jedimaster1227

I figure there may be an extra DVD because of all of the footage Robb and Elissa may have collected by the end of this year's touring season. So my guess would be Discs 1 and 2: Park Videos, Disc 3: Coaster Footage, Disc 4: Contest Entries. Speaking of the contest, when is the next one going to be? I have my entry ready and waiting!

Here are my entries (though only the first is the official entry)... My final non-official entry... My fourth non-official entry... My third non-official entry... My second non-official entry... My first non-official entry... My official entry...

This thread truly makes waiting for the Mainland Europe trip even more difficult, but at the same time, more to look forward to! I am glad you all had such a great time!

^^ and ^ It was a pleasure meeting you both, and I hope to see you both again (maybe when you aren't working we can enjoy some of the parks, since we all have some form of admission coverage). It truly was a pleasure and I hope we can do it again sometime! And specifically for Coastermaniac, thank you again for that favor you did Andrew and I! We really appreciated it, but I knew he was taken aback at how friendly someone I just met could be, just because I mentioned that I knew him from an online community! So again, I want to thank you for that! Anyways, I went back to Universal today with my friend so that he could pick up a package, but I figured I could take a few photos in the mean time... I caught up with another Doc Brown on my way out and couldn't resist... I have been informed that the walk around characters that I saw during my last few visits will be moving over towards the building soon. Some of the walls around the old Back to the Future building have come down. I've never seen this before. The Nascar Sports Grille has added several Fast and Furious Tokyo Drift arcade machines under its covered area... I forgot to add this in my last Universal update, but I had never seen this character walking outside of Mythos before...

It was a nice little tribute (probably unintentional) that I found randomly leaving the park... For never getting your Python credit, you never experienced the weird after effects of the twin corkscrews, so I guess you really don't have to worry about missing much. As for the Flyer's credit, I'm working on it!

So now onto my day at Disney, which came with a few good suprises... Rock n' Rollercoaster was running well as always, but the launch seemed to catch me off gaurd this time... Toy Story Mania's building is taking shape... I also met another TPR member, John (aka Coastermaniac) working over at Star Tours! The Jedi Training Academy is now a permanent show in front of Star Tours. This stage is only temporary as a new Endor Bunker will be built in the coming months. The ABC Theater is getting a new show within the next year and prep work inside of the building has already begun. A crane has gone up next to Tower of Terror, probably for some external refurbishment work. At MGM, the queue for Tower of Terror has been given a misting system that makes the line look even eerier, especially during the day. Today, I met another TPR member, Joel (mmousefan) over at the Mexico pavilion! After months of work on the Japan pavilion, the top of the main building is visible again and looking near brand new! Japan's new building peeks out from behind the trees. In this view, the wand doesn't look too bad, but I will be happier when it is down. Anyone remember these? Another look at the soon-to-be-gone-wand. In fact, the entire stand has been taken down... Leave a Legacy is no longer in business... Spaceship Earth will once again be free of the wand soon.

Yesterday I went back to Disney to take some final photos of Epcot's wand before the cranes come on Monday to start deconstruction. I ended up making a quick detour when I saw that the new Kwik E-Mart opened up! This Kwik E-Mart definitely looks legit! Another sign that made me laugh. Apu is behind the service counter greeting incoming customers. They were also selling squishees at a reasonable price. I was suprised to see Homer eating a hot dog in the back of the store... One of Apu's famous policies... I laughed when I saw this! They also sell Krusty O's! The shelves are loaded with Buzz Cola, though I didn't try any... Cool!

^^I didn't go backstage (as I don't attempt to get myself in trouble in the parks). This is the backstage junction between Citywalk and Islands of Adventure. The gates on the Citywalk side (where I was) were partially open, and the fireworks went off, so I zoomed my camera in through the opening of the gate (the gate was more than partially open). I try not go into guest-restricted areas, in fear of my annual pass being taken away... ^Thank you for the advice! Next time I go, I will try that out to see if I can get my credit (and hopefully film it too)! As for more of the Simpsons photos, ask and you shall recieve... A huge line formed near the productions facility where guests were anxiously waiting to get into the live taping of TNA wrestling- not my thing, so I passed... Not much work has gone on here since the ride closed... A look at the new hint of the Simpsons on the wall around the former Back to the Future building... A better view of the new queue television (with Simpsons videos playing). Doc is still roaming the Studios grounds, acting more strangely than ever. This one had an odd accent too... At the end of the day, I found Bubba Gump's shrimp mascot bouncing around outside... After eating in Finnegan's, I found this sign, pointing to the city I stayed in for a week (without any theme park visits) in Ireland.

^I'm sorry it has taken me so long to upload the latest photos (of my post-Blue Man Group visit to Universal) but here they are... It was two and a half hours of extreme cinematic excellence! We finished off the day by seeing Live Free or Die Hard... The first time I had ever seen this- it looked fake anyways... I attempted to get my Flyer's credit, but due to a combination of rain, heat and an hour wait, I didn't get it... I decided to watch the show near the main broadcasting station in Marvel Superhero Island. New designated viewing areas for the show are set up, including an exclusive Wolkswagon owner's location. The (pointless) fireworks from the new show can be seen (and heard) throughout Citywalk. The new ski show is getting a fair amount of advertisement. I had forgotten how fun T2:3D really was, so I took a friend with me to see it again... A great man's tribute... The Delorean is now gone... They have already added new screens in the queue that appear to be showing the trailer for the Simpsons movie. It seems odd, considering no one would be using the queue yet. Back to the Future's building has been stripped of nearly all hints of its former theme. This reminded me of last year's Halloween visit from the TPR crew... A new [gigantic] advertisement within the park= love. The Simpsons have begun to make live appearances at the main entrance to the Studios. A nice find on the Coke machine at IOA- you can see the villain from the original version of Poseidon's Fury.

Would you rather I talk like this: "I thought it was rad! The show was krazy and all around wicked!" I like the show. Simple enough.

Are you referring to the Blue Man Group? The show is based on the actual band's most famous skit's and acts using unique instruments along with a comical overtone. The show is a spectacle for the eyes, the ears and the mind. If you have a show location near you, I would highly recommend getting yourself some tickets!

Great photos! Glad you are enjoying Orlando and all that Disney has to offer! Its been on that path for the last few years unfortunately. My friends and I normally visit the park at least twice a year, normally on rainy days (or hurricane-induced school vacations). The last time I was there was on my birthday and the Pinball Spin along with Ride the Comics were broken. Cyberspace Mountain had at least 3 consoles not functioning. Aladdin's Magic Carpets seems to be running alright, though some of the controllers have developed a tilting problem (towards one side or the other). Battle for Buccaneer Gold is the newest attraction and for some reason, our cannons didn't fully react to our firing... The only "fully-functioning" attraction we ended up experiencing was Invasion (we did it a couple of times, just so we could see the Alien Encounter tributes). Despite all of the neglect DisneyQuest has been getting over the years, it still holds my occasional interest, just not something I would purchase an annual pass for... I just remember getting frustrated that my jeep would either hit a wall or get jammed between another car, taking up my entire turn. I am much happier with Jambo Safari (my favorite arcade game within the complex) setup in the Lost Treasure of the Incas' place...

^Oops! I forgot about the minor thing I noticed about Montu during my visit... Here you go! Here are the old style covers... Montu is running trains with the new and old style covers... These are the new ones with a less complicated design... Montu is a nice greeting at the entrance of the park...

This is the last set of Busch Gardens photos (including Sheikra's E-stop and Evacuation). The bridge from the former setup is still there? Sheikra still dominates the park's skyline. I've never seen a band perform in Busch Gardens before! Kumba is still one of my favorite coasters in the park! Phoenix is a short and tight-of-breath ride, but it is still fun if you like real hang-time in a ride... The Sky Ride still runs perfectly- a great kick in the shin towards Disney's removal of their systems! A meal at Crown Colony is a tradition for me! Especially the use of the cable car at the top of the lift hill... It was interesting to see the evacuation procedures... All trains on rotation were stopped in their positions (including one at the top of the lift hill). The emergency platforms were laid out on the track so riders could be evacuated from the ride. So... Just when you thought that Sheikra ran smoothly, it came time for an E-stop... I left Busch Gardens Africa with this small find... One of these things is not like the other, one of these things does not belong and its __________! Another first came by Scorpion when I saw my first walk-around character at Busch Gardens... I didn't realize how wet we would get on the ride. When they warned you about getting soaked, they meant it! Finally, it came time for me to ride the Tidal Wave for my first time ever!

I am most likely in for the Europe tour (as I have been saving up for two years now). I am also considering the Florida Halloween Tour (partially because I have passes to the majority of the parks you would visit) and the Disney Around the World Tour (that is a dream of mine).

Here are the next photos of the set... One of my favorite parts of Kumba is the quick run through the tunnel... This photo has been done before, but I never get tired of it! Busch Gardens uses a virtual queue system? Scorpian still runs smoothly, not showing its age at all. This shirt lists the main five coasters in the park, excluding Scorpian completely... My friend Andrew and I on Gwazi! Lots of advertisements around the park promote Sheikra's newest feature... Sheikra in all of its greatness! The station has recieved an upgrade with the barred "claws" and the station floors that retract. Passholders were given 1 hour ERT on Sheikra- giving us 6 rides in a row before the park opened! The entrance really looks nice today! Advertisements run along the road, showing the emphasis that the park made on Sheikra's upgrade. My final park visit of the set was a stop at Busch Gardens to see Sheikra as a new floorless coaster. Dinosaur (ghetto) World is on the way... Work on the animal enclosures continues in the Congo. The Congo has been ripped apart yet the bathrooms near the old Vivi Ice Cream stand remain...

^I in no way imagined that by me posting a video of a strange but unique restroom, I would start a commotion. If it is unwelcome, then I am willing to remove it upon request. So now, onto the next [non-bathroom] related photos... The Universal Store had its Blue Man Group display set up and ready to show off... Even at night, this pathway is a great sight! Through this door you can see (not in this photo) the last remaining hints of the former Nickelodeon Studios including an escalator lined with hanging pictures of Nicktoons (like Debbie from the Wild Thornberries). Myself after the show, donning my "recycled headband." I like this mural on the wall! And to finish the Blue Man night, the family decided to get another great meal at our local Bubba Gumps! Two days later, I made my way on to Disney... Soarin's queue work was not visible due to the low lighting... Leave a Legacy seems to be going away soon... Finally, they have capped off the old topiary base with a plastic cover, replacing the old metal plate that was there for at least a year.... Haunted Mansion has been closed and blocked off. Suprisingly enough, the wall was well themed, even though it is temporary. The TTC has a mysterious box covering the entrance to one of the Resort Monorail lines... What?!?!? Just a little busy today right? Adam is such a tree-hugger... Hopefully, this mural won't be removed or altered when Spaceship Earth goes down for its rehab... Yes! A Jack-ball! This is awesome! Master Gracey left behind a message...

I just want to thank you Soren for taking the time to talk with all of us that visited you during your stay in Florida. I always enjoyed our conversations (and so did Stephanie), so I also thank you for that. Hopefully, you will be going on the Mainland Europe tour so I can take you up on that offer to actually go to a park with you when you aren't working! Thanks again for everything! My last photo with Soren before his departure...

^^Yes, I saw the show in New York, but this TR is about the show in Orlando. ^The bathroom definitely looked normal, but the background music was very strange. I am uploading the video now.

After a very long wait (and a very publicly announced hype), I was finally able to see Blue Man Group in their new show at Universal Studios Orlando. Now, let me start by saying that my first time seeing the show was in New York at the Astor Plaza Theater. At that location, the theater was small, but the show was incredible (what got me hooked on the Blue Man Group). Upon walking up to the Orlando theater, I noticed how different the former Nickelodeon Studios building looked (aside from the remaining paint on the left side of the building that has yet to be changed). I had watched its transformation from the time the Slime Vat was removed, and it felt very good being able to say that I was there for each step. Into the building, I noticed how nicely they had prepared the lobby. Equipped with bathrooms (which you will get to see and hear in the this TR), a merchandise stand, a concession stand and a wall filled with Sharp Aquos screens, it felt more than comfortable. Moving through the theater, I immediately noticed how much larger it was compared to the New York show's theater. Now I won't give away any of the features of the theater so as to not spoil anything, but let me say that they have done a great job with the design in all aspects that matter. Overall, the show was even better than it was when I first saw it, with new skits, funnier jokes and better tributes. I along with my family had a great time. Now, let me move onto the photos... (I'll add more photos tomorrow...) I had to get a picture with this guy, since I did when he was in the New York show. Here is the wall of Sharp Aquos screens... I knew I would be buying alot here! I was suprised that they allowed food and drink in the theater... They didn't in New York. My brother and I enjoy the show! Finally, the doors have opened! With a line out the door, the ticket sales were justified.. Our show was sold out, leaving some guests pretty disgruntled. Beautiful! (Except for the Sharp Aquos text they slapped on at the last minute...) Walking down the path towards the theater, I was already getting giddy! This lovely stand gives a great preview of the show... Seems like a normal bathroom right? Until you listen to the music... Blue Women... Blue Men... Its time to check out the bathroom! BMG Bathroom.AVI Listen to the odd bathroom music within Orlando's Blue Man Group Theater!

Another great addition Flipdude! One of my favorites of the lot! Thank you again for your time and effort!

^I am long out of Hebrew School thank you! In no way did I say the systems wouldn't be replaced, I said that they would be the same type of system. As for the overhauls on color and theme, that was for the building, not the ride system itself.

^It is going a to be a simulator, using the same ride system as Back to the Future. Basically, they are just overlaying most of the building with new colors and theming to match the Simpsons. It will be interesting to see if the ride turns out well...

^The Hollywood version of the attraction is also going to be removed to make way for The Simpsons ride. Universal released a press release covering both parks for both attractions.

Maybe this whole floorless dive-machine thing isn't such a gimmick after all... That is a pretty cool looking floor-to-floorless setup... Oddly enough, this is making me even more giddy about my next return visit to Busch Gardens Africa!