Sunday, November 30, 2008

Interview on "Balls of Steel": Part 1

These are videos of the interview of the comment: Balls of Steel.

We're on our way to the SheiKra as dad interviews me. Mom films dad starting on 1:03.




Rides in the background:

*Stanley Falls Flume
*SheiKra
*Skyride

1:13-1:17 part of the video cracked me up.

Friday, November 28, 2008

Balls of Steel

Attention commenters of "Through My Eyes" (listener and anomiverse), I have breaking news. I have... BALLS OF STEEL! I have TITANIUM TESTICLES! I bet you're all wondering why I'm saying this. It's because... I HAVE GONE ON THE SHEIKRA TODAY FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME! As part of my trip to Busch Gardens, I have gone on the SheiKra 3 times today for the first time ever! YES! That's one Thanksgiving gift I'll never forget! Here are the rides I have gone on today:

Day #1:

1. Montu (Steel/Inverted Coaster) - Egypt
2. Skyride (Sky Ride)* - Egypt/Stanleyville
3. Ubanga-Banga Bumper Cars (Bumper Cars) - Congo
4. Kumba (Steel Coaster) - Congo
5. SheiKra (Steel/Floorless/Dive Coaster)* - Stanleyville
6. SheiKra 2nd time (Steel/Floorless/Dive Coaster) - Stanleyville
7. Sandstorm (Orbiter) - Timbuktu
8. Land of the Dragons (Playground) - Bird Gardens
9. SheiKra 3rd time (Steel/Floorless/Dive Coaster) - Stanleyville
10. Gwazi (Lion) (Wooden/Dueling Coaster) - Morocco
11. Gwazi (Tiger) (Wooden/Dueling Coaster) - Morocco

Day #2:

1. Rhino Rally (Safari) - Nairobi
2. Scorpion (Steel Coaster) - Timbuktu
3. Carousel Caravan (Merry Go 'Round) - Timbuktu
4. Cheetah Chase (Wild Mouse Coaster)* - Timbuktu
5. Ubanga Banga Bumper Cars (Bumper Cars) - Congo
6. Jungle Flyers (Flyers)* - Jungala
7. Treetop Trails (Playground) - Jungala
8. Kumba (Steel Coaster) - Congo
9. Gwazi (Lion) (Wooden/Dueling Coaster) - Bird Gardens
10. Montu (Steel/Inverted Coaster) - Egypt

P.S.: Last time I went to Busch Gardens (last summer), the Skyride was closed for both days. This time, it was open. The water section of Rhino Rally was closed last time too, but this time it was open.

P.S.S.: Day #1: I've got a SheiKra shirt the first time I rode it. When I went on it the 2nd time, I bought the ride photo. When I went on it the 3rd time, the videos were out of order as it was dark, so I bought the video of us on it the 2nd time, despite the fact that the sun blocked the first part of the video as we looked down from the top.

P.S.S.S.: Day #2: We were supposed to leave by 1:00 pm. After we got off Kumba, it was nearly 1 pm. So I had to choose either SheiKra or Montu. Dad chose Montu (claiming that it was scarier), so I followed him. Still, I wish I have gone on the SheiKra a 4th time.

P.S.S.S.S.: Coming soon to my blog is:

*Photos from the trip.
*Video of me on SheiKra
*Main photo replacement. You notice the photo of me with the Horton vehicle on the Caro-Seuss-el. That's going to be replaced soon with a photo of me by the splash down of the SheiKra.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Universal Future #4 Timeline

This is the timeline of the Simpsons Ride at Universal Studios Florida. Most of the info. was from IOACentral:

October 2, 2006 - Half of Back to the Future: The Ride in Florida closed, with closure on March 30, 2007.

March 30, 2007 - The Back to the Future ride in Florida closes.

April 2007 - Simpsons Ride announced to replace BTTF in Florida.

May 2007 - Construction began with the dismantle of the original Back to the Future concrete, and disposal of the Back to the Future sign.

July 16, 2007 - Simpsons characters were put on the walls and "El Barto" was put on the walls.

October 17, 2007 - Kwik-E-Mart opens.

December 2007 - Simpsons RV is starting to appear.

January 2008 - Outdoor painting begins.

February 2008 - Outdoor painting is finished. Exterior construction begins with the Krusty head.

March 7, 2008 - Circus tents are popping up. Krusty head is ready to go.

March 9, 2008 - Krusty head was put up.

March 15, 2008 - Krustyland sign was put up. Hot dog stand opens. Posters for attractions in Krustyland are coming up.

March 27, 2008 - Simpsons Ride sign and statue of Simpsons were put up. The exterior posters for the rides in Krustyland have gone up.

April 1, 2008 - Googly eyes for the Krusty head have been put up, as well as the banners.

April 10, 2008 - Carnival midway games have been put up.

April 23, 2008 - The Simpsons Ride opens for soft openings.

May 9-11, 2008 - Annual Passholder Previews took place.

May 15, 2008 - The Simpsons Ride (Florida) officially opens.

July 14, 2008 - The Simpsons Ride in Florida had its 1,000,000th rider.

Busch Gardens Photos (August 1, 2008)

Day 2:



















That's the SheiKra. Dad's on it.



















That's dad's 2nd time on the SheiKra.



















There's the Tidal Wave water ride.



















There's us dropping on the ride.



















That's dad and I after we dropped on Tidal Wave. I was in my bathing suit because I didn't want to get my other clothes wet.



















This time, we noticed who took the picture and that was mom.



















After I got off Tidal Wave, I put my regular clothes back on.



















There's dad and I, while wearing silly hats, taking shelter in the Montu gift shop during a storm.



















Mom's wearing another silly hat.



















Goats...



















...flamingos...



















...bulls...



















...rhinos...



















...and crocodiles. All on Rhino Rally. Too bad the water section of the ride is closed.:(. Well, maybe the water section of the ride will be opened this Thanksgiving. I hope so, because that's the best part.



















That's me with a statue of a turtle.



















That's the Scorpion, the oldest still-operating roller coaster in Busch Gardens Africa. We're on the 7th row.



















Here we are. Mom zoomed in and took a picture of us at the final brakes.



















That's dad and I on the Wild Surge in the new Jungala area, which used to be the Python which closed 2006. Wild Surge's like a kiddie version of Dr. Doom's Fearfall at IOA.



















Here's a map of Jungala. This is the last picture mom took of Busch Gardens until 4 days from now.

Busch Gardens Photos (July 31, 2008)

Finally they're here. Four days before the Thanksgiving trip to Busch Gardens and the pictures of the July trip to Busch Gardens have arrived. I was hoping to do this before the trip and I did. Here are the pics:

Day 1:



















That's me with a rain poncho. The reason why I'm wearing a rain poncho is because it initially rained when I got off the tram. The Montu was on-and-off opened. Speaking of Montu, there is a bus behind me called the "Montu Express Tour."



















That's me "driving" a car with a lion on it! AHHH! lol. Anyways, this was in the Nairobi section of the park.



















There's a donkey in the Clydesdale Hamlet, and its with me.



















Finally, someone other than me! That's mom on the Serengeti Express.
























There it is! SHEIKRA! America's first dive machine!
























I cannot wait to go on this!
























In four days, I shall return to go on it!



















That's the Lion side of the Gwazi behind those trees. I think that's us on it.



















As you can see, that's the Montu, my favorite ride in Busch Gardens other than the Kumba. It looks like its leaving the station. After I got off the Lion's side of the Gwazi, I rushed over to the Montu before it rains. I reached the station in time but it rained and I stayed there for 45 minutes or so. If you look more close through the light, you can see my dad and I.



















There's the Hospitality House in Bird Gardens. After the Montu, I went to Bird Gardens after I ate at the Crown Colony restaurant (which I remember eating before when I was little). We took shelter there at first and later at the Montu gift shop next day. I love the topiaries. SheiKra's in the background.



















Close-up on the sign. SheiKra's still in the background.



















There is one of those Land of the Dragons attractions that made me feel a year younger, and my dad's on it.



















Now I've joined his party.

The Adventures of Squanto

The Adventures of Squanto will be an attraction opening with a Universal-owned park called Islands of Discovery (a version of Islands of Adventure in Orlando, FL) at Plymouth, MA. It will be on Patuxet Island and will be a stunt show.

Queue: Guests walk through a building themed to an Indian village. Guests look down on the village (a similar thing with Men in Black: Alien Attack). What's included in the village are audio-animatronics of Patuxet. After a minute or two, the doors open.

Main Show: Guests meander to a theater room where they sit down on a row of wooden seats. The show begins with a Patuxet indian saying "You have heard of the Indian known as Squanto, but you do not know the actual history." The curtains open and it shows Squanto's childhood, the time he's captured by Spain and sent to England, the time he returns and gets captured again, and while he's gone the Patuxet indians died due to a plague. The story continues when Squanto returns and discovers that the Patuxet were dead, and how he helped the Pilgrims survive the winter. The show ends with the First Thanksgiving.

Universal Plymouth Resort

Islands of Discovery

I'm thinking of doing a different Islands of Adventure theme park. The Florida one consists of:

*Port of Entry
*Marvel Superhero Island
*Toon Lagoon
*Jurassic Park
*Wizarding World of Harry Potter
*Lost Continent
*Seuss's Landing

Now I'm thinking of doing another one near Plymouth. It should be called Islands of Discovery. The lighthouse will still be the icon. The island line-up will be different though:

*Port of Entry
*Seuss's Landing
*Jurassic Park
*Marvel Superhero Island
*Patuxet Island (instead of Lost Continent)
*Toon Lagoon
*The World of Twilight (instead of Harry Potter)

-The real jewel is the Patuxet Island. Most attractions and restaurants are versions of attractions and restaurants from the Lost Continent:

Rides:

*The Hunt of the Owl (a version of the Flying Unicorn)
*Dueling Serpents (a version of Dueling Dragons)
*The Adventures of Squanto (a version of the Eighth Voyage of Sinbad)
*Turkey Chase
*Plymouth Rock (a version of the Mystic Fountain)

Turkey Chase is the only attraction that does not have a version at IOA. It will be a Wild Mouse coaster themed to the First Thanksgiving.

Shops:

*The Serpent's Keep (a version of the Dragon's Keep)
*Treasures of Squanto (a version of Treasures of Poseidon)

Restaurants:

*The First Thanksgiving Feast (a version of the Enchanted Oak Tavern)
*Patuxet Grill (a version of Fire Eater's Grill)

Cartoon Network Studios

The only attraction that is announced at this time is Underfist: The Ride, a steel and floorless coaster in the Endsville section of the park.

Universal Studios Massachusetts

Hollywood:

*Back to the Future: The Ride
*Hollywood Blockbuster Coaster
*Terminator 2: 3D
*Shrek 4D
*E.T. Adventure
*Animal Actors
*Studio Tour

New York:

*Horror Make-Up Show
*Blues Brothers LIVE!
*Day After Tomorrow: The Ride
*Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride
*Beetlejuice

San Francisco:

*Earthquake: The Big One
*Backdraft
*Disaster: A Major Motion Picture Ride... Starring You!

Amity Village:

*Jaws

Nickelodeon Studios:

*Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast

Krustyland:

*Simpsons Ride

Woody Woodpecker's Kid Zone:

*Fievel's Playland
*A Day in the Park with Barney
*Curious George
*Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster

Water World:

*Water World: A Live Sea War Spectacular

New England:

*Mamma Mia LIVE!
*1776: The Musical
*Journey to the Center of the Earth: The Ride
*Transformers: The Ride