Have you ever dreamed of being on a reality show? Here is your chance! Universal Studios Tours now has Fear Factor Live, which is a stunt show that uses audience volunteers. With three to five shows each day, the chances of getting on the show are pretty good!

Are you ready to face your fears? There are some important things to know about Fear Factor Live at Universal Studios Tours before you sign up. First, this is for real. This is not a cheesy attempt to replicate Fear Factor and please a studio audience. The stunts are very real, and they are performed by audience members just like you. There is no coddling here!

If you still want to participate, simply visit the casting office, which is located near the Terminator ride in the theme park. You must meet certain physical requirements to ensure that you can handle what is about to be asked of you. You must also complete and sign a liability form, holding Universal Studios and Fear Factor harmless of any injuries or damages you may incur.

Before the show begins, some audience members who were not selected to participate are called on stage to face smaller challenges, such as eating various bugs. The winner of the pre-show contest wins great prizes, such as an annual pass to the theme park. This is followed by an audience warm up with the hosts of the show.

The show consists of six contestants that were chosen from the casting office – if your lucky, you might be one of these! They are dressed just as the contestants on the original Fear Factor dress – in tight uniforms. A series of challenges, much like the challenges on Fear Factor are presented to the contestants. Falls from high places, skill tests, and of course, the famous gross-out challenge. During the show, a random audience member is picked for yet another challenge – such as sticking their head in a tank full of scorpions.

If you’ve ever watched Fear Factor, and told all of your friends that you could handle everything that was thrown at those contestants, be careful. Here is your big chance to prove yourself – or your friends’ chance to prove you wrong! Win or lose, Fear Factor Live at Universal Studios Tours could be the highlight of your visit! If you want to be on the show, visit the casting office as soon as you get to the park to make sure that you meet the physical requirements – and if you don’t meet the requirements, ask about being in the audience.

[Feb. 4, 2010] Six Flags announced today that as it nears the scheduled end of its restructuring process, it has decided to reject its lease with the Kentucky State Fair Board relating to the Kentucky Kingdom park. In recent weeks, Six Flags had proposed a new lease arrangement to the fair board that would have enhanced the viability and future of the park. Unfortunately, those proposals were not accepted and the park will cease operations and the company will move expeditiously to re-locate employees and several of the more than 40 rides and attractions to one of its 13 other markets.

The Griffon roller coaster at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, is a Bolliger & Mabillard diving machine that now reigns as the tallest and fastest dive coaster.

Each train consists of three rows of ten seats. Once strapped in, the loading platform floor drops and guests hear, "Now, prepare to enjoy the power and speed of the mythical Griffon." After a right turn out of the station, riders climb a 45-degree lift hill running about 10 feet per second,(6.8 mph) 205 feet up. Then they make another turn to the right and face the Royal Palace Theatre. The trains pause on a holding brake for five seconds before dropping 205 feet at 90° hitting 71 mph. The ride then goes into a 146-foot Immelmann loop before making a sweeping turn upward to the left and into the block brake. Riders will then drop 130 feet down at 87° toward The Rhine River and into another 100-foot Immelmann inversion. Finally, riders will exit a bunny hop into a water splash pool. Each of the three trains produces a different water spray pattern up to 45 feet high. Riders then encounter a small dip just before the final brake run and station.

If you are looking for fun, thrills, and adventure, Universal Studios is the place to go. There are rides that will thrill you and rides that will scare you senseless. From caves to the air, there is something to please all of the thrill seekers out there.

Start your day with Revenge of the Mummy. This is a psychological thrill ride that is unlike anything you have ever experienced. This is a roller coaster ride in total darkness. Traveling at a very high speed, you will have many terrifying creatures jumping out at you. If your heart is still beating and you think you can handle more, your next stop should be Jurassic Park: The Ride.

Jurassic Park may seem a bit tame after Revenge of the Mummy, but it is still great fun, and there are still many thrills. This ride entails you riding a raft which is slowly being cranked up. Dinosaurs of various breeds appear out of nowhere while you are going up. Suddenly, you and your raft are falling quickly downhill, and the ride ends with a huge splash that leaves you soaked! Make sure you bring a change of clothes, because you will want to move on to Back to the Future.

Back to the Future will have you riding in a car like the one on the movie. The scenes from the movie literally come to life, and many people experience motion sickness…so if you are prone to motion sickness, you may want to skip this one. Other attractions not to miss if you enjoy thrills include Nickelodeon Blast Zone, Van Helsing: Fortress Dracula, the Special Effects Stages, and Shrek 4-D.

If you get scared easily, you may want to avoid these thrill rides and attractions. They are also not recommended for very young children, pregnant women, or people with heart conditions. People with anxiety issues should avoid these attractions as well. There are many tamer rides and attractions that can be enjoyed in the park if the thrill seeking rides aren’t suitable for you.

The purpose of going to the park is to have fun. If the thrill rides and attractions scare you to the point where it isn’t fun anymore, than they should be avoided. Don’t allow others in your party to coerce you into visiting the attractions that scare you too badly. Again, there are many attractions at Universal Studios Tours that are suitable for those who aren’t comfortable with the thrill seeking rides – so don’t think that you can’t have a good time without getting scared senseless!

Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom announced it was dismantling their signature roller coaster, Chang, to make room for a new water park. Chang is being moved to another theme park, but park officials declined to say where.

Chang opened in 1997, and at the time newspaper accounts put the ride's construction cost at $12million. When it opened, the ride was promoted as the world's tallest, longest, fastest coaster in which riders are in a standing position.

The removal of Chang, which will leave Kentucky Kingdom with six coasters, will clear the way for Bonzai Beach, which is to open in 2011.

Doswell, VA. (Aug. 20, 2009) – The most exciting ride in Kings Dominion’s 35-year history will
debut in the spring of 2010, as the amusement park introduces a mammoth 5,100-foot long steel Giga-coaster. Intimidator 305 takes it name from one of stock car racing’s most beloved and tenacious drivers, Dale Earnhardt, “the Intimidator™” along with the height of the coaster’s lift hill, 305 feet.

Intimidator 305, only the second Giga-coaster ever built in North America, will be the tallest and fastest roller coaster of its type on the East Coast. The lift hill will stand a towering 305 feet at its highest peak; descend 300 feet at an 85 degree-angle and thunder along the track at speeds in excess of 90 miles per hour during its three minute race to the finish. The trains, fashioned after Dale Earnhardt’s signature black car, will roar through six airtime humps plus three high-speed turns and the experience will have guests screaming for another lap around the track.

“Intimidator 305 will break records as the single largest capital investment in the history Kings Dominion,” said Pat Jones, Kings Dominion’s vice president and general manager. “The numbers speak for themselves, at a cost of $25 million, a lift hill and first drop close to the height of the park’s landmark Eiffel Tower; you’ll have to see it to believe it.” Intimidator 305 will be located in the park’s Congo section and becomes Kings Dominion’s 15th World-class roller coaster.

Dale Earnhardt, Inc. will partner with Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, owners of Kings
Dominion, to bring the massive coaster to life. “We’re excited to see this new roller coaster
celebrate the speed and intensity of the legendary career of Dale Earnhardt,” said Jeff Steiner, executive vice president and general manager of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. “there are millions of fans that still honor their racing hero and this is a very real way for them to connect with the spirit and passion of the Intimidator™.”

Guests will have the opportunity to see the ride being built from the ground up during the
remainder of the park’s 2009 season, as well as follow its progress by watching the online
webcam, set up to overlook the entire work site. Those who cannot wait until 2010 may take a virtual ride on Intimidator 305, access exclusive updates, features, virtual renderings, ride
statistics, and more at www.intimidator305.com.

Intamin AG of Wollerau, Switzerland, a recognized industry leader in roller coaster development, designed Intimidator 305. The ride is scheduled to open in the spring of 2010.

Ride Stats
- Track Length: 5,100 feet
- Maximum Height: 305 feet
- Lift Hill Angle: 45 degrees
- Length of First Drop: 300 feet
- Angle of First Drop: 85 degrees
- Length of Other Drops: 150 feet
- Airtime Humps: 6 including S-curve transitions
- High Speed Turns: 3 at ground level

- Fastest Speed: Excess of 90 MPH
- Ride Time: 3 minutes
- Hourly Capacity:: 1,350 riders
- Number of Trains: Two
- Vehicles: Four passenger open design trains with overhead lap bars but no over-the-shoulder harnesses

- Investment: $25 million

Here's an interesting POV video of Maverick at Cedar Point in Ohio. The debut roller coaster in 2007, Maverick. with a 95 degree drop, insane turns and loops! Music by Dragonforce: Through fire and flames.

The brand new Diamondback roller coaster at Kings Island has already seen 800,000 riders since opening earlier this year, putting it on pace to become the most popular debut ride in the park's history.

The Diamondback is trying to catch the record set by the Vortex, which opened in 1987 to an hourly capacity of nearly 1,500 riders and a total yearly ridership of close to 2.2 million people.

So far in 2009, Diamondback has averaged 1,600 riders per hour, and park spokesman Don Helbig said he expects the ride to pass the 1 million mark as early as next weekend.

Diamondback is the tallest, fastest and meanest roller coaster to hit Kings Island with over 5,200 FEET of steel track. 230 FEET TALL, this monster twists and turns through 10 ACRES of terrain, wooded hills with a spectacular splashdown ending to give you the ultimate thrill.

Terminator Salvation at Magic Mountain opened to the public in late May.

A product of Great Coasters International, Terminater lasts three minutes, moving across 2,850 feet of wooden tracks at speeds over 50mph. The peaks of the ride are as high as 95 feet, and at one point the train takes riders on an 87ft drop.

The ride itself doesn't have much Terminator-related content, although there is on board audio and a few themed tunnels. Most of the branding comes from the $1 million Terminator-esque "safe house" that you walk through on the way to the train.

One of California's oldest and greatest coastal amusement parks, the Balboa Fun Zone is a great place for your entire family. With plenty for the entire family to do, the Fun Zone can make the time just fly by. 

Perfectly situated on the Balboa Peninsula along Newport Beach, the Balboa Fun Zone has always managed to rival with top amusement park giants such as Sea World, Disneyworld, and even Belmont Park. For more than 50 years, the Fun Zone in Newport Beach has provided people with something to do either day or night.

Photo Copyright Arnold C

Residents of the area and those who have visited in the past can recall the big name bands and loud music that streamed from the infamous Rendezvous Ballroom. From basking on the sandy yet pristine beaches to exploring the Fun Zone areas, you'll quickly find that there's always something to do here.

You can go out on the Balboa Pier as well, which was built in 1912 as a way to go from Balboa to Catalina Island. The pier is also one of the few to survive the well known yet destructive coastal storms California endured during the 1980's. 

Those of you looking for adventure and travel would enjoy the Catalina Flyer, which is actually one hour to Catalina Island. The island ferry at Balboa Island only costs a buck or so, yet it takes you to the well known Catalina Island. 

One of the biggest attractions here is the well known Fun Zone ferris wheel. Since 1936, this wheel has proved to be a night and day landmark at the Fun Zone, calling out to all to enjoy the fun. If you've ever been on a ferris wheel, you know just how much fun they canactually be. 

In 1986, the Fun Zone was rebuilt completely from the ground up, adding to the already fun and exciting environment here. The ferris wheel, bumper cars, arcades, and everything else here make the Fun Zone so much fun for everyone who decides to pay it a visit. 

After you've had experienced a few of the rides and attractions, you can get some food at one of the many vendors or restaurants, then enjoy a cruise on the harbor. Young or old, the Balboa Fun Zone in Newport Beach can help you relieve those precious memories from when you were a child. 

If you plan to visit California and you want something fun to do, make sure you visit the Fun Zone. There are plenty of things to see in the area as well, making the Fun Zone an absolute treasure. With no cost for admission, the Fun Zone is one area of Newport Beach that you don't want to pass by.