theme-park

Safari Campground at Wild Adventures Theme Park: Review of an Incredible Camping Experience

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We had a chance to tent camp at the new Safari Campground at Wild Adventures Theme Park and it was a great experience. The campground is not only conveniently located to the park, but is full of great amenities as well. Chief among these may be the proximity to one of the largest animal habitats in the park. Sleeping next to wild animals certainly is a huge attraction as at Disney you’ll pay $500/night for that privilege at the Animal Kingdom Lodge while at Safari Campground you can tent camp for $40/night! We couldn’t recommend the campground more and Wild Adventures packed a lot of fun and thought into the facility to create something really great.

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The Turnstile: An Underappreciated Theme Park Staple with Fascinating History

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Turnstile at a theme park roller coaster
Turnstile at a theme park (courtesy of Hayward Turnstiles)
Turnstile at a theme park Waterworld entrance
Turnstile at a theme park (courtesy of Hayward Turnstiles)

There’s a characteristic ratcheting and gear sound you hear as you go through a turnstile. It’s the sound that you hear when many theme parks open and you go through the front gate or when you move from the queue onto the loading platform. It’s a sound that’s filled with excitement and anticipation for most of us, but have you ever wondered about the history of the humble turnstile? I’m a bit of a nerd and so I think about such things. Here’s a brief history of this common theme park device with beginnings in ancient farms and modernized at a Piggly Wiggly grocery store.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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Vertical Lift on Monsters, Inc. “Door” Coaster Revealed!

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Disney has been releasing a bunch of new information, images and video about upcoming attractions the last couple weeks. Could it have something to do with all the Epic Universe buzz? Perhaps. However, it has been neat to see some of the technology they have planned, some of it at the earliest level of R&D I remember seeing it. One of the coolest releases was this video showing the vertical lift on the Monsters Inc. suspended “door” coaster!

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Sloth Encounter Review at Wild Adventures: Hang Out with These Amazing Animal Ambassadors!

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Feeding a sloth at Wild Adventures

Wild Adventures is now offering animal encounters with some of their amazing animal ambassadors including their two-toed sloths Oscar and Maya. Two-toed sloths are found in Central and South America and are known for their slow movement, nocturnal habits, and arboreal lifestyle, spending most of their time hanging upside down from trees using their powerful claws. During the encounter you get the opportunity to enter the sloth enclosure, pet them and feed them. We had the chance to experience this on opening weekend and it was amazing!

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Get Your Engineering Cub Scout Adventure Loop at Fun Spot America Atlanta with ArieForce One!

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Fun Spot America Logo

The “Engineering” adventure has the potential to be one of the most fun and exciting in scouting as one of the handbook recommended activities is to have scouts build their own roller coaster! A trip to a theme park is a great way for the scouts to explore and learn about engineering and Fun Spot America Atlanta is perfectly suited for this adventure. Earning the “Engineering” Adventure Loop at Fun Spot can be as simple as watching a few YouTube videos, having a discussion, riding a great roller coaster and participating in the park’s “build your own roller coaster” activity.

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See a Capybara at Wild Adventures Theme Park!

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The capybara is having a bit of a cultural moment. I’ve seen shirts and stuffed animals featuring capybaras at levels I never recall seeing before. There is even a local zoo in Georgia that offers capybara yoga! However, if you want to see some real live capybaras, one of the best places is at Wild Adventures Theme Park in Valdosta, Georgia. They have several of them that are quite active in a great habitat viewable from the giraffe overlook in the back center of the park. They are quite entertaining to watch and appear to be living their best capybara life!

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Could Regular Visits to a Theme Park Save Your Life? Study Shows 150 Minutes of Exercise a Week Reduces Mortality by 31%!

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Covenant health sign at Dollywood
People power walking at theme park

If you spend time at a theme park you know it can be a lot of walking. In some cases it’s 5-10 miles in a day complete with stairs and hills at some parks. That can be a serious workout and a new article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that it could actually be incredibly good for your health. The study showed that older adults who got 150 minutes of aerobic activity every week lessened their mortality risk by 31% compared to those who do not exercise. This means that the weekend trip to your local park with your season pass is “healthcare” if it gets you off the couch and away from screens.

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Review of Water’s Edge at Wild Adventures. New Expansion is Full of Lakeside Beauty and Fun!

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Water's Edge Logo Display
Water’s Edge Logo Display (Courtesy of Wild Adventures)

Wild Adventures opened its new season on Saturday, March 15th, with the debut of the new Water’s Edge expansion. Water’s Edge is home to three-family friendly rides, new animal habitats, a new stage and more. Water’s Edge is located along the park’s internal lake and offers stunning views in a tropical fun environment meant to mimic the vibe of a seaside village. This isn’t an expansion in the literal sense, but actually a refurbishment and transformation of the core of the park into a cohesive themed area. Water’s Edge makes better use of the 3 acres along the lake to provide more space for relaxation and fun. With new seating, spectacular views and fun new rides, it really hits the mark in transforming what was largely a “pass through” area into the beating heart of the park.

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