Diamondback_Is_King

Really? I prefer Pizza Pen

For sure. What did it used to be, like a couple of hours?

Hopefully not the new norm across Six Flags parks...

How busy was the season pass holder preview last year? I couldn't make it there last year.

Universal's Stella Nova Resort opened Tuesday, January 21! This 750 room hotel is located right next to Epic Universe and the hotel's sister hotel, Terra Luna (which is planned to open March 25). You can walk from the hotel over to the park if the bus line is really long once Epic opens. Bus transportation can take you to any of Universal's parks and hotels. Eventually, the buses will be able to travel on their own dedicated road, but it has not been completed yet. These new buses are now electric. I have not been there, but I have watched many volgs and heard from people that it was very nice. Everything looks clean and new, and plenty of lights. The rooms aren't as big as Endless Summer Resorts (I have stayed at Dockside) but look cooler with the "space/galaxy" vibe. From what I've heard, the beds are on the firmer side, but they all had really good sleep. Some showers have tubs in the bathroom, and others have walk-in showers. Same goes for a small couch: there are rooms with them, but others don't have them. Kind of weird. I think the room that didn't have a small couch was a corner room, so it was slightly smaller. For food, there is a quick service marketplace where guests can grab something quick while heading to the park. For those who don't mind sitting and eating a little while, there is a cafe that serves different grill items and other items you would get at a food place like burgers, pizza, salads, deserts, etc. I heard that the burger was good as well as the cheesecake. The pizza didn't look very good because the marinara sauce looked like anything but marinara sauce. They also have refillable drink mugs similar to the ones at Endless Summer. For prices, it is in the same price range as the Endless Summer resorts and Stella Nova is starting at a price of $225.75 a night for two queen beds. Endless summer hotels are around the price of $171.68. Honestly, I really enjoyed Dockside but I think Stella Nova is just as good. We'll have to see if it differs any different to Terra Luna when it opens in March. Something cool: since the ceiling of the entrance hall in the hotel is in a weird shape, they couldn't put rooms directly over it. So, they made the hallway full of stars and cosmos instead of a blank hallway. One last thing: inside Stela Nova, there is a Universal Studios Store and contains Epic merch. They have merch from Harry Potter, Nintendo World, Dark Universe, and How to Train Your Dragon: Isle of Berk. They have photo frames, wands, and pins. One of the pins is a mystery pin for Dark Universe featuring all of the monsters. Each mystery pin set features a chaser pin. To learn more about this hotel in depth, check out Rix Flix on Youtube! He has a great channel and is very knowledgeable about all things Universal! We are now one step closer to the final product: Epic Universe opening day. Only a few months remain until May 22!!!

I don't see it fitting. It's called International Street. Picture this: you're walking down the street and you see different country's flags, you see G&G, the French Corner, LaRosa's, and...Burger King. Doesn't fit in well does it? Starbucks doesn't really fit well either. I don't think it's a good idea nor will they ever do it. That's just my opinion, though.

Yeah, I know the wording is different from other rides that were worded as "coaster" in that press release and that it says family thrill "attraction" but a coaster is still technically an attraction. A coaster is not totally out of the question. Also, Kings Island will probably make an official announcement with details on this new attraction sometime towards the end of this year. As to what you said about Vekoma's "attractions" list, this Interactive Boat Ride looks really cool. But if it was really Zamperla that was building this new "family thrill attraction" then there are a few options. There was that one new model that they came out with and I think Tower Topics showed it in one of their videos as a possible ride option for this new "attraction" coming to KI in 2026. On there website, there is a model listed as "family thrill coaster" that looks like it could be a good terrain-based coaster. If they chose to put it in The Vortex plot, then it could work with the terrain fairly well. Yes, I know many people would not like to see a family coaster in this plot of land and want it to be filled with a more thrilling coaster (looking at you @Vortex1987). On the attractions side of things for Zamperla, it could be a Nebula model or some other flat ride. Although, I don't know if it would be a big enough addition to list it on "new Six Flags 2026 attractions" Or as @Tr0y said, it could be new Vekoma train. But again, would that be a notable addition that they would put it on the same list with a new Dive Coaster? They already rebranded it to Woodstock's Air Rail instead of Flying Ace Aerial Chase, you would have thought that they would have done it at the same time. I guess we'll just have to sit back, relax, and enjoy watching this new attraction unfold!

Yes, MANY possibilities. "Family Thrill Attraction" could mean any one off these...that is, if it is a coaster

Hopefully the May 24th grand opening for RiverRacers (assuming construction doesn't get delayed)!!! Me, like many of you are counting down the days. If my counting is correct, we have 123 days until RiverRacers and 88 days until KI opening day. Hope to see you all then!

They just got to keep trying until they find something that all parks want. If you look at Vekoma, they haven't been one of the top manufacturers (Intamin and B&M at the top). But, they are quickly rising to those top tier manufacturers. Vekoma's catalog is much larger than RMC's. Not all of their models took off, but they eventually struck gold with the new family coaster model (Ex. Big Bear Mountain) and the new gen Tilt Coaster (Ex. Circuit Breaker and Siren's Curse). RMC needs to take a page out of Vekoma's book and keep trying with new models. Allen Schilke was a leader in RMC and sense he left, they have kind of dropped off. Not everything will be a winner, but you got to keep trying. So, this is my answer to the topic: I would have loved to get an RMC at KI a couple of years ago and I still think it would be a great addition, but it needs to be good enough. Not something like New Texas Giant or Railblazer, but something that would become a top-tier attraction at KI. Realistically though, the family coaster is what they will go with, and I must accept that. Too bad though, I got so excited with the Son of Beast crate that was found during the Haunt! There is still that part of me that has hope...

I mean, it just makes sense. They worked with them for SSBR, why not do it again? Like I said in another thread, Vekoma is becoming a larger company and parks are using them as their go-to. Again, not sure this is legit, but it just makes sense. Plus, rumors recently coming out end up being surprisingly right.

B&M used to be king, but now others are rising to the top, Vekoma, Mack, and S&S are all moving up the ranks. Intamin is Intamin, so they will probably always stay the same. As for RMC, I don't know what to say. They aren't coming out with any new things, just the Hybrid and the Raptor. Nobody really bought the Wild Moose idea, so they only have a few options. They're working on YoY and the Raptor at Lost Island, but other than that, they aren't doing much.

On top of all of that, this new "B&M Rattle" is really annoying. I've only felt this on Iron Menace at Dorney, but it ruined the whole ride because it was rough, but smooth at the same time. It was weird, but definitely a disappointment.

I'm hoping to get to Epic Universe this coming summer and of course visit Cedar Point for TT2 and Siren's Curse. Maybe a HW trip? Not sure yet.

They got rid of Chick-fil-A and Subway, I wouldn't be surprised if they got rid of Starbucks as well. Just PLEASE, PLEASE don't get rid of the Skyline Chili!!! The one they removed was better, but at least we still have a Skyline. At least for now...

Buy-SDC and Dollywood like to have somewhat equal attractions, so I can see them doing this sense Fire in the Hole got good reviews. Buy or Sell - An Intamin Vertical Launch Coaster will come to a Six Flags park by 2028

RiverRacers experiences problems within the first week of operation

@DonHelbig, do you know about when you might do this episode?

Good point. It's about 3 hours from KI, so not too bad of a drive if you live close to there. I'm so excited for Siren's Curse and Top Thrill 2 this next season, and shall be visiting sometime in the summer. Didn't get to ride TT2 when it opened because I was a week late .Yes, I know KI is closer and still deserves thrill rides, but Cedar Point isn't a terrible alternative.

Yes, this is a top spin, but it is outdoors. As to what the ride is called and where it is, I have no clue. Those red lights in the background are a little help, but not really.

I personally don't care what you call it, I just want Six Flags to do a good job with their parks and supply new experiences! But, It's not so "FUN" when they keep removing rides without warning... (Sorry, kind of off-topic)

In the next 5 years, Invertigo, The Bat, Congo Falls, and Drop Tower will be removed The next attraction at KI will be located in The Vortex plot of land In the next 7 years, KI will receive a new family coaster similar to Big Bear Mountain at Dollywood

I definitely think that most of the people that would come to this new event would be locals. Like you said, its not really a draw for people that would have to make a decent trip out there. Tourists wouldn't necessarily come during this time because there aren't any attractions open at and around Dollywood. I don't even know if the mountain coasters run around Pigeon Forge. It's a good idea, but in my opinion, there's not enough draw to make it worth it.

Yes, I am sure no one would thoroughly enjoy sitting 300+ ft in the air, when on the ground the wind-chill makes it about -2 °F. I don't know what the math is to measure the temp up 300+ ft from the ground, but I know that it wouldn't be enjoyable!

Did Carowinds ever try a full year schedule? I seem to remember they were talking about it, but I know now that they basically have the same schedule as KI. Just curious if they ever tried it out.