swfan1988

Hi Everyone! After visiting Dollywood last year, Silver Dollar City immediately jumped into the top "A-list park" spot for me. Seeing how nice the general setup at DW was really made me curious for Herschend's other premier park. I had heard great things about it, so I had high hopes and what do I say...this place is AMAZING. As good as everyone says it is, if not better! I'm proud to say (yes, at the very beginning of the trip report....no cliffhangers here) that SDC is my new favorite park. Hands down, no "if"'s, "but"'s, or "when"'s! I really really like this park! My group and I had originally just planned on visiting the park on a Monday, but after discovering we could essentially buy 1 day and get a second for only $10 more and that we had some free time the night before...we decided to come for an evening of fun. And was it worth it! There was basically no line for anything, and even though the park doesn't stay open all that late (I think they closed at like 7:30 or something) we were able to ride all of the coasters (except Fire in the Hole) and get a head start on seeing what SDC was all about. I would highly recommend the strategy of going the night before, especially if they continue running that ticket special. SO, SO WORTH IT!! Speaking of the coasters....we first started out with a bang, and did Powder Keg (which surprisingly never broke down the whole time we were there both days, or at least that I noticed). And, WOW is that launch fun! I haven't had the privilege of riding too many launch coasters, but this one was really good. The launch blew me away with its intensity, and I was surprised with how solid the layout was. Given the rides history I was expecting it to be on the rougher side, but I actually found it to be quite enjoyable. Big thumbs up for Powder Keg! After Powder Keg we hit Wildfire, which I honestly thought was just ok. I'm glad it was smooth, but the layout didn't do a whole lot for me and the inversions and drops didn't provide much in the way of forces (oh no...I must be turning into an enthusiast...I'm complaining about "forces"). I've always wondered why more of these B&M sit down coasters weren't built, and now I think I get it. Why would a park build one of these, when they could get a vastly better ride experience at probably a lower price from another manufacturer, or even from another of B&M's models like the invert? Granted, this was my first B&M sit down looper so maybe Incredible Hulk or Kumba are different, but I also now understand why no one talks about Wildfire, because it's just not that great. Up next was a coaster I was very excited to ride...Outlaw Run! Now, this rides was FUN!! It really reminded me of a wooden version of Stunt Pilot at my homepark. The first drop always blew me away with its angle, and the inversions and airtime hills were just plain fun! I will say...was surprised at the roughness in the back seat which was disappointing. I wouldn't say it was bad rough, but it was enough to bother the other members of my group, so we tended to stick with the front for the most part. This was also my first experiences with RMC's lap bars, and after figuring out how to use my legs to keep from getting stapled on ride, I didn't mind them at all. I did find it kinda weird the whole "push up on the lap bar" thing...did RMC just not have the budget for springs or what... Anyways, Outlaw Run is amazing, right up there with Mystic Timbers and Prowler for my favorite wooden coasters! We also rode Thunderation that evening, which was my first Arrow mine train, and...ooofff that was rough. I'm normally very tolerant of rough rides, but wow...the jackhammering in that helix....yeah just not fun... So unfun in fact, I didn't even bother to take a picture! So let's move on to the only reason anyone doesn't go to Outlaw Run first at SDC... ...Time Traveler! And uuuuhhhh...this thing is straight up weird...very very weird... I think the time travel theme was a good choice since it fits the rides bizarreness and oddity, and I was impressed (along with all of the other themes at SDC) with the execution of it. However, the ride itself...you know I'm not really sure how to describe what I think of Time Traveler. Is it the best coaster in the world? NO (and I don't want to here about Ride to Happiness....) Would I want to see more Mack Extreme Spinners built? Maybe, depending on the layout mostly. I will say, I really REALLY like how TT goes straight out of the station into the first drop and then launches it's way back up the hill. I think that's such a cool and creative concept, and I would like to see more coasters do that kind of out of the box thinking. I did find it very odd that the ride comes to a full stop on the first launch, it made me think that there was supposed to be an enclosed show scene or something there but that it got cut from the budget. If they could make it a rolling launch like the second one, I think it would be much better. Other than that I found the whole experience (in both the front and back) to be just to weird, disorienting, bizarre for my tastes. Not bad by any means, just not a ride experience I would rank super highly. After our ride on Time Traveler it was time to go back to the hotel and get ready for the main event...a full day! Too me, this is when SDC really started to shine. While I was having fun and enjoying the park on Sunday night, Monday is what really put it over the top for me. We kicked off the day with a tour of Marvel Cave! And wow...just wow!! First off, there are no other theme parks in the world (that I know of) that have a complementary tour of a real cave included with your admission. I am really glad that they do that, and that they offer the lantern tour for a small extra fee (which I really want to do next time...). The cave itself was very impressive, and our guide was the perfect mix between good educational information and jungle cruise skipper, which really made it fun. Do NOT miss the cave tour when you go to SDC. After the cave tour we decided to ride the train, which I thoroughly enjoyed! The route was pretty and fun, and the on-ride show was hilarious, making it one of my favorite theme park trains. So much fun! Having finished the train ride and cave tour, we decided to hit some of the smaller attractions at the city (Wait a minute....did I just call it "the city"...I think I'm turning into an enthusiast AND a SDC fan boy....ahhh!). I really enjoyed going through there crooked house in Grandfather's Mansion, and it made me wish that more parks had these style of walkthrough attraction. It did feel a little like something you should be able to find at Knoebels, but that gave it all the more charm for me. Definitely not the easiest attraction to navigate (it is a legit crooked house after all), but still very fun. We also hit Flooded Mine while we were right next to it and...ooofff...this poor ride! I had heard that FITH is on it's last legs, and too that I say no...this thing is! The guns barely worked, most of the set pieces and effects seemed broken and in disrepair, of all the dark rides I've ridden this one was probably in the worst shape. It made me feel sad since it seems like the ride really was something cool and special at one time, but years of bad maintenance and the addition of the shooting aspect have drastically hurt the ride experience. Hopefully the park has a nice refurbishment in the works for this ride, since with a little TLC I think it could be really cool. I was expecting Fire in the Hole to be in bad shape, but sadly Flooded Mine to that cake... Speaking of Fire in the Hole, one of my main reasons for coming to SDC this year was to ride FITH before it allegedly goes under the knife. And unlike Flooded Mine, which made me fear for FITH's state, I was pleasantly surprised at how good of shape this ride was! And I really enjoyed it! Definitely my favorite dark ride/roller coaster hybrid-style attraction, which made me sad that it's probably going away very soon. If it is it's last season thought, you wouldn't know. Aside from what looked like a couple missing figures, everything seemed to be in good working order, and I didn't notice any sound or effects issues. I was looking for the Bald Knobber theme issues, but to be honest I couldn't find anything in the ride that really alluded to the problems associated with them. (Note: I'm NOT saying that the Bald Knobbers were/are/caused a problem(s), I'm just saying that the RIDE itself from what I could tell didn't seem to mention or allude to those specific problems...other than the Bald Knobbers setting the town on fire). I'm honestly not sure why Herschend would want to replace this ride, unless there really is something majorly wrong with the building. I've heard that it's to build a newer, bigger train station, but I'm not sure how that would work/help. If anything it seems to me that removing Flooded Mine and remodeling/expanding the existing train station would be a more effective (and cheaper) option, but I digress. I hope that they take more of a "relocation" and upgrade approach to the new FITH (assuming that's what they are really doing), rather than a screen-based "Fire In the Hole for the 21st Century" deal... Anyways, I'm glad that I got to ride it, and that it was in really good shape from what I could tell. After some more rides on coasters, we decided to get something to eat! We eat at the Rivertown Smokehouse by Mystic River Falls. (Which as a side note, looked really cool, but I didn't want to get really wet so I skipped it. I did ride American Plunge though, and thought that was fun albeit short and lacking in theming) I thought the BBQ was alright, good for a theme park but nothing truly special and kinda on the expensive side. We also of course had to get the famous Cinnamon Bread after (spoiler alert...I think tastes exactly the same as the one at Dollywood, except the Grist Mill is waaaayyy cooler than Clara Belle's), which was of great! It did give me a stomach ache after, but I'm not sure if it's cause I was pretty full already when we got it, or what so that was a little bit of a bummer... After some food and a couple more rides, our time at SDC was over. All in all I have to say that I really enjoyed this park, finding it to be one of the most well rounded, beautiful, and fun parks I've visited. The attention to detail I thought was great (and sometimes downright hilarious), and I appreciated how it seemed like they made an effort to seamlessly blend the newer areas (Mystic River Falls, Fireman's Landing, and Outlaw Run) with the older areas around them. It just made the whole experience feel complete and really enjoyable! Now, having visited both SDC and Dollywood I have too (just like everyone else, make some comparisons. I'll definitely start by saying that I like SDC better as a whole, while I think Dollywood has the better rides for the most part. I like Tennessee Tornado, Wild Eagle, and Mystery Mine better than Wildfire and Thunderation, but I like Outlaw Run, Powder Keg, and Fire In the Hole better than Thunderhead and Blazing Fury (I got aced out of FireChaser Express, Dragon Flyer, and of course Lightning Rod while at Dollywood). I thought Daredevil Falls was better than American Plunge, but the Frisco Silver Dollar Line was better than the Dollywood Express, etc. Time Traveler is kinda in it's own world, and DW really doesn't have a comparison I'd say. I really did enjoy the craftsman, cave tour, and overall beauty of Silver Dollar City over Dollywood though. Where I thought Dollywood had too much contrast between the new areas and the old, SDC blended them seamlessly together. Dollywood does feel a bit more master planned and thought out, while SDC feels more organic (which I guess kinda fits the whole "city" theme) and I prefer the later because of that. All in all, I'll say I like SDC better with it being the better park overall, but in in general Dollywood having the better ride lineup. Thinking about the future of SDC, I know they are already working on that alleged FITH replacement in Fireman's Landing, but I would love to see them do a large Garner Holt/Calico Mine Ride-style refurbishment to Flooded Mine and some of the other older buildings and attractions. I think that would go over really well. For roller coasters...hmmm...I think I'd like to see a B&M invert actually. The park really doesn't have anything like it, and if they could go the route of a more intense layout like Banshee flying through the trees, then I think that would be really cool! That or another dark ride I think would be cool, as this seems like a park that just screams dark rides too me. In closing, I had so much fun at SDC! I don't know when I'll be back, but whenever they get there next coaster or large ride I'd be very inclined to go again! Thanks to @Rai Fox @tinaalsgirl @tndank and @Chiselphane for the tips and advice! I really appreciated it! Oh, and on our way to St. Louis (our next destination on the trip), we drove by Six Flags St. Louis which I have now decided I will visit as soon as they finish restoring their carousel...and RMC Boss... And that wraps up this report on my annual coaster desert escape! I got two reports down, and two too go! So see you then!

Hi Everyone! Worlds of Fun is a park that has always fascinated me. I'm not even sure why, it just has. The park is in the lower tier of the Cedar Fair chain, no major standout rides, and it's just not all that well held as far as parks go. But for some reason, no matter how many jokes that are made about it, I always seem to have had a soft spot for it. I know it's kinda weird (Six Flags Over Georgia is another park I for some reason have a fascination with), but hey when my annual coaster desert escape was going to include a flight to Kansas City...well...I just had to go! So...starting this off...I got there early...like really early...like so early many of the employees were still just getting there early....like I got there at 9:30 and the park wasn't gonna open till 11 early....(Now that's dedication right...) It wasn't entirely my fault I got there early since my flights were early, and I wasn't gonna wait around in the mess that's KC's airport, but still even I think that was a little extreme. So I wound up sitting on a bench outside the bag check area waiting for the entry area to open... Speaking of entry areas, I keep hearing all this talk about how great Cedar Fair is at building new front gates for their parks. I knew WoF (in one of the few things they've got from CF in recent years) had received one a few years ago, and from the pictures it looked promising. However, this quickly should have been an indication of what I was about to get myself into... The entry plaza, while actually quite ascetically pleasing in my opinion, has some...uhhh..."interesting" qualities. First off, it's at the end of a relatively long straight path that kinda goes through an alley way between what looked like the park's offices/backstage area and the former home of Orient Express...now I knew that the entrance USED to be that way....but I didn't realize it still WAS that way... And secondly, its called "International Plaza" or whatever, but it just randomly dumps you straight into Scandinavia?? So your telling me that Cedar Fair "The king of building entrance plazas", if you will, didn't even bother to put a giant sign in the parking lot saying "Park Entrance This Way " more or less actually put the new entrance next too or near the parking lot! I think I'm beginning to understand how CF treats this park... Anyways, after waiting a while and finally getting into the park which actually opened like 30 minutes early for some reason (unlike a certain other park later on the coaster desert escape....) I made my way back to what I had decided would be the first ride of the day...Mamba! Now (you can probably see where this is going...), all the conventional wisdom for WoF says that you should go to Spinning Dragons first cause low capacity, not the best ops, and high popularity make it consistently one of the longer lines in the park. But, since CF doesn't do off season maintenance during the off season here (I know I know..."supply chain issues"), and Mamba was going to be on one train I decided to do that first instead, which turned out to be both good and bad. The good part was I basically had to wait 10 minutes for a front row ride (I had heard that was the best), the bad...well it was my only Mamba ride for the day, as by the time I came back the line (even with the return times thing) was absurdly long. And how was that one ride? It was fine. I think that's the best way to put it, fine. I'm glad I rode in the front as I like feeling the speed, and the jitters in the helix might have been worse in any other seat. The return trip was fun (Trims were off, whoo hoo!), and I could see how having the mid-course on would really kill the ride, but even with them off...it just...wasn't that great. After Mamba I decided to hit Boomerang since it was right there and of course can only run one train. Again I was glad I rode early as it had another long line later in the day, mostly owing to the one train ops and it being a Saturday in July. This was my first regular Vekoma Boomerang (I've ridden Aftershock at my home park several times, but that's a whole 'nother ballgame), and it was alright but so unmemorable I didn't actually take a picture of it... I didn't think it was bad, just not all that special or great. Oh and it also injured my shoulder muscle...great...it really is amazing in here... After Mamba and Boomerang (and at this point your probably wondering when we are gonna get to the good stuff, to which I say it's Worlds of Fun...) I headed over to Timber Wolf. I know GCI has done quite a bit of work on this over the last few years, including removing the helix, so I was curious to see how it went. And well...I think my opinion of Timber Wolf can be properly summed up by this sign at the ride's exit... ...whatever GCI did to this thing didn't work. This is probably the most jittery (I think that the best word to describe it) wooden coaster I've ridden. I'm pretty tolerant of roughness on wooden coasters, but this was just plain unfun. Throw in the rather uneventful layout and all I want to howl is "OUCH!!!! RMC IT PLEASE!!!" I tried in the front and the back...and yeah no difference... "Oh, you mean we're a normal park and run two trains on our wooden coasters on a busy day (Unlike a certain other park I visited on my coaster desert escape)? Even if it's rough and needs a bunch of work? You don't say..." After Timber Wolf I wondered down the path to Patriot, and at this point the reputation of a smooth fun experience on a B&M invert (this was my first) sounded great! After waiting in the longest line I would wait in all day, which thankfully wasn't terrible thanks to the signature high capacity of B&M inverts, I found myself...sitting in the middle (come on now I wasn't gonna keep waiting at this point, there were greater rides to get to...) kinda underwhelmed (this is starting to become a theme with WoF...). It was fun and all, but it just didn't have the "kick" I was hoping for. I was however, grateful that it was smooth and that that I didn't wait any longer than I did for it. At this point my decision to do Mamba first cost me a credit. By the time I got to it, Spinning Dragons had a VERY long line and I just decided it wasn't worth it. I didn't feel I was missing much be skipping it, and I'm not really a credit whore, so it just gives me a reason to come back I guess. Speaking of Spinning Dragons and the Orient section, can we just take a moment to appreciate how pretty several areas of this park actually are! How come nobody talks about how nice the Orient or Africa/Moroccan village sections of Worlds of Fun look? Sure, the Western Town, Scandinavia, and Americana sections need some help, but I really think the foundations of a beautiful park are there! Now like I mentioned there are some areas that need some work...like this area over by Timber Wolf that's just all fenced off and rotting way. Does anyone know what the story with it is? But that aside, with a little work I really do believe this could be a beautiful park. And I think that is the biggest takeaway for me from my visit to Worlds of Fun. This is a park that has SO MUCH potential, just bursting at the seems with it. All Cedar Fair, or someone else, has to do is put a little bit of money into the place and I am thoroughly convinced it will thrive. Yes, it might need some better rides long term, but in the short with just a little bit more effort I think it could easily move into a mid-tier CF park. Alright NOW we are gonna get to the good GREAT stuff! (Ok, that was a cheap pun...) The reason most people (me aside) actually come to Worlds of Fun...Prowler! And this ride really surprised me! Up until this point I had begun to see why people aren't big fans of this park, with a bunch of just ok but really underwhelming rides. But Prowler changed all of that for me. This is probably the first coaster that I would say makes the trip to a park, by itself, worth it. I wouldn't travel halfway across the country for it, but I would go if I was say on my way to SDC or something like that. Anyways, the ride is just great! People talk about Mystic Timbers as being one of the best out and backs, but (SPOILER ALERT for another stop on this coaster desert escape) Prowler is right up there with it. I go back and forth, although I think the theming on Mystic just pushes it over the top for me. That being said Prowler is a master of the terrain, airtime, feeling out of control, and low and behold, being smooth! Yes, Prowler (and Mystic for that matter) is smooth as a B&M invert! I was very, very impressed, definitely the best ride in the park. It also should be noted that it was really the only ride in the park that the GP were cheering on when the ops asked the obligatory "How was your ride?". If that doesn't say anything about both the park and it's rides I don't know what does... Having now hit all the coasters I was gonna hit, I decided to check out the rest of the park and settled on riding the park's train ride. I hadn't heard much about it but was pleasantly surprised by it. I like trains in theme parks, and I really enjoyed this one. It doesn't have a show or anything, and it's not all that long, but it has a nice layout and some fun live narration! So next time your at Wof pay old Eli a visit, the views of Prowler alone are worth it! I also really like how it adds some cool kinetic energy to the park, it just seems to tie the whole park together really nicely. After a few more rides on Prowler, my time at Worlds of Fun came to an end. I had to meet up with the rest of my party so I wound up missing out on the flats (Cyclone Sam's and Zulu had lines, and Falcon's Flight never opened), and Viking Voyager but I guess those along with Spinning Dragons gives me reason to come back. I also can't wait to come back and ride that next generation Skyline Skywarp their adding.... Jokes aside, I would really just like to see CF take an interest in this park and spend some money sprucing it up. It won't take that much, even if for their 50th they skipped the coaster (I know that's a weird thing for an enthusiast to say...) and just spent a bunch of money doing landscaping and remodeling throughout the whole park would really go a long way to making this a really good little park. Personally I would like to see a traditional sit down looping coaster ala Orient Express return to the park, but if the current rumors hold true they'll hopefully get something even cooler! The fact that even their carousel is a hand me down (from Geauga Lake of all places, what will their next addition be Grizzly from CGA...whoops I better not jinx it!) show me how CF treats this park, and I really do think that's a shame. I think if someone, even within Cedar Fair, came along that really cared about the park and spent a little time, money, and care on it, it could be....well....a world of fun! Thanks to @prozach626 and @WOF_Fan for the tips and advice! I really appreciated it! I have 3 more of these trip reports to do from my annual great coaster desert escape, plus hopefully one for my home park, which should get done real soon! See you then!

Uhh...so I take it that's not what's supposed to happen...

Changing the eyes must be what's keeping Cedar Fair from suing them... What does Matugani have to do with snakes anyway?

For SDC I would say a couple things: - If you think you can swing it with the little ones, I would really recommend the cave tour. It leaves from inside the Hospitality House at the top of the hill about every 30-40 minutes or so. The regular tour is included with your admission, and it's first come/first served. You can reserve a spot or upgrade to the lantern tour for a small fee. Definitely a unique and cool experience! - The train ride and show are great! I didn't see any other show while I was there so can't be much help there. - I went on a Sunday evening and a Monday and didn't wait more than 15 minutes for anything (and I think that wait might have been for American Plunge of all rides) You might consider Trailblazer if you want to be safe, but I'm not sure it's a 100% necessary. - Parking is free and if you get in the closer lot it's not a bad walk to the front gate, or a very short tram ride. Otherwise you can pay for the closer parking. Have fun! SDC is amazing!

They were very accommodating when I was there, they did make me wait a little bit off to the side one time so as to avoid having too many people in the station, but other than that they were great about it.

Was at the park yesterday (full trip report later) and Bat was back to two trains!

Very disappointed to hear this news. Even though I have never visited CGA always struck me as a park with a ton of potential under the right leadership/ownership, now it looks like that potential will never be realized. I dug through the 8-K on the SEC's website and it does say explicitly in there that Cedar Fair will continue to own the rides and buildings. I gather from this that CF has at least some plan to relocate or reuse most of the rides, which I guess is hopeful. Now I like the way this guy thinks... All joking aside, I'll take a shot too at making predictions because it's fun and in the end it doesn't matter: - First the easy ones, I think it's over for Grizzly and Demon. There is just no way I can see somebody really wanting either of these rides, for sure not in the chain, but even outside the chain there just doesn't seem like there would be a big appetite for them. Demon I could see happening if someone really wanted it, especially since relocating smaller Arrow's isn't unheard of, but for sure I think its over for Grizzly. - Next the B&M's, and this one is a little trickier. I think for sure Patriot is the most likely to get relocated, with it's small size and relatively recent refurb making it attractive inside or outside the chain. In the chain, I'll say Valleyfair or Worlds of Fun. Outside, I think it could go a lot of places. Flight Deck could go either way, it's an older/smaller invert, but it could also go a lot of places in parks, so who knows. My guess is it goes outside the chain though. - I think all the kids coasters will be relocated. They are just such low hanging fruit, I can't imagine them being scrapped unless nobody really wanted them. Most of the flat rides will be relocated too, again because they are just low hanging fruit, easy to relocate, easy to market as "new rides" at other parks, and CF already owns them. - Gold Striker, RailBlazer, and Psycho Mouse are wild cards. Gold Striker because it's a woodie, but it's relatively compact and it's getting a lot of work done now. I would love to see it come to Silverwood (of course), but I think other independent parks might be in the cards as well. I don't think Railblazer is a safe as everyone thinks it is...all of the Raptors have had issues, and I think it's capacity is too low for it to go to a big park like Wonderland or CP. One of the smaller CP parks is always an option, and it could work for a smaller independent park so who knows there. And Psycho Mouse...I honestly have know idea. I've heard that Arrow mice are basically indestructible, but they also only sold three of them to who knows if someone will want it or not, or if it just goes for parts. - Actually I think the Carousel and the Sky Tower are safe. The Carousel is an icon for the both the park and the area I think, so I could easily see the city or like the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk getting it, and same with the Sky Tower. They went through the trouble to design Gold Striker around it and I think they just renovated it (correct me if I'm wrong), so my guess is they can find a home for it in the area. No matter what though I would give the park maybe 5 years. Now way, CF is going to put any investments of major or permanent size in here, and it just sounds like they really want out of the park. I wasn't gonna visit this year, but now I'm wondering if I should make a point to do so.

Whoo Hoo! It looks like I'm finally going to get to go to KI for the first time this summer, and I can't wait! I've heard so much about this place, and it looks amazing. Some "first timers" advice would be really appreciated! Yes, Yes, I know...Fast Lane Plus....and....It's just not gonna happen. Period. I have tried finding a way to get it , but for budgetary reasons outside of my control it just isn't. So, that being said, I have a couple questions: Is it better to go right first and hit Mystic Timbers, Beast, and Diamondback first, or go left and hit Flight of Fear and Orion? What should we do for food here? Is Coney BBQ the same/similar as Cotton Blossom at WoF (I'm going there on the same trip as well)? Can you ride the train without having a ticket to the water park? Any additional advice would be really appreciated! Thanks in advance everyone!

I know there has been a lot of jabber on here about going to HW for the first time...but I thought I'd ask for some help anyways! I have a couple questions: How should I hit this park? Go the back first and do T-bird and Voyage, and then come back to the front for Raven and Legend, or do something else? I'm on the fence with the water park, on the one hand the three water coasters look great and it does look like a solid water park. On the other hand I know we are going to have to leave early around 5 or so, in order to drive to KI for are next stop (Sorry KK, next time...) and I'd really like to prioritize the dry park. Any ideas? Any other advice would be really appreciated! Thanks in advance everyone!

Looks like I'm finally going to make it to SDC this year, and I am REALLY looking forward to it. I enjoyed Dollywood, and at the very least it looks like Dollywood but better, so can't wait. Been doing some research but was wondering if I could get some advice from here! I have a couple specific questions: Does the front area with Marvel Cave really open an hour before the rest of the park? My thought was to hit the cave tour early during that initial hour and then go into the park when it opens. Once the park opens, I was planning on going to Time Traveler and Thunderation first, and then working counter-clockwise from there, is that an ok plan of attack? Most importanly...where do I find the cinnamon bread? Everyone talks about the Grist Mill at DW, but never heard where to get it at SDC... Any additional advice that could be given would be really appreciated! Thanks in advance everyone!

I'm starting to plan my coaster desert escape for this year, and it looks like WoF is gonna be one of the stops and was wondering if I could get some "first timer" advice for the park? I have a couple specific questions: Generally speaking I've heard the plan of attack should be to hit Spinning Dragons first, then Mamba, and then work my way around the park. Is this still a valid plan? Edit: Awesome, just found out that this park doesn't do off season maintenance and so they are apparently "upgrading the operating system" on Mamba....and running only one train...and using "timed entry passes" for the ride on Saturdays (when I'll be there), Sundays, and Holidays...unless you are a pass holder in which you get in 30 minutes early, or have Fast Lane in which case you "don't need one"... So, should I go here first and then go to spinning dragons? Does anyone know more about this? Any tips on food here? Cotton Blossom looks solid from some reviews, or is it pretty typical theme park food? Are there bins for rides, or should I be prepared to get a locker? Does Cyclone Sam's allow single riders? Any other advice that could be given would be really appreciated! Thanks in advance everyone!

Today, Cedar Fair posted their 2022 Investor Presentation! Here is the link if you want to read the whole thing: http://archive.fast-edgar.com/20220523/AO2WK222H22292T2222P22E2J2NGZ222A242/ Here are the highlights though: - In-Park revenues are down slightly from 2019 (they of course don't talk about 2020...), but per-capita spending is up. Out-of-park revenues are comparable to 2019. - Their research indicates: "Rides and events remain the top reasons guests visit our parks, while family coasters and water parks/rides are strong motivators to visit among our most engaged guests." and that "top reasons to visit parks are family rides, thrill coasters, water rides, seasonal events/festivals, and anniversary celebrations." They also say that guests seem to be motivated to visit parks by "Something for everyone - a menu of rides and activities that offer guests a wide range of entertainment choices, wholesome, simple and fun entertainment that allows guests to foster connections and interactions with others, 'Never before' experiences, an atmosphere with a 'sense of place' celebrating local authenticity and cultural diversity." - Their long range plan includes "Expanded use of use of limited duration events and more immersive experiences" (They use Knott's and Forbidden Frontier as examples), aiming to "drive more visits from existing guests and incremental visits from new, unique guests", "Food and Beverage will continue to play and outsized role in the overall guest experience", and finally (the park we all want to hear!) "Traditional rides, such as roller coasters and water attractions, still play an important role. They also say that want to continue the "evolution of our accommodations and resort offerings." - Attendance at haunt events was up 8% over 2019...and they represent some of the highest attended days of the year...(Valleyfair and CGA like...). WinterFest and Merry Farm had 1.8 million combined, and "opportunities for expanding WinterFest, or a comparable event, to other parks being explored." - Their strongest growth channel was apparently season passes, which now represent about 55% of full-year attendance. They want to more broadly roll out the PassPerks program to encourage more visits. All-season add-ons (they use Dining, Drinks, Fast Lane, Parking, and Lockers as examples) are also growing in popularity, and represent a "growing percentage of revenue and attendance". - As mentioned earlier F&B is becoming a bigger part of their business, so they say "Consumers want unique experiences, offerings they can't get at home, we [CF] have enhanced existing F&B facilities and added more immersive dining experiences, executive chefs and additional culinary talent [has been] hired at each park." They show Backbeatque and Hugo's as examples...I'm honestly not even sure what parks those are at...? - For 2022 they plan to "Invest $160-175 million to support growth initiatives at our parks and further enhance the guest experience.", pay down debt, and restart shareholder distributions by Q3. From my perspective it seems that a couple things are going on. First, the company is on the move and doing all right. They are not in a "batten down the hatches" or "we are in trouble" mode. They seem to be focusing on "guest experiences" and food and beverage more than anything. I don't know if that's code for budget cuts or "we don't want to go crazy on cap-ex now" or what, but I mean if they want to improve guest experience and food, I'm not sure I would be opposed. It is disappointing that they seem to be putting more emphasis on those kinds of things rather than adding more good/great rides, which I ultimately think is what is needed for a park to succeed, but it also seems like they aren't shutting off the spicket entirely. Secondly, I think it's interesting that they seem so optimistic about season passes, especially the add-ons. Six Flags seems to be moving away from a focus on that, and I'm not even sure what SEAS does with it's passes, but CF seems to be sticking with it. Maybe all-season dining is here to stay after all? Oh, and I think the haunt thing is hilarious...

Someone on Reddit shared this photo and... hehe... Michigan's Adventure really does get all of Cedar Fair's trash...

For the record, I was using this as an opportunity to make Hershey candy brand puns...and that's about as high as my opinion of Wildcat goes...

Well, that be a whopper if it happens! Are we sure this is RMC, or is it just GCI and their whatcha ma call it track? Whatever it is it should be good & plenty more fun than Wildcat currently is. Or maybe it's just an Ice Breakers tie-in? Oh (almond) joy....

Hi Everyone, Trying to do some planning for my annual "coaster desert escape", and was hoping to get some help. I have the parks picked out (looking at WoF, SDC, HW, KK, and KI), and I'll probably ask more specific questions about them later in their respective threads once I confirm which ones I'm actually going to. Here I just have some more general questions: I know both will be busy weekends in July, but is it better to do King's Island on a Saturday, or SDC on a Sunday, assuming no Fast Lane/Trailblazer? Sadly, skip-the-lines are just not in the cards for this trip! Assuming we skip the water parks (yes, I know Splashing Safari is an amazing water park...), is it reasonably possible to do Holiday World and Kentucky Kingdom in a single day and enjoy both parks (i.e. not credit-whoring!), if you start at HW? Or would a day at each be better? Can KK fill an entire day or even at least most of a whole day, even without the water park? Thanks everyone in advance! I really appreciate any advice you could give!

Hi @Jellowithdacoastercredit! Welcome to the forums! Uhh...not trying to tell you what to do but...I would not waste your time with Elitch Gardens...and I think a lot of people on here would agree... I would do Glenwood Caverns (if you don't have a problem with their management), Lakeside (if that place is even open), or Silverwood (if your ok with a ton of driving), over Elitch any day...just saying... Also I'd say SDC over Six Flags St. Louis is probably a better choice. But that one might be more debatable... Otherwise it looks fun! Hope you have a great trip!

Hey now, give'em a break... they are probably just now learning what it means to own an SLC and an Intamin launch coaster...they got bigger problems to worry about... Besides, it's an island theme, it's not like they promised a "Wildwood Grove" or anything...

Maybe they are just doing a Pac-Man tie-in...?

Whew! Thanks for catching that...

Confirmed: Both Tremors AND Timber Terror are receiving 208 ReTraK this off-season! Doesn't look like any profiling changes are happening, just the track replacement. Really looking forward to this, as the ReTraK on Tremors made a world of a difference on the helix. Should be good! Oh...and Stunt Pilot is getting a new shade structure for it's queue...maybe? (Whoot! Whoot!) Didn't post it, but the park previously announced that they have hired a couple from Nashville to re-do the train show this year, which is really exciting! They also will have a new show in the High Moon Saloon this year, which should be fun! Only 24 days left till opening day!

And...here's (allegedly) the layout for Circuit Breaker! No clue how accurate it is...but supposedly it's straight from the park to ACE. (Images from ACE South Central's Facebook) Now THAT looks like a solid layout to me! None of that "anticipation turn" garbage... I agree with everyone else though...the more I hear about this place...the weirder it seems to get... Also, they put these images out on April Fools day so maybe we should all take them with a grain boulder of salt?

Well apparently the president of COTAland wasn't joking... (Congratulations, you've got even more reason to celebrate Bert!) They've "announced" (more like put in a random news article) that COTAland will (supposedly) be receiving America's First and Only TILT Coaster, in 2023!! https://www.fox7austin.com/news/full-amusement-park-with-roller-coasters-coming-to-cota-in-2023?fbclid=IwAR3YYH-L8VvL9ZeDPPBYF2gjeyX-uRjMSiZXG9nE8wiC6mEFVIkYeJvTEp4 From the article: "It'll [COTAland] be equipped with at least 25 rides when it opens, including five roller coasters. "We expect the kiddie park to open sometime this year and then the thrill rides and entire park to open in 2023," he said. One of those coasters will be the Circuit Breaker, which will provide a truly unique experience. "It’s a tilt coaster, it’s going to be the first of its kind in America. It does have a sister overseas. It’s just the most neat experience to be dangling facing downward waiting for it to drop," said Matt Hughey, Sr. Manager of COTA Karting and COTALAND." Sadly, no other details were provided, at least that I could find. I have seen some photos and stuff floating around of Vekoma working on something mysterious at their facilities in Europe, which makes me wonder if this is what they are working on? Allthough, I've also heard that a tilt coaster is planned for Energylandia as well. Gotta love that name though..."Circuit Breaker"...I can hear the puns now...

All of the major rides have TVs showing a the current wait times, and there's a few of them just scattered around the park. (They will also tell you if Lightning Rod is closed or not) The app will show wait times once you get to the park (It might also work in the parking lot, can't remember now). I didn't get Timesaver when I went since I went in a weekday where it wasn't needed, but if your going on a weekend it seems like it would be a good idea to get it ahead of time. At the very least it will be great for Firechaser, Tennessee Tornado, Dragonflyer (if it's on there), and Mystery Mine as thoose had the worst lines when I was there. I would say that even with Timesaver that if you have any inkling about LR being closed to make a left upon entering and beat it back to Firechaser/TT/Mystery Mine. Other stuff: -The train is ok. I don't think it's as good as some people say it is, but if you want to ride it line up early as it's super popular and they do count people so it doesn't overfill. - Gotta get Cinnamon Bread from the Grist Mill. Period. No going around it. Also, be sure to say high to Earl the Turtle - The right side of Wild Eagle (going left at the split in the queue) has better views of Wildwood Grove and Thunderhead, while the left side (going right in the queue) has better views of the Smokey Mountains. Congratulations and have fun!!