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[The Xtortionist]

I don't think they are yet

The walls are officially

Spoiler

.up.

Spoiler

...that was mean

Did Jurassic Park River Adventure for the first time in like four years or something. Ride is way better than I remember. Definitely going to be on my list more often.

 

[Baron von Loathsome]

The walls are officially

Spoiler

.up.

Spoiler

...that was mean

Did Jurassic Park River Adventure for the first time in like four years or something. Ride is way better than I remember. Definitely going to be on my list more often.

I've only been on a handful of Universal Studios rides, since I've made very few trips to the Hollywood park, but I think Jurassic Park is up there with my favorite Disney rides.

 

[The Xtortionist]

I've only been on a handful of Universal Studios rides, since I've made very few trips to the Hollywood park, but I think Jurassic Park is up there with my favorite Disney rides.

Line was only 10 minutes and I was already soaked from Dudley and Popeye so I just went for it (protip: ride water rides early in the morning for virtually no waits). There were some cool geysers that rained down sustained water for a few seconds which I didn't remember, and all of the Dino AAs looked pretty good. The T-Rex AA at the end looked absolutely fantastic, again, way better than I remember. And the drop is sooooo long. I had a blast! Just didn't remember it being that good.

 

[spatenfloot]

JP is lots of fun if you go during a time of year when it starts getting dark before closing. Riding it when it is darker out makes the outdoor part creepier.

 

[The Xtortionist]

JP is lots of fun if you go during a time of year when it starts getting dark before closing. Riding it when it is darker out makes the outdoor part creepier.

I'd love to sometime, just tough to actually be there when it's dark since they're only open until 9pm usually. But Kong will also probably be amazing at night, so it's probably worth staying really late and hitting both of them right before close.

 

[Baron von Loathsome]

JP is lots of fun if you go during a time of year when it starts getting dark before closing. Riding it when it is darker out makes the outdoor part creepier.

The outdoor part isn't supposed to be creepy until you get to the containment facility. Or at least in the Hollywood version.

 

[zeemumu]

The outdoor part isn't supposed to be creepy until you get to the containment facility. Or at least in the Hollywood version.

Or if you go during HHN

 

[Jeff Albertson]

Off to Alton towers tomorrow - be interesting if i manage to get on the VR rollercoaster

 

[ryan299]

They're building a lego land 15 minutes from my house in NY supposedly. Going to cost $800 million and be their largest in the world.

People are going to be pissed. The traffic is already bad bc of this famous outlet mall and now this.

 

[aparisi2274]

They're building a lego land 15 minutes from my house in NY supposedly. Going to cost $800 million and be their largest in the world.

People are going to be pissed. The traffic is already bad bc of this famous outlet mall and now this.

Up near Woodbury Commons? I want to know how they plan on keeping up revenue in the winter months? I mean Six Flags just started their Holiday in the Park thing, and that seems to be a success, so maybe Lego Land will follow suit

 

[ryan299]

Up near Woodbury Commons? I want to know how they plan on keeping up revenue in the winter months? I mean Six Flags just started their Holiday in the Park thing, and that seems to be a success, so maybe Lego Land will follow suit

Yeah about 15 minutes from there. Commons area is the central high way hub and is already backed up with city commuters. It's going to be crazy.

My friend told me the people of Rockland county threw a fit and forced the county leaders to back out of the bid. Curious if Orange will do the same.

 

[Goldrusher]

I want to know how they plan on keeping up revenue in the winter months?

Strange question. Most theme parks are simply closed in the winter, and Legoland is no exception. They already have parks in England, Germany and Denmark which are closed from November to March.

If heavy snowfall is a concern, they could always put the area with the scale models indoors.
This will be the case in the new park in Dubai, to protect the models (and the visitors) from the sun:

 

[aparisi2274]

Strange question. Most theme parks are simply closed in the winter, and Legoland is no exception. They already have parks in England, Germany and Denmark which are closed from November to March.

If heavy snowfall is a concern, they could always put the area with the scale models indoors.
This will be the case in the new park in Dubai, to protect the models (and the visitors) from the sun:

Yeah, but places like Legoland always seem to build in warm places... as I mentioned in my original post, I said I thought it could work, considering Six Flags now opens in the winter months on weekends, and that seems to be doing pretty well.

 

[Lee Chaolan]

Anyone else going to Disney/Universal Memorial Day weekend?

I'll be there for a week starting Saturday. Gonna finally get that Purple Magic Band!

Sunday gonna do breakfast at Tusker House, gonna check out Epcot's last day of Spring and Garden Festival, then back to DAK for the nighttime stuff! Can't wait, looks amazing.

 

[Jailer of Hope]

Anyone else going to Disney/Universal Memorial Day weekend?

I'll be there for a week starting Saturday. Gonna finally get that Purple Magic Band!

Sunday gonna do breakfast at Tusker House, gonna check out Epcot's last day of Spring and Garden Festival, then back to DAK for the nighttime stuff! Can't wait, looks amazing.

Just an fyi, starting Memorial Day weekend Soarin' is showing the old video before converting to the new one on the 17th.

 

[The Xtortionist]

I'm considering Universal for tomorrow or Sunday but probably won't. Crowds are going to be nuts, and Kong walls are still up so no real chance of softs.

Godspeed to anyone going for it.

 

[Lee Chaolan]

Just an fyi, starting Memorial Day weekend Soarin' is showing the old video before converting to the new one on the 17th.

Yep, I saw that. Sad the new one's not up yet, but at least we can still ride Soarin'

I'm considering Universal for tomorrow or Sunday but probably won't. Crowds are going to be nuts, and Kong walls are still up so no real chance of softs.

Godspeed to anyone going for it.

Yep, I somehow think Monday won't be as busy as those two days, Holiday or not.

 

[The Xtortionist]

https://twitter.com/UniversalORL/status/736557649223950337

 

[zeemumu]

https://twitter.com/UniversalORL/status/736557649223950337

I tried tuning into this and I didn't see anything on NBC


The Frozen Musical that replaced Aladdin in the Hyperion Theater at DCA is up and running.

 

[SpacePirate Ridley]

Just saw the plans of Secret Weapon 8 from Alton Towers.
Saw it on the theme park worldwide channel (pretty great channel).

Its basically going to be a CGI wooden coaster with a 10 metres magnetic lifthill but seems to play lot with the terrain (lots of tunnels and sound barriers) and has a first class element we still dont know about. It has a nice queue with 2 big buildings, one of them housing a preshow (coasters with preshows are always nice). Its also very probably themed to Pirates, becuase of the logo design and the entrance beginning in mutiny bay.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjL3Aj2y_3o

Really exciting thing. Alton Towers always bring the goods when they build their secret weapons.

 

[Gartooth]

Has the GotG retheme for ToT been "confirmed"? I really hope it hasn't since it would be changing a great ride and a terribly half hearted attempt by Disney for their first US Marvel ride. Isn't HK Iron Man also a re-theme of Star Tours?

 

[The Xtortionist]

Has the GotG retheme for ToT been "confirmed"? I really hope it hasn't since it would be changing a great ride and a terribly half hearted attempt by Disney for their first US Marvel ride. Isn't HK Iron Man also a re-theme of Star Tours?

Not officially.

 

[RoyalFool]

Just saw the plans of Secret Weapon 8 from Alton Towers.
Saw it on the theme park worldwide channel (pretty great channel).

Its basically going to be a CGI wooden coaster with a 10 metres magnetic lifthill but seems to play lot with the terrain (lots of tunnels and sound barriers) and has a first class element we still dont know about. It has a nice queue with 2 big buildings, one of them housing a preshow (coasters with preshows are always nice). Its also very probably themed to Pirates, becuase of the logo design and the entrance beginning in mutiny bay.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjL3Aj2y_3o

Really exciting thing. Alton Towers always bring the goods when they build their secret weapons.

VR Coasters are basically Merlins excuse for their terrible, low budget theming. If riding on a 60mph physics experiment isn't fun enough without the need for virtual reality, they are doing something very wrong.

 

[Goldrusher]

Meanwhile in Sweden...

 

[Gartooth]

Not officially.

Good, hopefully it never will. I think it would be a huge waste too since Disney would be playing their only big Marvel card in Orlando on a reskin if they chose to do it there too.

 

[D-Pad]

Can we stop with the RMC coasters already? Other steel coasters can do everything they can do and not look absolutely ugly while doing it.

 

[Xun]

Has the GotG retheme for ToT been "confirmed"? I really hope it hasn't since it would be changing a great ride and a terribly half hearted attempt by Disney for their first US Marvel ride. Isn't HK Iron Man also a re-theme of Star Tours?

Not officially, but it's pretty much on the table for DCA.

Thankfully the original at DHS should be fine for now though...

 

[Rapscallion]

Anyone been on the Mass Effect ride in Great America in Santa Clara?

I went this past week and it was awesome! I've only played a bit of the original game, but the ride itself didn't fail to impress. It's essentially an auditorium with with movable seats, but you have a "captain" who performs in front of the screen. The 3D was easily some of the best I've seen (significantly better than Star Tours at Disneyland) and the seat effects were pretty nifty (things rumble underneath you, water is shot out at you, and at different points smells are sent out). If you're in the area, it's definitely worth checking out. Just the fact that there's a video game themed ride is still amazing to me.

The park itself is my favorite in Northern California. It's not the craziest park by any means, but it has a great feeling to it.

 

[Leeroy3101]

Doing a big road trip starting on Monday. Going to Dollywood, Carowinds, and Kings Dominion. Should be fun, and the only repeat park is Carowinds (Fury will be new to me).

 

[SpacePirate Ridley]

VR Coasters are basically Merlins excuse for their terrible, low budget theming. If riding on a 60mph physics experiment isn't fun enough without the need for virtual reality, they are doing something very wrong.

VR?
I dont think anyone said VR here. They only had VR on Galactica and with the opinion people are having I wouldnt be surprised if it retunred to AIR (or Galactica without VR) in less than 2 years.
The building having a preshow doesnt mean VR, it means they will try to tell a story in the queue, same like most Disney rides has. I think thats a fantastic idea that even good coaster would benefit of it.
Just and example a story around the theming in Batman La Fuga (a Batman B&M inverted clone) would help that ride from being a 7/10 clone to a 9/10 coaster. The queue inside Arkham is already there and with some retouches and a real story showed in some screens around the queues using Arkham Knight character models (I dont know, batman has been captured by the villains inside Arkham and you need to help Gordon, Robin and Barbara to get him out of there, as La Fuga, means Escape in spanish), and on board music for the ride... I would pay and arm and a leg to see that.

I still think the Alton wooden will be good without the preshow, as its a GCI wooden coaster and they are awesome at those, but giving it one is not going to do it any harm.

 

[Zoso]

Mako at Seaworld Orlando soft opened this week. I got a few rides in and loved it! Keeps its speed really well and has a lot of floaty airtime. Only negative I'd say is the trim brake is lame. Mako isn't too different than the other B&M hypers, but I liked it a bit more than Nitro or Diamondback.

Anyone been on the Mass Effect ride in Great America in Santa Clara?

I went this past week and it was awesome! I've only played a bit of the original game, but the ride itself didn't fail to impress. It's essentially an auditorium with with movable seats, but you have a "captain" who performs in front of the screen. The 3D was easily some of the best I've seen (significantly better than Star Tours at Disneyland) and the seat effects were pretty nifty (things rumble underneath you, water is shot out at you, and at different points smells are sent out). If you're in the area, it's definitely worth checking out. Just the fact that there's a video game themed ride is still amazing to me.

The park itself is my favorite in Northern California. It's not the craziest park by any means, but it has a great feeling to it.

No, but as a big Mass Effect fan I really want to experience it. Sounds like an impressive ride for a regional park.

 

[strafer]

Wow, forgot this place existed. Might be a better place to ask.

Anyone been to Universal Studios: Orlando recently? If so, is the original Explorer still there?

 

[aparisi2274]

So I am going to be hitting up DL next Saturday (I'll be in town for E3) and was wondering how crowded its gonna get? I know its listed as a grad night thing, but is that all day, or just at night?

I remember when I went a couple years ago around teh same weekend, it wasnt to crazy, just big lines at the normal rides like Radiator Springs Racer, Toy Story and a couple of others.

I mainly going to check out Hyperspace Mountain

 

[zeemumu]

So I am going to be hitting up DL next Saturday (I'll be in town for E3) and was wondering how crowded its gonna get? I know its listed as a grad night thing, but is that all day, or just at night?

I remember when I went a couple years ago around teh same weekend, it wasnt to crazy, just big lines at the normal rides like Radiator Springs Racer, Toy Story and a couple of others.

I mainly going to check out Hyperspace Mountain

Grad night starts during the evening. For mine they let us all in while the public was still there, then herded us all into DL later into the night (some of us started in DCA)

Hyperspace Mountain is on average an hour long on a good day. On the weekend it might be way worse. Not as bad a Radiator Springs because you might still be able to get a fastpass but still.

 

[aparisi2274]

Grad night starts during the evening. For mine they let us all in while the public was still there, then herded us all into DL later into the night (some of us started in DCA)

Hyperspace Mountain is on average an hour long on a good day. On the weekend it might be way worse. Not as bad a Radiator Springs because you might still be able to get a fastpass but still.

I may hit DL side first to try and get a FP for Space Mountain and then head over to DCA.

 

[Ettie]

Holy cow that Shanghai PoC looks amazing. I think there's a bit of the Gringotts/Transformers/Spiderman giant screen + direction change magic happening there.

Wish they'd bring it over to WDW and just have it be a sequel ride. Leave the classic in place.

 

[The Xtortionist]

TM previews for Skull Island are happening tonight following sudden previews yesterday. If we're lucky, this will be the week for softs.

 

[brerwolfe]

Son of a bitch. I kept looking at the employee site to see when they were doing it and even thought about going last night. Fuck.

**edit- the website says tonight from 4p-midnight.

 

[The Xtortionist]

Son of a bitch. I kept looking at the employee site to see when they were doing it and even thought about going last night. Fuck.

**edit- the website says tonight from 4p-midnight.

Last night seemed to have been a real spur of the moment thing, according to people that rode it. I guess today's previews are a bit more organized and formal.

edit - Full write-up/review from a member on Orlando United. Massive spoilers, so click at your own risk.

 

[Jailer of Hope]

edit - Full write-up/review from a member on Orlando United. Massive spoilers, so click at your own risk.

Sounds awesome. I think I'm most excited about the Kong AA.

 

[zeemumu]

Last night seemed to have been a real spur of the moment thing, according to people that rode it. I guess today's previews are a bit more organized and formal.

edit - Full write-up/review from a member on Orlando United. Massive spoilers, so click at your own risk.

I likely won't return to Orlando for years so I'll take a look anyway.

So I was right when I said that

Spoiler

some of the 360 screen footage was the footage from the Kong 360 3D in Hollywood. The just replaced the tour tram car in the scene with the ride vehicle.

 

[Andrew Korenchkin]

Oooh, that new King Kong ride is opening soon!

Yay!

Stoked to see Disney Shanghai open as well.

 

[Ettie]

I'm not a theme park junkie but I do enjoy them more than your average joe, so glad to see that this thread is a thing!

Got a question for you veteran riders who have dealt with motion sickness. I generally do okay with open air stuff, but things like Sum of All Thrills at epcot, and Forbidden Journey leave me ready to hurl after the first ride. Nothing that I've taken or tried, from meds up to the sea-band gimmick, has helped. I haven't stepped up to the prescription only stuff, anyone tried that?

Is there any sure fire remedy that will keep this at bay? It seems like once it starts, it takes an hour of not riding anything to get over it.

 

[Leeroy3101]

Thoughts on the Kong details:

Spoiler

What is with the screen fetish at Universal? Sounds like Dinosaur and Indiana Jones are much more immersive than the screen nonsense going on.

Sounds like the Haunted Mansion remains as the quintessential dark ride.

 

[The Xtortionist]

Thoughts on the Kong details:

Spoiler

What is with the screen fetish at Universal? Sounds like Dinosaur and Indiana Jones are much more immersive than the screen nonsense going on.

Many recent Universal rides use a combination of vast, open environments, large characters, and live actors in their attractions, none of which can easily be done practically.

 

[zeemumu]

Thoughts on the Kong details:

Spoiler

What is with the screen fetish at Universal? Sounds like Dinosaur and Indiana Jones are much more immersive than the screen nonsense going on.

Sounds like the Haunted Mansion remains as the quintessential dark ride.

As it should be. Still waiting on that Haunted Mansion remake, Del Toro...


I think the screens just allow them to do more stuff that would be impractical with practical effects.

 

[SOME-MIST]

went to cedar point last weekend and rode everything worth riding (gatekeeper, millenium force, raptor, rougarou, maverick, dragster, meanstreak, valravn) and haven't been there since millenium was the newest coaster. the dragster was down for the entire night due to a 30 minute rain session... until the last 30 minutes that the park was open. We left our spot near the front of the raptor line to run there when I saw it going from a distance and it was totally worth it. the cedar point app is somewhat useful too even though it didn't show the dragster open. they even had free wifi in the park which I've never experienced. the park was definitely twice as good as I remember.

anyway, I don't post in this thread often but I've been subscribed and peak on it every week or two. here's a pic of the first loop of the valravn that I took that I wanted to add here.

edit: maverick was my favorite. rougarou wasn't as fun as I remembered the mantis to be, raptor had an hour 45 minute wait on park entry but a 15 minute wait at the end of the day, and gatekeeper is one of the coolest entry rides I've seen. the only thing that sucks about cedar point is that a lot of the rides don't have a heavy theme which you would find in many UK Rollercoaster parks.

 

[bucknuticus]

You didnt ride Magnum at Cedar Point?! its probably my top 3 favorite ride there, enjoy how it goes out on the beach.

 

[SpacePirate Ridley]

went to cedar point last weekend and rode everything worth riding (gatekeeper, millenium force, raptor, rougarou, maverick, dragster, meanstreak, valravn) and haven't been there since millenium was the newest coaster. the dragster was down for the entire night due to a 30 minute rain session... until the last 30 minutes that the park was open. We left our spot near the front of the raptor line to run there when I saw it going from a distance and it was totally worth it. the cedar point app is somewhat useful too even though it didn't show the dragster open. they even had free wifi in the park which I've never experienced. the park was definitely twice as good as I remember.

anyway, I don't post in this thread often but I've been subscribed and peak on it every week or two. here's a pic of the first loop of the valravn that I took that I wanted to add here.


edit: maverick was my favorite. rougarou wasn't as fun as I remembered the mantis to be, raptor had an hour 45 minute wait on park entry but a 15 minute wait at the end of the day, and gatekeeper is one of the coolest entry rides I've seen. the only thing that sucks about cedar point is that a lot of the rides don't have a heavy theme which you would find in many UK Rollercoaster parks.

That photo is cool, I love immelmans in coasters.

 

[SOME-MIST]

You didnt ride Magnum at Cedar Point?! its probably my top 3 favorite ride there, enjoy how it goes out on the beach.

nah, went on it my last visit in the early 2000s and I remember it being one of my least favorite in the park (after corkscrew, blue streak, and some of the wooden coasters of course). sorta saw it as a millenium-lite, but would have gone on it had we had more time. we were there from 10am-1030pm with no fast pass.