8/22/2009 - Univesal and IOA
Well it is a beautiful Saturday morning, so I figure I will head out and see if I am lucky enough to get on Holllywood Rip Ride Rock-it. I arrived at the front gates about 8:40. The lines on the left of the turnstyles were very long as in way past the ticket booths. They were short of the right side thought. When I tired to go on that side I found out why that is for on-site resort quests. They opened to everyone at 8:50 though witll all lines open so it went pretty quick.
OK so through the gates and the first bit of bad news (although I expected it) there was a sign that said Rock-it would open at 10:30. I really wish Universal would not call the ride open when it does not open with the park, I knew what to expect, but you could hear a number of quests upset.
They held us back behind a rope between JImmy Newtron and Shrek until 9 but shrek was open.
So we had a plan, my friend waited in line, and I took a walk around to see what was open. First mummy was open. took a quick ride, was on the first train. Everything seemed to be working fine, althought the robot (don't remember his name) at the beginnning movements seems pretty restricted compared to when it opened.
Ok I made a b-line over to Simpsons. The wait signs along the way all said 5 minutes, awsome! But when I got there it said 25 minutes, then I heard an announcment that they were running at limited capacity and the wait time would be great, hmmm? not a great start.
Back to rockit, at this point about 9 the lines was still outside in the stage area. Looked to be about 2 hours worth. I joined my friends and we waited for it to open. They did open right at 10 and we were on the ride very quickly. It looked like they only had a couple of trains on the track, but I could see a couple more in the bay. We got on pretty quickly and the ride was just a cool as I remember it, I choose ZZ Top this time, and the sound worked fine. I tried to get the video on the way out but it was unavailble, too bad becuase I hammed it up for the camera this time and did not pay attention outside the ride. Darn it!
On my way over to IOA I noticed that there was only one train on the track at any one time and quite often there was a pause where there were no trains. That will really extend the wait. Before I left I talked with a couple of crew and they estimated 3 to 4 hours!
OK so to IOA, on the way through port of entry there was an announcer with a bullhorn that was telling everyone they should go right and not left. That hulk was 45 minutes but Dragons had no wait. The funny thing is the wait sign just to the right and quite a ways behind her said hulk had a 25 minute wait. By looking at the queue, she was right it was 45. I headed over to dragons.
On the way to Dragons I noticed the harry potter castle is really shaping up. At the dragons I discovered the wait sign said 15 minutes, no problem. When I got through the castle to the end of the line, I realized that the wait was more like 25, no problem. Then an announcement came on that said they were going to have a delay while they added a pair of dragons to the track. WHY DO THEY DO THAT ONLY WHEN IT GETS BUSY? Don't the realize that it is still busy season, and just put them on before opening, I know it would cost them a little bit, but not as much as it does in harm to people's perception of Universal, You could hear upset people all through the line. Think about it someone shouts at you through a bullhorn that dragons is 5, it is actually more like 30+.
Oh well, the park was starting to get really busy, so I headed out for the day.
2/25/2009 - Citywalk and Universal Studios
The signage for the new Element store at Citywalk is up. Looks like this will be skateboard type store.Also the life hill for Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit now has yet another later on top of it with stairs going to knowwhere for now.
2/22/2009 - usf
Looks like the Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket main life hill support is topped out! You can see a railing on the top. Hopefully we will see track going up the side of it soon.
9/25/2008 - Seaworld
Just a very quick trip to Seaworld to see how Manta is progressing. The first good thing was that the winds were calm so the skytower was working! From the skytower you could clearly see that the switch track for Manta is in place and the ground development work is proceeding nicely.
Now for the bad news and no it is not manta related. I stoped by the hospitality house to grab a quick beer. I noticed right away that the glasses seems smaller. I asked the guy behind the counter and yes in deed they went to smaller cups for beer. 
I wonder what the reason is for this? The new owners?
One other thing I noticed is that the bayside stadium in undergoing a refurb. most of the concreate in the front is gone and they are working on repaving it.
Also I noticed the new sign is up for the replacment show for Odesea it is called A Mariners Tale. 
Seaworld_from_skytower_stadium_redo_9_25_2008.jpg
9/14/2008 - Islands of Adventure
Well this trip at 4pm Sunday night was short but interesting. I headed over to hulk for a quick ride. There was only about a 5 minute wait.
But it was when I got off it got interesting. I noticed that the photo viewing area was boarded up.
When I asked a few eimployees why I got a very interesting answer. They are being replaced with a touch screen system to choose the video of your ride. No that was not a typeo, hulk is supposedly geting onboard video. Apparently there is a system like this on Shekria? This was all news to me. They are suppose to have a camera on every harness to film each seat!
Just as interesting it is suppose to be completed in a couple weeks!
But that is not all, onto Harry Potter. It seems that the path to Dragons may change again. I noticed something new over by the wall next to the watering hole. There is an overhang and a sign for the dragons, that I never remember seeing before.
Wonder what the deal is? Anyone know more?
8/14/2008 - Seaworld
I made a quick trip to seaworld to ride the skytower and get some pictures of Manta. I arrived at 8:30 and the gates opened prompty at 9. I headed straight to the skytower and I did not have much time to kill.
When I got to the skytower it had not opened yet. The outside chain was down so I walked up to the ticket booth and asked, when it may start running. I was told just a few minutes. I went back to the end where I waited with some other people. about 1/2 hour went by with nothing. Two employees walk out from behind the chain and I asked them when it may start, they said before 10. by 11am the tower had still not opened. When I asked an amabasador why, he said it was becuase of the wind, which by then had picked up. It was kind of irratating that they did not take more care in informing guest as to a real opening time.