WayCool64

Yeah, IIRC in the book written about CGA two years ago, Marriott had done a Christmas event at CGA but the cold weather at the time turned away guests, and they never did it again. As for WinterFest, while it does sound a bit interesting, I'm not quite sure if I plan on visiting, especially since only 2/3 of the park is going to be open. And IMO, I think they missed an opportunity to have some sort of holiday themed attraction in the Mass Effect theater. I think I'll wait to see the general opinion before I decide if I want to visit or not.

Here's my updated predictions for CGA now that a new expansion plan has been announced. 2017 - Patriot (announced) 2018 - Action Theater's right side reopens (either a Mass Effect clone or something different), 2019 - Expanded Boomerang Bay (possibly renamed Yankee Harbor) 2020 - New flat rides, remove Whitewater Falls 2021 - 45th anniversary, new water coaster in former WWF spot, new Carousel Fountain Show 2022 (extra) - Start of construction/expansion on entertainment complex

I'm no know-it-all on these VR things, but I'm curious how that's gonna work for something like a Haunt maze.

Anyone ever wondered what I've been working on for a while? Should be obvious by my signature. BTW: I didn't do the animation, one of the animators did. I'm just the director of this project. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQbhoq7Hqiw The project also got featured on this little video. I make an appearance in it too.

I had a successful stream with my animation project team today on Twitch! A lot of people came, and we got a lot of recognition! We're celebrating later tonight!

What's wrong with the new vest restraints? Never experienced them. I've heard that they push down on some people's collar bones, making the ride uncomfortable for them. ^THIS! This is my exact same complaint with the new restraints. Given my experiences on Banshee and Gatekeeper, I did not like those vest restraints. I thought my collar bone was going to crack during the ride. Now given I haven't ridden Rougarou yet, I'm not quite sure how the change will make the ride smoother, especially if they'll be using the standard restraints. Actually, I think it's a fitting name since the park's theme is supposed to be about America. Hence the name, Great America.

My thoughts exactly. I say, good riddance to that headache-inducing death machine! Here's hoping it'll turn into a better ride.

Actually now that I think about it. If they really weren't planning to use the unused side of the Action Theater, they could've probably used it as an extended indoor queue. I did hear rumors that they were supposed to cover the queue in plexiglass, but abandoned the idea because they didn't want the same thing happening like with Gold Striker and Star Tower's vandalism.

I just visited CGA last thursday. The park was pretty light, and everything except for Grizzly, Tiki Twirl, and Psycho Mouse were practically walk-ons. Finally got to ride Mass Effect (or as I like to call, Butt Poker the Ride, because of how many times the seat pokes you), and I have to say, through the cautious optimism and what little I already know of the ME series, I was satisfied for the most part. While I agree that this was a much needed and well worth upgrade to the Action Theater and is much better than its predecessor, I feel that there are some faults with the ride, although this is just from personal opinion. The two problems I have is that the ride film itself feels a bit rushed, like it feels there are parts that could've been expanded upon, but it tries to rush through as quickly as possible to satisfy the capacity. But maybe that could've been solved if both sides of the theater were opened, and they refurbished the unused right side. The other problem I have is more of a personal opinion, I feel like the motion isn't as thrilling as the original system was, probably due to the lack of seatbelts. Also, I feel like they tried to take the quick and easy route and just try to copy Star Tours instead of doing something original. But for what it lacks, it makes up a lot in other areas. The 3D is spectacular (especially during the climax), the theming and effects are rather surprising (even though it feels minimal in the queue), and the live actor(s) are the big highlight of the ride, especially with their improvisation. I could write a whole article about this ride, but overall, despite its shortcomings, its a very fun and enjoyable ride, and a much deserved improvement over the Action Theater's last incarnation. I'd definitely say this should be ridden at least twice if not for the actors. Oh, and another interesting thing I found was at the exit. I saw the doors to the unused right side were slightly ajar. Taking a peek through it, it seems that the area was used pretty much for storage with none of the original ride intact. Then I found this... It was the evacuation plan for the ride. I dunno if this was around before or after ME opened, but if you look closer, the unused side almost looks like it has seating arrangements. Almost as if they do actually plan to reopen it soon, especially with the planned expansion. I could be wrong though as there are no pointing directions like on the side that's being used. As it has been already mentioned, I did see some of the decorations in preparation for WinterFest and its commercial (as well as made a snarky joke about how Christmas comes too early nowadays). However, I found something more interesting while waiting in line for Grizzly. Dunno if this is for Haunt or WinterFest as it was still under construction. Also, I've been wondering whatever happened to the land sale, it seemed to be quiet ever since they announced their upcoming park expansion. Did Cedar Fair successfully buy out the land? Does anyone know?

Hey there, I'm currently in Japan right now for a summer program, and me and a couple of friends are possibly thinking about visiting Tokyo DisneySea for one day either this coming weekend or the weekend after. I don't know how much has changed since this thread's been around, but I have some questions of my own. 1. Which rides should I do first? I'm not sure if I'll get there by the time it opens since I'm about an hour away and can only get there by train. 2. My experience in Japan has not been friendly to my food allergies. Are there any eateries in the park that can cater/satisfy to gluten and dairy intolerant types like myself? 3. Is it worth seeing Fantasmic. I've seen the California version plenty of times, and have seen some video of the TDS version. But is it worth seeing it irl? 4. Will I be able to see everything (or at least the highlights such as Tower, Journey, etc.) in one day? 5. I know a good chunk of Japanese, but not the whole language. I have been getting around all the shops and eateries in my area fine, but I'm curious how much English the employees can speak there? 6. How are the crowds during this time of the month? 7. Which rides are worth getting Fastpasses for?

Alan Young just died of natural causes at the age of 96. Some may know him as Wilbur from Mr. Ed, but I think most will always remember him as Scrooge McDuck. Such a tragic loss, especially since there will be a new DuckTales show coming out.

CGA just confirmed Mass Effect will open on May 18th. I am so hopefully gonna go on that date depending on what happens!

Heard rumors that Mass Effect may be soft opening this weekend.

CGA put up a short behind the scenes video on New Earth, showcasing more footage, some of the characters set to appear, and the technology behind the ride.

So for the sake of curiosity, I decided to fool around with Photoshop and make a layered comparison between the park today and it's upcoming expansion. As we can see, it's not quite the kind of expansion we commonly think. I get that they're limited to the amount of land they have, but seeing how this expansion will go will be quite interesting. It seems that Orleans Place and Celebration Plaza/Hometown Square will receive the most amount of changes as they create the new entertainment complex. I am very happy to see they'll be using the amphitheater properly again (I don't think they've had a concert there since the Paramount days). Some of the more interesting aspects I see is that the Boomerang Bay expansion will be taking over where Peanuts Playhouse and Woodstock Express is (which would explain the potential Planet Snoopy expansion/new family coaster). I'm also surprised they're possibly putting in a Dinosaurs Alive. I know it's still in most of the CF parks (it's the only remaining former Paramount Park to not yet receive one) and dinosaurs are still a popular thing, but I'm surprised they're still interested in it. I am curious if this part of the plans mean that the Barney Oldfield Speedway will either be rerouted or removed. They mention more plans for the Action Theater meaning that hopefully we could see the right side reopen again after almost a decade of it being closed. I'm guessing they'll either make a clone of Mass Effect, use a different IP, or do something original. The most surprising part is that it seems like they want to relocate Vortex. I know they want to convert it into a floorless coaster, but relocating the ride seems like a rather odd yet interesting move. My guess is so that they have enough room to build a new coaster. One thing I just realized is that there seems to be no plans for their own "Amusement Dark" ride. Dunno if it is in the plans or not (I remember hearing CF saying they wanted to put one in for each of their parks. But now they want to do the same with EA attractions if ME and PvZ at Carowinds does well). I really hope things do go smoothly for this expansion. I have good hopes for this park's future.

Kings Island

I remember hearing a similar hoax from a friend a few years back.

Sorry to break up the expansion news and speculation for a while, but CGA just posted a commercial for Mass Effect: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv69fkraIl8 I'm kinda getting some Mission SPACE vibes from the new footage.

I kinda hope this means they can refurbish/restore the old IMAX building. If they're planning to make an entertainment complex around the front gate, this could be the perfect opportunity bring it back. I recently saw a pic of what the inside currently looks, and the majority of the seats are still intact https://www.instagram.com/p/BDUC-TPjEL5/.

CGA just held a press conference saying that the park will be expanding with new attractions and an entertainment complex by the front gate! http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2016/03/30/great-america-readies-long-term-master-plan-for.html?ana=yahoo Super excited for this tbh! Great America readies long-term 'master plan' for more rides, 'entertainment district' Mar 30, 2016, 2:48pm PDT The owners of Santa Clara’s Great America have a message for you: Despite rumors to the contrary, the South Bay theme park is here to stay, and it plans to get a lot bigger and better. Rides up to 250-feet tall, new restaurants, shops and entertainment venues are being planned, though don’t expect specifics just yet. Year-round operations? It could happen. Cedar Fair CEO Matt Ouimet speaks at a press event on Wednesday announcing new plans for Great America to continue as a theme park, but with upgrades. “I’m here today to say that Great America has a great future,” said Matt Ouimet, CEO of publicly traded park owner Cedar Fair Entertainment Co. The company is touting a rezoning application and “master plan” that has long been working its way through the city’s approval process. (The press event coincides with the release of an environmental impact report.) For the most part, it would give Great America broad entitlements to develop a wide variety of new rides and attractions. Currently, Great America is subject to a 35-foot height limit and has to get city permission for each project it wants to build, such as the 108-foot-tall Gold Striker, which opened in 2013. In addition, it would provide about 250,000 square feet of commercial development capacity on a part of the park that fronts the main parking lot, which Great America shares with Levi’s Stadium. An environmental impact report states that the actual amount of “net new” development would be 100,000 square feet — and Ouimet told me it would likely be smaller shop and entertainment space, not large-format retail. Nor would hotel or office space be part of the concept. But the idea is to make it available to the general public, not just people paying admission to the park. Ouimet compared it to a “marketplace” at Knott’s Berry Farm, which Cedar Fair also owns, with 15 shops and restaurants. “You’ll see some fun restaurants and a little retail, but probably more entertainment retail,” Ouimet said. “We could bring in a partner. We could bring in a joint-venture partner on a specific asset. There’s a number of developers who would be interested in working with us. They key is to make it additive to the park.” Great America has been a laggard in the Cedar Fair amusement park portfolio, largely because it doesn't have enough critical mass to keep patrons longer and coming back, Ouimet said. The master plan is designed to broaden the park's appeal and attract visitors from a wider area. "You have to get to a certain level of critical mass," he said. "The park is in the bottom third of attendance today. But it’s one of the smallest footprints we have. If the park is too small, visitors don’t buy dinner, they don’t come back as often." The larger significance of the Great America press event is to push back against questions over the park’s future. Santa Clara’s Successor Agency to the Redevelopment Agency is in the process of selling off its real estate holdings — including the land that lies underneath Great America. Ouimet said Cedar Fair is interested in buying the land itself if the deal makes sense. But even if the company doesn’t exercise its right of first offer, Ouimet said Cedar Fair still intends to run Great America as a theme park for the foreseeable future (its lease runs through 2074). “Our long-term plans do not change if someone else buys the land,” he said. “Any change of use other than an amusement park and related entertainment district would require Cedar Fair’s approval and the city’s approval.” Ouimet did not deny that the company has had discussions with various real estate developers, including the Irvine Company, which I reported recently. But he said Cedar Fair does not see Great America shrinking to give way to high-density housing or other commercial development. The park could also go year-round under the master plan, but officials said it's too early to tell if that was imminent.

It seems like it unfortunately. I get that it's probably because they're limited with money (installing two of the same equipment and simultaneously running them would be quite expensive), but the reason why the original Action Theater had two sides was probably for capacity efficiency (and in case one side was broken down, they could use the other side). Maybe in the future they could add something on the right side, but who knows.

Same here. Much as I love visiting the park, there's no point for me to go right now if ME isn't open yet. And as I said before, the delay gives me the advantage to catch up with the ME series (I'm about halfway into ME2, and still need to play ME3), not to mention irl things I gotta take care of at the moment.

And none of the news said anything about this? I was surprised CGA actually had a booth at a Comic-Con. I'm a bit disappointed since the official website and social media says it would open on opening day, but at the same time I shouldn't be surprised, I mean Gold Striker didn't open until months after opening day 2013. On the bright side I at least have more time to catch up with the ME series.

I might go. Even though I learned my lesson from last year's opening day and still haven't caught up with the entire Mass Effect series yet, I'd like to check out the New Earth 4D. I'm hoping they do some sort of opening ceremony for it, the lack of info on this new ride is starting to worry me.

I guess the problems I've had with opening day usually had slow operations, long lines, and problems with the new employees/ride ops. Plus last year on opening day I had to wait in line for about 2-3 hours just to get a simple hot dog.