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Six years ago, I had a chance to embark on a grand European adventure, combining time at Disneyland Paris, in London and aboard the Disney Magic for a transatlantic cruise ending in New York City. It was one of the best (and longest) vacations I've ever taken, and ever since, my wife and I have been itching to do something similar. In years that followed, we set our sights on the Mediterranean, with Greece being on both of our bucket lists--anything else would be bonus. Knowing we had a more limited time this time around (thanks to having a young child back home, work obligations and other pending trips--see my Oktoberfest and Malaysia trip reports for more on that), we opted to skip out on parks at the front end of the trip, doing a "best of" stopover in London before heading to Rome/Civitavecchia to catch the Disney Dream for our 11 night Mediterranean cruise. We flew Norse Airways from Orlando to London Gatwick directly. On our prior transatlantic trip we flew Norwegian's long haul from Orlando to Paris and loved our experience. Norse Airways emerged from Norwegian's restructuring as a budget airline replacing many of Norwegian's prior long haul routes with their former planes. Fair warning, while the planes are comfortable, this is the equivalent of flying Spirit or Frontier on a long haul flight. Baggage requirements are smaller/more stringent and everything is an up-charge, to the point that the price difference, if you're packing for a long trip like we were, might not be far off from one of the more established, major airlines. In our case, their itineraries worked the best for us timing-wise, but they wouldn't be our first choice to fly again. Due to travel delays on our last transatlantic trip, we missed out on our reservation for the Michelin-starred Amaya restaurant in London. When planning this trip, we knew we had to make up for it. Quite easily the best oysters I've ever consumed, anywhere. I could have eaten this entire bowl of raita myself. If you're looking for stellar Indian food, Amaya is well worth your time! It felt so good to be back in London after six years. We were seriously tempted, but for this trip we had something else in mind... The last time we saw a show here, it was Kinky Boots and we loved it! The inside of the Adelphi Theater is lightly themed to Hill Valley California... Of course, they have merchandise. I've waited for this moment for such a long time! Here's my honest take on Back to the Future: The Musical... The show is pure fun. The music isn't particularly deep but it is ridiculously catchy (especially when listening again after seeing the show). The story is mostly aligned with what you know from the original film, though some story points have been updated to better align with the times (avid Back to the Future fans may be caught off guard, but it doesn't take away from the overall show). The cast is super talented and the effects are next-level. There's a moment at the end of the show that absolutely stuns. Avoid spoilers if you can because it is breathtaking, especially as a fan of the franchise. I'm super excited to see this show when it tours through the US soon and I've been listening to the soundtrack on repeat in the months since our trip concluded. We set reservations at our favorite speakeasy bar in Chinatown a few minutes' walk away from the West End... Though the drink menu has changed since our last visit, we both were very pleased with our choices. Good vibes only. It doesn't hurt that you can order fresh dim sum from one of the restaurants in Chinatown to be delivered to your table while you drink. I definitely recommend visiting Chinatown while in London if you can spare the time. The next morning we hopped in a taxi for our next destination, passing Big Ben to see it up close for the first time since I was in high school. During our last visit, the clocktower was behind scrims for an extended refurbishment, so it was neat to see fully restored after all these years. Our time in London was dictated primarily by our foodie interests... I could have bought it all. The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon at Fortnum & Mason was where we had one of our best meals during our previous trip and it was a must-do for this trip, knowing we were coming back to London. You can bet I finished this entire pot of Apricot, Honey & Lavendar tea. While the Salon offers prix fix menus, they do allow you to mix and match elements if your personal preferences cross the lines. This lobster omelette was one of my favorite dishes from our previous visit, so I had to give it another go and I was not disappointed. I opted for a savory tea lunch. My wife opted for sweet... What's great about getting both is that you can share, and as part of the experience, you can order more of any of the finger sandwiches, finger foods and sweets as you care to enjoy. After consuming our weight in food, we went down to the Fortnum and Mason shopping floors to buy things to send home. Shipping to the United States was a flat $25 for all of this and it arrived about a week after our visit. I was tempted to sample all of the ham, but knowing we would be ending our trip in Barcelona where I could try the best, I resisted the immediate temptation. Sadly not my favorite Fanta flavor I've tried... Would've loved to experience the London Trocadero when Sega World was still open inside. Also would have liked to try The Crystal Maze but we didn't have time during this visit. While in London, my wife asked for us to stop by the MinaLima storefront. We had seen their artwork in the Harry Potter films, in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter locations around the world and even met them in person at the Celebration of Harry Potter events at Universal Orlando over the years, so it was important for her to visit the store if we could. If you're a Harry Potter fan, this place will feel like a candy store for you. Cirque Arcanus is one of the new shows coming to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Ministry of Magic section of Universal's Epic Universe later this year... After our brief stop in London it was time to fly to Rome... But not without stopping at our first ever Nando's! Sweet potato fries from heaven. Garlic & Herb Nando's sauce for the win! During our flight it felt appropos to watch My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, considering where we were headed... The film was not worth the view. The next morning we would wake up and head to the port of Civitavecchia to catch our ship...

No worries! It was kinda under the radar of Ka being decommissioned. @prozach626 can attest, we're sad to see nothing new for SFSTL mentioned as we're in desperate need for a new coaster. But that's neither here nor there LOL

I won't/can't reveal source in the SFOT Mgmt chain. . . but yeah, 100% confirmed. it's a "record breaking Dive Coaster"

Thanks. - I had no idea I missed that.

Yes, on their press announcement (back in Nov) when the public found out about Kingda Ka, they spoke on a $525 Million investment over the next couple seasons. 4 coasters were named: Six Flags Magic Mountain near Los Angeles, Calif.First-of-its-kind coaster in North America Six Flags México in Mexico City, MexicoFamily thrill boomerang coaster Six Flags Over Texas near Dallas, TexasRecord-breaking dive coaster Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, N.J.Record-breaking launch coaster

I'm proud of myself for having to look that up.

Quick search says it was $82, $119, and $129 last year. I also remember the regular pass being less than 2 daily tickets. Now the cheap "Silver" pass is $170. My 2020 regular pass was only $129 (no blackout dates) and Gold pass was $214.

Fixed that for you.

Hopefully you'll get your answer quicker than the last poster.