Theme Park Syndicate - Theme Park News Aggregator » News Flashes

New Ferrari World GT Coaster Image

Joel — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 06:00:29 +0000

The Coaster Critic’s Blog has posted a new image from Ferrari World. Opening in the second half of 2010 in Abu Dhabi, the Ferrari-themed amusement park will be home to a racing launch coaster called GT Coaster. The ride’s train cars are replicas of Ferrari F430 Spiders. Read more about the GT Coaster at: The Coaster Critic’s Blog. Read more about Ferrari World at their official website: FerrariWorldAbuDhabi.com

What do you think of this sleekly-themed roller coaster train?What do you think of Ferrari World? Leave a comment below.

Texas Giant to Become a Super Hybrid?

Eric — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 22:19:46 +0000

Rocky Mountain Construction Group is redefining the term hybrid wood coaster with an innovative steel track system engineered to replace the current steel plated stacked board track system found on current wood coasters. This new system will cost less to install, require less maintenance and will offer an overall smoother ride while still maintaining the aesthetics of a wood coaster.

The Texas Giant over at Six Flags Over Texas will be the first wood coaster to get the “Super Hybrid” classification. Check out Rocky Mountain Construction’s web site for more information and a virtual look of how this system will integrate into existing wood structures.

Cedar Fair Bought by Apollo Equity Firm

Joel — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 04:20:53 +0000

Cedar Fair was purchased today by equity firm Apollo Global Management for $2.4 Billion. It’s reminiscent of Blackstone’s purchase of Busch Gardens a few months ago. The New York Times has more:

”This transaction allows Cedar Fair unit holders to realize significant value from their investment in our company over recent trading levels,” Cedar’s lead director, Michael Kwiatkowski, said in a statement. ”Apollo has a strong track record of growing businesses, and its desire to add Cedar Fair to its portfolio serves as a testament to our solid business model and the talent of our people.”

Cedar Fair, based in Sandusky, Ohio, owns and operates 11 amusement parks, seven water parks and five hotels. Its properties include Cedar Point in Ohio, Canada’s Wonderland near Toronto, Dorney Park in Pennsylvania and California’s Knott’s Berry Farm and Great America.

Read the full article.

Also, see more coverage: Sandusky Register | CoasterBuzz | The Coaster Critic’s Blog

What do you think of this big news? Leave a comment below.

Alton Towers Announces Thirteen for 2010

Joel — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:47:01 +0000

Thirteen - A Psychoaster So Scary It Has Ride Restrictions

Alton Towers has started to reveal some details about their 2010 roller coaster, Thirteen. Billed as the world’s scariest ride, the psychoaster could require riders to sign a waiver, be between the ages of 16 and 55, and limit rides to once per day. The Coaster Critic’s Blog has more. Also, visit the official Alton Towers Thirteen web site.

Demon Drop to Dorney

Austin — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 03:08:03 +0000

It seems that in an interesting turn of events that Intamin drop ride Demon Drop may be going to Dorney Park in Allentown, PA. Only a couple months ago, it seemed to be a fact that it would be moved to Knott’s Berry Farm in California. Even the two runners of Cedar Point’s On Point! blog said on the video of the last rides that it would be seen at Knott’s for next season.

However, now it appears that the ride will be moved to Dorney Park instead. A few days ago, a popular theme park news website, News Plus Notes, posted pictures of blue metal pieces similar to those of Demon Drop being unloaded in the parking lot. The pictures can seen here and here.

Do you think this is a good addition to Dorney Park? Leave a comment below.
Image courtesy of CoasterImage.

Coney Island’s Comeback

Eric — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:00:08 +0000

Coney Island is on its way to making a full comeback. The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) put out a request for proposals (RFP) for the re-growth and development of 6.9 acres of property at the Coney Island amusement area. The proposal is looking at three parcels of land to be redeveloped in phases with the first section set to open in summer 2010!

Parcel A, which is located in-between the Cyclone & Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement park, is set to open first. One of the highlights of the RFP is that there is “a plan for the installation of a diverse mix of state-of-the-art rides and attractions, including thrill rides, adult rides and family rides” that also includes a new coaster. The city is looking to make Coney Island a year round destination with new restaurants, shops and other entertainment venues to really bring back Coney Island to what it once was.

If you are interested in learning more about the redevelopment of Coney Island check out the Coney Island Development Corporation’s site which has a detailed strategic map of all of the changes that are proposed. What do you think about Coney Island’s future? Leave a comment below.

Alton Towers’ New Secret Weapon 6 Video

Joel — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:02:15 +0000

Alton Towers Posts New Teaser Video for 2010 Coaster
Alton Tower’s just published a new teaser video of their 2010 roller coaster, currently known as “Secret Weapon 6″. The only other hints that the park has given about the ride is that:

The new ride, codenamed Secret Weapon 6, will be located upon the site previously home to the Corkscrew, and will be a World’s first attraction.

The video shows a “key component” arriving at the park. Visit the Alton Towers Secret Weapon 6 site.

Anyone have any guess as to what the park’s 2010 roller coaster will be? Leave a comment below.

The Voyage Will Get Gravity Group’s Timberliner Trains

Austin — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:04:17 +0000

The Santa Claus, Indiana-based Holiday World has confirmed on their HoliBlog that the Voyage is getting a completely new type of train in the 2010 season.

The new trains, called “Timberliners,” sport a new lightweight design as well as a new wheel system designed to curve along with the track, giving the coaster a smoother and faster ride. Other features include ergonomic seats with exclusive suspension in each, the ability to accommodate wider-hipped and longer-legged people, and a side-mounted lap bar. There will be two trains, each holding 28 passengers. The new trains were developed by Voyage’s creators, the Cincinnati-based Gravity Group. Read the whole news release here.

The Voyage, consistently rated as the #1 wooden roller coaster in the world by coaster enthusiasts, takes riders through a 1.2 mile ride while giving them a record total of 24.2 seconds of airtime. Currently, the coaster reaches a top speed of around 67 mph; however, the current speed may change with the new trains according to Will Koch, president of the park.

Holiday World is set to open May 1 of next year. The new trains are expected to be ready for use before the beginning of the season.