Florida Park/Ride Reviews

[Danzaw*nk]

Just thought I'd make a topic to review any ride or park of Florida you wish!

I am going to review my favourite ride:

Mission Space - Epcot


You enter the park and hear the sound of Test Track zooming around, you look a little left and there it is, the ride that is closest you'll ever come to a space shuttle launch (unless you actually do it)! The ride where a centrifuge spins you round so fast, it doesn't feel like your spinning, if feels like your still - just sitting there but you're not...

Before you enter the ride you can witness the stunning theming of the planets and space shuttle over them. To the entrance you go. You could chose the intense ride or the beginner's ride. I think we all know what you want! On you go, the staff address you fully clothes in space suits and issue you your ride type - intense. You walk inside, like you're walking inside a NASA control building. The theming around you in stunning. Huge spacecrafts and other space themed bits. The lights do well to create tension. After a short wait, you enter the room where you will hear your briefing - what you will experience and what your mission is - Mission Space. The briefing really gets your heart pumping as the tension builds.

You come to your spots before you enter the shuttle (or centrifuge). You are assigned your roles before being told what buttons you'll have to press and why. This obviously has no affect on the ride but does make it feel more interactive . You enter the centrifuge.

You enter what seems like a real space shuttle. You're strapped down, you have dim lights, tv screens infront of you and not forgetting the sick bags . The capsules close and your ride begins. The TV turns to the view of a space craft ready for takeoff. You're lying down. 5-4-3-2- Your heart pounds against the seat as the tension is so huge - 1 - blast off! No G forces? Wait...WOAH! 4Gs strike you and you're left feeling them for what feels like forever! Your face is being blown about, you're pinned to the seat whilst you soar into space.

Ride over? No, it only just got started. Throughout the rest of the ride you experience several parts of high G forces and airtime from dodging asteroids and slingshotting around the moon before landing. Honestly, this ride is the ride of a lifetime. Short ride? No! Almost 4 minutes you experience the Gs.

You come off dazed. You just experienced a ride thats made you dizzy and disorentated but you're left in awe. My first thought after coming off? Nemesis? Pah! MISSION SPACE!

If you get the chance to go to DisneyWorld and Epcot - DO NOT miss Mission Space as it is likely to be one of the best rides you will ever go on!

10/10!

Dan xx

[Mattmills]

Yeh great review i absolutely loved this ride so much so that i rode it about 20 times while i was there! going back in November so will be reriding it lol

[Mankey]

great review as amazing as this ride sounds... im not gonna go on it still! :P. There is an extent of how fun rides can be, and rides that have to install vomit bags on them sound risky. This ride has just seemed to be collossal since it opened, 2-4 deaths (not sure which one it was) Numerous people coming out being sick for ages.... its not right man, its not right.

I know im a bit of a stubborn nob but hey its my opinion, im not stopping anyone else from riding it!

^^ Chris ^^

[Danzaw*nk]

See the problem is as I remember crofty once pointed out, on almost every ride at Disney and Universal they have very strong safety precautions so people will go on one ride and come off thinking, wow, that wasn't too bad (sickness wise), then go on something like Mission Space with the exact same precautions and come off thinking, wow, didn't half expect that.

I noticed this on Soarin', a very relaxing flight simulator and then Mission Space, a flipping centrifuge!

Disney should sort that out I agree.

Dan

[Spendleb]

I went on it a few years back and loved it, thought it was amazing yet my wife went on and was sick all day, it really spoilt Epcot for her, it's certainly a weird one and not for everyone.

[ShadowTD]

Stunning ride. My Dad's a space freak and was *really* looking forward to this one in 2004 and it didn't disappoint. Awesomely intense and a 'look' that is straight out of Mission to Mars, including Gary Sinese. In fact, I'd recommend watching that film if anyone's going to EPCOT as a good way to get you in the mood.

[caffeine_demon]

went on mission space twice last year - did like it, but felt a little queasy for about 30 minutes after the first ride!

No where near as bad as tango though!

[Danzaw*nk]

Revenge of the Mummy - Universal Studios


One of the best rides in Orlando in my opinion. It truely is a gem.

You walk past it on the outside, you think nothing much of it but inside, a fast, airtime-filled beast awaits. You enter through the Egyptian like entrance which is called the 'Museum of Antiquities' and wind through entensively themed queues. It features many objects of terrific theming like the book they read from in the first movie and many other objadars. The best piece of queue line themeing is before you get on the ride, it's awesome (click here). They also have a very well functioning single rider queue line aswell.

When you get to the station there are 2 stations of mine like cars which seat 16 people and dispatch times are fantastic. Throughput is brilliant on there.

You go slowly through some pieces of storyline where you see a fantastic looking anamotromic of the Mummy and other scenes. It's brilliant when the Mummy's fighter things are around then the trapdoor is slowly closing and you're heading straight for it. You think you're not going to make it but you just manage to. You're led into a room where the killer bugs pour out and then you're hurled backwards to another room. You're turned around.

You begin up a lift hill.....slowly rising up with the sound of the Mummy right next to you, he says a punchline of 'Your souls are MINE!' and then whoosh! You're launched over the top to get you some immense airtime. You swoop and swerve over and through some great airtime hills and helixes. You thought the ride was calm and relaxed but in a matter of a very fast acceleration you're flying everywhere!

You come to a halt. The ride is over and the ride op is standing in a control room where you hear 'Have a great day at Univ-', the glass shatters, you're sprayed with water and the Mummy appears. 'Prepare to forfeit your souls' bellows Imhotep. The ceiling sets on fire at a temperate of over 3200 degrees celius. Your face is burning. 'Death is only the beggining' yells Imhotep and you're whipped out through a door in a cloud of smoke to experience yet more airtime and Gs.

You quickly whip into the station where the ride hosts are applauding you and to a video of Brendan Fraiser saying 'Hey welcome back, this interview would have been much better if I got my CUP OF COFFEE!' *Coffee handed to him by Mummy* 'Thanks' *Fraiser takes a second glance and realised*. The screen fades to black at the sound of crashing and screaming.

Believe me, Revenge of the Mummy is an experience from when you enter the queue line to when you exit it. The theming is amazing, the effects are fantastic as it is just generally an amazing ride. My favourite part was easily the inferno on the ceiling as it is so hot (3200 celius!).

What I like is the way the ride hosts applaud you as you come into the station, it's fab .

Amazing ride. Best at Universal Studios.

On-ride video

10/10

Dan

[Danzaw*nk]

Been a while :P.

Rock 'N' RollerCoaster Feat. Aerosmith - Disney MGM Studios


Rock 'N' Roller Coaster you may hear people say, wow, this ride is amazing! Why? Because of the layout, because it features Aerosmith? Nope. Because of the experience. Rock 'N' RollerCoaster is one of Disney's finest pieces of work, here's why...

You walk past the colossal Tower of Terror in Aerosmith Rock 'N' Roller Coaster which is shadowed by Tower of Terror. You think, meh, can't be that amazing then. Stop and think to yourself, 'I'm at Disney', at that point. The unbelievable entrance and atmosphere surrounds you and for some reason, you get so hyped up with 5 of Aerosmith's greatest hits! You'll literally run to the ride entrance! You'll walk through a small, very fast moving cattlepen of about 5 minutes whilst outside. Then you enter the building. The theming is of course amazing with tens of photos and groovy structures and lights. A tiny cattlepen inside leads you to where you enter a room where you'll meet Aerosmith surrounded by drum kits etc and they'll greet you. They're talking to you but they forget they have to be at gig and their limo is waiting. They offer you a ride, will you join them?

You enter what is like a back alley with what I say is the best themed station i've ever witnessed! Despatch times are very quick, 16 or 26 seconds I can remember . On you go to the ride...

You wait at a set of block brakes. Unfortunately the roads are jammed so you'll have to drive really slowly Oh wait, roads all cleared, put the pedal to the metal, GO! You're launched to 60mph in a matter of seconds through a pitch black tunnel into darkness where you speed straight into a loop and corkscrew straight after. Round some corners, drops, another corkscrew. Amazing light effects. Huh?! What's that music? WOW! Aerosmith are playing in the speakers right next to you! You can't help but sing along as you speed round the corners in the funky lights and dodging the road signs and donut stores. Into the brakes you go.

As you depart the ride you enter the photo booth which is terificly made into a G-Force Records merchandise store. Check your photo out before running round the exit to re-ride.

But hang on? The coaster wasn't even that good, it was the experience! Honestly, Rock 'N' Roller Coaster should be judged by the experience than the coaster itself because the track layout is not that interesting but the ride is just incredibly enjoyable and amazing. This is why it remains as one of Florida's must do's, and a coaster must-do!

The theming, the music, the atmosphere all adds up to one of the greatest coaster experiences ever!

Definate must do if you are at Disney! Go there for it! We did (aswell as Tower of Terror)!

Ride Preview Tape
On-Ride Video

Dan

[Beaver Dude]

I could do a massive lengthly review but there's not much point. Basically it's worth going Islands of Adventure just for Spiderman. But then every other ride at that park is amazing. It's easilly the best park in the world.

But there is other stuff in Florida I would defo recomend the simulated sky diving thing near Wet and Wild...I'd also recomend Wet and Wild.

All the parks and attractions are worth doing except maybe Busch Gardens which is a bit crap really with average coasters and theming.

[Crofty]

[quote=""Beaver Dude""]I could do a massive lengthly review but there's not much point. Basically it's worth going Islands of Adventure just for Spiderman. But then every other ride at that park is amazing. It's easilly the best park in the world.

But there is other stuff in Florida I would defo recomend the simulated sky diving thing near Wet and Wild...I'd also recomend Wet and Wild.

All the parks and attractions are worth doing except maybe Busch Gardens which is a bit crap really with average coasters and theming.[/quote]

I agree with IOA but how can you call Busch Gardens crap? It has an amazing lineup of coasters Three of these are of the same type as alton towers and are hardly "average."
The park is a different setup to Disney and Universal with regards to Theming, the clue is in the name (Gardens) It has something for everybody and to date is the only park i've ever known to offer you a free ticket if it rains when your there and don't forget the free beer!
I think Busch gardens is probably the American equivalent of alton towers, only a better and one of the only themeparks in Florida that you'd need more than a day to get around properly.
I'd not do a trip to Florida without paying a visit.

[Danzaw*nk]

Gotta agree there. Busch Gardens is great. It was quiet on the day we went so not much of an atmosphere but it is Florida's Alton Towers. Some great coasters and other rides!

Don't think you can call it crap at all, not my favourite park but the coasters are far from 'average'. And theming is good, obviously not Disney.

I remember reading it was voted Florida's No1 Park.

Dan

[Ketchup]

[quote=""Danzaw*nk""]I remember reading it was voted Florida's No1 Park.[/quote]

Drayton Manor was voted the UK's #1 park. =0

I like BGA i visited back in 2000 when I was only just tall enough to ride both Montu and Kumba, and adored both, it was only second to IOA imo, and it easily had the best coasters in Florida. Gwazi was smooth back then.

IOA has Hulk and 2 inverts that would be below average for B&M's if they didn't duel with one another.

The park isn't quite as good as its brother BGE, but there both very good parks.

[kumbastealth]

Truly amazing rides which I think any of us would kill for to have even a couple of in the country

[Beaver Dude]

I agree with IOA but how can you call Busch Gardens crap? It has an amazing lineup of coasters Three of these are of the same type as alton towers and are hardly "average."

Well crap is an exageration but compared to Islands of Adventure it's not to great and in fact I'd go as far as saying Alton Towers and Thorpe Park are also better.

OK so the park does look nice but it reminds me of Six Flags. The rides are almost plonked down with a little bit of theming. Kumba is good but hardly world class way overhyped if I'm honest. Gwazi was pretty pants and what's the point if they don't even bother to duel it? Montu was a pleasant surprise and was my favourite ride there...I bet it would be even better without the trim brake before the batwing. Oh yeah and Oblivion is better than Sheikra because Sheikra is fairly poor apart from the first drop although that water splash thing is the coolest effect ever.

So now you've done the main coasters what's left? Not much really the flats are average especially the hideous Pheonix. Python is just as bad as Corkscrew, Cheetah isn't as good as Rattlesnake and I haven't ridden Scorpian since 2001. The logflume is OK and I didn't ride Tidal Wave although tbh the British one looks better.

The Rapids are actually rather good and probably the second best I've been on (after Popeyes) I wish they made the ones in the UK parks like these they get you wet with just the rapids. This is also the only ride in the park with a soundtrack which is played all around the ride something I'd love to see at Alton Towers or Thorpe Park.

So yeah while it is a pretty good park I feel it lacks some of the atmosphere of other parks. Plus it's competing against the other Florida parks so it looks worse than it is.