Notes from IAAPA: Cobra's Curse and the Walking Dead
ORLANDO — The 2015 IAAPA Attractions Expo officially kicked off this morning with the announcement of this year's inductees to the IAAPA Hall of Fame:
- The "father of the film-based attraction industry" Fred Hollingsworth III
- Former Disneyland President Jack Lindquist
- Universal Parks and Resorts Chairman Tom Williams
The three will be part of this year's Hall of Fame panel this afternoon, from which we will post coverage later tonight.
In other news from around the show floor, Mack Rides and Busch Gardens Tampa unveiled a model of Cobra's Curse, the new family spinning coaster that will debut in the Florida park next year.
The coaster will feature a 70-foot vertical lift, free spinning affected by the weight distribution of the riders on each car, a top speed of 40 mph, and a "outward-banked turn" that will place riders "perilously close to the jaws of the monstrous, 80-foot-tall statue of the snake king Venymyss."
Elsewhere on the show floor, Sally Corporation is teasing its "Walking Dead: Battle for Survival" interactive attraction.
Sally was the lead developer behind Six Flags' Justice League: Battle for Metropolis, which won our Theme Park Insider Award for the world's Best New Attraction this year. A Sally representative told me that there is no client for the new Walking Dead-themed ride yet, and that the company is shopping it to potential theme park customers at the expo.
More Coverage from IAAPA 2015:
- First Look at the New Hand-Motion Technology Behind Legoland's Ninjago Ride [with video]
- Take an Early Ride on Dollywood's New Wooden Launch Coaster, Lightning Rod [with video]
- TEA announces Thea Award winners, including Disney's 'Paint the Night'
Replies (7)
"No client yet?" C'mon Universal, you could be missing out on something big here!
I know a lot of people at HHN are sick of the Walking Dead, but I would love to see a permanent Walking Dead attraction Universal. Maybe people would like it better as an interactive attraction.
Cobra's Curse looks great! I am really looking forward to this coaster.
Cobra's Curse looks like a great family coaster. This will be so cool for little kids of only 42" can ride with their family.
I think the Walking Dead attraction is a great idea for Universal or even Six Flags or Cedar Fair. The great part is that even if the show ends up losing its popularity, it could be re-tooled without huge differences.
The Walking Dead and Universal seem like a perfect fit - update the Universal Hollywood Horror Make-up Show to include The Walking Dead, re-configure backstage areas to change the access to ET and change ET to the Walking Dead ride from sally Corp. Year 'round Walking Dead....as long as the series stays relevant.... (in case relevance is important -- looking at you Twister and An American Werewolf in London...and maybe ET) :)
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I think this would be a good fit for if Universal Orlando were to replace MIB: Alien Attack. Though, I do not hope MIB goes anywhere, I love the ride, however, The Walking Dead is much more popular than the MIB film series nowadays. I am not a fan of TWD, but it would be a cool concept for a ride, and Universal could more than likely stop using TWD as mazes for Halloween Horror Nights and could have a year-round attraction. I know people would be flocking to Universal for a Walking Dead ride, if it were to happen.