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with a goat.

I don't think anyone has mentioned Jeffrey Siebert is now GM(?) of the Texas region and over all the TX parks. Sounds great to me.

I wish I could answer your question but I'd have to shoot myself before I went to Florida in July so I have no idea how the crowds stack up during the summer. Other times of year, on Tuesdays I've generally found most things to be a walk on depending on what time you get to them. Hagrid and Velocicoaster will probably be 1.5 hrs and 45 mins respectively. Water rides will probably be long. Usually almost everything else is very short. I don't see any reason why you wouldn't be able to get through the whole park without express on a Tuesday. In Epic news...it's day 2 of regular operations. Ministry currently has a 1 hour line. I seriously am starting to think that they sold more tickets during preview than they're selling now. Fingers crossed it's still like this on June 2, I will have a blast that day if it is.

We were at the park all day 4/16 and part of the day 4/17. The Friday was the park's 50th birthday and my son's 22nd birthday so it was fun to have the fireworks and special atmosphere. Had not been to there for about 3 years so first time on Darkoaster and Nessie with the enhancements. Darkoaster is kitschy in a fun way and the theming is well done. The retracking on Nessie was noticeable and appreciated, I liked the added screens in the tunnel but I'm guessing some purists will view it as an unwelcome alteration. The giant Nessie is a bit over the top and was definitely bigger than I was expecting. The new BBW was available for passholders but we did get ert on it Sat morning before park open. Just like most of the other new gen family inverts it's butter smooth with a nice layout. Just as fun it has a creative story line, fun trains, and very well done theming throughout the ride. I never rode the original so not sure how the people that have apparently never forgiven the park for taking it out feel, but I thought the new coaster to be a great addition to the park and will probably take some crowd pressure off of Invadr for all those looking for a slightly tamer experience. Verbolten very very dead. I mean cobwebs growing over the entrance dead. Everything else open without any noticeable downtime. The log flume was out of action both days but there were employees on site messing with it. Griffon, Appollo's Chariot, and Pantheon still probably my favorites and was able to get night ride's on AC and Pantheon which we had never had before so that was fun. The food festival was great! We tried several booths, everything was pretty good and there was a good variety. To honor the 50th they were selling 75 cent beers on Friday and while it doesn't affect me because I don't like beer, it was obviously very popular with the masses. Sorry I didn't partake so I cannot tell you if there was a limit or the size of each, etc

We were at the park last weekend and got a couple rides in on Rapterra. While it's not a blow me away top ten coaster, it is a solid addition to the lineup. Well themed and creative that they got it packed into a relatively small footprint. In my opinion worth a wait if you are already at the park, not necessarily worth a trip for it alone. Still no action at Pantherian. Timbers running well but of course only if you appreciate the typical ejector air of an RMC. I actually thought the star was Grizzly. That thing is running really really great after all the retracking. I was actually quite surprised at how smooth it is right now.

I will be attending the commercial shoot Friday!

Silver Dollar City looked great last weekend during our short Branson trip to celebrate my daughter's fifth birthday. At the park, we started off with Fire In the Hole. The ride feels like modernized a copy of the old ride, which I consider a good thing. It was received with, "I'm never ever riding that ride again until I die." wtf ok I rode Outlaw Run by myself. It still kicks ass as my favorite RMC. It's borderline getting rough, but not to the level of real discomfort. I also grabbed a ride on Wild Fire near the end of the day, because it was walk-on. I'm always surprised by the airtime on the first drop. It's very smooth for its age. The observation deck was great for the family. When given the choice between "log flume" or "the bumpy kid's coaster" in exchange for a neurotoxin Dip-N-Dots reward, the "bumpy kids coaster" surprisingly won out. Earlier in the day it had the random walk-by rating of "That Holiday World roller coaster is TRASH!" (where does she get this from?) All in all, the Grand Exposition Coaster was much more suited for my daughter now than it was when she was three. At that time it received the rating of "I'm never ever ever riding that ride again." I think she actually had fun, which made me optimistic for the future. It's hard to tell. The Marvel Cave tour was a nice challenge for the kid. Caves make me uncomfortable. In my opinion, the tour guide took way too long incorporating the cave's history with story telling. We weren't the only ones in the crowd who looked bored with the five minute explanation of the original explorers throwing rocks into the deeper part of the cave that led to a bat shit filled pit. Like legit, dude went over the "He threw a rock and heard no response" reenactment about five times. I have a feeling the drawn out stories were to give the growingly restless crowd a break from the 600, but I don't remember the guides taking that long. I wish the extended story lengths would have instead just contained additional history, since the younger kids didn't seem to give a shit about the dramatization, anyway. Thankfully, the tram back to the top worked, because the lady gasping for air and breathing on my neck behind me was about to die. The train was great. The experience near the back half was a lot different with the Fire In the Hole area added. The robbery show was good. I feel like it got longer. Again, at one point I was wondering when it was going to wrap up, but the actors took extra time to interact with every row, which was worth it for all the kids. Staff did a great job of filling the train to make sure almost everyone in line got on. Flooded Mine is a great ride for kids. A lot of the effects weren't working, but the scoring was spot on and it's still a lot of fun. The gun accuracy is better than most considering this ride is old school. There were three animals out in the petting zoo. lol We originally made the mistake of getting in line for the BBQ place near the raft ride. (As I have gotten older, I really don't give two shits about most ride names anymore if you can't tell.) We got out of line when it seriously didn't move for the five minutes we were in it. I didn't understand the mistake of trying to grab lunch during prime time until I had a kid. Avoiding excessive hunger is a big part of preventing a meltdown, so the urgency of getting lunch increases. The quick-serve food stand pretzel nearby was decent and they had a fruit cup, which was nice. We later made it to the BBQ place when it had almost no line. The pulled turkey was ok, and the slaw was surprisingly not loaded with sugar. The pulled pork my wife had didn't taste like typical wanna-be barbeque crockpot meat. It's nice to have a healthy(er) choices for meat and vegetables. I'm not going to elaborate further on the kid and family rides we went on. Our experiences on all of them were great. The park was clean and the staff was friendly. I love how shaded the park is. It's a nice place to take it slow and enjoy the atmosphere. Does anyone know what they're building near the north side of the park? There was a lot of land clearing. It may be just the deconstruction of Fire In the Hole version 1. As far as Branson in general, we did the Runaway Mountain Coaster a few times. Two of the three times I went at a slower pace with my daughter and let her tell me when to slow down and speed up. If your kid is still afraid of roller coasters, this is a nice way to break them in at the pace you choose. I went by myself on one of the rides. There are a lot of small double down airtime hops in the layout and it cooks through the helix sections. Some of the areas seem to jut out at least fifty feet or so from the hill, with the optics of overlooking the valley making it seem much higher than that. For those interested in hiking, there's a nice waterfall hike nearby. Hiking is my daughter's jam, and this one doesn't have a lot of steep climbs. It's good for young kids. It takes a couple 2-3 hours if you stop to explore. If you go without kids, you can probably knock it out in a little over an hour. We chose to stay at a one room suite with a pullout, kitchenette, and porch at Hyatt's Timber Ridge. If you're looking for a well maintained property, I recommend it. There are activities at night for families. The resort has an indoor/outdoor pool that was unfortunately unavailable due to storm damage repair. The fitness center is really nice, but I chose to go the grueling route of steep elevation changing laps around the property, which was well worth it for being scenic and quiet in the early morning. Constants in Branson/SDC are that the gyms and running trails are rarely occupied... (Honorable mention to Holiday World area.) If you're in the area, I HIGHLY recommend Mr. Gilbertis pizza across the dam in Hollister. The cast iron Chicago style pizza seriously rivals Lou Malnati's. Cheers.

My latest visit to The Park (the 25th) was met with a lovely cool-ish sunny day. And the crowd was HUGE! Lines on the 'thrill rides' easily an hour or more. I decided to just do a walk around, and get a couple of rides on the "less thrill" (?) rides. It ended up being the Carousel and the Gladiator, that I rode. Somewhat bad news, was finding out that the One Dollar Refills (both popcorn and beverage) were not being offered this season. <sad> Hopefully, they may change their mind, and reinstate it. Got the whole summer to find out, lol. What the new printed pass looks like. On the way to the main gate. Looks like everybody's inside, now. Running, running. This was around 2 pm at the Coaster lineup. I was told there were $1 Pop Refills here. But still. No popcorn refills. This is on top of the operator's booth at the Sea-To-Sky Swinger. Great theming! Play Quarters games still closed. Wonder if they'll ever re-open this part of the Arcade again? Rest of the arcade open. But not Crossbow. A too dangerous game? Who knows why. Ready for a launch. Up.... And over! Bug Whirld. Action shot. And don't forget to "Spread Your Wings." This is how you spread your wings. <g> Skybender in action. My first ride of this visit. Have to remember, not to put camera in front of face. I'll get it right, eventually. My only other ride this visit: Gladiator. Great fast and high cycle. But it coming down to a stop ... took - for - ever. Wheee! Meanwhile ... Big lineup for this one, too. The Beast in unload-reload position. Eventually, on a future visit, I will get food and drink here. Great burgers, fries and shakes..... See? Told ya. And that was it, for this visit to Playland.

Got our first, brief visit to the park yesterday now that it's springtime again (it's been icy cold in the northeast). Overall, 4.5 hours in the park, three rides. Batman -- operations were horrible. At least five minutes between dispatches, two trains, waited 75 minutes in a half-full queue. Wicked Cyclone -- not as bad, still at least one ride op who staples with extra zeal, literally jumping and pushing down on the lap bar. Superman -- almost as bad as Batman. It seems like between every dispatch on those two coasters the main ride op had to sign paperwork and talk to a group of other employees. Literally between every dispatch. Training? I don't know, they've been open weekends for well over a month now. And the exit lane passes -- my lord, EVERYONE has these now. Only food we ate was the gyros and fries which are honestly delicious! Quantum Accelator: two trains on the track (one in station, one on transfer). Still building in the station and looks like a shed for the transfer track. Didn't know this has two launches! Sorry, only got a couple pictures, was hurrying from one end of the park to the other. Is it just me or are the trains super ugly? Anyway, looks like it'll be a fairly wild ride even if it is a "family launch" coaster. ^^ This is, I think, the highest point on the ride. There's a gentleman in the station doing what looks like electrical work. Zoomed in on the train in the station. The trains are very brown. Transfer track is forward of the station, not behind it on the circuit. Can just barely make out the two parallel launch tracks, sorry I didn't get better picture.

I hope they don't fix it, so I can read all of the comments of "We should be entitled to last rides!!"

Well, I'm doing it! June 18th, just bought my Memorial Day sale ticket. It'll be my first (and last) trip. I haven't been to a Six Flags since visiting the extinct one in Ohio . So... how low should I set my expectations?

After having sailed on the Disney Dream across Europe over the Summer, we were excited to have the chance to experience something entirely new... The Disney Treasure launched late in 2024, taking alternating seven night sailings to the Eastern Caribbean and Western Caribbean from Port Canaveral, Florida. Along our sailing, we would have the chance to visit our favorite Disney's Castaway Cay as well as the new Disney's Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point in Eleuthera, Bahamas. As big fans of the Disney Wish (I've got another report to share from our somewhat-recent sailing there soon), we excited to see how the Disney Treasure would be similar and different from her sister ship... This is never a bad sight to start off your day! Given that our sailing was at the tail end of the year, the port (and several of our ports of call) were decorated for the holidays. The Grand Hall on the Disney Treasure is inspired by Disney's Aladdin. I spent a lot of time staring across this space. We love exploring the ship during the embarkation day "open house" period, as it allows you to visit spaces that are primary closed off to adults and non-paying guests (depending on the venue) before the ship has left the port. The it's a small world nursery is an adorable example of this. Presented in the classic Mary Blair style, there is a lot of character to take in... This moving train that circles the ceiling of the venue is one of my favorite details. Mickey & Minnie's Captain's Deck is a nice play space that can be annexed into either the Disney's Oceaneer's Club or the it's a small world nursery throughout the cruise, enabling children from either age group to have a chance to enjoy all that is found within. The Walt Disney Imagineering Lab in Disney's Oceaneer's Club is one of my favorite youth spaces in the fleet, and of course they have those amazing handwashing stations here as well. The Imagineering Lab has an interactive simulator which allows younger guests to ride virtual versions of classic Disney attractions. The space is filled with detail and authentic props from the parks... The costume from the former Rivers of Light nighttime spectacular at Disney's Animal Kingdom Park is one of my favorites. A model of the very ship we were sailing on, found on the very ship we were sailing on. Three of my favorite posters for three of my favorite attractions. A scale copy of the Grand Hall bronze statue found in the Walt Disney Imagineering Lab... Figment has found his way onboard! There are lots of themed spaces for kids to enjoy within Disney's Oceaneer's Club. Also a collection of some of the most adorable restrooms you'll find out of anywhere made by Disney. As my username implies, I kind of like Star Wars. Ok, I like it a lot. Enough to get really excited when I see a dianoga in the water... Especially excited to see an adorable lothcat twitching in its sleep. Marvel Superhero Academy is another impressive space within Disney's Oceaneer's Club, featuring interactive experiences and games... I was able to try my hand at being a certain web-slinging superhero in a battle against Ultron's army of bots. The space directly ties into the Worlds of Marvel dinner show, particularly the Avengers: Quantum Encounter show. Back in the Grand Hall we found Peter Pan guiding guests on a treasure hunt. And a friendly Genie overhead to welcome guests aboard. One of my most important stops on embarkation lunch is to Marceline Market where I indulge in delicious seafood... But maybe I'm just shellfish. Our home for the next seven nights! Complete with a very comfortable verandah! Sarabi is the ship's two-story flex venue which hosted shows, trivia, bingo and more throughout the cruise. A close-up look at the magic lamp found in the Grand Hall of the Disney Treasure. I'm not kidding when I say that "Let's Set Sail" is one of my favorite entertainment offerings across the Disney Cruise Line fleet. It's a high energy kick-off to your cruise featuring all of your favorite characters, great upbeat and emotional music (gets me every time) and tons of fun! The magic is so strong, the cast float on air! We've got royalty in the house! Make that double! How about triple? Simply the best! Not long after the ship sailed away from Port Canaveral it was time for our first dinner at Plaza de Coco! Located in the same space as Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure on the Disney Wish, this venue features in-story entertainment as well as authentic, fantastic Mexican food. These Chorizo Street Croquettes were among my favorite things I consumed throughout the cruise. Abuelita Elena's Shrimp Diabla did not disappoint! The show also features an authentic mariachi band to entertain guests and to set the evening mood. The Butternut Squash Enchilada was a fantastic meatless meal option. The Margarita Lime Cheesecake was a delicious way to cap off our meal. The level of detail in bringing Coco to life onboard is excellent. Miguel's family tree... I love the feel of this space! Like other Disney Cruise Line ships, the hallways and stairwells contain unique art that pays tribute to Disney content of all types and ages. Now for something I had been eagerly anticipating for some time... Welcome foolish mortals, to the Haunted Mansion Parlor! The Haunted Mansion Parlor is an extension of the Haunted Mansion attraction, with its own unique story, elements and lots of tie-ins to the original experience. This fish tank is one of the most notable elements within the space... But you won't find regular fish in here. Not unlike the attraction that inspired it, the Haunted Mansion Parlor features portraits that aren't quite as they appear... There's something more ghoulish that reveals itself in each of these, given time. The characters are similar to those you find in the Haunted Mansion, right down to the poses, but their stories and forms are not carbon copies of what you'd find on land. It was very appropriate that Captain Culpepper Clyne, also known to fans of the Disney lore as The Mariner, found his way into the Haunted Mansion Parlor. This character is based on one of the earliest Marc Davis sketches for Disney's version of what would become The Haunted Mansion. He at one point was represented in the attractions as a portrait whose staring eyes followed you. He also has a tomb in the Walt Dsieny World Magic Kingdom version of the attraction's queue. The Mariner also has his own themed drink and accompanying collectible mug available for purchase... Which I did. The Siren (previously pictured in portrait form) also has her own drink and mug available for purchase... Which I did. The mantle clock is similar but different to the grandfather clock found in the Haunted Mansion attraction. The Hitchhiking Ghosts make appearances in the bar mirror throughout the evening... A look at the venue's drink menu... There is a hidden drink option if you can solve a "chilling challenge" from within the digital menu... And here is what that option is. I love this tribute to former Imagineer Rolly Crump! Notice how these sconces look very similar to the "The Spirits Have Been Released" hidden menu item? The Haunted Mansion Parlor is filled to the brim with details including this candelabra which features a candle that is a nod to the Candle Man character that was once conceptualized for the attraction. There are blink-and-you-miss-it details throughout the Haunted Mansion Parlor... Like this portrait... It doesn't quite stay the same throughout the experience. Jumbeaux's Sweets is the ship's ice cream parlor and sweets shop. The space is incredibly cute! And there are lots of great ice cream flavors to enjoy! For all of you Taittinger enthusiasts, yes they have plenty onboard. The Jade Cricket Cafe is one of several coffee bars onboard. This one is inspired by the lucky cricket, Cri-Kee from the animated Disney film Mulan. Our night ended with an early rest knowing that our next day would be our first full sea day with lots to do throughout.

New logs for El Aserradero! Track and supports are massive! Construction zone now extends all the way around picnic area!

According to what I was reading in Southern California, they fired the park presidents at Knotts and Magic Mountain and the whole chain is going to run without full time management / park presidents at every single park so a few were promoted to regional managers while the rest were asked to go part time or let go completely. "Six Flags lays off Knott’s and Magic Mountain presidents The president positions are being eliminated at all 27 amusement parks in the chain, according to Six Flags officials. https://www.ocregister.com/2025/05/23/six-flags-lays-off-knotts-and-magic-mountain-presidents/

Sorry would not, or should not

Attractions Magazine Six Flags declares ‘Great Reset,’ shares goals through 2028 BySarah GillilandMay 20, 2025 Six Flags Entertainment Corporation revealed several key points of focus during its Investor Day event in Sandusky, Ohio, on May 20, 2025. The presentation provided a comprehensive and forward-looking view of the newly merged Six Flags and Cedar Fair companies. Held at the historic Hotel Breakers at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, the event marked a milestone nearly a year after the merger of the entertainment companies. CEO Richard Zimmerman and other executives presented their strategic roadmap, highlighting the strength of the combined company, the ongoing progress of integration, and a clear vision for growth through 2028. “I will tell you the more we got comfortable looking at the combined company, the more what we saw was that there was great value we could create, and that we could do things as a combined company that neither legacy company could do on their own,” Zimmerman stated. He continued, “It’s clear that the new Six Flags is stronger and more strategically positioned than either legacy company. This is a fundamentally different and fundamentally stronger company.” Looking to the future of Six Flags The new Six Flags, now the leading regional amusement park operator in North America, serves 42 parks and reaches nearly 250 million potential guests. Executives reaffirmed a strong belief in the value of regional “icon” parks like Cedar Point, highlighting their resilience and growth potential, even during economic downturns. A primary focus was the ambitious goal of reaching 58 million in annual attendance and $3.8 billion in revenue by 2028. The next 18 months were dubbed the “Great Reset,” where streamlining, debt reduction, and reinvestment are prioritized. Six Flags growth relies on customer satisfaction Christian Deekman, chief commercial officer, expanded on the revenue growth strategy. He identified attendance and in-park spending as the two core growth drivers. Market analysis revealed major attendance gaps at underperforming parks like Six Flags Magic Mountain and Six Flags Over Georgia compared to stronger performers like Knott’s Berry Farm and Carowinds. Enhancing guest satisfaction is key to narrowing these gaps. The company aims to attract more visitors via enhanced CRM systems, regional season passes, and consistent capital investment in new rides, family attractions, and seasonal events like Fright Fest. Other opportunities for growth Food and beverage revenue is another growth pillar. By upgrading dining experiences and focusing on creative, themed items like Halloween “blood bags,” Six Flags aims to increase transactions per guest. They plan 11 new renovated food locations this year and another 50 in coming years. Retail and premium offerings like cabanas and bundled products are also being expanded due to their high margins and alignment with higher attendance. Portfolio optimization plays a supporting role. While all parks will operate in the 2025 season, the company is evaluating potential asset sales, particularly of parks with limited growth upside. However, executives stressed that deleveraging does not depend on asset sales. Instead, the top 15 locations will be the core growth focus. Season passholders expected to visit more often Six Flags expects to recapture 10 million lost visits by 2028, returning to pre-pandemic attendance levels. More than 80% of this growth will come from expanding the season pass base and increasing the frequency of visits. While per-capita revenue from season passholders is lower per visit, their overall annual spend is significantly higher due to multiple visits and consistent in-park spending. The projected revenue growth is driven largely by volume, not pricing. For in-park revenue (food, merchandise, upgrades), 90% of growth is expected from more transactions and higher average spend per transaction. For admission revenue, 75% will come from increased ticket volume. This “volume-first” approach will also support pricing power as parks become “comfortably crowded.” Cost management and guest improvements Six Flags Entertainment plans to reduce operational costs by $60 million in both 2025 and 2026, focusing on labor efficiencies, procurement, and operational calendar changes. From 2027 onward, costs are expected to grow at or below inflation. Parks will focus on reallocating labor and operating days to maximize guest impact without harming guest satisfaction. The company plans to reinvest 12–13% of net revenue into park infrastructure, new rides, and guest experience improvements. This includes significant upgrades to food and beverage offerings and technology like mobile apps and Wi-Fi. Outlook and investor confidence The final presentation at the 2025 Six Flags Entertainment Investor Day, delivered by the company’s financial leadership, laid out the strategy for revenue growth, cost optimization, and achieving long-term shareholder value through the newly merged Six Flags and Cedar Fair entities. The team reiterated its 2028 goals: 58 million visitors, $3.8 billion in revenue, and $1.5 billion in EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization) with 40% margins. The company is ahead of schedule on early targets and believes its unified leadership, CRM tools, capital planning, and loyalty initiatives will drive consistent long-term growth.

Cutting it a little close, but SFFT finally released the schedule for the upcoming Roller Coaster Rodeo this morning. this is an EXCELLENT event (with, honestly, the biggest selling point being that your badge works as VIP Flash Pass Access *all* day Friday & Sunday too. . . .so while you'll be too busy to use it on Saturday, it works all day before the event officially starts Friday, and all day after the event ends Sunday at Noon). some changes this year and I'm a little bit sad they seem to have gotten rid of some of the "rodeo games" / "scavenger hunt". . . but mostly, I'll miss the Friday night "Frightfest" they had been doing for attendees in prior years, complete with two houses. But I can get over that, as we're having an ERT DCU party instead. (and it looks like Saturday morning ERT has been added to allow day time rides on the Crackaxle rides. . if i'm correct in my guess that's what "wild west sunrise shindig" is. it's a great event, and so worth the cost!

really is scary looking

I would argue Six Flags Fiesta Texas has this one beat, but at this point, I don't even think you can consider it a true Six Flags park. It's like the unusually smart child in the family, which was secretly made on a business trip instead of at home.

Day 11 (pt 2) full day at Flamingo Land, continued: after the disappointment of the Haunt ride, we decided to head back towards the front of the park, where the main restaurants were. it was mid afternoon, and hadn't eaten yet, and we had seen posts in the group chat that the food in the pub was decent. the decor in here certainly was "eclectic" and the food was "typical bar food". .but that's fine, because it actually was all pretty good. the mozzarella sticks : and my Ham & Swiss with loaded nacho fries. we had a couple of hours left before time to meet the bus, so took the opportunity of being near the front gate, to check out the gift shop. capybaras !! then checking out the time, decided to venture way over to the other side of the park for the zoo portion. lazy afternoon for the lion pride. lovely Giraffe enclosure, surrounded by what looked like tracks for a SBNO train. perhaps it only operates on certain days? too bad, as it would have given some great views. This park most certainly can use a train or a monorail. . as it's a TON of walking, due to it being so big. monkeys, and free roaming peacocks. .that were everywhere! hmm. that's one way to ensure the big cats don't hide from visitors during the day - chain a big chunk of meat to the central enclosure. tho the Red Panda didn't seem to need any coaxing to be out. so cute! what's this???? ah. there's a "zoo area only" monorail.. and if I had found it a bit earlier, absolutely would have ridden it. but the station was difficult to find, and I was worried I wouldn't have time to check out the rest of the park. Nice to know at least one of the "sit and enjoy the view" rides (as I call them) was working today tho. thru the elephant enclosure, you can see just how far away from the SLC coaster we are - and there's still a whole nother "land" behind me. speaking of that other land. . . getting to it, and more free range Peacocks it looks like this at one point was a main entrance to the zoo? perhaps it's now the resort entrance? very small kiddie carousel here. . at least they had one, even if it's a tiny one. (but no, didn't try to ride it) and a few other assorted kiddie rides. that's why I'm guessing this park started out as a zoo.. but they slowly added thrill rides, and expanded out to the left. mini-ponies! and a whole "Peter Rabbit" section, that included a maze, and obstacle course, a gift shop / library (closed today) and a castle. and back behind the castle - hidden with NO signs, and not on any map I could find - was a classic carousel. i know it wasn't on the maps, because I tried to tell Stacy I had found a carousel, so she could come ride it with Myself and Nick. . but she wasn't able to find it, and kept getting directed to the kiddie carousel. called "the Gallopers". . . I was so happy to see this, and of course immediately hopped in line to ride it. I *believe* I ended up on Twister. . but can't really recall. still. . . Carousels are my happy place. and Nick seems to be enjoying it too. we looped back around the far side of the zoo to head back to the main gate / bus. as you can see, the sky cleared and it ended up being a beautiful day. more roaming Peacock I believe a buzzard sleepy meerkats antelope hiding in the tall grass a meerkat keeping watch while others dig for bugs and happy piggies in mud a photo op? why yes, please that's one way to make use of a dead branch that must be cut. . . carve into an owl. we got back to the front gate as the pirate show was going on. not sure what a pirate show has to do with Flamingo Land. . but I guess it explains the Pirate Ship stage. and there was a ton of kiddie / crowd involvement - those kids at the very front, expected to be chosen to participate. and the cast stuck around afterwards for photos .. . so of course! arrrrrghhhhhh!!! and this guy seems to be the mascot of the park. yeah.. I don't really understand it either. . why a Parrot for FLAMINGOLand? but hey, was cool to meet a mascot. and with that, we all headed to the bus and made our way towards the last hotel for the trip. on the group thread, either Andy or perhaps Brad shared these pics they had taken in the zoo portion. thought they were great enough to share. . .especially this first one. later that night, in the hotel, Stacy had a dilemna. she had gotten her bottle of Iron Maiden wine. . but how to get it home? no liquid allowed in that qty on the plane. well, the answer was to drink it of course, so she headed to me room and we drank like Troopers. and with that, it was time to go to bed. one final park before the trip was done. .and it was another surprise one.

Day 11 (pt 1) full day at Flamingo Land: on the way to the last hotel for the trip (back near London), we stopped to spend most of the day at FlamingoLand. this is a weird ass park - on the one hand, it's very, very run down, and seemed to be falling apart in places. With some pretty awful operations (most coasters were running one - or less ! no really, a coaster was running one train ops with only loading the first 4 rows). . . *but* the rides/coasters they do have offer a wide variety of thrills, and included one of my favorite coasters on the trip. it's also a HUGE park. .that includes a zoo. and mixed in past the zoo? some more rides (tho these were mostly smaller rides, and I got the impression that this was the original park, and then they expanded behind the zoo to add the newer thrill rides section). the day we were there was overcast, and tho there was a lot SBNO - including a section with a chute the chutes and a mine train coaster that was completely shut down - and a LOT of stuff that broke while we were in line for it (tho they mainly got them back up and running fairly quickly) - AND it turned out we were there on a day that was a standard "Families with kids with special needs" day at the park (so was busy), it never really FELT crowded, as the park is so big. and I really enjoyed chatting with some of the special needs kids while they were in line with their companions and their excitement at riding "big coasters" was contagious. made for a wonderful day overall. even tho the appearance of the park, and the operations, definitely get a C- ? the day I had I'd give a high B+ to. (tho the SBNO monorails, train, race track, and other rides really are a giant eyesore, and they make no attempt to hide the "rotting" rides) on to pictures! it was so sad to leave Blackpool. . but at least I still had the lovely sights to see out of the bus windows a roundabout, with the first sign I'd seen pointing us to Flamingo Land and before too long, we pulled into a mostly empty parking lot (we had arrived before park open) hmm. . SOME theming here. wonder how it is thruout the park? (answer, very hit or miss. .with some areas really themed, some areas looked like they had been themed and over the years the park just gave up, and some areas with little/no theming). the big draw (at least for us) was staring at us right from the parking lot: SIK - an Intamin 10 loop coaster. it's very similar to Colossus at Thorpe Park, but with a different restraint system (and trust me, that makes ALL the difference in the world) Inside the front gates, and tho the day started out cool, it did warm up a bit. ok. . some nice theming near the entrance gates - tho really not sure what a pirate ship has to do with Flamingo Land. I'd try to catch a show later to see if there is a connection. on this side behind Sik is another (in)famous coaster here - Hero - a Zamperla Volare. oy. next to it in this pic is a Disc-O, and a drop tower (neither of which were operating during our visit). . . but that station on the right and the orange track, is another coaster: Velocity - a Zamperla MotorBike coaster (it was up and down all day, but got lucky with out skip the line passes and managed to get a ride on it). THIS is what we were gonna start off with tho. and the park does have the "classic" photo op in front of the multiple corkscrew inversions (and I could SWEAR Robb took a pic of the group there), I don't have that shot. . so here's a "not exactly lined up" shot of the multiple inversions. walking back over to SIK before the gates open, here's a pic of Hero. just looking around from in front of SIK while they get the morning test runs out of the way. that blue track behind the Disc-O is Kumali - the park's Vekoma SLC. yeah. it's like the park has the "greatest shits" in terms of the coasters. . LOL. and SIK is testing, yay! here's an onride shot (that I bought on a magnet) with Stacy, me, Doug and Nick. it shows off the different restraint system than Colossus has, and this makes is SO MUCH BETTER. no headbang (nothing to bang against!).. and turns this into such a great ride. by the time I got done purchasing the picture - don't ask. .it was a 15 minute shitshow - the park had opened and Velocity had already gone up and down a few times. they got it running again, and so I headed right over, and managed to get a ride before it went down again, using our quick queue passes. I sat out the Zamperla Volare - having already had the horrific experience of riding one of these in a park in Helsinki. So I just took pics and waited for those I was hanging with to ride. to be fair tho, those that did ride it? said it was running very well, and was way smoother than they expected. walking back over towards Mumbo Jumbo (the park's S&S El Loco), and Kumali (the park's Vekoma SLC), you have to go around this huge - and not operating today - race car attraction. Not sure if this is SBNO or was just not open today. . .but since what looked like the loading station was all blocked off and full of storage? I'd guess is SBNO. a shame, as it's huge, and in the center of this whole side of the park. Mumbo Jumbo was a new to me coaster. . I'd never been on an El Loco - as I've never been to Indiana Beach (for Steel Hawg) or to Adventuredome since CircusCircus put that in. so I was nervous, but excited. even with passes, and not much of a line, this took a while to get on, as it doesn't have the best capacity very intimidating. . . but those who were riding it, seemed to really be enjoying it (ignore the scowling kid in row 2. .LOL) just as we were about to get on.. . a restraint arm fell off. no. . really. . . bwaaa-haaa-haaaa did not have me feeling very "safe". . . but maintenance came out fairly quickly. . and after messing with it for a bit, just locked off that seat, and then tested and reopened the ride. Did I like it? not really. . I can see why others do like these El Locos, but for me, just felt a bit too. . . "im gonna try and kill you" for me to enjoy it. so was one and done for me, but I'm glad I got to ride one of these finally. Hey Andrew! speaking of "I'm going to try and kill you" rides, next up was the Vekoma SLC this one had the upgraded train (not trains, as they were only running 1 train, and of that 1 train, were only loading the 1st 6 rows, leaving the back 4 rows empty on every cycle). so yeah. .this one took a while to get on, especially with the apparent restrictions that special needs couldn't ride in front or back (so row 6) so the operators were pulling 2 quick queue, 4 special needs, and 4 standby line for each cycle). was it worth the wait? well, it actually DID ride better, I thought, than Infusion, which I had just ridden the prior day at Blackpool. but at the end of the day, it's an SLC. I mean..I'm smiling in the pic back behind this ride is the closed off section where the Chute the Chutes ride is (and looks like also an SBNO swinging ship too) this water battle ride, was not operating today. . .tho they did have the water features going, and it LOOKED like it typically does operate. one thing I did think was interesting here was how many kiddie coasters they have. when we visited, I think there were four, but looking at RCDB, it does appear that at least two of them closed down at the end of 2024. this one is still operating in the park tho. (and you can see in this pic the SBNO Monorail. . parked in the middle of the place, so you can get excited about riding it, but it's not working) whee. . . I believe I DID ride this one (Runaway Mine Train) with Stacy too, even tho I tend to skip the kiddie coasters. this one, called "Dino Roller" , I did not ride. but did take pics for those riding. . there's Nick in car 2. and Stacy in the back row. very interesting ferris wheel next door. I don't think I've ever seen a "covered wagon" wheel that had so many arms. while we were over in this area, my most anticipated coaster actually opened - tho it had been down all day thus far. Zooom! - a Zamperla Air Force coaster. yeah it doesn't do much, but it's my kind of dumb fun. .wheeee. we were among the first to get over to ride, but did find that Jon and Daniel had already hopped in line and were on the cycle before us. clouds really coming in. . was hoping it would hold off until our day was done (and it did) this small claw ride (adjacent to zooom!) was operating, but it looked like it was SUPPOSED to be over a lake, with water features that squirt as you swing over it. it was kinda looking sad and run-down without that in place. Jon having a blast me too. . . Whee!! another pic of a parked Monorail. . . I guess I just don't understand why have it out, if there's no way to actually ride it? Maybe the station was back in that SBNO area they are tearing down the chute the chutes in? I actually was interested in riding this, but it had a decent line, and there was so much more of the park to explore. still think it's super interesting tho. this big dino area, was another spot where they seemed to go in bigtime with some theming. there was a spinning coaster back here too. . so we headed in. I only seem to have taken pics of the queue line, tho we did ride it. it's called Twistosaurus, an is a Zamperla Twister Coaster (there are some pis of it on RCDB if you're curious). fun, but not super exciting. interesting factoid posted at Twistersaurus. looking at the park map, it appeared there was a haunted house attraction (family friendly) if we headed towards the zoo side of the park down this path. so we headed that way. quickly coming across another kiddie coaster - this one also now showing as removed at the end of 2024, called "Go Gator" adults were NOT allowed on this one, and I could see why. . nevermind getting in the train, that track didn't look like it could support over 80 lbs. a lovely cottage and picnic area, just in the center of a huge amusement park. and then we came upon Mischief Mansion. . ok, totally NOT an adult ride. . but man, was this embarrassing. I was embarrassed for the park that they were even operating this. only 3 cars working (the main operator told me they had 4 cars until last week, but one of them got stuck - and he was telling the truth, as in the ride? the car that broke is just sitting right by the side of the track - where they pushed it against the wall - and I guess riders are just supposed to pretend they don't see it? with only 3 cars, this one took a while, even with very small queue line. it seemed to be aimed at the 3-4 year old crowd, which I had gathered from the cutesy monsters. . . . but id say at least 75% of the triggered effects did not work, and those that did work? all seemed to make a fart sound. (not that farts aren't funny to the audience I guess they were going for). was told no pictures on the ride, so put my phone away, but this is from the queue. Yeah. .that's not theming. .that's a lot of cobwebs and dead bugs in the light. ewww. . .. lowest point of the visit I would say, if only because the idea of a haunt got my hopes up. to be continued. . .

Sirens Curse is testing buddy. I am not sure how long it has to test before it can be cleared to open. I know its like 200 Hours or something. That number could be wrong someone who might know more can let us know.

The reason why I wanted to see them replaced KF with a another Junior coaster instead of a flat because we still needed a stepping stone coaster

^ the one here near me is TERRIFYING. I've been really giving the CotA team a hard time about how I just can't understand why they are sitting quietly when Circuit Breaker (CotA tilt coaster) and Palindrome (unique shuttle coaster) are sitting there built, and everyone talks about Siren's Curse. I mean, I GET the park isn't anywhere near ready to open. . but piggyback on the publicity at least - ESPECIALLY since CotA started building their tilt coaster first. here's a pic from May 12th (one of the few CotA has on their site):

This place is never coming back.