Read our review of the Incredible Hulk Coaster now in our special Islands of Adventure Report. After wowing audiences for over a decade, is it still as good as it was when it first burst onto the scene in 1999?
Kumba Review
Busch Gardens' Kumba set the standard for multi-looping coasters for years to come. Read our review of this classic engineering marvel.
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Cheetah Hunt Update
Keep up-to-date with all the latest news of Busch Gardens' brand new coaster scheduled to open later this year.
Expedition Everest Review
Check out our review of this huge $100 million project from Disney. One of the best rides in America or a bit of a let down? Find out if it was worth it.
Officials from SeaWorld say trainers will be going back into the water with the killer whales for the first time since Dawn Brancheau's death a year ago.
Orlando Sentinel reports that SeaWorld will be investing "tens of millions of dollars on safety upgrades at its killer whale facilities in Orlando, San Diego and San Antonio".
There is currently no set time for the trainers to back in the water with the killer whales, but in terms of a spectacle there is no doubt this is good news as long as SeaWorld can pull this off safely for the trainers. Reviews have shown everyone much preferred having the trainers in the water with the killer whales.
DoingFlorida have announced the celebration of Lilly the gorilla's first birthday. There were initial worries for Lilly after she was noticeably shorter than the other gorillas and took longer to reach behavioural milestones.
Standing at 140 feet, reaching 56mph and at a length of 3359 feet, Manta is the second-tallest, fastest and longest flying roller coaster in the world.
Within the attraction's 4 acre site there are ten different aquariums containing a total of 184,000 gallons of water with over 3,000 different animals (300 actually being rays).
In an effort to reduce noise levels, some sections of the track are filled with sand.
Having only ridden one flying roller coaster before I had the chance to take on Manta I wasn't expecting a whole lot. Air in Alton Towers (in the UK) was the first Bolliger & Mabillard flying roller coaster to be made, and despite the fact it did give that so called "flying sensation", in terms of a roller coaster experience I was very disappointed, not to mention it seemed to end almost as soon as you'd left the lift hill. However, Manta improves over Air in every department, with a superb finale to boot, which is seldom seen on roller coasters today.
The queue to Manta is an attraction almost in itself. In any other park it could probably be a stand alone walkthrough, and if guests are not intending on riding Manta they can still visit the queue/exhibit without having to enter the ride's line. It's not only a good aquarium, but it builds up anticipation for the ride well; not in the sense of tension that many roller coasters try to achieve, but more a sense of curiosity and eagerness to "ride the flying ray". You reach the station and for those of you who have never experienced a flying roller coaster before, then the seating arrangement may come slightly as a shock to you. Imagine the "ski-lift" style inverted trains used on coasters such as Dueling Dragons in IOA, which are then tilted to a horizontal position so you are face down towards the floor, and that's pretty much what you get. It's also surprisingly comfortable, although looking straight ahead can be a bit of a strain on the neck after a while.
Upon leaving the station you enter the lift hill until you're all of 140 feet above the ground, which seems a lot higher when you are face down with nothing but a spongy restraint below you. Leaving the lift hill, you swoop down to the right a whole 113 feet, before making a sharp climb into a pretty intense pretzel loop. Having only previously ridden Air in Alton Towers before this, which doesn't contain a pretzel loop, I thought it was a very good element. The sharp climb into it gave a good pop of airtime, which is a rather strange feeling on a flying coaster, before some decent positive g's are thrusted back onto you as you dive through the pretzel loop. Sitting (or lieing) towards the back of the train seems to give an even more intense sensation as you go through the element, but pretty much wherever you sit you're likely to enjoy it.
Upon exiting the pretzel loop, the train dives to the left before entering an in-line twist which seems to be almost slightly out of place, and makes the ride lose a little bit of its momentum. The coaster soon gets back on track though as it darts back through the pretzel loop and into a corkscrew which then leads into the brake run. At this point, many riders are rather overwhelmed with the ride (I actually had cramp in my leg halfway through my first ride which made the whole experience slightly less enjoyable), but after this point SeaWorld and B&M truly start showing why these flying roller coasters can be so good.
The answer to this conundrum is simple and that is terrain. Much like Kumba did at Busch Gardens all those years ago, Manta has done it as well, and that is by using terrain to significantly improve a roller coaster. It's quite strange why it has taken so long for designers to put this into use on flying coasters, as the position seems particularly suited to this feature. The first moment of magic on Manta comes after the train leaves the brake run and swoops down to a small lake below that puts riders almost fact-to-face with the water, and at the same time creates the "gliding through the water" sensation by triggering a series of fountains on the water as the train passes, otherwise known as the 'splash effect'.
It's an innovative bit of engineering by SeaWorld and it adds that bit of 'x-factor' that will set it apart from other flying roller coasters, and other coasters in general for that matter. Manta is not quite finished yet though, as the train just about misses a wall, with riders on the left hand side of the train feeling particularly vulnerable. There's time for one more corkscrew, before hitting the final brakes and back into the station.
Straight to the point, Manta is a great ride. From the unique queue area, to the pretzel loop and near terrain misses there is plenty to keep coaster geeks and first time riders alike satisfied. The theming is immense as you would come to expect from a new coaster nowadays in Orlando, but especially compared to other flying coasters who have little to no theming. Out of all the B&M models, their flying coasters are probably one of the most unreliable, with one or two break-downs during my visit, and the length of the ride is still rather questionable, but overall most will come off Manta feeling very satisfied indeed.
Overall score: 9/10
Pro's
Use of terrain is excellent.
Unique queue line and excellent theming.
Pretzel loop is superb.
Con's
Still a fairly short ride, which may leave a few disgruntled.
Not the most reliable roller coaster in the world.
Thanks to Coasterforce.com for the video, and Machristopher, Kjersti Holmang and WillMcC for the photos.
Head on over to Johnnyupsidedown.com to see a brand new photo update of Cheetah Hunt. Johnnyupsidedown managed to grab a place on a special Hard Hat Tour to see the construction site of Cheetah Hunt. Some of the photos are very up close and show off just how much potential this roller coaster has.
After reports that Despicable Me has contributed to driving NBC Universal to a 38% increase in Q4, there are rumours circulating that there will be a Despicable Me attraction heading to Universal Studios just in time for the sequel. License rights to Jimmy Neutron are scheduled to run out shortly (so get down to Universal Studios soon if you plan on riding Jimmy Neutron one more time) with the popular Despicable Me looking like the likely replacement at the moment. More on this to follow.
There are a few rumours circulating that Disney are planning an entire new MuppetVision 4D film, with no specific time frame set at the moment. Many are saying anytime between 2013-2015 we may see the much-anticipated overhaul. The current film is now 20 years old and many fans would love to see an update to this attraction.
"this idea is one being pitched as part of the second wave of improvements WDI wants to make to California Adventure once they finish the current crop with the opening of Cars Land in 2012."
With the EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival just around the corner, Mousesteps has released an update on their website of a few differences in the park. There is a topiary set of Mickey and Minnie on a picnic with Pluto holding a kite which looks very interesting, while there are a set to be a lot more additions over the next week or so, so watch this space.
There is also a video showing off the updates EPCOT has made at JeffLangeDVD.com.
Busch Gardens Tampa has confirmed that the start of Memorial Day Weekend will be the opening of their new roller coaster Cheetah Hunt. At 9am on May 27th riders will be able to board Cheetah Hunt for the first time.
Despite the fact there are groups calling for the name of the coaster to be changed, Busch Gardens' vice president for design and engineering has stated that Cheetah Hunt is a "celebration of the cheetah".
Cheetah Run will also open at 9am on May 27th. This attraction will showcase male and female cheetahs close to Cheetah Hunt.
There are new photos over at BGTNation showing some of the station and ruins scenery of the ride. Definitely worth a look, this ride is shaping up to be the big addition to Orlando over the coming year.
In case you didn't know, Gwazi is also getting the new Millennium Flyer trains from GCI, and the early reviews have been very promising.
Just as many predicted The Wizarding World of Harry Potter has had a hugely positive effect for Universal in attendance, revenue and profit over the last year.
Universal Studio's Resort President, Bill Davies said, "2010 was an important and exciting year for Universal Orlando, our guests and our team-members, We look forward to 2011 and we will continue to work hard at providing a great experience for our guests."
Universal drew 11.2 million visitors in 2010, a massive increase of almost 2 million on 2009, making it the third-best in the resort's history.
Revenue increased to $1.1 billion, a 41% increase on the year before, while profit increased to $267 million, an increase of 79%.
No doubt this is just rewards for Universal after the opening of the superb Wizarding World of Harry Potter; one of the best attractions to open in Orlando for years. It'll be interesting to see if the buzz dies down, and figures return to normal levels, or whether Universal can keep pulling in the punters.
Disney has announced that the new Star Tours attraction is set to re-open on May 20, 2011 in Hollywood Studios.
The new version is titled "Star Tours: The Adventures Continue" and will be set between Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Many believed the attraction would simply be called "Star Tours II".
According to the Disney Parks Blog the ride will "feature new droids, a new Starspeeder, new destinations and even a new pilot".
In another exciting twist Disney have also announced it will be an "immersive 3D experience". Good times indeed for Star Wars/ Tours and Hollywood Studios fans alike.
In some good news for the Florida economy, Legoland Florida is planning on hiring up to 1000 people for their Central Florida theme park that is scheduled to open in October.
Senior staff have already been hired as the park is to ramp up its search for employees for the new Florida theme park. Workers are being hired to start in June to start training in preparation for the opening of the park, with positions in admissions, ride maintenance and administration currently being offered.
Check out our new photos of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, if you haven't been it's definitely worth getting down to IOA as soon as possible to see what all the fuss is about.
When I first visited Islands of Adventure 10 years ago I don't think I could have been more impressed in any way. The rides were top class, the theming was second-to-none and the whole atmosphere in the park I thought was fantastic. I'll always remember the first time I went on Spiderman and how totally and utterly blown away I was. The two water rides: Ripsaw Falls and Popeye's Barges were in a league of their own compared to similar rides I'd been on before, and the whole queue and ride of Dueling Dragons was exceptional. Not to mention the Hulk, Jurassic Park and Poseidon's Fury.
So what has changed in the last 10 years at IOA? Many people criticised Universal for the lack of updates to the park. There were rumours of B&M Flying Coasters (similar to Manta at SeaWorld) which never came to fruition. This, of course, all changed when The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was announced, and what an addition to an already great theme park this is. In my opinion it is one of the greatest theme park projects ever devised, both from a financial and customer perspective. Universal are already reaping the rewards, while Disney (despite the fact they say otherwise) must have been annoyed J.K. Rowling wasn't an Imagineer when she came up with the Harry Potter idea.
Despite the obvious creation of "Harry Potter Land", what else has changed at Islands of Adventure? The Hulk has certainly not aged well, and the quicker they can give her a new lick of paint the better. The launch still delivers a punch, and the first half is still a tremendous bit of roller coaster engineering. The lapbars installed on Dudley Do Right are a bit of an inconvenience, and detract from the overall ride experience slightly. It is also currently out of action due to a fire on one of the roofs, with an unknown date of return currently. I would love to see a total refurbishment of the ride to bring it back to its former glory, as it seems to have fallen behind other rides in the park. The animatronics are anything but great for Universal standards, but the final drop on this ride is special; it just seems to get steeper and steeper AND steeper.
We finally got to see the High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride which many feared would never open. Triceratops Encounter/ Triceratops Discovery Trail is now no longer with us permanently, but keeps opening during peak season to increase park capacity. We have also lost the fantastic queue line of Dueling Dragons. Touted as one of the best queue lines in the world, the sheer amount of walking you did to get to the ride once inside the castle I always found slightly hilarious, but the way it builds up the atmosphere and story is outstanding, and is the one negative the opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter has had on the park.
We've also seen the introduction of Halloween Horror Nights into IOA since 2002, with their popularity increasing every year.
Where can Universal take IOA from here? There are rumours circulating about the expansion of the Wizarding World, with talks of an indoor coaster occupying the current Poseidon's Fury building. One thing is for sure, if it does take another 10 years and is half as good as the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, it will still be deemed a success.
In what me and many others are very excited about is the forthcoming, controversially named, Cheetah Hunt roller coaster in Busch Gardens. There are a couple of photo updates around which are certainly worth a look:
RCPro has a major photo update which looks very interesting, while Johnnyupsidedown.com is also showcasing some exciting scenes for eager Busch Gardens fans.
In case you were wondering about Cheetah Hunt's specifications here's a couple of facts for you:
Type of ride -- Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM) Launch Coaster
Other elements -- 130-foot drop into an underground trench ... over-banked turns ... "air time" parabolas ... heartline roll inversion.
Track length -- 4,429 feet -- more than three quarters of a mile!
Maximum speed -- 60 mph
Maximum force -- 4 G
Height -- 102 feet
Ride duration -- 3 1/2 minutes (including loading and unloading)
Also check out the promo video below - looks like another top quality roller coaster may be on the way to Busch Gardens to rival the likes of Montu, Kumba and Sheikra.
Orlandothemeparknews has a major new photo update on the ongoing construction of Fantasyland in Magic Kingdom.
The pictures show off new photos of the new Little Mermaid ride building, as well as a short reminder that Snow White will be leaving us once and for all very soon.
The ride is listed in the 2011 book of Guinness World Records as the most expensive roller coaster in the world. Including sets and extras, the total cost of the ride was at $100m (£51m) in 2006 after 6 years of planning & construction.
The yeti is 22 feet (6.7 m) tall.
Expedition Everest won the 2006 Theme Park Insider Award for "World's Best New Theme Park Attraction."
There are many reasons people have been visiting Animal Kingdom from 2006 onwards. One more go on the exciting Dinosaur perhaps? Or maybe another trek around Kilimanjaro Safaris? However the main reason that not just me, but many others have returned is due to the ground-breaking Vekoma roller coaster; Expedition Everest. Rarely will you experience a roller coaster (or any ride for that matter) with such exceptional theming that manages to blend in an overall fantastic ride experience for adults and youngsters alike that leaves everyone well and truly satisfied once it's over. $100 million may sound like a lot of money, but it's investments such as this which is what sets the likes of Disney and Universal apart from other theme parks, and why Orlando is visited year after year by so many.
If you like your themed queues you won't be disappointed here. With plenty to look at as you walk through the small Asian Town and a mini museum dedicated to the yeti, you're soon (if you're lucky) able to board onto the reasonably comfortable trains on which will take you on this fantastic journey. Soon enough you leave the station and start ascending the first lift hill. Once at the top there is a small drop as you meander around a mini mountain before ascending up another (much larger) lift, passing signs warning riders that this is yeti territory and to be aware. Once at the top the train curves around the main peak of the 199.5 foot high mountain before entering a cave, and upon leaving you are suddenly left with nowhere to go as the track in front of you has been 'destroyed' by that ever so cunning yeti we were warned about. After a few seconds pause and various effects, the train plummets backwards inside the mountain through a new route and around a downward helix.
The train then once again comes to a halt, where a shadow of the yeti is shown on the wall as he tears up more track. As the shadow disappears the train rolls forward again and down the main 80 foot drop which is visible from many areas of the park. Despite the relatively small size of the drop compared to many modern coasters it delivers a decent punch and catches many people off guard.
The train then proceeds to make a banked turn entering the mountain once more, before dashing outside for two more banked turns before entering the mountain for a final time, upon which you face the yeti in animatronic form (albeit briefly) and eventually enter the unloading station after one final drop.
The pessimists will insist the ride could have been more thrilling, but for me the coaster is at a perfect level of intensity for the attraction it is set out to be. It actually surprised me as I was expecting it to be a whole lot slower, but the dark sections in particular make this coaster worth riding. The whole journey is top notch, and very few rides will immerse you in the experience as much as Expedition Everest does. Disney have truly outdone themselves with the theming and scenery; admittedly without it the ride wouldn't be half as good, but this is what makes Disney great. Anyone visiting the Animal Kingdom, or even Disney at all, would be crazy to miss out on this truly outstanding attraction.
Overall score: 10/10
Pro's
Theming, 'storyline' and atmosphere are second-to-none.
Ride is packed full of surprises.
Dark sections are taken extremely well.
Great level of intensity for all riders.
Con's
Some parts may scare younger children, while others may want a slightly more thrilling ride.
SeaWorld have finally announced what we have all been waiting for and that is the arrival of a brand new show to take over from "Believe". It will end the 5 year stint that "Believe" has endured to bring some fresh direction for SeaWorld that has not had the greatest of seasons.
The new show will be called "One Ocean" and is expected to come to SeaWorld by the end of April.
Julia Scardina, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment’s Curator of Animal Training, has stated, “There is anunprecedented level of energy, excitement and passion inthis show. It is the ultimate SeaWorld experience: world-class entertainment that educates and inspires action. Trainers, producers and educators are collaborating on new ways to connect with the audience and show how closely the human and animal worlds are connected.”
As expected the trainers will not be in the water with the whales.
Check out the video below for more information, or click on to the official "One Ocean" website.
Orlando Vacations is offering some great deals for the spring if you are looking into a cheeky trip to the sunshine state.
Here's a snippet of the Press Release to give you a little idea of the potential deals on offer:
"Spring break is just around the corner, and visitors to Disney World may want to enjoy a multi-day pass to the park.Orlando Vacations is offering a free upgrade from the 3 day Disney World pass to a 5 day pass. Those who purchase the 4 day ticket to the theme park may upgrade to a 7 day ticket at no additional charge."
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FTPN Admin
