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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Galacticoaster at LEGOLAND Named Best New Theme Concept in Amusement Today 2026 Golden Ticket Awards

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Galacticoaster at LEGOLAND was awarded the Golden Ticket for the Best New Theme Concept for 2026. The Golden Ticket Awards, presented annually by Amusement Today, recognizes the best of the amusement and theme park industry based on voting from industry professionals and enthusiasts. Galacticoaster opened in early 2026 and represents Merlin Entertainment’s largest single in-park investment in the history of its U.S. attractions (Merlin Entertainment is the parent company of the LEGOLAND theme parks). Having ridden it personally, calling Galacticoaster and “ride” or a “roller coaster” really sells it short as this is a multi-part story driven experience. Seeing it get a “Best New Theme Concept” award perfectly encapsulates what this attraction is all about.

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Gravestones at Six Flags Over Georgia Fright Fest Memorialize Former Rides Like the Park’s First Launch Coaster Viper and First Intamin Z-Force

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Six Flags Over Georgia has its annual Fright Fest event going in full force. One of my favorite displays is located just inside the gate where they have tombstones that commemorate many of the former rides of the park. These grave markers have the name of the ride and the years they operated. Some of these had long lives at the park while others were short lived as they were part of the Six Flags ride rotation program. There are some Six Flags Over Georgia classics memorialized here including the park’s first launch coaster in Viper, its inverted boomerang in Deja Vu and the park’s first Intamin coaster Z-force. There are also some classic non-coaster rides Ike the Sky Buckets, the Wheelie a long with several more. It’s great to see theme parks and other businesses embrace their history and not try to erase it. I saw this in full force at the Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Tour where they had a permanent flavor graveyard. Many of these rides were someone’s favorite and although they no longer exist, the memories remain. Be sure to catch a glimpse of these as you enter Six Flags Over Georgia this fall.

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September 25th (9/25) is “Dolly Working 9 to 5“ Day in Honor of Dolly Parton

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September 25 (9/25) is now known as “Dolly 9 to 5 Day” (or Dolly Parton Day) to honor the legendary singe and her iconic hit song. For years it has been been an informal thing, but following her passing several states, cities, and organizations nationwide officially proclaimed the September 25th date to celebrate her life. It also serves to promote the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library literacy program, and more broadly encourage community service. My son’s elementary school is actually celebrating it by encouraging students and staff to show their Dolly spirit by dressing in pink, denim, rhinestones, sparkles, cowboy boots, big hair, fringe, sequins, or Dolly-themed gear. On September 25th have a Dolly good time while we’re learning, laughing, and loving every minute!

Six Flags Over Georgia Monster Mansion is Full of “Easter Eggs” and New Additions Like a Bathtub in the Ceiling!

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Monster Mansion wad an opening day attraction at Six Flags Over Georgia in 1967. On opening day it was known as Tales Of The Okefenokee (1967–1980), then Monster Plantation (1981–2008) and now Monster Mansion. The ride is widely considered to be the best dark ride in the Six Flags chain and possibly the best one outside of Universal and Disney. The park isn’t being complacent though, they’re making the ride better all the time. Six Flags Over Georgia has been great about putting out behind the scenes videos about their work on Monster Mansion on social media. The park calls these “Easter Eggs” and they frequently try to incorporate the history of the ride or the park.

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