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The ultimate New Year's Eve party began for us at 8:45 a.m., when Cindy Stout got in our car and greeted us by saying, "the front page of the Orlando
Sentinel said "If you want to be in an amusement park on New Year's Eve you'd better get there early." And with that, we proceeded to have the best day I have ever spent in amusement park.
Another walk-on! And this is Cindy's first time on Dr. Doom. Steve suggested we go for door number 3 or 4 on the right. We got door number 3 and were treated to a magnificent view of the park! Way to go, Steve! And what a different ride this is from the sneak preview day last April. Back then the launch was rather weak, but now it's much more forceful and the airtime at the top is fantastic! Well, gee, our initial game plan was to head straight for Dueling Dragons, thinking we'd at least get several rides in while the huge crowds would be at the front of the park. But heck, the sign says Hulk has a five minute wait, should we go for it? Heck yeah!
Fire in the back. Fire in the back. Fire in the back. Fire in the back on the left. UNBELIEVEABLE airtime over the camelback!!! Fire in the back on the right. Either Steve or Kevin told me to look left through the immelman and final inversion. Whooooaaa!!! Talk about a head rush! The forces on Fire's back row right seat are the most extreme, while the airtime is best in the back row left. OH! MY! GOD! WE ARE HAVING SUCH A GREAT TIME!!! Kevin asked if we'd like to have New Years Eve dinner at Mythos and suggested we walk over and make early dinner reservations. We left the Dragons, but not without stopping at the Enchanted Oak Tavern for a corn-on-the-cob fix. Cindy got properly beveraged, while Susan and Kaley feasted on corn. We also made time for Jim Westland to feast on some of the incredible theming. While Kevin took care of the reservations, Cindy and I used the America On-Line stand outside Mythos to thoughtfully and considerately send a few e-mails to our friend, Shawn McLaughlin, aka RealtorGuy. We expressed our curiosity about his activities on this day, and shared with him our whereabouts and best wishes. It was a nice gesture I'm sure he appreciated. Next we went to Poseidon's Fury. We had planned on waiting until later that afternoon but heck, we were right there and it didn't appear to be a long wait. Let's go! Uh oh. The two attendants outside Poseidon's entrance informed us we had a 75 min. wait ahead of us. Oh no! The crowds are here! Port of Entry must be jammed. But wait! We only had a five minute wait inside before we were led in for the show. Those wacky funsters outside were only toying with us! I've seen Poseidon's Fury three times now and I have to say each time I've liked it less. Technically and artistically, though, this show was the best of the three. The "keeper" was much better this time, opting to play his role straight (as opposed to the show I saw in November, when the actor peppered his performance with pop culture references and took me out of the moment). Also, there were many more effects working this time. But I think the opening scene which introduces the keeper is rather awkward - it's use of lights and painted scenery is distinctly amateurish, as is the next scene and its use of lasers. The mermaid with sticky bun boobies is badly drawn (as are all laser drawings) and it's nothing I didn't see at a laserium show back in the late 70's. Also, the woman above the door looks silly when red lasers shoot out of her head and spiral into a cute little curly-q! Her whole image just isn't as good as other projections I've seen - Disney's Haunted Mansion, for example. And while I like the final scene, I wish the water projectors were clearer. I also think the fish fountains look stupid! Bottom line: I think if you're presenting theatre as being technologically advanced, set design and lighting should get the same treatment, and mermaids with cinnamon bun boobs just doesn't cut it!
Next we headed over to One Fish Two Fish, which Kaley, who doesn't do water rides, opted to sit out, as did Jim, who was too caught up in the theming and wanted to "soak up the atmosphere." Now if any you read my last IOA trip report, you'll remember that I got stuck riding with Cindy Stout, who panicked under pressure, lost control of our fish and wound up getting us wet. This time I gave her one last chance at the helm. We took a One Fish Blue Fish. Well, right off the bat she got confused from the first set of instructions and we got wet.
"Not up, up, up, Cindy! It's down, down, DOWN!!!!" Next we were told to go up, up, up. Which way will Cindy go?
"Where do I....what.....who.....?" I swear, the woman can't follow orders to save her life. Finally we're told "it's up to you." "Oh, I hate when it's up to me" she says. Well, the old gal lost it. She panicked and took her hand clean off the controls. I looked down and her hand appeared to be frozen. SPLASH!!! Ohhhhh! She leans forward and I get hit right in the face. SPLOOSH! Aaaaaah! Finally she grabs the controls and proceeds to steer us right in the path of a spouting fish that nails me right on my shirt. SPLAAT!!! After the ride ended we got off and I summarily dressed her down in front of everyone. It was quite a spectacle. Cindy dropped her head and puffed out her lower lip and walked behind us in shame until the next ride. (user shakes his head) I have never seen anyone cave under pressure like that. I'll never let that girl man the controls again. We wandered through the Cat, Hat and Things shop, and I see Jeff and Steve playing with these squiggly tube things that plop out whenever you try to grip them. I made the innocent comment that they looked vaguely masturbatory, at which point Jeff proceeded to take one and make an unmistakably vulgar motion with it, causing it to shoot away. He then took us through Suess Landing, pointing out several hidden X-rated images. Something tells me this boy has too much time on his hands. We also went to Cirkus McGurkus for a milkshake. These are very good and VERY thick! They aren't as good as Steak N Shake's but they're better than Wendy's. How about another few rides on Hulk? The wait is only ten minutes. Okay!!! And let's head back to the Dragons for some more backseat rides on Fire! Okay!
The food was fabulous. I had a terrific swordfish and for dessert, the most delicate creme brulee I've ever tasted! But it's worth going to Mythos for the music alone. A new age CD, which I found out is called Mythos, plays at just the right level, making it easy to converse and enjoy the music at the same time. Several of us made unnecessary trips to the bathroom just to hear the music better! Dinner at Mythos was wonderful. We laughed and had alot of fun, and while we dined, Fox News set up cameras and did a live feed from the Mythos terrace. After dinner we decided to do the water rides. But hey, since there aren't any long lines to worry about, let's take some time and do a little shopping! I bought a Seuss Landing t-shirt, Steve and I each bought a Woody Woodpecker Wrap Party of the Milennium t-shirt, Cindy chose a smart little IOA number, and Kevin, after much hemming and hawing, leaving the store and returning, finally ended up getting a vibrating lazer sword thinggy. He was very proud of it! It was now six o'clock and the park had set up a great and now crowded party zone at the edge of Port of Entry's lagoon. Popular dance music was piped throughout the park, replacing IOA's remarkable soundtrack. Hundreds of people began dancing in the streets. At one point Victor grabbed Steve and made him come watch a group of twenty young girls who were dressed rather provocatively and dancing, shall we say, suggestively. Enough revelry, it's time to hit the water rides! Into Toon Lagoon we went, where we discovered the park had set up bars at each island and offered guests one drink per ID. There would be time for that later! Susan and Kaley, the waterphobes, elected not to ride. Victor also declined, having just recovered from a cold. Jim Westland, still revelling in IOA's theming, opted to take in the sights and sounds of Toon Lagoon. So it was Jeff, Steve, Kevin, Cindy and me who walked onto Bluto's Bilge Rat Barges.
That is, until the first set of drops. The camelbacks on Dudley are outstanding, and this really is the best log flume I've ever ridden. For the final drop, Kevin instructed us to lean forward, seatbelt fully extended, and arms raised. With that, we were treated to the most astounding airtime, including all the way down the drop, and again cresting the final camelback! It's impossible not to scream at this point, and you are greeted with a tidal wave of water completing drenching your upper body! It is SUCH A GREAT RIDE!!! The hag Cindy couldn't take more than one round, having just been ravaged by Bluto. The rest of us, however, went through the baby swap for another ride. This time I took the front and OH!!! MY!!! GOD!!!! The airtime from the front is, while completely safe, also totally frightening!! I was able to maintain my composure however, unlike Steve, who blurted out "Jeff! I'm not kidding, I was STANDING!!" much to the dismay of the ride ops who had just helped him off the ride. (user shakes his head) Steve bailed out after ride number two, while Jeff, Kevin and I went around for one more ride. I should also note that, like all the other rides we encountered at IOA on this day, Ripsaw Falls also had a number of new effects working, including a shower wall located halfway up the final lift hill. It was quite a shock to see as we rounded the corner and approached the lift! Fortunately, it (mostly) turned off just as we went under! As much as I love Bluto, on this day Dudley was the water ride winner at IOA. We figured three times was enough to ask our group to wait for, then we went to Jurassic Park, also a walk-on. This, too, had *many* new effects! I have to say I absolutely love the musical crescendo as the gigantic Jurassic Park gates open for the first time. It's very moving. Okay, the official New Years Eve water ridefest is now over. Time to change into our festive party clothes. We made our way back toward the front of the park which now was packed wall to wall with guests drinking and dancing to the music. Giant music video screens had also been erected at six points around the lagoon. Kevin, Steve and I went to our lockers and proceeded to the men's room to change our clothes. I was surprised to see such a busy men's room! Kevin and Steve got a stall right away but several other guys were also apparently changing their clothes, and I had to wait awhile. In the handicapped stall there was actually a guy helping his handicapped brother or friend. When I finally got my stall I started changing my clothes, and my thoughts drifted to my mother, who passed away over Thanksgiving weekend. Ironically, someone in another stall made a cellular phone call to his mother. He began talking to her, and his voice sounded serious, almost sad. He told her he was at IOA, paused, then wished her a happy new year. Then, sadly, he said "I love you Mom." I immediately started crying. It was so odd to hear that in a men's room, of all places. Why would he call his mom from the bathroom? It was *very* hard to get myself together and rejoin my friends. What a bizarre thing to have happen in the men's room. Obviously, I took awhile, but when I came out I saw Cindy looking snug as a bug in a rug in full Conneaut Lake Park sweats! The rest of our group, including Jerry Danes (who didn't join us until 6:00) went back to Hulk for a night ride. The ride had been down and the queue had been cleared, but once we crossed the bridge, they began testing the trains. We were very close to the front of the line that was now forming at Hulk's entrance, and when the attendants opened the queue we opted to wait for the front. It was well worth it! Hulk at night, especially from the front, is a sight to behold. That launch into nighttime darkness, and seeing the park from that perspective, is a magical sight. We rode near the back after that, and while the front of Hulk is best, any seat is great, which is the hallmark of a great coaster. The on ride photos were pretty funny, and I won't tell you what Jim Westland was doing. We headed toward the back of the park to end the year on Dueling Dragons, but not before stopping at one of the many tables IOA had set up to give out party favors. We each got hats, horns and noisemakers, and I told everyone at midnight I was going to celebrate by turning my noisemaker once, *click.* All the party favors came in different sizes, shapes and colors, and all were engraved with the year 2000! We closed out the 1999 coaster year on Dueling Dragons, blowing our horns and noisemakers all though the castle's queue. The sound was deafening, but no one seemed to mind! We rode again and again until it was time to leave for the midnight countdown. IOA closed all rides at around 11:30. We took a long table on the terrace of the Enchanted Oak Tavern, giving us a great view of the lagoon and most of the park. Jurassic Park's gigantic entrance and torches blazed high behind us. The restaurant was still serving food and Kevin and Susan took the opporunity to get some corn and barbeque. The rest of us took turns going to the bar and getting drinks. IOA's drink policy was one drink per ID, meaning if you ordered two drinks, the second person better be there and show ID. Steve Nuss asked me if I would buy him a glass of champagne. Well, of course! I figured hey, it's New Years Eve 1999, he's 16, it's champagne and he's not driving. I got him a glass. He finished it before midnight. One more glass? Hmmm...tough one. Well, they were pretty small flutes. Okay, but that's it. No more. This one has to last through midnight. No more, okay? He finished it before midnight. At some point I realized Steve was acting a little bit funnier than usual. He wasn't acting drunk, but he was definitely not used to champagne.
The fireworks continued all over the park, and apparently very moving music played in synch with the show, but it couldn't be heard from all the noise everyone was making. If we weren't blowing our horns we were screaming at the top of our lungs. It was wonderful, and the only thing slightly marring the moment was a drunken Brit standing near us who uttered the *f* word with every breath. His friends, however, encouraged him to not just salute England but all the rest of the world and after the fireworks ended they all shook our hands and wished us a Happy New Year. It was billed as the largest fireworks show in America. I don't know if that's true, but it certainly was spectacular! There were fireworks I've never seen before, none of which can be adequately described, but one in particular was incredibly breathtaking. A series of fireworks exploded into long, beautifully cascading walls of gold. I'll never forget it. After the celebration ended it was time to ride some more roller-coasters! There were a few people waiting at the Dragons entrance, but not many. We got in line and shortly afterward, were allowed back into the castle. Jeff seemed slightly disappointed when we saw a train running with passengers on it. It turned out to be the Dueling Dragons crew. Good for them! Susan and I opted for a front seat ride on Fire, while Jeff and a few of the others wanted to be the first guests out. We got the next train and blew our horns and noisemakers through the entire ride. Same thing for our front seat ride on Ice. After that we all rode together in the last rows of Fire. Every one of us blew our horns and noisemakers as loud as we could and Jim Westland got off saying he thought that was the most fun ride he'd ever had. While all of us were having the time of our lives, I guess our friend Champagne Steve had had a little too much fun. Apparently champagne and coasters do not mix well with growing sixteen year olds. He got off that last ride and it was clear he was done for the night. Stand back, everyone, he's gonna blow!! No, he was just dizzy. We made sure someone waited with Steve while the rest of us took one last ride before calling it a night which, as it turned out, was much later than we realized. The park decided to stay open until three o'clock! On our way out Jeff noticed that Spiderman was open. Oh come on! Somebody help us!!! How much fun can one person stand in a day!? Cindy and I immediately thought of e-mailing our friend Shawn McLaughlin and *begging* him to come save us from all this fun! And yet, we found ourselves walking in Spiderman's door and closing out our night with the same ride that, eighteen hours earlier, began our day. And that ended the most wonderful day I have ever spent in an amusement park. I couldn't think of a better way to usher in the year 2000. As Susan said, "We were in a great park, with a great group of people, we ate great food, we rode some great rides, and we had alot of fun." That about sums it up. Thanks alot Steve, Cindy, Jim, Jeff, Kevin, Kaley, Victor and Jerry! It was the ultimate New Years Eve Party! UP NEXT: Disney's EPCOT
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Email: MarkinArk@earthlink.net
