ATRA World News 2011
What was up in the World of Thrill Rides & Amusement Parks
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December 29, 2011
Miracle Strip At Pier Park Will Add Rides Next Year!
It has been seven years since the original Miracle Strip amusement park closed its doors for good, but for the last three years locals and visitors alike have been able enjoy a smaller version, with several of the original rides. Now they'll be able to enjoy a few more. Next spring, Miracle Strip at Pier Park will feature a total of seven rides and several attractions, including more of the originals from the old amusement park that first opened in 1963.
Read more from WJHG/Panama City Beach
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December 23, 2011
Arnolds Park Considers Dropping Free Admission!
The days of walking around the Arnolds Park Amusement Park for free may be about to end. A proposal under consideration by the board of trustees of Historic Arnolds Park, Incorporated would change that. They're toying with the idea of charging two or three dollars for each person who wants to walk through the park.
Read more from KTIV News 4 Sioux City
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December 22, 2011
Central Florida Theme Parks Unveiling New Attractions For 2012!
The bread and butter of Central Florida tourism is gearing up for an overhaul in 2012. Most of the major theme parks in Central Florida are planning to open rides or major additions to get new and repeat visitors walking through their gates.
Read more from TheLedger.com
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December 15, 2011
Kennywood Announces Pitfall Replacement!
Thrill-seekers will have one more thing to scream about at Kennywood Park in 2012. The new Black Widow will swing a circle of 40 riders back and forth like a pendulum while at the same time rotating them counter clockwise. At its peak, riders will hang 146 feet off the ground -- upside down -- while moving at 68 mph. Black Widow replaces the Pitfall, which before it was sold earlier this year was the park's tallest ride at 251 feet and whose deconstruction was completed yesterday. Park officials expect the new ride by Zamperla to go vertical in the Lost Kennywood section in March or April, and be ready for riders by the start of the park's daily operation on May 17.
Read more from post-gazette.com
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December 7, 2011
Waldameer Gets A Second Train For Its Railroad!
Among the more than 75 rides and attractions at Waldameer Park & Water World, the passenger train is one of the most personal to park owner Paul Nelson. The L. Ruth Express is named after his late adoptive mother, Lydia Ruth Moeller, who, with her husband, taught Nelson how to run Waldameer starting when he was 11 years old. The newest addition is a $500,000 train that will share the tracks with the red L. Ruth Express. And Waldameer is adding another car to the Comet roller coaster; erecting a workshop attached to its maintenance garage; and streamlining the boarding system for the Whacky Shack ride-through fun house, which typically has some of the park's longest lines.
Read more from The Erie Times-News
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December 3, 2011
Quassy Amusement Park Adding A Spinning Cups Ride For 2012!
Quassy Amusement Park will put a fresh spin on its family-friendly tradition with the addition of a new ride for the 2012 season. A tea cup ride from Italian ride manufacturer Zamperla will make its debut in the spring. The park will be celebrating its 104th season of operation and had an exceptional year in 2011 with the addition of the Wooden Warrior roller coaster.
Read more from the Oxford Patch
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Universal Studios Florida's Jaws Ride Is Closing For Good On January 2!
Universal Studios Florida announced it would close its Jaws ride on January 2. Jaws has been in operation since 1990, and was one of the first attractions unveiled when Universal Studios opened its doors. The ride is based on the 1975, Steven Spielberg-directed hit movie with the same name.
Read more from Today via MSNBC
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November 16, 2011
Pier-hopping Wooden Roller Coaster Debuting At Morey's Piers In 2013!
A $12-million pier-spanning wooden roller coaster that will dive beneath the boardwalk and race across a cantilevered bridge before navigating a series of high-speed twists and turns is expected to open in 2013 at Morey's Piers seaside amusement park on the Jersey Shore. The one-of-a-kind ride by Great Coasters International will top 50 mph and pull 4 Gs over 3,100 feet of track. The new wooden coaster replaces two classic Morey's Piers rides, the Wipe Out giant slide on the Surfside Pier that marked the start of the seaside park and the 1960 indoor Golden Nugget mine train coaster on Hunt's Pier that was relocated to Knoebels in Pennsylvania as Black Diamond.
Read more from The L.A. Times
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November 10, 2011
NYC Continues Coney Island Makeover With Restoration Of Historic Carousel And Steeplechase Plaza!
New York City begins construction of a long-anticipated piece of the Coney Island makeover — Steeplechase Plaza, which officials are banking on to make the boardwalk west of Stillwell Avenue rival in popularity to Luna Park and the rest of the amusement area to the east. The $29.5 million, 2.2-acre plaza will feature a new pavilion for the historic 1919 B&B Carousel, which was rescued from auction by the Bloomberg administration in 2005, that will help showcase the landmark Parachute Jump. The plaza will be located on the site of the former Steeplechase Amusement Park, between W. 16th and W. 19th streets. It'll allow visitors to enter the amusement area by walking directly underneath the 262-feet-high Parachute Jump.
Read more from The New York Post
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November 9, 2011
New York's Coney Island Draws Largest Crowds Since 1964!
Crowds at Coney Island surged this summer despite the soggy weather. More than 640,000 people came to two new amusement parks, city officials said — up from 450,000 last year and the most since Steeplechase Park closed in 1964.
Italian amusement company Zamperla opened Luna Park last year with 19 family rides. This year, it added Scream Zone, with two new roller coasters and two other thrill rides on the city-owned land. Visitors took more than 2 million rides at the parks this year.
Read more from The New York Daily News
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November 5, 2011
Plans To Reopen Sahara Casino in Las Vegas Do Not Include Speed Roller Coaster!
The shuttered Sahara Casino would reopen with a renovated casino floor and 1,622 hotel rooms, but minus its signature roller coaster, under plans unveiled Wednesday. Plans include demolition of the roller coaster running in and out of the hotel's northwest corner.
Read more from The Las Vegas Sun
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October 21, 2011
Universal Orlando's Twin Dragon Coasters Will Never 'Duel' Again!
Universal Orlando said this week it has decided to permanently end the practice of launching the two Dragon Challenge coasters simultaneously. That decision follows an internal investigation into two summer accidents in which riders were apparently struck by loose objects while aboard the attraction. One was gruesome: A 52-year-old Puerto Rico man suffered a lacerated right eye and ultimately had to have the eyeball removed.
Read more from The Orlando Sentinel
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September 19, 2011
Busch Gardens Williamsburg Announces Verbolten Roller Coaster!
Busch Gardens' officials unveiled the name of the Williamsburg theme park's 2012 roller coaster during an exclusive pass-member appreciation event Saturday morning. Saturday's announcement naming Verbolten as the Williamsburg park's new roller coaster ended months of speculation among coaster fans who have been eagerly awaiting official news about the new thrill ride. When Verbolten opens in spring 2012, coaster fans will feel the exhilaration of multiple launches and a few surprises that can't be found anywhere else in the United States.
Read more from WTVR/Richmond
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September 4, 2011
Dollywood Announces Wild Eagle Roller Coaster!
Dollywood's 2012 season will be a historic one as the Tennessee-based theme park introduces the new $20 million Wild Eagle steel wing coaster, the first of its kind in the U.S.
Experiencing the freedom of flight, the new coaster's innovative floorless design positions riders seated four abreast in a forward-facing position, with two riders actually seated on the "wings" along either side of the coaster's track with nothing but air above and below them.
"After the honor of the 2010 Applause Award, we knew that all eyes were on us at Dollywood to see what we'd do next," Dolly Parton said. "Wild Eagle celebrates not only the majestic bald eagle but also my beautiful Smoky Mountains which folks will get a bird's eye view of as they soar high above Dollywood. I'm just thrilled that Dollywood's Wild Eagle is the only place in the entire country where folks can get their feathers ruffled on a coaster like this!"
Perched on the park's highest peak, Wild Eagle rises 21 stories into the sky. Taking off from the Wilderness Pass area, riders experience the sensation of flight as the coaster's massive track swoops and soars along a journey that measures 3,127 feet. Wild Eagle reaches a top speed of 61 miles per hour and maneuvers four inversions including a giant loop, a "zero-G" roll, and a giant flat spin.
Wild Eagle's nearly two-and-a-half minute journey includes a plummeting 135-foot first drop. Located 210 feet above the coaster's loading station, the ride provides spectacular views of the Smoky Mountains terrain below. Each coaster train consists of seven cars which carry four passengers for a total of 28 people per train. Each vehicle features an imposing bald eagle with piercing eyes and broad wings outstretched for flight.
Wild Eagle is the largest single capital investment in Dollywood's 26-year history. The park's development team is collaborating with Switzerland-based Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), the world's premier coaster manufacturer. Pioneers in ride technology, B&M has built 11 of the 20 highest-ranking steel coasters in the world, according to Amusement Today magazine.
The ride's name celebrates the bald eagle, a raptor whose population has increased in recent years due largely to the efforts of the American Eagle Foundation (AEF). Headquartered at Dollywood for 20 years, the AEF is home to Eagle Mountain Sanctuary, a 1.5-million-cubic-foot natural outdoor aviary with the largest presentation of non-releasable bald eagles. Dollywood is one of the AEF's largest benefactors, supporting the not-for-profit organization's work to preserve and protect birds of prey.
Read more at Dollywood 2012
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September 3, 2011
Kings Island Re-brands Water Park As Soak City!
Kings Island has announced that Boomerang Bay will now be called Soak City. The park will add a larger wave pool and convert its lazy river to an "action" river.
Read more at Kings Island's Soak City website
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September 1, 2011
Six Flags Announces 2012 Attractions!
Thrilling Coasters, Family Rides, New Shows and Attractions Coming to Six Flags Parks Across North America in 2012
Six Flags Entertainment Corporation (NYSE: SIX), the world's largest regional theme park company, today announced its lineup of new rides and attractions for the 2012 operating season. Six Flags parks across North America will debut an exciting package of thrill rides, family rides, shows and special events featuring some of the most innovative rides and attractions in the industry and providing even more reasons than ever to visit Six Flags.
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Six Flags America Announces Apocalypse
The end is near as Six Flags America prepares to face the Apocalypse in 2012! Mayhem comes to Maryland's favorite theme park in the form of a 100-foot mean machine roller coaster. Guests will take a stand against the end of the world in an all-new, stand-up, steel adventure.
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Six Flags Discovery Kingdom Announces New Thrill Coaster in 2012 - SUPERMAN Ultimate Flight
The familiar refrain, "It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Superman!" will become part of Six Flags Discovery Kingdom's lexicon with the official announcement today of the park's exciting new roller coaster, SUPERMAN Ultimate Flight. The ride, created in a partnership between Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Warner Bros. Consumer Products and DC Entertainment, is slated to open in spring 2012.
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Six Flags Fiesta Texas Announces Major Tower Attraction for 2012
Six Flags Fiesta Texas revealed plans today to give guests more to scream about in 2012 with the introduction of SkyScreamer. The newest sensation in tower rides, SkyScreamer joins the park's already spectacular lineup of thrills as it takes guests skyward, high above the park. The addition of SkyScreamer continues Six Flags Fiesta Texas' tradition of providing thrilling rides and award-winning live entertainment. A selection of new and returning show favorites will also be featured in 2012.
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Six Flags Great Adventure Announces New Attractions for 2012
Six Flags Great Adventure today unveiled area redevelopment plans that will add both extreme and family thrills to their current ride offering for the 2012 season. In the theme park, Fantasy Forest will undergo a dramatic transformation as four rides designed to bring thrills to guests of all ages invigorate this whimsically-themed area. In Hurricane Harbor, a slide tower will be redesigned with the most exciting development in water park thrills today – drop boxes that literally yank the floor out from under riders and send them plunging down the water-filled slides.
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Revolutionary Wing Coaster Coming to Six Flags Great America in 2012
Get ready to take flight! Six Flags Great America announces plans to add a state-of-the-art roller coaster for the 2012 season. X-Flight is a ground-breaking wing coaster featuring cutting-edge technology. The Gurnee theme park is the first to announce plans for a wing coaster in the U.S.
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Six Flags Magic Mountain Announces LEX LUTHOR: Drop of Doom
Another one for the history books, Six Flags Magic Mountain, in partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products and DC Entertainment, announced today the world's tallest vertical drop ride, LEX LUTHOR: Drop of Doom, will make its debut for the 2012 season. Named after one of DC Comics' most dangerously intelligent super-villains and Superman's greatest enemy, LEX LUTHOR: Drop of Doom will be an engineering phenomenon, attached to both sides of the iconic SUPERMAN: Escape from Krypton tower. Soaring at a sky-scraping 400 feet,
LEX LUTHOR: Drop of Doom is slated for a spring 2012 launch.
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Six Flags New England Announces Goliath – A Coaster of Epic Proportions for the 2012 Season
Six Flags New England, home to the largest collection of coasters in the Northeast, today announced the addition of Goliath a suspended looping boomerang coaster that will leave guests wondering which way is up!
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Six Flags Over Georgia Announces Plans to Introduce Six New Shows in 2012
Six Flags Over Georgia today announced that it will celebrate its 45th anniversary by introducing six new shows during the 2012 season. An exciting array of new shows will light up venues across the park, including an all-new outdoor experience that will highlight the park's storied history since its opening in 1967.
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Six Flags St. Louis Announces New Water Park Attraction for 2012
Six Flags St. Louis today announced plans to add an extreme body slide, Bonzai Pipeline, to Hurricane Harbor in 2012. Bonzai Pipeline joins the 12-acre water park's existing lineup of water attractions as the only looping body slide with a launching capsule. Hurricane Harbor opened in 1999 and remains Missouri's only free water park with theme park admission.
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Coming in 2012 – Alpine Freefalls at The Great Escape and Splashwater Kingdom
The Great Escape's popular outdoor water park, Splashwater Kingdom goes big in 2012! The Great Escape and Splashwater Kingdom today announced plans to add Alpine Freefalls, a two level water slide complex set to open May 2012. The new attraction will boast the park's first free fall speed slide with Skybox technology and the Northeast's first of its kind mat racer.
Read More
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But wait... there's more...Kings Dominion Will Add Animatronic Dinosaurs In Addition To Windseeker In 2012!
Kings Dominion is rolling out two attractions instead of one for the 2012 season. For thrill seekers, the theme park in northern Hanover County will announce this morning that it will erect WindSeeker, a 301-foot-tall swing ride. For family entertainment, it is building Dinosaurs Alive!, an interactive dinosaur exhibit.
Read more from The Richmond Times-Dispatch
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But wait... there's more...Dorney Park Announces Stinger Roller Coaster For 2012!
Dorney Park unveiled its latest roller coaster for thrill-seekers, Stinger, a 138-foot-tall Scorpion-themed ride that will flip passengers around six stomach-churning inversions at speeds reaching 55 mph. The $10 million inverted boomerang coaster, expected to debut on the opening day of the 2012 season, is from Great America in California and was previously called Invertigo. A mechanical failure left two dozen people trapped 80 feet in the air on it for at least three hours in 2009. All of the trapped riders were rescued and no one was hurt. The ride was decommissioned from the California park and went through a complete overhaul that included upgraded control systems, a full track work-up, new foundational structure, and newly installed mechanical and drive systems.
Read more from the Allentown Morning Call
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August 29, 2011
Zippin Pippin Roller Coaster In Green Bay Is Summer Blockbuster Hit!
It's Green Bay's version of a summer blockbuster - great reviews, repeat business at the ticket office and a surprise ending. Since opening in May at Bay Beach Amusement Park, the Zippin Pippin has proven itself to be genuine, heart-racing, hair-flying, high-fiving feel-good hit. As of Thursday, 405,748 people have taken a spin on the 70-foot tall wooden roller coaster that was Elvis Presley's favorite ride in the 1970s during its previous incarnation at Libertyland in Memphis, Tenn. It zipped by its expected ridership of 200,000 for the whole season already on July 14.
Read more from the Green Bay Press-Gazette
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August 27, 2011
Carowinds Announces Windseeker!
While Kitty Hawk, North Carolina became symbolic to the Carolinas as the site of the "first flight", Carowinds will follow down a similar path as the amusement park announces plans to debut WindSeeker in the Spring of 2012 - a $6.5 million, thirty story tall swing ride designed to give riders the sensation of flying. WindSeeker's three minute ride begins when the ride's carriage, featuring 32 two passenger swings, slowly rotates while climbing to the top of a 301-foot tower. Riders will experience a sense of weightlessness as the swings reach speeds of up to 30 miles per hour and the arms extend outward at a 45-degree angle. WindSeeker will give riders an astonishing panoramic view of not only the park, but also of the greater Charlotte region.
Learn more at Carowinds' website
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August 21, 2011
Six Flags Magic Mountain Removing Déjà Vu Roller Coaster!
Six Flags Magic Mountain will relinquish sole ownership of the coveted title of "Roller Coaster Capital of the World" later this year when the Valencia, Calif., amusement park removes one of its record-setting 18 coasters. The removal of Déjà will move Magic Mountain back into a statistical tie with Cedar Point in Ohio, which also has 17 coasters. Déjà is expected to be relocated to Six Flags New England, with an official announcement anticipated in early September. Déjà is expected to open with a new name at Six Flags New England in summer 2012. Expect to see Six Flags relocate more old rides to new parks within the amusement chain for 2012.
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August 19, 2011
Cedar Point Paddlewheel Excursions To Be Retired After 2011 Season!
Cedar Point has some pretty big plans for next summer. The Sandusky, Ohio, amusement park/resort earlier today announced plans to introduce Dinosaurs Alive! on Adventure Island, a prehistoric themed attraction, for next summer. The new attraction will be located on four acres on the wooded island that is located in the lagoons toward the back of the park. In addition to Dinosaurs Alive!, Cedar Point will also add a mat-racer slide complex to the Soak City waterpark located adjacent to the park. Dinosaurs Alive! will cost approximately $1 million to build. With the addition of Dinosaurs Alive!, the Paddlewheel Excursions boat cruise will be retired from the park. The pioneer-themed boat ride will be in daily operation through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 5.
Read more on Cedar Point's Point Buzz
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But wait... there's more...Alabama Adventure Considering Sale!
The Oklahoma-based owner of Alabama Adventure is considering selling the Bessemer amusement park, citing poor attendance this summer. The park blames a combination of 100-degree heat index weather over two weeks in early June, plus a continuation of a sluggish economy and fallout from the April 27 tornadoes.
Read more from The Birmingham News
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August 18, 2011
Canada's Wonderland Announced Leviathan, A 306-Foot B&M Roller Coaster!
In 2012, Canada's Wonderland will unveil one of the biggest and tallest roller coasters in the world: Leviathan. When the Park opens in May 2012, Leviathan will dominate the Park's landscape, taking riders to breathtaking heights and speeds never experienced before at Wonderland. The excitement begins on Leviathan's first lift hill as riders climb to a record breaking height of 306 feet (93.3M) followed by an exhilarating 80 degree drop. Reaching a top speed of 148 kilometers per hour, riders will experience extreme coaster thrills on 5,486 feet (1,672M) of track that includes a series of giant camelback hills reaching heights up to 180 feet (54.9M), and an astonishing overbanked hammerhead turn at 115 degrees that will cross above the Park's front gate at 147 feet (44.8M) high.
Read more at the official Leviathan site
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But wait... there's more...Six Flags New England Ready To Add New Giant Inverted Boomerang!
Six Flags New England is working to replace one of its original rides with a new attraction, a roller coaster to be called the "Giant Inverted Boomerang."
Site plans for the ride, which will replace the water attraction Ship Wreck Falls, will be taken up by the Planning Board when it meets Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the Agleam Public Library. The new ride will be about 267.6 feet at its highest and will feature a steel roller coaster running on tracks in the shape of an "X."
Read more from The Republican (Springfield, MA)
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August 13, 2011
Screechin' Eagle Roller Coaster Removed From LeSourdsville Lake!
The Screechin' Eagle has been torn down, but parts of it will live on in Texas. The wooden roller coaster, one of the most popular attractions at LeSourdsville Lake/Americana amusement park, was removed earlier this week, park historian Scott Fowler said Friday. Park owner Jerry Couch, who runs the RV dealership at the park site, said Friday he had safety concerns about the coaster remaining standing, and that parts of the track and the cars will be donated to a roller coaster museum. That museum is the National Roller Coaster Museum & Archives, based in Arlington, Texas.
Read more from The Middletown Journal
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August 9, 2011
Six Flags Great America Announces Removal Of Iron Wolf!
Officials at Six Flags Great America announced that the Iron Wolf roller coaster, which debuted in 1990 and made a cameo in the 1994 Macaulay Culkin film “Richie Rich,” will be shut down on Labor Day for permanent removal. When Iron Wolf opened, it was billed as the world's tallest and fastest stand-up looping coaster, in which riders are secured in a standing position over a bicycle-style seat. Located in the County Fair section of the amusement park, the ride features a 90-foot drop and reaches speeds of 55 mph.
Read more from The Lake County News-Sun
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But wait... there's more...Zippin Pippin Starts Night Rides!
Around 1,000 people gathered to take a night ride on Bay Beach Amusement Park’s Zippin Pippin. The new ride couldn’t operate past 8 p.m., the state wouldn’t allow the wooden roller coaster to operate after dusk. But with the installation of new flood lights surrounding the entire site, the ride will stay open for "awesome" night rides!!!
Read more from WTAQ/Green Bay
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August 7, 2011
Steel Pier Operator Buys Pier From Trump Entertainment For $4.25 Million!
Atlantic City's famed Steel Pier was sold for $4.25 million to the Catanoso family and partners, who have been leasing the pier and operating an amusement park there for 20 years. Trump Entertainment Group had owned the 113-year-old landmark and planned to auction it Aug. 25. Anthony Catanoso said ownership gives the company more options to develop portions of the property and add amusements. There will be no noticeable changes this season, although some may be in store for next year, including bringing a new roller coaster to the pier.
Read more from The Press of Atlantic City
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August 2, 2011
Hersheypark Announces Skyrush For 2012!
Hersheypark announced it is constructing a 200-foot tall roller coaster named Skyrush in the Comet Hollow section of the park. The ride will be floorless and feature a 75 mile per hour first drop. It will be the tallest, fastest and longest roller coaster at Hersheypark. It also features winged seats, the first of their kind in the country. Skyrush will open in summer 2012.
Read more from The Patriot-News
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July 18, 2011
Geauga Lake Big Dipper Still Has Potential Buyers!
Geauga Lake Big Dipper roller coaster enthusiasts have been fearing its demolition since Geauga Lake amusement park closed on Sept. 21, 2007. Despite nearly four years of ups and downs, the current owner of Geauga Lake's Big Dipper is still fielding offers from others to buy the historic roller coaster from him, move it and save it from demolition. The owner, whose name has never been disclosed, is still negotiating with buyers. The Big Dipper was built and opened in 1925 at Geauga Lake. The John Miller-designed coaster celebrates its 86th anniversary this year. It is the seventh oldest coaster still in existence in the United States.
Read more from WKYC/Cleveland
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July 6, 2011
Kennywood Announces December Plans For Holiday Lights!
Kennywood officials announced that they'll be holding "Holiday Lights" in December at the park. The park will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on select days, with activities including a light show featuring tens of thousands of lights set to holiday songs. Guests can also enjoy the Carousel, Kangaroo, Paratrooper, a newly holiday themed Olde Kennywood Railroad and several rides in Kiddieland. Food will also be available, including kettle corn, s'mores, a variety of hot drinks and Potato Patch Fries.
Read more from WPXI/Pittsburgh
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July 1, 2011
Trump To Put Atlantic City's 113-Year-Old Steel Pier Up For Auction!
Steel Pier owner Trump Entertainment Group announced Wednesday it plans to auction the 113-year-old amusement landmark across the Boardwalk from its Trump Taj Mahal Casino Hotel for as little as $2.5 million. Steel Pier operator Anthony Catanoso was not among the stunned people. He was informed by Trump months ago because he and his three brothers, along with investment partner Ed Olwell, have leased and operated the property for more than two decades, offering rides and other amusements and concessions.
Read more from The Press of Atlantic City or The Wall Street Journal
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June 29, 2011
Zoo Miami Theme Park Targeted Home For Dania Beach Hurricane!
After Dania Beach's iconic wooden roller coaster, Hurricane, ground to a halt last April, county commissioners are discussing plans that may have the coaster roaring back to life as a part of the entertainment district at Zoo Miami. At the last meeting of the commission's Recreation & Cultural Affairs Committee, Commissioner Dennis C. Moss' resolution directing the mayor's office to explore the feasibility of relocating the coaster within the Zoo Miami property unanimously passed. The roller coaster operated for 11 years at Boomers Family Entertainment Center in Ft. Lauderdale before shutting down during the recession.
Read more from Miami Today
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June 20, 2011
Kennywood Park Lists Pitt Fall Ride For Sale!
The tallest ride on the Kennywood Park skyline could be coming down. The 252-foot-high Pitt Fall has been at Kennywood for 14 years and now its future is up in the air. Channel 11 came across an ad on Facebook listing the iconic tower for sale.
Read more from WPXI/Pittsburgh
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June 17, 2011
Ohio's Coney Island Celebrates 125th Anniversary!
It began as an apple orchard, grew into a picnic grove, blossomed into a riverside resort and then became a full-scale amusement park. Along the way, it survived devastating floods, the Great Depression, polio scares, a long desegregation battle and competition from bigger theme parks to become a summertime tradition for generations of Greater Cincinnatians. Coney Island, the 75-acre amusement park on the banks of the Ohio River, is marking its 125th anniversary this year - and its status as the sixth-oldest amusement park in the country.
Read more and see historic photos from The Cincinnati Enquirer
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June 5, 2011
Santa's Village Re-Opens As AZoosment Park!
After closing roughly six years ago, Santa's Village has reopened as Santa's Village AZoosment Park. Much of the original amusement park remains, and has been renovated and combined with a petting zoo, pony rides, exotic animal shows and other attractions. Most of the classic rides and buildings have been restored, while others have been added, including rides, such as the Midge ‘o Racer from the now defunct Kiddieland, which shut down in 2009 in Melrose Park. The park also added a new Dragon Coaster.
Read more from The Northwest Herald
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May 25, 2011
7 Voting Days Left To Vote To Restore Conneaut Lake Park's Midway!
As you already know, an effort to restore Conneaut Lake Park's midway to an Artisan Mall is among the first month's contenders for a $50,000 grant in Pepsi's RefreshEverything project. ATRA members played a large role in helping the park acquire the $50,000 grant last summer that helped to restore and open Blue Streak. Let's continue to show our support by voting daily for this project, the success of which will impact and benefit the entire park -- and it costs nothing to participate. In just the past few days, the project has moved from 25 to 18 in the rankings. If this momentum keeps up, the $50,000 is well within reach, so the effort needs your votes (one per day per registered email address; and one text per day per cell phone number).
A few things you should know before voting:
• If you have voted in the Pepsi Refresh project previously, but have yet to do so this month, you can continue to sign on with the same email addresses and passwords as before, BUT, the first time using each email address, you'll need to wait to get a confirmation email from Pepsi. Be sure to respond to the email to confirm, so that they know that it's still a valid and monitored email address.
• You can vote online once a day with each registered email address.
• If you haven't participated before, signing up is easy and free, and does not result in a lot of junk email!
• Once you sign up or confirm your previously registered email address, voting is easier and simper than it was before.
• You can vote once a day by text, by texting 106426 to PEPSI (73774). There's no special surcharge/fee for the text, except for whatever standard text messaging rate incurred on your mobile phone plan, if you don't have unlimited texts.
• NEW POWER VOTING: It's no surprise that Pepsi has found a way to use this project to potentially sell more of its products, and considering the great organizations that benefit from Refresh Everything, that's okay with us. Specially marked Pepsi products will include Power Codes that are worth 10-100 votes each. You can find them under bottle caps or printed inside of multi-packs. Each user can enter up to 10 Power Codes each day. For more information on Power Voting or to enter and use a Power Code, visit http://www.refresheverything.com/power-vote.
VOTE NOW AND VOTE DAILY THROUGH THE END OF MAY TO SUPPORT THIS PROJECT
TO RESTORE CONNEAUT LAKE PARK'S MIDWAY:
www.RefreshEverything.com/ConneautLakeParkArtisanMall
Conneaut Lake Park opens for the 2011 season on
Friday, May 27 at 4PM!
May 18, 2011
Zippin Pippin Roller Coaster Gets Ready To Rattle And Roll On Saturday At Bay Beach Amusement Park!
The only thing missing now is Elvis. The Zippin Pippin roller coaster roared into action Tuesday as the newest attraction at Green Bay's beloved Bay Beach Amusement Park. It is a replica of a coaster that operated for years in Memphis, Tenn., and was renowned as rock n' roll legend Elvis Presley's favorite amusement park ride. The attraction opens to the public Saturday.
Read more from the Green Bay Press-Gazette
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May 2, 2011
Vote To Restore Conneaut's Midway In The Pepsi Refresh Project!
Pepsi has reintroduced its Refresh Everything campaign and an effort to restore Conneaut Lake Park's midway to an Artisan Mall is among the first month's contenders for a $50,000 grant. As you know, ATRA members played a large role in helping the park acquire the $50,000 grant last summer that helped to restore and open Blue Streak. Let's continue to show our support by voting daily for this project, the success of which will impact and benefit the entire park -- and it costs nothing to participate.
A few things you should know before voting:
• If you have voted in the Pepsi Refresh project before, you can continue to sign on with the same email addresses and passwords as before, BUT, the first time using each email address, you'll need to wait to get a confirmation email from Pepsi. Be sure to respond to the email to confirm, so that they know that it's still a valid and monitored email address.
• You can vote online once a day with each registered email address.
• If you haven't participated before, signing up is easy and free, and does not result in a lot of junk email!
• Once you sign up or confirm your previously registered email address, voting is easier and simper than it was before.
• You can vote once a day by text, by texting 106426 to PEPSI (73774). There's no special surcharge/fee for the text, except for whatever standard text messaging rate incurred on your mobile phone plan, if you don't have unlimited texts.
• NEW POWER VOTING: It's no surprise that Pepsi has found a way to use this project to potentially sell more of its products, and considering the great organizations that benefit from Refresh Everything, that's okay with us. Specially marked Pepsi products will include Power Codes that are worth 10-100 votes each. You can find them under bottle caps or printed inside of multi-packs. Each user can enter up to 10 Power Codes each day. For more information on Power Voting or to enter and use a Power Code, visit http://www.refresheverything.com/power-vote.
VOTE NOW AND VOTE DAILY THROUGH THE END OF MAY TO SUPPORT THIS PROJECT
TO RESTORE CONNEAUT LAKE PARK'S MIDWAY:
www.RefreshEverything.com/ConneautLakeParkArtisanMall
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April 28, 2011
Dania Beach Hurricane Roller Coaster Shut Down!
The wooden roller-coaster in Dania Beach visible from the Interstate-95 since its opening 11 years ago has closed, according to Boomers, the entertainment company that shared the property with the ride. The GM of Boomers said owners informed him "a couple of days" earlier about plans to halt operations of what was billed as the tallest wooden coaster in Florida.
Read more from The Sun-Sentinel
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April 27, 2011
Knoebels Flying Turns Faces More Issues & Black Diamond Delayed!
The eagerly awaited Flying Turns coaster at Knoebels Amusement Resort is going off the rails during test runs, indefinitely delaying its opening. It's not the only attraction that won't be ready when Knoebels opens. Black Diamond, a three-story, haunted coal mine-theme ride, has been pushed back to mid-summer as crews continue to work on it. But that will not stop ATRA members from enjoying The Phoenix and many other rides at Knoebels' 85th annual opening day on April 30.
Read more from The Daily Item
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April 23, 2011
Texas Giant Roller Coaster Reopens With Steel Track At Six Flags Over Texas!
The renovated Texas Giant roller coaster opens to the public today at Six Flags Over Texas. The Arlington theme park invested $10 million in redesigning the ride, which has a new track layout and new cars modeled after the 1961 Cadillac De Ville. The new ride, which lasts about two minutes, includes a 79-degree first drop and a bank of 95 degrees.
Read more from The Star-Telegram
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April 22, 2011
Quassy Amusement Park Ready To Open Its New Wooden Warrior Roller Coaster!
The Wooden Warrior is the first wooden coaster to operate in the area in more than 70 years. In 1930, Waterbury's Lakewood Park built a coaster that was dismantled a few years later and transferred to Canobie Lake Park in Salem, N.H. Now, after two years of debate and legal hurdles to building the ride, the park will model its future around the coaster. Quassy Amusement Park is set to debut its new 1,200-foot-long roller coaster this weekend when it opens for the season.
Read more from The Hartford Courant
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But wait... there's more...Luna Park At Coney Island Opens Two New Roller Coasters!
The first new roller coasters to be built at Coney Island in 80 years were opened on Wednesday as part of efforts to reverse the decline of New York City's world-famous theme park. The Soarin' Eagle and Steeplechase roller coasters are part of the new multimillion-dollar Scream Zone theme park, that replaced several more ramshackle attractions that had their own loyal followings.
Read more from Reuters
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April 20, 2011
Indiana Beach Looks To Get Bigger!
Indiana Beach will start its 2011 season on May 7. And the site that got its start 85 years ago as a swimming area in a cornfield is adding a new park area for the 2011 season. Adventure Point at Indiana Beach features zip lines, a high ropes course, rock climbing and the Adventure Point Outfitters shop. The Falling Star, Water Swings and Music Express rides are being moved to clear space for Adventure Point. It's part of a multi-year, multimillion dollar expansion and improvement plan for Indiana Beach that is being implemented by Morgan RV Resorts, which bought the resort complex in 2008.
Read more from The Journal and Courier, Lafayette, Indiana
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April 7, 2011
New Inverted Coaster At Dorney Is A Go!
Dorney Park's proposal to install an inverted roller coaster in place of the old Laser ride was approved in a unanimous vote by South Whitehall Township commissioners Wednesday. Dorney Park's 2012 plan calls for the installation of an "inverted boomerang" coaster to be relocated from California's Great America. The 138-foot tall ride will be reconditioned before being put into service at Dorney and will take the place of the double-loop Laser, a coaster that was removed in 2008 after 22 years.
Read more from The Morning Call
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March 17, 2011
New Attraction At Kings Island Is Animated Dinosaur Walk!
The T-Rex is out of the bag! The new attraction at Kings Island that will be unveiled Friday is an animated dinosaur walk. Officials at the park are expected to announce the new attraction at 2 p.m. Friday at the amusement park. The dinosaur walk will be the "biggest of its kind in the world" and will be open for the start of the 2011 season. Kings Island will also debut WindSeeker, the new ride scheduled to open this spring.
Read more from The Western-Star
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March 11, 2011
Iconic Sahara Hotel And Casino Closing In Las Vegas!
The owners of the Sahara hotel and casino, one of the last postwar hotels still standing on the Las Vegas Strip, announced on Friday that the iconic property would close. The casino's Nascar Cafe features the Premier Ride LIM Shuttle Loop roller coaster Speed - The Ride, which opened in April 2000. The hotel's guests and performers over the years included Johnny Carson, Hollywood's "Rat Pack," comedian Don Rickles and even the Beatles!
Read more from Reuters (via Yahoo! News)
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February 18, 2011
DAFE Posts Interior Photos Of Knoebels' Black Diamond!
Construction of Black Diamond is progressing well at Knoebels Amusement Resort. This unique roller coaster was designed by John C. Allen and built by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters, Inc. in Wildwood, NJ, where it operated as the Golden Nugget from 1960 to 1998. The ride was saved and moved to Knoebels, where it is set to open in April. DAFE has posted new interior photos of Black Diamond which can be found here
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February 9, 2011
SeaWorld San Diego Announces Manta Roller Coaster!
SeaWorld San Diego is excited to announce that in 2012, the park will unveil its new launch coaster, Manta - a new mega-attraction that will seamlessly transition guests from the awe of watching rays in underwater flight … into the sensation of actually being one. SeaWorld is scheduled to break ground for Manta within a month and the ride is slated to open to the public in 2012. Swooping over sea and sky, Manta will not only inspire riders with amazing underwater animal habitats, but take them on an exhilarating ride on a coaster shaped like a giant manta ray.
Read more from SeaWorld
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January 29, 2011
California's Great America Amusement Park Losing Another Roller Coaster!
California's Great America has announced plans to remove the third coaster in less than a decade – a period in which no new coasters were added to the amusement park in Santa Clara, Calif. Invertigo, an inverted shuttle coaster that made its debut in 1998, will be removed to make room for a new attraction planned for 2012.
Read more from The LA Times
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January 27, 2011
Octotron Is New Thrill Ride At Belmont Park!
Slow ride, take it easy. Not!
After a delay of several weeks due to bad weather and smoothing out kinks, the much-awaited Octotron thrill ride made its debut at Belmont Park. This was a big deal among the amusement park sect, because the Octotron, created by acclaimed ride manufacturer Chance Morgan, is one of two in the country and the only one on the West Coast. The other Octotron, known as a Unicoaster, is installed at the Mall of America in Minneapolis. Chance Morgan makes other rides such as "Yo-Yo" and "Wipeout."
Read more from SanDiego.com
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January 22, 2011
Zamperla Takes Over Coney Island Cyclone Operations!
Thrill seekers have been coming to ride the Cyclone for decades. Now as the landmark coaster gets ready to mark its 80th anniversary this year, it'll have a new operator – Zamperla, the same Italian ride manufacturing company and developer of Coney Island's Luna Park, which sits across the street. Three other new rides are coming to Luna Park. There's Turbo Force, which spins in full circles 132 feet in the air. There's the Human Sling Shot that catapults brave riders almost 200 feet in the air. And there's the Steeplechase coaster, a throwback to Coney Island's heyday.
Read more from NY1
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January 20, 2011
Big Dipper Sale From Geauga Lake Falls Through!
The sale of the Big Dipper roller coaster at the former Geauga Lake amusement park has been canceled, according to the organizer of the grassroots effort to save the ride.Tom Woosnam of APEX Western Machinery Movers in Akron, who has been the spokesman for the person who bought the coaster for an undisclosed price during a 2008 Cedar Fair auction, said he's not sure what his client will do with the ride now that the sale has fallen through. According to www.savethebigdipper.org, the group raised $300,000 toward the unannounced purchase price of the ride from the man whom Woosnam represents.
Read more from The Aurora Advocate
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January 19, 2011
Gwazi Reopens With New Millennium Flyer Trains At Busch Gardens Tampa!
Gwazi, a double wooden roller coaster made from 1.25 million feet of twisting lumber, is getting new train cars. The result, Busch Gardens says, will be a smoother, possibly faster, ride. The Millennium Flyer trains were designed by Great Coasters International Inc. The new cushioned seats are designed to resemble wooden coaster trains from the early 1900s. The sides of the cars are open for better views of the two twisting tracks.
Read more from The Tampa Tribune
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January 14, 2011
Mt. Olympus Theme Park Owners Plan Major Expansions Along 'The Strip' In Wisconsin Dells!
Over the last three months, Mt. Olympus owner Nick Laskaris and his wife have purchased six motels and hotels, primarily along the west side of Wisconsin Dells Parkway, commonly referred to as "the strip." Most of the properties are outdated, so a crew of about 30 workers is busy this winter tearing out carpeting, replacing furniture, light and plumbing fixtures and painting. The resort will now have about 1,000 rooms and each guest will get a wristband to ride roller coasters and go-karts and splash in a pool that makes 9-foot-tall waves, all at Mt. Olympus.
Read more from The Wisconsin State Journal
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January 11, 2011
Bell's Zingo Roller Coaster Posted For Sale On Ebay!
It was the marquee ride at the former Bell's Amusement Park. Now Zingo is for sale on eBay. It's listed as lumber, but the fact that it's for sale as salvage - doesn't mean Zingo is gone for good. Robby Bell remains optimistic that soon he'll be able to announce a new home for Bell's
Read more and see video from KOTV/Tulsa
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January 3, 2011
Vote To Restore Conneaut Lake Park's Midway!
Some of the good folks responsible for Conneaut Lake Park have a plan to restore the midway and the project has been accepted as one of the ideas eligible to be voted on to receive a $50,000 grant from the Pepsi Refresh Project.
With the devastation of the Dreamland Ballroom fire, the collapse of the Funhouse (Ultimate trip) building roof, the lack of maintenance and tree root growth, the park's midway has become a bit run down...
With a simple vote (EVERY DAY) by you, your friends, family and coworkers we can all make a huge impact on a bright future for Conneaut Lake Park. If they are successful and get the grant, you can expect to see beautiful planters, refurbished walkways, refreshed building facades and lighting and the reconstruction of the Funhouse (Ultimate trip) building shell...and - if they get the grant - they'll have it ready for a grand park reopening this summer season!
We can't stress how huge of a positive impact this grant would have on Conneaut Lake Park. You did it for Blue Streak! The grant money awarded from Pepsi was instrumental in funding the repairs and reopening of the classic coaster.
Visit Refresheverything.com/ConneautLakeParkMidway today and everyday for the rest of the month and vote to view and/or order the ornament. Also, there are a few pictures of it on the Easter Seals Western Pennsylvania Facebook page. You can also text a vote in daily, by texting 105312 to Pepsi (73774). There's no special fees associated with this text...just the normal standard texting fee that may apply to your phone if you don't have an unlimited text option.
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