Leaderboard

That would be a tragedy. Freeze is an icon. You can hear the roar throughout half of the park.

Electerik Hershey Oddventure September 25 - 29, 2025 Part 2 of 2: Special Dark Inside the gates. Is Candymonium the best name for a roller coaster ever? Yes. If you disagree and insist that it is in fact Thunder Dolphin, I can respect that. Any other answer will simply be dismissed as wrong. Unless there’s a really good one I haven’t thought of. Because I like my egomaniacal certainty lightly dusted with crippling self-doubt. Look who I ran into! Totally unplanned. But it’s said that if one lingers around long enough trying to get a good photo of a roller coaster, eventually AJ will appear. Okay, let’s get nerdy: I absolutely loved Candymonium. It reminds me a lot of Mako, which was my favorite B&M hyper, but this one is better. I’m not sure anything on Candymonium is quite as good as Mako’s third hill, but this one’s second hill is close, I like this layout more, and most importantly, while they both have noticeable trim brakes, Candymonium’s are far less ruinous to the second half of the ride than Mako’s are. The Starbucks really makes me feel like I’m at home. (In the sense that I didn’t go in and I don’t go to them here in Seattle either.) So, Candymonium doesn’t have a midcourse block brake. But really it does, it’s just weirdly at the end of the ride, right before this pointless little transitional dip over the midway and into the brake run. Except, the thing is, on paper, while this looks pretty silly, it kind of won me over. I mean, it’s not particularly forceful. But it’s visually-interesting and acts as a sort of false ending to the general public--who react like the ride is legitimately over and then scream when it isn’t quite. It’s kind of fun. Speaking of screaming, I have a fun story. But this caption is already long enough, so I’ll save it for the next photo of Candymonium. Here we have left Chocolate Town and entered the wilds of Hersheypark, where we find this statue of some guy. dooperdooperLooper is sort of the sister coaster to Magic Mountain’s Revolution. The little sister. The less attractive, less talented, less successful one. Which is not to say that it’s bad. It’s not. It just doesn’t do a whole lot, especially when compared to other Schwarzkopfs of this type. Even the visual placement of its loop is “lesser” than that of Revolution. Still fun, though. Glad it’s still around and that I got to ride it a couple of times. Interestingly enough, my first ride was a zen front seat night ride, as it had just come up from a short downtime and the few other guests in the area hadn’t quite caught on yet that it was open again. (Of course, the fact that they closed and reopened the queue by putting up and taking down a simple chain at the front entrance, with no signage and no team members posted, did make it a bit hard to suss out.) Onto the next old school family coaster, Trailblazer. Unlike most Arrow Mine Trains, this one has just one relatively-large lift hill, and then a fairly short layout. But like most Arrow Mine Trains, it manages to be both smooth and janky at the same time. This photo of pathways with some Halloween decor awaiting the darkness might be a good opportunity to share that this park’s layout absolutely befuddled me. A lot of coaster parks (and I would classify Hersheypark in this way) evolve into places with lots of dead ends, but this is more like a series of circuitous pathways that occasionally connect at random intervals. Even by my third day in the park, I often had trouble getting exactly where I wanted to go or finding some particular thing without getting turned around a couple of times. Here, of course, you can see two pathways that cross without connecting. So that’s fun. Storm Runner looked to have an interesting, if rather short, layout. But I didn’t ride it. Why? The trains. I absolutely despise these. I did give the test seat a go, just to double-check/remind myself. And even just briefly and carefully sitting down in said seat, without even touching the restraint, I experience immediate pain in my boy apples. I can’t even imagine how that would feel if I was pinned in, the thing was moving, and there was airtime. Actually, I can, because I’ve been on Maverick. Once. No idea who these seats are designed for, but it’s certainly not big burly men with adult-sized man… um, I need a synonym for balls. Anyone? Thesaurus says “courage,” but that doesn’t quite seem right. Parts of this park are quite pretty. Well, mostly the nature parts. But that’s still something. I didn’t ride their Boomerang either. But I do appreciate that they rethemed it to Jolly Ranchers! It does look like it has the newer vest restraints, but you could still see people jostling around in there as the train bounced its way through the course. Well, this is surprisingly honest. Did they know it was going to be hot this weekend? Also, why is it always hot when I go on park trips? Do I just attract warmth? If you’ve hung out with me at all, I’m sorry. But also, you know I don’t particularly care for RMCs. I was interested in maybe giving Wildcat’s Revenge a try, though. Not entirely sure why. I’d been on 3 (Outlaw Run, Untamed, and Wildfire) and didn’t care for any of them. But I tried the test seat, and found it utterly unchallenging, so I decided to give it a go. The restraints seemed to fit me a bit better on this one (or maybe I’ve changed a bit), so I was actually able to experience, you know, forces. And I kind of liked it? But it also beat me up a bit, especially in the second half. So…while I would say that it’s the most fun I’ve ever had on an RMC, I still found that one ride was enough. Hear me out: Wouldn’t it be more scary if the radiation didn’t have a safety control unit? The park’s indoor Maurer spinner, Laff Trakk, was given a Shaq overlay for Halloween, because apparently there’s also a Shaq-themed Hershey gummy candy? I’ve never had it. Or heard of it. Or been on this ride. Not sure the Shaq stuff really added a whole lot, but the ride was fun (and arguably better themed than Crush’s Coaster in Paris), Probably not worth a long wait, but the park was slammed on Saturday, so I sprung for the Unlimited Fast Track. Lightning Racer is a pair of racing/dueling CGIs. Not top tier or anything, but fun. I’m not sure how I feel about the water park just being in/part of the amusement park. It seemed weird to walk through it closed, but I imagine it would also feel weird to walk through it open. Also, there’s a Wild Mouse coaster called Wild Mouse. I always forget what I bad idea it is to ride a wild mouse by oneself. But I do like Wild Meese, so I’d probably do it anyway even if I remembered. There’s also a dark ride inside the park, Reese’s Cupfusion. The storyline is about misfit candies trying to steal some kind of magical cup from vapid genetically-superior candies and I think I’m supposed to be rooting for the rich, entitled ones? I shot all the bad different candy and maintained the elites’ grip on power! Sta-tus-quo! Sta-tus-quo! As with literally everything, I may be overthinking it. The “trick-or-treat” event seemed…um… Well, this was pretty much it. Also, I’m not a big fan of real-world franchise food & beverage establishments inside theme parks. But they did have a Rita’s, so I was a happy hypocrite. There’s a scenic little side path shortcut that connects Chocolate Town to whatever BS made-up themed area Skyrush is in. (Um…The Hollow? Founder’s Way? Midway America?) Skyrush had some good airtime, but was quite rattly--at least in the outside seats. I would’ve ridden again in a middle seat to see if it was better, if I thought that was in any way achievable as someone in the park by themselves. It wouldn’t have helped with that particular goal, but worth mentioning that Hershey doesn’t have any single rider lines anywhere, as far as I could tell. Okay, time for my Candymonium story! (I’m sure you’re excited.) So I end up riding next to a kid with (I assume) both autism and Tourette’s, and his very patient and loving (again, I assume) mother. Kid’s been shouting odd things in line about how he’s being murdered and whatnot, which is turning a lot of heads, but I figure this’ll be fun. Let’s see how he does on the ride. So, he’s sitting next to me, and he’s carrying on a bit on the lift--which again, I’m finding amusing more than annoying—but he’s locked in during the ride. (Which is probably the point of mom bringing him here, right?) Anyway, train gets back to the station and overshoots. Now, I spent many years working rides, so I’m pretty sure I knew what had happened before the ride ops even did. But immediately my heart sinks, because I know that the restraints are tied to the ride's position in the station. So we’re stuck there for 10 or 15 minutes waiting on maintenance to come move the train back into position and this kid is losing his mind. He’s screaming at the top of his lungs about wanting his phone, why he can’t just get off the ride, how a kid died in the wave pool a couple of weeks ago, you name it. His poor mother is doing her best to distract him, but there’s no hope. And all I can do is wince (he is basically just screaming in my ear) and smile and try not to laugh at the sheer awfulness of it all. The ride manager comes out to talk to him, and he offers to let the kid ride again (because he’s mentioned that). The line was closed by this point, and I probably could’ve weaseled my way back on with them…but I was good at that point. His mother thanked me when we got off. Not sure why. Just for not being an a-hole, I guess. But what can I say? Just like the train overshot the station, sometimes a situation overshoots annoying and lands right in effing hilarious. Plus, let’s be real here. I only had to deal with it for like 15 minutes. For this kid and his mom, it’s basically a lifetime of no choice but to deal with it. Cars in the park as advertisement. Very Six Flags. And a lot of this park is, sadly, despite its charms. On the other hand, this is pretty great. I didn’t ride. Not sure if I could have. But I’ve been on a proper adult one at Kennywood. So no big deal either way. I always ride these things, though. Also, you can’t park your stroller there unless you promise that your child will one day shop at that grocery store. I did go to that grocery store while I was in town. As well as another one called “Karns.” Because I always like to check out the local grocery stores. Is that weird? Maybe the most interesting part of these is that they’re dual tracked “racers,” with classic cars on one side and sports cars on the other. Twizzlers Twisted Gravity was quite good. I think I just like anything named after candy. Note the Kissing Tower in the background, because that’s where we’re going next. The old power plant (still standing for…reasons?), the remnants of the old chocolate factory, the new-ish corporate offices, the Reading Railroad (as in, “take a ride on the Reading”) and the Hersheypark Monorail--which was closed all weekend, much to my unhappiness. I really wanted to ride that. I got the impression they just didn’t want to run it in the fall. The same way they didn’t want to run their water rides, since it was only in the 80’s all weekend. In the queue for the Kissing Tower, there’s a sign that says something like, “Smooching is okay, but no food or drinks, please.” So I get in line, and a woman directly in front of me, who’s by herself, looks at me, looks at the sign, and then exits the line. I’m trying not to take it personally. Fahrenheit. Same trains at Storm Chaser. I just can’t imagine a reality where I would not completely hate a ride on this. Which is unfortunate. But I can’t imagine not being incredibly handsome, either. You don’t always get a choice with these things. That Kissing Tower lady's loss. I assume they didn’t want to run their water rides because half the time the park was going to be open would be at night--and people tend not to ride water rides at night, even if it’s warm. On the other hand, they only ran Trailblazer during the day, and then shut it down at night so a haunted house could use its queue. Really, I’m just bitter because I really wanted to ride their log flume, Coal Cracker. Which this is not. I wouldn’t have ridden this anyway. Honestly, I probably could’ve predicted that the water rides would be closed when I was planning the trip, if I’d thought about it. But I don't have to like it. Lightning Racer’s exit at night. One side is called Thunder, and the other side is called Lightning. Which I just can’t get behind. That’s not the right way to name things. Do I have to explain this? It’s just…wrong. You get it, right? It's not just me? I did check out one of the houses. Auntie Mortem’s Something Something. It was alright. Haunted attractions aren’t really my thing. I do enjoy the theming and seeing how they do throughput, what little tricks they have, and things like that. I don’t scare particularly easy, though--especially not in this kind of setting. So I kind of feel bad when I don’t really react the way they expect me to. I was also there by myself, which is interesting in the “horror night” context, where you’re maybe supposed to experience it more as a group, I reckon. Otherwise, being by myself didn’t really have too many downsides. Oh. A photo so bad that it circled back around again to being good? I was under the impression that Great Bear was on the less forceful side, but I did not find it so. I also thought it rather rough. I liked its setting and the way it interacted with some of the other rides, though. If you’re already in Hersheypark, you can take this bridge over to check out ZooAmerica at no extra charge. But I saw it earlier when Hersheypark wasn’t open to maximize time over cost. Also, it’s closed at night, so you couldn’t do what I just described right now anyway. But here’s the entrance to that bridge, if you just wanted to know what it looks like. sooperdooperLooper, Skyrush, and Comet. Have I talked about Comet? PTC goodness from 1946. Nothing too crazy, but lots of fun. Cool weird T-shaped layout. Obviously more modern trains and braking system than it originally had. But just feels like (and is) a gem. Also a PTC carousel. (With special semi-hidden mirror selfie by me!) I don’t normally like to brag about my ignorance. But all weekend I kept seeing people with 21 Pilots shirts. And I had no idea what that was. At first I assumed it was a band or something. But there were so many. Like, 1 in every 10 guests had one of these shirts. Maybe it was a clothing brand? Or like a joke of some sort? Well, turns out it was a band. And they were playing onsite/next door at Hershey Arena on Saturday night. Anyway, I can’t tell you if they’re any good or not, but their show contributed to this photo. So they can be proud of that, I suppose. What did I think of Hersheypark? Well, I really liked Chocolate World and Chocolate Town. But the rest of the park, while not without bright spots, was less to my taste. But one way I judge a park is by what they have that I like, and what they’re missing. I tend not to judge them poorly for having rides or attractions that I don’t like, because I can just skip those. It’s like a buffet. If I went to an all-vegetable buffet, I’d probably be pretty unhappy with it. But if I went to a pizza and ice cream buffet, I probably wouldn’t be too bothered if they also had some vegetables. I just wouldn’t eat those. Especially if they were first generation Intamin vegetables. Another way I judge parks in on their policies, and Hershey’s were fine and consistent. For example, on the aggressive rides, you could only wear glasses if you had a strap. That’s easy and clear. Signage, announcements, and employees were all on the same page. Every coaster had free lockers and/or someplace to leave your items in the station. That’s all great. I didn’t run into any policies that I thought were especially stupid, punished planning, or seemed unfair or inconsistent. So, on a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being Europa-Park and 0 being Uncle Bernie’s, I give Hersheypark a 9. But if you took away Chocolate World and Chocolate Town, it would fall to like a 4. Although, if you did take those away, I’m not sure how you would get in and out of the park. Maybe the trolley? Wait…are we still on the trolley? What year is this? [*screaming from inside the house*]

So......we just returned from an Orlando trip. Had a date specific ticket to Epic on 10/1 and then went on our 1 day included with the package on 10/3 with plane tickets home on Sunday. As Friday morning dawned we had just accepted that we weren't going to make it on Stardust this time and had resolved to just enjoy everything else about the park; and it is a magnificent park. I mean they nailed the theming, lighting, soundtrack of each land. Never before was my son content to just walk around and appreciate the aesthetics in a park before like this one. THEN, as we are eating dinner on Friday (some of the best theme park food I have ever had btw) we hear the reopening news. Go look, sure enough trains in the station for the first time. What to do? Well we spend another $350 for two more tickets, concierge told us it was already sold out but we were able to purchase on line, blew off already paid for Howl O Scream tickets at SW, blew off a Vivo reservation (only significant because it was the only sit down restaurant at Citywalk I hadn't been to) AND went back on Sat 10/4, our last full day in town. Expensive ridiculous gamble? Yes. Was it worth it? Yes. Something wrong with us? Probably. So from the get go some upper management types were at the ride entrance telling everyone late afternoon to early evening would be when they opened, IF the weather cooperated. We spent until about 4 casually doing other things while keeping our eye on the proceedings. Around 1 or 2 there were maintenance personnel riding, after that other park employees were getting a turn, then the ride crew got their turn. About 4 we grabbed something to eat at the pub and started hanging out near the entrance. Rain coming off and on just to torture us and make it not a 100% thing. More bigwigs show up at the entrance in a vain attempt to keep people from hanging around. News copter overhead most of the time starting about 5. Finally just after 6 they very quietly and calmly opened the barricade and an unbelievably obedient crowd surged at a walking pace in and was walked backed to an extended queue. I think everyone knew how badly the park needed this to go well and no one wanted to risk getting kicked out...................JUST as we approached the actual entrance the fire alarm in the station starts going off. Yep it was accidentally set off and all of the ride crew, easily 20 or more employees had to evacuate. Now we are all being held: ride crew at attraction entrance, the initial 100 or so riders in the temp queue, everyone else where the barricades at the plaza entrance. Swell . About 15 minutes for maintenance to take care of the alarm. We ended up being on the 2nd train out. Got back in line and used our one time express for the other side. Two front row rides on each track. Then waited a good 2 hours for a third ride as by that time the entire park was aware. So three rides, one with an abnormally long line that doesn't usually happen due to capacity. The park did not close the line one second early and actually added a 3rd train on each side to increase capacity. The atmosphere was as raucous as any ert session I've ever experienced. You could tell the ride ops needed this and the crowd gave it to them. Lots of cheering, clapping, and high fiving. The ride itself? What a magnificent beast of a coaster. An instant top 3 and maybe higher once we have time to digest it. The interaction of the trains is amazing. The only thing I can conjecture as to how someone could get blunt force trauma is getting slammed backward into the headrest if you were flopped forward when unconscious, the torque of the two double boosts is unbelievable. I of course have no idea if that is what happened but after riding it I can not think of what else it could be. Not possible to hit the lap restraint or anything in front of you unless you were maybe 8 feet tall. Of course we don't know what we don't know but I can't figure this as anything other than a freak accident for someone not completely able bodied. What an experience the whole thing turned out to be though! Any questions that I didn't answer ( I was trying not to write a novel here) ask away.

Tough to say with Superman considering its size and it's only 1 year younger than Jokers Jinx. Agreed that it would be a great add for Michigan's Adventure if that were to happen. Not sure if that land behind the lake is buildable but if it is then they have more than enough room. If they don't move it, the question becomes where do the new trains go? SFDL also just got new trains. If the state would pull it's head out of its ass with the T-Bar situation, I would like to see them addressed to 1623 Main St, Agawam MA 01001. I know LIM launchers are kind of being phased out slowly but I would love to see Jokers Jinx live on somewhere. My home park of SFNE could use it as we've always needed a launcher (and when Quantum Accelerator finally opens technically we'll have one but just a family coaster). It still runs great, but with LIMs becoming less common they may just use it for parts for the FOFs and Mr Freezes. The track on the SLC is beat to shit. The new trains will end up somewhere I'm sure, there must be an SLC somewhere in the chain that needs them. But I don't see them relocating the ride itself. Sadly I agree the woodies are done. Roar is whatever, but very sad about Wild One. Batwing is another sad one to lose with the Flying Dutchmans officially becoming extinct, but that death has already happened. Also while it has some historical significance, good riddance to Firebird. Ragin Cajun may move (again). Someone may be able to use a spinning mouse. Didn't seem to have anything particularly wrong with it so I'm sure it would be no issue moving if needed. Same with the kiddie coaster. The Intamin 2nd Gen drop tower will be gone I'm sure, maybe some parts will get sent to Gurnee. Starflyer and Endeavor may find a new home, they're pretty new. Otherwise not sure what else would be relocated for flats. The NebulaZ is new, I'm sure someone will see that pop up in April. Everything else is pretty generic and also rather aged flat-wise.

Great evening at Dorney's haunt tonight. Only had about 3 hours in the park but got a lot done. Hit 6 out of 7 mazes plus plenty of must rides. I've always heard great things about Dorney's haunt and I have to say they do a very impressive job for a small regional park. Favorite haunts were Ghost in the Machine, Stop & Chop, and Blood on the Bayou. Tourist Trap is the only one I missed. The haunts were very well staffed and most of them sent folks through in very small groups since the lines weren't all that long. I actually preferred a night like tonight to the night I spent at HHN last year. The sets that Universal does are crazy good, but the conga lines in all the houses completely ruins the "scare factor" in any of them. Outside of the haunts, the coaster lines were a bit long around 8:30 (and by long I mean ~30 minutes, which is an eternity at Dorney lol) so I didn't hit everything, but hit the essentials. Row 3 ride on Steel Force was excellent. After my shit-tastic rides on Wild Thing this summer this thing felt even better. Demon Drop is the star of the park and fun as always. Hydra in front and Talon in back their usual fun selves. Iron Menace line was too long for me tonight, decided to hop out due to time constraints. I will absolutely return for Haunt here next year and hopefully arrive early enough to ride more rides. We had a great time tonight, I know everyone loves to shit on this park but I don't think it deserves to be shit on at all. Decent coaster lineup, terrific flat package, never crowded, and an awesome Haunt experience. It's a much better park than people give it credit for.

Electerik Hershey Oddventure September 25 - 29, 2025 Part 1 of 2: Cookies 'n' Cream [*record scratch*] Yep, that’s me. I bet you’re wondering how I got here…. I hadn’t been to an amusement park in over 2 years (see Erik & Smisty & TPR do Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland) and Hershey is probably the most “important” US park that I hadn’t yet been to. So, I picked a late-season weekend and struck out on a solo trip. But, if you know me, you know it was never going to just be about Hersheypark, but about the town of Hershey and all the things in it. Such as Chocolate World. Which is a totally separate thing. Well, a partially separate thing, anyway. I spent 5 full days in Hershey, and Hersheypark was only open for 2-and-a-half of them. But Chocolate World was open all 5. So that’s where we’re starting! So, yes, that first photo was me making my own chocolate bar. Kind of. You don’t really do much. You just select the ingredients and watch machines put it together. In fact, you don’t actually get anywhere near foodstuffs. It’s all behind glass. But they still made me wear the hairnets and apron. I assume so I wouldn’t distract all the other guests with my handsomeness. But they made the other folks wear that stuff too. So, I don’t know. I’m out of ideas. The Great Candy Expedition is an “immersive theater” experience in which your seat vibrates a bit and you mash buttons to vote on which 3 (out of 6) candy lands to visit. It was cute and inoffensive. Though the train you’re supposed to be on is constantly turning into a boat or a hot air balloon or whatever, so I’m not really sure how “immersive” it is. And also, the fact that you visit 3 out of 6 possible destinations means that it should theoretically be pretty reridable. However, it’s expensive for what it is, and since the destinations are determined by popular vote, I sincerely doubt that you’ll ever get to see Almond Joy Junction or whatever, 'cause b!tch we goin’ ta Reese’s Ridge again! Does “Hershey’s largest candy store” mean that it’s the largest candy store in Hershey, Pennsylvania? Or the largest candy store in the world that’s run by Hershey? Or that sells Hershey products? Or…? Asking for a friend who overanalyzes things. Speaking of pricing…I was on vacation, so whatever. But it’s hard not to notice just how all-over-the-place Chocolate World’s pricing is. Maybe it’s genius. I don’t know. But Hershey products (packaged candy bars and such) are very reasonable. (Maybe that makes sense, since all the factories are in town.) Food and beverage is just slightly below theme park normal. Merchandise is at theme park level. And experiences are quite expensive in a way that mostly doesn’t make them seem worthwhile--except for the obviously best one, which is completely free. Shake flight. I am not disappointed. Chocolate World has real cocoa trees in it! I don’t know if they’re actually used for anything. Or even how they’re doing. Hopefully they’re enjoying their lives on display indoors in Pennsylvania. Hershey’s Chocolate Tour is of course the main attraction here, and the ride I was second-most looking forward to on this trip. The queue is quite long, though the line never was. (Apologies to my UK friends for that sentence. Just swap the words ‘queue’ and ‘line’ and it will all make sense.) Lots to read in the queue, as well. Stuff about making chocolate, mostly. But the “extended queue” is all about the history of Chocolate World and the Chocolate Tour itself. So, I liked that. What I liked less was that there weren’t many opportunities to bypass queue sections, which tended to make it awkward when others were trying to read but didn’t seem to want to invite you to pass them, even though the ride itself was a walk-on. Probably not everyone rode this 6 times over 5 days, though. It’s an omnimover. That looks to me like it maybe had half its cars removed at some point? Maybe it’s just not as popular as it once was? Or maybe it never was? But I loved it! “It’s the milk we make that’s at the heart / Sweet inspiration from the very start / And you can taste the love all over the world! / Got that feel good feeling every day / Where they can shovel in the Hershey way / And you can taste the love all over the world!” Wait...shovel? Remember how confused I was about “Hershey’s largest candy store”? Well, according to this ride’s narration, “Hershey is one of the only companies in the world that uses fresh milk in its chocolate.” I have questions. Free chocolate at the end of the free ride. So, theoretically, you come out financially ahead on this deal. And, yes, this employee was kind enough to pose for this photo for me. One last thing on my list for Chocolate World: Ride around town on a trolley. But this trolley is a lie! I lived in Pigeon Forge for a while, and they do the same thing. Paint a bus green and call it a trolley. But nobody out-lies me, Hershey. Have at thee! (This will make more sense soon. Actually, it won’t make any sense, but at least you’ll see why I’m saying this now. Um…maybe.) The trolley takes you around to look at notable sites throughout the town, while a narrator tells you all about how great Milton Hershey was. Which, you know, he kind of was. He created a company town but went way out of his way to make it actually good. He built housing for his workers and sold them those houses at cost so they could own their own homes. By all accounts he paid fair wages, and he built up the town to make it pleasant to live in. (And many of those things you are about to see.) He helped win WWII, and started a school for orphans. But…he was also a segregationist, which is hardcore advanced-level racism. And the school was not only for just for white kids, but only white males. So…yeah. Pretty progressive in regards to poor white men. But that’s about as far as he went. All of which is a heck of a caption for a B&M hypercoaster called Candymonium. Late in life, and not having any children of his own, Milton quietly transferred all of his stakes in Hershey to the trust that runs this school, currently valued at about $15 billion. So the school is doing alright. And it's no longer racist or sexist! (I mean, as far as I know.) “High Point,” the mansion Hershey had built for himself. Tours are available. Some Saturdays. And they sell out weeks or months in advance. So only "available" in the strictest technical sense. Not sure I would've done it anyway. I probably would've. But I'm not too bummed about missing it. I've been in houses before. “Parkview Manor,” the mansion Hershey had built for me. Rather nice of him. A better view of my backyard. Tours are available for a small fee. The trolley then drives right into the Hershey Story Museum and up those stairs to the second floor. (See? I can lie, too.) I also own a top hat. And caramel brass knuckles. Plus, I’m not dead. (As of this writing.) From there, the trolley takes you to Duck Donuts. Where you can get a donut breakfast sandwich and a donut sundae. Still not dead. But trying. It should be noted that Hershey, Pennsylvania, does not actually exist, legally. This is a bit of a semantic argument, of course. It has a zip code. It’s just not incorporated as “Hershey,” and is instead a part of Derry Township. Also, they water the grass with milk. The trolley then sucks you off to another dimension where chocolate does not come from plants. But where plants can nevertheless be used to make a mocking approximation of something almost, but not entirely, unlike chocolate. Back in our home dimension, where chocolate is good, the trolley squeezes through this pedestrian tunnel to cross under the road to ZooAmerica. So named not because it is America’s Grandest Zoo, but rather because it only has American Animals. (/Salutes in Bald Eagle) A lot of ZooAmerica feels old, but in a way that’s almost good? Like, maybe instead of “old” I should’ve said “classic”? It’s small zoo with some quaint old buildings and a wooded setting, but the animals don’t seem cramped or poorly cared for. I kind of got the impression that over the years they repurposed old buildings to hold different, smaller animals? But that might just be my own personal head-canon. The exotic ocelot. (“You hear that? He called you 'exotic'. Which is just people talk for awesome, which is what you are.”) I’m trying to come up with a caption worthy of this photo. Bear with me. Most zoos have some sort of specialty. ZooAmerica’s is skeptical owls. Next we motor through Hershey Gardens and get stuck in this lake. Allegedly, Milton Hershey was asked (by whom is apparently not important) to build a garden in Washington, DC. His response was to build one in Hershey instead. Baller. (Still racist, though.) New “Hot Steam” Kisses! Did you know that chocolate is actually ground-up butterflies? In that other dimension where they have to make the weird fake version out of plants? Everything we eat is gross if you think about it. A view of Hersheypark’s Hershey Triple Tower from Hershey Gardens across Hersheypark Drive in Hershey, Pennsylvania, via the Hershey Trolley Works. A view of Hersheypark and Hersheypark Arena from the Hotel Hershey across Hersheypark Drive in Hershey, Pennsylvania, via the Hershey Trolley Works. This is what the Trolley sees when it looks in the mirror. We end our amazing journey back at Hershey’s Chocolate World, wiser yet acutely aware that ten years have passed in our absence due to time dilation, and while the chocolate tour dark ride is still free, all of our other tickets have expired and we forgot little Joey and he’s in a Christian punk band now and dating a chatbot named TwizzLiar869. Also, Reese’s Oreo is back by popular demand! Directly next to Chocolate World is Chocolate Town. And what exactly is “Chocolate Town”? Well, it’s kind of strange, in that it encapsulates Hersheypark’s entrance plaza, exit gift shop, and first themed area. So some of it is open and accessible even at times when the park is not, sort of hand-in-hand with Chocolate World, while other parts are inside the park gates and off limits when the park is closed. Did that explain it? No? Hersheypark does not serve Hershey’s Ice Cream, because Hershey’s Ice Cream has nothing to do with Hershey’s Chocolate. Both companies started in the same area at around the same and were both founded by unrelated folks named Hershey. As you might imagine, there have been quite a few trademark battles over the years, that have mostly just resulted in bad blood. So, while Hershey’s Ice Cream is very popular in Hershey, Pennsylvania, Hersheypark mostly serves Turkey Hill Ice Cream. Milton’s is inside the park’s main (exit) gift shop, which is open year-round(-ish). Or, at least more often than the park itself is. As you are no doubt aware, by law, all amusement parks’ main gift shops must contain the word “emporium” or the phrase “supply company” in their name, and Hershey is in compliance. Above the Hershey Supply Company is the full-service Chocolatier Restaurant. I was well aware of this place going in and planned to eat there at least once. As it happens, I ate there four times in five days. I like a full-service restaurant at a park. Gives me a chance to sit relatively comfortably and take a little break in the middle of my day. Plus, the food tends to better. It was, admittedly, a bit overpriced for what it was. But I did enjoy everything I ordered and I kept going back, so I guess it wasn’t…? This Ferris wheel of appetizers is clearly meant for more than one person, but I couldn’t resist…especially once I realized that one of the items on it was Cuban (as in sandwich) spring rolls, which paired quite nicely with Twizzlers hot sauce. And yes, I did pimp my server into taking this photo. Which makes it the only photo of the trip not taken by me, and isn’t in any way pathetic. A view of the park. And of Heath bar encrusted salmon with chocolate dusted carrots and embarrassingly non-candy accented potatoes. Note the train on the roller coaster. I’m very proud. Thus endeth part one of this report. Oh, you wanted to actually see inside Hersheypark? Sorry, that's part 2. I am wildly inconsistent with my use of number formatting.

Where's your SFSTL spirit!? We accept any and all rides donated from other parks. We are SF's charity case, and happy to be just that.

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.

Too early to start 2026 addition discussions?

I was there from opening to around 5:50, having gotten off Wild One as my final ride at the park around 5:20 after a 2-hour-and-18-minue (!) wait for front row. After grabbing a few photos and videos, I went over to catch the curtain call for the final stunt show. I'll reserve my comments about this park in general out of respect to the locals, but it was sad, especially seeing the show staff pour their hearts into the final performances (which I saw and recorded for the Steam Heist stunt show and the Half-Dead High dance show) and the speeches they gave at the end. My only rides of the day were Roar (8 minute wait for front row, right at opening, and it wasn't terrible), the Capital Railways train, Pirate's Flight (hoping this rare flat makes its way back to KD), and Wild One. I thought about going back to Superman after the Wild One ride, but seeing what happened I'm glad I didn't. I honestly didn't set foot on the far side of Wild One even once today. I did to go the park back in May when the closure was announced and got rides on Wild One, Superman, Joker's Jinx, the SLC formerly known as Mind Eraser, Ragin' Cajun and the kiddie coaster (the last two were my only missing credits here), so I was satisfied with my visit tonight. I was even able to score what might have been the last piece of SFA-branded merch in the place at the end of the night (a picture frame with a broken desk stand)! Full report coming eventually.

Thanks for sharing. B&M Dive Coasters have always been middle-of-the-road for me, but this is the first one that is really exciting to follow. 300-foot coasters aren't built too often. I was planning for 2026 to be my "off" year for any major travel, but I may have to squeeze in a long weekend in Texas to ride this thing. Also, really hoping B&M can get their crap together and this ride will run smoothly. My tolerance is pretty high for shaky rides, so I was hoping all the complaining about recent B&Ms was exaggerated. After riding Wrath of Rakshasa this year and then Yukon Striker a couple days later... it is VERY obvious something has changed. Fingers crossed!

3 more operating days left, has anyone made their way down for their last trips? I stopped in this evening for a few hours. I was surprised to see that other than Batwing (which we knew about), all major rides were operating. A few smaller flats closed, and I'd say food was operating somewhere around 30-50%. Decent crowd but the lines weren't bad and I had season Flashpass to get by some of the slower lines. Every coaster was running 1 train except Skywinder which was running 2 for some reason. Merch stores were mobbed as all items are now 85% off (we contributed quite a bit ourselves). I actually started the afternoon with Rajin Cajun which has always been an elusive credit for me. In my 3 previous visits, Two Face was closed the first time and this was closed the two most recent trips. I wish I sat on the right instead of the left as it felt that I was actually counter acting the spinning and got a mundane ride, but I saw some other folks spin like crazy. The coaster I'm most torn up about with this closure is Wild One. It first opened in MA 108 years ago and while I know almost none of the original coaster survived the relocation, it's still a really cool piece of history and it's also just a really fun coaster. Good airtime, fast turns, and reasonably smooth. Rode once in front and once in back, both were very fun. Big crowd at this ride all afternoon. Voodoo Drop was fun. But I rode Demon Drop yesterday so also kind of overshadowed in the past 24 hours for me. Jokers Jinx running great as always. The 2nd half of this kicks so much ass without having a midcourse. Intense whippy turns and good positives. Wish I got a second ride on it but when I only had time for one more I decided on Wild One instead. Superman was a bit of a painful wait, with 1 train ops and rather slow dispatches a 4 train wait (thanks to Flashpass) was 30 minutes and I'm guessing the regular line had to be an hour. I felt bad for the folks in the front row like, almost every other train got filled with exit pass people. Anyway, I rode in row 2 and it was my first ride with the new trains. They shuffled quite a bit and seemed to run noticably slower in the 2nd half, but still a fun ride. I never noticed how well you can see DC from the top. Wonder Woman ran a very long, almost dizzying cycle. It spins very fast during the second half of the ride. Rode Firebird for my second time ever. My first ride in 2020 was awful in the front row, I think I had my worst coaster headache ever after that ride. I rode in back this time. The shuffling is still noticable and definitely a couple jarring transitions but not nearly as bad as last time I route. But this thing is definitely a turd. Sorry B&M I know it's your first but it's time for this thing to be put out of its misery. Rode Roar in back, it's definitely borderline violent but I think the layout is actually pretty fun with a few air pops and some intense laterals. It's an overhated ride IMO. Lastly, Skywinder in back with the new trains still shuffled a lot but I actually enjoyed my ride on it. Amazing how different an SLC is when you're not getting your head pounded in. Definitely a sad vibe in the park. It's certainly a neglected park and has always been a dump, but it has always had this weird gritty charm to it for me and I always enjoyed half the coaster lineup. It's too bad it never got properly taken care of. Glad to have gotten there once more before it closes forever next weekend.

I mean if it's replaced with something on-par with AlpenFury I'm sure SFOT would take that trade.

Six Flags does not own this property and is in a management and branding agreement with EPR properties. EPR is solely responsible for any and all capital investments or improvements to Darien Lake (as they are the owner) which is most likely why there was no Six Flags surveys done. It is my opinion that EPR is fulfilling it's obligations to whatever Six Flags expects in their contract with them, vice versa. I also have seen EPR consistently and albeit more slowly, start to maintain this park in a more Cedar Fair way (E.G., Michigans Adventure and similar parks), as they are bringing their old, more popular rides back to life, removing maintanence nightmare attractions like Grizzley run Ect. and not currently investing in new attractions. Even with one train operations , I now rarely wait more than 15 minutes for anything at the park and everything is open almost all the time which leads to a pleasurable experience. Good management and maintenance is key factor. With all that being said, I am sure EPR has some plans for the future as does Six Flags. This park also makes money on it's hotel, campgrounds, waterpark and the 20 or so concerts they host annually in their 20,000 person capacity amphitheater (all top touring bands). I could see after getting all their current ducks in a row that EPR (or Six Flags, if they choose to purchase it outright) would/should make a larger attraction investment, as it would then, IMO, be a smart return on investment. This park is no way a negative asset to either company and although it is taking a different path than the other 39 Six Flags parks, it is going in a good direction IMO, more than a lot of the parks in the collective chain right now. A survey is just not needed here, it wouldn't matter.

Rogue Rides has announced that their first trackless ride will open at Hunderfossen Eventyrpark in Norway in Spring 2026. https://boldmove-nation.prezly.com/rogue-rides-announces-first-trackless-dark-ride-system-at-hunderfossen Rogue Rides proudly announces at IAAPA Expo the first installation of its trackless vehicles at Hunderfossen in Norway. The BoldMove engineering and design team selected the innovative trackless vehicles for this exciting new media dark ride, slated for Spring 2026. Meanwhile the new Kamino show control is on its way, with a sleek design and using the latest, proven technologies. Hogne Hostmaelingen, Hunderfossen's Park Manager, comments: "In view of the compact space we have in the existing building, the trackless ride system of Rogue Rides has proven in our tests to be the most suitable on the market. We are not limited by infrastructural restrictions and can create a BIG experience on a small surface with maximum flexibility. The story already builds up in the preshow with the innovative motion of the vehicles being an important part of the overall dark ride experience." Comfort in all directions Rogue Rides trackless vehicles go far beyond smooth transport; they move with personality, responding to narrative beats and heightening every dramatic moment. At the heart of Rogue Rides is a groundbreaking application of mecanum wheel technology, long proven in the logistics sector and fitted with all the technologies to ensure a smooth ride. For the first time, this system brings the freedom and dynamics of large-scale steel rides into dark ride environments. Unlike traditional wheel-and-platform systems, mecanum wheels allow instant acceleration in any direction: forward, backward, or sideways. This unlocks a whole new vocabulary of motion, surprising riders with unexpected pivots, spins, and glides. Comfort is equally essential. That’s why every Rogue Ride is equipped with pneumatic air-oil suspension to absorb vibration and tilting axle technology for perfect ground grip, even during the most action-packed sequences. Kamino: Next-Level Show Control Rogue Rides pushes boundaries in show integration with Kamino, the most advanced show control platform on the market. Built on Unreal Engine, the same toolset used by top game studios and car developers like Tesla, Kamino bridges the gap between the virtual and physical worlds. This open, non-proprietary approach unlocks creative freedom for designers and operators: Seamless synchronization of ride motion with media and effects Predictable, high-fidelity simulations that improve budgeting accuracy, Opportunities to integrate AI-driven interactivity and adaptive storytelling. Operational efficiency and flexibility are key features in Rogue Rides development. The dual-boarding station allows for a more flawless boarding and unboarding, saving time and allowing one single operator to supervise the process. It can also be programmed to function as an extra buffer in case of delays during the ride. "By combining iconic vehicle design, unsurpassed motion capabilities, and future-ready show control, Rogue Rides sets a new benchmark for dark rides. The engineering team checked all existing dark ride systems on the market and validates Rogue Rides as a universal solution, overcoming current problems in power and reloading." concludes Benoit Cornet, CEO of BoldMove Nation. For more info about Rogue Rides visit: www.rogue-rides.com

Latest Tormenta construction photos!

Nutcracker!

Lagoon has announced plans for a new S&S Screaming Swing ride called Nutcracker coming to the park in 2026! https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPpfgp_gVoe/ https://www.ksl.com/article/51388482/lagoon-unveils-plans-for-new-screamin-swing-thrill-ride Thrill seekers will have a new reason to visit Lagoon next season. The amusement park unveiled plans Friday for a high-flying swing ride called the Nutcracker, set to open in 2026. Park officials say it aims to be one of "the most innovative and daring rides" in Lagoon's long history. Engineered by S&S Worldwide, the Screamin' Swing ride will stand over 100 feet tall and catapult swinging riders at speeds up to 68 mph. "As you swing, you won't just see the sky, you'll hang with it," said Julie Freed, Lagoon's director of special events. Riders will fly up nearly 150 feet above the ground, putting them at the same height as the Sky Coaster, according to Freed. Lagoon has partnered with industry leaders to bring this vision to life. S&S Worldwide is responsible for the ride's innovation and fabrication, Big D Construction is building the foundations and support structure and 3dxScenic is crafting the Nutcracker icon, the amusement park said. Seating 1,200 passengers per hour, the ride features g-forces "greater than an astronaut's launch," according to a park press release. "Next year, a 50-foot Nutcracker icon will proudly stand guard, ready to welcome every guest to join the fun. The best part, this icon will be dwarfed by the sheer size of the ride itself," Freed said At its most dynamic swing height of 135 feet, the Nutcracker will come in just short of the Cannibal's tallest loop at 140 feet. Shane Dustman is a frequent Lagoon visitor and pass holder. The ride enthusiast shared his excitement about the working relationship between Lagoon and S&S Worldwide. "They (Lagoon) worked with S&S in the past ... they did the Rocket with S&S, so I knew it was a swing," Dustman said. When comparing the Nutcracker to other swing rides at Lagoon, such as Tidal Wave, Dustman said, "This one is way bigger — about the same size as the Twizzling Twister at Hershey Park in Pennsylvania." Masen Curtis and Mei Gregory are high school students who visit Lagoon frequently. "I'm actually really excited for the new ride. I think it's a new opportunity for people to get more excited about Lagoon, especially since they've been making new rides. For people who like more extreme rides, it's going to be more fun, because I feel like that's what Lagoon is going for," Curtis said. "I go to Lagoon basically every year," said Gregory. "I've been so many times I know it's like the back of my hand." "My favorite ride by far is Wicked. I also really like Samurai. It's a classic. For the new ride, that looks freaking awesome, I am so excited," she said. Celebrating 139 years of family fun this year, the amusement park has been Utah's only amusement park for well over a century. The park features 55 rides, a water park and other features that make it a unique experience for attendees. Lagoon's newest ride is part of the park's ongoing commitment to refreshing the visitor experience and offering more extreme attractions, park officials said. As excitement grows, fans such as Curtis and Gregory are already planning to be among the first to experience the latest thrill. The Nutcracker is the first new ride at Lagoon in three years. The park introduced Primordial, a fantasy-themed roller coaster, in 2023. Lagoon has also announced the retirement of Jet Star II, the park's classic Schwarzkopf coaster at the end of the 2025 season. To give guests a chance to give the ride its final farewell, the park has added two bonus weekends to its operation. https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1209930647827008&id=100064302537105&mibextid=wwXIfr&rdid=xbEnG2wwmZKNA0dv# ONE LAST RIDE: Jet Star 2’s Final Countdown! Since its thrilling debut in the Summer of 1976, Jet Star 2 has provided a generation of thrills at Lagoon. The 1,900-foot coaster isn’t just a ride; it’s a piece of #Utah history, and one of the park’s most popular attractions for nearly five decades. Lagoon will be retiring Jet Star 2 following the conclusion of the 2025 season. Join us to celebrate the incredible legacy of Jet Star 2 and take one last unforgettable ride. The park will be open TWO BONUS WEEKENDS: October 31st - November 9th, 2025*. Don’t worry- the park is planning a worthy successor! *Park Hours: Weather and other factors permitting.

Man I am loving what Herschend is doing here!

I 100% hope so and strongly voiced my opinion on that when I had the chance to talk to the higher ups; not that my voice necessarily means anything to them. However, we were told that there will be some kind of celebration, we kicked around some ideas we had, and it was promised to keep ACE in the loop for whatever comes to fruition. Now how elaborate that ends up being? No one knows at this point.

Kentucky Kingdom has announced Flying Fox, a new Vekoma Suspended Family Coaster for 2026! https://www.kentuckykingdom.com/media-room/new-family-roller-coaster-flying-fox/ Kentucky Kingdom is taking family fun to new heights with the debut of its first new roller coaster since 2019, adding to the continued investment in the park. Today, the park officially announced Flying Fox, an all-new family-friendly coaster opening for the 2026 season. This custom coaster will be the park’s 6th rollercoaster, the most in Kentucky. Join the daring adventures of local legend and crop-dusting pilot, Jeb Fox, as Flying Fox sends riders soaring over a vibrant Kentucky farmland setting. Every detail of the attraction has been carefully designed by Herschend’s in-house creative team, known for bringing stories to life in ways that feel both authentic and whimsical. From the red barn-inspired queue to hand painted murals and playful audio featuring Jeb himself, the theming celebrates Kentucky’s agricultural heritage while adding a lighthearted twist aimed for families to enjoy. “At Kentucky Kingdom, our mission is to create memories worth repeating, and the addition of Flying Fox is the next exciting chapter in that journey,” said Sarah Worrell, General Manager of Kentucky Kingdom. “With the debut of Discovery Meadow in 2025, we set a new standard for immersive, family- friendly experiences, and Flying Fox builds on that momentum. This new coaster represents not only our continued investment in the park, but also our commitment to transforming Kentucky Kingdom into a place where families can return year after year and always find something new to discover.”

They better give Screamin' a whole bunch of Love for its 50th. Paint Job, Retrack, Lights ... the works.

They are definitely doing more of the punch list type things that had long been ignored. Lift hill lights on Predator being the most recent.

Awesome, so we are getting SFT's 'hand me down' parts for our Freeze.

Shanghai Disney Resort has announced that Soaring Over The Horizon, their version of the popular flying theater attraction will add a third theater to expand capacity with the ride's finale receiving a new scene. Shanghai Disney has confirmed that the attraction will remain open throughout construction of the new theater. https://shcorporate.shanghaidisneyresort.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Press-Release-Shanghai-Disney-Resort-to-Expand-Iconic-Soaring-Over-the-Horizon-Attraction.pdf Shanghai Disney Resort continues to expand with ongoing development of exciting new experiences and offerings to provide innovative ways to bring even more magic and surprises to its guests. As part of these efforts, the resort will expand Shanghai Disneyland’s iconic attraction, Soaring Over the Horizon, to significantly increase the daily capacity for one of the theme park’s most popular attractions. As a special surprise, once completed, guests will encounter a brand-new scene at the end of their aerial journey. The attraction will remain open during the expansion phase. Located in the theme park’s Adventure Isle, since its premiere to the world in 2016, Soaring Over the Horizon has captivated millions of guests with breathtaking and sensational aerial adventures featuring scenic wonders and landmarks from across the globe. The attraction’s expansion plan marks another example of the continuous development of Shanghai Disney Resort. “The passion and enthusiasm that our guests and fans have shared for Shanghai Disney Resort continue to inspire us to explore innovative ways for more guests to experience our most popular attractions,” said Andrew Bolstein, President and General Manager of Shanghai Disney Resort. “Soaring Over the Horizon is an iconic family-friendly attraction that has delighted millions of guests of all ages since opening. We are very excited to welcome even more guests to embark on this magical ride in the near future and to encourage our seasoned fans to return and experience its new ending.” Featuring an original story, Soaring Over the Horizon takes guests on a magical flight across the globe, offering an immersive experience to guests like never before. With guest experience being a top priority, the expansion will see an approximately 50% increase on the current attraction capacity so more guests can take flight on aerial tours around the globe. Soaring Over the Horizon is a family-friendly attraction offering guests of all ages an unforgettable experience. While guests will continue to take off from Adventure Isle and fly over some of the world’s most iconic landmarks and natural destinations, including the magnificent Great Wall in Beijing and the spectacular city skyline view of Shanghai, the updated attraction also includes a surprise transformation, concluding the special aerial journey with a new destination at Shanghai Disney Resort along with some other magical surprises. Since opening, the strong popularity of the many innovative attractions and entertainment experiences at Shanghai Disney Resort underscored the growing demand from guests and fans for the quality family entertainment. Through unique storytelling and creativity, the resort delivers a diverse range of experiences and offerings - from beloved seasonal celebrations held throughout the year to fresh adventures inspired by Disney stories, including the recently opened Pixar Adventurous Journey and the Stitch Space Base. With an unwavering commitment to delivering world-class experiences and creating lifelong memories for all guests, Shanghai Disney Resort continues to advance through major developments and expansions. The resort’s current major expansion projects also include a new Spider-Man-themed land, the ninth themed land of its theme park, and a third themed hotel, with the construction of both projects well underway. In addition, a new residential community for the resort’s cast members is also under construction, further supporting its frontline cast members and interns who create the memorable Disney magic experienced by guests at Shanghai Disney Resort. Shanghai Disneyland Resort has also confirmed that installation of the new Spider-Man themed attraction is underway within the park. https://shcorporate.shanghaidisneyresort.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Press-Release-Attraction-Installation-Begins-at-Spider-Man-Themed-Land-in-Shanghai-Disneyland.pdf Shanghai Disney Resort announced today that the first vertical steel column was installed for the major attraction at Shanghai Disneyland’s new Spider-Man-themed land, marking the official beginning of the installation work for this high-energy thrill coaster. The installation is another important step forward in this major expansion project, which is also one of the latest examples of the continuous development and expansion of Shanghai Disney Resort. The construction of the Spider-Man-themed land officially began in May 2025 and is progressing smoothly. As the latest addition and the ninth themed land at Shanghai Disneyland, the new land, upon completion, will present the park’s first major Marvel-themed attraction - a high-energy thrill coaster featuring Spider-Man. Guests entering the land will be surrounded by Spider-Man and his friends with unique shopping, food and beverage, and entertainment experiences that extend the story and invite guests into the web-slinger’s world. Since opening, Shanghai Disney Resort has continued to expand with new and exciting experiences, including the opening of the two new themed lands, Disney·Pixar Toy Story Land and Zootopia at Shanghai Disneyland. The Spider-Man-themed land will become the third new land expansion of the theme park, further enriching the already abundant experiences with unique Disney storytelling. In addition, the resort recently announced the expansion plan for Shanghai Disneyland’s iconic attraction, Soaring Over the Horizon, significantly increasing its daily capacity. A third Disney-themed hotel, located adjacent to Shanghai Disneyland Hotel, is also currently under construction, aiming to provide even more accommodation options for guests from near and far after opening. Each development continues the resort’s long-term commitment in creativity and storytelling, providing extensive high-quality experiences for guests of all ages. A new residential community for the resort’s cast members is also under smooth construction, which is one of the many ways in which Shanghai Disney Resort continues to invest in its cast experiences.

A true return to form for Erik's Oddventures! So glad to see another trip report and glad to see your humor (my kind of humor) shine through! Thank you for sharing!

Mine says, "page not found."

Disney has announced that Soarin' will be debuting a new ride film in 2026 at both Disney California Adventure and EPCOT: Soarin' Across America! https://disneyparksblog.com/disney-experiences/soarin-across-america-at-disneyland-and-disney-world/ Buckle up and get ready for takeoff! The fan-favorite attraction Soarin’ will be receiving an all-new airborne adventure across the U.S. That’s right— you’ll soon be Soarin’ Across America at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort, debuting Summer 2026! The new bi-coastal offering will showcase the United States—from sea to shining sea—highlighting some of the country’s natural beauty and iconic cityscapes. This will be brought to life with the iconic elements that make Soarin’ unforgettable – the flight, the sights and score, even the scents! Walt Disney Imagineering is hard at work capturing more than a dozen breathtaking locations for the new flight.

Kailash - Trail of the Sherpa High in the Himalayas, on the sacred Mount Kailash, lies the remote village of Avalok. Your journey begins there. As an honored Sherpa, following his spiritual calling, you set out on the path to become one with the mountain - and with yourself. An ancient tradition that every Sherpa undertakes only once in a lifetime. But the path is not an easy one. Away from snow and ice, you will also venture deep into the mountain. Ancient legends awaken, ancient forces stir - and you must decide: Will your journey bring enlightenment... or your end? I put 300 hours work into the video. Hope you enjoy!

I had a friend visit the park a couple weeks ago. From someone who doesn't really pay attention to theme parks, he echoed a lot of the same things that have been said here. He said the park was a let down.

Hard to tell much from this. The park looks realty cool, though. Thanks for sharing!

I definitely agree. I visited the park on the Friday later in the day. Sky Ride and Carousel are closed for annual maintenance. Falcon's Fury has been closed for weeks but may have reopened since then (the app shows a 5 minute wait but it isn't accurate with closed and open rides). That left the train, Serengeti Flyer and bumper cars as the only non coaster rides open while I was at the park. The rapids are open but close at 4, 2 hours before the park closes for the day. Same with the new Wild Oasis area, closed at 4. You would think that with the log flume closed, they would keep the 1 water ride they have open until at least 5 or even closing time. In addition to Iron Gwazi running 1 train, Sheikra was also running 1 train even with the wait up to 70 minutes earlier. The computer systems were also down meaning no way to get Busch Bucks or any other rewards that can't be accessed on your phone. They tried the mandatory lockers earlier last week at Iron Gwazi and it didn't go so well with not enough lockers. When I walked past the ride when leaving the park, they had the old loose article policy signs out and the metal detector was off to the side near the entrance but not in use. Even with the operational issues, for a 75 minute visit and being able to ride Kumba twice, Phoenix Rising twice and Sheikra (Quick Queue) is still good. I stayed in the back of the park because Howl O Scream visitors were allowed in at that point and the rides in the front of the park had longer lines.

I still find it a little odd that they didn't go with the 10-wide trains on this "worlds largest dive coaster." But thanks for the update!

The front half of the park is much flatter than the back - there are some choices that would not only be at least as flat as the area it's in at SFA but possibly even flatter (SFA is less flat than Darien Lake). And the Tidal Wave location has variations in elevation along any potential orientation but the overall elevation from station to turnaround wouldn't be drastically different heading forwards because there's a mound in the particular location by Batman, tall footers would cover the low points. I'm still not sure they want to spend relocation money either but scrapping coasters isn't free - there's a chance you could be unhappy for at least someone in the chain. It still costs several million dollars to scrap these things.

I assume your referring to S:ROS? Not to worry, I would be thoroughly surprised if they decided to move it anywhere other than the scrap heap.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE just scrap the piece of sh!t. Its old, not a good ride, dont need another hand me down, and with its age taking it apart and putting back together again takes its toll on the ride feel itself

First piece of Tormenta's track now in place!! This is the piece of track that we all signed!! Pics courtesy of Six Flags Over Texas!

Plopsaland Belgium has announced their largest expansion to date, featuring a new complex that will include a flying theater attraction, a bowling alley, a new train station, dining and more! https://plopsanews.com/en/press-releases/plopsaland-vliegt-naar-de-toekomst-een-recordinvestering-met-vliegende-cinema-als-blikvanger Plopsaland Belgium is investing no less than €25 million in the construction of Plopsaland Plaza, the largest expansion in the park’s history. The new complex, set to open in 2027, will become the central meeting place of the resort and will feature, among other things, a brand-new attraction, the Grand Café, a bowling alley, and the main station of the iconic Plopsa Express. The absolute highlight will be the Flying Cinema – the first of its kind in Europe – where visitors will literally fly across the continent together with Maya the Bee. With this investment, Plopsaland is taking the next step in its transformation into a full-fledged resort, aiming to grow to 2 million visitors per year. This firmly establishes Plopsaland as one of the leading leisure destinations in Europe. Plopsaland Plaza Plopsaland Plaza will become the new central hub of the park. The complex brings together experiences, gastronomy and entertainment in one location. Visitors will discover a brand-new spectacular attraction, the atmospheric Grand Café serving classics such as Flemish stew and steak tartare, the bowling alley, and the return of the iconic Plopsa Express – the train that travels through the park – with a completely redesigned station. With this project, Plopsaland Belgium is taking another major step in its ambitious growth story. Since the opening of the Plopsaland Theater Hotel in 2021, the park has already invested in groundbreaking projects such as The Ride to Happiness by Tomorrowland (recently named Best European Coaster), the indoor area Circus Bumba, and the villas and cottages of Plopsaland Village. European premiere The highlight of Plopsaland Plaza will be a Flying Cinema by Mack Rides. In a moving gondola, visitors will virtually soar through a giant dome screen, creating the illusion of truly flying. By day, guests can join Maya the Bee on a breathtaking flight across Europe. In the evening, different film experiences will be shown, designed especially for overnight guests and the evening audience of Plopsaland Plaza. For projection and audio, Plopsaland is partnering with Barco, a Belgian technology leader with global renown. Hans Bourlon: "We strongly believe in the potential of the Plopsaland Resort here in De Panne. With Plopsaland Plaza we are lifting our resort to an international level and, through this investment, want to set a new standard in experience and quality. We are continuing to build Plopsaland as the ultimate entertainment destination on the coast. Plopsaland Plaza will be the place where everything comes together." Gert Verhulst: "Maya is a perfect fit for a Flying Cinema. Visitors will soon take a flight across Europe together with Maya. It is remarkable that we can link a character who appeals to so many generations with such an innovative attraction. That makes the experience even stronger. Who would have ever thought you could really fly with Maya?" Carl Lenaerts, CEO Plopsa Group: "This is a milestone in the history of Plopsaland. Never before have we invested on such a large scale. With Plopsaland Plaza we want not only to attract 2 million visitors per year, but above all to strengthen our position as one of Europe’s leading leisure resorts." Top destination on the Flemish coast With Plopsaland Plaza, the park is taking the next step in the development of a full-fledged resort. By 2027, visitors will be able to enjoy a complete offering: from attractions and evening shows to a water park, hotel and holiday residences. Thanks to the Flying Cinema, the new Grand Café, the bowling alley, and the central plaza, everything will come together in one location for the very first time. With this project, Plopsaland Resort not only aims to grow to 2 million visitors per year, but also to strengthen its role as a driving force for coastal tourism. The resort in De Panne thus positions itself firmly among Europe’s leading leisure destinations.

Seems likely SFSTL will receive something from SFA. Our Park has a rich history of collecting relics from Texas, now it is time for something from the East Coast.

It definitely wouldn't. Yes you can get it custom built to the terrain but the material costs exist and there would now be tariffs on top of the usual material and transport costs. That would add a substantial amount to the cost of importing a roller coaster. B&M and Chance likely use imported steel and that would also be impacted by the same issue. There's never been a better time to relocate coasters than right now. I'm also not sure just how much of the relocation would need to involve grading vs how much adaptation could be achieved by adding height with either tall footers or extra new steel columns. The Six Flags America version ALREADY features tall footers and other quirks due to it being a clone.

Very cool to see that on the open road.

seeing reports online (apparently "leaked") that Epic is reopening Stardust Racers tomorrow (Sat, 10/4). if true, I'm glad to see it reopening without any restraint adjustments - and I'm really surprised by that. but pleased. EDIT TO ADD: "Entertainment Weekly" picked it up: https://ew.com/universal-epic-universe-stardust-racers-reopening-date-roller-coaster-death-11824081

Supernovae Productions on a Theme Park Roadtrip to Sweden Summer vacation 2025 was all about a trip with the final destination: Liseberg in Sweden. As preparation we designed a route with the help of coast2coaster, making sure to hit several parks along the way. Starting from Rotterdam, the trip took us through Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and back again to the Netherlands.  Day 1: You can find it here Tier-und Freizeitpark Thule  Day 2: You can find it here Pottspark Now we’ve arrived at Day 3 and the third park of the trip. This park features Strohnado, a family spinning coaster with a hamster wheel attached to the back car. None of us had ever experienced this kind of ride before, so of course we had to try it out. Capacity, however, was painfully slow. Standing in the scorching sun for an hour didn’t exactly make things better. Once on board, the ride itself was fun and quirky, but the hamster wheel section wasn’t as wild as we’d hoped—only a short moment where you could do a full 360° rotation. The coaster was also quite short overall. Not really worth the long wait, but hey, another coaster credit earned Right next to Strohnado stands a Vekoma Junior Coaster with the imaginative name “Achterbahn”. A quick and easy credit. Then there was Verrücktwärts, a shuttle coaster. And let me tell you folks: in the time this thing takes to get going, you could travel around the world, negotiate world peace, file your taxes, and enjoy a proper cup of coffee. Okay, I may be exaggerating—but it really gives you an idea of just how sloooooow this ride was. Given the layout, it’s hard to understand what the manufacturer (SBF-Visa Group) was going for here. Or maybe we coaster fans have just gotten too spoiled? With the heat, the water rides were a welcome sight. We started with the Rafting-bahn (river rapids). The highlight here was the whirlpool, but theming was minimal—just a few dinosaurs scattered around and lots of green vegetation. The waves were tame, and we came off surprisingly dry, which was actually a bit disappointing on a 30°C day. Luckily, there was also a log flume: the creatively named Wildwasserbahn. Two drops—one small and one big finale. Unlike the previous park, this time the final splash really got us soaked, which was perfect in the summer heat . Splash from the small drop Splash from the big drop We wrapped up the day with a ride on Blizzard, the park’s bobsled coaster. Earlier we’d considered skipping it due to the massive queue, knowing these types of rides are usually a nightmare for capacity. Thankfully, by the end of the day the wait had dropped, so we decided to go for it. These bobsleds are always fun, especially because you can control the speed yourself. Luckily, none of us got stuck behind slow riders, so we were able to go full throttle all the way down. Final thoughts on the park: pretty similar to the last two we visited—small, family-friendly, and only really worth it if you’re in the area. The coaster lineup was underwhelming (not in number, but in type). If you’re looking for something more exciting, Thule or Potts Park would be better choices. Tomorrow, we’re off to our first major park of the trip: Heide Park!

This looks like a piece of Tormenta's mid-course heading to SFOT! Pic credited to Tom Pavlik and Kings Island Pass Holders FB page.

We went to europa park for day one of two here. we started the day with the can can coastter, formerly eurosat, they refurbished it in 2017 and rethemed it as the moulin rouge in belle epoch Paris. The queue line themeing is great with the occasional nod to eurosat. Most importantly it rides great. It has a spiral lift hill with a rotating center column that pulls the train up the hill. It has parisian scenes and an eiffel tower as you get to the top. The trains have onboard audio synched to the ride that keeps pace. Scenery lights up as you go by including a winking moon from jules verne. Not too scary but really fun. Rode silverstreak, a b&m with great airtime. It had been mercedes themed and now is monacco grand prix themed. Not sure if it was suppodes to be a poke in the eye but they had a vintage Daimler owned by prince Ranier of Monaco. I have heard tpr sing the praises of the aquatrax and had to take the opportunity to try the one in the greece area here. Since it was drizzling and we were already a bit wet, why not. It was fun and exceeded expectations (which had been set low) Voltron was new last year and was awesome. We enjoyed the electricity themed queue line in the rain which felt disconcerting. Amazing themeing and ride with a statue of Nicholai keeping watch. pirates of batavia , having been restored from an elecrrical fire (on a water ride) was great. The queue line had some great stuff including the requisite topless mermaids. We tried out the food loop restaurant. You order your food and it gets sent out along coaster tracks including loops and helixes. The kitchen and bar send food up to a central dispatch area who distribute it to the correct table. There are special holders for drinks and food in pots down stainless steel tracks to circular tables. Each seat has a number and you get your food delivered by the food loop. Pretty fun and the food was good too. I had chicken breast on spätzle which was delicious. We finished the day in the rulantica waterpark with the ride and slide package. The indoor/ outdoor swimup bar came in handy and their wave pool is one of the most intense i have been to. It has a really bizarre lazy river that goes through caverns below the indoor waterpark with crazy themeing. They let you go around as much as you like and we finished the day with 4 more laps. it is not well explained but you can take a shuttle from the hotel in the spanish section to rulantica for free. You can take the large monorail from the front gate there.

We went to the park yesterday for the first time. CGA and SFDK are the last of the domestic legacy Cedar and Legacy Six for us to finally visit. We went into CGA with Fast Lane which was worth its weight in gold given the Labor Day crowds. What wasn’t worth its weight in gold was Gold Striker. What a disappointment to an otherwise great day. This ride is a 10/10 on pacing, layout, intensity, etc. - especially for a GCI. Even the luxury cushioning on my beloved Millennium Flyers couldn’t keep me from pulling a muscle in my neck mid ride from being jostled just right. Ended up in First Aid with an ice pack which I wore up until getting an epic front seat ride on Railblazer. Thankfully that didn’t bother my neck. As someone who doesn’t mind the roughness of Mine Blower, most SLCs, and the late Arrow mega loopers, Gold Striker scarred my ego a bit lol. Has it been too much for anyone else as of late? I thought we’d be safe in row 3. Really loved that Sky Buckets are on Fast Lane - did several laps. The old school B&Ms gave all the feels. Even Patriot was smoother than Penguin Trek. Having a full Starbucks was nice, which we are missing from Worlds of Fun. Glad we were able to experience everything and the park seemed to be firing on all cylinders. Not sure we’ll ever need back, but glad to get here for the history and nostalgia factor.