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Snicket

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Everything posted by Snicket

  1. I've been told that the problems with the rings have been worked out and will feature a similar lighting plot to the trains. I've also been told that the rings will be going up...soon.
  2. I just got back from spending my whole day at Universal Orlando! I may go back later this week, so I may give you some more updates. Before the park opened, they were doing test runs. A crane was set up by the first brake run, and a train was run twice. The train went through the full circuit the first time and the second time it was stopped on the first brake run. I don't know if it has been posted yet, but an elevator has been installed on the back of the lift hill. It's pretty small and looks to be only for work purposes. It looks permanent and is painted the color of the supports. The elevator was going up and down the lift and a worker was doing some welding work. After welding stopped, the train was brought down off the first brake run and completed the rest of the circuit. Testing held off for an hour and thirty minutes. Workers started installing more electrical cables in the building the track runs through and adjusted the video camera inside. Water dummies were placed on and off the train for the rest of the day as it continued with testing. On the way out of Universal, I noticed what appeared to be new LED signage on HRRR, a giant LCD screen, and new signage with a character from the HRRR website. And yes, the coaster is incredible silent. And yes, everybody visiting the park is wanting to ride it. And no, the rings are not on YET.
  3. I am officially in Orlando and I will hopefully bring some updates along. When we went past Universal, there were several workers on the lift and (I believe) a crane close by. I'll be at Universal tomorrow from the time the park opens until the time the park closes.
  4. Here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYjSwbte3G4 Gotta love NPH!
  5. They've been running the coaster during the day with the LEDs on the trains switched on. They've been turning them off during nighttime testing, though. From what I've heard, the lights are pretty visible during the day. Hmm...Me thinks it will be a great light show at night!
  6. The rings are still supposed to go up along with the signage on the front of the lift. Over the last few days, workers have been doing a little bit of work on the pieces that will hold the rings to the lift. Those pieces can clearly be seen in the video below:
  7. The only thing I don't like about the coaster is the mess of supports. Strangely, though, it only bothers me in pictures. In person, the supports don't look as bad. The train hardly stops in the mid-course brakes. The pacing is never thrown off on the coaster. I think the reason people are saying that this coaster is "amazing" is because of the many firsts - tallest non-inverting loop, tallest vertical lift, and the treble clef maneuver (Which looks awesome). The first drop on Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit! is the tallest of any coaster on Universal Orlando property...if I got my figures correct. Sure, it's no top 10 coaster, but I think that it will be absolutely thrilling none the less.
  8. Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit! has been going up the lift at full speed since yesterday. From what I've heard, the lift has been getting the trains to the top of the hill between 16-18 seconds. And no. Don't even ask about the rings. Spare my sanity!
  9. The books are popular among adults just as much as children, I would say. They're written in a style that is very descriptive and mature. The books are just as well written as any other novel geared toward adults. I started reading the Harry Potter series when I was in 1st grade. The librarian at my elementary school advised my parents against it...she thought that the writing would be too complicated for a 1st grader to fully understand. A few months later, my aunt sent me the series (I think it was books 1-3 at that time). I started reading them and fell in love with the series. The books are extremely entertaining. Most of the time, I find that the books have more exciting pacing and action than the movies.
  10. The new employee newsletter for Universal Orlando is inviting team members to participate in technical rehersals.
  11. Everybody where I'm from goes to one. They're always talking about how scary it is and all. It's disturbing in the sense that it is mind-numbing and idiotic. I haven't been to one, it just sounds that way. Personally, I agree that people shouldn't be scared into Christianity or any religion...just my views. Anyway, I think this is getting some nice publicity for the castle. It's a pretty big, creepy tourist attraction already, though.
  12. That's probably some testing equipment. Maybe to test speed and g forces and such.
  13. They think it's funny to keep asking about something so trivial. I talked to a ride-op friend like I promised and she told me they were doing backstage training too. The rings aren't a big deal. They'll be one of the last things to go on. I promise that I will alert the townsfolk when the rings get put on. I'll hang some lanterns in the old north church. One if by crane, two if by...well, the only way you could put them on is with a crane...
  14. They were testing yesterday. They've been taking it slow up the lift, stopping it at the top, and stopping the trains for up to 20 minutes on the brake runs. Once they get the coaster running like they want it to run throughout the day, the 100 hours of testing that is allegedly is required shouldn't take long. Rings haven't been put on yet and all of the lighting isn't installed yet.
  15. I love classical music. I've been playing piano since I was 6, guitar since I was 7, and percussion since I was eight. I joined concert band at my middle school in 6th grade and played trombone. The next year, I switched to tuba and picked up other instruments along the way (Trumpet, Euphonium, Horn, etc...). I'm in my high school's advanced symphonic band (We don't have an orchestra, sadly...), and play tuba. I also play piano in jazz band, sousaphone in marching band, and participate in regional competitions and all state band. In advanced band this year, we got to play Carmina Burana (One of my favorite works), Short Ride in a Fast Machine, Hounds of Spring, Ave Maria, and Elsa's Procession. Last year we played Festive Overture, Blue Bells of Scotland, Second Suite in F, Rhapsody in Blue, etc... We play a lot of Sousa too...but every band does. It's almost a requirement. My favorite composers include Dvorak, Alfred Reed, John Williams, Shostakovitch, Richard Wagner, Puccini, Bach, George Gershwin, Gordon Goodwin (Jazz), Stephen Sondheim (Musicals), Henry Mancini, Arthur Foote, Charles-Camille Saint-Saƫns, Leroy Anderson, the list goes on and on... Rattle and Bernstein are two of my favorite conductors! They interpret the works wonderfully. Right now, I'm obsessed with the New World Symphony, particularly the beautiful 2nd movement, at least, when played by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. I'm also obsessed with the operas Lonhengrin by Richard Wagner, La Boheme by Puccini, and the Pirates of Penzance by G&S. I love classical music!
  16. I'm going to see if one of my ride op friends know about training for HRRR.
  17. Here's a secret: The train conductors spill the beans about any new rides in the works and rehab work going that will be going on. I went to Dollywood a few years ago and the train conductor told us about a Mystery Mine a few months before the thing was announced.
  18. ^^Wonderful picture. Apparently she likes coasters...and Disneyland. It didn't really surprise me that we saw her because I had been reading online for years that she goes to Disneyland (One story involved her wearing a prosthetic nose?). I've never really cared about Paris Hilton until I saw her there. It made me think of her as a normal person...on a Disneyland VIP tour...with front of the line access.... Anyway, it made me realize how much celebrities must really hate it to have cameras in their faces all the time. They deserve the right to be able to have fun at a theme park, just like all of us uninteresting normal folk.
  19. I'm in a similar situation too. I'm visiting Orlando from the 27th-3rd. The likelihood of it being open in that time frame is doubtful. Extremely doubtful.
  20. I visited Disneyland with my high school jazz band in April. When we were waiting on a train for Big Thunder Mountain, one pulled up and unloaded. After they unloaded, a Disney castmember (He was wearing a V.I.P. tour uniform, I think) led a girl in a black hoodie, another girl, and a buff guy in a blue shirt up to the unload area. The group wouldn't look towards the people waiting in line. My friend, being random as always, tried to get their attention. He shouted "Hey honey!!!" and the girl in the black hoodie turned around and smiled waved at him. He waved back and didn't think anything of it...until a bunch of random people in line started shouting: "Oh my Gods!!!!!! It's Paris freaking Hilton!!!!! Let's get a picture of her!!!!" and "Oh my God!!! Paris!!!! We love you!!!!" Does that count as a stupid statement the GP have made? She turned her back and the Disney tour guide stepped in front of her and calmly told us not to take pictures. If I were going to take candid pictures of a celebrity, I would do it calmly and not announce it to everybody else. Never go full paparazzi. Me and my friends boarded the next train and carried on with our normal lives without freaking out about it until after we got off. Paris Hilton was the only "celebrity" while we were staying in LA. What a disappointment!!!
  21. I'm glad they're adding music...well...they may be. The new cars will do some good too. I went to Disneyland in April with my high school jazz band. We all got off Space Mountain saying it was much better than the Magic Kingdom's version.
  22. I have some more good news - the coaster has been testing during the day. If testing continues at a great rate of speed, we may see soft openings at the very end of the month. Earl's information conflicted with what I told you all earlier, but I still stand by everything I said. The people I spoke with are trying to get the coaster on track for soft openings at the end of the month (They had a set-back with the weather, though). They're working toward an opening date of July 10th or 11th.
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