wabashparker
CP Intern
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2008
My name is Parker and i'm a Huge Theme Park buff. i worked at Cedar Point last year, and this summer i'll be interning at Disney in the CP. I recently went down to FL to check out my new home for the next 7 months and also had the chance to go to US/IOA. It was a GREAT Experience. It was me (20) my brother (15) and my friend (20). We went the Monday Following Easter and it was a great day. I read online about some tips before heading out to the parks and found most of them to be true.
We arrived early in the morning, around 8:30am and the parks were not scheduled to open until 9am. They opened the doors early and we went straight for Seuss Landing. We got there, and low and behold, not a single person was around, only the workers who were waiting for their guests. We walked right onto Cat in the Hat and took pictures while no one was around then headed for Lost Continent.
When we got there, Poseidon''s Fury wasn't yet ready to go ( it doesn't open till 9:30) so we went and rode Dueling Dragons. On our train, there were me, my friend, and an old man. That was it. No one was there. We walked right on, asked if we could go again, since no one was in line, and rode 4 times without getting off. Awesome way to start the morning. Just so you know, the Magical Fountain doesn't start when no one is around, becuase i must have talked to that thing for nearly 10 min, and he was still asleep.
We did Poseidon, which is one of my favorites. I'm still not sure why, but no on ever gives it a chance. And, here's a hint. After you walk through the water room, where the water passes over your head, you'll head into the main show room. Move to the front row by the rail. You'll be able to experience the effects of the show much better and be closer to the action, no one ever goes down there.
Off to Jurassic Park. There seemd to be some problems with the attractions going on inside of the Discovery Center, but we didn't mind. Went and rode the River Adventure, waited 5 min and had a great time.
Toon Lagoon wasn't busy because it was somewhat chilly in the morning. Not a lot of people ride the water rides when it's cold out, but it was fun taking pictures of the lights.
Marvel Superhero Island. What is there to say, it's themed to what every comic book kid loves. We waited around 45 min for Spider-Man, but what do you expect with one of the greatest rides ever built. Hulk had a nearly 90 min wait, so we decided to skip out and go eat lunch.
We ate at Hard Rock Cafe on City Walk, and i guess they take your picture before you sit down to eat, then ask you to buy it? It's kinda sketchy if you ask me, but oh well. My burger was good, and i was happy.
Off to US. We got there around 1 and headed towards T2. Saw Doc Brown and got our pictures taken. Funny how he's still around. Had about a 10 min wait on T2 which isn't bad if you're digesting lunch.
We moved on to ET. This was funny, because my brother, who's 15, had never seen the movie. he knew who ET was but didn't know the plot so he was somewhat confused about some things. ET said our names, and all was well in his world. i think we waited around 10 min for this one.
From there we headed over to MIB. there was an hour wait, which means one thing, GO SINGLE RIDER. i think i waited a total of 30 seconds after walking up the stairs to this one.
Headed over to Jaws, always a good time. The line for this one was long, but so was the chance to get your picture taken with the beast out front, so we waited. It was a 30 min wait for Jaws but it was also the middle of the day.
We went from there and tried our hands out on the new Disaster Studios attraction. This was fun. yes it's the old Earthquake the Big One ride, but it's hyped up a bit, and it's really fun. The line took about 45 min to wander through with everyone, and there was a family from Asia that didn't seem to want to wait, so they went out of the line and stood near the props and just waited. Eventually a worker helped them to the front of the line, which was Halarious, but never the less, the rules. It was a fun experience at the beginning with the live interaction, and they take it seriously. They are on a tight schedule and keeping people moving isn't always easy.
Mummy. What to say? This ride ROCKS! we waited 20 min, but it was 20min well worth it. plus, there are all the things in line that are interactive that are fun to watch.
Fear Factor Live! Always a great show, keeps people happy, and is fun for everyone. Show lasted about 25 min.
The Simpsons Ride wasn't quite up and running yet, but there was a lot of activity going on out front. People were amazed by the wall and by the spinning Krusty Eyes. At night, they turned on the lights, which was AWESOME to see, and i'm ready for this thing to open up.
Moving back around, we watched Shrek, which had a 20 min wait and walked right on to Twister. Both were fun, but children seem to scream a lot during Twister.
We headed back over to IOA to finish out the day, it was about 6:30 and we went straight for Hulk. there was a 20 min wait that seemed to go by fast.
Overall i took a ton of photos, and had a great time.
I also had the chance to check out the Blue Man Group show at Universal Studios FL. There is a small memorbelia cart out front for those who don't want to pay to go into the venue. Inside there is a small lobby with a concession stand and t-shirt stop, and after the show you can meet the Blue Men and the band. It was Awesome. But i will say, go to the bathroom before the show. The show lasts about 2hrs long, and there is no intermission, so go before hand. There isn't a bad seat in the house. We sat in the poncho section, and yes, got painted, but i've sat in the back before, and you can see the entire show really well from anywhere. The audience was really alive that night, and it was a good time.
I had a wonderful day at IOA/US and needless to say, my friends did too.
We arrived early in the morning, around 8:30am and the parks were not scheduled to open until 9am. They opened the doors early and we went straight for Seuss Landing. We got there, and low and behold, not a single person was around, only the workers who were waiting for their guests. We walked right onto Cat in the Hat and took pictures while no one was around then headed for Lost Continent.
When we got there, Poseidon''s Fury wasn't yet ready to go ( it doesn't open till 9:30) so we went and rode Dueling Dragons. On our train, there were me, my friend, and an old man. That was it. No one was there. We walked right on, asked if we could go again, since no one was in line, and rode 4 times without getting off. Awesome way to start the morning. Just so you know, the Magical Fountain doesn't start when no one is around, becuase i must have talked to that thing for nearly 10 min, and he was still asleep.
We did Poseidon, which is one of my favorites. I'm still not sure why, but no on ever gives it a chance. And, here's a hint. After you walk through the water room, where the water passes over your head, you'll head into the main show room. Move to the front row by the rail. You'll be able to experience the effects of the show much better and be closer to the action, no one ever goes down there.
Off to Jurassic Park. There seemd to be some problems with the attractions going on inside of the Discovery Center, but we didn't mind. Went and rode the River Adventure, waited 5 min and had a great time.
Toon Lagoon wasn't busy because it was somewhat chilly in the morning. Not a lot of people ride the water rides when it's cold out, but it was fun taking pictures of the lights.
Marvel Superhero Island. What is there to say, it's themed to what every comic book kid loves. We waited around 45 min for Spider-Man, but what do you expect with one of the greatest rides ever built. Hulk had a nearly 90 min wait, so we decided to skip out and go eat lunch.
We ate at Hard Rock Cafe on City Walk, and i guess they take your picture before you sit down to eat, then ask you to buy it? It's kinda sketchy if you ask me, but oh well. My burger was good, and i was happy.
Off to US. We got there around 1 and headed towards T2. Saw Doc Brown and got our pictures taken. Funny how he's still around. Had about a 10 min wait on T2 which isn't bad if you're digesting lunch.
We moved on to ET. This was funny, because my brother, who's 15, had never seen the movie. he knew who ET was but didn't know the plot so he was somewhat confused about some things. ET said our names, and all was well in his world. i think we waited around 10 min for this one.
From there we headed over to MIB. there was an hour wait, which means one thing, GO SINGLE RIDER. i think i waited a total of 30 seconds after walking up the stairs to this one.
Headed over to Jaws, always a good time. The line for this one was long, but so was the chance to get your picture taken with the beast out front, so we waited. It was a 30 min wait for Jaws but it was also the middle of the day.
We went from there and tried our hands out on the new Disaster Studios attraction. This was fun. yes it's the old Earthquake the Big One ride, but it's hyped up a bit, and it's really fun. The line took about 45 min to wander through with everyone, and there was a family from Asia that didn't seem to want to wait, so they went out of the line and stood near the props and just waited. Eventually a worker helped them to the front of the line, which was Halarious, but never the less, the rules. It was a fun experience at the beginning with the live interaction, and they take it seriously. They are on a tight schedule and keeping people moving isn't always easy.
Mummy. What to say? This ride ROCKS! we waited 20 min, but it was 20min well worth it. plus, there are all the things in line that are interactive that are fun to watch.
Fear Factor Live! Always a great show, keeps people happy, and is fun for everyone. Show lasted about 25 min.
The Simpsons Ride wasn't quite up and running yet, but there was a lot of activity going on out front. People were amazed by the wall and by the spinning Krusty Eyes. At night, they turned on the lights, which was AWESOME to see, and i'm ready for this thing to open up.
Moving back around, we watched Shrek, which had a 20 min wait and walked right on to Twister. Both were fun, but children seem to scream a lot during Twister.
We headed back over to IOA to finish out the day, it was about 6:30 and we went straight for Hulk. there was a 20 min wait that seemed to go by fast.
Overall i took a ton of photos, and had a great time.
I also had the chance to check out the Blue Man Group show at Universal Studios FL. There is a small memorbelia cart out front for those who don't want to pay to go into the venue. Inside there is a small lobby with a concession stand and t-shirt stop, and after the show you can meet the Blue Men and the band. It was Awesome. But i will say, go to the bathroom before the show. The show lasts about 2hrs long, and there is no intermission, so go before hand. There isn't a bad seat in the house. We sat in the poncho section, and yes, got painted, but i've sat in the back before, and you can see the entire show really well from anywhere. The audience was really alive that night, and it was a good time.
I had a wonderful day at IOA/US and needless to say, my friends did too.
