jedimaster1227

Those drone shots really do show off how unique and beautiful this ride turned out to be. Thank you for delivering such unique coverage of such a unique ride!

That initial drop-roll looks fantastic! I can't wait to see how the finished coaster turns out!

I'm very interested to see what The Incredible Hulk looks like once it returns... I wonder if it will be a carbon copy of the previous ride, launch system and all, or if they will use rebuild as an opportunity to make any changes to the ride layout or launch mechanisms.

The thing is, Skyplex is among several sky high projects on the Orlando horizon that started with the addition of The Orlando Eye and will be followed by the world's tallest Starflyer nearby. Universal seems to be fighting city progress for fear of business impact, and they're latching on to visual intrusion as an excuse to do so... Hopefully the next meeting goes more in favor of the Skyplex team than this one did.

Tonight I had the opportunity to represent Theme Park Review as the resident Star Wars fanatic (see my user name for more insight into my fandom) at the first Orlando showing of the One-Man Star Wars Trilogy of the year! This show is unique "theater" for sure with no staging pieces, no props and no other sound effects to guide guests through the showing. The show runs a a brief compilation of all three of the films in the Star Wars original trilogy (performer Charlie Ross rarely references the existence of the prequel films) and and throws in a few laughs and in-jokes throughout. The staging is simple but the delivery is extremely effective, especially if you know the films like I do. The audience laughs along with the in-jokes squeezed into the script and the story is told in a hilariously abbreviated form that is enjoyable for viewers of all ages! Charlie Ross, the sole performer of the show has been doing this for fourteen years and his story is shared at the conclusion of his re-telling of the original Star Wars trilogy--a true treat for fans of Lucasfilm lore. I won't spoil the story, because it was my favorite part of the experience, but make sure you stay til the end of the show... I can assure you it is well worth it! The Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center is being used to host this smaller stage affair and the humor for the show is definitely pointed towards the Star Wars fan, particularly those that have seen the films. I'd certainly recommend the show for the Star Wars fanatics out there like myself, and the good news is, that you have five more days to see the show while it is in Orlando (otherwise you can catch it on tour in the next year or so). Special thanks to the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center for hosting us for this fun show! They have stormtroopers here, just like at my Bar Mitzvah! Looks like I am the nerd they were looking for! The stained glass art that sits above guests' heads in the theater space is gorgeous! Definitely go out to see the show if you can... May The Force Be With You! The theater is significantly smaller than the main broadway-style venue but it was great for a show of this style and intimacy. Photo courtesy of http://www.onemanstarwars.com.

That loop looks gorgeous!

That track looks awesome! Really interested to see what kind of wicked coaster elements RMC can pull off with this new track design!

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2015/09/osborne-family-spectacle-of-dancing-lights-celebrate-a-delightful-holiday-tradition-one-more-time/

^^^Thats a great catch Robb!

You have to give Six Flags' corporate marketing credit... They know well that the general guest will see this announcement and think that this is the first time Bizarro has been changed. I love that they actually used the old photos of Superman for this "new" announcement. Nothing like knowing your audience...

Glad to see this project is back on track!

Leave it to Six Flags to pull an old ride title out of the archive and make it new again... I'd imagine several Six Flags AstroWorld fans' ears perked up when they heard this title.

I get that water parks are a huge draw for regional parks right now, so I get why this addition would win out over a park improvement... It just stinks for Six Flags America because once again they can't catch a break when it comes getting a major, new investment in their amusement park operation.

It isn't an RMC conversion of Le Monstre but it is still better than what Six Flags America is getting!

Al Weber has a decent, if not solid background in the industry... I have to imagine he and his team should be able to at least reverse some of the damage done by the previous owners, if not to improve the park overall.

With this being the first RMC conversion of a GCI coaster, it is interesting to see how some of the signature curves of GCI's design have partially remained intact. I'm especially curious to see how this one turns out when compared to the other Six Flags RMC coasters, but I'm sure it will be an incredible experience.

Looks like a fun ride for sure... But as others have said, the location and theme decision seem a little silly. Knowing Six Flags though, this will likely be re-themed and integrated into a semi-themed realm in the next decade and marketed as totally new.

This is a nice surprise! I'm guessing Gerstlauer will be producing these new trains as they did for Hersheypark's SooperDooperLooper.

You mean like the prequel trilogy? Didn't really seem to do much damage. New Star Tours still happened. Darth Maul's been in the Jedi Academy since that started. The people, characters, lore etc have been a part of Star Wars Weekends without much complaining about how the movies themselves mostly sucked. I think the biggest piece that people often forget is that Star Wars is a generational franchise. There are the fans that grew up with the original trilogy, those that grew up with the prequels, those that grew up with The Clone Wars and those that will grow up with Star Wars: Rebels, the sequel trilogy and the anthology films. There's obviously going to be significant overlap betweenness fandoms of each part of the saga, but the inclusion and popularity of prequel-era and/or Clone Wars characters in the parks shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. For those whose first taste of Star Wars was the prequels or the Clone Wars, that's what they most strongly connect to, and that's why those characters garner such a strong response when they appear in the parks. The same thinking is clearly being applied to the new Star Wars realm being built in Florida and California--they want it to appeal to the fans of the franchise overall, but most importantly to the next generation of fans; the ones who will draw their strongest connection to the Star Wars: Rebels, the sequel trilogy and the anthology films. It is these guests that will sustain the popularity of the franchise for many years to come.

That loop looks magnificent, as does the rest of the layout! Really looking forward to seeing a POV of this beauty when it comes out!

Today Milial Resort Hotels Co., Ltd. announced the development of a new resort hotel for Tokyo Disneyland, redeveloping the nearby Palm & Fountain Terrace Hotel to be a uniquely themed Disney property! The Oriental Land Company has also announced a new dinner show coming to the Polynesian Terrace Restaurant in Tokyo Disneyland!

That vertical spike looks gorgeous!

(Continued) Over at the Disney Interactive presentation it was announced that Big Hero 6 is the subject of a new land in Kingdom Hearts 3. The story of this land will explore what happens to the original Baymax (SPOILER ALERT) that was lost in the portal towards the end of the movie, if the Darkness of Kingdom Hearts fame were able to get a hold of him. Announced for mobile platforms during this presentation was Disney's Magic Kingdoms. This will be a park-building game with plenty of new content coming in the future. A home installation, premium version of the Namco Bandai arcade game Star Wars Battle Pod was announced! The Darth Vader edition of the Playstation 4 was announced as well. The lineup of new playsets coming to Disney Infinity 3.0. The Disney Infinity 3.0 Marvel Battlegrounds play set has been announced! It features a 4 person multiplayer mode. In addition to the Disney Infinity space coming to the Disney Dream during its upcoming dry dock, a Castaway Cay toy box will debut in Disney Infinity 3.0. It was announced during this presentation that Spot from Disney - Pixar's The Good Dinosaur will get his own figurine. Zootopia is the inspiration for two additional Disney Infinity figurines. Limited light-up editions of Star Wars Disney Infinity characters will come out next year for the game. The Ultimate Unlock for Disney Infinity 3.0 was revealed to be a Keyblade from Kingdom Hearts. A sneak peek of the Star Wars: The Force Awakens play set was also shown. The Walt Disney Archives presented a huge exhibit on the history of Disneyland during the D23 Expo. Unfortunately due to long lines I was unable to experience it myself. I love this! The former D-Tech Me technology from Walt Disney Parks and Resorts is now in the hands of the Disney Store. Guests sit in from of a 3-D cam to have their faces mapped for use in the creation of their signature figure. The Good Dinosaur will also have a large lineup of merchandise for public consumption. You could get a personalized Coke-Cola mantic Who's your friend who likes to play? More from Zootopia. Do you want to eat a Frozen cake? A Tsum Tsum dress for anyone who thinks that would float their boat. You could even have your hair made in the style of Tinkerbell. These Tron/Tomorrowland costumes look incredible! A look at the pamphlet given out at the ACE Pandora presentation. And some more detail.... The inside of said pamphlet..... And the ACE satchel. The goodies inside. The scene waiting for the main presentation in Hall D23... This was the view at 5:00 AM. Check out this Jungle Cruise cosplay! Dick Van Dyke sighting! My favorite acquisition from the exhibitor space at the D23 Expo was the purchasing of these two Tiki Baby statues from the Enchanted Tiki Room. Another look at Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue. The Jetpack attraction in Tomorrowland at Shanghai Disney Resort. A look at one of the original, here is the rough master plan for Tomorrowland as shown at D23. A physical model of Tomorrowland has been built already. If this concept art is anything to go by, Chevrolet will sponsor the Tron Lightcycle Power Run attraction. Intergalactic Imports will be Tomorrow's main shop. The Stargazer Grill is the largest dining venue in the park. The queue for Tron Lightcycle Power Run will be full of detail. The full lineup of Pixar films yet to come. I love this photo op! An Ocean Sunfish spotted at the Disney nature booth on the D23 Expo show floor! Since the last Expo I joined in at 4 years ago, it was amazing to see a new system in place to help queuing for the side representations not on the main stage. How did I end up here? Any fans of Disney Infinity out there? Thanks again to TPR for allowing me to indulge in my fun at the D23 Expo 2015. I can't wait to come back two years from now to see what else is announced. Overall it was a great time--something that I recommend for everyone, whether you are a casual fan or an uber-Disney nerd like me!

(Continued) In Disneyland Park, Space Mountain will receive a seasonal overlay in the form Hyperspace Mountain putting guests in the middle of an X-wing battle. Seasons of the Force will feature a new Star Wars fireworks spectacular on weekends during the event. New audio is being recorded specifically for the offerings at this event. Another surprise of the event was the announcement of Toy Story Land coming to Disney's Hollywood Studios. This new land will feature a Little Green Men-themed ride using the Mater's Junkyard Jamboree ride system to whip guests away from The Claw. The major addition for Toy Story Land is the family coaster themed to the Slinky Dog. [youtu_be] [/youtu_be] Here's a look at the Sven animatronic currently being developed for the Frozen Ever After attraction replacing Maelstrom at Epcot. The Royal Sommerhaus will expand the borders of the Norway pavilion at Epcot with the rest of the pavilion receiving slight updates in preparation for the debut of Frozen Ever After. Plenty of new things on the way for the Walt Disney World Resort! More details on the Rivers of Light nighttime show at Disney's Animal Kingdom Park were shared including information on how the show starts out small and humble but gradually expands to be towering water screens along Discovery River. New projection mapping effects will transform the Tree of Life in the evening at Disney's Animal Kingdom Park. Next James Cameron and Jon Landau joined Joe Rohde onstage to discuss Pandora - The World of AVATAR and to confirm the title of the signature banshee flight attraction, AVATAR Flight of Passage. It was confirmed during this presentation that Disneyland Paris' 25th Anniversary celebration is already in the works! Next up was a look at the Iron Man Experience coming to Hong Kong Disneyland next year. Guests will visit the new Stark Expo in Hong Kong and board the Iron Wing to fly alongside Iron Man... They will take a short flight to the new Stark Tower in Hong Kong. Notice the giant arc reactor atop the Stark Tower. Hydra has unleashed an army of robots upon Hong Kong and it is up to Iron Man and the Iron Wing to save the day! More concept art from the attraction. The presentation even included a live cameo appearance by Stan Lee. And Iron Man even joined in the festivities! Mickey Avenue features a mix of new designs and architecture rooted in Disney history. A great look at the Tron Lightycle Power Run trains. The topping off ceremony for Raging Rapids. Enchanted Storybook Castle will feature an interactive experience themed to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. More of the Star Wars The Force Awakens costumes from the show floor. Costumes from the upcoming Alice in Wonderland Through the Looking Glass. I'm hoping these unique food and beverage options actually debut with the park! A model of one of the faux storefronts guests will see along Mickey Avenue. The entrance marquee for Treasure Cove. Enchanted Storybook Castle will feature hand-made tile murals depicting notable Disney Princess film artwork. Winnie the Pooh Hunny Pot Spin is a new take on the classic tea cup-style flat ride. Shanghai Disneyland's "Dumbo The Flying Elephant" attraction will be located in the Gardens of Imagination. The entrance to the Shanghai Disneyland preview space at the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Pavilion. The Pandora model glows under the blacklight to show a whole new level of detail. I can't wait to experience this in person! It looks like some unique water features will exist within this space as well. Following the announcement of the Disney Animation Studios film Gigantic, this display was unveiled on the show floor. Time to go inside of the ABC studio... To visit the set of Up Late with Miss Piggy! We watched the new Legendary Yoda, a cool, new consumer animatronic with a lot of neat movements & dialogue. There's actually a robot builder's club that built a fully functioning Wall-E... But can it love? Next up was a demo of Disney Interactive's new Playmation product line. Starting with a Marvel themed experience, Playmation aims to inspire active play in real life with videogame-style accessories. This Iron Man-inspired piece allows wearers the ability to deflect attacks from targets along with being able to fire upon those targets using special triggers within the fitted glove. The experience requires the wearer to dodge attacks, which can become quite the physical activity. Achievements and missions are stored within an associated app. New opponents and missions can be unlocked when figures are purchased to add to the playing collection. Here is the high resolution concept art from what was announced at the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Presentation. Rivers of Light at Disney's Animal Kingdom Park. Toy Story Land at Disney's Hollywood Studios. The new Stark Tower as seen during the Iron Man Experience at Hong Kong Disneyland. Star Wars Launch Bay coming to Disneyland Park, Disney's Hollywood Studios and Shanghai Disneyland. AVATAR Flight of Passage at Disney's Animal Kingdom Park. Another scene from the Iron Man Experience at Hong Kong Disneyland.

(Continued) Mickey Avenue will serve as the entry experience to Shanghai Disneyland. Individual storefronts will below to recognizable Disney characters who each bring their personalities to the stores. One of the exhibitor booths on the floor actually had two of the old Peoplemover cars in perfect condition! The first major presentation of the event was the Disney Legends Awards ceremony, hosted by Disney CEO Bob Iger. The ceremony included a surprise performance by Richard Sherman and Ashley Brown singing "Kiss Goodnight" from the Disneyland 60th Anniversary Celebration. Two stars from dancing with the stars danced to the the tune of Once Upon a Dream. Susan Lucci accepted the award this year... Along with Danny Elfman! Oingo Boingo fans in the audience went wild! George Lucas was the biggest name of the Legends Awards for the year... During his speech he admitted that Jar Jar Binks was a character inspired by Disney's own Goofy. The Walt Disney Parks and Resort Pavilion featured lots of behind the scenes footage on the creation of the park, including this footage of the making of the new Soarin' over the Horizon attraction. Pre-visualization models of Treasure Cove give a good idea of how expansive this land will be. The theater where the new Jack Sparrow themed stunt show will take place. Even more Treasure Cove details. A model of Treasure Cove was built after the pre-visualization. Construction is heavily under way at Shanghai Disneyland... A drone flyover video at the pavilion shows off just how much is already complete... With a year left to go construction is in the detailing stage for facades and exteriors. The main show building for the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction in Treasure Cove. From concept... To modeling... To creation. More Treasure Cove concept art. A new ride system has been developed for Shanghai Disneyland's variation of the attraction, Peter Pan's Flight. It remains to be seen what the differences are in this new system based on this video alone. Behind the scenes footage of the Tron Lightcycle Power Run coaster reveals an insane level of detail throughout. Guests will face off against the yellow team in a lightcycle battle on The Grid. A quick glimpse at the testing Walt Disney Imagineering has been doing in the famous DISH room for Tron. It looks like this is the foundation for the helix seen in the concept visualization above. Production of actual pieces of theming is already under way. You can see in this shot that the ride system for the Jetpack attraction is already installed in Tomorrowland. Concept art for the Marvel experience at Shanghai Disneyland hadn't previously been shown before the D23 Expo. An overview of the Marvel space. Presumably the stations in which guests can control virtual Iron Man suits, like they do in California at the Iron Man Tech exhibition at Innoventions. A previously unseen piece of concept art for the Star Wars Launch Bay that will be coming to Shanghai Disneyland, Disneyland Park and Disney's Hollywood Studios over the next few years. It looks like there will be a themed dance party like elecTRONica in Tomorrowland at Shanghai Disneyland. A look at the fabrication of the Tomorrowland entrance sign for Shanghai Disneyland. A good look at the track for the Tron Lightcycle Power Run before the ride structure was built around it. Milestones in the construction of Tomorrowland... A construction milestone for Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue. Johnny Depp was a surprise award winner at the Disney Legacy Awards this year. James Monroe Inglehart (Genie in Aladdin on Broadway) performed a rendition of the Oogie Boogie Song in tribute to Danny Elfman. Ne-Yo performed a cover of Friend Like Me in tribute to Robin Williams, another Disney Legend. Next up was the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Presentation, where division president Bob Chapek took the stage to announce new projects and details for known projects for all of the resorts around the world. Earlier that day Bob Iger announced at the Disney Studios Live Action presentation that a Star Wars Land would be coming to Disneyland Park and Disney's Hollywood Studios. This land would be 14 acres in size with a fully immersive design for attractions, food and beverage and theming. It was promised that cast members would be alien and themed as such, and roaming creatures would be found in this unique spaceport world. This creature is one example of an alien beast guests will be able to see in the new world. The conceit of this project is that a new world in the Star Wars canon has been created specifically for this expansion to avoid the pitfalls of continuity questions the challenge of existing expectations based on guest familiarity with established Star Wars locales. But just because the world is new to the franchise, it doesn't mean that familiar characters won't appear here. Two signature attractions will be built for the land including a ride behind the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon and a ride putting guests in the middle of a battle between the First Order (the renamed Empire) and the Resistance (the renamed Rebel Alliance). Later this year a new sequence featuring worlds and characters from Star Wars The Force Awakens will debut at Star Tours: The Adventure Continues attractions around the world. The Jedi Training Academy experience at Disneyland Park and Disney's Hollywood Studios will be reimagined with new characters & a new villain to battle from the Disney XD series Star Wars Rebels. Star Wars Launch Bay will host character meet & greets and new food options. Star Wars Launch Bay will be located in the former lower floor of Innoventions at Disneyland Park, the former Magic of Disney Animation building at Disney's Hollywood Studios and a purpose-built venue at Shanghai Disneyland. A new seasonal event, Star Wars Season of the Force will debut at Disneyland Park and Disney's Hollywood Studios.