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    The Joker Construction Tour #2 at Discovery Kingdom

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    Last Friday there was an awesome construction tour of The Joker at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. Unfortunately we were able to attend due to work and Japan commitments (thanks Stephen ;) ). 

    But never fear because the awesome Sean from California Coaster Kings was kind enough to send us some great pictures of the tour for us to share with you. Be sure to check out their awesome update from the tour here
    All pictures courtesy of California Coaster Kings 
    Written by Gregg Condon

    Let's start off with some awesome concept art of the station. Looks very jokery. Still think it's odd that the rest of the area isn't getting a DC theme though. 
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    The big reveal during the tour was the awesome trains, and they do look awesome. 
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    Not Jared Leto was on hand to add a little fun to the event. 
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    As you can see a lot of work has been done so far on the station but there is still a long way to go. 
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    Let's move over to the track which looks to be getting closer to being done. And man, can you say Airtime? (go ahead, say it, especially if you are on the bus or something, just say it out loud. Airtime)
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    Vroooooom!!! 
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    This thing is just gonna go and keep going very fast until it doesn't go fast anymore at the end. 
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    Other than the lift you'd be hard pressed to find any straight track on this thing. 
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    More track to be added here 
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    Flippy Dippy Doo element (honestly have no idea what it's actually called but we'll stick with Flippy Dippy Doo)
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    A picture so nice we included it twice (seriously was going to delete one but where's the fun in that)
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    Hands up!!! 
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    And we'll leave you with a shot of the dippy dot element (the dippin dot guy named it)
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    Thanks again to California Coaster Kings for the awesome pictures. If you haven't yet be sure you give them a like and follow on all of their social media. 

    We can't wait to ride this thing very soon. We'll let you know when we find out from the park about opening day. 
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    Earth Day Update from Disney's Animal Kingdom

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    Today we're back at Walt Disney World to celebrate Earth Day at Disney's Animal Kingdom. It was also the parks Birthday which meant it was an extra special day. 

    Check out all the pictures of Rivers of Light, Pandora and of course, Cupcakes!!! 
    Written by Renée Girard 
    Happy Earth Day and happy birthday to Disney's Animal Kingdom! Looks like it's going to be a busy day
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    Disney parks now offer preferred parking for $35. Yikes! I'll save that money for beer, thanks.
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    The bag check lines are insane!
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    Jungle Book Earth Day button being given out to guests at Disney's Animal Kingdom today
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    Party for the Planet events and special offerings going on today at Disney's Animal Kingdom
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    Limited edition Earth Day cupcake!
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    Just a couple of ducks hanging out in front of the Tree of Life.
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    Work continues on Discovery Island for the River of Lights/Jungle Book.
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    All construction walls are now down for the Jungle Book show opening memorial weekend. 
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    More of the seating area for Rivers of Light/Jungle Book at Animal Kingdom. Such a beautiful park, can't wait to see it!
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    One of the entrances for Rivers of Light, with FastPass+ touch point. Great theming!
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    This owl was rescued and is part of the Flights of Wonder show at Disney's Animal Kingdom.
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    Here's what currently going on in Pandora at Avatar Land.
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    Disney's Animal Kingdom is one of their most photogenic parks. Happy 18th birthday!
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    Thanks again to Renée for another amazing update from Walt Disney World. We can't wait to see the new shows coming up very soon. 
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    Media Preview of Skyhawk and Flying Eagles at Canada's Wonderland

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    We have a special treat for you today as our friends at CWMania have sent us some more great pictures and video from media day of SkyHawk and Flying Eagles. 

    Check out the great pics and video below and be sure to check out CWMania for all of your Canada's Wonderland needs. 
    ALL Pictures and Video courtesy of CWMania.com 
    Hey everyone! Jeff and I were invited to a special preview event for Skyhawk & Flying Eagles today. Both rides were a great time. Skyhawk took some practice to get the hang of but will be a huge hit this season. The current record is 59 flips in one cycle. I was only able to hit 24. Flying Eagles are a larger version that have larger gondolas allowing for two full-sized adults to fit comfortably. It's amazing how well it interacts with the Treetop Adventures (formerly Chopper Chase).
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    This is the view looking down the path from the Mountainside Bakery & Cafe (former Cookie Cafe).

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    And this is the entry plaza to the ride. Queuing to the left of the operator booth & the exit gate is immediately to the right of the booth. And those big TV screens are where you'll see your "flip stats."

    Be sure to check out the preview of Skyhawk and Flying Eagles complete with POV of both rides. Can Jeff and Nick beat the flip record? See below. 
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    The marquee sign/logo looks fantastic! Are you ready to "Earn Your Wings?"

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    The covered queue looks great and will provide much needed relief from the hot, summer sun. There will be signage in the queue area that shows aspiring pilots how to maximize their flips when riding. And don't worry, the railings will all be installed for the first public rides coming up soon.

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    The entire ride area looks great.

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    Here are the red seats.

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    And here are the blue seats. The decals look fantastic!

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    A view of the base of the tower.

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    And of course, the cables have been run & attached.

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    It was a bit cloudy today but everyone that rode Skyhawk agreed that it's a great addition to the parks awesome lineup of flats/thrill rides.

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    And here's a reverse POV shot the park provided us from a nicer day a couple days ago.

    After checking out Skyhawk, we made our way over to Kidzville to give Flying Eagles a spin. The entire area looks much better than previous seasons. Flying Eagles fits right in
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    Snoopy & the Peanuts gang were all waiting for us.

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    Thanks again to Nicholas and everybody else at CWMania.com for allowing us to piggy back on their already awesome coverage. Be sure you give all their social media a "like" or "follow". 
    If you enjoyed this update please share with your friends and make sure you "like" us on Facebook and "follow" us on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube

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    The New Revolution Opening Day at Six Flags Magic Mountain

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    Today was the grand re-opening for The New Revolution at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Even though it's been open for passholders for awhile now today was the first "public" opening and Six Flags held a brief ribbon cutting ceremony. 

    ​We'll also take a look at the 2017 project and new waterslides for Hurricane Harbor. 
    Welcome to Magic Mountain on a beautiful spring day. 
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    A small stage was set up just in front of the loop, that you can actually see now. So awesome!! 
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    The first riders were members of the local JROTC. 
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    Nice decorations on the stage. 
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    Bonnie, the parks manager takes the stage to make a few remarks. No 2017 hints however. =) 
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    The mayor and mayor pro tem of Santa Clarita also made a few remarks. 
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    After a short ceremony it was time to cut the ribbon and release the kracken ... errr, confetti. 
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    As well as some nice low level pyro
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    Some of the Six Flags team that made it all happen
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    Over in front of the ride some nice balloons were set up in the entry area. 
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    The line just prior to opening. After the ceremony they had to remove all the pyro so there was a bit of a delay. 
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    Might be hard to see, but even the queue rope is red white and blue rather than the typical yellow. Nice touch that honestly, 5-6 years ago you wouldn't have seen at SFMM. So kudos on that!! 
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    So the ride is officially open, we took 2 rides once it opened and experienced minimal stacking (maybe 30 seconds at most) and from what we could tell this was due to 1 or 2 people having issues with the headsets. 

    So while it didn't seem today that the VR was causing delays the real test is going to be over the weekend and if they keep the staffing up for the ride.

    ​If you are going to the park this weekend be sure to be patient, get to the ride early, but most importantly, reach out to us and send us pictures and updates on operations. ;) 
    Decided to head to the back of the park and look at where the 2017 project is going. They've added some fences around the area ... hope we aren't to blame for this. =) 
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    But if you are going to use a nearby vending machine you can still get a peek inside. =) 
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    Lastly, more slide pieces have shown up onsite and should be moving into the waterpark soon we'd imagine. 
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    Alright, that's going to wrap it up for our New Revolution coverage, not quite as extensive as Twisted Colossus last year but we are so happy to have this classic ride back the way God, er, Anton intended. 

    If you want to ride Revolution with NO LINES be sure you register for our event coming up on June 5. We'll have ERT on The New Revolution, Backstage tours, Food and more. Click the picture below for all the details. 
    If you enjoyed this update please share with your friends and make sure you "like" us on Facebook and "follow" us on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube

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    Star Wars Half Marathon: The Dark Side at WDW 

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    Today we have an update from another great RunDisney event in Florida, this time Renée takes us on a run with her at the Star Wars Half Marathon: The Dark Side and the Dark Side Challenge. 

    Be sure to check out all the fun through the parks in the early morning hours and of course the awesome bling!! 
    Written by Renée Girard
    Getting ready for another RunDisney weekend! Thousands ran in the Star Wars 5k already, and we stopped by the expo.
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    All set with my race bib, might as well begin carb loading with a beer. 
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    Storm Troopers patrolled the crowd at the expo. The theming all around the event has been great so far Star Wars Half
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    The designs for these medals might be my favorite of all the RunDisney races! 
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    Congrats to those who ran the Star Wars 5k and good luck at the Star Wars 10k, Star Wars Half and Dark Side Challenge! 
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    Early start to the day at Epcot for the Star Wars 10k
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    The Star Wars 10k has begun! Starting at Epcot, it goes through the Epcot resort area, DHS & the finish at ESPN
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    Final stretch of the Star Wars 10k towards ESPN. A good warmup for the Dark Side Challenge tomorrow. 
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    Character lines before, during & after Star Wars 10k were looong. Didn't stop for photos but still enjoyed SW theming
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    Liked the Star Wars 10k course but not the fact that the start/finish locations were different. Traffic was a mess.
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    As always, RunDisney doesn't disappoint with the finisher medals for the Star Wars 10k.
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    Another early morning at Epcot for the Star Wars Half. Photo ops still going on even after the race started!
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    Packed into the corrals once again, fireworks, and we're off! 
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    The Star Wars Half began through some backstage areas at Epcot and under Test Track.
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    Mile markers throughout the Star Wars Half course were very cool.
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    R2-D2 was the first character we encountered in the Star Wars Half, but as usual, the line was super long.
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    With a 5am start, it was nice to see the World Showcase at Epcot all lit up.
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    After Epcot, we were on our way to Hollywood Studios, through a tunnel of fog.
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    Kylo Ren was out on the stage in the center of Hollywood Studios.
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    With limited space due to construction, we didn't spend much time running in Hollywood Studios
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    Some members of the 501st Legion were cheering us on by Fantasmic. They always look awesome!
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    Sunrise was starting by the time we got over to Disney's Animal Kingdom
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    ​After a long loop through the parking lot, Storm Troopers greeted us as we entered Animal Kingdom
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    At Animal Kingdom, we trekked through Asia and Discovery Island.
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    The folks at Disney's PhotoPass, who took over the photography for RunDisney events, did a great job!
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    More of the 501st Legion sent us on our way as we exited Animal Kingdom for the final stretch of the Star Wars Half
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    After the finish at ESPN, we noticed a much better transportation system than yesterday.
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    This guy pretty much sums up how I felt after running 19.3 miles over the past 2 days.
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    Trio of medals for completing the Dark Side Challenge. There were a few flaws, but overall a great RunDisney event!
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    And am I the only one who sees "WTF" instead of "THE" next to Dark Side? ;)
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    Thanks again to Renée for braving the early mornings and crowds to bring us another great RunDisney update. It's sure going to be interesting what they do with the Star Wars races once Star Wars Land opens. Looking forward to it!! 

    If you ran over the weekend be sure to share your celebratory pictures in the comments below or on our social media. 
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    Six Flags Great Adventure - The Joker Update

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    Over the weekend Chris headed out to Six Flags Great Adventure and took some pics of Joker as it gets ready for it's opening. 

    The track is completed and the ride sign has been added as you can see below. We've also included the B-Roll the park sent us awhile back to refresh you all on the ride. 
    Written by Chris Con
    Are you ready for a whole bunch of different angles of the same ride? Then this is the update for you!! 
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    The Joker 4D
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    Look, slightly different shots for your enjoyment. 
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    The vertical lift hill and first "drop". 
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    The ride entry area
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    Looks like the ride should begin testing soon, the ride vehicles are on site and are being added to the track. 

    When we hear of anything regarding opening dates we'll be sure to pass it on. 
    If you enjoyed this update please share with your friends and make sure you "like" us on Facebook and "follow" us on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube

    If you have any comments, please share them below