tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228019972024-03-08T07:00:49.968-05:00Roller Coaster SourceYour source for coaster reviews, previews, news, and rumors!GHDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086495501039119765noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22801997.post-66623421453844991522008-01-06T15:26:00.000-05:002008-01-06T15:39:42.847-05:00Lake Compounce Under New Ownership<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/04/Lake_Compounce_Main_Gate.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/04/Lake_Compounce_Main_Gate.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Parques Reunidos, based out of Madrid, Spain, has acquired Lake Compounce Amusement Park in Bristol, CT from Kennywood Entertainment. Kennywood purchased the park in 1996 during a time of financial and legal trouble for Lake Compounce. Over the last ten years, Kennywood has invested millions throughout the park. The addition of new water slides, a world class wooden roller coaster, and creating a family friendly environment has transformed Lake Compounce into an extremely successful park in the 21st century. Parques Reunidos also acquired four other parks that were under the ownership of Kennywood Entertainment. A press release from Kennywood emphasized that little will change for both employees and customers at the park. Lake Compounce opened in 1846 and has gone through many different owners since then.GHDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086495501039119765noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22801997.post-15939371794979937672007-07-31T11:05:00.000-04:002007-07-31T11:14:41.776-04:00New Ride to Make a Splash at Dollywood<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://hfeimages.aristotle.net/DW/DW_Ride_RiverBattle_md2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://hfeimages.aristotle.net/DW/DW_Ride_RiverBattle_md2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Following up on the successful new "Mystery Mine" roller coaster, Dollywood will open a new water ride for the 2008 season. "River Battle" will be a themed raft ride in which the passengers will be able to interact with the ride by shooting at over 100 targets. These targets will display a variety of special effects, creating a unique experience for every passenger. Passengers will also be able to take aim at other ride-goers and observers. Dollywood hopes to have the $5 million project finished by next Spring.GHDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086495501039119765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22801997.post-11853069538889807412007-05-11T06:35:00.000-04:002007-06-04T20:54:59.673-04:00Coaster Season In Full Swing!Memorial Day is just around the corner, which means amusement park season has finally arrived! A lot of additions have been made to parks across the country. Here is my list of the top 3 most anticipated roller coasters of 2007.<br /><br />3. Maverick- Cedar Point<br /> Originally this coaster was supposed to showcase a "Heartline Roll" however, a troubvle ridden installation forced the park to replace it with a fairly generic ""S-Curve." But don't let that put you off, the coaster is still shaping out to be a great ride.<br /><br />2. Renegade- Valley Fair<br /> Expectations are high, but as always, Great Coasters International should deliver with this wooden coaster. Although it isn't the fastest wooden coaster, it's variety of turns, twists, and drops should excite coaster enthusiasts everywhere.<br /><br />1. Griffin- Busch Gardens Europe<br /> Busch Gardens Europe already had 4 of the counties top coasters, but I'm sure enthusiasts won't mind the addition of the world's first "Floorless Diving Coaster." The coaster will drop 90 degrees at 71 MPH. Expect Busch Gardens' world-class theming to add to the experience when the ride opens later this month.GHDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086495501039119765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22801997.post-31485778805343171642007-04-11T16:22:00.000-04:002007-05-02T19:48:02.541-04:00Hard Rock Park Making Progress<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.hrpusa.com/images/newentry.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 235px; height: 98px;" src="http://www.hrpusa.com/images/newentry.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Work on the Hard Rock Theme Park (located in Myrtle Beach, SC) is moving along at a rapid pace. Rumors of a Hard Rock amusement park had been circulating around the Internet for years before the official announcement was made in March of 2006. The park will have heavy Rock and Roll theming, similar to that of a Hard Rock Cafe. There will be six distinct areas of the park including, British Invasion, Lost in the 70's, and more. The park should feature roller coasters, dark rides, shows, and more. The park is set to open in 2008, however if you cannot wait, the park is giving tours through the end of 2007.GHDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086495501039119765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22801997.post-49343834683549477572007-03-26T15:15:00.001-04:002007-04-04T16:01:40.131-04:00Take a Journey To Atlantis, This May<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.screamscape.com/assets/images/db_images/db_2007_0312_JTA32.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.screamscape.com/assets/images/db_images/db_2007_0312_JTA32.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />This May, SeaWorld San Antonio will unveil their newest ride, "Journey to Atlantis." The ride is a hybrid of a water ride an a roller coaster. Passengers will ride in boats that spin along a track that reaches heights of 100 feet. The ride will consist of several drops, including a final plunge into a lake. This 3 1/2 minute ride is the first of it's kind in America. The ride will also feature geysers and other water elements that interact with the passengers. This is SeaWorld San Antonio's sixth major ride.GHDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086495501039119765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22801997.post-6513719150606670992007-02-24T14:54:00.000-05:002007-02-24T15:08:18.659-05:00Progress Being Made On Knott's Berry Farm's New Coaster<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/files/img_4773_374.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/files/img_4773_374.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Sierra Sidewinder appears to be on pace for a Spring Opening at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, CA. Sierra Sidewinder will be a spinning coaster produced by Mack Rides. This coaster will be the first spinning coaster that Mack is producing in outside of Europe. The coaster should spin through over 1400 feet of track while reaching speeds of up to 37 miles per hour. In a press release, the parks GM, Marty Keithley, announced that the ride "will give kids as well as adults a ride like they have never experienced before." This will be Knott's Berry Farm's eighth coaster. The parks last expansion occurred in 2004, when the inverted coaster, Silver Bullet, was opened.GHDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086495501039119765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22801997.post-60039892039314838052007-02-10T22:33:00.000-05:002007-02-10T22:32:21.908-05:00Magical World Appearing at Islands of Adventure?Islands of Adventure, located right next door to Universal Florida, is one of the most well known and acclaimed theme parks in America. However, since it's birth in 1999, there have been no major updates to the park. However, over the last few weeks, an old rumor started to gain popularity again. The rumor (which has been confirmed by several sources in the theme park industry) claims that a highly themed "Harry Potter" island will replace one of the existing islands in the park. Islands of Adventure is already known for it's incredibly well themed "islands" as well as their thrilling roller coasters, water rides, and dark rides. Although this expansion has yet to be confirmed by Universal, expect to hear much more about it over the next few years.GHDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086495501039119765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22801997.post-1169392531897714862007-01-21T10:06:00.000-05:002007-01-21T10:15:31.906-05:00Six Flags Sells 7 ParksSeveral months ago, Six Flags stated that they intended to sell several of their amusement parks in order to decrease debt. PARC 7F has decided to purchase Six Flags Darien Lake, Elitch Gardens, Frontier City and the White Water Bay water park, Enchanted Village, Splash Town (located in Houston, TX), and Waterworld USA (located in Concord, CA). The seven parks will be sold for a total $312 million. Six Flags also dismissed the speculation that they are planning to sell one of their flagship parks, Magic Mountain.GHDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086495501039119765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22801997.post-1166121260324615092006-12-14T13:32:00.000-05:002006-12-14T13:43:30.040-05:00Tony Hawk Spins Into Six Flags Fiesta Texas<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.sixflags.com/parks/fiestatexas/images/d_bigspin4.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px;" src="http://www.sixflags.com/parks/fiestatexas/images/d_bigspin4.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />'Tony Hawk's Big Spin' was recently announced as the newest addition to Six Flags Fiesta Texas for the 2007 season. Big Spin will be a spinning coaster that holds passengers in 4 seat cars. The coaster will be themed as a skateboarding ride. It will have skateboarding elements throughout the ride. The coaster, designed by Gerstlauer, will be just over 1,300 feet long as it travels up to 52 feet from the ground. Fiesta Texas also plans to renovate it's boardwalk this winter with new plank for the boardwalk as well as a new fast food area.GHDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086495501039119765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22801997.post-1162933567476879022006-11-07T14:40:00.000-05:002006-11-07T16:06:07.710-05:00Highly Themed Mystery Mine Drops into Dollywood<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.dollywood.com/mmine/images/int2/DrawingOutside.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://www.dollywood.com/mmine/images/int2/DrawingOutside.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Next spring, Dollywood ( a park named after Dolly Parton, herself) will unleash a state of the art, highly themed coaster, Mystery Mine. Mystery Mine is a one-of-kind attraction that incorporates visual and audio effects with thrilling coaster elements such as a 95 degree drop, a first in the U.S. The coaster will reach speeds close to 50 mph and contain two inversions. The coaster will cost Dollywood $17.5 million, making it the largest off season expansion in Dollywood's history.GHDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086495501039119765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22801997.post-1159963640430705212006-10-04T08:06:00.000-04:002006-10-15T20:32:59.926-04:00New Coaster Coming to Valley Fair<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="Next season, vistors of Valley Fair (located in Shakopee, Minnesota) will be in for a treat. The park recently announced that a new western themed wooden coaster, Renegade, will be opening in the spring. Renegade is being designed and built by Great Coaster International. The coaster will feature an original first drop that will twist the rides from right to left. The coaster will also feature several terrain-hugging turns and a fly-by over the ride's queue line. The coaster should max out at 52 mph and feature over 3,100 feet of track."><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="Next season, vistors of Valley Fair (located in Shakopee, Minnesota) will be in for a treat. The park recently announced that a new western themed wooden coaster, Renegade, will be opening in the spring. Renegade is being designed and built by Great Coaster International. The coaster will feature an original first drop that will twist the rides from right to left. The coaster will also feature several terrain-hugging turns and a fly-by over the ride's queue line. The coaster should max out at 52 mph and feature over 3,100 feet of track." border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Next season, vistors of Valley Fair (located in Shakopee, Minnesota) will be in for a treat. The park recently announced that a new western themed wooden coaster, Renegade, will be opening in the spring. Renegade is being designed and built by Great Coaster International. The coaster will feature an original first drop that will twist the rides from right to left. The coaster will also feature several terrain-hugging turns and a fly-by over the ride's queue line. The coaster should max out at 52 mph and feature over 3,100 feet of track.GHDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086495501039119765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22801997.post-1158599322700695932006-09-18T12:53:00.000-04:002006-09-18T13:08:57.033-04:00New Dive Coaster Opening At Busch Gardens Europe<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://z.about.com/d/themeparks/1/0/C/c/GriffonPre5.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://z.about.com/d/themeparks/1/0/C/c/GriffonPre5.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Busch Gardens Europe has started construction on their fifth coaster, Griffon. Griffon, opening in Spring of 2007, will be the world's largest Dive Coaster. Dive coasters are coasters that start with a standard lift hill followed by a brief pause at the top of the hill, only to be followed by a 90 degree drop and an arsenal of other elements. Griffon will feature over 3,100 feet of track and will boast speeds reaching 71 mph. The unique trains on the coasters will be made up of three rows with ten seats per row. Busch Gardens Europe is known for their beautiful landscaping, detailed European theming, and world renowned coasters.GHDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086495501039119765noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22801997.post-1157657713423860912006-09-07T15:21:00.000-04:002006-09-07T15:35:29.436-04:00Cedar Point announces 17th Coaster for 2007<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://cp.media.cfsm1.cedarfair.com/_includes/images/homepageshow/lite/maverick_0906.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://cp.media.cfsm1.cedarfair.com/_includes/images/homepageshow/lite/maverick_0906.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Cedar Point (located in Sandusky, OH) has announced their newest coaster opening next spring, "Maverick." Maverick will feature a 95 degree first drop! The ride will be over 4,400 feet long, including 2 launches, three inversions, and reaching speeds of up to 70 mph. Maverick will be Cedar Point's 17th coaster, which ties with Six Flags Magic Mountain for most coasters in a single park.GHDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086495501039119765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22801997.post-1155507632370747162006-08-13T18:16:00.000-04:002006-08-17T18:57:20.753-04:00Six Flags Darien Lake Shortens SeasonSix Flags announced that Darien Lake (located near Buffalo, NY) will not be opened this October. This announcement comes just a week after Darien Lake announced that the Batman Thrill Spectacular stunt show was shut down for the rest of the season. Darien Lake is one of several parks that Six Flags stated "could be up for sale." Some of the parks highlights include Superman: Ride of Steel (an Intamin hyper coaster) along with a water park and a large amphitheater that hosts concerts and events throughout the summer.GHDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086495501039119765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22801997.post-1153661523731099212006-07-23T09:31:00.000-04:002006-07-23T09:43:05.816-04:00Sweet anniversary for Hershey ParkNext year Hershey Park, located in Hershey, PA, will be celebrating it's 100th anniversary with a completly new area of the park. The new area of the park is titled "The Boardwalk." The Boardwalk will be made up of waterslides, a wavepool, a childrens area, new games, new food stands, new shows, and much more. The area will be filled with truckloads of sand shipped to the park to create a more authentic beachfront location. Stay tuned, because Hershey Park should be releasing more details over the next few months.GHDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086495501039119765noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22801997.post-1152451661612889872006-07-09T09:21:00.000-04:002006-07-15T13:22:07.533-04:00Changes on PiratesAs many of you may know, Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest came out in theatres this weekend. In conjunction with the film, Disney also overhauled their classic Pirates of the Carribean ride at Disneyland and Disneyworld. The new ride includes animatronic characters from the film as well as a new story and many new visual and audio effects. Although the reviews of the new ride have been positive, some diehard Disney fans are in uproar over the changes to the classic boat ride.GHDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086495501039119765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22801997.post-1151782183556536412006-07-01T15:21:00.000-04:002006-07-01T15:29:43.566-04:00Link of the Month: Coasterradio.comThis months link is Coasterradio.com. Coaster Radio is a weekly podcast that discuss' almost all topics that are present in the amusement park industry. The show has an extremely high production value that rivals that of a professional radio show. This month, the coaster radio crew will be podcasting from four parks in Pennsylvania. You can be sure that the podcasts will include some great tips, reviews, and interviews along the way. The podcast's hosts aren't the most knowledgeable when it comes to coasters, however, their fun and entertaining personalities make up for it. The website also has a small forums section, and several reviews and articles.GHDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086495501039119765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22801997.post-1150578157616653702006-06-17T16:51:00.000-04:002006-06-17T17:02:37.626-04:00Amusement Park Spotlight: Holiday WorldNow that amusement park season is in full swing, it is only right to write about a park that has gotten a lot of attention from the enthusiasts over the last year or so. Holiday World, located in Santa Claus, IN, is home to three of the top wooden coaster in the world. The Raven, The Legend, and their newest coaster, The Voyage. The Voyage is one of the longest coasters in the world, marking in at 6442 feet! The Coaster reaches speeds of over 67 mph and contains several underground tunnels. The coaster, built by Gravity Group, is arguably the best wooden coaster in the world. What makes this independent park special, apart from the amazing coasters, is the friendly and helpful staff, the clean midways, and of course, the free soft drinks.GHDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086495501039119765noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22801997.post-1149359594718873412006-06-03T14:30:00.000-04:002006-06-03T14:33:14.720-04:00Link of the Month: Themeparkcritic.comThemeparkcritic.com is June's link of the month! This is the go to site for user reviews of almost any amusement park ride. With thousands of reviews, you'll be sure to find this site informative and extremely useful when deciding on what rides to hit up next time you head out to a new park. The site also has a medium sized forum section, as well as a news section.GHDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086495501039119765noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22801997.post-1148423486200579072006-05-23T18:25:00.000-04:002006-05-24T16:23:08.656-04:00Cedar Fair Purchases Paramount Parks<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2018/2325/1600/masthead_CedarFairLP_silhouette.0.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2018/2325/320/masthead_CedarFairLP_silhouette.png" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Cedar Fair, owner of several large amusement parks across the country such as Cedar Point and Dorney Park, has purchased all Paramount Parks for $1.24 billion. There are four Paramount Parks in the United States and one in Canada. The purchase of these parks should come close to doubling Cedar Fair's annual revenue. Over the last year Cedar Fair has been cutting admission prices and lowering the cost of food at their parks. These price cuts have been welcomed by park goers, who are were hit with a barrage of admission and parking increases by Cedar Fairs competitor, Six Flags.GHDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086495501039119765noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22801997.post-1147623014968789442006-05-14T12:08:00.000-04:002006-05-14T12:10:14.980-04:00Tatsu Opens at Six Flags Magic Mountain<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2018/2325/1600/tatsu60.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2018/2325/200/tatsu60.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />The worlds largest flying coaster is now up and running at Six Flags Magic Mountain! Tatsu (Japanese for "Flying Beast") was built by Bolliger & Mabillard, known for their smooth and reliable coasters. The coaster is over 3600 feet long, travels at speeds up to 62 mph, and contains 4 inversions. This will be one of SFMM's only rides that interacts with the terrain. The ride will fly past trees and other environmental structures as well as other rides at the park. This is Magic Mountain's 17th coaster, regaining the parks crown as coaster capital of the world (The park was formerly tied with Cedar Point, which has 16 coasters).<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><a href="http://rcdb.com/cd1.htm"><br /></a>GHDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086495501039119765noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22801997.post-1146596652213753672006-05-02T14:56:00.000-04:002006-05-02T15:04:12.266-04:00Link of the Month: ThrillNetwork.comThis month Link of the Month is ThrillNetwork.com. ThrillNetwork is one of the most popular and largest coaster-related sites on the web. It contains a news section that is updated very frequently along with a huge forum section with thousands of members. They even produce a podcast titled "In The Loop." ThrillNetwork is a great place to go if you are just getting into coasters or if you have been an enthusiasts for many years.GHDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086495501039119765noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22801997.post-1146254415218074232006-04-28T15:51:00.000-04:002006-04-28T16:00:15.460-04:00Busch Gardens Parks Change NamesBoth Busch Gardens parks recently changed their names in time for the summer season. Busch Gardens Williamsburg has become Busch Gardens Europe, while Busch Gardens Tampa has become Busch Gardens Africa. The new names should help the general public easily identify the preexisting themes that the parks have. Busch Gardens new advertising campaign is also changing, trying to identify the parks as "more than just coasters." Busch Gardens parks are known for their above average food, great shows, detailed theming, and world class thrill rides. The parks have also been awarded on numerous occasions for cleanest park and best park environment.GHDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086495501039119765noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22801997.post-1145039423765056512006-04-14T14:21:00.000-04:002006-05-06T09:57:27.253-04:00Batman: The Chiller Reopens at Six Flags Great Adventure<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.geocities.com/sarki7/images/gad/chilltopside.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.geocities.com/sarki7/images/gad/chilltopside.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />After more than 2 seasons of being down, SFGadv has finally reopened Batman:The Chiller. This the second track of a duel track ride. The other tracks name is "Robin:The Chiller" that is rarely closed. The ride was opened in 1998 and is manufactured by premier rides. If you have never seen The Chiller, think of it like a standard Boomerang coaster on steroids. It is longer, faster and much more intense. The ride has a LIM launch system (similar to rides like "Rock 'n' Roller Coaster" at Disney MGM) that reaches speeds up to 70 mph.<br /><br />Update: Although employees at Gadv said that the ride would be open today, it did not run. The train for the ride is in the loading station, indicating that the ride is very close to opening. Many enthusiasts are now anticipating the ride to open on Sunday, just in time for Six Flags' Spring Break week.<br /><br />Update 2: I visited the park on Sunday (pictures and Trip report to come). One of the employees told me that Batman would be open by mid morning, however the ride did not open all day. The reason for the delay may have to do with the New Jersey state inspectors having to approve the ride. New Jersey has been notorious for having extremely strict regulations for roller coasters and amusement parks in general.<br /><br />Update 3: On Friday May 5, The Batman side of Chiller was running properly.GHDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086495501039119765noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22801997.post-1144870488773895222006-04-12T15:23:00.000-04:002006-04-12T15:44:49.656-04:00Sylvester McMonkey McBean's Very Unusual Driving Machines Is Finally Confirmed!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2018/2325/1600/db_DrivingMachines_2006_0325_081.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2018/2325/320/db_DrivingMachines_2006_0325_081.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2018/2325/1600/ot55.0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2018/2325/200/ot55.0.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>A few years back, when Islands of Adventure was getting ready to open, Sylvester McMonkey McBean's Very Unusual Driving Machines was going to be one of their signature attraction, set in the Dr. Seuss area of the park. Guests enter the driving machines and can ride above all of Seussland on the track that runs along the tops of many of the buildings in the Seussland area of the park. The ride will appeal to families more than thrill seekers, it should travel at a moderate pace with no huge twists or turns. The ride never opened due to safety concerns, however, the park appears to have worked out all the problems, and the ride is set to open early this summer. Islands of Adventure is located right next to Universal Orlando. The park has theming on par with Disney, along with world class coasters, water rides, and dark rides. Many theme park enthusiasts consider IOA America's best theme park.GHDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03086495501039119765noreply@blogger.com1