I don't think you guys get it... I did the DT80 because I couldn't make it to the Gemini100 because I had a class. I didn't do it to take away your spotlight (which everyone is seeming to get VERY defensive over), I did it because I wanted to do it for ME, not for anybody else.
I did it to have fun and call some much needed attention to the ride. It worked. Park ops knew what we were doing and even bet the ride crew that we couldn't get a big number of rides.
I also really didn't appreciate all of the discouragement that we got as a group from other members of GTTP. Sure, there were people cheering us on, but the people who were telling us we were crazy, or that we would never make it. Sure, we knew it was darn near impossible to do it and we didn't plan for long lines, but we still reached for our goal.
What took the cake was Hooper coming out to stop by and tell us that "everyone would respect us more if we just gave up." Oh, he also said when we were getting close to 30 "I tip my hat to you guys for sticking out this long, which is ironic." It was just incredibly frustrating that somebody who came to "support" us ended up doing nothing but discouraging us.
What matters is that we set a goal, we strived to meet it, overcame challenges, and made new friends. We also inspired the DT crew to hustle and increase capacity just a wee bit.
Now, please can everyone please stop with the "never do it again stuff?" I realize the gemini 100 was the "best of the best" kind of thing going on, but we acheived something too. Our goals may have been different, our planning may not have been as good, but it WAS something special, and YES I think it would be fun to do again.
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-John Gilman; Proud participant of the DT 80!
"Bladder control problems, New Years, and Missing pants. It's a long story, but I could tell you if you'd like."
If you ever want to do something but are afraid to, do it. Because you may never get a second chance.
*** This post was edited by SquishyPants on 6/28/2001. ***