Playland (PNE) Vancouver Discussion Thread

Playland Nights 19+ ~ NEON PARTY tonight!

I still stuck with my plan to not get into buying expensive cocktails, and stay with Stella Artois instead.

The crowds were not huge, thanks to (probably) the chance of a downpour scaring some off. But it stayed dry and overcast all evening, and with a smaller crowd there, made the evening really nice and enjoyable, for myself.

The VIP Tent was filled with glow "stuff", like rainbow slinkys, bubble guns (which I unfortunately did not think to get, before they all disappeared), glow sticks in all colours.... stuff like that. This was also where the only black lights were, in the entire park. I thought there would be many more of these, but not to be.

Staff, which included security guards everywhere, were nice and cordial the entire evening. I enjoyed talking with them about Playland, and things(life) in general.

All in all, it was a way better experience than the first time I did this, two years ago. That time, it was only one night, and the place - was - mobbed. I didn't even ride anything, back then. This was a much better time, which I'd happily do again. Even with paying the extra $$$ for the VIP thing. So much better.

6pm ~ Playland Entrance, now with fences.

A few of the many security guards in the park.

The VIP "Special Entry"....and bag/body search checkpoint.

Some NEON starting to show up.

Now with bubbles, too!

My first (of several) Stella Artois.

Inside the VIP Tent.

Heaters outside the Ride Side Bar. Live entertainment was happening all night, here.

First up was this amazing drummer, who just kept going and going and going!

Strength and stamina....and incredible rhythm, too! The soundtrack he put together

was an amazing mix. He was great. Wouldn't mind his being back at next year's PNs19+.

More heaters.

At first glace, this looked to me, like candles drying on racks. They were not. (o;

There's always room for more bubbles!

Even potted shrubs need attention and care.

The Westcoast Wheel didn't run any lighting package or colour changes.

It pretty much stayed blue, throughout the evening.

Look what's still For Sale? And it's not Revelation.

Thanks to a nice person who helped me take a few Glow Shots. I take very few selfies, if any.

The wierd pose.

My fave of the three taken. Neon Gangsta!

Enterprise going colour crazy.

I still don't know why I still ride this speedy omg thing. But I do. And I did, last night.

Behind the Wheel, was another private spot for the VIP crowd, Zoltar's Speakeasy! It was fun to visit.

Cushions to sit on, incense in the air. There was even a Zoltar Fortune Teller machine there,

which was cool to watch, although his 'voice' was low to hear, with all the noise around.

I got two rides on Coaster, thanks to my VIP Fastpass card. And one ride on Hellevator and AtmosFEAR, each.

Still in blue mode.

Out the door, and on my way to my pickup spot. I wondered if anybody actually rode that flume?

My 'swag' for the evening. Including my fortune from ZOLTAR himself!

BONUS PHOTO I forgot to post! (idiot bear) They had a new very sweet cocktail (I thought) available at the tent/bar beside Coaster. It was a really normal blend of sugar water, vodka and your choice of "flavours". And you could mix a couple or more, if you dared. I declined to do that, and had one with apple. It was also "smoking" due to some dry ice thrown in for effect. It was tasty and actually not as sweet as I thought it would be, like the others I've had there (see previous post ^ for flavours). And you got to keep the mini-hurricane shaped glass if you wanted to. I must have been already ....um..... 6-7 beers happy, and apparently threw mine away. Ah well. Hope they do it again, next year and not change it!

So the only thing I got from it... was the photo of the sign, lol. Enjoy.

Also, decided just now, to plug this amazing drummer we had as the first act for the PNs last Friday night. This is how they described him. And he is definitely worth seeing/hearing again. Totally manic and totally in control. Great party act!

8 pm – Drum N Dirty: Live percussion DJ, Drumming to remixed party music.

High energy act to get the party started.

 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drumndirty/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drumndirty/

 

One of the very few times, he was actually sitting down! (o:

Nice! That looks like a fun event. Very party atmosphere.

^ Yeah it was fun! And I didn't really take enough night photos, once A LOT of "VIP" ticket-holders came into the park. The day photos were fine, but man, some of the night ones I could have taken. IF I had my memory working, after 4 or 5 beers? I would definitely pay the VIP price for an experience like this at Playland. And I did actually get a few rides in, too, LOL!

A quiet day it was, this past Tuesday.

Very quiet.

My two visits to the park this week, Tuesday and today, were rather quiet with no big groups I could see, there. Coming into the park just after opening, there was always that surge to Coaster, which held for an hour or so. Then, it would drop off dramatically, so much so, that I could just get off the train, run around to the queue and be back on another train in three cycles, or less.

I got four rides on Coaster today, but these four rides, brought me up to what I am calling my Age Milestone. Last year, when I turned 65, I decided just for the heck of it, riding Coaster as many times as I could, before the PNE started in mid-August. And ride enough times to match my age of 65. It turned out to be a bit trickier than I'd planned, as Coaster didn't open with Playland in May (still waiting for replacement parts from Europe), and stayed closed till mid-June. Meaning I had a month and a half to 'catch up' in my count. I made it, but just so.

This year was much easier. Coaster opened with the rest of Playland on Opening Day. And today I rode Coaster for the 66th time, reaching this year's Age Milestone. So now, riding it more just shows me how many times I can ride it, "beyond my age."

And I got a fist full of PLINKO tickets (154) today, which along with Tuesday's tickets haul, is kind of putting me off playing Ice Ball at all, any more. This is much easier to get prize tickets. Just stand there and drop quarters, LOL. Now I've collected over 1100 tickets. I'll cash them in, soon enough.

Tuesday...

Back for breakfast, before going to the park.

Enjoying a great Eggs Benedict.

Hardly anybody on several of the flats.

How to work off breakfast. Pedal, pedal, pedal!

Today's prize tickets, and three rides on Coaster. I'm now up to 62 rides on it.

This morning's breakfast: two eggs (over hard) on hash.

Messy, but enjoyable! (o:

Less than an hour later, I attain my Age Milestone.

Three flat rides in this photo, are not running today.

Setting up for another concert(s) this weekend.

Three shots of Swinger.

My celebratory on-Ride #66 photo. Damn I look f'd-up!

the pic of you holding the age count pic is GREAT.

^ Thanks, Bert! I actually like it better than the actual on-ride photo itself, LOL!

And there is the second shot that I like better now, now that I see what FLASH!

does to "old age"... Bleaaaah.

"Old Age and Flash Camera Are NOT Compatible"

Also, I forgot to add, I chose to sit in the very front seat for this momentous photo op,

which really, you can't tell that much from what got taken, lol.

This looks a bit better, from a dissstance, IMhO.

I'm also considering showing up, in cozplay, as a non-VIP guest,

for this last PNs+19 night. I think I could carry the "look", heh.

Stay tuned...

Well, I found out there won't be a Rib Fest (per se) at this summer's PNE. I get the feeling they're not trying to depend on other food place owners that rent space at the Fair. The PNE wants that cash cow (moo) as well as the alcohol licenses for The Fair. Which they now have, hence no Beer Festival during The Fair any more.

A newly-named Revel District will take the area formerly called Celeration Plaza. There will still be a few rides there, beyond the Playland "District". And that great piano dueling couple will be back, as usual, with their awesome playing and taking requests.

 

Revel District

 

Indulge your wild with food, spectacular entertainment, and mechanical bull riding. This newly imagined entertainment zone will offer some of the best Mexican food around at the Corona Bar, I LOVE Churros and Los Tacos Hermanos. Guests can also enjoy some traditional, charcoal grilled BBQ chicken and ribs from BBQ pit masters. In addition to rides and games, the Revel District features a bevy of shows on the Tim Horton’s Stage including strong woman Mama Lou, comedian Mike Wood, and Tuck Entertainment’s drag superstars.

http://www.pne.ca

So, along with ribs, there will be a Mexican food set up,

maybe in that large Poutine Bldg. area?

Hmmm..... Ribs or Burritos? Time will tell, OLE!

p.s. "I Love Churros".....really? They're a theme park food. Hardly "Mexican", to my taste. But..... whatever.

And this is the Rib Festival shot in the Plaza, from last summer.

Any news on the expansion that is proposed for the park? From all the pictures I have seen of the park, it reminds of a park like Waldameer or Fantasy Island. I like parks like that but a city the size of Vancouver should have a park more along the lines of a Wonderland.

^^ "Tuck" Entertainments' Drag Superstars ! At a big fair ! OMG ! Too fun, love it.

^ Yes, and The PNE also celebrates Out At The Fair Day again (this year. Thurs.Aug.29), like it started doing last year. You buy a pair of rainbow socks from the Pride Society's booth, outside the main PNE entrance, and you get in free! A "first" for a big annual fair, I thought. They were very supportive last summer's 'Day,' and everybody got into it, including the Fair staff.

https://www.pne.ca/ways-to-save/

Last year's Pride Socks, bought at the PNE.

Staff outside the PNE Prize Home.

~ Sunday at the Church of Coaster ~

What better way to spend a Sunday, than at Playland and riding the Almighty C

to take your breath away, and raise you to a higher level of OMG!ness.

And by the way - Happy Bastille Day, France!

I thought churros were from Mexico!

My PLINKO tickets haul =

= this much. (o:

Haven't bought any fudge in awhile. Blueberry sounds good.

They even gave me an extra piece of fudge! Nice people at Playland. Fudge was good, too!

Um... panels on the West Coast Wheel need to be..... redone?

The Beast is active again.

And AtmosFEAR "almost" touches the clouds.

For some reason, I am really liking the first photo. The train, the brake run, and the kid awaiting the train to come in.

For some reason, I am really liking the first photo. The train, the brake run, and the kid awaiting the train to come in.

The track looks bizarre in that image!

or...."Ticket Counting Machines are NOT Money Changing Machines!"

Decided to start my Friday visit to the park, with another shot of that crazy-looking brake run in Coaster's station. After that, it was some more PLINKO (winning over 300 tix with just a few $$$), a ride on The Wheel, my dollar popcorn refill, and a generally nice day there.

Oh, and from the "Idiot GP Dept."...... A family assumed that the ticket counting machines were the money changing machines. So there was actual folded money inside both ticket slots of the back-to-back machines. The kids working the Arcade couldn't pull them out, so... maintenance pending. So I had to have my tix counted at the front redemption area. Thankfully, it was a "walk on" lol.

Sexy brake run? Got two rides on purple train. (o:

This is a "PNE/Playland Approved" block of cement!

Yeah, Pizza Pizza is pretty pricy for my liking. I can leave the park, walk a couple of blocks,

and get two Large Loaded Deluxe Pizzas for one of these. I keep reminding myself that one day,

I will have/try one - slice. And note, those I know in the USA, this is Cdn $. So....$23 U.S.? Is that good for you?

Gaming tables are ready. Now they have to wait another month before the betting gp arrives, at PNE time.

Note: The most totally useless things in Playland. People either slip by them, go through them,

or let their kids turn and turn them like a propeller. Useless really, IMhO. But I guess it's a bit of "queue control."

Corkscrew's still For Sale, and Revelation stopped halfway for Maintenance.

The Twins have disappeared!

But these twins are flying nicely. ArrrrrrrrrrrSNAP!

From The Wheel I saw this. First time in a while, not seeing anybody in the queue. Then I found out.

A.....um....."spill" had occurred in that back row, a ride op is cleaning up. I did not envy this ride op.

Local TV news personality with her "haul" before doing the afternoon weather.

People! These take tickets. Not cash! (How could these idiots miss all this info.on it???)

A hot sunny Sunday, today. Got one ride on Coaster, but left it at that, as the queue was really long by the time I got off the train. No matter. A nice leisurely spin on The Wheel, several $$$ worth of quarters plunked into PLINKO and a MONOPOLY version of the quarters drop machines. And that was it!

By the way, I think the MONOPOLY quarter drops, are much more...uh..... "profitable" in the prize tickets? In the PLINKO machine .... $10 = 200 tickets. The MONOPOLY machine I tried, first time? $4 = 214 tickets. And these machines are mostly ignored, since the great location of PLINKO immediately draws the curious kids in. With quarters. Lots of quarters.

Things that make you go "Hmmmmm."

But I'll never tell about the MONOPOLY machines.

This got much MUCH longer, after I rode Coaster.

I Do Respect. I also wish there were more gardens around the park, too.

The Twins are in full view. I always love this view on The Wheel.

Glad? Not really. The Gladiator has been closed, for several weeks now. )o:

These chairs sure get around. I wonder if they'll repaint them red, the colour they usually are, for the PNE?

The Beast: "I see Swingers! Nom nom nom nom nom."

Front Row, Hands Up!

The Beast, soaring above The only Old West themed "attraction", in the park. (o;

Just out! The 2019 Pride Guide is out, around town. We celebrate Vancouver Pride through the week (up to), and have our Pride Parade on the first Sunday of August (Aug.04 this year). Which then allows us to get down to Seattle/Portland for their Pride weekends, usually end of June.

So, here's the page in the Guide, the Pride Society put out about Out At The Fair at this year's PNE! All the info is there, and more importantly, the socks are a different design, and with the year on them, too!

https://www.pne.ca/ways-to-save/

It does make me wonder, what design they'll go for, next year.....diagonal stripes? (o;

cool.

I just saw SFFT advertise for an evening show with some of the queens from RPDR in August.

might go.. tix are ~45

I envy you so much that this is your home park. I'd kill to live local to their coaster <3

^ Thanks for the envy, heh. It's really taken me a long, long time (before my 50's, I hardly went to the park), to really appreciate what I/we've got here in Playland. And not just Coaster, either. Several really first class flats they have here, now (The Beast, AtmosFEAR, etc.). So I'm catching up, at my age LOLOL!

And so are they, I'm guessing. These new ride additions have all happened in the last ten years or so.

p.s. When you get older, and can move out on your own, consider Seattle.

Only a few hours' drive away from Coaster and Playland(PNE)!

The PNE Concert Series lineup. www.pne.ca

Was at the park for a couple of hours today. Kind of busy, mainly with the Coaster queue. But that was fine. Won some more tickets on the Monopoly Quarters Drop, and took a few "cloud shots" during my visit there.

Note: "a classic reverse curve."

This is the Reverse Curve.

The Monopoly Quarters Drop "game," if you can call it that. I did okay. Not great. But way better than Ice Ball.

Well, somebody's got their hands up!

Some nice landscaping in the centre of the park.

And this is what travels around it all.

Either you're GLAD or you're IATOR. But not both. (o;

Final shot.

This just in! The PNE has announced some of the new foods and beverages

that will be available during this month's PNE. For example...

...How about some PICKLE Cotton Candy? More to come...

I love cotton candy. I am a cotton candy aficionado, an epicurean, a connosseur. But ugh, NO ! That sounds awful.

^ LOL! Well, when all is said and done, I'm still going to try it, when The Fair happens. They had chocolate flavored one time, and bacon flavored cotton candy another, so it's worth a try. Hopefully I won't freek out and want more more MORE! I just bought some "specialty popcorn" at Playland today, and $6 for the small ($9 large) I don't think I'll be regularly buying that, any time soon. It was cheese, by the way, and it wasn't too bad.

Today marks the third day in this week I went to the park. Today was like Monday, which had really small lines at Coaster, and generally an easy day there. Wednesday was the packed day there. Many many colours (t-shirts) of BIG groups of children running around. And it was a very hot afternoon, too. So Wednesday's the day I spent the least time, there.

And with the $1 popcorn I got on Wednesday, I added the cheese popcorn to, today.

And I played Monopoly Quarters Drop all three days with pretty good payoffs in prize tickets.

A really light queue today. But with the heat, I could only stand riding Coaster once.

What's this?

Oh, right. PNE.

Where to hang a mister line.

A shiny spot on The Wheel.

Hells Gate gets mooned by Crazy Beach Party.

The obligatory Swinger shot, before leaving.

Where important Coaster Signs go, now.

I like this one. BTW, the 45th Anniversary of Coaster, was in 2003. Now, it's over 61 years old! (o:

AND. we're "Canada's Oldest Wooden Coaster," Woo Hoo!

Today's fudge I bought, was....

Looking at this again, I think that they repainted the entire background of Break Dance. Cool!

Meanwhile...

After last night's rainfall, there were still lots of clouds overhead, but eventually some sunshine came through.

Lots of orange t-shirts around the park, today.

Another not-too-busy queue here at Coaster. I got three rides in!

Moon!

Ticket booths set up for the upcoming PNE....

....with "something special" added, here. (o;

Nice flag. I like it.

This is for all you tire wheel nerds out there. Enjoy.

Almost got it all in.

Time to pay $$$ for some different popcorn.

The large bag was $9. The small one, $6. Choices were Caramel, Cheese, & Kettle Corn. I chose Cheese. In a small bag.

The Swinger Shot.

There's usually some company with a tent outside the main gate. Today it was

CTV National News station. And they had this set up, so I had the nice

young woman snap a few of me "framed." (o:

And here's the Cheese popcorn, mixed in with what I got (for a dollar) on Wednesday. Both good popcorns.

Have you noticed that the flags that used to top Hellevator and AtmosFEAR have been missing in action? Wonder why they removed them.