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SMALL PARKS & ATTRACTIONS
---- THE LATEST SMALL PARK NEWS ----
(12/15/2024) Texas's Peppa Pig Theme Park Will Be Certified Autism Center
(11/24/2024) A Resort May Be Planned To Take Over Gillian's Wonderland Site
(10/26/2024) Peppa Pig Theme Park in Texas Sets Official Opening Date
(10/18/2024) Gillian's Wonderland - Former Owner Lashes Out Against New Jersey Regulators
(10/13/2024) Oasis at Lakeport - Construction Progress and Why It Has Stopped
(9/28/2024) The Closing Date For Gillian's Wonderland Pier Revealed
(9/21/2024) Wild Waves Is Holding A 24-Hour Coffin Contest
ADVENTURE CITY (Buena Park, CA)
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2016 - 2023 seasons.
ADVENTURE PARK (Maryland)
Park News - (3/9/2024) The Wild West Express roller coaster (a Zamperla Windstorm) at Adventure Park USA in Maryland is currently listed as being up for sale on UsedRides.com with an asking price of $450,000. The description says it is in great condition and just being sold to “make room for new rides.”
This coaster may look familiar to anyone who frequents the Orlando area attractions over the years. Prior to being installed in Maryland in 2015, the coaster ran in the back end of “Old Town” in Kissimmee, Florida as the Windstorm from 1997 to 2014.
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2016 - 2023 seasons.
ADVENTURE POINTE (Near Houston, TX)
???? - New Park - Under Construction - (9/25/22) The last time I heard anything about the proposed Adventure Pointe theme park under construction just outside Houston was 2019. At the time, the owner of the park had filed a $10 million lawsuit against the contractor and others building the park for them for failing to complete the project. Since mid 2019, the owners of Adventure Point have not posted any updated to their social media pages. Considering they were suffering from financial loss in mid-2019 over failing to finish the park, only for the world to be hit by the pandemic in early 2020, chances are that Adventure Pointe is likely dead in the water.
That said, would you believe that a decent portion of the small 24-acre park was actually built? Aerial footage (see below) of the site shot in 2020 show that the park’s train loop was completed, complete with a run through an building that had some very pirate looking skull rockwork on the side. Scattered through the property you can see some completed pathways, along with other areas where the pathways were framed up and just waiting to be poured. In addition it looks like about 5 or 6 flat rides were partially and in some cases fully assembled, along with the complete buildout of the park’s main entrance structure.
But is the project really dead? Strangely enough, Google Map’s StreetView images shot in March 2021 and June of 2022 show that some other themed building structures have been added to the property since the aerial footage was shot in 2020. There is also the matter of the changing colors of the park’s Spider flat ride. In a StreetView image from Jan 2019 you can see the Spider’s cars are Green, in the aerial footage in the video shot in 2020 the Spider’s cars have been painted Blue, and then in the StreetView image from June 2022 the Spider’s cars now appear to be Red and Black.
So is there life still in Adventure Point after all? Anyone in the area happen to know more?
(9/29/19) It has been awhile since we heard anything about the Adventure Pointe theme park project in Texas. The last we heard about the 35-acre park seemed to indicate that construction had started. While construction did begin, it came to a halt, with some rides even semi-setup on the property and some half-built buildings now standing. The owner of the park, Harvey Slusky, has now filed a lawsuit against his former attorney and the teams of architects and builders who he claimed ‘defrauded him’ and ‘lied to him’, taking his $10 million for their own profits rather than building the park.
(12/13/18) After years of waiting, it looks like construction has finally begun on the Adventure Point theme park project just outside Houston, Texas. According to their Facebook page crews were installing the power to the site back in August and just last week they posted pictures of what looks like the park's main entrance structure and gates being installed. It also looks like a few small rides may have been installed over the summer as well, so maybe we'll see it open in some form in 2019. Anyone know more?
(4/4/17) After not hearing much about this project for the past couple years, BlooLoop reports that at long last Advetnure Pointe has been granted the needed permits to finally start construction on the new theme park. The first permits granted are for the park’s Main Street building and for a Pirate Ship building. Other attractions planned include a mini railroad, go-karts, outdoor ice skating, a pirate ride, boardwalk and an outdoor 1,200 seat performance venue.
(10/14/16) After not hearing much for the past two years the latest updates about Adventure Pointe posted to their official Facebook page now show off a few images of land clearing now taking place on the site near the Tanger Outlet Mall.
(10/24/14) Good news for our Texas readers who are longing for one of the new proposed theme parks to begin construction. An official sign promoting that the Adventure Pointe park is “Coming Soon” is now on site. I’m borrowing the photo from their Facebook page, so I hope they don’t mind. On the page they also announce that their list of rides coming to the park is also complete and they hope to kick off a series of announcements about the new rides and park itself very soon.
(3/10/14) The official website for the proposed new Adventure Pointe theme park in Texas has been updated and has announced the Adventure Pointe Roundhouse in their blog. The Roundhouse is described as a event center dedicated to showcasing how the Slusky family’s historical train collection will be maintained and refurbished. The structure will host banquets, weddings, dancers and more. They also have confirmed that Adventure Pointe will also feature 4,200 SqFt Ice Skating Rink that will be open to the public year round.
(12/18/13) More details about the proposed Adventure Pointe theme park coming to the Houston area can be found in a new BlooLoop article about the park. Don’t forget to keep up with things at the park’s official Facebook page as well.
(12/9/13) A second park project is in the works for the Houston, Texas area called Adventure Pointe. The 25-acre project comes from the family of the man who created Playland Park decades ago and will be located next to the Tanger Outlet Mall on I-45 South. Groundbreaking is slated to happen in Spring 2014 in order for the park to open in 2015.
(3/18/13) While the Houston, Texas area still lacks a large theme park, the greater area around Houston seems to be flourishing with new ideas for smaller park projects. Back in December we first heard the early rumors of a possible 25-acre mini-park planned to be near the Tanger Outlet Mall near Texas City that would have a tie to the old Playland Park.
Today a little more information has come out as the city “has confirmed an area physician’s interest in building the park on 25 acres near the Tanger outlet mall, but no plans have been submitted.” However, a new Facebook page for “Playland Park” has gone live and does outline the details a little more, calling it “Playland Park – Texas City”. They have named the new park project in honor of Houston’s first real amusement park, Playland Park, and hope to open it by Summer 2015.
The park will have a retro-Americana theme to it, and will feature locomotive rides on the refurbished trains that formerly served at the Houston Zoo, but will now make runs around this new 25 acre attraction. The park will also have a Grand Carousel, an Eyerly Monster, Antique Car ride, Tea Cups and a Tilt-a-Whirl to celebrate the classic rides of the past. They will also offer new style attractions such as a “unique roller coaster zip line, an Xtra-ice 'ice' skating rink, and fast though eco-friendly Indy-type electric go-karts.” There will also be green spaces, a large picnic area, an outdoor amphitheater for concerts and an indoor pavilion to be rented out for corporate events or private functions.
Good luck to them, I hope this one happens… but it wouldn’t be Playland Park without also offering a wooden coaster as well. Lets hope they include this in the final plans too.
ADVENTURELAND (Long Island, NY)
Park News - (3/19/2024) Adventureland, who just removed their log ride ahead of the 2024 season, confirmed that they will make some kind of announcement about the upcoming season later today, ahead of the park opening for the season on March 23. It isn’t known if this will have anything to do with their plans for the site of the former water ride, or something else entirely.
(2/10/2024) Two lawsuits have been filed against Adventureland (Long Island, NY) this week over the practice of the park’s online ticket sale process that lists a price to purchase park tickets and then while checking out it adds an unnecessary “processing fee” to the total sum guests are being charged.
We’ve all been there… I’ve had a few internal rage moments myself over this practice when buying tickets to parks from other chains as well. After all, we’re purchasing the ticket ourselves, doing all the work online, so the park doesn’t have to pay someone to sit in a ticket booth at the entrance, and we get stuck with processing fees when buying tickets to parks, movies or concerts. Just utter the word “Ticketmaster” to anyone who has bought tickets for any live event and you’re sure to see an angry scowl cross their face.
While I can’t speak about every case where you will encounter this kind of practice, I was once told that those processing fees don’t actually go to the parks. What we are seeing is that most parks and attractions have opted out of the cost of developing their own online sales infrastructure and are instead outsourcing all their sales through a third party online ticket sales company who offers a plug-in solution that is integrated into the park’s own website for a more seamless experience. So those processing fees are really going to companies like Accesso or Semnox to pay for their services.
Now the big attractions like Disney and Universal may skip over these guys to use their own internally built sales software, but you’ll still encounter these fees even when buying from big chains like Six Flags or Cedar Fair theme parks. Unfortunately, I don’t think the practice is going to stop anytime soon, but in the case of these lawsuits against Adventureland, they may have them on a technicality. The lawsuits claim that the park is in violation of a 2022 amendment added to New York state law that “requires that all ticket sellers list the total cost of a ticket, inclusive of mandatory fees, before the consumer selects the tickets for purchase…”
Adventureland has 30 days to respond to the lawsuits’ claims about how these extra fees are not being properly disclosed under New York state law.
 2024 - Two New Thrill Rides - (3/20/2024) Adventureland has announced a $10 million 5-phase plan to renovate the park, which will include several new rides. Two new rides will come in 2024, Moon Chaser (a Top Spin style ride which will replace the former Pirate Ship) and Jr. Pirate Ship will be added during the 2024 season.
The park also confirmed the removal of thee rides… the previously mentioned Log Flume, as well as the Pirate Ship and Spinning Cars. The new Jr. Pirate Ship will go on the site of the Spinning Cars.
(2/11/2024) The list of rides at the Adventureland website now says that a new thrill ride will debut in Spring 2024, but gives no further details.
Meanwhile, a video posted on YouTube this week shows that the Adventure Falls log flume at Advntureland (Long Island) now now been taken down and there is a large crane on the site. All the pieces of the former flume ride have been laid out in the parking lot, so it isn’t known if they is some kind of replacement or a refurbishment, but the fact that the park has also removed Adventure Falls from the list of park attractions does seem to indicate that the log ride has been removed permanently. Note that it is still shown on the park map on the website, but I imagine they’ll update that image once they confirm whatever the new 2024 attraction will be.
 2025 - Wave Twister - (3/20/2024) A new attraction from RES called Wave Twister will open in Spring 2025. They describe it as a “first-of-its-kind custom-made ride” designed to fit into the corner of the new Legacy Corner section of the park.
Wave Twister was described as a family ride that has a “boomerang shape” that will simulate the motion of riding upon ocean waves, while spinning and moving across a track, standing up to 60 feet tall. While it will be a dry ride, it will feature water based special effects to enhance the ride experience (fountains, mist, etc) and able to hold 20 rides at a time.
Based on the concept it, it looks like RES is building their version of a Zamerpla Disk’O Coaster style ride, but on steroids, as it travels around a corner, and features a platform with two spinning rider disks, mounted to a larger rotating platform in the center, so that it will feature unpredictable spinning motion.
2028 - Legacy Corner Completion - Planned - (3/20/2024) At least two more rides are planned to come to the park “over the next three phases”, which I’m assuming means the 2026 to 2028 seasons. This will include the completion of the new ‘Legacy Corner’ section of the park, a new expansion that is expected to be complete by the 2028 season that will be just over an acre in size and feature at least four new rides and other new amenities.
ARNOLD’S PARK (Iowa)
2024 - Nothing is known at this time...
BARTLESVILLE KIDDIE PARK (Oklahoma)
2024 - Four New Rides - (5/31/2024) Following up from last year’s news that the due to a generous donation, the park will have a number of improvements this year, including some new rides purchased from the former Joyland park in Texas that closed down.
Dragon Coaster (formerly Dragon Wagon when it was in Joyland) is set to soft open on June 1st, along with the Spinning Dragons ride. Two more rides, an Octopus and 45-foot tall Ferris Wheel are still being finished and expect to be ready to open in July when the park will host a formal grand opening ceremony. But if you want to experience the Dragon Coaster and Spinning Dragons first, head on down tomorrow.
(8/19/2023) Bartlesville’s Kiddie Park in Oklahoma turned 75 years old last year and now due to a generous $82,500 donation from a Houston couple that grew up in Bartlesville the park will be moving forward with a slate of planned improvements. From what one of our readers tells us, the small park is planning on adding a number family flat rides from Texas’s former Joyland park, including Dragon Coaster in 2024 (formerly Dragon Wagon).
BAY BEACH (Green Bay, WI)
2024 - Nothing is known at this time...
 2025 - Train Ride - (9/7/2024) The final details are being worked out for Bay Beach to lay down some new train tracks and rebuild the train ride with a new layout along with wider tracks to accommodate a bigger train that will also be wheelchair accessible. A new train station and nearby ADA compliant restroom will also be part of the project.
The new train layout will feature stations on both ends, allowing passengers to ride the train from one side of the park to the other, while taking in the scenic view of the bay. The train itself has already been donated to the park and comes from the Memphis Zoo (a 2007 propane C.P. Huntington) so all that is left is to finalize the funding for the building of the new tracks and facilities. The goal is to begin work as soon as possible and have it ready by the end of June 2025.
(3/16/2024) Bay Beach has been approved to receive the donation of a propane powered C.P. Huntington train attraction that formerly ran at the Memphis Zoo. I don’t believe a timeline has been set as to when it might open as the park would obviously have to create a custom and build a custom track layout where they think it would serve them best.
BEECH BEND PARK (Bowling Green, Kentucky)
 Park News - (6/2/2024) A shirtless man was arrested at the Beech Bend amusement park in Kentucky when he apparently decided to climb up to the top of the the Kentucky Rumbler wooden coaster around 10:30pm. According to the reports, police talked with him for about an hour that led to a peaceful walk back down the coaster where he was arrested and taken in. Based on the video he appears to be somewhat intoxicated. According to some online reports he may have been trying to wave an american flag at one point and yelling that he was “Captain America”.
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2017 - 2023 seasons.
BELMONT PARK (San Diego, CA)
Now through 2026 - Future Improvement Plans - (4/22/2024) Some new rides and other improvements are planned for San Diego’s Belmont Park between now and 2026. Over the past few years a number of the existing rides have been spruced up, replaced with new hardware, or given some new themes, such as the Tilt-A-Whirl cars now look like giant ice cream cones. A new small tower ride was added as Shipwreck Cove this year, placed within the wreckage of a ship of course. Now the developers are seeking to remove the north-western corner of the property to add a few more rides (they are hoping for a Zamperla Disk’O), to update the Beach House restaurant area, and update the arcade to become more of a “Barcade”, offering an indoor-outdoor bar that will offer both beer and cocktails as well as sweet treats. In addition to the Disk’O they are also hoping to add two more thrill rides to increase the venue’s appeal as well as access from those visiting the beach. Currently they are still working through the approval process however.
CALAWAY PARK (Alberta, Canada)
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 - 2023
CAMDEN PARK (WV)
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2017 - 2023 seasons.
CASINO PIER (Seaside Heights, NJ)
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 - 2023
CASTLE PARK (California)
Park News - (8/30/2024) If you happen to be passing by Castle Park in Riverside in the near future and something looks amiss, you would be right. According to a source, the park has apparently taken down the Screamin Demon spinning mouse coaster. The Fabbri spinning coaster has had a long history of troubles at the park, opening back in 2008 only to shut down completely from 2014 to early 2021. It reopened briefly during the pandemic from April 2021 only to close yet again in 2023, and it has sat silent ever since.
The attractions side of Castle Park has been in a big of chaos over the past few years, having reportedly closed their Ghost Blasters dark ride in early 2024, only to temporarily reopen it for a time after a number of other rides in the park had been shut down all at the same time. Currently Ghost Blasters is no longer listed on the website and we assumed the plans to close and remove it permanently have gone forward, along with the removal of the Spider.
(1/29/2024) Interesting developments have been reported about Castle Park. While the park’s dark ride, Ghost Blasters, is still not mentioned on the website at all, and was reported to be closed for good, would you believe that according to a reader, Ghost Blasters was up and running once again on Sunday when they visited?
However, the reason that Ghost Blasters may have been given a temporary extra lease on life may have more to do with the state of the rest of the park’s attractions. Confirmed by the park’s website, both the Castle Park Railroad and the Riverside Express Railroad attractions are currently closed, as sections of track have “washed out” from the torrential rains this month. The Screamin’ Demon spinning coaster has been closed for weeks now, with a broken car left parked at the base of the lift hill. The King’s Crown ride (Yoyo?) is listed as Temporarily Closed For Repairs, but it has been sitting disassembled for several months now, and the Saw Mill Plunge log flume is also listed as being “Temporary Closed” but has been drained of all water.
As I mentioned in the last update, all mention of the park’s Spider flat ride ride has been removed from the website, except for the graphic only appearance still remaining on the park’s map. I’m told that the Spider had been broken for months and appears to have been quietly retired as an attraction that the staff was not fond of working… or working on.
And speaking of working on rides… and this is a little disturbing, our reader who visited the park was told by an employee that Castle Park no longer has any full-time ride maintenance staff. Currently the park is essentially just trying to take care of what they have with a part-time crew and whatever parts they have in stock, so anything currently broken isn’t likely to be repaired very quickly right now. This, plus the weather damage done to some of the outdoor rides, may be why the Ghost Blasters ride has been temporarily un-retired.
(1/10/2024) According to a reader, Castle Park is said to have closed their Ghost Blasters dark ride, as well as the Spider flat ride. Both attractions are rumored to be removed as part of an effort from Palace Entertainment to remove more costly and/or troublesome rides from their various parks ahead of the 2024 season.
Any mention of either attraction now seem to have been scrubbed from the official website, and their individual page dedicated to Ghost Blasters has now been removed from the server. If anyone knows more, please do let us know.
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time...
CEDAR VALLEY’S WILD FRONTIER (Michigan)
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 - 2023
CLIFF’S AMUSEMENT PARK (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 - 2023
COLUMBUS ZOO (Ohio)
2024 - (5/31/2024) A few changes were reported on social media from the Adventure Cove ride area at the Columbus Zoo. The Sugar Glider, a Paratrooper ride that was just added in 2019, has now been removed from the park and list of rides on the website. Meanwhile the zoo has also brought in a portable VR / Simulator ride called Wild Explorer.
DELGROSSO’S AMUSEMENT PARK (Pennsylvania)
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2017 - 2023 seasons.
DENO’S WONDER WHEEL (New York)
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 - 2023
DIGGERLAND USA (New Jersey)
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2023
DIXIE LANDIN’ & BLUE BAYOU (Baton Rouge, LA)
Park News - (4/26/2024) It’s been a long time, but Dixie Landin’ is going to reopen to guests on May 24th, 2024! When the pandemic hit, the park shut down the Dixie Landin’ section of the park to focus on operating their Blue Bayou waterpark instead. At the time, especially with it being difficult to maintain proper staffing levels it seems like the best thing to do to stay operational, as the waterpark side was the more popular of the two attractions, and likely the more profitable. Over the years since however, Dixie Landin’ has remained closed and we’ve seen numerous posts about how many of the parks’ rides have also been listed as being up for sale on the used ride marketplace, including the park’s biggest ride, the Ragin’ Cajun roller coaster (Vekoma Boomerang - and yes, it is still for sale at Rides4U)
I’m not entirely sure of what the ride offering were back pre-pandemic, but you can view the list of available attractions on their website now to see if anything is missing.
(9/16/2023) I haven’t seen good news about the possibility of Dixie Landin’ opening their amusement park these days. While the attraction has been happy to open their waterpark side each year, they’ve kept the amusement park side closed since 2020. Dixie Landin’ has also had a habit of posting many of their dry rides on the used ride marketplace over the years, only to pull them back off when they don’t sell for what they are asking for.
A reader pointed out that you can currently find the park’s Ragin’ Cajun (Vekoma Boomerang) for sale atRides4U with a cool $1.95 million asking price. I’m not sure what the average asking price is these days for a 32 year old Boomerang (the listing says it is a 1991 model), but it is worth mentioning that this is not the first time Dixie has put their Boomerang up for sale. I believe it was first listed in Fall of 2019 along with some other rides but never went anywhere.
(6/11/2023) The local news has confirmed that while Blue Bayou is open, the attached Dixie Landin’ amusement park will remain closed for the entire 2023 season. Park officials state that their focus has been on the more popular Blue Bayou waterpark, and that they are not simply leaving Dixie Landin’ closed due to any kind of staffing issues. They say there is currently no set plan or timeline to reopen Dixie Landin’.
(5/15/2023) According to the official website, Dixie Landin’ will remain closed yet again for the Summer 2023 season. The site claims that they “look forward to seeing you in the Summer of 2024.”
For those wondering, Dixie Landin’ has sat closed since 2020, but the Blue Bayou waterpark side has continued to operate, other than an initial closure in 2020 during the early days of the pandemic. At one point a number of the amusement park rides were also listed as being for sale on the used ride market, but I don’t know if any of them were ever sold or removed.
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2017 - 2023 seasons.
DUTCH WONDERLAND (Pennsylvania)
Owned by Palace Entertainment / Parques Reunidos
Park News - (6/14/2024) Dutch Wonderland will be changing their park hours for the Summer season. So far, and through to June 16th, the park has been operating on an 11am to 7pm schedule daily, but starting on June 17 through to Labor Day the park will slide those hours forward an hour to now be open from 10am to 6pm.
While the change results in the same number of operating hours, some are upset at the loss of the extra hour of evening operations, especially for local passholders who maybe enjoyed dropping in for a few hours in the evening after work. On the flip side, Dutch Wonderland is a park marketed primarily at younger children, so the forward shift to the operations schedule does make sense from that point of view.
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 - 2023
EDAVILLE USA (Carver, MA)
Park News - (11/25/2023) According to a report on Facebook, the former Kersplash ride at Edaville Family Theme Park in Massachusetts is in the process of being taken down. Kersplash was a rare Miler made water coaster attraction that started out on the fair circuit, and was even set up from 1995 to 2012 at the Washington State Fairgrounds before being sold to Edaville.
Edaville set it up around 2013 or 2014, but never managed to open the unique attraction. So after sitting quiet for the past decade, Edaville has finally taken it down. On another note, it was reported that the park’s former Thomas Land that has sat closed since 2019 has finally been reopened as a new “Alpine Village” themed area.
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time...
ENCHANTED FOREST (Oregon)
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 - 2023
EVERMORE (Utah)
PARK NEWS - (7/27/2024) A new post from The Crooked Lantern reveals more details about what is being planned. For those wondering, they confirmed it is not a new park, but rather an attempt “to keep the heart of Evermore alive”, they will recreate The Crooked Lantern Tavern in a NEW location. The site has not been announced, but construction on the new Tavern is said to begin next week, with a planned opening between late September to early October.
(7/19/2024) We still don’t know know exactly what is going on, but a new teaser video has been posted to promote that “The Crooked Lantern Tavern” (& much more!) is coming in Fall 2024. I don’t know if this will mark the reopening of the actual Crooked Lantern Tavern that existed within the former Evermore attraction, or if this will be an all new set up in a new location. Heck, we don’t quite know if this is a real world attraction or something just virtual or online only at this point, so I guess we’ll have to wait and find out what is planned.
(6/14/2024) Something is happening at last to the former EVERMORE themed park in Utah. When it was announced that the park was closing for good earlier this year, they also promised that something new was in the works for the site, and the first hints about what is to come have been released.
The former social media pages for EVERMORE have now been renamed for “The Crooked Lantern Tavern” (FB and IG), a popular location within the former Evermore park realm. According to the first new post on FB:
“As the portal closes and the magic of Evermore Park fades, a Sparc still remains. It is small and unstable, but there is hope. Something has endured in the most unlikely of places: The Crooked Lantern Tavern.”
There is also a link to www.crookenlantern.com on the page’s bio, but no website has been uploaded at this time, so keep an eye out for it.
(4/13/2024) In a sad bit of news, it was confirmed that the unique Evermore fantasy themed park in Utah has now closed for good. Opening in 2018, Evermore stood out as a very unique attraction concept in today’s industry, with more ties to fictional park concepts such as Westworld, than it did with any kind of traditional theme park. Evermore did not have rides, but it had characters and living storylines that would flow and grow as the park ages, more characters were added, and as the seasons passed the world within the park gates would have its own unique history.
I never had the chance to visit Evermore, but I was hoping to plan a trip out that way this summer to finally try it out. Unfortunately that will never come to be I guess, as the attraction hit some hard times during the pandemic years and I don’t think they were ever able to fully recover from that. According to a statement from the park’s owner, Ken Bretschneider, something else may be in the works for the 12.75 acre site, and a new attraction of some sort could indeed grow from the ashes of Evermore. I hope to learn more soon!
FAMILY KINGDOM (Myrtle Beach, SC)
Park News - (6/22/2024) A North Carolina husband and wife have filed separate lawsuits against the Family Kingdom amusement park in Myrtle Beach, SC this week. In both lawsuits, the husband and wife claim to be suing after claiming that the husband, Kul Sannyashi, was left paralyzed after riding the park’s Swamp Fox wooden roller coaster.
For those wondering, the Swamp Fox is up and running, as the date that this incident was said to have taken place was way back on July 23, 2021. The family claims the park did not take the proper precautions regarding the safety of the ride, as well as including encouraging guests to ride the attraction even though it could cause serious injuries. In this case, the husband claims to have suffered a special cord injury from his experience on Swamp Fox, and is now a quadriplegic from this injury.
2024 - Several New Rides - (4/1/2024) A local news report has posted video footage from Family Kingdom in Myrtle Beach, showing off a number of new rides the park has added this season. New rides you’ll find this season include the Techno Jump, Vertigo, The Lunartic, Crazy Cabs, Samba Balloons and Tea Cups.
The park has restored and refurbished a number of their rides this season as well. For example, the entire Swamp Fox wooden coaster has been re-tracked for this season and refurbished the cars on the park’s train ride.
FANTASY ISLAND (New Jersey)
2024 - New Rides - (5/24/2024) Fantasy Island on the Jersey Shore will add three new rides this season. The list includes a new train ride, SeaDragons Revenge (an updated version of the classic SeaDragon), and Kai’s Dive, a kiddie version of the SeaDragon.
FUNPLEX MOUNT LAUREL (New Jersey)
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time...
FUNPLEX MYRTLE BEACH (South Carolina)
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 - 2023
FUNTOWN USA / SPLASHTOWN USA (Saco, Maine)
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time...
GALAXYLAND (Inside the West Edmonton Mall Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time...
GALVESTON ISLAND HISTORIC PLEASURE PIER (Galveston, Texas)
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2013 - 2023 seasons.
GILLIAN'S WONDERLAND PIER (Ocean City, NJ)
Park News - (11/24/2024) With Gillian’s Wonderland now closed, many have been waiting to see what will happen with the property which is now owned by the Icona resort developer, Eustace Mita. According to a local radio station a new proposal is in the works to create “Icona in Wonderland” on the site, a new 7-story 252-room resort property that will pay some homage to the lost Gillian’s Wonderland by possibly keeping the Ferris wheel and Carousel on the grounds.
Apparently nothing is quite set in stone, as the proposal is still being developed before making an official filing with the local government, so stay tuned.
(10/18/2024) Gillian’s Wonderland is now closed for good, and with the demise of the theme park, the former owner and Mayor of the town, Jay Gillian has come forward to “lash out” at New Jersey state regulators for pushing the park into oblivion. According to comments from Gillian, the state is currently overstepping by being far too harsh in their oversight duties over amusement parks.
“One of the biggest issues we have in the amusement industry is this state is putting us out of business. It’s difficult. You talk to Morey’s and Storybook Land and everybody. It is unbelievable”. His gives an example where Gillian’s had to spend an extra $100,000 to get a ride open because state officials demanded things far beyond what the professionals and structural engineers had done to their own specs.
“I did everything the professionals said. Structural engineer, all the paperwork. I took it up to the state of New Jersey and the engineer up there said, ‘You know what, Jay, I need this done, you need to do this.’ He started telling me that my engineer didn’t know what he was talking about and they knew better. That is scary”.
This isn’t the first time Screamscape has heard stories over the years about parks having troubles getting rides and attractions open on time due to unexpected last-minute demands from New Jersey officials. A great example locals may recall happened in 2014 when Six Flags Great Adventure built the Zumanjaro drop ride, attached to the side of the Kingda Ka roller coaster. Intamin designed both the coaster and the new drop towers attached to it to run together, but state officials refused to let both rides run at the same time for several years, forcing the crews to take turns running their respective rides cycles, reducing the capacity of each attraction in the process. While they were eventually able to come to some kind of agreement that both could run at the same time, it wasn’t until sometime in 2021.
(9/28/2024) Gillain’s Wonderland Pier has now confirmed that your last day to enjoy the amusement park will be in two weeks, as everything shuts down after Sunday, October 13th.
(9/15/2024) The latest update on Gillian’s Wonderland Pier doesn’t change the fact that the park is closing, but public meetings about the future of the boardwalk have made it clear that most people would rather that Gillian’s stay and continue to be a place for their families to make future memories. Jay Gillian did confirm that he has done everything to try and keep the park going, but as Eustace Mita bouts the property when it was at risk of being auctioned off in 2021, the goal was to try and give the park a few more years to get back on it’s feet. Unfortunately Gillian was unable to do that, and now it will close for good in October.
At that point however, the park and everything that remains falls under Mita’s control, including the existing rides, as Mita now owns everything. According to a local councilman, Mita has six months to evaluate the property and decide what to do with it next. They also point out that while Mita owns ICONA Resorts, the Wonderland property is not zoned to allow for it to be repurposed into a future resort property or condos or anything residential. The site is currently zones only for “boardwalk activity, which is stores, miniature golf, pizza, and amusement parks.”
So for now, Mita has until March to determine the new vision for the former Gillian’s Wonderland Pier property.
(9/8/2024) Many in the area are still in shock over the news that Gillian’s Wonderland Pier is closing for good this fall. In that fateful announcement, Gillain mentioned that they no longer own the land that the park sits on, leaving many to wonder when that took place, as that was news to many fans as well. An update on the park from a local radio station confirmed what I had suspected, that the park was struggling financially over the past several years and in the peak of the pandemic, Gillian’s Wonderland Pier defaulted on $8 million in loans in 2021.
At the time, to save the park, the owner of the Iconia Resorts, Eustace Mita, entered into what was referred to at the time as a partnership, where The Gillain and Mita families were “joining together to enhance Gillian’s Wonderland Pier’s guest experience”. However, it seems that this “partnership” between the two families was actually more of a real estate deal, as the property under Gillian’s was sold to Mita in exchange for funds to keep the park running, leaving Jay Gillian free to continue to manage the park as always.
So in essence, this ended up being a private lease-back deal, which has caused the eventual downfall of a number of other parks and properties over the years.
(8/9/2024) Sad news from the Jersey Shore this week and an official post from Gillian’s Wonderland Pier in Ocean City, NJ confirms that Gillian’s will be closing for good this year. The letter from Jay Gillian confirms that the tradition of 94 years of amusements on the Boardwalk will sadly come to an end. Year after year, dealing with the increasing difficulty in keeping the park operational, they have come to realize that the park is “no longer a viable business” and will be terminating their lease on the property. This last part came as a surprise to many, as most assumed that the park did own the property.
I’m not sure if they lost it long ago, or sold it to a REIT for a lease-back deal in order to raise funds to keep operating when times got tough during COVID. While no exact details were given, the sad fact is that any park sitting on leased property is always going to struggle, as that is an uphill battle that is difficult to win in the end.
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 -2023
GILROY GARDENS (Gilroy, California)
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2015 - 2023 seasons.
GLENWOOD CAVERNS (Colorado)
Park News - (2/4/2024) A rather creepy event took place at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park back in late October, but somehow it kind of ran under the radar for most of us until now. It seems that at some point in the middle of the night a young 20-something aged man, Diego Barajas Medina, snuck into the closed Glenwood Caverns amusement complex and hid out inside the women’s restroom. Even more concerning was the fact that he entered the park dressed in a black tactical outfit with law-enforcement patches attached, with a serious collection of weapons (a semi automatic rifle and a semi-auto handgun with several hundred rounds of ammo), a home-made explosive device, and a good bit of alcohol.
What happened next is still a mystery, as the park workers discovered his lifeless body and called 911 shortly after 9am the next morning. The reports say that he had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head inside the restroom, his weapons, explosives and alcohol scattered around him, along with the message written on the bathroom wall that simply said, “I’m not a killer. I just wanted to get in the cave”.
Three months later, the investigation researching him as those with connections to him have failed to find anything. He had no record of prior actions, and while he was described as a “loner’ type, nothing was found to determine any possible motives or true intentions, or why he may have changed his mind and instead took his own life rather than just depart as quietly as he came in. It seems the only lead at all was that it was discovered that he had researched “mass shootings” online at some point prior to the incident.
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time...
IDLEWILD (Pennsylvania)
Parques Reunidos
Park News - (2/4/2024) According to the latest word, Idlewild has opted to remove the Adult Hand Cars attraction, but they do seem to be keeping the Little Rascals version of the kiddies. Other attractions also removed from the Idlewild website include Bigfoot’s Mudslide (Superslide), Cattail Derby (kiddie bumper cars) and Pollywog Regatta (kiddie boat ride). All of these have been removed from the park’s website as Palace Entertainment seems to be shaving down their attraction offerings at each of their parks ahead of the 2024 season.
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2017 - 2023 seasons.
JOLLY ROGER (Ocean City, MD)
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 - 2023
KEANSBURG AMUSEMENT PARK (Keansburg, NJ)
Park News - (1/27/2024) The owner of the Keansburg Amusement Park in New Jersey claims that the redevelopment plans for the area are “Trying to squeeze me out”. Redevelopment plans are in place to renovate “blighted” property by adding 700 luxury apartments and tons of new restaurants, entertainment and retail options to the area, which isn’t too bad of an idea, however the state is now planning on redeveloping the site of a current 300-space public parking lot for beachfront apartments.
It seems to be a cash-grab of sorts by selling off the property used for a much needed public parking lot to service the waterfront area to apartment developers. According to the park owner, “The endgame here is they’re trying to squeeze me out. They would love to see me out,” so he’s filed a lawsuit against the state to stop it.
The threat seems real enough as Keansburg Amusement Park sits on 25 acres of valuable waterfront property, and if developers were to essentially restrict the number of potential guests from visiting the park due to lack of available parking, then that could lead to the long-term demise of the amusement park. I’m sure the value of the 25-acres of land that it sits upon is not lost to the gaze of future developers who would love to close the park and get their hands on it for other uses.
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2015 - 2023 seasons.
KEMAH BOARDWALK (near Houston, Texas)
Landry’s Restaurants (SAT MAP)
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2015 - 2023 seasons.
LAKE WINNEPESAUKAH (Chattanooga, TN)
2024 - Catch N’ Air - (5/1/2024) A new hint from Lake Winnie on Facebook has been posted, claiming that something new is coming this season. If you stop the glitch at the right time near the end, you can see a ride sign for something called “Catch N’ Air” along with a few quick pictures showing off some parts and pieces of the attraction.
One of our readers has already pieces it all together and has found a ride from Majestic called Catch N’ Air, which you can see here. Honestly, I’m not that familiar with Majestic as a manufacturer, but they look to offer a small assortment of flat rides, and even a small coaster, though they offer a wide assortment of bumper cars. While they seem to specialize more in portable attractions the Catch N’ Air is offered in portable and park model versions.
LAKE OF THE OZARKS / OASIS AT LAKEPORT (Missouri)
2025/2026 - Amusement Park / Indoor Waterpark Resort - (10/13/2024) A great aerial video showing off the progress thus far for Oasis at Lakeport / Lake of the Ozarks can be found below that was posted just two days ago. While a lot of work to create the foundation for the future attraction site has been done, the area is now suddenly silent and work has stopped, leaving many to wonder what is going on.
According to the developer, the work has stopped because those crews have finished all they can do until the nearby Lakewood Resort timeshare condos located next door are demolished, clearing the way for the work to continue. The developer is purchasing them and then needs to complete the plans and permits needed to demolish them, but that part of the project has taken a bit longer than expected to complete.
The expectation is that things will hopefully ramp back up once again sometime in November.
(5/24/2024) Good news for those looking forward to the new amusement and waterpark project at Lake of the Ozarks. According to the local news reports ground was broken this week on the new Lakeport Resort tower which will be the central resort for the entire project. The goal right is now is to get the project open as early as April 2025, so they could begin hiring just before the end of the year. If you’re a local, keep an eye out for the construction progress.
(10/28/2023) Things are moving forward with the planned Lake of the Ozarks project where some blasting is now being done to the rocky soil to prepare it for the future resort project. According to the article that features a video clip of the blasting, the amusement park side of things is expected to open in 2025 and the on-site Marriott hotel will follow in 2026.
(6/3/2023) The proposed Lake of the Ozarks / Oasis at Lakeport resort project in Missouri received some great news this week. St. Louis-based SkyView Partners and Tegethoff Development, along with Fred Ross, owner of Big Thunder Marine, announced the formal approval of the development plan for the Oasis at Lakeport family resort and entertainment district at Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks. The approval was granted at the June 1, 2023, City of Osage Beach Board of Aldermen meeting.
“With the development plan approved by the City of Osage Beach, we are extremely pleased to begin construction of Oasis at Lakeport, which will offer year-round attractions and entertainment for everyone at the lake to enjoy,” said Todd Schneider, co-managing partner of SkyView Partners. “SkyView Partners and Tegethoff Development are committed to keeping the Osage Beach community informed of our progress over the next year as Oasis grows to be the premiere tourist destination of the Midwest.”
As proposed, the Oasis at Lakeport project will be a $350 million year-round family resort and entertainment district in Osage Beach, Mo., to be developed along the 25-acre Lakeport property at Highway 54 and Jeffries Road. The project will feature a Marriott branded hotel, a 26,000 sqft conference center, an indoor waterpark, restaurants, 200 public boat slips, a 1,000 space parking structure, and several amusement rides and attractions, including roller coasters and a 200-foot tall observation wheel.
An official website is now online for the project at OasisatLakeport.com which has also added an updated piece of concept art for the project. As before, the amusement park section is being kept at the section of the property closest to the freeway, increasing visibility and reducing any potential noise issues, while the resort and indoor waterpark have been moved further away from the amusement park, on the other side of the cove, which should provide nice views of the park and rides. It is worth mentioning that the wheel is now the tallest attraction in the park, and the other tall attractions in the previous concept art (Slingshot, Star Flyer) have been removed.
If “SkyView Partners” sound familiar, they do operate a small number of well-known stand-alone attraction developments, such as the SkyView Atlanta Observattion Wheel that overlooks Centennial Olympic Park as well as the Carousel, Bay Plunge Tower and SkyStar Observation Wheel in San Francisco’s Pier 39 and Golden Gate Park.
(10/30/22) Plans for a new $300 million family resort and entertainment district to be built at Lake of the Ozarks were submitted this past week. The project is being called Oasis at Lakeport and would be located at “at Highway 54 and Jeffries Road adjacent to the Grand Glaize Bridge”.
They hope to start construction sometime in 2023, and are hoping to open in 2024 on the 20 acre project which will feature a number of amusement rides and attractions mixed in with hotels, restaurants, an amphitheater, a marina, boardwalk and more. The details do mention that it will feature “roller coasters, thrill and family rides and a 200-foot-tall observation wheel”.
While I would be heavily skeptical of the timeline proposed until they actually start construction, the idea behind it does remind me quite a bit of The Island in Pigeon Forge project. In the case of The Island however, that resulted in the construction of that project in the middle of an already proven and tourist-heavy attraction corridon in Pigeon Forge. Without any personal knowledge of the Lake of the Ozarks location, I can’t say how well this one might work out. Just from initial research into the area, it does seem a popular location for many to visit, so this could turn out quite well if they can get it off the ground. For now, we’ll just have to wait and see.
LAKEMONT PARK (Pennsylvania)
Park News - (5/1/2024) As suspected, I’m told that the Lil’Leaper at Lakemont Park has been sold to a new owner. Unfortunately, at this time we really don’t have a clue where it will show up next. If anyone finds out more, please let us know.
(4/26/2024) With all rides to be closed for the 2024 season, you may be wondering what is going on at Lakemont Park right now. The “125 Roller Coaster Challenge” YouTube channel was given permission to shoot a walk-around video inside the park the other day to show off what things are looking like right now.
The good news is that they say that the Skyliner and Leap-The-Dips are still benign maintained, even if they aren’t planning on opening them, so for now the roller coasters are safe. However a few other attractions have been removed in order to make way for some future new non-ride additions to the park. This includes the removal of the 4x4 trucks ride as well as the Lil’Leaper kiddie coaster from Allan Herschell.
The 4x4 site has packed up the track segments to be hauled off, as it has been sold and they say that the site will be rebuilt for those who want to play GaGa Ball, which is sort of a more gentle version of Dodge-Ball played inside an Octagon shaped walled structure, played with a softer style ball. As I understand it, players can only slap the ball with one hand towards another player, rather than picking it up and hurling it with extreme force, and the ball has to only hit the other players below the knee. (Like I said, this is considered a more “gentle” form of Dodgeball that is said to have originated in 1970’s Israel.)
As for the Lil’Leaper, that coaster has been completely removed already and the site will apparently be repurposed for Bocce Ball and Pickel Ball courts. It isn’t known if the Lil’Leaper has been sold, put in storage, or scrapped.
(2/2/2024) If you never got the chance to visit Lakemont Park in PA to ride Leap-the-Dips or the Skyliner coasters, then you may never get to. According to the latest news from the park, Lakemont will operate without any rides at all for the 2024 season, relying on their picnic pavilion, mini golf, batting cages and other sports recreation offerings. They say that running the amusement park side of things has been a money loser and is no longer sustainable due to the high costs of maintenance and insurance.
LAKESIDE AMUSEMENT PARK (Denver, CO)
Park News - (7/1/2024) So what’s going on over at Denver’s Lakeside Amusement Park this season? According to a local news update, the famous Cyclone is still closed and has been idle since it closed during the 2022 season. According to the article, the Cyclone was shut down in 2022 after a woman apparently suffered some kind of injury, and the state has requested that some changes be made before it is allowed to reopen.
The article does mention that park management “hope to get The Cylcone running before the summer season ends as they try to figure out the best way to meet the state’s safety requirements”. The problem has apparently been with the ride’s construction, as the structure is very close to the trains at many points, and while the park instructs riders to keep their hands inside, a few guest hand injuries have been reported as they’ve come into contact with the structure while raising their hands.
The state seems to want the ride to be rebuilt in a way that would put more distance between the riders and the structure, but we’re talking about a wooden roller coaster that opened back in 1940, and a change like that would not only be extremely expensive but could forever alter the ride experience itself as well. Lakeside says any other noted fixes required by the last inspections in 2022 have been completed and that they do run empty trains on the Cyclone periodically to keep the Cyclone in good running shape for when they can reopen it to guests.
For now, they are negotiating with the state to find a “reasonable adjustment” plan that works for everyone, so that the Cyclone can return to service. Let’s hope that they do find a solution and quickly, as the longer that the park has to operate without its feature attraction, it may become more financially difficult to keep the park open.
In the meantime the park has been focused on fixing up many of their other unique and older attractions. As we noted last season, the park did open their Pinfari steel coaster late last year, and has now reopened the Heart Flip and Balloon Ferris wheel rides. They are waiting on new wheels at the moment needed to reopen the Dragon roller coaster and a new motor for the famous Roll-O-Plane ride is on the way as well. The article also mentions that the park’s big Ferris wheel is back together and ready to run, but they’ve been unable to “find someone qualified to operate the ride.” This is quickly becoming another issue for the park, as it features so many older vintage rides, as they try to find those able to both operate and repair these classic attractions as they age.
(8/9/2023) Things are not going well over at Lakeside Amusement Park it seems. According to the official website the Cyclone wooden coaster along with several other rides are currently Closed. The Galaxi coaster that the park has been working on installing for awhile now is still not open, so the only full sized coaster open at the park is said to be the Wild Chipmunk.
The park’s website also mentions the park’s limited operating schedule for the rest of the summer, and has previously mentioned how ride operators may have to rotate between running various rides in the park.
A reader stopped by and snapped a few pics showing off the new Zyklon/Galaxi coaster (see below), and noted that the train on the Dragon was removed as well as the ride’s sign looked like it had half-way fallen over. RCDB reports that the Dragon has been sitting closed since 2020 so they may be preparing to remove it.
2024 - Nothing is known at this time...
MIAMI WILDS (Miami, Florida)
???? - NEW PARK - (12/23/2023) According to the local news, the Miami-Dade commission has voted 9 to 1 to “withdraw” the lease approval for the proposed Miami Wilds waterpark project next to the Zoo. The current lease deal will end on December 31st and will take the deal to build the park with it when it expires.
Back in 2013 the developers won a bid from the county develop the property, but after countless delays along with private initiatives to keep the project from moving forward due to endangered species, it appears that the time has come to close the door on the Miami Wilds proposal.
(11/27/2023) According to the South Florida Business Journal, the Miami-Dade mayor is now recommending that they “rescind” the 2020 lease agreement previously made with the developer of the Miami Wilds waterpark project to be located next to Zoo Miami. For years now the developers have struggled to actually begin any kind of work on the site due to pushback from a number of environmental protection groups concerned about the impact of the project to various endangered species located nearby.
The Miami Wilds developers on the other hand argue that the site is currently already in use as a parking lot for the Zoo and is not in any kind of natural or undeveloped state. The efforts to block the project have also delayed any kind of progress on conducting a new environmental review about the current state of the site, and apparently are based entirely on old data. They also believe that the waterpark should have little to no impact on the endangered butterflies and bats being discussed, so they are hoping to get an extension on their lease terms in order to conduct a new proper review, rather than see their lease revoked.
(9/10/2023) The delayed Miami Wilds project has started to generate a lot of heat between the developers and environmental groups once again, as the county opts to delay a vote the project needs to proceed. The developers have already agreed to move the hotel part of the development to a new site and away from a site that is said to serve as a nighttime feeding ground for an endangered Florida bat species.
(9/4/2023) The proposed Miami Wilds water park project set to be built next to ZooMiami is still struggling to move forward it seems, even after the delayed project was apparently given approval form the county in 2020. According to the latest update the plans to build the attraction and a nearby hotel could be held in limbo for years as the county is now dealing with a lawsuit over the project from an environmental group now seeks to either permanently block the development, or at least shrink it significantly by removing the hotel. The group is claiming the Miami Wilds project would violate the Endangered Species Act and that the National Park Service failed to perform a proper environmental analysis of the site.
(10/23/20) After all this time, I’m surprised by this outcome, but it seems Miami-Dade has approved the plans for the Miami Wilds project next to Zoo Miami. The plans include a waterpark, a small hotel and shopping district, along with room for some future expansion plans such as a second hotel down the line.
(10/15/20) According to the local news next week the Miami-Dade County Commission will cast votes on the proposed Miami Wilds water park project. There is quite a bit of opposition to the project now ranging from policial to nature conservationists who claim the site is home to one of the most endangered bat species in the state and this project could cause an extinction. If the project does not get passed for approval, this could likely be the end of the proposal.
(9/12/20) Would you believe that the shelved plans for the “Miami Wilds” project are have resurfaced once again? According to the local news the plans for the theme park project next to Zoo Miami are being pitched once again by a ‘hedge fund manager and team of developers” that would add 200 hotel rooms, 25,000 sqft of retail space, a water park and additional parking lot space to share with Zoo Miami.
We haven’t heard much about Miami Wilds since it was proposed back in 2013. At the time it was also backed with themeing from 20th Century Fox and would have had a lot of themeing based around the the studios various properties, including a proposed water park themed entirely to the animated Ice Age film series.
MORGAN’S WONDERLAND (San Antonio, Texas)
Note: Morgan’s Wonderland is a special theme park custom designed to be an inclusive place of wonder and enjoyment for guests with disabilites as well as for those without, “encouraging everyone to gain a greater understanding of one another.”
2024 - Four New Attractions - (10/24/2023) Morgan’s Wonderland in Texas has announced the park’s largest expansion of all time will be happening for the 2024 season. This will involve a $6 million expansion plan featuring several new attractions. The list includes a new 4D theater that will show “Mars Rollercoaster 4D”, Rocket’s Sky Flight Adventure (Soaring Eagle ZipLine), Jette’s Wonder Bikes (a wheelchair accessible ride) as well as a new wheelchair accessible Pirate Island Cruises, a passenger boat ride that will take guests onto the park’s 8-acre “catch and release” fishing lake.
While the article declines to name the manufacturer of the custom flat ride, they do confirm it is a well known Italian ride company. Since the custom artwork looks very similar in concept to a Magic Bikes ride, we suspect this may be from Zamperla.
Future Projects - (12/11/2023) The founder of Morgan’s Wonderland held a meeting the other day to discuss what would be needed to create the first “ultra-accessible’ and inclusive hotel. After creating the ultra-accessible theme park, which has expanded to include a water park and sports facility, it sounds like he is now possibly looking into designing what the ideal resort experience would need to feature, and possibly partnering up with some of the big hotel companies in order to make it a reality at the park.
Elsewhere in the article it also mentions that a second Morgan’s Wonderland theme park is also in development. The owner wouldn’t say where exactly, only that it would be somewhere “north of Texas”, and that they hope to announce it sometime in 2024.
OAK’S PARK (Portland, Orgeon)
Park News - (9/20/2024) You may recall that Oaks Amusement Park had an incident in mid-June where the park’s AtmosFEAR pendulum ride stalled out with the riders stuck in an upside-down position for almost half an hour before they could be brought back down. Fortunately, that is exactly what happened and there were no serious injuries, but according to a local news report, Oaks Amusement Park has now filed a lawsuit against the ride manufacturer, Zamperla, as a result of the incident.
At the moment, this seems to be a reaction to Oaks Amusement Park itself being the subject of a $125,000 lawsuit from the family of a 14-year-old riders who was on-board AtmosFEAR when it got stuck. The family’s lawsuit claims that Oaks Amusement Park failed the maintain the ride in a safe condition, as well as failing to have the knowledge and tools handy to fix the problem quickly on their own, without being forced to contact Zamperla for help.
In turn, Oaks Amusement Park’s new lawsuit against Zamperla is now calling the Italian ride manufacturer “negligent and responsible” for the failure that happened on that day, and claiming that they feel the amusement park is not liable for the incident, but rather Zamperla should be ultimately responsible for any liability and personal injury issues that arise from the the event.
(6/22/2024) Well, that didn’t take long… an angry mother has now filed a $125,000 lawsuit against Oaks Park over last weeks’ incident that saw a group of riders trapped upside-down on the park’s AtmosFear pendulum ride for about 25 minutes.
(6/15/2024) Oak’s Park in Oregon made the news last night when the park’s AtmosFEAR swinging pendulum ride stalled out upside-down for about a half-hour, with 28 passengers aboard. Local Fire & Rescue crews arrived and worked with the park to manually lower the ride back down again for a more simple rescue, though they were also making preparations to go up and lower riders via-ropes if necessary.
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for 2023
PACIFIC PARK (Santa Monica Pier, CA)
Park News - (3/15/2024) Amusement Today reports that Pacific Park at the Santa Monica Pier is being sold to a new investment firm owner, “SC Holdings”. According to the announcement, SC Holdings says that they will make $10 million in capital investments into the park’s food and entertainment offerings.
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time...
PALACE PLAYLAND (Maine)
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time...
PEPPA PIG THEME PARK - TEXAS (Dallas/Ft Worth area)
2025 - NEW PARK - (12/15/2024) According to the latest reports, when the new Peppa Pig Theme Park opens in Texas in March 2025, it will open with official “Certified Autism Center” status. The International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards will carry out a review of the park ahead of the opening, as well as provide staff-wide autism sensitivity and awareness training.
(10/26/2024) Peppa Pig fans in Texas can now begin the countdown to opening day, as the new Merlin Entertainment micro-park has set March 1, 2025 as their official opening day. According to the official website, they will begin the pre-sale of tickets on November 12th if you sign-up for early access on the site, otherwise the general public can start buying tickets on November 19th.
(8/25/2024) According to local news reports the opening timeline for the new Peppa Pig Theme Park in Texas has been delayed. Reports from the park earlier this year stated that they planned to open the new kids park by the end of 2024, but construction delays have now officially pushed back the grand opening until sometime in “Early 2025”.
(5/11/2024) The local news stopped by the new Peppa Pig Theme Park construction site in Texas to take a look at the progress thus far. This included a look at the new Daddy Pig’s Roller Coaster that is currently under construction. Currently they still hope to open the new park sometime later this year.
(12/10/2023) The new Peppa Pig Theme Park under construction in Texas has reconfirmed their plans to open in 2024 and announced a list of the park’s attractions featuring five rides, seven themed play areas and more.
The list of rides includes Daddy Pig’s Roller Coaster, Peppa Pig’s Balloon Ride, Grandad Dog’s Pirate Boat Ride, Grampy Rabbit’s Dinosaur Adventure, and Mr. Bull’s High Striker.
Other attraction at the park include Muddy Puddles Splash Pad, Peppa’s Pedal Bike Tour, the Fun Fair, Grandpa Pig’s Greenhouse, Peppa Pip’s Treehouse, Mr Potatio’s Showtime Arena and many others. Follow the link here to see the complete list as well as some images.
Keep in mind that Merlin is also building another Peppa Pig Theme Park next to their Legoland theme park in Germany as well, also set to open in 2024, so I’d expect to see a list of mostly the same style attractions there as well.
(3/10/2023) Would you believe that Merlin is moving forward to build a second Peppa Pig Theme Park in the US? But it isn’t going where you think it might!
Unlike how the first Peppa Pig Theme Park was built right next to the existing Legoland Florida theme park, Merlin’s plans for a sequel will now see them add a Peppa Pig Theme Park as a stand-alone project coming to the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas area. More specifically, the plan is to build it in the “North Richland Hills” area, with work to start sometime next year. Much like the Florida park, this will be a small stand-alone park experience meant for smaller kids.
Interestingly enough, this seems like a move from Merlin to try and capitalize on the marker and get their park open before Universal Studios can open their proposed new mini-park in Frisco. Unlike the Universal proposal, which will see a small part built in the northern side of the greater Dallas area, the Richland Hills area closer to the Fort Worth area, and a short 18 to 20 minute drive from Arlington, long-time home to Six Flags over Texas and maybe just 15 minutes away from the Dallas/Fort Worth airport.
It should be interesting to see what kind of impact this news has on Six Flags. Especiallyin terms of what kind of steps or expanded development plans they may try to put into place in order to retain their long-time dominance as the premier theme park in the area once they are not the only game in town any longer.
PHARAOH’S ADVENTURE PARK (California)
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2015 - 2023 seasons.
PLAYLAND at the PNE (Vancouver, Canada)
Park News - (1/25/2024) Blooloop talks with the President of the PNE to discuss the evolution of the attraction at Hastings Park in Vancouver, how it has evolved over the years, the addition of the ThunderVolt coaster this summer and what the future has in store.
2024 - ThunderVolt / Zamperla Lightning LSM Coaster - (7/6/2024) One of our readers was on site at Playland yesterday for the opening of the new ThunderVolt roller coaster and sent in a great collection of photos! According to their report, the ride experience is very smooth on the new Zamperla trains and the “first launch is quick and makes that first vertical hill feel awesome and punchy”. In short, they described it as like having a mini version of Universal’s VelociCoaster, so I’d say that is a fantastic addition to the park, even if it cost them $16 million.
(7/4/2024) It’s official… ThunderVolt will open at Playland on July 6th.
(6/29/2024) If you are visiting Playland this weekend, keep an eye on ThunderVolt… I’ve been sent one anonymous report claiming to have seen some human test-riders taking it for a spin the other day, so they could be getting close to opening it.
(6/15/2024) Just a heads up, but Screamscape has heard that ThunderVolt has been seen to be testing once again, as the crews work to get it ready to open in July. Keeps your eyes open for it if you are visiting the park over the next couple weeks.
(5/19/2024) Given the issues that have arisen with Zamperla’s new trains on Top Thrill 2 at Cedar Point, I’m curious if they are still testing ThunderVolt at Playland. Prior to the shut-down of Top Thrill 2 last weekend, I believe ThunderVolt was not expected to open at Playland until July anyway, but had already begun testing. In fact, we posted a video of ThunderVolt testing that was posted a month ago below, but I really haven’t heard of any more taking place since.
I believe both of the former Intamin coasters that have been resold by Zamperla with new launch systems and trains are classified as Zamperla as using their new “Lightning” class trains, the entire wheel system on Top Thrill 2 was obviously different in many ways from what they would use on ThunderVolt in an attempt to handle the higher speeds and stress that they would undergo at Cedar Point.
But with all that has happened, I think we should also be watching how things develop at Playland as well, to see if testing stops on ThunderVolt or if any modifications will be required to those trains as well before it can open. Since Playland is open for the season this weekend, keep an eye out when visiting the park.
(4/20/2024) The new ThunderVolt launched coaster at PNE Playland has begun testing. You can catch a test run in action in the clip below.
(1/7/2024) Some great pictures of ThunderVolt under construction at Playland can be found at this article, showing off the coaster’s bright and vibrant new paint job.
(11/25/2023) Playland in Vancouver has now officially named their new Zamperla launched coaster coming in 2024 as “THUNDERVOLT”. While the train and new LSM launch system for the coaster are coming from Zamperla after the complete refurbishment, the rest of the coaster’s track and layout started out in Italy at the now closed Miragica theme park that operated from 2009 to 2018.
The new Thundervolt will actually be the fastest launch coaster in Canada when it opens next year where riders on the 12-passenger train will pass through an intense “graphics and lighting” display that will pulse as it charges up in a pre-launch effect. I haven’t seen a top speed mentioned, but the website does confirm that riders will blast off into the layout with 1.3 Gs of acceleration up to the ride’s tallest point before diving 18-meters down.
For those keeping track, this is the second former Intamin Accelerator style launched coaster that Zamperla is “re-launching” in 2024 with a new LSM Launch system with Zamperla’s new generation Lightning roller coaster trains. (The other being the former Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point)
As you can see in the release video below, the entire layout for the new coaster is already complete, giving them plenty of time to install the launch tunnel and test the new trains and launch system before the Summer 2024 grand opening.
(9/4/2023) While Playland hasn’t officially named their new launched coaster coming for the 2024 season, the new footers are being poured, the track and supports is now in a storage at the park, and a teaser sign has been set up to promote it.
(3/10/2023) Playland at the PNE has started an online contest to name their new launched roller coaster coming to the park in 2024. You’ve only got about 2 or 3 days left to submit your entry so go now!
(1/19/2023) A Facebook post from PNE/Playland came our earlier today, showijng off a piece of yellow roller coaster track from their new 2024 coaster project. The message also says that the park will be saying goodbye to Revelation and Drop Zone this week.
(1/11/2023) Zamperla posted an interesting reel on IG in late December that features camera footage flying around their office space, the manufacturing plant and more. While it isn’t a huge reveal, about 20 seconds in you may spot the camera flying up on a large piece of yellow roller coaster track on the left side of the screen. This looks very much like Intamin style launch track and is more than likely a section of replacement launch track being retrofitted for the newly announced Lightning Coaster coming to Playland at the PNE in Canada.
As previously reported, this is the former Senzafiato coaster (an Intamin creation) that is getting refurbished and a brand new LSM launch system and trains before it gets installed in Canada. Concept art of the PNE coaster project shows that the formerly red coaster track will be repainted yellow.
According to rumors, Zamperla will be behind the update of the former Top Thrill Dragster coaster coming to Cedar Point in 2024 as well.
(11/18/22) Attractions magazine has posted a series of images from the IAAPA showfloor from when Zamperla revealed their new Lightning Train car for the first time. I believe this is the prototype for the new train design that will be used on the Lightning LSM coaster going to Playland at the PNE in 2024. According to Zamperla, the train’s restraint system was designed for rider comfort and with the ability to accommodate guests across a wide range of body sizes.
(11/15/22) Screamscape reached out to Zamperla to find out any more details about the possible link between the new PNE coaster project from Zamperla and the former Senzafiato roller coaster from Italy. The following statement was sent to Screamscape from Zamperla.
“The track was Senzafiato’s before receiving a full refurbishment, the track and columns were initially designed for infinite life. Zamperla engineered and manufactured a new LSM launch system, the cutting-edge Lightning train and new control and electrical systems. All of these improvements will make for an even more thrilling ride, improved uptime and an all-around better ownership experience for Playland at the PNE.”
(11/7/22) Sometimes it’s funny how one rumor leads right into another one, but while mentioning in another story about Zamperla’s rumored involvement in the upgrading of the Dragster coaster at Cedar Point, it also came up that Zamperla was rumored to have bought the closed Senzafiato coaster from a closed park in Italy. Like Dragster, Senzafiato was an Intamin Accelerator launch model ride, and according to the rumor Zamperla was going to update it to use a new LSM launch system, add all new trains, and install it in a new location.
A reader pointed it out a few hours ago and I’ll be damned if I don’t agree that the layout of Senzafiato looks identical to the new coaster announced for Playland at the PNE in 2024, and it is also exactly 59 feet tall. The main difference is Senzafiato is listed as being 1312 feet long, while the PNE coaster is just slightly shorter at 1245 ft, but with a change in the launch system, along with some potential changes to fit the available footprint at PNE, that could explain some adjustments to the track length if they are the same ride. You can see a POV of Senzafiato below for a comparison.
(11/6/22) A teaser animation from Zamperla shows off what their new LSM Launch coaster project for Playland at the PNE may look like in 2024 when it opens.
(11/5/22) Zamperla has announced that a new Lightning LSM Coaster will be installed at Playland at PNE in Vancouver in 2024. They will be revealing the Lightning train for this new coaster project at IAAPA Expo Orlando later this month.
The new coaster will actually be a family launched coaster, reaching a top speed of 72 km/h (45mph) for the run over 1,245 feet of track and hit a maximum height of 59 feet. Look for it to rise over the next 18 months on the site of the park’s former Corkscrew roller coaster.
PLAYLAND’S CASTAWAY COVE (Ocean City, NJ)
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 - 2023
2025 - New Roller Coaster - (4/29/2023) Playland’s Castaway Cove has just received approval to build a new roller coaster. The park had been busy building a new entrance / arcade building and then had to stop on the work when it was revealed that the two-story building was going to have a third-floor addition that would serve as an operator booth for a new roller coaster. While buildings in the area would normally need a height variance to go taller than two-stories, the control room for the ride would be considered part of the ride, and exempt from the variance requirement. Construction was stopped for about two months while some clarification from the local government was needed to make a ruling on this unique case before they could move forward once again.
While the building itself is planned to be finished and open sometime this summer season, they say that the new roller coaster itself won't be coming to the park until 2025. So far, no word on exactly what kind of ride they are planning just yet, but previously released concept art featured a design with a mine-car themed coaster that would travel in and out of an enclosed mountain structure above the arcade.
SANTA’S VILLAGE AMUSEMENT & WATERPARK (Dundee, Illinois)
2024 - North Pole Expedition - (5/4/2024) Santa’s Village will open a new North Pole Expedition ride sometime this summer. Guests ride in what look like four passenger jeeps (mounted to a coaster style track) that runs through a mix of outdoor and indoor scenes.
For those wondering, this is the former ride system that was previously used for the famous Escape from Dinosaur Beach dark ride at Wildwood, New Jersey in the 1990’s.
(11/19/21) In a fun news story, the former Escape from Dinosaur Beach dark ride from the New Jersey Boardwalk has been sitting in storage since 1998. IRM Rides has announced that the ride has now been sold to Santa’s Village Azoosment & Water Park in East Dundee, IL who is planning to open a new version of the ride in time for the 2022 season.
According to the report Santa’s Village will “provide a new theme for the attraction”, so I’m not sure what, if any aspects of the old attraction’s theming may be repurposed, other than the ride system. Either way, it is exciting to see yet another dark ride announced for the 2022 season, especially one coming to an unexpected location like this, so we wish them well and can’t wait to hear more about it!
SANTA’S VILLAGE (Jefferson, HN)
2024 - Midnight Flyer - (1/12/2024) Photos of Santa’s Village show off track and supports for the new Midnight Flyer family coaster from Vekoma are now on site. Pictures have been posted on FB at Coaster Chit Chat.
(6/10/2023) Previously we mentioned how this was the final season to ride Rudy’s Rapid Transit Coaster at Santa’s Village, and now the New Hampshire park has announced that they will open a new replacement coaster in 2024! According to the announcement the park will open the Midnight Flyer, a brand new steel family coaster from Vekoma. No exact stats or layout were given, but they do confirm that Midnight Flyer will be “a little faster” and “rises a little higher” than Rudy’s as it takes guests on a twisted layout over the park.
SANTA’S VILLAGE (Ontario, Canada)
Park News - (7/27/2024) Santa Village in Ontario, Canada announced yesterday ‘the early retirement” of the park’s Rudolph Coaster. Despite their best efforts to keep it running, the park has confirmed that it was time to retire the 39 year old powered Zamperla roller coaster.
The park also confirmed that by the end of next week the new rides coming to Wild Ridge will be open, as well as the return of the Jumpin’ Star ride. They also expect to make a big announcement about something new planned for 2025 within the next few days, which could possibly be tied to the retirement of the Rudolph coaster, so keep and eye out.
SEABREEZE (New York)
2024 - Windstarz - (12/11/2023) According to the Seabreeze website the park appears to be replacing their Flying Scooters ride with a new Zamperla Windstarz ride.
SELVA MAGICA (Guadalajara, Mexico)
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2015 - 2023 seasons.
STEEL PIER (New Jersey)
2024 - Crazy Mouse - (11/18/22) - UPDATE - The Crazy Mouse looks like it will open in 2024 and the SkyRocket was pushed back a year to 2025.
It has been announced that Steel Pier in Atlantic City will be adding two roller coasters from Premier Rides in 2024. The big one will be a Sky Rocket II launched coaster. The second is actually the new small spinning mouse coaster that was originally revealed in artwork in June of 2022 as coming in 2023, but it now looks like has been delayed.
(6/18/22) A new posting from IRM Rides on Facebook shows off a poster for Steel Pier promoting a “New Spinning Coaster” coming for the 2023 season. In addition to a curious “Premier Rides” logo in the lower right corner (who I don’t believe have made a spinning coaster before), it mentions an upcoming contest to name the coaster.
The previous rumors about Steel Pier retiring their Crazy Mouse coaster were not only true, but they didn't even wait to open it again for the 2022 season. RCDB now lists the Crazy Mouse as being closed for good. One odd thing is throwing me off a little, as the concept art in the posted for the new coaster looks exactly like the now closed Crazy Mouse, just that the old Crazy Mouse logo has been replaced with a new one that says Steel Pier.
(1/27/22) I”m not sure how accurate this is, but I’m told that Steel Pier may be planning on retiring their Crazy Mouse (Reverchon Spinning Mouse) at the end of the 2022 season. If this proves true, look for some kind of new Mouse style coaster to replace it for the 2023 season. In the meantime get your last rides in on the Crazy Mouse while you can, just in case.
2025 - Sky Rocket II Roller Coaster - From the sound of things, the Premier Rides SkyRocket II roller coaster previously thought to be coming to Steel Pier in 2024 appears to have been pushed back to 2025 when the Spinning Coaster intended for 2023 was pushed back to 2024.
STORY LAND (Glen, NH)
Parques Reunidos / Palance Entertainment
Park News - (7/11/2024) Story Land (New Hampshire) will extend the park’s season this year to new lengths in order to host the park’s new family friendly “Happy Hauntings” special event. Look for Happy Hauntings to take place on weekends from October 5 through to Oct. 27th, open from 10am to 5pm, plus Monday Oct. 14th as well.
Visit the official website for all the details.
(1/22/2024) Another Palace Entertainment park has trimmed rides from their website ahead of opening for the 2024 season. I’m told that Story Land has removed the listings for the park’s former Crazy Barn, Turtle Twirl, Rap-Tour Safari attractions, as well as any mention of having live animals at the park.
(12/29/2023) Story Land is turning 70 next year, so did you happen to visit the park with your family anytime over that time period? Story Land is holding a contest to win 4 tickets to the park for submitting a picture of your family at the park. Follow the link for details!
2024 - Moo Lagoon - (1/12/2024) New photos posted to Facebook from Coaster Chit Chat show off the various parts and pieces of the new Moo Lagoon now on site at Story Land, awaiting installation.
(8/21/2023) Story Land in New Hampshire is going to have a wet and wild new addition for the 2024 season when they open the new Moo Lagoon water play area.
STORYBOOK LAND (New Jersey)
2024 - Nothing is known at this time...
TRIMPER’S RIDES (Ocean City, Maryland)
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... also nothing added in 2023
WESTERN PLAYLAND (Sunland Park, New Mexico)
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... also nothing added in 2023
WILD WAVES Theme & Water Park (Seattle-Tacoma, WA)
(Formerly known as Enchanted Village and Wild Waves)
Owned by EPR Properties
Managed by Premier Parks, LLC
Park News - (9/21/2024) Wild Waves is set to host a contest fit for fan’s of all things Halloween. They are calling it the Crypt Keeper Challenge, where six applicants will be chosen to spend 24 hours inside a coffin at the park where they will be subjected to an assortment of “sinister challenges” designed to make you want to quit. If you managed to survive the entire 24 hours, you’ll win two 2025 Wild Waves season passes w/ seasonal dining plans and two VIP Fright Fest fast passes.
If you think you’re up to the challenge, you can submit your entry to participate here, but all submissions must be in by Sept. 26th and those chosen will be notified by Sept. 28th. Oh, you do have to be at least 18 years old as well when the contest starts on Friday, Oct. 4th.
(11/25/2023) It turns out that the Wild Waves theme park in Washington actually doesn’t own the property that the park sits upon, but instead it leases it from the city. Negotiations are under way between the park and the city that could extend the current lease agreement by 30 years, ensuring Wild Waves would remind a park of the local community through to at least 2053. The park says that the lease extension will allow them the time needed to make some major new investments into the property.
2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 - 2023
WONDERLAND PARK (Amarillo, TX)
Park News - (8/12/2024) If I’m not mistaken Wonderland Park in Texas last ran their Drop of Fear tower ride back in the Summer of 2022, as by the end of the year the ride was listed as closed on their website, claiming they were waiting on backordered parts to repair it. By the time the 2023 season rolled around, they had removed any mention of it from their list of rides on the website.
While the Moser made Drop of Fear is still standing, a reader has pointed out that it is listed for sale over at Rides4U for $149k.
2024 - Crazy Couch - (3/31/2024) Wonderland opened for the 2024 season this weekend in Amarillo, Texas. According to the park’s website, they will open a new “Crazy Couch” ride at the park this season. Look for it in the park’s “West End”.
WONDERVERSE (Oak Brook, Illinois)
aka: Sony Wonderverse
2024 - New Attraction - (1/14/2024) Sony's new "Wonderverse” indoor attraction has now opened in the Chicago area. The unique attraction is a 45,000 sqft indoor wonderland of attractions themed to various Sony branded IPs (Ghostbusters, Jumanji, Uncharted, Zombieland, etc…) as well as themed dining and retail experiences. Don’t look for big steel rides here however, as the attractions seem to be more Escape Room, driving Simulator and VR based style concepts, which work well in the all indoor setting. There is a unique Zombieland themed bumper-car attraction however, where one car is selected to be Patient Zero and everyone else has to avoid being struck by this car. If you are hit, you become infected too and now you have to hunt down the survivors. Can you stay uninfected and drive your way out of the apocalypse?
I think I’d have to see it myself to really get a grasp of what they are offerings, but based on the photos, the vibe i’m getting is more of an adult level Dave & Busters style concept, without all the generic redemption games and instead focused on creating a much more detailed experience that even includes heavily theming the food and beverage options.
The concept looks fun and it’s nice to see such a high end concept brought to a market outside of the more typical tourist markers like Orlando, Los Angeles or New York. Placing it in a major market like Chicago should serve as a good proof of concept location and help them move forward with any plans to bring additional Sony Wonderverse locations to life in other popular markets that are currently underserved by attractions.
Those with long memories may recall that Chicago served as the location for the second DisneyQuest attraction, and the failure of DisneyQuest in Chicago brought along the downfall of the entire DisneyQuest concept, bringing the plans to build other locations to a screeching halt. The Chicago location opened in 1999 and closed in 2001, causing the construction of a third location in Philadelphia to be stopped for good in mid-build and the plans for a 4th grand location at the Disneyland Resort never got beyond the blueprints. While the original DisneyWorld location was much more successful the key problem with the Chicago location was that it constantly struggled with attendance, as it features a steep admission cost to get in, with no good way to preview all the wonders inside the windowless building. Potential guests struggled with the idea of paying in advance for a potentially unknown experience awaiting inside.
The new Wondervese has wisely gone an entirely different direction with their business model, making it free for everyone to enter the building itself. Once inside, all attractions can be purchased separately, with prices said to range between $6 to $35 for each attraction, depending on what it is. For those visiting with children, all guests under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a chaperone at least 21+ and after 8pm all guests must be 21+. Those under age will be asked to leave by 8pm and if you are under 21 you will not be allowed in at all after 7pm, making the attraction a nice adult only experience after hours.
(11/22/2023) Wonderverse is coming to Oak Brook, Illinois, where it will take up a space formerly occupied by a Sears store. Wonderverse will be an indoor immersive theme park style experience that “will feature escape rooms, interactive exhibits, VR experiences, bumper cars and racing simulators based on several film franchises.”
The article does mention that the attraction will feature experienced themed to some of Sony’s “most iconic films” along with a variety of food and beverages served in themed dining spaces, including some “hidden bars” you can discovery. According to the official teaser website we will see attractions themed to Zombieland, Ghostbusters, 21 Jump Street, Uncharted, Bad Boys and Jumanji.
The local news mentions a few more details about some of the attractions, including an “Uncharted: The Pursuit” escape room experience, a pair of Ghostbuster themed VR attractions, a Zombieland themed arcade area, a Jumanji: Reverse the Curse VR experience and Bad Boys themed racing simulators. Look for “The Ghost Trap” to serve as a hidden Ghostbusters themed speakeasy, as a 21 Jump Street pop-up bar.
Wonderverse is expected to soft open sometime in December with limited offerings ahead of a planned grand opening that will take place sometime in January.
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