Infinity Falls - 2018 Raft Ride

[P@n!K_Sw1tC#]

Consider Infinity Falls to be SeaWorld's version of MK's Fantasyland expansion. It's something that will add value to existing park goers while having a much smaller attendance impact than say Mako or Manta did. People won't go to SeaWorld just to check out Infinity Falls, but Infinity Falls will tremendously improve the overall impression people have when visiting the park.

Like I said before - I know there's also a family launch coaster in the works for the park, but again it's more in an effort to beef up the park than it is to capture that honeymoon boost (not to say they wont get that anyways). Just strategically speaking.

 

[anihilnation]

That looks like a pretty big drop for a Legoland ride. Looks really cool going up the lift! Excitement building for Infinity Falls.

Same here. And as you mentioned Cobra's Curse a few posts back, I also think that is part of the inspiration with the lift, it probably will really stand out, it will be nice to have a ride that will be quite visible like that.

 

[anihilnation]

Consider Infinity Falls to be SeaWorld's version of MK's Fantasyland expansion. It's something that will add value to existing park goers while having a much smaller attendance impact than say Mako or Manta did. People won't go to SeaWorld just to check out Infinity Falls, but Infinity Falls will tremendously improve the overall impression people have when visiting the park.

Like I said before - I know there's also a family launch coaster in the works for the park, but again it's more in an effort to beef up the park than it is to capture that honeymoon boost (not to say they wont get that anyways). Just strategically speaking.

Much agreed.

Since you mentioned family coaster before, how sure are you? Also, you mentioned drop track previously, so I am assuming this would be a mild thrills coaster like Cobra's Curse or Verbolten?

 

[azox]

Here's a challenge, make a raft ride that gets me wet, but doesn't soak me to my core..

I only ride Popeye once a year because I have to bring my swimsuit to the park with me..

I love the theme idea of this ride, and look forward to seeing it, however I can't imagine it surpassing Popeye as the best raft ride at a theme park. That is one LONG and fun raft ride. The one at Animal Kingdom is way too short feeling.

 

[P@n!K_Sw1tC#]

SeaWorld San Antonio is building something similar to what has been proposed for our park. Not sure if they've robbed Peter to pay Paul, but I assume this is still in the plans.

 

[epcyclopedia]

SeaWorld really have the worst luck.

I hope it's clean sailing (No pun) from here on out. Hopefully they can also ride the wave (Again, no pun) of all the new tourists who will be expecting to travel over the next few years to Orlando.

"Luck" implies there weren't distinct actions and consequences. Seaworld is laying in the bed they made.

 

[UAN17]

The negatively towards Seaworld is ridiculous...some speak of it as if it's almost an enemy?

Orlando, and with that I include Universal and Disney, thrives partially because of its overall offerings...the perception that around every corner there's something fun and exciting happening. The Seaworld group of parks contributes to Orlandos value as a tourist destination MASSIVELY, regardless if you like it or not.

They may not have the IP that Disney and Uni have at their disposal, but it's also for 1) largely more educational than anything Disney or Uni offer 2) an all round more pleasant park to spend a day 3) is home to the best coasters in Orlando 4) probably the best shows too 5) Has landscaping beyond any other park in Orlando...it's truly a gorgeous park 6) Strong seasonal offers that are INCLUDED in the price 7) by all accounts they treat their APs well.

I also have to laugh at the suggestion a park is going out of business when they attract 4.5million people through the door (over double what most UK parks manage, without half of the available upsells either). You're unfairly comparing to their bigger competitors if you think over 4million visitors a year is "struggling".

Sorry for the mild rant, but fanboyism bothers me on all sides...be it on Magic slamming Uni for something just because it's Uni, or on here not giving Disney their due when it's deserved...Seaworld never really has any defenders! I love it but I also love Uni, and Disney all for different reasons. Appreciate that they all help each other thrive and grow, and stop hating for hating sake.

 

[P@n!K_Sw1tC#]

^ I think pretty much everyone on here is cheering for SeaWorld's success, but the parks haven't been the same since the Busch family let go of them in 2009. Rides like Falcons Fury and Cobras Curse show me (the guest) that they're in touch with their roots and are going back to the way things used to be.

You can't say that bad publicity is the only reason that the parks took a dive in the last decade. I'd point you to the following list of missteps (money that could of been spent otherwise):

Turtle Trek
Antarctica
Cheetah Hunt
Pantopia
Tempesto
Verbolten
Sesame Street
Mako's theme

The parks used to have a sense of realism to them until Brian Morrow took over creative and added all of these abstract, out of place, additions. The SW and BGT parks were always meant to feel raw and real, not artsy and out of this world. Infinity Falls is bringing us back to the good ole days - much the way Cobra's Curse and Falcons Fury have done for BGT.

 

[Alicia]

^ I think pretty much everyone on here is cheering for SeaWorld's success, but the parks haven't been the same since the Busch family let go of them in 2009. Rides like Falcons Fury and Cobras Curse show me (the guest) that they're in touch with their roots and are going back to the way things used to be.

You can't say that bad publicity is the only reason that the parks took a dive in the last decade. I'd point you to the following list of missteps (money that could of been spent otherwise):

Turtle Trek
Antarctica
Cheetah Hunt
Pantopia
Tempesto
Verbolten
Sesame Street
Mako's theme

The parks used to have a sense of realism to them until Brian Morrow took over creative and added all of these abstract, out of place, additions. The SW and BGT parks were always meant to feel raw and real, not artsy and out of this world. Infinity Falls is bringing us back to the good ole days - much the way Cobra's Curse and Falcons Fury have done for BGT.

I love Cheetah Hunt. Bbbrrrrraaawwrrr.

 

[UAN17]

^ I think pretty much everyone on here is cheering for SeaWorld's success, but the parks haven't been the same since the Busch family let go of them in 2009. Rides like Falcons Fury and Cobras Curse show me (the guest) that they're in touch with their roots and are going back to the way things used to be.

You can't say that bad publicity is the only reason that the parks took a dive in the last decade. I'd point you to the following list of missteps (money that could of been spent otherwise):

Turtle Trek
Antarctica
Cheetah Hunt
Pantopia
Tempesto
Verbolten
Sesame Street
Mako's theme

The parks used to have a sense of realism to them until Brian Morrow took over creative and added all of these abstract, out of place, additions. The SW and BGT parks were always meant to feel raw and real, not artsy and out of this world. Infinity Falls is bringing us back to the good ole days - much the way Cobra's Curse and Falcons Fury have done for BGT.

I don't think Turtle Trek and Antarctica are as bad as people make out personally. We, as theme park fans, know that Antarctica is wasted technology...I think the trackless component is still a novelty to most of the public, and that's added to with as I say, a world class animal exhibit.

I personally think there would be a disconnect if you compared enthusiasts views with the publics, on this one.

 

[P@n!K_Sw1tC#]

^ I worked on Antarctica (sorry everybody) and even I call it the WOAT

 

[UAN17]

We all enjoyed it for what it was, but we didn't go in with high expectations nor would we wait ages for it next time. But would I re-ride...definitely. Which is less than I'd say for some of the rides in say Epcot! (I'm thinking Imagination and Energy here)

 

[WAJAS]

I don't get why people hate TurtleTrek. It is pretty good for what it is: a 3D film based c-ticket with an animal habitat.

 

[mcusi]

^ I think pretty much everyone on here is cheering for SeaWorld's success, but the parks haven't been the same since the Busch family let go of them in 2009. Rides like Falcons Fury and Cobras Curse show me (the guest) that they're in touch with their roots and are going back to the way things used to be.

You can't say that bad publicity is the only reason that the parks took a dive in the last decade. I'd point you to the following list of missteps (money that could of been spent otherwise):

Turtle Trek
Antarctica
Cheetah Hunt
Pantopia
Tempesto
Verbolten
Sesame Street
Mako's theme

The parks used to have a sense of realism to them until Brian Morrow took over creative and added all of these abstract, out of place, additions. The SW and BGT parks were always meant to feel raw and real, not artsy and out of this world. Infinity Falls is bringing us back to the good ole days - much the way Cobra's Curse and Falcons Fury have done for BGT.

Please explain how Falcon's Fury is going back to their roots. Just confused a little. The ride itself is awesome, but it shouldn't even be mentioned with Cobra's Curse when you make that comparison.

 

[Kraken&Manta]

How is Cheetah Hunt on that list? That ride completely reinvented a huge area of Busch Gardens. Honestly Pantopia and Falcon's Fury also helped with that. The "heart" of the park around 2009ish felt like it was somewhere between SheiKra and Kumba with Montu being way off on its own. Now feels like it falls right in Nairobi with Cheetah Hunt really bringing the area alive and Pantopia right around the corner. That stretch of path between the elephants and penguins is probably one of the nicest areas in the whole park now, and one could easily walk from Montu to SheiKra without a dip in atmosphere.
And all that ignores the ride being a perfect slot into a hole Busch Gardens was missing along with the amazing Cheetah exhibit.
Antarctica... kind of did the same, replacing the obviously outdated Penguin Encounter. However, unlike Cheetah Hunt, the ride wasn't the best. I would hope Infinity Falls wouldn't have that issue

 

[Kumba's Roar]

I personally really like Turtle Trek and I love coasters too. It's not a thrilling experience, but it's a fun family experience. I don't know why it doesn't get the love from some of the park junkies. I love the 3D/360 experience. And I love the score and story line too.
Cheetah Hunt is no where near a misstep. That is my favorite ride at Busch. It fits so well into the landscape and is just an all around fun ride. I also love Pantopia as it is so colorful and vibrant now. It was so boring looking before. I haven't been on Verbolten, but I love the theme on it too along with the indoor aspect. I would love to get an indoor coaster. I actually like Mako's theme. I like that it feels like you are walking around a reef through the realm and the dock in the que. I'm not a fan of the ride portion of Antarctica, unless it spins a lot. The penguin exhibit is amazing though!

 

[anihilnation]

I also don't get why Cheetah Hunt would be negatively considered, it is a great coaster on every level and uses the landscape very well. The part zooming across the water is one of the best things in my opinion.

As for Turtle Trek, the concept is nice but I find it poorly executed. The way the projectors are so visible really distracts, the projection screens seem to be poor quality as well, as you can see the seams everywhere, I have noticed the same thing in Antarctica.

As for Brian Morrow, sometimes he seems a little like a kid running around with a box of colorful crayons, then, it mist be hard to be in his shoes because he has to do everything with a very limited budget. But I think that as barebones as Mako is, he did well to make it look nice and hoping there will be a bit more of a budget for Infinity Falls, I think it might become the best looking region of the park.

 

[Mr. EPCOT]

^ I think pretty much everyone on here is cheering for SeaWorld's success, but the parks haven't been the same since the Busch family let go of them in 2009. Rides like Falcons Fury and Cobras Curse show me (the guest) that they're in touch with their roots and are going back to the way things used to be.

You can't say that bad publicity is the only reason that the parks took a dive in the last decade. I'd point you to the following list of missteps (money that could of been spent otherwise):

Turtle Trek
Antarctica
Cheetah Hunt
Pantopia
Tempesto
Verbolten
Sesame Street
Mako's theme

The parks used to have a sense of realism to them until Brian Morrow took over creative and added all of these abstract, out of place, additions. The SW and BGT parks were always meant to feel raw and real, not artsy and out of this world. Infinity Falls is bringing us back to the good ole days - much the way Cobra's Curse and Falcons Fury have done for BGT.

I agree with your point about moving away from more real world representation (especially with Busch Gardens), but I see it more opposite from you the way the parks are headed. Cobra's Curse and Falcon's Fury/Pantopia are way more abstract and fantasy-based, especially considering how they changed the Egypt and Timbuktu areas. I think Mako is a little more reality-based, the problem there was that it wasn't as tied together with Shark Encounter as it could have been, a big wasted opportunity, it could've have really taken a SeaWorld coaster experience the next step up from what they did with Manta. And I wouldn't say Turtle Trek, Cheetah Hunt, or Verbolten are missteps at all. Turtle Trek was just maybe a little overhyped, but it was a solid addition to the park, really helps with the variety of attractions. The worst problem I can think of with Cheetah Hunt was just the technical problems when it had when it very first opened. Otherwise, it brought a great kinetic element to the park, fantastic animal edutainment, and made very clever use of existing facilities throughout the park, and just all around the coaster is pure fun. My only little beef is that they didn't keep the Cheetaka name which would have gone great with all the other coaster names in the park. Verbolten is also a great coaster, but does admittedly skew a little more towards fantasy. I suppose you could argue it is bringing historical legends and folk tales of the region to life. I would say Sesame Street is underused, that could be a great conduit for an educational experience for little kids, but all they have is the play areas. Antarctica was a step in the right direction, creating a great themed realm representing the continent, it's just that the ride itself ended up being a huge dud.

 

[Nick]

...I could've sworn this was the Infinity Falls thread

If you guys want to discuss BGT's theme or whatnot, take it over to the BGT sub-forum.

 

[P@n!K_Sw1tC#]

We're not talking about Busch Gardens, we're talking about the thematic (mis)direction the company has taken in the past decade which seems to cross pollinate to all of their parks. I prefer a more physical approach, which looks like the direction they're heading with Infinity Falls. It's a total departure from the whimsy of Antarctica and Dragtopia