Roller Coaster

A visit to the movies

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Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios is Disney’s most versatile theme park. When the park opened in 1989 as Disney MGM Studios, it focused primarily on its leitmotif of film. There were large live sets – including those where the film Newsies was shot – a studio train that ran directly through this set, three sound stages, the Great Movie Ride, Star Tours and a large stunt show. Over time, the focus shifted from film production and edutainment to a much more experience-orientated overall experience. In this respect, there is not much left of the old park; however, a world-class amusement park has been created, which we will now take a closer look at.

Hollywood Boulevard

When you enter the park, you find yourself directly on Hollywood Boulevard, which epitomises the glory days of Hollywood and is therefore much more attractive than the original in Los Angeles. Shopping and strolling is really fun here.

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway

Right at the end of the path is a replica of the famous Chinese Theatre, where Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is shown and where the Great Movie Ride used to be. We crowded into a small cinema hall to watch a new Mickey Mouse cartoon, which quickly becomes reality. Mickey & Minnie are currently on a picnic outing, while we are travelling by train with Goofy. Before we know it, Goofy is travelling in one direction and we in another. Micky and Minnie rush to the rescue to stop our runaway railway. What follows is a wild ride through various comic scenes, which are mainly supported by projection mapping and can change at lightning speed. Finally, we waltz and conga dance with Daisy before almost ending up in the scrap press. As absurd as it may all sound, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is great entertainment and a fantastic homage to classic American cartoons.

Echo Lake

To the left of Hollywood Boulevard is Echo Lake. The main attraction here is the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, which was not running during my visit. The large stage at least promises a breathtaking show with Indiana Jones.

Star Tours

Two years after Star Tours opened at Disneyland, the attraction was also presented at Walt Disney World. Here, however, not in Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland, but fittingly in the MGM Studios. The ride has had a makeover in 2011. Instead of only travelling to Endor, there are now a variety of elaborate experiences that, coupled with the fun simulator ride, invite you to take numerous repeat rides. Since 2019, however, waiting times at this Star Wars attraction have decreased significantly, but more on that later.

Grand Avenue

Today, as the home of the Muppets, the Grand Avenue themed area feels a bit like a foreign body between Star Tours and the nearby Star Wars Galaxy Edge themed area, which are thematically set in the same universe. The main attraction in this area is Muppet Vision 3D.

Muppet Vision 3D

The 3D film Muppet Vision 3D is just as chaotic as the Muppets themselves. Even if the effects no longer blow anyone away these days, it is the charming and out-of-control Muppets that carry the film and give it a great sense of humour. The additional effects used in the cinema enhance the action even more.

Star Wars Galaxy Edge

Star Wars Galaxy Edge is by far the most immersive themed area that has been created in a theme park to date. You feel like you’re in the middle of one of the Star Wars films. There is also a fantastic bar here, Oga’s Cantina, and a really great restaurant, Docking Bay 7.

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

The Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance dark ride is hard to put into words. After standing on our feet for almost three hours, we immediately enter the first pre-show, where we are prepared for our mission. We are immediately drawn into a spaceship, which after a while falls into the clutches of a First Order Star Destroyer. We briefly enter the Stormtrooper hangar and at this moment at the latest, the whole wait is more than worth it. The oversized room is simply overwhelming. Unfortunately, we only spend a short time here because we have been captured by the First Order. We are then gradually led in smaller groups to other rooms to await our interrogation. Shortly afterwards, however, we are freed by the resistance and soon board a captured fleet transporter to make our way to the escape pods. What follows is a wild and, above all, surprising ride through numerous scenes, with each subsequent scene adding to the previous one. In the end, we reach the escape pods and we can flee.

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is by far the best dark ride in the world. The ride is stunning in every respect and should be considered more of a 15-minute experience, which definitely does justice to a much longer wait. After my first ride, I couldn’t stop grinning, at least until the end of the day.

Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run

Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run is the second of the two dark rides in the Star Wars Galaxy Edge themed area and is usually seen as the weaker of the two attractions. However, Smuggler’s Run is actually a really strong attraction that is definitely worth experiencing. Here, a crew of six experience a breathtaking mission in which each passenger has their own task to complete. The highlight here is that we are in a simulator and can steer it ourselves to a certain extent, which can lead to some really funny driving manoeuvres. Depending on how well you have steered the Millennium Falcon at the end, you get paid accordingly at the end of the ride. It’s great fun!

Toy Story Land

In 2010 and 2011, Toy Story Land opened in the Disney countries in Paris and Hong Kong as a collection of several rides in a small themed area, including a compact Intamin roller coaster. Here in Florida, it took until 2018 for Toy Story Land to move in – but in typical American fashion, it’s not just the toys that are a little bigger here.

Alien Swirling Saucers

The Alien Swirling Saucers ride is similar to an oversized demolition derby, where you are constantly transported through several discs in a circle. However, the gondolas also swing sideways due to the constant changes in direction and lateral acceleration. What marvellous fun!

Slinky Dog Dash

Slinky Dog Dash is an interesting family rollercoaster from Mack Rides. The ride itself seems extremely slow and repetitive due to its tame launch and an almost endless sequence of hills. However, this impression is very wrong.

After leaving the station, the Slinky Dog makes its way directly to the first launch area. We then approach a right/left turn via an ascending straight, which then leads us towards the ground. This is followed by a wave close to the ground before we enter an upward helix. A small double down is followed by another left and right turn, after which we slowly run out of steam.

After we have come to a standstill, Slinky Dog prepares to be shot down with a rubber band. So we keep travelling backwards to gather as much energy as possible for the imminent launch, which is then initiated with all kinds of sound effects. After a large hill and a turning curve, we reach the most striking part of the ride. At a lofty height, we now ride over hill and dale at an ever-increasing pace, which not only gives us a little airtime, but also a great tingling sensation in our stomachs. Shortly afterwards, we enter a left-hand bend, whereupon another right-hand bend immediately sends us into the brakes.

To my own surprise, Slinky Dog Dash is one of the best family rollercoasters I’ve ever experienced. Although the forces during the ride are limited, the ride has a thoroughly solid layout and a great four-hill finale.

Toy Story Mania

The Toy Story Mania interactive dark ride is one of the most popular Disney attractions in the world. The ride is like a visit to the funfair, where you play one game of skill after another at the individual stands in order to achieve the highest possible high score.

Sunset Boulevard

Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood Studios is characterised above all by the Hollywood Tower Hotel, which towers above it. The other attractions in this area are the big evening show Fantasmic, which was not shown during my visit, and the indoor rollercoaster Rock Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith.

Tower of Terror

The Tower of Terror freefall tower has always been one of the most interesting rides Disney has ever built. Here in Florida, the ride is also a little different to the three subsequent models, as the cars leave the lifts for a short time and travel through a mysterious room as if guided by a ghostly hand, which certainly leads us into the Twilight Zone. Shortly afterwards, the tried-and-tested and still outstanding free-fall spectacle begins, which remains unrivalled for the time being. Quite simply, a great attraction!

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith

Fans of the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Avec Aerosmith from the Walt Disney Studios Park near Paris can look forward to a slightly different version at Hollywood Studios. Instead of the many different light shows, here you ride through numerous black light stage sets that line the side of the track, while we roll over three times and race through numerous bends. Unfortunately, this makes the ride a little less coherent overall, but it is still much better than the ride through the void, which you can experience on Avengers Assemble Flight Force – the follow-up Marvel overlay of the Parisian rock legend.

Pictures Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Conclusion Disney’s Hollywood Studios

I really enjoyed my visit to Hollywood Studios. Apart from a few corners, everything in this park is just right. Of all four theme parks in Walt Disney World, this one offers the most breathtaking rides and the most well-rounded portfolio.

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Disney's Hollywood Studios

A mine blowing Experience

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Fun Spot America Kissimmee

The entrance to the park is free of charge, only the attractions must be paid. There are several options available, including a great late-entry offer, which we used during our visit.

If you enter the park through the main entrance, you immediately find yourself in front of a large lagoon, which is home to the Skycoaster. Alongside you can find two of the park’s major coasters and a very solid selection of flat rides.

Kiddie Coaster

If you follow the paths to the left, you immediately stumble across a large selection of kiddie rides. The most notable one of these is the Kiddie Coaster by E&F Miler Industries. The small coaster features an oval layout with a helix in the middle. The final curve back to the station features a bunch of waves, which overall enhance the wacky feeling of the coaster.

Mine Blower

Right next to the Kiddie Coaster is the almighty Mine Blower by the Gravity Group. This small-scale wooden coaster blew everybody’s minds when announced. The ride which became Florida’s third operational wooden coaster is famous for its barrel roll inversion over the loading station.

After a very tight turn to the left, we immediately enter the ride’s lift hill. Once at the top, another equally tight turn follows. Without mercy we then race over the crest of the First Drop. Pressurised, we cross the valley before dashing through the ride’s main element. A tight left-hander then leads us through the support structure and into a bunch of airtime hills. After a strongly inclined right-hander, we then rush towards the other side where we enter the first high to the ground turn around followed by a reasonable high s-bend hill. We then race through the support structure and experience another series of airtime hills before hitting the brakes.

Mine Blower is a very fun wooden coaster. Although the ride isn’t a particularly large one, the airtime, the inversion and the overall pacing of the ride speaks for itself. It’s also quite interesting how much track the Gravity Group was able to fit into such a small footprint.

Galaxy Spin

Passing the Vortex and Chaos go-kart tracks, we now continue our way along the lagoon. Close to the entrance, we then encounter the park’s Spinning Coaster: Galaxy Spin. This ride was once located at the nearby theme park Cypress Gardens – nowadays, Legoland Florida – and is made by Zamperla. For a ride of its kind, it features a reasonable spin.

Hurricane

As the park is split into two areas, we now visit the adjacent Old Town leisure centre. Once we reach the end of the main street, we encounter another open area with several rides. Here, we find next to a Tilt-a-Whirl and a Paratrooper the roller coaster Hurricane by E&F Miler Industries. This is one of the manufacturer’s rare large scale roller coasters and hence worth a try!

Once we leave the station, we immediately climb the lift to a height of 52ft. After enjoying the view for a while, we plunge down a strangely inclined left-hand bend that shakes all the riders.  Back in lofty heights, we then enter a very tight hairpin turn. After the second drop, we rush through a right-hand curve close to the ground. Once we reach the other end of the ride, we climb a hill and once again enter a very tight hairpin turn. This is followed by a series of smaller drops, airtime hills and hairpin turns very similar to the second part of a classic wild mouse coaster.

The Hurricane is a very fun roller coaster. The ride is simply nuts. Especially the first two drops with their highly inclined valleys are an experience on its own. The rest of the layout is by far more harmless, yet still very fun.

Pictures Fun Spot America Kissimmee

Conclusion Fun Spot America Kissimmee

Kissimmee’s Fun Spot America is a very solid amusement park, which is a nice change to the picture-perfect theme parks by Universal and Disney. You don’t need to spend a lot of time (or money) to have a good time at the park.

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Fun Spot America Kissimmee

A visit to Universal Studios Florida

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New York

Despicable Me Minion Mayhem

The Despicable Me movies are among the most successful animated films of all time, which is mainly due to the hilarious Minions. In Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, we become Minions ourselves and are sent on a crazy journey to test our suitability as Minions. At the same time, the three children lose their gift to Gru and now it’s time to get it back. The ride in the simulators and the film shown are extremely entertaining, which is why I can highly recommend a visit to the Minions.

Shrek 4D

It’s interesting how long certain attractions can last in a large corporate theme park. The Shrek franchise is already 20 years old and has produced five films to date, with the last film having been released 10 years ago. Outside of the Universal theme parks, the film could be seen at Movie Park Germany and Warner Bros. Movie World on the Gold Coast in Australia, but in both cases the attraction was discontinued around 10 years ago.

Shrek 4D takes place after the events of the first film. The film is very well produced and extremely entertaining, but ultimately showed its age. This is one reason why the attraction will soon be closed and another Minion attraction called Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast will move into the park instead.

Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit

Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is the big roller coaster at Universal Studios Florida. It was the first roller coaster with a non-inverted loop. As with Hollywood Dream The Ride at Universal Studios Japan, you can also choose your favourite music for the ride.

The ride begins immediately with a vertical lift, but instead of going straight into an equally vertical, if not steeper, descent, we ride comfortably down a steep ramp. With enough speed, we then shoot up the non-inverted loop. After enjoying the view from the top of the loop, we immediately jump back into the action. Shortly afterwards, we take on a longer ascent, after which we enter the first block brake. We then leave this with a slight turn to the right. At the bottom of the valley, we then enter a helix, which narrows towards the end and shoots up steeply before dropping just as quickly. After a further ascent, the second block brake follows just below the first. The following part leads us in numerous dynamic turns past the non-inverted loop and the station to the other side of the ride, where another block brake awaits us. After the subsequent drop, a series of S-curves awaits us, which then merge into a steep turn – similar to that of a Jet Star 2. This is the most powerful section of the run. A further braking section awaits us immediately after this element. Last but not least, a small drop with a final curve awaits us before we reach the final braking section and soon enter the station at reduced speed.

Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit makes good use of the narrow strip of land available to it. The ride itself offers some great elements and sections; unfortunately, that’s about it, because the ride is anything but pleasant. The music creates an extremely coherent and atmospheric ride, but I personally don’t need to experience it that often.

Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon

Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon is an interesting attraction. The waiting area here is more like a lobby where you can sit down in comfort or take a look at the numerous exhibits from the NBC television station. The ride itself begins in the Tonight Show studio, where Jimmy Fallon sets off on a journey through New York. Here we first go through the studio offices, then across Times Square, down into the subway and finally we fly through the air and onto the moon. Basically, the ride is more recommended for anyone who is familiar with all the references to The Tonight Show. The ride itself is wacky and quite entertaining overall.

Revenge of the Mummy

The indoor roller coaster Revenge of the Mummy replaced the large Kongfrontation dark ride in 2004. The ride is based on the Mummy films with Brendan Frasier, who also plays a small role towards the end of the ride.

The ride begins with an extremely impressive dark ride section, which we exit backwards after the scene with the scarabs and hurtle down a small drop. Shortly afterwards, we are rotated 180° again, whereupon the actual rollercoaster section begins. We then shoot up a long ramp quite quickly. We then race over the crest with a bang and immediately plummet down a steep curve. We then hit a very tight helix with great intensity before plunging towards the hall floor. Next, we race through a bend close to the ground, which features some really strong banking. After a short speed bump, we climb a steep curve and end up at the supposed exit station, where Imhotep surprises us with a fiery finale. After another fall and several turns close to the ground, we reach the actual final brake, where Brendan Frasier asks for a coffee and succumbs to the curse of the mummy.

Revenge of the Mummy is an amazingly intense indoor rollercoaster. I personally really enjoyed the ride, which is why I rode it several times in a row during my visit. The great scenes at the beginning of the ride, as well as the thrilling rollercoaster ride afterwards, simply leave you wanting more.

The Blues Brothers Show

When the Blues Brothers arrive, a good show is not far away. One song after another is offered here, with the wit of the two brothers being brought to the stage very well. There are usually a few guest musicians, which is why no two shows are the same.

Transformers The Ride 3D

Like The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure, Transformers: The Ride 3D scores particularly well with the ride system used. The ride offers a successful mix of film sequences and very well staged backdrops that take the action-packed ride to a higher level. As in the Transformers films, there is hardly a quiet second during the ride. There’s shooting, fighting and cool jokes thrown around wherever possible. Every few seconds, the next scene begins, whereby the transitions are absolutely smooth, leaving an extremely coherent overall impression at the end – in other words, Transformers: The Ride 3D is an absolutely awesome package.

San Francisco

Fast & Furious Supercharged

Fast & Furious Supercharged is not a good attraction, which means that the waiting times here are always limited. The ride itself offers the same over-the-top film that is shown in a short segment during the Studio Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood, but here as a stand-alone attraction. While this stands out neither positively nor negatively as part of the overarching Studio Tour and can at best be seen as an entertaining stopgap, the attraction in Orlando offers nothing that justifies a wait of more than five minutes. Previously, there was an attraction in the same location, Distaster!, which had significantly more narrative depth and dealt with the making of a disaster film with numerous special effects and, before the actual attraction began, offered a pre-show and some movie magic, where selected actors from the audience took part in the production of the film Mutha Nature.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Hogwarts Express

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme area spans both Universal theme parks in Florida. While you can visit Hogsmeade and Hogwarts in the Islands of Adventure, you can explore Diagon Alley in Universal Studios. Both themed areas are connected by the Doppelmayr Hogwarts Express funicular railway. However, a ticket valid for both parks is required for the journey. While a park hopping ticket makes little sense at Walt Disney World due to the distance between the parks, the walking distance between the two Universal theme parks is a big plus, as well as the opportunity to take a ride on the Hogwarts Express, which is a really great experience. It is also recommended to ride both routes once, as the film sequences shown are different.

Diagon Alley

Somewhat hidden behind the London facades of Universal Studios Florida is Diagon Alley. In addition to the famous Gringotts bank, which has a large dragon on its roof, there are numerous smaller shops and restaurants here.

Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts

The main attraction in Diagon Alley is the multi-dimension coaster Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts from the manufacturer Intamin. This ride offers a successful mix of dark ride and roller coaster, but is quite dark in tone as it is based on the events of the later Harry Potter films. The ride itself is quite leisurely, but is really impressive with its switches, seesaws and rotating cars. Something is constantly happening and at the end we somehow manage to escape from Voldemort.

World Expo

Men in Black Alien Attack

The Men in Black Alien Attack interactive dark ride is one of the best themed rides in the world. Instead of shooting at small targets, you simply shoot at the various aliens, which can quickly rack up a large number of points. In between, the cars sometimes turn quite rapidly, creating a surprisingly dynamic ride. While other interactive dark rides quickly become outdated, this one – despite the fact that the IP is now quite old – is always fun to play.

Spingfield, USA – Home of the Simpsons

The Simpsons Ride

One of Universal Studios’ most iconic attractions was Back to the Future: The Ride, where you went on a hectic journey through time in replica DeLorians to bring Biff back to the future. The ride was replaced in 2008 both in Hollywood and at Universal Studios Florida by the Simpsons Ride – an IP that was still very relevant at the time. The ride is quite impressive due to the simulators used and the pre-shows are very entertaining. The film itself is hectic and overloaded. Furthermore, the 3D look doesn’t really do the familiar characters from the series any favours. All in all, however, the ride is definitely entertaining; now that the rights are with Disney, you should definitely take a ride while you still can.

Woody Woodpecker’s Kidzone

The Woody Woodpecker’s Kidzone area is very colourful and, apart from the Woody Woodpecker’s Nuthouse Coaster, has no real connection to the well-known comic character. Instead, there is a Spongebob Shop, a rather wacky-looking inflatable boat slide centred around Feivel, a play area centred around Curious George, as well as the large E.T. Adventure dark ride.

Animal Actors on Location!

Animal Actors on Location! is one of Universal Studios Hollywood’s longest-running shows. The entertaining show offers a look at the training of the animals, which can then be used in the films, and of course everything goes a little haywire here.

E.T. Adventure

The E.T. Adventure dark ride is now the oldest themed ride in a Universal Studios park worldwide. The ride itself is well done and is particularly impressive with its large set designs, whereby I personally was really impressed by the indoor waiting area in the forest. The ride retells the events of the film before you arrive on the planet of E.T. and everything becomes a little more colourful. All in all, a great attraction that you are welcome to take with you.

Woody Woodpecker’s Nuthouse Coaster

Woody Woodpecker’s Nuthouse Coaster is the standard model of a Vekoma Junior Coaster, which can also be experienced in the park next door as Flight of the Hippogriff. Accordingly, the ride begins with a short curve out of the station and the subsequent lift hill. You immediately complete a left-hand steep turn with a subsequent upward helix, cross a short valley and a wide right-hand turn near the station. Over a hill, you cross the route you have just travelled, whereupon you lose some height in another helix. This is followed by a left-hand bend, after which the braking section awaits. Here you wait a little until the train has been dispatched at the station and you can enter it.

Hollywood

The Bourne Stuntacular

In The Bourne Stuntacular, the action in the background merges seamlessly with the action on stage. At times I found it really difficult to distinguish film from drama and that alone is reason enough to see the show. But what is on offer beyond that is great entertainment; such as big action scenes with stage sets that move across the stage parallel to the events in the film and much more. Great fun and a must-see show for every theme park fan and show lover.

Horror Make-Up Show

One of the funniest shows at Universal Studios Florida is the Horror Makeup Show, which gives you an insight into horror films and the associated tricks. Of course, the actual horror is limited, although the show has many allusions and is definitely not suitable for children, but that’s what Disney is for.

Pictures Universal Studios Florida

Conclusion Universal Studios Florida

Universal Studios Florida is one of my favourite theme parks in the world. I really liked what was on offer, even though many of the stages in the park are not currently being used. Together with the neighbouring theme park Universal Studios Islands of Adventure, the park forms a great overall package that you can enjoy for several days at a time without getting bored.

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Universal Studios Florida