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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!
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Holiday World ‘dropping’ hints for its next addition
Park plans to announce its next expansion on August 26
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© Donald Flint
An Addition To Be Thankful For: It appears that Holiday World's new ride will be located in the park's Thanksgiving themed area, which opened in 2006. |
Holiday World has joined the number of park hinting at a new attraction, which will open in 2009. The announcement itself will come on Tuesday, August 26 in correlation with the groundbreaking of this new attraction.
The park’s blog, Holiblog, hinted at the new attraction with a number of descriptive words including ‘dropping’ and ‘tall’. Construction markers have been spotted to the east of the park’s Voyage wooden roller coaster indicating that the new attraction would be located on the northeast side of the park.
Holiday World confirmed that $8.4 million will be spent on improvements for the 2009 season. This figure is second only to the $13.5 million that was spent in 2006 on the park’s Thanksgiving themed area, which included the $6.5 million Voyage wooden roller coaster.
Park spokesman, Paula Werne, also confirmed that the park plans to add a new and free service that will incorporate new technology. Holiday World is home to three of the world’s most highly rated wooden roller coasters and has been voted one of the most friendliest and cleanest parks in the world.
The park has also been doing quite well lately considering the state of the economy and the gasoline crisis. The past two weeks Holiday World set attendance records by bringing in 90,000 guests within the two-week span.
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Sesame Street area to debut at Busch Gardens Europe
2009 expansion directed towards families and children
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© Busch Entertainment Corp.
BGE meets Sesame Street: The new junior roller coaster, Grover's Alpine Tours, will be Busch Gardens Europe's sixth roller coaster. |
After several months of swirling rumors about the construction taking place in the park, Busch Gardens Europe announced today that the result of this construction would be a Sesame Street themed area. This newly themed children’s area will debut in the spring of 2009, and will be adjacent to the England section of the park.
The park's latest expansion will be anchored by four rides and a number of various attractions all geared towards children.
A small children’s roller coaster named Grover's Alpine Tours will be the first roller coaster built at Busch Gardens Europe since Griffon was constructed in 2007. Along with the new roller coaster, a log flume in which parents can ride with their children will be included as part of these four rides.
Wet and dry interactive play areas, and shows featuring Sesame Street characters will also be featured in this newly themed area. A “1, 2, 3 Smile With Me” photo studio will be construction in this area so children can have there photo taken and interact with a number of Sesame Street characters.
The Globe Theatre in England section will also become part of the Sesame Street expansion by featuring a new movie entitled, “Sesame Street presents Lights, Camera, Imagination!” A new dinning facility will also be construction where guests can interact with Sesame Street characters while taking in breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
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Universal Studios matches Disney’s new ticket price
First Disney raised their ticket prices, now it’s Universal’s turn
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© Universal Orlando
Climbing Higher and Higher: To compete with other tourists’ attractions and still bring in enough revenue, parks match each other’s ticket prices to create maximum competition. |
Not to the surprise of many, Universal Studios Orlando raised its one-day ticket price for admission to either Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure from $71 to $75. This comes just days after neighboring Walt Disney World announced it would do the same with its one-day, one park tickets as well.
Historically, Orlando’s three major amusement park operators, Walt Disney Co., Universal, and SeaWorld raise their prices to match their competitors within several days of each other. The newly marketed ticket price represents a $4, or 5.6 percent, increase.
A spokeman from Universal, Michael Lewellen, said the theme park and resort complex would continue to offer a one-day, two-park ticket at a cost of $64.99. This ticket may only be purchased online by Florida residents.
He also stated that Universal would continue to offer two other ticketing opinions, which include; a three-park, seven-day, unlimited admission ticket with a price tag of $99.99. This ticket includes admission to Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, and Wet ‘N Wild water park. The other opinion would allow Florida residents to get a second day at the same or second park free after purchasing a $75 ticket online.
Lewellen noted that these ticket price increases would allow Universal to continue investing in new rides, attractions, and entertainment to continue to bring back park guests year-after-year. He also mentioned that the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster is scheduled to open at Universal Studios in 2009, and the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter area at Islands of Adventure will open in 2010.
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Diamondback to strike Kings Island for 2009
Red track to wind its way through the Ohio woods
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© Kings Island
Released Thrill: Diamondback will be Kings Island's 15th coaster, along with being one of its biggest. |
After much anticipation prompted by the Kings Island, Diamondback has been announced as the park's 15th roller coaster. The ride will break many in-park records as well as being one of the largest coasters built to date.
The announcement comes after the park began to set up signs on the Forth of July, placing teasers around the construction site reading "ride sally ride," and "steep incline ahead." Bolliger and Mabillard's signature red track with white supports have also been spotted around various areas of the park as well as the clearing that the Swan Lake used to inhabit.
The statistics released are massive. The ride will be the tallest and fastest coaster in the park, lifting riders 230 ft, heading between the Crypt and train ride. After reaching that staggering height, the plummet to earth shall accelerate trains to 80 miles per hour. The ride will be 3rd in length in the park after Beast and Son of Beast with just around a mile of track. Ten drops including a hammerhead turnaround and a splashdown are included in the lenghty ride.
The trains are also something to note. They are the same as Canada Wonderland's Behemoth attraction, with four-across staggered seating, where the two middle seats are just in front of the two outside seats. The trains paint job will resemble the skin of a real diamondback rattlesnake. The ride will run three trains, making it the highest capacity ride in the park.
The investment shall come around $22 million. With the early construction, the opening date is set to be opening day for 2009. This will also be the park's first coaster produced by Bolliger and Mabillard.
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