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^ Thanks for the update. Let's hope for some activity on Monte. I miss that ride! This whole thing has just been such a disaster. Another bad C.F. decision, just like Dragster at Cedar Point.

I went to SeaWorld today for the first day of Platinum Pass previews. There are new kiosks at the park entrance that work much better than the old ones. The old ones always were out of service or freezing up. As with past previews, they were checking to make sure everyone entering the line had a Platinum Pass. The wait time sign was posting a 15 minute wait but it was a walk on unless you wanted the front or back rows. The queue starts outdoors but is mostly indoors which is a welcome addition with the air conditioning. The queue is themed well with some props and then there are stairs and a walkway over the track in the station. It reminded me a little of Kingda Ka's walkway entering and exiting the station. The first launch was good and the ride is mostly a lot of twists and turns without too many drops. The ride isn't forceful at all but I wasn't expecting it with it being marketed as a family coaster. The second launch is close to the end of the ride before a large banked turn. There was a little bit of a rattle but not too bad. Penguin Trek is a great addition to SeaWorld and really needed. The park has so many thrill coasters and something much tamer really adds some variety to their lineup. I think it's going to be very popular with it appealing to almost everyone, especially with the low height requirement of 42"

Listen y'all. I'm ride or die for Knott's but I finally got to check out the new Camp Snoopy this week and... WOOF. For how much money was allegedly spent, the difference in the area is almost imperceptible. The new coaster is cute, but tiny. The waterfall and pontoon bridges are working again, but that is kind of just basic maintenance that the park stopped doing for years until this project. The most noticeable change is the loss of the theater and the extremely humble astroturf and bench area now occupying the space. The meet & greet space is still walled off, so you can't meet any Peanuts characters in Camp Snoopy. The Sally swing ride looks like it's not even close to finished. The Fiesta renovation was beautiful and made the entire zone feel fresh and vibrant. Camp Snoopy feels exactly the same as it was before, except now it's missing stuff (Air Mail and the theater).

I went to the park this afternoon for a few hours, mostly to just walk around and maybe jump on a few rides. Everything but Jaguar seemed to be running with multiple trains and reasonable 30-ish minute waits. It looks like some stuff's happening at Montezooma. There's a large white structure coming out of both ends of the station. It extends from where the rear spike used to stand to where the loop began. I got close to it at one point and thought I saw sun shining through it, suggesting it's just a tarpaulin to keep the mess to a minimum while they install the track. But whatever structure is holding it up looks oddly blocky, too — like walls. What stood out to me, though, was how low the clearance seemed. ^ From the back ^ Inside the station ^ From the front over by that kiddie balloon ride ^ It looks like they're also starting on whatever's going to end up on the old supports In terms of the new Snoopyland bit, it doesn't seem like much has changed. The new little coaster is running (it has a booster-launch section midway through), and there's a big section of astroturf with some tables on it. ^ Astroturfland