Nagashima Spaland Amusement Park

When: March 17, 2008
Where: Nagashima Spaland, Mie Prefecture
Info: Apparently, there are three reasons you go to Nagashima; 1) In the summer, to go to the waterpark/onsenland, 2) To go outlet shopping and 3) To ride the STEEL DRAGON. I've been hearing about this rollercoaster since I arrived in Japan and Elz and I thought it was time to check it out for ourselves.

Interesting fact about this rollercoaster: In 2003, a few wheels popped off the cars and flew into a water attraction full of people. I think someone died, a few were hurt...but lets not think about that too much. Lets focus on how it re-opened in 2006 and is now safe!

The Steel Dragon used to be the world's tallest rollercoaster. I have a feeling it is now ranked 3rd or 4th (some park in Ohio has the tallest). It is the current record holder for longest rollercoaster. You can check out more info HERE.

(Yes Elspeth, I think you're tall enough!)

We decided to go on the Steel Dragon first while the queue was shorter (and while we didn't have any food in our stomachs). We had to wait about 15 minutes (in the summer people wait hours!) and there were a few people in front of us at a certain point. We were sure they'd want the front car so we decided on third from the front. Well, the other people didn't chose the front car so the two foreigners got it instead!

(Here we are waiting for the train to arrive so that we could get in the FRONT CAR!)

Well, the ride was TERRIFYING. It starts with a 307 ft drop, which had me flying out of my seat. I was laughing and screaming so hard that I was crying. Thank god everything was a little blurry because I didn't have my glasses on! And because it is so long, the terrifying just never seemed to stop. We both emerged shaking and wiping tears from our eyes.

(Yeah, there's just no way to get us and the Steel Dragon in an Aaron shot. Here I'm trying to get my heartbeat back to normal)

(Sorry this video is so bad... Just imagine me on it screaming my head off!)

After a more relaxing ride on a ride called Bobcarts (it was like a go cart in a bobsled ramp), we unwisely decided on TopSpin. I hated this ride. I constantly felt like we were going to slam into the ground. Uggghh...I didn't feel so great after this one.

Elspeth made me go on Free Fall too. I am not a fan of free-fall rides. I mean, yes I did LOVE Tower of Terror at Tokyo Disneysea but that's in the dark and doesn't look and sound like it was built in the 70's.

(I didn't even get a chance to scream it was so fast. You drop and then slide down a flat section to stop.)

(Space Shot - they count down 3 and then you are rocketed up the tower)

(The mascot of Nagashima Spaland is Peter Rabbit. I have no idea why. The Japanese LOVE Beatrix Potter and I've had lots of women tell me that they want to go to England to visit her house. Who knew she'd be popular here.)

After a while we stopped for lunch. The park wasn't very crowded as it was a Monday. Most of the people there were high school kids who had a day off or couples. The dining options were very limited. We ordered chicken nuggets and fries from a ticket machine and were surprised to find out that the chicken nuggets came with fries (not specified on the machine)...oh well...we ate a lot of fries that day. Come to think of it, I haven't eaten fries since then.

Elspeth was very strict about waiting at least 45 minutes after we ate before going on any more rides, so we walked around, did some purikura, checked out the omiyage shop (Elz got a hello kitty charm of her in the front of the Steel Dragon) and the arcades (people were dropping a ton of money to win really ugly toys). After the 45 minutes were up we joined the queue for the White Cyclone.

(So pretty. Such a great rollercoaster!)

We had to wait about 40 minutes in line and by the end I was sick and tired of being stared at. Yes, Elspeth and I were two of only like 4 foreigners at the park that day but the blatant staring...I was just about to reach my breaking point when we finally go on the ride. Screaming my lungs out on the ride helped...

(That's the Steel Dragon in the background)

(How many rides did I manage to get in one picture? Six?!)

(I apologize if this makes anyone sick. This is the Giant Frisbee)

The last ride we went on was the HUGE pirate/viking/crusade boat that sits in the middle of the park. It went higher than I thought it would. And that was about all the rides my stomach/brain could take for the day.

We hopped over to the outlet mall (conveniently located next door), which is more of a designer outlet mall. Yeah, like I can afford Gucci, even at outlet prices...but we did find the Lego store. Some money was spent here (I can't show too many photos of the cuteness because some are future birthday presents for people)...

(Does anyone else think they should have moved the 'c' in click just a tad more to the left?)

(Possibly the world's best salt and pepper shakers. These make me so ridiculously happy.)