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Everything posted by A.J.
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Dollywood Discussion Thread
A.J. replied to crispy's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
OK sorry It probably wont happen but the terrain were slidewinder was could more luckily fit a raptor or a smeller hyper . A smaller hypercoaster is still a hypercoaster - a gigantic, imposing ride that takes up a lot of space. That area of the park is nice, and secluded, and somewhat quiet most of the time, and any size of roller coaster would just completely ruin the atmosphere. -
Efteling Discussion Thread
A.J. replied to Pepper's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
So I know that they'll depart in opposite directions, do we know if you get two circuits per ride or just one? -
40 Random Questions [2020 Off-Season Edition]
A.J. replied to boldikus's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
1. Visited 21 parks total in 2019, 15 outside of Orlando. 2. My best new-for-2019 ride is Untamed. 3. Phoenix, Skyrush, Manta and come to mind. 4. I haven't ridden any flat rides, so none of them are the best! 5. Best Rocky Mountain coaster under 130 feet is Untamed. Easy. 6. Tigris is the most recent Premier coaster I've ridden. 7. I'll be visiting Dollywood again this year! 8. Technically SeaWorld Orlando is my home park, I visited at least six times last year. 9. I'm most looking forward to going back to Dollywood this year. 10. Dollywood is better than Kennywood. 11. Hyperion disappointed me the most in 2019, though "disappointment" is relative. It's still pretty good. 12. One hour of exclusive ride time on Batman, please! 13. Kolmarden's Wildfire changed my top 10 most recently, slots at #8 behind Kumba and ahead of Ravine Flyer II. 14. The last park food I ate was at Animal Kingdom's Harambe Village. 15. I wish that Liseberg was my home park. I love that place. 16. I'm not sure I'm attracted to rides in that way, but I am looking forward to Iron Gwazi. 17. Next visit is Busch Gardens Tampa in a few weeks. 18. My favorite breakfast is the one I eat at my house. 19. The last Cedar Fair park I visited was Dorney Park, way back in...2014? 20. No, it wasn't awesome, but it was still pretty good. 21. We won't know the winner of Skyrush vs Candymonium until Candymonium opens, silly! 22. I want to visit Tivoli Gardens and Djurs Sommerland the most right now. 23. The best B&M I rode in 2019 was Kumba. 24. The saddest thing I've ever done is ride Kozmo's Kurves, but it's wicked fun so it's okay. 25. What? People actually buy fastpasses? 26. The longest queue I waited in last year was for Avatar Flight of Passage (as always), about two hours. 27. I have a Walt Disney World pass, and the SeaWorld / Busch Gardens Tampa combo pass. I renew both every year. 28. Coasterbill, we're going to Knoebels! 29. I'd rather ride Iron Gwazi because I don't have to hop on a plane to get to it. 30. I rode Phoenix twenty times on year at Phall Phunfest, split between normal day rides and Phunfest ride time. 31. I'll go to Valleyfair because I haven't been there before. 32. Efteling's pofferjes are no joke. 33. Kumba is better than Montu - only very, very, VERY slightly. 34. I really dislike Great American Scream Machine and Dorney Park's Thunderhawk. Unpopular opinion, I also don't like the Kennywood Thunderbolt. 35. Ample Hills ice cream at the Boardwalk resort, it counts! 36. Let's replace Vortex with one of those fancy new Vekoma launched coasters. 37. Lightning Rod is at the top of my bucket list, and I'm going to ride it this year! 38. I already said Tivoli Gardens and Djurs Sommerland, so... Farup Sommerland (heh), Wiener Prater, and the City Museum! 39. Everyone fill it out because the off-season is awful! 40. See my avatar, silly. -
A.J.'s "Perfectly Adequate Photography" Thread
A.J. replied to A.J.'s topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
Thanks everyone! Have some more, from Florida this time! SheiKra at Busch Gardens Tampa! The dive coaster splashdowns are some of the most photographed coaster elements. Manta at SeaWorld Orlando, this is the second roll before the mid-course brake. Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom from today (Jan 19) - very crowded and somewhat rainy. This thing dispatches probably once every 30 to 45 seconds! That's a thirty-four person train! -
SeaWorld Orlando (SWO) Discussion Thread
A.J. replied to disneygurlz2s's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
SeaWorld Orlando is attempting to keep their park rating over 700 by using their infinite money to build yet another attraction for 2021. No real confirmation as to what it is yet, but some sites and individuals are speculating that it will be a B&M wing coaster built in and around the pathway between the entrance and Bayside Stadium. Public permit info -
Hey everyone, voting in the 2019 TPR Coaster Poll has now closed! We had a great response and we're looking forward to sharing the results with you soon!
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I have Lech Coaster at #11 and Formula at #36, though I haven't ridden as many. Lech Coaster is spectacular! Our criteria is that it has to have operated for the majority of the season. Roller coasters that have closed in late August, like Regina, have often been tricky to make judgment calls on. For now it'll stay, but don't be surprised if it doesn't show up in the final results. Same with the Efteling Bob.
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Photo TR: Andy's Visit to Glenwood Caverns
A.J. replied to The Great Zo's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
I definitely want to get here someday! Thanks Andy, great photos and detailed storytelling as usual. -
Fatal accident at La Feria Chapultepec Magico
A.J. replied to IntraTrax's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
Say it with me now... -
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (BGT Discussion Thread)
A.J. replied to robbalvey's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
Just so everyone knows how Iron Gwazi is shaping up, here's Jason McLemore's latest drone shot from outside the park... Myself, I'll probably pop on down to check it out here in a few weeks, in between maintenance closures. -
Knoebels Discussion Thread
A.J. replied to robbalvey's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
Knoebels is adding a Wisdom Tornado next season! https://www.pahomepage.com/news/knoebels-announces-new-ride-bids-farewell-to-a-classic/?fbclid=IwAR0XWp8C_McDhpb2R6h7SgGOqO90xXUd_b7CIy92_NblZuMTH_h_F4A3otA And, in addition... -
That may be a bug... Your rankings and your list should always save automatically a few seconds after you change something. There should be a little green popup (with text we need to change) on the top right of the window when your changes save. The "Done Ranking" button merely locks your rankings in for the poll calculation.
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It seems like most people who see the new land as a failure really only look at how Disneyland's land is performing. You go to Hollywood Studios and it's just as popular and crowded as Toy Story Land. A lot of people also like to complain about how there were supposedly a lot of cuts made compared to the original vision (like roving character experiences), and that the land takes place in the sequel trilogy rather than the original. I enjoy Star Wars and thought the sequel films were fine, and I don't consider myself a hardcore fan - but I get completely into it while riding both attractions, and they're ridiculous fun.
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Skyplex Orlando Discussion Thread
A.J. replied to robbalvey's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
If I'm not mistaken, that's the new drop tower going alongside the Orlando StarFlyer, right? EDIT: No it isn't. Then I wonder what the new drop tower will be called (it itself a Funtime "Skyfall" tower)? -
Calling all coaster enthusiasts
A.J. replied to coasterfan111's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
I'll take you seriously here for the sake of our readers... What are your credentials? What other films have you worked on? -
I kind of went back and forth between the app home screen, the "find out more" screen and the "my status" screen, and the "join boarding group" button eventually lit up like it was supposed to. I suppose it might be prudent to wait until exactly 7 AM to hit that "find out more" button, but I'm not sure I saw a difference either way. Some people near me had problems, others didn't.
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In Rise of the Resistance, screens are pretty much only used for spaceship windows, a few animated sequences, and where a screen would actually be found on a ship's control panel. Everything else is either practical or a large set piece. There's a sequence kind of two-thirds of the way through the ride that is a very impressive and scary practical effect. You're very welcome! Let me just put it in general context for those who might be reading this later: If you get through security 45 minutes to an hour before park opening (7 AM at time of writing), you should be able to get through the turnstiles with plenty of time to stretch your legs, walk around, etc.. When I visited, they allowed guests through the turnstiles starting about a half hour before opening. When you get in the park, you are directed to either stay in the plaza, or queue up for your desired land. For example, by park opening, the queue for Toy Story Land stretched all the way past Walt Disney Presents. The lands won't open until the park opens. Where you are in the park does not matter so long as you are in. When you are through the turnstiles, completely close and reopen the My Disney Experience app so it knows you've been admitted into the park. If you're traveling with guests (Elissa), you'll need to make sure that everyone's tickets are linked to the person who will be doing the reservation. About five minutes before park opening, check your boarding status for the ride on the app. At approximately park opening (not earlier, but possibly a minute or two later), boarding groups will open, keep refreshing your status screen until you can tap the button to enter a boarding group. Keep in mind that it's a free-for-all, so even though you might have been in the park earlier, someone who just entered the park a few minutes ago may still get a boarding time before you. Select your party, and good luck! If you have push notifications enabled, you'll get one when it's your time to board. Your boarding group is a two-hour window. There are 125 "normal" groups, any reservations after those are gone are "backup" and aren't called unless there's excess capacity at the end of the day. Reservations may completely run out in as little as a half hour. Depending on crowds you may get through the entire ride experience in less than 45 minutes. The ride is Indiana Jones-level good but also Indiana Jones-level complex, and can experience significant downtime for any reason without warning. When I rode, red / blue got the "good" side of the AT-AT room. If you've been on the ride before you'll know what I'm talking about. Obviously you should be doing this on a weekday. Weekend park days are the unfortunate consequences of a typical architecture office job, so, yeah.
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I decided to get up early and go to Hollywood Studios this morning, and Rise of the Resistance is pretty spectacular. It's an excellent mix of trackless movement, practical effects, animatronics, and screen-based effects and when it's all working (as it was today), it just clicks. Add in an extended pre-show and a jaw-dropping set piece in the First Order hangar, and it's nothing short of a must-do, even if you don't like getting up early in the morning, and even if you're not the biggest Star Wars fan. I'd go so far as to compare Rise of the Resistance to a new-for-2019 version of Indiana Jones Adventure just based on ambition. It's certainly up there on my favorites list with Indiana Jones and Spider-Man, and it's certainly the best dark ride on Walt Disney World property by far. For those who like to plan, I was there earlier than I probably should have been. I would guess that if you are through security by, say, 6-6:15 AM, you will have plenty of time to get your way through the turnstiles and in the park before boarding opens to all guests at 7 AM. After that it's a game of fastest finger. I got group 29 which meant that boarding opened to me at 8:45 AM, and I was off the ride in about 40 minutes.
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Hey everyone! Contrary to popular belief, I have a life. Writing trip reports is fun, but when life gets in the way and delays you from doing so, your recollection of exactly what events happened in what order throughout the day gets blurrier. So I've decided that I just want to let the photos (generally) speak for themselves! And since the "professional amateur" forum doesn't exist anymore (any TPR veterans remember that?!?), I figured I'd start my own thread about it. So here we go! If you see any photos that you really like and want desktop and / or phone wallpapers made out of them, please let me know! I'll start out with a few that I haven't shown off from the 2019 Europe trip. Wildfire at the Kolmarden zoo, quite possibly the world's best first drop view. Liseberg's hillside is gorgeous. It was too bad that Helix's operation during the day was sporadic at best! Insane at Grona Lund looking, well, you know. Valkyria at Liseberg giving some sweet hang time! Twister at Grona Lund, on a remarkably straight piece of track! More to come!
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Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (BGT Discussion Thread)
A.J. replied to robbalvey's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
Keep in mind that even on slower days, Cheetah Hunt will have significant wait times for the entire day. It's just what happens. -
It's the last chance to vote! coasterpoll.com Voting for the 2019 TPR Coaster Poll closes January 15th at 11:59 PM Eastern time! If you have finished arranging your coasters, remember to click the green "Done Ranking" button to lock in your vote! Thanks for that Garet, it was an oversight not to include them. They'll be on next year.
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Dollywood Discussion Thread
A.J. replied to crispy's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
Aha, that helps. I really wanted to go during the "vanilla" Dollywood season but seeing the autumn colors in the national park has to be unparalleled. October it is! -
Dollywood Discussion Thread
A.J. replied to crispy's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
I'm starting to put the feelers out for another trip next year... At about what time of year do the leaves seriously start to turn to autumn colors in the area? I'd really like to catch the park at that time, but before the park gets decked out in the Harvest Festival decoration (which starts September 25th). -
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (BGT Discussion Thread)
A.J. replied to robbalvey's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
Allow me: Whomever "wrote" this article needs to actually go to a theme park instead of reading website ride descriptions, reading Wikipedia articles, and looking at the layout of that park on Google Maps. Also, some of the wording makes me think that the article was originally written in a foreign language and then run through Google Translate.
