This past Labor Day weekend, Olivia and I were lucky enough to visit one of our three “home parks” in Cedar Fair’s Kings Dominion, just north of Richmond, VA. This is a park that I have grown up with, and it’s been interesting to see its transformation over the years. Take a look at the video below for the recap of our trip to Kings Dominion:

Being what we thought would be a very busy holiday weekend, Olivia and I purchased Fast Lane for the day. Since we knew we had to head back home later in the afternoon, we wanted to be sure we could get on everything in a timely manner.  

My last visit to KD came in 2019 on a work trip, while Olivia’s last time had been in 2018, just two weeks after the infamous Volcano went down for the season. A short time later, we found out this coaster would not be returning due to rising maintenance costs and increasing downtime. I really wish Olivia had gotten a chance to experience this one of a kind coaster, but I’m sure she hears enough about its awesomeness from yours truly. As a kid, I was fortunate enough to get this credit, in addition to the also defunct Shockwave and Hypersonic XLC. I will forever miss these attractions, but I am very pleased with the direction that KD is heading in and I’m confident they will make up for the losses of these past thrill machines. 

Starting our day off early at park opening (11am), we were greeted with a modest crowd waiting to enter the main gate around 10:30am. A short wait later and we were in the park heading towards our first attraction. I love how a lot of parks are handling the opening phase of their daily operations, and KD was no different. The front of the park was opened around 10:40 or so, but we were blocked off from the back of the park until 11. This allowed people to begin heading in comfortably, it avoids a ridiculous line at security and turnstiles, and overall just makes for a much more enjoyable experience in the morning. 

After the quick ten minute wait on the barricade behind the Eiffel Tower, the running of the bulls commenced and we were off towards our first coaster of the day, Twisted Timbers. This is a magnificent Rocky Mountain Construction creation, and it spawned from one of the classic woodies at the park, the Hurler. RMC is known for their innovative approach to retracking and re-structuring old woodies to breathe new life into them, and this design is no different. It has all the trademarks of a great RMC: ridiculous airtime, a smooth ride, and an all around forceful experience. So forceful in fact, that I sometimes get some bruising from the restraints used in the ride vehicles. I have recently learned how to sit in the RMC cars a bit better without receiving so much pressure on the intense airtime moments. For taller individuals, if you sit with your heels all the way to the back of the vehicle (almost raising them off the floor of the train), this allows for more room within the lap bar and provides a much more enjoyable ride. 

We were able to ride this coaster twice, once in the front and once in the back. The front row ride was good, but the back is definitely where its at on this attraction. The rear of the train seemed way more forceful, with some downright violent airtime over the three successive airtime hills. The new locker system the park has instituted on this coaster is a welcome upgrade over previous seasons, and we were able to keep our belongings stored for both of our laps on Twisted Timbers. An excellent way to start the morning, we were off an headed to our next coaster. 

Since the day was still young and crowds had not filtered to the back area of the park just yet, we decided to take a spin on the parks wild mouse coaster, Apple Zapple. This is typically a skip for us, but with such a short queue we decided to give it a shot. Nothing super special to write home about, but Olivia and I had a good time on our ride, and I’m sure this coaster is a hit with the kiddos. Two down and on to the next. 

Opting to get our “less-smooth” coasters out of the way, we hit the park’s two woodies, Grizzly and Racer 75 in quick succession, followed by a lap on Anaconda, the parks 90’s era Arrow looper. Grizzly was the roughest of the bunch, and even though it is a tolerable ride, this attraction could definitely use a re-tracking. The coaster has a great layout and is in an even better location, it just is a bit too uncomfortable and detracts from the ride experience a good bit. I’m sure a good re-tracking effort would do wonders for this coaster, as it would probably bring back a good bit of speed and airtime. 

Racer 75 on the other hand was a relatively smooth experience. This coaster has received a re-track in recent years, and you can certainly tell with how this nearly 50 year old coaster traverses its out and back layout. Unfortunately for our visit, they only had the south side running, so we missed out on the best feature of the attraction, but it was still an enjoyable ride nonetheless. Even got a few pops of airtime on the outbound trip of the course. 

Anaconda was the last coaster of this bunch, and even though it gets a good amount of hate from the roller coaster community, I didn’t find it to be all that bad. Yes, the twister section of the mid-course brake run is odd, but that doesn’t take away from the powerful first two inversions and the great hangtime moments in the double corkscrew finale. I think this is a fine ride, nothing special but definitely worth keeping around for a few more years. It’s a classic Arrow looper as well, so I would think coaster enthusiasts would be all for saving a historic steel coaster that just celebrated it’s 30 year anniversary.

We took a quick ride on Backlot Stunt Coaster which was nearby. Nothing to right home about. We had just ridden a much superior version of this coaster just a few short weeks ago at Kings Island, so this one wasn’t too impressive. It was still fun, and we got a front row ride; but literally none of the special effects worked on this coaster and it just seemed super neglected and sad. This thing needs some love.

From there, we headed to the crown jewel of the park in i305. We headed to the rear of the station for a back row ride. This was a hell of a choice, because I have never greyed out harder on this coaster before. It was incredibly intense, and I didn’t regain visibility until after the camelback. The ride is such a beast and I am such a fan of it, but unfortunately it was a one and done for us on this visit. We should’ve ridden further up the train, in retrospect. I always love coming back to ride this attraction.

At this point we needed some sustenance, and (of course) we hopped in line for some appetizer pretzel bites from Auntie Anne’s. Next, Olivia and I shared a grilled chicken plate from the newest restaurant in the park called Grain and Grill. The chicken had some great flavor to it, was cooked nicely, and came with a side of au gratin potatoes that were delicious as well. We highly recommend this dining location for some healthier food options.

We digested our food with a ride up to the Eiffel Tower observation deck for some epic views of the park. From there we headed back for a spin on the classic antique cars attraction. These are always a blast and it was fun to compare this one with the others we’ve done recently. We are such kids lol.

We finished off our day with another spin on Twisted Timbers in the back row (our best ride yet); and finally a ride on the park’s B&M floorless, Dominator. Both coasters were running extemely well, both rides were super intense, and we were spent from our full day at the park. We headed for the exit, which was thankfully just a few short steps away.

We had such an unbelievable time at this park, and we were pleasantly surprised by how clean everything seemed, how well maintained the guests areas were, how kind and speedy ride ops were–pretty much every expectation was exceeded on this visit. Our Fast Lane helped in multiple scenarios and we were happy to have purchased it. I would recommend it on most weekend visits, holidays especially, as it allowed us to get on everything in the short timeframe we had available (in addition to a few re-rides).

We always have a blast coming to Kings Dominion, and this time was certainly no different. Thanks for reading along on another theme park adventure, and be sure to stay tuned for our next episode: a visit to one of America’s most historic theme parks, Kennywood.

– Walker

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Olivia and I made a rather quick trip up to the Cincinnati, Ohio area this past weekend to celebrate my twin cousin’s 21st birthdays on Saturday night. The day after the celebration, we were able to hit up Kings Island for a few hours before catching our return flight home. Although both of us have visited the park multiple times prior to this trip, we were extremely excited to get the opportunity to ride Kings Island’s newest giga coaster called Orion. Take a look at the recap of our afternoon visit below:

After a quick breakfast at our hotel just north of Cincinnati, we were on our way and parked in time for the 11am opening. After entering the park and immediately grabbing our Fast Lane Plus wristbands that we purchased for the afternoon ($115), the employees dropped the rope containing the crowds, and we were on our way to our first attraction.

Luckily, the crowds were very minimal and made for an excellent day. Pairing this with our Fast Lane Plus and a questionable weather forecast (one that was getting better and better by the minute), we basically had the place to ourselves. Even as someone who loves theme parks as much as myself, I am not a fan of crowds and standing in long lines, and I know firsthand how this can ruin an otherwise enjoyable experience. So it was great to not have to deal with any of that this afternoon, and our time in the park was very relaxing and we were able to move around at our own pace.

Of course, the first ride of the day had to be Orion. This was the majority of the reason for our trip out to the park, so we decided to head straight there upon rope drop. We were able to get two rides on this beast of a coaster, our first in the back and our second in the front. While both were excellent, both of us preferred the front row on Orion. The sense of speed on these giga coasters is absolutely ridiculous, almost to the point where it makes keeping your eyes open difficult. The whip over the first drop is phenomenal in the back, but I would say the front is superior on just about every other element. The front right in particular; soaring over the second 174 foot tall banked wave turn/airtime hill feels incredible in that particular seat. It’s hard not to compare this coaster to the other B&M gigas, and for me, I would say it falls just in between Levi and Fury. They are all great coasters, but I have to give the edge to Fury for its extended length. I also immensely enjoyed Leviathan at Canada’s Wonderland, but I would rank it just slightly below Orion for its somewhat less impressive setting.

Next up we decided to hit Flight of Fear as it was directly adjacent to Orion. Olivia didn’t remember this coaster from our last trip, so we definitely made a point to ride this time around. Sadly, this coaster has aged poorly in the last few seasons, as there was some intense shuffling throughout the course, causing a good amount of discomfort. I usually have a high tolerance for bumpy rides, but I have to say this one was pretty bad and I definitely don’t remember it being this shaky the last time I rode just a few years back. Could very well be a simple maintenance issue, but this is a coaster we will probably skip on our next visit.

After a quick hydration break we were on the hunt for our next ride, and we landed on two nearby flats, the Antique Cars and the Windseeker. The cars were a recent addition the park (after removing them years ago), but a great one at that. Such a timeless & family-friendly attraction that is always well-received, I am glad they decide to bring these back. It was a fun coast through a nicely themed area that included some great interaction from Racer and other nearby attractions. A big thumbs up from us on this one. In regards to Windseeker, we have done plenty of these rides before, and KI’s wasn’t much different. A nice, comfortable bird’s eye view of the park, this ride is much more tolerable than the screaming swings at Six Flags parks. Those rides are absolutely terrifying, but I still keep riding them for whatever reason. Go figure…

Heading back towards the center of the park, we noticed Backlot Stunt Coaster had no one in it’s fast lane queue, so we decided to give it a try. Olivia swears she did not remember this coaster either, but we were both pleasantly surprised by this one. It was smooth, had a nice intense launch, all of the special effects were working, and we just genuinely had a great time riding. The sleeper hit of the day for us for sure, I’m glad we took the time to ride.

Next up was the infamous Beast lurking in the back right corner of the park. We were unable to get a night ride on this legendary coaster, but our daytime ride was quite entertaining. Not as good as at night unfortunately, but we had a hoot bouncing around the woods and bracing ourselves at every turn. It is a fun ride, but it is definitely showing it’s age. Particularly in the double helix tunnel, which kinda feels like a minor car crash if I’m being completely honest. Olivia was essentially forced into my lap from the inside seat and I was yelling and screaming bloody murder, so overall a pretty successful ride! Definitely try to grab a non-wheel seat on this coaster (middle of each car), as they seats over the wheels can be even more viscous.

It was time to get off our feet and find some sustenance, so we made a break for the nearby Miami River Brewing Company to try and beat the midday lunch rush. After ordering our meal, we found two nice seats at the bar area near the back right corner of the restaurant. Being KI’s newest dining offering, we were impressed by this location, as our meal was tasty, service was fast, and best of all, the A/C was flowing gratuitously. We spent about an hour here recharging our batteries and taking in the ambiance. I would highly recommend this spot for future visits.

After rallying ourselves again for the heat and humidity, there were two coasters (nearby) that we wanted to get rides on: Mystic Timbers and Diamondback. Starting with the former, we got two rides on this fantastic GCI woodie; one in the middle of the train and one in the very front. Both were absolutely incredible and just as good as our previous rides in years past. Strong airtime throughout, relentless pacing, and an overall sense of misdirection–this is one of our all-time favorites.

Heading right next door to Diamondback, we were able to get two walk-on rides, one in the back and one in the front. This is a solid hyper, and one that I thoroughly enjoy riding, but I definitely prefer the front on this coaster as well. The airtime is similar between the two, but the back unfortunately has a pretty decent rattle that does take away from the experience just the slightest bit. I wouldn’t say this coaster is rough by any stretch, but compared to some of the other B&M hypers that are a good deal older, this one is a bit perplexing. The layout is phenomenal though and I love the splashdown finale–super unique for this coaster type.

Since it was getting a bit hotter, we decided to find some more of that precious A/C. We stumbled into the beautiful Festhaus closer to the front of the park, and were able to find a spot to sit down and rest for a few minutes. This is another dining location I would highly recommend, as they seem to have a few decent options and plenty of open seating for larger groups. My one complaint, the beer choices are somewhat minimal for a German Festhaus. Not a big deal as they have a newer “beer garden” just a couple hundred feet from the entrance, just something to note if you are looking for a drink nearby.

After getting our legs under us again, we ventured back out into the afternoon humidity for a ride on Banshee. This is a beast of an invert, and even though I am not the biggest fan of the vest restraints this coaster utilizes, this attraction is very enjoyable and quite re-rideable. We only took one lap this time around, but we sat in the front and had a blast whipping through the graceful elements on this B&M masterpiece. I do also love the theming and color scheme on this coaster, as it has a nice creepy vibe and the purple really pops against the color of the trains and supports.

Racer was up next, and we were pleasantly surprised by the recent track-work that the park has put into this coaster. In addition to some re-work they did on the turnarounds a few years back, this past offseason saw continued work on the first drop and subsequent airtime hills. This first section was tremendously smooth and greatly improved the ride experience overall, allowing us to even get some good floater air heading over the first few bunny hops. It has turned a rather painful experience into an overwhelmingly positive one, and I hope to see other parks take the same amount of care with their aging (yet historic) woodies that KI has done here. Another pleasant surprise for the day.

Of course, our last ride of the afternoon had to come on Orion. We finished up with another front row ride, and after five hours of the coaster warming-up, this lap was by far the fastest and most intense. It’s quite a mystery to me how negative some individuals were about this ride when it was announced, but I’m hoping all of those incorrect thoughts were put to bed as soon as Orion debuted. It truly is a world-class coaster and an excellent addition to Kings Island.

Since we had about thirty minutes until we needed to hit the road for the airport, we decided to head up to the top of the Eiffel tower for a unique angle on the park. This was my first time venturing up any Paramount/Cedar Fair/Six Flags observation deck, so it was really cool to see the park from such a high vantage point. I was able to get some excellent shots of all the surrounding coasters, in addition to enjoying the nice breeze that cooled us off. A great way to finish our visit.

That’s all I’ve got for our day at Kings Island, we had an amazing time and can’t wait to come back. Only a close second behind Cedar Point, this is for sure one of the best Cedar Fair parks in the chain (actually, one of the best parks overall in the country) and it absolutely deserves all the love it receives. In a uncertain world that’s full of shady business practices, terrible customer service, and understaffed locations, Kings Island met and exceeded all of our expectations, and it has firmly cemented itself as an elite regional theme park in the midwestern United States.

– Walker

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Still between jobs, Olivia and I were lucky enough to spend a fantastic day together at Carowinds just outside Charlotte, North Carolina. We consider this one of our two home parks (Busch Gardens Williamsburg being the other), as we live about two and a half hours east. We always love visiting Carowinds, and this time around was no different, as we were able to score a cabana rental for the day with our platinum passholder discount! Check out the video below to see all the action from our day at Carolina Harbor:

We were able to book the cabana about a week or so out from our visit, and at a price of just around $95 for the day, we decided to spring for it. This turned out to be an excellent choice, as the weather was absolutely perfect for our weekday visit, and we were able to enjoy all that Carowinds had to offer.

Our morning started bright and early in Raleigh, and with a 8am departure we were able to arrive at the parking gates just before they opened at 10:45. Parking and security were a breeze, and we were in the entry plaza in no time. We decided to head to a gift shop to grab our Fast Lane Plus wristbands, then we jumped in line for a quick ride on Intimidator before heading back to our cabana. Intimidator is a fantastic attraction, and one that is overshadowed by its taller sibling on the other side of the park. It offers great airtime and a nice smooth ride. We enjoy both the back and front on this coaster, as both provide some pretty solid airtime, while the back offers a nice yank over the first drop.

We got off Intimidator and headed straight back to Carolina Harbor to see about our cabana rental. We were one of the first to check-in for the day, and we were quickly escorted back to our cabana. It was located in the surf club section of the park near the back of the wave pool. Its an excellent location to be out of the way of the hustle and bustle of the main area, but still offers a great viewing of the park. The cabana itself has two great seating areas (w/ plenty of shade), a fridge stocked with bottled water, a lockable storage area, and even a flat screen with a DirecTV package! It really is a killer deal for the price we paid, and we were content to throw our things into the locker and head back to the dry park for a few more coaster rides.

Upon exiting the waterpark, we made a right to head for the newest themed area of the park, Blue Ridge Junction. This area houses the new for 2019 addition Copperhead Strike, and we were excited to get a few more rides under our belt. We have been to the park on two separate occasions since this ride has opened, but we’ve enjoyed it every time, so we were eager to get back on. It definitely did not disappoint, and after two rides we were both smiling from ear to ear. Copperhead Strike is not the most intense coaster around, but it is just flat out fun. The ride is comfortable and offers some pretty unique forces, including the ridiculous amount of hangtime through the inversions. It is a slam dunk for the park in my opinion, and I am thrilled to see Carowinds continue to add attractions that complement their already stellar lineup.

We continued on our counter-clockwise loop around the park and made it to the back left corner for a ride on one of my favorite inverts, Afterburn. Formerly Top Gun back in the good old Paramount days, this coaster has not lost a step from the day it was open nearly twenty years ago. I am always so impressed by how well these older B&M’s have held up over time. It is no doubt a tribute to their world class design, but also to the maintenance staff at Carowinds for keeping it running so great after all these years. Our rides today were just as good as any others, albeit just a bit longer of a wait due to a reduced crew size. No matter; we were still able to get on the front row in 15 or so minutes, and we were off the attraction in no time and heading to grab a quick drink.

We landed on Harmony Hall as our watering hole of choice. Harmony is a huge banquet hall towards the front of the park, and this would definitely be my recommendation for dining at Carowinds. At offers plenty of variety, and everything we’ve ordered has been pretty solid for theme park food. They also have a full bar and a nice large seating area, perfect for the entire family or a large group. The A/C is always pumping as well, and we certainly took advantage of it this morning. After ordering a round of adult beverages and cooling off a bit, we were back out into the park headed to the tallest attraction at Carowinds.

Fury was awaiting us at the far righthand side of the park, and we were so psyched to get back on this beast. It sits at the top of my roller coaster rankings (#5 overall), in addition to the majority of its other riders and enthusiasts out there. For good reason, as this is truly a one-of-a-kind experience. The sheer height and scale of this ride are enough to make your neck hairs tingle, and the first drop feels like its literally never going to end. This is a masterpiece of a roller coaster and we are unbelievably fortunate to have it so close to home. Our two rides in the back and front were epic as usual, and although we probably could have lapped this coaster for the remainder of the day, we had a cabana that was calling our names.

We stopped for a few more drinks on the way back to home base, but other than that we pretty much took the next few hours to chill out and relax at the cabana. We did order some lunch, and unfortunately the options for food service were slightly limited, but we were able to get a chicken finger tray that was good enough to fill us up. We spent about two hours just vegging in the lounge chairs, and it was so relaxing to sit back and watch the coasters of Carowinds go around and around. We both ended up taking a quick nap to recuperate.

After waking back up and getting our energy restored, we were ready to explore the water slides of Carolina Harbor. Although just a regional theme park, Carowinds has put a good deal of money into this waterpark in recent years. There are a decent amount of slides to choose from, and each offers a different experience from the last. We started with their newest addition, the brand new for 2021 Boogie Board Racers, a lay-down mat slide. We were pretty surprised by this one, as this relatively unassuming slide offers some great speed and an awesome racing sensation. I beat Olivia on our first trip down, so of course we had to get back in line for a second ride. It is an excellent addition to their growing slide collection.

Next up was our personal favorite, the Blackbeard’s Revenge slide tower. This tower offers 6 different experiences, 3 trap-door style slides and 3 tube slides. We did one of each type, and both rides were a ton of fun. The trap door slides are always a freaky sensation, but these are rather tame compared to some of the others we’ve been on. The free fall is not nearly as lengthy and the runout is not nearly as intense. Olivia was very thankful for this fact though, and I quite enjoyed it as well. The tube slide experience is always fun, especially since we are able to ride together in a double tube. This was pretty much the end of our waterpark time though, as Carolina Harbor closed at 5pm on this weekday in June. After our tube slide, we headed back to the cabana one last time to pack up our things.

We were, however, not done for the day just yet, as the dry park of Carowinds was open for another two hours until 7pm. After returning to the car to drop-off our bags and swimsuits from the waterpark, we were on our way back through security and into the park for one final round of coasters.

We immediately headed for another lap on Fury, but unfortunately our timing could not have been worse, as a large group clogged up the fast lane queue just before we were able to get in line. Although probably not a super-lengthy wait, we opted to skip it and head for another ride on Copperhead Strike. After another great back row ride, we had to celebrate with one more round of drinks from the newly added bar nearby. They actually have a beer on tap called “Copperhead Strike” that is an IPA brewed by a local brewery. Its quite delicious and I ordered one on multiple occasions this visit.

With just about thirty minutes left until park closing, we decided to end out our afternoon with a ridiculously intense back row ride on Afterburn, followed by a graceful and relaxing lap on Intimidator. It was a fantastic way to shut the park down, and we even hit up our favorite Italian Ice stand on the way out the gate. An absolutely perfect afternoon, thanks Carowinds!

We always love coming down to Charlotte for a visit at our home park, and this time around was no different. We are very fortunate to have such a great theme park nearby, and we can’t wait to see what Cedar Fair has in store for the future of Carowinds. Thanks again for tuning in to another trip report. Be sure to drop me a comment if you have any questions about our visit. Until next time!

– Walker

Undergoing a recent transition in my professional life, I suddenly had a good deal of free time on my hands. What better way to spend that time then by getting in the car for a solo road trip to the old home park! Check out the recap below for my recent visit to beautiful Busch Gardens Williamsburg:

The morning started early with a 6:30am departure from Raleigh. The drive up 95 and over to the Williamsburg area of Virginia was relatively smooth sailing on this (Thursday) morning. It was a beautiful summer day, with highs forecasted in the mid 70’s! A rarity for this area in June, as we are easily in the mid 80’s this time of year.

I arrived at the parking booth just prior to opening of the parking lots at around 9:45am. There were probably 50 or so cars waiting with me, but after a short ten minutes or so, we were let in to proceed towards the priority lot. Because I am a premium passholder at Busch Gardens, I received this added perk and was able to park in the England section—the closest parking lot to the main entrance gate. After gathering my GoPro and a few other personal affects, I was on my way into the park.

Since my visit happened to fall on a weekday—one that was relatively early-on in the summer no less—the park was not crowded at all. I breezed right through the turnstiles and was on my way to my first attraction of the morning, the timeless Loch Ness Monster. Built in the early 80’s this Arrow designed looper has been thrilling riders for more than five decades. ‘Nessie still delivers an awesome ride—relatively smooth and some great drops over the river. Not to mention the iconic interlocking loops. A fantastic way to start the day.

From Scotland I decided to head counter-clockwise around the park, heading into the Ireland area before making it back to New France and my next set of attractions. I passed over Griffon for a ride on Invadr, as this GCI woodie typically operates at a much lower capacity than the giant B&M dive machine. Unfortunately for me and my well thought out plan, Invadr was having some maintenance issues and I was unable to ride at this time. So, I made a U-turn and headed back for Griffon. This coaster never disappoints. I was able to get two rides, one in the front row and one in the back. I had forgotten how much the back row whips you over the drop after releasing from the holding brake. It was downright vicious! Of course, the front was excellent for the view of staring 90 degrees straight down. Two great attractions in and onto the next!

Continuing on my backwards loop around the park, the legendary beast of the Swiss alps was up next. Alpengeist will always have a special place in my heart, and it has aged extremely well since its opening in ’97. Still ridiculously intense, especially on my back row ride. The cobra roll feels like it’s trying to kill you. I was able to snag a front row ride as well, which is undoubtedly the best row on any invert (for the unobstructed views). Additionally, it was at this attraction that I was given a media pass from one of the awesome supervisors working this coaster, because otherwise I couldn’t have filmed some of the incredible POV’s I was able to capture with my GoPro. Many thanks to the Alpie crew!

I took another quick look at Invadr—unfortunately still no luck of it running. So I continued on my journey to the Octoberfest area of the park to queue up for Verbolten. Always a crowd-pleaser, this was probably the longest wait of my visit, only at 20 or so minutes for an excellent ride in the front row. I will forever miss the legendary Big Bad Wolf, the ride in which this one has replaced. But this is a worthy substitute, and I am a big fan of the indoor twister section, the surprising drop track, and, of course, the dive down to the Rhine River.

At this point I needed a bit of a break, and I was able to get some sustenance in the form of my favorite amusement park snack: a soft pretzel complete with (plastic) dipping cheese. Nothing better, and I was able to get a delicious beer to wash it down. A much needed snack and rest for my feet.

From here, I made my way back towards the front of the park, specifically to the Festa Italia section. Apollo’s Chariot was next up, and this was perhaps my most anticipated coaster of the day. I am a huge fan of B&M hypers, and even though I’ve ridden this attraction more than any other at Busch Gardens, I am always looking forward to my next ride on this beast. Another “older” coaster, this one holds up extremely well. Not a rattle to speak of, fantastic airtime throughout the train, and a fantastic setting to top it all off. I will never get tired of this work of art.

A quick walk to the coaster next door, Tempesto was next for me to conquer. Another station wait, I really enjoyed this attraction. Not the most intricate, but it does have a nice, powerful launch complemented by an awesome heartline roll 100 feet up in the air. The hangtime in the roll is great, and even though I probably wouldn’t wait too long to get on this coaster, I always enjoy the rides I am able to secure.

Prior to my trip, I had accepted that my favorite water ride would probably not be operating on this visit. I had done some research telling me that Escape from Pompeii only opened on the weekends when the park drew higher attendance, but to my surprise, I could hear the screams and laughter coming through the woods on my way out of Festa Italia. I knew I had to get a ride on this classic attraction, even if it meant getting a little wet. Thankfully, my back row ride only yielded a sprinkling of water. It was great seeing all the fire and effects working flawlessly, and I hope this is another ride that sticks around for a long time to come.

At this point, I knew I needed another quick break, so I decided to grab one more beer from Grogan’s Pub in Ireland before heading back to my car for a nice PB&J that I had packed first thing this morning. I was able to get some A/C, change my damp shirt, and recharge a bit before making one more lap through the park.

Upon re-entering, I saw the train pulling into the Scotland station, so I decided to hop on to take in a nice ride around the park. The train provided some awesome views of BG’s newest attraction (that is yet to open), Pantheon. I am so hyped for this thing, and you better believe I will be back up as soon as an opening date is announced.

Arriving at the Caribou station in the very back of the park, I decided to give Invadr one last try, but unfortunately for me, I couldn’t convince myself to get in line. It had about a 30 minute wait at this point in the afternoon, so I opted to skip it for a few more rides on Griffon and Alpengeist.

An hour or so later, I was ready to call it a day, and I ventured through the very middle of the park on my way back to the exit. The area I am referring to is called Grogan’s Landing, and it is the bridge that connects the front & back of the park under the interlocking loops of Nessie. This is an area I hardly ever make it to (it is typically closed in early spring when I make a decent number of my visits), but I am so glad I made the stroll down here. The views of the coasters here are unmatched, and I was able to get some fantastic footy of Nessie, Griffon, and Alpengeist’s nutty cobra roll. The perfect way to end my excellent day at this world-class theme park.

Although we are technically closer to Charlotte and Carowinds, I have always grown-up going to Busch and would consider it my home park. The theming and landscaping is unmatched, and I absolutely love coming up to Williamsburg to visit. The drive is usually not terrible, and the offerings at Busch Gardens are well worth the trip. I would put this park high on your list if you have yet to visit, as it truly is one of my favorites. Thanks for following along on another trip report, and be sure to stay tuned for the next recap–a visit to Carolina Harbor at Carowinds!

– Walker

Ever since Universal Orlando began clearing a large plot of land in the beloved Jurassic Park section of Islands of Adventure, I have followed along with great curiosity for what this potential construction project might entail. Just over a year ago, Universal confirmed everyone’s suspicions by announcing the Jurassic World VelociCoaster. We were lucky enough to fly down to Orlando for a night to experience this world-class attraction, prior to the grand opening date of June 10th. Check out the recap(s) of our incredible overnight stay at Loews’ Sapphire Falls Resort to experience the apex predator of coasters:

Our adventure started early on the morning of June 6th with an easy nonstop flight from Raleigh-Durham to Orlando International. In a stroke of coincidence, Olivia’s father had driven up to Orlando (from Boca) that morning to pickup a good friend for a golf getaway they had scheduled a couple weeks prior. So it was fantastic to be able to see him for a few hours, as he picked us up from the airport and grabbed a quick lunch with us at the resort.

Check-in to Sapphire Falls only took about fifteen minutes, and luckily our room was ready & we were able to throw our luggage down prior to hitting the pool bar for lunch. The room was nice; nothing super special besides the amazing view of the water taxi harbor. Don’t get me wrong, this is one of Universal’s newer hotels, so everything was nice and clean and updated. Honestly, you really can’t go wrong with any of the on-site Universal hotels. We’ve stayed at all (except Cabana Bay and Aventura) and we like each one for various different reasons.

After our quick lunch at the Dhrum Club pool bar (delicious), we said goodbye to Olivia’s father and made a beeline for the resort water taxi to head over to the parks. Although it was hot and humid–right smack in the middle of the day–we had one goal in mind, and that was to secure a ride on the brand new VelociCoaster. Although the coaster did not officially open until the 10th, Universal had been conducting “technical rehearsals” for the past three or four week prior to our visit. With the grand opening date approaching, I was a little nervous about the park potentially closing the ride down in preparation for the big opening day. This did turn out to be the case, but it was only for one day on June 9th. So thankfully this bad boy was running, and as soon as we got off the boat and headed for Island’s, we saw the train crest the 140 foot tall top hat. My adrenaline immediately started pumping; I was so hyped for this coaster, especially after following along construction for the past two years.

After a nerve-relaxing beverage at our favorite bar in IoA (Backwater Bar at Confisco’s Grill), we made our way back to the Jurrasic Park section to get in line for the coaster. The newly constructed plaza behind the Discovery Center looks incredible, and this is where the entrance and exit to the ride is located. There is some tremendous interaction with the guest pathways and queue for coaster, which only serves to build the anticipation greater. Passing under the sleek entrance sign adorned with flames, we were in awe of this brilliantly themed queue. Between the theme music, lighting effects, and all of the excellent airflow within the switchbacks–this queue was designed to perfection. (Spoiler alert) There are also two amazing scenes housed within, the first being a window into the second launch track that superimposes an image of the four raptors chasing the roller coaster train. Super cool idea and very well-executed. The very next room shows two of the four raptors in their cages/harnesses, and these are some of the most advanced animatronics I’ve ever seen. So realistic looking; their eyes move, they blink, snort, shake & thrash around–they are truly impressive and worth taking a minute or two to observe.

Next, the locker system is another well-designed masterpiece, with the storage bins being double sided. So as long as you remember your assigned locker bank, all you have to do is retrieve your items on the other side as you exit the attraction. Flawless–and I hope to see other parks adopt this system down the line.

From there, the last room prior to boarding the attraction is a really cool pre-show involving the stars from Jurassic World, Chris Pratt (Owen) and Bryce Dallas Howard (Claire). The whole premise and backstory for the ride is such an original idea, and it really does fit flawlessly within a land that is otherwise branded around the original Jurassic Park trilogy.

One last turn, and you’re on the boarding platform for the coaster. The trains for this brand new Intamin are the best I have ever experienced, with just a comfortable lap bar holding you safely in place. The trains themselves have a ridiculously sleek design; complete with lighting effects that guide your way at night. The other great thing about this attraction is the crew operating it; they were on fire! Cycling trains quicker than any coaster I’ve been on. Kudos to these guys, because even on opening day they were able to keep wait times manageable with trains absolutely flying through the station.

The time had come, and based on some initial reviews we were anticipating this ride to be a back row coaster, so that’s immediately what we queued up for. Turning out of the station, the moment hit me so hard and I was grinning ear to ear ready to blast off on this coaster I had waited so long to ride. Sometimes I build these attractions up so much in my head and the actual experience doesn’t live up to the hype. This time was the complete opposite. I was not ready for this mind-blowing coaster, especially in the back row. The first launch is not terribly intense, and the spaghetti-bowl first half of the coaster is more of a relaxing experience, but there are still two great inversions and some great pops of air combined with the awesome near miss elements provided by the fantastic rock work and theming.

The second half of this coaster is really where the ride shines. The second launch under the station is incredibly intense, and it whips you straight into the highest portion of the ride with the 140 foot tall top hat. This is probably the best moment of the ride, and it happens so quickly it’s pretty tough to take it all in. Before you know it, you are careening over the edge heading back down towards the entrance plaza. A quick inverted stall, an awesome helix, and the climax–a zero-g roll over the park’s lagoon–caps off an incredible experience that is relentless to the very end. Unlike other rides where the first drop and whatever follows is the most intense portion, this coaster builds and builds and actually gets more powerful as you go along. For that, it has quickly moved up the ranks of my favorite coasters, and has (reluctantly) unseated my previous number one–Maverick at Cedar Point.

After taking a few moments to gather ourselves from this out-of-body experience, we immediately headed back to the bar to try to calm our nerves. Once we got our drinks, we noticed that one of the most elusive food stands in the park was open! This was Green Eggs and Ham, and this location has been on me and Olivia’s list for some time now. We ordered the buffalo chicken tater tots, and they did not disappoint in the slightest. A perfect snack to complement our beverages–we were content to call it (for now) and head back to Sapphire to enjoy the pool.

This really was our draw to Sapphire; the pool is absolutely incredible and by far the best on-property. It is so large there is so much room to spread out, whether you’re looking for a place under a shady palm tree or a spot exposed to the hot Florida sun. The drink and food options are also fantastic, and we had a blast enjoying our drinks on the edge of the pool. We had an amazing server hooking it up for us; we didn’t even have to get out of the water to order! Such an amazing way to spend the afternoon, and before we knew it, five o’clock had rolled around and we were ready to gear up for a return to the parks.

Our night session started with another relaxing water taxi cruise to CityWalk, followed by the brief walk back over to Island’s of Adventure. Initially the plan was to head straight back to the VelociCoaster for a ride at dusk, but with so many park guests on their way out at this point, we were able to snag a walk-on ride on the OG, the Incredible Hulk Coaster. Our ride was in the front no less, and this ride always delivers. It will forever have a special place in my heart, and I’m so glad Universal made the effort to re-track this amazing coaster a few seasons back.

Next, we headed back to the VelociCoaster again to get our night ride; this time in the front row. Our train departed the station right at dusk, and we proceeded to have one of the best rides on a coaster that I’ve ever had in my life. After having this incredible experience, I would definitely say this attraction is preferable in the front. The views are absolutely amazing, and to me the ride intensity isn’t that different than the back (as we had ridden earlier in the day). You have to get down to Orlando to try this world-class coaster.

To end out our evening, we headed over to Hogsmeade to ride Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. This was actually my first night ride on this coaster (5th time overall I believe?) and this is by far the best way to experience this attraction. The feeling of speed is amplified exponentially, and the Forbidden Forest theming is in full effect. I will always miss Dueling Dragons, but this is a worthy replacement.

After sauntering our way to CityWalk, we made it a few minutes early for our dinner reservation at BigFire American Grill. This is one of USO’s newest restaurant offerings, and Olivia and I were excited to try it out after recent positive reviews. To us, we had a pretty average experience. Maybe it was a product of us having one of the latest reservation times of the day (10:30 pm for an 11:00 pm close), but our meals were just ok. The smores dessert was an awesome way to finish it off, but I’m not sure if I’ll be in a hurry to get back here. I’m sure we’ll give it another shot one day. With that, we hopped on the water taxi to head back to the hotel and get some much deserved rest.

Our second and final morning began a little on the later side after being up so early the previous morning. We slowly got ourselves together and packed our things before heading back to the water taxi dock. This morning (Monday the 7th), we began at Universal Studios for our first viewing of their newest cutting edge show, The Bourne Stuntacular. This show was incredible, and definitely as innovative as advertised. This is a must see when visiting the park. Another worthy replacement for its former incarnation, T2.

We then meandered the park for a bit, stopping by our favorite bar in the San Francisco area, Chez Alcatraz. Contemplating a ride on the Mummy, we opted against it due to a ballooning queue line. I pulled out the USO app and noticed a very short wait for the Hogwart’s Express, so we made the decision to head back over to Island’s for one more ride on the VelociCoaster.

Another excellent front row ride; a perfect ending to our trip (minus the last ride on Dr. Dooms that we snuck in on the way out of the park). We were so lucky to be able to sneak in this fantastic overnight stay at our favorite destination in Orlando. Between our Universal annual passes, a friendly AP hotel rate, and using points on our airfare, the trip was relatively inexpensive, and we would gladly do something similar sometime in the future. We made the most of our short time in Florida, but we will certainly be back shortly. Thanks for reading and be sure to stay tuned for our next adventure!

– Walker

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If you would have asked me two months prior to our trip to Missouri if I would ever get an opportunity to visit Silver Dollar City, I would have told you no way in hell. Things change though, and I suddenly had an opportunity to check this elusive yet world-class theme park off the list. Check out the video recap below of our full day at the park:

My fiancé and I have some good friends a few hours north in St. Louis, and with a recent change in my career we were afforded the time to plan a visit to SDC. Baking in two extra days, we booked a rental car to make the four-hour drive over to Branson prior to spending the weekend with our friends.

We visited Silver Dollar City on a Thursday in May, so unfortunately the park was only open from 10am to 7pm (no night rides sadly). However, thinner crowds more than made up for this abbreviated operating schedule. Our longest wait of the day was around 30 minutes for Powder Keg, with most lines coming in around the 10-15 minute mark. We arrived at the park a few minutes before scheduled opening, and as soon as we were in the front gate we headed straight for…

Time Traveler: This was probably the most anticipated ride at the park, but even still this coaster blew my expectations away. The placement of the attraction is amazing, and I love the RCT-like design of the elevated station with the fantastic first drop right off the loading platform. The theming of the queue and station area are excellent as well, with the queue music and ringing-bells providing the icing on the cake. 

The ride experience itself is incredible, and I would highly suggest a ride in the very back row (as we were able to secure for our first lap). The backwards yet spinning drop out of the station is one of the best moments I’ve experienced on a coaster, and it was a hell of a way to get things started. The rest of the ride is fantastic—definitely not the most intense of launches—but the elements are so graceful and the faint spinning of the cars just adds another wtf element to the whole experience. Honestly, this is one of the most fun coasters I’ve ever been on, and this thing shot up my rankings as soon as we were off. We were able to get a mid-train ride later in the day as well. From there, we made the short walk over to TT’s neighbor…

Thunderation: I had heard some good things about this one, but it wasn’t one of the attractions that I was really looking forward to (unlike TT and Outlaw Run). This coaster was a pleasant surprise, especially when it comes to Arrow mine trains. Pretty smooth throughout, and some excellent terrain and foliage interaction makes it one of the more memorable rides of this type. Up next, we made our way to the back of the park to get in line for…

Powder Keg: What an interesting one this is. A former water coaster, this ride is definitely one of a kind, and it offers a similar ride experience. Another great setting (a common theme amongst SDC coasters), this coaster delivers a powerful launch and a traverse through the Missouri hills. The restraints were a bit clunky but otherwise the coaster provides a smooth and enjoyable ride. The initial launch is definitely the star of the show here. Next, we made our way over to…

Outlaw Run: My second highest anticipated coaster behind TT, Outlaw Run did not disappoint. Although I would say it is amongst the middle of the 9 RMC creations I’ve ridden, my first topper track coaster was a wild experience. After riding both front and back, I think I would prefer the front on this attraction. The airtime was still phenomenal and the views were top-notch, while the back beat me up a bit more and was borderline violent in a few areas. Not a complaint at all, on the contrary, I appreciate a more intense ride. I just enjoyed the front seat on this one a little bit more.

The last criticism that I had of this ride was the overall length, although with no more than a station wait it was easy enough to hop back in line for another lap. So not really an issue at all, because it more than packs a punch in its short amount of track. After a quick break for lunch, we were able to get a ride on…

Fire in the Hole: What a fun indoor attraction. I had no idea what to expect going into this one, and honestly it was one of the more memorable experiences of the day. Janky as hell, but definitely a good time to be had on this one. I am a sucker for these original/old-school attractions, outdated theming and all. This one was no different, and the splashdown drop at the end was a great surprise finale. From here, we made the short walk over to the last coaster of the afternoon…

Wildfire: Although TT and Outlaw Run were my most anticipated coasters, this came in as a very close third. The elusive sit-down B&M model, I have been in awe of this ride’s setting since the year it was installed. Unfortunately, I had heard some less than stellar things about the actual ride experience, so I was tempering my expectations a bit with this coaster. One front row ride later, those expectations were put to rest again. Nothing super special in terms of the ride itself, but the landscape of this attraction absolutely makes it a must-ride. No rattle to speak of in the front row, but I can’t speak for other locations amongst the train. Again, a very pleasant surprise from an otherwise underrated coaster.

We were also able to get a ride on the Flooded Mine attraction as well as a lap on the park’s train, both of which were great fun and should not be missed on a visit to SDC. For lunch, my fiancé had a skillet bowl that she enjoyed but also noted that it could have been a bit fresher. I ate at the new BBQ location they had near the raft ride, and while the options were great I can’t say that I was blown away by the quality of the food itself. Not a bad choice for park food but nothing amazing. The snacks options are really where SDC shines, as we saw some unique treats that I have yet to see at other parks in the US. Of course, we had to try the famous cinnamon bread which more than lived up to the hype.

The other thing we loved about this park were the demonstrations and exhibits we saw from local craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, blacksmiths, you name it. Honestly, you could make a whole day at SDC just experiencing these one-of-a-kind offerings and taking in the fantastic entertainment they have to offer. It gave the park a certain level of charm that I have only seen at very few other world-class theme parks (Busch Gardens Williamsburg comes to mind).

Unfortunately for us, the caverns were closed due to flooding in the area. This would be a theme for us come about 4 o’clock, as more rain started to unleash during the finale of our train ride. This would mark the end of our time at this magnificent park, but SDC made such a great impression on us that we can’t wait to get back. I would highly recommend a visit to this beautiful destination.

Ride Counts:

Time Traveler x2

Thunderation x1

Powder Keg x1

Fire in the Hole x1

Outlaw Run x2

Wildfire x1 

After recovering at our hotel for a bit, we ventured back out into the downpour to grab some dinner prior to our scheduled show that evening. We found a cool little sports bar called Saint’s City right down the street from our hotel, and we could actually end up back here for some more late night drinks after our nightly entertainment.

The show that we had tickets for was called The Haygoods. A group of six sibling musicians (5 brothers and 1 sister), this show was a bit of a shot in the dark for us. The Haygoods had gotten excellent reviews online, and after realizing their theater was right behind our hotel, we decided to go for it. The show lived up to the incredible hype it receives, and I would highly recommend this one to anyone visiting the area. Even though we were the youngest in the crowd by a long shot (marketed as a family show), we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The special effects, and more importantly, the musical talent on display was absolutely mind-blowing. It was a great way to cap off our exciting day in Branson.

Overall, we had a fantastic day trip over to the Live Music Capital of the World (had no idea that was Branson’s motto but here we are). The trip from St. Louis was very manageable, and even though our 36 hours in town were mostly a wash-out, we were fortunate enough to have a full day at Silver Dollar City prior to the opening of the heavens. Olivia and I both loved SDC and could definitely see ourselves making a return trip at some point in the future. Thanks again for reading along with another trip report, be sure to stay tuned for more adventures in the near future!

– Walker

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For our family’s final day in Orlando, we decided to finish out at the two parks that really kick-started our love for theme parks in general, Universal Studios and Island’s of Adventure. Since my mom and brother hadn’t visited either in quite some time, this day was extra special, as Olivia and I had a blast showing them the new additions and changes around the park. Check out the video below for our all-encompassing final day at Universal Orlando Resort:

Kicking off our last early morning of the trip, we grabbed a quick breakfast from the hotel’s Starbucks location and were able to arrive at the Portofino water taxi shortly after 8am. With Island’s of Adventure being the first park on the agenda, we scurried off the boat and got to the gates at the tail end of our early entry window (8am to 9am). Initially, I was a bit worried we had missed our shot at riding Universal’s newest coaster, Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure, as I knew the crowd levels would garner a need for a virtual queue. Luckily, while standing in line for the park’s entrance turnstiles, I was able to secure virtual line passes with a return time of 10:00am. Anxiety instantly subsiding, I was ready and eager to lead the group into our first round of attractions. We decided to kick things off on the slower side by taking a spin through everyone’s favorite children’s book: The Cat in the Hat. This is a classic dark-ride attraction with some amazing animatronics and an overall excellent representation of the timeless story. A great way to get things started.

From there, we made the short walk over to another Suess Landing attraction that Olivia and I ride very infrequently, the High in the Sky Suess Trolley Train Ride. This is an underrated family attraction that deserves much more attention than it receives, as I would compare it to Universal’s version of the classic Disney PeopleMover. I do, however, wish it were slightly longer. Thankfully we were some of the first in line so there was it was a straight walk-on. Another quality ride to get us going this early morning.

We then trekked over to the Hogsmeade area of the park in anticipation of our upcoming Hagrid’s virtual queue. It was a few minutes before our 10:30am return window, so we decided to head towards the Hogwarts Castle for a ride on Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. Such an innovative and downright fun attraction, this one is a must-ride for me on nearly every visit. Probably also helps that I’m a huge Harry Potter nerd, but even non-HP lovers will get a kick out of this ride. The creativity that went into the queue, the façade, and all the different elements & show scenes of this attraction—I will forever be in awe.

After departing Hogwarts castle, we were just about ready to get in line for our turn on Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure. The anticipation grew as we entered the queue and the group got their first look at this mesmerizing attraction. The amount of track and kinetic energy involved with this coaster is palpable, and I was hyped to get the family on for their first ride. Unfortunately, a couple lengthy delays killed a bit of that gusto, but we were able to finally board after just over an hour of waiting. So all things considered, not too bad. And my brother and his girlfriend loved the ride so much they had to book a return trip for the following day to ride again!

We began to head counter-clockwise within the park, heading over towards the Jurrassic Park section of Island’s of Adventure. We were starting to get hungry after our long wait at Hagrid’s so we started scouring the area for lunch options. We were able to secure a mobile order at Thunder Falls Terrace, and this turned out to be our best decision of the day. We were seated pretty much as soon as we arrived at the restaurant, with gratuitous amounts of air conditioning and plenty of room around us to spread out. The food was delivered to our table within another five to ten minutes, and everything we ordered was fresh and delicious. I got the rib sampler tray, and I was so impressed by the quality of the food itself, this is something I would for sure order again. In addition to their fantastic flavor, the ribs were super tender and fell right off the bone. The side options were also great, and everyone else seemed to enjoy their meal as much as myself. A win in my book, as we were able to sit down and recharge in the cold A/C while indulging in some delicious BBQ.

Wrapping up our hour-long lunch break, we ventured back out into the Florida heat to find our next attraction. The Jurassic Park River Adventure was high on our list, but a lengthy maintenance delay would send us over to Kong: Skull Island instead. This ride gets a lot of unnecessary hate, and even though I would agree it is not as good as the original incarnation of Kongfrontation, it is still a very entertaining attraction that has some really cool elements throughout. Hell, the animatronic at the end of the ride is worth it enough for me. I think most theme-park goers would agree, as this attraction routinely garners a wait of sixty minutes or longer.

We had made our way to Toon Lagoon, the wettest area of the park, and knew we had to snag a ride on the legendary Dudley Do-Rights Ripsaw Falls. Another one of my favorite log flumes, this particular ride got us all soaked, with Olivia taking the brunt of the impact in the first seat. After giving into our wetness, we decided to take a spin on Popeye and Bluto’s to top it all off. Mom joined on this ride, so we had to be careful placing our belongings in the covered storage area provided in the middle of the raft. This attraction is so much fun and gets you absolutely drenched. The theming is some of the best in the park, and it’s a nice long ride to boot. A must-do if you’ve never experienced it before.

Continuing our jaunt around the park, we made a stop at Marvel’s Super Hero Island to take a spin on it’s trio of ride offerings. Starting with Spiderman and working our way to Dr. Doom’s and finally the Hulk, we had three great rides on these (still) world-class attractions. I know the Marvel area is always rumored for a re-theme, but I love it just the way it is now and hope it sticks around for a long time to come, especially considering some of the recent updates to both the Hulk and Spidey (re-track and new hi-def projectors, respectively).

With that, we had concluded our time at Island’s, but we weren’t done yet as we immediately headed across CityWalk to Universal’s Studios. Our first stop, of course, had to be our favorite bar: Chez Alcatraz for a round of cold drinks. I can’t stress enough how much you need to make this a stop on your next visit. The bartenders are all super friendly and we always have a great time ordering the Ocean Attack drink, as the staff makes a very entertaining show of it. Check this place out!

Drinks in hand, we sauntered over to the London section of the park, through the vanishing bricks and into Diagon Alley. This area always provides an unreal stroll through the world of Harry Potter, and getting the reactions from my family for their first-time seeing it was a treat as well. After a bit of looking around, we made our way to the entrance for Escape From Gringotts. Another family-friendly attraction, my mother was able to join us for this ride. Everyone enjoyed this one-of-a-kind 4D coaster experience, and after completing our time in Diagon Alley with a round of Butterbeers, we were on our way to our next attraction.

We were unfortunately getting a little low on time, so we picked up the pace for the last hour of our park visit. In quick succession, we hit Men in Black, Transformers, the Mummy, and capped off our afternoon with the last ride of the day on Hollywood: Rip, Ride, Rockit. We breezed through each and every queue with our resort-provided Express Passes, and had way too much for on all of them. With that, it was 5pm and Universal was closed for the afternoon, marking the end of our time in Orlando. Every one of us had reached our limit, and with close to 30,000 steps logged, we were ready to get off our feet.

What a fantastic four days it was for us. Starting at Disney and finishing with Universal, our family had an amazing time together and we can’t wait for our next visit. Although exhausting at some points, everything went according to the plan I had drawn up and it truly was a perfect vacation. Thanks again for tuning in and following along with another trip report. Be sure to stay tuned for the final two legs of this epic spring break adventure. Up next, a weekend in South Florida for more family time and a road Hurricanes hockey game against the Panthers! 

– Walker

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Our third day of adventures brought us to beautiful Universal Orlando Resort and quite possibly the most anticipated destination of the trip. We started our short stay with a bang by checking into our private cabana at Volcano Bay! Check out the video below for a recap of our action packed day:

The morning started a bit later than most on this trip, but we still had to get our things packed up from our first hotel for the quick trip up I-5 to Universal. Our next round of accommodations were at the beautiful Portofino Bay Resort–unfortunately just for a one night stay this time around. With a somewhat lengthy line at check-in upon our arrival (around 8:30-9am), we decided to check our luggage and head straight for Volcano Bay to make the most of our cabana rental.

The resort bus was a tad sluggish but we were still able to get into the park just before the end of early entry, which lasted from 9:30 to 10am the day of our visit. After heading through the main gates and acquiring our Tapu-Tapu wristbands, we headed for the concierge to get all setup for our cabana. This was possibly the lone frustration of the morning, as the staff seemed to be a bit overwhelmed and we had to wait a good bit before we were escorted over to our cabana. Not a big deal at all, and like I said, it really was the only snafu of the otherwise perfect day.

I actually made the reservations for the cabana about a month or so out, and I inquired with them a few different times as to whether or not we could request a specific cabana. Apparently this used to be possible, but this is no longer the case as unfortunately our requests were denied. All worked out in the end though, as we were actually seated at our first choice location. How lucky is that? The cabana number was 22C, and it has to be the best location in the entire park. It perfectly overlooked Krakatau and Waturi Beach (the park’s centerpiece volcano and wave-pool, respectfully), and also gave us very convenient access to nearby bathrooms.

Upon arrival, the team member showing us to our destination gave us the rundown on all the cabana had to offer, including: a complimentary snack tray, plenty of fresh towels, a refrigerator stocked with bottled water, and our own private Tapu-Tapu touch point. This came in handy no longer than five minutes into our stay, as our whole group immediately tapped into the most popular attraction at the park, Krakatau Aqua Coaster. In addition to wait times for the waterslides, the touch point also had other useful info such as food and drink menus, a park map, and various other intel.

After getting settled in the cabana and ordering our first round of drinks, we locked up our valuables (in the included storage area) and took off for our first slides of the day. After starting off slow with a “ride-now” tube slide towards the back of the park, we made our way towards our first virtual queue of the day with the Krakatau Aqua Coaster. This is by far the best attraction in the park, and we had such a blast on this thing. It is by far the coolest waterslide I’ve ever ridden, and even though Olivia and me have been on it multiple times, it was so fun to share the experience with the rest of the family.

After perusing the back of the park a bit more, we made our way back to the cabana to hangout and soak up some of the warm Florida sun. We lucked out with the weather for this day, as there was no threat of rain but merely a healthy diet of sun & temperatures in the upper 80’s. We also put in our first food orders around this time, and everything that we indulged in was absolutely excellent–some of the best theme park food I have ever had. A few of the highlights were the pupu platter tray (a sampling of conch fritters, coconut shrimp and spring rolls), chicken sliders, “longboard” flatbread pizzas, and delicious yucca fries. Honestly, from what we tried, I don’t think you can go wrong with anything on the menu here at Volcano Bay.

After some more time chilling at the cabana, we took off to get on a few more slides and test out the two “lazy” rivers they have at the park. I put the quotes on lazy only because one of the two is actually called the “Fearless River”, and it is pretty much anything but lazy. This is always one of the highlights of our visits, and this time around was no different. My mother especially loved the Fearless River, as we made two laps around while sharing countless laughs along the way. I think this was captured well in my recap video. We hit a few more slides along the way, but eventually made our way back to home base to recharge.

After another round of food at the cabana, my brother and I made preparations to ride the most intimidating and tallest slide in the park, the Ko’Kiri Plunge. Sadly, our time at the park was winding down, but we were able to secure a short wait via our personal tap point in the cabana. Ko’Kiri is a 125 foot tall drop-door body slide (housed within the Krakatau volcano) that pitches riders down a 70-degree-angle descent. This slide honestly freaks me out more than any roller coaster I have ever been on, but as an adrenaline junky, these are the things we live for. This was the exact reason I had to have my brother experience it with me. It is such an intimidating climb to the summit of the ride, but after the intense plunge, the feeling of accomplishment is unbeatable. A must ride in my opinion (although you would never be able to convince Olivia to get on it).

By the time we made it down Ko’Kiri, it was 5 o’clock and we had reached the park’s closing time. Reluctantly, we had to head back to the cabana to pack up our things and make our way over to the resort bus. Although none of us were ready to leave, we had such a full afternoon and made such amazing memories that we were content with calling it a day and sauntering our way to the exit. An epic adventure that I’m sure we will be talking about for some time.

The last part of our evening was another memorable family dinner, this time at Toothsome’s Chocolate Emporium in Universal’s CityWalk. This restaurant has been on my list for some time, but it was even better sharing this first-time experience with the family. We indulged in some excellent drinks, an amazing meal, and two decadent milkshakes to finish it off. The perfect capper to an absolutely unforgettable day.

Although the price tag on the cabana can be somewhat high during peak season, we lucked out and were able to secure ours at a very reasonable rate. I would highly recommend this experience if visiting Volcano Bay–it certainly makes for an epic “splurge” that is more than worth the top-notch service, views, and amenities. It will definitely be tough visiting the park the next time without one, as we have been more than spoiled by this experience. Thanks again for checking out another entry in my six part spring break series, and be sure to stay tuned for the next blog on our full day at the dry parks of Universal Orlando Resort!

– Walker

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Our second stop of our epic week long spring break trip brought us to one of my most highly anticipated parks of the last couple years, Disney’s Hollywood Studios (with a late-night cameo from EPCOT). The day was long and exhausting, but we accomplished so much and had endless amounts of fun along the way. Check out the recap video from our crazy second day in Orlando:

My day started with a 6:30am alarm clock, and I sprung out of bed with one goal in mind: to acquire boarding passes for the Disney’s latest and greatest attraction, Rise of the Resistance.

If you haven’t heard by now, Rise (shorthand) is a “dark ride” that opened at Hollywood Studios just a few shorts months prior last year’s pandemic closure. It is the most technologically advanced attraction ever built, so naturally the hype surrounding the ride is astounding. I think I read somewhere that only 30% of all park guests (on a given day) at Hollywood Studios get a chance to ride because there is such an extreme demand. The reservation system that the park utilizes allows ticket holders to reserve a time slot to ride each morning at 7am, but they tend to be completely sold out out in a matter of seconds. Four seconds to be exact. After hearing horror stories about said reservation system, I was so nervous that we would miss out on this cutting-edge attraction. Thankfully, my extensive research into best practices paid off and I was able to secure us a boarding group.

With the most stressful part of the day out of the way, we grabbed a quick breakfast at Chick-Fil-A and hit the road for the park. It was just the kids heading to Hollywood Studios as my mother decided to sleep in for a few hours. With our abnormally early start, we were able to get in line prior to opening of the parking lot entrance gates. Fifteen minutes or so later, we were parked and heading through the turnstyles. Super easy entry, no problems at all.

Our early arrival paid off handsomely, as we were able to book it to Slinky Dog Dash at the back of the relatively-new Toy Story Land and get in line for a short ten minute wait. I went into this coaster with relatively low expectations, and I was pleasantly surprised (as was the rest of the group). It was very enjoyable for a family coaster, with two good launches and a solid ride length. Mixed with the excellent theming they had in the station and throughout the course, it made for a great experience and was the perfect way to start our morning.

From Toy Story Land, we headed immediately over to what I thought would be another lengthy wait. This time, in a galaxy far, far away. We got in line for Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run around the time the park officially opened (9am). This turned out to be another great decision, as we were able to board within ten minutes, even though the wait never got below forty minutes for the rest of the day. The Falcon was so much fun, albeit not super thrilling but with four individual “characters” needed for the attraction, our group of four was the perfect fit. We had a blast attempting to fly the ship and complete our mission. I will say we didn’t do so hot (*pilots* ahem), but we definitely had a great time.

Continuing along with our method of jumping between themed areas, we headed back to Toy Story Land and were able to pretty much walk-on both Alien Swirling Saucers and Midway Mania. I had never done the saucers before but we had a hoot on that ride. It was definitely meant for children and it’s not something I would wait any more than ten or fifteen minutes for, but it was fun to listen to the music and swing back and forth. The alien commentary was hilarious as well (“the clawwwwww”). Definitely a great ride for the little ones. Midway Mania was a fun time as always. The design of the ride is super clever and the shooting games are really entertaining and visually impressive. I will say, my wrist always feels like its about to fall off after riding this attraction. The motion that you use to “shoot” your individual blaster (pulling a short rope repeatedly) is exhausting. Olivia and I are super competitive so we can never take a chill ride on this thing–it’s always for bragging rights. I’ll try to let you guess who won this round…

After a barrage of morning attractions and the Florida heat beginning to be a factor for us, we decided to take it easy with a viewing of Muppet-Vision 3D. It’s easily been fifteen years since I’ve seen this show, but I really enjoyed it. the Muppets will always have a soft spot in my heart, so maybe I’m a little biased, but I definitely thought Muppet-Vision was funny and entertaining, even after thirty-plus years of operation. Not to mention, the A/C was killer as well.

After cooling off inside a bit, we decided to grab some cold brews at the nearby Baseline Tap House. At this point, we were about an hour or so away from our boarding group being called for Rise of the Resistance. I knew this was an experience my mother would not want to miss, so I convinced her to venture over to the park while we enjoyed our first round as Baseline. She arrived just in time for our group to be called, and before we knew it, we were heading back into Batuu to get a ride on the newest gold standard of dark rides.

Rise definitely lived up to the hype. From the moment we stepped foot in the queue, the experience was next-level immersive. Making our way through the various pre-shows (four to be exact), I actually felt as if we were part of the action. The final actual “dark-ride” portion of it is a three-minute long adventure that uses GPS technology to guide the ride vehicles autonomously (without a visible track). Some of the scenes and animatronics depicted were mind-blowing, and the thrilling finale was the icing on the cake. Although it was a bit stressful securing a ride on this top-notch attraction, it was worth every second of effort. Definitely a highlight of our day.

Just after getting off RotR around 1pm, the sky began to turn a distinct shade of gray. There was certainly a chance of rain in the daily forecast, but we initially thought this band would pass through quickly (like most Florida storms). Unfortunately, this was not the case. After huddling under a small area of cover in Batuu for fifteen minutes, we made the executive decision to head out into the downpour and head for the car. Of course, we were soaked by the time we made it, but thankfully our hotel was nearby. We were able to enjoy a few hours of rest before making our way back to the park around 5pm.

By this time, the storms had cleared and the beautiful Florida sunshine had returned. We were rested up and ready for our night session, and it started with a return trip to Hollywood Studios for the three attractions that we had missed earlier…

We started the evening with a ride on Rock’n Roller Coaster–always a classic. Although a posted thirty minute wait, we were on in half that (in the front row no less). My mother didn’t join us for this one, but I think she would have enjoyed it. The coaster still has a nice powerful launch and a smooth run through the course. I hope this guy is here to stay for some time.

After taking a glance at the wait time for the Hollywood Tower Hotel, we decided to save it for last and head to the Hollywood Brown Derby for a quick libation. Not unlike us, we ended up sitting and chatting with an elderly couple for 30+ minutes. They were hilarious and we had a great time getting to know them. Before the time got away from us, we peeled ourselves away from the bar for a spin on Hollywood Studios’ newest attraction, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

After a short wait, we were on the boarding platform in less than fifteen minutes. Unfortunately with COVID protocol we were unable to see the pre-show (which looks super cool from the videos I’ve seen), but the ride itself was more than enough entertainment for us. It was visually stunning and really kept us on the edge of our seats for the entire duration. I had seen POV’s and such going into it, but still kept my expectations in check. I’m glad I did because the whole group was pleasantly surprised by this attraction. I wish we could’ve gotten one more ride simply because there is so much to see in each and every show scene.

Saving the best for last (with fifteen minutes left until park close), we made our way down Sunset Boulevard one last time to queue up for my favorite ride at Hollywood Studios, the Tower of Terror. The line moved somewhat slow for this one, but that only built the anticipation. Forty or so minutes later, we were in the drop shaft screaming our lungs out. I will say, after experiencing Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout at Disneyland in California, the ride cycle in Orlando seemed a good bit shorter. Maybe this had something to do with the current capacity issues, but the re-themed tower on the west coast seemed to have a much longer drop sequence. Still, I much prefer the aesthetic and theme from the east coast version, and I hope it sticks around for a long time to come.

With that, it was about thirty minutes after eight o’clock, and most normal people probably would’ve called it a day by now. However, we are not most people, and with EPCOT having the late closing time at 11pm, we were psyched to check out the ongoing Flower and Garden food booths. Unfortunately, a lot of these booths closed early, but we still got to experience a taste of the park.

It started with the grand (and recently-renovated) entrance to EPCOT, where I took plenty of awesome photos and video of the freshly installed pylons that mark the entrance to Future World (or what is currently left of it). The renovated entrance is epic. The pylons look phenomenal, especially at night with everything lit up. The park is definitely in a period of transformation, but regardless it is always a treat to visit EPCOT. This time around we started with a lap on the timeless Spaceship Earth, which I was very keen on riding, given the multitude of refurbishment rumors floating around the interwebs. They have added a few touches to this attraction over the years, but it has mostly stayed the same. Nostalgia overload for sure.

After our ride inside the big golf ball, we made our way to the World Showcase, specifically the Mexico pavilion to indulge in some authentic margaritas from La Cava De Tequila. They were absolutely delicious, and a great way to kickoff our short stay at EPCOT.

For the next hour or so, we made our way around the World Showcase (counter-clockwise), striking out on most of the Flower and Garden food booths that we encountered. The majority of the booths we wanted to visit closed an hour or so in advance of park close. So that was a bit of a bummer, but it was still awesome to wander the different pavilions at night. We did manage to find a couple snacks and drinks along the way, but we certainly wanted to end the evening on one last attraction. We landed on Frozen Ever After, but upon approach we realized that this ride was closed early as well. With just a few minutes left until park close, we booked it over to Test Track. We were some of the last riders of the night, and it was a fantastic way to close out our visit. Although I still prefer the original incarnation of the ride, the new version is a refreshing change. I just wish we could’ve designed our own cars like they typically allow you to do (pre-COVID, of course).

With that, we had shut the park down, and we were all ready to climb into bed and call it a day. I think we maxed out around nine miles walking for the day at around 24,000 steps, but it was all worth it. It was such an epic day, full of amazing experiences and fantastic memories that our family will hold onto for some time to come. This unfortunately concluded our time at Disney, but the fun was not ending, as we were about to transition to the park just up the interstate: Universal Orlando. Thanks for reading, and be sure to stay tuned for more updates from our epic spring break trip, and the conclusion of our time in Orlando!

– Walker

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Welcome to the first in a series of entries regarding my family’s epic spring break trip! The eight-day long journey started in sunny Orlando, Florida, for a few days at its world class theme-parks. From there, we headed south to see Olivia’s family, meetup with my father, and see the Carolina Hurricanes play against the Florida Panthers! After saying goodbye to our families, Olivia and I concluded the trip in Dallas, Texas for a few more adventures and one last ‘Canes road game. It was a marathon, but a week (and some change) that we will never forget!

Take a look at the first day of our journey at Disney’s Animal Kingdom:

It all started bright and early Monday morning (April 19th) at RDU International Airport. Joining Olivia and I (for at least the first leg) would be my mother, brother (Rhett), and his girlfriend Logan–a welcome change from the original lineup. Don’t get me wrong, I love visiting places with Olivia, but it was awesome to share some of these places with my family as they had never experienced most of them before. Or at the very least, it had been a few years since the last visit. After mentioning our plans to the group a few weeks prior, my mom couldn’t resist tagging along, followed quickly by my brother and his girlfriend.

The weather forecast for the week was not looking great just a few days out. 100% and 90% chance of rain on Monday and Tuesday–great. So we were planning on a rough descent and landing. To our surprise, the clouds had broken up a bit and we were only met with very light rain upon arrival in Orlando. This turned out to be a great omen for the rest of the trip, as we were only hit with one rainstorm (on Tuesday) that we were able to pivot our plans around. After grabbing our bags and sorting out our rental car from Enterprise, we were on our way for a quick check-in at our first hotel of the adventure.

For Monday and Tuesday nights I landed on a newly-constructed Townplace Suites about five minutes off Disney property. It shared a building with another Marriott property (Residence Inn) so the amenities were nice and large, and they even offered a decent breakfast, a welcome change back to reality after the recent pandemic. We arrived around 11:30am and fortunately they had one of our three rooms cleaned and ready for us. This allowed the group to change into our theme park clothes and store our luggage for the day. After quickly gathering ourselves, we were back in the Toyota RAV-4 heading to Animal Kingdom.

Animal Kingdom had an 8 o’clock opening that morning, so by arriving around lunchtime we were able to take advantage of some short attraction waits. Our first stop, however, was to make a return time for one of our favorite drink spots at Disney World, the one-of-a-kind Nomad Lounge. We discovered this lounge on our last visit in 2018, as we were lucky enough to eat at its accompanying signature dining restaurant (Tiffins). Once we were able to put our name in at Nomad’s, we headed straight to the only coaster in the park: Expedition Everest.

This coaster has always meant the world to me, as it was one of the first big attractions that I followed along the construction process throughout. As a kid, I was enamored with this huge addition. Originally constructed in 1999, it was the largest and most costly project that any theme park had undertaken (at the time), amounting to a whopping 100 million dollars. I vividly remember following along construction updates on the coaster, whatever the medium may have been at the time (dial-up on AOL?). Even after riding it all these years, I am still in awe of the downright amazing creativity, engineering, and technology that went into this game-changing coaster “experience”.

After grabbing some nearby drinks to build-up our courage (a recurring theme, we needed a lot of courage lol), we jumped in the very fast moving line for Everest. Even the queue of this attraction is over-the-top detailed and amazing in every way. Also really cool to know that all of the artifacts and props in the queue are authentic as can be. Disney Imagineers never cease to blow my mind. Just a short ten minute wait later, we were boarding the middle of the coaster train for our encounter with the mythical Yeti. It was the perfect way to kick off our trip.

Pretty much as soon as we were off Everest, Olivia received a text informing us that our table at Nomad was ready. With only a ten minute window to claim our spot, we hustled across the park, giving us a well-earned break as soon as we arrived at our table on the back deck of the lounge. It was an awesome spot–nice cushioned couches and chairs, and as a bonus we could see all the character cavalcades coming by on the nearby river!

Olivia had fallen in love with a particular watermelon-based vodka drink from our last trip, so she was excited to finally be back to try it again. It definitely did not disappoint, just like the rest of the beverages our group ordered. To satisfy our growing appetites, we decided to order a few of the different small plate offerings, including an order of sliders with yucca fries, pork ribs, chicken, and a tuna poke bowl. All were incredibly delicious, I would highly recommend the Nomad Lounge. Possibly our favorite place to eat and drink in all of Disney.

After sauntering off of the back deck, we headed for nearby Pandora to hit Animal Kingdom’s newest and most cutting-edge attraction, Flight of Passage. We were lucky enough to get on this ride our last visit, but only because we booked a VIP tour. The one billion dollar attraction consistently hold wait times of 1.5-2 hours plus, and I would say that it is quite deserving of the huge crowds and attention. It truly is a beautiful ride experience, and one that is able to be enjoyed by the entire family. The last time we had to convince my mother to get on (and stay on), but by the end she was so happy she did. Not terribly intense, but just so innovative and one-of-a-kind that it definitely cannot be missed.

Of course we had to grab a few more drinks after getting off Flight of Passage. The watering hole this time, however, resided on a different planet. Pongu Pongu is an awesome quick service bar in Pandora, and we decided to indulge in a few of the local beverages, the Mo’ara Margarita and Rum Blossom. Both of which were delicious and a nice way to cool off from the humid (yet rainless) day we were experiencing.

Next up was the Na’vi River Journey, a relaxing boat ride through the Valley of No’ra, filled with some of the most dazzling landscapes and impressive animatronics you will ever see. Although a little on the shorter side, it is such a sensory experience that it is another can’t miss attraction. Thankfully, the line moved quick and we only ended up waiting maybe fifteen minutes.

Leaving the land of Pandora, we headed back across the park to get on the original dark ride at Animal Kingdom, DINOSAUR! This ride still scares me a bit, but it is such a classic and still holds up after 20+ years of terrifying children. Unfortunately, this wait turned out to be the longest of the day, as we must have experienced a short breakdown or cleaning cycle. All in all though, one 50 minute wait didn’t put that much of a damper on our afternoon. We discovered another nearby bar/lounge attached to Restaurantosaurus and grabbed a few more libations for our walk back to the star attraction of the park, Kilimanjaro Safaris.

For some stupid reason, I suggested we skip this attraction as we were running short on our potential park hopping time. As AK closed at 8pm, we were originally planning on park hopping over to Hollywood Studios for the last few hours of the day. We were having such a good time though, and if you’re able to hit it at the right time, the safari can be incredible. Luckily, we were treated to one of the more memorable rides I can remember in some time. Being a little later in the day around 6:30pm (perhaps even close to feeding time), the animals seemed to be much more active in the cooler temperatures. We saw some incredible sights: elephants, giraffes, crocodiles, cheetahs, and the most magnificent of all, African lions. The two female lions were running around their enclosure chasing each other and biting one another’s tails, while the male lion was sitting proudly on his rock-throne for everyone to see. We even got to hear him roar! Honestly, one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had–so happy we did not skip this headlining attraction.

Getting off the safari around 7:15, we decided to end our night with a few more walk-on rides of Expedition Everest. Olivia and I were lucky enough to snag the front row on our first lap, and ended up finishing the day with one more ride towards the back of the train. Day 1, complete! Or, at least the group thought…

We had one more destination to hit, and that would be our dinner reservation at CityWorks Brewing at Disney Springs. Although everyone was super beat, this was a place Olivia and I were looking forward to visit. It turned out to be a great choice, as we were able to Disney Springs a bit, in addition to enjoying a great meal. We were able to catch our Hurricanes on one of the many TV’s, and the chairs in the dining room were super comfy–a necessity after a long day on our feet. 22,000 steps later (11.2 miles total), we were back at our hotel and settled into our rooms for the evening. What a start to the vacation.

Thanks so much for checking out the report of our visit to Animal Kingdom, and be sure to stay tuned for the subsequent blogs regarding the rest of our amazing spring break trip!

– Walker

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