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Just wanted to pop in this thread and show some Hulk appreciation. Rode it 7 times yesterday (thanks to the single rider line) and I think it is now my all-time favorite B&M looper. The launch into the zero-g is my favorite inversion on any B&M, and it runs so smooth, it's intense, and the layout is very unique. Everyone raves about Kumba but I think Hulk is quite a bit better, and all of my rides yesterday were freakin' awesome. Hulk and Velocicoaster is one of the best one-two punches in the country, IMO.

I'd be ok with them adding a third lift and another mile of track.

Video of Bert on the Carousel. 20210710_111243.mp4

They're counting down the years until they get a new coaster.

Anybody expecting Cedar Fair to ever care about anything other than extracting the ultimate amount of money for themselves, or care about things like guest experience, or satisfaction, is deluding themselves (and yes, there's a lot of participants in that delusion in enthusiast circles, including this site), and is ultimately going to be disappointed and frustrated with any Cedar Fair park. Learn to love the small, independent parks, like my kids and I have these past couple of years, and you won't care so much that Cedar Fair and Six Flags parks alike care more about money than they do about you, and whether you have a good time at their amusement parks.

Some news from the new themed land at Europa-Park: https://www.parkerlebnis.de/europa-park-neue-big-dipper-achterbahn-bauflaeche-bekannt_123430.html It will be located int he area behind Russia, maybe the radio telescope has to go (according to a tweet from Michael Mack saying that "there could be built better looking things with that steel"). The article says, that it will indeed be a Big Dipper model with an 80 km/h (50 mph) launch. Throughput should be the same as SIlver Star.

Love those magnets! Kings Island has a bunch of really great ones. We got this one a few years ago that I really like:

Visited the park on Wednesday and while it was 95* I had a great day due to low crowds. I honestly anticipated to ride Orion at opening and maybe Mystic but I was pleasantly surprised to see everything other than FoF at a 20 minute or less wait. Yes Mystic has the music working again. Park music variety is back, it's not just those bluegrass covers all over on a loop. There's actually diversity in the park so idk if they paid up or what but thank goodness. Had the best rides on Orion. I still don't gray out at any point on the ride but I never remember hitting the trim as hard as it did. Which sucks but I really felt some airtime on the wave turn (almost took my ray bans off!!!) And the speed hill was epic. You can look back at my posts not raving about Orion airtime but damn it was hauling. No, it's still not better than Fury, though haha in my opinion. Racer blue is running better than red but they're both running like new. Especially Red. I rode Invertigo for the first time in probably 10 years and it's time for it to go. My head is so skinny how does anyone else fit their head between those padded OTSRs?! Damn that coaster is intense and rough. Windseeker is still playing the Harry Potter theme which is hilarious and confusing. The blue ice cream beer is so fucking good. How good is it? The brewery that makes it can't keep it in stock or on draft so it's pretty much a KI exclusive at this point. Sonder makes all of KI's beer and is close by and it's one of like 2 locations to get it. And on the opposite of good, KI is still experimenting with gourmet popcorn and I think they'll have plenty of chive in stock for a long time

These are traditionally the biggest attendance weekends of the year, I doubt it was GC, from the video it’s embarrassing and isn’t drawing more than casual bystanders, and waiting for people to attend to see if it’s worth investment will not bring people into the park, that’s what you have to invest in the park for.

oh, and if you're not part of TPR's Facebook group, you should TOTALLY join: https://www.facebook.com/groups/themeparkreview unlike the message boards here (which I LOVE, dont' get me wrong) the FB group has a lot more "real time" interaction, with many folks who are not forum members here (tho a lot of us are at both places). that will help out when you feel out of sync, because you can almost have real time conversations on the FB page.

that's the thing about being part of the LGBTQ community. . you get to choose your family. yes, it's nice to be close to blood relatives, but if you don't see eye to eye? move somewhere and become part of a community that won't judge you (or more accurately, you WILL be judged, but it doesn't mean that you won't be welcomed and supported regardless )

I've done the lantern tour and it was worth every penny. You get into some parts of the cave that the regular tour doesn't go, there's actually remains of a cabin down one of the offshoots. If you can maneuver it, try to be at the back of the tour group, i found it interesting to occasionally look back into complete darkness (especially if you can lag back just a step or two and shut your lantern off for a moment). We haven't been in the cave for a long time, it was closed (along with Grandfather's Mansion) most if not all of last year. And due to our schedule we haven't been back yet this year; watch it have to close again by the time we go in the fall.

When you are there make sure to go through Marvel Cave, it's free and the entrance is in the big gift shop that you walk through at the start of the park. It is the whole reason the park exists and is really a cool cave.

Sucks doesn't it. Not living right in your neck of the woods but having been there a number of times through my growing up years I have seen the change. The area was always religious and conservative but we were there right after the 2016 election and people had put up all sorts of billboards rejoicing that HC had lost the election and the vitriol in these completely unnecessary "ads" was unbelievable. That's when I knew things had really taken a vicious turn. BUT nobody should be deterred from visiting, SDC is a really great park and the employees will go out of their way to be helpful.

^ they do a great job of helping you from inadvertently touching your face. So while true, Covid particles may still get thru a standard mask? it will help keep other things out when you don't have your hands in your nose/mouth area so much due to wearing a mask. so there really IS a benefit to wearing one.. . . I haven't had a cold or flu in well over a year, since i tend to mask up when going out into public.

Oh, I know. That's the plan. I'm not thrilled about the numbers but I'm definitely not letting it keep me from going. I've wanted to get to SDC for years, I'm not missing the chance now. I'm healthy and not in any high risk groups, I'm vaccinated, I'll have a mask...I'll be fine, sure. It's just...disappointing and frustrating, the whole attitude like you said. We should be done with this crap by now, but...I don't need to derail the topic any further. Also, a week from yesterday, not sure why I typed a day. Flying out for 7 parks in 7 days this weekend.

^ Just bring a mask and you'll be ok. You'll get stares. For sure you'll get stares. Like hostile glares from multiple people. I live around here and I've taken to masking again since the rise of the Delta variant (just when indoors or when there's too many people around in an outdoor area, you know, like the CDC says). Hoo boy the distrust in the eyes of people, the wariness, like they are concerned I'm going to jump them with a knife or something. It's absolutely unreal. That attitude is the cause of why this variant has taken hold in this area. So that's what's happening. I want you to be aware of what you're walking into, but with eyes open you'll be ok. Just take care of yourself, act real friendly and be super polite, and they'll leave you alone. God, this is how I have to talk about my neighbours now. This place has become so hateful in the last decade or so.... Trust me, it hasn't always been like this. People used to be nice here.

you'll find many coaster and theme park groups have a LOT of LGBTQ members, and most all of them are very welcoming to members of the LGBTQ community. I'd suggest joining some coaster clubs, and go to some events. You'll meet people. and no, I'm not talking about for sex, or relationship. . I mean, you'll make friends. And thru those friends, you meet more friends, and then you never know who'll you'll meet. at 33 (are you 33? that's not "middle aged" really), you have plenty of time to meet someone. . so never take anything off the table. oh. . and I'm 54 and just spent a weekend at Kings Island for Coasterstock, and go to theme parks all the time. . age is just a number, and if you like riding roller coasters, or going to parks? do it.

Sadly both unbelievable and not at all surprising at the same time. Sigh.

Yup! All Six Flags St. Louis employees get into Silver Dollar City, Dollywood, Holiday World, Kentucky Kingdom, and Worlds of Fun for free. Make sure to call ahead as some of them have blackout dates for the park exchange. Plus lots of other stuff like free/discounted shows and attractions in Branson and Meramec Caverns. Most allow at least you and a guest. Lots of good perks to working at Six Flags.

The people in the physical plant know all to well what people want as does the company, they did polling a few years back and what people said was they wanted a big coaster but management at Cedarfair didn’t know what to do with that. CF view VF as a low priority property and are satisfied with it sustaining itself and squeezing whatever they can out of it financially to invest in other properties because it hasn’t traditionally had sizable competition in the past to need to invest in it. The guys in maintenance get their pride and joy from infrastructure projects and something like Grande Carnival is a bit of a let down to them. I feel bad that people like Tom and others who have been with the park for their entire careers and want to see one more big addition before they retire probably aren’t going to get that wish.

Heyo! I work there, so let me see if I can answer some of these for you. My biggest advice, is if you're coming during the summer months, PLEAsE DRINK WATER!!! Hydrate before you come to the park. Hydrate while you are at the park. Hydrate Hydrate Hydrate! Drink water drink water! It sounds obvious, but you'd be amazed at the amount of times we have to call safety to get help for someone who has heat exhaustion or passes out due to dehydration. I literally saw it happen in person yesterday. Also, if you're coming for summer, do make sure to check out your sweet summer nights show. Its definitely worth the wait, starts at 9:40 in Wildwood Grove. Most, if not all your coasters will have bins. I think they all do. A lot of our flat rides will have them as well. Please note, Daredevil Falls does NOT have bins. You must carry your items on that one. so if you got a phone you don't want getting wet, I'd recommend leaving it with a friend in the que line. I'm not sure about smoky mountain rampage. Might be the same there as Daredevil falls. Front Porch Cafe is ALWAYs packed. same goes for Aunt Granny's. If you're coming during a weekday during the summer, expect lines. They will be long. Weekends tend to be less packed as far as I can tell, but my work time with dollywood is short, and I'm sure that will change. You may want to check out TIll and Harvest over in wildwood grove as well. Also, the cinnamon bread, you can get that at the Grist mill yes, but a lot of people don't realize you can get that at the bakery right as you enter the park too. The upstairs level to the Grist Mill is CLOsED, so don't try to go up there to get it, you'll be sorely disappointed. As far as what order to get to things, I don't really have an answer for you on that. Refer to the guys above me. They may know better about that than I will.... single rider lines are good, but not all rides have them. I do suggest the timesaver, particularly if you're coming on weekdays during the summer. This past Tuesday and Wednesday have been the busiest days we've had since I started working here. It does save you a lot of time, particularly if you get to the park after the morning rush at the gates. Get there early, and make sure you have the dollywood app on your phone. It does come in handy, and we update wait times on the rides about every 15 minutes. Please note, if you want to ride Daredevil falls, That ride closes at 8. The website may say differently, but Daredevil falls is a special case in that the ride itself has no lights, which means it closes when the sun sets. Rides in general close, starting at 9 across the park from Country Fair towards Wildwood grove. All the rides over in Timber Canyon up to Wilderness pass will close at 9:30. As for Lightning Rod. Well. It's at least opening every day. It is still having issues with it's launch every now and then, but it hasn't closed for an entire day during the time I've worked here yet. Typically if it does, it's down for an hour or so, then they get it fired back up. Keep the dollywood app on your phone, and you'll know when it goes down and gets back up and running. I've had a chance to ride it multiple times with the Ibox track, and the air time is still very much there. In fact I got a night ride, last ride of the night, ride on it a couple weeks ago. That was an experience. lol. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Get there before gates open and you can get all coasters in a couple hours most days. I'd personally hit Lightning Rod, then go back across the entrance for Thunderhead, Dragonflier, MM, Firechaser, Eagle, TT, Blazing Fury. It's just a big circle. Firechaser is normally the longest line in the park. LR next. Single rider line can quick. Can't stress enough getting there early, but that's the same for any park. Bins at all rides. Ride ops normally will grab your stuff and put it away for you. They are very nice about this. LR has been running well lately. Odds are good (knock on wood) you'll get on it.

While I do not wish to cause this thread to get too political, its worth noting from seeing this map how the Branson, MO area is essentially the epicenter of new COVID cases. It's quite unfortunate. I will be very curious to see if SDC will be forced to go back into doing health and safety restrictions in the park if this continues towards the fall/winter months.