Wednesday, August 31, 2022

Waldameer Amusement Park Building Large Water Coaster for 2023


© Waldameer
Waldameer Amusement Park and Water World water park is having what they describe as the "best year" they've ever had, thanks to a lot of sunshine and pent up demand for their tradition park offerings.  To celebrate, the park is moving forward with plans for a large water roller coaster addition to Water World, set to open in 2023.


A drawing of the new water roller coaster, which doesn't have a final name or final colors just yet, can be seen up top.  The park announced their plans in a news story today that goes over how the park has been doing this year - which is pretty great.  After a rough 2020, like at all parks, 2021 was better but suffered from extreme lack of staffing, now 2022 has returned mostly to normal and the crowds have returned in full force.


© Waldameer
That gives the park the confidence to build the water roller coaster, which is costing them between $7 and $8 million.  The above schematic, also from the park, shows that the coaster will be going over and under several existing water park slides and attractions.  The article states that the slide will be around 50 feet tall and stretch 450 feet in length.  The attraction will feature several "saucer" turn elements that ProSlide are now famous for, and a couple upward and downward dips.


The park is planning to start work on the new slide as soon as the park closes for the season, and are anxious to see it open in 2023!


Monday, August 29, 2022

Six Flags Over Texas Closing Mr. Freeze: Reverse Blast on September 11th but Not for Forever


© Six Flags Over Texas
Six Flags Over Texas has announced that the last chance to ride Mr. Freeze: Reverse Blast will be on September 11th, but not the last chance forever!  The park has made it clear that the ride is not going away permanently, just... for now I guess?  The tweet where they shared the news specifically asks fans if they think the ride "is really going away" and quickly answers their own question with "not a chance!"


© Six Flags Over Texas
So the coaster is having its final rides but not really final forever... this must mean they are just making changes to the ride, giving it a retheme possibly, or more likely changing the directions of the trains.  The coaster opened in 1998 and launched the trains forward through the layout, up the spike, then backward.  In 2012 the trains were turned around so the launch is backward, but since it's a shuttle coaster riders go forward and backward no matter what.


So, while the ride is closing for now, it looks to have a continued future at the theme park for sure.  With Six Flags apparently spending very little on ride capital for 2023 I think these types of rethemes will be a popular 'addition' at many Six Flags parks in the near future!


Monday, August 22, 2022

ArieForce One Making Progress at Fun Spot America Atlanta


© Fun Spot America Atlanta
We haven't forgotten about the giant new RMC roller coaster being built at Fun Spot America Atlanta - named ArieForce One - thanks to the park posting new photos of the ride's progress at regular intervals.  The park made some big progress recently when they got the ride's Raven Truss Drive completed.  The element is the ride's second - after the imposing first drop - and features a unique support structure that feeds into its name.


© Fun Spot America Atlanta
The rest of the ride is progressing as well - although much more slowly than we all expected.  The ride's far turnaround has been completed for a few weeks now, featuring a low to the ground profile.  But right now the Raven Truss Dive is the element that's drawing attention to the coaster once again.


We'll have to watch to see how quickly the mid-section of ArieForce One goes up, but the station area is just underway now and there's a lot of technical components to that yet to be built.  That's why stations are almost always one of the very first elements of a coaster standing!  Stay tuned.  You can see more of the recent images from the park here and here.


Tuesday, August 16, 2022

Knott's Berry Farm Announces Changes and Renovations for 2023


© Knott's Berry Farm
Wrapping up the big Cedar Fair announcements for 2023, Knott's Berry Farm revealed a totally transformed Fiesta Village themed area for 2023, the return of a new take on Montezooma's Revenge, and a total refurbishment of the Knott's Berry Farm Hotel.


© Knott's Berry Farm

© Knott's Berry Farm
The renovation of Fiesta Village is truly top to bottom, reinvigorating the themed land influenced by Hispanic culture on Southern California.  The aerial above shows the entire remade land, which is loosely separated into three sections.  A majority of the changes in the area will be with food locations.  The Fiesta Plaza stage will be redone to match the attached restaurant and added bar, and Casa California will be transformed into a new location featuring Mexican food items like made to order tacos and burritos.

 

© Knott's Berry Farm

© Knott's Berry Farm

A brand new restaurant named Papas Mexicana will also open in Fiesta Village, featuring carna asada fries and other authentic treats.  The former La Papa Loca establishment will transform into Cantina Del Sur, with specialty beverages as its focus.  There will also be a new open street market added with unique gifts and souvenirs.  Also seen in the art above is a zone featuring "magical alebrijes," brightly colored mythical creatures that tie into traditional Mexican folklore - plus a taco stand inspired food location.  Definitely arrive to Fiesta Village hungry in 2023!


© Knott's Berry Farm

Monte's Loop seen in background of this art © Knott's Berry Farm

Fans of the park's Montezooma's Revenge will be happy to know that the ride will reopen next year, though with a dramatic amount of changes made to it, and it will be known as MonteZOOMa: The Forbidden Fortress.  Equipped with new launch features the ride will be able to launch forward or backward from the station to surprise riders.  The ride's theming and story line will also be improved, with riders attempting to find and escape with Montezuma's gold - but in order to they must make it through the fortress protecting the treasure filled with boobytraps.  According to the park, "the grounds leading to the temple will resemble a macabre history exhibit as treasure hunters’ remains from throughout the ages line the walls.  Now that the traps leading to the gold have been cleared, only those brave enough can make it through the final challenge and find themselves at the home of the hidden Aztec treasure in MonteZOOMa: The Forbidden Fortress."

 

© Knott's Berry Farm
Just today for National Roller Coaster Day the park revealed the look of the new train that will be on MonteZOOMa, above.  Not sure exactly who is manufacturing them, but they look slick.  Make sure to follow the link to see the teaser animation the park has released.


© Knott's Berry Farm
Finally, the Knott's Berry Farm hotel is under going a massive renovation and modernization much like Cedar Fair did with the Cedar Point hotels in recent years.  Knott's will give the hotel a focus that celebrates Walter and Cordelia Knott, and the interior, exterior and all guests rooms will be improved.  Room interiors will be improved with a new look and family suites created.  A brand new outdoor banquet space will be created, and the exterior of the hotel, above, will have a new look.  A new restaurant will also open, with a farmhouse feel to it that celebrates the founders of the park.


Monday, August 15, 2022

Carowinds to Debut Aeronautica Landing Themed Section for 2023 50th Anniversary Season


© Carowinds
Aeronautica Landing is a brand new themed section that Carowinds has announced for their 2023 season - which is also the park's 50th anniversary celebration.  The 50th party will be celebrated under the moniker of "50 Years of Carolina Fun," and additional details on the celebration will be coming this winter - but count on special entertainment, special immersive activities, nighttime shows and more for the celebration.


© Carowinds
The biggest change coming to the park for 2023 is Aeronautica Landing, a total renovation of the park's Crossroads section.  Above is a wide angle concept art for the area - the park describes Aeronatutica Landing as "a tribute to the Carolinas’ spirit of invention, exploration, and aviation, where guests can immerse themselves in the history and future of flight."  


© Carowinds

© Carowinds

The expansion will include the addition of 5 brand new flat rides and the retheming of one existing ride for a total of six attractions in the area.  Two of the new rides can be seen above - both from Zamperla - Air Racers and Air Walker.  Air Racers is an exciting thrill ride that allows rider to pilot their own plane as it spins and inverts throughout the ride.




The area will also be home to Gear Spin and Gyro Force, also seen above.  Gear Spin is one of Zamperla's new Nebulaz rides, which are becoming increasing popular at parks across the globe.  Gyro Force looks to be a themed take on a traditional Trabant type of ride, always popular with families.  The park is planning a 5th new ride as well, but concept art was not released yet.


© Carowinds
The rethemed ride in Aeronautica Landing is the park's bumper cars, which will now be called Hover and Dodge, a smart flying theme for a not-so-flying ride! Also of note is that the park has removed the Plants Vs. Zombies 3Z Arena, Southern Star and the YoYo flat rides to make way for Aeronautica Landing.


© Carowinds

© Carowinds
In addition to the new rides there will also be other changes to the section.  Brand new games will be located throughout the area, four in total, and a new restaurant, named Terminal A, will also debut.  There will actually be two brand new and one upgraded food offerings in the area.  Terminal A, seen above, will feature a craft beer bar and patio seating as well.


The addition of Aeronautica Landing marks the 4th totally new themed area at Carowinds since 2017, when County Fair opened.  Cedar Fair said they saw growth potential in the park and have certainly made good on working to grow the park!


Sunday, August 14, 2022

Canada's Wonderland to Open New Towering Flat Ride + Family Coaster in 2023


© Canada's Wonderland
Canada's Wonderland will once again treat visitors of all sizes to new fun in 2023 with the recent announcement of the park's capital plans.  The theme park will be adding a giant, and I mean giant, thrill ride next year named the Tundra Twister and families will be thrilled by a new Snoopy themed roller coaster - Snoopy's Racing Railway.


“We’re committed to providing exciting experiences for guests of all ages, and these two attractions are unique additions for thrill seekers and families alike,” said Norm Pirtovshek, general manager at Canada’s Wonderland. “The Tundra Twister will be a sight to behold, swinging and spinning guests high above the midway and nearby Yukon Striker, while Snoopy’s Racing Railway is sure to become a family favourite among our collection of children’s rides.”

 

Tundra Twister (pictured up top) is a impressively tall (154 feet) flat ride that loops and has independently rotating arms to create a wild experience for passengers.  It hits a maximum speed of 46 miles per hour as well... definitely a flat ride for the brave.  The attraction will be the first of its kind in the world and is believe to be a Mondial Avalanche ride.


© Canada's Wonderland

© Canada's Wonderland
Families should be thrilled to learn that they are getting Snoopy's Racing Railway, a launched family roller coaster within the park's Planet Snoopy section (and the park's 18th coaster).  Designed by ART Engineering, the ride looks to be a clone of their existing family launched ride in Austria, which opened last year.  The ride will stand around 30 feet tall, stretch just over 800 feet long and launch at a maximum speed of 31 miles per hour.


The park will theme the new coaster to a runaway railway where guests will narrowly escape traps set by Woodstock and his Bad Seed Gang.  Cute!  You can see more detail of the coaster's layout in the image above - click for a larger look.


Saturday, August 13, 2022

Cedar Point to Open The Boardwalk Themed Area + New Wild Mouse Coaster in 2023


© Cedar Point
There have been rumors of an addition to Cedar Point named the "boardwalk" for almost as long as I can remember... and now the park is building just that - The Boardwalk - a new themed area for 2023.  The park will totally be renovating the former Lakeside Midway are to include a fantastic new dining option, a new coaster and the relocation of a couple of the park's flat rides.  There may not be an actual boardwalk far as I can tell, but the development looks great nonetheless.


“The Boardwalk is our vision of what the classic Cedar Point Boardwalk would have felt like long ago: the sights, the sounds, the electricity of the experience – this new area captures it all,” said Carrie Boldman, vice president and general manager of Cedar Point. “Lakeside attractions have always been a part of Cedar Point’s 153-year history, and that tradition lives on. We can’t wait for our guests to enjoy this stunning new centerpiece of summertime fun.”

 

© Cedar Point
Check out this aerial drawing of how the new Boardwalk section will look.  You can click on it for a much larger version.  The new Grand Pavilion dining facility will take up a portion of Wicked Twister's former location, and the new Wild Mouse roller coaster and the relocated flats will finally fill in the former high dive theater's plot of land.  There will be additional theming, landscaping and nice rest areas built into the addition as well.  Of course the entire addition will feature great views of Lake Erie just next door as well.


© Cedar Point
The Grand Pavilion is a beautiful, two story tall new food and bar location, set right on the beach on the edge of The Boardwalk area.  The design mimics the park's original Grand Pavilion which opened in 1888 and looks beautiful in the drawing shown here.  The facility will contain a "restaurant featuring culinary items not found anywhere else in the park (plus many traditional favorites), a lake view bar for relaxation and conversation, indoor and outdoor seating plus viewing decks with unparalleled panoramas of Cedar Point, the Cedar Point Beach and the Lake Erie shoreline."  The project sounds like a powerhouse for the culinary department at the park, capable of feeding a lot of park guests quickly.


© Cedar Point
The park will also debut their 18th roller coaster, the Wild Mouse, as a centerpiece of the new area.  The ride is also a throwback to the park's original Wild Mouse roller coaster, but this new one will be one of Zamperla's "Twister Coaster Freeform" models, standing 52 feet tall with 1,312 feet of track.  The individual cars will be mouse themed and capable of spinning freely throughout the ride.... plus one car is themed to cheese - of course.


The Boardwalk will also see the park's Matterhorn flat ride moved to it, along with the park's Scrambler - which will be renamed the Atomic Scrambler.  These rides will join the Giant Wheel, Trokia, Tiki Twirl (which will be renamed Calypso), Dodgem, GateKeeper and WindSeeker as The Boardwalk's ride offerings.


You can also check out Cedar Point's official announcement video for The Boardwalk at this link.


Friday, August 12, 2022

Worlds of Fun to Celebrate 50th Anniversary in 2023 with New Zambezi Zinger Coaster


© Worlds of Fun
Worlds of Fun has announced some very exciting plans for the park's 50th anniversary celebration, taking place at the park in 2023.  To celebrate this awesome milestone in the park's history, World of Fun will make improvements throughout its themed lands, host a festive celebration and introduce a brand new wooden roller coaster.  


The 50th anniversary celebration will see "all new theming, storylines and entertainment throughout the park" for guests to explore on a passport to fun.  The park isn't giving all details on these changes at the park just yet, but promises more to come.  The larger 50th party includes new entertainment such as "50 Nights of Fire" which is a festive stage show with a pyrotechnic finale.  The park also plans more special events, unique anniversary merchandise and special food offerings in 2023.


© Worlds of Fun
What most visitors will be excited about is a brand new wooden coaster, Zambezi Zinger, opening at the park.  The new wooden roller coaster, from Great Coasters Internationals and Skyline Attractions, shares the name of the steel Schwarzkopf coaster that operated at the park from 1973 until 1997.  That coaster was popular until removed from the park, and this new version is sure to be a hit with families as well.


© Worlds of Fun
The new Zambezi Zinger is a unique hybrid ride in several senses.  The wooden coaster will feature a spiral lift hill that mimics the one on the original steel ride, and that lift hill (and the subsequent drop) looks to utilize Skyline Attractions' steel Titan Track system.  The rest of the ride is traditional wooden coaster track.  Zambezi Zinger also feature a mix of wooden and steel supports throughout the ride, notably the unique booster wheel driven spiral lift hill looks to use wooden supports.


© Worlds of Fun

© Worlds of Fun
The Zambezi Zinger will stand 74 feet at the maximum and hit a top speed of 45 miles per hour - just tall and fast enough to be thrilling for younger riders.  The ride's zippy looking layout features 2,482 feet of track that uses similar space as the original ride, and feature many ground hugging turns and hills and a surprise midcourse tunnel.  These features were also shared by the original ride, and were designed on purpose to mimic the experience to some degree.


© Worlds of Fun
The new coaster will utilize two Infinity Flyer trains that were designed for Great Coasters International by Skyline Attractions.  The new trains feature levels of articulation that allow them to take on tight turns, many of which will be found on the Zambezi Zinger.  They also allow for lower height requirements, though Worlds of Fun has not stated the planned height requirement for this coaster yet.


Zambezi Zinger is planned to open by summer 2023 - for now check out the announcement animation video below.




Tuesday, August 9, 2022

Adventureland Announces New Family Coaster + Flume Combo for 2023


© Adventureland
Adventureland theme park, now a part of Palace Entertainment, has made a major announcement about some exciting additions for the park's 2023 season.  Joining the park's lineup of rides and attractions will be the Flying Viking family roller coaster and the Draken Falls log flume attractions, which are intertwined with each other.


© Adventureland
© Adventureland
The attractions will be located in the center of the theme park and feature a Viking theme throughout.  It is pretty neat that the park is building both attractions at the same time to create a fully themed and very cool looking new area for visitors to explore.


© Adventureland
The Flying Viking family roller coaster will take riders up and around the area from a maximum height of 50 feet.  The ride travels 1,312 feet of coaster track at a top speed of 26 miles per hour - again this is designed to be a family coaster so no huge top speeds or drops here.  The Flying Viking only requires a 36 height requirement with an adult, or 42 inches to ride alone.


© Adventureland
Under and surrounding the roller coaster is Draken Falls, a new log flume that features 1,214 feet of meandering adventure.  The flume features a 40 foot drop and a maximum speed of 34 miles per hour.  There are two separate drops that the six passenger boats will encounter over the six minute journey.  Hooray for more log flumes being built!  Both the coaster and log flume are being supplied for the park by Zamperla.


Both the Flying Viking coaster and Draken Falls log flume are planned to open at Adventureland in summer 2023.  And if you thought this combination looks a bit familiar, yes, it is very very similar to what is almost ready to open at Luna Park in Coney Island.


Sunday, August 7, 2022

Rye Playland Opens New Old Rye Motorbike Factory Flat Ride


© Rye Playland
Rye Playland, located on New York's Long Island, has opened a new thrilling family flat ride named the Old Rye Motorbike Factory.  The attraction, seen above, represents a $3 million investment in the park and features unique theming and an interactive component to the ride experience.  The attraction is billed as the first of its kind in the United States, though it is unclear which ride manufacturer created the Old Rye Motorbike Factory.


© Rye Playland

© Rye Playland

Regardless of who manufactured it, the ride looks like a lot of fun!  The park has really put a lot of effort into theming the attraction, which makes it fit in perfectly with Rye's authentic and classic feel.  The ride features individual "vintage Italian motorbike" themed cars, complete with a sidecar attached to each motobike.  The interactive portion comes from riders being able to control the amount of outward swing that the cars have using a level in the vehicle.   Riders 36 inches and above can ride the Old Rye Motorbike Factory with an adult, making the attraction perfect for family run.


This season is the first in several that will see a total of $135 million invested into Rye Playland, a majority of which is going into rebuilding aging buildings, improving very old infrastructure, but also adding rides.  Cheers to the County for investing in the park to keep it around for decades to come!


Saturday, August 6, 2022

Big Bear Mountain Family Coaster to Roar into Dollywood in 2023


© Dollywood
Dollywood has announced the addition of a thrilling new family roller coaster, named Big Bear Mountain, for the park's 2023 season.  The new ride is the focus of a large expansion to Wildwood Grove, the park's latest themed area, and will cost a substantial $25 million.  The custom layout coaster will be feature three separate launches to power the ride and will be created by Vekoma.


As with most of Dollywood's recent additions, Big Bear Mountain comes with a full backstory.  "According to legend, Big Bear is a massive black bear who has been roaming through Wildwood Grove for as long as anyone can remember.  While no one has ever seen him, telltale signs regularly appear in the hills surrounding the Grove.  Dollywood guests are invited to join Wildwood Grove’s resident wilderness explorer, Ned Oakley, on an adventure to find Big Bear.  From his base camp—located just a stone’s throw from the Grove’s Hidden Hollow—Oakley takes adventurers for the rides of their lives in his specially-outfitted, “four-wheel drive SUVs.” 


© Dollywood
Big Bear Mountain will start with a mini launch out of the station and over a small hill, then trains will launch through the first of two main launch sections.  The ride's layout will border most of Wildwood Grove, with orange track and green supports working as a backdrop for the area.  The coaster will have a maximum height of 66 feet off the ground and the top launch speed is 48 miles per hour.  Seen above in concept art form, the ride will zoom through a cave that is surrounded by waterfalls, should be a very pretty set up.


© Dollywood
The coaster's layout in relation to Wildwood Grove is shown in the image above, be sure to click for a much larger look.  Big Bear Mountain's 3,990 feet of track, which is very long for a launched coaster, covers six acres of land and features carousel turns, tunnels, undulating hills and more.  Even better, the coaster will feature on-board audio with Ned Oakley narrating "as guests come daringly close to Big Bear" while on their journey.


Another great aspect of Big Bear Mountain, which is planned to open in the Spring of 2023, is it will only have a 39 inch height requirement.  Dollywood is a family theme park, and it is great to see them continue to building a selection of rides aimed at thrilling the whole family!  Check out the animated on-ride and off-ride animation of Big Bear Mountain below!