jray21

^I did eat them all by the time I left. I wanted to try everything so I could bring back a bunch of the good stuff! That's kinda what I thought. The weird thing was that I never saw it anywhere else the entire 10 days I was there. It was only at this place, it was a brand new building, and a very expensive restaurant in Brazil! Maybe the rich in Brazil just have servants to wipe for them so they don't know how to and have to use a sprayer when they aren't around?

I used to have a full sized one in our garage! When I worked at the water park, they were getting rid of them by tossing them in the dumpster so I took one home. My mom didn't like it, and I had to get rid of it a little after.

That definitely looks a ton better than the Narnia experience!

There are few things more fun than a TPR takeover of Fascination!

^LOL!

I think Big Rivers means the Rivers of America. If they took that out, then only the Mark Twain Riverboat, Tom Sawyer rafts, and Tom Sawyer Island would be removed and/or modified. It's a nice looking area, but I can't remember the last time I went on any of those at Tokyo Disneyland. It's a massive amount of land that is used for some of the least popular attractions. It makes a huge amount of sense. With land at such an incredible premium in Japan, having that much land used only for one boat ride, and a kids play area does not make the most sense. Also, being right next to Big Thunder Mountain, they could easily extend the theming.

Awesome report Fabio! Since I wasn't able to make it to the park on my last visit I wanted to see what I missed. I definitely missed a really good park! Hopefully I will visit again soon for a visit.

There were a few Avatar style moments, but not nearly as overwhelming. Pretty incredible scenes that could easily be pictures on a wall. Below are a few of the Avatar style scenes. Different, but not action and overwhelming. Most of the movie is like the 3rd picture.

This day I met up with Maria and Fabio. We did a mini-credit run and tried to get to three parks, but the traffic was so bad we were only able to hit two parks. We were only able to get two credits this day, but I was so grateful to them for getting me any! I also have some general Brazil pictures I threw in. Sorry about the quality of the pictures. I was told not to bring a nice camera due to the crime, so I took my really crappy old camera. In the future though, I would have felt perfectly fine with my nice camera, especially with carrying it around in a bag. The first place we went was The World of Xuxa. Some of you may remember Xuxa. She had a kids show in the early 90's in the US, and was super huge in Brazil. The World of Xuxa is a kids play center, but much bigger, and better. It was one of the nicest kids parks I have ever been to. I was super impressed with the park and how nice it was. It is a park for kids, but they do have one coaster credit. They also have a log ride, a dark ride, a simulator, and a bunch of kiddie flats. It's perfect for kids from about 3-12. Defintely worth a quick visit for theme park nerds. I was really impressed at how nice it was. I can't recall any other place that is like this. I think it could do really well in some places in the US. We met up with Caio, who took us on a backstage tour. He was really nice and helpful and told us all about the park. We had a great time and I definitely recommend a stop by the park! The operations weren't too bad. With it being 90% little kids who don't listen, you would think the operations would be terrible, but they really weren't bad at all. Some of the ride ops could have smiled more, but given how tough that job is, I absolutely and totally understand. Next we visited Neo Geo in the International Mall (?). It's super close to the Sao Paulo airport so it's really convenient. It's like a much smaller version of Nickelodeon Universe at the Mall of America. They have a few small flats, a pirate ship, and a small coaster. They have a few kiddie flats, and some video games. They also have the food court on the second level pretty similar to the Mall of America's. Overall, I had a really good time. Xuxa park was a ton of fun, and a really great park. A huge thanks to Maria for driving me all over Sao Paulo, and for Fabio for helping me out and for a ton of maps! Also, thanks to Caio for taking on a great tour! On to the pictures! Of course we have to start out with a picture of more food! I had no clue what trash I was supposed to put where. At least they are getting into the Olympic Spirit! This was the most amazing ice cream! It was sweetened condensed milk gelato! It tasted like those "Milky" candies in Japan. They had these McDonald ice cream stands all over. I was super excited to try this Chocolate Strawberry McDonald's pie but it wasn't that great. My first trip to the grocery store I was a bit disappointed. There wasn't nearly enough good stuff. These are Passion Fruit Halls cough drops with a chocolate center. They were actually really good. Tasted like a fruity life saver, with a hint of mint. Another super cool think in Brazil. People on the corner actually work for their money! Instead of just standing there with a sign, they do street acts. One guy was even juggling fire at a busy intersection! This lasagna was amazing! The workers were totally making fun of me because I didn't speak Portuguese. I couldn't understand that I got to pick seven toppings with my lasagna. I picked corn, ham, and a bunch of other random things but it was amazing! I guess Red Bull is a hot item! Paper towels for the 1%. Now this is more like it! The next few stores definitely delivered! A little scared to try Bacon Zits! Haha! The place were all the terribleness starts! Now all you Orlando people now where the birthplace is! I got some dirt cheap who cares if it's dangerous street food! This is just a deep fried pastry with some ground beef in it, but it was sooo good! I was daring, and tried this fruit that looked like it was from the movie Aliens. It had an ok flavor, but there wasn't much fruit since it had huge black seeds in them. Since the crime rate is so high in Sao Paulo, they just installed these to make it much easier to dispose of the bodies. I hope I'm reading this wrong, but if your obese you get handicap sitting!? (Look at the bottom right picture) This is a picture of one of the busses we took when traveling. They were so much nicer than the tour busses in the US. This was from a Jamba Juice style place, but much more ghetto. This was acai with bananas. It was really really good. I met up with Fabio and Maria, and we made it to The World of Xuxa! This is the main entrance. The theming throughout is very impressive! It cost about $30 US to visit. Not a bad price! I don't think you could just go in and pay per ride. They had a lot of ton of different height requirements. This could get very confusing for families. Their gift shop was really nice. They had a parade that the kids loved. They had the CBO before it was in the US, but it wasn't C for cheddar. They don't really have cheddar in Brazil. My mom wanted some, but only one place had it, and they only had 2 tiny chunks of it. They have a nice log ride inside. Time for the credit! This is the left view... ...and this is the right view. Most rides had double restraints. Even this kiddie credit had a lap bar, and a full three point seat belt! They take their recycling seriously! A little kids car ride across the Golden Gate Bridge. KidTums would like this ride! They also had a mini-zipline for kids! It was also like a ropes course. My dream come true! No I didn't pee myself with joy, we just rode the log ride! Who doesn't love chocolate! Fabio introduces us to Xuxa. Another really nice looking kids ride. Their carousel. This the brother of the troll in the Norway gift shop in Epcot. He's had a tough life, and is still trying to find his way. Another amazing thing about The World of Xuxa is that they love McDonald's! All the food locations look amazing, and serve McDonald's! How smart is that for a kids park! It's like a real life Roller Coaster Tycoon! I'm not kidding, it's totally Roller Coaster Tycoon! I think this is either the only, of one of the very few, places that sells McDonald's popcorn. They had really cool food stands. They also had a 'Chocolate Factory" dark ride. Pretty small and not a lot of stuff in it, but still fun. I'll post a video of it soon. The teacups. This was the simulator ride. It was like the old one at SFDK. Time to be simulated. They also had a fun play area that Fabio and I ran around. It went around the log ride and there was a place were you could see the drop. It really is a perfect place for kids. Small, but fun, bumper cars. Definitely better than the slower than molasses ones in Bug's Land in DCA. I want to read this book! Helicopter ride. All the rides were clean and looked well maintained. Fun pictures on the climbing wall. They had a small train for you train enthusiasts! The prices weren't bad at all. The U.S. price is about 1/2. They even have an Ovaltine sundae. Brazil really likes Ovaltine. Camel Joe approves of the carousel! We met up with Caio, and he took us into the office area. This is a map of the park, and some emergency procedures. Caio explained the operations of the park, how they schedule all of the parties, and the information board. Told you they really like McDonald's! (This roughly translates as, "none of us is as good as all of us") A few of the many awards the park has received. This is a 'hidden' window that management can use to watch the park. The same window from the other side. Next up we stopped at the International mall for another credit! A much smaller version of the Mall of America. They had a full sized pirate ship. This is their credit! It definitely gets some bonus points for having Jeff Johnson's family in the theming! Getting ready to ride! They layout of the ride. The food court also reminded me of the Mall of America. They approve of the ride! Another picture of the relatives. Pretty fun for a small ride. Shiny bumper cars with an F1 car on the wall. A fancy double decker kids car ride! They have a ghetto old school sickening motion simulator. I'm sure this is officially licensed. An overhead view of part of the park We had pizza for dinner and it was actually really really good! It's hard to see, but this bus is three 'sections' long! They were huge! This is the reason we were only able to get two credits. From The World of Xuxa, to Neo Geo, it took about 3 hours. The distance was less than 20 miles! Sao Paulo is said to have the worst traffic in the world. Now for some more random Brazil stuff. This was a fondue cart at the mall! They absolutely need this in the US! They have white, dark, and milk chocolate and you pick the size and how many toppings! Some appetizers and salads from the best steak place! The desserts were also really good. If you thought the un-refridgerated milk was bad, how about un-refridgerated meat!!!! (For America this is weird. I understand that in many other parts of the world this is normal, but for us, it's very weird. Salami and stuff is fine, but raw meat like this is odd) Or how about some nice lukewarm salted cod. How you people back east like this stuff is beyond me. This was a normal stall in a really expensive steak house. Not the handicap stall. What is the sprayer for? ! It's hard to see, but this is where the Carnival floats go through. I miss Guarana!

My toaster arrived today! It's awesome! Thanks for the heads up!

SFMM never ceases to amaze me. So many other parks are able to put in rides so much faster, and with so many other barriers. And then to have the operations that they have just adds to it. SFMM really seems to be the Carnival of the Six Flags Parks. They may have impressive and nice ships/rides, but everything else is lacking.

Black Friday was pretty good this year for video games. Got Epic Mickey for 3DS for $10, Bio-Shock 2 for PS3 for $2.50, Tekken Tag Team (newest) for PS3 for about $24, and Golden Eye Reloaded for PS3 for about $7. Epic Mickey for the 3DS is pretty fun. The graphics are interesting. The actual characters look low quality, but the background 3D images are really nice (for a 3DS). The game itself is a ton of fun and very similar to the Sega Genesis Mickey's Castle of Illusion. If you loved Castle of Illusion, you'll really like this one! But, realize that the 3DS version is completely different than the console game Epic Mickey 2. Goldeneye Reloaded. I was surprised at this game. It's a good nod to the original. It's a fun FPS. Nothing amazing, nothing over the top, but a simple and fun FPS. It should already be in the bargain bins for about $20. Definitely worth it.

Just saw Life of Pi. Odd movie, not what I expected, but I liked it, but I also like almost every movie. It's somewhat like Cast Away, but on a boat most of the time, and with some fantasy thrown in. The visuals and 3D was really good, but in a simple way. I've heard the quality is like Avatar, but it's hard to compare the two. Avatar was about a ton of visuals, colors, and action. Life of Pi has more single framed shots, and simple but great looking scenes. If you like animals, you'll like it but it can be sad (no that doesn't give anything away).

I thought this was a thread about food! Like Thanksgiving leftovers! My favorite leftover is the old hill for the soap box racers at Knott's. Every time I see it I miss that ride!

^ That would be amazing! I better try and find a tank before it's too late! Have to have one for my remote controlled shark!

^ I'm getting sick just thinking about that. Amy does that on Mission Space as well. Thanks for the update! Looks like a fun event. Really really really trying to go see it this year.

Awesome! The unlimited internet would be amazing! I know a ton of people are mortified that people still stay connected on a cruise, but playing Simpsons while in the middle of the Atlantic eating at a buffet is perfect! I do think the price is pretty good, especially when compared to the normal cost and how much they screw you with the stupid log out that never works. As for the unlimited alcohol, that is only a limited time offer......because once Piers uses it, they will lose way too much money and it will be removed.

Really cool stuff! I do like trackless systems and really like the ride vehicles. I can't wait to see what other 'extras' they put in.

Which picture do you have on your card? I have the standard Mickey. The sorcerer Mickey is tempting me though! They also have a few good double your rewards offers. I loved it when they had Livelob at double the value. I was killing quite a few lobsters during that promotion!

^ I really want to be at a park right now.

Sounds like you had a good time! I also do not understand BGT! It really is confusing. I got lost a ton my first time there. They say that Knott's president's six year old daughter chose the color for Xcelerator, I wonder if BGT's President's six year old daughter drew the park map!

Love the look of it! I'm really excited to see how these ride compared to tornados.

I hope they make the trains more comfortable, but it will only help so much. The ride needs a little more than more comfortable trains to be fun. I hope they do more than just working on the trains.

Glad it's finally in the building phase. Can't wait to see how it will look!

Looks like a really good one! We were supposed to get one here in Tahoe a few years back, but people said it would ruin the environment and the sound would be terrible. Anyone who has been on one knows that they aren't that loud at all (It would've been put on a ski resort with no houses nearby), and they are very low impact.