jedimaster1227

I'm pretty impressed with this layout! Definitely a unique dive coaster for sure! Another great coaster to add to this park's lineup!

Over the last two days the Universal Orlando Resort hosted media outlets for a preview of the new Universal's Aventura Hotel opening later this week, along with some of the most delicious and exciting offerings currently found at the resort. Our preview event started on Monday night with an evening enjoying the flavors of Universal Orlando Resort's many hotel restaurants. After that we moved to Universal Studios Florida to watch the recently-launched Universal Orlando's Cinematic Celebration, a new nighttime spectacular in the park's lagoon. On Tuesday we had the chance to visit Universal's Aventura Hotel, seeing the three different room types available along with several of the resort amenities including the pool area, the casual dining venue Urban Pantry and the rooftop bar, bar17. Universal's Aventura Resort is considered a "Prime Value" resort, meaning that it is one of the most economical options for guests to stay on property while visiting Universal Orlando. Despite its value pricing, the resort comes with high end features and is being touted as the most technologically advanced hotel at the Universal Orlando Resort. It has walk-up access to Volcano Bay, panoramic views of the rest of the resort (and much of the Orlando skyline beyond) and convenient shuttle access to CityWalk and the parks. The food at Urban Pantry was really fantastic for a quick service venue and it is obvious when you visit that they aren't trying to offer *just* hamburgers and pizza (though they do have both)--the picky eater will be happy with those fallbacks but the more adventurous will go for the noodle bar, sushi and some of the more unique items available inside. The property also features a Starbucks, a nice pool area and a sprawling lobby that will make you want to spend extra time in the hotel just to take it all in. Overall, Universal's Aventura Resort looks like another great option for guests to consider when staying on-property. The prices are incredibly reasonable for all that you'll find packed into these guest rooms, and the convenient access to the rest of the resort coupled with the fantastic onsite offerings makes this one of the best values you'll find at Universal! We started our evening at Universal Orlando with a taste of the flavors of the many resorts’ restaurants on property! There was no shortage of food here! Do you want to try this Braised Short Rib Pretzel Bao? It was FANTASTIC! Our preview took place inside of the former Tchoup Chop venue, now used for special events. Jake’s American Bar brought a great selection of beers for tonight’s event! The Fountain of Youth is a delicious signature beverage from Strong Water Tavern at Loews Sapphire Falls Resort! Universal's Aventura Hotel will be the most technologically advanced hotel at the Universal Orlando Resort and that technology will carry over in the development of future hotels for the resort. Jake’s American Bar served Jake’s Steak & Frites for tonight’s event! We’re in position for tonight’s showing of Universal Orlando’s Cinematic Celebration! [fbvideonew] [/fbvideonew] We're back to preview the new Universal's Aventura Resort. Universal Parks & Resorts Chairman Tom Williams and John Tish of Loews Hotels were both on hand to kick off the evening's festivities. [twitter] [/twitter] It wouldn't be a new Universal Resort without a Starbucks! Chicken & Pork Dumplings and Tuna Poke are just a few of the Asian flavors guests can enjoy at Urban Pantry! This is for you Elissa! Not just burgers and pizza! Though burgers are available... And they are delicious here! This paella was phenomenal (and quite spicy)! More options at Urban Pantry. How does a bagel pizza sound to you? It was delicious! The pool area is very trendy and comes complete with a bar! Bar Sol is the resort's pool bar... Would you choose the Mule de Sol (frozen) or the Devil’s Umbrella (on the rocks) while at Bar Sol? Quite a nice pool! I love that the resort has a fire pit! There's even a splash pad at the resort for the younger guests to enjoy. Taking the elevator up to check out the guest rooms! Interestingly enough, it was confirmed that the Aventura name was a nod to Universal's former involvement in PortAventura in Spain. The guest rooms look great inside! All of the guest rooms at the Aventura Hotel come with incredible views of Orlando including some of the major attractions at Universal! Quite the view! The Kids Suites in the Aventura Hotel can sleep up to five guests and feature a panoramic view in their unique wrap-around layout! The Aventura Hotel is the most technologically advanced hotel at the Universal Orlando Resort. Every guest room features a tablet that controls the lights, TV, room service and much more! Guests can even stream content from their own devices to their rooms TVs. And the room features a large number of wall outlets and USB ports to make sure everyone in the room is able to charge their electronics! A huge part of bar17, Aventura Hotel's rooftop bar is the large space available to dance, drink, dine and take in the view from all sides. Look at Volcano Bay! Care for a drink from bar17? bar17 at #AventuraHotel is the first rooftop bar @UniversalORL and the experience includes live entertainment! Pork Belly Bao... Or Fish Bao. Which would you choose? We had an excellent time checking out the Aventura Hotel at Universal Orlando! This will be another great option for guests looking to stay on property when visiting Universal! It was another great set of days at the Universal Orlando Resort and I can't wait to get back to Universal's Aventura Hotel to experience more once it is open!

Next up was a new experience for us, the Behind the Seeds tour at Epcot! Most people that know about Epcot are familiar with the Living with the Land ride in The Land pavilion, but what many don't realize is that the park offers an up-charge walking tour of the pavilion's greenhouse. While you get to see a lot from the boats, getting an up-close experience in this sustainable environment is really a neat experience, even if you're not into greenery. Epcot has always been about the marriage of technology and science to better the future and it is incredible to see firsthand just how advanced the techniques within The Land are when it comes to cultivating produce, fish and even more. The tour is $25 per person and lasts nearly an hour and it is absolutely worth it! As someone that has been to Epcot more times than I could try to keep track of, doing something different in a place I've frequented so many times is a rarity and an exciting opportunity... This tour was one that I loved experiencing the first time and I'd definitely consider going back to do it again in the near future! The Behind the Seeds tour starts off in an unexpected manner, focusing first on the cultivation of wasps that prevent Leafminer Flies from killing the produce in the greenhouse. Hydroculture, the growth of plants with nutrient-rich water below is something that Epcot actively practices. Like you see in the Living with the Land ride, scientists at Epcot actually cultivate wasps as a form of natural pesticide for the greenhouse. The Leafminer Fly lays its eggs in the leaves of greenery and when the larvae hatch, they eat through the leaves. The Parasitoid Wasp actually lays its eggs inside of the Leafminer Fly larvae, which live off of the growing larvae in a parasitic nature. The wasps grow off of the fly larvae and then exit the leaves... The scientists at Epcot actually extract the larvae of both species to maintain an ongoing cultivation of both. The wasps are harmless to humans but keep the leafminer flies at bay, acting as a natural and sustainable pesticide for the greenhouse. The remainder of the tour is spent in the greenhouse seeing areas up-close that you can only see at a glance from the boat. Hanging produce is something of a science here, but it yields extraordinary results. Even the greenery gets to go on a ride at Epcot! The hanging roots move slowly into a water station where they are lightly sprayed as they pass by. The water enters the plants via the roots while not requiring a physical environment of soil to anchor it. A surprise for the tour was a sampler of fresh cucumbers grown in the greenhouse! It isn't uncommon to see tomatoes growing on a vine... But the method in which they grow these tomatoes is incredible effective... And yields huge results! These heads of lettuce grow to source many of the salads used in the restaurants at Epcot! Unreal. Mites don't often have a positive connotation to their name, but these are good mites that help keep the produce safe from other pests. Crazy to see how these vines grow naturally into a full canopy strong enough to sustain 20-plus pound melons. Ever see passionfruit grow? This is the flower of a passionfruit! Anyone like coffee? How about a nine pound lemon? This fruit is known as the Buddha's Hand. Ever see a dark sunflower? Heading into the aquaculture section of Living with the Land. Some of the largest shrimp cultivated here... Hidden Mickey from the other side! Catfish are cultivated here too! A very different perspective than I'm used to! See these fish? You get to help feed them! Wave hello! Time to head into the last and largest portion of the greenhouse! The date palm is the largest plant in Living with the Land and requires a special crew to harvest the dates that grow towards the top of the tree. Fresh bananas (Living with the Land is sponsored by Chiquita Brands International)! Ever see cacao in its natural form? How about dragonfruit? A closer look at the date palm... And the clusters of dates growing underneath it! I loved getting to experience the greenhouse from this side of the attraction! There's even an interactive element of the tour where you get to guess spices! Think you know what this one is? It is saffron! It is super expensive and is considered a luxury spice. These photos show the effort it takes to harvest the spice itself from the plant. Not so hidden Mickey! This is a huge fluted pumpkin! I can't look away! Dragonfruit up close. Any grape lovers out there? And the final surprise of the tour, is Stanley... Stanley (his nickname) is a plant that naturally closes its leaves to protect them from falling off or being damaged during storms. When the whole plant is shaken, within seconds it looks like this! This was our favorite element of the tour and one that we asked to revisit on our way out because it was so neat to see!

I'm still surprised they think bringing back the park in the format it was years ago will be enough to make it thrive... This park has become a money pit and you'd think that the past unsuccessful attempts would be enough to ward off prospective investors. I hope this place finds lasting success because it looks like a cool operation with a unique charm, but I'm not holding my breath. That said, this is a MUCH better plan than turning this into a religious park like Mrs. Presley planned to do.

Universal Studios Hollywood has sent us a press release announcing another exciting house for this year's Halloween Horror Nights!

The Universal Orlando Resort has sent us a press release announcing another exciting house for this year's Halloween Horror Nights!

The Universal Orlando Resort has sent us a press release announcing the next original house coming to Halloween Horror Nights this year!

^Monstars of Rock deserved to be torn to bits... It’s unfortunate Nights in White Satin had to die for Monstars of Rock to live.

As an Orlando native with a pass to the parks, it is easy to habitually visit Walt Disney World, driving around with your own car, parking in the normal theme park parking lots and visiting the parks for a few hours before leaving... It isn't often that we get the chance or take the time (and money) to stay onsite at one of the resort hotels and stop to experience Walt Disney World as a resort guest. The convenience of a MagicBand being your room key, your park admission, your FastPass, your PhotoPass and your method of payment. Being able to take the bus from your resort and never moving your personal car from its spot at your hotel. Waking up and having breakfast at your resort, going to the parks for a few hours and coming back to the pool. If you'd believe it, I'd never experienced this in my adult life despite living within 20 minutes distance of Walt Disney World my entire life. That changed this past weekend when my wife and I celebrated her birthday with a weekend staycation. Along the way we experienced some of the newest offerings at Walt Disney World and had a great time in the process! Our room at Disney's Art of Animation Resort, in the Little Mermaid section of the resort. Despite the third track being open for over a year, this was the first time I've had the chance to experience it. The queue space and station are in a section of the building separate of the other two tracks but it looks very similar! All of the room elements are in theme... Notice the sheet music! Even the shower is themed! A look out towards the pool in the Little Mermaid section of Disney's Art of Animation Resort. Our first evening was spent at Disney's Hollywood Studios, checking out Toy Story Land for my wife's first time (my second time in the new land as well) but first... We thought this was a good idea! We were able to snag some FastPasses that night, including one for Toy Story Mania. The new entrance from inside of Toy Story Land leads you through a few new themed spaces. I really love these new murals! Lots of new details to find! I won this round... Time to head out into Toy Story Land! The new exit path tells a little more of the Toy Story Mania playset story. I love the old midway game set feel these graphics accomplish. Throughout Toy Story Land you can see Green Army Men working on different operations. It is a fun little element that offers a consistent element of discovery throughout the large land. Really fun to look for these army men. Time for some new hotness! Ready to head into the queue for Alien Swirling Saucers! More Green Army Men to be found! Fans of Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin (or its many sister attractions) may recognize this blaster. Hidden Mickey found! Alien Swirling Saucers is the same kind of ride as Mater's Junkyard Jamboree in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure. Lots of little details throughout the ride path... The Claw!!! Slinky Dog Dash spans the length of the new land and looks great at night! It is a really fun addition to the park! Andy's Lunch Box has some fun details as well. Some character designs from the Woody's Roundup show (and Toy Story Mania) can be found in the form of animal crackers in the lunch box. I love this kind of consistency throughout the land. A thermos is used to prop open the lunchbox for guests to enter. Look at this ordering kiosk! Cute! More army men! Andy's Lunchbox normally offers a root beer float but if you ask, they will make it a float with any soda! Something I didn't realize going into Toy Story Land on this night, was where the land was situated in relation to the fireworks launch site. It is pretty neat that you get somewhat of a panoramic view of the nightly fireworks while in Toy Story Land. Pretty cool! FIRE!!! Time to head into the queue for Slinky Dog Dash! The story of the attraction is that Andy has taken his coaster playset and rigged Slinky around the coaster train to make the titular experience. Quite the view! You can see how Andy wrapped Slinky around the playset's coaster cars... The map on the back wall of the station hints at some elements that may have originally been planned for the land. This coaster's lighting package is excellent and makes the ride look fantastic at night! The second launch show scene is my favorite element of the coaster. The new queue entrance building for Toy Story Land. And the main entrance of the attraction. Time to head out! And we're back for the night... Tomorrow we experience the Behind the Seeds Tour at Epcot for the first time!

It is a funky structure for sure, but I'm sure we can all get over the look if it ends up being as fun to ride as it looks.

Glad you've enjoyed the photos! I'm working to dig up some more to share soon!

^New trains or not, I'd take Boulder Dash over 75% of the wooden coasters I've been on...

I'm loving all of the updates in this report! I really need to get back to Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Kings Dominion in the near future!

^Sponsorship does come in the form of paying for some kind of promotion... Seems like this would qualify.

Project 412 Revealed: Kennywood and Pittsburgh Steelers’ Record- Breaking Collaboration Kennywood Park will open a fan-centric Steelers-themed area in 2019, highlighted by a high thrill steel coaster WEST MIFFLIN, PA – In Southwestern Pennsylvania, Kennywood Day is as eagerly anticipated as a Steelers game, while Pittsburgh’s gridiron greats regularly send their fans on emotional roller coasters. Now these two iconic brands will come together for a collaboration that’s unprecedented in both the sports and amusement worlds. Kennywood will welcome the Steelers franchise to the family by bringing the game day experience that is a staple to countless fans in Pittsburgh and beyond to life in the park. Coming to Kennywood in 2019, Steelers Country is an immersive land that celebrates the hard-hitting heroics of the players, but with a unique twist. The park experience turns its attention to the fans, putting them at the center of the action. Exclusive merchandise, skill games and food locations--including a themed tailgating experience--continue the feeling of being at the stadium. The new Steelers Country will be anchored by the record-breaking roller coaster, Steel Curtain. “Being the first park to collaborate with a professional sports franchise on not only a themed area, but also a pulse-pounding, high-flying roller coaster is a great honor that fits in with Kennywood’s longstanding tradition of innovation,” said Kennywood General Manager Jerome Gibas. “For that franchise to be our hometown Steelers, the most successful team in America’s most popular sport, it’s a sure touchdown!” Throughout Steelers Country, fans will join in on familiar game moments: bursting through the area’s entry tunnel, seeing how they measure up in practice drills, perfecting their touchdown dances, and checking scores and highlights on Steelers Country’s giant video screen. With Steelers Country, Kennywood and the Pittsburgh Steelers are honoring the greatness of the past, and looking towards the future of the park, the team, the fans, and the city of Pittsburgh. “We are very excited about the partnership with Kennywood,” said Steelers Vice President of Sales and Marketing Ryan Huzjak. “Being able to connect the Pittsburgh Steelers with a family attraction like Kennywood is a natural fit for both organizations, and we are thrilled about the tradition and longstanding history the Steelers and Kennywood provide to families in and around the city of Pittsburgh. The towering Steel Curtain roller coaster will rule Kennywood’s skyline. With a record-breaking 9 inversions, 197 foot-tall loop, and 220-foot maximum height, Steel Curtain is an adrenaline rush like no other, speeding across 4,000 feet of track at 75 miles per hour. Designed by S&S Worldwide, Steel Curtain will break a Pennsylvania record (tallest roller coaster), a North American record (most inversions), and a world record (tallest inversion). The colossal steel structure of the coaster will serve as a landmark addition to the park and a high-energy entry point welcoming guests to Steelers Country. [fbvideonew] [/fbvideonew]

Just a reminder in advance of today's announcement... Please let the announcement post come from a moderator of the forum. Rather than having a bunch of people post different portions of the news separately, we like to compile the information in one official post.

For what it is worth, I genuinely believe that is why The Purge (as the basis of scare zones and the Terror Tram) has been so effective for Halloween Horror Nights in the past. Those participating in The Purge blend in with the park guests, as do the "victims," meaning that these spontaneous scares can be done both to the guest and by picking off planted "guests" in the crowd to up the feeling that no one is safe in an environment where you would otherwise know or have to remind yourself that you are safe. Howl-O-Scream did something similar a few years ago in Tampa where a werewolf-themed scare zone saw hulking beasts run across the plaza, picking off planted "guests" and carrying them off at a running pace into the fog before you could realize what happened. This was one of the most effective and memorable things I've seen done at a horror event and I love that with The Purge, Universal has the ability to pull off these same kind of scares.

It is incredibly telling that this park bought these rides in a fairly solid condition and ended up tearing them out in such a short span of time after their installation... Years after the park actually closed, the Hard Rock Park saga continues to intrigue me for reasons just like this. I have to remind myself how thankful I am that I pushed to visit Freestyle Music Park when I did, knowing I was able to ride these unique coasters (the Premier ferris wheel lift was my favorite coaster in the park) before it all was torn out, relocated and now, torn apart for good.

SeaWorld Orlando has sent us a press release regarding the topping off of Infinity Falls' tower strcuture, marking a milestone in the development of the attraction leading up to its opening at a date still to be announced. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kupi0IfUbJI

I'm genuinely curious to see what they end up doing with this space. Log Jammer took up a pretty decent plot so it will be interesting to see just how much of this land is used for the new addition.

Midsummer Scream has sent us a new press release with more details about this year's event!

Silver Dollar City has sent us a press release announcing this year's Moonlight Madness event, offering extended evening hours in the park to enjoy the park's many attractions including Time Traveler and Outlaw Run in the dark!

The Universal Orlando Resort has announced that their new nighttime lagoon show, Universal Orlando's Cinematic Celebration is now officially open!

This really looks like an awesome option for those that don't want to deal with the crowds or simply want some extra time to enjoy the most popular attractions in the park! Definitely would be the kind of thing I'd consider if I was in on a short trip and wanted to maximize my time in the Magic Kingdom!

Toverland's growth over the years is astounding... I remember watching TPR videos from their earlier visits where the moto coaster and in the indoor FEC were the major experiences and now look at the park's lineup! I also really appreciate the effort that went into establishing a more formal entrance experience.