shepp

Hell, and I thought I was kinda brave for riding the Kissimmee Sky Coaster this month. Oh well, this thing is only gonna be twice as high.

I'll be at SFDK, most likely wearing a Dueling Dragons T-shirt (assuming it's not too cold or wet to keep my jacket open). Feel free to say hi.

No, I wasn't speaking as though I were an expert; I was simply wondering whether, if new trains were the issue, there wouldn't be time to test them when the ride wasn't scheduled to operate. Sorry, I don't find that ironic at all. (It's not, after all, like I said, "I'm no expert, but the ride should be running well by now.") Yes, I have read the thread, and yes, I did know going in that the ride has been jinxed. And yes, I "contingently" planned on 2 1/2 days at Universal, figuring I might be able to ride a couple of times. As it happens, I only got on once. Not complaining, since unlike many visitors over the past few weeks, I was actually able to ride, iwth less than a 45-minute wait. Just pointing out that for something that is USO's only new E-ticket for years, it must be disappointing both to people who want to ride a very hyped new attraction and to the execs who are watching HRRR underperform during the holiday season. And yes, I do wonder if all this "routine maintenance" is in fact routine, or if the ride is kinda a lemon. (Especially since, unlike envelope-pushers like TTD, Deja Vu, and Hypersonic, the only extraordinary feature is the audio on demand.) What, I can't wonder that?

^ Yeah, well... I was told by park staff that the coaster never opens before 11. Since the park closes at 6 these days, the last riders are off the trains by 7 or so. I'm no expert, but wouldn't that leave plenty of time to test new trains when the ride's not scheduled to be open to the public?

Watching TTD from the bleachers is pretty damn cool. But the best viewing of any ride I've seen - OK, it's not a coaster - is the splashdown area of Dudley Do-Right. The ride looks absolutely great from there, and the underwater plunge is really convincing.

Holy crap...still down? I was at Universal for 2 1/2 days. On the evening of 12/9 it was down, on 12/10 it finally opened sometime around 2 or 3 and stayed up till closing (when I managed to get a single ride), then was down all of the next day. Thing is less dependable than the early days of TTD. What gives? If I were the Universal mucky-mucks contemplating their Shiny New Paperweight, I'd be miffed.

^ ...hmmm...interesting, since that's not quite what I was told. And I'm on the SFDK e-mail list, but didn't get that e-mail. Whatever. Edit: Whoops. Got the mail, just didn't see it. But the downside is that the online purchase is one GC per transaction, not per pass, assuming you buy two or more passes at the same time. Anyway, given that this deal is now out there, I'm guessing it makes the $10-off one-day sale less likely this year.

I know there's another SF SP thread here, but I'm starting a new one to highlight this limited time deal, OK? Got a phone call the other day: SF is offering season passes at the standard price, but with a $10 amazon gift card sent along with each card. Details: there is a $5 per order "service charge" per order (not card) which makes this slightly worse than last year's one-day $10-off sale. But nobody's knows if that's gonna happen this year, and a bird in the hand etc. (Standard 4th-class shipping is free.) One rep I spoke with said that the deal is good for new passes as well as renewals, and that the sale will be in effect till the 20th, though another rep wasn't sure what the deadline was. Order must be made by phone: 1-888-636-0995

I'll be spending NYE at SFDK, weather permitting, so I'm figuring my first few 2010 minutes will be spent there, riding Roar if all goes well.

That makes a lot of sense. On the pretzel, the Gs seem to really hone in on your chest and gut. Same with Mission:Space, which deals out forces that make a lot of people sick, and which I found nearly too damn much.

Hmmm...somewhat odd that you can't take Tatsu's loop (I'm guessing the Gs), but you rank Goliath, with its Helix of Death, #2.

Cool, thanks. I've already reserved a car for the night. I love riding Roar after dark, anyway, and the fireworks sound like a definite plus.

Just wondering if anyone happened to spend New Year's Eve at Discovery Kingdom last year. How were the crowds, entertainment, fireworks? All the coasters running?

My memory is that last year, SPs went on sale for a couple of weekends in December.

^ 60 minutes of tedium, then you get dragged out of the car.

The CEO of 5D International says, "A closer look at the science of 5D reveals that each human experience consists of five sub-processes, also called dimensions. These sub-processes closely interact with each other and affect our consciousness. " So, um, The Manchurian Candidate: The Ride?

Really doesn't get cooler than this... (OK, it's only a virtual coaster, but...)

^ Wow, definitely worth extra bucks to meet some guy who rides a jetski.

So the Universal rep said, and who among us won't miss that 5-mile hike through the dungeon, a queue route so long that, before the end of it, you've forgotten which ride you're heading for?

Well, thanks. I'm not flying cross-country specifically to ride HRRR, of course, but as part of a fairly rushed family, cruise, and rides trip that'll also include a first go at the Kissimmee SkyCoaster and, since I'm flying into FLL, a return to the DB Hurricane. And hey, have to use up those Super Bowl free passes to USO before they expire, right? (IOA is still my favorite theme park, though I wish Potterland were already open, as was originally planned.) So it's good to hear that Internet reports that HRRR is about as dependable as, oh, TTD in its first year are somewhat exaggerated. And Elissa's praise is encouraging. What I really need luck on is DD still being running. Someone I spoke to at Universal said she doubted they'd shut it down before the holidays, but...

Resurrecting this thread because nothing's been added for a while, I'm headed to Universal in a couple of weeks, and the more recent news I've found elsewhere is Not Good. Frequent breakdowns, whole days when the ride's not up, single rider line often not open, and Universal not opening the ride till an hour after official park opening, resulting in insane queues even on slow days. I'll be doing a couple of days at USO/IOA, and have figured I'll at least get a couple of rides on HRRR. Should I expect a crapulous non-experience instead? Or have things gotten better lately?

Since parking is $15 bucks each time, I'd advise that whoever's most likely to drive get an Xtreme, the rest of you standards. Two more visits to SF parks and the Xtreme starts paying for itself. (Assuming no one in your family already has a parking pass to another SF park for the season - it'll work at all the parks.) SFMM has become a great park, but it comes up kinda short in the "family coaster" category. Still, two of its best - T:S and Goliath - are non-loopers, so Mom might want to consider them (though Goliath's helix is a killer). I'm guessing that New Year's Day might be really crowded, and even on empty days it takes a while to ride everything the park has to offer. But it sounds like price is a consideration, so you might not want to opt for Flash Passes. So I'd advise doing what everyone always advises - get there an hour early, when the park opens sprint to X2 (it's a bit tricky to find, so figure out your path beforehand), then hit maybe T:S. But after that, be prepared to wait. And wait. Have fun!

Which is why you should never travel without a Croakies-style glasses strap and a spare pair of specs....

One other birthday thing. When you redeem your voucher, you will be given a Happy Birthday button with your name on it. If you wear it, you will be wished Happy Birthday. A lot. By cast members, other visitors, everybody. I was singled out by the singer in the parade. Makes you Feel Special, in an idiot way. However, there are also reports of birthday people being handed perks and freebies. That may go mostly for kids, but my partner and I were able to swing a ride on the Lily Belle (Uncle Walt's personal railway car), and I was told - not sure how true it is - that my birthday button helped. So you never know...

Worst: Having my pocket picked and wallet stolen while waiting in line for El Toro, thereby losing the ID I needed to board a plane out of Philly the next day. Best: Having park security return the wallet with ID intact the morning before the flight. 2nd worst: driving from Knoebel's to SFNE just to ride S:ROS, then finding it closed the whole day. 2nd best: Getting in 13 rides on it the next day.