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You shouldn't have any big crowd-related issues on a Wednesday. The park tends to open in phases, so you might want to head toward Griffon and InvadR first (Germany and Italy tend to open later). If you're into water rides, hit Pompeii and LeScoot (the log flume).

The Monsters Inc. ride at Tokyo Disneyland is great (as is the Winnie the Pooh ride). They were estimating close to 70,000 guests in the park that day, but we got a lot done before noon. Thanks for running around and getting the Fast Passes, Robb!

I like what they did with the Incredicoaster--this was more than I'd anticipated. The Lamplight Lounge looks great (would love to give it a try).

Careful what you wish for! During “Chip N Dale’s Summer Splash” they have the two characters on a boat with a firehose spraying down anyone within reach! lol This show cracked me up back in 2007.

Roman Rapids has soaked me every time I've ridden it. I agree with you about the Churrasco. The South Korean rib was great, too.

If it is a Screamin' Swing (which would be OK by me), they should put it in Scotland and call it the "Highland Fling."

According the the Virginia Gazette (Williamsburg's local paper), the James City County Board of Supervisors has approved a height waiver for "an attraction not to exceed 115 feet above finished grade or not to exceed 155 feet above sea level" in Ireland: http://www.vagazette.com/news/va-vg-james-city-supervisors-busch-gardens-expansion-0613-story.html. The park didn't provide any other details.

The cooking class looked like a lot of fun. I'd love to make gyoza!

Looks good to me. Just posted this with my phone.

I just removed some flame posts from this thread. If you have a disagreement, I suggest you 1) discuss it via private messages or 2) schedule a death match in a steel cage--just keep it off the forums. Thank you.

Expect July 3 to be fairly quiet and July 4 to be a bit nuts. As for Quick Queue, I'd recommend it for July 4. They still open in sections sometimes, but not every day (being a local, I usually go on Friday nights or on Sundays, though). France should open first, follwed by Germany and Italy. Passholders get discounts on food, merchandise, and Quick Queue (usually 10 percent). Celtic Fyre is the best show, and More Pet Shenanigans is cute. The Coexist show at Wolf Haven is worth seeing, too.

There is nothing but "win" here! See you in about a week!

The Smokehouse is good, the Mediterranean beef in Marco Polo's Marketplace is good, and the sausage sampler at the Festhaus is tasty. The french-fry joint in France is worth a look, too. If they're visiting over the weekend, they can sample the Food & Wine Festival booths, too.

The Starflyers are more fun than the Windseekers, probably because the chairs are held by "tiny"' chains as opposed to big steel arms. I'm willing to give this one a try.

Oblivion--Alton Towers

This looks like a very nice park. The dive coaster does look like a Griffon clone, which isn't a bad thing.

If I'd replaced a wretched old Boomerang with a great new Gerstlauer, I'd throw a big party, too! Looks like a perfect addition to the park.

Looks great! I'm a big Cheetah Hunt fan, and if Icon is as good as that ride, I'm sold.

Cuba, Brazil, Japan, and South Korea on the Menu: What's New at the Food and Wine Festival OK, who's up for some beef and chimichurri sauce? This guy! Yes, Busch Gardens kicked off their annual Food and Wine Festival last Friday, and (as usual) I went there after work to check out the new menu offerings. A number of booths from last year have returned, such as Hawaii (for all you spam fans) and the Carribbean (for all you Jamba Fritter fans); some are sporting some new items, such as Hawaiian Mac and Cheese; and others have departed, such as Germany (but you can still get a Schnitzelwich in the Brauhaus). But the big news is that the new booths for 2018 are great. Here's what I sampled: Cuba (located in France)--Ropa Vieja (very tasty shredded beef with rice and beans) Brazil (located in Fort New France)--Churrasco (grilled beef in a very nice chimichurri sauce) South Korea (Festa Italia)--Korean BBQ Pork Ribs (sauce has a nice bite and the slaw that comes with it is surprisingly good) Japan (located in Italy)--Matcha Ice Cream (green-tea ice cream with a sweet soy glaze and a sesame cookie, which was both sweet and savory) There are a number of wine-tasting opportunities, and you can sample Scotch in Scotland (appropriate) and tequila in Germany (well, I guess Germans like Mexican liquor, too). You can find more information here. The festival runs on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays until July 1. I imagine I'll be going back a few times. Go figure. Here's a look at what I ate. Well, before I ate it. Having trouble finding the Food and Wine Festival? Just look for the wine-fork-glass. How about a nice local appetizer? Ham and Cheddar Hushpuppies with Honey Butter seem pretty southern. Argentinean Malbec, anyone? I have no idea who these guys are. I'm sure they're perfectly nice people. Cuba is located in the shadow of Griffon. (Note that I have upheld enthusiast law by featuring a coaster in this photo.) A little extra detail on the side--the park did a nice job on their temporary booths. Here's the full menu. Not sure about the Batido de Trigo. A puffed-wheat milkshake? Hmm--maybe next weekend. The Ropa Vieja was very good--I liked the sauce in which they simmered the meat. Brazil is located in front of the Trapper's Smokehouse, where the Canada booth used to be. I grew up in the Central Valley of California, where linguica was a common pizza topping (thank you, vibrant California Portuguese community). I'm definitely coming back for some here. Everything is better when you add monkeys. While the presentation left a bit to be desired, the Churrasco was delicious (best sample of the night). I love chimichurri sauce! Welcome to the Kastle Formerly Known as Dark. Tequila in Germany? Why not? The Germany booth may be gone, but the Schnitzelwich lives on in the Brauhaus. (The beer is Red Willie, which is an Irish ale from Tradition Brewing in Newport News.) Let's see what's going on in Italy. There's some spicy stuff at the South Korea booth. The information kiosk on the left has a blurb about Lotte World. Definitely coming back for the Beef Bulgogi. The rib was great, and the slaw surprised me with how good it was. This was an "Asian" booth last year, but now they're focusing on Japan. The gyoza sounds good, and the noodle bowl is tempting (come to think of it, so is the lettuce wrap). But I was in the mood for dessert. The Matcha Ice Cream grew on me as I ate it (wasn't sure about it at first). I'm stuffed! Think I digest my food during a nice, relaxing train ride. Thanks for reading.

Europa is a great park (the best in Europe), and I'm very sorry to read this news. I always liked Pirates of Batavia, too.

I've always been a fan of the Morgan Hypers, and I've heard that Superman is the best of the bunch. Thanks for the report.

The zoo looks nice (well themed), and Tweestryd does look like an improved version of Phantasialand's Raik.

BUSCH GARDENS® SCARE-RAISING EVENT CELEBRATES XX YEARS IN 2018 New Howl-O-Scream® Details Released the 20th Day of Each Month WILLIAMSBURG, Virginia (May 20, 2018) – Busch Gardens® Howl-O-Scream® may be months away, but the Williamsburg theme park is preparing for the scariest and most exciting Howl-O-Scream yet when it kicks off a New Era of Terror in September. This year will mark the 20th anniversary of the popular fall event and that means more scares than ever before. With so many new Howl-O-Scream attractions on tap, Busch Gardens will reveal new scares on the 20th day of each month beginning May 20 through Aug. 20 until the full line-up is announced. New scares coming in 2018 include: 3 Haunted Houses- 7 total 3 Bars- 5 total 2 Terror-tories™- 6 total 2 Party Zones 1 No Escape (Escape Room Experience)- 2 total Plus more frightening fun May 20 Reveal – Howl-O-Scream 20th anniversary logo June 20 Reveal – A haunted house and one Terror-tory July 20 Reveal – Another haunted house, a second Terror-tory and the No Escape Room August 20 Reveal – A third haunted house, party zones, bars and other frightening features Consumers are encouraged to stay tuned and check back on the 20th day of every month for the next haunting Howl-O-Scream reveal. Details can be uncovered at HOWLOSCREAM.COM/VA Howl-O-Scream opens Sept. 15 and will run on select days through Oct. 28.

Let's see . . . free admission, chance to be on TV, ride with no wait, and a meal. Complaining about this brings to mind something an old friend of mine used to say whenever someone asked for more even though that person already had plenty: "What do you want? Egg in your beer?"