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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).

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!

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.

Same. We are entering an incredibly interesting time in the park's history, which is more than could be said if things kept on as normal with the previous (horrendous) owners/management. The deal for all 7 parks was for $342 million according to Screamscape. One would sure assume that the new ownership group did not make this purchase unless they thought there was money to be made, so I think that bodes well for at least the immediate future. Probably not the long term future if things sputter, but yeah, I'd much rather roll the dice and MAYBE have chance of legit seeing improvement. I'm hoping they do not continue with any sort of agreement for the DC/WB licensing and instead do what they can to rebrand/rename and hopefully have some sort of semblance of actual theming in the park, even if it's somewhat rudimentary. I hope this park is successful. I think the opportunity is very much there if these folks come at with an actual solid plan and the budget to see it through, whatever that may be. If they can present a solid vision for what it will be, I'll happily buy passes for my entire family again and be ready to spend time and money there. If it eventually goes the way of another McBride homes subdivision, well I hope the next few years are fun, at least!

Batman becomes "Black Inverted Coaster" Freeze becomes "Blue Launched Boomerang Coaster" Joker becomes "Spinning Fling Machine" Justice League = "The Empty Bldg" (SF parted it out to other parks)

I honestly found Valleyfair the most shocking park in the announcement. It's an original Cedar FAIR park!!! I realize SFStL is also, but that park has felt on the way out for years already!

Not really sure you're gonna get a response from an AI bot haha.

thanks. . I actually still have 2 days at Phantasialand to finish up on. . . and I'm trying to keep up with the China trip too! hopefully soon!

I was a big fan of the vertical loop on the Dive Coaster at CW. That was a smaller one on the back half of the ride, so this huge one should be great.

no.. . the next big hint will drop and the upcoming fullest moon, but not the announcement of the attraction itself. and that is the blue moon. I suspect we won't know any more detail until after FT92. . . or the giant reveal at next year's Winterfest - which was announced to be hosted by. . . . . Fiesta Texas. and 2027 is the 35th Anniversary of the park. it was a great winterfest, tho really there wasn't much update on SFFT other than the above mention. remember, it was in Grand Prairie (less than 14 miles from SFOT), and it was opening day for that park. So Jeffery was a late afternoon presenter (since he had to be at the park that morning), and most of his presentation detail was on SFOT. Tho he did cover all the other parks under his pervue and give brief updates. as to my take? I've adjusted my guess - which I thought was gonna be a Mack water coaster. --> I now think it's a multi-launch, with an indoor stop (likely prior to a backwards launch). Think Firechaser Express at Dollywood. I truly think that's what's coming in that huge space.

If you haven't noticed, all season fast lane was changed last week. Addons now work everywhere your pass works. Fast Lane was updated last week. Dining plans seem to update (and get cheaper) when the spring sale goes live (only west and Texas so far). Addons must be purchased from home park. Season Fast Lane Prices: West - $625 Texas - $449 Midwest - $999 East - $499 Crazy to do this months after passes are on sale. Also seems crazy your only season fast lane option at smaller parks is now way more expensive.

Agreed 100%. Between making Gold Passes into Regional Passes and this, they seriously cannot figure out what they want to do with their season passes. Definitely a more Legacy-Six than Legacy-Cedar type of move. Like....make all the changes you want, but announce it for the following year before passes went on sale.

Six Flags Over Texas continues to share updates from the park for 2026 including new construction progress on Tormenta Rampaging Run, as well as updated theming coming to Mr. Freeze and Batman: The Ride! https://x.com/SixFlagsOverTX/status/2021378957677826215 ¡El Viaje Continúa! #TORMENTATUESDAY #TORMENTA #SFOT2026 #ROLLERCOASTERS https://x.com/sixflagsovertx/status/2021590754066403580?s=46&t=TK-FUKECKXMmu4-XNc2oyg The coolest coaster on the planet is getting even cooler. In 2026, Mr. Freeze will be receiving a complete refurbishment to its queue with new scenes and effects. #sfot2026 #gothamcityfreeze https://x.com/sixflagsovertx/status/2021018104872984845?s=46&t=TK-FUKECKXMmu4-XNc2oyg The Dark Knight is getting some new gadgets. Batman: The Ride will be receiving queue enhancements in 2026! Here’s a first look. #sfot2026 #gothamcityfreeze

Don't most water parks generally offer similar attractions? I wouldn't think twice about spending more time at the dry park. The opportunity is rare and there are plenty of great water parks in North America.

Glad it's not going anywhere.

Hey, I'll take it. . .even if it was AI? the guilt will get me back in front of the computer to finish up trip reports! we've been spending too much time at the theater! (Six and Sound of Music Last Week, and Hadestown next Saturday!).

What the fuck just happened? lol

AI is joining message boards now... great

That darn log flume! I love log flumes and was sure we had plenty of time to ride it before we had to be on the bus, but the combo of a sneaky bit of line that you totally couldn't see until you were well into it and a massive back up on the "brake run" (not sure how that even happened on a log flume) we had to rush to the bus and literally made it with 0 seconds to spare. The only thing that saved us from total humiliation was another group that thought they had a half hour more than they did and so there was a discussion about whether to leave them or not....they didn't but at least they were significantly later than us!

Ha, ha yeah we do!!

both can be true! tho I love that you drive, ya gotta admit, we have a BLAST together, and so yes, you are tops as an "event partner"

Do you love me as an event partner or because I will do all the driving, lol? Just kidding, can't wait, the weekend should turn out to be super Fetch!

Allow me to introduce: removepaywall.com Option 3 tends to always work for me, but sometimes you need to archive the page you're looking for yourself.

I read a separate article about that, too. It was on my phone and I'm too lazy to find it. Every printed press site I try to access wants me to sign up for a subscriptuion, and who the fuck would do that? Apparently SFStl was one of the last parks to be acquired and Enchanted really fought hard for it. The company stated they're interested growth with the park, including new thrills. They are planning to redo Justice League into a new dark ride. IIRC they may have even mentioned a new roller coaster. I can't wait to see how much goes to shit this season.

Highly doubtful, expect name changes to all Comic Related attractions.

Hi TPR Forum goers! My name is Evan, and I have been around here for a few years. I've never posted a ton in the forum but have always enjoyed reading. I remember back in the day I used to use my mom's account and read stuff and post from there. Shows the longevity of this forum. A little about me, I live in the suburbs east of Cleveland Ohio with my girlfriend and our two cats and a dog. Cedar Point has always been my home park, though now that I've moved east, Waldameer is kind of my "side piece" home park. Cedar Point is 80 miles away, and Waldameer is 82 miles away. I, like many coaster enthusiasts, grew up wanting to be a roller coaster designer. I realized as I got older what a niche career that is but still found myself in school for mechanical engineering and now work as a process improvement engineer. Not a bad gig! I am also a huge Cleveland and Columbus sports fan, particularly of the hockey variety. But that's enough about me... This thread will be photo trip reports from everything/everywhere I traveled over the year of 2025. I was inspired by reading other reports on here and thought this would be a good way to kill off the rest of the Winter before the parks open up. Even though I'm an engineer I've always been a decent writer (I think) and a decent photographer (I think), so it seemed like a great idea for me to start this. Maybe one day I'll start my own Substack or similar site. In this thread you'll find reports from: Eastern Caribbean Cruise on Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas Kings Island 2025 Opening Day Cedar Point 2025 Opening Day Kings Island Coasterstock 2025 Siren's Curse Media Day Niagara Falls and Canada's Wonderland Mid-July 2025 Niagara Falls, Canada's Wonderland, Niagara Amusement Park, and Waldameer Late-July 2025 Universal Orlando August 2025 Universal Orlando Halloween Horror Nights 34 I look forward to writing these up. Some of the bigger trips will be broken up into multiple parts. Feel free to comment. I love a good theme park discussion, plus that will keep me inspired to keep writing these. I would like to do this during the 2026 season as well but that will be a little more "live updates".

Alright lets get this party started! First up is our cruise on Grandeur of the Seas. This was my first ever cruise and it absolutely won't be my last. Everything was exceptional. Grandeur of the Seas is Royal Caribbean's smallest and oldest ship which meant that no, we didn't have a full water park on board or multiple show venues or any of that crazy stuff you see on the newer ships. But along with that came a lack of huge families with many little kids overrunning the ship. It never felt too busy at any time even though I believe the ship was full. Where it lacked in amenities, Grandeur made up in charm. I'll let the pictures do most of the talking but overall so very happy with this cruise! Our itinerary was as follows: Day Zero: Arrive in Ft. Lauderdale Day One: Embarkation Day Day Two: Day at Sea Day Three: Port Day in Labadee, Haiti Day Four: Port Day in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic Day Five: Day at Sea Day Six: Disembarkation Day To avoid updates being too long I'll break them up, so in this update will be Day Zero, Day 1, and Day 2! We decided on this cruise for two reasons, it was cheap, and it was during my girlfriend's birthday. Her birthday falls in the middle of February, so while that is perfect cruising season (warm but no fear of hurricanes) it also is usually the worst part of the winter here in Northeast Ohio. I spent much of the week leading up to our flight to Fort Lauderdale with a layover in DC watching the weather, and sure enough a major snowstorm was in the forecast for the morning of our flight. I was quite stressed keeping an eye on that plus preparing for my first ever cruise. Thankfully my stress was all for not and the snowstorm ended up being less than they thought and we got to Fort Lauderdale without any issue. Shoutout to United for a great experience! We landed in Fort Lauderdale in the late afternoon and made our way to our Airbnb on Hollywood Beach. We had grand plans of spending the evening checking out various things on the beach but we ended up only getting dinner and heading back to the Airbnb. A mixture of travel exhaustion and Hollywood Beach being a bit more "trashy" and "spring break-y" than we would've expected for the middle of February. Stepping out on the patio of the Airbnb we could see the ocean through the buildings. As we were looking for dinner somewhere we passed by one of my favorite dessert places ever, Rita's Frozen Custard. A stop at Rita's is mandatory when I am parks like Dorney Park, Hersheypark, and Busch Gardens Williamsburg. I'm sure other parks have a Rita's location but those are the ones that stick out in my mind. We have a couple in the Cleveland area but they're a bit of a drive away from home. We'd be sure to stop by after dinner. Right next door to Rita's was an italian place called "IT Trattoria" that had great reviews on google so we decided to give it a go. The place was empty which probably explains why it appears they have closed this location, although they seem to have a couple locations in Miami. I don't remember exactly what it was that I ate but it was absolutely fabulous. And the authentic Italian Coca-Cola to pair with it was great as well. And then it was time for Rita's. I'm a gelato fan. I believe I got raspberry ice, and chocolate custard At this point we were full and exhausted so it was back to the Airbnb and to bed we went. We were on the earliest boarding group for the ship the next day, and we were so excited we didn't mind calling it a night a bit early. The next day (Sunday as I recall), we got up, called an uber, and off we went to Port Everglades. There was a good bit of traffic getting in as it was a very busy day in port. I remember seeing 5 or 6 different ships ending one journey and preparing for its next one. Once we got to our terminal everything was incredibly seamless. We were dropped off, got our bags taken by the porters, and onto the ship in about 15 minutes. There she is! As I said earlier "The Lady G" is Royal's smallest and oldest ship. However, since I had no frame of reference I was absolutely shocked by the sheer size of the boat. I can't even imagine a ship like Icon of the Seas. It was finally our turn to board the boat and if first impressions are your thing, Grandeur of the Seas delivers with its beautiful "centrum" area. Our room wasn't quite ready yet, so we took some time to explore the ship. The main highlights of the ship were what other ships would call "the bare necessities". First, a large theater that hosted various Broadway style shows, comedy acts, and even a magician by the name of Ed Alonzo who toured some of the Cedar Fair (er, Six Flags) parks in recent memory. Then of course we have the typical pool deck and large main dining room. Other things I did not grab pictures of were the all day buffet, and the adults only "Solarium" indoor pool and hot tub area. We had our first of main dining room meals for dinner that night. A fantastic New York Strip steak for me. On this ship, which I assume is standard practice across the cruising world, dinner was included each night in the main dining room, as was breakfast each day, and lunch on sea days. I believe the buffet was open for all three meals every day. We didn't eat much in the buffet as we found that the food in there was similar in variety to the main dining room, just not as good. The following day was a day at sea which we spent eating, drinking, eating some more, and drinking some more. All between swimming, playing bingo, attending various presentations, and checking out the shops on board the ship. These birds were following us most of journey from Fort Lauderdale to Labadee. I couldn't make out exactly what they were. Some sort of seagull I suppose. It was fun to enjoy the ocean breeze and watch these guys fly around. It's the little things in life. Some more photos. Not a ton to take pictures of as we were in the middle of the ocean. In the first picture you can see the coast of Cuba in the distance as we passed by. For dinner that night we did a specialty dining experience at Chops Steakhouse. It was "okay". I sort of wish we would have just eaten in the main dining room for free but we wanted to do something special since it was my girlfriend's birthday that day. That being said the service was superb and they even brought an extra special dessert not on the menu when they found out it was her birthday. Service across the entire ship was beyond outstanding. They truly make you feel like royalty, no pun intended. Hah! I believe we spent that night watching a Broadway show, and then it was off to bed with our first port day tomorrow in Labadee Haiti, which features the main reason I am including this trip on this thread, a roller coaster! Thanks for reading!

I'm sure it's probably still being finalized. Also likely they wanted to avoid information overload. Even just the announcement of the sale itself is a lot to take, likely they didn't want to overwhelm.

^ Congrats on the score! Good for you!

AND Holiwood NIghts.....................before the next one comes around

Yes. https://savers.thesun.co.uk/home I happened to see a FB comment from someone about it. Dug around a bit to find the dates. Joined for a month, got my tickets, and cancelled the sub.

Not sure if Sun has done them yet but they give away tickets every year to subscribers. I subbed for 1 month for ~$8 and got 2 free tickets when I visited 2 years ago. Just checked my emails...seems to happen mid to late March every year. It will be a perk with a ton of free days and a lot of discounted days to pick from.

I'll be heading out to the park in a couple of weeks. I'll try to get first hand pics of the new theming.

It's a LOT of walking. Spring for whatever fast pass / line cutting options are available. Hours are short enough to make it worth it. Loved my visit but really regretted not getting it when I went.

SeaWorld San Antonio has announced that the new Barracuda Strike roller coaster will open at the park on March 7th, 2026! https://seaworld.com/san-antonio/rides/barracuda-strike/ ALL-NEW Barracuda Strike Opening March 7th SeaWorld San Antonio is making waves once again with the ALL-NEW thrill ride, Barracuda Strike, the Tallest Inverted Family Coaster in North America! The one-of-a-kind attraction invites guests of all ages to dive into the deep and experience the ocean’s most agile predator like never before. With every twist, drop, and tight turn, Barracuda Strike will deliver a rush of excitement that’s bold enough for thrill-seekers, yet built for the whole family. Suspended beneath the track, riders will glide above the park’s iconic water ski lake in a high-speed pursuit that captures the speed, power, and precision of the barracuda!

Uh . It is built. And has been. And is open. And has been. There was one in, I believe, the Magic Mountain thread too. I hate the world

It's a big park. I barely got everything in 1 day last year on a slow day.

You have a membership (pre-covid) that includes a drink bottle. Not all memberships over the years do. You added on a dining plan that also had a bottle at some points over the years. That is no longer the case with dining add ons. Thus the email. However, you still get your legacy bottle perk.

^ Ooooooooo. And I have no idea how to cancel this "Quote" box. Help! Yay - I figured it out!

The loop was topped out yesterday. I realized on a clear, cold morning last week that I can see the lift and Immelman from a freeway interchange 9 miles away on my drive to work.

Another update from today. Falcon's Fury, Sheikra, Cheetah Hunt and Congo Rapids were closed. Hopefully Cheetah Hunt will be reopening soon as it was testing with water dummies while I was there. The topiary at the entrance was covered up due to the cold weather. Even though it got to almost 70 degrees today, this sign was still up maybe for the next few days when it won't get above the 50s. A train in the station with the water dummies (blue). That was as close as I could get from the sky ride queue that shares the station building with Cheetah Hunt. This is from a week and a half ago but the splash down track is being replaced.

I hope the wait time is advertised.

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

1979 brought a brand-new coaster and the only one of its kind in the state of Michigan to Dunn Forest. Robert Dunn announced at the end of the 1978 season the addition of SuperLoop, an Anton Schwarzkopf shuttle coaster. While this isn't the first of this kind of coaster, it does have the new flywheel-style launch as opposed to the earlier weight-drop launch models from 1977 and early 1978. The coaster launches you out of the station through a vertical loop and up the front spike. Then you descend backwards back through the loop and through the station up the back spike before returning to the station. Guests seem to love this coaster and it has become the most popular coaster in the park, even outdoing the nearby Corkscrew. SuperLoop is located across from the aforementioned Corkscrew next to Firecracker in the Americana Plaza area of Dunn Forest. As the park enters the 1980s, let's take a look at the 1979 season. New for 1979, it's SuperLoop, a Schwarzkopf Shuttle Loop coaster. Located in the Americana Plaza area, it goes behind the gift shop and restaurant by the main entrance, giving a nice visual as you enter Dunn Forest. Here's the back spike of SuperLoop... ...and the vertical loop and front spike. Meanwhile, the Comet has had more steady riders. Here's the nearly full dark blue train descending the first drop. Last year's addition, Squeeky Cycles has been pretty popular and reliable. People are already lining up to ride SuperLoop! Firecracker is still the most popular flat ride in the park. Now it has another neighbor in SuperLoop. The Dunn Express Railway is also still very popular with riders heading from the Comet to the Americana Plaza, especially with SuperLoop now open. The Dunn Skyway also still has great ridership. Another look at Dunn Forest's new hit ride, SuperLoop. With SuperLoop now a unquestionable hit, travelers are now seeking out Dunn Forest as a stop on family vacations.

Silver Dollar City has announced that Thunderation will retire at the end of the 2026 season, after operating for 33 years. After 33 years of runaway thrills through the Ozark Mountains, Silver Dollar City’s Thunderation will be retired at the end of the 2026 season, marking the end-of-an-era for one of the longest-running and most celebrated mine train roller coasters in the United States. The final day of operation is scheduled for Jan. 2, 2027. Opened in 1993, the runaway mine train-style coaster has entertained generations of families, becoming a rite of passage for thrill-seekers visiting the 1880s theme park. Among roller coaster enthusiasts, Thunderation is widely regarded as one of the best mine train coasters in the world. Since its debut, the Arrow Dynamics coaster has carried more than 27 million riders across more than 3,000 feet of track carved into the Ozarks terrain. While park officials maintain the coaster has become a City treasure, the Marvel Cave Mining Company has declared it is time for “real” work back beneath the mountain. Officials hint that its return to activity signals significant developments ahead. The Marvel Cave Mining Company is taking back this section of the park for geological surveys, ordering Thunderation to vacate the tracks to make way for resumed mining operations inside Silver Dollar City. The mining company, which initially ceased operations in 1889, insists it is time to return to “good, honest work underground” deep within Marvel Cave and that the rails currently occupied by the coaster must be cleared. “Thunderation has had its run,” said Foreman Jedidiah Campbell. “But this mountain was never meant to be borrowed forever. There are still undiscovered sections of that mine, and I intend to see what it holds. The work underground matters more than any cheer from above.” Rather than protest the decision, Silver Dollar City has declared the 2026 season a yearlong celebration of Thunderation, beginning with an opening-day ceremony on March 13 and culminating in a final sendoff on Jan. 2, 2027. Special ride moments, promotional offers, commemorative merchandise and limited-time offerings will be unveiled throughout the season. "Thunderation's opening kickstarted exciting additions to Silver Dollar City,” says Brad Thomas, president of Silver Dollar City Parks & Resorts. “Likewise, Thunderation's retirement at the end of 2026 will launch new and exciting chapters in Silver Dollar City's future. In this case, the end is really an exciting beginning. Please stay tuned!" Guests can plan their final ride at silverdollarcity.com.