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Day 3 - Night-time back at Oktoberfest Faire - with a lot of time spent in the "Old Oktoberfest Museum" area after a break for foot resting, and a shower, some of us met down in the lobby to head back to Oktoberfest for some Sunday evening fun. i was determined that I wanted to go to the section I had seen the prior days - a sectioned off area, that SEEMED to be an Oktoberfest museum of some type - or "old Oktoberfest". It cost 4 Euro to enter that area, but it seemed large, with a covered bandstand, a beer tent, and a large outdoors section. looking it up online, showed that my assumptions above were pretty spot on, so I really wanted to do that, and a group of folks who were also interested joined me on this quest tonight. since it was way in the back (behind the ferris wheel) on the main "street". . we once again came thru the main gate. not nearly as busy as it had been, since we were here on a Sunday night now. but still not empty. and it was cold - so had put on a few layers. this is where we'd be tomorrow, as we had reserved tables in the Lowenbrau tent. (and yes, the lion is animatronic, and takes drinks of beer ) Andrew giving "Andrew face". . . LOL . . . standing at the entrance to the "Old Oktoberfest" area (I'm just calling it that. . no idea if that's what it's officially called). Looking back towards the main entrance - we're seeing the back side of the Ferris wheel. Tickets bought, we enter into this section (again, it's only 4 Euro. . .but turned out it was WAY worth it. not only was it much less crowded back here, but once in this sectioned off area? all rides (fair classics) were only 1.50 . . .a hell of a deal, and they were running great cycles). right away, I knew I was gonna love this place, just from the outside display of old tractors/carts. scattered food stands around too.. not much business tho, as there turned out to be food available with sit down service inside the main building (with music and a bit warmer, so most did that). the entrance into the main building in this area. . .where the Museum portion is, the food service, the bandstand. . and a classic, CLASSIC carousel. I was in heaven. from in front of the Carousel, getting a layout of this building. on the left is the bandstand, in the middle is the restaurant, straight ahead is an enclosed area where one could rent and ride old bikes in the ring. on the other side of the carousel is a large section with old props from classic attractions at the faire - and there was history all along the outside walls. Some went to get beer and grab a sit down right away. . my ass was going directly to the Carousel. but there wasn't anyone in the operating booth at the moment, so I went around the back of it to take a look at the classic props. many of them from old "Ghost Train" attractions. sexy! I wish I could read German. . . but I was able to get the gist of most of the signs. by the time I got back around to the Carousel, the guy was in the booth, and sold me a ticket. and then ran if just for me I rode a horse. then got off, bought another ticket and rode again, this time in a carriage - which did actually rock! (I was afraid to rock the horse, as the carousel is so old, and i"m not exactly "light" happy as hell on a classic carousel. . . after my two rides, I joined the rest of the gang I was hanging with, at the table, and ordered beer and food along with them. Pic courtesy of the waiter when he came back to take food order. Lunch had been big, and I wanted to snack in the fair as well.. .so wasn't too hungry. they also were out of several things on the large menu (hadn't restocked for the coming week yet, and it was on Sunday evening, remember), but of what was avail. everything was good. the band was quite loud in the enclosed space, but they were good. and it was a lot of fun. I think we hung out in here for a good hour plus, and I posted to the group about the food and atmosphere available back here in this section in case anyone wanted to check it out on a fairly quiet night. after eating, I took a walk around the front part of the building to check out some of the displays - while the others had another beer. the sign by the Bicycle rink. these were a big draw back in the day! the history of the Oktoberfest posters. many of them were available for purchase (but I have neither the wall space, nor the $$ to get em). Some were great tho, and I got magnet versions. classic ride vehicles. hey. .some more TPR folks came out to this section. hiya Christopher, Erik and Chuck! enough time hanging out in the main building, we ventured outside to check out what else was on offer. this is the back of the Beer tent. . which according to the information I could read, was supposed to be full of folks in traditional Oktoberfest garb, and music/atmosphere. as we had just experienced basically that in the main building, we walked around this one rather than go thru, to see the lined avenue back here. (don't think we really missed much, as they seemed to be shutting it down due to lack of big crowd on Sunday night, and if folks wanted beer they could get it in the main building). several smaller flat rides were out here lining the avenue. classic older rides. and carnival type games and attractions. this made me giggle so hard. . I think it's the look on the dummy's faces. another classic carousel. . tho this one seemed to be a kiddie, so didn't even try. it was lovely tho. . . I adore that "Elephant" can get an old timey photo too. all done with cardboard cut outs. not creepy at ALL. ok. . now THIS is what I'm talking about. a Calypso.. running a fantastic and long cycle. for 1.50. many of us got a ride. even had that cheesy 70's artwork that has nothing to do with the ride (other than the name is kinda tropical) really is a beautiful ride tho: this cabinet of classic prizes was just for display. . which is a shame, as I would have tried to knock over those stupid cans to try to win some of these. these looked to be hitting HARD. not sure if Knoebels level, but probably pretty close! this Waltzer had the biggest crowd, and after watching for a bit, we saw why. they sold tickets and you had to hover around and hope that a car stopped near you, and the folks riding got out (some bought multiple tickets and stayed put). .and then it was a mad dash to get your ass into an empty seat. the music was BLASTING loud, classics - we rode to Hot Chocolate "Every one's a Winner" plus another song. . and the annoyance on the operators face when the fair came on the loudspeakers to make an announcement was hysterical. the operator, was speeding up and slowing down based on a hand crank. . that he would crank based on the riders reactions. Oh, all while chugging beers. it was so freaking awesome. .and just might be my best memory of the whole trip. (if not, it's really really close) in fact, I just pulled up Hot Chocolate on Youtube while typing this up, and it brought me RIGHT back to this ride. awesome. just for show, as noted they were blasting 70's classics thru the speakers inside the ride. straight back, you can see the operator by his crank (long coat and hat) . . watching the crowd. after hanging out back here for probably 2 hours total, we finally exited and made our way back into the fair proper. a last look back. . this area was so worth it to me. where should we go in the fair? why of course! and some snacks. . . but not these. I was worried they'd be the same consistency I hadn't cared for from the meal the other night. but . . c'mon. . balls! gotta take a pic hey, got a different face out of Andrew! and walking by my favorite place - the Carousel Bar - spotted a big TPR group on the Carousel. with room, so we joined them for some fun hangout time PROST!! a princess balloon in the center of the Carousel bar ceiling. . . going around and around for several pints. . . if I wasn't just loving being on the actual carousel? I totally would have gotten off it to grab this seat once the lady left. it looked a little awkward. . but c'mon.. you sit on the horse AT the table. . . that's so freaking awesome. ok. .enough drinking.. time to get a few more rides in. I think we headed to Alpen Bahn and Voodoo Jumper again. but no, wasn't drunk enough to want to pose like Marilyn (but I wish I had been.. that would have been such a great pic) getting to be late, and things were starting to shut down. . so we headed towards the exits going out the main gate tho, I noticed that the memorial I had seen yesterday lights up, and truly is worth a look at night. and then it was time to head back to the hotel. . . as it had been a long day, was slightly buzzed, and tomorrow was our BIG day at Oktoberfest - reservations in the tent, a meal, and all the fun and excitement.

It had been a long time since I last traveled with Theme Park Review... On land, I had been a part of the Behemoth/East Coast trip in 2008 and the Deep South trip in 2009. At sea I had sailed with TPR on the Freedom of the Seas in 2011. Oktoberfest had been a bucket-list experience for me for most of my life, and getting the chance to experience some of Germany's most notable parks had equally sat atop my list for as long as my fandom of theme parks and coasters has existed. For years, I watched Robb & Elissa's videos from the parks, thinking that I wouldn't get the chance to experience the beer tents or to have the chance to ride Olympia Looping, Euro-Mir or SilverStar... But when the 2024 Oktoberfest trip was announced, I knew I was going to do everything I could to attend (including ending up on a certain game show). As I've been preparing (read, paring down tens of thousands of photos) for this trip report, I'm already nostalgic for the experience of this trip. Robb and Elissa took great care to show us the best time possible at each stop. For those of us whose first time it was here, they made an extra effort to make sure we didn't miss out on the best parts. And as someone that has been a part of this site since the mid-2000's, it was an honor and a great gift to experience so many new things and places with friends I've known for 19 years. Diving into it... Did I walk all the way across the Chicago O'Hare airport to visit this particular corridor for a very particular reason? Sure did! My first half day in Germany was a success in that I had a chance to drop off my stuff at the hotel and hop on the train into the city... The architecture in and around Marienplatz was absolutely stunning. My main stop for the day was Hofbräuhaus München. I didn’t have a ton of time, but I did get my first taste of Bavaria, literally and figuratively… The interior of Hofbräuhaus München was so charming and unique. My first taste of authentic oompah music on this trip! While I'd been to the Biergarten Restaurant at EPCOT, I'd never been to an authentic beer garden before! But I immediately took advantage of the opportunity! My first German meal of the trip and it got me so hyped to eat more throughout the trip. And to drink more too! The next morning I hopped a train to Fussen from Munich... The train ride was beyond picturesque. I had an amazing spaetzle take on mac and cheese at the hotel in Fussen and called it an early night because the next day would be a very active one. Why Fussen? Well I had some castles to visit... Oh, and the Museum of the Bavarian Kings could not be missed. No photos allowed inside but the museum was well worth our time and helped to instill a greater understanding in us before we toured the castles in the area. Hohenschwangau Castle was the first of our stops. There's a strict policy of no photos inside except photos taken of or through windows, but the tour was absolutely incredible. Delicious and refreshing! It's like Coca-Cola... But with orange! The view from within Hohenschwangau Castle was incredible. And it only got better upon closer investigation. Neuschwanstein Castle was within direct view of the Hohenschwangau Castle at most times. Back near the Museum of the Bavarian Kings is a lake known for swans... A swan lake, if you will. Lots of roasted pork and sauerkraut was consumed on this trip. We hiked up the mountain after lunch to Marienbrücke for the best possible view of Neuschwanstein Castle. Just two Disney fans from both coasts experiencing a Disney fan's dream up close! Die Schlümpfe. My first Cornetto cone of the trip. but not my last! Neuschwanstein Castle is a landmark for Disney fans as it is known as the partial inspiration for the design of Sleeping Beauty Castle found at Disneyland Park in California (also previously found at Hong Kong Disneyland). Discerning fans can recognize the visual similarities. Again, no photos inside but the tour was fantastic and the reveals from room to room were cinematic and surprising! It was amazing to be here in person. Most people share photos of the castle from Marienbrücke, but not the other way around. After our fun in Fussen, we drove two hours to Dornbirn, Austria, for an authentic Austrian meal and a night in the city. Due to bad traffic and rain, our night was really just time at dinner, but Rotes Haus, which has a deep history going all the way back to 1639, was a delightful treat. And our meal did not disappoint! The rain cleared as our meal ended and we enjoyed the nearby sights briefly before heading to bed. The next day we found ourselves back in Munich for the formal kickoff to the Oktoberfest trip with TPR. The spread was bountiful! And the beer was flowing! Pork knuckle and roasted chicken were the main courses of the night and they did not disappoint! After dinner, several of us walked to the Oktoberfest grounds to scope out the festival... But when life puts Olympia Looping in front of you, it is simply the rule that you must ride at least once. As I mentioned earlier, Olympia Looping has been a bucket list coaster for some time. It is a white whale for many coaster fans, both because of its traveling nature and because of its famous size, number of inversions, its smoothness despite its age and its intensity. Schwarzkopf coasters continue to be removed from service year over year (several notable sibling coasters were taken out of operation in 2024) and it has always felt like the clock is ticking for Olympia Looping--at least for me to have a chance to ride it. But I can wholeheartedly say that the hype and the wait to experience this were both worth it. Olympia Looping is incredible. The layout, the speed, the smoothness, the intensity, and even the operations when kicked into high gear (five trains running at once!) were all mind-blowing. For a coaster that first operated in 1989, it is maintained and run like a modern coaster and even when compared to Alpina Bahn operating nearby at the festival, this was a significantly better experience and an absolute highlight of the trip. So great to be traveling once again with friends I've known for so long! I'd be back to try to conquer the Toboggan later... Robb was kind enough to record my first ever ride on Olympia Looping... And the results speak for themselves. Simply an incredible way to kick off the trip... And there was so much more ahead!

Happy New Year! Few closing day thoughts... The new train on Nitro (D train) runs noticably faster than the others. In the morning I rode A train and it was moving so slow that there was literally no airtime in the first half. The good thing was it was moving so slow that the mid course didn't engage at all, so it absolutely hauled through the bunny hills with excellent ejector all the way through. But then I rode D train and it literally felt like it was a hot summer day. Big airtime on every hill even in the middle of the train and you could really feel the bone crushing positives in the helix. And it just kept getting faster right up to closing even with temps in the 30s and a whipping wind. Easily the best rides I've ever had on it. Marathoned for the last hour and finished with 17 Nitro rides, a great edition of this New Year's Day tradition. Between the jaw dropping sunset rides and the pitch black night rides it just doesn't get any better. Got the last train of the year in the front row (I think this is the 3rd year in a row I've been on last train). Batman running slightly slow in the cold, but always fun riding many consecutive times without getting up. Row 7 had a bad wheel, but 6 and 8 were fine. Dark Knight is using the preshow again which I haven't seen used in years. Only problem is the preshow is so long that the folks that are let into the station are all cycled through and then they just run empties for a while even though there's a 10 minute wait outside. With Ka out of the picture, Devil might be the biggest piece of shit in the park maintenance wise. I did get two rides on it, but two other times I was on the train, it advanced to the end of the station, and then they never sent it and made everyone get off. It's really not the biggest problem ever when the ride is a walkon, but what pisses me off is they get $2 for a locker every time and then you don't get that money back when the breakdown occurs and you never end up riding it. It's a big reason why I rode Ka way less than I should have in it's lifetime and honestly there's a lot of times where I don't even bother with Devil and just ride Nitro more instead. Hopefully the free double sided lockers make their way over here. Park was very dead overall, flats were typically a walk on (and at times not being ridden at all with the ride ops just sitting around waiting, I got zen rides on Jolly Roger and Skyscreamer). But kudos to the park for having everything open on that side of the park (except Harley Quinn for obvious reasons). It was sad looking over at Ka knowing it seems to have officially been sentenced to death sometime in February, and that no one will ever see it from inside the park again. Sounds like opening day will likely be March 15th and employees seemed pretty confident that Flash will open with the park. If that is the case I hope to find myself down there opening weekend!

Legoland Deutschland Miniland:

I'm still waiting for an actual implosion date. I'm not kidding, I'll drive to my mom's place in central Jersey, buy a drone and a gopro, and get footage of this beast dying.

I wish I could say that's sad, but let's be honest, the restraint systems in those things were horrible. I would LOVE for someone to start making a gravity-driven looping ship again but it seems we're now stuck with the ones that are fully motor-controlled. If they made a new Looping Starship with restraints that didn't push directly into my sternum the entire ride, sign me up.

That's going to be the loudest hotel in Orlando. Nothing but hard surfaces that bounce sound all over the place. Those curves will make for some interesting auditory experiences throughout, though, so there's that.

Hopefully you'll get your answer quicker than the last poster.

Day 6: Drayton Manor it was pretty overcast, and a bit chilly, and there was a chance of drizzle in the forecast. But everyone was still excited to continue on the trip and to check out Drayton Manor - even tho we had been told that most of the big thrill rides had been taken out over the years and they had targeted more towards families, with a large Thomas Town section, and lots of family rides. so after eating breakfast and checking out of our 1 night hotel, we climbed onto the bus, and after a shortish drive, we pulled up to the signs for the next park on the itinerary. it really looks like it's in the middle of a nice neighborhood. . . LOL. .you just come upon the sign noting it's there. this is apparently the "new" entrance, which feeds you into the Viking section of the park - which is apparently also fairly new. not super packed prior to opening, but a few dozen folks out and about on this day (I believe it was a weekday, and with the forecast, it surprised me to see as many people there as there were - even tho it wasn't that many) I don't recall us having any kind of early admission or fast passes for this park (not that we'd have needed them), so most of the group followed Robb/Elissa's lead, and headed to the newest coaster in the park - a Vekoma family boomerang, called Accellerator - to get that out of the way as it was probably the lowest capacity coaster in the park. (of course, I had to stop and snap pictures along the way) the theming and LOOK of Accelerator are really well done, even if the ride is really not too exciting. the indoors queue is kinda cool too Noted! happy, and a little chilly, TPR folks mixed in with GP I see Jack and Jackie, and Andrew and April on this train. and further back, Nick, Doug, Hawk, David, John, Chris, and Ryan and here's Andrew, Stacy, me, Nick, Doug, Brad, Jere, and Eric (and his son) I think this pic is thanks to Elissa? Hi Dad, I'm in Jail! this wasn't quite ready to open, so we'd have to come back in a bit. . . it was a walk thru haunt experience, tho I can't recall if there was an actual "ride" or if it was just a guided tour kind of thing. next door, this indoor shooter was open tho. so we took a spin on this. That's Larry & his Niece there. this wasn't open today, tho I do love these kinds of rides. . . . so snapped a couple of pics we missed this one by only a few weeks - this is the park's new for 2024 coaster, that is called Gold Rush. it's an Intamin tire launch family coaster with multiple switch track. they had it mostly ready to go, and a lot of the theming was in place. but it hadn't started testing yet, and they hadn't yet announced the name yet when we were there. so the big walls were still up around it. heading back into the main park.. you can see how non-busy it really was today. tho to be fair, it seemed a lot of the folks who were here, were in Thomas Land . . which is where we were gonna head next. Troublesome Trucks is a Gerstlauer Junior coaster (with a creepy ass face on it) over in Thomas Land. I mean. . LOOK at that face on the front of the train. LOL. . .but it was a fun coaster and actually had some speed and pops of air. what I found most interesting is how the queue for the coaster runs right along side the back of the Thomas the Tank Engine Train ride. so you get a really great view of how the engine detaches from the front of the train when it returns to the station, spins around, then comes back around and attaches to the back of the train, making that the front. so they don't need a big "turn around" track for the whole train. and yes, the Thomas Engine has creepy ass eyes that move around as it chugs along. almost our turn on the coaster tho. I do think this one might have been the longest line of the day for us at this park. but I think most of the TPR folks did ride it. is this something to do with Harry Potter? Hand to G-d, I swear this man introduced himself to me as Mister Top or Bottom. I thought it was hysterical and posted about it. i was corrected by several friends online who told me that his name is Mr. Toppan Hat. but he used to be called something more offensive. and sure enough, when I went to upload this trip report? I actually DO have a picture of a statue of him that says Sir Toppan Hatt. I think "Mister Top or Bottom" is way more amusing of a name tho nothing else in Thomas Land was anything else I was interested in, so I wandered out to check out the remaining areas of the park. we had passed this cute Carousel so did I stop and ride it now? You Betcha! a Map of the park - the entrance we came in is at the top over the lake. you can tell it's not a HUGE park, and a big chunk of it is dedicated to the Zoo and Thomas Land (basically everything on the left). despite the low crowds, they did have a show running, with a few participating Mr Sequins there did try to get me to participate, so I shook my butt for a few moments to make him happy and then we went back to the Haunting. I say again, I REALLY don't remember much about this experience. . I *think* it was mostly acting and set pieces they walked us by. but the theming was well done in the queue area. it was getting ready to rain, and a light drizzle had started - so we headed over to the only other coaster that was open today (the "thrill" coaster, the Wave, hadn't opened yet today). Jormungandr is Zamperla powered coaster. and from it's queue line location, we were able to get some more looks at the new coaster that hadn't opened yet. So that was an extra benefit for riding on this - and we bumped into a bunch of TPR folks while in this queue, so it was a mini-TPR-takeover ohhhh. . a pony express ride next door? yes please! some different views of the new Gold Rush coaster Happy TPR riders! the pony express type ride next to it was called Sleipnir. . and Adults were allowed to ride (yay!) close enough to a Carousel horse that these always excite me and I try to ride them if they allow adults. in the Viking section, the park also has a Nebulaz. I didn't even attempt to ride, as I know the seats are very snug. . and this one seemed to be taking forever to load/unload. it's looks great in this section tho with that design Stacey wanted to ride the Disk-O (a ride type I generally don't care for) so I sat and waited for her - which was a good call, as the chilly rain started during her ride. can you spot her all bundled up and freezing her butt off ? at least she enjoyed herself. meanwhile, I found a nice throne to wait on. I love me a good throne. while waiting for the Disk-O to finish, an announcement came out via the group messenger that the Wave had opened. the Wave was at one point (up till 2023) called "Shockwave" and was the only Intamin Stand up coaster with a zero G roll. in 2024, they swapped out the stand up trains for sit down trains, and renamed the coaster "the Wave" it's still pretty intense, at least to me, and so was a 1 and done. but it's the big thrill ride in the the park. there's a nice flume/chute the chutes ride too, but it was already pretty moist so I didn't go on that. Those that rode it said it was fun tho. it offers a nice photo op. oh, and a backwards big drop. Besides the Thomas train ride, there's also another train here at the park, that brings you around the perimeter. Stacey and I took a ride on that. it really is a lovely park in places. it's odd to have so much unused space in the middle of the park tho. Wonder if they sometimes have paddle boats out here? the big loop on "the wave" there's also a pretty moist Rapids ride here at Drayton Manor and an Air Race. . . for those looking for the more "adult rides" it was getting close to time for the bus (we didn't spend more than 5 hours here, if I recall correctly), so it was time to get some shopping done, and I wanted to check out some of the zoo. but first? another photo op. No idea who this character is. . but he's a Daddy, so needed a pic with him. it's a fairly large zoo, but I didn't want to chance getting stuck way near the back and then having to run to the bus. So I just checked out a few animals towards the front of the Zoo. a few birds and some monkeys and whatever these are. . . otters? merkats? and with that it was time to meet back at the bus. . we still had a bit of a drive ahead of us. we were off to yet another bucketlist park for me. . . a multi day stay (on property!) at Alton Towers. to be continued. . .

Unironically, It's already the premier coaster in the park. The Boss is a goddamned monster of a ride and I love it to death. Top three woodie, no notes, perfect ride. Back seat only, harder daddy.

On Monday, the first pieces of track were installed! https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18XmE34y8R/

The next day we started out at Skyline Park, not far from Munich. The park has a solid variety of coasters and a decent collection of other offerings in a charming setting. As our first park of the trip, it was a nice warmup for the more involved days ahead. We had exclusive ride time on Sky Dragster before the park opened. With only a few two-seater bikes in circulation, this was a great benefit to prevent us from waiting in lines once the park welcomed other guests. Sky Dragster was the first Maurer Rides Spike Coaster, a powered, semi-manually controlled coaster system that has been built in a few parks on land and even on several cruise ships. It was my first time riding one, and while kind of neat, I found it to be a little less thrilling that I would have expected, and the top speeds you could reach still felt like you were crawling through the layout at times. Skyline Park has a decent number of tall attractions on its... Skyline. This might have been a mistake for me to ride... It might've been. Sky Wheel was another first for me from Maurer Rides. The experience is a combination of hang-time, terror, laughs and "kerchunks." Berg- und Tal Hetz was the park's newest coaster from SBF Visa Group... And if you know anything about SBF, you know these coasters can pack a punch. Sky Rafting (sense a theme in the naming convention?) is a sizable water rafting attraction that should look familiar to old Six Flags attractions... Apres Ski Party was a neat fairground funhouse parked permanently at Skyline Park. The moose out front should've told ya it was fun! And a good time was had. Flotter Otto exists. Huepfburg is a bouncy play area set in the shadow of Sky Wheel. Geisterbahn was the first ghost train I experienced on this trip. This ride's main character starts out with no hands... Strange things ensue. And by the end of the ride he has hands. Sky Twister is another classic flat ride. Sky Wheel is visible from most parts of the park. "It's Coca-Cola but frozen!" No coaster left unridden here. Allgäuflieger is the park's starflyer and it is the tallest attraction in its lineup. Flammkuchen and beer for lunch? Yes please! They had a self-operated carousel and it simply had to be experienced. Wildwasserbahn is a surprisingly large log flume. It was a little too cold for my riding during our visit but those in our group that did try it really enjoyed it. Science ride! The queue for Zero Gravity was almost as experiential as the ride! Zero Gravity is a modern take on a Rotor, but with a translucent structure and unique show lighting. It was quite a good time! Most of the park's self-operated attractions had been removed over the last few years but this swing ride still exists. And it is quite fun. Why pay for ropes courses at home when Sky Walk at Skyline Park is included in the park admission? After our time at Skyline Park, we stopped at the grocery store near our hotel. I was surprised to find some familiar brands like those I find at home... A taste of the Germany of EPCOT... But in Germany. Just a normal sight in Germany during Oktoberfest. Back to Oktoberfest we went! Predator was one of those super-daunting flat rides that I committed to riding before the end of our time at Oktoberfest... I'll never discount a traveling drop tower when it comes to bringing the thrills. You know the rule. A hidden gem of food that we found at the fair grounds was this awesome pasta stand that prepared your fresh pasta, tossed in sauce and scraping out the cheese from inside of a hollowed out cheese wheel... This would be the first of several truffle oil pastas for us! It was a quick visit, but a good one. More fun would follow on the next day... With it being the weekend, crowds were significantly more than what we experienced last night, so it was an eat-and-walk night (save for that one ride on Olympia Looping) before calling it an early night…

LMFAO wrong thread. May they rest in peace tho am i rite?....

Of the new for 2025 rides I plan on experiencing this year, I think this is the most intriguing. I love Premier layouts--their trains are ass. But this seems to have a redesigned train, so I'm hopeful it'll be open for me at the end of July.

The supports for AlpenFury have began to rise! It will be interesting walking through International Festival once the construction has been completed and the park is open in the Spring! https://www.facebook.com/share/p/15tg578kSe/

I'd like to see The Boss's Trains in the boneyard. That would make me happy.

Sounds like a good time to reconfigure a Mr. Freeze train to launch facing forward.

Some people were so optimistic about this merger.

Day 3 - Daytime at Peppa Pig Park & Legoland Deutschland ! today was a two-fer sorta. . . we hopped on the bus early and headed out to Legoland Deutschland. . .but a bonus park had recently opened in the parking lot there - Peppa Pig Park! it's literally across the parking lot. after taking a quick pic of the main gates of Legoland, we headed across the lot to go to Peppa Pig Park, as that opened 1/2 hour earlier than Legoland. Having never seen or heard of Peppa Pig. . this was a WHOLE new experience for me. But was told that it's "cute" and they have a coaster credit (not really my thing to count, but why not?). I was amused by the murals on the side of the park walking over. the entrance to Peppa Pig Park is on the left. . as you can see, the Legoland entrance is back there behind it up on the hill. TPR group shot. . . we were excited to be there. no, really I was informed this was "Pig Daddy" (or Daddy Pig), so of COURSE I wanted a pic with him. the park, tho fairly small, was beautifully landscaped and looked brand new (probably because it is, as it opened in late May 2024). most "grass" surfaces were Astroturf, and they actually did cram in quite a bit into the space they had. including this Zamperla family coaster, which I believe was called Pig Daddy's ride (Papa Wutz´ Achterbahn) LOL. . .I got very amused reactions when I posted on facebook that I had ridden Pig Daddy in Germany from the coaster queue, I took a look around and snapped some pics. a covered show area / playground area a short Balloon ride, a single rail "horse" ride, tho what one rode was dinosaurs, a "fair" area with some games a large waterplay interactive area (was not on, as it was cold, and the park wasn't really open just yet, it opened as we queued up for the coaster) there was another area on the left back there, called the mud pits (or something like that). . I got the idea it was an area with small trampolines in the ground). but here's the Pig Daddy coaster, with some happy TPR riders. it actually has two "launches" - you can see the 2nd set of wheel launch in this pic. and had a nice little pop of air. oh, by no means anything much more than a junior (possibly a kiddie), but a fun one. whee! ADORABLE front car. as noted, it was chilly, so I had on my gold jacket. . LOL. . makes me easier to spot in pics, I guess. after getting the coaster rides, and some quick looking around (I wanted to ride the dinosaur ride, but was afraid to ask, as I feared it was not for adults), the group headed over the Legoland gates for the official park open. and posing for Robb's TPR pic. Not quite ready to open just yet, so we chatted and visited. Johnathan and I did, while Hans just stood and made a "Hans face" before too long, there were costumed characters and cast members doing a dance / presentation to open up the park for the day and we were off - but not before stopping to grab some quick pics before we left the area (while the rest of the group was scanning tickets to enter) we were headed to the back far corner of the park - straight for the newest ride: a B&M family Wing coaster called : "Maximus: flight of the Guardian" that opened in 2023 of course, as we powerwalked back over that way, I snapped pics as we went we passed right by (for now): Das Große LEGO Rennen - the park's Mack Wilde Maus along with assorted other rides. this is now the 3rd Legoland I've been to and while it's not the largest park, all of them seem to be pretty spread out and have a lot of walking. so certainly got my steps in. we're headed way back here. . to the newest "land" called, I believe "Mythica" but to get thru it, we have to go thru the Land of the Pharaohs section of the park. the shooting dark ride the entrance to Mythica is this giant Lego sculpture - one of several in the area and here's the newest coaster - strangely considered a "family" B&M Flyer - but it has two inversions. the Lego sculpture that welcomes you into the ride queue is impressive as hell. and they load both sides from one line, by sending some folks over this bridge to get to the other side of the tracks. the train is sorta adorable, sorta funky. it's weird to me they went so "lack of detail" for Maximus' head on the train. here's a train full of TPR riders. some of them are smiling. it's a VERY strange coaster. on paper? it's not a family coaster - it's a B&M wing with inversions. but it's also completely force-less. It's kinda hard to explain. . but it LOOKS like it's gonna be somewhat intense, and instead it does. . nothing. you feel the inversion of course, but it's nothing intense or "fun". let's put it this way. . I never made it back to this part of the park again during our visit to ride it again. I'm glad I got to ride it, but it wasn't anything I'd personally seek out. Especially since there are much better rides (in my opinion) in Legoland here. but I DID ride it. . whee? think these pics are courtesy of Andy or possibly Jack Crouse we were then cut loose for 5-6 hours in the park, and I ended up falling in with the group of guys my age and we spent most of the visit together. first we headed back thru land of the Pharaohs. so of course stopped to ride the dark shooter. I had permission from the ride ops, to take pictures on the ride. so I did. I find these more fun looking at the targets react, than shooting anyways at the exit was this Lego Alligator. ooo. . a skytower. that's right up my alley, and most of the folks I was hanging with wanted to go to, so we headed there next for an overview of the park. that's "FireDragon" - the classic Castle/Dragon Coaster that the Legoland parks have straight ahead coming out of the castle. and on the lower right - hidden in the trees - is Dragon Hunt, a smaller mine train type coaster. better angle to get a view of both coasters mentioned above. here's Maximus - the B&M flyer we had just ridden - and I believe that's the Legoland Hotel back there (as there was a hotel guest entrance in the Mythica area) lower right is one of TPRs favorite rides - the Lego Fire Academy. (where you can work up a sweat while beating other teams) after getting the lay of the land, we headed to the Dragon Hunt mine train as was seen from the observation tower, it's really right next to the dragon/castle coaster we'd been cut loose in the park, but we still kept bumping into other TPR groups roaming here's Chuck, Johnathan, Barry and Ryan on the ride while we were in queue. and this is a pic of us, taken by (I think) Chuck, as they were a row ahead of us in the ramps. I returned the favor a few moments later when saw another group of TPR folks behind us in the queue and they even took pics of us on ride. Since Chuck has a camera in the above pic, gonna assume this pic is courtesy of him and then right over to Feuerdrache (Fire Dragon) I just love these Halloween decorations they have up! no phones allowed on this ride. . so only got a queue pic. . . and a pic of the adorable train (tho I think all Legolands use the same train design) leaving Fire Dragon, the mascot was milling around outside. should I get a pic? damn right! I don't know what these rides are called - they're kinda like a caterpillar crossed with a Bayurn Kurve, and just go faster and faster, forwards and back - but I LOVE em. this one was built to look like Legos (of course). and had a Bear in the center it was walk on if we split up the group across the open seats - so we did. howdy Nick! Jon paying attention, Andrew just . . . being Andrew and mulling clouds and me and the bear! it was a very gay and happy Bear. . of course I wanted to ride. and it was a great ride too! Waving to the folks that don't like spinning rides, and waited for us. ah yes, they have "plane on a stick" here too I didn't ride this one, just snapped pics (but I've ridden these before) and then we headed over to Ice Pilot training. shockingly, it was not at all busy, and they weren't even using one side of the ride set up! another thing that surprised me, was the only prior version of this that I've ridden? the rider programs it and then hands it to the operator. this version, you just told the operator what level you wanted (think it was light, heavy, extreme) and he just pushed the button to start your cycle. it was still fun, and I loved it, but it was a short cycle. and then after that extreme ride? was time to pee. I do adore the way the toilet signs are in Germany. we decided to stop for lunch and we ended up in a place that does Totchos (tho they don't call it that. . just options to put stuff on top of potato crisps). I "Texaned" mine up a bit and asked for some changes so my chicken one got jalepenos and spicy jelly on it. and I treated myself to this strawberry tart with a graham cracker crust. sit on a bench with a punk? sure! after the food settled a bit we went for the Wild Mouse. . that was actually a lot of fun. whee! we headed back to the NinjaGo section. . so I could suck (once again) at that shooting ride they have. But also back here was this more adult "spinner" ride, that had buttons to control the flipping forwards or backwards as the ride rotates. I passed on the Splash battle, as was still a bit too cool to be wet - tho it was warming up. lovely park, and so spread out it never really felt too busy. was gonna pass on the flume, but it was recommended and was told not too wet (true) - so we took a spin on it. I can't recall if this Legoland has a flying theatre - I really don't think they did, as can't find a mention of it anywhere online. . . .so after I took a quick detour thru the "Police Station". . which in theory was supposed to be hunting clues, and catching criminals (never did figure that out) - but was so crowded, I just enjoyed the hall of mirrors and funhouse type stuff in there. I believe that Andrew did that with me. we then met up with some folks again for the only remaining ride I was interested in getting on before the time I had set aside for Miniland and shopping. the Jungle Expedition Safari. I just love these things at Legolands Hans & Andrew Nick crammed in together (there was a line, so we shared instead of taking a car each) such attention to detail! and next to the Safari, was a single rail Joust ride. this one was clearly noted "no adults". . . .which made me sad, but I still got a pic of it! to be continued in next post with pics of miniland in Legoland Deutschland

Goliath was the default name for Six Flags. It was their "roller coaster 1."

I already said you were entitled to your position as well as voicing it. What I am questioning is why you are so hyper focused on it and continue to voice it over and over and over again. Again, what is the purpose? So..........it actually does sound like you are trying to make it a battle of whose been here longer, otherwise why mention it, although I will accept that wasn't your intent. My son worked at the park as well. So? That has nothing to do with a valid opinion. And guess what? Opposing opinions can both be valid, that's why they are opinions and not facts and criticism is fine. I have no issues with that! I do genuinely care for the park and I appreciate you noting that. I have no reason to think most people on here feel otherwise, we perhaps just disagree on what is best for the park or how important certain things are. However, Zach has routinely stated that he doesn't really care for the park, doesn't really want to go anymore, and that other parks are more enjoyable for him, fine; yet he posts about the carousel quite a lot on this and other threads. I was inquiring more about his motive for doing so versus the validity of his position. You say you know the truth. Ok, what is it and how do you know? I have stated that I 100% believe the park should be way more transparent on what exactly the holdup is, then we wouldn't all be speculating on the issue. We might not like the answer but at least we would know. I don't really feel that non information from the park is the same as lying though. Guys! In the end this is just NOT the end of the world in the scheme of things and while I love a good debate (social studies teacher here!) I just don't think complaining about a carousel restoration is worth the vast amount of time we've put into it at this point. Our park may not be the best but it is far from the worst. If you're on here and have money and time to devote on ANY level to theme parks then life is probably pretty good! Let's try to focus on the positive. Despite anyone's perception, historically speaking we live at the most peaceful, safest, and prosperous time in history. Truly. Eat, drink, and be merry everyone and enjoy your holiday season!

Hey US parks…. Vekoma has an elite launched flying coaster product that’s elite cough cough. I wonder if there’s a chain lift version available? I did like the BORG/Nighthawk model with corkscrews over the flat line twists, though. but the operations and trains are brutal.

Constructions wall at Phillharmagic seem to confirm that Hong Kong will be finally adding the Coco scene present in all the other parks.

That cheese and pasta is definitely something to fall in with. And that dug out wheel of cheese! Amazing. And I think I've been on a few of those Skyloops. Once in China, another in Finland.... lots of fun, for myself I remember. Your ongoing tour's looking great! Looking forward to more.

That pasta holy shit!! Lol. Nice report.

that pasta place was amaze-balls. . I think most everyone tried it once y'all posted that pic and how good it looked! as for Skyloop. nope. . total terror, never again. (you can even see the terror in my face in that pic, tho you certainly look like you're enjoying it!). great pics

Toronto had a really straight forward public transportation system between the street cars and subway. The city was very easy to navigate. We enjoyed our stay. Make sure you have international phone service. We found out we didn't when we crossed the border, so we had to buy a cheap burner at a Walmart.

Should be good to go on a summer weekday with a Fastlane though.

I heard an update on the marquee, All Bright Painting has passed it on to Burbank based sing shop California Marquee by adding wiring for their new sign. https://www.tiktok.com/@ourmountainthrill/video/7458375422858792234

I agree, it gets frustrating to visit both parks because of the operations and lack of rides. I was recently looking at BGW's ride collection and saw they had almost twice as many rides (not counting kids rides) as BGT. BGT could use some flats and a dark ride to help spread out crowds. Kumba and Congo River Rapids are still closed and not supposed to be reopening anytime soon (rumor is Kumba has a broken lift motor and the rapids needs a new pump) and now Sheikra and the log flume are having their annual maintenance with both supposedly closed until March. Even with those 2 rides open until today, these past few weeks had some of the highest wait times ever for some coasters with Cheetah Hunt and Iron Gwazi both having up to 4 hour posted waits.

Anyone in the vicinity of Munich should book the train to Innsbruck, Austria for an overnight. The trip is beautiful, and Innsbruck is an amazing town.

great pics. . . and so happy to see the castles I didn't have time to visit (so a trip back must happen). looking forwards to following along with you! (and will die of embarrassment when you catch up to mine and pass me. . I'm so damn slow). LOL

They went with the default "number of ride vehicles" in Roller Coaster Tycoon. It's leading some people to unload in the uncut grass.

I mean if I went to guest services maybe they would give me a refund in that situation, but obviously not worth going to bitch over 2 dollars. But this very situation happened way too many times at Kingda Ka and is just a general annoyance. And in this case there's a much better B&M hyper 200 feet away that doesn't require you to get lockers, so sometimes I just say forget it and don't even bother.

I never really got the hate for the coaster, I thought it was pretty decent apart from the super stellar non-inverting loop and high g-forces on the turnaround. Then one day I was assigned row 3, and I've not looked at the coaster since. Major ow, you really get a fishtail effect of being thrown around back there. It has a lot of visual appeal, but I'm looking forward to a replacement for it.

2024 sucked. Period.

I will miss the intense airtime you get on those steep ups and downs, but honestly it’s time to move on to something better. RRR ride vehicles are uncomfortable and have been problematic to younger and older riders, the ride is sensitive to wind (not good in Florida), the capacity is poor, it can be rough, and it has more downtime and other coasters. I sure hope the replacement comes in swiftly. Entertainment offerings at USF may be the best in years but the park is really relying on Diagon and classic faves like Mummy, MIB, and ET to carry the rest of the park’s fun. IOA needs attention too - since Velocicoaster the parks have been taking away more than they have added, not counting Epic.

Well, from everything I've read here, that'll be one credit-to-be I won't mind missing.

I believe it has been (unofficially?) confirmed to be an Intamin similar to Tokyo Drift at USF. Which sounds pretty great to me if true!

It's been a while since I've been on here. But as someone who thought corporate took a negative view to our park and wouldn't put the needed funds to improve it. I can tell you the park has 100% gotten better over the past couple years. New decking, fresh paint on storefronts and restaurant, path work, decent flowers (even if the skunks and deer rip them up immediately lol), a couple of new rides including a much needed family coaster. Sure, the park still lacks in some areas. I would like to see the Go-fresh store or whatever it was repurposed or reopened. If like the area where tidel wave used to be developed, and let's get something better than moose burger in. I'm biased and would love to see a new giga, hyper or even another water park expansion, but I don't think those things will happen yet. But overall the past two years alone corporate has dumped a ton of money into the park and I think it's heading in the right direction finally.

RIP in pieces Anaconda. Also, has anyone seen the test videos of Rapterra's launch? Thing bounces like crazy. What's up with the new B&Ms being so janky lately?

Definitely - lots of potential with that footprint.

I agree. Outwardly there doesn't appear to be any reason for it to exist anymore - I think there's far more potential in trying to come up with kid-focused family dining experience and reconfiguring the area in the process. Or even just adding more space for another ride or two for kids. I also firmly believe that Mooseburger should be replaced with something more like the modern eateries that Cedar Fair parks have received (eg: Miami River Brewhouse, The Farmhouse/Grand Pavillion, Lazy Bear Lodge, Firehouse, etc).

I hope there are plans in the near future to demolish that Go Fresh Restaurant, between the Theater and the Kiddo's Land. What an eyesore, worse than the Carousel. Just on my mind, needed to vent it out.

The list corporate released wasn't comprehensive - it mostly listed the parks with extremely large and glaring ride removals. There was no reason to believe other parks couldn't receive attractions in 2026. As for the entertainment budget increasing that isn't a shock - corporate is conducting a NATIONAL talent search for the entire chain.

IMO Zach can be upset about the carousel all he wants and has every right to voice it, but it does seem that every couple of weeks when someone decides to finally chime in this thread, Zach always somehow brings up the Carosuel. lol. Definitely see how Kim can get upset about it. I can see both sides. I’m sorry, but in all due respect, just bringing this up completely disproves your “intent” lol. I mean this in all good fun but saying that and immediately following it up is just funny, in other words it’s like saying “No offense, but you are really ugly.” lol. Anyways, some park news for the upcoming season. I would like to be the first to share opening day is April 5th, as of now Friday evenings in the spring are returning, which haven’t since 2021. Of course the schedule is being finalized so it could easily be taken off the table, which happened last year. The entertainment budget has increased this year, which has been pretty much nonexistent since Selim took it away after the 2021 season. The park is currently in the midst of hiring a new entertainment manager. Also it’s to my knowledge the park is likely receiving an attraction in 2026. Contrary to what corporate released.

Yeah. It could. But these new colors looked fantastic with not only Gold, but also some White, Pink, Light Blue, Light Green, Primal Yellow and Orange. That could fit with the current Six Flags logo. All Bright Painting had worked hard on the new colors.

La Vibora demolition progressing! B&M Dive Machine on the way!!

Yes, Voodoo Jumper is a crazy ride. Lots of effects (fog, flames, lights).

If it contains the letters P A N T H E and N and it's located in Virginia, then it's only right to make damn sure you know you're on a random coaster in a field. As long as it's the same great ride they can theme it to Hefty and have it race around a landfill for all I care.