Mike13

Either way it's a smart strategy,especially with two HUGE e-ticket attractions one year after another. Oh and a VERY reliable source has given a little bit of information about Harry Potter Phase II,I've put it in spoilers in case you want to be surprised by the announcement that is to come.

I have seen people getting out of hand during HHN at Orlando over the years I have been going which is more than you (1999 vs 2007). While HHN is an adult event, drinks do not have to be a part of it let alone a major part of it like it is now. As I stated before, pre 2003 HHN was not a drinking event like it is now. Even the HHN in Hollywood is still dry, they do not serve alcohol like the Orlando version. During HHN I have seen drunks wacking other guests with plastic swords, stampeeds of drunks flying down midways knocking other people over, drunks screaming at guards for telling them to stop smoking in line, drunks stopping dead inside a maze not letting anyone go by until guards escort them out, etc. Universal sets up portable bars all over the place and have girls in sexy nurse outfits selling shooters in the lines, they really push drinking too much. In 2006 I was splashed in the face and eyes with alcohol by a drunk and was temporary blinded by the pain. My friend had to get first aid for me and I spent a couple of hours there before my vision returned. The medics said they have to treat for that alot during the HHN season. She was so disguested by what happened she won't go back to HHN and thinks I am nuts that I still go. Probably I am LOL, but I now avoid the really busy nights, also because I can't afford those nights either. Universal does know the drunks are a problem since they drive the 50s cars away from Mel's to the backstage areas for HHN and station double skippers on the hotel boats and check for room keys before they let you board.

Yeah they were doing that when I was going back to Portofino from HHN this year,I don't remember them doing that in the past at all.The new management is all about the profits so don't expect much to be done about the drunks except possibly hiring more event staff next year.

I've never seen anyone who was drunk get out of hand at the park during the years I've been going.Granted a few have been slightly annoying at most,but when something does happen because someone was drunk like hit an actor or smash props,etc. that's when you hear about it.99% of the people that go to the park don't cause problems.

Personally, I don't see the point of cloning Transformers. Spider-Man is the exact same ride.

There is a long list of reasons why they are putting in Transformers.

1.Give guests reason to come back next season instead of holding out on Potter Phase II to open,the year after.

2.Transformers has been a HUGE success at the Hollywood park.

3..Dispersing crowds once Phase II opens.

4.Spiderman is one of the most popular attractions at IOA,Transformers using similar technology will be a sure hit for the Universal side of the resort.

5.Gives people more reason to stay the day instead of doing Harry Potter and leaving.

For the second announcement I'm saying it's going to be the Springfield project.

I don't doubt that they make an insane profit off the alcohol sales. Wish it was like the Universal Hollywood's version of HHN which is dry. The drunks do get out of hand during HHN at times which is a problem. This year I saw when the House Of Horrors closed down because of the fire alarm, there were 3 guards surrounding a smoker by the emergency exit for it. The smoker probably lit up inside the maze setting off the alarm, the A hole. No smoking signs are meaningless during HHN, everyone lights up everywhere.

That's not just at HHN,that's anywhere.Great Adventure's crowd I would say is an even worse group of people.

Back then HHN was not that well known like it is now. It also wasn't a booze fest back then like it is now either. They didn't start selling booze until 2003, the second year HHN was at IOA.

Alcohol is not going away,the revenue made in the first hour of the event in alcohol alone is an insane number.HHN might be back at IOA next year just for room for an 8th house and to be able to increase capacity and sell more tickets of course.

It was my first time at IOA at night that wasn't a horror night at that park. IOA is staying open later this year than it has other years in the fall (except for the IOA Horror nights). I really miss the days when the Horror Nights used to be uncrowded. My first HHN back in 1999 was much less crowded than during the day! I rode BTTF 10 times in a row walk on that night.

I've only been going since 2007 so I don't know what a less crowded HHN is haha.This year was by far the busiest out of any of the years I went.At least they are learning as the event goes on,the standards are going way up after this year,believe me.

They don't always have an attendant at the merging point for Hulk. In the middle of the afternoon they seem to have one stationed there but in the evening they didn't have an attendant.

Oh I stand corrected.I have never been at Islands at night so don't know how they work staffing wise on the night shift.

I heard they changed Express for Hulk so Express users can now wait for the front. I didn't mind giving up the front row to be able to have a 1 train wait. I haven't been there since the change but I hate the idea of having to force your way in to the line at the merge point (it has the potential for problems) and then still have to wait in part of the line

You don't have to force your way in,the attendant at the merging point will stop the normal line for you to go.After that you have a choice to go left into the front row line or right for the line for rows 2 and on.

This year has be insane line wise,when I went it wasn't horrible in the last week of September but a lot of reports have been saying waits are averaging 2 hours and The Walking Dead house usually being at 2 1/2 hours.Insane.

Edit:Universal just announced the park is closed to anyone without tickets previously bought,they are sold to capacity for the first time since before 2006...

I think Disney is hoping that both areas will be stiff competition... but this expansion won't be complete for another year or so, and Universal is moving very quickly with Potter phase II.

Got ya.I don't really see Avatar or Fantasy Land expansion being a huge competitor to Potter with the following it has even after the series has ended.I'm really stoked on an announcement for Phase II to see any concept artwork they release,these new rides are supposed to be even more cutting edge than Forbidden Journey.Disney really has it's work cut out for them with what Comcast is doing for the Resort.

I posted a bunch of pictures on my site: http://www.amusement...sandNotes12.htm

 

Overall it's really nice, but nothing special. The trees and water features add a much needed element to Fantasyland though:

 

 

Was the Fantasyland castle and expansion supposed to be a quick answer to the Harry Potter addition and to somewhat replicate the appearance of Hogwarts or is Avatar still supposed to be Harry Potter competition?

AND do you guys know who much the terror trails ristbands are? please let me know as soon as possibly its very important.

$18

This country is WAY to sue happy.I don't see why everyone thinks they are entitled to money in any case. Scrapes,cuts and bruises would require no hospital visit,so obviously there is nothing lost for the dad in terms of medical bills,his mind is solely on making money from a big corporation.

Most of the props that are going to be used for scarezones will be rolled out by the tech team between the time the park closes and the gates re-open for HHN open at 6.Most houses have been done for a while now,I believe the Universal Monster house is the only house still having work done to it.

I'll be there last weekend in September..From what I have heard this year will be quite different compared to how the event has been done in past years.Should make for an interesting but still very good event!

I've been going since 2007,never dissapoints.

Actually, Magic Mountain is also charging for its mazes this year.

 

Don't forget that Knott's Haunt is actually a special ticket event and even their SP holders have to pay for it, and the new one is an upcharge on the upcharge. It's the same at BGT and Universal, and I believe at Carrowinds and Kings Island as well now. Eventually I think all parks will either upcharge per Halloween attraction or just turn their Halloween events into hard ticket events. They've all realized they can make more money that way, and provide a better product for that extra money as well as weed out the cheapskate passholders and young kids.

The parents that pay for their kids to get into separate ticket events are the worst especially during Halloween Horror Nights,and I see it every September that I go there..But honestly I don't see the product offered at Fright Fest worth much at all.If more money was put into the event meaning they have to make it a separate ticket event I would definitely go to spend money there.But until then,I just skip Fright Fest every year.

Good for them actually trying now at making a decent event but still,having to PAY to get into the mazes blows my mind.No other theme park does it except one exception of the extreme house Knott's is doing this year,but only for that maze.

Honestly, my concern lies with the "Evac" system in general. When Ms. Siebeneicher specifies a "rope" to safely remove passengers, what exactly does this entail? I am curious to the actual procedure.

Found some pictures from TPR of mechanics and Sups throwing the rope.

I was working that day. I heard about the incident, and right away I knew the goose was doomed. Its Congo Rapids. Trust me, if you stop the ride, a whole lot of other problems occur. Believe me.

I've seen it happen,E-Stops aren't pretty or fun for anyone to deal with..If they did stop the ride they would have gotten crap from people for putting them in danger to save a Goose...That lady is clearly just looking for attention.

I like Animals as much as the next guy, but it's a Goose.... It's the birds fault for going near moving machinery.Ride OP's did the right thing. Rider safety > Bird dying

Thank you!!! I'm going to love doing ride ops for all the Boardwalk coasters/attractions! Oh and I'm going to love that tan!

More like farmers tan. I never had the chance to get a tan when I worked at the park,I was always under cover in 250.

Have fun man,you meet some friends you will keep for a long time there.It's not all fun though,it get's stressful I promise you

They actually combined attractions and the rides department this yea. We have plenty of able operators for ea. ride! I'm getting a phone call this week saying which ride I will operate!

Don't you get your home ride during ROTC?

Im sure most people know this, but there is also a new owner of the park. It seemed like Shapiro would take out a ride before doing anything else, and it seems like that was his favorite thing to do as well--take out rides. However, it seems as if the new owners, Weber and Anderson, would rather bring in a new and improved ride to the park. Yes, they did remove the Scream Machine which I truly miss, but I think the Green Lantern is a much better ride. My rides on the Scream Machine are easily in the double-digits, but I just think the Green Lantern is a better ride. Does anyone think that having a new owner will have anything to do with the future of this ride? I HIGHLY doubt it, but hopefully Weber and Anderson will realize that this ride is truly missed by the people and will combine the new technology with the old Chiller and re-open it. I also doubt it because after Anderson and Weber became the owners, they tried to sell it, but it could have been an advisory team or someone/something else telling them to do this. What do you all think? Could a new owner mean something different for the ride?

NO.

I agree that the 0g roll was "tight" but if you look at it it is kind of lopsided. I definitely think thta they can kind of smooth this out in a way by stretching out the twist so it is not as high and turn it into a straighter twist, or put more arc or it and even it out. If you watch a POV video of it in slow motion, as it goes over the 0g rolls, it kind of pauses at the top of it. Stretching it out or rounding out the whole thing will elimintate the sharpness to it, which will also get rid of the forces going in reverse(obviously), making it a smoother ride. Also, on the topic of poor engineering, you must remember that it was a prototype, and that the ride was made 15 years ago. This was ground-breaking back then, and of course there are going to be flaws. Now, we know how to fix them, so why not do this in a newer ride. And, this ride costs 15,000,000 dollars in TOTAL. Disregard the station, the observatory (though it already has something in it). It definitely costs less money due to the subtraction of what is already left. They can put some money into this ride which isn't all that expensive for 2 coasters really. It was a dual launch, so for one would be 7,500,000 dollars. This costs less than the Dark Knight did. I would personally rather them rebuild this ride which is a classic among the people, and if you didn't realize, most of the people who want to see it back and have their own ideas and opinions don't write on this website, so its not like I am a lonewolf out here. There are thousands of people who would love to see this ride back. And, this ride would definitely bring in more money if it was reopened.

Why do you never give up?The last two sentences are complete fallacies.

this picture lies the workers ive seen are never happy

And there are plenty of good reasons not to be happy while working there,not that it's Six Flags fault,it's just the nature of the theme park business.