We're Back, and We're Stuffed

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Well, after a Holiday Hiatus, we're back! First thing I want to do before getting to some editorials is to catch up on some of the bigger news.

So, the Transformers ride is opening. This is considered big news, so here's a recap. It's basically a new version of the Spiderman ride in my viewpoint, but I suppose this is a good backup plan for Universal if and when they ever lose their Marvel license to Disney. Slashfilm reported recently that the attraction vehicle is an actual transformer. Your car is a character. My good friends over at Topless Robot had this to say:

Transformers: The Movie: the Ride is just about ready to open in Universal Studios Singapore, and one of the local news stations did this report on what getting to the ride will be like. I feel like it's notable for two reasons:
1) That it could take up to 1.5 hours of waiting in line to actually get on Transformers: The Ride. The idea that anyone would wait up to 90 minutes for a ride based on Bayformers -- unless they were some sort of war criminal, and this was their court-mandated punishment -- depresses me to no end.
2) On the other hand, as the newslady is happy to point out, the walls surrounding the queue will be full of buttons to press and switches to flip, so that people can "entertain" themselves while waiting. By pressing buttons and hitting switches. Like developing infants do with toys.

As harsh as that sounds, I can't disagree. However, I'm sure I'll be amazed with the technology once it opens. You can make up your own mind by viewing this video.


In other news:

-I should point out that we have seen a new type of ticketing system put into use that could possibly eliminate turnstiles.

-Coney Island is celebrating its roots with some new construction work.

-Kennywood sold Pitfall, so could a new ride be on the way?

-TDS celebrates its 10 birthday just in time for the holidays.

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! And if you didn't, it could be worse. The Pilgrims had to catch their own turkey. I'll leave you with a look at what that might have looked like, courtesy of Sally Dark Rides.

...we're back?

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Hello readers!

First of all, I definitely need to apologize for the lack of updates. I've been ridiculously busy with other things over the past several months, and I regret not updating this sooner. Sadly, I simply haven't had time. Thank you to those who have continued to visit and check on the site - I appreciate it greatly.

On that note, I'm hoping to get the site going again with news, Impressions, photos, and other possible new features. What better day to pick back up than on our one year anniversary! That's right, we've been up for one year today (even if we have been gone for several months), and that's an achievement I'm quite proud of. Thanks once again for your readership.

So, what have we been doing? Spring break this year included stops at Thorpe Park and Disneyland Paris, so expect to see reviews for those up sometime in the near future. On top of that, I still have one to finish off from last year; again, oops. Right now, I've just uploaded 100 photos from Thorpe to our Facebook page, including lots of pictures of The Swarm. Head on over and check it out, and maybe go ahead and like our page while you're at it ;)

I'll be sure to post as often as possible, but I can't guarantee daily updates right now. As always I'll do my best. For now, enjoy the Thorpe Park photos, and thanks for sticking with us!

-Wynn

SplashTacular's Big 2013 Six Flags Contract

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When Six Flags announced the new Bonzai Pipelines waterslide tower addition last month, slated for both Six Flags New England and Six Flags America, many (including myself) figured that the manufacturer was one that had recently provided the chain with additions.  Turns out that the pair of slide towers will actually be provided by SplashTacular, and be the first installations of their new Down Under design.

The towers will stand almost 70 feet tall, and feature six separate body slides that each start with a "DrenalineDrop" freefall start.  Up at the top the riders in the capsules will be able to stare at each other while waiting for their turn to fall, something that should be really entertaining.

After the drop the riders speed through 50 feet of translucent fiberglass, which allows guests near the tower to see the riders in action.  Each slide's path is slightly different than the others, making repeat rides a must.  The different colors of the tubes will help create favorites among guests, no doubt.

For more on the Down Under slide towers, check out this story from SplashTacular.

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Scott and Carol Present Kings Island's Haunt

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Welcome to Halloween Haunt 2012, only on weekends at Kings Island.

The International Street fountains never looked more ominous. When the breeze is right, the mist and fog combine to make the brightest street lights dim.
The Fright Feast Meal offers Montgomery Inn Pulled Pork BBQ, Grilled Chicken Breasts, and lots of fixins, including Potato Salad, desert, and drinks. A great way to fortify yourself for an evening of being scared. You need lots of energy to shriek loudly.

This interesting prop lit up with a moving face, very creepy greets you as you arrive for dinner!


The lights of summer have been replaced with something a little more subtle, and combined with the fog, the whole park is transformed.

This poor soul didn't know which way to turn, but it sure is a neat costume.


The repurposing of the "Crypt" building is new for 2012. Some parts of the old theming were kept, but alas, not the old video screen. Beware of the mix of human looking props and actual scaractors lurking in the shadows, it is you they have been waiting, for years and years.
Here is some of Tomb Raider's theming, but with new lighting and props.


Here you can participate in Madame Fatale's Dead Inn Feast, where you can experience excellent dining while being served by the creepiest wait staff ever. After you eat, Madame Fatale or one of her minions will guide you through the Cavern of Terror.

Urgent Scare is enough to terrorize anyone who hates hospitals and doctors. Something has gone terribly wrong with the treatment of the plague patients here, and you must get out before you too become infected.

The spirits of Phantom Theatre reappear annually for Haunt, but now they are a little bit more ghostly. Good to see old friends again.
Even the Easter Bunny is scary in Holiday Horror. He, along with the symbols of many other celebratory days throughout the year, take a sinister turn in this maze.
The full moon has all the citizens of the Wolf Pack howling, and after seeing the larger than life props inside, you will be also as you flee in terror back to the light. Utilizing the old Son of Beast station, there is a spot where you can get a souvenir photo taken to show your friends how brave you are.

The Graveyard Shift show features may rock 'n roll classics, like "We are a monster band" and "Abracadabra." A fun place to rest before striding forth once again into the night, only to be scared all over again.

Here "Patch" gets his Love Shock during the creation process.

Hot Blooded proves that you need to be careful who you bite and who you let bite you. Deliciously graphic, if you don't like blood, this show isn't for you.

Blood Drums starts off with powder on their instruments, and everything is set up right in the middle of Action Zone. These explosive percussion performers show that music is where you look for it, and they obviously spent a lot of time in an industrial junkyard, having kegger parties.
So here is just a taste of all the ghouish fun available at Kings Island during the Haunt. In the words of the Graveyard Shift, "Come on ghouls, lets get it on," an go to Kings Island for one last blast of Halloween fun this year. Thanks to the PR Department, the many scaractors, and everyone else at Kings Island who helped us bring you this story.

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Wet 'n' Wild Coming Back to Las Vegas

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The return of Wet'n'Wild to Las Vegas!  Many folks are quite pleased about the news, and even better the plan for the park is already well underway - to the point where the park is actually already being built.

Located in Summerlin, the water park will actually be a renamed and re-branded Splash Canyon water park, which was announced some time ago.  That park was slated to open this past Summer, but delays had it pegged for a 2013 opening.  Now re-branded as Wet'n'Wild Las Vegas, the park will be run by Village Roadshow, a large media brand out of Australia who owns and operates several theme and water parks.


The new park will cost $50 million to construct, and feature 25 different slides when it opens next Memorial Day.  Several of the slides are quite modern, including a Rattler and Constrictor, both from WhiteWater West.
Other attractions include a massive wave pool, lazy river, water play structure, and other towers including racing and high thrill plunge slides.  For a full preview, check out this flyover video that the park has released.
Village Roadshow also has water parks in Arizona and Hawaii.

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Holiday World's First Halloween Celebration

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Holiday World has successfully made it through their first run of Happy Halloween Weekends, the theme park's new family-friendly Halloween event.  The event marks the first time that the park, which contains several holiday themed areas, is celebrating the Halloween season.

In addition to almost all of the park's rides being open for guests, there's also plenty of unique Halloween themed attractions to experience.  Holidog's 3-D Halloween Adventures is a new walk through attraction in which guests help Holidog find his candy.  I know how important Halloween candy is to me, so I can certainly understand Holidog's plight.

A scene from Holidog's 3-D Halloween Adventures

The park has also created two corn mazes, one smaller one for little kids and an enormous one that's pretty impressive looking from the air.  There's new live entertainment, decorations throughout the park, plenty of family activities like face painting and trick-or-treating, and each Saturday night ends with a laser light show.  Sundays end with a gigantic dance party being held by Kitty Claws!

All the fun will be held at Holiday World on weekends through October 28th.

While unrelated to the park's Halloween events, this article does mention that the park will announce some new additions for 2013 in a couple weeks - though do not look for huge news.  Instead, the parks is already planning big things for 2014 and beyond, good news for us fans!

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Five Years of Fear: Haunt V at Dorney Park

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2008 marked the year that HalloWeekends were retired at Dorney Park, replaced with a bigger and better (and scarier!) event, Halloween Haunt.  Over the past four seasons the event has grown, churning through new haunted attractions, entertainment, and probably about a billion gallons of fog juice.  And in all that time the park has been able to perfect the craft that is a good scare - lucky for us!

The 2012 Haunt is the park's fifth, and the bloody V attached to the logo is by no means the only way the park is celebrating.  This year there's new entertainment, a new scare zone, and two new haunts.  Talk about a nice anniversary present, how sweet!


Before the new, we need to take a look at the old, as many of Dorney Park's haunted attractions have seen changes this year.  Some larger than others, they're still keeping the mazes fresh for repeat visitors - and the park has plenty of those.

The Mansion House Hotel is the park's elaborately themed creepy hotel haunt, with a story tied to the very beginnings of Dorney Park.  Great of the park to include its history like that, I'd have to think that Solomon Dorney would approve.


This year the ending of the maze has an entire new room, as the photo opportunity has moved on to a new haunt.  The characters in the Mansion House take full advantage of that space, along with all the nooks and crannies of the 10,000 square foot house.  Above are two of the ghouls, and congratulations are in order as it is their wedding night!


Across the park in the large plaza in front of Hydra, Cut Throat Island has once again taken up residence.  The fog filled scare zone is all about crazed pirates, merfolk, and the occasional sea creature.  With no set path, guests are able to freely wander the area, encountering all sorts of nasties along the way.


Unfortunately most guests aren't brave enough to head in between the pieces of the gigantic broken pirate ship and the entire town facade that is present.  It is in that fog filled darkness that the real scares take place.  There's tons of hiding places among the wreckage, and you can be sure that the cast knows each and every one.


The lower section of Dorney Park has a stream that runs through it, for those of you not intimately familiar with the property.  Why care?  Because during Haunt the valley and stream hold onto fog wonderfully, filling the lower areas with a thick layer, obscuring views of pretty much anything.  Add a little humidity into the mix and you've got some great scare conditions.

In the lower park near Thunderhawk is Age of Darkness, a look back at a very dark period in the world's past. 


While not much has changed since last season, Age of Darkness still excels in having staff that really get into their roles.  If you happen to meet any of the Queen's minions they'll be sure to warn you of her ways - she sounds like quite a lady.  The area's paths are cloaked in fog and lined with real flame torches, a nice touch.  When you arrive at the castle seen above if your timing is right you'll get quite a scare!


The 2011 Haunt saw the addition of Gravewalkers, which was a bit of a surprise hit for the park.  This year the park has taken an already successful maze and tweaked it so that it is even better!  Gravewalkers starts with an enormous graveyard with no set path, and this year they've set it up so that guests are forced to walk all around in order to get through the area, with no clear direction to head in.


Naturally while you wander around trying to decipher exactly where to go there are hordes of zombies stalking you.  There's fresh graves all around, with plenty of headstones as well.  I have to love the above zombie and tomb stone above, a bit of a tribute to a staff member who recently moved on to greener pastures in Ohio.  Oh, and you can't possibly miss Mr. Ouimet's tomb stone, it's by far the largest one!

But I digress.  Once you make it through the first section you have to enter the tombs, a tight space filled with ghouls.  It's nearly impossible to see what's coming next in the section, making things even more dicey for visitors.  I think if I could work anywhere in Haunt, it would have to be the body bag section, just perfect for hiding!


I also noticed an increase in roaming characters this year - more sliders, random monsters, and elaborate costumes than I've seen before.  Above is a really great duo, a crazed and bloodied marionette master with his latest creation by his side.  The stilted character makes for great photo opportunities, so I had to take advantage.


The classic fear of clown fits in with pretty much every Haunt around, and Psycho Circus is still filling that role at Dorney's Haunt.  The decorations outside the building set the tone, with the nutty looking clown silently cycling back and forth on this high wire.  Additional returning haunts include Death Trap, CornStalkers and the Asylum.  These have also seen modifications this year to keep them fresh - CornStalkers for instance is longer than ever before, now expanded into the Thunder Canyon plaza area.

But what about new stuff, you ask?  Fear not, (or more likely fear... a lot) the park has you covered.  This year the entrance to Wildwater Kingdom has been more cohesively themed as Solomon's Farm, the home of both CornStalkers and the brand new Blood Shed.  Out in the fields, which are filled with screams, the ghouls of CornStalkers hunt their prey, but at the farmhouse something much more terrible has taken place.


The once peaceful farm has been invaded by Otto and Cletus, a pair of sinister rednecks that took over the property and did some pretty nasty things to the former residents.  I don't care what the package may say, do not eat any meat that is processed on Solomon's Farm!
 
The trip through Blood Shed includes the family's house, now covered in shotgun shells and with a kitchen absolutely crawling with cockroaches.  Sick!  The recneckery continues as you travel out back, past the permanently parked RV, Christmas decorations, and one heck of a rabid dog.  The journey ends with a trip into the barn, where the truth of the farm is revealed - and the 'blood' part of the Blood Shed starts to make sense.  Sausages, anyone?!

The most anticipated new haunt this year has to be Desolation: Operation Latchdoor, a massive 13,000 square foot indoor and outdoor maze.  The entrance to the attraction is via White Water Landing's station, which also doubles as a photo location.  The haunt has a set backstory, which explains the craziness taking place inside:

In 1952 a disastrous event occurred in a small secluded town in Pennsylvania and has been on government lockdown ever since.  Those who survived have been subject to secret experiments, illness, food shortage, and rumors of a government cover up.  Do not enter or you may become one of the infected.

Yow!  Sounds intense - and the experience matches the description.  The haunt starts by using the space underneath White Water Landing as a full military zone, I mean they really went all out on this one.  There's tanks, lookout towers, gunfire (live, not recorded), open flames, screaming military employees, etc.  There's a panicked feel as you head through the outdoor portion, which includes some of the ruins of the former town as well.


Guests end up entering the building that used to hold Club Blood from the backside amid smashed remains of cop cars, and once they enter the quarantined town it becomes clear just what has been happening to them.  Experiments are the least of everyone's worries, as the infected are trying to take over and causing quite a mess.  If you're afraid of spiders, you'll hate the ending!


Haunt V also features some new live entertainment, mainly Blood Drums.  The show has been opened at most Cedar Fair parks this year as part of the Halloween celebrations, and at its core it is a street drum troupe that uses odds and ends to play on, creating a loud, somewhat violent show.


The show is high energy to say the least, and the pace keeps viewers entranced by the beat.  And where else can you see a grinder used on an old stove, creating a trail of sparks high into the air?  This year also sees the return of Eternal Jamnation, a live song and dance review by the morgue medical staff, and Cast in Bronze, featuring the haunting sounds of the Carillon.  

Aside from all the haunts and entertainment, many of the park's rides are open for guests.  If screaming when a ghoul runs after you isn't enough, you can take a spin on Steel Force, Talon, Hydra, Stinger, and plenty more.


So that's it!  Haunt V is certainly worth checking out, if you go check out the park's official website for all the details ahead of time.  It is amazing to see how far the event has come in a relatively short time - I mean Knott's Berry Farm is celebrating their 40th anniversary this year!  Here's to five more years of fears at Dorney's Haunt!

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