Thunder Dolphin?

Clint, unlike Peabody I have family in Japan, so the experience for me is always much cheaper... I have found, through various sources online, tickets in the $475-500 price range, from Seattle. This is not typically more than 1 transfer. I usually fly from Seattle-Vancouver-Osaka in that order. I have found cheaper flights (on occasion) that route through Korea, but the time of flight is MUCH longer. 19 hours over 11. That makes for a looooooooooooooong day. As far as specifics, you can always e-mail me if you ever take a trip. I have many suggestions for you. Heck, just ask Peabody, or PT300. I hooked 'em up!! ;)

Travel is a different story. Depending on the time of year, the trains (which are usually pretty low cost anyway) can be amazingly cheap. If you go in late summer, you can get a pass which will give you unlimited travel using JR railway (not shinkansen :() across the entire country. Shinkansen is hugely expensive, but you should try in once for the experience. It is wild! It is about $150 to take from city to city. Kyoto to Nagoya, for example, is that price... takes 2 hours by bus, and 30 minutes by train.:):) The bus, however, is only $20... sooooo... you can see the points, eh?

Good luck on your travels, if you ever get there. The coasters are unique, that's for sure.
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Hey, I am a rock star.... we get arrested from time to time.

www.tripowered.com - beware the travesty

Must be nice to be so close, Rob. More quotes from Chicago were over $1500, and those are the good ones! You have a definate geographical advantage. Must also be nice having family over there! I was lucky to have good friends, and a "professional reason" to go there. I can't imagine how much $ one would have to drop to do an independant vacation trip.

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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

Well, divulging somewhat *privileged* information, I can say that in 98, on a trip by myself, I paid $475 for tix, and another $1100 on fun stuff, but I only paid for 2 nights at a hotel, food, transportation, and fun stuff (coasters). Everything else was "picked up" for me by my in-laws. The last trip I took: Tomoko and I paid $1020 for 2 tickets, and another $2500 in transportation, etc. Going to Japan for 2+ weeks, having the time of our lives, losing weight (because it was so darn hot!), riding new coasters (SD2K, etc.), eating at new sushi restaurants, and seeing a hidden mountain park north of Kyoto (which I can't wait to visit again) was worth every dollar. In fact, my credit cards are paid down now, so I can front my trip this year. At least I can pay for my flight that way, given Japan's penchant for cash-only sales....
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Hey, I am a rock star.... we get arrested from time to time.

www.tripowered.com - beware the travesty

Yeah, the cash only thing get's weird. The only thing I put on plastic were road tolls and CDs at a major department store. ($30 each x a good dozen! :( ) But, those darn music lovers over there really know what's good, and get CDs there that we can't! Equally large sections of Jazz and Classical in relation to pop and rock. Plus they even had seperate jazz fusion sections, which I really dug.

Everything park related for me had to be paid out of that few hundred thousand Yen in my back pocket! Good thing there is no crime over there :) (Baltimore had more Homicides last week than all of Japan did last year. No, I'm not kidding!!!)

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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
*** This post was edited by Peabody 2/7/2003 4:08:05 PM ***

Dang, that does get expensive, but I appreciate you guys being up front about it. nasai, I'll email u soon to get some pointers. This year, I'm gonna try to head to Vegas/California for some coasters, and Florida to visit family(or at least that's what I tell them;)), and coasters. Plus I'm gonna do a road trip to PKD and CP, while I visit all my usual parks.

I though of going to Japan within the next 2 years(enough time to brush up on the language), so this info helps me to get started with money now. I love travel, and am running out of new places on the east coast to go(wish I could hit Chi-town again, loved it there!)

To bad my mom and dad got picked to go to a Religious Convention in Hawaii AFTER I moved out of the house, they'll be gone next december to the islands of paradise.

Oh to be middle-aged with your children gone, oh, wait, no, nevermind that!:)

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Now that our "Nutty Buddy" is back, I guess I'll have to change this...

The layout of the ride is still confusing to me, particularly the back section behind the mall. I'm not seeing where it will have enough momentum to make it up the hills. If I'm looking correctly, there are two passes on top of the mall, and two behind it. Does anyone know anymore?
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This is counter culture from the underground eternal revolution this is our sound KMFDM better than the best Megalomaniacal and harder than the rest

Ah, but a confusing layout is good, right? Not knowing every twist and turn has its advantages...

Looks to me like the first drop leads up to the top of the mall for some bunny hops, then down through the big wheel. This picture shows that it heads up on the roof twice, though:

http://www.rcdb.com/installationgallery1845.htm?Picture=16

Intamin has had some unique coasters, but this one may be one of the most unique designs ever!
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You are about to discover what lies beyond the 5th dimension, beyond the deepest, darkest corner of the imagination in the Tower Of Terror.

I spy....

A trick-track on the roof of the building! Check it out.

-Charlie Weingartner

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You cannot teach a man anything, you can only help him find it within himself.
-Galileo

I never noticed that! You are sooooooooooo right! :) That is cool as heck. I can't wait now!
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Hey, I am a rock star.... we get arrested from time to time.
www.tripowered.com - beware the travesty

Ooo, maybe it will make you think that it will dump you right off the building.
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You are about to discover what lies beyond the 5th dimension, beyond the deepest, darkest corner of the imagination in the Tower Of Terror.

*Takes bow*

I was shocked when I first noticed it myself! Now I REALLY wanna ride it.

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You cannot teach a man anything, you can only help him find it within himself.
-Galileo

I thought the name of the ride was La Qua?

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"You know its a good ride when you come into the final break run wiping tears from your eyes"-me

I thought so too. That's what the model of the coaster I saw said. But, maybe that's the name of the total expansion.

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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

LaQua is the name of the shopping center, kind of like Hep5 in Osaka.
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Hey, I am a rock star.... we get arrested from time to time.
www.tripowered.com - beware the travesty