Ready To Go Answer The Call://Cedar Point Halloweekends 2025

                 Date:9/27/2025-9/28/2025

Destination: Cedar Point

Goal: Top Thrill 2, Siren's Curse

Distance: 156 Miles

Means of Travel: Driving

Potential Credits: 2

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A blue dragster-themed coaster train reading "CP" on the front in silver and red travels down a length of white track on dark gray supports, with a second coaster in the background featuring a red tilt track element held up by the same shade of gray supports.

My favorite place in the world has not one but two new-to-me coasters that I've not ridden, how do I not have these two credits all the way into Halloweekends!? 

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A tall red white and black tower-shaped top hat element to a coaster, with a black train cresting the apex.

Not many coasters deserved to be called legends, but Top Thrill Dragster was definitely one. The tallest coaster in the world when it opened, it was known for being a short, intense, breathtaking ride that could be very unreliable. Rocking a powerful hydraulic launch and thousands of moving parts, Top Thrill Dragster operated as well as it could from 2003 to an accident in 2021, the right thing was done and Dragster was retired in its current form.

Rumors swirled around over the next few years. Personally, I thought adding an LSM swing launch would be the best way to fix it, which became the rumor, but when it was confirmed that Italian ride manufacturer Zamperla was going to be working on a stratacoaster they got weird. And when Top Thrill 2 was announced, I predicted that it would have serious issues just based on the press release and my engineering tech education, and I was sadly correct. Eight days after it opened, Dragster was closed for the 2024 season. And while the design flaws are fixed and I was eager to ride, I wish we'd have more dialogue about what happened with it in the first place.

I've been to Cedar Point twice since Top Thrill 2 "opened," but the first was in fall of 2024, and back in June it was closed all weekend on us.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Above the green tree line, a black and green coaster train tips forward down a red tilt element.

Oh, and in the middle of all this Top Thrill 2 closure insanity, one random morning that following fall I woke up at 5 am needing to pee. Rolling over to check the time, Facebook tells me that Cedar Point just casually announced an epic-looking Vekoma tilt coaster. That happened too.

We missed Siren's Curse in June too as it opened a week after that trip. Photos in this trip report are mostly from Halloweekends, but many are from June as well.

Saturday

Drew and I started the day with a family function with my folks, many he’d not seen in years so that was nice to get the whole gang together. From there, we loaded up the car and got sent a really weird way to Sandusky.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Jarrett, a man in his 30s with messy slicked hair and glasses holds up a purple spider on a necklace.

Hello, Halloweekends! Plan tonight was to start with the haunted houses and ride Siren’s Curse at night. First; we had to get a No Boo Necklace as I can’t do haunts in scare zones on crowded midways where my social anxiety is already high. This accommodation is so cool, it’s allowed me to even do the Haunt events at all, plus showing you how ableist your fellow enthusiasts are is an added bonus!

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A sign reads "Original FEAR GROUND FREAK SHOW" and features the head of a demonic ringmaster with a top hat and ruffle.

Our first stop after getting my No Boo and our haunted attractions passes was Fearground Freakshow, an indoor haunt in the Frontiertown carousel building. After dealing with a frustrating employee that didn’t know how to do the ADA and other frustrating employees that wouldn’t go gently tell her how to do it right, we got sent in behind this dad and three middle school-aged girls in those animal onesies. And they did the thing where they decided not to go in because it was funny to hold everyone up so we went ahead of them.

Great haunt in all honesty! Easy to navigate, good scares around every corner, those monkey men are terrifying and they created a cohesive experience that feels like different rooms with different themes. Only gripe is a noticeable lack of clowns in a haunt with this theme.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Jarrett smiles in front of a glass case reading "WARNING! POSITIVELY DO NOT OPEN" containing a creepy doll in a red and white dress.

Both of us were sort of on a budget so no Conjuring, but I wasn't even mad. I'm not getting shaken down $20 to wait four hours to carry this thing around with me.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A creepy manor is overgrown with vines.

We ended up circling back up front because Farmhouse had an insane line, so figured we'd do the other two indoor mazes, eat at Grand Pavilion, and then head back out to do the night stuff after dark.

Erie Estate was next, and this is such a cool haunt because the building it's in is actually period and was believed to be haunted. Last year this was more of an atmospheric conga line, operating as an indoor haunted trail somewhat, but this year it was operated like a full on maze and was way scarier. I had to stop and think about where to go, that Ouija board room is so cool, and I swear I felt something tap me on the shoulder.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A facade resembling a red and black haunted mansion with a blue roller coaster behind it.

Midnights had no line, so we'd take it! New haunt so not much changed from last year, it's trippy as hell towards the end when you're supposed to be drugged, and the scenes just look so good. "I'm a doll!" A young lady jumped at me in a little girl's bedroom full of creepy dolls, so I briefly told her that my partner was going to be a doll in the haunt where she worked next weekend.

Last year, this was also the first haunt maze I was able to do after surviving a domestic abuse situation years before, so it'll always be special to me for that reason.

 

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Jarrett sips a pale yellow drink from a cup garnished with lemon and two black straws.

Since we were up here, we went to Grand Pavilion next where I got my ushe. Funnel cake shrimp, lobster bisque, and this time a Corpse Reviver from the bar's special Halloween menu.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Jarrett and Drew smile in front of a large skull with red eyes.

We made our way through Cedar Point's scare zones (which suck, I might not have even needed the necklace) and did both Cut Throat Cove and Blood on the Bayou. Cut Throat is awesome, Drew loves pirates and I like the ghost pirate trope. Plus the bungee guy got me good! Blood on the Bayou was different, it's taking up some of the old Forbidden Frontier docks and functions kind of as an outdoor conga line house. Minimal acting, the layout is a little odd, but I love the Stranger Things vibe here. The towels used as SIF in the shower was an absolutely brilliant way to do the scares at the start and end.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A tall red and gray roller coaster near a sign that says "SIREN'S CURSE."

Next up, the plan was to walk the plank on Siren's Curse...but literally as the woman signed my ADA pass, another ride op tells her "stop signing them, we're down."

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A red and white oval-shaped entry gate shows an illuminated "TT2" atop it, flanked by images of racers. A striped red and white top hat element peaks over some trees.

So we decided to do Top Thrill 2 at night, after waiting and trying to get on it earlier. This time, by some miracle, we managed to get on (waiting in Top Thrill 2's ADA line watching them cycle trains is something I've spent at least an hour doing this season), and they got us near the front. 

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A tall tower of gray supports holds up a spike of striped red and white track into the night sky.

And honestly, my low expectations were met by that ride, sadly. The first launch just felt like a half assed love tap up the tower, second was frustratingly slow, the straight tower was boring, and by the time you were at the bottom, it was at full speed so the launch didn't do much. You got some ejector over the top, but by now it was rattling like mad. And that made me sad, because I'd heard it was much better than what we just got.

The social media post I made criticizing this ride honestly, respectfully, and fairly also attracted a lot of Cedar Point fanboys and the usual venom they bring, including insults that were incredibly personal and sexually charged from people that didn't know me, so that also left a very bad taste in my mouth. I'm not a fan at all of this whole "you can't say anything bad about certain coasters" mentality and it has no place in an interest centering around STEM.

So with that, we went back to the hotel, it was an early morning to early entry the next day!

Sunday

We got up early, got donuts at the donut shop next to the hotel, I got McDonald's because one donut wasn't going to hold me over on those dining plan portions, and we made a bee line to America's Rockin' Roller Coast.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A carousel with a "Cedar Point; Making People Happy Since 1870" sign is flanked by two scarecrows.

Good Morning, Cedar Point!

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A black and green roller coaster train is tipped forward on a length of red track, being rotated from horizontal to vertical and connecting to the top of a vertical curved drop in the front.

With our Siren being temperamental last night, there was no question what our first ride today was. We booked it right back to Siren's Curse! It's going down!

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: An on-ride photo of Drew and Jarrett on Siren's Curse.

This is like a coaster Christmas present, I had to wait forever for it and it was totally worth it for such a cool new toy! Fønix, Denmark's sort of final boss coaster, showed me just how good new school Vekoma was, but this takes it to the next level! This is easily second to Steel Vengeance in the park! And I'm so glad we finally have a non-water nautical-themed ride in this lakeside park that kicks so much ass!

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A tower of vertical coaster track drops a black and green train down a spiral of red track.

We were fortunate enough to get the back, and were the last to engage the lift to the beautiful Siren's call, singing her song amid the waves and seagulls and bells of the harbor. But as we came closer per her serenade, we felt the claw lock under the train, and were raised skyward and the tilt mechanism rotated from horizontal to vertical, seeing the whole length of the train down the the nose floating in midair. As it steepened, I felt myself tip forward into that unlocked vest restraint, looking terrifyingly down the row of seats, part of my mind hoping it had successfully connected to the rest of the track as you can't even see it from back here. And when it let go, it had this drop tower-esque floater that my coworker had told me about when he rode it. This is an amazing element. It's marketable, it's freaky, and I don't see myself getting bored of it anytime soon.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A black and green coaster train hops through a wave turn of red track, with black supports in the background.

After preparing to meet my doom, every Cedar Point fanboy's sexy new mermaid girlfriend took both of us for quite the ride, rolling and tossing both of us around like her toys. That drop has some great whip to it in the back, that turnover thing is full of airtime, and that brisk barrel roll as the third element on the ride is Velocicoaster or Maxx Force level. That triple down is full of sick airtime, you get tossed out of your seat harder and harder each time. There's a sort of exaggerated zero-g transition after the trench, which gets you even more airtime, followed by another hill and roll. There's then a small wave turn and some side-to-side hopping before you hit the brakes. Siren's Curse is unique in that yes, it's gimmicky and marketable, but that sold a good main ride as opposed to B&M's "giant drop into generic layout" dive machines. This is how uniqueness and marketability on a good ride is done!

So yes, it's a short ride, but it packs so much goodness into what's there that it's my new #2 in the park. I would gladly ride this Siren anytime, don't tell Keely! 

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A silver train twists down a spiral of red and white coaster track held up by black supports.

With Top Thrill 2 operating during Early Entry, I elected to go over and get another ride in, and I can safely say I was wrong. They put me in the back, and that added so much to the ride. Yes, that first launch still sucks, but feeling the full force of that backwards blast into the spike is nothing short of breathtaking when the force goes to neutral and you catch yourself looking down the length of the train that high off the ground, with the whole layout stretched before you. And coming off that top hat? One of the best ejector moments on any coaster, my butt was completely off the seat and my thighs glued to that restraint when we got whipped through that downward spiral, my brain didn't have time to process that the little reacharound support wasn't going to take my head off so that was terrifying 300 feet in the air. This thing is amazing! Not perfect, but amazing.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Two men pretend to sleep in a Millennium Force on-ride photo.

Snagged a ride on Millennium Force next. Now, for the record, I do enjoy this coaster. Both of us made it our new #1s when we went here as new enthusiasts and it'll always be special to us for that reason. But if you're claiming that this is the best coaster in the world 25 years later, in a world with ArieForce, Wildfire, Ride to Happiness, Helix, hell even Steel Vengeance in the same park? Keeping this as a #1 is a tradition, not an unbiased opinion. Even I have ignorant new enthusiast posts defending this ride with like 68 credits to my name. So we had fun with it, but took a snooze in the photo for a laugh.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Jarrett and Drew hang on in a Magnum XL-200 on-ride photo.

We also rode Magnum, which I think dishes out the better ride if you know where to sit. Go vomit seat or go home! This was the most innovative coaster ever built, if you ask me.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Jarrett's hand holds a blue beer can showing a siren's face and Sirens Curse's tilt track. The can reads "MARKET GARDEN BREWERY; SIREN'S CURSE; Cedar Point; TILTED LIME LAGER."

We went back to Farmhouse next, so I snagged some knock off Cracker Barrel and the new Siren's Curse beer, which majorly hit the spot on a hot day. It's a bit like a Bud Light Lime but more full-flavored.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A massive wooden structure holds up two elements of brown steel coaster track, a cast iron-themed train reading "STEEL VENGEANCE" on the front dives down from a steep wave turn.

Steel Vengeance was our reason to be back here, so we grabbed a ride and it was amazing as always. I'm so glad RMC has built coasters better than it, because this is really damn good! You're out of your seat, whirling around inside a disorienting box of wooden supports, all while overlooking Lake Erie. It's an incredible experience, and while I no longer rank it as my #1, I see why people still do.

(But please, for the love of god, move on at some point! We do not need another Beast or Millennium Force!)

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: An empty Steel Vengeance train drops down the lift, the sign is in the foreground and features a steel and wood "STEEL VENGEANCE" logo against red Western rock and chains, with hay bales and pumpkins stacked in front of it.

Drew's motion sickness reared its ugly head and he lost his donuts on this ride, so he decided to sit the next ride out.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A bronze train of three cars flies over a red hill of coaster track over some willow trees, with Lake Erie and a Great Lakes shoal in the background.

Maverick is another favorite of mine at this park. Despite my father thinking on our 2011 trip, "I bet nobody rides Maverick because it isn't very tall," everyone understands how great this ride still is almost 20 years later. It does more snapping and less turning than Pantherian, which I love, the inversions are nice and snappy, and that last bit after the launch is simply hell on wheels. Maverick's almost old enough to drink, good god I'm elderly.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A stage shows a wedding setup, with floral wreaths and an altar.

Last time I attended a wedding in Sandusky, my cousin married her husband, I horribly danced to Who Let The Dogs Out with said cousin's adult entertainer friend and accidentally bonked her in the head after catching a flower (the garter got stuck in the chandelier), and they had to move the venue three times. And a week later, a video of my mom falling on Kalahari's Flowrider went family viral at a funeral as everyone watched this wedding video at the viewing on their phones laughing.

This time wasn't as eventful. The bride was murdered, we had to decide between the groom, groom's mother, maid of honor, and bride's ex to decide who killed her. They sang musical numbers pleading their case, ultimately we decided it was the mother Bianca and bride Violet came back to life to throw Bianca into the casket to disembowel her and show us that she was burning in hell. The wedding show (don't remember the name) is so fun, Keely and I love true crime and stuff so I was all over this.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A station roof says "Blue Streak" in retro blue font.

We headed back up front, planning to use my dining plan and ride Siren's Curse one more time before the three hour drive home to Dayton. I snagged on classic coaster favorite Blue Streak, an amazing airtime machine that has deserved to stand the test of time.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: An on-ride photo of Jarrett on GateKeeper.

Needed to wait a few for my dining plan, so GateKeeper was a walk-on.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: An elevated lakeside patio, with a large blue coaster overlooking it.

Time for funnel cake fries and lobster bisque once more! Not a bad view to enjoy it by, either.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A black and green Siren's Curse train dives down from an airtime hill of red track.

Alright, Siren's and dip...and it was down. So we decided to make our last ride Top Thrill 2, and I decided I'd be back here a lot next year to enjoy this amazing coaster.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A blue dragster-themed coaster train rides down a flat length of white track under a blue "FINISH" sign.

I hate that I love this thing as much as I do. It shouldn't have been Zamperla, there were clear issues with it, the rattle and other train details make it feel cheaply made, but the ride is just so good! I'm addicted to that amazing, ejector-filled top hat and the subsequent freefall back to earth at those speeds. It's amazing! It's like the Taco Bell of roller coasters, it's so cheap and crappy but you love it and crave it and it's so good.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A red t-shirt says "Top Thrill 2; Cedar Point" on it with the ride's stats.

I went from hating those Stupid Top Thrill 2 hoodies, to wanting a stupid Top Thrill 2 hoodie, to Pagoda not having a stupid Top Thrill 2 hoodie. So I got a stupid t-shirt instead as we headed out and back to Dayton.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A Steel Vengeance train rolls up through a wooden structure, in the foreground of a massive wooden truss.

I'm planning to leave Ohio next year, and being just 3 hours from this park is one of the things I will miss the most about my home state. And they just got two amazing coasters! One I had very high expectations for that were met, the other I went from being a skeptic to buying the t-shirt, and honestly, this is the most stacked Cedar Point has ever been. I can't wait to see what they cook up next, whenever it rolls out I'll be heading back to Sandusky from New York for sure!

Thank you, Cedar Point. Thank you for making my favorite place in the world a part of my home.

K-Pop Credit Hunters in Virginia://Part 2~ I'll huff, I'll puff, and I'll blow Sicilian Wine all over your tasting!

                Date:8/15/2025-8/18/2025

Destination: Virginia

Goal: Busch Gardens; Kings Dominion

Distance: 444 Miles

Means of Travel: Driving

Potential Credits: 3

Returning to the theme of my early days being into coasters having been kindled in the Old Dominion State, I have another story!

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A short, wide yellow and red coaster train skims across a pool of water on blue track, kicking up a large blue splash.

Flashback to 2007, the family vacation where we went to Busch Gardens Europe and rode the all new Griffon and my folks loved the aluminum Budweiser bottles and just an all around amazing day where all four of us, even my chicken of a mother, enjoyed the park. We let Griffon drop us down, let Alpengeist flip us around, took on Nessie's twin loops, Mom played paparazzi with Dad's DSLR while we waited for Apollo's Chariot, seeing Pet Shenanigans, Corkscrew Hill, I got picked as the audience volunteer at Castle O'Sullivan, and of course, Curse of DarKastle which became an instant four-four family favorite.

It's getting late, we have dinner reservation with the Kinetix Cirque de Soleil show in a bit, and we keep walking past that Big Bad Wolf coaster in my American Roller Coaster book. As we approach Germany again, Dad suggests another spin on DarKastle, despite a massive line snaking around the garden. "But Dad, we haven't ridden Big Bad Wolf yet," I bring up. "Let's do nice things for other people, we'll ride it next time," my father reassures me, as we got in the massive line to deal with King Ludwig and his buddies.

There was never a next time. We never went back as a family, and by the time I did get back there, both Big Bad Wolf, and Curse of DarKastle, had joined Drachen Fire in the park's history. I never got to ride Big Bad Wolf, that picture in my book was now like every other black and white photo it bore of dated rides before my time.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A roller coaster train themed as a wolf turns out of a station below red track.

But a funny thing happened on the way to animal control: Busch Gardens brough back Big Bad Wolf! In the most insane twist of fate you could not have paid me to believe back in 2007, they would tear this coaster down, replace it with a rebuilt version of almost the same layout, and the replacement in its OG plot was already one of my favorite coasters ever despite not even hitting top twenty for me. I'd gotten to experience Big Bad Wolf's drop on Verbolten, now I get to check out the rest on Big Bad Wolf: The Wolf's Revenge!

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A green entrance plaza says "Busch Gardens" in script font over a ticket counter, another sign reads "FUN begins here."

With this in mind, Ben and I got up and drove the short twenty minutes to Busch Gardens Williamsburg to get the day started at one of our favorite parks!

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A wooden clocktower at the center of a plaza hangs Union Jacks and English flags out to Tudor-styled buildings on a cobblestone street.

Good morning, Busch Gardens!

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Two yellow loops of interlocking steel track

We wanted to get back to Big Bad Wolf ASAP, but as many wonderful things as this park is, navigable is not one of them! So we elected to be smart and hit things on the way, and with Loch Ness Monster right by the train station, that was our first ride of the day!

And color me impressed, I'm a fan. They didn't soften it up, it's still plenty aggressive, it still feels like an old Arrow should feel, but it also feels well-engineered and taken care of. The AI generated screens in the tunnel were stupid, but all the extra audio, theming, and statue by the loops were great additions. A great job keeping around a historic coaster worthy of preserving!

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A golden spike of track rises skyward as a yellow and teal coaster train rises backwards up the length.

We took the train over to Festa next, where Ben and I snagged a ride on Pantheon.

When I first rode this during its opening year in 2022, this was kind of the new hotness along with Iron Gwazi, and one of several COVID-era coasters to have had their openings delayed multiple years by SeaWorld due to the global pandemic. And this was one of the most anticipated rides of that season, several years in the making, and it definitely met my expectations as some of Intamin's usual best. And it's stood the test of time! Glass smooth, even moreso than Velocicoaster, and still rocking plenty of killer airtime. So glad my GoPro didn't crap out this time! Though the coaster did try to take it...

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A path in front of a Tuscan-styled building has a large white fan in a green Busch Gardens box.

It was HOT today! And Busch's solution? Those big industrial fans you see in factories and the like, not a bad idea! Believe it or not, climate change is making summers hotter, and it's had an effect on the amusement industry. Beating the heat is a must to make a buck in 2025!

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A colorful Italian renaissance plaza with banners stretched between buildings.

Ah, Italy. BGW kind of has Lost Island's situation going on now in that Italy and Germany are absolutely stacked while France and England are underwhelming in comparison. Every village in this park is beautiful, Ireland being one of the nicest, but we didn't even make it back there because there simply isn't anything to do. France has a themeless gimmick coaster and some weird Canadian area with a Viking coaster (just paint this red and turn it into Sweden ffs), meanwhile Germany has four coasters, one of which is a big B&M and the other had borderline Universal budget.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: From a riverside hill, a length of gray coaster track on green supports dives down to the water from an elevated covered bridge prop with a red train themed as a German sports car.

Speaking of! Germany was our next stop, we were getting warmer to Big Bad Wolf's iconic drop...in more ways than one! JEREMY CLARKSON VOICE: It's not Hagrid's, but it is Hagrid's German Cousin. Some say it sold merchandise telling everyone you fahrted in the Black Forest. Some say it should've been torn down earlier this year but it's still alive and kicking. All we know is, it's called Verbolten!

***STROBE WARNING ON THE FOLLOWING VIDEO***

I've always loved this coaster. Like, even before it was built and just existed as some concept art on a screen, I always thought this whole idea was cool as hell. And I'm so glad Ben and I got to ride it just now! This thing just gets better and better each time I ride it, the restraints are nice and 'lax and that lets it really toss you around as you're zipping through those tight maneuvers in the dark. The drop still scares me to this day, we got storm this time but you can get other storylines, and that dive to the river from the covered bridge is so epic for such a short drop (relatively speaking to other coasters). My father always loved German sports cars having owned multiple Porsches of different kinds so this ride always reminded me of growing up chilling in the garage with my dad and his cars.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: An ornate wooden sign decorated with a wolf and a cloudy moon reads "The full moon brings the Wolf at night; keep your doors locked up tight. Ding! Dong! His bite captures the souls of men; Until the morning brings peace again. Ding! Dong! Set aside your solace, there is cause for concern; for the moon will rise and the wolf will return. Ding! Dong!"

Alright, with this out of the way, we were finally back to where the two new to me credits were, we decided to start with Big Bad Wolf: The Wolf's Revenge.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: From a wooden Bavarian-styled station adorned with accents of wolves and a painting, a small length of red coaster track does a turn and climbs a short lift hill, with some Bavarian fences and barrels in the foreground.

First thing I notice? Despite this kind of being on hallowed grounds where Drachen Fire used to be, nobody comes back here. With this part of the park recently redeveloped, and as hard as the ride is to see from the rest of Oktoberfest, I seriously wonder if the casual parkgoer even knows it's back here. On a beautiful weekend day in August, the wait was only half an hour, compared to two hours for DarKoaster.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Jarrett smiles in front of a red sign for The Big Bad Wolf: The Wolf's Revenge under a German-styled wooden roof structure, with a ride op standing at the entrance to a queue.

Let's go ride! This is 18 years in the making, more even if you count me seeing the OG in that book!

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A wolf-themed inverted coaster train turns right out of a station.

Something else worth noting: These restraints are tight AF. Ben and I both fit this ride, but it was snug for me and he was flat out painfully stapled to fit. This is the new tightest fit in the park.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: An ornate wooden station with chandeliers, beer barrels, and accents resembling wolves clutching barrels.

Busch Gardens on the beautiful station game again!

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A red inverted coaster flies over a hill with some trees in the background.

So, after walking past this thing in 2007, getting denied a ride by my family, seeing it was torn down years later on the internet, getting to ride its replacement that performed the same drop, and now getting to ride its rebirthed version eighteen years later, was it worth it? I was at peace to have ridden this. It didn't take my new number one, it was never about coaster quality, it was about wanting to have an experience and I got that experience. And I was satisfied with it and got so much closure from this one ride.

It's a family ride, ironically a family ride like one of the ones all of us would do with my scaredy cat mom. It plays with the terrain nicely, there's lots of nice theming on the ride, and hearing the onboard audio full of tolling bells and music just ties it all together so well. It's a good, unique experience that rides like an inverted mine train.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A beautiful German dining hall with ribbons hanging over the ceiling and a mural of the Bavarian countryside painted on the wall.

Feeling hungry, Ben and I then headed to Festhaus for food. Not gonna lie, this is one of the most extra in-park restaurants I think I've been to, I always make sure to eat here.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A tray holds a plate of sausages, red cabbage, sauerkraut, and scalloped potatoes with a cup of beer.

The sausage sampler is my ushe here, and consists of a bratwurst, a knackwurst, and a smoked sausage with sauerkraut, red cabbage, and German potatoes. And while the kraut is the Vlassic shit from the jar (Kings Island used to have great sauerkraut but they've started using this too sadly), the red cabbage is always amazing here and the potatoes were better than the odd mustardy shit they served us last time. But like a Cedar Point new hire, I was here for the sausage! And they were all great, especially the knackwurst which even tasted like it was cooked in beer. And speaking of: the Big Bad Wolf beer is amazing as well!

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A desk full of ghost hunting equipment and a computer showing radar with a storm approaching.

Continuing with the theme of family nostalgia, we headed towards King Ludwig's castle. Last time I was in this building, it was Curse of DarKastle, I was with my family, I was in middle school, and most significantly of all, my father was with us. But what they did with this hallowed ground for Jarrett's family was amazing! I loved the theming here, it told the story with props alone, you see a storm is coming in, and my girlfriend just recently got me into ghost hunting so I was all over this vibe!

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A roller coaster train is themed as a snowmobile, with a black, purple, and gold front car reading "WILD WOLF 9684."

These Intamin straddle coasters recently had a manufacturer-mandated shutdown, which outright delayed Quantum Accelerator and seriously jeopardized my chances of getting this credit. Let's see how glad I am that they got it working again!

***STROBE WARNING ON THE FOLLOWING VIDEO***

Having only ridden Wave Breaker of this ride system, I really like Wave Breaker, but I'm used to them being milder coasters, kind of like a scaled down Cheetah Hunt. This thing kicks a lot of ass, much more than I expected! Ben had me prepared for sixty seconds of farting around in the dark with all the effects broken, and I love the dude like my own family but he was wrong as hell. Everything worked, both laps, and the concept of sending you around twice with two sets of special effects that trigger on different laps is so brilliant and creative. Got lots of force and whip here and there too, much more than I expected!

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A yellow castle-styled arch with two towers and two roller coasters rising behind it, flanked by trees.

And as if three Germany coasters wasn't enough, we've got a fourth over in Rhinefield!

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A white inverted coaster with teal supports sends an empty train through a loop.

Alpengeist was next in the rotation, which was coming back up from a breakdown hence the empty train photos. This invert is so underrated! It's twisty as all hell, plays with the terrain beautifully, I love the theme on it, and what little roughness is there feels more like a sign of the times it's from rather than a painful design flaw. Cool coaster, no pun intended!

 

Continuing around the loop, we found our way to everyone's favorite cold European nation invaded by Vikings: Canada! As a French-A merican descendant, I always felt absolutely robbed by France's representation in this park when Germany and Italy get what they get, seeing so little value in the culture that they had to shoehorn Canada and Scandinavia (???) in with things, but whatever. We hit InvadR, which is honestly a solid coaster that gets better with age, like wine.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Through a blue sky, a blue coaster track carries wide red and yellow cars in front of an elegant pink spire flying a French flag.

And speaking of vin, we were off to France next where we snagged a front seat ride on the park's juggernaut Griffon! One of the better dive coasters, honestly, IDK if it's because I have a soft spot for my first one or the memory of riding it with my father and brother or if it genuinely has a better layout, but for a coaster type that's gimmicky and vanilla, I like it.

Only gripe is, again, there's barely anything French about it.  And the worst part of this? They could have very easily leaned into the whole gargoyle vibe.

Germany gets the autobahn, fairy tales, the Alps; Italy gets freaking Roman mythology and vintage daredevils. But we get a generic parking lot coaster and Canadian Vikings for some reason. And when I was able to fill a whole Planet Coaster park with France-themed rides, that's piss poor multicultural competency.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A midway resembling a French town with a vineyard to the right.

The midway here looks good, at least. I sent my French grandmother a photo from this park once and said I was in France and she didn't even get the joke, but for a theme park it's passable.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A man in a white t-shirt and teal button-down with a GoPro strapped around his body holds a Busch Gardens wine glass holding red wine.

Okay, now THIS is French culture represented right! I can barely set foot in my grandma's home past 4 pm without her shoving a glass of wine in my hand, it's hot, you bet your ass I'm doing the French wine tasting! Ben had to sit out, as he left his ID in the car, but I fully enjoyed the French wine tasting! Chardonnay, champagne, cabernet, and something else red that escapes me were amazing on a hot day.

French wines are meant to be savored, enjoyed over time, and swished around on your tongue. Remember this...

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Against a hill, yellow coaster track dives below a white and teal inverted cobra roll.

We took the Skyride to Scotland next, planning to head back to the car and get Ben's ID as we wanted to do the Italy wine tasting as well.

In Italy, we also elected to hit everything else on the way to the wine tasting after grabbing Ben's license. Apollo's Chariot was a must-do, especially after I did other early B&M hyper Raging Bull back in July. And honestly? That's the better layout, but I love the location here. The shaping feels so much like janky old school NoLimits 1 handbuilt projects, and I really enjoy it.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A circular rapids boat splashes down a turbulent channel of water past some ruined columns in the woods.

Ben had some super secret important flight attendant business to attend to, so I left him to charge my phone as I went full rapids enthusiast on Roman Rapids, one of the coolest themes I've seen on one of these rides that I know is kind of a problematic redheaded stepchild for the park.

Good god, I was a single rider and Busch stuck me with the most fun family ever for this. These guys were a total riot! Never ridden this before and they added so much to the fun. The ride itself was a bit of a letdown, so sometimes you need a hilarious family to entertain you.

And the walls kept tumbling down in this theme park that we love! While I was changed into my water ride shit, I decided to film Escape From Pompeii, something I rode once with my sibling in childhood and hadn't set foot on since. And I honestly wish he was here because I remember his reaction when he found out how sexually depraved the ancient Roman city was and how the people here were so horny that archeologists almost just buried it again. And the lesson learned here? Keep it in your pants! The kids aboard this boat were so annoying, wrap it before you tap it! If Six Flags buys this, Escape from Pompeii is gonna be sponsored by Trojans like Halloweekends is sponsored by Snickers! Sure they were good kids when they weren't excited, but I'm too ace to deal with pointless top-of-lungs screaming while I'm just trying to enjoy a ride.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A coaster station has a yellow and teal train with lightning bolts parked on the platform.

We also snagged a Pantheon back row ride on the way to said wine tasting.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Five bottles of wine, three white and two red, sit on a counter.

Okay, wine tasting time! The pretty lady behind the counter told us we'd get to pick four of these five wines and take them for a spin!

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Two men sip red wine from Busch Gardens wine glasses.

Remember how earlier I mentioned that French wines are best sipped, swirled around, and slowly enjoyed? Despite Ben, John (Netherlands/Belgium/Lux guy) and my own partner Keely all being Italian-American, I did not know that Italian wines, specifically spicy Sicilian wines, are meant to be chugged and this rule is a total 180 from how we drink wine at family dinners!

I'm sipping the Sicilian wine on the far right of the photo, swirling it around on my tongue, really trying to take in and dissect the flavor of this wine, when suddenly...I feel something tickle my throat. Before I realize just how much spice went into this wine, I only had time to swish it around for a few seconds before coughing a crimson mist all over this classy wine tasting like a damn moron!

The lady was at least super nice and super social. Ben told her of his family's Italian heritage, which she found fascinating. I tell her my partner and her family are New York Italian. "She's Italian?" she asked. "I bet she's pretty." To which Ben replies, "she is."

I show her a photo and all she can notice is the fact that we're at an ax murder house.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Jarrett smiles in front of Verbolten's bridge and river dive element.

Okay, we're wined and dined, let's ride Verbolten!

***STROBE WARNING ON THE FOLLOWING VIDEO***

Pantheon is Temu Velocicoaster and it will always be king in this park until they get an RMC or something equally epic, but this is a very special second fiddle. And in a park named after a brewery that serves alcohol? This is one of the best coasters to ride if you've had a few. Never drink and drive, unless it's in the Black Forest!

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Jarrett stands in front of a small red inverted coaster at dusk.

Ben was not in the mood to get his thighs guillotined on one of those Chinese Tiger Benches, so I closed the night out with one more on Big Bad Wolf: The Wolf's Revenge in the twilight.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A cardboard tray holds a corn dog, some chicken strips, and a quesadilla.

Ben and I elected to get food next, so we found another Cook Out and did the whole shitty junk food thing again.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A set of buttons on a pop machine at counter level dispenses Hi-C, Powerade, Fuze and water.

The next morning, we drove home to Ohio, where Ben got on a flight home from CMH and I drove home. Because he put up with my dumb ass for another day driving, I treated him to Hardee's breakfast...and as awful as the service was they had this really cool accessible pop fountain which I fucking loved.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Across a valley, one can see a yellow roller coaster with interlocking loops as cable cars pass it.

Ben: Thank you so much for tolerating my ass all the way to and from Virginia. This was a great time, I love both of these parks so much, and I'm glad I finally got to share with you one of my favorite regions of the industry. We laughed, we drank, we were a couple of idiots as always and I wouldn't want it any other way. You get your ass to New York next fall for more chaos!