Johnny Upsidedown

I dont know how they got out, I just figured that was the way that they did becuase of the way that they are smoothing the walls out. Otherwise didnt make any sense that they would go through all that work to flatten the walls. At first I thought they were making the wall taller but a closer look at the photos it appears they are just smoothing the walls. SAM ask around at your job and see if they will tell you how the animals got out. Just a guess on my part but seemed logical.

Update on the Oragutang exhibit. It is currently closed and under repair. It looks like the animal climbed the back wall of its enclosure to escape. They are now in the process of smoothing out the wall so that it has no places for the animals to get a grip and climb out. Looks like the exhibit is getting close to being reopened. They have most of the wall restuccod and were doing some finalized painting on some of the wall. More photos here www.johnnyupsidedown.com/basic.html Couple of photos below.

It looks like it is a permanent installation. From RCDB. Isla San Marcos is part of the La Feria de San Marcos -- a national fair held in Aguascalientes, Mexico. While the fair does not operate year round, the park operates from Thursday to Sunday and for the full week during summer vacations. So sounds like the part where the coaster is, is in the amusement park that is open mostly year round.

Even the LA Times has picked up on the story from Screamscape. http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/?p=1981 While the park denies the project it looks like it would be a great addition.

/\ I would say you are correct on the inversion types coasterfreak101 (tyler) I was wondering what the inversions will be and how they will count them. I really hope that 4 inversions means complete flip overs but I would imagine a couple of them are as you stated lie to fly and fly to lie. I agree completely. I ate at the smoke house restaurant that they have now, (forget the name of the place) not that good of food and horrible service, hope they rebuild it and make it larger with better service more like what they did at BGT.

I heard Friday also but I dont know. I thought they might wait tell some of the track shows up as they did for Sheikra at BGT. I looked all around the park and any area I could see from the tower and no track on site just yet. I would love to see the annoucement Friday as I would really like to have all the rumors put to rest..

Was out at the park today for a look around. Construction Update May 28th, 2008! What's new out at the park today. More work has been done in the middle of the work area with large walls getting built. The footer drilling machine has been moved to a new location for more drilling. Rebar, well pumps and other equipment has shown up this week as work continues on Manta. Couple of the latest photos are below and check out the rest at the link below!!! www.johnnyupsidedown.com/manta0.html General pond or splash area. Work materials. A look across the site.

Thanks for the photo update, I will be out there myself either tomorrow or monday for some photos of the site. Looks like work is progressing along fairly well..

Pretty good savings if you dont by season passes and are looking for a one day ticket to a park. The parks I checked they are $29.99 for the kids tickets. http://www.sixflags.com/national/tickets/yahookidsprice.aspx At Six Flags, your mom, dad, sister, brother, cousin, next door neighbor — absolutely Everyone Pays Kids Price when you buy tickets online today only! "Everyone Pays Kids Price" offer is valid online only for U.S. Six Flags Theme Parks and Six Flags Hurricane Harbors. Offer expires Monday, May 19, 2008 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Tickets may be used throughout the 2008 season. Children 2 years and under are free. Prices do not include tax. Handling fees apply to online orders.

Things happen when rides are just opening. Here are some phots of the ride in operation from today. Photos courtesy of http://www.greatamericaparks.com/ Photos are here.... http://www.flickr.com/photos/ezeiza/tags/20080517/

Thanks for the photo update. They are getting alot done in a short amont of time. I am kind of surprised about the lack of large construction fences. I wonder how long they will leave it like that with out any construction walls.. I wish parks would not have huge construction fences or maybe have areas where people can see in. I think it serve as better promotion of a future attaction if people can at least see in and see what they are doing.

This might actually be a good thing for the park. Maybe the new owners can put some $$$ into the palce and make some good improvements to the park.

I can only go by what the people working on the ride tell me is happening at the job site.. As for the train, the fix is being done in house and not at a vendor. They are moving wheels and changing the setup in attempts to get them to track properly.

I would not count on it being open. They are still having problems with the trains. They dont track properly or ride in the trough as they want it to. They only have one train, until they work out the problems they will not build any other trains. The problem as I understood it was that one of the wheels is not riding on the track in parts of the turns due to several issues with the current train design. Last I heard they were working on the trains to try and get them to track properly which no time frame has been given on how long this will take. Every time I ask when the ride will open or be done, I get the standard answer and that is it will be done when it gets done. One thing to consider is the crew building it also have to maintain all the other rides at the park so the Flying turns is not there first priority...

Thanks, they really never told us her name or I just didnt hear it. We knew she was doing a New York station but that was about it.

This morning I participated in several live television broadcast from Universal Studios for the grand opening of the new Simpsons Ride. The Today Show of NBC broadcasting was doing live shoots for there morning television show. The weatherman Al Roker did several live broadcasts from the park. There were around 75 people that volunteered for the days activities. We were used as back drops and fillins during the shoots. Part of our time between shoots the Simpsons caricatures where on hand for some entertainment. During one of our down times some of us were picked to be fillins for a couple of FOX news live shoots. Overall it was a fun morning being a fill in for the live television broadcasts. And. Today was the day for the Grand Opening of the new Simpsons ride at Universal Studios. Around 10 am everybody gathered for the opening ceremony. First the park handed out Marge Simpson wigs for everybody to wear. Then the CEO of Universal was on hand for a short introduction and ribbon cutting. Krusty the clown was on hand to lead the orchestra as the ribbon was cut. With a small fireworks display and lots of confetti in the air it was time for a ride on the new Simpsons thrill ride. The ride is a simulator ride in which you are in a large room with a giant doomed screen. The cars are on a hydraulic platform which moves in sink with the movie being played. The ride its self is a cartoon of an out of control roller coaster car that careens throughout Springfield the imaginary city of the Simpsons. The ride is a lot of fun and will be enjoyed by all. Below are 15 of some 55 of my photos that are on my website. To see lots more photos go to these two links..... www.johnnyupsidedown.com/eventUS1.html www.johnnyupsidedown.com/eventUS2.html Me on the left with wig on. Graphic Lots of people Videos signage Its open CEO of the park Media and more Wigs Wigs Signs A kid and some Simpsons Fox News Reporter AL Roker of the Today Show during a live shoot signage

Small update on the Rockit. While out at the park today for a TV shoot and the grand opening of Simpsons ( will have photos later of simpsons opening) I got a couple photos of the Rockit. Work has started at least the beginning of the work. Lots of markers are about in the front area of the Blue Man building out in front of the park. The is one piece of machinery starting to tear things up where the ride will go. I have heard that the ride will get done in phases and looks like the first phase is going to be up in the front of the park. Didnt see much else pertaining to the ride. Couple other photos can be seen here http://www.johnnyupsidedown.com/new2009rr.html Couple of photos below from today.

I to love how things are made. One of the reasons I follow the construction is to see how its done. I will be up in Orlando again tomorrow for a live film shoot at Universal Studios (doing the Today show for the Simpsons ride) and may stop in at Sea World just to see what they are doing, that is if I have time.

There is another idea that could be considered. Back when Sheikra was in its testing phases they tried many different types of water tube ideas. Originally Sheikra had several different type of tubes. Some where thin and long some where shorter and fater and then they had some kind paddles. Pictured below is a splash from the paddles. Reason I mention this is maybe this coaster will have the paddles instead of the tubes like SHeikra. Below is the only photo I have of what the water splash looks like from the padles. You will notice that the splash is a low wide fan shape. So maybe they will use something along these lines so that the coaster will look more like it has crashed into the water instead of how Shiekras water is thrown up in the air. Just speculation on my part.

Major work has begun at Sea World Florida for Manta. Lots of dirt work being done, footers getting dug and the beginnings of pond work has begun. Lots of photos from todays 5-13-08 update can be seen here http://www.johnnyupsidedown.com/manta.html Couple of photos below of the construction.

I would have to say that the splash will be similar to Sheikras splash, but with the pond being as large and as wide as the one on KIs coaster is I am thinking that the splash may be more of an out ward splash. Sheikras and Griffons splashes are more striaght up. I think this will be more of a side way splash or a large fan effect that is if they are going to have an area where the kids can ge splashed... Also this splash seems to be a bit longer in lenght then Sheikras so I would figure the hill comeing into the splash will be pretty large. Keep in mind that the splash is actually called a water brake. It reduces the trains speed by 15 to 20 percent, while not noticeable it is still designed as a water brake and is patented as such. 2 coasters this year that I cant wait for the official announcements. This the KI hyper and Sea Worlds Flyer coasters.

Thanks, /\, however my source have been know to be wrong. Logic tells me that they wouldnt go through all the trouble to put in a trough if it wernt going to have the splash. They would have just put some footers in the lake and ran the coaster over it. If you look at the photo linked below you will see how they are building the trough. I also agree that this is going to be a more of a terain big hill coaster and less of the small bunny hops. I think the lake splash will take care of the ending bunny hops that have been seen on Bohemouth and Goliath at SFOG... http://www.kiextreme.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=292&pos=2

/\ Its been rumored that Manta at Sea World will also have the splash, which is rumored to be a flyer. While everybody is in agreement that the Sea World Coaster is a flyer until its announced I will just use the term rumored...

From what I have heard from some people I know. Is that this coaster will feature the splash. From the looks of the photo on the other page I would say that is what they are building. Looks like a small pond area and a trough in the middle. Would make sense that it will have the splash.

Well there is alot more to the story that I wont share and there were a few other reasons for the violence and alot of alcohol was involved. When I used to drink, I was one of those people that when you add lots of alcohol I become instant, violent a$$ whole. Only time I ever hit somebody as I am not a violent person... Just one of those days somebody pushed my Jack A$$ button as Bill Engval would say. Enough of my sadistic past, it was a long time ago when I was a younger man (boy).. My threapist says I am much better now.