Exploration Island Roars into Dutch Wonderland in 2014

Dutch Wonderland, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, has announced a $1 million addition for the park's 2014 season that will be the largest expansion the park has seen since 2003.  Named Exploration Island, the island located at the North tip of the park will be totally renovated and now include two rides and a walk-through Dinosaur attraction.  “We are excited about the addition of Exploration Island,” said Rick Stammel, Dutch Wonderland’s General Manager. “It will include interactive new attractions for guests of all ages. This is the most exciting addition to Dutch Wonderland since Duke’s Lagoon!”

© Dutch Wonderland

Exploration Island will have a large Dino Dig site at its center, seen above in the foreground, where kids can unearth dinosaur fossils.  Both Triceratops and Stegosaurus bones will be located in the Dino Dig, and brushes can also be used to clear away sand from gigantic T-Rex footprints.

© Dutch Wonderland

The center of Exploration Island will feature the Prehistoric Path, a walking trail around the grounds where 15 large animatronic dinosaurs will be found.  The dinosaurs will have lifelike movements and each will have information signs and facts posted, so that education can be a part of the experience.

© Dutch Wonderland

The walking path won't be the only way to check out the dinosaurs, however.  The island has an existing Gondola Cruise ride that borders the outside edge of the area.  This ride will be back next year and offer another way to check out the lush scenery of Exploration Island.

Dutch Wonderland is also moving their Turnpike cars to the island, also tracing the outside of the area like the Gondola Cruise.  The path for the cars will be twice as long as it formerly was, and this will offer another interesting way to see the sights.  It will be pretty neat to have both rides operating near each other, with visitors milling about as well.  The island is sure to feel more alive than ever before when the attractions are open.

Here's a look at the area, taken recently it appears as it seems like work on the addition had already started.  You can see the drained path that the Gondola Cruise follows, and the wooded area in the middle that will be home to most of the Dinosaurs.  The relocation of the Turnpike cars to the island will open up a big space in the center of the park that can be used for future expansion.

Dutch Wonderland is owned by Palace Entertainment, which in turn is a part of Parques Reunidos.

Russia Celebrates the Winter Olympics with a New Theme Park

Next month's Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia will be home to a brand new, $300 million theme park named Sochi Adventure Park.  Construction is currently finishing up on the project, which is located directly next to the main site of the Olympic venues.  I had heard of the project before, but with it being in Russia and the Olympics so far away I didn't give it a hard look - well now suddenly the Olympics are right around the corner!  Time to check the place out, I guess.

The concept art above gives a very idealized look at Sochi Adventure Park - but you can see some rides poking up that look mighty interesting.  The large castle is a hotel, I believe, but also serves as the park entrance area.  There are four or five themed sections, though each looks fairly compact as the park is fairly compact overall.

How about rides and coasters?  The park has several, one of which will be a Vekoma Giant Inverted Boomerang, only the 6th of its kind ever constructed.  Named Quantum Leap according to RCDB, there will be no significant differences between this and the others we've seen - at least not that I can see.  I think the ride is located in a Science Fiction themed part of the park, making the name make a lot more sense.

Another rather exciting coaster that has gone up appears to be a clone of Blue Fire, a launched Mack rides located at Europa Park.  The Russian version looks to not feature the blue track we've seen on many of Mack's recent rides, a nice change!

Sochi Adventure Park will also have a Mack wild mouse, several flat rides, at least one dark ride and a large S&S tower ride as well.  The park hasn't opened yet that I can tell, but is expected to shortly since the Olympics start in a month's time - and once the games are over it will stick around and become part of a new tourist area.  I'm looking forward to seeing more photos and video of the park when it opens... especially that Mack launched ride!

Resort World Malaysia Creating 20th Century Fox World Theme Park

Some time ago it was announced that the outdoor theme park area of Resort World Malaysia, known around town as one of the least desirable parks to visit, would undergo a massive transformation.  Once a partnership with 20th Century Fox was announced, hope sprung that the new development might be top quality.

Now the partners have released more information, including the park's full name:  20th Century Fox World.  Not very creative, but from what has been revealed it looks pretty interesting.  Plus, unlike many new parks that are announced I'd say the odds of this one actually opening are extremely good - the Genting Group has many resorts and casinos around the world, and hence plenty of cash.  They also developed Resort World Sentosa in Singapore, which includes a Universal Studios theme park.

The outdoor theme park will cover some 25 acres, but it appears as though quite a bit will be packed into that small area.  Plans call for $300 million to be spent on new rides and attractions, including "media based rides, thrill rides, dark rides, to children’s rides and water rides."  The layout above shows the entrance in the lower left - after that you can see the park's curved layout sprawl out.  For a much larger version with great detail, click over to this Pinterest post.

Having the brands owned by 20th Century Fox behind the park will help bring a lot of popular movies to life.  According to the official release, "rides and attractions based on Twentieth Century Fox blockbuster titles like ICE AGE, RIO, ALIEN VS. PREDATOR, PLANET OF THE APES and NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM" will be included, with other properties to be announced later.

Above is concept art for a family roller coaster themed to Ice Age - while probably a Wild Mouse in reality it still looks like it could be neat.  I'll be interested to see how Alien Vs. Predator works in a theme park!  Night at the Museum sounds like a great dark ride premise if you ask me.

The current plans call for 20th Century Fox World to open to guests sometime in 2016.

Legoland California Releases Initial Concept Art for New Water Park

Back in September the Legoland California Resort announced a major water park addition for next year, themed to the Legends of Chima brand.  At that time there was no concept art for the addition available, but now the park has released our first look at the expansion:

© Legoland California Resort

Above is a drawing of the Lion Temple Wave Pool, a central part of the new area at the Legoland California Resort.  Visitors can enter through a giant lion archway, behind which is an impressive 40 foot tall floating Mount Cavora.  Similar thematic elements were utilized in Legoland Florida's Chima-themed expansion this year, and no doubt they will look equally great in this setting.  The Lion Temple Wave Pool is being designed with smaller children in mind, not to include giant waves found in a typical wave pool.

The floating Mount Cavora will also dumb 400 gallons of water per minute into the pool below, and have and animal from each of the eight Chima tribes carved into its surface.

Other previously announced additions in the Legends of Chima Water Park include Cragger's Swamp, a "hands-on water play area," Build-A-Boat, where children can build boats and learn about water currents, and the Wolves' Cantina, a food located themed to the wolf tribe.

New Themed Area Announced at Busch Gardens Tampa!

As if the addition of a brand new, 335 foot tall drop ride wasn't enough, Busch Gardens Tampa has announced that the ride will be located in an all-new themed area.  Falcon's Fury, the "tallest freestanding drop tower" in North America will now be located in Pantopia, the section of the park formerly known as Timbuktu.

When completed, Pantopia will showcase "elaborately-jeweled theming and feature thrilling rides and attractions, sensational new food and beverage options, exciting entertainment, shopping, a renovated indoor theater and more."  The concept art included in this story, released by the park with the announcement, shows off the drastic changes that will totally give the former Timbuktu section a new feel.

Called a "creative haven," Pantopia has been inspired by centuries of world travelers and their adventures. “In addition to the power and allure of Falcon’s Fury, Pantopia will celebrate the spirit of animals, welcome adventurers from the four corners of the earth, explore ancient lore and display fantastic architecture,” says Busch Gardens Park President Jim Dean.

“Guests will find multiple portals and doorways and learn about the legends that have drawn journeyers from around the world to Pantopia" Mr. Dean continued.  Included in the newly themed section will be the Scorpion, Phoenix, Bush Flyers, Desert Runners, and the park's Kiddie Train will return as well.
  

This final view shows how Falcon's Fury will really be the centerpiece of Pantopia.  The freefall will take riders up and then pivot the seats 90 degrees midair to position riders face-down - and then they drop at 60 miles per hour at 3.5 Gs!

Busch Gardens Tampa has also released this video, the start in a series that follows the progress of both Falcon's Fury and Pantopia.  Check it out!

From The Vault: Six Flags Over Texas 1997 Brochure

Let's take a look at Six Flags Over Texas' 1997 brochure!  The park had a big new paperweight, I mean roller coaster, that year - so things were pretty exciting for the park!

I know I called it a paperweight but I really like all the Premier launched coasters, so don't take my comment personally Mr. Freeze.  The new coaster was meant to open in 1997 at both Six Flags Over Texas and Six Flags St. Louis but technical problems held their openings back to 1998.

I almost skipped this panel at the thought of having to scan it in alone due to awkward brochure placement - but I'm glad I did not.  This sort of gives a nice introduction to the park in text form, something that is commonly skipped in older brochures.  Focus on the photos!  Also take notice of the advertising for the other Texas Six Flags parks, including Astroworld (aka Six Flags Houston per the text).  Sad face.

Remember when Six Flags parks had Batman Stunt Spectacular shows?  Yeah, that was pretty cool right?  I think it is a shame those went away, though most of the arenas built for them are still standing, just use for other (sometimes strange) purposes.  This section of the brochure shows off the shows on the left, stuff for the whole family (your female child may get to have a taco!!!) on the right, and some information on the park's giant new coaster in the center.

When they printed the brochure they were still hopeful for a "late spring" opening for Mr. Freeze.

It saddens me that even though the current Six Flags leadership is better than it has been in a while, the parks still go very light on theming new attractions.  I say that because Six Flags Over Texas was also home to The Right Stuff Mach 1 Adventure, a themed simulator experience, the same as the one I used to love at Six Flags Great Adventure.

Was the theming on the ride the most amazing, life altering thing in hindsight?  No - it wasn't - but it was pretty cool to hear the jet roar while in the queue, building anticipation of your flight, see the movie props around and wonder if the initials printed on the crate props were those of the designer.  Now it seems that the biggest new rides lack theming at all, or if they do it is generic or overtly non-specific (cough Full Throttle cough).  I miss that part of a regional theme park visit, and really only hold parks that once had it to that standard.

Okay I'll step off my soap box now.

I love this concept art!  And I also love how well the building turned out in reality, too.  Mr. Freeze utilizes a transfer track in the station to actually use two trains on a shuttle ride, a pretty neat trick.  This past season the coaster's train was turned around backwards and the tag Reverse Blast was added to the name.

Two other traditions that are still popular today - more than ever I believe - are shown on this page, too - Fright Fest and Holiday In The park.

Magic Kingdom Announces New Parade for 2014

Starting in the Spring of 2014 a new parade will premier at the Magic Kingdom in Florida, named the Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade.

According to the park, "the Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade will bring a celebration of New Fantasyland to Main Street, U.S.A., through fantastic and innovative new parade floats, vibrant costumes, and an original soundtrack that will feature beloved songs from favorite Disney films, plus a parade theme song."

As with previous parades at the Magic Kingdom, this new one will feature many characters and themes from classic Disney movies both new and old.  These will include Dumbo, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Pinocchio, Brave, Tangled, and Peter Pan.

The Peter Pan float can be seen at top in concept art form, and it looks like it will be a tall one!  Same goes for the Mickey and Minnie float on the left, which could serve as a nice first or last float.

New Full Throttle Concept Art

As part of the official news release for the topping out of Full Throttle, Six Flags Magic Mountain released this new concept art of the ride's plaza.

Not a lot of details about the area have been released, but it was mentioned at the ride's announcement that the whole area would receive a new theme that was high energy, much like the new coaster.

This art finally gives us an idea of what the park has planned.  The caption that goes along with it says that "videos, music, and special lightning will extend the energy and excitement."  It is kinda hard to describe what's seen in the concept art other than exactly what the press release says... looks like a mash up of TVs, large covered structures that will be lit up, and plenty of new banners and other decorations.

And how I wish that we would see a train on both the inside and outside of the loop when the ride is operating!  I highly doubt that will ever happen in reality, though.

Aquatica San Diego Sets Opening Date + New Concept Art

SeaWorld's latest water park, Aquatica San Diego is getting ready to make waves, literally, and has announced their grand opening date:  June 1, 2013.  The South Seas themed water park will be located near SeaWorld San Diego and will feature "a variety of exotic animals, water play as endless as the sea itself, and have an educational component that is both unexpected and enriching."

The park will feature two separate animal exhibits.  Near the park's lazy river (now named Loggerhead Lane) and depicted above, more than a dozen Caribbean flamingos will make their home.  Twice a day the flamingos will parade in the park for guests to enjoy.  There will also be a habitat created with dozens of freshwater turtles, with viewing from both under and above water.

Along with the opening date, the park has released some new details on what can be expected at Aquatica San Diego, along with new concept art.

Aquatica's entrance area will be totally reimagined from when it was Soak City; the new area will feature lush landscaping that sets the mood of the entire property.  Amenities such as locker rentals, changing facilities, gift shops and merchandise carts will allow guests to obtain any needed necessities for a day of fun.

A wave pool is always one of the focal points of any water park.  Aquatica San Diego will be home to Bug Surf Shores, one of the "largest wave pools in Southern California."  It will contain more than 500,000 gallons of water with waves created up to five feet tall.

Big Surf Shores will also have a newly created 43,000 square foot white sand beach constructed for lounging.  Plenty of relaxation space will be included in Aquatica, with much of it shaded for guest comfort.  The art above also shows how the backdrop of the pool will change from its current beach theme to something much more tropical.

Mentioned earlier, Loggerhead Lane is Aquatica's 1,250 foot long lazy river.  The attraction will have all new lush landscaping and playful fountains added along the course.  Guests can choose to "swim or float along in an inner tube down the winding path."

As for slides - the park will have plenty of those too.  All repainted and brand new looking, the attractions include a little of something for everyone.  Whanau Way is a 60 foot tower that has six separate slides stemming from it, four of which are enclosed and two open air.  HooRoo Run is another tower with four slides - starting from an 80 foot tower and meant for speed, these look to be a bit on the thrilling side.

Two slide towers in the center of the park will be named Whoohoo Falls and Kiwi Curl, and both feature three slides each with some enclosed and some open air.  The park's family raft ride will be named Walhalla Wave and the tornado style attraction will be rechristened as Tassie's Twister.

Rounding out the attractions at Aquatica will be an assortment of family friendly areas.  Walkabout Waters is a four-story interactive and colorful outdoor attraction featuring loads of hands-on fun with slides, hoses, jets, geysers and a huge tipping bucket.  For smaller children Kata's Kookaburra Cove features a pool with activity ropes, and Slippity Dippity is where toddlers can splash and play on slides made just for them.

Aquatica San Diego park hours and ticket information will soon be available on the official website.  For now you can also catch video updates on the property as part of the Inside SeaWorld blog.

From The Vault: Six Flags Hurricane Harbor 1995

Last week we took a look at Six Flags Magic Mountain's 1995 brochure, and that same year I had also received some information on their brand new water park, Hurricane Harbor.  After looking it over I thought it would make a wonderful compliment to that post, so here it is!

The entire water park was built right next door to the theme park, and opened as a full day experience instead of being added on to little by little.  As indicated in the brochure's cover, the park kept theming to a high level, making the park appear as though it was a hidden tropical paradise.

More concept art.  Looking around these interwebs we love so much, you can find some information on some of the companies that worked on the park.  Our friends at R&R Creative Amusement Designs were involved, along with some additionally great drawings and prop design from others.

Okay, here's the guts - they're breaking down all the attractions that were featured in "California's only themed water park."  The water park opened before companies had started to design the really crazy slides we see today, so the selection is pretty traditional.  You've got your big wave pool, lazy river, children's areas, and a nice variety of body and tube slides.

The large middle section needs few words to get its point across - the focus is a large piece of artwork showing a part of the middle of Hurricane Harbor.  One of the children's areas, Shipwreck Shores, had a play structure lightly themed as a pirate ship.  There also was a large volcanic peak that had waterfalls cascading down the side when the gates opened.

Watch out for the super creepy pirate on the lower right, though.  Not sure what he's doing there. 

I also got a map of the park, which I decided to include for a couple reasons.  One is that one side includes the Legend of Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, which is nice of them to share with visitors.  It goes on to tell the rather elaborate story of Captain Red Eye and his mysterious treasure map.  I'll let you guys read it yourselves.

I also wanted to include the map because it nicely shows off all the slides and attractions that were offered when the park first opened.  Looking back, though, there hasn't been an awful lot of development since the park opened anyway.  A Tornado slide was added, and one kid's area was redone and transformed into a Mr. Six area - only to have that theming removed shortly after when new corporate management took over.

It feels like this water park is prime for development, and soon.  But if it isn't a roller coaster, will Magic Mountain build it?  I kid, I kid.

From The Vault: New for 1996 at Worlds of Fun

In last week's Vault I shared the 1996 park map from Worlds of Fun.  This week we will continue to look at some of the park's press materials from that year, when several new attractions were featured.

Part of the information that the park shared was a general release about what was new and happening at the theme park.  The additions included the Detonator tower ride, RipCord, and the addition of the Berenstain Bear family (not the land, though, just meet and greet opportunities).  The park also featured a heavily discounted gate ticket for the evening, and kids got in for only $4.95!

RipCord was an extra admission thrill attraction that simulates "sky-diving, hand-gliding, and bungee jumping," according to this press release.  A Skycoaster, this style of attraction was already popular at many amusement parks across the globe.  RipCord was positioned so that fliers swing out over the Beat Street Lake, adding to the thrill.

Here is a diagram of the attraction that was sent out, to provide a visual of 180 foot tall ride.  The Worlds of Fun version of the ride featured room for one set of fliers at a time, where some others could accommodate two at a time.

The biggest news of the year was Detonator, a brand new S&S Sports Power double-tower space shot ride.

Here's the fact sheet for the ride.  Each tower seats 12 riders and blasts them up the 200 foot tower at 45 miles per hour.  The sheet also points out that Detonator was the "first two-tower design" and also the "first at a theme park in the United States."  As we are well aware many, many more tower installations quickly were built around the world - including almost every Cedar Fair park.

And how about some concept art for the ride?  Unfortunately the image that I received was not in color, but it's still pretty neat to check out. 

Chevrolet Showing Off the New Test Track at Epcot

© Chevrolet

With the reopening of Test Track at now less than a month away, set to take place on December 6th, the main sponsor of the attraction, Chevrolet, is showing off some interesting concept art for the ride.

When Test Track reopens at Epcot, it will give visitors a "deep look inside a professional design studio creating first-of-its-kind multi-sensory virtual experience in automotive design."  When work started 18 months ago designers desired to make a ride experience that is personal, future-focused and optimistic.  Those desires can definitely be felt in the artwork.

© Chevrolet

Chevrolet designers worked closely with Disney Imagineering to reinvent the Test Track experience.  Guests will be able to learn about the automotive design process, and even create their own vehicle designs.

“The re-imagined Test Track portrays an optimistic view of the future, and reflects the deep collaboration between Disney and Chevrolet on both the design and the overall experience,” said Eric Jacobson, senior vice president, Walt Disney Imagineering. “It’s a thrilling attraction supported by rich exhibit displays and interactive elements that bring guests directly into the design process – with a few surprises thrown in.”

© Chevrolet

After riders design their own vehicles the ride experience will actually test how their concept held up to the challenge of real life road elements.  Patron designs can be a car, truck or crossover, and will require them to balance capability, efficiency, responsiveness and power.  After the ride experience they will find out how their design scored, and be able to "race their vehicle over changing terrain and extreme conditions on a digital driving table, produce and share a TV commercial starring their custom vehicle and pose for action shots in front of their design."

For the full selection of images of the new Test Track, click through to Chevrolet's website.