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Full trip report POSTED! Click the links to jump to each part of the trip. Part 1 - Busch Gardens Williamsburg (Day 1 and Day 2) Part 2 - Fun Spot Atlanta (and adventures in Athens, GA!) Part 3 - Lake Winnepesaukah Part 4 - Dollywood (Day 1 and Day 2) I'll be leaving the original post up for posterity's sake. Thanks for reading, everyone! ********************ORIGINAL POST BELOW************************************************ Hey everyone! So for a variety of reasons outside of my control, my park adventuring this year is going to be substantially cut back from previous years'. I have no season passes anywhere, and am only taking one "big" trip, which is what this about. Here's the agenda: Day 1 - Sunday 5/28 - Drive from Delaware to Williamsburg, check into hotel, go to BGW from 4 PM - 10 PM (I snagged a two-day ticket from Tickets At Work for $60) Day 2 - Monday, 5/29 - All day at BGW, 8 PM closing. (budgeted for Quick Queue if needed) Day 3 - Tuesday, 5/30 - Drive to Atlanta, Check in, Relax. Day 4 - Wednesday, 5/31 - Fun Spot Atlanta from opening until I do everything I want, relax and spend time with my friend who lives near Atlanta. Day 5 - Thursday 6/1 - Drive towards Pigeon Forge, by way of Lake Winnepesaukah, spending time at that park, and checking in to the DreamMore Resort. Day 6 - Friday 6/2 - All day at Dollywood (with Timesaver). Day 7 - Saturday 6/3 - All day at Dollywood (with Timesaver). Day 8 - Sunday 6/4 - Drive home to Delaware. All of these parks except for BGW are new to me, and I haven't been to BGW since 2009 when Big Bad Wolf closed, so I've got a bunch of new credits there. So naturally, I've got some questions. But first, some of my "quirks" so people can make educated recommendations: 1. For rides, I thoroughly enjoy coasters, dark rides, water rides that don't get you drenched, and flats that don't spin in too many directions at once. 2. I eat like a 5 year old. Pizza, cheesesteaks, pretzels, burgers, mac & cheese, sweet deserts, etc. I am not opposed to fancier varieties of such items, but note that I generally don't do fruits or vegetables. 3. I do drink alcohol, but only in extreme moderation (pretty much no more than 3 drinks a day) due to medications. So, on to the questions... 1. Thoughts on if I'll need Quick Queue at BGW on Memorial Day Monday? Can I buy it in the park or is it like a Kings Island thing where you have to do it online? I notice that InvadR and DarKoaster are only on Quick Queue Unlimited Plus which is $150 on that day. My plan was to knock out DarKoaster either the previous night or first thing in the morning on Monday, and from what I've read that will be a one-and-done, but I'll probably want multiple rides on InvadR since I do love me some modern GCIs. 2, Anything ride or food wise at Fun Spot, Lake Winne, or Dollywood that I shouldn't be sleeping on? Yes, I know "Cinnamon Bread at DW." 3. Anything that is owned and operated by decidedly pro-LGBTQ+ people in Pigeon Forge area that's worth checking out? I'm hesitant to spend any money that is not necessary in Tennessee (see this thread if you need clarification on why), helped out by @bert425's comments there, and as @SharkTums suggested in that thread, I'm planning a sizeable donation to the ACLU of Tennessee to "offset" my spending tax dollars there, but if there's anything very cool that isn't going to help the efforts to harm the existence of people like me, I'd like to check it out. I'll likely not be returning to the area anytime in the near future. 4. Same question as #3 but about Atlanta. Really the only cool place I know is Vortex Bar & Grill. Georgia's ACLU will also be getting a donation, but I'd rather not support unfriendly businesses. 4. Anything travel-related I should know about this route? I'm very familiar with the I-95 issues in VA, but I'll be veering off onto I-85 south of Richmond, which I've only driven thrice before, to get to Atlanta. Then I'll be taking I-75 and I-40 west/north/east from there to get to Pigeon Forge, and then I-40, I-81 and I-66 all the way to I-95 north of DC. 5. Any other tips and tricks for this trip? Thank you everyone in advance for your advice and suggestions.

Looks like SeaWorld is trying to boost their attendance numbers the next month and a half! https://seaworld.com/orlando/annual-pass/passport-to-summer/ I don't think I've ever seen anything like this at a park. Annoying that you have to collect vouchers instead of it keeping track automatically but interesting to say the least. I know most might only get some free popcorn but at least it's something

Yeah, I agree it’s definitely a little slow. I worked Mantis many moons ago so I was really intrigued. SeaWorld has had four on platform which definitely helps. The crew up there is fantastic and you could tell they knew how to run a B&M It’s essentially the same process as a traditional stand up in the sense that you understandably have to stand straight up for the harness to lock at the proper position. Guests try to bounce like Tigger before they’re in the proper position. You also have to pull the seat down to your height on your own just like the original design- I think if there was a way to have them automatically lower that would speed things up, but not having to constantly lock/relock the up/down motion of the seats is one less thing slowing down the process.

It's a bad early entry lineup for Cedar Point but it's not bad compared to most regional parks. You're never going to find me complaining about any ride lineup that includes Millennium Force.

So I have to tell you... El Toro looks like crap. Anyone expecting a full refurbishment is going to be severely disappointed. There are some regulars who firmly believe that the coaster isn't opening this season. I'm not one of them, but they rarely have more than 1-2 guys working on it at a time when the park is open so they're not exactly going balls-out with a major refurb like Liseberg or Heide Park either. This is Six Flags and they're Six Flagsing the crap out of this. There's no update. I feel like it will probably open in the next few months with the bare-minimum amount of work done and I would hurry up and ride it... just incase.