Busch Gardens Williamsburg - In case you missed it in the Mid-Week Update, we now have the exterior layout of the new 2012 roller coaster. For more info, please check out the update: Mid-Week Update
More in next post...
Xanadu (New Jersey) – The developers of Mall of America and the West Edmonton Mall (two of the largest malls in the world) have taken over this abandoned project. While all just PR and posturing at this point, they are laying out plans for an indoor amusement park…and building a mall….but let’s be honest…if you are here on this website, you don’t really care about the mall aspect of this.
More in next post...
California Adventure – Goofy’s Sky School has been delay by a month, to open now on July 1. If you have been keeping up on all of the other construction in the area, it is clear to see that they have a bunch of work left to do and this delay is no surprise. Doubtful that the delay is on the part of the roller coaster, but on other buildings that they are still doing construction on.
Thorpe Park – The new development project for Thorpe Park, codenamed LC12, has released a series of videos hinting to the theme of the new project.
If I have missed anything (and I have, so no worries there) please post below. If you have some inside information, more news, more rumors, first rides, please share with the rest of us.
Sources: Screamscape, Amusement Today, WestCoaster, and whatever else I happened to read this week...
Thanks for the shout out.
Floods
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoTzcLpxy7A
Aliens
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrFrUVxHdr4
Nuclear Disaster
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRgVgC0hsWc
Natural Disaster
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhNxAfUqSJ0
The videos all reference a website: http://www.lc12.net
The number that the guy keeps saying is 01 08 11.
If you go to the website, there is a countdown that looks (without doing the math) that it is counting down to August 1, 2011. Which I would guess would be the day of the announcement. The website does mention that this is for something in 2012.
Screamscape has much more information on this attraction than I realized was available, including construction updates, teaser posters, theories on who is building the coaster, etc.
http://www.screamscape.com/html/thorpe_park.htm
I didn't quite put two and two together, until I reread some of the stuff that has been posted. This is the ride that many people are really upset about since the theming includes a crashed airplane among other disaster film icons. There was some controversy about the park being so close to Heathrow that it would cause passengers on airplanes to freak out and pilots to call in crashes.
Six Flags Saint Louis will be opening its newest addition, SkyScreamer on May 14th. A few "lucky" customers have already had the "pleasure" of experiencing this attraction, and the reviews are in: "it is at least as good as a waveswinger, but taller and slower."
There you have it! If you happen to be visiting SFSTL this weekend (and my goodness, can't you think of a better destination, really?), remember to link in and review your SkyScreamer experience.
I usually buy a season pass (for visiting other SF parks) and I bought it last minute this year. Not only have they raised single day parking but they also subtly raised the season parking add on to $50. Considering an Outer Market season pass is $49.99 - that seems a slap in the face.
Other notes about SFStL: A couple of major rides were down: Mr. Freeze (for no apparent reason) and Screaming Eagle. The latter is being repainted and will be open by its 35th anniversary on June 5. Its also SFStL's 40th anniversary and they've posted "Then and Now" photos all over the park which are great for those of us that remember the park from its early years. They even have the big original in-park maps posted that show the location of attractions as it was on opening day 1971. The entire park fit inside the train tracks. A nice touch of nostalgia.
They are currently doing 3 train testing of the Cheetah Hunt roller coaster.
The roller coater is supposed to open on May 27th.
As of yesterday, according to those in the know, there has been no notification of any soft opening.
For season pass holders, BGT is opening the roller coaster an hour early throughout at least June.
I will try to go to the passholder event for the new addition to Hurricane Harbor
Thanks for the update on SFSTL. As you probably know, I have been mostly underwhelmed with that park for years, but I did manage to have some decent fun when I went last year.
I just hope they keep improving the place - there is no reason for it not to be a highly successful and desirous destination park, if they will just put forth the effort.