Photo TR: IOA & Disney - Complete Gallery 100+ pics

Here is the entire 3 Gallery set featuring Islands of Adventure, Epcot and the Hotel I stayed at, Pop Century (well, only for 3 days).

Most of the gallery is IOA, understandably so. Everything is uber high res. You can keep clicking the photo till you get the full size. Be warned, its huge. The entire gallery is 185mb.

http://www.real-coasters.com/florida_parks/

But its worth the time taken to download the pictures, IMO. (Of course, I took the things!)

Also, if theres any true requests for posters of any of these, I found a place that does them for cheap and quality should be nice. I plan on ordering one this week to see just what the quality looks like. Expect 22 USD for a 30inch by 20 inch poster (pretty good size)

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Well, pictures will come later but yesterday I was lucky enough to get into Epcot for free using my girls Soarin preview pass.

Ill start with Soarin -

This thing was pretty sweet. I knew what it was, maybe expected a bit more than it was, but nonetheless it was pretty sweet. Awesome concept and sweet engineering. Ive been to huge IMAX theatres that have displayed similar movies, and you still feel like you are flying (The one at CP was 8 stories tall...lol) but actually being lifted up and the other effects were great.

Overall, a mild but very fun ride. A few suprises and I really liked the queueing areas. This should be a crowd eater seeing as how much room there is in the queues.

Test Track -

Usual, love this thing. Got in single rider line, did get split from my girl but we waited all of 10 minutes instead of the 30 minute line. Was the longest line in the park but I would have waited 30 if I had too.

Mission: Space -

Each time I ride it I ride it more like a video than a simulator. I just love the forces really. I was too preoccupied leaning forward on the launch and looking at everyone else (Also getting a WICKED spiraling feeling) that I almost forgot to put us in Deep Sleep after our slingshot around the moon. Oops. But it is. I dont think I can be disoriented..lol I broke every rule concerning not getting dizzy and I loved it. I got SUPER dizzy

Living Seas -

Turtle Talk - That thing was cool. Im pretty sure i have an idea how its done, but, its still funny. Remember, Dudes are cool and chicks are hot!

Ive always been an aquatics person so I love getting back to LS when I can. Love watching the fish and checking out the smaller tanks with the little exotic stuff. Probably going back tonight.

Spaceship Earth -

Went on it to take a nap...no, really. Actually, Rachel and I found 2 hidden Mickeys, how many do you guys know about? (Without getting those cheat books... )

So should be back there tonight for cast preview. Going to take more pictures, especially night time pictures. Hopefully Ill have the Soarin pictures up here soon and a few other misc ones I took. Was a leisure day really.

Heres the pictures...

And...the end

Entrance to the 2 Concourses

Soarin pictures...again, hopefully something new in here.

Hopefully these Space Photos arent too static

Space Goofy outside...yea...Mission: Space

More Nemo Sculptures...

Marlin and Nemo outside Living Seas - Great Sculpture

I thought this was rather cool...water = cohesive

Question, What is Soarin?

^Please tell me you're kidding!!!!

It's Soarin over California, they've cloned it and put it in Epcot.

Nice TR! I miss Epcot!!!

Elissa "Mmmm food in World Showcase!" Alvey

^ Yeah, I'm not kidding, and I don't know what Soarin over California is either. Is it like some flight simulator or something?

Craiggers "the only parks I keep myself updated about are the ones up here in the North East" K.

Is Soarin' the ride that is behind Mexico? I noticed lots of construction behind Mexico when I was there.

Nice TR and great pictures. I really liked the Nemo sculptures, they looked awesome.

--Soeren

No. Soarin' is inbetween the land and imagination pavilion in the Future World section of Epcot. There is no construction behind Mexico besides general upkeep stuff.

I can't belive some people don't know what Soarin is! Oh well, Soarin is a state-of-the-arts atraction that makes you feel like your actually flying in those places. Mixed in with a couple of effects, the movie lasts about 3-5 minutes and is great.

BTW, great TR and pictures!

---Brent 8)

Great TR! I likeys Soarin'. Just one thing, it's probably I'm just ffed in the head, but the first picture looks wrong :S .

One thing I never got completely clarified... is Florida's Soarin' an exact clone of DCA's, meaning you fly over California, or is it just the same concept but new film and soundtrack?

Same show with different queue elements. Obviously

It's the same movie. I went to the cast member preview the other day, and everyone left with a confused look on their face.

I even overheard "I thought Thunder Mountain was on the other side of Magic Kingdom? And I don't remember it being that tall...."

EEEEE! Someone actually went to my ride, the Living Seas! HUZZAH! Did you happen to see a Jeremy there? That would be I. Maybe I even hosted Turtle Talk for you!

Makes me happy that some people actually go there.

My girlfriend loves Turtle Talk. I thought it was pretty cool.

No, you didnt host it, one of the Hong Kong employees was hosting it.

Got back from IOA today...going tomorrow morning but we rode Fire 7 times, Ice 2 times, Spiderman 2 times, Hulk 3 times, Mummy 4 times (and Mummy was FLYING...more on that later) EArthquake, MIB 2 times and finally we did other various stuff.

Pictures in a day or 2.

Rest of the report will be coming up in the next 2 days along with between 75-100 1mb uber high res pictures. Not sure if I can salvage (well, pick) that many pictures, but I have like 300 to choose from so I better be able to get 100 good ones. Then again, I took anywhere from dups to quads of any one shot at different settings to assure a good picture.

Some of these are quite pretty. For those who enjoy ridiculous resolutions, I got em for ya: 2048 x 1360 at 180dpi. All of them between 800-1.1mb. Not sure where Im going to put all these, but, oh well. May have to upgrade my account for space.

Heres a few just for kicks...

Poseidon water + leg and Trident

More Mythos water

More time lapse Mythos mid day (theres quite a few shots like this with time lapse water)

For Mythos fan in you...

Ice just chillin

Hulk splashin some more

Hulk lookin pretty

JP doin some splashin'

Little farther back on Fire...Poster quality picture.

Close up of Fire

To conclude this TR:

Tuesday we went to IOA and USF.

Rides on Hulk - 5

Rides on Spiderman - 3

Rides on Dueling Dragons 10 (8 on Fire, 2 on Ice)

Rides on Mummy 4

Jaws

Rides on MIB - 2

All of this in a pretty short span of time. The park was pretty much empty, both of them.

IOA was beautiful, great weather, great atmosphere (as usual) and the lines were very short. So short, I was able to get off of Fire, jog through the re-ride line, and get back in line IN the SAME seat I was just in, same train. Hows that for re-rides?! The only peice of track I didnt ride in that seat was the one between those blocks.

Fire was running awesome, no complaints ever on that ride. Ice was great too, except one of the trains (later that day it ran 4 trains) has some nasty vibrations in it, nasty. Both trains on Fire ran beautifully.

Hulk was running well, as per my last visit, one train has some nasty vibrations as well, but still an enjoyable ride. Still love the elevated cork and the switchback diving turn before the MCB from back seat.

Spiderman actually ran without breaking down on my first ride (heh...)

USF - Mummy was a bit odd however. I rode it back in Oct/Nov for Horrornights and it was awesome then, pretty intense. But this last tuesday it was OFF the HOOK. It was MUCH faster than it was last time. No wait, pure walk on. I dont know what or why, but the helicies were far more intense and the airtime was ejector at the least.

One poor part was the animatronic Ihmotep was not working and when you went by that part there was a face illuminated on the casket he comes out of. Kind of disappointing, but thats not IMO what makes the ride great.

If anything makes that ride great, its Brenden Fraser!! The videos in the queue are HISTERICAL and I wanted to stand and watch it even when the queues were completely empty. I also love the ending of the ride

"Hey, welcome back. Glad you guys did ok...I would have done ok if someone had gotten me some COFFEE!!! Oh, thanks. ahhHHHHH!!!"

I love that, ends a serious ride with a comedic note, brilliant.

I also got my first rides on MIB and everyones right. Best. Shooter. Ever. I rocked my first time getting over 350,000 without the bonus (girlfriend stole my bonus...grrr) so I should have had like 450,000. Key is to just wail on the other teams tailpipe. Its about 50,000 per hit.

Jaws was cool. Sat on the wrong side of the boat so didnt see much. Just people screaming and things splashing.

I went back to IOA on Wednesday while the girl was at work and took all of my pictures. I got burnt, rode Fire another 7 or 8 times and Ice another 2 or 3. Again, no lines. But it did crowd up slightly near midday.

Also took a ride on JP since my girl didnt want to walk around wet, I can sympathise. Thats why I took a Body Glove shirt and changed in the bathrooms near DD, then used a DD locker because the lockers at JP cost 2 bucks!! So I ran over to JP, rode it, came back and got my free locker.

Went to Pleasure Island on Thursday. Comedy Club was very good, the woman who plays the piano is AMAZING. ITs a must see. So is the Adventurers Club, that was pretty dang funny too.

Then to MGM on Friday. Pretty empty, rode Tower of Terror, RnRC, Muppets 3d and I believe thats it.

Tower of Terror is now my most disliked ride on the planet. Its so boring! Why cant they go back to the original settings? 2 HUGE drops? or even just 1? This is the second time Ive ridden since the Version 4 and it just sucks. Its a giant frog hopper. And if I want to ride a frog hopper, ill hijack one at Cedar Point. Really, I never got one full drop NOR did the thing ever reach the top. How stupid is that?!

RnRC was great, no line so we rode front seat. Still a great ride.

Muppets is still my fave show at Disney I believe. Beeker is hilarious when he gets caught in the machine, so funny. Great, great stuff.

Then I came home, worst part of trip (even over ToT!)

Enjoy the pictures, I should have a full gallery up by end of week.

^Great TR. Sorry that TOT was running a bad program, you've still got to remember, Disney isn't very good at thrills. I MUST get some of your photos as wall posters *drools*.

The original program ruled. It had plenty of thrill that I remember. Now its just giant frog hopper. blahhh!!!

Ill go to Muppet Vision

BTW once I do get all of the gallery up, I would be up for making and sending the posters for whatever it costs, Id either break it even or make a couple dollars. You guys would have to want them bad enough though.

Im going to remaster them too some more.

Right now, for a 20 x 30 print (however the picture is, wide or tall) its looking like between 20-30 bucks not counting shipping. Shipping would be cheap however, Im a supervisor at UPS.

However, the next size down, something like a 18x24 is a bit cheaper, under 20 almost.

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Poster Price update:

Found one that does 20x30 for 22 bucks!! Its on a High Gloss Photopaper designed for indoor use, NOT for direct sunlight. but thats by far the cheapest. UV paper is 27, STILL CHEAP!!

Both are printed on 8 and 6 ink (respectively) printers. Shipping would be nominal.

Heres around 80 super high quality pictures of Islands of Adventure. Havent had time to alter the template, but the pictures should all be there and working.

http://www.real-coasters.com/images/gallery1/index.html

Im still waiting for someone to break my record of riding Fire and Ice 35 times in a row.

On the 2 days I was there, I could have either one of the days.

First day had someone else with me. Second day, I wanted to get those beautiful pictures Plus I had something in the lockers, so I couldnt leave em there.

EDIT: Testing Sig

That sucks, glad you had fun though!

Taken from first post (last post reguarding this update)

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Here is the entire 3 Gallery set featuring Islands of Adventure, Epcot and the Hotel I stayed at, Pop Century (well, only for 3 days).

Most of the gallery is IOA, understandably so. Everything is uber high res. You can keep clicking the photo till you get the full size. Be warned, its huge. The entire gallery is 185mb.

http://www.real-coasters.com/florida_parks/

But its worth the time taken to download the pictures, IMO. (Of course, I took the things!)

Also, if theres any true requests for posters of any of these, I found a place that does them for cheap and quality should be nice. I plan on ordering one this week to see just what the quality looks like. Expect 22 USD for a 30inch by 20 inch poster (pretty good size)