Six Flags Great Adventure 5/28/12

This post of mine is a personal experience I had at Six Flags on Saturday. I go every year plenty of times, way more than the average person so I know that park forward and backward. When I went, I got in very early and headed straight to the newest ride that was built and just released, SkyScreamer.

It's a swing ride that lifts riders over 200 feet above the ground. The line quickly grew to a very long length. When we finally got onto the ride after it broke down for a while, we were very excited to see what would happen. Commercials seem to make the ride seem taller than it really is although it is a lot more thrilling than regular swings. It was very peaceful however and only lasted for a little while so I am not completely sure if I would wait on a long line for it again. Its one of those rides you go on for the heck of it.

The day was scorching hot, I even got some color just standing in line. Make sure to bring suntan lotion to protect yourself from a nasty burn because the sun has no mercy. For Memorial Day weekend the lines in the park were not very long. Even Kingda Ka had a 10 minute wait.

For hot days like these I would recommend getting the souvenir bottle that cost $15 for one and less for each additional one you purchase. The same day you buy it, you can get as many refills as you wish which helps more than you think. It is the only item you can leave on the side of rides without paying and you can bring it back with you for refills that are only a dollar the rest of the year.

No Limits Coaster Simulator

For those of you who love to be innovative, there is a simulation download available online called No Limits. This is a simulator specifically for those interested in roller coasters. Bring your imagination to life by building any type of roller coaster you can think of and then have the opportunity to ride them after.

The simulator is operated with real physicals to let the creators know how realistic the ride is with g-forces and so forth. It comes along with 27 different track options that are all unique through their own operating style. Not only can one enjoy creating the life-like coasters, but also the terrain around them to give a multisensory experience.

The package comes along with several pre-made designs of real coasters such as Montu and The Lochness Monster from Busch Gardens. These rides are specifically created to be an exact replica of the real coaster and can serve as an inspiration to building new unique rides. The simulation works for Macs and PCs and goes for a one payment of $29.95.

Largest Lego Tower

Lego Land Update: Legos 80th birthday recently past and to celebrate, Korea built a tower entirely made out of Legos that measured in to a hundred and four feet and seven inches tall. This beat the world record that France set at building a tower that reached a hundred and three feet. Four thousand children is what it took in order to build this 500,000 brick structure in just five days. It attracted over 50,000 visitors outside of Olympic City Stadium in Seoul, Korea. The Legos are recorded to be the first ever branded toy in the Korean market. It took several engineers and Lego building experts to help construct the tower. Although it were kids who physically put the pieces of Legos together, engineers made sure that each pice was tightly put into place and that the tower was secure from falling over. They did this by attaching a few wires to the base of the tower so that it would remain balanced without toppling over. The children who helped put the tower together would do so by creating chunks of the tower that ended up being placed one on top of the other. It was really a group effort that paid off in the end. The tower stands with a Lego flag on top of it and is even illuminated during the evening.

Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit- Coaster Review

One of Universal Orlando's newest roller coasters, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, is an experience unlike any other that really stayed true to the Hollywood-styled theme of the park. With glimmering lights, a broad variety of soundtracks, and gravity defying turns, you will want to run back on line again and again. 


What makes this ride unlike any other is the choice of soundtrack one gets to choose upon seating. With the use of a small touch screen, you will be able to choose a song from all types whether its hip hop, electronic, or rock music, you get to choose the song you feel will make your experience the best. The songs last throughout the entire ride and are modified to fit the inversions and elements of the ride. 


Another aspect of the ride that makes it so unique is the fact that there is a camera that creates a "music video" of you're experience on the ride with the song you chose. This video is filmed throughout the duration of the entire ride where you can see your expressions and reactions to each part of the ride. This video is available for purchase like always at the end of the ride. 


Some say the best time to ride this coaster is at night time. They say this because not only is part of the track illuminated by a colorful LED display, but so are the cars. Even from all the way across the park, you will be able to see the lights soaring across the sky as it makes its way through the track. The lights correspond to each part of the track making the lighting display even more mesmerizing to watch.


The ride makes very interesting elements as well. The the roller coaster enters a series of swooping curves called the "treble clef". From above this section appears to have been inspired by the musical notation of the same name. The train climbs the treble clef and exits into another mid-course brake section. Now returning towards the station, the roller coaster enters a series of sharp turns. The first, nicknamed the "jump cut," is a unique element similar to a corkscrew, but without turning the riders upside-down. The second is the "crowd surfer," an overbanked turn that passes over portions of the queue line for the attraction.

Storm Runner- Coaster Review

Next coaster centered in the middle of Pennsylvania is Storm Runner, a launched roller coaster that is very popular in Hershey Park. Although its not a lengthy ride, its packed full with excitement unlike any other in the park. Think about a mixture of a Kingda Ka launch with inversions, now thats what I call a ride. On this Intamin Accelerator Coaster, riders are launched from 0 to 72 mph in 2 seconds. The launch has a great viewing area where onlookers can wave at their friends and families aboard the ride.The first is a large looping maneuver known as an Immelmann.

I like these inversions on B&M coasters, but this one was just so-so. Storm Runner really redeems itself with the next few elements. After the Immelmann the train climbs back up to about 100′ in the air where you perform an awesome zero-g roll. Aside from a brief feeling of weightlessness, you can see how high you are as the ground is far below. The roll is followed immediately by Storm Runner’s coup de grace. A unique inversion Intamin has dubbed the flying snake dive. It’s tough to describe and the feeling it gives is pretty disorienting. In a good way. It’s easily the highlight of the ride. After it, you fly over a stream, go through a funky banked section and then hit the station brakes. So you’ve got a coaster with an exciting if not spectacular launch, a great drop, so-so inversion, great barrel roll, and a sick new inversion. I know Hershey is strapped for space, but at least a nice long helix or some bunny hills towards then end would really help balance out the ride. Lastly, it’s a great coaster for photo ops and has a unique layout. It’s not a bad ride by any means. One to experience for yourself and to be the judge of. Still this coaster is exciting and a great ride for a nice little stream of rush to fill your body. Visit www.hersheypark.com for more details about this ride.

Fahrenheit- Coaster Review

Hershey Park is home to a ground breaking coaster known as Fahrenheit. With its 90 degree vertical lift and world breaking 97 degree first drop, its a hard ride to miss for those intense thrill seekers.


Out of the station you take a right hand turn and go into the pre-lift straightaway. The two “pushers” on the chain hit the back of the train and once both of them have hit, the lift will startup. When I was riding there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. I’ve been on a vertical lift before with Mystery Mine, but you really have no idea when you are going to be reaching the top unless you are in the front of the train.


After that menacing plunge, it’s off to the races. Fahrenheit may be compact, but Intamin must have felt a need to add as many elements as possible into the tiny footprint they were allowed, and that’s not something to complain about! First, an almost trick track element, which quickly inverts atop a hill, I believe the Intamin term for this one was “Norwegian Loop”, this element provided a wonderful pop of very unexpected airtime. Next up, a vertical climb that inverts again to right the train, to be perfectly honest, youtube.com will help with this one. That inversion lids into a valley, and then my favorite “cobra roll” of all time. Not only is it pretty, no head banging whatsoever, just pure double inversion goodness.

An excellent ride unlike any other that will make you crave for more. Go check it out, better keep your hands up!

Lego Land Florida Update

For those of you who grew up enjoying putting those little plastic pieces together to create a masterpiece would be excited to know that a Lego themed amusement park. Legoland originally opened in California several years ago, but with the growing popularity for the park, a second park constructed in Orlando was considered necessary.

On April 3rd 2012, we are close to the opening of the new park and its exciting to see how far it has come in such a short period of time. In two months the park will be opened for guests to enjoy with several rides and attractions that attract families worldwide. The park even includes a water park to cool down from the raging Florida sun and just yesterday more than half a million gallons of water were pumped into the pools by the fire department.

The water park will include a wave pool that has gentle waves to suit a young crowd, an 1000 foot lazy river to relax and cool off, twin chaser slides where you can race a friend down a slide to the finish, a joker soaker that is a water playground that splashes a 300 gallon bucket.

It is very exciting to see the growth of the park after just a few months. The new water park opens on May 26, 2012. Single-day Legoland Florida guests may upgrade to a water park attraction ticket for an additional $12 per person. Admission to the water park is included with an all-new Legoland Premium Pass, which offers 12 months admission to Legoland Florida and seasonal access to the Legoland Water Park for just $179 for adults and $149 for child/senior.