Rip Ride Rockit Roller Coaster At Universal Studios Officially Open

rip ride rockit roller coaster officially open

PHOTO BY JOE BURBANK, ORLANDO SENTINEL

Well after only a week for the soft opening Universal Studios Orlando has officially opened their new roller coaster, rip ride rockit! It’s a bit unusual to have only a week for a soft opening of a new ride before making it officially open. Normally they want more time to get all the bugs worked out of it so they don’t run the risk of disappointing the guest.

I think it’s because they want to make it open so they can use it for the last week or two of summer. However I do know that some of the cameras it uses to make a video for the guest, and also some of the soundtrack systems is not fully functional. My bet is they are risking the trade off of maybe getting some guest upset in return for being able to say their new ride is open, so come on down!

I STILL have not gone on it yet, sorry about that. I just have not had the time to get down there. But very soon I will ride it so I can give you a first hand review of it. The guest that have rode it seem very happy with it. So, Universal Studio’s Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster IS officially now open! Come on down and try it out! :)

More airline luggage cost means more reason to pack light

packing light for airline travel with rising luggage cost

More and more flying the friendly sky’s means paying for every single thing you carry. With airlines cutting cost they are now resorting to charging for more meals, drinks, little niceties and luggage. They also are not letting you get away with that over-sized carry-on bag like they use to. More and more airlines are charging per item of each checked bag, or after the first one.

Which means all the more reason to learn how to pack light! I must say over packing for trips is a pet peeve of mine. When I see a couple with no kids check in 5 bags plus 2 carry-ons each I have to shake my head and roll my eyes. True, I don’t know anything about them. Maybe they are going on an Brazilian expedition and they have a rubber raft in that luggage, but likely not!

Most people always over pack way too much stuff. When I go on a vacation I take just two carry-ons. One is my laptop, as I am always working on it of course. That’s how I post all these great articles even while on a trip! 😉 The other one is a soft bag with all my other stuff, small enough to fit any airlines carry-on bag size limits. That’s it!
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How much does it rain in Orlando Florida?

how much does it rain in Orlando, Florida!

In most Orlando vacation fliers and ads you always see it sunny without a cloud in the sky. You always hear about the Florida sunshine and getting sunburned. However for those who are not from Florida you might be surprised to learn that it often rains every day in the summer here in Orlando! In fact Florida I believe is the USA’s number one ranking for lighting strikes.

However the type of rain here is different than the rain you get up north. Yes it’s still just as wet, if not more so since it comes down so fast here! The difference is how long it last. Up in Vermont where I’m from a rainy day means it’s going to be wet, cold and dark all day. In Florida however it’s very flat, meaning the storms roll in and roll out very fast.

A normal summer day in Orlando Florida sees the morning as bright and hot, with very few clouds. Then in the afternoon clouds form, get very dark and roll in fast, often with plenty of thunder. It then rains very hard, often so hard it fills up roads and driveways with several inches of water. Then, about a half hour or so later it blows away, and the hot sun comes out again.

Within an hour or two all the water is gone and you can’t even tell it had rained! It does that almost every day, all summer long. So early afternoon is a good time to plan on doing something inside on your Orlando vacation. Take in an inside show, watch a movie or something. Normally the rain only last an hour or so, then after that it’s like it never happened.

Now, in the fall and winter it hardly ever rains. Day after day goes by with no rain. That’s the dry season in Florida. Sometimes it gets too dry and we end up with a water shortage, brush fires and yellow lawns! So, it does rain in Orlando, a lot actually. But only for an hour or so in the afternoon. So don’t let the rain stop you on your Orlando Vacation!

Soft opening for Rip Ride Rockit coaster at Universal Studios!

Soft opening for rip ride rockit roller coaster at Universal Studios

Well it took them long enough, but finally Universal Studios Orlando is having a soft opening for their new ride, the Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster! So just what is a “soft opening”? Basically it means it’s not officially open yet, but they are letting guest ride it periodically throughout the day as they test it out. Some things, like the custom music you can select and the cameras on it might not work.

Soft opening for rip ride rockit roller coaster at Universal Studios

The Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster at Universal Studios has had it’s share of problems, forcing it to delay the opening several times. But with a soft opening starting now, the official opening should not be long behind. So far the feedback from the guest that have rode it has been very positive. So I predict it should be open for all within a few weeks if not sooner.

That means I need to get my butt down there and try to be one that test it out! It is not running all day. They give some rides, then work on it, do more rides and so on. A soft opening is a fine tuning of everything. I took these pictures of it the last time I was there. It will look a bit different once they have everything done. Lights will go on the big first hill, which is 17 stories high. So Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster at Universal Studios will be open soon!

Soft opening for rip ride rockit roller coaster at Universal Studios

Are Orlando theme parks still empty?

Are Orlando theme parks starting to fill up now

Sorry it’s been a while since I made a post here, life has a way of taking all your time! Because of the bad economy this summer has seen light crowds at the Orlando Florida theme parks. Disney World, Universal Studios and Sea World has all seen attendance drop like a gold plated balloon! More and more however I keep reading about how things are getting better overall.

So, has things picked up at the theme parks? In a word, NO! This later part of the summer might be seeing a little bit more park attendance than the first part of the summer. But overall things are still down in the Orlando area. All the theme parks, hotels and rental agencies still report lower than normal sales. Of course I can see that just by going around town and looking with my own eyes.

It will not be too long before school starts. Once that happens things always slow down a lot, this year more than ever. This fall will be a fantastic time for that Walt Disney World or Universal Studios vacation. As I have said before fall has the best of both worlds in Orlando. It’s cooler, less humid and rains less than in the summer. Crowds are gone, prices go down and great deals can be had.

The only down side is that some rides in the parks get shut down for maintenance work, there are less fireworks and shows and less parades in the parks. But overall your enjoyment will be much better, especially since you can actually get on more rides and save money! So things might be picking up a little here, but the whole rest of the year promises to still be a slow one.

Disney, Sea World & Universal Studios 4th of July fireworks

Disney, sea world and universal studios fireworks in the 4th of july

Well everyone, soon it will be the 4th of July! As you can imagine Orlando has some major firework displays going on. For tourist most want to know about what types and when to see 4th of July fireworks at the theme parks. Just so you know, anyone can buy fireworks here in Florida, unlike some other states.

So watch out for people letting some loose around you, which they do. Last year it was very dry here in Orlando Florida. Because of that a lot of firework shows were canceled due to the fire hazard. But this year has been wet so everyone will be out shooting off their fireworks! The theme parks have some really good shows scheduled this year too.

The theme parks are always packed on the 4th of July, and some may stop admitting people in once they are full. So get there early and don’t leave the park until your sure your not going to stay anymore that day. Here’s a break down of what the major theme parks have in store for you on the forth of July:
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Universal Studio Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster snags

Universal Studios rip ride rockit roller coaster opening pushed back

One of the biggest ride openings that has been anticipated here in Orlando is the new Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster at Universal Studios. Once open it will be one of the biggest rides in the two parks inside Universal Studios. However they seem to be having some problems with it, which is delaying the opening.

The new roller coaster will have a 90 degree ascend of the first hill. There has been talk that they are having problems with the device that keeps the cars from rolling backward on it. Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster will be 167 feet high and go up to 65 mph. It will have soundtracks you can customize to hear and cameras.

It also boast some industry-first maneuvers that will leave riders wanting more. A coaster this technologically advanced was bound to have bugs that need to be worked out. So it’s really not a surprise to me that the opening date has been pushed back. So just when will it be open?

Well they are not sure yet. They are working hard around the clock to get it open. Rumor has it they hope to have it open by late July. However anything could happen since they already have pushed the date back several times. I think we will see it open by this fall at the latest, if not earlier. I’ll let you know once it opens, after I ride it myself! 😉

Summer Orlando vacation hotel rates still a bargain

The 21st marks the official first day of summer. Of course it feels like summer already, especially down here in Florida! With the summer season comes the summer crowds and tourist. Many think that Florida is the most busy during the winter, but that’s not true. It’s in the summer, like most places in the USA, that Orlando gets the most tourist.

All the international tourist that are having winter in their side of the world come to Florida in the summer. Also here in the US summer is when schools are out, so that is when the family gets to take that yearly vacation. Along with the summer crowds are the summer prices on everything, which usually is higher!

Most of the time it can be quite a bit higher too. Hotels put their summer rates up, which can be anywhere from 20% to 50% higher than the fall and winter seasons. However that does not seem to be the case this year. As we all know it has been a bad year everywhere, and still will be well into next. So the hotel prices have been low.

They will jack them up higher in the summer, but not as much as before. Also since they are already lower than normal, the price increase is not as much as in the past. There will be plenty of “middle class” hotels in the Orlando theme park area with daily rates of $30.00 to $50.00 per day! Plus many weekend and weekly specials.

So there still will be plenty of hotel bargains in Orlando this summer. Just check out some of the hotel booking places you see in the sidebars here and see for yourself what a great summer of bargains an Orlando vacation this summer will be!

Orlando Gay Days at Disney a big success

Well this tourist site would not be complete without a recap of Gay Days in Orlando that was this past weekend. Started 9 years ago, Gay Days has grown into a large event with many big name sponsors and theme park activities. My good lesbian friend Ashley and her girlfriend went and stayed at The Regal Sun Resort, which was the place to be for lesbians at Gay Days this year.

They would not let me go with them, some friends huh! 😉 There is always conflicting numbers as to how many come into Orlando each year for Gay Days, but 150,000 is about what they expected. This year there was many pool parties at hotels, Gay Day parties at the local clubs, lots of special events and more.

Of course the big highlight of Gay Days was Saturday, when everyone wears red and goes to Disney! But this year there were plenty in the other theme parks too, like Sea World and Universal Studios. Gay Days pumps in millions of dollars into Orlando, so the parks and attractions are really starting to welcome them more each year. Check out the Gay Days official site for lots more information!

Orlando flooding not in the tourist area

It seems like these days the news tends to dramatize everything. If a tornado hits one town in Oklahoma they make it sound like the whole state got blown away. That seems to be what is happening right now in Florida.

If you’ve seen the news, you know that parts of Florida is having a little flooding problem. The east coast and parts of central Florida have been having days of thunderstorms and lots of rain. Talking to some family out of state they seem to have the impression that every house in Florida is under water and all roads closed!

That of course is not true. The only places that are suffering some flooding is areas on the east coast, in places that are in flood plains. Places they never should have built any houses anyway. Even then it’s only small areas of those towns. But of course it does not take much to equal a lot of damage in dollars.

Here in central Florida where Orlando is everything is pretty much normal. We always get afternoon thunderstorms in summer, but only for an hour or two. These just happen to be bigger ones that last longer. I just wanted people to know that despite all the hype on the news, everything is normal in Orlando and the tourist areas.

Sea World’s new roller coaster Manta open!

Well it’s time to get everyone up to date on the latest news around Orlando, Fl! So what better way then to announce the grand opening of Sea World’s new roller coaster, Manta! It will have it’s official opening the 22nd, Friday. But people already can ride it, and word of mouth is it’s a fantastic ride!

Billed as the only one of it’s kind in Florida, Manta has a sneak twist to it. You get in like any other roller coaster that hangs under the rail. But then once your all strapped in place it moves you all forward and down, until your stretched out almost like in a superman position. You can imagine how much faster it seems to be going when your face down looking at the ground zoom by.

Manta Puts you through loops and turns, followed by what looks like near misses of waterfalls and other objects. It has a nice aquatic theme in keeping with the parks animals and fish. It’s a very fun ride and the neat position you get put into is one you have to experience. A word of warning however.

Make sure you take EVERYTHING out of your pockets, off your head and around your neck! Nothing you try to keep on you will stay on unless it’s tied on you. Hats, sunglasses, flip flops, phones in your pocket, change, everything will fall off you. Use the lockers near the ride to store all your stuff. Then get ready for the ride of your life!

Latest updates in Orlando Inside

Wow, talk about not keeping up with my site huh! It’s been a while since I made any post on here, sorry about that. I blame it on the economy. You see, this is a new site, one that I am growing. But when it’s new, it does not make much, if anything. So with the downturn in the economy I had to devote all my time into the sites I have that do make money.

So that’s my story and I’m sticking to it! The tourist industry is still light in Orlando, and expect it to be all year. The summer will be busier like it always is. But still lighter than normal. I don’t see the Orlando tourist crowds to be back up to normal until next summer, if that. So if you want that Orlando vacation when the crowds are light, any time this year is good.

Prices are still way down too. Normally you see higher prices for everything once summer is underway. But I don’t think they will go up much this year. If they can’t fill the hotels and rent the cars now, how can they increase the prices! Even I’m taking advantage of low air fair prices, I’m up in Vermont visiting my mom right now!

Working on my laptop on vacation, can’t get any better than this! I’ll try to start posting more on here and getting this place big with lots of information and the latest news. So again, sorry about not keeping this place updated. But I’ll try to get back into it and keep it current. Now come on down and enjoy a light crowd, low price Orlando vacation! 😉