Leaderboard

Imagine sitting next to someone on a roller coaster of all places and saying to them "I'm not interested and don't want to talk". Also, if an enthusiast plops down next to you or strikes up a conversation in line and begins blathering on like an enthusiast tends to do and you don't use that opportunity to troll the f*ck out of them is your goal to even have fun at a park? I mean, when opportunity strikes...

Happy 2020 y'all!!!! But in all seriousness, i had the pleasure of going to the great state of Texas this past weekend and i had some time to visit Six Flags Fiesta Texas. I haven't been to every Six Flags park, but this one is one of my favorites in terms on scenery, ride selection and theming. Six Flags and theming usually don't go in the same sentence but i love how this park does it's best at separating out rides and themes rather than just placing a new ride in a calling it good (there are some exceptions at this park and I'll get to that later). Well, as usual with my reports...let's get on with the show (and be sure to read the captions!)... Driving around in Texas and I see something peeking out over the quarry wall. What can it be? Oh, it must be a Six Flags park right here in the great state of Texas! After breezing through the temperature checkpoint, no touch bag check, metal detector, COVID swab, and butt probe, i make my way to the front gate with my reservation in hand. Even though Halloween just ended...there is already Christmas decoration up. Last time i was at this park was in 2007. Let's see if anything has changed since then, shall we? Well, Boomerang is still there and unfortunately it's still the first ride you see. Welcome to Six Flags...let's bash your brains in! Remember when i said that this park likes to have theming? Well, this coaster is an exception. It feels like it's just left over from an era that no one cares about but they don't want to remove it because surprisingly, people still ride this thing. Time for some good Dog chasing Bird type rides. The airtime on this ride is nuts! And it's a family coaster? Well done Six Flags! Something seems new since my last visit...you mean there isn't a terrible wooden coaster that wants to punch you in the kidney in this location anymore? Wait...there's theming? Wow! I can't wait to ride this thing! Snake Wranglers! Being from Arizona, we sure could use these guys around every corner. I can't tell you how many snakes I've seen (and even rattlesnakes) since living in Arizona. Iron Rattler sure has one hell of a first drop! I love how it utilizes the Quarry Wall all around the ride. This ride was non stop insane! Diviing, turning, looping, being thrown out of my seat...such a great ride and RMC really knows how to deliver! The one thing I loved about this park was that it seemed liked there were always a couple kiddie rides near the bigger, more thrilling rides. That way, if little ones don't want to ride the more thrilling ride, they can hop on some of these kiddie rides. I think that's a great idea, rather than having ALL kiddie rides in one location and not near the major thrill rides. This ride was supposedly new for this year...unfortunately it was closed for the season when i went. I'd like to see this car and the Snake Wrangler car race. My money is on this guy to win! Looking back at some of the Western area of the park's theming. If you ever make it to Six Flags Fiesta Texas...this picture is a must! Such a great area of the park! Oh and look....theming! ROCKS!!!! And not just any rock...it's a CLIFF ROCK!!! You're welcome for learning some history here on Theme Park Review. They had a mini Bellagio show going on. H....2.....Ho? ..... Oh, i see what they did there....now that is clever marketing. Nice touch! Another great area of the park to cool off during the hot days. When i went it was freezing and only 78 degrees. Coming from Arizona, 78 is cold when it's over 100 degrees 115 days out of the year. Well this looks like fun! Who thinks they can touch the Quarry Wall? This picture gives you a better perspective of how far it actually is from the wall. Still riding this thing, you feel like you're going to hit it. New for this year....The Joker eats you and he ends uppitiest with pink eye. This was noted as the tallest in the world. I went on Wonder Woman at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and CraZanity at Six Flags Magic Mountain when they were the tallest. Is this thing like 5 feet taller? Anyway, this thing was HUGE and you can see it ALL around the park. Once again, right across from Joker's pink eye was another family ride. If people didn't want to ride Joker (or get pink eye) they can tackle all the villains from the DC comics. And speaking of defeated DC villains...it's time to get punched by Superman! This was one of my favorites when i visited in 2007. Sadly, it's definitely got a rattle to it and I could only ride it about 10 times before i was done. NEVER SEEN BEFORE!!! THE BACKSIDE OF SUPERMAN!!!!! Through the trees!!! (Always have to have one of those in my reports...and this is going way back before some of you kids were born!) Super man is still a fun ride. I just hope that I had it on an off day and it's not always rattling and brain destroying. Hey look...a kiddie coaster for the win! Sad and Pathetic Coaster Count going up! Time for lunch. The servers were very nice and the restaurant was very clean and took many precautions in regards to the COVID thing that's going around. My $32 lunch...and that price is not an exaggeration. It was nice seeing some of the characters out and about. They kept their distance but it's still nice to see some entertainers still have a job during this time. Time to head down the street and check out more "City Block" theming. And what better Super Hero theme fits in with a City Block (other than any Marvel related one)...that is the one and only Batman! And i guess he's playing in a movie theater? Sure, why not? Oooo! Controlly thingys that make Super Hero know more than normal people! Hi Jarvis! Oh wait...wrong guy.... Batman has a pretty sweet ride. Although i would hate to have to change those tires. I mean, where would you even have the spare tire? I will be honest...I could not wait to get off this ride. Maybe it's me and my old age, or being in Arizona and not hitting up as many theme parks any more, but this thing nearly made me nauseous. I can deal with rides flipping and looping when i know it's coming, but this thing was out of control and I was ready for it to be done. With that being said, it was still fun, but I've been on it and I don't feel like I need to wait more than 5 minutes to ride another one of these. But the Batman Hustler Entrance??? What is Bruce Wayne doing for his real job now? One second after this phot was taken, someone lost their cell phone. Seriously people...this thing was spinning out of control! But it was a nice addition to the park. I think this is where there used to be an antique car ride there from when i went in 2007, but Batman was a nice upgrade! Looking back after getting off Batman....the Joker was having his last laugh at me. Time for the ride i was most excited about on this trip...Superman Cobra Roll. No seriously, Wonder Woman...my first single rail coaster by RMC. Hi Gal! Fun story...my first ride was unusual. I've never been on one of these and I didn't know that the train doesn't stop in the station. The ride operators were splitting up the cars with people in groups. I was by myself (yes, I was a loner in the Lone Star State) and they sat me in the very back row. Two other large humans sat in the first 2 rows. The train got to a section in the station where it was about to go up the lift hill but then they stop it...the 2 large humans were too large and couldn't fit in the restraints. Instead of putting other people on the ride, they let me go...by myself....in the back row....by myself. AND HOLY HELL this ride kicked my @$$ and whipped me around. After experiencing my first ride by myself, I had to go back on and see if it was just because it was just me in the back or if every ride was that insane..... EVERY RIDE WAS THAT INSANE!!! Seriously, RMC outdid themselves here. This thing is a winner and with so many clones of these rides going up, I'm definitely not sad about that. This ride was the winner of the day! Time to head on down an empty street in Texas the SCREAM! These rides are fun. And with this one launching up and then launching down...it's well worth the 2 minute wait I had. Another fun fact...next to SCREAM! was another couple kiddie rides for the younger folks. In case the little ones didn't like super tall drop rides, they had a couple options right next to SCREAM! Time to head to Ocean front property where there will be great views of the beach and waves.... ...Or just more rides on a fake Boardwalk. But what is that I see in the distance? It's not Scooby Doo?!?!?!?! It's the cheap version of Pirates of the Caribbean where you shoot them and get blasted by cannons and sneak up on Pirates having sex in a bed....you think I'm lying? First off, this high quality realistic Pirate tells you a tale of treachery, debauchery, and scandal (and no...not the election) There's a map to be followed! Follow the Map! Even though you aren't steering your vessel but who's really counting these days? Next is some sort of Haunted Mansion stretching room where the pictures change. And you're off...getting blasted by cannons.... ...and sneaking up on Pirates having sex (and you thought I was kidding!) It really was a fun ride and very different from the Scooby Doo ride that was there when iI was here in 2007. Continuing down the Boardwalk, it's time to meet Tony Hawk....or someone who isn't Tony Hawk but still a skateboarder. Pandemonium (previously Tony Hawk's Big Spin, previously Joker's Revenge, previously a Quarry Wall) These are fun little rides and great for the whole family. I still wonder if they will ever put something larger in the area behind this ride. Time to take a shot of Fireball Whiskey! Heading back from the Boardwalk, the Joker is still laughing at me almost getting nauseous on Batman. Let it go man! Another ride with great theming. You walk into a haunted house and then this creepy ghost (poltergeist) pushes you out the house and takes you through one hell of a mess of track...but then returns you safely because he's a nice ghost. Did I get the theme correct? It really is a mess of track. Next up, my favorite area of the park. Especially during this time of year when the trees are changing (we don't have seasons in Arizona...we have Hot and Cold...there's no Fall or Spring) In this wonderful German town is none other than the GRAND Carousel. It's not Big...it's GRAND! Also, why not get the kids into Beer Steins but cleverly say it's a Kinderstein. Start drinking at a young age. This is a fnun little water ride. And I got absolutely SOAKED on it! Little did I know, that this Dragon was going to be the culprit in my soaking. Yay...it's a fun little water ride. Not a big drop, not that much water...but.... Then this guy decides to spit his nasty spit water all over everyone and it was absolutely drenching! Thanks Dragon...I had wet clothes in my bags on the airplane! Nice little drop near the end. This would seem like the area where you would get wet...but nope! It was the damn Dragon from before! Time to leave this beautifully themed area and head to the best themed area and ride in the entire park..... ...Goliath...oh wait, what? Where the hell is this ride, what is this ride, how does it fit in anywhere? Oh, you mean it's a ride that didn't get destroyed by Hurricane Katrina and it's free so they just decided to put it at the front of the park and copy a sign used at Six Flags Magic Mountain because it looks cool. Ok, that makes title sense! The ride is found in the corner of the front of the park past the lockers...so in other words...h=it's the Goliath of Lockers and Stroller rentals! Although not a parking lot coaster...it's still great to watch from the parking lot. Remember people...when you visit Six Flags DoTheSix!!!!!!! Thanks for reading!

Looks just as good as the other big RMC's! I see some Hakugei bits, some Twisted Timbers bits, and the death roll + the turn/flip into the diving stall should be pretty awesome. I'm hoping everything goes right to open this coaster on time whenever they announce an official date. Can't wait to visit for the first time!

I don't mind if they go with one train most days, but it was frustrating on busy Saturdays when the ride's queue stretched back to the midway and was an hour. I almost saw the ride run two trains a few years ago, but when they announced they were closing the ride temporarily to add the second train, enough of the line left (maybe 1/3 of it) that they decided to not actually transfer the second train on.

I believe the Title Fairy is now enjoying some much needed permanent retirement... and with that, has bestowed the power for custom titles to all users under the "Edit Profile" screen. If you click on your name in the upper right corner of any page, then select "Profile", and then select "Edit Profile" in the little header section, you will be able to change the title to whatever you want. Enjoy your long, long vacation, Title Fairy!

Liseberg just released more info including pictures, on their new waterpark. Let me introduce you to OCEANA And finally, here's an overview of the whole new "Jubileum area" when finished. https://www.mynewsdesk.com/se/liseberg/pressreleases/construction-starts-on-lisebergs-indoor-water-park-oceana-3050645 After years of planning, the construction can now start on Liseberg’s year-round, indoor water park. The water park – that will be named Oceana – is the second part of Liseberg’s expansion project, marking the parks centennial in 2023. With unique themes and 14 water attractions, the experience will be unlike anything else on the north European market. Last year construction started on the first part of Liseberg’s expansion project, the park-integrated Liseberg Grand Curiosa Hotel. Now construction of the second part will begin – the indoor water park Oceana. The building of the hotel and water park is an important step on Liseberg’s journey towards becoming a year-round destination. The water park will, like the hotel, have a unique theme, inspired by Gothenburg's history and the Swedish East India Company, combined with Liseberg's own unique DNA. With a gross area of 13 600 m² indoors, and 4 000 m² outdoors, guests will be able to enjoy everything from toddler pools to thrilling water rides. The park has been designed by one of Sweden’s leading architects, Wingårdhs, and the water attractions will be designed and manufactured by WhiteWater. "In addition to a highly themed environment, the park offers a lot of new features – and not just for the Swedish market. These includes the first six-person raft rides in Europe, and the highest mega-drop Master Blaster in the World." – says Thomas Sjöstrand, CPO of Liseberg's Expansion Project. The construction of Oceana will take approximately three years and represents an investment of 110 million Euros. With a capacity up to 1750 guests simultaneously, Oceana will be one of the largest water parks in northern Europe.

Gotcha, thanks for sharing. I was also speaking just more generally about all Floorless coasters. Scream at SFMM runs terribly about 80% of the time, but sometimes you get a smooth and enjoyable ride. I also got mixed rides on Dominator during my visits in 2017 and 2019. But Medusa at SFDK has been super smooth every time I ride it, and my few rides on Superman were also glass smooth. Floorless coasters just seem to be a mixed bag in my experience.

I wish the park could revert back to 2016 since that was basically the last year everything was right. Since then we have had: The botched Wildcat remodel, the Sky Ride removal, Boulder crash, removal of drink stations, Lights Out/Wipeout closing, and lots of rides being closed/maintenance issues. Its clear that there are maintenance issues that shouldn't be happening. Last year a section of the floor on one of the cars on BD just detached from the train. It was towards the end of the night and they closed it after a bunch of people noticed. Saw Mill Plunge had a log that stopped at the bottom of the drop on numerous occasions. Revolution had parts fall out from under it while running this year and was closed for a few weeks. Boulder has run two trains one time in the last three years. Wildcat has yet to run two trains (the new trains). The list goes on and on. I am sure there will be issues with Thunder Rapids if they try to re-open it since it hasn't run in a year and a half. Honestly it is embarrassing at this point. Wipeout is no loss at all IMO, but sometimes I enjoyed riding just for the laughs. The program was way too intense and insane. It spins way too fast at the end and is super painful. I am sure they will replace it at some point, but I don't think it will be until 2022 at best. There is a hiking trail that leads to the top Sky Ride terminal and I checked it out last week. Here are a few pictures. It is honestly really sad that they do not have this signature attraction anymore. https://imgur.com/a/7hwIEin

Florida & Texas October 2020 This trip was the result of the most convoluted planning process I have ever gone through. Before the pandemic, it was supposed to be a full week hitting all the usual sites in Orlando and Tampa. Once it became clear that rides like Iron Gwazi and Ice Breaker would be delayed to 2021 and Universal confirmed there would not be a traditional, full-fledged Halloween Horror Nights, it made sense to push the whole thing back a year. It just wasn’t worth the trip without the seasonal events I’m used to, several new rides closed, and the parks operating at reduced hours. But where to go instead? Since I live in the People’s Republic of California, doing anything local in SoCal or visiting parks up north in the Bay Area isn’t an option right now. We enthusiasts must go where parks are actually open and Tennessee and Texas fit the bill nicely. I’ve been to Dollywood before, just never when Lightning Rod was actually running, and there were a few desirable new credits for me to get in Texas like Boardwalk Bullet and Wonder Woman, so that became the new trip. My dad and I would spend three days in the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area including two days at Dollywood and another to ride all the mountain coasters and see other sights. We would then proceed to Houston and catch Boardwalk Bullet after our flight, carry on to San Antonio for Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Sea World, then wrap things up in Arlington at Six Flags Over Texas. It was, like, really happening. I had our flights and hotels booked and my dorky planning spreadsheet plotted out and everything. Then the most predictable thing ever happened. After operating (mostly) reliably for the abbreviated summer season, Lightning Rod closed and Dollywood announced it would remain down for the rest of the year pending some upgrade from RMC. Well I was not about to go back to Dollywood without riding LR again, so I had to resort to Plan C, which was really just the first half of Plan A plus the second half of Plan B. One good thing to come out of the Covid pandemic is that many airlines have (supposedly) permanently eliminated change fees. But that’s kind of like saying one good thing to come out of World War II is that Germany got the autobahn, only not as bad. So with the ability to change flights as I pleased, I moved the first leg of the trip back to Orlando while the second leg remained in Texas. Then I hit another snag. My intention was to visit Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Universal Studios, three parks that would not be getting new rides in 20201 (Yes, I’m aware of the typo. After proofreading I decided to leave it because I believe it more accurately reflects the capital investment timeline for parks going forward). Then I could go back and hit the rest of the parks next year. But that pesky park reservation system got in the way. Shortly after changing my flights and hotels, Disney’s Hollywood Studios became unavailable for the three days I would be in Orlando. This irritated me. I still haven’t been to Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge and probably won’t be able to at home any time soon. I could still go to US and AK, but I’d need to swap something else in for DHS and Sea World Orlando came up the winner. Obviously Ice Breaker wasn’t going to be open, but I thought it could be fun to compare the Florida and Texas SW parks a couple of days apart. So that became my trip. Animal Kingdom, Universal Studios Orlando, Sea World Orlando, Sea World San Antonio, Kemah Boardwalk, Six Flags Fiesta Texas, and Six Flags Over Texas. Weird but fulfilling. Now there are even rumblings that the new WDW coasters—Tron and Guardians—may not open until 2022. Maybe that means I’ll be doing an Islands of Adventure and Busch Gardens Tampa-only trip next year with a side of Volcano Bay. I don’t even know what’s going on anymore. The best thing about working for a hospitality company is getting to stay at hotels and resorts I otherwise could not afford as often or even at all. Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress is big, a bit bland, but still very nice. The Regency brand is one that often has to be all things to all people and this one is certainly that. A hallmark shared by many but not all Regencies is a soaring atrium lobby. I’ve always preferred this type of lobby, Hyatt or otherwise. The Grand Cypress pool complex is expansive, but not remarkable. This is an older resort and the pool areas at some of the newer Hiltons in the area as well as the Hyatt Regency Orlando (closer to Universal) sister property surpass it. If you get a west-facing room you will likely have a view of Disney Springs, and further in the distance, the Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios area. Visible from left to right are Tower of Terror, the WDW Swan and Dolphin hotels plus the under construction Swan Reserve, and the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind show building with Spaceship Earth peeking out above it. Day 1—Disney’s Animal Kingdom + Fun Spot Kissimmee My last visit to this park back in 2016 didn’t go well on account of rain. My friend and I tried to split the day between Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, but it almost immediately started pouring as soon as we got to AK. It began on the lift hill of Expedition Everest and we got absolutely soaked through to our bone marrow while the train sat on the switch track. We got off, saw they were still sending trains out, and since we couldn’t get any wetter than we already were, got right back in line and rode again. Then the lightning started and we promptly left and went to our hotel a few hours early. Prior to that I hadn’t spent a proper day in AK since my WDW College Program days back in 2009, so it was a park I eagerly awaited returning to. The biggest reason was obviously Pandora. I’m still a big fan of the James Cameron movie even though Avatar has kind of lost its place in pop culture due to the obnoxiously long time between the original and its still forthcoming sequels. That said, I’ve avoided looking at too much content on AK’s Pandora so I could go into it as fresh as possible. Do I think Disney nailed it with this themed land? I think so for the most part. The level of detail is at or near Tokyo Disney Sea levels and I suspect it would have felt even more impressive had the Covid-shortened park hours gone late enough for me to see the bioluminescence in full effect at night. Even in daytime only I felt like I was in some kind of botanical garden or preserve on Earth that had been terraformed to mimic the real Pandora. The one thing that could feel missing is the inclusion of some of Pandora’s wildlife. The Avatar IP is already a slightly awkward fit for Animal Kingdom and seeing animatronic or stationary examples of the creatures that inhabit this world could have improved that fit and fleshed out the environment more. The reason for this is probably budgetary since Disney already spent colossal amounts of money on this and adding a bunch of animatronics or whatever could have made the cost obscene. Overall though, I really liked Pandora and Flight of Passage in particular. It actually took me a moment to immerse myself into the visuals of the ride and begin to fully appreciate it. But once that point came, I was sold. We rode it twice and both times my dad’s reaction was, “I don’t want to leave.” I agreed. I still have a general preference for Disney rides with physical environments over those with screens, but Flight of Passage is clearly one of the very best attractions in all of WDW. Navi River Journey is fine for what it is, essentially a supporting attraction meant to give guests something else to do in the area and provide an alternative for those who may not be able to handle Flight of Passage’s 3D visuals. I enjoyed it, though again, a few more animatronic Navi or animals would benefit it greatly. I can only dream of a mega-budget, Pirates of the Caribbean-length version of it. Outside of Pandora this is about as crowded as the park looked all day. It felt more mellow and relaxing than lively, which isn’t necessarily a good or bad thing, just an observation. I never realized just how much of a Disney park’s “energy” comes from the hustle and bustle of the crowds. Flight of Passage’s queue right after opening. It would only grow longer throughout the afternoon until subsiding in the evening. The end of the socially-distanced Flight of Passage queue stretched back to Harambe Reserve. I’m personally not bothered by queueing in close proximity to others right now, but for those who are, the good news is that Orlando guests followed the guidelines much better than those in Pennsylvania and Maryland when I last visited parks in July. Yep, it’s pretty much what I hoped it would be. As always, the Imagineers did wonders with forced perspective. It can be hard to tell where the organic flora ends and themed flora begins! Flora is what you call plants when you want to impress absolutely no one with your vocabulary. No animatronic banshees in Pandora, so this wooden one will have to do. The interior queue features cave paintings of banshees and the “uber-banshee” Leonopteryx. More theming like this banshee skull is about all you could ask to be added to Pandora. Remember 2009? Avatar came out, Diamondback was brand new, everyone had just learned who Sam Worthington was and were still a year away from forgetting. I feel like mech-suits would feature a lot more prominently in the area if Avatar was a Universal property. One lesson I can take away from seeing Animal Kingdom again after such a long time is how it taught me to better appreciate Tokyo DisneySea. When people near-unanimously rave about something as the greatest of its type in the world, it’s always going to be tough for it to meet or exceed expectations after that kind of primer. I’d say TDS fulfilled about 85-90% of my expectations when I went there a year ago. Granted a big part of that was Journey to the Center of the Earth being closed, but when your subconscious is yearning for some kind of quasi-religious pilgrimage only for your conscious mind to realize “it’s still just a theme park,” there is inevitably going to be some kind of come down. Now with a year to reflect on it and another Disney park to compare it with, I think I understand TDS’s brilliance better. Animal Kingdom just feels barren by comparison. Pandora is great and so are Harambe Reserve and Anandapur for the area they cover, but huge swaths of the park feel like an emptier Busch Gardens. There just isn’t a lot going on visually at Animal Kingdom. Maybe that’s a tradeoff the designers made when deciding to incorporate the animal exhibits into secluded trails instead of making them visible from the midways. It may also be a symptom of an emptier park in the Covid era. I was just left with the distinct impression that AK has a lack of kinetic energy compared to the other parks at WDW, DLR, and especially TDS. One fix for this is a redevelopment of the partially shuttered DinoLand USA area into something more befitting the Walt Disney World name and reputation. Given the current economic forecast, I suspect it will be the better part of a decade before something is even announced for this, much less built, so AK may have to soldier on as-is for a while, which is okay—they still have two of the best Disney rides in the world in Flight of Passage and Everest plus plenty of shows and other things to do that weren’t available on my visit. What might they eventually do with this plot? Something else with dinosaurs? Zootopia? South or Central America? I have no idea. Now that Hollywood Studios has received all of its announced additions and once we see what form Epcot’s renovations eventually take, in my opinion Animal Kingdom will again be left as the WDW park that needs the most attention. While it can feel a bit sparsely themed compared to other Disney parks, the attention to detail at Animal Kingdom is still amazing. Expedition Everest I suppose this is the only formal ride review I’ll do for this park. This is a great coaster that I like more and more every time I ride it. I haven’t been to Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong, or Shanghai yet, but out of the parks in Orlando, Anaheim, and Tokyo I’ve visited, I think this is Disney’s best coaster. It has all the scale and visual impact of Incredicoaster but with far superior theming and a more intense ride experience. Likewise it perfectly scales up and modernizes the themed experience of Big Thunder Mountain or Matterhorn with greater thrills. I think the pre-lift section is kind of a waste. That track would have been better utilized elsewhere in the layout. But other than that, every element delivers big time in ways you just don’t expect on a Disney coaster. During the backwards section I can feel my stomach turning over and rising into my chest every time as I momentarily lose all sense of direction in the dark. That sensation is perfectly complemented by the small taste of airtime on the drop out of the mountain that always feels much longer than it is and the not-insignificant forces the train pulls going through the helix. Flight of Passage is great, but for me this is still the top ride in the park. 8.5/10 One of the few problems with Expedition Everest is that there are only a few vantage points you can actually photograph it from. I always imagine what it would look like if the mountain was designed for 360-degree visibility like Matterhorn and the park expanded around it. It always looks odd to me with trains running, like two very different scales are clashing. Not an ejector airtime moment, but the big drop is always thrilling and serves as a perfect climax. Good to see the costumed characters out... ...even if it felt like there was no one around to pay attention to them. I’m not that big on rapids. I prefer log flumes because they usually interact with theming better and are less likely to soak you. Kali Rapids is a good one though, if maybe a little short. Meet bioreconstruct. He posts high quality aerial photos of Orlando attractions to his twitter account that he takes from his perch on these twin columns high above Animal Kingdom. Remember how I said back in 2016 I only rode Everest twice then had to leave due to rain? Well that was wrong because I now recall getting the second of two Primeval Whirl credits that day also. I’m glad I got it and that no one else ever has to worry about getting them again. Hopefully they remove it soon and don’t just let it rot SBNO for years. We came back to Pandora before closing for another go on Flight of Passage. The wait was much shorter this time. Barely 30 minutes. The floating mountains are breathtaking no matter how you look at it. However, to my amateur structural engineer’s eye it may not be as complex a structure as it appears. In its basest form it looks like an arch structure with lots of protrusions. Primeval Whirl was once an integral part of Michael Eisner’s grand design for-----No I’m kidding, this is Galaxy Spin at Fun Spot! But it hardly matters, does it? Is it just me or is this Fun Spot a lot more ghetto than the other one near International Drive? We only went to get a few laps on Mine Blower, grab the other two credits, then bail, and once we actually got there we had no desire to stay for anything else. It felt distinctly more Fun Spot Barstow than Kissimmee. Again, I’m not as worried about Covid protocols (or the lack of people following them) as others might be, but something feels wrong about a place that sanitizes trains after every cycle but doesn’t enforce mask wearing. If you aren’t going to take measures seriously across the board, why even bother keeping up appearances at all? I also could have done without the Hurricane ride-op going into a monologue about how difficult it is for him to concentrate on his job while on his new ADHD medication, but the guy was rotating among three different rides he operated by himself, so I guess he has to vent about things to somebody. Maybe I wouldn’t judge the place so harshly if it weren’t surrounded by Disney, Universal, and Sea World. After a good day at Animal Kingdom, the contrast was just so stark. Hurricane What a weird coaster. It’s not very big and without looking closely, it appears kind of tame. But the devil is in the details here. The track profile is abrupt with lots of sharp crests and pullouts and the banking doesn’t look quite right (where it exists). It gives the impression of a coaster designed on a tight budget with an aptitude for calculations somewhere north of Ron Toomer but still well south of Werner Stengel and that’s exactly how it rides. It’s kind of a violent, uncomfortable ride that is still just thrilling and surprising enough for me to still enjoy it while also having no desire to ever ride it again. This is the kind of ride that could scare off people new to coasters from riding more because they’d quite naturally assume larger ones would only amplify the experience Hurricane delivers. 5/10 Is adding a coaster like Hurricane after you’ve already built one like Mine Blower the park owner’s version of credit whoring? Fun Spot visitors should count themselves lucky! I mean it is kind of an I-box coaster, right? Hurricane wants you to hate how much you love it. Mine Blower I really like Gravity Group so I was excited to ride two more of them on this trip and I had no idea which I would prefer between Mine Blower and Boardwalk Bullet. My only previous experience with Timberliners was Switchback at ZDT’s in 2015. My group of three were the only riders on the train that day, so it seemed understandable that it would be running light and rattle a bit more than a fully loaded train. Switchback was almost brand new and still plenty comfortable even though we all sensed the train nervously jittering around on the track. If Switchback in 2015 was bouncing around at a level 3, then Mine Blower in 2020 is at a level 9. That said, I have a hard time describing it as rough. “Rough” on a wooden coaster means a specific thing to me. It implies a certain level of wear/abuse to the track often amplified by trains that cannot handle the track profile well. Mine Blower is not that. The trackwork looks and feels perfectly fine. There are no jarring moments from poorly profiled transitions or jack hammering from layers of wood screaming to be replaced. It all seemed to stem from the trains. It feels like the Timberliners’ articulated wheel assemblies are simply too busy hunting around on the rails for their own good. Coupled with their extremely lightweight construction, the Timberliners seem to lack the mass and rigidity needed to smoothly track on a coaster as aggressive as Mine Blower. Maybe someone on here who has ridden more GG coasters equipped with them can shed light on this. Despite all this, I just can’t make myself hate it. I have a high tolerance for roughness so I was able to put up with Mine Blower’s bullshit for four laps which was enough to appreciate what the coaster does well. This is a very intense ride. Real negative g’s over the crest of every hill with tight pullouts packing on the positives. The directional changes are quick, several of them alarmingly so. The first drop is one of the best I’ve experienced on a wooden coaster and the zero-g-roll is smooth with substantially longer weightlessness than I anticipated. Layout-wise, Mine Blower has everything I like. The trains just seem over-designed and do too much to their own detriment. This one is really hard to score, but despite how intense and fun it is, the highest I can go is 8/10. A picturesque park, Fun Spot is not, but Mine Blower has its angles. The ejector first drop into the zero-g-roll is as good a wooden coaster opening salvo as I’ve seen. Mineblower’s compact footprint forced Gravity Group to do some crazy things. That hotel’s front desk must get noise complaints from everyone staying on that side of the building. Don’t work in hotels, people. I’d love to see how a set of GCI’s new Infinity Flyer trains run on this. Galaxy Spin You know, even though it’s only been three or fours weeks, I barely even remember riding this coaster. It must have made exactly the same impression on me that most fairground style spinning coasters do—none whatsoever.

I know the video was overlaid with typical cheesy coaster music, but the lift doesn't seem to be obnoxiously loud like other hybrid conversions. Steel Vengeance is full of a ton of rapid transitions and short bursts of ejector airtime. The whole ride feels like the back half of Storm Chaser to me, to an extent. Iron Gwazi looks like it doesn't have as many of those intense elements. I see a lot of somewhat typical overbanked turns. The shorter ride also makes it less of an endurance challenge. I have a feeling I'll like Iron Gwazi a lot more than Steel Vengeance.

Thanks for a great tour of the park! I haven't been since the TPR trip in 2009 so I'm so excited to get back there and see all of the new hotness.

We have been trying to plan a trip to San Antonio. We really want to visit this park and SWSA. Great Report. Golden Lasso coaster sure does fun!

they have 3 trains on Superman - and often run all 3. At *least* one of them has a rattle. that said, we rode twice a few weeks ago, and had good rides both times. so might be luck of the draw with the train.

really great report, and some nice pics. you picked a GREAT day to be there! the weekends before were absolutely packed, but looks like you had a quiet-ish day. a few comments: - Goliath isn't a Parking Lot coaster, but it *IS* a Parking Lot Picnic Area Coaster - as that's what they removed to drop this ride in. Fun fact, it's the same model (Batman clone) that's just up the road at SWSA (Great White there), tho the one at SFFT is a bit more "snappy". . in fact, the only one I've ever been on that's more snappy is the one at SFOG. Hope you caught this later in the day once it was warmed up, it hauls. -- Daredevil Dive wasn't just closed for the season, they never officially opened it (not sure if you were kidding or not). It's been sitting completed and ready to go for several months now. . just ready for them to start letting folks ride. Too bad you didn't get to see it at night, as the lighting package on/around it is really fantastic - including lots of fire! - was the Joker Funhouse open? or were they going around it due to Covid? that funhouse is the highlight of the ride for me (tho the floater air is amazing). Yes, it's like 5 feet taller (maybe actually 15 feet taller) so they could claim "tallest". -- glad you got to ride Pirates. It was shut down for months due to "no indoor rides" because of Covid. It actually had reopened when I was there on 10/17, but it broke down while I was in line. . so I haven't ridden it since Feb. Was planning to go meet up with a TPR Boardmember this coming weekend, but with cases spiking, my Spouse does not want me to go to a theme park. - yeah, that F'ing Dragon on Bugs will SOAK you (for those unaware, not only does it spit, but it also tracks along with the log as it goes around that curve, making SURE to get everyone in the log wet. It's not always on, but when it is? yep, it's a wet ride. (same is true of GullyWasher. . look at those exiting to see if they have the Waterfalls on. If they are mostly drenched? then yep! and phone needs to go in a ziplock baggie).

Great report! Fiesta Texas is one of my favorite Six Flags parks too. I think I would only put it behind SFMM and SFGAdv, if I had to rank them. It has a very different feel than other Six Flags parks and the ride lineup is solid. I went last December and would love to go back soon. Also, it is interesting you found a rattle on Superman. Floorless coasters are so temperamental. Sometimes they are smooth as glass and other times they run on square wheels.

My post wasn't supposed to be 100% serious and I also didn't say any conversation. I was pretty specific. Like real life it comes down to the situation and when, where, who etc.. If Boldikus was put next to me on TTD and strikes up a conversation in the station and I tell him I'm also into coasters and he brings up Kingda Ka then yeah after the ride maybe I'd talk some nerdy shit about El Toro and T Express over a beer. If however he just starts blathering facts at me or screaming to me even on the launch and 420ft drop about how good it is to have clam-shell restraints vs over the head restraints and less rattling then I'm getting out of there as soon as I can.

Because Lake Compounce already got rid of everything else...

^ Don't forget the endless discussions on if it counts as a new "credit"

Yeah, the difference to the rider between I-Box track and the current track is really minimal. The only major difference would be that the ride would actually be open when you wanted to ride it and when you were in line for it you could hear a bunch of obnoxious enthusiasts bragging to everyone who was willing to listen that they rode it with the old track and it was way better.

TBH I completely forgot those rides existed in the first place.

^ Magic Kingdom has been running indoor shows for months (only because they haven’t found a way to layoff or furlough animatronics yet) with masks and social distancing and there have been no cases traced back to their parks or any theme parks since reopening... Personally I think It’s great to see shows returning. Some of them already have capacity issues though so hopefully they have some unique solutions so people don’t have to show up hours early on weekends...

Was down in MD visiting friends this weekend and after making a quick stop at American Dream on Friday on the ride down (threw a couple pictures on FB), I started the ride back with a stop at American Nightmare...err...SFA! After a gorgeous day yesterday, today was dreadful with temps in the 40s and showers. I expected to see SFA post that they would be closed for the day but around 6 I decided to head over, parked nice and close, and headed in with a heavy mist falling. This park gets sh*t on a lot, and for good reason, but on a gloomy night with a small crowd and walk on rides everywhere, it was a good time. Grabbed dinner on the meal pass on the way in and then made my way back to Mind Eraser...LOL just kidding, screw that. Started with a nice front row ride on Roar. This is like the Hershey Wildcat to me...everyone on here bitches about how rough it is but it's a fun and decently forceful woodie and not that rough at all. Sure, an RMC makeover would be awesome for the park, but Roar is a nice ride as it is. Firebird is one of the two new to me coasters in the park and was my next stop, but was down temporarily so I made my way to the drop tower. Not a very tall one, but a nice forceful drop. Can't just walk by a walk on drop tower and not hop on. Next up was the biggest gem at SFA, Wild One. How Six Flags manages to keep a 103 year old wooden coaster so smooth is one of the world's great mysteries. Lots of good airtime all over the layout and great laterals in the helix of death, all while maintaining a mainly perfectly smooth ride. The other new to me credit, Rajun Cajun, was closed so kept heading back to Jokers Jynx. Another great ride, very whippy but smooth in the transitions. Headed back further (lol this park has the worst layout in the world) to Superman which was an absolute blast. For some reason they were loading every row which felt weird after not seeing that at all this year. Rode in back and it was absolutely flying through the darkness behind the park. Not the most inspiring layout ever made but still good Intamin fun and cool to see the old trains (coming from an SFNE homer). The world's most ridiculously placed coaster was next, Batwing! The good thing is the dark foggy night masked the fact that the ride is plopped way out in a field. I want to love the ride, it has a much better layout than the Supermans and is very intense. But good lord those trains suck. They shuffle like typical Vekoma trains and the vests don't really hold you in so the buckle point pretty much does the Heimlich on you through the flying sections. A Batwing layout with B&M trains would be an awesome ride. Started making my way back to the front, intending on getting my Firebird credit and heading out. Couldn't resist a 2nd ride on Wild One, but then made my way over. After making my way through the queue that is about 4000 feet too long, I walked right up to the front. Backstory: I don't like Rougarou. I'm one of the rare people that actually preferred Mantis. But most people seem to approve of that makeover. On the other hand, I've seen people who like Rougarou not like this one at all. Anyway, yeah...this thing is a pile of sh*t. Just bashes your head around from beginning to end. I came off with the worst headache a roller coaster I've ever gotten from a coaster. Hopefully the asteroid coming for the earth around Election Day lands directly on this thing. If I didn't have a horrible headache I would've ridden Mind Eraser to remind myself what a coaster that only bashes your head into nice soft padded restraints feels like. But with a long ride home I decided I was hurting enough and called it a night. A sour ending, but overall I actually had a really great time at SFA. I know people drive right past this place all the time to head for much better places, but honestly it's a great place to break up a ride to BGW for a couple hours and really has a few decent coasters in its lineup.

Their season pass renewal system is running on the same server as Lightning Rod.