Posted on: Sunday, May 25, 2008
New parks and attractions arrive just in time for summer
By Beth J. Harpaz
Associated Press
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Heimlich from Disney's "A Bug's Life" goes to pieces along the parade route at the California Adventure Park
Associated Press photos
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The Behemoth in Canada's Wonderland in Vaughan, Ontario, is Canada's tallest fastest roller coaster, with eight out-of-your seat drops
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The new Planet Snoopy at Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio, is a kids' play area with seven rides, an ice show and a themed restaurant.
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The entrance to the new Simpsons Ride at Universal Studios is shown in Orlando, Fla. The simulator ride is part thrills, part TV show, and replaces the Back to the Future ride.
JOHN RAOUX | Associated Press
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Chill out as you float down Roa's Rapids at SeaWorld's new Aquatica water theme park, adjacent to SeaWorld in Orlando.
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Here are some of the new parks and attractions in the U.S. and Canada. A few opened earlier this spring; most but not all will open by Memorial Day. Check with parks for specific opening dates.
CALIFORNIA AND FLORIDA
THE SIMPSONS RIDE, Universal Orlando, Orlando, Fla., www.universalorlando.com and at Universal Studios Hollywood, Los Angeles, www.universalstudioshollywood.com. The Simpsons Ride, a simulator ride that's part thrills, part TV show, replaces Back to the Future at Universal in Hollywood and Orlando.
TOY STORY MANIA!, Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Fla., www.disneyworld.com and Disneyland, Anaheim, Calif., www.dis neyland.com. Interactive ride where you shoot at virtual targets, inspired by the "Toy Story" movies. Opens at Disney World in Florida on Saturday and at Disney's California Adventure June 17. Mandt said the ride is a good example of the interactive trend hitting theme parks: "Your first ride and second ride are different, and you actually have a role to play in the outcome." Also new at Disneyland in Anaheim, Innoventions Dream Home in Tomorrowland, a 21st century redesign of the classic House of the Future, and Pixar Play Parade at California Adventure with characters from movies like "Toy Story," "Monsters Inc." and "Cars" on giant floats.
JUNGALA, Busch Gardens, Tampa Bay, Fla., www.jungala.com. Interactive animal park, where you can watch white-cheeked gibbons up close, observe an orangutan paint, and experience tug of war with a Bengal tiger. Geared to families with children ages 6-14.
AQUATICA, SeaWorld, Orlando, Fla., www.aquaticabyseaworld.com. Water park adjacent to SeaWorld, with waterfalls, racing slides, a raft ride, wave pools, rivers, lagoons, a beach and 36 slides. The park is also home to dolphins, birds and fish.
SESAME STREET BAY OF PLAY, SeaWorld, San Diego, Calif., www.seaworld.com/sandiego. Themed kiddie park with Sesame Street characters, two rides and live show.
PACIFIC WHEEL, Santa Monica Pier, Calif., www.pacpark.com. This new, $1.5 million Ferris wheel with 15,000 lights replaces the old Ferris wheel, which recently sold on eBay to a buyer from Oklahoma.
LAND OF ADVENTURE, Legoland, Carlsbad, Calif., www.legoland.com/California.htm. A new area of the park with attractions that include a dark ride, Lost Kingdom Adventure, and Pharaoh's Revenge, where you shoot foam balls. New Sea Life Aquarium expected to open in July.
FIREFALL, California's Great America, Santa Clara, Calif. www.cagreatamerica.com/. Thrill ride that flips and turns riders through fire and water effects.
PONY EXPRESS, Knott's Berry Farm, Buena Park, Calif. www.knotts.com. A launched coaster that travels through 60-degree turns and maneuvers.
CANADA, THE NORTHEAST AND MID-ATLANTIC
BEHEMOTH, Canada's Wonderland, Vaughan, Ontario (near Toronto), www.canadaswonderland.com. Canada's tallest, fastest roller coaster, with a 230-foot first drop followed by seven more out-of-your seat drops.
NIAGARA'S FURY, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, www.niagarasfury.com/. High-tech attraction telling the story of the creation of the famous falls. Centerpiece of renovated Table Rock observation site.
MOTOCOASTER: Darien Lake, Darien Center, N.Y., www.godarienlake.com. New ride design intended to simulate a motorcycle, with 12 motorcycles on a figure-eight layout, 44 feet tall, at speeds up to 40 mph.
FAHRENHEIT, Hersheypark, Hershey, Pa., www.hersheypark.com. Vertical-lift inverted loop coaster, up to 58 mph, 2,700 feet of steel track. Also new at Hershey, the Howler ride, with sphere-shaped cars that rotate at a 20-degree angle, creating a "tornado-like" experience.
VOODOO, Dorney Park, Allentown, Pa., www.dorneypark.com/. Inverted steel coaster that ascends 185 feet up, launches forward and backward, twists 360 degrees and rockets riders up to 70 mph.
DOMINATOR, Kings Dominion, Doswell, Va., www.kingsdominion.com. Floorless roller coaster with five inversions, said to have the world's largest vertical loop. The coaster comes to Virginia from Geauga Lake in Aurora, Ohio, which is now a water park, Geauga Lake's Wildwater Kingdom, www.wildwaterfun.com.
AT SIX FLAGS PARKS
DARK KNIGHT, Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, N.J., and Six Flags Great America, Gurnee, Ill., near Chicago, www.sixflags.com/greatadventure/ and www.sixflags.com/greatAmerica/. Indoor roller coaster with hairpin turns, drops into darkness and video from the upcoming Batman movie, "The Dark Knight."
TONY HAWK'S HALFPIPE, Six Flags America, Bowie/Mitchellville, Md., www.sixflags.com/America/. Water slide designed to evoke skating a halfpipe.
TONY HAWK'S BIG SPIN: Six Flags Over Texas, Arlington, Texas, www.sixflags.com/overTexas and at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Vallejo, Calif., www.sixflags.com/discoveryKingdom/. Built to resemble a skate park, with cars that twist, turn and spin.
GOLIATH, Six Flags Fiesta Texas, San Antonio, Texas, www.sixflags.com/fiestaTexas. Inverted coaster that goes 50 mph with riders suspended from an overhead track.
X2 COASTER, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia, Calif., www.sixflags.com/magicMoun tain. This is a redesign on an existing coaster, with new visual, auditory and sensory effects.
EVEL KNIEVEL, Six Flags St. Louis, Eureka, Mo., www.sixflags.com/stLouis. Wooden coaster with a 2,700-foot track, 80-foot drop, and double 55-foot drops. Expected opening late June.
THOMAS TOWN, Six Flags Over Georgia, Austell, Ga., near Atlanta, www.sixflags.com/over Georgia. Play area for younger children themed on Thomas the Tank Engine.
IN THE SOUTH
HARD ROCK PARK, Myrtle Beach, S.C., www.hardrockpark.com. New rock 'n' roll-themed park, with coasters named for Led Zeppelin and the Eagles, plus a groovy dark ride based on the Moody Blues' "Nights in White Satin."
RIVER BATTLE, Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, Tenn., www.dollywood.com. Water adventure ride with nine rafts. Each raft holds eight people armed with soaker guns taking aim at each other and more than 100 interactive targets, including splashing beavers, skunks, otters and bears.
IN THE MIDWEST, WEST
PLANET SNOOPY, Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio, www.cedarpoint.com. New children's play area with seven rides, plus a new Snoopy-themed restaurant and ice show.
SKYSCRAPER, Challenge Park (at Cedar Point), Sandusky, Ohio, www.cedarpoint.com/public/park/challenge—park. A thrill ride that spins like a propeller with open cars 16 stories off the ground. Expected opening: June.
THUNDERHAWK, Michigan's Adventure, Muskegon, Mich., www.miadventure.com. The 105-foot tall inverted roller coaster flips riders upside down five times. Relocated from Geauga Lake in Aurora, Ohio, which is now a water park.
KEYLIME COVE, Gurnee, Ill., www.keylimecove.com. New water park with wave pool, body slides, lazy river, activity pool for water sports.
KIMA BAY, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari, Santa Claus, Ind., www.holidayworld.com. New monkey-themed water park attraction at Splashin' Safari.
NICKELODEON UNIVERSE, Mall of America, Bloomington, Minn., www.nickelodeonuniverse.com. Nickelodeon, the children's cable network, has had Nick-branded zones in theme parks before, but this park, which opened in March, is the company's first standalone theme park. Rides include SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge roller coaster.
ODYSEA, Lagoon Park, Farmington, Utah, www.lagoonpark.com/. Interactive family water ride with flying fish-shaped gondolas that can be navigated to avoid getting sprayed by water from other cars.
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