What If...? #2

I heard that Six Flags Dubailand is building a B&M Dive Machine with their park called Screamin' Eagle. I've seen some concept art and it looks so cool! So now this topic is...:

What if... a Six Flags park in America will clone this coaster or add a Dive Machine to that particular Six Flags park for the 2012 season? Again, I'd like to remind you that this is just speculation. This will probably not happen. Or probably WILL happen. Who knows? So what Six Flags park in America would add a new B&M Dive Machine for the 2012 season?

Six Flags America could probably be ruled out (even though I hope not). I heard a rumor that a Tony Hawk's Big Spin clone could be coming to SFA in 2011 (though with Shapiro out, I'm not sure), so don't really expect much in 2012. I'm ruling out Six Flags Great Adventure since they're getting Chang for 2011 and possibly some flats, so don't expect much, if anything at all, for 2012. Six Flags New England is rumored for a new coaster for 2011, so that's ruled out too. I'm also ruling out Six Flags Over Georgia, since they're also rumored for a new coaster in 2011. Six Flags Over Texas can be ruled out too, because they're throwing in a lot of money on the Texas Giant refurbishment. Six Flags St. Louis is rumored for a Screamin' Eagle refurbishment, but I'm not ruling this out yet. It seems like a possibility, but not the MOST possible. Six Flags Fiesta Texas is rumored to refurbish Rattler in the 2010-2012 time period, so I'm probably going to rule this out too. Great Escape isn't rumored for much, so IDK. Six Flags Discovery Kingdom seems possible, but I'm not sure honestly. La Ronde just added Ednor from AstroWorld, so probably not. Mexico, I don't know why... but I doubt it.

So... who's left...? Six Flags Magic Mountain and Six Flags Great America. I'll first start with SFGAm (which, BTW, was rumored for a Dive Machine for 2009 along with SFGAdv).

Recently, rumor has it that 2012 will bring a new coaster. In 2011, they are getting a water park expansion (at least, that's what I think). BTW, if you haven't been following this, I'll post the updates so far:

2012 - New Ride - Rumor - (8/27/10) The early rumors for 2012 still claim that the park is right on track to finally get a new big coaster once again. No word on just what it might be yet, so stay tuned.
(8/3/10) It’s been some time, but there is an early rumor suggesting that a new coaster may finally be on the way to the park for 2012. The only problem is… it’s not expected to “the big one” that everyone has been hoping to get for some time now. After all, the last big coaster added to the park was back in 2003! A decade is a long time to wait for a new large coaster my friends…
(7/22/10) According to one reader, they spotted survey crews doing work in the former Splashwater Falls area. Looks like they may be working on something here after all, but for 2012 or 2011?
(7/19/10) Remember that rumor about a new flume ride in development for the park? If the latest rumor is true, they could be speaking to Mack about building a new Super Splash ride for them to replace the old Splashwater Falls ride for as early as 2012. More when we find out.

2011 - New Attraction(s) - Rumor - (8/27/10) SFGAm has posted a teaser for a 2011 announcement to their Facebook page that looks like a Puzzle. While they promise to remove a piece at a time as clues to the new attraction, one of our readers (credit to squirrelnut1416) did some URL digging and discovered that the image files were hosted on another site, and stupidly dated to match the day they would be uncovered. Daily files from the first day all the way through to August 31st were discovered on a host server, all easily accessed by the public from the too-easy to decipher file names.
All these files were hosted on the HFConcepts.com website (HeadFirst Concepts, a marketing and social media company... but one apparently not used to today’s ARG playing web-savvy coaster enthusiasts.) During the course of the day, the files have since been removed, but I did see the final image file myself first hand as well. Most of it was still covered up, but it was clear that the new addition is for Hurricane Harbor (you could make out part of the palm tree logo) where the top tag line read something to the extent of “The best water”, “just got bigger”. Then there is something about a new slide that will have a “near vertical” feature.
(8/5/10) The latest rumors suggest that SFGAm will make their 2011 on or near September 1st. On top of the rumored new project for the former Splash Water Falls site, we’ve heard a few rehabs and upgrade rumors are also being talked about such as some kind of ‘re-birth’ of for The Demon, new paint on Superman and Batmat (the later may get the identical paint job that SFMM’s version got last year), and possibly the return of backwards riding on American Eagle. All rumors still… but they all sound good too.
(8/3/10) The latest rumors from SFGAm suggest that the rumored waterpark expansion in 2011 could be delayed in favor of something new to take over the former Splash Water Falls site.
(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!
(5/3/09) According to a reader, some small Orange survey flags have been spotted in the area near the Sky Trek Tower, the Go-Karts and through the Space Shuttle America area. This is where the rumored expansion of Hurricane Harbor was rumored to be going so there could possibly be a connection.
(6/26/08) Screamscape sources have reinforced that Six Flags Great America will focus on expanding Hurricane Harbor in the near future, adding at least one major new attraction to the water park. However… I’ve also heard that they are thinking about turning the waterpark into a “second gate” where it will no longer be included free with your daily admission to Six Flags Great America. If I had to guess, they’ll probably add something that they’ve tested out at another park… so if I had to guess I’d be looking at either a Tony Hawk’s Halfpipe slide like what was added to Six Flags America in 2008 or if your lucky, a copy of Deluge, the hydromagnetic powered water coaster.

The water park expansion is rumored to take over the SSA site (where Chang was supposed to go up before it got sent to Great Adventure), and a new ride is rumored to take over the Splashwater Falls site. I also remember reading a rumor that the Go-Karts would get relocated to the old Splashwater Falls site. Let's say the water park expansion ends up going up somewhere else (like rerouting Six Flags Blvd around American Eagle, which frees up a lot of land), a Dive Machine (like Screamin' Eagle) can fit nicely in the old SSA site and relocate the Go-Karts to the SWF site, and that frees up a lot of land. They can even retheme that whole area altogether to accompany the new Dive Machine (and relocate the Sky Trek tower entrance). I also know of this rumor:

???? - Whizzer Replacement - Rumor - (7/19/10) Lots of interesting rumors were sent in regarding the possible future of SFGAm. This is all more long-term planning rumors, and nothing that is going to happen right away, so all of this can be taken with the grain of salt, as ideas constantly change as time goes by.
First off the disappointing news what we all knew would come someday. Yes… the Whizzer is going to close… someday. I know we’ve heard that rumor almost every year for the last decade or so, but the honest truth is that it is going to happen someday… sooner than we would like to think. It’s well know that the Whizzer is not only old, but difficult to get spare parts for, so most of the time they have to have stuff custom made, which isn’t cheap. The good news however is that in an attempt to be a little proactive, Six Flags is said to have asked Mack to look into recreating the Whizzer’s layout for when the time comes to replace it, they could possibly build an all new version for everyone to enjoy. Again… this is just something rumored to have been looked at, and there is no word if this was something done under Shapiro’s era or Weber’s new regime.

Say this was done under Shapiro's era and not Weber, they could probably build the Dive Machine in that spot too (even though I hope not... we need to spare the classics).

As for Magic Mountain, there have been rumors of a "Project 18." I still say this is for a new coaster, because there are 17 now, and with another one, there's 18. I also have this feeling that the rumored Tidal Wave removal might have some connection and that the coaster (let's say a Dive Machine like Screamin' Eagle) could interact a bit with Riddler's Revenge and also take over the old Freefall site.

Another possibility is Cyclone Bay. The recent new coasters (Terminator Salvation and Mr. Six's DanceCoaster) have gone up in that section. What if this is all a part of a 3-coaster expansion of that portion of the park? Terminator Salvation in 2009, Mr. Six in 2011, and an unknown coaster for 2012 (let's say Dive Machine) (which is the main weapon). There's some land behind Deja Vu (IDK if it's owned by the park or not). There's also a possibility of removing one of the coasters (I hope not though).

Deja Vu could be removed (since it's the only Deja Vu left, and was originally going to be removed with the other two). If it does, it opens a plethora of land, perfect for a Dive Machine (and possibly use that "Explore" themed land concept).

Ninja. Seems rather doubtful, but again THIS IS JUST SPECULATION!!!! Recently Arrow Suspended coasters have been disappearing (Big Bad Wolf and Eagle's Fortress are examples). If this is gone, it opens a plot of land. Maybe not for a Dive Machine, but for something.

Viper. With it being one of the only Arrow Mega-Loopers left, this does seem like a possibility. If it goes, it opens a decent-looking plot of land. Not to mention, if a Dive Machine goes up, it would look pretty cool next to X2. =D

I personally prefer either my Tidal Wave idea or my Cyclone Bay idea (without replacing Deja Vu) (they can even relocate the backstage area (behind Vu) by Viper or X2).

EDIT: I now realize that removing one of the coasters is not a possibility. It will destroy the purpose of "Project 18."

Hersheypark's New Coaster Height??

http://mobile.pennlive.com/advpenn/db_/contentdetail.htm;jsessionid=82C71A9286E4F3B2C467B120C0506F4D?contentguid=XJ6qcCy6&full=true#display

New details emerged Tuesday evening regarding what Hershey Entertainment officials are calling a "new marquee attraction" scheduled for construction at some point over the next two years.

At a Derry Township zoning hearing board meeting, Tim Przybylowski, senior vice president with Benatec Associates Engineers, shared a few details regarding the secretive "Attraction 2012" project.

No names, dates or conceptual sketches were included with the board’s briefing. But what did emerge were a maximum height of 212.6-feet for the ride, which was described as a major attraction within Comet Hollow, home of the Comet and Superdooperlooper roller coasters.

Przybylowski said the company had selected the Comet Hollow to house the new attraction to help "balance out" the park’s attractions, especially following the 2009 opening of the Boardwalk, a popular water park area.

The new attraction also will include water — part of it will span an existing man-made pond near the Comet.

http://www.ldnews.com/news/ci_15826822

HERSHEY - Hersheypark officials are seeking special permission from Derry Township for a new "attraction" that would open in the amusement park in 2012.

But they won't say what it is.

Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Co. representatives presented their request for what they called "Attraction 2012" during a meeting of the Derry Township Zoning Hearing Board on Wednesday night.

Tim Przybylowski, vice president of Century Engineering of Hunt Valley, Md., said the company is seeking special exceptions for maximum height and minimum front-yard areas, as well as a variance related to disturbing sensitive environmental areas. He said some of the most recent attractions, such as the Boardwalk and Midway America areas, have become quite popular.

"As a result, demand has increased greatly for the rides in that area, which on very busy days can impact our guests' experience," Przybylowski told the board. "Our goal with this proposed attraction is to help rebalance the park with a marquee attraction located in the historic Hollow area of the park."

The Hollow, also known in Hersheypark circles as the Comet Hollow, is a low-lying area bisected by the Spring Creek. It is surrounded in part by the wooden Comet and steel SooperDooperLooper coasters.

Przybylowski said the company would like relief to construct a new attraction to a height of 212.2 feet, or 12.2 feet over what is permitted.

"The proposed height of this proposed attraction has become industry normality," he said. "It's not the tallest attraction in Hersheypark; that would be the Kissing Tower at 330 feet."

Other amusement parks that compete with the company are building attractions between 300 and 460 feet in height, he pointed out.

"New attractions are needed to keep the park competitive," he said. "The additional 12.2 feet in height will not create any more impact or change the essential character of the area."

Two existing buildings used for catering in the Hollow would be removed to make room for the new attraction, he added. The proposal also calls for the construction of 32 support columns within the area of a manmade pond on the site, which he said would not have an environmental impact on the pond.

The tree-line buffer along Park Boulevard, where the attraction would be built, will remain intact, Przybylowski said.

"This new attraction will help reinvigorate and provide greater guest interest in the Hollow area and provide some relief to the Boardwalk and Midway areas," he said.

The Zoning Hearing Board has 45 days to make a decision on the request.

Although it appears the new attraction would be another roller coaster, company spokesman Garrett Gallia declined to confirm what it would be.

"No one is more excited to talk about the coming attraction than we are, and soon we'll be ready to share information with the public, but not quite yet," Gallia said after the meeting.

Century Engineering also has worked on the Gettysburg Battlefield Museum and Visitors Center project in Adams County.

So this will be 212 ft (or about 213 ft). Wow! =D

And hmmm... involves water. I assume it will involve the creek by Comet. Hmmm... maybe a splash down? I have this strange feeling that Bolliger & Mabillard (who made Great Bear) is still possible as the manufacturer of this thing... if so there are some nice possibilities:

B&M Hypercoaster:

Hypercoasters are taller than 200 ft, which increases the possibility. It is also said to punch through Comet's structure. Hmmm... maybe a 212 ft. lift hill? And also, with Diamondback having a splashdown, I've got to wonder if Hersheypark will do the same.

B&M Dive Machine:

This is one I extremely hope comes true! The tallest Dive Machine is 213 ft, which is right next to the height of this new coaster, and recent Dive Machine's include splashdowns (SheiKra, Griffon, Diving Coaster, Dive Coaster, and Heide Park's 2011 addition). America needs more Dive Machines!!!!

B&M 4D/Wing Rider:

Having looked at X-Raptor's stats, it also includes a splash down. I've got to wonder... let's say the new B&M creation is successful. I can see something like X-Raptor go up possibly. Though it isn't very high... keep in mind Busch Gardens expanded the Dive Machine model height. Maybe Hersheypark can do the same thing with the prototype.

So I can see a battle between B&M and Intamin. As for Intamin (who made Storm Runner and Fahrenheit), I can see this model as a possibility...:

Intamin Mega:

See B&M Hyper for more info.

I'm not really sure what others though.

I'm personally rooting for a B&M Dive Machine, because, like I said, AMERICA (or the world) NEEDS MORE DIVE MACHINES!!1!!!111!111!

4 WindSeekers Confirmed!

Cedar Point:

http://www.freep.com/article/20100824/BLOG20/100824062/1437/Cedar-Point-swings-on-beach

Cedar Point has announced a new ride for 2011 -- a giant 30-story-tall swing on its Lake Erie beach.

The $5 million ride will evoke the park's history, because for many years Cedar Point had a huge swinging ride actually IN Lake Erie. Old photos show riders in bathing costumes swinging around, over and into the waves.

The new ride, Wind Seeker, will be nearly as tall as the Millenium Force roller coaster, said spokesman Robin Innes. It will be 301 feet tall. Each swing will have two people in it, feet dangling. At its top spinning speed, it will go 25 to 30 miles per hour.

The ride replaces Ocean Motion, which will be torn down at the end of this season.

Mondial is the manufacturer.

Canada's Wonderland:

http://www.680news.com/news/local/article/92803--canada-s-wonderland-to-debut-new-ride-for-2011

TORONTO, Ont. - Canada's Wonderland plans to soar to new heights in 2011.

It's unveiled plans for its newest ride called "Windseeker."

Canada's Wonderland spokesperson Dineen Beaven shared the news during "Breakfast Television" on Citytv Tuesday morning.

"It's a 301-foot tower ride, which is essentially a swing. It's a lot of fun, we cannot wait to premiere this. To put it into perspective [...] currently our tallest rides are Behemoth and Drop Tower [are] at 230 feet," Beaven said.

She said it will be the tallest ride at the park.

Construction on the $5-million ride will start this fall.

Knott's Berry Farm:

http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/index.php/windseeker-thrill-ri-7426/

The 301-foot-tall WindSeeker promises to change Knott’s Berry Farm’s skyline when the spinning swing ride debuts at the Buena Park theme park in 2011.

WindSeeker will carry 64 riders in twin-seat gondolas to the top of the tower, where the ride’s metal arms will extend out at a 45-degree angle and spin for one minute at 30 mph.

The $5 million WindSeeker thrill ride replaces the venerable but aging Sky Cabin, a 225-foot-tall gyro observation tower built in 1976 and painted in patriotic red, white and blue. In recent years, the sedate observation deck has become better known for getting stuck in mid-ascent than for its commanding views. Knott’s removed the nostalgic Sky Jump parachute drop from the tower in 1999, leaving only the Sky Cabin.

The WindSeeker tower will retain the Sky Cabin’s signature Knott’s “K” at the top of the ride.

WindSeeker will be just a bit shorter Knott’s 312-foot-tall Supreme Scream turbo drop ride, touted as the tallest freestanding structure in Orange County when it was built in 1998.

Cedar Fair, Knott’s parent company, will install identical WindSeekers in 2011 at Cedar Point and Kings Island in Ohio and Canada’s Wonderland in Ontario.

The ride’s Dutch manufacturer, Mondial, is embroiled in a bitter patent dispute with an Australian competitor over the ride’s design. FunTime’s Star Flyer looks like a classic wave swinger ride with seats suspended from chains while Mondial’s WindSeeker features steel arms designed for higher wind conditions.

WindSeeker had been an open secret on theme park websites like Screamscape and Westcoaster before FunTime spoiled Cedar Fair’s surprise last week by taking their patent infringement claim public.

So you think that's all??? Haha... forgot to post yesterday... Kings Island will also get a thrill ride for 2011 (this was confirmed in the news yesterday)... and it will ALSO be WindSeeker:

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20100824/NEWS01/308240026/Kings-Island-s-new-ride-WindSeeker

MASON – Kings Island calls its new ride WindSeeker, and it’s no ordinary swing set.

Announced Tuesday, the ride is a 301-foot-tall tower that will spin 64 riders in two-person swings at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour, flaring out 45 degrees from the tower.

WindSeeker will open for the 2011 season in the Coney Mall section of the park near the Vortex roller coaster exit, according to park officials.

Kings Island spokesman Don Helbig said the new ride will add to a left-to-right panorama of tall attractions as viewed from Interstate 71 – Drop Zone at 315 feet tall, the Eiffel Tower at 313 feet, Diamondback at 230 feet and WindSeeker.

The ride also adds some pizzazz to a classic area of the park. Home to the Racer roller coaster, Coney Mall's old-fashioned feel and ubiquitous white wood is a nod to the venerable amusement park on the Ohio River where Kings Island has its roots.

“That’s one of the things our guests have said over the years, ‘We’d like to see more attractions in Coney Mall,’” Helbig said.

And here are some pictures of WindSeeker (first one's Cedar Point. Second is Canada's Wonderland. Third is Knott's Berry Farm. Last is Kings Island):









They all look so cool... GOOD NEWS: There is a possibility that we could be going to Knott's next summer, which possibly means that I will ride the Knott's version! =D

Anyways... time to start a new series... "The Update of the WindSeekers."

=D Can't wait for next summer!

A 2011 Hint from Knott's

Just found this on Knott's Berry Farm's Facebook:

You'll be flying higher than Supreme Scream's drop height in 2011 at Knott's! Facebook fans will find out how first on August 24!

Supreme Scream is 252 ft. If that's the case, this will be very huge! =D

Park Updates #3

Knott's Berry Farm:

Just a head's up, could 2012 bring a coaster to Knott's? I don't know, but I found this interesting bit of info from Jim Disney at Westcoaster forums:

2011 is not a coaster... 2012 is a different story.

Still a bit bummed about the coaster not up in 2011... but at least they're getting a Wind Seeker, which would be fine by me too.

Now here are two questions... where will the coaster go up? And what type of coaster will it be?

I've heard rumors that they're going to reuse the old Kingdom of the Dinosaurs building (taking out the arcade for the queue). And judging by where the other survey markings are (not the ones around the Sky Cabin to be used for the rumored Wind Seeker), it seems that the coaster will border Western Ave (maybe the lift hill) and possibly enter the employee backstage area (south of Bigfoot Rapids) and turn around in the Knott's Berry Farm Resort parking lot and then travel back (over Bigfoot Rapids and Pony Express) and possibly have a block brake over the Amphitheater and possibly go to Xcelerator's entrance (possibly over the Coasters Diner). Adding to the rumored Perilous Plunge removal, if they were to take that out, they could expand/reuse some of the lake for possibly a splashdown like Diamondback at Kings Island and have a final brake run to the station.

As for the type, I keep thinking that it will be a B&M Hypercoaster with a combination of Intimidator and Diamondback (cool airtime hills and a splashdown at the end) and staggered seats similar to what Intimidator, Behemoth, and Diamondback got.

And how could they get track in...? This sounds a little bit of work, but possibly temporarily close the train, and use some of the footprint of the train (behind the bumper cars, Kingdom of the Dinosaurs and Perilous Plunge) as a temporary path while temporarily closing that lot (between KOD and the Ampitheater) including the Bumper Cars (though I hope not... wanna try me some bumper cars at Knott's =P), while keeping the ampitheater open through the stairs that surrounds the bumper cars (while temporarily closing the ampitheater while lift hill work is in progress).

Here's an overview of the speculated area (including coaster layout):



I know this looks a little far fetched, but this is just a possibility.

And here are the cars I think of for a Knott's hyper...:



I'm going to name this version "Firestorm" (BTW I called Intimidator that name before it was announced). It will be the name of this project for now.

Gardaland:

http://www.gardalandtamtam.com/News.asp?ID_news=431

Track is on site in Gardaland. Hmmm... it looks cool in black. Can't wait to see the trains! Here's a pic from that site:



Yep... looking good! =D

Heide Park:

For 2011, there is Gardaland's B&M Prototype... now Heide Park is another park in Europe building a B&M coaster... and it's going to be a B&M Dive Machine. Track is on site as of yesterday (picture sent by someone to Screamscape):



It looks... beautiful! =D Unfortunately, from what I hear it will just be a 122 ft. lift hill/vertical drop, an immelmann, and a splash down (but still, ANY Dive Machine is a great addition to a park =D).

New Water Park Over in Miami?!:

Just found this in the news:

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/08/18/v-fullstory/1782580/plans-for-new-water-park-making.html

The Dolphins are opening a water park! =D:

A new water park with wave pools, slides and a snorkel area is planned just across the street from the current playground of the Marlins and Dolphins.

Miami Dolphins owner and real-estate developer Steve Ross intends to turn a 40-acre parking lot next to Sun Life Stadium into a water attraction pegged to a spring 2012 opening -- just as the Florida Marlins will move from Sun Life to the new baseball stadium in Little Havana, said Dolphins CEO Mike Dee.

``We're looking at any and all ways that we can utilize the stadium and bring economic value. It's both an opportunity and a challenge,'' Dee said.

The water park -- which would include private cabanas and a ``swim with the fish'' pool -- would be South Florida's first new major attraction since Jungle Island opened in 2003 on Watson Island. And it will be the region's first water park since Atlantis the Water Kingdom closed almost two decades ago. The water park would occupy 20 acres, with another 20 acres of parking.

The Miami Gardens land designated for the park is owned by Ross, former team owner H. Wayne Huizenga and other team partners. The project, still unnamed, will cost ``tens of millions'' and will be privately financed, Dee said.

It will require a zoning change from office use to an ``unusual'' designation that must be approved by the Miami-Dade County Commission. The project is meant to offset revenue losses in the summer months that would have normally been busy with baseball. It is the first stage of a new stadium master plan, Dee said. Talks on other plans to improve the stadium are ongoing, he said, though he wouldn't give details.

It is expected to create approximately 600 construction jobs and an additional 400 jobs from the water-park operation and increase tourism stays in the area, according to a company release.

The new park would be a unique attraction in South Florida. While the World Waterpark Association says an estimated 1,000 water parks operate in North America, none have existed in this area since Hollywood's Atlantis closed in 1992. The closest comparable park, Rapids Water Park in Palm Beach County, is slightly larger than the planned new project.

Earlier this year, team officials floated the idea of a hotel tax increase to fund nearly $200 million in stadium upgrades, saying the improvements were necessary to keep the Super Bowl coming back. The campaign was put on hold.

But the addition could also boost the region's chances of hosting the Super Bowl again, said William Talbert III, CEO of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau.

``Certainly we would use any asset, any enhancement to the facility, as part of our bid,'' Talbert said.

Dee called the planned park a ``best-in-class, state-of-the-art facility'' that should appeal to tourists: ``We're going to market it aggressively.''

So will the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, Talbert said. ``It would have an appeal to the family vacationer as something new and exciting.''

Company estimates forecast nearly 700,000 visitors during the first year and and additional $7 million in local, state and federal taxes.

Dreams of grand attractions are not new in South Florida. Huizenga himself had planned in the 1990s to build Blockbuster Park, a baseball stadium, movie studios and entertainment complex. The designated site was in Miramar west of Interstate 75. The plan fell apart when Blockbuster was taken over by Viacom in a merger.

While water parks are not primary draws like Disney or Universal theme parks, they still play a role in tourism, said Abraham Pizam, dean of the Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida in Orlando.

``It would be an addition to the attractions that are already there,'' he said. ``If people are already there, they can extend their stay for another half a day or day, which is great because everybody wins.''

Water parks have survived despite the recession, with more coming online during the past 5-10 years. More of that business has been indoors or at resorts or municipalities rather than outdoors, said Aleatha Ezra, the association's director of park membership development.

Florida -- specifically, Orlando -- has four of the world's top seven parks in terms of visitors, with a combined total of more than 6.7 million visitors in 2009, according to an attraction attendance report from AECOM and Themed Entertainment Association.

``They are still good drivers of tourism and, similar to regional theme parks, they have tended to do a little bit better than larger, more extensive destination-oriented ones,'' said Edward Shaw, senior associate with the economics arm of consulting firm AECOM. ``The tickets tend to be a little more reasonable for the markets and they're good for staycations and the resident-oriented market.''

The proposed water park will have some features similar to Aquatica, SeaWorld's water park in Orlando, which opened in 2008.

The Neuman Group, the aquatic destination planning and construction firm shoring up the local project, is involved with both. Theme-park operator Palace Entertainment -- which runs Boomers arcades and Sea Life Park in Hawaii, among others -- is also working with the Dolphin venture.

The downturn in the economy could actually be a boost to a new project like the one Ross plans, some experts say.

``It's much cheaper to build anything nowadays than it was two or three years ago,'' said UCF's Pizam. ``People are out of jobs, companies are looking for projects. The cost has been going down, almost spiraling down.''

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/08/18/v-fullstory/1782580/plans-for-new-water-park-making.html#ixzz0xIPKil5Y

OMG!!! =D I'm going to start visiting the site frequently for some construction pics (when construction starts and before construction starts)! Can't wait!!!! =D

The Mondial Wind Seeker

http://www.parkworld-online.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/1596/Mondial_unveils_Wind_Seeker.html

This is the rumored ride for Cedar Point (replacing Ocean Motion), Canada's Wonderland, and Knott's Berry Farm (replacing Sky Cabin) opening in 2011. It looks pretty cool.

No Knott's Coaster for 2011 but for 2012 instead??

From Screamscape:

(8/19/10) Knott’s has now begun teasing us with an upcoming announcement for 2011 on their own Facebook page. The image show simply shows the park skyline with the old Parachute Drop tower on the left and Supreme Scream on the right. Xcelerator is barely seen at the bottom of the image…and there is a lot of empty sky inbetween. Sounds like something big may be on the way. Hmmm… another StratoSoar?
Meanwhile Westcoaster has posted their own update from Knott’s, along with a map showing off the locations of all those survey markers all over the park.

From the looks of things, 2011 might not bring a coaster for Knott's after all, but instead be a clone of the Wind Seeker ride that Cedar Point is getting. Bummer, because I was hoping to encounter a new coaster. But hey, at least they're getting something at all. =P

http://www.westcoaster.net/blog/2010/08/more-on-knotts-2011-project/

According to this article, the Wind Seeker is rumored to replace Sky Cabin (which explains why it was down all summer) (I heard that rumor a week or two back). If this is true, then this makes the park be the only Cedar Fair park to remove an observation tower.

With the stuff around the Sky Cabin (Wipeout and the games), rumors are spreading that those may be moved or removed as well. This should still be interesting, though. It's just kind of a bummer that the coaster won't be ready when we come to California next summer. =(

But of course, this doesn't mean that a coaster won't come in the near future, as rumors state that the markings could be for a 2012 coaster (according to the article) and have nothing to do with the Star Flyer addition. This brings us back to this rumor:

When I worked there back in 2006, somebody had gotten to see blueprints for what was supposed to be a new hyper coaster. We had seen all the higher ups scouting out the area as well, they were monitoring foot traffic, and it was all supposed to take place in the old Kingdom of the Dinosaurs building, thats where the station was going to be, with the queue taking out the arcade below and the drop turning out over I believe the street behind it was Western, can't recall, and into the employee parking lot for a Hammerhead turn, then over Bigfoot Rapids, and continue all over the place. Then, out of nowhere, in our eyes, everything was dropped, or put on hold. Maybe this is it, but changed a bit? It was supposed to be at least a 2 year construction process since it took up so much room. Hopefully something of the same is going to happen. It would actually give me a reason to visit again.

So this might not be changed as much as I thought after all (but maybe the rumor of Perilous Plunge getting removed may have to do with making a splash down for the coaster like Diamondback)... this could be an interesting project...

Knott's Berry Farm Update

From Screamscape:

2011 - New Attraction - Rumor - (8/16/10) Does Knott’s have something very large in store for the 2011 season? The magic 8-Ball says that all signs currently point to “Yes”. According to a posting at Westcoaster, during the Q2 conference call Cedar Fair confirmed that they would spent between $80-90 million on Capital Expansion for the 2011 season. So far, all we’ve seen announced has been very small fry in terms of dollars spent. $9 million on Planet Snoopy in Valleyfair, $8 million on Planet Snoopy at Dorney and $5 million on it at Worlds of Fun. That represents $22 million so far, and I doubt the rumored Starlight attraction for Carowinds will cost more than $2-3 million. Save up another $5 to $10 million for the rumored StratoSoar at Cedar Point, and we’re still looking at somewhere between $45-55 million unaccounted for so far for the 2011 season.
Who’s left? Michigan’s Adventure is rumored to get a small waterpark expansion, don’t expect much from Kings Dominion after just adding ‘Timmy 305. Canada is rumored for a possible new coaster, but no solid signs yet. California’s Great America always seems to get the shaft when it comes to CapEx and it’s been confirmed form sources that they will not get the delayed GCI woodie for 2011 either. This kind of leaves Kings Island and Knott’s as the big unknowns for 2011, and likely to receive the lions share of the remaining budget.
However, Kings Island did just add Diamondback in 2009… and the last major coaster Knott’s received was Silver Bullet in 2004. Clearly The Farm is not only the most In Need for something major in 2011, but they’ve got a ton of competition to deal with over the next couple of years from rides like Little Mermaid, Cars Land, Transformers and whatever Six Flags Magic Mountain has up their sleeve. Add in all those crazy survey markers spotted all over the park and I think The Farm is preparing for something.
Like they say, “Something wicked this way comes…”

This could be for 2011. I'm not sure what this is but I have something to say to Knott's... PLEASE get a B&M hyper for 2011/2012...

New Hint for BGT 2011

http://www.buschgardens.com/bgt/buschgardens2011.aspx

A new video has been made in the BGT 2011 website today. Nothing new, but some interesting things...:

1. In the video, Mark Rose says "Seems like things are going from 0 to 60 around here.." Could that be a possible speed for one of the launches?

2. I took this screenshot from the video:



Could that be part of the coaster (possibly that circle in the beginning in front of the Clydesdale Hamlet)?

As for the construction, it seems like the calm before the storm, as there's not much new in the construction site. However, there are station footers being poured inside the old Monorail station. There's also some land clearing going on behind the construction walls in front of the Crown Colony. They also dug a hole in front of the old monorail station (where the sheet piles are).

And I also found this quote from Chris at AmusementInsider (about the vertical tower rumor):

Actually, the ride has a vertical tower after the second launch. If memory serves, I believe I was told that it's somewhere around 160' feet, but that could be off.

Similar to the Intamin accelerator coasters - vertical track straight up. At the top, though, is a weird figure-8 helix before dropping, and I do believe that drop is beyond vertical.

But rumor has it, it won't be exactly vertical. It might be a huge airtime hill. From Ratmead at Orlando United:

They are calling that section the "over/under". There will be a fairly large corkscrew that goes over the path on it's way back to the station, the coaster will just be going under the bridge and through the trench on it's way out towards Rhino Rally. There is definitely going to be a launch into a tower, don't look for the track to go vertical though, it will be more like a large airtime hill, then going into the figure 8 element, which is no longer a secret either.

The "over/under" section refers to the track over the pathway to Nairobi and Edge of Africa and under it.

I also found this from Ratmead at Florida Thrills:

A little something to hold you over till Monday, when we all probably be very disappointed.

http://i.imgur.com/3zaKK.jpg

So a little Intamin confirmation to start the weekend is never a bad thing right?

So this coaster will be an LSM Launch Coaster??? Now that's cool...

As for "Inautec..." now I'm really confused. I thought it would be called "Cheetaka." Who knows though...?

Okay, now I'm REALLY excited! =D

EDIT: Just found out about Inautec (from Ratmead at Florida Thrills):

Inautec is a company that is either a part of Intamin or works with Intamin. Check their website, it shows some coasters. How is this teaser from Busch Gardens? I cannot see it because I am at work.

Look for some more stuff from me later today...

It's part of Intamin (or works with Intamin)! Now I'm REALLY REALLY excited! =D

Knott's Berry Farm Project Location?

This is a map of the survey markings at Knott's (it's not that exact though, but there are markings in those areas). If these markings do indeed have to do with a big project, we could be dealing with something huge.

I'll try and update this pic, as more markings are discovered... I still have hopes for a B&M Hyper like Intimidator...

Freestyle Music Park Foreclosed and Possible Buyers

Freestyle Music Park is indeed foreclosed, but now here's some possible buyers for the park, including an interesting buyer that I had this strange feeling could buy the park (from Screamscape):

Park News - (8/14/10) I guess the rumors of a foreclosure starting were true. According to this article the official paperwork was filed by the park to the court to go ahead with the proceedings. At this point I guess it’s all a matter of if someone will step up during a liquidation to buy the park as a whole and try to save it, or if the attractions will end up being sold off piece by piece.
As for what has been going on behind the scenes for the past several months, I’ve heard a brief breakdown of the various potential bidders on the park and where things went wrong. Several major players as well as individual investors did look at the park and express interest, but in the end, no one could come to the table with a good valid offer.
One of the private investor groups that the park was hoping would come through was said to be that Exploration Holdings group backed by Tara Perry with connections to Jim Fowler. They were said to have made an offer that was considered acceptable by the Russian owners, but never could get their financing in order to seal the deal.
The other private group was rumored to be led by former Hard Rock Park staffer, Felix Mussenden, who knew he was the only player coming to the table with hard cash in pocket and was said to be attempting to low-ball the owners with a bid far less than the other. They obviously did not accept this, though apparently he did offer it several times. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him show up again at a bankruptcy sale hearing.
The big surprise is I’m told that Cedar Fair apparently expressed some very serious interest in the park, but was not willing to be rushed into a deal too quickly to compete against the private investors who were already making bids. Cedar Fair wanted to do some serious research into the property, and take their time to think about their options, which makes sense considering the last time they rushed into a deal too fast they almost bought Visionland ten years ago. I’ve got a feeling Cedar Fair’s attempted merger with Apollo earlier this year also may have played a role in this as well.
Who else kicked the tires? PARC Management was also said to be a serious contender for the property. How serious? Well they actually went go far as to put in an official “letter of interest” in the property way back in November 2009... but never followed through with anything more.

Exploration Holdings, Felix Mussenden, Cedar Fair, and PARC Management?

Hmmm... personally my favorite choice is Cedar Fair, because if they buy it, there could be some cool coasters in that park (keep in mind, Cedar Fair is known for their coaster count). But who knows? Maybe they're going to turn it into a water-park only place (like what Geauga Lake has become) to make Carowinds the destination of the Carolinas (as in GL, to make Cedar Point the destination of northern Ohio). I kinda doubt it though. I think Cedar Fair should also appear in that "bankruptcy sale hearing" and buy that park.

Upcoming Trips #2

1. Universal Orlando (Thanksgiving 2010)
2. Universal Orlando (Winter Break)
3. Universal Orlando (My BDay 2011)
4. ??? (Spring Break 2011) (IDK what, probably either Universal or Busch Gardens)
5. California (Summer 2011) (There is a possibility of us going to Six Flags Magic Mountain, Knott's Berry Farm, Disney, Universal Hollywood, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, and California's Great America, but it's unknown. I'm pretty sure we're going to SFMM though)
6. Brazil (Summer 2011)

What If...? #1

This is my first episode of "What If...?," a new series of blog posts stating the possibilities of what parks could add.

Here it goes:

What if... Universal Studios Hollywood were to build a clone of Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit? It seems like a suitable outdoor coaster addition to USH. HRRR is a pretty quiet coaster, so I doubt the noise will affect the film and TV production.

Where would it go up? I'm not sure where it would go up. I did come up with this possibility... reusing the old Castle Theater (being used for a temporary special effects show) for the station/queue line, and the vertical lift can be behind the Animal Actors show (which will become indoors not to disturb the animals), and the drop should go up over a service road followed by the Double Take. They can also take out Coke Soak for the first two block brakes. They can put up the treble clef out behind the Terminator building. They can put up the jump cut by the double take, and the crowd surfer can punch through the old Castle Theater building. The final half (third block brake, drop tuning, plot twist, and final brake run) can go up in between another service road and the Simpsons Ride building.

I'm just bringing this up because of the possibility of Six Flags Magic Mountain and Knott's Berry Farm adding coasters and how long USH has gone without building a coaster (and not to mention SeaWorld San Diego is rumored to build a new coaster soon). This is just speculation and will probably not happen... or probably will. Who knows? I'm just bringing some speculation.

More GASM Demolition

As of August 10, 2010, more of the lift hill has come down, and the park rented a crane. During dismantling, the Parachute Training Center and erUption were down. When dismantling stopped for the day, they were back open. Here is the update from CoasterFusion:

http://coasterfusion.com/page.php?477.0

Now I've got to wonder how long it will be till that first loop gets the axe. XD

Freestyle Music Park In Deep Doo-Doo

In case you don't know, there's this park in South Carolina called Freestyle Music Park. It opened in 2008 as Hard Rock Park, and includes Time Machine (a B&M Sit-Down) (formerly Led Zepellin: The Ride) and Round About (a Premier Rides Ferris Wheel lift coaster) (formerly Maximum RPM). It closed late 2008, as they filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In January 2009, they filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. On February 2009, they got new owners, and they renamed the park "Freestyle Music Park" in April 2009. The park reopened in May 2009. And on August 2009, the park stated that the 2009 season wasn't what they hoped, but was far from being horrible, and that the park is in no danger of closing.

Well, what do you know, they're - wait! Uh... I'll tell you how it started...

Back in October 2009, they announced that they will be getting new investors. They were rumored to be adding something for the 2010 season (a bumper cars or a water ride), but it ended up not happening, WHY?? Because of - wait! Not ready... In November 2009, rumors started to spread that the park would be sold for $40 million. In January 2010, they got hit up with two more debt payment requests, and were going to seal a deal with the new investors on January 15th. Later that month, MERLIN (the company who bought Cypress Gardens and are turning it to Legoland Florida) was rumored to buy it. Then in February, there was Southern Star (who are trying to revive Six Flags New Orleans) and Exploration Holdings, as well as Felix Mussenden, the CFO of Hard Rock Park. That same month, they announced that they will close their business office until further notice and laying off the remaining staff, and the website went offline! And that same month, there was an April 1st deadline, and the park has confirmed that they will not reopen late March, and once the deal with the new investor/owner is finalized "it will take at least 8 weeks to open the park." (quoted from Screamscape). Late February, Southern Star and Exploration Holdings were ruled out.

Unfortunately, they missed the April 1st deadline, and the park will not open for the 2010 season. In June, the park moved closer to liquidation, as a bankruptcy judge ruled against the park, allowing creditors to get one step closer to liquidating the park. Late last month, there was some activity in the park because some kids trespassed in the park for some exploration (the activity was lights on inside the park to help security).

And now, this morning, I heard this disturbing rumor from Screamscape:

Park News - (8/12/10) I’ve heard that Freestyle Music Park may have been foreclosed on this past Monday. Anyone know more?

This doesn't show a good sign for the park's future at all. Hopefully someone out there will buy save of the rides (if not all, at least Time Machine, the dark ride, and Round About). PLEASE! Cedar Fair, Universal, Ed Hart, Six Flags, Merlin, ANYONE!

Cedar Point News

From Screamscape:

2011 - Stratosoar / Thrill Ride - Semi-Confirmed - (8/11/10) While other Cedar Fair parks were opening their presents to Snoopy over the weekend, chocked full of announcements about Planet Snoopy areas with several new rides coming next year, Cedar Point guests were not so lucky. According to CP’s own blog coverage, the big present was opened and contained... Cookies. Yep... just cookies, so we’re playing the wait game again to find out about Stratosoar.
(8/6/10) The latest rumors about StratoSoar is that the Star Flyer style ride will hold 64 riders at once and stand 300 feet tall. I’ve also heard that the new ride could replace Ocean Motion, the park’s swing ship, located right next to the beach.
(8/5/10) We’ve heard from a few readers that Cedar Point has set up a giant present box addressed to Snoopy near Planet Snoopy with instructions not to open it until August 8th. As predicted, this should be next year’s new attraction announcement. While the Stratosoar rumor is the strongest right now, it’s funny how the coaster rumor keeps popping up. Is it just a fanboy dream or a deliberate attempt at misinformation spearheaded by The Point? Perhaps a little of both… and maybe… just maybe… there could be some truth to it. To help keep their record intact, I have heard a new rumor claiming that the park just mightadd a new kiddie coaster to the Planet Snoopy area as well since SFMM is adding a kiddie coaster next year. Gotta keep that coaster count up you know.
(8/3/10) Thanks to one of our readers for the tip, I’ve confirmed that Cedar Fair has filed Trademark application for the name “Stratosoar” on July 16th. Hmm… sounds like a perfect name for a gigantic Star Flyer style ride, doesn’t it? (Of course, since it was filed by Cedar Fair, it could be for any park in the chain… but The Point makes the most sense right now.

Is Stratosaur the name of this Star Flyer???

Whoa... 300 ft is pretty tall... too bad it isn't a coaster, but this is still cool... =D

Possible Hypercoaster at Knott's Berry Farm??

I just found this quote from tomahawKSU at COASTERFORCE:

When I worked there back in 2006, somebody had gotten to see blueprints for what was supposed to be a new hyper coaster. We had seen all the higher ups scouting out the area as well, they were monitoring foot traffic, and it was all supposed to take place in the old Kingdom of the Dinosaurs building, thats where the station was going to be, with the queue taking out the arcade below and the drop turning out over I believe the street behind it was Western, can't recall, and into the employee parking lot for a Hammerhead turn, then over Bigfoot Rapids, and continue all over the place. Then, out of nowhere, in our eyes, everything was dropped, or put on hold. Maybe this is it, but changed a bit? It was supposed to be at least a 2 year construction process since it took up so much room. Hopefully something of the same is going to happen. It would actually give me a reason to visit again.

Could this be involved...? It, of course, will most likely be changed, because similar markings (to the ones spotted in the area that person mentioned) have been reported around the Sky Cabin/Xcelerator area.

Hopefully it WILL be a hypercoaster (preferably made by B&M) like Intimidator! =D

Possible SFMM Dive Machine Location?

I studied the Tidal Wave and Freefall site today... if a Dive Machine were to go up in that area, they could try to squeeze some of the portions around Riddler's Revenge (temporarily closing that coaster while they work), and possibly tear out half the Tidal Wave lake, using the other half as a splashdown (expanding it). This is just a theory though.

A Nasty Pic of the Second Loop for GASM Coming Down

Just thought I'd post this pic from Cruxis at Gadv.com (taken July 29):



I never thought they could actually take down a loop like that... just tipping it over... in a FEW MINUTES!! I know they are going to scrap it, but just whoa...

Two Coasters

Hersheypark:

From Screamscape:

2011/2012 - Attraction 2012 - (8/7/10) Apparently the hint Hersheypark posted on their Facebook account may not have been a hint about the new attraction at all. I’m told it was followed up by a second posting that said, “Now get ready to see Hershey from your own two feet! Get ready for the first Hershey Half Marathon on Sunday, October 3. ” Bummer… but then again this is Hersheypark we’re talking about, and they’ve proven to be quite innovative about how they drop hints and tease about a new attraction in the past. (Ahem… Nantimi anyone?)
(8/6/10) Pictures of new Survey markings have been posted to Keystone Thills this week. Stakes are starting to show up this week and I’m told that there is a local meeting at the township slated for August 19th where they will discuss a proposal from Hersheypark for something big enough to need a height limit waver for something bigger than 200 feet tall, but no taller than 350 ft. So far they’ve only identfyed it as ‘Attraction 2012”. This brings us to a unique hint Hersheypark dropped as well as on their Facebook page that said: “Youve seen Hershey from the Kissing Tower.....Youve Seen Hershey from Storm Runner.....now get ready to see Hershey from......” It seems in indicate that something tall is on the way for sure.

http://keystonethrills.megabb.com/hersheypark-happenings-discussion-f18/attraction-2012-rumor-and-news-discussion-t157-255.htm#2074 (the Keystone Thrills update)

Sounds like something along the lines of a hyper (of some type) or a giga (like Intimidator 305) could be on the way for this park.

And according to the update from Keystone Thrills, it seems like the station will be built on the site of the Tilt-a-Whirl attraction. It also shows that trees are being cut down behind Comet, which seems to indicate that a pathway will go up, detouring guests while the rumored area is under heavy construction.

And from Ccron10 at Keystone Thrills:

From the way it seems, they could possibly be doing a detour path or even a brand new path to access Comet Hollow. I'm betting that they are doing this so that they can work on the path between Skyview and Comet. I don't think we will be walking on this path until October or November though.

Chang:

From Jackson Online:

Jackson, NJ – JTOWN today got a first glimpse of the new steel roller coaster that will be replacing the Great American Scream Machine at Jackson’s Six Flags Great Adventure. Documents on file show the new coaster’s footprint and a top down view of the coaster, currently set to open during the 2011 season. On documents submitted to the Township of Jackson, pre-dated for Saturday, July 7, 2010, Arnold Grodzinski, Manager of Construction and Facility at Six Flags were filed requesting administrative approval for a “new steel roller coaster in the Theme Park. The new coaster will replace the Great American Scream Machine and will be constructed on the same site.

The footprint of the new steel coaster will expand upon the currently designated footprint that had been allocated for the Great American Scream Machine, which officially shutdown last month and is in the process of being dismantled. The only portion of the old ride that will remain is the queueing entry station. Six Flags is requesting permission from the township to remove 205 parking spaces that currently exist on the northern side of the Superman roller coaster to make room for the new coaster’s extended incline and drop. Total parking capacity will drop from 9,266 spaces down to 9,061. Six Flags expressed their confidence in their new site plan and did not feel the loss of those spaces would compromise the parking capacity of the park.

The company also mentioned the 2005 approval of a hotel on the property which has yet to be built. Sources within Jackson Township, which shall remain unidentified speculated that the delay in the hotel was most likely the result of well water and septic services on the site and lack of city sewer and water facilities. The 2005 hotel plan called for the loss of a larger amount of parking spaces to accomodate the construction of the proposed hotel.

In a letter submitted this week to the Jackson Township Planning Board, Owen Little & Associates, an engineering firm from Beachwood representing Six Flags requested that the planning board hears and reviews the application at their earliest convenience. The company submitted a conceptual site plan of the coaster was a preliminary rendering. A more formal engineering site plan would be provided by the group at a later date once administrative approval is granted.

On Monday night, the plan was presented to the planning board. Township Planning Board President Todd Porter stated “We heard their administrative approval and it was approved by a vote of 9-0″ he added “for a new roller coaster to replace the Scream Machine, the theme and name of which is not known.”

The township planning board next meets on Monday, August 16th at 7:30 pm in the main meeting hall at the township administrative building.

http://www.jacksonnjonline.com/2010/08/05/exclusive-first-look-at-six-flags-great-adventures-new-rollercoaster/

And here's a pic of the layout from that site:



I always thought that Chang would be better in SFGAdv than in SFGAm (but I still like SFA and SFStL better, though it does seems to fit nice in SFGAdv).

As for the ride it's replacing... the lift hill, first drop, and first loop are the only track pieces remaining. And on August 6th, they've removed the top of the lift hill.

And from Ro11erC0ast3r at CoasterFusion:

On the way out I got into a very heated discussion with Joe on how I think the lift hill and remaining loop will be removed. I think there are three possible scenarios with one of them being my pick:

1 - The park closes Parachutes & Twister because they rent a crane to remove the track and supports during park hours. You wouldn't want to risk falling track pieces from a ride onto other nearby rides. Remember when they were building Superman Ultimate Flight and one of the supports slipped out of the cranes grasp?

2 - After the park closes and it is called CLEAR the crews will begin to dismantle the ride in the dark and then begin clearing the debris during the day. This way would eliminate having to close the nearby rides like Twister & Parachutes.

3 - The park goes to weekends and during the week the crews remove the lift hill and remaining loop.

Out of the three scenarios above I think number 3 sounds the most reasonable to me. We haven't seen any track removal in a couple of days which leads me to believe that the park is waiting to remove the rest when they go to off season hours. It is only a month away.

It seems like Scenario 1 is the option they're taking, though Parachutes and Twister are still open while they're taking down GASM.

Six Flags Magic Mountain News!

Just a head's up, a similar coaster to Superman The Escape (Tower of Terror at Dreamworld, Australia) will be running backwards:

2010 - Tower of Terror II - Confirmed - (8/7/10) Dreamworld has officially announced that after years of thrilling guests, they are going to reinvent their Tower of Terror ride when they close it on August 18th. Four weeks later the ride will reopen with an all new twist as Tower of Terror II. The cars have now been turned around and you will launch backwards up the giant tower and float weightless at the top while looking face-first at the ground below before plunging back down to earth.
In a way it’s very ironic that we’ve been hearing this same rumor for Superman: The Escape at Six Flags Magic Mountain for the past two years… only to have Dreamworld swoop in to beat them out. Years ago, when Superman was under construction to become the world’s first 100mph launched coaster, it suffered technical problems for months allow Dreamworld’s Tower of Terror to swoop in and take the record first then as well.

And also, looks like STE may not be "Bizarro'd" after all:

Six Flags Magic Mountain has quietly closed the Superman free-fall coaster in preparation for a makeover of the ride scheduled to reopen in spring 2011.

A sign posted outside the ride promises “something BIG is happening” to the Superman: The Escape coaster, according to photos posted by Screamscape.

The $20-million magnetic launch shuttle coaster opened in 1997, boasting a top speed of 100 mph, a gravitational force of 4.5 Gs and 6.5 seconds of weightlessness, according to Roller Coaster Database.

Magic Mountain officials have released few details about the planned overhaul, saying only that the Fortress of Solitude ice cave entrance will remain and the Superman figure will return to the top of the 415-foot tall ride.

Amusement park officials quickly denied Internet rumors that the ride would receive a Bizarro retheming based on Superman’s evil clone.

Roller coasters at two of Magic Mountain’s sister parks — Six Flags New England in Massachusetts and Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey — received Bizarro makeovers in 2009 that added fog, fire and sound effects as well as garish purple color schemes.

The Valencia amusement park will also add a kiddie coaster in spring 2011, relocated from a now-shuttered Six Flags park in New Orleans. Mr. Six’s DanceCoaster was announced as a new addition for 2010 and later postponed because of construction delays.

The junior coaster will keep the current red and black color scheme and stay in the same planned location in the northwest corner of the park but will likely receive a new name and theme, officials said.

http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/index.php/superman-magic-mount-7321/

Well, thank god! But I hope they at least do the backwards rumor though... imagine launching backwards! =D

And... hmmm... looks like 2011 could be big for SFMM... Mr. Six's DanceCoaster, STE refurbishment... and now this report from Screamscape:

Park News - (8/6/10) I’ve been sent an interesting rumor about the future of SFMM as rumors of a new project are starting to emerge. Nothing specific… we only have a name right now. Project: 18. You know what that means… but is it real or just a fanboy dream?

Hmmm... Project 18 eh (though I believe it could be for 2012)? Doesn't the park have 17 coasters (counting Mr. Six's DanceCoaster as a future coaster)? And with another one, there will be 18... hmmm...

I think we're dealing with a cool coaster for SFMM. As for the type, I don't know, but hopefully it's a B&M Dive Machine! The world needs more of them! =D

I also remember a report from Screamscape saying that they could be building a coaster on the mountain, but the rumor was when Shapiro was in, and, of course, he's out now so who knows...

I also remember this rumor a few weeks back...:

(7/27/10) The latest rumors suggest that the clearing in the old Sierra Twist spot is for a new restaurant location only and not a new ride. Even more bad news… I’m hearing rumors suggesting that not only is Thrill Shot going to be removed later this year, but this may be the last season for Tidal Wave as well. Between the removed Tidal Wave and the former Freefall location, that does open up a large spot of land for something new at least.

Could this be involved? It looks pretty small though (especially with Riddler's Revenge in the way)... at least according to Bing's birds-eye views...

I do have this feeling that it could be an amazing-looking coaster...

*keeps fingers crossed for a B&M Dive Machine*

Knott's Berry Farm Survey Markings

Recently, some survey markings have been reported in the west side of Knott's Berry Farm in California (by Westcoaster):

http://www.westcoaster.net/updates.php?updateCD=062810&page=3 (bottom of the page)
http://www.westcoaster.net/updates.php?updateCD=071310&page=6
http://www.westcoaster.net/updates.php?updateCD=072810&page=3

Hmmm... suprised Screamscape doesn't have rumors about this yet. =/ Who knows what this is? Hopefully a new coaster! =D

And also from Ranger Rick at MiceChat:

So rumor has it, the sky tower and perilous plunge are out, KOD will be the loading dock. It will be 300 feet tall, and run from Sky tower/ Xcellator to Big Foot, to Ghost Rider. If you get back stage look for the markers around the Four Corners Café, and in front of the rides office.

KOD, BTW, is Kingdom of the Dinosaurs, a dark ride which has been closed off for a while (since 2004/2005).

This project seems interesting. I have this feeling that it will be an airtime coaster, which lists the possibilities as...

Intamin Hypercoaster
Intamin Mega-Lite
B&M Hypercoaster
Intamin Giga Coaster

More on this as I find out...

Son of Beast Update #1

From Screamscape:

Son Of Beast Status - Closed Until Further Notice - (8/2/10) The new land clearing behind Son of Beast is real it seems, and can be seen from the tower’s observation deck if you look through the gap where the loop used to be to the land beyond. Even more interesting are the reports from those riding Flight Deck who claim to have seen workers pounding/sawing away at stuff in the SOB station, along with the sound of power tools. I’ve got to wonder, are they working on something in the station for the ride… or planning to turn the station into a Halloween Haunt?

Canada's Wonderland Update #2

From Screamscape:

2011 - Future Expansion - Rumor - (8/4/10) According to the latest rumor, Canada’s Wonderland could be getting something very special in 2011. I know we’ve heard about survey markers appearing here and there all season, but if the rumors are true the park may be looking at getting a new GCI Wooden coaster. Can anyone else confirm this?

This seems logical. Keep in mind that last month, Screamscape posted that Cedar Fair may be building more wooden coasters in the future.

Anyways, I'd assume a Prowler-clone (or a new layout) is on the way for Canada's Wonderland soon.

More Hersheypark News

Why didn't I post this yet (from Screamscape)...:

2011/2012 - New Coaster - (7/26/10) RCPro has posted new pictures of the current construction markings at Hersheypark.
(7/22/10) Keystone Thrills has posted some pictures showing off some new survey markings on the ground near the Creekside Catering area. There is still some debate about if this project is for 2011 or 2012… though one rumor suggests that it may be both. Following the rumor that this may be an new Intamin coaster, our source suggests that a section of the ride may actually punch through the venerable Comet, which would have to have it’s structure modified a bit to handle this in time to reopen for 2011, and possibly save the new ride until 2012. It’s only a rumor… don’t get worried just yet.
If that wasn’t enough, one of our readers supplied us with an overhead picture of the park, with red dots where all the survey markers were seen as of last month. I’m sure more have been spotted by now, but even then you can see the area being surveyed is quite large.

Also a pic from Screamscape:



The area seems pretty large...

Chopping Block Update #4

I just got back from my trip to Universal (great time BTW), and as I left USF (yesterday), I noticed something inside the Terminator gift shop... they were selling World of Warcraft toys! I don't know how long they've been selling them? If they just did, why would they... unless... wait... is Terminator... could it maybe...? ...No, I refuse to believe that... It will not happen... or will it...? =O