MickeyD

Surfrider arrived at the same time as Super

I get the feeling this ride was thrown in as a 'freebie' to sweeten the deal when Superman was purchased. Someone here will know for sure I expect.

So aside of the Winter Holidays, SE will be going down from the 5th of June for about 3.5 months? It's worth noting that WWF, GL and SDSC all have down times scheduled over this period. You could be unlucky enough to time a visit with 3 major attractions down😑 This seems like obvious cost cutting and does nothing for the Park's image and the Guest experience. I fail to undersrand how that is something of increasing lesser importance to a company like VTP. Not off to a good start Mr Kirby😑

The sheer magnitude of this ride is what sells it to the GP - even those who will never ride and happily watch others are bound to get a kick out of it. As much as I love having a great 'Show' and Theme, I am willing to accept this time around it will only extend about as far as snazzy looking trains and a hot pink track.

B R I L L I A N T ! ! ! ! Hey, let's face it.. . Ain't gunna happen😣 Mind you, the very O U T R A G E O U S N E S S of a Priscilla themed Hypercoaster could possibly be the most utterly PERFECT one ever for a forward thinking Aussie Park like Movie World to consider.. never say never pencil it in I say!

well I guess it's all but official then? Lol, thanks @themagician. Pretty sure you weren't formally on the Wonder band wagon, why now the change of Heart? PS:- I know I am old but what is fldical?

^this! @djrappaI'm thinking about the old ServoDrive belt-driven speakers that existed in the former Memphis Belle (stage3) at Movie Magic? When I ride Superman, there is a scene with the Lockers shaking along with intense vibrations that remind me of the Speakers in the old Movie Magic show.. Knowing how much our Parks love to recycle, as well as nod the past, can I ask if they are in fact the same old ones?

EXIT... STAGE LEFT😆

Here you go!! http://www.industrytap.com/engineering-disneys-tower-of-terror-ride/5209

The original effect featured Sparker units. The first one of 5 supposedly caused by the 'bang' of the old Miner's shot gun, a power box would swing open revealling the sparks in front of the Projector on the right side, followed by another to the left, back again on the right, left and finally one in the Lift2 turntable room which also had atmospheric smoke (fog juice), an expanding barrel effect and an air cannon that blasted smoke from behind riders as the doors opened : "What y'all still doing here? God damn it! Look what you made me do! She's gunna Blow! Get out! Out now I tell ya!! GO ON, GET! GET!" As exciting as all this sounded, the effect was actually pretty meh and seldom worked in it's entirety. By the time the fire happened, 3 of the units had already been decommissioned. Since then we have seen such huge advancements with lighting and projectors. Effects that will last and last, aren't massively expensive, won't fault out every two seconds and won't be potentially hazardous. For these reasons I hope oneday soon we will get to see the WWF finale the ride has always needed, never had.

Thanks so much for sharing this @Coaster Hipster, the themeing and details of this place is off the charts - a bucket list MUST for Theme Park Enthusiasts😃

Where does the Golf ball go @Reanimated35?? lol

Is the re-branding of the VIPMagic pass logo a clue? I see orange with that Purple colour.. Could that be the colour of the Train? So grey supports, orchidy-pinky-purple track and bright orange trains? What theme could THAT be??

Still..

Mike Celestino from Inside The Magic has provided the most detailed review of the new ride yet (about 16 minutes long). Over 2 days of Media previews he had the opportunity to stay on the ride and experience all sequence variations, taking 17 rides in total... LUCKY HIM! Like myself, his first experience of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror was decades earlier in Florida, years before DCA even existed. The Florida ToT remains in the top 5 experiences of all time for many Theme Park fans. Enter the California version of the ride and since then it has been compared by many as the brawny, shorter and all round inferior little brother to the Original. Despite this, Disney has long defended it as the benchmark model in terms of versatile design and capabilities, spawning versions for Paris and Tokyo since. In this case I think it's important to see what the right fit is for each version of the ride. For the Florida version, it will always be perfect as the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and could only be enhanced with effects that compliment the eerie and unique nature of the ride. To me, the SoCal version has always fallen short in the eyes of it's big brother. It is quite a different experience and in it's TZ format, never had the chance to show off it's mad skills. As GOTG it can finally step out of it's big brother's shadow and come into it's own as something that is totally unique for West Coast Disney. It's not really an issue of losing appeal in 10 years time because they have already proven just how versatile this version of the ride's system can be. I agree with the ill felt sentiment that Disney is moving away from the 'generic' themes of the past (space mountain, haunted mansion etc) and that there is a genuine risk by going overboard with specific IPs of today (Guardians/Pandora). So long as they keep up on the quality of the experience, I can forgive Disney for a need to evolve using their current core brands (Marvel/Star Wars).

Dusty at Miceage has just reviewed the new ride and I found it well worth the read if anyone is interested. I pasted the summary below: Is this attraction perfect? No. But the attempts to dazzle with props, lighting and special effects goes a very long way in hiding the flaws. And the ride itself is high energy with fun music, beautiful digital animation, and a new set of drop sequences which will help keep guests engaged and wanting to return. The story is a simple one. The Guardians are trapped in cages by the Collector. Rocket has escaped and needs our help to free his friends. What could go wrong? Is this attraction better than Tower of Terror? That’s very hard for me to say, and I’m going to need to let some of the dazzle of this shiny new object wear off a bit before making a decision. But, whether it is better or not, it is fun. I REALLY enjoyed myself. They’ve managed to create an experience which is similar to the previous ride but with more energy, solid storytelling, and is relevant to a younger generation than the Twilight Zone. The ride opens to the public today and Disney is planning for epic lines (I heard they are prepared for 6 to 7 hour waits) OUCH!

There are some great videos on line showing off the ride's drive engines at the top of the tower. I am just really looking forward to experiencing the capabilities it has always had, until now not fully explored. It's a fascinating piece of engineering and having been on the original Twilight Zone one numerous times before I am really looking forward to the opportunity of falling in love with the ride all over again. Rocket looks incredible!

I get what you are saying Rappa and it feeling disjointed. I thought that was why so much more effort went into the preshow story because it's totally lost without it. I just don't see too many people feeling disappointed when they get off but it will be interesting to look at the reviews as they come in. Ultimately, the experience seems to be a lot of fun so it will be interesting to see how it's received. I’m happy so long as they leave the Florida one alone. My greatest concern for the ride in it's current state is how well it will age over time. As for star tours, well isn't that a strange one given no plans to relocate the ride once SWL opens.. It will indeed seem out of place in Tomorrowland. On the subject of simulators, I am expecting a SoCal version of the Iron man experience as part of the new Marvel area in California Adventure in coming years.. Maybe that could be a relocation and reimagined Star Tours ride?

I think people are going to be pretty divided on this one and sorry @djrappa but I am going to have to disagree with almost all of what you don't like about it. - the new preshow and internal queue is vastly more entertaining with tonnes to take in and one of the best AA figures ever done. - the ride system's capabilities are being maximised with a far greater variance in motion, it's fast paced from start to end and is randomized. - the show itself is randomized with 6 different offerings, making it highly repeatable. - the entire attraction is beautifully irreverent and with the music back ground it just feels so damn fun! Just like the movie! - the overall ride experience is longer and more thrilling from beginning to end. For those who want the original Twilight Zone experience, the original Florida tower always has been the better experience with the 5th dimension room. I agree that much of GOTG looks very Universal, tbh it's a theme that is meant to be cheesy and given how well it has been executed I believe the ride is going to be a huge hit for Disney. Personally I can't wait to ride it 😃

^ Ouch @Reanimated35

F A A A A A R K ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Ignore Parkz for a few hours enjoying leaked footage of the new GOTG ride, I take a break back to reality, only to find my whole entire Movie World has been turned upside down?!? It's ike jumping out of a Plane without a Parachute.. really😋

@joz any chance we can split this off so WWF refurb can get it's own thread?

@jcgoldcoast I believe the cold smoke effect that Disney uses on it's Big Thunder Coasters is also extremely expensive to maintain. I'm thinking mapping light effects that look like burning fuses travelling up the shaft, accompanied by some good subwoofer speakers to create a deep rumbling effect and swinging mine lights as riders assend the lift. Position 3 air cannons above the turntable and a number of strobe lights to complete the effect. The show finale of the ride needs to match the spectacle of the grand Mountain facade and it's huge drop. I hope that a few extra dollars are put aside for plussing the show this time around because this is one ride that could easily be made awesome with some enhancements.

It's such a beautiful attraction. The 'Mountain' is a world class 'weenie', as Disney would say and the very fact that it exists raises MW's all round profile. I am so glad the ride gets such an expansive refurb every year - it shows how much MW value it. I understand that most of the budget went into refreshing the facade last year and appreciate the little touches like whimsical signage etc were at least added. Hopefully this year we will see a focus on the 'show' scenes of the ride. It has always needed more kinetic energy going on around riders and the final scene in it's current form is a big let down. Mapping technology and a blast effect like Disney's Big Thunder would be great! I am sure you they could pull off an exciting finale using air cannons and flashing light without a need for smoke effects which are not an option.

The only ride I have ever greyed out on was DW's Enterprise ride, just before lift off and then the lights would begin to come back on for me as it lifted... disconcerting stuff and it happened almost every time I rode. Funny, I didn't have that issue with the Reef Diver. Maybe it didn't rotate on the ground as fast, not sure..