Aerial Antics: Wonderland Park

Wonderland Park, located in Amarillo, Texas, uses a gnome in their advertising. That alone makes the park more than worthy of being featured in Aerial Antics!

Wonderland started out as Kiddie Land, a small park featuring, obviously, attractions aimed at kids - but has grown over time into the "third largest amusement park in Texas." (that distinction must not count theme parks) Family owned throughout it's history, the park now features four roller coasters, plenty of flat rides, and a variety of water attractions as well.

Above is the older section of the park, punctuated by Wonderland's Log Flume, Cyclone coaster, and a miniature golf course. Also located here are many of the children's rides.

The second half of the park features some newer attractions. The Texas Tornado double-loop coaster circles much of this area. Hopkins was a major supplier of rides for the park, along with the Texas Tornado they also provided the wet/dry slides, river rapids ride, and shoot-the-chutes, among others. I've always thought of Wonderland as a Hopkins showroom!

If you regularly read NPN then you already know that the "West End" section of the park debuted this past year - featuring three new attractions. The green coaster is the Hornet, formerly Mayan Mindbender form the closed Six Flags AstroWorld. The Fiesta Swing, a Yo-Yo ride, also came from AstroWorld. That massive free fall tower, Drop of Fear, stands some 200 ft. tall.

You can check out Bing's aerials here.

The Amusing Ads Archive - Hopkins 1993

Hopkins has had quite a nice working relationship with Wonderland Park, eh? The park has turned to the manufacturer for many rides, including some rather unique ones.

For instance, Hopkins built the custom, double looping Texas Tornado back in 1985. I've always thought the supports on that ride looked quite interesting. While Hopkins is known for water rides, they stepped outside those bounds for Wonderland, in addition to the coaster they built a monorail and a skyride.

The ad's feature attraction is the new "Pipeline Plunge," a 50 ft. tall set of wet-dry set waterslides that debuted at the park in 1994.

Welcome to the Wild, Wild West End!

We at NPN have been telling you about it for months, but the good folks at Wonderland Park have been preparing for it for years. Without further ado, they present to you....(drumroll please)....The West End!

This major expansion was a project some 3+ years in the making, and the Wonderland staff couldn't be prouder about declaring the newest section of the park open for business. An official ribbon cutting ceremony was held yesterday to commemorate the occasion.

Paul Borchardt (left), Park President, said a few words to the flocks of reporters and guests who came to witness this historic event in Wonderland's history. He was joined at the podium by (from left to right) his wife Paula Borchardt, Vice President and daughter of founders Paul and Alethea Roads; Alethea Roads herself; the Borchardts' daughter Rebecca Parker, Controller; Rebecca's husband Randy; and the Parkers' daughters Rachel and Sabrina. [Editor's Note: What a lovely name!]

Zoom in on this shot to get a close-up look at that super sweet Hornet tee that the Parker girls are showing off. Even Mom has one!

The actual ribbon cutting honors were appropriately bestowed upon Mrs. Roads, who probably never imagined that she would someday see a 200-foot tall ride installed at her park. (They must have learned from Six Flags' mistake, as I don't see any havoc-wreaking streamers floating through the air!)

As well all know, it takes good people to keep a park's attractions running like well-oiled machines, and this crew was up to the task. Pictured above is the West End's opening day staff, along with a couple members of the office staff. They were energized! The park mascot looks pretty pumped too, although I imagine he must have been pretty bummed out when he discovered that he didn't meet the height requirement for the new rides...

If you've been following our West End construction updates (which were made possible by all the great photos that the park has been kind enough to send us), you already know that this brand new area features three rides. And it just so happens that two of them are transplants from the now defunct Six Flags AstroWorld.



First we have the Hornet, whose previous lives as an enclosed coaster at both Boblo Island (Nightmare) and AstroWorld (Mayan Mindbender) are now a distant memory. This zippy little coaster is now exposed for all the world to see, and loving every minute of it. (And so are its riders, based on their smiles!)




Next we have the Yo-Yo formerly known as "Gunslinger" at AstroWorld. Wonderland has rechristened it "Fiesta Swing", and these riders look ready to party! The last time we saw this guy, he had no seats. But now Wonderland's little baby is all grown up!

Wonderland office staffers (from left to right) Rebecca Parker (Controller), Paula Borchardt (VP), Matt Martinez (Secretary), and Danielle Baeza (Office Manager)

The third and final ride to debut with the West End did not come from AstroWorld, but it's exciting in its own right! Drop of Fear, which has forever changed the skyline of Wonderland, hauls its riders 200 feet up in the air before mercilessly releasing them into the hands of gravity. Looks like some staffers enjoyed the adrenaline rush more than others, MATT!

What else might the future hold for the West End? Well for starters, an article published in a local Amarillo newspaper a couple months ago reported that the park hopes to add a mini bumper car attraction by 2010. But any way you slice it, this was a great addition to Wonderland and its enthusiastic staff members have every right to be proud. From a former parking lot on Wonderland's northwest corner to a cutting edge thrillseeker's paradise, the West End is sure to serve this charming traditional park well for many, many years to come.

Happy as a...Hornet?

Something is abuzz in Texas, and it does not live in a hive--or at least, not anymore! As Wonderland Park inches closer and closer to opening day, the rides which have taken up residence in the park's new West End area are inching closer and closer to completion. Not least among these newcomers is the previously enclosed Hornet, which recently became the recipient of some brand new magnetic brakes. Today the park's maintenance and office staff were treated to the first rides on this newly rechristened steelie, and they were kind enough to share the fun with us!

Those spiffed up trains sure do look nice!

...Nice enough to ride in, that is!

Seriously, are these folks really at work? I wish my job was this much fun!

Even co-founder Alethea Roads was on hand to take a spin. She and her husband Paul (who, sadly, passed away in 2003) opened "Kiddie Land" back in 1951. About a decade later, the couple began to add adult rides and the name "Wonderland" was born. I'll bet they never imagined how much the park would grow and flourish in the years which followed!

Mrs. Roads is enjoying Hornet from her fourth row seat.

Wonderland Park will kick off its 2009 season on April 4th. The Hornet will be waiting for you. Will you answer its call? You wouldn't want to make it mad...now would you?

West End Story

The folks at Wonderland Park have been hard at work preparing the new West End area for the beginning of the 2009 season. Let's check out their progress!

Riders ascending the new Drop of Fear will be treated to some spectacular views of the Texas Tornado in action. This 1985 Hopkins coaster--one of the few of its kind ever built--stretches all along one side of the West End.

If you had the opportunity to ride the formerly enclosed Hornet at one of its previous host parks, you may be wondering exactly what that tangled mess of track looks like. Well feast your eyes, because there she is in all her glory! All she needs is a bit of clean-up and landscaping and she'll be ready to welcome her first riders.

This view from afar shows what the West End will look like to passers-by. Wonderland's skyline is becoming quite impressive!

Fiesta Swing is still awaiting its seats. Nevertheless, it looks quite cozy next to its new neighbors. The park's Big Coaster sits to the right. With the addition of Hornet, the park will now boast four steelies.

Thanks to Wonderland for contributing these wonderful shots!

A Closer Look at Wonderland's West End

Earlier this week, we brought you news of Wonderland Park's exciting new West End area, which will make its debut this year. The park was kind enough to send us some photos of the area under construction, just to whet our appetites!

This bird's eye view shot, which was presumably taken from atop one of the park's water slides, shows where the new area will be located with respect to the rest of the park. West End's three signature rides--Fiesta Swing, Drop of Fear, and Hornet--are obviously well on their way to completion. Not pictured is the Tiki Village, another "cool" new space which guests will be able to enjoy in 2009.

You can just barely see Hornet's green track and white supports peeking through the brush at the base of Drop of Fear. This formerly enclosed coaster, which operated at both Boblo Island (as Nightmare) and Six Flags AstroWorld (as Mayan Mindbender), will finally see the light of day at Wonderland! The family friendly coaster will be a great addition to the park's existing line-up.

The Hornet may be family friendly, but its next-door neighbor definitely caters to the daredevils! Standing 200 feet tall, Drop of Fear is destined to live up to its name and guaranteed to take thrill seeking to a whole new level at Wonderland.

The Fiesta Swing appears to be farthest from completion at this point. But this skeletonized Yo-Yo won't be bare for much longer--Opening day (April 4th) is right around the corner!

With the addition of West End, Wonderland's ride count will reach 28, and there is great diversity in that collection. The park also offers an 18-hole miniature golf course. In the midst of these hard economic times, it's reassuring to see a smaller park such as Wonderland making such an investment in its future. We look forward to watching the West End construction progress, and to a fantastic 2009 season! Many thanks to Matt from Wonderland for sharing these great photos!

What's New At Wonderland?

Wonderland Amusement Park, Amarillo Texas, is getting out word that the park's 2009 season looks to be one of the best ever.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves, Wonderland isn't a park that is talked about that often, but is a great independent park that has a rich history of thrilling Texans for decades. What do they offer? Well here's a great synopsis:

"Known as Texas’ Greatest Amusement Park, Wonderland features 28 rides and there’s something for everyone!

Our Kiddieland has a selection of fun for little ones including the popular Frog Hopper, and our Kiddie Boat Ride, which has been here since the park opened in 1951.

For the older kids, teens, and for those adults who are kids at heart, we offer some great thrills, like our 3 coasters, including the famous Texas Tornado, our double loop roller coaster. Another original we offer is our dark ride, The Fantastic Journey.

For those looking for a way to cool down, try one of our several water rides, including the Rattlesnake Rive Raft Ride, or take a trip down the Pipeline Plunge. And of course no park is complete without classics like the Tilt-a-Whirl, the Scrambler, or Himalaya."

As for the park's 2009 season, it looks to be one of the best ever with the addition of the West End section of the park:

"This season Wonderland will open our new WEST END! This area in Wonderland will feature 3 new rides, The Hornet, (formally the Mayan Mindbender at AstroWorld in Houston TX), our Fiesta Swing (the yoyo) and the Drop of Fear, a 200 ft. Tower drop. We will also have a new Tiki Village to lounge in and enjoy a cool area, to relax."

Sounds great! It's wonderful, too, that they're opening one of the rides from the defunct Six Flags Astroworld as well.

We look forward to more updated from the park in the future!

Wonderland's New AstroWorld Coaster

Amusement Today has posted some cool photos of Wonderland Amusement Park's newest coaster being built.

According to AT the ride does not have a name yet, but looks snazzy with a fresh new paint job. This is the Mayan Mindbender coaster that was rescued from Six Flags Astroworld when the park was closed - and also operated at Boblo Island before that.

Here's the link to see the photos.