Theme Parks: What's Hot Now: RCA 2011 Results

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RCA 2011 Results Jan 26th 2012, 11:04 Santa can place another accolade under the tree at Holiday World's Splashin' Safari. The Indiana park that is known for its award-winning coasters won top honors for the best new water park ride of 2010 with Wildebeest. It had some strong competition from Scorpion's Tail, the first water slide in the U.S. with a nearly vertical loop. But Wildebeest also had Holiday World's tireless media maven, Paula Werne, beating the (African?) drum for the water coaster, and the park's mighty legions of fans who turned out in droves with their votes and support. The world's longest water coaster, Wildebeest boasts 1710 feet, or one-third mile, of track. It delivers a two-and-a-half minute ride featuring uphill surges powered by magnetically charged linear induction motors (LIM). The Theme Parks Guide says: I was surprised that Omaka Rocka, the wild-looking mini-funnel ride at the popular Aquatica didn't generate more votes. And Scorpion's Tail, with its trap-door launch chamber and its 100-foot long drop into a nearly (and gnarly? What, too dated?) vertical loop certainly warrants some water park love. But Wildebeest, which breaks another record at Holiday World, was the ride to beat. It gives yet another reason for park fans to make their migration to the out-of-the-way park. The Runners-Up: 2. Scorpion's Tail at Noah's Ark in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin 3. Tornado at Hurricane Harbor the water park at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey 4. Omaka Rocka at Aquatica at SeaWorld Orlando in Florida 5. Dr. Von Dark's Tunnel of Terror at Raging Waters in San Dimas, California

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Theme Parks: What's Hot Now: Goliath Hypercoaster

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Goliath Hypercoaster Jan 26th 2012, 11:04 Goliath is one of those you-either-love-it-or-you-hate-it roller coasters. Some thrill machine fans put it at or near the top of their favorites list. Put me in the hate-it category for a number of reasons. Chief among them: I nearly passed out from Goliath's extreme positive G forces. Thrill Scale (0=Wimpy!, 10=Yikes!): 8.5 Extreme height, speed, acceleration, and freaky lateral Gs capable of inducing grayouts Coaster type: Hypercoaster Height: 235 feet Drop: 255 Top speed: 85 mph Height restriction: 48 inches Let's set a few things straight. I don't claim to be the world's greatest thrill ride daredevil, and I'm firmly in the maddening throes of middle age. But as About.com's Theme Parks guide, I've boarded a slew of roller coasters of all sizes and challenge levels, I enjoy riding them, and I believe I possess a fairly robust constitution. The disorienting, genuinely frightening--and I don't mean that in a good way--grayout (one step short of a blackout) sensation I experienced on Six Flags Magic Mountain's Goliath, however, was a first for me--and I hope a last. On the day I visited Magic Mountain, I rode some coasters before and (once I regained my confidence) after Goliath without incident. Had I given it another whirl later in the day, tried a different seat, or changed any one or a combination of other variables, perhaps I would have been fine. But I wasn't. I felt as if I was struggling to maintain consciousness, and that's certainly not something I expect, nor want, when I ride a roller coaster. Clearly, the other passengers seemed fine as they exited the coaster with me. And since its debut in 2000, legions of riders have braved Goliath, apparently without succumbing to grayouts. But I've heard complaints from other thrill ride fans about similar episodes on Goliath, so I believe there may be something inherently wrong with the ride's design. Your experience may vary, but I recommend you think twice before testing your limits. Younger children especially might find the experience quite unnerving. Riding Goliath Goliath is certainly an imposing sight. Its orange track stands out among Six Flag Magic Mountain's crowded coaster skyline. However, like most of the park's coasters, Goliath is set far back from the midway, and it's difficult to get a sense of the ride's layout. To enter the queue, guests walk between enormous "stone-carved" letters spelling out the ride's macho name. A long line leads to the loading station. The 235-foot lift hill is suitably intimidating. As the train click-clack-clicks up the hill--and keeps clicking and clacking--the sense of apprehension rises. The first drop into an underground tunnel is exhilarating. And the crest of the second hill delivers some wonderful airtime. THIS is what hypercoasters are supposed to be all about. I give Goliath one star (as opposed to none) for its first two hills. But, a mid-course trim brake abruptly sucks a lot of the energy out of the train. What's the sense of building a 235-foot tall hypercoaster only to slam on the brakes and dampen all of the fun? The brake must be an attempt to mitigate the effect of the mind-numbing element that follows it. After a third drop, the train enters a highly banked helix where the track tightly turns and turns into itself. This is where the grayout occurred. Goliath begins with "G" Nearly all coasters deliver negative (less than 1 G) and positive (greater than 1 G) forces. When done right, they can be roller coaster nirvana; they're what coaster junkies crave. In most cases, the G forces are momentary bursts. Even relatively high levels, in small doses, can be breathtaking. Goliath's sustained lateral G forces, however, are excruciating. I started getting foggy as soon as the train began its helix spiral. Instead of letting up, it felt as if the G forces intensified. My vision began getting blurry, and then everything appeared to have a glowing red cast. As the helix continued its tortuous coil, colors faded from my vision altogether. At that point I felt as if I was fighting to stay conscious. Finally, mercifully, the train exited the helix, and the fogginess lifted. I was never so happy for a ride to be over. Even if I had been able to withstand the helix without any ill effects, I'd still give Goliath a crummy rating. The best hypercoasters, like Six Flags New England's Superman: Ride of Steel, use their extreme height and speed to produce a symphony of thrilling airtime and barely-in-control maneuvers. Instead, Goliath squanders its pent-up power and falls woefully flat in its second movement. My advice: Put your slingshot back in your pocket, David, and forget about Goliath. If you want a really good scream machine, check out Magic Mountain's wonderful floorless coaster, Scream.

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Theme Parks: The Last Ride

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The Last Ride Jan 25th 2012, 15:42 My father wasn't a fan of roller coasters. He was wary of tall escalators, let alone rickety mechanical rides. But he and my mother dutifully took my brother and me to the coaster havens of our youth and helped plant the seed for this crazy love affair I developed with amusement parks. While he steered clear of the rides, my dad nonetheless enjoyed his park visits around New England, particularly the delicious park food we both craved, such as homemade potato chips and onion rings at Salisbury Beach, chop suey sandwiches (you read that right: sandwiches filled with chop suey!) at Salem Willows, Joe and Nemo's hot dogs at Revere Beach, and the mounds of seafood at Rocky Point's massive shore dinner hall. While we didn't share a love of coasters, we did share a passion for...passion. He had his own things about which he cared deeply, such as classical music, cars, opera, and Hunan whole crispy fish. He lived his life with gusto and a take-no-prisoners attitude, and he encouraged his children to do the same. While I don't think he quite understood my passion for parks (and I'm not sure anyone, myself included, really does), he did get a kick out of it and applauded it. My dad died last night, and Friday he'll take his last ride to the cemetery. He crammed plenty of living into his life, but it seemed to end so suddenly. I've often said that my motto here at About.com's Theme Parks site is: Life's too short. Enjoy the ride. In so many words, that is the advice that my dad gave to me. Please allow me to pass it along to you. Find your passion, whether it's crazy coasters, Szechuan food, or classical music, and pursue it. Enjoy the ride.

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Theme Parks: What's Hot Now: Leviathan

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Leviathan Jan 25th 2012, 11:04 It's one thing to climb 306 feet on a roller coaster. It's another to come down the other side of a 300-foot drop at an 80-degree angle of descent. Reaching speeds of 92 mph, Leviathan will be among the world's fastest coasters.

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Theme Parks: What's Hot Now: Coaster Ride Guide 2011

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Coaster Ride Guide 2011 Jan 25th 2012, 11:04 The economy, still wobbly as we enter into 2011, has put the kibosh on many parks' capital budgets and has prevented them from rolling out the heady number of coasters that we used to see debuting a few years (and one honking recession) ago. Still, there will be a few new roller coasters opening in the U.S. this season, including a couple of especially intriguing ones. Note that some of the "new" coasters are existing rides that are being transplanted from other parks--and, in one case, a hunka-hunka bunch of wood will take shape as the King's favorite coaster. Beyond the U.S., the race for fastest coaster bragging rights has taken some new turns. The guide is arranged alphabetically by U.S. state. Select coasters at parks beyond the U.S. follow at the end of the guide. CONNECTICUT Quassy Amusement Park Middlebury, CT Wooden Warrior The small, traditional amusement park will add a new family wooden coaster that will climb 35 feet, drop 45 feet, and reach a top speed of 35 mph. Wooden Warrior preview video CALIFORNIA Six Flags Magic Mountain Valencia, CA Green Lantern, revamped Superman: Escape from Krypton, and Little Flash With an additional two coasters coming in 2011, including the highly anticipated Fourth Dimension "ZacSpin" model, Green Lantern, Magic Mountain will have a total of 18 and reclaim the world's record for most number of coasters at one park. Read more about Six Flags Magic Mountain's new coasters and its exciting 2011 season 2011 season preview video FLORIDA Busch Gardens Tampa Tampa, FL Cheetah Hunt When you think of cheetahs, you think of graceful, sleek animals that are fast--really, really fast, right? Cheetah Hunt, the new roller coaster coming to Busch Gardens Tampa in spring 2011 looks like it will be sleek, smooth, and, yup, fast. Busch Gardens Tampa Cheetah Hunt Preview Photos Busch Gardens Tampa Cheetah Hunt Preview Video Legoland Florida Winter Haven, FL Coastersauras The junior wooden coaster is a holdover from the former Cypress Gardens (where it was known as Triple Hurricane). Lego Technic Test Track Junior steel roller coaster will be Legoland's only truly new coaster The Dragon Indoor/outdoor steel coaster that is also a holdover from the former Cypress Gardens. Flight School Junior inverted coaster that was part of Cypress Gardens. To be built on the site of the former Cypress Gardens and scheduled to open in October 2011, the new Legoland Florida will be larger than any of the current four Legolands (including the sole US property, Legoland California). It will offer about 50 rides and shows, including four coasters. Like the other parks, the coasters and all attractions will be geared to the 12-and-under set. Legoland Florida Preview Photo Gallery GEORGIA Six Flags Over Georgia Austell, Georgia. (near Atlanta) Dare Devil Dive A "Euro-Fighter" model, the sleek new roller coaster will lift single cars straight up a 95-foot top-hat tower, pause them at the top, then send them down a beyond-straight drop at 52 mph. A series of acrobatic maneuvers will follow. Six Flags Over Georgia Dare Devil Dive Preview Video MASSACHUSETTS Six Flags New England Agawam, MA (near Springfield and Hartford, CT) To be Named Transplanted from the shuttered Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, where it was known as Road Runner Express, the Wild Mouse-style coaster will climb about 50 feet, reach a top speed of 28 mph, and feature characteristic hairpin turns. NEW HAMPSHIRE Canobie Lake Park Salem, NH Untamed While specifications have not been officially confirmed for the compact Euro-Fighter-model coaster, it is expected that it will feature single 8-passenger cars that will climb about 73 feet straight up a tower and drop around 97 degrees (that's 7 degrees beyond vertical) down the other side. Untamed will reach a top speed of about 44 mph and will likely include three inversions, including an Immelmann loop and a zero-G roll. NEW JERSEY Six Flags Great Adventure Jackson, NJ Green Lantern Not to be confused with the same-named ride coming to Six Flags Magic Mountain, this standup coaster is another attraction salvaged from the shuttered Kentucky Kingdom. It will climb 154 feet and hit 63 mph when it drops 144 feet. Six Flags Great Adventure Green Lantern Preview Video NEW YORK Coney Island Brooklyn, NY New Scream Zone park with two new coasters It's been decades since a major new roller coaster opened at Brooklyn's famed Coney Island. This spring, two are set to debut. Get ready to ride Soaring Eagle, a flying coaster on which riders will navigate the track in a nearly prone "superhero" flying position, and Steeplechase Coaster, which will feature racehorse seats rather than traditional coaster cars (and harks back to Coney Island's legendary, circa-1908 Steeplechase ride). PENNSYLVNIA Knoebels Elysburg, PA Flying Turns The Flying Turns will re-create the bobsled-like wooden coasters that were popular decades ago. The path to opening the ride has taken a lot of, um, turns. The delayed coaster was supposed to have opened four seasons ago (and has been duly noted in my Coaster Ride Guide for the past four years). 2011 may finally be the year that the ride will open; then again, maybe not. Black Diamond I'll bet this ride will open in 2011. A former Jersey shore steel family coaster, Knoebels will repurpose the ride into an indoor/outdoor coaster that will feature a mining theme. TEXAS Six Flags Over Texas Arlington (near Dallas), TX The Texas Giant The famed wooden coaster will get a major overhaul when its aging wooden tracks will be replaced with prefabricated steel tracks. The "new" Texas Giant, which will be a hybrid wood/steel coaster, should be quite smooth. UTAH Lagoon Farmington (near Salt Lake City), UT Bombora A steel "family" (not a humongous, mega-thrill ride) coaster is on its way to Lagoon for the 2011 season. WISCONSIN Bay Beach Amusement Park Green Bay Zippin Pippin The small, free-admission park will be home to a remake of the defunct Tennessee wooden coaster that was purportedly a favorite of Elvis Presley. it will drop 70 feet and reach 40 mph. SELECTED COASTERS AT PARKS BEYOND THE U.S. Nurburgring Nurburg, Germany ring racer The ride opened briefly in 2009, but encountered problems and never reached its intended record-breaking speeds. When it opens in 2011 at the Nurburgring Race Track, ring racer will now have to settle for second best(see the Formula Rossa coaster below). Using the compressed-air launch system it pioneered, S&S Worldwide, Inc. will design the ride to accelerate from 0 to 135 mph in 2.5 seconds. Ring racer will not include any inversions, banked turns, or any other elements. Created exclusively for speed, the ride will run parallel to the famous German raceway on a mostly straight track, and then turn around to head back to the loading station. Preview Video of ring racer. Ferrari World Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, part of the United Arab Emirates Formula Rossa Opened in November 2010, Ferrari World's featured attraction uses a hydraulic launch system to reach a top speed of 240 km/h (149 mph), making it the fastest roller coaster in the world. Ferrari World Photo Gallery Ferrari World Preview Video

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Theme Parks: What's Hot Now: Best Water Parks at Theme Parks

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Best Water Parks at Theme Parks Jan 25th 2012, 11:04 Location: Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois (near Chicago). A huge tropical-themed water park, Hurricane Harbor features Skull Island, an enormous interactive water play structure. It also offers a funnel ride, body slides, wave pool, tube slides, speed slides, lazy river, family raft ride, and mat racing slides. Hurricane Harbor at Six Flags Great America Overview Six Flags Great America and Hurricane Harbor Photo Gallery

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Theme Parks: Most Popular Articles: Readers Choice Awards 2012

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Readers Choice Awards 2012 Jan 25th 2012, 11:24 OK park fans, it's time to let your voices be heard again. The annual Readers' Choice Awards showcase the best new stuff at parks -- the things that captured the attention, stoked the admiration, and outright dazzled readers like you during the past year. Parks introduced lots of popular new goodies during 2011, so it should be a spirited competition. There are some other great online awards programs for parks, but the Readers' Choice Awards is the only one that focuses exclusively on new achievements in the previous year. Think of it as the Academy Awards or the People's Choice Awards for parks. There aren't any prizes for the winners, nor is there any boring awards ceremony -- just the bragging rights that come with getting recognized by the readers of one of the biggest networks on the Web. To get weekly updates about the theme park awards as well as the latest news about the world of theme parks, water parks, and themed attractions, subscribe to About.com's Theme Parks Newsletter. This is the second year that the Theme Parks site has participated in About.com's Readers Choice Awards. Do you want to know which parks got the nod for the first crop of awards? Check out last year's RCA results. It's Time to Nominate Your Favorites! About.com, 2012. There are seven categories this year, including three new ones. The nomination period begins Wednesday, January 18, 2012. Links to the nomination forms are listed below for each of the categories. The nomination period ends Wednesday, February 15, after which nominations will be tallied, and five finalists will be determined for each category. The voting phase begins Wednesday, February 22, 2012 and continues through Wednesday, March 21. The winners, as determined by your votes, will be announced on Friday, March 30, 2012. Got that? Good. Now, on to the nominations. Best New Theme Park Attraction of 2011 © Arthur Levine, 2011. Licensed to About.com. This category includes any new ride or park attraction that debuted anywhere in the world during 2011 except a show, roller coaster, or ride in a water park (which have their own categories). You can learn more about last year's new attractions in the Theme Parks Ride Guide 2011. Some possible candidates include (but are not limited to): The Little Mermaid- Ariel's Undersea Adventure at Disney California Adventure Star Tours - The Adventures Continue at Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios. (Note that the "sequel" that opened last year is substantially different from the original Star Tours and therefore qualifies as a "new" attraction.) Lost Kingdom Adventure at Legoland Florida Windseeker at Knott's Berry Farm, Kings Island, Cedar Point, and Canada's Wonderland SkyScreamer at Six Flags St. Louis Barnstormer at Dollywood Nominate the Best New Theme Park Attraction of 2011. Best New Theme Park Show of 2011 SeaWorld. Used with permission. You can nominate any new park show that debuted anywhere in the world during 2011. A "show" is any outdoor presentation, including a parade, or indoor theater-type presentation. You can learn more about last year's new shows in my What's New at Parks Guide 2011. Some possible nominees include (but are not limited to): The Magic, The Memories and You! projection shows at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom. One Ocean at SeaWorld parks in San Diego, Orlando, and San Antonio. Survivor Live at Six Flags New England Snoopy's Starlight Spectacular at Carowinds, Canada's Wonderland, and Kings Dominion. Neighborhood Street Party at Seasme Place Lone Star Spectacular at Six Flags Fiesta Texas Nominate the Best New Theme Park Show of 2011. Best New Roller Coaster of 2011 Six Flags, 2010. Used with permission. Nominate any new coaster that debuted anywhere in the world during 2011. Coasters that were moved from one location to another are not eligible. You can learn more about last year's new rides in my Roller Coaster Ride Guide 2011. Some possible candidates include (but you can nominate any eligible coaster): Wooden Warrior at Quassy Amusement Park. Green Lantern at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Cheetah Hunt at Busch Gardens Tampa. Dare Devil Dive at Six Flags Over Georgia. Untamed at Canobie Lake Park New Texas Giant at Six Flags Over Texas. (Note that, while the 2011 ride shares a name and location with the original Texas Giant, it was changed substantially and therefore qualifies as a "new" roller coaster for the awards.) Nominate the Best New Roller Coaster of 2011. Best New Water Park Ride of 2011 Calypso Theme Waterpark Limoges Canada © Copyright 2011 Any new water park ride at either outdoor or indoor water parks (including indoor water park resorts) that debuted anywhere in the world during 2011 would be eligible. Note that water rides in theme parks (such as shoot-the-chute or whitewater raft rides) are not eligible. The ride must be located in a water park, including water parks that are part of theme parks. You can learn more about last year's new water park rides in my Slide Guide 2011. Some possible nominees include (but feel free to nominate any eligible water park ride): Constrictor at Wet 'n' Wild Phoenix La Chute at Jay Peak Indoor Water Park Bombs Away at Raging Waters Zoomazon Falls at Six Flags America Torpedo Rush at Splash World at Clementon Amusement Park Python Plunge at Zoombezi Bay Neptune's Revenge at Ocean Breeze Waterpark Vanish Point at Water Country USA Summit Tower at Calypso Waterpark Nominate the Best New Water Park Ride of 2011. Best New Park Food of 2011 © Arthur Levine, 2012. Licensed to About.com. Any new food item at a theme park or water park (including indoor water parks) that debuted anywhere in the world during 2011 would be eligible. It could be a snack item, a quick-service dish, or something new at a full-service restaurant. New food served anywhere at theme park or water park resorts, including on-property hotels and onsite dining/entertainment/shopping complexes would be eligible. This is a new category for the 2012 Theme Park Readers' Choice Awards. Who will take home the inaugural prize for the tastiest new food item? Nominate the Best New Park Food of 2011. Best Theme Park Halloween Event of 2011 Knott's Berry Farm, 2011. Used with permission. Which park, anywhere in the world, had the best Halloween event last year? This award is not for any one attraction, but for the best overall presentation, including haunted mazes, scare zones, shows, and decorations. You can learn more about last year's Halloween events in my Scaredy-Parks Guide 2011. This is another new category for the 2012 Theme Park Readers' Choice Awards. Some possible choices include (but any eligible 2011 Halloween event is fair game): Knott's Scary Farm 2011 Universal Studios Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights 2011 Busch Gardens Tampa Howl-O-Scream 2011 Universal Studios Orlando Halloween Horror Nights 21 Haunted Graveyard at Lake Compounce 2011 Six Flags Fright Fest 2011 (at multiple Six Flags parks) HalloWeekends at Cedar Point 2011 Nominate the Best Theme Park Halloween Event of 2011. Best Theme Park Holidays Event of 2011 Silver Dollar City. Used with permission. More and more parks are celebrating Christmas and the holidays with special events. So which one, anywhere in the world, had the best holiday event last year? As with the Halloween award, this category is for the best overall presentation, including shows, holiday lights, festive food, special attractions, and decorations. You can learn more about last year's holiday events in my Jingle Bell Parks Guide Guide 2011. This is yet another new category for the 2012 Theme Park Readers' Choice Awards. Some possible choices include (but all 2011 park Christmas events are eligible): Christmas at Disneyland 2011 Grinchmas at Islands of Adventure 2011 Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom 2011 Christmastime at Santa's Village 2011 Christmas Town at Busch Gardens Williamsburg 2011 Holiday in the Park 2011 (at multiple Six Flags parks) Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Christmas Festival 2011 Nominate the Best Theme Park Holidays Event of 2011.

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