aldredd

^ Just to satisfy my own curiosity.... What makes you think it will be a 5*9 matrix? I would agree with there being the 9 - you can see the fixings for them on the wall, and the 9 pipes leading to them. However, I don't see why you feel there will be a further 4 layers of piping. There are no support / fixings for any additional piping. That said, there is a big pile of piping next to the trench, but that could even be just leftover. Not saying your wrong - you're probably right, just wondered what makes you think its 5*9

Great Pics! The snow is a great addition to the 'Expedition' theme of the ride - and looks great on the rocks - shame it's not permanent!

^ Now I see where you're coming from - I didn't read his full report. I guess the only other explanation may be that they're just not ready yet. Perhaps they still require some assembly / modelling / artwork (I'd guess that this is all done prior to delivery, but I don't know how these things work )

^ But who says they're hiding the trains? Just because they're not on show does not mean they're hiding them. Assuming they're even on site, If you were project manager, and your nice new trains arrived before they were needed, would you leave them out in the open where they could get damaged by all the construction work, or keep them safe until they're needed? As for 12' - that certainly sounds similar to Air - perhaps a little wider. I expect the trains will have 'wings', to make it look like a ray, but nothing spectacular, and don't see them touching the water during the 'dip'.

^ Someone posted on a different thread - I think it was the HRRR thread - a few weeks ago, claiming to work for USO. Whilst the nature of his post related to HRRR, he also mentioned (to put his post into context) that Dualing Dragons was being themed to a Quidditch game. Now, I don't know Harry Potter, so don't know if that would 'work', and of course can't verify this chaps information, but thought I'd mention it here. I'll see if I can find a link to the post. Edit: Found the post HERE think it's more he knows someone who works there, so again, no telling the reliability of the info, but there you go.

Nice vid - thanks for linking.

The baby's mother was too dumb to know she was pregnant with her, of course the child will have problems in the future! I'm just assuming that the mother drank alot while pregnant considering she worked at a pub, that baby is gunna have some problems. Why would you assume that? It's a little ignorant do you not think? Just becuase she works in a bar does not mean she drank a lot - or at all. I've done my fair bit of bar work in the past and didn't drink. In the vast majority of bars / pubs, your not alowed to drink. In fact, I think it's against the law to even serve alchohol whilst under the influence of alcohol. Try putting a little thought into your posts next time.

Could that be the 'worlds first' bit?

^ The link was on the previous page. http://publicaccess.staffsmoorlands.gov.uk/publicaccess/tdc/DcApplication/application_detailview.aspx?caseno=KBM3OQPG04H00 This is the planning application. Click on 'Associated Documents' and there are 19 files of maps, plans, and other information about it.

^ Plus, I guess there is nothing stopping them submitting multiple applications, with one as a dummy to throw people off - if they were that desperate to keep it a secret!

OK, here's my take on it. For sound level testing, X:/ No Way Out has been marked as a 'similar' roller coaster - mostly because it's indoors, but it may also indicate the track is the same (different track = different noise), so perhaps we're looking at a Vekoma? Also, does X:/ use several, smaller trains running at once? Maybe this will also be a characteristic of the new coaster, as the noise survey makes note of how many vehicles were on the track at any one time. Lots of comments are made about the reduction of noise coming from the lift hill of the old corkscrew, but no mention of 'new' noise, so a launch roller-coaster certainly looks likely - that or a quite lift hill! It also mentions that track will weave through well-wooded areas, so that's pretty much confirmed. Found some more info from the Habitat Survey: Clearance work in the wooded areas (just low level, not trees) is due to start this month. AT have also committed to laying track within the wooded area outside of bird-nesting season which is September - March, so we may start seeing track around September, which would fit the 2010 Launch time scale.

Perhaps - but it would be an unattractive term to attach to the parks, when they're probably going to want to get rid of them as soon as possible. And why would they care about another park giving away their beer? In the grand scheme of things, its not that much additional income for InBev

^ But they're not always going to be connected to AB. The free beer (if you can even all it that! ) was a way of promoting the AB products. Since it will cease to have any connection with AB, it was always going to stop eventually - they're just making the transition now to save any new owner from having to do so (and save some pennies in the process!)

It is a shame that they're stopping this, but its been common knowledge that inBev were going were going to sell the parks, and obviously a company with no connections to inBev / AB etc is going to give away free beer, so it was going to happen eventually. They may as well do it now.

King_K, funnily enough, my mother was on that Virgin tour group of Universal! Had I realised before hand, I'd have asked her to take extra photos!

^ I think Air was the first B&M flyer in the world, not the very first flyer, but I'm sure someone else will be able to confirm that. Regarding the robo-coaster, I'm sure I've read (both in this thread and another thread) that Universal currently hold the 'exclusive rights' for a robo-coaster which is rumoured to be going in at Islands of Adventure in the Harry Potter land, so I would be surprised if one ended up here - but not implausible I guess, going on AT's record on getting new & innovative roller coasters. Regarding the space issue, the height limit, as I understand, is pretty much non-negotiable, but this again meant that rides have been innovative & ground hugging. Either way, can't wait!

Thanks for the update! Can't wait to see some coaster track going up!

Thanks for the pics montezooma! I'm a fan of coasters which are quite 'knotted together' (compact isn't what I mean per se, but when it's all inter-twined) - and this certainly looks like it will be!

I'm quite glad that the takeover has happened - maybe they will do something about the nasty taste of US Bud - YUK. Although ironically, UK bud isn't too bad (still way down at the bottom of the list though), but Czech Budweiser (the original, and not affiliated with AB) is soo much nicer. Any how, I digress. I think Merlin would be a good new owner, and would give them a new direction to take, hopefully bringing ideas from US to UK re parks. I only hope they don't choose to 'focus' on the US parks and neglect the UK parks! Edit to add: (taken from the link above) Well, I didn't know that. So if Merlin did get BGA & SWO, it could change things quite a bit. I known they already share things like the Orlando flexiticket, but this could open up all sorts of new opportunities. (Not sure what they would be, but there must be some!)

^Yeah, that's the one. It's a very clever effect - like walking through a tunnel of spinning water - very cool

I think they're putting in those robo-arm coasters at the new Harry Potter land of IoA in Florida. But I really don't think that's what it is - they made it quite clear it's a roller coaster, plus robo arm wouldn't be world first!

oddly, I was going to ask what the noise impact might be on the parks' residence! I think with Kraken they filled the spine with sand to dampen the sound, so I would imagine they would do the same. I also think they did the same with the B&M Flyer 'Air' at Alton Towers (very strict sound level regulations there). Makes you wonder if it's enough though - from the looks of things, it will go right past the dolphin stadium, so even if it doesn't disturb the animals, it could even disturb the shows. Edit: Seems senna beat to the point about Kraken!

Hello, this is my first thread I've started here, so I hope it's OT, correct forum etc! I recently spent a few weeks in Florida, and did pretty much all the parks going (all the WDW parks, BG, SW, UO, IOA and lots of other things). One thing that struck me, was the number of people finding some way of jumping the queue. Being a Brit, we love to queue (well, actually we don't, but we figure that if we're going to have to queue, we want to do it properly!). Many times, people had snuck past us before we even had a chance to stop them, but one incident in particular I think is worth mentioning. We were queuing for Journey to Atlantis at Seaworld. If I recall, they provide lockers for you store your items before you join the queue. We had been queuing for about 20 mins or so, when a couple of people in the queue behind us shouted out to tell us that someone had just pushed in front of them. By the time we figured out who, she was right behind us, so we promptly blocked off her route to prevent her passing. Anyway she claims her partner had joined the queue whilst she put their items in the locker, and she felt she had every right to then join the queue where her partner was. Her partner caught up with her, and started rowing with ourselves and the other couple of people who were not happy with them pushing in, to the point of them accusing us being racist (110% not the case). So I put it to you guys - what are your thoughts / opinions on this? Do you have any other stories / nightmares to share? What are the parks' policies on queue jumping in the US - we didn't see much signage about this - you go to Alton Towers, and there are signs EVERYWHERE defining their definition of queue jumping, so there is no question about it! Just interested! many thanks for reading / replying!

^The rollercoaster itself is staying - just being re-themed by the looks of things. No-one is really sure about the dragon statues though. Most are hoping they will be re-incorporated again somehow.

Thanks James, are they hoping to have the ride ready for the start of the season? Can't wait - Spent 2 weeks in Orlando last month, and am getting withdrawal syndrome!