bert425

And we have a train reveal!!

Here today for an event and got an amazing behind the scenes tour of Dr Ds Cliffhanger way more pics later. But sharing a couple now

you didn't ride any flats tho? Daredevil Dive is GREAT (when it's working) and I love Pirates of Deep Sea (on boardwalk) and Hustler (super unique teacups ride). The Batman at SFFT is the 1st S&S they built, so at least it's not a clone, and it does tend to flip more than the other copies. glad you had great day tho. . . . low crowds is perfect. . and good on you for skipping Boomerang (LOL)

Yup. . I not only Staple myself, but then I push back on the restraints to force myself into the seat during the ride. the "trick" is to flip WITH the seats, instead of being batted around like a ragdoll in the dryer.

you're probably gonna be SOL on Freeze. . as I don't believe that one is even offering the "pay to skip for one ride" flash pass option (tho I'm not a super regular at this park. . . so hopefully someone else can confirm that). So expect the line to be long - and that it will break down while you're waiting - if Flash Pass purchase isn't an option for you. but you're in luck with New Texas Giant (as well as Runaway Mountain - not to be missed - and several others such as Joker, Pandemonium, La Vibora, and more) that have added Single Rider Lines recently. so that will help you out a LOT on Giant. . . if you don't have Flash Pass, or want to splurge for 1 time skip the line FP on Giant. Follow the signs for FP . .the Single Rider Lines are in that same queue.

again, not holding my breath tho, as they have not even started clearing the area where Palindrome is supposed to go. oh, I'm still excited that we have the Schwarzkopf Wildcat. . . but refuse to get excited much about anything else until they at least start the ground clearing. . . (saw what happened with that planned park in Houston over and over). Excellent start here tho, in that we do have the Wildcat already!

Per Park President Jeffrey Siebert - the circuit is now complete! With Golden Bolt. oh, he also says "a major reveal" is coming soon! larger versions of the pics Jeffrey shared:

^ yeah. . I've seen it multiple times. . someone refusing to get off a ride (and causing stacking of the train behind them) almost "always" with claims of "I just rode this earlier today/last week/last month" .. and often ending with cussing at the employees trying to help get the restraint to close.

so today on 4/2. . a little over a month since started back exercising, I weighed in at: 201.2 (so tantalizingly close to my goal I had set to hit 200 - down 14 lbs in a month). in total down ~13lbs in the past month. of course, I then went out and had Sushi for lunch. .but at least I stopped eating when I was full, and took a good portion of it home for tomorrow.

confirmed the one at Marineland doesn't rotate the cars . it was still fun tho when we rode it in 2018

^ yeah that Sea Storm is amazing isn't it? Very much like Cedar Downs (at CP). . it only LOOKS like a kiddie ride

they've improved it for a Fireworks in the Round show for the 30th Anniversary. it only runs on certain nights tho.. so you'll have to check the schedule with the park https://www.sixflags.com/fiestatexas/events/seasonal-fireworks

I've been crazy busy all day. . . but you beat me to it! Happy Birthday, Bill!!! hope it's a great one, you Television Star

CNN reporting the young man was denied riding on two other rides at the park https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/29/us/florida-park-teen-death-accident-report/index.html such a shame here.. ..a tragedy all around

^ still listed as a "Kiddie Amusement Park"

^ yup! I believe that's the final airtime hill as you come out of the helix and into the station.

I've updated my Trip Report thread with my stop at SFFT on Sat afternoon. LOTS of pics of Dr. D's Cliffhanger, as well as a look at the updated Sangerfest Halle

so after spending most of the day at SWSA, I was pretty wiped out. . but since I had to pass SFFT on the way home (and no way I wasn't gonna pop into the park to see Dr. D's Cliffhanger in person), I made a quick stop at Fiesta for ~ 1 1/ 2 hours to take some pics, ride the Carousel, and pick up dinner (I had brought my tupperware in my backpack to ensure I could bring leftovers home, figuring I'd be stuffed from Seaworld) I got there ~4:45, and the lot was pretty full. . but from way back I got a great view of the new park skyline. looks amazing. the 30th Anniversary signage is a nice touch too Surprisingly, the park didn't seem too crowded - despite the amount of cars, it wasn't so packed in the walkways that it wasn't fun. Hadn't seen this yet in person, but also really love the "throwback" sign they erected in the Central Plaza, to celebrate the Anniversary: and the backside of it has many classic pictures from the Park's history but I was here to check out the progress on Dr. Diabolical's Cliffhanger. Wow. .do they have a LOT of this done already. . I'd say at least 2/3rds. It's really impressive in person, and looks WAY bigger than the height of the drop. of course, still a lot to do before it's ready (all the landscaping, the queue line - including the Doctor's lab, the actual Station). . but they look like will have the full circuit up and ready for initial testing by mid April! onwards to LOTS of pics: after walking all the way thru CrackAxle to get some different angles, I really needed to sit down for a bit. So a quick refill at Bubbas (yeah, i had brought my Membership Drink Bottle along with the Tupperware), and then I spent about 15 minutes people watching, and riding "Bench: the Ride" and Fiesta has put in at least 50 (or more) new Benches. . . lots of places to sit now. it really is a lovely park! Rested up, I made my way towards my 1 ride goal this afternoon: the Carousel. and I was able to get my "Bowie Bunny" - the White Rabbit with the two colored eyes that I love after my ride, I headed into Sangerfest Halle - reopened after a major refurbishment. . .but still not ALL the options on the Menu just yet. A *lot* of good choices tho. Have to say hello to "Sweet Connie" tho. . over by the restrooms. I'm so happy that Jeffrey Siebert and the Park kept this wonderful mural by the restrooms. (it's actually rather sad how excited I was when he told me she was sticking around. . I love this hooka) the refurb in the hall looks AMAZING. Rather than Food Court style, you now go to registers at the front to order (I assume it will remain this way once the full kitchens are open, and the menus will just offer more options). You put your order in at the front, and they give you a receipt and a "token" that you take down to the back end of the hall, where individual lines are set up for each "token"..and you trade that for your food. Here's the Individual lines: (since I had gotten the Chicken Dinner - which was EXCELLENT by the way, and still eating the leftovers from it today. .it's a LOT of food) - I had the line with the Chicken picture on it) the flooring and new paint in here makes SUCH a difference and the "wall" put in the back - blocking off the Bathrooms - make a big difference as well. . . it's a fantastic open space now! with a lovely fountain in the middle (that many were taking pictures in front of) I'm sitting with my back to the Stage, but behind me is the main performance stage for Sangerfest Halle. and with most of my meal packed up, I ate what I could fit in my belly after full day at SeaWorld, and headed out. I'm back at Fiesta on 4/9, and my Dr. already has my BP meds being adjusted. .so I expect I'll ride the crap out of stuff on that day, and spend much more time in the park. it's one WORTH a lot of time.

yes. . .tho for Passholders, the $80 gets you a lanyard with 18 punches (so bonus 3 punches for Passholders). I used 9 of them. .so I have 9 left on my badge, and I get a 3 punch badge at the Great White Birthday Party I'm going to on 4/10. . so I'll have 12 samples I can get) gonna TRY to use them all, as not sure I'll get to go back later in April. . tho if I don't use them all, I certainly will try to make a trip up.

ABSOLUTELY new park skyline:

Wait to take a look at crowd levels at the actual rides before deciding on Quick Queue - you can always purchase in park if you need it. the only two major rides you'll most likely need QQ for are Wave Breaker (it's a family launch coaster, and as really the only "family coaster" it will get really long lines. . . and Rio Loco whitewater raft ride (especially if it's a hot day). But if you time hitting those rides for when there are major shows going on (the Beluga show, or the Orca show), the lines really die down then. but you might need QQ for those two in particular if you really wanna ride them (Rio Loco *will* soak you.. so either bring a large plastic bag to put your phone/keys/wallet in? or pay for a locker (across from the Entrance). I would be there AT open.. don't wait a few hours. . as the majority of people that go into the park at open? will be there for Aquatica - ESPECIALLY if it's a warmer day. AND, if the lines to get in are too long and you don't want to wait? The Discovery Cove area is to the left of Aquatica (across from the main SeaWorld gates) - and that area opens earlier than the park, so you can go there and see the Dolphins and the large Shark exhibits while waiting for the entrance to the actual park itself to open. SWSA doesn't have all that many rides: 4 coasters (5 if you count the kiddie in Sesame Street land), 3 flats (which are all near each other), and 2 water rides (Rio Loco and Journey to Atlantis - which is basically a Chute the Shoots, but has a fun short "backwards" section). The Sesame Street area has a few more rides, but most all are kiddie (tho I always ride the Carousel there). it's a BIG park, with a lot of space, so expect to do a lot of walking. most of the food for Seven Seas is good to great. . see my review above oh. .and Parking has gotten CRAZY (it's $30 a car now at SeaWorld. . $40 for Up close). so I highly recommend that while you're at the park you upgrade to a Season Pass if you are planning to come back during the next year (SWSA is a year round park). It's only ~$20 to upgrade to a Standard Season Pass on the day of your visit from your day ticket (there's a booth just inside the main gate that can help out there). .just make sure your pass INCLUDES parking (most of them do).

Trip report from Seven Seas Food Festival posted in the SWSA thread!

^ absolutely no idea what you are talking about.

So yesterday, I went up to SeaWorld San Antonio to enjoy the 1st weekend of Seven Seas Food Festival. had a really good time, although dealing with some Med interaction issues, that made me take it pretty slow when moving between Food Stands (resulting in one loop around the lagoon taking ~5 hours to stop at each stand), and tho it was a GORGEOUS day, the ride I did the most was "Bench" Here's how the day went. . and please keep in mind that I didn't try anything from Hawaii, Japan, Italy, or Greece (yet. . was just too full! So those will get tried, along with my favorites from Saturday, when I'm back in 2 weeks to help celebrate Great White's Birthday). let's take a look at the Seven Seas Food Festival at SeaWorld San Antonio! Lovely drive from Austin to San Antonio today. . . SW is a bit further than SFFT for me, so it takes ~1:40 to get there from my house. but I arrived just before opening to a bit of a back up at the parking gates, and a LOT of cars in the lot already. Luckily, because my Season Pass has a hard time reading, the gentleman at the parking booth apologized for the extended wait, and gave me an Up Close Parking pass. I'll take it, even tho a day at SWSA involves a lot of walking anyways - it's a big park! hmmm. . . doesn't look too busy just before opening. oh. . . on the OTHER side of the main arch. yeah. . . Luckily it turned out the vast majority of these folks were either heading to Aquatica, or were going into the SW side for some sort of cheer competition that was taking place at one of the large auditoriums. so it meant that we had lovely weather, and really short lines for both the food, and the rides (tho as noted, I skipped pretty much all rides due to concern about my BP being low) Once the main gates opened, the lines moved fast tho, and before long was at the main Welcome booth - where i decided to wait in the short line to pick up my Seven Seas Food Festival Badge - which would have been WAY quicker, if both registers were only selling that. However, the registers also were selling meal plan. .and almost everyone in front of me were large groups buying meal plan for the day, and unlimited Drink Cups. So . . yeah, that took a while. On the website it notes you can pick up your prebought Seven Seas badge at any booth. . but I only saw one other booth (Korea) that actually had them available, so I was glad I waited here to pick mine up. To be fair, it's the 1st weekend. . I'm sure as it progresses, more booths will have the lanyards/badges available for pickup. one thing I noticed as well. . many folks were paying cash for the daily meal plan. So SWSA is still a cash *and* credit park. once i had my lanyard/punch badge, I headed to Mexico. . where I was meeting up with several folks from the "local" / Texas Based: Thrill Seekers United Group. and my Friend Amy, who had helped organize the casual meet up to tour the world of food, wanted to start at Mexico (I suspect for the Margaritas :p) Unfortunately for me, alcohol is a no-no for me at he moment. But everyone that tried the drinks said they were excellent at every booth. here's the offerings at Mexico: these are the Baja Grilled Shrimp Street Tacos. the shrimp were great, as was the tortilla, but I found the red cabbage way too dry. . I think the fix for that would be to either add more of that Aioli, or toss it in a vinaigrette - or a quick pickle - would have made it better, I think. But it was good. the top are the Chicken Tacos (which I was told were good) and below are the Sopapillas - which I tried one of and were really great. Just sweet enough with the brown sugar & honey, and pillowy soft. this is the Deep Fried Elote - which I was told I must try when I go back (so I will). . it looks great. and below is the Braised Beef taco, which got the comment to "pick off the jalepeno, as they are super spicy" While waiting for some to get Margaritas (with edible flavored straws!), I peeked over a construction fence. what in the world is THIS?? . . .hmmm. . . . we discussed among ourselves, and we think we know exactly what this foundation is for. . but wont' say in public, as we wouldn't want to ruin the park's big 2023 announcement! then it was onward to France! this is the Chocolate Cherries & Cream on the left, and the Caramel Apple on the right. I'm not an apple fan, but was told it was good. The Chocolate Cherry is excellent, but a little bit too sweet for my tastes (tho others with us loved it) the winner of the day for me: the savory Turkey, Mushroom, Spinach and Swiss Crepe. this thing was AMAZING. . .I could have had several more of them. Favorite thing I tasted today, and highly recommended. oh looks. . some of the Countries have entertainment, and some of them have Photo Ops set up. how fun. . I'm in a Seurat painting! (A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte) Seurat, knew a lot, about dots While sitting eating the crepes, we got a lovely view of Steel Eel & Wave Breaker across the lagoon. . look at that Lovely Weather! It got a little warm, but beautiful. (tho by now I was really feeling "off" and knew I wasn't going to be riding anything "extreme" today) Sad that Tidal Surge had very little line, but no way could I chance a ride on it. So I focused on the food, and visiting with friends - which were the main reasons I had come today anyways. onwards to Germany! this is the Beer Braised Bratwurst with Caramelized onions. the Bratwurst itself was very good. The onions simply didnt' have enough to counteract the amount of mustard on this thing, and therefore couldn't really taste them. but the real sad part was the pretzel bun just was not good. . it tasted a bit stale. Top is the Braised Beef Spaetzle, and bottom is the Beer Cheese (without the Onions) the folks who got this said it was "ok" but it doesn't look like a "must try" to me, which is a shame. and this is the Apple Strudel - which I was told was fantastic, and the best offering on the Germany menu (didn't try, as I don't like apples). It's a shame the food isn't as great as I expected, because the German Beirgarten area is fantastic, and was among my favorite "areas" for the festival. Great photo ops we made our way over to Greece next. i was so full. . I knew what I wanted to try here, but my stomach insisted I take a break..LOL So Lamb slider for SURE on my next visit. the Baklava looked SO good. as did that Lamb Slider! and it smelled absolutely wonderful. (the drink behind it is the Sparking St. Tropez cocktail. .that everyone who tried it raved about. Here's the Gyro (also on my to try list. . as was the Shawarma, which no one in our group tried yesterday.. so basically, next time in the park? Greece gets a lot of my punches!) the "entertainment" over here is the living statue. . she was wonderful! and repositioned herself for pictures. . . I love this stuff. I was a bit worn out here, so I rode some Bench: the Ride, while folks went back to Italy (tucked back by Tidal Surge) to sample some deserts (they also offer Flatbreads) so I don't have a picture of that menu, but will get it next time. I really wanted to try the Caramel Chocolate Chip Cannoli, but i was simply too full.. so again, next time! This is the Tiramisu Gelato (told it was very good) and the Frozen Peach Bellini coctail here I am enjoying "bench" and you can kinda see Italy behind me some in the group I was hanging with wanted to go on some rides, since the lines were really light today. . so I found another bench and enjoyed the surroundings. Texas Stingray was a walk on? on a Saturday? and stupid blood pressure.. . I was afraid to ride. most of the group split off with the kiddos to go to the Splash Pad area in Sesame Street. . so I went with Juan and Erika to head to the next booth around the lagoon: Jamaica: Juan got the Curried Chicken Street Patty, and said it wasn't too impressive. I got the Spicy Beef Street Patty, and the Rum Raisin Ice cream. the filling in the spicy beef is incredible. . flavorful and SO good. . but it's severely let down by the bland (and cakey) dough around it. If this had some kind of sauce drizzled over it, I think this would be greatly improved. But as it is, I'd recommend it for the insides only, but otherwise skip. NOT to be missed, however? The Rum Raisin Ice Cream. SO, SO good. The photo op at Jamaica is adorable! I only wish I had a cocktail in my hand instead of Powerade. tho I couldn't do any intense rides, Juan, Erika and I decided to ride Rio Loco. . . I always bring along plastic bags for important stuff to go into on Water rides. . and I put my phone/keys/wallet in that. . but Juan wanted to get a locker. the timing was iffy, as the ride was a walk on. . until a Show let out, and EVERYONE headed here. . luckily Juan got back after only 30 or so folks caused a 5-10 minute wait. Turned out it was worth the effort for him (and Erika's phone too) as the Waterfalls on Rio Loco were on. freezing cold water, dumped directly onto most of the raft - tho I lucked out and only got "moist" For them tho? it was like being directly under a full blast shower. . . so here's the "after" pic To help dry off, we strolled over to Korea to check out the Menu there. the Galbi sounds really good, and is on my list to try. . but the *must get* here is the Black Sesame Ice Cream it's very "peanut butter-y" tasting, with a really pleasant after-taste of nuttiness from the sesame. Recommended. This booth too, has a lovely background for photos. we were SO full. . . but multiple things offered at Japan really had my interest, and I was gonna get something and force it down. in particular, the Tuna Tataki (that's in the pic at the top of the menu) really sounds amazing. And those we saw carrying it? it looks as good as it does in the picture. I'm also a sucker for Gyoza. . . but yeah. . the Japan booth had the longest lines of any we saw all day (it was probably a 15 - 20 minute wait) and as we weren't super hungry anyways? the wait convinced us to keep moving along. Japan is across from Penguin Encounter, and they have some very nice decorations up here. Unfortunately we just missed the Taiko Drummers.. so they are on my list to see next time as well. (we would have hung around and waited, but it was getting close to 4pm by now, and SFFT was calling. .and we still had 2 more booths to stop at!) They even have a Cherry Blossom photo op set up in Japan. lovely. this one is so odd. . . as the rest are all Countries. . but "Hawaii" gets their own Food Stop. Still.. can't argue with the food choices available as pretty much all of it sounded amazing. and I absolutely LOVE that for an extra $5, you can get your cocktail in a Pineapple! Here's the Salmon Poke Bowl, and the Tuna Poke Bowls (from a nice guy who called me "Bro", as in "Sure thing Bro!" when I asked if I could take a picture of his order). . . somewhat appropriate for Hawaii I thought. LOL And the others got the Pina Colada Sorbet. . . which I tried, and must say, it was really impressive. Tart and coconut-y. the Hawaii stop has Totem Poles, lots of thatching. . and, of course, Surfboards. "Bro" as we waddled towards the last booth (actually first booth, we did it backwards by starting at the Mexico booth which is last on the map). . we knew that some of us just had to try the Empanadas. LOL. . Brazil is a food truck. .. but it WORKS! it fits in the area so well.. so Kudos to SWSA for that choice here. This is the Frozen Blackberry Acai and it was also a strong winner. . . tart, and not too sweet, with just the right amount of sour "punch" from the berries. a wonderful palate cleanser. . and I got the Spicy Beef Empanada with Chimichurri sauce flakey, with a wonderful filling. . .it blew the similar presented (but different tasting) street version from Jamaica. SO good, and the Chimichurri was just the perfect amount of spicy/sweet to make a perfect bite every time. I'm eager to try the Chicken & Spinach versions. the Brazil area (where the children's hay maze was for Howl O Scream) is perfectly decorated, with the shady trees wrapped in traditional colors a very "Carnivale!" photo op. . and a show! - that I didn't notice any signage for, but while sitting and eating, they just came out and started performing. Now, were they up to EPCOT level of traditional Brazilian performance? Not necessarily. .but they crooned a good 4-5 songs (including "Girl from Ipanema" and interacted with the guests in the area. . including starting up a dance party for the final song. even coming to join us at our table while singing all in all, it was a fantastic day, even tho I hadn't been feeling 100% (tho the food and hydration helped, and I remained perky for much of it). Highly recommended to check out if you're in San Antonio. . . you'll want to try so many things! in summary: by FAR my favorite 3 of what I tried today (and keep in mind, I didn't try anything from Hawaii, Japan, Italy, or Greece (yet. . was just too full!): 1) Savory Turkey, Mushroom, Spinach & Swiss Crepe in France 2) the Beef Empanada from Brazil 3) the Rum Raisin Ice Cream from Jamaica . . .but also good and I'll try again: the Black Sesame Ice Cream from Korea, the Aciai Berry Sorbet at Brazil, the Pina Colada Sorbet from Hawaii, & the Soppapillas in Mexico.