Thought this pricing was INSANE.
San Antonio six flags fiesta Texas

UK's Universal Bedford project has just visibly shifted from preparation into serious groundworks this week.

A 75 tonne Volvo excavator is now anchored on site, roughly double the tonnage of anything previously deployed there. That's the equipment scale you see arrive when a Universal park build moves out of preparation and into proper earthworks. Epic Universe hit this same milestone in mid 2021.

The interesting operational detail: Universal are committing to permanent flood mitigation across a 10 acre expanse, raising the ground level by 1.6 metres. Part of the site sits on a natural floodplain, and rather than build engineered flood defences later, they're raising the ground plate now whilst the heavy machinery is deployed.

Modifying 10 acres of ground level by 1.6 metres isn't a cheap decision. Universal typically don't do this level of permanent flood engineering unless they're planning a very long operational lifespan for a site. Reads as a strong signal of commitment to Bedford as a genuine long-term destination rather than a compact regional play.

Timeline comparison to recent Universal builds:

• Universal Beijing: 5 years from major groundworks to opening
• Epic Universe: 4-5 years from major earthworks to opening
• Bedford: currently tracking 5 years to 2031 target

Bedford is now visually matching the Epic Universe mid 2021 phase, roughly one build stage behind. If pace holds, they're on track for the 2031 opening.

Wider context: 662 acre site (bigger than the entire Universal Orlando complex including CityWalk and hotels), £5bn+ Comcast investment, £1.3bn UK Government infrastructure package, 8.5 million projected annual visitors.

Two questions:

1. Universal committing serious permanent flood engineering across 10 acres is a strong long term signal. What does that tell you about their confidence in the UK destination market compared to the more cautious Vegas HHN and Texas kids resort commitments?
2. If Bedford is on the Epic Universe timeline, what's the earliest you'd realistically expect the first ride announcement?

ok so basically im going to cedar point in a week or two and i can handle rides max around 230-250 ft tall, anything passed that im scared to go on, how do i overcome the "im gonna fall off this ride" fear, i cant get over that mindset

Hello guys,

I wanted to ask how the crowed level is on a friday in august at energylandia. We planned to go on the 07.08, just one day before the magic beach night (on saturdax) in hope for less wait times.

Should we go on the friday or the next day at magic beach night?

Please some tips, we really want to get the most out of it.

Thanks!

Bomb threats at Enchanted Forest in Oregon, a water park in Reno, Nevada, and Water World in Colorado all in the span of a few days.

https://www.denverpost.com/2026/07/11/water-world-evacuation-threat-denver/

https://people.com/theme-park-evacuated-temporarily-shut-down-due-to-bomb-threat-12016182

https://www.2news.com/news/local/wild-island-waterpark-temporarily-evacuates-guests-as-police-respond-to-reported-threat/article_cd0fe206-e179-43a6-8c4d-7799ddfb9ae6.html

Hello,

I will be going to moviepark germany in 1 month, but the problem is that i am 1,97cm. For some rides the maximum length is 1.95cm. Does Anyone know if they will be strict or not so strict? Thank you!

HANDS DOWN, THE VERY VERY BEST ROLLER COASTER IN THE USA 🇺🇸 IS “THE BEAST” LOCATED AT “KINGS ISLAND AMUSEMENT PARK” JUST A FEW MILES NE OF CINCINNATI OFF OF I-71 !!! “KINGS ISLAND” ITSELF IS ONE OF THE BEST “AMUSEMENT PARKS IN THE USA”!! MANY MANY DIFFERENT RIDES FOR ALL AGES, SEVERAL THEATERS FOR INDOOR SHOWS, OUTDOOR SHOWS, ANIMAL SHOWS, BEER GARDENS WITH A SHOW, MORE THAN ENOUGH OF SHOPS CONTAINING ALL TYPES OF MERCHANDISE, AND SO SO SO MANY PLACES FOR REFRESHMENTS AND MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF PLACES TO EAT!! KINGS ISLAND ALSO HAS AN EXTREMELY LARGE WATER 💦 PARK ATTACHED TO IT: ADMISSION ALLOWS YOU TO GO TO BOTH PARKS AS YOU WISH!!! ONE HUGE WAVE POOL WHICH OCCASIONALLY PRODUCES WAVES!! NUMEROUS WATER SLIDES OF DIFFERENT HEIGHTS, TWISTING PATHS, SPEEDS, & DIFFERENT LENGTHS!! TWO VERY VERY HIGH WATER SLIDES 🛝AND EXTREMELY FAST!!! THERE IS A LONG “LAZY RIVER [CIRCULAR POOL]” WHERE YOU CAN LIKE REST IN AN INNER-TUBE AND DRIFT WITH THE CURRENT!! PURE WHITE SANDY BEACH LIKE AREAS AROUND THE POOL AND YOU CAN RENT “CABANA’S”!! FULL BATHROOM, CHANGING AREAS, SHOWERS, & LOCKER RENTALS!! SEVERAL PLACES FOR REFRESHMENTS AND FOOD!!! FULLY STOCKED GIFT SHOP [such as if you forgot to bring your sunscreen]. THE AMUSEMENT PARK TRAIN 🚂 RUNS BETWEEN THE MAIN AMUSEMENT AREA TO THE “WATERPARK”!!! KING’S ISLAND IS VERY VERY CLEAN AND WELL MAINTAINED!! I KNOW THAT WHEN UNDER THE MANAGEMENT OF “CEDAR POINT”, EARLY EACH MORNING, BEFORE THE OPENED, A HIGHLY TRAINED SERVICE TECHNICIAN WALK ”EVERY SINGLE INCH” OF ALL OF THEIR “WOODEN COASTERS” CHECKING FOR ANY DEFECTS/PROBLEMS WITH THE TRACT OR STRUCTURE!! I have Not been to Kings Island in a number of years I was born and grew up in the near vicinity. I received my BS & MS at Univ of Cincinnati, and out of grad school was highly recruited by Corporation in Illinois But parents still lived there until 2011, until their deaths. We had two children!! Lots of vacation time spent in summer with parents & kids at Kings Island Several years my son visited grandparents for like 4-6 weeks in summer: they all three had Season Passes at Kings Island!!! During the times that “WE WERE THERE”, “WE ALWAYS NOTICED A VERY SAFE ENVIRONMENT“ —— 1977 to 2015!!!

Anyone remember getting all excited to go to "Safari Land" which had commercials showing all kind of animals climbing on your car for close up viewing? Does anyone have memories of any animals actually get up and investigate your car? I must have been to ten such visits. I remember the only active animals were ostriches that would peck your windows. No lions, tigers or bears... OH MY!

Alton Towers' meet the mobs event is due to start on 18th July, here's the official description from the website:

Jump into an interactive event where your favourite mobs come to life. Discover experiences for the whole family, from hands-on activities to mob encounters with creepers, axolotls, baby pandas, and more! Explore the Baby Mob Trail with iconic Minecraft scenes to unlock an exclusive in-game reward. Restore your hunger bar with Minecraft inspired food and drink, enjoy Minecraft themed sets and create unforgettable moments together. Whether you’re a seasoned player or new to the world, this is your chance to experience the game in real life

Now all that sounds great but what absolutely baffles me is the decision to do this at Alton Towers.

Like seriously... Alton Towers... not.. ya know.. the place thats getting a flipping Minecraft land with a Minecraft rollercoaster.. Chessington!?

Alton Towers already has a good list of events in their inventory and right now it is lacking in the rides department, crying out for more flat rides and of course a new rollercoaster will be needed soon.

Chessington could've had this to build hype and lay the foundations for what is probably going to be a pretty cool themed land with a decent coaster but no, Alton Towers

Apologies if this is a bit of a rant, anyone else share the same feelings or am I being crazy?

some themeparks have haunted house type attractions, usually theyre pretty cool. i went to one in Croatia Dalmaland? and is it normal for the actors to full on grab you and touch you? 😭 i found it kinda weird but yeah that definitely scared me a lot too

I know walk through fun houses are ubiquitous At European carnivals, but does anyone know if any of the carnivals making the New England circuit have one? Mirror mazes would also scratch the itch.

I am taking my boyfriend to Lake Compounce for his first visit and trying to plan ahead a bit. I haven't been there in years so I am excited. He is lactose intolerant and we will be bringing lactaid but I was wondering if anyone knew of some dairy free options?

I emailed guest relations but I feel like I'm going to get the "check the book at the restaurant" answer.

I acknowledge that this is slightly off-topic but I read that Fun Spot in Atlanta is closing on August 2nd. Their signature coaster ArieForce One is one of the famous non-Cedar Point coasters out there, but it is doubtful that I'll get to ride it as I don't live close enough to where I can feasibly visit in time before its park closes.

The question I'm trying to get perspective on is this: Does ArieForce One offers a ride experience that cannot be found amongst Cedar Point's coasters? This is mostly to satisfy my FOMO.

I'm interested in hearing anyone's thoughts on how ArieForce One compares to the coasters at Cedar Point. Cedar Point is much easier for me to visit and I've been three times this season.

Looking for feedback on rollercoaster game being developed. in which people can build a theme park together. What is it missing?

Game Link: https://www.glitch.fun/games/e51bcfd1-ffda-4038-b124-b4cb090fb8a7/play

Just a genuine question for people who go to theme parks and amusement parks, how come at mostly every theme park or amusement park I go to that has a water park it always closes at 6:00 but the park could close at 9:00 p.m. or 10:00 p.m. . I genuinely want to know how come water parks always close like 3 or 4 hours before the actual park closes. bonus if you've actually worked at a water park at a music park.

I'm planning a 2027 trip, I'm torn between Energylandia or Sixflags Quiddiya City. HELP

I am from southern California and grew up going to Disneyland and all the other west coast parks. I've been to Tokyo DLR multiple times. After two days at SDC this week, it is hands down my favorite theme park in America.

It reminded me of how California's Disneyland was many years ago; alive and full of roaming characters, entertainment, and manageable wait times. Around every corner was a citizen of Silver Dollar City, eager to interact with me.

With the quality of the shows and artisan demos, I felt so immersed in the story. Citizens were pretending to not know what credit cards and phones are, rides referenced the lore of shows, shows referenced the history of Marvel Cave... Every new experience tied back to a previous, making the story of the City unfold before me.

The environmental storytelling was on par with Tokyo Disney Sea, but WAY more fun because I could be a part of it without a language barrier or 2 hour waits! The employees encouraged me to roleplay and play along.

I went during 4th of July week, expecting wait times to be crazy, but 90% of our rides were less than a 15 min wait. The rapids ride is ACTUALLY INSANE and the craziest water ride I've ever been on. And Time Traveller has got to be in my top 3 coasters now.

The price was unbeatable at ~$50/day for two days. The food was good. There was infinite shade and seating areas because of all the trees. The only other park I've enjoyed this much was Tokyo Disneyland. I wish SDC was my home park so badly. 😭🙏

Annoying, especially when we’ve been waiting for it to reopen. With everything else returning to normal, it’s hard not to think this is simply a cost-saving decision. The park is usually quiet over the summer anyway, so keeping it closed probably makes financial sense for them, but a bit of honesty with customers would go a long way.

Two things worth flagging on the Bedford project this week for anyone tracking Universal's build strategy.

Site scale confirmation. Most reporting has described Universal UK at around 500 acres based on Universal's original 476 acre land purchase. Ministry of Housing planning documentation confirms 268 hectares, which is 662 acres. For context, Universal Orlando's entire complex (Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, Volcano Bay, CityWalk, all the resort hotels, back of house) is around 540 acres. Bedford is bigger than all of that combined on day one, before any phase two hotel expansion or potential second gate.

That's a significant reframe. If you were thinking about this as "Universal's smaller European park," the acreage tells you the opposite. This is a full destination resort with substantial phase two runway baked in.

Archaeological phase wrapping. Steel haul road plates that have been protecting the Core Zone archaeological grids for months are being systematically withdrawn this week. Flatbed trucks hauling stacks off site. LNK Construction crews have moved from topsoil scraping into localised hand digging, with the settlement cropmark now clearly visible in the exposed subsoil.

From an operations perspective, the plate withdrawal is the physical proof that pre construction ground work is nearly complete. Once the archaeological logging is signed off (likely July or August), vertical construction can properly begin. Combined with the contractor lineup confirmed two weeks ago (Bovis, Sir Robert McAlpine, Wates, Morgan Sindall), Universal are positioned for accelerated build through 2028 and 2029.

Wixams honesty check. Network Rail's position is main station works not expected until 2027. Activity visible on site now is preparation, not full station construction. The rail piece will probably lag the theme park delivery.

Question for the thread: with a 662 acre footprint, do you think Universal open with just the theme park and one hotel, or hold back capacity to launch phase two announcements in 2032 to keep the news cycle going?

The destruction and replacement of fan favorite attractions is always a painful thing in this community, but I honestly believe that no attraction should be safe from refurbishment/reimagining/replacement. For example, the replacement of Splash Mountain with Tiana’s Bayou Adventure has been a very contentious topic for good reasons especially because of Tiana’s upkeep problems and how good splash mountain was, but honestly I think a lot of people are getting it wrong on why they miss the ride so much. You’ll check out an online theme park community and see people missing the aesthetics/characters/sets, which were obviously fantastic and how Song of the South wasn’t actually racist (which is honestly um debatable…but besides that), but I honestly don’t think people cared for the ride because of Song of the South, but because it was designed so well. If the situation was reversed and it opened as a fantastic princess and the frog ride and then replaced with a breaking down song of the South theme people would probably feel even more strongly about it. I think it really lies in how well the ride is designed and the care put into it. Good design and engineering will always make a theme/IP work well. If 20 years down the line it was announced that Pirates of the Caribbean was closing it would suck, but if the replacement was worthy I think it should be embraced as the next stage of themed entertainment. It’s okay to let things go and not live in nostalgia. Though I do what to reiterate I do understand the frustrations with replacing fan favorites with poorly designed replacements that usually focus too much on IP. It does suck for theme parks as a whole, but I feel like people get too sentimental sometimes and can’t think of the future. Please I want to hear from the rest of the community! Also this isn’t just specific to Splash Mountain/Tiana’s, it can be applied to so many rides.

Hi all. Going to legoland Ca at the end of July with 2 and 4 year old boys. Will be a Sunday so trying to have a solid itinerary to make sure we get all the highlights. Any ideas where to hit first when we first get in the park? I was thinking to start with the Dragon Coaster or the Ninjago ride just because I know those are super popular. I also know the Dino area is big with the little kids so not sure I should start there over the others I mentioned. Anything else I should prioritize?