|
|
There's another aspect of excitement in the world of thrill rides. There's the excitement of the latest announcements of upcoming rides from an industry as secretive as the military at times, and the excitement of all the latest happenings at parks around the world. Sometimes the news is good, sometimes the news is bad, but our aim is to bring you the fairest, timeliest, most accurate details on everything that concerns you. COASTER-net's team of journalists is hard at work around the clock to bring you the in-depth scoop!
|
 | |  |
Boy blamed for injury on 'Triple Hurricane'
Boy stood up on Cypress Gardens wooden coaster
|
|
|
Cypress Gardens, Cypress Gardens, FL, USA 02/28/06 - By: -
|
|
© Cypress Gardens
|
Yesterday, the Florida Bureau of Fair Rides found that the cause of Martin Llamas' injury on the Triple Hurricane at Cypress Gardens was his own fault.
Cypress Gardens released an announcement saying that Martin Llamas stood up during his ride on the Triple Hurricane, which caused him to fall 15 feet from the roller coaster. This event happened on Sunday, Feb. 26, at about 6 p.m.
The 'stunt' left Llamas with a head injury and some other injuries. The Polk County Sheriff's office has categorized the event as a "tragic accident," since there was no one to blame at Cypress Gardens, except Martin Llamas.
The Triple Hurricane at Cypress Gardens is not a very tall ride, at 40 feet tall, nor a very fast ride, at 35 miles per hour. The injuries proved that no matter which coaster it happens on, rider misbehavior can be extremely dangerous to offenders.
|
|
Hong Kong Disney adds new attractions
New plans for newest Disney theme park
|
|
|
Hong Kong Disneyland, Hong Kong, China 02/27/06 - By: Brian -
|
|
© Disney
|
Monday was a big day for Hong Kong Disneyland. The park's expansion plan started today when three new attractions were announced. These new additions are meant to increase the park's capacity and enhance the guests' experience.
The first of the new attractions is an electric car ride called Autopia, the second is the Stitch Encounter theater show, and the final is the UFO Zone. The amount spent on the three attractions was not said at the time of the announcement.
That's not the only upcoming plan for the park. Bill Ernest, the park's managing director, said they plan on improving the park's logistical measures, for when they need to restrict access to the park. This comes after the Chinese New Year, where hundreds of angry visitors tried to force their way into the park after they were refused entry due to the park being full.
Hong Kong Disneyland debuted as the newest park in the Disney chain on Sept. 12 last year in "Phase 1" of the park's plan for growth.
|
|
Boy falls from Florida wooden roller coaster
'Triple Hurricane' at Cypress Gardens closed for investigation
|
|
|
Cypress Gardens, Cypress Gardens, FL, USA 02/26/06 - By: Josh Davidson -
|
|
© Cypress Gardens
|
Triple Hurricane is a signature coaster for Cypress Gardens, styled in the out and back design reminiscent of early boardwalk “woodies.” Passengers will thrill to this classic-style coaster’s lightning fast hills, negative g-forces and exceptional “air-time,” all adding up to one exhilarating ride. Now, the ride will be closed now for investagation.
A boy was hospitalized Saturday after falling 15 feet off of this signature woodie. The teenaged boys name has yet to be announced, but he is luckily listed in serious condition.
"All indications are there was no malfunction with the ride," Wright said in a statement. "The restraint in the seat the boy was in was still down and locked when the ride came to a stop," park spokeswoman Lynn Wright said.
The boy was airlifted from the park to St. Joseph's Children's Hospital in Tampa. The Triple Hurricane ride has been closed pending an investigation by the state Bureau of Fair Rides, officials said.
|
|
Great Wolf Lodge to introduce $18 million expansion
Expansion will include two slides, more rooms, meeting space
|
|
|
Great Wolf Lodge / York County, VA, USA 02/26/06 - By: -
|
|
© The Great Escape
The Great Wolf Lodge is an indoor waterpark just like that of the Great Escape.
|
The Great Wolf Lodge, in York County, Virginia will have an 18 million dollar expansion this year which will include two new water slides, additional guest rooms, and additional meeting space.
One of the new water slides will be a Tornado Slide, similar to those at Six Flags Waterparks. The total cost of this slide comes out to 3 million dollars, one sixth of the price of the expansion. This Tornado slide will be named Howlin' Tornado, but this slide, unlike other tornado slides, is enclosed, and riders can choose to go on a two-person raft or four-person raft as they drop down a 53 foot plunge and into the 65 foot wide funnel.
The Great Wolf Lodge will also add a "surf rider" water ride. Visitors will be able to ride a boogie board on artificially created waves in a pool inside the Great Wolf Lodge. The "surf rider" ride and the Howlin' Tornado are scheduled to open to the public in June.
Because of recent demands, the Great Wolf Lodge will be adding 100 rooms and 5,000 feet of meeting space to its current 300 rooms and 10,000 feet of meeting space in the York county location. Construction for this expansion should begin in about two months, and the finishing date is expected to be early 2007.
|
|
Six Flags changes advertising agency
Creator of Mr. Six loses more of the Six Flags account
|
|
|
Doner Advertising, Southfield, MI, USA 02/25/06 - By: Josh Thompson -
|
|
© Clint Novak
| Mr. Six celebrating the 2005 debut of Hurricane Harbor at Six Flags America.
|
The creative geniouses that brought us Mr. Six has been dealt yet another blow. Six Flags removed the task of promoting its parks from Doner and given the task to a Washington DC based firm.
Doner Advertising of Southfield Michigan was imformed this week that they would no longer hold the Six Flags account when their contract expires. Instead the Washington DC based firm, MindShare has been commissioned to handle media buying for the chains thirty parks nationwide.
Doner, which lists Six Flags as one of it's largest account, was responsible for bringing the tuxedo clad dancing senior to televisions around the country in 2004. After a takeover of Six Flags management, by Redskin's owner Daniel Snyder, the ad campaign was cancelled in favor of a more family friendly approach.
"In an industry where much of the advertising tends to look the same, Doner has provided us with out-of-the-box thinking that has successfully cut through the clutter to create real awareness for the Six Flags brand on a national level," stated Mike Antinoro, Six Flags' executive vice president for entertainment and marketing.
MindShare will immediatly take over where Doner left off and focus their attention on a campaign to promote the park chain's forty-fifth anniversary.
|
|
Six Flags NE announces AstroWorld relocations
'Catapult,' 'Splashwater Falls' to redebut in 2006
|
|
|
Six Flags New England, Agawam, MA, USA 02/23/06 - By: Josh Thompson -
|
|
© Six Flags
| Logo artwork for Catapult, one of two new rides for Six Flags New England.
|
In a celebration fit for a king, Six Flags is going all out to celebrate its 45th season. Almost every park in the Six Flags chain is receiving some sort of new attraction, whether it be a parade or a new roller coaster like Six Flags over Georgia.
After the great success with last years attractions, Six Flags New England is trying it again to celebrate. The park is doubling the fun for the 2006 season, with not one, but two new attractions.
© Six Flags
| Splashwater Falls is the second of the two new rides opening at SFNE in 2006.
|
Following the success of Typhoon and Pandemonium in 2005, the park will yet again debut two new attractions for the 2006 season. The first of the new attractions will be Catapult, a 105-foot Sky Swatter from S&S. The new park addition will be the new centerpiece of the north end of Six Flags New England. It's magnificent burnt orange and yellow structure will welcome thrill-seekers and beginning thrill-riders alike. Riders will spin a complete 360 degrees in the air, adding a very unique experience to Six Flags New England.
The second of the new rides will be a Whitewater West spinning raft ride called Splashwater Falls. Splashwater Falls is not just for the riders on board. Guests around the ride have the chance to blast riders with water cannons located on the pathways around the ride.
"This is the ultimate way for families to cool off during the hot New England summers" stated Mark Kane, vice president and a general manager. When Splashwater Falls opens, it will be the only ride of its type in New England.
Both of the new attractions may look familiar to many thrill-seekers. That's because these two rides are on their second lives. Both debuted at Six Flags AstroWorld in 2003 as SWAT and Diablo Falls. When the park closed, both were relocated immediatly to Six Flags New England for the 2006 season.
|
|
Paramount's Great America to spin off 'Survivor'
Thrill ride based on hit reality TV series set to roll into PGA
|
|
|
Paramount's Great America, Santa Clara, CA, USA 02/22/06 - By: Michael Ingerson -
|
|
© Paramount's Great America
|
Paramount's Great America is getting their first coaster since 2001, to be dubbed Survivor: the Ride. This new thrill will be the first extended Zamperla Disk'O model to debut in the United States, adding more length to the usual ride experience.
Survivor: the Ride will be an interactive ride recreating the atmosphere taken directly from the CBS reality television show, surrounded by jungle sounds and music. The riders will be divided into two "tribes" in the queue line that will try to beat each other out by yelling tribal chants and dances. These chants and dances will make tribal masks spray water on the other "tribe."
© Paramount's Great America
Theming representing settings from the popular reality show will surround the coaster, currently under construction for this season. |
Riders will enter the ride on a large platform with seats on the outside of the circular passenger car. The riders will then embark on the Survivor journey through the course reaching heights up to five stories while spinning and rocking back and forth along a W-shaped track layout.
Survivor: the Ride will be Paramount's Great America's ninth coaster and will further its title as the park with the most coasters in Northern California.
|
|
Something new for Martin's Fantasy Island in 2006
Unnamed waterslide 'bowl' coming this season
|
|
|
Martin's Fantasy Island, Grand Island, NY, USA 02/22/06 - By: Clint Beavers -
|
|
|
In 2006, Martin's Fantasy Island is set to add yet another attraction to its lineup. Western New York's ‘Most affordable & Fun Theme Park' announced plans to add an as yet-unnamed water slide for the park's 2006 season, according to owner Martin DiPietro.
© Martin's Fantasy Island
|
“This summer guests of Martin's Fantasy Island and its water park will
be able to feel the exhilaration of a tube ride that drops you into a bowl where you will
spin around and around until suddenly-swoosh you're dropped into a corkscrew
runout ready to go again," the park's press release stated.
"The addition of the yet-to-be-named bowl ride will give guests a completely unique experience and will complement the wave pool, lazy river and waterslides already available. The improved water park along with the traditional rides, shows and attractions including the Silver Comet and the Wild West Shootout make an annual visit to Martins Fantasy Island an important part of any summer or visit to the area.”
Banking on the popularity of water based attractions through out the industry created by the company ProSlide and following the success of 2005's Crazy Mouse roller coaster, Martin's Fantasy Island is once again poised for another successful season in 2006.
|
|
Conneaut Lake Park plans to bring back past rides
Three rides will return to operation for 2006 season
|
|
|
|
Conneaut Lake Park is planning to bring back three rides to the park which have been standing but not active for the past few park seasons.
© Conneaut Lake Park |
Last year, the park planned to bring back Tempest. However, Conneaut Lake could not afford to bring it back. This has changed for this season as the ride will be returning.
Coming with this ride is also the Traveler Tumblebug. When this ride returns to operation, it will be one of the only two remaining Tumblebug rides left in the world.
Lastly, the train located in the park may return. If the train comes back to operation, it will be open for the first time in three park seasons.
|
|
Sunkist signs on with Six Flags chain
Advertising deal gives Six Flags an official fresh fruit
|
|
|
Six Flags, New York City, NY, USA 02/21/06 - By: -
|
|
© Six Flags
|
"As the Official Fresh Fruit of Six Flags, we're looking forward to making it easy and fun for families to pick healthy snacks when they are on-the-go," said Robert Verloop, Vice President of Marketing at Sunkist Growers.
Today, Sunkist Growers and Six Flags Inc. reported a new partnership. Now, Sunkist will become the official fresh fruit supporters of Six Flags parks. This advertising deal between the two companies will now emphasize their obligation to provide a multitude of healthy food options to the families that visit Six Flags parks.
Under the deal, there will be Sunkist food products sold throughout Six Flags parks. There will also be Sunkist "Fun Fruits" added to the kids' meals in the restaurants in Six Flags parks.
This deal is one of the few changes that have occurred to Six Flags Inc. in order to make the theme park chain family friendly. It appears that Mark Sharpio, CEO of Six Flags Inc., is working well to accomplish his goal of transforming a group of overpriced, unclean amusement parks into a family friendly theme park chain.
|
|
Six Flags AstroWorld ride goes underwater
Ride from former Six Flags park relocated to bottom of lake
|
|
|
|
© Six Flags AstroWorld
|
Thrill-seekers expected Six Flags AstroWorld's rides to end up at other theme parks, but now one of those is finding itself somewhere no one expected.
Bits and pieces of the defunct amusement park are working their way to Clute, where they will be placed in a planned dive park at Mammoth Lake. A mock space shuttle that once was a loop ride was deposited beside the sand pit. Soon, it will be placed thirty feet underwater.
Six Flags Astroworld closed in 2005. Since the park has been closed, reports and rumors have flown around about where the rides and buildings would be relocated to. Well, the soon to be dive park plans to place rides from Astroworld under the water. There, wannabe scuba divers can train for their certification. Here, they can dive and swim with the rides.
“We’ve got a bunch of boats that we’re going to put together and call it the Bermuda Triangle,” said Michelle Crier.
There is no official word yet on what more rides will be coming to this lake. We will follow this story for more.
|
|
Riders stuck on chairlift at Busch Gardens Tampa
73 People get stranded on the chairlift for two hours
|
|
|
Busch Gardens Tampa 02/20/06 - By: -
|
|
© Busch Gardens Tampa
|
Yesterday, 73 riders became stuck on Busch Gardens Tampa's Skyride when a misaligned car stopped the ride.
The Skyride stopped at 7:20 p.m. yesterday, hanging passengers 50 feet in the air for approximately two hours. Tampa fire and rescue teams were on call, but no evacuations took place.
To prevent riders from panicking or getting nervous or frightened, Busch Gardens staff employees talked to the riders stuck on the skyride over a speaker system. This way, no one caused a problem and the ride was fixed quickly.
After the ride was back in operational mode, the last stranded passenger got off at 10 p.m. Ride officials from Busch Gardens Tampa said that the ride is inspected every year.
Fortunately, the stranded passengers all got off with no harm at all, leaving the park a two and half hours after closing time.
|
|
Six Flags parks inundated with new characters
Shapiro adds 1,200 costumed Looney Tunes, Justice League characters
|
|
|
U.S. Six Flags Parks 02/19/06 - By: -
|
|
© Six Flags
|
In a focus to improve the family-friendliness of the Six Flags theme park chain, CEO Mark Shapiro announced plans Feb. 16 to add 1,200 new costumed characters to the parks around the country.
"The very best complete entertainment experiences are the ones that let kids' imaginations run wild," Shapiro said. "Our season-long 45th anniversary celebration, coupled with our Looney Tunes and Justice League characters, are enabling Six Flags to redefine its brand."
These new characters roaming the parks will be Looney Toons characters and some of the Justice League superheroes.
Shapiro says that now, in order to make their parks more family-friendly, the will add greeting sessions, photo sessions, parades and other things into the characters' schedules.
Also, as a new addition, Six Flags will have character lunches and breakfasts, and the characters will read stories to children. Also, to celebrate the theme park chain's 45th anniversary, there will be cake celebrations every day for children.
In Six Flags' new indoor waterpark, the Great Escape Lodge, children will be able to attend "bedtime stories" with a favorite Looney Toon, Bugs Bunny.
|
|
Six Flags St. Louis plans largest expansion
New rides on the way for 45th anniversary
|
|
|
|
© Six Flags
| |
Six Flags St. Louis is ready for the park's big 45th anniversary with new entertainment and family fun. The park is planning its largest addition in park history. The park will add many new things for the 2006 season including a Bugs Bunny National Park, Superman: Tower of Power, Justice League characters, fireworks, and a daily parade.
“We are very excited to get this rare opportunity to introduce a new attraction package that offers so many different elements for so many members of our audience,” stated David Roemer, General Manager of Six Flags St. Louis. “This year we are truly adding something for everyone from little kids and teens to young adults and parents that will make their visit to Six Flags St. Louis a priceless experience.”
Bugs Bunny National Park is unlike all of the other kid friendly areas of the park. Here both kids and parents will be able to enjoy shows and rides. Some of the rides include in this area are a hot air balloon replica; a flying rocket ship; a miniature drop ride; spinning tea cups; a rocking, spinning tugboat and miniature train. The new area will also include a 3-story tree house play structure with interactive water play fountains.
Also included in the expansion will be Superman: Tower of Power, which is an freefall ride relocated from Six Flags AstroWorld where it operated as Dungeon Drop. The Intamin drop tower slowly carries riders to the top of a 230-foot tower while seated four across in ski-lift-style chairs that face outward with feet dangling in the open air. Once riders reach the top they will be dropped more than 23 stories.
Family rides and thrill rides packed into one punch should make for an exciting year at Six Flags St. Louis.
|
|
Old thrill ride gets new home
Another Miracle Strip ride reinstalled at a new park
|
|
|
Dixie Landin', Baton Rouge, LA, USA 02/15/06 - By: Josh Thompson -
|
|
© Dixie Landin'
| | The old O2 Drop Tower is expected to reopen in 2006 at Louisiana's Dixie Landin' |
In 2004, the thrill ride world witnessed a sad day as another historic amusement park was lost to potential development.
Florida's Miracle Strip operated for forty-one years and the historic John Allen wooden roller coaster, the Starliner called the park home. Most of the new rides were relocated to other parks, including the Starliner, which will be reopened at Cypress Gardens sometime in the coming years.
For the 2006 season, another memorable Miracle Strip ride will be opening at it's new home four states away in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The O2 Drop Tower will redebut as the Hot Shot when Dixie Landin' reopens for the 2006 operating season.
"We purchased the ride in 2005," confirmed Liz Harrison, director of marketing at Dixie Landin' and Blue Bayou water park.
Along with the Hot Shot, the park will be adding a new Proslide Tornado to their waterpark, Blue Bayou. The new slide is to be called Azooka.
|
|
'Universal Express' passes pass into the past
Universal plans to get rid of the free Express Pass
|
|
|
Universal Studios Orlando, Orlando, FL, USA 02/15/06 - By: Josh Davidson -
|
|
© Universal Studios
| |
Although Universal Orlando's Express Pass service has been around the park since 1999, it is now leaving.
On Feb. 13, the park announced that they would do away with this extra feature. The Universal spokesman said that the regular Express system was not really enhancing guests' experiences.
This system allowed park guests to skip long lines at an attraction, giving them a time to come back and ride it later on.
The pass was normally free, but now will cost between $10-50 dollars. However, now park guests will be able to enter any of the short Express lines at any time.
Disney uses a similar system entitled Disney's FASTPass; but they have announced no intentions of ever removing it from their parks.
|
|
'Topple Tower' heading to Canada
MarineLand purchases new ride from HUSS
|
|
|
|
© Marineland
| |
HUSS Manufacturing of Bremen, Germany has recently announced the sale of its second Topple Tower in North America. Tennesse's Dollywood is slated to open Timber Tower this season and next season promises to be a thrilling one for our friends to the north.
MarineLand, located in Ontario, Canada, has purchased a Topple Tower with a walrus theme. A large walrus head will rotate atop the tower as riders are rocked back and forth.
The new Topple Tower will have a capacity of 40 passengers per cycle. Riders will then be lift to a peak height of 50 feet where the tower will sway back and forth at an angle of 60 degrees while the entire tower rotates at 0.5 revolutions per minute. HUSS's release also states that some modifications have been made to the restraint system to allow for a wider range in the heights of riders.
The press release from HUSS states that the ride will be a 2006 attraction at MarineLand although the park has yet to make any kind of announcement. With the current history of new rides in the park taking several years to materialize (i.e. Sky Screamer), the possibility of this ride being open for 2006 seems improbable, pending a press release from the park itself.
|
|
Worker dies at Six Flags over Georgia
Painter drowns after equipment fails
|
|
|
Six Flags over Georgia, Austell, GA, USA 02/14/06 - By: Josh Thompson -
|
|
© Devin Olson
| | Ninja is a looping steel twister situated over a lake where a painter fell to his tragic death on Tuesday morning. |
While the Six Flags park chain continues its quest to improve the condition of the parks, a tragic event has occured at Six Flags over Georgia because of an equipment failure.
An outside contracting firm was using a pontoon boat to paint the underside of Ninja, the park's Arrow Dynamics roller coaster, when a railing on the boat came loose and two workers found themselves in the lake below the ride.
The names of both men have been withheld, but a twenty-five year old worker was pronounced dead at the scene. The worker remained submerged in the water for approximately thirty minutes before a rescue crew could pull him from the water, according to Dan Dupree, Cobb County Fire Lieutenant.
The second worker was pulled from the water and only suffered minor injuries. At this point, equipment failure appears to be the cause and no action will be taken against the park. Official from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration arrived on the scene to investigate the incident soon after.
|
|
'Flying Turns' construction on hold at Knoebels
Opening timeframe for unique ride unknown
|
|
|
Knoebels, Elysburg, PA, USA 02/07/06 - By: Devin Olson -
|
|
© Knoebels
A construction crew pours cement for the ride's first foundation in one of the pictures posted by Knoebels late last month.
|
Although the park has officially broken ground for the first new ride like it in decades, it may be a while yet until the Flying Turns is ready for takeoff.
Late last month, Knoebels casually announced the addition of a new coaster inspired by bobsled-type wooden coasters of the 1930s through a new page on the official site. That page displayed several images showing off a first foundation being filled with concrete on Jan. 20.
However, the park now tells us that Jan. 20 was the only day of progress on the project so far, which is being constructed on the former site of Whirlwind.
"We began construction of the Flying Turns on the same lot [as Whirlwind] on Jan. 20, 2006, but we did not progess further
than that single day," the park's Bobby Klock stated in an email. "Simply, we are not quite ready yet."
Klock says that Knoebels will release details on the new ride, such as blueprints and artwork, "when it is time."
Flying Turns was the name shared by a number of wooden rides designed by such legends as John Miller and Herbert Schmeck throughout the 30s. Parks such as Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Paramount's Kings Dominion have constructed modern versions of the bobsled coaster in the past, but those rides fail to use the original wood-troughed design.
Whirlwind, a small, second-hand, 1984 steel looping coaster, was removed after the 2004 season and sent to a Costa Rica amusement park, with part of its lot being used for the Herschel flat ride Looper last season.
Knoebels has built its reputation around bringing a classic amusement park experience to the Pennsylvania mountains through installing such widely-revered attractions as the second-hand Phoenix wooden coaster and 1999's Twister.
|
|
'Flight of Fear' closed for 2006
PKD reps say launcher will not open this season
|
|
|
Paramont's Kings Dominion, Doswell, VA, USA 02/05/06 - By: Clint Beavers -
|
|
© Devin Olson
Current theming surrounding the Flight of Fear rides at Kings Dominion and Kings Island takes guests through a hangar on a military base where a UFO is being held.
|
It appears that the truth is out at last concerning the fate of a popular launched coaster.
When asked at the Eastcoaster 2006 event whether or not Flight of Fear at Paramount's Kings Dominion, which has been removed from the park's web site for several weeks now, will be open in 2006, park officials confirmed that the coaster will not open in 2006 and declined to comment about the fate of the ride and whether or not it will reopen for 2007.
Flight of Fear is identical to the coaster at sister park Paramount's Kings Island in Ohio, which remains listed on that park's web site.
Outer Limits: Flight of Fear, the Premier Rides linear-induction-motor-launced coaster that debuted in 1996, was the park's second launched coaster, and was re-named simply Flight of Fear in 2001. Paramount's Kings Dominion will debut a new LIM-launched coaster this year, the Italian Job: Turbo Coaster, another Premier coaster based on similar rides at Canada's Wonderland and Kings Island.
© Paramount Parks
The possible retheme for the coaster would feature MTV theming, new lighting, and music in the style of the Disney parks' Rock 'N' Roller Coaster rides.
|
It is not known at this time if the ride will be removed all together, perhaps finding a home in one of the three Paramount Parks not having a Flight of Fear currently, or simply re-themed, as has been rumored in the past. This rumor stems from an option on a Paramount Park survey for an MTV-themed coaster similar to Flight of Fear called MTV's Soundwave.
|
|
'Pirates of the Caribbean' getting movie makeover
Disneyland and Walt Disney World rides to be renovated with movie characters
|
|
|
Disneyland Resort, Anaheim, CA, USA / Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA 02/04/06 - By: Carl F -
|
|
© Walt Disney
|
"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me!" That life has ended for the old version of the attraction at Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World in Florida. Due to the success of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, Disney is now including elements of the movies into the ride.
What will the star studded makeover bring? A new storyline based off of the two movies, both the first one (The Curse of the Black Pearl) and the upcoming sequel called Dead Man's Chest. Two new characters from the film, Captain Jack Sparrow and his nemesis Captain Barbosa, will be added as well.
Disneyland's version of the ride will hopefully open by June 24th, 2006. Walt Disney World's version will open up on July 7th, 2006, the same exact day of the release of the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.
|
|
'RumbleFest' to usher in new wooden coaster
Kentucky's Beech Bend Park plans event for enthusiasts
|
|
|
Beech Bend Park, Bowling Green, KY, USA 02/03/06 - By: Devin Olson -
|
|
© Great Coasters International
The layout for Kentucky Rumbler features a twisted layout spanning 1.5 acres with 15 crossovers and three station "fly-bys."
|
Kentucky's Beech Bend Park is inviting all card-carrying members of coaster clubs to an event this May dubbed "RumbleFest" in honor of the park's new wooden twister Kentucky Rumbler.
On Sunday, May 28, Beech Bend will host the event from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. with exclusive ride time (ERT) onboard Kentucky Rumbler from 7:30 on along with ERT the park's two largest steel coasters, Brief Encounter and Wild Mouse.
Other highlights of the day will include an all-you-can-eat picnic buffet, question-and-answer session with the park and ride designers at Great Coasters International, and door prizes.
Registering for the event prior to May 21st is $20, and $10 for season-pass-holding enthusiasts. Registration at the gate will be $30. To sign up now, download the registration form by clicking here.
|
|
New kids' section for Six Flags Marine World
Tava's Jungleland kids' area announced for 2006
|
|
|
Six Flags Marine World, Vallejo, CA, USA 02/03/06 - By: Carl F -
|
|
© Six Flags Marine World
|
Today, Six Flags Marine World announced their 2006 addition. A brand new kids section is taking over the Looney Toons Seaport area called Tava's Jungleland. Taking a theme similar to Six Flags Great Adventure's Balin's Jungleland area, this area is themed after the park's elephant Tava.
The area will boast new kids rides such as Congo Queen rocking tug ride, Nairobi's Lookout Balloons, Tava's Elephant Parade, Monkey Around swing ride, Safari Jeep Tours, Splashwater Oasis water play area, and a massive Treehouse Play Structure. Most of the rides named are either new or rethemed versions of the Looney Toons rides.
The park also announced a new aquatic show called Shouka's Splashtime. Featuring Shouka the killer whale (formerly at Six Flags Worlds of Adventure) and Merlin the Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin. And last but not least, a winter celebration as well. Next holiday season, Six Flags Marine World will hold its first annual Holiday in the Park festival. Attractions exclusive to the festival include a snow sledding hill, ice skating rink, lights, and craft activities.
Six Flags Marine World will open for its 45th season on March 4th, 2006.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
