There's a big update coming to Six Flags Great America's Hurricane Harbor in Gurnee, Illinois next year.

Tsunami Surge will be the tallest water coaster in the world, towering over the park's Riptide Bay area at over 86-feet tall. Water-blasting jet propulsion technology will power riders through more than 950 feet of enclosed tunnels and open air slides at speeds above 28 mph. The 25th attraction within Hurricane Harbor, Tsunami Surge will be the first ride at any Six Flags park to use AquaLucent visual events to create "mind-blowing bursts of colors and dreamlike patterns, intensifying the ride experience."

“Six Flags is the undisputed leader in delivering record-breaking rides and world-class thrills,” says Six Flags Great America Park President Hank Salemi. “The new Tsunami Surge water coaster is in a class all by itself, defying gravity to blast riders uphill through 950 feet of exhilarating drops, twists and turns. This exciting, new addition is the perfect complement to an already incredible lineup of the biggest and most innovative attractions in the Midwest.”

Tsunami Surge is scheduled to open during the park's 2020 operating season.

Six Flags Entertainment Corporation kicked off Independence Day in style this year, partnering with the Coca-Cola to set a new record for the Biggest July 4th Toast in the U.S. 

A total of 22,555 guests and team members across 11 Six Flags theme parks — including Six Flags Great America here in Illinois — raised a Coca-Cola beverage to toast America and usher in the annual Coca-Cola July 4th Fest. This year's event features exclusive ride times through July 6, with new Coca-Cola Cool Zones, and a spectacular fireworks show to close each night.

It's been said that "life finds a way," and in 2019 it's going to be evolving... at least in terms of Universal Studios Hollywood and their famed Jurassic Park - The Ride. Announced today, the all-new Jurassic World Ride will be coming to the park next year, drawing from favorite elements of the original ride, but in a next-generation form - a thrill ride that will be "a fully reimagined iteration of the ground-breaking adventure, elevating every facet of the experience. With the introduction of never-before-seen dinosaurs, enhanced storytelling, lush scenic design, an entirely new color scheme and uncompromised state-of the art technology, the ride will capture elements never experienced within a theme park." Now, the "Countdown to Extinction" has begun as guests from around the world are invited to experience the ride before its transformation. Jurassic Park - The Ride will have its finale on September 3, 2018. Check out a teaser below!

The Clown Prince of Crime will officially arrive in Lake County, Illinois next year as THE JOKER Free Fly Coaster comes to Six Flags Great America in Gurnee for the 2017 season. Continuing a long-running partnership with DC Comics/DC Entertainment, THE JOKER will also be built at parks in New England and Texas, while this year's JUSTICE LEAGUE BATTLE FOR METROPOLIS 4D will be installed at three additional parks and the WONDER WOMAN LASSO OF TRUTH at two. THE JOKER is touted as being "one of the most unique rides in park history," with riders flying high-above the park in "wing cars" that face other riders. 

One of my favorite places on the planet is Universal Studios Hollywood - despite having only spent a little under three hours there in February of 2014 on what I dubbed my "World's Fastest One-Man Tour of Universal Studios" (though I have visited Universal CityWalk a few times). The pictures were on my socials as I had just enough time to make my way down the hill to TRANSFORMERS: THE RIDE, back up to the famous park tour (thankfully, no lines!) and a walk around to soak in the vibe before hitting the gift shop and heading for LAX (I'd been in town on a project and the folks at NBC Universal were kind enough to spot me a badge for a quick visit). Now there's even more reason to head back (as if my girls' love of the MINIONS and my wife's HARRY POTTER fixation wasn't enough), as FAST & FURIOUS--SUPERCHARGED has been revealed to be opening on Thursday, June 25, 2015. Today, Universal Studios Hollywood sent over a link of some first-look footage of the new attraction, and you can see it below...

When we kicked-off our first-ever family road trip earlier this month, my wife and I did a fantastic job of keeping our destinations largely a secret from the little ones. In fact, they only knew of one stop (Chocolate World), and that's because Addie caught me looking at it on the computer prior to our journey. The centerpiece of our trip was kept well under-wraps, and keeping it a surprise until we entered the gates was completely worth it as the reactions were priceless. After spending the night in Philadelphia, the family and I headed for Langhorne, Pennsylvania - home of SESAME PLACE - the Nation's only theme park based entirely on SESAME STREET.