jedimaster1227

^^^My guess: GCI wouldn't touch this monster with a 200 ft pole. And I guess for me, this ride just doesn't scream "save me" like some others I've ridden. I've had nothing but great experiences on GCI's (save for Gwazi and Roar at Six Flags America) and think of their rides on with the highest regard. After experience the amazing work they did to make Lake Compounce's Boulder Dash the ride it is, I gained quite a bit of trust in their retracking ability, but I have to wonder where the limit is as to what ride should be retracked in a way similar to that of Boulder Dash. The only ride that I've been on recently that I could see really triumphing with such a refurbishment would be Alabama Adventure's Rampage. That ride seriously kicks butt (really, it punched the wind out of me twenty-five times in a row during the Deep South trip\0, but was fun regardless. I remember even turning to a couple of people that went on the East Coast trip the year previous and they agreed that this ride had the potential to be amazing with a little Dash-style rework by GCI. Son of Beast, while lengthy and quite fast in speed, really lacks any significant features that make it interesting to date. Now that the loop is gone, the commodity really lays with the "rose bowl" elements and maybe the first drop. Besides that, there isn't really much else to experience with the ride. I'd really rather see the Beast get retracked if I had to choose one of the two, because that ride was (as far as I remember) far more interesting, fun and exciting than Son of Beast, even when it had the loop. As much as I loved Son of Beast the one time I rode it back in 2004, I have to assume that without the loop and with the major deterioration of the coaster experience (in terms of roughness, also attributed to the new trains), there isn't much life left in this child. I truly am glad I haven't ridden it since 2004, as I'm sure I wouldn't enjoy it nearly as much as I did, but then again, I am certainly saddened to see what has become of this ride.

^According to Screamscape, you will be able to buy the video, but it will play a default song in your video, supposedly by The Crystal Method.

^Was posting information off of wikipedia that we already knew really worth bumping a two year old thread?

Rockwork has begun to take shape around the Potter box as of yesterday. Over at the Nassal lot, more facade pieces are being prepared for transport to Universal in the coming months. Needless to say, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is rapidly picking up pace. Good to see this going strong... On the River Adventure side, we have just a little bit of work. The Dueling Dragons side of the box has plenty of work going on around it.

Well today was the first day of general public testing (team member previews have been going on over the last week or so) and I had a chance to finally ride Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit. The experience itself was not anything like I expected, but the ride was fun. I wouldn't call it groundbreaking, nor would I compare it to my newly crowned favorite, Manta, but the ride is certainly a good addition to the park. I got to the park at about 4:00 pm (though I had been there earlier that morning in hopes of an early run) and was quickly told by several team members that I had seen earlier that the ride would hopefully open to the public at 6:00 pm. Team previews were ongoing by the time of my arrival and those finished at about 5:30 pm. The wooden walls blocking the entrance remained tightly closed but were surrounded by barricades, indicating the slightest chance of an opening. Two costumed team members arrived around the same time I did, only to find that the construction wall was surrounded by a sizable crowd insistent to ride the ride after hearing the rumor about a 6:00 pm opening. For nearly an hour, the team members could only tell us that they could neither confirm nor deny the rumors, waiting nearly an hour before telling us that the ride itself would not open for us. The team member on the loudspeaker urged guests to go experience the other attractions, but very few left. Within a half an hour, the crowd had nearly doubled in size as did the number of team members and present security. Leads began to come in and more evidence of a possible opening began to surface. The metal barricades were slowly rearranged to create a narrow line, which a team member could only tell me was the "hypothetical entrance" in the event of a soft opening. As the barricades were placed, a rush of guests moved to the stage side of the Bowl, creating a makeshift line. I grabbed my place, meeting up with some friends (pictured in the on-ride photo) and waited patiently for an opening. The wooden doors of the wall were finally opened (and nailed into place) and soon after, guests were allowed (in staggered groups) into the entrance plaza of the attraction. Before we were given entry, we were warned that everything in our pockets had to be stored in a locker. The lockers were free, so it wasn't too big of an issue--we rushed over and grabbed a space and moved back into the line. Once inside of the queue we moved along quickly, bypassing the huge extended queue that would be filled within the next hour. We waited for about fifteen minutes in the queue as the two-train operation continued to chug along (though they were supposedly adding a third train as we left the park) before we took our seats. Sitting in the second row, I was able to get a good view of the action while noting that the seats are slightly tiered, providing a better view as you move farther back in the train. At least for this preview, choosing seats was not an option except when waiting for the front row. The moving platforms were not actively moving, but it didn't seem necessary considering the fact that riders were loaded at the front of the station. This was my first time in an X-Car, so I wasn't sure what to expect. The ride's waist harness/restraint was incredibly heavy and took a good effort to get in place and seemed to lock me into the point of little breathing room, but I was comfortable otherwise. Embedded in the restraint is a tiny touch screen panel allowing you to choose your song, first by genre and then by specific title and artist. Again, I'll let it be known that I'm not a huge fan of putting slow songs on a fast-moving roller coaster, but I figured I'd let it go. Having always dreamed of a coaster with some Daft Punk music to it, I had to go with Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger (though I feel that there are far better songs in the band's catalog that could have fit, like Aerodynamic, Digital Love, Crescendolls, Superheroes or even One More Time). Once the lift starts, the music goes along, playing like a regular track--the song wasn't edited (at least, not that I could tell) to run on the ride, meaning that it played from start to finish like it would on your iPod. The vertical lift is surprisingly fast, which is nice considering that there really isn't anything to look at besides the rings (though there are some lights attached to the lift that may give the night rides a little more glow). Over the top of the lift, you enter the drop which was surprisingly "nothing." I expected plenty of airtime off of this plummet, but got none. It was like nothing happened from the lift to the bottom of the non-inverting loop, which led my friend Matt and me looking at each other completely confused. The non-inverting loop was an interesting element, though seemingly forceless for me. I did get some strange airtime at the top of the turnout of the loop, but it wasn't much. Moving back into the loop and out again, the train flies back up into a set of brakes, launching you out of your seat for a few milliseconds. Through the brake, you exit again without any air on the descent, hitting the treble clef with a bust-thru of the Ghostbusters firehouse (where the photo is taken). The treble clef was definitely the most forceful element in the ride, and gave the ride a little more bite. Out and into one more brake run, we move into a series of swooping motions behind the Bowl, leading into the "crowd surfer" which provides a fast fling sideways (a perfect "95 degrees!" moment). Once outside of the park's limits, the Citywalk section provides a simple but fun series of swoops into the terrain and an inclined helix (which is forceful as well). From there you get a few more sweeping motions and then the brakes into the station. The ride, though large, flies by all too quickly. The ride does seem to be suffering from a good amount of rattle, but I would by no means call it rough. Overall, the experience is a good one and is family friendly. I have some issues with the song choices, but the quality of the sound and the commodity of the multiple choices certainly give some additional appeal. Universal Orlando has a good new coaster for its lineup, though it isn't an intense beast like Dueling Dragons or the newly opened Manta. Edit: Fluffy fluffy bunnies equal lockable compartments. That darn word filter... And to close, the onride photo from our first time on Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit! "Bonus helix!" "Whee!" Prepare for the air! A cloud shot to darken the mood... Just in case you weren't sure, this is a technical rehearsal. The only thing that didn't seem to be functioning was the moving platform in the station. Thats pretty good for the first soft opening... More sun shots. The money shot. Universal has borrowed the Georgia Aquarium's idea of a "fondle tank" and has broken the record. This queue is the world's largest human "fondle tank." Don't you feel special when inside of it? More screens to oogle... I'm sure we'll see lots of this shot in the coming weeks... Nifty little LED screens line the outdoor queue area to entertain the guests while giving them information about their upcoming ride experience. Time for some Park Index love! I'm fairly proud of this photo... It looks so peaceful... See? Survey! I was asked to take a survey following my ride... "Your souls are mine!" And away! Up! Up! And a really good view of the lift. The ride's exit provides a great view of the ride's largest features... You can preview your photos in extra long, landscape and "screen." They were innovative with their delivery on this one. Onride videos and DVDs weren't sold today, but photos were flying off of the shelf like seats on Cliffhanger... Oh, wait... Good spots in line make me happy. Forgetting to shave doesn't. The crowds begin to grow. "We can neither confirm nor deny that this ride may or may not open at 6:00 pm today after Team Member previews are over..." Down we go! Do we feel it? Nobody knows! "95 degrees!!!" Up into run #1... Prepare for lots of sun-coverage in today's report... Welcome to Universal Orlando! Say hello to my giant banner-less tower!

^Maybe that was intentional...

I guess I just really enjoyed certain rides over others, so I'm sure my list (including the coasters I have ridden) will surprise a few of you. 1. Great Bear 2. Talon 3. Montu 4. Dueling Dragons (Fire) 5. Top Gun/Afterburner (Carowinds) 6. Dueling Dragons (Ice) 7. Batman (Six Flags over Georgia) 8. Alpengeist 9. Batman (Six Flags Great Adventure)

I don't believe anything has been officially confirmed on the newest Alton Towers addition. I wouldn't consider anything official until a press release or announcement has been put out about the ride. As for the poll, I don't really see its purpose, but I can tell you that there isn't the slightest chance that Togo would be making it, considering Togo has been out of business for quite some time. I'm not really sure if you meant to include Zierer in your list, but you listed Zierra... Not a clue who that is.

Freestyle Music Park has begun its latest discount ticketing campaign, known as Countdown to Lockdown. The picture (I can't seem to grab it) shows an older lady, presumably a teacher in front of a clock that is labled "Back to School." The deal itself is one day admission for the price of $19.99 coupled with buy one, get one free offer when purchasing that ticket. The catch once again is that the ticket must be purchased before 4:00 pm. So pricing for tickets purchased in pairs before 4:00 pm now comes out to about $10 a head. The deal can be found here: http://freestylemusicpark.com/plan/tickets

^^I was just testing you... And you passed! ^We can roll with that answer if you'd like... I don't really know how I made that kind of slip--maybe wishful thinking... I guess thats what sitting in front of a computer screen for over eight hours will do to you.

My list includes the following: Boulder Dash (Lake Compounce) Phoenix (Knoebels) Rampage (Alabama Adventure) Shockwave (Six Flags over Texas) El Toro (Six Flags Great Adventure) Goliath (La Ronde) Goliath (Six Flags over Georgia) Behemoth (Canada's Wonderland) Thunderhead (Dollywood) Mystery Mine (Dollywood) Screaming Eagle (Dixieland) And on occasion, Mindbender (Six Flags over Georgia)

Its good to see that Garfield's face has been covered by that of a more appropriate Wildcat! This has been a great trip report so far Jason! Once again, you've gotten me extremely hungry by showing things like the lobster roll and that amazing looking cookie, but I do notice a distinct lack of Delgrosso's Sauce--and you know, "it's all about the Sauce!" I'm loving the little throwbacks to last year (I'm still waiting to return to the Hug-N-Song party), and I'm really liking your take on Compounce (though it seems that our experience was far better than the one you had, which is a shame). Oh, and now you've got me thinking of that amazing candy sushi you made from day one of the Behemoth tour...

Hercules looks like one of those rides that doesn't really have much to it besides the first drop... It reminds me somewhat of Six Flags over Georgia's Great American Scream Machine (not in layout, but in the overall experience) with a nice initial drop but a seemingly tame remainder. Based on my visit to Dorney last year, Hydra seems like a worthy replacement--not too intense but not too tame either. And the ride's unique layout (and accompanying elements) really impressed me more than I thought it would. The ride is certainly not better than Kraken or New England's Dark Knight, but it holds its own and looks like it is certainly better than its predecessor.

^^If you are twelve, why does your profile say you are fourteen? Back on topic, I'd like to thank you for another great update Robb! It is truly wonderful being able to relive two trips at once thanks to your ability to take the time (especially those late hours) to deliver new updates for us. I'm feeling more and more spoiled by the day with these amazing recaps!

I get the other names, but Dragon Challenge just doesn't seem to click for me... Then again, neither did Flight Deck.

I'm pretty sure the manager you spoke to was telling you the truth... It may very well be a storage area. Not all parks get a major new addition during their anniversaries, so there is no guarantee that this park will follow in the trend of others that invest heavily in their 100th year addition(s).

The results from today's Toupe Challenge are now online: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/32108518/?gt1=43001 It seems like Freestyle still won, considering that they have once again gotten free promotion out of a gimicky challenge.

The article is new, but the discussion on this is already taking place over here: http://themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=47373&start=1280 Interesting to see that this guy won out after all though.

^Universal has had passholder previews for every new attraction (as far as I can remember) at least since the Suess Sky Trolley was installed. Waking up at the crack of dawn (it was still dark in the park) had never been more worth it than on that day!

It seems that a certain local business owner is "wigging out" over a set of Freestyle Music Park's commercials which show a family riding the rides resulting in an almost-lost toupe. The story has become even more strange considering that the park is actually embracing the man's challenge by allowing him to ride with John Stine to see if the ride's forces have any similar effects on actual hair-replacement options... The following has been posted on Discover Myrtle Beach's forums... And here is the letter that started it all (again, from Discover Myrtle Beach)... Here are the advertisements in question:

^The ride ran from opening til closing during our visit. If anything, this ride seems to be the best in terms of operations at the park.

Having just visited Dollywood and Pigeon Forge a week ago, I will recommend one specific attraction to you over three words: Jurassic Dark Ride. For $15 I received one of the quirkiest attraction experience's I've ever had. I can't really describe it too easily, but the price is well worth it. Also, let me note that spending the $45 and the hour and a half time for the Skyzip attraction at Dollywood is absolutely worth it! That was hands down the best scenic experience I've taken in while traveling within the United States. Adam "The dark ride has all the fun of Jurassic Park River Adventure minus the Park and Adventure!" Roth

Doomy doom doom doom doom.... In all seriousness, I would like to thank Robb, Elissa, Kristen, Dan, Dave, Icebat and all others involved in making this trip as amazing as it was. Between some incredible "experiences" and some awesome laughs, my time with TPR this year has been nothing short of incredible. I was once again graced with the chance to share in the "ultimate vacation" thanks to TPR, and for that I am truly thankful. I've made some great new friends, reconnected with some ones from last year and learned more about the world than I ever should have! The memories that I have taken away from this last week won't fade--if anything, they'll just make me ever-more ready for another TPR trip!

^I also heard that Knoebels and Canobie are merging to become Canobles... And their main attraction will be an Intamin inverted impulse coaster which will utilize Maverick's former heartline roll.

^^^^There were catwalks along the ride's track when Dominator was still a part of Geauga Lake. If I remember correctly, it had something to do with Ohio's safety policies...