Six Flags Darien Lake has a great nighttime show called Laser Light Spectacular. The show takes place on select nights from May 16 to September 6 and starts at 9:15pm on nights the park closes at 9pm. The show takes place in a grass amphitheater near the Boomerang coaster and is nearly 30 minutes long. It uses vibrant lasers, fireworks, fire, water, fog and music transform the night sky into an electrifying experience. This isn’t a formal review, but I walked away impressed as I can’t think of another Six Flags park with a nightly show like this.

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay officially opened the all-new Lion & Hyena Ridge on Saturday, July 25th. The new area is massive at 38,000 square feet and houses the largest coalition of lions in an Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) accredited facility. Guests will have the chance to meet lions Pascal, Lou, Hugo, Henri and Herman and hyenas Dazi and Cazi. The exhibit offers incredible 270-degree views of the habitat which mimics an authentic environment with Kopje-style rock formations and naturalistic terrain. Designed to deliver an immersive safari-style experience, Lion & Hyena Ridge features expansive glass viewing areas that offer guests remarkable face-to-face perspectives of the animals. Guests can also explore interactive cave spaces and cross overhead bridges, creating unique vantage points throughout the expansive habitat.

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.

Happy World Giraffe Day! Wild Adventures Theme Park in Valdosta, Georgia is celebrating this special day with their two giraffes, Bariki and Bakari, with some new animal enrichment! This large ball provides tactical and cognitive enrichment for both Bariki and Bakari. Currently, they’re becoming used to the presence of the ball, but soon they’ll be able to push, kick, and nudge it around their habitat! Bakari has also gotten celebrity status recently due to his unlikely friendship with Kurtsie, a zebra born in December 2023. The two are rarely far apart. Guests can often see them grooming one another, resting side by side in the field, or sharing hay in the giraffe barn.

During a recent trip to LEGOLAND Florida we got a chance to visit the FIFA® World Cup 2026 Experience. This experience is exclusively at LEGOLAND Resorts from June 11th through July 19th. It is a high-energy soccer celebration, featuring LEGO soccer heroes, interactive soccer games and a LEGO build activity. All of this is 100% free and included in your regular LEGOLAND admission. The experience is essentially in two parts with an amazing Lego display near the park entrance just past the LEGO shop and several interactive games in the Heartlake City near Mia’s Riding Adventure. My 9-year-old son had a blast playing the games and you’ll have some great photo opportunities across the experience. At the LEGO shop you’ll also find some great World Cup merch to take home with you as a souvenir too.