Holiday World Announces Very Very Large Water Feature

In a highly-anticipated move, Holiday World recently announced a very very large water feature, easily eclipsing its Applause Hands fountain as the biggest non-passenger-carrying water feature in the park.

"We knew we needed a big attraction, but we didn't really want something that would carry passengers or, you know, function," said park president Will Koch. "For tall and non-functional engineering and construction, we knew there was only one company to turn to: Intamin. They've got a long and proud tradition of building enormous sculptures that don't actually run in the way you expect rides to operate, you know, with patrons or anything like that. So Pilgrims Plunge will join a long series of zero passengers-per-hour Intamin rides."

Holiday World issued a statement declaring that its decision was inspired by Six Flags's addition of the world's largest lawn ornament, Kingda Ka, at its New Jersey park. "That installation was so successful they were able to remove their other decoration, Batman & Robin: The Chiller. We're hoping that Pilgrims Plunge will sit, untouched by patrons actually riding, for many years, providing a great photo background."

--GP

McCain "Very Impressed" by New "Up-Stop Wheel Technology"

U.S. Senator John McCain, republican nominee for president, sought today to demonstrate his interest in cutting-edge technology by visiting the Coney Island Cyclone in Brooklyn, New York, declaring himself "astonished" at the "space age engineering" involved.

"The brilliant engineers who saw the need for wheels on not just the top, but also the bottom, of the wheels, are to be commended!" declared McCain in an exclusive ARN&R interview that took place next to the waterboarding installation. "I love the Mauch Chunk Railway, don't get me wrong, but this here, with the up-stop wheels and the hills, this is the future! In a John McCain administration, the American people can rest assured that we will take a cue from the wondrous innovations and break all barriers!"

--GP

Least Capable E-Mail User Ever Found

Here.

--GP

For-Profit Company Amazes Investors By Making Profit

Six Flags Inc., a for-profit company, today enthralled, excited and, frankly disturbingly, aroused observers by forecasting that it would make a profit for the first time in its history -- a history during which it has always been formally denominated a for-profit corporation..

"We think we've got this thing figured out now," said CEO Mark Shapiro in an exclusive ARN&R interview. "When we spend less than we bring in, we make this previously mythical thing called a profit. We'd tried a bunch of other stuff, like spending more than we made and offering things that our customers didn't actually want. And the guys before us had what we thought was a great idea too, borrowing billions of dollars more than they could ever make back -- frankly, I'm still surprised that didn't work. But we've got it now! Just call us the pioneers of the amusement industry!"

--GP

Kentucky to Mandate Minimum Teeth Count for Ride Operators

A little-noted provision in Kentucky's recent legislation to set a minimum age for ride operators is expected to wreak havoc on amusement facilities in the state: henceforth, every ride operator will be required to possess no fewer than ten of his or her original teeth.

"This is devastating," said Hank Cash, spokesman for Kentucky's amusement industry group and proud owner of nine original teeth. "It takes a lot of people to staff an amusement park, and fully three-fourths of our residents have fewer than ten teeth. I mean, it could be worse -- they could require basic literacy, which would just destroy us overnight -- but it's pretty awful."

State senator Joe Muller, also known as "Toothy McTeeth" to his friends, disagreed. "This is long overdue. We need ride operators with teeth."

--GP

Tidbits From All Over

Late February means that it’s still the off-season for most parks. But until the usual tales of ridiculous enthusiast public behavior and Six Flags jacking up parking fees three times in one day begin to rear their ugly heads, we here at ARN&R still have some exciting news to report.

-Work still continues at Universal Studios Orlando on the Simpsons Ride, which will replace the park’s beloved Back To The Future Ride. A source which declined to be named tells ARN&R that the ride is still on target for a Spring opening, and will mirror the popular Fox animated show closely. He went on to say that the ride will be underwhelming the first three times guests ride it, will become wildly entertaining for rides 4 through 10, and then begin a slow but steady decline in amusement during subsequent experiences.

-Idaho’s Silverwood Theme Park continues to gear up for what park owner Gary Norton calls “the most exciting season in our history”. In addition to the well-publicized news that Silverwood has purchased Six Flags Great America’s Vekoma lawn ornament Deja Vu, the park plans to open a new food court in its Boulder Beach waterpark, and move forward with a botanical beautification project. Sliverwood has also been aggressively recruiting new employees through newspaper ads, internet postings, and job fairs, and has added nearly five hundred new hires. Norton denies the rumor that most of these new employees will be used to manually lift Deja Vu trains “tug of war” style up the lift towers during the coaster’s many mechanical failures.

--CMV

Least Surprising Statement Ever



"I am a member of the American Roller [sic] Coaster Enthusiasts."

(And thousands of enthusiasts' acquaintances said, simultaneously, "Of course he is.")

--GP

In a Battle of Idiots, We All Win

Yes, we're a little obsessed with JL57 and the Show Statecase Funpark Royal Republic of Kazakhstan. When Jack is away, we're sad; when he quotes us as a source, we love it. And we are amazed at how persistently he engages all comers, continually responding to everyone.

Until now.

Yes, indeed, Jack has apparently met his match in a borderline illiterate drugstore employee from Minnesota, one Colleen.

Go and enjoy this thread, in which Jack claims, just a tad implausibly, that Dayton, Ohio, has 17,000 hotels. The barely coherent Colleen points out the obvious -- that all he's doing is citing to Google's search results, but even that the search results in fact only have 40 or so results.

Jack then flips out, starting to delete all of her messages, ranting about complaining to Google. We didn't see all of her messages that got deleted, but they included links to some government page that showed that there are only about 60,000 hotels in the entire country (odds that over a quarter of them are in Dayton, Ohio? Anyone?). She keeps writing 'em, he keeps deleting 'em. Good times.

It's not every day you get to see someone this delusional flip out. Enjoy! It's our Christmas present to you.

--GP

Digital Camcorder Makes ARN&R Look Subdued, Mature

Behold: Here. You may want to turn down your sound. And perhaps turn off your monitor. Heck, consider just going for a walk while it plays.

That is all.

--GP

Life Again Has Meaning

Because Jack's back, baby, and State Showcase Fun Ron Paul Peckerwood Super Park or whatever is coming in a mere, oh, well, okay, it's never opening but holy crap it's good to have you back in full-on insane rambling mode, Jack! Tell us about Firehawk and Phoenix, Jack!

Tale of two coasters which were disassembled and reassembled.

Rocket/Phoenix coaster traveled over 1,700 miles to its destination which cost in total of $1,500,000.

Firehawk coaster traveled just 225 miles to its destination which should not cost any more than the same $1,500,000.

Kaivac1 that means that the cost of the Dora and Boots costumes must be $8,500,000.

I cannot make it any simpler!

No, indeed, you can't.

--GP