[arby]

As we start nearing the end of the operating system for a majority of the country, it's always time for me to start planning out our trips for the following year. This allows me to start budgeting for the trips and decide what passes I need to buy this year. I also like seeing where others plan on going next year, despite the fact that we all know the plans are fluid and subject to change.

Where are you planning on going next year?

Right now, I'm tentatively planning on the following trips:

Spring Break:
Silver Dollar City
Six Flags St. Louis
It won't be finalized until their 2015 calendars come out. Based on the 2014 calendars, they will both be open for Spring Break.

Summer Northeast Trip:
Playland
Quassy
Lake Compounce
Six Flags New England
Canobie
Funtown Splashtown
Palace Playland
Hersheypark
Knoebels
Depending on work, we may also hit the following the same trip and also snag a few credits in New Brunswick.
Great Escape
La Ronde

Of course we'll be hitting:
Carowinds
SFOG

We always do a fall trip somewhere but I haven't thought that far ahead.

[Edwardo]

Japan. Right, Jay?

[tarheel1231]

I think I'll spend my summer at Carowinds because I doubt my parents would want to travel. And I'm just okay with that

Maybe in 3-4 years I'll be able to travel somewhere else after Fury 325's new-ness (Excuse my poor grammar) has warn off. I do want to go to the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton so I'll most likely be going to Kings Island and or Cedar Point.

[Jonathan]

Carowinds, Great Adventure, and Six Flags New England are the only things set for now as I just bought a Six Flags pass for $60 with free gold and parking upgrade (ever wonder how Six Flags parks are always insanely crowded but they are always in financial trouble? There's probably part of your answer).

[coasterbruh]

My "coaster goal" is to go to a park I have never been to, an international location, and my annual epic halloween adventure. I almost did the "international thing" this year by going to canada's wonderland but decided against it. Guess I will be planning for a 2016 trip there. So far...

Holiday world (and the parks surrounding)
Epic Halloween adventure (busch gardens tampa, universal orlando-islands of adventure, universal hollywood, knotts then disneyland-california's adventure).

Its kinda hard because I travel alone due to everyone I know is still living in the ghetto...

[arby]

Carowinds, Great Adventure, and Six Flags New England are the only things set for now as I just bought a Six Flags pass for $60 with free gold and parking upgrade (ever wonder how Six Flags parks are always insanely crowded but they are always in financial trouble? There's probably part of your answer).

That was a key factor in our plans for next year. When I saw the same thing as you, I bought us a four pack of Six Flags memberships at $50 each with same free upgrades. I thought the same thing about their financial trouble. What's even worse is as long as I keep paying the small monthly fee of $16 per month (for all four of us, mind you), I am supposed to be able to keep my gold pass forever at that rate.

[Tawny71]

Arby...on your spring break trip, are you dead set of SFSTL? If not, I'd suggest checking out Worlds of Fun. It's a Cedar Fair park, so you could get a platinum pass and then have your admission covered. Kansas City is much closer to Branson than St Louis, and (IMO) a much better area to visit. I LOVE KC! It's a beautiful place, there's lots of history, and the people are awesome. Spring break in that part of the country is much earlier than ours, so their parks typically open pretty early in the year. If you have any questions about SDC, that's my old home park, so I am happy to answer them for you.

We don't really have any plans for next year, but I'm hoping for a trip to Virginia for Kings Dominion and BGW, and another to SFoG. My brother lives on Martha's Vineyard, so I'm hoping to do a day trip off island to SFNE while we're up there.

[Edwardo]

SFNE is a beautiful park but operations in New England parks seem terrible. Love Lake Compounce tho. I'd like to get to SFNE next year for Wicked Cyclone.

[Jonathan]

I agree about Worlds of Fun. Six Flags St. Louis is okay, but Prowler is probably better than anything there and WoF is a surprisingly nice park. I couldn't believe how much trees and theming there was for a Cedar Fair park. I love the city of St. Louis though. Haven't really spent time in KC.

[Merthecat]

Carowinds for me

[arby]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. It's a long story....

We were actually considering platinum passes for next year but when Six Flags announced that they were essentially giving away gold passes, our plans changed. Additionally, our summer trip next year was supposed to be to Colorado but we're running into some scheduling concerns so Colorado got pushed back a year. Since my daughter's boyfriend's dad lives in NH and we've never been to New England, we decided to pencil that trip in, instead. It is getting us closer to traveling as a family to all 50 states and 13 Canadian provinces.

So spring break is primarily to Branson, MO. I penciled in SFSTL since we now have gold memberships. It was only intended to be a part-day stop, anyway. We drive right past WOF on our way to Colorado so we'll hit that in 2016, instead. We have actually stayed overnight in KC on our last 2 trips to CO (before I was a coaster fanatic so I never hit that park or any CO parks, for that matter ). Thanks for the tip, though!

Thanks for the tip on NE park operations, Edwardo. Based on that information, I may have to scratch a stop or two.

Our trips aren't all about parks and coasters. We just hit the major parks and any others we've heard about that are worth our time and money. If anybody has advice on things we just *have* to do, please let me know and I'll look into scheduling them into our trips.

[Tawny71]

If you like Pigeon Forge, you'll love Branson. There's a lot of traffic, but if you're going during our spring break, kids out there will be in school, so it shouldn't be too bad. Branson is THE place to go for all the people from where I used to live (northwest Arkansas). Seriously, if you look at my fb feed during their spring or summer breaks, it's filled with all my friends' trips to Branson. If you need any advice about your trip, let me know. We used to go there all the time. I know y'all are outdoorsy, so there are lots of options for outdoor activities around there. Oh, and be sure to drive past the intersection of 65 and 365 so you can enjoy the beautiful site of the Ozark Wildcat. Seriously a beautiful little woodie that has just been sitting idle for years.

[arby]

Thanks! I'll get up with you once we get closer. Right now I'm just doing 'big picture' planning. This will be our first time to Branson. Arkansas is a beautiful state. We had a great time at the Crater of Diamonds when we stayed a day there on our way back from Colorado in 2009.

I think a trip report that Jonathan wrote had a picture of the Ozark Wildcat. It was sad. I'm a big fan of woodies and it's sad to see a SBNO one.

[aron]

For now its

Carowinds all year

Bush Gardens Williamsburg

I'm talking to my parents about Cedar Point for when I get out of school, thing is I'm like the only coaster fanatic in the family and they all are Disney freaks , so I have to really persuade them and so far my parents really like that there is Hotel on site Well fingers crossed and can anyone give me some tips on how to persuade.

[B&M 4 Ever]

There's a merry go round museum in sandusky.