MDMC01

I voted; we dropped to #3 behind Branson and of course, Dollywood. Top 5's not bad!

Is that Valravn car from the actual ride or just something made for IAPPA? And if it's from the ride, which train did they take it from? Thanks; I love Valravn!

So, I got back from exploring the zoo for the first time in a while (and my first solo trip!) and had a blast. Before I start, this won't be an ordinary trip report as I'll explain my thoughts on my Zoo trip, but it won't necessarily be in chronological order like most TR's are. Enjoy! To start, I got a Zoo pass last Saturday from my parents as a gift for my 1 year anniversary at my job (which is a really big deal!) and decided to take my first trip this afternoon. During my journey, I saw and did some cool things and I also noticed a few things have changed, which can take some getting used to. (Also as a note, parts of the Zoo is currently under construction as part of their "More Home to Roam" initiative, so do keep that in mind if you plan to visit). Upon entering, I headed to the P&G Discovery Center, which is basically a rainforest inside a greenhouse. Although it's not as big as its older counterpart Jungle Trails, I still enjoyed exploring the area and reading about the different kinds of plants and animal species in there- I even saw a macaw! After that awesomeness, I headed around the zoo and ended up near Base Camp Café (close to the zoo's old (Pre-Africa) entrance). I then explored the Children's Zoo and saw one of the keepers feeding the goats, which was cool. Although the goats were out and active, the gate to go play with them was locked for some reason (I later returned and pet a goat through the fence as the gate was still locked). After seeing the goats, wolves and otters, I headed into Wings of the World, where I noticed my first major change of the day. I guess they had redone it since the last time I'd been through as the colors where brighter and there was a random play area towards the end. Although I appreciated the new artwork on the wall near the entrance courtesy of a local artist, the changes really messed with me as I remember the building being darker (especially the end) and the penguin area being restructured). Also, the Australasia aviary seemed smaller (also, you could see into it from the outside thanks to some mesh) and the hornbills were moved to a separate habitat adjacent to the aviary (they were originally behind mesh in a separate area within the Australasia aviary), which was a shock to me. Afterwards, I walked in the Garden of Peace exhibit (it was created to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the nation of Israel) as well as went down Jungle Trails (all the bears except for the polar bear were not out, probably due to weather and also one of the enclosures was being used to expand the polar bear exhibit). Jungle Trails was cool and some of the darker inside portions reminded me of a Haunt maze (this won't be the first time I mention in this in the trip report- towards the end of the trip, I saw some guy with a Haunt hat on!). I also learned I'm not as fit as I used to be as I failed miserably at all of the physical activity stations lol. Afterwards, I went through the African Veldt and then Manatee Springs. I saw zebras, flamingos and rhinos. The interesting thing is that on both of my passthroughs, I saw different species of rhinos. On the first runthrough, I saw my favorite animal, the Indian Rhino, just hanging out near some foilage. The second time around, it wasn't out, but I did see two Black Rhinos, so I'm not sure if they were rotating the rhinos or what was going on (even though they are in two completely different exhibits). Manatee Springs was nice and warm, but there were no manatees, only fish. I overheard a keeper say that this is because one of the manatees likes to eat the fish's food. There were also some volunteers with a small bird and a snake that were around the second half of the exhibit. Although it happened later in the trip, I'll go ahead and talk about it here since this exhibit is in this part of the zoo: I tried to go down Big Cat Canyon (where the White Lions are) and not only were they off exhibit (probably because of the weather),but there were two walls preventing guests from getting to the other side of the walkway (the walkway in question is high above the enclosure and used to circle around and exit out near Manatee Springs), which means guests have to backtrack to and exit out the way they entered. Not exactly sure what was going on, but oh well. So, on my first pass through of the area, I noticed the Picnic Grove had completely changed and there were two food trucks where a snack area stood (like, the snack area was completely torn out), which shocked me as I remember what used to be there. Though the Carousel was running, I did not ride, but I did do the 4D theatre (which was a Zen Ride!) during my second lap of the Zoo. They were showing Storks in 4D and it was fun and provided some interesting effects including rain, "snow" and wind. Also, that poking sensation used in the Polar Express returned, but caused me to yell "Oh my gosh!" in the middle of the film as I wasn't expecting it. After the film, I bought a water bottle, which was partially an impulse buy and partially not (the other ones I have leak in various ways and this one has a straw!). During my first passthrough, I continued up the hill and went into Dragons! which is the Komodo Dragon exhibit. Before going in, I took a rest and hatched a Pokémon egg (though I didn't get the app out that much on my trip- the focus was on the animals- I did accrue a ton of distance during the trip thanks to the amazingness that is Adventure Sync, which allows me to walk my Pokémon and hatch eggs without having the app open). Dragons! was cool and it was nice that the exhibit showcased other lizards similar to the Komodo Dragon at the beginning. Moving right along, I went into the Insect World, which was nice. Another interesting change was with Gorilla World as they swapped the entrance and exit and put this semi-indoor viewing area for the gorillas at the very end of the exhibit. Also, I found a lot of old cellphones reminiscent of the cautionary bin found in Diamondback's queue, but these were recycled to help save gorillas. Continuing up the path, I went into Night Hunters, which uses most of the old Cat House of the indoor portion to showcase cats as well as nocturnal creatures. This exhibit felt like a Haunt maze as well as it was pretty dark in there (as that's the point) and I saw an Aardvark and some bats. I also walked through the outdoor portion of the exhibit (Cat Canyon), which featured tigers and snow leopards. At some point, I briefly went into the Reptile House, which hasn't changed much but still houses some interesting creatures, including a Diamondback and alligators in the center. Speaking of Reptiles, the nearby Tortoise Encounter wasn't open for obvious reasons. A really nice surprise during the visit was getting to visit Wildlife Canyon, which the map said was closed (as it will become Roo Valley and will feature a kangaroo walkabout, a craft beer garden and a ropes course). Though the only animal down there was the Takin (which is perfectly fine with the weather as it is from the Tibet/China area), I enjoyed getting lots of pictures and video of the area as I know it will bite the dust soon for the new expansion. For those wondering, I think the exhibit's old inhabitants will be moved to the African Veldt area (also known as Rhino Reserve) for the time being. After taking one full lap of the zoo, I ate some lunch at Base Camp Café (literally the only food stand open, with the exception of a snack shop close to the front gate) and I think the pizza is better at Kings Island then there. It was still good and afterwards, I explored the Africa exhibit and had fun trying to identify the different animal tracks on the ground. I saw lions, meerkats (they were inside), an Ostrich, giraffes (two were outside and some were inside, which took me by surprise as one was so close to the glass) and the hippos. I finally got to see Fiona and oh my gosh, the paparazzi is real- apparently Fiona is really popular! I was amazed and mesmerized at how gracefully Bibi (I think- it was the only other hippo that was in there) was swimming for being so big, but on the same token, she could kill you as hippos are one of the most dangerous animals on earth. The last thing I did before leaving was see the elephants. I originally didn't think it would be open (as the path seemed blocked off), but it turns out it was still open during construction. Since the keepers were cleaning up outside, the elephants were inside and I briefly caught a glimpse of them before leaving the building (Fun Fact: Even though they used to be my favorite animal, I was terrified of elephants as a kid because of their loud trumpeting). Overall, I had a fantastic day at the Zoo and plan on going back from my birthday in early December. On that trip, I hope to play with the goats as well as get a picture of the Indian Rhino and get a T-Shirt at the gift shop (as I was eyeing one on the way out). Also, although I love Kings Island and all the rides, the Zoo is great as it seems more chill and relaxed compared to the thrills at KI. Hope you enjoyed reading the trip report; pictures may or may not be included in another post in the thread. -MDMC01

Dominator was open? But then again, VA is probably warmer than Ohio. Also, as much as I love Flight of Fear, I'm afraid it will take away from the vast amount of entertainment that I believe is the focal point of Winterfest. On the same token, I think my Dec. 19th visit will be like FoF ERT lol

Agreed. I went for the first time last year and they treat you like royality. (Trimless) Voyage ERT and Legend ERT were amazing and so worth it (also, the respective backstage tours were cool)! As well as coaster ERT, there is waterpark ERT and they bring out the characters to have some fun too. I will certainly be there next year!

That holographic table they showed (the one with the people standing around it, not the guys playing the arcade game) reminds me of similar tech from Iron Man 2; pretty cool!

The map looks great, however, wasn't "Rivertown Wonderland" called something different last year? EDIT: Also, I think it's perfect that "The Mistletones" are now in Tinsel Town instead of Rivertown; I feel like that act fits better with the theme! In addition, it looks like they moved "What the Dickens!" to Charlie Brown's Christmas Town and put "Four Drummers Drumming" in Festhaus. Finally, I also love how the restaurants are all Christmas themed (and Paradise Island is open!)

Funny that you mentioned that... the last time I went through Madame Fatale's (3 weeks ago?), there were 2 Scareactors working the queue line (aside from Madame/the announcer guy with chains around his neck) in the room where the "demon bat" is. The guy got me good as I wasn't expecting him to be there (as there weren't any scareactors working the lines previously) and then he was "worshipping" The Bat when it moved, IIRC.

I was not a fan of the train last year as it seemed kinda spooky to me as we were going slow at some parts (maybe that was intentional, to see the lights...). Though, my last two rides were better, IIRC (I only rode it 3 times last year). -MDMC, who enjoys Haunt, but got freaked out on the Winterfest train lol EDIT: Upon watching the video, I thought it was cool that they had fireworks and a parade back then. Also, I think having an actor on the train would be a cool idea and probably would have made the train experience better.

Like Ryan said, where to begin? Here's a few things I've remembered throughout the season... -Opening Day -The Various Pokémon Go Community Days I've shared with friends (including the Larvitar community Day with @jcgoble3and @Magenta Lizard where it was super hot out! Also got my first Shiny during the Charmander Community Day) -Gravity... Gravity... Gravity! -Getting a FREE ticket to Spiritsong! -Haunt has been great; it was so much fun to hang out with my scareactor friends and make new ones (like the Plague Doctor)- it was also great to see Sam (@XGatorHead 8904) this year (and it was so generous of Mama to let me take that Solo Trip)! Also, Opening Night was pretty cool as I invited my coworker Luke to "face his fears", so to speak -My Closing weekend was phenomenal (2 weeks ago, not last weekend)- Haunt was windy, but still fun, The Beast ran great, the Firehawk tour was an amazing surprise (thanks Don!) and even The Racer ran well! Also, Community Day (Sunday) was a blast as I got 2 Metagross and rode Vortex with @VortexBFForeverbefore the event started! -The great times I've had playing Skeeball and H20verdrive in Coney Arcade this season (which should be open for Winterfest?) -Getting "stuck" on Delirium (waiting for them to raise the floors lol) and this one person freaking out while most of the riders were calm -Finally, meeting up with friends last Sunday for "Closing Day"; although I didn't go to the park, I had a great time sharing stories and hanging out with everyone! Knowing me, I'm sure I missed some stuff, so this post may change periodically! In Closing, I look forward to Winterfest in the coming weeks and have had a great season thus far! EDIT: Also, that one day I caught a Hitmonchan in Planet Snoopy and the one time I saw a Snorlax at Zephyr, but just couldn't catch it! EDIT2: Oh yeah, and that water park party, where I added the lead singer of 3 Piece Revival as my friend on Pokémon Go and did my first Silent Disco. EDIT3: Also, that one day I met Chef Major for the first time- he was super cool! EDIT4: Trying the Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese from the "1776 Grill" food truck was a first for me (recommended to me whlist at Spiritsong) and it was amazing! EDIT5: Also wanted to add that Sketch School was great... this sounds really corny, but it proved to me that I CAN draw (and inspired me to try my hand at more drawings shortly afterwards), so thanks to KI for putting on this event!

Here's an idea: If it's not being used for a coaster, perhaps it could be used for another restaurant; the station could be the main building and the former queue line could be a dining area... providing spectacular views of the giga! -MDMC, providing some food for thought

So, where exactly will Blue Ridge Junction be located in the park? I haven't been there since 2003, but if I'm correctly guessing, from the (old?)South Gate, near Afterburn, it would go Crossroads (where Afterburn is) and then the new County Fair. So, will BRJ be using part of the old Thunder Road land (part of which I think was used for a Carolina Harbor expansion?) or somewhere else? EDITed because I misremembered the RFD area is where Afterburn is, but actually I think it was the old County Fair area (IIRC, RFD is where Boo Blasters is), which is now Crossroads... it's been a while!

I asked a supervisor (green shirt) last Sunday and I was told they are supposed to be "statues" and are there to advertise Haunt.

I like everything about Sky Force- the name, the color scheme, the twisty section... if this was a thing (and when/if the giga comes) can we please have an awesome voiceover (like maybe the safety spiel) in the same voice as the lady who did the voiceover for Chaos? Please! -MDMC, who got so hyped everytime he heard Chaos's advertisement spiel while in line!

Agreed; it was open last weekend when I was there, but I don't remember if it was Saturday or Sunday...

Good to know! RE: a Haunt maze, maybe Chaos will be expanded to have an outdoor portion that uses Firehawk's station next year, and then go backstage to go into the building like normal. One can dream...

Where is this wine and cheese bar they speak of?

Yes, yes you can. I've got pics with the Plague Doctor (I-Street), The Overlord, the Greeter for Chaos, the Zombie in the wheelchair outside of Killmart and some of the Coney Maul clowns.

I was actually wondering the same thing about Chef Major (as he has a gravestone at the park), but to my knowledge, he’s still there.

Really cool video; thanks for sharing! I really like how red the track is (as it was newly painted) and the song chosen was perfect.

Hey all, Although you may recognize some of the songs played this year's Blood Drums set from last year (such as "Savage", "Fire", and "We are Machines"), here are some Street Drum Corps songs that are part of this year's show that you may not be as familiar with... Wrecks: Flaco 81: Images of Justice: Blood Drums plays Friday and Saturday Nights during Haunt (8:30, 9:30, 11 and Midnight) as well as Sundays (4:00, 5:30 and 6:30) and Meet and Greets happen after every show except the last one of the evening. Enjoy the tunes and make sure to see them this weekend before the show leaves for the season!

Valravn is amazing, but an Inverted Impulse would be better. Though on second thought, a Dive coaster with a good layout and seating like Valravn would be a great second option...

As cool as Firehawk is, if I had that kind of money, I’d just have an Inverted Impulse coaster in the backyard. The only issues would be the distracting spires as well as the electric bill (and the occasional blackouts to the rest of the neighborhood! )

I say bring back the Adventure Village name to Action Zone; most of the rides in that area could somehow fit under that umbrella. This new area could also include that little strip of land with Slingshot, Adventure Express, the Coke stand, and perhaps even Hank’s. Festhaus and Viking Fury could either be what’s left of Oktoberfest or absorbed into International Street.

I was up there earlier, and it was busy despite the weather. To give you an idea, Slaughter House’s line spilled out onto Beast path, passing by Beast Arcade. Also, Madame’s line was using White Water Canyon’s queue when I walked by.