robbalvey

Joe

I just had a quick chat with the guy who designed the layout and he said not to worry, there will be airtime. I mean, it's the same guy who designed Lightning Run at Kentucky Kingdom so....

I don't know about anyone else but the track style really reminds me of S&S coasters...

While a lot of people refer to Peter Pan as an Omnimover, it's really not, because the cars do make a full stop in the station and it's not a loop constantly moving at the same speed. For it to be a true Omnimover the entire chain of ride vehicles are continuously moving at the same speed, and if one stops, they all stop. That's how Mansion and Spaceship Earth work, for example. Haunted Mansion has 160 ride vehicles on it's track and any one time, which is an INSANE amount of capacity. I don't know how many Pan has, but if I had to guess, probably no more than 25-30. So it is much lower capacity which also doesn't help with the ridiculously long line. Exactly why I only end up riding it MAYBE once a year... And only usually when someone is in town and we don't have to wait in line for it.

No. That sounds incredibly stupid and makes my brain hurt. Can you also learn how to spell Steel Vengeance while you're at it? Thanks.

Well, to be fair, they ARE going after the inversion record, so.... And doesn't the park already have some coasters with an extreme buttload of airtime already? Not that I would mind because I'm an "airtime guy" too, but just thinking out loud here that maybe this wasn't what they were going for with this coaster?

See, this is why I'm glad I"m not a "sports person." I'll be happy to ride it not even quite knowing what sport the Pittsburgh Steelers play!

As long as I can remember. I think it opened with Camp Snoopy in 1983.

Here are some of the highlights from the opening night of the new show. Yes, it's basically a "World of Color Knock-Off" but I think it's exactly what Universal Orlando needed and I think fans of the park and the properties included in the show will absoultely love it!

I will never understand the wait for Pan either. It's a fine dark ride if you wait 10-15 minutes for but I will never understand the fascination of why people will wait 90-120 minutes for it. Is this just another example where to all of us, a "suspended dark ride" is old hat, but just proves the often argued theory that to thousands of people who visit Walt Disney World every day that even things that are decades old, those guests are experiencing it for the "first time" and they are WOWed by it? That's the only logical explanation I can think of.

So here is the official TPR stance on what I'm "okay" with and what I'm not okay with in regards to lockers, cell phones, and other such practices at parks.... First of all, yes it sucks that someone got injured on a ride due to someone else's stupidity. And it's a shame that now the rest of us all have to be punished because of it thanks to our overly litigious society filled with Trump loving idiots. Yes, I'm smart enough to keep my phone in my pocket where I know it will never fly out of, or even put it in the bin on the other side of the train in the station (I'm willing to take that risk if I have to) but I do understand that thanks to where humanity is now, the smart people don't get any benefits thanks to the sheer volume of dumb that exists on this planet. That being said.... - I'm "okay" with being told "no cell phones on a ride" if there is a place for me to put it on the other side of the train in the station. I'm not even asking for it to be locked. Would I prefer that? Sure. But I'm riding at my own risk and I'm taking my phone into a queue and onto the platform at my own risk, why should it then become the responsibility of the park if I choose to leave it off the side of the platform? - I'm "okay" with lockers at rides, even if I have to pay a dollar or two for them due to "no cell phones on ride" rules and I *choose* to put them in a locker instead of placing them on the other side of the station for my own piece of mind. - I'm "okay" with a ride op either wanding me or asking me to empty my pockets on the platform before boarding a ride to ensure all loose items go on the other side of the station. We've seen this at parks in Japan, and it can be done quickly if the ride ops are doing it IN BETWEEN ride cycles or there is proper signage in the queue telling people that ALL POCKETS MUST BE EMPTIED when you get to the ride. (Who am I joking, I know this will never work in America, but wishful thinking, right?) - I'm "NOT OKAY" with parks forcing people to put their phones in a locker (paid or not) and having to go through a queue without a phone at all. I personally feel like with the invention of the smartphone, more people are likely to wait in a longer queue because it gives them something to do and I have an issue with parks taking that away from people. I will NOT stand in line for any ride if I'm told I can't use my phone for the duration of the queue. - I'm "NOT OKAY" with parks having metal detectors or wanding at the front of a queue forcing you to put things in a locker not being able to have your smartphone in a queue. I realize that this is very similar to what I just posted above, but I wanted to single out having to walk through a metal detector as I find it one of the single most insulting things I've seen at a park. I'm not a criminal. I'm not bringing a bomb on the roller coaster. You don't need me to go through a metal detector. - I'm "NOT OKAY" with people bitching and complaining about paying a dollar or two to rent a locker, even if it's required. Seriously people, IT'S A FREAKING DOLLAR and if you can't afford a dollar then don't to go the park and please don't come on here complaining about it. You'll get no sympathy from me. I can't tell you how many times I've gone to a park and watched someone bitch and complain endlessly about spending $1 on a locker and then go buy a Coke for ten bucks without batting an eye. Also, the word censor is here for a reason. It's a reminder of all the idiots bitching and complaining about the lockers. If you try to get around the word censor, I'll just create another word filter. Or maybe I'll just delete the post and ban your account because, like Thanos, I personally find getting rid of useless people to be a lot of fun! I'm hopeful that at Kings Dominion the rule is not "put everything in a locker or we won't even let you in the queue" because I'll be riding a lot fewer rides on my next visit. If the rule is "You had better empty your pockets on the platform and put every damn thing in the bin on the other side of the train and if we even see a mobile phone in your pocket then you're going to Kings Dominion jail hell" then I'm totally okay with that. We'll be there in a couple of weeks. Curious to see what the policy is...

Day Twenty Six - Tokyo Disney Resort - Back to Tokyo DisneySEA! With two days of our "official" time at Tokyo Disney Resort behind us, and two days left, that means we can now start to park hop! One of the ways that Tokyo Disney helps control overcrowding in the parks is by not allowing people to park hop if you've only bought a one or two day ticket. When you buy a four day ticket, you still have to choose ONE park to visit for your first two days, but then days three and four you can park hop! And although we could park hop today, we kind of took it easy around DisneySEA. It was nice to have a more relaxing day in the parks! Back on the monorail heading to Tokyo DisneySEA! It was going to be a "Duffy & Friends" day today! ShellieMay is ready for her day in the park! We have been in Japan for a month. We leave for home in two days. I’m going to miss waking up to this view! The girls are ready for the 35 Happiest Celebration at Tokyo DisneySEA! They all have their 35 Happiest Celebration bows... It's like something out of Heathers... We got to experience something "new to us" today at Tokyo DisneySEA! Check out this video below.... That's right! They were running the "Get Wet" version of Aquatopia since summer has started! And as you can see, you most certainly GET WET!!! They are not dry... They are WET!!! When was the last time you saw the entire Aqautopia queue full? This was seriously a lot of fun! I do love the lagoon shows they do on the boat at Tokyo DisneySEA during the day! This one was the "Tanabata Greeting" with several of the Disney "couples" featured on the boat! Not only are the Tanabata consumes my favorite that Tokyo Disney dresses the characters in but the Tanabata Greeting Show also uses a version of “Wishes” that is even more beautiful and awesome than in the old Magic Kingdom fireworks show! I think these two would make for a great Tanabata couple! Toy Story Midway Mania is like crack to the Japanese people. Even at 1pm in the afternoon, the line is 130 minutes and Fast Pass is almost sold out! While I prefer the virtual Fast Pass systems, I've always felt that Tokyo Disney's Fast Pass machines were always the best themed! Might as well grab a Fast Pass while I'm here! Hello Woody! Eat anyone interesting today? HAPPY MARCHING FUN!!!! It was July 1st on this day we were at the park and that means popcorn changes at Tokyo Disney! At DisneySEA, Strawberry has replaced Blueberry... ...and Black Pepper has replaced Herb-Tomato! I love that they change it up so frequently! We continued to buy popcorn and share it with the group. Black Pepper is still my favorite! (That and Curry... and Honey... and Strawberry... and...) Oooh! Milk Chocolate is good, too! There was a lot of popcorn consumed today! Speaking about food, for lunch we did the "Japanese Mexican" place, which has always been a favorite of ours! It has GREATLY improved over the years from it's "Doritos and Ketchup" days into actual real amazing Mexican food! (or at least the Japanese interpretation of it!) Hello, Donald, how's it going? Friends of Duffy take a ride on Indy! It was a hot day today, so Aquatopia was not the only place you could get wet! Yay! My girl waved hi to me! How's it going, Electric Railway? [twitter] [/twitter] Thoughts on this Baymax plush bag? Tokyo Disney understands that “Chip n Dale” doesn’t end with just two rodents! Nothing like randomly catching a volcano exploding while in the queue for another attraction! Every time you buy a soda from an outdoor vending cart, it is wiped off to make sure there is no water residue on the outside of the bottle. No other Disney park (or any other park for that matter outside of Japan) does this. Another example of the detailed level of service you get in Japan parks. ShellieMay just hanging out with a few good friends... There was all kinds of random entertainment during the 35 Happiest Celebration event. These weird but entertaining "custodial workers" with sound FX machines and speakers in their trashcan were highly entertaining! I still have never been in this theater! lol Yes, Jafar, you are evil! Another small detail. I loved these bins when you were at a character meet & greet to place your stuff in. That way all your items weren’t just sitting on the ground. Hello, Raja...how's it going? There really are moments here that you have to stop and remind yourself that you are in a theme park. For dinner we decided we'd head over to Ikspiari to do a bit of shopping and grab some food. For those of you who may not know, here's how the Monorail (or Resort Liner) is laid out at Tokyo Disney. How to plan for where you need to go! Ikspiari is like the Disney Springs or Downtown Disney of Tokyo Disney, and for dinner we chose the "Hawaiian Burger and Pancake place" ... Because that seems to make a lot of sense! Yes, this exists in the world. Seriously though, the burgers are DAMN GOOD! And so are the pancakes! In case you are keeping tabs, Elissa does eat hamburgers now! Back in the park for a few night rides starting with Tower! We saw so many Japanese Instagramers in the park taking all sorts of cool pics with their Duffys! Here they were doing some sort of voodoo seance ritual or something! (look on Instagram and search the hashtag #tds #tdr or #TokyoDisneySea and you'll find all kinds of amazing photographers!) Love these mini theme park trash cans they just started selling in the Tower of Terror shop! Love our Tower of Terror onride photo from tonight with ShellieMay, Gelatoni & StellaLou! We ended our night on Toy Story Mania! (Remember we got those Fast Passes like 15 hours ago?) On the monorail heading back to the hotel! Tomorrow is our last day! Now, POST YOUR COMMENTS!!!! After all, we took the time to write this report, the least you can do is post something nice about it! Mini-Rocket.nltrack Broken_[R]_(Real).nlpack The Missile_[R]_(Real).nlpack Construction Photos from early Feb 2005

Pretty inaccurate these days seeing as there are leaks all the time now. I like how you're giving crap to someone who is actually in the theme park business.

Two years ago and earlier this spring is was spotty and unreliable. Sometimes you'll see two Ubers out and about (the most I've ever seen), often times you'll see none at all. Taxi services aren't really regulated in the area (that I've noticed) so if you call one, you could be waiting an hour before you get picked up and they might charge you some crazy amount of money. Overall, it's not recommended.

I'm not sure exactly what you mean, but they don't sell it as an "add-on" because you don't need a daily ticket to go to this. You just need to buy this ticket. It's just like Mickey's Not-So-Scary or Very Merry Christmas Party. All of those being "hard ticket" events. You need a lanyard to get on any rides or to get any of the snacks or drinks. I didn't really see anyone who wasn't wearing a lanyard asked to leave the park, but I did witness people without lanyards be turned away from food and attractions.

Hey everyone! Last night TPR was invited out to take part in the "After Hours" event at Magic Kingdom! What is this event you ask? It's a little bit like "Extra Magic Hours" but better, more exclusive, and includes more stuff! It is also open to EVERYONE, not just people staying on property at a Walt Disney World resort. Here's some information: - The event is $119 ($89 for Passholders) for tickets purchased online in advance. (Check the website though in case prices may change) The event happens on select dates so once again, check the website. - You get “exclusive park time” three hours after the park closes, but you are allowed to enter three hours before the park closes so you can see fireworks, have more time to play, etc. - All major attractions and many minor attractions are open along some character greetings You also get unlimited drinks, treats (Mickey Mouse bars, ice cream sandwiches, etc), and popcorn all night long!) Here is the website for more info: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/magic-kingdom/disney-after-hours/ You can also Google "Magic Kingdom After Hours" and it should come right up! Now onto some photos & video! Watch this 60 second video first and it should give you a really good idea what the event is like! [twitter] [/twitter] We arrived to the event a couple of hours before the park closed to get in a few bonus rides and take a few more photos. You can enter the park three hours BEFORE the park closes. So with the "exclusive park time" after closing you get a total of 6 hours of park time. Let's start out on Big Thunder Mountain! This is always a favorite of mine! HANDS UP!!! Getting into the park early means you also have time to catch the fireworks before the park closes, and if you haven't seen the new Happily Ever After show, you NEED to see it! Once the event starts it's all the Coca-Cola, Mickey Mouse bars, and Space Mountain you can handle! This sounds like a dream to me! Even compared to resort Extra Magic Hours, attraction wait times are ridiculously short! Thunder & Splash Mountain were both 5 minutes. Areas like this corridor of Fantasyland that you're used to seeing PACKED with people are totally empty! I love walking through the park when it feels like you're almost the only one there! This event is also a photographer's heaven! (Jack Crouse was with me and he got these awesome area shots!) It's not often you see Space Mountain void of anyone at all around it! Not only are the attractions open, but you can also meet several characters with no wait at all as well! Rapunzel was teaching me how to smolder because apparently I'm terrible at it! (She's not wrong!) If you want to be on a ride and have a boat all to yourself for some awesome family pics, this is the event where you can do that! Did we mention that you can keep getting as much popcorn and soda as you want all night long? Haunted Mansion may have been cleverly posted at 13 minutes, but there was no wait at all! Even attractions like Country Bear Jamboree were open! And when CBJ is open, you know it's a GREAT event! What about Peter Pan? Yep, it's a total walk-on! When was the last time you saw that??? And Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, you ask? Also posted at 5 minutes! Attractions like Tomorrowland Speedway also with no wait! You can ride Space Mountain as much as you'd like... And keep trying for that perfect on-ride photo to share with friends! We highly recommend this event. You can do SO MUCH in the three hours of "Exclusive Park Time" that you really can get more done in those hours than you can in most of your day at the park, especially on a summer Saturday which yesterday was! Goodnight Magic Kingdom! Thank you again to Walt Disney World for inviting us out to this event! Now, POST YOUR COMMENTS!!!! After all, we took the time to write this report, the least you can do is post something nice about it!

Nice first trip report. If I could make a couple of "newbie suggestions" that will help improve your photos... 1. Wait for a train. Coaster photos with a train in the shot IMO will always look so much better than empty track and really helps sell the excitement (or maybe lack of) of whatever ride you're showing off. 2. Check your pics on your phone. Zoom in on them, etc, to make sure they are clear. Sometimes what looks good on a phone doesn't always look good when you see it on a larger screen (I'm on my desktop) and for example your Thunderbolt photo looks a little blurry. If you zoom in on a photo a bit on your phone you can see if the pixels are clear or not. 3. Adjust your framing. Try to keep your object more in frame and less random people or heads in the picture. Again your Thunderbolt pic could have been much better if it was taken a bit closer to the ride, a train on the track, and few people in the shot. Hope that helps!

It's not so much "rough" as it is "bouncy" and yes they are still using the same tire configuration. Powder Keg also uses it.

That's why I showed both the off-ride and the on-ride.

Something I say all the time and people still try to argue with me on this. I cannot stress enough.... If you are not a 'local' to the park, and you are visiting Cedar Point on an infrequent basis, you're doing yourself a disservice by not getting Fast Lane. I get that it is expensive, but your time is worth it.

And here's the video of Do-Dodonpa, still the World's Fastest Roller Coaster Acceleration! I personally preferred the loop over the airtime hill. The airtime hill was just painful, and not in the good sort of "RMC" way, just in a painful way. The loop was really good and I have always loved vertical loops on roller coasters! (My favorite kind of inversion)

For those of you wondering: I didn't ride it this time, although we were over by the ride but waited outside while others rode this trip. It was a fun, quirky ride, but having been on it twice before, I kind of felt I didn't need to ride it again. What's funny is I didn't even take a picture of the ride this time around! lol While others rode, I went and peeked my head inside the theater that was installed near the dark rides where Geo Panic and the play area used to be. It's interesting how they re-purposed this space: Since this area used to look like this: I guess you can say LaQua most certainly has gone through a lot of changes over the years...

You're probably reading waaaaaaay too much into the use of a simple logo.

Time Traveler was as super FUN ride and IMO more like the kind of attraction that SFMM could use. And yeah, they don't have a spinning coaster at the moment, right? So it would make sense for them to get that AND have the "worlds tallest, fastest, whateverest" because that's what they do...

Here's the footage that we shot on a previous visit to the park in 2014: