Delirium_Guy

A few updates from RCPro.... The first update shows off views of the first launch and turn that are now in place. The supports are definitely a unique aspect for parts of this ride, as they will serve as themed elements Cheetah Hunt First Launch The next update shows off the tower for the figure-8 element that has gone up very fast over the past 3 days.... Figure-8 Element RCPro also has some pictures posted of the figure-8 element constructed at the manufacturing plant in Hungary before being painted and shipped to BGT....definitely going to be an interesting experience Completed Figure-8 As far as construction goes, all footers in the Rhino Rally canyon are now complete and construction has now shifted to the out and back runs of the ride. Those are the remaining footings to be put into place. - Todd

If you've read any of my other posts you will know why. If there is something that *can* be shared, I will because I know there are members here who enjoy staying current on projects outside Kings Island. I will not post unless I know it is safe to do so. Those who know me well on here can vouch that I will only post legit information and not wild rumors that tend to circulate the parks. Terpy very much understands this.

Think more along the lines of a combination of the two......although the "dark" portion will be high speed and not show scene worthy like Mummy Think of what Italian Job was *supposed* to mimmick and feature.....that will come into play for this attraction The ride will follow a very similiar path to Big Bad Wolf's ending including the drop to the river....this would be where the themed bridge comes into play. People will be pleased, the ride will be a very worthy replacement for Big Bad Wolf.

Thanksgiving week was mobbed, first time the area has been at capacity in quite a while. We stopped by one evening last week however and waited 10 minutes for Forbidden Journey. I know crowds have been light this week as well, even at Disney. We walked right onto Space Mountain last night! I definitely wouldn't sweat crowds in February, jzarley. Its nice that you'll have Express Passes, but honestly during that time of year they aren't as beneficial because the standby lines are frequently 10 minutes or less. In any event, Express Passes are currently not valid for use at Harry Potter & The Forbidden Journey.....or Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit for that matter. - Todd

You heard correctly. 350 company wide, 129 from Orlando.....I had some very good friends let go. Can't say that this is very surprising and honestly a lot of people have somewhat expected this to happen since we separated from Anheuser-Busch. For the most part, the trend has been those that have been with the company 20+ years. While some of the people let go was surprising for me, there were others let go that I think ultimately will be for the best for the company because it will open the door for new ideas and new blood to get circulating through the company.....which is needed in a lot of aspects. Regardless, it is still a sad situation and I feel for those who were let go today. :-(

Jesse, It was an absolute pleasure to spend time with you and your family while you were down here and I am so very glad that you enjoyed our Parks as much as you did :-) I always enjoy showing people around the SeaWorld for their first visit and I was happy that I was able to ride with you on Manta for your first time. I look forward to seeing you in a few weeks and for you to experience SeaWorld's Christmas Celebration...I think you are really going to enjoy it! Great trip report, happy to see Discovery Cove highlighted so much :-) - Todd

This is true, a few years ago I went to the Orlando parks in early December. Crowds were light, weather was beautiful, and the parks were wonderfully decorated for Christmas. It made for one of, if not the, best theme park visits I've ever had. Avatar made many valid points, but you are also correct about people trying out Universal instead of Disney....and Disney grossly under estimated this. I have friends who work in upper management positions at both, so its interesting to hear tales from both sides about what's been transpiring. Interestingly enough Universal's peak days have become Sunday through Tuesday now, where in the past they were the later days in the weak. With most people's vacations running Sunday through Sunday, it would seem that people are choosing Universal as their first stop. Depending on how many days they choose to spend at UO, its fewer days they have to spend at Disney. When you think about UO and the partnership with the Orlando Flex-Ticket, there are more incentives for people to spend time off Disney property by visiting SeaWorld, Wet n Wild, Busch Gardens, Aquatica.....and I can tell you that the second half of the year (post-Potter) has been a hell of a lot stronger than the first half of the year at SW. While Disney was initially creating the Fantasyland Expansion with the princesses in mind.....those plans are a changing. Majority of what they initially released has been scrapped or changed in favor of developing new ideas that can try to appeal to the broad range of kids that Potter does. While not confirmed officially, one of the said ideas is the Seven Dwarfs gold mine themed coaster that is supposedly going to replace the current Snow White dark ride. There is also some talk about a possible new attraction going over on the Frontierland side of the Park. It shall be interesting to see what comes to light when it is all said and done.

While it certainly adds more than the other two SeaWorld properties, Busch Gardens Williamsburg and the others.....it still is far, far away from Orlando. Lets phrase it this way, if Orlando sneezes then the rest of the parks catch a cold. The revenue number in the article is very much accurate. We had the Team Member preview on Wednesday night, its absolutely WONDERFUL! I believe that the holiday season at SeaWorld is going to be very successful. Having a completely different line-up of Christmas shows for the night time hours proved to be very successful last season in keeping a high number of guests in Park until the later hours right up until Park closing.....thus the major investment in this year's event. Sea of Trees is beautiful, it really is. It also provides a gorgeous backdrop for Winter Wonderland on Ice. One of the best surprises of the event.....the Christmas Market along the Bayside pathway. Taking que from Christmas Town last year, various huts have been set up to comprise the village....each selling a unique assortment of holiday merchandise, food and games. The entire pathway is lined with lights in the trees, the bushes, various animal displays including Polar Bears and Penguins. I took a few pictures the other night, I'm going to take more this weekend and do a review at some point. SeaWorld will be open until 11PM on all nights of Christmas Celebration, beginning tonight......lots of night time Manta rides whoo hoo! Holiday Reflections....viewed from Bayside Stadium which is home to Winter Wonderland on Ice! Polar Express - the train was added for this season. Waterfront snow flurries..... Winter Wonderland on Ice One of the displays in the Christmas Market

You don't expect any changes to Intimidator or you don't expect the Park to say a word about the changes that are taking place? If you aren't expecting changes to the ride itself, the whispers around the IAAPA showroom floor this past week may prove otherwise. Modifications to the ride? Yes. Will said modifications take away from the experience? I don't believe so, infact I think that most will be pleased in the long run.

Glad you enjoyed Busch Gardens, it really is a great park. I'm gonna disagree with Terpy, and I think we always will :-), but I much prefer Williamsburg over Tampa. Williamsburg is a far more beautiful park, superior operations, plus some pretty amazing food. With that said, since living in Florida and being able to frequent BGT on a more regular basis....I have quickly fallen in love with the place. Given the area that the park is located in, the clientele that they pull in, and the fact that the Park is surrounded on all 4 sides.....I think they do an amazing job. Tampa definitely has the better assortment of coasters, especially now that Big Bad Wolf is gone. Kumba is still my favorite coaster in Florida, hands down, and one of my favorite steel coasters period. While you definitely got to see the oh-so-growing number of construction walls within the park, I honestly think it'll help give you an even better impression of the park next year. That entire front section has always felt disconnected to me, in terms of theme, so I'm very excited to see it getting a major overhaul. I think it'll definitely have a much more cohesive feel to it, blending into the Edge of Africa area. Cheetah Hunt is going to compliment the collection very nicely and definitely will be following the footsteps of Manta in creating a unique, immersive experience that offers something for EVERYONE in the family. I think Cheetah Hunt, more so than Manta, utilizes the ride a bit more in its story telling. I love the launches mimicking the quick bursts of speed and then the tower itself gives the illusion of the train prowling up high waiting to ambush before leaping down into the trench and setting off across the savanna. I'm curious to see where the ride lands as far as an intensity level is concerned. Some people think this is their answer to a family coaster, perhaps to an extent it is, but from the promotional video they certainly aren't playing it as such....especially when they specifically highlighted the airtime that the ride will feature. According to the Park's facebook page, vertical construction is due to start very, very soon! They are working quickly now at this point. All trenches have now had most of the dirt dug out of them, including the one that passes under the new pathway from Edge of Africa to Nairobi. Work on the footings has come along way, especially in the former Clydesdale area and the footings for the tower are complete as well. I think the most significant development over the past week or so is the demolition of the former river area of Rhino Rally which has essentially been stripped down to just the waterfall now.....the rest is being leveled out (except the canyon walls, obviously) in preparation for the footing work for that part of the ride. - Todd

I have no doubt that they'll do a fantastic job incorporating the name and no doubt the entire experience from exhibit, queue, to ride will be fantastic. I think people just had themselves convinced that Cheetaka was the name, which *is* a very Busch Gardens type name, and were surprised/disappointed when the very simple Cheetah Hunt was announced. Like I said, I'm a tad disappointed myself....but I also don't find the name Cheetah Hunt to be nearly as bad as some are making it out to be. Definitely hoping they renamed Cheetah CHASE though into something different. - Todd

Of course we can do a walking tour, Ryan! However, if you come down in January, not too sure how much you are going to be able to see. The best idea is to just VISIT DC as a guest on one of your visits, I believe you know someone that can take care of you :-) - Todd

The name choice was a total surprise, it is certainly not what one would expect from Busch.....but with that said its just a name. The ride experience is what matters to me and this seems as though it won't disappoint. Personally, I love the trains and the lead car......they are gonna look slick on that green track. I can't wait to see how much transformation takes place in that area of the park! That's possibly the weakest area in there in terms of holding any type of theme. Other than the Clydesdale Hamlet and Sky Ride station, that's been a fairly quiet section that seems out of place while walking to Edge of Africa or Egypt. I have high hopes for the final product after seeing how great Manta turned out. I'm actually pretty stoked about the exhibit in general after hearing the details and seeing some of the concept art for it, I think the cheetah sprints are going to be an awesome sight to take in. - Todd

This has been well under construction since March and is making steady progress. The Grand Reef is being constructed on the west end of the property, just past the last of the dolphin interaction pools. I've seen a lot of concept art for it, it really is going to be quite amazing when its finished and elevate the DC experience to an even higher level than what it already is. The SeaVenture experience will be an additional charge much like the Advanced Dolphin Swim that was introduced this summer. The price will be $59.95. Details such as age limit are still being determined. They will announce at a later date when reservations can be made. Also, Stewart Clark announced that once The Grand Reef has opened, the existing reef will shut down. The current reef will be converted to a freshwater attraciton for 2012. There are some neat concepts being considered for this that will be revealed at a later date, but the experience will be something that will be distinctively different from the new Grand Reef. 2011 is definitely a great year for the SEA Parks in Florida with Cheetah Hunt, Grand Reef and the continued growth of SeaWorld's Christmas Celebration! - Todd

Cheetah Hunt Little surprised with the name, certainly not as creative as Cheetaka. In the longer video, we learn that the exhibit will be called Cheetah Run. Trainers will be out daily encouraging sprints. Will also be very Jungala-esq for those who have been through it.....large viewing windows and areas that allow very up close and personal views of the animals. 3 launches. 0-60MPH. Airtime. 110 feet tall with a 130 foot dive into the first trench. Trains have OTSR's that appear to be the same as those on Maverick.....though hoping that maybe they'll be more like I-305's softer straps. Love the theming around the beginning areas of the ride. Overall, what a wonderful addition to the Park this is going to make. - Todd

Just a reminder, Busch Gardens will be announcing the attraction at 9AM tomorrow via Facebook, so be sure to "Like" them. Discovery Cove will also be unveiling the details of the new reef expansion that is set to open next summer as well via Facebook. - Todd, glad he'll be able to talk to guest about the DC expansion tomorrow....been keeping it quiet for a year now!

The 5th and final clip is available now. Code word is SPEED. The clip is basically the same as Clip 4, however it jumps to an off-ride view showing the trains....which are patterned to resemble a cheetah. For those who may have missed some of the others, here's a recap Busch Gardens 2011 Attraction Clip 1 - CHASE Clip 2 - RUSH Clip 3 - GRACE Clip 4 - POWER Clip 5 - SPEED Official announcement will be Wednesday October 13th at 9AM....they will be announcing via Facebook. Discovery Cove will also officially announce all the details on the new reef expansion for 2011. - Todd

Glad you made it home safely! SeaWorld was open until 8PM on Saturday for Spooktacular....which is why you saw Shamu Stadium with all the lights! In any event, I'm so glad you enjoyed the park....I certainly have fallen in love with it myself. - Todd

SeaWorld Orlando Baby Orca Born at 7:28PM last night. 7 feet long, 350lbs. Mom and baby seem to be doing fine right now. The Park opened Shamu Stadium today from 1-7PM for quiet whale watching so guests could see the new addition. - Todd

Spent a bit more time wandering the scarezones last night. Took a few pictures along the way, not the greatest, but gives you a peek at this year's event. Saws n' Steam "> Zombie Gras XX: Fear Revealed Fear himself XX: Fear Revealed Kickin' it with Chucky in HHN: 20 Years of Fear Esqueleto Muerte Scarezone Esqueleto Muerte Scarezone Headed back again on Sunday, hopefully grab a few more pictures of the Twenty Years of Fear, Zombie Gras, and Saws n' Steam scarezones. - Todd

Well, I'm not going to go so far as to say that. Easily my most anticipated ride in a while though and I'll be very, very happy if it turns out to be that incredible of a ride since I'm only 45 minutes away! Between Kumba, Montu, then this....BGT's coaster collection is going to be hard to resist visiting on a frequent basis. The combination of elements and theming are really going to elevate the ride experience, the drop from the figure 8 down into trench #2 looks great! I'm just imagining already how different that area of the park is going to look next year, as it has always been a relatively dead spot in its former days. I am glad to see for former Clydesdale area being utilized in the form of the new outdoor Cheetah exhibit, though after seeing that on the plans I'm wondering how the queue is going to interact with it, if at all. I am not sure we will see the queue be quite as intertwined with the exhibit as the one found on Manta, but then again there could be some surprises they still have in store. Should be finding out everything in a few weeks!

It does somewhat resemble a heartline roll. It also seems as though there may be another possible inversion within the Rhino Rally canyons. Of course, that isn't confirmed yet. The figure 8 is definitely different, but Iooks like it could turn out to be quite fun! Looking like there could be some nice airtime in the front seat as the train crests that hill after the launch and also some potential on that sudden drop off down into trench 2. Sheikra_rocks is correct though, play clip 3 followed by clip 1.....you begin with the turn over the former Clydesdale area and end up all the way out to the portion that jumps over to the Rhino Rally canyon. A few things that are confirmed from the plans that were leaked: * Trains will be 4-cars each, holding 16 passengers total....number of trains is still unknown * Dual loading stations like Maverick * 3 launches.....one immediately out of station, second one is in Clip 3, the third one is just prior to where Clip 2 starts out of the Rhino Rally area

Well.....we popped back over to HHN for the last hour or so that they were open tonight. Crowds were non-existent, temperatures were amazing tonight, probably about as close to a Fall like setting as we are going to get down here :-) Anyway, I knocked out the remaining three houses that we didn't do on Wednesday night's preview: Hades, Legendary Truth and PsychoScareapy. PsychoScareapy was the weakest of the three, but thats not to say that it wasn't good. Definitely relied more on stunts than scareactors to do the job and it also features an easter egg of sort. About midway through the house there is a random red button that, if pressed by a guest, will set off another special effect and stunt to scare the people in front of you. Hades was absolutely fantastic. Very dark in this one, lots of low level lighting and plenty of places for scareactors to hide. In particular, I loved the costumes! The medusa-esq costumes were amazing looking. I definitely jumped quite a few times, which is surprising because it almost NEVER happens at ANY of the HHN houses. Legendary Truth. OMG. What can I say? It is, hands down, the best house out of the HHN's that I've attended. I'd go as far to say that it is possibly the best haunt I've experienced anywhere! It begins once you enter the soundstage. You see the facade of the Wyandot Estate. Outside the base camp is set up for the paranormal activity team that has settled in. You climb up onto the front porch and enter the house. So many scareactors hiding in every possible corner of the house. Fantastic special effects. As you are walking down one of the hallways, you hear a loud noise and strobe lights set off....what you don't realize is that you are walking over top of someone that has been staring up at you for sometime. They are laying on their backs rolling underneath you down the hallway....the strobes and black lights illuminate just their face, which creates a super creepy effect. At another point, someone is actually hiding in the wall itself and is lit up quickly to appear as a ghostly image. There are definitely a lot of more traditional scares in the sense of people slamming down windows and such. It is definitely about timing, too. Some of the coolest effects can happen either right before or right after you pass. We did this one 3 times tonight, each time I noticed something different. Overall, its just brilliantly done....THIS is what I always expected from Horror NIghts! - Todd, who admittedly got startled quite a few times tonight....and liked it!

This is my third year attending HHN. My first year in 2008 left me a bit disappointed in what I was expecting from Universal. Last year wasn't much better. Incredibly fun event, but just not what I thought it was going to be. I was able to attend the team member preview for HHNXX on Wednesday night.....I am happy to say that for the first time the event has lived up to what I expected it to me. For starters, as the UO Creative Team have said, the event is original. No annoying licensed properties this year (i.e Chucky, Saw, Friday the 13th). Instead it is 8 brand new houses and all new scare zones. What i noticed about this year's event is that throughout the entire park there are more little details such as sound effects, projections on buildings and walkways, and overall more scareactors roaming the streets. We did all but 3 houses, which were the 3 that are housed in the large sound stages behind Rockit (which FYI, remains closed indefinitely for anyone who is planning a trip down soon). Apparently the 3 sound stage houses, which are Hades, Legendary Truth and PschoScareapy are the best. I'm going to head back over tonight to try to go through them. NONE of the houses were bad in anyway, they were all excellent. My two least favorites were Havoc: Dogs of War and Catacombs. Again, they were well done from theming and detail stand point, but lacking in any type of scares. Zombieggedon, housed in the Disaster queue, was surprisingly good. Our two favorites were Orfanage and Horror Nights: The Hallow'd Past. The latter pays tribute to some of the greats of past events like Jack the Clown, The Usher, Caretaker along with scenes from several of the best houses over the last several years. Orfanage, which is housed in the Jaws queue, was hands down my favorite. It was downright creepy with the sounds of children's voices floating throughout the house....some cheerful while others screaming in agony. The scareactors in this particular house were placed in very inconspicuous places throughout, however once your eye eventually picked them up it was incredibly creepy how they would just stand dimly lit and motionless in a far corner of the scene. So far, the house that is getting all the buzz this year is Legendary Truth.....haven't talked to one person that hasn't come out RAVING about how amazing it is. I requested for them NOT to share any details with me, I'd rather be surprised when I go through myself....but I understand they have really elevated Horror Nights to a new level with the special effects in this one. - Todd, glad to have a Frequent Fear Pass for HHN :-)

Well, keep in mind that layout that you are referring to was unintentionally leaked out because some nosey enthusiasts were snooping on the construction company's website. It has since been protected and is no longer accessible. I still don't understand how people, not talking about you KIfan, are assuming it is a less intense version of Maverick? Of the two short clips that have revealed only a small fraction of the layout, it is very Maverick-esq with the low to ground turns, quick transitions and such....but not seeing how it can be deemed less intense? It also is still unknown if it has inversions or not. In the first clip that was revealed, toward the end, you can see the segment of track that starts to jump over to the former river portion of Rhino Rally.....it resembles a heartline roll but it isn't quite clear enough to tell for sure. The ride won't be everyone's cup of tea, which is fine.....I personally find Diamondback to be relatively dull and mundane while others think it is the greatest thing since sliced bread. To each their own. - Todd