lord denning
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Posts posted by lord denning
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Surprised no one has posted about the 2023 additions yet. I know we like to wait for Robb to do the official press release stuff so I will not to link anything.
Interested in the family launched coaster - assume it will go where the dinosaurs alive / aquarium used to be. Much needed ride. Want to see the layout.
As for the massive - flat I do not think the park needed it and that land was the great picnic area for fireworks.
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Does know if you still need to use the lockers for Guardian?
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Just do the math on Fast Lane passes and you see why they do it.
$150+ each. Figure probably 2,000 of them sold on a busy Saturday. That's an additional $300,000 in revenue that cost the park probably $100 in printing the wrist bands.
They must have sold more a lot more than 2,000 - it seemed like a least 33% of the park had them.
I am not anti-fast pass at all or allowing for the park to make more money. My issue is that it was not a "VIP" experience with that many people having them. If they charged more and truly limited supply that would be different. I understood that was the point of the variable pricing - they would keep increasing the price to meet demand while keeping supply capped to ensure a great experience.
We had wanted years to finally do CP right with fastlane plus so we could get rerides only to have an experience that was the same as going on a normal day. Lines still closer to an hour no chance of hitting all the coasters over a 1.5 day visit. When have to you leave a fastlane line for a coaster running three trains (NOT SV!) because the line is too long and barely moving you know there is a problem.
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Went this weekend - it was crazy experience but inconsistent.
Traffic in - even Saturday at 4pm was an hour on the causeway. An hour just to get to the parking booth! We did not have Fastline - so we focused on mazes. MF was only a 25 minute wait by 11pm and Magnum was a walk-on by 8:30pm - so we did that a few times - still an epic ride in the dark in the back. My kid had never experienced true ejector air before.
Scarezone waits were insane for cornstalkers.
Sunday - had platinum entry plus fastlane plus (free due to season pass renewal) - was able to get in SV, maverick x2 by 11:30am.
Then it was a gong show - Gatekeeper down for the day (rumor is reopened after 8:30pm but we were at the top of the park and it was near closing time so too much of a risk to run down instead of night SV), top thrill after an hour fast lane wait broke in the station, waited another half an hour for a reopen that never occurred. ride opened up again five hours later (we got in after another 45 fastline wait)
Valraven, and Maverick fast line was decent - not that long of a wait. But MF had fast line line equal to regular and SV was still close to an hour and top thrill more than an hour.
The long and the short of it is that we still had a great time. The haunt stuff was good. My kid's first time on the 52 inchers (though we didn't get gatekeeper). We didn't have a choice but to face the crowds (long weekend needed for drive back, had to take advantage of fastlane promotion, kid wasn't tall enough earlier in season, etc).
Only real complaint is the fastline - we were so excited to take advantage of it to really enjoy the rides, only to find out the lines are still crazy long. They really need to reduce the number of fast lanes they sell, at $120 plus it is not right to sell so many that are still hour lines. There was nothing VIP about it. Since we used our entitlement it wasn't the of the world, but if i paid out of pocket i would have been really disappointed.
PS. Windseeker is the dumbest name ever. Why call a ride windseeker when it can't ride when there is wind? Shouldn't they call it Windfearer?
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I like the tribute to the original Gwazi by using 1999 graphics for the POV.
Robb according to the wiki the height should be 48 inches. They referenced the 48 inch height for Ice Breaker, any reference to what the expected height requirement would be for Iron Ghawi?
I know that SV was changed to 52 inches just weeks before opening.
Can't wait to ride it.
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Here's the thing with FL+. Those who want to waste their money on FL+ are complaining that Guardian, The Fly, The Bat, Thunder Run are not on FL+. But the people who are really complaining are the people who do not use FL+. If these coasters were to be put on FL+, then the regular lines would be much shorter and that is why I will never buy a FL+ at my home park. It is just not necessary. Let the out-of-town visitors on more FL+ coasters and make the regular lines much shorter for the people who go to Wonderland every day. Makes sense?
Agree it doesn't make sense but FL+ is not needed if you are local even on busy days.
With smart time management you can easily knockoff the big rides each with less than a 30 minute wait.
It is only if you were there for a single day and wanted every credit (I would do B&M rerides versus credit whoring the clones) or really want a bunch of rerides would FL+ be worth it.
Ironically, the past few years I haven't even used my FL+ freebee because the park is so empty when they are offered, I would spend more time getting the pass than using it.
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Add me to the disappointed list.
The new Blue raptor upstairs is neat and i don't mind the i-rex additions but other than that is it is sad they removed so many of the elements that made the old ride great.
The gates
The first time you see the giant dinos (working or not)
The first theme you heart the Jurassic park theme with the gates
The fake track showing where the ride was going before 'something goes wrong'
the car drop
the broken boat with the mouse ear drop and the Dilophosaurus
the attack by the Dilophosaurus pre-lift
the first raptor on the lift
trex coming out of the waterfall
the last surprise attack by the Dilophosaurus before you get off
In theory adding a screen scene is not the end of the world but starting with that the screens and doing something that unimaginative was a mistake.
If they did screens (not TVs with Chris Pratt) - up the lift hill - that could have worked. Maybe set up the I-rex climbing up or Blue fighting it off to buy you time - getting you ready for the reveal up top. But the current redo is really a declining by degrees change. Turned an amazing ride into a good ride.
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Yukon Striker made to the Mirror in the UK today and got linked on the Drudge Report!
https://www.mirror.co.uk/travel/usa-canada/worlds-tallest-longest-fastest-dive-14067018
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My six year old's first ride as a member of the 48'incher was a Boomerang.
It rocked his world. It's like a McDonalds burger - yes they are MUCH MUCH better more expensive burgers available, but it is cheap, consistent, readily available and still tasty.
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Google filmed a 360 degree version
Very cool - actually better than most flats. I would ride this at a park!
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Had to turn off the video my Google Homes were going crazy!
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I love how Yukon Striker is not the first ride at CW with a brake run higher than the entire rides below it!
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I wish Shane would make a comeback and give some more detail about the thinking and easter eggs. Clearly this project so done with love by one of our own. Or even better a podcast where tea is spilled.
I LOVE the food descriptions - so well written. Japan's KFC one is classic. And the poutine one is bang on. That is a delicious food that until 10 years ago so almost never seen outside of the French part of Canada.
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Okay, I get it. If you don't live near Wonderland and still come a couple of times, then a season pass is worth it and a fast lane is worth it too. I just don't get it, if you live across the street and buy a fast lane. However, if you live across the street, then I guess you can afford to throw money away. That's what I am trying to say.
If you live close and have the money buy the fast lane season pass! You may actually be able to use it enough to make it worth it. Quick 30 minute in and out run for a fast lane ride on YS, Behemoth and grab some food to go - would be a perfect way to end the daily commute!
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Might as well add this to the discussion thread as well as the IAAPA thread. Today at IAAPA Bob Chapek announced some new details about the Guardians Roller Coaster. From this short video we can take away the following:
- Vekoma is working on the ride.
- The ride vehicle design was announced.
- The ride vehicles will turn (doesn't sound like it will spin freely.)
- The coaster will launch at some point.
- It's not a flying coaster.
Here's the video and some images of the coaster cars:
Has Disney ever done such an inside baseball announcement before? I was shocked to hear the ride system manufacturer name dropped and then actual test footage shown. I know it's a trade event but still I don't recall ever seeing anything like this before. Love the transparency.
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I love that Disney just confirmed the theory by showing the Vekoma test footage!
Good reportings everyone.
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I waited until November 7th to write this. Not one comment about Halloween Haunt this year on TPR. My advice for anyone living in the Wonderland area. Forget about the, very stale, very copy-cat-ish Halloween Haunt and go to the Casa Loma event. Very theatrical, elaborate sets, costumes and scareactors. Just like Halloween Haunt used to be. I actually went to both events this year and will post my trip reports soon. Very quickly, Halloween Haunt was same-old, same-old and Casa Loma was amazing!
To be fair the casa loma event is also pretty copy-cat-ish being that they only do slight changes each year. It is very very well done. But so is Wonderland. I took my kid to Casa Loma again but also Wonderland for the first time for Haunt and he was blown away. So many mazes, so much to do. Casa Loma you are in and out in less than an hour. The Ruins with the flashlights is such a great experience.
I am just happy we are in a city that has both.
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I went to Wonderland on Sunday Oct. 29th. The park was dead. The ride attendants insisted we keep staying on the rides and keep the fun going.
We got in at 10am. No rides seemed to be running until about 10:20am. We were able to go on all the major rides but Leviathan which wasn't running. We hit the Wonderland Store where everything was 50% off. We were out of the park just before 12.
The wooden coasters did nor run. Infact, they didn't even test them while I was there. I could see the track covered in snow not touched from the previous snowfall. Top Gun ahem... Flight Deck was only running one train. Time Warp wasn't running either.
This does not bode well for a meaningful ride selection for winterfest.
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Crazy how they fast they dredged the lake again. I was there Sunday night for Haunt and the lake and Vortex were as normal.
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I really like how they incorporated the rides and lake together. Query though on the tunnel - does anyone else think it is strange the tunnel is only for the pull out after the vertical drop is finished. Oblivion and Sheikra both have the tunnels start during the vertical portion of the drop.
Without checking rcdb, i presume the ys drop is higher. This would mean more speed and a longer pullout. It would require a deeper tunnel if you started pullout after entering it.
If the tunnel is deeper than 60’ it would be considered a subway and be subject to service cuts, short turns, broken air conditioning and “tunnel fuzz”.
Hope that helps.
I wasn't suggesting tunnel go deeper - rather start above ground mid-drop ala Sheikra
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I didn't take pictures this weekend but at the turnaround for YS near the Flying Canoes - there seems to be going up some pretty cool rusted steel theming
That's not theming. It's shoring (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoring).
It looked pretty high and permanent - could be both. Never thought about Shoring. Good catch.
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I didn't take pictures this weekend but at the turnaround for YS near the Flying Canoes - there seems to be going up some pretty cool rusted steel theming
Also Vortex going around the YS drop is pretty great. I really like how they incorporated the rides and lake together. Query though on the tunnel - does anyone else think it is strange the tunnel is only for the pull out after the vertical drop is finished. Oblivion and Sheikra both have the tunnels start during the vertical portion of the drop.
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I am starting to get a bit concerned about the placement of Yukon Striker. It is soooo quiet around that area right now. I get it, with the construction going on, but when the water park is closed, the only use for the path that goes from Minebuster over to Timberwolf Falls is going to be for Yukon Striker. Even when SkyRider was still there, that path is pretty much unused when Splash Works is not open, and when Timberwolf Falls and White Water Canyon are closed too, that part of the park is actually very dead. I think they really need to add a few more flat rides back there. Just adding more shops is not going to increase traffic by that much. That path will be used mainly for Yukon Striker riders when the water park is not open. I'm just not sure if people heading to Yukon Striker will be stopping at any new shops. The new shop near White Water Canyon was empty every time I went in there.
Sounds like part of the plan is to liven up that area of the park. I'm sure you'll see a lot more vendors and traffic in the area. They'll find a way to make it more vibrant. I wouldn't be surprised if CW will add more attractions to that area in the park within the coming future, based on your observations. Although let's face it; parks feel less lively when their water parks are closed all together.
100% - think about how dead the areas were Leviathan and Behemoth were before they were built. They add great energy and sometimes new areas like the Behemoth midway.
And even better than those rides - Yukon Striker's interaction with the lake and the pathways will really create some amazing kinetic energy in that area.
Canada's Wonderland Discussion Thread
in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
Posted
I really wish TPR would bring back their park visits with AlpenFuryFest - Behemoth Bash and LeviaTHON were life highlights for me. Last time we went in 2012 - we had a newborn who tagged along who now is obessed with coasters. Remember KidTums as a toddler and getting so wet doing the water challenge on Stunt Coaster.
So much fun.