
OrlandoGuy
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Cedar Point (CP) Discussion Thread
OrlandoGuy replied to robbalvey's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
Last time I rode was in 2013 and I agree it's definitely aging on the poorer side. It's still my number 1 though. I have yet to experience airtime that relentless on any ride anywhere. It has the most beautiful setting of any roller coaster I have been on. It doesn't rely on any gimmicks. It's long. It has tunnels. And the nerd in me likes its historical value. Plus, the lines are never unreasonable. I think I could go to Cedar Point and ride nothing but Magnum all day and still leave satisfied. -
I just don't understand why super intensity=excellent/great ride. It doesn't rip your face off but that doesn't change the fact that it has a unique (and long!!) layout, a very scenic course and a couple of unique features. Also, I don't understand what straightaway sections are being referred to…I only remember the launch tracks being straight. The rest of the layout has several hills and S-curves.
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How anyone could be disappointed in Cheetah Hunt is beyond me. In a park with Kumba and Montu did Cheetah Hunt really need to be Maverick-level intense? I mean, that's what people who call it forceless must have been expecting because when judging it on its own merits it actually has quite a few good forces and even airtime. Forceless or not, it's long, has three launches, a great scenic course, and most of all it's fun. Sorry, I just can't see any merit in complaints about Cheetah Hunt.
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Go on a day that's either threatening rain, is raining, or has just had a storm pass through. People clear out in the rain. I've been three times in July and all three times it was less crowded than the times I have been in the dry month of January. If you can't go on a day like this, just get there early and ride Cheetah Hunt first. Chances are it will rain at some point during the day even if its just a small passing storm so wait it out until then and enjoy a cleared-out park afterwards.
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Six Flags question
OrlandoGuy replied to grsupercity's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
In fairness, Six Flags has the #1 rated wood coaster in the world, and more steel coasters in the top 20 then Cedar Fair. So I'm not sure how true your assertion is. Yes, I was more speaking to the current management than the ones that installed the likes of El Toro, Bizarro, etc. Im not saying that their RMC makeovers aren't fantastic, but they are cheap(er). Maybe "quantity over quality" was the wrong phrase to use, but it is true that gigas are significant investments that aren't feasible if you promise each park a new attraction each season. -
Six Flags question
OrlandoGuy replied to grsupercity's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
Six Flags is about quantity over quality. Their strategy is to rely less on overall park experience and instead attract people in season after season with new additions to their parks each year. Of course, with them having so many parks this is an expensive initiative and so instead of two or three big investments per year, you get one small- to mid-range investment in each park. Even when they do build big rides (Goliath for example), they are built to be very short...a giga just wouldn't do well at Six Flags unless they abandoned the policy they have going and focused on one park per year to majorly invest in, and rely on good service and park experience to keep guests coming back rather than marketable new additions each year. -
I apologize, OP, as I posted my post AFTER another one by you and Robb that I didn't see. Obviously I would take his advice over mine. Like I said, use people's advice only as guidelines. I just wanted to show you what I have done to give you a better idea of what a typical day may look like at different times. The most imporant thing you can do is to look at what you and your family's top priorities are and plan ahead from there. This will be the most effective way to maximize your short time there.
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Definitely try to figure out the FP+ situation. However, I have done multiple parks in one day WITHOUT FP+, and it works pretty well, even in mid-summer at the resort's busiest. Granted, Ive only done this with my girlfriend and we're both quick and only focus on the big rides. That being said, here's my gameplan... -start out at Animal Kingdom at opening. Go straight to the Safari. Afterward, hit Everest (if the line is longer than 30 minutes use single riders). After Everest, go to Dinosaur. Those are the big 3 rides there, and you can hit them all within an hour if you get there at opening. If you want to see animals, do that after the rides. Its Tough to be a Bug is a great 3-D show too if that floats your boat. -head over to Hollywood Studios. If you have FP+ I would strongly consider using it for this park to get on Toy Story or Rock n Roller Coaster. If you don't, you'll probably have to skip Toy Story, as the line will be huge by then. No matter, go to Rock n Roller Coaster and use their single rider line. Tower of Terror should be next, and the wait should be manageable. Then hit Star Tours which should be a very low wait. I also HIGHLY recommend the Great Movie Ride, the best traditional dark ride Disney has ever made IMO. Hollywood Studios also has some of the best dining options ('50's Prime Time Cafe and Sci-Fi Dine-In) so if you want a sit-down lunch, do it here...make reservations now though!!! -next is Epcot...this one is tricky. Soarin' is one we usually have to skip due to insane lines. Test Track in the single rider line is usually pretty do-able however. Also, don't miss Spaceship Earth. The rest of the park, for me, is up in the air. I LOVE Epcot, but when Im trying to fit in as many rides as possible in one day, Epcot should be where you spend the least amount of time. It's a great park to explore, sometimes you can spend 2 days at Epcot alone. I would do a little research and see if theres anything you really want to see here and budget time for it...my personal recommendation is American Adventure, a FANTASTIC show. Also, if you skip a big meal at DHS, you could have a fancy dinner at one of the pavilions in Epcot and you shouldnt be disappointed. Again, RESERVE NOW! -Magic Kingdom is open the latest and therefore usually our last stop. It will be crowded when you get there but wait it out, as crowds tend to die down after the fireworks. Do the people-eaters first, as they have short lines no matter what the crowds are--these would be Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Small World, the Peoplemover, and to a lesser extent, Buzz Lightyear. Big Thunder Mountain should have a manageable wait by the time the fireworks roll around. Jungle Cruise at night is also worth checking out. I have not been since 7 Dwarves opened so I cant comment on that, unfortunately--however, the other Fantasyland rides (besides Peter Pan) should have reasonable waits after the fireworks (and they will be closed right before/during the show). Do Space Mountain last--in my experience it always has a long line, so might as well wait for it when the park is about to close so you don't waste time you could have spent riding other rides. Remember that if the posted wait is 45 mins and the park closes in 5 minutes, they will NOT kick you out of line, so take advantage of this. A few things... 1. Im assuming that you wont care to ride water rides in December so I left out Kali River Rapids at AK and Splash Mountain at MK...hopefully this fits in with your expectations. 2. Im assuming that Mickeys Very Merry Christmas Party does not fall on the day you are going...if it does, this particular plan doesnt work and your day got a whole lot harder. 3. With FP+, I believe you are still limited to getting FP's to only one park per day. So if you have access to it, try to get times that are close together (so you aren't wasting time in one park or backtracking) and get them strategically based on where you plan to be at a certain point in the day. 4. In my plan, I drive to each park in my own car...if you will not have a car, take the bus to AK, then from AK to HS. From HS, take the boat to Epcot. From Epcot, take the monorail to MK. However, a car is preferrable and you only have to pay for parking once. 5. Again, this plan is ideal for hitting the "big" rides only, and your experiences may be VERY different from mine. I cant emphasize enough to make your own plan using everyone else's info and recommendations as guidelines. Book dining reservations as early as possible and look up showtimes ahead of time, and try to come up with at least a basic outline of your day. It will help a lot. Hopefully I helped you at least a little bit. If you have any other questions, definitely ask, as a lot of people here have the parks down to a science. Whatever you end up doing, you will have a great time
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^you can most definitely do both parks in one day in January. Just get there at park opening and start out at Diagon Alley in Universal Studios. You will have enough time to do your priorities and then some. If youre only gonna be in Orlando once in the next few years, I'd say it's worth it to go all out and do both parks.
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Cedar Point (CP) Discussion Thread
OrlandoGuy replied to robbalvey's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
Awesome video of my favorite roller coaster, thanks for sharing! -
Couldn't agree more (even though I was never a tour guide). I loved this ride more than anyone, my favorite Disney dark ride of all time. It's extremely nostalgic. BUT, even I recognize that it needs an update (even though its old quirkiness was part of the charm). Im happy to see it get the attention it needs, and I could not be happier with the TCM pairing...when I first heard of this I thought it would be updated with current Disney movies and kill the original spirit of the ride. But TCM is a perfect fit.
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Well, it kind of is if it's not in 100% of the surveys. Each survey had a few "joke" options so that if the people filling out the survey didn't care for the shows that Universal really was considering, then those shows wouldn't get a vote, rather than get a vote that means "ah what the hell it's the best of a bad situation". I dont know if that makes sense....but essentially an option like "Sharknado" is there just so people who actually want a Sharknado show (God bless em) don't end up falsely upping the votes for a serious contender.
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SoCal Trip Indecision
OrlandoGuy replied to aCoasterStory's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
Im gonna go ahead and advise you to rule out Disneyland. 1 day isn't enough to fully appreciate the experience, which it sounds like you're considering. Even more important is that the 20th is considered "peak season"...Im assuming the 19th will also be very crowded there. Save your Disney trip for when you have more time or will be there at a slower period. My choice would be your "outside the box" option. It sounds like you'll be at Magic Mountain within the next year anyway, so take this time to explore the area and do something different. Irvine is a great area and there are several smaller attractions nearby that can occupy you for a weekend. California has too much variety to limit all your trips there to only roller coasters...just my two cents. Whatever you choose to do, have fun! -
Holiday World (HW) Discussion Thread
OrlandoGuy replied to robbalvey's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
The difference between a merry-go-round and a carousel is that a merry-go-round spins clockwise and a carousel spins counter-clockwise. Maybe carousel elements are helices that spin in a counter-clockwise direction? -
Skyplex Orlando Discussion Thread
OrlandoGuy replied to robbalvey's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
^the difference between this and some gimmicky beach town attraction is that the market going to a beach destination is not the same as the market going to Orlando. People go to Orlando to ride rides (well, and shop, but this complex has that covered as well). The expectation going there is that there will be thrill rides. The PollerCoaster is taking that market but instead of oversaturating it, filling a gap (a high-thrill extreme coaster) that was previously there. If theres one thing to doubt I dont believe its the financial stability of it, but rather how it will get funded if at all. -
Skyplex Orlando Discussion Thread
OrlandoGuy replied to robbalvey's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
I knew it was only a matter of time before someone started complaining about this... The amount of people riding will be too small for the capacity being low to really make a difference. It's not going in Universal, it's going to be on the side of I Drive. They could even book reservations for it (kinda like Fastpass). Either way, pay-per-ride experiences don't typically attract the long lines that major attractions in pay-one-price theme parks do. EDIT: I can see lines getting long if they do not implement some sort of "come-back-later" ticket system. BUT, with it presumably being an all-day attraction and the fact that it will probably draw from a sizeable local market who will avoid it it until the tourists are gone, I think it's safe to say that capacity won't be a HUGE issue. It's not like a ride in a theme park, where you have to go on it the one day your admission is valid only. -
Skyplex Orlando Discussion Thread
OrlandoGuy replied to robbalvey's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
Me neither. Although the article and POV give me hope...that's more than we ever got with Orlando Thrill Park (which is comparable in my opinion), so I have a tiny bit more hope but still a big grain of salt . -
Worst Coaster Ever?
OrlandoGuy replied to Mind Eraser's topic in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
I've never ridden a Volare. Are they really as bad as people make them out to be? No. Pretty much no ride superfans complain so much about are as bad as they make them out to be. It's still baffling to me how self-declared roller coaster fans can be so whiny. Volares are unique and the one that I have been on (Wiener Prater) was a fun little ride. The charm is in the quirkiness of it all. No, it's not the smoothest ride on the planet and so for some with 0 tolerance for any discomfort I guess it would be terrible but overall I think they are nifty little rides that give a fun gliding sensation.