Our Visit to the First Day of Great Pumpkin LumiNights at Wild Adventures!

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Fall is one of the best times of the year to visit a theme park with its cooler weather, great decorations and fantastic food. This year’s Great Pumpkin LumiNights at Wild Adventures is a perfect way to spend a fall day and it has something for everyone. Whether you like thrilling rides, great shows, animals, spectacular food or just amazing fall ambiance, Wild Adventures has it for you. We had a chance to visit Wild Adventures on Saturday, September 26th for the debut of the 2026 Great Pumpkin LumiNights event and our review couldn’t be more positive. Great weather was coupled with great flavors and good times for an excellent fall day with family.

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What is “Simbi Rush” and Is it the Name of the New Water Ride Coming to Busch Gardens Tampa?

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Is Simbr Rush replacing Stanley Falls?

Busch Gardens Tampa is currently constructing the new water ride slated to replace Stanley Falls Flume and we may have some clues about its name and theme from a trademark application. In September 2026, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment (the former company name its parent company United Parks often uses) filed a trademark application for “SIMBI RUSH“ specifically for amusement park rides and themed areas. The ride system has also been thought to be everything from a Mack rocking boat to a Mack water coaster to an Intamin launched flume, so there are a bunch of unknowns. We don’t even know for certain that the Simbi Rush trademark is tied to the project at Busch Gardens Tampa, but it sure does seem to fit. The park has teased that all will be revealed soon though! A lot of the conjecture has been on the ride system, but here are some possibilities with the theme based on the “Simbi Rush” filing:

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NightFlight Closed Again this Week as Dollywood Continues to Make Adjustments

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Dollywood has announced that NightFlight will be closed through October 2, 2026 for the park to continue to optimize their newest attraction. The closure was originally slated to start on Monday, September 28th, but instead started sooner than expected on Friday, September 25th per the park’s social media. This park is is a technological marvel, combining several types of ride technologies together. A past closure was related to the “table” which runs the flight simulator portion of the ride, but there’s no information as to what this closure is related to.

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The Historic Riverview Carousel at Six Flags Over Georgia was Ridden by President Harding and Al Capone with the Only One Left Like it Located at Disney’s Magic Kingdom

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Six Flags Over Georgia is home to a historic carousel and when they say historic they mean it as it was actually added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1995 (NRHP reference number 94001639). The carousel is named the Riverview Carousel and takes its name from Riverview Park in Chicago, Illinois where it operated from 1908 to 1967. That makes the carousel over 100 years old! The carousel was built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC) and is one of only four 5-row carousels built by the company. The Riverview Carousel is one of only two surviving carousels still operating in that “5-wide” original configuration with the other one being the Prince Charming Regal Carousel at Magic Kingdom. The carousel opened at Six Flags Over Georgia for the 1972 season and has been a park staple for over 50 years. It now sits on “Carousel Hill” which is visible from many areas of the park.

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Did you Know the DreamSong Theater at Dollywood Used to House a Motion Simulator Ride?

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DreamSong Theater at Dollywood (Photo courtesy of Matt Brinkley)

The DreamSong Theater is one of Dollywood’s premier live entertainment venues. However, it wasn’t always a music venue, but actually housed several iterations of a motion simulator ride. The attraction opened in 1996 and used seat movement synced to the films to create an immersive experience. The two films that were primarily played were first Thunder Road followed by Smoky Mountain Wilderness Adventure Ride with Polar Express interspersed during the holidays. The attraction closed in 2008 and the facility was then converted to a live performance theater that today is called the DreamSong Theater. Today the Dreamsong Theater is primarily home to the Heidi Parton’s Kin & Friends show. Heidi Parton is Dolly’s niece and the show largely serves as a tribute to Dolly. It features Heidi Parton along with her family and friends performing hit songs across a variety of genres and celebrating the Parton family gift of music. The recent addition of NightFlight has been applauded for giving Dollywood a much needed “all-weather” attraction, but years ago it actually had an indoor simulator ride.

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The Fun Spot Atlanta Auction is Underway and Ends October 14th. Here’s Your Chance to Buy a Roller Coaster!

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Fun Spot Atlanta closed back in August and the auction for the rides and other property at the park is underway. Dozens of items are for sale from coasters like Sea Serpent and Hurricane to Flat rides like Hook & Slice to arcade games to kitchen equipment. The online auction began on September 22nd and runs through October 14th. “Our Atlanta park made lifetime memories for a lot of families, and the equipment behind those memories has been well cared for,” said John Arie, Jr., Owner and Chief Executive Officer of Fun Spot America Theme Parks. The bidding is already strong on many items with interested buyers to include other amusement parks, family entertainment centers or even local fans.

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The Museum of Play in Rochester, New York is Pure Fun and Nostalgia that’s Convenient to Several Local Theme Parks and has a Few Rides Itself

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The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York is a large interactive destination devoted entirely to the history and exploration of play. This includes toys, video games, childhood characters, games and a few rides. It’s not unusual to spend 3-4 hours or more to do a quick run through all the exhibits and a deep dive could extend your visit even more. Highlights include a toy hall of fame, video game hall of fame, historic pinball area, a butterfly garden and there are a few rides including a carousel and a train. The museum is also conveniently located near several New York theme parks and amusement parks making it a great addition to a credit tun or a diversion on a rainy day.

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Phantom Theater: Opening Nightmare at Kings Island Wins 2026 Best New Family Attraction

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Phantom Theater: Opening Nightmare at Kings Island won the 2026 Best New Family Attraction “Golden Ticket” awarded by Amusement Today. On the attraction riders travel in enchanted opera boxes and use flashlights to catch ghost musical notes (using projection mapping and haptic vibration feedback to show success).  The ride replaced Boo Blasters on Boo Hill and is in homage to the beloved Phantom Theater Omnimover-style dark ride that operated on the site from 1992–2002. In between it operated as Scooby-Doo and the Haunted Castle from 2003–2009 and then Boo Blasters on Boo Hill from 2010–2025. Phantom Theater: Opening Nightmare is a huge upgrade to Boo Blasters with 33 animatronics across 26 scenes with special effects like wind, scent changes, and shifting temperatures.

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Fury 325 at Carowinds Wins Golden Ticket for “Best Steel Coaster” for a Record-Setting 10th Consecutive Year. What will Eventually Dethrone it?

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For the 10th year in a row, Fury 325 at Carowinds has won best steel roller coaster as awarded by the Amudement Today 2026 Golden Ticket Awards. This is a record for the B&M coaster which opened on March 28, 2015. The top 5 were rounded out by Jurassic World Velocicoaster, Steel Vengeance, Iron Gwazi and Ride to Happiness. ArieFore One, a coaster that’s gotten a lot of press recently, finished 11th and Carowinds is one of the rumored sites where the ride could be relocated. This could give the park a potent coaster combination. It’s hard to see anything in the near future that could end the run of Fury 325 at the top. Maybe Kumba’s Revenge if it is indeed a record breaking B&M Giga coaster? Maybe Bakuwana? It’s likely we’ll be out into 2028 or 2029 at the earliest as a new coaster has never won “Best New Coaster” and Overall #1 in the same year. Congrats to Fury 325, Carowinds and Six Flags for this great accomplishment for this great roller coaster.

Review of Great Chicken Tenders at Dee Jay’s Diner at Six Flags Over Georgia

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Dee Jay’s Diner (Courtesy of Six Flags Over Georgia)

Dee Jay’s Diner is one of the recently revamped dining options at Six Flags Over Georgia (SFOG). On the menu you’ll find All-American theme park classics like burgers and hand-breaded chicken tenders, but in addition to fries you’ll find upscale sides like mac & cheese and southwest corn. Like the other revamped options, the food here is all visible at the counter behind glass, so you’ll know exactly what you’re getting. Prices are a tad high at just under $20 for a plate, but if you get a dining plan it becomes more affordable. The portions are good, but not overwhelming and the flavor of the tenders and fries was excellent with the perfect amount of crisp. These are just chicken tenders and fries at the end of the day, but they’re well executed with a good balance of breading to chicken and the spice blend worked well too.

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