A Celebration at the Falcon Creative Booth

Falcon Creative had a big celebration at their booth on the show floor at IAAPA Expo. Anytime you can bring in an astronaut to recreate a grand opening, it is bound to attract a crowd. This was no exception. Jon McBride, who piloted Challenger back in 1984 on STS-41 G, which among other things, proved the concept of refuelling satellites with the orbiters.

This project was very important to Falcon, so much that they formed a new division to complete it. Here is a video with the executive producers:

Here is a couple of photos of the completed project, inside and out.

Falcon also sponsored a tour, complete with lunch, of the project on the last day of the IAAPA Expo, but since we had attended the grand opening the previous week, we elected to pass. Here is a video of the booth event, and the enthusiasm generated by those in attendance:

Congratulations to Flacon and the Kennedy Space Visitors Center. Several years in development, the end result is nothing short of amazing, and it is a true legacy to heroes from all walks of life.

New Replacement Vehicles for Land/Boat Tours

One of the things we have enjoyed here in the United States is Ride The Ducks tours in various locations. There is something about leaving the driving to someone else while quacking like a duck that is fun and relaxing. Overseas, the equivalent in Splash City Tours, where when you put on the Viking helmet, as conquerors, you are allowed to yell at your new "oppressed minions." While the original boats were utilized there during World War II, now it's time for an update. Des Rogers explains in this video from IAAPA:

Hopefully, you caught the part about how efficient the workers are, during the stop action part of the video. It's understated humor at its best. As a first-time exhibitor at time IAAPA Expo, it was an educational experience about the wide range of licensing requirements for the industry, and the challenges facing the migration to updated vehicles. You can find more information about the new Salamander vehicles here. And if you are lucky enough to be going to either Dublin or London, you can find more information about their tour operations. Just another one of the many things seen at IAAPA Expo 2016.

Scott And Carol Present - Post IAAPA Cover, Take home your Own Bobble Head

Here is another different idea we found at IAAPA Expo 2016. Why not become a legend in your own mind with a personalized  bobble head doll. Bobble Shop USA will work with both fixed-site and mobile operators by providing either type of systems. We get a brief introduction on the IAAPA show floor with this video:

As souvenirs go, what a neat idea to be able to capture the moment, and yet not have to carry it around with you as you go through the park and worry about breaking it during your day in the park. The system can be configured with an optional printer for point of sale purchases of 2D pictures, and a custom animation can automatically be uploaded to YouTube for immediate sharing with friends and family. The actual figurine is created and sent just a few days later.There are way too many options to list, as when they scrolled through the different it seemed to go on  forever. Obviously, there was something for every taste.

Updated: A Different Way to Wait for Attractions Without Standing in Line

Accelowait has a survey on their website to gauge interest from amusement park enthusiasts and operators about what guest feel about their product. Here is a direct link to their survey. This is your opportunity to give feedback directly to the source.

Every so often we stumble across something on the IAAPA floor that stands out from the crowd and represents fresh thinking. This is another interesting concept we found while roaming the first time vendors area. Since they live in Columbus area, they must have done a lot of their research in both Kings Island and Cedar Point. Here is their unedited press release:

Accelowait LLC has introduced an innovative mobile app for iPhone and Android users that allows amusement park guests to have virtual “Robo-Buddies” wait in lines for them at popular attractions. The Accelowait slogan, “Waiting goes faster when you’re not standing in line,” speaks to the most common frustration of amusement park guests. The app and its associated behind-the-scenes technology are designed to be free for all park guests, inexpensive for park operators, and easy to use for both.

Long lines at popular venues have long been a source of diminished guest satisfaction and reduced revenues for park operators. Previous attempts to address these problems have helped to some degree but also have introduced new difficulties for both guests and operators. The Accelowait app pioneers a novel virtual queuing approach that avoids these pitfalls.

The co-founders of Accelowait LLC, Dr. Bruce Weide, professor emeritus of Computer Science and Engineering at The Ohio State University, and his son,Alan, are long-time roller coaster enthusiasts. Their many visits to amusement parks have made abundantly clear to them the problems with long queues.

“Our personal experience with amusement parks has made us painfully aware of the frustration of standing in lines for hours on end,” explains Dr. Weide. “We’ve also seen the limitations of other attempts to mitigate those problems. Alan and I decided that there had to be a better way, not just for guests but for park operators, too. We conceived of a new way to do virtual queuing literally while standing in lines waiting for roller coasters. So, I guess this shows waiting isn’t necessarily all bad. But standing in line to wait certainly is!”

Successful deployments of Accelowait technology at Firstlook Festival 2015 and 2016, a popular video gaming and pop-culture event in the Netherlands, have proved how well it works. But amusement and theme parks are the primary target of Accelowait. To introduce itself to this market, the company hosted a booth at the IAAPA Attractions Expo in Orlando from November 15-18, 2016.

According to Alan Weide, a computer science graduate student and roller coaster fanatic in his mid twenties, “The original goal was for guests not to be stuck standing in long lines. But Accelowait has many other advantages, too. It’s inexpensive and easy for park operators to deploy and use, and it’s designed to be available free to all park guests. 

It also offers new potential revenue opportunities for park operators with its ‘extra Robo-Buddy’ model for guests who want additional virtual queuing benefits, and it eliminates resentment toward those who pay more for these perks.”

Amusement park operators have used two basic schemes to try to reduce the frustrations of guests standing in long lines. One is sometimes called “virtual queuing” but is actually a reservation system that gives guests a chance to reserve a specific time for a ride, often with a limited window of opportunity. People then try to organize the day around these “commitments,” which limits the fun that often comes with being more spontaneous.

Further eroding a reservation system's effectiveness is down time for rides because of mechanical or weather complications, which inevitably throws off the whole process. Some holders of reservations are no-shows that prevent other guests from reserving the times they would have preferred. Accelowait virtualqueuing adjusts to such dynamic effects with behavior that is easy for bothguests and park operators to understand. It eliminates these issues.

Another approach offered at some parks, often in conjunction with a reservation system, is t he chance to buy a premium pass at a substantially higher price. This gives some guests the privilege to “cut” into lines for the most popular attractions. But this approach is inherently limited to just a few guests because everyone can’t be at the front of the line. Worse yet, it engenders resentment among those who can only stand and watch as others jump ahead of them. Studies show it simply isn’t a formula for happy customers.

“All we had to do was listen to disgruntled people standing in lines to understand why premium passes weren’t the best answer,” says Alan Weide. “We also found research by design experts such as Don Norman that confirmed this. People naturally crave fairness in any solution that addresses the problem of waiting in lines. It makes sense that in our culture at least, everyone simply must have the same opportunities. Accelowait is designed to provide exactly that.”

He explained, “Park operators also understand that when people are trapped standing in line, they’re not spending money on food, beverages, souvenirs, and midway games, and this limits revenue for the park. Studies have found that people spend several dollars more per hour when they’re able to roam around.” As Dr. Weide puts it, “Free apps have become commonplace in today’s world of smart phones. Using this technology to make amusement park visits more enjoyable seemed to be a no-brainer. One big technical challenge was to

develop virtual queuing algorithms that could avoid subtle but annoying feature interactions with other important elements such as support for groups of family members and friends. And I’m thrilled to say we’ve met that challenge.”

The chance to offer extra Robo-Buddies for a fee means some guests can pay to wait in virtual queues for two attractions at the same time, adding a potential new revenue stream for the park operator. “What’s really important about this is that nobody knows who has purchased an upgrade, so the resentment of premium pass buyers is non-existent,” explains Alan Weide.

Once in a while, something comes along that changes things fundamentally and for the better. It seems Accelowait has all the makings of a technology with this kind of impact for the amusement park industry.

The concept of everyone having a virtual queue included in the price of admission means fewer guest satisfaction issues. But how to make this economical for the entertainment operators? By utilizing the ubiquitous smart phones that everyone seems to have these days, the park does not have nearly the hardware investment that other systems have required to date. The low investment is mainly in the software. They gave us a demonstration in this video:

What a creative way to solve several problems at the same time, while also giving an improved guest experience because everyone participates and no guests feel slighted. Well done Accelowait, we are looking forward to seeing this in operation at a park, hopefully in the near future.

Scott And Carol Present - Great News From the NRCMA and Uremet

Excerpts from the press release:

After the tragic death of National Roller Coaster Museum founding board member Mark Moore in July, his family and business wanted to ensure legacy while supporting the efforts of the National Roller Coaster Museum in which he strongly believed.   

Moore was a true amusement industry pioneer.  In 1982 he the founded Uremet, an industry leading urethane wheel manufacturer where he remained as president. Moore brought his business acumen and a strong, innovative vision to the NRCMA board over his eight years as a member of the organization dedicated to preserving and protecting the legacy of the amusement park industry.  

A fundraiser is planned for the International Amusement Parks and Attractions Expo in Orlando this November sponsored by Uremet and the Moore family with the goal to endow an expansion of the Museum’s Plainview, Texas archive facility in Moore’s name.

With the Mark Moore Memorial fundraiser, the NRCMA is proposing to double the size of its current archive facility and to create a showroom for public access to select artifacts within the Museum’s collection.  The expansion will be named for Moore and will quantify his success in the industry and his support of the NRCMA.

The NRCMA is an unaffiliated, 501 (c)3 non-profit organizations dedicated to the protection and preservation of historic roller coasters and amusement park artifacts and memorabilia to document and archive the history of the amusement park industry in a dynamic environment while providing the most complete repository of information and documents regarding the amusements industry.

Here is a concept drawing of the Mark Moore expansion:

The Uremet Corporation started things off in a big way:

A small gathering was held at the Uremet booth to kick off the fundraiser and make the seed money announcement.

Steve from Uremet was kind enough to talk about Mark and his feelings for the amusement industry during what has to be a difficult time for the transitioning of Uremet towards the future.

Richard, a founding member of both American Coaster Enthusiasts and also the National Roller Coaster Museum and Archives Board reminisces about both the NRCMA and Mark Moore. Word on the show floor was that over $200,000.00 had been pledged before the end of the show. If you wish to support this cause and honor Mark Moore, here is some more from the press release:

To donate to the NRCMA to aid in the protection and preservation of historic roller coasters and amusement park artifacts:

Mail to: NRCMA, ATTENTION: Jeff Novotny, NRCMA treasurer, PO Box 5424, Arlington, Texas 76005-5424

Purchase at Amazon: select AMAZONSMILE and 0.5% of your purchase will be donated to the NRCMA

 Visit: www.rollercoastermuseum.org or the NRCMA facebook page for further updates.

Scott And Carol Present - Huge News for Dutch Wonderland

It's very rare when a small park makes a big announcement, but when a kiddie park announces the inaugural installation of the new family inverted roller coaster it's huge. The very first  family inverted roller coaster from S & S -Sansei will open next year at Dutch Wonderland.

Merlin's Mayhem will be roaring around the ski lift and train, hopefully on opening day 2017. Featuring a good storyline about Mayhem, Merlin's friendly dragon, can't help getting himself into all sorts of predicaments as he learns to control his "fire-breathing" skills and learns to fly.

Take a virtual ride on Merlin's Mayhem

Doesn't that look like fun? In this day and age, many parks have to remove a classic attraction to add something new, but not at Dutch Wonderland. The Sunoco Turnpike attraction was just relocated to make room for Merlin's Mayhem, so there will be more to do at the park next year.

Joe, from Ride Centerline, talked about his background and how he worked with Dutch Wonderland to integrate their requirements into the new ride and how guests will interact with existing attractions while riding the coaster. it sounds like a tough job to satisfy all the requirements.

Remember this is the first installation of its kind, so we received more information from Matt, of S &S -Sansei about all the different consideration they worked through while designing this new train. We wouldn't usually post this video due to the camera focus malfunctioning, but we consider the educational benefit worthwhile as you listen to the discussion. They really put a lot of work into designing this new train.

Congratulations to both Dutch Wonderland, Ride Centerline, and S & S - Sansei Technologies for this outstanding new project. 

Scott And Carol Present - A Look at North West Coasters

So how cool is it to assemble roller coaster? Kevin Messick seems to enjoy doing the high work.

Notice the extensive safety harnesses they wear, you don't need that with an Erector Set.

Kevin was kind enough to explain a little about how they make things fit for new rides.

Carol is so jealous that she couldn't be the photographer for this shot. Many thanks to Kevin for sharing some of their company photos

Scott And Carol Present - Zamperla Announces New Park in Gulf Shores Alabama

There will be a new amusement park opening in the United States this year called Owa. Located just nine miles from the sandy beaches of Gulf Shores, AL, the park is scheduled to open Memorial Day 2017. Here is the announcement from the Zamperla booth:

 So there are lots of things to look forward to in Alabama, the "map" below gives us just a tease.

The creative minds at Zamperla put together a nice display, and instead of just some static models, they have screens displaying the wonderful attractions being readied for the park.

Michael Coleman from Zamperla gives us a few more details about both the park and Zamperla. They 5have actually supplied the entire ride package for an amusement park four other times before, so this is nothing new to them. Exciting time for the lower Alabama region under served since hurricane Katrina back in 2000.

Scott And Carol Present - A Very Cool Name Badge Found On The IAAPA Show Floor

 

We found this very original idea for name badges, for more information Check out  this link, http://www.specialeventbadges.com/   

Scott And Carol Present - Iwerks/HFE

Now this is a twist from the way things have gone in the past. Walt Disney, Universal, and Plopsa have all started as media companies and then built attractions based on their characters.

Hershend Family Entertainment Company, partnering with Jim Henson Group, PBS Kids, and SimEx Iwerks, have gone from a attractions property group to creating content.

What an interesting reversal, but they plan to start incorporating the Splash and Bubbles into their properties, beginning with the Newport Aquarium, expected to open during January 2017. The series will air daily on PBS Kids beginning November 23, 2016. Check your local PBS station listing or go to  pbskids.org/splashandbubbles

Scott And Carol Present - What's New for Quassy Amusement in 2017

Big news for Quassy park!

On the shores of beautiful Lake Quassapaug, both child and those who are in touch with their inner child will be able to sail away on Skipper's Clipper's, new for 2017 at Quassy Park.

The management and owners posed for a picture in front of the ride. This will soon be moved to Middlebury, Ct.

You can see all ages enjoying the ride in this video, while Ron from Quassy explains some of the finer details of sailing a pirate ship at this lakeside park.

It would be fascinating to know where the minds of the "riders-in-charge" are taking their parents and grandparents on their "voyage." With all the interactive features, and a great location, what a great choice for Quassy Park.You can start making plans now to sail on the inaugural voyage on May 6, 2017.

Scott And Carol Present - What's New At Skyline Attractions

Skyline Attractions has unveiled a brand new thrill ride, named Skywarp, that packs a lot of punch in a small space.  The 60-foot tall continuous track ride has two separate trains that are powered around the butterfly shaped track, which is 360 feet in length.

According to Skyline Attractions, "the dual-loop ride cleverly produces a dueling near-miss element that brings riders tantalizingly close to one another by using a single train with passengers at each end. The technique effectively creates simultaneous two-train operation without a costly PLC that relies on block logic and maintenance-intensive sensors. Thrill-seekers 48 inches and taller, seated facing each other, twist sideways and upside-down as they accelerate through twin Immelmann inversions."

Because Skywarp has two trains, it is able to seat 32 passengers per ride cycle, for a total of approximately 800 riders per hour.

Skywarp is an American-made ride that can serve as a major attraction for a park in the neighborhood of $2 million.  It can be installed with either a permanent foundation or a semi-permanent one, and the tire drives could be replaced with LIMs if desired.  For more on Skywarp, check out the ride's website.

Scott And Carol Present - Zamperla Celebrates 50th Anniversary With A VR Up-Grade On Aero Zoom

It is a big year for Zamperla, not many companies can make it to their 50th birthday. Despite facing increasing competition through other companies consolidations, Zamperla has maintained constant a state of constant innovation with a continuous stream of new products and also increasing the both safety and fun of existing rides. Everyone in the company is encouraged to make suggestions for improvements and new products.

Alberto Zamperla welcomed everyone to the celebration

It would be a shame to cut this beautiful cake, reminiscent of their gorgeous rides. If you look closely, you can see some of the rides pictured in the icing. It was a really cool cake, and it tasted good too!

But the Zamperla clan did it anyway because they did not want to disappoint their many customers and friends who had stopped by to celebrate their stellar achievement with them. Over the years, their customers return many times because of how Zamperla puts service and safety first with their customers.

After enjoying some cake and wine, a few of the celebrants tried out the new VR upgrade on the Aero Zoom.

Congratulations to the Zamperla family, and here's looking forward to the next 50 years.

Scott And Carol Present - The Next New Things From Trio Tech

All the text is unedited press releases

Why is the Triotech crew dressed as Ghostbusters, watch the video!  

TRIOTECH launches unique “The Flyer™” attraction at IAAPA 2016

TRIOTECH announces that it has developed a first of its kind attraction for the

rapidly growing “Flying experience” rides segment.

THE FLYER™’s five unique features such as 3D content in both CGI and live

footage, a wider motion range, and seat-based motion instead of platform-based

motion are unique. In addition, the attraction can be scaled to different sizes and

throughput, with the corresponding impact on space and investment

requirements. This feature is what TRIOTECH calls “Scale-ability” and this fills a

void in today’s market.

“THE FLYER ™ will be a truly unique experience”, said Ernest Yale, President

and CEO of TRIOTECH. “The five unique elements will create an amazing guest

experience. For instance the fact that our solution is seat-based is very

important. It allows every guest to live the same experience and is an important

operational and maintenance advantage. ”

Mr. Eric Marradi, Creative Director also commented: “The unique ability to mix

both intense and smooth motion as well as CGI with live footage will be a

tremendous story telling tool. For instance you can imagine an experience flying

over a mountain range that would be very beautiful and contemplative. Now

imagine the same experience but suddenly there is a storm coming in and that’s

where the intense motion will help deliver the thrill factor.”

“The concept of a scalable attraction is very important. Not every operator can

support the same level of investment or has the same space available. TRIOTECH’s 

solution can deliver the same guest experience at several pricepoints” stated Mr. Gabi 

Salabi, Vice President of Sales and Business Development.

TRIOTECH’s first two deployments will be in the USA and China, both to be

operational in 2017.

TRIOTECH teams up with AMC to bring Fear the Walking Dead attraction to

Las Vegas NV

TRIOTECH announces that it will deploy Fear the Walking Dead – The

Experience on world famous Fremont Street in Las Vegas, NV, USA. The mediabased

interactive walkthrough attraction will be entirely developed by TRIOTECH

in cooperation with AMC and will be the first ever to be based on the network’s

hit series, “Fear the Walking Dead”. Target opening date is Summer 2017.

“AMC has built an amazing intellectual property and we are very excited to have

the opportunity to work with the Fear the Walking Dead brand”, said Ernest Yale,

President and CEO of TRIOTECH. Mr. Yale further stated: “This walkthrough

attraction will really be a first of its kind”.

In Fear the Walking Dead – The Experience, guests will live a complete

immersive experience that will begin immediately as they come in the entrance.

In fact, it aims to be an extension of the “Fear the Walking Dead” brand by

putting guests in similar situations that the television show’s characters live.

TRIOTECH teams up with Heide Park and Merlin Entertainments to develop

Ghostbusters media-based dark ride

TRIOTECH announces that it has been selected to design, manufacture and

commission Ghostbusters 5D – the ultimate ghost hunt, a new family adventure

coming in 2017 at Heide Park Resort in Soltau, Germany. The attraction will be a

media-based interactive dark ride and will be Germany’s first interactive

Ghostbusters attraction.

The 5D dark ride will be developed in cooperation with Sony Pictures Consumer

Products Inc., Merlin Entertainments, and TRIOTECH and will be based on the

world famous Ghostbusters franchise movies.

“We are extremely proud to work with Heide Park’s team on what is for

TRIOTECH another major project with the team at Merlin Entertainments”, said

Ernest Yale, President and CEO of TRIOTECH. Mr. Yale further stated: “It goes

without saying that we are thrilled to work on Ghostbusters, an iconic

international intellectual property that needs no introduction”.

In Ghostbusters 5D – the ultimate ghost hunt, fearless ghost hunters aged six

years and older will experience a unique adventure of the fifth dimension with

numerous special effects. Their aim is to rescue Heide Park from ghosts.

Equipped with laser proton pistols, a ghost trap and 3D glasses they take a ride

in ECTO-1 through a spooky warehouse and fight in teams of eight alongside the

Ghostbusters against flying slime ghosts. All senses will be needed, because

ghosts suddenly appear and are sometimes only audible.

So now you know the answer to the first question. Wasn't that fun?

Scott And Carol Present - Seaworld Announces 2017 Additions At IAAPA

The following is an unedited press release:

SEAWORLD PARKS & ENTERTAINMENT REVEALS RIDE CARS, NEW ATTRACTION DETAILS AT IAAPA ATTRACTIONS EXPO

Orlando, Fla. (November 15, 2016) –  This morning Joel Manby, President and Chief Executive Officer of SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment revealed exciting details about the company’s 2017 attraction expansion,  one of the largest new attraction years in the company’s 53-year history.  Also this morning, SeaWorld and Busch Gardens revealed three of the ride vehicles that will take guests on exciting adventures in 2017.

The press event and product reveals kicked off the 2016 IAAPA Attractions Expo, the attractions industry’s premier trade show and conference hosting more than 32,000 attractions industry professionals from around the world in Orlando this week.

“We are extremely excited with the scope and depth of the new attractions and events coming to our SeaWorld and Busch Gardens parks in 2017,” shared Manby.  “From first-ever technologies and ride vehicles to inspiring new experiences, our 2017 new attractions are uniquely suited to create meaningful and fun vacations for our guests.”

The three ride vehicle reveals were: Wave Breaker: The Rescue Coaster™ at SeaWorld San Antonio, Submarine Quest, part of the new Ocean Explorer realm at SeaWorld San Diego, and InvadR, the wooden hybrid coaster debuting at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.

The following is an unedited press release:

Wave Breaker: The Rescue Coaster™, SeaWorld^® San Antonio

A new generation of coaster, the first of its kind in North America, combining the thrill of the sea, the adrenaline rush of a multi-launch roller coaster and the inspiration of animal rescue is coming to SeaWorld San Antonio. 

Wave Breaker: The Rescue Coaster boasts a variety of features inspired by the reality of jet skiing across a body of water. The unique jet ski-style car design is the first such coaster design in North America and engages riders in a straddled seating position. The design will allow riders to lean into a series of banked and serpentine turns, and grip the handle bars as they race over hills designed for maximum airtime, and a pair of high acceleration launches. Inspired by the Emmy^® award-winning program, Sea Rescue^®, the coaster enables riders to feel what it’s like to race alongside SeaWorld’s heroic animal care team and veterinarians as they spring into action at a moment’s notice to help rescue animals in distress.  The queue line will reinforce SeaWorld’s rescue mission through interpretive and educational videos.  

Wave Breaker Ride Stats:

  Maximum Height                             61 feet

·         Length of Track                                2,600 feet, the majority of it over water

·         Maximum Speed                              44 mph

·         Number of Trains                             3

·         Number of Vehicles                         8 per train

·         Number of Passengers                     2 per vehicle, 16 total per train

·         Minimum rider height                     48 inches

·         Launch speeds                                  Launch 1: 38 mph, Launch 2: 44 mph

·         Ride elements                                   Banked and serpentine turns, airtime humps, straddle seating    

·         Ride Manufacturer                           Intamin

The following is an unedited press release:

Submarine Quest, SeaWorld San Diego

The signature attraction for SeaWorld San Diego’s new Ocean Explorer realm is Submarine Quest,

taking guests on a global expedition of scientific exploration as researchers on a mission to collect data and learn how to help protect animals. This three-minute experience will include an onboard digital navigation dashboard, as well as a few other surprises along the journey, enhancing the riders’ understanding of our fragile ocean ecosystem.

Submarine Quest Ride Stats:

·         Minimum rider height                    The ride is intended to be a family ride

·         Track Length                                  759 feet of elevated track moves through the entire realm

·         Ride Duration                                 3 minutes

·         Number of Vehicles                        7

·         Number of Passengers                    6 riders (maximum) per vehicle

·         Ride Restraint                                 Individual lap bar

·         Manufacturer                                  Chance Rides

The following is an unedited press release:

InvadR™, Busch Gardens^® Williamsburg:  Booth #2773

A new wooden roller coaster, InvadR, will join Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s collection of world-class thrill rides.  The family thriller will be the park’s first wooden coaster and eighth roller coaster in total. 

This “hybrid” coaster, with steel supports and a wooden track, will utilize repurposed ride cars from Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s popular (and now retired) wooden coaster, Gwazi. 

A minimum height requirement of 46 inches make it an ideal ride for adults and children to share together, but the coaster will still feature exciting ride elements, including a more than 70 foot drop, and nine airtime hills. Located in the New France village of Busch Gardens, guests will travel more than 2,100 feet through a wooded terrain and underground through a tunnel.

InvadR Ride Stats:

·         Minimum rider height                    46 inches

·         Ride Elements                                74-foot drop and nine airtime hills

·         Track Length                                  2,118 feet of track                                                          

·         Maximum Speed                            48 mph

·         Ride Duration                                 1 minute 30 seconds

·         Number of Trains                           2

·         Number of Vehicles                       8 per train

·         Number of Passengers                   2 per vehicle, 16 per train

      Ride Manufactuer                          Great Coasters International, Inc.

Also New in 2017:

Kraken^® Virtual Reality (VR) Roller Coaster, SeaWorld Orlando – Coming Summer 2017

SeaWorld will debut its first digitally enhanced ride experience as the legendary Kraken roller coaster is transformed into a virtual reality (VR) roller coaster experience.  This thrill ride will be the only VR coaster experience in Florida.

Guests will embark on a deep sea mission alongside sea creatures inspired by extinct and legendary animals of the past, including the mighty Kraken.  A custom digital overlay with uniquely designed headsets, fully integrated both mechanically and electronically into the coaster train, delivers a new one-of-a-kind adventure.  The addition of VR to this fan-favorite brings a new level of excitement and interest in Kraken, for both new and returning guests. 

Electric Ocean, SeaWorld Orlando and San Diego – Coming Summer 2017

Electric Ocean will debut next summer at SeaWorld parks in Orlando and San Diego as a brand new, end-of-day spectacle event. As the sun goes down, the lights and energy go up, offering guests a different kind of fun after dark. The ocean comes to life with bioluminescent lighting, music and pathway entertainment, immersing guests in a glowing sea of wonder.  

New Orca Encounter, SeaWorld San Diego – Coming Summer 2017

SeaWorld San Diego will introduce new, inspiring, educational orca encounters, rather than theatrical shows, as part of its ongoing commitment to education, marine science research, and rescue of marine animals. These live documentaries will focus on orca enrichment, exercise, and overall health. This change will start in its San Diego park next year, followed by Orlando and then San Antonio by 2019.

The new Orca Encounter will be based on orca behavior in the wild: what they eat, how they hunt, how they navigate and how they communicate, helping guests gain a deeper appreciation and respect for the orcas and empowering them a sense of determination and purpose to help preserve the future of these majestic animals.  This new encounter will look at broader themes such as research, rescue, conservation, habitats and distribution, husbandry and care, and social structures. 

The new behavioral-based orca experience, will inspire as well as educate guests about the majesty of these complex animals, and reinforces the company’s commitment to provide educational experiences with the park’s resident orcas.