haiderodes

^^I'll be there tomorrow as well. With the weather forecasted to be decent and park hours till 10p, I envision a rather busy day - granted nothing as severe as a holiday weekend/summer. Deja Vu, Roaring Rapids and Swashbuckler are down. Tidal Wave might still be down as well...guess we'll find out for sure tomorrow!

The park does look rough right now, but I think they have done a good job at embracing all the changes. By opening the Blue Sky Cellar and decorating the walls (in some places) with information about whats coming, I think they are doing the best they can while still trying to make money off the place. I have a feeling that if they didnt have the free bday thing, they would be offering a reduced admission to DCA during the construction. But then again, right now they do still have all the major attractions open...which says a lot for how much work they are undertaking. As for the Tomorrowland redo, it had its fair share of construction walls as well - especially when they were building the tunnel for the Rocket Rods queue.

If anyone cares... I will be at the park this upcoming Saturday (Feb 28th) if anyone wants to meet up. Send me a PM if interested.

Ah yes, the Knotts of my childhood I miss! Anyone remember what they called the Scrambler they used to have inside the building next to Greezed' Lightning? That thing got around - it was there, then under Windjammer and then over in Wild Water Wilderness. I wonder why they got rid of it completely.

^What does the "rain mode" on Riddler consist of?

I've had two experiences with rain at SFMM... First was November 1997. Only noticible effect was that some of the rides closed during the brunt of the storm, we used that time to eat. Afterwards pretty much everything reopened except Superman. I think Freefall was closed due to Riddler construction, but Psyclone was awesome after the storm! Next was last January (2008). It was the weekend of that big winter storm that hit SoCal. While it never rained while we were at the park, it was pretty cold (40 degrees at opening). Everything was running sans Ninja, Deja and Rapids - x2 was still in rehab mode. The park was pretty empty so around 12 noon they announced the park would be closing at 3p instead of 6p due to the approaching weather. That was all fine and dandy because we had managed to get all the rides we needed before 2p anyway. Oh yea, one more thing about Universal. There is a free coffee/capuccino/hot chocolate machine at the valet area. Way cool! We just had to take a picture with it while waiting for the car.

I just did the USH VIP tour this past Monday and it was definately a great experience even with the rainy day. We were supposed to be on the 11a tour, but due to the rain we decided to check in early and they asked if we wanted to be on the 10a instead - it worked out better in that it gave us more free time after the tour was over (park closed at 7p). It was funny because we were the only Americans on the tour, but the group was pretty fun...almost like a little family of sorts. Due to the rain we stayed on the tram for most of the backlot portion, but as soon as it died down we were out and walking. We went onto the set of Life, prop warehouse, the sets/wood making/metal working building as well as the usual Jaws, Earthquake, etc. We also went up the hill to the original Leave it to Beaver house and inside another full size house they use for filming. The tour guide was really good, and the driver was as well. Both had been with the company for quite sometime (over 20 years). As for food, we had the limited continental with juice, water and soda to bring along. We had a buffet style lunch in the old Annual Pass Processing center with a selection of delicious things. They also had unlimited ponchos and used the cab portion of the regular tram (instead of the trolly) since it was wet out. You get to use the Gate A (front of the line) entrances as well as the reserved seating at shows. For WaterWorld, they even have a talk back session after the show where you get to sit and talk to a few of the actors for a bit. They normally have one for Terminator as well, but the rain had that theatre being used for other shows as well so they cancelled that session. You also get 25% discount in the shops and I think the same in restaurants. We didnt pay full price for the tour, but even if we had, I think it would be a great idea for someone who wants an indepth look at the studio. I went with my bf, he had never been to the park before so it was a great introduction for him.

I think its cool to see the "reach envelope" piping out. I assume this is a step used, in some form at least, on all roller coaster construction, but how true is it? The last time I rode Tatsu, I was in the front row and a tree limb hit my leg. It happened on the low point right after the "egg turn". But then again, I guess the reach envelope test cant take into consideration the growth of foliage years after the ride has been in operation. It also makes me wonder if the allowable distance is determined by the speed at which the train will be traveling. On Batman in particular, I notice that if you sit on the right side, you can easily touch the railing in the brake run/tunnel.

I was wondering if SFMM was going to close due to rain. We were watching the news yesterday morning and they were talking about the Grapevine being closed and all the folks waiting up in Castaic for it reopen. Although not directly related, we went to USH yesterday and had a pretty good time. There was rain for the first half of the day, but I was pleasantly suprised at their rain plan! Free hot chocolate/coffee, free ticket to return for one day ticket holders, cheap ponchos, relocated shows, etc.

I'm not sure about other flyers...Superman at SFOG was the only other one I waited in line for, but bounced well before the station because it was taking too long. BUT... I notice a lot of what takes time in regards to Tatsu is the GP aspect of the operation. There's always "re-checks" because people left shoes where they shouldnt, or there's an errant souvenir cup/bag (even though they have the locker police it still happens), or someone doesnt fit or someone pulled down the harness before putting their legs in the "stirrups". When they have to keep re-checking trains, that really slows down the dispatches, especially when they are doing single side operation. This combined with the fact that the dispatch/re-entry process for the flyers seems to take a few seconds longer than other rides (rotating of seats, chassis pin-locking, etc). It all adds up. I still think a test seat could help prepare people for what to do, but maybe that's just me.

My problem with Goliath first is the whole 15 passenger thing they do in the mornings...takes up precious time if theres not many folks over there. If I'm not in an X2 mood, I usually start back at Batman/Riddler if going to the right or Tatsu/Superman if going to the left.

^Something like that

^It feels like your insides are being ripped out of your body, but then again theres airtime to be had.

The Fast & the Furious Tokyo Drift stop on the USH tram tour seemed promsing but was an utter letdown...especially when the cars start "dancing".

^What no Toy Story? Whenever I visit the resort, we usually try to do DCA early in the day and hop back over to DL and it seems to work out well for us. I'm sure you'll find the same. If you are there at rope drop, you shouldnt have much a wait on any of the DCA rides. With an 8p close at DL, the lines shouldnt be too bad. I'd say snag a Soarin' FP on your way back to Screamin' and wait to hit that until you're ready to head over into DL.

Anyone who argued really wouldnt have much ground to stand on anyway...seeing as how it says ID required. The first time I was the most leary in the group about using the ticket. We just made sure we were prepared to pay the difference if they said anything.

Twice I have used SoCal passes of some sort. Both times they were purchased from Vons and were the plastic, ticket sized ones you take directly to the gate and can use to get fastpasses. In those instances they didn't check IDs (even though the back says they might). With the printouts, you still go to the gate, HOWEVER they will replace that with a "generic ticket" of sorts that allows you to still use the FP machines. There is still a chance they will check your IDs, but I haven't heard this happen to anyone. I always figured that people who live in SoCal often buy those tickets for friends and family so that's probably why they arent sticklers for checking IDs.

I think that might be a little to upscale for SFMM, but agree that it would be a good fit. Whatever they put there, I think it is time for something, since if I remember right, the building is quite an eyesore. I also think they need to renovate those bathrooms that are in the old cable car building (I believe). That building almost looks like it is rotting. After seeing the changes that have taken place over the last couple of years, I have faith that they will get around to this area of the park. I am sure it is just a matter of time and money. I'd be terrified to see how much they'd charge for a teppan grill at SFMM. As for the bathrooms up on Samurai Summit, they are some of the cleanest in the park from my experiences. They also seem to have the best air conditioning during the summer as well.

^Swashbuckler has been down for quite sometime now (as with most other Chance YoYos) around the country. The only new development has been them painting the "tower" portion it that dark maroon/brown color. I believe the manufacturer recalled some parts for all of them after that collapse last year.

At one time it was a Steak House. It's an O.K. location for views of Log Jammer and now Tatsu. I wish they would theme it out a little. A steak restaurant might be all right. I would look at Disney restaurants for inspiration. Pizza? I think making it a Pizza place is a waste. Or for something different: How about making it a Hooters? Yea, I remember when it was Four Winds, but I was just wondering what kind of selection did they have when they switched to pizza. Was it just strickly pizza and salads or did they have other italian stuff? I'm sure the corporate partners are working out for them really well. Look at Food Etc. the sushi and Ben & Jerry's are both "vendor" concessions.

Not sure if I posted in this one yet... Adventuredome is the only "park" we have in Vegas, but I consider SFMM my homepark. I go there more than any other park. It usually takes me about 3.5 hours to get there from my house (if you add a rest stop). Disney and Knotts are just under 4 hours non-stop. Universal is about 4.5 hrs depending on LA traffic.

I've always loved the pre-lifts of BTMRR at DL and MK. I also like the beginning run of Roar at SFDK.

X2 is my favorite for the aforementioned insanity, especially in the back row. I also still dig Desperado's first plunge.

Anyone remember the menu they had at Laughing Dragon? Was is strictly pizza or did they have other items? I remember attempting to eat there once in November 2000, but the wait was too long.

They didn't have the books ready when I was there weekend before last. Last year they didn't have them ready till the beginning of February, so I'd assume it would be the same this year. Of course you could always call them up so you know ahead of time.