darklingscribe
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Posts posted by darklingscribe
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Looking good so far and I might as well add my 2¢. While I like both current and older B&M invert layouts, I do favor their older inverts. In general they just feel more thrilling, which to me is how a rollercoaster should feel. The newer rides like Silver Bullet really more are just fun as opposed to fun and thrilling. The only one of B&M's big inverts that I have ridden is Alpengeist which I rode for the first time last year. I was amazed how my ride on Raptor this year compared to Alpie, Raptor was definitely the superior ride.
I'm not yet going to make a catch all statement that all of B&M's big inverts can't compare to their early output as I still haven't ridden Montu , but if Banshee is anything like Alpengeist I don't think it will make it to my top 10 steel coasters. Though I have to say I really like the look of Banshee as a piece of architecture, all those pretty colors...
Also, I just had a dream about King's Island after looking at this thread last night before going to bed. Like all dreams the park in the dream looked nothing like it's real counterpart and for some strange reason their new ride wasn't Banshee, but a terrain hyper coaster in the style of a Mack Super Splash. I have no idea where my mind came up with that one, but I wonder how feasible it would be?
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Correct, Your turn
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After the world thoroughly confuses the hell out of a man he decides to go out for a run to mull things over, but since he's not-too-bright it turns out to be a heck of a long run.
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I always tend to prefer first drops that don't come immediately after a lift hill. It builds even more suspense and also lets the train gain some speed. Right now I really liked Outlaw Run's little dip before the drop and most GCIs that have a turn around before the drop are pretty great too like Apocalypse. Then of course there is El Toro's awesome first drop after really hauling through it's top of the lift turn around.
As for favorite non-first drops on wooden coasters, I'd like to bring up the Voyage's triple down.
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Okay I gave it a day to let other people guess so I'll have a go.
Argo
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Correct, your turn.
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Thanks, I was wondering if this was based of the same ride system or not.
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Pierce Community college in Los Angeles actually has a really good "Fright Fair". They specialize in agricultural studies so at the back of the college campus there is a farm they use to throw this event.
I went to it last year and they had three walkthrough haunted attractions, one of them outdoors in a corn maze. They also had a pretty big normal corn maze as well as a bunch of craft and food booths, live music, a petting zoo and a few kiddie rides (no coasters though).
For a community college in San Fernando Valley it really impressed me. One of their haunted houses had this room that so completely disoriented me that I had no idea where to walk or where even my own hands were. I had to close my eyes and just feel along the wall until I found the door out. The room was painted in a black and white warped geometrical pattern similar to Dazzle Camouflage and was also filled to the brim with fog and lit by a strobe. The scare actors in that room were made up in checkered black and white as well. EVERYTHING looked as though it were moving and I couldn't even get my eyes to focus after a while.
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I'm impressed as usual by Disney. I wouldn't normally think Ratatouille was the best choice for an attraction but that looks amazing. And I agree that Florida or California needs a trackless ride soon!
Isn't the dark ride part of Tower of Terror in Florida trackless?
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Oops, I guess WCB 2013 distracted me and I forgot about this completely.
Apex predators get a new lease on life and plenty of food thanks to another top predator who "Spared no expense".
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Great to see that DLP is getting something new, and Ratatouille is a really goods choice. Not to mention the concept itself is pretty great with the giant props and the perspective of a rate being chased through a kitchen.
I hope this is a sign that Disney is taking notice of some people claiming that DLP has been neglected by them recently. Though I haven't been following that story too closely, so those claims might be baseless.
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I understand Robb, I know how narrow those mazes can be. To be honest I'm pretty sure it is going to be a visit more about taking in the park than doing any of the mazes. The reason why I asked about access to the mazes in the first place was because he asked me and I had no idea.
I'm taking him because he really is excited about the Haunt and I was able to get two tickets for the MiceChat Nights of Horror Event at Knotts. He told me that Knott's was his home park growing up before he moved to San Diego in 2000. Since then he was diagnosed with Multiple sclerosis and was in rapid decline until this past few years when he was switched to a new treatment that was able to get him back some of his mobility.
He still has to deal with the pain of the disease and can pretty much could only ride the gentle rides, which is why I thought the haunt would be a good idea. It would allow him to visit the park and see how it has changed. Also all of the haunt attractions and shows would offer plenty to do for the night without really doing the mazes.
I already sent an email to Micechat events three days ago informing them I will be bringing a handicapped guest and to tell me now if they felt the event would not suit him. I know the tickets to the event are really sought after and they could go to someone in the waitlist for their event if they felt like he would not have a good time.
So far I have not received a response back.
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I agree that Holiday World or KK are the best future homes for Led Zep, and I could see the Vekoma Mine Train also being put to good use by Holiday World.
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I called Knott's information just now and got most of the answers I wanted and couldn't find on their website. I really meant to do this yesterday, but totally forgot.
For those who might need this info here is what they told me.
Guests in wheelchairs should go through the exits on normal rides where they can wait out the time of the current line and then ride. Most Halloween Haunt Mazes are wheelchair accessible, but guests in wheelchairs have to wait in the regular maze lines. If a disabled guest wants to skip the lines entirely they must purchase a front of the line pass.
The only Halloween Haunt ride/maze which is not wheelchair accessible is the The Witch's Keep, which is the Calico Mine Ride.
Their upcharge maze, Trapped, is Wheelchair accessible.
Only regular wheelchairs are available to rent during haunt because the shop that rents out the electric scooters/chairs will be closed for the event. Electric wheelchairs however are allowed at the Haunt if a guest wants to bring their own.
I hope this helps someone else as much as it helped me.
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Hello Robb, I was just wondering if you or anyone on these forums knows how many of Knott's mazes or other haunt attractions have Wheelchair access. I will be bringing a handicapped friend up from San Diego to Knott's Haunt in a few weeks and I remembered that in the past some of Knott's mazes required going up a flight of stairs to enter.
I really want to just give him some idea on what we can and cannot do. My friend's disability will not let him walk more than a few feet so crutches are out of the question, but on a positive note his condition has nothing to do with his heart so sudden scares won't be a problem.
I intend to call guest relations soon to see what they say, but I also thought posting this question here would help me glean some info of what it is like from a disabled guest's point of view or the the point of view of someone who has gone to Halloween Haunt with someone who has a disability.
Thanks.
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some progress pics from http://www.chris-space.net/?incvar=ep_2014.htm from the last weeks... the outdoor section seems to build very nicly through and around the existing trees
Thanks for posting these, it is definitely interesting to see Mack's new inverted track.
I just have one question.
I know I haven't really payed much attention to Arthur the Ride's initial announcement made by Europa Park, but is this a Powered inverted coaster?
I ask because that strip of long flat metal that appears to be centered on the track looks similar to the flat strip of metal I see on their powered coasters.
But now that I look at the picture above, Arthur's metal strip seems twice as wide.
I always assumed that a rubber wheel connected to an electric motor under their powered trains used that metal strip like a narrow road to move the train. I base this assumption on no facts whatsoever and would be happy to be enlightened by someone who knows a bit more about powered coasters.
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I just read an interesting article where the author asks why didn't Apple also include the option for requiring a fingerprint scan to turn off the phone. Sure it means one extra step in powering down, but it would also prevent a would be thief from instantly turning the phone off the moment they steal it which would allow extra time for someone to use the Find My iPhone app to find them.
I have to say the guy has a point.
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I really like the idea of a fingerprint scanner as a way to unlock the phone and also authenticate purchases, but I really hate the idea that if someone cuts their finger while cooking they're out of luck. They need to implement a backup form of authentication that is something quicker and easier than an iTunes restore. Maybe a two step form of unlocking where a security question is asked as well as a passcode or pin.
I do really like the camera improvements they made and truthfully the promise of better performance in low light is the most tempting feature of this hardware update. However I really hope this doesn't encourage more people to start taking photos using the better flash and videos on dark rides like the Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland. I went to Disneyland the friday before WCB and was really annoyed that one guy in the front of the boat decided to video the entire ride by holding his iPhone up over his head and blinding everyone behind him with the bright screen.
As for the increase in processing performance, I really don't think I need it. I have yet to notice any slowdown on my iPhone 5 and the game I play are the ones geared toward shorter sessions, most of the games out there that push the graphical boundaries on smart phones (besides racing games) are not as easy to pick up and play in five minute chunks.
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For those of you who are planning to try to do a Southern California Credit run before and after WCB, check out the Southern California City Pass.
If you go to http://www.citypass.com/southern-california they sell a ticket package for $319. DON'T buy it online, all three parks sell them at their front gates and you can get it then. If you do buy it online you won't get it in time because they will need to mail it to you, THERE IS NO PRINT AT HOME option on this.
It gives you one day admission to SeaWorld San Diego and Universal Studios as well as a three Day Park Hopper to the Disney Parks. By themselves SeaWorld and Universal cost around $80 each for Admission and Disney is $210 for only a Two Day Hopper ticket.
You will get most of the park admissions you need outside of SFMM and Knott's and save at least $100 if you use all three days at Disney.
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Just out of a process of elimination I think it was probably something at Disneyland.
I think either Space Mountain, or Thunder Mountain are likely candidates because as a really young (I think I was three) I went to Disneyland for the first time. I was always tall for my age when growing up so I think I could have been tall enough then to ride them. I do not think I could have taken on the Matterhorn then because I have a firm memory of being terrified of the Yeti's roar as we walked by the ride.
If not Dinsey then it is definitely the Smurf Kiddie coaster at CGA (called Blue Streak then, now it is Woodstock Express) back when the kid's area was themed to the Smurfs. I really have fond memories of CGA's old Kid's area where, besides having rides, they had an entire Smurf Playground with Mushroom Houses.
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I just thought it might be fun to have a little park character catchall discussion thread.
What gave me the idea is looking through old family photo albums and seeing photos of me and my sister at Disneyland as small children with Mickey and Tigger(who was my favorite as a kid) and wondering how those mid 80s costumes would look compared to the ones worn today at Disney Parks.
I wonder how often do they update the look and design of them?
If you worked at a park sometime in your life, did you ever find yourself asked to put on the costume and what was it like?
I'd also like to take an informal poll about people's feelings of costumed characters as kids. No check boxes to click, just write your opinion of them from the point of view of your earliest memories.
I ask this because as far back as I can remember into my childhood I never really thought any of them were the characters themselves from the cartoons. This made my general feeling about them weird ones, because everyone seemed to insist that they were, but I knew that cartoon characters didn't look fluffy on saturday mornings and I always was a bit put off by the fact that most of them refused to speak.
Of course now I can see it was supposed to be all in good fun, but to my child brain it definitely made me feel strange to be asked to go up to them for a photo by my parents. Ever since then I have wondered how many kids really bought into this charade between the parents and park characters to insist they were the real deal.
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I'm personally all for the west coast tour, just need money as usual. Would you guys let locals purchase tickets for specific days on that tour?
I know in the past TPR usually doesn't allow one day jump ins on their trips, but you can always purchase the tickets yourself and meet up with the group so long as you don't expect to get in on the perks the group trip pays the park extra for like lunch and ERT.
However if this changes I would also like to purchase some tickets through them to hang out for a few days while they are in SoCal.
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Filled out and right now Mini Hotness is looking great to me, and I would sign up in a second for an extended Hotness tour if the West coast tour takes the Spring break slot.
If that Second mini Hotness tour became available, I wouldn't mind a second visit to Silver Dollar City and maybe a tour of the south including Dollywood.
2015 is going to be interesting. I would love to do the Spain/Europe, but also I hear Japan/Korea calling my name.
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So Magic Mountain will have 19 coasters by next year. Do you guys expect an Iron Colossus announcement for next summer with the trains running backwards this spring to "make-up" for 2014 fright fest? Or do you believe they'll go for a BIG 20th coaster announcement for 2015 or 2016?
I'm thinking that the big number 20 will come pretty soon, but in the form of Iron Colossus from a marketing standpoint. While the actual 20th will be another small addition, perhaps from a different six flags park. They still have that unused area where Deja Vu was and a relocated wild mouse or spinner would fit in easily enough to the footprint.
Hell, if they wanted to do something more original than that. I bet they could get GCI's shuttle coaster concept in there no problem and have it be a family Apocalypse. Not that Apocalypse's ride isn't well suited for families as long as their children are tall enough.
Disneyland Resort (DL, DLR, DCA) Discussion Thread
in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
Posted
AAA sometimes offers some, but you have to buy them at one of their locations. Also a lot of hotels around disneyland offer their own tickets to the park for a little less than front gate prices, but you have to be a guest at the hotel. Disneyland might also take a little bit off the top of their prices if you buy online and print them out.
Other than those, I don't really know of any Disneyland discounts which you can get for only buying tickets to one park for one day.