June 4th @ IOA

[sfne2005]

Just got back from my first IOA/Universal/BGT trip (lots of fun). Does anyone know who was at IOA on Saturday which caused the staff to close the rides (at least Ripsaw Falls) to allow a celebrity or vip to ride? To clarfiy, Ripsaw was closed due to "technical difficulty", but was running the whole time. Several minutes later, a portion around the ride was "off limits". Then I heard one op say to another, "You can open it back up now, she's on the ride." I confronted the op who confirmed that someone special was there, but he wouldn't say who, and I didn't feel like waiting.

 

Rich "was waiting to spray the vip with the pay water guns" Elie

[CoasterEricHP]

Wow.. I worked at Dragons for a year and we never closed off the entire attraction for a VIP. They would always just be with a guide(s) and the most we'd EVER do is give them a train to themselves.

 

Must've been someone huge.. larger than Steven Tyler, Clay Aiken, Bill Murray, Hulk Hogan.. because those are some of the people I saw. Not the most powerful people alive.

 

Now working at the Grand Floridian with the likes of Billy Joel/Phil Collins, Janet Jackson, Beyonce, and many others I can see where they might get that treatment.

 

It was also weird when George Bush was down for a campaign fundraiser dinner there were people we never saw before.. working at the hotel.. guess big brother was watching.

 

Eric

[JT3000]

I wouldn't even acknowledge Clay Aiken's existance.

[sfne2005]

The ride op I was speaking with said on occasion, depending on who visits, he has seen whole portions of the park closed (according to him anyways).

[haiderodes]

last summer when i was working seasonal at disney mariah visited mk's splash mtn and required two empty boats behind and in front of her...funny thing is she was wearing high heels and got stuck trying to get out the boat so they had to lift her out of the damn thing

[CoasterEricHP]

I wouldn't even acknowledge Clay Aiken's existance.

 

Yeah trust me.. I wish I didnt have to! He was being a complete @$$ to people.

 

Stephen Tyler was cool.. except he had a camera out in the front row so I had to make someone who didnt know who he was to tell him to put it away.. haha.

 

Most celebs are pretty cool people. Wayne Brady, Paige Davis, and even Metallica were really cool. They'd just hang out in the lobby and talk to people that recognized them. Although Metallica had a really large guard.

 

Eric