Rather than a real TR - I will just pass on some observations. Some interesting, some not....
Mean Streak - Watching it from LHP was painful and exciting. I was absolutely sure it would roll back at some point. The pacing was terrible. Although its such a majestic site, I just love it and will defend its right to stand there.
Lighthouse Point - This is double edged sword. The cottages are lovely, the view - magnificent. Some privacy for the adults of a family and some marvelous sunsets from the decks. Saving money by grilling out is a nice addition. We had a huge Great Lakes Freighter pass by our deck- the Philip R. Clarke....you just cant put a price on that sort of stuff....The bad part of revealing this is the chance they might be tougher to get next year and beyond as others find out about this hidden gem on the peninsula....
Ride Signs - Yes, they totally suck. They are annoying and laughable on some of the ride ratings. They are the kind of thing that makes people frown on parks, the diagrams of neck problems etc....Unfortunately, they seem to be a sign of the times and they strike me as one of those things you fight against BEFORE they go up - for once they are there, I dont think they ever go away....Its like they can be sued even easier if they took them down :-(
Mantis Ride Ops - My daughter (15yrs) finally got the courage to ride the thing and they didnt adjust her seat correctly. She had to be on her tippy toes, and they were rude/mean to her...Although she accomplished alot overcoming fears on several coasters (MF, Maggie, etc) she vowed to never ride it again.....I am not sure I blame the ops, I think stand-ups are a bad design. I have some feeling in 5-10 yrs, they will all but disappear from the roller coaster industry - I have never heard of anyone really liking them...any of them....
MF - the pacing is just amazing. It was amplified by watching the "making of a coaster". Maybe SD2000 has more records, but I dont think it would be a better ride....certainly the design of MF is more appealing, both in appearance & layout, IMO....
Shows - The dive show was better than I thought it would be - it was funny. The "monster under my bed" was great for the kids....The fiddle player in the Country Show blew me away (played guitar professionally myself for many years). I expect to see him hit the bigtime - his chops are only matched by his voice....Great Show - a must see and I am a hard core hair band rock-n-roller....Doo-Wahs was not as good as the original guys I seen 2 yrs ago, pretty forgettable show actually and I loved the one I seen 2 yrs back - taped it and watch it still....
DT - Black as I ever remember. Couldnt see a thing at times. Good to see they resurrected some of the in-flight theming....Now, get the queue theming back and everything will be great :-)
Blue Streak - I dont *ever* remember it being that fast. WOW! It kept it up thru the turn and on the return trip. Definitely worth the ride.
Enginehouse Carmel Apple - A true find. Someone mentioned this in rrc and it was worth it. A green apple cut in fours, ice cream (custard) and lots of hot caramel with sprinkles or nuts. Decadent and tasty..!! Not for the dieting, but you walk alot during the day so its ok :-)
Games - The games guys are really cool. They let my whole family play the water race (4 of us) guaranteeing a prize, and they hurry so no one sneaks in....thats cool....The putting game in the arcade is a cinch, I can muster up a prize limit in just a few tries....Skeeball in the front of the main midway was better than the main arcade - the attendents were better at fixing problems and awarding prizes - seemed like the lanes were more true as well.....I have always found CP's games attendents to be more receptive than fair types. They seem to know if you win, they still made money. Whereas Fair games seem to be shysters....maybe its just me.....
Camp Snoopy - Still dont like it, even though I have a kid who is in the age targeted. She seems to enjoy kiddie kingdom and the gemini children's area much more. The rides are more unique; other than Woodstocks Express, Camp Snoopy stuff is fair types. The Red Baron seems pointless - more than 42" and less than 54"? Thats a pretty small window as fast as kids grow.....Anyways, the Whip and the Krazy Bumper Kars and 4x4's still seem much more appealing to the kids - the kind of rides that I envy werent around when I was young....
Breakers Express - We did stay there upon arrival. The Snoopy pool is neat :-)....The rooms are nice, clean and the whole hotel has that CF - "we do it right" - appearance to everything in it....The security is top shelf - you need a key to get everywhere - even delivered pizza had to be "picked up" in the lobby.....definitely gave you a feeling of you and your family and the belongings being 100% secure.....
Sports City - This has to be one of the hidden gems of the area. I never goto CP without a stop at Sports City. $23.50 and all the go kart riding you can muster for 4 hours. WHAT A DEAL! And the Bullit cars are like mini-modifieds, quick and fun to race. Always good for a nice race with the fellow riders....Something for the children as well in the playground and arcade. My 5 yr old got a M&M guy for playing some arcade games while the rest of us rode go-karts - if you got a spare time in the trip - go there..!!!
Goofy Golf - Although more expensive, $5 per ride. The only go-karts I have ever ridden where there are no govenors..!!! Coming down the back stretch hill into a sharp turn around - I nearly got scared.....definitely some fast and exciting go-karts...pretty neat mini-golf layouts as well...
Toledo Zoo - Everything positive that was said on this board is true. The kids, my wife and myself loved it. We stopped on the way to CP and was worth the time. Everything you would ever want for everyone. Fun for all ages. A Carrousel, A Train ride, childrens zoo and lots of neat exhibits - a African Savannah, Artic Exhibit. Worth the cash and the time....