jedimaster1227

[coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=Danny_Elfman_putf[/coastertube]

http://magical-moments.disneylandparis.co.uk/festival/programme-5/stunt-show-spectacular-featuring-lightning-mcqueen#more

LoopLover, if you could please provide a link in the first post as proper citation for the story. Aside from that, thank you for sharing this with us!

http://www.c-dh.net/articles/2011/03/02/top_stories/0001theme.txt

Herschend Family Entertainment has sent us a press release regarding their latest joint venture.

Merlin Entertainment has sent us a press release confirming their intentions to bring at least three of its key properties to Orlando within the next few years.

Legoland California has sent us an update regarding the latest progress on Star Wars Miniland!

I waited over five hours to ride Hollywood, Rip, Ride, Rockit! during its soft opening at Universal Orlando. Shame on me.

^^That's because it is generally true.

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/02/tangaroa-terrace-trader-sams-to-join-disneyland-hotel-this-spring/ Artist Rendering of the Tangaroa Terrace at the Disneyland Hotel

http://www.buschgardenstampablog.com/meet-cheetah-keeper And also courtesy of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, we have a video of construction on Cheetah Hunt!

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-seaworld-trainers-water-20110223,0,1956999.story

^ http://themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1003613#p1003613

^Is there a source to this story?

Ferrari World has sent us a press release regarding their latest milestone: 100 days of operation!

Busch Gardens Williamsburg has sent us a press release with lots of photos and video regarding their two-year expansion plans and progress on Mach Tower and Vanish Point. [coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=110218_Bignews_video_whak[/coastertube] Work is underway to complete the base of Mäch Tower℠, Busch Gardens’ newest and tallest ride. Once complete, the thrill ride will rise higher than any other attraction at the park, taking riders nearly 240 feet above Oktoberfest then dropping them at breathtaking speed. Mäch Tower, situated in the park’s Oktoberfest village, will open in late spring. This spring, guests will be welcomed to the updated Oktoberfest village with the aroma of freshly baked pretzels and the fun atmosphere of a new beer garden. The ground work for the pretzel shop and beer garden have been laid and the park’s culinary team is diligently working on the perfect pretzel recipe. Beste Brezeln und Bier, Oktoberfest’s new Bavarian-style pretzel bakery, begins to take shape. Once complete, the shop will serve hand-made pretzels and an assortment of specialty beers. caption: A construction worker guides a beam into place while constructing Beste Brezeln und Bier, Oktoberfest’s new Bavarian-style pretzel bakery. A crane guides the base of Mäch Tower℠ into position during the construction phase of Busch Gardens’ newest thrill ride scheduled to open in late spring. Mäch Tower℠ , along with a Bavarian-style pretzel bakery, games area and performance spaces will be part of the fresh new look of the park’s new Oktoberfest village. A construction worker guides the base of Mäch Tower℠ into place during the construction phase of Busch Gardens’ newest thrill ride. Upon completion, 30 riders will be lifted nearly 240 feet in the air then dropped at breathtaking speed. Mäch Tower℠ opens late spring. A construction worker inspects the base of Mäch Tower℠ during the construction phase of Busch Gardens’ newest thrill ride. Upon completion, 30 riders will be lifted nearly 240 feet in the air then dropped at breathtaking speed. Mäch Tower℠ opens late spring. Crews guide the base of Mäch Tower℠ into place during the construction phase of Busch Gardens’ newest thrill ride. After more than 30 years, Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Va., is updating the look and atmosphere of the iconic Oktoberfest area in 2011. Restaurants, games and performance areas that follow a traditional German Oktoberfest celebration await visitors next year. Guests can enjoy fresh-baked pretzels and a new beer garden set amid canopies of colored maypoles and festive banners that depict the rich heritage of Bavaria. As guests enter the Oktoberfest section of Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Va. next spring, they will see the massive spire known as Mäch Tower. The tallest ride in the park, Mäch Tower lifts up to 30 riders nearly 240 feet above Oktoberfest. After rotating at the top of the tower and getting a few seconds to take in the view, riders drop at breath-taking speed. State-of-the-art special effects including enhanced audio and other surprises will elevate Mäch Tower to new heights in ride design and engineering. This psychological thrill ride opens in spring of 2011. As guests enter the Oktoberfest section of Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Va. next spring, they will see the massive spire known as Mäch Tower. The tallest ride in the park, Mäch Tower lifts up to 30 riders nearly 240 feet above Oktoberfest. After rotating at the top of the tower and getting a few seconds to take in the view, riders drop at breath-taking speed. State-of-the-art special effects including enhanced audio and other surprises will elevate Mäch Tower to new heights in ride design and engineering. This psychological thrill ride opens in spring of 2011. Guests are in for the slide of their lives at epic new drop slide, Vanish Point at Water Country USA in Williamsburg, Va. Inspired by the point on a wave where water and gravity form a perfect partnership, this summit supplies two wicked-wet ways to drop out of sight. The crest of this 75-foot tower challenges guests with two wave paths. They can step into a skybox and take a plunge when the floor drops out beneath their feet, or they can get horizontal on a 300-foot speed slide that drops them straight down as soon as they enter. Either way, it’s pure liquid adrenaline. Construction teams are hard at work preparing for the addition of Vanish Point℠, Water Country USA’s epic new 75-foot slide tower featuring four new thrilling slides. Vanish Point will be dropping into Water Country USA this spring. The ground work has been laid for Water County USA’s newest ride, Vanish Point℠. The new slide will drop daring riders nearly 300 feet reaching speeds up to nearly 40 miles per hour. Construction crews work on the perimeter walls of Vanish Point℠, Water Country USA’s newest speed slide, scheduled to open this spring. Vanish Point℠ will feature a 75-foot-tall, four-slide tower with two different, thrilling ways to ride

You've waited, and now it's finally here! Check out the first post of this thread for complete video of construction tour, as well as an abbreviated version for those that are just looking for the facts! Enjoy!

Just a reminder: Mark Rose has answered your questions, and there are plenty more answers to come soon! http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=58222

(Continued) Considering this area has been basically off limits for the last few years, it is great to see some life in the old monorail station again. Something learned from the event: This was not Intamin's first project at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. They delivered Congo River Rapids, and assisted Busch Gardens in converting their monorail to an all-electric system. The front end of the station. And here is the start of the first launch! Why is this area going to be known as The Crossroads? According to Mark Rose, it serves as the crossroads to Egypt, the Edge of Africa and Morocco, taking influence from all areas to form a unique realm blended between the three. A look at Launch 2 from the station. It's time to go somewhere really special! But first, I give you launch fins! And another look at what will become Cheetah Rock! To get to the special area, we had to go down some steep stairs... Clearly off the beaten path, right? OOOH!!! *GASP* We are in the maintenance bay! It looks like you could hold all five trains in here (or at least four)! A look out of the other side reveals the transfer track. It looks so fresh! Just to say I could... *jaw drops* I don't know how else to say it. It all just looks so right! I can't wait to see people getting launched along this track! Detail work in Trench 1 is still under way. Anti-rollbacks are in place! I doubt I'll ever get this kind of view again... *sigh* Ditto. I do this only because I love you all. This just looks so great! SO GREAT! I'm touching Cheetah Hunt, because I still can! Have I mentioned how close they let us get to the ride? I love how well my camera works... Just throwing that out there. Looks like I've found my new profile picture! Cherishing the view... Over towards the Edge of Africa, this will be the last segment of track to be completed. So the over/under thing explained? The original version of the animated POV didn't properly represent the height of the Sky Ride's cables. The ride was always supposed to go over. Marketing decided that rather than change the video, they would keep the "over" part a secret until the ride was completed, to keep at least some part of the ride's layout as a surprise. True story. This just in: Cheetah Hunt will now hop over the left shoulder of this young man, pop out of his right shoulder, and the enter his neck flap. End of ride. It's going to go over, guys. Hear that everyone? OVER! This will eventually be the moat separating Cheetah Hunt and Cheetah Run. Yep. The Crossroad's BA factor just cranked up another ten notches. It's got a moat! I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried! Busch Gardens is really pulling out all of the stops with this expansion! Work on the entrance to the realm that will be The Crossroads is still under way. But it is definitely moving quickly! In a matter of weeks, the area has begun to transform, taking on a character of its own as theming is slowly unveiled. Another look at the station entrance and station for Cheetah Hunt. I'd say this section of the building holds a Moroccan influence. It'll be up to guests to discern which realm has influence each part of The Crossroads' lush environment. Nothing much has changed on this side. Or here... I'll be honest with you... I've always wanted a copy of Maverick in Florida. Now, I don't need one! Cheetah Hunt really has changed the landscape of the park! Work should resume on the dive out of the tower element very soon! In related news, Cheetah Chase is still known as Cheetah Chase. No changes have been made yet to indicate the ride's supposed new name as Sand Serpent. In unrelated news, Montu is currently closed. And to close, a panoramic of the Nairobi Gate's skyline with Cheetah Hunt and Cheetah Run in the background.

So today we were invited to take part in a special media hard hat tour for Cheetah Hunt. Led by Mark Rose, VP of Design and Engineering at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, we were able to see a side (or several) of Cheetah Hunt that had not been seen by the public eye before, and some that won't likely be seen again--at least as close as we were! You submitted your questions, almost all of them (plus many that you guys didn't ask) were answered during the course of the tour. Rather than type up the individual responses to each question, I figured I'd just show you! Here is the abbreviated version of the video from the tour, for those that are looking for just the specifics... [coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=CH_Short_Proper_1_gox2[/coastertube] And here are parts 1 and 2 of the longer, complete video of the tour. [coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=CH_Part_1_Proper_3cjm[/coastertube] [coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=CH_Part_2_1nl9[/coastertube] Read through the following trip report to see some of your answers in print, and make sure to watch the video (to be posted later tonight) for a good deal more! We start out this trip report with a look at our spiffy hard hats. See? Tons of spiff going on here. We started our tour by entering through the Egypt Gate, somewhere I hadn't entered thru before (the Nairobi Gate and the main gate have already been traversed). Here we go! We started on the side of the former Clydesdale barn, soon to be the home of 14 cheetahs as a part of Cheetah Run. Once again, we were fortunate enough to be led by Mark Rose, the VP of Design and Engineering at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Quite an accomplishment! Looks a little different in here, but much of the building's main infrastructure remains the same. What was once home to Clydesdale pens will now be "hotel rooms" for the cheetahs. Walking out of Cheetah Run, we enter the area that will become the park's new realm (or land), known as The Crossroads. Theming mockups have been developed on the side of the construction site, giving a better idea of what kind of architectural influences will be found in The Crossroads. Track work is expected to be completed within the next two weeks, starting with the plunge off of the tower, and finishing with the final piece over the Skyride. Yes, I said OVER the Skyride. We are currently standing in the area that will host the Cheetah Run. A unique mechanism has been developed to transport a lure from end to end of the area, giving the cheetahs a reason to run, seemingly racing the coaster as it goes through the second launch. The thematic elements that wrap around the first launch are starting to take final shape. The designers behind Cheetah Hunt's theming have hidden little references in the architecture. For example, the eye in this archway is meant to look Egyptian, but also features the distinct outline and black tone of the eye of a cheetah. You asked, and Mark answered! Following the completion of track work, the zero car and the first car of the train will undergo a pull-through of the entire track, testing the reach envelope and ensuring that the train can properly navigate the track. Another look at the Egyptian-influenced archway. Think of it as Busch Garden's take on the "Hidden Mickey." Guests will be surprised at every turn, and the theming has been placed to intentionally distract the guests from drawing expectations of the experience before they ride. These cheetah homes will have operational doors that can be used to corral the cheetahs into a different pen for cleaning, or out into Cheetah Run for some exercise. Not sure if we'll be able to stand here again once the ride opens... Each pen has its own entrance/exit for the cheetah residents. Here's the dive into Trench 1. Mark Rose told us of the intention for the ride to shock guests in how it would "disappear" throughout it journey across the park. The trenches are a major part of that intentions' concept becoming a reality. Early additions to the area surrounding the bridge over Trench 1 provide further insight into the theming yet to come. This was merely cinderblock a few weeks ago... Launch 2 is lengthy, but is expected to take riders by surprise by giving them an even greater burst of speed than the launch out of the station. Work on the arch over the second launch is well under way. Another look at the dive into Trench 1. The main entrance to the Crown Colony House is boarded up. It appears that nothing has been done to reform said entrance as was previously speculated. Go Gators! Here is what will be the entrance to Cheetah Hunt when completed. A sculptor works to finish the "driftwood cheetah" treasured by the natives of The Crossroads. Details in the works. There will be a specific line for Quick Queue when completed. The Sky Ride entrance will also be relocated when construction is completed. Time to go in! This stairway was added to the old monorail building in preparation of Cheetah Hunt's arrival. There is still much work to do in the queue area, but much of the old building's features have been preserved during the construction. One of the ride's supports runs down into the base of the building. Most of it looks the same as it did back when it was still the monorail station. "Here is our Cheetah Rock." Not kidding. This was stated. There is actually a backstory to this rock, fit to the rest of the overall story of The Crossroads. Here we are at the station. The ride, although produced by Intamin, will feature air gates produced by Mack Rides. A themed window in the works. You really can tell just in speaking to him, Mark Rose loves his job! Here's a look at the final turn into the station. The station needed to be lengthy to accommodate the five trains (each holding 16 riders) that will run along its course. One of the three ride control booths, this one is joined by an additional one near the Skyway station and another near the third launch in Rhino Rally Canyon. I can't wait to see what the station looks like when completed! Some kind of additional theming work going on here.

^Sorry to say that no further questions can be accepted, as the tour has already happened! I'll be posting my report very soon, so look out for the answers to many of the questions posted here, in additional to several you wouldn't have even thought of!

(Continued) I'd be curious to see what changes will have been made to Dine with Shamu by the time it reopens. Time for some Larry love! Another one for the index... The sun sets on the old stadium. Gone are the days of water skiing and boat shows here... But I'll take Huey Lewis over all of that on any day of the week! The Beer Garden... An eden beyond my reach for now. Some of the tree lights from the Christmas Celebration were still up and active during the event. Although other vendors had booths, SeaWorld represented itself with its signature BBQ. The spare ribs are always incredible! Look at that mic stand! That's rocking harder that Hard Rock Park! Worth a shot. Anyone remember when Chicken & Biscuit used to be here? Voyager's Snacks now sells Chipstix, a growing fad in the industry. A cool little machine takes a whole potato, cuts it into a spiral on a stick, and then fries the chips to perfection. Good stuff! I couldn't resist! Haven't been back in this corner of the park in a while... Feels kind of eerie at the end of the night. SeaWorld has always done right by their stingray exhibits. Bring back the conch fritters! One more try at this shot...

It may be a little known fact, but besides coasters, theme parks and fraternity life, I am really into local "foodie" type events, and do my best to give them a try whenever I can. That being said, I'm also a huge fan of Huey Lewis and the News, and have been tracking down the band for nearly three years in an attempt to see them live. So when I found out that this year's Bands, Brew & BBQ concert series at SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay would be featuring the famed Back to the Future band, I couldn't resist. So without further ado sit back, relax and enjoy the photos of me eating, Huey singing and SeaWorld Orlando being awesome as ever! Oh, and enjoy the video! [coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=Huey_bvae[/coastertube] We started our day sitting on the grass in the special events section of the park. The first of several booths offering foods to buy was the Texas Catering Company. From them we sampled fried gator, sauteed mushrooms and parmesan garlic fries, all of which were amazing! Here are the delicious fries... About an hour before the concert, the Atlantis Bayside Stadium still had plenty of seating, although this would quickly change. SeaWorld has managed to maintain the same special events area used for the Halloween Spooktacular, the Christmas Celebration and Viva La Musica, only slightly redressing the booths and sets to match the appropriate event's respective color scheme. Wondering where @Shamu went? He's doing the Shamu Shuffle at Bands, Brew & BBQ! The Texas Catering Company's booth wasn't ever too busy, but it was definitely my favorite of the event's offerings. You can see more of the fries here in addition to the sauteed mushrooms. It was all so good! This guy is clearly getting ready to serve me! As the start time for the concert neared, we decided to hit another vendor's booth before grabbing seats in the stadium. Pictured here are the smokehouse wings and the rib & pulled pork sampler platter, both from Smokey Bones BBQ. "What? You wanna try and dethrone me? I was in Back to the Future sir!" Here's the token harmonica point backed up by the saxophone sass! The water jets used for Reflections were also used in sync with the live performance, giving the venue an even nicer backdrop. Jazz solo! Let's dance! I'm telling you folks, Huey Lewis has still got it! He sounds just as good today as he does on record, and the band is no farther behind. This is a theme park trip report, right? It's all for you friends. A nice panoramic, just cause. Something that came as a big surprise to me was that the band has a tradition of performing acapella for a portion of each concert... And they sounded great! Here they are singing "It's All Right." It seems I'm not the only major fan here! In fact, there wasn't an empty seat in the house, so I think the band's still doing quite well. It can't be over yet! Nope! The band gave a great encore with an additional set of four more songs! You sir, are my idol! I bow to your will! Huey has some serious harmonica skills... Then they did backflips... And landed them gracefully. Ok, that didn't really happen. I'm excited to have finally seen Huey Lewis and the News after all these years! Thanks SeaWorld Orlando! Back over in the special events area, it was time for round three of food... But what to get? This is a seriously mean machine... Riding atop a lawn mower. You stay classy, Shock Top! Sounds good... Looks really good... They also had corn on the cob with a jalapeno butter! We weren't really feeling dessert at the time, but if we were, this stand would have been ours. The food booths were pretty busy after the concert, so we decided to make a quick lap around the park before It wouldn't be a special event without merchandise... The shirt features a really hip design for those interested in that kind of thing. I for one was tempted. Another stand offered beef jerky and buffalo chili. Plus, most of the stands could set you up with the Craft Brew Sampler--something clearly made for Derek. I'm gunna go out on a ledge here and say that this is Derek approved. After the concert, the small stage remained open with several different cover bands playing a wide variety of hits. Just a great environment to enjoy! Feeling the beat at Bands, Brew & BBQ... Here's the selection of brands offered in the new Beer Garden. I'd like to believe I'm all of those things. I am bands. I am brew. I am BBQ. Which do I like better? Huey Lewis or Blue Man Group? Take an educated guess! *wink* Das schurke!!! Careful! He may interrupt an important speech about survival by dragging the speaker into the depths... Or he could just go back on the hat rack. Hopefully someone gets my obscure movie reference.

^We'll have more photos tomorrow from our coverage of the construction tour as well!