Park Hoppin’

In this month’s Big Question, we asked park operators if they were to operate a park with only five rides, what would they be and why? I like that question so much, I decided to try to answer it myself. I’m doing so before seeing what…
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I’m starting to think everyone in Florida is smarter than I am. I’m still having vivid flashbacks to last summer, mid-July, when I went to Orlando to ride the new Mine Blower wooden roller coaster at Fun Spot America in Kissimmee. Mine…
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Casino Pier, an amusement pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, was partially destroyed on October 29, 2012, when part of the pier collapsed into the Atlantic Ocean due to the storm surge generated by Hurricane Sandy. You may recall photos…
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Park Hoppin' with Paul L. Ruben 2018 In the past I’ve written about how coasters have adopted an automobile theme to their trains. Coasters such as the Cop Car Chase operated from 1996 to 2006 at Germany's Movie Park with trains…
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When testing his new Gale Force launched coaster at Playland’s Castaway Cove in Ocean City, New Jersey, owner Scott Simpson loads the train with test dummies. I’ve always wanted to be a test dummy, so asked Scott if I might take one of…
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While at Planet Snoopy, the children’s area of Kings Dominion, I had this photo taken with Woodstock, one of the characters in the Peanuts comic strip about which Planet Snoopy’s rides are themed. For those of you unfamiliar with Kings…
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When a park operator adds a drop tower, one of the benefits is that it changes the skyline of the park. It towers imposingly over the adjacent rides, intimidating guests by its sheer height. Part of the thrill is being lifted to an…
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This year there is just one new amusement park opening in America. Midway between Mobile, Alabama, and Pensacola, Florida, the Poarch Band of Creek Indians are building OWA Amusement Park, part of a 520 acre (210 hectare) destination…
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When Busch Gardens Williamsburg sent out their media kit for InvadR, they didn’t apologize for the misspelling. Rather, they touted the opening of the park’s first wooden roller coaster. I easily excused the spelling, since this ride…
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Park Hoppin' with Paul Ruben  Pictured here on the Cosmic Coaster, a Zamperla powered family coaster at Valleyfair, Shakopee, Minnesota, I was thinking - what is the most reproduced roller coaster?
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