Dueling Dragons Will Never Duel Again

Attractions Magazine: After a couple of incidents, the Dragon Challenge “dueling” coaster (formerly known as Dueling Dragons) located in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park will no longer duel.

The Orlando Sentinel newspaper has been following the story of a change on the way the Dragon Challenge roller coaster is run. The ride has two separate tracks and coaster cars that run on them simultaneously. At one point in the ride, riders on each train come around a loop at the same time, providing them a thrilling moment when they come within a few feet of each other.

After a couple of incidents in which riders reported being injured by something coming off riders on the other train (one person lost an eye), Universal decided to have the coasters run staggered, eliminating the “near-miss” moment while they investigated the issue. The newspaper reported …

It’s a substantial change for an attraction specifically designed with the near-misses in mind. Dragon Challenge is even programmed to calculate the weight of the two coasters after they are loaded with riders to ensure optimal timing.

Universal Orlando said this week it has decided to permanently end the practice of launching the two coasters simultaneously. The resort now bills the attraction as a “high-speed chase between two coasters.”

“Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our guests and our team members,” Schroder said. “This attraction has been through extensive safety inspections and continues to live up to our high safety standards.”

Although the ride has operated since 1999 as a dueling coaster, the recent incidents are the first to be widely reported.

Six Flags Great Adventure Announces 2012 Attractions

Jackson NJ Online: Six Flags Great Adventure, America’s largest regional theme park, today unveiled plans to add both extreme and family thrills to its current lineup for 2012. SkyScreamer, an extreme swing ride, will transform the Fantasy Forest skyline while three additional family rides are introduced to the whimsically-themed section below – bumper cars, scrambler and flying elephants.

Theme park guests will have more to scream about with the introduction of SkyScreamer. The newest sensation in tower rides, SkyScreamer will take swing rides to the next level and join the park’s already breathtaking lineup of thrills as it whisks guests up, up and away high over the park, feet dangling and hair blowing. Towering 15 stories above the ground, SkyScreamer will reside next to the classic Big Wheel. Thirty-two guests will board the ride and sit two across in open-air swings as they climb to the top of the SkyScreamer tower while spinning round and round. At full swing, guests will soar in a 98-ft. circle at speeds of 40 mph high above the park below.

For those wishing to keep their feet closer to the ground, the park is introducing two new, yet classic, family attractions – bumper cars and a music-themed scrambler. Guests will also be greeted with the return of the popular flying elephants ride, which formerly made its home in The Golden Kingdom section of the theme park.

“Although we are best known for our record-breaking thrills, families have told us they would like more attractions they can enjoy together. So this season we are introducing four rides sure to deliver fun for all ages,” said park president John Fitzgerald.

At Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, it’s go big, go extreme – with the addition of exciting, new drop boxes guaranteed to ramp up the thrill factor at the slide tower known as “The Falls.” Guests will climb into a clear, fully-enclosed launch capsule and begin the nerve-wracking countdown to the moment when the floor literally disappears beneath them and sends them into a freefall at speeds of up to 32 mph.

“Drop boxes are an innovative, exciting addition to our already thrilling speed slides,” Fitzgerald added. “They are not for the faint of heart. The sheer anticipation of waiting for the floor to drop will have our guests’ adrenaline pumping.”

The best way to enjoy the thrills of the 2012 season is with a season pass. 2012 season passes are currently on sale and a great family value at $59.99 per person, which includes the theme park and free admission to the Wild Safari; and for just $10 more provides admission to Hurricane Harbor water park. All season passes include free tickets for friends and unlimited access to this season’s Fright Fest Halloween celebration in October. Guests who process their passes by October 30, 2011 receive one free parking pass with every four season passes purchased-a $50 value. For more information, visit www.sixflags.com/greatadventure

China Debuts World's Highest Ferris Wheel

Daily Mail: If you thought the London Eye was a stomach-churning experience, then look away now.

The world's 'highest' Ferris wheel has been unveiled in China - on top of a 1,480ft tower.

Passengers were set to ride in see-through capsules perched on top of the 450-metre-high Canton Tower, also known as the Guangzhou TV Tower. The 16 pods - which hold a total of 96 thrill seekers - each measure just over three metres wide.

They were built using a special macromolecule material which allows a 360-degree crystal clear view.

Unlike other Ferris wheels, it has a 15-degree incline and can resist 8-magnitude earthquakes and Beaufort scale 12 typhoons.

An elliptical track has been constructed around the edge of the tower's roof, and the 16 transparent 'crystal' pods take between 20 and 40 minutes to go round the track.

It's located in Guangzhou, capital of the southwestern Chinese province of Guangdong.

The attraction will cost visitors 130 Yuan each.

Although it's described as a Ferris, its passenger cars are not suspended from the rim of a wheel in the traditional fashion and the track is horizontal.

The tower is also known by its local nickname - Xiao Man's waist - which refers to a famous Geisha who used to entertain people during the reign of the tang Dynasty.

She was appreciated for her slim waist and the tower has a twisted and tight appearance.

In August, Las Vegas announced plans to build the world's 'tallest' Ferris wheel, which will be more than 100ft higher than the London Eye.

Caesar's Entertainment, which runs the Caesar's Palace hotel and casino, revealed its wheel will be called the 'Las Vegas High Roller' and measure 550ft.

That would pip the Singapore Flyer (541ft) to the title of world's tallest wheel.

The London Eye is 443ft tall.

World's First Transformers Ride to Open in December

eTravelBlackboardAsia: Universal Studios Singapore announced that it will debut the world’s first TRANSFORMERS ride this December, allowing its guests to be among the first to experience the blockbuster theme park attraction, aptly named TRANSFORMERS The Ride.

Based on the iconic brand from Hasbro and the popular film franchise directed by Michael Bay, who is also the creative consultant for the thrill ride, it will tell an original TRANSFORMERS tale using realistic high definition 3D media, sophisticated visual effects, and one of the most elaborate roaming flight simulator systems ever integrated into a ride-car vehicle.

Setting a new standard in immersive theme park attractions, TRANSFORMERS The Ride brings to life the story of the battle between the heroic AUTOBOTS and the villainous DECEPTICONS. Guests will be transported into the world of TRANSFORMERS as members of the Human-AUTOBOT alliance called N.E.S.T., giving them the chance to ‘Live The Movies™’ and putting them right in the thick of the action protecting the Allspark from the DECEPTICONS.

Mr. Dennis Gilbert, Senior Vice President of Attractions at Resorts World Sentosa, said: “The extension of the TRANSFORMERS movie franchise into a theme park thrill ride is an exciting part of the natural progression. This blockbuster, which made waves around the world with its stunning special effects and non-stop action, is the perfect recipe for a dynamic, thrilling theme park ride like none before it.”

Mr. Mark Woodbury, President of Universal Creative, said: “This ride is truly one of a kind, pushing the boundaries of hyperrealism. We are proud to continue the traditions of partnering with filmmakers to bring movie magic to our attractions. Working with the immensely talented director Michael Bay as the ride’s creative consultant has been extraordinary. TRANSFORMERS The Ride will tap into the larger-than-life characters and deliver an epic ride experience of a lifetime, thrilling guests from around the world when it opens at Universal Studios Singapore in December 2011 and Universal Studios Hollywood in Spring 2012.”

Licensed from Hasbro, Inc. and in association with Dreamworks SKG, the attraction also enlisted the award-winning Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), a division of Lucasfilm Ltd., which created the visual effects for the movie franchise, to produce ground-breaking visionary special effects and 3-D images exclusively for the ride.

TRANSFORMERS The Ride at Universal Studios Singapore, Southeast Asia’s first and only Universal Studios theme park, will reside in the Sci-Fi City zone, which is also currently home to the world’s tallest dueling roller coasters – Battlestar Galactica: Human and Battlestar Galactica: Cylon.

A brand new blog dedicated to everything TRANSFORMERS The Ride has also been set up as a one-stop destination for the latest information, updates, behind-the-scenes stories and sneak peeks of the attraction, at http://tftheride.rwsentosablog.com.

Guests who wish to experience TRANSFORMERS The Ride this December can contact their preferred travel agents for the best deals to Resorts World Sentosa and Universal Studios Singapore, or visit www.rwsentosa.com to make their reservations.

TRANSFORMERS, the first in the film’s trilogy, debuted in 2007 and garnered three Academy Award® nominations. The first sequel, TRANSFORMERS: Revenge of the Fallen, opened in 2009 and earned an Academy Award® nomination. The third film in the franchise, TRANSFORMERS: Dark of the Moon, opened on 29 June 2011 with stellar box office results worldwide. The three TRANSFORMERS films were directed and jointly executive produced by Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg, and released by Paramount Pictures. Spielberg also serves as creative consultant to Universal Studios Singapore.

Three New Roller Coasters for 2012



Leviathan Rendering

 Jaunted: This year’s roller coaster season is quickly wrapping up, but that doesn’t mean that coaster enthusiasts will have a depressing off-season. Parks are already thinking about 2012 and how to improve on their steel track offerings, so it won’t be long until you’re strapped into one of these new coasters. Here’s just three brand new coasters hitting parks in 2012:

Leviathan - Canada’s Wonderland
North of the border just outside Toronto proper sits one of Canada’s best theme parks, and once 2012 rolls around things will get even better. Leviathan will be the parks 16th coaster when it debuts next May. This $28 million roller coaster will feature an 80-degree initial drop, a bunch of crazy twists and turns, and it will last for over three and half minutes.

The track even buzzes past the front gates of the park, so you get a sneak peek when you first enter for the day. The coaster might just be one of the best in the world when it arrives, as it will be top ten based on speed and height. The thing rises over 300-feet and might just hit speeds of over 90mph.

Manta - SeaWorld San Diego
A similar ride has been doing its thing over in Florida, but when 2012 arrives it will finally be California’s turn to get in on the fun. SeaWorld San Diego is welcoming Manta next year, and it will give tourists and locals a chance to experience the movement of the underwater world—in roller coaster form of course. A new launch station will feature an all-surrounding projection system that provides a look into the underwater world while creating the illusion of even quicker launch speeds. The park is open year-round and construction is already underway—expect the fun to arrive early in 2012.

Skyrush - Hersheypark
It seems that practically every season Hersheypark some how has the cash to build another blockbuster, and it looks like 2012 will be no different. Opening next May, Skyrush will cost $25 million worth of candy bars and will rise to around 200-feet above the park. The Intamin Wing Mega coaster will be the biggest and baddest coaster at the park, and plans include a vertical 85-degree first drop along with four crazy banked turns and five hills. Imagine all of those twists and turns while you're reaching speeds of up to 75mph—oof. It’ll even feature both floored and floorless seats depending on where you choose to sit—2012 can’t arrive soon enough.

UK Theme Park Ride Closed After Incidents

Lancashire Evening Post: A woman has told how she clung on to a theme park ride by her hands and feet fearing she was going to fall out - days before a child plunged 30ft from the same ride.

Charmaine Giles, a care support worker, was enjoying a day out at the Camelot attraction with her partner and his two children until her experience on Excalibur 2.

The 25-year-old said she battled to hang on during a visit on Friday with her delivery driver partner Simon Akeroyd, 30, and his daughter Chloe, nine, and son Nathan, seven.

On Tuesday afternoon, a 12-year-old boy fell from the ride, suffering head and hip injuries. The ride is currently closed while an investigation takes place.

Charmaine, who lives in Bridge Terrace, Walton-le-Dale, near Preston, and went on the ride with Chloe, said: “I almost fell out. I was holding on with my arms, feet, ankles, everything. I couldn’t believe it. I just felt myself coming right out of the side and there was nothing to protect me if I’d have let go."

“They had an overhead thing that comes over you and a silver bar comes over the whole row to make you feel secure. But my overhead thing didn’t actually come as close as I wanted it to. I felt as if I was going to come out. I was slipping through the bars. I’m a rollercoaster fanatic and I’m not afraid of heights but this was just extreme. I should have said something (to staff) that day but I just thought that was what the ride was supposed to be like.”

Another woman, Valerie Willis, 48, said she warned Camelot and Health and Safety bosses the ride was dangerous 10 years ago. She said: “I seriously thought I would come out of it. I had to keep pulling myself up on the bars. I said sooner or later there would be an accident but they insisted it was safe. I’m absolutely appalled.”

A spokesman for Camelot said she could not comment until after the investigation was complete. She said: “We are in contact with the boy’s mother and our thoughts remain with her and her family at this difficult time. Our internal investigation is well under way and we are co-operating fully with the police and Health and Safety Executive.

“Every ride undergoes a daily, pre-opening safety and maintenance check throughout the season and is subject to an annual, independent safety inspection. As our internal enquiries are ongoing, we are unable to provide any more details at this stage.”

Taking the Plunge at Busch Gardens

Hampton Roads: Look out below!

After a nearly three-month delay, Busch Gardens in Williamsburg finally opened the gates Friday on its newest attraction - a nearly 240-foot-high, free-fall ride called Mach Tower.

The early reports?

"The overwhelming comments have been, 'It's been worth the wait,' " said Carl Lum, president of the theme park. The ride, which is in the park's Oktoberfest village, rotates 30 riders atop a spire, then drops them at "breathtaking" speed.

Busch Gardens had planned to launch Mach Tower in the spring and set a date of May 27 for reporters to test it out. But mechanical problems delayed the opening.

"During the manufacturer's initial testing, some mechanical issues were discovered that caused the delay," Lum said in a news release. "We're pleased our guests will be able to ride Mach Tower before the summer comes to a close."

The company announced the ride in September. Earlier this summer, several roller-coaster-fan blogs and online forums, including BGWFans.com, Coaster-net.com and Screamscape.com, posted reports of problems during testing of Mach Tower. The posts cited employees who spoke of a malfunctioning brake system, improper installation of shock absorbers, and defective parts.

Busch Gardens acknowledged that the mechanical issues took longer than expected to resolve, but emphasized that the safety of its patrons was paramount.

"When Mach Tower opens, it will be as safe as every other ride in our park," Lum said in a July email.

Green Lantern Ride Opens at Six Flags Great Adventure

NJ.com: Taylor Arcieri felt her stomach clench as the newest roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson rose 15 stories into the air.

But as the coaster descended that feeling vanished. Arcieri loved the thrill of being upside down -- while standing up. Arcieri, 16 of Long Beach Island, was one of a handful of people -- including roller coasters enthusiasts, families involved with the Children's Miracle Network, and member of the media -- who got an early preview ride on The Green Lantern: Stand Up to Your Fear earlier today. The stand-up coaster is Six Flag Great Adventure's first.

"That pit of your stomach feeling is gone here because you're standing up," said Arcieri. "The ride went so much faster than I thought. It was great."

The ride is open to season pass holders today through May 22. On May 25, the ride will debut to the general public.

The ride, based on the DC Comic book, and pegged to the feature film "Green Lantern" due out June 17, was designed by Swiss Engineers Bolliger & Mabillard. The firm also designed Six Flag's Nitro, Bizarro, Superman-Ultimate Flight and Batman the ride.

"We chose the Green Lantern because it helps us maintain our thrill superiority with in our local market," said John Fitzgerald, president of Six Flags Great Adventure.

The Green Lantern moves across its steel tracks at 63 mph. The track starts off yellow -- to represents the Parallax, a villain the Green Lantern must defeat. As riders help the Green Lantern, the track turns green and experience a 45-degree vertical drop and then ride through five-inversions including a 121-foot-tall loop during the two and a half minute ride.

Because patrons are standing up, riders' center of gravity is shifted giving each loop and turn a different thrill-seeking feeling. While standing you feel taller and slightly closer to the track. The restraints are comfortable but one's body tends to shift more.

The American Roller Coaster Enthusiasts New Jersey regional representative, Adam Revesz, said the Green Lantern was the best stand-up coaster he's been on. Revesz, 36 of Clifton, has been on almost 400 roller coasters.

"The stand up really gives you a different impression of riding a coaster," Revesz said. "It's really thrilling but almost unnatural at the same time. It almost feels like you're skiing."

The Most Anticipated New Theme Park Rides and Attractions

LA Times: It already seems like 2012 is shaping up as a good year for ride enthusiasts and theme park fans as the major industry players are planning to roll out big projects that have been on the drawing boards for a while.

Other projects remain mysteries that the marketing divisions at the individual parks have been relentlessly priming with viral campaigns designed to build excitement in advance of an official announcement.
 
Since it is still early, I'll update my Top 12 over the coming months as new projects are announced. Until then, here's my list of most anticipated rides for 2012:
 
1) Cars Land, the 12-acre themed land under construction at Disney California Adventure, will feature three new rides set amid a faithful re-creation of the isolated red rock desert town populated by Lightning McQueen and other animated vehicles in the Pixar movie “Cars.”

2) The Magic Kingdom will transform Fantasyland into a magical fairy-tale forest with new and upgraded rides, character meet-and-greet areas and a themed restaurant. The centerpiece of the expansion at the Florida park will be a new Little Mermaid dark ride that will take visitors on a musical journey under the sea with Ariel and her friends.

3) Universal Studios Hollywood will add a Transformers dark ride featuring 3-D high-definition footage with special effects and robotics. The new Transformers attraction at the California park is expected to constitute the next generation of the Spiderman dark ride systems at Universal Studios parks in Florida and Japan.

4) SeaWorld San Diego will add a $10-million roller coaster that marks the U.S. debut of a highly anticipated prototype ride. The 30-foot-tall Manta coaster at the California park will feature dual launch zones, a 54-foot drop into a subterranean trench and a dramatic wing dip into a shallow lake over a 2,800-foot-long track.

5) Busch Gardens Williamsburg has announced that a new multi-launch roller coaster will replace the former Big Bad Wolf suspended coaster. In surveys, the Virginia park has asked visitors to rate four potential names: Revenge of the Black Forest, Uber Bahn, Black Forest Turbo or Verbolten.

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Farewell, Jimmy Neutron

Universal Orlando has announced that Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast will be closing on April 1, however the attraction will re-open during limited periods until the the ride is closed permanently on August 18 to make way for a new, exciting attraction.

When Nicktoon Blast closes on April 1, work will immediatley begin on a new attraction based on an "amazing concept".

"The new attraction is just one of many exciting things planned for the next couple of years," says Universal. The theme park did not reveal any other details about the new project, but said they would immediately begin work on it when the Boy Genius ride is closed. Thankfully we'll still have YouTube.