I languished in various capacities (parking control, central production, dulcimer shoppe) until finally landing the Parachute Sky Jump in 1986. Scheduler Lori Acorn thought me insane for wanting a transfer to the non-mechanical Haunted Shack, but it was the spiel that interested me--the chance to "perform" for guests in a way that was almost, well--professional. It would be my first "paid gig" and these memories came flooding back to me as I walked into the park.

It was good to see familiar faces like Thomas the prospector and ride operations legend Jim Mayfield. Some of my old supervisors had moved up to tie-and-nice-shirt positions, but we shared a few laughs about beer-soaked ride parties just the same.

The trip down memory lane aside, it was time to try out the the only coaster in the park that I hadn't been on. The Corkscrew had long since went south for good, Wacky Soap Box Racers had been closed down for awhile (and never as brilliant as it was when it first debuted) and I had practically grown up on Montezooma's Revenge. Boomerang was familiar to me as well--but I was keenly interested in Jaguar. Located in Fiesta Village next to the Tampico Tumbler and nestled under the shadow of Montezooma's Revenge, this new ride invites you with a huge aztec pyramid that serves as the loading station and queue building all at once. Directly in front of the entrance is a pool of water filled with metal kinetic sculptures. Guests can use water guns to activate the sculptures that, in turn, tell a story. Part of the fun set-up for this family-style coaster that may not look like much, but truly packs a punch. With brilliant red track and cars that sported a sort of aztec motif, this cat stretches alongside Montezooma's Revenge for awhile and threads through the loop before engaging a series of spirals that eventually lead off past the merry-go-round and towards the Timber Mountain Log Ride before looping back and skirting the edges of Reflection Lake.

Upon boarding the incredibly long train, it's a short journey up the smooth lift and onwards, soaring and dipping in undulating formations. Once you hit the second lift, the cars pick up speed before zipping back into the station, truly making this an "out and back" experience.

Clocking in at over three minutes, Jaguar is a big cat indeed and delivers more than a fair share of good times and thrills in a surprisingly smooth journey.

After thanking the crew at Knott's, we headed out for a wild night on the town with P.J. Ochlan and a few well-lubed folks from Disney Interactive. Tokyo Delves sushi bar was the place, and after the dust had cleared, it was time for some shut-eye and preperation for the next big event