robbalvey

Absolutely NOT! Reddit it a terrible site full of obnoxious people and hate. I do not have any interest in supporting it nor putting my brand on it. If anyone tries to make a TPR Sub-Reddit I'll do everything I can to have it removed. If in the event it ends up being something we change our mind on, WE will start it. Remember, Theme Park Review is a brand that WE OWN. You can't just go and start up something branded with TPR just because you feel like it. The thing I hinted about on Twitter was a JOKE!!!

Yeah, I mean, my information came right from the operations manager at the park, so I'm assuming he's got the more reliable data?

From the original post, maybe you need a refresher on why we feel it's annoying and they need to be banned: In "concept" the idea is fine, a stick that extends your arm to get better pictures at moments when either you are alone or don't want to ask someone else to take a photo of you. But then let's introduce "humanity" and this is what happens... On top of just flat out looking stupid with your "Selfie Stick" people are sticking them up during shows blocking views, and TAKING THEM ON RIDES extending beyond the reach envelope that rides were designed for! Add this to the annoyances of iPad video, vertical video, parents putting kids on their shoulders during shows, and do we really need yet ANOTHER annoyance at theme parks? Help us spread the word! #BanSelfieSticks Thank you! --Robb Again, we aren't trying to ban them because the actual "idea" behind it is bad, we are trying to ban them because people are idiots and this invention is making people more obnoxious. Thankfully, though, I haven't seen many at the parks lately.

While TPR does not actively use CoasterTube for our video player anymore, you CAN still upload your video to CoasterTube to submit a video to TPR for use on our social networks! If you want your video to be featured on TPR's YouTube or Facebook page and possibly seen by hundreds of thousands, you can submit your video to CoasterTube for us to review! If we select your video, we will make sure you receive proper credit and will even give you a link back to your YouTube channel or Facebook page to help generate traffic for you. Here are some notes about uploading: 1. Upload here: http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/ 2. Make sure you upload in as high of quality as possible (1080p HD is preferred, but if it's older SD footage, that's fine as well) 3. Use THIS THREAD to post a link to your video to let us know you've uploaded it! 4. Your video can be ANYTHING theme park related - A roller coaster, flat ride, dark ride, No Limits creation, etc. As long as it's fun and entertaining and you'd like as many people as possible to see it! We will review videos on a case-by-case basis to feature on our Social Media channels. Here are some recent user-submitted videos we featured so you can get an idea: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10153130619773566 https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10153169747073566 Looking forward to seeing your videos! --Robb Alvey

Hmm... good question. I don't think so. It's never come up before! Sorry!

I just spoke with the park. Bullet is 1.4 meters.

^ See, and I think the theming is the least interesting of the four parks. Pretty? Sure. I guess. But that's all lost on me because I'm not a fan of "nature stuff." So for me, all that detail is really just wasted. I personally think New Fantasyland looks a million times better than Animal Kingdom, but that's just me.

^ We honestly weren't pressed for time at all. We just didn't have much interest in doing a lot there.

Craig can probably expand on this a bit more, but from my perspective.... - We didn't do any of the shows because 1. We're just not "show people" for the most part, and 2. they just didn't interest us. As an Orlando local, I've actually NEVER seen Nemo or Lion King (I saw it in Hong Kong once and had no desire to see it again at DAK). I'm sure they are good shows for people who are into them, but shows were really not part of the agenda, so we skipped them. - Didn't do anything else in Dinoland because, what else is there to do other than Dinosaur? Craig isn't a credit whore so we didn't do Primeval Whirl as it's just your standard spinning mouse. - Tough to be a Bug? Eh, again, it sort of goes back to the "show" thing - Out of all three 4D movies, we did Muppets. That's probably the best one on property, IMO, and we just didn't have any desire to see anymore. - We did briefly do the walking tour with the naked mole rats, the turd frog, and the gorillas. That was enough "nature" for us. We aren't really "zoo people." NATAZU! - I think Kali was open, but it's just really not that great of a ride. We skipped it. - Rafiki's Planet Watch? Again, not really zoo people, and having done the safari and the trail we filled our "nature quota" for the day. - We only chose to do three attractions because they were the only three attractions that interested us at the park. There were other things on property that we wanted to do instead. Personally, DAK is by far my least favorite park at WDW. In fact, I almost NEVER go there unless someone is in town and wants to ride Everest or something. I want to say that I probably only went there *maybe* 5 times in all of 2014, and I'm at the parks probably 2-3 times a week. I seriously forget sometimes it's even there. It's just not my thing, sorry.

Anyway, back on topic, this is probably one of my favorite reports in a while. It's always great to see someone who has visited a park, especially such BIG parks as the Orlando ones, for the very first time. It most certainly puts things into perspective!

Two words: Tangled Toilets Resort COMPLETE! The construction workers can all go home now!

^ Seriously, the point you are trying to make is stupid, invalid, and mis-informed. Everyone who has read your posts is now DUMBER on the subject matter. For the sake of the other posters on the forum, can you please shut up? Thank you.

Ugh, it's completely obnoxious that you would sit here and now challenge what we said because *YOUR* "personal observation" seems to dictate some sort of validation that there needs to be more going on in the parks. And it's also obnoxious and dumb that you would purposely tailor your response to make it look like there has been less going on by saying "9 years" instead of "10 years" because within 10 years, like I already said, each one of the parks has gotten major expansions, as well as tons of minor expansions. I could sit here and list all of the new upgrades each park has received in terms of minor attractions additions or upgrades, restaurants, ships, new areas, etc, some of which have been super popular with guests, but I'm simply not going to waste my time on someone who is just going to come back with mis-information to prove a ridiculous point. In the last 10 years there has probably been well over a billion dollars worth of changes and improvements at WDW. And that's not enough for you?

^ A "chance?" Yes. But that's all it really would be. I wouldn't go in expecting to ride it if you know the dates of when it's supposed to be down.

You have to understand the type of resort Walt Disney World is. They cater much more to "first time visitors" or "first time in forever" visitors than even Universal does. Your average WDW visitor either hasn't ever been to the parks before, or hasn't been in something like ten years. So they don't need to constantly be adding things. You also have to remember that the vast majority of your Orlando tourists are here because of Disney. That is the draw and the main reason they are here. Universal on the other hand, as much as we like their parks and the resort, they ARE people's 2nd choice of parks behind WDW. So they NEED to constantly be doing things to attract people to their resort. They also get a lot more of a locals crowd since their annual passes are much cheaper (about half the price of Disney). In the last ten years each of the parks has received a MAJOR new attraction - Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Soarin', Toy Story Mania, Expedition Everest, and that doesn't even include all the minor improvements and upgrades that have happened all around the parks. There has actually been a LOT that's happened at WDW in the last decade. So I think it's a very incorrect and unfair statement to say "how little things have changed at WDW compared to Universal." I think you simply just don't understand the demographic or the needs of the resort.

Exactly.

I wasn't disagreeing with you, I was just saying that parks that have a "no glasses with strap rule" probably also won't allow GoPros on a chest mount. I wasn't talking about your experience specifically.

^ If I park has a "no glasses at all...even with a strap" rule (which I personally think is dumb), then I would probably understand why they also wouldn't allow a chest mounted GoPro. But still, at the end of the day, I can take a bag full of loose sharpened pencils on Rock N Roller Coaster at Walt Disney World. Explain to me again why I can't have glasses with a strap at some parks? Yeah. I thought so.

Parks have the "no filming rule" for safety reasons because cameras/cell phones/etc, loose on rides ARE dangerous. So the blanket rule of "no filming" covers all of that. But now that cameras are getting smaller and more secure, Pivotheads, Google Glass, GoPros, and you're absolutely right, smartwatches that absolutely will have cameras in them is going to force parks to have to re-think these rules because at the end of the day, trying to tell me that these items are unsafe just makes the parks look ignorant. I also don't buy any excuse I've heard from some parks for not being able to film due to "copyright reasons", because... Disney. Hello. Disney lets you film pretty much anything. And if I can film some of the most recognizable, copyrighted properties on the planet at a Disney park, and plaster them all over Facebook and YouTube, then I should be able to film any random roller coaster anywhere in the world and if you tell me the reason is due to "copyright issues" I will gladly laugh in your face, because it's totally a bullshit excuse. And the parks that say this, know this.

Many parks have also made exceptions for glasses "with a strap" and I feel that the same should be made for a chest mount. The GoPro chest mount has one buckle on it, in the front, very visable. It should actually be EASIER and less time consuming for a ride op to visually see that someone wearing a GoPro chest mount has it secured than it does for a ride op to check for a glasses strap. The Busch Gardens/SeaWorld parks allow this on all of their BIG roller coasters. I see no reason why it also shouldn't be allowed on many other rides around the world.

There is so much room to work with back there, too if they got rid of that old costuming and admin building. All of those facilities could be easily moved. It's a real shame they just re-did Autopia not too long ago because they could take a hint from Tokyo Disney and demolished that as well to create a huge Star Wars/Tomorrowland expansion. I don't think anyone would really miss it.

Anyone in the Atlanta area interested in covering the Batman Backwards media day for TPR? It's Friday March 13th. Please email robbalvey@themeparkreview.com and send me a link to your Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter. We'd need you to do an on-camera ride video and a report from the media day. We will email you back if you are chosen.

While I agree 100% with your "follow the rules" statement, I will say that it is more likely that a pair of Pivothead's will go flying (even with a strap) before a GoPro chest harness will. The reality is this - parks are going to have to re-think the rules at some point soon because cameras are getting smaller, and more importantly, SAFER. When you see parks like Busch Gardens allow a chest-mounted camera without any problems at all on rides like Kumba, Montu, SheiKra, etc, and Six Flags won't allow them on the mine train, you have to start to ask yourself "What's wrong with this scenario?" The GoPro chest harness is incredibly safe. Even if it came unbuckled, which would be difficult to do, the chances of it falling off of your body would be very rare. I'd say you are going to have a much MUCH higher chance of a phone, wallet, or keys, that are actually secured in someone's pocket flying out before a GoPro would become detached from a chest harness. But you're just going to have as many more people who can just take out their cell phone out of their pocket and take photos or videos. I highly doubt this is a real concern. Rides break down all the time, evacs happen at parks like Disney quite frequently where they allow all kinds of cameras on all the rides. If someone is going to REALLY try to make a ride evac a huge deal, the GoPro should be the least of your worries. And if it DOES happen, hey, be at least happy there might be some GOOD footage of whatever evac it is out there instead of crappy, vertical video cell phone users! lol I'm not suggesting anyone break the rules, but I do think parks are going to start to re-think them, especially when it comes to filming and the fact that cameras are changing. It's quite simply this - if a pair of sunglasses on my head is not consider a "loose item", then it is absolutely stupid that a GoPro on a chest harness is. "Wearable" technology is not a "loose article." But the same can be said even moreso for hats, wallets, glasses, etc. Again, I'm not suggesting anyone break the rules, but I do think parks need to take a close look at them. Gone are the days where people are carrying 2 pound hand-held handycams on a ride and when those become a 2-pound projectile because some dumbass isn't used to the forces of a roller coaster, that's a HUGE deal. But a chest mounted GoPro or a pair of Pivothead glasses? I don't see why those items shouldn't be allowed. I always go back to my philosophy on Disney... When I can carry an entire backpack, bags full of goodies, or pretty much anything I can hold in my hand onto a ride like Tower of Terror, Rock N Roller Coaster, or Space Mountain at Walt Disney World, and a ride like Space Mountain that has some extreme airtime and lateral moments *IN. THE. DARK* and not only does Walt Disney World not see a problem with this, but the amount of incidents are EXTREMELY rare, I have to ask... shouldn't I be allowed to wear a totally secured GoPro on any other ride in the US? EDIT: And keep in mind on all three of those Disney rides listed, you're not even required to told on to most items! "Just put it down by your feet" is what I'm told anytime I have a bag with me. There are at least two or three moments on that ride where you get ejector airtime. Never once in the hundreds of times I've been at that park have I seen or heard of there being an issue because of this.

While I agree 100% with your "follow the rules" statement, I will say that it is more likely that a pair of Pivothead's will go flying (even with a strap) before a GoPro chest harness will. That's just the reality. The reality is this - parks are going to have to re-think the rules at some point soon because cameras are getting smaller, and more importantly, SAFER. When you see parks like Busch Gardens allow a chest-mounted camera without any problems at all on rides like Kumba, Montu, SheiKra, etc, and Six Flags won't allow them on the mine train, you have to start to ask yourself "What's wrong with this scenario?" The GoPro chest harness is incredibly safe. Even if it came unbuckled, which would be difficult to do, the chances of it falling off of your body would be very rare. I'd say you are going to have a much MUCH higher chance of a phone, wallet, or keys, that are actually secured in someone's pocket flying out before a GoPro would become detached from a chest harness. But you're just going to have as many more people who can just take out their cell phone out of their pocket and take photos or videos. I highly doubt this is a real concern. Rides break down all the time, evacs happen at parks like Disney quite frequently where they allow all kinds of cameras on all the rides. If someone is going to REALLY try to make a ride evac a huge deal, the GoPro should be the least of your worries. And if it DOES happen, hey, be at least happy there might be some GOOD footage of whatever evac it is out there instead of crappy, vertical video cell phone users! lol I'm not suggesting anyone break the rules, but I do think parks are going to start to re-think them, especially when it comes to filming and the fact that cameras are changing. It's quite simply this - if a pair of sunglasses on my head is not consider a "loose item", then it is absolutely stupid that a GoPro on a chest harness is. "Wearable" technology is not a "loose article."

A reader has sent in some photos of Eurostar being stored somewhere in Russia. These photos are from 2012. No other information given. No idea if these parts are still there or have been scrapped.