Furion

Locker Rings

The first permits were filed for Carowind's 2019 project last week - "Project Alpha":

He explicitly said it was a Hulk support in a previous post before he added the image... That being said, as previously mentioned, this 'support' doesn't really look like any other B&M supports, so he could be just having some fun with the internet... Plus, why would they be manufacturing coaster supports in Clearwater? It's also possible this is some sort of scenic support or part of the theming for the queue...

Yes, I think you're absolutely right... there's definitely more to it than just the attraction, because this complex is much more than just a massive coaster. Universal hasn't strongly opposed the attractions you mentioned because, with the exception of I-Drive 360, they're mostly one-off attractions and not full-blown entertainment/shopping/dining complexes. We know that Universal is closing Wet-n-Wild at the end of next year, and rumors point to them developing the space into another CityWalk type venue, with hotels/shopping/dining. Looking even farther into the future, there's also the large plot of land on Universal Blvd. behind the convention center that's being auctioned off on Nov. 18th, so if Universal wants to buy any of that land, they could also expand into that area as well. This giant 700' tower with several attractions and a dining/shopping complex below it would be direct competition to those projects, as well as the current CityWalk, whether Universal wants to publicly admit it or not. They're going with the light pollution/traffic/do more study argument to try and shut it down, but it's very likely they have ulterior motives.

It's likely just a lack of internal communication. When ThemeParkInsider (or any website/entity that is considered a media outlet by Universal) reaches out to Universal, they e-mail a member of the Public Relations department, who are authorized to give answers on behalf of the company. When you ask a question on Twitter, you're just talking to a member of the social media team, so their response is going to be a bit more limited. So I definitely wouldn't read too much into a twitter reply.

I'd assume it's to get the most "bang-for-your-buck" out of the second near-vertical drop. The train will just keep loosing momentum while maneuvering more track/elements, so placing the MCBR early on in the circuit allows that second drop to be taller than it would be if the train had to traverse a lot of track. It's also for capacity reasons, as the additional block will allow the operation of more trains, but that's a standard practice on coasters, so I'd imagine the first point is much more valid.

Oh god no, I just don't buy into that crappy logo. I feel like everything about this ride has been uncovered and they threw up a quick, fake logo to make people second guess the leak kind of like what Kings Island did. That's the same logo that was on the VR Goggles that CP sent out earlier this month, which matches the crown on the Raven's head in the leaked logo. It was likely added to that page as teaser and not supposed to look "quick" or "fake", as I'd imagine it's officially part of the overall branding of the new ride... http://themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=28853&start=24470

Looks like a new filing with the FAA confirms the coaster will top off at 230ft: The coordinates from the filing also line up with the location of the current construction, not that that should come as any surprise: https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/searchAction.jsp?action=displayOECase&oeCaseID=262145972&row=9

Yeah, that's the brake run... and that's what the brake/station/transfer track looks like on nearly all b&m's...

A launched dive coaster totally defeats the purpose, no?

Unfortunately, the application for Centurion was suspended in Feb. of 2014 due to a pending application with the same mark. This is likely why Cedar Fair filed Fury 325 a couple of months later. The pending application that prevented Cedar Fair from using the mark was officially registered on May 5th, 2015, so it looks using Centurion is out of the question at this point. You can read the full letter of suspension here: https://tsdrsec.uspto.gov/ts/cd/casedoc/sn86094874/SUL20140204122218/download.pdf

Looks like the page on their website for Mako is live! http://seaworldparks.com/en/seaworld-orlando/attractions/rides/mako/?from=Home_promo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4pFi1awh3o

Sorry for yet another trademark post, but this new one is my favorite name so far, Reptitan. It's likely far too early for them to be trademarking names for projects beyond 2016, but of all the recent Sea World trademark filings (Mako, Cobra's Curse, Reef Hunter, Strikewinder, Silver Strike) I think this one would be a pretty awesome name for a dueling RMC or a giga coaster.

Tomorrow's announcement can't come soon enough! And that crane could also be for a fun promo video like they did with Falcon's Fury, showing off the the height of the attraction: (start @49sec)

Yes, but they were both still filed with intent to be used, they weren't filed "just because". Centurion was suspended because another conflicting application was found during the process, forcing Cedar Fair to use a different name: And as for Stratosoar, I believe that name was changed when Cedar Fair decided to go with the Mondial Wind Seeker over the Starflyer.

Another new SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment trademark for an "amusement ride" has appeared, this one for Strikewinder: I actually much prefer this name over "Cobra's Curse". This seems much more fitting for a spinning coaster. Can't wait until the 28th to find out more!

Another new Sea World trademark for an "amusement ride" has appeared, this one for Reef Hunter: It should also be noted that trademarks filed by Sea World LLC are typically for their SeaWorld parks and trademarks filed by SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment LLC are typically for their other properties. So are any other SeaWorld parks planning on getting a new ride? Or maybe they'll rename an existing attraction at SWO? Keep in mind these trademark applications aren't free, so the park likely has some intent to use this name somewhere.

Looks like those of you who speculated this ride could be called Mako were right on the money:

Looks like their new ride could be called "Cobra's Curse": Maybe we'll see a cross promotion with K'NEX? http://www.knex.com/shop/17297/cobras-curse-dueling-coaster/m/

So it looks like this project is stalled. Their case study with the FAA (which should have been determined weeks ago) hasn't changed status in over two months now, and their social media channels have been totally silent since March. The Orlando Sentinel also ran this article a few days ago: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/growthspotter/gs-skyplex-developers-push-for-record-height-questioned-by-some-idrive-stakeholders-20150506-story.html

Sea World has filed for a 201' attraction with the FAA, so it looks like we have our height, just barely edging out Sheikra: The filing also includes the construction timeline, which runs from June 2015 - May 2016, as well as a rough estimate of the location, putting it out by the retention pond behind Kraken/Shark Encounter, as rumored. Here's a direct link to the filing. It'll likely be updated with a few more specific details in the coming days: https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/searchAction.jsp?action=displayOECase&oeCaseID=250178937&row=2 Can't wait until May for the full announcement!

So Cedar Point filed a trademark application for the word "Valravn" this past week. It's a 'blanket application' covering amusement park rides, services, and all types of souvenirs, as is typical for their attraction trademarks. Looking into the mythology of the word, it appears to be a supernatural Raven creature from Danish folklore. It actually has a pretty dark/scary story, and you can read all about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valravn It's a pretty safe bet to assume this mark is intended for use at Cedar Point specifically, because it was filed by "Cedar Point Park" (like the application for Rougarou) and not by "Cedar Fair Management" (like the applications for Fury 325, Voyage to the Iron Reef , etc.). Of course, whether or not they actually end up using the name is another story (*cough* Centurion *cough*), but these applications aren't free, so there's at least currently some intent to use it.

The tag says "Millie Rear Panel T4-C3". Just another well placed enthusiast in-joke, I'm assuming? If so, hilarious. Also, thanks for the awesome pictures!

And, what's interesting about the Vegas White Castle, is its existence is due to the massive (4+ hour) lines the food trucks generated when they stopped there in 2013. So if that scenario is any indication, maybe we'll see a White Castle open up here in Orlando. Source: http://vegas.eater.com/2015/1/28/7928877/how-long-were-the-lines-for-sliders-at-white-castle

Well, at least I want to believe so. It hasn't been "resolved", but it was never much of an issue to begin with. As I mentioned in my previous post, the only "issue" with the tower is it is taller than 500'. Any structure above that height automatically generates a Notice of Presumed Hazard and has to go through this process. Considering they didn't anticipate starting construction on the tower until April, I'd say the time this takes was process was factored in and accounted for. Again, as I mentioned in my other post, their next course of action was to open up the case for circularization, which they did on 1/28/2015. The FAA will accept comments on the project until 3/6/2015, and then it will decide definitively from there, likely within a week, two at most, allowing them plenty of time to start construction on schedule in April. Given the following findings from the initial study, it's highly unlikely they won't approve this project: For anyone interested in my rambling and wanting to find out a little more, you can read the circularization notice here: https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/letterViewer.jsp?letterID=241577564 And here's a link to the case if you want to follow it for any updates/comments: https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/searchAction.jsp?action=displayOECase&oeCaseID=22681922