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Jeezus Juice Idiot. Joined: 19 Feb 2005 Total posts: 1239 Age: 30 Gender: Male |
 Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2005 10:35 am Post subject: Photo TR: Dons Epic Europe Trip |
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Hey guys, I just got back from our looong Europe trip and decided to post a day by day TR with Photos!
Our trip started with a few days in the UK before flying out to Budapest to start the ECC Coaster Rhapsody trip through Hungary, Austria, Italy, and a special bonus of 10 miles in Germany!
After that we flew out to Paris for our first trip to DLP and even found a few hours for Parc Asterix as well!
All in all is was a GREAT trip and also our first in Europe. We already can't wait to go back.
Heres Day 1:
We landed in London Heathrow at 10:30am and picked up our rental car for the next few days. We ended up with a nissan micra, a super small 4 door automatic which was actually really roomy inside.
Thorpe park was our obvious first choice since its less than 20 miles from the airport so we headed there and arrived just after 11.
Thorpe was a pretty fun park for only having 3 coasters. Being july in the UK meant that there were loads of school kids in the park but lines thined out by the end of the day.
Collossos was first and we waited about an hour. I've been looking forward to this coaster for awhile so it was really cool to finally ride it. First thing I noticed was how small a footprint is actually has. A 10 looper B&M wouldve taken up half of the park, but collossos is pretty compact.
The first course is nothing really special, it feels alot like CA Screamin' with a cobra roll actually. Thankfully it has the same restraints because it would be pretty painful with the new Intamin ones.
The heartline rolls are pretty cool though. They wern't uncomfortable at all really. Theres no zero G moments, just alot of hang time. The very last one though is pretty cool because of how close to the ground you get. Overall I thought the ride was pretty solid.
Nemisis Inferno was pretty damn good actually. It has a cool prelift course through a misty tunnel, then a very twisty layout. Much like the other Nemesis (but to much less degree) it uses the terrain a bit for some cool fly bys.
Let me talk about X:No Way Out for a bit. I have to say I was rather dissapointed with this coaster. I knew very little about it going in but I was pretty hyped for it after hearing it was a bit unconventional. A backwards ride in the dark with very long block brake stops isn't really that great. Does anyone know if there were ever any effects on this ride at all?
Anyway, we were able to hit the 2 new flats ,Rush and Slammer, and collossos again after the kids left at about 4.
Enough of me, on to the pics!
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| My first 20 quid! Unlike Canada, their money has some chick instead of a duck |
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| Monica says "What up from H'Row!" |
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| Collossos is super twisty |
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| Pencil Sharpened: THE RIDE |
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| I waited here for an hour and no one proposed to me...grrrr |
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| Monica was too busy making out with sign to pay attention to me |
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| Insert 70's rock joke here |
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| That shot of Collossos that evryone has |
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Last edited by robbalvey on Sat Jul 30, 2005 11:25 am
Last edited by robbalvey on Sat Jul 30, 2005 11:25 am
Last edited by robbalvey on Sat Jul 30, 2005 11:25 am |
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| phazan Full Fledged Pirate Enthusiast!
Joined: 13 Mar 2005 Total posts: 1585 |
| Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2005 10:46 am Post subject: |
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| nice pictures! i was just looking at robb's a few minutes ago!
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| kenshinmac Random Ranter
Joined: 16 Feb 2005 Total posts: 1075 Location: Lost in the Denver Metro Area... Gender: Male |
| Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2005 10:50 am Post subject: |
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Yeah Thorpe pictures are gonnna be kinda overshadowed by Robbs... Man I want to ride Rush... They were testing it the whole day I was there and it was due to open in 1 week... 
Sigh... Still I got on a huge amount of the rides around the park anyway.
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| viking86 Bonafide Donkey Expert
Joined: 15 Feb 2005 Total posts: 1206 Location: Bergen, Norway Age: 22 Gender: Male |
| Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2005 11:16 am Post subject: |
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| Hey Don, good to see you again. It was a really great trip. I would have written a trip report, but Im too lazy. Might write a short one.
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| robbalvey Site Admin
Joined: 01 Feb 2005 Total posts: 18525 Location: So Cal Age: 39 Gender: Male |
| Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2005 11:24 am Post subject: |
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Don! Great pics! I'm so glad this is turning into the summer of "American's that go visit cool parks that aren't in America!!!"
Looking forward to all your other TRs!!!
--Robb
_________________
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| PhishyBrewer Joined: 05 May 2005 Total posts: 4406 |
| Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2005 12:41 pm Post subject: |
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Dude... Don... Great to have you back in the states! Looks like Europe was a blast!
I was going to head to Train Town last weekend and thought of you. We ended up at SFMW. 
Great photos. Hope you have more to share! 
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| Jeezus Juice Idiot. Joined: 19 Feb 2005 Total posts: 1239 Age: 30 Gender: Male |
| Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2005 12:54 pm Post subject: |
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I'm glad you guys are enjoying the pics. I'm doing these from work so I have to fit these in between patients. The midday rush is just about over so I'll throw up some more pictures.
Day two, Mission:Blackpool
After Thorpe closed at 5PM! (stupid tussaud hours!) we drove up to Blackpool. We made it up there at around 930 and checked into Big Blue, BPB's official Hotel.
The hotel room was nice and they let us park for free, but when I opened the window OMFG there were no less than 9 coasters directly outside of our room!
Now I'm sure we all have heard how cool this place is but I was still totally blown away. If Kennywood, Knoebels, and Cedar Point had a threesome, Blackpool would look over and be all "I've been doing that for like 100 years, wankers"
It's like everywhere we went at the park their was a new darkride, or coaster, or crazy walkthrough, or darkride that turned into a coaster, or walkthrough that turned into a darkride and exited by a coaster. The place is absolutely incredible.
Even the Arrow coasters are good there! I didn't think The Big One was rough at all! Especially compared to Desperado and Magnum...ewww, Magnum.
There were some rides and coasters we didn't even discover until the second day.
Enough sucking up, onto the pictures:
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| The view from our hotel room window. Did I mention the windows in hotels here open all the way? I could've leaped onto a Big Dipper train from here! |
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| Plenty of softdrink themed rides here, and a maze in the distance |
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| I never did get to try an IRN-BRU, even though they were available in diet |
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| Dude! The Valhalla gift shop was awesome! |
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| But the ride was even better. You hear that Malestrom!! |
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| Gifts were available for all ages |
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| There ticket booths had some pretty intense themeing. I tried to open it up to find the smaller one inside but felt weird about grabbing its midsection |
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| There indoor coaster actually had stuff to look at! No random darkness. Also it looks af if they had a skyway at some point. I wonder what happened? |
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| We even had time to pick up the "other" Blackpool credit at the South Pier |
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| The first of many European Towers I didn't want to pay to go up in, and the Blackpool strip |
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| This is probably the worst upcharge minigolf course I've ever seen. Later in the day it was PACKED too...weird. |
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| Me and my award winning shot of the Big One's drop shot on location in front of Pizza Hut. |
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| kenshinmac Random Ranter
Joined: 16 Feb 2005 Total posts: 1075 Location: Lost in the Denver Metro Area... Gender: Male |
| Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2005 1:26 pm Post subject: |
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Man it has been way too long since I was at BlackPool. That place was amazing. Most consistent themeing I have ever seen. Asphalt everywhere and gaudy buildings as far as the eye can see. Still the rides kicked A$$.
Tell me you went on Steeplechase and the Wild Mouse... Those are some of the most memorable things there. The wild mouse because it has some seriously close head choppers and the steeplechase... well if you went on the steeplechase it is obvious. The funny thing was that there was this red haired guy who looked like he had worked in a factory every day of his life pushing the horses out when I went... Completely the stereotypical image of blackpool from what I have heard...
Anyway glad you had so much fun. Can't wait to see more pics. BTW do you have any better shots of some of the classic rides at Blackpool?
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| maliboomer Banned
Joined: 20 Feb 2005 Total posts: 1180 Age: 18 Gender: Male |
| Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2005 1:28 pm Post subject: |
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| Great TR... Irn Bru tastes a bit like Fanta without the sweetness.
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| dandaman Guaranteed Fresh or Your Money Back!
Joined: 01 Mar 2005 Total posts: 3093 Location: Belle River, Ontario / Melbourne, Florida Age: 18 Gender: Male |
| Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2005 1:50 pm Post subject: |
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^Mmmmmm... unsweetened Fanta...  I've always wanted to go to British parks, to see all the differences... and to have fun at unbelievable lawsuit-accommodating rides, including the obstacle course of death! 
Danny "Most pathetic mini golf course ever, though..." Smith
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