larrygator

It's a good deal for a non-local who doesn't want to spend hours searching for a cheap ticket months from now. I picked one up for $29.99 during the Labor Day Flash Sale. I'm closing in on the 55+ ticket deals.

Casino Pier announced a kiddie flume (Mermaid Parade) last Friday and will announce another new ride each of the next two Fridays.

I'll probably be light on the US this year since, I'm returning to Europe this summer focusing on Scandinavia and Poland. Not sure of all the European Parks, possibly. Walibi World, Efteling, Toverland, Energylandia, Legalandia, Liseberg, Kolmarden, Grona Lund, Phantasialand, Tivoli Gardens, Wonder Island, Linnimaki US Parks are likely to be Northeast based: SFGAdv, SFNE, Kennywood, Knoebels, possibly some small New England parks. Last minute sales will impact my decisions this year as I did not renew with Busch or Cedar Fair.

Latest info on the project. Casino - Ground will be broken May, 2019 with an 2022 opening date Amusement Park - earliest possible opening date is 2025 https://www.casino.org/news/mohegan-sun-plans-south-korea-casino-groundbreaking-for-may Mohegan Sun to Break Ground on South Korea Casino, Announces Paramount Pictures Theme Park December 07, 2018 By Devin O'Connor Mohegan Sun plans to break ground on its $5 billion integrated casino resort in South Korea in May. Known as Inspire, the property is located adjacent to the Incheon International Airport, and will be equipped with its own air terminal. Mohegan Sun casino Incheon South Korea The gaming unit of the Mohegan Tribe in Connecticut, the company announced this week that the first phase of Inspire will cost $1.6 billion and feature a foreigner-only casino with 150 table games and 700 slot machines. The complex will offer 1,250 five-star hotel rooms, 15,000-seat arena, spa, numerous restaurants and retail shops, and 204,000 square feet of convention space. Mohegan Sun additionally revealed that it has reached a deal with Paramount Pictures to build a theme park based on the Hollywood studio’s movies. Casino resorts in Asia have recently begun incorporating theme parks into their properties in an effort to attract families. In South Korea, Jeju Shinhwa World has not only a casino, but also an amusement park that’s built around brands and characters developed by well-known Korean 3D animation company TUBAn. In Singapore, Resorts World Sentosa has a Universal Studios theme park. Inspired Incheon Mohegan Sun originally planned to have the first phase of Inspire opened in 2021. Now, the casino operator says it will need another year before taking its first guests. As for the Paramount theme park, that won’t open until 2025. But Mohegan Tribal Chairman Kevin Brown said the theme park shows the company’s commitment to further developing the “integrated entertainment resort concept.” Incheon International, which sits on Yeongjongdo Island, is set to become South Korea’s version of the Las Vegas Strip. Along with Inspire, Chinese real estate developer LongRunn International is building a more than $4 billion complex called Diamond City. The planned development is much more than a casino resort, however, as the proposal includes schools, hospitals, residences, and “K-pop theme parks.” It would also be accompanied by a “seven-star hotel.” Caesars is additionally mulling an integrated resort in Incheon, as is Philippines casino developer Bloomberry. Both companies have purchased land near the airport. Earnings Diminishing While Mohegan celebrated the May 2019 groundbreaking and the Paramount Pictures deal, not all was positive during the company’s fourth quarter fiscal 2018 call on Thursday. The tribal company reported that net revenues totaled $347.2 million, a nearly $15 million reduction from the prior year. Gaming revenue was down more than five percent to $291.1 million. Consistent with the company’s updated guidance, consolidated fourth quarter revenue and Adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) were below prior year results, in part due to the impact of a recent competitive opening in the northeast gaming market,” a Mohegan Sun statement read. MGM Springfield, the $960 million property located just five miles from the Massachusetts-Connecticut border, is presumed to be poaching gaming dollars out of Connecticut. The Mohegan’s namesake casino is located in the southeastern part of the state, as is Foxwoods, the other tribal gaming resort in Connecticut.

Just curious about the side trip to Switzerland. looks like a specific stop but I don't recognize the town name for any historical significance, as it seems to add hours to your route. I don't see beer as the reason for this side trip.

But Dan Koch has been very transparent with their growth strategy and it is waterpark and family friendly focused. If you're hoping for a giant B&M Hyper in the short near future you're gonna be very disappointed. Some people just like to speculate even when it is an utter waste of time. I trust the word of the guy running the park, it is nice to see him jump in this thread every once in a while to provide updates.

^Like he said, Darien just got Tantrum Darien Lake will get a Larson Super Loop or something from Skyline Attractions before they get another real coaster. You got at least 4 years, before the S&S Freespin (or whatever the popular midsize model is in vogue with SF in 4-5 years) If you want to guess the next flat ride, start by looking at what is going into other SF parks. They are going to continue to negotiate in bulk for flat rides to drive savings.

It is interesting that no mention is made of the previously announced 2019 family coaster.

Bert, Thanks for the HITP photos! Your stomach is stomach. $0.99 tacos FTW.

Parks Discussion Threads: Alton Towers Discussion Thread Blackpool Pleasure Beach (BPB) Discussion Thread Disneyland Paris Resort Discussion Thread Djurs Sommerland Discussion Thread Eftleing Discussion Thread Europa Park Discussion Thread Farup Sommerland Discussion Thread Gardaland Discussion Thread Gröna Lund Discussion Thread Hansa Park Discussion Thread Heide Park Discussion Thread Holiday Park Discussion Thread Kolmarden Discussion Thread Linnanmäki Discussion Thread Liseberg Discussion Thread Mirabilandia Discussion Thread Movie Park Germany Discussion Thread Parc Asterix Discussion Thread Phantasialand Discussion Thread PortAventura Discussion Thread Thorpe Park Discussion Thread Tivoli Gardens Discussion Thread Toverland Discussion Thread Walibi Belgium Discussion Thread Walibi Holland Discussion Thread Here is a good starting point regarding the top parks in Europe along with the latest big player Energylandia. However, everyone had their own preferences and if you are not willing to sample everything and get out of your comfort zone the best recommendations will not allow you to enjoy your day. I always liked intense flat rides but it wasn't until I traveled to Europe that I also fell in love with old school dark rides and Mad Houses. On the above list there is only one Spanish park with a Discussion thread but one of my favorite trips was to Spain. The parks were all quirky and had the best water rides. I never rode a reversing log flume before and every park in Spain had one. I enjoyed exploring Madrid and Barcelona and sampling the food. As far as new coasters for 2020-2021, most parks don't release info that far out, although Park Asterix and one of the Walibi Parks did recently at IAAPA.

One last thing. The image of the woman balancing on the ball that appeared on Sanatoga Park's Hilarity Hall Park will be recreated on the left side of the facade. Not surprisingly, the politically incorrect image of the man's face above the entrance will not be returning. Hillarity Hall facade at Sanatoga Park

And that's why Sammy Baurkot named Chuck Burnham as the Director of Operations for Bushkill Park. While some people will view this as Chuck saving Bushkill Park, he looks at the situation and says Bushkill is saving him. When he is not continuing the legacy of dark ride heroes who proceeded him (such as: Bill Tracy, Peter Rasulo) he is not really living.

I drove out to Easton today to catch up on the latest news. The best recent news is the fun house structure expert (Cesar) is back on the worksite. Cesar started much of the work that Chuck took over upon arrival months ago. Chuck is leaving the remaining structural work in "King Cesar's" capable hands, allowing Chuck to get back to the facade and stunts. What might not be apparent from the pictures is that the facade in made up vertically oriented boards. Over the years, many boards splintered. broke or shifted leaving plenty of gaps that were not visible under the many layers of paints. Many hours went into custom cutting pieces and sliding them into place. The turrets have been built and re-installed. You may be able to see the vertical orientation of the boards in the facade that I mentioned earlier. As I walked around the Fun House, I saw some of the wall studs previously sitting on jacks were now shored up. Fresh cement was in the front of the left side of the fun house serving a as sill. Cement still needs to be poured around the back of the building. Here you can see fresh cement serving as a sill in the front left side of the building. Additional cement needs to poured around the back of the building. Chuck revealed a few more details on this visit. The small build out in the front right hand side of the building has been removed so the front will have a flat facade across the front. However, he will build an awning over the entrance/exit/ ticket booth on the first level. A second overhang will bill placed above the exposed roller floor walkway window on the second floor. While I was on site today a scissor jack arrived which will allow Chuck to start attaching heavy stuff to the Fun House such as this Victorian Awning that will be placed above the upper level walkway. Chuck also explained that not only will the first floor have sliding floors, but there will also be a tilt room before the barrel. He expects to have a very steep floor since they have already dug down three feet below the old floor. He also mentioned that animatronic monkeys and clowns will appear to be turning cranks to the spin the barrel. Here I made the "mortal sin" of asking if those will be off the shelf versions (like we see in holiday displays), I made Chuck upset for the first time ever with this questioning, as I should know by know everything the Dark Ride Artist does is custom made (if not from a original pre-1950 manufacturer). Another thing I have learned about Chuck over the years is his love of clowns and puppets. Chuck's custom clown cutouts will appear near the Fun House entrance. On the floor of the bumper cars arena I saw wooden cutouts that I recognized right away as Chuck's popular clowns. He was gracious enough to turn them over and stand them up allowing me to capture these images. The other personal touch will be puppets in puppet boxes. That's the next artistic portion that Chuck is planning on undertaking, and this should happen quickly with Cesar back on site and the continued assistance of John Cory. The building to the right of the Fun House that used to be a food stand still stores some ride parts. This is being turned into The Toy Store, Chuck's personal workshop to create toys for the dark rides and walk throughs. This area is right next to the workbench. Chuck plans to have educational sessions for kids. The ventilation from the old cooking area will be used to help ventilate the workspace. I did not even realize that right behind the Fun House is a stage. With wooden bench seating that will need to be repaired. I'm planning another visit over the Christmas break, but may be there sooner as Chuck may be receiving a special shipment. The special shipment involves Chuck's next project after the Fun House. A dark ride. The Pretzel was lifted off it's foundation during the 2005 flood and was last seen floating down Bushkill Creek in pieces.

Wear some Big Boy pants (literally) next time and ride the glorious Georgia Scorcher!!!!!!!!

It looks like another hurdle has been cleared, as governmental approval has been granted. The next year or so will show if this is really going to happen or not. There is not much new info on attractions in the article https://www.riviera-maya-news.com/amikoo-theme-park-for-riviera-maya-officially-approved-for-construction/2018.html Amikoo Theme Park for Riviera Maya officially approved for construction By Riviera Maya News on November 22, 2018 Riviera Maya, Q.R. — Amikoo Park, which is the Maya cosmology themed park announced to replace the DreamWorks project for Riviera Maya, has officially been approved for construction. The park, which has been granted all the necessary permits, can now move forward with its first construction phase. In September of 2017, the Maya-themed park was announced by Mexico’s president Enrique Peña Nieto and businessman Carlos Peralta. They presented Amikoo Amusement Park and Resort project explaining that the park is to be constructed by 100 percent Mexican funding in the order of $840 USD from Grupo IUSA. In a statement, it is explained that the park will be constructed in two phases, the first being an area of 120 hectares which will include a 320-room hotel with a Maya archaeological and anthropology museum, as well as commercial and gastronomic areas. Amikoo Park contemplates the start-up of operations toward the end of 2019 with the first phase scheduled for the end of 2019 and the second phase between 2020 and 2021, which, when complete, will include four grand Mayan worlds with more than 40 attractions, shows and restaurants. The Amikoo park was originally set to be a Dreamworks theme park, however, local authorities and investors changed the theme to remain competitive with Peña Nieto saying it’s important to remain high in competition when it comes to tourism, therefore, the atmosphere and characters of the DreamWorks Studios was transformed into a “themed destination, amusement park and resort” completely dedicated to Maya cosmogony. The new park is estimated to attract approximately 4.5 million visitors annually. Amikoo is Mayan for friend. The new park will generate more than 9,000 jobs for the region.

I thoughts the parcels of land mentioned in the article were already controlled by Cedar Point, except for the alleyway mentioned.

I saw the Halloween show this year and can't remember it. But none of these performers or acts seemed familiar.

It was in the low 40's and not windy. To be honest I didn't even check out any times for the coasters as I was rushing around taking pictures. The park was not that crowded and coasterbill can probably give accurate coaster wait times. SkyScreamer was a one cycle wait. Justice League was about 20-25 minutes the two times I went through the queue. Joker was about a 15 minute wait when I passed by it around 4:30PM. SkyWay line started to built as it got darker. Around 6PM it was 20 minutes.

rcdb is now showing a Surfrider model along with an LSM, both from Intamin. Whether or not you consider the Surfrider a coaster or not, even two more big rides at this point are surprising.

It feels like SFGAdv is finally where they want to be with Holiday in the Park. Not only is Holiday Feast (in the former location of Panda Express) offering a complete holiday menu, but there are more holiday food offerings at multiple locations. The games area has holiday themed prizes and there are a few temporary holiday themed games. There are more fire pits/smores areas. There are more lights, large decorations and photo ops. From a ride standpoint, the Parachute Jump and Cyborg are the only new rides open this year, but they also have an upcharge mirror maze. They re-themed the Fright Fest Mirror Maze to Christmas and it was splendid fun. The two shows are an upgrade over the previous ones. I hit up the first showing of Wonder since I expected lines later in the day. I was well done. 4 short acts: juggling, magician, contortionists and trampoline work, separated with singing and dancing. Wonder Woman is coming along nicely The price of smores kits. You have to do the hard work. Lots of fire pits, I still can't believe we haven't had a lawsuit yet. Santa won't arrive few another hour, but a line is starting to form. A larger pit area for making smores near the Sky Bar. Harder for a drunk to accidentally fall into this. Free food for the media to sample Again, this is the first time SFGAdv has expanded beyond deserts/drinks for the holidays. Here are the prices All the platters are part of the meal plan, some with small upcharges of $1 to $3 Same size turkey legs sold all year round Specialty sides that's the whole menu Stuffing, turkey and corn were very good. Mac and Cheese looked better than it tasted, not bad, just not cheesy tasting. Then a server came by and put a Christmas Beignet on my table. It was phenomenal, I don't know if they are selling these elsewhere in the park, but they should. Dessert table A made myself a plate of cookies. They were are very good, but I fought the urge to get another plate. The Metro Grill is showing a new holiday menu. The Elf Who Saved Christmas is the second live show. It is basically Mean Girls with elves. Here are the rude people who can't park their strollers in the correct place. This is Doug, he is the elf tortured by the Mean Girl Elves. If you look closely you see a red button behind Doug. Here is a close-up of the button. Doug basically pulls a Chuck Campbell by pushing the button and quicker than you can stop a bullet train Doug stops Christmas. It all ended well so I went to the Holiday Craze Mirror Maze, they re-purposed the FrightFest attraction very well. In the middle of the maze is a Christmas Dance party, I could have sworn the DJ was Doug the elf. Santa's home was now open and lights were on throughout the park. Peppermint Swirls nears Houdini's The Carousel light package is great TeaCups get their normal holiday makeover It's hard the decorate pine trees this large But they have all types of colored lights This is the ad hoc food and drink and fire pit area Beer on Tap and more snacks The games area looks great Holiday themed prizes Enter through the snowman to see more giant decorations and two mediocre coasters. Walk through ornament Tower o gifts Parachute Drop operating in the moon light Reindeer Barn with animatronic reindeer, which smell much better than real ones They should just dedicate this tranquil walkway to all these that will not be home for the holidays. Thanks for reading and to all a good night.

I'm at the park covering the opening weekend of Holiday in the Park for TPR. I will provide a full report tonight.

^It all ties back to NFL broadcast rights fees which includes internet distributed video. It will be interesting to see how this is handled once the coaster in completed and the official park material is released.

If you want to pay half price for Gale Force (and other rides) next summer, you have to buy your tickets now during Playland Castaway Cove's Flash Sale. Tickets never expire , so you beat the price of inflation if the cost per ticket increases.

If Deja Vu moves to Hopi Hari do you think it will ever get built?

I completely agree it looks like crap but I don't buy the "too difficult to remove excuse". What I don't understand is why they chose to retrack the last off-season. That last summer it was running its best in 15 years. No jackhammering and not as loud in the turns and I actually enjoyed riding it. Why put the money into retracking it if was going to be removed? That only served to greatly increase the budget for RT the final two seasons. Do parks even look at the cost per rider/lap metric?