theme-park

Busch Gardens Announces Kumba will Close August 2nd, but Surprises with Simultaneous Announcement of Kumba’s Revenge!

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As rumored earlier, Kumba is indeed closing forever on August 2, 2026 and silencing the iconic roar forever. The park made it official with a release on social media today. This is sad for sure and August 2nd will be a dark day in the coaster community with the closure of both ArieForce One and Kumba on the same day. However, in the sadness there is some intrigue as the park simultaneously announced a new attraction to replace it called Kumba’s Revenge as part of a $100 million project. Could this be the much rumored Giga Coaster for Busch Gardens? Time will tell I guess, but today is a time to reflect and enjoy what we’re losing, we can focus on the future after August 2nd. Kumba was a beast and provided kinetic beauty and iconic sound to the back of the park. Enjoy these last few weeks with Kumba and hope to see you at the park!

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Will Busch Gardens Close Kumba and Silence the Roar Forever?

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Kumba at Busch Gardens Tampa
Kumba at Busch Gardens Tampa

Update 7/14/26: Unfortunately the rumors were true and Kumba will close on August 2, 2026.

Rumors are flying online that Kumba may be closing, perhaps as soon as August 2nd! The demise of the iconic B&M coaster has been feared for years now, but this time feels real. There is no official word from the park yet, but my information comes from sources in the know that have essentially always been right (which is unfortunate in this case). It seems crazy to not announce anything in advance, but the same thing happened with Kingda Ka, so anything is possible. The last time Busch Gardens closed a roller coaster was Scorpion and they announced a September 2, 2024 closing on August 23, 2024. Therefore I’m not expecting a long runway once the announcement is made. The hope is of course that the only announcement we get is a retrack (like Hulk at Universal).

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

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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?

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

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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.

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

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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”.

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

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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!

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I Rode Dive Bomber at Six Flags White Water to Achieve LogRide Park Completion

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Dive Bomber at Six Flags White Water

This past Sunday I finally got to ride Dive Bomber at Six Flags White Water and check the last remaining attraction I hadn’t ridden off my LogRide app. I use LogRide to track my roller coaster credits and everything else related to theme parks. It’s kind of addicting and if you’re prone to wanting “completion” like me you’ll sometimes ride stuff just to check it off. However, Dive Bomber was something I’ve wanted to ride for a couple years, it’s just been frequently closed.

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Gators Live at Wild Adventures is an Entertaining and Educational Show

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Gators Live Show at Wild Adventures Theme Park
Gators Live Show at Wild Adventures Theme Park

The Gators Live show at Wild Adventures Theme Park is a chance to see the American Alligator up-close and learn more about them. The show focuses on the natural history and conservation of the alligator and and a couple other animal ambassadors like a Burmese Python and a tortoise. Guests get to watch expert gator handlers engage with these animals. In many cases audience members, especially children, have the opportunity to be extremely close to or even touch the animals! Here is a basic review of Gators Live and what else you can expect during the show.

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The Great Refillable Souvenir Cup Program at LEGOLAND Florida

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If you’re going to spend a day at a theme park, especially one in Central Florida in summer, hydration is going to be very important. Thankfully LEGOLAND Florida has you covered with their souvenir cup refill program. Each cup will cost between $17.99 and $20.29 (depending on the number you purchase) and get you free refills throughout your visit that day. When you come back for another visit you can reactivate the cup for $10.99/day and enjoy another day of free refills. A standard soda at LEGOLAND Florida is just over $5, so it won’t take long to break even on a cup. The park also makes getting those refills super easy and convenient utilizing the Coca-Cola Freestyle system, providing dozens of beverage options.

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Tormenta at Six Flags Over Texas Opening June 26th (delayed) with World Record 218 Foot Inversion

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Tormenta Logo (Courtesy of Six Flags Over Texas)

Update July 2026: Tormenta is now scheduled to open July 9th and is currently running member previews and technical rehearsals!

Update June 22, 2026: According to the Six Flags Over Texas social media, Tormenta has been delayed from the original June 26th date.  First news of the delay started with the postponing of media day for June 25th. The commissioning and testing process is taking longer than expected and the park wants everything perfect for opening.

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