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Magic Mountain doesn't exist in a vacuum. I'd be worried about it if these kings of things were only happening there, but operationally the chain as-a-whole is in the worst place it's been in in about 15 years. The CEO miscalculated and nobody is coming to the parks so they're scrambling to cut budget, making the product worse which makes the prices even more insane and hard for people to justify and the cycle is going to continue until someone else takes over.

Day 2: Sunday, October 25th. I was back at the park 15 minutes prior to the opening of the gates on Sunday, to be greeted with quite the crowd. Thankfully, this was not indicative of the crowd levels throughout the day, which stayed quite light. To kill time prior to entry, I took a walk over to the designated smoking zone and snapped the same picture that everyone takes of Dominator: At opening, I made my way inside the park, grabbed my FL+ and Premium All Day Dining writstbands, and snapped this picture of the tower, with both demon eyes lit up (this will be important later). Walking down International Street, I took a quick picture of one of many wooden jack-o-lanterns that lined the fountain. First on the agenda for today was Dominator, open during the standard half-hour not-early-entry period. A one-train wait for back row, left wing. Notably not as rattle-y as I recall from the past. I tried to get another shot of the train at the crest of the loop, and missed it once again. At the full park opening at noon, I headed over to Woodstock Express to find it closed with some maintenance workers fiddling with the ride, so I instead made my way down to the Outpost Cafe, one of the new restaurants for this year. I opted for the Citrus Fried Chicken with sides of mac & cheese and fry bread... ...which was not only a much bigger portion than I imagined (I couldn't even finish all of the chicken), but was also delicious. For a normal guest price of $19, I guess it better be haha. Very impressive, KD. I then took advantage of the non-existent lines and hopped on Reptilian again, twice! One-train waits for both the front row and back row. Man, this ride is so good. Poor Volcano queue/station building... Hey, look at that, the scrambler has lights now! Sadly, later in the night I would learn that they're not even LEDs :(. The only other thing left to remind us of what once was... Next up was another ride on I305. A 13-minute-wait for front row, the best place to ride this and any other coaster that's all about speed. Grabbed a few pictures of the Site X scare zone, in the day time: Some more of the decorations surrounding the fountain. Boo! Change this already! Am I the only one who remembers when the line for Days of Thunder would get so long, they needed to use this bridge to route the queue to the overflow area on the other side of the pathway? The entrance to No Vacancy: Condemned. A better picture of the giant skull. Shenandoah Lumber Company log flume was running today! It would close with the arrival of Haunt later on. A better shot of the horse-and-carriage. Unlike last year, when Grizzly ran during the day but closed at Haunt, this year it appears to be closed all together. Preparations for Titan track or RMC? The world may never know. Though in actuality, we all know the answer is a decided "no." Entrance to Grimm Woods... ..and one of the spooky trees out front. I always loved this feature, though they didn't do any kind of Halloween decoration on it this year. Riff Raff stage in daylight. I'm not sure if I preferred this to the "on-top-of-shipping-containers" of last year. Next on the rides agenda was... I've never noticed this ACE Landmark plaque before, somehow. Holy crap, it was actually racing! I also never noticed they returned the paint scheme of old, which was obviously done a few years ago. ..,nor have I noticed the non-body-color covers for the restraint locks. Anyway, this was a train-and-a-half wait for the left side (which I hadn't seen open in quite a while). Great ride, very smooth, and we won by like a whole train length (the lift synchronizer was working). Enjoy a fun video using my proper camera and clamp-having tripod. M4H02952_Trim.mp4 Closed for wind. Entrance to Blood on the Bayou, in daylight. 90 minutes had passed since my last meal, so it was time for another! I stopped in the Jukebox Diner and grabbed a double-cheeseburger with fries. Burger was decent (not as dry as they usually are at this location), but the fries were great and seasoned with something. Next up was my #2 at this park, Twisted Timbers! About to do its thing... ...And there it goes... Two-train-wait for the front row (I told you crowds stayed light!), and awesome as always. I'm warming to the stupid locker system, especially now that I realized I don't have to remove everything out of my pockets, only the big metal stuff. I was playing around with the clamp tripod again, so enjoy M4H02963_Trim.mp4 The Ferris wheel doesn't look as depressing in the day. Now, I'm not a huge carousel connoisseur like @bert425is, but I did take some time to appreciate the one here at Kings Dominion. Some history: Some details: They even have an old-style ticket booth! Daytime shot of the outside of Trick or Treat. The always-cool signs for Candy Apple Grove. Sorry, Kings Island, I get the history behind Coney Mall, but this is a much nicer rendition of a classic park midway. Following are a whole bunch of pictures of the Cleaver Brothers Carnival scare zone, including every booth and decoration. Jack is back! As is the bar truck... But Drop Zone is closed for the year. I grabbed a quick walk-on ride on Bad Apple (their Troika) and continued down Candy Apple Grove. I get it that the Pizza Parlor and Dodgem are park-originals, but they could use a little love. As could the Wave Swinger, which was my next ride. One-cycle wait for what's always a nice relaxing way to catch some breeze. Enjoy yet another video. M4H03009_Trim.mp4 Everyone loves the singing mushrooms! Even the unattended brat that knocked over my camera mid-filming. Seriously folks, if you chose to reproduce, keep your kids on a tether (literally if you have to). M4H03013_Trim.mp4 Snoopy looking festive as always. Some shots of the Uprising scare zone. And the awesome flower clock. Spiders in the light. A map posted at the entrance to Jungle X-Pedition. Didn't see any hints for the Volanco-site's future, can you? Flight of Fear was next. Part of me prefers the original exterior design, as opposed to the partially-damaged one at Kings Island. This was a 16 minute wait for front row, and was a quality ride as always. It always confused me why both CF and SF have kept these spaghetti-bowl Premier launchers in such good condition yet SFGAdv couldn't manage to keep Batman & Robin: The Chiller functional. After that, the park basically shut down for impending lightning (which never materialized) and rain (which did), so I took a brief nap in my car before coming back in, and heading to the top of the tower. It had been a while since I've been up there, and even longer since I took pictures, so enjoy! (Nightime pics will come later, too!) Nothing going on in the Volcano site, just a bunch of rubble. It's always fun when you can spot your car from an elevated position. Took the long elevator ride down the tower, and ducked into Camp Snoopy, snapping a shot of one of the trick-or-treating houses that I thought looked cool... ... and made my way to Woodstock Express. Nerd shot. 20 minute wait (!) for back row. Yeah, one train only. It was now past 6:00, and indoor haunts were back open, so I took another stroll through Condemned (around 5 minute wait without Fright Lane) and took a lap on Blue Ridge Tollway (which should totally be a haunted attraction again!). Now, it was time for the Haunt opening show, Blood Reign. This has a substantially different plot from last year's opening show, and incorporates the Burnette the Barker character and a guy who literally catches on fire. Bigger news! My absolutely favorite actor from Kings Dominion, who played Astaroth in last year's Heads Will Roll Haunt show and Tinker in the Tinker's Toy Factory Winterfest show, was back as Astaroth! Who knows what else he was doing the rest of the night, but I'm told that he is involved in the full Queen's Ball show that wasn't performing this weekend. Even more reason to come back. Anyway, enjoy some pictures from this show. As night descended, it was time for some more pictures! The giant skull, properly illuminated. Pumpkin Eater zone Took another walk through Grimm Woods (one minute wait without Fright Lane), and was equally as impressed as I was the night before. Riff Raff, at night. Another stroll through Trick or Treat (no wait with my possibly-not-the-right-color Fast Lane+ wristband), and then I stopped to take in the full Burnette the Barker and Black Widow Burlesque shows, with the Queen character watching on approvingly. Apparently, she roves the park and interacts with shows and scare actors, which is kinda cool. This was just awesome: Apparently, one of the scare actors sustained a leg injury, so instead of opting her out of the festivities, they incorporated her kneeling-scooter into an act (a mobile popcorn seller). Brilliant! Another walk through 21 (no wait with my probably-not-the-right-color FL+ wristband), this time I saw the other opening part (still no spoilers!). But, there were some jerk teenagers in the front of the group who made some snide remarks to one of the in-character hosts, who promptly proceeded to send them to the back of the line. I absolutely loved it. Every park should implement a "no unattended minors" rule, if not making Halloween stuff 21+ events. Site X scare zone, in the dark. See, scrambler does have lights. But like I said, not LEDs. Better than nothing I guess. Tiki Twirl ominously lit up. Oh, and it is on Fast Lane (Plus only) now! I did not ride it this trip; once back in March was enough for me. Next it was back to I305 for a one-train-wait for the back row; I was out of my seat the entire first drop. Only running one train, but it didn't really need more than that. Back through the Cleaver Brothers Carnival zone, and saw a fire twirler that I hadn't seen before. Very entertaining. Grabbed a quick ride on the other side of Racer 75 (half-train-wait for row 2); just as smooth as first ride, and then Twisted Timbers (two-train-wait for the back row). An awesome, non-stapled ride in the dark. Stopped back by the Cleaver Brothers Stage for the full set of Big Top Band... ..and then made my way up the tower with 15 minutes until closing, for some night-time shots. Yes, that is the Virginia State Fair rides midway in the distance. I did not attend this year. A few more pics of the International Street decorations... ...and it was out of the park to call it a night. If you look close, you can see that the demon eyes on the tower were now winking at us! I don't think this was on purpose haha. All in all, this was a wonderful day-and-a-half at a park I should have spent more time at this summer. Overall, Haunt this year was a bit of a step down from last year's event, but was still super fun! It was opening weekend and should improve as the season goes on. I will definitely be stopping back for some more rides and shows. Ride counts: -I305 x 3 -Reptilian x 3 -Twisted Timbers x 2 -Racer 75 Left x 1 -Racer 75 Right x 1 -Flight of Fear x 1 -Bad Apple x 1 -Wave Swinger x 1 -Blue Ridge Tollway x1 Haunt Maze counts: -Grim Woods x 2 -Condemned x 2 -Trick or Treat x 2 -21 x 2 -Blood on the Bayou x1 -Cornstalkers x1 Thanks for reading!

Was at the resort last week and got to experience Cosmic Rewind finally. There's a ton I could unpack about it, but overall yeah, I can see this being a lot of people's favorite roller coaster in all of Walt Disney World! Quite thrilling, and surprisingly longer than I expected! Loved it! Not my favorite overall attraction at Disney (RotR is still king), and personally not my #1 coaster at Disney (I'm a sucker for Everest), but dang is it a top contender! I rode it twice, first time with virtual queue, and also had a Lightning Lane callback to get back in line later in the evening, and boy am I glad I did. I could ride that almost all day! I can't wait until they drop Virtual Queue, because it's very, very efficient with capacity too. I'm gonna try to still not spoil anything for anyone who's avoiding those (you should probably stop reading now if you're that person), but... There's one one thing I think I could critique with it, and it's that the story pacing during the actual coaster section itself is so fast that you miss a ton of what's actually happening. Now, no one needs to know what's happening, it's still just suuuuper fun to sit back and enjoy the ride! But if you're trying to follow along the full story as well, you'll miss a LOT on that first ride-thru. With regards to spinning: My dad is NOT into spinning rides and was worried it would make him too sick for the rest of the day. He was assured by many others he might like it and to give it a try anyway. Him and I rode together for our first ride. He said he did enjoy it, but it was very borderline for his limits and still made him a lil disoriented for a good portion of the day after, but he felt fine by the evening. I rode alone on my second lap . (Maybe spoiler for ride layout ahead) The coaster doesn't free-spin like a wild mouse, but there's a ton of sudden fast helixes throughout the ride that might still throw off those with weaker stomachs.

^ About that last paragraph.... Disney was quoted (some time long ago, I remember) that the Original Pirates ride was an "action attraction", and as such, the public would make repeat visits to it, because there was "so much going on at once", one ride through was not enough. And after his passing, the original Haunted Mansion was essentially the same in design, with lots to see, again and again. I still can't remember all of what happens in that graveyard, heh. And .... they did make tons of repeat visits to both attractions, lol. And I expect that this will happen with Rewind. People will miss stuff and want to ride it all again.

This looks like a seriously wicked ride, I'm excited to hear more about it.

And that's where my theory comes into play. I wasn't being facetious. If this isn't solved soon, the company will need an alternative cash flow to pay down debt. Bringing in a new CEO at this point may stop the bleeding, but won't heal the wound. I can't see a way out of this without selling some asset. With California currently being the absolute worst place to do business right now, to me this makes SFMM and SFDK the most vulnerable. And I don't think anyone would miss either park

Updates seem to be posted here: https://www.royalcaribbean.com/notices/travel-updates

^ I think that's awesome! I hope they leave them up all year. Much better than some random benches strewn about. It really gives the park some character and a nice place for your group to sit and chat.

A new slide is coming to Water Country USA in 2023: Riptide Race! Here's the park's announcement. All-New Riptide Race to Open at Water Country USA in 2023 as Virginia’s First Dueling Pipeline, Members Will be Among the First to Ride WILLIAMSBURG, VA. (September 27, 2022) – Water Country USA, voted one of the country’s top ten water parks by USA Today is splashing into 2023 with Riptide Race, the first dueling pipeline in Virginia. This family-friendly water slide will be the park’s tenth slide when it opens next year, complimenting relaxing areas to unwind, including Hubba Hubba Highway, Rock ‘n’ Roll Island, plus kid-friendly spaces like the all-new Lil’ Surfers Splash Pad, which opened earlier this year at Virginia’s largest water park. Riptide Race is an adrenaline-pumping water slide race that pits teams against each other in a splash to the finish line. Riders challenge friends and family members to see which team feels the rush of victory. Speeding through each turn in a down-to-the-wire finish, this fast-paced, high-speed adventure is one that guests will want to experience again and again. It all starts atop a 54-foot tower, where visitors grab a two-person raft before racing through 520 feet of slide, with low walls to keep an eye on the competition. It’s a dash to the splash when competing in this side-by-side raft run through high-speed tunnels, twists and turns. “The addition of Riptide Race will elevate our guest experience in a unique and unprecedented way”, said Kevin Lembke, Park President of Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Water Country USA. “With a 42-inch height requirement, Riptide Race was designed with the whole family in mind. We are excited for our guests to enjoy this fast-paced adventure together and look forward to the debut of Riptide Race next year.” Water Country USA will open for the 2023 season on Saturday, May 13. Additional details about Riptide Race, including an opening date will be shared in the coming months. The thrills continue in 2023 at Busch Gardens Williamsburg with the addition of DarKoaster™, North America’s first all-indoor straddle coaster. Traveling on snowmobiles across 2,454 feet of track, daring explorers race through total darkness while changing course to avoid the elements. As the weather strikes, riders encounter four accelerating launches and speed through the storm on this family-friendly dark ride experience. Opening next year, the new attraction is the park’s tenth coaster and an unprecedented, family-friendly addition to Busch Gardens’ thrill ride portfolio.

^ Independence of the Seas: Friday, September 30, 2022 sailing from Port Canaveral We are closely and continuously monitoring Hurricane Ian to understand if the storm will impact your boarding day. At this time, there are no changes to your sailing. Should we need to make any changes to ensure our guests’ safety and comfort, we will contact booked guests and travel advisors immediately and no later than September 28 at 8:00 PM EDT.

I really liked this park a few years and just thought they needed a signature coaster. This should be it. The ride looks great!

I share with you the latest update of the new Intamin multi-launch. They will finish completing the layout this week https://youtu.be/D5prpIduUVQ

Maybe corporate is banking on the park burning to the ground with the rest of California and then taking the insurance money for bonuses.

We went to the park yesterday for the first time in years. It was a pretty huge shitshow. By park close, "only" Crazanity, Scream, Ninja, Superman, X2 and Drop of Doom (or whatever it's called) and about half of the smaller rides remained closed for the entire day, but every major ride that wasn't up front opened around 2 despite a 6pm close. This included the brand new ride. The only exceptions were Goliath, Riddler and Batman that ran all day for some reason. Also, the rapids and the only indoor air conditioned restaurant were closed for the entire day. It was 102 degrees. As for positive things to say? Uh... the mountains are pretty and Tatsu exists. That's all I've got.

Howl-o-Scream Creeps Back to Williamsburg Guests coming to Busch Gardens Williamsburg best be ready for witches, cannibals, evil clowns, Jack o’ the Lantern, and even a creepy game-show host at Howl-o-Scream 2022 (HOS). The park held a VIP/Media Night on Friday, September 23, hosted by Mr. Bobby Ocean, the MC of that classic game show Win, Lose, or Die on Station 666. Of course, the show’s been off the air for a while, and all the other folks at the station are dead, but Bobby is making his big comeback greeting guests at the front entrance for HOS. He gets ‘em coming and going. TPR thanks Busch Gardens for inviting us to their big night--and for the nice spread of fiendish food and drink in the Globe Theatre. But what’s new at HOS this year? There are three new “Terror-tories" (that is, scare zones)--Dead A-Head (the vengeful spirits of the beheaded in France), Gorgon Gardens (Medusa and other sirens in Italy), and Scary Tale Road (childhood favorites gone horribly wrong in Germany). Meat Market (New France) and Ripper Row (England) are back, as are the roaming hordes of scary clowns with chain saws and really big hammers. Although DarKastle is now lost as a “special event” space, the park is offering three new mazes this year (two are from last year). Nevermore: Chapter II (NEW, old Drachen Fire station): This is a reimagining of the Nevermore maze that was in DarKastle last year, and I think the new space (which has more of a “decayed House of Usher” feel) works better for it. It’s a walk through the world of Edgar Allan Poe’s stories, including “Murders in the Rue Morgue” and “Masque of the Red Death.” I’ve always been a big fan of Poe, so this was my favorite. Death Water Bayou (NEW, Festa Italia): This maze uses the same space as last year’s Circo Sinistro. It’s a big improvement, with much better sets and atmosphere, including a New Orleans mortuary, a creepy jazz club, and (of course) a voodoo master’s lair. Nice work reusing the old tents from the circus maze. Inferno (NEW, Escape from Pompeii show building): This maze is a somewhat generic “walk through Hell,” with demons, victims, and the smell of brimstone. But I think it’s a good replacement for the old Dystopia maze and fits in better with Pompeii. KILLarney Diner (Battle for Eire building, Ireland): Who’s ready for lunch? You’re always on the menu at this 1950s diner for cannibals. Who would like a nice plate of Steamed Ears or Flesh Fries? I love the diner and town sets of this maze, but it has the same problem other mazes have had in this building--that long exit where nothing happens. Witch of the Woods (behind Verbolten in Germany): Yes, there are woods and witches here. I thought this maze was a bit weak last year, but on Friday night the witch and her minions were a bit more active. It’s quite a hike to get there, though. You have to walk around the Festhaus and all the way past the old Drachen Fire barn on a service trail. Note that Monster Stomp on Ripper Row should be opening next weekend (September 30), but other shows, such as Jack Is Back (Ireland) and Phantoms of the Festhaus, are running now. Again, thank you to Busch Gardens Williamsburg for inviting Theme Park Review to the VIP Night. Dust off your crucifix and break out the garlic--we’re heading into Howl-o-Scream! Here's the some of spread BGW put out for the VIP Night. The hand on the right was not part of cuisine (at least for the media). Did you ever have the feeling that you were being watched? Not sure why . . . it was just a strange sensation that came over me. I'm pretty sure these cards are cursed. I'm positive now. At Busch Gardens, even the dead can smoke only in certain designated areas. Time to start exploring Howl-o-Scream. Jack is, indeed, back in Ireland. Get down, or Jack will haunt the hell out of you! Who's ready for Jack's after party? "Our special tonight is Roast Leg of YOU!" The sign pretty much says it all. Remember, before entering Inferno, please apply sunscreen. "Somebody wanna hand me a magazine? I'm gonna be on the throne for a while, if you catch my drift." Fire in this skull's mouth hole! Sheesh! Even the trees in Italy are burning. This is the best-dressed snake person I've ever seen. The stone-faced ruler of Gorgon Gardens. I give Busch Gardens credit for how they name their bars. On to Germany and whatever fiendish fate awaits us. Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore . . . one more time!" OK, I'll cut off these chains so you can escape the pendulum. But watch out for the pit as you exit to your left. "Oh, you simply must stay for the party! It'll really start to swing when Red Death arrives." "For the love of God, Montressor, if you don't show up with that Amontillado in five minutes, I'm leaving!" It wouldn't be HOS without some random fog. Once upon a time, before Disney sanitized them, fairy tales were really creepy. Hey, pig, how's that straw house workin' for ya? On Scary Tale Road, the pumpkins eat Peter, the Pumpkin Eater. Should I glaze myself first? This guy in the Meat Market was the most polite monster I ever met. Always happy to give a hand . . . or a foot . . . or a liver. "You're gonna buy a handstamped ring, right? Who wants cake? "Oh, what an adorable little girl! Let granny help you with that guillotine." "Yes, we don't behead just anyone, you know!" Darkness descends, so it's time for a pint. "Aye, Scotland! We're hauntin' the hell outta ye!" Blurry park guests! The most frightening monsters of them all! Ireland isn't the only venue where one can, as they say, "get down." Bozo never had a chain saw. That was his mistake. "Wanna try my whammer? It's really big!" Can you not smell the gumbo . . . of DEATH? I wonder if there's a beignet stand around here? If this was a "Boo Blasters" ride, he'd have milk and cookies. It's quite a haul to Witch of the Woods. First, you have to get past Gorgon Gardens. Then you walk all the way around the Festhaus, past Nevermore, then past the old Drachen Fire barn. Our quest is at an end. God be praised! "Geez! All we did was fall asleep for a few hundred years, and a damn tree grew around us!" "I am an attorney representing the Blair Witch, and she would like to discuss this egregious violation of her trademark 'stick figures.'" That was a fun night, but I'm beat . . . oh, crap--a cop! And Jack the Ripper? Where's that cop when I need him? "Y'all won this round of 'Win, Lose, or Die'! Care to play again?" That's a wrap from Howl-o-Scream 2022 at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Thanks for reading.

I love all the people that are blaming Intamin for this. Like, the ride is 16 years old, Intamin hasn't touched it in quite a while.

I lost a bet concerning the outcome of the Vikings-Packers game and now I have no eyebrows.

this was today. not a great time to go if you're trying to ride more than Silver Bullet. LOL I guess Hangtime had some issues recently and has been down. But, it was testing this morning. So maybe that's good news for reopening. I'm assuming Calico is being changed to the Candy overlay.