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Very nice, indeed--looks like they went all out at Six Flags New England. I especially like the walk-through ornament. Thanks for the report and the photos.

Post that last set of photos! Make it so, Number 1! “We are the Borg. This queue has been assimilated. We shall add its biological and technological distinctiveness to our own.” So that's where the shuttle hangar is. Must've skipped class that day at Star Fleet Academy. “USS Vakompire”? Who’s the captain--Dracula? “I’m the baddest Frenchman you will ever see, because I’m British.” “I am the captain of the Vakompire. We shall attack the Borg and drink their precious blood!” Hmm--caught in a Borg tractor beam. My finely honed commander's instincts tell me that's not good. “Save us! The Borg drink Pepsi instead of Coke, and their beer is really bad pilsner!” What? The Enterprise crew being subjected to Pepsi and bad beer? This situation calls for decisive action. Mr. Crouse! Push random buttons! Engage! This is our “shuttle craft.” Sporty, eh? The mission is rather complicated. First, you’re launched up while photon torpedoes whiz over your head. Then you’re launched backwards up this spike--all while hoping a stray phaser blast doesn't explode your head. Back down you go (you hope with enough speed to avoid being vaporized). Now you have enough momentum to break through a weakness in the Borg defenses. Who knew that a rescue mission could be so much fun. Movie Park and Mack have come up with a very good ride. So, riding roller coasters = Star Fleet training? Bring it on, you Borg bastards! OK, Borg, that was a good one there! You’ve confused us for a moment. But we’re gonna cram this shuttle . . . . . . down your cyborg throats! Assimilate this, suckers! OK, who’s flying this thing? The guy in front looks absolutely terrified. Space . . . the final frontier . . . . . . of fun! Mission accomplished! My career is saved! What? Yes sir, I can close the shop tonight . . .groan. That’s a wrap from Movie Park. Back to Dusseldorf, then home. Thanks for another great time in Europe, Robb and Elissa--and thank you all for reading.

One more new coaster this trip--Star Trek: Operation Enterprise, the launched Mack coaster at Germany’s Movie Park. This coaster was being built when I was at the park last year, and so (being an old Star Trek fan), I was happy for a chance to ride it. When this coaster was announced, I thought that it was based on the new Star Trek movies. I was pleasantly surprised that Star Trek: The Next Generation was the inspiration. Movie Park built an entirely new section, Federation Plaza, for the ride. While it wasn’t Disney- or Universal-level theming, they did a pretty nice job (especially their facsimile of the Enterprise’s Bridge, which was part of the pre-show). The Enterprise crew has been taken captive by the Borg, and it’s up us to rescue them (poor bastards). This requires piloting a “shuttle” on a crazy course to avoid Borg defenses, penetrate the Borg cube (which looks like a big black box with a green strobe light), save the crew, and get out. They even use a screen in the “shuttle bay" to show the course you must follow to pull this off; odd, but it looks a lot like the layout of the coaster (and involves a forward-backward-forward launch sequence--what a twist). I enjoyed Star Trek: Operation Enterprise quite a bit. There was good air time on some of the hills, and the inversions are crazy. It’s a winner for Movie Park. Now if they could just do something about their wretched wooden coaster, Bandit. Almost time to face “the final frontier.” Hooray for Horrorwood! (Hmm . . . I sense another Halloween event.) Boy, security is tough here! Hmm . . . something new has been added since my last visit. More on this later . . . . . . if we live that long. Ulp! Oh my god! Pumpkins and corn stalks! It’s clear that something terrifying could happen here at any moment. This sign is way up on the side of a building. The only way I could cross it would be if I were Spider-man. AND WE’RE OFFERING AN APOCALYPSE OF SAVINGS! Well, there’s goes my Christmas in the Big Apple. Guess I’ll have to go to Sacramento again. Van Helsing’s Factory is still a lot of fun . . . . . . and it has the coolest restroom signs. You can still eat schnitzel, drink a beer, and watch “Addams Family” episodes dubbed into German here. The Old West was never this horrifying. Albert: The Man Without Fear! Well, they reactivated my commission. Better drag my butt to Star Fleet Command. I'm sure they have a mission of profound importance for me! Note the artfully tilted photo, which has become very popular online nowadays. Yes, I’m pandering shamelessly! Yeah, don’t be like a Klingon. What? You called me up to work in the Star Fleet gift shop? I wonder if this plush Romulan ship can fire an adorable bolt of high-energy plasma capable of disintegrating an asteroid. So, the Enterprise crew works in their pajamas? Star Fleet must be getting desperate if they’re accepting bears. This “Holodeck Simulator” looks suspiciously like a roller-coaster test seat. So, the Enterprise crew is depending on us to save them. They are so screwed! Picard loses his crew, and they mount a rescue mission. I lose a crew and spend the rest of my Star Fleet career cleaning space latrines and working in the gift shop. There is no justice! More to come from Movie Park.

Part 6--From the Wild West to the 24th Century and the Gold Rush to Star Trek: Operation Enterprise Our revels now are nearly ended . . . Yes, this was the last day after the "official" last day of the Oktoberfest trip (in other words, an add-on day), and we spent the first part of it in the Netherlands at Slagharen. All I knew about this park was that they’d opened Gold Rush, a new Gerstlauer launched coaster, earlier this year. Other than that, I was all ignorance. Slagaharen was a very nice little park, with surprisingly good theming (to the old American West and the world of Jules Verne) and a great coaster in Gold Rush. The ride does Gertslauer’s version of the “forward-backward-forward” launch bit that’s become so popular over the last few years. The train shoots forward, rolls back into the station, shoots backward and part way into an inversion, then rolls down and shoots forward through the course. The launches are intense, and depending on where you’re sitting, you might be hanging upside-down for a moment or two after the backward launch before zipping ahead through the rest of the ride’s crazy, twisting layout. Gold Rush is very smooth--much better than Bayern’s Freischütz (which can shake your fillings loose). There’s some good air time, too. We only had a few hours at Slagharen for a filming session on Gold Rush, so there wasn’t much time to do anything other than tour the park and grab a quick bite. Either we’re very early or no one visits this park. We began our day in the Wild West for a filming/ERT session on Gold Rush. Looks like their original train concept didn’t work out too well. These trains were much better. Remembrance of Rides Past Unlike Bayern’s launched coaster, Gold Rush doesn’t try to shake or beat you to death. Someone save us . . . oh, never mind! It’s too much fun. Gold Rush has a great layout. The coaster’s pretty, and so is the park. And I’m not saying this just because they gave us coffee and donuts. “Hey there, pilgrim. I’d hate to think that you didn’t wash your hands after using the toilet. I’d really hate to think that!” The park also had a nice section themed to Jules Verne. How many of you caught this “Around the World in 80 Days” joke? Phileas Fogg was the main character in the Verne novel. “Captain Nemo! Giant squid approaching from the stern!” “Ugh! Again with the damn squid! Break out the deep fryer and prepare the marinara sauce!” Annoying pests or popular mascots? Your call. Business has certainly picked up since we arrived. This is the most secure bridge in the Netherlands. Soylent Blue is Smurfs! Gold Rush deserves another look. This may be the “sleeper” new coaster of the year. Yes, you gotta love a little park that has both Gold Rush . . . . . . and poffertjes. On to the future!

^It's my favorite Christmas Town dessert. The donuts on the Polar Pathway are good, too, but they have trouble keeping up with the demand.

I agree with this completely!

Time to see how festive the rest of the park looks. I escaped the wrath of Kris Kringle by crossing the bridge into Germany. The Festhaus is looking even more festive than usual. “Deck the Halls” runs here. It’s like those Christmas specials they used to run on TV when I was a kid. I missed the show, but I did have a sirloin sandwich and some gingerbread cheesecake--and beer, of course. “O’ Tannenbaum” is a music-and-light show that takes place outside the Festhaus every 30 minutes. It’s nice, and always draws a crowd. Once again, Ludwig has been forced to rent out DarKastle--this time, to Santa. They moved the North Pole to the DarKastle queue. This knocked the Earth off its axis, and now we’re hurtling toward the sun. Nice one, Claus. DarKastle has never looked so festive. Somewhere, King Ludwig is crying out his rage. If the line is too long to see Santa (it was two hours when I was there), Saucy, the Elf, has a gift for you to unwrap. Being as I had a great time at the real Oktoberfest this year (thanks, again, Robb and Elissa), I must buy this ornament. Santa’s Workshop and the North Pole used to be here. They’re selling cookies and hot chocolate there this year. Works for me. And now, time for a little religion. You’re welcome. Bring me the head of Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer . . . . . . and his skin, which I shall wear as a onesie! Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha! It wouldn’t be Germany at Christmas Town . . . . . . without Creepy, the Psycho Elf. As usual, Fort New France is all red and green. Even InvadR is feeling a little festive. Deer Crossing. Caution Advised. Welcome to France. It’s all about the “12 Days of Christmas” here. I like the subdued colors, too. It’s a long walk from France to Ireland. Ireland isn’t green this year, for some reason, but you can still partake of Santa's Fireside Feast in Castle O'Sullivan. I love the use of “candles” on the Abbeystone Theatre. This makes sense as it’s the home of the “Gloria” show. If you’re curious about the park’s new attraction for 2018 . . . . . . just wander into the preview center (it’ll take all of 30 seconds). Time to go. England bids you “Happy Christmas.” That’s all from Christmas Town. Thanks for reading.

Lights, the Smell of Fresh Pine, and Gingerbread Cheesecake: Christmas Town 2017 Busch Gardens Williamsburg kicked off Christmas Town 2017 over Thanksgiving weekend, but I couldn't get there until last Friday. Much is the same as last year: You can still roam the Polar Pathway; visit small-town America (and Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer and friends) at Holiday Hills; witness the transformation of miserly Ebeneezer Scrooge into the yuletide's number-one fan at "Scrooge No More"; and take in the sights from the Flight of Lights (skyway) or Nacht Tower (aka Mach Tower in elevator mode). But there have been some notable changes: 1. For the first time, the Sesame Street Forest of Fun is open for Christmas Town. Grover's Alpine Express was running (along with two other coasters--Verbolten and InvadR), and the other rides (except for the tiny flume ride) were open. 2. Santa's Workshop has moved from the ice-cream/gift shop in Germany to DarKastle. I didn't queue up to see the Right Jolly Old Elf, of course, but there was a two-hour wait for a audience with Santa last Friday. I wonder what Mad King Ludwig thinks about all this? 3. There's a new show in Italy: "Gift of Harmony," an a cappella group singing Christmas classics. This replaces the old "Miracles" show. You can still "Deck the Halls" at the Festhaus, feel reverential during "Gloria" in Ireland, take in "O' Tannenbaum" in front of the Festhaus, and shiver during "Twas the Night," an ice-skating show inspired by "A Visit from St. Nicholas," in France. 4. There's a small preview center for the new VR ride in Ireland. Christmas Town has become an important part of Christmas in Williamsburg (along with Colonial Williamsburg's Grand Illumination, which happens tonight). It's nice to just stroll around, take in the lights, and have a nice holiday-themed meal (or some treats, of course). Merry Christmas! Let's go in. It’s always good to see a sign that assures you that you’re in the right place. Just in case you want to play freeze out on any rides, here’s what’s open. No, I did not count the lights. You’ll have to take BGW at its word. And did they all "twinkle"? I have no answer. This Christmas tree really has big ornaments. Ha! You thought I was going to say “balls,” didn’t you? Hmm . . . what to do first? I could always grab some “traditional Christmas fare” in Dickens' Tavern. This would include hamburgers, which I guess were very big in Dickensian London. Well, it is almost time for “Scrooge No More.” Might as well see it. Oh, look! It’s the classic “pulling down a spotlight with an invisible rope” bit. Er, are you sure this isn’t Howl-o-Scream? Whew! That’s more like it. “Out of my way! No one’s doing that ‘invisible rope’ bit while Scrooge is here!” Bah! Humbug! Etc., etc. . . . I think you know the rest of the story. Time to leave England . . . . . . unless you want a beer or some other adult beverage. As usual, Scotland is having a blue Christmas. This is the first time that Forest of Fun has been open for Christmas Town. This looks like Sesame Street’s idea of a Christmas tree lot. “There’s a nice donut stand near the entrance of the Polar Pathway. Could you get a nice bear some nice donuts? Please?” Polar Pathway is the prettiest spot at Christmas Town. I like the music they play there, too. Italy is Yukon Cornelius Approved. Gold! Silver! Yahoo! This is how Yukon would decorate a Christmas tree. My next favorite spot at Christmas Town. I like the "old school" decorations (reminds me of my hometown when I was a kid). There’s a little theater showing an edited version of “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” It has bench seats and bean-bag chairs. The Bumble Snow Monster gets a bad rap. Santa Claus is the real villain of the story. He’s a bad boss who treats everyone (especially Rudolph) like crap, and in this scene he sort of “blames” Rudolph for the disappearance of Rudolph’s parents and Clarice (even though Santa's rejection of Rudolph and the other reindeer's desire to earn his favor drives the whole plot). “King of Jingle-ling,” my butt. Santa’s a jerk. The Rudolph meet and greet is in the Apollo’s Chariot queue house. I like how they re-themed the games. Yes, you can help Herbie pound on teeth here. “‘Jerk,’ am I? You will kneel to the Claus!” Ulp! Guess I'm getting coal in my stocking this year. More photos to come.

They're running three coasters, if you count Grover's Alpine Express (this is the the first time that Forest of Fun has been open for Christmas Town); the other two are Verbolten and InvadR. I'm planning to post a report later this weekend.

I'm impressed with the park's Christmas decorations--beautifully done.

Kawasemi alone is worth the trip to Tobu Zoo. Those Mega Lites pack more airtime into a small space than any other coaster.

Reading is FUNdamental, kids. I've never been to WDW (just Disneyland) during Christmas, but would love to try it. After-hours parties are the way to go at the Magic Kingdom.

Magic Mountain really goes all out for Christmas--looks like a fun event, and I'd even be tempted to try the VR Santa Revolution.

The Gaylord's Christmas event looks pretty dang impressive.

I did like the restraint system on Taron better than Cheetah Hunt's.

In the rocky walls and rustic village of Klugheim, Phantasialand has built a themed environment to match the best work of Disney and Universal. The detail in the buildings, rocks, and landscaping is impressive and provides an excellent setting for Klugheim’s two coasters: Taron (a launched Intamin) and Raik (a Vekoma “Family Boomerang” that runs inside Taron). I have only two very minor complaints about Klugheim: 1) It might be bit too intricate (that is, finding your way from Taron to Raik is a bit of challenge as you wander up and down a variety of paths between the two coasters) and 2) I’m not entirely sure what the “back story” of this new section is. That being said, it looks great. As for Taron, I liked it quite a bit. There are two nice pops of ejector air, and a bit of floater air before you hit the final brakes, and the launches are fun. Like Black Mamba (the park’s B&M invert), Taron is much enhanced by its beautiful setting. However, it’s not on the same level as Cedar Point’s Maverick (which is in my top five); I also prefer Cheetah Hunt at Busch Gardens Tampa to Taron. But the Phantasialand ride is a cut above Alton Towers’ Rita and Heide Park’s Desert Race, when it comes to Intamin launched coasters. Our hotel-guest ERT session that evening was fun, too. As for Raik, it’s a nice family shuttle, but nothing special--aside from its setting. But it is a bit disorienting when you see it running backward as you zip forward on Taron (a great “what the hell?” moment). So, let’s have a look at Taron and a bit more of Phantasialand (especially Hollywood Tour, a ride that I find hilarious). My photos of Taron aren’t perfect thanks to 1) my middling skills as photographer, 2) the speed at which the trains move, and 3) the gray, rainy weather. Taron isn’t exactly GeForce, but it’s still a lot of fun. Here’s where resort guests wait for their after-hours Taron/Raik ERT. Welcome to Klugheim, where the number-one industry seems to be rocks . . . . . . and unusual ways to transport them. I will accept both theming and hair time. Oh my god! That man in the red jacket is going to be killed! The people of Klugheim ("Klugheimers"?) appear to like "twistiness." It was a bit of a challenge getting decent photos on such a rainy day. But these riders look happy. Blurry, but happy. This is the only photo I have of Raik in operation. Cool-looking trains, though. Right, Joe? Mystery Castle blends in pretty well with Klugheim. The area is well lit, too. We shall now bid Klugheim farewell. Just documenting that Bob took his first ride on Chiapas--in the rain. Phantasialand’s new “steam punk” section should be pretty cool . . . . . . but I have some reservations about the Vekoma launched flying coaster. (That being said, I was concerned about Sting Ray in China, but ended up liking it.) Winjas is still great, even if it makes mee feel queasier as I get older. This outrageously blurry photo may give you a clue as to the source my queasiness. Ah, Hollywood Tour, where the Great Movie Ride . . . . . . Meets the Pirates of the Caribbean, Who Are Not in Batavia. Or is it more like It’s a Small World . . . . . . with Something that Vaguely Resembles a Shark? On September 30, 2017 . . . . . . my parents’ old shag carpet became sentient. When salt shakers go rogue. Man has fled underseas to escape the horror of the sentient shag carpet and rogue salt shakers. This was in the first draft of a “20,000 Leagues” reboot, but Disney rejected it. They rejected this proposed radical remake of “The Ugly Dachshund,” too. Mystery Castle looks great from the outside . . . . . . but I think they need a new cleaning service. And so, let us bid a fond farewell to Phantasialand and the Hotel Ling Bao, which I'm sure had better maid service than Mystery Castle. On to Dusseldorf, Slagharen, and Movie Park--later.

In case anyone's wondering, I just moved some posts related to an unsubstantiated rumor into this thread: http://themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1831363#p1831363. Knock yourselves out in there.

Whether you like Harry Potter or not, Hogsmeade does provide a perfect backdrop for Christmas festivities. The resort looks great.

Part 5: Expedition GeForce with a Side of Taron It was a fairly long haul from Europa Park to Phantasialand, but we had a good place for a rest stop: Holiday Park, where we had ERT on Sky Scream (a Premier “Sky Rocket II”) and Expedition GeForce (an Intamin legend in its own time). They even cooked dinner for us, which was particularly noteworthy because the park wasn’t open that day. Yes, we literally had the place to ourselves. As for GeForce, it was running as great as ever, with crazy ejector air and outrageous speed; in other words, it was running like GeForce. This is noteworthy because the ride didn’t even have a chance to “warm up” before we got there. What a great evening! My thanks to the folks at Holiday Park, and Robb and Elissa, for setting all this up. Next stop, Phantasialand--and Taron. “Welcome to Holiday Park! Watch out for the ghost who wants to brain you with a pumpkin!” “As you can see, he has plenty of ammo.” Walking under the remains of Super Wirbel sent a shiver down my spine. The memory of that ride is evil. Never trust a used-car saleman--particularly if he is a zombie. The queue for Sky Scream is a permanent “haunt” maze. Be careful! The ghost of Super Wirbel may linger somewhere in the mist! As we all know, bottles and blue light are terrifying. If this guy doesn’t make you think twice about riding, nothing will. Take this warning to heart. Either run like hell, or end up in hell. Anyone who’s ever watched the “Ren and Stimpy Show” knows that doing so will lead to your meeting Satan--IN HELL! I like Sky Scream. It seems to have a bit more “kick” than Tempesto at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Ladies and gentlemen, it is time for our main event! Now entering the arena, it has a maximum speed of 74.6 miles per hour . . . . . . 4,000 feet of twisted steel and sex appeal . . . . . . and still reigning Intamin World Champion, . . . I give you, Expedition GeForce! Whacha gonna do, when Expedition GeForce runs wild on you? All must ride GeForce at least once in their lifetime. Off to Phantasialand!

I didn't see signs saying you couldn't but I also didn't try on that one. Yep, no signs, but I was asked to put my camera away.

^It has some pretty cool scenes, but I noticed they're a bit uptight about taking photos on the ride now (didn't used to be).

I've been to Phantasialand three times over the years, and Geister Rickshaw looks a bit more moth-eaten each time. I wonder how much longer they plan to keep it. I haven't been to Chessington since 2006, but I liked Vampire back then.

Thanks for the report about DLR's Christmas festivities! The parks always look great, and I particularly like how they decorate Cars Land

More from Day 2 of IAAPA! [twitter] [/twitter] We had a great interview with Alan Schilke of RMC on our live stream! Go watch starting at the 27 minute mark: … One of our lucky IAAPA winners will get this awesome B&M brochure! Go LIKE or RT our IAAPA tweets to be entered to win! The cuteness level of Oscar’s Wacky Taxi is through the roof! Another look at the Intamin booth!

Now with even more IAAPA 2017! Look who else I just ran into! @TheTimTracker & @TheJennTracker! Always love the fun antics of their vlogs! It’s not an IAAPA trade show without getting a frozen Coca Cola and visiting the Coke Freestyle machine! We love all the new wearable technology coming from Accesso Tech! They’ve come a long way since the original Q-Bots!