Kentucky Kingdom, Sunday, August 9

I’m looking forward to seeing how the rebirth of Kentucky Kingdom is going, as I used to live in Louisville as a child and was a season pass holder. I interviewed Ed Hart several years ago during his first go at getting back the park and he has so much passion to make it a solid destination once again for the Louisville metro.

Holiday World, Monday, August 10

Where do I begin with Holiday World? 3 world class wooden coasters, the brand-new Thunderbird (which we named #4 on top coasters we’re excited for), and one of the best waterparks in the world. The park has won the “Cleanest Park” Golden Ticket award every year since the Golden Tickets started and “Friendliest Park” for 13 of the 16 years it’s been awarded. But I’m most excited about the unlimited soft drinks.

Kings Island, Thursday, August 13

With 14 roller coasters, Kings Island is one of the most coaster-filled parks in the world. While there are only a few standout coasters (Banshee, The Beast, and Diamondback), it’s a great place to easily increase your coaster count. I always wanted to visit Kings Island when I lived in Louisville, but never got to go. Excited to finally cross this park off my list.

Cedar Point, Friday, August 14

The mecca of all coaster fans, this will be my 3rd time to Cedar Point. My last visit was in 2009, so I have yet to ride Gatekeeper, Rougarou, Shoot the Rapids, and Windseeker. Cedar Point is my favorite amusement park and offers a great variety of things to do. It’s one of the few parks where it’s a challenge to get it done in one day. I wish I could spend more time, but my schedule doesn’t permit an extra day.

During my trip I will be doing my best to Tweet throughout the day and occasionally Periscoping. I’m still on the fence about bringing my Cannon T1i, so we’ll see. It’s been several years since I’ve ridden a major roller coaster, so I’m excited to feel the rush again.

According to Roller Coaster DataBase, in 2015, 130 roller coasters are being built worldwide. Most of these coasters are being built in China where there is currently an explosion of theme parks being built. Unfortunately, information about these parks and their coasters is scarce. However, there are plenty of other coasters being built we know lots about! We’ve looked over all the stats, renderings, and videos to decide the top 5 coasters we’re excited for in 2015. Let’s start…

#5: Fury 325, Carowinds

Bolliger & Mabillard are back with another giga coaster for Cedar Fair, and they’ve up the ante even more. This time Carowinds gets the privilege of owning this towering machine. Reaching a top speed of 95 MPH, Fury 325 will fly through bunny hops, overbanked turns, and even dive under the pathway leading to the new park entrance.

Why we’re excited: B&M learned from the mistakes of Leviathan at Canada’s Wonderland and Fury 325 has a much better pace. They’ve kept their signature bunny hops alongside exciting near-ground turns to create one of their best. It’s also their longest ever at 6,602 feet. Carowinds is now home to two world-class mega coasters and is definitely a “can’t miss” for any coaster fan in the southeast.

Website | First Test Run POV Video

#4: Thunderbird, Holiday World

Holiday World said they wanted to go over-the-top for their first major steel coaster, and boy, did they… Thunderbird will launch its 5 car winged trains to 60 MPH in less than 4 seconds into a 140 foot tall Immelmann. And that’s just the start. You’ll then wind your way through the park’s trees and even over the legendary Voyage wooden coaster. They’ve also constructed a building around the track cutting it just enough to fit inside the train’s safe zone.

Why we’re excited: This is the wing rider we’ve been waiting for. No long climb up a lift, just a countdown. The fact that the park is leaving as many trees as they can, along with constructing a fly-through as close as they can will take full advantage of the winged trains. This is also B&M’s first attempt at their own launch system (The Incredible Hulk at Islands of Adventure was developed by Universal).

Website | Animated POV Video

#3: Twisted Colossus, Six Flags Magic Mountain

Racing coasters are lots of fun. But what happens when you throw in Rocky Mountain Construction? You get insanity. Their Twisted take on the classic Colossus coaster at Magic Mountain (you may remember it from the classic movie National Lampoon’s Vacation) is nothing short of magic. You’ll twist, turn, flip, and nearly get ejected from your seat as you race along. Even better, you actually get to race on both sides each ride. You’ll first go on the blue track, then come back around and switch over to the green track to do it again.

Why we’re excited: Rocky Mountain Construction avoids straight lines whenever possible, and that’s why we love them. All of their previous work has been outstanding and we’re loving the elements they’ve added in to heighten the racing aspect.

Website | Animated POV Video

#2: Cannibal, Lagoon

This is one of the very few coasters that has made us go ‘WOW’. Lagoon certainly has the sleeper hit of 2015 with their $22 million custom built 208 foot tall insanity machine. You’ll rise all the way to the top inside an elevator lift, then plummet down a 116º drop into a maze including 3 inversions. The top speed will be a blazing 70 MPH, which will certainly make the turns through the intricate rock work intense.

Why we’re excited: It’s not every day a theme park decides to build its own roller coaster from scratch, let alone a hyper coaster with a 116º drop. With complete control over what they wanted, Lagoon crafted their dream coaster and they delivered. We also love the fact the park is taking the time to add in rock work which will greatly enhance the ride experience.

#1: Wicked Cyclone, Six Flags New England

While Twisted Colossus’s racing will be exciting, we think Wicked Cyclone will be even more insane. Rocky Mountain Construction has gone all out and has created a coaster that never lets up. This is their best work yet. Seriously. With two zero-g rolls, a 200º stall, and 14 ejector bunny hops it will probably be a good idea to empty your pockets before getting on.

Why we’re excited: If there’s any coaster not to miss in 2015, it’s this. There’s nothing quite like a good bunny hop, and with 14 your stomach will be begging for mercy by the end. Rocky Mountain Construction has outdone themselves and created a world class coaster in such a tight space on top of an old wooden frame. We predict Wicked Cyclone will enter most major top 10 lists.

Website | Animated POV Video

What coasters are you looking forward to in 2015? Do you agree with us that Wicked Cyclone is the coaster that can’t be missed? Leave your Park Thoughts below!

Every fall the Amusement Industry eagerly awaits the results of Amusement Today’s Golden Tickets. While the best new ride categories can be rather unpredictable, the other categories are usually consistant year to year. Since 2000, Millenium Force at Cedar Point and Bizzaro at Six Flags New England have had a tug of war for the #1 steel coaster spot. Coaster enthusiasts scream that the results are rigged and that Millenium Force has never deserved the #1 spot. So are the results rigged? Not by Amusement Today, but by the voters themselves.

World's of Fun proudly shows off Prowler's Golden Ticket honor

Think about it. How many people in the Amusement Industry have been on every coaster in the world? There are very few that have even come close to achieving the feat and all of them are enthusiasts rather than employees of an attraction. You’ll never be able to create a coaster award program that has enough fair data. It’s impossible because the industry is so huge.

To answer the calls that the Golden Tickets are unfair/rigged/just promotional material, Mitch Hawker created the Best Roller Coaster Poll for both steel & wooden. This allows enthusiasts to have their say in what they think is the best in the world. But still, it’s unfair and swayed. Very few enthusiasts have been to more than a few parks. A large majority of enthusiasts make claims about coasters from what they read online. A few enthusiasts with large online followings use it to their advantage and play up coasters they like. They don’t explicitly say “hey, vote for so and so,” because people would come running in with red flags slapping them. Instead they over emphasize in posts on forums, tweets, and Facebook statuses. Those over emphasized posts stick with people. It tilts their brain towards thinking it’s the most amazing coaster in the world. If the top players in the enthusiast group said a Eurofighter was in the top 10 in the world the rest of the enthusiasts would follow.

The only way we’ll ever be able to have an accurate coaster awards or poll system is by asking people in person and only allowing them to vote on parks they’ve been to. Who would do this? No one. It’d take an extraordinary amount of time and money to pull off an “accurate” poll, and I’m sure even this poll would tilt some way.

Expedition Everest may not be in the top 10, but it's loved by millions throughout the world

Despite all these awards and polls, people will always have a favorite coaster. How many millions of people have a Disney coaster as the top spot in their mind? The amusement industry is just like the film industry: we can hand out awards left and right to what the “experts” say is the best, but people will still believe in their own preferences. If you don’t like the Golden Ticket results, just ignore them. It’s not a sin to. You have all the right in the world to still think Barnstormer is the greatest coaster ever. Just don’t try to hold the awards & polls hosts accountable. They’ll never be able to make an accurate system. It has been, and always will be, a tilted system.

Do you agree that coaster awards and polls shouldn’t be taken so seriously and that we’ll never be able to come up with a system that works fairly? Leave your Park Thoughts below.

We were able to sit down with Jennifer Lauerman, marketing director of Nickelodeon Universe, the largest indoor Theme Park in America located at the Mall of America in Bloomington, MN. The park operated as Camp Snoopy from 1992-2006 and The Park at MOA from 2006-2008 before opening as Nickelodeon Universe in Spring 2008.

We talked about how the park is doing so far this year, considering the massive heatwave that’s hit Minnesota recently, and we also talk about how they market such a unique and challenging park to guests. There are also hints to big new things coming soon! After our interview, I was given the chance to ride “Brain Surge,” the park’s newest thrill ride. I will have a complete review up soon of this thrilling and intense attraction.

Make sure to check out Nickelodeon Universe’s website and “like” them on Facebook!

Listen below or download here.

1. Don’t go wild with games

Do you really need that big plush bear? It might be tempting to win it, but don’t go wild trying to get it. It’s fine to play a $3 game a few times, but don’t play more than three times at most. The prizes the parks have are insanely cheap, so you’re really wasting your $20. Why spend $20 on a $2 prize?

2. Water, not pop

Pop is actually really bad for you on a hot summer day. You’ll get even more dehydrated, thus you’ll need to buy more and more. Instead of wasting $4 on a pop each time, just find a water fountain or go to a food stand and ask for a cup of water. You’ll only be charged for water if you buy it bottled, so don’t make the mistake of doing so. Parks will always provide water no matter what. The last thing they want is someone passed out on the midway. If you’re at Holiday World though, you don’t have to worry about this since it’s unlimited soft drinks all day, every day.

3. Eat outside the park

If you’ve driven to the park, just leave to eat. Most meals in the park cost $9 and up, which is crazy when you can get a meal at Mc Donald’s for less than $6. Parks will usually allow you to leave and come back at least once with your parking pass. If you don’t want to leave the property, just pack a sack lunch. Sometimes a peanut butter & jelly sandwich is better than a greasy burger.

4. Skip that awesome T-Shirt

Woah! That shirt is awesome! But will you really wear it that often? I find myself looking through theme park gift shops finding all kinds of cool things. However, I don’t like coughing up the cash. I’m not saying you shouldn’t buy souvenirs. Just don’t buy everything you see. Remember: you’re basically paying for the name of the park on the item. Most of the time, the item costs nothing if you went to Walmart.

5. Don’t be afraid to ask for deals

If you’re looking to get some great bargins throughout the day, make sure you drop by Guest Relations first thing at the park. They should be happy to answer your questions about current deals inside the park. Last year when I was at Valleyfair, they had an entire Chicken Strips basket (I believe that’s what is was) for only $5. That’s certainly a huge discount compared with the normal $9 you’d pay. Don’t be afraid to ask. The parks wants you to spend more money. They need it, plus they have to get rid of their inventory somehow.

I hope these little tips help you when visiting a park the next time.

Do you have any ways personally to save? Share your Park Thoughts with us!

Size

In the size competition, the Oasis of the Seas wins by a fairly close margin. At double occupancy, 5400 passengers can ride comfortably in the Oasis, while the ship can actually hold 6,296 maximum. The Disney Dream can hold approximately 4,000 passengers. The Oasis is 1,187 ft long with 16 passenger decks, while the Dream spans 1,115 ft with 14 passenger decks. Both ships are gigantic and dwarf their older sister ships.

Accommodations

Staterooms on both ships are comparable in size. However, Disney has done its best to make sure most rooms have some kind of ocean view. Even if you’re stuck on an inside room in the Dream, you’ll still have a view outside. Thanks to Disney’s “Virtual Portholes,” you’ll see a realtime video of what’s going on outside. However, Disney has thrown in something extra that those of us that aren’t young may not enjoy. Disney characters will occasionally drop by and see what’s going on. Disney may have gone overboard. I really don’t want a Finding Nemo character staring at me when I wake up. Good thing the Virtual Porthole can be turned off with an on/off switch.

The Oasis of the Seas on the other hand has the unique feature of “neighborhoods” as Royal Caribbean calls them. Some of these neighborhoods don’t actually house any accommodations, but some do. The neighborhoods that have accommodations include “Central Park,” “Boardwalk” and “Royal Promenade.” It’s a very nice little, theme park-style touch that Royal Caribbean put into its ship.

Entertainment
It’s very tough to compare both ships when it comes to entertainment. Both have huge Broadway-style theaters that put on nightly productions. However, Disney wins with their fabulous live entertainment. You can catch a musical each night on the Dream that you might pay $50 or more to see in your local theater. The Oasis of the Seas has some theater productions, but none can compare to the caliber Disney pumps out every night.

No one wants to be cooped up inside though. Everyone wants to be up on the top deck catching some rays and swimming. Each ship has their own advantages/disadvantages when it comes to soaking your swimsuit. On the Dream, you can slide down one of two slides. The main slide is a “Master Blaster” slide called Aquaduck. This somewhat-thrilling slide takes you through a clear tube over the ocean over two hundred feet in the air and then winds its way back and forth over the top deck. It’s the only slide of its kind and it’s well worth the wait. The Oasis features larger pools, but lacks water slides. There’s a zero depth entry pool like you’ll find at water park’s wave pools and a sports pool for swimming laps. The Oasis also features two FlowRiders that create a giant wave you can bodyboard or surf on. Both ships offer an adult 18 and over pool so that you can get away from the screaming and splashing kids, and, of course, plenty of room to soak up the sun.

For sports fans, you can find basketball courts and Mini-Golf courses on both the Dream and Oasis. The Oasis has an extra activity for the adventurous though: A zip-line. Yep! You read right, a zip-line. You’ll zoom right through the Oasis’s huge nine-story atrium hanging from nothing but a wire. I’m sure that would be the first thing I go to on the Oasis! The Oasis also has two rock climbing walls at the end of the Boardwalk section of the ship, another great thing for thrill seekers to do.

Disney once again wins in another category: children’s entertainment. Almost an entire deck is devoted to children’s activities. Every kid, from toddlers to teens, will find something to do. The Oasis features kid activities, but they can’t compare to what Disney can do. Where else can kids meet their favorite Disney characters while at sea?

It should be noted though that the Oasis of the Seas features a casino for adults that feel like that have a little luck on the high seas. You won’t find a casino anywhere on the Dream.

Dining
Disney was the first in the Industry to break the norm of having one massive dining room. Instead, they rotate their guests through three different restaurants. It seems Royal Caribbean took note of what Disney did, and pushed it even further on the Oasis of the Seas. The Oasis of the Seas features a staggering 24 different dining options, while the Dream only offers about five or six ding options. Not all of the Oasis of the Seas dining options are complimentary, but the choice is abundant. The Dream features “Animator’s Palate,” a restaurant where Disney characters actually interact with diners, along with the ultra-luxurious “Remy,” which respectively costs an extra $75 per person. You’ll also find great bars and nightclubs for adults on either ship. Disney has made sure there’s more dining options for adults on the Dream compared with their other ships. Either way you go, you’re bound to fill your self silly with great food.

Other Features

Boardwalk on the Oasis of the Seas

Each ship features their own special amenities. On the Oasis of the Seas, you can walk through their huge Promenade, Park or Boardwalk. Each section features a selection of restaurants, bars and shops to browse through. At the Boardwalk, you can catch a ride on the carousel or watch divers at night plummet in the AquaTheater.

Castaway Cay, Disney's Exclusive Island

What might be the best perk ever on a cruise, all Disney Dream cruisers that set sail in the Caribbean are entitled to an entire day on Disney’s Exclusive island, Castaway Cay. You can get off the boat and finally soak up some true ocean waves with hardly any crowds. Almost all activities on Castaway Cay are included with your cruise, so you won’t be forking over more to get snorkels or such. There are also separate beaches for families and adults, just like the pools. Trams run around the island so you won’t have to walk everywhere. It’s a fantastic perk and might just be the thing that makes Disney the best out there.

Price

Enough with all the features, what’s this going to cost me? Well, it’s certainly not cheap to cruise on either ship. However, Disney offers flexible options for cruising on the Dream. We’ll look at the prices for 2 adults and 2 children with a standard Oceanview Stateroom.

Dream Pricing

• 3-Night Bahamian Cruise – $1,583.42 ($527.80/night)
• 4-Night Bahamian Cruise – $2,065.42 ($516.36/night)
• 5-Night Bahamian Cruise – $2,941.42 ($588.28/night)

Oasis of the Seas Pricing

• 7-Night Caribbean Cruise – $3,653.00 ($521.86/night)

As you can see, both are fairly comprable in price. However, Disney offers 3, 4 or 5 nights versus Royal Caribbean’s solo choice, 7 nights. So from the big picture, Royal Caribbean looks more expensive, but in reality you’re spending just as much.

Final Summaries

In conclusion, both ships are the best in the world. They both offer outstanding accommodations, dining and entertainment.

Disney Dream

The Disney Dream is a true step up for Disney. They have created a luxurious ship that offers something for everyone. Disney truly has shown that it can create a ship not just for kids. From the exciting Aquaduck water slide, to the Broadway-style productions, the Dream is truly the grandest ship in Disney’s fleet. Combine the ship with a day’s stop at Disney’s very own Castaway Cay, and you have yourself an unforgettable cruise.

• Family Score: A+
• Adult Score: B-

Oasis of the Seas

While it may not have much style and class everywhere, the Oasis of the Seas is abundant in features. From its wide selection of restaurants, to its exciting features like the FlowRiders, zip-line and rock climbing walls, the Oasis sets itself apart from every other ship. The neighborhoods on the ship make the experience even more enjoyable with a unique attitude and feel for each.

• Family Score: B-
• Adult Score: A

Either way you go, you’re bound to have a great cruise. Both ships are stunning pieces of modern building and you won’t be forgetting them anytime soon.

What are your thoughts on these ships? Which one would you want to cruise on? Leave your thoughts below.

We were privileged to be one of the first to talk to Ed Hart, the leader of the Kentucky Kingdom Redevelopment Group. The group is the new operator of Kentucky Kingdom, the park in Louisville, KY that was closed down by Six Flags earlier this year. Ed was a key player in the 1989 revival of Kentucky Kingdom, and led the park to having more than 1.3 million visitors his last year in control in 1997.

You can find the Kentucky Kingdom Redevelopment Group on Facebook, Twitter, or their website.

Some new details from the interview:

• The park will reopen in 2012, if the group can get all the proper funding.
• The new roller coaster will be built by Bolliger & Mabillard (exact details such as type will be announced later).
• The water park will be doubled in size.
• A dedicated parking lot for the park will be built that will feature free parking.
• Prices of food will be priced competitively with outside food vendors to keep guests in the park.

Listen to the interview below or download it.