National Lampoon's Vacation

SLFAKE said:
Is it just me... or does "Roy Walley" (portrayed by the late Eddie Braken) have a Walt Disney look to him?
That's very intentional. You've never noticed how the whole "Wally" thing is a direct play on Disney? :)
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Kind of hard to take a post as objective if a park or coaster name is part of the "user name"
*** This post was edited by SLFAKE 7/21/2003 3:36:06 PM ***

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- "I used to be in the audio/visual club, but I was kicked out because of my views on Vietnam........and I was stealing projectors" - Homer Simpson

Truthfully (and I shouldn't admit this), but I never really saw the entire movie... just bits and pieces... and I only ever saw the part where they were at Wally World once. Where I noticed the resemblance between "Roy Wally" and Walt Disney was in one of the video clips on the scoreboard at Giant Center during a Bears game... I even forget what it was in reference to... but it was a clip during a stoppage of play that had "Wally" and Chevy Chase in front of the closed front gate of Wally World.

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Kind of hard to take a post as objective if a park or coaster name is part of the "user name"
*** This post was edited by SLFAKE 7/21/2003 5:00:43 PM ***

janfrederick said:
Actually, I kinda like the brake run....;)

You haven't filled your quota of enemies lately?...;)
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gator's sig will not be operational today....we regret any inconvenience....

So I have had some time today to sniff around places to see if I can cind anything to support my theory of skid brakes on Colossus. I found this on the ride review section of Ultimaterollercoaster (this is not a plug)

"1992 - The park reprofiled Colossus removing the double dip on the north side. This change disappointed fans since it was one of the last remaining spots of airtime. A mid-course block brake, which is used a a trim brake was added to allow for three-train operation. The reason was odd since Colossus had previously operated with three-trains per side."

So if it had previously operated with 3 trains per side, there must have been another midcourse block brake. Otherwise the block that goes from the top of the drop to final brakes would be so long, it would negate the benefit of the 3rd train. Unless standard operation back then included the trains stopping on the lift in order for the main block to clear. and that seems doubtful.

If anyone can say for sure one way or another, I'd appreciate it. Moosh says he doesn't remember skids, but I'd like another opinion.

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SCREAM with me... in 2003!

Soggy - IIRC Colossus had at least three blocks when it opened: station, lift, and brake run/transfer track. There is one other set of brakes, at the end of the bunnies just where the tracks cross each other and turn towards the transfer tracks. Since I know trains can be stopped there I'd assume those brakes created a fourth block.

mOOSH

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A random Mooshter's Dawntionary listing: Glibido - all talk and no action.

OK, so that makes 4 blocks, which is the minimum for a 3 train operation. What still doesn't seem to make sense is just how long the one block would be.

For example, on Goliath, if it lacked the midcourse brake run, it would still be capable of a 3 train operation (with blocks being station, course, transfer track, segment right before station) But in order for a train to dispatch, the course block would have to be cleared. If it was started before then, you'd run the risk of the train entering the course before the other is off the filnal brakes, OR you'd have to stop the lift every time, if the timing was off. I don't think most ride computers like to do that. Batman:TR has 4 blocks, yet only runs 2 trains. Understand what I'm getting at? (I may not be describing it correctly)

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SCREAM with me... in 2003!

I get ya, Soggy. I nowhere near an expert on coasters so I'm probably not much help. I'd think the reason BTR only runs two trains is the short track length and ride time. This much I do know, tho: Colossus ran three trains per side without the change from double drop to brake run.

mOOSH

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A random Mooshter's Dawntionary listing: Glibido - all talk and no action.

Wally World was also featured in "Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park".

Isn't it true that shortly after Colossus opened in 78' that it was reprofiled to reduce the savage negative g's because there was some sort of claim, and insurance made them modify it?

An obese woman was ejected from the train and died. IIRC this was on December 26th of 1980. I recall that being the date because I was supposed to visit the park with friends but could not go.

Anyway after that accident the bunnyhop following the second drop was reprofiled and strict weight and body dimension guidelines were enforced.

mOOSH

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A random Mooshter's Dawntionary listing: Reintarnation [n.] Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

wahoo skipper said:

A little trivia. Vacation was originally intended to be about a trip to Disneyland. ...

Are you crazy, the movie IS about a trip to Disneyland. Thats the whole point, its a parody about the family trip to Disneyland.

I think he might have left out the word "actual" by accident. Anyway, the movie would not have been nearly as funny...we wouldn't have gotten to meet Mr. Wally himself. ;)

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"SOME people have NO class!" - Mom from the Whizzer queue

Many coastars have more blocks than they "need." Hell, SUF at SFOG runs 3 trains and has 6 blocks. It seems that it's desireable to be able to space trains out by at least one empty block at certain points of the ride, as a "back up." For example, ost coasters I've worked on have the main brake block, and between the main brake and station blocks there's a "ready brake" block tthat can stop the train if it clears the main brake when it's not supposed to.

I wouldn't be surprised if Colossus had around 5 blocks to keep the trains somewhat spaced out. than again, I have little knowledge of how this ride operates, so I won't venture any further insight.

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Is that a Q-bot in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

I don't know about other rides, but the Whizzer had a ton of blocks and if a train entered a *buffer* block, the ride would shut down automatically.

BTW, it ran 3 trains all the time and I never saw the ride shut down for the reason I mentioned.

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"SOME people have NO class!" - Mom from the Whizzer queue
*** This post was edited by janfrederick 7/23/2003 7:09:08 PM ***

janfrederick said:
I don't know about other rides, but the Whizzer had a ton of blocks and if a train entered a *buffer* block, the ride would shut down automatically.
BTW, it ran 3 trains all the time and I never saw the ride shut down for the reason I mentioned.

That's what I'm talking about. And no, I never saw the ready brakes being used due to a main brake failure of any kind.

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Is that a Q-bot in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

I've only seen it once, but from what I saw, its a good safety measure, and thats why most coasters use it. Although its possible that Colossus can run 3 trains without that midcourse, but it would take a good crew to keep it moving without it stopping on the lift.

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SFoG Train Engineer since '03.
SFoG: Land of rides under 2 min.

One thing I always found annoying about National Lampoon's Vacation was the editing of the coaster sequences - especially on Revolution. The long shot would be of the train starting to go down a straight drop, cut to a close-up of Chevy as the train is on a banked turn, then cut back to the train near the bottom of the straight drop. The average movie-goer probably didn't notice, but for me it stuck out like a sore thumb.

I appreciate that they may have needed to make the ride appear longer than it was, but they could have found more appropriate film segments to cut in...

" Iam goign steady, I french kiss," "so every one dose that" " yeah but daddy says iam best" lol I just watched seriously like 30 mins ago I love that movie.

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http://groups.msn.com/kylecoasterworld

choose thy fate: freeze or burn

Fly with the Man of Steel in 2003
SFGAm

"THE DEMON HES GONNA GET YA"

Does anyone know what park Beverly Hills Cop 3 was filmed in? I am guessing Paramount California ?

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Top5
Alphengiest
Beast
Nitro
Mean Streak
Ice Dragon

Thats correct. It was PGA.

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