What is ArieForce One Worth Today if it Were Sold?

/ printingddd / Leave a comment

Fun Spot America Atlanta is closing and many are wondering about the future of its iconic World-Class roller coaster ArieForce One. There have been rumors that it could be demolished for a tax write-off, moved to Fun Spot Orlando or sold to another company. With regard to the sale option, what would a fair price be for the ride? To figure this out we can use publicly available information about the cost of the ride and combine them with standard depreciation practices. When we take the cost and figure in depreciation we arrive at a figure of about $7 million.

Continue reading →

A Little Love for Hurricane and Sea Serpent: The Other Roller Coasters Not Named ArieForce One that are Also Closing at Fun Spot Atlanta

/ printingddd / Leave a comment

Fun Spot America Atlanta is closing August 2, 2026 with ArieForce One and its future are getting the most attention. This is well deserved as ArieForce One is a World-Class ride, but it’s not the only roller coaster closing next month. Fun Spot Atlanta actually has 3 roller coasters along with a bunch of great flat rides and go-karts. The two other coasters are a kiddie coaster named Sea Serpent and a family coaster named Hurricane. Neither of these coasters is as unique as ArieForce One, but they do each have a story and are deserving of some recognition as well and perhaps a ride on your last visit to Fun Spot Atlanta.

Continue reading →

You Can Own a Piece of Epic Universe! Comcast Spinning Off Theme Parks and Media Assets into New NBC Universal

/ printingddd / Leave a comment

Comcast has announced that upcoming spin off of its theme park and media assets separate from its broadband and wireless operations. This will place Universal’s theme park division inside a standalone media and entertainment company called NBC Universal with the communications business will remain known as Comcast. The new NBC Universal will be structured similar to Disney and this movie is being done with the hope that the market will value the new company like it does Disney. When you compare the two companies they are similar in market cap and annual revenue, but the stock price is a different matter as Disney stock trades at near double that of Comcast. Why is Disney stock worth more than Comcast stock?

Continue reading →

Mythbusters Tested if a Giant Ball of LEGO Could Roll Over an Actual Car with the Help of LEGOLAND California!

/ printingddd / Leave a comment

Mythbusters has been off TV for a while, but you can now watch a bunch of their classic episodes for free on YouTube. One of those episodes tested if you could make a giant ball of LEGO that would roll down a hill and over a car! Obviously, it is possible to make a giant LEGO ball, so the myth centered more on its weight and the number of LEGO bricks it would take. The ball they constructed was amazing, made of solid LEGO bricks where some large builds may be hollow or use DUPLO at their core. The Mythbusters crew even visited their local LEGOLAND California park for some advice and also took in some rides while they were there.

Continue reading →

An Inflatable Tribute to The Wild One at Six Flags America

/ printingddd / Leave a comment
The Wild One Inflatable

At the Bartow County Georgia 4th of July Celebration there was a roller coaster themed inflatable. It looked really cool, but the fact it was named “The Wild One” was really interesting and probably not accidental. The Wild One was a wooden coaster at the now shuttered Six Flags America park. It was originally built in 1917 as the Giant Coaster at Paragon Park in Massachusetts, but was relocated to Six Flags America in 1986. It had a red, white and blue color scheme just like the inflatable, however the yellow trains are a diversion from the original.

Continue reading →

Review of Dinner at Sanaa at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom Resort

/ printingddd / Leave a comment
Sanaa Entrance Sign

I had a chance to enjoy dinner at Sanaa, located at the Animal Kingdom Villas at Walt Disney World. Sanaa is a restaurant featuring African cooking with Indian flavors with spectacular views of exotic animals. Disney took a bit of a risk initially with Sanaa in that they used one of their best pieces of real estate for a restaurant serving food that many of its typical guests wouldn’t be very familiar with or find slightly intimidating. A safe choice would have perhaps been something like a steakhouse as opposed to the predominantly African-Indian menu. However, this place was packed and reservations at good times are sometimes tough to get, so apparently it’s working! The name is pronounced “Sah- NAH” with the first part like the beginning of “safari” and with the stress on the second syllable “NAH”. It is derived from Swahili, where it roughly translates to “artwork”.

Continue reading →

LEGOLAND Florida is a Great Place to Celebrate America 250 and Surprisingly LEGOLAND Billund is too!

/ printingddd / Leave a comment

July 4th, 2026 is America’s 250th birthday and it’s been a year long celebration. If you want to get in a patriotic mood, LEGOLAND Florida is a great place to go. You’ll get to see some of the nation’s most iconic structures all created as LEGO brick builds. From the Statue of Liberty to the National Mall to an American Eagle, they’re all represented in LEGO. However, what’s perhaps even more surprising is that if you head over to LEGOLAND Billund in Denmark you’ll also see a tremendous amount of Americana!

Continue reading →

Theme Parks Are a Great Place to Watch Fireworks on the 4th of July

/ printingddd / Leave a comment
Fireworks over Boomerang at Wild Adventures Theme Park
Fireworks over Boomerang at Wild Adventures Theme Park

Many people love watching fireworks on the 4th of July. This year is special in that it’s America’s 250th Birthday. Many cities have fireworks displays, but theme parks also offer a great alternative to watch a great show. Theme parks also have the advantage of allowing you to arrive early, have fun while you wait and simply look up when it’s time for the show. My family has really enjoyed the convenience of this and spent several of the last 4th of July holidays at various theme parks.

Continue reading →

It’s Too Hot! Heat is a Serious Issue for Theme Parks

/ printingddd / Leave a comment

The heat index is forecast to be off the charts today in most of the United States. Heat can be a big danger, it kills more people each year than hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods combined. According to the EPA approximately 1,300 people die directly from heat-related issues yearly , but it’s estimated 10,000 people die yearly because of heat-exacerbated illness. Theme parks are primarily an outdoor activity leaving people susceptible to extreme heat. In temperatures like this it’s important to be aware of the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke before it’s too late.

Continue reading →