Lake Compounce Keeps Wildcat Closed for Renovations + Adds Titan Track to Boulder Dash

© Lake Compounce

The historic Wildcat wooden roller coaster at Lake Compounce will be closed for 2023 while work on the ride takes place, the park has announced on social media.  The park is only saying they are working on a large "improvement project" that requires the ride to stay closed this year.  The ride will probably be receiving a large amount of track repair and replacement, and perhaps even some more modern fixes to help smooth out the track. 

 

Thankfully the park is being clear and there is no need to worry that the classic wooden coaster is on its way out, in fact the park notes that the ride "is an iconic part of our park’s history, and we intend for it to be a cherished part of our park's future."  The PTC designed ride opened in 1927 and was designed by Herbert Schmeck.

© Lake Compounce

In other Lake Compounce news, the park has reported that Boulder Dash has received Great Coaster International/Skyline Attraction's Titan Track on its first drop, showing off the renovations on social media as well.  A full 580 feet of the no-weld steel track has been placed on the drop, meant to make a smoother ride and prolong the life of the coaster as well.  Looks great!  I have to wonder if Wildcat will feature any of this track as part of its renovations this year?

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom Enhancing Animal Experiences in 2023

© NewsPlusNotes

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom is once again turning its focus to the park's various animal exhibits in 2023 with the addition of The Rainforest Trail.  The attraction will be "set amongst water features and plant life designed to represent the special ecosystem of a rainforest" and will feature "over 500 free flying butterflies from around the world, colorful fish, a slot and more."

Guest will be able to take the whole family on the journey to the Rainforst Trail, which is meant to "transport guests to a lush tropical environment which includes encounters with exotic animals."

 

© Six Flags Discovery Kingdom

“We are excited to continue the park’s 37-year legacy of providing educational and thrilling wildlife adventures for our guests,” said General Manager Kirk Smith. “The Rainforest Trail, new Shark Experience, and other recent animal additions solidifies our commitment to delivering the most unique and innovative experiences for our guests. From world-class rollercoasters to breathtaking animal presentations, we have it all.”

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom will also be creating a newly enhanced Shark Experiences for visitors to explore.  The park will make state of the art audio and visual enhancements and add-on interactive educational opportunities to "compliment the existing walkthrough underwater tunnel and floor to ceiling viewing windows" that visitors have enjoyed for three decades. 
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Other animal additions in 2023 include new animal interaction programs:

    Dolphin Discovery – Swim alongside these amazing ocean creatures;
    Wildlife Adventure Tour – An intimate and private tour around the park with awe-inspiring meetings with the park’s majestic animals;
    Sharks in the Dark – Sleep overnight in the park’s Shark Experience amongst the calm shadows of these creatures of the deep;
    Backstage Safari – Go behind the scenes and learn how the park’s animal care specialists care for the unique assembly of animals at Six Flags;
    Merlin’s Fins & Friends – Come face-to-face with the park’s famous Bottlenose Dolphins;
    Paint N’ Create – Create a truly unique work of art with a dolphin or penguin;
    Cain’s Lion Encounter – Discover the unique personalities of the park’s lion pride; and
    Sal’s Slither & Scales – Burrow into the fascinating world of reptiles.

Dino Off Road Adventure Family Ride Opening at Six Flags New England in 2023

© Six Flags New England

Six Flags New England is gearing up for the opening of a new family adventure ride named Dino Off Road Adventure, which is scheduled to open Memorial Day Weekend.  The attraction will feature life size animatronic dinosaurs with "realistic sound and movement" placed along one of the park's existing family car rides in the Kidzopolis area.

Billed as the "first of its kind in New England," the ride is a combination of "technology and innovation" featuring an "off-road adventure where guests come face to face with life-size dinosaurs, thematic elements, state of the art sound, interactive Adventure Guides, educational components and more."

© Six Flags New England

“Family-fun is part of our DNA here at Six Flags New England and Dino Off Road Adventure delivers exceptional thrills for our youngest thrill seekers,” said Park President Pete Carmichael. “Our guests will experience an adventure of prehistoric proportion as they step back in time and come face to face with life-size dinosaurs with larger than life effects and sound. Our Team is committed to creating exceptional experiences and the 2023 season promises to deliver for dinosaur lovers of all ages.”    

 

© Six Flags New England

Highlights of the Dino Off Road Adventure include:

• Life-size dinosaurs including a Tyrannosaurus Rex, Dilophosauras, Maiasaura, Pachycephalosaur and many more;   

• Select dinosaurs feature life-like sound and state-of-the-art animatronic movement with realistic head, eye, tail and body movement; 

• Safari style vehicle driven along a track with a capacity of two riders;

• Young adventurers traverse through an interactive off-road adventure with dinosaur theming, interactive Baby Tyrannosaurus Rex and Adventure Guides;  

• Educational queue line with interactive QR component;  

• Midway Dinosaur Photo Opportunity for social media and family photos; and 

• Dinosaur themed specialty food items and drink options that will please any ROARING appetite. 

Rookie Racer Family Coaster Headed to Six Flags St. Louis in 2023

© Six Flags St. Louis

Six Flags St. Louis had a fun surprise for smaller visitors earlier this year when they announced the addition of Rookie Racer, a kid friendly brand new roller coaster.  The ride will be loosely themed to Formula 1 racing, with guests sitting in the driver's seat their own cars as they "careen along the steel track."

© Six Flags St. Louis

© Six Flags St. Louis

“We are very excited to be able to provide coaster thrills to our younger guests with the addition of the new Rookie Racer,” said Park President John Krajnak. “This family ride has the look and feel of a major coaster with a height requirement that will allow smaller kids to ride with their parents and older siblings to provide an adrenaline charged experience like only Six Flags can.” 

 

© Six Flags St. Louis

Rookie Racer will be manufactured by Vekoma and feature one train with 8 cars.  The ride stretches 843 feet in length, features "a series of s-curves and a 540 degree horizontal loop," and hits a top speed of 27 miles per hour.  As a true family ride, the coaster will only have a 36 inch height requirement.  The Rookie Racer will be located near the entrance to The Boss roller coaster.

Six Flags Great Adventure Making Huge Investment in Hurrican Harbor in 2023

© Six Flags Great Adventure

Six Flags Great Adventure has announced that they are making a huge investment in Hurricane Harbor, the water park adjacent to the theme park, for the 2023 season.  In fact, the investment will be the largest at the water park in two decades.  The changes will be seen throughout the park, and include many improvements, additional amenities and a new family attraction.

Interim Park President Randy Wilke highlighted the new additions, saying, “As one of the Northeast’s largest water parks, we are focused on increasing value for families and elevating the guest experience. This significant investment brings state-of-the-art kids’ attractions geared towards children under 42 inches tall, plus park enhancements aimed at providing exciting new experiences for all ages.”

 

© Six Flags Great Adventure

The biggest draw will be a new interactive splash play tower named Splash Island.  It will feature a "playful sea creature beach theme" with several kid friendly water slides, vibrant colors and more that 50 play features.  It will feature a giant tipping bucket that will splash down on spectators below, and the entire addition is sure to keep families busy for hours this summer.

Hurricane Harbor will also be adding seven new kid friendly water slides, all smaller versions of popular grown up attractions.  With names like Cowabunga, Jellyfish Twist, Shark Attack and the Stingray Racer, just to name a few, the new kids slides will be a huge improvement over the park's current offerings.

Throughout the entire park there will be more shade structures added, more cabanas available to rent and new dining offerings.  These include a new open air dining experience near Splash Island that will be able to keep hungry families playing in the sun all day.

Cedar Fair Ends Relationship with Camp Cedar Near Kings Island

© Camp Cedar

Cedar Fair has ended their relationship with the luxury cottage and campground near Kings Island, now named Camp Cedar, after only a couple years.  The company never owned the new development, instead they had a management contract in place to operate the facility.  The property was previously known as Kings Island Camp Cedar, and was announced in late 2020 and opened to guests in 2021.  It is located less than a mile from Kings Island.

According to this news article the new management company for Camp Cedar is named Advanced Outdoor Solutions, which has been in business for two decades and specializes in outdoor hospitality.  The new operators are planning on making improvements to Camp Cedar immediately, including making it pet friendly, adding RV rentals and hosting plenty of family-friendly activates on site.  They will still offer shuttles to Kings Island and honor a season pass holder discount.

Looking back, Camp Cedar and the deal to run it was never really mentioned much at all by Cedar Fair in the two years they managed it.  It's curious for the relationship to end so suddenly, but then again Cedar Fair also quietly ended their management contract for Gilroy Gardens last year as well.  Perhaps that's just not a business model they are interested in.  On the other hand, maybe Cedar Fair just stepped in to run the development to help get it open, as it has value as an obvious feeder for the park, while never planning to run it long term.