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Photo TR: Drayton Manor (Page 19)


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Okay, if there is one thing that I absolutely crush on about GCI's, it's their little bunny hops that they throw into the rides! It's like someone's trying to rape you, but don't succeed and you fall right back into your seat.

 

Kentucky Rumber Looks awsome...

and the last picture of Voyage looks great!

 

Zachary

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I need to ride Kentucky Rumbler someday, it just looks like a fun ride! Plus the only GCI i've been on is Evel Knievel and I loved it!

 

I love Holiday World. While the park may seem over-rated by some, I just found the place so charming. I went on a busy day during the summer and then an empty day during the fall and had a blast both times with my dad and friends. I thought the Voyage was amazing. The first time I rode it was in the back and the airtime and intensity just took my breath away like no other coaster had. Of course my coaster count isn't that high so I can't compare it to many others.

 

As always, nice pics Jeremie!

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  • 5 months later...
Awesome P:TR Jer! Take me to Holiday World the next time you go!

 

Will do Ryan! Thanks! I'll make sure you ride the Voyage in the front.

 

 

 

Okay, if there is one thing that I absolutely crush on about GCI's, it's their little bunny hops that they throw into the rides! It's like someone's trying to rape you, but don't succeed and you fall right back into your seat.

 

Kentucky Rumber Looks awsome...

and the last picture of Voyage looks great!

 

Zachary

 

Thanks! And yeah, Voyage looks great, but it's barely above average!

 

I need to ride Kentucky Rumbler someday, it just looks like a fun ride! Plus the only GCI i've been on is Evel Knievel and I loved it!

 

I love Holiday World. While the park may seem over-rated by some, I just found the place so charming. I went on a busy day during the summer and then an empty day during the fall and had a blast both times with my dad and friends. I thought the Voyage was amazing. The first time I rode it was in the back and the airtime and intensity just took my breath away like no other coaster had. Of course my coaster count isn't that high so I can't compare it to many others.

 

As always, nice pics Jeremie!

 

Thanks Patrick! And yes, you do need to ride Kentucky Rumbler, let's just hope Beech Bend won't be closing anytime soon, it's just as good as American Thunder!

 

Man,I have been dying to go to Hoilday World. It looks like you had fun though,I love the way you took these photos in an creative way.

 

Yeah, you should get to Holiday World, and I hope you have a better visit than mine! Thanks!

 

Great shot of Voyage's drop there, really cool!

 

Thanks! Yeah, I gotta say Voyage turned out really nice in a lot of the photos.

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From February 2nd to the 10th, I took a nice family vacation down to Florida. We went on a Royal Caribbean Cruise for 4 days to the Bahamas, and afterwards, we went to Sea World and Universal Studios / Islands of Adventure. I gotta admit, everyday was boat loads of fun and everything went soothingly! If you are a picture person, you can skip the the pictures, but here's a nice (but long) written up review for everything!

 

Reviews

 

Cruise: I'll try to keep this short since I want to focus on Sea World Orlando mostly, but Royal Caribbean had some really nice deals for cruises in February. (I'm talking 150 dollars a person for 4 days!) I was sailing on Monarch of the Seas, which was a pretty decent sized ship for my first cruise. We departed from Cape Canaveral and we stopped in Nassau and at Royal Caribbean's private island. It was a blast, especially because Chicago received over 2 feet of snow when we drove down to Florida, so it was a nice break from all the snow! I totally recommend Royal Caribbean to anyone who wants to plan a very affordable cruise, the service was great, restaurants were delicious, and even though the rooms were small, you don't want to spend time in there when you're on a ship full of fun things to do!

 

Now onto Sea World Orlando! This was my first visit to the park (February 7th) and I had no idea what to expect! It was also my first Sea World park, and I have yet to read one person that does not like Sea World! On the website, it said Journey to Atlantis would be down for Winter rehab, but the ride was up and running, which is a total plus in my book! The crowds were very minimal, it was a Monday and there were clouds up all day, which didn't turn out nicely in my photos, and it did eventually start to rain 5 minutes after the park closed. The animals were great, I didn't even have enough time to see all of them. But the rides were fantastic, and am glad Sea World did it's best to operate the rides even with the passing storms.

 

The shows, I would say, are average. We first saw the Shamu Show, the now defunct "Believe" and I couldn't be more disappointed! The whales did a couple of tricks, and most of the show was talking, and the only thing keeping me awake was the wind blowing from the top of the stadium. We next saw the Sea Lion, Otter, and Walrus show, and oh my god, the best show I have ever seen at any park, no joke! It was extremely funny, had a great plot line, cute animals, and the tricks were definitely amazing! How can someone not like sea otters?! The last show we saw that day was the dolphin show by Manta. It was alright, it was pretty cool, I didn't really get the whole show, but the kids I was with loved it.

 

Journey to Atlantis - Walk On - Now, this ride was suppose to be down for today, at least according to their website, so I was not expecting to ride this baby! It was pretty chilly that day, (mid - 60's), and was glad I did not get very wet on the first drop, but I can't say the same for the second "dip"! The ride was pretty interesting and I like the hidden drop at the end, wonder how the other Journey's compare at other Sea World parks.

 

Kraken - Walk On - Our first attempt at riding this was shot down because of a lightning strike somewhere in the area, but the ride did eventually open. I'd say it is above average. I've ridden Dominator, Batman: The Dark Knight, and Bizarro, and I'd say it's the 2nd best floorless behind Dominator. I liked the tunnels and the great ending, and the cobra roll was pretty intense! Rode it twice in the front and back.

 

Manta - 10-25 minutes - We first waited 25 minutes for the back, they were running one train all day. Before riding, I really did not like B&M Flyers, especially cause Superman: Ultimate Flight at SF Great America could have been a whole lot better, but Manta changed my mind a bit! I loved the layout and the many inversions, and I sat on the edge closest to the water splash down and it was a very interesting, but good experience! I rode it again in the back, and it confirmed that Manta is definitely a really great flyer!

 

Sorry for all that typing and my overuse of the word "and"... Here are the photos and feedback is appreciated!

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To start off the trip, we had to shovel the 2+ feet of snow, and it was still snowing when we left. It ended up being the biggest blizzard since 1999 in Chicago!

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This is the best picture I got of the Monarch of the Seas. It was a pretty decent ship, but I am not sure how it compares to any of the Disney ships or Carnival Cruise ships.

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On the first night, I decided to explore the ship with my camera, and I took my most favorite picture I have ever taken, which is now my desktop background! Stunning....

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It was neat seeing the famous Atlantis Hotel that we got a tour of. I was surprised at how small the whole city of Nassau was... and Atlantis was the biggest thing there!

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Here's the last photo from the cruise that I'll post. The private island had shallow water, so the ship had to stay far away, and a smaller boat would carry passengers back and forth between the island and ship. On the plus side, free food on the ship AND island, simply paradise!

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Now onto Sea World. This was the first thing you would see when entering. I'd say it's alright, seemed a little dull except for Manta straight ahead.

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They were running one train on Manta and Kraken all day, so I already excuse myself for not having many photos with trains in them. I do love the layout of Manta though!

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Manta had a steeper lift hill than Superman, and I liked it a whole lot better, Superman's lift hill makes me want to puke.

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I love the entrance sign and the actual entrance, it really does not feel like an entrance! And I was surprised by the lack of queue's for Manta, where would all the people wait on crowded days?

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I really loved the animals at the park. This one reminded me of Crush from Finding Nemo : )

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Sea world did an excellent job creating an atmosphere, it really felt like a whole new world.

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Here's another picture. I was surprised at how large the park was, but I didn't mind the walking.

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Please enjoy one of the only things the whales did.

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Was I disappointed with the show? Yes. I felt like it could have been a whole lot better and am glad they installed a new show sequence.

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The pretzel loop was a whole lot bigger than Superman's, and it was a whole lot better! Now I won't look down upon B&m Flyers.

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Journey to Atlantis could have been build with a building like Jurassic Park's, but the building it is in is just amazing!

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The setting all around was great, really didn't feel like a "amusement park" or "theme park," it barely felt like a zoo!

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The dude running the show did an excellent job improvising when something went wrong! Seriously a funny show and I recommend it to anyone!

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I'd say that Manta is very photo-genic.

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I liked the Dolphin show a lot more than the killer whale show. The trainers swam with them and did a lot more tricks. All the flying and trapeze wasn't bad either.

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The one of 2 pictures I actually got a train in. And they both turned out pretty bad! You can see the clouds starting to come in, which will eventually start a big down pour.

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This dolphin cove thing was very cool! Although sea gulls would try to steal your food, the dolphins were definitely friend to all of the park guests!

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I love the detail Sea World put into on making this Kraken! Although I wish the fence wasn't built right up against it.

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Kraken is pretty well hidden away from the path. And notice how the ride entrance is part of the "kraken" posted above.

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These corkscrews or whatever you call them on a flyer were very fun, I'm glad Manta was built how it was, it's perfect.

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Here's the last shot before it started to thunderstorm. Thanks for reading and Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure (Harry Potter!) Will be posted in the next couple of days. Now go dance the Macarena!

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Really glad that you enjoyed Manta!

 

I had the chance to ride it recently and I really enjoyed it too! I really also enjoy the fact that Manta just doesn't seem to have a line! I am glad to report that Manta is running 2 trains now and that the capacity is a heck of a lot better now!

 

I agree with the Shamu comments and can't wait to see the new one!

 

However the one credit you missed...Shamu Express...don't worry about....its a "WHORE"ible coaster.

 

 

Thanks!

-Zach

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HOLY CRAP, Those Orange umbrellas are totally new to the park. I've never seen them before!

 

 

No, just kidding, while I really haven't seen them before, I'll leave a positive post like you asked! I really enjoyed this PTR, nice photos, and it makes me feel like I should get to the park more often. Thanks for posting it.

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Awesome report! Manta looks amazing, and I remember a lot of the park and shows from when I was little, but apparentely a lot has changed!

 

Can't wait to see more of your reports

 

Awesome P:TR Jer! Take me to Holiday World the next time you go!

 

Will do Ryan! Thanks! I'll make sure you ride the Voyage in the front.

 

Oh, of course

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Manta and Kraken are my top coasters in the flyer and floorless categories for good reason. You can't really judge B&M flyers on the Superman clones, just ride Tatsu and/or Manta and you'll see just how good they can be. Manta in the back row is so damn good. If Kraken's ending was a little better, it would probably be my favorite B&M.

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Manta and Kraken are my top coasters in the flyer and floorless categories for good reason. You can't really judge B&M flyers on the Superman clones, just ride Tatsu and/or Manta and you'll see just how good they can be. Manta in the back row is so damn good. If Kraken's ending was a little better, it

would probably be my favorite B&M.

 

Yeah, I really knew that the Superman clones were lacking the extra "umph" that other flyers being built had, especially Manta and that new one in China! So I really looked down upon B&m Flyers until I got my chance to ride Manta.

 

Nice pictures! SeaWorld is such a beautiful park! I'm glad you liked Manta and Kraken, as I would put them both in my top 25 coasters!

 

Thanks! And I agree... Sea World is definitely a park where quality beats out quantity... And it definitely worked out well!

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Why didn't you tell me about this trip earlier?

 

I feel sad for being left in the dark

 

But I'm glad you had a great time on your cruise and at SWO! Carnival cruises are pretty fun to do, although I can't compare them to RC cruises.

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  • 4 weeks later...

When Texas Giant Bash was announced, my awesome friend and I decided to plan a great mini Texas-Tour. We'd stop at Sea World San Antonio, Six Flags Over Texas the next day, and Six Flags Fiesta Texas the day after. The trip turned out great, and I plan on making photo reports from all the parks! So stay tuned....

 

First park we hit was Sea World San Antonio. Crowds were light, and it wasn't too hot, with the high reaching 92. Only the rapids ride wasn't running, but I managed to ride everything else, even with a few re-rides. Apparently, this day was the last operating day of Texas Splash Down (the log flume), which I did manage to ride! While it wasn't as good as the SW Orlando park, it was a park I enjoyed, definitely worth a visit.

 

Texas Splash Town - Apparently, this was the last operating day of the classic log flume! The ride looked it was falling apart and leaking all over the place. I'm glad I got to ride the ride before it was closed. Any idea what is coming in it's place? Maybe a Manta style ride?

 

Steel Eel - Definitely my favorite Morgan Hyper out of Mamba and Wild Thing. I do enjoy Morgan hypers, but this one had the best layout with the most airtime in the front and back! The hills were very weird, it's like the track slowly got steeper and steeper, and then you slam into your seat once you start heading back up. I'd give it a 9/10

 

Great White - Wow, I've read reports where this Batman clone was the most forceful out of them all, and I could definitely feel it! I nearly blacked out on any inversion and turn when sitting in the front, and my legs really burned from all the forces. A little too forceful for my liking, but not too bad! 6/10

 

Journey to Atlantis - SW San Antonio really got a standard version of Journey to Atlantis, with only a little scenery in the station and at the bottom for the drop. It was still a fun ride, and the backwards drop was somehow forceful... 7/10

 

I did see the Sea Lion + Otter show, along with the dolphin show, which were just as good as they were in Orlando! I skipped the Believe show because I really wasn't impressed with what I saw in Orlando, and the showtimes really didn't fit our schedule.

 

Now onto the photos!

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The entrance was really nicely designed... It looked like it was built out of legos!

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Our first ride of the day was Shamu Express, which was a walk on! I didn't want to wait 20 minutes for it later in the day.

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I really liked the park set up more than Orlando. The rides were more spread out all around the lake. Steel Eel looked amazing from anywhere around the park!

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What I found odd about Steel Eel was how none of the supports were parallel! Never seen anything like it before...

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Sea World San Antonio didn't have half the amount of animals that Sea World Orlando had... But what they had was still nice.

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When walking around the park, there was a whole lot of open space... You'd have to walk through pathways of nothing to go from ride to ride.

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Steel Eel is very photogenic.. Just stare at it!

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Is there a name for this type of element? I think it's a cammel-back or something like that...

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My friends and I were waiting for the back of the park to open... So the penguin encounter kept us busy. Too bad the dang Puffins wouldn't hold still!

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Steel Eel and Great White were running one train... So getting a shot with a train in it is just eye candy!

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According to Sea World's blog, Friday the 13th was the last operating day for the ride! Maybe a Manta style roller coaster (either one) will replace this chunk of land!

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Seeing another animal enclosure at Sea World San Antonio was a rare citing!

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Great White was such a fun ride, but way too forceful for me.

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Talk about Journey to Atlantis being stripped naked from scenery... Backwards section makes up for that though!

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The trains are definitely stylish,

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I did the dolphin feeding... And this dolphin was all like "Gimme some grub or I'm swimmin' away!"

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The Seal and Sea Lion feeding was so funny! They do so much to get attention for one little bite of fish! The scream, splash water, tackle each other, such an amazing site.

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If you've seen this show... This Walrus can do more sit ups than I can...

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The dolphin show was a big hit with the kids!

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Now comes the end of my report... Steel Eel is such a great ride. I'd say it's up there with Goliath at SFOG in terms of airtime and awesome layout.

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There goes a train full of happy riders, thanks for reading! Stay tuned for a Texas Giant Bash update.

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I've only been to SeaWorld San Antonio once, and that was a few years ago. I really enjoyed Steel Eel, but the animal exhibits were nowhere near as numerous or elaborate as those of SeaWorld Orlando. There were more rides, but that gap seems to be shrinking. And I wasn't too interested in the waterpark. Overall, my impression was that SeaWorld San Antonio perfectly fit the description, "Jack of all trades, master of none."

 

Still, I would take Steel Eel over either Manta or Kraken, personally.

 

Anyway, thanks for the TR! I enjoyed it.

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Great TR!

 

I have never visited Sea World SA. I have been to the one in Orlando several times. It's my second favorite park behind Epcot. I really enjoyed the walk through at Manta. It gave you something to look at while in line. I was there the year it opened, the line was over 2 hours. Fortunately, I rode alone, and Busch provides single rider lines!

 

Steel Eel looks impressive. I just can't stand the looks of the trains. It looks like you can barely see out of them?

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Steel Eel has a really nice look to it! The Morgan Hypercoasters have an amazing Streamlined look to them that makes them very appealing to the eye.

 

I usually don't say this, but I think this park could really use a few more flat rides. Sea World in California just opened a Flat Ride called Riptide Rescue that is a Huss Airboat ride

I think this really would be a great, somewhat inexpensive fit for the Vacant Log Flume area!

 

When Aquatica opens (Next year I believe) it should make the park even greater! I hope to get out there to visit it someday!

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Texas Splashdown seems interesting.

 

Hell the park itself looks interesting! It looks like AB really spoiled the park in the 90s with Steel Eel and Great White and then stopped after the 2000s.

 

BTW: How does Great White compare to the other Batman clones?

 

- Can't wait to see your next update

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