Hilltopper39

Well I mean if Kings Island really wanted their own version of Steel Vengeance there's 7400 feet of existing wooden coaster track they could use to do so, but that would be sure to tick off all kinds of other people......

Besides the weird claim that it's the first freefall track or whatever, I'm kind of surprised that they openly discussed and published details of the free fall and the backward track spike in the press release. Seem kind of strange to give away the surprise elements of the attraction before it's even opened, but maybe it's not that big of a deal. I also didn't realize until these new pictures of the train that the motorbike seat isn't really a motor bike coaster seat like most were expecting, it just looks like a regular seat maybe slightly more elevated than that side car. The trains looks fantastic but I'm not sure the two sides will feel all that different now.

Sounds like that might be the case haha. https://mashable.com/article/star-wars-galaxys-edge-time-limit/

Awesome report, I always kind of forget about Asterix when I think of major parks in Europe but it seems like a nice park with a pretty solid coaster collection. I'm pretty sure I'm going to end up spending some time in France in the next couple of years so might have to add this park to my list.

Ive always been a little skeptical of the TEA attendance report but the numbers they publish, in the past atleast, have usually been the exact numbers that most individual park chains (six flags, cedar fair, Disney, Sea World etc.) publish in their annual financial reports. I guess if they're accurate enough to report to investors then they're probably pretty close.

Wow, what a trip. Since I live in Florida now we rarely do more than a 2 or 3 day park trip anymore but this report really makes we wanna take a full week and and take everything in. If you don't mind me asking which community was that first rental house in? We've done a few of those and loved them, just curious where that was.

I kind of forgot how much some people dislike the Beast haha. Wacky Taxi looks like a ton of fun so hey thats all that matters.

The top spots aren't terribly surprising but I did find it kind of hilarious that Oscar's Wacky Taxi barley edged out The Beast and Thunderhead haha, The People have spoken!! 179. Oscars Wacky Taxi 180. The Beast 181. Thunderehead I mean I haven't been on Wacky Taxi yet, it looks super fun but is a family wooden coaster really better than the Beast and Thunderhead? Who cares I guess since it's that far down the rankings but kind of funny.

Kind of interesting that all of these photos they're sharing of the attraction are taken at night (and probably heavily edited) even though most of the attraction is outside and will operate in broad daylight. I'm curious how it's going to look in the daytime once it opens.

It's probably a good sign that they're pretty confident in this attraction if they're already moving forward with a second installation before the first ride is even open. Exciting news for sure.

Wow, that is not what I was expecting the theme to be, interesting haha.

Monster trucks isn't my thing but I know it sells out stadiums and arenas everywhere it goes so it's definitely a popular property and I'm sure people will love this offering.

I know it's not a poll option but have you considered some kind of "2018/19" or "2018-19" listing? I'm pretty sure some sports leagues that overlap the calendar year list some results and data as the 2017/2018 season etc. I voted for 19, but I guess in my mind 2018/19 covers both the year the poll was tabulated for and the the year the results are reported in. Just a thought that I thought I'd throw out there.

I will be a little sad to see Illuminations go since it's by far my favorite night time show at the resort, but I'm sure whatever they have lined up as a replacement will be spectacular. I'm gonna have to get down there between now and September to see it one last time.

Great report, we had a great trip to Dollywood a few weeks ago and it won't be our last. The kids had an absolute blast an we can't wait to get back and checkout Wildwood Grove. Considering how crowded the County Fair section and Firechaser was that day I'm assuming Wildwood Grove will be a hit. I loved Lightning Rod but think I still rank it behind Maverick and Steel Vengance, but it's almost a toss up for those 3. Those two killer inversions in the middle of Steel Vengance plus the overall length/return run through the structure probably sealed the deal for SV.

Oh gosh I didn't realize Metro Diner had made their way all the way up into the Carolinas. The original is here in Jacksonville and their first "franchise" opened about 5 miles from my house and I've only been maybe twice because there's always a line out the door. Great spot though, and yeah I've had those chicken and waffles before, they don't suck. Carowinds is HIGH on my list of parks I'm anticipating getting back to, probably won't make it this year but I think my oldest will be tall enough for most everything next season so it's gonna happen soon. Copperhead looks amazing, and Fury I'm fully expecting to to jump into my top 10 if not 5.

I hate trying to judge a coaster by a video but I love the way this thing looks. Seems like it has a really good mix of the quick transitions and funky inversion that are staples on most RMC's, but also some more elongated straight runs than some of the rides they've produced in the past. I bet that straight drop into the double up is amazing.

Just another observation but since I've been going to parks with my kids more recently I've noticed that most, not all, but most water rides tend to have a little bit of a lower height restriction and it's pretty cool to the smaller kids to get to experience a "bigger" ride when they're that little. Personally I don't care to get soaked head to toe but the little ones love a log flume or a rapids ride so we have to hit them every time, even when it's 45 degrees and overcast at Dollywood, worth it. Personally I don't think the removals have anything to do with popularity, it has to be a /safety/operational/and ultimately a financial issue.

I've always been impressed with Amelie when I've been for concerts,wrestling, basketball and other events but have never been to a Hockey Game there. I'll have to get to a hockey game there sometime.

^We ended up meeting up with some friends and their kids who didn't want to splurge for the Time Saver passes so that put a little dent in my plans but we still had a great time. Mystery Mine was testing Monday but never did open. I finally got on Lightning Rod and it was as good as advertised. I'm not quite sure where I'm going to rank it overall, it's way up towards the top of my wood coaster lists, maybe even #1, but I think I preferred the inversions and overall length and intensity of Steel Vengeance. It's in my top 5 but probably still behind Maverick and Steel Vengeance. Biggest surprise of the trip was Firechaser Express, got two rides on it with my girls, 3 and 6 years old, and we all absolutely loved it. What a fun ride for everyone. Another treat for us was Wild Eagle having a 50" height requirement, my 6 year old barley cleared the mark and absolutely loved it. That was here first "big" coaster outside of Disney and I'm surprised she hopped right on it and it was her favorite ride of the trip. Super cool for Dollywood to have a 50" B&M where the rest of them in America are mostly 54". The only "frustrating" thing about the day was it seemed like operations were a little off, I'm not sure if it was just early in the season, or they had a larger crowd that they expected or what. I'm not gonna pretend I know what goes into park operations decisions but multiple rides were only operating 1 train with 30-40 minute lines, Lighting Rod (after opening late) was running 2 trains consistently but then temporarily closed mid day to pull a train off with a full que? Maybe I'm just spoiled with Disney operations and this is just the norm at most places. Overall we had a really great day at the park, we were there from open til close and still wish we had more time. Going to have to plan for 2 maybe even 3 days for future trips, and I can't wait to take the kids back after Wildwood Grove opens. Outside of Disney, Dollywood really is one of the best parks in the country for kids.

Yeah that's what I was thinking, I mean 10 punches is 10 punches no matter who uses them right? I'll check it out though, I'm not trying to break their rules or anything but maybe we'll get 2 passes and take turns on Firechaser (then bonus rides for me!). We're also going on a Monday so crowds might pretty light anyways.

Quick question about the Time Saver Pass if anyone is familiar with how they operate it, it looks like the pass itself is essentially a punch card with 10 slots for 10 redemption's (but only one for Lightning Rod and Dropline), but my questions is can one pass be used for multiple people until the 10 punches are gone, or is it strictly enforced as 10 passes per person? I'm going with my two younger kids next week and would love to use some of my passes to take them on Fire Chaser but don't really want to buy them their own Time Saver since that's pretty much the only ride on the pass that they're tall enough for.

I'm not sure where you're stayin for the first half of the trip around the SeaWorld/Busch Gardens/Beach days but if you're staying on Orlando and driving to all of those spots the Atlantic Coast beaches are much closer. Clearwater and St. Pete are probably better beaches, but it can be a nightmare getting over there with traffic depending on the day and time you go and all. Cocoa Beach and Daytona are both just a little over an hour from Orlando where as Clearwater is probably closer to 2+ depending on traffic if that's a factor.

I love Aquatica and honestly think it's one of the better water parks around as far as slide selection goes. It's been a few years since I went but like most water parks the crowds can get heavy in the middle of the day but in the morning and towards the end it's usually pretty light. If you're staying nearby and have a Platinum pass I'd say its absolutely worth a few hours.

Lookin forward to getting your run down of the park and all the attractions, especially Knight Flight. I've been looking on line for some info on the ride but can't find anything more than just a couple pictures of the que here and there. It does looks like an amazing park, pretty high on my list if I ever make it over there.