Delirium_Guy

Agreed, Terpy! I have always had AWESOME visits to SFMM and have never understood the bad reputation that it gets from enthusiasts. In fact, most of my Six Flags experiences have been very good. Over the past 3 years or so, my Six Flags experiences have been far superior to the experiences that I've had at Cedar Fair parks. I don't even want to get started on the visits I've taken to Worlds of Fun, Dorney and Kings Dominion lately. - Todd, who can't wait for another visit to SFMM in September!

Mummy was announced with an hourly capacity of 2000 guests per hour. Rockit was announced at 1700....not sure I believe either of those actually. If you've always had longer waits on Mummy, then consider yourself lucky, I guess, because 9 times out of 10...Rockit will have the longer the wait AND be the most likely to go down with technical issues. When Rockit's moving platform is able to function as it should, yes, the trains are constantly moving. With that said, you are still only moving 6 trains with 12 guests every 30 seconds or so. Mummy runs a minimum, typically, of 10 trains with 16 guest each. I've never waited longer for Mummy than Rockit, in fact most of the time there is a significant difference in wait time between the two....with Rockit having the longest wait in the Park on most days. - Todd

I would say the answer to that question is yes. Even if you have no interest in the franchise, it is difficult to not be impressed with the area and the incredible amount of detail that Universal put into it. I'm a big fan of Forbidden Journey simply because I'm impressed with the ride system and how Universal integrated it with the projection screens and physical props. I hit IOA once a week most of the time. While IOA is still enjoying healthy increases in attendance, the mad rush to Potter isn't anywhere near the level that it was in the first year. It'll be busy earlier in the day, but by the end of the day Forbidden Journey is typically down to 30 minutes or less wait time. Mythos is VERY good and reasonably priced, IMHO. It is on the higher end of your budget, but the food is wonderful and really isn't all that much more than what you'd pay for your standard fare at the quick serve places in the Park. I find the food at Universal to be mediocre. It's not great but it isn't bad either. Other than Mythos, there really aren't any stand out locations for me. SeaWorld's food is fantastic! Aside from Shark's Underwater Grill, all the restaurants in the Park will fit your budget. Like Busch Gardens Tampa, they offer the Meal Deal with unlimited food and drinks all day. It is currently going for $29.99, but if you are going to be in the park from open to close then it is worth it. Voyagers is one of the more popular quick serve places in the Park, mainly featuring BBQ. I also like Mango Joe's over by Wild Arctic. Busch Gardens....do NOT miss out on Crown Colony House. Take the time and go up to the upper level to the table service restaurant. AWESOME view of the savannah and Montu and great food, too. Yes, of course they offer all day locker rentals. That would probably be beneficial for you at SeaWorld, since you will have to pay for an individual locker at each of the major rides, but Universal you can simply carry your stuff from attraction to attraction for free. Given the time frame that you are coming down here, crowds will be questionable with Labor Day. This summer hasn't been the typical Orlando summer, though, and the crowds haven't been unmanageable at all. Universal Express is a great idea, but honestly I don't believe that you'll need to invest in Quick Queue at SeaWorld or Busch Gardens. Cheetah Hunt being the exception, lines are normally very short for the rides at Busch and lines for the major coasters at SeaWorld are almost always short as well. The only thing that I would disagree with TheCrypt about is the comment about low capacity rides like Mummy. Mummy actually has decent capacity and is usually pretty easy to get on. It is Rockit that can be your challenge. It suffers from Raptor syndrome....it's location at the very front of the Park make it a popular first and last choice of the day for many guests. The line is typically 60+ minutes for Rockit, meanwhile Mummy will be 30 or less. Of course, if you are purchasing Universal Express then this is not even an issue to be discussing :-) Have fun! - Todd

Oh, I believe you! It is definitely about the timing, as I did see the Fast Lane wait time for Millennium Force go up to about 30-45 minutes at one point and was starting to back up to the Fast Lane entrance. Saturday night I noticed that Maverick had a lengthy line for Fast Lane. The one ride that surprised me with a short wait every time was Dragster. Every time we walked right up to the ramps leading up to the station. - Todd

We stay for 1 or 2 weekends at CP during the fall, we were excited about having a fastlane option this year. Im not so sure now,if you waited an hour on a friday i hope they double the fastlane price in october! Interesting to hear that about the experience last Friday. I was there on Sunday for the Disaster Transport event and purchased a Fast Lane. LOVED it. Park was very busy. Dragster had a 90 minute wait, MF was 90 minutes, Maverick was 2 hours and Raptor had a full queue. Fast Lane for Dragster took 15 minutes, 20 for MF, 10 minutes for Maverick and Raptor I walked right up into the station both times. If you want a lot of rides, I highly recommend it. I was able to ride Maverick 5 times in about an hour on Sunday morning :-) - Todd

Yeah, it will be set-up in the same manner that they did with the sharks in the Grand Reef this year. I got to see artwork for this before I left the company, the entire area looks like it is going to turn out fantastic. They've began working on it essentially the day after the Grand Reef opened in June. Part of the old salt water reef is being filled in to create the new attraction. No changes are being made to Windaway River which encircles the area.

Yet another reason why SeaWorld Orlando continues to be one of my favorite parks.....can't wait for the new additions to Discovery Cove also! http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-seaworld-expansion-20111108,0,6008749.story

Ooops! That's what getting up at 4am for work does to me....especially when I don't get my nap 2011 still saw Safari Sam's Splashland AND Rudolph's Round-Up in the dry park.....so I stand by my statement of only one year of no dry park expansion - Todd, thinking it's time for a nap right about NOW.....

While you may be disappointed in their disapppointment.....are you really surprised? I agree with you 100% though. I find it incredibly frustrating to come on here and read some of the comments that people post. For those disappointed, clearly you have no idea of the immense popularity of Splashin' Safari. Furthermore, how can anyone think that the dry side has seen no love? True, there hasn't been a major coaster added since Voyage. With that said, the dry park has seen growth too: 2006: Voyage, Gobbler Getaway and Bahari River 2007: Turkey Whirl and Bakuli 2008: Star Spangled Carousel, Reindeer Games and Kima Bay 2009: Pilgrim's Plunge was added to Thanksgiving....serving BOTH dry park and water park 2010: Wildebeest 2011: Safari Sam's Splash Land and Rudolph's Round-Up 2012: Mammoth and the addition of the new Halloween event in the dry park There has been something added to the dry park every year since Voyage, with the exception of last season...all while continuing to increase capacity at Splashin' Safari each year as well. The folks at HW must be clueless about planning their expansions, that's clearly the reason why they've experienced such impressive growth over the last 5 years or so. I think Mammoth looks like a fantastic addition and will compliment Wildebeest nicely! - Todd, who looks forward to riding Mammoth next year at Holiwood Nights!

Universal is sitting at $15 currently, they quietly raised the price shortly after Potter opened. Disney has maintained their $14 rate. SeaWorld is $14 and Busch Tampa is $13....both are posted at the tolls at that rate. If you've seen $12.15 or $13.15 that is the price prior to adding 7% sales tax in Tampa or 6.5% sales tax in Orlando to bring them up to an even $13 and $14. With that said, I would tend to agree that paying such a high rate at Kings Island to park in a lot that has certainly seen better days would be the issue for me. Just like the atrocious food prices for the absolute crap that they serve. I have no problem paying the prices, but I expect the quality to be there.

I would imagine so. I certainly will be avoiding the place tonight, for sure! Instead, we'll take our usually comfy spot on the beach at the Poly for the fireworks! DiamondbackFOF, Aquatica's toll booths open at 8:30AM and the park opens at 9AM. So yes, within an hour, the park can fill to capacity. That is actually a fairly common thing to happen. Once they hit capacity, they leave the tolls closed until around 2pm....then they will re-open. This gives the guests that were there early time to enjoy some attractions, but also leaves time in afternoon and into the evening for that second wave of guests to also enjoy themselves since the Park closes at 8PM or 9PM through the summer. What I can say about capacity is that Aquatica was designed to hold 16,000 guests. With that said, they cut the gates off at a lower number than that to ensure that guest experience isn't compromised.

Most likely. Aquatica was closed at capacity by 10:00AM both yesterday and today, so hearing that about Typhoon isn't surprising. With that said, Magic Kingdom was dead last night and Hollywood Studios wasn't that busy tonight either.

Depends on when you are visiting the park. If you are visiting on a weekday, lines won't be too much of an issue....with most being less than 30 minutes with the exception of Cheetah Hunt. * Cheetah Hunt has been opening late fairly often, typically opening by 10AM though. While you can stick it out and get a ride fairly quickly if you get there right at Park opening, the line balloons into 90-120 minutes almost instantly. By later in the afternoon, you can be on it within an hour and also you can ask the team member out front if they are utilizing the single rider line or not. They have been experimenting with it, so it is open at various times through out the day. We were able to ride 3 times in 20 minutes last weekend. * Do not miss riding Cheetah Hunt at night, it is incredibly fun and a far different ride * Gwazi is likely to be one of your longer waits, despite appearing to have a short line, because of the slowness of the loading and unloading * Snagging rides on the other coasters should be easy, Sheikra being the most popular followed by Montu and then Kumba....although Kumba is my favorite ride in the Park :-) * Don't miss the Stanleyville Log Flume. It is small, but a perfect example of the old school traditional Arrow flumes....low to ground speedy ride through the trees * Although we are all coaster people, be sure to take some time to check out the animal habitats at the Park. Jungala, Walkabout Way, Edge of Africa are all top notch and shouldn't be missed * CIrque Dreams: Jungle Fantasy, I thought, was a great show and I'd recommend seeing that as well! * Park has a great food, but the hidden gem IMHO is the top level of the Crown Colony House. Family style dining that overlooks the Veldt with views of the animals and Montu. Definitely my favorite place to eat there! Hope some of this helps.

Sounds like Cheetah Hunt will be right up your alley then! Went back to the park tonight since this was the first night of their Summer Nights program. Ride is running well and reliably, I'm very happy to report. The park was also experimenting with a single rider line, so we ended up with 4 rides today. Regular queue was posted at 120 minutes, but it most certainly wasn't that long....more like 75-90 minutes at peak of day. We waited 35 minutes for the final front seat ride of the night. This ride is really starting to grow on me the more I experience it....definitely a great fun factor to it and it seems to be picking up a bit more speed. Took a few more pics with my cell phone, not the greatest quality, but they give you a peak of the Rhino Rally area. cheetah2 by Delirium_guy, on Flickr cheetah1 by Delirium_guy, on Flickr cheetah4 by Delirium_guy, on Flickr cheetah3 by Delirium_guy, on Flickr

I was able to go back to Tampa on Sunday night for a spin on Cheetah Hunt after dark. One ride was all there was time for, as the ride had a 120 minute wait posted. To say the least, the entire weekend was incredibly busy with the ride reaching 210 minutes at its longest point. Anyway, the ride rocks at night time. The ruins surrounding the first launch are dimly lit, as is the first trench. The tower is lit very brightly and the banners look very vibrant at night. Other than those lights....that's it. The rest of the course is in the dark. The canyon portion was outstanding as the train barreled through. You could barely make out the silhouettes of the canyon walls, which helped enhance the speed perception. A few other things from the weekend: * My second ride was definitely better than my first ride on Friday, the train felt like it was carrying a bit more speed and the airtime was even more pronounced on the hill after launch 3. * Ride is unbelievably quiet, even when standing directly under it while viewing Cheetah Run * Cheetah Run has 4 presentations scheduled daily. During these presentations, the animal ambassadors are out and encouraging sprints from the animals. They will also bring out Kasi, the baby cheetah cub, and his companion Mtani, the laborador retriever, into the exhibit. * Kasi is currently a whopping 14lbs at 4 months old, meanwhile Mtani is weighing in at 35lbs at 5 months old. Ultimately roles will be reversed, with Kasi expected to reach around 120lbs and Mtani close to 70lbs. * Cheetah Hunt is still currently running 4 trains, although train 5 is in the transfer shed. Ride ran very reliable during my time at the Park on Sunday with minimal to no downtime. I understand that today was also a good day for operations. * The public is definitely loving the ride if the comments on Facebook and Twitter are any indication. Windcatch Tower at night Entrance Cheetah Rock is housed within the queue line and carries the story of Crossroads of Culture into Cheetah Hunt During the cheetah presentations, the other cats were removed to another holding area while Mtani came out to play. Kasi, the 4 month old cheetah cub, was off exploring his new digs and wasn't in a good spot to grab a picture. These two will live out their entire lives together.

OK! Took my first ride on Cheetah Hunt this afternoon. Bit of a rough start, as the ride didn't open until around 1:30PM. Seems as though they were having an issue out on the block brake, the same issue that grounded the ride for almost 7 hours yesterday during the media preview. The park handled the situation very well today, though, handing out complimentary bottles of water to those guests who chose to wait it out for the ride to open. To begin with, the entire area is beautiful. I am so very impressed with Cheetah Run, as it has completely transformed that area of the Park..As you enter the Crossroads of Culture, Cheetah Run is on your right side as you walk, with the second and fastest launch on Cheetah Hunt to your left side. Cheetah Run is very well done, with a long narrow strip designated for the animal ambassadors to get the cheetahs to do sprints. The cheetahs were very curious about guests and spent most of their time up close by the viewing windows. The exhibit itself features several interactive displays for guests to read and learn more about the animals. They are absolutely beautiful to watch. The theming of the area does a great job of merging together the Egypt, Edge of Africa and Morocco sections of the park. Now, as for Cheetah Hunt. Enthusiasts need to understand that this is absolutely 100% geared as something that the entire family can ride. With that said, its SUPER fun. They advance two trains at once, just like Maverick, with the first train launching immediately. The launch is short, but it gets to the point quickly. The first turn above the former Clydesdale barn burns the speed off, but gives you a chance to peer down into the trench at what lies ahead. Diving down in, you can feel the train accelerate but it isn't until almost the very end that the train gets another sudden and powerful boost of speed to get it up the windcatcher tower. In the front seat, a nice pop of ejector air is given at the top of the tower. The figure 8 itself I enjoyed more than I anticipated. Its smooth, graceful and provides an awesome view of the park. It also sets the anticipation as you can see the drop approaching. Very good drop, even in the front seat, down into the deepest trench. From here, the ride takes off across the veldt. The hop over the Sky Ride burns off quite a bit of speed, but still has a nice swift direction change at the top of it. The inversion reminds me of Volcano....sorta drawn out with some hang time which was quite fun. Hitting the block brake, the train is slowed some before diving down to the river. This was probably my favorite part. Whizzing through the canyon, the train felt like it was going a lot faster than it actually was. Its very close to the surface of the water, probably a foot or so above it. If you are riding on the right side of the train, during the sharp right turns, you can nearly stick your hand out and touch the water. Its very effective and the quick direction changes were incredibly fun! Zipping around the backside of the canyon, you enter the third launch area. Just like the first two, it isn't until near the end that you get the sudden boost of speed before flying over the air hill. The air isn't quite as strong as what is found on Maverick, but its very close and was quite surprising. From there, the ride actually feels like its carrying decent speed as it dives through the final curves and trenches before hitting the brakes. I tremendously enjoyed the ride! Certainly not a thrill machine by any stretch of the imagination, but its fun and has some punch in a few spots. Its impressive just how much real estate the ride covers ( 7 acres ) and its quite a lengthy ride time (nearly 2 minutes of actual ride time, not including load and unload!). If you go expecting Maverick, I'm sorry but you'll end up being sorely disappointed. If you go expecting just to enjoy and have fun on the ride, then you will be able to appreciate what a great attraction it has turned out to be. I'm looking forward to going back on Sunday for some night rides as there is very little lighting the course other than the tower lights....so should be fun. BGT did a wonderful job repurposing the old monorail building. It looks great. The ride exits into the gift shop, of course, where you'll fun the ride supports jutting down through the gift shop ceiling which I thought was fun. Also, they have a wall that is dedicated to the construction of the ride. It features a lot of concept art for the ride, diagrams for the windcatcher tower, even an example of how the supports are anchored to the footings and how deep the footings are. Opposite of this wall is dedicated to the cheetahs, with many photos including some new ones of Kasi and Mtani. Despite the rocky morning, BGT management did a wonderful job handling the situation. I felt bad, as their excitement for this attraction was evident as they were engaging with guests today. The Park president, Jim Dean, was out the entire day in the station and surrounding area speaking one on one with guests about their experience. Sandor Kernancs from Intamin was also present to help deal with the technical issues that were occurring. Hoping to go back and get some pictures later, but in the mean time....Cheetah Hunt was a blast! - Todd

Very true, but sometimes it is easy for us to judge before riding based on what we see. I have done it in the past, had low expectations and ended up being pleasantly surprised. I don't think Cheetah Hunt was ever intended to be the "thrill" ride that some of us would have liked to have seen. The 48" height requirement versus the 52" height requirement found on Maverick is a testament to that, I believe. The ride reports have stated just as all have noticed in the videos....the ride has some slow parts. With that said, they still say that the ride is incredibly fun. I think anyone who expected more from the initial launch had their expectations too high, as the initial launch is only 30mph out of the station. The second and third launches do look fun, in particular the air time hill after launch 3 looks very promising. The testing that I witnessed with employees on it was slightly faster than the video that surfaced on TPR. I believe the Park is still tweaking things a bit, but I believe we are pretty much seeing the final speeds. I'm still looking forward to the ride, I think it will be a great addition to the Park and a great step up coaster for those not quite ready to climb aboard Sheikra, Kumba or Montu....a niche that definitely needed filled in the park. No doubt, the coaster at Williamsburg next year will fill the same niche in that park as well. Also, not to be forgotten, Cheetah Run. The area looks fantastic and has completely turned that corner of the park around....not to mention the animals are just beautiful! I'll be there Friday at park opening to get my first rides and most likely returning Saturday or Sunday night to get some night rides since the Park has extended their hours this weekend for Memorial Day.

Cheetah Hunt offically opens this Friday, May 27th! Reports have been trickling in from employee preview rides and all have been very positive. As expected, it isn't the most intense coaster in the park. With that said, everyone has been talking about how much fun the ride really is. I'll be at the park at opening on Friday to check it out and it can't come soon enough! In the mean time, Behind The Thrills has posted several updates showing off the finishing touches that are being added to the area. This entire project is really turning out quite beautifully.. Cheetah Hunt Update Local 10 news also went out to the park for a ride.... http://www.wtsp.com/video/default.aspx?bctid=950965915001

SeaWorld San Antonio leaked a little information out Monday evening regarding their addition for 2012, Aquatica Texas! More details will be released on Tuesday. Several new attractions will be coming to the existing Lost Lagoon water park as well as new animal interactions, beaches, cabanas and more. Missing from this rendition of Aquatica will be Dolphin Plunge and the Commerson Dolphins. In their place will be a salt water reef with stingrays and tropical fish along with a family raft ride that will travel through underwater. The addition will officially become the 11th gated attraction for SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment when it opens next year. Ticket prices have not been finalized just yet. This is a bit surprising, since the current water park is free with park admission. With that said, this will be a fantastic expansion and upgrade to Lost Lagoon. Looking at the artwork posted on the park's website, it looks like Aquatica Texas has taken some of the best attributes from the Aquatica Orlando and merged some qualites from Discovery Cove with it as well. Can't wait to see how it turns out Aquatica Texas

Construction continues on Cheetah Run and Cheetah Hunt as the May 27th Grand Opening quickly nears. BGT Nation has posted a new update showing the latest, with most of the focus now shifted to Cheetah Run. I was at the Park on Sunday, none of the glass paneling, banners, wooden posts or anything of the such was in place....so the pace is definitely picking up. Cheetah Hunt & Cheetah Run Update The parks blog has also been updated with some closer shots....looking great! BGT Blog

2011 just keeps getting more exciting for BGT, a very fascinating addition indeed.

Another video showing the train launched to just barely crest the first turn and make its first dive down into trench #1 RCPro has posted another photo update from today showing more detail work going into the station area.....really happy to see the bamboo fencing going in along the part of the first launch that was exposed. Guest will no longer be able to see any of the physical components of the launch, the track or the yellow hand rails. Cheetah Hunt Photo Update http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VX_YWY7uo9E&feature=player_embedded

Update from today has been posted to RCPro. Initial testing has started on Cheetah Hunt at last Perhaps the best thing about the update are the pictures of the absolutely adorable new baby cheetah that was acquired by the Park last month from the Jacksonville Zoo. Today was his first day in Jambo Junction for guest viewing. Too cute! Cheetah Hunt Update and Baby Cheetah Regarding Cheetah Hunt testing, the Park sent this to one of the local papers plus several BGT fan sites..... This weekend, Busch Gardens’ Design & Engineering team will officially launch Florida’s first triple-launch coaster for the first time. But, the park warns, guests hoping to catch a glimpse of the testing in progress shouldn’t expect Cheetah Hunt to be up to full speed quite yet. The process, which kicks off Saturday morning, begins by testing each launch point over and over again at partial power with both empty trains and cars loaded with “water dummies” that simulate the weight of human passengers. After each launch, the train will be pulled back into position and launched again. Crews will start with the first launch point, which propels the train out of the station house; by weekend’s end, they plan to have moved on to the second launch point. At full power, launch point No. 2 will send trains up the 102-foot Windcatcher Tower. Trains testing at partial power, however, will not make it to the top of the tower. Early next week, this phase of testing will wrap up with the third launch point – located just past the canyon in the northern end Cheetah Hunt’s footprint. Soon after, trains will start making complete circuits around the track’s 4429-foot run. But how soon will actual people replace the water dummies? “We will run more than 3,000 cycles of the ride before we put humans on it,” says Mark Rose, Busch Gardens’ Vice President of Design & Engineering. When the time comes, Rose will be one of the first people to ride. Not much longer now!

Grand Reef is shaping up VERY nicely with its debut just under 2 months away now. While this addition is exciting, the refurbishment of the old reef for 2012 will be just as good....a lot of little surprises and unique experiences planned there! Also, Florida Leisure took a construction tour a few days ago and have posted a video that features more extended views of the reef and detailed explanations of how guests are going to be experiencing it. - Todd

Other than the initial pull through, no other testing has taken place as they are still finishing up some of the electrical work....getting closer though, as they have moved a full train from the transfer track to the station area. Add to the fact that there is still a pretty substantial amount of work left to be completed on the Cheetah Run area, I wouldn't get my hopes up for any type of soft opening this month....even early May could be pushing it at this moment. I do know that there was no soft opening for Sheikra, so there is no guarantee that they will do one for Cheetah Hunt either.