because it was one of the three. I figured he would do it at a park. Knowing us. But I respect that he didn't. I actually like that. It made for a lot of fun puns.
01:01:13
Speaker
Go ahead. Go ahead. What the, uh, Saw some rocks and then got one of my own. oh guy yeah There it is. Which I already used when, you know. Fair. um I figured it out 10 seconds before he did it.
01:01:26
Speaker
Because we there's like a section where you go up a little, like a lot closer to the rocks or whatever, better viewpoint. And then suddenly Nate and John Mike had their cameras out and they're like, let's take another picture real quick. Like, you want some more pictures? Yeah.
01:01:40
Speaker
You know, that kind of thing. And then I saw him reach in his pocket and I'm like, okay, yep, that's about to happen. but That is amazing. So, of course, in the video, you know, he gets down on one knee and I very audibly say the full word, but I say I effing knew it.
01:01:55
Speaker
yeah And then we had a giant group hug and celebrated. And then we went to exit through the gift shop. yeah Hey, they there there's your connection to a theme park. yeah They knew of a gift shop. And, of course, like there was a shirt that just said and I had been making this joke a lot. There was a shirt that just said rocks.
01:02:13
Speaker
Rocks. I held up my hand. my Boom. Rocks. I ring next to And I'm like, really? Rocks? Yeah. Here's a real rock. um um well Well done, Mullet. Nope. How stereotypical. mean, I don't know. Kind of stereotypical to propose in front of a famous European landmark. i don't know who else would have done that.
01:02:31
Speaker
Yeah. But yeah, now and I would never do that. Yeah. How's the Eiffel Tower, by the way? Eiffel Tower's...
01:02:40
Speaker
Yep. Yep. That happened. God, six years ago already. Yep. No, that's that. I am very, very, very happy for you, too. Thank you. we We're very excited. And of course, like we went and got back on the ah the charter bus. And right before we get on the bus, I hear John Mike being like, get ready, get ready from inside the bus. so And so we were cheering when we got on the bus.
01:03:02
Speaker
So I'm going to ask. Of the three of you, you, Mullet and John Mike, who cried the most? And I would guess it was John Mike. Yeah. Yeah. yeah i figured that yeah so there's a really good video clip like right after and just like john mike just starts jumping up and down like screaming like yeah and then mike's like the rings for her not you yeah it was fun but very very cool to have everybody present for it yeah i know that's an insanely special moment yeah it was awesome um it is a
01:03:37
Speaker
London blue topaz is there is the, uh, London. Okay. how but That's appropriate. um Fitting through London, but also, his favorite soccer team in the UK is Chelsea and their thing is London is blue.
01:03:49
Speaker
Perfect. Yeah. So he knew one, he knew all. didn't know that. I didn't know the man had it in him. ah Yeah.
01:03:57
Speaker
So yeah, now I'm a well in the throes of wedding planning already. Yeah. As you you've been telling us. Yes. Yes. um right that's podcast we don't care about anything else now yeah i know that's all we wanted to talk about have a good one um so yeah that was fun uh i went back to we had a nice long drive back to london um you know called my parents and let them know the news um went to you know what i did to celebrate we went to tesco Nice. No, we just needed we needed like some toiletries for partway through the trip, so we took a bus over to Tesco, ah went and had dinner in the ah hotel sports bar, and then proceeded to have mini drinks.
01:04:39
Speaker
Well, yeah. Because Javi showed up and gave me a vat of rum and coke to drink. Oh, boy. There we go. But didn't go too hard because, you know, had another early morning the next day. You got to celebrate a little bit, though.
01:04:51
Speaker
Yeah. we We definitely had some drinks, had some I a salad, I think, for dinner. don't know. They didn't have a lot of food there.
01:05:00
Speaker
Yeah. hello That was my major news from the trip. I was going to say, yeah, it's hard hard to top that. Hard to top that. I think they had that Trump's any roller coaster. No offense.
01:05:13
Speaker
but's So I can kick it back from that to a wonderful park in Denver. I was going to say, from Allison getting engaged to me going to Elytch Gardens.
01:05:25
Speaker
What a transition. That's a hell of a segue. Oh, yeah, baby. Elytch Gardens is a park in Denver, Colorado. And also, you you also saw some Rockies.
01:05:39
Speaker
Yeah, this is the rock-themed podcast episode. um Well, this this just rocks. it Okay, we're going to stop. It's so cringing. Anyway, Elitch Gardens. I've got say the front entrance is beautiful.
01:05:53
Speaker
The walkway into the park is great. Is that the best part? Yep. be The rollercoaster lineup may be the worst in the country.
01:06:05
Speaker
Has an awful Fekoma SLC. and minor racer. It has a ah tolerable boomerang, but still it's one of those parks to have a boomerang and an SLC. They have a half pipe, which is probably the best coaster in the park.
01:06:23
Speaker
They have a 1995 wooden coaster called Twister three. That looks like it was built in 1895. ninety five It was close. Unfortunately, that was my first missed credit of the entire trip so far.
01:06:36
Speaker
Oh, I had heard rumors like the day before that I guess it hasn't been open like all year. So I don't know what's going on with the wooden coasters of Colorado, but they're both struggling.
01:06:47
Speaker
um We had just missed Sidewinder, which is their Arrow Shuttle Loop, which was closed for years, but actually just recently reopened like last week or something.
01:06:58
Speaker
Same with Diamondback at Frontier City, which thankfully i do have that credit. So I have been on that model before. ah Best, excuse me Best ride in the park was but the Meow Wolf Dark Ride, which was extremely trippy, but very fun.
01:07:14
Speaker
I remember seeing that on a Riley's vlog. Oh, yeah, you went to Elitch. I forgot. Instead of Silver Dollar City. ah Yeah, Elitch is definitely a park where you go once, get the credit, probably never go back.
01:07:34
Speaker
Unless they somehow, well, they might be moving the park again. That it's weird because it's like one of the only parks that's like right downtown in a major city in the US. Like you don't see that too often.
01:07:46
Speaker
Yeah. Like you see the skyline, you see all the sports arenas around you. So that's kind of cool. But yeah, it was a visit. It was a park of all time. It was definitely a park of all time.
01:07:58
Speaker
But then the next park was Lakeside. I came in with the lowest of expectations. I've heard the park is a dump. We arrive there. I'm like, this park is a dump.
01:08:13
Speaker
Because the entrance, at least where we entered, is right in the kiddie section. And it's just all these, like, run-down, like, carnival flat rides. Some aren't operating. Some look like they've just been sitting there for 10 years.
01:08:28
Speaker
There's, like, empty lots everywhere. You can see, like, old ride vehicles just, like, chilling in the corner. It, like, it needs help. Like, the buildings are all, like, run down.
01:08:41
Speaker
But then as we walk a little further into the park, the charm started to show a little bit. Like, the ride signs of all these attractions are, like, super old school.
01:08:53
Speaker
I've heard the place at night is a vibe. We unfortunately did not get to stay at night. But the longer I stayed at Lakeside, the more i'm like, this is one of the more, like, unique parks that I've ever been to.
01:09:04
Speaker
it's a beauty It's a beautiful mess. That's what I called it. love parks like that. it's we had I thought we would be there like an hour. like Get Cyclone, which is their Cyclone Galaxy.
01:09:19
Speaker
um um Wild Chipmunk. Oh my god. um The craziest, jankiest wild mouse I've ever been on.
01:09:32
Speaker
Imagine riding a wild mouse in like a toboggan style seat without any restraints. Oh, geez. No seatbelt. No restraints. You just hold on to bars.
01:09:43
Speaker
I thought when i they dispatched me that like they forgot something. And I was going to fly off that thing. Terrified. Like low key, one of the five most scariest roller coasters I've ever been on.
01:09:56
Speaker
It's like not painted. It's just like steel bars. Like you can see the structure swaying. Look up Wild Chipmunk. Yeah, I was literally just swapping over to It might be the best coaster in the state of Colorado.
01:10:12
Speaker
No offense to Defiance or Cliffhanger. but Is it like similar to like the ones at Little America or something like that? No, so those are Herschel. these are This a Myler.
01:10:23
Speaker
Yeah. I think the only other one I want to say is in Texas at... do Yeah, Wonderland.
01:10:33
Speaker
That one's at least painted.
01:10:37
Speaker
Yeah. But ah yeah, that was a time. We had such a good time. Again, shout out Anthony and Ernie again. Wild Shepnuck's amazing. um Took the train around. It's a really long train ride, like all around the lake.
01:10:50
Speaker
Beautiful shots of the park as well as a Walmart. Yeah. I actually really like Lakeside. It's definitely this.
01:11:01
Speaker
you You will have Way more fun of a time there than you will at Elitch Gardens. Noted. Whenever I go there. And then, of course, we we we unfortunately saw the 1940 Cyclone just sitting there rotting, which I believe is an Ace Coaster landmark. it The layout looks great.
01:11:20
Speaker
ah like I really hope they can find a way to reopen it because it looks actually really fun.
01:11:27
Speaker
Noted, they have a kiddie coaster you cannot ride if you are over the age of 12. which I did not know beforehand, so that was technically the second missed credit. Oh, that stinks.
01:11:37
Speaker
ah But only two missed credits, I think, of 22 possible of this Utah and Colorado trip. So in the quest for 100, I was still very much on pace going into Europe.
01:11:49
Speaker
It was a good time. there was that That was a trip that I had been like wanting to do for years. It was just like, ugh, do I want to spend that money to do coasters that... Other than Cannibal, there's not nothing really that screams like top even 100. Right.
01:12:03
Speaker
You know, um but it was great. It was great. It's a beautiful drives. Definitely make the effort, you know, one day. And especially for, i mean, Glenwood's the best park from like pure, like experience perspective.
01:12:17
Speaker
But it's, it's a, it's a fun drive. It's a fun time. Do the Utah and Colorado trip one day. One day. One day. And then I think, yeah, i literally went to the airport right after Lakeside.
01:12:29
Speaker
And that was that. And that was time to get ready for Europe.
European Theme Park Experiences
01:12:32
Speaker
Two weeks later. yeah i was going to say, how was your time frame between? Yeah, I want to say I got home like June 9th or 8th. And then I left for Europe the 23rd.
01:12:41
Speaker
so yeah, I was literally two weeks yet. Nice. But it was back. Like i was, that was my first Lagoon was my first park since early November of last year.
01:12:55
Speaker
Like over six months. I'm sure you were just glad to be back in it. I was cheering. Primordial was my first credit. I was tearing up in the lift hill. It was like, finally.
01:13:07
Speaker
Freaking finally. Yeah. yeah Good ah trial run for Europe, I'm sure. Oh, yeah. yeah Getting readjusted to walking through parks. lot of steps, yeah. that's It's funny. You look at my six-month step chart, it's like...
01:13:23
Speaker
Huge peaks from the cruise and then like a sharp like nothing in March. A small increase April and May and then June. It just completely spiked. Yeah. It's like a field goal post.
01:13:36
Speaker
All
01:13:38
Speaker
right. yeah That's my part until next episode. It's all you now. You do a couple questions for you. We'll get to that. Yeah. don't know if maybe we'll want to me go through a few more parks and then Yeah, if we want to break two hours and you have some big ones to talk about. so Yeah, we we might have two hours. i have a lot of parks still to go.
01:14:01
Speaker
All the bucket list parks still to go. Oh, boy. how like I'm scrolling through my list. I'm like, oh, gosh, I really did a lot. Yes, you did. Yeah. Okay. So our next day, we left our hotel in London. Yeah.
01:14:16
Speaker
yeah Yeah, we checked out of the hotel. um And then we went to Thorpe Park. You said so long London. Taylor Swift song. Anyway, go ahead. Yeah, don't know when the... Don't know that one.
01:14:31
Speaker
We both made song references about London. There we go. Noted. Did you see a London boy while you were there? Another Taylor Swift song. Anyway. I figured.
01:14:43
Speaker
Yeah, can't help. um Thorpe Park started out with a Stealth, which is open for us. We had heard rumblings that it might not be open.
01:14:54
Speaker
i feel like. Or I feel like it's been having issues. i don't know. But we did it first thing. um Got that launch sound that I've been hearing for years of the three, two, one, go, go, go. And then I kept referencing that the rest of the whole trip.
01:15:08
Speaker
Had core memory moment where ah Nate and I were having a staring contest when I was on the train and he was next in line. And right as we launched, I saluted at him and flew down to launch track. It was perfectly timed and made me happy.
01:15:21
Speaker
Um, God, I miss hydraulic launches. was gonna say, how does it compare to like Storm Runner? It doesn't, but it was nice to be back on one. And that's another one, like you're hitting the brakes as you get airtime on the little hill.
01:15:36
Speaker
It's kind of disappointing. I missed the 270 degree roll coming down. like, what do you mean you just turn 90 degrees and go down? right like I know. Um, Walking Dead was very interesting. I, uh, crammed into a car with MZ and
01:15:53
Speaker
It was an experience. I had no idea what to expect. i still don't really remember a whole lot it. Yeah, that one because I don't know what it does yet. and Yeah, I still don't really know what it does yet. It's very well themed.
01:16:07
Speaker
I will say that. Having never seen Walking Dead. I haven't seen Walking Dead either. ah Okay, cool. We did Nemesis Inferno next. um Very nice area. Very, very long queue.
01:16:21
Speaker
Well, longer than ah some other cues that I may have experienced. No, but it felt like it. into that oh lord I don't 100% remember like a lot of the layout. I know was good.
01:16:35
Speaker
ah enjoyed it. It just didn't have the notoriety as another nemesis I'd be riding the next night. The black cat that's ah laying there next to me.
01:16:47
Speaker
Although I did say if we get another cat, we could name it Fernie. Oh my god, Ferdy. um I think from there we did ah the Drop Tower Detonator. That thing was fun.
01:17:02
Speaker
That thing had a punch and we had a great view on it. I enjoyed that. ah We did Flying Fish. That existed. um I don't 100% remember the order of things, but i know we did the Ghost Train there.
01:17:16
Speaker
whatever it's called. What was the Ghost Train? i it's I don't want to spoil it. Okay. Because it's a very unique experience. It's more of an experience than a ride.
01:17:30
Speaker
um But it was, um you know, we were hanging out with some locals that day and they were like, if we're able to get on this with a short line, do it. Okay. and And it had like a 10 minute line when we walked by So we're like, all right, we're going to do this.
01:17:43
Speaker
ah Kelly was on it, I believe with us and living her best life. Oh, yeah, that makes sense. Yeah. yeah it was very It was very interesting. i was not originally wanting to do it. I'm like, I don't want to spend my time on this when I have everything else here.
01:17:58
Speaker
Sure. yeah know it But I'm glad we did it. It was very cool. um Swarm was a lot of fun. It's the wing coaster. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. I don't remember anything. My first ride on it was a rain ride, and I couldn't. e was a front row rain ride, and I couldn't see anything.
01:18:14
Speaker
Could not see what was happening, but rode it again later in the day. um We've gotten like one of their lowest tier fast pass thing. Things that we could ride earlier in the day on standby we did and then we went for rerides later.
01:18:28
Speaker
um Colossus can burn and I'd be happy. o i was wondering about one. Some people in our group were okay with it. I was not one of those people.
01:18:39
Speaker
ah The restraints suck. The trains suck. The layout sucks. I hit my head on the first drop. The barrel rolls... that your least favorite Intamin?
01:18:52
Speaker
I'd have to look at any other Intamins, but yeah, it's down there for sure. i The most annoying part, that right hand fantastic merch ah that I could not justify buying.
01:19:05
Speaker
No. It's viral. You just want to do that, the freaking foreign versions in a row. Oh, that was terrible. The best part about the ride was the very last roll that it did.
01:19:17
Speaker
like Separate from the four, it like turns and then does a turn the opposite direction, but it's like lower to the ground. And I love low to the ground barrels. Sure. That was the best part of the ride.
01:19:28
Speaker
yeah The best part of the ride was getting off of the ride and not having to ride it again. You and I'd probably be in the same place as you. have that That ride always like, oh am I going to like this thing? I don't like repeat inversions like that.
01:19:41
Speaker
Yeah. And it has cold roll. Good Lord. Yeah. Just the pain went on for a while. but I rode it, never have to ride it again We tried to get like that one like quintessential shot down the barrel rolls, but they built a taco restaurant right there.
01:19:58
Speaker
What? i know. And there's like a fence and like Mike was literally trying to like climb on some would block that view? I don't know. we could not get that view. I was so disappointed.
01:20:10
Speaker
Another reason to hate that ride. That's a classic like would you ride this moment. Yeah. Yep. Couldn't get the shot. I was very annoyed. Yeah, that is annoying. um I don't remember what I ate.
01:20:23
Speaker
We ate at some point, I think. Maybe. Probably. Fish and chips. Oh, we ate really, really bad pizza buffet. Oh, you can't get pizza in the UK. What are you doing?
01:20:34
Speaker
What am I doing? It was what our our ah group meal plan was. It was their pizza and pasta buffet that was... oh No, no, no, no. I got Fanta. no yeah I got my daily Fanta. Okay.
01:20:47
Speaker
um we fought a war so didn't have pizza in the uk come on it was god it was it was like cc's level worse than cc's they're in had cc's but i can imagine yeah well imagine a five dollar pizza buffet and then put it in a theme park uh we ended up waiting for hyperia next i will get into my hyperia discussion momentarily yeah i don't think i need heard You talk about it or say. Oh, we had an ERT session on. I've heard i've heard about the ERT session. i would I will get there in a second. But we did want to, we ended up waiting during the day for it just to make sure that we got everything done. Yeah, sure. And we were kept seeing it and wanted to ride it.
01:21:25
Speaker
um After that, the last credit that we needed that kept going down, like at the worst time, was Saul. I quite enjoyed Saul. Again, I don't watch horror movies like that.
01:21:37
Speaker
um Gabby seemed to be in her element. with us yeah for sure um the mid course did not hit whatsoever and you get thrown off the hill okay i was it was very cool you were flat yeah i don't remember much about the ride but it was it was fun um so after the park day we had an ert session we did a little q and a not a q and a session it was like a merchandise presentation by somebody at the park it was actually really interesting talking about like Hyperia merchandise and kind of how they got to some of the designs that they have. The like progression of building the shop for the Hyperia merch.
01:22:17
Speaker
It was actually very interesting. A lot of the process of like construction of the ride and all that. It was very cool. Very enjoyable. Just something to chill while we ah let the park empty out.
01:22:30
Speaker
So we could go for an hour of Hyperia ERT. Where... They set a record for most trains sent in an hour our group. but They sent in that hour of ERT 55 trains.
01:22:45
Speaker
where we To the point where multiple times the train on the lift hill got stopped because the other train had not finished the circuit yet. yeah That's insane.
01:22:56
Speaker
Yeah. I ended up doing 18 rides on ERT. ah Me and Nate camped out in like row six. where nobody was getting in line for row six. Sure. Everyone's front and back. Yeah. So we just kept rewriting and saying hi to our new neighbors behind us every ride.
01:23:15
Speaker
yeah So i would never do that. would tap out eventually. I did. was to the point I was getting very, very dizzy on the outer bank, two rides in a row.
01:23:30
Speaker
And it messed me up enough where I'm like, I need to stop before I hurt myself. Yep. Like, I knew my limit. I had reached my limit. But... God, what a... Like, the the hype was real. All the ah ops were super into it and loving it.
01:23:46
Speaker
The energy was ridiculous. Oh, I'm sure. mean, that kind of speed. Yeah. Now, I want to know. Obviously, when you have an experience like that, that'll, like, probably bump it up on the rankings. Mm-hmm.
01:24:01
Speaker
Regardless of how the ride is. So... Could you do your best? How how was Hyperia removing the ERT awesomeness? That was part of why we wanted to ride it during the day as well to kind of get the more authentic ride experience outside of ERT.
01:24:16
Speaker
um Drop is fantastic. The stall is never ending. And the fact that it like goes into a dive loop from the stall is trippy as anything. And I love a stall. oh yeah um Outer Bank yeah throws you out of your seat.
01:24:33
Speaker
It does need like one more element. Yeah, that was my the first time I saw a POV. I'm like, oh, it's kind of shorter than I thought it was going to be. It's like the way I describe it, what it does is powerful, like super powerful, but it could use one more element.
01:24:48
Speaker
And I definitely towards the back was feeling more of a rattle. OK. Was it train dependent? I mean, obviously you stuck on one train probably for a while, but. I have no idea. i could not.
01:25:01
Speaker
would not be able to tell you what train I rode or didn't ride more than, well, I mean, obviously we were on one train for 10 rides in a row, but. I'm always curious about rattle complaints, especially on European coasters.
01:25:14
Speaker
Like not to insult our European friends, but I feel like they're a little more sensitive than Americans are when it comes to that. Yeah. As you know, I wrote another, I wrote two pretty big mocks at my trip, both that I've gotten rattle complaints.
01:25:31
Speaker
And I had zero issues, like not even even when I tried to notice around like, where is it? So was curious if that was true with Hyperia.
01:25:42
Speaker
But yeah, I mean, I definitely like my front row rides. I think I had a couple front row rides. Perfect. No complaints. Yeah, definitely felt it towards the back. Yeah, I was like, it it's it's very good.
01:25:57
Speaker
It is in now again, I'll go through rankings eventually. Top 25? Yes. Okay. I think I have it in my top 25 somewhere. Okay. ah Yeah, we'll get to that. um So then we left Thorpe Park fairly late.
01:26:16
Speaker
um And then we drove up to Alton and then buses proceeded to not make correct turns. I think we got into the hotel, checked in at about 1230. Yeah, I heard about that. Yeah. That's great.
01:26:29
Speaker
The hotel itself, we stayed at the Alton Towers Hotel. Hotel itself is super cute. Room was less so. I mean, it was like well-themed, but it was just not modernized very well.
01:26:42
Speaker
No AC. We had a fan in the room that, as Mike kept saying, the fan was doing the Lord's work. yeah and that van also How was your weather? like What was the temp? ah It was pretty warm for most of it. Emerald Park was a little chilly, and then when we were in... um Sweden, it was a little chilly.
01:27:00
Speaker
But aside from that, it was pretty warm. Like 80s Fahrenheit. Sorry. and Like higher 70s, low 80s, maybe. okay yeah. I don't remember. Definitely where AC is needed.
01:27:12
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. um Yeah. There was a fan that just like rattled all night and the bed was just not great. And UK has some kind of issue with putting outlets next to beds for some reason.
01:27:26
Speaker
yeah a lot of places in europe i stayed same issue it just it annoyed me um but yeah we slept for a few hours and then went over to alton towers um alton alton towers um we ended up buying the gold fast pass that day because there were a lot of creds and we knew it was going to be busy um Mike was just about to get a milestone. He was one away. So he wanted Nemesis for his 400, I believe it was. 500? 600? Something.
01:28:00
Speaker
I forget where at. Definitely 600. I think that would have been 600, yeah. Over me now. so Yeah. and and Another person we were with was getting 400 on That was it. um They both needed one cred and then both wanted Nemesis for the milestone. So we most of our group went over to Nemesis for early entry. We went over to Galactica.
01:28:18
Speaker
Where we waited in line. And then they told us that Galactica was going to be on a delayed opening. we're like, well, cool. We just waited for nothing. Why'd they open the line then? I mean, it was like, there was a line forming outside the entrance. Oh, okay. They people in and then we we're like, oh, it's going to be delayed.
01:28:34
Speaker
No, they did not they just never opened the entrance. they're like It's going to be delayed to like 1030. We're like, well, crap. yeah So we went over to Runaway Mine Train and got that out of the way first.
01:28:45
Speaker
count. i count I've started counting more powered grids. Oh, yeah. but But that was a lot of fun. were in there just like, choo-choo. We did that and then ran back to Nemesis.
01:28:59
Speaker
um And we did a standby for Nemesis for that one so we could use our fast pass later in the day and rewrite it. Solid decision. um I took some fantastic pictures of that ride. It is incredibly photogenic and I love seeing it. And I was just in disbelief that I was seeing Nemesis...
01:29:16
Speaker
It was my own eyes after all these years. That'll be neat. officially changed my lock screen on my phone after three years of Zadra. Wow.
01:29:28
Speaker
Yeah. i don't know if you I'm sure you've seen that picture. I have. Oh, yeah. That's great. yeah This one? yeah Oh, yeah. holy yeah i died when I took that picture. Very happy with it.
01:29:39
Speaker
It was definitely running slow in the morning. um ah Yeah. I know there were a lot of complaints in our group about that. um no shocking for real I'll talk more about that when we towards the end when I we had our rewrite at the very end of the day did Galactica that was fun Spinball Wizard was fun like these are like a lot of them are just like they're fine like they exist yeah thats um Spinball Wizard I think we had a good spin on it I don't really remember I forget
01:30:14
Speaker
Um, did oblivion next talk about a one trick pony. Yeah. That's the original book. Come on. You gotta to give it respect. We definitely stood at that drop and into the tunnel or whatever. We, we sat there for a hot minute, taking pictures and getting all the content as you do with that shot.
01:30:34
Speaker
I was very much in just pure disbelief that I'm like, I've dreamed of taking these pictures for 20 years and now I'm taking these pictures. Sure. it was cool. Um, I like dives more than most people.
01:30:46
Speaker
Yeah, it was fun. The drop was cool. That was the entire ride. Yeah, you know. um ah yeah We took the sky ride at one point. That park is freaking massive. i've Yeah. for And like I'm just like, there's so many times I'm just like, this is a theme park? What?
01:31:04
Speaker
its Yeah, I'm like looking at just like I'm in a garden in a castle right now. Yeah, it is. It is insanely gorgeous. Loved it. um We did Smiler next. Smiler was my 666 coaster.
01:31:15
Speaker
And you had said you didn't even try for that. just happened. Yeah, 100% did not try. just happened with the order of our group. Because somebody in our group was trying to get a milestone on Smiler. Show who was getting a milestone on it. okay And it just so happened that it was 666 for me.
01:31:29
Speaker
And we counted every single inversion as we went through the course. It was fun. I enjoyed it. I'm not a huge multi-inversion person. I would like I'm weirdly that that might be the most like next coaster that I'm like kind of like afraid of because I'm like I don't do well with a lot of inversions.
01:31:51
Speaker
I mean, I was I was fine on it. I got dizzier on Colossus than I did on that. Well, I guess that makes sense. And they do give you the lift till break. Yeah, you have that break in between. i guess it's it's it's a very cool layout. Very all on itself.
01:32:07
Speaker
It's a massive track. It's crazy. And the soundtrack's like demented, right? Yeah. The whole thing's like built into a pit. So you're like taking, we're taking pictures of it from every angle. was very cool. Um, we got to our first real spite of the trip and that Rita did not reopen yet.
01:32:24
Speaker
We suspected that was going to be the case. Queen of no speak. It was kind of a bummer. Like I've been on desert race and I was kind of looking forward to writing and Rita as well, but that's fine.
01:32:38
Speaker
Um, We did 13, which I was very underwhelmed by. Yeah. That is a, oh yeah, really? Okay. Yeah. I guess it's not much to it.
01:32:51
Speaker
Yeah. There's one part. I won't say anything. If you don't know, then I know. i just saw the elements. Yeah. um That was the best part of the ride, but I didn't really do much else besides that. that ah Did the kids coaster after that.
01:33:04
Speaker
And then we did, I think what, I forget where, but we had probably the worst meal of the entire trip at some burger place at Alton. It was a very, very mediocre burger. It was just not good.
01:33:18
Speaker
I think we had like magic money for that trip or whatever, or that park day where we just had like 15 pounds to use however we wanted. We worked for merch too. See, we went back. We saved Wicker Man. We had Wicker Man ART.
01:33:32
Speaker
um So we just saved Wicker Man for that. We didn't need to ride it during the day. ah Went back and rode Nemesis again. It sped up a lot. Okay, good. And i i know a lot of people were kind underwhelmed by it, but I enjoyed it.
01:33:47
Speaker
Going through the trenches, it's very cool. How would you compare? it Well, I mean, you might be a little biased with your pet. but but Comparatively to Black Mamba.
01:33:58
Speaker
I like Black Mamba better. so Okay, all right. Black Mamba just feels more forceful. We'll get into that discussion next episode. i was not expecting Nemesis to be like the best invert ever.
01:34:12
Speaker
But it it was just it was a good time. It was enjoyable. Very pretty. Arguably most iconic invert ever. Yeah. Yeah, definitely up there with like Montu in terms of iconic Alpengeist.
01:34:23
Speaker
Yep. don't It was cool. Track was pretty. I love the veins. Oh, yeah. Yeah, that really cool. We... Got the last ride of the night on Nemesis Subterra.
01:34:39
Speaker
I had zero clue what to expect and I'm not going to spoil anything. keep it that way, yeah. Yeah, it was it was cool. But yeah, it was like still open when we got there. We had a little bit of time before we had to get over to ERT.
01:34:54
Speaker
Yeah, it was very interesting experience. So we went to Wicker Man ERT. It was a fun ride. Very chill PCI. Better towards the front, I think, than the back.
01:35:05
Speaker
and Okay. ERT special was a little weird. They had three trains running, but they were only loading two of them. That's annoying. Yeah. so never I've heard the the difference of Thorpe and Alton a little Huge difference. A lot of people stopped ERT early just because we weren't really feeling it and we didn't need to marathon Wicker Man. It was fun.
01:35:28
Speaker
the the The smell in the break run odd. is odd Oh, is it not like a good smell? No. Burning wood? I don't know what it is.
01:35:39
Speaker
ah for um We did some dark roads too. we did um We did Hex, which I didn't mention also at Wallaby we did the ah Madhouse there as well. Okay.
01:35:49
Speaker
I have a thing for Madhouses. I love them and I will ride one at every opportunity. I only have done Houdini and then we did the one at Europa. yes whole I'm sure that'll be a discussion as well. That will be discussion. oh yeah I can't wait for Jen.
01:36:08
Speaker
um yeah we didn't but She's been to Europa. like I don't know I don't think she's told anyone that before. no no
01:36:17
Speaker
Sorry. but We did Curse of Altmanor as well. Very interesting. It was just like a spooky dark ride thing. um I've never seen Nate so scared on something ah Really? Okay.
01:36:31
Speaker
There was there wass a spider involved and he... Oh, screw that. no He panicked and like... Nope. And things like touch you there, right? No, not on that one.
Blackpool and Favorite Park Moments
01:36:41
Speaker
Not on that one?
01:36:43
Speaker
Don't touch me. It was just a giant spider like coming down towards the car and... No, yeah, I'm good. Flipped out and just like hid by my arm. It was a lot of fun. Let's do the roller coasters.
01:36:56
Speaker
So yeah, we ended up... Ended our Wicker Man ERT. It was fine. um and then we got on the buses again and drove up to blackpool uh stayed at the big blue hotel where our room had doors that opened to the big one right from the view that that was weird grammar um right outside our window was like part of grand national and big one it was just a gorgeous view that's amazing and then the bed like the bed faced the doors and we slept with the doors open that night.
01:37:29
Speaker
Yeah. Like nice breeze coming in all night. Oh, I slept so good. And then to get to ride big one the next day, sure it was amazing. I think that was the night we, um, walked down the road and got fish and chips.
01:37:41
Speaker
It was fine. I wish I'd had like lemon or something for it. Did you get my joke or no? What joke? Did you add a great view of big one? on like, and then you get to ride that same coast for the next day.
01:37:54
Speaker
yeah no, right I didn't catch that. Well, that's a score point right there. yeah um So, yeah. The next morning, we had a little bit ERT on Icon.
01:38:07
Speaker
So we got write Icon first. That's iconic. It was. We made jokes about that, too. Getting late, Allison. I'm trying to hang in there. Yeah, you know, and I still have how many more parks? I really do not talk so much. I'm sorry. To be fair, these are like the three big buckets. Oh, of course. Yeah, no, they're like you're doing fine. um Blackpool was not my favorite at the parks. I will say that.
01:38:31
Speaker
I've heard that seems like it's a polarizing park. Some people love it. some It's kind of like Indiana Beach. I think it's comparable to like Indiana Beach, but I also don't like Indiana Beach. okay So I'm sensing a trend here for me. um Yeah, Icon was fine.
01:38:47
Speaker
There's really nothing like hugely notable. Minus the big elephant the room of big one that was closed all day for us due to win. And we were supposed to have ART on it. That's tough. Yeah. yeah that That one kind of hurt.
01:38:58
Speaker
um I got two sides steeplechase. There's what? Three there? There's three. Okay. Yellow did not open. I got two of the three. um Blue Flyer, I think, was a ah lot of fun because it's like nice upholstered seats.
01:39:15
Speaker
They a lot of just odd wooden coasters there. Yeah, yeah, yeah. They got a lot of wood there. Grand National sucked. Oh, really? and They we got off it and we're just like, that was like really rough. And then the guy we're with was like, yeah, and they just retract it, too.
01:39:32
Speaker
And I'm like, wow what? like Usually they take care of the old ones. Yeah, it was ah it was pretty rough. I got stapled pretty hard on one of the valleys. it's double sided, too.
01:39:44
Speaker
Yeah, we yeah, we we ah ended up buying a couple one shots to get through everything. um
01:39:54
Speaker
a Revolution was fun. The shuttle loop thing. Oh, they have a shuttle. up Okay. Yeah. yeah That was my first time doing that style. It was fun.
01:40:04
Speaker
Big Dipper was interesting. Nate lost his hat. That was the one thing I remember.
01:40:10
Speaker
ah We ended up paying the money and doing an Enzo. Oh, you have to. Yeah. um It was wild. That definitely improved my thoughts on Icon. Okay. Okay. There were definitely some turns that were like, okay, that kind of feels like Ride to Happiness.
01:40:26
Speaker
and get We'll get to that one. Yep, comments for next episode. Since we didn't get to do a Big One, we ended up getting ERT on Avalanche at the end of the night. um They did a full-on Big Boy train where I think like Mike rode with Gary or something like that. like How did you guys not break this?
01:40:45
Speaker
ah Amazing. Yeah. um It's a weird ride again here, Tiana. Yeah, I mean, it was either going to be like... I think there was originally going be Icon again, but they would have had to like wait to clear out the station. don't know.
01:41:01
Speaker
it was It was a weird day. visit. Yeah. I'm trying to think if I did anything else there. Notable.
01:41:11
Speaker
yeah It was not my favorite park. Infusion? Nickelodeon Street? Yeah, that was also not the worst SLC I've ridden recently. It was fine. It was an SLC. Cool.
01:41:24
Speaker
Yeah, it was a ah apparently one of the selling points is that it was a coaster over water and there's just like ah tiny little pond under or something. It was dumb. um So then after Blackpool got on the buses again, drove over to Manchester Airport where we were staying for the night, went into Manchester, ah did some place called like Freight Island, which was very interesting. It was like a weird food hall with like loud music and It was a little like goodbye party because that was kind of the end of the ah group part of the trip.
01:41:53
Speaker
um A lot of the group continued on to Drain Manor. um We instead had a very early flight and flew over to Sweden so we could go to Lisaberg.
01:42:07
Speaker
This is where I'm really jealous now. Does it make it any better? It's not. It's not going to make it any better. It was probably my favorite part of the trip. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Not surprised.
01:42:18
Speaker
It was and something about the vibes there. are Fantastic. Top five in Europe for sure. Oh yeah. um We had an incredible day there. We had like probably like 15 of us over at that park.
01:42:31
Speaker
ah The people at Drayton Manor had less of a good time. They ah struggled that day and we felt very bad when we ah had gotten most of the creds and were enjoying and splurging on a nice steak lunch with wine and just having a great day.
01:42:47
Speaker
um yeah speaking of jeff he had some kind words for uh drayton manor yeah we heard people really struggled that day um we felt bad no didn't no we really didn't well we kind we kind of did we like wanted to post about our nice time we had and we're just like i feel so bad for the people at drayton but we definitely made the better choice um helix we did helix first thing took him minute to warm up um I was very excited for Helix because it's probably one of my most played songs on Spotify. Oh, I am obsessed with the Helix soundtrack and it did not disappoint when I got to finally hear it in person. Oh,
01:43:29
Speaker
we ended up lapping Helix at the end of the night and it's it's everything I wanted it to be. It is. Okay. So I've always been like people like, Oh, Helix, one of the best in Europe. And I always like see a POV. I'm like, is it?
01:43:42
Speaker
It doesn't know like a ah doesn't look amazing on POVs, but just it's very's better it's very graceful, is kind of what I call It's a good layout. um There's moments where it like duels with Lisa Bergbauden, the Schwartz Cup Fair. didn't know that. like They go side by side, and we had one of those dueling rides, and it was it was fantastic. It's a it's a vibe.
01:44:04
Speaker
i mean I mean, if you've seen the POVs, you know i it's not going spoil anything. It drops right out of the station. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, i've definitely. There's nothing to spoil. Yeah. Yeah. So good. The launches are good. like They're not like the most forceful, but they're just good.
01:44:16
Speaker
And I love a rolling launch. um and So i I ended up buying a Helix hoodie. I spent a good chunk of money on that. um It was also cold that day, and I'm like, I did not prepare for this.
01:44:29
Speaker
I need a hoodie, so I got a Helix hoodie. um Valkyria... Very well themed. Very pretty. It's a dive coaster. Great.
01:44:40
Speaker
nothing so Nothing phenomenal about the layout. it's But it's gorgeous views from there. They had a new little... I just watched a Coaster Studios review on Valkyria. Oh yeah? Yeah.
01:44:51
Speaker
I don't know how my thoughts compare to theirs. It's a really good review. You should watch it. ah The locker system is not great. like That's the one ride on the trip that like you had to pay for a locker.
01:45:03
Speaker
And it was very narrow. and It's always annoying. It was like 50 cents. Oh, okay. It's not like the Six Flags stuff. Yeah, that threw me off that ah this is the only park that was like not on Euro or um Great British Pounds. Oh, yeah, did the Krona.
01:45:18
Speaker
Swedish Krona, which we just ended up moving a decimal over and it was close enough for conversion. um Luna was fun. Very good views the park. Here's my one like big hot take of the trip.
01:45:31
Speaker
I like Balder more than El Toro. Oh, good Lord. Yeah. That's very hot. I've gotten some pushback. Flaming hot. However, okay. Like, spoiler alert. We ended up going to great adventure a few days, like within the week of riding Balder. dead Oh my God. You did.
01:45:49
Speaker
not even We're not even to New York yet. Oh my God. That'll go by pretty quick. I think we'll see. And we still have questions too. I know. I know you need to sleep. I'm sorry. I don't know. i It's Saturday night. It's fine.
01:46:03
Speaker
ah Mike is at a soccer game right now and the soccer game got delayed. So he's like, expect to leave around 11. I'm like, cool. That just bought me an hour of podcast. Anyway, um yeah me, Mike and John Mike all said that we like Balder better than El Toro.
01:46:19
Speaker
But it's just it's more my style. Buttersmooth the entire time, which I know it's a wooden coaster, but. Well, they retracted it recently. Yeah. Um, which is what they, to be fair, and it needs, they need to do to El Toro.
01:46:32
Speaker
Yes, they do. yeah That does need the same treatment, but Balder has it. The trains are really comfortable and there's like no minimum verify on it. Like if your seatbelt fits your minimum verified.
01:46:43
Speaker
Um, so I had plenty of room and just ejector airtime on every single Hill. Okay. Every Hill has that Intamin wood coaster farting noise.
01:46:54
Speaker
It made me happy. It was music to my ears. Um, Yeah, i just I really like Baldur. I wish I could have gotten more rides on it, but it was on like the other end of the park that we didn't want to trek down to.
01:47:05
Speaker
technical great ah we We did Lisa Bergbon in a couple times. That thing was a lot of fun. Just like... Schwarzkopf's favorite layout, I believe.
01:47:16
Speaker
Yeah, ah it was very cool. The track always just looks weird to me, that style of track, but had a good time. ah John Mike loved it because was themed to trains. Of course.
01:47:29
Speaker
ah We did the kids coaster that had an unexpected water element on it. Then I got forced into the seat that got wet. no I'm like, really? And then we cycled around again and then I got hit with it again. Nice. But we did the drop tower there.
01:47:42
Speaker
Atmosphere. Very cool. Really tall one, right? Yeah, very tall and uses the same restraints as Maverick. It's freaky. Yeah, it's the only drop tower that does it. And don't know. It was God, that view from up there was gorgeous. Yeah.
01:47:59
Speaker
yeah um just I really enjoyed all of Sweden. ah We did one of the Intamin swing ride, Frisbee, whatever. don't know what they're called. Loki is what it was called.
01:48:10
Speaker
But fantastic airtime on every swing. Really, really close to Balder. Gorgeous views of Balder. it was I think we ended riding that twice. It was just very, very good. It's not going to want cavern swing, but that's fine. Wow.
01:48:28
Speaker
Sorry, I had to just call back that again. We get it. You went to Glunwood Caverns. ah Bryce? Anyway. um Yeah, we had like... Our lunch was literally in like a train-themed restaurant below Lisa Bergmonton so we could hear the Schwarzkopf noises every few minutes.
01:48:45
Speaker
Nerds. Had a nice steak. It was great. um Yeah, we just had a really good day there. took a lot of pictures Took a lot of pictures of Helix. Yeah.
01:48:58
Speaker
We were getting into Sweden. We were like, wow, it's getting not dark out like ever. It's like 1130. Yeah. but oh it was It was so weird. Like we left the park at 10 something, like or around 10.
01:49:10
Speaker
That park was open until 10 p.m. 10 p.m. in Europe? What? UK could never. Shocking. Most of Europe could never. ah We ended up going to a McDonald's right around the corner for dinner. We stayed like within walking distance at a hotel.
01:49:24
Speaker
That was the best bed I had on that entire trip. It was nice. Sweden's pretty lit. I thoroughly enjoyed Sweden. I would love to spend more time there. um And then once again, I think we willke yeah we woke up early and then we had a early morning flight to Helsinki for Lennon Maki.
01:49:46
Speaker
Yep. Yep. Stayed at Hilton for that. We were able to like stop at the hotel, drop off our stuff, get in a room, chill for a second, and then walk like a mile to Lennon Maki.
01:49:59
Speaker
It long walk. Do not recommend. John Mike refused to do a scooter. I wanted to do a scooter. I would have definitely done a scooter. I wanted to. but For a reason.
01:50:11
Speaker
Not just for being lazy. you You also have a good reason right now. That's what I'm saying. yeah um I apologize in advance for my pronunciation of anything at this park because it's all basically Finnish, which is... a like Swedish was somewhat easier to understand because it's very similar to German in a way.
01:50:34
Speaker
Finnish is not. Yeah, now it's different. yeah for I could not understand absolutely anything there. um First one we did was the Skyloop. I think they're called Uko.
01:50:46
Speaker
mount The Mauer Skyloop. Oh yeah, I still have never done one of those. shockingly loved it. Okay. I don't know what it was, but I loved it. We ended up rewriting that later in the day.
01:50:59
Speaker
i don't know. Thoroughly enjoyed it. You like your hang time, right? Yeah, I love hang time. yeah And then it has like a vertical like go back up it and then you fall back down. right it it was It was pretty wild. um don't I don't even remember what half of these were.
01:51:17
Speaker
Salama, Pikajuna, and Tulareki are the next three that we did. Give it the list. Don't know. don't really remember what they were. Oh, the E-motion coasters. that Yeah, that was a weird one.
01:51:28
Speaker
Yeah, I did not enjoy that. Um, I kept calling Nate my emotional support Nate, and I did not get to ride the motion coaster with him, and it kind of made me sad. I'm like, that would have been great for the joke.
01:51:40
Speaker
Um, Kiernew was their, uh, not rollerball, Zaxpin. It was a Zaxpin. That thing was forceful. We had a lot of fun on it. Um,
01:51:53
Speaker
We'll get to Tyga. I'll talk about Tyga last. ah Their indoor coaster was like a VR. That was shockingly my first ever VR coaster. Really? Ever? Yeah, ever. ever did Crazy Bats? Fantasia Land?
01:52:05
Speaker
I've been there twice and I've not been on Crazy Bats. Oh, no way. To be fair, I've only been on two now. so Yeah. um Yeah, it was fine.
01:52:16
Speaker
um Again, don't know how to pronounce this. Veristorata? The Breakman coaster? Sounds good. what is it Was the the hot guy there? No, he was not. Oh, that's a shame.
01:52:27
Speaker
Yeah, I know. They had do have a board with all the people on there, and he was on that board with all the current brakemen or whatever. um It was a very cool experience riding that. Was that your first one with a brakeman?
01:52:38
Speaker
Yep. I say that. I've only been on one. Yeah. I don't know what I expected. it It was nice. It was pleasant. Yeah. Yeah. Um, Tyga we rode once earlier in the day, and it was on one train for a while, which was brutal.
01:52:52
Speaker
Oh, God, what? Yeah. That should be illegal for... Um, I was very and i was very underwhelmed my first ride. Whoa. Interesting. got off the first ride, and I'm like, Helix was better than that.
01:53:04
Speaker
Ooh. Good Lord. That... I don't remember. i got to look at my rankings, which one I ended up putting. about Everyone and their mother is like, this is top five in the world. So we, well, I'll get to that in a second. um At the end of the day, we had a but little behind the scenes tour of the brakeman coaster.
01:53:26
Speaker
Like they took us into the infield and then into the shop where they actually work on the trains. And so we got to go underneath the train and they explained like the braking mechanism for it and a lot of the really cool history of it.
01:53:38
Speaker
um So we got to like just chill in the maintenance area for a while. um i don't know if it counts. I sat on coaster track for the first time, technically. Yeah, it counts. I've never sat on coaster track, but I sat on part of the track in there. Yeah, that was a cool years.
01:53:53
Speaker
Yeah, I don't 100% count that, I think. But I got a picture. I got a cute picture of it. um Yeah, so we got to see some really cool stuff on the train. They were fantastic. Like, super hospitable in terms of showing us just some really cool stuff.
01:54:08
Speaker
Um, and then we got during operating hours, our own like private train, like the line was still open and all these people were watching our group nice love that where they braked it a little bit less for us. as they Um, but that was a cool experience. Um, and then at the end of the day, we were given last train of the night on Tyga.
01:54:32
Speaker
Okay. We had about five extra people that did not fit on the first train. So me, nate and three others i think sean and angela and then somebody else um we're on the second train of just us separate from everybody else on one whole train um so we are pulling in or like we're hitting the brakes and we see their train go again and then our train goes again And we got mini ERT and we got to ride it five times. Okay. That's really cool.
01:55:02
Speaker
I did two in the back, three in the front. Okay. And one of them, Mike swapped trains so that we could get a little front row right on Tiger together to kind of end the trip. It warmed up. We'll say that.
01:55:13
Speaker
Okay. It was definitely a lot better for those rides. And it was like right at golden hour at 10, like nine, nine o'clock. in and'clock Golden hour, nine o'clock. It's fine.
01:55:26
Speaker
Very, very forceful ride. Okay. I don't even remember what my favorite part on it was. Some incredible hang time on it. Photogenic as anything. Oh my God. Yeah. those trains. Trains are gorgeous.
01:55:40
Speaker
I know ah I have someone, and a friend of mine who is ah going to want me to talk more, who are actually said at one point, if you don't talk about Taiga, I will cry. Oh, yeah. So here's my ah talking about Taiga.
01:55:52
Speaker
You don't listen to the podcast anyway, so it's fine.
01:55:57
Speaker
Did it still underwhelm you? No, it definitely got a lot better. Okay, good. I was, I was nervous. But yeah, that was, the so that was the last part of the trip. And then next morning we didn't fly out till like 4 PM. So we walked around Helsinki.
01:56:12
Speaker
I'm glad you had a day like relax a little bit. Yeah. Well, we walked around a lot, but you know, saw a couple of cathedrals, went got coffee on the water. I tripped on a picnic table. Don't be tripping. Too many people tripping on this podcast.
01:56:27
Speaker
yeah True. I stubbed my toe. but Oh, poor baby. Yeah, and then we ah flew home through Chicago. And then i went to work the next day.
01:56:40
Speaker
and then having I know, you're not even in New York, but what was what was the total credit total for Europe? I think I got 72 new creds.
01:56:50
Speaker
Okay. Okay. say I forget what I ended up at after that. I know I can tell you what I ended up at. I finished the trip at 693. 693. I finished that part of the trip. but If you get 72 credits in Europe.
01:57:08
Speaker
that Is that the number? I think it was 72. Approximately. I also got 72 credits in Europe. I swear to God. I haven't written down 72 new rules.
01:57:19
Speaker
That's funny. That's crazy.
01:57:22
Speaker
But then, okay. Then we get into my stupidity because we are not smart people. yeah The fact that we're we're at two hours and I'm still talking. she's right I'm so sorry. Listen, if you're here, we love you.
01:57:34
Speaker
you're still listening. I will not be talking much next next episode, so it's fine. It'll be all me. And Jen, I'll have things to say because you've been on a lot of parks that I've been to.
01:57:45
Speaker
um So we landed, home at 1230 Tuesday night. worked... tuesday night i worked Wednesday and Thursday.
New York Road Trip and Milestone Coasters
01:57:54
Speaker
ah Friday was 4th of July. So Thursday after work, we left the road we hit the road and drove towards New York City.
01:58:05
Speaker
Jesus. We stayed somewhere in Pennsylvania. We split the drive up. John Mike did most of the driving because he stayed at our... John Mike took the whole week off and he just stayed at our place for two days. and Yeah, why not? Yeah, so ah me and Mike slept a lot in the car.
01:58:18
Speaker
John Mike drove the nine hours that day. Yeah. ah We went to Coney Island on July 4th. um Happened to see the hot dog eating contest from the bar or something like that.
01:58:31
Speaker
we We stopped over there a little bit. There was just a lot going on and I had no phone service. and um Our friend Ethan, also unrelated to us going there, happened to be going to New York that weekend.
01:58:45
Speaker
That's random. His grandma lives there. Oh, maybe not. Sorry. um So he was going to visit his grandma and just so happened to hang out with us for a day at a Coney Island. Did everything there that I hadn't done couple years prior. Cause I went the day after tom and Kelly's wedding.
01:59:01
Speaker
That's right. That's true. That was where I hit 500 on cyclone two years ago. i don't even remember. you're an app you're an out Yeah, we did. So I did basically, I had to skip a couple of things because I was trying to line up a milestone, which I'll get to momentarily.
01:59:18
Speaker
Um,
01:59:20
Speaker
Phoenix was a lot of fun. Phoenix great. Phoenix was really good. Yeah, surprising. The Valera was better than the one in Canada's Wonderland. ah Yeah, slightly.
01:59:35
Speaker
And that's putting it loosely. Yeah. I don't even remember. We rode things. We did the ah the the wheel. We did one of the swinging things the wheel. never did the wheel because that park is so expensive or everything there is so expensive.
01:59:49
Speaker
Oh, yes. Yes, it was. Yeah, it's like $10 a credit. It's ridiculous. Yeah. We paid it though. Tony's Express, that's the thing there. Yeah, that was fun. I had very interesting ride on Tony's.
02:00:02
Speaker
Why? but Not related to the ride itself. Okay. good and i'll I'll text you about that. I don't want to talk about it the podcast, but It's interesting. Okay. Steeplechase is fun. I love those launches.
02:00:14
Speaker
Yeah, that was fun.
02:00:17
Speaker
Yeah. so Second best coaster there. We did get another ride. I've been on Cyclone, but I couldn't go there and not ride Cyclone. Got to ride Cyclone again. um Very glad that we had everything when we did. I got very busy by the time we were leaving.
02:00:31
Speaker
um So we went up and made the drive up to Long Island, which took forever to get to. I love New York. Yeah. um We found out Adventureland had like a twilight pass. So if you go in the last two hours, you can save like $13. So we chose to do that.
02:00:48
Speaker
ah Went and checked into our hotel and just chilled. It was nice. I ah went to the liquor store to buy something for um my milestone picture. i wonder what.
02:01:02
Speaker
Yeah. um I think we went to dinner somewhere in there too.
02:01:08
Speaker
Oh, we stopped at some pizza place, too. Somewhere. I forget. what Oh, that was the next day. we We ate very mediocre New York pizza at some point. Oh, we went to Chili's that night. That's what we did in Long Island. We went to Chili's.
02:01:22
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, New York pizza is a slightly above mediocre. Not the one that we had. It was less than that. Yeah. ah yeah That's the thing about New York. There's great pizza places, but there's a lot of bad pizza places. Yeah. I don't even know what this one was called or where it was, but.
02:01:39
Speaker
It existed. Anyway, um but we went to Adventureland and I got my 700 on Fireball. Fireball.
02:01:50
Speaker
Hashtag Allison's book, if you know. Hashtag Allison's book, yes. I have a thing with fire and so it was very fitting for me to ride Fireball for a milestone. And that was a trivia question in many episodes. There it is. hey I was shooting to reach 700 on Fireball and I made it happen by skipping two credits at Coney Island.
02:02:09
Speaker
Um, and then had a mini bottle of fireball that took a shot of as I took my mouse in picture. That's an all time Allison picture. it It was, it was iconic as anything. It was great.
02:02:22
Speaker
And then funny enough, Ethan got four 20 on fireball at the same time. Yeah, that's actually funny. So what was the more iconic picture you and fireball or are you getting engaged?
02:02:34
Speaker
I know I put put the pressure on you there. Yeah. no That was a look of, oh, that Fireball picture was pretty good. i mean, it was pretty cool. And I've been planning that for a while, but I guess Mike was also planning the engagement for a while.
02:02:49
Speaker
But no, Fireball was very interesting ride. That was my first rollerball thing. And like we me and Ethan rode it later in the night, like just us on one side, and we were pitched very far forward.
02:03:00
Speaker
It was a little concerning. What's hilarious is, I believe, the same exact day, Jen rode the same model, but the chicken coaster. Yep, I noticed that. that it was kind of funny.
02:03:13
Speaker
um Turbulence was a lot of fun. We spun really, really well. Turbulence is low-key, like, very good. It was probably better. It was better than Fireball. but Oh, yeah. It's very surprising. Yeah. um And then Rattlesnake was a coaster.
02:03:27
Speaker
um Cute little park. Very small. Rattlesnake, I love the zero cars. Yeah. ah We were there on July fourth So we were able to watch fireworks from Fireball. That was kind of cool.
02:03:38
Speaker
That was cool. That was my fireworks we saw. um So next day was a very interesting day. Next day? We're not home yet? um We're almost there. We're almost there, okay?
02:03:51
Speaker
um I'm trying to... I don't even 100% remember the order of things. Whatever we all did is in the notes. yeah Yeah, what we whatever we all did. Because there was...
02:04:04
Speaker
We threw in a stop at Great Adventure. We had some like... I'm pretty sure you've been to Great Adventure like four times since I've been and I live way closer to you.
02:04:14
Speaker
I mean way closer to Great Adventure than you We had a couple flash passes that we used to ride flash quickly and we rode Toro and that was literally all we did there. um We went to... again I don't remember the order of things. I'm just saying things we did.
02:04:27
Speaker
We went into Manhattan. um Went to the 9-11 Memorial. That was very cool. very wild to see that in person. um We tried to go see the Statue of Liberty, but there was a lot of construction in the area and there was just not a good spot to like see it.
02:04:46
Speaker
And we were trying to do so much that day that if I'd had more time, I would have done one of the fairy things to go see it because it's been on my bucket list forever. But we saw it from afar. and I would have liked to see it up close. but silly visit make i I've done the Statue of Liberty Like we did the crown walk.
02:05:05
Speaker
That I want to say it was like 96 or 97. Jeez. Put it this way. The Twin Towers were still standing.
02:05:15
Speaker
That's how long ago it Yeah. We'll go back sometime and do more of the touristy things in New York. After being in um Europe, I miss Helsinki when I was there.
02:05:28
Speaker
Yeah. But anyway. um you We did Great Adventure. We tried to do a couple um kids creds or like f FECs. We got like we struggled. We went to Keensburg and we you kept going. you kept going Yeah.
02:05:43
Speaker
Mike chose to go to Keensburg. um We sat at the ah sat looking at the looping star for an hour and it never did anything. Even after the maintenance, people said, yeah, it'll be open in half an hour.
02:05:55
Speaker
No movement. So we gave up and we tried to ride the kids coaster and they said no. um Went to iPlay America Got the one there we went by another FEC Where you had to buy a $35 wristband If you wanted to ride the cred So we did not Nope Ready for this We're still going we said We threw in last minute We stopped at Six Flags America Because John Mike had never been there That's not even on the way to Cincinnati We made it on the way oh Again I don't know the order I don't remember where we stayed What we did and But we did Six Flags America
02:06:30
Speaker
um i finally but got park completion road raging cajun um oh yeah cause you were kind of with me and we both didn't get raging cajun so yeah i've been to that park twice before and we're still missing raging cajun but now i have it and now i never have to go back um well thankfully that might be the one ride that gets moved somewhere great um Wild One has seen better days. Roar was closed. Joker's Jinx was closed.
02:06:57
Speaker
um Superman, I'm still pissed at the op, who stapled me, continued going to the next row, yeah paused, came back to me and stapled me further. That's the worst. I hate that.
02:07:09
Speaker
John Mike and Mike went and rode Batwing. We thought it was going to be a 20-minute line. They waited an hour. oh really? oh Yeah. It was one train. Last row was closed. Zero car fell off the next day. saw...
02:07:23
Speaker
Oh, that park. Oh my. It was a time. We did the the SLC there, which had gotten refurbishments and has divest restraints now. yeah. Doctor whatever. scream ray more diabolic guess you're a Screen Line eraser.
02:07:38
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. It's worse now than it was before. I don't know. But that was the worst SLC I rode on. Yeah, that's one that that was one of my worst. It was better as Mind Eraser when it had the bulky restraints. It just shuffled very hard, even in the vests.
02:07:54
Speaker
i Oh, that park is closing for a reason, apparently. Yeah.
02:08:01
Speaker
Yeah, and then the Chipotle that we went to right after was a very similar. Not ideal. All right. And then one more stop. We stopped at Adventure Park USA.
02:08:13
Speaker
Because we are stupid, stupid people. never, ever catching up to you. We got the two creds. One of the creds was closed there, but I was okay with it because I'd been on it when it was at Old Town.
02:08:25
Speaker
So I wasn't sad that we missed it. And then the ah the little, I don't even know what it is, but I call it a scrap of aluminum. That thing had ejector air time, and we went around about 12 times.
02:08:36
Speaker
12 times? Something ridiculous.
02:08:41
Speaker
And that was... And that was my trip. Until tomorrow when we go to Cedar Point.
02:08:48
Speaker
Jesus. I can't compete with that. That's insane.
02:08:53
Speaker
i didn't like I just had the biggest well biggest trip of my life as far as credits go. And you just destroyed it. I think I got like a plus 13 on that little run. The little US run?
02:09:06
Speaker
Yeah. I'm going on a little US run myself soon. um I don't know if I'll get 13. I don't think so. I am tired of
Unique Coaster Experiences and Reflections
02:09:14
Speaker
talking. Do you want to answer some the first question? Yes, let's talk some questions. Two hours and nine minutes in.
02:09:20
Speaker
ah From Boleros, which is my friend Ernie, that was with me. and guylenwood and much in lakesside He asked, Brian, which Colorado coaster was your favorite and why was it Wild Chipmunk?
02:09:36
Speaker
Well, I definitely explained my love of Wild Chipmunk. That was my favorite coaster in Colorado. um It's unhinged. It's very rare U.S. coaster ah that feels European in that like there's no rules and no restraints and you think you're going to die.
02:09:56
Speaker
And sometimes that makes for the best rides. That sounds like a wild time. Oh, yeah. The wild and wild shipmunk is accurate. I also like the theming, like the there's three cars and they're called Simon, Theodore and Alvin.
02:10:07
Speaker
Oh, that's cute. Yeah, it's very cute. Ops there are amazing. Lakeside's great.
02:10:14
Speaker
ah So now our friend Chris, he asked, the biggest surprise and disappointment from Utah and Colorado? And I read this question when he asked it a few days ago. Did I remember to think of an answer? I did not.
02:10:30
Speaker
ah Biggest surprise, meanwhile, definitely is up there for biggest surprise. I'll also say cliffhanger. um Just actually really, really fun and Crazy elements that I did not expect. Obviously, the views are wild.
02:10:46
Speaker
Disappointment. Also, Colossus Fire Dragon for a surprise, too, was amazing.
02:10:55
Speaker
I don't know if i had a true disappointment. I guess I thought Wicked would be my easily the second favorite best at Lagoon, and it was not because after the launch and the drop, not a whole lot going on.
02:11:11
Speaker
I compared it to Skyrocket at Kennywood, which kind of similar thing launches great, really good drop. And then the rest lay, I was just like, yeah, it's there. It's there. Yeah.
02:11:25
Speaker
Trying to think of anything else. The Lich Gardens as a whole. See, I couldn't call that a disappointment because I knew like expectations were met, you know, we'll say there is ah disappointment. There's this new safety video at the Alpine coaster.
02:11:41
Speaker
um I've heard the acting in that. It's absolutely terrible. Horrible acting. Horribly. i don't know who these ah Tyler and and Sally. I forgot what the names are.
02:11:53
Speaker
ah No. Yeah. Shout out the safety video at Alpine Coaster Glenwood. It's phenomenal. Check it out. So, so good.
02:12:04
Speaker
Oh, no one for me from Kevin. Technically. Yeah. The next two have questions for both of us. Oh, yeah. For Brian, you have to pick just one of the parks to visit. Which one did you pick? Now, is this for Europe or is this for Colorado?
02:12:17
Speaker
I don't know. I don't know. I'll answer both. or like unless it What if it's one of the parks that I visited? If you had to pick one of those to visit? Well, you can answer that one.
02:12:32
Speaker
Of like ones that you need to visit? That I went on? but I'm sorry. I read your question. you No, your question's different. Yeah. I'm going to answer for Utah and Colorado, and I will say Glenwood Caverns is a must for any enthusiast.
02:12:48
Speaker
Absolute must one day.
02:12:52
Speaker
Skip Eulich, even Skip Lakeside, even Skip Lagoon. If you can only do one, do Glenwood. Interesting. And if we're talking Europe, I will say Europa Park. There we go. A little preview.
02:13:04
Speaker
Interesting. Because I know what other parks you went on on that trip. Oh, yeah. yeah um And then he had said for me, for Allison, what was your favorite coaster and favorite park of the trip?
02:13:16
Speaker
um I will answer the favorite coaster when I get to Ethan's question, because I know he specifically asks for certain things. And I do say my favorite coaster and favorite park of the trip was a Lucisburg. want to go back to Lucisburg.
02:13:30
Speaker
It was a vibe.
02:13:33
Speaker
Alex, speak of the...
02:13:36
Speaker
How was Emerald Park? Did you prefer Kukulun or Nafiana Forest? Well, you answered that one. I did answer that one, yes. Not even in debate. Yeah. No, it was a good park. it was cute.
02:13:49
Speaker
Brian, which Colorado Adventure was better? Yes, because of course he's referring to my actual Colorado Adventure and the mine train at Fantasialand. And I can say, I mean, both were great.
02:14:04
Speaker
I would say... I mean, I have to take an entire trip over one roller coaster. Yeah. Even if that one roller coaster is probably my favorite mine train ever. We'll talk about that again next episode. Understandable.
02:14:18
Speaker
And also congrats, Allison, to you and Mulla. I don't know what that's about. Did you do something? No, I didn't do anything. no Well, just for 700 credits, guess. Yeah. 600. Thank you, Alex. I appreciate thank you alex i appreciate it
02:14:33
Speaker
And I'm sure Mike does too, but he's not here. All right. And then we get into questions that I guess kind of works for both of us, but we'll, I'll answer for now, but then I will leave these here for next week as well.
02:14:46
Speaker
that way you can answer. And I guess Jen can answer. SolarCoaster10 said, what was the most unique coaster you rode? And I was going through my list at one point. Wow, chipmunk for me.
02:14:57
Speaker
Anyway. True. Um,
02:15:01
Speaker
I need to go back to the other list. I kind want say like the brakeman coaster. Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Oh, I never also never talked actually talked about my experience on steeplechase.
02:15:16
Speaker
Brutal, brutal laterals that just like punch you in the love handles. Yeah, it's like lean forward on that. If you ever ride it, just lean forward. Lift your butt up. Do not let your butt touch anything.
02:15:29
Speaker
One day. Um, kind of just going through like that was definitely, I think break man coaster is probably the most unique thing that I did. i would agree with that for you. Maybe like Enzo.
02:15:41
Speaker
Yeah. And so it was very cool. Um,
02:15:46
Speaker
yeah, I'll go with, I'll go with a break man coaster.
02:15:52
Speaker
My very last new crowd of that trip.
02:15:57
Speaker
Liam, um, if you know this what you're referring to Liam has an obsession with Tyga and was literally posting on his story all day the day I rode Tyga and was like OMG Allison's gonna ride Tyga and then Allison rode Tyga and was a whole thing so he said do you like Tyga was fine it was fine you hate Tyga wow yes I did like Tyga very much enjoyed Tyga and I think the Triple Deke was very cool
02:16:28
Speaker
and know I don't know if that's actually what it's called. Tom coined that, right? Yeah. The first two dekes were fine. The last deke was the best. but um No, like that first element with the hang time is... There's some wild hang time on it.
02:16:45
Speaker
and i I don't remember the layout. I would need to watch a POV again. But the whole thing, it was very good. I like it. Yes, he said, if you don't talk about Taiga, I will cry. i have talked about Taiga. Taiga talked about Sheck.
02:16:57
Speaker
If you... um I don't know what I'll do. If you actually listen to this podcast and can verify that I talked about Tyga, I will give you something, but that would require you to listen. I don't think it'll happen.
02:17:09
Speaker
and Unless he literally skips ahead to the very end. seventeen Um, do what? So we're at two 17. So West asks, what was the hidden gem unexpected surprise of the trip? I went guess that's more for you.
02:17:24
Speaker
Um, One that I really loved that I didn't expect to was the ah the Magic Loop thing. yeah Sky Loop. Oh, that's true. You said that. Yeah. um That was a very big surprise for me. I'm going through my list again.
02:17:42
Speaker
That was probably the biggest surprise, I think. And Fianna Force.
02:17:48
Speaker
that That one's, I think, a lot of people have ridden that now. and It's an unexpected gem anymore. Yeah. I mean, it was a very cool experience. Um,
02:18:00
Speaker
yeah. Also, um, the,
02:18:04
Speaker
the mad house. There we go. in The mad house at, um, Wallaby Belgium, I think it was my favorite mad house I've done. Oh, should have done that. i don't even know where was it. I don't know. We just happened to like pass by and we're like, that looks like a mad house building. And then we looked it up.
02:18:20
Speaker
What the heck is John Mike
Future Travel Plans and Coaster Rankings
02:18:21
Speaker
texting me about? Um, um yeah Those are probably the biggest ones. And also the Intamin Frisbee Pendulum things that I still don't know what they're called. Michael, correct me. Don't ask me. yeah I don't know names. But those are very good. ah la la la He asked me specifically.
02:18:39
Speaker
Are you already envisioning of the itinerary for the next big European trip? i definitely See, I don't think I've envisioned an itinerary. I think I have definitely i know what I want to hit now.
02:18:54
Speaker
Definitely the whole purpose of this one was to get as many of the bucket list parks and coasters as I possibly could. um See, my... yeah Not issue, but... Obviously we all have limited time off. We all have a limited budget.
02:19:09
Speaker
This past trip was way more atypical for me where it was 90, if not 95% coasters. Very limited sightseeing. Normally I would like that to be way more fifty fifty Which of course means that I would be sacrificing some parks, especially some of the smaller ones.
02:19:28
Speaker
Hence why my next trip is probably going to be not as big coaster wise. I definitely want to do more sightseeing. That being said, there are four, i have determined four huge European credits that I still need that I want badly.
02:19:45
Speaker
Gotham city escape, Tyga, as we've talked about wildfire, And what am I missing? Oh, just Lisa Berg as a whole.
02:19:59
Speaker
Yeah. um yeah u k I know the UK I've always seen as like a separate. I know it's it's Europe, but I know I'll do the UK at some point. and that's like so It's a whole shebang. Yeah, yeah, So I would love to get.
02:20:12
Speaker
i think um I want to do like a kind of a five day Spain trip one day of Madrid and Barcelona. UK, I think, would be like a week. I'd like to do Scandinavia again, like Denmark, Sweden.
02:20:27
Speaker
Finland isn't technically Scandinavia, but close enough. Those are the three. Italy is but if the coast of Italy never like screamed. Oh, I need to get there.
02:20:39
Speaker
I would much rather do more sightseeing in Italy and then maybe go like Mirablandi something. So I know this question was more for you, but I know um my next big European trip will most likely be a honeymoon.
02:20:52
Speaker
And I have been ah planning some things out for that. I have a ah top itinerary that I think Mike is on board with. And it would be an Italy trip.
02:21:04
Speaker
As I just trashed the coasters of Italy. Yes. But I hope you do sightseeing too. Yeah, no, we would do some. Yeah, okay. Definitely some sightseeing. And um on that list is a bucket list coaster for me.
02:21:16
Speaker
I know what you're talking about. The typo coaster. The typo coaster. Yeah, I know you, Allison. Yeah. Oh, yeah. but If I'm going to Italy, I'm making that happen. You're going to like somehow try to make that 800, aren't you?
02:21:28
Speaker
Okay, that's an idea. I don't know if I can get to that in time. My creds will stall for a while, I think. It's a lagoon in Colorado.
02:21:39
Speaker
yeah
02:21:43
Speaker
um Keith, I think this one definitely is probably for you. yeah Which park coaster exceeded the community's hype, which didn't? I don't 100% know how to answer this one because I don't feel like anything really was too different, I guess.
02:22:00
Speaker
um Like, all the big the big coasters all met expectations. a lot of people were just not happy with Nemesis. I think I like Nemesis more than other people in our group did.
02:22:13
Speaker
I don't even know. I like Balder more than most people. There's going bias towards Hyperia forever, I think.
02:22:23
Speaker
Yeah. And then probably consequently anti-Alton. will definite I will say, and this kind of leads into the next question where Ethan asks, where do you have Konda, Hyperia, Helix, and Tiger ranked?
02:22:36
Speaker
Konda's number one for me. um Yeah, same for me. Ooh, okay. Yep, and Hyperia is actually the lowest of the four for me. Okay, that's okay.
02:22:49
Speaker
That was for me. Sorry, go ahead. I guess... so i we were in line for Diamondback because we went to King's Island yesterday. And I'm like, I really need to figure out how I'm answer this question from Ethan.
02:23:00
Speaker
So I sat and preliminarily ranked everything. I ended up putting Conda five.
02:23:07
Speaker
Wow. Right above Skyrush. Okay. Very close to me as well. i loved Conda. um I... have Helix and Tyga are like neck and neck for me.
02:23:21
Speaker
I gave Helix the edge just for vibes. There was something about Helix. I loved it. And also just Lisa Berg in general. So I have Helix at nine, Tyga at ten.
02:23:34
Speaker
yeah Okay, so you did like Tyga a lot. I now officially have no RMC in my top ten. Ooh. Well, we'll talk about that later. um It's basically all Intamin and Mach.
02:23:48
Speaker
With the exception ah Fury 325, which is still hanging in there at number 7. Not mine. Yeah, Mach has entered my top 10, that's for sure. Yes. All I'll say.
02:24:00
Speaker
um And then I settled on Hyperia at 17. Okay. It is below Top Thrill 2, above Pantheon.
02:24:13
Speaker
Pantheon's way too high. I love Pantheon. Okay. I have a thing with Intamin, okay? Yeah, that's fair.
02:24:21
Speaker
So, yes, those are my rankings as of now. We'll see. that Things could shift again tomorrow, literally. What the heck? Ryan Fisher, Allison, did Nemesis Reborn live up to your expectations and the naming of your cat after it? You kind of already answered that one. We did actually end up taking a selfie with a picture of Nemi in front of Nemesis. Aw.
02:24:44
Speaker
we never We intended to do like a flat NEMI and bring it to the park, but I'm glad we didn't. That just went in pain to carry around. Oh, God. Yeah. But yes, I enjoyed it. And then ah how much crap have you given them all for not proposing in front of NEMI?
02:24:58
Speaker
that was I'm assuming that was another location. That was the one of the three locations where he was very strongly considering doing that. And that was where I expected it most. So it's a good thing that he didn't because he surprised you.
02:25:12
Speaker
He did. There you go. But it would have been i didn't give him crap for it because... Anyway, it was his choice. And he did but he did he did well. Got some cool photos in front of Stonehenge.
02:25:26
Speaker
I think it was a good play.
02:25:29
Speaker
So... Last question? I think we're at the last one. Yeah, I think this will be more for like both of us next week because there's a lot. and It was a multi-part. European, but yeah. Yeah, let's save that one for a while. Okay, yeah.
02:25:43
Speaker
Because we're already at two and a half hours.
02:25:47
Speaker
And this is with Jen not here. Yeah. Scary to think about. ah We survived. We can actually talk to each other, just the two of us for two a half hours. per You know, what's crazy is I only have one note and it was from you.
02:26:02
Speaker
Cussing nine minutes in. Not bad. This is mostly just been us talking as friends. yeah Yeah. About our trips. Well, I hope everyone enjoyed this.
02:26:13
Speaker
Hope everyone enjoyed listening to me talk for two hours and then. The next episode, we'll have the three of us back. Yes, we'll do. i get to talk about my big Europe trip. I obviously alluded to it a bunch.
02:26:27
Speaker
Talk some while Belgium. But I don't know in what order, but I will say my top 25 is completely destroyed in the best way. Mm hmm.
02:26:38
Speaker
I'm very excited to hear some of your thoughts. I know I purposefully did not ask for your opinions. That's true. You haven't yet. I specifically am waiting to hear on the podcast.
02:26:48
Speaker
Some hot takes, unpopular opinions, maybe some popular opinions. Yeah. You wrote a lot of stuff. Yeah. yeah A lot of stuff I've been on. I think but just you'd only been to like one park that I hadn't been to.
02:27:06
Speaker
Just Efteling, right? Yeah. Yeah, the rest of you have been to. And we get to talk about you seeing something in person for the first time.
02:27:17
Speaker
saw many things in person for the first time. what you're talking about. Do you actually not know what I'm talking about? i actually don't. In Poland? Oh, that happened too. That's right. Let's go.
02:27:30
Speaker
Yeah. No, um' this was fun. This was. But no I'm a little biased. I might be looking forward to the next episode even more. well yeah I get to listen to y'all talk. Yeah. we finally You can chime in on almost everything, which is good. I'll be able to give opinions.
02:27:46
Speaker
yeah For sure. ah so Next episode will be the Great Trip Recap Part 2. We are not talking anything creative right now. We just have been on a lot of roller coasters. need to Listen, there's a creative aspect of getting it all done.
02:27:59
Speaker
Yeah, it's true. i guess am I'm very proud of myself for planning a two-week European trip. yeah Pretty much all on my own, which I had never done before. And I came back alive.
02:28:11
Speaker
I do not recommend doing 10 parks in 10 days with eight flights in between them. Nope.
Closing Remarks and Celebrations
02:28:16
Speaker
ah when was It was a little stupid. We got it done. I'm very tired of airports.
02:28:24
Speaker
But it was fun. Hopefully you're done with the airport. So I i got one more flight In a few weeks.
02:28:33
Speaker
But as as far as like big, like huge trips, I am done for a while. yeah We just have some road trips going on. But we will get to those at some point.
02:28:46
Speaker
At some point. We have a minute to beat two and a half hours. So until next time, Allison, I think we should hashtag keep inverted. Keep inverted? Keep inverted. Good lord. need to go to bed.
02:28:57
Speaker
Stay inverted. Think inverted all the time. Hashtag keep recapping because we have a lot more to talk about. Hashtag Allison's book. Hashtag Allison's book. Hashtag Allison's engaged now. Hashtag Allison's engaged. What?
02:29:10
Speaker
Crazy. All right. Love you guys. See you next time. See you next week or two weeks, whatever. and and and and and and and