Hilltopper39

^^Well that is unacceptable. As an enthusiasts and a moderator of TPR you should be required to attend every Halloween event in the country, at every park, every year and the events in Orlando at least twice each . Just kidding, I get what you are saying and for someone who only makes it to town for October every couple of years the rotating houses do work out really well. I also think HOS is a much better value than HHN these days. I mean for around $100 on any night you can get admission, preferred parking, guided tour, and front of the line access to the houses and coasters. For the same type of experience at HHN on peak nights you might be pushing $200 a person.

Even though they do repeat houses there seems to be a new house every year (two this year) that is significantly higher quality than whatever it replaced. I still consider it an every year event just for the night rides on all of the coasters.

^Yeah, I normally wait a few weeks myself for the same reason but for this update I just went ahead and did it yesterday since I had some time and it seemed fairly easy to do. I'm sure the kinks will get resolved sometime soon.

Yeah the map app has been pretty underwhelming so far but I doubt Apple will let it remain that way for long. I expect an update in the near future that should eliminate some of the bugs.

Looks like another solid new maze for HOS, did this replace the old Deconstruction house? I don't think I'm going to have a chance to make it to HOS this year but the event looks as good as ever!

I always find it interesting that there is such a varied responses to the houses at HHN. It seems like there is a never a clear cut absolute best house, and there are never houses that everyone absolutely hates. Some years my favorite house is among the worst reviewed, and some of the best reviewed houses I tend to think are the worst. I guess it's all just a matter of preference and timing. Thanks for the early updates guys, can't wait to read some more this weekend but it sounds like the event is on par with previous years. Did anyone catch the Circus magic show? And was the construction at the park an issue?

On Batman at Great America? No, not on a Batman clone just transitions in general. I was actually thinking of that crazy transition on Flight of Fear that always catches me off guard, I wouldn't be able to "brace" for it any easier going backwards than I do going forwards. I still don't really think the bashing would be any worse going backwards than it would be going forwards. I may be wrong, but if anything most people would probably have a tendency to brace more than normal naturally while going backwards than forwards just because of the unknown. I know there are some pictures of people riding Shockwave at Drayton Manor facing backwards (in the normal forward seats) during park ERT sessions. Has anyone here done that? Was it fun? Painful? I now one caption in the report says it was crazy but kind of brutal, but would it be less brutal if the seats were actually facing backwards?

Can't wait to hear reports from the Bill and Ted Show, finger crossed it doesn't stink this year.....

I'm still not all that personally interested in any of the attractions or experiences in New Fantasyland, but it sure does look impressive!Now if they would only get around to dropping a quarter mil or so into a new Tommorowland.........

^i don't know if it is more of a case of Arkansas not being very good or Bama being better than the bottom 4 teams in the NFL? Bama is disgustingly talented and one of the most poised and well coached teams I've ever seen, I'm not totally convinced that if you gave last year's Bama team Andrew Luck and Julio Jones they wouldn't be able to give the Jaguars a decent game......

^I wish I could go back and re-do my picks after the first two weeks, there have certainly been some major surprises thus far and a few of my picks just look flat out terrible haha. But as far as your picks go San Francisco looks as dominant as I've seen a football team look in long time and the amazing thing is that they don't really do anything fancy. I think they're going to be real tough to beat, there is a lot of football left to be played and 'm sure they will have some adversity at some point but if they stay healthy they will be tough. After watching Houston play 2 games they look like the best in the AFC to date. They haven't played the stiffest competition in the league but as long as Johnson/Schaub/Foster stay healthy I think they can hang with anyone. With that being said, as long as Kubiak is their coach I'm not sold on them making a deep playoff run, but do think they have a team to do it with. I agree with you on Miami, Cleveland, and Carolina being on the way up (still up in the air on Cleveland), but I think that after 2 weeks you have to throw Washington, St. Louis, and maybe Tampa into that mix as well. I'm not convinced New England and Pittsburgh are on the way out just yet. For NE, Arizona might be better than everyone thought, I like what New England is doing offensively with a more balanced running game, and as long as Brady is taking snaps they're a contender in my mind. Pittsburgh has two of the most dynamic receiver in the league, and while you are right and the defense is getting old, when Mendenhal gets healthy they may be able to get into shoot outs with anyone. I will say one of the surprise of the season for me has be how dismal the saints have looked. With all of their off field troubles I didn't know if they would come out in total "F you" mode and be as good as they were, or just lay be a mess. There is a Lot of football left but it looks like they are in for a long long year.

It's no more intense but your body doesn't prepare itself for the changes in direction and such. If you know the ride to a tee that's fine, you can brace yourself. But for the average person riding, they're going to get even more ragdolled than they currently do, especially if they don't ride defensively to begin with (which most people don't). Aren't the transitions that are the most exciting usually the ones that you don't entirely anticipate? You know like that little pop of air that you didn't see coming or the insane curve in the tunneled section? I just imagine a ride on a rear facing Batman would be full of unknown crazy transitions that would absolutely rock. I doubt they would even consider it if they knew it was going to be too intense for the average rider but the fact that this rumor has now surfaced at two different parks makes me think there might actually be a slight bit of truth to it.

I'm looking forward to the Oklahoma Kansas State game this weekend. Oklahoma is a team that I just can't consider to be elite anymore since they seem to find a way to lose to a lesser opponent every year, and Kansas State is a team I didn't know much about going into the season but after they absolutely blasted Miami at home (who I know isn't very good) it looks like they may that sneaky team that could bite the Sooners in the rear. Also UL Monroe plays Baylor Friday night, which isn't exactly a major match up but after watching Monroe play 2 weeks in a row they are for real and have some big time players that are a lot of fun to watch. What a crazy schedule they've taken on early in the season, @Arkansas, @Auburn, and @Baylor three weeks in a row..... that's a tough stretch. Oh yeah, and I guess Florida State Clemson is supposed to be a big game or something? It's hard to bet against Florida State, but then again they are Florida State. FSU being favored by 2 TD's over a top 10 team seems a bit high to me, they're not Alabama. While that bet screams take Clemson to cover, it also reeks of a classic "to good to be true so it probably is" sucker bet, I'm gonna stay away all together.

Batman backwards? I'm in, would love to give it a try. It can't be THAT much more intense than it is going forwards can it? I mean it's not like they are changing the layout or speeding up the ride or anything, they're just turning the seats around. I think it would be kinda cool.

^^Excessive? yes, but I like your style!

I've never gone to IoA early but I think they allow you to access the studios through a backstage pathway after the park is closed, I might try that this year if I make it to the event.

Looks like someone at Universal might have read my complaining on here because the Scream Early tickets are now available on the HHN website. $19.99 for access to IOA or The Studios park at 3pm. This ticket also allows you to stay in the park while they change over for the event and you can usually hit a few houses before the regular crowds get through the gates.

Wow, that display is fairly impressive. I'm kind of surprised a park would allow an exhibit like this to showcase rides from other parks and park chains around the country, but then again Dollywood is pretty awesome. Thanks for the update Eric, I'll have to check it out next time I make up to Pigeon Forge!Just curious but where was this located within the park?

This thread is weird.

^That thing looks amazing, can't wait to read everyone's opinions on the thing. I watched a POV earlier on Gravity Group's page and the ride reminds me a lot of Lightning Racer, except with the insane high 5 element. Looks like a real winner, hopefully someone in America can step up to the plate and built something like this. Don't know why but Knoebels seems like a park that a ride like this might fit in nicely at......

It's amazing how much construction they have going one at once at Universal, I really hope it all works out in the end. As much as some people despise Harry Potter it certainly seems to move the turnstiles and justify purchases for rides like Transformers, Despicable Me, Rockit and whatever Gringots London coaster they are building so that's a good thing right ?

I'm not totally out on Tennessee yet, they still seem to have some talent, and I think Florida is better than people think right now. If they can find a way to win one game in the 4 game stretch against Georgia, Miss. State, Alabama, and South Carolina I still think they can be a 7 or 8 win team. With that being said if they do go 6-6 or worse I think Dooley's seat may be a getting a little warm...

There is a LOT of football left to be played this year and I think we can all agree that a loss early in the season is much better than one late as far as having a chance to get into the national title game. USC has enough ranked opponents left on their schedule (Oregon, Notre Dame, UCLA, potential Pac 12 Title game) that if they do run the table it's not inconceivable for them to be in the mix. Bama and LSU seem to be the cream of the crop once again, but there are plenty of tough match ups left on their schedules where a loss is possible (LSU @ Florida Oct. 6th). I don't think that the BCS voters won't let 2 SEC teams play for the title 2 years in a row even if they are the best 2 teams in the country. And on a personal note, how bout them Hilltoppers? I know Kentucky stinks but a win on the road in the SEC is huge for any team from a non-BCS conference especially against against an in-state opponent. And don't be surprised if you start hearing the name Willie Taggart thrown around for some big time coaching jobs later this season. It takes some major onions to go for a 2 point conversion, for the win, in over time, on the road in the SEC with a play like this.... Western Kentucky also received 3 Top 25 votes in the USA Today coaches poll this week, first time in school history.

I have to attend a conference in Atlanta in October and am hoping to slide out early one day and check this event out hopefully!

What are the games this week that everyone's looking forward to? In the SEC I think Florida Tennessee should be a good game, I like Florida to win, and as much as I hate Tennessee it's good to see both programs getting back to being as competitive as they once were. Arkansas vs Alabama has lost quite a bit of it's appeal since Arkansas got upset by Louisiana Monroe, but this should still be an interesting match up. I have no idea what to expect from Arkansas at this point, that program is in awful shape right now with everything that happened this off season. If Tyler Wilson plays it could be a decent game, but if not I like Bama by 40 haha. USC Stanford should be fun to watch. I didn't think Stanford was going to take a huge step back after losing Luck since they are still a power style downhill running team, but their week 1 performance was a bit shaky. However they crushed Duke in week 2 so maybe they are figuring things out and can give USC a game. I like USC by a 7. The prime time match up of the weekend for me however, and no one else probably, is THE Western Kentucky HILLTOPPERS at the University of Kentucky Wildcats (ESPNU 7pm). Kentucky is down, and Western has what I think is a really good team, and a win in Lexington against UK could be absolutely HUGE for our program going forward in terms of attendance, recruiting, respect, a lot of great things will come from beating UK and I can't wait. Kentucky is in the SEC? Tell em what you think about the SEC Andrew Jackson....