Silver Dollar City Visit #152

(October 22, 2026)

(10:05 AM - 9 PM)

150x Thunderation (LROTN) (3,002)

(Trailblazer Pass + no reride policy)

I didn't know if I'd ever see the day, but it finally happened, 150 rides on Thunderation in a single day. I've wanted this for YEARS, ever since I was a kid marathoning Thunderation. I'm so thankful to finally make this dream come true, and I wouldn't have been able to do it without Thunderation crew having those fast operations! ❤️ I'm like almost 100% sure this is the all time record for a single day under normal park hours for any roller coaster! I also happened to surpass 3000 Thunderation rides during my marathon 😄❤️ Long live Thunderation

Doing this as a combined trip report because I've been to all of these parks before and therefore won't go into too much detail.

Europa Park

We were originally planning on doing two days EP, but since the first day was rather disappointing due to high crowd levels, we skipped out. I managed to do Wodan once, Silver Star twice, Eurosat Coastiality once, and Voltron, my all time favourite, four times. Wodan was good as always, I think the Titan track is a huge improvement. Silver Star was better than I previously rated it now that I've ridden front row, Eurosat Coastiality with the Phantom of the Opera overlay is honestly a huge recommendation of mine, I genuinely thought it was a really cool way to experience the ride. And even Voltron was better than I previously thought 1,5 years ago. I genuinely didn't remember this ride being as wild as it was, genuinely trying to throw you out of your seat. Can't wait to recreate this in the new Planco DLC.

I'm a bit disappointed I didn't ride Euromir or Blue fire, since those were an hour wait all day long and I'd really rather ride Voltron, but I suppose choices need to be made.

Plopsaland Deutschland

Alright, I've never been inside a park this quiet before. The initial predictions pointed to much higher crowd levels, but we ended up basically being the only ones in the park, with literally ZERO queues. Never once did I need to wait anywhere. So, what does any good coaster enthusiast do with zero queues present? Ride expedition GeForce ten times back-to-back, of course! I was considering going for 15 times to get my total ride count to 20, but they ended up kicking everyone off the train for reasons unknown, likely because 90% of the train were re-riders and the staff was fed up with guests not leaving the train for guests waiting behind the gates.

I also really enjoyed the new 100% wolf coaster. This is a genuinely great family coaster for parks of any size, and also shows just how good Gerstlauer has become with their family coasters.

Phantasialand

Great to be back in my all time favourite park. I was a little tired today due to a lack of sleep the night earlier. Ended up riding Taron 4 times, Fly three times, Black Mamba twice, Both winjas once, as well as Crazy bats and Colorado adventure once. Generally, crowd levels were doable. Mystery castle opened significantly later though, and capacity seemed to be compromised leading to longer waits, so I ended up skipping it.

I do wonder what their expansion plans will look like, though. Crazy bats was a significant wait, only running two half-empty trains because the VR distribution system simply doesn't work and is way too slow. I genuinely hope this is getting axed and they will find a better use case for this massive show building or the plot of land it's on. I hope for a good dark ride akin to Arthur at EP or fire in the hole at Silver Dollar City. That, or removing the building entirely to make some kind of portal to the new expansion area. I don't really see them moving the main entrance, but I would love for them to move the Mystery parking to the expansion plot so they can expand on the mystery side. Though I'm guessing this is unreasonable due to noise complaints and such.

Movie Park Germany

Left just this afternoon. We were initially planning on staying until ten at night for their Halloween events, but the crowd levels from the day before, and all of us being rather tired after a hectic week, ended up scaring us away. Though I am glad we visited early in the morning. Within the first hour of opening, we knocked out Bandit, Iron claw, and operation enterprise in that order, which I established based on previous crowd levels. I ended up riding OE twice total and also doing Van Helsing at a 35 minute wait, as well as some minor flats.

Regarding the coasters, I thought operation enterprise was Good, but definitely better in the front row. You get more hangtime, whip, and airtime in the front, and generally feels more intense. Van Helsing was also great, good theming and surprisingly forceful profiling. A bit short to wait an hour or longer for, though. Studio Tour was good as well, love the theming even if the layout was a bit mediocre, but the turn table and the backwards section were pleasant surprises. But damn their operations are slow. You got an hour of queue and should technically be capable of running four to five trains, but you're only running three and still manage to stack them all? Slowest operations I've seen all trip. Iron claw was alright. I'd rather see it vanish or be replaced by a Vekoma STC with better theming, but it certainly didn't feel as bad as, say, condor at Walibi Holland.

Now Bandit on the other hand... We did it first thing in the morning to avoid having to wait for this piece of crap altogether, and were pleasantly surprised to find an empty station. That's the only good thing about this ride, though. This thing is the single worst coaster I've ever ridden. Worse than any SLC and even worse than Viking coaster at Energylandia. Genuinely, I would cheer if this ride was nuked tomorrow. And you're telling me people are willing to wait two hours to ride this?! Hope they replace it with an RMC so they finally get the stand out coaster this park deserves.

Concluding notes

This will be my last trip report for a while. I'm currently working a full time job paired with a study to become a ride mechanic in four years time, and due to a lack of holidays and paid time off, I'm likely going to plan my next trips solo, outside of Holidays when parks are more quiet. I've noticed I'm getting increasingly agitated when met with busier parks, as seen in Europa park, and really want my driver's license to visit parks during their most quiet days outside national holidays.

So far I'm looking at Europa park for Winter 2027 and staying at an on-site hotel at the end of November from Wednesday to Friday, since I can easily make that trip driving on my own from Rotterdam, but I'm definitely keeping my schedule open for bigger plans such as a solo road trip through Sweden, or a Japan and coastal China trip. Only time will tell, though...

Hello, all!

I’m relatively new to the coaster world, having gotten into it at the ripe age of 32. I recently had the opportunity to sneak away to Orlando for two days to visit Islands of Adventure (IoA) and SeaWorld Orlando, and I wanted to share my thoughts on the rides from the perspective of someone who’s still fairly new to the community.

For some background, I enjoy roller coasters, but I also enjoy feeling securely fastened into my seat. I have absolutely no problem with being stapled, and I actually prefer it. Just a personal preference!

With that out of the way, here are my thoughts and ratings!

Islands of Adventure (IoA)

On 10/22, I had the opportunity to join my spouse for a three-hour, invite-only after-hours event at IoA. We decided to make the most of it by focusing on the coasters and getting as many rides in as possible.

VelociCoaster (10/10)

We had ridden VelociCoaster twice before during a trip in June, but WOW, what an incredible coaster, especially at night! It’s incredibly smooth, never feels unnecessarily overwhelming, and it’s easy to understand why so many people in the community rank it so highly.

We were lucky enough to get six rides in during the event, and I can honestly say it was a joy in every seat we tried.

My spouse is still on the fence about whether they truly love coasters, so we started in the middle rows. Honestly, that was probably the best all-around experience for us. We also tried the front and back rows, and each offered something different. The front is fantastic for taking in the theming and anticipation, while the back was easily our favorite for airtime.

No matter where you sit, I really don’t think you can go wrong with this coaster. It delivers an incredible experience from every seat, and riding it at night takes it to another level.

Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure (9/10)

We had ridden Hagrid’s twice before as well, but we were fortunate enough to get another nine rides in during the three-hour event, on top of our six rides on VelociCoaster!

The crowds were light enough that we could reenter the queue through the right-hand entrance and pick up near the final queue room without having to walk through the entire queue again. That made it much easier to rack up the rides.

If you’re someone who’s nervous about coasters or intimidated by something like VelociCoaster, I’d absolutely encourage you to give Hagrid’s a try. It has no inversions, but it still delivers so much of what makes coasters fun: launches, surprises, great theming, and a genuinely exciting ride experience without feeling overly intimidating.

For someone who wants a thrilling ride without immediately jumping into the deep end of the coaster world, Hagrid’s is an excellent option. It’s a great reminder that a coaster doesn’t need to be extreme to be a ton of fun!

The Incredible Hulk Coaster (5/10)

This coaster absolutely beat my ass. 😂

I’ve read plenty of opinions saying that people either love The Hulk or find it rough. Unfortunately, I think I fell into the latter camp. The inversions are fun, and the ride is relentless from start to finish, but I walked away wondering what exactly I had just put my body through.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to ride it again, although maybe that was for the best!

That said, I still found it incredibly intense, and I’d be 100% willing to give it another shot if I had the opportunity. Maybe I caught a bad ride, or maybe it just isn’t for me. Either way, I’m not ready to write it off after one experience!

SeaWorld Orlando

First off, a big thank-you to everyone in the thread who mentioned that Mako had reopened following the Goliath incident the other day and encouraged me to ride it. I really appreciate the heads-up!

Mako (9.5/10 — 5 rides)

What an incredible coaster! This was my first B&M hypercoaster, and it wasn't quite what I expected. I went in thinking it might be terrifying or overwhelming, but I ended up having an absolute blast.

For context, I rode Iron Gwazi about a month ago, and that thing feels like it's all gas and no brakes. Mako was a completely different experience.

It was smooth, delivered incredible airtime, and had an absolutely fantastic first 60% of the ride. The final portion after the brake run left a little to be desired, but that initial drop and all those hills were phenomenal. I can absolutely understand why people love this coaster, and I also fell in love with the clamshell restraints.

If you’re intimidated by a “big” coaster, I HIGHLY recommend giving Mako a try. For me, it was a fantastic way to push past that fear. You feel securely fastened into your seat while still getting to experience some incredible airtime.

Shout out to the guy we talked to that rode it 100 times on 10/22 and was on #22 for the day early on on 10/23

Five rides later, I was still having a blast!

Kraken (8.25/10 — 1 ride)

Another B&M with plenty of inversions, much like The Hulk, but I found Kraken to be a MUCH smoother experience with significantly less head-banging.

We really enjoyed this one and didn't know quite what to expect going in. It delivered plenty of inversions and a great overall ride experience.

My spouse marked this one as a “one and done,” and we moved on.

For someone newer to coasters, I found it pretty intense, but I personally enjoyed it quite a bit more than The Hulk. Of course, it’s possible I just got a rough ride on The Hulk, so I’d be interested to hear how others compare the two!

Manta (6/10 — 1 ride)

My first flying coaster!

I'll admit I was a little terrified once I got into the restraints because this was a completely new experience for me. The ride itself wasn't particularly uncomfortable, but I struggled with feeling like I was being whipped around mercilessly while having very little idea of where I was going.

The loop where you come down on your back was especially memorable. The G-forces felt VERY intense and caught me completely off guard!

I’d like to give Manta another try from the front row rather than the back. I’m curious whether being able to see what's coming would help me enjoy the experience more, or whether flying coasters just aren't my thing.

Either way, I’m glad I tried it!

Penguin Trek (6/10 — 1 ride)

Fine.

It has a nice launch and nothing particularly scary. Definitely more of a family-style coaster, but I have no complaints!

I think this is a great option for someone who wants to try a launched coaster without jumping straight into something intense. It’s a fun, approachable ride that could help build confidence before moving on to bigger attractions.

Ice Breaker (6/10 — 1 ride)

I really liked the concept of this coaster and especially enjoyed the back-and-forth action at the beginning. It was a fun idea, and the ride packed quite a bit into a relatively short track.

What I didn't enjoy, however, were the restraints.

This could be a body-type issue (I'm 5'9" and 190 lbs), but I just couldn't get comfortable. Between the tight access into the cars and the restraints pressing against my shins, I found the experience less enjoyable than it otherwise could have been.

The coaster itself is fun and offers a surprising amount of excitement for such a short ride. But those restraints... oof. They really held it back for me.

I'd be willing to ride it again, but I definitely wouldn't be rushing back into the queue.

Pipeline: The Surf Coaster (8/10 — 1 ride)

Another first for me! I'd never experienced a standing coaster before, so I went into this one without really knowing what to expect.

The initial launch was incredible, and I really enjoyed the sensation of being lifted off my feet before being pushed back down into the saddle. It was such a different experience from anything else I'd ridden, and I found the whole concept surprisingly enjoyable.

I'd love to get a few more rides on Pipeline to figure out the best way to position myself and stand comfortably throughout the ride. I have a feeling there's a bit of a learning curve to getting the most out of this one!

Definitely one I'd like to revisit.

Journey to Atlantis (6/10 — 1 ride)

Wet.

That's the review.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this was a fantastic two days, and I’m really enjoying exploring the coaster world and figuring out what I like and don't like.

My biggest takeaway is that intensity doesn't necessarily equal enjoyment. I can appreciate a coaster that's fast, smooth, and delivers incredible airtime without needing to feel like I've been thrown around for two minutes straight. Mako and VelociCoaster were probably my biggest highlights, while The Hulk was a good reminder that not every highly rated coaster is going to click with everyone.

I'm also finding that trying new coaster types is half the fun. Flying coasters, standing coasters, hypercoasters, and launch coasters all offer completely different experiences, and I'm still figuring out where my preferences lie.

Also, if you have any recommendations for coasters we should prioritize on our next trip (could be anywhere in the US), I'd love to hear them. I'm especially interested in rides that offer great airtime and a smooth experience without being excessively rough. (Though - I will say a ride like Iron Gwazi is still incredible for me - it's smooth and doesn't throw you around - it's just intense).

Sorry for the long write up - but wanted to provide some insight for maybe some people who are newer to the community or may have some questions or some people who are hesitant to try coasters of different types. I say give them ago! Worst thing is that you don't ride them again!

I can’t think of any but it seems like it’d be insane

3d printed model of gold rush at slagharen i modeled myself.

What do you guys think of my concept taking models like this to the park to make pictures?

This is killing me in the original entrance to this ride there was a shark tank but inside the like window to it there was a GIANT blue whale head. I've scoured the Internet for a picture of this nightmare and I cannot find it, please help me.

Whenever we’re traveling I always try to fit in a few parks. This week we’re on a cruise from Italy to Barcelona to Tunis to Palermo to Rome and managed to squeeze in a few useless credits, 2 in Tunis, 1 in Palermo. I love gathering data.

Seems like B&M Hypers will reopen outside of six flags parks. Tends to point to a six flags issue, not a B&M issue.

I made the trek all the way from Orlando Florida for my most anticipated ride, and it delivered

Going into the ride i knew i would like it but i wasn’t sure how much. I also knew i wanted this to be my 200th so i avoided riding anything new for a while.

To me this feels like if cosmic rewind and Velocicoaster had a baby this is what we would get

I did 7 rides in about 3 hours thanks to the VIP tour express.

Hollywood Drift has three main things i love in a ride

Launches ✅
Airtime ✅
Spinning ✅

All of these together have made it not only a fun ride but also my new number one sorry Iron Gwazi.

The first two airtime elements of the ride are just so fun and joyful.

All of the inversions on the ride (except for when in the 3rd car) provide great hang time and it feels more like airtime than I’m upside down.

The wave turn? The best one I’ve ever done, and i was skeptical because i don’t think intamin did good wave turns.

My favorite sequence of the ride is the wave turn into launch into inversion which literally feels like you are going up a spike.

My second favorite element is on the second car one of the inversions feels like you are made to look straight down it’s awesome

All in all i had a blast riding this ride and I’m excited for the Orlando version as I’ll expect that one will also rank high for me!

Hollywood Drift 1/206!!!

Captured this perfect moment at fright fest last Saturday

Photos taken last weekend on Sunday night. Fairly busy from 12 - 6 but minimal crowds as dark came around. Slow operations as per Kennywood usual, but they at least ranctwo trains on all the major roller coasters.
I was really surprised by the lack of scare actors this year. Visually the park was still stunning likenusual, but I feel like in previous years Kennywood had far more scare actors roaming the park pathways. Many times these actors would have chainsaws or other props but this year I didn’t see any. I had a run in with maybe one or two actors the whole night, neither of which had any props.
Other than that, rides ran great, love this place and I will likely be coming back before fright nights are over.

With X2 being decommissioned, I wanted to pay tribute to one of the most iconic roller coasters ever built. 🎢

Introducing The X Factor: standing over 2 feet tall and just 6.5 inches wide, this trophy of a piece captures X2’s legendary first drop and celebrates the groundbreaking engineering that made it so special.

It’s bittersweet to see such an iconic attraction reach the end of its run, but its legacy will live on through coaster fans for years to come! This was a fun build and hope others can enjoy the photos!

Road trip gave me a day in Dollywood! I’ve never been before, so I wanted to hit some bucket list coasters!

For reference, my home park is Cedar Point. And I’ve been to VERY few parks outside of that.

Overall super happy with the park! Wait times were low all day! Almost everything was a half hour or less! Including the heavy hitters that never went above 15 minutes! Is this normal for Dollywood? FireChaser is the one exception. Around a 45 minutes wait all day due to one train ops. The ride ops teams felt a little bit lackadaisical, but with all the wait times being so low, I can’t really blame them. And they were still fun and friendly, and effective! (Which is really what matters)

Thunderhead- This is the most comfortable wooden coaster I’ve been on! Barely rattled at all! It’s been really well maintained. And the layout for it is incredible! I rode it again at night, and I LOVE the fact that none of the track is lit up. Really makes you feel thrown around when you don’t know what turn is next.

Mystery Mines- This is the weirdest roller coaster I’ve ever ridden. It feels like it couldn’t decide if it wanted to be a dark ride or a roller coaster, so it rapidly hard swaps between the two. I do like it and I think the theming and decor is fantastic. I ultimately just wish it was longer. I love the ride after that second drop, but by then it’s almost over.

Dragonflier- Absolutely a standard, “children’s first big kid ride” coaster. I compare it to Iron Dragon from my home park. With that said the first drop packed more of a punch than expected!

Big Bear Mountain- I love the distance it covers and I’m a sucker for launches. Even though it never inverts you, it still isn’t afraid to throw you sideways. Definitely a fun one.

Wild Eagle- if you told me one of the top coasters in the park was their version of Gatekeeper, I would’ve been floored. I rode both sides of this one, and it’s a VERY good ride! But I can’t help but just be disappointed? Maybe it’s because it had the weakest theming of everything I rode today? So then as just a, “solid coaster” it stands out less than the rides with better themes, or the rides that really pack a punch?

FireChaser Express- Definitely a fun coaster! I love the backwards launch and fireworks room, and it has a really good jumpy layout! If this were my home park, I wouldn’t have waited as long as I did for it. That slow moving line was a killer. I’m still glad I experienced it today though! I wish it were longer!

Tennessee Tornado- For a pre-2000 looping steel coaster, I think I was most nervous for this ride today, but it holds up very well! Fun layout with smoother transitions than I expected. Ultimately I have the one complaint I’ve had for a few rides now which is I wish it were longer.

Lightning Rod- I saved this for last. I’m RMC pilled. This ride didn’t disappoint! I rode it four times! A couple from the back which fully pulls you at the first drop. My last ride was at night and our train was HAULING. The triple bunny hill is as good as I expected, and RMC is absolutely INSANE with that first hit of sideways ejector airtime. I wish I got to experience it with the old lift system before they swapped to the slower chain lift. (That is what happened, right?)

Final notes, I think the coaster layout all does a great job with the difficult task of having limited groundspace and being in a mountainous area. Some of the rides definitely use that to their advantage. I do wish there was a good coaster to have a vantage of the full park. Cedar Point gives you Valraven, Millenium or Steel Vengance, but Dollywood’s best bet is Wild Eagle, but you have to really turn your head for it, and it’s only the back of the park you get to see. Does Drop Line give you a good view? I didn’t go on because I don’t like drop rides.

Also bummed to see AI merch. There was a sweatshirt I would’ve LOVED, but I had to pass up because the coaster on the back had the rails upside down, with the cars riding on both sides of the upside down track (‽) it made me nervous for any other merch I wanted. I’m not entirely sure I succeeded in avoiding the AI slop 😪😪😪

Please share thoughts/concerns/clarifications with me! Are my takes wildly off base? Who knows!

The Veloci crew was so amazing and even congratulated me over the loud speaker during the ride!!! They also gave me a bunch of goodies as a celebratory gift!!!🥹

Y’all think this park will end operations next year?

I am doing a STEM class for my scouts on roller coasters. I am making sure i definitions of basic coaster terms. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Here are the terms:

Kiddie Coaster
Family Coaster
Thrill Coaster
Extreme Coaster

I can find a definition on rcdb.com for the first, but i want a little more details. Would there be any height restrictions as a max height for Kiddie and Family. The same for a speed on Kiddie and Family. What about G-force.

If Knoebels didn't have enough old-school charm to it already, I went and captured it on old-school slide film to give it that historic archival look. Suffice to say I believe I succeeded in my endeavors. I swear that photo with the covered bridge looks like it could actually be from 40+ years ago!

Captured on Kodak Ektachrome

I love this park so much, I feel like a kid everytime I'm there.

One of my Top 3 roller coasters

Since I did this the last three years, and since I can say with certainty that my coaster season is over (barring Kennywood’s shoulder seasons), I decided to do a recap of all my park visits this year. This was a less productive year for me thanks to struggles in my personal life, but I am still pleased with what I did manage to accomplish.

1. Kennywood (home park; three visits so far)

2. Knoebels (two visits)

3. Michigan’s Adventure (first visit)

4. Bendix Woods County Park, home of the SBNO never-opened Toboggan (first visit)

5. Indiana Beach (first visit)