August 18th is the Very First National ICEE Day, a Theme Park Favorite!

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National ICEE Day Logo (Courtesy of ICEE)

August 18th is the first ever National ICEE Day (NID) and participating retailers at over 1,800 locations will give out free small ICEE drinks. Although a “slush” beverage has been around a long time, an ICEE is different as it is actually carbonated like soda, giving its unique flavor and texture. The ICEE was invented by Kansas Dairy Queen owner Omar Knedlick, who placed some carbonated soda in his freezer during an equipment issue. The resulting beverage was a hit with customers and the rest is history. The ICEE is a theme park staple with many parks offering refillable bottles or including unlimited ICEE’s in its beverage plan. Some places even have some crazy flavors like banana, but I personally really like the Orange Cream you can get at Six Flags Darien Lake.

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Did the “B&M Rattle” Cause Bolliger & Mabillard to End Their Relationship With US Based Track Supplier Clermont Steel?

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Signature B&M Track Design on Kumba

Coaster enthusiasts have claimed for the last several years that new B&M (Bolliger & Mabillard) coasters aren’t as smooth as they used to be with a rattle or shake. Complaints have centered on rides like Penguin Trek at SeaWorld Orlando and Iron Menace at Dorney Park. It seems like sport now every time a new B&M opens, like Tormenta, to wait for reports of if it has the B&M rattle. There has been much speculation as to the cause ranging from issues with the ride bearings or something with the train to inconsistencies with the track gauge causing the train to go “hunting” for center. This rattle is not like riding an old school wooden coaster or anything, but merely a departure from the glass smooth rides B&M has gotten a reputation for over the years. So did something in the design change? Is it a quality control issue? There are rumors of B&M ending a long relationship with track supplier, Clermont Steel, could this all be related?

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Win a Trip to Six Flags Magic Mountain with Zaxby’s

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There’s a fun restaurant theme park promotion going on with Zaxby’s and Six Flags. It’s the “Sauce Boss August Summer Challenge” which you’ll be entered into if you buy two GO BIG meals on two different days (tracked with the app) before August 31, 2026. Four grand prize winners will receive a Trip for 2 to Six Flags Magic Mountain including tickets, airfare, lodging, a $150 transportation gift card and $500 for expenses. Six Flags Magic Mountain is located in Valencia, California (greater Los Angeles) and is known as the “Thrill Capital of the World” with 19 roller coasters. Of course the odds of winning Six Flags tickets are long, but even if you don’t you’ll still end up with some great Zaxby’s chicken. It’s also great to see a Magic Mountain trip being given the visibility as part of a national promotion.

Florida Teachers Can Get a Free Season Pass to LEGOLAND Florida!

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Florida Resident Teachers (Grades PreK-12) can get a free annual pass to LEGOLAND Florida that also includes Madame Tussauds Orlando, SEA LIFE Orlando, and The Orlando Eye! There are about 60 blackout dates (like spring break, Saturdays in the summer, weekends in October, Thanksgiving week and Christmas week), but free is free. Admission to the LEGOLAND Florida Water Park is not included in the standard Teacher Pass but you can purchase the Teacher Pass + Water Park for $59.99 which will remove those blackout dates too! You could use it for a scouting trip for your school as LEGOLAND Florida also offers tickets for field trips as low as $19.99/student.

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Could a Lawsuit Dismissal Lead to More B&M Surf Coasters like Pipeline at SeaWorld Orlando?

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SeaWorld Orlando built Pipeline, the world’s first “surf coaster” by B&M (Bolloger & Mabillard) in 2023. It was a prototype that was meant to be an improvement on the old stand-up coasters. It could also potentially provide B&M another genre of coasters to sell along with it’s wing, hyper, Giga, dive and other models. Pipeline got rather solid reviews from the public, but another surf coaster has yet to be built. However, it turns out there was a good reason why, but that may now be about to change. In 2024 Vekoma filed suit against B&M claiming the “surf coaster” design violated their patent US7987793B2. However, several months ago a judge dismissed this case with prejudice (meaning Vekoma cannot sue again) and thus B&M is now clear to sell its design to other parks without fear of subsequent patent infringement lawsuits. This could potentially open the door for more surf coasters in 2027 and beyond.

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Texas Teachers Can Get a Free SeaWorld San Antonio Season Pass

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Entrance at SeaWorld San Antonio for Christmas Celebration
Entrance at SeaWorld San Antonio for Christmas Celebration

SeaWorld San Antonio is offering Texas credentialed Pre-K-12 school teachers a FREE SeaWorld Teacher Card that provides unlimited admission to SeaWorld San Antonio. The Teacher Card is good from the time of redemption through January 3, 2027. Teachers can add unlimited visits to Aquatica for only $39. OR add both unlimited Aquatica PLUS Parking for only $84. If you’re a Texas teacher getting a free pass is an easy decision. No doubt during the remainder of the year you’ll be able to catch one of the many sales so non-teacher friends and family inexpensively join you too.

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Coastersauraus to Reopen at LEGOLAND Florida on National Roller Coaster Day on August 16, 2026

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Coastersaurus at LEGOLAND Florida
Coastersaurus at LEGOLAND Florida

After a long refurbishment, Coastersaurus at LEGOLAND Floridad is scheduled to reopen on August 16, 2026, which also happens to be National Roller Coaster Day! The refurbishment was extensive, replacing the whole structure of the ride, control system and the restraint system on the trains, so this is almost a new coaster at this point. This was the first major refurbishment of the ride since it opened in 2004 at Cypress Gardens (the park before it was a LEGOLAND) in 2004. With all the work they still wanted to maintain the original character of the ride as Coastersaurus is Florida’s only fully wooden roller coaster and the only wooden coaster in a LEGOLAND park. The refurbishments are expected to extend the life of the roller coaster another 20-30 years, meaning you’ll be able to enjoy Coastersaurus for decades to come!

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The Eclipse Today Will be Viewable by a Billion People, but in 2045 You’ll Be Able to See One at Busch Gardens, LEGOLAND, Universal, Disney and Wild Adventures

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Paths of major eclipses in the USA over the next century (courtesy of Statista)

Today (August 12, 2026) a major eclipse will span across 3 continents and be viewable by a billion people. The path of totality will sweep across parts of Greenland, Iceland, Spain, and northern Russia, while millions in North America and Europe will see a partial eclipse. After it’s done it will be time to prepare for the next one here in the United States scheduled for August 12, 2045. The 2045 total eclipse will hit some huge theme parks including Disney, SeaWorld, Universal, Busch Gardens, LEGOLAND Florida and Wild Adventures. In 2045 these parks will be looking at around 5 minutes of “totality” meaning you could have several coaster cycles complete afternoon darkness! Wild Adventures gets a double dose of eclipses as there will be another total eclipse in Valdosta, Georgia on March 30, 2052, just 7 years later, that’s like winning the celestial lottery!

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Roller Coaster Testing Includes Water-Filled Test Dummies and Kids Trying to Wiggle Out of Restraints

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Ever wonder how they test a roller coaster? Before a coaster is even built today, computer modeling will verify things like the g-forces being within safe thresholds and that the track layout doesn’t have any “envelope” issues (places where a rider’s hands or other body parts could make contact with the structure). However, theoretical testing is not enough, practical testing is needed too. After the track is first inspected inch by inch, a car will then do a “pull-through” test, usually by a winch, to check everything. Often a large piece of plywood will be mounted on a seat to represent the maximum reach of a rider’s hands to check the “envelope” again. Then the train will cycle all or part of the course empty before the water-filled dummies below will get the first ride! Before a human sets foot on a new coaster, dummies like this will take dozens or hundreds of laps with sensors and cameras aboard to be sure everything is OK. The restraints are also tested long before construction and if you’re in the Orlando area you can potentially even help Skyline Attractions with this next Saturday, August 15, 2026!

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The New Bakunawa Roller Coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure is Based on a Mythological Moon-Eating Dragon From the Philippines!

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Bakunawa (Courtesy of Six Flags)

A lot of people were a bit surprised at the name and logo for Six Flags Great Adventure’s new coaster, Bakunawa? However, it actually has a really cool backstory. The Bakunawa is a legendary, dragon-like sea serpent creature from Philippine mythology. It’s known as the “moon-eater” and folklore credits it as the cause of eclipses, earthquakes and storms. Its name is a compound word meaning “bent snake”. Bakunawa was said to live in the ocean, but would fly to the moon to try to swallow it and thus cause eclipses. Filipino people would bang pots and pans during an eclipse to try to scare it away. It was largely an oral tradition, but below is 18th century engraving depicting a Philippine warship. Given the ride’s design and this name/mythology, there’s tons of ways Six Flags could use this in theming!

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