Weekly Poll: 9/27/17
Monthly Archive: September 2017
Toverland Releases Trailer for their NEW B&M Wing Coaster!
Dutch coaster enthusiasts are in for a treat. Earlier today, the park released the following teaser on YouTube.
The stats for this coaster are as followed:
Top Height: 131.3 ft
Top Speed: 59 mph
Inversions: 3
Length: 2,667.3 ft
As you can see, it will be among the shorter B&M Wing Coasters, but for a regional park like this, such a coaster is an incredible fit. As I always say, you can never go wrong with a B&M.
Legoland to add VR to Project X
Legoland is jumping on the VR-roller-coaster bandwagon, and admittedly, it looks pretty amazing. Merlin Entertainment recently revealed an all new ride experience for three of their Legoland theme parks. The chain’s Project X roller coasters will be receiving a virtual reality makeover known as The Great Lego Race. This VR experience will take passengers into the wild and colorful world of Lego bricks and take them on a wild race to the finish.
Project X is a Mack wild mouse currently operating at three different Legoland parks: Legoland Malaysia, Legoland Deutschland (Germany), and Legoland Florida. Wild mouse coasters are known for their compact layouts, hairpin turnarounds and occasional dips. Something like this honestly fits quite well with a VR scenario involving racing. The sharp turns and drops are sure feel much more thrilling while immersed in a brick-based universe.
Photo by Merlin Entertainment
Virtual reality on roller coasters is a very hit-or-miss concept. Often times, while can offer a revolutionary ride experience to draw crowds, it has the unfortunate tendency of slowing down operations to a halt. While this could end up being an issue on the park’s busier days, kids are certainly going to beg their parents to experience the VR they wouldn’t be able to check out on the bigger chain park coasters. Admit it, when you were a kid, you were fascinated by VR headsets.
The Great Lego Race is expected to open in the spring of 2018.
Weekly Poll: 9/16/17
Sesame Place Teases Massive 2018 Attraction.
Sesame Place; the Pennsylvania theme park not too far from Six Flags Great Adventure known for being themed after Jim Henson’s classic children’s series. Owned by SeaWorld, this park isn’t known for its thrill rides, but it no doubt has a special place in peoples hearts. As of right now, the only roller coaster to ever open at the park is Vapor Trail, a Vekoma Junior coaster that was added in 1998. It’s been almost two decades since this park got a new coaster, but for young coaster enthusiasts in the making, 2018 may see yet another major attraction coming to Sesame Place.
The park recently teased a new attraction on social media, referring to it as the “biggest, grouchiest” ride. The teaser featured the famous Oscar the Grouch, indicating that the ride will be themed to him. A small family park like Sesame Place getting a new coaster may seem hard to believe, but when a park teases a ride as being their biggest investment yet, it usually indicates a new coaster.
As for what kind of coaster this could be, speculation is already running wild. Considering that Busch Gardens Williamsburg just got a family GCI named Invadr, some are suggesting that a new wooden coaster could be coming to Sesame Place. Kid-friendly wooden coasters are nothing new; we’ve seen rides like Woodstock Express and Idlewild’s Rollo Coaster. Personally, I’m predicting something like Roar-O-Saurus at New Hampshire’s Storyland; a small coaster that kids will get a kick out of and enthusiasts will happily seek to ride. For now though, the only way to find out what the park will receive is to wait until their announcement on September 20th.
California’s Great America Files Permit for 240 Foot Attraction
A while ago, California’s Great America revealed their 20-Year Plan, which gave suggestions as to what kind of additions would come to the park between 2016 and 2036. This long-term plan involves installing a new Hypercoaster, a tall swing ride (Starflyer/Windseeker), several water park additions, and much more. While their 2018 addition Railblazer is not mentioned in the plan, a recently filed permit hints that it may indeed be underway. According to official documents from the Federal Aviation Administration, the park has filed as permit to construct a 240 foot attraction for the 2019 season.
Now you’re probably thinking: are they actually going to get that hypercoaster the year after they added Railblazer? Well, according to the specifics of this document, that is highly unlikely. The ride will be installed in the area of the park where Peanuts Pirates currently is. This is a Huss Breakdance that takes up a pretty small footprint, and with all the attractions surrounding it, it’s very unlikely that there will be enough space for something as massive as a hypercoaster.
The more likely option in this case is a tall swing ride, which will also fit into their master plan. Now, while the original depicted a Windseeker, the company hasn’t built a new one of these since 2012, though the one from Knotts Berry Farm was relocated to Worlds of Fun for the 2014 season. Since then, the company has seemed to move away from Windseekers, opening a Funtime Starflyer at Valleyfair earlier this year. The move is likely due to the many technical issues that Windseekers are susceptible to.
So with all of that being said, it seems like a Starflyer is much more likely for 2019. While a hypercoaster would admittedly be a more exciting addition for enthusiasts, a swing ride would honestly be an amazing fit for the park. Just think of the views you can get!