Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts Ride - Universal Studios - Orlando, Florida HDThrillSeeker 2026-09-23 | Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts Ride - Universal Studios - Orlando, Florida
Star Tours - Disneyland - Tomorrowland - 4K POV 2016 - Anaheim California HDThrillSeeker 2016-09-18 | Star Tours was a motion simulator attraction at several Disney theme parks, based on the successful Star Wars film series created by George Lucas. Set in the Star Wars universe, the attraction sent guests on a excursion trip to Endor, whilst being caught in an altercation between the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire. The attraction featured Captain "Rex" RX-24 along with series regulars, R2-D2 and C-3PO.At its debut at Disneyland in 1987, it was the first attraction based on a non-Disney licensed intellectual property. The first incarnation of the ride appeared in Tomorrowland at Disneyland in 1987, replacing the previous attraction, Adventure Thru Inner Space. The attraction had subsequent openings at Tokyo Disneyland, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Disneyland Paris.The attraction at Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios closed in 2010 to allow conversion for its successor attraction, Star Tours – The Adventures Continue. The latter location was completed on May 20, 2011. Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris closed their versions for conversion in 2012 and 2016, marking the original ride's final run of 29 years.
The Beast - Kings Island - 4K POV Front Row 2016 - Mason, Ohio HDThrillSeeker 2016-09-05 | The Beast is a wooden roller coaster located at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio. When it opened in 1979, it was the tallest, fastest, and longest wooden roller coaster in the world. The Beast is still the longest wooden coaster in the world and the longest roller coaster in the US. It spans more than 35 acres (14 ha) utilizing the surrounding terrain for many of its elements. It also features a lengthy ride time that lasts more than four minutes.The Beast has been consistently rated one of the top roller coasters in the world since its debut, having earned a solid reputation among roller coaster enthusiasts. After more than 30 years, it remains one of the most popular attractions at Kings Island and has accommodated over 45 million riders – third-most at the park.
The Bat - Kings Island - 4K POV 2016 Front Row - Mason, Ohio HDThrillSeeker 2016-08-25 | The Bat, formerly called Flight Deck and Top Gun, is a suspended roller coaster at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio. Built by Arrow Dynamics, the ride was known as Top Gun when it opened in 1993. It is the park's second suspended coaster following an earlier prototype from Arrow Development — also called The Bat – that operated at Kings Island from 1981 to 1983. The layout is designed to give riders the illusion they are narrowly missing track supports and other elements while swinging through sharp turns.
Adventure Express - Kings Island - 4K 2016 - Mason, Ohio HDThrillSeeker 2016-08-19 | Adventure Express is a mine train roller coaster located at Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio. Designed and built by Arrow Dynamics, the ride opened to the public on April 13, 1991. It is located in the Oktoberfest section of the park near Hank's Burrito Shack and SlingShot. Like many traditional mine trains, the Adventure Express features a lap bar restraint and does not contain any inversions.Kings Island approached Arrow Dynamics and one of its lead designers, Ron Toomer, in 1990 to build a traditional mine train roller coaster with a unique twist. Unlike previous Arrow installations, this one would be heavily-themed and produce an "out-of-control feeling" inspired by scenes from the 1984 film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Construction began later that year, and the total cost to build the family ride was estimated at $4 million. The ride was marketed as a jungle adventure mine train that plunges "through steamy volcanic tunnels, across rickety bridges, and into a deserted mine shaft inhabited by snakes and spiders". The roller coaster opened on April 13, 1991.
Corkscrew - Cedar Point - 4K POV 2016 - Sandusky, Ohio HDThrillSeeker 2016-07-17 | Corkscrew is a steel roller coaster built by Arrow Development at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. When built in 1976, it was the first roller coaster in the world with 3 inversions. The coaster, which features Arrow's first vertical loop, was built during the same time period as The Great American Revolution at Magic Mountain. However, Revolution opened seven days prior and is therefore credited as the first modern-day coaster to feature a vertical loop.The ride's station is located on the midway directly across from Top Thrill Dragster, between Power Tower and Magnum XL-200. Corkscrew was the first coaster to have inversions featuring a walkway underneath. It consists of an elevated station that houses the cars, in combinations of red & white, white & blue, and blue & white: a color scheme inspired by the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976, the year the ride was introduced.
Diamondback - Kings Island - 4K POV 2016 - Mason, Ohio HDThrillSeeker 2016-07-10 | Diamondback is a steel roller coaster designed by Bolliger & Mabillard at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, United States. The ride is located in Rivertown just behind International Street and the Eiffel Tower. When built in 2009, it was the first hyper coaster to feature a splashdown and the first Bolliger & Mabillard roller coaster at Kings Island. Diamondback was previously the biggest investment in Kings Island’s history at $22 million (ahead of The Crypt and Son of Beast, each of which cost $20 million) until surpassed in 2014 by Banshee, an investment of $24 million. The coaster has a 230 ft (70 m) lift hill with a 215 ft-drop, featuring 10 total drops and a top speed of about 80 mph (130 km/h). It is similar to Behemoth at Canada's Wonderland in statistics, layout, and seating.
Banshee - Kings Island - 4K POV 2016 - Mason, Ohio HDThrillSeeker 2016-07-07 | Banshee is a steel roller coaster located at Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio. Designed and built by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), Banshee opened on April 18, 2014. The roller coaster features 4,124 feet (1,257 m) of track making it the longest inverted roller coaster. Banshee is also the first inverted coaster built in the United States since the Patriot debuted at Worlds of Fun in 2006.Banshee was built at the former location of the Son of Beast, a wooden roller coaster plagued with issues and demolished in 2012, and the Thunder Alley go-kart attraction that was removed the same year. In the queue line there is a memorial for the Son of Beast. Following their removal, it was not immediately clear what would replace the attractions. Construction on a new attraction began, however, on April 22, 2013. A trademark for the name "Banshee" was filed on April 24, 2013. Owner Cedar Fair had previously considered using the name for a roller coaster at Cedar Point, but it was later changed to Mantis.Kings Island began teasing the new attraction on the first day of the 2013 season. Along the perimeter of the former Thunder Alley go-kart track, a fence was set up with a sign that read, "Due to the increasing occurrence of mysterious and bone-chilling screams, it has become necessary to close this section of the park until the cause of this evil phenomenon can be identified." During the course of the summer, several clues about the attraction were set up around the construction site. On June 10, 2013, the park launched their social media campaign by posting a photo showing the construction site with the caption, "Field of Dreams". The campaign continued with five scarecrows around the construction site and several Twitter posts about the future attraction. Then, at the beginning of July 2013, recordings of someone screaming could be heard by park guests near the construction area. Two weeks later, farm owls were placed in nearby trees. On July 31, 2013, Kings Island detailed plans to reveal a new world record-breaking attraction at 10pm on August 8, 2013. Media packages containing a silver comb, artificial hair and a tag were sent out to media outlets to notify them of the upcoming announcement. A limited amount of tickets were also made available to the public giving access to a tour of the construction site prior to the revealing and reserved seats at the event, with net proceeds being donated to breast cancer research. Blueprints for the project were leaked to the public on August 1, 2013.On August 8, 2013, Kings Island officially unveiled Banshee, the world's longest inverted roller coaster. At a cost of US$24 million, the ride is the single biggest investment in Kings Island history. Banshee is the second Bolliger & Mabillard roller coaster at Kings Island following the installation of Diamondback in 2009. It is also the park's 14th roller coaster.
Magnum XL-200 - Cedar Point - 4K POV 2016 - Sandusky, Ohio HDThrillSeeker 2016-06-26 | Magnum XL-200, colloquially known as simply Magnum, is a steel roller coaster built by Arrow Dynamics at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. When built in 1989, it was the tallest, fastest, and steepest complete-circuit roller coaster in the world as well as the first hypercoaster – a roller coaster that exceeds 200 feet (61 m) in height. Some have credited Magnum with starting a period in the industry known as the roller coaster wars, in which amusement parks competed with one another at a rapid pace to build the next tallest and fastest roller coaster. More than 40 million people had ridden Magnum as of 2009.Magnum XL-200 held the title of tallest roller coaster in the world until 1994 when Pepsi Max Big One opened at Blackpool Pleasure Beach in the United Kingdom. Amusement Today presented Magnum with its "Best Steel Roller Coaster" Golden Ticket Award for three consecutive years in a row from 1998 to 2000. As of 2014, it was ranked thirteenth in the world by
Cedar Creek Mine Ride - Cedar Point - 4K POV 2016 - Sandusky, Ohio HDThrillSeeker 2016-06-19 | Cedar Creek Mine Ride is a mine train roller coaster at Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. Built by Arrow Dynamics, the roller coaster opened in 1969 in the Frontiertown section of the park. It is the second oldest roller coaster at Cedar Point behind Blue Streak. Cedar Creek Mine Ride is one of two roller coasters at Cedar Point to utilize two separate lift hills – the other is Iron Dragon. As of 2006, it has accommodated over 62 million riders.Following the success of Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland which opened in 1959, the tubular steel track design pioneered by Arrow Dynamics was in high demand at other amusement parks around the world. Arrow developed a runaway mine train concept that would be used in many of its first roller coasters. Among them was the Cedar Creek Mine Ride at Cedar Point, which opened in 1969 as the centerpiece for the new Frontiertown section of the park. It is the second-oldest roller coaster at Cedar Point and has given over 62 million rides since its debut.
Gemini - Cedar Point - 4K POV 2016 - Sandusky, Ohio HDThrillSeeker 2016-06-07 | Gemini is a racing roller coaster with a wooden structure and steel track, located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. Built in 1978 by Arrow Dynamics and designed by Ron Toomer, it is one of the oldest roller coasters in the park. When the ride opened, it was marketed as the tallest, fastest and steepest roller coaster in the world. All three record-breaking claims were falsely made as other coasters around the world already beat Gemini. The all-steel Loch Ness Monster at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia, opened earlier that year before Gemini and was taller but had a shorter drop. Screamin' Eagle at Six Flags St. Louis opened two years prior to Gemini and was faster at 62 mph. Montaña Rusa at La Feria Chapultepec Magico in Mexico City opened four years prior to Gemini and was longer by 65 feet.
Iron Dragon - Cedar Point - 4K POV 2016 - Sandusky, Ohio HDThrillSeeker 2016-06-05 | Iron Dragon is a steel suspended roller coaster located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, built in 1987 by Arrow Dynamics. It is located in the Celebration Plaza section of the park. It closes for about 40 minutes every night for Luminosity — Ignite the Night!, a nighttime show that takes place right in front of Iron Dragon.Before Iron Dragon’s 1987 debut, the Western Cruise (later known as Paddlewheel Excursions) boats circumnavigated the waters around this island. The popular boat ride’s station sat on the same part of the midway where Iron Dragon’s station rests today (In fact, observant Iron Dragon riders can still spot the docking cleats welded to the dock while climbing the stairs to the boarding station). The Monster circular ride used to call the land under Iron Dragon’s transfer track home. Monster closed on Labor Day weekend in 1986 so Iron Dragon construction could begin. Planning for Iron Dragon began in 1985, the same year the Frontier Lift cable car ride (similar to the Sky Ride found on Cedar Point’s main midway) opened for its final season.In the early and mid-1990s, a "remote a boat" game was housed in the water under Iron Dragon's final helix element. This was removed in 1997.
Rougarou - Cedar Point - 4K POV 2016 - Sandusky, Ohio HDThrillSeeker 2016-06-02 | Rougarou is a floorless roller coaster located at Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. Designed and built by Bolliger & Mabillard, the roller coaster originally opened in 1996 as a stand-up roller coaster called Mantis, which at the time was the tallest, fastest, and longest of its kind in the world. Cedar Point had planned to name the ride Banshee, but due to negative publicity following the announcement, the name was later changed to Mantis.In September 2014, Cedar Point announced the pending closure of Mantis scheduled the following month. The park later revealed that Mantis wouldn't be removed but would be transformed into a floorless roller coaster design for the 2015 season. It reopened as Rougarou on May 9, 2015.On September 8, 1995, Cedar Point announced plans to build a new roller coaster, which would open as the tallest, fastest, and longest stand-up roller coaster in the world. The ride was to be named Banshee after the mythical wailing ghost in Irish folklore. In the days following the announcement, there was some negative reaction from the public regarding the term Banshee, which in the dictionary is described as a female spirit that warns of an impending family death. On November 14, 1995, Cedar Fair Entertainment Company filed a trademark for the name Mantis, which later became the ride's official name. As a result of the name change, its logo was also changed to a resemble a mantis. The discarded name would later be reused for Banshee at Kings Island which opened in 2014.Construction on the new roller coaster began in the off season and was completed on January 9, 1996. More than 20% of the track was built over water. Cedar Point held a "Media Day" for Mantis on May 9, 1996, and the ride officially opened to the public on May 11, 1996.On September 2, 2014, after weeks of leaking clues that a major announcement was forthcoming, Cedar Point released a statement that Mantis would close on October 19, 2014. According to the park, the roller coaster had given over 22 million rides since its debut. However, Cedar Point revealed on September 18, 2014, that Mantis wouldn't be removed, but instead would be converted into a floorless roller coaster complete with new trains, new colors, and a new theme. It reopened as Rougarou, the name of a legendary creature in French folklore that draws comparisons to the mythical werewolf, on May 9, 2015.
Maverick - Cedar Point - 4K POV 2016 - Sandusky, Ohio HDThrillSeeker 2016-06-01 | Maverick is a steel roller coaster built by Intamin at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. It was the seventeenth roller coaster built at the park since Blue Streak in 1964. It is notable as being the 500th roller coaster designed by German engineer Werner Stengel and the first roller coaster featuring a Twisted Horseshoe Roll. Maverick's US$21-million price tag makes it Cedar Point's third most expensive roller coaster. The 4,450-foot (1,360 m) course makes it the fourth longest roller coaster at Cedar Point.Maverick was scheduled to open on May 12, 2007, but opening was delayed until May 26, 2007 after testing revealed the heartline roll element to be too intense. Continued use of the element would have put excessive stress on trains. At a drop angle of 95 degrees, Maverick is Cedar Point's steepest roller coaster. The ride's tagline is "The Old West Was Never This Wild."
Raptor - Cedar Point - 4K POV 2016 - Sandusky, Ohio HDThrillSeeker 2016-06-01 | Raptor is a steel inverted roller coaster designed by Bolliger & Mabillard at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. When built in 1994, it broke many records and held many firsts when it opened. Instead of having a short layout designed to fit into a compact area like Batman: The Ride, Raptor was designed with a larger, 3,790-foot (1,160 m) layout, making it the tallest, fastest and longest inverted roller coaster in the world when it opened. It features six inversions, including a cobra roll, a first for inverted roller coasters. At its opening, it was the largest investment in Cedar Point history. The ride is themed as a bird of prey.On August 19, 1993, Cedar Fair Entertainment Company filed a trademark for the name Raptor. Raptor was then announced on September 1, 1993 during a press conference. Regarding the design of the attraction, Cedar Point management, said: "Raptor will be the most exciting and ambitious project ever ... a project that will challenge the boundaries of imagination and change the Sandusky, Ohio amusement park/resort like nothing before it."Construction started after the 1993 season with the site clearing of the Mill Race log flume water ride. The Midway Carousel and Calypso were relocated in October to other areas of the park to make room for Raptor. Footers also began to be poured that month. The lift hill was topped off in December with track construction continuing through January 1994. The first trains were tested about two months later in March. Final preparations were made in March with the entrance plaza being built and 85,000 square feet (7,900 m2) of midway replaced. Media day was held on May 6 before the ride opened to the public the next day for the first time. The ride was originally painted with dark green supports, bright green track and unpainted rails. It was repainted for the 2002 season and the rails were painted dark green, matching the supports.
Gatekeeper - Cedar Point - 4K POV 2016 - Sandusky, Ohio HDThrillSeeker 2016-05-30 | GateKeeper is a steel roller coaster located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. Designed by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), it was the fifth Wing Coaster installation in the world. The ride opened on May 11, 2013, on the most successful opening weekend to date in the park's history. GateKeeper features the highest inversion in the world, with its 170-foot (52 m) Wing Over drop. It has broken several Wing Coaster records, including those for height, speed, track length, drop height and number of inversions. The coaster has a 170 ft (52 m), 40-degree inclined lift hill with a 164 ft (50 m) drop and features two support towers with keyhole elements that the trains travel through. Its top speed is approximately 67 mph (108 km/h).Construction began in September 2012 and took roughly eight months to complete. The park built a new entrance plaza featuring the keyhole towers as the centerpiece. The roller coaster replaced Disaster Transport and Space Spiral, both demolished during the summer of 2012, bringing Cedar Point back to its former total of 16 roller coasters. It was Cedar Point's first new roller coaster since Maverick debuted in 2007, and the third B&M coaster in the park following Raptor (1994) and Mantis (1996). In 2013, GateKeeper was the most frequently-ridden roller coaster at Cedar Point, and it ranked 28th among steel roller coasters in the annual Golden Ticket Awards poll from Amusement Today.
Millenium Force - Cedar Point - 4K POV 2016 - Sandusky, Ohio HDThrillSeeker 2016-05-29 | Millennium Force is a steel roller coaster built by Intamin at Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. It was the fourteenth roller coaster to be built at the park since the Blue Streak opened in 1964. Upon completion in 2000, Millennium broke six world records and was the world's first Giga Coaster, a roller coaster that exceeds 300 feet (91 m) in height. It was briefly the tallest and fastest in the world until Steel Dragon 2000 opened later the same year. The ride is also the third-longest roller coaster in North America after The Beast at Kings Island and Fury 325 at Carowinds. It was the first roller coaster to use a cable lift system rather than a traditional chain lift. The coaster has a 310 ft (94 m), 45-degree lift hill with a 300 ft (91 m) drop and features two tunnels, three overbanked turns, and four hills. It has a top speed of 93 mph (150 km/h).Since its debut, Millennium Force has been voted the number one steel roller coaster ten times in Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards. Its lowest ranking in the poll has been two, a position that it has swapped with Superman the Ride (formerly Bizarro) numerous times since 2001. Although Millennium Force has been surpassed in height and speed, it remains one of the tallest and fastest in the world.
Valravn - Cedar Point - 4K POV 2016 - Sandusky, Ohio HDThrillSeeker 2016-05-29 | Valravn is a steel roller coaster at Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. Built and designed by Bolliger & Mabillard, it is the third Dive Coaster in the United States. The ride's theme is based on a supernatural bird from Danish folklore called the valravn. It opened on May 7, 2016, as the tallest, fastest, and longest dive coaster in the world.In January 2015, the Sandusky Register obtained a memo from Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) announcing the arrival of a record-breaking Dive Coaster at Cedar Point for the 2016 season. The memo stated that the ride may be installed on land formerly occupied by the Good Time theatre, which was demolished a few months earlier. The park's spokesman, Bryan Edwards, later confirmed that the Dive Coaster was one of several possibilities the park was considering.Site preparation began in late 2014, when the Dodgems and Calypso rides were relocated to the Wicked Twister midway section of the park. The Good Time Theatre and Turnpike Cars were demolished and removed as well in early 2015. In May 2015, interest in the new ride grew when Cedar Point trademarked the name Valravn, which in Danish folklore stands for the "raven of the slain". In early August of the same year, images showing the layout of the new roller coaster and its logo appeared in the amusement park's smartphone app. Responding to the leak, Cedar Point temporarily disabled the app on Google Play and announced that details would be revealed on August 18, 2015. However, the park decided to postpone the announcement following an incident in which a park visitor was struck and killed when entering a restricted area underneath Raptor. Visitors began to report seeing pieces of new roller coaster track being stored on park property. On September 9, 2015, Cedar Point officially unveiled plans for Valravn.The roller coaster is based on the Dive Coaster model developed by B&M and represents the company's hundredth roller coaster installation. Its trains will be the first on this model to use an over-the-shoulder restraint system similar to the design used on Cedar Point's GateKeeper and other B&M Wing Coasters. Each train consists of three cars, each of which has a single row holding eight passengers, for a total of 24 riders per train. Construction finished as Valravn's last piece of track was put in place on March 2, 2016. Video showing the ride being tested was released in early April 2016.
Matterhorn Ride - Roller Coaster - 4K 2016 - Disneyland HDThrillSeeker 2016-05-21 | The Matterhorn (German pronunciation: [ˈmatərˌhɔrn]) or Monte Cervino (Italian pronunciation: [ˈmonte tʃerˈviːno]), also known in French as Mont Cervin (French pronunciation: [mɔ̃ sɛʁvɛ̃]) is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the main watershed and border between Switzerland and Italy. It is a huge and near-symmetrical pyramidal peak in the Monte Rosa area of the Pennine Alps, whose summit is 4,478 metres (14,692 ft) high, making it one of the highest summits in the Alps and Europe. The four steep faces, rising above the surrounding glaciers, face the four compass points and are split by the Hörnli, Furggen, Leone and Zmutt ridges. The mountain overlooks the Swiss town of Zermatt in the canton of Valais to the north-east and the Italian town of Breuil-Cervinia in the Aosta Valley to the south. Just east of the Matterhorn is Theodul Pass, the main passage between the two valleys on its north and south sides and a trade route since the Roman Era.The Matterhorn was studied by Horace-Bénédict de Saussure in the late eighteenth century, who was followed by other renowned naturalists and artists such as John Ruskin in the nineteenth century. It remained unclimbed after most of the other great Alpine peaks had been attained, and became the subject of an international competition for the summit. The first ascent of the Matterhorn was finally made in 1865 from Zermatt by a party led by Edward Whymper but ended disastrously when four of its members fell to their deaths on the descent. That climb and disaster, later portrayed in several films, marked the end of the golden age of alpinism. The north face was not climbed until 1931, and is amongst the three biggest north faces of the Alps, known as the ‘The Trilogy’. The west face, which is the highest of the four, was completely climbed only in 1962. It is estimated that over 500 alpinists have died on the Matterhorn since the first climb in 1865, making it one of the deadliest peaks in the world.The Matterhorn is mainly composed of gneisses from the Dent Blanche nappe, lying over ophiolites and sedimentary rocks of the Penninic nappes, the gneisses being originally fragments of the African Plate before the Alpine orogeny. The current shape of the mountain is the result of cirque erosion due to multiple glaciers diverging from the peak, such as the Matterhorn Glacier at the base of the north face, forming a horn.Sometimes referred to as the Mountain of Mountains, the Matterhorn has become an iconic emblem of the Swiss Alps and of the Alps in general. Since the end of the 19th century, when railways were built in the area, it has attracted increasing numbers of visitors and climbers. Each year a large number of mountaineers try to climb the Matterhorn from the Hörnli Hut via the northeast Hörnli ridge, the most popular route to the summit. Many trekkers also undertake the 10-day long circuit around the mountain. The Matterhorn is part of the Swiss Federal Inventory of Natural Monuments since 1983.
World of Color Diamond Celebration - California Adventure - 4K 2016 - Disneyland HDThrillSeeker 2016-05-14 | World of Color is a nighttime show at Disney California Adventure, part of the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. The entire show cost $75 million to design, manufacture and build. The process of assembling, installing, and testing the show's numerous components and equipment in Paradise Bay spanned a period of approximately 15 months. The original version of World of Color premiered on June 11, 2010 as part of the "Summer Nightastic!" promotional campaign.Conceived by Vice President of Parades and Spectaculars, Steve Davison, and designed by Walt Disney Creative Entertainment, the show has nearly 1,200 fountains and includes lights, water, fire, fog, and lasers, with high-definition projections on mist screens. The show is inspired by Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color anthology television series, as evidenced by the use of its eponymous theme song written by the Sherman Brothers.The show transpires at the lagoon of Paradise Bay at Paradise Pier, while the audience watches the performance at the Paradise Park viewing area in front of The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure attraction. Other nearby attractions such Mickey's Fun Wheel and California Screamin' become part of the performance as they undergo various forms of lighting and projections throughout the show. The effects utilized in World of Color (water fountains, mist screens, fire, lasers, lighting, and fog) are choreographed to work in synchronicity with the featured music and image projections.
Toy Story Midway Mania! - California Adventure - 4K 2016 - Disneyland HDThrillSeeker 2016-05-08 | Toy Story Midway Mania! (marketed as Toy Story Mania!) is an interactive 4-D theme park attraction, located at three Disney theme parks: Disney's Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort and Tokyo DisneySea at Tokyo Disney Resort.Designed by Walt Disney Imagineering and inspired by Disney·Pixar's Toy Story franchise, the attraction was first unveiled during a press conference at Walt Disney World in January 2007. The Florida version opened officially on May 31, 2008, while the California version officially opened on June 17, 2008. The Japan version of the attraction opened on July 9, 2012.Park guests wear 3-D glasses (Carnival Games Goggles) aboard spinning vehicles that travel through virtual environments based on classic carnival midway games. Ride vehicles seat up to eight in four back-to-back pairs. Small children are also able to ride on an adult's lap if they are facing forward with their legs securely underneath the safety bar.
Maters Junkyard Jamboree - California Adventure - 4K - 2016 - Disneyland HDThrillSeeker 2016-04-30 | Mater's Junkyard Jamboree — an attraction in the style of a whip ride and Francis' Ladybug Boogie in A Bug's Land (and, to a lesser extent, the Mad Tea Party at Disneyland). However, instead of being themed as insects, the attraction is themed to Mater's Junkyard and the fields with baby tractors from the first film. Mater is the Master of Ceremonies of the Jamboree. The vehicles are tractors which pull trailers attached to them that move around with the music.- wikipedia.org
Sonoran Lights at The Desert Botanical Garden - Bruce Munro - 4K 2016 - Phoenix, Arizona HDThrillSeeker 2016-04-23 | Experience the Garden in a new light! The exhibit showcases eight large-scale, light-based installations using an inventive array of materials and hundreds of miles of glowing fiber optics. Located throughout the Garden, British artist Bruce Munro’s site-specific exhibition reflects his unique interpretation of the Sonoran Desert.This extraordinary new exhibit includes:Field of Light, featuring 30,000 individual spheres of gently blooming light nestled on the hillside of the Garden Butte, cascading down onto the Sonoran Desert Nature Loop Trail.Saguaro, inspired by the colossal cactus, this piece stands as a marker to show what caught Munro's imagination during his very first visit to the Garden.Temperate Zone, Munro’s interpretation of the ingenious cooling pots created by the indigenous population of the Southwest hundreds of years ago.Water-Towers, where 58 glowing towers grace the Garden among the iconic saguaro cacti.Chindi, suspended in elegant form from the structures of the Sybil B. Harrington Succulent Gallery.Beacon, Eden Blooms and Fireflies installations will further engage in dialog with visitors and the desert landscape.British artist Bruce Munro (b. 1959) is best known for large immersive light-based installations inspired primarily by his interest in shared human experience and connection. After completing a B.A. in Fine Arts 1982 Munro moved to Sydney where he took up employment in design and lighting, inspired by Australia’s natural light and landscape. Returning to England in 1992, he settled in Wiltshire, where he raised four children with his wife. Following his father’s death in 1999, Munro felt compelled to resume art-making on a personal level. His work has been shown at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London; Waddesdon Manor, the Rothschild Collection, Buckinghamshire; and the Guggenheim Museum, New York. brucemunro.co.uk.
Silly Symphony Swings - California Adventure - 4K 2016 - Disneyland HDThrillSeeker 2016-04-16 | Silly Symphony Swings is a "wave swinger" attraction in Paradise Pier, at Disney California Adventure, at the Disneyland Resort in California. Themed to Disney's The Band Concert conductor Mickey Mouse conducts the attraction from high atop, synchronized with the music. Although The Band Concert was not part of the Silly Symphonies film series, the name was applied to the attraction due to its apparent symphony storyline. Closely following the plot of The Band Concert the main column of the ride rises revealing a tornado which spins the riders to the tune of the William Tell Overture and William Tell's "Storm". Once the tornado safely passes, the music comes to an end and the ride slows and lowers riders to the ground. It is speculated that the new voice of the Silly Symphony Swings is that of the fictitious Mr. Tinkershmidt, the supposed new owner of Paradise Pier. Tinkershmidt and the Silly Symphony Swings update is part of the multi-year, $1.1 billion (US) expansion plan for Disney's California Adventure Park. Previews of the attraction are offered at California Adventure's Walt Disney Imagineering Blue Sky Cellar.The attraction was originally slated to replace the Orange Stinger on May 28, 2010. Although the attraction soft opened on May 28, 2010, it had an Official Grand Opening on June 11, 2010.- wikipedia.org
Cars Ride - Radiator Springs Racers - California Adventure - 4K 2016 - Disneyland HDThrillSeeker 2016-04-10 | Radiator Springs Racers is a simulated slot car type dark ride attraction in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure. The attraction features a third-generation version of transport technology originally developed for the Test Track attraction at Epcot in Walt Disney World. Radiator Springs Racers is themed to the fictional world in Disney·Pixar's Cars. At a cost of over $200 million, the attraction is the most expensive at Disneyland Resort and one of the most expensive theme park attractions in the world. It accounted for about 18% of the entire cost of the $1.1 billion expansion of Disney California Adventure Park. The attraction takes guests in a six-person vehicle through encounters with characters from the film series Cars. Guests then race another vehicle through turns and hills, ending with a randomized race result.The attraction, along with the rest of the Disney California Adventure multi-year expansion, was announced on October 17, 2007. However, the first indication of the attraction and the new land was some concept art published in the Dreaming section of The Walt Disney Company's 2006 annual report. By late 2009, construction on the attraction and the land within it began, and was finished two and a half years later. At the "What's Next?" presentation at Disney California Adventure on June 11, 2010, Imagineer Kathy Mangum gave a brief rundown of the attraction's storyline. Ride testing began in early 2012 with soft openings the following spring. The ride officially opened to the public on June 15, 2012 with wait times of up to six hours.- wikipedia.org
Monsters Inc. Ride - Mike and Sully to the Rescue! - California Adventure - 4K 2016 - Disneyland HDThrillSeeker 2016-04-02 | Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! is a dark ride attraction at Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It opened January 22, 2006 with a grand Sulley-Blue-Fur Carpet Premiere.It is based on the 2001 Disney·Pixar film Monsters, Inc. The attraction replaced the short-lived Superstar Limo dark ride, and utilizes the same track layout. The CDA agents in the ride are re-dressed and repositioned celebrity figures from Superstar Limo. In addition, Superstar Limo's "stretch limo" ride vehicles were reused for the attraction, repainted and re-dressed as Monstropolis taxi cabs.The queue area, where guests (park visitors) wait to board the attraction, is themed to a bus station named the Monstropolis Transit Authority, featuring posters and videos of commercials of tourist spots in the fictional city of Monstropolis where the film is set.Guests board taxis on a journey through the streets of Monstropolis. A small television monitor in each of the three rows of the ride vehicle plays a clip of a tourism video that is interrupted with urgent news that a female human child named Boo has been seen in the city. The news is the subject of consternation as contact with humans is considered deadly to the monsters of the city.The taxis exit a tunnel through a detour from the welcoming gate and go down the dark streets of the city, passing characters Mike and Celia in Mike's new car as Mike wishes her a happy birthday. Riders proceed to see Randall (an archenemy chameleon-like character possessing the ability by camouflage to disappear at will), who looks around angrily.Following are news reporters interviewing monsters frightened by alleged encounters with the human, Boo. Sulley pops up from an alley holding Boo, looking to see if the coast is clear. The taxis drive into Harryhausen's sushi restaurant, where frantic monsters run around as Celia shouts angrily at Mike, as he and Sulley sneak through the back door of Monsters, Inc. with Boo.The taxis encounter the CDA (Child Detection Agency) searching for Boo as they enter the Monsters, Inc. factory. The taxis then drive passed Needleman and Smitty in the lobby and into the men's locker room where Mike appears worried, saying that he has Boo's door set up on the scare floor while Sulley waits for Boo to use the restroom. Randall appears then disappears in a nearby corner.In a giant room where teleportation devices (closet doors) are hanging in storage dry-cleaner-rack style, the riders again see Randall who threatens to destroy Boo's door, preventing her to return home, but Mike and Sulley find it again. Riders pass by various closet doors as they open, revealing various monsters from Monsters, Inc. such as the Abominable Snowman, George, or Thaddeus. Boo can then be seen hitting Randall with a bat, changing his colors as the taxis are passed by hundreds of flying doors.Mike and Sulley say goodbye to Boo as the taxis exit the door vault. CDA agents cleanse exiting riders as a cameraman films them. An audio-animatronics figure of Roz talks to the passing riders, often singling out riders by the row they're in. Guests then exit back to the park.wikipedia.org
Mad T Party - California Adventure - 4K 2016 - Disneyland HDThrillSeeker 2016-03-30 | Mad T Party is a nighttime event at Disney California Adventure, part of the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. Anchored in the Hollywood Studios subsection of the Hollywood Land section of the park, Mad T Party premiered on June 15, 2012, the same day the park was re-dedicated. The event, which succeeded ElecTRONica, is inspired by Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. Mad T Party closed on November 30, 2014. On December 5, 2014 it was announced that its temporary replacement would be "Freeze the Night! A Family Dance Party", inspired by Disney's animated film Frozen. "Freeze the Night!" ran through May 15, 2015. On February 13, it was announced that Mad T Party would return on May 22 as part of the 60th Anniversary Diamond CelebrationOn February 15, 2016, it was announced that Mad T Party's last night of performance will be March 30, 2016.
Little Mermaid Ride - Ariels Undersea Adventure - California Adventure - 4K 2016 - Disneyland HDThrillSeeker 2016-03-26 | The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel's Undersea Adventure (titled Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid in Walt Disney World) is a dark ride attraction based on the Disney animated film The Little Mermaid, located in Paradise Pier at Disney California Adventure and in Fantasyland at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom. The ride opened on June 3, 2011 at Disney California Adventure, and on December 6, 2012 at Magic Kingdom.In the early-to-mid-1990s, Walt Disney Imagineering attempted to develop a Little Mermaid dark ride for Disneyland Paris and Magic Kingdom parks. Early plans for Tokyo DisneySea and Hong Kong Disneyland also included this ride. None of these versions were actually built, although a computer-generated ride-through animatic was included on the Platinum Edition DVD of The Little Mermaid in 2006.Disney later went on to design and build a different version of the attraction for Disney California Adventure, as part of an effort to revitalize that park in the 2000s. The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel's Undersea Adventure opened on June 3, 2011 in an area of Paradise Pier formerly occupied by Golden Dreams.In September 2009, Disney announced that Mickey's Toontown Fair at the Magic Kingdom would be demolished to make room for an expansion of Fantasyland. One of the new elements would be a Little Mermaid dark ride, much like the one slated for construction in California. Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid opened on December 6, 2012.On March 20, 2014, the attraction at Disney California Adventure closed for maintenance. It reopened May 10, 2014 with several enhancements; new sea creature figures were added throughout the ride, a view of King Triton's castle was added, the "under the sea" scene was given a blacklight treatment, and the Ariel and Prince Eric figures' sculpted hair was replaced with realistic hair in the "kiss the girl" and "finale" scenes.
Jumpin Jellyfish - California Adventure - 4K 2016 - Disneyland HDThrillSeeker 2016-03-23 | Jumpin' Jellyfish is a Paratower, a parachute jump–style ride at Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California and Tokyo DisneySea at Tokyo Disney Resort in Japan.The attraction's name comes from the jellyfish-themed parachute ride vehicles, the bubble and 50-foot (15 m), kelp-themed towers. Jumpin' Jellyfish has a sister-themed attraction that opened in September 2001 at Tokyo DisneySea. This attraction is similar to that of the former Maliboomer, but scaled down to more child-sized proportions and rethemed. The 180-foot-tall (55 m) Maliboomer required riders to be at least 52 inches (1,300 mm) tall, whereas Jumpin' Jellyfish only requires riders to be at least 40 inches (1,000 mm).The ride survived the expansion of Disney California Adventure Park, although it had originally been planned for removal. The attraction is similar to Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop, an attraction located at Walt Disney Studios Park in France and at Hong Kong Disneyland in Hong Kong.
Heimlichs Chew Chew Train - California Adventure - 4K 2016 - Disneyland HDThrillSeeker 2016-03-19 | Heimlich's Chew Chew Train is a slow moving train-type attraction in A Bug's Land at Disney California Adventure.Guests board a train in the shape of Heimlich, he narrates the ride through the speakers on the train. Heimlich's tendency to overeat is the theme of the ride, as the train appears to eat through oversized portion of human foods: candy corn, animal crackers, carrots, Brussels sprouts and watermelon. Appropriate scents accompany the giant food sets so guests can sniff to attract them. Large bites have been taken out of all the foods, so you can tell that Heimlich has been there before. At the end of the ride, Heimlich bids guests farewell and reminds them to eat their fruits and vegetables.- the Disney wiki
Goofys Sky School Roller Coaster - California Adventure - 4K 2016 - Disneyland HDThrillSeeker 2016-03-16 | Goofy's Sky School originally opened on February 8, 2001, as Mulholland Madness. The attraction's original name came from the famed Mulholland Drive in Los Angeles, California, named after the famed engineer William Mulholland. Within the first month of its operation, three accidents occurred on the ride causing it to be shut for a short period of time for repairs. The ride vehicles were themed to the many cars one can find on the Southern California freeway systems, (such as Highway Patrol cars or Classic Surfer "Woodies"). At the end of the ride, a sign on the wall above read "Rental Car Return".On October 12, 2010, Mulholland Madness closed for refurbishment and re-theming as part of Disney California Adventure Park's major refurbishment. On July 1, 2011, the attraction reopened as Goofy's Sky School. The attraction's re-opening is the latest in a series of moves to attempt to introduce classic Disney characters into Paradise Pier.In 2011 it was reported that Goofy's Sky School will be the location of a future E ticket ride.Goofy's Sky School is a wild mouse roller coaster manufactured by Mack Rides. Walt Disney Imagineering have designed the theme for the ride based upon Disney's animated cartoon "Goofy's Glider". Riders board a plane and navigate a crash course of flying which features sharp turns, steep drops and sudden stops. Goofy is pictured on billboards throughout the ride teaching guests the step-by-step process of flying a plane. Unlike the other coasters at Disneyland Resort, there are no gates on the loading platform.
Golden Zephyr - California Adventure - 4K 2016 - Disneyland HDThrillSeeker 2016-03-12 | Golden Zephyr is an attraction at Paradise Pier in Disney California Adventure Park. Themed to the Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon style rocket ships, it takes park guests on a relaxing trip. Unlike its cousins Dumbo and the Astro Orbitor next door in Disneyland Park, the Golden Zephyr rockets are controlled by centripetal motion over Paradise Bay and can not be automatically controlled to go up and down.The Golden Zephyr's design comes from the Harry Traver Circle Swing[1] rides of the early 20th century, specifically the Aerostat / Strat-O-Stat ride that operated at Riverview Park in Chicago. In designing the ride, Disney engineers visited Pleasure Beach in Blackpool, England to examine the Captive Flying Machines, a similar (but much larger) ride designed by Sir Hiram Maxim, and which has operated there since 1904.Unfortunately, the ride cannot operate at constant wind speeds over 10 miles per hour (16 km/h), or gusts over 15 miles per hour (24 km/h). Neither this attraction nor Jumpin' Jellyfish was removed or changed as part of the billion-dollar expansion.
California Screamin Roller Coaster - California Adventure - 4K POV 2016 - Disneyland HDThrillSeeker 2016-03-05 | California Screamin' is a wood-mimicking steel roller coaster located at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, California. Opened on February 8, 2001, California Screamin' is one of the park's original rides, and is the only roller coaster at the Disneyland Resort to feature an inversion. Its top speed of 55 miles per hour (89 km/h) makes it the fastest ride at the Disneyland Resort and one of the fastest rides at any Disney theme park.HistoryThe boardwalk-themed coaster was designed by Ingenieur Büro Stengel GmbH and was built by Intamin. California Screamin' is the eighth-longest rollercoaster in the world (and third-longest steel coaster in the United States), at 6,072 feet (1,851 m) long. It is also the longest ride with an inversion (since Son of Beast became defunct). Its highest point is 120 feet (37 m) followed by a 108-foot (33 m) drop. Though built of steel, the structure as designed visually mimics the features of a wooden coaster.This coaster has some distinctive features. It uses a linear induction motor to launch the train up the first hill, replacing the traditional lift hill chain. This coaster is one of Disney's fastest attractions, accelerating guests from zero to 55 miles per hour (89 km/h) in four seconds at the launch. Like Space Mountain and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, California Screamin' is set to music. It is the only inverting ride in the Disneyland Resort. This attraction offers both FASTPASS and Single Rider entrances.On November 5, 2010, the attraction's original recorded safety spiels were updated with the voice of actor Neil Patrick Harris.
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror - California Adventure- 4K POV - 2016 - Disneyland HDThrillSeeker 2016-02-27 | The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, commonly known as Tower of Terror, is an accelerated drop tower dark ride located at Disney's Hollywood Studios, Disney's California Adventure, Tokyo DisneySea and Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris. Exempting the Tokyo version, all the attractions are based upon Rod Serling's CBS television anthology series, The Twilight Zone, and take place in the fictional Hollywood Tower Hotel in Hollywood, California. The Tokyo version, which features an original story line not derived from The Twilight Zone, takes place in the fictional Hotel tower. Nevertheless, all four versions place riders in a seemingly ordinary hotel elevator, and present riders with a fictional back story in which people mysteriously disappeared from a hotel elevator under the influence of some supernatural element many years previously.The original version of the attraction opened at Disney's Hollywood Studios (at Walt Disney World in Florida) in July 1994, and was the basis of the 1997 made-for-television movie Tower of Terror; several scenes were shot at the attraction. A decade later, Disney began plans to add similar versions of the attraction to their newest parks at the Disneyland Resort in California, Tokyo Disney Resort in Japan, and Disneyland Resort Paris; in California and Paris, Disney sought to use the popular attraction to boost attendance at the respective resorts' struggling new theme parks. The California and Tokyo versions of Tower of Terror opened in 2004 and 2006, respectively, while financial problems delayed the opening of the Paris version until 2008.The Tower of Terror buildings are among the tallest found at their respective Disney resorts. At 199 feet (60.7 m), the Florida version is the second tallest attraction building at the Walt Disney World Resort, shorter only than Expedition Everest's 199.5 feet (60.8 m). At the Disneyland Resort, the 183-foot (55.8 m) structure is the tallest attraction at the resort, as well as one of the tallest buildings in Anaheim. At Disneyland Paris it is the second tallest attraction.In the American and European versions of the attraction, guests enter the Hollywood Tower Hotel through the front gate. Throughout the entire queue area in most parks typical 1930s jazz music can be heard. Passengers wander through a cracked, serpentine pathway which leads to the hotel. The outdoor queue winds through the overgrown gardens of the hotel, past signs pointing to the stables, bowling green, tennis courts and swimming pools. The path then meanders past the hotel entrance, crumbling statuary and a vine-covered pavilion.Inside the doors of the Hollywood Tower Hotel everything is draped in dust and decay. There is a yellowed copy of the Los Angeles Examiner dated October 31, 1939, a table set with tea and stale pastries, several suitcases abandoned near the front desk, a long-extinguished fireplace, an unfinished game of Mahjong accompanied by a few cocktails, a concierge desk with a hat and cane left behind, and a cobwebbed owl sculpture surrounded by a circle of dead flowers. In the California and Paris versions, the game of Mahjong was replaced with an unfinished game of cards.Behind the front desk are the elevators; the sliding doors of one are partially detached from their grooves. A sign in front of the elevator reads "Out of Order". The setting is composed to give the impression that the hotel has been left untouched since some mysterious past event. Guests are informed that their rooms are not quite ready and are then ushered into the hotel library, which is home to books and the hotel's collection of antiques and exotic curiosities, an old television set, and various pieces of Twilight Zone memorabilia scattered about the room. Through the window, guests may observe a severe thunderstorm raging outside.With a bolt of lightning the power suddenly goes out, save for the television which crackles into life and the opening sequence from Season 4 and Season 5 of The Twilight Zone plays, followed by a supposedly "lost" episode hosted by Rod Serling (which is actually a modified re-themed introduction taken from the show's third season's eighth episode "It's a Good Life"). Through the use of numerous Twilight Zone audio samples, Serling seems to describe the closure of the Hollywood Tower Hotel back in 1939. The episode shows the hotel on that night, where a severe thunderstorm has enveloped the building and grounds. The episode then cuts to the lobby, where a singer, her boyfriend, a child, her nanny, and a hotel bellhop board the elevator.- wikipedia.org
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster - 4K POV - Disneyland - 2016 HDThrillSeeker 2016-02-24 | Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is an indoor/outdoor mine train roller coaster located in Frontierland at several Disneyland-style Disney Parks worldwide. The ride exists at Disneyland Park (California) and the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and at Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Park (Paris) as Big Thunder Mountain. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is also the name of the fictional rail line the roller coaster depicts.Disneyland versionWhile the design of the Walt Disney World version of this roller coaster was done first, Disneyland's version of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was the first one built. The track layout was mirrored, placing the attraction to the right of Rivers of America, if viewed from the central hub. (In Walt Disney World, the attraction is located to the left of Rivers of America.) To better fit with the adjacent Fantasyland areas of the theme park, the original Walt Disney World design had to be replaced with something more appropriate for Disneyland. The original design featured sharp-edged mountains and vibrant colors of Monument Valley, Arizona. Instead, Disneyland's version was developed with more rounded features and muted colors resembling the Bryce Canyon hoodoos in Utah.Upon entering the attraction, the queue winds through a narrow rock wall and passing by the tracks. The surrounding walls were originally created from 100 tons of gold ore from Rosamond.Leaving the outdoor station, trains enter a tunnel, make a right hand turn, then a left hand turn before climbing the first lift hill, which takes trains through a cavern full of stalactites. Leaving the lift hill, the train drops away to the right, then levels out and makes a left hand turn. The track then crosses under the second lift hill drop before making a right hand turn. The sounds of coyotes can be heard as the train descends into a long, dark tunnel. At the end of the tunnel, the train hits a trim brake, exits the tunnel, and climbs the second lift hill. At the top of the lift, an animatronic goat bleats at passing guests as the train drops away to the right, crosses under the lift hill, and rises up into a downward spiraling clockwise helix. Leaving the helix, the train shoots through a small canyon, then drops down into a mining camp, where it hits another trim brake. The train then makes a left hand turn, enters another tunnel, and climbs the third lift hill. As the train climbs the lift, the tunnel is dynamited, and artificial smoke is blasted in guests' faces as the train crests the lift and exits the tunnel. The train then drops to the right, towards the river, then makes a right hand turn and passes through a short tunnel. After crossing over the drop, the trains make a left hand turn as they pass through the ribcage of a T-rex skeleton, hit a trim brake, then make a right hand turn into the final brakes. The train then travels by the buildings of Rainbow Ridge as it returns to the station.On January 7, 2013, the ride was closed for an extensive refurbishment that included a new track, trains, scenery, and new effects on the third lift hill. The attraction reopened on March 17, 2014. The new track was fabricated by Dynamic Structures, the company that had previously rehauled the coaster track in Space Mountain.- wikipedia.org
Voyage to the Iron Reef - Dark Ride Shooter - Knotts Berry Farm - 4K POV - 2016 HDThrillSeeker 2016-02-20 | Voyage to the Iron Reef is a 4D interactive dark ride located at Knott's Berry Farm amusement park in Buena Park, California. Designed by Triotech, the underwater-themed attraction opened to the public on May 15, 2015. It is the second release in the Amusement Dark collection, an branded initiative to construct a variety of video-game-based dark rides at Cedar Fair amusement parks. Wonder Mountain's Guardian was the first in the collection that opened at Canada's Wonderland in 2014.HistoryCedar Fair CEO Matt Ouimet, a former Disneyland president, began a dark ride initiative shortly after joining the company in 2011. Amusement Dark, the name for the new initiative, was trademarked in 2013. Unlike dark rides at Disney and Universal theme parks that can cost upwards of $100 million, Cedar Fair plans to build dark ride attractions in each of its parks with budgets that are only 10% to 15% of its largest competitors, made possible by avoiding expensive intellectual property rights and repurposing dormant areas within the park. Knott's Berry Farm general manager Raffi Kaprelyan stated, “We can’t compete with Disney and Universal on budget, but we can compete on entertainment value.”The first park in the Cedar Fair chain to incorporate such a ride was Canada's Wonderland, which opened Wonder Mountain's Guardian in 2014. The part roller coaster, part dark ride attraction made use of available space in the park's Wonder Mountain area. Following its success, Cedar Fair announced plans on November 13, 2014, to build its next dark ride attraction in the series, Voyage to the Iron Reef, at Knott's Berry Farm in 2015. The building selected for the new attraction formerly housed Knott’s Bear-y Tales and Kingdom of the Dinosaurs, the latter of which closed in 2004. Montreal-based Triotech, a relative newcomer to the dark ride industry, built and designed the ride. It features eleven screens – ten of which are interactive – and 44 high-definition projectors. Triotech CEO Ernest Yale revealed that over 100 computers operate the ride. He described the process of seamlessly linking everything together as "really complex" in order to process millions of calculations per minute.Voyage to the Iron Reef soft-opened to the media and a limited audience on May 13, 2015. It opened to the public two days later on May 15. The total cost to the park was estimated at $10 million, though the official amount was not disclosed.CharacteristicsVoyage to the Iron Reef uses approximately 600 feet (180 m) of track. There are six scenes using a combined total of eleven screens varying from 20 feet (6.1 m) to 70 feet (21 m) in length. As the ride transitions between scenes, physical props are used; unlike Wonder Mountain's Guardian.Ride experienceVoyage to the Iron Reef features a 3-D animated story that enlists guests to battle against underwater creatures that are attempting to harvest steel from the park's iconic attractions and destroy them in the process. Guests waiting in line move through a googie-themed queue area and board the ride from an open-air loading platform. The dark ride contains eight pairs of two submarine-themed vehicles that move along a steel track and stop momentarily at various points throughout the course.Riders are armed with light-sensitive laser guns that symbolically shoot freeze rays at enemies onscreen, which crystallize and break apart after being hit a successful amount of times. An LED display in front of every rider displays the score. Iconic symbols from the park's history are animated onscreen, such as the Roaring '20s neon sign that once stood atop the Iron Reef's building, and can be spotted throughout the ride and interacted with. The story reaches a climax at a final showdown with the Kraken Queen as she launches a variety of attacks during a chase scene. Before disembarking, riders are shown how their scores ranked against other riders and include on-ride photos which are posted next to each score.- wikipedia.org
Timber Mountain Log Ride - Knotts Berry Farm - POV - 4K - 2016 HDThrillSeeker 2016-02-13 | The Timber Mountain Log Ride is a log flume water ride at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California, United States. The ride is one of the oldest log flumes in the United States and is the most popular ride at Knott's Berry Farm. The ride is one of the few log flumes that is themed in the world.The original concept of the Timber Mountain Log Ride was not a log flume, but rather a roller coaster which appeared to float in a trough. However, after discussions with Arrow Development co-founders Ed Morgan and Karl Bacon, the ride's designer Bud Hurlbut chose to use a log flume ride system. The development of scenes throughout the ride saw Walter Knott approve the ride for construction.[2] The initial $3.5 million cost for the ride was funded by the Hurlbut Amusement Company, with the ride later being sold to the park.[3]Timber Mountain Log Ride opened on July 11, 1969 with John Wayne on its inaugural ride. In January 2013, Knott's Berry Farm announced that the ride would undergo a five-month renovation to include audio-animatronic figures and new scenes, while retaining the ride's theme of a 19th-century lumber camp. The ride closed on January 6, 2013, and reopened on May 31, 2013. The refurbished ride features animatronics by Garner Holt Productions.Originally known as the "Calico Log Ride" (considered groundbreaking in its time) it takes riders through a 330-foot long mountain with a theme of a 19th-century lumber camp. The ride is housed in an eight-story building that contains 24,000 gallons of water and finishes in a 42-foot free fall. - wikipedia.org
Silver Bullet Roller Coaster - Knotts Berry Farm - 4K POV - 2016 HDThrillSeeker 2016-02-06 | Silver Bullet is a western-themed steel inverted roller coaster designed by Bolliger & Mabillard located at Knott's Berry Farm, an amusement park in Buena Park, California. The $16 million roller coaster was announced on December 1, 2003 and opened on December 7, 2004. A first rider auction was also held where people would bid on seats to be the first riders. The track is approximately 3,125 feet (952 m) long and the lift hill is about 146 feet (45 m) tall. The ride lasts two minutes and thirty seconds and features six inversions including a vertical loop, cobra roll, zero-g roll, and two corkscrews.HistoryOn May 28, 2003, a trademark for the name "Silver Bullet" was filed by Cedar Fair, the owners of the park. Construction for the new roller coaster began in September 2003 with the relocation of The Church of Reflections. As part of a $85 million investment in all Cedar Fair parks, Silver Bullet was announced to the public on December 1, 2003. The final piece of track was placed on September 30, 2004. On November 5, 2004, Knott's Berry Farm launched a "First Rider Auction" in which people from anywhere in the world would bid against each other in order to be one of the first public riders on Silver Bullet on December 7, 2004. Although sixty seats were made available, only 13 of these received bids. Out of those bids, the highest bid was $200 (US), and a total of $1643 was raised with all the money going to the Speech & Language Development Center of Buena Park. After construction and testing was completed, the roller coaster opened first to the media, then to the public on December 7, 2004 though the initial scheduled opening was on Christmas Eve of 2004. Silver Bullet was also one of four attractions that opened at Knott's Berry Farm in the same year and carries a western theme.Ride experienceSilver Bullet's cobra rollSilver Bullet's layout passes through three of the park's themed areas: Ghost Town, Fiesta Village, and Indian Trails.After the train departs from the station, it makes a 90 degree right turn before beginning to climb the 146-foot (45 m) lift hill. Once at the top, the train goes through a pre-drop before entering the 109-foot (33 m) downward right drop. Once at the bottom, the train enters a 105-foot (32 m) loop. After exiting the loop, the train makes a banked right turn leading into the cobra roll. Almost immediately after, the train goes through a zero-gravity roll followed by a downward left helix. Then, the train enters the first of two corkscrews which are separated by a banked left turn. Next, the train enters an upward left helix (the beginning of the helix is close to water) before entering the brake run. The train then makes a right turn into a second, shorter, brake run which leads straight back to the station. One cycle lasts approximately two minutes and thirty seconds.TrackThe steel track of Silver Bullet is approximately 3,125 feet (952 m) long, and the height of the lift is approximately 146 feet (45 m) high. Silver Bullet, along with all of Bolliger & Mabillard's other roller coasters, was manufactured by Clermont Steel Fabricators located in Batavia, Ohio and erected by Coan Construction Company. The track is filled with sand to reduce the noise made by the trains. Silver Bullet was also the first Bolliger & Mabillard inverted roller coaster to use magnetic brakes in the brake run. The track and supports of the lift hill are red, with the remaining track being yellow with red rails and the remaining supports colored white.TrainsSilver Bullet operates with two steel and fiberglass trains. Each train has eight cars that can seat four riders in a single row, for a total of 32 riders per train. The seats are coloured light blue, with orange over-the-shoulder restraints and tri-color wheel coverings (red, orange, and yellow).ReceptionJoel Taylor from Amusement Business praised the ride saying, "In all, it's an exhilarating 2 1/2 minutes from start to finish." He was also impressed with the ride's smoothness and overall excitement, stating that the ride is, "smooth and comfortable while delivering twisting, stomach-churning excitement."AwardsSince Silver Bullet's debut in 2004, it has consistently been ranked in the top 140 positions in Mitch Hawker's Best Roller Steel Coaster Poll. It peaked at position 99 in 2010. The roller coaster has never placed on the Golden Ticket Awards. - wikipedia.org
Pony Express Roller Coaster - Knotts Berry Farm - 2016 - 4K Quality POV HDThrillSeeker 2016-01-29 | Pony Express is a steel motorbike roller coaster at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California. It is the first Zamperla-manufactured motocoaster to be placed in the United States, and is one of the most recent additions to the theme park, beginning operations on May 22, 2008. The ride is based on a new design that features uniquely shaped seating and a flywheel launch system.BackgroundPony Express was a $9 million project that was added to the Ghost Town section of the park. The theme of the attraction is based on the historic Pony Express mail service. The attraction is designed to give riders the experience of being part of this delivery system, zooming over hills and around turns. Its "out-and-back" course shows riders views of Boot Hill and Big Foot Rapids, two popular attractions also located in Ghost Town. Knott's Berry Farm has given it a thrill rating of "high thrill" (4 out of 5) and is enjoyable for people for all ages.DesignThe ride lasts for 36 seconds and is made up of a 1,300 foot-long steel track that reaches speeds of up to 38 miles per hour and heights of up to 44 feet. Each train has 8 rows, with 2 seats in each row, and the ride can accommodate up to 900 passengers per hour. Each rider's seat is shaped like a horse, and the rider straddles the saddle seat to create the feeling that they are riding on a horse. An automated restraint system secures the rider in their seat, pressing against his/her lower back, allowing the upper body to move fairly freely.MechanicsThe Pony Express was one of the first of its kind to be built in the United States. It is based on a new design called a cycle coaster, most popularly manufactured by Zamperla, a roller coaster and attraction company centered in Vicenza, Italy. Riders straddle the seats like a motorcycle or a bicycle, hence the name cycle coaster. Unlike most coasters, the ride doesn't use potential energy attained from ascending a hill via chain lift. Instead, the ride uses a flywheel and clutch system that catches a cable attached to the cars and delivers stored rotational energy, launching riders from 0 to 38 miles per hour down a straight launch track in less than 3 seconds.IncidentDuring the first two years of operation, the ride functioned smoothly without difficulties. However, on October 7, 2010, during the park's annual Knott's Scary Farm event, a train containing nine riders failed to clear the first hill, rolling backwards into the loading station and crashing into another train. The collision injured 10 people, nine in the car and one preparing to board the stationary train. All 10 were taken to the hospital, but none were reported to have major injuries. The ride reopened a few days later. Since then, no major malfunctions of the Pony Express have been reported.- wikipedia
4K Quality - Jaguar Roller Coaster - Knotts Berry Farm - 2016 HDThrillSeeker 2016-01-22 | Jaguar! is a themed steel family roller coaster located at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California, built by Zierer GmBH.Ride ExperienceQueueRiders approach the ride through the temple in the Fiesta Village section of the park. Many Mayan-style drawings and paintings can be seen on the walls throughout the entire temple. The bottom queue is the most themed part. On one side, you can see prisoners that were imprisoned in the temple that are now just skeletons. On another side, riders see a giant Aztec idol with skulls on the side of him. The bottom walls are painted to show Aztec gatherings with prisoners and others. The queue winds through a series of rooms and tunnels. As you walk up the next ramp, you can see more skulls into the temple. Straight ahead, there is giant stone tablet of some more Mayan Jaguar Warriors with the head of a jaguar. To the left of that, there is another Mayan idol head. You can sometimes hear the roaring of the Jaguar, activated when the train enters the helix located at the end of the coaster. Tribal drums and other Mayan sound effects and also be heard. The queue rises in elevation to the station where riders board the roller coaster.LayoutThe ride starts out with ascending a lift hill after exiting the station. Next, the coaster goes to the left, and down slightly. After that, the coaster does banked right turn up, and then travels through the top of the temple (where the fire effect used to occur), and then goes through the loop of Montezooma's Revenge. The train then turns right and travels up a second lift hill. The track bends left, and the coaster goes through a series of bunny hills. As the track approaches the Timber Mountain Log Ride, it turns around. The train travels through some more bunny hills, then does a banked helix to the left. Finally, it goes into a brake run and arrives back in the station.LiftsThe train is propelled by drive tires because of the short distance of the two lifts. These tires vary in tread pattern. The main tread pattern is recycled rubber diamond cut. Some tires appear to not be spinning, but rather are speed monitors, which track how fast the train is being propelled, and depending on how fast the train is going, tells the other motors how fast to spin. If the train is going too fast, a fault will occur and the train will stop at the next possible stopping point. Each lift is 65 feet high; the first lift is a 20 degree incline, while the second lift is a 25 degree incline.TrainsThere are 2 trains, each with 15 cars. The cars have two types of wheels attached to them: Track wheels on top and guide wheels on the side. Every car has a brake fin underneath it to help in propelling the train through the drive tires and to assist in braking. Each car can seat two riders. There are three locking positions for the restraint system. The trains are themed to match the architectural style of the temple and surrounding area, with a man on the front that the employees, specifically the maintenance personnel, call Victor, in honor of a maintenance person who once worked at Knott's Berry Farm that had an uncanny resemblance to the man on the front of the train, but untimely died from a car accident.Block SystemJaguar! has a semi-complex "block system" to avoid the trains from coming too close or in complete contact with each other. The location of each train is monitored by proximity sensors that when sensing the metal of the brake fin, send the location to the main computer, which is displayed on the main dispatch control panel. The ride has three different blocks not including the station. "A Block" is from the end of station approach into the station. "B Block" is from the top of Lift 1 to the top of Lift 2. "C Block", the only possible place to have a "Set Up" occur, is from the top of the second lift to the station approach section of the track. A "set up" is what occurs when one train attempts to enter a block already occupied by another train. The dispatch panel only allows the operator to send one train after the second train has cleared the second lift, thus entering the "C Block". There are six places where the train can stop: Station, Lift 1, Lift 2 Approach, Lift 2, "C" Brakes, Station Approach. The train enters the station from station approach automatically when "Auto Advance" is activated. However, if the "Auto Advance" is deactivated, the train will stay in Station Approach while the other train travels through A and B Block. Once the train hits the top of Lift 2 with the one train in Station Approach, both lifts will stop immediately and the dispatcher's display will read "067 Block C/Setup", indicating the two trains are attempting to occupy the same block. The other possible setup is an "061 Block R/Setup", when the trains become too close in the computer's readings, though only one train is occupying the blocks.
4K Quality - Dragon Swing Ride - Knotts Berry Farm - 2016 HDThrillSeeker 2016-01-15 | Dragon SwingKnott's Berry FarmCome aboard this rocking ship for a most memorable voyage.
Bigfoot Rapids - Knotts Berry Farm - 2016 - 4K HDThrillSeeker 2016-01-10 | Bigfoot Rapids is a thrilling, outdoor whitewater river raft ride that will bounce, toss, spin and splash passengers as they brave fast moving currents and dodge soaring geysers as they experience the unforgettable fun of shooting the rapids.Towering cliffs, huge boulders, cascading water falls, soaring geysers and trees, shrubs and wild flowers--all indigenous to California--combine to create an authentic setting for Bigfoot Rapids.
Route 66 Zip Line Ride - Williams, Arizona HDThrillSeeker 2015-08-02 | Route 66 Zipline Ride... A High Flying Family Adventure!Zipline Ride 1,400 feet round trip Across the Grand Canyon (Boulevard) on this awesome All New Zipline Ride at 30+ mph backward and forward, on your Grand Canyon area Vacation! It's an awesome experience! you'll want to do it twice!
Wildlife World Zoo Animal Closeups - Arizona HDThrillSeeker 2015-07-13 | Animal closeups at the Wildlife World Zoo in Arizona
Heart of Africa Tour - Busch Gardens - Tampa, Florida HDThrillSeeker 2015-07-06 | Meet the animal keepers and join them behind the scenes for up close encounters to truly appreciate the size, strength and intelligence of these amazing animals. Go Behind the Scenes to see hippos, cheetahs, and lions.
Grand Canyon Railway - Grand Canyon Tour - Williams, Arizona HDThrillSeeker 2015-06-28 | We took a trip to the Grand Canyon in Arizona via the Grand Canyon Railway. This railway also is used for the Polar Express during the winter months. We stayed at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel for a few nights, which was really nice. The train ride is about 2 hours long. There are a variety of tickets you can buy for the train ride. The train car that you see us in is the 1st class train car. There is also a dome level you can purchase seats for in the 1st class train car. Once we got to the Grand Canyon, we took a shuttle tour that dropped us off at different locations for beautiful views of the canyon. On the train ride back we were held up by some outlaws that demanded cash.....of course we obliged to their commands. It was a great trip! If you are planning a trip to the Grand Canyon, we would definitely recommend taking the railway! Enjoy the video!
Penguin Encounter - Up Close Tour - Sea World - Orlando Florida HDThrillSeeker 2015-06-14 | Are you passionate about penguins? Go behind the scenes at Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin® on this approximately 45-minute walking tour to hear from the animal experts about what it takes to care for these unique birds. Plus, get a rare opportunity to interact with and touch a penguin.
Turtle Trek - Sea World - Orlando, Florida HDThrillSeeker 2015-04-26 | Guests will first visit two naturalistic habitats, one filled with manatees and several species of freshwater fish, the other home to more than 1,500 saltwater fish and over a dozen sea turtles. Many of the manatees and sea turtles were rescued by the park’s animal team or were born at SeaWorld.Moving on from the habitat, guests enter a domed theater. Turtle Trek’s theater is the world’s first 360 degree dome theater to show a 3D film. The theater uses 34 projectors to seamlessly cover the entire surface of the dome, allowing the movie to be shown all around guests and even above them. Turtle Trek tells the story of a sea turtle’s journey through life, from birth to adulthood. Guests are given a turtle’s perspective of the ocean’s wonders.Turtle Trek is meant to inspire guests to help conserve natural environments. "Do a little, do a lot, but join us and do something to help the world and its animals,” said Brian Morrow, the attraction’s chief designer, regarding the attraction’s message. “Turtle Trek is about the everyday heroes who can make a difference in nature."- wikipedia.org
Journey to Atlantis - Sea World - Orlando, Florida HDThrillSeeker 2015-04-19 | Journey to Atlantis is the name shared by three water roller coasters located at SeaWorld theme parks. These attractions, while different from one another, tell a similar story of a trip to the mythical land of Atlantis. Each one combines roller coaster elements, such as chain lift hills and steep drops, with boat-based attraction elements, such as splash-down landings. All three attractions were designed by MACK Rides of Germany.The original Journey to Atlantis made its debut in 1999 at SeaWorld Orlando, and was the first roller coaster to be installed at the park. It was the park's only thrill ride until the arrival of Kraken in 2000.Journey to Atlantis features a small aquarium exhibit, "Jewels of the Sea", in its gift shop exit area. Inside, guests will find aquaria built into the floor and the ceiling of the exhibit, along with more traditional aquaria.The ride vehicles on Journey to Atlantis are actually boats with wheels on the bottom and on the sides. Each boat carries eight passengers, arranged into four rows with two passengers each. Two lap bars secure both passengers in the row.Journey to Atlantis begins as the boat is propelled via friction drives into a water flume meant to resemble an underwater canal. A siren beckons the boat closer until the mythical realm of Atlantis comes into view. The boat enters the city and all appears well, but soon the siren's true form is revealed, and the boat is carried up and out of the temple on a roller coaster chain lift hill. After a left-hand U-turn the boat starts up a second lift hill, entering a dry flume at the top of the hill that carries the boat to the large splash-down drop. The attraction's on-ride camera captures the boat's photograph as it slides down to the water below.The boat makes a right-hand U-turn leading to a short drop and a final lift hill that leads back into the temple for one final encounter with the siren. At the top of this lift hill, the boat is now on a roller-coaster-type track. The boat escapes from the siren into the darkness, down a spiraling drop to the left before swooping up and landing in a final splash-down pool. The boat makes one final U-turn to the right before returning to the station.- wikipedia.org
Lory Landing - Busch Gardens - Tampa, Florida HDThrillSeeker 2015-04-12 | Make lots of new, feathered friends at Lory Landing with a sweet cup of fresh fruit nectar in your hand.Lorikeets are the welcoming committee as brilliantly colored birds glide down to greet you. You'll also meet hornbills, pheasants and many other intriguing friends of a feather.
Flight of the Hippogriff - Islands of Adventure - Universal Studios - Orlando, Florida HDThrillSeeker 2015-04-04 | Flight of the Hippogriff is a junior roller coaster at the Islands of Adventure theme park, in Orlando, Florida, United States. The ride is located in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter section of the park and is a mild alternative to the land's more extreme rides including Dragon Challenge and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. It was one of the first attractions to open with The Wizarding World of Harry Potter on its grand opening on June 18, 2010. A second installation is operating at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, Japan.-wikipedia.org
