Brad

The Busch Gardens Shuttle is very easy... I actually prefer riding it to driving (you can take a nap/relax on the way back to Orlando). Definitely make a reservation though. They have a list of pickup/drop offs on the Busch Gardens website. When you stay near Universal Studios, I recommend just taking a Taxi, as they are relatively cheap and cost around the same as the parking fee would if you had a car.

According to the new Park Map, there will be a new structure built where the Gunfight Show stage used to be (looks like a covered seating area for dining). The 'Lickskillet Stage' will also be in that area, where I assume the show will be moved once completed (but it will be next to the shops, not in the middle of the midway). The Gunfight show is currently next to the Rabun Gap station, where it was moved last year for Fright Fest.

I am pretty sure that this was the case. We have had a pretty harsh winter, especially the last few weeks, which puts a damper on cycling the trains to get ready for opening. 3 WARM weeks sure can make a difference.

Definitely hit up the Universal Parks first (my suggestion is Universal Studios... head to Rockit first if open, if not go to Mummy and get a few rides in). Do NOT go with the Flex Ticket... especially since you are just hitting each park once. SeaWorld/Busch Gardens have an online special to get both parks (1 Day each) for $99. Universal Orlando tickets will run you $109 to visit both parks on the same day. The Flex ticket is great for when you will be in Orlando for a week or two, but not for one visit to each park.

Would you honestly rather have a crap-tastic wooden coaster that no one enjoys, or a new 'steel-wood-hybrid' that offers a superior ride experience and more thrills? Companies are not going to do this to GOOD wooden coasters, rather the ones that have lost their appeal, have low ridership and that most people pass up on a visit. I certainly enjoy wooden coasters, as my top two overall are wooden, but Texas Giant, as well as a few other woodens are at the bottom. I think this is a great move, and is really exciting to see a new concept like this come into fruition.

My experiences with just about any theme park in the U.S. has been that Saturday is the busiest day of the week. Granted, a number of factors can make any given day the most crowded (special events, group trips, etc), but I would count on Sunday being less crowded. (Especially in the mornings).

I would switch these two. Seaworld rarely gets long lines for its major attractions, and if there are lines, their Quick Queue system is very affordable and offers unlimited express access to their major attractions (Manta, Kraken, Journey to Atlantis, Wild Arctic, Paddle Boats and Sky Tower). Doing Universal and IOA on a Sunday is MUCH better than a Saturday (but I still recommend Universal Express to really get to enjoy the parks.

I think people are blowing this way out of proportion... and I for one know that I am 'bored' of Universal after 3 days of going to the parks. $145 for park to park access for 4 days of admission (to be used over a span of 14 days) is not unreasonable. That's $37 a day for two amazing theme parks. Sure, the $99 admission was nice, but they are debuting their largest project since IOA opened, and their prices have not increased that much since then (1999). $40 will not deter me from taking a trip to Universal.

Six Flags is already one of the most affordable theme park chains. Most park's have incredible online deals for one-day tickets, and the value of a Season Pass is unmatched. Plan accordingly and a visit to any SF park shouldn't be a financial burden.

I was introduced to TPR via a business card that Robb handed me while in line for Dejavu at SFOG back in 2002. Been following ever since!

We were able to take advantage of the unlimited attractions Quick Queue back on October 3 (a Saturday) for only $14.95 ($12.70 with an annual pass). Definitely worth the money, and I loved being able to take a ride on the Sky Tower more than once to relax. The only ride that we really saved a lot of time at was Journey to Atlantis, which had a posted wait time of 45 minutes (with Quick Queue, you proceed directly to the 'sorting' area... max 2-3 boat wait). Now, I would like to see BGA adopt this same policy. Edit: the updated Quick Queue no longer offers early show access.

^ha! I agree. It was cool the first one or two times to see the detailed themeing, but now is just a head-ache (especially when the ride is a 5 minute wait!

I have to agree that I cannot see them shutting down DD until after the holidays. A re-paint does not take too long, and I imagine the wheel covers can be replaced just as easily. If I am not mistaken, the queue is already being worked on, with the entrance re-routed through the exit path. As far as HRRR, I had varying opinions. The first time riding (last row), I had a great ride... the non-inverting loop was an awesome element (which was surprising), and this was with a crappy song (I wasn't quick enough in choosing). I had 5 rides total throughout my two days, and some rides were much more rough than others, but still enjoyable. It's not an amazing, top-10 ride, but definitely worth the wait to experience it once.

With the numbers they pull in for this event, I am curious as to why the park is not rented out...

That is strange... were most of the closed rides major attractions? You would think someone would walk outside and remove the signage for those rides.

The calendar doesn't have past events listed... but you will notice events like chorus groups and cheer/dance events that are coming up. Again, were the rides that were not available listed before you purchased the Flash Pass? I'm not saying that it's OK to charge full price is only half the rides are available, but complaining that you only were able to ride 5 things when you knew that before you purchased the Flash Pass seems silly. Key Club is a high-school organization (trust me, I have been to these rallies at SFMM before, and I know they are an energetic bunch...)

SFMM posts all of their larger group events on the website: Calendar of Events. If crowds are that big of an issue (or if you are annoyed by energetic kids that are 3 years younger than you), check before you plan your trip. I'm sure Sunday would have been a much better choice. As for the operations, that is always something that SFMM can work on... but as for attractions being closed, this is their off-season, correct?

By doing this poll, I realized I have been on a lot more wooden coasters than I thought... I also noticed a HUGE difference in my top 7 verses those below it. My top 10: 1) Balder 2) El Toro 3) Fav. Steel Coaster 4) Boulder Dash 5) Thunderhead 6-7) Lightening Racer 8) Thunder Run 9) The Boss (haven't ridden since 2004) 10) Ghost Rider (haven't ridden since 2002!)

SFOG has 1 haunted house (Dr. Fright's Frightorium) and The Last Ride that simulates being buried alive. Scare-actors usually make their appearance around 4pm (it gets dark around 7pm).

All of the coasters were open today. Rides down were the Sky Buckets, Thunder River, Wheelie, Thomas the Tank Engine and Splashwater Falls.

Yes! Haha, that thing was crazy. No restraints, and myself nor any of my friends knew what the thing did until we got on... It threw us all over the place. Great times...

Sorry if my post was confusing... I meant that I was glad that someone posted a P:TR about this park... (I didn't take pictures)!

This park was a random find for me when I was studying in Buenos Aires. We went to check out El Tigre and were bombarded with advertisements for the park along the way... I prefered arriving via la Tren de la Costa... an experience in itself. I visited in June (the fall/beginning of winter), and the park was not crowded at all. My favorite experience was the bouncing flat ride located next to Pirana (swinging ship). I don't think I've laughed so hard in my life because of the sheer strangeness of that attraction (and quite unsafe in my mind)! Glad that someone else has enjoyed this park, and posted a P:TR about it!

Well worth the wait for this one! And the Mind Bender crew totally wins!

Does anyone know if HRRR has started utilizing its Express Pass queue?