burningstroller

I just read this book and watched the movie shortly after. I was curious if anyone knew where the Ruby Pier scenes were filmed. It looks like a lot of the scenes were filmed with the wooden coaster CGI'd in the background, but then there were shots riding the coaster and walking the track that looked like they were filmed somewhere else entirely. IMDB states that the movie was filmed on Santa Monica Pier and in Canada. **A little more time with Google told me that it's at Playland in Vancouver. Awesome book for anyone interested, the author really has the amusement park feel down pat.

Why bother paying? Just go to guest relations and say you have a bad back. No I've never done that, but I do know it works.

I think it looks fantastic and I may very well be the first fool to fly to Hong Kong for a dark ride. Although, my inner accountant tells me to wait until Shanghai opens and make it a combo trip. But really, how awesome is this...a unique story (even a story linked with other unique stories at other parks), awesome effects, and great music. I wonder how long it will take for Disney to make an S.E.A movie?

I'll be there on Saturday and Sunday, do you think Quick Queue will be needed on Saturday? I need to save as much time for beer drinking as possible.

I heard that a new "Oktoberfest" style show will return to Das Festhaus. Does anyone have any more information about it (like when it will premier)?

I don't like this idea. Playland's charm is in it's architecture, classic and dark rides, and walking around with a cold beer. I'm all for infusing money for capital improvements but not changing the concept of the entire park.

Let's hope this is a "test" for a venture to serve beer/wine throughout the park. Almost every theme park in the world serves and there is rarely a problem. Even Lego Land has beer. If I were the typical mid-westerner that saved 5 years for a Disney World vacation, I think I'd like a cocktail to enjoy while I celebrate my vacation and time off of work. One should feel like a child at WDW but not be treated like one.

^ Same boat. Coming in from NH, want to hit it in style. Also, the having lounge access is key since its a dry event.

I meant it was hard to understand due to grammar and punctuation.

It's very difficult to understand the last two posts of this conversation.

Did the park ever open a beer garden?

That's a $10,000 markup for that bottle. Not too shabby.

Which wine was 10,500?

Looks a lot like Montu.

The back seat on the second launch is a real hand-full. My first ride in the back, while knowing to keep my head back for the launch, was quite painful. As mentioned before that dip takes your head off the headrest at the exact time the launch kicks in. I hit my head so hard I could feel it in my nose as if someone punched me. Despite the punch in the head, I think this ride rips apart every indoor Disney coaster (Disneyland's Space Mountain excluded).

In a stroke of luck I was also able to attend. My wife and I are in Williamsburg for the weekend from NH. I got a notice of the event in the mail a few weeks ago. So, while my wife was at the spa at the resort I was able to lock down 7 rides with no line. And who would have thought they would serve beer at 10am!

I completely agree. If I can just carry a room key in my back pocket and have a bracelet for purchases I'd be a happy guy. We will be there next weekend and staying at the Kingsmill, so I thought this could be a possibility since they have a shuttle. However, further Googling found that the bracelets cannot be used for beer purchases. Looks like I'll be taking the wallet.

Did I read somewhere that BGW recently opened a full service bar much like BGT has?

Hello- I'm coming down from NH in a couple weeks and had some questions about the tours. I was there last October and took the Coaster Insider tour. I really only wanted to check out the maintenance bays and get to the top of Griffon. I felt, honestly, the tour was way too long for me. It was time for a beer by 10am and I was kind of done with it once we did the Griffon catwalk. Looking at the tours available now, the Insider Tour strikes my interest given that you can go into Pompeii and Darkastle, however its 8 HOURS LONG! There is no way I can stomach that. Does anyone have any info on the short 30 minute animal encounters? The description is quite vague on the website. I'm going with my wife (this is kind of like a favor) and I think she would like the animal tours, I'm just wondering what the interaction is like, I want to pet a wolf. Thanks in advance!

I agree. The entrance tunnel/facade looks a little silly in front of the big green building. I think a lot of foliage is going to be needed to cover the show building and everything else.

Firestorm indeed! I only get to the park once every 2 years or so and always look forward to that!! How am I suppose to bindge drink and gorge myself with sausage while looking at dancing gingerbread men?! Lame. Very, very lame.

I am unable to convey appropriately how disgusted I am at this desicion. Am I the only moron that would fly to FL for several days specifically to ride Jaws when a "fix" was needed? Not that my dollar matters but I really don't see any reason to return to Universal again. Sure, there are a lot of great rides, yadda yadda, but they always took a backseat to Jaws. "Chief, base, call off the Marines *sniff* we're coming home....." And in regards to this...."We've got a couple of things planned to ensure we always remember and honor Jaws". Who wants to bet one of the sharks (or fins) ends up in the Universal Lagoon for a every 5 minute cameo, perhaps a "Beaches closed" sign along the shore. Seriously, though, whatever happened to honoring the best movies of all time, not the best movies this season. Awful, just awful. A completely new ride design, ad campaign, anything would have breathed whatever life they wanted back into Jaws. Now excuse me, I'm going to get really drunk.

I've been playing a little drinking game. Everytime I hear "hotness" in the videos I'm taking a shot. Guess who's not going to work tomorrow....

Is it just me or is every coaster at Hershey a completely odd layout? Nevermind odd, just messy looking. I've never seen so many rides stacked on top of each other. I get the whole Disney kinetic thing, where there are things moving and happening all around you, but Hershey just looks like chaos.

Where does one find these rankings that were mentioned in the first post of this thread?