HWFan

There aren’t any plans for the amphitheater to be demolished anytime soon that I’m aware of. I do, however, know that the park is committed to finding events that continue to appeal to the Christian music fans, along with a longer festival towards the end of the summer.

Yes. As long ad the coaster can actually make it around the circuit, they'll run it. Last time I was there American Thunder barely had enough to male it to the brakes, but it did make it, so they loaded it up and sent it again! Expect everything scheduled to be open to run. Just wanted to jump in and say that it might be best to ask the park about running rides in temperatures below freezing. While it depends on the coaster, some could start closing when it hits 32 or even earlier depending on different factors. Maybe try giving Guest Relations a call for some more information or coming to the park with the mindset that some rides could close. Either way, I'm sure you'll have a great time, but I still don't want you to be dissappointed. I never thought of that, but how cool would that be! The only issue I could see would be finding a way to ensure the structural integrity of the light tunnel, which would be on a structure that is designed to move/shake sometimes fairly violently. As long as it could be ensured no parts could fall onto the track or light strands could come partially detached, hanging down in front of the train, that's a winning idea.

I’m sure most people don’t know that SFSL was a sponsor of this year’s Ameren Thanksgiving Day Parade downtown. As such, the talented maintenance team helped the other departments involved to build a HIP float. Obviously this isn’t something usual for the park, but I think it turned out pretty great. It’s probably one of the most fun ways to advertise and increase awareness. Speaking of...don’t forget the Park is open again tomorrow and has more dates available than last year. Sorry for the less-than-stellar picture quality, but here’s a pic of the float as seen on KMOV:

^Danrarbc - While you may not be able to ride Screamin’ Eagle during HIP, you can have just as much fun by applying for a job at www.sixflagsjobs.com! (It doesn’t matter if you’re 33; like a previous poster said, there are plenty of teachers and other adults working seasonally at the park.)

Lines were not bad at all, so even with the cold, everyone seemed to be having a great time.

For anyone visiting or driving by the park soon, you may notice that the speed slides are completely gone. All that remains for now is the tower. Even though I physically won’t be able to experience the attraction, I’m still pretty excited for Typhoon Twister.

Finally home from my shift, and I’m sorry to see I apparently missed all of the #NippleGate excitement. In the end, it boils down to the park having a fun, successful event that went very smooth thanks to the Entertainment & Marketing teams. Congrats to both, as well as the couples involved.

I really enjoyed the TR and all of the positive responses. Working at the park year round, I've really come to appreciate it more and more. It has great character and some great leadership, including the park president, Pete, who you can tell really cares about it. When I heard you guys were in the park, I was happy to hear that you took the time to stop by and enjoy it. Also, even though I don't work "in" the park in terms of my primary job location, I am trained at and sometimes pick up shifts at Superman. It's an absolutely blast to see everyone's reactions. P.S. Back during my first year in 2013, you guys stopped by while I was working at the front gate at the time. I got to give Kirsten a hand stamp on your way out and was pretty starstruck getting to see you.

^Even though I'm only 21 and have worked at the park since 2013, I have actually heard of this. When Dave and I went on our tour of the back roads in the winter of 2015, we spent some time back in the area between Tidal Wave and the new McBride development. He pointed out some poles and a few other things to me and told me about how they were left over from the demolition derby arena. I'll see if I can find anything else out because that's about all I got.

To sum it all up, make sure to buy your passes by midnight. Plus, that $39.99 dining pass cannot be beat (of course you only get a lunch and a snack at SFSL but still that deal is incredible)

Here's why they won't ever expand the station: Screamin' Eagle is the only coaster with zero handicapped accesible access. It's grandfathered in due to its age. However, if they do any construction to it, they would be required to also make it meet ADA standards. Although it'd be nice to finally get to ride it again, I know it'll never happen.

Who are they killing? Cap'n Crunch?

Well, it's only four hours until 5am, so hopefully everyone online right now can catch some sleep before the announcement video goes online at 5.

Sorry, but if it ain't Intamin, then I ain't ridin'.

To elaborate on the comment he's referring to...after the cycle was over, and he was getting off the ride...I ended my spiel with, "and don't forget to check out Mr. Freeze: Reverse Blast! Now that the trains are backwards, it's an even better ride experience!" (Or something to that effect.) I just wanted everyone to know that they should definitely check it out.

I'm guessing you can back me up here when I say that the next two Friday nights might be some of the best coaster nights to visit. If the next two are similar to last night, then anyone hoping to get lots of rides in without much wait in between would have loved last night. Everyone I saw was having a great time, and all of the rides were pretty much walk-ons. I think that coasters (and the park in general) are fun on those Friday nights during Fright Fest, so last night had the same great feel without being quite as busy. Either way, I highly suggest checking it out.

A few little pieces of news from the park: First, the park announced a new One-Day Dining Deal. Besides being fun to say, the One-Day Dining Deal includes a lunch, dinner, snack, and a red refillable sports bottle for $34.99. If you're visiting the park for a day (whether as a one-day ticket holder or even pass holder), I can see how this new program could make things easier and save some money, especially if you were going to be eating there anyway. More information can be found here. Second, as I don't think I've seen it posted yet, the SkyScreamer will be running in reverse through Labor Day. Back when they were thinking about doing it like that for Fright Fest one year, I had the pleasure of "testing" it out during the employee preview night. While it got my stomach a bit more than the normal version, I really enjoyed it as something different. More information here. Third, Fright Fest auditions have begun, so for anyone interested, make sure to check the website to apply by clicking here. Who knows, you could even end up 'famous' like Harleyguy who continues to be featured in promotional material online. (Of course, there are still plenty of positions open in various areas of the park this year for those interested.) Fourth, in celebration of the eclipse coming up on the 21st, the park has announced a 'Total Eclipse of the Park' event where eclipse viewers can come out, pay $10 to park, and there will also be NASA-approved viewing glasses available for $2. More information is available here. Fifth, it's one of the most popular times of the year for one-day ticket holders, as the 8th Annual School Supply Drive is back again. It is by far one of the best values the park offers and also benefits a great cause. Click here for more information including a list of eligible supplies. Sixth, the park has added two Friday nights in August to its operating calendar. I don't know when/if they've ever done this in the past, but this will be especially helpful to those who still haven't come to terms with the summer ending. While not staying open quite as late as Fright Fest Fridays, on August 18th and 25th, the park will be open from 6:00-11:00pm. If you don't have a season pass, make sure you check out the details for school discounts by clicking here. Seventh, this hasn't been the most "fun" update to write, but I'm happy to see the park continuing successful past events/programs while also trying some new things that look like they could add even more value to season passes. Wow. I sound like a commercial, but...uh...yea...so that's about all I have to say about that. Oh, and anyone visiting Sunday should definitely make sure to check out Superman in the evening.

Okay. Here's my biggest issue with SFSL adding flats: The term "flat ride" can be very confusing to non-enthusiasts. Every one of these new flats makes me think, "this is gonna be a fantastic addition to the park," but then I remember that I will have to end up explaining the term flat rides to people. I honestly believe that's why SF was referring to the Larson Loops as coasters. The folks at corporate were probably tired of having to explain the term "flat ride" leaving them with no other option but to call the rides coasters. I mean who could blame them? It'd be maddening. Ugh. They either need to make flat rides as flat as an open can of coke sitting on a table all day (news flash, no ride has ever been built that was flat like a piece of paper) OR come up with a new name. Maybe an acronym. That'd be fun. Rant over.

There will be some food trucks serving Cajun and southern BBQ style food for the Mardi Gras festival. After seeing a list of the special food items and entertainment offerings, it'll be great to see the Palace garden area so alive! The parade will begin at Tidal Wave and end by Joker Inc. It'll run every night at 7:00 (except a Saturday at the beginning of July when it'll be at 3:30). But seriously, I cannot state enough how excited I am for this food! A lot of existing stands will be serving a few special Mardi Gras Festival items, but a lot of the culinary offerings will be served at special locations by the Palace theater or in buffet form in the catering grove. And I know that beer is your preference, prozach, but for those interested, there'll also be some seasonal alcoholic beverages. If nobody posts any by Thursday, I'll get some pictures of the decorations and overall festivities. Although, my favorite decoration is the big alligator added to Dave's fountain in the front mall.

For everyone who hasn't been to the park recently, there is a lot going on as the park prepares for the Mardi Gras Festival. One of the easiest places to see this is the Palace Theater garden area. Lots of decorations are going up, and they look really good. You can also get a feel for the parade route due to the yellow lines that have been added. I'm actually getting really excited for this event.

I've probably typed four or five responses at this point trying articulate my views on this subject. I am always amused by how SFSL is such a polarizing park, possibly the most polarizing in the country in the eyes of the enthusiast community. It isn't fair to say that SFSL has gotten stale when...besides really beefing up their flat collection...the park has been making huge investments in events like HIP and the upcoming Mardi Gras Festival. These events, in addition to FF, give pass holders a reason to come back multiple times during the season with something else great to see and do each visit. I can't wait for everyone to see the Mardi Gras Festival, as it is sure to spice up the park this summer. (In case you didn't catch it, I used the phrase "spice up" in that last sentence, because one thing coming with the Mardi Gras Festival is Cajun food, which is notorious for its use of spices. I mean, like, it wasn't a fantastic joke, but I was still pretty proud of it.) When it comes to "day trips" visiting other parks, starting in 2013, I get into HW, WoF, and SDC for free. The only one I've visited is HW a couple times. No matter how great a new ride is, it's over in two or three minutes. Then what? Well, SFSL answers that question with their events. They bind the experience together. I have immense respect for the Entertainment department, as they are able to create such amazing products with what they are given. Every year, I see things get better and better, even stuff that I thought was awesome already. SFSL isn't for everyone, but that's okay. The park still excels at helping Guests make memories while providing thrills for all seasons. One final note: The park recently had another successful annual fundraiser for St. Louis Children's Hospital. I've worked a lot with the hospital's staff...including those who help plan the SFSL event...so it is very near and dear to my heart. SFSL is so important, as that event is the largest fundraiser the hospital has all year, yet the park doesn't spend time publicizing its philanthropy or patting itself on the back. Besides brightening the lives of the park's Guests, SFSL has an effect on brightening the lives of hundreds of children who visit SLCH for care. EDIT: Oh! And shout out to the guy out there who came and talked to me one morning while I was picking up cones in the JLBM area. It was nice to meet you, and I encourage you to leave your "lurker" status behind and join the conversation!

I got maybe 6-11 cycles the morning of media day. Even riding it over and over in a row, I didn't get sick. I was really worried. I like the ride a lot as a good family attraction. I believe our ride is the larger version than the SFFT version. It has a perfect amount of spin, and it looks really cool fully loaded, going back and forth. And to clarify from above, Mr. Freeze wasn't closed all day on Friday or Saturday. There was some downtime, but the ride wasn't closed all day.

Even though there aren't multi-colored lights like Fireball, seeing it lit up last night was cool. It's been running a lot lately as the park prepares for media day this week. It's crazy to think that when I started in 2013, that area has gone from a rotting ride with some old facades to a very colorful midway with two fantastic family flats (a washer and a drier).

Honestly if they did do that Twix coaster, I wouldn't even be mad. It'd be hilarious. Also, SFSL just announced a Mardi Gras event coming this June.

MODOT announced that WB I-44 will reopen by rush hour today (Thursday), so EB shouldn't be too far behind. It's also interesting that both Fox 2 News & the St. Louis Post Dispatch have both published articles addressing the "fake news" of SFSL being flooded.