Universal Studios Transformers ride now open!

June 22, 2013 by

Transformers ride

If your heading to Universal Studios soon, you’ll be happy to know that the new Transformers ride is now open! At two stories high and sitting right in the middle of the park you can’t miss it.

The new Transformers ride is in the Universal Studios Florida park, not Islands of Adventure. They have had a soft opening for the last few weeks but yesterday was the official grand opening. That means they should have all the bugs worked out of it, hopefully.

You can expect very long lines to this ride all summer long. If your a local I would wait until this fall when the crowds thin out to check it out. A few hours wait time will be the norm all summer.

If you don’t want to wait you can purchase an express pass that will get you to the front of the lines, but they are expensive. Another option is to use the single rider line if you are alone or don’t mind your group being split up.

That is what I will do when I go, which hopefully will be soon. I’ve heard the ride is great, with a combination of 3D screens, simulator and real motion. I’m sure it will be a blast.

So if you like the transformers and can’t wait to do the ride, it’s now open! If you do decide to just get in the normal line, have some water with you and prepare for a long slow wait anytime this summer. :(

Filed Under: Theme Park Ride Reviews, Universal Studio Tagged With: , , ,

New theme park attractions and rides for summer 2013

May 30, 2013 by

seaworld rides

Well everyone, it’s now the start of the summer season here in Orlando. That means lots of people packing the theme parks to wait several hours in line for a two minute ride. 😀

But at least this year you have new rides and attractions to see and enjoy in the hot Florida sun. All 3 major theme parks; Disney, Universal Studios and SeaWorld, have added or are adding new attractions for the summer.

Disney has most of the new Fantasyland open at the Magic Kingdom. In this area you can enjoy a new little mermaid ride geared toward little kids. There is a new Beauty and the Beast castle which looks pretty cool and sits on top of the new “Be Our Guest” restaurant.
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Filed Under: Orlando vacation, Sea World Tagged With: , , , ,

The Top Five Scariest Rides In the Orlando Area

April 16, 2013 by

Scary theme park rides

There are lots of different reasons why people travel to Florida, some people go for the sunshine, some for the magic of Disney and some to experience the nature and wildlife, the fishing opportunities and sometimes even just to find a really good steak.

However, there are those who head there for the thrills and scares that can only come from experiencing some of the best rides in the world. So what does Orlando have in store for the self-proclaimed adrenaline junky?

Here are the five rides that we think will give even the biggest thrill seekers a run for their money.
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Filed Under: Orlando vacation, Theme Park Ride Reviews Tagged With: , , ,

Waist bags or fanny hip packs to carry stuff in for theme park rides

July 22, 2010 by

hip packs to carry your stuff in on theme park rides

One of the biggest problems people face when they go to a theme park is where to put their stuff when they go on a ride? Almost all rides at theme parks today do not allow you to hold or bring anything with you.

That includes purses, bottles and camera bags around your neck or shoulder. Anything that moves around will not be allowed on. It does not matter if you insist that you can hold onto it, ride operators have rules they have to follow. And one is, nobody brings anything on a ride!

Backpacks also are not permitted on most rides because you can’t get into the seat without taking it off. If you do have bulky items like these there are lockers you can get to put your items in while your on rides.
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Filed Under: Orlando vacation, Sea World, Universal Studio, Walt Disney World Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Tips on how to avoid lines at theme park rides

October 7, 2009 by

How to avoid long lines at theme park rides like Disney

One of the biggest headaches, if not THE biggest one at theme parks, is waiting in line for the rides. Everyone is different in respect to their tolerance of waiting in line. Some seem to be happy and talk with others through a 2 hour wait, while a 15 minute wait for others is draining. The cruel fact is, your going to be waiting in line for most of your day when you go to a theme park.

In fact sometimes it seems like the whole point of going to a theme park is to stand in lines! Waiting an hour to go on a 2 minute ride does not seem like such a hot deal. But everyone does it, at least if they want to get on the ride. However there are some ways to cut down on ride wait times.

So I’m going to give you some creative tips on how to avoid some of the lines. You may or may not want to take some of these tips, it all depends on how big your family is, your kids ages and how much you dread long lines! So these are just tricks to cut down on some of the waiting throughout the day. The first one is pretty obvious, which is, get to the park as soon as it opens!
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Filed Under: Sea World, Universal Studio, Walt Disney World Tagged With: , , , ,

Walt Disney World buys Marvel Comics rights

September 6, 2009 by

Walt Disney World buys Marvel Comics rights, bad news for Universal

Well in case you have not heard, Walt Disney World has bought the rights to Marvel Comics, at least in some ways. It’s a complex deal with many twist and turns. The biggest and most awkward part of it is the relationship with Disney’s competitor, Universal Studios. You see, Universal already had a contract with Marvel Comics to build theme park rides and market merchandise from the characters of Marvel Comics.

At Universal Studios Islands Of Adventure they have a whole section called Marvel Super Hero Island. It features the Incredible Hulk roller coaster, The Spider Man ride, Dr. Dooms free fall ride and Storm’s Force Accelatron ride. They also have The X men characters running around in costume. Those are all characters from Marvel Comics.

So how is that going to affect Universal Studios? Will they have to shut down their Marvel rides? Well for now the answer is,,, no. It seems that Universal Studio retains some rights from their earlier contract. One of them is that Universal can continue using the Marvel trademarks for as long as the attractions are in operation. It also ensures that no other theme park east of the Mississippi River — including Walt Disney World — can develop attractions based on the same characters.

So if your afraid of your favorite theme park rides at Universal Studios getting shut down by Disney, you can relax. They will stay open and everything will go on as usual. Walt Disney cannot make new rides in their Florida theme parks based on Marvel Comics characters. However they can, and I’m sure they will, at Disneyland in California.

However it is a very interesting deal, with Disney holding rights to some aspects of what Universal Studios can do. I’m sure they don’t like it one bit! Die hard Marvel Comics fans are upset that Disney will come out with movies based on the Marvel Comics characters as more “sissy” than Universal would make them, seeing as Disney is family friendly.

I guess all we can do is wait and see what happens. In the meantime nothing will change much at Disney World or Universal Studios here in Orlando Florida. So all the rides will still be going at Universal, and no new Marvel Comics rides will be going up at Disney. We just have to wait and see if a new movie will be coming out called The Hulk verses Pirates Of The Caribbean!

Filed Under: Universal Studio, Walt Disney World Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Orlando Theme park ride height requirements

September 2, 2009 by

Orlando theme park ride height requirements

One of the most frustrating things to experience at a theme park is getting to a ride your kid has been talking about forever, only to find that he or she is not tall enough to ride it. The temper tantrums I have seen those poor kids throw, oh boy! So it’s a good idea to check first and make sure your child is tall enough to ride the ride before getting to it.

First let me explain just why they have height limits. Each ride is made with what they figure is an “average” size of the person who will be riding it. Rides for little kids of course are made for child size. Bigger rides are made for a happy medium between kids heights and full, tall adults. The restraints that hold you in are made to fit MOST sizes, but there is a limit as to how much difference they can hold.

Mild rides that don’t turn upside down or throw you around too much have a smaller height limit because there is less chance your going to get thrown out even if the restraints are loose on you. More extreme rides that do loops and throw you around must hold you in your seat very tightly. So you must be taller so the shoulder harness can securely lock you in place.
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Filed Under: Sea World, Universal Studio, Walt Disney World Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Are Orlando theme parks still empty?

August 14, 2009 by

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.

Filed Under: Orlando vacation, Sea World, Universal Studio, Walt Disney World Tagged With: , , , , , , ,