Photo TR: Andy's 2021 Floridian Revenge

[The Great Zo]

I've been mostly absent from the forums for a while, and when I last checked in I was getting my fix on a looping Pinfari, so that's about how exciting things have been over here.

I guess it was past time to hop on some real coasters again.

2021 was a much better travel year for me than the atrocity that was 2020. I went to the Outer Banks, I went to the San Francisco Bay area, I went to Washington DC, and then in October, I did a 10-day lap through the eternally wonderful state of Florida. Yeah, I did the Florida thing already in 2017, but that's OK! This is the sequel! The revenge!

Here's the start of a short 3-part TR focused on photography and new stuff. Part 1 is going to cover Busch Gardens. Part 2 is going to cover Islands of Adventure. Part 3 will include a collection of all the other crap I did while I was in Florida. And then when I get done with all of that, maybe I'll finish that 2019 Europe trip report I've been neglecting...

[The Great Zo]

Wednesday, October 13, 2021 -- Busch Gardens Tampa

Ah, yes ... a weekday in the off-season, on a day with no Howl-o-Scream. This place was dead, and that's just the way I like it. Walk-ons or one-cycle waits for every ride, even Cheetah Hunt in the evening. I've got a picture of a Sheikra train with only 7 riders. I had a solo ride on Falcon's Fury -- not just on my car, but on the entire gondola.

Even aside from the low crowds, something definitely felt a little off compared to normal. I wish I could say it was just the pandemic-era funk, but I know the Busch parks have had some issues extending even before that. The train was running only one train, with only one station. The sky ride was down, along with some other rides that were undergoing maintenance. A few small sections of the park were closed off, and dining options seemed limited, though I didn't eat at the park. Some of the animal exhibits were closed as well. The coasters were all running fine, and ops were actually decent. Kumba and Montu were just doing one train, but the trains rarely filled, so it really didn't matter much at all.

The park's hours were 12PM-8PM, which not only gave me time to sleep in, it also let me experience the park at night for the first time ever. Some of those pathways are really dark!

Oh, one little bonus. Cheetah Hunt was originally supposed to go down for a re-paint on October 11, but it got changed to October 14, meaning I got in just in time.

I got a new credit (Tigris) and several rides on all the other awesome coasters. This visit re-affirmed for me that B&M has lost their way in the last 10-15 years, because Kumba/Montu/Sheikra are still so good, and they still run so well. And finally, I ran my "SBNO RMC" count up to 5 now (NTAG, IRat, Lightning Rod, Zadra) but of course I knew that was coming. I did not see the giant "IRON GWAZI: NOW OPEN" roadside billboard that Erik showed me a picture of, but that would have only added to the fun!

Entrance! Topiary!

I did a big, slow counter-clockwise loop through the park. I started with a single ride on Cheetah Hunt, then...

...the big cobra thing.

The cobra figure is pretty awesome!

Some fun with perspective, but that cobra head is quite large.

It's got its eye on you...

I rode Cobra's Curse once. I don't love it. Too many block brakes. Decent family coaster, I guess.

One theme of this TR is that I was able to spend lots of time doing photography, since I got on the coasters as much as I wanted to without any waits.

That means plenty of time for fun candid reaction shots!

Cobra's Curse is pretty good for photography.

I went to Montu next, which is decidedly not good for photography. I'll have some pics from Montu later on. I did a few rides, then moved onward.

There are animals. So there will be some animal pictures mixed in here.

This giraffe is hungry.

There are a few birds in this little corner of the park, like these pelicans near Cobra's Curse.

This one might just be a native.

The ibis are everywhere.

A porcupine enjoying a snack.

An elephant, doing the same.

A large cat, proving that all cats are basically the same.

Back to the coasters -- Cheetah Hunt!

Inversion through the trees.

A little bit of airtime.

I've only been to the park once before with Cheetah Hunt open, so I was disappointed it was scheduled to be closed during my visit. Then they delayed the closure by a few days, and all was right in the world.

A few good photo spots near the middle portion of Cheetah Hunt, but the train is moving pretty quick so you have to be fast.

I think it was about when I took this picture that I was like, hey, coaster photography is fun! It sucks I hadn't done any in two years!

One-train operations.

Literally.

Normally I'd ride the train, but I wasn't going to mess with that.

My only decent picture of Scorpion. Sorry, Schwarzkopf fans. I did ride it once, and it's still great!

Falcon's Fury is up next. What an incredible, screwed-up thing this is.

I love how you can really see the riding position on the entire gondola in this shot.

Another view of the whole gondola from the bottom!

Oh, and the reaction shots are priceless.

Plenty of spots around Pantopia for a good view straight up at the ride.

That's a lot of hair.

Tried to catch two cars in this one. The screams are plentiful.

Relief at the bottom!

I rode Falcon's Fury four times -- twice during the day, twice after dark. No waits, and the last ride was a true solo ride.

I didn't ride Sand Serpent, because it's a dumb mouse.

But it wasn't even operating on my last trip, so I did get a few pictures, like this one of these very excitable people.

The sharp turns do elicit some interesting reactions.

Hanging on for dear life, I guess.

Kumba climbs through a forest of trees.

Like Montu, Kumba was only running one train, which was more of an inconvenience for photography than for actually riding the thing. I got on 2 or 3 times.

Also like Montu, Kumba is very tough to photograph. You're pretty much limited to a few spots near the ride's entrance and along the exit path. To top it off, most of the time the train is facing away from the walkways.

Diving out of the loop.

A swooping turn between the corkscrews.

To make matters more difficult, you're stuck either shooting through or above a net, which is tough.

I think the interlocking corkscrew shot is the one picture everyone gets, and my version is, eh, alright I guess.

Another Kumba inversion shot.

Kumba is still fantastic. Still smooth. One of the oldest B&Ms, and it's amazing.

While I was taking these photos, I overheard someone ask a ride op "so, uh, my Quick Queue is really only worth it for Cheetah Hunt today, huh?"

Yep, it was that kind of day. And no, I didn't buy Quick Queue.

The rapids ride was running, but the rafts were sparse, and the splashes didn't seem especially plentiful.

Well, at least there were a few.

Stanley Falls had run dry. It was closed on my last visit (Feb 2017) also. No log flume photos for you!

More in the next post.

[The Great Zo]

Continuing with something new....

Tigris! New coaster for me, so I have to get a shot of the entrance, and the posted (and over-estimated) 5 minute wait.

Ride sign! It's nice!

Climbing into the clouds.

Tigris is pretty. The orange works nicely. I've always thought orange is a nice coaster color against a blue sky.

But, unfortunately, I just don't care much for these rides. This is the fourth I've been on (Holiday Park, Sea World San Diego, and BGW). They're one-and-done for me.

Honestly, it's like a big list of stuff I don't like. The trains are uncomfortable. The comfort collars are ridiculous.

But this picture right here shows the real reason -- the hangtime.

I do not like prolonged hangtime.

Other people seem to enjoy it, though!

Dropping in from up top.

Yep, that's a lot of upside-down. Gravity does interesting things to people.

At least they made the train look nice.

Flipped the wrong way.

You can almost feel the intensity in this picture. Either that or the blood rushing to your head.

Only one good spot I could find for close-up rider shots, and it's coming off the smaller of the two hills.

Klassy!!!

OK, let's get to a better coaster.

Sheikra was very kind to me on this fantastic October day.

This coaster is a photographer's dream. Amazing photo ops of both drops and the big splashdown element.

As for the lines? Well, you'd get the occasional full train...

...but here's one with literally only seven people on it.

I think I got 6 or 7 rides on Sheikra, including three at the end of the night in the darkness.

Sheikra makes me sad that Valravn exists. But then I remember I'm riding Sheikra, and I'm happy again.

Going straight on down.

Here's the second drop off the block brake, which is almost as fun as the first in the back row, since you take it with a little bit of speed.

Just checking to see if Garbles is reading this TR.

Oh, the anticipation.

And the drop begins!

The afternoon sun angle was perfect for shots of the second drop.

I'm running out of captions before I run out of pictures!

Sorry, Chuck and Erik&Smisty are way better at this than I am.

All the excitement.

OK, that's some fear.

A "pop" of airtime.

Thank you old-time B&M for the non-vest restraints.

Coaster nerd shot.

Let's look straight up at the big drop.

Just when the brake releases...

Necklaces go flying!

At the apex of the drop.

The bottom is near!

Some amazing reactions in this one

And then a dumb kid with a phone that makes me sad.

One more on the way down.

Rounding the curve to the splashdown.

I'd make a joke about the folks in the front row, but it would probably be too KoRny.

Jets overhead!

Splash zone!

The splash zone is "brought to you by Adventure Island," which is a fun little piece of nonsense cross-marketing.

Here's a shot with a different view than the normal splashdown pics. This one is kind of hard to get because there are some obstructions, and you have to time it just right.

Of course, the real reason this shot is a little tricky is because you have to snap your picture and then immediately run about 50 feet away ... if you don't want to end up unacceptably drenched.

The view from the other side.

Climbing out of the mist.

Water goes up...

...and water comes down.

Sheikra is a reliable drencher for those who enjoy that sort of thing.

As for me, I learned exactly where to stand.

Here's my one "it's Howl-o-Scream time" picture, but I intentionally went on a day with regular park operations only.

I don't do Halloween stuff. Nope. Hard pass.

You got Chuck's TR for that!

One more batch in the next post.

[The Great Zo]

Want some birds? We got some birds.

Flamingo.

Scarlet Ibis!

Demoiselle Crane!

Masked Lapwing!

The Kangaroo/Wallaby exhibit was open. And they have, I believe, two albino wallabies.

I don't think I've seen one before.

Those are quite the eyelashes.

A kangaroo with a little one.

Hi, Joey.

Oh, this thing.

Right, OK, yeah, I knew there was no chance it would be open well before my trip.

But still.

I mean, look at it!

Running up the score with closed RMCs.

Let's see.

2013 TPR trip was right after the SFOT incident, so New Texas Giant and Iron Rattler were both closed. Haven't made it back to either park yet.

2016 TPR trip had a Dollywood stop, with Lightning Rod doing Lightning Rod things. We got on a year later, though!

2019 TPR trip had Zadra, which was not technically done, but was essentially constructed and would have been done if a windstorm hadn't blown the structure apart earlier in the year.

And now Iron Gwazi.

I'll get you next time.

Just as a ridiculous teaser, I saw it run one train about 20 minutes before the park opened.

This thing looks really good, though.

I think it has a lot of what I enjoy most about RMCs.

Like, this. This looks like it shouldn't exist, but it does, and it will be great.

RMC, you twisted geniuses.

Soon, Iron Gwazi. Soon.

That completed my big lap around the park, but that meant it was time for Lap 2.

Let's start with a gator.

The last time I was at BGT, this pond was filled with large gators. Tons of them. I only saw two this time.

Another animal I can't identify! It's so cute, though.

Can I interest you in a nice frame?

Heading back over to where I started my day -- and some more pics of Cheetah Hunt.

Cloud pics.

They should have named it Cheetaka.

I really like this ride. It's just plain fun.

More airtime!

Intamin, you did well.

Coming down off the tree.

This part is fun, but especially in the back.

More Cheetah Hunt fun.

My guess, from overhearing conversations, is that Cheetah Hunt had an actual wait during the middle of the operating day. Probably nothing too crazy. By this time of night -- getting closer to 7PM -- it was a walk-on for all but the front row.

I didn't mention it elsewhere, but I did the $8 transferable locker thing, and it worked fine. All the coasters I rode except for Cobra's Curse required it. Falcon's Fury also does not require a locker.

Speaking of Cobra's Curse, it closed early for the night. No big loss...

...because I'm just gonna go walk onto Montu about 3 or 4 times at sunset!

Montu is just like Kumba -- hard to photograph from the park, and spends a lot of time facing away from you.

So, I tried to get creative and do stuff like this.

Gold-plated wheel covers.

Montu is amazing. The batwing is just nuts.

Let there be light!

The only decent spot in the park to get a view of the riders!

Running one train, it required some patience. I attempted this shot three times, and only this one turned out right.

This stupid little game thing is right next to the Montu entrance.

Uh, that is not a hurricane, or a sand storm.

Either that or I've been doing my job wrong for a long time.

So, after my sunset rides on Montu, I got to experience something new -- night at Busch Gardens! I'd never been here after dark before.

I went right to Cheetah Hunt for 3 more rides, each one progressively darker, and each one with zero wait.

I continued another counter-clockwise loop, heading to Pantopia next.

I was doing hand-held shots with my camera at this point, so the image quality isn't great.

What I really wanted was a couple night rides on Falcon's Fury.

I got two rides, facing different directions each time, so I could enjoy the view of the park and the city of Tampa.

I was all by myself on the last ride!

I finished at Falcon's Fury at about 730PM, then walked onward. Man, some of these pathways are dark at night, and I'd go 30 seconds without seeing even one other park guest. It was kind of weird.

I then went to Sheikra to try to get another few rides in.

I did three night rides on Sheikra, and then decided to do actual night photography (long-exposure, with tripod) until they kicked me out.

So, here's one of the big loop.

And here's one of the lift.

This picture is a long-exposure of the splashdown. At night, the lights on the mist just make it look like a big purple glow over the lagoon.

Seriously, it's like we're summoning a portal to an alternate dimension. Maybe in that dimension B&M never invented vest restraints.

One shot of the lagoon after the last train had run.

Hello again, Iron Gwazi. You're still closed, I see.

This area is going to be hopping in 2022.

Alright, this does look pretty cool, even if they didn't light up the coaster.

Now that's bright.

Almost a half-hour past close, and the main plaza is nearly deserted.

Guess that means I should head on out.

Good times, BGT, good times.

And more importantly, a great day for my first actual theme park visit in over two years!

It only took me two days for the next one.

[PKI Jizzman]

Amazing photos as always, thanks for sharing! I was shocked at how much Sheikra stood out over the other dive coasters. The clear #1 in my book!

[bert425]

Great pics, Andy  (tho I'd expect no less from you).

 

can really tell the crowd level in your "people" pics, since I see the same riders in several different pictures.     What a great day, even with the challenges you mention (in particular the 1 train, train ops and no skyride).

But looks like you had a great time.

[The Great Zo]

On 11/17/2021 at 9:46 AM, bert425 said:

can really tell the crowd level in your "people" pics, since I see the same riders in several different pictures.    

I noticed the same thing! It's basically just the same 100 people riding everything over and over again!

[Nrthwnd]

^ I've actually had that happen to me, in a way. I would notice certain people in the park crowd (a single person, a couple, or a family, etc.) .... then constantly see them/run into them, wherever I was in the park! And some times, even seeing them in the same queue I was in! Freeky.

Awesome TR Andy, especially those night shots!

[cfc]

Thanks for the shout-out, Andy--and these excellent photos of Busch Gardens Tampa.

[The Great Zo]

So, did some new coaster open at IoA this year?

Friday, October 15, 2021 -- Universal / Islands of Adventure

These might be the best photos of VelociCoaster you've ever seen! They also might not be, because I don't know what else you've looked at.

The funny thing is that I wasn't actually planning on going to Universal on this particular trip to Florida. BGT was always in the itinerary, since I knew I'd be in Tampa for a while, but the whole Universal thing only came together in the 36 hours before I visited. Why? Because it's nice to have TPR friends, and they are very good at influencing your decisions.

To be up front about it, I really didn't go into this day planning on riding a ton of stuff. I don't completely love Universal's rides, and I never even made it over to the Studios park. Plus, the crowds were larger than hoped for. So, my focus was simple: two new coasters had opened since my last visit to IoA, and I intended to ride them, while saying hello to some people I hadn't seen in a while.

Turns out, we all ended up riding VelociCoaster together, so that killed two raptors with one stone.

The ride count for the day is short:
4 on VelociCoaster
1 on Hagrid's
1 on Hulk
1 on Dr. Doom

I'll tell more of the story along the way in the captions, including some complaining about the Hagrid's queue experience, and a whole lot of love for Intamin's latest.

If you're looking for a full-on comprehensive review of the park, this isn't it. I guess I already did that in 2017.

But if you're looking for a whole lot of VelociCoaster, you're in the right spot!

[The Great Zo]

Let's begin.

A fond hello to the giant spinning globe.

Nonetheless, I wasn't here for anything on that side of the property.

I was here to ride some roller coasters.

Well, one in particular.

Crowds earlier in the week had been manageable, according to those I met up with, but this Friday ended up being somewhat busy.

I'd soon be meeting up with our very own DBru. Before he arrived, I did a lap around CityWalk and got a few pictures.

Have you ever seen a close-up of the Universal globe? Now you have.

I thought this was just a prop, but supposedly it's actually Jimmy Buffett's Grumman HU-16 Albatross sea-plane. Now we know.

I did not go into the Studios park, but HRRR has some decent photo views from CityWalk, so why not get a few shots?

This was fairly early in the morning, so I saw a few empty rows going out.

The little path near the old Blue Man Group theater, which is completely outside the park gates, has some of the best views of HRRR.

A good place to get some rider reactions.

This ride sure has a lot of block brakes.

Also, a good deal of hairtime.

Now, I'll be honest and say that a couple rides have opened at the Studios park since I visited in 2017 -- Fallon, and Fast and Furious.

The fact that I never even went into the Studios park all day long tells you about how interested I was in those.

I've seen some people here talk up the Bourne show, but I didn't even know about that when I visited, and probably wouldn't have had time for it anyway.

Nonetheless, I was here for IoA, and just doing a little photography before meeting up with Daniel and heading in.

It was apparently a very big deal to the locals that the decorative top pieces on Dr. Doom had only recently been restored to the ride -- perhaps that same day. I had no idea this was a thing, but I am posting this picture to prove that the entire ride structure is now intact!

From a distance, the IoA coasters are beckoning.

Hulk, with one of the only cobra rolls I find tolerable.

Another inversion on Hulk.

One of those Universal hotels off in the distance.

So, let's head on in!

And let's make our way to what I'm really here for.

In 2017, this plaza was sort of a dead-end, unless you wanted to head through the Jurassic Park building.

Now, it's one of the more lively places in the entire park. You've got the bottom of the top-hat drop to the left...

...and my second-favorite coaster stall right behind you. (Wildfire still takes the cake!)

To say the least...

...this area looks very different from when I saw it last.

Here's how the first part of the morning went.

First, Daniel and I got our inaugural rides on VelociCoaster -- back row, too!

Then, we managed to meet up with the rest of the TPR group -- Robb, Elissa, Chuck, and Erik.

Together, the six of us got on the ride again and did a TPR takeover of the back three rows of the train! It was awesome!

Another view that has been significantly changed.

The juxtaposition of Jurassic World and Hogwarts makes me want to say "Suck it, JK!" which also probably means I spend too much time on TPR.

Big drop, meet ride entrance.

This seems like as good a spot as any for a brief review of VelociCoaster.

Did I love it? You bet I did. I'm thoroughly shocked that a high-powered Intamin enthusiast-wish-list kind of coaster got built at a major media theme park like IoA. Shocked and amazed and absolutely loving it, because it's themed to the nines with the kind of quality that matches the ride experience.

The queue is awesome. The locker system is awesome. The trains are very comfortable. The operations were flawless.

And the ride?

It's one of the best coasters in the US, and the only stuff I have ranked higher than VelociCoaster is a handful of sentimental favorites and a smattering of RMCs.

Yes, it's better than Maverick, on the merits.

So I guess that means I'm a fan!

I'll share some more thoughts about VelociCoaster along the way.

To keep the TR moving, after the two morning rides, our group found the wait times for other stuff in the park a little less-than-desirable, but we did take a ride on the no-longer-topless Dr. Doom. After that, we split up for lunch and the Alveys headed home. Chuck and Erik and I got some pizza, and then I met back up with Daniel for a few minutes before he had to run off for another meet-up.

That left me with some time for photography, and I started at the outdoor patio behind the Hogwarts Potter Wizard restaurant whose name I really don't care to remember.

There's a fantastic view of the back section of VelociCoaster from here, including the exit from the stall.

This is like a beefed-up, modern version of the classic Intamin twisty bits on rides like I305 and Maverick. And I prefer VelociCoaster to either of those.

Fly like a raven.

Almost like you're in a jungle.

The excitement is quite visible.

One thing is for sure -- a coaster of this type and intensity is not what you'd expect to find at this sort of park. In my opinion, it's on a different excitement level than anything else at Universal, including Hulk, HRRR, and even our dearly departed Dueling Dragons.

Flipped around.

Tough shot to time out, because the train is flying through this section.

Hands ... down?

Spiraling out!

And the train heads onward.

As luck would have it, I did catch a couple shots of Daniel snagging a front seat ride.

Say hi to the DBru in the green shirt!

He's flying, but he's not doing "the method", so we're gonna have to re-do this shot some time in the future.

Gonna keep this gratuitous lens flare, because it works for JJ Abrams.

Alright, now time for a quick break from VelociCoaster to go do some Harry Potter BS.

The only problem? It wasn't a "quick" break at all.

So, Hagrid's is kind of a mess on a busy day. It might be kind of a mess on a non-busy day, too, but I'm just working with the knowledge I've got.

Using my phone, I got a spot in the virtual queue not long after 10AM. The wait was supposed to be about 2 hours before I could enter the line. Unfortunately, the ride broke down several times, which extended my virtual queuing to about 3 and a half hours. So, we're already not off to a great start.

However, once I got in line...

...I still had a full hour wait.

I honestly can't recall the last time I waited an hour for a theme park attraction. In the era of line-skips and TPR trips, that just doesn't happen much!

So, yeah, the combined 3-and-a-half hour virtual queue, plus 1-hour actual queue, was kind of a bummer. It also ensured I'd only be able to get one ride on Hagrid's.

At the very least, the queue was pretty nice -- well, until a bunch of unruly young teenagers merged in behind me and tried to run me over a half dozen times.

Finally! Let's ride!

And you know, I'm really going to try to separate the ride from the poor queue experience and the ridiculous hype, because on its own, Hagrid's is actually a really good coaster. I enjoyed it a lot, and I think it's the kind of ride that would be fun to go on several times in a row, with so many little details to check out.

There's only one good spot to get photos of Hagrid's, and it requires walking up the exit ramp a little ways. I had to go get my stuff from a locker after riding.

The launch into the castle-type-thing is fun and photogenic.

The ride is very well hidden, with just a few little spots where you can see it go.

If you squint, you can even see a completely separate theme park off in the distance!

This launch is one of the two best spots for photos.

It's a little far and the lighting is tricky, but you can get some good reactions.

This little twist, however, is the best spot.

It's a very Intamin moment, even on a family coaster, and the people seem to love it.

When I rode, I was in my own row, so I took the bike seat. The two seat types seemed basically identical, so I opted for the one with the better view.

Hands up for Hagrid's!

Sorry if this is coaster blasphemy or something, but the bottom line is that I think Hagrid's is a much better fit for the park than Dueling Dragons / Dragon Challenge. It's also a really fun coaster in its own right. I just hope they get the queue thing sorted out, because that was a huge detriment to its enjoyability.

More to follow...

[The Great Zo]

Alright, enough Harry Potter crap.

Back to Jurassic World we go.

The wait time was fluctuating between 40-60 minutes all day, and the single rider line was intermittently open. However, rather than brave the wait for another daytime ride, I was set on continuing my photography.

A wider view of the back part of the ride, with a train going through the stall.

Very reflective.

Cruising past the lighthouse.

If only they'd let you actually climb the lighthouse.

Only after reviewing this photo, as the train heads toward the heartline roll, did I realize that those people are standing at a really good photo spot that I never even made it over to.

We got fire.

And we got raptors.

This top hat is great.

All of the reviews I've seen were extremely complimentary of the experience in the back row.

Well, my first two rides were in the back row, and it was just the level of crazy I'd expected.

There was that "Favorite Non-Rides" thread the other day, and I was also thinking about how awesome photo spots are kind of a "non-ride" thing I look for.

Well, VelociCoaster has several.

There is none better than the spot right at the bottom of the drop off the top hat. You can line up directly with the track, for a straight-on view of the most exciting part of the ride.

If you're looking for great reaction shots, you can't do much better than here.

Go Bolts!

It helps that trains dispatch at a ridiculous rate. You'll have new subjects to photograph very frequently.

The excitement at the top!

Hairtime, people flying, people scared, people with hands up...

This coaster gives you a bit of everything.

Also, a few damn-near-wardrobe-malfunctions, which I am using my discretion not to post.

I'll give some credit to the train design, too. They look nice. The scratch marks are a great touch.

Florida screamin'!

Switching angles a bit for a different view.

This stall is amazing. It's taken so fast that you don't totally feel the pure sensation of upside-down weightlessness like you do on Wildfire, but it makes it that much more exciting.

Once more from underneath!

Flipping through the clouds.

Kind of an opposite-angle view of the curves I shot from the Harry Potter patio thing earlier.

My next photo spot was from the terrace level of the Jurassic Park building. There are a bunch of tables and chairs out there, and plenty of room to get some shots of the coaster from an elevated vantage point.

Also, a pretty cool view of the heartline roll with the rest of IoA in the background.

I did not find the perfect angle for the big finale, and I'm not sure if there's a dead-on straight view from over near Bluto's, but maybe I'll look for a spot next time.

I'm not gonna crap on Maverick too hard, really, but the fact that VelociCoaster kept its high-speed heartline roll is just another big green check mark for me.

A full-train view of the drop.

Another one, from the other side of the terrace.

This is actually one of the closest spots for pictures of the train cresting the top hat.

I don't have a caption for this shot, so I'll join the chorus of people noting that this is an Intamin coaster with an impressively reliable track record, in a weird season of failing RMCs and B&Ms.

(Pay no attention to the Hagrid's around the corner...)

Crazy air in the back.

We're going flying!

Amidst a backdrop of clouds...

...another big drop commences.

One obligatory coaster nerd shot!

Alright, so that's the back half of the ride. Let's head to the front.

There are a few spots from the main pathway where VelociCoaster is visible, including this view of the top hat through the trees.

The first half of the ride is perhaps not as intense, but it traverses the coaster's most impressive (and immersive) theming.

Seriously, the rock work and foliage are pretty awesome.

The only challenge with this photo spot is that you have to shoot through some metal fence work that is not quite big enough for a full-size camera lens. It requires getting creative with the angles, and OK, maybe a bit of cropping in post.

Maybe this part of the ride isn't quite as intense, but I still found it full of quick pops of air and good forces.

In fact, on my rides in the back row, there were definitely a few "pulls you through the elements" moments that actually reminded me of some back row rides on Outlaw Run.

Yep, this part of the ride is still quite exciting.

Forceful enough for some hairtime, too.

I headed up to the SS Olive for a wider view of VelociCoaster. Admittedly, the lighting for this spot would be better in the morning.

How many billions of dollars worth of I.P. is in this picture?

Again, JK knows what to do here.

One more big curve.

Overhead juxtaposition.

A little pop of airtime...

...and into the twist!

Goodness, this ride is fun.

One segment to go...

[The Great Zo]

VelociCoaster isn't the only show in town, so let's take a look around.

Some nice golden hour lighting on the rest of the park.

I see a HRRR.

From this angle, it looks like a rather extreme addition to Seuss Landing.

Hulk looks great in this lighting.

Tried a few long-distance zoom shots of Hulk from up here.

It's a fake splashdown, but it still looks good.

Well, Hulk looked so good that I just had to go and ride it.

The regular queue was posted at 35 minutes, but I hopped in the single rider line.

I waited only 10 minutes. I was assigned the front row. My ride took place as the setting sun was just an inch over the horizon. That's the kind of thing you couldn't plan out in a million years, and it was amazing.

I still think Hulk has an outstanding first half and a "just OK" second half. Really good coaster, but doesn't top the B&Ms in Tampa.

Oh, and Bluto's broke down and had an evac, so that was kind of funny to watch.

Well, with my sunset ride on Hulk complete, I just had two goals left.

1) Dusk/night photography of VelociCoaster.

2) Get back on VelociCoaster for a night ride.

The changing colors in the sky gave me a nice head start to goal #1.

I see you over there, VelociCoaster.

And, well, you look spectacular.

This batch of photos is from the walkways behind Bluto's, right on the waterfront. These are long exposures (20-25 seconds) using a mini tripod. If you look closely, you can see the faint glow of the coaster train cresting the top hat.

I wasn't aimed quite right, but I accidentally got the Potter castle show fireworks in this shot!

The star of the show, though, is the lighting package on the VelociCoaster trains. With a 25-second exposure, I was able to get the train through just about the entire second half of the ride.

It's interesting that of the four trains, three are lit up with the amazing blue lighting package seen here. One of the trains, however, simply has a plain white lighting array on the front car -- and nothing else.

One of my favorite shots of the set. You can feel the twists. You can sense the speed. Oh, and suck it, JK, again!

Over there, I spy a Mythos.

There's a HRRR, with another long-exposure train shot.

And Hulk, with the same!

If you recall the long-exposure I did of the Sheikra splash in the last set, here's basically the same shot, but this time with the Jurassic Park River Adventure. It's very purple-ish.

Alright, time's about up. It's 10 minutes to park close, and I've got one ride left to go.

How great does this area look at night? Very great.

I entered the queue at 7:50 PM on a day with an 8PM close. The wait was posted at 40 minutes. The single rider queue had been closed.

There was a short pause (maybe 5 minutes with no trains cycling) but even with that factored in, I was on the ride in about a half hour.

I took a few queue shots on the way, including this awesome sculpture at the end of the first room.

I got to meet four velociraptors. Here's Blue...

...and here are the rest.

A quick note about the lockers: this was my first time at Universal since they went to a park-wide system with those free lockers. The plus side is that they're free! The down side is that they're narrow -- maybe 5" tall. Could I fit a bulky backpack, with camera equipment and a water bottle, inside? You bet I could. I had it down to a science by the end of the day.

VelociCoaster's "two sided" system, which reminded me of a few parks I've visited in Europe, worked quite well. No complaints.

Oh, so how about my final ride on VelociCoaster?

Well, actually it was two.

As a single rider in the regular queue, I was assigned Row 6 by myself. I took the seat closest to the loading gates, had a fantastic ride, and pulled back into the station. Once we parked, though, I looked over and realized that they'd placed another single rider in Row 6 for the next cycle. Well, I'm all about thinking quickly. While the rest of the train exited to the left, I just kinda stood up slowly, sauntered over one seat, sat back down, pulled down the restraint, and probably confused the guy who came in to take the seat I'd just occupied. After the Hulk front-row sunset ride, who knew I'd get lucky again? Yes, I will take two VelociCoaster night rides for the price of one!

That last ride was probably among the final handful of VelociCoaster trains sent out, and by the time I got over to anywhere with a view of the coaster, it was done cycling for the day.

That didn't stop me from doing a round of long-exposure night photography in an increasingly-empty park on the way out!

Ripsaw fuzz.

Superhero stuff! And no people anywhere to be found!

East-coast Spiderman!

One more set of views over the water.

Goodbye, wizard stuff.

So long, Jurassic Park.

Ah, VelociCoaster. It's been fun.

An empty Hulk plaza.

Hulk Smash!

A glowing inversion.

Cobra rollin'.

It's now a full hour past closing time...

...and, OK, I guess I should probably leave.

But we're not done yet!

HRRR was still doing it's thing, as this long-exposure captured.

More HRRR stuff. Oh, and...

Over at the Studios park, it's Halloween Horror Nights.

I don't do Halloween stuff.

But I'll take pictures of the awesome lighting effects on the main gate!

I did enjoy the intense music and the occasional bursts of fire.

Oh, and the crowds. With the people heading in, you'd think it was the biggest, hottest club in town.

In 2017, I tried some long-exposure shots of the globe, and wasn't happy with the results.

Tried again this time.

Yep, that's better.

A lot going on in this shot!

The reflection here is quite nice.

A view over the CityWalk lagoon.

A glow from the lighthouse, and there's that airplane again.

Yep, it's crowded. How crowded?

At 10PM, this was the line of cars waiting to get in. Yep.

As for me, I was about done. Or was I?

Actually, I headed over to Icon park for dinner and a ride on the Star Flyer, but I'll cover that in the final TR segment some other time.

For now, there are still a few views to be had from the parking garage.

One more long-exposure coaster train shot for the road.

The IoA skyline at night.

And a goodnight to some awesome coasters.

That's the end of Part 2!

If you made it this far, thank you for reading!

[boldikus]

Absolutely loving this thread. Amazing photos as always, I'm always blown away by your rider/reaction close-ups.

Having visited USO for the first time almost a month ago to-the-day, and going absolutely gaga for both VelociCoaster and Hagrids, these photos are most certainly helping to further push off my post-vacation depression which hasn't quite hit yet I think thanks to the holidays, etc. So thank you!

Bummer that Hagrids was a bit of sour experience for you. We rode it first thing and waited less than an hour with no notable breakdowns or queue snafus to damper the experience and then by chance landed front row and we just loved it. I'm obsessed with both of those rides, thank you for all these amazing photos.

[coasterbill]

Awesome thread. Great photos!

[anonymouscactus]

Absolutely stunning photos ! Wow! Thanks for sharing I love the reaction shots they are so clear and it's cool seeing the variety of emotions lol. Velocicoaster really is as beast of a ride. Also loved the BGT pics. Well done.

What equipment do you use, out of curiosity? I'm sure you've mentioned it somewhere...

Edited January 1, 2022 by anonymouscactus

[bert425]

Fantastic pics (as always), Andy.

 

my favorite thing about your pics - besides what a great photographer you are - is when some on the train notice you aiming the camera and are looking directly at you in the pics.


LOL. .and I was wondering about how some of "dem bOObs" stayed in shirts, as forceful as some parts of Velocicoaster looks.    HAHAHA. . you answered my unasked question

[Nrthwnd]

Who am I, not to repeat everything everyone has said about your photos .... wonderful shots.

And that second to last one of Hulk at night - really stunning. I think I can see all of the track there, lol.

Thanks again for sharing more great photos from your trips.

[The Great Zo]

Thanks everyone!

On 1/1/2022 at 9:40 AM, boldikus said:

Bummer that Hagrids was a bit of sour experience for you. We rode it first thing and waited less than an hour with no notable breakdowns or queue snafus to damper the experience and then by chance landed front row and we just loved it. I'm obsessed with both of those rides, thank you for all these amazing photos.

I'm hoping I just had a bad day with the crowds. I really did like the ride, and I'd love to get on it a few more times to get a feel for everything it does. Front row would be great!

On 1/1/2022 at 10:58 AM, anonymouscactus said:

What equipment do you use, out of curiosity? I'm sure you've mentioned it somewhere...

Canon T7i with the low-end EF-S 18-55 and 55-250 lenses, plus a Gorillapod for the night shots. Probably about the limit of stuff I'd want to lug around a theme park all day!

[cfc]

Quote

 

Now, I'll be honest and say that a couple rides have opened at the Studios park since I visited in 2017 -- Fallon, and Fast and Furious.

The fact that I never even went into the Studios park all day long tells you about how interested I was in those.

 

Wise choice.  

[The Great Zo]

On 1/3/2022 at 7:57 AM, cfc said:

Wise choice.  

You might have helped steer me in that direction.

[cfc]

^Happy to be of service.

[DBru]

You are so talented (and patient), my friend. Per uush, this report was worth the wait… unlike aforementioned newer USO attractions.

I’m so glad you chose to join us up in Orlando for this adventure, even if our visit was brief! Thanks for the amazing photos and reminder that I should probs spend more time riding with my arms down.

[The Great Zo]

13 hours ago, DBru said:

I’m so glad you chose to join us up in Orlando for this adventure, even if our visit was brief! Thanks for the amazing photos and reminder that I should probs spend more time riding with my arms down.

You keep a busier schedule than I do!   Was great it aligned for us for a little while! And it's more that you ride with your arms kinda stretched out diagonally instead of straight up. I mean, who does that???

[hoppedup]

Great photos! I'm heading down to Florida for a few days next month so this is great.

I should take more pictures. I get too caught up in riding coasters lol.