ytterbiumanalyst

All 5 of those are new to me, and I plan to do a TR on each of them.

Coastermania trip! Kentucky Kingdom 6/1 Kings Island 6/2 Cedar Point 6/3 Michigan's Adventure 6/4 Indiana Beach 6/5

Thunderation!

^ And the list is only 60% new roller coasters. Sounds about right for CNN.

Yeah, 47 1/2" kid. When he gets that last half inch, he will absolutely be initiated.

I had the best day ever at SDC today. My son and I both had doctor's appointments this morning, so I took the day off work. Once the appointments were done, we headed to Branson for some fun. Forecast was for scattered thunderstorms at SDC, but there wasn't a drop of rain all afternoon. Instead, we were treated to light crowds, short lines, and plenty of BBQ! We arrived at 1 and headed straight for Powder Keg. Running 2 trains and on in 15 minutes! After sweating through that line in the very humid heat, we needed some cooling off. The Lost River and American Plunge both were sporting lines around 30 minutes, so we opted for River Blast. Ten minutes later, we were being shot with water guns. That ride is a capacity monster. It's very popular, but you'll never wait long for it, ever. Also helps that they have a separate line for 1-2 riders (the only "single rider line" in the park), so you can often skip the already very short main line for groups of 3-8 and get on almost immediately. Newly refreshed, it was time for more coasters. We went to the Grand Expo to get the all-important height check wristband (my son is 47 1/2"--ah, ever closer to that magical 4 feet, but not quite there yet). We rode Grand Expo coaster (15 minute wait) and Wave Carousel (walk-on!), then left that area. Next up was Thunderation and a check at Roller Coaster 9. New markers for the columns are evident from Thunderation's queue (photo follows the report). Running one train, 2-train wait the first time, 1-train wait the second, both rides in middle rows. All this happened in 2 hours. Yep. Awesome day. About this time we headed back to the square for the rib buffet at Reunion Hall. It was awesome! Next to Christmas, Bluegrass & BBQ is my favourite event of the year. After eating all the ribs we could eat, it was time for more rides. We went to American Plunge (20 minute wait) and were successfully plunged. And we're Americans! Mind. Blown. On to Fire in the Hole for a back row ride (10 minute wait) and then Lost River (walk-on!). We finished up with the Flooded Mine twice in a row, then a back row ride on Thunderation, leaving about 5:30 with a very happy kid.

I can help with SDC and HW. I haven't been to the other three (but going to Kings Island and Cedar Point next week! ) SDC- Get the Trailblazer Pass. Saturdays in the summer are incredibly busy, and it's going to be the only way you're going to get to do everything. The regular one lets you skip the line 8 times on 8 rides, but it's not one per ride. For example, Thunderation usually doesn't have long lines, but it is on the Trailblazer Pass. You can choose to wait in Thunderation's line and use the Trailblazer Pass twice for Outlaw Run. The higher tier is unlimited entry to those eight rides. If you want to do each coaster multiple times, choose that; otherwise, the lower tier should be fine. All the food at SDC is good. That's no exaggeration. They're best known for their skillets, so if you want the quintessential SDC experience, go for one of those. They're located near Wildfire, Thunderation, and Lost River. Crossroads Pizza is excellent, as is the BBQ place near Lost River. Just get whatever catches your eye; you can't go wrong really. The cave has tours every 20 minutes all day, and you can reserve a special Lantern Tour, which is the last tour of the day (usually about an hour and a half before park closing, but with the park open until 10 that day, it's likely going to be around 6:30 or so). Just hit up the cave tour desk in the Hospitality House to make a reservation for the tour. The Lantern Tour is very special and very much worth the upcharge of $8. Other tours are included with admission and are first-come, first-serve. HW- Mammoth and Wildebeest are absolutely phenomenal, and do not dare skip those. They are as good as or better than the coasters. Zoombabwe and Bakuli are also very good. One thing that I particularly like about Splashin' Safari is that (other than the mat racer) they have only tube slides. I've always been more of a fan of tube slides than body slides, so that's great news for me. Keep in mind if you're a single rider, ask them to pair you with another rider or a group, and they'll make arrangements so you can ride. They're awesome about this. Do the waterpark first, then the coasters after that. Most people do the reverse, so that will keep lines shorter for you. They have a lot of good flats, too, and a great variety. Whatever you're into, they'll have something for you. Have fun!

Yeah, man. Don't be a sheeple. Non GMO is the way to go. Once you've seen free range Takis frolicking in the fields, you'll never go back to your old ways. Fight the corporate government mind control!

Alec Baldwin's house. Alec was outraged and reacted by...

Yeah, man, that's why I only get the organic free range Takis. Totally worth the drive out to the Takis farm just to see their beautiful smiling faces as they roam free, singing and dancing. They cost a bit more, but what wouldn't you pay to make sure Takis have a happy life?

Having a new ride open on opening day is definitely the exception.

^ And Monster has been advertised as opening in June, so it's still on schedule.

I really like this location for a new coaster. That whole area needs a refresh. Other than the food stalls, there's not a whole lot over there, and it's really awkward to get in and around Thunderation. A new coaster means a refresh of that plaza, which will likely be shared. Remember that Thunderation was SDC's first big roller coaster, and the kinds of crowds they had in 1993 are nowhere near the level they have now. That area is sorely over capacity and can really stand a redesign.

I'm going to be here in about a week and a half, and I'm not opposed to getting a Fast Lane to get time in the waterpark. I know I like Tornadoes. Sell me on the rest of the waterpark. What else is worth getting a Fast Lane to ensure I get time to ride?

^ That's fair. I'm always amazed when I go elsewhere that their coasters tend to be longer than the ones at SDC. I always come back to a bias, though, that I prefer shorter, more intense coasters to ones that are longer and meander. You can always ride a second time!

Spinning Dragons.

Yes, weekday saver is the best one-day ticket price available. I don't think you'll need Fast Lane. The only major addition since '14 is Steelhawk, but being from L.A., you've probably ridden it already. So, assuming you want to ride the 4 unique coasters (I can't imagine anyone really wanting to ride Boomerang or Spinning Dragons more than once), then you'll be fine. You can get Fast Lane if you want to marathon Prowler, but you should be able to do it a few times regardless.

In my experience, they open just one side at first, but later in the day run both. This is based on a two-day visit on weekdays in July.

While it is possible for Jesus to be everywhere at once, there are some places he doesn't want to be. That's why he has Flat Jesus.

Iowa has a rather famous boat.

Rather bullish subtext there.

Ben Folds and y Music at the beautiful Gillioz Theatre in Springfield last Saturday. One of the best concerts I've ever seen. Eight absolutely brilliant musicians playing rock, jazz, and some experimental music as well. My parents watched the kids for us, so it was a wonderful way to spend our 9th anniversary.

Worlds of Fun this Sunday.

Great trip report! Fire in the Hole has had a Dalmatian for a few years now. The kids always love petting the dog while it's in the queue. Oh, and bad move skipping the cinnamon bread. Never skip the cinnamon bread.