Fun Spot Atlanta Teases New for 2022 Rocky Mountain Ibox Coaster

© Fun Spot Atlanta

Fun Spot Atlanta is having a good time slowly releasing teases about their 2022 roller coaster project, which is being built by Rocky Mountain Construction.  First they released the fact that the project was underway, but with no additional details.  Then they posted a picture of the ride's steel track being fabricated, still a mysterious tease, but today's update is very telling.

Once the curtains seen up top were pulled back (see the full post here), this image was revealed:

© Fun Spot Atlanta

The big news gained from this photo is that the ride will not be one of Rocky Mountain's Raptor coasters, instead it will utilize their Ibox track.  Rocky Mountain's Ibox hybrid coasters are regarded as some of the best on the planet, so the ride coming to Fun Spot Atlanta next year is going to be in some seriously good company when it opens.

Rocky Mountain has utilized their Ibox track on many conversion projects, taking older wooden coasters and creating truly wild rides out of them.  For example, Steel Vengeance at Cedar Point, Iron Rattler at Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Twisted Timbers at Kings Dominion.  So far they have only done one from-the-ground-up Hybrid Ibox ride, and that's the impressive Zadra at Energylandia in Poland.

While we're assuming that the Fun Spot America ride will utilize wooden supports to make it a hybrid ride, the real takeaway remains that this will be Rocky Mountain's second new build of this type.  With Zadra as their first, that's quite a ride to follow up!

Granted I do not anticipate the Fun Spot Atlanta ride being the size of Zadra, but the fact that Rocky Mountain and its designers are starting with a blank slate is quite exciting.  There's still plenty to speculate on, from the ride's name to its layout and inversion line up - heck even what color they'll paint the Ibox track!  It'll be fun to watch those details unfold.

Worlds of Fun + Dorney Park Cut Operating Days Due to Staffing Shortages

Two Cedar Fair parks have had to follow in Cedar Point's footsteps and reduce their operating days (and hours in some cases) due to consistent staffing shortages.  Similar to Cedar Point, Worlds of Fun will cut some days during June but then follow a normal schedule in July, but Dorney Park is removing some operating days mid-week for the rest of the summer.

© Worlds of Fun

 

Worlds of Fun posted the above informational update on their social media this week, noting that they will be closing only Worlds of Fun, and keeping Oceans of Fun open, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for the rest of June.  While not detailed by the park, I would assume the park only has enough staff to keep one of the parks open 7 days a week, and with a new slide tower in the water park that must have been the obvious choice.

 

With regard to operating hours, the park is showing 11 am to 7 pm hours for Worlds of Fun each day the ride side is open, and 11 am to 6 pm for the water park.  The only difference to note is that while the park holds Grand Carnivale at the end of July the amusement park will stay open until 9 pm.

 

© Dorney Park

The cuts at Dorney Park seem to run a bit deeper.  The park posted the above notice just today on their social channels.  Both Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom will now operate Wednesdays through Sundays for the rest of the summer, staying closed on Monday and Tuesdays.

 

A little history, when the park first posted their schedule for 2021 they were to be closed each Tuesday.  Later they announced plans to stay open 7 days a week and push back summer closing time to 9 pm.  Unfortunately the staffing shortage has made them have to revert back to a 5 day a week schedule.

 

As far as hours go, Dorney Park will operate 11 am to 7 pm each day it is open, and Wildwater Kingdom will operate 11 am to 6 pm.  There are no adjustments for Grand Carnivale, so it looks like that nighttime event will switch to a daytime one in 2021.

 

Other Cedar Fair parks are also on reduced operating schedules this year, as announced previously.  Valleyfair is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays through the summer, though originally they were staying closed Monday through Wednesday.  Michigan's Adventure will also stay closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays through the summer.

Canada's Wonderland to Welcome Back Visitors Starting July 5th

© Canada's Wonderland

Canada's Wonderland, the last of the Cedar Fair parks to be granted permission to open this year, has made plans to welcome back visitors starting July 5th.  Both July 5th and July 6th will be season pass holder preview events, and starting July 7th the park will open to all visitors.  Right now the park's calendar shows daily operation starting immediately when they reopen, with hours during August being 10 am to 10 pm each day for the theme park.  There are some 8 pm closings listed on weekdays during July.

The park was not able to open at all in 2020, so this will be visitors first chance to take in some thrilling attractions in quite some time.  The park will require reservations to be made to visit in order to control attendance, and masks will be required for all visitors age 2 and above.  Other safety precautions related to the pandemic will also be in effect.

Reservations and daily ticket purchases will be available starting on June 17th at 9 am!

© Canada's Wonderland

Canada's Wonderland had two new attractions lined up to open back in 2020, which were completed and are now new for 2021.  In the park's water park, Splash Works, visitors will be able to take the plunge on Mountain Bay Cliffs, an aptly named cliff jump attraction.  Guests who are 54 inches or taller will be able to jump off of several different heights into the pool below, with the bravest taking on a large 25 foot plunge.

© Canada's Wonderland

In the theme park, visitors with kids will be excited to try out Beagle Brigade Airfield.  The kiddie ride features planes that hang from a track above, moving in an oval shape with some exciting sharply banked turns at either end.  The attraction will allow younger kids to ride with an adult, making for some fun family memories.

The Jersey Devil Coaster Celebrates Grand Opening at Six Flags Great Adventure

© NewsPlusNotes

Today marks the grand opening of Six Flags Great Adventure's latest thrill machine, the Jersey Devil Coaster, an innovative and world recording breaking single rail roller coaster.  Fans have been anxiously waiting to get their first rides in on the Jersey Devil Coaster, and after several days of previews the ride is now open to the public.

Six Flags Great Adventure invited us to take some rides on the coaster this past week, and what a great experience it is!  The coaster was created by Rocky Mountain Construction, and utilizes the company's 'Raptor' style track, a single monorail type beam that offers passengers a thrilling and smooth ride.  Riders would have to travel a great distance to find another ride of this style in operation - the Jersey Devil Coaster is the only of its kind in the entire Eastern United States.

© NewsPlusNotes

Riders sit in single-passengers cars which make up a train of 12 riders (the ride has four trains in total) - the cars feature a low inline style that lets riders seemingly straddle the monorail track directly below them.  This provides a ride style that is not found on many roller coasters; unique and offering a new take on traditional coaster elements and forces.

© NewsPlusNotes

The Jersey Devil Coaster is specially themed to Six Flags Great Adventure's location and its history.  The park is set in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, and it is said that the Jersey Devil has haunted the forest for centuries, "soaring stealthily through the woods in the dark of the night before attacking its prey."  The new coaster is located within these woods on the park's property, adjacent to the park's Great Lake in a shady setting.

The new coaster's queue tells this story in great detail through a number of story boards, giving riders-to-be bits of the lore as they move through the covered queue sections.

© NewsPlusNotes

"Jersey Devil folklore has been a source of fear and intrigue here in the Pine Barrons for more than 200 years.  We'll immerse riders in this iconic piece of New Jersey history on our monstrous, new scream machine," said Park President John Winkler. "Jersey Devil Coaster is the perfect addition to our unrivaled collection of award-winning, innovating, and thrilling roller coasters."

The sinister air surrounding the ride is complimented by some unusual facts related to the number 13:  The Jersey Devil Coaster is the park's 13th coaster, the new ride is 13 stories tall, each train has 12 humans and the Jersey Devil lead car for 13 riders and the ride is officially opening on the 13th of June.

© NewsPlusNotes

The Jersey Devil Coaster will be an immediate hit with riders of all ages, as it provides a smooth and repeatable ride experience.  The trains climb a 130 foot lift hill after departing from the station and are quickly plummeting down an extra-steep 87 degree first drop.  With a maximum speed of 58 miles per hour, the trains scream through the ride's 3,000 feet of track.

 

© NewsPlusNotes

© NewsPlusNotes

The ride is one of a new breed of roller coasters, which allows it to take the title of the world's tallest, fastest and longest single-rail roller coaster.  The ride's impressive design features several stellar elements, including three inversions.  From a Raven Dive to a 180-degree stall, riders experience a variety of maneuvers that keep them guessing what may come next.

The long design of the train also allows for different ride experiences as you move from the front of the train toward the back.  All seats provide and excellent amount of air-time as the Jersey Devil runs through the course, but the far back seat is especially impressive in that regard.

© NewsPlusNotes

© NewsPlusNotes

While the coaster does feature over the shoulder restraints, they are unobtrusive and allow for a very free feeling while on the ride.  There's nothing quite like riding with your arms up and floating upside down through that 180-degree stall!  The coaster's quick transitions also give great lateral forces, paired with the low seats to give riders a variety of thrilling moments.

© Six Flags Great Adventure

As a great note for visitors, the Jersey Devil Coaster only has a 48 inch height requirement, allowing for a larger section of guests to ride - if they're brave enough of course!  Six Flags Great Adventure is already well known for their impressive set of thrill rides, and the Jersey Devil Coaster goes perfectly with them - offering a thrilling but innovative experience for visitors.

For more on the Jersey Devil Coaster, and help with planning your trip to ride, check out Six Flags Great Adventure's website!

Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park Starts Testing New Phoenix Roller Coaster

© Deno's Wonder Wheel Park

Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park, located in Coney Island, New York, has started the testing phase of their brand new custom designed roller coaster, Phoenix.  The ride is a suspended family roller coaster created by Vekoma, which features bright red track with equally bright yellow supports.  The family owned park is especially proud to be adding a major new roller coaster this season, as the parks in Coney Island stayed shuttered all of 2020 due to the pandemic.

 

Phoenix has been designed as a family ride that does contain enough thrilling elements to keep adult riders interested, including tight, swooping turns and constant elevation changes.  The ride 68 feet tall, features 1,220 feet of track and a top speed of 34 miles per hour.

 

© Deno's Wonder Wheel Park

The below video was shared by the park and features footage of the very first test run of the Phoenix.  As planned it went off without a hitch, much to the pleasure of the park owners and ride manufacturer.  At the end you can see just how proud the family that runs the park is of their new addition!  The park plans to open the Phoenix by Summer.

Stunt Pilot Now Soaring in Action at Silverwood Theme Park

© Silverwood Theme Park

Memorial Day weekend marked the grand opening of Stunt Pilot at Silverwood Theme Park, the world's latest Rocky Mountain Construction coaster to begin operation.  I think we can all agree that the more RMCs the better!  With not too many new coasters opening this year, it's even more spectacular that Silverwood was able to add such a thrilling new experience for their visitors.  And for a ride of this caliber, visitors are sure to come from far and wide.

Stunt Pilot is no doubt thrilling, standing 106 feet tall with a terrorizing first drop that sends the in-line trains to a top speed of 52 miles per hour.  The rest of the 1,800 foot layout features plenty of air-time along with tight turns and several inversions.

© Silverwood Theme Park

Stunt Pilot's layout is very similar to two earlier RMC coasters, but changes have been made to improve the rider experience on the 2, 10-passenger trains.  Most notable are changes to the top of the lift before the first drop, but riders reports no lack of air-time on the ride!

Silverwood is honoring their history of previously having live airshows for guests at the park with Stunt Pilot, and the layout includes several close call elements that surround the track along with other theming, like the plane seen above.

If you want to take a spin on Stunt Pilot virtually, check out the POV ride from CoasterForce below!