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We just rode the train in mid-September and nothing seemed out of whack or dangerous. The ride was smooth, no large bumps that I can recall nor were there any strange sounds aside from the usual train wheel sounds. Speaking of, the fact that someone had to clarify the wheels were silver rather than black rubber? C'mon, train wheels aren't rubber. Steel on steel, the tracks drive the train. I guess they're gonna have to remove the joke about the crashed locomotive now, haha. Either that or own this incident and give a quick modern re-write! When in doubt, double down!

Last night I had the chance to experience Howl-O-Scream at SeaWorld Orlando... The event is in its second year and builds upon the same formula that has been found at the other SeaWorld and Busch parks for years. This year's lineup features two "new" houses, one reimagined house and two returning, along with seven scare zones and four shows (one of which is an up-charge experience). Having just been to the parks two weeks earlier for the daytime offering of the Halloween Spooktacular, I was amazed to see that the vertical construction on Pipeline: The Surf Coaster had progress to new heights. The coaster's initial 110 foot tall banked turn the comes immediately after the coaster's launch is already nearly complete. At this pace, I'd expect that the coaster's track installation could be completed sometime between late November and early December. The new turn towers over any other park structures in the area. You can also see where the loading station, the train storage and transfer track will be, all running along the berm of the park by the parking lot. Time for some Halloween thrills... Howl-O-Scream's central hub is the education pavilion area normally used for SeaWorld camp, educational programs and field trips. It wouldn't be a Halloween event without fire and ghoulish dancers. Sliders roam this section of the park, so be on the lookout and don't be surprised if they spark a light upon the path in front of you. From the main hub you enter the park by Bayside Stadium. "Frozen Terror: Alive in the Ice" is the first scare zone to pass through. Halloween and chainsaws go hand in hand. Beneath the Ice: Terror at Base Camp Aura is a returning house from last year. The experience runs through the majority of the former entrance queue and loading station for the Wild Arctic simulator attraction. Pipeline can be seen from multiple angles in the park. Here you can see the launch track leading into the first turn. Over at Flamecraft Bar, this was going on... For some reason. The Waterfront is home to the Cut Throat Cove scare zone... Here there be pirates. Lost Souls Hideaway is a new Drag Cabaret show at Howl-O-Scream Orlando. It is a $10 up-charge to experience and reservations are required. Manta is among the lineup of park rides that operate during Howl-O-Scream. I couldn't really explain what happens in here if I tried... Some of the scare zones have scare actors haunting from above. Yes, they sell bug food here. No, I did not try any. Terrors of the Deep is a scare zone by Shark Encounter. Terrors of the Deep was the original name of the Shark Encounter exhibit, so this was a fun nod to that part of the park's history. Adult capri-sun pouches... If you've seen it at any of the other SeaWorld or Busch parks, you've seen it here. There's dancing. And stomping... And Jack does some Ripping. These knife drummers are easily the best part of the show. Over in Waterway Grill a temptress sings alluring tunes... All while an aerialist performs acrobats over guests' heads. Captain's Revenge: Drowned in Darkness returns this year to offer more pirate chills. Let me get one last look at you... Artsy... Sirens' Last Call Bar is easily the event's biggest themed bar space. They have ghoulish dancers... And lots of room for people. There's a dedicated shop in the main event hub. While a neat concept... Read the fine print before buying. And keep an eye out for sliders on your way out of the park!

Fridays are usually light to moderate crowds. There’s still local high school football games going on so that keeps some guests away. Phantom and Curtain will probably be single train ops due to staffing challenges but lines should only be 30-45min (or less). But since this is the last weekend of Phantom Fall Fest it’s possible that the crowd may be larger than usual. As far as Speedy pass, it kinda depends. If you’re going to just get on the coasters then it’s probably not necessary. But if you want to do coasters+haunts then it might be worth it depending on how much you want to cover in the 5 hours.

So we took our kids to Dorney for the first time, and my first visit since 2013 for their Family Halloween bash. I remembered this park was nice but when visiting with our kids it was even better. It's more of a full day park since kids tend to slow you down and experience more than just the biggest coasters. The weather held out for us, it was cool but not freezing and the rain never came. Crowds were decent for a Sunday in October but lines were non-existent. The Peanuts Pumpkin Fest was great, they had lots of activities and games for the kids, and one of the best trick or treat setups we've done. They turned their cabanas into little houses to go door to door to. Much better than Sesame Place that we went to the day before. The kids also loved Planet Snoopy a very underrated kids section. Most of Dorney is underrated, and it's a shame Cedar Fair doesn't put more into this park, especially being in a big metro area. The major coasters are all solid and in good shape. Thunder hawk was fun and not to rough, just some bad trim brakes. Hydra was good but had a noticeable rattle that I don't recall from the last time. Possessed was fast and exciting but it sounds like it could be in need of some repairs, the launch section sounded bad. The stars were Talon and Steel Force, Talon is also very underrated and one of the better Inverts out there. It's got great pacing and intense inversions, the crew could be a little faster though. Steel Force was so much better than I remember, it's not top ten but better than many give it credit for. The back has a great first drop but the airtime is better in front, and less forceful when landing back on the seat. The mid course barely slowed down the train. Overall Dorney is a solid family park that gets overlooked in Pennsylvania with so many other more well known parks. If it were in an area with less competition it would be a star. I wish we lived closer to this than the couple of six flags we have. As for no lines ever I'm fine with that, it was good to see that hasn't changed over the years.