Theme parks on Google maps

[madhjsp]

When I get bored, one of the many things I like to do to waste time on the internet is use Google maps to look at theme parks from an aerial view. Sometimes it's just fun to imagine being there, and sometimes it gives me a better understanding of how the park is actually laid out and how the "behind the scenes" areas that are off-limits to the public are all connected. And sometimes you find some pretty interesting shots. For example, take a look at Busch Gardens Williamsburg and zoom in on Griffon: Notice anything funny?

Anyway, I partly just wanted to share that little gem of a photo splice that I just found, but I also partly wanted to see if anyone else did this from time to time and had some neat finds to share.

 

[RCF]

I think the train thing on Griffon is because of the rate the satellite takes pictures, it must've caught the train after the splashdown and then the next image when it was near the brakes.

But yes I do this quite often and I look at theme parks all over the world so you're definitely not alone. I do it for all the same reasons, and I love to fantasize

 

[madhjsp]

^ Yeah it's definitely the result of two photos being spliced together right in the middle of the ride. Still looks sweet though, kind of like something out of Final Destination

 

[mouse]

I never used to, but you've got me into it! Alton Towers is a nice park to look at.

 

[FaceYourNemesis]

I never used to, but you've got me into it! Alton Towers is a nice park to look at.

Even better, you can get street view at Alton Towers. It's also available at Thorpe Park, too (not that you would want to look at that :wink: ).

 

[Darren B]

I think its fascinating to see the parks from a birds eye view and ive spent many hours doing so..... ps. checkout Six Flags America, Looks soo.... well... CRAP!! the rides are so spread out and it looks such an uninspiring park with absolutely no scenery, but i havent been to the park in person so it might be a completely different story from groung view.

 

[Hyde]

It's just EXTREME stacking. :razz:

 

[madhjsp]

I think its fascinating to see the parks from a birds eye view and ive spent many hours doing so..... ps. checkout Six Flags America, Looks soo.... well... CRAP!! the rides are so spread out and it looks such an uninspiring park with absolutely no scenery, but i havent been to the park in person so it might be a completely different story from groung view.

My god, you're right, it looks borderline depressing. And would it kill them to plant some trees or at least create some kind of artificial shade? Must be miserable there the middle of the summer.

I haven't been there either but I'm thinking about going soon to get the credits, and that didn't give me a whole lot to look forward to.

 

[mouse]

I never used to, but you've got me into it! Alton Towers is a nice park to look at.

Even better, you can get street view at Alton Towers. It's also available at Thorpe Park, too (not that you would want to look at that :wink: ).

What, inside the actual parks?
(I would check, but I'm posting on my iPod)

 

[Hixee]

^Yeah, they have a kinda trike thing with the cameras mounted on them. Somewhere (lurking on the internet) is a picture of the vehicles.

 

[Hyde]

Tada! A whole website on how they record Street View!

http://maps.google.com/help/maps/street ... rikes.html

I'm pretty sure there is a directory of all the amusement parks that have been treated with Street View... Here is one such park, Hershey Park in Pennsylvania.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... ,,0,-41.65

 

[fishman100]

Lol, funny you mention this, just yesterday I showed my friend Magic Mountain via Google Earth! (Okay it's not Google maps but same difference )

I have yet to try looking at things from Google maps, but the view of MM looks quite spectacular. Tatsu is clearly visible, along with Scream and the parking lot.

 

[mouse]

Just been looking at AT on street view, makes me feel as if I'm there.
Thorpe on the other hand...

 

[Anonymous]

I think the train thing on Griffon is because of the rate the satellite takes pictures, it must've caught the train after the splashdown and then the next image when it was near the brakes.

That image is most likely taken by air plane, since commercial satellites can't compete with the resolution of aerial photography. GeoEye-1 only offer a resolving capacity of 1 pixel = 50 cm, where as aerial photography can do much better due to being close to the target...

I often use Google Earth to look at theme parks from above, they also have a great feature to browse through old imagery of some places so that you can have a good overview of how the parks looked several years ago...

 

[Pierre]

Kumali looks like a cock and balls on google maps aerial view.

 

[A101]

I absolutely love to look at parks on Google Earth. One small "blip" I found was at the top of Nitro's lift.

 

[Thekingin64]

Google maps still thinks Alton has Corkscrew.

 

[Ollie]

Google are at Paultons Park today with their 360* camera so you can walk round the park in Google Street View.