SoCalCoasters

I really love Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit's trains, especially at night!

I actually just finished Portal a few mnutes ago! You'd better have a very good handle on particle effects for this...

Scratch off rotoshake, I don't believe Zamperla makes those anymore. Just because SFDK has the 150 foot height barrier does not mean they're limited in any way shape or form. The Iwerks theater WILL be coming back. It makes NO sense to spend the money to demolish the entire thing and build something else there that would not be as useful to the park in terms of use besides an attraction. The only reason Big Pandamonium Spin got the Axe was because of its prime location. The closer to the front of the park, the heigher they can build. Sure they could have relocated it, but they already have a plethora of child friendly rides and attractions. I highly doubt we'll see any other major ride removals for a long time. At this point, I'd like to see them try and find room for that proposed Flyer (without demolishing anything) that was supposed to go in around 06-07, but was dropped in favor of a park name change. There is a large amount of space that SFDK could use for a flyer if they got creative.

I think the main reason they don't use the lake stadium for anything besides special concerts is because of noise complaints from neighbors.

Portal - Still Alive This was a triumph. I'm making a note here: HUGE SUCCESS It's hard to overstate my satisfaction. Aperture Science: We do what we must because we can For the good of all of us except for the ones who are dead But there's no sense crying over every mistake You just keep on trying 'till you run out of cake And the science gets done and you make a neat gun For the people who are still alive I'm not even angry I'm being so sincere right now Even though you broke my heart and killed me And torn it pieces And threw every piece into a fire As they burned it hurt because I was so happy for you! Now these points of data make a beautiful line And we're out of beta, we're releasing on time So I'm glad I got burned Think of all the things we learned For the people that are still alive Go ahead and leave me I think I prefer to stay inside Maybe you'll find someone else to help you Maybe Black Mesa That was a joke, ha ha, fat chance Anyway this cake is great, it's so delicious and moist Look at me still talking, when there's science to do When I look out there it makes me glad I'm not you I've experiments to run, there is research to be done On the people who are still alive And believe me I am still alive I'm doing science and I'm still alive I feel FANTASTIC and I'm still alive While you are dying I'll be still alive And when you're dead I'll be still alive STILL ALIVE still alive

I'm going to put chips on the table that this will be a flat ride. May want to take back a few of those chips. Went to the park today, and at the parking gate, they handed us the little guide/offer sheet. On the front it had a picture of Pirate Shores, with a caption that read: "New Attraction Opening In Pirate Shores, Check Website for the Details!" Could this be the new water attraction Screamscape mentioned? I think we'll have an answer VERY soon, since January seems to be the month Legoland CA announces things. The date of the Grand Opening is indeed the 25th of May.

I really want to grab one of those trains...any word as to whether or not they're going to sell a few cars to the general public? I'm not quite sure about the new trains, I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Are we really still taking it this far when it's just a piece of CONCEPT Art. Honestly people are looking into this way too much. So what if the track looks like Maurer's in the sketch? The preview for Divertical on Mirabilandia's site had Vekoma track. Does that make it a Vekoma? The picture also had a real speedboat, so does that mean the ride will be in a real speedboat? No. CONCEPT Art is called CONCEPT art for a reason...it's a CONCEPT, not the real thing. /EndRant PS: The layout, from what I can tell looks quite good.

I have several ideas swirling around in my head right now, the most prominent of which has been something I have considered doing for a long time... Has anyone heard of the web comic Homestuck? I'm currently in the planning/blue sky phase with the project, but I was wondering if anyone would like to see something in a Multi Motion darkride themed to HS? The other idea I've been considering is a SeaWorld park that combines the best of both Aquatica and Sea World Orlando into one massive resort. I had something going along the lines of: Sea World's Discovery Bay Resort, and would be on the coast of California. Yes I know there's already a Sea World here, but this isn't meant to be realistic in terms of location, but realistic in terms of park.

^ you're welcome, and here's One more... Gertslauer has also announced they are building another SkyFly for Nigloland instead of the proposed Megalite. Gerstlauer website

I have my suspicions on what this may be...whatever it is, I know it'll have something to do with Legos... I'll probably be at the park tomorrow sometime. If anyone sees a guy wearing a WCB T-Shirt make sure to say hello. If I find any kind of construction work I'll snap some pics. The only real work going on recently has been the hauling away of the ginormously immense mountain of dirt that used to be behind Pirate Shores, although that's been happening since last summer. So far this year Lego Parks have announced: Star Wars Miniland Flying Ninjago Polar X-plorer And since Legoland has had the tendancy over the years to clone attractions over the years, I wonder if we'll be seeing a SkyFly possibly? Gertslauer sold 3 of them this year I believe? Could one eventually show up in CA? They certainly have the space for it, if they wanted to. Not quite sure what it would be themed to. I highly doubt a new coaster, at least for this year. It would make sense for a new coaster to open after the hotel opens to bring in more guests...possibly advertise them in a joint way? Anyway, I'll leave my thought ramblings here.

^ Considering that the Iwerks theater is already there on a considerably steep hillside and established, plus the fact that they use it for a large chunk of a haunt maze during Halloween, and they mentioned during Bay Area Bash that they had plans for the theater. At this point I do not see another coaster removal, especially not Boomerang because of its location logistically for crowd dispersal. I'd be more ready to venture out and say that they plan to update the Iwerks theater in someway, make it more efficient and reliable (most likely replacing a large chunk of the ride system) while keeping the building intact. In this way, the upgraded system with a new film (most likely 3D ) can be advertised as a brand new attraction for the whole family. The attraction can also help further disperse the crowds following the dolphin and orca show performances when that area of the park is packed to the brim with people. Also, during Halloween time, they can still transform the attraction into a haunt maze. It makes much more sense money wise and logic wise to keep the Iwerks theater, upgrade it, market it as a new attraction to divert crowds to prevent show overcrowding etc. And considering that the park is getting a new coaster, as bad as the capacity may be, next year, I don't think we'll be seeing another new "thrill" ride until the rumored second big SF park investment wave which was rumored to hit around 2014-2015.

A Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles themed Gertslauer SkyFly will be opening at Nick Universe and is replacing Tak Attack, the rotoshake.

This Maurer/Gertslauer debate... Isn't this around around the area that those people kept complaining about noise? If so Gertslauer would make much more sense. Have you heard Dare Devil Dive? Or should I say what you haven't heard? These newer Gertslauers run as quiet as they come, so in that respect, it makes sense when compared to the sound the Abismo or Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit make. Fin

Just beat the Boss in the Temple of Time in Twilight Princess! Moving forward to the hidden village now. In Ocarina of Time 3D I'm currently in the Zora Domain, yeah not very far at all I know.

That early!? Hmmm ...It'll be interesting to see what it turns out to be.

While these aren't my greatest examples, I think these turned out pretty cool for being edited on PSE for iPad... I made the overall filter a similar color to the actual ride. Did they turn out somewhat decent?

Still awesome! You'd better use the "Still Alive" song from the credits for the credits of your darkride! How do you intend to accomplish the potals, a particle effect or custom scenery?

I unfortunately only had the operotunity to ride Jaws once, it was closed for the rest of the time I was at Universal, but I really did love it to death. It was such a unique and one of a kind attraction that really ate through the crowds. I like Potter, but only to an extent. I would have rather seen a long rehab/update of Jaws with new theming and maybe a new tagline to bring in guests and then just kept the Potter Expansion in IOA and take out LC. But alas... As for the slanted buildings, I believe that's a classic "forced perspective" effect that makes the buildings look bigger than they are when you're looking stright at them (ala Pottercastle). EDIT: If anyone is a Roller Coaster Tycoon fan, someone actually made the Jaws ride vehicle as a downloadable car. I can put the link up of anyone wants it!

I'm surprised it has taken someone this long to make a Portal Darkride! looks interesting!

So advertising in the Superbowl, Olympics, airplane boarding passes, billboards in Orlando, banner ads all over the web, etc. is not heavily advertising? I worded that wrong. 0_0' What I meant to say is that they didn't launch the full onslaught of ads (most noticably for me, a large amount of TV ads) until the park opened. Yes I forgot about the seveal key events it was shown at.

Okay... Not taking into account the "staying power" of the Potter franchise, and not taking into account that we are enthusiasts and look at every aspect of every announcement, the Potter Expansion of IOA will most likely have the staying power. When I first went to the Wizarding World this past summer, I went with my father who didn't read the Potter books at all. He was still throughly impressed by the overall theming and attractions. Even if you haven't read the Potter books, the Wizarding World is still very impressive, and the forced perspective of the entrance to Hogsmeade is still incredibly picturesque. What I'm trying to say is that these Harry Potter areas will have the staying power not just because of the franchise name it possesses, but also because the overall area and it's theming are very impressive. And from a "fun" perspective, couldn't you enjoy Forbidden Journey even if you didn't know the story? Sure I wasn't a huge fan of the awkward ride transitions, but the overall ride was still really fun and exciting. A member of the general public doesn't look deep for a ride's story, but focuses on what the ride actually does, and what they experienced. Forbidden Journey is one of those rides that attracts GP and enthusiasts alike because of its unique ride system and theme. If you weren't a Potter fan and neither was your friend, but your friend went and raved about Forbidden Journey, would you most likely go and give it a chance? Most likely yes. Universal has made a ridiculously large amount of money on this area and by expanding it into another park with a brand new area, not only will they most likely increase the already ridiculous amount of profit, but they'll create a buzz amoung the general public. Using a unique ride system that's never been done before can be advertised in many ways that will have Potter fans scrambling back to the Universal Resort, but also impressing those people who may have gone to the parks not just for Potter. They announced the Wizarding World (correct me if I'm wrong) in 2007. They created three years worth of buzz around the attraction. Heck, they didn't even heavily advertise it until it officially opened, yet EVERYONE seemed to know about it. You go up to a random person in the US and ask them if they knew there was a Harry Potter theme park in Florida, most of the time they'd probably say yes. People KNOW it's there, and because of that, if they plan on going to FL for a vacation, they may make a stop at the Wizarding World. This, I think is a reasonable explanation for for the Potter areas will stay popular, is it not?

Looking good! The only suggestion for the new Invert Coaster is that you terraform the below ground sections instead of making them sharp edges. Make the dips look natural instead of the concrete which sticks out a bit too much for my liking.

Those are some really nice pictures, thanks for posting them!

While I am happy to hear info about new attractions, it has become more common it seems as of late to reveal info that you shouldn't be. Remember Vebolten? All the art and details that got released for it? Honestly it's obscenely dispicable to the parks to reveal so much of a ride before it is announced. I used to always love the announcements of big expansions and what they hold, but this is taking away from them majorly.