The Tower of Terror is back with an enhanced ride program which takes you up and down the shaft many more times, overall (in my opinion) reducing the feeling of dropping but greatly adding to the length of the ride. Sounds also seem to have been enhanced.

The big news is, of course, the addition of the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster featuring music by Aerosmith. The building in themed to a (cheap) and boring recording studio -- G-FORCE RECORDS. After going through the lobby you enter a recording studio. Listen close to the doors and you can hear guitars, drums, etc., as if bands are actually in the room doing recording. There are a few displays (on of amplifiers and the other of tape/record/CD players) with amusing notes on the history of the items by folks such as Cass Ette and Mike Rophone. (sp?) Soon you enter the studio where Aerosmith is recording. Strangly, they seem to be rerecording "Walk This Way" (one of my favorite tunes) and you look through a glass window in a full studio with instruments all set up. Across the room you see a "window" looking into the control booth where the band is (by way of high resolution projection). The manager barges end, saying they need to get across town to their gig, and the next thing you know everyone has back stage passes and a special stretch limo (fast!) has been ordered to take us all to the show.

This coaster is fully indoors and features three inversions. The launch system uses, apparently, linear induction to catapolt the coaster from 0 to 60 in under 3 seconds. The ride is mostly in the dark as light up (blacklight) flat displays of California landmarks appear. A loud soundtrack featuring hits by Aerosmith edited together. There are five different cars, themed like a stretch limo, each with a different sound track. Car #4 (identified by the license plate) has a bit of original music at the end where Aerosmith sing "Love in a Roller Coaster" at the end.

Upon exiting at an area that seems like an upscale parking area at a hotel, you are greeted by a large screen of concert footage of Aerosmith endlessly thanking the screaming audience. The gift shop is stocked with TONS of items from drum sticks and guitar picks on up to shirts and jackets with the logo. Great stuff! Well done!

More later...