Happy New Year!

Sending out the good vibes and juju early to all my friends, family, and readers. May 2010 bring prosperity and contentment to all of us. :)

Universal Islands of Adventure

A funny thing happened on the way to Citywalk to hunt for work and meet a friend for lunch. Yeah, as soon as I saw the coasters in the distance...it was all over. The theme park impulse, coupled with new Florida excitement and the severe lack of parks over the last couple summers said "You will go NOW, MISTER!" (Yes my impulses speak in Tackleberry's voice from Police Academy. Why do you ask?)

Needless to say, this snap decision was a good one, especially when your park buddy is carolinacaniac (Gary T) from Theme Park Review. I'd met Gary last year with his friends at Dollywood, so it was a pleasure to hang out again and explore IOA. Oh yes, much comedy insued...

Our first stop was, (what else) Popeye & Bluto's Bilgerat Barges...with a 5 minute wait! Hey, it was around 60 degrees so it was doable. Absolutely loved it and got so soaked! After the 1st ride, I joking said "Wanna go again?" Gary agreed and off we went for another ice cold, spine ripping, drenching and a whole lot of laughs. Yes, 2 rounds of painful cold was plenty, even for me. Keep in mind I was wearing corduroy pants (which are quite heavy when wet) and looked like I showered with my clothes on. One of the ladies on the second go round said, "My fat is shivering!" Later on, I bought a sackpack, and t-shirt/hoodie combo just for something dry to wear.

Here's the short list of what we did:

• Popeye and Bluto's Bilgerat Barges
• Jurassic Park Discovery Center
• Obligatory Harry Potter area pictures
• Whopper Bar at Citywalk (thumbs up on Bourbon Whopper)
• Twister (Cow on Strings!)
• Jaws
• Men in Black (got to duel wield pistols since noone was next to me)
• Amazing Spider Man (almost set off my motion sick, but way fun)
• Gary hit Dueling Dragons and Hulk for both under 5 minute waits

Ok back to the cold and wet thing. Gary and I decided to head to car and hotel for dry clothes after a stop at the BK Whopper Bar. Luckily, one of my duffle bags with dry clothes was still in my car. Unfortunately I had to strip naked to put on said clothes with people walking by and sitting in the car in front of me. Luckily noone looked in. If they did, oh well, I was freezing!

After meeting back up we headed over to Universal, where we got pictures and video of Rockit at night. First stop was Twister to get in out of the cold. Never done the Twister simulated tornado thing, so it was worth a stop. Seeing flying Cow on Strings added to the fun. Twister's que also passes very close to Rockit's track, particularly the part going through the Ghostbuster's firehouse. Gary and I MySpaced with the nearby support for humor's sake.

Next up was Jaws, a classic boat ride I'd ridden before in high school, but didn't remember. Gary ended up in the wet seat and was over in my lap a couple times to avoid the water coming over the side of the boat. Who could blame him after the dousing we got on Popeye Barges?

The next stop was Men In Black, a shooting dark ride and a high priority on my do list. It did not dissappoint. We opted for the well themed que line and about a 30 minute wait. Just before we pulled out of the station, a cast member says "Hey! Go dual wield, all gunfighter style." Who am I to argue with a cast member? Yep, there were some amused folks in line watching a crazy man with 2 blasters and a maniacal laugh pull out of the station. Got spun a lot during the ride but thoroughly enjoyed it. As for my shooting, let's just say the barns are safe, particularly the broad sides.

We took a look at The Simpsons and Kwik E Mart, but skipped the 45 minute wait. Krustyland would wait for another visit, which was just fine.

Earlier in the day, we checked out Jurassic Park after a photo session at the Harry Potter construction. The detail is most impressive and I think it'll be a big hit when it opens this coming spring. Naturally we scanned the dino eggs and watched a rapter hatch. Entertaining, yet didn't these people learn anything from the movie?! And for some reason, I was really craving an omlet...Also shot a rather amusing clip of a toy dinosaur head. (You just had to be there).

With the major wants done at Universal, we went back to IOA for Dueling Dragons, Spidey, and Hulk. If you guessed that I only road Spidey, give yourself a cookie or Dole Whip or something equally gratifying. While Gary hit the coasters for a couple runs each, I sat and posted Twitter and Facebook updates and just soaked in the awesome themeing of IOA.

We briefly stopped back at Popeye to see if anyone was crazy enough to ride in the now dropping temperatures. Yes. There were bigger loonies than me on the water ride. They were brave souls, because even my rapids enthusiasm has it's limits. On a side note, Jurassic Park River Adventure and Dudley Do Right's Ripsaw Falls had 5 minute waits. Not quite sure why though...

Now we get to the 3D awesome that is Amazing Spider Man. I'd heard nothing but good things about this attraciton, and was happy to ride, especially with only a 30 minute wait. BTW, I've never had so much stuff so insanely up in my face. The effects, combined with the motion almost set off my motion sickness, especially during the rising and falling parts. Granted, the vehicle doesn't leave the ground, but the illusion is so convincing that I had to shut my eyes in places. Needless to say, I was not walking straight for a bit after we got off. Did I enjoy it and would I ride again? You better believe it! Besides, it had Doctor Octopus, my favorite Marvel Villian. Oh, and yes we took studly pictures in our style 3D glasses. Lookout ladies! ;)

Gary's ride on Hulk wound up a great impromptu day at IOA. It's one thing to see a new park by yourself, but having somebody cool along with similar sense of humor makes it that much better.

This was definitely one of the best trips to a park I've ever had and I'll remember it for a very long time.

To the folks at Islands of Adventure, from design, to themeing, to rides, Outstanding job!

The Modern Job Hunt

Like many other Americans, I was layed off in 2009 due to bad economy and shrinking budgets. And, like many other Americans, I'm hunting work, both through business connections and online services. This, as many of you know, is riddled with more perils than an Indiana Jones movie.

I've noticed that web forms, while they are designed to gather information quickly and efficiently about a prospective job seeker, are often buggy, offer little flexibility, and go haywire if your syntax is even a hair off, regardless of intent. Case in point, I was trying to register with one particular job site this morning and form balked at the zipcode I put in. "Invalid Zipcode". So I tried two nearby zipcodes, all of which I knew were valid. "Invalid Zipcode". Oh really? Talk with the US Postal service Mr. Script, because, the zipcode you deem invalid, was my successful mailing address for eight years. Still not convinced? Try utilities, phone, car insurance, etc. They will verify the zipcode IS valid. And this is not the first time I've encountered this error.

At this point, time and energy are going into contacting the offending form's site, and then waiting on a response for whatever length of time. If you listen carefully, successful job search productivity is nose-diving. Fuel....Fuel?!

Now, one is introduced to the "Help" system to fix the initial problem. Ah, but you have to register with an automated script (often just as buggy), just like the ORIGINAL system. Now there are or are not additional errors that prevent you from starting a help account...to get the orignal registration fixed. That's two problems and still no solution...AND even MORE time wasted that could be spent job searching. And this is just ONE company dealt with so far.

Say you successfully circumvent all this and register with the job service. The companies that post openings to said service don't always fill out that service's forms correctly and/or force you to register with yet another service they use to handle applicants. This is yet another registration that may or may not fly, in order to apply for a position that you should've been able to apply for through the original job service's system. Remember the plane analogy? Junior, the tail's on fire.

Keeping this thought, multiply this scenario over several job services. If you've spent, say, two hours fighting with these kinds of systems to register for one job, that's only four jobs applied for in an eight hour day. This is not productive for the hopeful seeker or the companies looking for candidates, nor is it any kind of solve for sagging economy. Even so, this is typical and "acceptable" of the 2009 job search. Kind of hard to stay motivated, now isn't it? Anybody know what the rent is on a fridge box these days?

Ah, but there are yet more hidden blowgun darts and collapsing bridges before reaching the idol. Say you do successfully turn in an online application, it may take weeks (or longer) to hear yay or nay. The reasons vary, but typically include "So-and-so isn't here to make the decision," "I don't know but I'll switch you to another department," "We're still reviewing and we'll take our sweet time even though we posted an 'immediate need', " "We don't have our acts together," "Our budget changed and nobody knows what's going on with that," etc. Meanwhile, you're dangling over the snake pit of writhing bills, cutting costs, and dropping things like health insurance to keep you from falling in.

There are yet MORE booby traps on the way to the idol. If there aren't particular buzzwords in your application or resume the word filters can snag (humans don't really sort resumes anymore) it's very easy to get passed up. Some companies are also picking now of all times to run credit checks as a standard, when they did not before, and the specific job didn't require such. So if you're late on the bills, your credit score takes a hit, and you don't get the position...that you NEED...to pay your bills, and improve your credit...because you were out of work vs being irresponsible or not seeking work. Whiskey?

At this time, companies are also complaining about both volume and lack of qualifications in the resumes they do recieve for given positions. The general desperation for work does not register in their minds, nor that if there is a 10% chance someone MIGHT call, that people are willing to apply, qualified or not. Hence, more of the rope bridge to the idol just fell into a bottomless chasm.

Let's review. Flawed and ignored applicaiton and help systems. Communication and decision making failures. Removed human element. Poorly timed and questionable standards. Is it any wonder we, as a country, are in the shape we're in, especially if we depend on things like this to be productive?

Ire aside, this can be a golden opportunity for a lot of people. If you ever wanted to start your own small business, this could be an excellent time. If you're an up and coming programmer, this is a terrific time to not only build a good name, but fix and make more efficient, very poor automated systems. Fixing said systems = greater productivity and happier people.

If you're a business person or decision maker, this is a great time to review and get rid of policies (and methods) that are questionable and/or downright unhelpful to your perspective employees and customers. Good service = happy customers (including the essential repeat customers) who spend money and improve the bottom line. Good service also = happy employees who are more productive and bring in more money.

Like I said, modern job seeking is riddled with more perils than an Indiana Jones movie. It's also VERY easy just to say "to hell with it" and give up looking. If we, as a nation, are to pull out of our current state, some of these issues holding back my fellow job seekers and I need to be addressed. Otherwise very little progress is made and the bigger economy does not improve.

Many of us want and desperately need to work. We need good tools to help us do that.

Greetings From Pleasure Island!

I'm Heeeeerrrreee

The short drive into Orlando was a good one this morning. Was treated to a beautiful sunrise and wowed by how big everything is on International drive. My host is quite cool and glad to get to know him a bit while decompressing today. It's chilly and a little cloudy, but it was still great not to have to wear long johns. Enjoyed wearing my Chacos in December for the first time. Really looking forward to exploring not only Orlando, but Tampa Bay, some of the area zoos and aquariums, and Kennedy Space Center. Might even do Amtrak or a cruise in the next few years. Also be glad to meet many of the internet folks face to face that I've enjoyed discussions with online. This will also be a time to really focus on career and some other deeply meaningful personal persuits. Maybe even improve my spelling and type-o's. ;)

Truly, the newest chapter of adventure has just begun. :)

Thoughts from the Road

Excellent travel day...and definitely not dull! Here in Ocala for the night with 89 miles to go. Here are a few happenings:

* Merge is still a personal challenge around Atlanta.
* Drove by SFoG. Scorcher and Goliath VERY close to the highway.
* Had 10 bites of McDonald's lunch before a kid McHurled in line. Gross, but felt bad for kid and Mom. So much for that meal.
* Hit holiday traffic south of Atlanta. Several of us bailed for gas, food and bathrooms. People were playing volleyball in the gas station parking lot to kill time, even though it was most cold.
* Unless a cop is sitting in the median, speed limits, warning signs, constructions zone, etc are completely useless. There is a Super Speeder law in Georgia and Florida taking effect 1-1-2010. Good luck with that.
* Valdosta has a DairyQueenStuckiesDaysInn. Where else can you find fake jade dolphins and Hot Fudge Sundays...and stay overnight? Awesome!
* NOS energy drink is WONDERFUL stuff. (No wonder I got here after so little sleep...)
* There is actually a place called Butts Mill Farm in Pine Mountain Georgia. Website too.
* Experienced zipcode gas pumps for the first time. You don't NEED my zipcode to sell me gas in the name of identity theft protection. Gas was sold just fine without this "protection" for many years. Lame!
* Florida is a lot darker than I remeber...
* Muldoon (my Aussie voiced GPS named after the Jurrassic Park character) did very well and followed my backup Google maps route. Sor far, no repeat of Memphis by way of Nashville and 6 hours.
* Crossed the Florida state line at 8:36 pm central time after leaving Huntsville at 10:30 am. And there was much rejoicing!
* Enjoyed much of the encouragement and humor from folks on Facebook today. Thank you all for keeping things fun.
* Yes, my arse and the seat are a little too well aquainted. ;)
* Tomorrow is my first time waking up in Florida and it's on a Sunday. That's pretty cool. :)

More soon and best to all! :)

Orlando or Bust

Thought I'd make the trip fun by posting progress for anyone interested. Beautiful weather so far and I'm 98 miles from Atlanta at 1pm. McLunch break. Buzz, my Point Mallard Flamingo is a good co pilot. Kind of the trong silent type though. Doing well. :)

Christmas Goodies and Traditions

Thought I'd share with you all some of the fun things our family does and things I will do during the holiday season. And, of course, there's this year's gift haul:

• Klean Kanteen water bottle
• A Sigg bottle cleaning kit
• World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King
• Kung Fu Panda and Secrets of the Furious 5 DVDs
• Lionel train ornaments for next year's tree (unexpected bonus)
• A Christmas Ferris Wheel to start my Christmas Village next year (unexpected bonus)
• A Hallmark MistleToad (What? It was goofy and made me laugh)
• Some gift cards and help with the move to Florida

One of our longstanding family traditions is King Crab Legs on Christmas Eve. This came about one year while we were in Arizona cleaning out my grandfather's house. We stopped at a place called The Hungry Hunter near Yuma, and on a lark had King Crab Legs (a family favorite). Ever since, we've done this every year like clockwork.

Another tradition is to open one small gift on Christmas Eve as a bit of a warm up for the next day's main event.

One of my favorite traditions started in high school with getting a Klingon Bird of Prey light up ornament. Up until the last couple years, I've collected almost every Star Trek ship ornament there after. This past year, I started collecting the small moving ornaments that have trains or something themepark related about them. The folks ablidged with a light up Polar Express last year and a set of Lionel Diesel engine and passenger cars this year. Eventually, I plan to put a small steam train around the tree base, using a 0-4-0 dockside steam switcher from my childhood. With Disney so close, there might even be a Monorail in the works for future Christmas tree set-ups. (Yes they really have model Monorails!)

Ok, comical new tradition story time. Last night on the way back to the folks after visiting with some dear friends, it was almost midnight. So I put out a text to say "Merry Christmas! :)" at or close to midnight. Well, I spelled it wrong, hence the "Meery Christmas! :)" that did post. Inspiration suggested this goofy mispell become a tradition, and so it shall be. Hey, it's good for a laugh and it adds a bit of character to the blog (like there's not enough already).

Hope you all enjoyed the holidays with your families and loved ones and that whenever you're by yourself, maybe you'll invent some new holiday tradition that makes this time of year more special. My sincere best to all of you and well wishes for good times and prosperity in the coming year.

Merry Christmas One and All

To all my family and friends old and new, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Glad to know all of you through Twitter, Facebook, Second Life, and the like. Your bits of time, humor and support are some of the best gifts anyone could have.

Sincere wishes for a fullfulling and prosperous 2010.

Vibram 5 Finger Outdoor Shoes

Thes are kind of like those rainbow toe socks from the 70's mixed with Teva sandals and Mary Janes. Wacky, yes, but I'd wear them. Thinking about a pair later this summer.

CoCo Key Waterpark Resort to Build in Orlando Florida

Bizjournals.com article: http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2009/06/08/story8.html

CoCo Key company website: http://www.cocokeywaterresort.com/

Looks like there will be another waterpark in the works for Orlando in 2010, and this time, it's indoor!

To waterpark fans like me, this is, of course, great news. I also like the approach these folks are using by purchasing existing properties and modifying them, verses starting from the ground up. Granted, every situation is different and has it's own construction requirements, but this is a smart idea in tough economic times. If the cost to update/modify is less than completely new, why not?

The Wildernesss resorts and CoCo Key resorts will be interesting to watch, particularly in how they grow over the next couple years. Both Great Wolf Lodge and Kalahari resorts (among notable others) have set some interesting benchmarks that other companies MIGHT just have to measure up to in order to stay afloat (yes I meant that). It could come down to types of water attractions or entertainment pairings offered. As an example, Great Wolf Lodge offers MagiQuest at some of their locations as well as water coasters and things like bowl slides.

Even so, it's good to see another park on the horizon, and another unique perspective. Just like with everyone else covered here on the blog, success and well wishes to CoCo Key. You just gave me yet another reason to smile about the move to Orlando.

The Passing of Roy E. Disney

This past Wednesday, just one day after the anniversary of Walt Disney's passing, his nephew, Roy E. Disney also walked into history.

A buddy of mine on Facebook had said that while most celebrity deaths didn't trouble him (he didn't know the people personally), that this one left him feeling more sad. I think I understand why.

Roy E. Disney was one of the last remaining connections to not only the men who conceived the Disney empire, but a simpler, and in many ways, happier time in American society. Being able to see and speak with someone like Roy was a comfort to many. No doubt he had some great stories to tell, and he was a valuable resource about a by gone era.

Many of us, in one small way or another, will miss Roy as well as the rest of those luminaries. True, many of us have never met these people in person, but we still feel a strong connection to them, as well as a measure of gratitude for the wonderful things they've done.

Some of our family joys and best vacation memories are from Disney parks, the same parks that these people literally moved mountains to create. Traditions have sprung from these memorable vacations and brought continued joy throughout the years, weather we were on Disney grounds or not. These include going to the latest Disney animated movies or collecting them on DVD.

I think we can all agree, that Disney feels like a round-about extended family and to lose a member of that family is a sad thing. However, in reflection, it makes one further appreciate and treasure the legacy of Disney. It also makes one smile quietly at the joy that surrounds us as a result.

Thank you to Roy and company for some excellent creativity and some wonderful family memories. With great respect.

World of Warcraft Scam Alert

Just a friendly heads up to the WoW players. If you get a whisper from somebody that looks like Blizzcrd, suggesting you log in to www.wowchristmas.com for free mounts or Christmas presents, DON'T DO IT. They're mining for passwords and logins to exploit.

The login site is an almost exact copy of Battle.net and very convincing. Long story short, I fell for part of this. When it got to the screen to verify my personal information, I realized what was up. My account password got changed as a precaution later on to keep these folks out of it. No damage so far. Hope it stays that way.

Hope this notice is helpful to all, and happy gaming! :)

On a side note, a red and white striped Dawnsaber mount or Polar Bear mount would've been pretty cool, had they existed. ;)

"Your Dawnsaber looks like a candy cane! And what?! Did you swipe one of the Coke bears for a joyride?!"

Blogging Buffet & Nerdly News_December 2009

Well friends, as Sandy Squirrel would say, it's been a "rip-snorting" year of changes. It's also been a year of growth and discovery with even more on the horizon for 2010.

* It seems there's a small exodus going to Orlando in the next several months. I know at least five other friends/families pulling up stakes and moving to the area. Very glad to see and meet my brother and sister park enthusiasts for the first time, face to face. Sure, we've tossed emails and chatted plenty online, but save a few phone calls, I've never met these people. Hopefully all of us have good and safe moves. Then it's time to party like it's on sale for $19.95!
* May have found a really good apartment, in my price range, with some amenities. Phone calls tomorrow to verify, but this one in particular could be a winner.
* As you've probably guessed, I'm starting over from scratch. That's just fine. This is the perfect "do over" and time to apply even more tips and tricks learned over the last couple years. I'm shooting for something similar to my Second Life apartment mock-up. Contemporary/minimalist beach house. Yep, artsy, mod, sculptural, and calming. Throw in some tech and a bit of Internet cafe, and you have the basic idea. When job situation is better, this is gonna be fun to put together.
* Speaking of job situation, a couple buddies have been kind to give some thoughts on what programming and scripting languages to study, particularly in the web development arena. Will take this useful advice while the hunt continues. Thanks Paul and Brian. And thank you too Erik for the leads to check out. All much appreciated. The general career goal is start with Java as a base and then branch out to stand-alone applications, web development, or mobile apps. More research is needed here, obviously, but that's my thinking. May play around with Javascript just for fun, or maybe even try C# and tinker with XNA (as in Xbox development).
* Holiday shopping is almost done and, though it's a smaller Christmas, especially with the current economy, it's ok. Mom, Dad, and I are having a good time and we all agree that being together as a family for a while and a couple of nice quality gifts are more than worthwhile to mark the occasions.
* Dunno about my New Years plans, but after 2 summers of having to cut back on theme parks, you better friggin believe I'm spending my birthday next month at Disney or Universal. Seeing Disney is a treat on it's own, but seeing it on the birthday would be nuclear. (Yes I'm a little excited and trying not to cuss.) ;)
* My Sensei used to say "Training is good medicine." He was right. I've been training a little every day and I feel some progression there too. Still miles to go, but at least the car has gas in it again, so to speak. ;)

Lastly, this move to Orlando is very much a heart and spiritual journey. It's a very very strong calling and as soon as I truly listened, the good things started to happen. There are special things there that are meant for me, but I don't know what they are or how they come into play when it comes to the grand plan. It's partially a leap of faith, and in some ways, a bit scary. Even so, I'm very happy make this journey. :)

Re-Focus and Refinement

Remember those changes I mentioned in the previous post? Well, hold on to your butts, because here they come...

Since I have to sort out my life anyway for the upcoming Orlando move, now was as good a time as any to make some changes that have been on my brain for a while. To start, I've shortened to the above tagline to "Theme Parks and Entertainment". Entertainment is really just my catch-all for random stuff I find interesting and fun to post, beit a restaurant, video game, or whatever. There's a lot of flexibility while still adding the right amount of definition.

I'm also dropping out of Steampunk. While it is still very cool and I love the whimsical creativity, it's becoming more mainstream, and I just don't hang around it enough to bring out anything other than the rare mention here on the blog.

Second Life is also a rare post, especially in the last several months. Save Burning Life (which was fun to see again this year) there just hasn't been very much to explore and cover like before. Frankly, I rarely get on SL any more due to RL commitments and other interests. I'll still jump online occasionally, but it'll be a rare thing if Second Life stories show up here.

Really, it's just time to go back to basics and focus on the bread and butter, namely Theme Parks and Entertainment. I've taken more of an interest in the amusement industry as well as come to enjoy reviewing restaurants. While a food critic I am not, I do like pointing out the good things here and making this art form useful.

Coincidentally, the amusement industry has also taken a mild interest in what I do too. To an enthusiast, this is an exciting thing. I'm also curious to see what happens in the coming year. Will there be more Six Flags blogger conference calls and the like?

Lastly, I'm just a creative nut with a lot of interestes. It's time to narrow down to 2 or 3 and really grow those, rather than have a lot of interests and not progress in any of them. Things like Haiku poetry and martial arts are taking on new facets that are worth picking up again. These offer a good combination of achievement, fulfillment, definition, and personal growth. During this time especially, those traits are needed. So too the resulting confidence.

Translation: All these changes will ultimately equal happier, progressive guy who will write marginally better crap here. Kidding. It'll really mean good things all around.

As always, I'll do my best to bring good quality to the table as well fun and entertaining adventures. Hey, this is for FUN after all.

Moving to Orlando

Yes AGAIN. Yes I just moved to Memphis 3 months ago.

To keep things simple and honorable, I've dearly wanted to live and work in Orlando Florida for the past couple years. It's called to me with deep rezonance that is tough to put into words. The more I tried to put it aside and ignore this call, the louder it became. I would see more and more MyFlorida.com license tags every day, among other signs. This was fate's way of reminding me...over and over.

I've met some great folks in Memphis Tennesee and will miss them. Would love to stay in touch with them. Thank you to all of them for their time, patience, support, and some wonderful opportunities. Great wishes and success to the folks at both Kerlak Publishing and Imagicopter. It's been a pleasure to cover your events and the experience has been a big help.

What I'll find at this calling in Florida, I don't know. I do know, however, that happiness starts from within, and I'll be more happy and at ease in Orlando. From there, growth, prosperity, and tranquility can take root.

For now, expect sporadic Blackberry updates, as that will be my only internet connection for a while. Expect some changes and refinement to the blog to further underscore this new life direction. Above all, just keep good thoughts and warm wishes. Rest assured, all are greatly appreciated and most definitely needed.

Busch Entertainment to Blackstone Group Sale in Final Stages

Here's an interesting article from the Orlando Sentinel regarding the sale:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-cfb-talking-with-jim-atchison-113009-20091129,0,1655400.story

What a gleen from all this is:

• The high quality standard is a major point and important to maintain
• Noone is getting the axe at present
• The degree of noticable changes in how things are done, etc will vary (well, it IS their ball now, so to speak.)

Really, I'm glad to see a deal for the parks so they stay operating, AND that the quality of the parks is kept up. Busch Gardens Europe is one of my favorites and to see it or Sea World drop in quality would be a big shame. Very glad Blackstone is keenly aware of this.

I was curious how all this would play out, what with the Proslide additions to Aquatica next year and the prep work for a rumored new coaster and possible (but not confirmed) new land for Busch Gardens Europe.

Well hey, since this is a friendly blog to the amusement industry, I wish the new Seaworld Parks & Entertainment Group success and look forward to visiting in the coming years.