Photo TR: BGT/SWO/FunSpots Trip Febuary 17-20. 2021

[AmyUD06]

TR Part 1 - Trump Plaza Implosion, to Florida!, Busch Gardens Tampa.

TR Part 2 - Fun Spots and Nightlife

TR Part 3 - SeaWorld Orlando

Original post for posterity:

Hello everyone!

So, for my birthday this year, I'm treating myself to a short solo getaway to Florida for Busch Gardens Tampa, Sea World Orlando (got a great deal on a 2-park ticket), as well as Fun Spot Orlando and Kissimmee,  I will have Quick Queue at both SEAS parks, and have a pretty good idea about how I'm going to tackle them, so I'm good on that front.  I'm staying in Downtown Orlando, closer to the nightlife that I want to check out than the parks, so am good on that front too.  Where I need some advice is on MCO and the Fun Spots.  I'll keep this thread active for my TR after the trip, but for the time being just a few simple questions:

1.  I'll be flying Southwest thus arriving in the 100 gates off of Terminal A at MCO.  How difficult is it to find the on-property rental car desks after deplaning (Hertz, if it matters)?
2.  Any tips on navigating the roads back to the rental car drop-off for Hertz at MCO?  Looking at maps just confuses me more.
3.  Flying out on Saturday afternoon, how much time to I need to plan in to get through the security line at MCO?
4.  Regarding the Fun Spots' go-karts...yes, the tracks look awesome, but looking at some YouTube videos the karts themselves seem kinda slow.  I mean, not slow, but not particularly faster than your "standard boardwalk go-cart."  Are these videos accurate, or do they have some pep to them?  Worth it to pre-purchase an all-day rides pass just to include the Go-Karts on top of the few coasters?
5.  Any general tips for driving in or around Orlando?  This will be my first time to Florida, but I'm no stranger to driving in unfamiliar places.

I guess that's it for now.  Eager to get on Kumba and Montu for the first time! 

Thanks in advance.

[pianojohn]

Just follow the signs to rental car pick up (which I believe is in the terminal but not sure) as well as rental car return. It shouldn't be too confusing. Hertz is in Terminal 1 Ground Transportation Level 1. Really easy to find.

Give yourself 2 hours to get through security.  You may breeze through but it's hard to know for sure.

Walgreens used to sell discount tickets to Fun Spot.  Worth checking out. 

You probably won't need Quick Queue at either park unless it's the weekend. But if you got a deal on them then use them.

[AmyUD06]

John, thanks for the tips on MCO and about discount tickets to Fun Spot.

QQ at BGT for Thursday was only $20, so it seemed like a no-brainer with them closing at 5 and it supposing to be a beautiful 80 degree weather day.  Haven't purchased the QQ for SWO yet for Friday ($25 without reserved seating at shows, $30 with), but was leaning towards it after reading some of the reports here about their operations lately.

[tndank]

If you have access to ticketsatwork or similar, they had a good Fun Spot pass.  ~$38 got you an all day band and a trip on the sky coaster.  I think it's just another $10 if you hit their other park the same day.

[dankeykang]

I'm not as much as a frequent visitor to Orlando as most people here, but I did do BGT/SWO just last month so I can probably share a few things:

1. I also rented through Hertz and as mentioned above, it wasn't difficult to find.  I just followed the signs to ground transport/rental car center.  Once you get to Hertz, there's a big board with everyone's name and the corresponding area of the lot to go to.
2. Also pretty easy to follow the signs on Jeff Fuqua Blvd.  I'm pretty sure Hertz is only running out of Terminal A right now, so just stay to the left as you approach the airport and you'll see signs for rental car return.
3. I'm normally in the 1.5-2 hour range for airports as well, but MCO was pretty dead for my flight out on a Friday afternoon.  At the security checkpoint, enter to exit took maybe 10 minutes.  Although I was flying out of terminal B which might not be as busy as A.
4. I'm not really a go kart expert but I did try them out when I was at the Fun Spots last March and they were pretty fun.  The elevation changes seemed legitimately dangerous the first few laps but I learned how to take them at full speed pretty quickly.  
5. I am not an expert at all here either, but I did get nailed by Hertz from the tolls.  I just went through the EZ pass lanes assuming that Hertz would have it covered, which they did, but they added on a rather large processing fee so it ended up being almost 20 bucks.  So maybe take the cash/card lanes if possible...

I didn't think Quick Queue was necessary at either park (I also did BGT on a Thursday and crowds were very light, Montu & Kumba were both running just 1 train), but it sounds like they're pretty cheap and useful for the shows, which I wasn't as interested in.  The post above is also correct about doing both Fun Spots in one day, it's just an extra 10 bucks plus tax.

Hope that helps!   

[pianojohn]

Another thing to plan for: the weather. Should be nice the first two days then much cooler the 2nd. Also, Wednesday may be a total washout so keep that in mind.  I have seen way too many tourists show up at the parks in shorts and t-shirts thinking 60 degrees is warm only to end up buying sweatshirts and coats to stay warm!
 

Wed 17  78°/69°  Thunderstorms  83%

Thu 18  86°/63°  Partly Cloudy  21%

Fri 19  66°/43°   AM Showers  46%

Sat 20  64°/46°  Sunny  3%

 

[AmyUD06]

Thanks everyone for the info!

9 hours ago, tndank said:

If you have access to ticketsatwork or similar, they had a good Fun Spot pass.  ~$38 got you an all day band and a trip on the sky coaster.  I think it's just another $10 if you hit their other park the same day.

I do have access to TicketsatWork, and I see the $39 wristband+skycoaster deal, but couldn't find the $10 add on for the second park.

8 hours ago, dankeykang said:

1. I am not an expert at all here either, but I did get nailed by Hertz from the tolls.  I just went through the EZ pass lanes assuming that Hertz would have it covered, which they did, but they added on a rather large processing fee so it ended up being almost 20 bucks.  So maybe take the cash/card lanes if possible...

I didn't think Quick Queue was necessary at either park (I also did BGT on a Thursday and crowds were very light, Montu & Kumba were both running just 1 train), but it sounds like they're pretty cheap and useful for the shows, which I wasn't as interested in.  The post above is also correct about doing both Fun Spots in one day, it's just an extra 10 bucks plus tax.

Hope that helps!   

Didn't even consider tolls.  I'll remember to bring my own EZPass Transponder.

[AmyUD06]

16 minutes ago, pianojohn said:

Another thing to plan for: the weather. Should be nice the first two days then much cooler the 2nd. Also, Wednesday may be a total washout so keep that in mind.  I have seen way too many tourists show up at the parks in shorts and t-shirts thinking 60 degrees is warm only to end up buying sweatshirts and coats to stay warm!
 

Wed 17  78°/69°  Thunderstorms  83%

Thu 18  86°/63°  Partly Cloudy  21%

Fri 19  66°/43°   AM Showers  46%

Sat 20  64°/46°  Sunny  3%

 

Yeah, I'm definitely planning for the weather.  Wednesday is really just my arrival day (plane lands at like 7:30 PM), so I'm not too worried there.

[tndank]

When you show up at the second Fun Spot for the day, you can have them add the park for $10. They will scan your wristband and it'll work there. 

 

You can use Waze or Google Maps to get anywhere. There is also an option in each to avoid tolls. Waze is usually a bit more aggressive and has social traffic and cop alerts.  Put in rental car return and it'll get you there. 

[coasterbill]

EZ Pass is only accepted in certain places Orlando and on certain parts of 528 and from what I can tell it won’t work on the portion of 528 between MCO and I-4 which is where you’ll probably use it the most. Also, there are no signs indicating where it’s accepted and where it’s not.

Don’t bother bringing your EZ Pass to Orlando.

You can buy a SunPass at Walgreens, Publix or CVS (it works in lanes branded Sunpass or E Pass (not to be confused with EZ Pass) so every Florida toll road. If you plan to go to Orlando a decent amount in the future (even like once a year) just buy it. There’s no monthly fee so you just have to buy it and then load some money on it.

If you don’t plan to do that just pay cash, avoid tolls or just deal with the overpriced rental company fees, you’re on vacation.

We bought a Sunpass and haven’t looked back but we go to Orlando a lot.

[dankeykang]

Yeah my bad, when I said EZ Pass above, I just meant the electronic lanes.  Couldn't remember that it's called SunPass in Florida...sorry for the confusion.  

[SharkTums]

Orlando airport is ridiculously easy and tourist friendly.  Also, rental cars are ON SITE, which makes a huge difference. No shuttles or any annoyance like that. You'll be fine, just follow signs. 

[AmyUD06]

Thanks everyone!  I'll just use cash on the tolls.  Are they exact change only or do they have actual people to make change?  A lot of tolls plazas in NJ, DE, and PA have done away with the live person in the booths.

Based on responses here, my itinerary has been set as follows:

Wednesday - Arrival, check in to hotel, check out some bars.
Thursday - BGT until closing at 5 PM, then both Fun Spots (their websites indicate they're open until midnight).
Friday - SWO until closing or I get bored, then check out some bars.
Saturday - Check out, flight out.

EDIT:  One last question, about Infinity Falls and Journey to Atlantis at SWO - How soaked do you get on these rides?  Are there changing room or at least lockers near the entrances/exits?

[dankeykang]

I got pretty soaked on Infinity Falls since I ended up facing backward for the large drop at the end, but luckily I came prepared with a poncho.  There are lockers near the ride's exit, and I believe there are a couple of those full body dryers too if I remember correctly.

Journey to Atlantis was closed for annual maintenance when I visited, but that was almost a month ago so it might be back open by this point.  

[SharkTums]

Avoid the front row on Journey to Atlantis and you'll be ok...if it's even open. 

[coasterbill]

Infinity Falls is drenching and my shoes got totally submerged on it. I’m never riding it again.

Atlantis isn’t terrible unless you’re in the front. When you get to the grouper, beg and plead to be anywhere but the front. If they direct you to the front anyway, honestly just fake a 102 degree fever and leave (not really lol). It also had water guns which could change everything but otherwise the only problem is the tiny unassuming drop after the main drop in the front row.

Edit: Elissa beat me to it. Front row sucks. 

Also, not that you asked but you’ll be fine riding solo on Stanley Falls in Tampa. Packed boats get soaked but you won’t. You’ll get wet but it’s not bad.

[AmyUD06]

Thanks for the tips guys.  I'll be sure to bring a poncho and take my shoes off for Infinity Falls LOL.

[AmyUD06]

All right, TR time.

Let's start it off on the morning of 2/17.  Where?  Atlantic City, NJ.  Why?  To watch the implosion of the Trump Plaza's main hotel tower.  There hasn't been an implosion like this in AC since the Sands was blown up in 2009, and I missed that one, plus I worked at the Plaza way back in 2002-2003, so it was quite sentimental.  I had a great vantage point from the garage at Caesar's, which is honestly as close as the authorities were letting anyone get.  Surrounding me was every walk of life...seniors who had worked there for over 30 years, people who had business dealings with Trump during its construction, an older guy who seemed like he dumped hundreds of thousands of dollars on the tables there in its day, and young people who just wanted see an implosion.

Of course, there is video (warning: foul language):

Amazingly, there were no delays, and shortly after 9 AM, it was all gone...

Several hours later, I arrived at PHL for my flight to Orlando.  Not exactly scenic, but whatever (from the parking garage).

Note that it was just before 3PM, and the outside temperature was barely over 30 degrees.  As my flight time got closer (scheduled 5:20 departure), my chariot arrived....

...and we boarded.  And proceeded to sit on the tarmac for an hour while the crew cleaned out the cargo hold from a previous passengers "leaky fish they had put in their checked bag."  Touching down in Florida after 9PM to low 70s, I quickly shed my hoodie and jumped in my rental car...

...and was off to my hotel to get ready for the next day at Busch Gardens Tampa.

Thursday, February 18th, 2021

Ah, my first sight of a roller coaster in two months!

Park opening was 10:00, and I arrived about 10 minutes before the parking gates opened.

I think this was the first park I've ever been to that walking from the general parking lot to the gate was not an option.  Anyway, I hopped on the tram to the main gate, made my way through temperature screening and the metal detectors, and was inside the park.  No hardcopy park maps, unfortunately, since their app is lackluster to say the least and the layout was rather confusing despite just being basically one big loop.  Anyway, on with the rides.  (I'm going to change gears here a little bit and focus on the rides and park experience then will load up with the rest of the photos).

Cheetah Hunt:  For some reason I had the impression that this was Florida's version of Maverick, with crazy balls-to-the-wall intensity.  That it was not.  Good airtime after the launch hills (sitting in the front), and the tree-thing right after the first launch was kinda cool, but overall I found it kinda lackluster.  It also still has the hard shoulder straps, which are never a good time.  7/10

*A note here:  As mentioned, the park opening was listed as 10:00...however it appeared that Cheetah Hunt was the only major coaster that opened with the park (Montu, while I saw it testing, never opened to riders while I was there).  I did a complete lap of the park and found every other coaster or major ride with a sign that indicated 10:30 or 11:00 opening, so the park loses some points for that.  I understand not opening a few rides with park opening, but for the bulk of your rides to not seems kinda misleading.  Just open the park an hour later if you need the prep time.  Anyway, rant mode off....

Falcons Fury: WOW.  Just...WOW.  Incredible.  Facing down instead of out on a drop tower just completely changes the experience.  As soon as the chairs turned, I got a massive knot in my stomach and I couldn't even keep my eyes open on the way down.  By far the "scariest" ride I've ever been on, and I've done the 855-foot-drop vertical zipline at the Stratosphere in Vegas.  11/10.

Sand Serpent:  It's a wild mouse.  5/10.

Kumba:  Ah, my main reason for making this trip.  Pure awesome, lives up to the hype.  Very minimal rattle in either the back right or front left.  Solid forces, classic B&M.  A new top-10 steel coaster for me.  10/10.  Amusingly, I think this is the first B&M I've ridden where the station wasn't 3 stories off the ground.

Stanley Falls Log Flume: Despite my request, I was seated in the front part of the log by myself.  Still didn't get too wet.  It's a log flume...nothing particularly noteworthy or detracting.  6/10.

SheiKra:  Having been on Griffon and Valravn prior, I knew this was the first of its kind in the US, and that the layout was kinda lacking compared to the later versions.  I got a middle seat (first time in a middle-seat on a dive coaster) in the front row.  The dual loading station was cool, but they weren't using it, and I don't recall seeing the folding-style gates in front of the train before, which was kinda cool.  7/10.

Scorpion:  Got the front row.  Classic Schwarzkopf greatness...a shame that more of these aren't left in the US.  9/10.

Overall impressions:  I spent around 3 hours in the park (the 90 degree heat was killing me).  I skipped out on Tigris (not really a fan of these) and Cobra's Curse (definitely not a fan of spinning coasters), and as I mentioned Montu didn't open by the time I left due to mechanical issues.  Aside from Kumba, Scorpion, and Falcon's Fury, I don't really feel this park was worth it for the rides alone.  The animal stuff was plentiful and awesome from what I saw, and the scenery was on point, but I dunno...it's a good park, don't get me wrong, just not for me I guess.  I kinda feel the same way about the Williamsburg park compared with Kings Dominion, so no surprise really.

Anyway, on with the photos!

That is a lot of fish!

I don't know how these guys cope with the Florida heat.

There is a gorilla in this photo, which you could see if my phone's light sensor did its job.

There is a Tiger in this photo, if you can find it.

This pretzel was absolutely bangin'!

Seems ready to go to me.

Up next:  The two Florida Fun Spots!

 

 

[Nrthwnd]

A bangin' pretzel?

Good stuff. Great report.

[AmyUD06]

Fun Spots, Kissimmee and Orlando, and some nightlife.

To continue the report, on my way back to my Orlando hotel from BGT I stopped at both Fun Spots, Kissimmee and Orlando.  Man, was it hot. 

Too hot to put the top down even.  Coming from a week of 20 degree temps to 91 was just too much of a shock to my system.  Thankfully, the car's AC worked great.  Anyway, after a short drive, I had arrived!

So, I had purchased my Fun Spot tickets through TicketsatWork.com thanks to the recommendation of @tndank...and amusing enough the package with the SkyCoaster was actually like a dollar cheaper than the wristband alone, so I went for that.  I've never been on a SkyCoaster, and figured what a way to pop my cherry than with the "world's tallest"?  Well, I took one look, and was "nope."

The park sure was pretty though.  And the "Old Town" area right next door was kinda cool, and reminded me of the boardwalks back home in Jersey.

Something you'll only find in Florida...an execution simulator:

Anyway, I decided to try out the famous go-karts first.  I love me some good go-karts.  Sadly, these were not quite that.  The track layouts were pure awesome, but the standard-fare karts used just weren't up to the task of climbing those hills.  And where have I seen these logos before?

With all of the rides in the back of the Old Town section closed (missing my chance for a credit on the clone of the Star Jet, the Seaside Heights coaster that famously took a dip in the ocean after Hurricane Sandy),

...My main reason for my visit here was...

Mine Blower:  Ow.  Ow ow ow ow ow.  What sort of soul-less monster designed this thing?  To its credit, the barrel roll was cool....but everything after that was just horrible.  Rough transitions, too-tight for a wooden coaster turns, all around a rough ride.  Maybe with some heavily padded Millennium Flyers this wouldn't be so bad...but as it stands, 1/10, and it only gets the 1 for the barrel roll.  This honestly reminded me of a coaster I designed in NL way back in the day.  Here's the file if anyone wants to amuse themselves.Blue Lazer (Wooden Twister).nltrack  That is one steep drop, too.

Oh, and if COVID worries you, you will not like Fun Spot Kissimmee.  I didn't see one non-employee wearing a mask, and the employees were generally not wearing them properly.

After another brief drive, I was at Fun Spot Orlando...or "Fun Spot Action Park" as I guess it's technically called.  Here the go-karts suffered the same issue as their brethren down I-4:  truly awesome tracks saddled with inadequate karts to drive on them.  At least here, they had a truly awesome "woodie" to make up for Mine Blower's spinal rearrangement:

White Lightning: Truly awesome.  High speed, great laterals, airtime...you name it, this coaster packs it all into its compact frame.  If it was a "true woodie," it would rank just behind Phoenix, but as I count it as a Hybrid, it's number 3 (behind Steel Vengeance and Twisted Timbers but ahead of Goliath and Wicked Cyclone).  Great ride in the front or the back, as to be expected from GCI.  10/10.

I also decided to try out their Vekoma Family Invert, Freedom Flyer:  A pleasant surprise...a lot more forceful than the others of this model that I've ridden, and the fact that the cars have noticeable swing to them meant you get well over 45 degrees from the ground on some of the turns.  8/10.

I checked out their SkyCoaster (billed as the "world's largest'), but that was still a solid nope from me.

After this, I headed back to my hotel, showered, and relaxed for a while, then ventured out to check out Orlando's night life, visiting Savoy, the Crow, Bullit Bar, Latitudes, Aero, 64 North, and back to Savoy again.  I'll not say too much, but it was refreshing to be in a city with a vibrant nightlife in the middle of COVID.  Decent drink prices, and no cover charges anywhere (though it was a Thursday).  The Crow had a sign against underage drinking which read "This is where babies are made, not served"... LOL.  And I found an actual poppers vending machine in one of the bars, which blew my mind.  And the trash can specific for pizza boxes...WTF?

Up next:  Sea World Orlando!

[AmyUD06]

And finally, Part 3 -

Friday, February 19th, 2021 - SeaWorld Orlando

I started this morning a bit later, seeing how BGT operated on a delayed opening schedule and actually being able to see the opening schedule on SeaWorld's website, there was no need to beat down the doors.  As it turns out, I arrived before gate opening anyway.

Here, I was fighting the weather forecast of severe thunderstorms scheduled to arrive around 2:00, so I made sure to not mess around.  I don't know where all those people from the entrance went, because it felt like I had free run of the park, and banged out the three major coasters in short order, even stopping to take some animal pictures along the way.  As with my BGT report, first I'll delve into the ride reviews and then overload you with photos.

Manta:  This pleasantly surprised me.  I've been on one other B&M flyer (Superman at SFGAdv) and most of the Vekoma's in the US, and this blows them all away.  The layout is better, the scenery is top-notch (plenty of foot-choppers), and of course it has the signature grey-out-inducing pretzel loop, it even has little cutouts in the station floor for your feet when the cars swing up!  My new favorite flying coaster.  10/10.

Kraken Unleashed:  Well, back on its leash I guess without the VR that I would have opted out of anyway.  Solid floorless, hearkening back to the olden days of B&M snappiness, again making great use of the terrain and scenery.  I rank it below Dominator and Medusa/Bizzaro, but not by much.  8/10.

Mako: Great hyper.  Good bits of floater air over the hills, and some nice twisty sections reminiscent of Candymonium.  In my video clip to myself with notes I took after the ride, I thought this ride predated Candymonium by a decade due to the snappiness of the transitions, but nope...2016.  Possibly my new favorite B&M Hyper.  Also refreshing to ride a coaster with these restraints without a seat belt.  9/10.

Super Grover's Box Car Derby:  I normally pass on what I percieve to be "kiddie" coasters, but the long train gave me thoughts that I might be surprisingly forceful like Harley Quinn at SFGAdv.  Not so much, but still a good solid ride even though it was a little embarrassing being a single 38 year old male-presenting individual in the Sesame Street section.

That was it for rides here, unfortunately.  Even though I had brought my 2-dollar Shop Rite special poncho with me for Infinity Falls and Journey to Atlantis, the former was closed for annual maintenance and the latter...not sure what it was but I just didn't feel like getting wet.  Advice from @SharkTumsand @coasterbill steered me towards sitting in the back to avoid a bath, but watching the ride cycle, all of the groups of one or two I saw on it were sitting in the front, making me think the ops weren't entertaining requests.

So, I decided to take in the Orca Encounter show, which was honestly pretty cool.  I wasn't expecting much (I'm not a huge animal exhibit kind of person), but was blown away by some of the tricks.  Not to mention, the show wasn't anywhere near as preachy about "humans are their biggest enemy" as I was expecting.  I don't know if the actual Shamu ever performed in this stadium, but it seems a little small for that.  9/10.

At this point, the skies had greyed and the storm was coming...scattered drops of rain had begun to fall.  So, I donned my el-cheapo poncho and tried to make my way to my car to sit out the storm and maybe go off-property to grab a bite to eat.  I intended to come back and check out some of the other animal shows, but as I was walking out of the main gate, the skies opened up.  My cheap poncho did virtually nothing.  By the time I found the car, I was soaked from head to toe.  So much for not wanting to get wet LOL.

After the drenching, I was just in a bad mood and decided to go back to my hotel to get changed into drier clothes, and once there I just kind passed out for a couple of hours.  I deeply regret not getting on the water rides, getting a couple of more laps on Manta and Mako, and missing out on the other animal shows (I have a feeling I would have enjoyed them after the orca show), but oh well...that'll wait for the next trip.

Final Thoughts:  All in all, it was a great trip...it was good to escape the cold and inhospitable-due-to-COVID nature of the northeast, I got to ride some truly great coasters in Kumba, Mako, and Manta, an insane drop tower in Falcon's Fury, and check out another city's LGBTQ+ scene.  I had Quick Queue at both parks since it was so cheap but didn't really need it anywhere; the biggest place it helped was getting me into the dry-zone reserved seating at the orca show.  I will be back, not only for Iron Gwazi and Ice Breaker, but also to check out all I missed at SWO and also spend more time "in da clubs."  So long, Florida!

And I didn't forget, here are all of the SWO pictures.  Warning:  There are a LOT from the Orca Encounter.

I don't know why but I found these cutouts so cool.

Nice trim pieces on the side of Mako's trains.  Do any other B&M Hypers have these?

Yep, definitely closed for maintenance.

Not testing yet...

Such a wasted opportunity for a bar actually made of ice.

Still not yet....

There we go!  Testing!

The skies looking all foreboding...

More Ice Breaker testing and clouds incoming.

I will say this, these Florida parks sure are pretty.

As it ends, I thank everyone who provided advice on the trip....now for another little mini coaster drought until SFGAdv opens up in a month.

I hope you enjoyed my report!  Thanks for reading.

[SharkTums]

I'm a little surprised by your BGT review.  They really  have a pretty awesome coaster collection and Falcon's Fury, the flume, rapids, and the animals just solidify it as a top tier park. Maybe had Montu been running you would have felt a little more impressed. 

[AmyUD06]

22 minutes ago, SharkTums said:

I'm a little surprised by your BGT review.  They really  have a pretty awesome coaster collection and Falcon's Fury, the flume, rapids, and the animals just solidify it as a top tier park. Maybe had Montu been running you would have felt a little more impressed. 

You're probably right.  Plus the heat kinda put me in a little bit of a sour mood, so I probably didn't enjoy Cheetah Hunt as much as I could have (EDIT: or gotten multiple rides on it).  Oh well, more to do next time, which will likely be around December but well before Christmas.

[tndank]

If anyone reads this and ends up Old Town / Fun Spot Kissimmee, the magic shop there is great.  They have some quality guys manning the shop and the shows are cheap and fun.

BGT didn't impress me much in December.  Some decent rides but nothing that really, really stands out in my opinion.  I can't imagine being in that park in the heat of summer.  I'll stick to winters.  Exceptions will be made for Iron  Gwazi.

 

[grsupercity]

I did those same 4 parks on my first Florida trip. Nice write up and thank you for taking the time. I do disagree though and think Mind Blower is way better then White lightning!!!