Odin's Temple Of The Tiger

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom has announced that their new Tiger show and habitat, Odin's Temple of the Tiger, has opened at the California theme park. The area's 2,500 seat theater has been completely refurbished to allow guests to enjoy a 20 minute presentation featuring the Tigers in a replica of their natural habitat.

The addition also provides guests the opportunity to view the park's 11 Tigers in their 'backstage' areas in a lush setting complete with roaring waterfall. Above we see Odin himself officially opening the attraction for guests!

The park also released this video which provides a peek at what you can see when visiting Odin in his new area at the park. If you want to learn more you can check out the park's official Facebook page and website.

A Long Beach Island Fantasy: Part 2

Editor's Note: Be sure to check out Part 1 of this two-part series as well!

On behalf of Mayor Gator, I'd like to welcome you to the second and final segment of our Beach Haven adventure!

Pictured above is yet another one of Fantasy Island's stately entrances. The grandeur of it all might give you the impression that this is a gated park. Not so! Everything is pay-as-you-go, although a POP admission is available on certain days.

Something drew me to this particular token booth. I can't quite put my finger on it...

Ar! It seems me kiddie pirate ship captain be stashin' his booty in a heavily guarded booth. How many doubloons ye be askin' for the Giant Wheel, matey?

Oh, I suppose you were expecting tickets! In that case, you're out of luck because tokens are the standard form of ride currency at Fantasy Island. The kind man in the booth noticed that I was taking photos and went to the trouble of finding me a bright, shiny token to use, but sadly that photo is horribly out of focus so these will have to do. (My husband mentioned to him that I was doing a story about the park for my blog. I'm sure he was very impressed.)

The use of ride tokens is not the only thing to add an extra touch of class to Fantasy Island. The park's carousel, which was added in 1988, is a throwback to the carousels of the early 1900s. It was custom designed for the park by Chance Rides, and the horses were forged from molds that were based directly on the hand-carved designs of such greats as Charles Looff and Gustav Dentzel. The folks at Fantasy Island obviously take great pride in their carousel, as an entire section of the park's web site has been dedicated to it.



It ain't big and it ain't flashy. But it does earn Fantasy Island a spot on RCDB! The Dragon coaster opened in 1986. It was one of several new rides that Ed Florimont added to the former park's existing line-up when he took over.

For reasons that I cannot explain, there are some rather off-the-wall props sitting behind the Dragon coaster. Like this doll house...

...and this angry looking man!

I guess I'd be angry too if I had peg legs and was stuck behind bars.

Fantasy Island touts itself as a "Family Fun Park", and its wide selection of family-oriented rides is more than enough to validate that claim. But in the evenings, they kick the fun up a notch with yet another form of diversion: Free entertainment! The park's rotating entertainment line-up features a wide array of kid-focused entertainers who specialize in everything from magic to animals.



Though many new rides have been added to Fantasy Island over the past 25 years, Hartman's Park lives on through a handful of rides that have transcended the ownership changes. Among these are the bumper cars, tilt-a-whirl, and scrambler, which Florimont chose to keep and refurbish when he took over the park.

Park history lessons sure work up an appetite. Think hamburgers, fries, and cotton candy. Can't eat foods like those without paper products getting involved. Oily, sticky, ketchup-covered paper products....YUM!! This clown was moved to tears just thinking about it.


Ed Florimont was in the business of games, so it stands to reason that Fantasy Island would have a pretty impressive collection. But those shown here are just the tip of the iceberg! Right inside the park's main entrance is the legendary Casino, a family arcade featuring hundreds of games in a plush, upscale setting. The original casino building was 7000 square feet, but a massive $1 million expansion project doubled its size in the year 2000.


Fantasy Island is a place where old and new coexist harmoniously. For instance, the Himalaya that has resided at the park since its rebirth in the mid '80s stands next to the comparatively new Drop Zone, which was added in 2002. Yet one thing has remained constant through the years: Fantasy Island's commitment to character, cleanliness, and families.

That is one hungry, hungry hippo.

So what do you get when you cross a Victorian-style family fun park with a series of lip-smackin', refuse-eatin', cuteness factor-havin' trash cans? One enchanted enthusiast!

It all could have ended when the Hartmans decided to get out of the business in the 1970s. But thanks to Ed Florimont and the many capable staffers who have revitalized and cared for this park over the past couple decades, Fantasy Island remains a gem of Long Beach Island and, indeed, the entire Jersey shore community. If you're in the area, be sure to drop in and pay them a visit!

For even more Fantasy Island photos, check out our public album on Facebook!

The United States Officially Joins Expo 2010

The United States has finally confirmed that they will participate in the 2010 World Expo being held in Shanghai, China saying that our Pavilion will be completed "on time and on budget." Unable to use Government funds per American law, about half of the estimated $61 million needed to build the American Pavilion has already been raised.

The World Expo is expected to attraction some 70 million people during it's run, and currently has 240 countries signed up to participate. America's Pavilion will be located across from China's on the central corridor of the Expo.

The theme of the American Pavilion will be "Celebration 2030, in which a guided tour led by an American Chinese will allow the visitors to experience the space of future and personally feel the US cities in year 2030."

On another note, I was looking at some of the Pavilion designs from different countries and check out the Switzerland one:

Its going to have a chair lift system like those that can be found on the Alps start inside the Pavilion and go up and onto the roof for a nice little ride! Neat.

Kings Island's Roller Coaster Momma!

Is Diamondback a huge success for Kings Island? Just ask Darlene Bell of nearby Dayton, Ohio. Having visited Kings Island 28 times this season, the self-proclaimed “Roller Coaster Mama” became the first park guest to ride Diamondback 500 times. That's an average of 18 rides per visit on the park's new $22 million steel roller coaster!

Photo provided courtesy of Kings Island

That's Darlene (front seat, left) enjoying her 500th ride on Kings Island’s Diamondback roller coaster Saturday 7/11/2009, accompanied by a Diamondback rides associate, Bryan Miller.

Photo provided courtesy of Kings Island

Congratulations Darlene! Hope to see you in line!

More On Carowinds 2010

User JamminJ over on the Carowinds Connection boards posted a great new photo update from the construction of the park's new coaster for 2010. They've got the first footer about ready to pour, other holes dug for a bunch of footers, and the drainage pieces sitting around where they will be placed.

From this, I made the above excellent piece of art. No really, no matter how bad my art is you can totally tell how this ride will start in this area from what they've done so far. The drainage pieces would be for a splashdown, which after Diamondback we're all sure would happen on this ride. Then you have the big footer ready to be poured which just screams "I'm for the base of the lift hill!" Also, there's tons of little footer holes dug for the transfer track area, just like on Diamondback. Add in a queue, station and put the rest of the ride out into the parking lot and presto! New B&M hyper coaster.

Exciting!

Daily Spin 7.13.09

Remember the contest that Snyder's Pretzels and Busch Gardens Williamsburg had for people to build a roller coaster out of their pretzels? Well, six finalists have been chosen (above) and will compete at Busch Gardens Williamsburg this Thursday for the grand prize. The finalists will have three hours to build a replica of Apollo's Chariot and the winner will receive 4, 2-year season passes to the theme park and a year's supply of pretzels. I wonder how much is a year's supply of pretzels, hmm? Anyway, check out the official contest page here to see more photos!

Kings Island has announced that their new hyper coaster, Diamondback, has already given over 800,000 rides since it opened this past Spring. The ride is trying to beat the park's current first year ridership record holder, Vortex, which gave almost 2.2 million rides in it's debut season. Good luck to Diamondback! Be sure to keep us updated, Kings Island.

Did you think the 'tunnel' of Superman logo shaped rings at the bottom of Bizarro's (New Jersey) first drop were cool? Well those cool LED lights were provided by Elation Architectural, a firm that specializes in projects such as Six Flags Great Adventure's coaster transformation. And they have a link to a great close up video of the lights in action! Check out the story and video link here.

Six Flags Great America and Pert Plus shampoo teamed up a few days ago to try to snatch two world records - both of which are interesting sounding: The World's Largest Shower and Most People Showering Simultaneously In One Venue. Now that's a publicity stunt if I've ever heard of one! This article has the details, but it actually sounded like a lot of fun and was probably successful!

This probably does not bode well for Freestyle Music Park, but the park has decided to keep their 4th of July admission promotional price for the entire month of July. If purchased before 4 p.m., you can get two entrance tickets for only $17.76, or only $8.88 a person. What a deal! If you show up after 4 p.m. one ticket is still only $17.76, considerably less than most parks evening admission rate. Click here to read the details.

Schlitterbahn Kansas City Closer to Opening

Schlitterbahn Vacation Village, in Kansas City, Kansas, is moving closer to its grand opening, with an official date set to be released this week.

The new water park is the first phase of a massive project that will include resort amenities as well as a large shopping/dining complex. In the end, a full and unique water park resort will have been created.

If you want to check out recent photos of the property, like the one above, be sure to also check out the Schlitterblog for more! I can't wait to see plenty of photos once the Kansas City location opens!

A Long Beach Island Fantasy: Part 1

Editor's Note: Be sure to check out Part 2 of this two-part series as well!

As the saying goes, one tardy trip report deserves another. Or at least, that's my story and I'm sticking to it! It seems my keyboard simply can't keep up with my suitcase this summer. (And the summer is far from over, my friends...) The following TR eclipses even my Six Flags Fiesta Texas TR in terms of being "well aged". Fortunately for me, this park's appeal is timeless!

A few short weeks ago (or maybe more, but who's counting), I had the opportunity to visit what is arguably the Jersey shore's most charming seaside amusement park. (Perhaps those of you with really good memories will recall my rambling tweets.) Tucked away on the comparatively sedate shores of Long Beach Island, Fantasy Island Amusement Park truly lives up to its name.

Fantasy Island is celebrating its silver anniversary this year, but it was not the first park to occupy this location in Beach Haven, New Jersy. Its predecessor, Hartman's Park, dates back to 1960. The Hartman family put their park up for sale sometime in the 1970s, and by 1985 it found itself in the very capable hands of Ed Florimont.

Ed Florimont was no newcomer to the amusement industry. Both he and his father had long histories as game concessionaires along the Jersey shore, and Ed in particular had built up quite a reputation as an "upscale" businessman. He was determined to bring his unique vision of a Victorian-style amusement park to Beach Haven, and he spared no details in making his dream a reality.

Everywhere you look, Fantasy Island screams class and charm. From its intricate entrance archways to its Victorian-style lampposts and Z-brick paved midways, this park truly is the stuff of fantasies. There's nary a piece of litter to be seen, and the rides may as well have been installed yesterday for how vibrant and well-maintained they appear.

But most importantly, Fantasy Island was well-equipped to satisfy my penchant for park fetishes. (The value of this trait cannot be underestimated.) There is a great abundance of "characters" at this park, and you just never know where they'll show up next...

Gators: The next best thing to crocs.

Case in point: Meet the Mayor of Fantasy Island, Al E. Gator! This replica's full-size costumed counterpart is frequently seen roaming the midways, though sadly we did not catch a glimpse of him during our visit. And the "mayorship" thing is no joke. Al--or "Mr. Pickle", as he apparently is known by friends--was formally inducted into office on August 16, 2006. He even has his own e-mail address! (I am not making this up. Visit Fantasy Island's web site and see for yourself!)



Fantasy Island is only 25 years young, but it has grown and changed with the times just like any other park. A miniature golf course which used to sit just inside the park's main entrance was replaced by the Giant Wheel and two kiddie rides (pictured above) in 1994. The Giant Wheel was an expensive investment for a park of this size, but it was a wise one. No seaside park is complete without a Ferris wheel overlooking the water, and in the case of Fantasy Island you have the option of the ocean or the bay!


The kiddie swings and train ride made their debut in 1990. The majority of the rides at Fantasy Island cater to the smaller set, but that suits Long Beach Island just fine. This shore point features 18 miles of the quietest, most peaceful beaches you'll find anywhere on the East Coast of the U.S. Mind-blowing thrill rides and towering coasters would seem out of place here. It is a family retreat, and Fantasy Island captures that vibe.

I got a tracheotomy just so I could eat your trash!

A-HA! So this is how Fantasy Island manages to keep its midways so clean. Discarding garbage is a form of entertainment at this park! Little did I know how much more entertaining it would become...


Unlike its brother down at Beech Bend, this particular Sea Dragon opted not to lead a life of celebrity. Fantasy Island has been its home since 1989! The Sea Dragon is one of many rides at the park that the entire family can enjoy together.


The Sea Dragon is thrilling and all, but it was the kiddie pirate ship that took the prize for best ride op. This animated fellow puts the "fantasy" in Fantasy Island. Sporting a pirate hat and a black wig, he beckoned passing children to challenge the seven seas on his small but mighty vessel. When he noticed me taking photos, he practically begged to be in one of them! I'm a big fan of enthusiastic ride ops, so I gladly obliged. Carry on, matey!

Well no wonder he's so jovial--Stationed at the foot of the kiddie pirate ship is yet another tricked out trash can! Just look at him licking his chops in anticipation of your soiled napkins and sticky soda cups. I'd be lion if I told you that I didn't have a hankering to be wasteful at that moment.

Nothing puts an exclamation point on a story like ending it with a really bad pun, and I like to go out on a high note. So with that, I'll conclude Part 1 of this fantasy-astic TR! (Alright, that last bit was pushing it...) Stay tuned for more rides, more history, and most importantly, more trash cans!

Deadline for Feedback Draws Near at Coney Island

The great American tradition that is the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest has put Coney Island smack dab in the middle of the national media spotlight over the past couple weeks. But what all of those media reports failed to mention is that even the iconic original Nathan's location is not safe from redevelopment under the City's proposed rezoning plan.

As the battle for Coney Island wages on between the City, Thor Equities, and the countless local residents and enthusiasts who have a very personal stake in the matter, it has become very obvious that something needs to be done to secure the area's future. For its part, the City has put together a comprehensive master plan which goes a long way toward accomplishing that goal. Yet many people, while acknowledging the overall merit of the plan, have raised concerns that it contains several fatal flaws which could spell doom for Coney Island in the long run.

Among the concerned is Dick Zigun, unofficial "Mayor" of Coney Island and founder of the not-for-profit arts organization Coney Island USA. In fact, he has gone so far as to produce the embedded PSA, in which he urges residents to contact their City Councilmembers and request three key changes to the plan: (1) moving a series of proposed high-rises north of Surf Avenue, (2) expanding the amusement district, and (3) eliminating financial incentives for destroying Coney Island's historic buildings.

Zigun, in conjunction with the grassroots organization Save Coney Island, is trying desperately to spread his message as the deadline for feedback draws near. This Monday, July 13, 2009, is the last day to request changes to the City's plan. Zigun's PSA delivers a humorous yet genuinely sincere and well thought-out message that is worth a listen even if you disagree with him. But if you live in Brooklyn and you do agree with him, by all means make those phone calls because you may not get another chance!

To keep your finger on the pulse of this continuing saga and all things Coney Island, be sure to check out Amusing the Zillion, a great blog written by New York-based writer and "former carny kid" Tricia Vita.