Busch Gardens Tampa Opens New Serengeti Flyer Swing Thrill Ride
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© Busch Gardens Tampa |
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© Busch Gardens Tampa |
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© Busch Gardens Tampa |
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© Busch Gardens Tampa |
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© Busch Gardens Tampa |
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© Busch Gardens Tampa |
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© Cedar Fair |
The development opening in May will consist of a 1,000 square foot space in the existing building, not any type of actual physical expansion of the center. Known as Cedar Point Esports, it will feature 32 "competative gaming setups against the backdrop of multimedia video displays that have the flexibility to connect for larger events." The equipment will be "top-tier" professional and will allow for "practice, competition and extra-curricular play." The plan is to create Northern Ohio's "premier immersive gaming experience for leagues, camps and clinics."
“Cedar Fair’s long-term strategy is focused on delivering immersive entertainment experiences that differentiate our parks and create an environment where guests want to come back again and again,” said Richard A. Zimmerman, president and chief executive officer.
Cedar Fair is partnering with North Coast Entertainment to develop and run the facility as an amenity for the Cedar Point Sports Center. It will be open to visitors and the public as well. Cedar Fair does note that this first phase will "serve as the gateway from the existing Cedar Point Sports Center to the upcoming larger Phase II expansion. Future plans for the development are likely to include food, beverage and a larger competitive space."
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© Hersheypark |
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© Hersheypark |
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© Hersheypark |
When Wildcat's Revenge was first announced the park did not release the full animated point of view ride video, but they have now! Not much is really a surprise in this video as we already knew of the coaster's new layout, but it's always great to get extra excited for a new coaster via the ride's animation. Take a spin below!
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© West Edmonton Mall |
Mindbender opened in 1985 at the park, and was created by Schwarzkopf which many of us have a warm spot in our hearts for. However, many of the designer's large rides have closed in recent years, and so sadly Mindbender is just another on the list. It's not said yet exactly what will replace the coaster at the Galaxyland amusement park. For now the park states:
"The iconic Mindbender has been the park’s premier thrill ride since the grand opening in 1985," said Lori Bethel of WEM in a written statement. "While the Mindbender will be missed, we are excited to announce that we are working on groundbreaking new plans for family thrills that will immerse our guests in an out-of-this-world experience."
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© West Edmonton Mall |
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© Sesame Place Philadelphia |
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© Sesame Place Philadelphia |
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© Sesame Place Philadelphia |
Sesame Place Philadelphia will also feature new and updated live entertaiment this season. A new show, Welcome To The Party!, will open, featuring Elmo, Abby, Grover, Rosita and Cookie Monster as they put on a show to welcome their new friends to Sesame Street. The show will be featured in Abby's Paradise Theater. There will also be an enhanced meet and greet with Small Talk with Big Bird, where guests can interact and chit-chat with Big Bird before getting their photo taken with him.
Sesame Place Philadelphia plans to have all the new and modified attractions ready for guests by Summer 2023.
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© NewsPlusNotes |
Standing 162 feet tall, the new ride won approval to take up the space formerly used by the Stinger coaster, plus a little bit more. We did some analysis on the plans in an early post, so we'll reference them here. The park's General Manager, Jessica Naderman, pointed out during the meeting that the park is "not growing or expanding in any way" with the addition of the ride, and they are working with a "reputable ride manufacturer" for the new coaster. The park is using "noise mitigation" to help make the ride quieter, and do not expect increased traffic or attendance levels as a result of the ride. In fact, the General Manager pointed out that they hope to get back to pre-pandemic attendance levels soon, and this ride might help them do it.
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© Dorney Park |
And that's not really the park's fault, at least in my opinion. The park is more than willing to help and put in sidewalks but smartly pointed out that the road in front of the park, the public bus stop, people crossing to hotels - all of it needs to be figured out correctly and done properly and SAFELY. And they did say they'll put in a side walk as seen above, but they don't even own the land needed to do it, the PA Department of Transportation does.
In the end the request to add sidewalks was "decoupled" from the coaster's approval, and the park will be required to work with the Township, PennDOT and others to move toward a solution. They did note that in the past a bridge over the road, a tunnel under the road and more were considered and all shot down - not by the park but by PennDOT.
I believe the coaster still need the approval of the Board of Commissioners, but typically the tough part is the Planning Commission, so fingers crossed on the project! The ride will also head to the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission this week. Until we hear more, here's our animation of what we think the coaster will be like one more time!