Disney is known for its iconic cartoon characters. Chief among them is Mickey Mouse, but on the next tier with his own meet and greet is Donald Duck. However , did you know Donald Duck had the middle name Fauntleroy? His middle name was first revealed on his military draft card in the 1942 cartoon Donald Gets Drafted made during the heart of World War II. This was an interesting blend of cartoon and current events for sure!
Continue reading
LEGOLAND Florida and LEGOLAND Billund are both “LEGO” theme parks, but they are by no means copies of each other. Both parks are run by Merlin and share a common IP and feel, but there are some distinct differences between the properties. These are good differences, not things that make one better than the other, but rather things that make each property unique. LEGOLAND Billund is the original “LEGO” park, opening in 1968, while LEGOLAND Florida followed in 2011, giving it the opportunity to take some of the best of LEGOLAND Billund, but also make the LEGO IP it’s own for a different audience. This article will look at five (5) differences you’ll probably notice if you visit both parks as well as some similarities between the two locations.
Continue reading
Comedian Nate Bargatze is looking to build a theme park and it’s slated to be called Nateland! The park is inspired by Bargatze’s childhood memories of the former Opryland and looks to blend in aspects of his childhood and career. For example, the entry plaza will resemble a 90’s shopping mall (a modern take on Main Street USA), a Tennessee section and a section dedicated to Times Square. Nate is partnering with Storyland Studios, a group who specializes in the master planning, architectural modeling and full project delivery of themed environments filled with former Walt Disney Imagineering and Universal Creative folks. At first some saw Nateland as a publicity stunt or a joke, but now with Storyland Studios involved and some actual park renderings, it appears to be becoming more real by the day.
Continue readingDanish athlete Ida Mathilde Steensgaard completed the world’s first moving obstacle course built inside a rotating Ferris wheel. The stunt was sponsored by Red Bull and took place at Odense Harbour in Denmark. Steensgaard had to clear six custom-built obstacles while the Ferris wheel actively rotated. She is a two-time Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) world champion and the obstacle course was specially built into the 98-foot-high (30-metre) Ferris wheel. What’s also interesting is that the skills she showed are the same techniques used by fire departments for an emergency rescue from a Ferris wheel.
Continue reading
It’s only in testing, but the neighbors of Universal Studios Hollywood are already complaining about the noise from the new Fast and Furious roller coaster, more specifically the screams. It now appears mitigating those screams permeating across the Lakeside Golf Course to the historic Toluca Lake Neighborhood will delay the opening. Universal Studios Hollywood is somewhat unique in that it is near to some residential areas and has not had an outdoor coaster like this before. NBCUniversal has publicly outlined a number of steps to address noise, including installing 900 feet of sound walls, using pea gravel to help quiet the track and designing the coaster cars to rotate so screams won’t always face the neighborhood. Apparently these steps aren’t doing the trick for some neighbors who claim to hear screams every 30-40 seconds now. It appears there may be more walls coming and potentially programming changes to turn riders more away from the neighborhood.
Continue reading
The “Everyone Pays Less Than Kids Price” offer is now available at Wild Adventures! Tickets can be purchased online through August 9th with a Single-Day Admission for just $39.99 plus tax (valid any operating day through September 7th. The limited-time deal offers families affordable summer fun with “a full day of rides, slides, animals and live entertainment.” Wild Adventures was also named a top 5 most affordable theme park in U.S. according to HomeToGo’s 2026 U.S. Summer Travel Survey. HomeToGo, the world’s largest vacation rental marketplace, evaluated 40 U.S. theme parks for affordability, considering admission pricing, parking fees, nearby lodging and the number of attractions. With a lineup that includes more than 30 rides and slides, over 400 animals, a full summer concert series and immersive seasonal events, Wild Adventures stood out for its powerful combination of excitement and value.
Continue reading
The iconic roller coaster Fury 325 at Carowinds in greater Charlotte, NC has been closed since July 7, 2026. It has now been reported that this is due to a routine maintenance inspection uncovering a foundation issue. Guests have seen work walls erected around a support pillar of the ride with no timeline for the ride’s return. Fury 325 is the world’s tallest and fastest traditional chain-lift “giga” coaster and the speeds and forces on it are intense. The ride got national attention 3 years ago with videos of a crack in one of Fury 325’s support pillars that caused an extended shutdown. This broken support beam had the ride down for about 6 weeks.
Continue reading
Several theme parks now have exclusive beers, with many of them found at Universal or Disney parks. Animal Kingdom is the surprising home of many of Disney’s exclusive beers. You’ll find one of the most iconic in the Pandora area with the green Hawkes’ Grog Ale. This distinctly green-colored American Pale Wheat Ale brewed exclusively for Disney by Terrapin Beer Company of Athens, Georgia. It’s said to be quite refreshing with flavors of apricot, peach, and citrus. You’ll also find Mo’ara High Country Ale in Pandora, a spicy hop amber ale. Safari Amber is another exclusive beer found at Animal Kingdom. It is an American amber/red lager brewed by Anheuser-Busch exclusively for the Walt Disney World Resort and I saw it on the menu at the Sanaa restaurant at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Finally, you’ll find Gold Squadron Lager at Oga’s Cantina at Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Continue reading
There has been tremendous conversation about the future of ArieForce One, the World-Class RMC roller coaster at Fun Spot Atlanta, with its impending closure. Enthusiasts are desperate to see this coaster saved rather than demolished with tremendous speculation of where it could possibly relocate. One of the parks that has been continuously mentioned in the enthusiast community by people like Theme Park Brandon and Coaster Studios is Wild Adventures in Valdosta, Georgia. Could it happen? RMC has already confirmed ArieForce One is very moveable, so it’s just a matter now of determining if it makes sense for someone to move it and if Wild Adventures would be a good home for it.
Continue reading
As rumored earlier, Kumba is indeed closing forever on August 2, 2026 and silencing the iconic roar forever. The park made it official with a release on social media today. This is sad for sure and August 2nd will be a dark day in the coaster community with the closure of both ArieForce One and Kumba on the same day. However, in the sadness there is some intrigue as the park simultaneously announced a new attraction to replace it called Kumba’s Revenge as part of a $100 million project. Could this be the much rumored Giga Coaster for Busch Gardens? Time will tell I guess, but today is a time to reflect and enjoy what we’re losing, we can focus on the future after August 2nd. Kumba was a beast and provided kinetic beauty and iconic sound to the back of the park. Enjoy these last few weeks with Kumba and hope to see you at the park!
Continue reading
BGT Safari 