robbalvey

Yes, you can.

An update from Jack Crouse's wife. Please help him and his family: https://www.gofundme.com/jackcrouse

We are inching closer to $5k! Can our TPR crew make this happen? https://www.gofundme.com/jackcrouse

Almost $4,000 now! Who wants to bring us over? https://www.gofundme.com/jackcrouse

Over $3,000 in support for Jack and his family already! THANK YOU!!! Can you help us bring it to $5k? Click: https://www.gofundme.com/jackcrouse

Since we don't have Coasting For Kids this year, I'm going to ask that any money you would have donated to that you would consider donating to this. Thank you. Please click: https://www.gofundme.com/jackcrouse

Please click: https://www.gofundme.com/jackcrouse Jack Crouse Needs your help! Who is Jack? Many of you know him from his theme park photography or his work in the amusement industry. Right now, he is on life support in critical condition and needs your help! Please visit the Go Fund Me page to help his family. Even a donation of just $25 will go a long way! Please SHARE the link on your social media pages. The more we can get the word out the better! Thank you! Here are some of Jack's photos, works, and family so you may have an idea of who he is. Please click: https://www.gofundme.com/jackcrouse

You think it's "perfect" to wait until three days before opening to announce something that's been pretty apparent to anyone watching for a couple weeks? While we all conceded that there was a *possibility* that the ride might make it, all signs pointed toward a slight delay. No testing videos, no reports of endless cycling, not even a second train on the track until yesterday. I have no doubt that they all wanted, hoped and wished that this thing could be up by Friday but that was always the long shot and they should never have planned media days on Thursday, a "grand opening" countdown to the ride on the weekend and even a coaster club event with Lightning Rod ERT on Saturday. That's just crazy for any new ride let alone a prototype trying to open in mid March! (And yes this is a prototype. It's velocity magnets first launch) There's been almost no sign of serious testing. Meanwhile Dollywood got on the news YESTERDAY trying to drum up opening day business by talking about the new ride. Pretty convenient to cancel with under 72 hours to go before pass holder day. I'm sure it's not just a coincidence that the cancellation refund policy at their fancy new resort is 72 hours in advance. No, the "perfect" thing to do would be to set a Grand Opening and media day in mid April and allow for a little bit of buffer. If the ride soft opens, great! That's a bonus perk. Say "lightning rod, coming later this spring" on the news instead of getting the GP excited. They don't follow the construction like us and they wouldn't have any reason to expect it to be closed based on what the park put forth. Pretty shameful. I can't think of a time when a park was so sloppy about handling the delay of a major attraction. This is seriously one of the worst and stupidest posts I've ever read on our forums. In fact, I'm giving the poster a 1 month ban for being an idiot, and hopefully in that time he'll learn a bit more about the amusement park industry and be more respectful with his words. Now that I've got that out of my way, let me explain something.... I *GUARANTEE* you the park was doing everything they possibly could up until the last minute they had to get the ride ready and hope it could be open to the public for opening day. Absolutely NO PARK IN THE WORLD wants to open a ride late or have to say it's delayed. But having said that, the park still owes you NOTHING. Can the park operate just fine without Lightning Rod open? Absolutely. They have done so for many years. And the majority of the guests, while slightly disappointed will still have an amazing day at the park. Why? Because it's an amazing park! They will get the ride open when the ride is READY. And that's exactly what they should be doing. There was nothing wrong, shameful, or sloppy about what the park did. In fact, I applaud them for working around the clock as hard as they can to get the ride open and I'll be more than happy to ride it when I can. Your post is exactly why some "enthusiasts" are an embarrassment and why we ban people like you from our forums. Quite simply, we don't want people here who cannot understand or appreciate the work that goes into running a park, which includes opening a new ride, because it's a hell of a lot of work and most people here wouldn't last at your typical theme park job. /end rant

Just gonna quote this one more time... THIS!!! THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS!!!!!! Agreed on the "even if the park has a good track record" comment. Look, here's a ProTip for you - No one is going to gain any bonus points by being one of the "first" to ride something. So if the park in question requires a flight or significant car ride, taking time off work, etc, etc.... we strongly recommend waiting until the ride is open, has had a chance to break in (it's usually better then anyway) as it will greater guarantee you will get to ride that coaster that is part of your goal going to the park. I plan on being there in July. I'm assuming the ride would have had plenty of time to warm itself up by then!

Here's a video that SeaWorld sent us today...

King Kong ride vehicles revealed along with more details about the ride!

LEGOLAND® Florida Resort Announces All-New Beach-Themed Accommodations, Immersive Theme Park Land with Cutting-Edge LEGO® NINJAGO® Attraction and ‘4D’ Theatrical Experience Starring LEGO NEXO KNIGHTS WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (March 15, 2016) – LEGOLAND Florida Resort today announced an unprecedented slate of projects that will deliver additional on-site accommodations, an immersive new theme park land with a cutting-edge, interactive attraction, the first-ever expansion of its water park, a new, action-packed “4D” theatrical attraction and an all-new summertime event filled with fireworks and special entertainment, giving guests even more reasons to play – and stay – at the place #BuiltForKids: NEW! LEGOLAND Beach Retreat – opening mid-2017 This whimsically themed vacation resort combines the fun of surf, sand and sun with the creativity of LEGO® bricks on a picturesque site next to Lake Dexter, adjacent to the theme park. Distinguished by a colorful LEGO lighthouse, the village-style, lakefront resort will feature 83 single-story duplex units, offering 166 separate accommodations that sleep up to five. Designed with the same combination of imagination and kid-centric detail that made the 10-month-old LEGOLAND Hotel an immediate hit, the all-new LEGOLAND Beach Retreat offers a great way for larger families and friends to vacation together. Amenities will include a themed pool, a sandy play area, a buffet- style restaurant and complimentary transportation to and from the theme park. NEW! LEGO NINJAGO World – opening early 2017 Inspired by the popular series of LEGO building sets and the long-running TV show “LEGO NINJAGO: Masters of Spinjitzu,” this all-new, fully immersive theme park land invites guests to step into a magical, martial arts kingdom where they’ll experience a first-of-its-kind attraction that blends eye-popping, 3D computer animation, “4D” atmospheric effects and groundbreaking technology by Montreal-based Triotech. On LEGO NINJAGO The Ride, up to four guests per vehicle blast animated fireballs, lightning, shockwaves and ice using nothing more than their hands as they travel through dojos mastering their skills before teaming up to defeat a powerful villain. Riders collect points and scores are displayed when each quest is complete. The thrilling attraction is the epicenter of a new area featuring multiple hands-on, interactive experiences that will hone kids’ physical skills like NINJAGO heroes Kai, Jay, Cole, Zane and Nya, before their ultimate test on LEGO NINJAGO The Ride. NEW! Creative Cove featuring Build-A-Boat – now open A fun expansion area at LEGOLAND Water Park adds a brand-new attraction, Build-A-Boat, where kids can create and race LEGO watercraft through fast-flowing rivers alongside cheering crowds in a setting inspired by the popular LEGO City Coast Guard sets. Nearby, the existing Imagination Station lets little ones build and play with colorful DUPLO® bricks in a water-filled activity center. Additional dining offerings, increased seating capacity and complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the entire water park round out the all-new offerings for 2016. NEW! “LEGO NEXO KNIGHTS 4D: The Book of Creativity” – opening May 26, 2016 Set in the futuristic Kingdom of Knighton, this all-new theatrical attraction pits five young knights against the evil Jestro and his sidekick, the Book of Monsters, in a battle for control of a rare book of magic that gives its owner tremendous power. Based on the new LEGO series of building sets and the just-launched TV show, the 121⁄2-minute, immersive experience combines 3D computer animation with “4D,” real-world effects that bring the high-tech action bursting off the screen and into the audience. Elsewhere in the theme park, kids will discover six exclusive shields that unlock unique NEXO Powers within the LEGO NEXO KNIGHTS: Merlok 2.0 mobile app for iOS and Android devices. NEW! LEGOLAND Night Lights – Summer 2016 The resort will debut its latest all-new event in June, a celebration of summertime fun featuring extended park hours, meet-and-greet opportunities with favorite LEGO characters, exclusive opportunities to build alongside LEGO Master Model Builders and a spectacular, brick-tacular NINJAGO fireworks display that will light the night above Lake Eloise with brilliant colors and triumphant music. Held exclusively at LEGOLAND Florida Resort, the party is included with park admission and will take place every Saturday and Sunday from June 18 to July 31. The exciting new projects represent the largest period of growth in the nearly 41⁄2-year history of LEGOLAND Florida Resort, a rapid trajectory of expansions that has included LEGOLAND Water Park (May 2012), LEGO STAR WARSTM Miniland Model Display (November 2012), LEGO World of ChimaTM (July 2013), DUPLO Valley (May 2014), LEGOLAND Hotel (May 2015), Heartlake City (June 2015), and phased restorations of the historic Cypress Gardens botanical wonderland, which recently celebrated its 80th anniversary. LEGO NINJAGO The Ride LEGO NINJAGO The Ride LEGO NINJAGO The Ride LEGO NINJAGO The Ride LEGO NINJAGO The Ride LEGOLAND Beach Retreat LEGOLAND Beach Retreat LEGOLAND Beach Retreat LEGOLAND Beach Retreat LEGOLAND Beach Retreat LEGO NEXO KNIGHTS 4D Creative Cove featuring Build-A-Boat Creative Cove featuring Build-A-Boat LEGOLAND Night Lights – Summer 2016 LEGOLAND Night Lights – Summer 2016 LEGOLAND Night Lights – Summer 2016

This does actually help us out, and we DO look at the bash attendee list when we would have new people sign up for a trip, but the reality of the bash events is that they are 10x more work and more stress for us since we are cramming so much into one (or two) days. There are been many West Coast Bash events where I personally didn't even get to ride anything because we were so busy setting up for whatever the next part of the day was going to be. But we most certainly DO cross reference those event lists!

NEW RESTAURANT BRINGS INCREDIBLE CHOCOLATE, DELICIOUSLY EXPANSIVE MENU AND STUNNING ATMOSPHERE TO UNIVERSAL CITYWALK Unique Experience is the Latest in Popular Dining Concepts Only Found at Universal Orlando Resort! ORLANDO, Fla. (March 14, 2016) – The Toothsome Chocolate Factory & Savory Feast Emporium at Universal CityWalk may be the most spectacularly delicious example yet of what happens when the Universal Creative team that designs theme park attractions comes together with the culinary team that creates blockbuster food and beverage experiences. Set to open later this year, The Toothsome Chocolate Factory will be a full-service restaurant that brings together a specially created and expansive menu plus an incredible array of gourmet-level chocolates and desserts – all in a highly themed, unique environment that can only be found at Universal CityWalk. The restaurant will be located near the entrance to Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park, and visible around the entire CityWalk lagoon. Welcome to the 19th century inspired, Steampunk-era chocolate factory, complete with towering smokestacks, tanks and antique piping. Inside, a mix of brass, dark wood and gadgetry – along with staff who will look and act the part – will complete the Steampunk feel. This unique experience will be punctuated by the food that will completely enrapture you. The menu features a wide variety of unexpected, yet familiar dishes – from all-day-brunch crepes and quiches to unique takes on classic steak, seafood and pasta entrees, gourmet burgers, sandwiches, scrumptious salads and so much more. The number of options will leave you speechless. And the desserts and specialty items will be beyond the imagination. The artisan milkshake collection will include shakes with names such as Chocolate x5 – mixed with chocolate spirals, chocolate chunks, chocolate ice cream and more – along with Bacon Brittle, Espresso Buzzzz, Red Velvet and Key Lime Pie. The sundaes include S’mores – with chocolate ice cream, chocolate sauce, marshmallow cream, graham crackers and more – Salted Caramel Flan, Chocolate Brownie Bark – and more. Guests will also be able to watch chocolate creations being prepared – and purchase them from the restaurant’s retail shop to take home and enjoy. The new restaurant will be the latest in a progression of incredibly popular dining concepts that have opened at Universal CityWalk over the past couple years – nine new concepts in two years, to be exact.

Here's a few notes on what we discovered over the years... - People would complain that our tours were "too much" money. - But compared to other "non theme park" tours, they were cheap as hell. - We liked staying in nice places with luxury items at parks (Q-Bots, ERT, better than your average catered meal, etc...) and we always opted for nicer hotels and "on-property" hotels when applicable. - But even still, people complained that they were too much and that we weren't making them cheaper by staying in Motel 6, putting 4 to a room, renting vans and cramming too many people in them, etc, etc... - We refused to give up those things to cheapen the product even further. It's just not our style. - We offered the tours as cheap as we could cutting out most of our profit to make them as affordable to people as possible. - You probably don't see many other people offer them because they have learned as we did over the years that tours like this: a) Aren't very profitable; b) Appeal to a small niche market of people; c) appeal to a small niche market of people who whine, bitch, and complain about everything. Just look at our forums. A park announces a new awesome ride, and instantly there are pages and pages and pages of people complaining about it. Now translate that exact same attitude into a group of 50 people and put them on a bus all together for 10 days. Not everyone was like this, but it was enough to make your head explode. So therefore you don't see a lot of people putting on tours like this and why we finally threw in the towel! Let's be honest here, if there was a lot of money to be made doing tours like this, don't you think you'd see a TON of people doing them? But you don't...

No, of course not. Why would they have a media day? That would be a very unusual thing for an opening of a roller coaster.

Like Elissa said, without getting to know people on a personal level, it's tough. Because at that point everyone is pretty much a stranger, other than what we can decipher from the forums. And of course everyone will say "Oh, I won't be a problem..." They aren't actually. Not at all. The tours were mostly a labor of love for us and something we had fun doing. When we stopped having fun, we stopped doing the tours. Trust me, if they were a huge money maker for us, we'd still be doing them! And like Elissa said, maybe one day we will bring them back. You will still see fun trip updates on the forum, just in smaller format and back to the way we used to do them before we did public tours. Remember this one? http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=17136

It wasn't a few. By the time the Scandi trip rolled around...it was like HALF of them. We were so done after that trip...

^ Pretty much. We actually still do trips and tours. But with close friends and people from past trips who didn't annoy the crap out of us. If you think you can be a decent human without causing a bunch of obnoxious drama and being stupid, feel free to email us. Maybe we'll put you on the list...maybe not.

Absolutely NOT! I have two words for you: ZONGA! Do we need to relive that whole mess about what happens when pussy American's get a kick ass ride like this in from Europe? They screw it up because the "American Idiot" audience can't handle such rides. Also see: Skyrush. Keep these kinds of rides OUTSIDE of the US parks where they can be enjoyed by people who aren't stupid.

Just added the POV video to the report...

Wow, looks like we have maybe an account or two that needs to be banned this morning for some incredibly rude and obnoxious behavior. I'm looking at YOU TPR Xtreme Fan - If you're such an Xtreme Fan of TPR, you should know your kind of attitude displayed here will NOT be tolerated. Bu-Bye....

If you would like to cover a media event at SFOG for TPR *TOMORROW* please contact me ASAP! My email is: robbalvey@themeparkreview.com You must be: - At least 18 years old. - Able to take decent, clear photos & video (no crappy photos with people's heads in the shot, vertical video, etc) - You don't need to be a professional photographer with expensive equipment, you just need to be able to take decent photos/video with your phone. - Able to text me photos and maybe video so we can post to our Twitter - Be willing to write up a trip report on the forums. - Send us the photos/video take via dropbox or any other icloud service. Email me ASAP if you are interested.

Disneyland Forever

Hey everyone! The guys over at TPED sent me their Winter Newsletter and I wanted to share it with all of you as it's a really good read! You can find more information about the group here: http://www.tpedatpurdue.com/ and anyone who might be interested in a career in theme park design or engineering should really check them out! Here's a sample of the newsletter and then download the PDF below! TPEDnewsletter_winter16.pdf