Ooo Wizarding World Facades

© 2009 WizardingWorldHarryPotter.com

Remember when photos surfaced of a 'mock' facade for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal's Islands of Adventures a while back? Well they're at it again!

WizardingWorldHarryPotter.com has some photos of more of the facades being built off site at The Nassal Company's location in Florida. They're looking really great! Seems like once the steel is up at the theme park they'll just be able to move these giant facades into place. Very smart!

Check out the photos!

Speed: The Ride Pt. 2

We left off at a loop, I believe, and here it is! You come up from the tunnel under the sidewalk and are thrown into a vertical loop above the strip. I've always loved how non-Premier looking the track is on this part of the ride.

After the loop the ride's name really hits home as trains encounter a second set of LIMs that send the train flying out at 70 mph in 2 seconds flat.

And you zoom right through the Sahara's massive sign which is a pretty cool effect when you're on the train - a blur really but still neat!

The train flies around a wide turn to the left and then up you go - the tower spike is around 224 ft. high, but the train wasn't going up all that far the day I was there.

Look I did get one artistic photo of the train! The whole time I was out front taking photos they only launched one train so this was pretty much my only chance. I like how it came out though.

We'll finish with a look at that tower. Obviously once you get up there you get to do the track in reverse, and vertical loops always feel neat backwards.

I'm glad I got to get on the ride as even though it's open again for the time being if the economy picks up and the Sahara is able to move forward with their plans to redo their Resort I'm sure the ride will bite the dust. So go check it out now if you can!

Speed: The Ride Pt. 1

Wouldn't the above shot have been so much better if I could capture the train in it? Yeah, I think so too. But anyway, I was in Vegas a month or so ago and Speed: The Ride at the Nascar Cafe, located within the Sahara Hotel and Casino, was the only coaster in town that I hadn't been on. Fortuitous for me, the ride had just reopened after being closed since last fall, so I made it a point to head far up to the North end of the strip and take a spin.

The coaster opened as part of a large remodeling that the Sahara did in 2000, and is a Premier Rides LIM launched coaster. Actually, it has two launches to be specific. You get your ticket from inside the Nascar Cafe (ten bucks a pop when I was there) and then wait a while. Why? Well that's also why I didn't get many good photos of the ride in action like I mentioned above as they are only sending out a train ever 15 minutes or so as it's not very busy. The entire town isn't very busy right now, to be honest.

The station is nothing too fancy, really, and as you can see above when I was there only a few people were waiting to take a ride.

Here's the train for the ride, it's just like those found on some of the older Premier Rides coasters, only this one still have the over the shoulder restraints.

I thought this piece of track sticking out of the back of the station was pretty funny looking. It dumps you right onto the side street by the resort! I know it's for maintenance purposes but it just looked goofy.

The ride initially launches you out of the station at 45 mph, and you immediately hit this highly banked turn and dive underneath the walkway in front of the resort right beside all the cars traveling down the famous Las Vegas Blvd.

I braced myself for some shoulder crunching during the turn but it really wasn't that bad! After you emerge from the tunnel under the sidewalk you fly into a vertical loop, but photos of that will have to wait for the 2nd piece of this article, hopefully tomorrow!

Battlestar Galactica Coaster

© 2009 bigguyinsingapore1

Above we see the track going up for the new Battlestar Galactica coaster at Universal Studios Singapore.

The dueling Vekoma coaster is one of the many highly anticipated attractions going into the new park. Check out more photos of the park under construction in bigguyinsingapore1's photostream on Flickr.

A Rockin' Interview

The Coaster Critic has posted an interesting interview with the designer of Universal Studios Florida's new roller coaster, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit.

Louis Alfieri is one of the park's Creative Directors and the Critic was able to sit down and pick his mind about the new coaster. There's plenty of neat details about this exciting coaster which just recently started testing - and you know that means opening is right around the corner!

Head on over to check it out on the Coaster Critic's Blog.

Scott And Carol Present: A Ride With Woody, Buzz, Jessie & The Gang!

Courtesy of Walt Disney World

Toy Story Mania at Disney’s Hollywood Studio is a carnival games fantasy brought to life. Toy solders are festooned outside the building. The journey begins with a fanciful walk through Andy’s room and the memories of many of the games and toys we played with as children, long before video games were even thought of in the creative mind of Noland Bushnell. Monopoly, Candyland, Chutes & Ladders were represented, as well at Lincoln Logs, Gliders, and even a Viewmaster.

Remember the Viewmaster; before color television looking at scenes through the forced binocular vision was the only way many people were able to see far away places. Many magazines were not printed in color so having a Viewmaster was the next best thing to being there. Here in the queue, an extra-large Disneyland reel hearkens back to a simpler time when electricity wasn’t a necessary component of entertainment. Everything is scaled to make an adult feel just over a foot tall.

A huge balsa wood plane brings back memories of how well it flew, and also how it rarely survived a landing. With one this big, maybe I could have climbed aboard and directed it away from the trees. Probably not, but it does make one wonder what might have been possible if things were different.

Everything is way larger than life, to help guests feel more like children again. The monkeys have escaped their barrel and are hanging from every available appendage. A giant-sized animatronic Mr. Potato Head makes a “spudtacular” effort to learn to know the guests, with trivia questions and asking people where they were from. He says, “It's a ride that's a game. It's a game that's a ride, Step right up and see what's inside."

Once you are seated on the ride vehicle, you need to put on the 3-D glasses. After a brief practice round, you enter the games. The games seem to be constantly changing. You stop at a station, play the game, and when the countdown clock goes to zero, your vehicle goes to the next station. The vehicles have four guest seated back to back, and the entire vehicle rotates so everyone gets their turn at every game.

Photo courtesy of Walt Disney World

There are five different games after the practice round. Sometimes you are throwing pies, darts, and hoops. You try to knock down the dolls with baseballs. The realistic sounds effects matched with occasional blast of air like when a balloon is popped intensify the action. At one station guests are sprinkled with water while hearing a simulated splash. Every game has a special target, called an “Easter Egg” that triggers the appearance of more targets so riders can increase their scores.

Photo courtesy of Walt Disney World

The 3-D effects are different from game to game. Some of the broken articles appear to fly back past the shooter after they are broken. Different audio effects multiply the sensory experience for the riders. Everyone’s scores are tallied and displayed on a screen so they can compare themselves to the daily high score. Even the monthly best is up for review. It has been estimated that over a million virtual plates are broken every day in Toy Story Mania.

Photo courtesy of Walt Disney World

The world’s largest Golden Book is there, aptly titled “Tin Toy,” as you get off the ride vehicle. With no age or height limitations, everyone can ride Toy Story Mania. Many thanks to Walt Disney World for making it possible for us to bring you this story, May you soon feel small in line for Toy Story Mania.

For those interested Carol out scored Scott, but neither of us was even close to the top scores of the day. Thanks to the kind folks at WDW of all their assistance.

Cedar Point's Starlight Experience

Cedar Point's new Starlight Experience made it's grand debut this past weekend to many "oohs" and "ahhs" from guests visiting the park.

The entire Frontier Trail section of the park is covered in brightly lit LED lights, accompanied by the Snoopy characters on floats and a unique soundtrack. The trail is themed to the four seasons, with extra decorations and color schemes to set the mood for each. The winter section looks especially with all the cool blue lights.

Point Pics has up a gallery taken from the park during Starlight Experience's opening weekend. I'm sure the vibe is different in person but it really makes me think of Christmas! Check it out here.

Aerial Antics: Linnanmaki

Linnanmaki, Helsinki, Finland, is a pretty cool amusement park if you ask me. It is owned by the Children's Day Foundation and uses its profits to support their charitable work, all of which benefit the children of the country.

The park opened in 1950 and in the past decade has been adding many unique coasters and rides to their lineup.

For instance, here we have Vonkaputous, a Premier Rides water coaster added in 2001. Remember Buzzsaw Falls at Silver Dollar City before it became Powder Keg? Well this was like it's little cousin. It has a little coaster section after the lift and then a splash down to end the ride. Pretty neat.

Here's another two of the park's roller coasters. On the left is a Mack powered ride, called Pikajuna and added back in 1990. The blue coaster on the right is called Tulireki. It's a Mack ride that's pretty twisted and part of their e-motion series of coasters.

This is the park's Roller Coaster, Vuoristorata, a classic wooden ride dating back to just after the park's opening in 1951. It's a classic and even still uses a brakeman on the back of each train!

Here's another unique one: Linnunrata. Built inside of a former water tower and covered with trees on top! The actual ride inside is a Zierer coaster that takes place in the dark.

The aerials don't have two of the parks' more recent attractions on there either, like Kirnu, an Intamin ZacSpin added in '07, and Salama, a Maurer Sohne spinning ride added just last year.

To see the aerials follow this link to Live Local.

Now That's Airtime!

Check out this awesome photo that Kings Island released of Freestyle Motocross rider Jimmie McGuire thrilling the crowd with a gravity-defying performance at Kings Island.

The ASA Action Sports World Tour, one of the industry’s oldest and most elite action sports circuits, made a stop at Kings Island this past weekend. The event featured some of the world’s top X Games pros in Skateboard, BMX and Freestyle Motocross.

Now Splashing At Valleyfair

© 2009 ValleyfairZone

Valleyfair recently had the grand opening ceremony for their new Breakers Bay wave pool, seen above, and ValleyfairZone was in attendance to file a report.

The pool comes with the rebranding of the park's water area into Soak City, and a bunch of new amenities were added as well giving the property a fresh new look. I especially like the vibrant colors used on all the buildings.

Check out the report here!

Ride Quassy's New Coaster!

Quassy Amusement Park has release the above new virtual ride on their 'coming soon' wooden coaster! The virtual ride, created by coaster designer The Gravity Group of Cincinnati, Ohio, is currently up and running for roller coaster and amusement park enthusiasts.

The video, with authentic coaster sounds, highlights the one-of-a-kind ride that will be constructed at Quassy. The wood-frame structure will have 1,200 feet of track and rise more than 30 feet above the old entrance road to the park. The coaster will drop nearly 40 feet as it descends into the field area behind the park’s “Grand Carousel.”

The coaster is one of three projects Quassy plans on installing over the next several years. The park has also received town approval to install a free fall drop tower as well as a “Bullet Bowl” water raft ride, which will be an addition to the popular “Saturation Station” waterpark.

A groundbreaking date for the ride has not been released yet.

Conneaut Lives Again

Admid all the big new ride openings and park re-openings this past weekend, Conneaut Lake Park came back to life after being closed for some two years. The classic amusement park won't be ready to reopen their Blue Streak wooden coaster, but hopefully that will come online next summer.

In a time when we're losing parks each year it's truly wonderful to see one like this be able to open their doors once again. Go visit if you can!

Freestyle Tour

© 2009 DiscoverMyrtleBeach.com

This Memorial Day weekend marks the grand reopening of the transformed (transforming parks and rides is a common theme these days) Freestyle Music Park in Myrtle Beach, SC. The park has worked hard to change the name of pretty much every ride, shop, food store, and even park lands, in order to re-brand the property.

The above photo is of the new Monsters of Rock dark ride which replaces Nights in White Satin. Looks like a rock themed Ghost Hunters type ride, though I'm not sure yet if you have targets to shoot at. I'm glad they reopened a dark ride, though!

Discovery Myrtle Beach posted a great tour of the park which points out all the changes that have been made. You can check that out on their website here. The park looks brand new again as most buildings have all new paint, themes, and signage. We may hear more about the park soon from Scott and Carol, so be sure to watch for that!

New England is Bizarro, Too

© 2009 sfne2005

There are more photos of the newly transformed and opened Bizarro coaster at Six Flags New England than you can shake a stick at in this thread over on Theme Park Review. User sfne2005 has photos of every detail you could imagine, and all the shots are really well done.

After reading Sabrin'a wonderful review of Six Flags Great Adventure's version, it appears as though the transformations were pretty similar. That said, they're both well done!

Now Terminating at Six Flags Magic Mountain

Six Flags Magic Mountain has opened their much anticipated new wooden roller coaster, Terminator: Salvation, to some very happy riders (one looking rather familiar...) above.

The L.A. Times' Funland bog was at the opening, and has posted their review of the new coaster. It includes fire! The queue line is also really rather themed, I must give the park much credit for spending the extra cash on something like that.

Here's to more and more GCI wooden rides in the future!

Scott And Carol Present - Manta Soars Over SeaWorld Orlando!

When the planning process for what was to become Manta was first started, many concepts were discussed in sort of a brain storming session. According to Brian Morrow, in charge of Guest Experience for SeaWorld Florida, "We looked at many things, but a couple of concepts kept rising to the surface. A flying coaster and another idea of an aquarium featuring rays worked well together. You can’t have one without the other. They seemed to mesh even better the farther we developed them. We used story boards and written narratives."


Gary Violetta, Aquarium Curator, offers his thoughts, "Leadership from corporate told us that each part of the attraction must stand along. The aquariums must alone as a positive guest experience, and it needs to be a great roller coaster also. We kept working on the concept from both a roller coaster and a biologist viewpoint. Eventually it sifted down to what our guests enjoy today."

Dan Brown, General Manger of all Worlds of Discovery Orland properties, says "We certainly didn’t foresee the economic conditions accompanying the opening of Manta, but this needs to be a big hit for us this summer. The early guest surveys tell us that this will be successful attraction for SeaWorld."


Brian takes pride in the seamless transition from the animal habitat and the coaster thrill ride. "We wanted to hide most of the coaster from the guests in the grotto. They can’t see how the trains operate up closed until they enter the station. It’s quiet and cool throughout the air conditioned queue. The lights and the music are designed to heighten apprehension before we show them the ride."


The coaster itself is a custom design from Bolliger and Mabillard. Remember the factory tour we presented before, some of those pieces were for Manta, and the blue hand rails shown in the picture now adorn this new jewel in SeaWorld. The coaster rises 140 feet above the lagoon, and riders accelerate to 56 mph during the 113 foot drop. According to Bill L, a member of American Coaster Enthusiasts, “This flying coaster has what other of its genre don’t, lots of close flybys with both water, trees, and supports. This increases the sensation of speed” As someone visits both coasts to ride coasters, this is very high praise. Centrally placed in the park, it won’t be long before peoples directions will include "opposite the water fall" and "just under the high turn". Riders will stare at the sky four times on Manta, and experience some strong G forces, especially at the back of the train in the loop. This pretzel loop is another first, as no other flying coaster actually travels through the loop.


To help these two sides of the same attraction coexist, some special attention to detail was taken during the design process. Gary says, "To reduce vibration everything was isolated. None of the coaster structure is attached to the habitat and we even used thicker acrylic than necessary to prevent the windows from fogging and reduce the stress on the fish. And what magnificent denizens they have in the animal habitat. Feeding and behavior are monitored to make sure they all stay healthy. We will soon move our holding tank upstairs to the second level to allow any of our stressed or ill charges to recover."



Approximately 300 different rays are in the 238,000 gallon tanks, which is totally filtered every 45 minutes. To name just a few of the aquatic citizens: a giant Pacific octopus, starfish, sea dragon, many varieties of other fish, and even some sea horses. The tanks are filtered continuously. Did we mention that we have never seen salt water filters incorporated into a roller coaster before? SeaWorld was asked to capture female freshwater rays from the wild to expand the gene pool for the captive breeding program under the auspices of the American Zoological Association. Even though it was more expensive, they did so for the betterment of all aquariums worldwide.


Whether rays actually swim inverted shall remain a temporary mystery until we get an answer from SeaWorld. We can attest that after being hypnotized by the rays for nearly thirty minutes, we never saw one upside down, though they seem to like sweeping banked turns. Any guests who pause and watch will feel their blood pressure lowering, this seemed to be a very intense experience, because even on the ride side of the tanks the sounds are muted, and there is very little talking.



Brian Morrow explains, "We wanted to have guests have two emotional experiences, one watching the flight of the rays underwater, and another simulating the flights themselves. This is so much bigger than a coaster. All of our guests can experience the first, and those over 54 inches can go on the ride." Gary Violetta concludes, "If each of our guests comes away with just one piece of conservation knowledge that they didn’t have before they came into the park, it will have been worthwhile."




World of Discovery parks all promote conservation and education about what everyone can do to promote a better environment. Setting an example by developing green technologies for use in amusement and theme parks, SeaWorld is developing using recycled materials for construction. LED lighting methods, on-site condensing boilers are just a few of the new techniques as the World of Discovery parks strive to approach a zero environmental impact. This is something for the rest of the amusement industry to watch as the technology progresses.



So there you have it. It has a great story with highs and lows that are both wet and dry and a strong message. Manta has something for everyone, and you don’t even have to ride it to enjoy it. Destined to become quite the entertainment attraction for the passing crowds, Manta has something for every one. So why are you are still reading this? Go to Orlando and jump in line. It’s air conditioned, has some great fish to see, the line moves quickly, and a great ride to end it all. You know where we will be when we go to SeaWorld.









Thanks to the wonderful folks at SeaWorld Orlando!

A Great Adventure into the Bizarro World

What a beautiful day in the state of New Jersey! The weather stood in stark contrast to the dark, twisted, maniacal character who has descended upon the roller coaster formerly known as Medusa. Enter Bizarro!

Hundreds of reporters, enthusiasts, and fans made the trek to Six Flags Great Adventure today to witness the unveiling of their newly tricked out coaster. To generate buzz for Bizarro's big day, the park offered upwards of 300 complimentary admission tickets (which included access to the preview event) on a first come, first served basis on the Bizarro Is Here web site. Public Relations Manager Angel Aristone estimates that as many as 500 guests received free or discounted tickets through this special promotion.

The 30 "first riders", however, had to work a little harder for their reward. On May 2, Six Flags Great Adventure hosted a scavenger hunt in which participants had to solve puzzles located in different areas of the park. The first 30 "scavengers" to complete the challenge received a Golden Ticket--literally!--which entitled them to a seat on the first Bizarro train out of the station today.

While we waited for the opening ceremony to begin, Angel briefed the 30 lucky first riders on the morning's activities. It's no accident that they're all dressed alike: Each first rider received a free souvenir t-shirt which they wore with pride.


The PR department even got into character! Nothing spells fun like a cape, my friends. The familiar DC Comics theme music playing in the background didn't hurt, either.

Park President Mark Kane officially kicked things off around 10:30am by giving us some insight into exactly how bizarro this new coaster really is. As he so eloquently put it, "This guy's nuts! Just take a look at the icon on the sign there. You can see he's got some issues."

Mark was followed by Angel, who recapped Bizarro's stats for the non-enthusiasts in the bunch and then went on to discuss the alternate reality game that Six Flags devised to promote the transformation of Medusa and her cousin Superman at Six Flags New England. The viral marketing campaign, which ran for five months, had over 500,000 participants!

Without further ado, it was time to unleash Bizarro. The ribbon cutting honors were bestowed upon regional ACE representatives Adam Revesz and Bret Ulozas, as Mark Kane looked on.

Then something--well, bizarro happened. To the simultaneous dismay and amusement of the crowd, the streamers which were shot into the air as the ribbon was cut became hopelessly entangled with Bizarro's cobra roll! A more appropriate stunt could not have been devised if the park had tried. Fortunately, this little snafu resulted in only a minor delay.

A ginormous entrance sign featuring the hero of Htrae himself beckons unsuspecting riders to pass below the cobra roll and into the Bizarro world.


The citizens of Htrae have reinvented the wheel! They can keep their version...

Um...Did somebody not get the memo? Medusa is el finito! Unless...Ah, I get it. It's all part of Bizarro's master plan to confuse the heck out of us.

It sure worked on this horse!

Signs placed at strategic locations throughout the queue tell the story of the two Six Flags coasters and their twisted transformations. This comic was custom-created for Bizarro by DC Comics. I could post them all, but why spoil your fun? You'll just have to visit Six Flags Great Adventure or Six Flags New England (or better yet, both!) and read them for yourselves.

The streamer debacle left 30 impatient yet impossibly optimistic first riders chomping at the bit. Earlier in the morning I had the opportunity to speak to two of these winners, Brad Emdur and Chris Powers of Cherry Hill, NJ. When asked what inspired them to compete in the scavenger hunt, Brad replied, "Well, we've come to the park a lot and ridden the rides every time, but we never did anything like that. It sounded like a fun way to do something different at the park."

Apparently the park did not make it easy on them, either! While the hunt was expected to last approximately two hours, it ended up bleeding into three. "It was a lot harder than we expected," said Brad. Chris added, "But a lot more fun than we expected."

So were these two big winners excited to experience Bizarro??? Heck yeah, according to Chris! "We're excited, yeah. I mean, this ride was good to begin with, so they could only make it better."

Darn you, festive streamers! Bizarro was obviously behind this...

Finally, the first train was dispatched to chants of, "Bizarro! Bizarro! Bizarro!" That same chant is repeated at the end of the fancy new soundtrack that gets pumped through those fancy new speakers that have been installed in the coaster's trains.

The trains themselves suffered a minor casualty as a result of this facelift: Two seats had to be removed from the last car to accommodate the new audio equipment. (Hence, 30 first riders as opposed to 32.) As you ascend the lift, an action-packed story begins to unfold in your ears.

The first upgrade to assault your senses comes compliments of Bizarro's freeze vision. A "cool zone" tricked out with LED lighting (which probably looks wicked cool at night) has been placed at the bottom of the first drop. It was quite refreshing on this hot May day! I wish it extended the entire length of the drop...


First ice, now fire! Bizarro is multi-talented in the superpowers department. Coming out of the dive loop, a pair of flamethrowers shoots plumes of fire into the air on either side of the track. You can feel the heat all the way over in the queue!


By this point in the ride, I had no idea whether a story was still being whispered in my ears or not. All of my other senses were too overwhelmed!


Props of various shapes and sizes are placed strategically on the ground throughout the ride's course. The coaster maneuvers over and around these obstacles flawlessly, while still providing the illusion that you are one with the story being told.


Just when you're feeling safe and cozy in those spiffed up trains, the Auger of Doom appeareth! (No really, it does appeareth...just not so much in photos!) This spike-shaped element, shrouded in fog and adorned with blinking white LEDs, was added inside the interlocking corkscrews. It is definitely a crowd pleaser, and it also happens to be Angel's favorite element! "It looks like you're going headfirst into it," she told me earlier in the morning. (Thanks for the heads up! Pun intended...)

Imagine my surprise when, following one of my rides, our train returned to the station to be greeted by none other than Mr. Six! He was slapping high fives with everyone as we exited. Didn't see him dance though, unfortunately!




Bizarro swag! Get your Bizarro swag heeeeeere!

Well how do you like that? Bizarro is so cocky, he thinks he's our hero now! He tries to plant that seed in your mind as you exit his lair.

Well folks, that's all she wrote! I hope you've enjoyed your journey into the Bizarro world. I must say, Medusa has made a stunning transformation. Props to Six Flags for kicking the theming up a notch and providing their guests with a truly unique, multi-sensory experience. And many thanks to Six Flags Great Adventure for putting on this great media event! The staff was very well organized and did a fantastic job of coordinating today's festivities to ensure that a good--er, Bizarro--time was had by all.

Do Tweets Work in the Bizarro World?

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Guess I'm about to find out! If you like your information delivered live and in short bursts of 140 characters or less, sign up to follow me on Twitter as I report from Six Flags Great Adventure's Bizarro media preview event tomorrow morning! (Or, if you prefer your information to be delayed a few hours and delivered in an excessively verbose format, just wait for my write-up tomorrow evening...)

On a side note, Scott and Carol are on the road somewhere in the Sunshine State and they, too, will have much to share with you by the time tomorrow is through!

Sabrina's Brochure Spotlight: Indiana Beach 1995

It's important to set goals in life. My goal for this week is as follows: Write this entire post without using the phrase "Hoosier Daddy". (Except for just now. That time didn't count.)

The stately Hoosier Hurricane, which wraps about half of Indiana Beach in its warm embrace, was entering its second season of operation in 1995. It's looking very "au naturel" on this brochure cover, as the steel supports had not been painted white yet.

[Hoosier Hurricane = Okay. Hoosier Daddy = Bad. Again, doesn't count. I was merely using the phrase for illustrative purposes.]

Here's a great aerial shot of a boot. OOPS! That's no boot, it's Indiana Beach! It sure does look like a boot though, doesn't it?

No matter how many times I see them, I never get sick of looking at aerial photos of Indiana Beach. They really bring out the unique nature of this traditional park, which is beautifully situated on Lake Shafer.

Indiana Beach welcomed three new water slides in 1995. My suspicion is that they were added in order to give the park license to advertise its water park as "GIANT" in the brochure. Nice move, IB. But the times they are a changin', so you may want to consider designing all future brochures to incorporate the word "GINORMOUS" instead.

[NOTE: In case this isn't blatantly obvious, the two images above go together to form a single GINORMOUS spread. However, I've found that images of that size do not work well in Blogger posts, so you will have to mentally piece them together. I highly recommend the use of your imaginations in this endeavor.]

In addition to the water slides, the Hoosier State's only lakeside park also added a Sky Coaster in 1995. [Hoosier State = Also okay. Hoosier Daddy = Still bad, but still acceptable in this context.] The park's gangly mascot, IB Crow, was a huge fan of this new attraction.

By now you're probably wondering how the heck Indiana Beach managed to squeeze all these attractions into its tiny boot-shaped footprint, and let me tell you it wasn't easy! But if you think this is bad, imagine what it's like today, after three additional coasters and who knows how many other rides have been added. If you're claustrophobic, do not visit this park!

Note Indiana Beach's pricing structure in 1995, which is outlined in great detail here. As I reported earlier this week, the park has made some big changes to this model for 2009.

Indiana Beach's lakeside setting elicits feelings of being one with nature. Thus, it seems fitting to cap off the adventure with a stay at Indiana Beach Camp Resort. Altogether, Indiana Beach is a refuge of water and fresh air amid the miles and MILES and MILES of corn fields you will traverse to get there! By the time you arrive, you may feel compelled to ask a local, "Hoosier farmer?" Just don't ask him or her that other question...

World's First S&S Free Fly Prepares to Take Off

© 2009 Skara Sommarland

It's a bird! It's a crane! It's an S&S Free Fly!

Skara Sommarland in Sweden opens on May 30, and if all goes well, so will the world's first S&S "Free Fly" roller coaster. Dubbed Tranan, which translates to "The Crane", the ride will feature unique 8-passenger vehicles (parts of which are pictured above) themed to resemble the ride's namesake. If you're wondering where you're going to ride, well...How about on the sides of the vehicle? It is a crazy--er, innovative--concept for sure! One never knows how such drawing board ideas will work out in the real world, so we'll have to wait and see.

The park has been documenting the construction of this one-of-a-kind creation via a blog, and there are lots of great photos to be seen there. Unfortunately I have yet to make good on my New Year's resolution to learn Swedish, so I can be of no assistance to you on the translation! So just enjoy the pretty pictures for now, and perhaps one of our more linguistically talented readers can fill us in on the details!

Scott And Carol Present - Fontaine Ferry Is Open For One Last Summer

While you can’t go home again, you can return to at least a facsimile of Fontaine Ferry Park. Located on the southern banks of the Ohio River just west of Louisville, Kentucky, it was a magical place buzzing with excitement from 1905 to 1969. Temporarily open on the second floor of the Frazier International History Museum, Sam and Sue continually invite guests to enter Hilarity Hall.


Beginning as merely something to do while waiting for the freight to be loaded onto the ferry boats, the first entertainment at what was to become Fontaine Ferry Park was supplied by a traveling showman who saw the people standing around with nothing to do. A Louisville tradition for sixty-four years, the Metro area became a sadder place after the events that led to the parks closing in 1969.


Fontaine Ferry Park was opened by the Park Circuit and Reality Company after two years of construction following a design produced by John Miller of the Hopkins Amusement Company. Judge George Wilson was soon appointed as the General Manager, and his assistant was John Singhiser, father of Jack who along with his wife Ruby Singhiser operated the park until it closed in 1969. It reopened in 1972 as Ghost Town on the River, closed again, and opened for a final season as River Glen Park. Lots of the original rides were sold and much of the infrastructure removed.



When you walk through the museum’s doors of West Main Street, the first thing you see is a knight outfitted in armor. You ask yourself what a museum affiliated with the Royal Armouries and dedicated to the history of armed conflict is doing hosting this exhibit. Dr. Madeleine Burnside, Executive Director explains, "Carousels were invented to allow knights to practice their jousting skills so we are exploiting that connection as we strive to make the Frazier International Museum a leader in historical interpretation."

Photo courtesy of University of Louisville

She continues, "We attempt to allow guests to experience history through interactive exhibits, not just look at things." A call to the community for photos led to a wide variety that are displayed in the hallway preceding the exhibit. Just another tidbit of information, Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois has the carousel in storage. It would be good to see this piece of Louisville history returned to the area. The two carousel horses on display are actual horses from Fontaine Ferry Park’s carousel.


The gala opening was wonderful. They had a live band featuring music from the 1960’s, and the food was everything you would normally eat at a park. This included hot dogs, funnel cakes, popcorn and Slushies. The aromas drifted up the atrium towards the exhibit and there were some moist eyes from people who actually got to go to the park before it closed. Listening to people talk about their shared experiences at the park made for a wonderful evening. Owsley Brown Frazier declared "Fontaine Ferry Park is open for one more summer" and the lines for the attractions formed in earnest.


A replica of the crescent moon photo spot sits in the hallway just outside the door to the first room of the exhibit. You can get your photo taken just like your grandparents did at Fontaine Ferry Park. No one seemed quite sure exactly where it used to in the park be but by general consensus it was close to Gypsy Village. Gypsy Village started as an outdoor dance garden with and indoor theatre, back in the day; opera was performed in the theatre. Eventually the theatre was converted into an outdoor dance hall that featured many national touring acts. Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, and the Tommy Dorsey band all performed in Gypsy Village.


The Kiddie Rides area was called Frontier Village after 1955, before that it was called Kiddieland. A little red fire truck from a kiddie ride is on the right, and one of the first pictures in the hallway is the same ride. We talked with Ronnie Jardt, who worked at the park from 1967-1969. "For my first job, I worked all the time in Frontier Village, which was all kiddie rides. My first ride was the helicopter ride and after three days of constantly screaming children someone decided that I had what it took and moved me to games. I was an assistant in games the rest of the year."



He continues, "The next year they put me in charge of the basketball booth, and I was really full of myself being in charge of something at only age eighteen. Sometimes I went over and helped out on the bumper cars. One of the strongest memories I have is after learning from the experienced workers how to ride the Comet and how cool the air felt on the lift hill after climbing out of the river bottom. I had been afraid to rid the Comet until I was sixteen. It was an interesting place to work, and all my friends could come and see me while I was working."


Interactivity reigns supreme in this exhibit. Nearly 4,000 square feet including over 200 artifacts make up the exhibit. Paddy DeGeorge, herself a veteran of many pleasant times at Fontaine Ferry Park, coordinated the exhibit. She says, "This project was nearly two years in the making." When asked about her favorite ride she replies, "I didn’t really have a favorite ride. Because of my Irish heritage, I always tried to ride the 'Shamrock' horse in Hilarity Hall. I was thrilled when we were loaned that particular horse." The same horse is featured in the display.



A replica of the park entrance leads to the "game" room. The original was destroyed by fire on along with the penny arcade on May 25, 1976. Here locals can play some of the same skee ball machines they played in the park, and many of their favorite game booths have been recreated. They can weigh themselves and blame the changes on the age of the machines.

Photo courtesy of University of Louisville

There is a wall mural of the Angel Slide from Hilarity Hall, along with some of the old mirrors. People lined up to look at their reflections just like they did over forty years ago. One indelible scene was a grandmother attempting to show her grandson the "secret" to the ping pong ball game.


Another way the stories live on is through a video that Jerry Rice wrote and directed in 1992 which was produced by Tim Young. He remembers about seventy-five different contributors back when he started on it. "It grew out of presentation project. When we arrived, there were people lined up out the door and down the street. The contributors started calling us as soon as they heard we were making it and it grew faster than we expected. While it was a labor of love for eight years, it did sell 6,000 copies in six months."

Jerry continues, "Like most early parks, Fontaine Ferry Park was affiliated with the Louisville Railway Company. The company generated their own DC current and the park used the excess to operate the rides. Jack Singhiser told me once he got a bill from them for over $100,000. He called them up and told him they had an agreement from long ago, and due to it being DC they could do nothing else with it. Jack thought that was hilarious." The video is available for purchase through the Frazier Museum Store. They have some wonderful recreated Fontaine Ferry Park souvenirs in the shop that are not featured on the store’s web page.


Fontaine Ferry Park featured many roller coasters over the years. The Loop-the Loop was the one of the first, but it was destined to have a short lifetime due to poor design and capacity issues. Like most of its type, it attracted more spectators than riders. It coexisted with a Scenic Railway, a John Miller design built by Fred Ingersoll that closed in 1910. It was replaced by another coaster from this duo, the Racing Derby, which thrilled riders for 26 years. When it was time to replace the Racing Derby, John Miller had his own company and he supplied the Velvet Racer. This coaster was destined to suffer through two of the worst floods in Louisville history. Just barely a year old, the park rebuilt it only to have it suffer through another flood two years later.


The Fontaine Ferry Park roller coaster most remembered is the Comet. Designed by Herbert Schmeck of PTC, the Comet and the Little Comet both lasted through the end of any amusement park on the banks of the Ohio by Louisville. They both survived through two ownership changes and the riot. They were the last coasters in the park.


The Sunday following the Derby was the traditional opening day, but May 4, 1969 would prove to be totally unexpected. Some reports have the crowd being a little bit restive but no one expected a full scale riot to occur. The park had been integrated for five years and to all appearances the tensions had eased. The park was quite successful catering to its integrated crowds. The Twenty-five policemen were required to restore order and after the chaos quieted, over $18,000 dollars of damage was recorded. Some elderly workers had been injured, and money stolen. This disappointment was too much for Jack Singhiser.


Jim Singhiser talks about his uncle, "He was devastated; He sold some of the rides, the machines in the penny arcade, everything that he could. He even took the wiring out of the ground to sell the copper. Fontaine Ferry Park was nothing more than a memory."


The Frazier Museum is hosting several special events and educational programs related to Fontaine Ferry, including Gypsy Village Night at the Frazier, Collectors Day and Family Discovery Days. A July 14 panel discussion, entitled "Outside Looking In: Fontaine Ferry & the Struggle for Civil Rights," will feature moderator Steve Crump and panelists Senator Gerald Neal, author and historian Lynn Renau, Karen Edwards-Hunter and others who will discuss the 1964 integration of Fontaine Ferry in the context of the broader Civil Rights movement. The museum has also created a website especially for the exhibit.

Our thanks to the Frazier Museum & all those collectors who shared treasures for this display. If any of y'all are anywhere near Louisville, don't visit a chance to see this exhibit.

The Return of Kong!

Rising from the ashes of the fire that destroyed King Kong's home at Universal Studios Hollywood, the giant ape will return to the park's famous Studio Tram Tour in the summer of 2010.

The park just made the announcement that they "will combine thrilling visceral effects with the world’s largest Surround Digital projection system to create a next-generation theme park experience." Guests will wear special 3-D glasses to view what sounds like a gigantic battle between Kong and a massive dinosaur, also including on board effects to complete the 4-D experience. The actual trams themselves will also see a slew of upgrades to help make the new experience possible.

In short, it sounds like no giant animatronic King Kong will resurface at the studios, but at least the attraction will exist at the park once again in some form. And hey, they can still pump in the banana smell if they want!

Indiana Beach Puts the Kibosh on General Admission Charge

Good news for any non-riders who plan to visit Indiana Beach this summer: The park will be offering free general admission to all patrons in 2009. This marks the first time Indiana Beach has not charged an admission fee since 1972. In the official press release, General Manager John Collins is quoted as stating, "Indiana Beach Resort has always been a number one destination value for families. Having Free Admission again will reinforce that value by letting all members of the family enjoy the park whether they ride our thrill rides or just enjoy a leisurely stroll down our Boardwalk Funway, participate in one of our miniature golf courses, or take a leisurely ride on Lake Shafer aboard the Shafer Queen paddle wheel boat." While the fee was negligible ($2.50 in 2008), it's still nice to see a traditional park return to its roots and make itself freely accessible to the general public.

As for us ride junkies, the better news is that the park has changed its pricing structure and now offers POP passes that are good for the entire day. The previous pricing structure was based on two 7-hour "ride sessions", so in order to ride all day you actually had to purchase two separate POP passes. Not only is the new pricing model much easier on the wallet for those who plan to spend the entire day at Indiana Beach, but it just plain makes more sense!

On a side note, the park's marketing department has finally caught up with reality and modified all Steel Hawg propaganda to boast a 111 degree drop...still the steepest in the U.S., at least!

Magnum's Special 20th Birthday

© 2009 Cedar Point

Cedar Point opened this past weekend for it's 140th season, and while that's a remarkable number, there was another special celebration taking place.

The Point's signature coaster, Magnum XL-200 is celebrating it's 20th birthday this year! The ride opened on May 6th, 1989 and has been thrilling riders ever since, to the tune of some 40 million according to this Toledo Blade article on the ride.

The park has given the ride some love this year, adding a brand new sign out front of it's queue (seen above) as well as decorative banners and a birthday celebration on opening day. The ride is a classic in the industry, and certainly deserves the recognition it's receiving!

Wanted: One New Kiddie Coaster Name

Remember this little nugget from our Dorney Park opening day trip report? The kiddie coaster formerly known as "Little Laser" has lost its namesake, and Dorney Park needs your help to give it a fresh new identity! You have until May 31 to submit your suggestions through the Contest Coaster page on the park's web site. The park will then select five name "finalists" and put them up for a public vote which will run from June 5-30. Just don't expect any 15 seconds of fame out of this one--All submissions are anonymous. Your reward is the fact that you have contributed to Dorney Park's illustrious history!

My suggestion? Build a shiny new woodie out there, give it a name, and then call this coaster "Little <insert shiny new woodie name here>". Forget about wood versus steel! It could work...

Valleyfair! Ready To Open

© 2009 ValleyfairZone.com

Cedar Fair's Valleyfair held it's annual Boyscout event this past weekend which also served as a nice preview of the changes found around the park for guests.

ValleyfairZone was able to attend and posted this nice photo report form inside the park. Above we see the sign for the new Breakers Bay wave pool, new for 2009 and part of the renovated and renamed Soak City water park.

The park officially opens for the season this week!

Behind All That Mumbo Jumbo

© 2009 user Spike at TowersTimes.co.uk

Photos and video footage taken over the past week reveal that Flamingo Land's soon-to-be record-breaking coaster, Mumbo Jumbo, is going up quickly! Strangely enough, some of the best construction photos I've found were actually posted to this forum thread on TowersTimes, the unofficial guide to Alton Towers. Well at least it's all in the UK, right? Looks like most of the structure as well as the station and queue are complete, and the theming is coming along nicely.

Flamingo Land TV, the official Flamingo Land TV channel, has also released a new video (embedded below) including some footage of the construction site as well as a Q&A session with Nick Buckley, Flamingo Land's Operations Manager. (He also happens to be a coaster enthusiast, by the way!) Among other things, Buckley confirms that Mumbo Jumbo's 112 degree drop will indeed be the steepest in the world, as Steel Hawg's advertised 120 degree drop was based on the original plans for the coaster; in reality, it maxes out at 111 degrees. Mumbo Jumbo is scheduled to open on July 3, and representatives from the Guinness Book of World Records will be on hand to make it official.

Steel Hawg is a great coaster, so I'm really excited to see another El Loco appearing on the worldwide coaster scene. I hope there's even more where these came from!

A Beastly Construction Project

© Kings Island

In 2009, all the fuss in Kings Mills, OH has been about Diamondback. And certainly there is good reason to make a fuss--Diamondback is a fantastic coaster! But let's not forget that celebrations come in wood as well as steel this year at Kings Island: The legendary Beast is celebrating its 30th anniversary!

Don Helbig, PR manager at the park, has sent us this vintage photo of The Beast under construction which was taken back in December 1978. The first lift and drop of 135 feet is visible on the left, with the second lift and drop appearing on the right. The Beast's infamous double helix finale is under construction in the foreground. Talk about your massive construction projects!

In this day of newfangled wooden twisters and 90-degree turns, we sometimes forget about those "oldies but goodies" which have stood the test of time and technology. Don't let that happen to you! Get out to Kings Island this summer and help the granddaddy of all wooden coasters celebrate his 30 thrilling years in style! (And take a tip from us: Be sure to log at least one night ride. You will never look at wooden coasters the same way again!)

Industry Experts Tapped to Provide Advice on Coney Island's Future

© 2009 Deno's Wonder Wheel Park

In case you've been living under a rock, one of the biggest industry headlines to hit the press this week was the release of the recommendations made by the Coney Island Amusement Advisory Panel. The panel, which was chaired by Jim Seay (President of Premier Rides, Inc.) and moderated by Jack Rouse (CEO of Jack Rouse Associates), was convened by the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and the Coney Island Development Corporation (CIDC) to assess the current climate at Coney Island and brainstorm ideas that would help guide the city as it moves forward with its proposed redevelopment plans.

Members of the panel were hand-picked to represent "a diverse cross-section of the industry" and included representatives from nearby seaside amusement areas Morey's Piers and Steel Pier. All in all, it was an impressive collection of talents. Yet one of the selections struck me as peculiar: Kieran Burke. Kieran Burke? Really? If I'm not mistaken, this is the same man who was largely responsible for the near destruction and continuing financial woes of another big name company in the industry. And not surprisingly, he was actually quoted in one article as stating, "I would say that one of the things that would be important here would ultimately, in the amusement zone, be some signature rides that people really want to come and do." Riiiiiiiiight. Because that line of thinking worked really well for you at Six Flags.

But I digress. The fact of the matter is, Burke is right...to a certain extent. This sentiment, among others, was echoed by the overall committee within the seven points they presented back to the city yesterday. The press release, which is quite comprehensive, has already been regurgitated to death on nearly every enthusiast site known to mankind, so I will not bore you by posting it again here. Instead, I will give you my 50 cent assessment of their thoughts.

Overall, I think the panel got it right. The history and mystique of Coney Island are second to none in terms of industry landmarks, and these assets must be preserved in order to maintain the character of the area. Open admission, careful selection of vendors (i.e., NO STRIP MALLS OR CONDOS!), and a focus on the seaside atmosphere are key. But as the panel notes, the old must be carefully balanced with the new to create a Coney Island that is sustainable moving forward and attractive to up-and-coming generations of patrons who expect 21st century thrills and amenities. It is a precarious balance, but I do believe that it can be achieved under the right leadership.

The one aspect of the plan that concerns me is the shift to a single operator/developer. Historically, it is diversity among individual operators and developers which has made Coney Island the unique amusement district that it is. Would Deno's really be Deno's if it weren't run by the Vourderis family? Minimal oversight of the district may not be a bad thing in and of itself; in fact, it very well may help the area to blossom into an even better "People's Playground". But I would hate to see a single entity be put in charge of all things Coney Island. I've never run an amusement park and the notion of me falling into the category of "industry expert" is downright laughable, but that's my vote and I'm sticking to it!

Terminator Testing!

© 2009 Six Flags Magic Mountain

Great Coasters International has tweeted and Facebooked [don't you just love 21st century lingo?] that Six Flags Magic Mountain's new signature woodie, Terminator Salvation, has officially begun testing! Testing began Thursday night, May 14, just a few short days behind schedule. No word yet on how it's going, but hopefully somebody involved with the project will be kind enough to treat us to a video in the coming days. If and when they do, I will update this post accordingly! In the meantime, you can whet your appetites by checking out the "Ride Funstruction" photo album that has been added to Six Flags Magic Mountain's Facebook page. It features some great shots of the trains being installed!

UPDATE: I have your testing footage as promised, compliments of Theme Park Review! The video is too wide to embed here, but you can check it out on their YouTube channel.

There's Even A Sasquatch Costume!

The Great Escape, Lake George, NY, has opened it's new free fall tower named Sasquatch to thrill seekers who were anxious to try it out. The almost 200 ft. tall ride features one tower that blasts riders up, and another which slowly takes passengers up and then shoots them downward.

The park's interesting name for the attraction, which was moved from the closed Six Flags New Orleans park, was made even more special by the park when they brought a character in costume as Sasquatch to the ride's opening!

Check out video and more on this news report.

It's the Eucalyptus that Makes It Good

© 2009 Idlewild and SoakZone

Idlewild Park received a special delivery this week: 3600 pounds of Eucalyptus! And it's a special breed of Eucalyptus, too--One that grows with a perfectly cut kid-size passageway right through the middle of the trunk. I need to find the scientist who bred this hybrid, because I totally want one for my backyard.

This massive trunk will serve as the base for Idlewild's new Safari Hut play structure. I've posted a number of photos related to this attraction, and by now you may be wondering why a grown woman such as myself is so interested in a children's attraction. Obsess much, Sabrina? Why, yes! But with good reason. Anytime a park is willing to go the extra mile to create a truly unique, one-of-a-kind experience for their guests, it gets my attention. And I can't think of too many other parks (how about none) where you can crawl through the remains of what was once a live tree! That's pretty darn cool. The kids are making out big time on this one.

Visit Idelwild's blog to see even more photos. And take this as a lesson that not all good things that are wooden have to come in the form of a roller coaster!

CSI: Freestyle Music Park

With [re]opening day right around the corner, it seems the press releases never cease to roll out of Freestyle Music Park. The big news this week has been shows. First came the announcement of "Adrenaline Rush", an X-Games-style clash between two competing teams, and "Ice Cold Country", an ice skating show themed to past and present country music hits.

Then came today's announcement, to which I raised an eyebrow. Soon the entire family will be able to visit Freestyle Music Park and take part in...a crime scene investigation? Bizarre, but true! Freestyle Music Park will be partnering with CBS Consumer Products and Mad Science to present a show called "CSI: Live!" which will allow audience members to take on the roles of witnesses, suspects, and even investigators. If you don't believe me, you can read the press release.

The show is being touted as family-friendly and educational, so I'm sure this fictitious "crime scene" will revolve around nothing more than some goofy, ill-begotten petty offense. Nevertheless, I'm personally having a hard time breaking my mental association with the real CSI. Perhaps I'm in the minority here, but I visit amusement parks to escape the cares and tribulations of my everday existence, not to reinforce them! When I'm at a park, I don't care to think about whether the guy behind me in line for the carousel is plotting revenge on his ex, nor do I wish to consider that some hoodlum may be jacking my car in the parking lot as I scarf down my nutritious $20 chicken finger meal.

But hey, that's me. If you have a budding Sherlock Holmes in your family, Freestyle Music Park may have a smash hit on their hands. If nothing else, the concept is intriguing. I'll be interested to read the reviews on this one.

Scott and Carol Present: You Are Invited To A Picnic At Six Flags Over Georgia!

Editor's Note: Scott and Carol were able to check out the media day for Six Flags Over Georgia's latest ride, The Monster Mansion. Check out their exclusive report below! Mike

In keeping with the theme of the ride, the media event was choreographed as a picnic. Quite a few basket lunches were prepared, to be washed down with your choice of sweet tea, lemonade, or water. Various types of sandwiches were offered, even a vegetarian option. Scrumptious apple pie, better than grandmas, was also available.

The song from Monster Plantation has disrupted the thought processes of Atlantians and others for nearly thirty years. Gary Goddard’s first big project after leaving Disney Imagineering was the retheming of Okefenokee Swamp where guests enjoyed Uncle Remus stories brought to life.

Spurgeon Richardson was running the park and he wanted a new attraction that families could enjoy together. Reaching even farther, he wanted something that teenagers would also consider riding. Once teenagers realized they could be alone with their beloved, the monsters probably endured more awkward first kisses than even animatronic creatures should have to experience.

Enter “Big Al” Bertino, a former Imagineer, who remembered that his granddaughter would sometimes play “monster” with him, and she giggled as they chased each other down the hall. The concept that monsters could be fun formed the beginning of Monster Plantation.

Gary Goddard at today's festivities

Phillip Mendez, Gary’s partner and another former Disney Imagineer, told Al, “Sure, we can do it.” And do it they did, supplying 135 monsters, all drawn by Phillip originally, two weeks before the project’s nine month deadline. The entire project was budgeted for around three million dollars.

The characters are inspired by Southern culture, but one of the best is Fritter Bitter, Marshal Billy Bob Fritter’s loyal companion. He stands shivering as Billy tells you not to “Go into the swamp.”

Four members of the staff from 1981 were in attendance on Media Day. From left to right, Gary Goddard, owner of Gary Goddard Inc. Dave Kaplan, the Public Relations Manager, who rode the ride for three weeks with Phillip Mendez, on the end. The alleged purpose was to figure out the best way to publicize the ride, but we know better. Melinda Ashcraft was in her second year as a ride operator at SFOG, now she runs the place, with the assistance of some very competent team members. Phillip was proudly telling every body who would listen that they went back to the original artwork for color matching purposes to maintain continuity.

The third grade choir from Mt Panan Christian School performed before the ribbon was cut. Choir Director Renay Hawkins had taught all of them an action routine for the song, which they did wonderfully. Amazing how motivated they were with the opportunity to get out of school, and be amongst the first riders on Monster Mansion. Among their excited comments were “totally awesome,” “I got wet by sticking my hand up,” and the most popular, “That guy sneezed in our face.” A few had sad faces when told they were going back to school, but one excitedly announced “I’m coming back Saturday.”

When the announcement of the makeover went public, SFOG heard from the fans. Many of them wanted no changes at all, because they wanted their children to receive the same experience they had years before. But time marches on, and mechanical parts wear out.

According to Gary Goddard, “We kept the best of the past, and added some new things. All of the characters have been re”fur”bished and refeathered. It took 230 yards of new fur, we didn’t count the feathers. A new audio system, back drops, and lighting package complete the makeover. Newer lightweight parts will last even longer, so the original riders will be able to take their grandkids.”

Phillip says “I have a whole lot of the concepts left over that didn’t make it into the ride. Originally you would have entered through a big mouth, but that and many other things were cut due to budget. One of the things I presented was a retail store concept. It never happened. It was sweet to purchase the first Monstore souvenirs today.” In honor of being proven right, he autographed and presented to the store some of the concept art that was never utilized in the first version of the ride.

When you walk through the entrance, you notice that the propeller on Buzby’s head is turning on the sign, a nice touch. Moving through the queue, you are reminded to make your best monster face, because “Papa Razzi” will be taking your picture on the ride. As you climb into the boats, you feel the first of the cooling that will be most welcome on a hot Atlanta day. An endless stream of bubbles cascades from above inside the first door. The new sound system allows for much better aural imaging as you float from scene to scene. The colors are brighter and some new effects have been added.

The baby's bottle is filled with foam to simulate liquid!

The cannon still roars and some neat 4-D effects surround the Chili Cook-Off. “Monster Mansion has more 4-D effects than any other ride in the world,“ according to Gary Goddard. We’re not going to reveal everything here, you’ll just have to go and ride it yourself.

Watch for things in the fog, water arching overhead, and a few other things we have mischievously left out. We hope to get back to Six Flags Over Georgia soon to get back in line and experience Monster Mansion all over again.

As we left the park we noticed this memorial plaque, congratulations to Six Flags Over Georgia for fulfilling Angus G. Winne Jr. wishes with your new attraction.

Sabrina's Brochure Spotlight: Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom 2008

Another week, another brochure, and another exercise in Sabrina's eagle eyes catching all those minute details that the average brochure picker-upper will never notice. All in a day's work my friends, and all for you! Are you ready to be blown away by the minutiae of the Bluegrass State?

Nothing spells fun in the sun (or comfort) like a Mega Wedgie. Just be forewarned: New underwear is not included in your one price admission. Go ahead and file that travel tidbit away in your brain for the next time you visit Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom. You can thank me later.

And might I suggest the following minor modification to Six Flags' slogan: "More flags. More fun. More wedgies." I think I have a future in marketing.

ProSlide Technology installed two BulletBOWL slides in 2008. Both were christened "Mega Wedgie". There have been no other BulletBOWL installations since then. Coincidence?

Spoiler alert: These are the only ride photos, and in fact the only mention of rides, that you will see throughout this entire brochure! No joke. Almost gives you that "move along, nothing to see here" sorta feeling.

What gives, Six Flags? I'm bored! My eagle eyes are glazing over. Where are all those precious details that I love so very, very much?

"Splashwater Kingdom. Ta-da! Keep moving..." If this brochure had a soundtrack, it would be the sound of crickets chirping.

Here's what I've ascertained so far about my potential visit to Kentucky Kingdom:

1. I will get to experience two rides. Maybe one if the kiddie ride has a height restriction.


2. I will most likely be accosted by roving gangs of Looney Tunes characters. (I am somewhat excited at the prospect, and that frightens me.)


3. Apparently they have some water slides, so I better bring a bathing suit.


4. By the time I leave, I will have a mega wedgie.

But what of the rest of my questions? I mean, how many world-class coasters do they have? Does Bugs Bunny sign autographs? Will Dippin' Dots be readily available at my whim? And what must one do to get a frosty cold beverage on a hot Kentucky day? I'd like to have some insight into these matters before I fork over my hard-earned cash at the gate, thank you very much.

All kidding aside, I've visited Kentucky Kingdom and I know darn well that it has much more to offer than what is advertised in this brochure. In light of the misfortunes this park has seen over the past couple years, it desperately needs to find its identity and rebrand itself. Why not start with a brochure that truly showcases the park's offerings, rather than hitting us with a handful of images and leaving the rest to our imaginations? A little creative marketing can go a long way, and that's exactly what this park needs. So get on that, Six Flags. Posthaste!

A Monstrous Opening

Six Flags Over Georgia is ready to open it's new Monster Mansion dark ride this coming weekend. The heavily renovated ride will begin to once again delight guests as they pass through the world of some friendly monsters.

Six Flags is touting that this dark ride has more 4-D effects than any other ride like it, which according to this Access Atlanta article includes "heat from the monsters’ chili cook-off, an aroma of cinnamon and apples from the pie-eating contest, bubbles at the entry and a few close brushes with water-spouting characters." The article also has a photo gallery of shots taken inside the ride.

Six Flags' official website also has up a video that shows off an animation of the ride as well as the catchy music that goes with it. The above screen shot is form that video, and appears to be of a mist screen projection effect.

I can't wait to see ride video this weekend after it opens!

LEDs Should Be On Everything

Mickey's Fun Wheel, recently opened at Disney's California Adventure theme park, really shines at night.

Make sure you watch it in High Quality (click HQ) and go at least halfway through to see the pinwheel effect... amazing.

Aerial Antics: Hard Rock Park

Freestyle Music Park fka Hard Rock Park is in the news quite a bit lately with their grand re-opening right around the corner. That said, I thought it was be timely to post some aerial photos that feature the park getting ready to open for the first time last year!

The park just recently posted their new map which reveals all the name changes that have taken place this year - they really left no stone unturned here, as pretty much everything I can see on the park map has a new name. Staying away from that "intellectual property" I assume.

This was Maximum RMP - now known as Round About. The Premier Rides coaster featured the first ever Ferris Wheel lift system that brought the trains to the top of the first drop. The ride is pretty short but works well for the family bracket of park guests.

Here's the former Led Zeppelin, now The Time Machine. I don't care what it's called, I still love this B&M's paint job! The Hard Rock Park Blog, now called FSMPBlog.com, posted some concept art for the ride's new station design that's pretty neat.

A standard Vekoma roller skater coaster, formerly known as Shake, Rattle 'n' Roller Coaster - now simply called Hang Ten. The coaster is joined by 4 new family rides in a new section of the park named Kids in America.

And here we have the former Eagles Life in the Fast Lane coaster which is now known as the Iron Horse. What can I say, I love mine trains! This one still needs some sort of theming along the way, though.


And here is the park's first TV commercial that they recently posted to YouTube. They're really doing all they can to get the word out about them which I think is great - any news is good news!

More Universal Singapore

The Theme Park Guy has scored another exclusive update of Universal Studios Singapore, this time taking an in-park tour of the facility.

There's a ton to see in the photos they have posted of the park under heavy construction. The Jurassic Park river rapids ride is looking great, the Battlestar Galactica coaster has more supports up from the most recent photos, and he even went inside the Revenge of the Mummy building!

Interestingly, the Battlestar Galactica coaster (dueling Vekoma tracks) definitely is located where the model of the park always had a Hulk-ish clone, so don't be looking for that to be at the park as well. Looks like they switched those out at some point.

Daily Spin 5.12.09

© 2009 Idlewild and SoakZone

Workers at Idlewild have been busy constructing the park's newest play structure, Safari Hut, which will make its debut in Jumpin' Jungle in 2009. Some great construction shots have been posted to Idlewild's blog. Makes me want to be a kid all over again!

In other Pennsylvania news, Waldameer's Mega Disk'O shall remain nameless no longer! Contestant Jacob Radziszewski's suggestion of "Mega Vortex" emerged victorious over the 1200+ entries that were submitted. And speaking of figures, the Mega Vortex first ride auction and opening weekend festivities raised over $3000 for the John Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation. What a great result!

The St. Petersburg Times has published a nice interview with Brian Morrow, director of design and engineering at SeaWorld Adventure Parks in Orlando and overseer of all construction efforts for Manta. The interview touches on Morrow's personal history within the industry as well as many of the thematic elements which were incorporated into Manta's elaborate sting ray habitat.

© 2009 Mainelycoasters.com

Mainelycoasters.com dropped in for opening day at Funtown Splashtown USA this past weekend and captured some great shots of the park's new Wild Mouse coaster under construction. The coaster has gone vertical so I'm sure it won't be long now! The Wild Mouse will replace the park's Galaxi coaster, which is being retired after a respectable 30-year run at Funtown. If you'd like to watch the construction progress, keep an eye on the photo album that has been posted to the park's Facebook profile. It's going up fast, so don't blink because you might miss it!

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk has announced that it will be opening a brand new attraction called The Vault Laser Maze on May 25. This attraction, which will be located near the Haunted Castle, appears to be identical to the one installed at Belmont Park in San Diego earlier this year. It is a timed course where the goal is to navigate your way through a maze of laser beams as quickly as possible--without being hit, of course! Has anyone experienced one of these yet? They sound like a heck of a lot of fun!

Count-ing Down to Opening...

Large families with multiples will participate in the grand opening celebration of The Count’s Splash Castle on Saturday, May 16 at 10:30 a.m.! Sesame Place is opening the largest new attraction in the park’s history – The Count’s Splash Castle. The park will have “multiple” reasons to celebrate as families with twins, triplets and quadruplets will help open the brand-new attraction.

The Count’s Splash Castle is a multi-level water-play attraction that will stimulate imagination and entertain families for hours. It is the perfect way to keep big families entertained, with over 90 water play elements, including a 1,000 gallon 8ft tipping bucket, multiple water slides, valves, levers, water curtains, bridges, hydro blasters and more!

A Different Kind of World's Tallest

These are the world's tallest fountains that sit in front of the Burj Dubai, which will be the world's tallest building when it opens this year. Fitting that the world's tallest building will have the world's tallest fountains out front, right?

I picked the above video, even though you can't hear the music, because it really shows off the enormous height the fountains reach. They will blast water to almost 500 ft. in the air - just slightly outdoing the Bellagio fountains at 460 ft. For another comparison the Bellagio lake is 9 acres, the Dubai Fountain's lake is 30 acres. Bellagio fountains ran $75 million, the Burj set cost over $200 million.

^ This is not my photo but I wanted to post it because it also gives you the perspective of how massive these fountains are. That's the Burj Dubai under construction back there, and the lake with the fountains installed but not filled. Insane! They stretch some 900 ft. end to end.

Wet design (the same company that did the Bellagio fountains) are responsible for the Dubai Fountains as well. This is a link to a good article with some more information and here's a link to a video of the fountains in action with the music.

I want to go to Dubai! (but maybe in 5 years when more stuff is open)

Valleyfair Almost Ready To Splash

Valleyfair looks like they have their new waterpark expansion, which features the new Breakers Bay wave pool, almost ready to go. The park has been adding new photos of the area on a regular basis now that opening is around the corner.

I also noticed that there is a nice little plot of land right in the middle of the new area that's undeveloped. Could we see another expansion in the future?

Bizarro at Great Adventure

© 2009 Railer via Great Adventure Outpost

Six Flags Great Adventure appears to be placing the finishing touches on their newly transformed roller coaster, Bizarro. The ride's massive entrance sign recently went up and really completes the look of the ride in my opinion.

Lots of theming similar to what went up at Six Flags New England can now be seen throughout the course of the ride as well.

Check out the full gallery at Great Adventure Outpost.

Ferrari World Abu Dahbi

Sometimes it's hard to tell which Middle Eastern projects are really going to happen and which ones are little more than the wild dreams of developers. In this case, Ferrari World Abu Dahbi is not only going to happen, it's heavily under construction and even has coaster track up!

Above is a rendering of the entire complex, the size of it is really staggering. Put it this way, the length from each of the tips of the roughly triangular building is 2,300 ft. Crazy!

From the official website: "Opening in 2010, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi is set to be the world's largest indoor theme park, sitting under a roof designed in the style of a classic double-curve body shell of a Ferrari GT car. With over 20 rides and attractions, including the world's fastest rollercoaster, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi is more than a theme park – it is the total Ferrari experience.

Some of the rides and attractions featured at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi include an exhilarating thrill-ride on a 200-foot high (over 60 meters) tower, dual coasters that offer guest riders the chance to race each other to the finish line, as well as a variety of interactive motion and sound theatre experiences."

Now that we're talking rides I bet I've got your attention! Above is a zoomed in section of the above art. This is the worlds-fastest coaster, though I'm not sure who's designing it. Most of the track is already up, here's a press image released a couple weeks ago:

It looks like it'll have a very fast launch and then a lot of big figure 8 turns to burn off all that speed. That track almost looks like Premier track to me, but it's rather hard to tell for sure.

There's also a dual track racing coaster being installed as well which you can see in the snip of the art above. The Theme Park Guy website just updated with plenty of photos of this coaster which has also already been put up. (there's also tons of photos of the first coaster, too)

Here is another press image of the inside of the gigantic structure. This is where all the rides and attractions are going to be built. You can see in the center there is a red tower - that is actually a 60 meter high free fall tower!

The Ferrari World project is part of a greater Yas Island development that is scheduled to include a Warner Brothers theme park and a water park as well. As for what Ferrari World will include, the developer Aldar released this video:

I know it's sorta long but there so much to see in there! In addition to the drop tower and coasters, you can see the "Engine Ride Experience" which looks like a dark boat ride through the engine for a Ferrari - pretty unique. There's also a "History Ride Experience" which looks like another dark ride covering Ferrari's history and a Factory Tour dark ride as well. They also have a "Flying Over Italy" simulator that looks just like the Soarin' attraction found at Disney Parks.

All in all the development is a lot more exciting than I first thought! Can't wait to see more as the project continues to be built.

New Attractions for Tokyo Disneyland Resort

Tokyo Disneyland Resort has announced another two new attractions for their property. This is coming off the recent addition of the Monsters Inc Hide and Go Seek and Tower of Terror attractions AND the previously announced additions of Turtle Talk at DisneySea and Mickey's PhilharMagic at Tokyo Disneyland!

The latest announcement is that Toy Story Mania! (concept art above) will be added to the New York section of the American Waterfront themed area of the DisneySea park. The ride will open in 2012 and is said to cost over $115 million according to the press release. Looking at the art it seems the New York section of the park will get a makeover as well to include the new ride.

Tokyo Disneyland will also add a Cinderella Castle walk through attraction in 2011 - the same year Philharmagic should open. The attraction will take place inside Cinderella Castle and be similar in concept to the recently reopened Sleeping Castle walk through at Disneyland.

It's wonderful to see Tokyo Disneyland Resort moving on full steam ahead with new attractions!

A Step In The Right Direction

I noticed this Freestyle Music Park promo on NewsPlusNotes the other day and just had to do a screen grab because it represents so much of what Hard Rock Park missed out on: advertising!

The new park is doing everything and anything it can to drum up publicity for it's grand reopening in a few weeks. They actually just had another media event to show off their new sign as well as provide the details of a new live entertainment show they will be offering. The show will be called Flip5Live and contain an energetic performance of dancers, tumblers, and singers aimed at the whole family.

Scott And Carol Present - A Glowing Report - What Goes Up Must Come Down!

On March 20, 1909 Carl Fisher, James Allison, Arthur Newby, and Frank Wheeler incorporated the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Company to build what they thought would be used as a test track mainly by the many automobile manufacturing companies located in Indiana. A cornfield owned by the Pressley family located about six miles from downtown Indianapolis was purchased and construction began that spring. It was designed from the beginning to be a place where vehicles could run wide open, with long straights and flat turns, like those encountered on public roadways. As it remains today, Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a privately held company, not beholden to government funding.

The first race was for gas-filled balloons, the United States National Balloon Championships was held on June 5, 1909. An estimated 40,000 people watched the ascension, most from outside the gate, as the ensuing traffic jam prevented even the Indiana Governor Thomas Marshall from gaining admission to the track. To commemorate the Centennial, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and ATT Yellow Pages presented the Balloon Festival absolutely free to anyone at the track, and outside on the west side of Indianapolis.

photo courtesy of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

He left his car in the congestion, and attempted to walk into the track but didn’t make it before the launch. Luckily for him and thousands of others, the balloons rose high into the sky before drifting away towards the southeast. There are varying reports about the results, but it is generally accepted that the championship division winner made it to Alabama before landing. To find out more about the differences between helium and hot air balloons, we talked to Kevin Knapp, certified to fly both types of aircraft.



"Gas balloons fly for days instead of hours," he said. "I can fill my propane tank with 18gallons of gas, at $3.00 per gallon, that’s enough for about 2 hours, the minimum for this race. When I fill my gas balloon with helium, it costs about $11,000.00. I can fly to Europe and fly over there with hydrogen for almost a week for that price." Kevin is an experienced balloonist, winning the gas division by flying from New Mexico to Florida, a flight covering 1037 miles and lasting over three days. He even flew part of the time over the Gulf of Mexico before catching the "hook," a wind change that carried him back over land. Gas ballooning is all about dropping ballast and venting to control altitude and reach equilibrium.


Hot air balloons usually are round and get narrower towards the bottom where the burners sit above the basket. If you see a hot air balloon that is narrow at both the top and bottom, that’s a performance balloon that can rise and fall rapidly due to the streamlined shape at each end. Many have a skirt above the burners to help catch the wind and guide the heat into the envelope. A gas balloon is usually very circular and does not have an opening at the bottom to get heart into the envelope. He is the only picture we have of the first balloon race in 1909.


For the Founders Race, the hot air balloons traveled between six and seven miles before touching down all around the intersection of Bluff and West, in metro Indianapolis. They were limited in altitude because the winds at 3,000 feet would have taken them directly over the Indianapolis Airport, and the FAA frowns on such interruptions of domestic air travel. So today they stayed relatively low, giving the whole west side of the city a show. But that wasn’t all.


Saturday evening IMS and the ATT Yellow Pages invited everyone to come and see a glow or hot air balloons after dark. There was also music and the souvenir shop was open giving fans an opportunity to see what’s new for the Centennial. Since the balloons wouldn’t be launching, they could also see two balloons called shapes, or a nontraditional design that hadn’t flown in the morning due to weather. Unlike the first race, everything was very organized getting into the track for the evening’s festivities. The track had even put portable light units at various intersections to make exiting from the park quick and safe; you have to remember that they don’t do night activities with large crowds at Indianapolis Motor Speedway out of consideration for the neighbor hoods surrounding the speedway.



The first of the shaped balloons was the Hot Hare commonly know as the Energizer Bunny. This is this advertising icons twentieth year, and Indianapolis is just the first stop on the twenty city tour in 2009. Slightly taller than 100 Indy Cars stacked nose to tail, this balloon is taller than the Statue of Liberty. When you look up into the bunny, you can read "Keep Going." That is just the base of the ears, which are sixty feet tall on their own. Glo Kehoe, the pilot offer up some amazing insights. "With roughly three times the volume of a regular balloon, you have to take things very slowly. I try to pay special attention to my vertical clearance because this balloon is so much taller that average. I also need a much larger place to set down, due to the size of the envelope." Glo has been flying shapes since 1984, and she knows what she’s doing because the last Hot Hare lasted for eight seasons.




All the balloons had two tethers attached to their chase vehicle. The idea is to get the balloon up and then use the burners to illuminate the envelopes, (or make them glow.) The other shaped balloon was sponsored by United Van Lines and shaped like a truck, with the driver waving out the window. Listening to the pilot talk to the gathered crowd, we picked up these comments. "It flies like a big truck, since it is flat on both the top and bottom, it doesn’t change altitude quickly at all, and you have to think really far ahead since it is so slow to react. It would cost about triple the price of a regular balloon to replace it." It is roughly the same volume as a regular balloon just shaped different.






The night finished with lots different glowing styles, looking like beautiful giant sized Christmas tree decorations scattered through the grass. They did it together, randomly, and in lines and various patterns. When they all glowed together, the grass looked like daylight. As the burners were extinguished, it was time for the fireworks.







The fireworks were a great way to end our day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway! Thanks to the wonderful folks at IMS, the sponsers and the wonderful balloonists who shared some time & stories with us.

Scott & Carol

Terminator's Trains

The Funland blog has exclusive photos posted of the new trains for Six Flags Magic Mountain's Terminator: Salvation wooden roller coaster.

They're pretty awesome looking - check them out!

Quassy Receives Approval for Ambitious Multi-Year Plan

It's official! After months of meetings, many of which were punctuated by complaints from a small but very vocal contingent of neighbors, the Middlebury Planning and Zoning Commission has approved the expansion plan proposed by Quassy Amusement Park earlier this year. According to a press release issued by the park, the three-year, $5 million dollar plan is the largest in Quassy's 101-year history. In addition to miscellaneous equipment and infrastructure upgrades, the plan includes the addition of a family wooden roller coaster, a drop tower, and a ProSlide Bullet Bowl water slide.

For all that it is gaining, Quassy will be forced to bid adieu to its Allan Herschell Company Wild Mouse coaster, known as the Mad Mouse. This classic ride, which has been operating at Quassy since 1983, has simply become too difficult to maintain and the park's management felt that it was time to usher in a new era of family coaster thrills. At this point it is unknown whether the coaster will be sold or scrapped, but the plan is to keep it in place until the completion of the new wooden coaster.

While some of the details have yet to be ironed out, here is what we know so far about Quassy's three new rides.

Family Wooden Roller Coaster

• Designer: The Gravity Group (Proposals were received from at least four other coaster manufacturers.)


• Stats: Length 1200ft, Height 35ft, Max Drop 40ft, Max Speed 35mph


• Train: One 3-car train with a 12-person capacity proposed, but manufacturer TBD so this could change


• Location: The station will be located near the Big Flush, with the lift hill constructed on the old entrance road to the park. The coaster will run behind the Grand Carousel and then cross over the park's train tracks.


• Name: TBD via a naming contest among local and area schools


• Tentative Opening Date: TBD, but construction could begin as early as this year


• First Rides: A First Ride Auction will be held with proceeds benefitting Connecticut Public Television (CPTV), Make-A-Wish Foundation of Connecticut, and the Connecticut Food Bank.


• Feel-Good Fact: The coaster's design allows for the tree line along both sides of the park's old entrance road to be preserved.

Drop Tower

• Manufacturer: TBD, but it will most likely be the SBF Visa Group of Italy


• Stats: 35ft high with a 12-person circular seating arrangement


• Location: Near the Grand Carousel, where the park's former ticket booth was located


• Tentative Opening Date: 2010

Bullet Bowl Water Slide

• Manufacturer: ProSlide Technology of Canada


• Location: Where the Mad Mouse currently stands. The new slide will be part of Quassy's Saturation Station interactive family water play area.


• Tentative Opening Date: TBD, but presumably after the completion of the wooden coaster as the park does not plan to remove the Mad Mouse until that time.

While most of us are content to cheer at this wonderful news and lick our chops in anticipation of our first rides on that new woodie, Quassy's owners stress that this ambitious plan is necessary in order to secure the park's future. Co-owner George Frantzis II stated, "It’s not so much an expansion plan as it is updating. We’re investing in the future of the property. These projects are necessary for us to remain competitive, and in the amusement park business you have to feature a family roller coaster." It's this level of foresight and determination that has kept Quassy viable, successful, and most importantly loved over the past 101 years. Let the countdown begin!

Great America Ready to Battle

Six Flags Great America is in its final stages of prepping it's new attraction, Buccaneer Battle, for it's opening. They've posted a great new gallery of images of the ride looking just about ready to set sail.

I'm really happily pleased with the level of theming that Six Flags did on the ride! It's looking really good at this point, and hopefully we will see more of these go into other properties in the coming years.

Great Prowler Photos

© 2009 ThemeParkInsider.com

I know that Prower at Worlds of Fun is already open and lots of photos are out there but I just discovered these great pics of the ride's media day that I thought you guys might be interested in.

Theme Park Insider posted a nice write up on the coaster with all sorts of views of the ride and the day's event (like above) on their website. Less and less of the ride is viewable now that all those trees are filling in! It's going to be amazing once everything is fully grown in!

Check out Theme Park Insider's report.

Star Trek: The Delay

The plan to open a new version of the Star Trek experience at the Neonopolis mall in downtown Las Vegas has stalled, but developers promise it's just for now.

The plan was to open a Quark's Restaurant and gift shop by this summer, or perhaps even to go with the opening of the new Star Trek movie, but unfortunately that won't be happening.

The flip side is that the current plan is to open the entire attraction at once - the shop, restaurant, and rides and theater attractions. No one is saying when that plan is set for, but at least there's still hope.

Read more from SciFi Wire.

Peek In at Knott's

© 2009 Bear-ytales.net

Good news for fans of Knott's Berry Farm's classic Ghost Town buildings - all of those which they tore down have been rebuilt perfectly!

Bear-ytales.net has some new photos of the completed structures which hold the park's "Peek-ins" where guests can view scenes that would be taking place in the western buildings.

This is a great example of the park taking time (and considerable money, too) to rebuild something they can't advertise as a new attraction or anything!

Check out all the photos, including the structures before and after being rebuilt.

Sabrina's Brochure Spotlight: Lake Compounce 2007

Lake Compounce, touted as the nation's oldest continuously operating amusement park, kicks off its 164th season of operation this Saturday (May 9). That would make 2007 the park's 162nd season. Now that I've sufficiently wowed you with my mathematical prowess, let's dive in!

Could it be? No.... That couldn't possibly be a Rotor on the cover of this brochure...could it? I thought this most classic of all whirl-and-puke rides fell out of favor with parks a long time ago! It fell out of favor with me around the age of 16, I'll tell you that much.

I'm digging the see-through inner tubes. I imagine they make a person feel at one with the slides. A bonding experience, if you will.

New for 2007 was Zoomers Gas n' Go, a family car ride featuring antique Corvettes. "Ya dig?" I do! (Again!)

In addition to the better known adult rides (including a particular wooden ride that we'll get to in just a second), Lake Compounce also features an area designed especially for kids. In 2007 it was called Garfield's Circus World, although Garfield seems to have dropped his sponsorship since then because he is no longer mentioned on the park's web site. And of course, don't forget the requisite water park--in this case, Splash Harbor. It's also worth noting that Lake Compounce offers unlimited free soda to all park guests, as it is one of the few parks to offer such a perk.

There's that famous coaster! I'm talking about Boulder Dash, of course. This highly acclaimed woodie dips and dashes through the woods of Lake Compounce as no other coaster can.

Is it wrong that I'm already looking ahead to Halloween when many parks haven't even opened for the summer yet? Well I can't help it, now that I see the write-up for Lake Compounce's Haunted Graveyard! What you may not know is that the Haunted Graveyard has a very interesting history. It was unofficially born in 1991 as one family's attempt to help their daughter, who had been diagnosed with juvenile diabetes, forget about candy and focus on fun at Halloween. It eventually grew too big for their yard and ended up being "adopted" by Lake Compounce. To this day, a portion of the proceeds from this seasonal event are donated to the American Diabetes Association.

Beautiful New England is the perfect setting for such a lovely traditional park. Lake Compounce is just a hop, skip and a jump away from many different cities, so do drop in and spend a little time soaking up some good old fashioned history this summer!

New Universal Studios Singapore Photos

© 2009 bigguyinsingapore1

There's some very recent photos on this Flickr account of Universal Studios Singapore under construction. Most of the rides and attractions are still just steel framed buildings in the shots, but the anticipated Battlestar Galactica dueling coaster by Vekoma has finally gone vertical. You can see red and blue track sitting on the ground and some supports that are up in the background of the shots.

The track looks different from most Vekoma track, but this ride is supposed to use Vekoma's 4-across trains so it would have to be a new design. I really can't wait to see more of the ride since it's layout is still a mystery!

Good Time Theatre Construction

The last piece of the updates from Dorney Park's opening day are construction photos of the Good Time Theatre. An official opening date has not been released yet, but we should hopefully see shows taking place by early summer.

Here is the view from next to the newly named Good Time Gifts. You can see the general shape of the theatre from this point of view.

And this angle is from the other side of Good Time Gifts. The midway will wrap around the gift shop allowing people to access the theatre from both sides.

Above and the next two shots were taken from the main entrance plaza. These big concrete slabs were prefabricated off site - then it was like giant building blocks!

I haven't seen exactly where guests enter the theatre yet. There's only some places where the concrete doesn't go all the way to the ground though!

Here's one last photo that shows the impressive size of the Good Time Theatre, here it is towering over the admissions plaza. Can't wait to see a show!

Is There Yet Another Park in Myrtle Beach's Future?

The amusement park scene in Myrtle Beach seems to have fallen into a perpetual cycle of expansion and contraction. In the wake of the Pavilion closure, followed by the Hard Rock Park/Freestyle Music Park drama, it now appears that Myrtle Beach may be gearing up to welcome another newcomer.

The Sun News reports that two local businessmen are backing a proposed plan to build a small amusement park around 91 S. Ocean Boulevard. Those backers are Mark Lazarus, owner of Wild Water & Wheels, and H.G. Worley, who co-owns the land on which the park would be built. Dreamland Amusements, a company which specializes in providing amusements for state and county fairs, is being tapped to supply the rides.

While precious few details are revealed in the article, it does mention that the park would be named "OD Pavilion and Amusement Park" and would feature a Ferris wheel, small roller coaster, games, and "other rides". No gate admission would be charged; instead, each ride would cost approximately $2-$3, which is pretty much in line with what nearby Family Kingdom Amusement Park charges for ride tickets.

Plans for the new park are dependent on a change to the North Myrtle Beach city code which has already been unanimously approved by the board and now awaits sign-off by the City Council. If all goes well, the park could open as early as August 2009.

In light of all the emotions stirred by the Pavilion's closure, a new park which pays tribute to that tradition--even down to its name--could do well in Myrtle Beach. Over the past year, the local community has made it clear that they are interested in good old-fashioned seaside family fun as opposed to blockbuster theme parks. The real question is, how would the arrival of a new "traditional" park affect Family Kingdom's business?

Below is a map illustrating the distribution of some of the past, present, and [potentially] future parks in Myrtle Beach. Clockwise from the upper left-hand corner, the blue markers represent Freestyle Music Park, Pavilion Nostalgia Park, the former site of the Pavilion, the proposed site for OD Pavilion and Amusement Park, and Family Kingdom. There is not a lot of breathing room between the last two!

Hersheypark Is Hitting the Road!

Last week I told you all about how I couldn't wait to SEA more of Hersheypark's Boardwalk expansion. And this week? Why, they've unwittingly obliged!

Today Hersheypark launched a brand new blog entitled "Hersheypark Hits the Road" which will chronicle the adventures of Director of Construction Management John Tshudy and Creative Writer Luke Rettig as they travel to Florida to harvest nautical props for the park's latest additions. You can also follow them on Twitter. Their journey begins bright and early tomorrow morning, and they promise not to return without a truck full of goodies for all their SEAgoing friends up north!

Good luck, boys. The thematic fate of The Boardwalk lies in your hands...and we can't wait to see what you do with it!

Aerial Antics: Tivoli Gardens

Tivoli Gardens is one of the oldest amusement parks in the entire world, dating back to 1843 - well over 160 years old and still going strong.

The park is located in busy downtown Copenhagen, Denmark, but still has a beautiful garden feel to it due to it's history as, well, gardens. Gardens became a popular area for people to gather, and when rides gained in popularity it was a natural fit for the park to expand in that direction. Walt Disney visited the park on a trip when planning Disneyland, and is said to have gathered inspiration for aspects of Disneyland from the Gardens.

The park is also known for it's large music hall, seen above. The concert hall seats over 1,600 people is and still one of the premier places to see classical music concerts to this day. But for us ride geeks, you can see the Mack powered coaster swirling around on roof tops above the theatre - that's the Odin Express, and it was added back in '85.

The park has a very unique selection of flat rides for guests as well as coasters. Here we see the park's free fall tower, The Golden Tower, standing over some of the cool flat rides.

Here's the park's big steel coaster, the Demon. It's a B&M Floorless coaster, and one of the manufacturer's shortest rides to date! It has that fancy turn off the lift and into the drop, and still manages three uniquely shaped inversions after that.

This shot covers one of the park's oldest rides, and one of its newest. The tower there isn't the same as the previous photo - that is the park's Star Flyer, basically a really tall Wave Swinger that I want to go on really badly. Behind it is Rutschebanen, which aptly means roller coaster. The classic wooden ride still uses a brakeman to slow the trains, and dates back to 1914.

If you want to surf around and check out the Live Local aerials, click here.

Take A Trip on The Time Machine

Freestyle Music Park has renamed the former Led Zeppelin roller coaster "The Time Machine," the park announced today in a press release.

The ride will now feature 5 different songs from different generations as it's on-board soundtrack. The names of the songs were not released yet. You can see some recent photos of the Zeppelin station for the coaster being painted pink and red at Discovery Myrtle Beach.

According to their website, the park opens in a mere 18 days.

Wooden You Like To Have Been At The Opening?

© 2009 WorldofCoaster.com

Was that really the first time in well over two years of NPN that I've used the 'wooden' for 'wouldn't' joke? Amazing - I thought I'd use that lame joke by now!

Ahem, anyway, two of Great Coaster International's highly anticipated new for '09 wooden rides recently opened, and I thought I should link you guys to some great photos of these rides.

Above we have El Toro at Freizeitpark Plohn flying down a drop. The small, but intense layout of the ride makes it look like quite a winner! See WorldofCoaster's photos at this link.

© 2009 CoasterCommunity.com

Prowler at Worlds of Fun also made it's debut this past weekend and judging by the look on the riders' faces in these CoasterCommunity photos it's a hit!

Not much of the ride is able to be photographed, but what you can see looks wild. Early reviews are positive saying the ride doesn't let up its speed!

And GCI isn't done yet - the opening of Terminator: Salvation at Six Flags Magic Mountain is still to come!

Celebrating Schmeck

As more and more lift hill motors across the country crank up for another season of thrills, one local newspaper has paused to pay tribute to an industry legend. The Reading Eagle recently published a really nice story celebrating the life and legacy of Reading, PA native Herbert P. Schmeck. Schmeck, who had no formal engineering training, designed over 210 rides (including 80 wooden roller coasters) during his 66 short years on this planet and rose through the ranks to serve as president of the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. His surviving creations, many of which reside in his home state, continue to receive widespread praise to this day.

"Herbert P. Schmeck" may not be a household name around Reading, but perhaps it will stick in the minds of at least a few more people should they be lucky enough to stumble across this article. In addition to providing a brief chronology of Schmeck's career, it also features a sidebar and slide show highlighting some of his local masterpieces as well as the customary "history of roller coasters" bit. It's always wonderful to see a historical piece such as this appear in a local paper. All you Schmeck fans out there will definitely want to check it out!