Canobie Coaster

I agree something like that would be great as a thrill-seeker, but most of the crowds I saw at Deno's this past weekend were kids and families. The Vekoma suspended thrill coaster is a great fit since it appeals to all ages and has a very low height limit.

^ For a long time the front was considered the best row and I defended the ride, but even the front was an uncomfortable experience in 2019. It's a shame they replaced the old trains since the ride was a lot of fun with them.

I've always enjoyed Thunderbolt at Luna Park even though that ride gets a lot of hate. The restraints are tight and there is some shaking, but I love the hangtime and airtime the ride delivers.

Great report! I hope Universal continues to go down this route on future dark rides with some more animatronics.

And those who have messaged the park have gotten confirmation (not that the map didn't already do so) that Goliath will not operate for 2021 and the ride's future is undetermined. I wouldn't be surprised if it's removed considering all its downtime. It's a maintenance nightmare and that ride hates the New England weather.

I ended up stopping by Coney Island this past weekend. The park is now offering a Thrill Wristband. They say it's good for 2 hours, but it was actually good a little over that (the remaining time shows when you scan on your first ride). It's good for everything in the Scream Zone plus the Thunderbolt and Cyclone. The park severely limited attendance, so I thought it was a great deal. Sling Shot appeared to be the longest line (roughly 8 groups waiting), but I stuck with the coasters. Cyclone was a walk-on. The only issue there was that they would not allow you to sit in the back car unless the front two were filled. This was a policy I first encountered in 2019 and it seems like it's sticking around for now. Thunderbolt was the longest coaster line at 10-15 minutes. I also stopped by Deno's and noticed Phoenix construction is moving along quite quickly. I'm looking forward to seeing this ride open later this year and finally give that park an adult coaster. And for the credit whores out there, Deno's and Luna Park have each opened their new kiddie coasters for 2021. They're among the smallest kiddie coasters in the world, but adults are more than welcome if they're willing to pay.

I'm hoping they reoffer the thrill wristband later this year. I contemplated heading down this weekend until I saw the $35 wristband doesn't include anything in the Scream Zone or the Cyclone.

The park is not open this Friday, so the preview plan doesn't appear to be an option in this case. Since they are not doing early entry in April, I would ride Candymonium right away only if you're at the front of the line in the morning. This is the most sensitive ride at the park to close due to winds, but it doesn't look windy on Saturday so you'd probably be fine anyways. That line dies in the middle of the day. Since this is your first visit, I would recommend hitting Skyrush early just in case it pulls an Intamin and goes down for whatever reason. If you want the front row, this may be your best chance since the front row queue starts ridiculously early so it often backs up. I much prefer the back anyway. From there, your priority should be to get back to Fahrenheit and LaffTrakk as soon as possible. It's possible to hit Great Bear or Comet on the way if they haven't built up lines yet. Those two coasters will likely have the worst lines for the remainder of the day. If you haven't gotten on Comet yet, I would hit that in the final hour when the line is its shortest. And then if you plan to do the dark ride, jump into the queue right before close. It has a painstakingly slow moving line and I hate burning time in the middle of the day for it. The park should be doable without Fast Track this early in the season, but you can always buy it if needed. My issue with their Fast Track is that the merge point is pretty far back on quite a few rides.

I agree the section above the quarry wall is slow, but I don't mind since it keeps throwing great elements with strong airtime or lateral hangtime.

Tom Foolerys Adventure Park (Texas) Late in November, the new Kalahari in Round Rock, Texas opened and it included an indoor amusement park in Tom Foolerys Adventure Park. This is the second Kalahari to include a Tom Foolerys. Unlike the water park that is included with a hotel stay, Tom Foolerys is not. Tom Foolerys is free to enter and you can either pay-per-ride or buy an unlimited wristband. The park has an electric feel on the inside between the cycling rides and loud, flashy arcade games. If you're an arcade fan, know most of the games are the modern ones you'll find at Dave and Buster's. But unlike Dave and Buster's, the rides and attractions are what makes this indoor FEC stand out. The most intriguing ride here is the Screamin' Centipede, one of the first SBF Big Air Coasters. The trains on these coasters feature both their common spinning cars and a rare hamster wheel. This allows the ride to cater to both thrill seekers and families. However, I think there is an issue combining these two rides together. A hamster wheel works best traveling in a straight line with elevation changes. Look at what S&S has done with their free spins. Meanwhile, spinners work best with a twisted layout. I actually think this is my favorite SBF Visa spinner. The twisted first drop starts the spinning and the bunny hill gives a faint bit of airtime in the back row while you're still spinning. As for the hamster wheel, I got 1.5 flips each lap. There appeared to be actuators on the bunny hill that forced a flip. This first flip was fast and powerful. On the subsequent turn, you then stall upside down. The problem here is that this turn is unbanked so while you're suspended upside-down, you have some headbanging. Thankfully the restraints are extremely cushiony (softest restraint padding I've ever seen) so it doesn't cause pain, but it is nauseating getting jostled like that while upside down. I also wish the flipping was more randomized, but it seemed very controlled and consistent ride-to-ride. Ultimately, I think the concept is neat on paper, but I'd love to see an evolved layout that can unlock the potential of the hamster wheel more. 4 out of 10 The other coaster is an embarrassing one for coaster enthusiasts. Star Force Orbiter is among the smallest coasters out there. It wasn't rough, but it was a bore with more laps than I could count. 1 out of 10 The other notable ride is Red, White, and Woo, one of the few Zamperla Nebulaz out there. This ride was having a lot of mechanical issues the day I visited, so it ran a 60 second cycle. The movement and near-misses are cool, but I wish it was able to give the full cycle as designed. 6 out of 10 Beyond the rides and games, the park has some other FEC staples like a ropes course and a rock wall. I wanted to try the latter, but unfortunately it closed with no advanced warning in the middle of the day. I completely understand the need for rotating ride operators on an off-peak day, but I wish they provided a schedule when certain attractions would go down so I could plan ahead when the rides kept closing for 45-60 minutes at a time. Tom Foolerys is a decent indoor FEC that I'd recommend visiting if you're traveling between Dallas and San Antonio. Screamin' Centipede is unique enough that it alone warrants a visit. I visited during the covid-19 pandemic, so I wanted to touch on the precautions they were taking. The park was very quiet since I visited just after they opened for the day, but the employees were strict about forcing guests to keep their masks on. Last but not least, I want to know how Tom Foolerys ended up with this kiddie ride. They have a roundabout that is very clearly Blue from Blues Clues. But they painted him in different colors with stars all over him.

Sports stadiums were able to get out of Phase 4 Step 2, so there's hope, especially considering how amusement parks have done in other states. I know Six Flags New England is trying, but the state won't budge.

If amusement parks continue to be lumped with nightclubs in the state's reopening plan, I don't expect them to be allowed to open for a while unfortunately.

I barely got on Harley Quinn in my 2018 trip. It reopened at the very end of the night after being down when I got to the park. It was closed in my 2020 visit.

This. Is Buch Gardens hitting their attendance cap? If so, there's no incentive to open the ride right now if their attendance is already maxed out. It stinks for people planning trips and it's a tease knowing they probably are ready to open, but it's in the park's best interests to ensure they get a proper ROI on their new attraction. In the long run, it's better for us too since it'll help fund future additions. I have to admit I am a bit skeptical of the "Anticipated 2021" wording. I get not opening the ride in spring, but the fact they used anticipated instead of just saying 2021 makes me question how long they want to hold off.

Harley Quinn Crazy Coaster has been removed from the rides page on Discovery Kingdom's website. While it is possible this could be an error, the timing is suspicious since we know Six Flags is removing 15 rides and a similar thing has happened to other rides in the chain that are confirmed removals at this point. Considering how much downtime this ride has and the awful reception it has, I wouldn't be surprised to see it go. I honestly prefer when it's closed since the ride is deafeningly loud and awful. If Six Flags is willing to cut bait with a new ride this quickly, Cyborg at Great Adventure better take notice.

ZDT's Amusement Park November 28 saw a major storm system come through Texas. I gambled I would have the best luck in San Antonio since there were multiple parts there. Fiesta Texas closed after just 2 hours. SeaWorld San Antonio closed 5 hours early and never opened any rides. When all hope seemed lost, I called ZDT's and asked if Switchback was open. I expected it to be closed, but the staff enthusiastically confirmed the ride was open as long as I was willing to get wet. So I drove an hour east and was greeted with a near empty parking lot. ZDT's was a ghost town. I give the place major credit for honoring their hours and staying open. Every single ride was open except the water slides due to it being winter and the silo climb due to the rain. Switchback is the reason ZDT's is on the map for most enthusiasts. It's extremely impressive Gravity Group found a way to cram this coaster into this tiny park. Not only is the park limited in terms of acreage, but they want to honor the site's former history so badly that they will not demolish old structures. As a result, Gravity Group made Switchback a shuttle coaster out of necessity with some super tight turns. And the ride even blasts through a former grocery store twice. Switchback is still running smooth and it's a unique ride. The first drop gives great airtime in the back and the following bunny hills alternate between sustained floater and aggressive ejector pops. The spike offers some great weightlessness. And then the return run is weak on the airtime, but the visuals of performing those tight maneuvers in reverse is quite the sight. 8 out of 10 I also took a spin on the Dizzy Toucan frisbee above. This looks like a children's ride, but it's an aggressive little attraction. It just keeps popping you out of your seat and it's better than frisbees 3-4 times its size. 7 out of 10 I didn't spend too much time indoors, but it is cool how the wristband includes unlimited arcade games. That is something you don't usually see. The one indoor attraction I did was the MaxFlight simulator that allows riders to design their own virtual roller coaster and ride it. This brought back memories of Cyber Space Mountain at DisneyQuest. The key is to add as many inversions as possible. 6 out of 10 ZDT's is well deserving of a pit stop on any trip to the San Antonio area. The park may be small, but it dabbles in a lot of different areas and it has some of the nicest staff around. And as I saw, don't be afraid to go on a day with rain.

Honestly I'd love to see more parks do this if showmen don't have fairs to go to.

If they continue to skip multiple rows between guests, Dorney could have 1/3 of those waits on a Tuesday.

At least with the months of testing (and the fact this ride has a more conventional block system), I have to think this ride will be more reliable than Hagrid's. I was planning on being down in Florida for my anniversary the following week, so while it won't be opening day, I imagine it'll still be pulling crowds for the opening rush.

I don't believe the park is using the virtual queue this year. For that reason, it's definitely possible to do both in one day. I would recommend going on the water coasters at Splashin' Safari immediately after the water park opens. If you knock those out early, you will avoid the longest waits. In my experience, the water coasters always have longer lines than the roller coasters. In most years, the coaster lines max out around 15-30 minutes.

This was a problem before the pandemic for myself and others. I was asked for my ID a few times by security guards for being at Nickelodeon Universe alone. This has not been an issue inside the park since it reopened from the covid shutdown.

Awesome! I'm interested to hear if this will open with a conventional queue or a virtual queue like Hagrid's has been using. I'm thinking they may use the latter. I'd want to make sure I can actually ride this a few times in a day before booking a trip.

I'd go more if they had a season pass since it's an ideal pit stop on the way down to Great Adventure or Hershey. In my most recent visit, all of the coasters were operational and I don't think they had any downtime. My visit inside Nickelodeon Universe went smoothly. And security never bothered me at all for being there at the park alone. Security did come up to me in my car and question why I was eating my meal from the food court there though (lack of seating in a busy food court wasn't an appealing place for me to eat), but that's an entirely different issue.

I wonder if CraZanity is closed due to concerns about guests keeping their masks on. The one ride type that has routinely been difficult to keep my mask on has been these giant frisbees because of how the wind hits your face at a variety of angles. The mask has never come close to blowing away, but it will always slide down to my chin on this type of ride unless I actively hold it up during the ride. Wasn't there a statement in the California reopening guidelines that some rides may have to shut down if they would be hard to keep masks on for?

SeaWorld San Antonio I was in San Antonio for 4 days and the original plan was to only spend one of those days at SeaWorld San Antonio. However, I needed 3 separate days to actually ride all three of the roller coasters. My first visit had torrential downpours all day. Fiesta Texas closed after just 2 hours of operation and when I arrived at SeaWorld, I was told the park would not operate any rides in the rain. So that gave me the opportunity to really soak in the animal exhibits. The weirdest part about SeaWorld San Antonio is that Discovery Point isn't actually in the theme park. It's a free admission area to the left after you get through the main entry plaza. I returned the following day and 3 of the 5 major roller coasters were operating. I knew Journey to Atlantis was down due to it being December, but Steel Eel was unexpectedly down due to mechanical issues. That allowed me to focus most of my attention on Texas Stingray. I admittedly rode this in some of the least ideal conditions for a wood coaster (half loaded trains, cold temperatures), but the trains held their speed very well throughout the course. I loved the first drop in the back. It's rare to get a straight drop on a GCI and it delivered some nice sustained airtime. The first half had a mix of floater airtime and stronger pops. The second half's airtime wasn't as consistent, but it was still fun. And the ride is impeccably smooth considering it just opened. 8 out of 10 One tip with Texas Stingray is to avoid riding after one of the orca shows concludes. The ride is adjacent to the stadium and the end of the show caused the line to quintuple in length. Combine that with the fact that SeaWorld was running just one train on most coasters and skipping rows between each party, lines crawled if you didn't time them well. Texas Stingray did get the second train added and it became a walk-on by nightfall. I got several rides before it closed due to low temperatures. Wave Breaker had the longest line in the park since it was running just one train, but it's a fun ride. The ride doesn't have any airtime or laterals, but the launches have more zip to them than you'd expect, a few of the turns pull some good Gs, and I love the ride's placement over the water. 6 out of 10 Great White is a solid Batman the Ride clone. I think I've ridden almost all of these Batman clones by this point, but I always look forward to riding these inverts. They're consistently smooth and forceful. Great White was no different. 8 out of 10 I returned the following weekend for Steel Eel. And I was not disappointed. Steel Eel is still my favorite coaster in the park. The sustained floater airtime on the drops is fantastic. You do hit the unpadded seats rather hard after each airtime moment, but I was willing to take the pain for that level of airtime. 8 out of 10 I was also visiting during the park's Christmas event so beyond the coasters and animals, the park had some beautiful light displays scattered across the park. Of the 3 SeaWorld parks, I think the San Antonio one is my least favorite. The operations tend to be the spottiest and the park feels a bit hollow at points from all the empty space. However, the park is actively working on the latter with their new additions that are filling in the dead spots in the park. And this park has plenty of room to grow. The only thing limiting it is how much SeaWorld wants to invest. Of the 2 San Antonio area parks, I far prefer Fiesta Texas, but I'll always make sure to pop into SeaWorld for at least a quick lap on all the coasters.