
OrlandoGuy
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Everything posted by OrlandoGuy
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I also find it interesting, if not just strange. I305 is a great ride, but pretty overrated in my opinion (although to be fair, I think I rode it when the trim brakes were active on the first drop). I mean, it's whole point is ultimate speed and intensity, but you can accomplish the same sensation with a smaller lift hill and tighter turns. The drop was awesome, and I did enjoy its great snappy transitions, but it lacked airtime and big maneuvers to complement its impressive 305-foot height. I'm under the impression that the US isn't ignorant to the popularity of Mega-Lites...they're just too low-capacity to be attractive options to any of the major amusement parks who could probably afford them.
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Ride You Felt Was Unsafe?
OrlandoGuy replied to Mr Stratosphere's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
Theres a ride similar to a Six Flags SkyScreamer at the Wiener Prater...that thing terrified me. Being held by flimsy chains so high up in a country that I presumed had much less safety standards than the sue-happy US made me pretty uneasy. Im sure it was fine though lol -
Rides with Single Rider Lines
OrlandoGuy replied to The49er's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
^neither does TOT at California Adventure Universal Studios Florida: Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit The Mummy Men in Black maybe Gringotts? Islands of Adventure: The Hulk Spiderman Dr Doom Jurassic Park during peak season Forbidden Journey Epcot: Test Track Soarin Holywood Studios: Rock n Rollercoaster Animal Kingdom: Expedition Everest Dinosaur Kali River Rapids/Primevil Whirl maybe? -
Kings Island (KI) Discussion Thread
OrlandoGuy replied to robbalvey's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
^^even the fastest roller coasters look slow from that distance though. I remember the first time I saw Montu from thE BGT parking lot I thought it didnt look like anything special as it went through its morning test run. You could very well be right, but a video from that distance isnt the best indicator of the final product. -
Woman marries ferris wheel.
OrlandoGuy replied to thrillrider's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
But it seems more of them seem to live in Florida than anywhere else.... What is it with your state Hey, I live in Orlando, not Florida. There's a HUGE difference! Quoted for truth. As an Orlando native and a UF grad, I can attest to the fact that Orlando and the rest of Florida are practically 2 different states (UF is located in Gainesville). Orlando is quite possibly the best city in the world. but yeah that lady is batsh*t crazy -
^you bring up some valid points but I can easily fill a full day at Animal Kingdom, and have. While the rides leave something to be desired (well, the number of rides, anyway...I consider the incredibly-immersive Safari, Everest, Dinosaur, and Tough to be a Bug some of the best attractions in all of WDW), the animal trails are incredibly detailed and truly transport you to a different place. The theming is the best Ive seen outside of Tokyo DisneySea...very well-thought out and immersive. Also, Nemo and Festival of the Lion King are phenomenal shows (for theme park standards). I get your complaints, but DAK is actually one of my favorite parks in the world.
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Kings Island (KI) Discussion Thread
OrlandoGuy replied to robbalvey's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
"World's Longest Inverted Coaster!" Do you think the public really identifies with the entire inverted coaster terminology? Do they even know what an inverted coaster is, let alone any other inverts? I for one think a lot of people here don't give the "general public" enough credit, but even if the majority of people don't identify with the term "inverted coaster", that's not really what's important. What' important is the word "longest", and THAT'S what people are going to really be paying attention to. King's Island just had to throw the word "inverted" in there to make their claim legitimate. But people aren't going to care what inverted means, they're just going to be extra excited to be riding the world's longest anything. Not to mention, passerby who don't necessarily have the intention of visiting King's Island will see that they broke some sort of record and realize they're a big-time amusement park maybe worth checking out one day. -
Excluding any Orlando parks (of which Ive probably hit every new ride in recent memory in their debut season)... Intimidator 305 (KD) Ricochet (KD) Cheetah Hunt (BGT) Scream (SFMM) Millennium Force (CP) Maverick (CP) Gatekeeper (CP) Pony Express (KBF) Sierra Sidewinder (KBF) California Screamin, Mullholland Madness (DCA) Non-Coasters: Pretty much everything at California Adventure, no matter what year it opened Star Tours 2.0 (DL)
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Kings Island (KI) Discussion Thread
OrlandoGuy replied to robbalvey's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
If you're sure this has been asked, then why are you asking? Wouldn't it make more sense to go back through the thread and find where the answer might be? It certainly would reduce the time you waited for an answer from people who might be annoyed and ignore this inquiry entirely..... You could have reduced a lot of time by just answering the question... It will be crowded on Easter weekend, yes. At least thats what Ive found in my experience. Fast Lane Plus should be your friend. -
The Rumor / Crazy Idea Superthread
OrlandoGuy replied to Wes's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
From what I understand, thats a lot like what the Gringotts ride at Universal is going to be like. -
Why Does Everybody Hate on Six Flags?
OrlandoGuy replied to eltororider's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
Again, it doesn't count if they're the same ride or almost the same ride, in that case why shouldn't they have the same name? I don't believe any ride was named Flight Deck when it opened. Still have yet to hear an example as gratuitous as that lovely unique coaster in Illinois being named Goliath. No this is not that big a deal, but no one can tell me any other chain has anywhere near as many awful examples when it comes to naming major attractions (Boo Blasters is not a major attraction). Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom. Why drop of doom? Because their other big drop ride across the country is Drop of Doom, and it might sell more T shirts. Weak. Dude, they only fit anywhere because SF makes them fit anywhere. Does it make any sense to have a DC themed ride out past the mine ride, across the park from all the other DC theming (Bizarro)? No, of course not. SF doesn't give a crap about what makes sense or gives a park a sense of order and flow. They just jam their shitty DC crap in wherever they want because it sells T shirts. My question is... What is worse reusing Goliath for every "marquee roller coaster even if they are not the same" or copying the same rides in multiple parks? (Like Disney does with "Magic Kingdom" style parks and a lot of their rides) One thing you can't say about Six Flags is that each one of their parks isn't different. (for better or worse.) Magic Kingdom, Disneyland, etc are true destinations. People often save up for their entire lives to take a vacation there. Having marquee attractions be cloned between coasts is a benefit to the vacationers who want their trip to Disney but can only afford to make it to one coast in their lifetime. Six Flags is just a regional theme park to give people something to do in the summer...not even in the same league as Disney. Cloning rides at Disney is a benefit to the consumer. While you could argue the same about Six Flags, Boomerang isnt an icon in the same way Pirates of the Caribbean is...so its not like them cloning Boomerangs everywhere is actually giving guests from both coasts some amazing opportunity to ride an amazing attraction...its just them being lazy and cheap to boost their coaster count. -
Why Does Everybody Hate on Six Flags?
OrlandoGuy replied to eltororider's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
^Medusa, Superman Ultimate Flight, Green Lantern: First Flight, Bizzarro, etc. I agree with you that there are definitely cool names for some Six Flags rides, and Cedar Fair can get sloppy as well. I guess the difference between the two is consistency. If Titan at SFOT was called Goliath, it would make more sense than the new SFGAm ride to be called Goliath. But yes, I totally agree Flight Deck is an awful name lolol -
Why Does Everybody Hate on Six Flags?
OrlandoGuy replied to eltororider's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
like someone has already pointed out, theres a difference between naming two indoor roller coasters themed to space flight "Space Mountain" and having a massive wooden roller coaster and Giant Inverted Boomerang share the name "Goliath". While the other chains have SIMILAR rides share names as a way of being indentifiable to people going to different sets of parks, Six Flags has completely unrelated rides share names due to lack of creativity. To me thats not the biggest deal in the world, but it goes to show how much Six Flags actually cares about making a unique amusement park experience which is evidently very little. -
Honestly, the worst Ive been to is Six Flags Magic Mountain. I dont go to fairs and havent been to Six Flags America so that truly is my worst park experience. I just remember little to no landscaping, lots of concrete, poor operations, an unsavory crowd, and just an overall unpleasant atmosphere. I will say, I have been to the Wiener Prater, which is sort of like a fair in that its just a bunch of portable rides, but I found that to be a lot more enjoyable and aesthetically pleasing than SFMM.
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Why Does Everybody Hate on Six Flags?
OrlandoGuy replied to eltororider's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
I didn't blame the kids. I too worked a service job for many years starting when I was 14. I said that Six Flags has no excuses for it and instilling a good culture for customer service would go a long way. I think this issue is the "easiest" for them to fix. Oh, I see...your "good culture" comment threw me, I thought you were making some statement about the culture of the US or some big social statement like that lololol. But yeah, it really isnt hard for Six Flags to just instill better service policies. It wouldnt even require more training, just a little more discipline and maybe even a rewards program. -
Why Does Everybody Hate on Six Flags?
OrlandoGuy replied to eltororider's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
^about the high-schoolers/college kids working at Six Flags...Disney and Universal also hire young people to work for them and they dont have the same problems. In fact, my first job was at Universal Studios and you better believe I worked my butt off to give guests the best time possible...and I was 16. Dont place the blame on how much a high-school/college kid is capable of learning, blame it on the company not teaching it to them. -
Why Does Everybody Hate on Six Flags?
OrlandoGuy replied to eltororider's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
^what they meant was one coaster is named Intimidator 305 (KD) and the other one is just Intimidator (Carowinds)...Intimidator at Carowinds is not 305 feet tall so that wouldnt make much sense now would it? -
Why Does Everybody Hate on Six Flags?
OrlandoGuy replied to eltororider's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
^yeah, I was definitely in agreement with you when I posted, I thought you put it well! Also, as annoying as Disney gift shops may seem, theyre not only always themed well, but they also move a lot of merch...theres definitely an audience for them, in fact shopping is part of the draw for some people. Most people are more inclined to buy souvenirs from a world class theme park that a vacation to can take years to save up fr vs a regional theme park with generic T-shirts about a basic steel roller coaster most of the GP doesnt care about. -
Why Does Everybody Hate on Six Flags?
OrlandoGuy replied to eltororider's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
The advertising in Disney is aesthetically pleasing and sometimes adds to the theming of the park. A bilboard for Coke in the middle of a huge concrete slab is different from a small sign integrated into the environment saying a certain ride has a sponsor. At Six Flags, the ads are garish and stand out...at Disney parks any ads do not stand out or define the experience. The comparison is so off-base Im actually wondering if those making the comparison have even been to both parks. -
Cedar Point (CP) Discussion Thread
OrlandoGuy replied to robbalvey's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
Did you not know about the $25 million dollar big blue coaster that you walk under at Cedar Point? Gatekeeper? Plus Raptor, Magnum, Millennium, Wicked Twister, Corkscrew and Mean Streak lolololol -
Billboards everywhere =/= marketing it well. A good marketing plan would have meant better pricing, promotions, etc. What you described is spot on as to why the park failed...but that still all has to do with its marketing--it wasnt marketed well at all. I think the real problem was the branding. While in theory it may have seemed like a good idea to use the Hard Rock name, it isnt associated with the theme park industry well enough to automatically draw people in like the park presumed it would. I think the actual theme was actually quite good--everyone listens to music, its one of the few universally-recognized forms of media. Even if classic rock isnt the most widespread genre, not many people would skip a world-class theme park because they werent familiar with the *specific* thematic material. But using the name "Hard Rock" brought about images of loud restaurants open late in large metropolitan nightlife areas...a space that targets the 180-degree opposite of the main theme park target audience. I think had Universal or Disney, or anyone with a proven track record in the theme park business, had made a music-themed park, it wouldve been successful. But Hard Rock was too narrow and Freestyle is an unknown name. Therefore, RIP.
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Three closest parks near you
OrlandoGuy replied to mike541x's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
Universal Studios Florida/Islands of Adventure: <10 minutes SeaWorld Orlando: 10 minutes Walt Disney World: about 15 minutes to any of the 4 parks -
^thats really disappointing to hear about Gwazi :/ I know Ill get a lot of flack for this, but it really is my favorite wood coaster (though I admittedly havent been on very many). Even if that werent the case though, Ill still miss it since it seems to be on its way out--it served as nice change of pace from the steel loopers the park is otherwise dominated by.
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Favorite Dark Ride
OrlandoGuy replied to pgathriller's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
To me, Indiana Jones at Disneyland is the best dark ride in the world. Most dark rides require a lot of suspension of disbelief...whether it be you can see the ride showbuilding, or the storylines jump the shark to become theme park-attraction friendly, or the presence of the ride operators doesnt make sense. In Indiana Jones, everything clicks perfectly...the backstory is set up beautifully. Everything from the queue line, safety video, and ride operators ADD to the story rather than contradict it (in Spiderman, for example, its kind of odd that theres a queue line running through the Daily Bugle...on Indy, the queue line is a means of getting into the temple that Indiana Jones has set up specifically for the riders. In Harry Potter, its odd that students at Hogwarts become ride attendants for our "forbidden journey"...But on Indy, everyone operating the attraction are part of Indy's team to help journey into the temple). Also, the actual ride portion follows the story perfectly--the vehicles are period-appropriate, the chain of events that happen are caused by the riders rather than be contrived coincidences (looking into an idol's eye, for instance, is a better plot device than Doc Ock is taking over the world and for some reason we are in Daily Bugle Scoop vehicles). Everything just clicks. And the ride itself is a ton of fun, with unprecedented physical sets, live effects, and fun/dynamic motion. I consider it the perfect theme park dark ride.