KarlaKoaster

It would be a shame for Tony to stop teasing just because one or two people are not finding it funny or amusing. I don't find a lot of comedians funny or amusing, but I don't expect them to quit on my behalf. I think it's nice that he gives the park a bit of personality. So many parks are so corporate and boring online that you can almost forget they're in the business to entertain.

I don't, sorry. We all know it's getting new trains with a lot of people expecting vest restraints and possibly floorless, track is getting replaced, the queue is getting updated and the launch is being worked on. The ride is closed for less than a year so I don't think we'll be seeing anything too unexpected, plus wouldn't they have to apply for permission to change the layout? The application people saw a few months ago mentioned the launch but no track changes.

I'm so over the psychological/dark themes Merlin are obsessed with at the moment, but it will be interesting to see what this ride's like. I can't really remember the last new Merlin dark ride I've been on.

Ah yes, that's a good point, I keep thinking obviously the ride has been used a lot and the rehab is from a rider comfort POV but of course there must be a lot of fatigue as well.

It's so weird seeing these pics. I'm not sure what I expected, though, it's just strange to see a roller coaster at the dump! So the bits of track they're removing... was that a particularly rough part of Hulk? It's been a while since I've ridden it. Just trying to get an idea of how much track they're likely to be removing. It's obviously not ALL the track because I guess otherwise they wouldn't have marked sections with tape. It also answers the question of whether they're replacing the sections totally or just reconditioning them. It won't be long until there will be enough pieces in that rubbish pile to be able to build your own small B&M coaster

Wow, looks like Universal are doing this properly. It's sort of sad seeing them like that though! I thought they were really nice looking trains Anyhoo, can't let sentimentality get in the way of progress, it will be great to ride the new Hulk next year

No, it's down for a big rehab and will have an updated launch, updates to the trains (possibly new trains altogether?) and is having work done on the track. At one point it was rumoured that all the track will be replaced, but not sure if this is the case, or if only sections will be worked on. I can't wait to ride it again And thanks for the Fast and Furious pic, HHN seems the perfect time to start advertising it.

Ooh, thanks for the heads up! Just found this on @AmusementBuzz. I guess no track has been spotted outside the steelworks in Clermont? (unless they're going to change it into an RMC monorail )

Great report, thanks for posting so many of the menus and pics of the food. This really is the best time to visit the parks in Florida; HHN, Not so Scary and the Food and Wine Festival... plus the parks are pretty quiet too!

RMC's approach to coaster design is like a breath of fresh air. It's just like they have a roots to leaves approach to everything they do and don't just settle for developing existing ideas but instead start again and make the idea their own. I like that.

It's just so they make money from the additional entrance fee, plus I wonder if a lot has got to do with how much money Ferrari want from the priviledge of using their name/branding. Maybe it was the only commercially viable way of doing it. If you look at it as a park it is very small although I'm not sure what other rides there are in there. I hope it isn't too expensive as I don't want it to feel like the launched coaster is basically an upcharge ride

I love that the themed footer makes it look like it's falling apart! Oh, regarding Cedar Fair etc, to be fair to them there's a place for amusement parks and a place for theme parks. Phantasialand's theming looks INCREDIBLE but I think what Cedar Fair does is good too

You can enjoy Disney whatever your age in my opinion. Obviously a lot becomes less relevant to you, but as you get older you can appreciate other aspects of a dIsney resort like the dining, the amazing theming and the white knuckle rides like Tower of Terror etc. Other resorts I recommend in Europe (assuming you're in Europe?) include Europa Park which is really big and has incredible hotels and Phantasialand. In America I love Universal and many, many theme parks now have on-site hotels including Alton Towers, Legoland, Efteling etc. In fact it is probably best for you if you look at what theme parks you want to visit, then see if they have a resort hotel.

I think the pictures flatter the angle of the lift and make it look steeper than it is It's looking great so far!

Because Big One is not an enjoyable coaster. I might be the only person in the world to say this, but I really like the Big One

I finally got on Baron last week! It's perfect for the park with great theming and a fun, but not too intimidating ride experience. It's really well paced, an OK length and a lot of fun. It's obviously not crazy-intense but I don't think Efteling would have wanted a ride like that. The pre-shows are exactly as I expected..... amazing but a pain in the bum. They're SO well done but the timing is all over the place and you spend a LOT of time staring at closed doors before being let into the next pre-show. I can cope with looking at doors before entering the building, but when you're totally lost in the moment and completely immersed by the first pre-show, and then have to wait like 2 minutes before the doors open into the next area it kinda ruins the moment. I don't understand how they got the timing so wrong. Trains leave almost every minute, there's two trains worth of people in the pre-show, surely they should just make them about a 2 minutes long? I didn't really see why they were holding people back behind the doors in the first pre-show when they could have just let them through into the batching area like they do on Rock N Roller? Sorry for the little moan I really love Baron, it's a great coaster, and I don't mind pre-shows, but I feel that when I blink I can see Baron's doors burnt into my retinas from staring at them so much

I love tunnels on Dive Coasters, but I also LOVE the idea of a view of 214 uninterrupted feet of drop when you're perched at the top. Talk about squeaky bum time. I think the presentation looks a bit flat compared to some of the rides Cedar Fair have done recently, but I don't see enough to write this ride off as being boring or a wasted opportunity yet... not until I've ridden it anyway.

The whole 'is it an inversion' thing is a difficult one! The cobra roll on Colossus at Thorpe and the immelman on Black Mamba are similar in that they don't really get close to 180 degrees which is what most people would say is upside down. I try not to over analyse things like this though because it almost sucks the fun out the hobby... I sort of follow the 'if it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably is a duck' mentality and go with gut instinct

Thanks so so much for being so obsessive with photographing so much of the park. I love the details everywhere... the sign on the back of the ice cream van, the slaughtered horse hanging from the carousel etc etc. Some of the art is amazing too. I really like the Little Mermaid outside the castle, it's such a cool optical illusion. Also love the paparazzi photographing Cinderella in the upturned carriage and the council workers painting over the art in the gallery, presumably in reference to graffiti getting cleaned off of walls)

Great list The PortAventura Ferrari Land project is now 2017 though (booo!)

The one that comes to mind is X at Magic Mountain. It was the first year it was open, it opened several hours late and had a queue over 3 hours long. I had never visited Magic Mountain before so I couldn't face missing so many credits 'just' to ride X (which could have broken down and closed anyway)

I love the mirrored bottom The tower can be lit up in any colour at night with the gondola also lit up in a corresponding colour too. It should look really slick.

I think Mack's sit-down coaster trains such as those on Helix and Blue Fire are great. No sides and low floor so they're easy to get in and out of, really comfy seats, the lap bars are comfy and feel secure, but you still get a lot of freedom in them, plus the lights on Helix look great. In terms of looks, I always liked the trains on Incredible Hulk at Islands of Adventure.... I hope they don't change the look of those too much when it gets redone.

Here are a few recent images. The tower is now at the full height which didn't seem to take long. I saw it for the first time in real life yesterday. It is huge!! It is minimalist enough not to be too intrusive though, and I think it will look even better once the gondola is going up and down because it looks like it will be really beautifully designed. The pictures are of the jacking tower which is where they slide tower pieces into before raising the tower. It also shows the tower on the seafront and also the gondola under construction at the Poma factory. Apologies for anyone expecting an i305 update

Even if you weren't looking, just the thought of them taking blood can make people faint. I wouldn't worry at all. If it was something to worry about they would have advised against strenuous exercise etc. Just make sure you're well hydrated and well fed before going on coasters (which is best practice anyway)