OrlandoGuy

To be fair, your negativity regarding the investment was uneducated and unwarranted. Even if you are an accountant for the park, you wouldnt even be able to determine "bleakness" or not until the ride opened.

This looks awesome to me, and Carowinds just landed a spot on my park wishlist. Honestly, I dont understand the complaints for Intimidator/Fury similarities, especially with this layout. Besides being from the same manufacturer, there are actually pretty few similarities and I think the fact that its a B&M is blinding a ton of you to the actual merits of the design. We've got Intimidator, a 232-foot traditional out and back full of camelbacks. Then we have Fury, a 300-foot twister layout...on paper, these two are completely different! But just because the maker of the ride is B&M, theres got to be a ton of complaining. What if Fury had the exact same layout but was made by Mack or Intamin? Or what if Intimidator was made by Morgan? Is a mere difference in track style the primary point of differentiation for you guys? Yes, they are made by the same manufacturer. But the two rides are completely different in layout and style. Not to mention the thing hasnt even opened yet. Im just shocked that this has been the butt of so many complaints...would a wingrider or standup have been better?

Huh, didnt know about the contract. Im glad its done. But yes, it will be in a soundstage...its the largest maze in the events history.

For some reason I just noticed this, but the official name of the Walking Dead house for this year's HHN is "Walking Dead: End of the Line". Now this could mean nothing, but for some reason my mind automatically assumed this tagline meant the end of the Walking Dead houses. If you look at each house so far as a chapter in an overarching story (which is essentially what a TV series is, and therefore what a string of houses based on a TV series would be), then this third house titled "The End of the Line" would make for the perfect 'conclusion', if you will. Maybe Im oveethinking it, but the subtitle has to have some significance, and I think this may just be it.

Cool update...little stuff like this really make the park seem more real.

I like your park a lot...your use of CS compliments the park rather than look tacky. The layout also seems realistic, something that often gets overlooked when working so hard on rides/scenery. Love the updates!

I'm still waiting for that day. Just don't see it coming soon. Apollo's Chariot, last drop in the last row

Heading down Laguna Cyclone's first drop for a night ride! The 1959 expansion is a resounding success! Below are some guest-perspective shots from June 1959... One thing Management has grown a little weary of is Loop-O-Plane's frequent downtime…for a new ride, it doesn't seem too reliable. Hopefully the kinks will be worked out once it gets the hang of every-day operation. This shot never gets old…looking back on the way to the new rides! The Pleasure Park at night -----*----- The sun rises over Laguna Island Pleasure Park to mark the beginning of a summer day of some good ole fun in the sun A look from up at the end of the Midway Carousel Plaza as welcoming as ever The natural beauty of the Bay Grabbing a ride on Laguna Cyclone, the queue winds through the superstructure of the coaster Heading toward the Laguna Cyclone! Nighttime falls on the Island Holy crowds…Loop-O-Plane is drawing a pretty huge line this summer The queue line for Rotor…like its neighbor, its got a huge wait. As you can see, the 1959 expansion is a pretty big success, and it's safe to say that Laguna Island is in a very good position to begin planning for regular expansions in the future. As predicted, the summer crowds have brought business to The Scrambler Meanwhile, all the long queue lines for the new rides have made the line for Laguna Cyclone quite bearable throughout most of the day! All in all, 1959 was a great year for Laguna Island. The expansions more than paid for themselves, and even more importantly, proved that there's a large market for this park and it can handle expansions! The next few years should really see this place transform from a resort amenity to a full-blown amusement park. The question is just when…and what? The Scrambler through the trees

Not really...Universal sees a huge benefit in increased crowds, but Star Trek currently has nothing to advertise. Not to mention a theme park attraction and a movie have to attract different crowds to be considered successful; Universal would need to bring in families on vacation, a PG-13 studio movie needs to attract the 18-24 demographic in every place possible (not just people wealthy enough to take major vacations). The true benefit studios see in licensing their film properties is royalties from merchandise I would think...but is Star Trek really a merchandise machine? A Star Trek attraction would benefit Universal a heck of a lot more than Paramount if you ask me, and Im guessing the amount of money Universal would have to pay for it (to make sure Paramount feels like theyre getting a deal) would offset any benefit Universal would gain from such an expansion. I could be wrong, but I dont see Star Trek happening anytime soon, unless some big revival happens that exceeds the hype its been receiving from the Abrams films.

Laguna Island Pleasure Park has seen a great turnout in its first two seasons of operation. The attendance at Laguna Lake Resort has increased significantly, with occupancy rates at the hotel seeing a 25% increase during typical "off-season" times. The park is busy and popular, and Laguna knew by its second season that they needed to expand. Expansion was never really the plan for the park, and the company is still primarily a hospitality company. They're not prone to taking risks in this new venture. 1959 served as the park's testing season. For this year, they put in three new flat rides, expanded the "Fun Zone", and added a few new shops and food venues. While this will primarily help disperse crowds, Laguna wants to see how the additions will effect the performance of the park (i.e., will the investments merely be sustained, or will the park flourish?). For that reason, most of the buildings built into this expansion are a bit temporary in nature, and this time, the engineers made sure not to land lock the park space. Should the performance of this year be satisfactory, it's safe to say Laguna Island will probably see some serious growth in the future. But let's not get ahead of ourselves; without further ado, here's Laguna Island Pleasure Park's 1959 season! An overview of LIPP on opening day of the 1959 season…notice anything new? Behold the park's first expansion, built just two years after opening. Due to the expansion's goal of testing how well large capital investments will do at the park, there is a sort of temporary feel to the new structures hosting the food and merchandise locations. Also, should the expansion prove successful, these buildings can be eliminated and the dead ends can easily be expanded upon. Here's one of three new rides added to Laguna Island in 1959. It's an Eli Bridge Scrambler, similar to the one that opened up at Coney Island in Cincinatti about two years ago The second big ride addition of the new season is the Loop-O-Plane; this will be Laguna Island's first major thrilling flat ride, so guests with a taste for intensity have more than just the Cyclone to wet their beaks with. The Rotor is the third new ride of this expansion, and like the Loop-O-Plane, will provide a thrilling ride experience that differentiates itself from the LIC. Red Brick Pizza had to be moved to accommodate the new rides…the new restaurant space has been expanded and re-branded, now called "Saul's Pizza" "Parkway Eats" is a simple hut selling snacks. This building houses a candy shop…the wide open land behind it is prime real estate for further expansion should the 1959 season be a success, so this building was built to be easily taken down. The Loop-O-Plane at night and in action is one of the most fascinating sights on the island! A peep's view of the brand new rides. So there you have it…Laguna Island Pleasure Park has finally grown! Hopefully the park sees a successful season, so management can determine that the park is ready for bigger and better expansions in the future! The Rotor's healthy ridership early in the season proves there's definitely a market for more thrilling rides at the park The Loop-O-Plane is also seeing some decent queues for being early on. The Scrambler has yet to attract a huge line…this could easily change in the summer when more families taking vacations to Laguna Lake begin attending the park.

For those complaining about the price and comparing it to other things...what exactly is your guys' end game? Nothing is going to change the amount Hershey is spending on this project. And at the end of the day, it really doesnt affect anybody. Its not like HP is spending OUR money and we can decide if its frivolous or not. Its all on THEIR books, only they know how much it will take to get the project done. And on that note, do we really think HP would willingly waste $14 million of their own money? Plus to top it all off, the thing isnt even open yet...even the accountants at Hershey Park wont know if its money well spent or not yet. Im just confused by the complaints about price. If youre not excited for the addition thats one thing, I get that. But delving into arguments about the cost seems like a waste of time to me...

What, and Dueling Dragons didnt have this? There is no ride that doesnt require loose articles to be stowed, DD included. That doesnt stop accidents from happening...

lol Yeah, Im sorry this line caught me a little off-guard too. I dont want to argue but what makes you say that? For El Toro, theres Maverick; For Nitro, theres Milennium; For Kingda Ka, theres TTD; For Batman theres Raptor...and thats pretty much the main coasters in GAdv's lineup, no? Is there some sort of obvious comparison Im missing that makes CP's lineup inferior?

There's a difference between having the rights to comic book characters to make cut-outs out of, and having the rights to said characters in video game format. That's what Robb was saying. I don't know the specifics of Six Flag's licensing agreement with Warner Bros./DC/whoever, but it's not as simple as saying "hey, we have the rights to a ride called Batman so let's go crazy with the character". The video game incarnation of Batman is a whole different beast, because THAT Batman is not the comic book version or Tim Burton version or whatever that Six Flags already has the rights to. Look at it this way…Peter Pan can be considered public domain, it's a classic story and almost everyone knows the general idea of "Peter Pan". That's why Universal made a movie called "Peter Pan" about the original stories. However, just because Universal made that movie and has the rights to a character called Peter Pan DOES NOT mean that they can make an attraction based off of the animated Disney version, because they're two completely different things, even though they are technically the same character. TL, DR: Six Flags Batman =/= Arkham Asylum Batman. Also, to whoever mentioned shirts, merchandising has very little to do with it. The rights to a theme park attraction are much, much harder to secure than the rights to merchandise. Hell, Wal Mart can sell Batman shirts without an extensive license, just like Universal can sell Star Wars stuff. Merchandising is different because everyone can benefit from it; if Six Flags signs a deal with DC/Warner Bros. to sell their merch, not only is said merchandise getting good exposure by being in Six Flags (benefitting the owner of the IP), it's also helping Six Flags because they obviously receive the profits. A ride, on the other hand, really only benefits the park…while more guests buying DC shirts means more money for DC AND Six Flags, more guests coming in to ride an Arkham City ride really only benefits Six Flags. That's my (admittedly very basic) understanding of it. Obviously there's a lot more that goes into it than that, but to make a long story short, you can't just grab the rights to any IP you want. Different mediums call for different rights.

Wow, inspiration? I don't know if I can handle that I'm flattered that you've shown interest, and I'm happy to show some more… First we'll delve a little bit into "Scary Dark Ride". Guests walk up these steps to an unassuming facade, where they will pay $.50 to ride through a simple haunted house. Two riders seen here getting ready to go! The station is adorned with a mural that suggests a haunted castle sort of vibe. Into the dungeon room! Some skeletal scenery A skeleton pops out of cemetery as a group of riders passes. The ride is full of "jump-scare" gags like this A vampire puppet attempts to scare riders Come on…it's the 1950's The Hall of Vampires This is the show building which houses the Scary Dark Ride, as seen from behind. It is flanked by two stores (the upper end of the picture), "Cyclone Gifts" and "Plaza Shop", a dining establishment (orange roof) called "Seaside Dogs" serving Nathan's Hot Dogs, and of course, the entrance, along with a seating area. The Laguna Cyclone surrounds the rest of it. As you can see it is pretty small and basic, nothing very elaborate. Here's a closer look at the midway…this is the front part, closest to the marina. The brick building is "Guest Services", and the red and white building is an ice cream parlor. (NOTE: Here's where non-CS really starts to hinder things. You'll have to use your imagination on some stuff, as a lot of what I was going for isn't truly possible in the game) This is the back half of the midway, closest to the marina. Here we have (from left to right), "The Pharmacy" (formerly a real prescription pick-up place for employees of Laguna Lake Resort), which sells everything from Aspirin to sunblock, a swimwear store, and restrooms. This is the back half of the midway closest to the beach. From left to right: a pool hall (bear with me lol), a soda fountain, and a toy store. Here you can see the buildings closest to the beach/entrance. From left to right: toy store (again), a candy shop, a hat store, and First Aid. The two buildings in the foreground are restrooms and The Emporium (the larger building) which specializes mainly in apparel. This building at the end of the Main Midway serves as a common space, which can be used for special events should one wealthy guest decide to reserve it. There you have it; a bit of a closer look at The Scary Dark Ride and Midway. Next update will be the 1959 season!

^, ^^Thanks for the feedback guys! @VekomaKid, Im glad you mention handicap accessibility...it will become part of the story eventually

Well, admission at Fun Spot is free so technically everything is an upcharge.

You do know its more than a intamin vs. B&M invisible war that can be the conclusion why el toro "seems" more popular to you... For one...the height requirement for el toro is 48 while batman is 54. More people are ABLE to ride el toro. Not to mention there is a large amount of the park goers who wont ride looping coasters... Also, B&Ms are capacity monsters for the most part. Their lines are testaments to efficiency, not necessarily popularity. Furthermore, I could just as easily say Dominator at KD gets longer lines than I-305, so the point is moot anyway.

1957 was a success for Laguna Lake's newest resort amenity! The average stay at Laguna Lake Hotel increased from 3 days to 4, resulting in a nice little boost in occupancy rate throughout the year. Most importantly, the guests seem happy. 1958 is a quiet year for the park…Laguna Lake is still new at the park business, and are taking a careful approach. Unfortunately, an accident in the beginning of the 1958 season resulted in the injuries of two guests. In the bay area of the island, an incoming boat hit a pair of guests in a rental rowing boat. While the two guests escaped the incident with nothing more than a few scrapes (they were good swimmers and the Laguna Health Services Team was on point!), the park decided to eliminate any chance of further accidents and block off the bay. Now, outside boats can not park at the Laguna Island Pleasure Park Marina, and rental boats are confined to the bay. While this is a minor inconvenience to some, the main marina on the hotel island is still open, and most importantly, the park's guests are safe. Other than the bay barrier, nothing much has changed. A few food stands were added to increase revenues. Let's have a look around. A look toward the park from a for-rent row boat Laguna Island Pleasure Park looks vibrant at night "The Glorious Donut Stand" opened in between the existing "Lusse's Fabulous Auto Scooters" and "Red Brick Pizza" Interestingly enough, not too many people choose enjoying the beach over the attractions…is this the spot for Laguna Island's next development to alleviate crowding? Only time will tell... 1958 wasn't without its hiccups, but a mostly quiet season while Laguna management finds their stride. One thing Management has been paying attention to is the massive popularity of the park…even this basic dark ride is hosting an overflowing queue. A train full of riders get ready to enjoy a great ride on the "Laguna Cyclone"! Notice anything different? A closeup of the man-made barrier around the bay. While it's not natural, it's not the ugliest thing in the world and will prevent any accidents from happening in the future

^I appreciate that, thanks! Your stuff was actually what kinda got me interested in toying around with it again. I look forward to posting more updates.

Its a way to make the coaster seem relevant and worth talking about. Rides close all the time, this particular story needed a reason for existing so they threw that fact in. It makes the ride seem significant and worth talking about to those uninformed about its history. Is it tasteless though? Pretty much.

Hey guys…so I have to admit, I hadn't really been "in" to RCT lately, but seeing some of the stuff you guys have put up really kinda got me interested in playing again. To be honest, RCT has always been a bit of a guilty pleasure for me and a lot of my friends don't know that's what I've been spending some of my free time doing …with that in mind, I'm definitely not the best at it. I don't really devote enough time to playing to make some of the perfect parks you guys do. I also am playing on a Macbook, so my accessibility and ability to download Custom Scenery is limited…therefore, this park is going to use only stuff given by the game. But nevertheless, I wanted to give a crack at trying to make some of the cool parks I've seen on here so here goes nothing…Enjoy, and feel free to leave criticism and feedback! LAGUNA ISLAND PLEASURE PARK So the story goes a little something like this…in the 1930's, a resort was developed on a series of small islands in what's called Laguna Lake, located in its own township of Laguna Lake, Oregon. The resort property consists of four nearby islands in this lake…the first one is home to the resort's main hotel, marina, and beach area. Another one is used for camping and has a Western-themed village and developed campground. The third island is almost completely un-developed, consisting solely of nature trails for guest exploration. The fourth island started out as a small town for employees of the resort to live at and use their free time. However, Laguna Lake operations began eyeing this fourth island as prime real estate for expansion. By the 1957, capitalizing on the success of Disneyland, Laguna Lake opened "Laguna Island Pleasure Park". It was a simple place really…guests would arrive from the campground and main island by ferry, and be dropped off in the former employee shopping center, which would now become the park's main entrance midway. Management added a small amusement park along the side of the bay (which is home to a smaller marina and boat rentals) to keep guests bored with the beach and campground occupied and further their stay on property at the lake. The expansion was simple, with pay-per-ride attractions as follows: a carousel, bumper cars named "Lusse's Fabulous Auto Scooters", a ferris wheel, the aptly-named "Scary Dark Ride" (a small ghost train through a haunted house), and the landmark attraction, "Laguna Cyclone", a good old white-wood woodie. Below are some pictures of the park in its opening year of 1957. There will be more to come along the way. An overview of the newly-named "Laguna Island", with the ferry dock, bay/marina, main midway, and the "Pleasure Park" The ferry dock and entrance building An overview of the main drag. While the main midway consists mostly of stores for guests, it does feature a few commodities left over from the "employee town" days, such as a pharmacy (which is still accessible) A close-up of some of the stores on the main midway. Note the 'backstage' area with the corporate building/employee break room in the back. These are mostly small little toy stores or clothing shops, as well as a 1950's-era soda fountain (the red and black building with the red roof). The weather is in the mid- to high-50's when the park opens in April, so the beach isn't too busy today Nevertheless, there's always a lifeguard on duty in that hut just in case some crazy folks decide to take a dip Here's a more close up view of the marina. Guests who wish to take their own private boats to the pleasure park may do so, but they can't stay overnight. (NOTE: As I do not have access to CS, this is the best I could do for boats…a little suspension of disbelief is needed here lol) Marina close-up This is the Carousel Plaza, the first thing you approach when walking into the Pleasure Park. The entrance to the "Scary Dark Ride" Here's "Colony House", a sit-down restaurant with a great view. The Ferris Wheel The Ferris Wheel is located on the rocky border of the bay Here's the big attraction most people come to the Pleasure Park for…the Laguna Cyclone! It's 1950's station and brake shed "Lusse's Fabulous Auto Scooters" Looking down the first hill of "Laguna Cyclone" Looking down the second hill of "Laguna Cyclone", toward the main drag and bay Laguna Cyclone is a twister layout, this being its first helix. As you can see, I really tried to capture the wonky engineering of old woodies. The banking isn't very smooth or over-engineered. You can really see in the second helix how I tried to capture the old-school feel with a clear lack of smooth or perfect banking. A look down the main drag toward Laguna Lake The bay at night The view from the Ferris Wheel A look down the Main Midway Laguna Pleasure Park from the Rental Boat Dock A train full of riders enjoying "Laguna Cyclone" A look down the Pleasure Park's main drag toward Carousel Plaza Carousel Plaza So that's Laguna Island Pleasure Park, circa 1957.

The latest rumor is that Twister is out in favor of some sort of Jimmy Fallon-based show (there are already talks underway with getting NBC's involvement and an account for the attraction has been set up as far as I know). As for Disaster, I agree its a good show and is not too old yet, but its removal would be based on reliability more than anything. It has had quite a bit of downtime this summer and I believe Universal has been looking for a viable reliable alternative. I wish both of these rides would stay, as they have the old-school feel Universal keeps getting rid of. They also use physical sets and effects which is nice in a park becoming increasingly overrun by 3-D. But thats not the way Universal sees it I guess :/

That's only during the night when it's flipped over to HHN right? I'm planning a quick weekend trip in late September and I want to get some Diagon Alley stuff done in the morning. Yep, it will be open during daylight hours!

With Jimmy Neutron being removed, and replaced with Despicable Me, I'm sure they'll hit up right across the street and either renovate Shrek to a more modern version, or completely gut it and overhaul. Shrek aint goin anywhere anytime soon. It still pulls a solid crowd, sells a decent amount of merchandise, and is still highly marketable. Shrek is on several bilboards promoting Universal, AND takes up a considerable chunk of space on merch bags. Its unpopular for those who have seen it several times, but its still a draw for less-than-frequent visitors. Hell, it cam draw up to 20-30 minute waits when using both of its 350-seat theaters, which is pretty remarkable for a basic 3-D movie. In terms of stuff getting gutted, Twister, KidZone, and possibly even Disaster are out before Shrek.