Universal Orlando Resort Expansion (Part 1)

[freediverdude]

I haven't been to Cedar Point since the Corkscrew and the Demon Drop were the latest and greatest, so it's been a loooooong time, lol. Never stayed at the hotel though, maybe that makes the difference between seeming like a Six Flags and more of a resort. At least back then it did seem mostly like a Six Flags. It did have a marina though, which was interesting that boats could pull right up to the park.

 

[TylerDurden]

I haven't been to Cedar Point since the Corkscrew and the Demon Drop were the latest and greatest, so it's been a loooooong time, lol. Never stayed at the hotel though, maybe that makes the difference between seeming like a Six Flags and more of a resort. At least back then it did seem mostly like a Six Flags. It did have a marina though, which was interesting that boats could pull right up to the park.

Its a much different park now...soooo many great rides since the '70's, you should definitely go back!

 

[IzzyB]

Idlewild, the world's best kiddie park, and beautiful to boot in it's mountain setting. Izzie, they've redone the water park area and even put in a small lazy river.

I just remember the massive size pool at the water park area, I think there was an island type thing in the middle. I was pretty young and it probably felt bigger than it really was. My mom's work picnics were there every year (I think I was 13 when the picnics started) and I remember being bored to death the older I got, but I also remember not doing the water part the older I got, not sure why. I still loved Mister Roger's Neighborhood ride, but I had to get my dad to ride with us, since if you are taller than a certain size you needed an adult with you. Never have seen that restriction on any other ride I have ever been on - lol

I do remember it being very spread out and very woodsie, but also a great place for kids. I am excited to take my daughter, BUT I will be more excited next year when we take her to Kennywood. Because that is the park I grew up on. I went from a baby on up because my sister was 6 years older than me and so she started the school days the year I was born. Everyone in our school went since we got off school for it. So it was always this huge neighborhood get together for our neighborhood. The parents took off work and we would all meet in the one larger restaurant for dinner. Which in later years they changed and it made it harder to meet there. But we were all older by that point and it started to break up before then. At some point the older kids want to go without their parents - lol

There is just something about those older parks (KW, CP, Idlewild) that the new parks don't capture. I love the history around them and the older buildings/rides. I know Disney has the magic part down pat, but to me there has always been something magical about those types of parks. Something you can never capture in a newer park. I never realized that until I grew up and moved to other places that didn't have parks like those. The wooden rollercoasters they had were not wooden in my book.

 

[TheMackMachine]

I love Cedar Point to death but that's because we book a lake-view hotel room and enjoy riding the rides that have been around for so long (Magnum is one of my all time favorites). If you built Cedar Point today, identical down to the very last brick and bolt, and put it in Jackson NJ or Valencia CA, or somewhere somewhat bleh, it would not have the same draw, I'm almost positive. And it especially wouldn't survive in Orlando.

You're right and the big difference between a destination and just a theme park is hotels and the amount of transportation offered. Jackson, NJ is truly is the middle of nowhere in New Jersey. Not much to do in Jackson other than the outlets and Six Flags. Why they chose Jackson is because it's next to a major interstate highway, and there is a ton of land to expand into. If they went closer to the Jersey Shore or Philadelphia, they would have been landlocked. Six Flags Great Adventure is the perfect example of a local theme park, but because of the roller coasters that have opened in the last 20+ years, it is a destination of coaster enthusiasts.

That's what I think about Cedar Point, because of the coasters. I'm not sure how many hotels are in that area, but that will make or break a destination park.

Speaking of destination parks, isn't this thread supposed to be about one? I think it rhymes with Muniversal.

:focus:

Hockeyman, I would love to see a Tokyo Disney Seas park in Orlando, but I thought it would Disney to bring it there as a 5th park (or retheme AK). Though I think Universal can pull it off.

 

[Thatguyoverwhere]

Haha. I hadn't heard. By 10 acres! That's hilarious.

Isn't that also the park that beat Cedar Point's world record for tallest roller coaster by making a clone that was like 10 feet taller, as well as a bunch of other world records that it broke by some infinitesimal amount?

 

[LHZY]

Isn't that also the park that beat Cedar Point's world record for tallest roller coaster by making a clone that was like 10 feet taller, as well as a bunch of other world records that it broke by some infinitesimal amount?

Yep. :bang:

 

[Cheezbat]

Isn't that also the park that beat Cedar Point's world record for tallest roller coaster by making a clone that was like 10 feet taller, as well as a bunch of other world records that it broke by some infinitesimal amount?

Actually, the tallest before Cedar Points Top Thrill Dragster(420 feet) was Superman the Escape at Magic Mountain( the park that has 18 coasters). It was 415 feet tall.

Kingda Ka at Great Adventure is 456 feet tall...beating out TTD by 36 feet...also goes 8 mph faster too.

It made sense to me that since a Six Flags park did it first, they'd want their record back eventually, even if it meant being placed in a different Six Flags.

 

[LHZY]

Actually, the tallest before Cedar Points Top Thrill Dragster(420 feet) was Superman the Escape at Magic Mountain( the park that has 18 coasters). It was 415 feet tall.

Kingda Ka at Great Adventure is 456 feet tall...beating out TTD by 36 feet...also goes 8 mph faster too.

It made sense to me that since a Six Flags park did it first, they'd want their record back eventually, even if it meant being placed in a different Six Flags.

You made it sound like cedar point copied superman great escape, and if six flags wanted the record back did they need to copy cedar point ttd to do it.

 

[Hockeyman55]

Superman the Escape at Magic Mountain( the park that has 18 coasters). It was 415 feet tall.

They should have counted this record by how far the coaster actually makes it up the incline

 

[TylerDurden]

Actually, the tallest before Cedar Points Top Thrill Dragster(420 feet) was Superman the Escape at Magic Mountain( the park that has 18 coasters). It was 415 feet tall.

Kingda Ka at Great Adventure is 456 feet tall...beating out TTD by 36 feet...also goes 8 mph faster too.

It made sense to me that since a Six Flags park did it first, they'd want their record back eventually, even if it meant being placed in a different Six Flags.

When measuring records like this, people generally look at complete circuit roller coasters, which Superman is not. Goliath was the tallest complete circuit roller coaster for a few months before Millenium Force opened up, so Ill give you that one...but TTD/Kingda Ka are pretty different in style and classification than Superman Great Escape (and also Tower of Terror in Dreamworld Australia).

 

[Cheezbat]

When measuring records like this, people generally look at complete circuit roller coasters, which Superman is not. Goliath was the tallest complete circuit roller coaster for a few months before Millenium Force opened up, so Ill give you that one...but TTD/Kingda Ka are pretty different in style and classification than Superman Great Escape (and also Tower of Terror in Dreamworld Australia).

You do know that Superman the Escape was Intamin's first attempt at a launch coaster over 100 mph....from what I've heard original plans called for a full circuit coaster to be built, but the unreliability of the speed and climb of the train forced them to rethink the concept. The 205 foot tall Xcelerator at Knotts Berry Farm was the new design test to see if something like that could be achieved...and of course a few years after that Cedar Point took a chance on their mega top hat 'strata' coaster...and Six Flags being the envious competitor took a shot at an even bigger version two years later with Kingda Ka.

Gosh I miss the days when the technology and size and design of coasters was such a big deal in the coaster wars. Nowdays it's just not the same. (At least we still get some quality coasters now and then.)

 

[Cruiseshipfan]

You do know that Superman the Escape was Intamin's first attempt at a launch coaster over 100 mph....from what I've heard original plans called for a full circuit coaster to be built, but the unreliability of the speed and climb of the train forced them to rethink the concept. The 205 foot tall Xcelerator at Knotts Berry Farm was the new design test to see if something like that could be achieved...and of course a few years after that Cedar Point took a chance on their mega top hat 'strata' coaster...and Six Flags being the envious competitor took a shot at an even bigger version two years later with Kingda Ka.Gosh I miss the days when the technology and size and design of coasters was such a big deal in the coaster wars. Nowdays it's just not the same. (At least we still get some quality coasters now and then.)

Sorry but that is not correct. Tower Of Terror was before that. The ride was identical except it only has one track instead of two. Then somehow Six Flags managed to take records off the ride even though its exactly the same. Six Flags has also taken ideas from the Tower of Terror's refurb to Tower Of Terror 2 and the installation of a drop tower on the side of the tower.

 

[KreativeKid]

Except for Tower of Terror hardly makes it halfway up the tower, and Superman makes it about 3/4's up the tower, which still isn't a great accomplishment.

Either way, those shouldn't even qualify as coasters, when they are actually closer to being a freefall attraction.

 

[Cruiseshipfan]

Except for Tower of Terror hardly makes it halfway up the tower, and Superman makes it about 3/4's up the tower, which still isn't a great accomplishment.

Either way, those shouldn't even qualify as coasters, when they are actually closer to being a freefall attraction.

It used to make it up but has died off. Most likely due to them trying to save power, as the ride more then doubles the parks electricity usage when launched. And electricity prices are going through the roof out here. But it did go just as high before.

 

[KRAKENvsMANTA]

I thought this thread was about a possible UOR expansion...

 

[Cruiseshipfan]

I thought this thread was about a possible UOR expansion...

This is happening in almost all threads because there is just nothing else to talk about at the moment.

 

[Hockeyman55]

Either way, those shouldn't even qualify as coasters, when they are actually closer to being a freefall attraction.

It shouldn't and I agree that it should be counted as a free attraction but sadly it is considered a coaster in the record books

 

[TylerDurden]

Except for Tower of Terror hardly makes it halfway up the tower, and Superman makes it about 3/4's up the tower, which still isn't a great accomplishment.

Either way, those shouldn't even qualify as coasters, when they are actually closer to being a freefall attraction.

I agree...I barely even think TTD/Kingda Ka count but at least moreso than Superman Escape. In any case, at least rides like that are in the past.

 

[Cheezbat]

Sorry but that is not correct. Tower Of Terror was before that. The ride was identical except it only has one track instead of two. Then somehow Six Flags managed to take records off the ride even though its exactly the same. Six Flags has also taken ideas from the Tower of Terror's refurb to Tower Of Terror 2 and the installation of a drop tower on the side of the tower.

I heard Tower of Terror only hits 90 mph?

 

[TylerDurden]

I heard Tower of Terror only hits 90 mph?

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_Terror_II_(Dreamworld)