bkroz

Oh God... Oh no... I swore it wouldn't happen, but it's happening! I'm flashing back to that time when rumors abounded that Diamondback was to be named B3: Bionic Beast. *loses lunch* But I do like the "half-machine, half-beast" angle... In many ways, though, wasn't that already the story? The Beast was running lose in the woods of Rivertown, but they managed to ensnare the Son while he was young and transport him to the same "government facility" that Top Gun supposedly took place at? That's how I always thought of it, and if I recall correctly, that was its official backstory - hence the old Perimeter Surveillance Vehicle trains and the flashing blue lights in the station... It was like, The Beast meets a government facility. I liked it! A pre-show, even told by posters in the queue might've clarified... But as it was, I think that was awesome. I have said before and will say again: My vote goes for the return of the 2001 poster: a carriage sitting on a wooden track, the loop in the background, with text reading: "Son of Beast was a real brat. But now, he's on his best behavior." Imagine that image coupled with the logo for "Son of Beast: REBORN." The very thought sends chills down my spine... I'd kill to see that poster again. I know images of it were floating around here a few years ago, if that... I bet I already mentioned that in this very thread... Oh look, I did! I know myself so well..

I just go to Universal Orlando and use their lockers, which are free for the duration of your ride at any and all attractions which cannot accomodate carry-on items. Of course, the plane ride sort of balances things out, so I say just pay the $2.00 for a locker, or the $20.00 for cargo shorts. Or, as was said, don't bring things into the park! I know it would be different if you needed to contact a parent or friend to pick you up, but there's honestly no need to bring in cell phones or iPods if even one person in the group has one.

Here here! We need more topics like this. Viva la Isla de los Reyes! Or, Isla del Rey... The apostrophe (or lack thereof) throws me off.

As I said, the people who will complain the most are those who haven't ridden it. Every single time I've seen the trims mentioned on a discussion board by people who have ridden it, they do not mind the trims. From those who have experienced it, we've heard: "You barely notice them." "It makes the ride much more enjoyable." "The pacing is much better." "It's much more comfortable for the riders." "Trains are returning to the station with applauding, screaming people the way Millennium does, whereas before, it was not." I sincerely hope you were just "in a mood" when you posted this - if you will truly avoid Kings Dominion, write letters, and "urge the Earnhardt foundation to cancel the licensing agreement" because of an added brake on a roller coaster that has been well-recieved by everyone who's actually ridden it, then its your own summer you're ruining. This ride in general has been so incredibly loved and praised already (in spite of, or maybe because of, the added breaks) and if you physically go out of your way to avoid it, you are the one missing out and no one else. A disgrace? Really...? Do you think Mr. Earnhardt would request that his name be removed from the ride due to the added brakes? GYK, always surprised at the things people will say about rides they haven't ridden, and how strongly they will stand by those things.

That we do! The bees are getting out of control in the Adventure Express queue!

Well, this single panel is the mid-course trims now: (Again from Theme Park Review - see my last post for link) Just watching the it looks to me that there were originally three fins. Now there appears to be one. So if you're asking my opinion, yes it looks as if some have been removed. Really, it makes sense - if they trimmed the ride from the start, then used the same trims mid-way through, the ride would be traveling WAY more slowly than anticipated by the end. To add breaks somewhere, they really have to remove them elsewhere to keep the ride at a steady pace.

From ThemeParkReview. Yes, that gives me the impression that they don't grab or pull, but are just a natural pacer for the train. Sounds absolutely fine to me. The people who are saying "It's ruined!" "It's neutered!" etc. probably have not ridden it since the trims were added. Plus, they reduced the trims on the airtime hill towards the end, and people say that's making the ending feel more fast-paced and enjoyable. In other words, the beginning's a bit slower, and the end's a bit faster, so the ride is actually well-paced. Before, you were going so fast in the beginning you were blacking out and then you hit the trims towards the end and felt a huge drag, sort of "meandering" through the end of the layout rather than racing. I would've liked to ride it before they added it just to try it out, but I have no qualms about the added brakes. Truly.

Quoth Robb Alvey: I haven't been on it, but from what I've heard, I'm sure it's true.

The loopendectomy. I wish people would stop mentioning it. Hahha !

But without any of the Iron Horse renovations completed, wouldn't you consider it uncharacteristically brash of such a fix to already be implemented? What if the Iron Horse re-makes end up costing far more than orginally anticipated, or don't pay off in customer satisfaction? I can't see an extensive re-do being started yet... Maybe it's just me.

Yes, the 5@5 is not a medium for complaint. However, I see your frustration: If you email or call the park, you'll get a generic answer. By even asking on the 5@5, you at least know it will be read by someone of high standings in the park as they read through the questions. Still, don't do it.

Uh huhhh.... Fail.

^ Don't feel like you have to stop - I sure wouldn't! Hahha! Congrats! I love Millennium to death, I think Maverick is a really superior ride (but it loses much of its appeal to me when the tunnel isn't working), and I have a big appreciation for Disaster Transport (I'm a "potential" guy). But I have to go with Raptor... Something about that first drop, and the way you turn on your side and really dive into it... It's unbeatable for me. If every ride in the park had a 10 minute wait I'd do Millennium and Maverick first, but Raptor is definitely a noteworthy ride for me.

I imagine that if you did come up with something that the park could help you with (having a ring delivered at the sit-down restaurant... oh, wait) they would help out... Just a thought, maybe go to the park beforehand by yourself and look for a good spot. For example, Coney Mall might be beautiful at night, lit by all the classic carnival lights. Then again, it may be sort of junky and dark... Things that sound romantic might not be in real life (like I said, the Eiffel Tower). I'd definitely head in one evening when the park is open til 10 and just sort of walk around for an hour brainstorming!

So awesome! Congrats! Now, if it were 2006 or earlier, I would suggest the waterfall in the Tower Gardens. As it is, I'm not sure... I feel like the Eiffel Tower wouldn't be as romantic as it sounds, what with the kids running around the deck and popcorn and drinks spilled everywhere... hah! I'm sure people will offer great suggestions - maybe near the Royal Fountains?

Probably Forbidden Journey will deserve the top spot. But I can see one of the Intimidators getting it. For better or worse, seasonal parks and annual parks are not treated the same in the much-over-hyped Golden Ticket Awards. One might say they should have two separate categories so big corporate rides like Harry Potter don't blow smaller, seasonal rides like Prowler out of the water. However, that's not even the case... The seasonal parks win! Most people here agree that the Golden Tickets are more of a tradition than a real award system. Consider Cedar Point - "the best amusement park or theme park on Earth eleven years in a row." Do they cream the competition in roller coasters? Probably. But other thrills? Family rides? Atmosphere? Shows? Customer service? Dining? Shopping? You'd be hard pressed to covince me that any Disney park, any Universal park, even most Busch & Merlin parks, don't completely overshadow Cedar Point in most every category other than roller coasters. What I'm saying is, Forbidden Journey will probably deserve the best new ride. It probably won't win it.

Trust me, so does The Interpreter.

Yes, and many of today's phones can tap into wifi... See also, the iPod Touch, which is a widely owned device... And consider that not everyone at Kings Island comes for the rides. Mom and dad may very well just want to sit down at the exit of Firehawk (where their kids will be waiting in line for an hour and a half) and do more than twiddle their thumbs. At the very least, it would be great to have wifi at Boomerang Bay. They have it on the beach at Geauga Lake's Wildwater Kingdom, and though I've not done it yet, it sounds really ideal to me to lay out in a reclining chair on the beach and play on my computer. I have a Platinum Pass and I live 20 minutes away, so why can't I go hangout at the waterpark with my computer? Sounds ideal, right? I think it would be great at Boomerang Bay.

Replaced? Use that word lightly. Hahah. I mean, I love the ride, but really that ride in particular ended up being more removal than addition...

I definitely am not on the "Kings Dominion is great" bandwagon, though I do find it to be the best of the Cedar Fair parks I've visited. I have not been since Intimidator 305 and to me, it wouldn't change my high opinion of the park if it were the best or worst roller coaster I'd ridden. Kings Dominion is beautifully landscaped, has an incredible collection of rides, an unbelievable location and setting, and is just an all-around great park. I do have memories of it being considered (to quote others here) "ghetto" from when I visited as a child... But if that was the case, they certainly turned it around before my trips last year. In my opinion, Kings Dominion (especially coupled with Busch Gardens) is absolutely a destination park, and in many ways features all of the things that Kings Island once held dear: superior landscaping, attention-to-detail, themed rides, water effects, flame effects, appropriate music, and immersive themed areas. That being said, I have never been to Canada's Wonderland, though it's certainly on my list! Even last year people kept up the "ghetto" Kings Dominion image, while I visited and posted a trip report, unable to say enough of the park's beauty and grandeur. Back then to degrade the park was the popular thing. Now, it's popular to exalt it. But I've maintained from the beginning that it's an incredible park, and if you don't believe me, visit it. Volcano. Grizzly. Flight of Fear. Backlot Stunt Coaster. The Crypt. Drop Tower. Boo Blasters. Dominator. Avalanche. Shockwave. Rebel Yell... Even Anaconda and Hurler are experiences! Not to be missed.

You'd think that, if racing red-vs-blue was the intention of the ride, they'd have just corrected it for the Brady Bunch shoot... Of course, today, the theory isn't to race them at all.

Haha oops... Thanks T. You always catch those things.

I hope it does! And Islands is for sure, no questions asked, my favorite of the Floridian parks, perhaps of any park I've yet been to (keeping in mind I have yet to make it to a true independant park, so I'm comparing apples to apples when I say that - corporate-owned parks only). Has it lost some of its luster from 1999? Of course. But it's maintained 90% of its original charm, and it started out with three times more detail and charm than any other park I've experienced, so it's still miles ahead of the game. Legend has it that, when Harry Potter opens, the entire park will start into a massive refurb - repainting everything, turning on every effect that has shut off (not many, but there are a few), re-invigorating the music system, adding Rockit's LED lights to The Hulk, adding new scenes to Spiderman, turning on every one of the original water and fire effects that have been "seasonal" as of late, re-creating Jurassic Park River Adventure from scratch... I mean, it sounds almost like a "duh." With easily the largest and most excitement-inducing ride to come to any park in many a year, it only makes sense that they make sure everything else in the park is in tip top shape. I can't imagine Potter opening with the Hulk rusting away as it currently is... Plus, with no new attractions since 2010, hopefully they've got something saved up...

Thanks guys for the comments! If you haven't been to Universal in the past few years.. Well, you haven't missed much. But it's still an incredible park! Last part of the PTR! Sorry it took so long. Marvel Superhero Island. Welcome to Marvel Superhero Island! Or so the sewer grate implies... All of the newspapers scattered throughout the Island are tie-ins to The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman and give added details about the villains therein and their evil misdeeds! Giant comic characters are everywhere. This one is Electro, which is similar to Elektra, my favorite superhero (how lame is that, by the way?) Here's Dr. Octopus doing something heinous. But what, you say? No! Anything but that! Oh, have you ever seen anything so terrible and so... evil... in your entire life? Will the madness never end? That "O" was perfectly placed! These nice folks seem blissfully unaware of the hulking, hairy-armed, knife-wielding creature who looms over them. Ah, if only we could all be so blind... Oh look! A dueling B&M Invert! Only one of those, you know... This one was not operating on this particular day, though it had the two days before. It's closed for its final transformation into Harry Potter's Dragon Fiasco or something like that. Then there's the Hulk! It does this. Then this. Then this, don't forget it! Then the train turns invisible and it spins around two times. Then it goes upside down again and goes under the water here. Then it goes upside down like, five more times. And yes, it hurts. But it's a B&M, so we'll blame it on the outside contractor who developed the launch, okay? All of the shops and stores in Superhero Island are labled "generically".. They look just as you'd expect a facade in a comic book panel to look: they say "Store" or "Shop" or "Comics" or "Food." Nothing specific! It's very smart and another of those things people just don't notice. The obligatory '"The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman" takes place here' photo. That side alley there looks pretty sketchy... And for good reason! It's Doom Alley! For those of you who don't know, take a wild guess about whether Victor Von Doom is a good guy or a bad guy... You're probably right. And this awkwardly placed final picture shows exactly what the park inspires you to feel - as you exit, you are offered the final words, "The Adventure Lives On." How true it is. (The construction on top is not usually there .) Other things worth noting: I had a three-day ticket for $120 through AAA. I got in earlier than expected on Friday and decided to walk to the ticket booth and ask how much it would cost to upgrade to a four-day ticket. The answer? $5.00. Universal pricing is incredible. I also got a full meal at a sit down restaurant (a pressed turkey sandwhich, a healthy serving of fries, a refillable soft drink, and bread for the table) for $14.00. Thanks Universal, for a fantastic day.

Maybe I'm completely wrong on this, but I think it's a good thing. Like $60 to get into all of the Six Flags parks all year? I don't know... It never seemed right to me. What do I know?