Parks Start Hinting About 2014 Additions

Dollywood has revealed on their website that next year's big plans will be announced on the 21st of this month, and even better, they will be live-streamed for us all to watch!

The park is revealing a new clue word each day, when unscrambled the words should give use some information about the new addition.

Today's clue was "Express," which quickly brings to mind the park's train ride, the Dollywood Express.  The park has been rumored to be gearing up to expand into a new area of land that includes the upper loop of the train ride, hence the connection.

The removal of Adventure Mountain furthered this speculation, as the location of the former attraction would be perfect as an access point for the new area.  Stay tuned!

Six Flags Great America is also back in the game with this teaser video for their own 2014 addition.

Honestly, I have no idea what it means or quite what to make of it.  "Follow the Journey" to me fits more with a theme or intellectual property of some sort, more so than an actual ride.  That's not to say I think this won't be a ride, instead I just mean this teaser doesn't give away much as to the type of ride.

Another one to watch for, and remember Six Flags will make all their announcements at once again this year on August 29th.

From The Vault: Silverwood Theme Park 2001 Guide Map

It still blows my mind that 2001 was over a decade ago - the years just keep flying by!  Regardless of my quick-aging this week's From the Vault focuses on Silverwood Theme Park's 2001 guide map.  With a special treat at the end.

The guide map is small, not cumbersome so as to be handy during a visit to the park.  The front section advertises some of the basics, such as a reminder to grab an entertainment schedule, some information on camping and group admission tickets.  There's also a park schedule and, wait, a map of the Northwestern U.S. pointing out where guests are?  I should hope they're aware of that if they are already inside the park!

And here's the goods, the actual map of Silverwood Theme Park circa 2001.  The park had already added its two wooden roller coasters in the Coaster Alley section:  The Timber Terror (bottom) and Tremors above it.  That specific section of the park has been built up since this time, there's now a freefall and this year's new crazy inverting SpinCycle flat ride here as well (among other attractions).

You can click the image for a larger view to check out the property.

And here's a bonus item that the park sent me that year as well, a fact sheet with some of their roller coaster statistics.  The park is also home to the Corkscrew, a ride that used to call Knott's Berry Farm home.  I never knew that the park's wooden coasters each only have one train!  That must make for some long lines during the Summer season.

NewsPlusNotes July 2013 Poll Results

© Silver Dollar City

July's NewsPlusNotes Poll asked you guys which of Rocky Mountain's first three coasters was their crown jewel, if you will, and your answer was clear:  Outlaw Run at Silver Dollar City.  The brand new looping wooden coaster took in 52% of the total votes.  While the experience of the ride is intense to a level that few other rides can compare to, I am a bit surprised by the results.

Perhaps it is just because both the Texas Giant and Iron Rattler are so much bigger and intimidating in appearance, while Outlaw Run hides most of its tricks deep in the woods.  Plus the difference between track types (steel for the two Texas rides, wood for Outlaw Run) seems to have played a role in your decision as well.

The votes for both the New Texas Giant and Iron Rattler were pretty close, with 27% going to the former and 20% to the latter.

This month's poll is now live, and one of my favorites we do each August.  Which is the best new for 2013 coaster in the U.S.?  Go ahead and vote!

A Peek at Kings Island's 2014 Coaster

I drew you guys a neat red squiggly line over a map of Kings Island, don't you like it?  It just so happens to appear as though this is the layout of the park's new 2014 ride.  Like it a little more now?

I'm not the biggest fan of parks having their announcements ruined, but in this case the plans for the ride started appearing on so many sites over the past few days I decided this one is so far out of the bag that I would join in the fun.

A video appears on YouTube that appeared to show off some very legitimate plans, and soon after local news sources and about every fan site out there were speculating.

The drawing I did was actually traced from the plans, and then adjusted to scale and plopped over an aerial of the park.  As for the style of ride and other details, since those were not in the leaked blueprints I'm not going to speculate.  I certainly have a good guess at what we're seeing here but I can patiently wait five more days for the park's big reveal.

We do know that the coaster will break at least one world record, and Kings Island sent out silver combs with hair in them to media outlets and has made a graveyard by the site where we expect the announcement to be done.  Looking at the name Stengel on one of the grave stones bring a certain famous coaster designer to mind.

Scott and Carol plan on being at the announcement on the 8th, so watch for coverage soon after!

Scott And Carol Present Happy 75th Birthday To The Conneaut Lake Blue Streak

The skies looked gloomy but that didn't keep people from celebrating the 75th birthday of the Blue Streak at Conneaut Lake Park. A continual 30-40 minute line for the Blue Streak, and more people in the park this day than the rest of the season combined.

 

Lots of bright new colors adorn the park this year, even on a gloomy day.

This is the logo for the 75th anniversary season. A contest was held for the design of the logo and it is featured throughout the park.

The ride operators were fully in tune with the celebration. At random intervals they would not dispatch the train until the riders serenaded everyone with a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday.

We don't remember this sign from trips in the past so it might not be new, but it has a nice period look.

Of course there was cake, and even a cake decorating contest. Check out the 3 dimensional, complete circuit cake in the upper left, it has four cars, just like the Blue Streak. The many samples we had were all tasty to eat, and tastefully decorated in addition.
 

The continual track work has improved the ride immensely and more is still planned.

Here you can see there is plenty of work to be done before the Blue Streak will return to its days of glory. Designed by Edward Vettel and built by National Amusement Devices, it has a distinctive track structure of its own.

The National Amusement Devices Century Flyer train still runs on the Blue Streak. It replaced the PTC train  when the coaster reopened in 2010. The PTC that was a temporary replacement from the latter part of the 2002 season until the park closed after the 2006 season.

Above is the original sign board that showed the operators where the train was on the track.

This is the new sign board that didn't have the light installed for the birthday bash. It has been stated they will return soon. It's always fun to watch the lights from the station until it's your turn to ride.
 

Happy Birthday Blue Streak and we wish you many, many more years of supplying coaster riders with safe, fun rides!

WhiteWater Supplying Huge Slide Tower to Atlantis The Palm

Set to open this August is a massive new waterslide tower complex at Atlantis The Palm, located in Dubai.  Known as The Tower of Poseidon, the structure was provided by WhiteWater and contains a total of six different slides "overflowing with features not seen anywhere else in the world."

The themed tower stands an impressive 131 feet tall at its maximum height.  It features the world's "largest" waterslide in terms of diameter, one of the company's Anaconda slides that is an amazing 30 feet in diameter.  Running directly through that massive flume are two AquaTube slides - the slide within a slide feature allows riders on both to interact with one another. 

Also from the tower - and original to the Middle East - is a Family Boomerango slide and two "dueling" AquaLoops.  While not a water attraction, the complex is also the starting point for the world's first zipline that is incorporated into a waterslide tower.  The two lane, two way zip lines use three towers over the course of the journey.

“We are thrilled with the opportunity to work with Atlantis, The Palm, and proud to have created innovative attractions which offer thrilling and unique experiences to their guests,” commented Geoff Chutter, WhiteWater president & CEO.  “We can’t wait to see the smiles all around, once the expansion opens,” he said.

The addition is in Atlantis The Palm's Aquaventure Waterpark, which already has four Master Blaster water coasters and the Leap of Faith waterslide which drops directly through a live shark tank - among many other attractions.