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hauntguy

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  1. I'm sorry the TPR group did not have a Tramtastic day. I started Googling to learn more about the screwy Express passes offered at USJ. While I was visiting the site, I came across "Information of temporarily closed attractions". Space Fantasy - The Ride closed 1/9/18-1/17/19 (Japan has a very unusual definition of "temporary") Jaws closed 6/11/18-6/24/19 (just missed it, Robb) They state: "We will sell Express Pass as the regular price during the above maintenance, so screw you silly Americans". I may not be translating that entirely accurately. They also say (and I think I'm understanding this correctly) that if rides on your Express pass are closed due to maintenance, they offer "alternative attraction" EXCEPT for Harry Potter, Hippogriff, Hollywood Dream Backdrop. So if, say, Flying Dinosaur is closed for maintenance, they will offer some alternative, but not one of the three mentioned. I'm really surprised that Flying Dinosaur is not on that list. That implies it might be an alternative attraction? Nowhere does it mention a list of "alternative attraction". What blows me away is that not only does your Express pass let you only do 4 or 7 rides depending on what you buy, you are pre-assigned very strict time windows for the "big rides". So if you purchase this Express pass long in advance, you sure as hell better not be delayed getting there, your you will be SOL. For the non time-window rides, you get a choice of Ride A or Ride B. i.e. Jaws or Spider Man. Google "USJ Express Pass 7" to see how unusable these are. The 7 attraction pass goes for around $77 and the 4 attraction for around $50. I find their helpful information not helpful. And frankly, not Universal-like.
  2. So Robb, you were in a train station and experienced Disaster! ...starring you! Was it better than Orlando's?
  3. Dammit! Why can't California be Japan? I mean, we have a crapload of earthquakes, too. So why can't we be as cool as them? I don't think there is a single person in Japan asking why Japan can't be California...
  4. Dammit, I never thought I'd say it, but I wish I was Robb right now.
  5. Thanks for another amazing trip report, Robb! Japan is on my bucket list. Every time I read about Japanese efficiency and friendliness, I want to retire to there, not just visit someday. Watching those videos is like watching 50's American society, but with super advanced technology. Been a long time since I logged in last, and pardon me if I am wrong, but I recall Elissa being a vegetarian. Is she an omnivore now? I saw her hungrily eyeing that delicious red cow flesh...
  6. That article isn't giving the entire story. I could be wrong (but I'm FAIRLY certain I'm not) that that was the issue that came up years back where they decided it was a good idea to add a gusset plate to strengthen that part was that showing structural problems. All examples of the ride were given that upgrade. That was dealt with, in what seems to have been a competent and responsible manner. That article looks to be trying to make it out to seem like they found issues and just ignored them. They didn't; they fixed that. Unfortunately it looks like a different source of cracking and fatigue was also going on that was never noticed... This particular ride did have the gusset plates installed. Clearly seen in this picture
  7. If Robb and family have survived this long considering all of the Chinese coasters they have been on (including the self-operated ones), I think the accident rate is still very low. Actualy, for Robb - how do you and your family feel about safety following this? Not for the industry, but in terms of everything you've been on. Would you skip anything from here on out, or not do any particular rides/parks again?
  8. I am certainly not an expert on this but I have to disagree on principle. A safety mechanism would not be required to be held in the locked position by hydraulic pressure. Hydraulics fail more often than we realize. Think about the click-click-click we hear when we lock our restraints on a coaster. That is what is keeping our restraints locked, and each tooth we hear clicking is an extra level of safety. The hydraulics are pressurized to RELEASE the restraints - not to keep them locked. Remember, a safety restraint needs to be locked (safe) with no external power or pressurization - think complete power failure. A coaster car would have no on-board hydraulic system to maintain pressure. While this ride could keep hydraulics pressurized during the ride since the gondola is always meant to be attached, I really doubt that is the case here. Or should I say I really HOPE that is not the case here. Finally, the remainder of the people are still locked in their seats in the aftermath video. I really think the restraint failure was due to the restraint mechanism breaking when contacting another vehicle.
  9. Horrific tragedy. From the picture of the arm showing the torn metal, it certainly looks like catastrophic metal fatigue to me. The floor looks intact in all video/pictures available to us. Had the gondola separated after striking an immobile object, I would expect the torn metal to be bent and have frayed edges and not be just a jagged tear. So I think it's more likely that the gondola separated and then hit something. What I still do not understand is that even if the gondola separates from the arm, why would the restraints not stay locked? It appears that two of the seats remained locked; why would any restraint open in the event of separation? I'm wondering if immediately after separation the back of the gondola hit another gondola (causing the sound) which in turn caused the locking mechanism on two of the seats to fail. The video shows the gondola doing a 360 degree flip, which I would think would not happen had it separated and not hit anything. I'm sure investigators are already running physics modeling on this one. If the girls' accounts are correct and the restraints failed, I don't see how that would lead to a catastrophic failure. I suppose the sound could have been due to a restraint mechanism hitting the floor at the base of the downswing, but I don't see how a tear in the arm would follow that. And the notion of an E-stop resulting in such a tear makes little sense. Honestly, I wish we were in the days when we just read about these things, and didn't have the ability to watch it happen over and over at the touch of a button. And sadly I plead guilty to that. We've become so desensitized to tragedy that people see others in distress and whip out a camera rather than run to their aid. Civilization in decline...
  10. So great to hear, Robb! I think that's the first official confirmation. Looking forward to it. Going to tell my kids now!
  11. I only now read abut this because I got a TPR Email asking about an upcoming tour. I'm not totally clear if Robb is going to stop doing WCB as well (hoping not), but, jeez, it's really sad to see how people have taken for granted what TPR has provided over the years. Let me tell a tiny story that happened way back when I attended my first WCB (don't recall the year), but it was back when I used to be able to remember things. There was some sort of prize giveaway at SFMM, and I won a Revolution poster. Somehow I forgot to pick it up at the presentation, so I approached Robb while he was resting at a bench. He offered to get the poster from park management and ship it to me. I did not realize that the time that Robb was personally organizing these events; I thought he worked for some bigger organization and he'd be reimbursed. I came to realize I was totally wrong. He is organizing these events for us. He is owning the hassle of dealing with park management, answering tons of questions, coordinating with airlines, hotels, etc. Arranging food, Q-bots, etc. That stuff doesn't magically happen. I immediately sent Robb some Paypal bucks to thank him for sending me the poster. A stupid little poster. He had NO REASON to care about doing this - we had essentially just met. But he did it because he was a nice guy. Personally, I wouldn't have put up with half as much crap as he has. I'd find some other hobby where I could be around people who are on average more pleasant. I feel like he's getting to that point, and I cannot blame him. If WCB doesn't happen this year my kids and I will miss it, but I'll explain to them that when people do something good and get complaints in return, it makes them not want to make the effort next time. I've always made a point of finding Robb and Elissa at every event we attend and thanking them for putting it on. By the way, everyone remember the recent WCB where Robb showed up with a bum leg and had to get around Magic Freaking MOUNTAIN on a self-powered scooter? You think that was having a "Six Flags Day" then? Me neither. But he did it. Aaaaaaand people later complained about every little thing that was not done for them by the park or by Robb, for the sake of complaining. Apologies for the venting. Hope to see events happen again someday.
  12. I still see VR being in its infancy that will soon give way to Augmented or Mixed Reality - essentially Google Glass that people will accept. When people have their own devices that they use daily, I see a coaster as just another thing to plug them into for an enhanced experience. I don't think that's a far-off thing. I'm still amazed at how quickly self-driving vehicles are being thrust at us. If we're all not driving soon, we are all going to need something to distract us. Having to strap on a huge headset that was (hopefully) just cleaned and charged is definitely not sustainable. But my family always opts for the VR experience when riding coasters. The kids and I love it.
  13. Trying to picture what they removed to make room for this ride. Help me out here. I keep mixing up Gotham with the area where Riddler is. Batman Stunt Theater - demolished Gas station - demolished Climbing wall - demolished I take it the upcharge Flying Burrito ride is still there, as is the BBQ restaurant? And the totally non-DC-themed Tidal Wave which is okay since it's always closed? And I'd still like to think those electrical-looking conduits were really for pyro shells.
  14. A couple of pages ago, I posted what turned out to be a pretty inaccurate plan of attack for HHN Hollywood. This year, a good deal has changed, so please consider the following if you want to do everything in one night: Although the park has more HHN-type attractions this year, the following are closed for HHN: All of Potter (not even a sip of Butterbeer during HHN), Despicable Me, Super Silly Fun Land, Waterworld, Shrek. Some of these have never been open for HHN, but some are new to the list. Bottom line is that these people-eaters being closed make for longer lines. This year was the first ever where Opening Night was sold out. That is a daunting fact. The crowds were so thick, that you need to be prepared to NOT do everything in one night. I am convinced of that. I'm also thinking that Thursdays will end up sold out, too. In past years many Thursdays sold out. My other reason for believing this is that they are STILL selling the 15-night HHN season pass online. In years past, they sold only a couple hundred of these through a special link. Now they are offering them as regular tickets. That means they plan on selling ALOT. It could also mean that few are biting, but I don't buy it for a minute... They are no longer offering FOTL as an add-on to your ticket. FOTL now is exclusively available with built in admission. If you really want to see all of HHN in one night, FOTL is the ONLY WAY. Buy it soon, because they are actually beginning to sell out online. Sep 24 is already sold out. In years past, I would have said that being first in the gate for HHN would allow you to hit everything. Not anymore. Past gameplans no longer work. Here is the way things work: If you have a day/night combo, you have the right kind of ticket. As people are exiting for the day, go to Guest Services or to the tallest building at the central plaza. There they will give you a wristband. Once you have this, Immediately head to lower lot. Get to lower lot no later than 5:30 If you ONLY have an HHN ticket, get through security and into the RIGHT MOST gate line no later than 5:00. They will start letting HHN people into the park early. This will be through a gate even to the right of the right-hand turnstyles. You will essentially be entering next to Waterworld. Remember, do NOT queue up for a turnstyle at the front gate. You are going into a special early entry entrance. Ask for help if you need to. The line will be LONG, so the earlier the better. They will scan you and give you a wristband. Head down to lower lot immediately. If you are in the park for daytime admission (i.e. have a season pass) and you purchased a separate HHN ticket, you are treated like garbage. You are going to need to EXIT the park, go through security AGAIN and re-enter for HHN. God help you if you won a big plush toy, because they won't let you in with it. So, exit the park around 4:45, go through security again, and follow the advice in the previous paragraph. Once you get your wristband, head to the lower lot. So now everyone is in the lower lot and it is about 5:30. Freaking event doesn't officially start for 90 minutes, so you are good to go, right? Pfffft! HHN opens Exorcist at 6:00 on the dot, but they let people in line around 5:45. Halloween maze does not open until 7:00. At the queue entrance for Exorcist, you have the option to skip Exorcist and instead walk to the backlot for AHS, Krampus, and FvJ. One or two of those mazes opens at 6:30. They are all open by 7:00. So here is the reality of the situation - what I experienced Sat 9/17 (which was also a sold-out night). I arrived at Exorcist at 5:30. Queue for Exorcist opened at 5:45 and I was the TENTH person into the maze. Entered the house at 6:03 and exited at 6:07. Walked back to the queue entrance, and saw the Exorcist already had a 45 minute wait built up. And HHN had not even officially opened!! Walked to backlot (15 minute trek) and by the time I got there, Krampus was at 20 min wait, AHS was 30 min, and FvJ was 60 min!! Mind you, it was only 6:25pm. HHN still not open! Went into Krampus and when I got out, FvJ was 120 minutes, Krampus was 40 min and AHS was 70 min. At this point, HHN was opening for real, and it was about to get really bad. So I decided to hit AHS. Wait was indeed about 70 min. By he time I got out, FvJ was up to 140 min. Sadly, they did not have a wait time posting for all houses in the backlot. According to the app, Halloween was 140 min, TWD was 45 min, TCM was 90 min, and Exorcist was 140 min. Good luck with cell reception in backlot or lower lot. T-mobile doesn't work at all, and AT&T has very bad reception. I was able to get something to work by forcing my phone onto 4G, as everyone was sucking up LTE. Terror Tram had 40 min wait posted. Went there and the line moved FAST. You never stop walking - just a long queue. Real wait time was about 20 min. Kind of a shame, since the Terror Tram queue videos are GREAT! For the record, this is the best TT in the past 7 years. While shorter than any other year, it had a feel of 2006, which was best year of all. Because I have an HHN 15-night season pass, I then decided to leave and revisit another day. I went to HHN the first two nights and BETWEEN them was able to see everything except Halloween. I refused to stand in any line that was longer than 70 minutes when I had a pass for 15 nights. I will try on an upcoming Thursday but if it's equally crowded, I will not go again until Nov 2nd and 3rd. Here is what you can honestly expect for house wait time patterns: Exorcist - will have 2hr+ waits all night. Only chance of no wait is to be in the queue at 5:45 TCM - will have enormous waits from 7PM until about 10:30 as people entering event taper off. Because TCM is located at park entrance, most GP will tend to hit it first. So this one will have good wait times at the end of the evening. TWD - People-eater and unchanged from daytime attraction. 10 min waits will happen much of the night. Pulse of people will be seen each time Jabbocrapeez lets out. Terror Tram - 20-40 min most of the night. Just be aware of closing time. Halloween - Will be extremely long all night. Maybe save for last thing to do before heading back up? Remember there are FIVE houses between lower lot and backlot. Backlot houses are a bit different this year. No Soundstage this year. And queues are staggered - exit of one house "leads to" queue of the next. You can choose not to queue for next house, but entrances are far apart. The "flow" is for Krampus to be first, then FvJ, then AHS. Krampus - always shortest of the lines of backlot houses. People don't seem to be into the theme compared to FvJ and AHS. AHS - expect VERY long waits all night. Probably will never be < 90 min. FvJ - expect massive waits all night. Probably will never be < 90 min. The rides: Jurassic Park - 40 min waits most of the time. Single rider will be more like 10 min Mummy - 40-60 min waits most of the time. Single rider will be more like 15 min Transformers - 10-20 min waits most of the time. Single rider will be more like 5 min. Simpsons - 30 min waits all night except then Jabbasuckfest lets out, when it gets slammed to 60 min. It is a good HHN year. While I hate IP houses, they did a very good job for the most part. Even the repeat houses don't feel too repeated. I have not been in Halloween yet, so I cannot fully say for sure on that one. Exorcist was OUTSTANDING. Who woulda thunk it? They really pulled it off nicely. It perfected what they tried at Dead Exposure at HHN Orlando. AHS was quite long and very good. Yes, an actual long maze for HHN Hollywood. FvJ was nothing like Orlando's version (which was better). Was also on the long side. Krampus was....interesting. I had no idea the movie was comedy-horror. As such, what they presented was unexpected and a bit confusing. Check @HorrorNights for the nightly password to give to the delivery man outside the house. Prize is really nice. Bring a 1qt ziplock bag with you to protect it or get small bag from store in upper lot first. WARNING - they run out of prizes by 7:30. Might want to hit Krampus first when you get to backlot! TCM was most like a rehash of what we saw many times before. Only thing really new was appearance of Chop Top and Dayton, because it was based on the original movie. Even so, same old same old. Seriously, this house was totally not necessary, and I will probably feel the same about Halloween. TWD was same as daytime version. Terror Tram - they shook things up this year, with a mini-maze at Bates Motel and just before WOTW. Keep expectations low and you will be pleasantly surprised. And the scarezones this year.... All of them Purge.... While I am a bit over it, make sure to hit the Gauntlet in the central plaza. It is actually a fairly large maze. A shame that you could experience a queue for a scarezone, but that is the reality this year. Seriously, get the FOTL if it is available. If you do not, you will NOT get into everything. The year will only get busier, so I think counting on a "slow Thursday' is wishful thinking. I would definitely make sure to see Exorcist, AHS, Terror Tram, and the Purge Gauntlet. Because this is HHN Hollywood, you will probably get a chance to see Freddy, Jason, Leatherface and Michael Meyers many times again in upcoming years, so don't feel too bad if you miss them.
  15. Well said. The storyline is substantially different at the two parks, and that's probably the one area where USH is better, because the whole Brendan Fraiser thing is just incomprehensible.
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