Would You Like to Build a Snowman in Orlando?

Snow has arrived in Orlando!  Well, it has arrived, just not in the traditional, falling from the sky, sorta way.  Fun Spot America and WinTek, LLC has opened SnoSpot, a first of its kind outdoor snow play experience in Orlando.  The area allows families, both vacationers and locals, to frolic in the snow, have a snowball fight, or build a snowman.

SnoSpot’s snowmaking system is "revolutionary and completely different from other snow making systems around the world," allowing many children from the area to experience an evening playing in the snow for the first time.

© SnoSpot

In addition to the large snow play area and snowball target arena, a highlight of SnoSpot is the snow tubing mountain.  Standing 24 feet tall, the hill features four, 120 foot long paths down.  Guests three and older are able to participate, and no special clothing or equipment is required.  The tubes used to head down the path get a surprising amount of speed in the small space!

© SnoSpot

While located on undeveloped land owned by Fun Spot America, SnoSpot is technically a separate entity.  SnoSpot requires a separate admission ticket that is valid for one day of operations - guests who have a Fun Spot armband are able to purchase tickets at a discount.

"Partnerships of this kind help fuel tourism and the local economy and my expectations are that our guests - many of whom have never seen real snow before - will be simply delighted by the addition of such a unique family experience,” said Fun Spot America CEO, John Arie, Sr.

SnoSpot officially opened on November 21st, and is open weekdays 6 p.m. through 10 p.m., weekends and holidays 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Changes on the Way for The Great Movie Ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios

© Disney

Amid a flurry of changes and closings at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Florida, one attraction has received added confidence in the form of a new partnership.  The Great Move Ride will see a refreshed pre-show and finale as part of a new strategic relationship with Turner Classic Movies, set to open to guests this coming Spring.

The ride already highlights some of the most famous moments from the history of film, and will now have a renewed celebration of classic movies.

The Great Movie Ride will integrate Turner Classic Movies' name and logo in the ride's marquee, as well as in the ride's banners, posters and other displays.  The queue area will feature new digital movie posters and the new pre-show will be hosted by Robert Osborne.  The film will provide "illuminating insights from the movies, some of which guests will experience during the ride."  Along with new classic movie montage in the finale, there will also be a classic movie themed photo opportunity at the exit.

As part of the new partnership between Disney and Turner Classic Movies, the Treasures from the Disney Vault series will be shown on the TCM channel.  Programming includes classic live-action Disney films and specials, along with episodes from series such as Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color.

New Aerial Photos Show Off Avatar at Animal Kingdom

© Disney

I have a feeling that Disney is hoping that the new Avatar based land at Animal Kingdom will be a secret weapon of sorts, an addition that really might stand up to Universal's Potter themed areas.  If the final product turns out like the concept art release thus far, some of which is above, it very well may be.

Details of the attractions in the creation of the film's Pandora include a big Soarin' style attraction and boat ride of some sort.  There's also no official opening date, but we're still at least two years out at a best guess.

What stirred this post was some fantastic new aerials photos that I noticed were posted to Themeparx, showing off current construction of the Avatar land.

A while back some plans for the attractions in the Avatar area were leaked, and it looks like they were spot on.  I took one of the aerial images and outlined what seems to match to these plans (image below it) perfectly in yellow.  You can clearly see the curved footers that will be needed for the seating mechanisms for the four separate theaters in the Soarin' style ride.  The adjacent building, which will have the boat ride pass through, can also be seen.

There's plenty of other structures underway in the area, including footers for what I would think could be the start of floating islands and the facade for the huge show building.  Things will be more interesting in the coming months as the structure are finished, and we get a better idea of how this will all come together!

Battlestar Galactica Officially Reopening at Universal Studios Singapore

© Universal Studios Singapore

The long-closed Battlestar Galactica dueling coasters at Universal Studios Singapore are finally due to reopen in early 2015.

The official blog of Resorts World Sentosa, where the theme park is located, stated the rides went through an "extensive attraction review" that has led to the reopening.  The pair of coasters, which utilize a launch lift hill and two completely separate tracks, has had a troubled history with regard to the trains Vekoma provided.

The problems, some made official and some rumors, have led the ride to sit closed on and off since it debuted in 2010.  The original Vekoma trains featured four-across seating, which many believed led to the problems.  Now both the Human (red track, sit-down trains) and the Cylon (blue track, inverted trains) vehicles will be two passengers across, seen in the photo at the top.

This video of the new Cylon train testing was released by Dejiki.com, which follows updates at Universal Studios Singapore.  They have additional photos of the new train, along with some information on all the changes that have been completed.

One must wonder if the park hasn't strongly regretted not having Bolliger & Mabillard create this ride in the first place! 

Exploring S&S ~ Sansei's New Website

Ever since S&S merged with Sansei back in 2012, I was hoping that the company would debut a new web presence showing off all that they offer.  The company's ride catalog was greatly expanded during the purchase, seeing as all of Sansei's creations were now in the mix.  It turns out that a new website was created (a while ago, and I missed it) but still only features S&S' traditional product line.  Sansei Technologies still has their own site, showing off their catalog as well.

© S&S ~ Sansei

However, exploring the new S&S ~ Sansei website does offer some interesting finds.  For one, the company is now offering a rotating tower ride, capable of being a Space Shot, Turbo Drop or Combo Tower.  With 20 seats in a ring around the tower - with optional rotating capabilities - the capacity of the company's popular tower rides can be improved.  I believe this new tower was being shown off as far back as last year's IAAPA show, however I've yet to see anyone snatch one up.  They have news of supplying several towers to new parks in China over the new two years, so perhaps an instillation isn't too far off.

© S&S ~ Sansei

S&S ~ Sansei has also been creating some unique coasters lately, and not just the custom El Loco in Las Vegas.  They did a modern take on a mine train in Italy, and built a handful high speed launched rides at parks in China.  The website shows either existing or proposed layouts (like one for a mine train, above) for many of their products, something that is always fun to peek at.

If you're looking for something to browse while digesting all that Thanksgiving food, head over to the S&S ~ Sansei website!  Now - let's see if we can get Premier Rides to update their site, it burns my eyes!

A Scenic Trip Through the Woods on Thunderbird

Happy Thanksgiving to all our readers!  We hope you have plenty to be thankful for this day, and are able to spend it with family + friends!

© Holiday World

In amazing time, the track for Thunderbird at Holiday World is nearly complete!  The park flew through the construction of the Horseshoe, Elevated Spiral, Zero-G Roll, and seen above, the S Curve element in recent weeks.

I love how many trees were kept in the above section of the ride, a couple of them are wonderfully close to the track!  If you look at the background of this photo, you can also see the Carousel turn mostly in place.  This element will eventually see a barn added over part of it, which will give riders two close encounters with its structure.

For more recent photos of Thunderbird's construction, head over to Holiday World's website.

Vertical Construction of Busch Gardens Wiliamsburg's Mystery Coaster Underway

© Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Well, I suppose it isn't really much of a mystery at all.  However, since the park hasn't announced their 2015 coaster project we will kindly refer to it as a "mystery coaster."

The rumor is that the park is building a launched ride from Premier, the same as Superman Ultimate Flight at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.  Let's just say that's a very strong rumor, since the ride is already under construction at the Virginal theme park.

As for why the park hasn't announced the new ride, well probably right now only the park really knows.  One theory is that there was no huge "new coaster" announcement due to the fact that the ride is quite low in capacity, potentially leading the park to advertise it more as just a new "ride."  You know, lower expectations will lead to less disappointed visitors.  Or, and this is my personal hope, the park's planned "stunt bike" theme was eventually deemed too ridiculous, and the name (Tempesto) and theme are undergoing a redo.

Regardless of that situation, the park is currently building the orange support and teal tracked ride, and photos of this can be seen over at BGWFans.

Also, for those wondering why I included a photo of the park from the air, all lit up for Christmas Town, it's simply because there are no official photos of the new coaster... and it's really pretty.  There's a few more on the park's Facebook page.

Scott And Carol Present - Great Coasters International, Inc. Inks A Deal With DreamEast

DreamEast began  implementing some big plans at IAAPA. Emphasizing Chinese culture and owning their own intellectual properties, the goal is to develop a cultural industry that will include theme parks, a family entertainment center, large-scale shows, animation, and technology-based entertainment and games all based on the five thousand year history of China.

There are currently three theme parks planned, Legend World, Future World, and Zhoukoudian. Legend World will present the essence of Chinese culture surrounded by some of the most advanced theme park attractions. Future World will showcase exploration and innovation, where guests can learn about aerospace technology science and technology through interactive experiences. Zhoukoudian will present the culture of the region with highlights from both the ancient and modern civilization of Zhoukoudian.

Of course if you are building a theme park, you must include the king of the midway, a roller coaster. That is where Great Coasters International enters the project. Here is the contract signing for GCI's part of the project with He Yijie and Clair Hain doing the honors.

The planned development also includes a global shopping center and an entertainment technology center to further develop DreamEast’s intellectual property through games, feature films & animation projects, and large scale stage shows featuring what they already have been developing.

So with the large scope of this project, complete realization will be in the future, but Mr. Hain teases us with a little information about his part of the project. 

The renderings behind Clair Hain and He Yijie are beautiful, and we can’t wait for the next release for the project.

It's A Jurassic World, After All

Movies aren't something we usually cover here on NPN, but sharing this trailer for Universal's new Jurassic World is going to be an exception to that rule.

Why?  Well the movie takes place in the finally-opened Jurassic World theme park that John Hammond initially tried to create.  Granted we're not seeing any roller coasters here, but it is pretty neat to see guests buzzing around a theme park next to real dinosaurs (the main area even has one of Jimmy Buffett's Margaritavilles!).  You have to love the SeaWorld-esque lake show as well - gives a whole new meaning to the word sharkbait!

We all know that the original Jurassic Park movie inspired the first ride at Universal Studios Hollywood, with several other iterations of that attraction now located around the globe.  Jurassic World hits theaters next June, so there probably isn't time to add to any of the Universal parks before then... but I would guess that if the film is a hit it's certainly a possibility down the line!

Wicked Cyclone Growing Curvier By the Day

© Six Flags New England

One of the most anticipated new coasters for next season, Wicked Cyclone at Six Flags New England, is showing off some curvaceous new track.  The ride's low to the ground elements are slowly being installed, like the speed bump seen above.  That specific hill will encountered toward the start of the ride, meaning the trains will be flying over it - with plenty of air-time expected!

© Six Flags New England

This is the ride's completed first turn, a large overbank that is right after the steep first drop.  Worth noting again is that the turn isn't all that tall, adding to the intensity of the element.

The park has just started to install the track for the 200 degree stall element, a first of its kind.  For a plethora of photos that were just taken on-site - including the stall element, pop over to this update from SFNE Online.

Dorney Park's Cedar Creek Flyers Update

Just a small update, though!  The park received delivery of the parts for 2015's addition, the Cedar Creek Flyers, a few weeks ago.

The pieces of the ride are being stored in the lower end of the parking lot, uncovered - at least for now.  Cedar Creek Flyers are a set of Larson Flying Scooters, and will be placed in the large open area next to Stinger's lift hills.

These are the tubs, or cars, that riders sit in during the ride.  The cars look identical to those that appeared on Cedar Point's Lake Erie Eagles this past season, alternating white and brown eagles.  The portion of the car with the eagle's face on it is the controllable 'wing' that riders can use to make their tub said high in the air.

Finally, here is the ride's center column (blue and orange) along with the outer arms (vibrant yellow).  This is also the same color scheme as the Cedar Point version, not that that's a bad thing.  The bright colors of the ride will be a welcome addition to the park's quiet lower midway.  While partially obscured by Stinger's station and some trees, it did not appear as though any work on Cedar Creek Flyers' home has been done, though this is one of the easiest installs around.

I also noticed one other improvement (apologies for the dingy cell phone photo) - it appears as though all the slides on Patriot's Plunge have been repainted.  I'm not 100% sure, but these really look like they've been redone.  The photo only shows so much, and was taken in bad light, but they're very shiny and bright.  If they were redone, then that's a welcome change!

Cedar Point's Good Time Theatre Removal: The Start of Something Big?

© Google

The Good Time Theatre at Cedar Point will be coming down this winter, the park has announced on their OnPoint Blog.  The building first opened in 1975 as an IMAX theater, and was converted to a venue for Snoopy themed ice skating shows in 2002.

While any announcement about a Cedar Point removal, whether a ride or building, upsets some fans I have to say good riddance on this one!

Here she is.  © Google

The building, seen above, is a hulking, '70s era structure that is by no means easy on the eye.   Washed in stimulating gray and brown, the building also blocks a considerable section of the park from the lake and marina beyond it.

But what makes this really easy news to take is that Cedar Point says the removal is needed for future expansion, and we all love future expansion, no?

A simple take on this would be to assume the theatre will be demolished, and replaced with a new structure - probably containing a variant of the Triotech rides like Guardian and Iron Reef.  Simple, and it makes sense.  However, this could be the start of something different...

After your eyes adjust from the color explosion I made on this image, here's why I made it:  the removal of the Good Time Theatre could be a gateway to a large expansion of Cedar Point.

See, if the theatre (in purple) is removed then the large area in yellow (currently really old employee housing) can become a part of the park.  The current perimeter road (in orange) can be removed, and relocated to along the water (red).  It would be easy to relocate some offices (dark blue) in the process, trashing that outdated structure as well.  A total reimagining of the marina entrance gate (light blue) could take place - and this doesn't even take into consideration the land seen under Raptor's cobra roll.  That's currently home to some antique cars which could be reconfigured, relocated, or simply removed.

Let's get ride of these... © Google

Matt Ouimet, Cedar Fair CEO, hasn't been shy in saying that he doesn't feel employee housing should be located on the peninsula, where land is of such value.  To that end the demise of these old housing units seemed inevitable, anyway.

The result of these grand plans would be a rather large new developable area, one that could hold at least one signature attraction and several smaller ones, along with food and retail.  Cedar Point doesn't necessarily 'do' new themed lands per say, but their recent placemaking initiatives are a big step in that direction.  But no, I'm definitely not trying to bring back that boardwalk rumor.

I will admit that it is all pretty exciting, and since fans of the Point are some of the most speculative out there it should be interesting to watch this story develop.

Foundation Work on Knoebels' Impulse Well Underway

It was way back in February that Knoebels surprised us all with the announcement of Impulse, a new for 2015 steel roller coaster.

With the park's announcement so early in the year, the addition got lost in the shuffle a bit during the late summer announcements.  However, Knoebels has been hard at work preparing the site for the new ride, and have been doing an excellent job documenting the process.

The park is actually adding new time lapse videos each and every day of the Impulse construction site, above is a shot from yesterday morning.  The work site is already dotted with footings, both already complete or just getting underway.  Located right along the Knoebels' entrance road, Impulse will make an immediate impression on visitors next year.

Impluse is being built by Zierer, and will feature a 98 foot vertical lift, following by a vertical drop.  The eight passenger trains will encounter a cobra roll, vertical loop, and heartline roll along with plenty of other twists and turns.

Check out the park's website for Impulse so you can stay up to date on the ride's construction!

Merlin Entertainments Ready to Expand Orlando Operations

Head of Marketing for the Orlando Eye, Todd Andrus.

Yesterday we took a look at the new StarFlyer ride coming to I-Drive in Florida, which will be located in an extension of the greater I-Drive 360 complex.

One of the larger tenants of I-Drive 360 is Merlin Entertainments Group, which is opening the Orlando Eye observation wheel, a Madame Tussauds and Sea Life Aquarium as well.  During IAAPA the company revealed a massive Lego model of the new complex, spanning nine feet across and eight feet tall.

The model, seen above in all its glory, will be placed into Legoland Florida's Miniland U.S.A. - Legoland Florida is another one of Merlin Entertainments' Orlando area properties.  It would be natural to expect to see plenty of cross promotion between the two attractions in the future.

The Orlando Eye will stand 400 feet above the ground below, giving unparallelled views of Central Florida.  Located in the building below the wheel will be Madame Tussauds Orlando, filled with lifelike wax figures of celebrities from film, television, sports, history and pop culture.  The Sea Life Aquarium will feature immersive underwater experiences with fish, rays, sharks and more using floor to ceiling displays, bubble tanks, touch pools and a 360 degree underway tunnel.

© I-Drive 360

Construction on the Orlando Eye is will underway, as seen in this recent photo from I-Drive 360.  Some tenants of the complex are already open, including Carrabba's, Yard House and Outback.  The observation wheel and other attractions are headed for a Spring 2015 grand opening.

The Return of the True Looping Water Slide?

A water slide with a real vertical loop once existed at New Jersey's Action Park, but it didn't last long.  Many years later the AquaLoop was created by WhiteWater, however that loop was not a true vertical one.

Now, a recent company to enter the slide manufacturing business (though they've worked on the structural side for many years), named Avalanche Waterslides, has created a modern take on the vertical loop slide.

© Avalanche Waterslides

Named the Skycalibre, the vertical loop slide will actually utilize a rider vehicle so that there's no direct contact between the rider and the fiberglass slide.  This is how riders are able to safely navigate the loop, says Avalanche Waterslides.

The ride stands 90 feet tall and starts with a truly vertical 45 foot plunge which feeds directly into the 30 foot loop.  The rider vehicles will hit a cool 50 miles per hour and those on board will experience up to 6 gs according to Avalanche.

I have to wonder if it won't be a bit difficult to get an insurance company to cover this style of ride, though the manufacturer's website seems confident there will be no safety issues at all.  They have built a full test model, after all.  The ride is listed at $1.4 million, potentially manageable for a smaller park. 

World's Tallest StarFlyer Coming to Orlando in 2016

Mixed among this past week's many IAAPA related announcements was one of gargantuan proportions, namely the world's tallest StarFlyer ride to be built in Orlando.  The StarFlyer will be a part of Vue at 360, which will be a dining/entertainment area located adjacent to the new I-Drive 360 complex.

The StarFlyer will smash the current 400 foot record by twenty feet, swinging riders 420 feet above the ground below.  Looks like Six Flags will have to go a bit higher if they want the record back!  Riders will be seated in pairs on one of twelve seats, for a total of 24 riders per cycle.  Tickets for a ride are expected to be around $10.

The StarFlyer, and Vue at 360, will be just North of the I-Drive 360 complex, which will have the Orlando Eye observation wheel.  You can see that new development under construction above, the shopping center (contain a steak house, dinner show and more) above it will become Vue at 360.

The entire complex is just south of Universal, and just North of SeaWorld, smack dab in the middle of the busy tourist trap along International Drive.

There's a chance the new ride could open at the end of 2015, but probably in early 2016.  The StarFlyer will be manufactured by Funtime.

Scott And Carol Present - AirSurfer From Ride Entertainment Group

The AirSurfer offered by Ride Entertainment is a new way for guests to soar above any type of attraction. With almost unlimited theming options, guests do not have to ride a surfboard, though that would be the best element of cool for their participation. The ability to use an onboard battery powered electric motor to climb up hills adapts the AirSurfer to any terrain.

Adam Sandy and Andy Greenberg, the "A" team from ride entertainment explained how utilizing proprietary turning technology, unlimited course layouts are available. A soft blocking system keeps riders safely separated and the motor recharges the battery during braking similar to the systems used in Formula One racing cars.

Here is their presentation.

Here is the animated ride experience. Notice how guests are attached with an ASTM harness.

With an estimated capacity just under 100 people per hour, AirSurfer is projected as an  up charge attraction that can utilize any terrain, such as zoos, water parks, or any spot where stimulating vertical imagery can give guests a new perspective on the attractions. Adam and Andy are ready to help anyone "catch the wave," with AirSurfer.

Scott And Carol Present -The IAPPA 2014 Hall of Fame and Applause Awards

IAAPA inducted two of its legendary industry veterans into the IAAPA Hall of Fame. Bob Cassata, creator of Bob’s Space Racers, and Dick Knoebel, recently retired from Knoebels Grove.

Bob Cassata created his first game in on the Daytona Beach Boardwalk but he named his company after the first Apollo Lunar Mission. He has continued to develop games, the embedded diagnostic and accounting software, but most important thing they had in common is that they are fun to play. He improved the reputation of game operations, and his games were the first to be installed in an amusement park.

Richard “Dick” Knoebel grew up in the amusement business. His parents established Knoebels Grove in 1926, and until his retirement, Dick never left the business. He has created living history by moving famous rides, like the Rocket from Texas, recreating the Twister from Colorado, and most recently, the Flying Turns. Knoebels Grove is a living amusement history park where you can still grab the brass ring, and walk through the woods on a gravel path in the shade. Good fun and good food are the hallmark of this eastern Pennsylvania park, and the next generation is continuing the legacy. 

The French theme park Puy du Fou is the recipient of the 2014 Applause Award, presented by Liseberg. Puy du Fou has created a new business model, consisting only of extravagant shows based on French history.  For daring creativity, this park has no peers, for everyone thought they could not prosper with this type of entertainment offering. Instead, they are expanding into new countries, and doing it their way.

Congratulations to all of this year’s winners.

Scott And Carol Present - Twisted Colossus at Six Flags Magic Mountain

Alan Schilke and Fred Grubb are teaming up yet again to repurpose and iconic wooden roller coaster, this time at Six Flags Magic Mountain. The Colossus is no more, being replaced by Twisted Colossus.

Bonnie Rabjohn, President and General Manager of Six Flags Magic Mountain talks about the latest to her park, continuing their dominance as the park with the most roller coasters in the world. She wants everyone to come and ride all four trains.

Les Hudson is responsible for theming and generally making the parks somewhere you want to visit. He explains how Rocky Mountain Construction accomplished the correct vision of the train.

 

Here is the leaders of the team that put Twisted Colossus together.

Alan Schilke talks about the layout of Twisted Colossus, and of some of the twists in the creative process journey he took to bring the project to fruition. It's not easy to convert a racing coaster into a Mobius coaster, with many interacting elements.

No people, just some Twisted Colossus train goodness. Opening this coming spring, this remake of Colossus will combine new technology with classic airtime. With this to wait for, it's going to be a long winter, even if it should be warm in Southern California. 

Scott And Carol Present - The Unveiling of the New Batman: The Ride Train at Six Flags Fiesta Texas

Yesterday IAAPA was having "A Six Flags Day!" with not one, not two, not three, but four press events on the IAAPA Trade show in Orlando. Recently appointed Six Flags Fiesta Texas Vice President and General Manager Neil Thurmond  kicked of the ceremony

After which the black cape was removed from Batman: The Ride's massive train.

The 4D Spin Coaster is provided by S&aS-Sansei We talked with Alan Schilke to find out more of the details on the coasters design.

Neil Thurmond lets us know Batman: The Rides location and how excited he is about the newest addition to Six Flags Fiesta Texas.

S&S-Sansei also presented Mr Thurmond this awesome concept drawing of Batman: The Ride's train, which we tried to convince Neil would look better in our family room than his office. It was not a subject that was up for discussion.  Congratulations on your promotion Neil and your new coaster!

Scott And Carol Present - Knott's Berry Farm's Voyage to the Iron Reef

Just last week Knott's Berry Farm let the steampunk-sea-creature out of the bag and announced Voyage to the Iron Reef, a new "3D adventure enhanced with 4D effects and interactivity."

Now though a presentation at the IAAPA Trade Show the company behind the ride, Triotech, has revealed some additional details and artwork. 

These beautiful images are from the attraction's scenic development, creating the underwater setting of the ride.  Triotech will design and produce the ride's animation and gaming system, which will feature a high level of clarity when compared to their prior attractions.

Ernest Yale, Triotech's President and CEO states that they are "thrilled be recognized as the industry leader when it comes to interactive media-based attractions. This vote of confidence from the Cedar Fair group and specifically the team at Knott’s Berry Farm confirms this recognition and motivates our team of over 100 creators, software specialists, and engineers to surpass guests’ expectations and give them an experience that will make them want to come back over and over again."

During the Voyage to the Iron Reef riders will board four person submarine-inspired vehicles and head to the bottom of the ocean to fight steampunk looking sea creatures that are trying to destroy Knott's.  Above is a rendering of one of those, a large mechanical (and evil) looking crab.  Riders will blast at this and other creatures using a freeze ray, and earn points as they do.

Triotech also released this short animation study, showing how they have created the undersea creatures.  This, of course, is just one of the Kraken Queen's many soldiers that riders will 'freeze' as they move though 600 feet of track, past eleven separate scenes and other special effects.

The Voyage to the Iron Reef represents the largest contract ever awarded to Triotech in their 15 year history.