Orlando Today! 7-31 Random Happenings

Well, this is the next live installment from Orlando. Didn't do much today, but a few notes that are theme park related. Went to the U of Central Fl today, and I think I found my new home :-)

An incredible program, and when I would start there, they'll just be opening the brand spankin' new facility on I-drive! Nice and convenient, eh?

After that, went to an outlet mall and discovered an indoor carousel inside! Lookes on the new side, esp. the platform, I have absolutely no carousel smarts, so I won't even try to name it.

We then headed down to Congo River, where the infamous Katanga Skyscraper stands tall over the mini-golf and wet-n-wild. Everyone else in the family chickened out ("I'm not paying that!" riiiiiight, I believe you) so I ended up flying solo.

WOW! Incredible rush! The ride was fantastic from start to finish. I started out going clockwise, flying over the top, and diving back to the ground. After a while, I stopped at the top for a LOOOOOOONG look at Orlando, before nose-diving repeatedly in the counter-clockwise direction. The only thing that was a minus aboout the ride was that every rotation was the samee, due to the way the seat maintains it's position every time around.

Overall, a fun day and it was nice to relax outside of parks today.

Tommorow: my first ever visit to IOA, and more fun to come! Plus, what's with the naming of some disney attractions, shows, etc on the bottom of every nametag? I found out, and will reveal the answer!

-Matthew
I think I've found my new home!

I have never been on a sky scraper, my dad does the inshurance for the company that makes them, Gravity Works, so I could always get a free ride, but it looks a little to crazy for me!
When I went about a month ago, I too wondered what those Disney attractions were, I am guessing another means of Idenification for guests.

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See THE ULTIMATE in Orlando TR'S! Right now in the TR fourm!

Katanga is my ALL TIME FAVORITE EXTREME RIDE anywhere. Great views of the Orlando area (especially at night), terrific spins as you go over the top with nothing to hold onto except your harness if you want to, fantastic G's as it whips you around at 70mph, ride ops that really know how to run the ride in a way to maximize the thrills. The terrific constant rush of air past your face. I could go on for ever and ever.

We went to Gatlinburg,Tn. last weekend and while at pigeon Forge rode one of the Skyscrapers there.

Man was that an overwhelming disappointment and a BIG JOKE after riding Katanga. First off, the ride looks like a carnival sideshow nightmare probably because it only has one set of seats on the one end. And being situated along a busy boring street littered with motels and tourist stores doesn't exactly lend itseft to any pending excitement either.

The way the ride op ran the ride as compared to Katanga left me with the feeling of "Why did I get on this thing anyway, this is a joke"? The timing of the ride and short stop at the top with almost no swinging of the seats.

And to top things off, we were strapped down so violently that when the seats did flip over at the top it felt like your back was going to need a shot of painkiller when you got off of the ride.

Skyscraper at Pigeon Forge 3/10 I really think it should have been 2/10, but since it'a Skyscraper I upped the rating a point.

Katanga at Orlando 12/10 .......Well maybe even a 13 or 14 possibly.