After little to no major attractions opened in the last bunch of years (and no the re-theme of Earthquake to Disaster doesn’t count), Universal finally jumped back into the Orlando roller coaster wars.
Universal Studios is about to build a new signature ride: a high-tech roller coaster full of lights, music, loops, twists and turns — and a quick trip over the heads of people walking through the nearby CityWalk entertainment district.
The Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit is planned to be big, bright and brash enough to become the new visual symbol for the theme park when the coaster opens in about a year. Universal Orlando officials said Tuesday that it also will feature enough digital technology to appeal directly to what they refer to as the “YouTube culture.”
Universal Orlando officials said the coaster will rise 167 feet into the air and feature numerous loops and corkscrew turns. Rockit — the first big, outdoor thrill ride for Universal Studios — is set to open in spring 2009.
I shuddered when I read the part about the “YouTube culture”, I can just imagine how the planning meeting went.
“What’s hip to the kids these days?”
“My daughter is into this Youtube-thing.”
“Great! Work that into a ride somehow.”
New ‘Rockit’ high-tech roller coaster coming to Universal Studios Orlando in 2009
The first time I stepped into California Adventure, my wife and I were visiting Los Angeles for a convention. Because of our lack of time, we were only able to split one day between California Adventure and Disneyland. That visit, I thought California Adventure was well done, it didn’t have a ton of things to do but since we had only a half day it did the job. Visiting with my family a second time several years later, I knew the park was needing something when my mother exclaimed, “Is this it?”.
California Adventure was a prime example of grand potential poorly executed. The park had some great rides, but also seemed to have wide swaths of…nothing. Well it looks like Disney is finally going to invest some real money into the park.
California Adventure is getting a $1.1-billion makeover — with Walt Disney Co. planning to spend more than it did to build the theme park just six years ago.
The struggling park, which sits in Disneyland’s shadow, was a disappointment from the start, failing to draw the crowds the company had anticipated. The idea behind the overhaul recently approved by the board of directors is to give it new attractions and a sharper identity — and make it more like Disneyland.
Disney to spend $1.1 billion to overhaul California Adventure [Orlando Sentinel]
Picture by jessiebarber
The scuffle in the Magic Kingdom began May 27 when Victoria Walker accused Aimee Krause of jumping the queue leading to the spinning teacups ride, according to a Sheriff’s Office report.
Walker, 51, yelled and cussed about the perceived slight and shoved two children with Krause, then 34, as they all waited in a holding area to be the next group on the ride.
Walker was in line with her 11-year-old daughter. Krause had her children, ages 6 and 7, and a friend’s two children with her in line.
According to Walker, Krause elbowed her as they moved through the line and then hit her again. Then, Walker said, Krause “kicked backwards” and struck her.
Walker, who stands 5 feet 11 inches and weighs 230 pounds, then grabbed Krause — who is 5 feet, 5 inches — from behind and began beating her. Walker stopped only after she was pulled off the smaller woman.
Police at first thought it was a minor dust-up and allowed Walker to go home to Alabama.
But Krause’s doctors diagnosed a concussion, a herniated disk in her cervical spine and post-traumatic seizures. When investigators saw that, they issued a felony warrant and had Walker arrested in Alabama.
Holy crap, that woman sounds nuts.
Read the whole article at the Orlando Sentinel.
After nearly 10 years and $70 million dollars in upgrades and renovations Disneyland’s Submarines is reincarnated as the “Finding Nemo: Submarine Voyage”. The submarines for us folks in Orlando, gets paved over and replaced with a Winnie the Pooh play land, whereas the Anaheim folks gets new subs and a new storyline. Oh well…
Reinvented as the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, the long-dormant and eagerly awaited attraction immerses riders in a 12-minute journey through a coral reef, exploding volcano and shark-infested wreck as they search for Nemo, the orange-and-white clown fish of movie fame. With the impressive animation and spotlessly reconditioned bright-yellow submersibles, park-goers might just forget that the area of the theme park containing the ride — which Walt Disney himself helped conceive — was nearly paved over.
Here’s some in ride video someone posted on Youtube - Part 1 Part 2
Disneyland subs resurface [Orlando Sentinel]
Rumor is that the narration on the popular Animal Kingdom ride has been changed slightly to remove bits from the fictional warden and British doctor’s chatter. Now it seems the “drivers” will be allowed to flex their acting muscle a bit more. Which personally I don’t mind, I always thought the “plot” for the Kilimanjaro Safari’s weren’t really needed. We’re driving around looking at animals for god sake, why do we need a faux adventure/rescue plot?
Disney safari tale alters a tad [Orlando Sentinel]
