joelwee

I don't know if other SF parks did this, but while operating under COVID restrictions, SFMM would hand you a paper cup of whatever drink you ordered with your drink plan. But you still had to carry your refillable cup and show it to the cashier to prove you had the drink plan. They could've gone the Cedar Fair route by scanning guests' passes, noticing whether or not they have drink plans, and handing out paper cups instead of making guests carry around a plastic cup that they won't end up using anyway.

It seems like summer is the only time of year SFMM has their fire effects working. Personally, I'd rather get blasted in the face with heat during Holiday In the Park than on a 108-degree summer day.

Millennium Force - world's first giga coaster Top Thrill Dragster - world's first strata coaster Magnum XL-200 - world's first hyper coaster X2 - world's first 4D coaster and Arrow's last coaster Revolution - first modern coaster to feature a vertical loop Matterhorn Bobsleds - world's first coaster to use tubular steel track The Beast - world's longest wooden coaster Jack Rabbit - one of the world's 10 oldest coasters still in operation Montezooma's Revenge - last Schwarzkopf shuttle loop still operating in the U.S., and the only one still in it

While not on the Elitch Gardens level of suck, Kennywood was a letdown for me in 2018, as well. Phantom was awesome, Bayern Kurve (RIP) was a lot of fun, Exterminator had us laughing the whole time, and Jackrabbit was definitely a sleeper hit for me, but.... operations were painfully slow; Sky Rocket was closed; the grumpy-looking ride ops pushing a button that played a recorded, cheerful, "All clear!" was simultaneously depressing and comical; and we only got one ride on Phantom because it kept going down throughout the day. But we had also just come from Cedar Point - which was a stark contr

Naw, they clearly bought SFDK's Skywarp that was recently put up for sale. RMC fabricated its track, thus making this project an indirect partnership with RMC. Who else can't wait for 35-MPH flybys, now that it only has one train?

One other improvement I noticed last week was that sensor-operated water bottle fillers had been installed at most of the drinking fountains. Of course, they were all turned off, due to L.A. County's COVID-19 rules.... because if you're trying not to get sick, you should avoid drinking water, right? I'm glad to see them installed, anyway. One of my biggest gripes about this park was that the Coke FreeStyle machines do not dispense plain water and the drinking fountains typically did not have sufficient flow to fill up a water bottle - so the only way to get water was to wait in a food lin

Demolition has started on Tidal Wave. The façade behind the Green Lantern station has also been removed. H/T @ourmountain_thrillpark on Facebook and Instagram

I've yet to visit any parks outside the U.S., so for me it's Racer at Kennywood. Steel Curtain is a little further, but was not yet built when I visited in 2018.

I'm planning on swinging by the park this evening for my first coaster rides in over a year. I'm stoked to finally be back. Given that season passes and added perks carried over from last year, does anyone know if the park is still honoring 2020 refillable drink cups that came with the dining plan on a Gold Season Pass? Or will they give me a new cup?

The fam and I stopped by the park yesterday for the last day of Taste of Boysenberry. Though it was a little depressing to see the rides closed, the atmosphere in the park was a lot of fun. There were costumed characters and shows everywhere you look, and the food was delicious. My thoughts on what I tried: Boysenberry BBQ Brisket Mac and Cheese: The meat was good and tender, and had a good BBQ flavor, with just a hint of boysenberry. It was just enough to let you know it's there, but it wasn't overpowering. The mac and cheese was a pleasant surprise, as it seemed to be made with chedd

Mineshaft Coaster in Big Bear, CA

That thumbnail, though.....

The only missed opportunity I can think of is Scandia Screamer. I've driven by that park a few times and thought about stopping, but I had other places to be at those times. It was always in the back of my mind to drive out there and ride Screamer, but I waited too long and the park closed for good 2 years ago.

Harley Quinn was open during my 2019 visit. I skipped it and have no regrets about doing so.

Los Angeles and Orange Counties are eligible to move into the orange tier, as of tomorrow. This means parks can now operate at 25% capacity (instead of 15%), indoor rides/buildings are now limited to 25% capacity (instead of 15), and indoor dining can take place with 25% capacity.