Weekly Rewind 12.19.09

First Miracle Strip, now Cypress Gardens...maybe. Local sources are hinting that a buyer may have been found for Florida's first theme park, which closed its doors for good back in September 2009 following nearly a decade of instability. If the supposed deal comes to fruition, an announcement could be made before the end of the year.

The rest of the world may have moved on to Christmas, but if you're still in a Halloween state of mind, there's an upcoming episode of Paranormal State that you won't want to miss. Join the cast and special guest Chip Coffey as they explore the mysteries of the Hotel Conneaut in Episode 55, "Dead Legends". It's scheduled to air on December 22, 2009 at 10:30 p.m. ET and again on December 23 at 2:30 a.m. ET.

It seems the winds of change have caught up with the industry, as Danish amusement park Tivoli Gardens is set to become a 100% wind-powered operation by early next year. Everything from rides to restaurants will draw power from a single wind turbine. But don't worry--The park will still be plugged into the Danish electricity grid, just in case Mother Nature runs out of breath!

Captiain EO isn't the only show making a comeback at Disneyland. This past Friday marked the return of the perennially popular "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln", which has been absent from the park's line-up for five years. But this ain't your granddaddy's Lincoln. Per the Funland blog, Disneyland's "Mach V" animatronic features "a hydraulic-powered body with an all-new electronic head".

After experiencing one for myself this past summer at Schlitterbahn, I must say I'm a huge fan of the "themed water slide" craze which is slowly but surely sweeping our nation's water parks. Raging Waters in San Dimas, California will introduce their take on this concept when they unveil Dr. VonDark's Tunnel of Terror in 2010. The ride will feature various special effects created by projecting visual images onto water curtains.

The former Six Flags New Orleans' days as an amusement park may be over if one California-based company has its way. Big League Dreams has once again expressed an interest in scooping up the "spoils" left by Six Flags, Southern Star, and Nickelodeon and turning the site into a sports complex. While sad for park fans, the proposed plan could have very positive implications for the city of New Orleans.

The owners of Paulton's Park must have breathed a huge sigh of relief this week, as the New Forest National Park Authority approved an application which will allow the park to retain its Cobra roller coaster. Cobra was one of two rides put in danger earlier this year when it was revealed that the park did not obtain planning permission before building them. The fate of the second ride, a Zamperla Disk'O named Edge, is still up in the air.

Speaking of Disk'Os, Seabreeze Park has officially named the one which will be joining its line-up in 2010: Revolution 360°. If you've never seen a Disk'O in action--well, you've probably been living under a rock. But just in case, the park has posted some videos on its web site.

If roller coasters and drop towers just don't "do it" for you anymore, perhaps you'd enjoy jumping off a 1149-foot tower. Don't laugh, because you just might have the opportunity if the Stratosphere in Las Vegas receives permission to install a proposed Sky Jump attraction. If that concept tickles your fancy, perhaps you'd like to test drive (above) the version of this attraction which already exists in Auckland, New Zealand. (By the way, the Sky Tower jump in Auckland is only 629 feet...Just sayin'.)

Help! The Alton Towers PR machine is out of control! How do you stop this crazy thing?! Okay, okay: This next bit has less to do with Alton Towers PR and more to do with people who have way too much money for their own good. It seems the park has been approached by quite a few "high profile" individuals who are willing to part with significant chunks of change to be first in line when the park's TH13TEEN coaster makes its debut next year. But some good may come out of it yet: Should the park decide to entertain those offers, all proceeds would go to the Merlin's Magic Wand charity.