What trips are you planning for 2017?

Our first trip of the season is next Saturday to SF Great Adventure. We are going to BGW on April 6th for the opening of Invadr on April 7th. Then going to Kings Dominion on the 8th. Going to Hersheypark's Springtime in the park the last day on April 16th. Knoebels for opening weekend April 29th. Also have a Myrtle Beach trip planned the first week of June and will visit Family Kingdom. Also a side trip to Carowinds for a day to ride Fury 325.

What's trips does everyone have planned already?

We're possibly going to do a Kentucky Kingdom/Holiday World/Kings Island trip. My wife isn't quite the coaster fan that I am and is pretty much content with Disney, but she's willing to indulge me every now and then since she knows how passionate I am about parks and coasters.

We're also headed out to Seattle, so I'm going to see if maybe we can spend a few hours at Enchanted Village.

Why would anyone think I'm planning trips for 2017?!

Six Flags Fiesta 1st week of May and Alton Towers at end of May. SFOT and Carowinds some time after that. Possibly Lagoon and/or Waldameer around Labor Day. upsdownsandupsidedown.com

I have Kings Island and Cedar Point on the list for trips this year. Actually, I am needing advice on the trip to Cedar Point. I am going for two days and was checking out staying at Sandcastle Suites. I need some opinions on staying there, ie how nice it is, amenities, etc. The price is what attracted me to the place. Also, it says it is located within walking distance. Not exactly sure how long walk that would be?

I'm going to Epcot tonight because it's March 24.

^March 24th is a good day to go to Epcot.

^^ It's been a while since we've stayed at Sandcastle Suites but it was decent when we stayed. If you look on trip advisor you'll see bad reviews. I am pretty sure the rooms have been renovated in the last few years.

It's not a far walk to the park, but I suggest taking the free shuttle up to the Marina entrance and you won't have to walk far at all. From our room to the magnum entrance wasn't far at all. A few minutes.

We enjoyed the outdoor hot tub after spending the day in the park. Pool was nice. We also enjoyed being able to walk out on the beach and beachside side walk. You can use any of the amenities of any resort on the Peninsula via the free shuttle so plenty of dining options. We almost always visit Famous Daves because we don't have locally here.

We typically stay off site, but have stayed at Sandcastle Suites and Breakers Express.

See my signature,

Highlights for me this year:

-Using my as much WDW AP until it dies

-Coasterstock 2017 @ KI

-Returning to Universal for Halloween Horror Nights 27 and picking up an AP for next year

-Seeing Pandora

-New Magic Kingdom Firework show, hoping the show finally is the showstopper Disneyland's normal show is

New Coasters:

- Lightning Rod (if the thing is open)

- Mystic Timbers

-The new water coaster at Volcano Bay (that kind of counts right)

-CoasterMania! at Cedar Point 6/1-6/3

-Cedar Point & CP Shores 6/22-6/25

-Carowinds & Kings Dominion late August, on the way home from Myrtle Beach for the Solar Eclipse (or the apocalypse as my son calls it)

-Cedar Point first or second weekend of HalloWeekends (Midnight Syndicate sold this trip)

-Dorney Park (Coaster Madness?) 10/7-10/10. We were thinking about Hersheypark as well that weekend but they aren't open Columbus Day weekend.

-Multiple day trips to SeaBreeze & Darien Lake, probably Camp a couple nights at Darien Lake

I'm trying to find a way to get to Kings Island to squeeze a little more out of this Platinum Pass!

Bobbie1951 said:

Possibly Lagoon and/or Waldameer around Labor Day.

Lagoon "and/or" Waldameer? That's ambitious. I think someone has taken the "As long as you're going here, why not go here" a little too agressively. :)

There is no "and" around Lagoon any more, so I'm thinking she meant either: Seabreeze and/or Waldameer; or MFI and/or Waldameer; or Darien and/or Waldameer. Nobody really goes to MarineLand. ;-P

MarineLand... Now there's a whole new conversation to itself.

I live in PA and still haven't visited Waldameer and Conneut Lake. Also Kennywood since its been a few years.

Also have never made the trip to Darien Lake and parks in the region. I'd like to visit MarineLand. ;-)

I'm probably going to only visit local parks this year. Dorney, Great Adventure, Hershey and Knoebels with a possible trip to Ocean City, NJ to ride Gale Force and the other new coasters there.

Just got back from
knotts/Magic Mountain/Disneyland parks

May - cedar point/kings Island
June - Holiwood Nights
June or July - SFGAM
October - Worlds of Fun
December - Dollywood

Probably one more trip will get added in August or September .

For all you trip planners; we just got back from Dollywood, and Lightning Rod was running pretty well with 2 two trains and some random 30 minute or so downtime through out the day. I recommend downloading the Dollywood app as you can see how well it's running. Managed 4 rides without really trying too hard. It is a fantastic ride!

Coasterfantom2- You're not missing anything spectacular at Darien Lake. If you're in the area, it's worth a stop. But don't go out of your way to check it out.

I'd say that the Buffalo area would make a pretty good weekend coaster getaway for someone who is within a reasonable driving distance. You've got Darien Lake, Martins Fantasy Island, and Marineland all within 30-40 min of each other, and Seabreeze just an hour away from DL. All are small enough that they can be combined over a weekend, and each have enough standout rides to make them worth a visit. While none I would consider a destination in itself, the total package I'd argue is.

Plus you've got Niagara Falls, and Lechtworth State Park is worth a visit as well.

Someone from maybe Cleveland, Pittsburgh, upstate NY, etc would find this a worthwhile trip.

Probably wouldn't fly to it, though, as you could do much better once you've committed to air travel.

*edit* to qualify my "standout rides" comment relative to Marineland, I'd say that Dragon Mountain is a unique experience unlike any other. It is, IMO, one of the "better" Arrow loopers and worth visiting for.

I already did trips to Cancun and Tokyo this year and I have a few more international trips planned. My current goal is to ride every B&M Inverted Coaster in the world and so far, I have been on 20. I am missing 11, but one of those is up in the air as Entertainment City in Kuweit is not operating their Batman the Ride clone right now according to RCDB. My main goal this year beside IAAPA events is to work on finishing the set.

For April, I am off to Nanchang, China for a local coaster event from the first Chinese roller coaster club. On the menu is ERT on both main coasters at Wanda Park Nanchang: Coaster Through the Clouds, an Intamin Hyper Coaster and Python in Bamboo Forest, the biggest coaster GCI has ever built.

For May, I figure a trip to Europe to ride a new innovative Intamin Giant Drop and ride the Raptor clone in France is in idea.

For June, I am off to Singapore to attend the Asian Attraction Expo from IAAPA. On the way there, I may stop in Japan to attend a wrestling event.

In the summer, I need to do Texas (3 Inverted Coasters) and Missouri (2 Inverted Coasters).

I am going to Shanghai Disneyland and Happy Valley Shanghai in October. This will complete my set of Disney resorts around the world.

Like every year, I will end the year in FL at the IAAPA Attraction Expo in Orlando. I will go to Volcano Bay.

As for new for 2017 major rides:

- Golden Driller at Fraispertuis City in France. Picture a tiny, postal stamp size park with 300 000 guests annual attendance buying a 240 feet tall Giant Drop from Intamin. Next, theme it to the hilt and for kicks, throw a different type of car on each of the 4 sides. One side sitdown with new style lap bar, one side sitdown that tilts forward, one side Floorless tilting (Acrophobia at SFOG) and the last Stand-Up that tilts like Apocalypse at Drayton Manor.

- Project V at Europa Park. A brand new Flying Theatre experience from Brogent Technologies that will take riders around Europe. Brogent is the company that manufactures the "Panoramic Flight Simulator" on the Vekoma website.

- Mine Blower at Fun Spot America in Kissimmee.

- Volcano Bay.

- The Joker at SFOT and possibly SFNE.

- Pegase Express at Parc Asterix. Its a new version of the fun Firechaser Express from Dollywood themed around a wacky Greek Temple where you will encounter Medusa.

Well, that schedule's hard to beat.
I'm going to Carowinds on Friday...

I would second the NY, Pa. swing. One long weekend we went to the New York State Fair in Syracuse, then on the way back to Ohio we hit Seabreeze (first time), Fantasy Island (not since I was a small kid), and Waldameer (always). Another overnight was in Buffalo, so it was quite doable.
We skipped Darien because I'd already been there, and... no.