The first new Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge land is opening to the public at Disneyland in California. Guests will get a chance to walk through the new world of Batuu and interact with cast members, new characters, shop in a marketplace, and drink some blue milk.
One of the major highlights for any Star Wars fan? Standing in front of a lifesize version of the Millennium Falcon. Guests will get to board the ship and FLY it themselves. Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run is one of two new major attractions opening in Galaxy’s Edge.
Unfortunately, I am not in California this morning to check it all out myself. But there is plenty of media there posting photos and videos of everything you’ll find at Galaxy’s Edge. The people at Theme Park Insider posted a video of the full Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run experience. If you want to avoid spoilers of what you’ll see on the ride or the line leading up to it, I would avoid this video. But if you’re like me and can’t get enough of everything Galaxy’s Edge, here you go!
Our sister station KTLA is LIVE at Disneyland all morning for the Galaxy’s Edge opening. I will post any of their video updates here as they come in. I am hoping to get down to Disney World when Galaxy’s Edge opens there later this summer.
From the moment 22 year-old Kodi Lee walked onto the stage on Tuesday night’s “America’s Got Talent,” you knew something special was about to happen. And even knowing that he was going to be great, he STILL blew me away.
Kodi is blind and has autism. He was guided on stage by his mother. Mom says they discovered their son loved music early on his life. He would listen to it and his eyes would get big and he would just start singing.
After a brief introduction to the judges, Kodi walked over to the piano and did something judge Simon Cowell said he would remember for the rest of his life.
Star Wars Celebration is in full effect in Chicago! Yesterday we got our first look at Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker. Today brings Disney Parks to the stage for the Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge panel bringing many more details about what’s coming to Disneyland and Disney World this year!
I was in the Wintrust Arena to get all the details from the panel. We saw a lot of interesting things, and there are still plenty of questions to discuss. Here are some of the updates from the day…
First up, Imagineer Scott Trowbridge took the stage to announce the Star Wars / Disney Parks partnership with FIRST Robotics. They’re all about young people getting involved in robotics. There’s a contest and they’re giving a way a trip to check out Galaxy’s Edge in person.
Josh Gad was the big surprise host for this panel. After starting with a introductory video, he invited our panel onto the stage. Trowbridge showed off more renderings of what we’ll find in Galaxy’s Edge.
They really stressed the detail they’ve put into the world of the planet Batuu. There will be food and drink, including this spot where you can get spit-roasted meat that looks like it was cooked with an old pod-racing engine.
Next it was a brief talk about the upcoming Rise of the Resistance attraction! I was looking forward to hearing a lot more about this….but we didn’t hear that much. They showed this teaser again.
One of the neat things they mentioned – that trailer was shot inside of the attraction. Again, you can see the detail that has gone into it. The Rise of the Resistance ride vehicle was on display at Celebration as well. Here’s a shot of me sitting in it looking way too excited.
Rumor has it this will be a track-less vehicle system that takes you through a building that uses turntables and elevators to make you feel like you’re moving through the galaxy. Oh, and panel host Josh Gad kind of asked about the rumors that the ride will be crazy long. They didn’t deny it – but they also didn’t come out and confirm the length either.
They spent a lot of time stressing the work that has gone into the new storyline for Galaxy’s Edge and all of the detail of the characters. Here are a few examples of that.
THE CANTINA! How many times have you watched the original Star Wars and wished you could visit that place? Well, they had some announcements about what they’re created – including some brand new CANTINA MUSIC!
There were some neat details about the new Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run ride. First, this thing is going to be waaaaay interactive. The way they explained it, you will have the ability to actually fly the ride. That means you can crash it into space junk, or you can be the greatest pilot in the world and come out clean.
But what’s really cool? There is a hallway you walk out of after the ride. That hallway will change based on how much damage you did to the ship. Not quite sure what that will look like, but it sounds really neat. Again, the detail they are putting into this entire land sounds crazy.
More Millennium Falcon. This is the hallway you walk through after the ride. If you damage the ship during your flight, the ship will LOOK damaged after the ride. Incredible. #GalaxysEdgepic.twitter.com/u2TrfQUM5i
Some classic characters like Yoda will be returning – not sure in what form – and yes, Frank Oz is doing the voice work.
They also showed off some of the technology you’ll be able to use all over Galaxy’s Edge, including the Play Disney Parks app. They showed off some of the interactive features and Easter Eggs hidden all over the park.
And finally, they showed off some brand new footage from the actual site. This was really great to see. Renderings only go so far, but to see this level of detail in its real-life form? Wow. This is truly going to be an incredible experience for any Star Wars fan.
How many times have you seen “The Secret Life of Pets?” If you have an eight year-old and six year-old like I do, I’ll set the over/under at 20.
Honestly, it’s one of the movies my kids had on repeat that I didn’t mind watching over and over again. If you have or have ever had a pet, it’s a good time. You can tell the animation team had some fun with this one.
Anyhow, Universal likely sees the same thing. This week they announced a new attraction coming to Universal Studios Hollywood – The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash. They’re calling it a “fully immersive experience” where “guests will assume the roles of stray puppies…on the ultimate quest of finding forever homes.”
Universal goes on to say that it will be an innovative adventure with live and animated characters. You’ll be on a car on a track that zooms through New York City streets encountering different challenges. The ride will be located next to the Despicable Me Minion Mayhem and Super Silly Fun Land attractions.
The new Secret Life of Pets ride will open in 2020. The new Secret Life of Pets movie opens in theaters on June 7, 2019.
If you’ve ever been to a monster truck rally you know what that’s all about. This week three Cedar Fair parks announced a new attraction that will be traveling around – Monster Jam Thunder Alley. Here’s what you’ll find.
Five Monster Trucks – Grave Digger, Max-D, Megalodon, Zombie and El Toro Loco. You’ll be able to get inside of these trucks, snap a picture, and feel what it’s like to be behind the wheel. No, you’re not going to drive them!
Monster Jam Freestyle Ride – Yes, there WILL be a ride! You’ll board a 10 passenger Grave Digger and Megalodon that will take you through a freestyle course. They say there will be obstacles, but will you be going off ramps, flying high in the air and smashing cars? I wish. Either way they say you’ll get to “feel the roar.”
Garage, Pit Party and Treats – A garage experience will let you see what these trucks are like and how the engines work. The pit party will let you create your own mini track. And yes, there will be food and drinks.
So where is this heading? It will be at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio from May 18-June 30, Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia from July 20-September 2nd, and Dorney Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania from September 14-November 3rd. It’s included with admission.
If you check it out, be sure to tell me what you think!
The entertainment world lost some big names. Daryl Dragon of Captain and Tennille died, WWE announcer Mean Gene Okerlund also passed away, and we lost legendary comedian Bob Einstein.
Einstein was most recently known for his work as Marty Funkhouser on “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” but I remember him most as Super Dave Osborne. He made countless appearances as the death-defying stuntman on late night shows and other specials. Super Dave knew how to set up a bit. It was always a slow burn full of subtle humor, leading up to a major stunt that was destined to fail in hilarious ways.
Over the last 24 hours I’ve been watching so many classic Super Dave clips. We shared a few of these on WGN Morning News this morning. I forgot how funny he was.
Bob Einstein was 76 years old and he will be missed. Here are some of Super Dave Osborne’s best moments…
Super Dave Osborne and the Car Crusher
Super Dave Osborne’s Catapult Slam Dunk
Super Dave Osborne “King of the Road”
Super Dave Osborne and the Chair Ski
Super Dave Osborne and the Computer Car
Super Dave Osborne rides the Revolution roller coaster
Super Dave Osborne vs. the wrecking ball
Super Dave Osborne on Letterman
Here he shows off some new boxing technology. One of his many hilarious appearances…
It’s January 2nd. It’s cold outside. Snow is on the ground. Holiday in the Park festivities are over. The long, grueling off season is upon those of us who choose to live in cold weather regions.
It’s a good time to dream about the better days ahead. There are some really great roller coasters opening in 2019.
I decided to countdown the 11 rides I’m looking forward to riding the most. This list is completely subjective. I’m excited for ALL of these rides, but you have to have some priorities, right?
Let’s get to it! Here our my top 11 roller coasters opening in 2019.
It stands just 16 feet off the ground? Yep. It tops out at just about 30mph? Yep. Yet still, Tidal Twister is interesting. It’s a powered coaster that travels on a single rail with two trains that appear to duel each other. That could be fun enough.
Should this be considered a roller coaster, though? Does it ever actually coast on its own power? We can debate that when we see it in action, but to me, it’s all about whether or not this thing is fun to ride. It looks like that could be a big yes.
I cannot wait to see what Dollywood’s Wildwood Grove will feel like in person. The park is adding a massive expansion with all kinds of attractions, including a Vekoma suspended roller coaster. Judging from the construction pictures and videos from enthusiasts like the one you see above, this thing looks like another solid edition to the park. I love that Dollywood is investing in attractions that target intermediate riders. I’m talking about people who are ready to move on from kiddie rides, but might not be ready for the intensity of a Lightning Rod. Firechaser Express is one of my favorite roller coasters in this category, and Dragonflier looks like it could be another solid addition. Can’t wait to see an official POV.
I was pronouncing this incorrectly for way too long. It’s TIE-gris, like tiger. Why was I saying Ti-gris like tigger? That’s why you come to me for hard hitting coaster analysis. Anyhow, Tigris is builded as Florida’s tallest launch coaster. It’s made by Premiere Rides. It will launch you forwards and backwards until you get enough momentum to hit the inversion 150-feet in the air.
The park has been posting some really fun construction updates, too. You can see one of them here…
You’ve been to shopping malls. Maybe you’ve been to shopping malls that have rides in them. This is not one of those shopping malls.
American Dream is being built about 4.5 miles outside of New York City and it’s billed as an “experiential complex.” It’s a shopping center for sure, but they say 55% of the complex will be geared towards entertainment. Phase 1 of this thing is 3 MILLION square feet. That’s big.
A big part of the complex will be an indoor Nickelodeon Universe theme park that will feature two record breaking roller coasters. One will be a Eurofighter style coaster that will take you straight up vertically until you clear the roof of the building. When you’re up there, you’ll be in a glass tower where you can admire the Manhattan skyline. Then you go down the 121.5 degree first drop. That’s the steepest drop of any coaster in the world. They’re also building the world’s longest spinning coaster. This place looks like it will be a must visit whenever it opens.
We don’t know much, at least officially, about what Universal Studios is building in the place of the old Dragon Challenge ride. That ride had two dueling inverted coastersr. I never rode it, but I knew people who LOVED that ride when the coasters actually used to duel each other. Universal shut it down to make way for this new Harry Potter concept. Again, they haven’t said much, but the teaser art you see above leads us to believe it will have a Forbidden Forest theme to it. They’re also building some kind of indoor structure. It appears you will travel inside and outside during the ride.
They’ve done a great job at keeping this under wraps, but it has been fun to read all of the rumors and predictions. Here’s one of the more thorough predictions I found. Imagine if this ends up being accurate? Oh boy…
It was great to hear that Kentucky Kingdom cleared some hurdles to make this new roller coaster a reality. It’s a Gravity Group wooden roller coaster that will be perfect for those younger riders looking to take that next step onto something more thrilling. It features a 45 foot drop and a 35mph top speed, but the big selling point here, the height requirement is just 40 inches! That’s pretty cool.
Can you believe I’ve never been to Magic Mountain? It’s embarrassing. As your Roller Coaster Bureau Chief I am ashamed. Add this to the ever growing list of reasons why I must finally make my first visit.
West Coast Racers is a Premiere Rides concept that will feature two trains racing each other, all of it themed after the West Coast Customs team. You’ll hit a top speed of 55mph with all kinds of crazy turns and inversions, then you go back inside before launching AGAIN on the other track. It will be a three minute ride overall. Sounds like yet another really fun concept Magic Mountain.
It’s too bad they’re launching a Pittsburgh Steelers themed roller coaster after such a disappointing end to their season. The ride looks to be as wild as the stories coming out of the locker room.
Steel Curtain is an S&S coaster featuring a chain lift that will take you 220 feet into the air. You’ll hit a top speed of 75 miles per hour before hitting nine inversions. That’s right. NINE. That’s a North American record. One of those inversions is 197 feet in the air. That’s another record.
Cedar Point’s Valravn was my first ever B&M dive coaster. At the time it was the biggest one in the world. Not anymore.
Canada’s Wonderland, a fellow Cedar Fair park, steals that title with Yukon Striker. The first drop is 245 feet – 90 degrees straight down! And you drop into a tunnel that looks way too small to be possible from that high in the air. Hanging from the drop and looking at that tiny opening is going to be something special. It also features a fun vertical loop. I will be taking my first ever trip to Canada to ride this thing. Can’t wait.
This Mack rides concept starts with a twist, putting you right into a slow barrel roll as you leave the station. It’s a sign of fun things to come as the ride takes you through multiple launches and all kinds of neat inversions.
Oh, and it’s LONG. Check out the POV above. This is sure to become a park favorite and looks very re-rideable. Pumped for this.
Come on. You know I had to rank this #1. It’s my home park and I was absolutely SHOCKED when this was teased and then announced. Heading into last season and looking ahead to 2019, I thought something like a water coaster would have been in the works. Down the line people dream about the American Eagle getting RMC’d. But never did I imagine they would tear down the Pictorium to squeeze in a full circuit launch coaster. Oh, and a full circuit launch coaster with a North American record for fastest acceleration on a launch? I was blown away.
This S&S air launcher will send riders from 0-78mph in 1.8 seconds. That’s insane. Think about it. Count to two while you’re sitting down. Now imagine before you hit the number two you will be traveling at nearly 80 MILES PER HOUR.
I’ve never been on any of the other S&S air launchers that feature this kind of power. Dodonpa uses the same technology but goes even faster, sending you to 111mph in that same time. Robb Alvey of Theme Park Review posted a video showing what this feels like..
Bullet Coaster in China is a similar speed to what you’ll find on Maxx Force. The launch hits about 83mph…
Maxx Force will feature an inversion at the top, as well as what they’re calling the world’s fastest inversion later in the ride. It will be a short ride, but really, you’re going on this thing for the launch. And the launch will have an AIRTIME HILL on it. What?
It’s going to be fascinating to see this thing go up and how they were able to fit it into such a tight space. So excited for this launch and I’ll be bringing you as many construction updates as I can throughout the off season. Here are a few of my updates so far!
What do you think? What roller coasters opening in 2019 are you looking forward to riding the most?
So we can just walk in? Where’s the person taking our ticket? Where do I scan my fingerprint? Wait – don’t I have to pay to park in this lot? And these food prices – do I need a special pass to get these or something?
It seems too good to be true. Tucked into a small, wooded valley in Elysburg, Pennsylvania is one of the world’s most unique amusement parks. Knoebels Amusement Resort, often referred to as Knoebels Grove, dates all the way back to the 1920s.
What’s so unique about it? Start with the “free admission” concept. There is no cost to enter. There is no cost to park. You pay for whatever you want to do. Feel like riding one coaster? That’ll be a few bucks. Want to ride everything all day long? You can buy a pass to do that for about $40 or so, depending on what it is you want to do. The bottom line? You have options.
My father Dan grew up just a short drive away in Shamokin, Pennsylvania. He says Knoebels was always like this – family run and geared toward family experiences. When he was a kid everybody went to Knoebels for the “Crystal Pool.” It was one of the only large filtered-water pools in the area. It put Knoebels on the map.
Seven decades later and that pool is still here. It’s still a major draw and they’ve added some water slides. But Knoebels has gotten bigger attention for some of the thrill rides they’ve added over the years. We were here to ride..
PHOENIX
It’s a double out and back wooden roller coaster designed by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters. It origins date all the way back to 1948. It was known as Rocket back then when it operated at the Playland Park in San Antonio, Texas. It closed there in 1980 and was purchased by Knoebels. They shipped the ride to Pennsylvania, restored it, and reopened it in 1985.
Today, Phoenix is widely regarded as one of the best wooden roller coasters in the world. Why would this old thing still be ranked so favorably? It’s only 78 feet tall. It hits a top speed of just 45 miles per hour. What’s the big deal?
The airtime. There are so many hills on this coaster that take you out of your seat. And it’s an old school ride which means a lap bar that leaves you more free to raise out of that seat. The manageable height and speed work in Phoenix’s favor, too. A lot of people can ride this! I took my 83 year-old father on it, but my mother was next up and had to ride it, too.
The ride is simply 3,000 feet of fun. Check out my full ride with my Dad and you’ll see what I’m talking about….
We walked around the park and he told me about some of his memories from when he was a kid there in the 1940s. There was one place he had to revisit.
THE FRENCH FRY STAND
You’ll see people lined up at the concession to get their hands on these fresh cut fries. And at the very end of the line you’ll see giant jugs of vinegar to douse them in. My dad walked me through how this works….
Here are some of the other highlights at Knoebels…
THE HAUNTED MANSION
This is an awesome, old school funhouse style dark ride. The kind of ride where you sit in little cars and ride on a track, banging through doors while all kinds of animatronics jump out at you. It’s consistently ranked one of the top dark rides in the world and it’s easy to see why. Watch the faces of people getting off of it -everybody has an absolute blast. This is a MUST ride – just ask my parents! LOL
FLYING TURNS
When the Knoebel family decided they were going to recreate this classic wooden bobsled ride, most of the theme park world thought they were crazy. These rides don’t exist anymore. Knoebels had to go back to old blueprints and try to recreate it. The process took them SEVEN YEARS but the ride was finally completed and it’s now an enthusiast favorite. I didn’t get a chance to ride this when I was there – you better believe I’ll be back to do so.
TWISTER
Here’s another Philadelphia Toboggan Company coaster that’s been operating since 1999. It’s 100 feet tall, so it’s taller and faster than Phoenix. Many of the enthusiasts I have talked to say Twister is one of the more overlooked wooden coasters out there. Phoenix gets all of the acclaim but don’t forget about Twister. I’ll be back to ride this one as well.
IMPULSE
This steel coaster is one of the newest rides at Knoebels. It’s 98 feet tall with a straight vertical lift. It takes you upside down four times.
COTTAGES
The cabins throughout the park definitely set Knoebels apart. The Knoebel cottages have existed for decades and they’re still here today. You can rent many of them out and they’re close to the action. So you can wake up in the morning and stroll into the amusement park and ride all of your favorite attractions! When we were there we saw quite a few families strolling around with their dogs in their pajamas. You don’t see that at the major theme park chains!
Here’s the Covered Wagon cottage…
Or how about staying in an old school house?
Or a log cabin?
You can check out all of the cottages for rent HERE.
CAMPGROUND
There is also a large Knoebels campground available. I wasn’t able to see this while I was there but it’s definitely a popular option. More details HERE.
We were only able to spend a few hours at Knoebels this time, but I plan to get back there with the family soon! I’ll have a full trip report then. For now you can see my full “Coastin’ The Country” story in the video player at the top of this post! You can see more of my “Coastin’ the Country” reports in my thrills section here.
