Universal Orlando Update

© IOACentral 2009

IOACentral has posted a wonderful update for the entire Universal Orlando Resort in Florida. There's a lot of changes going on at CityWalk, none of which I had heard about before. They also have plenty of photos of Rockit at Universal Studios and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure.

Check it out!

Blue Fire is On Fire

The ride continues to impress me more and more with each new batch of photos that pops up. Europa Park is certainly placing a great deal of effort into the theming of the ride as well.

EPFans has published some wonderful photos that appear to be official from Europa Park. You can see the full gallery of Blue Fire through this link. There's some really wonderful vantage points in there, including some from the ride's mid-course breaks.

The ride certainly has some big and fast elements to it, but it also has close to the ground (and now encased in rock walls like above) turns as well. It's the best of both worlds!

December's Poll Results

And so another year bites the dust. And with that happening, we had our last poll of 2008!

In December we asked you guys what Six Flags coaster is most needing an 'extreme' makeover, like X at Six Flags Magic Mountain received. And with capital expansion dollars squeezed tighter than ever these days, this type of 'new' attraction is perfect for the cash strapped Six Flags, Inc!

Our winner by a decent margin was The Joker's Jinx at Six Flags America in Maryland. The ride was added to the park in 1999 during Six Flags' coaster frenzy phase. It originally opened with over-the-shoulder restraints but the trains received better lap bar restraints for the 2002 season.
Since then, though, the ride has received little attention and does indeed seem ripe for a makeover. The slight decorations the ride has in the queue and station even lends itself toward a new theme! Plus, Six Flags America hasn't seen a new, or revamped, coaster since Batwing in 2001.

In 2nd place we had Mr. Freeze at Six Flags St. Louis. This one might not really be in the running as much as we'd like though, as it seems it's receiving a new paint job this off-season but without a new theme and flame throwers!
Third was Chang at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, the coaster that's already had three major paint jobs but no theme in it's life. Can't say I blame anyone for voting for Chang.
4th place was Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America. The ride's massive height and length does lend it toward a prominent place at the park, but I can't say I think we'll see this one rethemed any time soon.
Just for good measure let's take a spin on our winner, Joker's Jinx. What could you imagine for the ride if it was redone?

Hard Rock Park Files Chapter 7

Filing for Chapter 7 is not a good thing, especially if anyone ever hoped of going to a reopened Hard Rock Park.

Unable to find a buyer for the entire property, lawyers for Hard Rock Park have asked to change the property's status to Chapter 7. At this point, a trustee of the court will take over and start to liquidate any and all assets the park has in order to pay debts.

This, however, could be good news for Cedar Fair and Six Flags, as all of the park's rides and attractions will now be sold at probably fire-sale prices. What park wouldn't want Led Zeppelin? I love Mine Trains, and with how cheap someone could pick up the Eagles' ride and add some real theming? Lots of possibilities here.

It's sad news that this is probably the final nail in Hard Rock Park's coffin, but who didn't really see this coming after no one bid on it at such a cheap price?

Current Geauga Lake Photos

It's been a while since we've seen the status of the now closed Geauga Lake Amusement Park, but thanks to two of our readers, Kyle and Josh, we have some great new pics just taken recently. Be warned, though, they are pretty depressing!

A great thanks goes out to these guys for sending in their work to NewsPlusNotes! All photos are copyright Kyle and Josh and used on NPN with permission. Instead of me blabbering on about the photos, what follows is a short report of their trip in their own words:

"We started our trip on Depot Road behind the mostly intact Raging Wolf Bobs. A hammer banging in the distance, we wished it was simply off-season maintenance and not some sort of deconstruction. Standing northeast of the 1988 coaster you’d be unaware of the mass carnage opposite the ride. With a closer look though, the Raging Wolf Bobs is no longer a continuous circuit. There’s missing track between the turn from the station and the lift hill, most likely the pieces offered on E-Bay.

We would then take Depot to Brewster, past the far-too-large Wildwater Kingdom parking lot. On the left you’ll notice some car dealership using the water park’s lot for automobile storage. Eventually, we were back on Aurora Road with plans to photograph the entrance.

Walking across the field where X-Flight once stood its hard to miss the Big Dipper and Skyscraper, the only thing left of the 119 year-old skyline. It’s good to see the hills of the John Miller classic peeking over the foreground, but as each day passes the chances of riding the coaster again aren't favorable.

It’s amazing how quickly something can deteriorate without upkeep. The brick walkway just before the entrance is now beleaguered with construction cones, weeds and electrical wires. The front gate, once one of the more elegant entrances in the country, is full of gaping holes due to clock and window removal. The season pass processing center is boarded up with wood. 2007 admission prices remain on the ticket booths, but resemble more of a tombstone with the dying park looming beyond.


Peeking through the entrance an office chair with nowhere to go sits by itself. Collapsed buildings can be seen in the distance. To the left, a random stairwell is surrounded by rubble. The Merry Oldies entrance remains, but is stranded with trash and fallen trees.


Journeying further down Geauga Lake Road only a large field remains where the Double Loop and Villain shared space. Without any distinguishable landmarks or buildings, it’s impossible to know where certain elements of the former coasters stood. This sad reality is inevitable for the rest of the park as well. Eventually, former park goers will only be able to estimate the Big Dipper's lift hill, the Texas Twister's great theming or the Carousel's axis, which is a good reason to take this trip. Get a vision of what’s left before it’s all gone.


With the sun setting and the winter cold making it's presence felt we decided to leave. Hopefully we’ll return soon, maybe get some nice photos by walking up and down Aurora."

Thanks again to Kyle and Josh for the interesting views!

Happy 2009!

Welcome to 2009! I hope everyone had a happy and safe New Year's Eve! Now all the enthusiasts can officially start to wonder "what new at ____ next year?" and mean 2010!

Everyone at NewsPlusNotes wishes you a happy, healthy, and FUN 2009!