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

After our great day at Holiday Park. we arrived in the late evening at the Hotel Charles Lindbergh, our final hotel of the trip. We were surprised by the hotel's generous welcome wagon, setting us up with a dinner at the hotel's exclusive 1919 restaurant. We were told to drop our bags at our "cabins" and then meet for dinner... From the moment you arrive at the Hotel Charles Lindberg, you feel like you're in an entirely different realm. The hotel's signature "Aeronaut Cabins" are part of the incredible experience of staying at this particular property, onsite at Phantasialand. The interiors aren't spacious, but that's kind of the point--but the room design is wholly unique and unlike anything I've experienced, anywhere. They're meant for transient travelers who are flying between destinations, at least as far as the story is concerned. Why would I share a photo of the cabin's bathroom? Because this window actually doubles as a door to a secondary verandah that looks out into Rookburgh... And the view from this side is incredible. Even with F.L.Y. not in operation, it is hard not to stare at the coaster. As much as I wanted to stay and roam, I wasn't going to pass up the chance to have my first meal at 1919 and it was well worth it! After our late dinner, I took advantage of another benefit of staying onsite at the Hotel Charles Lindbergh... Guests staying at this property have the exclusive access to freely roam the land of Rookburgh outside of park hours. And I took advantage of this benefit for each of the three nights we were here. The layering of levels, detail and track found within the land is astounding. I probably should have warned you at the start of this update that there would be a lot of photos of F.L.Y. But the honest truth is, there are a lot of photos of F.L.Y. to be found in my remaining updates. It goes without saying that I was utterly enchanted by this land, and by extension, our hotel. It wouldn't even matter if the coaster wasn't good (which it is--it is VERY good), because it is so visually impressive that that is an achievement of its own. The way this coaster weaves in and around the hotel is incredible. There's an entire lower section of the land that has tunnels and water as well. So few words can be used to express how taken aback by this place I was. I didn't want to stop roaming, but I needed to get a few hours of sleep before our full day ahead. Morning came and it was time to finally explore the rest of the park. That didn't stop me from grabbing a few photos from the verandah outside of our bathroom. If we had had more time, I was tempted to experience Pirates 4-D one more time, in German. But sadly, it was not meant to be. Early access for resort guests allowed us to enjoy a few rides before lines kicked in. Double decker carousels are fun. Black Mamba isn't something that is talked about nearly as often now that F.L.Y. and Taron exist in this park, but it is a really great B&M invert not unlike Montu. The station is very neat! I love just how much this coaster weaves in and out of the Deep in Africa realm of the park. I'd come back to experience the Colorado Adventure coaster, but I was impressed to see just how expansive it is. We rushed over to Klugheim, but probably not for the reason you'd think. With Raik being a one-train coaster, we figured it was best to get it out of the way sooner rather than later. Also, it is very difficult to get Taron and Raik in operation in the same photo. The Raik tower for both lift hills is nicely themed. Not unlike F.L.Y. this update has a lot of Taron photos. I love this fly-through structure! I love the design of this coaster. So photogenic! Chiapas wasn't running for the day, but I couldn't help but stare. For whatever reason, this was one of my most anticipated attractions of the trip, and I'm not even a big fan of log flumes. Wuze Town was far weirder and more grand than I had possibly imagined. I'd been hearing raves about Winjas - Fear and Force for a very long time. Watching Winjas in motion is almost as fun as riding them... Almost. Back for more Taron envy... Airtime! Twisty bits! Taron has some great overbanked turns as well. Rutmor's Tavern was our stop for lunch on day one and it started with a hearty charcuterie selection... Spinatspätzle was the dish of choice for our entree and it was fantastic. Have I mentioned yet that I really like Taron? Mystery Quest was something we planned to ride the next day, in the hopes of doing all of the park's water rides at the same general time. Mystery Castle on the other hand was high on our priority list. My first time riding an Intamin drop tower like this and it was great! Longing for Chiapas to open... You get these little beauties when staying at the Hotel Charles Lindbergh,, which grant you access to an exclusive priority line to the ride just for guests staying at that resort. What have we here? This looks oddly familiar... Similar yet different. The (Michael Jackson-less) Colorado Adventure was a fun mine train with an expansive layout... But it definitely gets a little rough at times. Geister Rikscha falls into the category of "derivative of Haunted Mansion" while also oddly unique... Some of it is very much its own thing. Some of it, not so much. It even has a section that's vaguely derivative of Pirates of the Caribbean! Similar but different. I have no clue. Back to Taron. Those curves. Rare are photos of Raik in action. But I was determined to get a few. With some more Taron thrown in the mix. What a great coaster! As dusk fell upon Klugheim it was time for something especially fun... Extra ride time on Taron after the park closed! What an awesome way to close out our day in the park! I might have gotten my own train (by happenstance) multiple times during the ERT... I might have. But I was willing to share a train with my good friend Chuck. Seriously. Phantasialand had shown us in multiple ways within the last 24 hours just how welcome we were. And we still had one full day left! Dinner at 1919 once again did not disappoint. Dessert was great there too! I took one more moment out the bathroom verandah to enjoy the view before getting some rest. Tomorrow would be the last day of the trip...

After an amazing two and a half days at Europa Park, we made the road trip via bus towards Phantasialand (our final stop of the trip). Conveniently enough, Holiday Park is close enough along the path that Robb & Elissa arranged a half day itinerary that gave us a chance to experience all of the park's main attractions and to get a taste of their Halloween Fright Nights event. It is probably worth noting that in the time since our visit, Holiday Park has begun the process to be officially renamed as Plopsaland Deutschland. Quite a view to walk into... Their entry plaza is quite nice for a relatively humble-sized park like this. Faux-stained glass. I genuinely appreciate how the park has built out a decently-sized indoor attraction space. Holiday Park is part of the Plopsa family of parks, and as such, they took their use of the House of Anubis IP rights and applied the franchise to their drop tower. We were hooked up with some Express Passes for the day... You could use this punch card up to nine times for any combination of attractions. Fortunately enough the lines for most of the other attractions besides Sky Scream and Expedition GeForce were short, which allowed us to use the express passes for those. And they certainly came in handy. Through the trees! Over the trees! Sky Scream is only the third Premier Rides Sky Rocket II but it was one probably the best one I've been on. Going down! A look at the full look at the coaster's layout. I'll never complain about a park keeping parts of their former coasters as theming. Super Wirbel lives on here. Wickieland is the park's viking-themed area and matches the cartoony styles of the other Plopsa parks. I love how much Expedition GeForce towers over and wraps Wickieland. Wickie Splash is a really fun log flume with some interesting tricks up its sleeve. The Big Wave is a large Zamperla Disk'O with a nicely themed base. I enjoyed seeing Expedition GeForce fly by as I waited for my ride on The Big Wave to begin. It was quite a good time! Without a doubt the best thing in the entire park. Magical things happen in this section of Wickie Splash. Die Schlumpfe. But in all seriousness, the park's Burg Falkenstein dark ride closed a few years earlier as it has been updated to be new Smurfs-themed attraction. I couldn't complain about this hearty Jägerschnitzel lunch at Restaurant Pfalzgraf. It was a little too cold for my liking to ride Dino Splash, but I greatly appreciated the theme. Quite photogenic. Anubis was quite a fun ride. Time to explore the Heidi-themed Holiday indoor section of the park. It's essentially a studio/warehouse building with play areas, a few small rides and a small food & beverage counter. But the variety inside is nice and the vibe is quite whimsical. Some pretty neat theming found within, though I'm not familiar with the IP myself. A unique little carousel inside... And they even fit a kiddie coaster in here (with a decently sized section hidden behind the rock wall. Back outside for more staring at Expedition GeForce. Can't stop. Won't stop. If you've been a part of TPR as long as I have, you're already familiar with this sign. Silhouettes in the sun. Over the Pipi Station! Through the curve! "It's like Coca-Cola but frozen!" Seriously incredible design. If you're a fan of grilled sausage, well then have I got the park for you! The park has a very cute Maya the Bee-themed kiddie area that is kind of off of the beaten path from the rest of the park. But we didn't have a lot of time to explore because we needed to get back to the front of the park for something else... While we had to be on the road within a few hours of the event start, the park treated us to a VIP tour with priority access to four of the event houses... I appreciate the fact that the park actually ranks the fear factor of each house and scare zone for guests to choose what they're able to handle and what to avoid. \ A look at how much of the park is involved in the Halloween Fright Nights event. If there is one thing that Halloween Fright Nights has going for it, it is the fact that the scare actors are super in character and super vulgar in the process! All kinds of sass was experienced before we even entered the house! I've never experienced a house that took your photo within and gave it to you. Sadly the camera was out of focus but still a neat souvenir and concept. Mad Rat was the next house we experienced. Actors were unafraid to curse, use suggestive language and more. Words to live by: "Make Love, Not Rats." Absolutely insane (in a good way) to me was the fact that the park's Schnitzel Haus restaurant actually becomes a haunted house for the event, where you actually walk through (and briefly sit in) the dining room, the kitchen, and even the restroom... It was wild. The final house of our tour was the most anticipated and most bizarre. Titty Twister is an adults-only house themed around a haunted strip club. And that description is the tamest way to explain it. Unlike any other haunted house I've ever been in and entirely over the top in the most memorable of ways. We had a great time at Holiday park for sure! As the sun set it was time to head back to the bus for our final destination of the trip...

Day 11 - a 2nd full day at Blackpool Pleasure Beach! it had stayed windy thru the night, and I heard the wind blowing against the window (helped me sleep) but a large metallic clang woke me up. Peeking out the window? The Big One was testing! Grabbed my phone to snap some pics of proof, and excitedly got dressed and headed down to grab something light to eat, as testing was a great sign we'd get our ERT on this coaster today. LOVE this view. . . we met up in the lobby and headed into the park, and were informed that they were indeed testing, and hoped to have it open for us. but no guarantees. TPR group hung out with our Park Guides by the gates, while they kept running trains - to ensure it wasn't too windy for it to operate. and then they opened it up for us and ushered us into the station. it was such a last minute decision, that the 2nd train still had all the sandbags in it for the morning test runs. very cool to see that this is how they test it out on mornings they are concerned it might valley due to weather. all maintenance hands were called on deck to remove the sandbags, and we were ready for our ERT. these pics, I believe, are courtesy of Elissa. what did I think of "the Big One" ? well. . it's an Arrow Hypercoaster (that opened in 1994) - and as such, it's got a couple of janky / not so smooth transitions. In particular, there is one transition right in front of the Big Blue Hotel that will *really* mess up your back if you aren't braced for it. . . .but my oh my, does that first drop make up for it. a Diving steep turn to the right, and it truly does feel like the coaster has come off the track and you are hurtling towards the beachfront. so yeah, I rode it a bunch during ERT, even with that one painful spot that reminded us it's an Arrow coaster. after our ERT, we were set free in the park as it was about to open. Directly across from the Big One entrance is the park's classic carousel. it wasn't open just yet, so I made a note to come back to it later. but since we were right across the park path from SteepleChase, Jonathan and I headed over there to get a few rides. as I mentioned yesterday, the ride staffers remembered us from the prior day (and what big fans we were of the ride) and let us stay on to bypass the line a few times. they even took this wonderful picture of us - look how damn happy Jonathan and I are ! (and no, the third track wasn't operating today, and they told me it rarely does.. so I felt even more blessed that had gotten the opportunity to ride all three rails the prior day). much love and thanks to Robb, Elissa, and Blackpool Pleasure Beach Resort for that lifetime top 10 memory. Jonathan and I decided to hang together for a bit, and headed towards the dark rides portion of the park - since they tend to be all gathered together in one area. passing thru Nickelodeon land, the same "handler" who had been out yesterday with the Avatar character (and had taken a pic of himself instead of just me and the character) was out.. so I called him on it - in a playful way - and embarrassed the heck out of him in front of his coworkers (who laughed hysterically). all was good. . he even posed with me for this selfie when I handed him to phone - to prove I really was just teasing him. and he took this great pic of Jonathan and I with Spongebob. I do remember that Wallace and Gromit were out too, but for them, there was an additional fee, so we didn't do that. . .but I'm guessing this is the car (shoe?) from the ride, as we did ride the dark ride that morning. before heading back to Alice in Wonderland for more rides on that today. here's that sign in the queue that talks about when the ride opened at the park. from the Alice line, you get a nice view of the Flying Machines, and the final stretch of Grand National's track as it races back into the station. that's the front gates of the park on the left, under the Noah's Arc on top. we got lucky on our 1st ride with Jonathan scoring the back seat with the White Rabbit. whee! Valhalla wasn't quite open yet for the day *was open from 1-5 only), but in the TPR chat thread, there was talk about meeting up later to ride as a group. so instead we headed over to the Flying Machines, a classic ride near the front of the park. some lovely views from the load stations up here too. the Big One's lift hill from across the park. and the turnaround near the front of the park. hey. . there's Nick! a few other TPR folks had come upstairs while we waited for our cycle. so we climbed into one rocket together. under the Flying Machines sits a restaurant and a gift shop. and in a very neat touch, there are windows that allow one to look into the workings of the ride - that's been operating since 1904 ! I was headed back to Derby Racer for more rides (I love these things), and so the guys came with to ride. and tho I was wary about how rough this might be, the only coaster I was missing was Grand National. we had ERT on it later that night, but I wanted to try it early so I could see how much "wooden coaster trembling" was on this classic coaster (built in 1935). Great view of the lift hill from the station area. short answer? it's pretty rough. not terrible, especially for it's age, but rough enough that I was concerned about multiple rides with my rib injury from earlier in the trip at Barrie Island. needless to say, I never rode the right side (from station entry), only riding the Red Train from the left side. so 1 and done for me (or is that 1/2 and done, since it's a racing coaster and only did one side)? splitting off to do things that only I was interested in, this caught my eye across from the Grand National exit. I wasn't sure what exactly it was, but it turned out to be a Museum of Illusion. and was really rather fun. and next door was a play area fountain for the kids (tho it was a bit chilly still) and a bunch of food kiosks. So I decided to grab a quick bite. of note, and the reason I took this pic, those string lights behind the Picture Center? I was told that is where the classic (and crazy) wooden Wild Mouse had been located. It had been removed before the 2018 season, and the space was now being used as bar seating, and special event venue. reminders that we're right off the beach: folks were chatting about riding Valhalla, so I finished up lunch and headed over there to meet up. a happy (and dry) group of TPR folks ready to take on Valhalla! (pic courtesy of Jonathan) that same boat, not quite so dry, coming back into the station after our ride. . .LOL I think this might be courtesy of Brad? I needed to dry off a bit - Valhalla will *absolutely* soak you. like getting dipped into a bathtub soak. - so I headed over to Racing Derby to spin dry (hey, it helped) the River Caves ride was down, and was told it was getting refurbished (this was recently announced as getting a major overhaul, so perhaps tearing out the classic "tunnel of love" theming?). looks like an indoor raft/log flume ride but a reason to go back as this was one of a few rides down on the days we were there - tho this was likely the "biggest" of the rides that were down, as most were for kids that weren't operating. it did seem to have a bit of a splashdown to end the ride ... despite the wind, the park kept the Big One open the whole day. going towards the Asian Mandala walking garden I had spotted yesterday underneath Nickelodeon Streak, I discovered near the bumper cars (also not running today), a small section of celebrity handprints hey.. I even recognized one of em the Asian walking maze was lovely. tho small, it was still nice to discover something like that tucked away in a corner of the park. and best part? since I was over here, I remembered that I needed to ride the classic Carousel. I had missed it yesterday since it closed before the rest of the park. there was only one other rider, but the operator wished me a "wild ride" and I had a blast. I rode "Miles" there's also a nice viewing are over here, where you can watch the Steeple Chase horses go up the mid course lift hill. and the "handprint" of the horse made me giggle. gift shop near the front of the park (where I bought my "I rode the Big One" boxer shorts) in the front of the park, just past the entry gates but before you enter the park proper, is Pasaje del Terror. there had been some "characters" wandering around near the front of the park handing out coupons. and upon checking with a few employees, they all said it was decent and worth checking out. I messaged in the group chat that I wanted to do this, since I had these 1lb off coupons (I had asked for a handful and was given them) and multiple TPR folks said they were interested and so I sat down by the main entrance to wait and see who would show up. it turned out to be about 15 of us, and they split us into two groups to go thru. here's Stacy and I with one of the folks that had been handing out the coupons. the entrance to it looked very promising! and this lady - who gave us the rules spiel was hysterical. and creepy as hell. no pictures were allowed in the actual attraction. but I can say it's highly recommended. the entire thing is underground, so it's way bigger than you think it's going to be. And filled with movie level quality set pieces and special effects. I think this might be the best looking haunt that I've ever been to. It didn't "terrify" me, but I was blown away at how good all the set pieces were. tons of detail, and some brilliantly made up scare actors. oh. . and it ends in a bar. yup. pics were allowed in here: I don't recall if there was actually a drink minimum. . . but we did drink while hanging out and waiting for the other group to come thru behind us. the snack area wasn't' open (the blue grate). . but the figures here show the level of quality of this place. our group. . relaxing while waiting for the others. ah. .here they are! turns out one CAN visit the "Horror Bar" without going thru the attraction (just enter thru the exit steps), but I'm still glad I did it. very recommended, even with the separate charge. did I mention there are tons of photo ops here at Blackpool Pleasure Beach? why in the world would I come to the UK and want the "sweet taste of the USA" ? but I was curious what they thought it would be. . lots of tootsie rolls and gummy candies. the Park's Grand Prix motor car ride, had closed a month or so before our visit. . so they still had much of the station still untouched and looking like it could operate with just a quick sweep (I took the pics over the fence they had up in front). it's a really large ride, and with this gone, as well as the three smaller rides they announced are going, the park has a lot of space to put in something rather large for 2026 - as they have announced. I was still hanging with Stacy after the Haunt, and she was interested in getting a reading from this "Spiritual Advisor to the Stars" that had a storefront set up in the park, near the closed Grand Prix. I wasn't interested, but was happy to wait (and I did briefly meet the spiritualist, and she was a lovely woman). and hey, she read for Johnny Marr! the inside of her storefront was very cute. . .and very "traveling carnival"... I mean that in a GOOD way. she took Stacy back thru those double doors, and I waited for her out in this area. she was very satisfied with the reading. it was time to meet up for our Grand National ERT. . so we quickly made our way thru the now closed park, over to the Grand National station. I grabbed this pic of the Wallace and Gromit ride, as we passed by, since I had forgotten to take one earlier. as noted earlier, I was worried about my rib injury, so I chose not to ride during ERT - instead just taking pictures. Green won! and Barry looks very pumped about it. racing back into the station. this is what I rode for the rest of the ERT. . I did love the "devil tail / snake" designs on the benches. just hanging out (and it had gotten cooler, so put my hat on), as we were headed as a group into the fancy Blackpool restaurant for dinner to end our day. you can tell that this is a fancy place. . it was quiet (I guess we were visiting sorta off season?) as we were really the majority of whom were in the restaurant, tho there were other customers there. (I'm guessing that's why I didn't take any pics of the food or the restaurant itself). I do remember the food being pretty good tho. decoration in the cloak room after dinner we headed outside and Robb gathered us all for a group picture under one of the (closed gates) to Pleasure Beach entrance. pic courtesy of Robb then we realized that the face was hungrily eyeing us. . so we took another pic reacting as such: and with that, our days at Blackpool were over. again, I'm pretty sure I swung by the casino for some slots before heading back to the room. tomorrow was a travel day back towards London, the trip was almost over . . . . so had to pack things up and be ready to head out in the morning. but as the sun set, I knew that it had been so worth it to come. . . met every dream I'd ever had about it. and with that? off to bed.

I enjoy the long, well written TRs loaded with pics that many used to post and a select few still post. But I don't have the time and patience to do all that myself lol. I do take pics sometimes!

^ I saw that, too. Great Adventure is talking a big game about 2026, but for all we know it could be breaking the record for longest wacky worm. The thing that gives me pause about that article is that there are no facts, no evidence, just "i know a guy who said this thing." Also it states that they're in contact with various amusement companies and waiting on the right bidder, so that means it's a concept that's about to become as real as Orlando's Polercoaster.

I've been kind of keeping an eye on the reported queue times on the Universal app since they started doing passholder previews on Friday. The biggest surprise to me is Stardust Racers never seems to get a long line. Must be a people eater and very reliable already. Usually in the 20-30 minute range. Also trying to figure out how the Potter virtual queue works but hopefully I will be able to get on when I'm there next week. Monsters and Hiccups seem to be down a lot. Not very unlike Forbidden Journey and Hagrid lol. Longest lines by far have been the Nintendo attractions. Mine Cart Madness and Mario Kart often around a 2 hour wait. But other than those things have been less busy than I expected so hopefully that means that they're really limiting the amount of people in there. Cautiously optimistic about my day there next week. As long as there's no significant breakdowns I think I can get through the things I want to in one day.

It is a purchase that makes a lot of sense. It goes without saying that this is prime potential real estate for a majorly successful park if there was a company in position to eat the massive upfront costs of building a desirable one. It would be a strange time economically in the world to do so, but ignoring that, if someone were to do so, the reasons SeaWorld makes a ton of sense are swimming around in the open. They wouldn't even have to try to salvage the even more awful than their own reputaiton of this place as a home for animals, either. As questionable as SeaWorld's own habits and faciliies continue to be, there are levels to being bad at something. If they shipped the wildlife off to their own parks, it would be an upgrade for the wildlife. Then this is a wide open canvas for Busch Gardens Niagara Falls. Hell, I think the acreage of MarineLand is close to 3x Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Over time, if successful, this plot of land is literally big enough to be an Aquatica, a Sesame Place, and a full size Busch Gardens. Obviously that is dreaming EXTREMELY big, but they are within eyesight of Niagara Falls. A top ten most visited spot on the entire globe. The potential here is legitimately off the charts. It would just be so expensive to get started at any real scale. But they could just start with a Sesame Place and see how it does, or anything like that.

Popped over to SeaWorld San Antonio today, to check out the Seven Seas Food Festival (running Thurs-Sun until May 18) - and in hopes it would be a quiet day, since it was Thursday and the weather was beautiful. there have been a few changes since last year's festival. the most noticeable is that "Greece" and "Italy" are now gone. (what was used for Greece is now a year round Boba stand, that seemed quite popular - and what used to be Italy, is now: Mediterranean, that serves a sorta mix of what the two stops used to serve) France is no longer over by Journey to Atlantis, and has been moved over to near the Penguins (meaning that France and Japan are now really close to each other, great for sampling from them both). a new "area" booth has opened just outside of Catapult Falls, called "Gulf Coast" with all new dishes (and all were quite good) and what I think is the BEST change? your punch is now good for ANYTHING on the menus - including the full sized (not sampler sized) cocktails. 10 punch lanyard is $70 (~$79 after taxes and fees). . .but passholders not only get a free sample via the Pass portal for all of April, but also can buy a 12 punch lanyard for the same price (you have to ASK for the 12 punch lanyard, and they scan your card). But still. . .that averages out to just over $6 per dish. a steal if you are getting something pricey or just getting cocktails (that average $16). had a great time today. . on to pictures! as noted. . beautiful day! and not super crowded to start out. . tho it did get a little busier as the day went on. we were there just a bit too early for 7Seas (they start serving at 11:30), so instead we headed to the park's newest coaster: Beach Rescue Racer. the prior time I was here a couple of weeks ago, the wait for this was almost 2 hours! so we didn't wait. but got my first ride on it today. a fun, family, Zierer, with some pops of air in the back car. not something I'd wait on if it's a busy day, but for a 15-20 minute wait? a fun ride. As it's Thursday, the main 7Seas booth was not being staffed. But Guest Services sent us over to the main restaurant near the entrance (where they had absolutely no idea what we were talking about when inquiring about wanting to purchase the 7Seas punch card - you know, the big festival they have going on???? luckily, a Manager was available and apologized and sent us over to Hawaii to buy them - and third time was the charm (and they had *literally* just been handed them the moment we walked up, so they did have both the 12 and 10 punch cards). we didn't want to start with Hawaii (or Brazil, which we had passed going to Hawaii), so instead headed on to Japan. Steel Eel was running 2 trains and was walk on, but we skipped it today. we managed to time getting to Japan just as the Living Garden show was starting, with the drummers and the water Geisha. so we ordered food and sat down to watch the show. here's a look at the Japan menu sadly, the Sashimi is no longer an item I got the Pork Gyoza, Beef Bulgogi Bowl, and the Double Dragon Punch (with Rum and Passionfruit) everything was excellent. I even was thinking of @SharkTums as I devoured the yummy Gyoza and the cast of the Water Garden was happy to stay for pictures after (everyone was afraid to approach them, but once I started it, they had a line for pictures) as noted, France is pretty close to Japan now, so Russell went over there and got a couple of things here's the menu: top is the Crepe Suzettes w/ Ice Creame, and bottom is the Spinach, Mushroom, Swiss Crepe. both were excellent as well. I asked to see the Escargot, and tho I might go back and try them next visit? the NEON green color was kind of a turn off. (didn't take a pic, as the cook was kind enough to show me them) the "regular" SWSA 7Seas photo ops are out. . so of course as we continued our way around the park. . . Wave Breaker had only a 20 minute wait. . but we passed, as the new place caught my eye. this is the Gulp Shrimp Cocktail. and I think it ranks as #1 or #2 out of the things I tried today. absolute perfection, with a bit of zing, and nice and refreshing. (and while we were relaxing here, Catapult Falls started testing - the other two water rides, Journey to Atlantis, and Rio Loco were down today for Technical issues. . so as soon as Catapult Falls started testing, a lot of folks came over to this area. We ended up on the first public log of the day - sharing with the folks I had been chatting with while eating. Got SOAKED today, even tho the Gysers were again, not working) we were feeling a bit too full to stop at Jamaica today - even tho I want to go back for a few things. that Bread Pudding sounds amazing, and I love that chicken and coconut roll. (next time) and this also caused us to skip Great White - which finally WAS back up and running. So all coasters were up and running today. still stopped for some pics tho and we had managed to time it that Orca Encounter show was starting soon. . so we went in and sat down to relax and get edjumacated. we sat two rows behind the last splash zone. . and STILL got wet. . LOL beautiful. get ready to get wet, with tail flaps that's a LOT of water headed this way! tho we were sad to see no "Greece" stop, at least the new Mediterranean booth has offerings from both. the meatball looked WAY too heavy for me after the eating.. so we instead went for: Beef & Lamb Gyro and a Blood Orange Bellini (which Russell said was really good. .. tho I was a bit surprised at how small the Naan was!) I got the Chicken Schwarma. . also VERY good and I HAD to try the "Kickin Shrimp and Pineapple Flatbread" it was. . .a thing? I mean, it wasn't BAD. But I'm not sure I liked it enough to try it again. having eaten to our fill, and it being 3pm, we decided to head back to Austin, and hopefully beat some rush hour traffic (we didn't . . oh well) but first I wanted to stop in Germany to try the new item: the Black Forest Strudel I call my Boyfriend "Strudel". . so I took this pic for him. it was decent. . . not the best thing I ate today.. but everything was decent. not a BAD bite in the batch. we decided instead of taking some Empanadas from Brazil to go (always a good call)..we'd just skip and use the 7 remaining punches we each had for next visit. we had a great day, and I highly recommend this event.

It was going to go to SFStl, until SF realized they already had one. That, and the ride isn't quite old enough to gift it to the park.

So, no update to the ball crusher restraints, huh? At least there is truth in advertising. No one can say they didn't warn you.

Seriously, please stop fighting over a carousel at a six flags park. I'm not even going to read far enough back to see what this is about but don't talk about other peoples kids and everyone just move on to how dumb all the new height restrictions are.

I finally was able to scratch off a major piece of my bucket list today with a somewhat whirlwind unplanned trip to Carowinds. My plan was to spend the weekend at King's Dominion, but with Pantherian suddenly not opening I had the crazy idea to drive 5 hours to Charlotte this morning, spend 6 hours at the park, and start driving the 13 hours back home tonight. My wife was surprisingly on board and replied with "well you've been talking about that place for 10 years" so we decided to do it. Arrived around noon and headed straight to Fury. This was the main reason for the trip and why would I start anywhere else. After waiting in line for about 20 minutes (and opening queue times to discover that this would be the shortest line in the park for some reason) I decided to purchase Fastlane because who knows when I'll ever be back here. Anyway, of course I built this thing up a little too much in my head. I know it's a lot of people's #1 steel and I get it. But I crave intensity and airtime, and while this has a little bit of both, it's not as in your face as Pantherian, Steel Vengeance, etc. I look at it as B&M's Millennium Force...another ride I absolutely love, but barely cracks my top 10 while being a lot of people's #1. I rode 5 times, lucking out with the front or back each time. Not sure which I preferred...the airtime and speed were great up front but a couple of the elements definitely hit better in the back. On one ride I didn't feel the trims engage at all and we f*cking SAILED through the speed hills at the end. As for the rest of the park: The Top Scan (whatever it's called): Glad to finally ride one here after getting teased by the one at Lagoon which decided to break down just before I went to ride it. I guess it's one of those rides that looks cooler than it is. The cycle just kind of sucks. It spins once or twice and then stops for 10 seconds and you just hang there. Then rinse and repeat a few times. Copperhead Strike: I loved this ride but wasn't a big fan of the restraints which I felt were a little male unfriendly. But the hang time filled inversions were a blast and the pops of ejector were crazy. Very slow moving Fastlane line (regular line pushed 2 hours) or I would've rerode for sure. Wish there were more of these Macks in America. Afterburn: Basically Montu's little brother. Nice intense old school B&M Invert just the way I like it. The tunnels and trenches went a long way to enhance the Montu vibes. Thunder Striker: This is heavily bitched about among coaster enthusiasts and after riding it I have no idea why. Sure, the layout isn't very inspiring but even with the trims every hill absolutely launches you out of your seat. The airtime is just as good as Diamondback. Why is this ride bitched about so much?!? Goldrusher: Basically a couple long helices and that's all. More interesting than Cedar Creek Mine Ride and Trailblazer but not sure how many other mine trains it can compare to. Vortex: Not awful but not my favorite ride by any means. I miss Green Lantern it didn't deserve the hate or the fate. Cyclone: Almost avoided it as it broke down but was open when I was about to leave the park after reriding Fury a few more times. I wish it stayed broken down for my own sake. It's not THE worst Arrow corkscrew coaster I've ridden, but...just...no. Hurler: It's really not that bad. First half is fun with some good airtime pops and fast turns. Second half jackhammered a bit. But I couldn't help but imagine Twisted Timbers elements coming up at me as we rattled through the course. Flying Cobras was down most of the day...no big loss. Ricochet not on Fastlane and I didn't feel like waiting an hour for a basic mouse, no big loss there either. Didn't feel like whoring the Hang'n'bang or the kiddie coasters. This park is obviously very top heavy with a terrific top 4 and then a bunch of crap after that, but that top 4 is among the best in the country. Not sure if I'll make it back in the next several years, but damn am I happy to have finally made it. Do have to mention one of the major cons of this park and that is the groupers. I've never liked not having a choice of seat (luckily as a single rider with Fastlane I pretty much mostly got front or back on everything anyway) but it's even worse when they're terrible at their job. Entire rows going empty on Thunder Striker every ride. Groupers on Fury and Afterburn not putting groups of 2 with other groups of 2 and causing 6-8 seats to go empty every ride. Sometimes they were so slow that the last 2 or 3 rows would go unfilled. This park was by far the strictest about no choice of seats. Parks like Universal, Disney, and Cedar Point scratch the happy medium of having groupers make sure they fill the train as best as possible but also almost always accommodating requests. Or better yet...just let people into the station until every row fills up like Six Flags parks do and call it a day. I noticed this at Kings Island a little bit a few years ago but Carowinds was the absolute worst with this. Kings Dominion doesn't group at all. It annoys the crap out of me seeing 1/4 of the train go out empty when there's a 2 hour line. Sorry for the rant Overall though I am glad I followed through with my insane idea and made the spur of the moment trip to the park. It's hard to know when I'll ever get back since it's just not near much else, but hopefully it's in the cards someday.

Day 9 (evening) arrival in Blackpool, and checking into the Big Blue hotel, and checking out the pleasure piers! although I don't recall how long the drive was from Gulliver's World to Blackpool, I do know we departed Gulliver's around 5:30, and I think we got to Blackpool a few hours later? it was too late for the park to be open (the UK parks all seemed to close pretty early), but there was still plenty of sunlight as we got towards the area. I know for sure that my excitement skyrocketed when I spotted the famous "Blackpool Tower" off in the distance: and this giant Blackpool Sculpture - that I'm sure if in the perfect spot, can line up the tower with it. before too long, we pulled up to our Hotel for the next 3 days. Actually on site, and overlooking the park (the arrangements here were incredible - HUGE thank you to both Robb & Elissa for this planning as well as the fantastic staff at the hotel !). we were going to staying at "Big Blue" very quickly we got our room keys and headed off to our rooms - tho a bunch of us had planned to meet back down in the lobby in about 40 minutes to go walk along the sea-shore to check out the pleasure piers, and what kind of dinner we might be able to find in Blackpool. my room was pretty amazing, and I remembered to actually take pics of it upon arrival. looking back from the end of the main entrance hall towards the door. that blue area on the right? a separate kids area! with bunk beds and even video games to keep the kiddos occupied now facing towards the room. . on the left is the bathroom and straight ahead is the large bedroom area I'm just too uncoordinated to use these 1/2 shower designs. . I always end up spraying water all over the bathroom! but otherwise, a beautiful bathroom. and a large room how was the view? as I mentioned above. . HOLY CRAP !!! and overlooking my holy grail too, Steeplechase. I simply cannot express enough thanks to Elissa and the universe that I ended up in this room. in this view there are pieces of EIGHT coasters (10 if you count each of Steeplechase's tracks): Infusion Big One Big Dipper Icon Avalanche Steeplechase Revolution & Nickelodeon Streak looking to the right to see more of the hotel. . tho we're in the "middle" section, which has best views of the park. it was overcast and quite windy - no impact today, as the park was closed for the day already. but it worried me a little bit for the next few days. what a view. . .if I hadn't had to go to the lobby to meet up, I would have stood here for a long, long time. meeting up, about 7 of us headed out to walk around the outskirts of the park, and along the seawall, to check out the 3 Blackpool Pleasure Piers. (it ended up being way, way further than it looked, LOL. .and I did end up taking a taxi back later after dinner instead of walking back) the park is on our right, but all along the "ground level" of the parks, are related tourist attractions and things that were quite interesting - even if none of them were open one of the park entrances from the Seawall side. Hot Ice was the show that was opening on our 1st day in the park, and we'd been invited to go watch it after park close. it was. . . . interesting. more about that tomorrow. peeking past the closed gates, that's the main park entrance, and the down for refurb drop tower right at the park front. looking across at the SeaWall was the Blackpool indoor waterpark. we crossed the street over to the seawall side, but looking back across at the Blackpool Pleasure Beach, main entrance. never did see that Casino they are advertising open but we did have dinner in the tower restaurant noted there on the 2nd night. a peek at the park map for the indoor water park. it looked like a pretty decent one, but since I was there for the theme park, I didn't even consider taking any time from the park days to go to the water park. next to the waterpark, however, was another casino. . and this one was open (and ended up in there a couple of times, to play some slots or grab a late night snack). it's nothing at all like a USA Casino - I don't think it was 24 hours - but the food was decent and served late. and the handful of slots and table games were acceptable. . tho more along the lines of what you'd see at a small off strip casino in vegas, with just a handful of options. I believe this was an "adult entertainment" bar, but loved the name "the Velvet Coaster" pics of businesses across from the seawall side of Blackpool coming up to the South Pier, you can see the Blackpool Tower off in the distance. not a whole lot open on the pier, as I think it was just too windy (and a bit too early, as this seemed really targeted towards teenagers and young adults who wanted to party) the tide was pretty far out at this point too.. that's the back of the waterpark, and behind it (and across the street) is the lift and 1st drop for the Big one. further out on the long pier and you can get a great view of the Big One. later, ALL that sand would be under water as the tide comes in some really classic carnival rides were on the pier. . tho as noted, not many things were open just yet. I think they were waiting for it to get a bit darker so the lights would really advertise the rides. tho some things were open, and had people riding them - despite the cold wind. the main draw to the South Pier is this Spinning Wild Mouse, all the way at the end of the pier over the water. too windy and was told it wouldn't operate tonight - tho it did run the next day and a bunch of TPR folks made the trek across to get the credit. this freaked me out a bit, but I did it.. . the wild mouse is placed on grating at the end of the pier. so, yeah.. you can walk out over the open sea beneath you. . . I did it - it goes all the way around the mouse and comes out on the other side from the end of the pier a look towards the Central pier, that was further North, going towards the Blackpool Tower. the Central Pier has a Ferris wheel on it, that WAS operating, despite the wind. but it was way too shaky for me to attempt - tho really, I would have gone on it if anyone else had wanted to. photo op with the two Nicks ? yes please! back onto the seawall, and moving towards Central Pier hmm. . .doesn't really look "fun". . looks perhaps a bit sad? but nearer the Tower, and by the Central Pier, it certainly got more festive, with way more "touristy" stuff. . such as Ripley's, and Madame Trussaud's, etc. . the entrance to the Central Pier not sure if there was a festival coming, or they had just put up some more art installations, but this was rather cool. stepping onto the Central Pier. .this one had a bit more traffic. just look at those waves tho.. yeah, it was windy! looking back towards Blackpool Pleasure Beach. . even I was surprised how far we had walked. the rides were reasonably priced here. . tho they were much more family friendly rides than the more extreme ones that had been on the South Pier. as said, these Ferris Wheel cars were really swinging in the breeze. . it just didn't seem safe enough ooo. . a "Grease" related diner? (but the actual food looked . . um.. . not great - so didn't eat there). Loved the advertising for it tho. that's the North Pier over there. . . but by now my feet were starting to hurt (it had been a long day), so I decided I didn't really NEED to go down to that pier. but "KandyLand" across the street? yeah. .that I could manage. yes, I bought a bunch of stuff at KandyLand. and it still amuses me greatly that the "Fudge for a Fat Bastard" was being sold right next to "a Present for my Beautiful Grandma". . .Bwaa-haa-haaaaa oh my. . I was Sooooooooooo tempted! LOL. . but I behaved. we wandered towards what seemed to be a tourist center near the tower base, that also had St Johns Church - a beautiful church dating back to 1821 (and I believe it was Nick who enjoys photographing churches and pointed it out to us). "THE Chinese Buffet" wasn't gonna be a choice for dinner, as it looked like it hadn't been open in a while. . but someone had discovered there was a Nando's nearby where the church was, and we agreed that would be a good place to head. turned out they were packed, but we went ahead and made a reservation for 45 minutes later (and said hi to the group of other TPR folks that were already there eating) and went to check out the church / area until they had a table ready for us. most everything over here was closed already, as it was kinda late. some great graffiti here. (tho I wasn't about to go down an alley to get a better pic) the Church really is beautiful. .and the way the sun was lighting it up really made it worth the visit. eventually we went back to Nandos and had a great meal. Some were gonna head back along the seawall, but I was so wiped, I opted for a cab, and Nick rode with me. so we made it back to the hotel relatively quickly. a hot shower, and laying out clothes for my first big day in the park tomorrow, and I was ready for bed. but not before spending some time looking out at my view again in the evening shadows as I was finally about to turn off the lights, Andy (I think) sent back these shots he had taken from the walk back along the seawall during sunset. these are spectacular shots. . so I saved them to my phone and am sharing here too: look how much the tide has come in! it's actually lapping those steps now! very very windy. and because Big One is in the background? this must be a shot taken of the Central Pier from the North Pier (the one I didn't go to) yeah. . look how rough that sea is. . and how high the water has gotten! and with that? I was off to bed. . and said a little prayer that it wasn't too windy tomorrow to impact our day. I will try to get up 1st day at Blackpool Pleasure Beach within the next 36 hours!

After the incredible day and a half we'd had at Europa Park so far, it was both reassuring and incredibly sad to know that we had only one day left. This park had lived up to the hype and then some, and I wished (as I still do) that more time could have been squeezed in to enjoy more of the vast property's many offerings. That said, we still had a full day ahead of us, capped off with an evening at Traumatica, a Halloween event hailed as Europe's most sophisticated Halloween event. Our morning started off with some exclusive ride time on the Can Can Coaster... I love that Eurosat had such name recognition, that the new version still retains its branding, even subtly. Not unlike the queue for the attached Phantom of the Opera Coastiality experience, the queue for the Eurosat - Can Can Coaster features lots of related props and decor to set the stage for the attraction. I love how the queue embraces different parts of the lore and history of Moulin Rouge. A few props from the former version of Eurosat have found a home in the new queue. I absolutely adore this station design. And to be honest, I appreciated the Can Can Coaster far more than I expected. What feels like it was originally built as Europa Park's answer to Space Mountain has become a really fun tribute to the iconic sounds and sights of the Moulin Rouge, right down to the famous Can Can song. Next up for morning ERT was a ride of Silver Star. Now, I will admit that I almost definitely set myself up for a let down with this one. For years, I watched Robb & Elissa's earliest Europa Park videos and this B&M hyper looked to deliver a really fantastic experience. One such video that would always hype me up: In the years that followed, I'd have a chance to ride some of the biggest B&M hyper coasters back home, even getting one in Orlando. None of this to say that Silver Star isn't a good, if not great, hyper coaster--because it is. It is just that, hyper coasters don't have the same effect on me that they did when they weren't such a commodity. I enjoyed this one, but nowhere near the levels of awe I had somehow built myself up to expect before riding. The moral of the story here? Sometimes it is best to just enjoy a thing for what it is, and be surprised with how it ends up being when you actually get to ride it. I absolutely adore this section of the park. It didn't hurt that the Euro-Tower was nearby to give us a chance to view the park from above. One section of the park that I had less time than I would have liked, was the Ireland area. So many great things in one view. Swiss Bob Run looks great from above! No, this isn't a Spaceship Earth knockoff... Nor is it the only park with a geodesic sphere in it. We got a sneak peek at Traumatica from up here... Such a neat place to watch Voltron Neverra in operation... Speaking of which. We simply couldn't stop. Wouldn't stop. This might be one of my favorite ride photos ever... The insane variety of facial expressions sums up just how wild this experience can be in every sense. Nearby we rode the Snowflake Sleigh Ride which... Exists. This could probably be replaced with something more modern. This on the other hand, I hope they never change. "Dubi dam dam, da dubi daba dibi dam..." I love that they have a replica of The Globe Theatre and I regret that I didn't have a chance to go inside. Similar but different. I know many poke fun at how Pirates of Batavia feels like a knock off of Pirates of the Caribbean, but there is a lot to the experience that is unique. It had moments that reminded me less of Pirates and more of Sinbad's Storybook Voyages at Tokyo DisneySea. I think they really did a great job recovering and revamping this attraction in the wake of the fire. Did you even go to Europe if you didn't get poffertjes along the way? Had to go back to ride Snorri Touren again! I'll admit I had a degree of FOMO about not getting the chance to dine at FoodLoop but gimmick seemed just fine to observe from afar without eating there. Still blown away by this section of the park. I couldn't help but to stare at the Stave Church in the park. The Scandinavian section of the park (and its similar-themed hotels) was among my favorite areas of the park. Blue Fire is a great coaster that lived up to the hype. There aren't many swing rides that look as good as Vindjammer. We spotted a bit of Traumatica history while waiting for the Voltron 4-D film. Taverna Mykonos had an awesome platter for lunch that was a fantastic value. Pegasus packs a punch despite it being a family coaster. Tesla gave me a bit of side-eye as I walked back up for more time to watch Voltron up close. But it was worth it. I mean, look at this thing! Less side-eye given, now that I was going back in to ride. The maneuver from the brake run into this corkscrew is practically a launch. The first and only time I was able to capture a shot of the inverted stall... What a masterclass in coaster design! Old meets new. Action shots in motion... I just love it. Still delicious. Still refreshing. Time to start making our way out of the park... But the day was far from over. Silver Star looking great from afar. Europa Park takes on a gorgeously different tone at night. I wish I had more time to explore the rest of the park in the evening. But it was time to be traumatized. Welcome to Traumatica! The park's houses/mazes are definitely lower-tech than you'd find in some of the stateside parks, but if anything, that challenges the park to be more imaginative and creative with their effects and scares. The event features a main stage with a rotation of themed acts including musicians, dancers and freak-show acts. The Hill is quite literally a maze built upon a hill on the edge of the property. It was one of the most basic experiences of the event, but I give them credit for leaning into the theme simply and effectively. Something that surprised me about Traumatica was the sheer amount of fire found throughout. These fire pits were found throughout the event grounds... Never in America could guests be trusted to openly access such fire, for a variety of sad ("this is why we can't have nice things") reasons. Roaming scare actors were some of the best parts of the event and some of them even carried sparklers and fire sticks as they moved through the crowds. How about an action shot? POP! The houses each had a unique way of approaching the theme--and to the park's credit, none of them really went the way you'd expect. The entrance experience in this house alone, sold me on the entire experience. My favorite house of the entire event! The event also featured a variety of food trucks and booths in case you needed a bite or some liquid courage. I highly recommend experiencing Traumatica if you have the time to experience Europa Park during the season! What an absolutely gorgeous sight upon which to end our final evening at Europa Park...

Oh! Was part of a very busy trip so never did follow up. Everything was 45 mins (maybe 50 but eh) or under. Exception was Tennessee Tornado Hour 25 but they were running 1 train ops!? Mustve been an issue, cant imagine why they would on spring break and when nothing else was. Given it was spring break not bad actually! I'll gladly take 45 mins and some were only 20-30. So all in all not bad! New cred for Big Bear Mountain, perhaps the gift of low expectations but was solid and surprisingly fun! LRod, got 6 rides. Once or twice did feel a little weird at first but I became a normal human and got over the chain lift. Rest is great and far as I can tell unchanged from before. Especially when it warmed up...early morning was great but late afternoon/early evening it was hauling and kicking ass. In the back a helluva ride. Oh also I got 6 rides. It opened with the park and ran all day. So that alone is ya know, pretty big. This park may have one of the best lineups. There's no bad coaster. Even calibrating for the fact "this is a family ride" Firechaser and Dragonflier are fun little rides. I know Mystery Mine is divisive but I still quite enjoy it and though not worth that long, I forgot how much ass TT kicks, Thunderhead ran great, Wild Eagle remains a low key good wing coaster. Another good visit to this park, it probably is cemented in my top 5 by this point.

Dropped by the park to try out the new roller-coaster. Ride was up and down all day. People in station got fast passes but if you were anywhere in the queue and got kicked out, you were out of luck even with a 60-minute wait so we saw a lot of frustrated people. Legoland Factory and Ninjago were also up and down throughout the day. Dragon was running one train, factory was sending one car empty (maybe one car is marked for fast-pass riders?), and Royal Joust only had one side so a capacity of four people (I wish this ride was also children only) so it was a low capacity day. Another TPR member mentioned there has been a very negative reaction to fast-passes in Korea, especially with Legoland and we did see some guests confronting employees at rides which is a little sad when it's something beyond their control or pay grade. I think it's because most Korean parks offer only single-use, very limited and very expensive passes, so you almost never see them pass you in line whereas Legoland offers reserve and ride style so when we lined up for Dragon, the line crawled because you had one train and needing to accomodate the fast-pass people. Something I'm used to from other parks but it seems the Korean population not so much. Everyone seemed to head to the new ride at opening, we hadn't even cleared security, the line was already at one hour, and most people were still only just getting into the park. Later in the day the line had dropped to 40... But it closed just as we arrived. We opted to go eat since it usually takes an hour to get food, by the time we were done eatind it had reopened and after another attempt to wait in line we did get a ride. A little frustrating, there was a lot of queue jumping, and even though there was free lockers at the end to store belongings, a lot of people seems to take loose belongings to the platform. Later in the day, we almost made it to the station before we were kicked out of the line. We came out and they were evaccing people off the brake run in harnesses, and with only an hour left before closing, I didn't see them reopening. Son was frustrated he'd almost made it and lost time, but he was ok, we have annual passes and can come back, but saw some others carried out in tears, which is a shame for them to end their day. Instead, we headed over to the dragon since it'd dropped to a 20-minute line, but with one train waited 35. They did let him jump back in line 3 minutes before closing and rode the last train of the day, so at least he got some credits for the day. May 3rd-6th will be a four-day weekend and the busiest time of the whole year for theme parks, so hopefully Legoland will have the issues fixed before then.

I'm planning a similar upper-midwest trip this summer with a lot of new-to-me parks. Michigan's Adventure, Indiana Beach, Great America, Mt Olympus, Valleyfair, MOA all for the first time. And then Cedar Point (not the first time lol). Never been to CW either but will save that for another Toronto/Buffalo based trip.

I'm kinda surprised it took this long for them to give it a retheme - still waiting on KD to retheme theirs to mesh with Jungle X-Pedition LOL. I like the concept too, and I love how the description on their webpage still talks about it being a movie-set-simulation-thing (lest people think they'll be shot at from a helicopter driving through Cincy).

King's Island today announced they have renamed and "reimagined" Backlot Stunt Coaster. I kinda like hte name "Queen City Stunt Coaster" https://local12.com/news/local/kings-island-cincinnati-queen-city-stunt-coaster-backlot-announces-reimaged-ride-will-have-guests-racing-through-streets-season-passholders-opening-day-celebration-classic-coasters-experience-announcements-consumer?-fbpost&fbclid=IwY2xjawJvb4dleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHs8zpJRXglQjLQOt4FDk0uIW7atKb6lJIUHit-j7PoJ7gQ8wwQWMCyBPOPUw_aem_upJAcgRa5oUp1dy3iT5oGQ

we finally have some movement from COTAland. their Facebook page came back to life this morning, revealing the brand new Logo. I love it, and hopefully we'll start seeing really regular updates. https://www.facebook.com/COTALAND

That's true! We have decided since this is a really a trip I have been waiting for all my life we broke down and splurged on a nicer room. So we will be arriving Sunday afternoon and then leaving Friday! So the only thing that can bring me down is if the rides are down. Tony said he expects sirens curse to be apart of cosstermania and that's June 6th. I know the word "expects" isn't definitive but I'm hoping for. Super excited. The only thing that can bring me down is the rides being down

The 15th to the 19th should be more then enough time to knock out all the rides you want. Your legs will be more tired then anything. Its a pretty big park. You might as well spend the money on a Fast lane for one day and not an extra hotel stay. You can knock a few rides out the first hour of the day or the last few hours of the night on the weekdays. I think after your first day you can get a good idea what ride you want to go wait for first thing in the morning. Like one day try to do one or 2 rides on MF the next day get in line and wait the hour for Steel Vengeance to open Things like that. A week Day if your lucky could do Maverick and Steel Vengeance in the first hour of opening then Sky hawk, Can knock the back part of the park out pretty quickly

So we were at the park yesterday. Grounds looked pretty good, they've put in some spring flowers but probably won't go whole hog on the landscaping until mid-late May, which I totally understand. Clearly not fully staffed yet which is normal, that should improve in May once college and high school workers start finishing up school for the semester. Boss was on one train ops which is probably staffing and Eagle started with two trains and went down to one.....not sure why. Freeze was operating both sides thought which was nice. Freeze and Batman both had some down time but it was fairly short lived. Justice League was down and completely shut, no workers, nada all day; same for Spinsanity, Supergirl, and Fireball. No water rides open yet this early in the season. Also, some stores and restaurants not open, but enough were to not be a huge problem. Again they are likely to get all of that going as the staffing builds up over the next month. Crowds were moderate but not too bad considering some capacity was lost with the closed rides. Characters were out and about. Shows all look to be opening Memorial Day weekend which is par for the course. Now for titan track on the Boss...................they only replaced one section, but it was probably the roughest most headache inducing section. It's right after the double down as the track turns to the right and goes back up hill. And for that few amazing seconds it was glorious and then right back to normal roughness. I will say though that we rode it first thing when the temps were still in the 50's and the whole thing seemed much smoother. Went back later in the day to get a second ride and with temps about 10 degrees warmer it was definitely rougher than the morning ride. I know purists don't like the idea of titan track but I think if they did a few more sections it would be overall well received. Joker was open but the funhouse portion of the queue was not. Hopefully, that too will get corrected when they are more staffed up. There were prominent signs at the entrances to both Eagle and Mine Train notifying guests of the height requirement change. Although I do agree they absolutely should have sent an email to passholders that this was happening and perhaps some basic explanation of why. Eagle was running as smooth as ever! I really love that old girl. If anyone from the park sees this......PLEASE give her a paint job and any other sprucing up you can (like maybe new chaser lights) for her 50th birthday next year.

I love it when we stay in the Midwest for vacations or short trips, because you get the fitness centers and running trails all to yourself.

No free gifts! If you guys want our Larson Loop it'll cost ya BIG. 10 million dollars and it's all yours baby!

Small update from today. Everything was open except Kumba, Iron Gwazi and the rapids. The rapids reopened a few days ago but had a breakdown yesterday or Sunday and was closed all day today. Iron Gwazi has a sign at the entrance that the ride is closed for annual maintenance. Whether that is really true or it was just closed for the day is unkown as they sometimes leave those signs out for a temporary closure and there is no way to find out with the closed rides page removed. Sheikra was running 2 trains, rare for a day besides Friday, Saturday and Sunday. They also are being more strict about re-rides. You can re-ride once and then have to walk around even with rows going out completely empty. I noticed the same at SeaWorld earlier this year. I found out that the log flume and bumper cars close early when the park is open past 6. I knew they opened late but didn't know they closed early too. Platinum Passholders were supposed to get $20 in Busch Bucks this month. It was lowered to $10 after showing $20 as an April reward for months. That's not the first time they changed or removed a reward at the last minute, last summer there was a free guest ticket for Adventure Island in July that they also removed as a listed reward at the end of June.

I think that’s against the law in rural Indiana.

Universal Destinations & Experiences has officially announced their intentions to build a new theme park and resort destination in Bedford, England with construction starting in 2026. https://www.cmcsa.com/news-releases/news-release-details/comcast-nbcuniversal-announces-intent-build-universal-theme-park Comcast NBCUniversal today announced its intent to pursue the first-ever Universal entertainment resort complex in the United Kingdom and in Europe. The project is to be designed and delivered by the company’s Universal Destinations & Experiences segment. The proposed plans, which are subject to planning approval, include a world-class theme park with several themed lands featuring Universal’s distinct style of immersive and thrilling rides, innovative attractions and exciting entertainment. The resort will also feature a 500-room hotel and a retail, dining and entertainment complex. The park will be just south of Bedford, 35 minutes north of London by train, and will join the company’s existing portfolio of theme parks and resorts across the United States and Asia-Pacific. “This is a special and historic milestone moment for our company as we continue to accelerate the growth trajectory of our theme parks business and delight audiences around the world,” said Mike Cavanagh, President of Comcast Corporation. “The unparalleled storytelling and technological innovation that the incredible team at Universal Destinations & Experiences brings to life is a perfect complement to the British creative arts and tourism industries.” Universal’s growth beyond this development includes expanding and evolving its existing destinations in the US and introducing new, original concepts to new audiences in new markets across America. Universal is opening three theme park developments in the US in the next two years, starting with the highly anticipated Universal Epic Universe in Orlando, Florida opening in May, which is the company’s largest and most technologically advanced theme park and the first new major theme park in Florida in 25 years. The company’s direct investment in Epic Universe has stimulated $11 billion in economic impact nationwide and generated tens of thousands of jobs across the US. Later in 2025, Universal Horror Unleashed, a year-round horror entertainment experience will open in Las Vegas, Nevada, followed by Universal Kids Resort, the company’s first theme park designed specifically for families with young children, opening in Frisco, Texas in 2026. Comcast NBCUniversal has invested more than $10 billion in new and existing Universal destinations across the US in California, Florida, Texas and Nevada from 2018–2024. “Bringing the Universal brand to the United Kingdom is another exciting step forward in generating future growth,” said Mark Woodbury, Chairman and CEO of Universal Destinations & Experiences. “Expanding into Europe presents us with a significant opportunity to reach new fans and share the incredible experiences our team creates.” The 476-acre parcel of land in Bedford, purchased by Comcast in 2023, is ideally located with convenient, fast rail links to London and connectivity to the rest of the country, with more than 80 percent of England’s population and half of the UK population living within two hours travel time. It also provides fantastic connectivity to the rest of Europe, promising to be one of the highest-attended attractions in the continent and to bring in millions of new visitors to the UK. The decision to move ahead with the UK project follows a more than year of due diligence and is subject to securing planning approval. A planning proposal will be submitted to UK Government in the months ahead with a projected construction start date in 2026.

The reviews seem to be positive from the non-masochists. But they all say there's not enough Titan Track. If Cedar Fair was only going to buy X number of feet of it this offseason they should have really just ordered the 400ft Prowler got for The Boss too. Prowler isn't actually rough and I'm pretty sure they've already done ipe retracking on it.

Excellent update!! it will be a bit still before I get to this stop on my report. . so will say here, that I remain terribly sad about the death of the Frankenstein dark ride for the Smurfs :(. . .. yeah, I get it, and it makes even more sense since the park announced it's changing the name to Plopsa. but still. . .. sad face. my absolute favorite thing about our stop here was the Titty Twister house. Not sure if you talked to the staff as much as I did at the houses, but what blew me away? the park staff had NO IDEA it was based on the film "From Dusk Till Dawn". yes! even tho most of them were completely in character as if they were in the film? they were just working off what they had been told to do - hence the "adults only" and super "vulgar" language. . . LOL. . it was so brilliant. thanks for the great pics and reminders. and I think we all have pics of the pipi station

before I went to bed tho, I download some shots that Robb had shared from his camera to the TPR chat for the trip. these are amazing pics, and courtesy of Robb: Icon and the park layout from the Big One's lift hill that incredible diving first drop on the Big One: coming back from that turnaround near the front gates same turnaround from the back seat.

Ask and you receive... teaser

I don't think it ever opened in 2024 either. That'd be two years SBNO. Honestly I think that land would be better used if they tore it, the French restrooms and Mooseburger down and built a new restaurant. The new restaurant should be something like the Pavilion at CP, Lazy Bear Lodge in Canada or Miami River Brewhouse. It's more land than would be needed but it can open things up a bit and perhaps allows for some modifications to The Hill to make it easier to climb now that there isn't a restaurant there. It's a lot - but Cedar Fair IS pretty focused on elevating dining. Even at some less-loved parks like Dorney. The 3 restaurants I mentioned each sit on around 15k sq/ft. That would easily fit in this area in a bunch of ways.

Remember when we just used to argue on whether corporate hated our park? Good times. They've put some good money into the park this year, looking forward to seeing how it looks in person.

Yes, a nice memory for you but she won't remember it. And again there are other carousels closer to where you live that you could have used. You are never going to convince me that despite claiming for a number of years now that you are mostly not that into this hobby anymore and disparaging theme park enthusiasts on a regular basis, the obsession you have with a carousel refurbishment is anything but hilarious.

That's dumb. She's known what a carousel is since she was probably 2. It would have been a nice memory for us, regardless of how long it lasted. Again, you're never going to convince me the closure isn't anything but hilarious.

As of today, Fantasy Springs will allow people to line up for the rides without the need for standby passes. I kind of hope this means the recent culture of everyone standing around frantically tapping screens will disappear again, always seemed a shame to be in one of the most beautiful parks and people too busy refreshing their screens throughout the day to fully enjoy it.

Flash is good! Rode twice today, once in front and once in back. Floater on the launch side of the tower is nice. The hangtime on the stall is excellent and the restraints are extremely comfortable and perfect for this ride (after experiencing some squishing in the nether-regions on Copperhead Strike yesterday, this was a welcome relief). Nice air on the double up, borderline ejector in front. Barrel roll is a nice tribute to Chiller. Still trying to understand how they're applying Flash Pass to this ride. When I first arrived (I have all season Platinum FP) it said I could not reserve Flash. I went and rode El Toro and then headed back over, and by then I could reserve a ride so I did. After a couple hours I went to get another ride and once again it would not let me. This time I settled for the one time use FP for $11 (seriously...if you see how slow the regular line moves, it will be the best $11 you'll ever spend). Was on within 5 minutes through the FP line, but the regular line had to be well over an hour. It's a great ride but that line is going to get very ugly on all but the deadest of days. Hit a few other favorites. Toro running the same as last year. Wheel seats will give you a headache. I'm excited to see how nice the retrack makes the ride. Hope it gets restored to its former glory. The first half of the ride is still bonkers, but the second half is pretty brutal at this point and makes it tough to reride. Nitro and Batman both running fantastic even in the cold cloudy weather. Didn't get over to Devil but I could see it crawling through the course. Didn't get on anything else, was in the middle of a 14 hour ride home from Carowinds so really just wanted to hit Flash and anything else was a bonus today. Lots of food stands still closed. Even with the dining plan in hand I still just settled for Wawa. Also, I don't believe Superman opened at all today. Harley Quinn has not run since it's derailment last fall. I think everything else I noticed looked operational.

Alright new idea: I saw this from one of the Facebook group and I think a Wild Moose idea is growing on me

Day 10 (pt 2) full day at Blackpool Pleasure Beach as we came up the stairs from the Nickelodeon section, I saw Wallace (of Wallace and Grommit) out and went to say hi and get a pic, only to be informed that if you want a picture of them, you must purchase the opportunity. I politely declined, and we continued past the Wallace & Grommit ride (I'd ride it tomorrow. . long line at the moment) and headed towards one of the park's other classic woodies: the Big Dipper, a PTC built in 1923 I *love* the classic feel of the thing. and it's right next to Infusion and the Big One in the middle of everything. the inside of the station is charmingly retro. . and hey, look. . there's Stacy and Andrew in line up ahead of us. Bert, Nick, Doug, Nick. the windows in the queue for Big Dipper give one a fantastic view of Infusion's 1st drop thru the windows. too bad it's a Vekoma SLC. . but hey, it LOOKS good almost our turn. . a bit rough, as one would expect from a coaster this old, but really quite a decent ride and I enjoyed it. pic is courtesy of Andrew I believe. since we were RIGHT NEXT DOOR to it. . we gritted our teeth and headed over to Infusion. as noted. . at least it *looks* fantastic. Especially built over a water feature. already dreading this decision. . . but at least there's not much of a line. smiling BEFORE we ride it. . . . oooo. . .a train? where is the station for that? made a mental note to look for it. yeah. . it rides like a Vekoma SLC. one and done. . . but I rode it. having ringed the outside of the park, we headed into the center, where the Avalanche Bobsled is located. charmingly themed over here. ' and you get really close to Revolution's loop feature. aha! . . crossing over the bridge to get to the Avalanche entrance, I discovered the train station. . in an odd place, with an entrance from the actual bridge. noted for later! this was closed today, and tho it was small, it was quite lovely. sadly, I think this is one of the 3 smaller rides the park announced has been removed to make space for a new ride coming in. (come to think of it. . all 3 smaller rides they said they were removing, never opened the two days we were there, and were closeby the shut down car tracks.. so must be something big coming into this area) I'm ready for a bobsled ride! it was among the smoother of the bobsleds I've ridden. and I did go back and ride it the next day too. Lots of Photo Ops spread among the park. . even of many of them didn't make a lot of sense. I got Nick to pose too, after being my photographer. I believe I had reached out to Stacy and she and I made our way to the train station - as she loves this kind of stuff too. the train really does weave all in and out of everything at the park, and gives some really interesting views/perspectives of things. well worth a ride, if you go to this park. you get REALLY close to some of the coasters too. . . and it passes right in front of our hotel (and spoiler. .. right there is that wonky as hell transition on the Big One that WILL mess up your back if you aren't prepared for it. . . every time we rode the next day. . right THERE). looking up. .there's my room! LOL. . with the curtains open on the top floor. the tunnel at the end of Big One, where it dives underneath Nickelodeon Streak's structure after a wonderful, relaxing, train ride, I was ready to hit the grouping of Dark Rides (Alice's Wonderland, Ghost Trains, and the park's Racing Derby are all right next to each other in an area of the park). Alice in particular is sorta/kinda like the Disneyland ride, but there are many differences. great photo op, even if it looks like I'm creeping out the Mad Hatter while the March Hare is tickling Andrew's armpit. no one wanted to be the Caterpillar.. but I wasn't gonna pass up being Alice! or riding a horsie on the Derby Racer I LOVED this. . . but I will admit that tho it ran faster than Cedar Downs? I don't recall these horses moving back and forth. So between the two? Cedar Downs takes it as the better ride. but still, I'll ride this over almost any other ride, any day. Hey Stacy! stopped to watch the racing trains on Grand National. . .another PTC coaster from 1935. this one looked very very rough, and tho i did ride one side of it today, it bothered my hurt rib (damaged at Barrie Island), so never did go back to ride the other side. the suspended ships are near the main entrance tho. . and those were a lot of fun. back to Alice for another ride (of course). hmmm. . per this sign, this ride opened in 1962. . Disneyland's opened in 1958. Maybe the similarities aren't such a coincidence? and then it was time for Ghost Train! I'd held off on this, as I'd heard it was a good one, so was saving it. it was SO good, y'all. I rode this at least 10 times during my visit to the park. just kept going back to it. I loved it. the themed benches over here are great too! so good. .and so many pops of air! no idea who to thank for this. Stacy? it was getting towards the end of the day, and so it was time to ride the infamous "Valhalla" I don't want to ruin it, so all I'll say is that it's a very, VERY good dark ride, and a very, VERY wet water ride all at once. yeah. . even completely covered with a TPR rain poncho, still soaked completely thru. but we knew we were in trouble when they were using a wetvac to suction out water from every boat as they came back thru the station. . LOL SO good tho. actually rode it again the next day too. we were so wet from Valhalla, we went and rode Derby Racer a few times in an attempt to dry off (and it worked, since it spins so fast) since Stacy is in this pic with me, assuming this pic is thanks to Andrew? and with that (and slightly drier) our first day at the park was over, as it was time to shut down. it was still early. . maybe 5pm? but we went around to the front of the park, and I got this pic of the main entrance. From what I was told, this park used to have a Noah's Ark (like Kennywood has), but it was decommissioned many years ago. instead of destroying it tho, they moved it over the main entrance. so it's no longer an attraction one can walk thru, but the Ark does still "float" up and down, and most of the figures from it are around the base. so that's rather cool that they kept the history. waiting for the reception area for "hot ice" to open. it was a lovely set up, with a coffee shop, and bar in the outer entry area. it was opening night, so some folks did dress up - and I felt a little bit under-dressed - but enough of the TPR folks went that I didn't really stand out. TPR representing at the "Hot Ice Show" at Blackpool Pleasure Beach opening night. I have to imagine that we had been asked to take no pictures (as it was opening night), as I don't seem to have a single picture from the performance (and yes, they really DID set the ice on fire, and there was a lot of skating tricks done). there clearly was also an issue as the intermission seemed to talk almost an hour between acts, and when act II did start there was suddenly an odd number of women vs men skaters - so I think someone must have gotten hurt during the 1st act, and that's why the delay in act II starting. for what it was, it was enjoyable, and it's always fun to hang out with TPR folks. (and as Stacy and I are showing, they DID serve alcohol. . so it was a nice enough way to spend the evening before heading back to the hotel for shower, and sleep.. .. tho I'm almost 100% positive, we DIDN'T go back to the hotel, but instead went across the street to the casino for food and some gambling) but with that, Day 1 of Blackpool Pleasure Beach was done, and I had fulfilled a quest.. I was gonna sleep well tonight.

Day 10 (pt 1) full day at Blackpool Pleasure Beach - and getting to ride my holy grail. tho I was so excited I had some trouble sleeping, I actually did wake up before my alarm (and well before park open). Checking the weather, it said overcast (and windy - oh no!).. but a quick peek out the window jumpstarted everything - there was an Employee walking the track of Big Dipper! that was an excellent sign, that they were planning on opening things. as I started to get dressed for breakfast, I heard some commotion outside the window, and looking out again, Icon was testing! (that was our ERT coaster for this morning.. . so I giddily snapped some pics to send to the group - for those who hadn't been in the rooms to hear/see it). a peek out the windows at breakfast confirmed it was really windy today still. . . just look at those waves. and there was no movement at all on "the Big One" - a coaster that is often closed due to winds apparently. but at least we had two full days at the park. . . so I was hopefull, and dug into breakfast. the group met our "park guide" at the back/resort gate (which wasn't really open, but they opened it for us which was great), and we headed into the empty park and towards Icon. you can tell how bundled up everyone is, that the day started out a bit chilly. I love going into a park before it's open, as lots of opportunities for pics without a lot of people in them. (so yet another reason I love going on trips with TPR) great sign, Big Dipper was now testing. (as well as ICON, as you can see the train behind Big Dipper's train) it really is quite a lovely park, and they crammed so much in! it's hard to believe there were a few big rides that had been removed (the Wild Mouse, the Motorway) or were down for refurb (an indoor tunnel of love type ride thru caves, the drop tower) during our visit, as there was so much still to do. swimming Jockys ? I have no idea but it was interesting scenery. since everything is built in and around (and thru) other things, the queue lines too weave a lot. this is part of the Icon Queue, but you can also see Infusion (blue track), Big Dipper (wood track), and Big One (red track) in this pic. fairly non-descript station on the outside - they let the ride speak for itself. parts of Avalanche, and the loop from Revolution are visible from the Icon queue line. Nick and Jere ready for their back seat ride. this is train 1. On the other train, they have replaced the last car with two spinning seats, and they consider this a separate ride, called "Enzo" (it's an upcharge) TPR train, ready for launch. for a coaster with multiple launches, this coaster really doesn't have a lot of speed. . .it really feels like it's just "meandering".. . but it somehow really WORKS for this ride. adding a ton of hang time, and making the coaster incredibly re-rideable. I liked it a lot. on the bridge after I rode a few times, I snapped pics from over the 1st launch, and managed to catch the other train with the "Enzo" spinning seats in the back car. (those that rode it that way said it was fun) I liked it best in the front row. . .but as noted, it was an enjoyable coaster regardless and a great way to start off our day this pic is courtesy of either Elissa or Jack Crouse. happy train of TPR riders by the time we finished our ERT, the grounds were open and folks had started to show up - even if none of the rides were open. but I was about to get a surprise when we were informed we were now headed over to Steeplechase for some pre park opening rides (I seriously was so excited I was afraid to go to the bathroom in fear of missing something) seriously. . holy grail. a ride I *never* thought I'd ever get to see, let alone ride. and it turned out that Elissa & Robb had mentioned to the park folks that for a couple of us on this trip, we had come on the trip *specifically* for Steeplechase (that would be me and Jonathan). and the park responded by opening all 3 rails for us! From what I was told, typically they only run 2 rails, and the Gold one rarely operates. so.. apologies for all the Steeplechase pics. . . I actually culled them and am only posting a few, relative to how many I tool. . LOL at only 2 riders per horse, and nothing underneath you for most of the ride.. it truly is both an exciting AND terrifying experience. I think most of the folks liked it tho. I was absolutely giddy, and even tho I think I only "won" once? I rode it a LOT. . . not just today, but tomorrow too - when the operators recognized us at the SteepleChase superfans from the prior day and let Jonathan and I do solo rides on the horses for a few laps without having to go back thru the line but yes, I was able to get at least 10 rides, across all 3 rails, during our surprise pre-park open rides today. again, the below pics are courtesy of either Elissa or Jack. once I got my excitement to calm down (and after a bathroom break, finally), we split off for the rest of the day. we didn't have any evening ERT, so the day was ours to do with as we pleased (some people went across to the South Pier to ride the spinning mouse), although the Resort was hosting an opening night gala for the "Ice on Fire" ice skating show, and the park had offered us all tickets if anyone wanted to go. I planned to go, cause why not?, and then headed to explore the park with a smaller group of about 5-6 folks. first stop was Revolution, an Arrow shuttle loop from 1979. yup, one of the classics, where you have to climb the stairs to the top so the train can make the loop what's nice, is from this tower, in the center of the park really, you get some crazy nice views (yeah, that's one of the park's 3 carousels behind us). looking towards the water. . directly in front of us is the Big One's station - with the first drop way back in the distance behind Avalanche. it was, indeed, closed today - too windy for the Big One. (fingers crossed for Tomorrow for some ERT on it) Nickelodeon Streak - the orange woodie that rings the Northern part of the park also runs right along Revolution's queue tower a beautiful view of Steeplechase station, and some of the track, and the Big Blue hotel - where we're staying. Nickelodeon Streak's turnaround, and looking over the town of Blackpool with the clouds burning off, it really was quite lovely here. continuing our way counter-clockwise around the outer perimeter of the park, we came to Nickelodeon Universe area next. and there were characters out for photo ops. I asked the handlers if they could take a pic for me, and this cheeky bastard said sure - then flipped the camera and took a selfie (gotta wonder how often he does that to folks.. but he didn't realize that I was there for two days, and when I saw him the next day would embarrass him so badly in front of his co-workers (who thought it was hysterical) that I doubt he does it much again). anyways. . here's the pic he took that he thought I wouldnt' notice. and here's the real pic, after I handed him the camera back, making sure it was pointing the correct way. I think this is from Avatar? hell if I know. .it's a character photo op!! in this section before you get to Nickelodeon Streak, you come across Blue Flyer - a PTC junior coaster, that's been in the park since 1934 adults were welcome to ride, so we got in line. and saw that several other TPR folks also had the same idea hey Jonathan, Shane, Adam, and David it was adorable, and actually had a few pops of airtime. and I love that the pic says "my first rollercoaster" lookie. . Bert is the filling in a Nick Oreo Sammich cookie. looking around Nickelodeon land, most of the rides seemed to be of the "spin and puke" variety or "get wet" variety. . tho the Streak coaster loomed large over everything. they only had one train on this, so this was probably the longest line we stood in today. and unfortunately it was crammed full of teenagers who were acting up almost the whole time we were in the line. this is also one of the oldest coasters in the park, as the lift hill and turnaround were originally part of "the Velvet Coaster" that was built in 1909. . but it was rebuilt and christened "Roller Coaster" in 1932, before being renamed the Nickelodeon Streak (slime streak?) in the 2010's. that's a long way of saying it's a bit of a rough thing, and even tho we waited for it, it was one and done for me. the kids (with the pliable bodies) seemed to love it tho. I LOVED this operator. . she was "take no shit" from the teenagers, and yelled at them for throwing water - and would not let them ride until they apologized to us for splashing us with water while in line. so of course, I wanted a pic with this wonderful woman. Andrew and Stacy were in the train behind mine. . so was able to get a pic of them as they went by. leaving the area. . this is another one of the 'wet" rides I liked the Rugrats theming. . but seemed a bit too chilly to get wet - at least at the moment. day 1 to be continued. . .

Thankfully no...but it's just a damn good coaster and waiting until 4 hours before opening day to announce that their star coaster won't open till this summer is a...choice. Park was rather busy tonight. It's usually pretty dead when I've been here midsummer. Weather was beautiful in the 70s, had to keep reminding myself it's still March. Most coasters were running at full capacity except for Timbers which was running with one train and probably the slowest ops in the park. Glad I got to it early. Station wait (which still took 30 mins) when I arrived was down past the lockers by the time I got off. Lot of flats closed and some others only open briefly. Guess that should be expected on preview night, but I expect they should be 100% tomorrow outside of Pantherian and Rapids. Glad I got to Drop Tower early. Love that thing. Made my rounds to Apple Zapple, Racer, Boo Blasters, Dominator, and Grizzly. Fun rides to be had on all. My first foray into Jungle X, the line for Rapterra was out past Tumbili, around the Dippin Dots stand, and starting to stretch to the entry sign into the Jungle. Reports were the wait was 2.5 hrs. I got in line at 9:20 which at that point was maybe 15 mins outside the regular line entrance. Ended up waiting 1:25 although I got sent to the left side which definitely takes longer than the line for the right side. So a full queue is 1 hour to 1:15 or so, and if it's beyond that good luck! It's a fun ride and much needed for KD, but realistically probably only the 5th best coaster in the park. My time would have been better spent reriding Timbers, Dominator, Grizzly, and that big orange lawn ornament in the back of the park, but glad to have gotten a ride on the new hotness. The whole jungle area is pretty well done now. The music bed really fits in and the theming is mostly cohesive. I honestly walked out of the bathroom and forgot I wasn't at Animal Kingdom for a second or two. I was gonna spend tomorrow at KD again, but with Pantherian closed I have no reason to go back. Therefore, I have the really dumb idea of finally knocking off a bucket list park and driving 5 hours down to Carowinds and then probably 13 hours back home between tomorrow night and Sunday with a quick stop at Great Adventure for Flash.

The Carousel Update: https://www.facebook.com/share/17cpa8Ldbr/ Looks like it opens in June.

Kings Dominion has shared a new look at the work under way to convert Project 305 (formerly Intimidator 305) into Pantherian with new paint, decor and more. https://www.kingsdominion.com/blog/2025/welcoming-pantherian-to-the-jungle "For decades, a group of archaeologists known as the Whey Foundation has explored the thickets of an uncharted rainforest called Jungle X-Pedition. Here, they have uncovered a collection of unique structures and ruins that each possess a distinct mystical power. Their recent discovery connects to the prominent cat symbol found on a stone disc in the area. This is the Pantherian Shrine, a stone plinth-lined section of the jungle featuring feline carvings and a large complex of twisted forged metal. Attached to the steel pathway is a contraption whose body and markings reflect that of the panther the compound honors. What follows is an exhilarating journey through a series of twists and turns that can only be described as what it must feel like to be a large jungle predator." Two coats are being applied to the spine and rails of the track In case you haven’t heard, our world-class giga coaster is evolving from Project 305 into Pantherian, sporting a fresh new look with orange track and black supports. More than 5,000+ feet of track are being primed and painted by our friends at Baynum Solutions. When guests enter the plaza, they’ll step through a feline-like temple honoring the jungle cat. The temple entryway prepped for more work Surrounding the plaza will be shrines dedicated to the jungle cat, almost as if they guard the ancient device towering before them. An ancient language is scribed on them, coding messages that can be deciphered. The pathways are now guided with wooden rails and posts, and the queue and station have been given fresh jungle-like colors. Wood surrounds the plaza, guiding adventurers Stone carvings and shrines are cut, awaiting assembly The two passenger trains will flesh out all-new sleek decals resembling a black panther on the prowl. Artwork depict the decals for the passenger trains (final design may differ) The exit store for Pantherian will be integrated into its research center where guests can store their belongings in a locker. On-ride photos will be available to commemorate your encounter featuring new FunPix frames. Pantherian Photo research center is prepped for finishing touches We expect the project to be fully completed this summer. Stay tuned to our social media channels for updates when this panther is ready to prowl!

Europa Park has announced that the next new themed area to join the part's line-up will be Monaco. Guests can start to get a sneak peak at this new land (while also looking back at the park's history) in a new preview centre in the Silver Star Hall. Future experiences planned for the Monaco section of the park include highlighting the atmosphere of International Circus Festival of Monte Carlo, as well as the Principality's architecture, marinas, landscapes, its famous casino and more! https://presse.europapark.com/en/presse/nachricht/datum/2025/03/13/monaco-wird-18-europaeischer-themenbereich-im-europa-park-preview-center-bereits-2025-der-legende/ In 2026, Monaco will become the 18th themed area at Europa-Park. The preview centre in the Silver Star Hall will already give exciting insights into the legendary Grand Prix from 2025 In 2026, the Principality of Monaco will become the 18th themed area at Europa-Park, joining countries such as France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland as well as England Ireland. From March 2025, a preview centre will be set up in the Silver Star Hall to give visitors an exclusive taste of this unique world. Inspired by the legendary atmosphere of the Monaco Grand Prix, this new themed area will showcase the many facets that make the Principality world famous: Its emblematic buildings, its famous casino, its marinas, the Mediterranean landscapes, culture, gastronomy, and its picturesque streets. Monaco, the 'Jewel of the French Riviera', is a world-famous destination that perfectly combines history and modernity. An exceptional destination, it attracts lovers of fine dining, wellness and culture. Monaco is a world-famous brand, a symbol of excellence and prestige that characterises this new themed area. H.S.H. Prince Albert II, a great admirer of Europa-Park: "For 50 years, Europa-Park has enchanted millions of families, and I too have had the pleasure of visiting it several times with my children. I am delighted about the new partnership between the Principality and this famous theme park, which will allow the creation of a Monegasque themed area in 2026. Monaco will thus become the 18th country to be represented there, enabling millions of visitors to learn more about our Principality and hopefully come here too". In the future, Europa-Park guests will be able to experience the fascination of the prestigious Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix - but also the luxury sights of the casino, the marinas and much more. Europa-Park owner Roland Mack: "Monaco is one of the most fascinating countries in Europe. We will offer our visitors many attractive attractions related to the Principality. As early as 2025, the park will be full of Monaco flair. I am delighted with this extremely friendly and valuable cooperation with the Principality and Prince Albert". The Prince and Sovereign is particularly committed to protecting the environment, especially the oceans and marine biodiversity. This commitment will also be reflected in the new Monegasque themed area. From 2025, the Principality will be presented at Europa-Park with a series of exclusive events. An extraordinary exhibition of vehicles from the 'Collection des Voitures de S.A.S. le Prince de Monaco' will offer visitors a unique insight into Monaco's automotive heritage. Another highlight: The magical atmosphere of the International Circus Festival of Monte Carlo comes to Europa-Park. This prestigious festival, chaired by Princess Stephanie, takes place every year in January in the Principality and brings together the greatest artists of the circus world to compete for the coveted 'Golden Clown' award. In 2025, Roland Mack was awarded the honorary title of 'Ambassador of Circus 2025'. To celebrate this art form, several new shows will be created in cooperation with Europa-Park and the artists of the Cirque de Monte-Carlo, which will immerse visitors in the fascinating world of the circus. Thanks to this unique combination of tradition, innovation and excellence, Europa-Park and its Monegasque partners promise a unique and innovative addition to the park. Between the passion of motor sports, the magic of the circus and the timeless elegance of Monaco, this partnership celebrates the art of entertainment and excellence the Principality of Monaco is famous for. https://www.europapark.de/en/theme-park/attractions/50-year-exhibition-monaco-preview-center 50 Year Exhibition & Monaco Preview Center Embark on an exciting journey through five decades of park history and, at our Preview Center at the end of the exhibition, get an exclusive first glimpse of the future of the new Monaco themed area.

This was such a wonderful first visit to Europa Park for me as well! While not as fantastical in theming as other parks, the amount of detail and sheer beauty crammed in all over the place still makes it a sight to behold and explore. There are so many almost hidden things all over the place like the shooting dark ride I don't know if I would have found if Elissa hadn't shown it to us and the Cassandra madhouse. There are so many unique rides and coasters that I was pleasantly surprised by. I wasn't expecting Euro-Mir to be quite that intense and I fully understand why Blue Fire has been cloned so many times- it was a lot of fun. The colder weather seemed to help Silver Star since they weren't trimming it as hard since the airtime at the end was approaching ejector levels. Of course the star of the show for me was Voltron (which I am even more confused about the story of after watching the 4D movie in German) The ride manages to include some pretty intense forces, a slew of inversions, and some of the best ejector airtime I have experienced. As I said multiple times after hitting the brake run, it is A LOT of ride in a good way. The end of the last day for me was just trying to get on it as many times as I could before the park closed, which I think was a great way to end my time at Europa

Not worth all that money (+ Time) to get there, etc. IMhO

In my experience, Sunday crowds will be less than Saturday but busier than a weekday. Check this calendar for last June: https://queue-times.com/en-US/parks/50/calendar/2024/06 You can also change the year at the top to look at historical trends (but don't count 2021 since some COVID restrictions were still in effect). They also have predictions for this coming June but I have no idea how they arrive at those predictions.

Stopped by opening day for a couple hours this morning. Rain had just ended but clouds and temps in the upper 40s kept the crowds mostly at bay. Started at about 11:30 with a Wicked Cyclone ride which had just added a 2nd train, but was glad to have Flashpass as the line was back to the overhang. Apparently literally everyone went here first? Today was a great day to ride it as we all know Wicked Cyclone seems to run faster in cold weather. Checked out Quantum Accelerator progress (station is starting to go up), Tomahawk deconstruction (it is completely gone), and Rivi's progress (not done yet and tarped off) before grabbing a walk on ride on Scream, which was only running space shot mode for some reason. Superman had still not opened at this point so headed into Gotham and eventually walked onto the back row of Batman. Saw Superman starting to test while I was over there. Fun ride on Batman as always and running 2 trains. Riddler was closed and Harley Quinn was down when I went by so I figured I'd head down to Superman and I got into the station just as the first loaded train of the season was being sent. Ended up on the 3rd train of the day in row 2. Good news was the ride was great as always. Bad news is both seats in row 2 had a nice pile of bird shit that they apparently couldn't be bothered to clean in the past 5 months. Ride opened with one train ops and the line filled almost the entire canopied section, but I read on Facebook that they added the second train after I left. Grabbed a quick walk on ride on Supergirl and then I had to head out. Kind of a quick stop-in, but nice to be back. A few notes... As I said above the only coaster that was closed was Riddler (other than Blizzard River, it might've been the only closed ride period... every flat was operational that I saw including Houdini and that other thing in Crackaxle which hasn't always been the case). Games well staffed but food not so much. Lots of closed food stands (although I was there early so not sure if they opened more in the afternoon). Main Street seemed to have had some sprucing up over the winter. Looked nicer than it has in years. Four trams running from the parking lot...will keep that in mind when they're inevitably running one on a busy day in July. With Tomahawk now gone (as well as the pad where Fireball sat) hopefully they fill these with new flat rides sooner than later. Also Typhoon and whatever the drop-capsule slides were called have been removed from the waterpark. I think that's all for now! Edit: According to Queue Times, Blizzard River did open! So if you enjoy rapids rides with temps in the 40s and 50s, come on out!