HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Opryland USA and Opry Mills Mall: The Saga Continues

I read today just how extensive this summer's Nashville flood damage was, particularly around Opryland Hotel, etc. It was saddening and unfortunate. We lost more of the few remaining pieces of Opryland USA themepark as well as many jobs provided by the questionably liked mall.

Being a theme park enthusiast, Opryland fan, and park archivist, it was sad to see that the Gaslight Theatre was so badly damaged it had to be demolished. It was also tough to hear that the remaining Opryland plaza buildings were either heavily damaged or destroyed in the flood. Granted, some of the other buildings that have been shuffled around are still in good shape and there's still some retaining wall and railroad bed left from the park, maybe even some of the Grizzly River Rampage course, but it's still a blow.

While Opry Mills Mall was not an acceptable replacement for the theme park, my heart goes out to it's former workers. They, unfortunately, were thrown into a tail-spinning economy with the rest of us out of work and seeking. That's a fate I wouldn't wish on anyone.

Now, where does this leave us? The park is gone and missed. The mall is likely gone between flood damage and insurance difficulties. Whether the mall is missed varies depending on who you ask. Ever since Opry Mills took shape, many have said "Can we have the park back instead?" It was even dubbed "Shopryland". End result is a flood-prone plot of land with limited growth and limited capacity to recapture the magic of it's original park. (You better believe it pains me to say that.)

There are a couple things I see here. In a round about way, many of us did get our wish for the possibility of a another park. (To be clear, the rumors are still flying, other projects are in various states, and nothing has been said or put forth officially, post flood.) I say another because replacing the unique feel and vibe of Opryland is impossible. IF there were serious consideration of another park to be re-attached in name or otherwise to the Opryland Hotel, it would be a good idea NOT to rebuild on site. Why? The original park flooded, the mall flooded, the hotel flooded, and all on property will flood again. Remember, the Cumberland River crested 40-51 feet in places due to heavy rains.

The other thing I see here is what if Opryland USA, in it's struggling state, had not been taken down in 1997? How long would it have survived? Would the present brutal economy have closed the park if something else hadn't gotten to it first? Would the summer 2010 flood have done the park in? My gut says either of these is a likely demise for Opryland USA if the mall had not come into being. Need proof? Look at so many other smaller parks that have closed in recent years due to economy. Also, when the bigger parks and chains are tightening their belts and drastically changing things, that's not a good sign for the the smaller parks. In this alternate scenario, I would not have wanted Opryland USA to close, but it's very likely the park would've.

We've all lost a lot since 1997. Whether it's the original park, it's few remains, the jobs provided by Opry Mills, it's a hole in the heart. More than anything, I'd like to see that hole filled in again, especially for Nashville's sake. That city was good to me in my college years and I have fond memories of Opryland, both park and hotel. It's safe to say I speak for many in wanting another park to play in. Hopefully the current economic woes can be outlasted and lessons from the past learned, yet not repeated. Despite these dark and uncertain times, there is still hope.

Birthday Road Trip in January

I'm headed back to Huntsville, Alabama to spend my birthday week (24th-29th). Delighted to meet up with my brother and sister 501st, Twitter, and other friends in the area. Also glad to catch up with my proud Kilt wearing laddies and lasses in Birmingham.

Best to all of you and looking forward to whomever can make it out. :)

It's Been An Epic Christmas Charlie Brown

Naturally the holidays are a busy time, but the past few days with the folks visiting Orlando have been a whole lotta fun.

• One of the first days in town, the folks and I hit the Disney monorail resorts to see the Christmas decorations. If you've ever get the chance during a holiday trip, the different gingerbread creations are fun to hunt. The big gingerbread house at the Grand Floridian is a sight (and smell) to behold. We ended up having the seafood buffet at Cape May at the Beach resort. Some very good food (especially the clam chowder, something I've taken a shine to of late). Mussels in clam chowder are also very tasty if you've never tried it. Dad came up with that good idea. Yep, I had snow crab too. :)
• Christmas Eve day we went to the Magic Kingdom, teeming with people. We enjoyed an Angus Bacon Cheeseburger near Tomorrowland, road the Disney train, People Mover, Haunted Mansion, Small World, and saw Christmas parade and the Hall of Presidents. About 8 pm (after getting to the park about 2) we were most tired, and skipped the Christmas fireworks. Instead, we got a late dinner and Dole Whip at the Polynesian. It was Mom's first time having Dole Whip.
• Christmas day, were were all still dragging, but managed to make church about 10:30, and then have Christmas lunch at Black Angus. Second time in that place, and still great service and food. Yep, I had snow crab too. Afterward we opened gifts. Got Iron Man 2, a 500 gig hard drive for R4, Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark, Axe shampoo etc gift pack, a Mickey flip book animation ornament, and Ocean Water Yankee candles for the apartment. Hey, I could not have asked for better...except a nap. We were all dragging bad, so we called an early day to sleep. I watch Iron Man 2 back at the apartment and dozed the rest of the night.
• Sunday we went to Downtown Disney AMC Theatres in the dropping temps and heavy going home/sale traffic to see Tron Legacy. There are not enough words in all the known languages to convey the awesome of this movie, especially in 3D. Loved it is an understatement. OMFG man, OMFG. (But did they HAVE to kill the grey Siren with the top bun and platform shoes? Yowza.) We followed up with an equally excellent dinner at Fulton's Crab House. More clam chowder, more snow crab, and I even tried Scotch for the first time. Oh did we all enjoy that meal!
• Monday's plan is for Dad and I to see Kennedy Space Center while Mom has a wind down day, then all of us go to Joe's Crab Shack for, what else, MORE CRAB. (If you haven't guessed it by now, we're a family of seafood lovers with mad, ninja skills when it comes to crab cracking. Just saying...) I'm looking forward to the guy's day out tomorrow, since Dad and I both enjoy aerospace and tech, plus it'll be fun to compare and contrast Kennedy Space Center with the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

Yes indeed, this has been an exciting and fast paced Christmas, on par with previous family Disney trips, and our 2008 Dollywood/Gatlinburg trip. Out of all the things I've enjoyed, the most has been being able to share with Mom and Dad all the neat things to do and see here in Orlando. Many times I've said on the phone "I wish you guys were here to share this with me. You'd love it." Well, now they've been twice, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Yeah, without a doubt, this is one of the best Christmases on record for me.

I hope it's been a good Christmas and Holiday time for all of you as well. Thanks for reading :)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Just a wish for good times with loved ones for you all during this time of giving. Also hopes for brighter futures and inner peace for many of us seeking.

My best and thanks to you and yours. :)

State of the Blog

As 2010 draws to a close, that little creative voice has been whispering ideas for updates. Over the next few weeks, I'll be transitioning a few things away from RapidsNerd and to RapidsBlog, mainly just to make things feel more cohesive. The new blog banner and the name change on Twitter to RapidsBlog are just the start.

I've just noticed in talking with people that when I introduce myself as The Rapids Nerd, I tend to cringe. Not sure why, but when something makes you uncomfortable, you change things so you are comfortable again.

Have I left my Nerd roots? Hardly. I am and always will be a big Nerd who likes geeky, techie stuff. It's ingrained in the nature. And yes, considering the whole looming "Nerd is Cool" pop culture trend, the timing is odd. You'd think I'd revel in it verses change anything.

Bottom line, just going with my gut. All the same stuff will be discussed here (adventures, parks, WoW, restaurants, etc), only the names will change to protect the dorky...sort of. ;)

=^.^=

Busch Gardens Tampa

Earlier today I set off on yet another adventure to both a new city and a new theme park. I took my first Florida road trip to Busch Gardens Tampa, about an hour away from Orlando. Though the rain got heavy at times, it didn't dampen my spirits on seeing the park or hanging out once again with fellow enthusiast James Kegler. And awaaaaaaay, we go...

• First the BAD news. Congo River Rapids (sister Intamin ride and layout to Opryland's Grizzly River Rampage) was down for rehab. (Deep breath)NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! (You get the idea here.)
• BGT has some of the best fries and chicken strips I've had at any themepark. They tasted good. The cranes walking around covered area where we ate thought so too.
• Quote of the day by the Meerkats: "Guy: Are those chinchillas? Girl: No! Good one. Those are Meekrats." Yes there was much comedy over this one during the rainy afternoon. ;)
• Rode Rhino Rally, sans water part, and enjoyed the running comedy and bad jokes. The one-liners made this ride a new fave and a must do from now on. Shout out to our driver Rizzo (not kidding) for keeping us laughing the whole time. She did a great job.
• James and I ooo'd and ahh'd over dirt piles and footers that will link up with Cheetah Hunt, BGT's new Intamin triple launch coaster. The figure 8 hill/drop and columns make it one of the coolest looking coasters I've seen. When people comment on the bamboo style supports more than the track, you know you have something. Can't wait to see this beauty run.
• Wikileaks reveals a secret government plot to cover up the existence of lesser assertive rodents, also known as Meekrats.
• Had a good time photographing Kumba as it roared by again and again.
• As the afternoon wore on, it darkened up and rained progressively harder, especially while we visited Sesame Street Safari of Fun. Got pics with The Count and Abby Cadabby. Both liked my Kavu Chillba hat that looks like a Chinese coolie hat. Their assistants suggested I see Cookie Monster and his similar hat. Also got to meet Big Bird and Egyptian Elmo. Needless to say, I was tickled. ;)
• The Tigers were out and napping in the cool air as we toured Jungala. Cool to see them, but missed seeing the Python Arrow Corkscrew in that area. Seeing the little section of train in a display area just wasn't the same. Even so, Jungala was a nice area and the Tigers were gorgeous.
• Of all the merch and souvenirs, the Mexican style woven hoodies and sack-packs were probably the neatest. May pick up both on a future visit. And it seems BG has jumped into the pin trade game as well. Noticed that the pins said just Busch Gardens, and did not specify Tampa.
• Was very surprised how compact a park BGT really is. It's lush and pretty, but smaller than you'd think. Also, Sheikra is most compact on footprint. Kudos to the designers for getting that dive machine into a really small area. Impressive stuff, particularly the head chopper off the first immelman. And no, I did not mock the water spray as I did Griffon in 2007. Yes, lesson learned and drenching avoided. ;)
• Got to see King Tut's tomb near Montu. Enjoyable walk-through.
• In the Wacky Souvenir category: Busch Gardens denim booty shorts that look like something VERY small you'd see in Second Life. We're talking a little bigger than a girl's bikini bottom here. Nothing wrong with this, but it was just odd to see it at a park verses Target. To BGT's credit, they were not overpriced at a mere $15. (I'll let you all come up with the innuendo and one-liners on this one. On a side note, has anyone else noticed how REALLY short shorts have gotten in the last year? Like cheeks hanging out, groin level short?)
• At about 5:30 (4 hours after I arrived) we called it a day due to the rains. Even so, it was a good day out with Mr. Kegler and I'd go back to Busch Gardens on a sunny (and rapids operating) day to have another go.

Does the day end here? Nope. I stopped into CityWalk on the way home for some Bubba Gump Shrimp dinner. Met the very tall mascot. Yep, got a blurry pic with him before another tasty meal and a quick spin around the complex. Indeed, a tasteful end to a rainy but fun day.

Hope you all enjoyed and thanks for reading. :)

Blogging Buffet & Nerdly News_December Edition

With the business of the holidays upon us, it's time for a random life update from your brother park enthusiast and rapids fan. So here goes...

• It's been quite cold here in Orlando the past few days, including temps down around 23 and wind chills at 17. Now I realize this is all relative and our more northern US friends are saying "Oh shut up!", but for Florida, that's bloody cold. On a side note, you'll notice my posts about the weather here are carefully tendered not to rub it in when the weather is better. Well, there's no point in being an arse now is there? ;)
• I've gotten out to Disney more of late and I've seen more shows and the like. Finding Nemo the Musical was outstanding, from acting, to costumes, to sets. The details and illusions created were simply stunning. Just jaw dropping wow...
• Saw Toy Story Block Party Bash one last time and will miss it. While not a parade guy, this one is really fun, especially with Slim from A Bug's Life. Very good parade. The Citizens of Hollywood before hand were also treat. I've always enjoyed comedic street theatre, and these folks were a lot of fun. If you're ever at Disney Hollywood Studios, they're worth the time and will remind you fondly of the equally wacky and lovable souls of the Adventurers Club.
• Saw Fantasmic for the first time and enjoyed it. Same for Animal Kingdom's parade. (The tiger float with earmuffs and sock boots was a hoot.)
• While Christmas shopping at Downtown Disney, work is in full swing behind Sosa on Motion and Rock 'n' Roll Beach club. The mountains on Motion's front are coming down quick. During that morning time, I had a good chance to document much of the remaining Pleasure Island signs, club signs, and the areas in general. Gonna miss those clubs, but I'm glad to see PI get a new lease on life, even if in a different form.
• There's still more footer and column pouring going on over at what used to be Racerock. Still no clue on what's going in, but you'd think they would've removed the RR sign by now.
• Universal Citywalk was a ghost town last night, but they did something really nice for those of us crazies out and about. The few clubs that were open were no cover and handing out wristbands. Since many stores were closed and the Party Pass booths were closed too, this was really appreciated and it made the cold night out fun. Oh, and you haven't lived until you've heard dueling piano players at Pat O'Brians playing The Timewarp and Baby It's Cold Outside. Also hats off to the nice folks at the Universal Studio Store who gave us a fun and detailed impromptu presentation on all the Harry Potter Merch. Loved the detailed character wands and learned much about that whole mythos. Great fun!
• If you get a chance, go around to the different Disney resorts to see the holiday gingerbread displays. The Yacht and Beach Clubs, Grand Floridian, and several others have fun and good smelling displays, some even with model trains circling about, that are worth a look during an evening walk.
• On a personal note, my Christmas shopping is done, presents will soon be wrapped, and the folks will be in town again soon. Glad to see them and spend the time, especially after the fun had during Thanksgiving. :)

(I don't think I said fun NEARLY enough during this update. Do you? Time for new adjectives, Robin!)

Out of all the possible Christmas presents, just being here in Orlando and sharing it with family and good friends, is the best present I could have. This area brings me a lot of joy, and in some ways, I'm finding myself, even growing in new directions. Truly, every day here is a gift.

As always, my thanks for reading and my best to you and your loved ones during this time of giving. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all. :)

Regarding WikiLeaks

While this blog steers clear of political and other hot-button topics, and remains focused on theme parks and entertainment, something needs to be said.

I have not and will not read anything published by WikiLeaks or spread by others from them. That's classified information, and we're crystal clear on that. What WikiLeaks is doing is wrong and ultimately detrimental to the United States.

We now return to our regularly scheduled fun and ramblings. ;)

Role Playing Games and Why I like Them

An exchange on Twitter today got me thinking about my favorite video games, namely RPG's. Out of the countless games I've played over the years, Role Playing Games dominate my list, with First Person Shooters and Scrolling Shooters coming in second and third. Why? What makes me latch onto this category more verses the others? We're about to find out.

It started with a combination of paper and dice games (D&D, TMNT, Heros Unlimited), and the Nintendo Entertainment System (Legend of Zelda, Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest, Dragon Warrior, Ultima Exodus). If you're even remotely creative, there's a ton of elbow room for problem solving, inventing, etc. It's fertile creative ground garnished with good friends and sessions running all night or even all weekend. I remember weekend sleepovers in Virginia with my friends Kelly, Craig, and Marchant, as we quested, and argued, and laughed at the randomness Craig put us through in D&D and TMNT. Marchant's "Aren't we going to get run over if we're standing out in the middle of the street?" during a D&D game still draws a chuckle. The response? "Yeah, we don't ride horses, we drive Porsches...stick the lance out the window..." Craig quipped.

On the video side of things, Zelda and similar offered chances to collect stuff (I love treasure and gear hunting) and exploration. Finding secret passages or treading into a new area was a huge thrill. What secrets and goodies are here? What new monsters will I find? Will I need a refill on the warm Dr. Pepper and Cheetos? Will my aching bladder wait just five more minutes for a quick look around? Oh God! It's 3am and 8 o'clock seems like a half hour ago. (Don't even get me started on the ENTIRE OFF DAY from work that vanished playing D&D Dark Sun on my Acer Aspire PC).

Years later (in Virginia yet again), my work buddy Scott, got me into a paper and dice group of much wackiness. Paul, Greg, Cordell, John, George, and Scott always had me laughing to crying during our weekend Warhammer sessions. They even picked me up and tossed me out the front door of Greg's apartment, in the rain, for too many of my bad jokes once. Far and away, Paul was a superior Dungeon Master that ran with some pretty crazy ideas and raised a few eyebrows from time to time. Later I would find out Paul was not only a fellow creative, but a kindred spirit with an equally unique take on the world around him. And to this day, also a dear friend.

Now let's build on that hallowed foundation, shall we? Insert huge graphical and Artificial Intelligence advances in PC/Xbox gaming, hybrid genre games, and massive virtual worlds. Yes, the kicker for me was First Person Shooters merged with RPG's elements in games like Morrowind and Oblivion. It wasn't so much the storylines that captured me as the countless caves, ruins, tombs, and ship wrecks. I spent days in these beautiful worlds as a biped feline carrying a huge war hammer...and a whopping can of gleeful beat-down. The looting and commerce enthralled me. Figuring out how to get my hairy butt and broken tail out of yet another bad ambush was also a near stroke producing thrill.

I'd be in deep trouble if Star Wars Knights of The Old Republic wasn't mentioned here. If ever there was a suck-you-in game, this was it. It was also one of the few where I did get into the storyline, verses gear collecting. Mainly, it was Star Wars and you got to play with light sabers. Yippee! (Never did play KOTOR 2 or Galaxies, but yes I'm chomping at my Taun Taun bit for Star Wars The Old Republic.)

While Second Life isn't an RPG or a game, it does have many of the same elements I find appealing. Granted, it's a chat room of sorts, but there are all kinds of themes and areas to explore along with picking up detailed clothing and gear for your avi...with real money converted to the in-world Lindens. The upshot here was that Second Life was my first brush with other players, if you will, in a massive virtual environment. I met some really fun people in-world, a few of which are considered dear friends, though we've never met in Real Life. This was also a good learning experience, in that it taught me about different sci-fi con groups like Furries, Nekos, Steampunks, etc.

Now we come to Massively Multi-player Online (MMO) games like World of Warcraft. Even more of the above...but with other players and equal inventive comic randomness. I'll be honest, I wasn't cool on paying a fee each month when I was used to a one-time cost for a game and maybe paying for an expansion or two. HOWEVER, 10 minutes into the world on my girlfriend's character at the time, and it was all over. All the old collect, commerce, explore skills lit up like the National Christmas tree. Even better, I could take on a profession and MAKE cool stuff for my character (as apposed to the usual turn over the dead bodies of enemies or old tomb residents for gear). Finding like-minded souls in guilds turned into a big plus, not only for advancement and questing, but also some new friends. Some of my favorite quests were with total strangers as well, both of us laughing at the "what did we get ourselves into NOW?!" craziness that ensued.

To sum up, I love a good RPG for exploring, for commerce, for creativity, and as time has worn on, the better social aspects. Some of the creative and managing skills learned in the gaming world have proven quite useful in the real world too. No, I don't carry around a +2 mace (bless you Gary Gygax) nor think of myself as an Orc trapped in a Human body. I'm a Nerd. I like fanciful things. I like to write and play RPGs on occasion. And that's just fine with me.

Hope you all enjoyed and my thanks for reading. Special thanks to @FoxB and @Jenni_Harvey on Twitter for the inspiration from thier on-going adventures (and antics) in Dragon Age. :)

Downtown Disney Update

Yesterday I had my usual weekly wander of Downtown Disney (soon to be Hyperion Wharf) to see what was new and changing. Crowds were medium on this cool and breezy day, and the churros were inviting.

• Construction walls have sprung up around Sosa, completely sealing off what used to be the Rock and Roll Beach Club and Motion plaza.
• Construction walls are still up near Fulton's Crab House on the new round cement pad and directly opposite as you take the walkway in past Ragland Road and Cooke's. Just a guess, but these sound like a small stage and lighting trusses respectively.
• There was an artist signing work at Art of Disney, but I didn't catch his name. The line of people qued through three switchbacks suggested he was pretty popular.
• Some of the Vinylmation artists were on hand to autograph figures or whatever you had on hand. Luckily I had a couple vinyls with me for possible trades. Got them signed and chatted with the artists who were having a lot of fun creating, as well as marvelling at the fan following Vinylmation figures have gained.
• Holiday 2 Series officially released this day along with the Vinyl and Watch combo sets. The Steampunk Vinyl and matched pocket watch limited edition was even more impressive in person. Saw a Jack Skellington pocket watch near the back registers that was also enticing.
• The Duncan Yo-Yo Professionals were outside World of Disney showing off random, smooth as butta, tricks to passers by. Got to meet the 2005 yo-yo champ and talked with he and his top whirling counterpart for a bit. The letter fellow gave me a short lesson on the origins of battling tops. Years ago, kids would take wooding tops and drive nails through them, then sharpen the nails on the ground. The tops were then let loose inside an overturned Frisbee. Whoever won, stayed in the Frisbee, while the looser had another chance to knock over the winner or break the still spinning top. Sometimes, as told by the Duncan pro, those wooden tops would split in two. I'd never heard of this before and found it very interesting.
• Caught a quick glimpse of the new multi-flavor Coke and Fanta machines in AMC Theatre's recently revamped lobby. Did not go in this time, but will hit a movie there in the coming weeks to see these machines do their thing.
• Stopped into Ride Makerz and noticed they had several car assembly workstations with pull-down mini screw drivers that resembled air wrenches. Never realized just how many detailed options can be put on those custom radio controlled cars. Grills, pipes, NASCAR, everything. Had a good time talking with the staff, and though I'm bad with names, hello to you all if you're reading this.
• Lunch and dinner saw a double dose of Buffalo Wild Wings. Cross Pointe (Apopka Vineland) and International Drive both delivered the usual great service. Oh, do I ever LOVE wings!
• One last thing, slightly unrelated, but I noticed new cement pillar rebar forms being made at the former Race Rock Cafe site. Don't know what they're building, but it's always good to note such things.

Hope everyone is doing well and recovered from Black (and blue) Friday. My thanks, as always for your time in reading this blog. :)