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Force One at Schwaben Park
Now open at Schwaben Park in Germany, Force One is the latest Elevated Seating Coaster from Zierer.
World's tallest Star Flyer
The Star Flyer is a simple but effective ride that stops park-goers in their tracks thanks to its sheer height. The largest version yet has just opened at the Prater in Vienna, Austria.
Intimidator 305
At 5,100 feet (1,555 metres) – or almost one mile – in length, Intimidator 305 is a ride of mammoth proportions. Paul Ruben is awestruck.
Space Fantasy at Universal Studios Japan
Mack Rides recently completed a major spinning coaster/dark ride installation at Universal Studios Japan. Space Fantasy features an eye-watering hourly capacity of almost 2,000 and is packed with exciting features and fun theming.
Sonic Spinball
This season Alton Towers guests can also enjoy a new look coaster called Sonic Spinball. Previously known as Spinball Whizzer, the spinning coaster from Maurer Söhne has been rethemed in tribute to computer game hero Sonic the Hedgehog.
Skull Rock 4D at Land's End
The English county of Cornwall is well known for its pirating heritage but now, for the first time ever, visitors to Land’s End can enjoy swashbuckling adventures in 4D form thanks to a Simworx Effects Theatre.
Turbo Drachen
ABC Engineering recently unveiled its latest coaster concept at Potts Park in Germany. Turbo Drachen (Turbo Dragon) is the Swiss manufacturer’s first Dynamic Flyer, and the suspense has been building all season for Potts’ guests.
Mumbo Jumbo
Supplied by S&S Worldwide, Mumbo Jumbo is Flamingo Land’s new record-breaking rollercoaster, and the first of its kind in Europe. The original opened last year at Indiana Beach in America, but by tweaking the angle – from 120 to 121 degrees – the British park has been able to bag the bragging rights for world’s steepest drop. Here Flamingo Land CEO Gordon Gibb explains why Mumbo Jumbo makes sense.
Toy Story Mania!
Since last season, guests at both Disney resorts in the United States have been able to enjoy an attraction that blurs the boundaries between dark ride and midway game. Toy Story Mania! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida and Disney’s California Adventure in Anaheim raises the bar for interactive rides. Park World talks exclusively to one of the Imagineers who helped create it.
Professor Keaney’s Xploratorium
Professor Keaney’s Xploratorium, an eclectic showcase of “augmented reality”, has opened at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey. Park World explores the world's first fun house using Total Immersion technology.
Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit
Originally scheduled to open in spring, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, Universal Studios Orlando's highly anticipated rollercoaster, finally opened in late August to the delight of park guests and operator alike. It was worth the wait, says Paul Ruben.
Fab4D
Fans of the “Fab 4” can enjoy their music as never before in a brand new 3D film laced with special effects, and there’s only one place to see it – the Beatles Story in Liverpool, where else? Park World goes behind the scenes of the latest 4D experience from Simworx.
Dark Rides 2009
Tried, tested and up there with the classics, dark rides are an essential ingredient at most amusement parks and, arguably, a severe oversight at those without one. Capable of entertaining large numbers of guests in most age ranges, it’s not hard to see why they are loved by operators and park visitors alike. Here’s Park World’s pick of new projects from this season – interactive and otherwise.
Diamondback
Kings Island in Ohio has been thrilling guests this summer with a new mega-coaster by Bolliger & Mabillard. Paul Ruben slithers on down to Cincinnati to sample Diamondback – a world class ride.
Pilgrims Plunge
When Holiday World opened for its 63rd season it introduced a record-breaking new shoot-the-chutes, Pilgrims Plunge. With its 131ft drop, the ride immediately claimed the bragging rights to the world's tallest water ride. Paul Ruben gets wet in Santa Claus, Indiana.
Monster Mansion
Conventional wisdom says you don’t pour new money into an old attraction. But when your old attraction is Monster Plantation, the beloved dark boat ride at Atlanta’s Six Flags Over Georgia, you think again...
Trollfallet at Hunderfossen
To celebrate its 25th anniversary, Norway’s third largest amusement park has added a €2 million attraction called Trollfallet. Located at the top of the park’s spectacular castle building, the new addition continues the park’s tradition of fairytale and folklore and fuses a freefall tower with a walk-through preshow.
Amazing Asian Animals
Open since late April in Hong Kong, Amazing Asian Animals is the first major new attraction to open as part of Ocean Park’s HK$5.5 billion (US$710m/€508m) Master Redevelopment Project.
Manta - ray of flight
It may not be the tallest or fastest flying coaster, but the new Manta at SeaWorld Orlando is very thrilling and fully themed. One minute guests witness rays in underwater flight; soon after they feel what it’s like to become one.
Bizzaro debuts in New England and New Jersey
Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, New Jersey, has unveiled Bizarro. Themed around the DC Comics character of the same name, this newly-enhanced rollercoaste now features high tech special effects and on-board audio system to assault the senses.
Blue Fire
It says something about the scope and quality of its existing attractions that Europa-Park hasn’t felt the need to add a looping rollercoaster until now. But finally, the German park near Freiburg has relented and installed a ride with a loop …and a launch. In the process the European-themed park has also added a new country for guests to explore. Owen Ralph visits Iceland.
Götterflug
At Belantis in Leipzig, Germany, Götterflug (Flight of the Gods), allows intrepid guests to fly up to 22-metres high in one of 16 single-seater gondolas, each with rider-controlled wings.
Vertigo
On May 1 Tivoli in Copenhagen officially launched its new interactive plane ride: Vertigo. The attraction is the second Flying Fury from the Italian manufacturer Technical Park and its name chosen from competition entries.
Insane
According to the park, its name sums up the new ride at Gröna Lund perfectly: Insane. Thrill-seekers have been lapping up the new attraction since it opened on April 25.
Götterflug
At Belantis in Leipzig, Germany, Götterflug (Flight of the Gods), allows intrepid guests to fly up to 22-metres high in one of 16 single-seater gondolas, each with rider-controlled wings.
American Idol Experience
Fans of the TV show American Idol, or any one of the global ‘Idol’ franchises, won’t want to miss the newest attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Paul Ruben goes behind the scenes of Walt Disney World’s hottest new branded attraction.
El Toro
Freizeitpark Plohn in Germany officially opened its first wooden coaster on April 10. Representing a €5 million investment, El Toro (The Bull) is a big deal for this little park in Lengenfeld, Saxony.
Riding Astride
After more than a century of starts and stops, rollercoasters in which riders sit astride mounted seating, usually a horse or a motorbike, have finally caught on with the thrill-seeking public. Paul Ruben saddles up to explore the trend.
Tower of Terror - Johannesburg
Located on the site of a former goldmine in Johannesburg, South Africa, Gold Reef City features a number of attractions that pay tribute to its mining roots – but none are as fearsome and spectacular as Tower of Terror. Following the ride’s relaunch last summer, Park World talks to the man that helped engineer it.
People Movers
They might not feature highly in venues’ marketing material, but people movers are the workhorses of many parks and attractions, ensuring the smooth transition of guests throughout the day, or returning them to their cars at the close of play. In many cases they can also be an enjoyable ride in themselves. From land trains to monorails, and a few unusual variations in between, Park World examines what the market has to offer, and finds that green issues are key to many recent improvements.
ZipRider at Wildcat Mountain
Wildcat Mountain in Pinkham Notch, New Hampshire, is one of America's most prominent ski resorts, but now guests can fly down the mountainside without snow – all year round. Paul Ruben takes a ride.
Splash Over
The Dutch ride builder Mondial recently completed two new Splash Over attractions. The 40-seater rides are built to the company’s usual sturdy specifications and incorporate a number of unique features. Park World visits the Mondial premises near Heerenveen in northern Holland to bring you these exclusive shots.
Ravine Flyer II
For years it has been a dream of Waldameer Park CEO Paul Nelson to replace the original Ravine Flyer rollercoaster by Miller and Baker, which operated from 1922 to 1938, with a new version. But, says Paul Ruben, the process wasn't easy. After 10 years of planning, the park in Erie, Pennsylvania, has succeeded, creating a unique ride poised to deliver a double digit attendance increase.
Steel Hawg
Located on Lake Shafer in Monticello, US park Indiana Beach has just introduced a jaw-dropping tower coaster. Steel Hawg is the first El Loco model from S&S Worldwide and, according to Paul Ruben, it’s one crazy ride.
Fahrenheit
Guests at Hersheypark have this summer been able to heat up their day with a ride on Fahrenheit, the Pennsylvania park's 11th rollercoaster. Designed and built by Intamin subsidiary IntaRide LLC, Fahrenheit is a “vertical-lift, inverted-loop coaster.” But, asks Paul Ruben, just how good is the new ride?
Nights in White Satin
Based on the symphonic rock masterpiece of the same name by Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues, Nights in White Satin – The Trip is both unique and daring among dark rides.
Let's do launch!
Zamperla has installed launch coasters at two amusement parks in the United States, the first rides of their kind to be produced by the famous Italian manufacturer.
Behemoth
Canada's Wonderland outside Toronto has added the country’s biggest, fastest and tallest rollercoaster – Behemoth. As Paul Ruben reports, B&M ride also features a new style of open seating.
Morey's Coaster Makeover
The Great Nor’Easter, a Suspended Looping Coaster (SLC) by Vekoma that opened in 1995 at Morey's Piers in Wildwood, New Jersey, has received new trains this season. As a result, Morey's has increased the thrill-factor on one of its most popular rides.
Glow in the Park
A further nod towards the family market that the group is now keen to attract, Six Flags has added new nighttime parades to three of its parks. Paul Ruben sheds some light on these new entertainment offerings.
The Future is Wild
“Interactive” dark rides have become all the rage in recent years, yet in all but a few cases the interaction on the part of the rider extends to little more than shooting laser beams at targets. Not so at Futuroscope...
Mammut Italia
A little bit of the Arctic has come to the banks of Lake Garda. At 1km and four-minutes-long, Mammut is indeed a mammoth ride. Supplied by Vekoma Rides Manufacturing, it is in fact it’s Italy’s largest family rollercoaster.
Mammut Deutschland
There’s a new landmark on the horizon at Tripdrill, Cleebronn near Stuttgart. Sitting right alongside the main road that passes the park, motorists can’t fail to notice Mammut – the all-new, all-German wooden coaster and Tripsdrill’s largest investment to date.
Shuttle Launch Experience
The success of the Shuttle Launch Experience at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida will be confirmed this March when it scoops Outstanding Attraction Achievement at the annual Thea Awards. As Visitor Complex numbers begin to rocket, Nick Towle talks to the Launch Experience’s creators.
Looping Coasters
Today’s park-goers are more likely to ask how many loops a coaster contains rather than if it goes upside down at all. Yet until it wasn’t until the 1970s and the start of The Rollercoaster Renaissance that guests became fully acclimatised to any kind of inversion in their coaster-riding experiences. Paul Ruben traces the history of looping coasters. Hold tight!
Topple Tower
A Huss Topple Tower is the newest family thrill ride at Marineland, Niagara Falls, Ontario. Paul Ruben profiles a first for Canada.
CP Huntingdon
Chance Morgan has been making CP Huntington trains for almost 50 years. The Wichita, Kansas, ride manufacturer turns out between five and 10 of the people-movers every year, and this summer it put the finishing touches to number 350. Park World toasts a stalwart park attraction.
Troy
Troy at Toverland near Venlo in Holland is a landmark ride for both operator and manufacturer. Transforming the profile of a park that began life as an indoor attraction, the 1km-plus long wooden coaster is also one of the largest constructions ever for Great Coasters International (GCI), and only its second in Europe. A ride that might seem at odds with Toverland’s family focus has in fact been a long time dream for park owner Jean Gelissen. Here Jean’s sister, Toverland director Caroline Maessen, explains why Troy is helping the park provide a more balanced offering, putting it on course to smash the half-million attendance barrier for the first time.
Maverick
Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio, has introduced Maverick, its 17th rollercoaster and the most at any single park in the world. Paul Ruben profiles one of the latest linear synchronous motor (LSM) launch coaster from Intamin.
Vliegende Hollander
The Flying Dutchman (Vliegende Hollander) is the Efteling’s largest, most expensive and complex attraction ever. A never before tried combination of dark ride, walk-through, water ride and coaster, the project took the park so long to perfect that it was delayed by a full season. But just as Captain Willem van der Decken was determined to sail the Flying Dutchman ship in the legend of the same name (“I will sail, storm or no storm, even if I have to sail to Judgment Day”), so Efteling officials were determined to get the ride right before it opened to the public this Easter.
Vertigo
Is it bird? Is it coaster? No, it’s a Mountain Glider! Walibi Belgium has finally opened its Vertigo ride, giving guests a bird’s eye view of the park and the closest experience they will get to flying like one. Park World profiles the latest attraction from a name that will be new to many within the amusement industry – Doppelmayr.
Griffon
A ride on Griffon, the world’s tallest, floorless dive coaster at Busch Gardens Europe, Williamsburg, Virginia, is like being pushed off the edge of a cliff. You’re 205 feet in the air. It’s 90 degrees straight down. Paul Ruben was Park World’s guinea pig, or rather lemming.
Mountain Coaster
When Massachusetts’ Jiminy Peak Mountain Adventure Park, introduced the Mountain Coaster last summer, it got more than it bargained for. Paul Ruben travelled to Hancock to find out more.
Widalpenbahn
Named after the Widalpen hills around Vienna, the Widalpenbahn is a new River Splash ride at the city’s famous Prater park.
X Factor!
Dutch family park Drievliet has just opened the world’s first X-Car launch coaster. Built by Maurer Söhne using an LSM (linear synchronous motor) launch, it’s thrilling a wide variety of guests. Owen Ralph visits The Hague to experience a new kind of launch coaster.
Just Add Water!
Water is an effective way to add excitement to a ride. Riders can float, slide or be splashed. Paul Ruben traces the history of water rides, and asks several park operators and suppliers why they are still so enduring, while elsewhere we note five current trends.
