OrlandoGuy

In the Rougarou POV, the video skips a good portion of the lift hill. Look closely and you'll see theres a bit of a fade and transition from the bottom of the lift to close to the top...Im guessing thats why theres such a variation in the lengths of each video.

Awesome pictures! I havent been to either Great America but from what I can tell, CGA is the much nicer of the two (albeit with a much less impressive coaster lineup). Is this the general consensus with most people?

I couldnt agree with you more about Indiana Jones. I have always regarded it as THE best theme park ride in history. I could (and have) go on and on and on about how great it is as well. Looks like a great trip! Im jealous of the crowd levels. Thanks for sharing!

ahhhhhh how did I forget Magnum? Although to be fair, that was like 30 years ago. I still think that Cedar Fair has enough rides without numbers in the name though.

Frankly, I think that "Air" and "Fury 325" are bad. Cedar Fair has kind of a "habit" of putting something like "Fury" or "Intimatador" then put the maximum height of the coaster by it! Is that really a habit? Theyve done it twice...... Three times Whats the third? Theres Intimidator 305 and Fury 325 and I cant think of another one. Intimidator at Carowinds is not referred to or officially named Intimidator 232, its just referred to that in these sorts of discussions to differentiate between the 2.

^BGT and SFGAm are two very odd parks to compare it seems like. I havent ever been to Great Ameria though so I cant comment on your comparisons for sure but as to your fascination with the riff raff... Its simple. You get what you pay for. Wal Mart attracts a more unruly crowd because its less restrictive by being ridiculously cheap. Anyone can afford Wal Mart prices so anyone can go there, including lower-class families that may appear to be "riff raff". Meanwhile, Target is a bit pricier, thereby restricting the amount of people that are willing to shop there, and limiting the chance you see unruly shoppers. Same thing applies to theme parks. Six Flags practically gives seasonal passes away, so anyone (even the riff raff) can jump on them and show up acting like animals at a Six Flags park. Sure, the area where BGT resides isnt the nicest, but that doesnt matter when tickets to the park run in the high $80 range. Its all about affordability my friend. The more affordable a product is, the more attractive it becomes to lower-class people.

Frankly, I think that "Air" and "Fury 325" are bad. Cedar Fair has kind of a "habit" of putting something like "Fury" or "Intimatador" then put the maximum height of the coaster by it! Is that really a habit? Theyve done it twice......

Although it was an awesome, AWESOME ride, I always thought the name "KONGfrontation" was pretty crummy. Its cheesy, punny, and the word "confrontation" itself doesnt exactly suit itself well to the name of an attraction. I dont know, it just seemed corny and boring. Still miss it tons though.

But Epcot's World Showcase is a shopping mall, not a theme park. Its always sad to me when people dont recognize the greatness of World Showcase, or well-themed areas in general. A well-themed environment without rides, to me, can be a more exciting theme park than a mish-mash of basic rides.

King's Doninion and Knotts Berry Farm are two parks that I have only ever visited in the middle of the summer and yet have been very, very manageable in terms of crowds. Also, Im hard-pressed to think of a time Fun Spot America ever had enough crowds to warrant more than a one-cycle wait on any ride.

This is so true. "Theme purists" are the most insane people in the world. Epcot is not meant to be a museum or series of diplomats...its first and foremost a theme park meant to entertain people. Now, thats not to say I dont appreciate the educational aspects of Epcot. But a Frozen ride isnt going to change the elaborate land that it resides in. The shops are full of neat little cultural tidbits and the dining outlets will still serve authentic food. A ride based on Disney's most popular animated film wont take away from the environment its in that has already been constructed. But at the end of the day its a theme park meant to entertain its guests.

Conversely, think of how pissed people would be if they suggested it was staying in some form and then got a complete change in vehicle. Probably better (if the floorless conversion is really what theyre doing) to suggest something permanent closure. Now if they were saying it was being replaced rather than closed, THEN we'd have more room to think its getting demo'd for good. And @hey...hey... yep thats the book!

I really like how Mantis' layout looks, though I've never ridden it. It appears to be a lot more than your typical "inversion after inversion" coaster. I remember that the layout was published in an old book on roller coasters and I was always trace the layout and compare it to photos when I was a child... LOL I think you know the exact book youre talking about and am guilty of doing the same thing when I was little. I remember specifically telling my parents I wanted "the book with the yellow roller coaster on it". I agree its a unique layout for a B&M...it deviates nicely from the loop, dive loop, zero-G, cobra, MCBR, interlocking corkscrew formula.

I can imagine having to push around a wheelchair would be a huge damper on your day and affect your touring efficiency. Also, yes, including the water rides does make it a lot more difficult because you'll want to change. It means a lot more back and forth.

Thats the thing though, its really not that bad. Mornings at IOA in September are dead, you can leisurely stroll through and hit the big rides. By the time it gets hot, itll be time to grab some lunch and an ideal time to hit the shows and DA at USF. Now, I dont know what the poster's preferred method of park touring is (if he goes hard and only rides the big rides or if he goes slow and absorbs in all the details) but either way, the resort really isnt that big. Having done both parks and HHN all in one day several times before, I can tell you its NOT that bad at all, and because of how busy the parks are, theres ample opportunity to rest along the way. Obviously if you think you cant handle walking around all day from 9am-12am then you probably shouldnt follow this plan but Im guessing since he asked/considered it he is perfectly capable.

Im actually gonna have to disagree with BlahBlahson here...you can definitely do both parks and HHN. Ive done it more than once (I have family who visits for HHN religiously and they like to do the parks all in the same day). Granted, you wont see EVERYTHING in the parks, but you can do the big rides considering September is completely dead during the day. Between both parks, you can definitely squeeze in all the headliners if you get there at opening and utilize single rider lines. EDIT: plus, if you get HHN Express like you were suggesting, you can ride Transformers, Simpsons, HRRR, Mummy, Men in Black, and Despicable Me (basically all of USF's star attractions) during HHN, leaving you more time at IOA during the day/seeing shows at Universal.

This park looks amazing! Cant wait to see more

Hello everyone! Today, I was lucky enough to attend a sneak preview of Laguna Island's new ride for the 1963 season, Timber Falls! But first, a little backstory on the ride. For one thing, I had no idea what to expect going into the park today. The so-called "log ride" is a modern new take on the traditional "water ride" from the old days, and is said to be the most exciting ride in the world! According to some of the executives in the park today, Timber Falls was built and designed in conjunction with another new log ride called "El Aserradero" in Six Flags Over Texas. Considering all of the research and development needed to make the idea come to life, along with the challenges of weaving the construction of the ride through some dense forest along the shore and a more intense winter than Texas, Timber Falls is not only more expensive than its Texas counterpart, it is the most expensive ride in the park to date! But enough of that, don't you want to know how the ride was?? I was quite impressed. While I've always been quite a big fan of Laguna Island (particularly the Laguna Cyclone), this addition really puts them on the map. Here's how the ride works…true to its name, you board a boat shaped like an actual log, where you and up to three others straddle one another. While this may be a bit uncomfortable for some folks, the park was allowing seating requests today for the media and hopefully will for the general public once the ride officially opens. If you sit with the right people, it's a lot of fun! The ride starts with a short climb up a roller-coaster like hill, and what follows is a serene coast down the flume. The flume makes a few sharp turns along the way as it gradually descends back to ground level, all while offering some great views of the beach from the forest through which it navigates. It seems that there are little sections of rapids throughout the course as well to enhance the overall excitement of the ride. Eventually, the ride finds itself back at ground level where it slowly winds its way around the forest. Soon, you are facing another lift hill, bigger than the last one (I was told by park executives that it was about 40 feet tall, which feels a lot taller in a tiny, vulnerable log). At the top of this lift, however, you don't turn…you drop. 40 feet, at a steep angle, into a little pond below. And before you know it, your log splashes at the bottom, all but drenching everyone in your log. It's quite a thrill, and while it was a little chilly today, it will be welcome in those hot Oregon summers on the lake. Laguna Island has a real winner on their hands…I'm all about innovation! Here are some pictures I took on one of the very first ride on one of the first log rides ever! And here we go up the first hill! The view as we turn the corner at the top of the first lift is quite breathtaking Winding around back towards the park... The flume makes a gradual descent and crosses in and under itself a few times Winding through the trees On our way up the final and largest hill... And here we go!!!!!! Also new for this season are blue vehicles for the Lakeside Racer's left track (thanks for the suggestions in the comments, btw!!!) The splashdown area…it's a bit secluded and this shot was taken from a media-only spot. You can see it from the queue and a bit from the Lakeside Racer, but mostly, it's a fun surprise for those on the ride that sort of adds to its isolated forest feel Walking up the new entrance plaza This is what I'm here for!!! The queue winds through the woods past the flume Here are a few pictures taken by the park for promotional purposes that we got a hold of Here's a shot released by the park…boy this ride is a beauty We spent the rest of the day enjoying the rest of beautiful Laguna Island. Can't wait for the summertime to roll around to really enjoy Timber Falls. 1963 looks to be a good year!

Great info, thanks for the suggestion. We'll move out USF day to Friday. Now to figure out the best way to go about purchasing tickets. When we went to Disney a year and a half ago I bought our tickets at AAA. Looking at the pricing there now it doesn't seem to be any cheaper than purchasing them directly through Universal. Any other places to look? And is there a chance of the opening night of HHN selling out? There will be four of us at the park that day but probably only two of us staying for the Event. Thanks again for the help! Typically, opening weekend is one of the best times to go to HHN, simply because its so early in the season and people arent quite on their Halloween grind yet, so to speak. That being said, the event is growing a lot in popularity, so I cant say for sure. Based off of my previous experiences (Ive been going since 2007) I would guess that opening night will NOT sell out and that the crowds will be very manageable. But like I said, its tough to tell nowadays and I dont want to provide info that could be wrong. With the growing use of IPs to draw people in plus the huge draw from Walking Dead, HHN gets more and more packed every year, so just keep that in mind, even though my gut instinct tells me you'll be ok.

Good idea about watching for conflicts, I'll be sure to keep an eye on yours as well. And thanks! Once you get the hang of it, buildings by default aren't too bad to work with, you just have to experiment a bit with what looks good and make sure to have a decent variety and color. It's no match for what CS can do, but if you tinker with it enough, the non-CS buildings can look ok as well.

What I would do is switch your Wednesday visit with a Friday visit...the HHN add-on (called the Stay n Scream option) is not only a better deal than a regular admission to HHN, but it will also work to your advantage if you are in the park when the event starts. If you spend your day at USF on Friday, head to Finnegans (across from the Mummy) when they begin closing the park to the public. Team members will then scan your ticket to make sure you have HHN access so upgrade your ticket before then! Then, you can just chill in the Finnegans holding area and one of the soundstage houses will open early for you. This headstart on the general admission crowds is a HUGE advantage, and will allow you to see everything almost guaranteed. As for the hotel...love the concept, HATE the name. Sapphire Falls? Ugh. But it definitely looks nice. I agree that it probably wont have Express access due to oversaturation concerns. Still should be a nice option though. It'll be interesting to see if Universal can sustain all these rooms even without Harry Potter hype.

They could also go the "Voted Best Amusement Park X Years In A Row" slogan. Not lying, still gimmicky. In marketing there are always ways around the immediate truth. Not that it really matters anyway, as CP is a great park and most of the GP probably care less about the Golden Tickets than we do.

Sorry that this is off topic, but I agree...I haven't ridden Flying Turns or any of the other new for 2014 rides, but still I think it should have gone to Harry Potter's Gringott's Bank ride. Hooooow did that not win? Or was it not considered since it basically just opened? if you "haven't ridden" ANY of the rides that were nominated, then, honestly? How could your opinion on what should have won be valid in the least? I *have* ridden "Flying Turns" and tho it was enjoyable, it wasn't very thrilling, and I expect at least one of the other options should have beat it. Yeah.. Knoebel's got an award for finally getting this thing open. But so what? Good for them, and the publicity they get out of it. Im sure anyone who has seen a video of Gringotts, or even read a basic review on it, can recognize and appreciate how much of an achievement it is in immersion, scale, and technology. You dont have to ride it to realize how much of a technical marvel it is. The other 2014 additions were just basic roller coasters. So yeah, Id say he has every right to his opinion.

In January, certain water rides will be closed at Universal (Dudley and Popeye most likely), and likely all three of Busch's will be down. Certain rides that need annual maintenance will also go down in January as its one of the slowest, if not the slowest, months of the year. However, this largely depends on the ride and how much work it may need on it. November is a bit warmer and busier (still not crowded) so most rides will probably be open, maybe with the exception of a water ride at Busch Gardens. Overall, the Orlando rides are pretty solid about being open on a consistent basis, so just enjoy the low crowds and have a good time! And remember that maintenance refurbs are all subject to change schedule...nothing is 100%.

Thanks, and you are definitely right about the two sides! Anyway, 1961 was a tremendous success. It's safe to say that Laguna Island Pleasure Park is ready to start making big moves to become a major amusement park. In just five years of operation, Laguna Island has nearly doubled in size, and the state of Laguna Lake Resort has truly flourished. The resort consistently reaches capacity, a feat that is unparalleled in the industry. However, Laguna Island is not just a place for visitors to the hotel and campground…Laguna Cyclone and the new Lakeside Racer have attracted highly positive reviews via word of mouth, and daytrippers to the park are now just as frequent as resort guests. Laguna Island has even started to make a mark on the industry as well! In July of the 1961 season, Walt Disney was reportedly walking around the park, taking particular interest in the Pirate Ride…while he was only visiting as a tourist and did not require any attention, his presence was definitely noted; could it be that within the next few years a similar pirate-based attraction will be making its way to Disneyland? The roller coasters are also a major draw. Lakeside Racer's side-by-side action is still quite a novelty in parks in this day and age, and the competitive nature of the ride leads to lots of happy guests…and repeat riders, meaning more money in ticket sales. But even after five years of operation, the star of the show remains the Laguna Cyclone. Reminiscent of Henry Traver's intense masterpieces from just over a decade ago. The banked turns and helices offer an intense experience that can't be found on similarly-named Cyclone rides, but not so intense as to intimidate the majority of Laguna Island's visitors. The ride really has it all; a great first drop, large lateral forces, a good amount of airtime, and a stunning location. The Laguna Cyclone truly is a great asset to the park. The supporting rides continue to shine as well. Several new maintenance employees were brought along in 1961, leading to increased inspections on rides such as Rotor and Loop-O-Plane, thus fixing their previous reliability issues. However, they're still not perfect. But a few technical bugs are a small price to pay for such innovative, popular, and profitable attractions. Overall, the park is in good shape. For 1962, the park didn't do much in the way of additions, instead letting the hype of the Lakeside Racer and Pirate Ride run their course. However, a few observant guests taking strolls along the beach have noticed construction for the park's big 1963 addition… Notice anything a little different in the landscape for 1962? Some sort of trough..? It could be a roller coaster, but it looks a lot different from anything we've ever seen before. Whatever it is, 1963 promises to be an interesting season...