Hilltopper39

yeah I figured that would be the case this year, I usually go every year on an "off night" and have never gotten an express pass. I usually get there very early and hit as many hosues as possible till the lines get long, then see the shows and ride rides, and then do houses later when the lines are shorter again towards the end of the night. Never have bought an express pass but always have had a good time and gotten to see most everything rides included. However with the frequent fear express pass they've offered this year I had feeling that even on non peak nights the lines would be ridiculous.

I'm heading to the event this upcoming Sunday,anyone know how have the crowds been this year so far on Sundays?

^^ I will partially agree with you on that point, Horror Nights isn't the scariest event in the world but just because it isn't the "scariest" doesn't mean its not the best. I would much rather see well themed haunts with professional make up and costumes and incredible sets and special effects then your typical shaker can plywood walls latex mask haunts like a lot of local haunts tend to be. Also I think the sheer size of the event makes it a little less scary by nature. having to slowly walk through HHN houses in a giant conga line definitely takes away some of the scares but there inst really any other way to pull it off without lines being 5 hours long. Yes it is getting expensive, and really crowded, but Ive never walked from Horror Nights feeling like I didn't get my money's worth. Its always a great experience.

Don't know if anyone else noticed this or not but the image just to the right of the Movie Park logo look just like a Zamperla Barnyard ride "vehicle" looks like this

I dont know if anyone else has mention this yet but that main support column with the wild mouse lookin figure 8 section is prety sweet looking from a visual standpoint. That should be a great centerpiece for the ride hanging over the midway. I wonder how they are going to transition this new Cheetah section into the Egypt section on down the road (maybe the two sections aren't as close as I remember them being).

Call me optimistic but i think if done right (and I really don't know what right is) a place like this in Orlando could have a chance. I mean all the parks currently in Orlando are starting to get really really expensive, over $100 dollars for a single day park hopper, $75ish dollars for a single day to SeaWorld. If a park opened in Orlando with some really good big time thrill rides (because most Orlando parks are more family oriented), and priced the place appropriately as a "less than Disney/Universal/SeaWorld with more exciting rides" it could have a chance. Orlando is a big enough city with enough locals to possibly support it in a different way than the locals support the bigger parks. I know when I was a local living in Orlando I didn't visit the parks there nearly as often as I though I would because Universal is somewhat un accessible with the parking garages and the several mile walk to get in, Disney Parks were always kind of out of the way and the same dilemma with getting in and out of the parks. And when you did get in you could almost always expect an hour long line for the major attractions at most parks most of the time. And most of the major attractions at Disney/Universal really are not that re-ridable (to me atleast) Tower, Rockin, Mummy, Hulk, Dragons, Spoace Mtn, RIckIt, MIB is about it. In other words as a local it was hard for me to just stop in for a few hours here and there and grab a few rides on the good rides. But a place like this that seems to be fairly easy to get in and out of has some big time thrill rides might be more accessible to locals could work. And that location near the outlets, those outlets are packed all the time! Another thing about the ticket prices in Orlando, it's clear that a multi-day ticket to all the major park chains in Orlando is the most cost effective way to go, but a lot of families heading to Florida for a vacation don't want to spend 5 days at Disney or 3 days at Universal or Busch Gadens/SeaWorld. A park like this might be a nice option to stop by for a day coming to or from Orlando. Just trying to be optimistic, if Disney wont build bad ass thrill rides I just wish someone would.

Anyone know if the Seatrek will be an up-charge or not? My guess would be it will have to be, and it will probably be ridiculously high priced.

Maybe if the parks would release segments of off-ride animation almost like a teaser or trailer for a movie instead of the full out on ride animated POV video. The same way the internet is used to get people excited about new attractions it could be used to keep people in suspense until opening day. Slowly release facts and concept artwork and chunks of pov or off-ride video. Similar to how Universal slowly releases info about Horror Nights every year until they finally release the full details, but they don't give away all the secretes of every house just give you the names and general theme.

AM I the only one that is really not excited at all about the updated version of Star Tours? I mean unless they are able to really improve the ride system, then its just gonna be a crappy simulator with a new video. I wish they would have just gutted the building and attempted to make some kind of unique dark ride attraction.

Yeah, I remember when Goliath at SFMM came out in early 2000. I hadn't seen any POV's yet and there were no layout pics, just the height and speed stats and the concept art (the one showing what looked like a 500 foot drop behind the GOLIATH letters). When I finally rode the ride a few months later I had no idea what to expect and totally loved the ride because of it. Every other major new coaster I've been on since then has been somewhat of a disappointment regardless of how good the new coaster really was. I guess even though Thirteen at Alton Towers turned out to be a bit of a let down of sorts, they didn't release any details or layout pics or POVs and it really added a lot of excitement to the project all the way up until opening day. I really wish more parks would try approach sometime Instead of leaking every single detail and secret and POV video before the official announcement even happens.

AM I the only one who misses the days when there were no animated on ride videos or layout pictures with the official announcement? Just some statistics and little concept art to wet your imagination? I mean It feels like I've already been to Busch Gardens and ridden this thing before construction has even been completed. I cant remember the last new coaster that came out that didn't have a full POV video or layout released with the official announcement. Maybe Everest, and I guess some of Mystery Mine, but before that who knows. It would have been really cool if Busch had only released the details of 1 launch had no POV video, then the second two launches were a surprise to everyone on opening day.

So who's gonna count backwards Superman as 2 new credits?

I still think they should have a Sesame Street Character haunt. that would be pretty cool

when I visited Aquatica and rode that attraction I wondered if the Lifeguards had access to some type of an 'e-stop' for the rapids for that very reason. It's a very strong current and is really a cool attraction but I could see where a situation occurs where someone who inst the greatest swimmer opts for no life jacket then gets in an uncomfortable situation. Condolences to the family and the park staff.

I saw the U@ 360 Tour last October in Tampa with MUSE opening and it was an incredible show, one of my favorites that Ive been to. We were in the general admission right on the outer rail and had some great views of the band and the show. Nice TR, brought back some great memories of my trip last Fall.

I just noticed the season pass special during October, what a great deal. $60 for a gold season pass for all of 2011 and you can use it for Phobia this year. Includes free parking, mini golf, and go karts, that a pretty amazing deal.

Looks interesting, I'm excited about visiting. Ive never been to WIld Adventures so checking the park out during a Halloween Event should be a great way to see the place for the first time. I wonder if there are actually individual haunts or just one giant long scare zone/haunted swamp thingy. The tag line "One path, endless fears" kinda makes me curious. Should be fun.

Is it just me or does the animation make those trenches look way too narrow for a wing walker style train?

The Beast -Double Helix Raven- Insane air time drop followed by crazy run through the woods Maverick- Midcourse launch followed by wicked twisting layout Adventure Express- super sweet lifthill to nowhere ending (joking)

Was that picture of the railroad in the first half of the report in Waycross, GA? I drive through south Georgia for work ever couple of weeks and could have sworn I saw that same mural there. I definitely recognize that abandoned water slide, somewhere around Folkston/Callahan Okefenokee Swamp area. Ahh south Georgia

Has anyone ever been to Wild Adventures Halloween event Phobia? I just stumbled across some information for it this year and it looks like fun. Not nearly on the size or scale of the events in Central Florida but certainly looks like an event worth attending, and a good excuse to get some night rides on Cheetah.

Yeah Oregon does look really good, Stanford too. I think the Pac-10 is a very underrated conference, out here in the Eastern part of the USA they don't get a lot of press because the games just come on so late that no one watches them but the Pac-10 definitely has some good teams. Give the SEC a few more weeks and they'll have it together just like previous years. Florida finally put it together in the second half against a pretty talented South Florida team, Auburn and Miss. State both looked very tough on Thursday night, Arkansas is explosive and can score a lot on anyone, LSU had a bad second half against UNC in week 1 but looked really good against Vandy . Kentucky and South Carolina both have really good looking teams this year too. In the past few years the SEC has had 2 or 3 really elite teams at the top and have been a little more average in the middle and the bottom of the conference. This year I think Bama is the only real elite team, maybe Florida or LSU in a few weeks, but the conference is very deep with 5 or 6 really solid teams below Alabama. Everyone in the SEC with the exception of Ole Miss and Vandy could compete with anyone else in the country in my opinion. Maybe not win, but compete. i guarantee you Ohio State would have rather played Miami than Auburn or Florida, and Oklahoma would have rather played Florida State than LSU or Arkansas.

Looks like this season will be no different than the previous few, someone from the Slow 10, the Soft 12, or the FakeCC will wind up in the national championship and get blasted by an SEC team, again.

I found typhoon lagoon to be a much more enjoyable day than Blizzard beach. While I like Blizzard Beach's attractions and slides a bit better its such a haul to get to the top of that mountain that for every slide that it feels like you spend the whole day walking (and waiting in line). Plus Typhoon Lagoons monstrous wave pool, and the snorkel exhibit are pretty unique. I think both Disney water parks could use another major slide or 2. My problem with water parks in Orlando (and everywhere else really) is that every time I visit I have one of 2 experiences; on a crowded day your spend your entire day waiting in line (all water slides are relatively low capacity), and on a slow day you you can ride every slide multiple times within about 3 hours and basically conquer the park and be bored the rest of the day. The solution to both problems is more attractions. Wet n Wild is by far my favorite water park in Orlando. I think their collection of slides is far superior, and while it lacks atmosphere and theming, I can ride and re ride their slides all day and not get bored, and they have enough attractions that on a busy day the lines don't get that bad.

Anyone know what rides will be open this year? The usuals (Mummy, Jaws, MIB, Simpsons)? If I recall two years ago Disaster was open during the event but not open last year. I guess the real question is whether or not Rockit will be open this year.