ytterbiumanalyst

^ Yes, it was going bankrupt in the early 90s. That's why the previous ownership was looking for a buyer. Likely if they hadn't found a buyer, they would have sold off all the rides except Timber Wolf (which would have been too costly to move to be worth the effort), and tried to sell the land to a real estate developer. At the time KC's officials thought that growth would be north, but instead it went south and east. A lot of North KC is sparsely populated with massive freeways as a result of this botched city planning. So the chances of a real estate developer purchasing a plot as large as Worlds of Fun in that location is very unlikely. Therefore, we're it not for Cedar Fair, the park today would be Timber Wolf rotting in a field all by itself.

^ That long ago.... I swear, everything from 2007 to 2011 is a blur. Having kids will do that. But thanks for the expanded list. Dollywood has been investing heavily for about a decade, and it's paying off. If HW is consciously avoiding body slides, what about that looping raft slide prototype we saw a few months ago? That would certainly turn some heads.

Don't forget Mystery Mine in 2010. That one wasn't cheap either. They've been adding huge new rides every other year for a while now. I agree that HW's next move will likely be a waterpark expansion. Thunderbird will be enough for coaster fans for a while, so I don't see them immediately building another coaster. They just don't do that. They have a very rounded ride collection to appeal to families with varied interests. That's their big selling point, and they're not about to lose it. But since the waterpark has virtually all the popular slide types, about the only thing they could build is a drop capsule slide, or else something unheard of.

It's all about personal preference. Some people just don't like spinning or rotating like that with a frisbee ride (even though it's not a fast spin) so they are more likely to prefer a Screamin' Swing. I've been on 2 Screamin' Swings and one frisbee ride, and I prefer the Screamin' Swings. Frisbees were my favorite flat until I rode Barnstormer at Dollywood last year and I normally don't like rides that spin (diskos make me nauseous for example). I think it was the airtime I get on the SS and they didn't have OTSRs like the frisbee I've been on (Rattler @ Wild Adventures). Exactly. I've been on a Frisbee (Revolution at SF Great America) and I thought it was okay but not great. I can take light spinning like on diskos and wave swingers, so the spinning didn't really bother me on Revolution. It just wasn't all that fun to me. The Screamin' Swings, though, are amazing. It's like the first drop of a coaster about 8 times in a row. I love feeling like I'm falling straight down. And airtime on a flat ride is almost unheard of, but the Screamin' Swings deliver. They're great rides; more parks should have one.

^ Cedar Fair buying it was the best thing to happen. Without that, Timber Wolf would be rotting alone in a field today.

^ Ranger Pilots was closed when we were there May 2-3.

^ Really? Wow. My last visit was July 2014, so that information was from that visit. Thanks for the update.

Holiday World, for Holiwood Nights!

Just to be clear, at Chicago (Great America), the waterpark is NOT included with general admission but is a $5 upcharge. At St. Louis it's included.

^ Thanks, good to know. We'll be employing the parent swap, then.

^ Love the commercial! And in 10 days I'll be on this beautiful beast. Who else is getting really excited for Holiwood Nights?

^ Honestly, I'm disappointed that it's only going to be 1/3rd redone. I'd rather they have it shut down all year and really redo it right. I'm sure, though, that they got as much as GCI could do this year. Hopefully they simply make this a multi-year project, like RMC did with the Boss, and in a couple more years it's awesome again. Timber Wolf really is a great design; the roughness is (was?) its only problem.

You may not know, but is the ride requirement straight-up 42", or is there a lower limit if riding with a parent? Our youngest is 39" right now.

Thunderation this afternoon.

^ SDC is a weird place as theme parks go. A lot of their festivals are focused on music, and at those times, the crowds are there for the music, not the rides. Parking can be out to the overflow lots and the rides are still walk-ons. Really, the Bluegrass festival is a great time if you're there for the rides, for exactly that reason. The "main event" for BBQ is located at the Red Gold Heritage Hall, which is next to the Grand Expo. It will be open all day, so don't try to go around noon, as the line for it then is often all the way out to Echo Hollow. Wait until later in the day; if you go about 4-5, you'll get right in. They have many different vendors with just about every style imaginable, so you'll find something you like. The food is very good and reasonably priced around $10. SDC's food in general is much lower priced and much higher quality than your typical theme park. As for the rides, hit Firefall first if you're interested. The line only gets longer as the day goes on. Then on to Outlaw Run, Powder Keg, and Wildfire, in that order. By that time the water rides should be open (they open an hour after the park in the spring), so if the forecast is anywhere over 80 degrees, do American Plunge next. It's right next to Wildfire, and features a 50-foot drop. They've let the animatronics go in recent years--uncharacteristic for this park--but the drop is amazing, and you will get soaked. After that, go to Lost River, as the line can be over an hour later in the day. It's one of the better Intamin raft rides, and low capacity with six-seat boats. Hit it early. You can really do what you want the rest of the day; nothing else will ever have a long queue. Fire in the Hole is a unique dark ride/coaster that you should not miss. Thunderation is the best mine train I've ever been on, and is certainly one of the best anywhere. Tom and Huck's River Blast is a very fun splash battle, and usually has quite a few people around the ride who will be happy to hose you. Flooded Mine is an old but wonderful shooting dark ride built totally in-house. But the one absolutely not-to-be-missed attraction is Marvel Cave. It is the reason for the park's existence, and is still the focus of attention. Make sure you allot an hour for the cave. You will not regret it. Welcome to the Ozarks. Have fun!

Of the ones I've been on, these are the best: B&M - Batman Intamin - American Eagle RMC - Outlaw Run

Silver Dollar City is the only place you can ride an S&S launch and an RMC.

Do they still route the Entrance and Exit through that games area? That never made sense to me. Then to leave the first Queue Station abandoned, why?? If they were going to remove it for a new Flat or something then I would understand, but I imagine it is still there serving no purpose. The exit has always gone through that games area. They moved the entrance there for ADA. It bypasses the stairs at the beginning of the old queue; the rest is all ADA-compliant ramps. The stairs at the exit couldn't be modified because the transfer track is so close, so moving the entrance was the only option.

You are correct. I witnessed that yesterday, and I don't think I have ever seen it before. The crew was working so fast. It was really awesome to see. The park's operations in general were great this past weekend. I frequently saw crews of 4-5 on the coasters, and the only times I saw stacking were when a guest had to take the walk of shame.

^ If you'll be there in August, then yes, on any day of the week. If Goliath is your goal, you'll need Platinum.

Batman 5 times. The best way to end a great weekend.

I got that impression overall today. I appreciated the new paint on rides I didn't expect to see it, like Joker. It did seem like a lot of rides were down for maintenance, though. Several in Bugs Bunny NP, and RKMT was down all three times we tried to ride it. On the positive side again, Tsunami Soaker was running this afternoon! So much fun.

Trailblazer Pass won't be necessary. Remember that SDC only has four major coasters, so the pass isn't as big of a deal as it is at other parks. Plus, the crowds that the Country Music Festival attracts typically aren't going to be interested in coasters.SDC is weird in that it can be packed yet have no wait for rides. When you come, do not skip the cave. It's the whole reason for the park's existence and plays a huge role in the back story of nearly every ride. Do the lantern tour if you get the chance. It's SDC's one and only up charge attraction, and I believe it's about $8. They only do the lanterns on the last tour, so get your tickets early as it does sell out. If you can't make it, the regular tours are free and are held every 20 minutes throughout the day.