Amusement Parks as Movie Sets: Part 1

I’m trying something different this time. Let’s analyze some parks that served as filming locations for various movies through the decades. There are so many, so count on this being an ongoing series. Many sites list these locations, but my goal was to be a bit more in-depth.

Closed For the Season-2008

This first one is an indie movie shot at my local Chippewa Lake Park in Medina, Ohio. The park had been sitting in ruins since 1978 and was about to be torn down. The director asked if he could have the site to film a horror movie on the spot before demolition. This was a great idea since the location was very ominous and creepy looking. The remains of the fun house (and former bath house), the old cuddle bug, and Cyclone coaster could be seen here for years. After the film was shot, the site was finally cleared. Today, the ferris wheel still remains, no doubt due to its large size. Check out the trailer and be sure to check out these sites for some great photos of the Chippewa ghost town:

http://ohioforgotten.drewborg.com/exploration/chippewa/

http://www.defunctparks.com/parks/OH/ChippewaLake/chippewa-lake.htm

http://www.forgottenoh.com/Chippewa/chippewa.html

KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park-1978

One of my favorite camp films was shot at Magic Mountain, and so much of the park is shown that this movie really acts as a nice time capsule. The history of the film itself is a thrill ride of its own, and if you’re interested in low budget disasters, I urge you to read up on it.

The concert scenes were filmed in the parking lot. Admission to Magic Mountain included a free KISS concert at night so that the filmmakers could get some crowd footage. What a deal! I can ride Goliath AND see one of the biggest rock bands of the time AND become an extra in a movie!? I’m in! The nightly fireworks that followed the show were also in the movie. Here’s an 88mmfilm one of the crowd members filmed:

I can’t say for certain if the “animatronics” on the midway were actually park of the park or just made for the movie. Doubtful they were already there. However, Goliath and Colossus were used throughout the film. Colossus was still under construction during this season, but it was used regardless. Cars going up the Goliath lift hill are visible in the opening scene. Colossus was used consistently throughout. It’s the coaster that the giant-sized Gene Simmons stands over in the opening credits. It’s also where the fight with the flying monkey-type villains was shot. Furthermore, there’s a part early on when the manager walks under the support beams of the ride, giving the viewer a very clear view of how it looked at the time.

You may also notice that the park manager mentions the mascot character signage of Freddy the Fox was removed without his approval. You may also notice various animal characters decorating the park. Now, I’m not sure if these were ever really there or if they were made for the film. In the early 70’s, Magic Mountain had the Troll mascots. Later, they would use the Loony Tunes during the Six Flags years. 

Not sure what hippie on the Magic Mountain board came up with these "Trolls."

Revolution is also visible in the film, and the band members ride in the Scrambler in the opening musical sequence.

Final Destination 3-2006

The coaster of death and mayhem was Corkscrew, a steel  sit-down coaster at Playland Park in north-east British Columbia. The giant devil in front of the queue line was made for the film, so don’t expect to see him at the ride.

Rollercoaster-1977

Here’s another campy classic about a bomb threat at an amusement park. The locations in this film were chosen by a group of candidates. First, we have Virginia’s Ocean View Park:

In the movie, the park’s main coaster is called The Rocket. In real life, this known as The Southern Belle.

Quite a few landmarks from King’s Dominion are visible. Here’s the iconic Eiffel Tower:

Since this was the era when the park’s children’s area was themed to Hanna-Barbara, some of the characters can be spotted. Here’s a shot with Fleegle from the Banana Splits in the background:

The Singing Magic Mushrooms can also be seen. Only in the 70’s…

Here’s the old Safari Monorail that was torn down during the Paramount years:

The finale of the movie takes place at Magic Mountain! Wow, that place had a lot of exposure to the Grindhouse audience.

Many rides are seen in the film at MM such as the Shenandoah Lumber Co. The bomber even tries to blow up Rebel Yell! The finale takes place at the then-still new Revolution, the first coaster to have a complete 360 degree vertical loop. In fact, the ride has a commemorative plaque outside the queue commemorating the spot where the filming took place.

Here’s the trailer to the film.

I'll have more soon as well as some new features.

**Special thanks to MiceChat for some of the pics.

Two New Rocky Mountain Coasters

Hello everyone,

I'd first like to apologize for how slow it's been here lately. I've been traveling a lot over the past month and have had almost no time to work on the site. Add that to the fact that it's the off-season now, and you can see why we haven't posted an update in a while. Don't worry though, I'm working on the next Impression already and we've got a few other articles planned as well, plus I'm looking into some new features to upgrade the site. I'll get on with it now:

At IAAPA a few weeks ago, you may have heard about Rocky Mountain's plans for 2013; another full Iron Horse makeover project, as well as an original project, from scratch. We thought it would be fun to try to figure out where those are going.

How's this for an old picture?! (RCDB)

Let's start with the makeover - my personal guess is Colossus at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Colossus is long overdue for refurbishment, so why wouldn't Six Flags go all-out on this one? Given their huge success with the New Texas Giant, it makes sense that Six Flags might be interested in upgrading some of their other woodies. Other possible candidates might include Georgia Cyclone at SF Over Georgia, or even Cyclone at SF New England. Colossus remains the strongest possibility however, as Cyclone just added some of Rocky Mountain's Topper Track, and a full makeover on the compact Georgia Cyclone would be difficult. Not to mention, Magic Mountain is arguably their flagship park. That's why Colossus at SF Magic Mountain may be next to receive the Iron Horse makeover from Rocky Mountain Coasters.

SoB featuring the iconic loop (RCDB)

The second 2013 project is an original coaster, from scratch. For many reasons, I'd say that's planned for Kings Island. Let's face it, Son of Beast probably won't be around much longer, and that would free up a lot of space for another big woody. Could this be the park's second chance at building a sequel to The Beast? I'd like to say that it's coming to my home park, Cedar Point, but I doubt it. With all of the track work they've been doing on Mean Streak lately, I doubt the park would want to upstage it with another large woodie so soon (or hybrid, whatever). No; Cedar Point will wait to see how this works out at Kings Island, and they'll find some other coaster for #18. Kings Island needs a wooden coaster that will make guests forget about their failures with SoB. Given NTAG's success, a Rocky Mountain coaster could be just that. Kings Island is definitely my best guess as the recipient of the first original Rocky Mountain Coaster.

What are your thoughts? Have I missed the mark completely? Join the discussion; post your guesses for the two coasters in a comment below!

Amusement Park Accidents and Incidents

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING POST MAY CONTAIN FRIGHTENING/GRAPHIC INFORMATION, VIDEOS, AND PHOTOS!

So, it is a part of life: getting hurt; but that doesn't mean it should happen on an idle Tuesday as you enjoy your favorite amusement devices at a local amusement park or vacation-destination; but it does. What this post is offering is a look at some historical ride accidents that have led to INCREASED SAFETY PROCEDURES around the world. My goal/intention is not to scare you (although some things that follow may do just that) or get you to become afraid of your favorite rides, it is merely to bring light to that fact that this industry is becoming one of the safest out there and even as rides get more intense, the chances of you dying on a roller coaster are becoming smaller and smaller, and, as of this posting, you have the following chance of dying on a roller coaster: 1 in 300 MILLION! So rest easy you worriers, you're golden!

Coaster in the Netherlands that was evacuating riders as the ride continued moving.

Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom (Defunct)

I am not ignorant enough to believe that this park closed due to this incident, but, in 2007 a young girl boarded Superman: Tower of Power: an Intamin Drop Tower when the cable snapped at the top of the tower and severed the girl's feet. See the video below which contains a news report with live witnesses. This incident caused sweeping investigations of rides of this type as they were shut down across the nation/world to ensure that the ride was not predisposed to this type of malfunction. It turns out this was a freak accident.

Six Flags Magic Mountain

In the photo below, you will see the roller coaster Ninja, where in 2008 a 20-year old man entered a restricted area below the ride and was struck and killed by the coaster train. You will see in a later post how this is a serious concern for parks and why fencing and signage is extremely important in maintaining guest safety.

Ninja @ SFMM

Six Flags Over Texas

Roaring Rapids is the SFOT version of the amusement park staple water attraction of a river rapids ride. Until this incident in 1999, these types of attractions had been relatively accident-free. In 1999, a raft flipped over in 2-3 feet of water injuring 10 and killing one 28-year old woman. Since this incident, the rubber surrounding the base of each raft has been reinforced and the likelihood of a repeat of this accident has been significantly reduced.

Roaring Rapids @ SFOT

Six Flags New England & Darien Lake

Both of these parks have Intamin Hypercoasters with the Superman/Bizarro theme and similar layouts. In 2004, the SFNE version had an incident in which an oversized park guest was ejected from his seat and killed. It was determined that the man was too large for the T-bar restraint and it did not close effectively. This tragic mishap has led to increased safety precautions that have been nothing short of controversial. You may have seen signs or read blurbs in park maps/brochures that explain "guests of exceptional size may not be permitted to ride." This is a precaution that parks have implemented to avoid the chance that another guest lose their life or become injured due to their size making it difficult to restrain them. This is controversial because some guests believe this to be discrimination based on their size. This is where I disagree. Is it controversial to increase a safety measure? No. Is it controversial to put limitations on riding a ride if the nature of the ride permits it? No, and I will explain why. If an overweight guest were to be injured on a ride, they might file a lawsuit. The park is protecting themselves AS WELL AS the guest. And, let's be honest, if you are too big to ride a ride at an amusement park, step on a scale, subtract about 50-100 pounds and then WEIGH THAT. Sorry if that is harsh, but it's your life and your health, and your REALITY, deal with it.

At Darien Lake, there was an incident on their Superman coaster this year in which an Army Sergeant, who was a double leg amputee, fell out of the coaster to his death. This incident was determined to be the cause of operator error as the safety guidelines of the ride include all riders must have BOTH legs in order to ride. As a result of the accident, parks across the world have stepped up safety guidelines in this arena, making sure to protect the safety of their guests and ensure another tragic loss like this doesn't occur again.

Superman: RoS @ SFNE & DL

Cedar Point

Cedar Point may have been voted the "Best Amusement Park in the World" (Amusement Today) 14 years in a row, but the park isn't immune to incidents! In 2007, the Magnum XL-200 had an accident in which 2 trains collided in the station at about 10-15 mph. No major injuries were reported. Also, on two separate occasions, the Wildcat coaster had train collisions, the most serious one occurring in 2008 and sending 9 people to receive medical treatment. The incident involved a train/car rolling backwards down the lift into the station.

Top Thrill Dragster, plagued with mechanical issues its first two years of operations (2003-2004) experienced its most severe malfunction in July of 2004 when, during the launch, the metal cable that pulls the train to the end of the launch track and releases it up the Top-Hat, frayed and sent shards of metal and hot oil into the faces of 4 riders. this incident is important to note because this was the first and less severe of this type of incident to occur as you will watch later in this post.

Magnum XL_200 @ Cedar Point

Top Thrill Dragster @ Cedar Point

Six Flags Magic Mountain

Colossus is a wooden racing coaster famous for its iconic structure featured in many movies and TV shows (National Lampoons' Vacation, Step by Step, et. al.) but, in its inaugural season (1978) the coaster had a double down that was infamous for its sharp, ejector airtime. That season, a park guest was ejected from the coaster and fell to their death. After the incident, the park took drastic action and reprofiled the coaster to remove the double down (one drop that actually is compromised of two) as you can see in the pic below. The train is traveling over the section which is now straight, but you can see under the reprofiled section where the double down used to be. It looks as if the red train is floating over the track.

Colossus (reprofiled) @ SFMM

Kings Island

Kings Island suffered a great loss in 1991. On June 9, 1991, dubbed "Black Sunday," 3 people lost their lives in the park. A guest jumped into a pond to retrieve a lost item and was electrocuted by a malfunctioning water pump. A friend saw this and jumped in to the rescue and was electrocuted. Finally a park employee jumped in to the rescue and was also electrocuted. Ironically, and unfortunately, the rescuers were both killed but the original victim survived. Later that night, a woman boarded Flight Commander (a fun Intamin Pilot ride...see photo) with a Blood-Alcohol-Level of 3.0 (or as I say, 3.WHOA!). As the ride began, she lost consciousness and slipped out of her harness and as her carriage inverted, she fell 60 feet to her death in full view of spectators. The ride closed the remainder of the season and reopened in 1992 and eventually closed due to low ridership (as a result of the fatality) in 1996. (I rode this ride many times and loved it, however.) It is thought that, when the park banned the sale of alcohol in 1993, it was a direct reflection of this incident, although it was never stated as such.

Flight Commander @ PKI

Son of Beast. Sometimes just saying the name can induce pain and panic in some individuals. That would be the case with my brother, who rode the ride at 4:45pm with me on July 9, 2006, when the ride had the largest malfunction in its 6 year history. The ride's structure cracked during the first helix as it was descending into it and caused a severe jolt to the left and then immediately to the right during a section of relatively straight track. As someone who was on the ride I can tell you that this is one painful ride, but this was not normal. As we were dropping into the helix, the jolts loosened my hands from the lap bar and I ended up hitting my hands in my face and caused a bloody nose. My brother held on tightly but, during a quieter section of the ride he screamed, "Stop the ride now!" Upon stopping my brother was crying, a sight I was not accustomed to. He could not get out of the train without my assistance. I carried him out and asked for a park employee to assist him but none could; they were busy helping those who couldn't move at all, due to back or neck injuries, get out. Medical assistance showed up at the exit and my brother was taken to first aid and later the hospital where X-rays revealed a broken rib. I did not seek medical attention. I was one of a handful who were able to get off the ride with minimal injury and who did not need medical attention, save for some water and a tissue. I was lucky; 27 others, were not. I can honestly say, that the removal of the loop on this ride was pointless. The loop was the smoothest part of the ride and did nothing to address the structural integrity of the helix section of the ride, where the accident took place.

The ride reopened to the public one year later without the loop, only to close in 2009 when a woman complained of injuries. The ride has been closed since...thankfully.

Knott's Berry Farm

Xcelerator's cable frayed in 2009, just like Top Thrill Dragster, however; there is POV video of the incident, taken from on-board cameras that capture video of your experience for purchase after you ride. Be warned, the video is terrifying.

Derailments

I have provided some photos of roller coaster derailments...a rare occurrence on coasters. The first is of a stand-up coaster called Fujin Rajin II in Japan at a park called Expoland. The incident happened in 2007, and the park closed in 2009 due to a lack of customers following the incident. Japanese culture takes great issue with things like this and the park management never could recover.

Fujin Rajin II @ Expoland

Expedition GeForce @ Holiday Park (no injuries)

Wild Thing @ Valleyfair (no fatalities)

Inflatables

More injuries are reported on inflatables than ANY coasters at ANY park! Check out the video below to see what happens in a gust of wind to these inflatables. Be careful when using these devices and please supervise your children closely!

I hope this post hasn't scared you into avoiding coasters, rides, or amusement parks. Just be informed, be safe, and pay attention to any and all posted or communicated safety guidelines. They are there for YOU not for them.

HodgePodge: Week of September 30, 2011

Time for this week’s HodgePodge. Here it is:

No, not THAT Hodge Podge. (And if you got that bad joke, you and I should be best friends.) Anyway:

Magic Kingdom

Well, according to AllEars.net, the announced revamp of the parking lot that has caused so many fans to be up in arms began to see changes on the 23^rd. The lot, no longer representing famous mascots like Mickey and Minnie, now is divided into two sections: the Heroes lot and the Villains lot.

Hard Rock Park/Freestyle Music Park

DiscoverMyrtle Beach claims that the rides will be operating again at Freestyle Music Park possibly for the 2012 season. No news yet, but I’ve heard that a former investor of the park (back when it was known as Hard Rock Park) is getting other investors onboard for a re-opening. I’ve been keeping up with this park’s downfall, and it’s sad that it was doomed from the start. At least The Pavilion went out with some dignity. 

Six Flags Magic Mountain

One of my favorite sites, Roller Coaster Philosophy, has a nice piece on Magic Mountain coasters.

Knott’s Scary Farm

With The Haunt underway, a nice discussion thread is up at Theme Park Review that gives some trip report photos and the always-present TPR humor.

Universal Studios Hollywood

Theme Park Adventure has some in-depth articles and pictures on the new haunted houses and scare zones for this year’s Halloween Horror Nights, this time themed around Hostel and The Thing.

IRM

International Rides Management is putting some old attractions from Morey’s Piers up for sale on Facebook. If you want to make a backyard amusement park in the vein of Neverland Ranch, this could be your big chance!

EPCOT Center

Finally, let me state that I don’t think this will ever be sold, at least not for a long time. However, I wanted to share this eBay auction by Mouse Surplus. It’s an old vehicle from Horizons retrofitted with the original speaker system by General Electric to play the theme song when you sit inside it. If you have at least $10 grand, I’d give it a shot.

That’s it for this week. See ya!

The Great Debate: Six Flags Magic Mountain vs. Cedar Point

Ahh yes! In the amusement park/thrill ride industry, there are many parks that are regarded as being the best. Let's get real here for a minute, we are coaster enthusiasts, not theme enthusiasts, so although Disney produces amazing attractions, they are not building major thrill rides like heavy hitters Six Flags Magic Mountain and Cedar Point. With that being said, let's examine these two parks by juxtaposing them in the following categories: Roller Coasters, Rides/Attractions, Park Atmosphere, and Innovation/Trend-Setting.

Raptor @Cedar Point

Park Atmosphere

Let's suspend geographic reality for a few seconds here and just talk about the interior of the parks. SFMM has 260 acres of park space and CP has 364 acres. SFMM has themed areas of the park such as: Baja Ridge, Samurai Summit, High Sierra Territory, and DC Universe. Cedar Point has one themed area of the park called Frontiertown. So clearly in terms of theming one might think that SFMM takes the "W" here. Cedar Point may not have themed areas of the park, but the rides and coasters are highly themed, but not enough to win. Besides theming, how does the staff compare? According to the Golden Ticket Awards (presented by industry publication Amusement Today), Cedar Point ranks as having some of the Friendliest Staff in the industry, whereas SFMM does not. I could rate food here, but, let's be honest with ourselves, park food, save for a handful of parks, is deplorable at best, both in terms of quality and price. Both parks lose in this category, sorry foodies.

Wicked Twister @ Cedar Point

So, let's get back to geography. SFMM is located at the base of a mountain range in SoCal, and Cedar Point is located on a peninsula over Lake Erie. Walking the terrain of SFMM can be exhausting, and the mountainous views are amazing, but nothing compares to being able to see another country from the top of a coaster's lifthill like Cedar Point can offer. After all is said and done, Cedar Point, the third most attended seasonal amusement park in North America offers a more traditional amusement park experience with limited exposure to offensive advertising like you would encounter at a Six Flags park. Although SFMM is a true hybrid of theme and thrill park, Cedar Point's atmosphere makes you feel welcomed and energized at the same time and takes the "W" in this category.

Park Atmosphere WINNER: Cedar Point

Maverick @ Cedar Point

Rides and Attractions

SFMM and CP have a thrilling collection of roller coasters and exciting rides/attractions. Both parks have a great collection of world-class roller coasters (which we will get to in a minute) and both have a generous supply of rides; SFMM boasts 52 rides and Cedar Point trumps with 75 and also holds the record of the park with the most rides. Built in 1971, SFMM doesn't have the history that Cedar Point, which was opened in 1870, utilizes as a theming element for some of its rides. Both parks have iconic observation towers and similar flat rides, but Cedar Point has an edge on SFMM in this category thanks to additions to the park in 2005, 2006, 2010, and 2011 with maXair, Skyhawk, Shoot the Rapids, and Windseeker respectively. These were unanswered additions at Cedar Point as they are thrilling, new, and in-style and SFMM has none of them. Now we know that SFMM is not going to be outdone for long, and in 2012 they are going to answer to their non-roller coaster ride fanatics by adding an unbelievable 400 foot drop tower with a terminal velocity of 85 mph. This ride shatters height records by more than 50 feet. Personally, drop tower rides are the only rides that terrify me, so, I cannot even imagine getting on a ride of this height, but, it sounds amazing.

Superman: Escape from Krypton @ SFMM

Even with SFMM's anticipated 2012 addition, 52 just does not compare with 75 either in quality or quantity.

Rides and Attractions WINNER: Cedar Point

Top Thrill Dragster @ Cedar Point

Innovation/Trend-Setting

This category might sound pointless, but, in actuality, it is essential in determining which park is better. Any park can add a mediocre attraction, but it takes mega-parks like SFMM and CP to identify a trend, jump on board, and brand it/make it your own. What is innovation in the amusement park industry? I would say that it is setting a trend by adding a unique and one-of-a-kind attraction or changing the way we think about a given attraction by amplifying some aspect(s) of it to create a unique attraction. Cedar Point has added many unique attractions over their 141 year history such as: Disaster Transport (only indoor bobsled attraction), Power Tower (only quad combo tower), Maverick (one of the first Blitz Coasters), not to mention coaster speed records and height records.

Green Lantern: First Flight @ SFMM

SFMM has also added unique attractions: Green Lantern: First Flight (only ZacSpin coaster in US), Superman: Escape from Krypton (first coaster to reach 100mph in US), Revolution (first modern looping coaster in US), X2 (first 4D coaster)

But let's talk about true innovation. Cedar Point has not really been a proponent of adding a never-before-seen attraction, or prototype. SFMM is known for adding prototypes like X2, Superman: Escape from Krypton, Z-Force, Revolution, Flashback, and Deja Vu (now relocating to another SF park). Cedar Point can really only boast 3 prototype coasters: Disaster Transport, Corkscrew, and Wicked Twister. Cedar Point does use innovation on their side as they are known for taking a successful prototype and increasing the height and speed like they did for nearly every coaster and attraction they have added. SFMM has, however, a much more innovative and diverse collection of coasters, which we will address next. In terms of innovation, SFMM takes risks, and in an industry where you are only as good as your newest attraction, SFMM takes the cake.

Innovation/Trend-Setting WINNER: SFMM

Goliath @ SFMM

Roller Coasters

And now, the topic we have been waiting for! Let's talk about the magic number first here, shall we? The magic number, as of this year, has been raised to 18, which equals the number of coasters SFMM has, which is the world record and one more than rival park, Cedar Point. SFMM has taken the coaster crown yet again by adding Green Lantern this year. Ok, so SFMM has ONE MORE coaster than Cedar Point, but let's analyze quality now. Ok, so SFMM has 13 types of coasters (2 steel sit-down looping, and 3 kiddie coasters were the overlapping types) and CP has 13 types as well (2 kiddie coasters and 2 wooden coasters overlapped). Well, since each park has the variety that a coaster fanatic appreciates, let's talk height and speed.

Millennium Force @ Cedar Point

Cedar Point has held speed or height records at least 16 times in the past with the following coasters: Gemini, Mantis, Raptor, Magnum XL-200, Millennium Force, Mean Streak, Top Thrill Dragster, and Wicked Twister. SFMM has held height and speed records 12 times in the past with the following coasters: X2, Goliath, Superman: Escape from Krypton, Riddler's Revenge, Deja Vu, and Tatsu. Clearly, Cedar Point is a thrill lover's paradise, but, it's an acrophobic's nightmare as it is the only park to have 4 coasters over 200 feet tall: Top Thrill Dragster (420), Millennium Force (310), Wicked Twister (215), and Magnum XL-200 (205). SFMM only has 2 coasters that top the 200 foot mark.

Magnum XL-200 @ Cedar Point (Taken in 1989)

Ok, so I know height isn't everything, but what about speed? SFMM has one coaster that tops the 90mph mark, but Cedar Point has 2. SFMM has 5 coasters over 70 mph and Cedar Point also has 5. Ok, so now let's talk about the most recent awards for coasters as given in the Golden Ticket Awards. SFMM had no placing in any category, especially coasters. Cedar Point had three steel coasters place in the top ten: Millennium Force (1), Top Thrill Dragster (9), and Magnum XL-200 (10). Ok, I think we are getting the picture here. Cedar Point takes this final category, hands down. I've tried to leave this last category to the facts, but, personally, Cedar Point maintains their rides better than any Six Flags park, so even if the rides weren't highly reviewed or the tallest/fastest, they would still ride better. Magnum, Millennium, Raptor, Maverick, Gemini, and Top Thrill Dragster are some amazing coasters. If you haven't ridden them (or been to Cedar Point), get there now and ride every last one of them and I'm sure you'll agree with me: America's Rockin' Roller Coast takes the "W" in this category and wins the overall!

Roller Coasters WINNER: Cedar Point

OVERALL WINNER: CEDAR POINT!!!

Coaster Update - September 2011

Reese here. I just wanted to give you an update about some of the biggest coaster projects under development that should be coming your way in the next year or so. I’ve chosen what I think are some of the biggest projects for the 2012 season.

Leviathan

Canada’s Wonderland will be receiving the highest coaster designed by B&M in May of 2012. Leviathan will have a lift hill of 306 feet with an 80 degree angled first drop. There are a few camelbacks, but it seems to be more of a speed-based coaster instead of being all about the dips. This will be B&M’s first coaster to reach the 300 foot mark. What with the great history behind Canada’s Wonderland, I’d say they picked a great park for it.

Verbolten

Busch Gardens in Williamsburg has what looks like a great themed coaster. This was just announced recently, so details are sparse, but it seems to be themed around a drive through the “Black Forest” with the coaster car shaped like a convertible. Multiple launches up to 50mph are promised as well as some thematic elements and special effects. The name, by the way, is a play on the German word “Verboten,” which means “Forbidden.” With other great thematic attractions that Busch has been putting out recently (such as DarKastle), this one looks like it will be promising. Really excited for this to open.

Skyrush

It’s been a while since Hersheypark has had a new coaster. At 200 feet tall and 3,600 feet long, Skyrush will be drastically changing the look and feel of the midway. Located next to Roller Soaker and the Wildcat woodie, the new yellow behemoth will be blocking many a view of the American Midway area. A 75 mph launch and an 85 degree drop are not record-breaking figures, but this is quite for jump for a park as small as Hershey. I haven’t heard too many opinions on this one, but there seems to be some complaints on the design and layout. We’ll just have to wait and see how it pans out.

X-Flight

No, not the former name of my favorite flying coaster. This X-Flight is a new “wing coaster” set for Six Flags Great America sometime next year. What’s a wing coaster, you ask? It’s a new design where the seats are suspended on both sides of a track with the middle of the coaster keeping them in place. Sort of like the wing of a bird. At 3,000 feet with 5 inversions, it looks like another winner from B&M.

Just wanted to point out one more thing. We won’t be seeing a new coaster at the Point until 2013. This would tie CP and Magic Mountain’s coaster counts which I find very interesting. Having said that, I predict a new MM coaster in a year or so to keep the race going. That’s it for today. Keep checking back for more.

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