OrlandoGuy

No I definitely don't follow them at all lol. But I know the regulars like Europa, Heide, Liesberg, Walibi, Holiday Park, etc...I dont know why this one slipped through the cracks. I'll check the YouTube channel out, Im especially interested in the Dream Flight ride. Here's a few videos for you! Thanks for those! The dark rides look...interesting, to say the least. But the sets are detailed and a park that uses original music is good by me. To my original question...doesn't quite look Disney-level quality. But still, I'm gonna start keeping an eye on this place.

No I definitely don't follow them at all lol. But I know the regulars like Europa, Heide, Liesberg, Walibi, Holiday Park, etc...I dont know why this one slipped through the cracks. I'll check the YouTube channel out, Im especially interested in the Dream Flight ride.

I probably would have never clicked on this thread but its recent blowing up picqued my interest lol. Reading past the last few pages, I got to be very interest in this place! I started reading up on it and it looks absolutely beautiful and well-themed. To those who know more about this place than me...what is this park like compared to, say, Disneyland? From what I can tell it's got some Disney-level dark rides and theming but I dont have much basis besides a couple online reviews and pictures? What do you guys think, and why dont we hear more about this place?

Depends on how big this full size water park turns out to be when the attractions are actually announced. Having a really cool lazy river would be nice. You know who would have one for free? Cabana Bay, and regardless of which UO resort I stay at, I can use it. Maybe they kill pool hopping to encourage use of the water park. They might do that! And my excitement for a new water park if I end up with both A) no poolhopping B) no more Wet N'Wild is gonna be super low. I say this as a guest who has favored Uni over Disney in recently years as my Orlando amusement resort of choice. I would love for it to stay open, and until I hear it is closing I'm just going to hope it doesn't. I dont get it...are you trying to say that everyone who goes to waterparks doesn't have access to a regular pool? I fail to see how someone staying at Cabana Bay (or has access to Cabana Bay's lazy river) is going to pass up on going to a full-fledged, highly-themed water park with several large-scale slide attractions and a freakin volcano at the centerpiece because there's a free lazy river at Cabana Bay. I mean, can you honestly say that the rides at Wet N Wild or Blizzard Beach are comparable to the dinky slides in the Universal resort pools..?

Another great update! I'm glad you mentioned operations at Busch Gardens seeming slow...I went a few weeks ago and noticed the same thing but didn't think to mention it since I'm so used to Disney and Universal that I thought I might have just been spoiled. Good to see someone with more regional park experience thought the same thing though. Also didn't even realize that they were doing on-ride photos for Falcons Fury, much less in such an unconventional way. Very cool...can't wait for your next update!

A Universal waterpark will incentivize guests in the Universal hotels to stay an extra day and be an added perk for locals to buy/renew their Universal annual passes.

Great report! As a fellow non-HP fan, I couldn't agree more with your opinion that it's not much more than "fancy theming" and not too accessible for the non-fanboy crowd. But say that to a Universal fanboy (they're pretty intense) and they'll rip you to shreds I also agree that Universal is heavy on simulators and the rest of the park would do well to be as well-maintained as the Potter areas. However, Kong is supposed to be a much more traditional dark ride, and I think we'll see the park getting to be in better shape soon!

I've worked both front line and corporate (internship) at a major theme park company. I'd say the answer to your question completely depends on your definition of the "magic". I think that by working a front-line job, what happens is you get sick of the place you love...you begin associating your "fun" place with working. That's not necessarily bad if you enjoy your front-line job. I hated one of them (food service) and loved the other one (merchandise). Therefore, on my off time a lot of the enjoyment was taken out of walking through the park in the location I worked in for food, but walking through where I worked at for merch is actually more fun since I know and love the employees there. At corporate, it's much different. You're not working IN the park so when you're riding rides in your free time you dont necessarily start dreading your next shift by doing so. But, you start looking at the parks very differently. You're looking at it not just as a business but as YOUR business. You know there's a reason for everything in the park. You see the budget cuts. You know the big picture problems. You also see the big-picture successes, which can ruin the surprise of future developments. All in all, I loved working both merch and corporate, and I still love visiting the park in my free time. But it's a much different type of enjoyment, and this varies further based on your position.

^yeah, that's true...hadn't really looked at it that way honestly. I will say that no matter who's building it, I will always trust Busch Gardens to come up with a superior product. That much we can all be sure of.

Yep, I said Busch Gardens and Intamin will never work together again... Unexpected delays and mechanical issues cost money, not only because those things are costly in themselves but because delays mean holding off on earning revenue. I think it's reasonable to assume Busch Gardens would, despite their current standing with Intamin (be it good or bad or whatever), want to go with a "safer" install for their next big project.

After the problems Busch had with Cheetah Hunt and especially Falcons Fury, I doubt the relationship between SeaWorld/Busch and Intamin is that great..

I'm all for roller coasters but Busch Gardens is lacking variety. I really wouldn't mind seeing a couple flat rides rather than a new roller coaster just for the sake of shaking things up a little bit.

I'm working on making a small Industrial Revolution-era town part to this park, but in the meantime here's a little closer look at the main entrance. The entrance promenade area music: Again, since this is non-CS I have a lot of limitations. But still, the main reason I'm showing this off is so people can critique it and offer some suggestions. So if something looks off or should be different, let me know! I'd appreciate it. Anyway, here you go... Independence Square. All guests entering American Adventure will be treated to this view. Independence Square serves as the "Main Street USA" or "Port of Entry" of this park. It is themed to a colonial-era town right after the Revolutionary War. Adams Bros. Trading Company is the park's main gift shop. In this building is a show. In theory it would be like the American Adventure show at Epcot. But in Roller Coaster Tycoon, it's a circus in a building lol. The building is inspired by Independence Hall. There is a harbor area in Independence Square. Guests can have a drink here on the water and be immersed in a Boston-inspired bay area. The main drag breaks off into this plaza-type space. If this was a real park I would put a museum devoted to Revolutionary War relics in that building at the end…but this is still Roller Coaster Tycoon A quick-service restaurant is housed in this building here The shop on the end is meant to resemble an old blacksmith's shop. Next to it on the right is a bar called "The Publick Sphere", where guests can have a drink in a social setting. On the side of the harbor are a few buildings. These are actually facades, behind which is a sit-down restaurant called Liberty Tavern. A few more shops along the main drag all sporting architecture reminiscent of the colonial period. And here's a final overview of the entire area. Thanks for reading!

Hey guys, So a few weeks ago I got really sick and decided to build a theme park with all my free time. When the semester started back up again and I got over it, obviously I slowed down on it but I've been tinkering with it whenever I have downtime and decided to post a little bit of it to see what you guys think so far (since you're all the experts). A couple things… 1. It's not finished…I have a general idea of how I'm going to round it out but I just haven't gotten there yet. So there's obviously dead space. And even in the parts that I've worked on, not everything is perfect yet. I still have things I wanna play around with and move around. 2. There is no custom scenery in this park. I can't figure out how to download it and don't really want to out of fear that it'll slow my computer down with unnecessary space. So you have to be a little forgiving on some things. 3. The park is themed to American history…each themed area represents a significant era in history. I was inspired somewhat by the Disney's America concept, and so I kind of envision this as a Disney park for a new resort, potentially in the midwest. For that reason, there are some attractions that have Disney names attached to them. But, since this is Roller Coaster Tycoon and since I don't have Custom Scenery, the only similarities are in name. 4. I'm only posting an overview of the park for now, but if there's interest I'll post more in-depth stuff about each area and all the rides/restaurants/etc. I'll also be sure to include the progress on the next expansions. 5. Any history buffs or Roller Coaster Tycoon experts, feel free to leave some criticisms! Anyway, without further ado, here's a peek… An overview of "American Adventure"…don't mind the big empty plot of land in the upper right--it'll be expanded on soon enough. Another bird's eye view of American Adventure The first themed land serves as the park's main entrance…it is a late 1700s-era American colony, fresh off of the Revolutionary War. Note the harbor in the upper left, a visual reminder of the Boston Tea Party. The 'weenie' at the end of the street is made to slightly resemble Independence Hall The next land is a Civil War-era town. There are battle demonstrations going on and a Civil War Fort for guests to explore. This area represents New Orleans in the Roaring 20's. Opulence and Prohibition are a theme for the shops and attractions here. This area is Midwest Plains and is divided into three subsections; the top of the picture shows Victory Airfields, and is made up of a runway through which guests can walk in this 1940's aviation-inspired area. On the right is a continuation of Victory Airfields, only instead of a runway it's made to resemble a small WWII-era town in the midwest. The top left of the picture is Family Farm, and is just that--you can see the barn and crop-dusters amid the rows of crops. The left is Dust Bowl, a Depression-era walk-through that uses mist to simulate dust and raggedy buildings to reflect on the poor state of the country during that time. This area represents the 1880's and the period of the Wild West. This land isn't quite finished yet…as of now it is made up of a boomtown at the base of a gold-filled mountain. I hope to soon add on walkways that are completely surrounded by trees to represent the wilderness of the West. And finally we have a 1900's era exposition, marked by its carefully-manicured gardens and large structures and open spaces. There are old-school amusement rides here and an Exposition Hall at the end of the lawn showcasing exciting new technologies of the time.

Not at all. I've simply had a different experience than you...was not meant to be argumentative or disagreeable at all. I didn't mean to offend you by offering anecdotal advice.

Unless there's rain in the forecast. Some of the emptiest days I've ever experienced in any amusement park have been at Busch Gardens on overcast days in the middle of the summer.

World of Color. More entertaining than most shows anywhere, theme park-related or not. It's awesome.

Made a last minute decision to go ride Gwazi for the last time since I don't have class on Thursday and there was literally nothing else to do. Overall I had a good time but I dont know how some of you guys go to the parks regularly alone. This was my first solo trip to a park and I hated not having someone with me. Luckily I rode everything in about 2 1/2 hours so it wasn't a huge issue. A couple things... -Im sorry for ever defending Gwazi. I used to think it was criticized way too harshly. I used to like it. Then I rode today and oh my God was it terrible. The last time I rode was roughly a year ago with a full train, today the train was almost empty so I dont know if that had something to do with it or if they just let it rot over the last 12 months. Either way, wow, Im glad I got to ride one last time so I won't miss it. -Rode Falcon's Fury for the first time and wow, what a great sensation that gives you! I was terrified at first to be honest but that free fall is great. Can't wait to go on this again, I recommend anyone who's intimidated by this to give it a whirl because it's unlike any other ride out there. -Sheikra is surprisingly bumpy. That was disappointing, but those drops from the back row more than make up for it. Kumba and Montu are still smooth as ever thankfully (and I got a particularly forceful ride on Montu today, the batwing nearly ripped my legs off). -It's awesome being able to take a spur-of-the-moment trip to ride some of the best B&M's AND Intamin's latest big thing in January of all months. It was less than two hours from campus and well worth the trip.

^Couple things. 1. if youre gonna spend all of day 2 at Epcot, cant you just see Illuminations then? It seems like a hassle to park at Epcot and bus to MK on day 1. 2. what times are your AK FP+'s for? It's hard to determine how they'll fit with your schedule if you're parkhopping. I would try to get them for Hollywood Studios instead, since the lines at AK shouldn't be bad right at opening (so long as you go Safari, then Everest, then Dinosaur).

Dragster required moving a couple flat rides. Maverick replaced the log flume. Gatekeeper replaced Disaster Transport. The other rides you listed have considerably small footprints. The point being that all of these additions required moving around/demolising some things. Nobody is saying that Cedar Point will never get new big rides ever again...but there aren't vast expanses of land for them to do so. All these big additions require removals and re-arrangements, pretty much the definition of being low on space. This dive coaster, if it actually comes to fruition, will come at the cost of a big theater and possibly the car ride. Cedar Point isn't stuck with it's current lineup forever, but space IS tight and they DO have to be creative when squeezing in new rides. So, again, nobody is arguing that new rides aren't possible. But Cedar Point does not have a ton of room like it is being implied here.

LOL maybe freak is in your username for a reason. Yes, I've been to Cedar Point. A dozen or so times. Which is why I think what some of you "seasoned visitors" are saying is ridiculous. Those that visit regularly should know this. Honestly Cedar Point is probably one of the biggest parks I've ever been to around the globe. Haven't checked but I'd say it's bigger than Magic Mountain. It takes FOREVER to walk from Mean Streak to the front of the park. OMG!? What are they gonna do?! The park is on a peninsula! And surrounded by a lake!!! BUT it's on a freakin' huge peninsula. The park is not going to run out of room for roller coasters within the decade. They're not gonna run out of room in the next 2 decades. The parking lot is big enough to park cars on the busiest day. The land is big enough to put coasters anywhere. I think the higher ups at Cedar Fair will figure it out as time goes by if it even ever gets to that point. They're not dumb. I can't decide if you guys don't understand the actual logistics of theme parks or just like to go extreme and speculate about what will happen in 1000 years when we're not even around. Where if it's the latter, fine. Have fun speculating. I've got no problem with that. But it's not like the park will implode with coaster overabundance and visitor capacity in the next 20 years, will not be able to exist, and nobody who manages the place will know what to do. Sorry to burst any bubbles, but --actually, no--- I'm not sorry to burst any bubbles. I'm sick of hearing these "going to run out of room" discussions that are delirious. Actually, I'm sorry to burst your bubble but you're pretty wrong. Roller coasters can't just get plopped down wherever there's a space without a roller coaster. A lot of the dead space I think you're referring to is necessary infrastructure. The whole Northeast corner may be roller coaster-free but it's got hotel rooms, service roads, backstage facilities, the campground, etc. that shouldn't really be touched. Think back to the last time Cedar Point added a major roller coaster without removing or at least relocating another ride. They aren't doing that for fun buddy. It's because they'rs tighter on space than you think.

^sounds like a logistical nightmare. Granted, Magic Kingdom shuttles people to their park BUT they do so with a high-capacity monorail, ferry, and that doesn't include the resort buses and boats. Little shuttles shuffling along the Causeway would be a huge pain for thousands of people every day.

If I were you, I'd park at Magic Kingdom rather than Epcot, then go from AK to Epcot via bus and finish up at Magic Kingdom by taking the monorail there from Epcot. MK is open later, you don't want to be bound by Epcot's closing times there. But I personally wouldn't rule out just driving from park to park yourself. It's generally faster and you only have to pay for parking once per day if that was an issue.

My personal take on it is because when the park opened up is was supposed to be a lot more grounded in reality than most other theme parks at the time. When it opened it was an actual working movie studio, and the theming was pretty much entirely sound stages and "back lots" and stuff like that. None of the rides had any fantasy element to them (no Tower of Terror, Star Tours, Toy Story, etc at the time). The best icon they could do for that sort of theme was the water tower--something true to a real movie studio but also distinctly Disney. The Chinese Theater was never the *official* icon as far as I can tell but it definitely made the most sense to be at the head of the park because that main strip in the front was really the only themed area at the time and had that Golden Age of Hollywood vibe to it. What better centerpiece to what was supposed to be a realistic LA street than a real LA landmark? It worked for what it was at the time. Now, though, the park has expanded to be a much more traditional Disney park, so people expect a more traditional park icon. That's why the hat was such a popular photo op I guess--a lot more "theme parky". Either way, no matter what your opinion on the hat is/was, it really did create scale issues and made the entrance to the greatest Disney dark ride (IMO) kind of hidden. I'm glad it's going.

They must have some sort of agreement. Barenaked Ladies have 2 songs that play in the San Francisco music loop, a song in the Christmas music loop, and, like you said, several appearances at Mardi Gras. That's more consistency with park projects than any other artist. Maybe they're just very agreeable, but yeah it definitely seems like Universal and the Ladies have some sort of deal.