The Master

I didn't know ahouf the defunct Blizzard Beach slide, at least it looked like it was cushioned. Those modern European slides look a lot safer than the old Lake Dolores versions. Much shorter length and curves to keep guest speed down, but those handrails could cause abrasion.

Found a couple of more scary water rides. First a video ad from 1985 for a slide called Raging Rapids at Funtown waterpark in Erie, PA. The slide has bumbs to send inner tubes airborne! Second video is for the former Lake Dolores water park in SoCal that featured water slides you slid down while standing up on your feet, possibly outdoing Action Park.

Its nice they aren't using a projection face but the Tiana AA looks a little off model, like she is aged up into her 40's.

I am not sure if I can call it angry, but walking away from a forum you been a member of for a long time is disenheartening. Two months ago I made the decision to leave a car fourm I have been a member of for 19 years. It was a pretty good place with lots of good info but in recent years that forum has declined. Most of the old guard has left, traffic and new members are drying up, fights ard increasing, and its been taken over by toxic opinion leaders who push weird idealoigies. The main issue is that most of the opinion leaders are race track guys who only want to talk about modifying cars into race track cars while suppressing any discussion of keeping cars street cars.

Wow, that park must have been really crowded that day.

I wonder if this will end up as GAdv's version of Disney's failed Starcrusier hotel? There are some bad similarities between the two.

Resort is a stretch.

Hopefully they were being sarcastic.

Leaving the tower would at least preserve the park's skyline. Still sad to lose such an iconic as well losing another non coaster ride.

Hopefully it works out.

Looks pretty cool, especially the classic monsters section.

The line for GADV's skyride is often pretty long whenever its open, especially the south station by Skull Mt.

I have ridden both simulators, although when I rode SFOT's they had already changed their film to Starship America. It is a shame that GADV gutted theirs.

Looking over this again its funny to see the trains used such tight curves. 4 foot diameter is considered really tight curves by modern standards. These days LGB and other G scale manufacturers offer straight track sections up to 5 feet long and curves up to 20 foot diameters. Many also sell flex track that can be bent to custom curves and wide switch track. I upgraded my own garden railway to 8 foot diameter curves a couple of years ago. Some of the big locomotives and cars they sell now need at least a 10 foot diameter curve. Shows how standards can rise over time.

One problem with Koala Canyon were the water canons. They often developed long lines as soms guests would hog them for hours. Sometimes fights started over who's turn was next. Once ond did get a turn the water play fights sometimes got really firece. Eventually their range was reduced either toned down by the park or just wear. Either way it also reduced the popularity of the cannons.

I had a roller racer as a kid, I wanted one after riding the racers at the park. Sort of a kiddie test drive.

I played on these playgrounds a lot as a kid. I can still remember runningbover the arch bridge and thd smell of the rubber padding on a sunny day.

Wow that is chintzy. The theme park industry is heading in the wrong direction. At least it isn't torn down.

It would have also been nice to get page for the original house. I saw it again last Dec on the Christmas hayride during HITP. Sadly the house is in bad shape. I saw it has missing roof shingles exposing the plywood decking which certainly means roof leak. Roof leaks can destroy a building pretty fast.

Some of the Youtube outlets have said Disney has been cutting back their maintance budgets as well as spending money on PC changes to rides instead of proper repairs and refurbishments.

It has been anounced that the Splash Mountain makeover will see a big reduction in the number of animatrionics in the ride which is a shame. Disney will probably replace many of them with projection effects. There is also the debacle of the new plaza over in Epcot. The fancy new lighting failing within a couple of day because of too high pressure washing and the general disappointment from guess over the design. Disney probably should have kept the fountain IMO.

I would not be surprised if Disney bungles the Simpsons like they have with so many other IPs in recent years. That is besides the show having been in decline Iong before Disney's buyout of Fox. Still I would like a return to BTTF but that is unlikely. Ironic enough the Simpsons are not that much younger than BTTF.

Just as the title says, does anyone have any suggestions for park forums or other sites similar 5o the GAH forums? There won't be a replacement for this forum but perhaps an alternative place would help alleviate the sting a little.

Screamscape reported there are some rumors that Universal may replace the Simpsons with another IP when the current contract expires, possibly with Pokemon. I can see it since the Simpsons are owned by Disney now, then again that hasn't put an end to the Marvel Island in IOA. With possible replacements I rather see a return to Back to the Future than Pokemon.

With the uncertain future of the GAH forums and that they may close down soon, it might be a good idea to post our goodbyes to one another and the forums while we still can. I certainly have had a good time here and will miss this forum and I apprecate the years of Harry's fine work on covering the history and current happenings of GADV. In case I don't see everyone here on some other format in the future I wish to say goodbye. I will hopefully get to post a few more messages on other threads here before things close down. If there is anything anyone else wants to post in this or any other thread onnthe forums, better do it now.