MARFleparks - Echenima Resort [RCT2]

Here we have Echenima Resort, a mass of land several miles west of Sacramento owned by MARF, LTD - a development and entertainment company. I, Micheal Adinso Rebrekal Folf, am the president of MARF and your guide to this vast resort. Let me give you a brief rundown:

Two parks - Echenima Park and the K9-Falliday Studios

Hotels - Six

Transit - Monorail. One that actually covers the resort.

Entertainment Districts - One. The Core

Main Competitors: Universal and Disney

Now, we're all waiting on the pics are we? So off we go!

Let's start with Echenima Park. The main focus of the park is like a journey, or a trip. A road traverses through every land, signifying 'travel' between said lands.

Overview:

The first thing guests enter after walking through an underpass is Davisville, the "Main Street" of this park. As the name suggests, Davisville is themed after the small college town of Davis, CA minus all the rowdy students .

In fact, parts of the town were recreated in this land, like E street plaza:

And Central Park:

Shops and restaurants aside, this land has two attractions (both of which are also recreations of actual structures):

* Davisville Cinema - This attraction is inspired by the Varsity theater. However, as resort management could never really figure out what to actually show in there, it has since become a preview center.

* Central park Carousel - A much larger representation of the Carousel found in the Davis' Central Park.

The next land we see is the Pacific Northwest. Inspired the Coastal region between Northern California and Washington.

Within this land you have three attractions:

* Pacific Northwest Railroad - a 'tour' of the forest, similar to Roaring Camp in Santa Cruz. Rides on authentic steam.

* Kayaking the Pacific - Kayakers kayaking kayaks on a bay. Complete with freezing water. Don't worry, we have warnings in multiple languages (including braille and audio) so guests can't sue us for hypothermia. And yes, it is quite expensive to keep the water cool, but I think it's worth it.

* Legend of Eureka - The highlight of the land. A water coaster with extensive show scenes and a splashdown finale.

Welcome to Harbor Cove! This land is (loosely) inspired by Monterey, CA.

Attractions:

* Storm Chaser - An EMV with water effects (I seem to like water here). Basic storyline: You board an amphibiant vehicle to gather data for the weather center when a surge causes the road to collapse, sending you into the ocean. You are now face-to-face with this treacherous storm, and have to get back to the center in one piece. Despite the emphasis on water, you don't actually get wet.

* The Cannery - Essentially a walking tour of a fish cannery, essentially a filler attraction. Exits into a Seafood restaurant.

* Harbor Cove Theatre - A live performance theater, a la Broadway.

* Adventure of Harbor Cove (Redundancy check!) - A Multi-level boat ride. Takes advantage of a compact show building. Filled with Dioramas and special effects. Like a cross between Pirates and Small World. This is apparently the guests' top favorite ride.

* Trams to Britannia - Form of transport between lands.

Up next is Corte Lupi'. This new Mediterranean land blends together an Italian look and feel with ancient Greco-Roman myths and legends.

Aside from the various themed shops and restaurants, there is, of course, an attraction. By the grand waterfall lies the entrance to Mythus Apollo - a 'light' dark ride that takes inspiration and elements from ancient mythical tales and forms it into a fun-filled story. (wow, I sound like a PR representative now....I should stop...)

Now, let's go across the pond to...

Britannia! The little slice of Anglo right here in California.

The entrance is marked with a Scale-recreation of Parliament and the Big Ben. However the now-removed Shuttle throws off the scale.

Britannia holds four attractions:

* The Eye - A take on the London Eye.

* Ride of Art - A dark ride through a UK art museum.

* Britain! - A SurroundSight (As CircleVision is, apparently, trademarked) film about the British Isles.

* Tram to Harbor Cove - Transport.

* Steeplechase - A small coaster filled with slight turns and sudden drops.

* Britannia Theatre - A high-capacity (1000-seat) stage performance theater. Unlike the one in Harbor Cove, this one is designed so that shows can be changed every other year or so (as well as being larger than Harbor Cove's 200-seat theater).

Newly refurbished, it shows an abridged version of Spamalot (cleverly reduced to to a more 'theme park friendly' 40 minutes).

Also, we have a new attraction being built in this land, based on James Bond:

Obviously nearing completion, it should open soon.

Our next land is quite a small one, and is more of a 'stub'. It is The Echo Skyport.

Echenima ->Echima -> Echa -> Echo + (Sky Harbor -Harbor)+ Airport -air = Echo Skyport.

Overview:

Modeled after the look of a Modern Air Terminal, this small Aviation-themed land holds two attractions:

* Go Fly - Guests board a 'flyer' (Three 4 passenger 3-car generic suspended coaster trains) as they fly over various places around the world. Forced perspective is used heavily with miniaturized sets.

This attraction was an instant hit, such so that I had to extend the queue beyond the building itself when the park initially opened:

However crowds have since died down to the point where there is at most a 30-minute wait.

The tracks are powered allowing the ride vehicles to maintain a speed of 16 mph.

Scenes are:

- Taking off from an airport

- English Countryside

- Going above a river near a waterfall, descending shortly past the crest

- Paris, New York, and Seattle at night

- Antarctica

- San Francisco Bay in a summer afternoon(eventually, you'll get the joke here)

- Return to Airport

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* Aviation: Past, Present, and Future (presented by Airbus).

This walk-through museum explores the History of Flight, and it's possible future. Contains dioramas, replica of aircraft, a short film and various other exhibits.

Echo Skyport also contains a shop and one dining location:

* Avionics - Gift shop selling flight memorabilia.

* Jet Cafe - Food court-style counter service.

Our final land in this park, heavily based on the Tomorrowlands, is Futura.

Overview:

Futura contains five attractions:

* Nova Voyager - Roller coaster similar to Space Mountain. Has a 50 mph launch with inversions.

* Futura Center - Collection of sponsored attractions, all indoors. Changes frequently to reflect current events.

* Futura Dome - 4D Theatre with a Mondavi-inspired exterior.

* Aerobus - Motion simulator attraction. It is a 'gray-line' tour of a futuristic city. Each tour is randomly picked by the simulator from 30 different 'tours' and can vary from normal to completely wild.

* PeRT - short for Personal Rapid Transit. High speed ride that maneuvers through Futura. Kinda like Rocket Rods, only this one actually works and doesn't break down every 10 seconds.

At the end of the day, why not top it off with the park's nighttime show - Pyroquatic Symphony:

And that should do it for this park. Up next - Core, Hotel(s), and the Studios

Hasta Luego!

H.O.L.Y.S.H.!.T. This was the park I always wanted to do, but never finished it...unbelievably awesome...

Welcome to TPR!

You have yourself one nice park there, it is very impressive in size and detail. So many items to comment on... going to keep it simple and just say I loved the Steeple Chase ride and the lighthouse at Kayaking the Pacific is very nice.

So is the park basically done or is more work still needed? It looks finished from the overview. If it is done will there be a download for it soon so we all can check it out in-game?

H.O.L.Y.S.H.!.T. This was the park I always wanted to do, but never finished it...unbelievably awesome...

Heh, thanks!

Welcome to TPR!

 

You have yourself one nice park there, it is very impressive in size and detail. So many items to comment on... going to keep it simple and just say I loved the Steeple Chase ride and the lighthouse at Kayaking the Pacific is very nice.

 

So is the park basically done or is more work still needed? It looks finished from the overview. If it is done will there be a download for it soon so we all can check it out in-game?

Why thank you!

I wouldn't necessarily call this park 'complete'; I tend to 'fine tune' my parks until I creatively tire of it. So no, no downloads. I do on occasion make 'scenarios' of my parks, giving players a bit of a challenge. Kinda fits the way I post the parks - with a backstory.

Continuing.... We have The Core - Echenima Resort's shopping plaza located in the dead center of the Resort!

The Core opened with Echenima Park as a simple row of shops and a theater, but we have plans on expanding into a Downtown Disney/Citywalk-esque center with entertainment venues and clubs.

Not only is The Core a place to shop but it serves as the Resort's 'Transportation Hub', allowing public transportation access to anywhere within the Yolo County (and Sacramento County) Via Yolobus. Access to the Monorail is also available here; both Resort (free) and the co-funded Intercity ($1.50 one-way)

Here we have one of our Resort hotels - Echenima's Vulpes Resort, Spa, and Winery. This 189-room hotel complex, puts you right in the middle of the Napa Valley with the surrounding vineyard.

Echenima's Vulpes Resort, Spa, and Winery includes a high-class restaurant 'Bay', situated adjacent to the Lobby building. Speaking of which, the Lobby building uses bits of 'green' architecture (a skylight, for example), and has the Resort Monorail go through the building.

There is also a pool, with a nicely themed waterslide. The Spa is in that bricked building.

Amenities include:

Free secure wireless high-speed internet in every room

Cable Television with on demand options, all free

Bed range from two doubles to a king

Excellent staff and customer service

Free hot breakfast delivered to the room fresh

Complimentary wine tours with tasting available upon request during daylight hours

Early entry to either park

Complimentary Monorail service to either park

Direct Shuttle to/from either SMF (Sacramento International) or SFO (San Francisco)

Rates: $365/night

And speaking of rates, how about some resort prices:

1-day 1-park: $55 adults 16+/$45 kids -16

1-day Park Hopper: $75 adults 16+/$65 kids -16

2-day Park Hopper: $96 adults 16+/$86 kids -16

Add an additional $10 for every subsequent day, 5 days max.

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2-parks 2-days (explore one park for one day, and the other the next for the price of one, no park-hopping): $83/$73

Moonlight venture (Access to either park after 5:30 pm) $42/$33

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NorCal Access (Must reside ZIP codes between 93900-96100 - proof of residence required): $20 discount of any price on select weeks.

NorCal Exploration Pass (A tourist package that includes lodging in a MARF property (or partner) hotel, a day at either Echenima or Studios, a day in Sacramento, a day in San Francisco (with an optional tour of either the city, bay cruise, or Alcatraz), and a day Napa. Transportation provided by Coach): $340/person, cost of lodging not included.

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Echenima MARFlepass -annual pass of the resort -

Alpha (Free Parking, free admission, discounts in shop and restaurants, priority seating for shows and parades, complimentary access to special events, early entry, no blackouts, free print or electronic newsletter): $995/year or $55/month

Beta (Free Parking, free admission, discounts in shop and restaurants, priority seating for shows and parades based on availability, discounted access to special events, blocked half the year, free e-newsletter): $444/year or $15/month

Beta-lite (Free admission, discounts in merchandise, 250 blackout dates, free e-newsletter): $235/year or $12/month

Omega (Discounted admission, acknowledgment that you have a pass): $150/year or $5/month

In case if you haven't found out yet, there is a second park. And that will be for another update. Hasta luego amigos!

Ummm, WOW!

If this is a Non custom scenery park this is one of the best Parks I have seen on here! (No offense to Mastersax. )

The detail, the plans, the story, just. . . EVERYTHING is great!

And if I can stop drooling, I would also like to say Welcome to TPR!

Ummm, WOW!

 

If this is a Non custom scenery park this is one of the best Parks I have seen on here! (No offense to Mastersax. )

 

The detail, the plans, the story, just. . . EVERYTHING is great!

 

And if I can stop drooling, I would also like to say Welcome to TPR!

Well.... I have been seeping into CS lately, though it's still minimal.

And thank you! *offers a mop*

Finally, we have the K9-Falliday Studios. In this case, both are MARF divisions - K9 for animation and Falliday for live action.

So, the general layout of the Park is Hub-and-spoke, a la Disneyland.

Guests enter the park by going through a scale recreation of the LA Union Station, in turn entering the 'Main Street' of this park - Camino Boulevard. Representing a 'contemporary meets the past' look. At the end of the boulevard sits Hollywood Hill. Guests then see two arches: one to the left that leads to K9 Animation Village, and one to the right that leads to the Falliday lot. They also see a tunnel in front of them that leads to Tinseltown, a romanticized view of Hollywood. Both production lands (K9 and Falliday) will offer tours of their respective facilities.

Likewise, since production facilities and MARF's operations are located here, we can't shut them down unless the company goes belly-up.

Snippet of Camino Blvd:

Looks like most folks are heading to the Visitors' Bureau (Guest Relations)... hopefully it's just for services and not for complaints.

Now would be the best time to say that while we do give lend motorized scooters, they are only available to the elderly and those who have injuries that inhibit their ability to walk. Obesity is not an injury. If you're fat, walk. It's good for you.

Early construction shot:

Wonderful K9 animation village:

Experience 5 attractions based on classic MARF K9 Animation films, and then enjoy a nice stage show starring the MARFle group.

The attractions are, starting from the left, counter-clockwise:

Twist in a Taile - Probably the most themed scrambler you'll see in your life.

Wonders of the Season - two-story 'traditional' dark ride.

John's Roaring Adventure - traditional dark ride. It has a lion, 'nuff said.

Theatre in the Wild - Slightly 'open air' stage theater, with a rotational stage show. See program guide for further details.

Ziggy's Day - Random ride traditional dark ride about a squirrel. Probably the only attraction that's based on a story that actually exists - one that I helped write for a Spanish project.

Massle's Trek - By far the most innovative attraction in the park, or should I say region? The entire attraction is floo- sorry, trackless. Each individual ride vehicle is set on a randomly-selected path and guided via wireless network, randomly stopping or spinning along the way. This creates a unique experience - no two 'ride-throughs' are exactly the same.

You're probably hungry (this is, assuming, you skipped breakfast to get here as soon as possible). Perhaps you would like to grab a bite at the Bendigo Grill - an Aussie-themed sit-down restaurant (no generic burgers and fries here, what you have is authentic Australian BBQ/'Barbie' cuisine, though no 'Roos - that's just plain gross to most Americans to generate a good profit) based on a K9 animation film based on one of two comics as part of a deal (as for the other one, we have bigger plans).

If you don't have time (or if you don't care for Aussie food) go across the way to the counter service Yapper Cafe next to Twist in a Taile.

n Tinseltown, we have 3 attractions (and an assortment of shops and restaurants):

CineVenture! - an omnimover ride that's a musical history of the movies from past to present.

Movie Magic - Theater. Involves plenty of wall breaking, mainly walls of four.

Hollywood Taxi - Short, indoor slightly themed stock coaster.

^Little bit of cleverness here, guests walk above one of the access road without ever noticing.

In Falliday lot (yes, we drew straws on the name and this is what came out ), we have the following attractions:

A Motion Simulator ride based on one of the Falliday films (go ask them, I'm completely absent on the live-action division )

[img ]http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd320/simmer3/RCT/SCR212copy.png?t=1279342109[/img]

* Castingo! - Star in your own show! Randomly selected guests are brought up on stage to perform a random sketch or scene for a Television show or a film. Shows the process of casting.

* The (Insert movie name here) experience - A walk-thru through the scenes of the latest Falliday film. Created because of the fact (at least, according to MARF) that live action just doesn't have the same longevity as animation, and is designed for easy remodeling.

Castingo! to the left, Movie experience to the top-right.

There is also a Studio Tour.

A view of Falliday's unique 'live' electronic filming board - a sign board above a gift shop and cafe updates every 5 minutes listing what's being filmed that day.

Meanwhile, let's view a few of the park's (photoshopped) programs:

Guests wait for the daily hub show (on an innovative hydraulic stage) to start.

The K9-Falliday Studios parade - That's Entertainment!

And a snippet of the finale of the parks nighttime 'spectacular' - Hooray for Hollywood

All filming in Falliday's production facilities is suspended between the hours of 9 pm and 10 pm because of this (so as to prevent unnecessary lighting and sound from being recorded), and a 'light, pleasant tone' can be heard throughout the facilities half and hour beforehand.

Now, K9-Falliday Studios opened (more or less) a year after Echenima Park (July 14 2010 and August 5 2009, respectively). Therefore, I have a more recent 'response' from 'guests' on 'opening day', and much of it has been mixed. Many praised the various entertainment as well as some of the attractions. Massle's Trek was praised by various Amusement press as a 'technological marvel' and was 'sure to change future design of dark rides' citing the trackless, computer-controlled system. The food was also a surprise hit; word-of-mouth spread fast and Bendigo Grill reached maximum seating capacity by mid-afternoon. Hooray for Hollywood, the park's fireworks show, was a major crowd-pleaser. One guest stated that she shed a bit of a tear mid-way, several loved the projections on the Hollywood Sign. Common criticisms included a lack of attractions and shade, a notable absence of a tour of K9 Animation's Facilities (we're working on it!), the poor, disjointed theming in Falliday lot, the closure of Tinseltown by 8 pm, and no transportation whatsoever. One OC journalist called it "Disneyland without the magic" referring to the layout, whereas a web forum severely criticized the presence K9's anthropomorphic characters. Then again, these last two were a given. In short, we could just summarize the park on opening day with this East-Coast journalist's words:

Despite [ K9-Falliday Studios' ] drawbacks, I see potential here. Give it time, all big things must start small.

Whew! Now that I got that through, time for some true updates as well as large walls of text like the transcript in this post.

I also like how you make all of these custom shows for the guest. It's a shame it's only the pictures, but it is a nice touch indeed!

Oh....my....god....

you are amazing. How long did it take you to do all of that?

Welcome to TPR!

Welcome to TPR! It seems you've put quite a lot of time into each section of your park. I like the lighthouse in your first post a lot, and the story behind everything. None taken, djbrcace1234, as it seems that I'm somewhat good at CS... I would suggest that you not only use that metal block for roofs, as it is kind of an eyesore. Maybe try the Mechanical Themed base block instead? Overall, good work, and I hope to see more updates soon!

Oh....my....god....

 

you are amazing. How long did it take you to do all of that?

 

Welcome to TPR!

About 9 months total.

Welcome to TPR! It seems you've put quite a lot of time into each section of your park. I like the lighthouse in your first post a lot, and the story behind everything. None taken, djbrcace1234, as it seems that I'm somewhat good at CS... I would suggest that you not only use that metal block for roofs, as it is kind of an eyesore. Maybe try the Mechanical Themed base block instead? Overall, good work, and I hope to see more updates soon!

Thanks! The roofs are more of a personal preference (I find the mechanical ones to be even more of an eyesore). And yes, there shall be more updates.

Yeesh! Why's everyone doing the old double-forum thing now? I was the first one. I see you're getting similar responses over here Folf!

Now you're doing a movie park? Why do I even bother...I'm miffed and blown away all in one...might need a park hopper for that...I love how there's so much to explore, and how everything is hidden away in buildings and such. This was why I loved Disney so much.

^^ Blame K&M

^ Heh, thanks.

It's Summer, it's hot. So we've done some repaving in Central Park and added a little water play area to yourselves down.

Random fact: there actually is a another reason for the fountains. A bit of a nod to the inspiration of the area in park.

Have you thought about making the tram station/track invisible? I think that could help ot the overall look.

It's still looking rather nice, Califolf.

Have you thought about making the tram station/track invisible? I think that could help ot the overall look.

 

 

It's still looking rather nice, Califolf.

Please...call me Mike.

And those aren't trams. Rather, they're Double-decker buses between Davisville and Britannia. I couldn't remove the track without crashing (due to a large diagonal segment), and any attempt to change it to a different track (so as to paint it silver) would result in only one car operating, which I didn't want - I prefer maximum capacity and function.

These were in addition to the Boat launches between Davisville, Harbor Cove, and Britannia:

Hiya Mike! Nice to see you over here! (Read my signature...you know me!)

The park is looking better than ever! Keep it up!

Wow! Welcome to TPR! This project is CRAAAAZY

Hiya Mike! Nice to see you over here! (Read my signature...you know me!)

 

The park is looking better than ever! Keep it up!

Thanks! And say, you still owe me that (now overdue) poster!

It's time for a Studio update!

First, a little bit of backstage. Here is the main control center for all of the park's entertainment and show. In this green building, staff members monitor the attraction elements (via wireless signals emitted throughout the park from Hollywood Hill) making sure that everything is working properly. They also monitor the park's events; hidden windows in the Tower Theater (connected by a bridge) house the control booths for Hooray for Hollywood as well as Hub Stage shows. While parades themselves are automated, staff on the ground walk along the route and radio their current status to this green building.

In short, this is the park's show brain.

This brings the tally up to how much now?

Now then, you remember the previous announcement regarding new attractions?

If you don't, here's an excerpt from a public announcement from MARF:

There are big plans for Echenima Resort. First of all, the Studios shall be getting three major attractions. K9's animation village will have a 'traveling theater' attraction utilizing the technology of Massle's trek. You will be brought into the film - literally. Also in K9, we will have a thrill ride based on the other film part of the comic deal. Expect a lot of snow. In Tinseltown, there's gonna be a replica of the classic Hollywood Hotel IMAGE ref, not the Tower of Terror...

And likewise, it has started in Tinseltown...

...and the K9 village already has parts rising up...

But it's more than a couple of buildings....

You can just barely see the track inside the frame.

GHmm, I think I can see something wrapping around the closest edge to us....

GHmm, I think I can see something wrapping around the closest edge to us....

'Steel Structure - The Ride' is coming along nicely.

Not really an update, just some things (and some input).

First off, I'm gonna need your input on this:

So MARF has decided to address a major issue with the Studios - lack of in-park transport. Problem is, management is stuck on how to approach this. Here are the options we're looking at:

Bus - electric-powered, open-air, themed like a 1960s coach, will travel along the main promenade around the park

Pros: Compact, convenient, and easy to implement

Cons: Limited capacity, cannot operate in high crowds/during parades

Streetcar - Electric-powered from overhead wire, themed to the 1930s, will run from Camino to Tinseltown via Hollywood Hill

Pros: Attractive, timeless, compact

Cons: Construction of track and wire, infrastructure will inhibit parades, bares resemblance to competitor

Railroad - "Diesel" (actually electric-powered) trains resembling the classic California Zephyr run along the Perimeter of the park

Pros: High-capacity, could utilize Union Station entrance facade, attractive

Cons: Park layout isn't designed to support a perimeter railroad (some restructuring will be needed), bares too much resemblance to a competitor

Other - please specify

So, we at MARFleparks (yes, that's what the division is called now) are asking you what would be the best choice (if you have a better idea, please say so). We'd love to hear your input!

Second, I have made a scenario of the original Echenima Park for you to play around in. This isn't a true 'download', rather, it's a 'snapshot' of a park in progress as I shall continue working on it. There are a few notes about this scenario:

The name of the James Bond ride isn't final; I just thought of something Bondish and put it there because anything is better than '007: Name TBA'. Also, the ride is a 'shell' - due to unexpected freeze of my comp during construction, all in-ride scenery was lost.

Select rides (e.g. transport) can't be demolished.

And yes, you can build over the buildings with a colored wooden fence (or anywhere else you see fit)

Enjoy!

And yes, I shall still be continuing these parks.

I actually say two. One to be like the trolly cars, but since this is a movie studio type park, my mind scartches on the idea of another tram ride, like a monorail. I looked around in the park already, and I love what you did! The whole park is so alive, and I love how it has such a Disney esqe to the park!

Great job, Mike.

First, love the parks and all that is going on.

What about something underground? Like a subway? No track inbetween the stations and smallish changes to were the stations are. If this doesnt work I think that the thrid one is the better of the three.

By survey of guests (and various forums) it has been decided to use two forms of transport for the park. In fact, here's a hint of one of them under construction at this very moment:

Meanwhile, back in Echenima Park, James Bond 007: Medinan opened to much critical acclaim (and appropriate crowds):

I would tell more, but it's one in the morning and I am tired, so I'll leave it at this: The ride itself is based on the famous cars chases of the films, and the word Medinan has a major role in the ride's storyline (seriously, this is by far the most detailed ride in the resort in terms of story and outline).

But before I go, remember that panel in the Company's expo MARFest? The one where MARFleparks was gonna build Satellite Resorts? Well, only one will be built, according to this report by the Sacramento Bee:

MARF Drops Potential San Francisco Resort in Favor of Orlando

8/1/10 Esparto, California - MARF announced it's final plans for expansion of it's MARFleparks division. Among those plans originally included two resorts in the United States: one in San Francisco on the abandoned Hunters Point and one in Orlando a few miles northeast of Orlando International, as well as an Echenima Resort in the United Kingdom. During a recent press release, MARF withdrew it's plans for San Francisco citing environmental concerns, transportation issues, as well as the surrounding area being deemed too dangerous for travelers. MARF will be going forward with the Orlando resort, which, while lacking an Echenima Park, will include two hotels, an outdoor shopping center, a 'Globally-themed' park, as well as possible Monorail access to and from Orlando International. When asked to comment, MARF CEO Micheal Folf simply said "We expect to wake up the competition upon arrival."

Hasta Lunes!

Looks awesome Mike!

(Oh yeah, keep in mind Arcadia/Adventure Shores/Palm Bay Zoo are located in Palm Bay, Florida. Disney, Sea World and Universal are not the only competition he has.. )

Looks great! I can't wait to see what you make of the Orlando parks.

^ Your forgetting one