Six Flags Over Texas has announced that the New Texas Giant will officially open to the public on Friday, April 22nd. This is one of the most anticipated new rides opening in 2011 and if you agree you can nominate...
Continue reading...Nick Weisenberger
Coasters-101: Safety Standards
Welcome to another edition of Coasters-101. Today we are going to discuss amusement industry safety standards. Amusement parks entertain millions of visitors every year, giving countless numbers of safe rides. You’re much more likely to get hurt on your way...
Continue reading...The Roller Coaster Media Library
We recently had the opportunity to interview Simon Baynham of the Roller Coaster Media Library. Thanks to Simon for taking the time to answer our questions. To begin with, for those who don’t know, what is the Roller Coaster Media...
Continue reading...SeaWorld San Diego Announces ‘Manta’ for 2012
SeaWorld San Diego is excited to announce that in 2012, the park will unveil its new launch coaster, Manta — a new mega-attraction that will seamlessly transition guests from the awe of watching rays in underwater flight … into the...
Continue reading...Meet the Theme Park Guy
Meet Stefan Zwanzger, the Theme Park Guy! Born in Germany, Stefan now spends his time traveling all corners of the globe to experience the world’s best theme parks while wearing a crazy roller coaster hat. What can a person who...
Continue reading...Mountain Flyer POV
Great Coasters International just unveiled a front-seat video of Mountain Flyer, their new-for-2011 wooden roller coaster at Knight Valley in Shenzhen, China. Built on the side of a mountain, it’s their tallest, fastest, and longest roller coaster to date. I...
Continue reading...Cantilevered Coaster Model Update
Check out the latest video of the cantilevered roller coaster concept model. I completed some of the fine details for the main layout including the cross-ties, support columns, and cement footers. I also attempted to add a banked track section...
Continue reading...Interview with author Steve Alcorn
I recently read and reviewed the wonderful book Theme Park Design: Behind the Scenes with an Engineer, a great read full of fascinating tidbits about what actually goes on during the development of a themed ride. The book was great...
Continue reading...Book Review: Theme Park Design
[Note: actual quotes from the book are in italics] I just finished reading Theme Park Design: Behind the Scenes with an Engineer by Steve Alcorn, a very smart book about designing theme park attractions. Have you ever looked at a...
Continue reading...Catching up with the Gravity Group
It’s been quite a long time since we last checked in with them but we were able to catch up with Mike Graham of the Gravity Group and discussed a few of their current projects, including the new Timberliner trains....
Continue reading...2010: Year in Review
2010 was a great year for us here at Coaster101. From attending our very first media day event to the record number of interview features, it was a groundbreaking year. 2011 should be even better! Here are some of the...
Continue reading...Coasters101: Curves and Banking
Welcome to another session of Coasters101! Today, we’re going to continue looking at some of the math and engineering that goes into designing a roller coaster. Earlier, we looked at some physics calculations in regard to the lift hill and...
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