jedimaster1227

http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2012/02/six_flags_redevelopment_commit.html

^^Please look at the thread before linking (or directing people) to an outside site. That same coverage supplied by Busch Gardens Tampa Bay was posted one page earlier. http://themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1143542#p1143542

^Do you mind editing your post to include larger photos? Those are somewhat difficult to see.

I'm thinking this is one of Mary Shaw's many dolls from Dead Silence. "Beware the stare of Mary Shaw. She had no children, only dolls. And if you see her, do not scream. Or she'll rip your tongue out at the seam."

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/communities/atlantic-city_pleasantville_brigantine/steel-pier-renovation-a-blending-of-old-and-new-features/article_d1a770be-4e12-11e1-9533-001871e3ce6c.html

^Spiderman will re-open in March. More information regarding the upgrade was released by Universal here: http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1139897#p1139897

^There are a few holes (like the space worm) that have indoor sections, and there are some parts that are underneath the access bridge to CityWalk from the parking garage, so I guessed that'd qualify as indoor/outdoor. I had imagined that based on the original announcement we would have seen it more indoors than out, but it appears the opposite is true.

^As of right now Sinbad, Poseidon's Fury, and the rest of the Lost Continent, except for those two buildings are all safe. Poseidon's Fury was rumored by some to be closing on February 2nd, but considering it is still open now, I'd say it was bogus.

^Those buildings are exactly the ones you circled! As for the second part of your question, to what train are you referring? Hypothetically, it would/could go down that path and leave the rest of the Lost Continent completely untouched.

The area pictured is the only section with permits currently out for its demolition. Rumor-wise, the rest of the Lost Continent will be safe (for now).

I have gone ahead and changed the title of the thread to better reflect the news you are presenting. While a Parque de Attracciones discussion thread is in the works, we aren't quite ready to launch it just yet and the creation of all discussion threads is something that the moderators handle by collecting all threads related to the respective parks into one. We will definitely merge this thread into the park's discussion thread once it is created, but in the meantime, feel free to discussion this park's latest addition here.

So earlier this week I had the chance to get back to the Universal Orlando Resort for the first time since Jaws' closing day, and there is definitely a good deal that has changed since that time! The Hollywood Drive In Golf details are becoming far more defined. Space worm! A cemetery has appeared which include some unique looking grave markers. Spooky! The new mini golf's sign has been installed and it looks great! Rockwork on this observatory has been completed recently. Despite the lack of eye, it sees directly into my soul! A little jab at Signs? I think so. The Blue Man Group ad station in CityWalk has been updated with a new design. The characters formerly had TVs for heads (similar to an act seen in the previous version of the show). Considering that much of the new show will be a departure from the previous version, it makes sense to change the station up a bit. The Hard Rock Cafe/Hard Rock Live complex recently received an entirely new paint job. The signature pink cadillac emerging from the rubble has also been removed. Over at Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, the framework for the entrance to Gru's home/laboratory has gone up. A good section of the park's pavement has been entirely repaved in preparation for the Universal Superstar Parade's arrival later this year. The tarmac certainly looks fresh! Now that the cat's out of the bag, work on the Universal Cinematic Spectacular barges is in high gear. These projection domes remind me of the old Cinesphere domes... Ugh. Work on the show control booth behind Richter's is nearly complete. See you at the party, Richter! These tall towers will bring the waterfall screen heads to the top during the show and will be lowered during the daytime. Unfortunately, the towers themselves won't be lowered during the day, meaning we'll have these in view all the time. Here's the sad part of today's visit. A few pieces of Amity history still remain in the divide between Amity and San Francisco, but I can't imagine it will be this way for too long. What a view. Workers were tinkering with the Amity shops, presumably going through the trials to cut power before they prepare to bulldoze it all. No longer home to a sea of sharks, Amity is now host to a sea of construction walls. Poor Nathans!!! Despite the tall walls, it can be seen that very little external work has been done so far on the old Amity shops and game booths. Shark..Shark...Shark... The little details are still here for now. The Oakley store seems to be the first one to have had its entrance sign removed. Originally walled off with the rest of the area, Bruce has been given a brief reprieve allowing guests to continue taking pictures with him for the time being. Captain Jake's Amity Boat Tours is officially no more. Over near E.T. the Universal Cartoon Store is now closed to become a new "immersive retail experience" for Spongebob Squarepants and his friends. Over in Islands of Adventure, some of the newer costumes of the Marvel characters can be seen in the wild. Permits leaked earlier last week detailing the demolition of this building and the red tent seen in the background. This space will likely be utilized by a/the major expansion project that will head this way from down the road. It had been the first time that I stayed in the park til close in quite some time, so it was nice to see Potter mostly empty for once. A walk-on this evening. Universal quietly announced to its team members earlier last month that it was investing in little things around the resort, including the addition of smoke coming from the chimneys in Hogsmeade. This resort-wide project also covered the recently updated lighting added to the AMC Theatre "bowl" at the front of CityWalk. I'll always admit, I'm a fan of the Wizarding World and its many aspects... But I truly am saddened by the casualties it has brought along the way. Jurassic Park still looks great as ever. The same goes for Dudley Do-Right, except for the fact that the exploding building at the bottom of the drop is not currently "exploding." Spiderman closes this week to undergo its final transformation into its updated form. Riding it now, you can already recognize the difference in quality between the new and old projectors. It still looks great, but I think the update is certainly a welcome one. It isn't often that you have the time to admire the ambient evening lighting here in Marvel Superhero Island. It is pretty spectacular. Time to phone... I mean, go home!

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/02/habit-heroes-exhibit-debuts-at-innoventions-at-epcot/

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/02/la-brea-bakery-cafe-to-expand-at-downtown-disney-district-at-the-disneyland-resort/ http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/02/new-disneyland-explorer-app-for-ipad-take-a-spin-around-the-happiest-app-on-earth/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-dR3F_L3c4 http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/02/lego-store-at-downtown-disney-district-at-disneyland-resort-prepares-for-changes/

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/02/400-children-in-germany-attend-disney-cruise-line-community-event/

http://www.facebook.com/AquaticaTexas Here is a great shot of Stingray Falls! This awesome family raft ride ends with a river ride through an underwater tunnel in Ke-Re Reef!

http://www.insideseaworld.com/electric-car-charging-stations-seaworld-san-diego

http://www.insideseaworld.com/sneak-peek-alert-discovery-coves-all-new-freshwater-oasis http://www.insideseaworld.com/seaworld-orlandos-turtletrek-webisode-no-2-dome-construction

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has sent us a press release regarding a special one-night-only offering they've planned for Valentine's Day. Busch Gardens has also sent us a press release announcing the birth of another reticulated giraffe at the park!

(Continued) New structure work has begun on the end of The Little Mermaid realm in preparation for the Scuttle's Scavenger Hunt section of the building. Work continues on Prince Eric's castle. An early sign piece has arrived, and while it isn't the final product, I believe this is the entrance to the restrooms, as pointed out in a blueprint of the complex. The brickwork on the Fantasyland Station (the official title of the new train station) is done. The newer Dumbo spinner is nearly complete and has been frequently testing since its installation. Dumbo's circus tent is also nearing completion. Over in Fantasyland, the portals blend in extremely well! This window is located next to Philharmagic. The game got a little backed up due to how many players were in rotation, but we never waited more than a few minutes for our turn at a portal. Each storyline has a few twists, including some villains who try to backstab Hades. SHARK! SHARK! SHARK!!! Merlin's lab is the location of another portal found in Fantasyland. The Barnstormer will be the ride's official title when it returns, though the Great Goofini story will be kept. The construction walls for New Fantasyland are encroaching on Fantasyland's territory. There won't be anything left of the old Skyway building soon enough. Thunder Mountain is currently undergoing a major refurbishment. Very clever! Work can be seen on the ride from the train. Should look great when it comes back! Lots of work being done here! A look at the train side of the Fantasyland Station. The Barnstormer's station has been completely updated with a new look. Over in Stitch's Great Escape, I noticed this little beauty sitting on a seat that was out of commission for the day. We're seizing the future...

So yesterday I had the chance to make it over to the Magic Kingdom to try out a test run of Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom, which is currently play testing on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, although it is expected to go into soft openings spanning the entire week starting next week until it is ready to debut officially. One major note to be considered before you read this photo report is that the game is currently running with certain aspects of the gameplay not yet enabled, including altered difficulty levels, game saves that continue after one day of play, the possibility of using defense spells against attacks from the villains, and possibly more that was not revealed to us during our day. I don't want to spoil story details because this game adds so many new layers of story to the Magic Kingdom, the discovery of such is all part of the appeal of the game. What I will say is that Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom is an incredible new offering for the park that will definitely give guests even more to do while at the park. Having played seven of the eight missions (not including the finale) offered so far, we spent a good six hours playing all of these straight through. But with the ability (when the game launches) to pick up where you left off on another day as well as the chance to collect (and eventually buy) new cards, there is a great deal of depth to the game that I think will make it a true success. Oh, and I filmed a video of the new Valentine's segment that was added to Magic, Memories & You! earlier this week! Enjoy! [coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=00000_e10a[/coastertube] The former firehouse shop has been replaced with the base and tutorial center for Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom. This is why we were here! The space is small, but with two registration desks and two tutorial booths, they move guests through very quickly. The center booth is purely for show but the two outside sections are training portals. The game requires very little technical knowledge (at least in the form we played). Each guest is supplied with five spell cards as well as a sorcerer key card. The key card stores your progress (presumably via RFID) and activates portals by running it against the keyhole at each station. Merlin is the main protagonist of the story, guiding you through each quest as they begin and end. Here were my cards for the day. Each guest can get five cards per day, using an active admission ticket that day. Since I was with a friend, we had ten cards total, and there were no duplicates between us. There are currently 70 cards in active circulation, although one of them is EXTREMELY rare and is quickly being pulled from the distribution when found. We were told that the number of cards is expected to increase down the road, with the option to buy new cards also being a strong possibility in the near future. Along with your cards, you are given a nifty little map that details all of the locations found within the game (so far). Our first mission was on Main Street USA. Main Street has one story, Adventureland has three, Frontierland/Liberty Square has two and Fantasyland has two. After completing all available missions, a final mission against Hades is available for play. Starting our mission on Main Street, we were led a new time board which hosts a portal. The total story of the game is that Hades is seeking to gain the pieces of Merlin's Crystal of the Magic Kingdom to take over. Teaming with villains he has found in his river of souls (meaning that all of the villains he works with have been dead), he orchestrates a plan to get exactly what he wants. Most of the original voices (including James Woods) returned to voice their respective characters, aside from the few that had passed away, as well as David Spade who did not return to voice Emperor Kuzco. After finishing each duel/challenge at a portal, you are directed to the next location you are meant to visit. Do you know where the portal is? Found it! Hidden camera? Main Street has some of the best-camoflagued portals in the park. Henchmen of the main villains are also included in the game, giving you an early chance to play around with some spells. Much of Main Street is under tarps for refurbishment. The blending of the portal is pretty unique here. Though it does make it a little harder to see the portal details. Another well disguised window. Spells can be performed using multiple cards at once, and while it doesn't currently affect the outcome of the game, it should matter when the full launch is in place. A second recruitment booth can be found in Liberty Square right behind the Christmas Shoppe. Some of the portals are loading with extra details, like this one found in Liberty Square. Some sections of the mission require the use of the back of your spell cards, or the Sorcerers Crest, as it is referred to in the game. Time to activate another portal! Some of the portal locations have received an engraved logo marking where players are meant to stand. Some of the locations still have the sticker in place instead. Frontierland is currently in the middle of a massive repaving project, forcing the Main Street Electrical Parade to go on hiatus for a short time. Some portals are hidden behind curtains to help blend them into their respective environments. Dr. Facilier is one of Liberty Square/Frontierland's villains. Found a neat little tribute to Disneyland... "The gateway to Nature's Wonderland!" Giving the multiple spells trick another try. One of the more low-key windows in Adventureland. Merlin can be found on land-specific attractions at the beginning of each mission. Here he is found on the Jungle Cruise and in Fantasyland you can see him in the Mad Tea Party Teacups. The portal at the tower near Pirates of the Caribbean worked quite well. We used the "Pink Elephants on Parade" spell to take out one of Scar's henchman hyenas. The portal in the Tortuga Tavern fireplace was also extremely well themed. Some new details have appeared in the Tortuga Tavern tying into the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Another Adventureland portal sits to the right of the Sunshine Tree Terrace (sadly, no Orange Bird to be found). The pathway between Haunted Mansion and the old Fantasyland Skyway building is beginning to be cleared. A large construction wall now blocks off the entire Skyway area. A new restroom building is expected to be built next to the new path, meant to replace the soon-to-close restrooms next to Peter Pan. The Fastpass line for Peter Pan is currently being worked on. Despite the removal of Dumbo and the expansion of the construction walls into Fantasyland, the space does look a lot more open with Dumbo now out of the way. The Castle Retaining Wall continues to receive new detail. Scaffolding is coming down around the Be Our Guest Restaurant as it draws closer to facade completion. Storybook Circus is expected to open around March with one of the two Dumbo spinners, the Fantasyland Station, the Casey Jr. Splash & Soak Station and The Barnstormer.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150496255793155.364785.28442453154&type=1

http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/news/ci_19860770?source=rss President of Clearwater Waterparks Development, Greg Briggs speaks Tuesday, during the groundbreaking ceremony for the 16,000 square ft. "Wave Pool" at Splash Kingdom Waterpark at Pharaoh's in Redlands, January 31, 2012. A rendering of the new 16,000 square ft. "Wave Pool" at Splash Kingdom Waterpark at Pharaoh's in Redlands, January 31, 2012. Clearwater Waterpark Development has taken over control of Splash Kingdom Waterpark and Adventure Park in Redlands and is looking to take Splash Kingdom to the next level with the new wave pool. A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the new 16,000 square ft. "Wave Pool" at Splash Kingdom Waterpark at Pharaoh's in Redlands, January 31, 2012. Clearwater Waterpark Development has taken over control of Splash Kingdom Waterpark and Adventure Park in Redlands and is looking to take Splash Kingdom to the next level with the new wave pool.

http://www.whitewaterwest.com/cgi/page.cgi?aid=223&_id=45&zine=show

Six Flags Great America has sent us a press release including tons of photos of today's milestone in the construction of X Flight.