ytterbiumanalyst

^ I knew you don't actually work for Six Flags. No one who works there gives a sh*t about temperature restrictions.

^^ I'm sure he's going to secure it properly. Someone who is trained in gun safety and works with guns every day isn't going to do something dumb with it. And this is the American South and Midwest we're talking about. It's not like this will be the first gun we've ever seen in a vehicle. Probably not even the first one that day. Yeah, opportunistic theft happens anywhere, but trust me, there are waaaay easier ways to get a gun than to steal one from a police officer on vacation.

We're seriously considering Orlando for our 2020 vacation (finally!). I'm not sure where to ask, so figured this was a good spot. What things on I-Drive are worth doing? We're definitely hitting Universal, Sea World, and Fun Spot. Looking to add a couple of days of non-theme park stuff. We live near Branson, so anything that's here isn't worth it to us (like Titanic and WonderWorks).

Since you'll be in the South and the Midwest, I doubt you'll have an issue with a gun in the car. It's extremely common around here. Yes, you will have to leave it in the car while in the parks, as none of the Midwest parks allow them, but also the culture around here is very accepting. Most states don't require a permit, and the few that do will accept an out of state permit. You are correct that your only issue will be the border crossing. Unfortunately I can't help you with that, as I've never taken a gun into Canada. Hopefully one of the Buffalo locals can recommend a storage place.

^ Isn't federalism great?

Yeah you're generally just fine with an American credit card in Canada. Like in the US, there are very few cash-only places anymore. Be sure to call your card issuer before you go so they don't put a hold on your card when a transaction comes through from Canada.

I like that you have 3 days in one place halfway through. On a road trip, it's important to recharge. You are doing a little backtracking in IN/OH, but I'm not sure how you hit Indiana Beach without backtracking. It's a fun place, you should go there once. Budget is going to be important here. You're going to spend a lot on gas, more than you think you will. Canadian gas is much, much more expensive than in the US, often more than $1/liter. Customs shouldn't take very long, they will just ask you a couple of questions about where you're going an how long you'll be there. Answer truthfully and give them your passport. They'll run the passport through their system, not sure what they look for, maybe that you're not wanted in Ontario or something. They may search your trunk, but should be 5 minutes or so with the customs official. The main source of delay is how many vehicles are at the customs point, since it's going to be about 5 minutes for every vehicle in front of you.

Fun Spot has season passes for $76. Less than 2 days or 3 evenings there.

The main problem would be that the mall is pretty hard to compete against during the Christmas season.

Going to be watching this closely. Would be a good excuse to go back to Dollywood. We loved DreamMore, excited to try this new hotel also.

Wow, very cool to see Mt. Shasta!

Wow, that's really impressive. Thanks for the write up; I wouldn't have thought to seek this out otherwise.

Looks like a fun place! That UFO noodle place sounds so great. Springfield finally got a ramen & yakisoba restaurant a couple of years ago, and man, the fresh stuff is so good. The Yomiuri Giants play in the Tokyo Dome, though.

It's fine, but it's twice as much as the cheap hotels in Dale and it's not twice as good. It's within walking distance of Holiday World, but that's not really a perk since parking is free anyway.

It's almost as tall as that tree!!!

^ That is really good. Should make for awesome night rides too.

That's great! I don't like the ride personally, but it looks awesome lit on the hill. ...And so do I.

I've never traveled first class, but I have traveled in economy on the Texas Eagle (Chicago-San Antonio train). We ate breakfast in the diner once, still one of the best meals I've ever had. I remember it being a little on the high side but not terribly expensive. The food is legit good on the long-distance trains. Shorter ones like the Missouri River Runner (Kansas City-St. Louis) have microwaved meals that are...um...not worth it.

Didn't they also close at like 8 or 9 PM too though?

QFT

I've never regretted buying FL+. There really isn't a slow day at Cedar Point. Even when I've been on weekdays in June, I've still seen lines of 30-40 minutes that became walk-ons or close to it with FL. That's completely worth it.

Woohoo! IAAPA time! That Iron Gwazi car looks incredible. Lots of other cool stuff too. Thanks for the coverage!

Great conclusion to a great trip!

Glad you got to see Krakow! That castle is really impressive. I always enjoy walking around a European city; they're just so different from what we have here. I mean, it's not Prague or Paris...but still pretty cool.

Just got caught up on this report. Thanks for the in depth report on the Tobu Zoo. I knew about the rides, but it looks like a rather nice zoo in general.