When it comes to new thrills debuting in 2016, chatter generally winds back to the early April opening of a mini-theme park involving a certain boy wizard at Universal Studios Hollywood.
But why simply follow the crowd, especially at $115 a ticket? Excitement is about to launch coast to coast (and across the Atlantic Ocean) in the coming months. Here are five new attractions that will raise your goose bumps — boy wizards need not apply:
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LOS ANGELES
June will see the LA debut of Skyslide, a chute that travels 45 feet between the 70th and 69th floors of the U.S. Bank Tower in Los Angeles. What’s the big deal? The slide is made of 11/4-inch clear glass. And it’s affixed to the outside of the building — which happens to be the tallest on the West Coast.
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For those able to keep their eyes open, Skyslide will present quite a view of downtown LA from 1,000 feet up, plus the hills and sprawl beyond.
The brief-but-chest-clenching ride is part of a $50 million renovation of the building’s Skyspace observation deck, which offers 360-degree views from what is billed as California’s tallest open-air observation deck. Skyspace and Skyslide open June 25. Tickets for both (adult admission is $33 for the combination or just $25 for Skyspace) went on sale mid-March.
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CHICAGO
Through the 1970s and ’80s, downtown’s Navy Pier was an attraction waiting to happen, but ultimately something for locals and visitors alike to avoid. That changed somewhat with a 1995 renovation that elicited snickers from locals for its cultural vapidity but drew in the tourist masses, thanks in part to a Ferris wheel that attracted nearly 16 million people.
In a bid to make Navy Pier a bit more relevant for all, the 3,300-foot-long platform reaching into Lake Michigan is getting another update, which will include a new and (of course) bigger Ferris wheel. Opening May 27, the new ride stands 196 feet high with 42 gondolas (up from 147 feet and 40 gondolas). The new gondolas will feature interactive touch screens because why would you simply want to revel in a slowly shifting perspective of one of the world’s great skylines? Maybe you can even check Facebook from the Ferris wheel!
Chicago’s former Ferris wheel has moved south to Branson, Mo., where it’s expected to start spinning in June.
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LAS VEGAS
It doesn’t get much more Vegas than driving a luxury sports car you can’t afford at speeds you can’t legally drive. But that’s why there’s Vegas.
Opening April 15, SpeedVegas offers a roster of childhood dreams — Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Porsches — and the opportunity to drive them up to 135 miles an hour on a 1.5-mile racetrack featuring 12 turns and 15-degree banks.
Cars are available on a per-lap basis ($89 for the top of the line) or can be rented as part of a package that includes professional coaching. Since the opportunity to drive the cars is open to first-time racers, coaching might be a wise idea. Good news: Insurance is included.
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OKLAHOMA CITY
Downtown Oklahoma City might not elicit visions of thrilling water sports, but the city’s $45 million Riversport Rapids aquatic facility opens May 7.
Designed by the same team that developed an aquatics facility for the 2012 London Olympics, 11-acre Riversport Rapids offers Class II to IV rapids in a 1,000-foot channel for whitewater rafting, kayaking and canoeing. For those skeptical that downtown Oklahoma City can summon furious enough waves, know this: Riversport Rapids will be an Olympic training facility. However, a mellower experience awaits in a second, 1,300-foot channel of slower water intended for families and beginners.
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BRIGHTON, ENGLAND
Even if British Airways i360 didn’t do much of anything, what looks like a metallic doughnut wrapped around a 530-foot silver straw would still be a striking addition to the Brighton coast. But that metallic doughnut happens to rise 450 feet in the sky and will offer an unlikely ride above the English Channel when it’s expected to open this summer.
Said doughnut is actually a “passenger viewing pod” that provides vistas stretching 26 miles on the clearest days: In one direction is Brighton, a city of 250,000 on England’s south coast, and to the other is the waterway between England and France.
It’s a fairly simple ride: Board the pod (it can hold up to 200 people) before gliding slowly to the top. Passengers are free to move around as they wish. At night, the metallic doughnut becomes SkyBar — a high-rise watering hole.
Should your mind go to a dark place with the thought of being trapped in a metallic doughnut 450 feet in the sky, the frequently asked questions have you covered: “And if something exciting pops into view and everyone shifts to one side there is no need to worry — it won’t be tipping over. The ride has been designed to cope with 200 guests regardless of where they choose to stand.”
Bloody good!
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