pianojohn

UGH. I guess I could have stayed around hoping they would open those two coasters. But it was hot and there was no sign of life at either coasters. Oh well...two credits I will never get. Their loss!

Well, just got back from Denver. Highlight: graduated from University of Denver with my MA in Creative Writing. I did the entire degree online and ended up with a 4.0! Lowlight: Elitch Gardens. I had visited the original park in 1980 and loved the Wildcat and Mister Twister. I had read horror stories about this park, but I wanted to get the credits. Upon arrival, I was greeted by a sign which listed two rides as being closed. Once I was in the park, turned out the majority of the rides were closed. Half of the coasters were closed (Half Pipe, Sidewinder, and the kiddie coaster) and most of the flats as well. I did ride Mind Eraser (Vekoma SLC...painful) Boomerang (Vekoma boomerang..also painful) and Twister II. It was ok but nothing like the original. Went on the park's website, and none of those rides (other than Half Pipe) are listed as closed. Pissed. I emailed the park and am hoping for a full refund but I doubt it. Advice: avoid this park unless you like being disappointed.

I just think they are setting themselves up to fail especially when there is another Howl-O-Scream just down the road (well, an hour or so!) that people will compare Sea World's event to. And the cheapest ticket is $19.99 with a season pass. I guess we will have to wait and see!

Knowing how long it takes to put on an event of this magnitude and knowing that NOTHING has been done behind the scenes yet (I know people who work in the park), I am REALLY skeptical that this event will exceed expectations. And if it doesn't compare to HHN or Busch's event, it will always be viewed as a monumental failure. I just don't see how they can realistically pull this off ESP when Universal is now paying $15/hour. Why would anyone work for Sea World when they can make MORE money down the road AND be guaranteed to be part of a successful Halloween event? Think about it: Universal plans their HHN events YEAR round. So unless all of the houses and actors and everything are being hired third party, I just don't see how they can pull this off. Reminds me of that event 2 years ago near Gaylord Palms. It was OK but nothing like HHN.

This was the finale to Sea World's Electric Ocean 2021 in Orlando. The whole show was awesome with lights, fountains, fireworks, fireballs, and lasers. And it ran about 10 minutes, double the length of KI's show. ElectricOceanFinale2021.mp4

Heading to Denver next week to graduate with my Master's degree! While there, I am planning to hit Elitch Gardens. Any discounts other than the $20 off from their website? Was really hoping to visit Lakeside as well, but it doesn't look like they will be open til later in the summer. Any other must do or must eat in the city? Thanks!

Memorial Day weekend and great weather here in Orlando. Hagrids HAD a 90 minute wait before the virtual times ran out. At the same time, VelociCoaster was 45 minutes! I am betting wait times will average 45-90 during the summer. But like I said earlier, I have been able to ride it multiple times in the evening. They usually post a 60 minute wait, but the line moves so fast, it's usually less than that.

So far, I am up to 10 rides on VelociCoaster. My thoughts: THANK YOU Universal for soft opening this ride after months of testing. I guess they learned their lesson after Hagrids and its 10+ hour wait on opening day. Since then, I have never waited more than an hour, usually closer to 20 minutes with their super fast and efficient loading and unloading. The queue is awesome. Since there are so many different rooms and things to see, the time does fly by. I really don't mind waiting in the outdoor section since you get great views of the coaster. Once you get inside, those HUGE fans keep the air moving. Then it's a few more rooms with videos and raptors and lots of stuff to look at. When you finally get your stuff in the lockers, there's the final room with that horrible acting on the big screen. At least they don't tell you that you'll......um..........fly. WORST. PRE-SHOW. EVER! Water fountains throughout the queue. Thank you! The ride. It's pretty much perfect. Lots of speed, drops, airtime. VERY re-rideable and totally comfortable trains. I will take this over Maverick any day. Ride it at night. Totally different experience. If you ride in the front of each car, it's a better effect. If you're in the 2nd row, the bright blue train lights reflect off the head rests in front of you. Still cool, but cooler without the reflection. A couple of wishes: A restroom down on that level near the entrance/exit. The nearest one is past the Discovery Center, and if you've waited and ridden for a length of time, you may not make it. Build some sort of snack bar/drink stand down there as well. With summer crowds and heat, they have a chance to make a killing.

How awesome does THIS event sound?? If I wasn't in Ohio the week prior, I would seriously consider going! https://www.sixflags.com/fiestatexas/events/roller-coaster-rodeo

Tower of Terror II at Dreamworld in Queensland, Australia. 9,620 miles (15481.89 km) from Ocoee, Florida. 2nd place Bush Beast at Wonderland in Sydney. September 2000!

VelociCoaster last night! Soft opened with 75 minute wait, but I only waited 55. They really crank those trains through!

Yes. Just your season pass. If you have the photo pass, you don't need that until AFTER the lockers. I carried both with me on the ride. But now I know!

It was a fun ride. The first half felt very Maverick-y with the quick transitions between elements. All the theming REALLY adds to the overall feel of being chased by raptors. The 2nd half.....WOW! LOVE the launch and all of the air time especially on the top hat. Really comfortable trains. The queue is great and the two-sided lockers are BRILLIANT! Really hope they implement this system everywhere!

So is COVID gone from Tennessee now? I have had both shots yet I will continue to wear my mask to protect others. I know we are all "over it" but until we reach herd immunity through vaccines or antibodies, people are still dying.

My guess (and that's all it is) would be Cedar Point. After Xcelerator opened at Knotts, CP built a bigger version in Top Thrill Dragster. Now that Knotts has HangTime and Carowinds Copperhead Strike, Cedar Point needs a multi loop sit down coaster. Cokscrew is 45 years old, and the other loop coasters in the park are floorless or wingrider or dive coaster models. Even Steel Vengeance has more upside down elements. I got all of this straight from my Dippin' Dots guy. He knows someone who saw something so it's basically fact.

And the crazy thing is that even if you DO get to ride it on opening day, you are far from the first person to do it. The coaster will have been soft opened for weeks in addition to the media events. I still remember opening day of WWOHP and the 10+ hour wait just to get IN the park. As I watched the madness unfold from home, I laughed since I had already gone a few times prior, and after the hype died down, I went many times over the summer. But you will still see the "gotta be first" crowd bragging about being the first on the ride. Better them than me.

Tallest drop towers in the world 1.Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom 415 feet (126 m) 2.Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom 400 feet (120 m) 3.The Giant Drop 377 feet (115 m)

YES! Got tickets for both! Haven't been to KI for a few years, and missed Cedar Point last summer for the first time since 1976! Seriously! I have gone every year from 1976-2019, working there 1986-90 and 2000.

Booked! I ended up using my Southwest credits for everything. Flying into Louisville on Thursday, doing Kentucky Kingdom, then driving to KI for Coasterstock.

Well, it has been this way at Sea World Orlando since they opened. You have to show the reservation and then get out your pass or ticket. I know the Disney one is tied to your ticket. Not sure if Sea World and Six Flags are willing to invest in the extra steps to make this easier.

From the website: CoasterMania! Admission $40 (event ticket only/Season Passholder) $80 (event ticket and one-day park admission, taxes additional) Includes: CoasterMania! collectible pin and t-shirt, access to all ERT (Early & Late Ride Time) sessions (ERTs TBD), CoasterMania! credentials and lanyard, lunch, Q&A session access and more. All CoasterMania! participants must have admission to Cedar Point, plus a CoasterMania! event ticket. On Sale Soon

Hmmm....decisions! I had tickets, hotel, flights, car rental all set for last year's Coasterstock. Do I attempt to book everything again? I will be fully vaccinated tomorrow!! Already booked my trip to Cedar Point for Coastermania. Still no job yet (was with Disney for 21 years) and with my luck, they will call me back as soon as I book everything! UGH!

I finished my Master of Arts in Professional Creative Writing with a concentration in Professional Dramatic Writing from the University of Denver. Started in summer 2019 and finished mid March 2021. Most of the work was done during the pandemic! And I did this a full 34 YEARS after getting my B.A. Anything is possible! Now (fingers crossed) waiting for my return to work call from Disney....

It's still a boomerang not matter how you dress it up.

It only opened for a few days at the end of October. I understand they needed to do that in order to keep the rights to the house for the following year, but the capacity was very limited. I was one of thousands of people who got to the park very early, waited until the opening only to find out there was no availability. It was all done through the app which crashed, and there was no standby line.