crazydaveh

Universal Orlando does post the wait times on the web. I use my blackberry all the time at the parks here in Otown. Most of the time, the wait times are current and updated and mostly correct. Blackberry Wait Times As for telling people at the gate... It will never happen. It's like saying, "Please don't spend your money with us." Some parks do this in a different way though... SeaWorld Orlando will sometimes close off it's parking lot... That's a sure sign it's packed, but people still park on the road and walk in and complain about not knowing it's crowded. Universal has signs up during HHN saying "Sold Out." There's a new app for the Iphone that allows people inside Disney to post current wait times... It just started, how well it will work, who knows.

Nice TR. This place makes me want to find the original RCT game, as it seems most of it's rides are from that game!

I'd have thought something like pronouncing "Talladega", and it looks like Scott confirmed it. At SFoG it's pronounced Duh-lon-a-ga. It's named after the city of Dahlonega in North Georgia where they had a gold rush many years ago. It's located at the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains. SFoG used to have the Mini Mine train for kids as well, it's gone. I think the trucks are there now.

Seeing SFoG do this makes me want to go back to my old school home park. The Monster Plantation was a lot of fun as a kid. I remember riding it back when it first opened and even though I knew the monsters "in the marsh" wouldn't get me, I always became a bit frightened a bit when we went over the small hill.

It's not distracting to me while riding in the front row. You're looking forward and kind of down, not up at the track which is above you most of the time.

It does tend to get the queue held back, especially in the large ray tank area of the queue. But it only takes them about a minute to realize that the line has moved, so it's not too bad. And from where the aquarium windows are located to where you split to go up to each loading platform, you won't be held too much longer if someone does hang out and watch the sealife. I'd say if they stood there for five minutes and let the line go, they would still catch up before the loading platform, so it shouldn't be too big of an issue. Even if this does happen, think of it as more time in the air conditioned building!

Darn this food poisoning!!! I'll be there Tuesday... The coaster looks awesome!

Only in the "Honeymoon Capitol of the South!" Great pics. I used to go to Gatlinburg/PF back when I lived in Atlanta, not so much anymore. The pics remind me of all the money I spent on stuff like that! Did you go up to Ober Gatlinburg?

With the "Shamu Express" type coaster being an upcharge attraction, was it on the honor system or did the turnstyle not operate unless money was put in? The pictures make the park look like a SeaWorld Orlando clone in any ways, just different color paint!

I wonder if that would work with a platinum pass purchased from BGE? Good question. I have the Orlando Platinum Pass, and forget that the other ABI Parks have a different type of Platinum pass that might not have the same perks as ours... Though you would think they would all be on the same level...

I called the general 1-800 number and asked about this. I was told that Gold and Platinum passholders would be allowed to enter the park an hour early once the ride officially opens to ride. This is similar to what sister park BGT or BGA did with Sheikra.

I just drove by and the crane is back in place around the station/lift hill. I was on I 4 and couldn't get a pic, but maybe we'll see some lift action, the question is, which way will it go, up or down?

Marketing employees were given the chance to ride yesterday afternoon for a few hours. It did look like there were some people in "street clothes" and not work clothes riding. Manta employees are saying a May 1 soft opening is looking pretty good, but of course, it's just what they're saying. We'll know in a few weeks when their work schedule is posted.

Nice story. Makes me want to head out west from Orlando to play in the water this summer!

Mine are all the Orlando parks. I go at least once a month to one of them. I save Disney for the Fall for Food and Wine Fest, Universal for the Spring for Mardi Gras, and SeaWorld for the winter because it's dead. I hit the waterparks in the summer, well, because it's hot here in Florida!

^^^ Plus Anheuser Busch InBev hasn't spoiled the plans to add phase II of Aquatica which construction is supposed to start on in 2010. The new ownership are idiots, even though Busch Entertainment is supposedly their own spun off company, but they're still under the ABI umbrella. With this said, they see a money maker, and they're going with it. I enjoy Aquatica more than the Disney water parks. It's great to sit on the beach at Aquatica and watch Shamu's fireworks during the summer... If only Aquatica would sell good beer, then it would be great!

I'm sitting here looking at the following in my wallet: Universal Orlando Preferred Pass (The old one with my picture on it) - Held and good for nine years now Disney Pass (Orlando) - Have had for many, many years Busch Platinum Pass - Have had since they introduced the "Platinum Pass" I still use the one with my picture on it. My wife has the old one where she could pick the pass, she chose the polar bears Gator Land - Why not!?! Silver Springs/Wild Waters - Hardly go, just renew every year just in case we're up in slOcala! Georgia Aquarium - Only been once, but my parents live up there so they pay for it...

I just bought the Panasonic P2 200 for home, I use the P2 500 and 2000 at work, they all work great. The 200 has a built in lens, but it's great for shooting around the parks. The 500 and 2000 are too large to take in a park, plus they are broadcast cams, so security would have a cow. The 200 is the DVX100B's step up to 1080i shooting. I have Avid 3.0 at home, Nitris at work. In my opinion, AVID is the way to go, yes it's expensive, but it's the best. AVID now owns Pinnacle, I've read they've really upgraded the versions you can buy at Best Buy and other similar stores, so that might be a great program to get without taking a loan out. I also use After Effects, but that's for a lot of post.

They are offering dolphin encounters these days, similar to Discovery Cove's.

The SeaWorld Orlando Hospitality House has reopened (kind of) as you can now buy beer and have a buffet. This isn't the final look that it will have, it's just a way to keep cash flowing into the park and at the same time, keep people getting hours for their checks. Some of the bartenders and old Brew Master's Club personnel are working the bar. This will stay this way during Bud BBQ Fest this month. They pretty much have the same beers as they did, with some new ones, but they're not good beers, they're ABI beers. Food... Not beer. The old waiting area for the BrewMaster's Club is now a buffet line. They are now selling the same beer we used to get for free in Orlando's Hospitality House. $2 beer at a theme park isn't bad... But it's AB beer, so it isn't good either!

Saturday was insane at SW, mainly in the beer house. People sprinted to the beer house when the park opens (like they do at CP for Dragster) to make reservations for the Brew Master's Club. They booked the entire day in about ten minutes. The lines for beer were out the door for most of the day. Sunday, the place was dead. The Hospitality House will be turned into a BBQ restaurant with a "micro brew" feel. They're doing this so they don't have to move much of the "brew" stuff from the building. Once complete and in full form, it will be a full service restaurant that is not as high end as Sharks. The back area where Beer School and the Brew Master's Club was will be a conference area for park people/training classes/or meetings. They are still deciding what to do with the front area of the BMC, as it might become the "bar" for the restaurant or a secondary bar if they keep the one out front as it is. They are planning to keep the current food service line open for Bud BBQ Fest on the weekends along with the restrooms. The building is scheduled to be blocked off, but the patio will be open for people to sit and remember the good times of free brew.

As a former Beer School Instructor and then forces into the Brew Master's Club, it does sadden me. AB used to take care of their employees with beer. No, they didn't and still don't pay very well, but it was really cool to know that you were getting two cases of beer a month. Yes, it was AB beer and not Sam Adams, but sometimes, free beer is free beer and it's just cool to know that you get it. I think what InBev is doing is killing morale more than it was when the sale was announced and they're killing a quality beer promotion. Back in the Beer School days, we would bring in around 300 people on a slow day and let them sample products. Of course, you had the Bud and Bud Light, but the guests also received four other samples of AB products that they might not have bought, but after trying for free, they might go spend some money on. In the BrewMaster's Club, it was the same, that was AB III's baby twords the end of his time. He came in several times and watched our shows, shook hands, quizzed us on product knowledge, and shared his knowledge and love of his products with us, so we could do the same with the guests. He was really cool to the BMC employees that he saw were trying to do good for his beers, but not always the same when he saw slackers. I know a ton of people who tried some of the new stuff in the BMC and started buying it. It's a great marketing tool, but it's going away. I got out three years ago, found a real job with real pay, now I can afford Sam Adams and other good beers. I just hope ABI knows what they're doing, Guest Services, get ready for upset free beer fans this summer!

That happened before the Holidays, or at least that will start in 2009. If anyone wants to hit up the beer house in Orlando this Friday or weekend, let me know!

Anheuser Busch InBev announced today that the free beer will stop flowing at the end of the month at both SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Africa (Tampa). This is sad, though we knew it was coming with the buyout. This stinks, as it's always my first and last stop at the park. No word when this will take place at the other Busch Parks. The article is also in today's http://Orlando Sentinel No more free beer at SeaWorld or Busch Gardens posted by Jason Garcia on Jan 5, 2009 12:05:55 PM Busch Entertainment Corp. is about to end of the longest-standing traditions at its theme parks: Free beer sampling. The company announced this morning that it will close the popular hospitality houses at all of its SeaWorld and Busch Garden parks beginning this month. The facilities will eventually re-open -- without the beer sampling. In a written statement, Busch didn't offer an explanation for the move. But it said employees at the hospitality centers will remain with the company. Busch said the Busch Gardens hospitality house in Tampa will close "briefly" at the end of January and re-open with a new "cafe-style menu." The SeaWorld Orlando hospitality house will close for a longer stretch as of Feb. 1 and will ultimately be converted into a new restaurant.

SeaWorld parks already have quality B&M's. If Texas or San Diego get one, it won't be a "used" one. Even though the Belgians at InBev are known for penny pinching, they don't want to take away the division that's really banking right now (despite the economy, the Florida parks have been busy just as last year) and with their relationship with B&M, I think they would put something in that's unique, and not a sit down mediocre machine.