robbalvey

Looks like someone didn't pay attention to the embargo that SFGAdv put on the announcement. I am going to honor that and you won't see any of our information go up until 5am.

^ Right, but you're not as traveled as we are, and there are absolutely parks that will not allow them. I know at least Knott's Berry Farm on some rides (Xcelerator and Silver Bullet I believe) and I know we ran into at least one or two parks last year during our travels that didn't allow them, but I'm not sure which ones off hand.

Pretty much any strap will work. Sometimes the ones that tighten in the back are most common, like this one: You can pick them up online for next to nothing. So grab a couple of them just in case. The rule of thumb for the most part is just to make sure you can move your head around and the glasses aren't loose. There won't be many parks you'll run into that won't allow them, but it has been known to happen.

OMG!!! THE MAGICAL WOOD FAIRIES ARE SECRETLY REPLACING WOOD ON TEH BIG DIPPER!!!! OMG!!!! Seriously, people....

Just make sure you have a glasses strap that is tight. Maybe even carry a spare or two with you just in case. Some parks require them. You'll find a few parks (Knott's Berry Farm comes to mind) that won't let you wear glasses on certain rides at all, even with a strap. Just be prepared for that. And if you run into a park that does not allow glasses at all, please don't argue with the ride ops. Don't be "that guy." All you'll be doing at that point is holding up dispatches and annoying the staff.

One you purchase your AP you should be able to start making FP+ since it's all tied to your MDX account and your ticket is just part of that. All you need is a valid ticket within the system to start making FP+, you don't need the actual card or the band itself.

To be honest there is so much else to do in the parks that even with the absence of the stunt show it's still going to be overwhelming for a four year old as it is.

Where did it disappear to and how did you get it back?

^ Anyone can afford to do it, it's just an investment of time. After ten years, we realized that our personal reward (not monetary) wasn't worth the time we put into them. In short, with the attitudes of many people on the tours, we just simply were not enjoying ourselves as much and personally wasn't getting out of them what we had put into it, so we chose to go back to doing trips on our own with close friends and smaller more personal groups now. It's nothing personal, we just kind of didn't enjoy being tour guides anymore for people who couldn't appreciate what we were doing.

Yes. It's just the trend of YouTube these days. I should probably also point out that you are the first ever person we have had complain about those end slates. I'm going to assume you don't watch a lot of content on YouTube because almost every channel has some sort of subscribe end slate now, and we actually play our for a much SHORTER time than most other channels. One of the toy channels that Kristen follows runs theirs for a full minute after the video.

More pics on our Twitter, but here is the final piece of the Immelmann being put into place!

We are live tweeting from the ValRavn construction your today! Follow along on Twitter!

this is not a joke please ask this. Will dorney park ever get a custom coaster again?" -patient dorney fan WTF? Did you READ what we posted? What would you like us to ask ABOUT VALRAVN. Seriously. Why would we ask a Dorney Park question at a Cedar Point event?!?!!? If you have a question about ValRavn, please post it, but don't waste our time.

TPR will be on a construction tour of ValRavn tomorrow and we will have the ability to ask questions to the uber-important people of the park! What would you like us to ask about ValRavn?

Looking for someone to go on a construction tour of ValRavn - TOMORROW morning. Need to be able to take decent pictures and willing to write a report on the forum. If you're interested, let me know ASAP! Email robbalvey@themeparkreview.com

Great article on Disney Springs from The Miami Herald featuring ME! Check it out: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/biz-monday/article55022535.html

Here's some photos from today where Elissa and Kristen visited SeaWorld for their "Wild Days" event! KT is covering #WildDays @SeaWorld Orlando for us today! New this year is a scavenger hunt for kids with a prize! Journey the opossum was rescued by @BuschGardens and now lives as an ambassador @SeaWorld Orlando. Super cute! '' 'Murica!! Matty is a 13 year old bald eagle. They are found in 49 US States. Guess which one you can't find them in? Mako is changing the view inside Shamu Stadium. Getting a special viewing of Ocean Discovery. Shamu reminds you: Even with #Mako coming, this is still his park! Not even KT was brave (or warm) enough to sit in the soak zone! #FloridaWinter Need to refuel during #WildDays @SeaWorld? KT highly recommends the new Pretzel Kitchen! KT is not tall enough for #Mako; these Flamingos sure are though! Part of #WildDays @SeaWorld include meet and greets with famous animal conservationists like @JungleJackHanna Starting the Wild Weekend Show #WildDays on a serious note with @JungleJackHanna. "@SeaWorld is important" Hey look! They finished the first drop for Mako! Love these Mako teasers in Shark Encounter! Kraken & Mako having fun together. Can't wait to enjoy all 3 world class B&M coasters here this summer. You can catch @JungleJackHanna at #WildDays again tomorrow! Great show with fun animals. Wild Days runs the next couple of weekend at SeaWorld and you can get more information on their website: http://www.seaworld.com

We've actually had some really nice discussions with the folks at SFOT recently and we look forward to visiting the park again!

Wow! Great to see you're back!

Today was the "official" opening night at Mango's and this place is STILL rocking the town! Mango's is packed while other entertainment venues we passed by on I-Drive tonight were nearly empty. Not that I'm wishing any ill will to any other businesses, but it really shows that Mango's is doing something RIGHT! The venue itself is just so impressive. The attention to detail, the wide variety of lounges, bars, shows, and other areas to check out, each with a different theme and beautiful artwork and sculpture just set it apart from any traditional club, because this place is anything but traditional! Huge congrats to Josh Wallack and his father for bringing something totally unique and different to Orlando. Mango's is absolutely on our list of "must do" venues when visiting Orlando! We did a Facebook live stream tonight! It's about 20 minutes and the quality isn't amazing since it was a live stream, but it gives you a nice "tour" of the place. Check it out: [fbvideonew] [/fbvideonew] Here's a few photos from tonight's event.... Tonight is the official opening of Mango's Tropical Cafe! Located near the corner of I-Drive and Sand Lake in Orlando, it's just down the street (walking distance) from the Orlando Eye and only a few minutes from Universal! After a day at the parks, this is where you NEED to be! Gotta admit... I *LOVE* the atmosphere here! And don't worry ladies...there is plenty of eye candy for you here as well! The lighting and theming inside the place is just incredible! I love this "Vodou Lounge" with all the awesome light effects and the projection mapping on the walls. THIS is how you do a night club! Here's some of the main stage lighting in action just before the show starts: [twitter] [/twitter] Joshua Wallack takes the stage and welcomes everyone to his club. His father David joins him and he thanked so many people involved! These two guys are the REAL DEAL and such a class act. Tonight you didn't feel like we were at a "media event" it felt like these guys invited us into their home to show us a good time, and really appreciated everyone who was there and helped contribute to the opening. The entire Wallack family joined them on stage and officially opened the club! It was really an awesome moment! The party started with some incredible dancing, plenty of show girls and guys, high energy LIVE BAND music (love the live band) and an amazing atmosphere! And yes, the BEST Michael Jackson impersonator I've ever seen! This guy ROCKS THE HOUSE! There is a thunder of applause after every Jackson segment they perform! So many different places to hang out at and watch the show. I personally love "behind the stage" bar because you actually feel VERY close to the action, and I gotta be honest, this is a pretty damn good view! The lighting in this place is just amazing. And seeing how awesome this club looks I can't wait to see what they do with the Skyplex and the world's tallest roller coaster across the street! Michael Jackson impersonator mid-moonwalk! This guy is GOOD! Everywhere you turn around, there is another bar. And even when it's crowded, there are enough bartenders so you don't have to wait long for a drink. That's a HUGE plus in my opinion! And the staff are just so friendly and helpful. Seriously, they have some of the best bar and restaurant staff I've seen on I-Drive! The dancers, the singers and the musical talent is all sooooo good! Even if you're not into this type of music, it is impossible not to have a good time! And they play such a wide variety! Each "show segment" lasts between 5-7 minutes and the shows happen one right after the other. It never lets up and we think that's GREAT! We cannot say thank you enough to Josh Wallack and family for including us in tonight's festivities. This is now a "regular" place for us and we can't wait to see it become a HUGE success in Orlando! Congrats guys! Here's another video we shot a couple of weeks ago. Enjoy!

And this I 100% agree with. I actually really like Great America, it's just a shame that the park has become so poorly run. It needs new blood. A new park president and key management team to get things back to how they used to be. They have some great rides with some good atmosphere and given an attitude adjustment, this could be one of the best Six Flags parks once again. Maybe someday...

It was also a different PR person we were dealing with then. Shame they lost him. But on the flip side, the park that he's at now is most certainly benefiting from his talent!

You know you've had a bad day at a park when you have OTHER Six Flags parks in the chain contacting us and apologizing for our day at Great America. Which, oddly enough, we have yet to ever get any correspondence back from the park. That's because their management and PR teams are just THAT BAD. So we thank the other Six Flags parks for doing the job they should have done and being awesome hosts and apologizing for one of their sister parks when they shouldn't have had to. That day, still, is easily the worst experience we've ever had at a Six Flags park.

ORLANDO, Fla. (Jan. 12, 2016) – SeaWorld Orlando kicks off the new year with Wild Days, presented by Coca-Cola, the popular annual event that connects guests in even more ways with animals and the natural, wild world. The event is included with park admission and takes place three weekends in January (Jan. 16-17, Jan. 23-24 and Jan. 30-31). Each weekend is hosted by different animal experts, and features new educational shows – from orcas to wildlife rescue – and even more up-close animal experiences, meet-and-greet opportunities and interactive education stations. Three Wild Days Weekends Themes: January 16-17: “Wild Weekend with Jack Hanna” World-renowned animal expert “Jungle Jack” Hanna hosts the first weekend. Guests can meet and learn about amazing animals from Jack, and hear about his unique travels and personal experiences. Add-on packages: · Breakfast with Jack Hanna at Sharks Underwater Grill -- Package includes breakfast and a personal meet-and-greet with Jack Hanna starting at $49 (available Saturday and Sunday). · Dinner with Jack Hanna at Sharks Underwater Grill -- Package includes dinner and a personal meet-and-greet with Jack Hanna starting at $59 (only available Saturday). January 23-24: “Penguin Lovers’ Weekend Nationally recognized SeaWorld Animal Ambassador Julie Scardina hosts a cool weekend of wildlife surprises with a special focus on penguins. Guests can get up-close to these amazing feathered friends and hear from Julie about her lifelong love of animals and the parks’ commitment to wildlife conservation. January 30-31: “Sea Rescue” Weekend SeaWorld has rescued more than 27,000 animals over 50 years, and these amazing animal stories are featured weekly on the popular Saturday-morning ABC TV series “Sea Rescue.” Hear first-hand accounts of marine animal rescues, rehabilitations and returns by SeaWorld’s Animal Rescue Team, heroes and partners featured on the show. Every Wild Days Weekend Includes: New “Ocean Discovery” killer whale presentation – Guests can learn more about killer whales, also called orcas, and other species of whales during a special educational show. This interactive, 30-minute presentation teaches guests about the animals’ adaptations, habitats and behavior. (Note: This special presentation is in addition to the popular “One Ocean” shows scheduled throughout the day.) New “Inspiring Stories” pre-shows – The SeaWorld Animal Training Team has some of the most fascinating jobs in the world. Guests can learn what it takes to care for animals that call SeaWorld home and how caring for them has helped with the rescue and rehabilitation of wild animals that need help. “Inspiring Stories” will take place at the beginning of three of the park’s popular shows: Blue Horizons, Pets Ahoy and Clyde & Seamore’s Sea Lion High. Check park maps for times. Meet our Animals – Throughout the park, even more trainers, educators and animal care staff are stationed to share information and stories about the animals in our care and provide up-close meet and greets, scheduled feedings and fun surprises. Check park maps for times and locations. Explore Zones – More than 14 fun and interactive education stations can be discovered throughout the park, featuring games and hands-on experiences that teach guests about animals and what they can do to protect the wild world in their own lives. Check event guide for exclusive in-park experiences. Wild Days takes place every Saturday and Sunday, January 16 through January 31, and is included with park admission. All feature shows take place at Nautilus Theater at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Eh, I much, MUCH prefer the vast "resort" experience of Disney World versus how cramped and crammed into a few blocks of land everything is in Anaheim. We were walking around Port Orleans the other night and were talking about how just that ONE resort hotel at Walt Disney World is probably bigger than all of the land that Disneyland sits on. Yes, in a way it's nice being able to walk back your hotel, but there is just something about the complete MASSIVE size of Walt Disney World that you just cannot compare. I agree that the bus system is not amazing, but I have to be honest, I sort of like the fact the the monorail is one of my regular modes of transportation as an Orlando local!