cfc

I agree with this--pretty much a party (with very expensive alcohol).

Funny you should mention LeScoot. As I was getting out of my car, I overheard an argument between two parents and a little girl. She was insisting on bringing a bathing suit to change into later, even though her dad kept reminding her that none of the water rides were open.

Goofy and the Mysterious Island of Captain Nemo? Sold!

Agreed! I'm not a "flat-ride person," but I like Screamin' Swings.

Coasters & Craft Brews Sneak Peek Just when you think, ala the Soup Nazi, "no Busch Gardens for you," the park comes with a way to open, in a way: the Coasters and Craft Brews special event. Of course, you can't just show up and hope to get in. Guests have to "reserve" the day they want in advance, and there are a limited number of days and times, with attendance limited to 1,000 people, as per state guidelines for "entertainment venues." This applies to both regular guests and passholders (or "members"). Roughy half of the park is open, too: England, Scotland, Ireland, France, and Fort New France. I'm sure most of you can guess the other restrictions. Your temperature is checked before you enter to ensure you're not running a fever. Guests must wear face masks at all times, except when eating and drinking, and practice social distancing. Remember: six feet (or about one about the length of one adult grey wolf) between guests, please. And just what can you do while wearing your mask and practicing proper social distancing at the park? You can ride three of the park's coasters: Loch Ness Monster, Griffon, and InvadR. They were also running the Little Clydes kiddie ride in Scotland, Finnegan's Flyer in Scorland, and Le Catapult at Fort New France. The Smokehouse is open for dinner, and you can grab a nice craft brew at Grogan's. The Clydesdales and some other animals are out, and the main gift shops in England, France, and Fort New France are open. All the ride and restaurant queues are marked for social distancing, and there are plenty of hand sanitizer stations all over the park. I rode each coaster and Finnegan's Flyer. While I waited for the Loch Ness Monster, two ops wiped down the train before people were allowed to board, but I don't think they did this every time. Each coaster had a grouper before you could enter the station, who assigned groups and single riders to rows for seating. I think they were using all the seats for Nessie. For Griffon, it depended on "groups." An op told me that if you had a group of ten, the group would get an entire row; other than than that, smaller groups had empty seats between them, so there weren't any full trains. InvadR had one only train running, and half the seats were blocked off (the other coasters ran two trains). So, the longest wait of the night was for InvadR, and even that wasn't too long. Service at the Smokehouse went pretty smoothly, despite the socially distanced line. Instead of having platters prepared in advance and lined up for guests to grab, you had to order what you wanted, and they put it together then. Cashiers doled out the tableware. You could sit inside at Grogan's, but quite a few spaces were off limits (I snagged a table to myself in the back). Overall, it was nice break in the monotony of the COVID-restricted life in Williamsburg. I'm sure the park will be tweaking their procedures as they go. Most of the guests complied with the rules; for example, I didn't hear anyone complain about having to wear a mask on rides (I had no problem with this, either). Here's a look at Coasters and Craft Brews. You park in the England lot. This is where they check your temperature before you enter the park. Here be the rules, sez I. You'll find plenty of these in the park (all the ride queues had sanitizer stations). Obey the signs, people. Weird to see England so empty, even on a weeknight. Why, thank you, Busch Gardens. Nice to be back. I bought this shirt because it has a silhouette of a highland cow on it. Time to leave Merrie Old England . . . . . . but not for grouchy old Italy and Germany. You can still visit the Clydesdales. The horses are, of course, maintaining proper social distance. So, what else is there to do? I started with a ride on Nessie . . . . . . then walked by Finnegan's Flyer (which had a bit of a line). Look! A mythical Griffon! Longest line of the night. The eagles are always distant. If you want to see wolves, be mindful of the decals on the bridge near Wolf Haven. This owl would kill you, if it weren't for social distancing. France doesn't look too busy. France also gives you a chance to "relax" without a mask, too. Well, being as I'm in France . . . People were pretty good about practicing social distancing in the ride queues. Here's the socially distanced, half-full InvadR train. Brisket time! Eat your brisket only at designated tables. I saw this mushroom village as I made my way back to Ireland. Were the Smurfs who lived there under quarantine? Well, being as I'm in Ireland . . . . . . might as well hoist one. The line for Finnegan's Flyer had thinned out, so I took a swing or two. The ride ops were accounting for social distancing when seating riders. Time to call it a night. I did stop in the England gift shop. Who wants a Black Forest Cake pin, complete with a recipe? You can't ride Pantheon (sigh), but you can buy the pins. Remember: Stay six feet apart, or this wolf will kill you! Thanks for reading.

Hmm, based on your video, I agree with you--an interesting experience, but that's about it.

I am assuming the first launch will be slow and the swing launches should eat up some time! Probably so. There's an initial forward launch, then a switch track to send you up "Neptune's Trident" (spike), then another forward launch to send you through the rest of the course.

At the Pantheon Hard-Hat Tour, we were told that the ride would last about "150 seconds." We'll see if this holds up . . . someday.

And the food. And the merch. Plus, they won't need a full staff because only part of the park is open. I'm looking forward to seeing how successful this event is.

It's good to hear that GeForce is still amazing, and that your day at Holiday Park turned out well.

Local media have confirmed that Busch Gardens' capacity is capped at 1,000 for these events, as per state guidelines.

It's interesting that BGW is able to do this, as the state recently issued some more restrictions on the Hampton Roads region (roughly from Williamsburg to Virginia Beach). This area has become more of a COVID "hot spot" recently. I'm planning to go the Member Sneak Peek on Aug. 5. I'll post a report about how it went.

That sounds right--better-than-average amusement-park chow.

I like Cornball Express, too, and grew to like Steel Hawg over two visits. Bu my favorite attraction at IB is Frankenstein's Haunted Castle--and let's not forget the surprisingly good tacos.

Thanks for the quote and shout out, Andy--I love the detail in your report. The three best things about Energylandia to me were: 1. Formula (great ride by Vekoma) 2. the napoleon cake 3. Hyperion (very good in the inside seats, not so good in the outside seats)

Yes, I think Vekoma did a better job with their new "vest" restraints.

I've had great rides on Voyage in the springtime--early in the season. Later in the year, though, it can get brutal. I'd like to see RMC do something with this ride, as I love the idea of a wild ride in the woods. I think the two best rides at Holiday World are Mammoth and Wildebeest.

Sigh! I miss that dessert place in Amsterdam.

Europe 2019 I've enjoyed taking you on this nostalgia trip, but we've reached the end--for now, at least. I'm not taking you that far back in time for this last leg--just a year ago in the Netherlands, where RMC has extended its domination; Belgium, where Gerstlauer did some impressive work; Poland, where Vekoma has come on strong; and Sweden, where B&M shows that it still has a trick or two up its sleeve. So, let's look back at parks big and small, old and new--not to mention eccentric (or just plain weird). But first, . . . how about some tasty poffertjes? You can get this with marijuana and chocolate in Amsterdam, you know. I settled for strawberries, whipped cream, and Nutella. Ah, Amsterdam! A unique, beautiful city of art and canals, good food and beer. But remember . . . . . . what happens in Amsterdam, stays in Amsterdam. Our "pre-trip" park this year was Bobbejaanland, which has changed a lot since my last visit. Fury is a unique Gerstlauer creation in which riders can choose to ride forward or backward. (The latter was fun and very intense, but I prefer going forward.) Efteling has also changed a lot since my last visit. Baron is a good, well themed Dive Machine, but for my money, . . . . . . Symbolica is the best ride at Efteling. This trackless dark ride rivals the work of Disney and Universal. Yes, more poffertjes. Don't judge. Joris en de Draak was a pleasant surprise--one of the best coasters GCI has built (IMHO), with some clever theming. Another pleasant surprise: Toverland's Fenix is the best of the B&M Wing coasters. I love this new section of the park. Merlin's cave under the Fenix station is very cool. Troy has held up pretty well, too. RMC is now rocking what used to be Robin Hood at Walibi Holland. This ride is amazing--better than Steel Vengeance (at least to me). XPress is a bit clunky but fun. And whether it's green or blue, Goliath is still great. From Robb's rider cam--one of the few on-ride photos of me that I like. And now, an interlude before we fly to Poland. Drievilet's Formule X is still a great little launched coaster. And they still have the mysterious pig-cat! Duinrell is a nice park in a beautiful setting. It's sort of like a summer camp with rides. I liked Energylandia's Hyperion, but it wasn't the best ride in this Polish version of Six Flags. Formula was the real star of this park--a fun launch and plenty of air time. Well done, Vekoma! Zadra wasn't quite ready for prime time while we were there, but it looked great. Legendia's Lech Coaster was a another triumph for Vekoma. I grayed out a bit on this ride, too. This was surprisingly decent for an "off-brand" double looper. I really liked Valkyria at Liseberg--a better dive coaster than Efteling's Baron and Cedar Point's Valrayvn. Helix was fun, too--great views of the city from this ride. Liseberbanan was sporting shiny new trains . . . . . . and Balder remained great. "Welcome to Kolmarden. I am your host, Mike Meercat. May I offer you a refreshing beverage?" Wildfire . . . well, what more needs to be said? "Yep--best not to talk Wildfire to death, pal. Just enjoy it. Want some leaves?" Meanwhile, back at Grona Lund . . . you guys OK up there? Twister gives new meaning to "eccentric." What a crazy layout this ride has. Decided to skip Insane this trip, but I'd like to ride the park's new B&M Invert someday. The last beer of the trip--that's all.

I think Primeval Whirl became a "seasonal" attraction some time ago. Frankly, will anyone miss the thing if they remove it?

^Hygiene takes away from our Freedom! 'Murica! Looks like they're doing pretty well at Knoebels--may have to sneak up there, myself.

I'd forgotten until now that an aftershock shut down some of the rides at Disney for a bit, too. I never even felt it--just heard about it afterward.

"Hurry, Watson! The game's afoot!"

^KT had a "warrant" to search your room? why, you malefactor!