pashacar

WHOA, I had no idea this ride existed. It's so cool! Wish we could have this level of theming on our DC rides.

I think there is some potential in bringing in people who haven't come up for decades in the industry, which pretty much all of the past presidents were. But not sure this crony is it....

Yep, he railed against them being $75, and now they're $65. No direction at all. And the park experience is so confused right now, too.

I think Tom or Harry has said this before, but we probably have the M&Ms sponsorship to thank for the Skyride's continued existence. Still, let's hope Selim doesn't get any ideas.

^ On one hand, I hear that. On the other, I don't think they're making decisions entirely on whims over there. I'd imagine they looked at data and saw that it didn't make as much as they wanted it to, even with the relatively low overhead.

Agreed it is overdue, but have to say I will miss Fievel! I loved playing in that area as a kid and always enjoyed seeing it still there when I visited. I thought I might take my kid down those raft slides one day.

Agreed but sort of a sleeper hit, I feel like it isn't talked among among the big parks.

It's been slammed. I imagine the 31st may be calmer, but the weekend will probably be pretty intense.

Awesome videos. Had no idea this little park packed so much heat! Will have to make a stop next time I am in the area.

I remember hearing such bad things about HP's operations a few years back, but it sounds like those have really turned around. Is that right?

That's interesting. I would love to know more specifics but do understand you can't share every detail. I did just notice that Kristen (Siebeneicher) Fitzgerald is no longer with the park, which is pretty hard to believe.

Any more specifics there? Curious to hear, and ultimately see for myself. It’s clear they’ve invested in far more in actors as well.

^ IMO the changes are a bit overhyped and it’s the same park it has been with just as much to do. Though I do understand that cutting some of those perks is annoying — I have the lowest-level membership with just admission and parking so that’s all I expect. And I think we’ve seen investment in promising areas that old management teams deprioritized, such as park beautification and Fright Feat actors; it’s my hope that this team continues investing in these types of things.

I will say, Fright Fest crowds are late crowds. So if you get there at opening, you can easily knock out a good portion of the big coasters before the crowds get bad, even on the busiest day of the year. Speaking from experience here. And with the pricing adjustments this season, there's really no telling what the rest of FF will look like. Though I hope for the park's sake that crowds do pick up.

The funny thing is, I'm sure Busch crunches the numbers and finds that those perks earn more than they cost, from passholders spending extra, etc. I do understand that SF had to stop the hemorrhaging of cheap passes and free tickets, but hopefully they'll figure out a smart – and cost-effective – way to engage passholders and members moving forward.

Yep, that was definitely a smart move. But even so, there are more ghouls throughout. Each of the free scare zones had around 8 ghouls, when in the past it would be around half that, especially on an early-season Friday.

So good! Those trains make it, and the close calls on that layout are so much fun. Only wish it were longer.

From watching some vlogs, it looks like the park has really upped its game on Fright Fest this year. (Feels like one of the first clear examples of Selim's "premium" product coming through.) Scare zones and trails have both been refreshed pretty thoroughly, and most feature far more actors (with better training, it seems) than ever before. And according to the "Thrills & Magic" YouTube channel, the park is only halfway to their hiring target for ghouls – all very impressive, IMO.

I just noticed that the Broadway musical Kimberly Akimbo, which opens next month, is using a play on GA's classic logo. I don't know much about the show other than that it's about a young girl with a condition that makes her look old, but maybe there's a more specific connection....

Great report, Yoshi. I wish WDW had been as empty when I was there on the same day! One question: what are Busch Bucks?

I just got back from Disney World, and we enjoyed every one of the many 4D movies. I agree that it would be a great addition – family-friendly, cost-effective, fun, and re-rideable.

Nice to see some updates (the entrance sign is so clean! and the ticket booths!) but sad to see that a lot of them don't jive with the theme of the park at all. That new entrance plaza is a sore thumb. And given how immersive the place once was, it's somewhat devastating to see the last of the Bada Bing theme elements removed.

I too would *love* this, with other small refurbs all along the street and costumed characters, stilt walkers, etc. – which seems in line with what the new management tea is trying to do. Unfortunately they'd probably be too worried about lost games revenue

They've been doing a lot of ads on Instagram as well (since Fright Fest, actually). And their own social accounts are far more active, so looks like a shift in strategy there. The ads are pretty professional, too; much better than the TV ads under the last leadership team.

Yeah, seems like they're not done, but also seems like they may not have much more up their sleeves.... (And as of Harry's latest trip report, one of the signs was already falling down.)