SANDUSKY, OH

​Cedar Point will debut a new roller coaster, Wild Mouse, at the park in 2023, part of a major retheming of the midway area near the beach that will be called The Boardwalk.
The Boardwalk will also include the Grand Pavilion, a beachfront, two-story complex that will house a new restaurant, bar, plus indoor and outdoor seating with views of the park and Lake Erie.


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Charlotte, N.C. 

(August 11, 2022)—On March 31, 1973, Carowinds officially opened to 6,000 guests amid great fanfare. The grand opening marked the culmination of years of formulation, planning and development by founder E. Pat Hall, a Charlotte businessman. Built at an estimated cost of $70 million, Carowinds was named for a combination of the surrounding Carolinas and the winds that blew across the two states. The park included original attractions such as Carolina Skytower, Snoopy’s Junction and Carolina Goldrusher - still in operation today. Five decades later, guests will experience the iconic border between North Carolina and South Carolina anew when Carowinds celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2023. The 2023 operating season marks the beginning of "50 years of Carolina fun," a limited-time special event that brings plenty of new rides and attractions, exciting entertainment, enhanced food and beverage offerings, nighttime spectaculars, and other immersive experiences. Additional details regarding the anniversary activities will be available in the coming months. “I am proud to be celebrating the golden anniversary of Carowinds as well as the amazing associates who have delivered on our goal to make our guests happy,” said Manny Gonzalez, Carowinds vice president and general manager. “I look forward to the next exciting 50 years as we continue to bring happiness to our community.” At the center of the 50th anniversary celebration will be Aeronautica Landing, a tribute to the Carolinas’ spirit of invention, exploration, and aviation, where guests can immerse themselves in the history and future of flight. Construction is now under way in the Crossroads areas of the park, which will be completely renovated and renamed as Aeronautica Landing, complete with the introduction of five new themed attractions opening in 2023 as well as a retheming of an existing ride, for a total of six rides. Opening in the spring of 2023, Aeronautica Landing is the fourth rethemed area to be introduced at Carowinds since County Fair in 2017, and most recently, Blue Ridge Junction in 2019. In addition, Aeronautica Landing will boast two new and one upgraded dining venues. This includes a new restaurant featuring a craft beer bar and patio, alongside the refresh of an existing location and other new snack locations. This family-friendly area with immersive décor will feature a game zone complete with four new midway games, including an innovative acrobatic challenge, and the retheming of a classic basketball challenge. “We are constantly looking for new ways to provide immersive experiences for our guests that showcase the rich history and heritage of the Carolinas, while showcasing the rich legacy and original themes of Carowinds,” Gonzalez said. “This region played such an integral role in the history of developing and testing the tools for aviation, and we believe Aeronautica Landing will help bring that to life for our guests for years to come.” 

​Carowinds also announced that 2023 Gold Season Passes are now on sale for $120, the lowest price of the season, and include unlimited visits and free parking for the remainder of this year and all of 2023. Guests who purchase by August 14 will receive one Fast Lane pass that is valid select days through October 30, 2022. A Gold Season Pass includes unlimited visits for Carolina Harbor Waterpark, admission into seasonal events like Grand Carnivale, SCarowinds and WinterFest, discounts on meals and merchandise, Bring-A-Friend discount offers, and more.

Kansas City, MS

To celebrate the park’s 50th anniversary, Worlds of Fun announced the return of the Zambezi Zinger.
In 2023, the nearly 2,500-foot-long metal and wood coaster will return to the Africa region of the park.
With a top speed of 45 miles per hour, the new and improved Zambezi Zinger will be similar to the original, with a few changes.


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BRANSON, MO

The park released the following statement on Thursday to KY3 regarding the employee’s death:
“It is with great sorrow that we share the loss of a Silver Dollar City employee following an incident that occurred while working late yesterday afternoon. He was a dedicated and passionate member of our Silver Dollar City family, having worked in maintenance and construction since 2017.
Our prayers are with his family and friends during this difficult time. Out of respect for their privacy, we are unable to provide any further information.

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Today, Canada Post released an enchanting set of stamps to celebrate the wonder and playfulness of vintage carousels in Canada.
The vibrant stamps spotlight five historic carousels located across the country. The featured carousels are each known for their elaborately carved and beautifully painted animals. They also showcase the craftsmanship and mechanical ingenuity that were impressive for their era.

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Southern California's Knott's Berry Farm amusement park will begin implementing a chaperone policy for underage guests after a series of fights between park goers over the weekend resulted in the facility shutting down early. 


Beginning Friday, guests 17 and younger will be required to have a chaperone who is at least 21 to be admitted into the park. The chaperone must present valid identification with a date of birth, the park said. 

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HERSHEY, PA

Hersheypark has announced that Wildcat will close forever on July 31st this summer on social media. The coaster world immediately started speculating what will become of this once loved, but well worn ride. Wildcat has a sentimental place for more than Hersheypark as it was Great Coaster International's, or GCI for short, first coaster. GCI's very own Clair Hain Jr. recently gave an interview to news radio WKOK. He had this to say about Wildcat, "There was competition with myself and another competitor on redoing what they have with a new type of track, the steel track. I felt pretty positive I was going to get the project but I was told I did not get the job. It’s sad. These are part of my children the way I look at it. But this isn’t the first time this has happened to me.”

Titan Track is a new maintenance product from GCI that can replace wooden track with a weld-less steel track. It has been used on White Lightning at FunSpot, The Predator at Darien Lake, and Wolverine Wildcat at Michigan's Adventure. It's use is limited so far, however It was designed to refurbish or redesign entire layouts. GCI claimed that the Titan Track and Infinity Flyer could be paired to add inversions and element not possible before.

​Reflecting on Mr. Hain's quote about losing out to a competitor, and it not being the first time this happened could be a reference to Rocky Mountain Construction, RMC, getting the green light to redesign old GCI wood coasters. Gwazi at Busch Gardens Tampa, and Roar at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom had both previously been converted into steel coasters by RMC. This seems like a logical jump since Hersheypark mused with a tease, "Any suggestions on what we could do with 3,100 feet of wooden track?" This teasing statement at the end of their message led their fans to believe the track would go away but not the structure, a hint that it will be redesigned into something new. Not to miss a beat RMC responded to their message with, "We have a few ideas..."

Whatever happens to Wildcat based on what we know so far, I'm interested.


Author
Jeff Goodman

SAN ANTONIO, TX

Six Flags Fiesta Texas, The Thrill Capital of South Texas, will debut the world’s steepest dive roller coaster — Dr. Diabolical’s Cliffhanger — on July 30, 2022. This exhilarating new dive coaster features a cliffhanger hold, which suspends riders as they face straight down a 95-degree, beyond-vertical drop, then releases them moments later into a terrifying 150-foot dive.

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HERSHEY, PA

​The cat has officially been tamed.
Hersheypark’s second oldest wooden roller coaster, The Wildcat, is set to close on Sunday, July 31.
According to Hersheypark’s social media outlets. the ride is set to close permanently at the end of the day on Sunday.

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Constructing a thrilling experience that's set to break records, even before it officially opens?
That's going to take oodles of effort, outsized creativity, and plenty of planning, too.
Wonder Woman, as any fan knows, possesses such extraordinary skills, and then some.
The superhero displays ingenuity, can-do, and dedication in every fresh challenge she confronts, so you can bet that any attraction inspired by the DC comics icon will take time, flair, and innovation to come together.
Especially when the ride will be "the tallest and longest single-rail coaster in the world" at the time of its much-anticipated debut.

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