Leaderboard

Unnecessarily long lines for the same experience as you could have a week later for a fraction of the wait time. Plus the rest of the park will be equally swamped with the people who didn’t realize the Iron Gwazi line would be so bad. If you truly “must be first” you’ll need to plan to get to the parking lot early (several hours before park opening) and be prepared to wait in your car until the toll plazas open. There may be some gratification that comes from riding on opening day or being among the first, but ask yourself how much that is worth. The ride operated previously for employees in 2020 and has been doing passholder previews for weeks. You’ll be far from the first to ride. What can you expect from attending on opening day? A less enjoyable version of an enjoyable day at Busch Gardens a week to two weeks later.

It’s shocking to me that any park would consider not having their busiest event of the year. If you need more security, hire more security. If you need less crowds with that insane demand, black out low level passes and raise prices to make even more money. It’s crazy to me that Cedar Fair would consider this but this is the chain that closed Dorney for staffing on the 4th of July and opened everything 2-3 months late last year for no reason and operated at a loss while all of their competitors turned a profit so maybe they just hate money. As a fan, I like the sound of less crowds in September and October but from their perspective… lol

I was far too lazy to make the effort to actually go into the park on a weekend and deal with people, so here’s the birdseye quick update:

Currently scheming to be first in line for IG when it opens to the public on march 11th. This will be the first time I've ever attended a new roller coaster opening, what all should I expect?

Tonight's twitter update from Park President Jeffrey Siebert: and a better look at the pics (shared with his permission): if the weather isn't total crap tomorrow, planning on popping in to get a look at it in person myself!

So... what were we supposed to get excited about this season? All I read was better chicken strips and some sprucing up of front gates. Nothing seems to be near term. I'm glad they recognize Six Flags Saint Louis has enough thrills. We've been spoiled ever since Boomerang.

Why would a ride where everyone is a single rider have a single rider line?

I much preferred Baron at Efteling with the smaller trains over any of the larger dive coasters. It does indeed feel more agile and less like a freight train, plus normal OTSR's which on a dive coaster are a must (vests ruin Valravn, IMO). We were at SWSD a few weeks ago and the ride looked great. But why the hell is every single coaster in this park the same shade of blues? Is it some weird city requirement or is it just Sea World trying to make everything look this way? Genuinely curious. Skyline would look so much better with some variance in color with their large structures.

SeaWorld San Diego has released the official POV of Emperor:

There are a million questions here but I’ll try my best. First of all: when in May? Are we talking Memorial Day weekend here or mid-week in early May? There’s a massive difference. As for the hotel question, it depends but if you’re not wanting to rent a car I’m tempted to tell you to stay on-site. First off, you’ll save on the hotel parking fee. Second of all, while some nearby hotels that I do like offer a shuttle (The Comfort Inn on Canada Avenue comes to mind), it’s easier to just use Universal transportation when leaving the parks. Their budget hotels are very competitive and reasonable and you get in early. If you want to go bigger, stay at a hotel with free Express Pass. Some of those hotels (like Royal Pacific) are also just fantastic hotels. The Universal AP is a great deal compared to their day ticket but price it out. Note that if you come back in the fall you can ride Mummy, so that alone may convince you. You know what days you want to go though. Put it in the calendar and price it out. There are really no additional considerations here so it’s 100% a matter of admission price. The Seasonal Pass has no benefit aside from admission whatsoever unless they run a passholder hotel deal which they usually do in September. Two days is perfect. Express pass will probably make your day better but whether-or-not you “need” it depends on when you go. Memorial Day? Yes. A Tuesday and Wednesday in early May? Maybe not. It’s never a bad thing to have it, but I get that it can be incredibly expensive and it doesn’t work on Hagrid’s or Velocicoaster which is annoying. If you want Express, look to stay at a hotel that includes it. It may be cheaper than actually buying it separately for two days and you’ll be at a better hotel where you can walk or take a boat to the parks. If you’re there for two days, every dark ride and simulator is worth riding except for Fast and the Furious and Fallon. Minions is cute but tends to get insane lines for no reason so it’s skippable without Express if the line is long. If you get express, then just ride every ride except for Fast and the Furious because seriously f*ck that ride. It sucks and has two horrible pre shows that you’ll need to sit through too. The only reason to ride this ride is out of morbid curiosity or for bragging rights so that you can say you’ve now ridden the worst ride in Orlando and possibly the world. The water rides are all good but note that while Jurassic Park River Adventure is a must-ride, the other two are much wetter and will positively soak you to the bone. Don’t ride Ripsaw Falls or the rapids if you’re not okay with that. Don’t miss the Bourne Stuntacular. Best food: Disney Springs (uh… I mean… I don’t know, I liked Big Fire and Toothsome). Just Uber to the park, it’s not that far.