pianojohn

That is truly sad but not unexpected news. I am glad I got to visit the park twice in August. I knew it was doomed, however, when I entered the place and maybe saw 40 other people in the whole park. I know you cannot operate a park at a loss for long enough without it killing you. Part of the problem I feel was the upper management and their arrogance. These are the same people who helped develop Islands of Adventure. And for those Orlando folk who were around the first few years, that park struggled as well. I was there on the official opening day of IOA and it was pretty dead. I mentioned this to a ride op at The Hulk, and he said "Well, Disney must have had a coupon in the paper!" I worked at IOA for the first 1 1/2 years, and the park had a hard time identifying itself. The whole Universal Escape campaign was a total bust. Most tourists did not know there were 2 parks there. They would be in line for Twister, see Dueling Dragons off in the distance, and ask where the line for that was. They were then pissed when told it was a separate park with a separate admission. And these are the same people who made the same mistakes with HRP. They assumed (foolishly) that people would flock to the park on name recognition alone. I feel they were too ambitious in opening such a large park and charging way too much in the process. And they failed in advertising it and identifying it as a one of a kind experience. The coasters will probably be moved, but I feel sorry for Night in White Satin. That was a one of a kind ride that will probably be trashed. I will put that on my list of favorite lost dark rides which includes Mr. Toad at The Magic Kingdom, Earthquake and The Pirate Ride at Cedar Point. RIP Nights in White Satin

So many great memories: Behemoth and Ravine Flyer II during my whirlwind 2 day road trip from Cleveland. Highlight: getting my 400th credit Lowlight: that 400th credit being PGA's Grizzly. Yuck. Only rode it once. Best day: the afternoon I spent at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Pure coaster joy, perfect weather, crowded but not unmanageable, and just a real pleasure to be in California for the 1st time in 8 years. Lovin' the Giant Dipper Love this boardwalk! Laffing Sal at Santa Cruz After my ride Yup....400..but on the Grizzly Hard to get good pics of Ravine Flyer II LOVED Behemoth! And got 7 rides that day. Great ride ops!

I am really looking to this one for several reasons: It is in Orlando (and I live here) It is outside (unlike Mummy, Everest, Space Mountain) It does NOT have OTSR's It looks like a total blast!! Can't wait here!!

Part 3...just a few more pics! And the final pic: this very strange animatronic cheerleader from Japan. But they also had a human dressed as a cheerleader as well. Thanks for reading! Pixie stix type candy that turned my tongue blue! Ready to ride! Met another TRP member who works for GCI! Joe! His name is Joe! I will never forget it now! They had a Millenium Flyer train on display. The train usually sits at the Coke headquarters in Atlanta. GCI's booth A non-ice ice rink. Very cool looking This company had a triple decker carousel on display. see! Another mascot. Love these! This very cool wall of water that spelled out things.

PART 2! And a creapy animatronic musician And talking bust A cool talking statue Some very cool animatronics Hmm....not sure it's me. A visor with hair....hmm, what would I look like... More entertainment! The PTC booth The other view I had my TPR shirt on More stuff AHH!!! About 20 feet up! More of the booths Surf's Up, the Zamperla Disk-O About 1/15 of the whole convention About to get a bird's eye view courtesy of Zamperla's Drop Tower The Maurer Sohne booth. The gentleman there was very nice and explained a bit about Rip Ride Rockit. We asked why there were no inverisons, and he explained that the client (Universal) wanted a ride with broader appeal. He also stated that there would be 6 trains, each one capable of holding 12 guests. The model was there as well, but they did not want pictures taken of it. You can find them online. The S&S Booth Steel Lasso's car from Vekoma The London Eye company. Is this the same company building the giant wheel in Orlando? And me in the car. The Vekoma booth And the control panel! Here is the booth They had a short piece of it set up, and you could ride the drop part! Of course, no water was available, so you had to wear a jumpsuit to try it out. More pics coming! OK. So this is one water slide I would NEVER go on! Keep reading... The film Me taking it all in This was a simulator type attraction. It had 6 films, all computer animated, pretty cool. The inflateables section was HUGE. I took one pic. Sue me. Cool but not sure how this would work with guests with pacemakers. A climbing wall that used magnets.

This was my 5th IAAPA, but my first as a member of the press! The event is very cool, but after about an hour or so, it becomes sensory overload, and it's hard to cover everything! So, if I missed your favorite manufacturer or park, forgive me! Of course, I did find Intamin, S&S, Great Coasters, etc. I did not find B&M, but I know they were there somewhere. I did find some cool things and some nice pics, so check 'em out! And thanks Robb for the opportunity to cover this. The very blue sky made for great pics! In action The coolest thing outside This was an obstacle course type attraction. Kind of sad This was the outside midway. Literally one ride. Last year they had a few, but this year one kiddie ride. And no Dinner in the Sky. My friend James had an entertainment company booth set up. The Give Kids the World booth. I think this was a gingerbread man. These lights were very cool. My friend Tim wanted to get them for his home! Watch for this one at your local FEC (Family Entertainment Center!) In action The Star Flyer people had this model set up One of the many walkways Tim O'Brien took the floor for the IAAPA Hall of Fame awards I attended the kick off event on Tuesday morning since I vocal coached a group from Sea World/Busch Gardens. Here is a pic of the Blues Brothers from Universal Orlando The convention center Welcome!

I didn't think I would have the time to make a trip out to Cypress Gardens before it closed, but I managed to find a few hours today. The park was more crowded than I had ever seen it before. Of course, it only cost $10 to get in and all Cypress Gardens logo merchandise was 75% off! I ended up only riding the Starliner once for several reasons. They only have one train, and for some reason the front row was not working. That gives you a capacity of 16 per train. Some dispatches were quick while others took up to 5 minutes. And since I only had about an hour to spare, I figured one good ride would be enough. The coaster was really flying! It is a nice sized out and back, and I hope that some little park can save this historic ride. It would sad to lose another woodie this year, though I am still holding out hope for Geauga Lake's Big Dipper. I hope that some of the parks in town for next week's IAAPA will be able to come out to Cypress Gardens to look at the rides and hopefully save the Starliner and Triple Hurricane. Thanks for the memories! Here are a few pics I took with my I phone. Oh, and the CUTUEST pic ever! I was working at Busch Gardens and stopped by one of the shows I vocal coach. The baby kanagaroo was not feeling well, so they were feeding him. I asked if I could get a picture, and the trainer handed me the animal to hold! Thank goodness I had my Iphone!! Thanks Starliner! This way to fun The original lead car from when the coaster ran at Miracle Strip After my last ride. I don't know why it turned out like this! Right before my last ride They were getting ready for the 4pm Waterski show The Triple Hurricane even had a line! My ticket The line for the Starliner stretched back to the marquee They still had season pass signs up After my final ride, I took a quick pic of the train

Ah, stupid park guests! When IOA opened in 1999, I was in line for Bluto's Bilge Rafts. It was about a 30 minute wait but it was pretty hot for April. 2 girls, about 13 years old, start making their way through the line, basically cutting in front of everyone. I saw them enter the line and just snake their way to the front. Then I see their mom do the same thing. As she got right behind me, I turned and said "Can I help you?" "Yes, my daughters are up there." "And," I said " we have watched them cut in front of everyone in line. And I will not allow you to cut in front of me." "But they're my children!" Love that old excuse! "Well, then they can wait for you until you reach the front of the line." She was BEYOND pissed, but I was not budging. She then had to wait behind me while her kids kept motioning for her to cut the line. Nope....not today lady!!

These are some clips of the mirror/video monitor out front. IOA and HHN Sept 2008 402.avi This clip lists all the houses and shows IOA and HHN Sept 2008 401.avi IOA and HHN Sept 2008 400.avi

Here are my pics of Bill and Ted and Rocky Horror. Enjoy! Riff Raff and Columbia return to spoil the party! The kickline! Janet during the floor show Rocky during the floor show In action Rocky and Janet Janet That's better! Rocky The whole gang Frank and his boys Frank 'n Furter is a dead ringer for Tim Curry Riff Raff WAILS!! Magenta Columbia Brad, Janet, and Riff Raff Brad and Janet Rocky Tribute takes place where Beetlejuice lives The dance finale Bill and Ted with Hellboy Hulk Hogan Iron Man X Files Miley Cyrus Angelina Jolie Rambo and Panda Alvin and the Chipmunks Kung Fu Panda And what he thought of his own movie! The Love Guru Speed Racer's opponent with Bill Speed Racer. Very funny stuff! Will Smith Um...not sure who this is. I think the villian from Hellboy. Bill and Ted with Harrison Ford Jabberwockies (sp?) from MTV's Dance Crew. Not the real ones, but they were pretty good. The opening dance number Hillary Clinton and a flask Daniel Day Lewis and a milkshake. Sorry, didn't see the movie. Getting jiggy with it! McCain and Obama The set...basically Fear Factor with lots of crates all over. Good use of props!

I attended the employee preview of HHN last night. I was only able to make it to 3 houses and 2 shows, but I will be returning to use my Frequent Fear Pass! The Hallow This house is based on the traditions of Halloween. Lots of pumpkins and such. Not bad but WAY off in the corner of the park between Men in Black and The Simpsons. Be prepared to walk! Doomsday Based on the movie about zombies in Scotland. Pretty cool...some chainsaws...very loud. Body Collectors My favorite of the three houses. 1800's London, lots of cool sets, some very cool special effects make this one my favorite of the three. The scare zones were also very well done. The Path of the Wicked had flying monkeys overhead. Asylum in Wonderland seemed more like a rave than a walk thru but was cool nonetheless. The Skoolhouse had TONS of pumpkins in the trees and lots of "kids" in masks trick or treating. Fractured Tales was cool since it was the entrance to two houses: Scary Tales and The Hallow. Lots of demented fairy tale characters walking around. Saw the 1st Bill and Ted's show. I thought it was great since they hit on a lot of different icons but didn't dwell on any for too long. For example: The Mike Myers Love Guru one could have played out FAR too long. Instead, it lasted maybe a minute, probably less. As usual, lots of long music, explosions, dancing, and cursing. In fact, I think this may be the first year they said sh*t, and said it many times! Also Saw Rocky Horror Tribute. If you like the movie, you will love the show. If you never saw the movie or have no idea of what it is about, you will probably be confused. I kept yelling out lines (like they encouraged the audience to do) to the amusement of the "virgins" in front of me! Enjoy the pics! Sorry there are none inside the houses, but you will have to come on down and see for yourself! Always a classic! Say cheese! The Rat Lady Ah yes.... Doomsday outside queue Ooo....not too scary 'til the sun goes down. The crowd waiting to get in Represent The big mirror type sign out front More theming...nice touch but pretty much missed in the darkness. More Skoolhouse decorations The Skoolhouse during the day. Check out that blue sky! Oh, the coaster is cool too. Started the evening at IOA to kill some time. Average wait times: 5 minutes!!

Thanks for the TR and photos! I am off to the employee preview of Halloween Horror Nights tonight and Tampa's Howl O Scream on Saturday! Will report back with pics!

Very cool. I loved the one at Dollywood, and the line seemed to move pretty quickly. Of course, the crowds at Dollywod cannot compare to those at SFGAm.

I (think) I'm with Elissa on this one. I prefer NON spinning, but if I need the credit, I will ride a spinning mouse...ONCE. Hate to be dizzy for the day just for a stupid credit!

2 Amens! And if I am paying $15 to park, the parking lot better be 1) PAVED 2) Close to the front gate OR 3) Serviced by MANY trams OK...I am done.

Allowing guests to wear bathing suits in the parks that have water parks attached. I mean...who is the GENIUS who thought it was ok for people to ride coasters in wet bathing suits and leave behind their water, sweat, and whatever else on the seat for the next rider??

Great pics and entertaining TR. Did you know there was an A&W at Festival Bay mall? Looking forward to more great pics!

Yeah, I was going to say that was a Chihuly sculpture. I went to the exhibit at the Deyoung Museum in San Francisco and saw some amazing glass scultures there. Here are a few pics of his work from the exhibit. Thank goodness the lobby sculpture was not lost to the fire. Outside the museum was a huge sculture, probably 30 feet tall and illuminated at night. The last room had a ton of different glass scultupes This was a whole ceiling filled with blown glass. This was a huge piece with a boat filled with various pieces.

Awesome photo TR! Love to live vicariously through your adventures. But it must be frustrating when you encounter a park with strange operating procedures. I guess the cultures in Japan and China are used to standing in line whereas the US people expect instant gratification. Keep the great pics coming!

PART TWO My laptop is acting up here in my hotel, so here goes part 2! And yes, one of the roadies ends up in just boxers. : ) More pics! And I will be at Dollywood tomorrow, Friday August 29th! Look for me in line for Mystery Mine! I liked this pic! On the carousel The Swamp Fox Dueing the show One of the other roadies

On my way up from Orlando to Greenville, SC, I took a detour to Myrtle Beach! I am playing keyboards for the national tour of Mamma Mia this week, and I had to get my rides on! I arrived at HRP around 3pm after a fun-filled 8 hour drive. It rained the last 2 hours of my trip and was still raining when I got to the park. There was virtually no one in the park. I guess with the bad weather and the fact that schools were open, but it was still sad to see such a small crowd. I really hope the park makes it since they really spent a lot of money and attention to detail everywhere. I never did get to ride Maximum RPM since it was raining. Even when it stopped, they said it still would not open. Hopefully I will be able to come back next year for the credit. Led Zeppelin: The Ride was awesome. I guess you have to wait thru the pre-show every time which is kind of lame when there is no wait for the coaster. The coaster itself was very smooth and had great transitions between elements. Eagles: Life in the Fast Lane was actually really fun. Well themed, great music playing throughout. I wish they had themed the land around the track more, maybe putting in some tall trees or something. Most mine rides tend to cover a lot of land whereas this one was very compact. Still a fun ride. Shake Rattle and Rollercoaster was your basic Vekoma kiddie ride. And Slippery When Wet was fun. Thank goodness the water was turned off since we got soaked riding in the rain! The two shows I saw were both very good. The Ice show was high energy, used great country music, and was very well paced. And the Roadies Stunt Show was also very good. Due to the rain and low crowds, they closed the park at 6pm. So..... I headed down to Family Kingdom. NOTE: If you are an ACE member, you can get an all day pass for $11 but only from the ticket booth near the Swamp Fox. I did not know that and ended up paying $25 mine. Still a deal, but $11 would have been great! The Swamp Fox is awesome in the front and torture in the back. Seriously....a totally different ride experience. I did the drop tower and still am not sure who makes it. It was more like a space shot and then a slow drop back to the ground. The log ride was decent with a little negative G hill in the middle. And the dark/shooting ride was unique. On to the pics! On to the pics C'est la vie Uh oh.... Maximum RPM The stunt show roadies The park's mascot (whose name I forgot!) The trains and station The loop Probably the most photographed place in the park Having fun in the pit The Mosh Pit was two rooms with huge inflatables. One for kids and one for adults Crazy The spinning vortex Another room One of the pre show rooms Ready for my trip MUST be seen to be believed They had a cool sand sculpture of the Banana Splits but it was being eroded by the rain. The Eagles coaster B&M goodness Some of the excellent theming

I went this past Monday and Tuesday and was amazed by the park. Great attention to detail, very IOA in many places, and some decent coasters. The two shows I saw, the Roadies Stunt Show and country Ice Show, were both very good. And Nights in White Satin must be experience to be believed. On the down side, I was one of about 100 people in the park. Of course, it was pouring rain and schools had already started back up. I really hope it can make it through the winter. They invested a ton of money, and it would be foolish to just close it down and try to sell off the assets.

Unforutnately, the park did not open Grizzly until noon, and I already had all the other credits in the park. I was also on limited time that day and had to get back to San Francisco by early afternoon. Oh well, I will plan my 500th with much more foresight!

My 400th was The Grizzly at Great America. (hangs my head in shame ) My thoughts after riding The moment before the big 400. And yes....I only rode it once for the credit.

Nice TR! It really gets me psyched from my trip there August 28th! Can't wait for my first ride on Mystery Mine!