robbalvey

No, we all read it, but as I explained before, I just don't understand how you walked away from some of the rides that you did going "meh." I mean, sure, Formula Rossa may not be the most OMFG amazing ride "overall" but HOLY CRAP that launch is seriously one of the most intense coaster moments I've experienced. Second only to DoDonpa. But you said both of them were not that much better than other things you experienced. I don't know what to tell you. I have NEVER experienced a launch like DoDonpa anywhere else. So if those two rides don't impress you... seriously... Give up. Throw in the towel. Take up knitting a television.

Exactly the reason why we stopped counting coasters. The moment we stopped doing that, I feel like I started to enjoy parks more. We would spend more time at places we liked: Europa Park, Disney, um.... Europa Park... ...and spend less time worrying about trying to get another Wacky Worm coaster in. I can't speak to his level of being underwhelmed though. I cannot imagine someone walking away from DoDonpa, Formula Rossa, or Kawasemi going "meh." Even if they didn't live up to expectations, they are still some FANTASTIC rides that I could ride over and over again and not be bored or underwhelmed in the slightest. If you're that level of jaded, just being honest here, not much is going to impress you, and if you're just looking to be BLOWN AWAY by every single ride, instead of just going and having a good time, then this hobby is probably outworn it's welcome for you. I mean, I don't particularly find rides like B&M hypers to that exciting or do much of anything for me... but I'll still go and ride Apollo's Chariot for example, many times and have "FUN" on it. I'm not always looking to ride the world's #1 coaster every single ride I take. That's just not realistic. Really? The guy asks legit question and brings up some valid points wanting some advice and this is the best you can do? Try again.

It pains me to read stuff like this.... Find a new hobby. If you're this jaded that you can travel all over the world and still be underwhelmed... Find a new hobby.

Like I said, the alternative is not having the TPR forum anymore and I can focus on social media instead which is where the majority of our traffic is now anyway. My only suggestion if it really bothers you that much is to simply follow us on social media (and there are ads there, too) or get used to it.

That's really what Club TPR is for. I don't really have a way to turn on or off ads per individual user and installing something like that would be costly. So it would be counter productive. If you're not seeing ads, then it sounds like your problem is already resolved?

Everything is almost in place now. I do apologize that we have more ads than before, but the reality of the situation is that as online websites and forums are becoming less and less visited in favor of social media (which there are plenty of ads there, too) we have had to work with different ad companies that can help us bring in more money. The alternative is to not have the forum anymore and I'm sure that's not really what anyone here wants. There is still a bit more tweaking to do with ad banner sizes and some consistency, and while we do have more ad placements, don't worry... I'm not planning to do any obnoxious "pop ups in the middle of the screen" ads, things you can't click out of. We'll have the sticky ad at the bottom and you can at least click out of that one to remove it while you're on a page. Really, other than that all I ask is for your understanding and to "get used to it" and know that having these ads will help keep the forum around longer. Thank you.

We are working with a new ad company. Things are still a bit all over the place so give us a day or two to get things tweaked and working better! Thanks for your patience!

As many of you are aware, not only do we love theme parks, but we also love Broadway musicals and the theater! In many ways the two go hand in hand which is why we have been very fortunate here in Orlando to see the opening of the new Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in 2014, and now it's second and final expansion of the project is well underway with a planned opening in a couple of years! The current venue houses two different theaters: The Walt Disney Theater (again, another tie-in to the theme park world) which seats 2,700 people and the Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater which seats about 300. Both theaters are BEAUTIFUL and function extremely well for different types of shows. I've seen performances in both theaters and I absoultely LOVE them! The focus of this update though is the new Steinmetz Hall which will seat 1,700. The new theater is an acoustic hall for ballet, operas, orchestral performances and will carry one of the highest acoustic ratings but what makes this venue even more interesting is the stage, walls and floor will move, getting longer, shorter or lower to host all kinds of entertainment. This new addition will also house a large rehearsal room and performance area called "The Green Room" which the Jazz Orchestra at Dr. Phillips Center is planned to make performances. We'll also see some new food offerings come online with a new kitchen facility that will cater to the entire Dr. Phillips Performing Arts venue. As always we highly recommend checking their website to check their show schedule and be sure to add Dr. Phillips Center as part of your next Orlando visit: https://www.drphillipscenter.org/ Let's have a look at some photos from the construction tour.... Good morning from Dr. Phillips Performing Arts center! The 2018/19 Broadway season is FANTASTIC! Cannot wait to see these shows! The current "Walt Disney Theater" at Dr. Phillips Center is where you'll view touring version of Broadway shows. New food items for us to try out! These items pictured are not just for the future expansion but you can get them NOW during select shows. And yes, everything we sampled was delicious! I could not decide between the chocolate and the key lime! This is just a perfect example of how theme parks and the theater world go hand in hand! We are about to start our construction tour of Steinmetz Hall! The new theater is going to be massive and will seat 1,700 people. Standing in front of the concrete walls makes you feel tiny next to the gigantic structure! This area here is the "garage" in which the movable area will slide into. You can begin to see the outline of what will eventually be 1,700 seats! That large area behind the stage is on wheels and can move back and forth depending on what is required for specific shows. Here we are looking down at what will be the stage. Construction tours are always a lot of fun! It's great to have a behind the scenes look at these venues! This gives you an idea of how the new venue will attach to the current structure. And here's another look at that. This model here shows what the Steinmetz Hall will look like when it is completed. And that section behind the stage is the part that will move back and forth. We can't wait for this new phase to be completed! As fans of the theater, we spend a lot of time at the Dr. Phillips Center and we highly recommend to all of our readers checking it out when you are in Orlando!

No. Not at all. This is a new positioning for them. I remember when we were doing our press construction tours of Seven Dwarfs Mine Train they would not talk at all about Vekoma's involvement. Now I have no idea if maybe because this was at an "industry" event that may have something to do with it, but I have never heard them mention ride manufacturers before. And they also talked about the Skyliner developer, too! So it wasn't just Vekoma.

Might as well add this to the discussion thread as well as the IAAPA thread. Today at IAAPA Bob Chapek announced some new details about the Guardians Roller Coaster. From this short video we can take away the following: - Vekoma is working on the ride. - The ride vehicle design was announced. - The ride vehicles will turn (doesn't sound like it will spin freely.) - The coaster will launch at some point. - It's not a flying coaster. Here's the video and some images of the coaster cars:

Oh, c'mon! This isn't a Universal attraction!

I've never worn shorts to IAAPA in the last 18 years we've been covering the show.

This morning we were invited out to the IAAPA breakfast where Disney Parks & Resorts Chairman Bob Chapek gave an amazing presentation about Disney Parks. Part of his presentation was a brand new sneak peek at the Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster coming to Epcot. Take a look...

Here is our video re-cap from our day at IAAPA! Now, POST YOUR COMMENTS!

Hey everyone! We are currently at IAAPA 2018 and we will be posting live update to our Twitter and other social media! Check back here as well for more updates! Video Re-Cap from IAAPA 2018! Twitter: Instagram: @themeparkreview Good morning from IAAPA! The trade show for everything amusement park related from roller coasters to Dippin Dots! We will be live tweeting all day! Keep an eye on our socials for more coverage! Here’s a look at the Premier Rides booth at IAAPA HQ! Looks like they have something cool to unveil! The B&M booth is showing off some new hotness from Liseberg in Sweden! We’ll get to ride this coaster next summer! Of course one of our first stops at IAAPA has to be the RMC booth to see Alan Schilke, the amazing coaster designer behind most of your favorite rides!

We are looking for someone who can attend a media event at Six Flags Magic Mountain for TPR on Nov 17th and post a trip report from it. If you are interested, please email robbalvey@themeparkreview.com for details.

Honestly you've got it backwards. If you could only go to one park you should go to Nick Universe. That said, in a pinch you can do both in a day. Agreed!

Last weekend was the "Grand Re-Opening" of the World of Disney Store at Walt Disney World's Disney Springs! This is the largest Disney store on any Disney Parks resort property and the new make-over has given the store a wonderful, updated look! For those of you who may not be totally aware of the store, it is located in the "Marketplace" section of Disney Springs and has been part of the that property for many years! You may remember Stitch spitting water at you from the roof of the store at some point (and yes, he is still there!) The interior of the store has been completely renovated and given a touch of Disney "Magic!" You can see examples of this in the video below. Along with that new magic are completely new displays all over the store, new areas that can be changed to match a current holiday season or even a new movie release, and a much more wider, "open" feeling to the entire store! We highly recommend checking it out next time you're at Disney Springs! Be sure to take a close look at everything on the walls! You may see some things come to like that you aren't expecting! [fbvideonew] [/fbvideonew] Welcome to the newly re-imagined "World of Disney" store at Walt Disney World's Disney Springs! The new theming of the store includes artifacts that the animators who once inhabited this area have left behind. So be sure to check out those posters behind the cashier area and take a close look! You may see them move! The "Ink & Paint" area has some extra special magic! Be sure to spend some time in this area as well. Darcy from Disney Springs explains some of the inspiring touches are on display all around, including mystical movie posters, enchanted art and animation ink jars that spring to life with a trail of pixie dust. We love the more "open" design of the store. It's easy to see across the store and find what you are looking for! Some of the merchandise that has been made available this year are super cute! I love these Minnie Ears inspired by Mickey Ice Cream bars that have a bite taken out of them! The "pencil tests" on the wall will come to life if you watch closely! There are new projections everywhere that add to the fun and excitement of the store. You'll see them on the floor, the walls, and pretty much everywhere you look! The new store just feels a bit more "sleek" and modern. It's a great update and very much compliments some of the new construction we've seen at Disney Springs over the past few years. This new area can easily be swapped out for different holidays! All the lightning and projections in this area to be changed to match whatever the current holiday is or a new film release. The new "Mickey Mouse Club" collection recently went on sale so here is an area of the store dedicated to those items. And I love all these new graphic tees! This retro style Haunted Mansion shirt is wonderful! This! This is my thoughts exactly! I would also agree with that statement! And just like that... The new World of Disney Store is open at Disney Springs! Be sure to check it out!

It does, actually.

I feel like this needs to be a theme for Universal as a whole. Some of my favorite past and current attractions at the parks: Mummy, Men in Black, Jurassic Park, Ripsaw Falls, Dueling Dragons, Jaws, Hulk, Rip Ride Rockit, were all in Universal's pre-screens days. And while I'd even throw Spider-Man into that mix because when it was first introduced, that style of ride was the anomaly not the norm. But now... with Simpsons, Transformers, Gringotts, Forbidden Journey, Kong, Fallon, Fast & Furious, and yes, even Spider-Man, I feel like every time you enter a queue for an attraction, they hand you a pair of glasses. Enough is enough. It will be nice to see them get away from screens (or at least I hope) for the next attraction, however that new coaster has a lot, and I mean a *LOT* to live up to. Dueling Dragons was quite possibly the best and most unique B&M coaster I've ever ridden and it is going to take a lot for this new ride to top that for me. We shall see... Nice report. I had to just quote that one sentence though as I feel it sums up my thoughts on Universal as a whole at the moment.

Just a scare zone.

For those of you who didn't make it to Halloween Horror Nights this year, here's all ten mazes in one video!

Man I would like nothing more than to see all of those guys put behind bars and the parks shut down.

Check your PMs....

Ahh, ok. That's really the only place I could figure this would be going also. I wonder why they wouldn't mention that?