Son of Beast News!

From Screamscape:

Son Of Beast Status - Closed Until Further Notice - (7/28/10) I’m told that some new land clearing has actually begun behind Son of Beast. While I’m not sure what this may mean, another reader has pointed out that the former SonOfBeast.com website is now auto-forwarding all visits to the Intimidator 305 page. Odd… very odd…

Uh-oh... um, I said it once, and I'll say it again...

DOOM AND GLOOM!!!!!

What's Going on With Superman The Escape?

Recently, Superman The Escape at Six Flags Magic Mountain went down (4th of July weekend) and will not reopen until 2011. It's unknown why, but it is said that the ride could be either partially or completely rethemed to... BIZARRO, a conversion given on Superman: Ride of Steel (SFNE) and Medusa (SFGAdv) in 2009. Personally, I hope this is false. STE doesn't need to be turned into Bizarro. Why not put it in another coaster, like Scream? Scream seems to be the ride that needs the Bizarro treatment the most. And it's easy too; all they need to do is copy some of the effects installed on Medusa, and give a similar repaint, and well, voíla!

Anyways, back to STE/Bizarro, I recall hearing back in December 2009 that the Superman figure has been taken down for a "repaint," which increases the possibility of a retheme. Here's some old rumors (when Bizarro started to be rumored):

2011 - Bizarro / Superman - Rumor - (2/10/10) While the whole subject of adding a Bizarro side to Superman is suddenly very popular, I’m told that the issue of a backwards car hitting the emergency brakes is not as bad as first thought. First hand accounts from many who have experienced it claim that it was not at all a jarring experience, but more like what riders have become accustomed to today by the quick but smooth stops on other rides with magnetic brakes, such as Xcelerator at Knott’s. However the jury is still out on if the ride would ever run backwards or not since the entire ride system may have to be put under review one again before being cleared to run that way.
(2/8/10) A reader was kind enough to point out a major flaw in the concept of transforming Superman: The Escape into having a backwards running “Bizarro” side. While I believe that the force of the launch could be handled in reverse, even with the addition of a new Over The Shoulder (OTS) restraint system if deemed necessary, the true problem lies with Superman’s emergency brake run behind the station.
Most people have not experienced this system in action, and even fewer have witnessed it from the outside since the station is clear of all guests until the train returns to the loading station, but in the rare case that Superman’s LSM powered braking system fails to stop a car that is rushing backwards into the station, the car will pass through a hanging barrier and into a section of track lined with natural earth magnets that will stop it in it’s tracks very quickly. You can see this short section of outdoor track behind the station in this aerial photo of the ride posted to Joyrides.
If a “Bizarro” car, running backwards, were to ever blast through into this emergency brake run, the riders would likely be thrown forward into their restraints (lap bars or even OTS if added) with such extreme force, that it would not only hurt, but also possibly cause serious injury.
(2/5/10) According to a post on Coasterdom, based on an interesting Tweet by Six Flags, it seems that some new changes are in the works for Superman: The Escape. While this could have something to do with why the Superman figure has been missing from the top of the tower for so long, they believe that last years rumors of a conversion of Superman into a Bizarro themed ride are also very possibly coming to pass.
I heard this rumor myself from my own sources and as I understood it the idea from last year was that one side of Superman would be altered to feature a new Bizarro themed car that may run backwards. Then they would finally get both sides of the ride able to launch simultaneously once again, as this has been a major headache for the ride from Day 1. Anyone know more?

And some newer reports:

(7/10/10) I’m not quite sure what the reason is, but following the end of the busy July 4th weekend, Superman: The Escape has been shut down. A barrier is up blocking the entrance with a sign now that says that the ride is closed for “routine annual maintenance work” which will “ensure your future enjoyment for years to come”. While a closure for a few days to fix a problem isn’t too crazy an explanation, the “annual maintenance” line sounds like complete crap since they would have done that during the slow off season.
According to another source however, something is up with the ride that could keep it closed until sometime in 2011. Given the perfect timing of shutting it down following the busy weekend, this sounds more like a planned closure. Of course with all the rumors about cost-cutting across the Six Flags chain, I’ve got to wonder if they’ve opted to close it simply to reap the savings on the electric bill for the park as Superman does require a lot of juice to operate. Of course there were those crazy “Bizarro” transformation rumors earlier this year as well... hmmm... anyone else know more?

(7/21/10) We’ve heard a report that a sign may have been placed in front of Superman: The Escape now claiming that it wont reopen until Spring 2011. Can anyone confirm this and get a picture?

(7/22/10) It’s been confirmed that there is now a sign in front of Superman: The Escape confirming that it will remain closed until Spring 2011 because “Something BIG is happening.” You can find a picture of the sign posted here. The funny thing is that most people are still buzzing about a Bizarro tie-in being on the way for the ride next year… I guess we’ll find out if it’s true or not.

What is Universal's Next Project?

With HP now open, I'm starting to wonder what Universal's next project will be (BTW, I'm going there next weekend! =D). Due to the money spent on HP, the maximum we could be seeing next year is a show (probably replacing Fear Factor... and for crying out loud Universal, PLEASE REPLACE THIS!!!) unless you count the apartment complexes being built behind MIB, Fear Factor, and Jaws. =P Here's some possibilities for the future additions/improvements at UOR:

Next Ride to go:

A few months back, Screamscape reported the following rides over at the Studios that could be removed for a future attraction:

Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast
Twister
Terminator 2: 3D
E.T. Adventure

I personally am starting to doubt Neutron's closure. It was said to close this Spring, and guess what... it's summer. It's also worth noting that the rocket over the entrance was taken down a few months back, but now it's back up. I doubt UOR would waste their time taking down the rocket and putting it back up, only to close the ride soon. It would be a complete waste of time. But who knows, maybe I'm wrong, so I'm not going to let my guard down just yet.

Now Twister... recently a new floor drop was installed (the one from the now demolished Backdraft in Hollywood) and the attraction seemed to be better than ever to some people. I'm starting to doubt this removal too... but who knows? I recall that some rides start to run better than ever before they close (Great American Scream Machine and Back to the Future are examples). But I'm starting to doubt it anyway.

T2:3D... see my previous posts for more info. Though, I do remember Screamscape reported that T2:3D in Japan will be replaced by a clone of the Transformers ride debuting in Hollywood. I still doubt it completely though...

E.T. Adventure... while the ride does need a refurb (*cough*old vehicles*cough*) it's a classic ride, that shouldn't be removed. But it could be possible, seeing as how Hollywood and Japan have removed theirs (and the ride ended up not going up in Singapore, even though it was confirmed to). It still needs to stay though...

With that being said, I think it's time for Universal to start expanding and not replacing other attractions besides FFL...

Transformers:

I still have this feeling that Transformers will end up coming to Orlando.

Hulk Refurb:

I heard that Hulk has a clean spot in the mist tunnel, but STILL NO REPAINT! Argh... it needs one, though it's probably going to happen when the HP crowds die down. I'm still praying for LEDs and sound effects on the trains with that repaint (Screamscape reported it a few weeks back)... now that would be cool! =D

Water Park Coming Soon?:

I'm pretty sure some of us know by now that Screamscape reported a few weeks back that an online survey is up talking about a possible new water park being added. I had this thought... the plot of land between Hollywood Way and I-4. That land is huge and perfect for a water park. Anyways, I'll keep you updated on this development.

GASM Update

Well, they started taking down track after the final corkscrew for Great American Scream Machine.

That's pretty much the update, though I want to pass this crappy info (Wikipedia):

On July 5, 2010, Six Flags Great Adventure informally announced on their official [[Facebook]] page that the Great American Scream Machine would be closed on July 18, 2010 permanently to "make room for a major new attraction in 2011."{{Ref|1}}Immediately after the final run and the last riders had made their way out the exit on July 18, 2010, the power was cut to the ride area and deconstruction began immediately on the trains and ride area fences, where the park began to place "under construction" fencing and signs.{{Ref|2}} It is possible that this ride will be reloacted to [[Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom]] in 2011.

Now this is just Wikipedia crap, because I've seen GASM getting demolished, and it looks to be getting scrapped. The trains are also for sale, which gives it a 0% chance of getting relocated.

Anyway, I edited back to normal.

Chang Update #12

It seems that Chang will indeed go up in SFGAdv replacing the Great American Scream Machine, with the lift hill side-to-side with Superman: Ultimate Flight, and the coaster may be coming to the park with some friends that are from Kentucky Kingdom too (according to Ro11erC0ast3r at CoasterFusion):

For those of you looking for new photos today, there are none as I was not able to get to the park this morning. However, I ran into someone who works at the park & we struck up conversation about the removal of Scream Machine as well as plans for the park in 2011:

Why Scream Machine Is Being Removed
We all know that The Great American Scream Machine was built in 1989 and with age comes repair. This coaster isn't your Runaway Mine Train Ride that only reaches a maximum speed of 40 miles per hour. Scream Machine is a seven looping 60 mph beast that has areas of the track where the train is a rockin' & a rollin'. Well with that rockin & rollin comes needed repairs. We have confirmed that the REAL reason GASM is coming down is not because of low throughput, or lack of parts, but more along the lines of track cracking that almost occurs on a weekly basis. Maintenance & mechanics would weld over already welded areas of track each week and eventually it couldn't be done anymore.

What "New Attraction" Is Coming For 2011
Remember the rumor that we had posted about Chang from Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom coming to Six Flags Great Adventure. Well we are happy to confirm this rumor is TRUE! Chang will in fact find it's new home at SFGAdv in GASMs' old spot. The lift hill will hug the lift hill of Superman Ultimate Flight. So the area of preferred parking lot that is never used should be coming up at any moment.

What About Those Rumored Flat Rides
Remember when we also stated the park would be receiving a bundle of flat rides for the 2011 season? Well we can also confirm that the park will be installing close to ten flat rides from Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom. As of right now, no details were provided to us about the specific flat rides. We were also told that a new swing ride would also be finding it's way over to SFGAdv. Now for those of you who don't remember, Great Adventure did have Fantasy Wave and it seems they will finally be getting this back, but brand new!

Now I bet you're wondering, where would they put some flat rides at SFGAdv. Well, it seems that Chang will not take up all of the GASM area. Could the remainder of the old GASM area be home to a Golden Kingdom expansion, including those flats? Just stay tuned to my blog...

X-Raptor Update #1

I remember this report from Screamscape a few months back...

(5/2/10) I’ve heard an interesting rumor claiming that the rumored prototype B&M coaster going to Gardaland may end up being even more of a “test track” than I had thought. The location of the park itself has come into play since it is only about a 4.5 hour drive from B&M’s headquarters Monthey, Switzerland. This close distance will allow for B&M to come onsite often as they work on this new concept, which may be done in two phases.
The first version of the new ride concept is still said to be somewhat like an S&S 4th Dimension coaster, but without the spinning seats, so I’m guessing it may end up being more similar to Intamin’s WingWalker design that so far has only been built once at PortAventura as Furius Baco. In B&M’s case, I’ve heard that they may very well want to produce their own version of the 4D concept, complete with spinning seats, but wanted to build a non-spinning prototype version of the train first. The goal here is to not only perfect a new train/track pairing design, but to also gather all the practical G-force and Accelerometer data from this new train deisgn before trying to implement any kind of crazy spinning seats.
So what is Gardaland getting out of this special arrangement? Not only do they get to have B&M’s first new prototype coaster design and all the eyeballs around the world that will follow it’s development, but I’ve heard that the park will be getting this ride for a cost not too much more than the cost of materials and labor. Of course this last part is only a rumor, and nothing anyone would ever likely verify as these kinds of deals are very secretive.

And these quotes may be outdated, but it could happen...

Speaking of B & M: 2011, there might be among the Swiss, a European Jubilee: Among other things, seems to be the Merlin Group Three Großachterbahnen the Swiss have purchased, including a new roller coaster for the Italian Gardaland genus as well as the English, Thorpe Park, the trains are based on those of the Senkrechtachterbahn Oblivion, with mean squares omitted. Instead, the inverted car seats are left and right to offer the rail. In addition, also seems to be finally secured the Bolliger & Mabillard-coaster for the Heath Park.

More interesting were rumours of a new coaster style for Gardaland (Castelnuovo del Garda, Italy). It would be similar in nature to Intamin's Wing Rider, Furious Baco at Port Aventura (Salu, Spain). B&M sort of already has this design with its Dive Machines. If the middle seats - those over the track - are removed and the outer seats lowered, you have a ride very similar to what was being described to us. This is a very interesting move by B&M, and we sincerely hope it is true as both of the above examples never really set the world alight for various reasons. Maybe it takes B&M to make the idea work. We also heard that following the Gardaland prototype, another version may make its way to Thorpe Park (Chertsey, England), Gardaland's sister park, sometime shortly afterwards. Finally, we understand B&M is working on a launched coaster for a surprising park in Europe...

And that leads us to another quote from Screamscape about Thorpe Park:

2011 to 2016 - 2 Coasters and More - In Planning - (7/11/10) Some interesting maps show off just where Thorpe Park is planning on putting their next two coasters, posted over at Total Thorpe Park. Don’t read too much into the layouts however, I’m sure those are mainly placeholder artwork, as it’s too soon to have final layouts for both rides just yet.
(7/2/10) According to this article Thorpe Park is planning on building two new roller coasters at the park between now and 2016, which was submitted to the local council outlining the next 5-years of growth for the park. In addition the park wants to add 5 new “round rides” (aka: Flat Rides) up to 25m tall. Of the two coasters, one is said to be up to 40m tall and the other up to 50m tall, so both would come in under Stealth’s impressive 62.5m top hat.

http://www.totalthorpepark.co.uk/features/future.shtml

http://egham.stainesnews.co.uk/2010/06/thorpe-park-plans-new-rollerco.html

And as for my Alton Towers SW7 post... why do I have this strange feeling that the B&M 4D will make it's way to Alton Towers as SW7...?

Secret Weapon 7 at Alton Towers Already in Planning?!

From Screamscape:

2013/2014 - Rumor - SW7 - (7/19/10) I’m told that planning for the SW7 project is set to begin by the end of the month, with the goal of opening the new thrill coaster by 2013/2014. Depending on how things go and what happens between then and now, it is most likely going to be 2014. No word yet on just what this new ride may be.

They are already planning SW7 for 2013/2014... in 2010??? And right after SW6 (Thirteen)??? Whoa! =O

If I can assume correctly, the manufacturer could either be Intamin or B&M. If it's Intamin... probably a prototype. If it's B&M... could be a prototype too. But if I had to choose their current models, Intamin would be a blitz like Maverick, and B&M would be a similar coaster to X-Raptor at Gardaland (the new B&M 4D).

Another August Announcement

From CstrzRock at CoasterForce:

I was at the ERT event last night. Six Flags was really nice and catered the event, had stiltwalkers with shiny american flag themed outfits, and had a band (pop punk cover band that was pretty awful, but oh well). They also had a silent auction of some construction photos and first press photos.

I did catch something when I was eavesdropping after the last ride. I heard some ACErs joking with one of the managers. They said "What's the new ride going to be called? Revenge of Chang?" and she laughed and then replied "What about P.F. Chang?" There was a lot of wink, wink, nod, nod going on there. While she didn't confirm completely that Chang was coming, it was pretty obvious that was what she was trying to say without explicitly saying it. She did confirm that an announcement would be made in August. She also wouldn't confirm what would happen to GASM.

I don't know why GAdv would get a stand-up. They already had Shockwave back in the day and that coaster has been in storage at Darien Lake since 2006. I don't know if it is actually still in storage or what. Did Six Flags also sell that coaster when they sold Darien Lake? I mean I guess they only had Shockwave for 2 years so it makes sense maybe.

Guess Cedar Point isn't the only one with an announcement this August. It seems Six Flags Great Adventure is announcing their 2011 addition this August as well.

Stay tuned for more news!

Great American Scream Machine Deconstruction/Chang Construction Begins

Right after the final ride, the power was cut and the dismantling of the trains/ride fences of the now closed Great American Scream Machine coaster had begun. As people got out, they can no longer see it from the parking lot.

http://coasterfusion.com/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?9492.last

According to this link, the following has been reported today about the coaster's deconstruction...

12:15 pm - The lot next to the old GASM coaster has been blocked off by cones and trash cans.

12:35 pm - The trains have been removed from the ride (the train shown is the one with axe twist ads on it a.k.a. the white train) and are scattered around the ride area.

12:51 pm - Jersey Central Power & Light is on site removing lights from the coaster.

That's all what was reported so far. No track is removed/demolished yet.

R.I.P. Great American Scream Machine 1989-2010

Well, today's the last day for the Arrow Mega-looper at Six Flags Great Adventure, Great American Scream Machine. After today, the ride is no more. Just a heads up, get your last rides in while you can!

And for memories for you Great Adventure fans, here's a POV of GASM by wwwCOASTERFORCEcom:



Great American Scream Machine

1989-2010

R.I.P.

Park Updates #2

Six Flags Great Adventure:

Tomorrow is the last day for the Great American Scream Machine coaster, as after that... it's gone (but thankfully a cool looking replacement is rumored to be on the way). If I were you (people who usually visit SFGAdv), I'd go to the park tomorrow for one last ride, because after that... like I said, it's gone.

And it looks like the ride has 0% chance of getting relocated, because according to this link...

http://www.irmpri.com/product.htm

...the trains are for sale (which indicates that the ride will be scrapped). Yup... pretty sad. This quote makes it sadder...:

The only constant in life is change - and this season, Great Adventure is in for a big change. The Great American Scream Machine, the anchor of Great Adventure for years, will be closed on July 18th after a special send-off event, and taken down.

When the ride opened in 1989, it was the world's tallest and fastest roller coaster until Magnum XL-200 opened about a month later, but it remained the tallest and fastest looping coaster for a whole season. It was Great Adventure's most popular roller coaster for several years, and had the most inversions in the park of any roller coaster, even to its final season. When it first opened, its long queue was always filled due to its strategic location in front of the parking lot, and at the time, it was one of the smoothest, coolest roller coasters in the world.

But over the years, the ride has aged badly and is now considered one of the more rough coasters in the park, and even on the most crowded days, it is avoided by the general public due to its often-times rough ride. However, this ride will sometimes give you a smooth ride, and lately, it's been doing this, perhaps as a final parting gift to its adoring fans. While I find it rough, somehow, it always finds its way into my routine when I visit the park, and even if it was rough, I never regretted riding it.

While the coaster is not very popular now-a-days, it deserves both this video and a good send-off event because of its tremendous importance to Great Adventure. Great Adventure's attendance was at all time lows during the late 80's, and Great American Scream Machine saved the park from an untimely closing.

Not only this, but the Scream Machine is also very important to me because it was the first roller coaster I rode at Six Flags Great Adventure.

So, thank you Scream Machine, for all the memories, and for saving our park. You'll be dearly missed.

Tch! I wish I'd ride it, but I don't see myself going to New Jersey soon (because of this HORRIBLE economy).

Busch Gardens Tampa:

More sheet piles seem to be driven in, right in front of the old Monorail station. It seems that there will be another trench for the 2011 coaster. Half of the old platform of the monorail is gone.

Something tells me that this coaster will be just sick! =D

Gardaland:

Gardaland's 2011 B&M prototype is revealed... X-Raptor. Here's some facts:

- The station will be underground
- 800m long track
- 30m tall
- 90° high speed turn
- Close encounters with objects
- Will go over water with special water effects added
- 2 elements where passengers will feel zero gravity

And here's concept art:



That looks incredible! =D Hopefully one of these comes to America.

Cedar Point:

From Screamscape:

2011 - Thrill Ride - Semi-Confirmed - (7/15/10) There have been a ton of crazy rumors swirling about just what may be on the way to Cedar Point in 2011. While many of the early rumors suggested that it could be a new coaster from Intamin, the latest batch of rumors suggest that this new Intamin ride may actually not be a coaster at all. If the latest rumors are true, we could be seeing them install a new Intamin version of a Star Flyer style tower ride. Given that this is The Point we can probably count on it being ridiculously huge, perhaps somewhere between Power Tower and Top Thrill Dragster in height.
Of course, this hasn’t stopped the coaster rumors, as rumors of new wooden coaster are still swirling in a revival of the old “boardwalk’ rumors from years ago, talking about placing a new woodie along the beachside of the park near Wicked Twister and Disaster Transport. Point Pixels has posted new pictures of the survey markings which are now close to the Ocean Motion and the Extreme Sports Stadium near Wicked Twister’s rear spike, as well as stakes right in the beach sand too. Now all we really need is someone to mark out where all these are on an overhead photo of the park so we can see just how large an area they’re marking off.

Turns out that there might be a wooden coaster going up by Wicked Twister and Disaster Transport. I actually had this theory...

Last year Cedar Point has removed their Demon Drop ride (it's now open at Dorney Park). That space seems big enough for a queue line. A station can go up behind that building between the entrance and the old Demon Drop site. The lift can go up by Disaster Transport. The majority of the layout could go up behind Wicked Twister and Disaster Transport, while the rest can go up behind the old Demon Drop site and by Disaster Transport, and maybe an overbanked turn over the entrance of the ride.

As for the wooden coaster rumor, keep in mind this quote:

(7/7/10) Screamscape sources tell us that we may see more new wood coasters built at a Cedar Fair parks in the next few years. So far the results have been good and with the rising cost of steel in the world marketplace, they are looking more attractive than ever.

That heightens the possibility of a woodie going up at Cedar Point.

And from DrAwsome at Orlando United:

I have done som looking around and here is the info that i have found out about the new attraction.
1) it will be located near the beach
2) it will bring back memories
3) it will be a thrill ride targeting the teen market
4) An announcement will be made in August
5) It will NOT be built by Intamin/Intaride
This info was REPORTEDLY in the local news paper but not available online. Didn't if you guys knew all of these little bits.

Expect an announcement this August for Cedar Point 2011.

Legoland Florida:

Well, an open house was held on July 8. Here's the list of rides of the new Legoland Florida (from Tbad556 at Orlando United):

With all of the information already released, I figured I would try to gather and organize all of the attractions, shows, etc. into one post. Here's what I got:

Rides
-Observatory Tower (Fun Town)
-TECHNIC Coaster (Extreme)
-Wave Racers (Extreme)
-Dragon Coaster (Castle)
-Royal Joust (Castle)
-Kid Power Towers (Imagination Zone)
-Unnamed Boat Attraction (LEGO City)
-Beetle Bounce (Land of Adventure)
-Lost Kingdom Adventure (Land of Adventure)
-Unnamed Wooden Roller Coaster (Land of Adventure)

Shows/Other Attractions
-LEGO Factory Tour (Fun Town)
-A Clutch Powers 4D Adventure (Fun Town)
-LEGOLAND Stunt and Water Ski Show (Extreme)
-The Hideaways [Play Area] (Castle)
-LEGO MINDSTORMS (Imagination Zone)
-Build and Test (Imagination Zone)
-Driving School (LEGO City)
-Fun Town Fire Academy (LEGO City)

Shops
-The Big Shop (The Beginning)

Miniland USA Models
-Las Vegas
-New York City
-Washington D.C.
-Kennedy Space Center
-Daytona Speedway

Another quote from Tbad:

* Starliner is confirmed to be getting disassembled but preserved to be sold.
* The "Unnamed Wooden Coaster" in Land of Adventure is Triple Hurricane from Cypress Gardens. It still has no name from what I currently have heard.
* Demolition to start Monday

From rewster at Orlando United (July 15):

Cranes have begun the disassembling of the Starliner today, sadly.

Buh-bye Starliner.

My Opinion on What Themes the Rumored Universal Water Park should have

I just took the survey (as of 6:21 pm), and at one point I was asked which of the following themes (I had to choose 5) I would want in a Universal water park:

SpongeBob/Bikini Bottom
Pirate
Dr. Seuss
Shrek
Old Time TV
Superheroes
Wild West Waterpark
Simpsons
Mix of Universal characters
South Pole (with penguins)
Men in Black
Hollywood magic
Steve Spielberg movies
Wizard of Oz
Christmas All Year
Lord of the Rings
Terminator
Harry Potter
Jurassic Park
Exotic Beach
MTV
Madagascar
Scooby Doo

Now of all the ones just listed, I want a SpongeBob theme the most (not only because I'm a SpongeBob fan, but I also think this is the one that says "water park" the most).

I also chose the mix of Universal characters, Steve Spielberg movies, Jurassic Park, and Madagascar options.

I remember when I was in Säntispark, in a salt water pool. When we got outside, I saw a pipe that blasted water on people. That's what gave me the idea of a mix of Universal characters theme (I envisioned a Woody Woodpecker laugh, and then the water blasted).

Steve Spielberg films... yep, they too can be epic as indoor/outdoor water slides and lazy rivers.

Jurassic Park, even though IOA already has one, can also make a nice section. My best guess is that this should have a Wildebeest-style water slide (indoor and outdoor) and have dark ride elements.

Madagascar also says "water park."

BTW, imagine stuff like Terminator in a water park! Haha, that would be funny... XD Nope (sorry Schwarzenegger). =P

Possible New Universal Water Park???

Screamscape reported this interesting thing this morning:

Resort News - (7/10/10) Universal Orlando is conducting a survey online that asks a lot of questions about a possible new blue sky waterpark concept. It claims that they don’t have anything planned yet, but are using this to find out what people think about waterparks for “when a project does come up”. Well we all know the lease on the property Wet ‘n Wild sits on will eventually expire or just become too cost prohibitive, so the fact that Universal is fishing for waterpark ideas and freeback is a good sign.
Overall they seem interesting in what the public’s perception of an official Universal themed waterpark would be, and what it should have. Should they have attractions tied into movies and entertainment properties? If so, they want suggestions as to what you would like to see, so go give them your ideas.

So that leaves some questions. If this is true... where would it go up? How would it be like? When would it be complete? Would you want one?

Personally, I'm not sure where it would go up. My best guess is that it is somewhere in the resort (I don't know why, just a guess). I don't want to say the huge land between Hollywood Blvd and I-4, because I think there should be an Avatar theme park there.

Attractions tied into movies and entertainment properties can be very neat! =D

I don't have a timeframe of when it would most likely be complete.

I would really like a water park! That's something the resort is lacking (I can see that they have Wet N' Wild, but with the rumor of WNW going, this is a great opportunity)! =D

I also remember this old rumor from 2007:

(8/2/07) Today we have to discuss the fate of Wet ‘n Wild. It’s been a few years since anyone talked about this, but the latest rumors claim that the end of the road for Wet ‘n Wild may be in sight. For those who need a little history lesson, I confirmed a few years back that the property under Wet ‘n Wild is actually not owned by the park or Universal, but was part of a land lease deal signed by the creators of Wet ‘n Wild back before it opened in 1977.
Even today no one really knows for sure just how long the term of the lease was for, but shortly after I uncovered that fact one of the local Orlando papers did their own research to contact the property owners who confirmed that there was little chance of them signing a deal to renew the lease due to the increased value of the property and it’s key location on I-Drive that could be put to better (and more profitable) uses. An older article in the Orlando Sentinel about Aquatica once mentions that the terms of their lease start to change in 2007 and the price is expected to rise through the roof by 2012.
The bottom line… Wet ‘n Wild is living on borrowed time. This has led many to speculate about when and if Universal Orlando may take the next step to build their own new water park on their own resort property. It’s also been noted that all of the “new attractions” added to the waterpark over the last few years have either been rehabs of older attractions (The lazy river, The Blast) or larger above ground attractions (Storm, Disco H2O, Brain Wash) that would be fairly simple to move to a new location when the time comes.
These days the rumor mill has picked up once again claiming that 2009 could very well be the last summer for Wet ‘n Wild. If this is true, then my best guess may be that Wet ‘n Wild signed a 35 year lease possibly as early as 1975 which could come to an end in 2010. Remember that the park will need time to remove their property from the site, so you can see where the 2009 closure idea may be coming from.
Keep in mind that other than the fact that there is a ticking clock… everything else is just speculation right now. For all we know the park may have another 10 years left on their lease… or they could already be in some kind of overtime extension where the fees grow higher and higher each additional year. If the end is near, I’m sure we’ll hear more about this very soon and Universal is likely to promote this fact to drive up attendance in the final season when they find themselves up against the new waterpark on the block, Aquatica.

Well, the park isn't closed yet, but if the initial rumor I quoted is true, I can see WNW have it's last summer in the 2010-2015 timeframe.

I'll keep you updated.

I'm Back From Switzerland

I went to Switzerland from June 16-July 6. Now I'm back. Anyways, lot's of stuff happened while I was gone (BTW, I've updated my old Manta rumors post)...

Chang:

It has been reported by Screamscape that Chang will NOT go up in SFGAm as planned, and instead there will be a water park expansion, and Chang will go to Six Flags Great Adventure instead (replacing the Great American Scream Machine). I'll let the article speak for itself...

2011 - Waterpark Expansion - Semi-Confirmed - (6/22/10) Screamscape sources have confirmed that Chang is now no longer being planned for the park in 2011. New expansion plans are currently in the works and seem to involve the same basic plot of land… but with a focus on expanding Hurricane Harbor instead. Nothing has been finalized yet it seems, as all the plans are still in the air, though we have heard of one plan to add a water-coaster style slide to the park, possibly similar in style to the Wildebeest slide added to Holiday World this year. More as we find out.
(6/21/10) A new rumor has come up over the weekend at SFGAdv (New Jersey) that claims that the park may now be planning to replace their Great American Scream Machine coaster with CHANG. Up until now Chang has been all but confirmed for Six Flags Great America, with even a few pieces and the trains already spotted on site. The meetings to obtain the needed height variance permit are all but over... with the final approval meeting expected to take place today... Monday, June 21st.
While I haven’t seen it myself, I’ve heard a rumor that the Six Flags issue may have been unexpectedly removed from the agenda for tonight’s meeting, which only adds fuel to the fire that Chang could now be looking for a new home. Of course the online version of the agenda still shows it there, waiting to be finalized. I had been told that as soon as Al Weber took control of Six Flags, he began to made huge and immediate changes to the plans set in place for the 2011 season by Shaprio. I guess we’ll know more once the Monday meeting is over if the proposal to add Chang has been dropped or not. Stay tuned!

2011 - Chang - Semi-Confirmed - (6/22/10) Screamscape sources tell us that the rumors from this past weekend are true and that not only is GASM set to end it’s life at Six Flags Great Adventure on July 1st, but Chang will indeed be coming to the park to take up it’s place in 2011. As for that mystery 5D project... it’s dead for now.

(6/28/10) Anyone have an update about Superman at Six Flags Great Adventure? As of last week, so far the ride had yet to reopen for the season. In other news, the rumors about GASM coming down continue to hold true, however there is apparently a bogus ‘reason’ being handed down from park management to the lower-end staff.
I’ve heard from a few insiders who have been told that the ride’s time was simply up because it had become impossible to buy spare parts for the old Arrow coaster anymore. Nothing could be further from the truth as S&S purchased Arrow several years ago primarily for their lucrative ‘spare parts’ division and checking into this rumor I’ve been assured that there was “no truth whatsoever” to this crazy rumor.
(6/21/10) A new rumor has come up over the weekend that may anger more than a few fans of Six Flags Great Adventure. If there is any truth to it, the new management calling the shots may be considering removing the park’s infamous Great American Scream Machine coaster. While at first the move seems shocking… keep in mind that GASM’s sister ride, Shockwave at the Chicago park, also met with a similar fate a few years ago. Of course it’s also well know that Shockwave, the first of the three Arrow made Six Flags Megaloopers (Viper at SF Magic Mountain was the final one) did suffer from a fair share of problems that the other two did not.
So the next question would obviously be to ask what reason there would be to remove such an iconic ride? According to the discussion going on at CoasterFusion, plans have been spotted at the park that now place CHANG… the B&M Stand-Up Coaster from Kentucky Kingdom, as possibly going into GASM’s spot. Up until now Chang has been all but confirmed for Six Flags Great America near Chicago… with a few pieces and the trains already spotted on site. Meetings have been taking place with the local government as well to get a height variance permit to build the ride there as well, with the final approval meeting expected to take place on Monday, June 21st.
While I haven’t seen it myself, I’ve heard a rumor that the Six Flags issue may have been unexpectedly removed from the agenda for tonight’s meeting, which only adds fuel to the fire that Chang could now be looking for a new home. Of course the online version of the agenda still shows it there, waiting to be finalized tonight. I had been told that as soon as Al Weber took control of Six Flags, he began to made huge and immediate changes to the plans set in place for the 2011 season by Shaprio. I guess we’ll know more once the Monday meeting is over if the proposal to add Chang has been dropped or not. Stay tuned!

Great American Scream Machine's removal has been confirmed by SFGAdv (through Facebook) on July 5. The removal date will be July 18, and there will be a send-off event. From SFGAdv Facebook:

Hey guys, Scream Machine will close July 18 to make room for a major new attraction in 2011. We'll offer double rides on GASM July 11 & 18. We'll host an ERT (Exclusive Ride Time) event on July 18, 10 p.m.-11:30 p.m. to invited guests; to be invited, see this contest>>http://ow.ly/27be9 [see more below]

Date:
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Time:
10:00pm - 11:30pm
Location:
1 Six Flags Blvd., Jackson NJ 08527

•WHO: 25 winners will be chosen; winners may bring a guest.

•WHAT: Show us your biggest SCREAM face! Post a photo or
video of you screaming as though you were on Great American Scream Machine at www.facebook.com/sixflagsgreatadventure. Guests that shoot a SCREAM video or include patriotic items are more likely to be chosen as winners. There is no limit to the amount of entries. Winners will be announced July 15, 2010. Be creative, have fun and keep it clean :)

•WHEN: 10 p.m.-11:30 p.m., July 18, 2010

•WHERE: Great American Scream Machine at Six Flags Great
Adventure.

•WHY: To make room for a new attraction in 2011, we’re
celebrating Scream Machine with the send off it deserves!

•Event Details:Guests invited to the event will receive ERT (exclusive
ride time) from 10 p.m.-11 p.m. Seats on the front and back row of the last train of the last ride (dispatched at 11 p.m.) will be auctioned off; other seats during the last ride will be $50 each—details TBA—and all proceeds will benefit the NRCMA (National Roller Coaster Museum & Archives)!

So with two Arrow Megaloopers gone from Six Flags parks... Viper's (SF Magic Mountain) the only one of those three left.

BGT 2011 Coaster:

The Skyride is now down to the end of the year, and both the temporary path behind the Clydesdale (June 16) and the path from Nairobi to Edge of Africa (June 29) are now open. By the second bridge of the EOA path (which is not technically a "bridge" yet as the trench hasn't been dug yet), you see footers like Maverick (which adds more fuel to the fire that this coaster's from Intamin). In the south side, the old path from KaTonga to Egypt is closed and demolished (but meanwhile the Clydesdale Hamlet is still standing...) and the old control booth of the monorail is removed, as well as half of the platform, as the old monorail station is starting to become a coaster station. Construction walls are also starting to go up in front of the Crown Colony (it is said that the whole Crown Colony section will get a face lift to fit the new theming). The old Edge of Africa Gift Shop is gutted out (I came up with the theory of that becoming the coaster's gift shop/on-ride photo booth). Meanwhile on the construction walls, teasers have gone up saying "Feel the spirit. Feel the speed." There is also a new website for the coaster project:

http://buschgardens2011.com/

It has some cool videos. =)

And Screamscape continues to update us with coaster rumors:

(6/28/10) Busch Gardens Tampa has launched a new preview teaser site for the 2011 coaster… aka: Cheetaka. As part of this the park is also posting QR codes on the construction walls that will lead you to this same site and a preview video. QR codes are those square digital barcodes your starting to see here and there that are readable by most barcode scanner programs you can load into your smart phones (Android & iPhones). If you want to view it on your PC, just go to BuschGardens2011.com.
Of course the latest rumors for Cheetaka are quite interesting, claiming that the ride may feature inversions after all as well as a new style vertical tower element. I’ve also heard that the trains put to use here will be a one car longer than what Cedar Point put on Maverick… offering 4 cars (4 seats each) per train.
You can also see some construction updates at RCPro
(6/23/10) A new construction update can be found at BGT Guide this week, but it was also pointed out last week on Johnny Upsidedown’s update that it looks like the first coaster footers have been poured. Now… about this Cheetaka coaster project itself… I’ve heard that perhaps we don’t have all the details on it yet. Perhaps there is a chance that it may have a buried inversion or two in the trenches… as well as a vertical plunge at one point. More as we find out.
(6/21/10) A teaser poster for the 2011 attraction has been posted in the park with the tagline, “Feel the spirit. Feel the Speed. Coming Spring 2011”. While this could very well still be a hint about the rumored Cheetah theme, another rumor coming in from BGT Guide shows off a piece of artwork said to have been designed as a proposed promotion for the ride in Puerto Rico which clearly shows off a Cheetah theme. Of course it also shows off a photograph of a wooden coaster as well, which this ride definitely will not be, so you can only trust this one so far. Still, the artwork used here does look professionally done.
Meanwhile you can also find some new construction pictures posted over at BGT Nation. More as we get it.

Why do I have this strange feeling that "Cheetaka" will actually be the name...? Okay let's see... buried inversions, a new type of vertical tower element, three launches, vertical plunge... yep, it's gonna rock. =D

Gwazi:

Screamscape also reported this:

(6/24/10) A few months back you might recall that Busch Gardens Tampa was testing a borrowed GCI Millennium Flyer train on one side of Gwazi. If the latest rumor is true, it must have impressed them (how could it not?) and the park is now rumored to have put in orders for all new trains to replace the current PTC trains. Don’t look for these to go online until at least the end of the year or next spring.

That's nice to hear! =D Now if they do that and keep the noise... I'll be happy (even though I didn't mind Gwazi's roughness).

Hulk:

Okay, recently the Incredible Hulk Coaster has been reported to get incredibly (pun) rusty and rough. I've seen pictures, and I felt like I was going to puke. But fear not Hulk fans, Screamscape has reported this:

(7/6/10) While most of the attention at Universal’s Islands of Adventure park has been focused on the Wizarding World lately, they did take the time to spruce up several other park attractions as well. Unfortunately, as this article points out, the Incredible Hulk coaster was the one high profile ride that apparently was left-off the list of things to be spruced up. On top of looking a bit ulgy, the ride is apparently rubbing some fans the wrong way with a rougher than normal ride experience as well.
All is not lost however, as I have heard a few rumors being tossed around Universal campus claiming that there may be plans afoot to take what Universal has learned from the Hollywood Rockit and Hollywood Dream coasters (onboard lights & sounds system) and may apply it towards building some new themed trains packed with lights and sounds to take the Hulk to the next level. Cross your fingers…

Here's a similar rumor I've read from Screamscape:

2011 to 2014 - Island Refurbishment - Rumor - (10/16/09) Once the Wizarding World of Harry Potter opens next year, Universal’s next step for Islands of Adventure may be to begin a series of “refresh and refurbishment” projects to the rest of the Islands over the next couple of years. With the success of the light up panels on the Rockit coaster, there is now a plan in place to go back and add green lighting to the Hulk trains as was promised way back when the park was first announced. If the rumors about audio being added to Dragon’s Challenge are true, I would count on seeing it added to Hulk as well. There is also a rumored plan to “upgrade” Spiderman, by adding a new scene or two by replacing a couple of scenes that don’t work as well as the rest. Seuss may just get repainted, possibly some new scenic elements, and there has been talk about adding a new attraction to the Jurassic Park area for years. What about the remains of Lost Continent? I think we could see something happen here as well, though would it be an expansion of Potter’s Wizarding World or something brand new?

All I can say is... I hope this is true! Hulk would look so cool at night with LEDs (and possibly LED the outside of the gamma tube. Speaking of which, a new light effect is inside the gamma tube)! =D

Cedar Point 2011:

From Screamscape:

2011 - Thrill Ride - Semi-Confirmed - (7/9/10) According to this article the announcement for the 2011 attraction will take place in mid August. Dick Kinzel has hinted that, “It's going to bring back a lot of memories for people that follow Cedar Point”. Makes it sound like a throw-back ride… or a recreation of something popular long ago but lost. While one source tell us that it may actually be a flat ride coming to the park, it was also pointed out that The Point has seen a fair share of wooden coaster come and go over the years… 8 in fact according to RCDB. With our last leak claiming that Cedar Fair was looking more favorable at building new wooden coasters again… could this be a possibility? Certainly the early announcement date also seems to indicate that work on the project may become visible before the end of the season as well. More as we find out.
(7/7/10) The latest rumors about Cedar Point’s next big project claim it will be a coaster from Intamin once again… despite all the various technical problems The Point has had with rides from them. According to another source, this new Intamin creation may be a new prototype creation we haven’t seen anywhere else before. Stay Tuned!

An Intamin prototype would be incredible! =D Hopefully it comes true...

Hersheypark 2012:

I've heard that once again, Hersheypark will go with Intamin, and the project has been delayed to 2012. From Screamscape:

2011/2012 - New Coaster - (7/7/10) Some may be thinking back to the coaster project that got away from Hersheypark… Turbulence (aka: Frequent Faller), as a possible inspiration for the park to buy a ZacSpin coaster from Intamin. However it has also been pointed out that the overall project area contained within the known survey points is really far too large for a ZacSpin, so we’ve got to think bigger. Could Hersheypark be thinking of building the first Mega-Lite coaster in the US perhaps? We know they have been a huge hit internationally. Of course Intamin also has a few other tricks we have yet to see in the US like the Wingwalker coaster, the new Spinning Coaster or even the infamous AquaTrax system. So far all we have is very mild rumors and lots of speculation. Time to do some digging.
(7/6/10) While nothing more have been firmed up, the latest rumor going around the park does seem to indicate that the next coaster at Hersheypark will likely be from Intamin again.
(6/14/10) The latest rumors swirling around Hersheypark’s next big coaster project actually now throw Premier Rides into the mix with Intamin as well… and hint that B&M is now more unlikely. Many also seem to think that the project may not be until the 2012 season, though with surveying going on right now, anything can happen.
As for those markers, I’ve been contacted by a reader with some professional experience as an actual surveyor and was told that the markings we’ve seen so far have nothing at all to do with the layout of the project. All of the triangle markings found so far have a “Mag Nail” driven into the asphalt in the center and are actually “Control Points”, which are then usually number sequentially as they are created. These points mark the locations the surveyors use to work from... and not the location of the project itself. If people look hard enough, there should be more of these Control Points discovered around the site, as they are set up in a loop around the actual area where the work will be done. So once all the different Control Points are discovered, we should have a large loop surrounding the overall location of the new project area. However the loop could be quite large... much larger than the actual project itself, as I’m told that the permitter loop would also include any and all sites where other infrastructure work (electric, water, sewer, roads, walkways, etc) will also be modifed or tied into.
So really the best thing to do right now, other than to find more markers, would be to also create an overhead map showing off the location of each discovered and numbered marker as time goes on.

Something tells me that these "control points" are starting to get fun. =D

And if you scroll down this page, you can see a map of where the markings are located:

http://keystonethrills.megabb.com/hersheypark-happenings-discussion-f18/2011-2012-new-coaster-rumor-discussion-t157-30.htm

According to the second map, the lift looks to be behind Traffic Jam and Helicopters (right by Comet).

Guess this should be an interesting project to look at...