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TR from the past 3 days at Universal! Flew down with lovely Frontier on Sunday which wasnt too bad, but upon arrival it took an hour and 5 minutes to get luggage at the carousel (no joke) and then after shuttling to Aventura and checking in, it was already pushing 6:00. My wife wanted to go to the Mardi Gras parade at 7:30 so we unfortunately had to miss Velocicoaster the first day and headed to Studios. Parade was good. It was a parade. Once that ended around 8:00 we headed to Diagon Alley for the first time and wow. It's absolutely amazing how well of a job they did with it. The attention to detail is incredible. They didn't miss on anything. We took advantage of a 30 minute line for Gringotts and hit that real quick. After gawking at the amazing job they did with the interior of the bank, we made our way into the mindf*ck elevator and then wobbily made our way to the station. As for the ride, I'm going to get a lot of shit probably, but I was let down quite a bit. IMO it's very short, not any more impressive than anything else at Universal, and Forbidden Journey blows it away. I know I'm in a very small minority by being underwhelmed, but at least skipping the 2+ hour lines for it will be easy for me lol. It was pushing the 9:00 closing after that, so we set off for City Walk to find food which turned out to be an impossible task. It was mobbed, the sit down places were full for the night, and the fast food places had mile long lines. Eventually admitted defeat and headed back to the hotel and ordered a pizza. Awoke Monday morning and there was only one place I was heading. Velocicoaster had a 50 minute line posted which wasnt bad at all for a coaster of its newness and magnitude. Not to mention that line never stops moving. They do a great job with ~55 second dispatches and the great theming makes the line go even quicker. I've intentionally avoided any discussion or videos on this thing since it opened as I wanted to be surprised by it. I didn't know about the barrel roll or the stall until I saw them while walking up. So the first half of the ride was a real blind experience as you can't see it from the line. It kind of meanders a bit, but a few small pops of good air and a fun inversion. But then, from the second launch out it just turns into one of the greatest coasters on earth. The air on the top hat is phenomenal as well as in a few other places in the 2nd half. The stall is great. But then, that barrel roll. You get launched directly at the water and I screamed "HOLY SH*T!" so loud when it happened. My first experience with the Rolling Thunder hill on El Toro and my first ride on Skyrush were the only other two times I can think of that blew me away like that. But those are just great ejector air moments. This is upside down ejector air mere feet above the water, hanging from a lapbar. RMC has done great things the past 10 years, but no one builds masterpieces like Intamin (when they're not broken down lol). Anyway, after that ride we looked for lunch but Jurassic Park (and Hogsmeade) were Kings Island Haunt on Columbus Day weekend busy. Finally got all the way to Comic Strip Cafe to find a line less than 10 minutes. Food there was fine. Made my way to Hulk and got on quick from the singles line. Always a fun, intense ride on one of the most iconic coasters in the world. Speaking of fun, intense rides, I kind of just made my way back to Velocicoaster because I just had to get another ride. Headed for Hogwarts next (grabbing a butterbeer on the way) and grabbed a ride on the best Potter themed ride between the two parks, Forbidden Journey. Great theming in line and the ride is phenomenal. This was the only thing they had built last time I was there and I loved it then and it's still just as good as I remembered it. After grabbing a beer at the Hogs Head we hopped in line for Hagrids. Posted at 50 minutes, we were excited when we got to the preshow within 10 minutes. But WTF, why is the preshow followed by another 30 solid minutes of lines? Anyway, the coaster is a ton of fun and a home run as a family ride. I forgot it has a backwards section and it even got a little intense at some points. But a lot of fun. After hitting the restroom with sounds of Moaning Myrtle piped in (which makes sense from the movies but still f*cking weird) we had a bizarre incident at the train. We got in line and after 5 minutes, suddenly the hosts were like "EVERYONE NEEDS TO EXIT THE LINE NOW!" and some of them were literally running trying to get everyone out. The hosts at the front of the line just said it was down temporarily but there's no way they would act like that over a mechanical issue. I later read (on Twitter, take it with a grain of salt) that they totally blocked off the Diagon Alley end and that there might have been a bomb threat. Not sure how true that is, but based on how urgently they cleared the line I can kind of believe it. Good news is I used that time to get one more Velocicoaster ride before heading to NBC Sports to watch the end of the Celtics sweep over Brooklyn with some great food and beer. Then checked out the rooftop bar at my hotel which is an awesome spot. Tuesday we decided to make it a dedicated Studios day. We really planned it well and between 2 and 6 we basically had free reign with lots of walk ons ans rode everything in the park. Honestly, I'm not sure anything really stands out here with Mummy closed. ET is a nostalgic favorite, and I like the Simpsons, but everything else just blends in to me and started to feel repetitive. Rockit has potential with a lot of intensity and some ejector air, but god do those trains suck. Saw Bourne Stuntacular which was pretty awesome. Visited Diagon (and Knockturn) Alley for a bit before finally successfully getting on the train. They absolutely nailed this area too. So well done with all the detail. Plan was to close the night with Velocicoaster but it was throwing an Intamin maintenance fit and Poseidon was also down, so hit some Seuss stuff to end the day. Wife loves One Fish Two Fish (and I got soaked because the song lies) and then I have a soft spot for Cat in the Hat so fun enough way to end the day even if it wasnt mind blowing upside down ejector air. Two more days left at Universal, tomorrow will be for hitting some of the lesser ridden stuff at IOA and then Thursday will be spent mostly at the paddock most likely. Then we ARE going to Disney after all, just one day on Friday. Starting at Epcot and ending at Magic Kingdom. May slip into one of the others if Queue Times suggests its worth it. Saturday is a rest day (AKA Fun Spot Day) followed by my first ever day at BGT Sunday and first trip in 10 years to Seaworld Monday.

Zach, we will just have to agree to disagree, no hard feelings! I realize there are occasionally practical situations where something is better than nothing but I just cannot agree to a half ass it refurbishment being better than taking the time to do it correctly. I'm willing to have patience and wait. I realize you might have a fair argument is saying that's fine for me since I no longer have a young child but when my son was the same age as your daughter they still had the extremely crappy old blacktop kid's area over by the log flume. He doesn't remember a thing about it, by the time he was 3 or 4 and old enough to have some real memories the new Bugs land was opened and it will be the same for your daughter. By the time she's old enough to remember, the carousel will be open. I will say I think Knoebels is not a totally fair comparison. They had to fix a VERY well maintained but damaged carousel, not do a complete refurb on one that had been mostly neglected for decades. Also, the Knoebel's family has a lot of money to throw at just one park. The reason no one else had taken on building a ride like Flying Turns is that it is a maintenance nightmare that actually makes them no money. They just have it because Dick K wanted it and doesn't care that there is no profit from it. Not sure it will survive long after he is no longer with us. That is from a direct conversation with the head maintenance guy there who actually trained his own son specifically to take care of the ride, saw on a bts tour what they have to go through to just warm that sucker up for daily operations and it is super labor intensive. I am glad you will be able to enjoy park time with your daughter, one of the things I treasure most from having summers off most of my life is all the memories at various parks with my son. *Ironically in my son's lifetime he went from loving to ride things in Bugs to running rides in Bugs and hating it, partially due to the annoying theme music stuck forever in his head, lol. And more seriously being the brunt of several Karen like parents screaming at him about stuff completely out of his control.

Holy schnikes, three years?! This isn't a refurb, this is demolishing and building something completely new! I'm excited to see what they're gonna be doing! It's not like we're losing anything here, seeing as it's a copy of California and Hong Kong's version right now. Give me new funky stuff!

^ this is a silly comment. Japan's boarders are open to international travelers *right now*. . all you have to do is follow the procedures and you would be welcome. Perhaps you are thinking of China? (and no, not all Asian Countries are the same)

^ you are correct (and I was incorrect) it's open for Business travelers, thru my work. .. that's where I was getting the info from. (one just has to follow the 3 day quarantine) but I am seeing that pundits are expecting general open to tourists to happen in the next few months.. . so that's still a silly post joking that perhaps they would be fully open to tourists by 2027. https://www.insidekyoto.com/can-i-travel-to-japan-now

The Oriental Land Co. officially announced a major update to Space Mountain and that attraction's side of Tomorrowland at Tokyo Disneyland. The original attraction will close in 2024 before being totally rebuilt as a new iteration of Space Mountain which will open in 2027. http://www.olc.co.jp/en/news/news_olc/auto_20220427529850/pdfFile.pdf Oriental Land Co., Ltd. announced today that Space Mountain and its surrounding area in Tomorrowland at Tokyo Disneyland® Park will undergo a major renovation. This newly developed plaza will create a reimagined area of Tomorrowland and is expected to open in 2027. Space Mountain, an exhilarating, indoor roller coaster that takes guests on a high-speed joy ride through space, has been a favorite of guests since the Grand Opening of Tokyo Disneyland in 1983. This entirely new attraction will maintain its original concept as an indoor roller coaster, but will have enhanced performance and immersive special effects that will give guests even more thrills on this exciting rocket ride. The new Tomorrowland plaza will express the connection between Earth and the universe, representing an image of a future where humans are in harmony with nature. Guests will be able to enjoy moments of rest and relaxation in this plaza where various icons and other design elements create a sense of hope for the future. After dark, the area will draw guests into a spectacular world of light and soundscapes. Guests can look forward to the excitement at the new Space Mountain and the plaza at Tomorrowland. Notes: - In conjunction with this project, the current Space Mountain attraction will close in 2024. - Space Mountain is presented by Coca-Cola (Japan) Company, Ltd. Notes: With this project, the current "Space Mountain" will be closed in 2024. "Space Mountain" is provided by Coca-Cola Japan Co., Ltd. Attraction Overview Opening Date: 2027 Investment Amount: About 56 billion JPY (projected), including cost of new facilities in the surrounding area

So maybe blasphemy here but since I know people like original Space Mountain.... but If they want to make Space Mountain more thrilling, I would love to see what Tokyo Disney could do if they aren't limited to the original's design and can just go nuts. Paris Space Mountain has a bad reputation but I hated Indiana Jones at Disneyland Paris and yet enjoyed Raging Spirits at TDS and Vekoma has been killing it lately with their new rides. I'd love to see the minds of Tokyo combine with a (smoother) ride like Paris'.

Avett Brothers, 3 Doors Down, and others announced for Kings Island concert series in the Timberwolf theater. Nice to see a park firing their theater back up.

Space Mountain and Tomorrowland Being Rebuilt in 2027 at Tokyo Disneyland Space Mountain at Tokyo Disneyland to close in 2024 and reopen in 2027 to be 'more thrilling and have better effects' with the surrounding area having a huge upgrade too. This looks amazing, really great to see Tokyo Disneyland being bold and ambitious. I always feel the the Tomorrowlands end up being a discombobulated mess, so to go nuclear and basically rebuild everything is a great way to avoid this problem. Source: TDRExplorer Image: Disney, via TDRExplorer

Here's me and David, along side two of the Cirque du Soleil's ALEGRIA cast. Celebrating our 50th Anniversary (April 22, 1972) as well, that evening! It was all awesome! ... In our snazzy, TDL 30th Anny shirts! Taken on Earth Day (Friday evening) last week, before we saw the show.

Dude, in the second paragraph of that article... Emphasis mine. That implies that some visitors are allowed, which logically means that they are open. Maybe not "fully open," but open. And here's everything you need to know: https://www.japan.travel/en/coronavirus/ It's complicated and a little confusing, but Japan definitely isn't closed to all international visitors.

So the renewed Expedition Zork and Interactive Marble run Wunderball are soft open. Not everything is ready yet but this week and the next are a holiday here and they wanted to offer up the ride. Just some pictures form far away on the outside, I forgot to make some more detailed ones. Some pictures form the inside, not much changed here on the ride site of things. But queue and entry have had a major update, I also took a picture form the Queue form above, but that one turned out so bad. Some impression of Wunderball. Here is also how it works, You can buy wooden balls form the vending machine and then just drop them on one of the two tracks and follow them till the end, the interactive part is mostly just you starting the ball. There are also wrenches, bath tubs and other crazy stuff the ball passes on either one of these tracks. Looks extremely fun for little children as when I was at the end two kids flew back up the hill to go again. I Really enjoy seeing the park invest so heavy in older rides. It did make me wonder if they ever are going to finish the station of Booster Bike, when they opened the Magic valley they had plans to update the station of the ride to match the area and especially now that station has become a painful sight.

I liked Tokyo's Tommorrowland and Space Mountain for what it was but it felt very retro and this looks like the refresh it needs. Funny thing in 2015 when I visited Japan with TPR Space Mountain was closed for refurbishment at the end of our trip when we'd be visiting but it was still open at the beginning of our trip, so because Tokyo Disneyland has a Starlight ticket option (evening/night admission) I visited after our day at Tobu Zoo and used the excuse of getting their Space Mountain credit to preview their park which still had Easter decorations which would be gone when the group visited at the end of our trip. I have no idea what the new Space Mountain is going to be, but it looks exciting and Tokyo Disneyland is going to be the Guinea pig for Space Mountain transformations and whether it eventually comes to other Disney castle parks.

There were several times he spoke of fixing things up and getting certain things running "next year". The tumble bug especially - it was supposedly pulled apart to be "fixed" and then it was suddenly scrapped. Basically every time he said something would be worked on and fixed it ended up being demolished instead. I don't fault him for ultimately electing to demolish the park, but he definitely got the local community and enthusiasts excited about the possibility of him actually fixing things up and keeping the park around, and then he pulled the rug. And you know what, there were several times before the park was sold that they actually did draw some pretty good crowds. The place did have potential. Look back at some of the posts from 2018/2019 and you'll see that the preservation group that had the park beforehand was almost there. There was a lot of work left to do, but they were making progress every year before the pandemic hit. So close but so far...

I don't think anyone was laughing at you Bill. perhaps teasing you?

I really hope that Excalibur opens back up and I get a chance to ride it at some point

Lone Star Lil's is an open theater. . .the main seating has always been on the side. . . not what you seem to think was main seating. but oh well. . why bother arguing with an "expert" who doesn't live here, and is not a park regular for the past couple of decades. I mean, you CLEARLY know better than I.

Try restarting your computer and clicking it again.

What I posted there is actually this thing we call a screenshot. That post is essentially a screen capture of a Facebook post the park made and unfortunately we're not quite at the point of being able to click on links embedded into an image, so in order for you to actually go to that link there you'd have to type those exact characters into your web browser which in theory should take you to the post on Knoebels website. Best of luck!

Spinsanity would be a nice family attraction, yes, but it has a 48" tall requirement.

Spinsanity is tame enough to be a good family flat too. If we were getting packages of 2 or 3 flats like the Over parks the family flat selection would probably look a bit better. But that wasn't in the budget. Joker is also family friendly but it hasn't been opening consistently. It was open on my visit but it sounds like it hasn't been for others this year. I do think a P'Sghetti Bowl would be a good idea to expand the family options. The Model C could fit in the same place the playground is in now and that thing hasn't been open since 2019. If you demolish Go Fresh Cafe instead which has been closed even longer you'd have room for Model D. Not sure how people would react to the first coaster in a decade being a P'Sghetti Bowl though, know what I mean?

I don't really understand the point of posts like this. In this specific instance we are talking about realistic things this park could use like kiddie rides, but even if not and it was about a hyper or something, so what? Are we supposed to not discuss this kind of stuff on a theme park message board in a thread dedicated to this actual park? Anyways, in an effort to provide content, yeah, a legit kiddie coaster would be nice. Mine Train is a good kids/family coaster as is Pandemonium, but the height requirement for both is the same as Screamin' Eagle. Bumper Cars, a tilt a whirl, some other mid range carnival style flats would go a long way for the family demographic. As-is right now, you have either the big thrill rides or the baby rides, not much in between save for the Scrambler and Log Flume.

first off that coaster is trash lol. Secondly I believe you have to be 42 inches for that ride? They really need something around 36

After years of following this thread, I'd like to officially welcome Zach to the grumpy Theme Park Dad's Club. That post (and subsequent grumbling ones) are legit endearing to see. My kids are just now graduating to the big stuff (they are 11, 9, and a brave six year old), but I've spent the last few years in the situation you are in (and given my youngest isn't 48 inches tall yet, she's limited on what she can do). A park having crappy family attractions, at least one that's billed more as a family park (versus Cedar Point, or something), seems baffling to me. No moon cars, no carousel, the pirate ship has been down all year....there just isn't much for young families to do. I think it's cool they are taking the care to do the carousel right, but yes, taken with the other stuff that's been removed or not working, if I had all very young kids I would definitely not be happy. This is why Holiday World is my favorite family park. I feel like they absolutely have nailed down how to do a family park right. Anyways, I was at the park yesterday sans-kids (for the first time in forever), and given there were like less than 1k people there, it was nice to walk on to EVERYTHING. I think this may be the first time in many years where I've visited that every single roller coaster was in operation. Best ride on the Boss in ages. And yes, Thunder River is open as I was on it yesterday. I saw that a lot more has happened to the Catwoman area as far as clearing/construction. They get that done, and the backside of the park will be much improved.

SFSTL does lack Family and Kids attractions for sure... you would think the park and corp knows this. Bumper Cars, Moon Cars, Ordinary Swing Ride (replace by Sky Screamer, definitely not a family attraction), Carousel (SBNO), Junior Coaster (from the old Kid's area). what else am I missing?

Thought this was interesting and some would like to watch, esp as this relates to this park.

I was at the park last Friday too and it was my first time back in over 10 years. I feel pretty much the same as you regarding the coasters. I liked Pantheon a lot but I think I expected more from it. I also only got 1 ride due to the downtime, so I may have a higher opinion if I got to ride a few more times and really experience it. The B&Ms were running great and are still the stars of the park. Griffon is definitely my favorite dive coaster and Apollo is still a top tier hyper. Alpengeist is so forceful and has such a great layout. Loch Ness is running really well for its age and I still love those interlocking loops. But I have to say, Verbolten was the suprise of the day! It's such a ridiculously fun coaster and the drop track really scared my kids (I kept it a surprise for them). We ended up riding it 4 times since we liked it so much. Overall it was a great visit and the park is just as beautiful and well maintained as I remembered it.

This sign appeared on the entrance of Zoom. Seems like they're teasing some kind of archeology theme to the renovation??

Well either way...the ride is closed for who knows how long right before peak season...AGAIN. No way I can put a positive spin on that.

Well, now not only it's dead it's buried!

The terrible fake tits don't bother me when I had a set of Cadillacs sitting across from me. Roosters FTW!

Cedar Fair forgot and had to sleep on the couch.

I wonder how long it took them to get that shot with Diamondback not double stacked