AmyUD06

So on a positive note, I'm planning a week-long, first-time trip to Tampa/Orlando for my birthday in February. I'm definitely planning on hitting Busch Gardens and Sea World (as I'll have the SEAS pass), as well as both Fun Spots, but I'm a bit torn about including Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. A two-park, one-day ticket would be $180-185, which I'm having a very difficult time justifying for effectively 5 major roller coasters (Mummy, Hulk, Rip Ride & Rocket, Hagrid's, and VelociCoaster if it's open). I couldn't give two cents about Harry Potter stuff so I don't anticipate enjoying Gringott's, and screen-based attractions are not my thing, nor does fancy theming in a park do anything for me. So I've got a few questions for the Universal Experts that can hopefully help me out in planning: 1. Are those 5 coasters alone worth the $180-185 admission? 2. Would it be possible to do those 5 coasters at both parks in one day on a Friday in February without an Express Pass? I'm really leaning towards skipping these parks. Note that if I opt out of Universal, I'd likely cut my entire trip by a day and save another night of hotel and car rental, so that should be factored in to the total cost as well. Please take a look at my favorites in my signature to get an idea of what I do like in coasters, and I'm a bigger fan of Kings Dominion than Busch Gardens Williamsburg. I'd be a 38 year old single person traveling alone. The full days in FL will be the 17th through the 19th (fixed, cannot change), with my current plan as Wednesday the 17th for BGT, Thursday the 18th for SWO and Fun Spots, potential Friday the 19th for the Universals (flexible on which parks on which day). Any advice on the matter is greatly appreciated. Thanks,

Agreed, this is spectacular news. More Schwarzkopf greatness in the US is always appreciated.

EDIT: I was dumb and didn't realize that this is during the week when the regular park is closed.

And based on your location, you're in the same "everything is over-priced" area as the others not complaining about the price. Two burgers from Hardee's (our version of Carl's Jr) would be $10-12 based on options around here. Again, I see that the pricing is "par for the course" for Southern California, but those of us in the rest of the country are more than in our right to scoff at the price. Looking around my area, I see a holiday lights drive through in Lancaster PA for $20 a car up to 8 people. That same trip through SFMM's would be $160. The most expensive one I could find in the Philadelphia region is $25, again per vehicle up to 8 people. At the end of the day, I highly doubt that anyone from not-in-the-region will be making a trip for the sole purpose of this event, so I guess it is priced just right and is a moot point.

Yes, $20 a person is too much for a drive-through holiday lights show, regardless of how similarly or more stupid expensive other options in the region are. The rest of country is not Southern California.

The event has been live for like not even 5 hours. Eeesh give people some time.

LOL. Don't let that affect your travel plans. It's unenforceable. If you're legitimately scared of the virus with a .0007% kill rate, by all means stay home, but don't let silly edicts with no consequences that defy logic determine your behavior.

You'd think so, but nope, you can still get parts...HUSS will even sell you a complete new one if you wanted.

The businessman in me agrees, but the coaster nerd in me would much rather preserve one of two Intamin bobsleds remaining in the world.

The reservation system for pass holders for KD's winter event is live, but it's not linked anywhere on the main page. If you go into the ticket-buying part of the site, it will appear at the top left.

Hopefully Northam's new COVID restrictions don't put an end to this (or a premature end to KD's event).

You and the wife will be instructed to wear masks your entire time there. The little one should be exempt.

Um...you know KD already has a giga, right? And yeah, I'd trade operating seasons this year between KD and KI in a heartbeat. KI got four months; KD got 3 weekends.

It was in fact open during last year's Winterfest, but not the year before that. Either way, glad the park is able to open at all in 2020. I'll be trying to make a trip down on the 12th.

Agreed, but if you've not been there this year, it is nowhere near the normal environment. Even if MD is lacking in its COVID rules, they still managed to sop the fun out of that place.

Keep the dream alive, kid.

Cue 100 pages of wild speculation about this conversion only for them to only replace 20 feet of track because Darien Lake.

My Miata with its intended wheels, before they were stolen.

And here's some pictures from the last operating day of the year, including some not-frequently-seen shots of Diamondback and Mystic taken from the train ride.

My money, in all seriousness, is on Tiki Twirl. CF already has a logo drawn up and everything.

If it makes you feel better, the B&Ms at Kings Island closed mid-day due to temperature and didn't reopen. Beast was posting a 3 hour wait on the app.

Back from Day 2 at KI to round out the season. Two more rides on Beast (including the mandatory front-row night ride) and Mystic, and one more ride on Orion, the Bat, Diamondback, Banshee, Woodstock Express, the train, and Boo Blasters. Fun Fact: I left the park around 1 and came back around 4:45, and all of the B&Ms were closed for the day due to temperature, which was at 39 degrees when I came back. Amusingly enough the Beast was posting a 3 hour wait on the app at 5:00. Asked the ride op at Great Pumpkin if a kid-less adult could get a ride at the very end of the night, but no dice. Oh well. Total ride counts for the weekend: Beast: 4 (all front) Mystic: 4 (2 front, 1 row 8, 1 back) Banshee: 3 (2 back, 1 front) Orion: 3 (2 front, 1 back) Diamondback: 2 (1 front, 1 back) Bat: 2 (1 row 3, 1 back) Racer Red: 1 (row 5) Racer Blue: 1 (row 11) Adventure Express: 1 (front) Flight of Fear: 1 (front) Woodstock Express: 1 (back) Windseeker: 1 Drop Tower: 1 Troika: 1 Train: 1 Boo Blasters: 1 Tom + Chee: 4 I could've definitely gotten more rides in, but was taking it easy to close out the year. See you in 2021, KI.

Just spent the first day of two at KI. Surprisingly not crazy busy. I guess the temps had something to do with it (didn't break 55) and will hopefully help tomorrow too (not expected to get much above 40 all day tomorrow). That said, Fast Lane definitely made the experience more bearable - waits between walk on to 15 minutes for all rides, while major coasters were posting 45-60 minute waits on the app. Got two rides each on Beast (would've been 3 if not for a breakdown), Mystic, Banshee, and Orion, and one ride each on Bat, each side of Racer, Adventure Express, Diamondback, Flight of Fear, Windseeker, Drop Tower, and their Troika, with plenty of down time to eat, shop, and take smoke breaks. Swung by Target after the park to pick up some thermals for the cold, cold day tomorrow. More to come.

LOL seriously? That list means nothing...even NJ's COVID numbers qualify it for its own "travel advisory" list now. There are no teeth behind it, either. Delaware's presence on that list didn't stop me, or any of the other attendees with license plates from "banned states" I saw in the lot, last weekend. I'm all for compliance with reasonable measures regarding COVID, but the notion that just because you're from state X means your a danger is elitist idiocy at its finest, especially now that NJ and NY meet that threshold but residents are are still "allowed" to travel between each other.

I was under the impression that Superloops were somewhat problematic, thus the short lived stint of SFGAdv's.