bkroz

All good to hear! I knew you weren't saying you'd be unappreciative or anything. I just always hope people have the right attitude haha. I'm sure you do. Depends how you like to tour. I'm very enthusiastic about Universal, so I like to get there and day one jump around to my favorites. It's also great on day three to be able to go back and re-ride your favorites. If I went to USF day one, then IOA on day 2, I'd probably decide to spend day 3 at IOA and I'd find myself going "Oh... I wish I could ride Revenge of the Mummy again... I did it on day one, and I didn't really consider how I wouldn't have another chance." But that's just me. I can't say if Hogwarts Express is worth it. Really. It's a grand ride and very innovative and unique. But a big part of it is the narrative: getting to walk through Diagon Alley, then take the train to Hogsmeade. If that isn't something you think you'd be impressed with, then it may not be worth it. Up to you!

Your disinterest in Harry Potter sincerely shouldn't change a single thing about your trip. If someone doesn't like the film Transformers, they 1) should still ride the ride, and 2) will probably love the ride, and 3) should probably watch the film before they go anyway so that they can appreciate the ride more fully. You don't have to have a heartfelt connection or appreciation for the intellectual property itself to be in awe of what creative people can do to bring it to life. A three-day ticket is just right for Universal Orlando. The two parks are worth exploring with more than just a cursory jump between rides. Without the park-to-park ticket option, I'd tell you to spend your first day at Universal Studios Florida, your second at Islands of Adventure, and your third re-visiting whichever you enjoyed most. A park-to-park option is always preferred in my book. Again, I realize you may not be passionate about Potter, but the Hogwarts Express is sincerely an E-ticket attraction that should not be missed if at all possible. Very impressive effects. That's my two cents and I'd be remiss if I didn't say it. And silly as it is, maybe try to get into Harry Potter before you go... I mean, watch the first two or three movies. Check it out. I realize you might've already, but you're going to see the darn thing brought to life; couldn't hurt to at least know what's going on. If one of your traveling companions wasn't into Jurassic Park or hadn't seen the movie in a long time, you'd probably encourage them to watch it anyway before you go. Same with Potter. You don't have to buy a wand and dress up, but geez... might as well prepare for two of the most highly rated and technologically advanced rides on Earth, right? If you're "only going for the rides" you'll kick yourself! Universal Orlando is not Cedar Point. It's got two full-fledged theme parks full of rides, but also attractions, shows, entertainment, restaurants, hidden nooks and crannies, and Disney-quality detail. Family rides like Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem are worth your time. At Islands of Adventure, don't miss Poseidon's Fury. Take a minute to check out the Mystic Fountain in Lost Continent. Walk along the coast in Port of Entry and check out the details. Ride Cat in the Hat and walk through "If I Ran The Zoo" in Seuss Landing. Walk through the Jurassic Park Discovery Center. Go into Hogsmeade's shops and get a glass of Butterbeer. There's really no reason to intentionally skip over anything, so I hope you don't. You'll have time to probably do everything, so I'd hate for you to say "I was here 6 years ago, so I'm not going to do that again." That's the wrong perspective. The parks are worth exploring and experiencing. Go big or go home. Get into it! There are many references to Jaws located throughout the Diagon Alley section of the Wizarding World (the half that's in the Studios park) since that's where Jaws used to be. They are very well hidden - just little "nods" to the previous ride (similar to the single golden ape statue in Revenge of the Mummy standing as a tribute to the King Kong ride it replaced). If you want spoilers, here's a good photo list of where to find things. Jaws himself is also still there for photo ops, strung up nearby in the San Francisco area. The season you're going in will determine a ride order. Unless it's a very busy, obvious peak holiday time, you'll have plenty of time to do the things you want.

How did that work with like, Pink's Hot Dogs or Chik-fil-A? Were they forced to use Red Gold? Or did their contracts allow them to bring in their own sponsors?

Wild that the turnaround is that tall. This is going to be a truly unstoppable coaster.

Maybe they're taking lessons from the "being first is better than being accurate" news media of today? Or ScreamScape..... TheBEASTunchained.... Choosing his words carefully..... Somewhat..... Which makes sense if your post had a veiled hint, reference, or pun. But alas... The big hullabaloo about Screamscape isn't necessarily that he's the first (because often, he posts even verifiable news days after I hear it elsewhere). It's that he's been known to renege on things he's claimed before, or edit the past to suit new information. That's something Kentucky Kingdom has done quite a bit - this included - but at least this time it seemingly benefits the consumer as well.

As has been said here, Canada's Wonderland's bridge is at the far, far end of their fountains - about equivalent to where our little temporary stage is set up. Also realize the function of their bridge. Without it, folks who began walking along the south side of the fountains and then decided that they wanted to go to Leviathan would need to physically walk all the way around the back of the mountain. It's the equivalent of all of the space under the Eiffel Tower and all the way up to the fountains being closed off for some reason, so that folks who walked along the Action Zone / Oktoberfest side of the fountain would need to walk all the way around the Eiffel Tower's base along BLSC to get to Diamondback. In other words, Wonderland has a bridge, but it's not halfway through the fountains, and they have to have it to make guest flow work. Sure I think it would aesthetically work fine. But we don't need one like they do.

"...collapsed near a food stand fryer" could be it. Maybe he fell against a hot appliance or something.

Woof! It would be helpful to have a poll to select from or at least to serve as a list for reference to direct comments. Lots and lots of stuff came pre-Paramount. Probably objectively, The Racer would qualify. Obviously The Beast would, too. Lots of infrastructure would also need mentioned, since things like the layout of lands, many restaurants, and lots of architecture would no doubt fall under the category of "addition."

Are we to assume that avoiding the real Eiffel Tower's colors (dark red-brown) is to help keep Kings Island's tower pronounced against the skyline? Or was the original green and subsequent blue just an artistic choice that's set the tower on a unique path for color choices?

I don't even need to say it, do I? I hope not.

Did you know that from 1985 to 1990, Six Flags operated a heavily themed theatrical entertainment destination in Baltimore, Maryland? With a Victorian, Jules Verne-esque theme, three attractions (NOT rides) and a very cool use of a real abandoned power plant, the success of Power Plant could've made Six Flags a renowned operator of local attractions (like Merlin is today). Unfortunately, some big missteps caused the place to crumble. Even worked on by the same folks responsible for many of Disney's best. Here's concept art by Herb Ryman, who was famously tasked by Walt Disney to sketch the very first artwork of Disneyland from scratch. A very, very cool 4-part series on this long-lost attraction. http://themeparkuniversity.com/tag/six-flags-power-plant/

Worse than being in the hands of SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment? I don't know. Just asking.

In Busch Gardens Williamsburg, the marketing department is practically gone. Zoological division and entertainment division took huge cuts. Sell-off of non-core animals is all but assured at this park. http://forum.parkfans.net/thread-3728-post-123344.html#pid123344 Guys, this is BAD. Really, REALLY bad. Busch Gardens Williamsburg without marketing, minimal zoo staff, minimal entertainment staff, and a modern, "edgy" motocross themed coaster en route for 2015 - still not announced. But then, who would announce it? There's no marketing department left. And this is just one park.

Nope, that's why it uses the big tall doors. Wicked Twister on the other hand...

This is actually really cool! Can't wait to see more!

At least things can't get any worse! *Cue theatrical inevitable comedic downpour*

Lettuce wait until the darn things are fully cooked before we go stuffing our preemptive opinions and half-baked guesses into the pot.

Walt Disney World Resort has launched a new promo campaign called #BestDayEver inviting guests to upload social media photos and videos using the hashtag #WDWBDE. Original programming and guest submissions will appear on www.youtube.com/WDWBestDayEver and www.instagram.com/WDWBestDayEver. I guess someone had to go on providing Best Days Ever while Cedar Fair parks are closed for the winter! #KIBestDayEver It's a small world, after all.

He sure does. Disneyland Park in sunny Anaheim, California. Soon on Lantau Island, Hong Kong, too. And in Marne-la-Vallee, France?

I'm dying to see one of these built in New Jersey or California.

It's so weird. I think what we're seeing right now is the prologue before the resort-wide refresh that so many Disney fans have been waiting for. Epcot is getting Maelstrom (divisive, but at least it's movement) plus strong hints of a Soarin' expansion that'll prep it for the eventual shift to Soarin' The World or whatever its name ends up being. At this point, I think it's fare to assume that Epcot could be in line for a "New Future World." The Imagination and Energy pavilions are in pretty bad states and Innoventions is still pointless. The whole identity of Future World is so jumbled. The architecture is so 1980s. The style is so cold. Hollywood Studios, though, is almost certainly going to get a giant, park-wide refresh like Disney California Adventure (though I don't think it'll match that scale). Their timing is a little odd. Close half the park, but with no immediate plans or announcement made public... Why? But we're well on our way. Let's hope this develops as I think it will. Toy Story Playland (the rumored expansion for the Studio Tour plot) is a "cheap and cheerful" installation, but its something.

Maybe I'm biased, but this thread has certainly given me the impression that we have a much more informed community here today than we did a decade ago!

This was disproven as Son of Beast's loop was removed for some years before it came crashing down. It was more than just the loop that made Son of Beast different. And more than the loop that sealed its fate, obviously.

At Kings Island, you can get cool, air-conditioned refreshment at Flight of Fear, Festhaus, Boo Blasters, Kings Island Theatre... Used to be The Crypt, too. At Cedar Point you can get cool, air conditioned refreshment at the Good Times Theatre. Wowzers. I'm sure it's being removed for a good reason, but a destination park with zero dark rides, zero indoor coasters, zero large theaters... Odd! The only relief from the heat is in small entertainment venues and arcades.