For many of the big players in the amusement industry, 2013 was a fun ride. Last year, 215 million visits to the top 25 theme and amusement parks worldwide represented a 4.3 percent over 2012; and 135 million visits to the top 20...
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Battlestar Galactica Reboot
The world’s tallest dueling coaster is undergoing an extensive overhaul. Battlestar Galactica: Human vs. Cylon has had its fair share of problems since opening in 2010 and has actually been closed since July of last year. Universal has only officially...
Continue reading...Maximizing Holiday-Season Theme Park Visits
The holiday season can be the busiest time of year for the parks that remain open, especially the larger ones in Florida and Southern California. I recently talked to About.com Theme Parks expert Arthur Levine who shared some insightful tips...
Continue reading...Universal Orlando Announces Transformers: The Ride – 3D
Maybe one of the worst keep secrets in the amusement industry this year, Universal Orlando finally made it official today that Transformers: The Ride – 3D will be coming to the park in summer 2013. The ride itself will be...
Continue reading...Things To Do in Theme Park Queues
Do you ever get bored while waiting in line for your favorite roller coaster? You’re not the only one and at least one person has decided to do something about it! We recently caught up with the creative multi-award winning...
Continue reading...Our Look Back at 2011
As 2012 is right around the corner, the team thought this would be an excellent opportunity to reflect upon our own experiences in 2011. From attending more media day events to the record number of interview features, it was a...
Continue reading...Interview with Timothy Swieter of Birket Engineering
We have another exciting interview feature for you this week. Timothy Swieter is a professional engineer with Birket Engineering and his resume includes several high profile projects including Universal Studio Singapore and Hong Kong Disneyland. Thanks Tim for taking the...
Continue reading...An Interview with Brad Borgman
I recently had the opportunity to talk with Brad Borgman, an engineering consultant and director of project engineering for the TWT Group. Brad has over twenty years of experience in the entertainment industry and has worked on a variety of...
Continue reading...Universal Orlando Trip Report July 2011
Coaster101 visited the Universal Orlando Resort from July 5th through the 9th. This was my first time staying onsite at one of Universal’s three hotels. Though pricey and not as nice as the four diamond rating would suggest, it was...
Continue reading...Coaster101 Feature: KWAN Leisure
Concept development is a crucial step in the creation of any theme park attraction. Jean-Paul of KWAN Leisure agreed to answer our questions about concept development and tell us a little about how he is involved within the themed entertainment...
Continue reading...Robocoaster CAD Model
I created a Kuka robo coaster model in CATIA. I used the car from my cantilevered roller coaster simulations to save time. The track is created using three sketches with laws (one overhead, one side profile, and one for banking)....
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...
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