DEL.ICIO.USTheme parks across the country roll out new attractions
Associated Press
Sunday, May 25, 2008
It’s a big year for fans of theme parks and roller coasters all over North America.
The long list of new attractions includes the Nickelodeon-themed park at Minnesota’s Mall of America, Toy Story Mania! at Disney, The Simpsons Ride at Universal Orlando and enough new thrill rides to literally make your head spin.
AP
‘Finding Nemo’s’ Crush makes an appearance at Disney’s California Adventure Park in Anaheim.
AP
Shane Araujo, 7, left, and Vitoria Poejo, 7, of New York City, pose with super heroes Robin, The Green Lantern, and Batman at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, N.J. The amusement park opened its newest roller coaster, ‘Dark Knight.’
Cedar Point / AP
The new Planet Snoopy area for kids at Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio is already a hit.
Paul Hiffmeyer / AP
the character Heimlich from Disney Pixar’s ‘a bug’s life’ goes to pieces along the parade route during a rehearsal for the new Pixar Play Parade at Disney’s California Adventure Park in Anaheim, Calif.
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The coasters include Behemoth, Canada’s longest, fastest and tallest coaster, opening at Canada’s Wonderland near Toronto; Fahrenheit at Hersheypark in Pennsylvania; and the Dark Knight Coaster at Six Flags in New Jersey and near Chicago, based on the upcoming Batman movie “The Dark Knight.” There are also new Tony Hawk-themed rides opening at several Six Flags, a new children’s play area at Six Flags Over Georgia, a water ride at Dollywood where you shoot soakers at other riders and interactive targets, and new children’s areas at SeaWorld San Diego, Cedar Point and other parks.
Most Americans are within a tank drive of a local theme park, making the parks a good family destination even in a slow economy.
Here are some of the new parks and attractions in the U.S. and Canada. A few opened earlier this spring; most, but not all, will open by Memorial Day. Check with parks for opening dates.
Florida and California
The Simpsons Ride, Universal Orlando, www.universalorlando.com and at Universal Studios Hollywood, Los Angeles, www.universalstudioshollywood.com. This simulator ride — part thrills, part TV show — replaces Back to the Future.
Toy Story Mania! Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Fla., www.disneyworld.com, and Disneyland, Anaheim, Calif., www.disneyland.com. Interactive ride where you shoot at virtual targets, inspired by the “Toy Story” movies. Opens at Disney World on May 31 and at Disney’s California Adventure Park on June 17.
Jungala, Busch Gardens, Tampa Bay, www.jungala.com. Interactive animal park, where you can watch gibbons up close, observe an orangutan paint and engage in a tug-of-war with a Bengal tiger.
Aquatica, SeaWorld, Orlando, www.aquaticabyseaworld.com. Water park adjacent to SeaWorld, with waterfalls, racing slides, a raft ride, wave pools, lagoons, a beach and 36 slides.
Sesame Street Bay of Play, SeaWorld, San Diego, www.seaworld.com/sandiego. Kiddie park with “Sesame Street” characters, three rides and live show.
Pacific Wheel, Santa Monica Pier, Calif., www.pacpark.com. This new, $1.5 million Ferris wheel with 15,000 lights replaces the old one.
Land of Adventure, Legoland, Carlsbad, Calif., www.legoland.com/California.htm. This new area of the park includes a dark ride, Lost Kingdom Adventure, and Pharaoh’s Revenge, where you shoot foam balls. New Sea Life Aquarium will open in July.
In Canada, the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic
Behemoth, Canada’s Wonderland, Vaughan, Ontario (near Toronto), www.canadaswonderland.com. Canada’s tallest, fastest roller coaster, with a 230-foot first drop followed by seven more out-of-your-seat drops.
Niagara’s Fury, Niagara Falls, Ontario, www.niagarasfury.com. High-tech attraction telling the story of the creation of the famous falls.
Motocoaster, Darien Lake, Darien Center, N.Y., www.godarienlake.com. New ride design intended to simulate a motorcycle, with 12 motorcycles on a figure-eight layout, 44 feet tall, at speeds up to 40 mph.
Fahrenheit, Hersheypark, Hershey, Pa., www.hersheypark.com. Vertical lift inverted loop coaster, up to 58 mph, 2,700 feet of steel track. Also new at Hershey, the Howler ride, with sphere-shaped cars that rotate at a 20-degree angle, creating a “tornadolike” experience.
Dominator, Kings Dominion, Doswell, Va., www.kingsdominion.com. Floorless coaster with five inversions, said to have the world’s largest vertical loop.
At Six Flags parks
Dark Knight, Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, N.J., and Six Flags Great America, Gurnee, Ill., near Chicago, www.sixflags.com/greatadventure and www.sixflags.com/greatAmerica. Indoor roller coaster with hairpin turns, drops into darkness and video from the upcoming Batman movie, “The Dark Knight.”
Tony Hawk’s Halfpipe, Six Flags America, Bowie/Mitchellville, Md., www.sixflags.com/America. Water slide designed to evoke skating a halfpipe.
Tony Hawk’s Big Spin, Six Flags Over Texas, Arlington, Texas, www.sixflags.com/overTexas and at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Vallejo, Calif., www.sixflags.com/discoveryKingdom. Built to resemble a skate park, with cars that twist, turn and spin.
Goliath, Six Flags Fiesta Texas, San Antonio, www.sixflags.com/fiestaTexas. Inverted coaster suspends riders from overhead track and goes 50 mph.
Evel Knievel, Six Flags St. Louis, Eureka, Mo., www.sixflags.com/stLouis. Wooden coaster with a 2,700-foot track, 80-foot drop, and double 55-foot drops. Opening in late June.
Thomas Town, Six Flags Over Georgia, Austell, www.sixflags.com/overGeorgia. Play area for younger children themed on Thomas the Tank Engine.
In the South
River Battle, Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, Tenn., www.dollywood.com. Water adventure ride with nine rafts. Each raft holds eight people armed with soaker guns taking aim at each other and more than 100 interactive targets, including splashing beavers, skunks, otters and bears.
In the Midwest and West
Planet Snoopy, Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio, www.cedarpoint.com. New children’s play area with seven rides, plus a new Snoopy-themed restaurant and ice show.
Skyscraper, Challenge Park (at Cedar Point), Sandusky, Ohio, www.cedarpoint.com/public/park/challenge_park. A thrill ride that spins like a propeller with open cars 16 stories off the ground. Opening in June.
Thunderhawk, Michigan’s Adventure, Muskegon, Mich., www.miadventure.com. The 105-foot-tall inverted roller coaster flips riders upside down five times.
Keylime Cove, Gurnee, Ill., www.keylimecove.com. New water park with wave pool, body slides, lazy river and activity pool for watersports.
Nickelodeon Universe, Mall of America, Bloomington, Minn., www.nickelodeonuniverse.com. Nickelodeon, the children’s cable network, has had Nick-branded zones in theme parks before, but this park, which opened in March, is the company’s first stand-alone theme park. Rides include SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge roller coaster.
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