tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34375458085052104752024-03-05T20:51:08.806-08:00Amusement AuthorityNickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15585454339530843458noreply@blogger.comBlogger168125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437545808505210475.post-9731581774214746142017-12-08T19:54:00.001-08:002017-12-08T19:54:26.968-08:00Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Roller Coaster<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
2016’s summer blockbuster <b>Jurassic World</b> was filmed in the parking lot of the abandoned theme park Six Flags New Orleans. In the image below you can see the midway of the fake theme park setup in the parking lot of the former real one (which has since been removed):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWYufneo0WPmlGZQ6Rst3vSKDYA-3awyAao9JGhJXn8Yj03C6hKdAxgXVDN_92mSFtkO02OD853VcHpYhKqYX1TjR1fPLh5hBIghIhD5_WggERY89uyJFwmtsp1TlDRD49KwnONttO0b-G/s1600/jurassic-world-sfno-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Jurassic world six flags new orleans" border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="518" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWYufneo0WPmlGZQ6Rst3vSKDYA-3awyAao9JGhJXn8Yj03C6hKdAxgXVDN_92mSFtkO02OD853VcHpYhKqYX1TjR1fPLh5hBIghIhD5_WggERY89uyJFwmtsp1TlDRD49KwnONttO0b-G/s400/jurassic-world-sfno-2.jpg" title="Jurassic world six flags new orleans" width="400" /></a></div>
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A sequel to one of the highest grossing movies of all time is scheduled to be released in summer 2018, and <b>Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom</b> also has an odd theme park tie-in: they built a real working roller coaster to film a sequence in the movie.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoMNKbceFX3YzJU63ZtmyXg6OFpy40zA9linudPQfkzWHwLPY5UyAYCgBfo5MtIHe99Gf7adk9n4wC2kk6a_6_N8_tZwy3lS6dYrzBBs0nBqDsXA6hCUwKeiZdWT-HbZ_GscWXp6bPahHc/s1600/jurassic+world+fallen+kingdom+roller+coaster+set.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="786" data-original-width="1579" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoMNKbceFX3YzJU63ZtmyXg6OFpy40zA9linudPQfkzWHwLPY5UyAYCgBfo5MtIHe99Gf7adk9n4wC2kk6a_6_N8_tZwy3lS6dYrzBBs0nBqDsXA6hCUwKeiZdWT-HbZ_GscWXp6bPahHc/s400/jurassic+world+fallen+kingdom+roller+coaster+set.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQiUepP30AzFfphbjOrHrOvCTbU4T-E6-wVJTBH8jyGq0zHSO2jjM0byoXeZ_3EwBU9UbGA-U93NwoJPtbG4s7kbr1pID0ixhaWXUZrdad_nchIJlvCMp2-8ccmed2q4ctBFla9N6RbZ2/s1600/jurassic+world+roller+coaster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="774" data-original-width="1598" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQiUepP30AzFfphbjOrHrOvCTbU4T-E6-wVJTBH8jyGq0zHSO2jjM0byoXeZ_3EwBU9UbGA-U93NwoJPtbG4s7kbr1pID0ixhaWXUZrdad_nchIJlvCMp2-8ccmed2q4ctBFla9N6RbZ2/s400/jurassic+world+roller+coaster.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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A behind the scenes video posted to Universal Pictures shows the gyro-sphere, the hamster ball “ride” from Jurassic World has been placed onto a car and mounted to a roller coaster track with a green screen stuck on the back. The Jurassic World roller coaster takes one sharp drop before hitting the brakes.<br />
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Judging by the newly released trailer, it looks like they used the roller coaster to film the part where the hamster ball flies off the edge of a cliff and into the ocean, surrounded by other falling dinosaurs. It’s cool for them to build something to get real reactions from the actors. It looks like it even has some wicked airtime!<br />
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We don’t know who manufactured the track, but our best guess is it was a custom job by the production studio or some other small/unknown of shop outside the amusement industry. On first glance the Jurassic world coaster may look like a B&M job due to the rectangular spine (a shape I don’t think I have ever seen anyone else ever use before), but on closer inspection, the size ratio of the backbone and rails is all off for B&M, as well as the fact the track does not look very smooth and like it was hastily assembled. Would not be surprising. It was probably only needed for a few takes then was probably scrapped. If anyone knows more please fill us in!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKgG_MrQ-BxolKEb7q9NWAbvPVBA95P_SLcu7dy49wwh5MfQzeUGaeXBx44-iIhExp9BmCzx-v1KJS1BRzGtxD3knPnzVNMG-Ffon6zWU65R3noanQm3l6SHcSdwaov2cUEgzdUr4NYNcT/s1600/universal+gyrosphere+roller+coaster+ride.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="767" data-original-width="1579" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKgG_MrQ-BxolKEb7q9NWAbvPVBA95P_SLcu7dy49wwh5MfQzeUGaeXBx44-iIhExp9BmCzx-v1KJS1BRzGtxD3knPnzVNMG-Ffon6zWU65R3noanQm3l6SHcSdwaov2cUEgzdUr4NYNcT/s400/universal+gyrosphere+roller+coaster+ride.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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And if you’re reading this Universal, please create a real gyrosphere ride for your parks!</div>
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Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15585454339530843458noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437545808505210475.post-46417821061105475722017-11-24T08:00:00.000-08:002017-11-24T08:00:26.510-08:002017 Gift Guide for Roller Coaster Fans<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">The 2016 holiday shopping season is upon us and if you’re on the hunt for that special gift for a friend or family member who happens to be a roller coaster fanatic, you’ve come to the right place! We’ve organized our gift ideas into several sub-categories of books, games, toys, and more.</span><br />
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<strong>Roller Coaster Tycoon World</strong> — the long-await sequel to 2004's Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 — is now available. The game is touted as the "newest installment in the legendary RCT franchise" with "fan-favorite features as well as incredible new advancements! Buy Roller Coaster Tycoon World <a href="http://amzn.to/2gvsqA1" rel="noopener" target="_blank">online for $19.24</a> (as of this posting)<br />
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Finally, RCT fans can experience all the fun from the original RollerCoaster Tycoon and RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 games with a new incarnation that combines the best elements of both classic titles! <strong>RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic</strong> theme park sim came out on mobile and tablet devices back in December 2016 and was a massive hit. Now, RCTC is available on desktop PCs as well as MAC computers. No, this is not the terrible, micro-transaction riddled mobile game RollerCoaster Tycoon 4 Mobile, nor the poorly reviewed PC game RollerCoaster Tycoon World. This is RollerCoaster Tycoon and RollerCoaster Tycoon 2, aka the fan favorite Chris Sawyer originals, rolled into one masterful game. <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/683900/RollerCoaster_Tycoon_Classic/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Get it from Steam for $19.99 – totally worth it.</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgIsK4IDDV7kUtim9g4eigNGog9TcvL9jfhtGtCg9k4_acC0vR2YDJax9zvVEgU0eyGrk27Wk18TCWR01VfHqAG4huphVmKHf5LfcRvFWVaLpo4U6cDSDOA1buyhZu4pGZB4EE1Rrw11Ry/s1600/header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="460" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgIsK4IDDV7kUtim9g4eigNGog9TcvL9jfhtGtCg9k4_acC0vR2YDJax9zvVEgU0eyGrk27Wk18TCWR01VfHqAG4huphVmKHf5LfcRvFWVaLpo4U6cDSDOA1buyhZu4pGZB4EE1Rrw11Ry/s320/header.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Or you can get the classic RollerCoaster Tycoon Triple Thrill Pack <a href="http://amzn.to/2gqMA0q" rel="noopener" target="_blank">instant download for just $9.99</a>, my personal favorite!<br />
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<a href="http://www.coaster101.com/2016/11/18/planet-coaster-game-officially-released/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Planet Coaster</a> has brought the roller coaster and theme park simulator genre roaring back to life. The game has received rave reviews, and was made by the developers of Roller Coaster Tycoon 3. Like RCT3, Planet Coaster allows players to design and manage their dream theme park, as well as ride their roller coaster creations — and share them with other players. Planet Coaster is <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/493340/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">available for purchase on Steam</a> for $44.99 (as of this posting).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR5pyuGxHbKTz2HQcU6RnIikNDOjX8svCDmByNG-XlSuL8AThXS1IVphJpUHLFD9VT1-0ier-GIrIaBavdxM76AB85wLdJTHyR4PNS7-8IKqGZr7DOcdt6ZDKjq-HzvzdbQEJJP386Yv1I/s1600/planet+coaster+expansion+download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="304" data-original-width="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR5pyuGxHbKTz2HQcU6RnIikNDOjX8svCDmByNG-XlSuL8AThXS1IVphJpUHLFD9VT1-0ier-GIrIaBavdxM76AB85wLdJTHyR4PNS7-8IKqGZr7DOcdt6ZDKjq-HzvzdbQEJJP386Yv1I/s1600/planet+coaster+expansion+download.jpg" /></a></div>
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Roller Coaster and Theme Park Books</h3>
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<strong><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Coasters-101-Engineers-Roller-Coaster/dp/1468013556" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Coasters 101: An Engineer’s Guide to Roller Coaster Design</a></strong> by Nick Weisenberger will show you how roller coaster designers spend hundreds of hours creating, tweaking, and re-imagining ride paths to push the exhilaration envelope while carefully maintaining the highest safety standards. Features design example problems real roller coaster engineers face in the field today as well as career advice for any aspiring roller coaster engineers.<br />
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<span class="a-size-large" id="productTitle"><a href="http://amzn.to/2gvwnnW" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>50 Groundbreaking Roller Coasters: The Most Important Scream Machines Ever Built by Nick Weisenberger</strong> </a>is a comprehensive list of the most influential scream machines that drove the evolution of the modern roller coaster. It's a new and interesting look at roller coaster history. What makes a majority of the roller coasters listed in this book even more impressive is the fact that they were designed using pencil and paper rather than computers.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUxVAs1-Y8W8crprP6kEZ9anUImSoeNtj6YLys1c96iI3zZ0xiqV4gh4GwbPZrRQfpSdz7eQ7yBQvH0gYVc3bISAC-nJCWESHPwbdV2pX_gX4BhPFZqZ_kdVZUXLVnBppWIF3pxdGHEDRb/s1600/50+groundbreaking+rollet+coasters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUxVAs1-Y8W8crprP6kEZ9anUImSoeNtj6YLys1c96iI3zZ0xiqV4gh4GwbPZrRQfpSdz7eQ7yBQvH0gYVc3bISAC-nJCWESHPwbdV2pX_gX4BhPFZqZ_kdVZUXLVnBppWIF3pxdGHEDRb/s320/50+groundbreaking+rollet+coasters.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span class="a-size-large">Nowhere in the world is there a more bizarre theme park than Happy Fun Land. Nike Farmington’s twelve years of thrill-seeking and roller coaster riding has brought him to exotic locales like Perth, Australia, Kaatsheuvel, Netherlands, and Santa Claus, Indiana. He’s marathoned a roller coaster for ten consecutive hours and conquered the world’s tallest and fastest. Yet nothing has prepared him for the insanity of <strong><a href="http://amzn.to/2yVpR2v" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Happy Fun Land</a></strong> and it’s mind blowing attractions: a drop ride with no brakes and a death simulator, just to name a few. Will Nike survive his hilarious adventure through the world’s craziest theme park? </span><br />
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<span class="a-size-large"><strong><a href="http://amzn.to/2gqVL0E" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Theme Park Design and the Art of Themed Entertainment</a> </strong>is the most thorough book on theme park design available. David Younger’s book is literally a textbook on every single aspect of theme parks you could think of, with quotes from real designers with priceless knowledge. Reading <a href="http://amzn.to/2gqVL0E" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Theme Park Design</a> is like taking a college course on the subject, and your professors are Walt Disney Imagineers. I recommend if you want to go from RollerCoaster Tycoon to real life theme park designer!</span><br />
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<span class="a-size-large"><a href="http://amzn.to/2fxCIx9" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>American Coasters 2 by photographer Thomas Crymes.</strong> </a>The pictures are large and crisp. The colors are vivid. The book’s simple design places more emphasis on the photographs. Nothing beats seeing pictures of roller coasters printed on a physical page (sorry, internet). The book is <a href="http://amzn.to/2fxCIx9" rel="noopener" target="_blank">available on Amazon for $30.36</a> (as of this posting).</span><br />
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<span class="a-size-large">Roller Coaster Sets, Toys, and Models</span></h3>
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<span class="a-size-large"><strong>Roller Coaster Challenge Logic and Building Game</strong> is 5<span class="a-list-item">0% logic game, 50% roller coaster building set, and 100% awesome and educational. Select a Challenge Card and set up the Posts and Tracks as shown, then Determine where to add the indicated pieces to the grid. When your Car successfully rides the Track from Start to Finish – You win. <a href="http://amzn.to/2yMOgLE" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Get it for $25.49 on Amazon.</a></span></span><br />
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<span class="a-size-large">There are several interesting K’NEX roller coaster sets available this Christmas season and none of them use the traditional chain lift<b>. </b><strong><a href="http://amzn.to/2iHtnYf" rel="noopener" target="_blank">K’NEX Crossfire Chaos Roller Coaster</a></strong> uses a rubber band style launch system ($34.99). The <a href="http://amzn.to/2hLUfFn" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Web Weaver Roller Coaster Building Set</strong></a> uses something I’ve never seen before on a K’nex coaster: an air-powered car. The vehicles have fans on the back so you can build a track that can be set horizontally or turned vertically and the car will still complete the circuit, no chain lift required. ($42). <a href="http://amzn.to/2zet25o" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Clock Work Roller Coaster Building Set</strong></a> uses a clock-hand mechanism to lift the car to the top of the 2.6 foot high hill. ($25)</span><br />
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<span class="a-size-large">VR is becoming bigger and bigger in the amusement park industry so why not <a href="http://amzn.to/2zUtMxz" rel="noopener" target="_blank">get a Samsung Gear VR headset to play around with at home</a>? Especially since many theme parks are now releasing 360 degree videos for their coasters.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJjZTy752GCUFz2KYTtblcXdVJWc5LENSbZDBhUZc6QvnJ-oO2KmILQkMQb577ljPW1z5svw7dQqCJMi25bb7VJ74LhK2mOat2E4hh4Xd-quekrC_i6CeJcfAAjHGIGVGXiaoxq25vY0p5/s1600/vr+headset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJjZTy752GCUFz2KYTtblcXdVJWc5LENSbZDBhUZc6QvnJ-oO2KmILQkMQb577ljPW1z5svw7dQqCJMi25bb7VJ74LhK2mOat2E4hh4Xd-quekrC_i6CeJcfAAjHGIGVGXiaoxq25vY0p5/s320/vr+headset.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<strong><a href="https://www.amazon.com/tryprimefree?ref_=assoc_tag_ph_1427739975520&_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=pf4&tag=ca0a8-20&linkId=f62e8f11aff551093f349e9c2cb3ec72">Amazon Prime Membership.</a></strong> If you haven’t joined Amazon Prime yet, why not? I do almost all my shopping online and I get free two-day shipping on nearly everything. You can also borrow books, watch movies, and stream music. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/tryprimefree?ref_=assoc_tag_ph_1427739975520&_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=pf4&tag=ca0a8-20&linkId=f62e8f11aff551093f349e9c2cb3ec72">Click here to start your 30-day free Amazon Prime trial membership.</a><br />
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What gifts are you getting your coaster enthusiast friends? Which coaster gifts are you hoping to find under the tree this year? Discuss in the comments section below.</div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15585454339530843458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437545808505210475.post-83624921379525196572017-04-11T19:19:00.001-07:002017-04-11T19:19:27.976-07:0025 Extreme Drop Tower Rides<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Besides your roller coasters, carousels, and Ferris wheels, a staple attraction of any major amusement park is the drop tower ride. While common today, these freefall attractions don’t have a long, hundred-year history like the roller coaster or amusement park. The first tower rides didn’t appear until the 1980s and didn’t start catching on until the 1990s when the technology and ride experience improved enough to make them “can’t miss” attractions.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xhv6FykYTvi8zXZJizl4XYyDX_s6t_4GhhbE9ud6EJqiHSa_OQD8cP6yevpV2RAIxwNERIIJG216vTjZNWBfx2qsQvPKRludFxqG5HbMQfuBdC6xIVRwZ91MvQi7GV8q6gxnPaFLW0Yf/s1600/shutterstock_12953065+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xhv6FykYTvi8zXZJizl4XYyDX_s6t_4GhhbE9ud6EJqiHSa_OQD8cP6yevpV2RAIxwNERIIJG216vTjZNWBfx2qsQvPKRludFxqG5HbMQfuBdC6xIVRwZ91MvQi7GV8q6gxnPaFLW0Yf/s320/shutterstock_12953065+%25281%2529.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What are the tallest, fastest, and most extreme drop towers ever built? Find out all this and more by reading <a href="http://amzn.to/2prxgS2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">25 Extreme Drop Tower Rides</a>. You'll learn about the history of the drop tower as well as all the different seating configurations and where the most terrifying freefall rides can be found.</span></div>
<br /><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://amzn.to/2prxgS2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Download it for FREE to read on Kindle between April 14 through 16, 2017. Follow this link to get it on Amazon.com</a></span></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15585454339530843458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437545808505210475.post-84192864489381466572017-02-20T18:10:00.000-08:002017-02-20T18:10:37.069-08:00Support Mystic Timbers First Rider Auction<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">I'm super excited to get to ride Mystic Timbers, the new wooden roller coaster at Kings Island and front runner for best new coaster of 2017. I will be participating in the First Rider Auction where </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Kings Island and Cedar Fair Charities are joining with the Andy & Jordan Dalton Foundation to give us fans a chance to raise money for a great charity and be some of the first people to ride Mystic Timbers. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_3vxX-Y7vwjAdtr_iXx-kXJE1Ez1Bhoa4QSxx6iGTT_-1vZvNzQuHsHKGY3B96UKeeA0sa0QwbizuItfPE98gLIVs-QlY4Wp0xwfjHQEC1Q8_PbIcYLkfCOPE5z8OhTWujJg_NUiMhA5/s1600/1430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_3vxX-Y7vwjAdtr_iXx-kXJE1Ez1Bhoa4QSxx6iGTT_-1vZvNzQuHsHKGY3B96UKeeA0sa0QwbizuItfPE98gLIVs-QlY4Wp0xwfjHQEC1Q8_PbIcYLkfCOPE5z8OhTWujJg_NUiMhA5/s320/1430.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">The Andy & Jordan Dalton Foundation is "a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing life-changing experiences to seriously ill and physically challenged children and their families in the Cincinnati area." They have created numerous community outreach programs in the past that benefit local hospital and their patients.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">If you have a dollar or two to spare, I would appreciate it if you could donate through my fundraising page, in order for me to help reach and surpass my goal:</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/goog_567957649"><br /></a></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/nick-weisenberger/mystic-timbers-first-official-rides--launch-party">https://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/nick-weisenberger/mystic-timbers-first-official-rides--launch-party</a></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbzpi0WMusaMhQNlMEKrOnWXEPcOFK91aPfXO1L6EA0FXNXGxeJhDG5meNGRLZoOp_aljdxrZBW74txgPD0AIGEcQEMREXZUuTSbhpvATlcoNa5BbhiYntt7_YZuXC2HOh0mWnKMLgN3hH/s1600/2017-2-7-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="mystic timbers layout whats in the shed" border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbzpi0WMusaMhQNlMEKrOnWXEPcOFK91aPfXO1L6EA0FXNXGxeJhDG5meNGRLZoOp_aljdxrZBW74txgPD0AIGEcQEMREXZUuTSbhpvATlcoNa5BbhiYntt7_YZuXC2HOh0mWnKMLgN3hH/s320/2017-2-7-2.jpg" title="mystic timbers aerial view kings island" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Mystic Timbers features a 109 foot tall lift hill, speeds of 53 miles per hour and 3,265 feet of track in the woods. Kings Island is teasing a mystery finale to the ride: "what's in the shed?" My guess is some kind of media presentation generated by Holovis. Be sure to stay up to date on the ride's progress via the official </span><a href="http://mystictimbers.visitkingsisland.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #a67843; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; outline: 0px;" target="_blank">Mystic Timbers website</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">. And look for my review of Mystic Timbers in April!</span></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15585454339530843458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437545808505210475.post-81412831178378446102017-01-25T17:42:00.001-08:002017-08-04T20:35:03.649-07:00Adventures from the World's Craziest Theme Park - Part 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Never in my life had I visited a more bizarre theme park. Twelve years of blogging about roller coasters and thrill rides had brought me to exotic locales like Perth, Australia, Kaatsheuvel, Netherlands, and Santa Claus, Indiana. I conquered the infamous “dog fart” coaster at BonBon-Land in Denmark. I survived the Abyss at Adventure World that’s so crap-your-pants scary they literally have underwear dispensers waiting for you at the ride’s exit. Yet nothing had prepared me for the craziness that is <a href="https://t.co/HJlaqmR53u" target="_blank">Happy Fun Land</a>. And no, it wasn’t crazy because I saw kids shitting on the sidewalks like when they opened Shanghai Disneyland. This was a different kind of crazy altogether.<br />
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The adventure began when I received an invitation to attend a “sneak peak” preview of Happy Fun Land before it opened to the general public. China’s amusement park industry was booming and the newest themed entertainment mecca was about to come online. In order to ensure a successful launch, they were looking to build world-wide buzz through any and all media outlets. They reached out to reporters, journalists, columnists, podcasters, bloggers, vloggers, and theme park nerds from all over the world, including Thrills and Chills, to come visit their resort. The preview event would occur over the Chinese New Year holiday before the grand opening celebration. The idea of being the crash test dummy for what would surely become a world-renowned vacation destination was quite thrilling while sitting at home in Medium-Sized Town, USA. It didn’t take long for me to begin wondering what the hell I had gotten myself into.<br />
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My adventures began when I landed in Shanghai Airport and was greeted by a smiling, twenty-something year old holding a handwritten sign: “Nike Farmington.”<br />
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“Hello!” I waved as I greeted him. “I’m Nick, nice to meet you. By the way, it’s spelled N-I-C-K.”<br />
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“I’m sorry for spelling your name wrong. I’m Eric. E-R-I-C,” he said with reasonably good English.<br />
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“That’s a very authentic Chinese name you have there.”<br />
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“My parents named me after their favorite musician: Eric Clapton.”<br />
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Eric would act as my guide and interpreter over the coming days. He was assigned to me as I spoke no Chinese or had any clue where I was going, as this was my first visit to the enormous country. And perhaps to keep an eye on me as well.<br />
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The Happy Fun Land resort was located in New Suzhou, which is about an hour-and-a-half east of Shanghai. Unfortunately, our travel situation was fucked up from the start. I wasn’t allowed to drive because foreign and international drivers’ licenses are not recognized in China. I would need a Chinese driver’s license, passport, and a residence permit before being legally allowed to operate a vehicle. Eric didn’t own a car himself so driving ourselves wasn’t an option.
Eric informed me the railways would be exceptionally busy due to the holiday. In fact, I’m told the Chinese New Year is the world’s largest human migration as millions of Chinese workers travel home to their families. Apparently, the trains are so overcrowded travelers wear diapers for their multi-hour long journeys home. No thank you to that. It seemed like our best bet was to take a taxi. And thus I got to experience the trip’s first thrill ride - the drive to Suzhou.<br />
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“The way I see it, traffic in China is a free-for-all,” my cousin Jim explained to me over a beer the night before I flew out. He had spent three months overseas for his job in the automotive manufacturing world and attempted to give me an idea of what to expect. “There appear to be no road rules at all, and if you survive the day, you’ll do it all again the next day. The stoplights that they do have must only be for decoration. They don’t have traffic circles in China either. Traffic circles only function if people follow the rules, hence they don't work there. A roundabout would only add to the chaos.”<br />
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“I’ve been on the tallest and fastest roller coasters in the world, I’m sure I can handle it,” I said.<br />
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“Just you wait and see! Taxi drivers drive in the middle of two lanes so they can swing into either one of them as needed. According to my made-up insurance statistics, the most dangerous cars are green and driven by the Chinese.” Jim thought he was hilarious. But I was about to find out if he was right or not.<br />
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After navigating us through the sprawling terminal building, Eric flagged down a taxi cab and negotiated the rate with the driver. Jim had also warned me that, “as soon as you climb into a taxi, the very first thing you do is fasten that seat belt, pull it as tight as you possibly can, and grab onto anything that feels or looks sturdy.” Well, to my delight, this particular cab didn’t have a working seat belt. I had barely sat down and closed the door when we suddenly veered out into the street into the chaos of traffic. As we darted in between cars I was left with clutching onto the seat in front of me until my knuckles turned white.
Eric must be used to the traffic as he cracked many jokes with our driver in rapid Chinese, most I assumed were at my expense. I thought that was about as funny as ejector seats in a helicopter.<br />
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I had to quickly put it out of my mind; however, as we veered across another street and nearly died for the sixteenth time this trip. In America, us coaster nerds are always touting the safety of theme parks by using the same old quote “you’re more likely to be injured on the way to the amusement park than by riding a roller coaster.” I quickly realized this might be even more true in China.
Luckily, we arrived at the Happy Fun Land welcome center in one piece. Unfortunately for me, this short trip turned out to be the easiest and most uneventful travel of my wacky, life-changing vacation.<br />
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Want to keep reading?<br />
<br />
<a href="https://t.co/HJlaqmR53u" target="_blank"><b>Check out Happy Fun Land now!</b></a></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15585454339530843458noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437545808505210475.post-84264844477314711872016-11-27T18:56:00.002-08:002016-11-27T18:56:59.364-08:002016 GIFT GUIDE FOR ROLLER COASTER FANS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The 2016 holiday shopping season is upon us and if you’re on the hunt for that special gift for a friend or family member who happens to be a roller coaster fanatic, you’ve come to the right place! We’ve organized our gift ideas into several sub-categories of books, games, toys, and more.<div>
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ROLLER COASTER COMPUTER GAMES</h3>
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<li>Roller Coaster Tycoon World — the long-await sequel to 2004’s Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 — is now available. The game is touted as the “newest installment in the legendary RCT franchise” with “fan-favorite features as well as incredible new advancements! Buy Roller Coaster Tycoon World <a href="http://amzn.to/2gvsqA1">online for $19.24</a> (as of this posting).</li>
<li>Or you can get the classic RollerCoaster Tycoon Triple Thrill Pack <a href="http://amzn.to/2gqMA0q">instant download for just $9.99</a>, my personal favorite!</li>
<li><a href="http://www.coaster101.com/2016/11/18/planet-coaster-game-officially-released/">Planet Coaster</a> has brought the roller coaster and theme park simulator genre roaring back to life. The game has received rave reviews, and was made by the developers of Roller Coaster Tycoon 3. Like RCT3, Planet Coaster allows players to design and manage their dream theme park, as well as ride their roller coaster creations — and share them with other players. Planet Coaster is<a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/493340/">available for purchase on Steam</a> for $44.99 (as of this posting).</li>
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ROLLER COASTER BOOKS</h3>
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<li><a href="http://amzn.to/2gqP7rp">Coasters 101: An Engineer’s Guide to Roller Coaster Design.</a> Learn how roller coaster designers spend hundreds of hours creating, tweaking, and re-imagining ride paths to push the exhilaration envelope while carefully maintaining the highest safety standards. Features design example problems real roller coaster engineers face in the field today as well as career advice for any aspiring roller coaster engineers.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ-zG0cYednS6wetRJMZMjWCHxY1Ezm9pu6-DlfRA5hRfQ-1uyMKEGPHdn8UgTexom07E20B5DKuNkwG6rWrN-4mdT7tGRIjx-I02iEPYnmHziKgPrqGIHgpqcvQdFb6es7JdZMLjd8RKI/s1600/41xYn5c%252BtjL._SX331_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ-zG0cYednS6wetRJMZMjWCHxY1Ezm9pu6-DlfRA5hRfQ-1uyMKEGPHdn8UgTexom07E20B5DKuNkwG6rWrN-4mdT7tGRIjx-I02iEPYnmHziKgPrqGIHgpqcvQdFb6es7JdZMLjd8RKI/s200/41xYn5c%252BtjL._SX331_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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<li><a href="http://amzn.to/2gvwnnW">50 Groundbreaking Roller Coasters: The Most Important Scream Machines Ever Built by Nick Weisenberger </a>is a comprehensive list of the most influential scream machines that drove the evolution of the modern roller coaster. It’s a new and interesting look at roller coaster history. What makes a majority of the roller coasters listed in this book even more impressive is the fact that they were designed using pencil and paper rather than computers.</li>
<li><a href="http://amzn.to/2gqVL0E">Theme Park Design and the Art of Themed Entertainment</a> is the most thorough book on theme park design available. David Younger’s book is literally a textbook on every single aspect of theme parks you could think of, with quotes from real designers with priceless knowledge. Reading <a href="http://amzn.to/2gqVL0E">Theme Park Design</a> is like taking a college course on the subject, and your professors are Walt Disney Imagineers. I recommend if you want to go from RollerCoaster Tycoon to real life theme park designer!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU1lN3SH7Vzrdusm_OUbWt3bz8tHMM98D8J8bNS5c7Fi7PwFACfnF1cFiks_sy9kP3Hc3rPMYopj2RXBObcuRr2CK9jVkjj6VVqCZVNB6Gro5I0VRKPamEP0UynX7QXbSLu6Oe3tIMi_DE/s1600/theme+park+design+book+review+david+younger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU1lN3SH7Vzrdusm_OUbWt3bz8tHMM98D8J8bNS5c7Fi7PwFACfnF1cFiks_sy9kP3Hc3rPMYopj2RXBObcuRr2CK9jVkjj6VVqCZVNB6Gro5I0VRKPamEP0UynX7QXbSLu6Oe3tIMi_DE/s200/theme+park+design+book+review+david+younger.jpg" width="153" /></a></div>
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<li><a href="http://amzn.to/2fxCIx9">American Coasters 2 by photographer Thomas Crymes. </a>The pictures are large and crisp. The colors are vivid. The book’s simple design places more emphasis on the photographs. Nothing beats seeing pictures of roller coasters printed on a physical page (sorry, internet). The book is <a href="http://amzn.to/2fxCIx9">available on Amazon for $30.36</a> (as of this posting).<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_aZ8IgWBHFKjpuPexsRQRlJ9sr3AghZggBkTk1RMhXDx65_wISitMdFlRYw_UwWBMnoHSbQZYT8m6Q0if1-5qJ5zvL3SvePy1ok7I_e7K4hXiVeBAL5107Cxth2gxkNwvExip-s3u_TaM/s1600/51hlQlMFIDL._SY387_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_aZ8IgWBHFKjpuPexsRQRlJ9sr3AghZggBkTk1RMhXDx65_wISitMdFlRYw_UwWBMnoHSbQZYT8m6Q0if1-5qJ5zvL3SvePy1ok7I_e7K4hXiVeBAL5107Cxth2gxkNwvExip-s3u_TaM/s320/51hlQlMFIDL._SY387_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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ROLLER COASTER TOYS AND MODELS</h2>
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<li>Lego Disney Castle. Launch the fireworks and let the magic begin! The Disney Castle measures over 29” (74cm) high, 18.8” (48cm) wide and 12” (31cm) deep. This set includes over 4,000 LEGO® pieces. Be sure to buy directly from <a href="https://shop.lego.com/en-US/The-Disney-Castle-71040?CMP=KAC-SAHCSEU8&HQS=71040">LEGO where the set is only $349</a> (not <a href="http://amzn.to/2gvr4oL">$479 like on Amazon</a>).<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggo7RRLW9F4o-2OVJjX1HMrO_lefBSaamG52dYVjsUezr_c3o6eQfe3PioNjp2pd2MArmXNk9a0wa2KIMnDZdl3DCyV0P1IDUNMdGH06yA2fHcQVoFAzScxb_J7a2w5hWKdZk3t_vWRR6M/s1600/61V8uFLA-aL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggo7RRLW9F4o-2OVJjX1HMrO_lefBSaamG52dYVjsUezr_c3o6eQfe3PioNjp2pd2MArmXNk9a0wa2KIMnDZdl3DCyV0P1IDUNMdGH06yA2fHcQVoFAzScxb_J7a2w5hWKdZk3t_vWRR6M/s320/61V8uFLA-aL.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>
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<li><a href="http://amzn.to/2gq8sFj">LEGO Creator Expert 10247 Ferris Wheel Building Kit</a> – Build the iconic Ferris Wheel, featuring 12 colorful suspended gondolas with opening doors, ice cream stall, kiosk, 10 minifigures and more.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.coasterdynamix.com/collections/nano-coasters">CoasterDynamix Nancoasters</a> – Stainless steel coaster models that are pretty affordable, though non-working. Great gift to display on your desk or in your home.</li>
<li><a href="http://amzn.to/2fiopRM">K’NEX Space Mountain Roller Coaster</a>. I loved playing with K’Nex as a kid and I’m glad they’re still around with more roller coaster sets to choose from than ever before. Recreate the excitement of the popular Disney Parks attraction. Includes 2 roller coaster cars and 25 ft of track that glows in the dark!</li>
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TECH, GADGETS, AND MORE</h3>
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<li><a href="http://amzn.to/2fxFkeA">Google Cardboard</a> – Want to see those virtual reality coaster videos parks are now creating to market and preview their new rides? Get a Google Cardboard. Take a spin on Lightning Rod or Valravn. Google Cardboard is described as Virtual Reality (VR) on a budget. Gives you a taste of the capabilities of the Oculus Rift at a fraction of the cost. Though be warned it may cause motion sickness if the app you’re looking at doesn’t perfectly track your head movement. It’s fun to assemble and play with.</li>
<li><a href="http://amzn.to/2fxzkCz">Catalyst: A Rogue One Story by James Luceno.</a> If you’re a Star Wars fan like I am you’re probably anxiously awaiting Rogue One: A Star Wars Story movie on December 16th. This book will wet your appetite before the new movie comes out. The story takes place during the Clone Wars and the formation of the Empire. Not required reading for the movie, but will give you some additional background information on the characters.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja1ZbeMJoOl_cMTM_rjZg31rVBAVhJMl1FMENXGiGhT2CcuExXp1EZprJBV53BjydUhyphenhyphenoN5YvYWqHQZWdtF9jBFeZ6gvBhKI8lrk1gRp9FmB2lRMLSKRbWpH3pDBI0rNNJRehmm1rMKtr5/s1600/51MC3VIGAnL._SX327_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja1ZbeMJoOl_cMTM_rjZg31rVBAVhJMl1FMENXGiGhT2CcuExXp1EZprJBV53BjydUhyphenhyphenoN5YvYWqHQZWdtF9jBFeZ6gvBhKI8lrk1gRp9FmB2lRMLSKRbWpH3pDBI0rNNJRehmm1rMKtr5/s320/51MC3VIGAnL._SX327_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
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<li><a href="http://amzn.to/2g1kx7b">Laptop Privacy Screen Protector.</a> Whenever I visit a customer I always take my privacy screen protector for my Dell laptop. It keeps your personal or confidential information safe from prying eyes as you’ll see the information on your display while people on either side only see a darkened screen. If you’re ever on an airplane or in a coffee shop and feel like your neighbor is constantly looking over your shoulder at your screen then you need to get one of these today!</li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/tryprimefree?ref_=assoc_tag_ph_1427739975520&_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=pf4&tag=ca0a8-20&linkId=f62e8f11aff551093f349e9c2cb3ec72">Amazon Prime Membership.</a> If you haven’t joined Amazon Prime yet, why not? I do almost all my shopping online and I get free two-day shipping on nearly everything. You can also borrow books, watch movies, and stream music. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/tryprimefree?ref_=assoc_tag_ph_1427739975520&_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=pf4&tag=ca0a8-20&linkId=f62e8f11aff551093f349e9c2cb3ec72">Click here to start your 30-day free Amazon Prime trial membership.</a></li>
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<strong style="box-sizing: inherit;">GET A GIFT AND CONTRIBUTE TO A GOOD CAUSE</strong></h3>
The Coaster101 2017 Roller Coaster Calendar is the perfect gift for any thrill seeker. The photographs featured were all taken by members of the Coaster101 team. And best of all, they’re donating 50% of net proceeds to <a href="http://www.gktw.org/">Give Kids The World Village</a> in Florida. Each calendar costs only$15 and includes free shipping in the United States! <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/478455036/coaster101com-2017-calendar">Purchase your calendar(s) here</a>!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqLFr3uItHJkcPV2iGucWhyphenhyphenxZRShBAsJpII9VUvjTXXf5HqYG3gOWXFrtaGam3PfzFxwFBny_q4gqxInBt2rN4wdM-aowqxo3r16VOLQzGLfYfqtAxKXdMvJF4din0vIltbFDe_s70OM-u/s1600/c101-calendar-300x244.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqLFr3uItHJkcPV2iGucWhyphenhyphenxZRShBAsJpII9VUvjTXXf5HqYG3gOWXFrtaGam3PfzFxwFBny_q4gqxInBt2rN4wdM-aowqxo3r16VOLQzGLfYfqtAxKXdMvJF4din0vIltbFDe_s70OM-u/s1600/c101-calendar-300x244.png" /></a></div>
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What gifts are you getting your coaster enthusiast friends? Which coaster gifts are you hoping to find under the tree this year? Discuss in the comments section below.</div>
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Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15585454339530843458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437545808505210475.post-79262406053437607062016-10-02T20:31:00.003-07:002016-10-02T20:31:46.122-07:00Is there a Six Flags park in Florida?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Despite the consistent rumors, there are currently no Six Flags parks in Florida.
This rumor may have been started on April 1st, 2014, when Coaster101.com posted an April Fools Day article containing a fake news release about the announcement of <a href="http://www.coaster101.com/2014/04/01/coaster101-exclusive-six-flags-announces-orlando-park/" target="_blank">Six Flags Orlando</a>. An excerpt from the fake announcement:<br />
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Mickey Mouse and Harry Potter will soon have to make room in Orlando for Bugs Bunny and Batman. The Six Flags Entertainment Corporation announced late Monday night that they plan to build the 12th United States park under the “Six Flags” banner, Six Flags Orlando. The park plans to break ground later this year and be completed by mid-late 2016.
“It was a logical decision to build our next United States park in Orlando,” said Brett Petit, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Six Flags. “The greater Orlando area entertains more than 50 million worldwide visitors on an annual basis, and we wanted to expose these guests to the excitement and thrills that Six Flags’ guests have experienced for decades at our other parks around North America.” </blockquote>
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Shortly after, on May 24, 2014, the Spring Hill Courier published an article stating Six Flags was expected to break ground in Hernando County in 2014 on a new theme park slated to open in 2018. This article was completely faked, with one of the biggest red flags being that the author names Will Feinstein as the CEO. That might come as a surprise to Jim Reid – Anderson who had been serving as the Six Flags CEO since 2010. Later on, <a href="http://springhillcourier.com/2015/07/21/coyotes-overrun-six-flags-construction-site-chase-away-developers/" target="_blank">a follow up story</a> on the Spring Hill Six Flags was posted in July 2015 and should prove without a doubt this is a made-up ongoing story.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZpsbV7M1kFabEpuQT-IBzf1bpGQVap9Qm3a-bojanJm6WzVCEZow7ojGWpqiuCJxtgTHRXe7KhvmfRgl55R2DvITmCk08uUcXSIVHb9FMiHfIiB5LykWgMUSqW-i91m9aVbpm-9JIUqNN/s1600/Six-Flags-orlando+florida+spring+hill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="six flags orlando" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZpsbV7M1kFabEpuQT-IBzf1bpGQVap9Qm3a-bojanJm6WzVCEZow7ojGWpqiuCJxtgTHRXe7KhvmfRgl55R2DvITmCk08uUcXSIVHb9FMiHfIiB5LykWgMUSqW-i91m9aVbpm-9JIUqNN/s1600/Six-Flags-orlando+florida+spring+hill.jpg" title="six flags florida" /></a></div>
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Historically, Six Flags has had a presence in Florida, even Orlando, but maybe not exactly what you would expect:<br />
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<b>Six Flags Stars Hall of Fame</b> in Orlando, Florida was a wax museum was located near SeaWorld Orlando from 1975 to 1984. Like SeaWorld, it was acquired by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, but it was closed almost immediately after the sale.<br />
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<b>Six Flags Atlantis</b> was a water park located in Hollywood, Florida. Begun as a private venture originally known as 'Atlantis the Water Kingdom', funding ran out before construction ended. The park sat partially completed for several months before Six Flags opened in 1979 "Six Flags Atlantis." The park included a wave pool, a lake with water ski shows, a seven-story slide tower, picnic area, stores & arcades, shows, and activities for all ages. In 1989 the park was sold. was eventually demolished in 1994. Today most of the area is now occupied by retail shopping.<br />
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Six Flags is lending their brand to new parks in Dubai and China but no, there are no Six Flags parks in Florida, but we could always use more theme parks and would welcome Six Flags Florida if they did build one ;)</div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15585454339530843458noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437545808505210475.post-72441595855880720742016-06-29T19:41:00.001-07:002016-06-29T19:41:42.141-07:00HOW TO OVERCOME YOUR FEAR OF ROLLER COASTERS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Roller coaster enthusiasts get an extreme adrenaline rush from the act of being blasted to 100 miles per hour, four hundred feet in the air. But there are many individuals who deeply fear this activity and the mere thought of climbing aboard a coaster car chills them to the bone. These phobias are often grounded in the irrational belief that one has a possibility of dying or "falling out" of a roller coaster.<div>
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The first step to overcoming your fear of roller coasters (or anything for that matter) is to determine the root cause of that fear. Why are you afraid to go on roller coasters? You need to drill down to figure out what’s driving those fears. Roller coaster phobia appears to actually be based in several other phobias, any of which can be enough to trigger a fear of coasters.</div>
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The most recognizable treatment for phobias is known as "exposure therapy". During this type of treatment, a client is gradually exposed to whatever is at the root of their anxiety until they come to the realization that these fears were based on irrational thoughts or beliefs. Basically, to get over your fear of roller coasters you need to start riding roller coasters. Do you really want to spend all that money to go to an amusement park if you can’t enjoy all the rides?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvOUoEPi3FfCnxDCXMPRi779mNZROcaFsNMaKX9pchIdWVwCZoOf-1k2TVl-9MseiLCaEl59tZRYVM-UV04uZgMam6JTyOL-fPr2XSsxiCAcL0WWfSSTqwAO6LyaUaVfjBbuO6M-dCFHXg/s1600/how+to+overcome+fear+of+roller+coasters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="tips to get over fear of roller coasters" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvOUoEPi3FfCnxDCXMPRi779mNZROcaFsNMaKX9pchIdWVwCZoOf-1k2TVl-9MseiLCaEl59tZRYVM-UV04uZgMam6JTyOL-fPr2XSsxiCAcL0WWfSSTqwAO6LyaUaVfjBbuO6M-dCFHXg/s320/how+to+overcome+fear+of+roller+coasters.jpg" title="how to get over your fear of roller coasters" width="240" /></a></div>
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My guess is you or someone you know has suffered from the fear of roller coasters, and wants help to overcome it. I’ve been in the same boat. The purpose of <a href="http://amzn.to/294TtxF" target="_blank">my new book</a> is to provide an understanding of what that fear is, where it stems from, and the actions you can take to be able to ride the roller coaster of your dreams. <br /><br />Have you ever turned down an amazing vacation or day out with your friends because of it? Your fear of coasters could actually be something very specific or a combination of fears rolled into one. The best way to conquer any kind of fear is to face it. <br /><br />In order to overcome your fear, you need to understand it. In the first half of this book, we’ll examine why people like to ride roller coasters in the first place while others are deathly afraid of them. Then we’ll get into the tips and strategies you can use to overpower that fear and ride that awesome and thrilling roller coaster. <br /><br />Coaster enthusiasts strap themselves into these scream machines simply because they love being scared in a safe environment. Know that your fear is treatable, manageable, and that you can overcome it. <br /><br />Here Is A Preview Of What You'll Learn... <br /><br />• Examining what about the roller coaster makes you scared <br />• How roller coasters are safer than your car <br />• Benefits of riding roller coasters <br />• How riding a roller coaster could save your life <br />• Where to sit on a roller coaster <br />• How to choose the best ride to get over your fear <br />• Much, much more! </div>
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<a href="http://amzn.to/294TtxF" target="_blank"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="http://amzn.to/294TtxF" target="_blank"><b>Order Coaster Phobia: How to Overcome Your Fear of Roller Coasters today!</b></a></div>
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(Kindle version will be free the first week of July 2016)</div>
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Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15585454339530843458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437545808505210475.post-87776517898356686502016-06-06T20:22:00.002-07:002016-06-06T20:22:54.636-07:00How Pirates of the Caribbean at Shanghai Disneyland Works <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Shanghai Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure is a new take on the beloved, classic boat ride. It uses a combination of physical sets, audio-animatronic (AA) figures, and giant projection screens to help bring the story to life. What makes the technology behind the ride system so incredible is the engineers have complete control over the speed, position, and orientation of the boats.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_aCebqZVB2R-hZph-QRLEC4VU-0eP2O7qPQWS_eLHbRawdAd7nZ0WQb5OJpbh3CyEpUJIsNcu0RV94yr6cxmZNydBPm0ssI05DteLenRCg33IbHG_Ua3yrkgYMw3XavG5e_aAf7mJXjk/s1600/pirates+of+the+caribbean+shanghai+layout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_aCebqZVB2R-hZph-QRLEC4VU-0eP2O7qPQWS_eLHbRawdAd7nZ0WQb5OJpbh3CyEpUJIsNcu0RV94yr6cxmZNydBPm0ssI05DteLenRCg33IbHG_Ua3yrkgYMw3XavG5e_aAf7mJXjk/s320/pirates+of+the+caribbean+shanghai+layout.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jwt7xaSKYbA" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Learn more about <a href="http://www.coaster101.com/2016/05/17/secrets-behind-shanghai-disneylands-pirates-caribbean/" target="_blank">how Pirates of the Caribbean works here</a>.</div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15585454339530843458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437545808505210475.post-72118087831693967812016-05-15T19:57:00.000-07:002016-05-15T19:57:18.083-07:00Valravn Dives into Cedar Point<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The world's tallest and longest dive coaster, Valravn, premiered at Cedar Point last weekend and I got to check it out before it opened to the general public. It's a fun ride and the view at the top of the 220 foot tall hill is incredible. The first drop is one of the best around but the rest is forgettable.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiias5f8tCJL81qo8bf5W7fr1exQYRnVigrvQtUFIaO4rToQxnpK-1Nega0XnvlYnOmJtx4BBnj25f-bdtjQMkXTNV8-rwoY8yIXy2W6H-XZycafBS1vZh_0qfubveX3xGy6sJ1kaSJlFY4/s1600/20160505_194837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiias5f8tCJL81qo8bf5W7fr1exQYRnVigrvQtUFIaO4rToQxnpK-1Nega0XnvlYnOmJtx4BBnj25f-bdtjQMkXTNV8-rwoY8yIXy2W6H-XZycafBS1vZh_0qfubveX3xGy6sJ1kaSJlFY4/s320/20160505_194837.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Off ride footage of Valravn:
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/O3BV5kc90mA" width="560"></iframe>
Valravn opening ceremony for LeBron James Foundation.
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sa93xfBSZgA" width="560"></iframe><br />
Valravn in slow motion:
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/taP8KJbVdEw" width="560"></iframe><br />
Have you been on it? Do you think Valravn is the best dive coaster?</div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15585454339530843458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437545808505210475.post-61432021676190901282016-04-30T17:48:00.002-07:002016-04-30T17:49:49.425-07:00Early contender for best new ride of 2016 is...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The early contender for best new ride of 2016 is Storm Chaser at Kentucky Kingdom, Rocky Mountain Construction’s first all-steel roller coaster. The ride has not been talked about much because it is overshadowed by larger RMC projects like Dollywood's Lightning Rod (still not open). Storm Chaser may not be very tall but it sure does pack a big punch.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-1ZTuO8CJ_PfT_RN-GmslGp_yXYAFYfG84RTR_56gbAlZ84GzzUmVK1liX_C_Sq5hxsaETLhPqjoD15TzdBECiQYWS18Eq0_snTqY44YpqRHyBmLGz_Ns9ynk9OE2pxnPTsN4W7EogxF/s1600/20160428_104951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-1ZTuO8CJ_PfT_RN-GmslGp_yXYAFYfG84RTR_56gbAlZ84GzzUmVK1liX_C_Sq5hxsaETLhPqjoD15TzdBECiQYWS18Eq0_snTqY44YpqRHyBmLGz_Ns9ynk9OE2pxnPTsN4W7EogxF/s400/20160428_104951.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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In fact, Storm Chaser couldn't be any taller even if they wanted to because the lift hill is nearly aligned to be pointed right in the direction of the flight path of landing airplanes at the Louisville airport. How close do the airplanes get to the roller coaster? See here:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DKReJvwh2z8" width="560"></iframe>
If you know of an airport close to a theme park then this, please let me know!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2x-qx8KXo_06Y3F00_bIYAsoZTnGoY8RqJh0nQhgp_ENds2BshhyphenhyphenC3QfxYGNkTXcIR0zlxuXRv1mbUatotF2W5UXCf5v_uHAnibuJOpIh8z8RLS85D_lJ_MIKyfHhJccOCh9qdYA2LmW4/s1600/G0104683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2x-qx8KXo_06Y3F00_bIYAsoZTnGoY8RqJh0nQhgp_ENds2BshhyphenhyphenC3QfxYGNkTXcIR0zlxuXRv1mbUatotF2W5UXCf5v_uHAnibuJOpIh8z8RLS85D_lJ_MIKyfHhJccOCh9qdYA2LmW4/s320/G0104683.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The camelback hill following the first drop might be one of the best hills on any roller coaster ever. The extreme airtime took me by surprise every time. I think I literally yelled “holy crap!” (or some form of that) all six times we rode it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTw76oGy9Lca91ce9gKbapSdtMUzUYa0N7WCz8stl-iGu1XNViQtig_2LyI8h9ui1YfXlrlXrOnl2luNZxqJWafEjyAOeQ5SczmcnzMo4lAi6JiPn8Yy0fNuYDzI2rbqMXFbBBjXi3IRL8/s1600/DSC_1902.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTw76oGy9Lca91ce9gKbapSdtMUzUYa0N7WCz8stl-iGu1XNViQtig_2LyI8h9ui1YfXlrlXrOnl2luNZxqJWafEjyAOeQ5SczmcnzMo4lAi6JiPn8Yy0fNuYDzI2rbqMXFbBBjXi3IRL8/s320/DSC_1902.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Check out our multi-angle off-ride video of Storm Chaser below and be on the look out for extreme “hairtime”:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vu8WwrUo0ls" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Read a <a href="http://www.coaster101.com/2016/04/30/review-storm-chaser-touches-kentucky-kingdom/#" target="_blank">detailed Storm Chaser review</a> here.</div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15585454339530843458noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437545808505210475.post-32134956516133226342016-04-19T19:02:00.000-07:002016-04-19T19:02:01.108-07:00Top 50 Legendary Roller Coasters - Corkscrew<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
If you could resurrect any deceased roller coaster which one would it be? I'm starting a new series examining what I believe to be the top 50 legendary roller coasters that no longer exist. We start with number 50:<br />
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<span lang="EN-AU">50. CORKSCREW</span></h3>
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Known for: First
double-inverting roller coaster in <st1:place w:st="on">Europe</st1:place> </div>
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Location: <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Alton Towers</st1:city>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">England</st1:country-region></st1:place></div>
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Type/Category: Steel,
Sitdown Looping</div>
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Opened: 1980 / Closed:
2008 / Dismantled: 2008</div>
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Age when closed: 28</div>
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Replaced by: Thirteen</div>
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Designer/Manufacturer:
Arrow Dynamics/Vekoma</div>
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Height: 75ft (22.86m) /
Drop: 68ft (20.73m)</div>
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Speed: 44mph (13.41kph)</div>
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Length: 2,400ft (731.52m)</div>
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Inversions: 2</div>
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<st1:placename w:st="on">Alton</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Towers</st1:placetype>, located in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Staffordshire</st1:city>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">England</st1:country-region></st1:place>,
is an amusement park with a unique history. It started out as a nobleman’s
estate, and then became a garden and tourist attraction. Throughout the 1970’s,
the park was built up into a modern theme park, and in 1980, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Alton</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Towers</st1:placetype></st1:place>
got its first rollercoaster—the Corkscrew. The Corkscrew was exactly what <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Alton</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Towers</st1:placetype></st1:place>
needed to complete the transformation from quiet country estate to thrilling
amusement park. A steel rollercoaster, featuring one of the first double-loop
inversions in <st1:place w:st="on">Europe</st1:place>, the Corkscrew reached speeds
of 44 mph. There was nothing else like the Corkscrew anywhere in the <st1:country-region w:st="on">UK</st1:country-region>, and it was
an instant success. On its opening weekend, guests at the park waited up to nine
hours for the chance to ride the Corkscrew, and months later park-goers were
still waiting in line for hours to ride this new rollercoaster. Park attendance
doubled from 1979 to 1980.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAo-7MiByiSbz5_iTfKT78N8nbGUyRf8ltuj_xlYTwS17jCsj_ZPhuX0TpNAznqnkgnv_pvyY4J5GyJWcJedEAvUC-JNgQ3NcWNDygfXpsx4KUh0uZuGErTUt9WiIJ9gMcn5-7i2QcUMp/s1600/9537284585_8cbc15955e_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAo-7MiByiSbz5_iTfKT78N8nbGUyRf8ltuj_xlYTwS17jCsj_ZPhuX0TpNAznqnkgnv_pvyY4J5GyJWcJedEAvUC-JNgQ3NcWNDygfXpsx4KUh0uZuGErTUt9WiIJ9gMcn5-7i2QcUMp/s320/9537284585_8cbc15955e_o.jpg" title="corkscrew alton towers" width="320" /></a></div>
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However, as the years passed, the Corkscrew’s
appeal faded. While its inversions had once been new, now there were other
rollercoasters with similar, or more extreme, elements. And while 44 mph had
once seemed incredibly fast, compared to newer rollercoasters, it was tame. By
2008, the Corkscrew was an old rollercoaster with a rough, bumpy ride. Still,
on the ride’s last day in November 2008, thousands turned out for one last ride
on the Corkscrew. The ride was torn down, but parts of the track were saved and
are now on display at the entrance to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Alton</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Towers</st1:placetype></st1:place>,
reminding guests of the rollercoaster that launched the park into the
successful theme park it is today.<br />
<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LA4oUCV53nc?list=PLeu00YCldADnFgbS-bD5gYQ1KEGBpZ1lC" width="640"></iframe>
</div>
<br />
<b>50 Legendary Roller Coasters That No Longer Exist</b> is the latest book by Nick Weisenberger and you can <a href="http://amzn.to/1MGZT8h" target="_blank">download the Kindle version for free between 4/21/16 - 4/25/16.</a></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15585454339530843458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437545808505210475.post-80222031431897104012016-03-31T19:28:00.000-07:002016-03-31T19:28:46.731-07:00Play RollerCoaster Tycoon World Now<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />RCT fans rejoice: Roller Coaster Tycoon World is now available to play! Yes, you can actually purchase, download it, and start building coasters! Note that this isn’t the official final version of the game, but a working preview that will allow those with Early Access to try it while the programmers work to finish up all the bells and whistles as well as fix problems based on Early Access feedback. Currently Windows only.<br />“The Early Access release of RCTW contains the core features and content of the game,” says developer Nvizzio Creations, “Throughout Early Access and beyond we will be adding further content, including piece-by-piece custom-built structures, scenario editor, mini-rides and dark rides, additional scenarios, transport rides and more.”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgCo1UHwM1PDLonGrdFM340TuQUzN5nbbl0j1PZgjTnFLsEVmg7UT5cBfyoub6V4ujyFu8G93ODJspy2VvQxekoo1uO8AFM0xfR2ZUYjCDaAzmSBLduq3RuVidHOzOclUVuwZnRPKtgWgx/s1600/roller+coaster+tycoon+world+early+access.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgCo1UHwM1PDLonGrdFM340TuQUzN5nbbl0j1PZgjTnFLsEVmg7UT5cBfyoub6V4ujyFu8G93ODJspy2VvQxekoo1uO8AFM0xfR2ZUYjCDaAzmSBLduq3RuVidHOzOclUVuwZnRPKtgWgx/s320/roller+coaster+tycoon+world+early+access.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /><div>
There are two versions of the game you can download instantly: <a href="http://amzn.to/1M4qhc0">Standard, which goes for $49.99</a>, and <a href="http://amzn.to/1SCTxWt">Deluxe which will set you back $59.99</a>. What does the deluxe edition include? Everything in the standard edition plus:</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Additional Mascot: Wow your guests with the RCT franchise’s classic “Panda” mascot.</li>
<li>Digital Art Book: A beautifully designed art book illustrates the story of RCTW art and park elements from concept to in-game.</li>
<li>2 Additional Maps: Build your dream park on two new exotic map packs.</li>
<li>Zipper Ride: A brand-new flatride just for our Deluxe Edition users!</li>
<li>Golden Park Entrance: Delight guests and show off your solid gold style with an exclusive Deluxe-Edition park entrance.</li>
</ul>
</div>
Other features of RCTW Early Access include:<br /><ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Freeform Object Placement: Control and place every single in-game object anywhere on the map at any angle. For our more casual users we are also providing ‘snap-to’ and ‘brush’ placement functionality to make this enhancement easy to use.</li>
<li>Curved Paths: Select your unique type of path from a of widths, styles, and shapes. You can make them straight or, for the first time in the franchise, curve them at almost any angle!</li>
<li>Innovative 3D Track Editor: Create the coolest and wildest coasters imaginable with our best track editor ever! For the first time, using our spline based editor, tracks can be fully manipulated in 3D allowing you to create any shape you can dream up.</li>
<li>Fully Deformable Terrain with Water: Build amazing rides and change your park’s landscape in full 3D with completely deformable terrain and water.</li>
<li>Expansive Selection of In-Game Objects: Entertain your park guests with many different types of coasters and rides, all in eye-popping next generation resolution. Choose from pre-made rides and coasters to scenery and shops</li>
</ul>
<a href="http://amzn.to/1M4qhc0">Get RCTW now and start building your dream theme park.</a><br /><br />If you’ve already played RCTW, please share your experiences and reviews of the game in the comments below. We’d love to know what you think of it!</div>
</div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15585454339530843458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437545808505210475.post-38348549313691733472016-02-22T20:46:00.004-08:002016-02-22T20:46:56.323-08:00How to reset your Disney MagicBand pin number <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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For every transaction you make with your Disney World MagicBand you have to enter your pin number, so if you lose your band no one can spend your money unless they know the pin. The problem we had on our last trip: our pin numbers were somehow already assigned to our account. Maybe they were set up when we went on a Disney cruise two years ago? One big negative – the pin number could only be reset at the front desk. Why you can’t change it by logging into MyDisneyExperience online or using the app, I don’t know.</div>
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Well, you can now save a visit to your hotel front desk by using MyDisneyExperience website or app to reset your MagicBand PIN number. Go to MyDisney Experience then Profile then Payment Methods then Reset PIN. </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-BQvfx4_vyw" width="560"></iframe></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15585454339530843458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437545808505210475.post-42936917173087210812016-02-12T18:01:00.001-08:002016-02-12T18:01:18.485-08:00Incredible Hulk’s new track not completely new?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Incredible Hulk coaster at Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park is undergoing an extensive refurbishment this winter. IN fact, all of the the coaster’s track has been removed and sent to the scrap yard. We can only assume that after 18 years of nearly constant use, it’s reached the end of its service life.</span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-92875203-d858-717f-2fa4-a9f1835312a2" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Crews have recently begun installing new track. But now the question has come up: is this track really new? Universal has not released many details about the refurbishment. They have not even confirmed or denied that the Incredible hulks layout would remain exactly the same or be changed.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWGEVtTwOkFtPFpfZkKjQ4I-7pR1mEWWLFZvS9GWaDyl4xalLSNOcGprpSsuenp1qgqY6VnqCAGcZypjsIYyyBrNcbLVGpPUfuc_UFqWDP5xY8dWAYQGu-GPqjl-_61p1iMrw0BMh06sFg/s1600/DSCN0275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="incredible hulk new track" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWGEVtTwOkFtPFpfZkKjQ4I-7pR1mEWWLFZvS9GWaDyl4xalLSNOcGprpSsuenp1qgqY6VnqCAGcZypjsIYyyBrNcbLVGpPUfuc_UFqWDP5xY8dWAYQGu-GPqjl-_61p1iMrw0BMh06sFg/s320/DSCN0275.JPG" title="incredible hulk new track" width="320" /></a></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the most recent construction images, the block brake is there but there is no evidence that brakes will ever be installed here. If the plan from the beginning was not to include a block brake on Hulk 2,0, why keep a boring, flat piece of track? Why not replace this section with a thrilling air time hill? Perhaps the answer is because the track was already manufactured as straight before the decision to remove the block brake was made. Perhaps the decision was made years ago.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maybe this isn’t new track at all, but was originally intended be an Incredible Hulk coaster clone themed to Men in Black for Universal Studios Dubailand. I know for a fact that track was manufactured for a fourth Revenge of the Mummy the Ride that was mothballed. Could they have also made track for the B&M coaster?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgZp9aH_47jHmPU6rn8QdHJ9wNINf7_8_jOwEblrW1n5VXb82B12c4gZHPLKp4LSNWJ5JUT0r-mdQzyc-vp2XehZ8uI2B4e8WLgkwT-Py9CE-Bj_ivPV8nRnGXkZ2ecAgcraFLdZBOjlyP/s1600/universal+studios+dubailand+incredible+hulk+clone.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgZp9aH_47jHmPU6rn8QdHJ9wNINf7_8_jOwEblrW1n5VXb82B12c4gZHPLKp4LSNWJ5JUT0r-mdQzyc-vp2XehZ8uI2B4e8WLgkwT-Py9CE-Bj_ivPV8nRnGXkZ2ecAgcraFLdZBOjlyP/s320/universal+studios+dubailand+incredible+hulk+clone.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One question with this theory is, where have the track pieces been sitting all these years? Not at the factory in Ohio. Were they sent to Dubai? Have they been sitting in storage somewhere on Universal Orlando’s property? One way to answer this question is how much new track has come out of the Ohio factory? We know for a fact at least some new track has been made. New track is required for a new, energy efficient launch system. Would they really use a mix of old and new track? And is the track that has been sitting even still good to use?</span></div>
<br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13.3333px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We may never know the full story. What are your thoughts? </span></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15585454339530843458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437545808505210475.post-74923906856070798422015-11-24T18:57:00.000-08:002015-11-24T18:57:07.739-08:002015 Gift Guide for Theme Park Lovers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">The holiday shopping season is upon us once again and if you’re on the hunt for that special gift for a friend or family member who happens to be a roller coaster enthusiast, you’ve come to the right place! The obvious gift is to buy a season pass to your local amusement park, zoo, or aquarium but if you want to give something a little bit different this time then check out our list below.</span><br />
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<strong style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1468013556/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1468013556&linkCode=as2&tag=ca0a8-20" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1468013556/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1468013556&linkCode=as2&tag=ca0a8-20" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;" target="_blank">Coasters 101: An Engineer’s Guide to Roller Coaster Design</a></strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">. Learn how roller coaster designers spend hundreds of hours creating, tweaking, and re-imagining ride paths to push the exhilaration envelope while carefully maintaining the highest safety standards. Features design example problems real roller coaster engineers face in the field today as well as career advice for any aspiring roller coaster engineers. For 25% off, enter discount code: </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span data-mce-style="color: #ff0000;" style="color: red;">UY8WJQMM</span></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> when purchasing directly from: </span><a data-mce-href="https://www.createspace.com/3737443" href="https://www.createspace.com/3737443" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">https://www.createspace.com/3737443</a><br />
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<strong style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1456309722/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1456309722&linkCode=as2&tag=ca0a8-20" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1456309722/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1456309722&linkCode=as2&tag=ca0a8-20">Theme Park Design by Steve Alcorn</a></strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">. Take a peek behind the scenes, with a theme park engineer – a must read for all aspiring theme park designers! For more information read</span><a data-mce-href="http://www.coaster101.com/2011/01/16/book-review-theme-park-design/" href="http://www.coaster101.com/2011/01/16/book-review-theme-park-design/" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">our review</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> and</span><a data-mce-href="http://www.coaster101.com/2011/01/25/interview-with-author-steve-alcorn/" href="http://www.coaster101.com/2011/01/25/interview-with-author-steve-alcorn/" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> interview features</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> with Steve.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span>
<strong style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1484049144/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1484049144&linkCode=as2&tag=ca0a8-20" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1484049144/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1484049144&linkCode=as2&tag=ca0a8-20">Creating My Own Nemesis by John Wardley</a></strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">. The story follows John’s professional career beginning with how he got out of the boring family business and into the crazy world of theme parks. If by any degree you’re into magic, illusions, theater production, theme park design, or roller coasters I highly recommend you read this thoroughly entertaining book.</span><a data-mce-href="http://www.coaster101.com/2013/08/25/creating-my-own-nemesis-review/" href="http://www.coaster101.com/2013/08/25/creating-my-own-nemesis-review/" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;" target="_blank">Read our full review here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP-RhxfnJmlhfoYy1wR0cr6u7hH6UfEZw_8xX4wgerdAnoldy2JDFGSQxGfRPZeM8lwvLDI4gvvoph9DBp7S0XAVW_V8rEWIXOA9l4f8KxunjjIfBmv12HKPJqJunBWuSklchqbTeYQGBT/s1600/john+wardley%2527s+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP-RhxfnJmlhfoYy1wR0cr6u7hH6UfEZw_8xX4wgerdAnoldy2JDFGSQxGfRPZeM8lwvLDI4gvvoph9DBp7S0XAVW_V8rEWIXOA9l4f8KxunjjIfBmv12HKPJqJunBWuSklchqbTeYQGBT/s200/john+wardley%2527s+book.jpg" width="127" /></a></div>
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<a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004APAELG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004APAELG&linkCode=as2&tag=ca0a8-20" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004APAELG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004APAELG&linkCode=as2&tag=ca0a8-20" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;" target="_blank"><strong>RollerCoaster Tycoon Triple Thrill Pack Instant Download</strong></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">. This compilation of RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 and expansion packs </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Time Twister</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> and </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Wacky Worlds</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> brings together all the rides, building tools, as well as five real-world Six Flags amusement parks and 25 of their signature coasters.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Want to bring a little piece of Walt Disney World into your home? Looking for an alternative to putting a train around your Christmas tree? Then check out the </span><a data-mce-href="http://www.disneystore.com/walt-disney-world-resort-monorail-play-set/mp/1254559/1000265/#_" href="http://www.disneystore.com/walt-disney-world-resort-monorail-play-set/mp/1254559/1000265/#_" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;" target="_blank"><strong>Walt Disney World Monorail Playset</strong></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">. This working monorail is inspired by the real thing and has sound and light effects.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">The carnival is coming to town with this super cool new </span><strong style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K66ZJ54/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00K66ZJ54&linkCode=as2&tag=c101-site-20&linkId=QRC37ZT4WHLC64HA" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K66ZJ54/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00K66ZJ54&linkCode=as2&tag=c101-site-20&linkId=QRC37ZT4WHLC64HA" target="_blank">Fairground Mixer LEGO set</a>.</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> A portable spinning ride and several carnival games can be built with the more than 1,700 pieces.</span><br />
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<a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010N2EYSI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B010N2EYSI&linkCode=as2&tag=c101-site-20&linkId=YRPJ6MBOE4F4XHWO" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010N2EYSI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B010N2EYSI&linkCode=as2&tag=c101-site-20&linkId=YRPJ6MBOE4F4XHWO" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;" target="_blank"><strong>Google Cardboard</strong></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> - Want to see those virtual reality coaster videos parks are now creating to market and preview their new rides? Get a Google Cardboard. Take a spin on Lightning Rod or Valravn. Google Cardboard is described as Virtual Reality (VR) on a budget. Gives you a taste of the capabilities of the Oculus Rift at a fraction of the cost. Though be warned it may cause motion sickness if the app you’re looking at doesn’t perfectly track your head movement. It’s fun to assemble and play with.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8CUQgR-bAVXP3zl5QCq_jt7xTR_q7VYwAjbI4_A4p7dPcU3j0Ogm8KJI3P6Y7M01U_ZdtOKpfeuUk7dvhrMlJHuMUfLKdkvtS3J-SN3PbSAgjuIHN-arNbU7bElif7RoUNuPa9dw3K9C/s1600/fold.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8CUQgR-bAVXP3zl5QCq_jt7xTR_q7VYwAjbI4_A4p7dPcU3j0Ogm8KJI3P6Y7M01U_ZdtOKpfeuUk7dvhrMlJHuMUfLKdkvtS3J-SN3PbSAgjuIHN-arNbU7bElif7RoUNuPa9dw3K9C/s320/fold.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1484724984/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1484724984&linkCode=as2&tag=scripting4v5-site-20&linkId=PMSQSO5E2SWRK62W" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1484724984/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1484724984&linkCode=as2&tag=scripting4v5-site-20&linkId=PMSQSO5E2SWRK62W" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><strong>Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Lost Stars by Claudia Gray</strong></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">. If you’re a Star Wars fan like I am you’re probably anxiously awaiting The Force Awakens movie on December 18th as well as the additions of Star Wars Land to Hollywood Studios and Disneyland. This book will wet your appetite before the new movie comes out. The story takes place during the original trilogy but offers a new perspective in which the main characters don’t really know anything about The Force, the Jedi, the Dark Side, etc. which I think is a theme that will carry over into The Force Awakens. The story also ends about a year or two after The Battle of Endor in Return of the Jedi and does contain the Battle of Jakku and how at least one of those Star Destroyers ends up smashed on the desert planet. If you’re only going to read one Star Wars related book, this is the one.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPpKj_76Iyxe9q2a9BnBjIp9S7cnsBQ-v4-tRGg2EttXmJFxpZCVP9Zt7hvxL4i9CJSTZLMQFvmygk0EWZ6Cxl7KsxnVHmpUxSv2L6y4WyQZYYZIeNZ1y7kYwbgSn7BbrHBajsarCGZg4x/s1600/51gF3dYpeTL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPpKj_76Iyxe9q2a9BnBjIp9S7cnsBQ-v4-tRGg2EttXmJFxpZCVP9Zt7hvxL4i9CJSTZLMQFvmygk0EWZ6Cxl7KsxnVHmpUxSv2L6y4WyQZYYZIeNZ1y7kYwbgSn7BbrHBajsarCGZg4x/s200/51gF3dYpeTL.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">What gifts are you getting your coaster enthusiast friends? Which coaster gifts are you hoping to find under the tree this year? Discuss in the comments section below.</span></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15585454339530843458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437545808505210475.post-18286860727660075732015-10-14T17:58:00.002-07:002015-10-14T17:58:33.357-07:00The biggest Ferris wheel is…<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">...revealed in my updated book, <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016HIOVZI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B016HIOVZI&linkCode=as2&tag=ntw-site-20&linkId=7C6AZMDRGIU4KEWV" target="_blank">The 50 BiggestFerris Wheels Ever Built.</a></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I self-published my first book, Observation Wheels,
over two years ago. In that time, the big wheel landscape has change
significantly. Projects have been cancelled, other amazing plans announced, and
the United States suddenly has two of the top five tallest observation wheels
in the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2hyvlJwtu9daz8xFMI9z_lwjHHmfMyiGL5fi728lu3kBCjE7nBE07P1g9lqqOMOwLgQnC51L86b0Q3LiO92OykLtFtXz0VEwrQL99wYuTdyQcFEVng4pdnT-yJqxykifN0t72RLYgoWlr/s1600/The+50+Biggest+Ferris+Wheels+Ever+Built+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2hyvlJwtu9daz8xFMI9z_lwjHHmfMyiGL5fi728lu3kBCjE7nBE07P1g9lqqOMOwLgQnC51L86b0Q3LiO92OykLtFtXz0VEwrQL99wYuTdyQcFEVng4pdnT-yJqxykifN0t72RLYgoWlr/s200/The+50+Biggest+Ferris+Wheels+Ever+Built+2.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To keep up with all the exciting news, I’ve
re-launched my book, both as an update and a re-branding. It’s now under the
title of The 50 Biggest Ferris Wheels Ever Built.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Besides the obvious, you’ll also learn about:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">-Who invented the Ferris wheel<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria;">-Ferris wheel history<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria;">-The difference between a Ferris wheel and an observation wheel<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria;">-Unique and unusual Ferris wheels<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria;">-How the fire department may influence the wheel’s design<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria;">-Where the biggest Ferris wheels are located<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016HIOVZI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B016HIOVZI&linkCode=as2&tag=ntw-site-20&linkId=7C6AZMDRGIU4KEWV" target="_blank">Get The 50 Biggest Ferris Wheels Ever Built on Amazon.com today!</a></span></span></div>
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Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15585454339530843458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437545808505210475.post-8422692772002863502015-07-20T16:41:00.003-07:002015-07-20T16:41:28.521-07:00Pirate Island Boat Ride<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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TheColumbus Zoo have revamped their boat ride into Pirate Island. Check it out by watching the video below:</div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gXqBaAl0bGk?rel=0" width="560"></iframe></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15585454339530843458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437545808505210475.post-36380320408225993832015-06-18T18:33:00.004-07:002015-06-18T18:33:48.659-07:00A new and interesting look at roller coaster history<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1514150794/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1514150794&linkCode=as2&tag=ntw-site-20&linkId=EHROMDEZHH4P4PH6" target="_blank">50 Groundbreaking Roller Coasters</a></b> is a comprehensive list of the most influential scream machines that drove the evolution of the modern roller coaster. It's a new and interesting look at roller coaster history. What makes a majority of the roller coasters listed in this book even more impressive is the fact that they were designed using pencil and paper rather than computers.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyIWrJ_mjs-ADDE0BlKciJDR32VMkscb2dlYLZDZqWUImyiNJGoO-4NOj8TEISy20CVnWCzebyX36nUUOSfoPaYhoh_6iD9bgPKH_4pQU-tPbajC427onvS1FH3tP4syX8VRtBSAWvnWlm/s1600/Coaster_Cover_Revised_2-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="book about roller coaster history" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyIWrJ_mjs-ADDE0BlKciJDR32VMkscb2dlYLZDZqWUImyiNJGoO-4NOj8TEISy20CVnWCzebyX36nUUOSfoPaYhoh_6iD9bgPKH_4pQU-tPbajC427onvS1FH3tP4syX8VRtBSAWvnWlm/s320/Coaster_Cover_Revised_2-2.jpg" title="roller coaster history book" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">The groundbreaking scream machines that shaped the evolution of the roller coaster made this list because they were the first of their kind, crossed a threshold that had never been broken before, or have some other historical or cultural significance, such as: </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><br /></span>
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<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">The first floorless coaster. </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">The first to use lap bar restraints. </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">The first to use Linear Induction Motors. </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">The first to have two hills over 100 feet. </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">The first modern wooden coaster built in China.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> The first steel inverting coaster. </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">The first to break 100mph. </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">The biggest wooden coaster ever built. </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">And much more! </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Trace the evolution of white knuckle rides through these <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1514150794/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1514150794&linkCode=as2&tag=ntw-site-20&linkId=EHROMDEZHH4P4PH6" target="_blank">50 Groundbreaking Roller Coasters.</a> If you're looking for a book about roller coaster history, this is for you!</span></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15585454339530843458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437545808505210475.post-22163862465831533832015-04-23T19:17:00.002-07:002015-04-23T19:17:39.276-07:00Disney's Polynesian Village Resort Map 2015<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I recently had the wonderful opportunity to stay at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort. Below are a few pictures and a resort map. Enjoy!</div>
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Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15585454339530843458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437545808505210475.post-30598580852226687842015-03-08T18:00:00.002-07:002015-03-08T18:00:22.059-07:00Most Unique Roller Coasters Ever Built<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaY49Kb4q2E_RTkgNn5ILRQJawdaXvRbfalroIi6KljlrGj5PYNAquj4RaVaeHaXLyde_pruwsJ_bZtDzpW73oB3WYfmMLdrvP_CNosCEWOMoAfzZD_VQr6C4aJLH8WB_sJEgwZd8XH2-Z/s1600/goliath+cover+blue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="unique roller coasters" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaY49Kb4q2E_RTkgNn5ILRQJawdaXvRbfalroIi6KljlrGj5PYNAquj4RaVaeHaXLyde_pruwsJ_bZtDzpW73oB3WYfmMLdrvP_CNosCEWOMoAfzZD_VQr6C4aJLH8WB_sJEgwZd8XH2-Z/s1600/goliath+cover+blue.jpg" height="221" title="unique roller coasters" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Tired of the same old, rickety wooden roller coasters? Crave more thrills than the typical vertical loops and camelback hills found at every local amusement park? Fortunately, roller coasters come in a mind-blowing profusion of styles, shapes, and sizes. From innovative track designs to unusual seating configurations, from ridiculous locations to bizarre theming, the experience never gets old.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">In <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TNPQGBA/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00TNPQGBA&linkCode=as2&tag=rct4-site-20&linkId=2VQXYE52OCX7VOPO" target="_blank"><i><b>The 50 Most Unique Roller Coasters Ever Built</b></i></a> you’ll explore a roller coaster… </span><br />
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<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">powered by people.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">inspired a popular computer game.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">uses a Ferris wheel as a lift.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">requires an on-board brakeman.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">where the louder you scream the faster you go.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">built on top of a skyscraper.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">known as the “dog fart” coaster (yes, you read that right!).</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span></li>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The 50 Most Unique Roller Coasters Ever Built is a list comprised of unusual, rare, and hard to find scream machines. </span><br />
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Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15585454339530843458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437545808505210475.post-75226153513598556062014-11-18T17:58:00.000-08:002014-11-18T17:58:31.276-08:00Wonder Mountain’s Guardian Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Knott’s Berry Farm recently announced the addition of a new dark ride, Voyage to the Iron Reef, and I couldn’t be more excited because last month I got to experience its predecessor, Wonder Mountain’s Guardian at Canada's Wonderland. I got to ride Guardian twice, once with the standard version and once with the zombie overlay - pretty cool how they can instantly change the media. The roller coaster portion is pretty weak, the vehicles don’t track well at all, lots of side to side vibration, but that's not the reason for riding, the game is. The shooting part is much better than your average Sally shooter. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s like a video game in that if you kill all the bad guys in a scene it automatically generates more of them for you to shoot at. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">You load the vehicles sitting forwards or backwards. The frontwards side is way better because once you enter the dark portion the seats rotate to face either side of the track but on one side the screens are continuous (though there’s no shooting during the curved screens). The cars are propelled by drive tires down the straighaways and gravity in the curves. </span></div>
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/88/Wonder_Mountain's_Guardian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/88/Wonder_Mountain's_Guardian.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-ce620460-c5c0-f3b1-c998-6c7f648d54db"><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Overall, I am really impressed by Guardian but I hope they improve upon it in future iterations. In one of the articles about Knott’s ride they said “The ride vehicles will rotate, change speed and even briefly pause as they move between video screens separated by three-dimensional themed sets.” The 3 dimensional sets part has me intrigued because Guardian has none, it's all screens. Two other improvements: </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;">the clarity of the images and the ride length (though I think the limiting factor on the ride time is battery capacity for the guns). </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Anyone else rode Guardian? What did you think?</span></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15585454339530843458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437545808505210475.post-77687705485602343202014-09-10T20:05:00.000-07:002014-09-10T20:05:17.659-07:0020 Terrifying Roller Coasters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The world’s coaster count is rapidly approaching three- thousand operating rides. Coaster enthusiasts strap themselves into these scream machines simply because they love being scared in a safe environment. What factors make a ride terrifying? Height, speed, inversions, backwards segments, unique track elements, darkness, and unexpected surprises all contribute to making your head spin and your knees tremble.<br />
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See 20 Terrifying Roller Coasters in my new presentations shared on Slideshare:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="355" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/38916397" style="border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid #CCC; margin-bottom: 5px; max-width: 100%;" width="425"> </iframe> <br />
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<strong> <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/ntweisen/the-50-most-terrifying-roller-coasters-ever-built" target="_blank" title="The 50 Most Terrifying Roller Coasters Ever Built">The 50 Most Terrifying Roller Coasters Ever Built</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="https://www.slideshare.net/ntweisen" target="_blank">Nick Weisenberger</a></strong> </div>
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Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15585454339530843458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437545808505210475.post-66617760345078315212014-09-03T19:30:00.001-07:002014-09-03T19:30:26.069-07:00Roller Coaster Video Game Comparison<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's a great time to be a fan of roller coaster video games. The RollerCoaster Tycoon series has been brought back to life with RCT4M and the upcoming RollerCoaster Tycoon World. But that's not all. ScreamRide is an upcoming new destruction type game for Xbox. Parkitect looks to be closely related to RCT1 and RCT2 with updated graphics. WaterPark Tycoon is now available. Oh yeah, and there's the awesome looking Theme Park Studio and NoLimits 2. How to keep all these games straight? And what is the best one for you? <br />
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Check out the <a href="http://www.rct4releasedate.com/roller-coaster-game-guide/" target="_blank">Roller Coaster Game Guide</a>, a page designed to show you the pros, cons, features, and costs of each game so you can decided which one fits your personality the best.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6-9DEMuF5lKt4aRN45VzzzhaQ3mEXFWwRfTvGer-AFkGSGBuVlAL7HvcGuarjwETgYWl4bohkV8crg_EYXt4zxRBL_L_kCyOo-n0ylW9XziBQo7rypHuB9gFpa-u4ttb1UtQyECP2Vmee/s1600/rollercoaster+tycoon+world+screenshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6-9DEMuF5lKt4aRN45VzzzhaQ3mEXFWwRfTvGer-AFkGSGBuVlAL7HvcGuarjwETgYWl4bohkV8crg_EYXt4zxRBL_L_kCyOo-n0ylW9XziBQo7rypHuB9gFpa-u4ttb1UtQyECP2Vmee/s1600/rollercoaster+tycoon+world+screenshot.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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To learn more and see trailers and game play for each theme park simulator, go here:<br />
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<a href="http://www.rct4releasedate.com/roller-coaster-game-guide/">http://www.rct4releasedate.com/roller-coaster-game-guide/</a><br />
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Which coaster game are you most looking forward to?</div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15585454339530843458noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437545808505210475.post-33305494323689772182014-07-14T19:13:00.000-07:002014-07-14T19:13:29.534-07:00Escape from Gringotts Layout and Ride Details<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts</b> ride opened at Universal Studios Florida to massive praise, frequent breakdowns, and seven hour plus wait times. Not a lot of details have been released by Universal about this amazing attraction so I thought I would try to shed some light on a few things. So, ya know, spoiler alert.<br />
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Escape from Gringotts Ride Details</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEPHb_lviDaSCBgOVsjII0W5uBnvjeB5tcPzNcv-19iwVuECr1fygEzcjKWrYz2QFq1pd1XTGCH1CuIH6LeNaykNhKbe6w5pmrk-12cgAkbK3-o5Nfa9oUMV1ANvboU3Fd0kgsNT16AoXm/s1600/Harry-Potter-Escape-From-Gringotts-Car.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="escape from gringotts cars" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEPHb_lviDaSCBgOVsjII0W5uBnvjeB5tcPzNcv-19iwVuECr1fygEzcjKWrYz2QFq1pd1XTGCH1CuIH6LeNaykNhKbe6w5pmrk-12cgAkbK3-o5Nfa9oUMV1ANvboU3Fd0kgsNT16AoXm/s1600/Harry-Potter-Escape-From-Gringotts-Car.jpg" height="277" title="escape from gringotts cars" width="320" /></a></div>
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For Escape from Gringotts, Universal took their Men in Black/Cat in the Hat ride vehicle (RV) and stuck it on an Intamin manufactured roller coaster track. This means the vehicles are connected to a power source most of the way because the cars can spin 360 degrees (a controlled spin). It seems there is only one section of track towards the beginning of the ride where gravity is in control. The rest of the ride the RVs are pushed along by rubber kicker tires. Here's a clear picture taken during an evacuation of the coaster track with the pusher tires. Also notice how high up the people sit in comparison to the rails - tall enough to fit the hardware the spins the seats around.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfy1-yMF5zjYFKGKAbqONb-ZMcMBay-RN7T6IGMqkh79x8gvUJQLRLGbOwKVFji8GFLO0nx3JD_41R8sZFueODHx7a69UNlAbnMcvhREpHgcdU6itLsM9SyObc8701FEhnHPCAsTmNFjKB/s1600/escape+from+gringotts+lights+on.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfy1-yMF5zjYFKGKAbqONb-ZMcMBay-RN7T6IGMqkh79x8gvUJQLRLGbOwKVFji8GFLO0nx3JD_41R8sZFueODHx7a69UNlAbnMcvhREpHgcdU6itLsM9SyObc8701FEhnHPCAsTmNFjKB/s1600/escape+from+gringotts+lights+on.jpg" height="235" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">There is a unique track element that takes you into the first drop: a teeter-totter like track that tilts down at a forty degree angle before releasing the trains into a dark tunnel. It works the same way as the Gravity Max tilt coaster only not as steep.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeqC4mAs_XfAci_M7JrJ2SNFgb152kKjvodrRJPXP2wzSWQLnuet6uNRxkrTc4gZJ1w8WOwLnJS6nghoJKLNiLEZEwOnQ7Lb3YqW6uO6xiQ0MHI-FkGcbcBhsADWjRD4_DN1zJd-e5Acd7/s1600/gringott+sets.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeqC4mAs_XfAci_M7JrJ2SNFgb152kKjvodrRJPXP2wzSWQLnuet6uNRxkrTc4gZJ1w8WOwLnJS6nghoJKLNiLEZEwOnQ7Lb3YqW6uO6xiQ0MHI-FkGcbcBhsADWjRD4_DN1zJd-e5Acd7/s1600/gringott+sets.png" height="175" width="320" /></a></div>
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Escape from Gringotts uses a combination of physical sets plus projection screens. Edge blending and brighter projectors allows almost 360 degree screens where individual scenes can last as long as 40 seconds instead of just ten. </div>
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Here's a CAD concept rendering followed by the real thing (notice the tires):</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu9U13ZYiH3oMCrIfBnUbHKJGu5Z2QYCD0eNsYk79AylahBgbDTUoqA6FDDgZ5Jo29hdZFt7t5hOa5gsKKIvjl56PJcXblYQPGPKrfX0ccllNIlArpPgBf8CxpKBEn4LTwRQNcOwDQ970e/s1600/escape+from+gringotts+rendering.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu9U13ZYiH3oMCrIfBnUbHKJGu5Z2QYCD0eNsYk79AylahBgbDTUoqA6FDDgZ5Jo29hdZFt7t5hOa5gsKKIvjl56PJcXblYQPGPKrfX0ccllNIlArpPgBf8CxpKBEn4LTwRQNcOwDQ970e/s1600/escape+from+gringotts+rendering.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZwqIgaScAfNvUoE_uw9Jkz3nZuOndxUReCRjblSCWrUjlXaGv3aS_xqzqnnP7qG1YPDYKtdNCBkgJmBwjPpp2h9Z_-xWffGJzxUi25LmHyMUncit-85UuwFEMaxx96UI4RY0RdPlcumm2/s1600/gringotts+vaults.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZwqIgaScAfNvUoE_uw9Jkz3nZuOndxUReCRjblSCWrUjlXaGv3aS_xqzqnnP7qG1YPDYKtdNCBkgJmBwjPpp2h9Z_-xWffGJzxUi25LmHyMUncit-85UuwFEMaxx96UI4RY0RdPlcumm2/s1600/gringotts+vaults.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Pictured below is the Escape from Gringotts layout diagram:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwi9_nLMdGWbgBfk5vZGWuaqOXz_KcggrTig99WiQ6RUy1r-9A9rZ72V5icTW8XsW4oS12mC_ecZjAscXpHdaHj0iVSO0k6TstYXeFvvw2875euI2H0M0sZffnquL8whJnLSiO8OZkYE9E/s1600/escape+from+gringotts+layout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="escape from gringotts layout" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwi9_nLMdGWbgBfk5vZGWuaqOXz_KcggrTig99WiQ6RUy1r-9A9rZ72V5icTW8XsW4oS12mC_ecZjAscXpHdaHj0iVSO0k6TstYXeFvvw2875euI2H0M0sZffnquL8whJnLSiO8OZkYE9E/s1600/escape+from+gringotts+layout.jpg" height="213" title="escape from gringotts layout" width="320" /></a></div>
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You may want to watch this on mute but it's the best video I've seen that shows the motion of the RVs.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/boH4D5pQmWI?rel=0" width="560"></iframe>
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Escape from Gringotts FAQ</h3>
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I'm seeing a lot of the same questions asked over and over on YouTube and other articles so here are the answers to those frequently asked questions:<br />
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Q: Does Escape from Gringotts go upside down?<br />
A: No<br />
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Q: Is there a singles rider line?<br />
A: Yes<br />
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Q: Is there an Express Pass line?<br />
A: Not at this time (maybe in the future)<br />
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Q: How many drops are there? How big are the drops?<br />
A: There is really only one major drop on the ride where gravity is in full control and it's only about 3 stories in height. Basically, the height you climb the stairs to get to the loading platform is the height of the biggest drop.<br />
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Q: Is Escape from Gringotts in 2D or 3D?<br />
A: Riders wear 3D glasses.<br />
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Q: Are there any audio-anamtronics (AAs) during the ride?<br />
A: During the ride, no, there are no AAs but there are several throughout the detailed queue.<br />
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Q: Is Harry Potter seen in the attraction?<br />
A: Yes, but he is a CGI character.<br />
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Q: What is the height requirement?<br />
A: 42 inches<br />
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Q: How many trains are there?<br />
A: There are 9 trains (two cars per train, 12 passengers per car).<br />
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Q: How fast does Escape from Gringotts go?<br />
A: Universal has not released any official ride details. My guess is between 20-30mph max. The forward motion combined with the spinning motion in tight quarters makes the ride feel faster than it actually is.<br />
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Final Thoughts</h3>
Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts is a new type of high-tech thrill ride combining roller coaster type elements with simulator and dark rides. If you have any questions to had to the FAQ please comment below!<br />
<br />
Want to know the story behind the "other" Harry Potter ride? Check out <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KH0G2I2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00KH0G2I2&linkCode=as2&tag=ca0a8-20&linkId=XWL46PVB5Y7OFKQX" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Secrets of the Forbidden Journey </a>to learn how robotic arms on track make you feel like you're flying with Harry Potter!</div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15585454339530843458noreply@blogger.com8