OutdoorsWithShawn

StogieBird is the brainchild of Sam Leccia (creator of NUB Cigars & Leccia Tobacco). You can get 2, 5 or 8 cigars sent to your mailbox monthly. Each box always includes some stickers and some occasional swag. YT doesn't like these type of videos, so I'm going to try to post them here as long as they get views, I'll keep doing them.

In the three Back to the Future movies, the DMC DeLorean was the car used to make the time machine. Time travel was possible seeing the car was fitted with a Flux capacitor, fed 1.21 gigawatts of power and reached the all important speed of 88mph. The Back to the Future ride at Universal Orlando opened in May of 1991 at a cost of a whopping $40M. The motion simulator ride had a good run that ended in 2007 after years of declining rider numbers. It was replaced by a Simpsons themed ride and area later the next year in 2008. Paying homage the movies and ride, Universal proudly displays a DMC DeLorean just outside of Simpsons land where the Back to the Future ride once resided. This was quite a treat to see for me and my fiance as we grew up in the 80s and remember the movies well. We're just sad we never got to ride the ride.

Universal Studios Islands of Adventure is home to five unique and fun roller coasters. The Incredible Hulk Coaster, Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, Velocicoaster, Pteranodon Flyers & Flight of the Hippogriff. The Incredible Hulk Coaster is the original coaster to the park and opened in 1999. It features a launched lift of 40mph, seven inversions with a top speed of 67mph & maximum height of 110ft. In 2015, the entire ride was re-tracked to give it a longer lifespan at the park as well as onboard audio. Pteranodon Flyers also opened with the park in 1999. It is a suspended kids Coaster that flies over the Jurassic Park area of the park. It has a height limit, but adults have to ride with kids under a certain height. But you can't ride it if you're over the limit without a child; doesn't make sense to me at all... Flight of the Hippogriff opened in 2000 as Flying Unicorn. When the Harry Potter world was introduced, it shut down and had a makeover to fit the area and became known as Flight of the Hippogriff. It is 42ft tall and has a top speed of just Iverson 28mph. Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure (or Hagrid's as most call it) opened in 2019 with the new Harry Potter World. Its features seven, yes seven, launches. It reaches a top speed of 50mph and a max height of 65ft. Currently, this is the most expensive roller coaster with a cost of $300 million dollars. I assume this cost includes everything from the coaster to the expansive theming and queue areas/building. Last but not least is Velocicoaster which opened in 2021 with much fanfare from hardcore coaster enthusiasts. It features two launches, one at 0 to 50mph in 2 seconds & one from 40 to 70mph in 2.4 seconds. It features four inversions, 4,700ft of track that twists and turns in and out of the Velocicoaster enclosure. It has a maximum height of 155ft with stunning view over the lake. This coaster is not for the faint of heart and is in my personal top 3 coasters of all time.

Universal Studios Islands of Adventure has three water rides. Jurassic Park River Adventure, Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls and Popeye & Bluto's Bilge Rat Barges. Jurassic Park River Adventure will get you damp or possibly wet depending on where you sit. This ride needs some attention as some effects don't work anymore and could use some painting here and there. Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls will get you wet. The most of the second half of the rides we kept thinking the big drop was coming. But the ride continued on and has some good themeing. Popeye and Bluto's Bilge Rat barges, without a shadow of a doubt will get you soaked. There are places on the ride where if you pass it without getting wet, there is something wrong with the ride. This is probably the best themed and fasted raft ride I've ever been on. Two good things about the water rides: •Like most of the rides, there are lockers you can use to store (keep dry) your items. But the non-water ride lockers are free where the water ride lockers are $2 for a few hours. •Human driers are readily available for $5 to dry you off afterwards. They don't completely dry you off, but they help a good bit. An hour in the Florida summer sun and you'll be dry in no time.