Six Flags Discovery Kingdom Update - February 25th, 2023

Flash Coming Back in 2023! And Other Ride Updates

I have a treat for you today! On my visit today to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom I found an unexpected but very exciting sign for Flash: Vertical Velocity. It's coming back later this year! And the train is in the station. I can't wait to ride it again after such a long time away. So we'll talk about that but we'll also talk about the Mardi Gras festival at the park as well as some more ride removal news. Lets get going!

Table of Contents

Flash Reopening in 2023

Flash Reopening in 2023 Let's lead with the big news! There's a sign hung out front of Flash that says that the ride will open in 2023! For a ride that hasn't been running since March of 2020 (I saw it running on March 8, 2020) that's exciting news!

Flash Reopening in 2023 Taking a look at the plaza, looks somewhat similar except for that train!

Flash Reopening in 2023 Yep, the train looks to be mostly back together and it's in the station!

Flash Reopening in 2023 I can't wait! So glad to see them making real progress on this ride. I'll keep my eye out but I'd expect it to be open for summer!

Flash Reopening in 2023 One last picture of Flash, looks like some of the paint is already starting to peel. This is from the park entrance plaza

Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras After that excitement, let's talk about the event of the month: Mardi Gras!

Mardi Gras The main fountain got into the act and had its dolphins replaced with some decorations

Mardi Gras This is the first year that the park put on the event

Mardi Gras And they did a good job! Let's break it down to food and entertainment!

Food

Mardi Gras As you'd expect, food is an important part of the holiday! There are booths selling drinks and churros throughout the park if you want a really quick bite

Mardi Gras But there are more substantial foods too, like at French Quarter Cafe

Mardi Gras Let's take a quick peek at the menu

Mardi Gras We also get Bourbon Street Cafe in the former Seaside Sandwiches location

Mardi Gras And the menu. The mint julep was amazing!

Mardi Gras If you were in the mood for a shrimp boil, they had that too!

Mardi Gras Other cafes throughout the parks had different special foods

Entertainment

Mardi Gras When you think Mardi Gras entertainment, you think two things: first is live music. The park featured a one man band (shown here) and a bigger band under the food court tent

Mardi Gras And second a parade which the park had!

Mardi Gras It featured musicians, costumed characters and beads and it wrapped around the park starting and ending from the food court area. I was actually very impressed. It wasn't Universal Orlando level but for a little regional park, I'm glad they had it at all

Mardi Gras Kinda cool, when the parade came by, they had this bubble maker that filled the bubbles with fog

Mardi Gras And finally, there was a Looney Tunes dance party that I didn't get to see!

Other Ride Updates

Other Ride Updates Let's start with the big news, Tava's Jungleland is coming back!

Other Ride Updates As of my last visit, the Halloween decorations were still up in this back section of the area but now they've been taken down

Other Ride Updates The area is still closed off

Other Ride Updates But the front gates mention that the area will be returning

Other Ride Updates Not sure what this means (part 1)

Other Ride Updates Does this mean new rides? Or just reopening? We'll see! (part 2)

Other Ride Updates There's been a big thing lately about how certain rides don't have web pages. We've been through this in the past. Sometimes rides that don't have web pages get them back and reopen (like The Ark), sometimes they don't (like Tazmanian Devil). Frog Hopper has no page and isn't together but hasn't been removed

Other Ride Updates Tava's Elephant Parade on the other hand has been removed

Other Ride Updates I think it's pretty safe to say that it's not coming back

Other Ride Updates Speaking of removed rides, Daredevil Dive had its queue removed

Other Ride Updates As have the trains

Other Ride Updates I'm not ready to call it dead until the ride is removed but it's really not looking good

Other Ride Updates Seaside Junction remains closed. We'll see if it ever ends up reopening

Misc Updates

Misc Updates I reported last month that Thrilla Gorilla and Monkey Business got new signs. Well, Thrilla Gorilla's sign has been changed, presumably due to the tribal caricature that used to be on the sign

Misc Updates Most of the animals were in today for the cold day but the giraffes were out as were the penguins

Misc Updates Construction continues in the cougar exhibit

Misc Updates Safari Grill had the scrim over its logo and menu removed. Wasn't open today but should be in the future

Misc Updates There are some tables set up near the bottom of the Odin's Temple of the Tiger steps

Misc Updates Kong was closed for maintenance today and Medusa still wasn't running by the time I left. Not a great day if you were visiting to ride today!

Misc Updates Unless you wanted to ride Monsoon Falls in which case you were in luck!

Misc Updates Bring back the penguins!

Misc Updates Superman had the banners in its entrance removed. Good, they were getting pretty faded

Misc Updates The stingray exhibit no longer has a net over it

Misc Updates Not sure if I've noticed this before but the signage for Chop Six is gone

Misc Updates The walls up at the bumper cars finally made their way down

Misc Updates The soccer dart game seems to have been torn down

Misc Updates Absolutely love the idea for Scream Break!

Yep, that'll finish it up for the day! I enjoyed my visit even with a few of the marquee rides down. But I enjoyed hearing the news about Flash even more! Can't wait to ride it later this year. I'll be headed back to the park for Scream Break and I'll bring you coverage of that!