JimmyBo

Thanks for the report of the only "theme" park in my home state. I do wish that Arizona offered more thrills or decent theme parks but in the long run, I really don't care because we usually just travel to Los Angeles on the I-10 or San Diego on the I-8 to go to more decent parks. There's even another park in the same driving distance in Albuquerque (Cliff's) that has an amazing wooden coaster. Everyone says that Arizona needs a decent theme park in this state but for the majority of people that live here (freakin retired people and snow-birds in the winter) neither of those groups care about theme parks. I would truly love to see a new park but I've given up hope that it will actually happen and that opens up the fact that I can travel outside of this state to experience other theme parks. This report was great and thanks for sharing all the unique rides that this place has to offer. I also really enjoy the arcade that it has because there are A TON of pinball machines inside and I love playing pinball. Jimmy "My back is still broken from Desert Storm" Bo

As a Marvel Nerd...I loved this report! As an engineer...I loved this report! As a roller coaster Nerd...I loved this report! As a steak lover...i loved this report! I mean...holy crap! This report had everything and I might need a new box of tissues! The detail in all the queue lines and on the rides was amazing. The behind the scenes look at how the Hulk Ride works...AMAZING! I'm such a nerd for that! The food at a super fancy restaurant IN A THEME PARK looked delicious. I'm very impressed at their kitchen too (and a little jealous at all the free things you guys got to taste). I'm glad you took time to write this report because it was well worth it. I think I may go back and watch every video you have from IMG Words of Adventure and pretend I'm there because I would really love to visit this place. Jimmy "this report was AMAZING!" Bo

"Great Job Spears!" I love Disneyland during the Holiday season. Halloween and Christmas at Disneyland are always so awesome. It's great to see the many offerings that both parks are offering this year. I'm totally going to get a Tasting Passport if I ever make it out there! I'm starting to like how CarsLand is starting to decorate for the different holidays now. I don't remember them doing that in the past so it's fun to see what the "Cars" are up to. Jimmy "Great Job Spears!" Bo

I had the joy of traveling to San Diego this Thanksgiving to my dad's house. In San Diego this year, there is the Global Winter Wonderland located at SDCCU Stadium (which used to be Qualcomm Stadium...or Jack Murphy stadium). It is a Christmas event/fair that is only open at night and it has several lighted displays for "Holidays Around the World" and carnival rides, games and food. I will be honest...this thing was kind of a let-down. The displays were cool and the rides were typical fair rides, but what really sucked was the price tag to enjoy this event. We looked online everywhere for discounted tickets but we didn't find any so my dad forked out a good price for all of us to go and we were only there for about 2 hours (because 1 1/2 hours was riding games/watching a show). If you are in San Diego and are looking for something to do...don't do this. There are several other Christmasy things to do around the area that aren't this expensive. That being said, the lighted displays were arranged in sort of themed areas but not really themed. Yeah, the displays were lighted and one section was related to Christmas (The North Pole Section, dun) but it feels like this could be set up anywhere at anytime of the year and maybe it is. My niece (who is 6) enjoyed the lighted displays...but she could have gone on all the rides the entire night and could care less about the displays. They try to get the kids interested by having a Scavenger Hunt on the back of the Map, but after we couldn't even find the first item in the North Pole, see decided not to waste our time. So enjoy the pictures of our Adventures through Global Winter Wonderland. And if anyone has been and has a completely different opinion of mine and loves this event...then I'm happy for you! Here we are...Global Winter Wonderland. Here's the map...in case you can't find your way in the blinding lights. Mr and Mrs Claus welcome you. (No....there is no real Santa which was a disappointment because it advertised meeting Santa) Mr Snowman named Olaph welcomes you... On our first adventure, we head to the North Pole. It's only 72 outside...at night...in San Diego...yeah, global warming isn't a thing at all. Mr creepy Elf is ready to take your tickets These creepy elves have beheaded a poor penguin and are ready to have a feast. And these crazy clowns/elves are making toys. I think I'd rather have toys from Halloween Town than what these guys are making... Look!! It's Esla's Castle! (yes...I spelled Esla, instead of Elsa...) Here's their Giant Christmas Tree. If you take a close look at the kids at the bottom of the photo...they decided to go on the other side of the rope, which you are clearly not supposed to do, then they proceeded to go 'inside' the tree where all the electrical equipment is. Parenting at it's finest! On our next adventure...we head to Europe where everyone knows that when you land a plane, you go directly over the hanger before the landing strip. I feel like I'm in Vegas and walking along the Strip. Where's Peter Pan? Dad decided to join in the marching band and play the drums. The leaning tower of Pizza. (yes, I spelled pizza!) The guy in front almost has crazier hair than the President of the US...almost... Moving down Europe we come to Paris. I still feel like I'm walking the Strip in Vegas. And now our next adventure, we travel to Pixie Hollow meets Legend of Zelda...seriously?!?!?! These are supposed to look like fairies but they also look like characters from Zelda. What do you call a group of fairies? A herd...or a Frollick...I guess they are like cattle in a way. On the next leg of our Adventure...we head to Americas, which was the most confusing collection. But thank god this house isn't the real thing in San Diego.... A collection of Americas? What?!?! This was also in Americas? I think someone got lazy and just placed some of these lighted sculptures wherever they wanted. Best Zodiac sign EVER!!! All others weren't worth taking a picture of. Pisces is either so excited, pissed off, constipated...it doesn't matter....it's still the best! After Americas confusing adventure, we head into the Wilds of Africa where we get eaten by a lion? a tiger? a leopard? a liger? who knows!?!?! Africa ended up being a maze. I'm not sure if that means the continent itself is confusing, or they had extra "bush" lights that they decided to make people confused on where to go. Ok...seriously....now the LUXOR!?!? Why is this Vegas Strip thing keep coming to my mind? And I'd like to mention that there was a Statue of Liberty too but I didn't take a picture of it. Nearing the end of our Adventure, we head over to Asia...where I guess this is supposed to be Mt Fugi Q Highlands? The little dragons out front are ready to great you...and then proceed to bite your head off. But at least we made it to a Temple! The Dragon was probably the most impressive display there. This thing was HUGE! And then there's the Great Wall of China complete with Birds and trees and a zip-line and alpine slide behind this display. On our way over to the last and most amazing Adventure of the night...we found a peacock all lit up. Our last Adventure...Dinosaur World!!! Dinosaur World was again...another maze. But it had dinosaur displays that actually moved. Way better than any Disney Animatronic ever made! Time to check out the sites from above. My niece and step-sister enjoying the views. As you can imagine...it had the standard fair rides scattered throughout the parking lot. But you can also see the area where all the light displays are located. Time for some hurling action! My niece is way more of a daredevil than my boys so I got to enjoy riding all the rides with her and my step-sister. Hurl and puke, hurl and puke, hurl and puuuuuke! To quote the famous Robb Alvey, "weeeeeeeeeee!!!" And for all those credit whores out there...yes they had "coasters" But absolutely no adults were allowed to ride Dragon Wagon! Swinging time baby! Another Carnie Maze...I was not crazy about this Monkey Business. Time for the Caterpillar Roller Coaster! Front row! My niece loved it so much, she had to ride in the back for her next ride. Let's check out the eats! You can eat Rudolph's Big Fat Sausage...yum? At the end of the night...it's time for sweets and treats! I see Camel Toe! That's not our Dino! But I prefer deep fried Oreos! Hell yes! Santa and his creepy elf friends say, "Thank you for visiting this over-priced attraction!"

Amazing Report Chuck! I loved how you had the amazing theme music in the beginning because I turned that on and then read the report. I'm really bummed I haven't had the chance to experience this wonderfully themed park but hopefully whenever I make it out there, it will still be as awesome as it has looked in the past several years and won't go down a crappy rabbit hole like some Cedar Fair Parks *cough* Knott's *cough*. Jimmy "I've always loved the Chuck photo captions" Bo

That really is so awesome. Your group costumes are always so amazing and genius. I really loved everyone's thought going into each costume. Do they have other Photo Pass areas like the Headless Horseman? Is that something Disneyland offers or is that another reason why Disney World is so much better than California? Jimmy "Jake's drawbridge is haunting my nightmares" Bo

Great Report. I really loved the videos and I loved the Dark Ride theming and maze. That really is a great maze and I really love how Knott's Scare Actors pretty much do whatever they what to scare the crap out of you. The Log Ride looks awesome to with the theming and the damn song which is stuck in my head (thanks for that by the way). I think Knott's did a really great job this year for both day and night events. I haven't been back to Knott's since 2008 but we made it there a couple weeks ago during the day for their Spooky Farm event. The trip report can be found here... http://themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=75348 I used to be a fan of the Hanging but lately, I've watched some videos from previous years and it seemed to get a little too silly. I remember when I used to go to Knott's Scary Farm, you definitely needed a couple drinks in you before The Hanging was funny. Jimmy "Great report, great pics, great videos" Bo

More pictures from the rest of our day at Camp Spooky! After a walk around the park, it was time to head back into Pooky Far......I mean Spooky Farm. I love Pig Pen...he doesn't care that he never showers. There was always one of "those" kids in school You basically ride in a buggy and it jumps up and down. Of course this was another one where the boys didn't like it and started crying....we were definitely winning as parents today. After the disaster that was Mud Buggies....it was time for something a lot slower. Now it's time to drive some Semi-Trucks. We had Charlie Brown shirts so of course we got the ride in the Charlie Brown Truck..... .....and then every other Truck after that. Now it was time for "The Monsters are coming Charlie Brown" at the Camp Snoopy Theater They sung and danced to several Halloween hits like Monster Mash, Addams Family theme, Time Warp, Thriller, etc and had a unique "Peanuts" humor to the whole thing It kept the boys entertained the whole time because you could sing and dance in your seat or right in front of the stage. Snoopy even joined into the fun. It really was a great show and all the families enjoyed it. And of course, after the show we got to meet the gang. We met Snoopy for the 4th time that day. and Charlie Brown AND Lucy, who was dressed as a witch. Now it was time to check out the Grand Sierra Railroad and the train ride to Camp Spooky. Everyone is so excited!!! Charlie Brown caught a rock.... Bigfoot was watching us through the forest. I guess he's taking a break from getting people wet on Bigfoot Rapids. Lucy is all packed and ready to go.... ....and of course she has Schroeder to help her carry everything. Poor Schroeder. Snoopy and Woodstock are bringing the supplies. And Sally is dressed as a cat and trying to catch bats with her butterfly net. Almost there! A Sulley lookalike from Monster, Inc scares passengers on the train. It's our favorite Snoopy relative...Spike! He lives in the desert (like us) and he doesn't mind cactus. Oh, and I guess Jaguar is there too... Looks like Sally made it to Camp Spooky and she's already helping everyone out. I see you Silver Bullet...I'll ride you another day... The Rock Monster and his Rock Band greeted us along the way. Schroeder made it to Camp Spooky. Now we have some tunes to dance to. Don't forget about Franklin! And Snoopy is roasting ghost mellows. Time for one quick spin on High Sierra Ferris Wheel. Yeah...we saw Snoopy...again..... One more relaxing ride on the swings. Have I mentioned how great some of the theming and names are for the rides in Camp Spooky? They really are great and Knott's has done a great job with this area. One more round on the Huff and Puff before the park closes for Halloween Haunt. And Jackson is trying to Huff and Puff his way to the finish line. Thanks again Knott's Berry Farm and Camp Spooky for a great family Halloween Event! I think our boys enjoyed it.

We had a chance to visit Knott's Spooky Farm a couple weeks ago for my son's Fall Vacation from school. Now before everyone misreads the post...this is for Knott's SPOOKY Farm and NOT Knott's Scary Farm. That's right, this is the event held in Camp Snoopy during the day for the families. Not all Halloween events need to be scary. Everyone knows about Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party but not a lot of people know that Knott's holds it's own event for families during the day. Now, we weren't able to attend on one of the days where the handed out candy, but with one of my son's food allergies, that was probably for the better. Knott's will always be a special place for me because I grew up in So Cal and Knott's was where I rode my first roller coaster, first "real" train and first Log Flume (and don't forget the parachutes and Soap Box Derby racers back in the day). It was great to finally have my boys experience Knott's for the "first" time. I say that in quotes because the last time we went was not very successful in that everything in Camp Snoopy was over an hour wait and it was over 100 degrees so we ended up not really doing anything. Being this time of year, and during the weekday, there was hardly anyone at the park and it was great. Camp Snoopy had great theming for the kiddos in that there were very friendly pumpkins carvings out and they played happy halloween music. They also had a special show at the Camp Snoopy Theater just for the Halloween season. They also re-themed the Grand Sierra Railroad to include the Peanuts characters going to "Camp Spooky". It was really well done and we spent most of the day in Camp Snoopy. Below are pictures from our fun filled day... We checked into the Knott's Hotel the day before and the front desk had great customer service and gave my boys these buttons to where at the park. The night before we went to the park, we headed over to Snoopy Headquarters to check things out. Griffin found Charlie Brown! Every character to could ever want. Jackson was very precise and made sure all the magnets were in order.... ....until Griffin mixed them up again. I think Griffin is ready to meet some characters tomorrow! We ate dinner at Amber Waves at the hotel. If you stay at the hotel, you get 20% your meal! The food was delicious and they even had food for kids with allergies so Jackson was happy! The next morning, the boys were ready to meet the Peanuts Gang with their Charlie Brown shirts! We are at the entrance...ready for the day... While we were waiting to get into the park, Charlie Brown and Snoopy were walking around. So of course we had to meet them first. Charlie Brown was dressed as Frankenstein. I guess if he dressed as is ghost from "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" not one would know it was him. Then we got to meet Snoopy. My boys loved Snoopy (as you will see later in the report). This is the first of many times we got to meet Snoopy today! Griffin is still in awe that he's meeting him. Time to head into Spooky Farm As always, Sierra Sidewinder greets you as you enter....it might just be me but I really dislike where they placed that ride. Sierra Sidewinder doing it's spinning thing. Time to pilot the Red Baron and shoot down the World War I flying Ace. Jackson is at the controls while Griffin is in the back making sure he keeps his eye on Snoopy. "Curse you Red Baron!" Some of the scenery around Camp Spooky Time to venture across the bridges and into the caves. Nothing scary in here during the day but both the boys love how they got to go into a real cave! Next was the Camp Bus They all were so excited to ride a School Bus. Unfortunately, none of them knew what the ride did.... ...it was at this moment where everyone had an "Oh Sh*t" moment and started crying and really didn't like the ride. The ride op was great and actually ended the cycle early. After the disaster that was the Camp Bus...it was time for something a little slower. Huff and Puff was one of my favorite rides as a young kid.... ....and my boys loved it to because they had to ride it 5 times in a row before we were able to move on to the next ride. Next up, time to ride a Hot Air Balloon. Griffin is picking out the color balloon he wants. He has his eye on the green one. Griffin is excited he got the Green one and he's ready to go! I see you back there Monte! Great view of Montezooma's Revenge from the Balloon Race. So a great ride! Another ride in Camp Spooky Nothing better than strapping your kids into a contraption where they are facing straight down. We saw Snoopy again so we had to meet him. The boys really loved Snoopy. Time for lunch at the Grizzly Creek Lodge. If I remember correctly, I believe this is where there used to be a giant Playhouse back in the day. I remember that playhouse and I remember the day when I was too tall to go inside...that was a sad day. Jackson is planning where to go to next. He sees a Merry Go Round on the map...time to head out! It's time for the Merry Go Round..... .....and of course Jackson decides to pick the seat....that doesn't go up and down.....I'm super thrilled! Griffin named his horse Snoopy. After the boys let me ride Supreme Scream and then a couple rounds on Voyage of the Iron Reef (where I got the High Score for the week) we decided to ride a "real" train. Jackson was watching out for the robbers that were going to board the train. Now it was time for our souvenirs of the trip. Instead of stuffed animals or T-Shirts, my boys collect the pressed pennies in books. It probably costs about the same as a shirt and stuffed animal but at least it's something that will last them a long time. These machines are found over by the restrooms by the Mystery Lodge. Jackson has almost the whole collection from Disneyland and California Adventure, and now he has the whole collection from Knott's Berry Farm. The great thing about Disneyland is that the machines are spread throughout the park. At Knott's, the machines were all in this area so it was kind of a nice relaxing time but also it kind of took the fun out of finding the machines.

I'm loving the "Replays" of the Live Streams because I haven't been able to watch them live yet (something called work when you guys are doing the live stream). But holy crap...that video was hilarious of the lady on the spin machine of death. I was so surprised every time she got out of the ropes...it was quite hilarious. I remember going on one of those in some now defunct park in England on the first TPR tour and got massive wood burn. Jimmy "loving the all the Oktoberfest love in September" Bo

CarsLand looks great. I've seen the animation but actually seeing how it really looks is amazing. I really hope they'll keep the Disney California Adventure Halloween theme when we visit in a couple years during this time. Was there anything else at DCA or was it just in the front part of the park? Does DCA do a Halloween Party like Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party? The food still looks delicious. My boys had the fortunate experience last year when meeting Minnie in her costume, they were the last one's in line and when Minnie was going on her "break" she held their hands and took them near the backstage area, but then Goofy came out in his costume and they got another photo op with him. It was so awesome and my older son still talks about how he met them in their costumes. Jimmy "Oh, and Haunted Mansion is still so amazing during this time of year" Bo

I love these live streams and the replays. They are usually up when I'm having to sit by the door when putting the kids to sleep so at least I can be entertained watching it on my phone while the kiddos are going to sleep. If I have time later in the night, I usually watch the whole thing. I sometimes don't get to see them live, but I do love that there are replays. Please, for those of us that are stuck in areas on the Country where it's still freaking hotter than hell, it's nice to see Disney World and dream and wish we could be there. Jimmy "These are awesome and keep them coming!" Bo

Such an awesome event and I hope to attend it one day with the family. I do have a question...do the Cast Members place the candy in your bag or do you shove your hand in the candy and take what you want? The reason I ask is because one of our boys has a peanut and dairy allergy but loves some other candy's that aren't peanut or chocolate based (lots of Skittles and gummies). Halloween is always a hard time for him because we always have to make sure he doesn't touch some of the candy he can't have but it would be great if we could do an event like this. I was fortunate enough to watch a lot of these "Live" on Facebook when you were there opening night. Great experience! Jimmy "Bring out yer dead" Bo

The complainers and whiners should come live in Arizona for a year and then bitch about getting a Larsen Looper. Seriously...there's absolutely nothing here and when the fair does come into town...this place goes crazy. So you all should be lucky that you have a theme park that's not more than a days drive away. As for the addition, I think it's great. Not every announcement can be an RMC or B&M or Intamin or whatever but at least the park is upgrading that area of the park. Be thankful for that...even if it means more trash cans. Jimmy "So much damn negativity in this world" Bo

This is a great announcement! I really loved the kids area that was at Worlds of Fun and it sounds like this new area at Carowinds will get a lot of the similar rides. Not everyone that goes to a park is interested in Thrills and I'm glad that parks are going back to attracting families and not thrill seeking teenagers who only use their parents money to get into parks. The Pre K pass is an AMAZING idea!! Why the hell hasn't any other park done this before? I know almost every park offers kids under 3 are free, but there's still kids that are 3-5 that can't do everything and it's almost still not worth the kids price ticket. I think more parks should see how this does, and offer it. Jimmy "Every Family loves more Snoopy and Charlie Brown" Bo

This is an amazing addition to the park.This was my home park when I was growing up and I went there every year from 1989 to 1997 when I was younger. I've seen this park go through insane transition periods with rides and themed areas and I really love what direction Knott's is headed in and I think this ride offers a great experience for people on the West Coast that have no idea what the hell a Dive Coaster is. Even though the picture rendering may not be the high quality like the other announcements today, I still think it's great to see the elements this ride will offer and the great color scheme. Plus, being a former surfer when I lived in Cali, I 100% approve of this ride's theming and name. I also love that they placed a thrill seeker ride next to some other family rides so if someone from the Family wants to go on a thrilling ride, the rest of the family can enjoy some of the other not as thrilling rides. The unfortunate thing is that we will be visiting both Knott's and Sea World San Diego in a couple months and these rides won't come till next year. Oh well, just means we shall have to come back to Cali. Jimmy "This was my favorite announcement of the day...minus my son telling me that he farted in is Kindergarten class and everyone laughed" Bo

This is awesome. I really enjoyed Hurler when I went on it back in 2001 and I thought it had some decent g-forces and great airtime. It's nice to see that they are keeping some of those crazy airtime elements and throwing in some even more insane elements. I love that parks on the East Coast are doing more things for the Holiday season...that just makes it easier to travel out there because not all of us can escape during the summer time to hit up some of these parks. Jimmy "I guess I should have submitted my resume to RMC when I had the chance" Bo

I don't really care for them. I'm an old school nerd and I like the standard photo of a roller coaster. Jimmy "If you can get 2 coasters in one shot...through the trees...during the sunset...then I'll give you all my money!" Bo

^ The Beer Garden! Too many drunk people spilling their beers so it ate into the soil and it's just horrible soil to build on.

HOLY CRAP! That looks like such a fun ride! I don't really know much about the movies at all but the ride seems like a lot of fun. A lot of different elements and good use of real effects and projections. AWESOME! Jimmy "I really need to get over to Dubai" Bo

Part 3 - The Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center in Santa Rosa, CA. If you are a fan of the Peanuts Comic Strip and all the movies and books associated with them, then you will love this place. If you are a kid (or adult) looking to meet Charlie Brown and Snoopy and the rest of the Gang, then don't come here. Santa Rosa is where Charles M. Schulz lived and wrote most of his comic strips for Peanuts. This Museum was a really cool experience because it had a ton of original comic strips that he made. The size of the strips was a lot larger than I expected and the way that he mailed them to the Newspaper Company was that he folded up the strips and put them in an envelope and sent them in by mail. Then the Newspaper would send them back when they made their prints. The museum also had a recreation of his office with the actual desk and drafter's table that he used (kindly donated by his wife). This was a place I could have spent all day in by just reading the amount of Comic Strips everywhere but I had to get on my flight back home. There was also an Ice Rink, Cafe with Fire Place, and a giant Gift Shop just across the street from the Museum. Enjoy the pictures! Surprise Visit! Charles M. Schulz Museum! Charlie Brown wants you to make sure you have your tickets! Once you walk in, there's already Comic Strips on the wall. Original Strips everywhere! Down the hallway, this was on the entire wall. Can you guess what it is made of? You get closer and it's a ton of comics. So cool! This room had the more original strips. They rotate the strips they show in this room about once a month (so i was told) so you are sure to see different ones. See how big the originals are compared to what you see in the newspaper? So cool! Everyone loves Snoopy! My sons love Snoopy's cousin Spike because he's from the desert. Spike is pretty funny! An original sketch and idea before it was made into a Comic Strip. "Of all the Charlie Brown's in the world...you're the Charlie Browniest" Old school Charlie Brown and Snoopy! Alright...time to move into the next exhibit... I'm not allowed to post every picture I took in here...but it was pretty cool seeing the transformation of the comic strip that eventually became a book. Also, everyone loves the World War I Flying Ace and his battle with the infamous Red Baron. There was a section where you could write on an actual typewriter. I'm sure some kids don't even know what the hell a typewriter is these days... Some Snoopy Toys and Typewriters you could get. It was a really well done exhibit. The temporary exhibit when I was there was a tribute to "It was a dark and stormy night" I'm sure some people didn't realize that it became an actual book...but here it is... Even the former Governor of California enjoyed the book! On my way to the next exhibit I saw this thing... What?!?! You look inside the holes and there were little characters inside Pretty cute for the kiddos They had an education room upstairs. This is where you could learn to draw Peanuts characters and they had movies on all day. Great place to drop the kids off while parents could walk around the rest of the museum. Peanuts all over the World! Sparky's Studio! Here it is...a re-creation in all it's glory. They even placed the bookshelves around the area and placed the typical book he would have in them. If you haven't seen the original cartoon, I recommend it because it's pretty funny and entertaining. Time to head outside and see what's out there. Under Construction Charlie Brown in the foreground and the Kite Eating Tree in the background. Poor Charlie Brown's kite... You could even sit under a giant baseball hat and read some Comic Strips. Time to head across the street... Gotta love the old technology here... Another temporary exhibit they had was for the musical "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown" Charles Schulz was really into ice skating so they built this ice skating rink across the street from the museum. Snoopy's out front to greet you. Time to check out the ice rink. It was nice and cool in here. There was also a Cafe next to the ice rink. Here's the cafe inside. Great view to watch people fall on their butts trying to ice skate. When it gets colder, they actually still use this fireplace to warm up the cafe. Thanks Charlie Brown! Time to head over to the Giant Gift Shop. Woodstock is making sure you're following the rules. Standard merchandise store but they had a lot of unique things inside as well. This report has gone off the rails and is coming to an end... ....thanks for reading...time to sleep.

Part 2 - Animals and Family atmosphere. What some people don't realize is that Six Flags Discovery Kingdom has a great zoo portion of their park and has some great animal experiences and shows. Since the stupid movie Blackfish came out, California basically made SFDK get rid of their Killer Whales (which are actually down in Sea World San Diego according to a ride op) so they are focusing their park around "Cupid" the Dolphin. The Dolphin show is now the main attraction and "Cupid" is the star. They also have a lot of other shows throughout the day, like the Tiger Show, Sea Lion Show, Reptile Show, "Wild" animal show, etc. Since the last time I was here, they have added a lot of areas for kids and families to enjoy together. I think it's a great addition and a great set up because they have most of the thrill rides on a couple areas of the park and then the kiddie areas are scattered throughout. Me having 2 young boys and they are totally into Thomas the Train, I thought it was hilarious walking through the old "Thomas Land" and seeing what Six Flags had to do to keep that area. Below are the pictures so enjoy. Part 3 will be coming up later and it's a total surprise that no one will be expecting....unless you follow me on Facebook... We are still here at SFDK and now it's time to check out the animals and family stuff around the park. Theming The Dolphins are the main attraction here now...poor Killer Whales. Anyone remember the name of the Killer Whale? The new Dolphin Arena They do lots of tricks and the trainers interact with them a lot during the show. Is that a Jet Ski of dolphin racers? YAY CUPID! The star of the show! You can also swim with the Dolphins. Now it's time to check out the animals that eat dolphins! SHARK SHARK SHARK! It may seem like it's sleeping...but it'll bite your hand off if you get near it. This eel is hiding from the sharks...smart eel. Steve Irwin's final resting place. These guys were pretty big and they feel like slime. Jacko the Walrus....Jack - o - k - what's with the name? Walrus loving under the sea Time to feed some Seals Mine? Mine? Mine? Time for the Sea Lion Show! Themed around water. Well that's great since it's 101 out today. Fun Fact...Sea Lions are not Lions That damn otter kept stealing the wrench and bad stuff kept happening. Perfect form! Is that a Sea Lion or a Trainer? You decide. Perfect form! Is that a Sea Lion or a Trainer? You decide. Wannabe dolphin. Ridin the Sea Lion Penguins! After going to Antarctica, none of these penguin exhibits do anything for me anymore. Especially since they still stink and waddle everywhere. Bugs Bunny sighting! Where's he going? He's going to his themed kiddie area for some play time! Wouldn't Elmer try and pop balloons Pepe Le Pew's tea cup's of romance. Kiddie swings go really fast! I found where Bugs went...silly wabbit! Play area. I showed my kids these pictures and they have no idea who the hell Looney Tunes are. They would much rather watch Mickey and Donald than Bugs and Daffy. Oh well...at least there's an area for them to run around in. There's also a coaster! I got this credit last time I was here so I didn't have to be that creepy old guy riding a kiddie coaster by himself. Adios Bugs and Looney Tunes area! Wait...this used to be something else.... On the Map they literally just took the faces off of the rides at Thomas Lan...err...Seaside Junction. Everything still has the original colors from the Thomas brand. Hey look it's Thomas the Trai...err...Big Train. Big Train? No joke...the name of the train was Big Train. Totally original! Time for a ride on Thoma...er...Big Train. Hey look! It's the Red Engine and has name is James...oh wait...never mind...it's just a train. Hey look! It's Tidmouth Sheds...err...never mind...it's just a place where trains sleep at night. Hey look! It's Sir Topham Hats Office...err...never mind...it's just some place where there was a ton of Christmas lights hanging around. WTH?! Hey look! It's Bertie the Bus...err...never mind...it's just some school bus now. Hey look! It's Cranky the Crane...err...never mind...it's just some crane in the middle of the walkway. Hey look! It's Harold the helicopter...err...never mind...it's some repainted penguin helicopter. Nice Six Flags...I definitely couldn't tell this used to be a Thomas Land at all! They have mutant butterflies here too! Welcome to Butterfly. What...that's the name of this place? Butterfly? Not Butterfly Garden or Butterfly exhibit? It's just Butterfly? Well, at least there''s butterflies here. Why did I take a picture of this tree? Oh well...moving on... Aquatrax coming soon! You heard it here first ladies and gentlemen! Taking a stroll around the backside of the park you get a nice view of the lake! Time for the Tiger Show. Odin is World Famous as the first Tiger to jump into the water and for people to watch. Frozen Coke and Tiger Show time! Let's feed them milk? Sure! Why not? This show was more of showing what they do in their natural habitat and not jumping through rings and stuff. This guy climb a tree. And then they jump in the water several times after food. Food meaning trying to get the kids in the front row. Time to check out the babies. The backside of water! Tiny Ferret Faucet What's in the bag? Seriously? What is it? Take a guess on what this thing might be...you might win a prize! The old elephant exhibit is now a giant kids play area. They had some great play structures for kiddos to run around in. Here's the Food Court. I was impressed with the options. They had Pizza, Burgers, Fish and Chips, Sandwiches, Asian Food, Beer...great selection. After a giant Burger and Beer filled lunch I decided to go light on Dinner. Thanks Discovery Kingdom for a great day! Even though it was hot, there were no crowds and the employees were fantastic. Part 3 will be up shortly....

This time, I had to head up to Northern California for a wedding so I decided to make a side trip to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. Last time I visited this park was 10 years ago when they had a wooden coaster, elephants and still had Killer Whale Shows. I think the improvements to the park made since my last visit have been pretty amazing. They've added a couple kid areas for the family, re-done the Killer Whale Arena to now include the dolphins, added a kick @$$ RMC coaster that was a sleeper hit on this trip and so much more. This first part will focus more on the rides and then Part 2 will focus on the animals experiences the park has to offer and then Part 3 will be a special surprise that you'll all have to wait for... Superman Ultimate Flight - This was my first Premier Impulse coaster of this type and I was certainly lucky because I got to sit in the front row for 3 straight rides. There was no one in line when the park opened and the ride ops were great and let the people stay on the coaster. This thing was a ton of fun and really kicked it into high gear on the last launch up and over the top. Great Ride! Joker - HOLY SH*T! This was my first RMC Coaster and it was amazing! I don't think I could explain how great this thing was. I got to ride in every row because there weren't many people at the park and the back row was insane on the first drop. This thing was just an all around awesome ride and I can't wait to ride more of their rides in the future. Wonder Woman - Opened this year and it is now "Officially" the fastest ride in the park. Your typical Giant Swing that hauls butt and they really made her fit in a tight spot! V2 - Same as 10 years ago but I like this version without the vertical spike in the front. KONG - Kicked my butt...or my head...seriously painful. Medusa - This is still one of my favorite Floorless Coasters and I love the layout. That first loop is HUGE and the weird wannabe Cobra Roll Medusa Snake Head Inversion backflip awesomeness is still a great inversion! Great Park that didn't have huge crowd. Part 2 will follow shortly! Breakfast of Champions! The best view of LA...covered in SMOG! After waking up at 3am to get a 5am flight from Tucson to LA and then LA to Oakland and then rental car and then drive to the park...I arrived at 9:45am at Discovery Kingdom! I think it's going to be a light crowd today. Great view from the Parking Lot. I'm already tired but I'm here and I'm gunna make the most of it! Time to head into the Ocean of Rides down at the front of the Park. Anyone who has been here, knows that they jam pack the rides in this area. Now add Wonder Woman and it's even more crowded. Superman Ultimate Flight...but it's not a flying coaster like the other Ultimate Flights around the world... It's a bird...it's a plane...no...it's a train exploding out of the sun and flying through the course of the ride! To quote the famous Robb Alvey..."Twisty!!!!" Great ride! Down the pathway lies a Woman that is Wonderful! I think I'll just wait here until Gal Gadot shows up! This thing swings really fast...really high...and I wish they spun more. It really does tower over this section of the park.... ...And it towers under this section of the park....with a footer in the Parking Lot Area where the Tram drives. Wonder Woman is a great addition to the park. This beast kicked total @$$! My first RMC and it was amazing! I loved the theming and the creepy carnival soundtrack with the Joker laughing hysterically HA HA HA The very calm left hill and then things get crazy This first drop was insane. This was my first "What the hell is this inversion" moment of the ride. "Through the Trees" V2...Vertiacl Velocity but only one spike is vertical so it should really be called V1? Velocity through the station! This inversion is way better than a vertical spike! There was a nicely themed Penguin ride where everyone got soaked. It got 101 degrees the day I was there. Another ride to get wet on. Did I mention it got 101 degrees the day I was there. Daffy Duck! Time for lunch... Hey look...a bar! Lunch time. With Wonder Woman on the other side of the park, I have a feeling this little guy may be gone in a few years. I guess we are headed into the Sky now. Games area. The carnies...ugh...employees were really trying to get people to play. SHARK SHARK SHARK Yeah...rode this back in 2007 and I don't need to ride it again. This was not one of my favorite rides back then because it hurt like being bit by a shark. What the heck is this thing? I guess I'll check it out. There's some great theming of Monkey Destruction. Now, I'm headed into a dark building and I still have no idea what this thing is. Oh look...I'm going to be doing this all by myself. This thing hauled @$$ the entire ride. Great ride and it makes my not miss ROAR at all! It ended up being one of those motion 5d theaters but it wasn't in 3d but it still moved and had water effects so does that make it still 4d? I confused myself. Time to head down to the other section of the park with rides. Kiddie Credit! Cobra is a fun ride for the families and it's so damn LOUD! Oh look! A "coaster" according to Six Flags. KONG! Yeah...OUCH! Time to ride a hot looking lady with snakes on her head. HUGE LOOPY LOOP! Great Floorless Coaster. Anyone know the actual term for this inversion? What ever its called, it's awesome! Giant Swing ride was another addition and offered a great view of this area of the park. Anyone can have Harley Quinn $1,299 a night! Boomerang was closed when I was in this area of the park....darn! Now it's time to head back to the front of the park and rest in the hotel across the street before I continue the rest of the day. Time to Freestyle! Hey Superman...want a Coke? And here's the lake that runs along the park. Part 2 will be coming shortly!

This really was a great read and super enjoyable. I'm so glad that people can find "other" things to do that are just as entertaining as going to Amusement Parks. Your honest commentary on Adventures by Disney really makes me want to go on one of these tours. I just can't wait for the kiddos to get a little older so they could enjoy the sites and sounds of different cultures and areas too. I really enjoyed the video too. Not as good as your old-school Theme Park Expedition Videos but it was very enjoyable and it seemed to capture some of the best moments of your trip. Thanks for sharing! Jimmy "No sea-sickness on River Cruises is a win in my book!" Bo

It was only $5 at WOF for the upcharge...I pretty much had that in quarters from the Casino. I don't know what the other places around the Country are charging for these things but I don't think I would pay anymore than the $5 because a lot of the animatronics were worn out and some didn't work. It was still a nice walkthrough. Jimmy "Plus, I got to see a dinosaur butt" Bo