Imagineer Josh Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 How was White Cyclone? Too rough? Pretty smooth? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterbill Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 Awesome trip report!! I really hope to get to Japan one of these days. Was the park running their coasters with water dummies? Haha  While it's pretty funny to see on a B&M flyer, Dorney actually does this quite a bit on Stinger when it's cold out since the park never has lines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRice92 Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 Nagashima Spa Land looks like a seriously impressive park. That coaster collection looks top notch and the whole place looks so clean! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vistaway Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 I was on the fence about hitting this park on our March Japan trip, but your TRs (this and previous ones) pushed me to book three nights in Nagoya. Can't wait. Seeing those trains on Steel Dragon is bizarre but cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 A couple of things. Â White Cyclone is rough, but not unrideable. Just not that pleasant. Â As for the park being clean, that's ALL of the parks in Japan. You can't even find a trash can but they're all so clean!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OzCatter Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 A couple of things. White Cyclone is rough, but not unrideable. Just not that pleasant.  As for the park being clean, that's ALL of the parks in Japan. You can't even find a trash can but they're all so clean!!!!  Basically all of Japan. I ran into the problem of finding a trash can several times after finishing up a cup of coffee. I got to the point where I'd just make sure it was completely empty & keep it in my backpack til I either found one or got back to my Airbnb. It's crazy how clean Japan is compared to NYC or London while also having like 99% less bins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrygator Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 (edited) A couple of things. White Cyclone is rough, but not unrideable. Just not that pleasant.  As for the park being clean, that's ALL of the parks in Japan. You can't even find a trash can but they're all so clean!!!!  You forgot to include "except Fuji Q" Edited January 7, 2017 by larrygator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterbill Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 Next up was the "Cedar Point of Japan" You can't even find a trash can  Wait what? If that's the case then this park is definitely NOT worthy of the title of "the Cedar Point of Japan". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarryH Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 Great photos of all these Japanese parks! Â I'm surprised Acrobat wasn't called "Flying Coaster." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Great Zo Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 Just binge-read this whole thread in one go. Any report with mega-tall skyscraper views, a crazy ropes course, overloaded churros, and Hanno pics is going to be a good one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted January 7, 2017 Author Share Posted January 7, 2017 Wait what? If that's the case then this park is definitely NOT worthy of the title of "the Cedar Point of Japan". Leave it to Japan to fix everyone's mistakes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rollercoaster Rider Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 Wait what? If that's the case then this park is definitely NOT worthy of the title of "the Cedar Point of Japan". Leave it to Japan to fix everyone's mistakes! Â Â Unless your Fuji-Q where their job is to take every mistake and make then worse. Â I'm guessing as I've never been to Fuji-Q or Japan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted January 8, 2017 Author Share Posted January 8, 2017 Here's a video of Shanghai Disneyland's version of Pirates. So let me first say that I was very skeptical of this ride because I'm not a huge fan of attractions that use media over physical sets. We were BLOWN AWAY by this attraction! Easily a top 5 Disney ride and most certainly Walt Disney Imagineering at it's best. The "media" sections of this ride are so well done that it's easily the best use and most realistic media I've ever seen. And guess what, Universal? No silly 3D glasses required! lol  The other thing that is hard to realize by watching this attraction in a video is that ride vehicle moves much like an Omnimover meaning that while the boat floats one direction down the track, the vehicle itself can move and turn to face set elements. For example, the first time you see Jack Sparrow, that isn't the boat just cruising by him and me moving the camera following the character, that is actually the boat turning to face him. At one point (actually a couple) you're even traveling backwards!  The ride system, the use of media mixed with amazing physical sets, just works so well. I'm not even a huge fan of the "classic" version of Pirates nor the movies, but this was just incredible. If they wanted to rip out all the classic versions of Pirates (which I know would make fanboys flip their sh1t, but who cares) and replaced them with this version, I would totally be 100% ok with that!  Here's the video... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubleDown Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 I love how Acrobat has the theming *between* the cars, not just at the very front. It's such a shame cheap ass Magic Mountain never put the dragon head on the front of the train like in the concept art, also imagine the cool theming they could have put between the cars as well. It's those little things that make a ride experience that much more enhanced, and when you're spending $20+ Mill on a ride, really, it's such a cheap addition. Â Love the TR keep up the humor Robb! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted January 9, 2017 Author Share Posted January 9, 2017 ^ Thanks! I'm honestly shocked NOBODY commented on that Pirates video! That is seriously one of the best Disney attractions ever made and *crickets*.... Â weird. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laqueefa Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 Yes! Yes! Yes! Â Tear out the original and give us this version here in California. I can only hope the Storm Trooper ride in the upcoming Star Wars land will be as impressive as this version of Pirates. Fingers crossed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerstlaueringvar Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 Definitely the most visually impressive ride I've been on. Still remember on opening day basically everybody in the boat went "holy sh!t" when the first giant screen appeared. Â When I was there on December 22nd and 23rd, the water effect when David Jones' boat crosses in front of the ride vehicle was off. Was it turned off when you were there too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 ^ Thanks! I'm honestly shocked NOBODY commented on that Pirates video! That is seriously one of the best Disney attractions ever made and *crickets*.... Â weird. Â So was I. This ride looks incredible--great mix of animatronics, physical sets, and projections, coupled with a cool ride system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopper39 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 That pirates ride looks absolutely incredible, I always thought the old rides didn't do the new movies justice but that's not the case with this thing, wow. Â Also, I may have mentioned it in another thread or on socials somewhere but I can see this type of technology being utilized for one of the new star wars attractions. The mix of live animatronics, physical sets, and digital media environments, just change the boat into some kind of ship and the under water scenes to outer space and you've got a heck of a ride. Oh and add in like 4000 animatronic storm troopers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ytterbiumanalyst Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 We watched the Pirates video last night and were very impressed. This and the Tron coaster have caused my 9-year-old to want to go to China. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted January 9, 2017 Author Share Posted January 9, 2017 When I was there on December 22nd and 23rd, the water effect when David Jones' boat crosses in front of the ride vehicle was off. Was it turned off when you were there too? I felt it the very first ride I took on it, but then was told they turned it off since it was cold out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viking86 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 Just watching the video of this ride blows my mind! I can only imagine how great it must be in real life! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laqueefa Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 Definitely the most visually impressive ride I've been on. Still remember on opening day basically everybody in the boat went "holy sh!t" when the first giant screen appeared. I've been waiting for a TPR video of the ride since it opened. All the ones from opening day ruined it for me because no one knew how to take a picture without a flash! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nrthwnd Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 The way it all unfolds, visually and technically, I can only imagine that none of the current show buildings that house the other Pirates' Rides in the other Magic Kingdoms will work for this size of a production. Â It all looks just too epic. And that's an AWESOME thing! Great video, Robb! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted January 10, 2017 Author Share Posted January 10, 2017 (edited) So if you remember from our last year's Japan trip report we went to Tokyo's "Kidzania" for the first time and Kristen absolutely LOVED it! So much so that we decided to go back this visit! To describe Kidzania, it's a heavily themed miniature "city" where a kid can be anything. They can have fun learning real-life careers in this unique theme park! It's amazing! Here's some photos...  We have arrived early for KidZania greeted by a long but efficient, quick-moving and orderly line! This is why we love Japan!  At KidZania a kid can be anything. They can have fun learning real-life careers in this unique theme park! It's amazing!  Kidzania is a very well themed indoor park with an amazing variety of activities for kids!  When the park opens the staff greets everyone with a song and dance! It's so Japanese and it makes me so happy! [twitter] [/twitter] Kristen is going to try her hand at being a fire fighter! They suit up, get in a truck, and go put out the fire!  Kristen even got to ride in the front of the fire truck and announce on the speaker the fire truck was coming! lol  The amount of different "jobs" that kids can do is just amazing! Did we mention it's also adorable as well?  Next they are having Kristen do the English parts of the Japanese radio broadcast! This is amazing! [twitter] [/twitter] They actually gave her a CD of her radio broadcast, too!  Here is an overview of just a part of KidZania to give you an idea of how big the place is!  At KidZania, the kids earn money at their jobs, then need to go to the bank, and then they spend the money shopping!  Kristen totally just made a hamburger! And like, a REAL burger that she got to take with her!  Everything from being a cheerleader to professional sports to research/development to auto mechanic! All kids career activities at Kidzania.  We just got our boarding pass for KidZania Airlines! Let's see what the service is like on this flight!  We have boarded our plane at KidZania and so far the cabin crew are pretty decent!  My favorite part about Kristen doing @KidZania_T is they teach her a proper Japanese bow! [twitter] [/twitter] These kids are going to go deliver packages all around KidZania!  There's several different jobs to choose from on the Metro. Train driver, track repair, train repair. Kristen is going to drive!  And because every city needs transportation, kids can rent cars, repair cars or work in the gas station!  I mean, how can a place where you can learn how to make sausage not be cool?  After this, Kristen is ready for Hell's Kitchen!  We seriously like KidZania better than many theme parks! It's intelligent, well themed, a great overall experience. Had a wonderful day!  Yakitori may be the most perfect food ever invented. Need more scientific study...  It wouldn't be a trip to Japan without a Shibuya Crossing video! [twitter] [/twitter] CLICK HERE FOR SEGA JOYPOLIS PHOTOS! Edited January 23, 2017 by robbalvey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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