Epcot’s new Frozen Ever After attraction opened to huge lines this week. According to the Twitterverse, the line was over five hours long within an hour of opening. 09:41 am and it is 300 minutes for #frozeneverafter @TouringPlans pic.twitter.com/T1avD2Ldc5 —...
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Secrets Behind Shanghai Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean
Move over Spider-Man. Move over Forbidden Journey. There’s a new contender for most immersive theme park ride ever built. Shanghai Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure is a new take on the beloved, classic boat ride....
Continue reading...Coasters-101: Why are roller coasters removed?
Roller coasters are multi-million dollar investments that amusement parks spend countless dollars and time in designing, building, and maintaining. But lately it seems like we’ve seen more roller coasters and classic thrill rides closed and dismantled than ever before. Why...
Continue reading...Coasters-101: What software do roller coaster engineers use?
Modern roller coasters are designed using the latest in computer technology. What used to be done with paper, pencil, and drawing boards is nowadays done on a computer. The universal tool for the engineer is Computer Aided Design (CAD) software....
Continue reading...3 Reasons Why Batman: The Ride will be Better than Green Lantern
Batman: The Ride will be opening at Six Flags Fiesta Texas this summer as the first 4D free fly coaster by S&S Sansei. The new coaster has been compared to the very similar looking Green Lantern at Six Flags Magic Mountain,...
Continue reading...How to make a Great Coaster – Q&A with Adam House of Great Coasters International, Inc.
I’ve long been a fan of Great Coasters International Inc. (GCII), known for their twisting, fast, wooden coasters. I considered myself incredibly lucky when they built Gold Striker in 2013 at California’s Great America, one of my local parks, and that...
Continue reading...Coasters-101: Escape from Gringotts Secrets Revealed
Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts ride recently opened at Universal Studios Florida to massive praise, frequent breakdowns, and seven hour plus wait times. The completely immersive experience seamlessly combines giant physical sets with massive projection screens. Edge blending techniques...
Continue reading...Coasters-101: How the Hogwarts Express Works
After months of anticipation The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Florida has finally set an official opening date of July 8th. One of the highlights of the immersive new expansion is the ability to ride the Hogwarts Express...
Continue reading...Coasters-101: Why do roller coasters “sway”?
Every so often you’ll see a video uploaded online of a roller coaster’s track visibly moving or “swaying” as a train races over it. This swaying movement is very startling to those who have never seen it before, especially in...
Continue reading...RoboCoasters-101
In the race to build even more thrilling and unpredictable ride experiences, the RoboCoaster has emerged as one of the most dynamic ride systems out there. From stationary rides to state-of-the-art motion base attractions, RoboCoaster is raising the level of...
Continue reading...Coasters-101: Launch Systems
In the last edition of Coasters-101 we discussed how roller coasters are raised to their highest point via lift hills. Today we’re going to examine a more thrilling alternative to the traditionally slower lift hills: launch systems! Limitations like height...
Continue reading...Coasters-101: Roller Coaster Lift Hills – UPDATED 2022
Welcome to the latest edition of Coasters-101: the definitive guide on roller coaster lift hills. What are lift hills? How do roller coasters reach their highest point? How do lift hills work? What angle are roller coaster lift hills? What...
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