Reviews

Mine Blower at Fun Spot America Kissimmee is a Fun Ride with Explosive Power in a Small Footprint

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Mine Blower roller coaster at Fun Spot America Kissimmee

Mine Blower is the signature coaster at Fun Spot Kissimmee. Among coaster enthusiasts it’s both famous and infamous as it has an amazing layout that’s wildly fun, but has also gotten a reputation for being rough, even by wooden coaster standards. However, the park has recently attempted to address this issue with an RMC 208 partial retrack. I had the chance to ride it on a recent trip to the Orlando area and here’s my review of the experience along with an overview of the great Gravity Group creation that is Mine Blower.

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Cadbury World is a Sweet Theme Park, Museum and Interactive Advertisement Combination!

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Entrance to Cadbury World

Cadbury World is part theme park, part museum and part immersive advertisement all in one located on the campus of the the Cadbury chocolate plant in Bournville, Birmingham, England. This is not a factory tour, however you will learn about the company’s history and the chocolate making process through some great interactive experiences. On a recent business trip the the United Kingdom I got a chance to experience Cadbury World and left with a bunch of new knowledge, good memories and pockets full of free chocolate! Here’s my review of one of the sweetest places on Earth.

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Aerie’s Alpine Coaster Review at Aerie’s Resort in Grafton, Illinois

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Aerie's Mountain Coaster rider camera

Just over the Missouri border outside St. Louis in the southwest corner of Illinois you’ll find the town of Grafton with Aerie’s Resort and Aerie’s Alpine Coaster. This Wiegand mountain coaster opened in September of 2022 and is currently the only mountain coaster in Illinois. The coaster sports 3,885 feet of track in a beautiful resort setting that offers insane views of the Mississippi River below.

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Scaly Mountain Screamer Review at Highlands Outpost in North Carolina

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Scaly Mountain Screamer Logo of bear by trees
Scaly Mountain Screamer Logo

Just over the Georgia border in the southwest corner of North Carolina you’ll find Highlands Outpost and the Scaly Mountain Screamer coaster. This Wiegand mountain coaster opened in November of 2021 and is currently the longest mountain coaster in North Carolina with over 3,800 feet of track. The coaster features two lift hills, a beautiful forests and a surprise Bigfoot encounter!

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Could Virtual Reality Allow you to Experience Roller Coasters From Around the World?

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The "VRoller Coaster" at Virtual Reality Adventures in Las Vegas
The “VRoller Coaster” at Virtual Reality Adventures in Las Vegas

I had the chance to experience the “VRoller Coaster” at Virtual Reality Adventures in Las Vegas and came away extremely impressed. Virtual Reality Adventures is located in the LINQ Promenade near the High Roller Ferris Wheel on the Las Vegas Strip. They offer several VR experiences with one simply called “Roller Coaster” that looks unassuming enough, but really packs a punch. During this experience you experience 3 coasters with first what I believe is Goliath at Walibi Holland, second being Rip Ride Rockit at Universal Studios in Florida and finally the Big Apple Coaster located at the New York New York Resort in Las Vegas.

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Are Vessi Shoes the Perfect Theme Park Shoes?

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A day at a theme park can include miles of walking, water rides and potentially inclement weather. Getting blisters or wet feet can make this miserable and thus a good pair of shoes are vital to a good theme park experience. I have almost flat feet and have sometimes struggled to find comfortable shoes for long distances, especially with water involved. I heard YouTuber ElToroRyan talking about his Vessi shoes on one of his coaster videos and decided to give them a shot. That first pair of Vessis I got have been the best pair of shoes I’ve ever owned.

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Review of the New Penguin Trek Roller Coaster at SeaWorld Orlando

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I found myself in Orlando for a quick business trip which gave me an evening to check out the New Penguin Trek at SeaWorld Orlando. Penguin Trek is a sit down launched family coaster by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M). It opened July 7, 2024 and is essentially a prototype, being the first B&M sit down family launch coaster. The ride is located in the Antarctica area of the park and replaces the Antarctica: Empire of the Penguins dark ride.

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Santa’s Land in Cherokee, NC. A Review of Our “Christmas in July” in the Smokey Mountains.

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The front sign for Santa's Land Fun Park & Zoo

We made an end of summer trip to the Smokey Mountains visiting Cherokee, NC for some whitewater tubing and a trip to Santa’s Land Fun Park & Zoo. In Georgia our kids started school August 1st which is crazy! Santa’s Land is sincerely both an amusement park and zoo that’s full of charm for kids and families. You can relax and ride all day for one low price with cheap eats under a beautiful tree canopy in the Smokey Mountains. We visited on a Saturday afternoon in summer and there were no wait times for anything even though the park felt like it was buzzing with activity. There’s not much here for adrenaline junkies, but tons of uniqueness and nostalgia that’s headlined by the amazing Rudicaoster, a “one of a kind” family roller coaster by Zamperla.

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The Flash Pass One Shot at Six Flags Over Georgia is a Great Value

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On my last visit to Six Flags Over Georgia I noticed for the first time several of these green signs offering the Flash Pass One Shot. When you follow the QR code you’re taken to the Flash Pass website where you can buy a flash pass for the day, the season and now a Flash Pass for a single ride. This “One Shot” is reminiscent of the Lightning Lane Single Pass at Disney parks where you can buy “skip the line” access to certain attractions. The cost seems to vary by ride and day (similar to the Disney system) and I’ve seen prices range on a Friday between $6 and $14 each. However, a Flash Pass on that same Friday went for $60 for the Standard (virtual line holder) Flash Pass all they way up to $145 for the Ultimate (no wait) Flash Pass. So if you’re a regular and only going for a few hours, Single Shots seem to be the way to go.

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