Mitchada04
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Posts posted by Mitchada04
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One reason I've read is because they have to move the fish for a while as the groundworks will cause vibrations that'll effect them. I have a pile of salt if anyone would like a pinch.
It's well known that Flume could have stayed open this year but they decided to close it because of budgets and could then use SW8 as the excuse.
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The American geeks are split. Some are looking forward to having something other than Twister which is how I feel. Twister was just yawn with all its preshows of Bill Paxton and then a very unreliable effects show. When it worked it was good, but it got to a point where the Twister wouldn't form half the time and they'd already cut the shows down from 12 an hour to 6. It was just a nightmare in the end and lasted longer than any expected. For the synergy of the park it's a good step with the theming front and will bring life back to that corner. But it is also a huge in house marketing machine for both NBC and Comcast.
Let's say as well this isn't meant to be major, only a D-ticket, will be easy to update if Fallon leaves. I'd keep hopes low for F&F. I liked Disaster, but its closure was same reasoning as Twister: expensive to run, losing popularity and unreliable. Plus it had a huge plot of land. Which they're wasting on a pretty much clone of the Hollywood Tram Tour film just a fleshed out single ride with some nice cars in the queue. Nothing like they did for Kong. And I think F&F is being deemed an E-Ticket level attraction.
In more positive news:
Volcano Bay update! Just look at how gorgeous this is going to look at night.
They've now finally announced the water coaster, the TapuTapu band system for queueing and special effects and the fact it will be a queueless park.
And this lovely shot of one of the lazy rivers presumably going through the volcano.
http://blog.universalorlando.com/whats-new/volcano-bay-coaster-details/
It is a water park although they're pushing the theme park status, but it'll be a whole new category with everything else going on. So this will make up for Fallon and F&F until something like Pets or Nintendo happens. Or maybe Avengers or Dragon Challenge works or whatever is next!
- KingNemesis, CharlieN and Ryan
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This concept art has been released today as part of ablog update for the ride!
http://blog.universalorlando.com/whats-new/new-details-jimmy-fallon-ride/
It all sounds like good fun with lots of little extras in the NBC shop and the queue for the ride like the history of the show and being able to send a thank you note to someone.
It'll actually absorb people unlike Twister, be reliable and looks a lot nicer than the old soundstage. Yeah it's more screens but this should be a laugh!
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The same happens every year yet people still go. Nothing will change in that sense.
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I wish this had been an immersive tunnel or had part of it as that. At least then you'd get a part of the attraction that actually feels like a real ride.
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Okay
in sub species there's a set of 3 doors, the lights go out and someone is pulled through one of the doors lights back on and repeat. You're sort of tugged from behind and told your there's for like food etc. Skin snatchers was similar but just one route so you were watching this mine shaft effect when a skin snatcher would take one from the group more push than pull in that one.
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Scarefest is just great! The park audio changing, the theming, just the overall fun vibe. Even little things like changing of some shop signs right down to all staff having a green name badge instead of the usual blue.
The Ancestors are great, the flash mob is good fun and I just love the interaction they have with everyone, even when they go down to Gloomy Wood and just chat to people down there. Great fun!
The kids line up seemed the same and popular so that's probably a good thing for them.
Scarezones. I remember saying last year how Dark Appocalypse had more of a complete package than Thorpe's mazes. I'll stick to that I think. It has a story, effects and all just works. Simple but effective. Now Nox Infernus however was awful so I'm glad that's gone, and freak show is a fab replacement. Set pieces, loads of actors, brilliant music, lighting, and interactive actors. Great fun and so easy to do.
Also think there were more actors at points in this than there were in some Thorpe mazes.
The coasters looked great in some cases this year! Oblivion was lit with an orange glow (I'll put photos in a blog at another point) Rita was greeny, Galactica had the blue glow and portal, Smiler was cool with just the Marmaliser emitting light and Nemesis looked amazing!
The mazes!
So I didn't do House of Monsters but have heard rave reviews so there you go. I'll use them. IT'S GREAT. Done.
Terror of the Towers: I've never done this so actually quite enjoyed it. I can see how people would find it stale after however many years its been, but it's good fun and really well themed throughout. Decent length and has some decent jumps for a conga maze. The strobe is pretty intense too. Solid maze in my eyes.
Sub Species: After last year this had a lot to live up to. I was quite worried it wouldn't, but it did. It's the same assault on everything, being dragged about, pushed down different routes, grabbed, I got span around, just a complete mess with your senses. It didn't quite have the same wow factor because it wasn't new, but it was still stunning in every way. The only downside is the tunnel scene isn't as good now due to only one route so it's not a maze of tunnels. The one ending in my eyes is fine as I never witnessed the illusive second ending anyway.
Mine Tours: I will spoiler tag some of this, but overall really well themed maze with some clever and different effects, and the same intense level of Sub Species actors in the grabbing pushing etc, just a shame about the ending!!!!
so the story is built up through the first 2 scenes really well, all about the family and the legend of the skin snatchers etc. The first, middle and last people in the group also get a miners hat which has a light on. Anyway, you go into the mine shaft and in here the same tactic as Sub Sepcies is applied. You're pulled out of the group by the skin snatchers one by one and left to explore the maze. Inside the theming is incredible, the actors have great interaction and intensity. Violent pushing, verbal comments etc, great fun. I got pushed onto a bed, grabbed by the feet. They also had a great take on a claustrophobia cushion, it was a load of inflatable humans dressed up as miners who had gone missing. This was quite creepy and plays with you, I honestly thought one of them would be a human. The miner hat has a light that is controlled by the actors who can turn it on, off, flicker etc which created some good scares. So some really cool effects and tactics, and then the ending. This guys finds you and helps you escape, you walk down this corridor, with a strobe and smoke and then leave. No actors, nothing, everything had been building and that's the end. That's all that's missing is a solid end. Other than that, nice new addition!
Overall another great year for Scarefest and I look forward to it growing even more!
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Platform had a decent spiel up until you saw the train then it just was awful. You could see every actor and the path is far too wide. How it's a 5 scare rating I'll never know. You'd really have thought Thorpe knew how not to go so wrong again but no.
Cabin is cabin. Literally nothing has changed and yes the tunnel still don't spin.
Blair was just a walk with attacking trees. New scenes is a bold statement.
Saw alive is always consistent, don't know why it gets so much hate cos it's always kinda good.
Now big top. It now feels like every other Thorpe maze, there's no fun elements or actor interaction really, it's just walk around the maze. Yeah theming is better inside but the scares are samey. At least they could have worked upon big top from last year with the photo drop hatch scares etc but no. I know why people are lapping it up, same reason asylum was overrated, strobes. I'm glad it still has the same music outside though
Containment is much much better. Not £10 worth but better and actually challenging!
Some highlights should happen. I like the theming but it's still to far and few between but it's a start and stealth is pretty again.
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Peaj...
Just in case he actually ever reads the forums.
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Give it a bit and people will be going "live on Facebook" for the entire events in future.
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Sign is up on park apparently so I'm guessing someone got a photo of it at the staff FN preview tonight.
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House of monsters is going in Clkud Cuckoo Land, Wobble World to be precise.
Nox Infernus isn't a scare zone this year but there were "safe" routes where you could avoid the actors.
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I'm pretty sure they were a group of roaming actors. They wondered Swarm island and would stop and intimidate groups. Especially as you would also still see maze actors roaming from their mazes to the actor rooms etc in their maze costume.
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I swear one article said it'll have the world record for most interaction with other rides at 5. Not sure but if true there's that.
This needs to be styled. I always use Busch gardens for this example. Montu is themed to Egypt. Meanwhile Kumba is styled using it's surroundings and is lovely. Same could be said for Helix by the look of it. Using the surroundings to make a style whereas Taron is a full on theme.
Even then this is PB, they can get away with plonking a ride down and that's nothing against them, that's just how the park is.
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They're already cutting back on the project... good job Amanda!
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It's being announced at the Mack factory apparently
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I liked the music from last year, was the only good thing about Big Top. Seems like an unnecessary expense but hey ho, really going all out to make it different to last year.
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It's going to be installed on the vehicle like Galactica, it will be optional, cleaned between rides and more staff on it. The queue is also being upgraded to make waiting for it more enjoyable.
- pognoi and MachoMachine
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The fine is only for the H&S breach, doesn't include what the victims received. It's hard to put a price on it all. The court isn't out to destroy the business and the fact merlin have played ball the whole time has helped them out massively.
It's okay though, they'll just cut 5 million from Chessingtons next project.
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Used to be 3 miles, now it's like 16 or something.
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16 minutes ago, Mer said:
Me and Stuntman will arrive between 10:30-11
Okay, please make sure you do arrive by 11, as this is when we're due to meet David by the Depth Charge fast track booth for our tour!
(From Celia Mae, my account has decided not to let me log in this morning
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Park Count - 2016 Season
in General Discussion
Posted
Thorpe: Unsure, 20 ish probably
Chessie: 3
Towers: 7
Lego: 2
Paultons: 1
Blackpool: 1
Europa: 8
Phantasialand: 1
Walibi Holland: 1
Plopsaland: 1
Walibi Belgium: 1
SeaWorld: 3
Busch Gardens: 1
Animal Kingdom: 1
Universal Studios: 4
Islands of Adventure: 4
Fun Spot: 1
I think that's it.