Two years ago, at the IAAPA Expo, it was announced that the world’s tallest roller coaster would be coming to Florida. Last year, it was announced to be coming to Orlando. Today (December 1st, 2015), it was finally approved!
Skyplex is a large retail, dining, and entertainment complex proposed for north International Drive in Orlando. The proposed attraction is set to feature a US Thrill Rides Polercoaster, which is a large roller coaster wrapped around an observation tower, the world’s tallest drop tower, a “Unicoaster” flat ride, a zip-line, and more.
In recent months, the debate over the project became very intense. It began with the FAA approving the massive height of the polercoaster and became heated when one of the recommendation boards in the approval process recommended not to approve the project. This was largely due to the lobbying of a nearby attraction, the Universal Orlando Resort.
In the last few weeks, petitions have gone out for both sides of the argument, pamphlets against the project were sent to Orlando area residents, and the theme park community exploded with supporters and those against the project.
Today, the long anticipated project for several theme park and roller coaster fans was officially heard by the Orange County Commissioners Board.
Several Orlando residents, local businessmen, theme park bloggers, and representatives of Skyplex and Universal spoke. The vast majority of these people were in favor of the project.
Strangely enough, Universal did not seem to do nearly as much lobbying against the project as they recently have, although there was some.
After several hours of listening to speakers, the board members motioned to vote on the project with some limitations which were agreed upon by Skyplex. The most notable of these limitations was a 600 foot height limit.
Eventually, the commissioners voted on the project. The results were unanimous, Skyplex was approved!
Hopefully, the project will break ground soon! Joshua Wallack has said to expect Skyplex to open in 2018, with the Skyscraper rollr coaster and drop tower completed first. The nearby Mango’s nightclub and restaurant, also owned by Wallack, is likely to open sooner. Until then, we’ve got something awesome to look at from the Orlando Eye!
Personally, I couldn’t be more excited for this! The world’s tallest roller coaster is coming to a place I regularly visit, and it’s going to be an Intamin! Almost nothing sounds better!
What do you think of the officially approved Skyplex Orlando project? You can follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter,Periscope, YouTube, Google+, and Tumblr! Also, TP&T is now available on Apple News! Just search “Theme Parks and Travels” in the app, and hit the subscribe button!
Tampa, Fla. (Dec. 1, 2015) – Christmas Town™transforms Busch Gardens® into a holiday wonderland of Christmastime entertainment, and the best way to unwrap the cheer is with all-new exclusive experiences that you and your family will treasure forever.
NEW!Holly Jolly Christmas Party
‘Tis the season for a Holly Jolly Christmas Party where spectacular Yuletide celebrations await. Mrs. Claus and her elves join you for dinner with a delicious all-you-care-to-eat pizza and salad buffet at the Garden Gate Café. The party keeps going with fun holiday activities, including writing a letter to Santa, decorating decadent cupcakes and singing classic Christmas carols.
NEW!Christmas Town™ VIP Experience
Unwrap all the magic of the holidays during the Christmas Town VIP Experience, a three-hour-long guided tour that is sure to make your Christmastime memories even more merry and bright. This ultimate experience is complete with:
Front-of-the-line access to Santa’s House presented by Coca-Cola®,where the Claus family invites you into their North Pole home as the elves prepare for Christmas. There, Santa will take a break from his busy holiday schedule to meet and take photos with in his private study.
An exclusive up-close encounter with Busch Gardens’African penguins.
Fun holiday activities at the Holly Jolly Christmas Party, including writing a letter to Santa, decorating decadent cupcakes and singing classic Christmas carols.
Delicious pizza and salad buffet hosted by Mrs. Claus and her elves at Garden Gate Café, or a holiday feast at the Crown Colony Restaurantfor an additional fee.
VIP seating to Christmas On Ice, where Yuletide melodies, deadline-driven elves and the big man himself come together to celebrate the many wonders of Christmas during this holiday spectacular.
Commemorative photo with Santa Claus and refillable hot chocolate mug.
For more information about these exclusive experiences, visit ChristmasTown.com for pricing and reservations. Christmas Town is included with any annual pass, Fun Card or daily admission to the park. The 2016 Fun Card is available for purchase now. With the 2016 Fun Card, guests pay for one day and get all of 2016 free. Plus, guests who purchase their 2016 Fun Card now can also visit Busch Gardens for the remainder of 2015 for no additional cost, including the popular Christmas Town™ event.
Last week, the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions held their annual expo in Orlando. At the convention, ride manufacturers showed off their latest creations and parks revealed even more details of their new attractions!
Here’s some links to some of the news that we covered in other articles:
The first news we’re going to talk about is out of the RMC booth. Our friend Brent from Pixels at the Parks sent us pictures of the booth.
The two models the company offered until recently are the I-Box steel track and the topper track. They are pictured in the above image with I-Box on the left and Topper Track on the right.
I-Box track is used on roller coasters like Twisted Colossus and Wicked Cyclone. Instead of a wood layer underneath a thin steel top, it uses a purely steel track. This steel track requires minimal maintenance compared to the wooden track featured on the original versions of these rides.
On the right is the RMC topper track. With layers of wood and a piece of steel on top of the track, this is what allows rides like Outlaw Run to be called wooden coasters. It uses a system that allows for smooth, versatile, and fun rides!
In addition to their two track types that revolutionized the wooden coaster, it appears that Rocky Mountain construction is venturing into the steel coaster market with their latest two offerings.
The first of the two new offerings is this wild looking track, the T-Rex track! On a first impression, it looks as if it’s just a giant steel table, but this is a one-rail steel track!
This is a video of the new concept, which has been a hot topic in the community since preliminary images were released. The ride looks like another wacky and incredible Rocky Mountain Construction design!
Although it seemed to be a “sleeper” announcement at the conference, Rocky Mountain Construction also revealed a new family roller coaster track. The green track looks very similar to that of the I-Box track, but it is of a larger size. From the looks of it, I think it is for another one rail coaster. It will definitely be interesting to see what a Rocky Mountain Construction family coaster will be like.
With a launch, a backwards section, and a drop on it, the new Zamperla Family Coaster will be one of the company’s most unique and innovative attractions to date. Similar to Verbolten (although Verbolten was a Zierer coaster), this will be another product from the company suitable for guests of all ages.
Extreme Engineering Zipline Coaster:
One of the strangest and most interesting new attractions offered at the expo was the Extreme Engineering zipline Coaster. Although some may not be excited by this, I certainly am. I heard good things about it from a couple of riders and I’d love to see
A few months ago, Playland Castaway Cove revealed details on their next roller coaster, Gale Force. As the first S&S Launched El Loco, the company revealed the above new trains for the new product at the expo! They look like very nice trains similar to those on Cannibal at Lagoon.
Quassy Announces New Ride:
The SBF Visa Group and Quassy Amusement Park announced their newest attraction, Reverse Time, at the IAAPA Expo. It will be the first installation of this flat ride in the United States.
Yes, that’s right, the Philadelphia Toboggan Company still exists, and they now offer roller coaster trains that can go upside-down! They revealed their brand new “PTCI 360” trains with the interesting design shown above. I’m not sure what to think about them.
The company also revealed a new device to help those who are handicapped to enter roller coaster cars. The lift will hopefully make roller coasters more accessible to those who have a hard time riding.
Fun Spot – Crazy Couch and VR Testing:
Very early in the IAAPA conference, it was rumored that Fun Spot bought a Skyline Attractions Crazy Couch. Shortly thereafter, the park confirmed this, and as of Wednesday, November 25th, the attraction is operating at the park!
In addition to this, the park’s Freedom Flyer coaster was also used to showcase virtual reality technology on roller coasters. According to those who rode, the technology brought a fantastic new element to the ride and was perfectly synchronized to the actual ride.
Phobia Phear Coaster Trains Revealed:
Premier Rides and Lake Compounce showcased the trains for the latest Sky Rocket II clone coming to the park this year. Luckily, these will not have the dreaded “comfort” collars found on Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s Tempesto.
Maurer Sohne revealed their newest products at the IAAPA Expo, which included a wing coaster and a bike coaster! It’s interesting to see more manufacturers offering these relatively new ride concepts.
New Skyplex Renderings:
Finally, in addition to all of the above news, the developers of Skyplex and Intamin released the latest renderings for the wild polercoaster! The ride is going to break even more world records as it will feature the world’s tallest vertical launch, which will take riders from 24 feet below the ground and up to over 500 feet in the air, straight into the world’s highest inversion!
Also, with this new rendering, images of the world’s tallest drop tower, Skyfall, were shown for the first time. Another notable feature is an example of a US Thrill Rides “Unicoaster,” which appears to be a modern version of Knoebels’s Looper flat ride, is located near the final inversion of the roller coaster.
What do you think of these IAAPA announcements? Let us know by commenting below! You can follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter,Periscope, YouTube, Google+, and Tumblr! Also, TP&T is now available on Apple News! Just search “Theme Parks and Travels” in the app, and hit the subscribe button!
In 2016, Busch Gardens Tampa will add yet another incredible roller coaster to their lineup, Cobra’s Curse. Now, we have even more details of the ride!
Today, at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Expo (IAAPA) in Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa and the manufacturer Mack Rides revealed a model of the attraction along with some new concept art. Lucky enough, we’ve got pictures of both for you to enjoy!
For the first time, we were given a look at the full layout of the ride. With a large elevator lift, a giant king cobra, and a curving layout that will interact with plants and themed buildings, this attraction is set to become a great new family ride for the thrill heavy park. Two more noteworthy features are the awesome looking outward banked turn early in the ride, and a second lift hill!
Cobra’s Curse construction has rapidly increased in pace recently. Although we can’t provide construction updates from Busch Gardens Tampa, our friends over at Pixels at the Parks certainly can! They’ve got some great updates for this project and others including SeaWorld Orlando’s Mako! You can view their Cobra’s Curse updates here!
What do you think about the Cobra’s Curse layout? Let us know by commenting below! Be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter! You can also find us on Periscope, YouTube, Google+, and Tumblr! Last, but not least, TP&T is now available on Apple News! Just search “Theme Parks and Travels” in the app, and hit the subscribe button!
I know this is a little bit late, but I thought I’d share the Busch Gardens Tampa news today! They’ve revealed an awesome events lineup today and they have an awesome Cobra’s Curse video! Here’s the press release:
Tampa, Fla. (Nov. 2, 2015) – From world-class rollercoasters and Broadway-style entertainment to one-of-a-kind, up-close animal encounters, Busch Gardens® Tampa continues to deliver some of the biggest thrills anywhere. Next year will be no exception. Busch Gardens announces a line-up of exciting events scheduled to run now through 2016, along with a special offer that expands the value of the popular Florida Fun Card.
The 2016 Fun Card now is available for purchase. With the 2016 Fun Card, guests pay for one day and get all of 2016 free. Plus, as a special offer commemorating the Fun Card launch, guests who purchase their 2016 Fun Card now also can visit Busch Gardens for the remainder of 2015 for no additional cost, including the popular Christmas Town™ event.
Some of the great special events included with Fun Card admission:
2015
Christmas Town: Select dates Nov. 27-Dec. 31
Unwrap a beautiful family tradition at Christmas Town™, where Busch Gardens transforms into a holiday wonderland of Christmastime entertainment and attractions, holiday shopping, treats and more than a million twinkling lights. This family event occurs on 20 select dates from Nov. 27 to Dec. 31.
2016
NEW!Cobra’s Curse
Busch Gardens puts a spin on family thrills in 2016 with Cobra’s Curse. This one-of-a-kind spin coaster features a 70-foot vertical lift and takes riders on a whirlwind adventure of exciting explorations. Come face-to-face with an 80-foot snake icon, trek over the park’s Serengeti Plain and discover the mysteries of an Egyptian archeological excavation.
Construction on Cobra’s Curse is underway at Busch Gardens. Fans can check out this video for the latest construction updates and an exciting Cobra’s Curse logo reveal.
Real Music:Jan. 4-March 5
Busch Gardens’ longest-running concert series returns Mondays through Fridays from Jan. 4 to March 5 with live music that spans six decades, from the 1950s to today. Musical fare includes swing, blues, pop, jazz and rock ‘n roll.
January 4-9 Ricky Nelson Remembered featuring Matthew & Gunnar Nelson
January 11-16 Jay and The Americans
January 18-23 Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone
January 25-30 The Drifters
February 1-6 Felix Cavaliere’s Rascals
February 8-13 The Diamonds
February 15-20 Strawberry Fields
February 22-27 The Glenn Miller Orchestra
February 29 – March 5 Chubby Checker
Food & Wine Festival: Saturdays and Sundays March 5-April 24
Next spring, Busch Gardens’ Food & Wine Festival returns with wild flavors and concerts for every taste. The park will be tempting guests with a variety of cuisine, wine, craft beer and live entertainment on Saturdays and Sundays from March 5 through April 24. Food and beverage is not included, but is available for an extra fee. Guests must be 21 or older to purchase alcoholic beverages.
Summer Nights: Select dates June – Aug.
Summer Nights at Busch Gardens is returns with more heat, featuring an end-of-night show packed with live musicians, singers, dancers and artists from around the world. Their thrilling performance – along with modern music and fire effects – will pump up the crowd every night. Plus, summer nights are a great time to cool off with the rush ofBusch Gardens’ world-class thrill rides, including Falcon’s Fury™, North America’s tallest freestanding drop tower.
Jack Hanna Weekend:Sept. 10 & 11(dates subject to change)
Join “Jungle Jack” Hanna for two days of wild animal shows, autograph signings and special meet-and-greets when he visits Busch Gardens. The internationally-known animal expert will share animal facts and his travel tales during animal shows at the Stanleyville Theater.
Busch Gardens will offer guests additional events and festivals throughout 2016, so stay tuned for more details.
The 2016 Busch Gardens Fun Card is $99 and is valid from the date of purchase through Dec. 31, 2016. Fun Cards, annual passes and single-day tickets are available online at buschgardens.com, at the Busch Gardens’ front gate or by calling (888) 800-5447.
Be the first to know about new events, special deals and future announcements by following the park’s blog at BuschGardensTampaBlog.com, or “Like” the Busch Gardens Facebook page, and follow @buschgardens on Twitter and Instagram.
With the world’s tallest roller coaster, an observation tower, the world’s tallest drop tower, a zip-line, restaurants, shops, and more coming to Orlando’s Skyplex development, who would have thought they would announce even more! Today, Skyplex announced that they would add a surf park to this long list of attractions.
The Parking Garage where the Surf Park will be located is to the left of the tower. Image-Skyplex Orlando
According to the Orlando Sentinel, the surf park will be three wave pools situated atop the development’s 10 story parking garage. The pools will be accompanied by a bar and it is expected that the surfing experience will become a hit with Orlando locals.
This is the newest of several attractions, such as the zip line and drop tower, to be added to the project, which was originally planned to be the polercoaster (observation tower/roller coaster) and the shops.
Although these additions are exciting and fantastic for the Orlando area, they have slowly postponed the opening date of Skyplex from 2016, to 2017, and now, according to the Orlando Sentinel’s article, mostly completed in 2017.
Are you excited for these new attractions to arrive in the Orlando area? Do you think they will be open by 2017? Let us know on our social media! Thanks for reading the blog! Be sure to follow us here on WordPress and share with the buttons below! Also, you can find us on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, and Tumblr!
The last couple days brought big announcements for Central Florida’s theme parks. With two MAJOR Sea World parks announcements and a HUGE Universal announcement, the excitement is building up for central Florida’s next few years. In the next two years alone, we already knew of a King Kong ride, the world’s tallest roller coaster, Avatarland, the world’s tallest drop tower, a new Universal hotel, and even more! Now, after all of these amazing attractions, we get three more! Without further to do, here they are:
Sea World Orlando’s Mako Roller Coaster!
In case you haven’t checked Social Media, Sea World Orlando announced what they’d been teasing for a while, the tallest* and fastest roller coaster in Orlando, Mako. Mako is going to be a B&M hypercoaster. It will be 200ft tall and will have a speed of 73mph. Along with Mako, Sea World is also re-designing their Shark themed area of the park to go along with the new roller coaster. The press release is below with more details:
*Until the World’s Tallest roller coaster, Skyscraper, opens at Skyplex on I-Drive
SeaWorld Orlando’s Mako ™ quick facts:
Opening summer 2016, Mako will be the tallest, fastest and longest coaster in Orlando
Mako will be a hypercoaster, designed for speed and relentless “air time”
SeaWorld Orlando will now have a portfolio of five thrill rides: three distinctly different coasters, plus two family coasters.
The 2-acre realm of the park will now be fully themed around sharks: including Mako, Shark Encounter®, Sharks Underwater Grill®, themed gift shops, shark and shipwreck theming and educational experiences.
ORLANDO, Fla. (May 27, 2015) – Surfacing summer 2016 at SeaWorld Orlando will be Mako, a 200-foot-tall hypercoaster that will reach 73 mph along 4,760 feet of steel track — nearly a mile long — and leave riders feeling both breathless and weightless. Named for one of the ocean’s fastest known sharks, Mako will be Orlando’s tallest, fastest and longest roller coaster.
“On Mako, you’ll experience what it’s like to be this apex predator, surging through the water at top speed and chasing prey throughout a massive reef,” said Brian Morrow, SeaWorld’s attraction creative director. “It will be a wild mix of fear, thrills and fun.”
Mako’s tight turns and speed are inspired by reality. Mako sharks — also called “blue pointers” — are known for their top speed, making extreme jumps and the ability to quickly change course as they pursue their prey.
The new coaster will become one of the world’s few true hypercoasters, a group of roller coasters known for high speeds and steep drops and hills that create a feeling of weightlessness or “air time.” As the sleek coaster cars crest each hill, riders float, nearly weightless.
Mako is manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, a company renowned among coaster enthusiasts. B&M has built many of the world’s top roller coasters, including SeaWorld’s Manta and Kraken, and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s SheiKra.
SeaWorld’s new hypercoaster will be the centerpiece of the newly themed surrounding realm. The two-acre plaza now will be fully shark themed including Mako, Shark Encounter, Sharks Underwater Grill, shops, shark and shipwreck theming and educational experiences featuring sharks.
The entire realm is created to make guests feel they’re underwater, part of the group of sharks and toothy animals that have taken over a shipwrecked reef.
In the plaza, guests will learn about the impact humans are having on sharks and why these animals are critical to the environment. Sharks are hunted for their fins — considered a delicacy in certain countries — and thousands are caught accidentally in nets. Several species of sharks are on the verge of extinction.
“It’s this blend of education and thrills, immersing guests in an underwater world, that sets a SeaWorld ride apart from others,” said Morrow.
“Our fans will love how Mako complements our other rides. Kraken is big, monstrous and twisty. Manta is massive and glides smoothly, taking you on a flight like a huge ray. Mako is entirely different. It’s streamlined and fast, just like a mako shark. There’s no wasted motion, it’s all speed and dives.”
Mako uses a unique sound system to enhance the experience, and not just for those on the ride. The full score of Mako can be heard and follows riders out of the station and up the lift hill. Custom surround effects and musical scores fill the realm, changing as the coaster dives through the area.
At night, specialty lights will accent the coaster trains, realm and track, flickering and shimmering, simulating fish being scattered by a mako on the hunt.
Follow the Mako frenzy using the hashtag #NothingFaster. Visit SeaWorldOrlando.com for more information and updates on the new ride.
So, what do you think about Mako? We think this ride will be a great fit for Sea World Orlando and we’re excited for the newest member of the Orlando skyline! Here’s some images of Mako (Courtesy of Sea World):
The new “Shark” area of the park!
The Entrance for Mako.
The 200 foot hypercoaster will travel over the lake!
This concept art is beautiful, this is such a great entrance plaza!
Busch GardEns Tampa’s Cobra’s Curse!
Yes, that’s correct, Sea World Parks is building TWO new roller coasters at their central Florida parks. Busch Gardens Tampa announced Cobra’s Curse, a Mack Rides spinning coaster! Cobra’s Curse will feature an elevator lift and great theming! The press release is below:
Tampa, Fla. (May 28, 2015) – Busch Gardens® Tampa puts a spin on family thrills in 2016 with a brand new family thrill ride – Cobra’s Curse. This spin coaster is the only one of its kind in the world, featuring a vertical lift and taking riders on a whirlwind adventure of exciting explorations.
Located in the Egypt area of the park, explorers will come face-to-face with an 80-foot snake icon, trek over the park’s Serengeti Plain® and discover the mysteries of an Egyptian archeological excavation.
“This isn’t your ordinary spin coaster. In true Busch Gardens style, we’re putting a twist on this attraction and taking riders on an unforgettable and exciting journey,” said Busch Gardens Park President Jim Dean. “
“The addition of a family spin coaster complements the selection of thrill rides Busch Gardens offers, and we know it’s an attraction that guests from across the globe will enjoy,” Dean added. “We continue to find new and exciting ways to offer thrills for the entire family, and we know Cobra’s Curse will even further solidify Busch Gardens as Florida’s Thrill Leader.”
Get a sneak peek of Florida’s newest and most exciting family thrill ride on the Busch GardensYouTube channel.
Visit CobrasCurse.com for more information. Or, be the first to know about new events, special deals and future announcements by following the park’s blog at buschgardenstampablog.com, or “Like” the Busch GardensFacebook page and follow @buschgardens on Twitter and Instagram.
What do you think of Cobra’s Curse? This seems like a great addition to Busch Gardens Tampa that will provide family thrills to all!
Here’s the overall image of the ride! Doesn’t it look great?
This giant snake is a large element of theming.
Even the station will be heavily themed!
Here’s a closeup of the Cobra’s Curse elevator lift.
Universal Orlando Resort’s Volcano Bay Waterpark!
Yes, the best of all was saved for last. The waterpark that has been rumored for years is finally coming to Universal Orlando Resort! Universal sent out a surprise tweet this morning with this video in it:
Instantly the “twitterverse” exploded as all of us theme park nerds cheered on Universal! At 11am they finally announced Volcano bay, which will be a revolutionary and innovative waterpark. Here’s the press release:
ORLANDO, Fla. (May 28, 2015) – Universal Orlando Resort today announced a project of remarkable vision: to bring to life an entirely new water theme park experience. Called Volcano Bay at Universal Orlando Resort, it will join Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure and become the resort’s third incredibly immersive park.
Universal’s Volcano Bay will be a place for the entire family. It will be a whole new generation of experience that reimagines what it means to be a water park.
Imagine a place that offers radically innovative, thrilling attractions, peaceful moments of relaxation and an inspired guest experience that will forever change the perception of water theme parks. It will be set in a highly themed, completely immersive environment inspired by postcard-perfect tropical islands. And it will be the kind of special place that only the Universal team – the same team that has changed the face of Universal Orlando Resort in recent years – can envision and create.
Universal’s Volcano Bay will be located within Universal Orlando Resort, just south of the Cabana Bay Beach Resort. Work is already underway and more details will be released in the future.
Universal’s Volcano Bay is the next in a series of boldly creative experiences that have opened and will continue to open at Universal Orlando. It began with The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade in 2010 and quickly moved to Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, Springfield, hometown to America’s favorite animated family, The Simpsons, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley, eight new venues at Universal CityWalk, the breathtaking Cabana Bay Beach Resort and more. It will include Skull Island: Reign of Kong and Loews Sapphire Falls Resort in 2016.
And then – in 2017 – will come Universal’s Volcano Bay.
About Universal Orlando Resort
For 25 years, Universal Orlando Resort has been creating epic vacations for the entire family – incredible experiences that place guests in the heart of powerful stories and adventures. Guests can soar above Hogwarts with Harry Potter, swing above the streets with Spider-Man, grab a Krusty burger in Springfield, join the ranks of the Minions and so much more.
Universal Orlando’s two theme parks, Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure, are home to some of the world’s most exciting and innovative attractions. Its on-site resort hotels, Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, the Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Royal Pacific Resort, and Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort are destinations unto themselves. Its entertainment complex, Universal CityWalk, offers dining and entertainment for every member of the family. And just minutes away is Wet ‘n Wild, a family water park.
Universal Orlando Resort has unveiled 18 new guest experiences in the past five years – powerful attractions, incredible dining opportunities and a dramatically themed hotel. And more is on the way. Coming in 2016 is Universal Orlando’s fifth on-site hotel, Loews Sapphire Falls Resort; and Skull Island: Reign of Kong, a groundbreaking attraction in Islands of Adventure. And in 2017 will come Universal’s Volcano Bay, an entirely new water theme park experience.
WOW, This is awesome! Universal just keeps announcing more and more! This park is going to be a great addition to the Universal lineup! Here’s what we can see from the pictures:
Here’s the Overview of the Volcano themed waterpark!
Based on the concept art, there will be a large wave pool at the base of the Volcano and in the background, you can see a slide tower.
Here’s the ending of a speedy looking slide.
At the top of the volcano, which is according to permits going to be over 200ft tall, will have a HUGE waterslide, which could easily become the world’s tallest!
Also, there appears to be Polynesian themed bungalows in the back.
It’s been an AMAZING week for the Orlando (and Tampa) parks! Two coasters and a Waterpark! How could this get better? What do you think of these new additions to Orlando?Let us know on Social Media! Thanks for reading the blog! Be sure to follow us here on WordPress and share with the buttons below! Also, you can find us on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Tumblr!
Before today’s article, I’d like to let you know on a couple of things from TP&T! First, we will return to writing more articles in the near future! Hopefully we can crank out an article a day (or more) starting next week! Second, we NEED your support on Facebook, we have eight likes on our Facebook Page, while Twitter is doing a lot better! To recap, we will have more articles soon and please go like us on Facebook! Thanks for your support, and now back to your regularly scheduled programming! And yes, today we have DOUBLE the amount of articles than we normally do!
Today, Universal announced what the entire theme park community had been expecting, the return of King Kong to Universal Orlando Resort. King Kong’s Kongfrontation was one of the most beloved rides in Universal Orlando’s history. It occupied the space that currently holds the Revenge of the Mummy roller coaster. Many fans of the ride grieved over the closing. Today, it was announced that the classic character will return to Universal Orlando at the Islands of Adventure park in his new ride, “Skull Island: Reign of Kong!”
Here’s a video from Universal that announced the new attraction!
Image-Universal Orlando Resort
Image-Universal Orlando Resort
The ride will be located between the Toon Lagoon and Jurassic Park sections of Islands of Adventure. You will head into the rock work temple that is currently under construction and enter into a safari-jeep style vehicle. Then, you will drive throughout Skull Island, see wild creatures, and eventually encounter King Kong himself! Then you will battle with King Kong. Are you excited for this new attraction? Let us know on Social Media!
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Walt Disney World, the largest theme park resort on the planet, is home to 139 amazing rides and other attractions. Each and every one of these attractions is fantastic in its own unique way. There’s everything from a terrifying hotel elevator to flying through space towards mars. Many of these attractions are timeless classics such as It’s a Small World and the Jungle Cruise, while others are modern thrill rides that launch you through a speedy course. Yet, there are examples of each of these types of attractions on almost every Disney lover’s list of favorites, including my own. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy my list of the best of the timeless classics and modern thrill rides at the Walt Disney World Resort!
10) Soarin’
Soarin’ is possibly the most overrated attraction at Walt Disney World. Its lines extend consistently over an hour and frequently stretch above two hours. Yet, the ride is a amazing experience which allows you to smell, hear, feel, and see the beautiful state of California from a “hang glider,” while at the same time staying within the Epcot park at Walt Disney World in Florida. The ride is one of the theme park “wonders of the world.” It is truly a fantastic experience, but the lines are just too long. My tip for anyone who wants to ride this is come early to the park or stay late on a day with extended hours at Epcot and spend your FastPass+ on another Epcot attraction, which is ranked higher in my rankings.
9) Splash Mountain
I’ve only been on this once, but it’s already made my list of favorites. Last Christmas, I rode this log flume style of a ride and I had a blast. The story is cute and funny and the drop got me very VERY soaked. To translate theme park to english, “You may get wet” is in English “You will be soaked.” Ride this on a hot day in central Florida and it will relieve you from the heat. I recommend getting a FastPass+ for this, but it doesn’t always have a terrible wait time like other rides in the park do. Splash Mountain has earned its spot as a classic in Disney’s long list of mountains.
8) It’s A Small World
This is probably the most famous of all the Disney attractions. The song has been stuck in every Disney lover’s head for years, yet we all keep riding. The beautiful Mary Blair art and classic Sherman brothers tune truly make this a classic. The boat ride lasts fourteen minutes and goes through scenes of children from across the globe signing the famous song of the same name as the attraction. The ride has so much history tied into it and is a classic experience that is fun for everyone. From my experience at Walt Disney World, this ride has varied wait times. I’ve gone on it at 10:00am with a short wait and by 10:30 it would have a 45 minute wait. On your trip to Walt Disney World, I strongly recommend to continuously check MyMagic+ on your phone as you get ready to ride this.
7) Pirates of the Caribbean
Pirates of the Caribbean is the popular Disneyland attraction that expanded to Walt Disney World, and eventually created a multi-billion dollar movie franchise. As a big fan of the movies and classic Disney rides, this ride shot its way onto my list. This classic boat ride starts with a brief drop into a slow-moving journey through a caribbean village. Be on the lookout for Captain Jack Sparrow as you move through the classic boat ride. I’ve waited ten minutes and I’ve waited upwards of thirty minutes for this. It’s a ride that is worth a FastPass at times and not worth it at others. Before you hit this ride, check MyMagic+.
6) Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
As a big Toy Story fan and a big shooting dark ride fan, this ride makes my list. It’s always an early stop in our visits to the Magic Kingdom and when we visit it rarely has a line. You go around in a Star-Speeder shooting the evil minions of Zerg, the enemy of the beloved Buzz Lightyear. In the end, you get a fun for the whole family experience with generally short lines. When we visited in February 2014 the lines were 10-15 minutes, but at Christmas the lines were often above thirty minutes, but if you go early this ride is a walk on.
5) Space Mountain
Space Mountain was one of the first steel roller coasters ever created. After forty years and millions of riders, it still draws big crowds. The dark roller coaster is full of twists and drops that you don’t know are coming. It’s fun and another classic Disney ride. I recommend getting to this early or late, when it won’t have a line, but don’t forget to check MyMagic+ in case of varying wait times.
4) Test Track
Test Track is a high speed car “test” in Future World of Epcot. You start by designing your own car in the queue and then continue on into the station, where you get in a test car. Then, you head out of the station through various tests such as the capability and responsiveness as monitors display how your own car did in each category. Finally, you quickly speed up and drive through the speed test outside of the building, where you accelerate to around 60mph. I love Test Track for its car making, fun tests, and especially the speed portion. This ride has one of the worst lines of any ride in Walt Disney World, along with the other Epcot tier one ride, SOARIN’, which is tied in the category. I recommend coming to the park during a time with extended hours for this or using your FastPass+ for this. Test Track is MUCH BETTER THAN SOARIN’ in my opinion, so I recommend that you use the FastPass for it instead of SOARIN’.
3) The Rock n’ Roller Coaster
The Rock n’ Roller coaster is one of the best roller coasters out there. It has a cheesy and funny theme, featuring Aerosmith in a recording studio about to leave for a concert, and as they leave they invite us to go with them in a “super-stretch” limo. The pre-show does its job and you get into the high speed limo and launch through a spaghetti bowl style, super smooth, Vekoma launched coaster. This coaster is one of the best rides in the park, and I recommend using a FastPass+ selection on it. I believe this is a tier two FastPass selection, so you can use your tier one selection on the rides that get even longer waits in this park.
2) Expedition Everest
Expedition Everest is the jewel of the Animal Kingdom, the smallest, and in many people’s opinions, the worst WDW Park. There are three things that I like this park for, the safari, Finding Nemo: The Musical, and Expedition Everest. Every time I go to this park, it’s for a quick ride on Everest before I hit EPCOT or another park. This Vekoma built (Yes, I know the word Vekoma makes it sound awful, but I can assure you that it’s nice and smooth) steel mine train through the Himalayas is one of my favorite roller coasters, and not just at Disney World. It has fun drops, switch tracks that allow for a reverse portion of the ride, and great theming that all combine together into one of the best rides at Disney World. This ride gets a long line, so come early or late for the shortest lines.
1) The Hollywood Tower of Terror
I am a hater of drop towers. Yet, Tower of Terror is my favorite ride at all of the Walt Disney World parks. I’m not sure why, but this Drop Tower just feels different. Whether it’s the thin seatbelt restraints that allow it to give you so much more airtime (in the drop portion, there’s not a second without airtime), or the very well done theming of this ride, this has become one of my favorite rides at any park. You definitely should use a FastPass for this because of its long lines. Otherwise, you can come early or late in the day.
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