After spending a few hours in the park enjoying National Rollercoaster Day it was time to head over to the Boardwalk BBQ for some yummy food, drinks and music. 

​Oh, and some kind of announcement thing. 

Of course Dan from Westcoaster had to curse the new ride before it was even announced. 

We were all pretty happy the new ride had nothing to do with Wind. 

We had a front row seat

Here are some highlights from the announcement. 

We were all pretty excited when we saw this

The always popular Ride Stats 

Some logo and art, looks sweet. Can't wait to see it lit up at night. 

After the announcement we were given a little tour of the site. 

They are going to start pouring the foundations on August 28. So that means when we go back to the park for the Knott's Scary Farm event on the 31st we should have some nice construction shots too. 

Yay Dirt!!! 

Been a few years since we've seen a big plot of dirt at Knott's, it's a great thing! 

This view is going to look way different very soon

Dirt Selfie!! 

As seen a few hours earlier, they are already hard at work in the area. 

We did try to find out from the dippin dots gal a few hours ahead of time, but she wasn't talking. 

After our tour it was party time!! 

The gangs all here!! Hang Loose!! 

The Boardwalk BBQ really is great and we can't wait to try more food in the near future. 

Thank you Knott's for another great event, we can't wait to Hang 10 on HangTime in 2018!! 

For more information on HangTime be sure to click here for the full press release. 

Be sure to check back here all day for the running tally of all Cedar Fair parks announcements. We already have our first announcement from Canada's Wonderland. 

We think it's pretty safe to say that the big "announcement events" at Kings Dominion, Cedar Point. California's Great America and Knott's Berry Farm will be for larger attractions. While announcements of smaller capital improvements will come out as press releases, as Canada's Wonderland did. This is a pretty good strategy we think. 

Lumberjack is a thrill ride that will take guests soaring to heights of 75 feet (21m) on two swinging axe pendulums, propelling them into a looping 360 degree experience.  

Flying Canoes is an interactive family ride that will allow riders to control their journey of flight in two-person canoes that rotate speedily around a circuit.
​
Splash Island’s children’s pool in Splash Works will be expanded to double its size and feature all-new interactive spray features.

On Nordic Chaser, guests of all ages will board mini ships that rotate speedily around a circuit. The ride captures the imagination as guests experience the sensation of rising and falling along ocean waves. The ride will be placed in the park’s Scandinavia themed area.
“The new Nordic Chaser ride will allow parents and children the opportunity to make lasting memories together,” said Tony Carovillano, general manager, Worlds of Fun. “We strive to provide new and exciting changes at Worlds of Fun every year, and look forward to having more families experience every aspect we have to offer at the park.”

The Camp Snoopy playtime spot will feature five new rides:

• Camp Bus: Buckle up on the wacky camp bus and take a ride that will lift guests into the air and back down to the ground in smooth extensions.
• PEANUTS™ Trailblazers: Get behind the wheel of a Jeep-themed vehicle and burn rubber on a small, round speedway.
• Kite Eating Tree: Ride along in a kite vehicle that travels up and down a tree.
• Pig Pen’s Mud Buggies: Take a trip in a “mud buggy,” where guests will rotate around the popular Pig Pen character while bouncing on a bumpy ride.
• Woodstock Whirlybirds: Spin around in an oversized birds nest on this classic ride.

Valleyfair will introduce Delirious, a 70-foot looping thrill ride for its 2018 season.

Delirious will coil riders upside-down on a seven story, 360-degree freestanding structure with a high capacity, high speed train.

​Twisted Timbers sits at the edge of Candy Apple Grove and gives riders a one-of-a-kind experience. Plummet down a 109-foot-tall barrel roll drop that sends you twisting across 3,351 feet of track with two more inversions and 20 airtime hills at speeds of 54 miles per hour. Hold on tight, because this is a ride with a twist… this is Twisted Timbers.

​This Wild West thrill comes action-packed with a height of 205 feet above the prairie, a 90-degree initial drop down to the earth, almost 30 seconds of airtime (the most on any roller coaster on Earth), 4 head-over-boots inversions, ricocheting movements left-to-right, up-to-down and side to side…it’s a roller coaster only Cedar Point could build – and you have the chance to saddle up and take the ride of your life beginning in 2018!

RailBlazer will lift riders to a height of 106 feet before plunging them face down at a 90-degree angle. Throughout the 1,800 feet of track, riders will travel 52 miles per hour, experience an abundance of airtime and steeply banked turns, undertake three inversions and twist through a zero gravity roll.

​HangTime will send riders up a vertical lift hill into a raised 96-degree drop - the steepest drop in California. The coaster’s train will come to a halt once the highest peak is reached, and will leave riders suspended at the crest for several seconds at a 60-degree angle, giving the illusion of a disappearing track. Then the train will suddenly descend in a beyond-vertical drop, through 2,198 feet of steel track and five gravity-defying inversions. HangTime will be only the second rollercoaster in the Western Hemisphere to feature a negative-g stall loop, which gives riders the sensation of floating.

​Related Updates: 

• California's Great America 2018 Rumor Roundup and Construction Update
• Trip Report: Canada's Wonderland - A Beautiful Park with two Top 20 Coasters
• Ghost Town Alive Makes a Triumphant Return to Knott's Berry Farm
• Red, White and Brews at California's Great America 
• Knott's Soak City Opening Day and quick Berry Farm Update ​​

​If you enjoyed this update please share with your friends and make sure you "like" us on Facebook and "follow" us on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. 

If you have any comments, please share them below

SANTA CLARA, CA – California’s Great America will introduce a groundbreaking new single rail steel coaster, RailBlazer, for the 2018 season. RailBlazer will be the first coaster of its kind on the West Coast featuring a single rail track throughout; the design requires the rider to straddle the rail, creating an extremely low center of gravity that amplifies every move and enables more dynamic turns and rotations than have ever been possible on a coaster. With an eight-passenger single file train hugging the rail, the coaster will give riders an unobstructed view of the ground and air as they speed smoothly over the twisting track.

RailBlazer will lift riders to a height of 106 feet before plunging them face down at a 90-degree angle. Throughout the 1,800 feet of track, riders will travel 52 miles per hour, experience an abundance of airtime and steeply banked turns, undertake three inversions and twist through a zero gravity roll.

“RailBlazer is a revolutionary roller coaster concept that will be an intense and exhilarating ride experience for our guests,” said Raul Rehnborg, vice president and general manager, California’s Great America. “In addition, it marks the company’s initial investment in the park following the City of Santa Clara’s approval this year of the new park master plan, and kicks off a multi-year transformation of California’s Great America into a world-class destination for everyone in the Bay Area and beyond.”

The design spirit of the ride is reflective of an off-road adventure, with immersive sensory theming that embraces the great outdoors of the Bay Area and Central Coast. Once on board, riders will ascend a 45-degree climb, dive into a ravine and encounter steeped embankments representing an extreme four-wheeling journey. Imposing physical elements during the ride and queue line include a natural waterway, rocky surroundings and a trailhead marquee sign designed to mark the beginning of the journey. The unique design of RailBlazer will include a silent rollback lift hill that eliminates the traditional sounds of the train moving up the track.

The 2018 Gold Season Pass is on sale now at the best price of the year, and also includes unlimited park visits in 2017. The pass gives guests unlimited access to RailBlazer as well as all the other rides and attractions at California’s Great America, its Boomerang Bay water park and Gilroy Gardens; special events like The Great Pumpkin Fest, Halloween Haunt and WinterFest; and other discounts and benefits such as free parking. Special pricing ends October 29, 2017.

​CALIFORNIA’S GREAT AMERICA
California’s Great America is a 100-acre theme and water park located in Santa Clara, Calif. that contains thrill rides, family attractions and live shows. The park opens for weekends in March, operates daily Memorial Day through mid-August, continues weekends through fall with Halloween Haunt, and the season concludes in December with WinterFest.

CEDAR FAIR
California’s Great America is owned and operated by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company (NYSE: FUN), a publicly traded partnership and one of the largest regional amusement-resort operators in the world. The Company owns and operates 11 amusement parks, two outdoor water parks, one indoor water park and five hotels. For more information, see www.cedarfair.com.
www.cagreatamerica.com

Related Updates: 

• California's Great America 2018 Rumor Roundup and Construction Update
• Trip Report: Canada's Wonderland - A Beautiful Park with two Top 20 Coasters
• Ghost Town Alive Makes a Triumphant Return to Knott's Berry Farm
• Red, White and Brews at California's Great America 
• Knott's Soak City Opening Day and quick Berry Farm Update ​​

If you enjoyed this update please share with your friends and make sure you "like" us on Facebook and "follow" us on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. 

If you have any comments, please share them below

​The last time SFMM had so few rumors coming out about a new attraction was the year they got both X and Deja Vu.

Obviously two rides on that scale AREN'T happening, but last year we all knew they'd announce Justice League. Twisted Colossus wasn't a shock either. Full Throttle was in the works for almost 1 1/2 years and the signs were there for the Bugs Bunny World and DC Universe expansions.

​We aren't going to speculate "what" they are going to get, but just because there are no solid rumors doesn't mean it's going to be small.

​For us, there's a reason they didn't re-name Tidal Wave. Only thing that makes sense is the ride is on it's way out. ​While we don't think the park can afford to lose yet another water ride (they have too few now), a ride with a water feature could suffice.

​Or a collection of smaller rides to fit the DC/Metropolis theme (splash battle, Giant Frisbee) themed to Penguin and Suicide Squad.​ Which would be TOTALLY fine with us. More kinetic energy in that area of the park is a really good thing. And would help draw people to JL.

Anybody who's been to the park has seen the "lines" for JL, it's an AMAZING ride, but they spent too many years being the XTREME park. So people have this thought about SFMM as just a park for thrill seekers, which it is, but they have a chance to continue adding family rides to change that perspective. ​​Or they're going to double-down on the XTREME and go big.

 Realistically, the last "new" big coaster was Full Throttle, and that was in '13. Everything else has been an addition by subtraction except for Green Lantern (boo) and Justice League. 

The other thing that's a definite possibility (and MUCH needed) is a face-lift of Cyclone Bay. It's the last area of park to not get redone. ​All of the re-doing area's along with new rides began after Terminator/Apocalypse opened and it's been amazing for the park.

So it's possible Tidal Wave could survive another year and they concentrate on Cyclone Bay next year with a couple of flats. ​And maybe another re-theme of Apocalypse? That area could definitely be a "boardwalk" type area very easily.

What do you think? Is Six Flags Magic Mountain poised to add something big in 2018 or are we looking at some much needed smaller rides to fill in some of the gaps to their already amazing line-up of attractions? 

Update 8/23: 

Today Six Flags Magic Mountain announced that in January the park would be open 365 days per year. Yes, even on Christmas. With their popular Holiday in the Park it's probably not that surprising. 

Some thoughts: 
I think it's safe to say that whatever SFMM is adding in 2018 it's going to be enough to justify them staying open every day of the year. Sure, they've got a great collection of coasters already, but even some of the days they are open now (weekdays in late April/May) are pretty empty. This is going to mean some prime coaster riding days a lot of the year. This also means planning those Southern California theme park trips is going to be easier now, since all of our theme parks are open daily now (with the exception of Knott's which is still closed on Christmas). 

So taking into account the above, I think we're looking at something in the back corner of the park to go along with Apocalypse, and a complete (and much needed) re-do of the area. It's probably not going to be a Giga or Dive Coaster or anything of that size, but a medium sized coaster along with a new flat ride is definitely not out of the question. 

Certainly can't see the park trying to bank a new operating schedule on a flat ride alone.

Of course, this could be strictly a corporate decision and have absolutely NOTHING to do with 2018. If that's the case, I'd anticipate Six Flags dumping some assets (parks) and using the year-round capability of SFMM to make up for it. 

So what are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below. 

​If you enjoyed this update please share with your friends and make sure you "like" us on Facebook and "follow" us on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. 

If you have any comments, please share them below

Heading to Disney's Hollywood Studios this evening. It's a packed house! 

Currently 115 minute wait for The Great Movie Ride.

​Outdoor extended queue for the standby line. 

Several PhotoPass photographers are available to take different shots outside of the attraction. 

Heading in for our final ride!

​Some of the details inside the queue of The Great Movie Ride.

Ready when you are, C.B.

​One last ride through these classic films. 

​Looks like a bank robber hijacked our ride vehicle once again.

It's crazy to see these old school animatronics and how advanced they've become when you compare it to something like Na'vi River Journey

T​he set designs throughout the ride are still quite impressive. 

​Maybe these guys could transfer over to the Jungle Cruise. 

​Maybe these guys could transfer over to the Jungle Cruise. 

​And that's a wrap! Thanks for the memories. Looking forward to seeing the new additions in the future at DHS! 

​Related Updates: 

• One Last Journey through the Universe of Energy at EPCOT 
• Disney's Hollywood Studios Update (Star Wars Land, Toy Story Land and Great Movie Ride) 
• Photo Tour of Guardians of the Galaxy Mission Breakout at DCA 
• Sneak Peek of the World of Pandora at Disney's Animal Kingdom (Part Two) 
• Sneak Peek of the World of Pandora at Disney's Animal Kingdom