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Alright, so yesterday was pretty dang awesome. The park was a bit slow to wake up with a bunch of coasters being closed until 10:30/11am or so, but once things were in the groove it was smooth sailing. Crowd levels had waits at 15-30 minutes for most everything. Operations could use a little work as I noticed every single coaster stacking trains, though. Still, every coaster that had the capability to run three trains WAS running three trains. Stacking or not, that's appreciated. Hate to see that go-get-em attitude disappear once the Six Flags merger completes and we're down to one train being half-loaded. Coasters - Orion - Hoo buddy, this one surprised me. This bad boy RIPS through the layout and has some damn good airtime to boot! Definitely a front seat ride, though the back ain't bad at all, either. The wind in front, though, is the cherry on top. Diamondback - The airtime on this ride is legitimately scary. This isn't standard B&M floater air but instead it's "bucking bronco trying to send you into Kentucky" air. Back seat is best. Mystic Timbers - Fast and wicked ride through the woods with a phenomenal first drop. Tons of laterals and some nice air pops. The shed is a complete waste of time, effort, and money, though. Back row is intense, especially getting ripped down the first drop. Banshee - Holy hot dicks from hell! I had absolutely NO IDEA how great this ride is. I'd heard the good reviews and I've seen the POVs but lawd almighty this monster is completely different than I was expecting. It rides like a mid-90s Beemer! Forces out the yin-yang on every element, especially the batwing and second vertical loop. Back row is is my fave, if for no other reason than that first drop. Best ride in the park alongside... The Beast - It's The Beast. It's one of the greatest rides on the planet. It also has some truly awful trims in the first bit (first drop, second hill, and the long shed) but after the long shed it returns to the incredibly wild run through the woods we all know and love. The trim before the helix has mercifully been moved to the top of the hill, so now you hit the tunnel full-bore and go screaming around that bitch like a bat out of hell. All hail the king, especially in the front row. The Bat - I love this ride, even if it does have a horrible location compared to the rest of the park. IIRC, back in 2003 it was much more visible and accessible with SoB in the area. Instead it's now a relic hiding behind a 5-mile hike with an entrance hardly seen at Banshee's exit. Damn shame, because this is a very fun and fast suspended coaster. Racer - Third row has some great airtime on this classic. Fun stuff! Backlot Stunt Coaster - Great launch and helix, boring everything else. Slowest line in the park. Flight Of Fear - Closed most of the day, broke down when I was entering the UFO. Didn't ride. Adventure Express - Packs a punch! I love me a good mine train and this one didn't disappoint. Ride it in the back to get the real janked-out experience, ya jabronis. This ride is great. Invertigo - Pass. I rode Two-Face when it was at SFA. I'm good. Other Rides - Boo Blasters - Yeah, this has seen better days. Cute enough and an easy way to escape the sun, but the guns hardly work and there's a large amount of broken effects. Delirium - Fun ride but after riding a larger version it didn't feel as wacky. Windseeker - This was my first Windseeker after riding many Star Flyers. Let's just say there's a reason these haven't been built in a while. Star Flyers are a much simpler mechanical ride and much more reliable. This was also pretty uncomfortable, for some reason. Good view, though. Blue Ice Cream - Yummy yummy in my tummy.

As some of you may know I am the guy who put off his vacation when Dragster had its accident and I decided I didn’t want to come unless it was replaced or “remastered”. Then when it did come back reimagined I once again stopped my plans when it went down early in the season. And boy am I glad I did wait(more on that later). I stayed at hotel breakers with my mother from July 14-July 19. So I got 4 full park days and a half a day when we arrived because we got to the park at like 2pm. I’ve never done a trip report before so if this is a little rough bear with me. I have tons of thoughts, hot takes and opinions I’d really like to share. Let me start with the good. Immediately upon arriving they were able to accommodate our early check in request and had the room ready. Room was tidy, had no bad smells and had a perfect view of TT2(as I had requested lol). Immediately the hotel staff made us feel very welcome and had no issues answering our questions or taking our trash away. They were very very quick to respond to all requests such as extra blankets or coming by to pick up the trash(we were told to leave it outside the door). This kindness extended to the ride ops and all park staff we encountered. Everyone was super nice! The rides! After hearing on Facebook so many awful accounts of rides being closed that simply wasn’t my experience at all. Yeah Millie and Maverick went down twice at two inconvenient times but other than that I barely ever saw a ride closed. Let’s start with B&M’s. First thing I did was ride gatekeeper in the front row on the left. Starting the ride off with an inversion that flips you over the tracks was an awesome sensation! I really enjoyed it and the gate elements added a lot of fun to the ride experience. Rougaru was meh in terms of layout and honestly I didn’t enjoy it enough to ride more than once. Ironically I think my opinion of it would be far better if it was still a standup ride. But it was by no means bad and I didn’t find that my head banged around too hard. Raptor was awesome! My favorite B&M in the park by a good margin. It had a great layout with wippy inversions and a final helix that seems to go on forever(my favorite part). Unfortunately I do agree with the people who find Valraven very dull. It felt completely forceless to me and honestly I only have two good things to say about it. The smoothness and that last inversion gives you a little bit of hang time. I’m simply not much of a fan of Dive coasters Speaking of Forceless, let’s get to Millie. I have heard this ride called Millennium forcless for as long as I knew it existed. I got a front row seat for the first ride and was immediately struck by the view, the videos don’t do it justice. The first drop was awesome but I immediately greyed out in the helix and went on to grey out twice more in the layout. The ride was smooth and fun but I absolutely did not find it forcless at all! I do prefer Fury but this ride has aged VERY WELL IMO. I greyed out on that first Helix every single time. Magnum. Honestly respect the ride for its history but I hated it. Just too painful and I have massive bruises from it. Corkscrew, Gemini and Blue streak were also not very pleasant to be on and frankly I rode them just to say I tried them lol. The only two coasters I did not ride was Iron Dragon and Cedar creek mine ride. Wild mouse by Zamperla was fun! The only thing wrong with it was its very short layout. Great family ride. Let’s move on to the other Zamperla creation and my new number one coaster. TT2 was worth the wait and then some. Being thrown back at 100mph at like 350 feet was simply incredible. Both in view and strong floater airtime. Going up that top hat was really quite intense and being jerked over it into the downward spiral was nuts(especially back row). It bordered on uncomfortable but man I absolutely loved it guys. I have a TT2 blanket on me as I type this Sirens curse was very fun and while Cedar Point isn’t lacking in great coasters this was more than a solid addition. My only gripe with the ride is that I wish it had a bigger drop. The layout after the drop was really good and had no down time(great pacing). And man it was potentially the smoothest coaster I’ve ever ridden. The Vekoma at my home park is night and day difference in smoothness. Also that light package for nighttime is absolutely gorgeous and the on ride audio was super neat. Not to mention the very good theming around the queue. It’s not Disney, but they clearly cared and it shows. Next up we have two absolute gems! Maverick and Steel Vengeance. Both of these rides lived up to my high expectations. Mavericks low to the ground layout and snappy elements remind you that size isn’t everything. The launch under the station is a genius way to keep the layout compact. And boy at night you feel like you’re getting launched into the wall. Both Maverick and Vengeance are better at night. Steel Vengeance was completely insane. Like to the point I’m still not sure if it’s a great ride just because of the sheer intensity. The layout and ejector airtime simply can’t be appreciated by a forum post or a YouTube video. I would argue that as great as the first half is that the second half is even better. Visually just going through all that wood was so disorienting in the best way possible. And you really feel out of control. It’s probably the most intense ride I’ve ever ridden. I think I do prefer Maverick simply because I found it more comfortable as Steve was hard on my legs. I also loved how the rides very much feel like rivals and that the park embraced that fully with a backstory. The flat rides were good! Max air and skyhawk were standouts. I found power tower to be disappointing. You simply don’t drop far enough imo I really don’t have many negatives but they do exist. I think the employees being forced to ask every single time if you want a souvenir cup even if you’re holding one got old fast. I was very polite to them as I was informed beforehand they get into trouble if they don’t ask. It made me feel sad for them because you always have A Holes who you know treat them badly over it. The breakers wasn’t disgusting or anything but it certainly didn’t feel its price. I understand they’re getting away with that though because it’s simply a 5 star location and the convenience is ridiculously nice. I feel spoiled staying on site. The all season drink plan was so sooooo worth it. Getting to fill your body with power aide came in extremely clutch in the hot weather where it’s a struggle just to stay hydrated. I also really liked the food. Cheese on a stick didn’t disappoint me and the portion of fries with my meal was very large! The macaroni and cheese was to die for as well. We ended up eating outside the park one night at a place that was called Brick oven bistro or something like that. We loved our food and the price was very reasonable. Anyway guys my trip was everything I hoped for and more. The only bad part was my mom didn’t want to ride much. None of my guy friends or coaster buddies were available this summer (work, kids etc etc). But my mom did surprise me. She rode Sirens curse, gatekeeper, Valraven(the GP seem to adore this one) and I somehow talked her into riding Maverick even though she had read how intense it was. She walked away with Maverick being her favorite by far! If you know my mom this was a BIG plot twist lol. Unfortunately on our last night at the park we were in the queue and it broke and never reopened, so she never got her night ride in. Cedar point simply can’t be missed and I’m already hoping to return in a few years. 10/10 trip. I am so jealous some people get this as their home park. And with Kings Island not being too far it’s an embarrassment of riches for Ohio.

I went to the park yesterday & used the Ride Forces app to record forces on The Boss, you can clearly see how much smoother the Titan track is. The first graph is from 2024 recorded by StormSurge9099, & the second graph is the one I recorded yesterday.

Rapterra Takes Flight at Kings Dominion Kings Dominion’s old “safari” section has undergone many changes in the last few years. For example, the park introduced more sci-fi/fantasy elements by retheming it as Jungle X-pedition, where guests can explore the ruins and artifacts of an ancient civilization. Their latest “find” is the lost temple of Rapterra. This shrine was built to honor a legendary gigantic bird of prey that once ruled the skies over the jungle. Those who entered the temple were said to be possessed by the power and will of this ancient predator. A volcanic eruption buried the temple, but it has since been unearthed by archaeologists. But does the giant bird of prey still exist? What better way to tell this story this than with a B&M Launched Wingrider Coaster? Rapterra blasts people out of the station and through a series a twists, inversions, and dives over the caldera of the ancient volcano, which is a nice homage to the ride that once stood on this spot--Volcano: The Blast Coaster. The new ride also reuses Volcano's old gift shop. Kings Dominion invited TPR to ride Rapterra on March 20. It’s a good addition to the park, and the whole entrance plaza, queue, and theming for the ride look great. Let’s take a ride, shall we? You’d better finish any snacks you have on hand, as they could attract unwelcome attention from above. TPR thanks Kings Dominion for the chance to preview Rapterra! The ride officially opens to the public on March 29. The queue is huge. But it will give you time and the proper setting to meditate and prepare yourself to be possessed by Rapterra. Here's the caldera, which serves as a bit of a tribute to Volcano. Much of the rubble here is from the structure of the old ride's mountain. Oh, it's just an ancient archway built in tribute to dangerous god. What could possibly go wrong? "Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" Yes, the queue is nice, but it's time we got to the ride. They've been swept away by Rapterra! Yep--never walk through an ancient archway dedicated to a dangerous god. Looks like a drone has been dispatched to stop Rapterra! (Just kidding--it was part of a video shoot.) Fly, Rapterra, fly! I rather liked this part. But I appreciate big coasters with bunny hills, too. Eventually, Rapterra brings you back to the archaeological dig. I like the what they did with the control-room window--nice theming. Not everything has changed here--for example, this waterfall. Here's a peek at Pantherian (the ride formerly known as Intimidator 305 and one other name that escapes me for the moment). Flight of Fear is being incorporated into the Jungle X-pedition theme somehow, too. It'll be nice for the attractions to fit together better. They gave us some samples of what I presume was the cuisine of the ancient civilization that once existed here. Looks like they were really into smothering cheeseburgers with chicken tenders and bacon. They were, indeed, ahead of their time. I didn't get a sample of the local brew, but it was the CENTER OF THEIR UNIVERSE. How about a few last looks at Rapterra? I like how it flies not only over the caldera but also over the entrance plaza. One last dive and flip before you return to the station. Rapterra soars over the gift shop as I exit. Thanks for reading!

You really don't need to.

This morning I was able to stop into Universal Studios Florida for a passholder preview of the new DreamWorks Land. This new area replaces the former Kidzone including the Woody Woodpecker Nuthouse Coaster, Fievel's Playland, Curious George Goes to Town, DreamWorks Destination (formerly the Barney show) and a Shrek and Donkey meet and greet. The new land takes up almost exactly the same footprint, but distributes experiences in themed sections inspired by the world of Shrek, Puss in Boots, Kung Fu Panda and Trolls along with the addition of the new DreamWorks Imagination Celebration show and some meet and greet spaces for a variety of DreamWorks characters to visit throughout the day. This corner of the park will once again be a go-to spot for families with younger kids. Troll's Trollercoaster is the rethemed Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster. Guests ride aboard the Caterbus in this familiar experience. The layout of the coaster remains the same but the queue and surrounding area has been updated to fit the new theme. Yes, this coaster train has an actual butt. The legend lives on. The former Curious George Goes to Town area has been transformed into Po's Kung Fu Training Camp, inspired by the world of Kung Fu Panda. Some of the water play elements from the former attraction remain and the core structure has been retained, but there's some pretty significant differences up close. The water play area is on the right side and the dry play area is on the left. Inside the former ball play area is the new Po Live! interactive meet and greet experience. The former ball play area has essentially become a theater for this interactive experience (the second floor walkways area still accessible). Some simple dry playground elements on this side of the Kung Fu Panda area... The tipping bucket returns from the past version of this complex. Even more water play areas can be found throughout the Kung Fu Panda portion of DreamWorks Land. There are multiple Haystack Dryers available to use in DreamwWorks Land. Onward... The Trolls section of the land is cute and feels different than its predecessor. All aboard the Caterbus! Trolls Treats offers two types of soft serve inspired by the two main characters of the Trolls films. Over in Shrek's swamp you'll Pinocchio's Fact Shack, where you can ask the wooden boy questions where his answers may or may not be true... This slide starts in a port-o-potty and the sounds it makes are as you would expect for the theme. The elevated play structure in Shrek's swamp provides the best views of the Troll's Trollercoaster in all of the land. Shrek's swamp features some water play elements as well. Shrek, Donkey and Fiona meet guests here in a relocated meet and greet from the former Kidzone. Swamp Snacks offers stuffed waffles, pretzel dogs and Shrek pretzels with green cheese sauce. Gabby's Dollhouse is represented with a meet and greet location for Gabby. King Julian from the Madagascar franchise is among the rotating cast of characters that meets guests throughout the land. Mama Luna Feline Fiesta is an interactive nook where you can toggle triggers for cats in this covered open air experience. DreamWorks Imagination Celebration replaces Dreamworks Destination (formerly the long-running "A Day in the Park with Barney" show). Characters from throughout DreamWorks Land appear in a show featuring music, dance and a lively atmosphere that is fun for all ages. The same theater-in-the-round design is still in use for the venue. The projections throughout the venue help to transform the theater with each segment. One final dance before the show is over! High Five Hideaway is the land's merchandise location, offering items inspired by all of the land's characters. King Harold's Swamp Symphony is an interactive play area where guests can jump on lily pads to make the frogs sing. Adjacent to DreamWorks Land, E.T. Adventure has shifted its entrance slightly to accomodate the new land, and with this shift comes a prominent new entrance sign.

got lucky at ACE Winterfest (well. . maybe not lucky, but smart, and opened with a face value bid), and scored the last two tix available to Holliwood Nights ! The presenter said it sold out in SEVEN seconds this year. so yup, doing HN two years in a row. yay!!! seems the "theme" this year is "Mean Girls". . . guess I'd better watch that movie (and it's a mini Coasterstock reunion, as I again invited Teacher Kim to join me, and we're meeting up with friends from Coasterstock 2022 Danielle and Jan (who scored tix via the on sale time lottery).

We got to see a preview of this last night at Disney Springs complete with a Q&A with director Leslie Iwerks! It was incredible what they were able to put together with all of this lost footage! The documentary covers the construction of Disneyland leading up to the park’s opening date. For a documentary style film, the pacing was great, the historic footage was a lot of fun to watch, and this is going to be a “must see” for anyone interested in the history of Disney theme parks! We heard from film director Leslie Iwerks on the making of the documentary and the film received a standing ovation at the conclusion! Was a great night of Disney history and hanging out with friends! Our post on Instagram covers a little more from the event last night: https://www.instagram.com/p/DTfnq_Rjf3w/

pics from yesterday's visit for "Feliz Fiesta" during Holiday in the Park. (and yes, they got TONS of lights from SFA - I asked and was confirmed that the Texas parks got things from several other parks as well that were no longer doing Holiday in the Park) the park is looking amazing, and the shows remain top notch! Majesty of Christmas, and the Dickens shows alone are worth price of admission, tho all the other shows are great as well. because of Texas Department of Transportation sending out a crapload of warnings about how I10 & Loop 1604 (ie: right were the park is) being closed all weekend for construction, we allowed just over 2 hours for the trip to the park from Austin today. so of course, we were so early that even tho the cones were up, they hadn't started any work yet, and traffic flowed - resulting in us being the first ones at the park, and stopped at the entrance gate. so we took advantage to get out of the car, and snap this pic which typically you only can get while driving by. but after about 15 minutes, the parking gates opened and we headed in (with all the other folks that had backed up behind us). of COURSE, this was right when the Six Flags app decided to update, and that made getting thru the toll booths a nightmare - how nice Six Flags stopped handing out physical (hard card) passes JUST before they updated the app and made it a huge mess to access your digital stuff. note: we did chat with mgmt about this during the day as lots of folks had issues, so it came up. they are aware of issues, and are working on solutions, so "please stand by" anyways, the park looks great. the Day ended up being PERFECT (low 70s after a week of temps in the 40s and 50s), and the construction kept many away from the area, resulting in a very crowd comfortable day. lots and lots of photo ops thru the park. as mentioned, I'm guessing some of them came from other parks no longer doing HitP and no trip to SFFT is complete without a stop in to say hi to "miss Connie" in Sangerfest halle. she's a celebrity, and my friends all know I tend to go there first to get a pic. after 1st rides of the day on Chubacabra, those of us attending Feliz Fiesta got to go backstage for a tour of the construction site that I posted yesterday. as part of that tour, we also got to go down into the Gully Washer reservoir (drained during the off season upkeep) for some fantastic shots of Iron Rattler's drops. and then it was time to eat something for lunch (as our dinner wasn't until almost 5). we headed into Blues BBQ, where here at Fiesta Texas, the Turkey Leg with stuffing is still included on the meal plan. and as it's Holiday in the Park? Santa was out all day, so we had to pop in and say hello. naughty bert! (and how fantastic that Santa played along) one of the shows in the main square. . I believe this was the Tinker-Belles and the wooden soldiers one of 3 large trees SFFT has on display. this one is at the end of the main avenue into the park (and the tinkerbelles stage is at the bottom) many, many characters were available today for Meet and Greets. not just the Looney Tunes in Holiday garb, but also multiple DC Heroes, and tons of Holiday themed characters. and the "handlers" are happy to take your phone to snap pics for you. this makes me laugh - this is what happens when they start snapping before you're ready for the picture. . . LOL durrrrrrrr. . . . . but we did get some great pics regardless another throne. .and I do love my thrones more characters. . a bit horrifying, I thought, but happy to take pics after this great meet and greet in DCU, I asked them how about an "action pose". .and that's the 2nd pic. they understood the assignment - particularly Flash walking back to the front for dinner in the picnic grove, caught the end of a Tinkerbelles & soldiers performance, and they were hanging around for pictures. and yet, ANOTHER throne. they must have gotten these from other parks. a night time shot of the tree at the end of the main corridor. here's the MAIN tree in the park, in Rockville, during the Tree Lighting ceremony (that includes fireworks, Looney Tunes characters, dancers, and Santa on the stage in front of it) .. oh, and "snow" Jim and I in front of the main tree, before heading into the Rockville High Theater to see the Dicken's show - one of the parks two signature HitP shows didnt' take any pics of the 1st part of the show, but it's a full on production with sets, dancing, and very good singing. the camera came out during Ghost of Christmas Future, as I love the design of it. ltr: Scrooge, Ghost of Christmas Present, Ghost of Christmas Past, Ghost of Marley, and Ghost of Christmas future. Scrooge seeing the error of his ways before he gets tossed into his own grave by Marley (oh. . "spoilers". . . LOL) after the show (and a few rides) we made our way up to the "big" theater in the park, for the amazing "Majesty of Christmas" - which, yes, includes live animals on stage in a wonderful production. after this show, the park was about to shut down, but attendees of Feliz Fiesta get some ERT on the CrackAxle coasters (Iron Rattler, Roadrunner Express, and Dr. Diabolical's Cliffhanger). . so we took the "Holiday Express" which is what they transform the train into, for a full loop around the park complete with Holiday songs and tons and tons of lights. including new this year, lights representing the 12 days of Christmas. . . that you pass on the train, AS the song is playing synched to what you are passing. so simple, but so effective and impressive. another photo op in front of Hurricane Harbor area and the 3rd and final tree, in Crackaxle, which I was told came from another park that is no longer doing HitP. it's a great event, and well worth going to.

Well, I FINALLY made my first visit to Holiday World. WOW. I will join the chorus of people singing its praises. What a charming, well-kept, well-run park. As I entered the park, I was greeted by all the team members in a super friendly way. And as I made my around the park, its cleanliness, fun themes, and overall operations were stunning for a such a small, family-run park. I was stunned they were running 2 trains on Voyage and Legend, despite minimal lines. AND the Voyage had like 6 team members checking the train -- although they still somehow managed to stack trains frequently, the operations were mostly smooth. I focused on the coasters. Sure wish I could have done night rides! The Voyage. I actually wasn't terribly impressed on my first ride. I was in the very front of the very first train and although I was impressed by relatively smooth it was, I just wasn't blown away: not a lot of air. Definitely partly the product of sky-high expectations. AND THEN I rode the back and THEN the coaster warmed up. Holy crap! To me, this is more a backseat ride (although there is no "bad" seat that I can find in 8 rides.). The spaghetti bowl turnaround at the back is one of the most out-of-control feelings I have ever experienced in a coaster. It's up there with the quadruple down on Lightning run and the end turns on El Toro, as great mayhem. Each ride I appreciated The Voyage more, focusing more on its unrelenting speed, floater (and pops) of air, and its incredible length and design. It's a top 5 for me now. And kudos for the loving care Holiday World shows this ride -- they spend a ton of time taking care of it, and it shows. Legend. As a sign of my old age, the back seat was just a little too uncomfortable for me, but I loved how raw and rough this coaster is (in the good way, as designed vs. rough b/c of crappy maintenance.). Enjoyed it much more in the front seat, especially the second half. But I didn't love it. My bias is more towards airtime machines than laterals and I still found myself having to ride a little more defensively than I'd like. Still, a very good ride. Love the backstory and the bell ringing. Raven. Man, I had waited for this coaster for a while, given its legendary status. Again, my expectations sorta messed with me, and having ridden it third, it was a hard comparison to the mighty Voyage. I imagine it is stunning at night. I loved the layout, especially the third drop into the woods (massive air in the back, but sadly I kept thinking about the enthusiast who fell). I see they have retracked big sections, but they didn't quite yet reach that final right hand turn before the final turn -- that thing is BRUTAL: literally flying into and out of a pothole. I only did 2 rides on Raven because the pothole was nearly a chiropractic spinal cracking everytime. Loved the station and it's a fun, excellent ride. Thunderbird. This was the surprise hit! Yes, the value of low expectations-- AND it's a great design! yes, I was one of the idiots on here complaining when this ride was announced 10 years ago, saying it was not a great fit for the park: too much money for a gimmicky ride. Happily I was wrong: the theming is great, the launch packs a bunch, and the layout is superb. Probably the best wing coaster I have been on, possibly except for Gatekeeper ( I have also done Wild Eagle and X Flight). Love the use of the valley and the woods. Really super fun and re-rideable. Overall, just loved the park and how it's run. I know Paula is long-gone and they went through some family drama, but I still found everything excellent

Soo after years of saying I wanted to, and my work blessing me with two days off in a row, I finally booked a very last-minute trip and made my way up here on the 17th. With that, the downside to this was that I only had a day in this park but I feel like I made the most of it. I did spend the extra $20 to get the drink pass and upon getting there decided also to buy the express - it looked like it was going to be a busier day in the park, and again I only had a day and wanted to ensure I was able to do everything. I did still miss some stuff, mostly the flatrides and I chose to skip Corkscrew. Steel Vengeance and Maverick are the hidden gems in the back of the park. SV is insane. I went into Maverick blind so I was also pleasantly surprised by it. Both coasters really pack some punches. I did find Maverick to be uncomfortable but that was kinda my own fault - accidentally stapled myself into the restraints. Rougarou exists. Ops were fun though. I kept track of my coaster credits because I wanted #50 (I know, I know... baby numbers) to be one of the crazy ones. After finally seeing TT2 with my own eyes it was kinda intimidating and it took me like all day to psyche myself up to do it. Made Siren's Curse my 50th credit. They put me and another single rider in the front. Terrifying. I'm gonna need that ride audio on Spotify or something though. I love the theming even if it is minimal, though I know its nitpicky, I do wish the track was green or teal instead of red. I just think it'd be more aesthetically pleasing. Iron Dragon is a fun family coaster. Happy I can cross a coaster like that off my list. Took a food break (all the food is great btw!) then did Gemini. Only one train on this day idk if that's a common occurance or not. Had more fun than I thought I would, though I was sat behind a kid who kept flailing his arms backwards and hitting me though, that was a little annoying. Got in line for Millennium Force three separate times (it was soft down the first two, then I had to unload on the third time.) Apparently the gates to get on the ride are suuuuper finnicky, and if people push or pull on them or whatever it can cause the trains to e-stop. Op explained this to everyone in line because I guess that caused a train to e-stop right before the unload. The more you know! Besides that, the actual coaster is very fun. I know it's a mixed bag on here but I found Valravn was very fun. I go back and forth between that and SV being my third favorite coaster here. Also my first experience with a dive coaster so that may be part of it. I survived Blue Streak I liked Raptor. I did not have high expectations because I don't love coasters of that style (please understand my home park is SFDL so my only other experience is Mind Eraser.) Magnum was alright. I fortunately didn't end up with bruises but it was a pretty rough ride. GateKeeper is fun. Literally just felt like I was flying, also adored it being in the front of the park and the 'theming' if you will with that. TT2 ended up being my last ride though not totally by choice. It went down four separate times while I was in line for it. Literally would run a few cycles with people, then would see it was just testing. By #3 I almost cut my losses and was about to just reride some favorites but I was already waiting for that long, I may as well see it through. I did not regret it, I literally don't have words. What an insane coaster. It's just... an experience you need to have if you're an enthusiast. By the time I got off it was a little past 9, so barely an hour left of park open. I wanted to try to still get some rerides in, but Iron Dragon went down around 8 and never reopened, and when I got off TT2 it went down again, and Siren's and MF were also down. So I decided that was my sign and headed out. My overall thoughts, now that I've actually experienced it CP very much deserves the hype it gets. It definitely makes the top 10 on my favorite parks list, probably even in the top 3. It probably will be a long while before I get to come back, but when I do I definitely will plan it better and make a longer trip out of it - so I can have a few days in the park and don't have to speedrun everything and can even take a day to the water park. I'm sure there's some stuff I missed but this is already a very long trip recap, sorry lol. I literally have dreams about some of these coasters I cannot wait to be back one day. That's all.

I figured I might as well share the pictures and videos from my trip before other parts of the park are closed and they becomes less applicable haha. Presented without commentary: VID_20250510_135432010.mp4 VID_20250510_174646873.mp4

Hesrchend and Parques Reunidos have announced a new agreement for Herschend to acquire all of Palace Entertainment's U.S. entertainment properties currently owned by Parques Reunidos. This will bring more than 20 new venues into the Herschend family of properties including Kennywood, Lake Compounce, Dutch Wonderland and more. https://www.hfecorp.com/whats-new/herschend-to-acquire-palace-entertainments-us-attractions-from-parques-reunidos/ Herschend and Parques Reunidos have signed a definitive agreement under which Herschend will acquire all of Palace Entertainment’s U.S. entertainment properties from Parques Reunidos. This agreement represents a significant milestone for both organizations—supporting Herschend’s strategic expansion in family entertainment and hospitality while allowing Parques Reunidos to reinforce its strategic focus on its core European market. “This year, we’re celebrating 75 years of bringing families closer together—and looking ahead to the next 75,” said Andrew Wexler, CEO of Herschend. “Today’s announcement marks a natural expansion and continuation of that vision. By growing wisely and staying true to our purpose, we are building a future where we can continue creating memories worth repeating for generations to come.” Palace Entertainment’s over 20 historic and beloved entertainment venues across 10 U.S. states will join Herschend’s growing family of world-class destinations. Palace’s diverse portfolio of amusement parks, water parks, family entertainment centers, campgrounds, and hotels includes notable properties like Kennywood in Pa., Pittsburgh’s thrill and entertainment destination known for its classic wooden coasters and modern thrill rides; Dutch Wonderland in Lancaster, Pa., the world’s best family park and kingdom for kids; and Lake Compounce in Conn., which holds the title of America’s First Amusement Park and features the renowned Boulder Dash wooden roller coaster. With this acquisition, Herschend will strengthen its position as the world’s largest family-held themed entertainment company, with a broad portfolio of brands spanning theme parks, aquariums, resorts, and immersive attractions that collectively entertain more than 20 million annual guests. “We look forward to building upon the strong foundation that Palace Entertainment has created and welcoming these properties and hosts into the Herschend family of brands,” added Wexler. “The teams at these parks have done an incredible job building beloved destinations in their communities, and we look forward to learning from them, growing together, and building on their success. This is an exciting opportunity for all of us to continue creating exceptional experiences for guests and meaningful opportunities for our teams.” “Herschend is the ideal organization to lead Palace Entertainment’s unique properties,” said John Reilly, Palace Entertainment Chief Executive Officer. “Herschend is best in class in providing a high-quality guest experience within its parks. Palace Entertainment's team members and its parks are in great hands as we make this transition.” "Being a family business for 75 years has given us a deep understanding of what makes properties like these special—not just the rides and attractions, but the people who pour their hearts into them every day,” said Herschend’s Board Chair, Chris Herschend. “These historic and beloved properties have been family traditions for generations, and we are honored to help carry that legacy forward.” Herschend is committed to ensuring a smooth transition for employees (hosts), guests, and communities. No immediate changes are planned for daily operations as the company thoughtfully integrates these properties into its portfolio. In the coming months, Herschend will prioritize: Supporting its new employees with training, resources, and opportunities aligned with Herschend’s people-first culture. Maintaining continuity in guest experiences while exploring enhancements that align with Herschend’s commitment to high-quality entertainment. Proactively communicating with employees, guests, and local communities as the transition progresses. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close thereafter. BDT & MSD Partners is acting as Herschend’s exclusive financial and debt advisor and Goldman Sachs was the exclusive committed financing provider for the acquisition. Akerman, LLP is serving as legal advisor to Herschend on the acquisition, with Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP providing legal advice for the debt financing. J.P. Morgan is acting as the exclusive financial advisor for Parques Reunidos Group. A&O Shearman is serving as legal advisor to Parques Reunidos Group on the transaction.

I know it's nothing to do with the jungle theme but KD should retheme BSC to I-95 in Virginia and have it stop for 25 minutes when it gets to the helicopter scene for added effect, and then add a Sheetz to the end of the ride with someone getting arrested in the parking lot.

I really appreciate the inclusion of a Clench-O-Meter, Underwear Evacuation Rate, and Soul Exit Probability. This is proper hype.

Grab Your Hard Hats for a Tour of The Big Bad Wolf: The Wolf's Revenge Busch Gardens gave us a sneak peak at all the construction going on near the Festhaus and on the other side of the railroad tracks with a hard-hat tour of the Big Bad Wolf: The Wolf's Revenge. This new Bollinger & Mabillard (B&M) Family Inverted Coaster continues the story of the original Big Bad Wolf, which thrilled riders in Oktoberfest for 25 years. The original Big Bad Wolf was the first coaster for many local park guests--not to mention for their children and grandchildren. BGW wanted to bring back the spirit of the old ride, but with a fresh approach. Here's the back story of the Wolf's Revenge from the park's website: Kevin Lembke, park president, and Suzy Cheely, vice president, design and engineering, provided some background on the ride and answered questions from the group. Here's a little infographic to kick things off. The ride is longer than the Tampa park's Phoenix Rising (another B&M Family Inverted) and sports a 65-foot initial drop and two lift hills. The Wolf's Revenge tears through a Bavarian village, as the original ride did. The original Big Bad Wolf "means a lot to our guests," said Suzy Cheely, so they wanted to capture the feeling of the old ride and upgrade the storytelling. Even Drachen Fire, the previous coaster in this space, is contributing to the new ride. The old Arrow coaster's station and maintenance barn now belong to the Wolf's Revenge, so they've come full circle from being used as Howl-o-Scream mazes and storage buildings. A few other points before we brave the muddy path to the Bavarian village: There's no official opening date yet--just "spring 2025." The inverted trains will not "swing" as the old ride's trains once did. Wolf's Revenge might be open during Christmas Town this year, but that hasn't been decided yet. OK, watch your step as we explore The Big Bad Wolf: The Wolf's Revenge. Those who get mired in the muck be warned--there's a wolf in the vicinity! This, is, indeed, a hard-hat area--and we better not see anyone out here in sandals, either! Here's a less obstructed view of the station. It's been the home of numerous Howl-o-Scream mazes over the years since Drachen Fire was removed. The building was sound structurally, said Suzy Cheely, but they did put on a new roof and remove a lot of extra nails and bits from the old HOS mazes. The Wolf's Revenge's entrance will be what used to be Drachen Fire's exit. The first lift hill before the wolf howls and you plunge. A look at the original Big Bad Wolf's replacement: Verbolten. The ride crosses over the maintenance barn and the railroad tracks. Hmm--I wonder if the Witch of the Woods was upset when she was evicted. Perhaps she's sharing a place with Scarlett, one of the park's other HOS witches. The ride is actually bigger than I expected. Kevin Lembke answers questions. Another look at where the ride crosses over the barn and the railroad tracks. As you can see, it's a bit "twisty," but there are no inversions. The wolf charges through the village gates here--nice touch. Suzy Cheely talks about the ride's theming elements and construction. Here's an unobstructed view of some of the village. Those who rode the original Big Bad Wolf will, no doubt, find some the architecture familiar. Suzy Cheely said that they've been very careful about the ride's clearance near the church steeple. This is a "foot chopper" heavy ride. I was rather taken by this stable. I imagine the farm animals were taken from it--and eaten! Time to head back for lunch at the Festhaus. They treated us to some spicy Mardi Gras food, beads, and some lemonade spiked with vodka. Let the good times roll, indeed! Thanks for reading.

Really wish Rockin would get a modern Vekoma looper refresh as well. With all of the lengthy refurbishments and downtime issues, it would do wonders to have new trains and track, smoother ride with a much better coaster experience.

Day 2 (1st official day of trip) - night-time at Oktoberfest Fair a quick stop at the hotel to relax and take off my shoes, and then a group of us on the trip met down in the lobby around 5:30 to head over to the fair. it had started to get colder, but I thought I'd be ok - something I really regretted by the time I got to the fair gates. so first stop was to buy a T-shirt that I put on over the shirt I had been wearing. this was Saturday evening, and Elissa had warned us that it would be the most crowded we'd see at the fair. and yes, she was correct! this time we went in thru the main entrance, and went all the way to the back down the main corridor: lot of people headed out. . but TONS more coming in as night fell, and the weather report cleared up the giant buildings are the big Beer Tents that line the main corridor. Each one brews a special beer just for Oktoberfest sales. this corn freaky thing is apparently a famous sight at Oktoberfest. not gonna lie, the corn smelled fantastic but he (it?) freaked me the hell out. the Enterprise was running a good cycle with a great lighting pkg. but of course, we headed over direct to Olympia Looping. . which had many trains operating at once tonight. this was the crappy Ghost Train. . . tho the outside was pretty dang tempting. the group I headed out to the fair with. . and a couple of photo bombers for dinner we found one of the many wurst stands that looked (and smelled) amazing. but this one had an area off to the side where one could stand relatively uncrowded and eat. so this won out. I have no idea what I ordered, I just pointed to one and said "that one" it was good, and at least had a normal size bun, even if it was a HUGE sausage. (and a nice view of the shirt I bought to help stay warm, and made a fantastic souvenir) the clouds really helped the lights reflect. . it was so lovely tonight. . tho very very busy peeking into one of the beer tents thru a window, as we walked down one of the many alleys to a restroom. all of them have live music too. we ended up at one of the oldest rides in the Oktoberfest Fair - Hexen Schaukel - which is a classic Madhouse, the type you would have gone to in the early 1900s. I loved the design of the tickets: but what really sold me was the gesturing finger (in the center of the pic) that drew customers in with a "come hither" movement. lots of signs up about the history of the attraction, but all were in German (of course) wonderful design work on the outside, tho the inside of the Haunted Swing only sat about 12 people, and the "room" that rotated around us was more like a giant paper bag. The artwork was charming tho - done as if by a child. . so it really did come across as a ride that had come thru time to appear at the fair. This attraction also had my favorite moment of this night at the fair: when they closed the door to start the ride, there were 4 of us from TPR, two girls, and across from us, these two guys in Lederhosen. the moment the lights went out, the guys started shaking out powder onto their hand and snorting it. they made a big production, offering to everyone on the ride - the girls strongly (but firmly and politely) declined, and all of us said no too. . even muttering - I'm not snorting some random stuff off some stranger's hand in Germany. But the guys thought it was hysterical. . and were laughing and giggling. when the lights came on at ride end, the offered me again, and I again said "no thank you". .but asked if I could take a picture of them. which resulted in one of my favorite pictures that I took: we kinda shook our heads, and laughed at the picture and then made our way over to Alpina Bahn for rides. this is a picture Erik took from the Ferris wheel, just of the main corridor of the fair. gives you an idea of just how crowded the place was around 9pm! there were so many amazing smells from the booths, so several of us decided to try Chimney Cakes. . that were rather unique looking. they make them fresh by putting the raw dough onto the spokes, then baking them and deep frying in oil, before dipping in toppings. served warm, the Cinnamon I think was the best (and we were told most popular), but I personally also tried the Raspberry sugar rolled, and that one was excellent too. about the consistency of a funnel cake, but tasted more like a sweet bread. headed over to the biggest of the Ghost Trains, and the one I liked the best - even loved the cars on this one. and then back to Olympia Looping for another ride right next to it (on the left) is the Carousel Bar. . which was much more crowded than the night before. But we spotted Hans in there, so headed in to join them for a drink. no luck getting on the Carousel tho ... it was pretty packed. so we hung out in a spot near the mug return, at the front of the bar entrance PROST!!! while chatting, Ryan and I made some new friends. we told them about the guys in the Hexen Madhouse and they laughed and showed us what they guys had been snorting. it's a Cinnamon & Sugar mix that gets sold exclusively at fairs (can't recall if they said it was only Oktoberfest or fairs in general in Germany). they said "it burns but gives you a boost of energy". . which made me laugh, as that could be a description for a different white powder one snorts. when they showed us the bottle, it matched what the guys on Hexen had. . . . so at least I was relieved it was nothing illegal. I still didn't want any tho. didn't stop them from posting for a pic for me, with a rolled up Euro tho. . . .LOL (and yes, I asked Ryan if he had an issue with me including this in the Trip report) best thing about our spot at the Carousel Bar? able to get some really nice pics of Olympia Looping from where we were standing. the mouse was still racing. . . and we HAD to go back, as Andrew and I had to ride the left side whee! and of course there was a kiddie coaster at the Oktoberfest I didn't want to ride it, but was able to document it for those who did. look at these proud faces and we then bumped into a very happy Jonathan! who hung with us for the next hour or so until we all headed back to the hotel. not sure where we are here, but I THINK it's the bar across from the Toboggan (the Garden bar?) wandering towards the main entrance / exit. . . we stumbled across what became my favorite flat at the fair: Voodoo Jumper. fire effects, long ass cycle, and just a ton of fun! Even Barry who doesn't like spinning rides, rode it twice the next night with us. So good. . I don't' video, but I'm sure someone recorded a cycle and posted online. of course we were gonna stop and ride it! whee! most of this fog here? is coming from a Bumper Cars ! Seriously, they loaded so much fog into that, it was like a 70s disco. and after convincing some that it was time to head back to the hotel, as we had another full day tomorrow. . . we did stop and watch the Tagada for a bit. people kept staring at me, and someone said they thought it was because with my shiny jacket, and standing next to Jon, I looked like a famous person with his bodyguard (ha!!!).. so they were trying to work out who I was. loved this Church just outside the main gates of the festival. and then it was a short walk back to the hotel. . where I promptly crashed. tomorrow was another full day!

Day 1 part 2: Oktoberfest at night. . after the rain has come. the downpour for a couple of hours while we were eating, really cleared out the crowds. side benefit is that it really made for some beautiful pics, with the lights from all the rides reflecting up off the wet ground. we entered not thru the main entrance (that would be tomorrow), but the group I was with, including Jon, Nick and Christopher), went in on the side closest to the restaurante we were at, on the right. near what they call: "Vomit Hill" I would have renamed it "Vomit and Piss Hill" as there were so many people doing both. . . which was a bit shocking since it's on the side of a beautiful building (a Museum?) with this incredible statue out front. but as noted. . it's on the far right side of the Oktoberfest fair - which is about as big as 3 football fields, I'd say - so I guess it really IS "off the beaten path" even tho we came in on this side tonight (for the only time) looking across. . the main corridor is up ahead and if we turned left, would see many of the HUGE beer tents that line the main corridor. the rides are all on the outlying corridors and the outside of the fair. with the "big" rides separated to help out with crowds, I'd assume. this, tho it looks like a ride, is a game booth. the rides are all independently operated, and there are multiple versions of some rides (I counted at least 4 breakdance type rides) - and they all run insane cycles to help draw crowds to them. The incredible lighting, fog, and fire effects help do that too. the giant Ferris wheel at the back of the main corridor of the fair (if you come in under the Oktoberfest sign and walk straight back, eventually you get to it). interestingly, my favorite area of the entire fair was back here BEHIND the Ferris wheel on the right - it was an "Oktoberfest Museum" of sorts, that had classic artwork, posters, haunt figures, information, food, drink, and a bunch of classic (like ancient) rides, that also ran crazy cycles - including a waltzer that the operator hand cranked to get it to go faster, and you had to fight for an open carriage when the ride stopped! NEVER in America LOL. and the rides in this section were all 1.50 Euro (much cheaper than anywhere in the fair, tho you did have to pay 4 euro to get into this section). I visited back there on day 3, so will be pics forthcoming of that. Christopher and I in front of one of the official welcome signs. pretty sure this is a different BreakDance again, this is relatively empty ! because it had rained. . can you imagine what a Friday night would have been if it had been nice? (we'd see that the next night when could barely move in the place!) tho there were several drop towers in the fair, this is actually a pic of a drop tower and a Catwoman's Whip style ride. but really, I think I was trying to get the pic of the Alpina Bahn sign along side the huge Lowenbrau tent - where we would be on Monday. this is one of the beer halls. made to look like Gingerbread and candies. Incredible that they build this up just for ~3 weeks. this amazing thing is called the Predator. imagine an Enterprise that's on a Gyroscope. and yes, I did ride it on one of the days - before eating of course - and LOVED it. but look at this crazy thing! multiple Himalayas and Music Expresses too ' more looks at what Predator does.. it really is mesmerizing. and a really long cycle too. but enough foreplay . it was time to head to the very back of the fair, for what many of us had wanted to come on this trip for: Olympia Looping. and it's jaw dropping in person snapping pics as we walked up to Olympia Looping. a variation on a Breakdance, called Parkour, and another Drop Tower this was a ghost train, but they had added VR to it. I did ride it one day, and it kinda made me nauseous. . but when it's over? you're not done. . . they make you go thru a fun house to get out! including stepping on mushrooms to find your path, and if you miss? water below it. but yeah, they really want you to get your $$ worth out of it. oh, and not everyone is seeing the same VR thing. . so you'd have to ride multiple times to make sure you get all options. (once was enough for me) the outside is very cool tho. and now a bunch of pics of Olympia Looping. . . i mean, are you really looking at Olympia Looping if you don't get pics of all 5 loops? time to ride! waited one train for front row (I discovered quickly it's much more forceful in the back, but for my 1st ride? I wanted to ride in the front) they were running 2 trains this 1st night due to the rain, but some days we were there they had 4 running. proof! as it got later the fair got a bit quieter. . but it didn't stop all the friendly (ie: drunk) folks from making our acquaintance. a pic of me in front of Looping turned into this wonderful pic with drunk revelers. and even Christopher - who had been taking the picture - got into it with a selfie. tho I did get this cute photo op they set up out front of it. other nights were so crowded, no way to get a decent pic, so I'm really happy we went and rode this 1st night. Right next to Olympia Looping is the Carousel Bar - where the center of it is actually a Carousel that spins while you drink. even on a relatively quiet night it was packed, tho I did spend quite a bit of time there during our visits to the fair. Um. . . ok? you GO, "Jumbo Flug" the famous Toboggan slide, with the Conveyor Belt lift hill. no, I didn't do it - I'm a klutz and would have broken my neck. But it was a ton of fun watching people try it, and several from TPR did really well on it. (the guys standing along the wall are to help pick up the people that fall on the conveyor belt and get them to the top) equally as well known from the fair is this. . aka: the Devil's Wheel - the spinning ride where you pay to go in and watch, and run down when they call groups to try and be the last one on the wheel. Adam from TPR won a round on this trip. probably due to the weather (it's covered inside) it was PACKED in there tonight even, so didn't go in, and just got this pic outside of it. one of three ghost trains at the fair. This one was the middle one (there's one much better and one much worse) but in this one? you ride in cages. so, of course, Jon and I wanted to ride the outside does a fantastic job making you want to go in and ride. it was just a lot of props in front of black drapes tho. meh. . .C- the Wild Mouse was fantastic. not only was it all lit up, AND they were racing it the whole time. . but I've never been on a Wild Mouse with so much airtime. it was so good. . . both sides. and I'm sure the wild mouse on ride photo was officially licensed too (didn't get one, because it was more than the one at Olympia Looping). incredibly well lit, and flashy Rotor. with a waterfall, and what looked like a funhouse prior to getting on the ride. classic looping ride. and it made me laugh that they have the Olympic rings on the front Bannister. how drunk must one be to think this is Olympia Looping? one of two massive Claw rides. . this one was Konga, and had giant fire effects too. finally made it over to my other "must do tonight" ride: Alpina Bahn the trains were lit up, and the tracks were wet from the rain, and this sucker was FLYING. I absolutely loved this, and think I may have ridden it more than Olympia Looping during my visits to the fair (tho I rode both of them 5-6 times) the bears up top are Animatronic, tho since they were speaking German, I have no idea what they were going on about even on the 1st night, I got to see the "true meaning of Oktoberfest" turns out that unless you pass out in a walkway? Security leaves you alone. . this guy was just fine on a bench, and saw many folks laying on the grass on the sides that were left undisturbed. as we were headed back to the hotel - it had been a really long day, and I had ridden all 3 of the coasters (only one side of Mouse), I was ready to sleep - we passed by the biggest of the ghost trains, and had to stop by to take a look at it. wouldn't ride it until the next day. . but ended up riding it several times, it was that good. Geister Palast (Ghost Palace) still headed towards the exit (the fair is really big!). . here's a shooting dark ride, that was Nintendo - adjacent. I think Elissa had the high score on this one for a bit (posted outside the ride) one of multiple FunHouses thruout the fair - this one with the whole lower level as a mirror maze and yet another infamous ride spotted, the Tagada. this one with a metal floor. this one was pretty violent, and was shooting people off the seats and into the center during some of the spins. very fun to watch. . . and with that, we made our way back to the hotel, and I crashed. tomorrow was the official start of the trip and we were starting out the day with Skyline Park. and a ride I was terrified of, but had promised I'd ride it (and made the statement publicly) after I chickened out and didn't ride it in Finland. but for now? sleep. . .

the only good news I can report on today. Six Flags Fiesta Texas, has quietly dropped the height restriction on Dr. Diabolical's Cliffhanger. . . . after Park President Jeffery Siebert started teasing the other day that the Doctor was expanding her practice. the Dive coaster was minimum height 52" not anymore!

Lol, some gp on FB actually complained about it going up too fast and she's worried it won't be safe. She wants them to slow down! Was talking about how when rides go up too fast there are dead bodies

No, they're saying the exact opposite - they're saying that SFStL has potential, potential that was being ignored, not only by the newly combined SFEC but also Legacy-Six for decades. You do realize that one of the other parks that SFEC sold, Valleyfair, was the "Fair" part of the Cedar Fair name, right? This sale didn't pick sides. You should look on the bright side; if the park wasn't sold to EnPark, there's a good likelihood it would have just been closed SFA-style.

Six Flags has officially announced the sale of seven properties to real estate investment firm EPR Properties: https://www.sixflags.com/blog/looking-forward-a-new-chapter-for-six-flags At Six Flags, creating unforgettable moments has always been at the heart of everything we do. Every twist, turn, splash, and scream-worthy drop is driven by one mission: bringing joy to millions of guests and families year after year. Sometimes, staying true to that mission means making thoughtful decisions about where we focus our energy so we can keep delivering the thrills and experiences our guests expect. Today, we’re sharing an important update about the future of Six Flags—one that strengthens our foundation, sharpens our focus, and supports long-term growth across our parks. Streamlining Our Portfolio to Focus on What Matters Most As part of our ongoing strategy to optimize and strengthen our park portfolio, Six Flags has entered into definitive agreements to sell seven parks to EPR Properties. These parks include: Michigan’s Adventure (Grand Rapids, MI) Schlitterbahn Waterpark Galveston (Galveston, TX) Six Flags Great Escape (Queensbury, NY) Six Flags La Ronde (Montreal, QC) Six Flags St. Louis (St. Louis, MO) Valleyfair (Minneapolis, MN) Worlds of Fun (Kansas City, MO) This step allows us to concentrate on the Six Flags parks with the greatest potential for innovation, expansion, and elevated guest experiences. That means by focusing today, we’re building the foundation for a stronger, more exciting future. What This Means for Our Guests First and foremost: guest experience remains a top priority. EPR Properties will partner with experienced operators—Enchanted Parks for the six U.S. parks and La Ronde Operations, Inc. for La Ronde—to ensure a smooth and seamless transition. Here’s what you can expect: All seven parks will continue normal operations through the 2026 season. All 2026 season passes and active memberships will be honored throughout 2026, including multi‑park access. EPR retains the right to use the Six Flags brand through 2026, which means you will continue to see the same names, signage, and experiences during this transition period. In short, that means uninterrupted fun. Learn more in our FAQs at the end of this blog. A Thoughtful Decision We understand how meaningful these parks are to the communities they serve and to the guests who have grown up visiting them. Our teams at these locations have created countless memories, and they are an important part of the Six Flags family. We are confident in the future of these parks under the care of EPR and its operating partners, who have strong experience managing parks of this scale. At the same time, this decision allows Six Flags to invest more deeply in the parks with the greatest opportunity for growth and innovation.

^Honestly, the AI has better responses at this point to most humans so let Bert have it!

^ I always thought that maybe they should hire a 'street artist' or some painting company, to create a 3-D painting, underneath that coaster. It could be quite something. And be able to be refreshed when needed.

Took a trip up to COTA last night, to check out the Peppermint Parkway Christmas Event - which thanks to the Director of Park Operations (Matt Hughey), and the local SW chapter of American Coaster Enthusiasts included free admission and rides on Circuit Breaker. lots of pics below, but will get the burning question out of the way up front. Circuit Breaker is amazing. Very smooth, has multiple inversions- including my favorite element - a short stall at the 1/2 way point on the ride, and wll be 100% worth the trip to Texas to ride. they have two trains running: Red and Yellow, both with onboard audio. Very loud onboard audio, I'll note. I mentioned that to Matt and he said they have brought that up to Vekoma, but apparently it's a program that cycles and they don't really have any control over whether the audio will be BLASTING loud, or not. for what it's worth? I thought the Audio was much better/quieter on the Red train. oh..they also lowered the price. at least during Peppermint Parkway, it's now $15 to get into the event, but once in? only $15 (3 tickets) to ride it. almost every other ride is only 1 ticket. (Circuit Breaker was prior $25 for one ride). Or you could do the Gold Band that is $50 and offers unlimited rides on everything, and includes Circuit Breaker. the only thing not included in the Gold Band are the Go Kart racing, and the upcharge "lap around the track" also even tho it's the weekend before Christmas? it looks like they are expanding the ride options - adding in a new section that has another kiddie coaster (Orient Express), an Octopus, a kiddie motorcycle carousel, and a ferris wheel - tho this section was not quite ready to open. As you'll see tho, they did have the lights on some of the new rides going tho. ok. .on to pictures. .it really is a good event, and we had a great time. more info scattered thruout the pics at the moment, the Entrance to what will be COTALand is via Peppermint Parkway. So it's just to the left of the main Grandstands, and the parking is mainly in lot A behind us is the startingline/main granstands and the Minigolf. to the right is the Karting for adults (and under that white shade back there is the kids Karting) bright and sunny, as they just changed the hours of Peppermint Parkway so it starts at 4 instead of 5:30. . but they haven't really gotten that memo out to folks, so it was actually pretty quiet (and almost ERT like) until about 5:30, which had been the starting time. entrance is not free - it's $15 per ticket to enjoy the carnival grounds, and the lights. then you can either purchase individual tickets for rides/attractions (each ticket is $5) or buy one of multiple wristbands that include different levels of activities (ie: all the 1 ticket rides, the mini-golf, the activities such as paint a dreidel or ornament, cookie decorating, smores, etc. . .) They did a really nice job. . tho I must admit the COTALand area looks much better at night, once the darkness hides the dirt/construction. the exit of the entry tunnel. . again, this will look incredible at night. I absolutely adore that they put up "wacky Santa inflatables". .. immediately put a smile on our faces the only thing actually open during Peppermint Parkway in COTALand "proper" is Circuit Breaker. . so it's off by itself after a bit of a walk on the left. but they actually DO have quite a bit done already. it was impressive to see. the Schwarzkopf Wildcat is not moved and pieced back together, but was not quite ready to go yet. and the S&S Screaming Swing has been topped off, and Matt said they will be back next week to complete work on it. as you might note, there are LOTS of ride pads, and pillars poured. so there will be things everywhere. . . I believe what's going right next to Circuit Breaker is the Starflyer. there will be no dedicated "kiddie area", but instead the kids rides will be scattered thruout the park so there will things for families to do in each area. this is the base of what will be a 250' drop tower! and off in the distance (beyond the final curve of the F1 track - there will be a path that connects the park to that side along the track), is Palindrome, the Gerstlaur infinity coaster. it also is not open yet, but WAS testing during our visit, to the delight of many. hard to see in this pic, but the lift hill/final drop of the log flume is up and done too. but here's what most came for. and as noted above, Circuit Breaker is amazing. Wildcat seen from the Circuit Breaker gift shop exit. these trains are covered in LEDs. . and really do look incredible at night. tho I rode several times in a couple of places (on both trains). . I really do prefer the back row. to be fair tho, the front really does have a ton of airtime. walkways are designed well over here, with tons of spots to get great pics. we pulled Matt over for a pic in the sleigh that's for use by a Santa later in the evening to pose for a pic. this coaster is a great success, in terms of rideability, smoothness, and thrill. walking back over to the main Peppermint Parkway after rides on Circuit Breaker, another pic of just how far out COTALand will extend (tho please note the big area in the center is the F1 track, so mainly along that path connecting the two sides of the park will be nothing but path). Matt did confirm for me there are still plans for the "most thrilling ride that will be in the park" - the multi seated "skycoaster" type ride, that will be rising over on the Palindrome side. but this pic gives a good idea of how many ride pads / supports have been done already, and a better view of the flume and Palindrome. looking back at Circuit Breaker a final time before leaving this section to head over to the main Peppermint Parkway area. tons and tons of lights, and things to do / photo ops over here. they did a Menorah Lighting at 5:45, which I appreciated, as last night was night 7 of Hanukkah. one of my favorite things is that they have the grandstands open (mainly for use of the Concession stands and bathrooms), but you can sit and watch the folks that did the "take a lap on the track".. so very loud and fun to see the cars zoom by at 100+ MPH. some of the stuff they had up was a bit "scary" for kids I thought. . but most of the adults loved it. and they had a screen set up playing movies (we saw the end of Grinch, and most of Elf playing during our visit) the smaller rides that used to be over by the Concert Venue entrance have been moved over to the front of the Grandstands to be included in Peppermint Parkway. Matt told me these are only here temporarily, and I'd say the vast majority of them will end up placed in COTALand - as many of the smaller kiddie rides are COTA branded already in the paintjobs and ride vehicles. but over here is also the Wacky Worm. . and since Jim wouldn't ride Circuit Breaker (it's too big a coaster for him still, so he freaks himself out), he WAS willing to ride the Wacky Worm with me. from the temporary placement, one does get a lovely view of the F1 track starting line from the lift hill. lots of other temporary rides have been set up over here, and tons and tons of lights. and would it be a "carnival atmosphere" without food carts? including the Donut place that is operated by Matt's wife. . yummmmm. . .a giant bucket of fried donuts! (and hot apple cider too). just a sampling of the lights over here. . which would look so much better as it got darker. back here is the new section, which as noted, didn't open last night as it wasn't fully ready. but they are assembling an Octopus there, the Orient Express looked ready to go (and was lit up!), but I guess it's not safe to operate while they are building a ride next to it. of course they have a kissing booth too. (and yes, we did kiss, but not sharing that pic here ) the only "permanent" things over here are the Zipline, the Mini Golf and the two karting tracks (Kids/Adults). but as noted, I would say most of these rides will make it over to COTALand proper eventually. it was time for the tree lighting ceremony, and it got PACKED over here. Princess Peppermint came out and did a little skit to light the tree. it really is pretty cool looking once the tree lighting happened, the crowd spread out, and since the place is so large? it never did feel crowded. tho I would estimate the line of cars to get in, as we were leaving, was at least a mile long. would it BE an event at COTA without some race cars? How about RaceCar driver Santa? (the line for him was at least 40 minutes, so I just waited outside the queue and snapped them between visitors) you could also queue to meet Mrs Claus (she had a much shorter line at about 15 minutes) THIS nightmare fuel: as well as Rudolf, and the "Ice Queen and Snow Princess" (aka: NOT FROZEN, but kinda, but we don't wanna get sued). . LOL the line for those two was easily the longest of the night other than Santa tho. so we kept walking and stopping for pics. we did bump into Princess Peppermint as she was making her way back towards the main entrance for her photo-op spot. she was kind enough to pose for a pic with us. the entrance gate at night. stunning. and the tunnel at night is pretty impressive too but our feet were hurting, so it was time to go. heading back to the car, a few final pics of Circuit Breaker - with the LEDs on the cars .. they start off the color of the train, then switch to Red/White/Blue, as the train runs the course. here's that Stall I love. well worth a visit if you're in the Austin Area this holiday season. . . .

The power of Claus compels you! The power of Clause compels you! Merry Christmas Town 2025! It's time for our annual stroll through Christmas Town at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. There's every thing you'd expect: "millions" of Christmas lights, lots of festive decorations and music, different types of holiday grog and goodies, and, of course, Santa's Workshop. In fact, this event is much the same as last year, only with some minor changes in decorations and two new holiday shows: Christmas Town Live in the Festhaus and the Merry Misfits trio in France. Returning for this season are Scrooge No More, the park's popular version of A Christmas Carol, in England's Globe Theatre; Gloria, a retelling of the Christ story, in Ireland; Wiseman, a singing trio in Italy (I think their stage got an upgrade for this season, though); O'Tannenbaum, a synchronized music-and-light show outside the Festhaus in Germany; the Polar Pathway Spectacle of Lights in the Escape from Pompeii area; Elmo's Christmas Wish in the Sesame Street Forest of Fun; and 'Twas that Night, an ice-skating show in France's Palace Theatre. The park is running a few coasters, weather permitting, during Christmas Town: Pantheon, Verbolten, Invadr, and DarKoaster (not affected by weather, of course). Most of the flat rides are running, along with the Christmas Town Express (round trips only starting at Caribou Station) and the Skyride. Let's take it in, shall we? Bundle up--it's a chilly winter's night. The Giant Snowman bids you welcome to Christmas Town--unless you use VIP parking, which means you won't lay eyes on him. The Tree with the Big Balls is back! Carolers greet you in England with traditional Christmas songs, but don't expect to hear "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" or "Christmas at Ground Zero." In Ireland, you can pray for the immortal souls of those who decided to stop at Grogan's Pub for a pint of Christmas Town Stout. You can see Gloria in the Abbeystone Theatre, too. You can also partake of Santa's Fireside Feast, where you will be under the protection of the Great Stone Fist of the Elves. Oh, you also get cookies from Mrs. Claus. The path between Ireland and France is very peaceful--one of my favorite spots during Christmas Town. This peaceful setting brought to you by Coca Cola. In France, all will make merry, or they will taunt you with hearty laughter. "You are impressed by our enormous Christmas lights, n'est-ce pas?" They're a bit more laid back in Canada. But you do have to watch out for frolicking caribou. In Germany, gingerbread men and gum drops reach unnatural sizes. I found this in one of Oktoberfest's gift shops. Nothing says "German Christmas" more than a Scottish Highland Cow on a t-shirt. Santa's Workshop is in Germany, so suck it North Pole! Why is the very tall wooden soldier trying to choke herself? The Festhaus looks even more festive than usual during Christmas Town. The O'Tannenbaum show is always a crowd pleaser. Christmas Town Live harkens back to the Christmas TV specials of the past. The timing was wrong for me to catch the show that night. The stage is decorated like an old-time TV studio. Peace out on the bridge between Germany and Italy. It looks like the Wiseman show was upgraded a bit from last year's version. This year's version looks a lot like one of those Hallmark movies. This is my single favorite tree at Christmas Town--beautiful in its dignity and simplicity. Meanwhile, across the bridge from that same tree, Christmas is going completely nuts at Holiday Hills (aka Festa Italia). I like the Polar Pathway by Escape from Pompei, too. They have another synchronized music-and-light extravaganza on the Pompei show building. "Hmm--Cookie Monster wish for more bourbon in his hot chocolate." It's getting pretty cold. In fact, it's snowing in Williamsburg as I write this today. Time to head out via Scotland. A Merry Christmas Town to all, and to all, a good night!

Europa Park, Day one, concluded. Atlantica Supersplash (with the mini monorail behind it) wet TPR folks, giving the thumbs down. . .LOL while we hadn't done the whole park - there were still quite a bit of attractions we hadn't made it to - Austria was back over by Spain (and resort entrance/exit), so we made a point of stopping by there to take a look. Alpine Express and the Log Flume - which had been in one big adventure mountain area, had been lost in a massive fire in 2023, and they had rebuilt it, and opened it back up in 2024. we we really wanted to get a look at it. the coaster is now called Alpenexpress Enzian, and seems to have a VR option (don't recall seeing that when there, so maybe it's new? or an upcharge?). anyways, the line was a bit too long to make it before park close (and it was too cool to ride the flume, so I'd ride that tomorrow). So instead we checked out the rebuilt area via the new adventure trails, that replaced the caves that had burnt down. it's a powered coaster, but it's a good one. theming! and when walking the "trail" it interacts with both the coaster, and the log flume. which has squirt guns rigged along the trail, so you can squirt the folks riding the flume. there's a bunch of interactive stuff along the way too. . .like this "fireplace" that changes color based on touch. a great example of the coaster track and flume, and trail, interaction I asked about this, and was told that they kept the lead car from the prior ride (that had burned down) and put it on display as a memorial. very cool of them to do this, I think. I really liked the redone versions.. great job by the park rebuilding! and when we left the trail, we noticed that tho the park was only open for another 10 minutes, the line for the Alpenexpress Enzian had dropped to 5 minutes. so we ended up hopping on to end our first day in the park on this coaster! even tho Nick is blinking, we look so happy goodnight Europa Park! will see you again tomorrow for a full day 2. including Traumatica!

I am hoping to be very wrong about the relocations for the coasters. I really think the spinning mouse and the kiddie coaster are the only ones moved within the chain and maybe the only one moved period. I could see Firebird or the SLC going to somewhere random like Brazil, I guess, but I wouldn't bet on it. The woodies are done. Superman is too big both in terms of cost to move and trying to fit the footprint anywhere. Nothing with an LIM launch is getting moved in 2025, nor is a Vekoma Flying Dutchman. Sad days ahead as these all get scrapped.

Kings Island has announced the replacement for Boo Blasters on Boo Hill, "Phantom Theater: Opening Nightmare," to open in 2026! https://www.visitkingsisland.com/blog/2025/august/phantom-theater-opening-nightmare-coming-in-2026 The stage is set for guests to be ushered into a new but familiar chapter in Kings Island’s history as Phantom Theater: Opening Nightmare will make its debut next spring. Located at the site of the park’s original Phantom Theater dark ride, the quirky characters and chaos from the original return, along with modern technology, enhanced scenic elements and expanded storytelling. The comedic and fast-paced family adventure begins with a dark and stormy night, setting the tone for the grand (and ghostly) re-opening of the haunted Phantom Theater. Inside, a long-awaited performance by Maestro, the theater’s resident organist, is set to begin. During the storm, a lightning strike unleashes the ghost notes – mischievous musical spirits that wreak havoc across the theater – from Maestro’s mighty pipe organ. With the help of head usher No Legs Larry, guests will take the role as a member of his team and ride in “enchanted opera boxes,” utilizing special spellbound flashlights to capture and return the ghost notes to the organ so the performance can begin on time. Along the way, the enchanted opera boxes travel through fully built dimensional scenes, including backstage areas, haunted hallways, dressing rooms and a fiery boiler room as they meet other performers who are ready to take the stage. From animatronic forms of Houdelini and The Great Garbanzo to Hilda Bovine and Lionel Burymore, the Phantom Theater’s beloved crew returns, getting caught in the chaos while guests simultaneously search for the ghost notes. New surprises await guests around every corner, including the introduction of Arpeggio, Maestro’s furry feline friend. In total, 26 interactive scenes feature added multi-sensory effects like wind and sound, hidden Easter eggs throughout and a grand on-stage musical finale with all cast members. Manufactured by Sally Dark Rides, the leader in indoor family dark ride experiences, Phantom Theater: Opening Nightmare is a true nod to the original that made its home at Kings Island from 1992 – 2002. “Families who have visited Kings Island will remember how special the original Phantom Theater was, and they’ve always wanted it to return,” said Tony Carovillano, park manager of Kings Island. “While paying homage to the original ride, Phantom Theater: Opening Nightmare’s modern and advanced features will help create new memories and stories for all who take their seat inside this amazing experience.”

The adventure isn't so great anymore.

They're assembling the carousel now.

Here are some photos of AlpenFury I captured today while at the park. It isn't quite complete yet, but very close! AlpenFury looks to be a great coaster once it does open!

After our brief but wonderful taste of Europa Park the prior evening, it was hard to sleep knowing that we'd have two full days to enjoy the resort ahead of us. I managed to grab what rest I could, eagerly awaiting the morning's exclusive ride time. We started with Blue Fire, another of the park's coasters that I had long anticipated getting the chance to ride. This is one sleek train! ERT earned many thumbs up! As soon as ERT was over, Robb and I rushed over to The Can-Can Coaster (Eurosat), not for the traditional ride experience, but for the newly-opened The Phantom of the Opera Coastiality VR experience. Replacing the previous Valerian VR experience that debuted with the rebuilt Eurosat, this new experience leans heavily into the fandom surrounding Andrew Lloyd Webber's classic musical. The queue is filled with props from the show... The queue also serves as pre-show experience before the VR elements begin, setting the stage for your visit to L'Opera Populaire in Paris. Fans of Andrew Lloyd Webber can find in-universe nods to some of his other works. I'll be absolutely honest. I'm not a huge fan of VR experiences on coasters. But I am a huge fan of Phantom of the Opera--I've seen the show seven times in my life, the movie countless times and I've listened to the soundtrack far too many times to count. For this reason, I wasn't going to be to visit Europa Park without seeing how such a beloved (albeit likely incompatible) IP could translate to a theme park ride experience. Unlike other VR experiences I've been on, this one had you put on the headset while standing in a room away from the loading platform. From here the pre-show experience begins in Box 5 of the Paris Opera House, the Phantom's preferred booth. Surprisingly, the booth lowers from the theater down into the catacombs below to reveal the Phantom's lair. Standing alongside others who are also wearing the VR headsets (you and others around you are represented as period-appropriate avatars, mine an older woman in a purple dress and Robb's a man with a monocle, a black top hat and a grey mustache) you are guided by another avatar through the catacombs to a convenient train of gondolas. What you don't realize is that from behind the VR helmets, you are walking to the Eurosat trains. And through the VR experience you are actually expected to walk to and get into your seats. If the VR isn't spot on (whether because of the headset placement or how it has sync'd up), then your results on getting in safely may vary... But I absolutely give them credit for such a ballsy approach. Once seated, your gondolas take off and begin on a journey that summarizes the key points of the musical's story in a compressed format. Logic, science and physics cease to matter as, once you ascend Eurosat's lift hill, your point of view shifts from the turning gondolas to a glowing orb that floats and flies through the story's scenes. The ride kicks off strong with the Phantom bringing down the chandelier to the famous tones of the show's main overture, and as the chandelier collides with the stage, you go crashing through it, down and into the catacombs. Flying through the layout of the physical coaster, you inexplicably weave in and out of the Paris Opera as it crumbles and burns, pausing near the end for Raoul and Christine to kiss in front of its burning remains, before returning inside to revisit the Phantom's lair, where he appears briefly and disappears in a gag that mirrors a final moment from the show, All in all, it was an interesting way to translate the show to a ride. The VR graphics aren't quite there yet and the syncing with the coaster's movement never really felt perfectly aligned--both reasons why I was in love with the end result, but as a Phantom fan, I'm grateful that Europa Park was gutsy enough to choose such a property for this experience. Now time for another hotly anticipated experience! Due to our visit taking place near Halloween, the coaster's signature music had been replaced with a special track for the season. "It's Halloween" plays on repeat throughout the queue and inside of the ride itself during this overlay. And I guess it is because I didn't know what I was missing--I thought it worked really well. Euro-Mir was a really fun ride (with a somewhat wild finale) and the randomized rotations made it very re-rideable. You know we had to come back for more Voltron! I love that the Croatia section of the park features three animatronics of Nikola Tesla (one in the queue, one at the start of the coaster and one in an outdoor area in the land). I strongly considered buying this Coaster Dynamix Nanocoaster but I haven't finished assembling several of the ones I already own. Silver Star stands in the foggy distance... Madame Freudenreich Curiosités was a very cute way to repurpose the "Universe of Energy" dinosaurs for a more unique (and less knock-off-ish) experience. The ride has a cute story. Familiar but different. There are lots of dinosaurs to be found in the ride. Not our dino, TPR has a bobsled team! Long had I waited for this moment! And Schweizer Bobbahn did not disappoint! The Swiss section of the park is charming and narrow... But most importantly... It is home to raclette! TPR takeover of the raclette hut! The park has so many beautiful areas to enjoy. I love the faux bateaux mouche so much! Europa Park had already been a delicious and refreshing experience so far! Time for more cute dark rides! Adorable. How does one follow up such cuteness? With coasters, of course! It was nice to just hang out for a bit. Of all of the rides inspired by Disney's Haunted Mansion that we experience on this trip, Castello dei Medici was certainly one of them. There's definitely key differences here. But there are also far more blatantly derivative sections. Familiar but different. There's even a hitchhiking ghost-equivalent finale. Though I have no affinity for the IP, "ARTHUR - In the Minimoys Kingdom" is a pretty neat mini land. The power suspended coaster was fun and unique. I love the architecture in the Iceland section of the park. And Wodan was a solid wooden coaster that has been well maintained. The station fly-through is such a fun element. Whale Adventures – Northern Lights is easily one of the cutest splash battles I've ever seen. Animatronics and flammable buildings out and about to enhance the lands' theming. I LOVE IT. I wish I had more time to spend in the Scandinavian section of the park. Snorri Touren is a gem of an attraction that no amount of research had prepared me for. Snorri is simply the best. This dark ride is not without value for adults. The gist of where the story takes you while onboard... Our carriage awaits! Our journey begins... Some great set design for this attraction. You can't go wrong with singing trolls. Snorri plays the mushroom drums. You can bet I brought a plush Snorri home to my son. Familiar but different. Some neat elements in the queue... Lots of exposition but I couldn't understand what it was. While he isn't Snorri, Jopie is great too. Piraten in Batavia feels similar but different to Pirates of the Caribbean. Some scenes are more recognizable than others. Jopie is helping to escape! Very pretty sets. I spy with my little eye, someone that is Mack. The ride's finale ends with an impressing series of projection mapping effects. Familiar but different. Equally familiar but different. Where have I seen one of these before? It was too cold for my tastes to ride Fjord-Rafting during our visit. Atlantica Supersplash looking good. This place is a theme park fan's dream. So cool to see in person! Such a fun and pictureseque coaster! Our time in Europa Park came to a close for the day... But our adventure was just beginning. As we had an evening set aside to experience Rulantica! Due to our limited time I have virtually no photos from inside, but I can't rave enough about the water park. This is the first indoor water park I've been to, but the bar was set so much higher than I anticipated. Rulantica is packed with themed areas, great water slides and some excellent spaces. Vildstrøm is the star of the show--a wild outdoor body slide that doesn't require you to go one at a time. Hilarity and chaos ensue. Robb has some fantastic video from our experience... The park was kind enough to let us try the Snorri Snorkling VR experience which was unlike anything I'd done before. It followed a similar story to Snorri Touren from in the park, but this time, experiencing it while gliding through the water. Super unique--mildly bizarre. I'm glad I had the chance to do it. After a wonderful evening at Rulantica, it was time to head back to the hotel for some rest. Tomorrow would bring even more adventures.

day 7 (full day at Alton Towers) concluded: continuing our way around this side of the park, the next thing we came to was Smiler yeah. .this 14 (!) inversion coaster looked really intense. I was wary of it, but since we had the fast passes, we figured we'd try to ride everything. it broke down while we were in line tho, so denied (for the moment) it really is sensation overload. . even just in the queue - the blasting giggling over the loudspeakers gets into your head! the employees didn't look thrilled with their outfits, but one of them did confide in me that "at least they are warm" what a gigantic mess of track! with Smiler down, we went over to the world's first dive coaster, Oblivion. I'd heard about this one for ages. . but didn't realize it's really just a drop. there isn't much to this coaster, but being the first of it's kind meant that it was a must ride. and ya know what? it gives a hell of a thrill still. I quite enjoyed it. Smiler was still down, so we headed towards the forbidden forest area - the only part of the park we hadn't explored yet, and home to the last two coasters here. cutting thru the ruins at the center of the park along the way it was a shame that Hex was down - as I love madhouses, and I'd heard this was a good one. but hey, a reason to go back at some point! whoops. . we'd taken a wrong turn and totally missed the forbidden forest area, and ended up in the world of David Walliams. as a fan of Little Britain, I knew who he was, even if I wasn't familiar with his kid's books. But the Gangsta Granny ride sounded great - and it was a fun , stupid, dark ride, that I think I rode a 1/2 doezen times. so well worth the stop over in this section. it even had a photo op! why yes, I'm the Queen this was apparently a building they used for a show that was not running at the moment. but next to it was a sizzler . . and a small carousel. on site in the park, there was also an Alton Towers Dungeon - which one of the workers told us was about to shut down, so we made sure to do it the next day. glad we did too, as they seem to have removed it from the park, so I got to experience my first ever "Dungeon" (in talking to others on the trip, the Dungeon experience is very similar in different locations, but typically do include a ride of some sort - in this case, was a boat ride in the middle of it). we finally found our way over to where we had been headed earlier tho: home to Rita and 13 the last two coasters in the park we hadn't seen yet. I did enjoy Rita for what it is. . . but found it to be really rather short. Just when I thought we were gearing up for another launch, we pulled into the station. it was fun tho, and I believe i did ride it a couple of times. 13 (Thirteen) is 100% a family coaster, but I truly don't understand why some are disappointed in it. for what it does? it does very, very well. and I enjoyed it. but my favorite coaster in the park? Wicker Man. we had ERT on it tomorrow night. . but that didn't stop me from riding it several times during the 1st day. I absolutely loved the layout, the fire/smoke effects, and that double down / double up lift/drop. so, so good. even the station was kewl! and the exit thru the gift shop offered lots of great swag! making a face, but seriously, I loved this! and some Rita pics and the mine train. . . Nick had photo pass, and he must have shared them all with us at this point, since all are together in my pics Oh, I was incorrect. . we hadn't been to all the coasters yet. We had come back to this area earlier, but only rode sub-terra. . we hadn't actually gone into the main area, and ridden Nemesis or Galactica. . so we headed back over that way. Nemesis looks amazing. . and that giant eyeball in the center moves to follow the trains! and it blinks. . . really rather creepy. more characters out, patrolling the area (there were also a group of "freaks" out, protesting to protect the creature from government prodding). it's good! Galactica is a B&M flyer. . and yeah. . it knocked the wind out of me. a bit too intense! I liked it. . but yeah, 1 and done for me. way too intense. it was almost time to head back across the park for Smiler ERT. . . but we swung past Nemesis again for a few more pics (and another ride) to get back over to Smiler, we decided to cut thru the "Gardens" section of the park. it's hard to believe we're still in the middle of a theme park (tho to be fair, I think if the skyride had been operating, instead of in refurb mode - now back open I hear - it wouldn't have seemed so "forrest-ry" back at Smiler, which was now back up and running. Group pic before ERT. I'd be danged if I didn't ride it at least once. . even tho I KNEW I wasn't gonna like it. (and I didnt' care for it. . the 14 inversions were just a bit too much for me. . so I was one and done,and then took pics of others riding it). it's a great looking ride, just too much for me, but i know a lot of folks on this trip LOVED it. and they were yelling out inversion counts as it went. the photo must be early on, as I was still enjoying the ride at this point. not sure about how Colin felt tho. . LOL the track is so long, they can operate multiple trains. . . which with the twisted up track, really gives the impression they might hit each other! I did make it to the end of ERT, even tho only rode that one time, and then we headed back to the hotel to grab some food and crash after a long, exciting, and exhausting, day. I wasn't too hungry tho. . perhaps Galactica and Smiler back to back had my stomach in knots. . . so I stuck with a desert. and no, I didn't share and with that, it was off to shower, and bed. Tomorrow was another full day at the park, and there were a ton of things I wanted to ride, and re-ride.

Kumba is now running again.

So we recently came back from two days at Hong Kong Disneyland. It was our son's first Disneyland trip and I think Hong Kong is one of the best ones to use as a beginner park, a park which opens later, you don't need to line-up hours before to get in and reserve passes, overall a pretty relaxed two days. The first visit (tier 1) was actually far busier than our second day (tier 2) but even at the busiest ride times maxed out at around 30-40 minute lines and would drop throughout the day. I want to give a big shout-out to TPR's Facebook stories, it's a shame such information disappears because Robb's comments on Momentous and the water-screen made us realize we didn't need to be super close and spend on a VIP package or grab a space hours early. The lines were walk-on so the fast track would have been wasted and with a picky eater son (and not many good reviews) so would have been the Momentous buffet deal and we (accidentally) ended up with an amazing Momentous experience due to this. A couple of points that aren't negative but to be aware of: Meet and Greets/App: Not sure if this is Disney-wide or Hong Kong-specific but we constantly saw disappointment on people's faces around this. I'll give some examples in my TR but a prime example: Moana. With Moana 2 coming out, and Moana having a stage show and segments in the Momentous show she was extremely popular. The app listed the time as 3:35-4:45 which seems good but the Moana stage show was just after 4 p.m. and you can't have two Moanas out. So Moana actually had to be gone by 3:55 so the line was cut super-early. We were the very last group let in (I'd say about 10-15 groups total) and so many frustrated people were waving the app screens in cast members faces who were turning them away. Perhaps if the app updated when lines were closed or said who was around better it wouldn't happen, the app led us often to places that turned out to be closed but as the weather in Hong Kong gets hotter I think this park in particular needs an overhaul on this with more indoor areas so characters aren't having to disappear due to clashes of also being in parades/shows or weather. People obviously don't mind lining up for them, even on the quietest days Fantasy Gardens had 40-minute lines, Iron Man 40-50, and Duffy Playhouse was 90-120 all day, but the few other characters on the app only saw a very small amount of groups for the whole day and that seemed to give people frustration. Also shade: As I said meet and greets were hugely popular. If the character meet and greet areas are all now fixed areas, hopefully, Disney can find a way to put some shade where their queue lines were set up. If you go you need to pack a parasol. For example, even when there weren't issues, Chip and Dale were always at 60 minutes waiting to meet them but the line was completely exposed to the sun, I think for timed meetings only the Marvel meet had shade. Our son is a big train fan, so of course we had to ride the Mickey Train to get to the park. Our last visit to this park was Autopia's final year so we were excited to see what had changed. Halloween was in full swing but I didn't have time to get a picture. Our son's main visit was he had been super excited to get some Disney autographs in his book and from our previous visits we knew HK could have some very quick cut offs..... we just didn't know how quick. So the park had a scheduled opening at 10:30 and we had arrived early and arrived at the first meet and greet which was Minnie by 10:33. Unfortunately that line had already been cut off. Apparently, it's easier in the summer when Pixar is the parade but on the days we visited Minnie had to be gone before the shows at the castle or Halloween parades so the windows were always too small. This one is my fault though, I foolishly thought we didn't need to buy the early entry pass since ride lines were so short but turns out people use the first 30 minutes to do rides, then they rope-drop Minnie/Chip n Dale on Main Street or the Duffy playhouse to avoid the lines. We were advised that Chip n Dale would be available at the other end of the street and the line was open! However, after 15 minutes of no-show, the staff were advising that 'They'd eaten too much Halloween candy' and would be another 20 minutes at least. With an advertised hours worth of people and no shade we had to bail. Our son wasn't happy but we couldn't risk 90 minutes under the midday sun. Lesson learned, you need to pack a parasol but I'm not sure we'd have survived that line even with one in that heat. We were advised to try Fantasy Gardens but found them empty and with the app reading no show times today, shop staff told us to try after lunch time. With frustration setting in and since he's big on super heroes, we headed off to meet Iron-Man. Even on the quiet days this line was 30-50 minutes but he did it twice, so it became our rope-drop on the 2nd day. Unfortunately, unlike some of the other parks, non-signing characters don't have any stamps to put in the books instead so he was a little sad he couldn't get Iron Man's signature Wasp suddenly passed through the area surrounded by Shield Agents. The walkthrough lasted only a few minutes and you could only take selfies. We also learnt that roaming characters don't sign books either so we decided to get some rides done to try and cool-off. I don't get the hate the rides here get, especially Ant-Man. We did the Iron Man ride twice and then headed over to Ant Man. Our son rode this 3-4 times a row and only had good things to say. Esepcially enjoying the shrinking down effect. I feel like Buzz Lightyear had to be updated, I don't think it would have worked so well in this Marvel heavy area, even Hyperspace Mountain and orbiter felt a little out of place. I'm surprised Orbiter didn't get a Guardians make over. Our son was lapping Ant-Man but he was still desperate to get some signatures. However we noticed some barriers being erected at the stage. Could a superhero rescue my son's day? An unlikely hero was about to appear.... IMG_8465.mov Finally a signature in the book. There was a heavy price to pay however, Loki announced that a signature was signing a contract to join his army of the damned. Loki repeated on both our visits due to Halloween but our son didn't care and was the only villain we managed to get (more on that later). Did we give up our son's soul to Loki's army of the damned? Yes. But signature #1 was gained. Our son is really not into roller-coasters but he tried this. He wasn't a huge fan. It was also my first time with the Star Wars overlay but I gotta say with the area so Marvel heavy (and Spider-Man ride coming soon), and so little Star Wars things in the park, I wonder if another overlay will come eventually. I love the new castle over the old one. The princess meet and greet was here with a sign who was currently there, but princesses rotated so often inside, despite cast members warning people in the line, we heard a lot of complaints from people who would line up for Rapunzel or Belle but ended up meeting Tiana or Merida. Fantasy Gardens has been downsized due to Frozen land but during the day they had one booth for Winnie the Pooh and one for a Disney friend. Since characters could rotate nearby out of sight, it was one of the only lines we didn't see being cut during the trip. These characters repeated on our visit, and meet and greets were so popular that lines were 60 minutes even on a dead day but it was two more signatures in the book. And we didn't have to sacrifice any more souls to get them. Most people rush Frozen Land in the morning so we waited for the crowds to clear before heading over after midday. Elsa and Anna roamed quite often and were a huge hit but so many people wanted photo-ops that they just couldn't get. People seemed to be grabbing standby passes for Playhouse in the Woods thinking it was a meet and greet and seemed disappointed in the show that it wasn't. Hopefully at some point in the future an indoor meeting hall could be expanded here. Another ride that gets hate but I do think the park needed a beginner roller-coaster for the very young ones to get to experience. RC Racer/Hyperspace Mountain and Grizzly all don't really fill that 'Child's first coaster' slot that this one does very nicely. With the line now walk-on we headed in, although we did stop since Anna was in the queue line greeting some guests. We haven't been on the Epcot or Japan versions to compare but on it's own, it was a very fun and enjoyable ride. The drop was steeper than I expected and it's nice that the park finally has some kind of water ride. We ate a lot of food here.... Bumped into Anna again. Sadly no signatures from a wandering character, but a nice conversation and a high five was gained. IMG_8740.MOV Back to Fantasyland since a show was starting. I did not miss the Golden Mickey's it replaced at all. The Tiana singer was fantastic. Most of the crowd spilled out here but we had to ride since my son had never experienced it and wanted to. Toy Story Land was next door but since our main purpose for visiting was signatures, we skipped over to Mystic Manor. What can I say? This ride is still one of my favorite Disney rides all these years later, and we definitely lapped it multiple times while we had time. I'm jumping ahead a little, but we rode Grizzly on our second visit. It was having some hiccups on the first day and the line was 30-40 minutes. As I said, our son's not huge on roller-coasters so I figured I'd grab my one ride on the next day. You know a roller-coaster is done right when someone who hates most of them demands re-rides. He lapped it 6 times in a row, and then went back throughout the day and is still complaining now that we didn't introduce him to the ride on the 1st day. Jungle Cruise no longer divides the queues and boats into separate languages. To be honest, I didn't miss it at all. The skippers seemed to struggle before and the line seemed slower with boats divided. With one line, it moved much faster and the skippers seemed much more at ease. Finally heading over to Toy Story Land due to a meet and greet time, RC Racer was down for scheduled maintenance at the time of our visit. So if I have one negative about the park, it would be the app. We were constantly chasing ghosts or areas that actually weren't open meet-or-greets. We figured a two-hour window would be pretty safe if we showed up a little after the time but we showed up to find an empty area and no line or cast members to ask. The shop members just told us that it was 'when a magical moment' could happen. I just wonder then instead of these 2 long posted times, having an updating app that tells people when characters are actually out. Disney has some of the best imagineers in the world, an app that can update would be nice. Since this is one of the only places to get Dole Whip, we decided to buy some slushies and hang around in case Jessie came out. Thankfully she showed up around 5:15, so perhaps 2 showings were made in that total time period. As was the standard the line hit capacity pretty quickly. Woody was around on the second day but since his window was only 45 minutes, we didn't dare attempt it when we got off a ride and realised we'd missed my alarm and was already 10 minutes into his time. Anyway signature #4 gained. So I mentioned this at the start of the TR but Moana is hugely popular. She had one viewing slot of 70 minutes. However... there was a Moana stage show at 4:10. She was great with our son but even arriving as soon as we could we were the very last in the line around 3:45 with the cast member behind us I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a bit uncomfortable as frustrated families were trying to argue and showing the app screens. If Moana came back somehow at the very end of that timeslot the CM definitely didn't say anything to anyone. But after 2 days we finally gained a 5th and final signature in the book. This was our first visit to Disney post-pandemic, so not sure if it's all parks but on our last visit we had over 20 photo meetings with characters around the park without even trying. Now we have a child into those things and even chasing the app only managed about 5. And she was gone by 3:55. The app told us that the marketplace would have Up/Stitch/Lion King/Aladdin characters rotating but it was completely abandoned during the Halloween season. It's not a huge thing but this area and the Marvel expo area don't do greets but are listed on the app as open, and I really wish they could just update when areas aren't actually in use like they do restaurants/rides. Further down, there was a villain fashion show, and a villain musical had replaced Lion King but they were packed and people were buying premier passes to both to jump the lines. The speaking characters like Evil Queen or Malificent were over here but cast members would only count in 10 groups before cutting the line so we had no luck there. Coupled with the huge lines for the villain shows in Adventure Land, people buying premier passes for those, and Halloween merchandise already being sold out (like the Nightmare Before Christmas popcorn bucket) early October, I really hope this park gets their own version of Not so Scary Party sometime in the future. Anyway that's the negative part done, back to positive. We headed back to Fantasy Gardens since according to the app suited villains would be out here.We found one pagoda had become a trick-or treat station and only one to meet a non-speaking villain. However, since villains were Halloween exclusive people were going crazy for them. We would show up to an empty pagoda before the start time and no character out yet to find the cast-members already turning people away already due to capacity, even though no-one knew which villain was coming out yet. Maybe I'm the minority but I preferred getting Disney-wrapped/Mickey-shaped jellies over brands like the other parks do. I think chocolate would never survive the climate though. Time to wrap up this TR. I'm so grateful that we saw TPR's Facebook stories about Momentous. We'd been trying to work out the best time/place to view it but the review from Robb about the water screen made us reconsider our plans. Even two hours before the performance people were getting their spaces in. We knew we'd have to pick up our son and hold him (there were a few kids on shoulders but we aren't that kind of people) but the bigger issue was the Insta360 cameras. They are really popular on the Chinese market and are way longer than any selfie stick and we saw a few people checking their angles even at this time so we knew our view would be compromised.... And then a happy accident..... We figured going off the TPR socials that we should just view the castle from the side so we decided to eat first and grab any standing space when we were done. However, the restaurant was packed inside with the air-con so we were directed outside to sit. And this was the view of the castle. We debated a compromised view since the tree to the right would block some fireworks but from memory of TPR's socials (Again why does Insta/Facebook remove these after 24 hours) we knew fireworks on the left and right were identical. The best view tables had been grabbed pretty early but we decided instead of having the best view we'd settle for a good experience. Instead of being crowded in standing for an hour and holding up a child for half of that, we'd watch the fireworks sitting down with our own space so we ordered a lot of food, beer, and dessert. We lucked out even more that a group holding one of the best tables decided they didn't actually want to watch with a blocked view and left so we quickly grabbed their seat by the railing. It's a nice touch that in the 30 minute lead up they run a bunch of short pre-shows to get the crowd ready and in the mood. With the decision made we ordered a lot of food and more beer, and settled in for the show. Watching a Disney night show comfortably with dinner was something I didn't think I'd get to experience especially when 1 hour earlier i'd been dreading having to stand around and hold my son up so thank-you TPR socials. An incredible show. Really glad we watched it. I remember seeing Robb's posts about the screen and figured that it was just blurry because it needed to be that big for people far away to also see. I was wrong. Although looking through my photos this is the only time we could see it from our view-point for almost the whole show. IMG_7882 (5).MOV This was our view from the restaurant seats. Was it perfect? No. But I think standing among the Insta360 cameras and kids on shoulders holding up a heavy child in my arms, would have been a worse end to the day than relaxing eating alright-ish burgers and delicious waffles while having beers with my wife. Goodbye Hong Kong Disney. Thanks for the memories. P.S. I know people crap on Wish a lot. The park gives away excess merchandise as free gifts with your tickets. On one day we lucked out and got the slippers, but on the other days, the park was unloading Wish merchandise for free just to get rid of it. I almost watched it on the plane to see if it was as bad as everyone says. But with a 3 hour plane journey I couldn't resist having an Inside Out marathon.

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.

Are we incapable of putting more than one sentence within a single post?

Day 3 - Night-time back at Oktoberfest Faire - with a lot of time spent in the "Old Oktoberfest Museum" area after a break for foot resting, and a shower, some of us met down in the lobby to head back to Oktoberfest for some Sunday evening fun. i was determined that I wanted to go to the section I had seen the prior days - a sectioned off area, that SEEMED to be an Oktoberfest museum of some type - or "old Oktoberfest". It cost 4 Euro to enter that area, but it seemed large, with a covered bandstand, a beer tent, and a large outdoors section. looking it up online, showed that my assumptions above were pretty spot on, so I really wanted to do that, and a group of folks who were also interested joined me on this quest tonight. since it was way in the back (behind the ferris wheel) on the main "street". . we once again came thru the main gate. not nearly as busy as it had been, since we were here on a Sunday night now. but still not empty. and it was cold - so had put on a few layers. this is where we'd be tomorrow, as we had reserved tables in the Lowenbrau tent. (and yes, the lion is animatronic, and takes drinks of beer ) Andrew giving "Andrew face". . . LOL . . . standing at the entrance to the "Old Oktoberfest" area (I'm just calling it that. . no idea if that's what it's officially called). Looking back towards the main entrance - we're seeing the back side of the Ferris wheel. Tickets bought, we enter into this section (again, it's only 4 Euro. . .but turned out it was WAY worth it. not only was it much less crowded back here, but once in this sectioned off area? all rides (fair classics) were only 1.50 . . .a hell of a deal, and they were running great cycles). right away, I knew I was gonna love this place, just from the outside display of old tractors/carts. scattered food stands around too.. not much business tho, as there turned out to be food available with sit down service inside the main building (with music and a bit warmer, so most did that). the entrance into the main building in this area. . .where the Museum portion is, the food service, the bandstand. . and a classic, CLASSIC carousel. I was in heaven. from in front of the Carousel, getting a layout of this building. on the left is the bandstand, in the middle is the restaurant, straight ahead is an enclosed area where one could rent and ride old bikes in the ring. on the other side of the carousel is a large section with old props from classic attractions at the faire - and there was history all along the outside walls. Some went to get beer and grab a sit down right away. . my ass was going directly to the Carousel. but there wasn't anyone in the operating booth at the moment, so I went around the back of it to take a look at the classic props. many of them from old "Ghost Train" attractions. sexy! I wish I could read German. . . but I was able to get the gist of most of the signs. by the time I got back around to the Carousel, the guy was in the booth, and sold me a ticket. and then ran if just for me I rode a horse. then got off, bought another ticket and rode again, this time in a carriage - which did actually rock! (I was afraid to rock the horse, as the carousel is so old, and i"m not exactly "light" happy as hell on a classic carousel. . . after my two rides, I joined the rest of the gang I was hanging with, at the table, and ordered beer and food along with them. Pic courtesy of the waiter when he came back to take food order. Lunch had been big, and I wanted to snack in the fair as well.. .so wasn't too hungry. they also were out of several things on the large menu (hadn't restocked for the coming week yet, and it was on Sunday evening, remember), but of what was avail. everything was good. the band was quite loud in the enclosed space, but they were good. and it was a lot of fun. I think we hung out in here for a good hour plus, and I posted to the group about the food and atmosphere available back here in this section in case anyone wanted to check it out on a fairly quiet night. after eating, I took a walk around the front part of the building to check out some of the displays - while the others had another beer. the sign by the Bicycle rink. these were a big draw back in the day! the history of the Oktoberfest posters. many of them were available for purchase (but I have neither the wall space, nor the $$ to get em). Some were great tho, and I got magnet versions. classic ride vehicles. hey. .some more TPR folks came out to this section. hiya Christopher, Erik and Chuck! enough time hanging out in the main building, we ventured outside to check out what else was on offer. this is the back of the Beer tent. . which according to the information I could read, was supposed to be full of folks in traditional Oktoberfest garb, and music/atmosphere. as we had just experienced basically that in the main building, we walked around this one rather than go thru, to see the lined avenue back here. (don't think we really missed much, as they seemed to be shutting it down due to lack of big crowd on Sunday night, and if folks wanted beer they could get it in the main building). several smaller flat rides were out here lining the avenue. classic older rides. and carnival type games and attractions. this made me giggle so hard. . I think it's the look on the dummy's faces. another classic carousel. . tho this one seemed to be a kiddie, so didn't even try. it was lovely tho. . . I adore that "Elephant" can get an old timey photo too. all done with cardboard cut outs. not creepy at ALL. ok. . now THIS is what I'm talking about. a Calypso.. running a fantastic and long cycle. for 1.50. many of us got a ride. even had that cheesy 70's artwork that has nothing to do with the ride (other than the name is kinda tropical) really is a beautiful ride tho: this cabinet of classic prizes was just for display. . which is a shame, as I would have tried to knock over those stupid cans to try to win some of these. these looked to be hitting HARD. not sure if Knoebels level, but probably pretty close! this Waltzer had the biggest crowd, and after watching for a bit, we saw why. they sold tickets and you had to hover around and hope that a car stopped near you, and the folks riding got out (some bought multiple tickets and stayed put). .and then it was a mad dash to get your ass into an empty seat. the music was BLASTING loud, classics - we rode to Hot Chocolate "Every one's a Winner" plus another song. . and the annoyance on the operators face when the fair came on the loudspeakers to make an announcement was hysterical. the operator, was speeding up and slowing down based on a hand crank. . that he would crank based on the riders reactions. Oh, all while chugging beers. it was so freaking awesome. .and just might be my best memory of the whole trip. (if not, it's really really close) in fact, I just pulled up Hot Chocolate on Youtube while typing this up, and it brought me RIGHT back to this ride. awesome. just for show, as noted they were blasting 70's classics thru the speakers inside the ride. straight back, you can see the operator by his crank (long coat and hat) . . watching the crowd. after hanging out back here for probably 2 hours total, we finally exited and made our way back into the fair proper. a last look back. . this area was so worth it to me. where should we go in the fair? why of course! and some snacks. . . but not these. I was worried they'd be the same consistency I hadn't cared for from the meal the other night. but . . c'mon. . balls! gotta take a pic hey, got a different face out of Andrew! and walking by my favorite place - the Carousel Bar - spotted a big TPR group on the Carousel. with room, so we joined them for some fun hangout time PROST!! a princess balloon in the center of the Carousel bar ceiling. . . going around and around for several pints. . . if I wasn't just loving being on the actual carousel? I totally would have gotten off it to grab this seat once the lady left. it looked a little awkward. . but c'mon.. you sit on the horse AT the table. . . that's so freaking awesome. ok. .enough drinking.. time to get a few more rides in. I think we headed to Alpen Bahn and Voodoo Jumper again. but no, wasn't drunk enough to want to pose like Marilyn (but I wish I had been.. that would have been such a great pic) getting to be late, and things were starting to shut down. . so we headed towards the exits going out the main gate tho, I noticed that the memorial I had seen yesterday lights up, and truly is worth a look at night. and then it was time to head back to the hotel. . . as it had been a long day, was slightly buzzed, and tomorrow was our BIG day at Oktoberfest - reservations in the tent, a meal, and all the fun and excitement.

I was about to congratulate Great Adventure on making it through an entire weekend without crashing or derailing a coaster. They ALMOST made it, but now...

A Holiday Stroll Around Christmas Town Ah, it 's that magical time of year again. The smell of fresh pine trees is in the air, the laughter of happy children is everywhere, and adults are downing copious amounts of holiday grog. Yes, Christmas Town has returned to Williamsburg. Care to take a stroll with me around the park to takes in the sights of the season? We start with the walk from the parking lot to the park entrance. Preferred parking, which is included with my membership, was full by the time I got there on Sunday, December 9, around 4:30 pm. I had to park in the outer reaches of the Ireland lot, which offers both tram service and a new path for those who care to hoof it. The tram line was huge, so I took the path. The walk took about ten minutes, and it gave me another view of this version of Santa. This used to be in Festa Italia (aka Holiday Hills), but it greets drivers as they enter the parking lots this year. Looks like Santa misplaced his reins and harness--or perhaps he's using invisible magic reins to keep his reindeer in line. The Enchanted Tree with the Big Balls greets you at the entrance to England. It wouldn't be Christmas Town without it. I've always liked England's traditional wreaths and garlands. On the left is the Globe Theatre, where you can take in BGW's musical version of Dickens's A Christmas Carol--Scrooge No More. It's probably the best of their holiday shows. How can you really go wrong with this Dickens classic? Some of the cast appear as carolers between shows and perform in front of the theatre. And keep an eye open for Father Christmas. It's always a "Blue Christmas" in the Scottish Highlands. Ireland, of course, stresses the green and gold. The Abbeystone Theatre is the home of Gloria, a show about the birth of Christ using traditional and contemporary music. Ireland is also where you can partake of Santa's Fireside Feast. This building has hosted a few other attractions over the years. The scrambler (aka Le Catapult) used to be in this building. It's also the former home of the Enchanted Laboratory and Castle O'Sullivan shows. Now it's Santa's buffet away from the North Pole, and Mrs. Claus always makes sure there are plenty of cookies. I like the path between Ireland and France. The luminaria are a nice touch, it always smell like freshly cut pine trees, and the gypsy wagon looks nice with its festive green lights. France is also looking very festive. The Palace Theatre hosts Twas the Night, a figure-skating show, if that's your thing. The Merry Misfits vocal group also performs on a stage next to the ice-cream parlor. Griffon was closed, as were Apollo's Chariot, Pantheon, and Tempesto. All the park's other coasters were operating. Fort New France (aka Canada) is where you board the Christmas Town Express for a grand circle tour of Busch Gardens and, if you're unlucky, a bunch of people singing off-key carols in your ear for 20 minutes. (This is just one of the hazards of the holiday season.) Still, it's a nice ride and on Quick Queue (seriously, the line for this can get very long on busy days during Christmas Town). They were running two trains last night, so the wait wasn't bad. I didn't get any decent photos of the trip, but I like these wreaths in the New Caribou Station. Here's Santa's Workshop in Germany--a nice meet-and-greet spot. The Burgermeister's Hideway speakeasy is running a Christmas-themed program with appropriate Christmas cocktails, but it fills up fast. Let's head to the Festhaus for a brew. During Howl-o-Scream, the Festhaus is full of fiends, but during Christmas Town it's home of O' Tannenbaum. a synchronized music-and-light show held on the Christmas tree above, and Up on the Haustop, with modern Christmas songs. It also has this cool chandelier and some magical theme-park snow. Hmm--looks like this Porsche might have crashed in the snow. The tow truck can't get here until spring, so we may as well decorate it. The view from the bridge between Germany and Italy. This is my favorite of the park's many Christmas trees. It also provides a nice backdrop to the freakishly large Santa heads of Holiday Hills (aka Festa Italia). The large Santa heads and candy canes remind of bit of the Christmas decorations of my hometown in California when I was a kid. Of course, we didn't have a spinning teacup ride, which is probably for the best. That about says it all. Let's move on to the the Polar Pathway. There's another synchronized music-and-light show here. They use some 1950s style Christmas music, including some rockabilly stuff. Never before has a natural disaster looked so festive. The Sesame Street Forest of Fun celebrates trees of all colors. Time to head home via blue Scotland . . . . . . and Merrie Olde England. Be sure to wish Father Christmas a "Happy Christmas" on your way out. "Ho, ho, ho! The president of the Claus Organization thanks you for visiting Christmas Town. Go home and continue to make merry!" Thanks for joining me on this stroll through Christmas Town.

Day 5: Travel day, but with a stop at another surprise on this trip - Barry Island (a seaside resort town in Wales) - where we'd stop along the way to Drayton Manor. I thought the scenery in Wales was quite lovely, even if a bit industrial. so I snapped pics from the bus as we passed areas on the morning drive: as we got closer to the seaside town of Barry, there was some nice architecture that we passed too: and off in the distance? our destination for a "quick" stop (I think we were there about 4 hours?) on the drive - Barry Island. the Ferris Wheel was a giveaway, as was what they advertised as the tallest ride in the UK, AeroSpace (a Booster carnival ride) Barry Island is a seaside resort area, that reminded me a bit of Seaside Heights area, but without the boardwalk stalls. lots of homes in this area headed down to the beach. . tho not sure if folks live here year round, or rent them out for vacationers. pulling up into the "Amusement" area of Barry Island. this made me giggle, as it's giving off some "Amityville" vibes the area around here seemed very "touristy" and perhaps a bit "well loved". . but I was liking the atmosphere we had made good time, and the main Amusement area hadn't really opened yet (Robb & Elissa were meeting with the park owner at opening - he was quite the character, and was very excited that TPR was visiting his amusement park. so we passed a bunch of non-cycling (for the moment) rides. that tall one there is AeroSpace. pulling into the parking lot, the beach area is quite lovely - even tho it was a bit overcast, and maybe a little chilly for me. but I had a jacket and was ready to go! a bit windy, and as noted, a bit chilly. but ready to have some fun. bumped into Santa Biker on the path from the lot to the rides areas - as we decided to walk along the beach in search of a public restroom. Very nice guy, as was pretty much everyone I met today at Barry Island. and one of the 1st things I saw was a rainbow bench. I felt very welcome, in my big, gay, sunglasses (which I kept getting compliments on. . LOL. . I brought them on the trip as I didn't care if I lose them) a map of Barry Island, including the rides, and attractions. again, a bit run down / "well loved". . but I really did enjoy the atmosphere, and the design. there is another cluster of amusement rides at the far end of the beach area (near the public restroom) and this one actually was open early. so many on the trip flocked here first, to get the kiddie credit. personally, I don't tend to ride many kiddie things - I don't judge, but just cause it's a coaster doesn't mean I'm gonna ride it - so I took pics while others rode. Hi Albert! the ONLY reason I didn't hop into this chair, is because I was worried my fat ass wouldn't be able to get out of it creepy clown bouncy play area not quite the same as the Legoland fire academy we'd seen a couple of days prior. . . but I loved that it's called "Fire Blasta" Andrew, Stacy, Nick (I think David behind him) and Ryan enjoying the caterpillar coaster. one of several smaller carousels available to ride at Barry Island. the "fun bus" looks like a tight squeeze for fun. across the way looked like a casino? but it wasn't open yet, and we didn't' really have a lot of time to spend on things that weren't all that interesting to most of us. so we skipped it. the big park was about to open, so we headed in to meet up with the TPR group. on the main Carousel, one could ride in a carriage with the Queen! lots and lots of flat rides here. . mostly running decent cycles. it's a pretty good carnival set up. ohhhh. .a ghost train! featuring Boney M music??? sadly no, but still I enjoyed it when we rode it later. I just hummed "ra-ra-Rasputin, lover of the Russian Queen" in my head while we rode didn't "ride" this as was afraid of breaking it! but I did want a pic on it what IS it with scary clowns in European countries? still some remnants of Covid Protocols in place, tho no one was really following them at this point. it was time to head over to meet up in front of AeroSpace, and get our tokens to ride stuff. and TPR was gonna get rides on this "UK's tallest ride" here's the group with the owner of the Barry Island amusement area. I am NOT a fan of heights. . but I was willing to ride this. I ended up regretting it, as I hung on for dear life once I realized if the restraint releases while you're at the top, there's absolutely nothing that will keep you from falling out of that seat. I was terrified - worried something would release. and was also in pain - as this was the place on THIS trip where I got injured. Something I seem to do on every trip, cause I'm a klutz. But at least this wasn't my fault - on this ride, they had a very gung ho operator (a short little fireplug of a lady) who jumped up and slammed her full weight into the restraint to get it secure. It took the breath out of me the 1st time she did it as I wasn't expecting it. but then they had to undo the restraints to walk someone off who they deemed too large to ride (which is what created my fear of them undoing while at the top), and when she came back and closed my restraint the same way? I actually felt my rib snap when her full weight came down on it. luckily I always bring really good painkillers with me on trips, so was able to make thru the rest of the trip relatively ok. . tho it took almost 8 weeks to heal enough that I could sleep on that side. but I digress. . I rode it and it was fun. smiling. . but more of a grimace thru the pain in my ribs. it *was* fun. . .don't get me wrong. . but terrifying too. the pics are courtesy of Elissa and Andy, I believe. (Daniel is filming for Robb if you're wondering what's on his arm in some of the pics) after the rides, we were cut loose for a couple of hours to do what we wanted before meeting back up at the bus later. it was suggested we eat, but I really needed to pee by this point. . and over on this side of the park, the only restrooms were in the pubs (and for patrons only). so Stacy and I went to get a drink. . and met this lovely bar owner. she was so nice, and we had a good chat with her while sipping our cider & Lager. PROST! (no wait.. that's the other TPR Trip report I'm doing) SOMEBODY noticed that the dragon coaster over here had started running, and wanted to get a ride. so I hung out and took pictures while they got that credit. she wasn't the only one tho. . saw lots of TPR folks on it when I took pics of the ride before hers . this was about my speed for a ride at the moment. . . LOL actually saw someone puking after this. . so I guess that means good cycle? these bears were in front of the Cyclone - a Galaxi coaster. not sure why, but sure, I'll pose with bears! a mini Waltzer! it was so cute! this guy was running an insane cycle, with loud music and lots of smoke, so we headed over to it next. whee! I watched this Top Scan, and saw that TPR was gonna ride it and decided those restraints with my hurting rib was NOT a good idea. so I passed, and glad I did, as they gave the TPR folks a very long (something like 15 minute) nutso cycle. I still think Robb paid them off to run it like that for TPR another one more my speed at the moment - inside one of the arcades. not gonna lie, I was tempted! but passed up a chance to have a Princess Party. . . we happened upon the big Waltzer right as a bunch of TPR folks were also gonna ride. so we hopped on sharing a car with Andy. . and got an absolutely bonkers ride, with the ride ops coming up behind the cars - while the ride was in motion!!! - and pushing the cars into more intense spins. it was so amazingly great. see? hanging on and laughing the whole way. back to the Cyclone for Stacy's ride (sorry.. pics got out of order somehow) I, again, passed. This one isn't a kiddie, but I just wasn't in the mood to ride it. Ride Nelly the Elephant! and John Wayne's Horse! (made out of plastic) kiddie rides scattered all over the place here. . most of them quite odd. back to the carousel. . you not only could ride with the Queen, but you could also ride with Mr. Bean! and this guy. . who NO ONE knew who he was! not even the Carousel operator. I asked several people and no one had any idea who this guy was! he must be someone, as he's in good company (the Queen and Mr. Bean) two Queens after using up our tokens, and checking time, we decided to do some shopping and go eat something. I had snapped a pic of this as we passed from the bus, but now could get up close with the horse. and a very odd "Lady and the Tramp" kiddie ride in one of the stores. good idea.. I hadn't yet really had Fish and Chips in the UK. . and on the shore seemed to be a good place to try. it was so good, y'all. tho I found the smashed peas a bit. . . unpleasant and bland. but here's the place we went. the Fish was really great, so no wonder it's "famous" while eating, Stacy allowed me to use her shoulder to model the souvenir shirts I had gotten. turns out the show "Gavin and Stacey" was set here. . and we found a store selling merch. so of course I grabbed some (love that show) a quick stroll down the beach on the way back to the bus showed that as the clouds had cleared out, the beach had gotten a bit more crowded. it was still way too chilly for me to even consider going into the water, but here in Wales, I guess they are used to it? and then back onto the bus, and we continued on towards Drayton Manor. we were staying in a hotel nearby, and that was to be our full day park tomorrow. lovely. once checked in, we had a few hours before having to go to bed, so some headed off to check out the nearby castle ruins. Some went into town to check out the night life. and some of us went to the restaurant at the hotel to grab a snack. awww.. the moo-moo has a "tasty bottom" I wasn't all that hungry, as still was full from the Fish & Chips. . so I went with lemonade and a desert. I'd also yet to have "Sticky toffee pudding" since being in the UK, and thought I should try it. there were lots of ways to order it, but I asked for the most traditional. it wasn't bad. . although my stomach did not quite agree with it, and I ended up with a rough night of sleep. (but that also could be due to the pain meds I was taking by this point for my ribs). before going back into the room, wandered out into the parking lot to snap a pic of the castle ruins nearby: poison ivy? I dunno. . but the thorns (and gnats in the area) kept me from wandering over to check it out in person, so instead I went back to the room for a nice long, hot shower. tomorrow? Drayton Manor.

Getting coaster nerd corrected on a name technicality on a website forum in 2024. What a time to be alive. Thank you very much.

Day 4: a visit to Oakwood. . . home of some interesting rides, areas, and the classic: Megafobia! on the bus early, and headed to the home of a classic coaster (and some other rides), I had only read about in books. it seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by greenery & hills. . . but also a huge housing/apartment complex building up behind the far side. It was hard to tell exactly how "big" the park is from the lot, but it seemed to stretch on for quite a bit. . . and they DO have an awful lot of space to expand if they so choose to. . tho not sure the location means they ever get HUGE crowds. (we were there on a day where there were several school groups, but it never really felt too crowded) a pic of the park map. . . it looks like there is a lot to do, and there are a ton of things if you're interested in a "THEME Park" rather than a "thrill park". . as there are only a handful of "thrill" rides. but I quite enjoyed the day here, even with a couple of the rides not operating. the map also makes it look way more compact than it is. . .the park is pretty spread out, so did a LOT of walking. the first thing you see when entering the park from the parking lot is the looming "Drenched" (aka: Hydro) - which is known really for two things - it being the last "Mega Splash" model from Intamin still operating, and from an accident where someone fell out on the drop ~20 years ago. sadly this was not open today. . although it did look like Maintenance was working on it. And as we were heading out, the water was flowing in the flume (it had not been when we came in and I snapped this pic). . so it probably did open shortly after our visit. oh well.. . a reason to go back (as if Megafobia isn't enough reason ) there is a train that can bring folks from the parking lot to the main entrance, but as we were there before park open for some ERT, it wasn't operating when we passed it. I'm not sure if it ever did operate, but I didn't ride it if it did. Vertigo (a Skycoaster) looms over the front entrance. . . and many in the TPR group did ride it - including Robb who got Jack Crouse to finally ride with him for his 1st Skycoaster experience. walking thru the park to get to Speed, you can get a sense just how big (and hilly) it is here. this whole area is a kids/family area called "Neverland". . .it's JUST Peter-Pan-y enough to get the idea across, while not *reaaaaaly* violating any copyrights from other companies, I'd say. there are at least 6-7 rides back here, but only a couple are true "kiddie only" rides. the entrance gate to this section. across the great lawn, I get my first glimpse of Megafobia thru the trees a water slide, that several folks on this trip rode - you ride on a little "tray" - and most of them got wet. that's Speed - where we're headed - in the back on the left over there. also further down hill is Bounce (a shot/drop combo tower), a complex of slides, a swinging ship (which I don't think was open today), and a lake with paddleboats. here's where we were headed first: it's a Gerstlauer Euro Fighter, and I believe was the 1st one in Europe? yeah. . I'm not a big fan of Eurofighters, but I did ride it at least once. and then went and took pictures. from the station (Pic courtesy of Elissa I believe). . thumbs up before we leave. . . but the onride photo gives away my true feelings. . . LOL after our ERT, we were cut loose for the day in the park and several of us headed back over to something we passed while walking back to Speed: the Bobsleigh - a toboggan slide that opened with the park and is the last original attraction remaining from when it first opened. it was a sorta TPR takover, that many of us ended up in the line. NOTED (no tracks, no rails.. .just a toboggan and a chute to navigate down) and you ride the think up as it pulls you. . .think "Mountain coaster' but with no track. . . it was actually quite fun. and yeah. . NEVER in America. LOL but it was really fun. I think I rode this a few times. checking out the Megafobia gift shop, I was quite amused that the park sells old ride parts, and even ride signs! ("Plane Crazy" is what they used to call the flying scooters before retheming it for Neverland area) I think we didn't go to Megafobia right away because it was full of some of the schoolgroups (and besides, we had ERT on it later this afternoon). . so instead we headed over to "Spooky Street" sheesh. .can someone buy a vowel - no wonder I can't understand anyone in Wales! I was told this used to be a tracked dark ride, but they had removed the interior and had just been using it as a Haunt during the spooky season. seemed to be a waste. . but there were some other things over here in this area (not much tho) this is a Pinfari coaster, called "the Creepy Crawler" sadly this one too was not operating today . . . but the theming on it is great. you can see why it's not operating. . LOL they were waiting for some replacement track, and that's why it was shut down, but I was told that it WAS going to be opening back up once they repair it.. . so the park should have another operating coaster in 2025. the worker i chatted with told me that this area used to be based on Roald Dahl, and hence the giant pumkin walkthru that I loved to enter the ride? Used to be a giant Peach. really nice job by the park to retheme and reuse, as it fits the "spooky" area theme very well now. the two ladies back there were the operators on the only real "ride" that was operating over here in this section, hence them looking a bit bored. they were thrilled to talk to me tho and to have someone come to this section. the only other thing over here - which actually was open, but I didn't want to take my boots off - was this self play, trampoline area. here's the ride the ladies were operating. . a. kiddie teacups but we were invited to ride, so we did. TPR takeover! it actually spun a LOT, and was more intense than it looked like it would be. and the ops were happy to pose for a pic after our ride cycle. if you headed out of the Spooky Street area towards the parking lot, you pass by the Skycoaster, and the entrance line to Drenched. that they had a maintenance guy heading back there was a good sign that the ride *might* open today - so I snapped this pic to send to Daniel, who loves flumes and really wanted to ride this Mega Splash. still no water at this time tho you can see how steep that drop is! awwwww. . something over here just randomly to sit on/hump? don't mind if I do! Stacy and I split off to go explore the "Neverland" section this was really the only ride that was truly a "kiddie" ride - a miniature version of the boat. . .but I think there was a space that looked like it SHOULD have had a carousel on it (and the park clearly needs one). . so maybe there was that as well, but not at the moment. but we DID find a T.A.R.D.I.S.. . . . so of course, I immediately loved this area. one of two tracked rides over in this area. . . "the Sights of London" was a fun little thing where you just sit in a taxi, and a kid can "drive" you, or it just drives itself for you. having started the trip in London, of course I wanted to do it. we had a nice chat with the gentleman operating it, and he was surprised when I knew that the big building in the middle of the ride was the Tower of London. He said I'd be shocked how many people think it's the Taj Mahal (on a ride called "the sights of London" ????? LOL) whee! there's also a roller coaster back here - the Crocodile Coaster - a powered Kiddie. I usually don't bother with kiddie coasters, but this one was adorable, so when Stacy wanted the credit I went ahead and joined her. we had the whole train to ourselves. there's also a log flume, with a small indoor section (that was all kinds of weird). . . the best part of this? they only had 3 logs. So when several TPR folks showed up back here, we created a line but it was fun. . .whee! the flying scooters that have been renamed to "Tink's Flying School". . . with Tinkerbell on the flyers, and a figure in the middle. well.. .. SORTA Tinkerbell. More maintenance guys over here doing some planting/fixing as well. you can see how much space the park has here. Neverland Chase is the other tracked ride over here. . .this one clearly was a retheme from something prior, but no idea what. Maybe a Flinstones ride? but I'm always up for a tracked ride.. . my motto usually is: "the sillier and slower moving it is, the more I'll love it" even got Stacy on it. tho we did our own "trucks" rather than squeeze in together hmmm. . . I don't remember Neverland being this phallic? but hey, they tried to get some theming in the station, but having (what I think) are quotes from the Peter Pan book. . . still in the Neverland section, there's a little park/walkthru play area outside (there's also a really large indoor play area with soft pads/monkeybar climbthru over by the flume) but this outdoor one has things to climb on, and to slide down. D'awwwwwww you can't climb on this tho! but for some reason, you can sit in these. . .LOL and that's the skycoaster way back there on the left. yeah, as noted, the park is bigger than it appears. very spread out. oh my. . multiple sizes to choose from! headed back towards the Neverland entrance to go back out into the main park. (we still had one coaster to hit) sadly, tho I totally would have bought some stuff in this section? everything in this area was kiddie sized only it worked out ok, as I got a nice Megafobia shirt later. the design on the giftshop door in the Neverland area is very well done tho. we hadn't eaten lunch yet, so we stopped to grab a burger (the lunch rush from the school kids was dying down, so it was a good time to eat) and the Seagulls knew it too. Speed from our table while eating lunch. we went the long way around (down and then back up) for the final coaster. . . stopping to ride "Bounce" first it was a fun, and exciting ride, with a long cycle first shoot up. . then slow lift and drop. . then repeat in reverse. luckily we got on it, as there was some sort of incident a few days after our visit, and the ride was shut down for a long while. so I'm glad we got to ride it. and then to the only other coaster (besides Megafobia) we hadn't ridden yet: the Treetops Coaster it's just a Zierer that's got a wonderful location buried among the trees. . .lots of Helixes. but it was a nice, Family, coaster. I think I recall this had tire lift, rather than it being a powered coaster. with a really long train, that was themed to Logs! i felt very much reminded of being back in Japan riding "log" coasters. many of the school kids were headed out, so we went back over to the Bobsleigh, and rode that, and then finally after so much waiting/teasing, we got in the short line for Megafobia. another dream coaster I never thought I'd ever get a chance to ride. I'm not sure why it has the 2023 on the front - we were there in 2024 and it wasn't any kind of anniversary the year before - so it was odd. . . but I liked the looks of the trains (PTC?) it was great in the front. . and so good, we went back around and immediately got back in line for a back row ride freaking FANTASTIC. after our ride, it was close enough to ERT time, that while several TPR folks went over to Vertigo to ride the Skycoaster, I snapped some pics in the area, rode the Bobsleigh, and got some very good icecream, even tho I recall it being a little bit chilly. Megafobia from the entrance line. eventually it was time for our ERT after park close, and you can easily tell how much I loved this coaster in that I believe I did every ride during ERT.. here's just some proof (and thanks to Elissa & Robb for snagging these pics while we were riding. . and for arranging this wonderful treat. such a fantastic coaster) Group shot in front of the coaster before we head out (pic courtesy of Robb) and then just to break Daniel's heart? Drenched had water running in the flume now. no boats were testing, but it looked like it could open up any minute - tho it never did - and so we headed back to the bus and continued the drive. hope you enjoyed this update. I really liked Oakwood. . . sure, it woudn't be a full day park for someone who just wants thrill rides. But for those that enjoy walking around and the atmosphere? I recommend it. and Megafobia is worth the trip alone!

A new head of maintenance at Six Flags Magic Mountain can significantly impact the park's goal of operating all coasters with two roller coaster train operations within two years in several ways. Firstly, the head of maintenance brings in fresh perspectives and potentially new strategies for optimizing coaster operations. They might implement more efficient maintenance schedules, ensuring that downtime for repairs and inspections is minimized. This could involve predictive maintenance techniques that anticipate issues before they occur, thereby reducing unexpected closures. Secondly, the new leader can focus on improving staff training and development. By ensuring that maintenance teams are well-trained and knowledgeable about the specific requirements of each coaster, they can enhance operational readiness and responsiveness to issues. This might include cross-training staff to handle different aspects of coaster maintenance, thereby increasing flexibility and reducing dependency on a limited number of specialists. Additionally, the head of maintenance can oversee upgrades to existing coaster systems and infrastructure. This could involve modernizing control systems, enhancing safety features, or even collaborating with ride manufacturers to optimize performance. Moreover, effective leadership can foster a culture of accountability and excellence within the maintenance team. Setting clear goals, measuring performance metrics, and incentivizing achievements can motivate staff to meet and exceed operational targets. Ultimately, the new head of maintenance plays a crucial role in coordinating efforts across departments to achieve the goal of consistently operating all coasters with two train operations. Their strategic oversight and management can streamline processes, improve reliability, and ensure a positive guest experience by minimizing downtime and maximizing coaster availability.

I am amused and intrigued by the idea of an Invisible Man walk-around character.

Official Park Website: https://www.rasti-land.de (German only) Backstory to this post: About a decade ago I discovered both the TPR Website and this fairly small park in Germany: Rasti-Land in Salzhemmendorf, Lower Saxony. It is a family-owned park, opened in 1973 and has been steadily expanded since. When I visited the park, I did take pictures and thought about posting them here, but never actually got around to actually doing that. Since that park still doesn't exist in this forum, here are pictures from my 2015 visit. To start with, the park is a little out of the way, I passed a village and my satnav led me along a road which didn't look like it would lead to an amusement park until it told me to turn right. Yeah... right. Well, at least I was pretty unquestionably in the right place. After this short tunnel, you have free parking and depending where you found a spot a bit of a walk to the entrance. Now that looks a bit more park-y. Pretty much right after the entrance, you find the first example of nice and possibly DIY landscaping. Also one of the first rides you see is this, which seems lifted pretty much straight out of RCT: Monorail! It is partially elevated, so you have a good view through parts of the park and a short "dark" ride section, I think in this building. One of the things you see from there is this kiddy-sized merry-go-round... ... accompanied by similar fun-sized flat rides. like this ferris wheel (mini version) and another merry-go-round, this one probably with seats swinging out as it spins (didn't see it in action). Also on the way, you see more things which could come out of RCT like those tracks (the park wasn't particularily full, so there wasn't much happening on those tracks) Continuing further into the park, there is a nice and quiet boat ride with fairy-tale themed animatronics (no pics of those though) The current moving those boats is generated by a paddle wheel right next to the station, also the boats are lifted out of the water by a conveyor belt to allow easy boarding and leaving. There is also an old tracked car ride which has been modernised into a photo safari. All nice and quiet, maybe a little too quiet but eventually you enter... ...the realm of T-Rex. That's more like it. This is a rafting ride with dino-themed landscaping Gives a bit of a Jurassic Park vibe ...a breakthrough of genetics... But it's not all just landscaping, at the bottom end of this helix ramp, there was quite a bit of Skloosh! action. And if you aren't wet enough... ...this water battle ride is right next door. Of course, not all big attractions are water-themed. For example, there is this nice and nicely pink Vekoma Junior Coaster (apparently their first one) It was pretty hot that day, so even a little mental cooling was welcome. This is the station to a powered bobsled ride. Also quite fun as you get to control your own speed (within limits). Some more DIY landscaping. At some point it was rainnig a little, just enough to drive up humidity but not enough (yet) to drive down temperatures. Here you can do a bit of climbing while attached to a safety harness. This was briefly closed due to the drizzle, but I either got up and back down before or it reopened when I got there. Continuing with somewhat smaller attractions again... ...there is a small drop tower... ...Bumper Boats... ...and a small "steam" railway (smelled and sounded like powered by a two-stroke engine). Of course, grilling and two-stroke exhaust from that go-kart track go wonderfully together. Going a bit back towards water, we find the classical combination of... ...a swinging pirate ship... ....and a pirate-themed dark ride. The Park also has a nice assortment of slides. Dry and enclosed as part of a playground. Dry, open and standalone and a few moist slides the slide boats run on water, but the tracks are confined enough that you shouldn't get really wet. This does however not appply to... Skloosh! 2, an unfortunately not terribly photogenic log flume. Finishing with the water is this spinny thing The boats don't just spin around the pirate, they also go up and down on a track (and they can also spin backwards). This was one of the last rides I rode that day and I hope these pictures gave you an indea about this small but nice park. Even back then there were more rides I didn't take pictures of and since my visit they built several more, including three rollercoasters (Holta di Polta, Strohnado and Verrücktwärts). In summary, this is a really nice small park with rides for all ages and almost all types of riders (except hardcore thrillseekers) where you can easily spend half a day to a day, so maybe think about a visit when you are in the general area of Brunswick/Hannover. If you come from further away, you should combine your visit to the park with other places as the park on its own isn't so much of a reason for extended travel (unless you are REALLY desperate for coaster credits). EDIT: BTW, Strohnado seems to be same model as the hamster wheel coaster from this TPR IAAPA 2021 video, although from on-ride videos the spin cycle of Strohnado seems a lot tamer. German Wikipedia calls this a Mixed Coaster by SBF Visa, they also produced the other two new coasters.

So, we decided on a bit of a whim to spend the day at the park yesterday. About a 3 hr 15 min drive for us each way, so we just did a day trip. We did not go to the water park this time since it had just opened and I suspected they wouldn't have everything going yet (that turned out to be accurate) and I also assumed the water would be fairly cold especially after the storms and hail of the night before (not sure if that was correct but based on the frigid temps of the log flume, probably) Although from observations there did look to be plenty of people that gave it a go. Good Gravy is a very basic layout, as expected with a Vekoma family boomerang, but the theming and the queue are absolutely fabulous. Grandma's house is still decorated in all of it 60's mid century kitsch, including dark brown cabinets and orange countertops in the kitchen. If you're old enough you know what I'm talking about, lol. Even if you don't want to ride it, go through the queue. Ops were still brushing the rust off. Really slow at Voyage but we saw a whole group being trained so I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt that they just need to get a little more practice in. Although the Legend crew was rocking it. All major rides going, no downtimes that I am aware of. In fact the only rides I saw not open were some of the slides in the water park as mentioned. Crowds were manageable. It was a good day. Already had a couple shows running, the high dive show and a magic show that seemed to be geared toward kids. Thanks to HW for having the EV chargers! Nice to get some free juice along with the parking, drinks, and sunscreen.