Part II A Dream Realized (Wed, Thur)

Wednesday morning I got up early and again I was at the park at 8am. Once again Dragster was doing its commercial shoot and we had to be up early for Joe Cool so we didn’t get to do our lift walk. On the other hand we did have time to do a tunnel walk in tunnel 3. We made the trek out to the tunnel and learned about the controls for the lift and safeties. We walked the stairs up to the safeties and walking down the safeties towards tunnel 3 the lift and ride just seemed to be bigger than it had ever seemed to be before.

Entering the tunnel it quickly seemed to get darker. Several things I noticed about the tunnel, first the track seemed very bright RED, second it was cool to see the tunnel lights covered in spider webs. We walked the entire tunnel all the way to the end. To me it was very surreal to be in the tunnel and I was upset I didn’t have my Nikon with me. We made the walk back to the station and I finally got my first test ride as an employee. Again it was another quiet day. Nothing major really happened, but after yesterday’s long day today really seemed to fly by.

At the end of the night we decided that to have a crew dinner at Chet & Matt’s and after a Big Foot Pizza and 5 Long Islands I crashed at Breakers Express.

Thursday morning was the morning I was waiting for, for the past 8 years. Again I got to the ride at 8am, and again there was a commercial shoot for Dragster but we weren’t sure if we were to go up for Joe Cool. About 15mins later we were walking down the catwalk to the lift stairs. Half way up the lift the three of us were exhausted. My legs were sore, but I made it this far and there was no way I was going back now. We made the walk up the rest of the hill and I crested the top and a life long dream was realized. I felt like I was on top of the world, I have felt a wide range of joyful emotions over the years but I can’t explain how I felt ONTOP of my baby. The view is extraordinary, and I wish it was a clearer day because it was really overcast. I snapped about 10 pictures and sitting back typing this I can think of 1000 more shots I wanted to take.

Out of everything I have experienced at the park standing up on the top of the lift has to rank as my all time favorite Cedar Point memory! The rest of the day was just a blur I couldn’t remember anything else that happened that day, I was just on cloud nine and it still hasn’t hit me on what I accomplished.

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'03 Magnum Crew * magnum count: 2275 * '03 count: 42 * www.dannyjphoto.com

*** This post was edited by Dan 5/25/2003 7:59:47 PM ***
*** This post was edited by Dan 5/26/2003 10:45:49 AM ***

Congrats, Dan... you finally surpassed the infamous solo ride in the back trip report. ;)

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Jeff
Webmaster/GTTP - Sillynonsense.com
"Pray that your country undergoes recovery!" - KMFDM

Congrats Dan! That is so awsome that you got to stand at the top of your baby. I could only dream what it would be like to go to the top of my baby MF. Although walking would be out of the question it would still be awsome.

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MF Circuts=336
TTD Launches=11
Launch that sucker...Yeah!

Congrats buddy! It's a dream come true! I'm happy you got to do it!

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Eric Morrison (Coast)
Drag Races: 6
Point Hype
http://www.pointhype.com
*** This post was edited by Etrain 5/26/2003 11:09:06 AM ***

Congrats. Now I want to walk up TTD ;)

Glad you made it Dan.. told you it was a view.. but not as good as the one when you've taken the cart up Millennium or made it to the top of.. ohh nevermind.. ;)

Glad you made it..

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June 11th, 2001 - Gemini 100
VertiGo Rides - 82
Technical Services 2002-2003
Fright Zone Screamster 2002-2003

Alright Dan!!!! Let me be the first - uh, OK sixth - to congratulate you on your successful quest!!!!!

I'm sure I'll get to meet ya on the ride some time this summer - and it'll be my pleasure!

Pro Bob

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WOULD YOU "GET TO THE PO!NT" ALREADY?!?!?!

Dan,

As a former ride jock myself, I just wanted to say congratulations. I've never worked or set-up such a major piece such as Magnum (though I have set up a Zyklon and Flitzer coaster a few times), I can relate to the elation you must feel working such a sweet piece of pig iron, and finally being able to achieve the satisfaction of being 'one' with the ride so to speak.

It is a different perspective going from patron to ride jock, isn't it?

Grue

Dan said:

At the end of the night we decided that to have a crew dinner at Chet & Matt’s and after a Big Foot Pizza and 5 Long Islands I crashed at Breakers Express.

Congratulations on the lift walk Dan! And, I have to say, your taste in drinks is very much improved!

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Florida may have Disney World and Key West,
but Ohio has Cedar Point and Put-In-Bay.
It's great to live in Ohio!

Thanks guys.

Pete: I am sticking to the hard liquor now. I have grown my taste for beer but I gotta drop 10lbs before I can hit the beer hard. My new favorite is Maker's Mark!

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'03 Magnum Crew * magnum count: 2291 * '03 count: 58 * www.dannyjphoto.com

Is that Makers Mark stuff any good Dan? Ya know I hear it's good with Dr. Pepper.

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Eric Morrison (Coast)
Drag Races: 6
Point Hype
http://www.pointhype.com
*** This post was edited by Etrain 5/29/2003 8:59:15 PM ***

Dan gave up the girly drinks???? ;)

You have no idea how hard it was for me to order one for you those times in the Garter... hehe

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June 11th, 2001 - Gemini 100
VertiGo Rides - 82
Technical Services 2002-2003
Fright Zone Screamster 2002-2003

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'03 Magnum Crew * magnum count: 2306 * '03 count: 71 * www.dannyjphoto.com

Congrats Dan on 2300!

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MF Circuts=347 (03=31)
TTD Launches=12
Launch that sucker...Yeah!