bert425

^ so lots of weekends blacked out, but that makes tons of sense. . if the locals are the main target for these (in particular the Imagine key), then they would/could go during the week in the evenings anyways. if I lived closer to CA, I'd be very very tempted to go for the top tier. But as is, we haven't been to CA in over a decade. . so it's time for a standard visit anyways. (and if medical issues keep happening, we might be doing a LOT of traveling in the next year).

^ that's actually. . . pretty great! a nice compromise, and I really like the "tiered" approach - similar to the Memberships that Six Flags does.

been getting some really bad health news (my Spouse, not me). . and we moved my Dad into assisted living (against his will), and spent weekend in Houston trying to sort / clean his house so we can sell it (hoarder crossed with collector, but he hasn't touched anything in over 4 1/2 years since my Mom died. . so yeah, it was / still is pretty bad). so even tho my Brother is doing most all of the Heavy lifting with Dad (he lives in Houston, and moved Dad to a place a few blocks from him) I'm so stressed. . can't stop eating, and prolly put on 10 lbs in the past 2 weeks.

the lighting effects on "windbreaker" are amazing tho

wrapping up the TR with a post of the swag gotten. Got up to the sound of rain and discovered the storms had moved in. I put my bag in the car, and after a quick breakfast in the Hotel, did the slow drive (in POURING rain) back to the airport to return the rental car. Amazingly, didn't get lost once, and was able to easily follow my printed out directions (again, hey! I'm old) to get to the car return, and was thru airport security quickly and began my ~2 hour wait at the gate. for the most part was uneventful, although there was one woman (and I'll bet you can guess hair color, skin color, and what 2020 Presidential Candidate T-shirt she had on) who *refused* to keep her mask on while in the Terminal, despite multiple gate agents asking her to, and getting on the loudspeaker over and over. She sat and "ate" popping one candy into her mouth at about every 3 minute interval, to keep the mask off, and the gate agent eventually had enough, and called the TSA to the gate - who spoke to her, and then she put her mask on, and I didn't see her the entire flight, so I guess she stopped causing trouble). just as we were about to board, TSA showed up at the gate, and set up on the walkway and there was an announcement that everyone needed to take out their ID, and that they would be randomly checking bags and pulling folks aside to do further checks. This was very odd, because we had all gone thru TSA screening to get into the terminal (although I did realize at this point that I had forgotten to take my belt off at the main Security, and no one even questioned it). But yeah, this had nothing to do with that woman above..think it was more about our flight was headed to Denver, and the All Star game was about to happen. . .so guess they were being extra careful. we had a bit of a delay leaving Denver for the flight to Austin, but nothing crazy, and the moment we landed and phones were out of Airplane mode, I texted Nick and told him I just landed. He responded with: leaving house now, be there soon. now. . we live ~45 minutes from airport. I was flying with carryon only. I was gonna be out at the curb in 10 minutes as I didn't' have to wait for luggage. I'd been traveling all day, and really hadn't eaten all day, and now was sitting by the curb in the Texas heat/humidity and car fumes from airport pickup. yeah. . wasn't in the best of moods. Luckily, Nick made pretty good time, so was only out there ~25 minutes. He could tell I was crabby tho, so offered to stop on the way home for some Tex Mex at our favorite spot in Austin, Serrano's. now, I hadn't gotten a chance to try the skyline chili (I just wasn't hungry when it was available), nor the cinnamon or pull-apart breads at Kings Island (all the more reason to go back next year). . .but I certainly was up for some excellent Tex Mex. so before even getting back to the house: Jalapeno rellenos (Jalepeno stuffed with cheese and deep fried) YUMMMMMMMM and for my main? a stuffed Chicken Burrito smothered in chipotle salsa and jalepeno ranch (and yes, about 1/2 of it made it home). but y'all don't wanna see the Tex Mex I ate once back in Austin. . y'all wanna see what swag i got at the park! ok: Tshirts: LOVE this one. .it's sorta tie die, but in darker colors. my favorite of the many Orion shirts offered. . not surprised it's sold out online, and they only had some weird sizes in store (tho the lady went back and found one in the size I needed) got this one for Nick. (I didn't get any "logo" shirt for me, only because I already had the anniversary shirt/pin I had bought before going, and the KI Coasterstock shirt) tho I did get this one too. . I couldn't pass up how great the Pink looked (!) and again, she found the size i needed int he back. i also picked up a bunch of magnets: this one is a lenticular 3D of the Beast, that moves when you tilt it. This one has a 3D element (Coaster track) this one spins in the center! the only things I was really wanting that I was sad I was unable to get? the Kings Island Exclusive Squishmallows. I had seen Robb & Elissa (with KidTums) pick up some of em, and SO wanted a couple. In particular, I wanted the Beast and Orion, and was interested in Diamondback after riding and loving it. the Flying Pig was cute, but didnt' see how that tied to Kings Island, and really didn't care one way or the other about the Blue Ice Cream. but when we went to the Squishmallow store at the front gate, we found it was closed down, and directed folks looking for Squishmallows to go to one of the entry plaza stores. . so we headed there, only to be told they were sold out of all the Kings Island specific ones, but they still had some "regular" ones. i was disappointed, but figured it was not meant to be. cut to ~1 week ago, and Don sent out to the Coasterstock FB group, a link promoting Racer T-shirts at the online store. out of curiosity, I went and looked, and although I didn't need any more shirts. . I noticed the online store has a tab for Squishmallows. . . . and they still had 3 of the 5 for sale. -- and meant to be? the two I wasn't' interested in were sold out, but they had available the other ! they just showed up today (a highlight in an otherwise *incredibly* shitty day .. no really, typing this up is a nice distraction). oh, and since i was in the store anyways? I had to justify the shipping, right? so picked this up too: Looks really interesting, Evan (@RideThroughTime) and can't wait to read it! all in all, a great trip, and look forwards to possibly doing it again next year!

it's VERY much like Jeffrey Siebert tho . . he's done some AMAZING things since he's been Park President.

I'd guess for clearances needed for the trains. . . because that is a pretty tight space in the center of the park there. as to Dr. Diabolical. . yeah. . not that 1-off character (certainly not form Inferior 5, which was a humor comic). I didn't realize he was making a joke...thought he was serious in thinking it was based on something DC. Comic fan here since I was 5, and I'm a DC fanboy.

for those who wanted the limited edition Squish-mallows - that are sold out in the park (and the Squishmallow store at the gate is shut down). . . some of them are still avail. at the online KI store. i was disappointed during my visit ~2 weeks ago, that I missed the opportunity, but was able to get Orion, Beast, and Diamondback from the online store (they are sold out of Blue Ice Cream and flying Pig. . but I got the 2 I really wanted (Beast and Orion) and grabbed Diamondback too ) sharing for those who have been looking for them!

might be a good time to visit the park - if the expected crowds (it was expected to be PACKED) don't show. this was supposed to start tomorrow and run for 10 days, so kinda shocking they pulled the plug the night before (gotta wonder if something else is going on and they are pointing blame?) CELEBRITY FAN FEST IS CANCELLED Last night at approximately 7:30pm CST, we were formally notified by the talent representatives of Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen that both celebrities were cancelling their appearance at Celebrity Fan Fest due to the “recent spike in COVID cases and the aggressive nature of the Delta variant …..” Owen Wilson also cancelled for unclear reasons. The loss of all three Celebrity Fan Fest headliners forces us to cancel this year’s show. The overwhelming majority of all 2021 Celebrity Fan Fest attendees were linked to those three celebrities and without them attending, fans would not attend. This led to the very tough decision to cancel the show. Here is what all fans/purchasers can expect: 1. All Celebrity Fan Fest purchases of admission tickets and passes, autographs and photo ops will be 100% refunded within 30 days. 2. Six Flags Fiesta Texas will still grant any Celebrity Fan Fest admission ticket holder access into their park FREE of CHARGE from Friday July 30th through Sunday August 8th. Please visit the Celebrity Fan Fest table inside the theme park security gate, show your Celebrity Fan Fest admission confirmation email and we will issue your free admission ticket.

^ no pic of you with the Alveys? but nice pics otherwise.

While I don't understand either of them. . . I think I enjoy the dude who tries, but never quite succeeds in writing in "Haiku" format, more than I like Carol's attempts.

someone on the FB group actually was so excited by this announcement that they wondered out loud what the "big" announcement from SFOT would be. I'd think it will be "Aquaman PowerSplash" , no? LOL

DC character?

silly. . I saw him. I was just commenting she sang GaGa to close out the presentation. they then all went out front to pose with park attendees today. . . in the Texas heat - in leather and vinyl. I hope they got double pay!

the ride looks AMAZING . . but I had been expecting something more heavily themed. Tho I'm sure the station will have a lot of theming. and then . . . something has been noticed on this picture. the queue is feeding thru this building. . . . so are we looking at a heavily themed indoor portion of the queue? I'll bet we are! Probably Doctor Diabolical's lab.

she closed out the event singing Lady Gaga. . . no really!

I wondered that too. . but think they just only had space for it in the center of the park. . the quarry walls are all taken up by Supes, Iron Rattler, and Roadrunner.. so the only option was over on the Boardwalk. . and I'm hoping that area is being "saved" for an eventual out and back woodie?

someone has already referred to it as a "family" coaster, because 150' is not a big enough drop. . .

Six Flags Fiesta Texas has sent us a press release announcing their new B&M Dive Coaster, Doctor Diabolical's Cliffhanger! Six Flags Fiesta Texas, The Thrill Capital of South Texas, today unveiled plans to debut the world’s steepest dive roller coaster—Dr. Diabolical’s Cliffhanger. This exhilarating new dive coaster features a cliffhanger hold, which suspends riders as they face straight down a 95-degree, beyond-vertical drop, then releases them moments later into a terrifying 150-foot dive. “Six Flags Fiesta Texas continues to push the limits of thrill and innovation as we prepare to introduce the world’s steepest dive coaster during our 30th anniversary season,” said Park President Jeffrey Siebert. “Dr. Diabolical’s Cliffhanger joins an already stellar lineup of record-breaking roller coasters, rides, and attractions. With eight intense elements including dramatic inversions and extreme airtime, it will quickly become a fan favorite,” added Siebert. As guests enter the ride queue, they will be immersed in the story of Dr. Diabolical and her evil quest to create menacing creatures to frighten the world. To give her creations life, Dr. Diabolical constructed a machine to capture the essence of human adrenaline and fear. Dr. Diabolical’s Cliffhanger features three 21-passenger trains that keep the adrenaline flowing as riders reach a height of 15 stories, then pause face-first before diving at 60 mph and flying through a variety of high-thrill experiences. Key features of Dr. Diabolical’s Cliffhanger include: Three sleek trains with three rows of passengers, seated seven across; 2,501 feet of soaring track; Thrilling anticipation while the ride vehicle pauses in a face-first cliffhanger hold before plummeting 150 feet; Spectacular, beyond-vertical, 95-degree first drop; A second 75-foot, near-vertical drop; An Immelmann inversion, during which riders enter a half-loop, followed by a half twist, then exit the element traveling in the opposite direction making a 180-degree turn; Four intense elements, including an extreme airtime hill, wild-banked turn, high-speed spiral, and 270-degree zero-g roll; Speeds of up to 60 mph; Immersive steampunk theming that tells the story of Dr. Diabolical’s plot to harvest fear; and Dr. Diabolical’s Cliffhanger is a custom-designed roller coaster created by Bolliger & Mabillard. Riders must meet the 52-inch height requirement. Dr. Diabolical’s Cliffhanger was announced during the FT92 Fan Event, and will debut in the summer of 2022 during the park’s 30th Anniversary season. It will be located in the Crackaxle Canyon Screampunk District. For more information about Dr. Diabolical’s Cliffhanger, and all the exciting events planned for the 30th Anniversary season at Six Flags Fiesta Texas, visit https://www.sixflags.com/fiestatexas/new-experiences. Bert is at Six Flags Fiesta Texas today sharing details from the announcement as they are released: Will update in a moment. . but it's a B&M dive coaster! "Doctor Diabolical's Cliffhanger" Special built with tons of custom elements - and he referred to it as a record breaker. and also specifically mentioned B&M is doing custom trains (I believe he said 7 across) for this ride. He showed an animated video. . which I'm sure will be online very quickly, if not officially from TPR. . .but here are some stills from the presentation. and the host character is "Doctor Diabolical" who wants to harness your terror for her elixir. Doctor Diabolical: Name reveal then Jeffery teased two versions of Dive Coasters. . .each one bigger than the next. . until the final reveal: Nope: Nope HOLY CRAP !!!!

watching the live stream now. . . he's talking about Frightfest stuff (not to the new ride). . but confirmed new Logo for Poltergeist, and that the queue will now have an indoor and AIR-CONDITIONED element. the theming of the stage is VERY steam-punk circus. . we shall see when they announce! Forgot to come back and post this: new Poltergeist logo:

oh, and if you're not part of TPR's Facebook group, you should TOTALLY join: https://www.facebook.com/groups/themeparkreview unlike the message boards here (which I LOVE, dont' get me wrong) the FB group has a lot more "real time" interaction, with many folks who are not forum members here (tho a lot of us are at both places). that will help out when you feel out of sync, because you can almost have real time conversations on the FB page.

that's the thing about being part of the LGBTQ community. . you get to choose your family. yes, it's nice to be close to blood relatives, but if you don't see eye to eye? move somewhere and become part of a community that won't judge you (or more accurately, you WILL be judged, but it doesn't mean that you won't be welcomed and supported regardless )

^ wow. . tho not surprising that word has gotten out that you NEED a FP to have a good day most times now, so of course they are gonna increase cost. they gotta recoup lost 2020 $$ somehow.

I love it. .thank you Zach!

LOL. . he doesn't come here tho, does he? he'll never see it. . .