jedimaster1227

This was just posted to the site's photo gallery as well: http://www.visitkingsisland.com/public/park/mud/index.cfm

NEWS: Blackstone to sell its stake in Universal Orlando Update: Sale of Universal Orlando closes for $1.025 billion http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-blackstone-offers-sell-universal-s20110316,0,5366092.story

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has sent us a press release and photos about the completion of Cheetah Hunt's trackwork!

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/03/japan-earthquake-update-march-15/

^I think Time Warp could apply... And they already own the name!

^We have a insane rumors thread for that kind of talk...

^That was first thought when I saw the first hints at Dinosaurs... I really hope it isn't as minor as that.

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/03/pirates-of-the-caribbean-on-stranger-tides-sneak-peek-coming-soon-to-disneyland-park/

(Continued) Did this last year--twas very fun! Always so photogenic... Another new addition was Bobo the Clown. Bobo was a barker that had a great talent for edging on guests. He did get dunked once during our pass, but he quickly got back up and went at it again. A good ol' fashioned Scrambler. A full sized wave swinger was also on the fair grounds this year. And the Zipper is still here... And I still haven't ridden it. Is this Cypress Gardens' old Power Surge? Looks familiar! Could it be? It's a traveling fair version of Coney Island's Shoot the Freak! And Avalanche is still here as well! It was running a lot smoother than last year. Also new this year was an animal stable. We got cows! This remains to be one of the few Pinfari's I've ever ridden. It seems to be keeping the guests thrilled... Looks nice... I feel like I'm in Aurora, Ohio. DEEP. FRIED. CHEESECAKE. It's like a cheesecake burrito! And it wouldn't be a fair without ribbon fries! *drools* On our way out... I didn't get to point this out to you last year, but it isn't a visit to the Florida Strawberry Festival without a stop at Parkesdale Groves for some strawberry merch! And if you North Americans want something you see here, give 'em a call and they'll deliver! It's like a theme park for foodies! We bought five. "7 or 8" So... Many... Strawberries... I feel like I just walked into the scrolls of Torah lore. Way nicer than Richter's Burgers, except for the lack of Freestyle Coke machines. Hotter or cooler than Robb's wing sauce? The attraction marquee. In case you were wondering where we were... I found the Strawberry Shortcake Matterhorn! Farewell to... Strawberry Country!

Some of you may have seen last year's trip report from the Strawberry Festival, but if you haven't, it can be seen here: http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=54403 This year, my family decided to go back to the Florida Strawberry Festival for my mother's birthday. This year's festival features a mostly-unchanged lineup of rides, but several new food carts and exhibits that changed the pace a little bit. The first of many strawberry booths at the festival... Hiya Dan! Our entertainment for day... Nothing but easy jokes here! Have I mentioned enough in my time on TPR that I love fried foods? Apparently this delicacy has been featured on several food shows before. In favor of my arteries, I passed--though it was extremely tempting! Some of the most insane burgers I've ever heard of. Give me a moment, please. This is a whole new level of ridiculous. And that about sums it up. This would be our first food stand of the day. We had to give this a try! Delicious! We also tried the fried veggies (mushrooms, zuccini and yellow squash)... And of course, the latest IAAPA-inspired trend, Chipstix! I love Chipstix! Although I wasn't yet in the mood for dessert, one stand offered chocolate covered Key Lime pie on a stick! Something else that was new to the festival (or at least something we missed last year) was the Racing Pigs... It was exactly like it sounds, and awesome at that! Again, not ready for dessert, but mighty-tempted! One corner of the rides area wasn't too busy in the morning. A mini wave swinger for the kiddies... Here's where things start to look familiar. Reminds me of a certain past TPR update... A mini whip themed to Nascar! This guy's making a bloomin' onion for us! Sooo good! Arguably Plant City's biggest event of the year has a fairground dedicated just for it! A new mascot has arrived... They even had a Strawberry Farm in the middle of the festival grounds! Don't we all? Lose anything? I found a new credit! Go Gators! And believe it or not, the longest line for anything in the festival was this. We bought fourteen of these. No joke! And of course, we couldn't forget about the deliciously sweet strawberry onions! Are you seeing this Andrew?!?! STRAWBERRY DOLE WHIP!!!! Anyone want some fresh taffy? Reminds me of a fair in Valencia, CA. Authorized? Probably not. Fun? Probably! Pirates of the Columbian Caribbean. Authorized and delicious. Welcome to Paradise! Mini-Himalaya. It's a credit! Is this a valid Index photo, Larry? Traveling fair drop towers are always such fun! It's like Busch Gardens Tampa Bay's Sandstorm, only much faster! I didn't get this credit last year, as the car had stalled on the track. I didn't bother this time around, because I didn't want to be in the car that got stuck on the track. Pass!

Tokyo Disneyland is currently closed for an undetermined amount of time due to the rolling blackouts and reduced power supply in the area. http://www.tokyodisneyresort.co.jp/en/index.html

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/the-daily-disney/os-disney-worker-dies-20110314,0,5316565.story

I got to the park at around 2:00 pm and left around 6:00 pm. I think that is a new item on the menu, but considering the location is only open for seasonal operation, I've seen a new menu each time the place has reopened. Yes, the boat has been removed. The Magic, Memories and You! starts approximately 14 minutes before Wishes and finishes a minute or so before the fireworks show starts. Both are still shown at night.

^Is this run officially through Six Flags or is this an unofficial organization?

Lightwater Valley has sent us a press release about the upcoming opening of the new Skeleton Cove area.

The Gravity Group has posted a set of photos updating us on the latest progress with the construction of the Wooden Warrior! The outbound run of the coaster (left) has a fun burst of airtime before diving into a tunneled banked turn. You shoot out of the tunnel (right) into another fun airtime hill. (photo courtesy of Mountain) This photo looks back on an airtime hill from the outbound run (right) and a stretch of bunny hops (left) that are on the return run. (photo courtesy of Mountain) "We stitched a couple photos from the tunneled turnaround together to give you an idea of the fun level of banking that will be happening in this soon-to-be dark tunnel. (photo courtesy of Mountain)" The sign is up on the Wooden Warrior's structure. Are you ready to ride? (photo courtesy of Eric Anderson / Quassy Amusement Park)

The Gravity Group has posted two new photos of the construction of the High Five element on the Wuhan racing coasters. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?fbid=501344374027&id=45279469027&aid=280817

I had a chance to briefly visit SeaWorld Orlando today, and despite a busy day, I was able to find a few new changes of note for the park. Set design changes are currently underway for Shamu Stadium. The trainer at the beginning of Believe now makes note of the eventual introduction of One Ocean, giving guests a little bit of a description of why the current set is unfinished. Work on the installation of the emergency lift system has begun in the right whale tank. Once testing of the installed system is complete, similar systems will be put into the other tanks as well. The screens were not in motion today, likely because of the set changes in progress. These are new... In other news, Journey to Atlantis is testing new, individual lap bars on select cars. While a little tighter on the body, the individual bars seem to fit well and make the ride seem a little more secure. The seats have been modified slightly to accommodate for the new lap bars... Definitely a positive change for the ride! One last look at the new lap bars on Journey to Atlantis.

Jake, you are allowed to do a super-in-depth review if you'd like. I'm sure it'll be great to hear your thoughts after riding it so many times today!

http://www.wnyc.org/blogs/wnyc-news-blog/2011/mar/08/coney-island-mainstays-stick-around-one-more-summer/

^Tony Hawk's Big Spin.

Legoland Florida has released its operating schedule for November and December of 2011. http://florida.legoland.com/Documents/pdf/LLFOperatingSchedule.pdf

(Continued) Historical accuracy can be funny! A map of the island... It can be explored entirely in less than 20 minutes. Is this a real windmill? Didn't see much... Thanks for the over-hype Tom! Enjoying the view... Where are the pirate animatronics? Are we at Knoebels? I was distinctly disappointed by the lack of Injun Joe. At the top of the hill is a unique play structure for the kiddies. I didn't read much Twain, but I'll always remember this. Aunt Polly's wasn't open today. Here is the new interactive queue area for The Haunted Mansion. It looks like a mausoleum has been built... The bridge to Fort Clemens is currently being refurbished, but it is still open. They've managed the extend the queue quite a bit! Hey California! This one's open! It was cool to see a few animated figures in the fort as well! Several more animated figures! There's also a sketchy escape tunnel... Sketchy. You can't help but admire the view of Big Thunder Mountain. Hijinks ensued. Back on the mainland, there was a pirate camp in progress. El Pirata y Perico was recently renamed as Tortuga Tavern to better match the renewed Pirates brand. And it received a new entrance sign to help let guests know. Pirate Goofy was out in the Pirates queue meeting guests. And Jack Sparrow was doing his "pirate academy" show on the Adventureland stage. The Enchanted Tiki Room is still closed for refurbishment following the fire. A few weeks ago, the pre-show animatronics were pulled out of the coop. No word yet if they've returned. The re-opening date has been pushed back several times, but the show is expected to return by the end of March. In the meantime the entrance plaza for the show is pretty dead. The Adventureland entrance bridge is being rebuilt, so a temporary bridge has been built to the side of the Adventureland Veranda. Now that Toontown is closed, the Disney Princesses are meeting in the Adventureland Veranda. The inside looks a bit scrabbled, but it gets the job done. Club 626 has returned to the Supersonic Celebration stage for Spring Break. The DJ's booth is LED-lit, and pulses to the music. Stitch is out in the stage plaza meeting and dancing with guests. While no terribly busy, the guests involved seemed to be having a great time. A decent crowd considering the stage would otherwise be out of use at the moment. A fun little detail from the Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover. No more houses left! Widespread construction in the area should start soon. The back path to Toontown has also been blocked off. For the Spring Break rush, the Tomorrowland Terrace is open again. A nice sight to see! 1/2 of the menu... And the other half. The Town Square Theater is looking good! I can't wait to see the building lit up at night!

So I stopped by the Magic Kingdom with some friends for the first time in a while, surprised to see that many things have changed since my last visit (which really wasn't too long ago). Fantasyland's expansion is now well underway, with major wall work going on for both Belle's Village area and The Little Mermaid. Mickey's ToonTown Fair has officially closed for good, and while the main circus tent will be retained for the new area and The Barnstormer will be rethemed, the new realm that will become the Storybook Circus is also undergoing heavy work. Mickey and Minnie's homes have already been demolished, and the entire area has been walled off to minimize the view of the construction. Also in effect is a series of minor adjustments to many of the park's attractions, buildings and lands. During the Spring Break rush, Club 626 has been brought back at the former Stitch's Supersonic Celebration stage/plaza, playing current and classic pop music with a live DJ plus space-suited Chip and Dale and of course, Stitch. The Tomorrowland Speedway is undergoing a slight lane-by-lane refurbishment to move the final turn into the station more tight, freeing up a little more space for the area that will soon host the dueling Dumbos. Permits have been filed for the demolition of the Fantasyland Skyway building, set to be knocked down later this year. The purpose of this change is rumored to be related to the next-gen efforts to modify the ever-popular Peter Pan and its queue, to encompass the space currently used by the Fantasyland/Liberty Square transition restrooms, eventually becoming additional queuing space for the ride. And the most publicized change comes in the form of the recent modifications to The Haunted Mansion and its queue. A new interactive section of the queue is being prepared to open soon, elaborating on the story and the characters hinted and largely referenced within the rest of the ride's canon. Inside, the ride's finale has been altered to feature new projections of the hitchhiking ghosts. Projection screens cover the portal where the three animatronics used to sit, as well as over the mirrors that previously displayed the figures hovering along with riders as they were followed towards the exit. The change is rumored to be simply temporary while the famous animatronics are refurbished and/or overhauled. Despite the negative publicity behind the change, I noted that it wasn't really that bad (though the people with me disagreed) and for something that is likely temporary, the quality of the projections isn't cheap or cheesy. Here is a video from the changes to the Hitchhiking Ghosts. [coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=MAH01552_hohg[/coastertube] And although I didn't record this tonight, I was saving it for my new Disney trip report, so here's a look at the new castle projection show, The Magic, Memories and You! [coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=00000_cmk4[/coastertube] Sooo good! The new promotional campaign is in full swing, and I like it! Over in Mainstreet, final work is underway to prepare the new Town Square Theater (formerly the Exposition Hall) for its new Meet & Greet experience). The new marquee was installed this week. Mainstreet is undergoing a general refurbishment, with the most current work surrounding the Confectionary. Take the tunnel! In the Haunted Mansion queue, the new interactive area is gearing up for an eventual opening. The new area sports a red canopy that contrasts the rest of the queue's standard green cover. The entrance (and presumably the exit) to the new queue will be under the left arch. The walls blocking off the area have a door and lock, indicating the possibility of soft openings in the future. See? Now for some classic observational photos... Nothing new. Just fun. Is this Haunted Room actually stretching? Or is it your imagination? Nope... It's actually stretching. Spring Break was in full effect... This was the sight directly outside of the stretching room. In the last major refurbishment of the ride, these nifty little blinkers were added to blend in with the wallpaper. I love 'em! The stairway scene is still extremely impressive! Leota still floats around, although her rainbow hair seems to have been toned down. And the ballroom scene looks great as ever! As does the graveyard! Some sort of work is going on with the "servant's quarters," a pass-through hallway typically used to take handicapped guests into the most accessible entry point for the ride. Oh Toad... Never noticed these walls at the Fantasyland Skyway building before... Say goodbye while you can. Work on the Beauty and the Beast section of the Fantasyland Expansion is well underway. Snow White's Scary Adventures will soon close down to be gutted and turned into a Disney Princess meet and greet. The Little Mermaid is also building up quickly. In the new interactive queue for Winnie the Pooh, Tigger's bounce area is still closed. The former entrance to Mickey's Toontown Fair has been walled off. The images adorning the wall tease at what is to come, but there is no guarantee that anything shown here will be present at the opening of the Storybook Circus, as the specific details for the area have not yet been announced. The Great Goofini has been confirmed, and is actually a rethemed version of The Barnstormer. It should be interesting to see how things progress through 2012. The sign for the former land still remains. The theming for The Barnstormer is also still in place. How much of the ride's station or queue will be retained is still to be announced. The Tomorrowland Speedway's Toontown turnaround is being taken in to provide for some extra Storybook Circus wiggle room. How long will we be able to see this still standing? Farewell Toontown! The Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor continues to get better as the show's system is more customized and the actors become more comfortable in their roles. It really has become a popular attraction in Tomorrowland! The sticker is much better than the banner that was hung here during the first year of the Laugh Floor's operation. Ok, so Tom Sawyer Island isn't new per se, but it is new to me. Believe it or not, before today I had never been on Tom Sawyer Island at the Magic Kingdom. I'm about to experience my last "first time" attraction to be offered at the Magic Kingdom. My brain 'sploded. You can probably figure out the joke. The Island gives a nice view of Frontierland! All of it, actually! "Welcome home! You've arrived!" (Someone please grab this reference!)

^^Are you telling me to chew I305? Having not ridden (either) Intimidator yet, I can't place my opinion on either, but I think it is great that both coasters are receiving as much support as they are... Not that an internet poll is the deciding factor when it comes to building new coasters, but having such positive reception surrounding such major investments certainly can't hurt when it comes to other parks considering taking a leap of faith into the larger coaster ballpark.