French theme park Futuroscope is set to debut one of the most innovative rides of the year: the first Mack Rides Rocking Boat. Mission Bermudes showcases all the things this versatile ride system can do: float freely like a real...
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The Tech Behind Voltron Nevera — Europa-Park’s Multi-Launch Marvel
When Voltron Nevera powered by Rimac opened at Europa-Park in 2024, it wasn’t just the park’s biggest coaster investment to date — it was a showcase of modern roller coaster technology. Combining storytelling inspired by Croatian inventor Nikola Tesla with...
Continue reading...Did the Infamous Flip Flap Railway Truly Hit a Neck-Snapping 12 Gs?
The Flip Flap Railway was the first roller coaster to go upside down in the United States and was notorious for being so extreme it broke rider’s necks. But was it truly that intense or was it an urban legend...
Continue reading...Surprising Timeline of the World’s Tallest Roller Coasters
With the recent news of the impending implosion of Kingda Ka and the upcoming record-breaker Falcon’s Flight, we thought it would be fun to take a look at the history of the world’s tallest roller coasters. Using a new visualization tool,...
Continue reading...Roller Coaster Inspection 101
Welcome to Roller Coaster Inspection 101! If you’re a frequent visitor of amusement parks you are probably aware that the roller coasters are inspected on a daily basis in order to ensure the rides run safely. But what does a...
Continue reading...Why we’re excited for the “epic” Constellation Carousel
Universal recently revealed exciting new details about Universal Epic Universe, the company’s new Orlando theme park slated to open in 2025. Epic Universe is made up of five different worlds, all connected through Celestial Park. Not all the attractions have...
Continue reading...Coasters-101: Roller Coaster Terminology
Most of you who read our website are “coaster enthusiasts,” but in case you happen to be a member of the “GP” who stumbles upon us by mistake, you may need a crash course in some coaster enthusiast lingo. We...
Continue reading...Engineering a Dark Ride Vehicle with Matthew Musial
Over the years, we’ve seen some incredible student projects that just seem to keep getting better and better. From Kate Kujawa’s wheel material experiments, to Team 31’s Infinity Gardens, to Carnegie Mellon’s Student Built Dark Ride, I’ve been continually impressed...
Continue reading...15 to 15: Our 15 Favorite Educational Articles
We’re continuing our 15 to 15 countdown to Coaster101’s 15th Birthday. Today we’re taking a look at our 15 favorite educational articles we’ve published. According to Wikipedia, the term “101” was first introduced by the University of Buffalo in 1929...
Continue reading...How Aquaman Power Wave Works
Six Flags Over Texas recently announced their 2020 addition will be Aquaman Power Wave, the first Mack Rides Power Splash – a launched shuttle water coaster – to be built in the US. The ride will launch riders backwards, forwards,...
Continue reading...Good to know: Gravity Max’s safety system works as designed
A ride on Gravity Max at Taiwan’s Lihpao Land theme park begins innocently enough with a typical chain lift hill. But upon cresting the apex, you’ll notice the track suddenly ends – the rails stop and you see nothing but...
Continue reading...What Makes Avatar: Flight of Passage So Immersive
A year in a half after opening, I finally made it on Avatar: Flight of Passage at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. I immediately asked myself, why did I wait so long? More than four million people have ridden Flight of Passage since...
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