Rides

SeaWorld to Combat Epic Universe Opening with New Expedition Odyssey Attraction and Free Beer!

/ printingddd / Leave a comment
SeaWorld logo

Update September 2025: It appears the strategy may have worked as United Parks (SeaWorld parent company) announced that SeaWorld Orlando’s attendance was up in the 2nd quarter of 2025 post Epic Universe’s opening. It’s rare that United Parks announces park specific performance, so it’s obvious they were trying to make a point. CEO Marc Swanson said, “Our attendance at our SeaWorld Orlando park has been up in attendance since Epic opened on May 22,” he said. “It was up for the full second quarter, and it was up if you measured from the date Epic opened through the end of the second quarter. It continues to be up quarter to date in the third quarter through Aug. 6 on a day-to-day basis.” Swanson also said attendance was up at its Aquatica Orlando water park and Discovery Cove, and revenue also was up in Orlando.

Continue reading →

Demolition of Scorpion Underway at Busch Gardens

/ printingddd / 1 Comment
Scorpion Roller Coaster Demolition at Busch Gardens
Scorpion Demolition (picture courtesy of Vikings Coaster Crew)
Scorpion Roller Coaster Demolition at Busch Gardens
Scorpion Demolition (picture courtesy of Vikings Coaster Crew)

There have been reports online that Scorpion’s demolition has begun. This definitely looks like a demolition rather than a relocation based on cutting of the steel rather than disassembly. We’ve written before about the history of Scorpion and how it served as the first coaster inversion for a generation of Busch Gardens visitors. While it’s sad to see it go, hopefully this work means that this location could be home to something new in 2026. This would be quite the revitalization for Pantopia after just getting flight of the Phoenix Rising. I want to give a special thank you to  Vikings Coaster Crew and /railfan_andrew for the pictures in this post!

Continue reading →

The Kōmbo Family Coaster at the Indianapolis Zoo is Unique and Themed Perfectly

/ printingddd / Leave a comment

The Kōmbo Family Coaster at the Indianapolis Zoo is a highly unique family coaster by Zierer opened in 2001. At 24 feet in height and 21 mph on 656 feet of track Kombo’s stats from the zoo’s website won’t wow anyone, but it’s spectacular attention to theme and a few neat quirks make it a unique and fun offering in a surprising place. The day I went was a “school” day and so the park was pretty empty meaning I got one of the first “zen” rides (only rider on the train) I can remember in a long time.

Continue reading →

Kumba’s Roar Returning to Busch Gardens Soon!

/ printingddd / Leave a comment
Kumba at Busch Gardens
Kumba at Busch Gardens

Busch Gardens Tampa announced on its social media on April 21, 2025 that Kumba would be returning this summer! This announcement came on the rides 32nd birthday and it’s currently the oldest roller coaster at Busch Gardens. The ride’s future had been in doubt for just this reason after sitting idle for months with no official word from the park about its future. However, with this announcement it appears rumors of its demise were greatly exaggerated.

Continue reading →

Happy Easter! Maybe Someday there will be an Easter Roller Coaster at a Place Like Holiday World?

/ printingddd / 3 Comments
Easter Roller Coaster
Easter Coaster made with Gemini Imagen 3 AI

Happy Easter! I did a search for an Easter roller coaster and came up empty, so I used Google’s Gemini Imagen 3 AI to make one. Like many things AI it’s not perfect, especially with the use of candy canes throughout? Perhaps the closest you come to an Easter roller coaster is Jack Rabbit at Kennywood. Probably the most likely place to see an Easter theme would be Holiday World in Indiana. Right now we have Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween and 4th of July, but maybe an Easter expansion could come some day…

Two Kiddie Rides Displaced by Phoenix Rising are Making a Comeback at Busch Gardens

/ printingddd / Leave a comment

In a filing last week with the City of Tampa Bay it appears Busch Gardens is resurrecting two Kiddie rides that were removed back in 2023 from Pantopia to make room for Phoenix Rising. This is two of four working rides (five if you count the SBNO Phoenix Looping Starship) that were removed. The rides returning are the Busch Flyers and the Kiddie Train and they are going next to the the Ubanga Banga Bumper Cars in the spot currently occupied by the remote control boats and trucks.

Continue reading →

An American Family’s Review of LEGOLAND Billund

/ printingddd / 2 Comments

As part of a larger European trip we spent 2 park days at LEGOLAND Billund and 2 nights at a LEGOLAND resort property. Billund, Denmark is where LEGO was invented and headquartered, so this is the “home” of LEGO. It was a great trip at what we felt was an extremely reasonable price. Even though we don’t speak a word of Danish we had zero issues communicating and fully experiencing the park. The park is adjacent to the airport, so transportation is very easy. The accommodations were also well themed, convenient and available at many price points to fit any budget. LEGOLAND Billund is a great theme park in general and simply amazing if you are at all a fan of LEGO.

Continue reading →

Anything for a Credit? Adult Review of Going to Peppa Pig Theme Park to Ride Daddy Pig’s Roller Coaster.

/ printingddd / 1 Comment

I was in central Florida for business and happened to be working and staying about 5 miles away from LEGOLAND Florida and the new Peppa Pig Theme Park. I mentioned to my guests about my roller coaster habit and adults visiting Peppa Pig just to get the “credit” (number of unique coasters ridden). They asked if I had done that yet, which I hadn’t, and they kindly arranged for me to visit and ride the surprisingly great Daddy Pig’s Roller Coaster by Zamperla.

Continue reading →

New LEGOLAND Florida Space Themed Indoor Roller Coaster Building Nearly Enclosed

/ printingddd / Leave a comment
Artist rendering of new LegoLand Space Roller Coaster
Artist rendering of new LegoLand Space Roller Coaster (courtesy of LegoLand)

Update September 2025: It appears according to the LegoLand website that this will be a space themed coaster, the park’s first since 2011. “Get ready to blast off! In early 2026, LEGOLAND® Florida Resort is launching an all-new space-themed experience featuring our most technologically advanced indoor coaster ever — a fully immersive mission from liftoff to landing.” It will feature a themed queue as you launch from Spaceport 885 (named after the original LEGO® Space Scooter set #885)!

Continue reading →

Massive DC Universe Land Opens at Six Flags Fiesta Texas

/ printingddd / 2 Comments
DC Universe entrance with METROPOLIS™ Transit Authority
DC Universe at Six Flags Fiesta Texas (pictures courtesy of SFFT)

Six Flags Fiesta Texas has opened a new DC Universe themed land, the largest of any in the United States. The new DC Universe themed area on March 1, 2025 and features three all-new rides: CYBORG™ Cyber Revolution, SHAZAM!™ Tower of Eternity, and METROPOLIS™ Transit Authority. Also included in DC Universe will be exciting updates to several existing rides and a newly remodeled Daily Planet. Fiesta Texas often seems to be on the upper tier of Six Flags parks with theming and attention to detail, like those at the New DC Universe, that aren’t universal across the chain.

Continue reading →