The Leadership of Star Trek Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Patrick Stewart’s Many Theme Park Connections

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Actor Patrick Stewart died on October 29, 2026 at the age of 86. He was first a Shakespearean actor, but to younger generations is probably best known for his roles in Star Trek and X-Men. His Captain Jean-Luc Picard of Star Trek: The Next Generation was a powerful example of leadership. Patrick Stewart spanned space and time, portraying nearly 500 year old Shakespearean characters, a futuristic space captain and a disabled superhero mutant professor. He also had numerous theme park connections, both through his characters and personally.

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Is a New Indoor Roller Coaster Coming to Kentucky Kingdom?

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Kentucky Kingdom has released teasers on social media for a new ride announcement coming soon. It appears to be a horse racing theme, which makes sense with the park’s geographical proximity to the Kentucky Derby. The video appears to show a glimpse of wood track and he story also seems to involve a night race and includes the teaser “when the clock strikes midnight”, which would work well indoors. The rumor is an indoor wooden roller coaster built by The Gravity Group who worked with the park previously on the Kentucky Flyer coaster at the park. A Kentucky Derby themed ride has long been rumored and this is probably it.

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Pumpkin Spice Fog at Wild Adventures Great Pumpkin LumiNights was my Favorite Fall Surprise!

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Great Pumpkin LumiNights at Wild Adventures is a spectacular fall event. They have your typical fall fare in food and decorations, but there was one surprising thing this year, pumpkin spice fog! In the central hub of the park there are fog machines, which are quite typical for Halloween events, but rather than nondescript haze, this has has the smell of pumpkin spice. I saw people literally standing feet from the machine trying to maximize their exposure it smelled so good. Hopefully pumpkin spice fog becomes a regular thing at Great Pumpkin LumiNights at Wild Adventures.

ArieForce One Headed to Six Flags Magic Mountain

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Next Stop California

We didn’t have to wait long to find out where ArieForce One is headed. The Orange County Register has reported and the Six Flags Magic Mountain president has confirmed that the ride is headed to the California park. Coaster Studios also reported track arriving at the park today. It was originally thought the track might be headed west to RMC for some modifications, but instead it was headed to Magic Mountain.

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Dollywood’s 2027 Operating Schedule out with 275 Operating Days

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Courtesy of Dollywood

Dollywood has released its full 2027 operating calendar with an opening day of March 10, 2027 for passholders and concluding on January 2, 2028. There are 275 operating days, which surprisingly is 6 fewer than last year after the park adding extra days in the past. The addition of NightFlight does add another indoor option, but this is still a primarily outdoor park with minimum temperature requirements for many of the roller coasters to operate. The calendar is filled with all your favorite events as Barbeque & Bluegrass returning for the 2027 season on Labor Day weekend. This will be the first full season without Dolly as well, so no doubt we can expect some openings of memorials and other poignant moments too. It’s crazy to think, but 2027 will be here before we know it!

Getting a Credit on the “Cruiser Coaster” at Craig’s Cruisers in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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Sometimes life literally brings you to another roller coaster credit. I had a business trip to Grand Rapids and our hotel (that I didn’t pick) was literally next to Craig’s Cruisers Grand Rapids, a family entertainment center which is technically in Wyoming, Michigan (a suburb of Grand Rapids). The ride is approximately called the “Coaster Cruiser” and it has some decent racing theming. It’s just an indoor SBF Visa, probably the world’s most popular coaster model, but it was still lots of fun. A single ride is just $7, but there are also go-karts, as small selection of flat rides and a large arcade to entertain you too.

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Would you Ride a Ferris Wheel with 184 Witches?

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Photos Courtesy of Melin Entertainments

Witches take over The Orlando Eye for world record

On October 21, 2026, 184 guests dressed as witches took to the skies aboard The Orlando Eye, establishing a new world record for the most people dressed as witches on an observation wheel.  Pointed hats and cloaks filled the attraction’s capsules as participants soared 400 feet above Orlando for the Halloween celebration. These types of promotional events are just pure fun and the pictures of pointy hats in shadow in the capsules are amazing.

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Does “Curtain Kong” Make Skull Island Reign of Kong a Skip at Universal Islands of Adventure?

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Skull Island Reign of Kong is a trackless 3D dark ride at Universal Islands of Adventure. It features videos and special effects while you ride in large expedition trucks. You’ll run into bats, dinosaurs and Kong himself along the way. However, the star of the show, a giant animatronic Kong, is currently hidden behind a black curtain. This is speculated to be because of fire damage to the face during maintenance, although details are sketchy. This has given him the nickname “Curtain Kong” for these last 2 months.

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Would you Wait 3 Hours for a Roller Coaster?

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On a recent trip to Universal Islands of Adventure VelociCoaster had wait times reach 205 minutes (3 hours 25 minutes) and regularly sit at 175 minutes. This was likely due to Hagrid’s and Forbidden Journey both having numerous closures that day. However, as awesome as VelociCoaster is, it got me thinking which rides I’d be willing to wait 3 hours to ride. Which attractions would you wait 3 hours to ride?

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The Rilix VR Coaster is a Ride Quality Experience in Arcade Form Factor

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Rilix Coaster is a VR coaster experience in the arcade packaging. The Rilix Coaster isn’t just VR visuals though, but a complete immersive experience using haptic technology in the seat and a variable speed fan. The haptic transducer lets you feel every bump and turn while the fan creates wind which helps create a sensation of speed. These can combine to create an immersive experience and mentally tie together the visuals with a physical feeling of motion when you’re actually stationary. You can see in the reaction video below just how convincing the effect can be.

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