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Attraction Supplier News
---- THE LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS ----
(5/26/2023) Dynamic Attractions Sold To New Owner (MORE...)
(5/26/2023) Extreme Engineering Shows Off New Hooli-Hoop Tower Ride (MORE...)
(5/25/2023) Martin & Vleminckx To Show off Unicoaster 2.0 and More (MORE...)
(5/7/2023) Extreme Engineering Proposes a Twisted Drop Tower Experience (MORE...)
(4/23/2023) Falcon's Beyond Now Has Katmandu Themed Collectible Card Game and Mobile Video Game (MORE...)
(4/12/2023) Rocky Mountain Construction and Larson International Announce Merger (MORE...)
(4/1/2023) Aquatic Development Group - Why The New EpicSurf Is A Unique New Concept (MORE...)
American Wave Machines - (12/1/20) According to a report on American Wave Machines, the plans to build a huge new PerfectSwell surf park at the Thermal Beach Club in Palm Springs has been unanimously approved. The Thermal Beach Club is a new project set on a 240 acre undeveloped site and is not affiliated with the previously announced plans to transform the former Wet ‘n’ Wild Palm Springs waterpark into the Palm Springs Surf Club.
Plans for a second PerfectSwell wave pool was also approved as part of the master plan for the Ocean Gate Commerce Center in New Smyrna Beach, Florida.
Aquatic Development Group - (4/1/23) Aquatic Development Group (ADG) announced that their new EpicSurf deep-water stationary surf wave has been ranked as a finalist at the 2023 Middle East and North Afirca Leisure & Attractions Council Award gala for the ‘Most Unique Concept Attraction’. Now… stationary surf-waves are nothing new… so this piqued my interest to take a deeper look into what makes the EpicSurf concept different from the competition.
The answer is quite a lot. If you’ve watched or experienced your typical stationary surf-wave attraction you’ll notice that they primarily work by blasting a high velocity but thin sheet of water across a carefully designed and engineered uphill surface to create what looks like a wave someone can surf on. The reality is that these thin water waves are usually best experienced laying down on a thin foam boogie-board. Your ability to actually stand-up and ‘surf’ is very limited by this factor, especially for adults. This is not to say that it isn’t possible, but your average stationary surf wave is designed to entertain and accommodate the amateur level crowd, and previously much bigger and beefer systems have been specially designed to accommodate the more experienced surfer crowd in a variety of ways.
What seems different about the EpicSurf concept is that it features deeper water, giving the ability for riders to use the same real surf boards that they would in the ocean. The wave generator may start off with a similar concept by shooting a large volume of water at high velocity across a surface, but towards the top this thin layer gives way to an area of deep water at the peak giving riders the depth to stand, cutback and carve the waves. ADG also says that the wave is fully adjustable, and they can turn it down for beginners just learning to surf and pick up their needed starter skillset, and then they can crank things up as they learn to handle the more aggressive water.
Follow the link to visit the official website where they have a video so you can check it out in action.
ART Engineering - (3/2/22) According to a press release from ART Engineering GmbH the company has installed a new “Flower Caroussell” at the MRIYA Resort in Crimea. It’s a very cute looking ride allowing parents to ride with very small children, who can shoot water at flowers in the center of the ride from a water can shaped squirter installed on the side of the car. Of course it looks like some of the giant sunflowers in the middle can also shoot water back at the riders, making this a very cute and interactive ride for families to enjoy together without getting soaked.
B&M - (1/27/22) Behind the Thrills has posted a new update about a patent filed by B&M for a new kind of seat and restraint system. Of course everyone immediately assumes that this may be for the mystery “Surf Coaster” concept, but they also said the same thing when a new patent from B&M was discovered regarding an updated seat/restraint system for their Stand-Up coaster design.
So tossing out any connection to the “Surf Coaster” mystery project, lets just take a look at the new seat design. Primarily there are two major items worth noting… for starters we are looking at a new lapbar only style restraint system, but one that you pull down from overhead in an almost identical fashion to Intamin’s latest restraint system. (If you’ve ridden VelociCoaster, then you know what I’m talking about.)
The second major innovation is something you won’t see… as it looks like B&M is building in some kind of piston under the rider’s seat that appears to allow for the seat to be lowered for loading and raised for the ride experience. There is also some assumption that piston may also act similar to a car’s shock absorber, taking some of the roughness and sting out of any jarring motion allowing for a smoother ride experience. By contract, allow me to also wonder about one other possible use… if the seat’s on this piston were able to provide a more springy motion, taking the sting out of positive-g impacts and vibrations, what is they could also provide the opposite experience during negative-G moments, allowing the seats to provide a little artificial and extra “pop” of air-time at the top of those hills? What would you say to that little extra thrill?
Again… I’m not saying we will or won’t see these with the Surf Coaster concept, if it ever gets built, but these do look like something B&M could offer as a replacement concept for all of their seat/restraint systems on Sit-Down, Floorless, Hyper/Giga/Mega and Dive Coaster designs.
BoldMove Nation - (9/23/22) A fun post-IAAPA Expo London video from BoldMove Nation featuring their unique product offerings has been posted by the team, which you can watch below. This includes a good look at their Smash & Reload interactive dark ride system, able to provide a high-end interactive ride experience in a very compact space. The video also shows off their AR Portal attraction technology, allowing guests to interact with creatures and alternate worlds through the use of their mobile device, or through the use of a provided device. Another fun idea is the VR Waterslide, where youc an put on VR headgear and climb aboard a raft for a simulated journey down waterslides or whatever virtual water rampage experience a park can dream up.
CAVU - (9/16/22) CAVU has teamed up with KUKA Robotics to design a “next-gen dark ride” platform. Combining KUKA’s robotic and autonomous systems with CAVU Designwerk’s ride system engineering, they plan on introducing a new genre of attractions. Look for the joint demo of this new technology to take place at IAAPA Expo 2022 Orlando in November.
DOF - (1/29/2023) If you’ve been to the IAAPA show-floor, chances are you have seen a DOF booth, showing off demo units of their motion simulator technology. In a new feature on Blooloop, they look not only into company’s offerings from a technology standpoint, but also at a concept to develop an entire “Mission Space” themed attraction experience that will take guests from Earth, to the Moon and back via a series of different simulated experiences.
 Dynamic Attractions - (5/26/2023) Previously Screamscape discovered that Dynamic Attractions had begun the process of filing the necessary documents for Canada’s version of bankruptcy protection, but now the company has been purchased by a new owner. According to Forbes, Dynamic Attraction is being sold for $2 million Canadan dollars (about $1.5 million US) to a Hong Kong based financial services company called Promising Expert Limited (PEL).
PEL is very familiar with Dynamic Attractions, as last year the company had actually lent Dynamic Attractions $16 million in a secured loan on their assets to keep the company funded while they were trying to finish up several major new attractions. A number of different bidders attempted to purchase Dynamic, but PEL who was already a secured creditor also had the highest bid. That said, it appears PEL intends to keep Dynamic Attractions running, however they also did not purchase the manufacturing equipment part of the business, so it would seem that Dynamic’s future may be as designer only and no longer a manufacturer, as well as looking to invest more in joint operation ventures, like the SkyFly attraction in Pigeon Forge.
(3/20/23) In a shocking bit of news, Dynamic Technologies Group Inc (the parent company behind (Dynamic Attractions, Dynamic Structures, Dynamic Entertainment, etc…), has announced an order for creditor protection. As I understand it, I believe this is Canada’s version of a Chapter 11 style bankruptcy protection process.
As part of the process, a long affidavit was also recorded by Allan Francis, Corporate Secretary of Dynamic Attractions that reveals a number of very interesting details about projects Dynamic Attractions has been involved with, the costs involved, and in particular we get confirmation of some of the details about what has transpired with pending attractions at the Genting SkyWorlds theme park in Malaysia that contributed to the financial struggles with Dynamic.
The document confirms Dynamic’s involvement in providing the ride systems for major anchor attractions like Universal’s Harry Potter’s Forbidden Journey, Disney’s Soarin’ flying theaters, and even the new Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge rides for Universal Studios Japan, Hollywood and the one coming to Orlando. As part of their regular business practice, Dynamic would sign deals as “lump sum projects”, but starting in 2017 the company claims they started to experience significant losses due to this practice, especially with projects going into the long delayed Genting SkyWorlds park, previously announced as 20th Century Fox World before the purchase of FOX by Disney.
The article confirms the working names of two major attractions they were contracted to build for the Genting park behidn the losses as “Sons of Anarchy” (SOA Malaysia) and “Aliens vs Predators” (AVP Malaysia), along with the long delayed “Mission Ferrari” ride in Abu Dhabi which actually just opened. It is worth mentioning right now that both ride projects in Malaysia have yet to open, with the Sons of Anarchy ride being renamed (and rethemed) as “Map Ramp Peak” and the Aliens vs Predators project has also had the IP removed by Disney and no new name given to this SFX Coaster project at this time.
As part of the filing, they describe Dynamic’s current status as being “in the midst of a liquidty crisis, primarily due to lack of sufficient cash flow, over-budget and out of the money ride projects related to the special effects roller coasters, and significant secured and unsecured debt.“ Currently Dynamic has experienced cost overruns in excess of $21 million, and is expected to lose a minimum of $20 million in order to complete these three jobs.
As previously mentioned, Mission Ferrari is now open, and Dynamic reports that the ride was delivered to the park in January 2023 at a total cost to Dynamic of $28.3 million, but they had only secured a lump-sum contract for the attraction of $18.2 million, of which the client has only paid $17.2 million thus-far.
The Aliens vs Prediator attraction at Genting SkyWorlds has already cost Dyamic $26.4 million, of which they’ve been paid $24 million so far on a lump-sum contract work $34 million. However, the remaining $10 million owed on the contract will not begin to cover the estimated $16 million they estimate it will take to complete the attraction due to ‘the complexity of the ride system and the design changes that would be required to make it operations.” Currently they say there is a risk that the the client (Genting) could cancel the project and demand that the ride components installed to date to be removed from the site.
Mad Ramp Peak, the former Son of Anarchy ride at the same park is said to be 95% complete, with an estimated $1.5 million in items still needed to get it finished. However Dynamic has already spent $30.7 million on the attraction, which was signed under a $24 million lump sum contract, of which $23 million has already been paid. \
The current cash-flow problems are preventing Dynamic was being able to finish the current ongoing work on these projects. Going forward, Dynamic has also stated that they no longer wish to manufacture and construction these Special Effects roller coaster systems, and instead will “provide engineering and design support to partners or counter parties who would take the risk on the construction and implementation of any future special effects roller coaster projects.”
Because of the company’s current situation, they have also been unable to raise additional capital on their own to address the current liquidity issues. The lingers effects of COVID-19 and current losses associated with these projects have prevented their efforts to raise new capital. Most parties approached were hesitant to provide any further funding until these issues were resolved.
So based on everything, it sounds like this is how Dynamic has arrived in the current state of trying to undergo a corporate restructuring and bankruptcy projection process. Prior of the pandemic it was stated that they had a staff of 338, and today this has been cut back to just 100. Honestly, this is just the start of a rather lengthy affidavit, which you can try to read through yourself at your leisure.
(2/4/22) Dynamic Attractions has announced that they have acquired 50% ownership of the “SkyFly: Soar America” attraction they helped build in Pigeon Forge, TN. Dynamic has also let it be known that they are actively seeking other new investment opportunities to co-own more tourist attractions. According to the report, Dynamic will “purchase” their share by providing attraction development and IP value, partnering with “destination owners providing the location and site management expertise.”
ECA2 - (12/26/2022) ECA2 has announced that their latest nighttime/water spectacular production called “Kiss the Stars” would open on Dec. 24th, 2022 at Sun World Group’s Sunset Town resort in Vietnam. The show is described as a unique love-story that takes place on a unique waterside stage loaded with a wide-range of multi-media effects, including fire, water fountains, lights, a stunning soundtrack and more.
The story shows how a local boy meets a girl from space who travels to Earth through a “Black Hole vortex” that serves as a bridge across both space and time. According to the description, the show was designed so that it could be performed as a totally automated multi-media experience or as one able to include dozens of live actors, which is unique but a compelling feature for a show designed to be performed in an outdoor venue.
A video of the show (the actor free version from the look of it) has already been posted to YouTube which you can enjoy below.
Extreme Engineering - (5/26/2023) Extreme Engineering has revealed a new tower ride attraction concept that they are calling “The Hooli-Hoop”. The concept groups together three individual tower rides, each 27 feet tall, each able to run a unique ride program with different intensities. The towers are then mounted to an optional ‘rotating platform’ that brings in a whole new level of spinning thrills to the tower ride concept.
(5/7/2023) How would you like to ride a drop tower that spins as it plunges from the sky? Many drop tower designs feature cars that slowly spin as you are lifted up into the sky, only to drop the spin at the top just before the big drop. According to Blooloop Extreme Engineering is set to announce a new ride later this month at the SEA Expo event called “Extreme Twist Tower”.
Based on the preview concept art they have posted, this will be a small family sides drop tower, but one where the square central tower structure is actually twisted like a roller coaster track performing a barrel-roll, allowing the carriage to rotate around the tower a bit as it rises and drops.
While the short height will keep it from making a full rotation, it does make me wonder what would happen if the concept was extended to an full scale height ride, 200 or maybe 300 feet tall, allowing for more than enough space to perform a full rotation or two. As long as the riders are strapped in nice and tight, the addition of the spin to make riders feel like they are being pulled out of their seats while falling from the sky could be utterly terrifying.
Then again, considering past events that took place in Orlando last year… maybe this isn’t the right time to offer that kind of thrill to the market and why Extreme Engineering is sticking with the family sized tower.
(11/19/22) Extreme Engineering confirmed at IAAPA that they will open three new Cloud Coaster projects in 2023. The first was previously announced as coming to the Wilderness at the Smokies waterpark resort and will feature about 400 feet of track.
The second will be the largest Cloud Coaster built to date, with a length of about 820 feet of track, which will open in Corsicana, Texas at “Richland Chambers”. This particular coaster will be over 60 feet tall and feature two lift hills.
Lastly the West coast will see the first Cloud Coaster project be installed at the indoor Sports Wenatchee adventure park in the state of Washington. This edition will offer a track length of just over 300 feet.
(11/6/22) According to this update, look for Extreme Engineering’s booth at IAAPA Expo Orlando later this month, as they will have new details to share about a few of their new Cloud Coaster installations, such as the one going into Wilderness at the Smokies, another one in Texas and another one going to an indoor waterpark. The company will also have details on some new products.
The one that stands out as being very interesting is something they call Parkour Around. Participants will be fastened to a new “patent-pending support device” that will allow them to run at high speed, jump long distances, and climb tall heights as the attempt to overcome a series of obstacles. From the sound of it, this sounds like an updated ropes course style harness system that will allow the wearers to take on a highly competitive Ninja Warrior style obstacle course without the need for a huge water tank at the bottom to break their fall. Consider me officially intrigued.
On a personal side note, I’m hoping they have more to share about the Surfin Tsunami concept they were showing off at last year’s show as well. Imagine a Cloud Coaster style ride, but one you ride standing up, riding a giant windsurfer board through the sky. Talk about a crazy looking experience that would be a perfect fit for just about any waterpark.
Falcon’s Beyond - (4/23/2023) We’ve talked about the new Katmandu mini theme park experience that just opened in Punta Cana, but the Katmandu experience has now entered the digital world for everyone to try. I was surprised to learn that Falcon’s Beyond has launched the Katmandu: EtherMerge free-to-play game on Apple and Android app platforms that ties in the mythos and lore of the new park attractions into the video game experience.
In addition to this game, the theme park also features an online shop full of themed merchandise, it appears that they’ve also come up with their own exclusive Katmandu trading card game. So far the only item listed for sale is a Starter Kit, “Age of Artifacts: Boro Vs. Eldred” which contains two themed “Champion Decks” for 1-on-1 game play. If they follow the typical format these collectible card games do, I assume they will eventually add Booster packs with expansion cards, or starter decks for other themed characters to follow in the future.
Either way, it’s great to see this new theme park brand branching out into the other forms of entertainment to engage guests and potential future guests with their IP.
(8/27/22) Falcon’s Beyond has announced the creation of Falcon’s Resorts as part of a joint venture with Meliá Hotels International. The first such resort will be at the All Suites Punta Cana resort, resulting in the transformation of two existing Meliá properties in the Dominican Republic with over 600 rooms. The first phase is expected to be ready to open by December 2022 that will include an all-inclusive resort with premium bars, restaurants, pools, swim-up suites, a water park, kids’ camp and more. The next phase is expected to open sometime in 2023.
The new Falcon’s Resort by Meliá / All Suites Punta Cana project is part of the $350 million Falcon’s Beyond Destination project that will also include the new Katmandu Park experience, expected to open at the end of this year.
FlowRider - (6/18/22) FlowRider has announced the launch of their newest concept: FlowSurf. FlowSurf is the company’s “first deep flow station wave system”, taking the stationary wave concept “into the deep-water format”. Inspired by river waves, this new concept allows riders to ride on an actual surfboard rather than the smaller flowboards used before.
“FlowSurf is created using a deep flow of water, which enables guests to use a real surfboard to carve a never-ending wave.”
“We all live, eat, sleep, and breathe surfing at FlowRider. FlowSurf isn’t real surfing because you’re not in the ocean, and it takes out the most difficult parts of surfing,” says Marshall Myrman, president of FlowRider. “River waves, which FlowSurf is modeled after, provide an amazing and fun experience on a surfboard where you cut and carve a continuous deep flow wave. Surfers of all levels will be able to work on their skills and have an absolute blast on this wave.”
Great Coasters International - (12/31/2022) The subject off adding sections of Titan Track to more existing wooden coasters was addressed in an interview with GCI’s Clair Hain at IAAPA, posted by Coaster Studios. The focus of the article is about the building of the new version of the Zambezi Zinger, but as the Zinger will feature sections of Titan Track from Day 1, the subject of Titan Track came up a few times.
For example, Hain mentioned that Titan Track is being used for the entire spiral lift hill simply because they have to maintain the track gague between the rails precisely to allow for the drive-tires to work as the lift.
At the 2:30 timestamp Hain mentioned that they currently have Titan Track in use on 3 different rides, and “this year we’re going to have, I think, three or four more that’s going to be added to that list, getting installed right now, opening for ‘23.”
The three coasters that already feature it are White Lightning at Fun Spot Orlando, which was used as the original proof of concept test, and then sections were installed on Predator at Darien Lake and Wolverine Wildcat at Michigan's Adventure in time for the 2022 Summer season. So far for 2023 the only new location 100% confirmed so far has been Efteling on Joris en de Draak, but just yesterday we also heard a rumor that Lake Compounce might also join the club.
(5/7/22) Skyline Attraction has posted a picture of a load of new Titan Track they “designed and engineered” for Great Coasters International sitting on the back of a trailer, ready to ship out. Previously they mentioned several hundred feet of Titan Track was being installed somewhere this season, but in the latest update the say that 450 feet of Titan Track will be installed, but across TWO different roller coasters for the 2022 season.
While nothing has been confirmed by a park, Predator at Darien Lake was considered to be one of the locations, which now makes us very curious about where the second location could be. If you spot Titan Track somewhere in the wild, let us know!
(4/10/22) While the post is from Skyline Attractions, earlier this week the company revealed that they are working with Great Coasters International (GCI) on the “design, engineering, and installation of several hundred feet of Titan Track this year.” They decline to say exactly where it is going however, but welcomed guesses.
HOLOGATE - (3/29/23) Hologate reports that their new Ghostbusters VR Academy titles have now been released and are available at 450+ Hologate locations worldwide. You can get a little taste in the preview video below.
(6/12/22) Hologate has announced a new deal with Sony Pictures Virtual Reality to make a new “Ghostbusters VR Academy” experiences available to their HOLOGATE VR attractions globally by the end of 2022. The experience is designed to be a “fully immersive training simulator broken up into two distinct games”. For the first time, players will experience a training experience to be a true Ghostbuster. Hologate’s Blitz system will also offer a Ghostbusters experience, allowing players to pilot “a new flying version of the ECTO”.
Huss Park Attractions - (11/13/22) Huss is back, in the form of Huss Park Attractions. Following the reveal of their new Break Dance 5 attraction at IAAPA Expo Europe earlier this year, the company says they will reveal four new ride concepts at IAAPA Expo Orlando this week. All five of the new attractions will be available to purchase over this coming year.
According to the report the first Break Dance 5 is already in production.
Intamin - (11/9/22) Intamin is showing off a bit more about the technology they’ve developed for their Dynamic Motion Stage ride concept. They describe it as an immersive ride experience unlike anything you’ve experienced before, with the first installation set to open in Efteling as the park’s new Danse Macabre haunted attraction in 2024. With a variety of options available for the ride vehicles style, near infinite possibilities when it comes to the motion programming, and the ability to use physical, media or a mixture of both to tell the story of the attraction, this looks like a hell of a lot of fun. I can’t wait to see one in action!
(10/27/22) IAAPA Expo Orlando is coming in just a couple of weeks and Intamin is already sharing a video about another brand new creation, the Vertical Launch Coaster Layout 1058m. Check it out below because it looks like a blast! They’ve also added videos for a Vertical LSM Launch Coaster and a look at The Storm, a unique indoor coaster they opened earlier this year in Dubai.
(9/12/22) Just a quick update. A reader has pointed out that the new Intamin Vertical LSM Coaster 28m Layout (see below) is essentially identical to what Intamin built for the Nickelodeon Universe park at American Dream as Sandy’s Blasting Bronco. The main difference is that Sandy’s Blasting Bronco launches the train through the entire layout with a single strong launch motion, and once the train returns to the station, a turntable spins the train 180º and it is launched again through the layout while facing backwards.
The new promotion for this layout has removed the turntable and will use a multi-launch method, shooting it forwards, backwards and then forwards again at full speed through the source, with the option to make a second full circuit launch if desired. .
(9/11/22) Just ahead of the IAAPA Expo Europe 2022 that takes place this week in London, Intamin has loaded up their YouTube page with several new attraction video concepts and teasers. This includes the teaser for the Flume Booster concept that I mentioned on the SeaWorld San Antonio page, and layouts for three new “Vertical LSM Coaster” creations that come in 47m, 35m and 28m sizes. The larger of the group seems to be taking aim directly at Premier Ride’s popular Sky Rocket II coaster design concept, with the added twist of an upside-down booster-launch at the top, the medium sized version replaces the twisted upper track with a prolonged inversion element. The smaller 28m version has an option to make this a portable-coaster, using a “self-standing steel base frame” and an easy to relocate climate controlled container that contains all the necessary electrical equipment for the ride. That said, this small version features perhaps the most unique looking layout of the bunch, offering the same triple-launch experience and then a run through a series of four back-to-back inventions. Even better, there is an option to cycle the train twice through the circuit before stopping, giving the riders an amazing 8-inversion thrill machine in a very compact (55m x 11m) space. (Note: The double-cycle option is actually offered on all three Vertical LSM Coaster models, which is nice…)
Finally Intamin is promoting a new unique ride creation that they call the Motion Tower that is means to be used for Simulator / Flying Theater style projects. Two massive legs are able to raise up a large 80-passenger platform from the ground, sitting in front of a massive curved projection screen. They are promoting this new concept as “The Flying Theater Re-Invented”.
The concept video shows all riders held in with a roller-coasters style over-the-shoulder restraint system, as the open platform features High Speed 3 DOF motion capability. This includes 15º of pitch forward or backwards, 15º of roll motion to either side, and 5 m/s (11.2mph) of Heave motion ability (up and down), and the unit standing 29 meters tall. The seats themselves feature built-in audio channels, a bass “butt-kicker”, as well as the theater itself offering a massive sound-system, and aided by the option of scent system. All said and done, this looks more like Intamin’s answer to the ride system Disney created for their Avatar: Flight of Passage attraction, but built more to scale for locations without a Disney budget.
(2/26/22) According to a post at CoasterHub on IG, Intamin is working on a new “Multi Dimension Coaster” design. This of this as the latest evolution of the various trick-track elements Intamin has been adding to their coasters over the past few years, such as the loved freefall track drop used on Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, or various track switches and rotational systems used on the Movie Park Studio Tour coaster at Movie Park Germany.
New additions we see in this video clip feature the addition of controlled rotating cars (not unlike what Disney and Vekoma will use on the new Guardians of the Galalxy coaster opening at Epcot this year) and in addition to the freefall drop track effect, they are also offering a “Bungee Lift” system, which is essentially the reverse of the Freefall effect, blasting riders UP instead of down as part of a special effects sequence. There is also a combo track possibility to build both Freefall and Bungie effects into the same drop track , allowing it to also serve as a track switch. Dropping riders down to a lower level for the second for a complete circuit ride that would return to the same track again to blast them back up to the previous level to complete the ride experience.
Lagotronics - (6/27/22) Lagotronics Projects has confirmed that next month the first ExplorAR experience in the Netherlands will be completed. So what is Lagotronics’ ExplorAR? With it guests will be able to explore another world, “by combining the real world with augmented reality, visitors experience the real environment whilst interacting with the media content at the same time!”
You can see a bit more about how the experience will let guests explore the history of the Keverberg Castle in the Netherlands, learning more about Baron Frits and using mobile devices to go on a a series of digital quest. These will range from finding certain locations marked with QR codes, or playing mini-games in an augmented reality world, to solving puzzles and riddles. The whole experience is now able to become more interactive, more entertaining and more interesting to everyone.
Legacy Entertainment - (10/23/22) According to an article about the current efforts of Legacy Entertainment, the company reports that they are working on at least sixteen major projects. Ten of these are in the design phase while another six are currently in various phases of construction. The Asian marketplace has become a vital focus for Legacy Entertainment with projects in China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Korea, working with most of the major attractions in each market like VinWonders, OCT, Lotte World, Trans Studios and more.
 Mack Rides - (6/16/22) According to a press release from the National Roller Coaster Museum, Mack Rides and Europa-Park have donated some of the original ride vehicles from that park’s EuroSat attraction. This marks the first time that a ride vehicle will be added to the museum collection from a park from outside the United States.
“It is truly a blessing for our first donation from Europe to be from the Mack Family and from such an iconic attraction,” said Jeff Novotny, President of the NRCMA Board of Directors. “It shows that this is truly an international industry with so many wonderful people who have dedicated their careers to ensuring generations of guests have memorable experiences.”
“To see one of the Eurosat trains now exhibited and preserved in the National Roller Coaster Museum – showing visitors a piece of history from Europa-Park — is a special honor and a great remembrance of my father,” said Europa-Park owner, Roland Mack.
The Eurosat attraction opened in 1989 and closed for a dramatic overhaul in late 2017 where most of the coaster track was replaced, and it opened again in fall of 2018 with a new fleet of coaster trains under the revised name, Eurosat - CanCan Coaster.
Martin & Vleminckx - (5/25/2023) Martin & Vleminckx has shown off their new Unicoaster 2.0 ride concept, which allows the attraction design of the original Unicoaster concept to move forward with fully custom built track designs. According to the report Martin & Vleminckx will be on hand at the Saudi Entertainment and Amusements Expo (SEA) taking place May 28-30, where they will be showing off the new Unicoaster 2.0 along with other new concepts like the SkyBlazer and SkySpire, a spiraling observation tower concept.
(11/9/2022) Martin & Vleminckx has announced the acquisition of the patent portfolio of Bill Kitchen, Founder and CEO of US Thrill Rides. The portfolio includes SkyBlazer, Unicoaster, Unicoaster 2.0, Skyspire and G-Storm, all of which will be offered and on display at their booth at IAAPA Expo Orlando this year.
“I recognized early on that Martin & Vleminckx would be a great steward of this products and provide a global presence with their sales and marketing teams with a reputation for quality products and delivering attractions around the world.”, says Kitchen.
The transaction marks a key milestone in the growth and success plan for Martin & Vleminckx that focuses on innovation and operational excellence. “We continue to build out company and team to focus on the future of attraction development that offers our clients new ways to attract and thrill their guests.”, states Pierre Cloutier, CEO of Martin & Vleminckx.
Maurer Rides - (10/27/22) Maurer Rides is showing off a new creation on YouTube just ahead of the IAAPA Expo Orlando event next month. They call this one the Spike Omega Coaster, check it out below!
(10/1/22) Maruer Rides is back with another major update for their “Spike” ride concept… this one called the Spike Barnstormer. They are marketing the new Barnstormer concept as a “Thrill Coaster”, but like the previous Spike ride concepts, there is no “coasting” involved, as this is an entirely powered ride system. The Barnstormer concept does take the Spike ride system to the next level however.
Instead of individual cars, we are now seeing an entire roller coaster style train mounted to the tracks, with guests seated side-by-side with roller coaster style restraints in place. This is for a very good reason as the Spike Barnstormer features a roller coaster style launch into a small group of inversions and other very twisted elements. The powered nature of the Spike system however allows for on-board special effects such as lighting, audio, video displays and more. You’ll notice that the trains emit a fun smoke-trail effect in the animation footage seen below for the Barnstormer.
The concept of Spike’s new train concept and how it can be put to use in a variety of environments and track concepts, both indoor and outdoor, can be seen in a second video from Maruer Rides called “Spike Fun” where they even show off the concept of reclining seats as an option, along with options for both plain seat-belt or roller coaster style lapbar restraints. They also point out how the nature of the powered system can make inversions feel entirely different, allowing the trains to accelerate while going through the inversions rather than slow down at the peak.
(3/17/22) Maurer Rides has announced a new version of their Spike powered single-rail coaster style ride called the “Spike Snow Coaster”. This version is designed for more extreme terrain and conditions and just the thing for Ski Resorts and other mountain style locations. A preview video shows off some interesting elements offered, such as a non-inverted loop and even a roll-back down from a steep hill, allowing the riders to attempt the hill a second time. You can see the animated preview video below.
(10/17/19) A reader pointed out an interesting fact to us the other day that could likely mean that two more of Maurer’s Spike coasters may soon traveling around the world’s oceans in the near future. While Dream Cruises just announced that their first coaster would be going onto the Global Dream which should enter service in 2021, a quick search of the company’s fleet of vessels also shows that an unnamed sister ship to the Global Dream just began construction last month and is expected to open to guests about a year after the Global Dream.
By the same token, a search of Carnival Cruise Lines also shows that the new Mardi Gras vessel launching in 2020 will also have a sister ship launching in 2022 that has yet to be named. It is very possible that both of these twin-ships may also feature the powered coaster rides, much like how both of Disney Cruise Line’s second generation ships (Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy) both launched with the AquaDuck water coaster slides.
Premier Rides - (11/19/22) Wieland Schwarzkopf and Premier Rides have partnered up to bring back the classic Schwarzkopf Wildcat coaster to the amusement rides marketplace. Wieland is the son of legendary roller coaster creator, Anton Schwarzkopf, and was seeking a fun way to celebrate and remember his father on what would have been Anton’s 100th Birthday in 2024.
The new versions of the Wildcat to be offered will be very similar to the original models, including a near replica of the most popular model that will fit into a compact footprint of 200 x 75 feet. Models will be offered using individual 4-passenger cars or in a version where two cars are linked as an 8-passenger train option. While it should look similar to the original, it will feature updated safety and computer systems, as well as offer modern style lighting package options, and be made available as a portable coaster option.
(10/26/22) So what is Premier Rides planning on revealing at IAAPA? An interesting graphic showing off a claw mark was posted along with the text ‘Something Wild Is Coming” along with their booth number. The odd thing is the wicker-basket looking texture seen behind the claw mark… as Premier Rides really isn’t known for wooden coaster, but I may be reading too much into that.
Anyone else have a clue?
Ride Engineers Switzerland - (11/25/22) Ride Engineers Switzerland have posted a couple of new videos online of new ride concepts they’ve come up with. This includes the “Disc Swing M24” the “Wave Twist L Type Z” and “Whip Swing”.
(2/27/22) A new video on YouTube is showing off artwork for the latest creation from Ride Engineers Switzerland (RES) called the ORACLE. At first glance this may seem like a scaled down version of a Zamperla’s NebulaZ, but the arms feature an extra joint at the end to provide a third axis of movement possibilities. Check it out below.
Ride Entertainment - (9/15/22) Ride Entertainment has announced a new partnership with Longfish Leisure to bring the company’s “Minisafari” cars to Ride Entertainment’s portfolio of attraction manufacturers.
“The Minisafari gives young children the opportunity to navigate their own electric, scaled-
down versions of Land Rover vehicles on a custom driving course. Topping out at three miles
per hour, even an unused portion of your parking lot can become an adventure!”
Rocky Mountain Construction - (4/12/2023) In an unexpected announcement, Rocky Mountain Construction and Larson International have officially merged. According to the press release posted by RMC on their Facebook page, this is effective immediately. The two divisions will still operate as normal, as the company is keeping both locations in Idaho (RMC) and Texas (Larson), and no staffing changes are planned at this time, with everyone staying on board. The two divisions confirm that each will be at IAAPA, each division running their own independent booth.
The goal of the merger is to combine their efforts to offer a broader ride portfolio for the industry, along with seeing savings and more efficiencies by streamlining how things are done in the back office, including combining their R&D and engineering efforts.
To date RMC is known for their roller coaster innovations, featuring the single rail Raptor coasters, custom track coasters and transformations of existing wooden coasters into new hybrid coaster creations.
Larson International is perhaps best known lately for their Fireball / Giant Loop flat rides, the company also produces Flying Scooters, Tilt-A-Whirl, Super Shot Towers, and an assortment of other small flat rides.
S&S Worldwide - (11/19/22) S&S is back to promoting their unique Axis Coaster concept at IAAPA this past week. With a working prototype at their HQ and a small selection of custom layouts to choose from, it would seem like only a matter of time before someone pulls the trigger and buys one of these exciting new roller coaster rides. Check out the latest preview video feature a mix of animation and real-world footage of the S&S Axis Coaster.
Looking through their YouTube channel, S&S is also promoting their Maxx Force style Air Launch roller coaster as well, though I believe Maxx Force at Six Flags Great America is still the only one built in North America thus far, though their Steel Curtain custom coaster at Kennywood also looks to offer quite an amazing thrill.
Sally Dark Rides - (2/19/2023) Some internal changes are afoot over at Sally Dark Rides. According to a post from Amusement Today Sally founder John Wood will transition to the role of President as well as staying on as Chairman of the Board, while Rolf Paegert is now moving up from COO to take over the position of CEO.
Rolf has spent a lifetime in the theme park industry, and prior to joining Sally in 2020, he worked in management at Palace Entertainment, and long before that, I actually knew him personally back when we both started working at SeaWorld San Diego in the mid-80s, so a well deserved “congratuations!” to Rolf for his new post at Sally Dark Rides!
(11/23/22) Congratulations to Sally Dark Rides and Lost Island Theme Park for winning an IAAPA Brass Ring award for ‘Best New Product - Major Ride/Attraction” with a cost over $5 million for the park’s new “Volkanu - Quest for the Golden Idol” custom dark ride attraction. This would be the second major industry award for Volkanu, as the ride also won the Golden Ticket Award for “Best New Family Attraction of 2022” from Amusement Today.
Volkanu - Quest for the Golden Idol is described as being a “4D interactive dark ride is housed inside the park’s large, iconic Volcano structure, serving as a beacon to the Mura (fire) Realm at Lost Island. Guests queue in a elaborate, winding lava cave and learn the details of their quest from a Shaman who sends adventurers onward to defeat the fiery monster, Volkanu. Once aboard Inferno Transport vehicles, riders are equipped with powerful Thermal Blasters as they battle lava scorpions, spiders, bats, and other monstrous beings in their attempt to save Lost Island.”
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Schwarzkopf - (6/22/22) ACE has finally announced what all those Schwarzkopf teaser images have been about the past month. A new documentary is in the works called, “The Legacy of Schwarzkopf”. This is in the same vein as the much-loved “The Legacy of Arrow” documentary that came out a few years ago. Check out the announcement video below and look for The Legecy of Schwarzkopf to come out in late 2024.
Simex-Iwerks - (11/18/22) SimEx-Iwerks has announced Frostbite - Dino Island III, the groups first custom-produced film for a Flying Theater experience. According to the description, guests are flown to the coast of Antarctica to observe dinosaurs frozen in ice caverns, when a dormant volcano erupts and flash-melts all the frozen dinosaurs in the cave.
(11/13/22) SimEx-Iwerks will celebrate the company’s 30th Anniversary over the next year, starting with a kick off at IAAPA Expo Orlando in a few days. As part of the celebration the company says they will reveal three new attraction concepts over this time period, starting off with the new Immersion Theater. In a preview of the new concept seen at Blooloop, they say that the new Immersion Theater was designed to “deliver a next-level fully immersive experience from start to finish”, featuring cutting-edge special effects, lighting and audio system as well as a new motion-based seat design from SimEx-Iwerks.
Simworx - (10/3/22) Simworx has partnered with Katapult to develop a new car-chase dark ride concept called “Overdrive: Ultimate Heist”. The concept will use Simworx AGV trackless dark ride vehicle and feature a dueling dark ride experience “like no other” with one car themed as robbers and the other as the police in pursuit through a busy city-scape.
While the concept is free from the constraints of an existing IP, it was inspired by video game and movie IPs like Need for Speed, Grand Theft Auto and of course, Fast & Furious. The idea is a very interesting one, as the ride experience for each side will be different from the other, creating an attraction that virtually demands that park guests will have to re-ride a second time to get the full experience from the point of view of both Cops and Robbers. According to the creators, interactive moments along the way can help determine the ending of the experience, as well as set in place one of several different possible experiences along the way, as well as different possible endings for each side.
(5/15/22) Simworx installed two of their Cobra Dark Ride systems into the Ba Na Hills park in Vietnam. The ride has opened as “Mắt Bay” (Flying Eyes) and involves two simulator systems that will load guests in a separate area into a ride vehicle on a dynamic motion base (3 DOF) that will then move along a track into the main show theater area, positioning them in front of a large 180º screen.
(11/19/21) Simworx and Katapult have teamed up to offer a new “Ferrari Experience” attraction concept that offers different simulator rides, an esports hub and a themed dining experience that are all part of the Ferrari themed package.
Skyline Attractions - (11/5/22) Skyline Attractions reports that “Brava!”, the world’s first roller coaster located inside a museum is now set up and operational at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.
(10/9/22) Skyline Attractions teased everyone earlier this week with pictures of some new pink steel track being made for an unknown new attraction. The track style itself was exactly the type of track they had pitched previously for their P’Sghetti Bowl kiddie coaster concept… but where was this going?
We didn’t have to wait long to find out, as it was announced that the Skyline Attractions is involved in the creation of a rather unique new art installation from EJ Hill called Brake Run Helix which will open on October 30th at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) and be on display for limited two-year period.
According to the press release, this is the first time that a full-circuit roller coaster will have been designed and built within a museum space. The concept of the Brake Run Helix display is to showcase the ride as if it was a home-built “backyard roller coaster”, with the 260 feet of track to be supported by a series of A-frame wooden support pieces in a figure-8 style layout.
But this is not just a display piece… Brake Run Helix will be fully functional! They say that every hour one lucky museum patron will be selected to ride the coaster, climbing aboard a unique single-seater ride vehicle, also themed to look like a back-yard coaster creation. The car, which is located on the mezzanine level of the gallery,”will be physically propelled off the mezzanine with the assistance of a museum attendant and will travel down the roller coaster’s first drop.” From here it will “ascend a second hill before concluding with a downward, undulating helix and a rapid S-bend” before coming to a stop.
Though entirely unnecessary, I would like to officially volunteer as a test-rider. Otherwise, I guess it is time to start looking into taking a trip to Massachusetts for this unique and very limited time experience. Speaking of which… it does make me wonder where the Brake Run Helix could end up after it’s two-year stint in the museum is over. If nothing else, a trip to the National Roller Coaster Museum may be in order for the ride at that point.
(1/16/22) A fun interview between Coaster Hour and Tyler Mullins of Skyline Attractions can be found on YouTube this week. The whole interview is just under 30 minutes and they discuss interesting topics like the P’Sghetti Bowl coasters, Skywarp II, the relationship with GCI, Titan Track, Infinity Flyers, Bombay Express and more.
TAIT - (3/11/22) TAIT is at it again this week with the announcement that they have signed a deal to acquire Thinkwell. This comes on the heels of TAIT buying ITEC Entertainment back in October 2021.
TAIT Towers, who for years was primarily known for their technology project builds for live entertainment venues (cruise ships, concerts, Broadway stage shows, etc) is now seems posed to become a major player in the themed entertainment space with these two additions. The combined forces will allow TAIT to provide full turnkey solutions for clients, from the blue-sky creative phase all the way to the technical installation of the final product.
(10/30/21) In an interesting development, well known theme park and attraction design company, ITEC Entertainment, has announced that they have been purchased by TAIT Towers Inc. Tait Towers is known more for their projects involving services and designs for top concert performers, cruise ship projects, Broadway stage productions and other high level shows including Cirque du Soleil. Across it all TAIT Towers is a known expert in blending live entertainment and technology for the world to see for years.
I know over the past couple years I had been hearing TAIT name dropped more than once in reference to various theme park projects, so it seems that the purchase of ITEC will now give TAIT great access and exposure to this industry sector.
Triotech - (12/10/2022) Triotech’s unique double walkthrough attraction, Hive Break, was given a 2022 Blooloop Innovation Award for Immersive Experience. The innovating story-telling attractions offers guests the ability to experience the action as told from both-sides of the conflict, and was also chosen as a second-place winner in the IAAPA Brass Ring Award for Best New Product Major Ride / Attraction in the $2-5 million category as well.
(10/29/22) Triotech reports that they will be on site at IAAAP Expo Orlando with their largest booth ever this year. This year’s booth promises to display five different types of attractions and on Tuesday they will reveal a new product for arcades as well as join in with a press conference with Lotte World to announce a new custom attraction.
(8/5/22) It has been awhile since we’ve heard anything about this project, but Triotech’s new unique walkthrough attraction experience has opened at Fabland Valley Resort (Xiangyang, China) under the name HIVE BREAK. According to a report on the new attraction Hive Break is a 12-minute long attraction that features “two parallel tracks with intertwining narratives”. Guests can choose to be Bounty Hunters or Sci-Fi Pirates in a battle for control over ancient alien technology. Each of the two paths features three zones: a Motion Simulator, a Training Facility and an Interactive Theater.
US ThrillRides - (5/2/22) Consider me a little intrigued… US Thrill Rides has filed a new name trademark for something called “G Storm” as of April 14, 2022. It was about this same time last year that US Thrill Rides first announced the Skyscreamer attraction, which soon after had the name changed (and trademarked) to Skyblazer. Perhaps we are on the verge of a pending new announcement from US Thrill Rides for another new innovation.
Vekoma - (12/20/2022) In a fascinating new video posted by Coaster Studios, they went on a tour of the Vekoma Rides manufacturing plant in Vlodrop, Netherlands. Train building, rail bending machines, all the different cars and restraint types, the tour shows off just about everything you might want to see, including some painted track waiting to be shipped out. Hmmmm….
Check it out!
(8/5/22) While we haven’t seen too much of the new Vekoma renaissance in North America just yet, Coaster Studios took a trip out of Vekoma’s plant in the Netherlands to check out their new ‘Tilt’ coaster prototype they are working on, which should be opening as COTALand as Circuit Breaker in Fall 2023.
(6/18/22) Vekoma has posted some concept artwork of a new coaster design they are calling the “Super Boomerang”. The concept art is like no other “Boomerang” coaster design I’ve seen from the company before, featuring a long and narrow footprint, and the first actual version of the concept is under construction in China right now at Fantawild Xuzhou.
Some unofficial concept animation showing off the same “Mirage” theming made with NoLimits 2 four months ago can also be seen below, featuring both on and off ride footage to give you a better feel of what the ride experience could be like, featuring three inversions in each direction and an airtime hill.
Fun note, the final inversion and rise up into the spike did immediately give me a flashback of the retired “Batman & Robin: The Chiller” coaster from Six Flags Great Adventure. Take a look and see for yourself.
(5/1/22) Congratulations to Vekoma for winning the “Golden Crown Award” from Asia Attractions for “Outstanding Roller Coaster Supplier (International)”. The award was given for the company’s Top Gun Launch Coaster ‘Fighter Jet’ concept that first opened in 2021 at Fantawild “Oriental Heritage” in Ningbo and Fantawild “Oriental Glorious” in Ganzhou. Two more copies of the Top Gun launch coaster are expected to open in 2022 and 2023 at Fantawild parks in Huai’an and Jining.
WhiteWater - (9/16/22) An update on the projects WhiteWater is working on, as announced at IAAPA Expo Europe this week has been posted to Blooloop. This includes new attractions for Aqualand Moravia (Czech Republic), upgraded flume boats on Tayto Park’s Viking Voyage, a progress report on the Surftown MUC project in Germany, installs on MSC Cruises Seascape, and a look at the nearly completed “tallest water slide tower in the world” under construction in Qatar. This gigantic structure will stand 260 feet tall and break the record for having the most slides on a single tower with 12.
Wiegand - (10/15/22) Wiegand has unveiled their “toboggan 2.0 design” for the company’s famous line of alpine coasters. According to the details posted by Blooloop the new toboggan concept is said to increase rider comfort while lowering maintenance issues for operators. Speed is now easier to control through a new system of magnetic brakes that will lower a magnet attached to the underside of the sled that will interact with metal brake fins mounted to the track.
The article goes on to discuss some of the latest installations for Wiegand around the world, including new projects starting in Mexico and Brazil.
wiegand.waterrides - (11/26/2022) Who’s ready for a new waterslide concept that will allow an intersection to be created where the flow of water will cross itself in mid-slide? According to a post on Blooloop wiegand.waterrides has created just such an impossible looking elements that they are marketing as the “Xslide”.
If I’m not mistaken, wiegand.waterrides was also the creator of the SlideWheel concept, and in similar fashion, rafts will be inserted into the slide by a conveyor to allow for the necessary timing needed for this unique Xslide element to work.
Zamperla - (11/19/22) With a heavy heart Zamerpla announced the untimely passing of the company President and Chairman, Alberto Zamperla, a long standing pioneer in the attractions industry. Alberto was the son of the company’s original founder, Antonio Zamperla, is survived by his wife, three sons, three grandchildren and will be missed throughout the industry.
(5/21/22) Zamperla has posted a great video showcase of the new “Thunderbolt 568” model roller coaster that opened at Yangzhou Fancy City. The ride features a 100ft tall vertical lift and five inversions. Check it out below!
(5/15/22) Zamperla has opened a new Thunderbolt model roller coaster installation in China at Yangzhou Fancy City. The new coaster is named Canal Peak and serves as an eye-catching piece of the skyline over the theme park. Follow the link to see some pictures of the new coaster posted to Blooloop.
Zierer - (4/12/22) Zierer is showing off concept artwork for their latest attraction called the Ellipse Flyer. 32 passengers are held in suspended seats, able to rotate horizontally, while attached to the main arms of the ride that move them all in a elliptical rotation up and around the main structure. “Its standard industrial, tech-heavy design with the possible added option of artificial smoke creates the illusion for passengers of being part of a giant engine in motion.”
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