I recently had a chance to attend an IAAPA webinar entitled, “Off with Their Heads! Build Unforgettable Experiences with XXL 3D Printing” that was tied directly to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. The webinar was put on by Massivit, a company involved in large scale additive manufacturing (3D Printing). In the webinar Massivit highlighted the “Giant Chess Queen” character at the Shadows of Wonderland haunted house at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s annual Howl-O-Scream event. This house is based on the story of “Alice in Wonderland” and made its debut in 2024 and returned for 2025. Out front of this Howl-O-Scream house was a 9 foot 3D printed sculpture of the queen of hearts created by Hatch X and Massivit. You can watch the video below with the Busch Gardens content starting at ~10:30 mark.
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Dude Perfect Theme Park to Open this Summer as Part of New Dig World Location in Grapevine, Texas
The famous YouTube trick shot artists Dude Perfect are opening their first theme park. To be more specifici they are opening a construction-themed trick shot zone as part of the new Dig World theme park in Grapevine,TX opening this summer. In the Dude Perfect Zone guests will attempt three outrageous construction/sports trick shots from Dude Perfect. Dig World opened its first facility in Katy, TX in 2022 with a goal of a national roll out with the Grapevine location as its second location in this plan. The chain is partnered with Caterpillar to let kids and adults safely operate real, full-sized Cat machinery. Attractions Magazine recently reported that bookings are now open for Dig World in Grapevine for July 2026, so opening day is not far away!
Continue readingReview of Panda Express at Carowinds: An Excellent Quick Service Option with Large Portions and Great Flavors
It’s not uncommon these days to see familiar chain restaurants inside theme parks such Starbucks. However, at Carowinds Theme Park you’ll actually find a Panda Express and it’s one of the best and most popular quick service restaurants in the park. Panda Express Panda Express is a fast food restaurant chain that specializes in American style Chinese cuisine. It has over 2,400 locations and is probably best known for its orange chicken dish. At Carowinds you’ll sometimes find that one of the longest lines in the park is for Panda Express because it offers large portions of good food at a reasonable price.
Continue readingReview of EXPEDITION: BIGFOOT! The Sasquatch Museum in Blue Ridge, Georgia
EXPEDITION: BIGFOOT! The Sasquatch Museum in Blue Ridge, Georgia is the World’s largest Bigfoot museum. The attraction is 3,700 square feet of self-guided exploration of Sasquatch footprint casts, historical artifacts, life-size replicas and interactive displays. Visitors will also discover the lore, culture and ongoing research surrounding Bigfoot. The museum strikes a good balance of attempting to present science while simultaneously not taking itself too seriously. This museum isn’t especially large, but priced at only $9 for adults and $6 for kids you’ll easily get 45 minutes of entertainment and possibly more if you want to do a deep dive into all the information here.
Continue readingWorld of PAW Patrol, now open at Chessington World of Adventures Resort!
If you have young children you’re probably familiar with the Paw Patrol. The children’s cartoon series has had remarkable staying power having premiered on Nickelodeon’s Nick Jr. on August 12, 2013. New for 2026, Merlin Entertainment has brought the world of Paw Patrol to life at Chessington World of Adventures in the UK which opened on May 3, 2026. There have been Paw Patrol areas in theme parks before, such as at the Nickelodeon Universe locations at Mall of America and American Dream, but these have been more playground than rides. Paw Patrol at Chessington is a fully fleshed out theme park land complete with several rides and attractions. Paw Patrol at Chessington features a roller coaster, 3 flat rides and several other attractions including a play zone and pup meet & greet.
Continue readingNew Water Attraction Coming to Busch Gardens Tampa to Replace Stanley Falls Flume
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay filed plans for a major new water attraction and will serve as a flume-style replacement for the demolished Stanley Falls Flume. According to the permit description this is the “removal of an existing water ride and construction of a new water attraction”. It appears some things (perhaps the station) may be salvaged as the project is a redevelopment with improvements including themed structures, building modifications, utility upgrades and hardscape/landscape enhancements. The project will span a 91,400-square-foot footprint, has a price tag of $16.5 million and has the codename: “Project Driftwood” . So now let the speculation begin!
Continue readingFlying Fox at Kentucky Kingdom Opens May 28th and You Can Bid in a Charity Auction to Be One of the First to Ride!
Kentucky Kingdom Theme & Water Park has announced that their eagerly awaited Flying Fox roller coaster will open to the public on May, 28, 2026. The ride is a suspended family coaster by Vekoma that is similar to the highly successful Dragonflier at Dollywood. Flying Fox is inspired by Kentucky’s agricultural roots and aerial crop-dusters. The park’s website describes the experience of Flying Fox below and the theming on this ride looks great complete with a Kentucky farmland setting and a barn to house the ride queue. Kentucky Kingdom is also running a charity auction where winning bidders can be some of the first to ride Flying Fox!
Continue readingCelebrating the 30th Anniversary of Wild Adventures
The Lowndes County Board of Commissioners declared May 9th, 2026, as Wild Adventures Day, a local holiday in honor of the park’s 30th Anniversary! This great event included a talks from the park’s Marketing & Sales Director, Adam Floyd, and the park’s General Manager, Donald Spiller. There was also a reading of a proclamation by the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners declaring the day Wild Adventures Day. Additionally guests had the opportunity to enjoy new and fan-favorite menu items including lemon pepper wings, churro bites and boba lemonade.
Continue readingHoliday in the Park is Returning to Six Flags Over Georgia
Six Flags is bringing back Holiday in the Park to Six Flags Over Georgia in 2026 after cancelling it for the 2025 season. Six Flags President and CEO stated, “We heard our guests loud and clear, Holiday in the Park has long been a cornerstone event at these properties, and we’ve taken everything we’ve learned to thoughtfully evolve the experience.” In addition to returning to Six Flags Over Georgia, Holiday in the Park will also be returning to Six Flags Great Adventure. The concept art below that Six flags released for this new incarnation looks ridiculously awesome.
Continue readingThe Underappreciated Boomerang Roller Coaster with Potentially the Best Located at Wild Adventures
The Boomerang roller coaster by Vekoma is an amazing ride that is probably underappreciated due to its commercial success. Boomerang installations are numerous with over 50 operating locations worldwide with most using Boomerang in its name. However, just because something is common doesn’t mean it isn’t good and with a Boomerang you’ll experience some of the most intense forces possible on a steel roller coaster. One of the best and most well kept is the Boomerang at Wild Adventures Theme Park in Valdosta, GA. It even received some upgrades making it even better for the 2026 season.
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BGT Safari 