bert425

really well done design work in several locations. very impressed with what they've done this year!

Thursday - Day 2. The first full day of Con. we got up fairly early, since we had all gone to bed by 11pm (Marce and Neal were already back in the room by the time I got there at 10:30 the prior night) and headed down to Caribou Coffee for the morning pick me up. My go-to is the Turtle Milk Chocolate Mocha hot. Badge pickup started at 10am, but we heard that they had opened a bit early, so we headed over to the Sheraton - along the way bumping into my friend JeanPaul in the Hyatt Lobby, and then my friend Eddie in the mall (where we made tentative plans to go to Vortex on Friday evening - since I usually go with Eddie and Rick and a bunch of dealer friends after the Dealer's room closes (hi Haven, Toni, Casey, Michelle, and Karen) - but none of those dealer friends were here this year so he asked if I still wanted to go). We also bumped into a couple of Marce & Neal's friends too - like I said.. Dragon*con is a HUGE con, but we always seem to bump into our friends. tho funnily enough, never saw a local friend from Austin - whom I almost never see at Dragon*con and didn't see him this year either. . . LOL Oh well, I see him often when I go out dancing in Austin anyways. cutting out the getting the badge info. . but soon enough we saw posted in the Digitribe Discord that Jason had arrived and the suite was open. So we headed back to the Hyatt, and headed into the suite (meeting up with Mike to help bring mixers and alcohol down to the suite - which would be used to make more communal punches this year instead of a "mix your drink at the bar" to help control how much/how many touched the bottles. worked out really well and the punches I sampled thruout the weekend were all pretty good (well. . after the first one, they all tasted pretty good. . LOL). On the way back up to our room to grab the bottles we had bought at the Liquor store for the Digisuite. . and a look at the Dragon*con Badge for this year: (the hearts are a magnet I bring every year to stick on the badge over the name/location info, and the two ribbons are one Neal gave me (Rebel Scum) and one I had made last year (DGAF). . more on the ribbons shortly) the sign on the outside door of the suite. . . which pretty much stays open all day/all night - unless someone has to sleep or go do something the Edicts that invitees to the Dorm of Doom must follow if they wish to remain an invitee into the Digisuite each year (and at the top, the "Wall of Awesome" for those who have donated to help fund the suite each year. . typically a drink is named after each, but again, this year was punches) Gimp Bambi. .I love this shirt, and it's the first time I got to wear it since I got it during Pandemic. Early on Thursday - Digi now set up, and relaxing at the table area in the suite (which had 3 balconies, a large sectional sofa, and bar area) LtR: Neal, Jason, Mike, Marce, Me - and the 1st punch mixed, which I think was a version of Sex on the Beach. LOL. . I actually posted this to my FB saying 1st Morning of official DragonCon successful - got badge, already drinking Pic sent to Nick to show him how spacious the Digisuite is and how safe I'd be in here, as not out among the masses for most of the Con: Jason had brought copies of the Digitribe Book that several folks had put together for them back in 2019 showing the Digisuite at Dragon*con thru the years.. I ended up in some of the pictures: Jason and Mike. . .Babies!! Yup- tis me! cosplaying as Courtney Love in the early 2000's (and yes, I drank the whole bottle of vodka I was carrying as a prop - which I was trying to hide in the pic.. LOL. . not sure why) here I am again. . lower right, in my Super-Hero outfit "the Helping Hand" - that's actually the 1st year I ever met the folks in Digi: I participated in the Masquerade as a lark in this homemade costume - it had a giant hand attached to my crotch that was motion activated and lit up (Anthony Daniels was the host that year (and read what the contestants wrote on the cards while was "modeled for the crowd") and he couldn't even get thru my Masquerade spiel - the moment the "eyeball hand" stated to move and blink? he started Guffawing and couldn't continue reading. . . LOL I believe the text went something like "Evil falls to it's knees, mouth agape, at the sight of the HELPING HAND". . . .but it was a long time ago, so don't really remember I didn't even place, but the audience loved it and blew the doors off the ballroom with laughs and applause. anyways, a Digi tradition is to watch Masquerade as a group on the TV in the room, and Marce happened to have met them earlier that day and was in the room and said "hey, that's my friend Bert". . so they made me a prize in the Scavenger Hunt that year - to find me and bring me to the room. And that's how I met the members of Digitribe. relaxing in Digi at points in 2017 we hung out for a few hours, and when Carling & John showed up with their stuff for the Suite - and a luggage cart, we took the advantage to have Mike recrate an infamous episode from years earlier (if you zoom in, we had him hold the book open to that page. . .LOL) Carling and I on one of the Digisuite Patios John, Rich (who made Digi Facemasks!), and I on the patio we were deciding what to do for lunch/dinner and planned to head down to Sway (in the lobby of the Hyatt). . but due to Covid, many places either weren't open or had opened with only Buffet or limited service for Con-goers (another bonus to leave the con area for Vortex). But Sway was buffet only, and didn't even have the Mac and Cheese that Neal was craving, so we ended up here: SO good. being in the lower level of the mall attached to the hotels, it was busy, but hidden enough that we only waited ~20 minutes. They wanted to put us at a table right in the front, near the entrance, and I resisted that - asking for a table I saw open way in the back corner (seemed a bit safer to remove masks away from a high traffic area) full, fat and happy. . we headed back up to the room to relax for a little bit - it was starting to get too crowded for me to be comfortable even with mask on. the Cult of Jon had started slapping googly eyes on everything in sight, and the memorials had popped up in the habitrail walkway. . so yeah, Con was truly on. Tonight was the biggest kick off party - the Bunny Hutch, and tho we knew it would be crowded, our friend Sarah was going to be one of the go-go dancers at the party, so we had to go back to the room to change for Thursday night anyways. but on the way off the elevator bumped into someone doing droid repair work in the 22nd floor elevator lobby - yay. . .sorta a Costume pic! ok. . about those "ribbons". . a few years ago, Ribbons to attach to your badge became a huge thing. It's not really something I get into, but many folks like to get as many ribbons as they can, and there are "ribbon exchanges" and "Swag & Seek" exchanges that happen all over thruout the con. as noted, some folks really like collecting the ribbons and some have hundreds attached to their badges, and they wrap them around their neck like the 4th Doctor's scarf. I tend to NOT like that, and limit pretty severely what I put on my badge - tho I really do support the ones my friends make (because, of course, they are gonna have similar interests as me, so I'm gonna like em). So here's what my Badge looked like by the time we got back up to the room after Digi & Dinner: ^ and hey! special cameo by TPR luggage handle wrap in this pic so what can I do to stop folks from giving me ribbons? I "made" my own ribbon to stick to the bottom of my "comfortable length" ribbon string. yup, it's a band-aid. and yup, it worked. . .LOL.. no more ribbons offered to me (tho I really should have used a sharpie to put a blood spot on it). ok, showered, changed, and dressed for the Bunny Hutch: but first? it's way too early to go to a party (which is gonna have folks lined up for hours to get in). . so we headed to Digi: where by then, John had shown up! and I got to show off where I put my Cult of Jon Googly Eyes that had been given to me earlier ("hey, my eyes are down here!" is a line that got used a few times - more once I got buzzed) and his wife Bri. who was comfy as a Bat: hanging out for an hour or so, and enjoying the company and the drinks. . I then headed to the Bunny Hutch with my friend David who met me in the Hyatt lobby, and we started the long walk over to the Hilton. Pic from Hyatt Lobby while waiting for David: (that's Elongated Man and Plastic Man. . look! a true costume pic!!!) to get to the Hilton, you have to go thru the Marriott (tho I guess we could have walked outside down the street), which was already getting pretty crowded (way too crowded for my comfort zone) Mask compliance was good, but this was a lot of people - tho WAY less than a regular year Thurs. night would be. It would get more crowded as Con progressed. That giant "sail" is the Pulse Bar. . so eventually mask compliance over here got pretty bad, since everyone was drinking, so you need the mask down. but snapped some pics as we walked thru: and dammit.. got asked if I was "Loki" at least 4 times (and no, that's not "coke" in my bottle.. i was well lit by this point, but didn't stumble once in my boots - which I kept getting stopped and complimented on, and asked where I got them. Prolly shouldn't have even brought them, since they took up a whole suitcase by themselves practically) so we get to the Hilton, and it's close to 11 - the party has been going on for an hour already, and the line for Bunny Hutch goes outside the hotel, down the courtyard, down to the street and all the way back to Courtland street. we totally *could* have waited in line, but with the reduced capacity? I just really didn't want to, since it would take a while to get in the room (which once they cap the room becomes "1 out - 1 in" so instead, David and I wandered the Hilton and back to the Hyatt (where I went back to Digi for a bit). but did take some more pics on the way back: but by ~12:30 I was pooped, and there were no bands playing that I wanted to stay up for - for the most part, very few of the "big" guests cancelled. . but many of the bigger bands did (couldn't get into country, or covid exposure, or some other reason). . so tho very A-Typical for me to go to bed before 4am, I had done so much visiting already in Digi, and no bands I wanted to see? I headed back to the room (Marce and Neal already asleep too. . .yeah, it was a weird ass vibe at the con for the first couple of days) took a shower, and hopped into bed. to be continued. . I even went to panels this year! Bonus pic I forgot to post from the prior night when I passed the Hyatt bar on the way back to the room and spotted Marce/Mike/Neal & Kendra having a nightcap. Kendra had actually tried the Bar's Dragon*con special: "the Unicorn Burger, with Tots that are Magically Delicious" From what several friends who had it said, the burger itself (on a rainbow bun) was quite good. . but the Magically Delicious tots? yeah. .they were tater tots sprinkled with Lucky Charms Marshmallows. as disgusting as it sounds (as you can see the pile of marshmallows remaining on Kendra's plate - and I saw that every time someone ordered it. . . . ewwwww. . WHO thought that was a good idea??)

I can't believe didn't even think to grab a pic. . . sheesh. . sorry! there were way less costumes this year - I think because really no international attendees came (and they capped the attendance to a little less than 1/2 of usual). why are there so few costume pics I have this year? (tho I do have a bunch coming up). . two reasons: 1) I spent so much time in Digisuite I really only went out in the "general" areas for a swing thru in the evening (which is where I got most of my costumed pictures) & 2) as I told a friend who asked me why I hadn't really taken any pics on Wed/Thurs: "I don't need 40 Freaking pics of "Loki" (it seemed a lot of folks were at their 1st Dragon*con, and had an idea to dress up. . and didn't realize that "Loki" isn't all that unique at a larger con. . so there were a LOT of them. More Loki this year than Deadpool, Harley Quinn, and Jon the FedEx guy combined. . .and there were a LOT of those three as well.. . . LOL

they actually have two locations in Atlanta (fairly close to each other). . .the one that always makes it on Food Network/Travel Channel is the "main" one, that's at Little Five Points MARTA stop (2 stops before the Con location) - and is famous for it's giant skull entryway. the location we always go to is the Peachtree location, 3 MARTA stops past the Con location (the Midtown stop), and that is the more *adult* one - even tho both locations ARE adult only, and you must be 21+ to enter, and yes they check IDs. The Peachtree location is more adult because of the Phallus shrine at the entrance, but also because it's more of a "bar" set up at the entrance, and is attached to the Vortex Comedy Club. Typically I eat there at least 3 times during con, tho this year only made it twice. you can certainly tell they have been impacted by Covid - we only waited ~10 minutes for a table on a Friday night during Con (typically it would be an hour + wait), and the stop above was "seat yourself walk in". . . .but they have not down-adjusted the menu at all. And I still say the only burger I've ever had there that was disgusting (but is still on the menu, so SOMEONE likes it) is Fat Elvis. . . I'm sorry, Peanut Butter just doesn't go on a burger! just wait until you see the pic from Friday. . . . it was just a standard pic, until I noticed "the judgment" coming from a gentleman behind me in the pic (who happens to look like Frazier). . I laugh hysterically every time I see it now. come one year to Dragon*con. . you'd prolly love it! and we can all go to Vortex. @IntaminLove. . next year, come with us to Vortex as well. It was nice to meet you. .and for sure a group of us from Queerios (you met some of them on Saturday when you swung by to say hello) are already planning on going to SFOG on Labor Day next year. They were all iffy this year, until they saw my pictures of how dead the park was. Then spent the day texting me how sad they were they hadn't come with

Georgia Scorcher on Monday. . which is running absolutely fantastic. and the recent paint job looks fantastic (which was apparently paid for by a local credit union based on all the wraps and signage all over it)

I'm sure if you scroll, you'll find lots of talks about Knoebels food. .but my top 5: 1) Perogies (from the good stand. . NOT the Round Stand, where they are fried) 2) Cheese on a Stick from Totem Treats 3) Cesari's Pizza (original Slice, not the square) 4) ice Cream from the Old Mill 5) Potato Cake from the Potato Cake stand.

great to see all the NJ parks. . every time I visited my Aunt and Uncle growing up (they lived in Tom's River), we'd go to the shore. Usually Seaside Heights, but also to some of the others you visited (Ocean City was a favorite too). needless to say, they look nothing like they used to when i went with them in my teens. but still wonderful memories brought back. thanks for sharing!

^ LOL . I'm TEASING. it's great tho innit?

Starting off with pics of myself and friends, but I promise will get to the costume stuff. . and to SFOG so. . . after Covid killed off so many plans in 2020, Dragon*con 2021 was actually gonna happen. Dragon*con is a unique convention in that unlike bigger Conventions (like San Diego ComicCon), Dragon*con is "hosted" by 5 hotels in downtown Atlanta, + 4 levels of the Expo Center, 2 levels of the Merchandise Mart, and even takes over the Georgia Aquarium for one night. Because it is hosted by the hotels tho (utilizing multiple grand ballrooms, conference rooms, and event areas), unlike other conventions? Dragon*con runs 24 hours from start on Thursday at 10am until close on Monday at 4pm. That means that at 2am, 3am, 4am, 5am, etc. . there will be multiple things to do: panel, concert, drum circle, dance, rave, performance, anime/video rooms, etc. . . .something that isn't' true of other cons - where once the dealers room closes ~7pm? the con is done for the night unless you've made your own plans to do something away from the convention hall. In 2020, due to the unprecedented health crisis, the State of Georgia issued restrictions that forced cancellation of Dragon*con. DCon actually ignored the "all sales final and non-refundable" fine print, and offered roll-over or refund to those who had purchased badges in 2020. Absolutely not getting political here, but just stating fact, that because Governor Kemp in Georgia refused to issue any mandates as Delta began to surge? Dragon*con was gonna happen this year - even as multiple other conventions/concerts/events around the country started cancelling again. Without any legal shutdown mandate to point to? I believe that if DC did cancel, then likely insurance would not cover them. note: I don't know this, but I do believe it to be true. Anyways, so con was gonna happen. Precautions were put in place: Proof of Vaccine, or neg Covid test (within 72 hours), Masks required at all times in official con spaces (meaning all hotels, exhibitor/vendor hall, gaming halls), reduced capacity (con capped at ~42K instead of the over 85K from 2019), reduced room capacity (chairs spaced out, and only 2/3rds crowd allowed into concerts, dances, dealers room, etc). Less overnight programming (only a couple of things offered instead of many options). They also did not sell 1 day tickets this year, only Thurs/Fri or Sun/Mon. . so no Sat 1 day, which *greatly* would reduce crowding thruout the con on Saturday - which tends to be the day that all the locals swarm DC, due to the Parade Sat morning. I also knew that I have a lovely group of friends, most of them members of a group called "Digitribe" who every year set up the Digitribe Dungeon of Doom - a con-suite that's invite only, where I typically spend a portion of the con, relaxing, drinking, game playing with friends. This year, the head of the group asked that Digisuite be restricted to members only (no guests), and that everyone be vaccinated - meaning that masks could be less restrictive if in Digi. So that made me feel much safer, and I figured I'd be spending way more time in Digi than roaming around the con all hours of the night (as usual) with these precautions in place, and feeling safe enough? I took a deep breath and set off for Atlanta. --> I'm gonna cliff's notes over the horrific week/weekend prior to leaving on Wednesday - when we got a call from my Spouse's Oncologist telling us we needed to rush him to the hospital *NOW* and she had secured him a bed (which was very difficult to do with the hospitals overwhelmed with Covid patients). So he was in Hospital from Friday night until late Monday afternoon.. and was finally able to get him released (with Picc line and daily antibiotic infusiions for the next 8 weeks) on Monday evening. If we hadn't been able to get him out of the hospital? I would not have gone to Atlanta. . but since he was home? I felt ok to leave, and had multiple friends checking up on him while I was gone - as well as talking to him every day multiple times. So the 6 days prior to my leaving were a horror show that left us both stressed the hell out, and concerned, and I didn't' really pack until the day before I left. "Pack" is being kind. . really it was just throwing things into a suitcase, and I figured I'd make "outfits" out of what I ended up bringing. (it did work out OK tho). on Wed I had an early direct flight from Austin and my Spouse insisted on dropping me off at the airport. Really the plane was not full and no issues with Mask compliance at all. We made great time, and I got to Atlanta almost an hour before I had expected to, and before I knew it was off the MARTA and meeting my friends at the hotel (we always stay in a Host hotel. . makes the con so much more enjoyable). Every Year DC chooses a charity, and this year was Big Brothers/Big Sisters Atlanta. One of the events added this year for Charity was a "virtual marathon" where everyone who signed up and donated, would get a virtual runners bib, and an actual "trophy medallion" in the mail. It's a great cause, and a great idea, because with so many unable to attend (due to travel restrictions, or simply feeling unsafe in a crowd of 42K) quite a few folks were going to be experiencing the con thru the virtual streaming option. . and this gave them (and attendees as well) another way to participate. They only wanted 3500 steps tho.. LOL. .we did that the 1st day! we could create our own virtual bib. . so here's mine: Austin airport was dead: and before I knew it? was in Atlanta and in the MARTA on the way to Peachtree Plaza - where the Dragon*con Host Hotels are (Hyatt, Marriott Marquis, Hilton, Sheraton, Westin). Such an easy ride from the airport, and only cost $2.50 (vs an expensive cab ride) a quick check in at the front desk (and some schmoozing to get the "special" stuff we like to have. . a benefit of getting there on Tues or Wed before con? the desk clerks are not frazzled from dealing with so many demands and if you're nice to them (and tip them) you can get all kinds of bonus stuff that others don't end up with access to here's the view of the Hyatt Lobby looking up in the main atrium. . . kinda schmaltzy. . but really. . I took this pic, and felt. . "home" (I've been coming to DC since 1997) I quickly made my way up to the room and my friends Marce & Neal - that would be my home and family for the next 7 days and sent "proof of life" pic home to Nick: it was really early (I think maybe 11), so our first course of business was to head down to the mall (that's between all the hotels) and get some coffee from Caribou Coffee. There's a Starbucks across the street, but for Dragon*con? ONLY Caribou Coffee. .they have some amazing flavors on the menu, do special drinks just for Con, and best part? the owner is a big ol nerd, and each day of con there will be a nerdy trivia question that can save you 10cents off your coffee price..LOL. (on the 2nd day he handed me the ring and told me it was "so heavy" and could I carry it for him? Then he kept track of the answers, and I was one of only 6 that kept the ring for myself. . the others carried it to Mordor to toss in Mt. Doom. . LOL. . he showed me the results the next day) coffee secured, we headed back up to the room so I could unpack, relax, update them on what was going on with my spouse, and plan out the rest of the day. some errands had to be run to fix a phone card (since Marce and Neal are Canadian and she needed to go to a Tmobile store to activate something here in the US). And of course, we had the important need to go hit the Vortex for lunch (a tradition), and by coincidence (LOL) go to the Liquor Store and the Publix next door to stock up the room for the next 6 days. Marce brought along an empty Carryon with wheels - which was perfect for transporting way too much liquor back to the room. a hop on MARTA - 3 stops up at Midtown, and we were at the Vortex. another tradition.. the Phallus shrine. Rub on it for luck. (hey, there's a sign right there explaining it :P) I ignored Marce's advice, and went with what my belly was telling me and got my favorite: Hell's Fury (as described on the menu: Pepper jack cheese, Atomic Death Sauce, habanero relish, and a roasted jalapeño. Not for sissies. ) So good, but boy did it burn (going in and going out if ya know what I mean. . . :P) luckily the Acid Trip (a rum / blue curacao drink I love at the Vortex) helps calm the heat. liquor and snacks bought, we headed back to hotel to relax a bit until Marce reminded us there was a BSG (BattleStar Galactica) meetup at Trader Vics at 5:30. I'm not into that fandom, but I had friends who had been pinging me to see when I'd be in and if I'd be at Trader Vic's on Wed night. There was a big meet up from members of the Queerios Group there too, but I didn't want to eat, having just gotten stuffed at Vortex. . but we changed and headed over that way, and I messaged my friend David & Jesse that we were headed that way. we were on 22nd floor of International tower. . and on the way down, the elevator stopped at 10, and who gets on? David and Jesse. Just the kind of stuff that ALWAYS happens at DragonCon. here was are at Trader Vics and here's how "not crowded" it was on this night. . which is HIGHLY unusual. . this bar area is typically *packed* the night before con start. they had removed many of the tables, but didn't seem to be restricting entry. (tho the lack of tables kept people from standing around long, since not anyplace to put down your drink). Marce & Neal visited with the BSG group, and David and I talked. . but Jesse had disappeared. So I asked eventually where he had gone, and David said he had a group he was meeting on the 5th floor of the Hilton (Trader Vics is in the basement). . . so after a while, I said, let's go up and see if we can find him? so we headed up there and found a small group of nerd-ish guys hanging out. . which eventually turned into a group of about 40 guys, an organizer (she was very nice), and one very pretty goth girl. I whispered to David - it's like an Incel meeting! and it turned out? it was one of the DragonCon singles groups that were meeting up. . . BWAAAA-HAAAA-HAAAAAAA boy. . did *I* stand out among the introverts. I think I kinda maybe took control, and started talking to the goth girl (as guy after guy came over and awkwardly said hello to her). . . LOL. . I got an IM later thanking me for crashing the meetup and saving her from being bombarded by horny boys who didn't know how to express that they were horny. . . . eventually I decided I was tired (and pretty buzzed. . those Mai Tais at Trader Vic are strong), but swung by the atrium of the Hilton - which was themed to Stranger Things (I have pics later on coming up of that) - to see if the traditional "inflatable Dinosaur Dance Party" that happens in the Hilton on Wed night before the con really starts on Thurs was happening. Disappointingly, there was only 1 or two in the atrium. . but then I heard music, and followed it. . to find they had moved the party outside i guess to make it safer - even tho, yes, most of the participants are sealed within their own inflatable dinosaurs. LOL they were having a good time tho: and then it was time to go back to the room and crash hard. . . it was only ~10:30, but I'd been up since 3am. Tomorrow things would really start with the con, and we'd see how weird things were going to feel this year. to be continued. (with some costume pics coming if not in the next update, then soon after)

the moment they pulled out Kangaroo and Bayern Kurve ? this park went from "must do again next time in Pennsylvania" to "eh . . been there, got to ride the unique rides and classics before they retired several of them (including the log flume).. no rush to go back" Would I like to ride Steel Curtain? sure. . but not making a trip just for that.

Just some comments. . as i'll have my report up in the next few days, and i visited just a day (or two?) after you - and had zero lines. (hint: try to visit ON Labor Day Monday. . the park is almost always dead). 1) how did you not know about Monster Mansion? (I guess you ignore me, as I've raved about it as my favorite ride in the park for years - and it's better if you're drunk). I ended up riding it 3 times on Monday Glad you got on it tho. .it's amazing, isn't it. 2) the exact same rides in Gotham were closed on Monday. . so that's even worse to me, as I was annoyed that 4 of the 7 rides (Joker, Harley, Crime Wave, Mindbender) were down when I was there on Monday - with Batman only running one train. To find out it was that way all weekend? on a crowded weekend at that? I would have been really pissed off. 3) LOL. .I took some of the same pics - including that one lonely skyway tower remaining. I dunno why they pulled the other towers but left just that one. very odd. 4) Thunder River was closed too (the entrance is near Pandemonium) which is a shame as it's a raft ride that WILL soak you. It was hot on my day too, and was surprised the water rides were mostly down. the Train too was closed for the season. 5) the small waterpark by Superman IS kinda shitty, and they know it. But it's free with admission. They have zero incentive to improve it as the separately ticketed Six Flags Whitewater is nearby, and that's where they want the guests to go. So as a "freebie" water area? it's not bad - tho SFFT's Whitewater Bay area within the park blows it away in terms of "included waterpark) https://www.sixflags.com/whitewater 6) food lines were pretty horrific on Monday too (with several dining options closed). . . but too bad you didn't eat at Macho Nacho. . it really is the best option in the park. Huge qty of food for the price, that's really decent. 7) up on Carousel Hill (with that stunning Carousel) is a very well done antique Taxi ride - that goes around the hill, and is completely shaded. . it's just lovely. great report, and sounds like you had a good time. Did you not ride Justice League? the SFOG version is a good one with all the effects working. you'll have to go back for Acrophobia, the Train, Thunder River, and the Flume. . they are all really good, and worth the trip. that's why I tend to go every year when I go to Atlanta for Dragon*con.

I'd ABSOLUTELY get FL+ for Sunday. buy it now, online, and even if Sunday ends up being slow? you'll still get use of it. on Sat. evening, just ride things that don't have FL+ access, or flats - hello Cedar Downs racing derby marathon!

Pics of the new trains wasnt open For me but train was on brake run and one of the safety guys gave me the ok to walk up the exit ramp to take pics ill have full tr up in a few days (in airport for flight home now) will fix orientation issues then too

if you get a chance, go to SFFT too tho. . it's my favorite park in the SF chain. (and the "rope drop" here is at either side of Plaza Festivales, and they let you thru the gates an hour before official opening. . so more often than not, both Goliath and Boomerang are running for the hour prior to Rope Drop)

Damn right about that! (or as my Canadian friends would say: "Garwsh darn sure aboot that!:) and with a hidden Mickey too!

^ which park is that?

I don't recall any issues at Fuji-Q when we went in 2019 (in regards to having to get a locker vs using zippered pockets). . but we had such a great day there, maybe I just don't recall? tho I DO remember the ops at Thunder Dolphin in La Qua actually patting some of us down to make sure our pockets were empty

hey, but it was worth it for the kiddo you got as a result, right?

did you mean to post this in SFOT? La Vibora is there, not at SFFT.

Not going into detail here (tho those that are fb friends with me have seen me post on my wall). But yeah. Spouse is in hospital since “emergency call” on Friday to go there NOW we don’t know when he’s going to be released and of course I head to Atlanta for dragoncon wed morning and it’s gonna suck if I have to go while he’s in the hospital. )least of which problem is their he was going to take me to airport on wed ) the whole situation is scary and confusing and stressful so this far this weekend has sucked )but at least been able to stay with him despite Covid restrictions)

Same. (tho see the update I posted earlier this morning on the SF Corporate thread) there's a workaround (costly, but it seems to exist)

^ for the moment, that's exactly what they did. the FAQ mentions "Multi-park" pass in one of the answers, so I suspect eventually that will come back for a premium price. but at the moment, the only way to get all parks in the chain is to switch to Membership.

I shall call this still life: "people shitting on plastic toilets on the beach" It can be the title of the debut album by Murderous Steel.

great pics, and a beautiful park. didn't realize they had so many similar "get in a boat" rides. . LOL. . .but looks like y'all had a fantastic time.

in all seriousness tho. . .Zero-G rolls are on many coasters (most B&M have them, including the Batman coasters that are everywhere). they aren't' scary at all, and are really fun, with a snappy twist that's so fast you don't even notice them other than it flipped you and was fun.