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And we’re moving on…

I think people are going to be VERY happy with the re do of the area around Eagle's entrance and the new flat! And no I'm not saying more than that so don't ask.

Let's not pretend that Dueling Dragons was removed for any reason other than to expand Harry Potter land and appease JK Rowlings ego.

I'm pretty sure most people book cabins in Pigeon Forge for the view of the Smokies. I picked cabins with views of Dollywood's coasters. I was able to get some unique shots of Lightning Rod and Wild Eagle the past few days. Speaking of Lightning Rod, the coaster only opened for the final 8 minutes of the day on Sunday due to the prior day's snowstorm and then it ran like it's usual self on Monday with a delayed opening and multiple breakdowns.

Busch Gardens' social media has been awesome lately, whoever is running that should get a raise. They are engaging and fun but still tasteful. Very happy to see this rumor get shut down. Screamscape really is clowning right now after both the Ride of Steel and Kumba removal rumors both being shut down by their respective parks because they spread so much.

This was the actual view of the better of our cabins. You could see Lightning Rod in the distance if you knew where to look. The shots were taken from the parking lots where there were less trees in the way.

Saw on other sites, that Dolly was there, doing a mini-welcome wagon 'parade' for the opening season. Man, I would love to meet her! She's so honest, and forthright with her convictions. And support. And her music! Photo from the web. Thank you to whoever put this together.

but what will the "Corporate Hates this Park" crowd do when they see it????

Agree with EVERYTHING in this post. No reason for Kumba to go

Could be worse. Could be clickbait WDWNT. They are literally TRASH. But back on the subject... How can Cedar Point's Corkscrew which is 4 years shy of 50 YEARS still be thrilling people while Kumba barely makes it to 30? I know Kumba runs year round, but Cedar Point's coasters also deal with sub zero temps every year which cannot be good on steel. Just my 2 cents....and WDWNT sucks.

Storytime with Screamscape. Utterly exhausting reading all of that. No idea whether it's true. Could be, could not be. Who knows. I believe B&Ms service life is 20 years (trains 15 years), and it's obviously one of the older B&Ms and is at a year-round park so... maaaaaybe? But having said that the sequence of events is pretty weird. I can't understand why a rep would go and supervise track being dropped in, and then go 'oh, while I'm here I had the tools and expertise to do non-destructive testing on Kumba and you need a new one' I mean B&M seem to be going pretty heavy on the whole buy one coaster, get a replacement coaster free angle lately so who knows. I just think it's a bit weird that B&M on one hand are considered to sell a premium product, but on the other their coasters are also disposable. I wonder if we'll get more stories like this (whether it happens or not), and whether a lot of these problems shortening their coasters' lifespans have been engineered out of their latter rides (see Incepticoaster vs New Hulk vs Old Hulk) Urgh, there I am mocking Screamscape for talking too much and look at me.

The only thing wrong with the ninja is the janky old arrow trains. They were garbage when put in, they are more garbage now. The new vekoma trains would make ninja 200% better than what it is now. Personally, I like the ninja, I just wish it wasn't so bone breaking. Speaking of updates, I've heard from some employees that a lot of park maintenance was done this winter since everything has been so mild. Lots of new paint, new roofs, even some AC work, although I have no idea which AC's we're worked on. I'm genuinely excited about everything that's been done. Finally getting caught up on the maintenance.

The Columbus Zoo actually has 2 coasters now, but more importantly it's just a great zoo. I could see not wanting to do that since it's another day with a ton of walking when you want a break, but if you're up for that I had the exact same suggestion.

For an extra stop between KI and CP, I've heard good things about the Columbus Zoo, and they have a wooden coaster. I've never managed to make a detour there work for me, but it might for you.

Maybe it's just an elaborate April Fools joke that he's starting 2 weeks in advance

Drayton Manor has announced that they will be adding a new Vikings-inspired area this year with a new Disk'o Coaster, the UK's first Zamperla Nebulaz ride and more! https://www.draytonmanor.co.uk/vikings Vikings. A whole new land of discovery. Opens Spring 2022. Vikings will propel guests into the centre of the action with exhilarating rides inspired by ancient gods and legends, and unforgettable experiences designed to transport adventurers of all ages back to a bygone era. THOR Introducing the eagerly awaited Disk'O Coaster. Thor is a new vibrantly coloured family thrill ride, named after the infamous god of thunder. It will send those brave enough to board spinning in a giant wheel across a coaster track for the ultimate weightless sensation. LOKI Introducing the UK’s first Zamperla Nebulaz. Loki is a family thrill ride with eight gondolas and four arms rotating in a fast-intermeshing orbit. Inspired by the malevolent god of mischief, Loki will send passengers soaring to new heights, offering a truly hypnotic experience from both the sky and ground. SLEIPNIR The new Sleipnir attraction will take mini explorers on an exciting journey through a training school, where the legend of the ancient Viking mythical horse will teach them how to become a powerful god. JORMUNGANDR For younger thrill seekers looking to brave their first mini coaster, Jormungandr is the family-favourite Buffalo Coaster re-imagined. Taking guests onboard an epic voyage through Vikings, with incredible views of the theme park and its nearby lake. WALHALLA After a long day of voyaging, guests can refuel at the new Walhalla restaurant. Inspired by the historic heaven that warriors were said to visit after battle, Walhalla features traditional wooden benches surrounding a sizzling BBQ pit. Perfect for feasting in true Viking style! VIKINGS THEMED HOTEL ROOMS For anyone wishing to extend the fun overnight, guests can enjoy one of 10 brand-new Vikings-themed rooms at our onsite 4-star hotel. Featuring Nordic-inspired furnishings and traditional wooden panelling embellished with shields and paintings of distant Viking voyages, guests will be immersed in the mythical surroundings of legends for the evening, before waking up to feast like a Viking again and refuel for another day of fun and adventure in the theme park.

So they repainted Kumba in 2019 and it still looks brand new (seriously, it looks great and you can still tell that it was *just* painted) but they had initially planned to paint it again this year for no reason and the unnecessary repaint was cancelled because the ride is closing forever? Does this story seem odd to anyone else?

Park strategies: Holiday World: Avoid Halloween at rope drop. Head to Voyage then Thunderbird, instead. Ask an employee if the back entrance to the waterpark will open right at 11. If yes, use that entrance to get a jump start on the water coasters. All will get very long lines. Wildebeest's takes longer to build up, despite having lower capacity. Coaster queues will be empty mid-afternoon. Kentucky Kingdom: Unlike most parks, work front to back. Rope drop Lightning Run, as this will end up having a 30 minute queue most of the day. Thunder run only has one train, so get there early, as well. I've never had to wait more than two trains for Storm Chaser, even on weekends. Enjoy! The waterpark will be slammed. This won't be that big of a deal IF all of the slides are open. Kings Island: FL+, 'nuff said Cedar Point: Fast lanes are not available during ERT. Head to Millennium right at the start of ERT to experience the wonders of the magic gate. Food/Drink: Kentucky Kingdom has a bourbon bar with very reasonably priced flights. If you try Skyline chili (and you should), do it outside of the park (KI). Be sure to let your server know that it's your first time having it. Head to Sonder Brewing, right in Mason, for some dessert beers. Melt in Cedar Point is a chain local to Lakewood (Cleveland area). It's still not the full menu but much improved in recent years. Sit at the bar for quicker service. I highly recommend Barra tacos in downtown Sandusky!

I'm partial to hot pink and electric burple, personally.

You will have time to ride everything. You will also have time for a few more laps on anything you like. FL puts you in the station on all of them.

I really hope Kumba is not going anywhere! I will be devastated! That was the coaster that got me hooked! I had never ridden a roller coaster, but the paper in my home town had Kumba on the front page. I KNEW I had to ride it! June 12, 1993 was my first trip to Busch Gardens, and was so excited to finally ride it! We rode Scorpion and Python, (and all the other rides) to work my way up to it. As we were walking to get into the queue, a train flew over the g-roll and down to the Cobra Roll, and I said “Nope!” I ended up not riding it that day. I finally talked my parents into taking me again later that summer to ride. I managed one ride that day, because it was so insane! To this day, it is probably the coaster that I have the most rides on. Wish I had thought back then to keep count So mad than I can’t get down there any sooner than June. Don’t remember if I’ve posted it in here, but here’s my car, Kumba!

It makes perfect sense that Kumba may be reaching the end of its service life. It has to be the most cycled B&M at this point. It is starting its 30th year of year-round operations in a harsh climate. Like others, when the time comes, I really hope the park does a partial or full track/train replacement ala Hulk, Nemesis, etc. Kumba is so well-integrated in the landscape and pathways and is better than most, if not all, B&M loopers built in the last decade. They just replaced a few sections of track on SheiKra (and it rides very well in that area now), so I hope this shows the park's willingness to repair and replace track on their aging steel coasters. One rough spot I could see them doing this for is the valley between the MCBR and the first corkscrew. Other than that the entire coaster is smooth, but of course I don't know how much maintenance and wear/tear there is behind the scenes that we can't notice from riding. Fingers crossed. I always take Screamscape with a grain of salt because they are definitely not always right, but they are also not always wrong either.

Here’s to hoping that when the time comes, Busch gives Kumba the Incredible Hulk/Nemesis treatment and not the Dueling Dragons treatment People still really love the ride. While it doesn’t get a line like Sheikra gets, it’s fun to listen to comments about how much fun it was on the final brake run nearly 30 years later.

OMG such drama! He’ll be fine.

Update to march 13. https://twitter.com/lamardeparques/status/1502993930450882561 Footers map updated Footers map: user coasterroller at La Mar De Parques forum

It's a war crime. Tatsu, presented by Nickelodeon Slime Time Live. I also noticed that Medusa's repaint is going to be bright orange and green too. I think American Dream Mall had a crap load of Nick Universe paint left over and sold it to Six Flags for cheap.