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Larry took a salt-mine tour back in 2010 in Austria. Here's a link to his trip report if you're curious: http://themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=919529#p919529

You have to love the water slides in which you emerge from a giant snake's mouth.

I agree with this. And remember . . . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5YX1NwHPqE

Agreed. Something like Radiator Springs Racers would be awesome. Unless perhaps it was Flight of Passage style. I agree with both of these comments (especially the former).

I'd love to see a ride version of Mario Kart that isn't just a simulator.

Better operations would raise Indiana Beach from being just an "oddity" (a "boardwalk" in the wilds of Indiana) to a first-rate park. That being said, you can still have fun there.

I've never visited Michigan's Adventure, mainly because it's a bit "off the beaten path." Shivering Timbers looks great, though.

^Usually until park closing, but that's not consistent. Some booths will shut down a little early.

I wonder if they know "White Punks on Dope" by the Tubes?

^I imagine "Hollywoodland" is going to be "Marvel Land" someday. I like it that each version of ToT is unique--the Guardians of the Galaxy makeover looks like a lot of fun.

It sounds to me like they need to shutdown the "ride reservation" portion of Tapu Tapu and fix it--seems to be more than a simple case of "tweaking."

Sigh! Am I really that predictable? Well, I guess I am. I spent Friday night (May 26) at the park to sample some of the new offerings at this year's edition of Food and Wine. As mentioned earlier, there are three new booths: Mediterranean--If you're a fan of pizza cones, you're out of luck for a while, as this permanent food booth across from Escape from Pompeii has undergone it's usual Food and Wine Festival transformation. It used to be "Greece," and you can still sample the Halloumi (griddled Greek cheese with clover honey and pistachios). But it was all about the new Lamb Burger Slider on Friday night. The wee little lamb burger comes with a slice of cucumber and tomato with feta cheese spread, wrapped in pita bread (there's some pasta salad, too), and it's very good. I'm definitely going to try the Falafel (chickpea fritters) next time. Baklava and Ouzo round out the menu. Island Freeze--Get your frozen adult beverages across from Verbolten. I didn't try one last night, but just might on a typically hot Virginia summer day. India--You'll find this colorful tribute to the cuisine of the subcontinent in Germany, across from DarKastle. I tried the Tandoori Chicken, which was very tasty (and a bit spicy). The Spicy Potato Curry and Samosas looked pretty good, too. The American Southwest Booth, which has moved from Canada to Scotland, is offering Ghost Pepper Guac this year--I had to check that out. The only minor bummer is that the France booth, with its yummy steak and coq au vin, is out this year. Don't forget to pick up a festival guide for menus and a handy map locating all the booths. The park is also offering the "Busch Gardens Bot" (via Facebook Messenger), with event information, recipes, and other "fun stuff." Cashless wristbands and sampler cards (10 or 15 dishes or beverages) are available, as are wine and Scotch tastings. Pairings of Note is a new event at Castle O'Sullivan in Ireland: You can try six different samples pairing food with the appropriate wine--and live music. Or perhaps you'd prefer a Wine on the Rhine cruise. Who wants to see pictures of buildings and food? OK, where's the food at! I'm hungry! Look--people at a water park riding slides and having actual fun! The Virginia booth was back--and busy. I'm sure there are some people who would spend all day here, until they need to be carried out. Welcome to the booth formally known as "Greece." Here's the menu. I'm sure that many of you are happy that you can still get the griddled Greek cheese. I think the Lamb Slider was a step up from the kabobs of previous years--very tasty. There are food demos, too. Here we see the proper method for torturing a slab of tofu. So, let's see what's new in Germany. (Yes, one coaster picture as per enthusiast law.) As you all know, Germany is renowned for frozen tropical beverages, . . . . . . Argentinian wine, . . . . . . and Indian food. I didn't know they grew that much curry in Germany. Here's a peek at the menu. The Tandoori Chicken (with cardamon ginger rice) was very good . . . . . . and Bollywood elephant approved. There's a craft show by DarKastle, too. The woman in the middle of the picture has been selling prints of her paintings at the park for a few years now. And, if you must, you can still get German food and beer in Germany. What? There's guacamole? BGW removed some of its animal displays this year. I wonder what they have planned for this space between France and Ireland? Hmm--no guac at the Tiki Bar. Let's move on. Aha! Should've guessed they'd have guacamole in Scotland. Might just need some beer to handle the ghost pepper. Cover me--I'm going in! This guac is kind of sneaky. It doesn't seem spicy at first, but it heats up a bit later. Good stuff. I needed a mellow dessert after the Ghost Pepper Guac. This Ginger-Lemongrass Custard should fill the bill. The festival will be running on Memorial Day (Monday), but remember that it's only Friday-Sunday until July 2. Thanks for reading.

Carry on close to the edge, wayward son!

Thanks for the report. I prefer Raven to Voyage, and I think Legend is a bit underrated.

Ferrari World has come a long way since your last visit. Flying Aces looks great.

I just finished cleaning up this thread. No more name calling or flame posts, please. Thank you.

Great report and a great volunteer project--thanks for sharing.

So, it's a Moser that, judging by the photo on the right, aspires to be an Intamin?

That's because everyone else is afraid!

You should form an unholy alliance with Team Volcano.

Tired of Pokemon Go? Kings Dominion is adding a little of their own virtual action to the park. Battle is Brewing at Kings Dominion Park debuts interactive, augmented reality game DOSWELL, VA (May 17, 2017) – Step into a brand new virtual world at Kings Dominion as the park debuts an interactive, competitive gaming experience – “The Battle for Kings Dominion.” This immersive gaming app combines augmented reality with traditional gaming and will take the in-park experience to the next level, allowing guests to declare their loyalty to a coaster alliance and then “battle” against each other to take control of the Kings Dominion realm. “We are excited to introduce our guests to an entirely new digital layer of the park experience,” said Gary Chadwick, Kings Dominion’s Vice President and General Manager. “Being able to gamify the park through the Battle for Kings Dominion, from interactive queue lines and midways to the personification of rides, will make for an even more engaging day.” The cutting-edge Extended Experience game was developed by experiential design experts Holovis. Gamers will be able to choose from five coaster alliances: Dominator, Flight of Fear, Intimidator® 305, Avalanche or Volcano. Each alliance has its own unique character avatar and a custom battle shield. Guests will compete against each other and attempt to defeat the other alliances for dominance of the park throughout the day. Players can earn points in various ways including playing augmented reality mini-games in special parts of the ride queue lines, taking over territory from competing teams, answering trivia and riding roller coasters. Augmented reality moments from the experience will also come to life on the guest’s Apple® or Android™ device and can be shared with friends and on social media. “Extended Experiences are the future of entertainment,” explains Amy Steele, VP of Development at Holovis. “This is where every element is connected together allowing guests to discover hidden narratives and gamify what are traditionally passive moments. They can even continue to customize their Coaster Alliance avatar from home as people prepare for their next visit.” The Battle for Kings Dominion will be available for download on May 19. To complement the game, Kings Dominion has added free park-wide Wi-Fi, making it even easier to play and connect while visiting. A new mobile app complete with an interactive park map and ride wait times is now available. For the full calendar of 2017 operating hours, visit www.kingsdominion.com.

"Deep Fried Nachos"!

Reminds of the old days at the Stanislaus County Fair in Turlock, California, when I was a kid. Thought I was gonna die on the Toboggan.