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!
In August of 2015, the TP&T team hopped on a plane and flew out for an incredible adventure in California. The visit included visiting several of Southern California’s incredible list of theme parks and learning about the history of the Walt Disney Company. In our visit, we went to The Jim Henson Company, Walt Disney Studios, Imagineering, various Hollywood attractions, and the Disneyland resort as part of the Adventures by Disney Backstage Magic tour. After the five day tour, we continued our journey as we visited Knott’s Berry Farm, Universal Studios, and Six Flags Magic Mountain before returning home. In this article and several other articles full of photos, we invite you to join us in TP&T’s California Adventure! So sit back, relax, and get ready to journey into the Wonderful World of the entertainment industry!
For those of you first reading this series, welcome! I strongly recommend reading some of the previous articles. Links are below!
Part 1 – Hollywood – We visit several Hollywood destinations as our Backstage Magic tour begins! Enjoy photos and information from Disney Studios and our fantastic visit to Imagineering. You can find the article here!
Part 2 – An Evening in Disneyland – In this trip report, we journeyed through endless traffic on the Los Angeles highways and wound up at the happiest place on earth, Disneyland! This article will take you within the gates of the original theme park as we spend a very exciting evening in the park. You can find the article here!
Part 3 – A Day in the Happiest Place on Earth – With this photo update, you follow us into the original theme park as we venture through a park filled with hidden finds and awesome attractions. Oh yeah, we also went into the Dream Suite (and I have pics)! You can read the trip report here!
BONUS – I’ve got a Fantasmic! video up on the YouTube Channel! You can view the video here!
Just in case you couldn’t tell from the title, our next leg of the California trip brought us to Disney California Adventure. After our long day in Disneyland, we got some sleep, and woke up early the next day to meet with the Adventures by Disney group. After getting ready, we had a character breakfast at the Grand Californian, and made our way into the park!
It was early in the day when we entered Disney California Adventure, which meant that the Grizzly Peak section of the park looked beautiful with the light!
We were unsure of where we were going, but our Adventure Guides took us over to Grizzly Peak Airfield.
I have to say, the area looked like an airport, but it was not the best themed Disney land.
In the distance, the glamorous 1930s Hollywood soared above the park.
Soon, we were told we would be riding Soarin’ over California!
The buildings were nicely themed and fit very well into the land as a whole.
We talked with a member of the Soarin’ maintenance team, and then the group was escorted into the massive building.
We rode Soarin’, which had been updated with new 4K projectors as part of the ride’s recent renovation. As always, it was a fun attraction that fit very well into the area. It was also nice that we didn’t have to wait for it like we did in Florida! Afterwards, we were told to stay in the area, so I got this unique shot of what it looks like above Soarin’.
Soon, we were escorted behind the projector for the ride! Although I was unable to take pictures, I did find this picture via InPark Magazine
Vekoma also had a good picture that could show what we experienced back there. They let us stay down there during a ride through of the attraction, so we got a nice view of how it works. Although the ride has minimal movements, it really creates an immersive experience. The cars appear to travel up and down a little bit and tilt from side to side. That’s all it took. A few tricks are also used on the ride to create the illusion of flight, one of which was that when tilting to the left, the car on the right is highest, and left is lowest, which adds to the effect.
Next, we went into the backstage areas of Soarin’. Inside, they showed us the chemicals they use to recreate smells and showed us the erector kit model that the ride was based on. The chemicals come in a salt-like form from what I remember. When Soarin’ Around the World flies in next year (read that last sentence again if you didn’t notice the pun), I expect to smell all around the world!
After soaring over California, it was time for everyone’s favorite place, the restroom! By that point in the day, we knew about an unannounced Disney ride (at the time), Soarin’ Around the World. That’s right folks, I reported it two whole days before it was announced (we were at DCA August 13th, it was announced August 15th)! Anyway, now that I’m done bragging, I’d like to share my thoughts on the coming attraction. It will be great in Shanghai and Epcot, but terrible in DCA. The ride is in a park themed to California, and the land was just renovated to fit even more closely to many of the places featured in the ride (Sequoia/Yosemite). I’m sorry, but I think that explains it all.
Anyway, I think that concludes my Soarin’ rant. Everyone’s said what I said before, but I just thought I’d say it too. I loved the rock work in the land. It looked fantastic in the morning light!
The buildings were the perfect colors and style too. I think the renovation looks fantastic.
While waiting in Grizzly Peak Airfield, I caught a glimpse of our next destination, Carthay Circle.
In the park’s “hub,” guests were starting to pour in.
Standing up above was the beautiful Carthay restaurant!
The decorations on the building for Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary looked fantastic!
Inside, we took a long tour of the restaurant. Inside, there are a number of pictures of Walt and interesting details hidden throughout. Just look at the tabletops, you may notice something in the wood!
After a while of touring the restaurant, I was yearning to ride something. It looked like we were done, but we had another stop on the restaurant tour.
We entered DCA’s exclusive Club 1901, which is what the Adventure guides described to us as “Platinum Level Club 33.” Although the inside was beautiful, I needed a thrill (or a soda, but they weren’t giving us food/drink because it appeared to be closed).
Finally, after an hour of touring the restaurant, we began our walk to the next attraction!
The moment we got here, I was incredibly excited!
We entered the beautiful Radiator Springs, which is one of the best theme park lands out there (and that’s coming from someone who hates the movie Cars)!
The land looked as if it was straight out of the movie, assuming you replace Cars with people, and stick about quadruple the population of the town into it.
The Cozy Cone was one of the nicest looking buildings in town, I just wish they’d made it a real hotel!
Flo’s Cafe looked just like the one in the movie.
It reminds me of a nicer version of Sonic. 🙂
I wonder how many people have tried to knock down this tower?
Overall, Radiator Springs was a beautiful land. Disney added several little details to enhance the land as they always do. Some of the most noticeable details were how the stoplight flashes slightly longer one time than the others, and when night comes the land lights up slowly in segments.
Finally, it was time for an attraction! Half the group went backstage while half of us walked up to Radiator Springs Racers! The “Paddle of Power” photobombed my shot, I tried three times and I missed getting an unobstructed picture for different reasons every time.
The queue for the ride was beautiful!
On my one ride, I filmed a mounted POV of Radiator Springs Racers! I do not recommend doing this unless you are experienced with filming rides. I used a GoPro Jaws Flex Clamp mount and attached it quickly and easily to a bar on the ride. I am saying this because this is probably the easiest and only way you can do what I did. There was nothing in the rules of the park at the time saying this was not allowed (and as far as I know it still is allowed), and our Adventure Guides found out afterwards and did not say it was bad, but instead said how awesome that was. As far as I could tell, everything was okay, but I urge not to film without experience in that manner (I’ve done a couple of mount tests before on a car).
Here’s a fun game, is it Radiator Springs Racers or is it real?
How about this one?
Last, but not least, this one! Be sure to comment below or send us your answers on Twitter!
Radiator Springs Racers was an incredible attraction. It brought Test Track to a new level. The racing aspect, rock work, indoor theming, and a course that wasn’t just a circle all combined into a fantastic ride!
Shortly afterwards, we were escorted behind the ride and into the machine room of Radiator Springs Racers. Inside, we learned bit about what they do for maintenance and how the ride works. Essentially, these cars are a disaster for maintenance. Frequently, they are taken into the shop and are completely rebuilt (I believe this is every nine months, but I can’t remember). After the extensive rehab, which takes weeks, but used to take much longer than it does now, the cars return to regular circulation. There are SEVERAL cars on the ride and in maintenance at once.
Radiator Springs Racers also has one of the most detailed control panels available in its maintenance shop. The televisions within display every aspect of the ride for the crews to view. The animatronics frequently break and are repaired overnight. I believe two of them were down by the time we rode.
After the backstage adventure, we walked through cast member only zones and into Paradise Pier. There, we waited for the remainder of the group before our next attraction.
That next attraction was Toy Story Midway Mania. The entire tour group was brought onto the ride. Due to the fact that I was sitting next to an Adventure Guide who helped expose some of the secrets of the game for me, I proudly beat the rest of the TP&T crew!
While in Paradise Pier, California Screamin’ was down (it was testing in this picture).
Since we were getting hungry, we decided to go grab some lunch!
The hot California sun didn’t help our thirst either as the tour group dispersed (with five any-attraction fastpasses)!
Using the Disneyland app, we found a nice sit down restaurant in the white building.
The Cove bar had delicious food with a beautiful view of Paradise Pier. Food options were mainly appetizers, but the sliders, pizza, and spinach and artichoke dip were all delicious. The service was very good too!
Mickey’s Fun wheel was one of the few attractions I wished I had rode, but didn’t get to ride while at Disney California Adventure.
Testing continued throughout lunch, that ride has a lot of trains running at once!
During lunch, the ride reopened, and waits instantly soared up to thirty minutes or so.
I love the California Screamin’ logo!
California Screamin’ was one great Intamin! It really is what ties Paradise Pier together as a land. It was a very smooth, long, and flat out fun ride!
Speaking of California Screamin’, I filmed a POV of the awesome coaster! Unfortunately, my GoPro mount broke (literally, the main container holding the GoPro) before I got on. Unfortunately, I had to hold onto the camera throughout the ride, but luckily the footage still turned out pretty good!
I have to say, the new DCA is just a beautiful park. If Hollywood Studios looks like this once it’s complete, my excitement will be through the roof!
Across the way from California Screamin’, it was time for us to venture Under the Sea!
I thought The Little Mermaid was a fun attraction. It essentially summarized the entire movie for guests, but it is definitely a good dark ride for the little kids!
The building also had some beautiful architectural details!
After riding the Little Mermaid, we walked our way around Grizzly Peak trying to get into Hollywood. I’m not sure why, but we did take that long route!
Grizzly Peak reminded me of Yellowstone!
Even the plants fit in perfectly with the rapids ride!
It almost looked like a hot spring back there.
Passing through the hub again, the crowds were noticeably lower than before.
Overall, Hollywood Land was a decently themed area.
The facades looked great, with designs that look much better than those of actual Los Angeles.
Even Disney Junior fit well into the land.
The only problem with the land was this. I think the painting is very well done, but it just doesn’t fit well enough into the landscape of the town. I understand doing this at a place like Hollywood Studios, where the Streets of America represent a movie lot, but they should have placed an actual facade here.
It was time to be terror-fied! 🙂
We entered the queue, went through the pre-show, and entered the service room for the hotel. All of a sudden, we were going upstairs into a second service room above. It was strange, but it made sense to increase loading capacity. The ride started with a move backwards into the ride’s scenes. Eventually, you make your way up, and quickly transition into the drop sequence (unlike the Florida ride, which features a forward moving section of the drop tower). In this version, I felt like the drop sequence was longer, which is great. I love the drop on these rides, and they are the only drop towers I’ve ever enjoyed.
It was getting late and hot that afternoon. While some members of the tour took advantage of reserved seating at the Aladdin show, we went for a ride on Monsters Inc! Like Ariel, it was another fun ride that essentially summarized the movie. These two rides bring the classic dark ride into a modern context.
Since we were going back for a break in the hotel, we walked down through Grizzly Peak.
Using one of the fastpasses, I got one soaking and fun ride on the park’s water ride! I loved it! In my opinion, it was very comparable to Animal Kingdom’s Kali River Rapids (although I haven’t been on that in a while). I liked the overall theme more, and would rank this slightly above.
As it got late in the evening, we relaxed in our room for a little while before returning into the park for dinner and some more fun! Included in our tour was a meal at the Carthay Circle restaurant (as you recall, I “loved” touring it). Unfortunately, the service was slow, but my meal was okay. I had one of three items listed on the limited menu they gave us, the chicken. The meal just took a lot of time (and if you don’t have my diet coke out within fifteen minutes from me ordering it, that brings you down several points in my book).
We finished the meal, and moved on to Paradise Pier for the evening’s showing of World of Color! Meanwhile, our friends from Extended Queue also happened to be in the park that night (sadly, we didn’t bump into them). Adventures by Disney then brought us to a reserved area with a great view of the show. Overall, it was a decent show. Essentially, it was a very long Disney commercial. I wouldn’t say NPH ruined the show, but I would say that it wasn’t as good as some of the other shows at the Disneyland Resort due to the nature of it. It had a high emphasis on Frozen (we were “privileged” to listen to the entirety of “Let it Go”) and otherwise it was mostly a Disneyland commercial. Not particularly exciting.
Afterwards, it was almost time to go. While the rest of the group went back to the hotel, I got one more ride in on Soarin’ before I left. Although the people surrounding me on the attraction were rude and annoying (leaning on me, swearing loudly with young kids near them, and swinging the car while cast members requested for them to stop), it was still a magnificent ride. It was a great way to end my visit to the Disneyland Resort. The next day, we’d head down the road to what was once a family owned berry farm!
What did you say for the questions earlier in the update? Let us know by commenting below! Also, be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter! You can also find us on Periscope, YouTube, Google+, and Tumblr! TP&T is now available on Apple News! Just search “Theme Parks and Travels” in the app, and hit the subscribe button!
Alabama’s Splash Adventure has revealed the details of their 2016 expansion! The exciting news includes two new rides and overall improvements to the park’s amenities.
Let’s start with the new amenities:
World’s Largest Pepsi Oasis & Rampage Pepsi Oasis – The park is continuing to expand its drink offerings by expanding their Pepsi Oasis locations!
The General’s Diner – A brand new restaurant is coming to the park! The General’s diner will bring another food option to Alabama’s Splash Adventure!
As for new the new rides:
Drop Zone – As the first of two attractions coming to the park next year, Drop Zone will be a Zamperla Drop tower made for guests of all ages to ride. They are not the tallest rides, but they do provide a good thrill suitable for most guests.
Tea Cups – The second new attraction will be for the park’s younger guests. Alabama’s Splash Adventure is installing a brand new Tea Cups ride next year! These are always fun rides for the whole family.
What do you think about Alabama Splash Adventure’s 2016 Expansion? Let us know by commenting below! Also, be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter! You can also find us on Periscope, YouTube, Google+, and Tumblr!
Two small attractions you may not have even heard of are building new spinning roller coasters. Beech Bend Park and Memphis’s Incredible Pizza Company are each installing brand new spinning roller coasters next year!
The rides may only be 75 feet long and 14 feet tall, but they will provide guests young and old a thrilling experience as they travel through the figure eight layout. Each car holds four guests and sixteen guests will ride at a time.
The SBF Visa group is the manufacturer of these two roller coasters. They are installations of the manufacturer’s small spinning coaster, which has recently been growing in popularity. For those wondering, yes it is the roller coaster from IAAPA.
I had the privilege of experiencing this coaster at Ocean City, Maryland’s Trimper’s Rides. It is small, but fun and a great installation for any small park.
In Memphis, the roller coaster will open in Mid-December as the city’s only indoor roller coaster. The small attraction and restaurant will also be opening a new laser maze attraction called “Laser Frenzy” and will expand their mini bowling alley from six to eight lanes .
The Beech Bend Park model will be called “Spinning Out” and will open in 2016.
In August of 2015, the TP&T team hopped on a plane and flew out for an incredible adventure in California. The visit included visiting several of Southern California’s incredible list of theme parks and learning about the history of the Walt Disney Company. In our visit, we went to The Jim Henson Company, Walt Disney Studios, Imagineering, various Hollywood attractions, and the Disneyland resort as part of the Adventures by Disney Backstage Magic tour. After the five day tour, we continued our journey as we visited Knott’s Berry Farm, Universal Studios, and Six Flags Magic Mountain before returning home. In this article and several other articles full of photos, we invite you to join us in TP&T’s California Adventure! So sit back, relax, and get ready to journey into the Wonderful World of the entertainment industry!
For those of you first reading this series, welcome! I strongly recommend reading some of the previous articles. Links are below!
Part 1 – Hollywood – We visit several Hollywood destinations as our Backstage Magic tour begins! Enjoy photos and information from Disney Studios and our fantastic visit to Imagineering. You can find the article here!
Part 2 – An Evening in Disneyland – In this trip report, we journeyed through endless traffic on the Los Angeles highways and wound up at the happiest place on earth, Disneyland! This article will take you within the gates of the original theme park as we spend a very exciting evening in the park. You can find the article here!
BONUS – I’ve got a Fantasmic! video up on the YouTube Channel! You can view the video here!
After staying in Disneyland until shortly before closing time, which meant we left around 10:30 or 11pm, we went to sleep only to wake up around 6am. I woke up in my five foot long bunk bed not ready to go into the park. We wandered down to a place I honestly am not a fan of, Starbucks. Luckily, my hot chocolate (I am not a coffee person) was actually good (it had enough chocolate in it for once) and helped me wake up and get ready for an incredible day in Disneyland! Shortly afterwards, we continued our trek through Downtown Disney as we made our way to the gates of Disneyland, where we entered before anyone else!
We were the very first guests to walk through Disneyland’s turnstiles that day!
Upon entry, it appeared that I found a hidden Mickey! 🙂
Disneyland 60 decorations looked fantastic on the train station!
It’s amazing what a simple banner can do in terms of aesthetics!
Here’s another beautiful decoration at the train station!
As always, the decor of Main Street was beautiful, but the lighting of the sunrise gave it an even better glow.
Here’s Elias Disney’s window! 🙂
As we were walking down, there were a number of items that we were not allowed to take pictures of. Staff was cleaning, so I only took pictures of the buildings. Here’s the Crystal Arcade!
Eventually, I was able to get a shot of the castle!
I love the way the sun looks in this shot!
I wish every town in America looked as good as Main Street’s facades do.
Decorations for the Disneyland 60 celebration were lining several of the buildings on Main Street.
This shot almost looks like an illustration (it was edited to look that way).
Here’s a shot of the famous partners statue. If you look behind it you can see filming of what I believe was a RunDisney New Balance shoe commercial at the castle!
The members of the Adventures by Disney tour were the only people on Main Street! It was fun to see it so empty!
The California sun looked beautiful over the Plaza Inn!
The filming of the New Balance commercial halted for us to get pictures in front of the castle.
The decorations on the castle looked fantastic!
The decorations were detailed and beautiful, I love the look of this tower.
Again, simple banners go a long way!
Another castle shot!
Off to the right, you could see the first ever steel coaster!
The park was still closed as we got ready to walk over to breakfast.
Poor Peoplemover, I wish you were still operating!
As we explored the hub, a Disneyland ambassador came over and talked with the group for a minute.
Next, it was time for a character breakfast at the Plaza Inn! We were the first in the restaurant and had a Mickey Waffle buffet to start our day. As always, the waffles were delicious and we met several characters who I rarely see, such as Max and Rafiki. Eeyore was there too! 🙂
After breakfast, we walked over to Adventureland!
It was time for what was one of the most anticipated attractions for me to ride, Indiana Jones Adventure!
Indiana Jones Adventure was our first backstage experience for the day! We went into the machine room and got an incredible tour of the area. The highlight of the tour was when they allowed us to take a vehicle which was in storage at the time’s motions into control. We launched it up and down and jerked it from side to side! It was an awesome experience!
Afterwards, we rode the ride. It was INCREDIBLE! The theming was amazing, the ride was thrilling, and it was all out fun! I liked it SO much more than Dinosaur at Animal Kingdom, which was not operating correctly when we rode and resulted in us getting stuck for 45 minutes and eventually evacuated from the ride. We unfortunately got stuck in the downhill moment seconds before the Dinosaur ended, and we were the last to be evacuated. It was uncomfortable and not fun. On the other hand, Indiana Jones took the ride system and put it on an incredibly higher level!
Shortly afterwards, we passed by the world famous Enchanted Tiki Room, but we were not going there yet.
Instead, our group walked its way down Main Street USA.
Crowds were beginning to rise as we walked back down Main Street.
Does anyone want some ice cream?
The Disneyland 60 banners looked great!
Does anyone know what’s up there, because it was our next destination!
While waiting to go up into Walt’s Apartment, I got some shots of some little details on Main Street. I love all of the tiny textures on the Main Street buildings!
Just look at the curves bordering the window!
So many little tiny elements combine to form a beautiful land!
Next, we entered the apartment. It was small and we could not take pictures in it. The inside had designs to the tastes of Lillian Disney.
A light always shines on the inside of this window in honor of Walt.
While the other half of the group toured Walt’s apartment, we toured Main Street!
Again, I love the Disneyland 60 banners!
DIAMONDS!!!!!!
“To all who come to this happy place: Welcome.”
he crowds were definitely high by the time we were on the tour.
As part of the tour, we went into one of the buildings (I believe it was Town Hall, but I’m not completely sure). Inside, there were a number of interesting Disney historical artifacts!
The coolest artifact was this early Disneyland model!
Fantasyland
Main Street, Adventureland, and part of Tomorrowland.
Tomorrowland
Frontierland
This window on Main Street is a tribute to the previous owners of the land Disneyland sits on.
So was the one above it (I think, it has been long enough that I am uncertain of this).
It was 10:23ish and I was getting ready to ride an attraction. As much as I love history, I like riding things much more!
After our Main Street tour, we made our way back to New Orleans Square!
New Orleans Square is just as detailed and beautiful as Main Street!
Ooh, the leaves are beautiful in this shot!
In New Orleans Square, we rode Pirates of the Caribbean again with half of the tour group while half of the group was touring the Disneyland Dream Suite above. I’m happy I got to ride Pirates again, it is an amazing experience at Disneyland and my camera ran out of batteries the original time. Shortly after riding, we walked into the exclusive suite!
The suite was elegant and beautiful. Every room had hidden surprises.
In particular, Walt had “goodnight kisses” installed to several of the rooms.
At the flip of a switch, the rooms are transformed into different environments!
The picture changed to include a mermaid.
The Dream Suite had a fantastic view! Soon, this view will completely change as the Rivers of America are changed forever!
It’s the Mark Twain!
There’s Big Thunder Mountain Railroad!
Again, I was reminded how amazing Fantasmic is!
Below, we observed guests eating their meals.
By far the coolest room in the Dream Suite was the Wild West themed room. It was incredible to watch the room’s goodnight kiss, which featured a train and several western themed items zooming around the room on shelves above!
After a delicious lunch at the French Market Restaurant, we took the Disneyland Railroad around to It’s A Small World!
The facade on Small World is beautiful, it’s much nicer than the version at WDW.
Another shot of the beautiful art!
The only bad thing about Disneyland’s Small World is when you get stuck trying to get back into the station. The California sun is HOT!
This was one of the only times the Disneyland Railroad has been re-routed.
This small world exits into a gift shop.
Shortly after our independent Small World adventure, the group was set to meet again in Mickey’s Toontown!
This land is a very wacky, but cool land. It is one of Disneyland’s biggest differences from WDW.
The land was so cheesy it was fun.
For those who are wondering if we got the credit, no we did not.
What were we in ToonTown for? We were meeting Mickey Mouse himself!
After meeting Mickey Mouse, we were escorted backstage.
Backstage, photography was prohibited, so the following backstage photos are from Google Earth. We walked backstage and eventually, we arrived here. This is where Disneyland launches their fireworks! We were fortunate to meet with the man in charge of launching the fireworks (I forgot his name). Once every few months, the buildings surrounding the fireworks launch zone, which is pictured, or possibly other buildings such as Small World, catch on fire. This tells me that Star Wars Land, which will not be too far from here, will be catching on fire a lot. Okay, back to our normal talk! After chatting with us, we had the privilege of watching as they did the daily test of the fireworks system! It was a fun experience that very few get to do!
Here’s what ToonTown looks like from backstage (via Google Earth). I forget the exact number, but that wall cost Disney a lot to build!
After our backstage adventure, we decided it was time to do one of Disneyland’s FastPass free attractions (we had five passes valid for any attraction that accepted passes at any time). What is it? Well, it’s what was the first ever steel roller coaster, the Matterhorn!
I have to say, the Matterhorn might have better animatronics than Expedition Everest after its renovation. It was a fantastic experience!
The Matterhorn Bobsleds were a very fun attraction. I was going to do a mounted POV of the ride (it’s not against any Disneyland rule from what I saw when reading the rules on their site), but my GoPro didn’t actually charge the night before. Luckily, I happily used my regular camera!
After riding the Matterhorn, it was time for another Disneyland exclusive attraction, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride! Mr. Toad was a fun attraction. I had never been on it at WDW, so I really had no idea what to expect, but I did definitely enjoy it!
It’s definitely a unique ride compared to other theme park attractions.
Shortly after riding Mr. Toad, we hopped on Pinocchio because why not? Then we walked back around Big Thunder and into Adventureland. I love the look of this Big Thunder shot!
In Adventureland, I went in the Tiki Room for the first time ever! That may be an old attraction, but I loved it! I wonder where we went next?
It’s somewhere in Tomorrowland – The land with SEVERAL abandoned attractions in plain sight!
The answer, it was time to ruin WDW’s Space Mountain forever!
After riding, WOW! With an overall better ride, fantastic soundtrack, and more noticeable stars, the Disneyland Space Mountain was SO MUCH BETTER THAN at WDW! It was a great attraction!
Since it was getting late in the afternoon, we decided to go back to the hotel room for a short break. Later in the evening, we walked out to Downtown Disney feeling refreshed and ready for an evening in Disneyland! After grabbing some dinner at Downtown Disney’s Mexican Restaurant, which was delicious, we walked down to the park and rode Star Tours. As always, Star Tours was a fun simulator. Next, we made our way to the hub to get reserved seating for both Disneyland Forever and Paint the Night! Disneyland Forever was a fantastic fireworks show. The fireworks were spectacular and projections on the Castle and Matterhorn were cool. Paint the Night was alright, but I’ve realized I’m not much of a fan of the parades. It was enjoyable, but not as good as Disneyland Forever and Fantasmic. What probably didn’t help was the emphasis of Frozen on the parade. Finally, to end our night, we went back into Tomorrowland to ride a couple more rides. Since it had no line and one member of our party wanted to ride it, we rode the most claustrophobic attraction in any theme park, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. That ride was awful. I felt almost as sick as I did after Mission Space. If it were bigger and had better A/C, I would have liked the ride, but it just wasn’t good for me. To end my night at Disneyland, I used a FastPass to hop on what could have been my favorite attraction in the park, Space Mountain. It was a wonderful ending to a wonderful night! I ended up leaving the park after closing, which is something I had not done in the past! We went back to the room, I hopped into the bunk bed (I cringe thinking about how cramped it was), and got to sleep! After all, we were going to have a California Adventure the next day!
In 2016, LEGOLAND California will bring a new and exciting land to their park, which will be themed to the popular LEGO franchise, NINJAGO. The headline attraction of the new land will be the NINJAGO – The Ride.
NINJAGO – The Ride will use never before used technology to bring a wild new ride to LEGOLAND. The Triotech manufactured ride will use 3D imagery and high tech sensors to blast fireballs, ice, and lightning to master the skills of NINJAGO. The ride seems as if it will be controlled by the hand gestures of guests. It will be similar to other Triotech dark ride attractions such as Voyage to the Iron Reef at Knott’s Berry Farm and Canada’s Wonderland.
The land will also feature a number of various building stations and areas to test the reflexes of guests. To me, this will be a very awesome new ride and land for the park. The technology of hand controls sounds like it will be a fantastic new Triotech technology, which will bring incredible new innovation to the amusement industry. I hope this technology works and I hope to see it at other parks, such as the Cedar Fair parks.
Are you excited for LEGOLAND California’s new land? Are you excited to see another Triotech dark ride being installed? Let us know by commenting below and be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter! You can also find us on YouTube, Google+, and Tumblr!
Valleyfair will be flying into 2016 with several new experiences for guests at the park. The first of these new experiences is the Flying Eagles. This Larson Flying Scooters family ride will bring a classic ride, which once resided at Valleyfair, back to entertain a new generation of guests.
The ride will reside between the Enterprise and Route 66. Guests will be able to control how high they fly at heights of up to 28 feet.
In addition to this new attraction, which is based on the park’s original version, which opened in 1976, the park will celebrate their 40th anniversary with special events and tributes to the park’s past. This is taking a page out of Kings Dominion’s book, they celebrated their 40th anniversary in the same way over the last two years. It was a very fun throwback to the park’s past.
Finally, a brand new show will drive into Valleyfair. The park’s outdoor amphitheater will be transformed into a venue for a new All Wheels Extreme show. The action packed stunt show was a finalist on the show America’s Got Talent and will feature several BMX and stunt performers.
Are you excited for Valleyfair’s 40th anniversary celebration? Let us know by commenting below and be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter! You can also find us on YouTube, Google+, and Tumblr!
In 2016, Six Flags’s Canadien park, La Ronde, will bring two new rides and a new experience to the park. These two rides, which will be called Phoenix and Gravitor, will bring thrilling rides to people of all ages.
The first of the two rides, Phoenix, will be a Larson Flying Scooters ride. It will bring families a spinning swing ride where you can control how high you fly. On top of that, Gravitor will be flying into La Ronde. Gravitor will be a Zamperla Air Race thrill ride. These wild rides allow you to flip 360 degrees as you spin around a central tower. During the ride, you will soar to incredible heights. I am happy to see a Zamperla Air Race coming to a major park. I would love to see several of these at Six Flags parks across North America.
I am unsure of whether or not Gravitor is a Regular or Giant Air Race. It was rumored that Six Flags would build a new Giant model of the Air Race, but it is unconfirmed. The description of the ride does say it will take you to incredible heights, but I am unsure whether or not it will be a Giant or Regular Air Race.
The most interesting thing about these two new thrill rides is how similar these two rides are to what is coming to Cedar Fair’s Canada’s Wonderland park. At Canada’s Wonderland, a Flying Scooters ride and a Gerstlauer Sky Fly, which is similar to the Zamperla Air Race, will be coming in 2016. I’m glad that both of these parks are getting these wild flat rides, but it is scary how similar they are!
The other experience coming to La Ronde in 2016 is Le Vampire Backwards! This will take the existing Le Vampire ride and reverse the experience. It will be just like Batman Backwards (as it is a clone of the popular B&M invert). I am not sure if it will be there all year or just for a limited time, but either way it will be an exciting new experience.
Are you exited for these new rides in 2016? Isn’t it scary how similar it is to Canada’s Wonderland’s 2016 rides? Let us know by commenting below and be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter! You can also find us on YouTube, Google+, and Tumblr! Thank you for visiting Theme Parks and Travels! Be sure to follow us here on WordPress and share with the buttons below.
Six Flags’s two Atlanta parks, Six Flags over Georgia and Whitewater Atlanta announced their 2016 plans today. For Six Flags over Georgia, two major family ride expansions are coming. For its neighbor, Whitewater Atlanta, a major new slide complex will be the 2016 addition.
At Six Flags over Georgia, Bugs Bunny World will be transformed into Bugs Bunny Boomtown and a new children’s area, which will be called DC Super Friends, will be coming in 2016. The new DC Super Friends will go in place of the park’s original dolphin show area.
The new DC Super Friends land will bring five new attractions to Six Flags over Georgia. One of these attractions will be the Superman Tower of Power. It will be an attraction that will entertain guests of all ages. The Batcopters will be an attraction to entertain some of Six Flags over Georgia’s youngest guests. The helicopters of the ride will spin around slowly in a circle, but fast enough to entertain young guests. Wonder Woman’s Flight School will be another installation of the popular Flying Scooters attraction. It is a popular family ride that always entertains its riders. The Harley Quinn Mirror Maze will take a simple fun house attraction and bring it to Six Flags Over Georgia. Finally, the Joker Fun House coaster will allow children to ride their first ever roller coaster in the new DC land.
Bugs Bunny Boomtown will feature seven attractions. Daffy Ducks Bucket Blasters will be a family splash battle. Speedy Gonzales Speed Boats will bounce guests around in boat shaped cars. The Bugs Bunny High Sea Adventure will swing guests around in an adventure on the high seas. Yosemite Sam’s Wacky Wagons will be a ferris wheel themed to the wild west. The Luny Toons Adventure Camp will be a playground specifically designed for the younger guests of Six Flags over Georgia. Acme Trucking Company will take you on a road trip with Wile E. Coyote in an attempt to capture the Road Runner. Finally, Tweety’s Treehouse will be a high in the sky journey into the famous bird’s nest. All of these new family attractions will help Six Flags over Georgia entertain more guests than before. I think it will be a great fit for the park’s 2016 attractions.
Just down the road from Six Flags over Georgia is their original waterpark, Whitewater Atlanta. At Whitewater Atlanta, Wahoo Racers will be the new slide tower for 2016. It will be 60 feet tall and will feature 8 new racing slides. I think it will be a very entertaining new water attraction that will make a great new addition for 2016.
Are you excited for Six Flags’s Georgia additions? Comment below and be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter! You can also find us on YouTube, Google+, and Tumblr! Thank you for visiting Theme Parks and Travels! Be sure to follow us here on WordPress and share with the buttons below