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Theme Parks & Roller Coasters |OT| The Happiest Place on GAF

Baron 1898, Efteling.

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Track is complete. Now busy with landscaping, theming and waiting for the trains to arrive.

great pics. i love watching roller coasters be built. i grew up with an amusement park in my backyard practically so it's something i got to witness firsthand every few years. there was always so much excitement and anticipation.

the theming on this one is nice, but the layout doesn't do much for me. i think this is a dive coaster? i've never been on one, but would love to. i want to get to busch gardens williamsburg soon.
 

Jag

Member
But it's not like Disney aren't investing in the parks, though. I know enthusiasts turn their noses up at it, but MyMagic+ was a huge and necessary update, and it cost the same amount that a fleet of new E-tickets would have.

I've just read an interesting article about MyMagic+, actually.

Absolutely fascinating article. I'm surprised they don't integrate the bands into more things. They also seem to think they will move away from bands sooner than later, but then what do they go to? You can't go back to paper tickets after going paperless.
 

Goldrusher

Member
They also seem to think they will move away from bands sooner than later, but then what do they go to? You can't go back to paper tickets after going paperless.
They still use paper, no?
MagicBands are an optional gadget that costs $15 for a single one.
 

Jag

Member
They still use paper, no?
MagicBands are an optional gadget that costs $15 for a single one.

Haven't been back since they started it (kids prefer Universal now). Thought it was a total switchover and move to paperless. I didn't realize it was optional.
 
MagicBands aren't really optional for the average day guest, they give them at no cost with every reservation by default and they aren't going away anytime soon. The only replacement that's remotely possible is the ability to use a smart phone instead, like ApplePay.
 
MagicBands aren't really optional for the average day guest, they give them at no cost with every reservation by default and they aren't going away anytime soon. The only replacement that's remotely possible is the ability to use a smart phone instead, like ApplePay.

Eh? They still use RFID enabled tickets for non resort guests, like the old Key to the World cards. You don't have to use a Magicband.
 

Goldrusher

Member
"Orlando's tallest, fastest and longest" coaster at SeaWorld next year.

No further details known.

Something is stirring beneath the surface at SeaWorld Orlando, preparing to rise from the ocean depths and soar to thrilling new heights.

Get ready for the frenzy of SeaWorld’s new 200-foot-tall coaster.

In 2016, this thriller will take its place atop the food chain as Orlando’s tallest, fastest and longest coaster.

More details on the new addition will surface in late-May.

SeaWorld is a one-of-a-kind theme park with a variety of attractions including awe-inspiring animal encounters, thrilling rides and spectacular shows. Follow #nothingfaster as the frenzy starts.

CDW10ReUEAEiAje.jpg
 

muteki

Member
MagicBands aren't really optional for the average day guest, they give them at no cost with every reservation by default and they aren't going away anytime soon. The only replacement that's remotely possible is the ability to use a smart phone instead, like ApplePay.

Every day guest is going to have to have something with an RFID chip in it. Today you can get a plastic card (day guest, free i think. old paper passes can be swapped out), magic band (free with package, 15 otherwise but in those cases you have the aforementioned card), and in the future I could see them using thier app with NFC phones, assuming Apple ever opens that feature up.

"Orlando's tallest, fastest and longest" coaster at SeaWorld next year.

"...in Orlando." Lol.
 

Fuchsdh

Member
Busch Gardens is spamming me with Tempesto emails since it's opening tomorrow. Nice to see them adding another coaster instead of removing and replacing the old ones they have.
 

aparisi2274

Member
Reading through tonight's Screamscape update, and he had a tid-bit about WDW and Uni meeting to discuss Marvel properties...

(4/30/15) It wasn't all that long ago that I wrote at length about how Disney and Universal could be preparing to meet and discuss terms for a possible shared use or even a release of Universal lock on Marvel theme park rights on the East Coast in exchange for something from Disney. This week WDWNT.com reports that not only may a deal be in the works, but that by the end of the year we could see the Incredible Hulk coaster get a new theme and name, and Doctor Doom's Fearfall could get the same treatment, or may even be removed entirely.

So... if Disney gives something up to Uni to get the rights to use Marvel IP in their parks, how do you see this playing out at both properties?

What would you like to see Uni retheme Marvel SuperHero Island to? Do you want them to keep the Super hero theme, and just drop Marvel?

And on the flip side, what do you want to see Disney do with Marvel if they can get east coast rights back? Do you think we could see something pop up at Hollywood Studios?
 
Reading through tonight's Screamscape update, and he had a tid-bit about WDW and Uni meeting to discuss Marvel properties...

So... if Disney gives something up to Uni to get the rights to use Marvel IP in their parks, how do you see this playing out at both properties?

What would you like to see Uni retheme Marvel SuperHero Island to? Do you want them to keep the Super hero theme, and just drop Marvel?

And on the flip side, what do you want to see Disney do with Marvel if they can get east coast rights back? Do you think we could see something pop up at Hollywood Studios?

I don't see Disney getting anything.. From what I've seen when it comes to people who've read the contract, Universal is free to do anything they want with the license as long as their representation of the Marvel universe is considered "reasonable". So no pink polka dotted Hulks or naked Spider-Mans, but as long as it's "reasonable", Uni can do it. That includes using the actors from Marvel's films if they want.

Uni has the Marvel contract in perpetuity. Just saying, don't expect them to give Disney an inch.

There's a pretty big discussion about this on Orlando United right now if anyone is interested. Read backwards.

For my predictions, I'll go with a common one and say that Hulk will getting a significant overhaul (but no name change), and Dr. Doom will be demolished for an Avengers E-Ticket.
 

aparisi2274

Member
I don't see Disney getting anything.. From what I've seen when it comes to people who've read the contract, Universal is free to do anything they want with the license as long as their representation of the Marvel universe is considered "reasonable". So no pink polka dotted Hulks or naked Spider-Mans, but as long as it's "reasonable", Uni can do it. That includes using the actors from Marvel's films if they want.

Uni has the Marvel contract in perpetuity. Just saying, don't expect them to give Disney an inch.

There's a pretty big discussion about this on Orlando United right now if anyone is interested. Read backwards.

For my predictions, I'll go with a common one and say that Hulk will getting a significant overhaul (but no name change), and Dr. Doom will be demolished for an Avengers E-Ticket.


What kind of Avengers E-Ticket do you think they could come up with? A coaster? A Spider-Man esque ride?
 
There's no way that Disney are getting the East Coast rights back. They have no leverage, and Universal have nothing to gain from striking a deal.

I know Disney are planning Marvel attractions in pretty much every other park they have, but there's not a chance that WDW will get anything any time soon.
 

Nelo Ice

Banned
There's no way that Disney are getting the East Coast rights back. They have no leverage, and Universal have nothing to gain from striking a deal.

I know Disney are planning Marvel attractions in pretty much every other park they have, but there's not a chance that WDW will get anything any time soon.

Seriously that rumor makes no sense. Universal has ZERO reason to even consider giving WDW access to Marvel.
 

thefro

Member
Seriously that rumor makes no sense. Universal has ZERO reason to even consider giving WDW access to Marvel.

What would seem like a win/win would be something like this:
- Universal primarily pays to develop new big Avengers ride for Islands of Adventure & Universal Studios Japan (supposedly they have Marvel rights there too)
- Disney provides the actors from the films, access to the movie stuff, etc and some pople from Imagineering/Marvel to help out. They have rights to build clone of the ride in Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland at some point after Universal's opens.

- Universal gets complete access to MCU to upgrade Marvel Superhero Island.
- Disney gets another eTicket at 3 parks for a cheaper price and quicker than if they developed it internally. Can use resources to work on other attractions. Still get licensing fees from Universal.
 
LEGO ferris wheel coming this summer...



Details...

Wait... Has Lego buy Knex? Because Im sure I see some knex pieces in that model.

Also, nobody will win what Knex had in the 90's in what theme park contrution kits go:
The 6th feet ferris wheel
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And the roller coaster:
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I remember seeing this things on malls and toy stores everywhere.
 
Disney reaping the benefits of Universal's continual investment in Marvel seems like the only reason why Universal might consider giving up the rights. It works out for Disney either way.

Anyways, if I stay onsite at Universal for one night, I get express pass for the day I check in and the day I check out, right?
 

aparisi2274

Member
What would seem like a win/win would be something like this:
- Universal primarily pays to develop new big Avengers ride for Islands of Adventure & Universal Studios Japan (supposedly they have Marvel rights there too)
- Disney provides the actors from the films, access to the movie stuff, etc and some pople from Imagineering/Marvel to help out. They have rights to build clone of the ride in Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland at some point after Universal's opens.

- Universal gets complete access to MCU to upgrade Marvel Superhero Island.
- Disney gets another eTicket at 3 parks for a cheaper price and quicker than if they developed it internally. Can use resources to work on other attractions. Still get licensing fees from Universal.

The problem with your idea is that Disney does not need Universal approval to build Marvel rides in any park outside of FL. The deal they have with Uni is for FL only. If they wanted to build Marvel attractions at DL, TDL, SD, or ED they have no one stopping themselves but themselves.

For Uni to give something to Disney for WDW, they are going to expect something pretty big in return.
 

aparisi2274

Member
Anyways, if I stay onsite at Universal for one night, I get express pass for the day I check in and the day I check out, right?

If you stay on site at Universal, the only hotels that give you an express pass are the luxury hotels. If you stay at the value ones, you do not get an express pass
 
If you stay on site at Universal, the only hotels that give you an express pass are the luxury hotels. If you stay at the value ones, you do not get an express pass
Yeah I'm aware. I was wondering if a single night stay would get me two days worth of express pass use. It would be nice considering the price for express pass these days.
 

aparisi2274

Member
Yeah I'm aware. I was wondering if a single night stay would get me two days worth of express pass use. It would be nice considering the price for express pass these days.

I'm pretty sure your express pass is valid for the duration of your stay at the hotel. If you check in Wednesday and leave Thursday, I assume your pass will be valid for both those days, but I would check with the hotel first.
 
What would seem like a win/win would be something like this:
- Universal primarily pays to develop new big Avengers ride for Islands of Adventure & Universal Studios Japan (supposedly they have Marvel rights there too)
- Disney provides the actors from the films, access to the movie stuff, etc and some pople from Imagineering/Marvel to help out. They have rights to build clone of the ride in Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland at some point after Universal's opens.

- Universal gets complete access to MCU to upgrade Marvel Superhero Island.
- Disney gets another eTicket at 3 parks for a cheaper price and quicker than if they developed it internally. Can use resources to work on other attractions. Still get licensing fees from Universal.

Universal doesn't need Disney's approval to use the MCU actors, apparently. Again, everything seems to be fair game as long as the result represents the Marvel IP in a reasonable manner.

I'm pretty sure your express pass is valid for the duration of your stay at the hotel. If you check in Wednesday and leave Thursday, I assume your pass will be valid for both those days, but I would check with the hotel first.

It's valid check in through check out, so yes :)
 
I'm aware of that too, but that's good to hear. Paying for a one night stay is better than $500 for three people and two days just for the express pass.

It's a good strategy that I use occasionally. Be sure to arrive early on your check-in day and leave your luggage with the concierge if your room isn't ready. Then you'll have a full day of express for the first day :)
 
Anyone ever do a Mickey's Very Merry Christmas party? How does it compare with Not So Scary Halloween Party?

Also I saw the tickets are on sale already. How soon before they sell out for late December?
 
Anyone ever do a Mickey's Very Merry Christmas party? How does it compare with Not So Scary Halloween Party?

Also I saw the tickets are on sale already. How soon before they sell out for late December?
In terms of value, I will simply say that it is not as good as the Halloween party. Whether or not I would go would depend on other factors of my trip like how many days I'm going and what part of the season.

I think I've purchased tickets about a month out a couple years ago.
 
Staying over a week, the day we'd be looking at would be December the 15th. So it should be right before it gets crazy busy since school won't be out yet and a little over a week before Christmas.

Oh, and you can meet Sandy Claws. That's pretty neat.
 

aparisi2274

Member
In terms of value, I will simply say that it is not as good as the Halloween party. Whether or not I would go would depend on other factors of my trip like how many days I'm going and what part of the season.

I think I've purchased tickets about a month out a couple years ago.

Staying over a week, the day we'd be looking at would be December the 15th. So it should be right before it gets crazy busy since school won't be out yet and a little over a week before Christmas.

Oh, and you can meet Sandy Claws. That's pretty neat.

I agree with Jailer... I did both MNSSHP and the Christmas party and I prefer the halloween party.

During the Halloween bash, they have many kiosks setup where CM's hand out halloween candy, and by the end of the night you can have a pretty big bag full of candy.

The Christmas party has carolers, snoap (snow made from soap), and Hot Choc and cookies to hand out. Its nice to see everything decorated and everyone in a Christmas mood, but in terms of getting what you paid for, the Halloween party is your best bet.
 
Thanks for the input! I had already figured NSSHP was better, but good to know The christmas party is still worthwhile. Looking forward to it :D
 
Been making the rounds of podcasts and forums, and yeah, it sounds like Hulk at IoA is going down near the end of 2015 for a good chunk of 2016. According to the Parkscope podcast, the ride is getting completely retracked (or damn close to it), a new launch tunnel with new effects, a new or updated theme and possibly new trains. This'll be pretty great imo, since the ride hasn't aged super-well...it's gotten a bit rough compared to Dragons. Queue also needs a shitload of work.

Rumors are saying Fast and Furious is on for USF in 2018, though 2017 might be a possibility.

Comcast's recent earning's call basically said they were making bank off the Universal parks and that the massive funding will continue for attractions and (this was especially emphasized) hotels. Expect a new attraction each year, in each park (!!).

Can't wait to get back to Universal Orlando in a few weeks! Need a Krusty Burger and a Butterbeer ;)
 

aparisi2274

Member
Been making the rounds of podcasts and forums, and yeah, it sounds like Hulk at IoA is going down near the end of 2015 for a good chunk of 2016. According to the Parkscope podcast, the ride is getting completely retracked (or damn close to it), a new launch tunnel with new effects, a new or updated theme and possibly new trains. This'll be pretty great imo, since the ride hasn't aged super-well...it's gotten a bit rough compared to Dragons. Queue also needs a shitload of work.

Rumors are saying Fast and Furious is on for USF in 2018, though 2017 might be a possibility.

Comcast's recent earning's call basically said they were making bank off the Universal parks and that the massive funding will continue for attractions and (this was especially emphasized) hotels. Expect a new attraction each year, in each park (!!).

Can't wait to get back to Universal Orlando in a few weeks! Need a Krusty Burger and a Butterbeer ;)

Glad to hear that Hulk is gonna get some much needed love... last time I was there in 2013, the ride if super rough and gave me a killer headache...

I'd like to see some other new costers go up at either IOA or USF..
 
Glad to hear that Hulk is gonna get some much needed love... last time I was there in 2013, the ride if super rough and gave me a killer headache...

I'd like to see some other new costers go up at either IOA or USF..

Some users on Orlando United are talking about a rumored coaster for USF that could open in 2016 or 2017. I haven't heard anything about it before, but the people there tend to know what they're talking about.
 
I haven't been able to ride Hulk for over 10 years. It's so rough.

It's not bad enough to keep me away, but yeah, it rocks and rolls quite a bit. I can't ride it more than once in a row, though I've done 4+ consecutive rides in Dragons and Mummy with no problem.

Speaking of re-rides on Dragons, looks like the metal detectors fuck that right up. No re-ride line anymore - instead you have to exit and get back in line for the metal detectors :mad:
 
Got to ride Fury 325 at Carowinds. Was a really great ride! I loved the minimalist cars that really let you float a bit on the negative G hills. :)

Cedar Fair is doing a great job of renovating and improving the park.
 

Nelo Ice

Banned
Been making the rounds of podcasts and forums, and yeah, it sounds like Hulk at IoA is going down near the end of 2015 for a good chunk of 2016. According to the Parkscope podcast, the ride is getting completely retracked (or damn close to it), a new launch tunnel with new effects, a new or updated theme and possibly new trains. This'll be pretty great imo, since the ride hasn't aged super-well...it's gotten a bit rough compared to Dragons. Queue also needs a shitload of work.

Rumors are saying Fast and Furious is on for USF in 2018, though 2017 might be a possibility.

Comcast's recent earning's call basically said they were making bank off the Universal parks and that the massive funding will continue for attractions and (this was especially emphasized) hotels. Expect a new attraction each year, in each park (!!).

Can't wait to get back to Universal Orlando in a few weeks! Need a Krusty Burger and a Butterbeer ;)

So what you're saying is I need to make it out to Universal Orlando at least once a year. Challenge accepted.
 
I thought most B&Ms typically retain their smoothness pretty well? Dragons are still about as smooth as you could reasonably expect them to be. Maybe Hulk has unique issues.

Dragon Khan, a B&M, after something like 15 years, hasnt aged that well either, and at one time was a world record coaster with most loops, so its not like it was a mediocre coaster or anything. Now its pretty rough and the brake section in the middle is horrible.
But Port Aventura is not good at keeping things in good condition either, since Universal got out, the park is full of trash (doenst help either that spanish people are awful at keeping things in good condition, vandalizing everything, but its also the fault of the italian park management), and they even fucked up a wooden coaster becuase they decided to change the trains to ones that are not suitable to the track they are in, this was an error, but they decided to keep them becuase they dont want to waste more money.
And not only rides, shows a theming also took a huge hit (lol at having a show with italian and spanish pop songs inside an old chinese theater, and im talking about millenial china type theming, not Grauham's theater type)
It was one of the best european parks 10 years ago, now its just trash with some good rides. Thanks random Italian company, for fucking up a spanish park even more that a spanish company would do.
 
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