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I'm more sad about the realization of how fast time is moving. I was 22 when this opened. I was stoked for the day I might make it out to SFGadv, which happened in 2019. Even though I wasn't a big fan of the ride, Ka a significant icon of the coaster war era. The other signs of the times were Taki and hair gel advertisements... We can just forget about those.

I'm sure McDonalds and KFC will be happy to not have a hundred coaster enthusiasts sitting in their parking lot flying drones anymore. Lol

A few weekends ago I had a chance to stop into Busch Gardens Tampa Bay to activate my son's preschool pass. It had been a little bit of time since my last visit, so I used the day as a chance not only to entertain my son, but to get caught up on a few notable changes at the park. Lazy morning for the cheetahs... Cheetah Run is seriously one of the best animal-focused elements of the entire park. Yes, they have giraffes and zebras here too. Shortly after Phoenix Rising opened it was announced that Scorpion would close. The park's second roller coaster (and oldest standing coaster in the park after Python was removed to make way for Jungala) had an abrupt closure, which had led to believe that its removal (whether disassembly or scrapping) would be swift. As you'll see here, that's not the case. The queue entrance has simply lost its ride signage and the path has been boarded off. If I didn't know the ride was permanently closed, I'd think it was simply down for refurbishment. With the exception of the there being no trains in the station or on the transfer track, this looks exactly like it did when it was still in operation. Here's hoping someone is planning to buy Scorpion for more than just scrap metal. Out with the old, in with the new, I guess. I will admit, I was surprised at just how sprawling the layout for Phoenix Rising is... Building a one-train-operating coaster at one of the most popular, year-round parks in the country was certainly a choice. To their credit, the ride ops did seem to strive for quick dispatches, but with one only train in operation, the hourly throughput is quite dismal. There are four screens within the station that animate with stylized designs as the phoenix rises into the lift hill. The track weaves in and around itself multiple times throughout the layout. A significant portion of the coaster sits backstage in the plot previous occupied by the Sand Serpent (previously Cheetah Chase) roller coaster. Because of its sheer size and location, it is pretty much impossible to capture all of Phoenix Rising's layout in a single frame. It does have some interesting twisty bits... Over in Jungala there are some familiar sights... Construction on the new Wild Oasis section of Jungala continues. Some significant additions are being built in the back section of Jungala's new Wild Oasis. Just monkeying around. SheiKra is among several attractions at the park currently closed for refurbishment. The last time I saw the the splashdown fully drained was when the coaster was first under construction in 2005. Also going on during our visit was the park's take on Mardi Gras. Yes, they have food and wine booths, not unlike other Central Florida theme parks... After the Mardi Gras parade, several of the performers offer photo ops near Iron Gwazi. Yep. Beads! Is it even Mardi Gras if you can't get your hands on a hurricane? More performers incoming! Overall it was a pretty solid day at the park!

Looks Like they Purchased new style Vekoma Trains, that's a big win for a smaller park in the chain.

Later in the second week of my trip, I planned another bucket list stop for after work. This one, in many ways is more recognizable and even more rare than Genting SkyWorlds... Times Square Berjaya Theme Park, and most notably, Supersonic Odyssey was within reach. I had watched Robb & Elissa's POVs of this coaster and I had long since ruled out the possibility of ever getting a chance to ride it myself. But when I found out that I would be working in Malaysia for a few weeks, this concept was instantly revisited and I started to plan... While not nearly as grand as Pavilion or Suria KLCC, Times Square Berjaya is a pretty nice mall... That just happened to be hosting a half court basketball tournament in the main atrium. Getting ready to be enveloped in a fever dream. Times Square Berjaya Theme Park is the stuff of theme park game fantasy (pick your poison, RCT, NoLimits or Planet Coaster). Paths intertwined with rides. A coaster weaving in around around other attractions and structures. Over the top theming. A totally indoor theme park with the scale of an outside amusement park. This place has it all. Supersonic Odyssey is the park's Intamin looper, which sports an incredibly unique layout that spans the entirety of the indoor park. Every angle (and there are many to be found) yields a very different perspective of the coaster's layout. I spent much of my time just walking around, staring at it in awe. They have a cute, mini Top Spin nestled underneath one section of Supersonic Odyssey. Not a single net underneath any of the track. Oh there's more... Lot's more. The theming is cartoon-like and otherworldly. It's almost overwhelming. Where my initial photos were on the ground floor, there's an entire section of the park dedicated to rides for younger guests, that Supersonic Odyssey weaves through. One of my favorite elements of this unique coaster. The trains look and feel similar to California Screamin'/Incredicoaster with traditional over-the-shoulder restraints. Rider's in the front row have the option to pay for a GoPro-recorded ridercam (which, of course I bought). Absolutely incredible. So few words are adequate to describe how over-the-top this park is. Somewhere amidst all of this theming is a small carousel. The lighting and the shine on almost everything in sight makes this feel even more unreal. It's pretty impressive just how much there is to do at Times Square Berjaya. Getting photos of Supersonic Odyssey in motion was difficult given the park operating one train every ten minutes or so, but I tried to grab as many as I could. Another angle found. The park features a giant panaromic window view out into the city... Intamin knows how to design an element. Just take it all in. This robot stairwell design had me floored. Even the floor design continuing in the ride area's flooring is a level of detail that I wouldn't expect. Gorgeous. I really didn't want to leave but the park closed as I was finishing my photo lap. I was able to ride Supersonic Odyssey six times (and nothing else) during my visit. I still can't believe that I made it to this park after years of watching the TPR POVs. I had to commemorate the visit with a ride photo (and video) as proof that it actually happened. I celebrated the evening's milestone with a variety of fresh sushi.

^ Yep, still a giant penis.

I didn't realize they were adding that much themeing to the ride layout like the original Big Bad Wolf coaster had so that's pretty cool! Looks like a great addition, I've heard nothign but great things about Phoenix Rising at BGT so this should be a hit as well.

Is this where I get to say "Get over it. It was a business decision."

Makes sense, the local police announced the wrong time and then they did it earlier to keep the crowds away. I'm sure people are going to be salty about that lol Here's a video...

Meh... Goretorium didn't really have that great of a location. I suppose it was great in terms of "middle of the strip", but not great in terms of the fact it was part of a very long, dull, tourist trap/strip mall connector hallway. It wasn't part of a casino, and it was practically surrounded a magnet kisok and a store that sold novelty socks. Not really that appealing of a location. It didn't even really have any close access to a parking lot. Also, while I seem to recall it had a bar, it was minuscule (maybe 8 stools) and barely themed. The place practically had zero curb appeal. Now, it's still not a given this place will be successful. But being it's own building, more (I presume) free parking, adjacent to the successful Area 15, and having a much more elaborate full restaurant and bar will definitely put things more in it's favor. Will that be enough? Still hard to say, but I'm a bit more optimistic. Even if it does ultimately go under, I think it'll hang around for a fair number of years first (Goretorium lasted barely just over a year). If nothing else, it has the backing from Universal, so they'll have some money to throw at it if it flounders (another luxury that Goretorium did not have).

Tomorrow's the day and everyone can finally move on. Between 9am and 10am they are imploding the rest of what's standing.

No problem. With that almost complete. This combination of the current Six Flags and the retro Magic Mountain logo combination does pay tribute to its past and present time of the park.

The next morning we docked early in Athens and disembarked for our tour of the Acropolis. There's something about this massive archeological site that amazes differently than other ancient sights I've visited. The preservation and scale of these landmarks is unlike anything I've seen. Our early morning ascent was a fortuitous one, as we managed to beat the bulk of the crowds. Simply magnificent. An active site both for preservation and restoration. The Odeon of Herodes Atticus is also part of the tour of the Acropolis and it was very neat to see up close. I grabbed a fresh kataifi from a coffee shop in Athens and it was one of the best desserts I had across the entire trip. Following our tour of the Acropolis and time in the city, we were brought to a local rooftop restaurant for a Greek cooking class. Here we were able to create our own marinade for a chicken gyro dish that would be prepared in front of us to enjoy for lunch. While waiting for the chicken to cook we were also able to prepare our own tzatziki, spicy feta dip and dough for fresh pita. The end result was a delicious, full meal for which we had prepared almost every component. Back to the ship after a day of fun in the sun. Escargot for dinner is always a treat! Lobster and tarragon pasta is another favorite of mine onboard. Grand Marnier Souffle for the win! Hiya Mickey! Always nice to hang out! One of my favorite pieces of enchanted artwork onboard the Disney Dream. The Fly Boys were a variety act brought onboard for our sailing; an acapella group singing modern songs in the style of Frank Sinatra. Another cute towel animal to cap off a great day! The next morning we woke up off the coast of Santorini! Beneath the surface of the floating ring seen here are the remains of the MS Sea Diamond, a cruise ship that sank here in 2007. Such a beauty. Time to explore Santorini! First up was some time to walk around the town of Fira. While incredibly beautiful and unique, it is also very narrow, difficult to navigate when crowded and in a sense, exceptionally touristy. But the view is unrivaled. Next up was a relaxing beer and wine tasting with a panoramic view of Santorini. Not a drop of drink nor food remained when we were done. The views were fantastic. After our tasting, we walked about Oia to take in more sights. We had researched a spot in Oia to grab some authentic Greek bites before returning to the ship... And it was well worth the visit! I wasn't going to leave Greece without trying Ouzo or Raki. Of all of the alcohols I've had, these were certainly among them. When returning to the ship, you have a choice of taking the walking trail or waiting for the cable car. We opted for the cable car, only waiting about 45 minutes to load. This was the right choice. Santorini is a tendering port, which is not my favorite, but it makes for a great set of photo ops as you return to the ship. Curry shrimp for dinner! And cupcake ice cream for dessert at Vanellope's Sweets & Treats! Hi Elissa! Hanging out once again with the Captain! And the best towel animal yet to close out the night!

After an incredible week in and around Munich, it was time to move on to the theme park-focused portion of trip. Our travel day from Munich to Europa Park was spent mostly on the bus (with a brief rest stop visit along the way), but the payoff would come in the form of an early evening arrival at Europa Park. Robb and Elissa along with the team at Europa Park surprised us with a few hours of access to the park followed by an hour of exclusive ride time on the park's newest addition, Voltron Neverra. With two full days in the park ahead of us, it was a great first taste of just why Europa Park has earned world-class praise. Local soda flavors continue to be a travel passion of mine and Germany continued to impress. What happened to Germany's original Milky Way if they're already on Milky Way 2? On the way to Hotel Colosseo we got our first look at Rulantica, Europa's water park which we'd be visiting on the next day. In terms of themed hotel environments, this is one of the nicest I've experienced. Inside of the park for our few hours of access before our Voltron Neverra exclusive ride time, we enjoyed the sights of Europa Park. In a lot of ways, it feels like the park has found ways to utilize their land creatively, embedding multiple attractions in unique, intertwining spaces that look excellent. My jaw nearly hit the floor when we made it to this section of the park. Alpenexpress Enzian re-opened in 2024 after a fire in 2023 destroyed much of its layout along with several other parts of the Austrian section of the park. Europa Park goes out of its way to celebrate Halloween with a unique parade and a Halloween overlay to an existing attraction (we'll get back to that later). Hi Snorri! There's so much happening in this photo. It's almost too much to process as a theme park fan. Something I especially admire about Europa Park is its willingness to invest in animatronics for queues, scenic spaces and themed areas simply meant to pass by. I don't know that there's a wild mouse I've ever anticipated riding more than Matterhorn Blitz. The double-train elevator at the start of the ride is a neat touch. Matterhorn Blitz was a really fun coaster. Nothing earth-shattering but the layout was literal leaps-and-bounds ahead of standard wild mouse coasters. Familiar yet different. It was finally time to visit the park's new Croatia-themed area and its signature attraction... Long had I waited for this moment and even longer had I doubted that I'd ever have the chance for it to happen. This coaster is relentlessly intense and much longer than you'd expect. Each element of the coaster flows seamlessly from the previous and the train's unique seating allows you to be whipped around through inversions while being held in purely by a lap bar. Such a unique element and a great way to kick off the coaster's outside layout. Such a picturesque coaster. ERT was such a great surprise and Voltron more than lived up to the hype. This is quite easily one of the best rollercoasters I've ever been on, and having an hour to ride it repeatedly only solidified that notion. I could have kept going for hours more! Familiar yet different. Grand Prix of Europe is a new interactive dark ride that will open at the park in 2025. We passed through the grounds of the Hotel El Andaluz on our way back to the Hotel Colosseo... Absolutely beautiful. Dinner at Antica Roma kicked off with a wide selection of cheeses... Are you even in Germany if you're not having a beer each day? Antipasti for dinner! A new Cornetto Cone flavor for the books! After dinner we assembled for TPR's first ever competitive puzzling challenge. Joey and I participated. It was also the trip's designated time for the snack exchange and many treats were had. Here's a photo of a trophy I didn't come close to getting. After an evening of fun, it was time to get some rest, because tomorrow would be our first of two full days at Europa Park.

I'll reserve full judgement until riding but if Phoenix Rising at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is anything to go by, this will be a perfectly fine, adequate, non-extraordinary addition to the park... Thanks for the photo update on the construction!

After our time at Genting SkyWorlds, we decided to roam the rest of the Resorts World complex, grabbing a bite and checking out the Skytropolis Indoor Theme Park. Madam Kwan's called to us as we were in the mood from some Malaysian cuisine. We did not regret our choice! Some amazing satay served here. Skytropolis Indoor Theme Park is, as the title suggests, the complex's indoor theme park. Several of the attractions found within used to operate in the outdoor theme park that preceded Genting SkyWorlds. Many of these attractions are covered in lighting so help the attractions glow in the dimmer building that houses the park. The surprisingly high ceilings enable the park's rides to reach impressive heights. There's a lot going on in this park... It can almost be overwhelming at times. They have a Disk'o here. Super Glider, a Zamperla Volare that previously operated in the outdoor park, is one of the largest attractions in Skytropolis. It was closed during our visit, which was not disappointing at all. Designed by the company behind Top Thrill 2. Skytropolis also features a light canopy, clearly inspired by the Fremont Street Experience in Las Vegas, right down to the zipline running down its length. The blue coaster with red supports is set to open later this year. Back down the Awana Skyway we go! Next up on our agenda was to check out the Petronas Twin Towers. While we couldn't get a reservation to go up to the incredibly popular observation deck, the towers and surrounding complex offer lots to see and do. The Suria KLCC mall beneath the towers offered a variety of shopping and dining options. One of my favorite things to note while traveling is the unique offerings that local Starbucks have. These are definitely different flavors than those you'd find at home. The towers look gorgeous at night! "The world is a carousel of color..." Another successful day ended with a Jungle Bird. Breakfast of champions! And dessert for good measure! After a full day of work, I stopped by Pavilion Kuala Lumpur to roam... And to satisfy a craving that I had since I arrived in town. Pavilion is an absolutely massive mall with shops, dining and entertainment across every floor. They even have an entire section dedicated to Japanese shops (including Daiso)! I wasn't going to pass up a chance to indulge myself in a melon custard bread and melon pan. Yes, they have Pizza Hut here. But this is why I was really here. And it was absolutely worth the trip!

Our final day in Munich was reserved for "on your own time" to explore the city and spend more time at Oktoberfest. For this reason, we used our day to accomplish both. Revisiting Marienplatz was the first activity of the day... Absolutely beautiful. We even had a chance to see and hear the Rathaus-Glockenspiel play. Reinheitsgebot München Viktualienmarkt was a short walk away and worth a stop for one reason in particular... Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggity dog! Despite having been to Las Vegas, New York and several other cities that have an Eataly location, this was my first time actually visiting one. It's like a theme park for Italian foods. I could have done some serious damage here. This was one of the most indulgent meals I consumed on the entire trip. Back at Oktoberfest for our final evening, we spent some time watching Jack enjoy his favorite ride in all of Germany. As the sun sets, many of the rides begin to come to life in new and colorful ways... Out of the fire and into the frying pan? Hupferl was another "never in America" kind of experience and it was awesome. The size of some of these (traveling) flat rides is astounding. One more visit to the Devil's Wheel. We weren't on a log flume... We weren't on a log flume. We grabbed as many extra rides on Olympia Looping as we could on this evening... Just such an incredible experience! While it wasn't my favorite coaster to ride, Alpina Bahn looks great at night. Our last few hours at Oktoberfest were spent roaming the beer tents, each of which has unique entertainment, decor and more. Each tent felt totally different... The Paulaner tent is one of the bigger tents. And the interior is quite vibrant! I was grateful that I had the chance to visit Hofbräuhaus München at the start of my trip, because I wouldn't end up having a chance to drink at the Hofbrau tent. The Hacker tent may be smaller than some of the neighboring tents... But it has one of the most charming interiors of them all. Braurosl was quite busy on this night... Such a neat space! Spatenbrau was too busy to allow walk-in guests to jump in for a drink. We revisited the Lowenbrau tent to see if the atmosphere changed when compared to our daytime visit in the prior afternoon. The vibe was definitely more lively and party-like at this hour. It looks bigger from the outside. But a rock band on the inside was keeping everyone entertained. This looks familiar! Remember how I said I wasn't above riding both sides? I'm not. And somehow this ended up being the last coaster I rode at Oktoberfest...

Congrats. Good times. Mine: My daughter is killing it at swim lessons. My wife was/is a good swimmer. Her dad always wished he'd gotten her into it competitively. We might go that route, so we have her in private lessons a couple times a week and she loves it. She's four and she can swim the entire length of the large pool at our fitness club. Even my wife has gotten back into lap swimming, as a result. I'm teaching her to ice skate, too. I bought her a pair of Bauer hockey skates. Dare I say they are adorable when I put them next to mine. But, I don't think I can coax her into playing hockey after multiple fights that broke out during our first responder charity benefit game last weekend. Brutal. Not a fun 5-4 loss. At one point, I was on the ice when a fight broke out. I was standing next to a fucking giant on the other team, when almost everyone out there was going at it. I looked over at him and said, "Just so you know... I'm staying out of this..." He laughed.