Jump to content
  TPR Home | Parks | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram 

WW'S COASTERMANIA PTR


Recommended Posts

ORLANDO TRIP 2013

1. Page 1- SeaWorld Orlando (July 27, 2013)

2. Page 1- Universal's Islands of Adventure (July 28, 2013)

3. Page 1- EPCOT (July 29, 2013)

4. Page 1- Magic Kingdom: Day One (July 30, 2013)

5. Page 1- Disney's Hollywood Studios (July 31, 2013)

6. Page 2- Magic Kingdom: Day Two (August 1, 2013)

 

SILVER DOLLAR CITY THROUGH THE SEASONS

7. Page 2- Labor Day 2013

8. Page 3- Harvest Festival 2013

9. Page 3- Old Time Christmas 2013

 

MIDWEST SUMMER ADVENTURES 2014

10. Page 3- Six Flags St. Louis Opening Weekend (April 6, 2014)'

11. Page 3- Worlds of Fun (May 17, 2014)

12. Page 3- HoliWood Nights at Holiday World: Day One (May 30, 2014)

13. Page 3- HoliWood Nights at Holiday World: Day Two (May 31, 2014)

14. Page 4- Kentucky Kingdom (June 1, 2014)

15. Page 4- Cedar Point: Day One (June 5, 2014)

16. Page 5- Cedar Point: Day Two- CoasterMania (June 6, 2014)

 

Coming Soon!

-Kings Island (Coasting for Kids)

-Wisconsin Dells/SFGAm

Edited by Woodie Warrior
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 45
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

After a day of horrible flight delays and boringness, we finally arrived in Orlando. Our first day was spent at SeaWorld, and it was a great place to get Quick Queue and have a stress free day. I'm not exaggerating, Quick Queue is great. It's cheap, convenient, and it makes it easy to reride rides and still see the shows.

102_4311.thumb.JPG.0960415e1ec2e87546103db726ccdf9b.JPG

Anti-protesters put a smile on our faces

102_4312.thumb.JPG.5f69e82b4f13ba5e3f7a3ec4370e76e1.JPG

We are here!

102_4314.thumb.JPG.21547739bb2b0ed7ad61ca78a97b67b8.JPG

A shot of Manta: Our first ride of the day

102_4323.thumb.JPG.4f372b76cac87e362a79a145016c4f68.JPG

The manta ray exhibit is fun to look at

102_4330.thumb.JPG.01fb40d360921219437429f9281813d2.JPG

We meet puck in Antarctica

102_4334.thumb.JPG.dd0e1b1f976da37daf25bb9db5c2b466.JPG

Random hide and seek room is random

102_4342.thumb.JPG.393dd62f0726d28d0e42235a2df68e79.JPG

The highlight of a ride that was "meh"

102_4345.thumb.JPG.55f6797b0ba7c4106d34c0150b249b48.JPG

The nets are starting to come down at the exhibit

102_4352.thumb.JPG.cd575fe5f11a747251aeb1885192702f.JPG

The rock work in the area is right up there with Universal's and Disney's

102_4353.thumb.JPG.504e63f31fdba0e961e84ef03964999a.JPG

We made those cool "Mr. Potato Head: Penguin Edition"-looking cups and used them here

102_4354.thumb.JPG.dd7f2ee6c7d51673fc77151cf777d42a.JPG

We ate here for lunch. Chinese restaurant is like Panda Express. Food was okay.

102_4357.thumb.JPG.57b844b8d004c9d8768f0a7f5461321b.JPG

Blue Horizons time!

102_4358.thumb.JPG.ce64d56d707f1b17da8dceccef8431d9.JPG

Awesome dolphins, bad plot. The beginning feels like a Barbie Live! show

102_4371.thumb.JPG.ff229215d1626a09e308581fd8b730b3.JPG

The bird people arrive

102_4376.thumb.JPG.dcaf485effff196aecd2abcf6751fe3b.JPG

YAY! The dolphins are back!

102_4378.thumb.JPG.60e1ece921a33e1932b7388194cdd3e9.JPG

The best show at the park, at least IMO

102_4379.thumb.JPG.7f390a483a910eab405d03226acc07e1.JPG

Journey to Atlantis was okay, but dark ride sections sucked and nobody really got wet

102_4381.thumb.JPG.fadf09b67823d06b68ad0c603fedcbd5.JPG

Kraken was fun and loopy, but somewhat rough

102_4383.thumb.JPG.6ea5c095d2b5a33e7145493e17135608.JPG

Clyde and Seamore are about to take pirate island

102_4387.thumb.JPG.0b9de417c51eaf2733522d63620c494b.JPG

Yo Ho Yo Ho a pirate's life fo- wait, wrong park

102_4393.thumb.JPG.a6e637c969fbc179f4bfbb806332bdbd.JPG

Party time!

102_4395.thumb.JPG.054817cb3833d76462b990bc15345c6a.JPG

Time for a Star Tours-wannabe ride. This whole exhibit/attraction should be the next to be revamped.

102_4403.thumb.JPG.3d74f7923d763ee43a67816532a4911b.JPG

One Ocean

102_4404.thumb.JPG.94821b301c32c196c30609a693561c58.JPG

Whale pic 1

102_4411.JPG.2d164f7b04351317064322def13c3eba.JPG

Whale pic 2

102_4420.thumb.JPG.aaf30290d131b470eda98b6748a73cc1.JPG

Whale pic 3 that looks like the One Ocean logo

Edited by Woodie Warrior
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It was Universal day! We chose to just visit one park instead of trying to cram both into one day, and we had a good time. After paying for their their ridiculously overpriced unlimited Express Pass (which worked fine, just cost way too much), we headed in and had a great time.

 

102_4425.thumb.JPG.7ed81fac8348c3aa5d4789fdbf43eef7.JPG

Entrance sign shot

102_4426.thumb.JPG.d8c9e355f5f73bcc08951b988185e0aa.JPG

We paid for preferred. Throughout our trip we were laughing at how much SF's parking costs compared to Orlando's.

102_4427.thumb.JPG.97c2ee957e690319bf5e37796e9bef60.JPG

It sucks that it takes 15-ish minutes to walk to the front gate of the park once your car is parked.

102_4430.thumb.JPG.4cd6d0ef0aa0a0fc56c13e413ea260d8.JPG

We didn't eat there, but DANG that is a big Hard Rock Cafe

102_4431.thumb.JPG.6988f7bf661dd1f6fe72df1e2d53c648.JPG

What a cool park icon. Not a Hogwarts or Spaceship Earth, but better than the Sorcerer's Hat for sure.

102_4432.thumb.JPG.8217a4f012a44d35d3c070c02e0a2a6d.JPG

While we hurried to get in line for Forbidden Journey, we took in the views of Seuss Landing and the Lost Continent.

102_4433.thumb.JPG.85fd7287e526a5e64e34f96786bfe0cd.JPG

We are in Hogsmeade! Definitely the most amazing themed land ever, or at least in the US.

102_4436.thumb.JPG.ad6ca0ed23bf0ed7233fbc206191c2c0.JPG

Hogwarts. In real life. Truly awesome.

 

Now let me talk about HPFJ. The ride is truly spectacular and leaves you wondering how the heck they made the transitions between the screen and the real sets possible. But the queue wasn't anything special to me. Having the locker area pretty much pitch black except for the light coming from the door makes it hard to see anyone returning from the lockers. The portrait room was way too small compared to the movie and some real or even projected moving staircases would have been cool in the ceiling. And the portraits weren't amazing or anything. They didn't look anything like paintings, they looked like plain TVs. Either way, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is simply spectacular and super detailed.

 

102_4445.thumb.JPG.d98370910926bca366d22abab91d3623.JPG

The mediocre portrait room

102_4450.thumb.JPG.a8eb68a643278bc05907dc2ee9a8bb7b.JPG

The highlights of the queue were the Sorting Hat and Dumbledore.

 

After the ride and the delicious frozen Butterbeer, we headed towards Dragon Challenge. It was closed temporarily for mechanical issues. So we headed Mythos to eat. A great choice. The food was the best theme park food I've had and the prices were cheap (all our meals were $10 or less). The atmosphere and themeing were spectacular. Definitely the best thing in the Lost Continent.

 

102_4454.thumb.JPG.7ff9cab36d4745c9a07c85e7ad2c04e6.JPG

Mythos is the most beautiful restaurant I've ever eaten at.

102_4459.thumb.JPG.c419202feef09705b87fd91bb649ca03.JPG

Details in the rock work inside Mythos

 

We headed back to ride both sides of Dragon Challenge. They were okay, but I don't see what is so great about them. Fireball was only slightly better than Batman, and I felt Horntail wasn't nearly as good as Batman. Maybe the people who voted for them in the polls had ridden them when they were dueling?

 

Afterwards, we headed to an attraction that had okay special effects and a great facade, but was too long and had a horrible script. You know what I'm talking about...

 

102_4462.thumb.JPG.e09414ced27947003e77056560dc9b86.JPG

Yes, Poseidon. The worst attraction in the park.

102_4461.thumb.JPG.7cf254fe1104254e306d92468c997527.JPG

What a great facade for the worst attraction in the park.

 

Well, I'm glad we are done with that. Now on to the good stuff. Seuss Landing!

 

102_4465.thumb.JPG.a49bbf24963524415d4355ae0e0e3bc8.JPG

Back to Seuss Landing, the most fun to look at place in the park. The area lacks an E-ticket though.

102_4471.thumb.JPG.17f45737e32027420fe625a41e6420f1.JPG

When the Trolley ride was down, we rode Caro-Seuss-el!

102_4473.thumb.JPG.838b019f81a34d45668872f01a3cba9f.JPG

Cat in the Hat was a ride that starts out whimsical, then turns into a demented fun house. It was almost creepy...

 

After those rides we went back and rode the Trolley ride, which was okay but kind of boring. Now to my favorite area! (ride-wise, not themeing-wise, because WWoHP was definitely the best in that category)

 

102_4474.thumb.JPG.8839aa2ee0cfb32d4c646c9188762b28.JPG

Favorite coaster in Orlando. But the parts after the MCBR were slow and boring. Still a great ride though.

102_4476.thumb.JPG.9991d51a2823f483b6bba71b07b2b298.JPG

Best ride in the park. Totally blew me away. Even if you take your 3D glasses off, the ride still feels real.

102_4477.thumb.JPG.52354c620803f19df381fe7ab914f53f.JPG

Let us talk about this thing.

 

Dudley Do-Right has mixed opinions from me. The ride was tied with Splash Mountain flume wise. The themeing was unimpressive and mediocre compared to Splash Mountain. Plus, we got into a log jam twice while riding, once before the final lift hill and once before the unload station. The themeing of the area was definitely outdated. How about a Nickelodeon takeover of Toon Lagoon? Spongebob would be a nice fit for the area.

 

After the ride we headed to Jurassic Park. I laughed and realized the only themeing was a bunch of trees/bushes. This area needs TLC and a complete redo twice.

 

Anyways, JPRA was down for weather so we chilled out and ate at the Discovery Center. We went back to shop at WWoHP for a few minutes then headed out. The day was okay, but I feel there is something about Disney that makes me favor all four Disney parks over Universal. But I like UOR and definitely want to return soon.

 

102_4481.thumb.JPG.bc45f33e205a376bcdc68cf3d927c4a9.JPG

I'll leave you all with this picture of Hogwarts in the rain. Bye Universal!

Edited by Woodie Warrior
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kraken was totally rerideable, but I thought the first half of the ride had a little bit of headbanging. Hulk was better IMO, and so were Manta and Dragons.

 

Because we had Quick Queue we were assigned second row and I think we rode twice. I rode on both ends of the row.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

102_4492.thumb.JPG.eaffc68940354e96cdc95044e9034618.JPG

We are at EPCOT! I can already feel the excitement ;)

Anyways, we got in and decided to ride Spaceship Earth, and then get Fast Passes for Soarin'. Spaceship Earth was definitely a good ride, and the "Create Your Future" video on your way back to the bottom of the sphere was fun. The Audio-Animatronics that Disney make are one of the many things that give them the lead over their competitors. After picking up the Soarin' Fast Passes, we rode Living with the Land. I liked it. It was calm and the trip through the greenhouse was cool.

102_4507.thumb.JPG.e6801d3d7ff062dd3656bb50e6db4add.JPG

We rode this ride next.

Yep, Imagination. My short review: Figment is kinda annoying, the song is catchy but still annoying, and the entire pavilion screams "I want a redo!"

102_4499.thumb.JPG.6795fc4da05497d8db9d3e46aaea75d0.JPG

Club Cool was a nice place to hang out for a minute. Some of the sodas are pretty good.

We went to eat at the Electric Umbrella. The bacon mac and cheeseburger was good and messy, perfect fast food. Then we headed towards Ellen's Energy Adventure. It was a weird attraction. The film is obviously outdated, but it still has a few chuckles and all the celebrities in it are still relatively popular. But the ride got confusing once they went back in time. Why do we have to ride past dinosaurs for ten minutes while nothing else happens? Why is there a radio tower in the prehistoric time period? Why am I this confused by a Disney attraction?

102_4502.thumb.JPG.f22ffaebb3507415735e8738601a11f0.JPG

Even if the ride was "meh", the facade is cool looking

102_4505.thumb.JPG.7a5912130dbd63176a424f3faebec3e8.JPG

We picked up FPs for Test Track, then headed to a good ride.

Soarin' is one of the best attractions at EPCOT, but that's not saying much. It isn't too thrilling, but all the small effects are still working and the entire ride is made for the entire family. Yes, it's a bit short but if it were longer the capacity would be even worse than it already is.

 

We spent the afternoon exploring World Showcase, and the only attraction we visited was The American Adventure. Here are some pictures I took of the countries.

102_4509.thumb.JPG.057f9677f7638b23d9eb01251553b2b2.JPG

Band in Canada was pretty entertaining

102_4511.thumb.JPG.e9e48bfa52f871a584c6c69704267904.JPG

The Paris pavilion was beautiful

102_4513.thumb.JPG.d8230f6214cf5be48afb4b6a601bb376.JPG

My grandpa has made many business trips to Morocco so he had fun speaking to the cast members

102_4514.thumb.JPG.a90afcadcf3bfe9ece2b849651fbbbc8.JPG

Panorama from Japan pavilion

102_4524.thumb.JPG.b37182840a59136d7d5913f57b45365c.JPG

The American Adventure show's Audio-Animatronics were very impressive and Disney did a good job with representing the history of our great country.

 

And the Voices of Liberty were great a cappella singers as well.

102_4527.thumb.JPG.237a3f75bbf830772811b36e2975a486.JPG

The Italy pavilion was beautiful.

102_4529.thumb.JPG.5cf0bfe90c642e1062d8a50556529d35.JPG

Germany was a fun pavilion to look at.

102_4530.thumb.JPG.ecec20d2cc3be058c702d2deaae0cf0b.JPG

China was elegant.

After hurrying up and glancing through the rest of the pavilions, we hurried to the Coral Reef for our dinner reservations. The food was good and, as expected, pretty expensive. The interior was kind of retro-ish, but of course had a view you couldn't beat.

 

Afterwards we rode the ride inside, which was okay, but it really isn't a major or exciting ride. There isn't much to look at and the only standout moment is when the Nemo characters appear to be inside the aquarium.

102_4534.thumb.JPG.82ad58c95d1a4107fcfc3d8f1d7ac27a.JPG

The exterior of the building is pretty though.

102_4539.thumb.JPG.dc8e55348e4f81cebf9b9d5fa7b18b6d.JPG

We headed to Test Track next to use our Fast Passes.

The new Test Track was a great ride. I mean, the ride before was good, but the newer version is must more interesting to look at and definitely fits the Future World theme. And with the interactive element of designing your own vehicle, this ride is definitely the best ride in EPCOT.

 

We took a spin on Mission: SPACE, which was cool, and then headed back. I wish we could've stayed for Illuminations, but most of us weren't feeling too good, so we headed back to the resort.

102_4541.thumb.JPG.2e5c628c90573c3b0b507c843edb45fd.JPG

Goodbye Spaceship Earth. Goodbye EPCOT.

Edited by Woodie Warrior
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

102_4554.thumb.JPG.583975bf944e30288dda5f99e44f44b9.JPG

Space Mountain greeted us as we approached the Kingdom from the Monorail

102_4555.JPG.c6923e47309d03762b052ec2274a608a.JPG

Astro Orbiter and Cinderella's Castle also came out to say hello :)

102_4557.thumb.JPG.d930cd5f3ca38c9bc2565c318ce70500.JPG

We're here!

As soon as we got in we took in the view of Cinderella's castle, and, of course, take lots of photos. Then we headed towards Tomorrowland and got Fast Passes for Space Mountain.

102_4560.thumb.JPG.0e6a00b88bedad8786e4214f2e6cf0af.JPG

The very cool entryway to Tomorrowland

102_4564.thumb.JPG.7cb3de22a2703181478efe2ce3483790.JPG

Once we got our Fast Passes we took a spin on the Peoplemover, which gave us a great view of all of Tomorrowland.

We rode Space Ranger Spin (always a fun ride for the family), and hurried to Space Mountain as to not miss our reservations at the Royal Table. We got to ride once on each track (since our grandparents didn't use their Fast Passes), and then went to eat.

102_4587.thumb.JPG.7cb8a81e3c5fe8dd6a6f64f58ab5c641.JPG

Not only is the view of Fantasyland great, but the interior of Cinderella's Royal Table is beautiful

After lunch we got Winnie the Pooh Fast Passes, which came with additional PhilharMagic Fast Passes as well.

102_4589.thumb.JPG.144bb8ee545cbacb3e4701f64ecc6178.JPG

SURPRISE!!!

The 3D was acting all wonky until I flipped my glasses upside down but other than that PhilharMagic was as fun as I remember it being. After it was over I found out I had lost the Winnie the Pooh Passes, so we decided to ride It's A Small World, pick up replacement Fast Passes, explore New Fantasyland, and then ride Pooh.

102_4618.thumb.JPG.7c4f3c3b8e6a672fde1d357c3138f812.JPG

Our family is strange. All of us love both the ride and the song. I guess we're immune to the annoyingness.

102_4591.thumb.JPG.600b80716b0cd96335eaa127f2e12e0b.JPG

For some reason I forgot to take a picture of the facade until we had a side view.

102_4617.thumb.JPG.002d4091d8227b945294d3d6340e8926.JPG

These bathrooms we visited afterwards were incredibly fancy. Only at a Disney park would you see such elaborately themed and decorated restrooms.

102_4619.thumb.JPG.065fa2c9ca0e73c1c56b920b19c8fb9d.JPG

Wish it would've been done by now. At least it'll definitely be finished by my next trip, whenever that is.

102_4620.thumb.JPG.d0de254f1ee4c6225d736196f021670f.JPG

I don't know why more people on here don't like this ride. IMO it's the best ride in Fantasyland, or at least tied with It's A Small World.

102_4647.thumb.JPG.ce2ca1a158420374cb780356f2c1cc7c.JPG

I thought the Brew here is even better than Butterbeer. The tastes were a strange combination but they worked really well.

102_4649.thumb.JPG.bb2fbc7ac68533b627fd882afe032d8f.JPG

Winnie the Pooh wasn't that good. It was short and it was a random bunch of stories strung together. It just didn't "work". It wouldn't have been worth the one hour plus wait that the normal line had.

Next we visited Dumbo at the Storybook Circus. This area was very well done. It is what I think Silver Dollar City tried to do with their Grand Exposition area. But this area had charm and even though both rides were out-of-the-box carnival attractions, Disney truly made them their own unique and highly-themed rides. At SDC (which BTW is my favorite theme park), all the rides in Grand Exposition are out-of-the-box, but they all have the same theme: ahead of their time, truly revolutionary carnival rides. But the theme doesn't work because rides like them didn't exist until around the mid 1900's. But whatever, back to Magic Kingdom.

102_4651.thumb.JPG.4e4b71fa5772bc56a3a6e8b1bc42f98d.JPG

Like I said, Disney took the standard carnival/circus theme and made it their own.

102_4656.thumb.JPG.e760ae4e3580356de0000b8d8ee99529.JPG

Dumbo is all nice and snazzy with it's playground queue and new home.

102_4662.thumb.JPG.fdc84c72e41e44a54f07179ebcda656a.JPG

We headed to Haunted Mansion for our final ride of the day,

102_4661.thumb.JPG.0c863b6a101085537689c7e2e6da14e9.JPG

Haunted Mansion is a good ride. The theme-ing and effects are top-notch.

102_4664.thumb.JPG.4959ca8c4bf3c12849ef303c02e75761.JPG

I'll leave you with my favorite picture I took. My camera decided to NOT be crappy for once.

Edited by Woodie Warrior
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

102_4668.JPG.9fd67dfa6809085568186380f9a5176b.JPG

Hey look! It's everyone's favorite park icon! ;)

First we picked up Toy Story Midway Mania Passes, which were almost sold out when we got there. The return times were right before our dinner reservations! We then visited the Legend of Captian Jack Sparrow, which was kinda crappy, but still better than Poseidon's Fury.

102_4676.thumb.JPG.055ce3af48439f1e425c7953055d5e4a.JPG

Next we rode The "Great" Movie Ride

The "Not-So-Great" Movie Ride should be the next one to be redone. (Footlight Parade or A Fistful of Dollars anyone?) But the tour guides do a good job and some of the scenes/audio-animatronics are slightly impressive.

102_4681.thumb.JPG.651c0b5bcd58a284049895795a24883d.JPG

Star Tours was our next destination.

Star Tours is a pretty good ride. It's not jerky like some other similar attractions (cough, cough, Wild Arctic) and the randomized destinations mean you could ride all day and have a different experience ever time. Plus the queue is very well done.

102_4685.thumb.JPG.742a47a7c1b86f84674564ba095b1fdb.JPG

Next we stopped at Muppet*Vision. I am a giant fan of everything Muppets. But the Waldo character completely ruins the movie for me. :(

Next my dad and I hurried to get Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Fast Passes while the rest of our group waited for the Indiana Jones stunt show. The show was pretty good was definitely a nice surprise. I don't really want this show being removed, even if it would be replaced by a Star Wars land. Here are some pics I got of the show:

102_4693.thumb.JPG.306b337031ac4a02825aa84ade21499d.JPG

102_4696.JPG.abb8733eb3b1d9eca7aed811e7eefe86.JPG

102_4697.thumb.JPG.d3172378eb7f77cfd2a812632a13b27a.JPG

102_4698.thumb.JPG.02184a223763dce10ead127bfc2ecf91.JPG

102_4699.thumb.JPG.b2888c5cb281ec375a93eb4ffad5781f.JPG

102_4705.thumb.JPG.840fc7615e27f598a289280f872305d2.JPG

102_4708.thumb.JPG.28925cf8e36915032feb330c467c6494.JPG

102_4710.thumb.JPG.8c5a7ca457687070b8532abcbe961cc2.JPG

102_4711.thumb.JPG.681f547aa112058d94b5fbf90fc2890a.JPG

102_4713.thumb.JPG.8d62999f5224a1a2d2a29163f840d5a4.JPG

After the show, we explored the Streets of America.

102_4714.thumb.JPG.cc88c53179f18d4fa488aa718375f3d0.JPG

The street scenes were somewhat cool, but I'm sure whatever replaces them will be 500% better.

102_4717.thumb.JPG.72953faea71540acfab9f9a158a26ef2.JPG

Next we rode the Studio Backlot Tour. The only stand-out moment of the ride is "Catastrophe Canyon". Occasionally something cool can be found in the prop warehouse, but nothing that great was visible on this trip. I'd love to see the Canyon be used for an "extra scene" in the Radiator Springs Racers ride.

102_4720.thumb.JPG.46fc7e8869bce409e41e366964bdfb3c.JPG

"Save mah from dis watah!"

102_4722.thumb.JPG.909afbc962b04f9f8c6ef7c7dd9a5315.JPG

Disney presents Titanic: The Remake, directed by Michael Bay

102_4724.thumb.JPG.d911869dfd93c82462239beee1fbc1bb.JPG

It is sad I recognized this house before I read the sign

102_4731.thumb.JPG.fe0f6e97d2d0f8fd9b1e9275ebaf1154.JPG

I cringed every time the tour guide said "Ear-ful Tower"

102_4733.thumb.JPG.0e1fc122bd2fb653fc797c6c4d018cb9.JPG

Nothing is going to happen here...

102_4734.thumb.JPG.afb1aa0547d66c962c232d7018b85caa.JPG

While our grandparents went to wait at the restaurant, the rest of the group came to ride this, using our Fast Passes we obtained, of course. Midway Mania is a good ride, and great for a shooting dark ride, but I wouldn't wait more than 20 minutes for it. I don't blame families with young children for waiting in the lines, I mean, it is kind of weird that it is one of two rides in the park that has no potential fright factor for kids (the other one is Studio Backlot Tour, and Great Movie Ride probably only scares a few handful of kids anyway).

102_4735.thumb.JPG.7875053a71d6d2b97de2dee27808b946.JPG

We ate dinner here as part of the Fantasmic meal package. The food was pretty good and the servers were pretty friendly. But what else would you expect from Disney?

102_4738.thumb.JPG.360cadd4ff7e589f6ad66a45997d9d81.JPG

Most of the meals are cooked in this stone oven.

102_4741.thumb.JPG.8ffcd30b88a164e204c13275ccfb562b.JPG

After the meal we went to use our Fast Passes on Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. The ride was overall good, but there are a few parts where the ride slows down a little, providing a little bit of head banging. It is still pretty far up on my steel list, though.

102_4742.thumb.JPG.35b74226c270841e17ad27d1320ca905.JPG

Voyage of the Little Mermaid is a decent show. One problem though is that they reenact the first fifteen minutes of the film, and then they play a short film to tell the rest of the story. The show is definitely worth seeing though.

Next we glanced through a gallery with models from Monsters University before we entered the Mushu Showroom. There was hardly anyone there, but the show was actually pretty funny and the worker/actress inside did a good job and was very friendly, just like the rest of the employees at Disney. While I enjoyed this attraction, I'm surprised it and the (I think) abandoned building behind it haven't been replaced yet.

 

We went to visit Walt Disney: One Man's Dream. It is another "hidden gem" in the park. Here are some pics of the cool models featured there:

102_4755.thumb.JPG.dc5323f79bb6760fb320078385cd9086.JPG

Cinderella's Castle

102_4756.thumb.JPG.e25ff9fc068ca428bfa6b04d9af08443.JPG

Dumbo the Flying Elephant

102_4757.thumb.JPG.1833bdd8edce7ebbef188556f24733c6.JPG

Overview of right side of New Fantasyland

102_4758.thumb.JPG.207096b457eda269c404dedba7631492.JPG

Overview of left side of New Fantasyland

102_4759.thumb.JPG.f0d9145683c7a1e0180eed842b7e2908.JPG

Storybook Circus

102_4761.thumb.JPG.a527970ea6752003bd559b0c0a133afc.JPG

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

102_4762.thumb.JPG.3c77df356318492b8d92827a81f68b3a.JPG

Tree of Life

102_4763.thumb.JPG.ef55472ffab5411429d5ac9af220a964.JPG

Paradise Pier

102_4764.thumb.JPG.d810f4a25b16a3e6d2a390296fac6cfa.JPG

Under the Sea

Afterwards we headed to Fantasmic to get ready in the reserved seats. But sadly, our predictions were right and the show was cancelled. It was ridiculous Disney couldn't call off the show sooner, because it was obvious the lightning was getting way too close, but I'm guessing they want to sell as many light-up souvenirs as possible before they kick everyone out of the stadium.

 

I'm still a little bummed we missed out on Fantasmic (hopefully on my fourth trip to Orlando we will get to finally see it), but I believe Hollywood Studios is underrated. Are the rides and shows all five-star? No, but many are pretty good (Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, Toy Story, Indiana Jones, Star Tours), and the overall park is clean and well themed. Many areas COULD use a refreshing, but I'm sure Disney is working on it. The park is still top-notch and offers a lot of good attractions,.

Edited by Woodie Warrior
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
I ask that any one who enjoys my reports please give me some feedback or comments. These things take time to post, and I hope SOMEBODY is enjoying reading these.

 

Thanks

 

Nice Photo TR of your trip, Woodie Warrior. The only feedback I would give would be "focus". I believe this is the first TR I've seen you post so not bad if it was your first one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I ask that any one who enjoys my reports please give me some feedback or comments. These things take time to post, and I hope SOMEBODY is enjoying reading these.

 

Thanks

 

Nice Photo TR of your trip, Woodie Warrior. The only feedback I would give would be "focus". I believe this is the first TR I've seen you post so not bad if it was your first one.

 

Yeah, the photos were kind of blurry because I was using a crappy digital camera. But thanks for the feedback!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I took some feedback and am using it to make my final Orlando trip report better than the last few. I decided to only use the best photos from our day at Magic Kingdom for the report. So here we go!

 

102_4779.thumb.JPG.d0b0a0b1735182013676a870c593e8eb.JPG

After taking a round trip on the train (which was fun) and then taking it once more to Frontierland, we got Splash Mountain Fast Passes and headed to Big Thunder. Sadly, it was closed and stayed closed the rest of the day. So we decided to ride Pirates, which had an hour wait posted but ended up being shorter (around 45-50 minutes). Pirates is one of Disney's best "old school" dark rides and the new additions/changes are nice (mermaids in the water, Jack Sparrow, etc.) Then we decided to visit the Enchanted Tiki Room for the first time. I just couldn't get into it, and it was evident the cast members working it didn't like their jobs very much. I couldn't blame them.

102_4782.thumb.JPG.c545d3aca3363e1c44be41dfe902c6f5.JPG

We spent a couple of hours playing the interactive Adventureland quest. It was pretty much just a time killer as we waited for Splash Mountain. Nonetheless it was a pretty fun way to waste away our morning/early afternoon. Once we convinced my sister to stop playing, we got frozen treats at the Sunshine Tree Terrance. I got a Citrus Swirl, which I highly recommend. As we stood outside, we discovered the parade was about to arrive. Here's a pic of Aladdin's float.

102_4784.thumb.JPG.49ae6c55a180b7f150c8907b342f1c32.JPG

Mary Poppins and Bert hopped on the back of Aladdin's float.

102_4785.thumb.JPG.6275275453aa8523055d149ebf3dcf98.JPG

Alice, Mad Hatter, Peter Pan, and Wendy arrived in style.

102_4787.thumb.JPG.b8b40e35cd94e851d4e1963ef47cc216.JPG

Cinderella rolled in on her pumpkin carriage.

102_4788.thumb.JPG.23be90ccde597f89f60ac6c204044fe3.JPG

The Fairy Godmother came along for the ride as well.

102_4790.thumb.JPG.11f7c94a28383e103f526bdd99d953da.JPG

Belle and the Beast rode on a castle-themed float.

102_4791.thumb.JPG.b7fdc2bcfeda53dddc377fbec625c42f.JPG

Ariel, Eric, Aurora, and Phillip were on the castle float as well.

102_4809.thumb.JPG.406daf95302fd1c310621b6a0fdfa925.JPG

After the parade we traded some Vinylmations at a nearby shop and then saw Country Bear Jamboree. I actually really liked it even though I don't know how many other people on TPR do.

more pictures coming soon

Edited by Woodie Warrior
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can't tell if I'd enjoy being a character on a parade float or not, lol.

 

Either way, looking forward to more!

 

The problem with being a performer at Disney wouldn't be the parades, it would be being bombarded by the annoying tourists at the meet and greet areas.

 

Good job so far! The pictures did improve!

 

Thanks. I had so many photos to choose out of and only used the ones that weren't horribly blurry. I'm glad that it made the report better.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

trip report continued

 

102_4811.thumb.JPG.1d6ce3d06f071f9dc6fadcf2b6415300.JPG

After Country Bear Jamboree it was finally time to use our Splash Mountain Fast Passes.

102_4812.thumb.JPG.df25898774a33c5560c81c92be1fc916.JPG

Splash Mountain is my favorite log flume. The drop is good and the themeing is amazing.

102_4822.thumb.JPG.733dad3b003c82583c9fb7d2864c73de.JPG

It soon started pouring rain, so we took cover in the Main Street shops, where we met up with the rest of our family that had stayed behind at the resort. Once it somewhat cleared up we rushed to find food and decided to eat at Pinocchio's Village Haus. It's standard theme park food and the place was packed, but we managed to get a seat near the It's a Small World windows. Afterwards we headed to the Hall of Presidents, which was both educational and interesting. We stopped at the hub afterwards to get this obligatory photo.

102_4825.thumb.JPG.16bab0338204e287e56b4e7a7009cedc.JPG

That night we headed to Tomorrowland for our Fireworks Dessert Party. With time to kill, we visited Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor and Stitch's Great Escape. On the previous visit I actually liked Stitch. This time I saw it as the horrible attraction it truly is. MILF was pretty funny and was a highlight of the day.

102_4860.thumb.JPG.292b15411137ea5f4ad0b42dd97a23c4.JPG

The Tomorrowland Terrace Fireworks Dessert Party is a great way to end your visit to Walt Disney World. Unlimited ice cream, chocolate covered strawberries, cookies, other various desserts, and the lemonade punch that my family became addicted to over the course of the vacation.

102_4898.thumb.JPG.f72587629b120889ea0d5c7e514818fb.JPG

The tables are covered and the terrace gives a great view of the castle.

102_4900.thumb.JPG.c00fb93d97ee28b2c8692a2f5f7f0316.JPG

102_4902.thumb.JPG.40a4039f2917fab29aebc96edc8f1700.JPG

102_4906.thumb.JPG.44494a0778e409643964263122a7780f.JPG

102_4907.thumb.JPG.998ca5a4eb295831c6e1e9ffe28fc1f5.JPG

My family found it funny the Monorail had its own official wait time sign.

102E4772.thumb.JPG.a126af00ed6afc92ad7ac74c15b9cd9a.JPG

Goodbye Disney World. Goodbye Orlando.

 

2013 was my best theme park year yet. I had season passes to Six Flags St. Louis and Silver Dollar City, and I visited Nickelodeon Universe, SeaWorld Orlando, Islands of Adventure, and Disney World. 2014 should be even better, so come back next year for trip reports from some of America's best theme parks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

This past year my family purchased season passes and began to frequently visit Silver Dollar City, mostly due to the fact that Outlaw Run looked super amazing. Since we got a really nice camera around Labor Day, we got some really good pictures from the last three festivals of the year. These aren't really trip reports, they are just pretty good pictures of the park and its attractions throughout the year.

 

Here is a look at our Labor Day visit, which I believe took place during the Southern Gospel Festival.

DSC00043.thumb.JPG.bdc80a74c3ad5363f07cc83e56c2508d.JPG

Here is a shot of Outlaw Run from the train.

DSC00044.thumb.JPG.d73f2046ef37b11ca57abc6e5b047fef.JPG

Another shot of Outlaw Run.

DSC00055.thumb.JPG.b8baae8818b1ef834a41d976cf711ed7.JPG

We ran into some totally unexpected train robbers along the way ;)

DSC00090.thumb.JPG.db2c8ebbbced2e5c46c446fd196c2ce0.JPG

The saloon girls aren't too hard on the eyes.

DSC00087.thumb.JPG.b2f26c739d31e47cf8e04763d107148e.JPG

But the scene stealer of the show is undoubtedly Charlie.

DSC00097.thumb.JPG.1479fd631f9e70b2ee453aa790e6e8f2.JPG

The entire cast of the 2013 show, which features Mean Murphy as the villain.

DSC00105.thumb.JPG.b94af9aacac70b79da5b9e359930cb12.JPG

Up the lift hill on Silver Dollar City's B&M coaster, Wildfire.

DSC00109.thumb.JPG.e0a11ebefb2a0ff16896fd0c8aeb5fac.JPG

Through the Immelman and loop....

DSC00125.thumb.JPG.81e865adc4982802140e32ae74a983b7.JPG

the cobra roll....

DSC00136.thumb.JPG.872d11d19c02fafb50a91b16a51a6f05.JPG

and into the corkscrew.

DSC00355.thumb.JPG.04b96bf68456e3d5e6ae6ae30fdb660a.JPG

The next day one of the first attractions to open was the Lost River.

DSC00419.thumb.JPG.3cb15e18e33114ba5d2386aaeda09142.JPG

To close the report, a picture of Powder Keg about to head down its final drop after its lift hill.

Edited by Woodie Warrior
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for posting these! The photo quality is improving, however I'm also kind of a fan of 'real' shots, so I enjoyed your first couple of reports quite a bit.

 

Trust me, it takes time to get used to posting these P:TR's and hoping that at least a few comments trickle in! Don't lose faith!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for posting these! The photo quality is improving, however I'm also kind of a fan of 'real' shots, so I enjoyed your first couple of reports quite a bit.

 

Trust me, it takes time to get used to posting these P:TR's and hoping that at least a few comments trickle in! Don't lose faith!

 

Thanks

 

The pictures are a lot better because of three reasons: 1) these newer ones were taken with a FAR superior camera, 2) the lens on this camera is a lot cleaner than the one on the older camera, and 3) these were taken by my mom who used to have a job at a portrait studio

 

Next installment with photos of the Harvest Festival and Showboat Branson Belle coming soon!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This past year my family purchased season passes and began to frequently visit Silver Dollar City, mostly due to the fact that Outlaw Run looked super amazing. Since we got a really nice camera around Labor Day, we got some really good pictures from the last three festivals of the year. These aren't really trip reports, they are just pretty good pictures of the park and its attractions throughout the year.

 

Here is a look at our October visit, which took place during the National Harvest Festival. We also took a trip to the Showboat Branson Belle.

 

DSC00803.thumb.JPG.c648148c60a6c72bdfc4c21aa0baf5cb.JPG

The beginning of a rainy front-row seat on the park's famous RMC, Outlaw Run.

DSC00813.thumb.JPG.9d2bfa4b239285ccc9cfca1a0a6bba9f.JPG

About to descend the amazing first drop

DSC00819.thumb.JPG.5f07e98356b0b03004283e9f0f77657f.JPG

Speeding through the Twist & Turn through the lift hill

DSC00824.thumb.JPG.660c3a773ebd50a82af4e7eaa998e2ba.JPG

Our stagecoach arrives back in the beautifully themed station.

DSC00841.thumb.JPG.64ed529e0f87762099764f30c6c673f1.JPG

Later that night we returned for our second voyage of of the year on the Showboat Branson Belle.

DSC00847.thumb.JPG.5e2ade1083c0892a963024652d72bca1.JPG

The host/comedian/magician introduces the ShowMen, an a capella group.

DSC00863.thumb.JPG.eb3e7b7747cb7058fc86657237b28296.JPG

The stunning Janice Martin is an amazing violinist.

DSC00866.thumb.JPG.1f2bae88dcb2fa8b783135a170f45e30.JPG

And she also plays the piano.

DSC00868.thumb.JPG.128a04e8ce8f1f0650e56b1ea1797ba9.JPG

And she sings.

DSC00878.thumb.JPG.fbdcd213d6ff1ed2220479a45b6c7f69.JPG

And she does an aerial act...while playing the violin.

DSC00884.thumb.JPG.e05493d1b1422ed52041310b20bb0359.JPG

In order words, she is one of the most talented people on the planet you've never heard of.

DSC00889.thumb.JPG.6ef9a8e62d5c0d2fa83905e5d21099d6.JPG

The amazing show ends with a gospel and patriotic melody. Make sure to see the "Made in the USA- Blue" if you are in Branson this year as 2014 will be its final season.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This past year my family purchased season passes and began to frequently visit Silver Dollar City, mostly due to the fact that Outlaw Run looked super amazing. Since we got a really nice camera around Labor Day, we got some really good pictures from the last three festivals of the year. These aren't really trip reports, they are just pretty good pictures of the park and its attractions throughout the year.

 

Here is a look at both our November and December visits, which took place during the Old Time Christmas festival.

DSC00979.thumb.JPG.c5649505c860dbc6a38d17e62a7b9863.JPG

Santa welcomes you to Silver Dollar City's Old Time Christmas.

DSC00994.thumb.JPG.b2cf314f1d6452e44230c21491b2b1af.JPG

Our first stop was at the Silver Dollar City to see the "Frontier Fa-La-La-La Follies" show.

DSC00997.thumb.JPG.94a8ee458013902076ef2813a86cd867.JPG

The Saloon is home to good old fashioned fun, and that means lots of singing and dancing.

DSC01001.thumb.JPG.ce49719446cad0abde6f4ca2bf0dee9d.JPG

There is a beautiful caroling scene as well.

DSC01004.thumb.JPG.e5cdfb1d1b261896544a829522a57590.JPG

And it wouldn't be complete without snow flurries!

DSC01007.thumb.JPG.aabdab76c9305dbc4b2f7c4770b7486f.JPG

A random audience member is chosen to be Mean Murphy as the saloon girls tell a unique version of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas".

DSC01054.thumb.JPG.2c4b4ab5e54ba2c44adf51c4bda0827f.JPG

Wildfire is even more stunning at sunset.

DSC01060.thumb.JPG.233634bd5a1d933960455c66da87e3f0.JPG

Wildfire may not be the most forceful B&M, but it sure does have some great moments, such as the loop.

DSC01069.thumb.JPG.a57c74e1eb58a68a2cabeb9f7da87e6b.JPG

The cobra roll is very fun as well.

DSC01088.thumb.JPG.570cddfcc25d16beba6902d184c56826.JPG

A look at Hugo's Hill Street all lit up from Lumbercamp's dining pavilion.

DSC01090.thumb.JPG.41a28dd7fe5187d387e0535bba0f9613.JPG

Another look at Hugo's Hill Street at night.

DSC01106.thumb.JPG.e2b5b74e1d1f1ce0593a8143e254f476.JPG

Silver Dollar City's shows are all Broadway-quality, and A Christmas Carol is no exception.

DSC01115.thumb.JPG.35dffddaf30d087492baeb19fe47a7ec.JPG

A Christmas Carol is one of the most well known Christmas stories and Silver Dollar City does it justice.

DSC01117.thumb.JPG.07bf341a9db82db4d4b83b7d87653a23.JPG

Scrooge is appalled to see the townspeople dancing on his coffin.

DSC01118.thumb.JPG.c60fe20a96d2ab85ef44cc13ba09445a.JPG

Scrooge decides to change his ways during the heartwarming finale.

DSC01122.thumb.JPG.6c3ac1a4613f26d6796ed83d2eb080a5.JPG

Almost every tree inside the park is decorated like this for the holidays.

DSC01123.thumb.JPG.2c91c1ba5cf1d567fe673495da57decd.JPG

The Giant Barn Swing is overtaken by giant snowflakes.

DSC01124.thumb.JPG.e72725a781ac7ba84254695f54188c5c.JPG

Outlaw Run's entrance plaza is very bright.

DSC01132.thumb.JPG.113a655e62e9fd864ca88ab54fc7d9f9.JPG

The park's giant Christmas tree changes colors.

DSC01186.thumb.JPG.f877857b8bf9174cd5262f1ea00a755b.JPG

A look at the Riverfront area from the train.

DSC01193.thumb.JPG.793bd35f314c302ce8865adb7f269224.JPG

The Giant Barn Swing in action.

DSC01204.thumb.JPG.928ea74fb279921297f65a978660d8a3.JPG

Santa and his reindeer have flown right into Outlaw Run.

DSC01215.thumb.JPG.e25c88117deed760a0c983bf7b7cdaa0.JPG

The train robbers aren't this time. Instead, the story of Jesus's birth is told.

DSC01240.thumb.JPG.0e437eda7e75ac5659d03d789c77763e.JPG

The light parade features a Jack-in-the-Box float.

DSC01243.thumb.JPG.4b3b519c527abc1a51a8109d9376b35f.JPG

There is also a train.

DSC01248.thumb.JPG.13d9e67f80a359dc28169f6e144b6ef5.JPG

A very fun gingerbread house also rides in.

DSC01253.thumb.JPG.97ea8a78fc63d03c44a1d82c706e1ced.JPG

One of my favorite floats in the parade is the snowman snowglobe.

DSC01384.thumb.JPG.9ed71d20c0a2e9a93c57d58ba3c17c41.JPG

One final look at Hugo's Hill Street

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My family has season passes to Six Flags St. Louis, so we decided to head down to the park on the first Sunday of the season to get a few rides in, check out changes around the park, and to also purchase our season dining passes. These photos were taken from an iPhone, so they aren't as high quality as the ones from Silver Dollar City.

1.jpg.c0796d20329053081fd7758af11f6203.jpg

A look at Tsunami Soaker from near the St. Louis Railroad Station.

2.jpg.3345efda377a1ff4565c6d115326caa8.jpg

I believe this is the operator's booth.

3.jpg.a577a0bf394788fb187bf3cc199de369.jpg

We caught a ride on Mr. Freeze, my favorite ride at the park.

4.jpg.3c95ca70506d7191f1c88b361c91e961.jpg

Staring down at the ground from over 200 feet is an awesome feeling.

5.jpg.0b9f63b6f2d3a5bd4c7478437ed5e9c7.jpg

The overbanked curve is also fun, both forwards and backwards.

6.jpg.e9cb6600e6e29b5432d16c1b202060be.jpg

The top hat is also amazing, so I guess love every element of the ride.

7.jpg.c41db60bff07dd82086064f03554e8da.jpg

A different look at Tsunami Soaker from near Soundstage 2.

8.jpg.f32622c58cad0ab6e955d3b98ee211cf.jpg

The ride is completely constructed, but they have not began on the queue.

9.jpg.8c03b0541c85d2418d02262e55a17f12.jpg

I'd expect the ride to be opened around Memorial Day at the latest. It should be a great addition to Six Flags St. Louis :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use https://themeparkreview.com/forum/topic/116-terms-of-service-please-read/