biosciking's So Cal Thread

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Here's the view from the top, right as you're beginning the ride. Tell me this isn't a perfect setting. Sledding down a snow-covered, forested mountain with Big Bear Lake in the background.

This isn't a perfect setting

Legoland California in Carlsbad opened its new Star Wars Miniland area at the very end of last month, so I figured I would go check it out. Legoland is such a great park for two main reasons. First, I imagine it must be every child's heaven on earth. The number of kid-friendly attractions is unequaled and there are so many places for children to just play. Second, there are plenty of things to keep adults occupied as well. Most of the attractions can accommodate the entire family, and a few rides are designed specifically with thrill-seekers in mind. However, most impressive to adults are the incredible Lego exhibits set up throughout the park. These displays are found quite literally everywhere (some stand-alone, some as theming for other attractions), and most are huge and jaw-droppingly amazing. The Miniland USA section is advertised as the heart of the park, and for good reason. While I suppose this might be the one place where kids could become a bit restless, it is my favorite part of Legoland. It is also the location where the new Star Wars Miniland is located. While it may not fit perfectly with the USA theming, it doesn't matter at all because it is equally as impressive.

I visited the park last weekend (4/16) and took tons of pictures. I know there are a lot, but I feel compelled to show off the awesomeness that is Legoland California.

The entrance to this fantastic park.

Immediately upon entering, you are greeted not by a Lego exhibit but by a large sand sculpture advertising the new Star Wars area of Legoland.

I'm not sure how long this will be set up in the park, but it sure did look cool. Let's follow the advertisement and head over to Star Wars Miniland.

The Star Wars exhibit is set up as different planets to represent each movie. The original film is of course represented by Tatooine.

The Millenium Falcon was one of the star attractions of the entire display. The number of Legos and amount of time required to build it are indicated on the sign in the previous picture. Pretty amazing.

Though Mos Eisley was the emphasis of the Tatooine scene, there were plenty of extra little touches throughout the exhibit that you could find if you took the time to look. Here are some Sand People with their banthas.

The Empire Strikes Back was set in Hoth.

The battle scene was very well done and so perfectly realized the feel of the movie.

Even the small additional scenes were incredibly detailed. Notice the lightsaber just out of Luke's reach in the Hoth wampa's cave.

Endor was the setting for Return of the Jedi. What I loved about Endor is that they had actual plants among the exhibit to make the Endor forest look even more realistic.

The battle outside of the shield generator.

Neat extra touches.

Episode One was set in Naboo.

Tell me this isn't the spitting image of the scene from the movie. The fact that they could so exactly replicate everything really is quite astonishing.

Okay, time to go a little off topic. Like many people, I am able to recite the original three Star Wars films (Episodes Four, Five, and Six) word-for-word. When it comes to the new trilogy (Episodes One, Two, and Three), I'm not such a big fan. Of the three, I actually like Episode One the best. I'm probably in the minority here, but it actually had a story with some new ideas and introduced some interesting new characters.

When it comes to Episode Two, I honestly don't really remember much of anything. I guess there was a planet called Geonosis.

Maybe I sort of remember this scene.

They split up the Episode Three exhibit into two planets. Most of it was dominated by Kashyyyk, though there was also some Mustafar. The Revenge of the Sith movie got decent reviews, with many declaring it the third best of the entire series (after Empire and A New Hope). To that I call b.s. This movie was in no way, shape, or form better than Return of the Jedi. It was definitely my least favorite of all six movies. It was trying so hard to tie together with Episode Four that some of the dumbest plot points had to occur. It actually made me angry. Am I all alone here? Anyway, I digress, and I'm not knocking the Lego exhibit, which looks great. I'm just knocking the movie.

The final lightsaber duel between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker.

I am not at all familiar with the new Clone Wars series, but this seemed to be the attention-grabber of all the kids. I guess it's cool that a new generation is discovering Star Wars one way or another. The planet is apparently called Christophsis, and the crystalline building was the largest display set up in the entire Star Wars Miniland. Very impressive.

Also on exhibit were some life-sized Lego displays for photo ops, such as Chewbacca and R2-D2.

And of course Darth Vader.

Okay, let's check out the rest of Miniland USA, starting with Southern California. Here we have Grauman's Chinese Theater, Griffith Observatory, and the "Legowood" sign.

There's also the Hollywood Bowl.

San Francisco is naturally represented by the Golden Gate Bridge.

But there are also some San Francisco street scenes, including the famous Lombard Street.

The Las Vegas Strip is quite accurately laid out in Miniland.

There's no Mandalay Bay Lego buidling, so the Strip begins with Luxor.

Right next door is Excalibur.

And next door to Excalibur is New York - New York. They are all so perfectly detailed (with one notable omission here!).

Farther down the Strip is Treasure Island.

Towering over the end of the Strip is the Stratosphere. All of the Miniland USA exhibits are automated, many of which are controlled by guests pushing buttons to activate them. When the Stratosphere button is pushed, the Big Shot actually launches and drops.

Moving farther east across the USA, we come to New Orleans, complete with riverboat.

Mardi Gras takes place all year long in Miniland New Orleans. The level of detail is simply incredible.

New York City is built on a larger scale than the other Miniland cities, enabling the Empire State Building to tower over guests rather than vice versa.

And New York City of course wouldn't be complete without the Statue of Liberty.

A large area of Miniland USA is devoted to Washington, DC. Here are the United States Capitol and the Washington Monument.

The White House.

The Lincoln Memorial and the Reflecting Pool. If you look closely, you can see Mr. Lincoln sitting inside the Memorial.

The Iwo Jima Memorial.

Aside from walking around Miniland USA, you can also take the Coast Cruise.

The cruise passes by Mount Rushmore.

There are also some international locales along the cruise, including the Eiffel Tower.

The Sydney Opera House.

The Taj Mahal. I hope you are getting a feel for how elaborate and amazing Lego Miniland is.

We'll finish off Miniland with a walk along the Block of Fame, which features Lego busts of many important historical figures, such as...

...George Washington...

...Abraham Lincoln...

...and Elvis Presley!

That's it for Miniland. Ready for the rest of Legoland? The park is divided up into several themed areas. The largest is Fun Town, which is themed to a suburban city. It emphasizes everyday heroes, such as fire fighters, police officers, and paramedics. Another "new" attraction that just opened at Legoland is the Fun Town Police and Fire Academy, which is a rebranding of the former Fun Town Fire Academy.

Four vehicles "race" across the course by pumping up and down on the lever. It can actually be quite a workout, and it wouldn't really be easy for a group of small children by themselves. An adult or two is needed to help out.

When you reach the end of the course, you jump out of your rescue vehicle and pump another lever up and down to spray water at the buildings that are on fire or are being held up. You've got to aim just right too, adding to the challenge.

Once your fire or bad guy has been knocked out, you pump your vehicle back to the starting point. The ride is essentially unchanged from the previous version except for the theming, and in all honesty, I think the theming worked better as just the Fire Academy. Regardless, this is still a great attraction. It can get a little chaotic, but it can also be addicting. I've seen groups of adults without a child to be found riding this, trying to beat out their competition. Overall very unique and very entertaining.

There's also an excellently themed climbing wall right next to the Police and Fire Academy. It is an upcharge, however, though I guess these always are.

Two more headliner attractions at Legoland are the Sky Cruiser and the Kid Power Towers. The Sky Cruiser is so prominently placed that every child sees it and has to ride. This creates a huge problem. The capacity is horrendous, leading to wait times of over an hour in a line that barely creeps along. And you're waitng for a ride that is pretty much pointless. You pedal your cruiser along a slightly elevated track that doesn't follow that long of a course. The pedaling might seem fun, but the children who would most enjoy it are forced to sit in the center of the vehicle and don't even get to partake. It doesn't matter anyway, as it took me all of about five seconds to figure out that the pedaling is just for show and the vehicle moves at a controlled speed the whole way. Unless you ride first thing before any line forms, this is Legoland's most skippable attraction.

I feel the opposite about Kid Power Towers, however, which is a real winner. Its capacity leads to a line that is never very long, and this ride is MUCH more fun. You have to hoist your seat up the tower using the rope, and then you can release it to fall back down. The drop is mild but also mildly thrilling, especially for the young ones. This is another attraction that might be difficult for kids to handle all by themselves (there is some strength involved in hoisting yourself up), so be ready to ride along parents. It will be fun for you too.

The Volvo Driving School is another well-known attraction at Legoland. It occupies a relatively large area and tries to teach kids to follow traffic rules, rather than just randomly driving all over the place.

The Driving School is for ages 6 to 13 only. There is a Junior Driving School next door for ages 3 to 5. Kids can purchase a driver's license afterwards with their picture on it, which of course they all want.

In addition to cars, there are boats. The Skipper School is another very popular attraction. There is no track here; the boats are free floating and not guided. Though you are supposed to follow the prescribed route, I've seen many a child steering their boat in circles and bumping into the side rails. They could probably stay out on the ride forever (intentionally or not).

Generally, though, it's a very peaceful, relaxing ride.

The Sky Patrol lets you raise your helicopter up and down and spin it around in circles. Not that terribly exciting, but it does look neat.

A minor attraction that I had never even realized existed prior to this visit is the Adventurers' Club. It is a walk-through attraction with theming that doesn't necessarily match the rest of Fun Town, but it's themed so well with such cool Lego figures that it doesn't matter. Your quest is to find the different colored keys that are hidden throughout the attraction.

You start in a tropical rainforest.

You then move on to a dimly-lit temple.

You'll find a Lego sarcophagus or two within the temple, in addition to the keys you're looking for. Maybe you'll have to look inside a sarcophagus to find the keys!

The walk-through ends in an ice cavern.

The Lego polar bear was a great display. It was automated and would actually lurch forward and growl, startling many passerby. Again, the Adventurers' Club is a minor attraction that won't take up too much of your time, but it's well worth a stop.

The next themed area is the Imagination Zone, which is themed to inventions and creativity. This is home to the park's biggest coaster, the Lego Technic Coaster. It is a Mack wild mouse that gets started with a nice 50-foot drop.

Probably the most thrilling ride in the park, as evidenced by many riders' reactions.

From a pure coaster enthusiast's viewpoint, I have mixed feelings about the Technic Coaster. I love the first drop and the hill that follows. After that, though, it gets a little dull. The unbanked turns aren't taken at the fastest of speeds, so they don't quite provide all the lateral forces they could. The trim brakes come on very hard toward the end, once you reach the little bunny hops.

Still, I know this is probably the way it has to be at a park like Legoland. Kids over 48" can ride alone; kids between 42" and 48" can ride with an adult.

The Aquazone Wave Racers is another unique attraction that I really enjoy. You stand the whole time, like you would on a jet ski, and the steering wheel lets you fling the back of your vehicle outward a bit. It therefore feels like riding a whip flat ride on water. Guests watching the ride can discharge water bombs (free, I might add), spraying the riders but not really soaking them. Great fun.

Right next door is the Bionicle Blaster, a spiffy-looking teacup-type ride. Also fun.

A great play area is the Lego Build & Test, where kids (and adults too, I guess) can build their own Lego racecars and actually race them.

Being themed to imagination and invention, a huge Lego sculpture of Albert Einstein is located right outside.

Next is Castle Hill, a medieval-themed area featuring the park's second largest coaster, the Dragon. It's a Vekoma junior coaster, but significantly longer than a roller skater. It's hard to get tons of pictures of the ride, as it's built amongst the trees. The coaster begins with a relatively lengthy dark ride portion through a medieval castle, featuring a king's banquet with court jesters, plus a dragon and a wizard. It's very impressive, but unfortunately photos aren't allowed. The lift hill then emerges from the castle.

The Dragon is a coaster that I would recommend to everyone, whether you are riding with kids or not. The Lego exhibits during the dark ride portion are incredible, and the ride actually picks up some speed and produces some forces by the end, especially the final turn (not pictured) that swoops down alongside a hedge before returning to the castle.

This display is outside of the Dragon castle, but it provides a hint at the kind of meticulous theming you'll find inside.

Speaking of dragons, let's head over to the Knights' Tournament, which features quite possibly my favorite Lego creation in the entire park. This thing is huge and awe-inspiring.

The Knight's Tournament ride features a row of Kuka robocoaster arms lined up along a moat. Each arm seats two guests and can be individually programmed to levels ranging from 1 (mild) to 5 (extreme). Young children can ride if they select one of the mild levels, which are almost too mild. I imagine they'd be dull even for a kid.

However, the advanced levels are on par with what I imagine astronaut training to be like. They fling and flip the riders in every possible way, and dangle them upside down above the moat for extended periods of time. I said the Technic Coaster was the most thrilling attraction at the park. I should clarify. It is the most thrilling attraction designed for everyone. The Knight's Tournament (level 5) is by far the most aggressive attraction at the park, designed for teens and thrill-seeking adults. It's dizzying and nauseating, but a total blast!

Also in Castle Hill is the Royal Joust, a neat little bouncing kiddie track ride.

The Hideaways is probably the largest and most elaborate of all the play structures in the park. Very nicely themed with tons of activities.

The Witching Well is at the entrance to the Enchanted Walk, a minor outdoor forest walk-through. The Lego witch is awesome. The walk itself doesn't have tons to see, but it is peaceful and a relaxing break from the crowds.

Also featured in Castle Hill is Wild Woods Golf, a miniature golf course themed to a modern-day forest. Tell me this doesn't look incredible.

Wild Woods Golf is only open in the middle of the day and it is an upcharge, but $5 is very decent for an 18-hole round of miniature golf. Plus it just looks so great.

Pirate Shores is the next themed area. The major attraction here is Splash Battle. This is an early Splash Battle that has a couple major problems as far as I'm concerned. First of all, having the track stick completely out of the water so that the boats are visibly riding on a track rather than on the water is distracting. Worse, though, is the fact that the seats face forward and backward rather than sideways. And the guns don't have that wide an angle of movement. It's therefore almost impossible to shoot at the other boats or the spectators as you travel alongside them. In the meantime, the spectators are having no problem whatsoever nailing you as you pass.

Still, the ride has awesome theming and is very refreshing on a hot day. I don't want to sound too negative toward it, as I do like it, but compared to the newer splash battles these days, this one could definitely be better.

Captain Cranky's Challenge is a rockin' tug flat ride.

Captain Cranky himself "operates" the ride. Have I used the word impressive enough yet to describe these Lego creations?

Treasure Falls is without a doubt the tiniest log flume I've ever encountered. It's advertised as a junior log flume, so I guess that's fine. This is another ride with a very low capacity and therefore an incredibly long and slow-moving line. It is in the back of the park, though, so it will take a little while once the park opens for a line to form. My plan of attack would be to hit Sky Cruiser first thing, and then work your way back to Treasure Falls.

Soak-N-Sail is a water play area for the kids. Yes, the giant bucket does tip when it fills with water, drenching everyone underneath.

Next up is the Land of Adventure themed area, which simulates an Egyptian exploration set around the beginning of the 20th century. Lost Kingdom Adventure is an interactive dark ride by Sally. It's good, but I've been on better shoot-'em-up rides.

Beetle Bounce is a pair of Egyptian-themed frog hoppers.

Cargo Ace is like a kiddie suspended whip flat ride. Very cute.

Dune Raiders is a pretty standard theme park slide, but fun nonetheless.

Pharaoh's Revenge is a small play area where you can shoot soft foam balls at each other. I've still got a few more pics to go, but I'll have to put them in a separate post, as I've reached the max here. Coming right up...

And next door to Excalibur is New York - New York. They are all so perfectly detailed (with one notable omission here!).

I think it's probably better off without it. All the Lego structures are amazing.

Legoland California continued...

No theme park geared toward children would be complete without an area themed to dinosaurs, so that brings us to Dino Island. It's actually the smallest themed area in the park, with just one ride. Coastersaurus is the park's littlest coaster, though I'm not sure I'd go so far as to call it a kiddie coaster. Junior or family coaster sounds more appropriate. The coaster travels the track twice, which circles around the dinosaur hanging out in the swamp. The lush vegetation in Dino Island definitely adds to the area's ambience.

Kids as small as 36" can ride this one. The height requirement for the Dragon is 40" and, as already mentioned, the height requirement for the Technic Coaster is 42". Children under 48" must ride with an adult on all three coasters.

Take a look at this spectacular Lego dinosaur outside the entrance to Coastersaurus.

Here's another one. Simply incredible.

The play area in Dino Island is Dig Those Dinos, a giant sand pit themed to fossils. I hope you appreciate as much as I do not just the number of play areas for kids, but the huge variety of play areas as well.

The final themed area is called Duplo Village. I'm not really sure what the theme is supposed to be here. The individual attractions are all themed incredibly (including one of my favorite looking attractions, Safari Trek). I'm just not sure how all of the attractions fit together.

Anyway, let's take a closer look at Safari Trek, as the awesomeness of the previous giraffe picture begs for more. Here are the zebras at the start of the ride.

Unbelievable.

Perfection.

The gorillas that end the ride.

Next up in Duplo Village is Fairy Tale Brook, a boat ride through Lego recreations of several children's stories, such as The Three Little Pigs.

Billy Goats Gruff.

The prince ready to kiss and wake up Sleeping Beauty. I would have included that key scene, but I thought this display with the prince on his horse was far more impressive.

Aladdin.

Little Red Riding Hood. Everything is so well done. I just can't say it enough.

Now that we've had a jeep ride themed to a safari and a boat ride themed to fairy tales, the next obvious attraction in Duplo Village is...a train ride themed to farming? Again, I don't get the connection, but I think the individual attractions work great on their own (okay, so this one's a little cheesy).

One more play area for the kids. It's called Duplo Playtown and it's a very expansive soft-play area that offers tons to do.

I'll finish with a few random Lego creations that you can find throughout the park. Indiana Jones looks incredible.

Batman looks pretty darn amazing too.

Some total randomness that made me laugh.

And a final shot that shows the little touches and attention to detail that you can find throughout this outstanding park. Thanks for taking the time to look through all the pictures.

GREAT TRIP REPORT!

I've never really seen an in-depth look at Legoland! It looks like a really awesome park (lacking on thrills a bit) I would've loved to have gone there when I was younger! I can't wait for the Florida Version!

Now that Memorial Day weekend is here, the summer season has unofficially started, and waterparks are beginning their operating schedules. With the news that this year will almost certainly be the last for Wild Rivers in Irvine, I decided that it would be an appropriate waterpark to visit to start the season.

I used to go to Wild Rivers very frequently as a kid, but it has honestly been almost 20 years since my last trip. It was pretty neat finding several attractions virtually unchanged from way back then. Though the park has of course added new attractions, Wild Rivers feels much more like an "old school" waterpark than a "modern day" one. You'll find several waterslides that aren't very common elsewhere, certainly not in Southern California anyway.

The park is essentially divided into three sections. Wild Rivers Mountain is on the right once entering the park. It is the location of just about every big waterslide you'll find here, which all form sort of a waterslide complex built on and around Wild River's manmade mountain. To the left after entering the park is Explorer's Island, which contains the lazy river surrounding a bunch of water activity areas. In the back of the park is Thunder Cove, where the wave pools are located.

The park was only open from 11 am to 4 pm each day this weekend. That seemed kind of lacking to me when I looked this up beforehand, but it turned out to be plenty of time to do everything, as the crowds were relatively light. The park will have extended hours during the busy part of summer. I actually bought a season pass so that I'd be sure to come back and visit at least once more before the summer (and therefore the park's tenure) ends.

Here we are.

An overview of one side of Wild Rivers Mountain. Congo River Rapids is the main slide that travels down the mountain, but you can also see parts of the Cobras, the Abyss, and the SBNO Edge and Ledge here. (Notice the lack of access to Edge and Ledge.)

Farther down the mountain, with a more complete view of the Cobras.

Congo River Rapids starts at the top of the mountain, which actually has a little bit of theming while you wait in line inside the structure. The ride attendant pushes you on your way (forward, backwards, sideways, however you like; you're not going to stay in any one direction for long).

You can ride in a single or a double tube, but even with a double (and especially with a single) you got jostled around all over the place. In a very fun way. This 360-degree turn actually has a couple ledges that you drop off of to travel downward. The whole ride is relatively lengthy and sort of moves in fits and starts, but that makes it feel realistic, how I imagine running actual rapids would be.

There's plenty of good speed and sloshing up the sides by the time you reach the bottom. Overall, this was one of my three favorite slides at the park.

The start of one of the Cobras, which is actually a pair of intertwined slides. They are pretty much your standard body slides.

The splashdown pool for the Cobras. If you lie down during this one, you can actually get some pretty good speed by the end. I got nailed in the face (eyes, ears, and mouth) by water during the final three turns as I sloshed up the sides. If you sit up, however, this one is pretty mild. Probably a good starter slide for that reason. Interestingly, I noticed that all of the slides on Wild Rivers Mountain had a height requirement of 44".

Right next to the Cobras is Wipeout, another pair of standard body slides. Noteable about this one is that, unlike the Cobras, it starts fast at the top and ends up slowing a bit as you go along. The reason for this is that you actually get "flushed" down the slide by a holding tank of water that the attendant releases to get you going. I didn't get a really good picture of the tank in action, but it's kind of unique. Also unusual is that there's no depth at all to the splashdown pool. I expected to dump into it but instead just kept sliding along it at the same level.

Wipeout and the Cobras share the same pool (though the Cobras side is deeper). Except for the way you get started, these are all pretty much the same slides, and they look more or less identical meandering down the side of the mountain. (I guess Cobras is a little wider.)

New since my previous visits is the Patriot, which is built on a tower that is located in front of the mountain (nearest to the park entrance). It's a raft slide that can seat four people riding inline. It basically twists and turns its way down from the top of the tower.

At the bottom is a drop. You'd think that would be the end of the ride, but actually...

...you then travel up this spike, which gets you shuttling back and forth until you come to a stop. Kind of cool.

Sharing the same tower as the Patriot are the Bazooka Bowls, more new slides for me. I've been on this type of slide once before (at Alabama Adventure), and I remember it being pretty intense.

It's a pretty intimidating, dark, narrow chute when you first climb in.

You then slide down this steep drop, at an incredibly fast speed. It looks pretty long, but it's amazing how quickly you shoot through it.

I imagine they have to start you fast, because once you begin spiraling around the bowl, the speed somehow abruptly stops. If you were going any slower entering the bowl, you'd probably completely stall before being flushed out.

You then drop into the very deep (and very cold) splashdown pool. This guy probably had the smoothest fall into the pool that I saw. Most people tend to end up going head first, sideways, on their back, etc. Overall, this is a fun slide to do once, but it is VERY painful on your back. Add to that the crazy scary fast drop, and I'd call Bazooka Bowls the most hard core of Wild River's slides. Others must agree with me, as, even though this is a newer slide, it was a walk-on all day.

The rest of the slides are on the other side of the mountain. Sweitzer Falls is another one that I remember loving as a kid, and it didn't disappoint as an adult either. Such a simple concept, but an awesome drop, awesome speed (if you lie on your back), and an awesome fall into the pool. This thing ends about three feet above the pool, leading to a great launch into it. Another of my top three.

Sweitzer Falls shares its pool with Bombay Blasters, without a doubt my favorite slide at the park. How often do you see a waterslide shoot out from underground?

Here's the beginning of the slide. And yep, the very beginning and the very end are all that you see. The rest is buried in the mountainside. You drop down a ways, curve to the right, curve to the left, and then pop out. The whole thing only lasts a couple of seconds because it is another of Wild River's INSANELY FAST slides. I rode this one many times while young, but I do not remember the ridiculously fast speed. So much fun.

And now for the segment titled "Graceful Ways By Which People Get Flung Out Of Bombay Blasters."

Cannonball!

Torpedo!

Why let Bombay Blasters get all the credit? You can torpedo just as well off of Sweitzer Falls.

Almost as much fun to watch as to ride.

And the winners for most graceful splashdowns. Seriously, no matter how you launch or flop off of either Sweitzer Falls or Bombay Blasters, it's totally comfortable. The water is deep and the pool is heated more than any of the other slides' pools. Two great attractions you just can't find anywhere else that I know of. It's going to be a shame to lose these when Wild Rivers closes.

Serengeti Surf Hill is your typical mat racing slide. Pretty fun, though I suppose it could be hit or miss. I saw some people shoot way past the finish line, while others got stuck somewhere in the middle of the slide and had to inch themselves along.

The black slide above Sergengeti Surf Hill is the Abyss...

...and right next door to it is Nairobi Express. Though the slide layout looks pretty similar to Serengeti Surf Hill, this is a feet-first, on-your-back body slide, not a mat slide. It apparently only operates on the busiest of days, which today wasn't, but I do remember riding it when young and enjoying it.

On the other side of Serengeti Surf Hill, also traveling beneath the Abyss, is Wahtubee, a triple dip tube slide.

Wahtubee is fun, but nothing spectacular. The Abyss finishes right alongside it.

Speaking of the Abyss, it's a completely enclosed single- or double-tube slide that is, I believe, the longest ride in the park. It certainly feels long while riding. It's also pitch dark and quite warm inside (kind of stuffy warm, which is I guess common for slides that are completely enclosed). It was enjoyable though, especially spinning around while riding in a single tube.

I thought I'd throw in a few pictures of Edge and Ledge, as it remains standing in the park but has otherwise been completely forgotten about (it's not on the park maps at all). Note that Edge and Ledge may not even be the correct name for this pair of slides. I saw an old leftover entrance sign with that name on it while on the mountain, so I figured this is what it was for.

Does anybody know the history of this ride? I feel certain that I rode it during my early visits to Wild Rivers, though it's odd that I can't remember for sure, especially since I imagine this would be pretty terrifying for a young child.

Except for the section of tubing that is discolored on the drop, it still looks to be in good shape.

In the back of the park are Wild River's two wave pools. Monsoon Lagoon is the gentler of the two, which makes it fun for everyone and therefore much more crowded.

Hurricane Harbor is the other pool, producing larger waves designed for bodyboarding.

I think you need to get a special wristband to even enter this pool. I'm not entirely sure how it works since I'm not a bodyboarder and therefore didn't really feel the need to look into it. It does look like fun though for those who know what they're doing.

Between the two wave pools is a nicely-themed jacuzzi.

Safari River Expedition is Wild River's lazy river. It encircles the entire Explorer's Island section of the park. It was relaxing and just the right temperature, though I think it could have used some more cover or secluded areas or theming or something.

It did have a few added touches here and there.

Lake Victoria is a large activity pool in the middle of Explorer's Island.

Also in this section of the park is Typhoon Lagoon, a kiddie area with scaled-down versions of some of the bigger slides. Here you can see kiddie Bombay...

...kiddie Serengeti...

...and kiddie Congo. Overall a great idea, and I imagine tons of fun for the little ones. The park also had a variety of reasonably elaborate water play areas for the kids.

Finally, I'll end with Chaos, which is the only large waterslide that is separated from the others (it's located just outside of Explorer's Island and the Safari River Expedition). It's advertised as having special effects inside, but it's another one that only opens during higher attendance days. I'm pretty sure it's relatively new, as I don't remember it at all, so I'll have to go back and try it out later this summer. Good thing I got my season pass!

Excellent Trip Report! Wild Rivers is the closest waterpark to where I live, and it is one of my favorites since it has so many unique attractions. I used to go here at least once every summer, but have only gone once in the past few years. It will be very sad to see it go. Since this is the last year, I'm going to go at least once this summer (possibly twice, but it all depends on my schedule).

I can respond to a few of the things addressed in your picture captions.

1. The rides you mentioned as being newer all opened in the 90s or early 2000s (not entirely sure, but I believe Chaos was 1994, Patriot was 1998, and Bazooka Bowls was 2002). Of those, Patriot usually seems to be the most popular (probably second in the park only to the Abyss) and Bazooka Bowls is the least popular. Bazooka Bowls is probably my favorite attraction in the park, but as you said it really hurts your back. I don't think I've ever rode it more than twice in one day, and even in it's opening year I've never seen a line off the platform except on the most crowded days.

2. According to my dad, Cobra opened with the park and Wipeout opened the next year. I'm guessing the flush system was probably not working quite right at first. I remember when they used to use the full tank and you would blast down the slide (I'm almost certain I've ridden on the top half of the tube before), but now it seems like they barely use any of it. Speaking of the flush system, however, there is one other ride I've been on that uses it. It is called Blast Off and is located in Pyrite Rapids Water Park, which is part of Fiesta Village Family Fun Center in Colton, CA. Wipeout, however, is significantly better.

3. Bombay Blasters, and particularly Sweitzer Falls, are definitely a lot more fun than they look. Both slides look really simple, but they are among the best in the park. I'm always surprised by how fast Sweitzer Falls gets going. For whatever reason, neither of these rides ever seen to get that much of a line.

4. Nairobi Express and Chaos used to operate all the time, but in the past ten years or so they have not been operated regularly. I think I have been twice in that time when Nairobi Express was operating, but Chaos has run probably every other visit. If you go on a weekend, Chaos will almost certainly be open. It used to have sound and light effects in it, but none of them work anymore. Nairobi Express is a fun ride, as well as a very fast one, but the ending can be uncomfortable.

5. Hurricane Harbor requires a bodyboard rental as it is only for bodyboarding. You must go to the rental hut to recieve a wristband. If you aren't good at bodyboarding, you'll probably end up riding one good wave and spending the rest of the session trying to get back out there. I did it once and it was fun, but I'm not a wavepool person in general so I haven't done it a second time yet.

6. Finally, the Edge/Ledge. These slides have been at the park for quite some time, although they were not original attractions (I think my dad said they opened in the late 80s, about the time the Abyss did). When they opened, they were among the most intense rides at any waterpark. The Edge (left slide) featured a 30 ft drop at a 45 degree angle, while the ledge (right side) featured a high speed ramp finale in the dark. At some point, the Ledge was modified, and the drop was replaced with semi-transparent tubing (the reason it looks discolored). The rides operated like this for a number of years. [note: this part is just what I have heard and I am not entirely sure it it is true] Then (I think around 2000-2001), there was an accident on the attraction. I don't know what happened, but I believe it had to do with the steep drop on the Edge. Most modern drop slides consist of only the drop, so you go over the top very slowly. On the Edge, however, you were travelling at a significant speed when you reached the drop, causing riders to completely lift off the slide for a very brief period of time. I don't think the person involved fell off, but I think they injured themselves by twisting in mid-air and landing badly. [end unconfirmed part] Anyway, the ride was closed down for a year or two after that. When it reopened, both sides were identical with the ramp finale, although the former Edge was still in complete darkness. At this point, the ride was renamed The Liquidator. It operated like this for several years, then closed down suddenly. I last remember it operating in 2006. The staff at the park said it was closed for renovations, but each time I've gone since then it has gotten more and more abandoned. It was (in order): walled off, removed from the map, sealed off on the lower end, had the cover taken down, and allowed to become overgrown. Now that the stairs have been removed (and the park is soon to close), I think it is safe to say it is never coming back. It was a fun ride, but it was worse on your back than Bazooka Bowls (you were probably moving at nearly 40 mph when you hit the runout at the bottom).

Glad to see you enjoyed Wild Rivers. It is always sad when a park closes, and even worse when it is a more unique one. It has been rumored for quite some time, but I still thought this park would last at least a few more years (I believe the amphitheater's lease doesn't expire until 2014, and I don't know why anyone would want to live next to an amphitheater).

Yay... one of the few instances where I can be helpful as I am a former employee of wild rivers for 3 years. I totally don't know if this is "public" or not, but what I was told from my supervisors was that someone broke their jaw on the transitional part of liquidator when the slide begins the steep drop. It's funny... after working there I have no desire to go back... and it's not that I don't like the place... I just did everything SO MANY TIMES it got old after a while.

Typhoon Lagoon? Hurricane Harbor? No lawsuit? . Great pics.

The rides you mentioned as being newer all opened in the 90s or early 2000s (not entirely sure, but I believe Chaos was 1994, Patriot was 1998, and Bazooka Bowls was 2002). Of those, Patriot usually seems to be the most popular (probably second in the park only to the Abyss) and Bazooka Bowls is the least popular.

This was definitely the trend I noticed. The Abyss and Patriot were the longest lines of the day, while Bazooka Bowls was empty. The last time I went to Wild Rivers was probably in the very early 90s, so Chaos, Patriot and Bazooka Bowls were new to me. Do you happen to remember when Wahtubee opened? I'm not sure I remember it either, but I could just be forgetting about it. I distinctly remember all of the other older waterslides (Bombay Blasters, Sweitzer Falls, Nairobi Express, Congo River Rapids, Wipeout, etc.).

Bombay Blasters, and particularly Sweitzer Falls, are definitely a lot more fun than they look. Both slides look really simple, but they are among the best in the park. I'm always surprised by how fast Sweitzer Falls gets going. For whatever reason, neither of these rides ever seen to get that much of a line.

I completely agree about them being among the best in the park (they were actually my favorite two). And they never had a line of more than a few people. I wonder if it's because they're so short and they can process people so quickly that a line never really gets a chance to form.

I think I have been twice in that time when Nairobi Express was operating, but Chaos has run probably every other visit. If you go on a weekend, Chaos will almost certainly be open.

This is exactly what I was told by an employee. Chaos is generally open, while Nairobi Express opens only on the very busiest of days. I guess I'll have to go on a Saturday in the middle of summer (when I would normally be staying away from a park) if I want to ride Nairobi.

Finally, the Edge/Ledge. These slides have been at the park for quite some time, although they were not original attractions (I think my dad said they opened in the late 80s, about the time the Abyss did). When they opened, they were among the most intense rides at any waterpark. The Edge (left slide) featured a 30 ft drop at a 45 degree angle, while the ledge (right side) featured a high speed ramp finale in the dark. At some point, the Ledge was modified, and the drop was replaced with semi-transparent tubing (the reason it looks discolored). The rides operated like this for a number of years. [note: this part is just what I have heard and I am not entirely sure it it is true] Then (I think around 2000-2001), there was an accident on the attraction. I don't know what happened, but I believe it had to do with the steep drop on the Edge. Most modern drop slides consist of only the drop, so you go over the top very slowly. On the Edge, however, you were travelling at a significant speed when you reached the drop, causing riders to completely lift off the slide for a very brief period of time. I don't think the person involved fell off, but I think they injured themselves by twisting in mid-air and landing badly. [end unconfirmed part] Anyway, the ride was closed down for a year or two after that. When it reopened, both sides were identical with the ramp finale, although the former Edge was still in complete darkness. At this point, the ride was renamed The Liquidator. It operated like this for several years, then closed down suddenly. I last remember it operating in 2006. The staff at the park said it was closed for renovations, but each time I've gone since then it has gotten more and more abandoned. It was (in order): walled off, removed from the map, sealed off on the lower end, had the cover taken down, and allowed to become overgrown. Now that the stairs have been removed (and the park is soon to close), I think it is safe to say it is never coming back. It was a fun ride, but it was worse on your back than Bazooka Bowls (you were probably moving at nearly 40 mph when you hit the runout at the bottom).

You're right, the exit of the slide was off limits to park guests (just as the entrance was), and what I could see of the final straightaway was very overgrown. Kind of sad, but maybe a good thing if it was too intense and painful and bordering on dangerous. Then again, I am pretty sure I rode it as a kid (apparently in one of its early incarnations), so it must have been doable. Anyway, thanks for all the great info. Hopefully the park will find a new location to call home, though I'm not going to hold my breath.

Nice Photo TR. You pretty much summed the park perfectly. I'm definitely looking foreword to going back there this summer.

The Edge and Ledge were a pair of slides refered to as the Liquidators (I remember riding them when they were open). I remember the slide on the left being more intense than the one on the right.

Shame they're closed now. They were among the better slides at the park.

Do you happen to remember when Wahtubee opened? I'm not sure I remember it either, but I could just be forgetting about it.

No, I do not. It has been there as long as I can remember, and I started going to the park the year Chaos opened. I don't think it was an original attraction, but I'm almost certain it opened before the Abyss and Edge/Ledge. One interesting thing I do know about Wahtubee is that it was modified relatively recently. Originally, the ride did not have start tubs or a waterfall, and the top was almost identical to the top of Serengeti Surf Hill. This works okay for a mat slide, but attempting to get on an innertube when it is on a steep, slippery downhill slope is not easy. I saw more than a few people that either had difficulty holding on and went early, or slipped getting into their tube and heading down without one.

Universal Studios Hollywood did not open a major new attraction this year, though the park did introduce a couple new additions last year. Since I somehow managed to not visit Universal at all in 2010, those attractions were still new to me this year.

The major attraction that the park opened in 2010 was King Kong 360 3-D, a replacement for the old King Kong Encounter on the Studio Tour that was destroyed during the 2008 backlot fire. You'd actually think this was a "new for 2011" addition, as Universal still advertises and promotes and hypes it to the same extent they did last year. I imagine it has proven very popular for the park.

Interestingly, 2010's other new addition was never really advertised at all. The Special Effects Stage took over the show building that has previously housed Creature from the Black Lagoon, Fear Factor Live, Spiderman Rocks, Beetlejuice's Graveyard Revue, Adventures of Conan, and probably some others that I'm forgetting. The Special Effects Stage is a revamp of the former Special Effects Stages that was removed to make way for the park's next big addition, 2012's new Transformers ride.

Universal Studios Hollywood is an interesting park in that there are only about a dozen attractions. However, it is still very easy to spend the entire day, as many attractions require a decent investment of time. The shows run about 15 to 25 minutes in length. The famous Studio Tour tram ride lasts between 45 minutes and an hour. The park is divided into an Upper Lot and a Lower Lot, separated by a very large system of escalators called the Starway. It is not the simplest of tasks to travel back and forth between the Upper and Lower Lots, as it takes some time to head up or down the Starway. This is not by any means a complaint; it just makes the park quite unique.

There is also an exciting feel throughout Universal that I attribute to being in a theme park based on movies that also serves as a working studio in the entertainment capital of the world. Where else can you find a theme park that fits that description?

The iconic Universal globe just outside the park, with the entrance arch in the background.

You don't have to be famous to walk the red carpet when entering (or exiting) Universal.

Let's start the day at the world famous Backlot Studio Tram Tour, of course featuring the new King Kong 360 3-D.

The tour begins by taking guests past a history of Universal films in the form of a timeline of movie posters. You then briefly pass through the front lot of the studio before heading into the backlot.

The first stop in the backlot consists of the new Metropolitan / New York sets that have mostly been rebuilt since the 2008 fire.

What's nice about the new sets is that Universal has added some more modern looking buildings into the mix.

In addition, the classical looking New York sets are still present.

Also found amongst the Metropolitan sets is Courthouse Square, which was of course seen in the Back to the Future films. I also learned for the first time that this was also the courthouse building seen in To Kill a Mockingbird. The courthouse survived the 2008 fire, so this is the actual set seen in the films, not a rebuilt version.

An overview of the recently rebuilt Metropolitan / New York sets. You can see the courthouse in the back center of the picture.

After the New York sets, it's time for the current headliner attraction at Universal, King Kong 360 3-D.

Peter Jackson gives a brief intro to the attraction and the King Kong film history.

The attraction itself is very impressive. It is billed as the world's largest 3-D experience, consisting of two long screens that run the length of both sides of the tram. The screens are designed to look like the images are surrounding the entire tram, as Kong and the dinos he's battling leap from one side to the other. What I like most about the attraction is that the 3-D is not meant to be "in your face" so that you are consciously aware that you are watching something in 3-D. Instead, it is simply meant to look real. I've always felt this way about the Terminator attraction in the park as well, but this one takes it to even the next level of realism. Although the tram stays stationary, there are several cool effects, giving the impression that you are speeding along while being chased by dinos, falling off a cliff, or being jumped on by Kong himself. Though the whole thing only lasts a few minutes (as do all of the individual Studio Tour attractions), it is very well done, and I would say worthy of the hype. Each time I rode it received a round of applause.

Just outside of Kong is the old Collapsing Bridge, which I'm pretty sure is being used just as decoration these days rather than as an actual working attraction. This is sort of a shame, as it was always fun to ride over, but not too terribly disappointing, as there are plenty of other attractions on the tour that will jolt you around (especially Kong and Earthquake). It is always somewhat of an uncertainty throughout the entire tour what specifically you will experience, as they are constantly adjusting the route to accommodate any filming or other work. I rode the Studio Tour twice during this visit, once in the morning and once in the late afternoon. The first time we traveled through Little Europe and the old Parting of the Red Sea exhibits, yet we skipped these later that same day. (I unfortunately didn't get any pictures of them the first time around.) There's also always the possibility that you might actually glimpse a movie or TV or music video shoot, or even a celebrity, though that is pretty rare.

Next up on the tour are some prop cars that have been used in various movies, the most famous of which is probably the Back to the Future DeLorean.

Speaking of cars, into what award-worthy attraction are we entering now?

Oh goodie.

The attraction bascially consists of two cars that get set into motion by an explosion.

They leap forward...

...and then dance for us. I know the Fast and Furious movies are popular and make a ton of money for Universal, but this is honestly the dumbest thing in the park.

Moving on, the tram passes by several props from the Jurassic Park films (mostly the second film, The Lost World).

Next is Old Mexico, the setting for the Flash Flood attraction.

After Old Mexico is the Old West. This area includes some of the oldest sets in the park, from back during the days of Universal's silent westerns, long before it was a park.

Soundstage 50 is the next stop. We're told we are getting a special treat by being allowed to enter.

In actuality, this is the show building that houses the Earthquake attraction. It's designed as a subway station that essentially "crumbles" all around the tram once the shaking begins.

Amity Island is the next destination.

I know the Jaws attraction is old and cheesy and fake-looking, but it's a classic and still remains one of my favorite parts of the Studio Tour.

For you Desperate Housewives fans, the tram travels down Wisteria Lane. I'm actually more familiar with this house as 1313 Mockingbird Lane, the home to the Munsters before it became the home to Teri Hatcher (or whichever housewife lives here).

The Whoville sets from How the Grinch Stole Christmas follow the Desperate Housewives sets.

Another of my favorite stops on the Studio Tour is the Bates Motel and Psycho House. In years past the tram used to just pass by the sets. Now there is a live scene in which Norman Bates comes out of the motel, stuffs Marion Crane's body into the trunk of the car, and then proceeds to approach the tram wielding his knife.

Mrs. Bates can also be glimpsed in the window of the Psycho House as the tram passes by.

The War of the Worlds crash site is very impressive.

This is an actual 747 that Universal destroyed, not just a fake prop.

Tons of great detail throughout the set.

You may recognize this cabin from the Great Outdoors movie or the Coach TV show.

The final stop on the Studio Tour is the Mummy's Tomb, which is essentially one long dizzying funhouse tunnel. This has previously been themed as both an avalanche and a volcanic eruption (Dante's Peak), both of which I think I preferred, though there is kind of a funny gag now involving some scarab beetles and the tram guide.

Speaking of the tram guide, Jimmy Fallon recently became the Studio Tour host, replacing Whoopi Goldberg. Each tram car has a few video monitors that show clips throughout the tour. Jimmy Fallon comes on every now and then in a short comedy sketch that usually involves whatever set the tour happens to be viewing. Each tram also has a live tour guide, who actually provides most of the information. Jimmy Fallon does sing us out, though, bidding us a "tramtastic" day. Overall, I highly recommend the Studio Tour, though I'm sure you don't need my recommendation. It's easily the most famous and popular attraction at Universal.

Time to check out the rest of the attractions at Universal Studios Hollywood. The Simpsons Ride is the park's newest ride, replacing the old Back to the Future ride. While I very much enjoyed Back to the Future and a part of me will always miss it, I do like the Simpsons even better. It's a giant simulator ride that is rough but wild the way a simulator should be, with a storyline that is a bit incoherent but hilarious, involving typical Simpsons humor spoofing theme parks with all kinds of in-jokes. My favorite: Don't worry, a theme park won't kill you as long as you've got a dime left in your pocket.

All of the park's shows are found in the Upper Lot. My very favorite is Terminator 2 3-D. There's a lot of talk about this show being dated and a replacement being in the works, but I completely disagree and hope the show stays for a long time. This is actually my favorite 3-D show at any theme park. It so perfectly blends an awesome pre-show (how often is a pre-show awesome?) with the main show, which itself blends live action, a 3-D film, and 4-D effects seamlessly. And as I mentioned above with King Kong, the 3-D here is not meant to make you jump or reach out and touch; it is meant to look real. And it does. Everything about Terminator 2 3-D succeeds flawlessly.

Shrek 4-D is a newer attraction than Terminator, but it isn't quite as good in my opinion. It's not by any means bad, and I do very much enjoy it. It's just that Terminator is so awesome that everything else sort of pales by comparison. The pre-show here actually drags a little, but the main show is admittedly entertaining, blending typical Shrek humor with 3-D and 4-D effects (including some very bouncy seats).

Waterworld is another show around which rumors of replacement constantly swirl. I'll agree that this one is a bit dated, plus it's based on a movie that wasn't that good in the first place. However, as a stunt show, Waterworld actually works quite well.

There's a lot of acrobatics on jet skis and water skis.

The sea plane that gets launched into the stadium always receives tons of "oohs" and "ahhs" from the audience.

There's an impressive high fall by the villain, who has been set on fire.

The heroes escape just before...

...the entire set explodes. Overall, the stunts are very good, the pyrotechnics are great, and the show has a catchy musical score. However, there's a lot of corny dialogue and hammy acting that gets old after a while. I won't be too upset if Waterworld gets replaced, as I've seen it so many times, but I'll also be happy if it stays. I think it's especially popular with first-timers.

Universal's Animal Actors is a pretty typical trained animal show, which is fine, since trained animal shows tend to be entertaining.

All of the animals in Universal's show have appeared in film or television. Famous dog stars that may make appearances are Lassie, Benji, or Beethoven.

The orangutan always steals the show.

Other animals include cats, pigs, rats, birds, and this cute little kit fox that was new to the show.

The park's newest show. The Special Effects Stage showcases the use of classic practical effects plus modern visual effects in the making of movies and TV shows.

I thought that this show would basically be identical to the old Special Effects Stages (with just on one set instead of three), but they actually made it pretty different. They seemed to reuse more of the props from the former Creature from the Black Lagoon show, such as this boat, than from the Special Effects Stages show.

They also reused the cables and harnesses from Black Lagoon. This was for the finale of the show, in which an "audience member" is rigged up and made to look like he is floating through space. I think a show like this is definitely needed in a park like Universal, and I'm glad they tried to modernize it by including a discussion of visual effects (which the old Special Effects Stages lacked), but I think I'll still give the edge to the old show. I really liked the horror movie component of that one (a little of which was reproduced here), as well as the sound effects component (which is now completely absent). Maybe I was just used to the old show's format. I'll save final judgement for this one until after I see it again.

One attraction that I absolutely love is Universal's House of Horrors, a year-round walk-through haunted maze themed to all of Univesal's classic horror films. This is very elaborate and incredibly lengthy and just extremely well done. You get to walk through scenes from Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolf Man, Psycho, Child's Play, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and more. This has previously been themed exclusively to the Mummy and Van Helsing, but it works so much better as a mix of all the Universal classics.

They've added more live actors into the House of Horrors over the past couple of years, making it a truly scary haunted maze (which means probably not appropriate for little kids; I've seen many come out bawling). It's especially creepy if you're walking through alone with just your group, which can happen especially at the end of the day. However, don't race through at a panicked pace. Take your time and really enjoy the atmosphere and details. I can't emphasize enough how exceptionally well done it is, especially for what is considered a "minor attraction" at the park. It would rank as one of the best haunted houses I've ever been through, and, believe it or not, possibly my favorite attraction at the park.

That's it for the Upper Lot. Time to head down the Starway to the Lower Lot.

The Starway is an elaborate system of escalators that connects the Upper and Lower Lots.

The Lower Lot is the location of Jurassic Park The Ride, an awesome boat ride that opened 15 years ago but still remains among Universal Studio's best.

Everyone's favorite dinosaurs from the movie make appearances here, including Dilophosaurus (the "spitter").

Velociraptor is of course present too.

Tyrannosaurus rex terrorizes you before you make the final thrilling drop to safety. The ride will splash you throughout but definitely won't soak you, so it should satisfy everyone. A definite must for fans of the movie.

This guy (Spinosaurus from Jurassic Park III) can also be found creeping around outside the ride itself.

Next door to Jurassic Park is Revenge of the Mummy The Ride, Universal Hollywood's only coaster (an indoor roller coaster). For the most part, I really like it. I love the dark ride portion that begins the ride. I love the launch into the forward section of the coaster. I love the transition from forward to backwards that includes a visit by scarab beetles. However, the very end of the ride (the transition from backwards to forward) is completely anticlimactic and unsatisfying. I have not yet been on the Florida version of the ride, but it sounds like it has an infinitely superior ending. However, I do rank everything else about Hollywood's Mummy very highly.

That's actually it for the Lower Lot. The old Special Effects Stages and Backdraft used to be down here too, but they've been taken over by construction of next year's headliner ride, Transformers. Something to look forward to and a reason to come back in 2012!

Very nice pics!

Time for a visit to Six Flags Magic Mountain, as the park has debuted all of its new 2011 coasters. Magic Mountain now of course has "the park with the most coasters on the planet" claim to fame (18 of them). This post is going to focus exclusively on the roller coasters of Six Flags Magic Mountain, as it is a pretty huge park and there are so many coasters. I'll save the park's water rides (four of them), flat rides (only about a half dozen very standard flats), and whatever goodies the park has in store for next year for a later post.

I've actually been to SFMM several times so far this summer, but have been saving everything for one large post. I must say that I have been very impressed with operations. All of the coasters, water rides, and flat rides have been operational on every visit. There have only been a few minor things I've noticed. Green Lantern and Superman seem to have regular bouts of downtime, though they are brief and I suppose expected with new rides (it is a little aggravating to be stuck in line for Superman on the side that breaks down, while the other side continues to run, but what are you going to do?). The audio on X2 has been mostly silent. Tatsu is running two trains, which sounds like it should be fine, but the ride is really designed for three. Because they are still using both load stations, with one train servicing each, once you get to your station it bascially is one-train operation, and it takes FOREVER. However, these are very minor points. For the most part operations have been pretty much perfect.

Here we are. We'll be focusing on Magic Mountain today, specifically on the park's 18 roller coasters.

It seems appropriate to begin with the park's newest coaster, Green Lantern: First Flight.

Green Lantern is of course the first Intamin vertical spin coaster in the U.S. Here you can see the eight-person train ascending the lift.

The first half of the ride is pretty mild. The seats mostly just rock back and forth a bit during the first couple of straightaways and drops.

However, the trains then reach the midcourse brakes, and everything changes from there.

The second half of the ride was honestly the most intense coaster experience I've ever had. I actually don't know if we were flipping repeatedly or just suspended in an upside down position, but the positive g-forces and pressure on my head were unlike anything I've ever experienced. This final up-and-down stretch back to the station is pretty much insane. It was all pretty brief, but probably thankfully so.

Now a look from the other side.

Pretty calm here.

Pretty hardcore here.

And now a couple of pictures I got from the park's Sky Tower. That's Tidal Wave in front of Green Lantern (behind it, actually, as this is the back of the coaster).

I've only gotten one ride in on Green Lantern, so I'm not really in a position yet to give my final take on it. Watching it run, it doesn't look like much. I mean, it looks cool and unique and all, but it doesn't look very intense. I really think I saw some trains not flip at all, which would probably result in a very brief, disappointing ride. However, as there is complete freedom of movement here (unlike with X2), if you do get a flippy car you'll be grateful the ride is brief. That's why I need to ride again before I can say anything for sure. If I got an exceptionally wild ride, then the intensity is appropriate. If, however, I got one of the milder rides, then I'm actually a little scared to go on again.

Time for the park's next new-for-2011 coaster, Superman: Escape from Krypton.

I know Superman isn't technically a new coaster, but it sure feels brand new. It's got a bright new paint job of red, blue, and yellow, as opposed to the drab gray that it used to be.

Oh, and have I mentioned yet that it runs backwards?

Superman backwards is SO MUCH MORE FUN than Superman forwards was. The backwards launch is awesome, and the forward drop is incredible. On how many other rides do you get to experience a backward launch at 100+ mph and a 400 foot straight-down drop? Not too many that I can think of.

Plus let's not ignore the fact that it is actually going 100 mph again like it's supposed to (they actually claim that it goes 108 mph). This therefore takes the cars to the top of the tower like they should, far higher than anything we've seen for a long time with the old Superman. Plus both sides are operational again. Like I said, it feels like a new experience, and it is a GREAT improvement.

The seating configuration is a little different than before, plus the new trains look way cool. They're not so bulky and restricting to your view like they used to be. Don't worry at all about the arm shields on the sides of the trains. I didn't even notice them while riding in the outside seats.

A full view of the ride from the Sky Tower. Despite its impressive stats and intimidating look, I actually think Superman is an appropriate ride for everyone. I rode with a seven-year-old nephew who was just tall enough to make the 48" height requirement, and he loved it. If you are looking for a ride that is simply pure fun, I think you could do no better than Superman: Escape from Krypton.

The third and final new coaster for 2011 is Road Runner Express. This is of course a standard Vekoma roller skater (the exact same ride you can find, incidentally, at nearby Disneyland and Castle Park). While I was a little bummed to lose the Sierra Falls "dry" waterslides that used to be in this spot, I suppose it is important to have a selection of coasters for the younger folk in addition to the bigger folk.

The ride is fun enough for what it is. Located between Bugs Bunny World and Whistlestop Park (the former Thomas Town), there has never been much of a line for this. They could therefore probably let it go around twice, but they don't. What I liked most about the ride was the theming. I actually think they did a really good job in that department.

Time to explore the park's many other coasters, starting with my very favorite, X2.

One of the best first drops you'll find on any coaster. You do a 180-degree front flip while dropping, so though you begin the drop looking straight down, you end it looking straight up!

You then go into this loop which, because of the way the seats rotate, never actually inverts you. Instead, it provides a great feeling of soaring and swooping.

On the opposite end of the coaster is this turnaround, which is the calmest part of the ride. However, it sets you up for...

...the craziest part of the ride. This funky turn-loop (which they call a raven turn) is followed by another non-inverting loop and a final raven turn. All three elements are incredibly intense and want to eject your body from the seats. Be grateful for your restraints here! By the way, the train does an awesome 360-degree back flip while traveling through that hill next to the raven turn.

What makes X2 different from the previous X? A better paint scheme, new trains (a very similar fourth dimensional design though), an audio track, and fire!

I'll admit that X2 is a little rough. It never bangs my head side-to-side though. Instead, it has a tendency to bang the back of my head against the headrest. However, I don't even care about that, as the ride is totally worth it. The whole thing feels so massive and powerful and performs maneuvers that you just can't experience anywhere else. (No sexual innuendo intended with that last sentence.) X2 isn't just my favorite coaster at Magic Mountain. It's my favorite coaster ANYWHERE. I absolutely love it.

Right next to X2 is Viper.

Curvy first drop.

The very tall first loop.

It's not necessarily a large loop; the train just has to travel pretty high up to get to it.

Back-to-back vertical loops and corkscrews must mean we're on an Arrow coaster.

The contorted boomerang loops also give that fact away.

The final dip of the ride.

Viper was a world-class coaster when it opened in 1990. Today it wouldn't even quite crack my top 10 list at SFMM. However, I do enjoy it. I also very much appreciate that it is still here. With Six Flags Great America and Six Flags Great Adventure losing their Arrow megaloopers, I hope that the same fate is not in store for Six Flags Magic Mountain's.

From the Sky Tower. I told you X2 and Viper were right next to each other. I would still to this day classify Arrow megaloopers as some of the most photogenic coasters, and this sure is an attractive view.

Speaking of rides leaving parks, let's head over to Deja Vu.

While I don't think it's been confirmed yet by Magic Mountain that this coaster is on its way out, it sounds like it's been confirmed by Six Flags New England that it's on its way in, which doesn't leave much guesswork.

This news is disappointing to me. I know some out there are not fans of Deja Vu (giant inverted boomerangs in general), but I love this ride. In fact, it's my second favorite at the park (after X2). Everyone says that it's not reliable and it's never open. I disagree. It has actually been running perfectly well all summer. They tend to keep it closed during the off-season, but if that's what it takes to make it run well during the crowded periods, I'm fine with that. The only consolation that I have is that the ride is being moved and not scrapped, plus this could mean a new coaster is on the way to take its spot. After all, they'll lose their coveted coaster crown if they don't replace it. It's going to be hard to beat Deja Vu in my opinion though.

Next door to Deja Vu is Apocalypse.

Apocalypse is of course the GCI wooden coaster that opened in 2009 as Terminator, replacing Psyclone. It has since lost the Terminator name, but the apocalyptic theming remains essentially unchanged. Hence the new name Apocalypse.

I'm in the very tiny minority of people who actually kind of liked Psyclone, but I'll be the first to admit that Apocalypse is far superior. It begins with a twisty GCI first drop.

In fact, pretty much the entire ride is twisty or hilly. In typical GCI fashion, with the exception of the station fly-through, there is very little straight track to be found anywhere.

There's also fire. And the ride's infamous tunnels.

Also worth noting is that this coaster seriously flies through the course. At night especially, it just tears its way through. An absolute blast!

From the Sky Tower, you can see that Deja Vu and Apocalypse are neighbors. You can also somewhat make out Apocalypse's layout, though it's not entirely apparent. If I have one MINOR complaint about Apocalypse (no, it's not the preshow videos, which I actually don't mind), it's that it's just a tad too short. Especially since it moves so fast, it does tend to end a little too quickly.

Enjoy your ride.

Deja Vu's vertical loop awesomeness. Along with most people, I'm not a huge fan of standard boomerangs. However, giant inverted boomerangs don't belong anywhere near the same category. The hang time, the staight-down drops, the enormous loops, the forwards and backwards. I love it all.

A great corner of the park that is going to become far less great unless an equally great replacement shows up.

Turning toward the opposite end of the park, we find another steel coaster / wood coaster combo. Note that you can also make out Road Runner Express in the bottom right corner of this picture.

Goliath is the park's hypercoaster. Even the ride's name is huge.

Some claim that the first drop isn't steep enough. It sure looks and feels steep while riding though.

From this view you can observe the height of the ride, as well as the positive g-force helix twistiness that makes up the coaster's second half.

From this angle the drop sure looks steep. And still tall, even with Superman towering over it. The smaller (but still large) hill next to the big drop provides very nice airtime. You can also see a Colossus train peaking over its lift.

Goliath's sweeping turnaround, connecting the first drop to the airtime hill.

Colossus' first drop. While still very entertaining, it's hard to believe that this was once one of the world's most spectacular coasters.

I guess it still looks reasonably impressive. And don't get me wrong. It's still lots of fun.

A nice view showing off the layout of both coasters, as well their location next to Superman and Scream (to the left). Goliath ranks in my top 5 at SFMM. Colossus is (like Viper) just outside of my top 10. I'm not sure how I feel about a potential re-tracking of Colossus. I think it's already been tampered with enough, but if the re-tracking could return Colossus to its original glory, then it would be worth it.

Let's head next to Tatsu, the park's B&M flyer.

The coaster's soaring first drop. It's hard to tell from this picture, but you are very high above the ground at this point. You are also of course lying face-down toward it.

After the first drop you twist and turn around the Sky Tower.

Then there's this fun and unique turn (not really a loop).

Believe it or not, everything up to this point has been sort of peaceful and relaxing. That all changes once you arive at the coaster's signature element, the pretzel loop.

The pretzel loop ranks higher than Goliath's helix in the intensity department, but it's now been beat out by Green Lantern's intensity.

A zoomed-out view of most of Tatsu's layout. I've been on a couple of other B&M flyers (Superman at SFGAd and SFOG) plus one Vekoma flyer (Batwing at SFA), and I can say that Tatsu is my favorite.

Much of Tatsu occupies the front of the park, along with SFMM's classic Revolution coaster.

Tatsu sure changes the appearance of the park's famous entrance fountains and waterfalls.

Revolution is a Schwarzkopf coaster, but not your typical compact Schwarzkopf. It's actually sprawled out over a good portion of the front of the park. The coaster with the most comparable layout would probably be Hersheypark's Sooperdooperlooper.

One of Revolution's drops.

Navigating the world's first vertical loop.

The spiral that ends the ride, with Tatsu's pretzel loop looming in the background.

A look from the Sky Tower at both coasters doing their thing. While Revolution is by no means a huge or incredibly thrilling coaster by today's standards (plus it has unnecessary over-the-shoulder restraints that cause a decent amount of headbanging), it gains points for its historic status and for being a classic icon.

In addition to Tatsu, SFMM has a few other B&M's. Batman is the park's B&M inverted coaster.

The first drop and vertical loop.

The zero-g roll, the most intense part of the ride.

The second vertical loop plus a corkscrew in the foreground.

Navigating said corkscrew.

A look at the entire second half of the ride (after the drop, first vertical loop, and zero-g roll). While Batman represents an early compact B&M inverted design, it is a very intense and still very good one.

The Riddler's Revenge is the park's B&M stand-up. Notice how the lift hill actually travels through the coaster's enormous vertical loop.

At the top of the lift, ready to dive back down into that massive loop.

I think I can, I think I can...

A couple of dive loops follow.

Through the dive loop.

Through the oblique loop, which is like a vertical loop sort of tilted on its side.

Dive loop.

Oblique loop. So much looping and twisting goodness everywhere on this ride.

See, more looping and twisting goodness.

And you do it all while standing up.

From the Sky Tower, you can see that Batman and Riddler hang out next to each other (though I thought they were enemies). Riddler was my favorite ride in the park when it opened in 1998. It is a very long ride that used to be uber smooth. Though it rattles a little more these days than it did back then, I still think I like it slightly better than Batman, mainly due to its length and variety of elements.

Zooming out a bit, you can also see how Green Lantern fits in. It's kind of weird having two green tracks right next to each other, but I know that both coasters obviously need to be green. Speaking of colors, Batman's new blue coloration looks a lot nicer than its former dark gray color scheme.

And one final B&M, Scream, this time a floorless coaster. Down the curvy first drop. (What is it with B&M and their curvy first drops?)

Through the vertical loop.

Like Riddler, Scream has a gigantic vertical loop.

Also like Riddler, Scream has a dive loop. It's pretty funny to look at people's legs sticking out on floorless coasters. Check out the front row.

A couple of elements are unique to Scream. Here you can see the cobra roll plus the preceding zero-g roll, which is quite different from Batman's and actually my favorite inversion on the ride.

Cobra roll.

And yes, Scream is SFMM's infamous parking lot coaster.

After the midcourse brakes there is some twistiness, followed by...

...interlocking corkscrews. Scream is definitely a fun ride, but it's never proven very popular. Probably because it is constucted over the parking lot and is so similar in its elements to Riddler, it might come across as a "second rate" ride. Only at Six Flags Magic Mountain could a seven-inversion floorless megacoaster be considered second rate. I do have a few more pictures left to go, but I'll put them in a separate post since I've reached my max here. Coming right up...

The roller coasters of Six Flags Magic Mountain continued...

Ninja is the park's Arrow suspended coaster.

The swinging turns are what this type of ride is all about.

Ninja is built on and around the park's Samurai Summit hillside.

From the Sky Tower you can follow most of Ninja's path along the mountain, traveling through the trees and weaving in and out of the Jet Stream flume ride. For the record, I liked Big Bad Wolf much better than Ninja, but I like Ninja better than any of the other Arrow suspendeds that I've been on (which isn't too many - Iron Dragon and XLR-8).

The park's oldest coaster is Gold Rusher, an Arrow mine train.

Like most mine trains, Gold Rusher has a couple of lifts and moderately sized drops. It ends with a fun spiraling helix. Though it stretches out through the middle of the park, there aren't too many places to get pictures of it, so this is it. (If you scroll up to the shot of Superman from the Sky Tower, you can see a bit of Gold Rusher's track crossing under the start of Superman's track.)

To be complete, I've got a couple of pictures of the park's kiddie coasters. Canyon Blaster is located in Bugs Bunny World and is actually kind of fun. I couldn't get a shot of the entire ride, but there are a couple of small jolting drops and a turnaround before reaching these lurching bunny hops. For an adult it mostly provides whiplash, but for whatever reason I was amused and entertained by the whole thing.

And finally the REALLY kiddie coaster, Magic Flyer. This one is located in Whistlestop Park and is exclusively for those under 54" tall. It's therefore the only SFMM coaster that I haven't been able to ride. Actually, this ride has been around since the park first opened, going through various themes (Clown Coaster, Wile E. Coyote Coaster, Goliath Jr., Percy's Railway, and now the Magic Flyer). So I suppose I could have ridden it as a kid, but I honestly don't remember.

There you have it. A look at the 18 roller coasters located at Six Flags Magic Mountain. I'll leave you with this shot from the 5 freeway just north of the park. If that view doesn't get your adrenaline pumping as you approach, you must be lacking adrenal glands. How many roller coasters do you see in this photo? I count seven. Pretty impressive to think that this skyline doesn't even contain half of the park's coasters!

You didn't skimp on the picture taking. Great job. The new paint jobs on Batman and Superman really make the skyline look better.

Wow I really like and appreciate TR's like this. Being someone whose never been to the park but always wanted to this a very cool report.

Amazing pictures! Those pics really make me wanna get out to SFMM as soon as the weather cools down! Thanks alot.

WOW!! Thanks for such an extensive photo tour through SFMM's awesome-looking coaster collection! Your photos are spectacular by the way! I have to say, of all the parks on my "I must go there" list, SFMM sits at #1, without question.

Very nice bro. And i work in that industrial park on your right as you head back north on the 5. I see that alot, and still get pumped every time.

With the summer season winding down (yet the temperatures still scorching in So Cal), I figured I'd hit up one more waterpark before they start closing for the year. I decided to visit Pharaoh's Adventure Park, which contains a waterpark that I've actually never been to before.

Located in Redlands, Pharaoh's used to be called Pharaoh's Lost Kingdom. It contained a waterpark, a family fun center, plus rides (a galaxi coaster, a powered kiddie coaster, and about half a dozen flats). I visited the park once during that time to ride the rides. About five years ago the park closed and the rides were removed.

Last year the park reopened as Pharaoh's Adventure Park, with the Splash Kindgom waterpark now serving as the headliner attraction. As I didn't visit the waterpark during my previous visit, I don't know if it changed much, but I don't think so. The family fun center part is also still here, though with not quite as many attractions. It operates year-round.

You have to pay to enter the waterpark ($24.99), though the fun center attractions are pay-as-you-go (there are of course unlimited options for them too). Also unique to Pharaoh's is their buffet, which you have to pay to even enter ($9.99). You're given a wristband and can then I believe come and go from it all day, eating as much as you want, which is a pretty good deal.

The welcome sign that hasn't been replaced since the days of Pharaoh's Lost Kingdom. Notice the black tape that's covering up "Lost Kingdom." Also notice the waterslide, roller coaster, and ferris wheel on the sign.

The main entrance. The Egyptian theming is used throughout the park, including in the Splash Kingdom waterpark. It's a little hit-or-miss everywhere. In some of the pools the theming is done decently well. On the slides, the theming is really just in the names.

Speaking of the waterpark and slides, let's head there first. All of the park's major waterslides (eight of them) are built on a single large tower. On this side you can see five. Their names are Ramses' Rocket and Pharaoh's Falls (the two white slides), the Anileator (pink slide), Wrath of Ra (black slide), and Pharaoh's Revenge (yellow slide).

Ramses' Rocket is the one that dips a couple of times on the way down. Pharaoh's Falls is the one with the straight drop. I actually think Ramses' Rocket is a little more fun, as you get some lift going over each hill, though most people seem to be more intimidated by Pharaoh's Falls. And speaking of intimidating, the Anileator is claimed by the park to be the world's tallest enclosed waterslide (90 feet high). They also claim you can reach speeds of 50 mph while riding. Whether or not I hit that speed I don't know, but it certainly did feel fast, thanks to the dropping first curve that really gets you going right from the beginning.

Another look at Ramses' Rocket and Pharaoh's Falls. Plus you can make out someone splashing out of the Anileator.

Wrath of Ra is a tube slide that is enclosed during its first half but open during its second half. Pharaoh's Revenge is a tube slide that is open during its entire course. They both ride pretty similarly, though I would give the edge to Wrath of Ra due to its larger final drop.

One thing I like about the park is that you can ride any of the tube slides in single or double tubes. They also advertise that you can ride them in triple tubes, though I'm not sure how, as I never saw a triple tube in the entire park.

On the other side of the tower are the three remaining slides, all of which empty into a common pool. From left to right, they are Tut's Tomb (an enclosed body slide), Sphinx Express (an open tube slide), and Dark Chamber (an enclosed tube slide). Tut's Tomb is probably the most thrilling of the three, though all of these are considered the "smaller" of the park's eight waterslides.

A closer look at Sphinx Express and Dark Chamber.

In addition to slides, Pharaoh's also features other typical waterpark fare. They have this relatively large activity play area for older kids. There's another one of comparable size for younger kids elsewhere in the park.

The Nile River is the park's lazy river.

Interestingly, the park does not have a wave pool. Instead, they have a flow rider wave machine. It's not an upcharge attraction, which is nice.

The flow rider is called Riptide. The sign behind it for the Flusher is for a separate waterslide that wraps around the Riptide and ultimately connects to the Nile River. You have to be riding a tube and it only slopes at a very gradual angle, but it's a fun way to enter the lazy river.

That's it for the waterpark. Let's briefly check out what the fun center has to offer. The bumper boats are themed pretty well, and the water jets on each boat are certainly appreciated on a hot day.

Pretty standard go-karts. They actually have three separate tracks, but I'm pretty sure this is the only one that still operates. The other two looked kind of deserted. Also SBNO on site is a sky coaster, another remnant of the park's former days that has never been removed.

I think the park's theming is best displayed in its miniature golf courses. There are four separate nine-hole courses.

Pretty good Egyptian theming. It would be even better if the pools and fountains were operating, but it still looks nice without them.

While still interesting-looking, I'm not sure what a dragon, a medieval tower, and a spaceship have to do with Egyptian theming. Anyway, the park also has an arcade and several large inflatable slides and play structures for kids. Overall it was an enjoyable visit and I definitely won't wait over five years to visit again.

Not a bad looking water park and has an interesting theme.