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I need to see Avenue Q. Hell, even my Mom has seen Avenue Q. Looks like a great time in a great city.

A similar thing happened to me at the Providence, RI, airport when the plane I was supposed to take back to Richmond blew a tire, and everybody had to be rebooked. People were going ballistic on the poor guy at gate as though he shot the tire himself. When it was my turn, I was very nice and unassuming--which got me a seat in first class. Good life lesson there.

Excellent! Wildfire is a world-class coaster that everybody needs to experience sometime.

Adventureland is one of the friendliest parks I've ever visited--right down to the "little old lady" ride op who called everyone "honey" or "dearie." It is a "hidden gem."

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!