DaptoFunlandGuy

No @ash.1111 the "spear" we're referring to is this:

How do you play a phone game without turning on your phone?

If memory serves, the 'spear' was only mounted on one side of one car. It's hardly going to be balanced doing that...

Sorry for misunderstanding also @Richard. It does feel that way, but i guess thats because every man and his dog is a blogger or online journalist these days. I still come here for my fix. I don't follow any other pages regularly except disney specific (and reputable) pages. It is unfortunate that anyone with an iPad these days considers themselves a park expert... anyhow... onwards!

I'm confused - are you saying Ninja's post does, or doesn't comply? (Its still there so i'm assuming you're saying it does) Yes, it's a photo, but a photo of a facebook post about a facebook page having a live chat featuring Ninja's facebook page Surely this hits point 1 and 3? What does 'involved with' mean - that you administer it? or that you are affiliated with? Surely cross promotion of each other meets 'involved' ? That would be like me having a facebook page, where I make a post about how me and TPAGG (Joz) are going to be in a web chat together. Joz then comes to Parkz and posts a screenshot of my post. Technically, its not HIS page, and he isn't INVOLVED with the page, but since the page itself is PROMOTING his page.... doesn't that fit? or is that a loophole we're allowed to exploit?

This feels like promotion to me. I do think this sort of cross promo is the type of thing that SHOULD be paid for. I am however very interested in the top 5 things theme park enthusiasts do wrong. Not interested enough to actually watch it - so if someone could post them here, that'd be great.

BURNNNN!!!!

^not really. Take a look at any of their attractions where they have been duplicated in multiple parks. The first park is always the prototype - mistakes made, lessons learned, and thats why the second and subsequent installations are usually far better received. Being the biggest (and therefore able to weather any poor impressions better) Florida usually gets the 'first' these days - but most fanboys in the south east complain bitterly when another park gets a 'better version'. Disney is less about perfection first time, and more about continuous improvement, and always acknowledging a mistake, and both learning from it, and fixing it next time - you only have to look at California Adventure, and the transformation it underwent after the original iteration of the park was so poorly received. I know someone has recently come back from the USA who personally feels like the latest version of Soarin' is quite a disappointment. I know others who have been recently who felt that the current World of Color with NPH is terrible - but they will run it, listen to their guests, see what works and what doesn't, and next time they look at changes, they'll implement what they learned. Very little at Disney is right from the start - but they can afford to make mistakes and learn from them as they can afford to fix them. Of course - Walt nearly bankrupted the company when he first built Disneyland, and (as ably quoted in Jurassic Park) when Disneyland opened in 1955 - nothing worked. (But the pirates of the carribbean didn't eat the tourists). I wonder if John Longhurst experienced the same problem with the Murrissippi, or whether the coomera soil was a high clay...?

I think you may be onto something there @Wyncenuros - although realistically with WNW, MW and AOS parking - I question whether the venue would need to supply much in the way of additional parking. Its core operations would likely flow into the evening, when only AOS is competing for parking - all of MW's carpark would be available 330+ days of the year. That would leave the swamp area fenced off open for a coaster. When they first filled the Rivers of america in Disneyland, the water drained into the soil. They then had to line the banks \ riverbed with clay to prevent it happening again.

I do hope they allow for the fact that that swamp floods - per the pictures we saw of GL a few years ago.

that is one HELL of a massive footprint. I'm certain this is going to be coaster location - at least we can rule out it is no compact! I would say however that TopGolf needs to have a location that is reasonably visible from the highway to attract passers-by - where exactly is uncertain, if not in the currently fenced off area. Must admit my first thought was this land was for top golf, given the visibility aspect, and the fact that it is announced, whereas #UnnamedCoaster is not - but I've been told the land size isn't big enough for TopGolf to fit.

Really scraping the bottom of the barrel, and forgive the randomness, but here's a few extras from things I can remember or things I learned from friends before I went.: Be careful if you like to chew gum. They frown on it in Singapore - and it's actually illegal to sell. Customs will generally allow you a packet to bring in for your own personal use, but if you go through it, find something else as you won't be able to buy more. Take care to dispose of it thoughtfully. Wrap it in a tissue or piece of paper before putting it in the bin. The folks in Singapore are very proud of how clean their city is - and gum is one of those things you won't see stuck all over the footpath. If you can live without it - it's best to leave it at home and take mints instead. Likewise - littering is definitely frowned upon. Always hold onto your rubbish until you find a bin - which won't be too hard to do as they are all over. There are several 'Merlion' but the original is in Merlion Park outside the fullerton hotel and is worth the trip as it gives an awesome view of the bay. There is of course another on Sentosa (which is a lot bigger), but that's just to cash in on the tourism aspect and it's outlook is nowhere near as grand despite it's size. I found the lonely planet guidebook for Singapore to be invaluable, also giving tips on things i'd never had thought of - plus the map they provide was all we needed to get around. Most locals have woeful knowledge of how to get from A-B, so if you do find yourself asking someone for directions, be prepared for it to take a while. Many 'locals' are actually labourer immigrants from india and malaysia, and few know anything but where they sleep, eat, and work. The Singapore Flyer (giant wheel) is also pretty cool. Singapore is almost right on the equator (it's 1 degree north) so the weather pretty well all-round is temperate. It is hot, and muggy, though glorious during the day. I think I went in September, and our hotel AC ran around the clock on the coldest possible setting just to enable sleep. Stepping outside at 6am was like hitting a brick wall and the heat was oppressive (it actually improves throughout the day). You can expect it to rain almost daily, but usually, although similar to the tropical showers we get on the GC, it lasts only minutes - at around 10am each day. this helps to cool things down, and freshens the air - it's also right around park opening and you'll find Universal's roof invaluable if you get there early. Pack a light spray jacket or a very portable umbrella, but keep an eye on the time and the weather outlook and seek shelter - don't worry - it never lasts long. Humidity is 80% or higher almost every day, with an average of 170mm+ rainfall each month. Average temps are 24-30 degrees almost every day - which combined with the humidity can be killer. International sim cards may not be needed - Singapore has free wifi in most central locations, shopping malls, coffee shops and your hotel, plus there are free internet cafes (and some paid ones) so you can always get online and communicate back home without needing to change things around. Although most customer facing roles will speak english, the traditions still stick hard - cashiers will usually place coins onto notes, and then profer the notes to you using two hands. Try to remember to accept the notes with two cupped hands also, rather than one. Although English is their common language - they are 74% chinese, and most will appreciate an effort to say thankyou in Mandarin (Sheh-Sheh). I found this on a tourism website and love the name they give 'western' singaporeans: As mentioned previously - their police don't muck around - and many will carry sub machine \ automatic weapons and it can be quite confronting since most Australians rarely see that type of thing in person - especially at the airport and near important government buildings... They have a really low problem with drugs, and zero tolerance on prohibited items. If you need to take any medication, check smart traveller, or other advisory websites on what you can \ can't bring, and whether you need documentation to bring certain things with you. Also - if you don't have anything nice to say about the people or the government - best to keep quiet - lest you be arrested for defamation (it's a real thing over there). This is a good read: http://www.goabroad.com/articles/study-abroad/singapore-laws-to-know-before-you-go If you have the time for some culture - check out some hawker centres - Lau Pa Sat is regarded as the best of these and is well worth the experience! Hawker centres however tend to disregard most social niceties you'd expect in other places - they're quick, efficient at what they do, and they'll get you what you want - and it will be cheap - but not necessarily with any courtesy - especially to a foreigner. Singaporeans love a good deal, so if you see a huge queue, you know that place has the best of whatever they offer. If you're looking for a seat in a crowded eatery and you see a pack of tissues on a table - that means its reserved. A lot of locals think that that practice (called Chope-ing) is rude - so I wouldn't recommend doing it yourself - but be mindful you may get an angry diner if you take their seat - especially in the hawker centres. Little India is a residential \ low-end commercial part of Singapore. There is no reason to go there no matter what. Avoid it. at all cost. Likewise if someone approaches you in the street offering bottom dollar prices on top brand merchandise, just ignore them and keep walking. usually they will lead you to a non descript back room whilst their colleague drives the van around with the knock off merchandise (which they keep moving so they don't get caught) and pressure sell. Some of these are good deals on fakes, others end up with you getting robbed. Despite how good the deal may be, avoid street sellers unless their merchandise is on display at a stall freely accessible, and right in front of you. A lot of things are abbreviated so it helps to know the acronym of the place you're headed for as well as the name. Some of the acronyms that you’ll usually see are: MRT – mass rapid transit, CTE – Central Expressway, MOE – Ministry of Education, SBS – Singapore Bus Service, and GST – Goods and Services Tax (for example). They're always in a rush, and will push past you to get there first. Be mindful of this when you're near roads or trains - though they do have a very efficient train system (follow the arrows) remember if you can't get on, there will be another one only minutes away. You'll find little in the way of outright begging for money too - instead they will try to sell you something - things like a packet of tissues and other small nick nacks. best to run with a polite 'no thankyou' and move on. They are quite persistent.

is it just me or are the seats a lot shorter? I swear you used to be able to fit 3-4 adults comfortably. Doesn't look like you could now.

Guys, VR have used the term 'Worlds Best' not world class. Nobody official \ important has said world class. I'd agree Scooby's "firsts" with the lift, reverse drop, ghost train "pre-show" are definitely innovative, and world's best - and scoob is a great ride. It's definitely a world class wild mouse. Likewise - SE is definitely a world class accelerator for it's preshow and theme - and I know because Robb Alvey said so. As for WWF - I disagree. You have many flumes the world over that shit on WWF. Maybe in it's hey day it was 'up there' (and it should be given the cost to build) - but it is not in the same league as flumes like Splash Mountain (DL\WDW\TDL), Jurassic Park (USH), Dudley Do-Right (IOA), and even Timber Mountain Log Ride at Knotts. If the bar is set at 'coherent theme you can understand' then these all win over WWF. Which let's face it - West has a great theme, but really - there's no story 'throughout' the ride, so 'coherent' starts to fade. You go into the mountain, you blast out of it backwards, you get wet, there's a train, and a ghost town with a shootout, before you enter the mountain again and have to leave quickly because 'it's gonna blow'. What ties it all together, except that it's western themed?

I'd say your opinion would be a pretty solid one at that.

I especially like the soft edges they've gone with in the first photo - will prevent people becoming injured by sharp corners.

^and thats where the definition comes into play. It could, for example, be a Skyloop, with two additional loops within a similar footprint. It would be the 'World's Best Skyloop' but still be pretty compact.

She's only going to be signing if you have a copy of her new album i believe.

World Class puts it in a 'class' of identical or similar attractions which are all ~ the same. World's Best means it is the best of all identical or similar attractions. It was definitely 'World's Best' so I look forward to it being on top of whatever category it is in. Hopefully down the track Mack can refurbish it to make it even better too.

Actually, it was 'world's best' not world class.

I doubt you'd get a year-round walkthrough scare attraction. We just don't have the year round attendance to justify so many scare actors.

Could have been worse over the weekend. I experienced quite a poll queue.

Yeah reanimated you're right - its a curved slab, not slanted or unlevel. just an optical illusion.

I haven't been to Tokyo, but I want to. The last time I went to HK, the original plan had been Japan, but at the time, prices were against us. Japan was going to cost almost double what HK cost for similar experiences. Whilst I acknowledge that Tokyo offers two parks, and Osaka offers Universal as well, price was the big motivator. Flight wise, the cost was almost double*, accommodation was about 50% more for similar quality, and if we did Japan, we would want to do it all, which meant Osaka, Hiroshima, Nagashima and FujiQ - which of course starts to add up. Other than cost, in terms of why I specifically say HK over Tokyo though, is because I know a bit more about @Theme Park Girl's plans for the trip than what she has said here, and I won't presume to reveal that - i'll leave that to her, other than to say its meant to be a 'quick dip' into the overseas theme park experience rather than a full blown coaster-to-coaster megatrip, and one that doesn't cost the earth. *(I only fly Qantas on international routes from Australia. I realise other airlines offer cheaper tickets, but I like what Qantas includes in their price. To get similar inclusions on Jetstar for instance, it would have cost more than Qantas! So budget airlines are only better on price if you travel with budget inclusions. That's not something I like to do)