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Jan 8, 2025 | 
themeparktourist.com | Brian Krosnick |Natalie Sim |Amanda Dwyer |Ellie Igou
Fans have been fearing this day for decades, and it has finally arrived: Muppet*Vision is closing. As you know by now, Jim Henson’s last Muppet project will officially vacate its home at Disney’s Hollywood Studios… but in typical Muppet mayhem, Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, Animal, and the rest won’t be gone for long. Instead, the Muppetational cast will takeover one of the park’s E-Ticket thrill rides.
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Dec 20, 2024 | 
themeparktourist.com | Brian Krosnick
For those of us who grew up on discussion boards and social media following the goings-on of amusement parks and roller coasters, there was no more fundamental a divide than that between Six Flags and Cedar Fair. For decades, these two regional parks operators battled back and forth, inciting the “Coaster Wars” in their continuous battle for amusement supremacy. Pitting their flagship parks against one another, Six Flags and Cedar Fair raced to compete.
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Dec 19, 2024 | 
themeparktourist.com | Brian Krosnick
As thrillseekers know all too well, 2024 ended up being an unusual year when it comes to record-breaking roller coasters. A series of high-profile closures left several would-be record-holders in the dreaded state of standing but not operating (“SBNO”)… So many are closed, in fact, that as we explored, the “world’s fastest roller coaster” in 2024 was the fourth fastest in 2023.
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Dec 13, 2024 | 
themeparktourist.com | Brian Krosnick
It’s been a bad few years to be a record-breaking coaster. That’s probably not a coincidence. At the dawn of the new Millennium, amusement park operators across the globe bet big on the “Coaster Wars,” racing headlong into multi-million dollar efforts to build the tallest, fastest rides on Earth.
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Dec 10, 2024 | 
themeparktourist.com | Natalie Sim |Amanda Dwyer |Brian Krosnick |Ellie Igou
Disney parks are constantly changing their refurbishment schedules, making it difficult for guests to keep up with the operating times and latest news regarding their favorite attractions, resorts, shops, and restaurants. Here are a few big, upcoming changes that are either confirmed by their respective parks or at the least very strongly rumored for the very near future. In this month’s update, Test Track at EPCOT remains closed as it continues its reimagination.
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Nov 29, 2024 | 
themeparktourist.com | Amanda Dwyer |Brian Krosnick |Ellie Igou
As the calendar flips to 2025, thrill-seekers have plenty to be excited about. From towering drops to record-breaking speeds and innovative designs, next year promises to deliver some exciting new roller coasters. Whether you’re a fan of heart-pounding launches, mind-bending inversions, or immersive theming, there’s something for everyone on the horizon.
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Nov 27, 2024 | 
themeparktourist.com | Brian Krosnick |Amanda Dwyer
If you’re an amusement park fan, there’s no doubt that the “merger of equals” between Cedar Fair and Six Flags (forming the new Six Flags Entertainment Company) is the biggest news of the year, decade, and maybe of the 21st century so far. But for those of us who’ve been around long enough, the second biggest moment in the industry must be from 2006. That’s when Cedar Fair announced that they would purchase a five-park package – the “Paramount Parks” – from Viacom.
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Nov 25, 2024 | 
themeparktourist.com | Amanda Dwyer |Brian Krosnick |Ellie Igou |Natalie Sim
When planning a vacation to Orlando, many travelers debate between visiting Walt Disney World or Universal Orlando Resort. Both options provide exclusive accommodation that allows guests added benefits including proximity, early park entry, and transportation. It can be difficult to determine which option has better value, especially when it comes to these accommodations. This is even more evident at the deluxe or signature (formerly premier) level.
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Nov 20, 2024 | 
themeparktourist.com | Brian Krosnick |Ellie Igou |Natalie Sim |Amanda Dwyer
It was June 2020 – when all six of Disney’s U.S. theme parks were still shuttered amidst the COVID-19 pandemic – that Disney announced a major change few had expected. In the years that followed, both installations of Splash Mountain (at Disneyland Park since 1989 and Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom since 1992) would shed their names, stories, and associations with the controversial 1946 film Song of the South.
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Nov 19, 2024 | 
themeparktourist.com | Brian Krosnick |Amanda Dwyer |Natalie Sim
Higher. Taller. Faster. Wilder. In the 1990s and early 2000s, nothing – and we mean nothing – mattered more to Six Flags and Cedar Fair than breaking records. Parks battled back and forth to attract the globe’s most extreme thrill-seekers, loading parks up with the biggest coaster counts they could manage – and then a few more for good measure, too.
