rec.roller-coaster FAQ, part 3/3: lists and statistics
Geoff Allen
Last-modified: Thu Oct 05, 1995; 13:23:03 MDT
This is part 3 of the rec.roller-coaster FAQ....
3.1: Roller Coaster Designer Info
---------------------------------
Designers of Wooden Coasters
CURRENT:
* Custom Coasters International, Inc. (Denise Dinn-Larrick) -- Builders
* and Designers
* Great Coasters International, Inc. (Clair Hain) -- Builders and
Designers
* Intamin AG
* International Coasters, Inc. -- Builders and Designers
* MACK GmbH & Co. -- Builders and Designers
* Michael Black and Associates -- Builder
* RCCA/TOGO -- Builders and Designers of International coasters
* Serious Gravity, Inc. -- Designers
* TNT Graphix, Inc. -- Builders and Designers
PAST:
* Allen, John -- Designer and Builder
* Baker -- Designer and Builder
* Bitler, Oscar --
* Cobb, William J. -- Designer and Builder
* Dinn, Charlie (Dinn Corp.) - Builder
* Fehr, Carl --
* Harton, T.M. --
* Hoover, Frank --
* IAD (International Amusement Devices) -- Designers and Builder
* Keenan, Vernon -- Designer and Builder
* Leis, Edward --
* Looff -- Designer
* Lorenz & Williams --
* Miler -- Designer
* Miller, John -- Designer and Builder
* Mitchell, James T. --
* Moran, George --
* NAD (National Amusement Devices) -- Designers and Builders
* Pierce, Fred --
* Pierce, John F. -- Designer and Builder (retired)
* Prior and Church -- Designers
* PTC (Philadelphia Toboggan Company)-- Designers and Builders
* Rosser -- Designer
* Schmeck, Herbert -- Designer and Builder
* Sink, Amandus --
* Summers, Curtis D. -- Designer
* Thompson, Marcus A. --
* (Harry G.) Traver Engineering Co. -- Builders and Designers
* Vaszin, Aurel --
* Vesco, Paul --
* Vettel, Andrew --
* Vettel, Edwin -- Designer and Builder
Designers of Steel Coasters
* Arrow Dynamics International, Ltd. (Ron Toomer)
* Bollinger & Mabillard (B&M)
* Intamin AG
* MACK GmbH & Co.
* OD Hopkins
* S&MC (formerly SDC Corp. of Italy)
* Schwarzkopf, Anton
* Schwarzkopf Rides and Amusements (Anton's son, Wieland)
* Sensei (no longer in business)
* TOGO International, Inc.
* Vekoma International, b.v.
* Zamperla
* Zierer GmbH
3.2: Roller Coaster Record Holders
----------------------------------
Current Wooden Coaster Record Holders:
STEEPEST
1. 58.6 degrees: Cyclone - Astroland/Coney Island; Brooklyn, NY
2. 54 degrees: Cyclone - Riverside Park; Agawam, MA
3. 53 degrees: Cyclone - Six Flags over Georgia; Atlanta, GA
HIGHEST
1. 179 ft, 6 in: Rattler - Fiesta Texas; San Antonio, TX
2. 160 ft: Mean Streak - Cedar Point; Sandusky, OH
3. 143 ft: Texas Giant - SF over Texas; Arlington, TX
LONGEST DROP
1. 155 ft: Mean Streak - Cedar Point; Sandusky, OH
2. 148 ft: Hercules - Dorney Park; Allentown, PA
3. 137 ft: Texas Giant - Six Flags over Texas; Arlington, TX
FASTEST
1. 65 mph: Mean Streak - Cedar Point; Sandusky, OH
2. 65 mph: Texas Giant - Six Flags over Texas; Arlington, TX
3. 64.77 mph: The Beast - Kings Island; Kings Mills, OH
LONGEST CIRCUIT
1. 7400 ft: The Beast - Kings Island; Kings Mills, OH
2. 5530 ft: Rattler - Fiesta Texas; San Antonio, TX
3. 5427 ft: Mean Streak - Cedar Point; Sandusky, OH
OLDEST (listing more than 3 because this is such a worthy category...)
1. 1902: Leap The Dips - Lakemont Park; Altoona, PA
2. 1912: Scenic Railway - Luna Park, Melbourne, Australia
3. 1915: Tivoli Rutchbanen - Copenhagen, Denmark
4. 1919: Jack Rabbit - Clemonton Lake; Clemonton, NJ
5. 1920: Jack Rabbit - Kennywood; W Mifflin, PA
MOST FAMOUS (yeah, it's subjective, but these coasters are somewhat
legendary...)
1. 1927 Cyclone - Astroland/Coney Island; Brooklyn, NY
2. 1927 Cyclone Racer - The Pike; Long Beach, CA
3. 1924 Bobs - Riverview; Chicago, IL
Current Steel Coaster Record Holders
STEEPEST
1. 90 Degrees: Ultra Twister - SF Astroworld; Houston, TX
2. 65 Degrees: Pepsi Max, The Big One - Blackpool Pleasure Beach;
Blackpool, UK
3. 60 degrees: Magnum XL-200 - Cedar Point; Sandusky, OH
4. 60 degrees: Excalibur - ValleyFair!;
HIGHEST
1. 209 ft: Desperado - Buffalo Bill's; Jean, NV
2. 207 ft: Moonsault Scramble - Fujikyu Highland Park, Japan
(This is a shuttle loop, and is the height of the highest car, rather
than the height the actual train drops, so it's kind of a bogus number,
unless you're in the seat the goes 207 feet high, I guess.)
3. 205 ft: Magnum XL-200 - Cedar Point; Sandusky, OH
4. 201 ft: Pepsi Max, The Big one - Blackpool Pleasure Beach; Blackpool, UK
LONGEST DROP
1. 225 ft: Steel Phantom - Kennywood; W Mifflin, PA
2. 225 ft: Desperado - Buffalo Bill's; Jean, NV
3. 207 ft: Moonsault Scramble - Fujikyu Highland Park, Japan
(Again, this cheats and is the height of the highest car, rather than a
height that the entire train drops.)
4. 205 ft: Pepsi Max, The Big one - Blackpool Pleasure Beach; Blackpool, UK
FASTEST
1. 80 mph: Steel Phantom - Kennywood; W Mifflin, PA
2. 79 mph: Desperado - Buffalo Bill's; Jean, NV
3. 76 mph: Pepsi Max-The Big One; Blackpool Pleasure Beach; UK
LONGEST CIRCUIT
1. 7450 ft: The Ultimate - Lightwater Valley; UK
2. 6100 ft: Desperado - Buffalo Bill's; Jean, NV
3. 5500 ft: Dragon Mountain - Marineland; Niagara Falls, Ontario
TALLEST LOOPING COASTER
1. 188 ft: Viper - SF Magic Mountain; Valencia, CA
2. 173 ft: GASM - SF Great Adventure; Jackson, NJ
3. 170 ft: Shockwave - SF Great America; Gurnee, IL
BIGGEST (CIRCULAR, NOT JUST HEIGHT!) LOOP ON A COASTER
119 ft: Dragon Kahn - Port Aventura; Salou, Spain
MOST INVERSIONS - (8)
Dragon Kahn - Port Aventura; Salou, Spain
HIGHEST G FORCES - (+6.5g)
* Mindbender, Fantasyland, Edmonton, AB
* Drier Looping, Germany (Fairs)
* Moonslaut Scramble, Fujikyu Highland Park, Japan
MOST TRAINS ON CIRCUIT
1. 5: Thriller; German Fairs
MOST DEMENTED SHUTTLE LOOP (yeah, another subjective one!)
* Wiener Looping, Flamingoland (UK)
3.3: ACE's Classic Coaster Roster
---------------------------------
Big Dipper - Camden Park; Huntington, W. VA
Big Dipper - Geauga Lake; Aurura, OH
Blue Streak - Cedar Point; Sandusky, OH
Blue Streak - Conneaut Lake Park; Conneaut Lake, PA
Coaster - Arnolds Park; Iowa
Coaster - Playland; Vancouver, BC, Canada
Cyclone - Astroland; Coney Island, NY
Cyclone - Lakeside Park; Denver, CO
Cyclone - William's Grove Park; Mechanicsburg, PA
Jack Rabbit - Kennywood Park; W. Mifflin, PA
Kiddy Coaster - Playland; Rye, NY
Lil' Dipper - Camden Park; Huntington, W. VA
Little Dipper - Kiddie Land; Melrose Park, IL
Little Dipper - Hillcrest Park; Lemont, IL
Roller Coaster - Joyland; Wichita, KS
Roller Coaster - Western Washington Fair; Puyallup, WA
Rollo Coaster - Idlewild Park; Ligonier, PA
Sea Dragon - Wynadot Lake Park; Powell, OH
Screechin Eagle - Americana; Middletown, OH
Starliner - Miracle Strip; Panama City, FL
Thunderbolt - Kennywood Park; W. Mifflin, PA
3.4: Inside Track "Top Coasters" Readers Survey
-----------------------------------------------
Many people want to know which is the best/wildest/awesomest/scariest
coaster in the world (or at least US). We can't answer that for you, but we
can pass on to you the results of the Inside Track magazine reader's survey.
This is an annual survey, the most recent version of which was published in
the September 1994 issue of Inside Track. Just because a coaster is
highly-ranked on this list doesn't mean *you* will think it's best, but it
does mean that lot of coaster enthusiasts like it, and you probably will
too. Rankings from past years are given as well, to give you some idea of
how things change from year to year. If a column contains '-', it indicates
that coaster didn't place in the rankings for that year, for whatever reason
(it was new, it didn't get enough votes, etc.). Also note that the 1992,
1993, and 1994 surveys list the top 50, while 1991 listed the top 40, and
1990 listed the top 20.
+--------------------------------------- 1994 Rank
| +----------------------------------- 1994 Vote Total
| | +----------------------------- 1993 Rank
| | | +-------------------------- 1992 Rank
| | | | +----------------------- 1991 Rank
| | | | | +-------------------- 1990 Rank
| | | | | | +----------------- Ride name, Park, Location
V V V V V V V
1 (2034) 1 2 2 4 Magnum XL-200, Cedar Point, OH
2 (1856) 2 1 3 3 Texas Giant, Six Flags over Texas, TX
3 (1802) - - - - Raptor, Cedar Point, OH (New in '94)
4 (1788) 3 3 5 1 The Beast, Paramount's Kings Island, OH
5 (1641) 4 5 7 5 Phoenix, Knoebel's, PA
6 (1344) 8 8 10 7 Thunderbolt, Kennywood, PA
7 (1319) 5 4 1 2 Timber Wolf, Worlds of Fun, MO
8 (1225) 12 12 16 14 Grizzly, Paramount's Kings Dominion, VA
9 (1080) 15 - - - Kumba, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, FL (New in '93)
10 (1012) 13 11 16 - Steel Phantom, Kennywood, PA (New in '91)
11 ( 934) 6 6 - - Batman -- The Ride, SF Great America, IL (New in '92)
12 ( 921) 18 17 35 19 Georgia Cyclone, Six Flags over Georgia, GA
( 921) 10 14 13 11 Big Bad Wolf, Busch Gardens, VA
14 ( 837) 37 27 - - Screamin' Eagle, Six Flags over Mid-America, MO
15 ( 735) 24 16 11 18 Giant Dipper, Beach Boardwalk, Santa Cruz, CA
16 ( 712) - - - - Comet, Great Escape, NY (New in '94)
17 ( 655) 30 49 39 - Thunderhawk, Dorney Park, PA
18 ( 643) 14 - - - Batman -- The Ride, SF Great Adventure, NJ (New in '93)
19 ( 602) 15 13 9 8 Mister Twister, Elitch Gardens, CO
20 ( 588) 9 15 34 - Mean Streak, Cedar Point, OH
21 ( 561) 7 7 6 6 Cyclone, Coney Island, NY
( 561) 11 10 - - The Rattler, Fiesta Texas (New in '92)
23 ( 509) - - - - Batman -- The Ride, SF Magic Mountain, CA (New in '94)
24 ( 467) 28 22 12 12 Mind Bender, Fantasyland, Alberta
25 ( 464) 17 42 25 - Loch Ness Monster, Busch Gardens, VA
26 ( 385) 21 20 - 20 Wild One, Wild World, MD
( 385) - - 30 - Swamp Fox, Family Kingdom, SC (New in 92)
( 385) 41 18 29 - Roller Coaster, Playland, BC
29 ( 259) 38 - - - Outlaw, Adventureland, IA (New in '93)
30 ( 237) 27 27 19 13 Viper, Six Flags Magic Mountain, CA
31 ( 235) 18 31 22 12 Riverside Cyclone, Riverside Park, MA
32 ( 225) 20 41 - - Vortex, Paramount's Kings Island, OH
33 ( 203) 18 26 - - Drachen Fire, Busch Gardens, VA (New in 92)
34 ( 185) - - - - Hoosier Hurricane, Indiana Beach, IN (New in '94)
( 185) 31 21 14 - Blue Streak, Cedar Point, OH
( 185) 37 12 8 9 Predator, Darien Lake, NY
( 185) 37 23 11 10 Hercules, Dorney Park, PA
38 ( 162) - - - - Judge Roy Scream, SF over Texas, TX
39 ( 123) 49 47 39 - Grand National, Blackpool, UK
40 ( 98) 42 44 - - Rebel Yell, Paramount's Kings Dominion, VA
( 98) - - - - Zingo, Bells Amusement Park, OK
42 ( 90) 22 9 4 - Thunder Run, Kentucky Kingdom, KY
( 90) 34 25 22 - Ninja, Six Flags Magic Mountain, CA
44 ( 84) 37 30 21 18 G.A.S.M., Six Flags Great Adventure, NJ
45 ( 75) 36 29 30 - Yankee Cannonball, Canobie Lake, NH
( 75) - - - - Hurler, Paramount's Kings Dominion, VA (New in '94)
47 ( 61) 25 24 - - Arkansas Twister, Magic Springs, AK (New in 92)
48 ( 57) 46 36 18 - Screechin Eagle, Americana, OH
( 57) 42 33 40 - Space Mountain, Walt Disney World, FL
50 ( 52) 32 23 17 - Vortex, Paramount's Canada's Wonderland, Canada
16 32 33 15 Mindbender, Six Flags over Georgia, GA
19 28 20 - Iron Wolf, Six Flags Great America, IL
23 48 - - Jack Rabbit, Kennywood, PA
29 38 32 - Big Dipper, Geauga Lake, OH
30 22 23 16 Racer, Paramount's Kings Island, OH
33 19 24 - Blue Streak, Conneaut Lake, PA
34 27 14 - Giant Dipper, Belmont Park, CA
35 - - - G.A.S.M., Six Flags over Georgia, GA
39 50 - - Le Monstre, La Ronde, Canada
40 - - - Top Gun, Paramount's Great America, CA (New in '93)
43 45 28 - La Montana Rusa, Chapultapec Park, Mexico City
44 - 38 - Gemini, Cedar Point, OH
45 39 31 17 Shockwave, Six Flags Great America, IL
47 - - - Racer, Kennywood, PA
48 - - - Batman The Escape, Six Flags AstroWorld, TX (New in '93)
50 47 - - Thriller, European Fairs, Germany
- - - Space Mountain, Disneyland, CA
- 20 32 - Cyclone, Lakeside, CO
- 30 30 - Matterhorn Bobsled, Disneyland, CA
- 34 - - Ultra Twister, Six Flags AstroWorld, TX
- 35 29 - Anaconda, Paramount's Kings Dominion, VA
- 35 - - Adventure Express, Paramount's Kings Island, OH
- 37 38 - Big Thunder Mtn Railroad, Disney, FL
- 37 36 - Comet, Hersheypark, PA
- 38 - - Vortex, Carowinds, NC (New in 92)
- 40 - - Greezed Lightnin, Six Flags AstroWorld, TX
- 41 33 - Colossus, Six Flags Magic Mountain, CA
- 43 40 - Roller Coaster, Arnolds Park, IA
- 45 33 - Montezooma's Revenge, Knott's, CA
- 46 - - Wildcat, Elitch Gardens, CO
- 46 - - Tornado, Adventureland, IA
- 47 26 - Texas Tornado, Wonderland, TX
- 50 - - Big Dipper, Blackpool, UK
- 50 - - Sea Serpent, Wildwood, NJ
- 50 - - Excalibur, Valleyfair!, MN
- - 15 - Revolution, Six Flags Magic Mountain, CA
- - 33 - Dragon Mountain, Marineland, Canada
- - 37 - Wildcat, Lake Compounce, CT
- - 39 - Space Center, Phantasialand, Germany
- - 40 - Bandit, Yomiuriland, Tokyo, Japan
- - 40 - Psyclone, Six Flags Magic Mountain, CA
- - 40 - Sidewinder, Hersheypark, PA
3.5: Amusement Park Attendance Statistics
-----------------------------------------
The following list of the top 50 North American Amusement/Theme Parks,
ranked by attendance, is from Amusement Business. These statistics show how
the top parks fared during 1993, and the percent change in attendance from
the 1992 season. Global Amusement/Theme parks have been added to the list
for comparisons, but available data on the foreign parks is not complete
enough to effectively merge the two lists as one.
_Note_: Policies at some parks forbid release of attendance figures. An
asterisk (*) appearing after the attendance figure indicates the figure is
an estimate, based on information gathered by reliable AB sources. In the
event of a tie, a non-estimated figure gets the higher placement over an
estimated figure. Parks that either did not report or did not qualify on
the basis of reported figures in 1990 through 1992 are indicated with '-'.
'+' indicates a tie.
93 92 91 90 PARK, LOCATION ATTENDANCE % CHANGE
== == == == =============== ========== ========
. . . . Tokyo Disneyland 15,815,000
Tokyo, Japan
1 1 1 1 Magic Kingdom at WDW 12,000,000* Up 4%
Lake Buena Vista, FL
2 2 2 2 Disneyland 11,400,000* Down slightly
Anaheim, CA
3 1 1 1 EPCOT at WDW 10,000,000* No change
Lake Buena Vista, FL
. . . . EuroDisney 10,000,000
Marne la Vallee, France
. . . . Jaya Ancol Dreamland 9,500,000
Jakarta, Indonesia
4 1 1 1 Disney-MGM Studios at WDW 8,000,000* No change
Lake Buena Vista, FL
5 3 3 12 Universal Studios Florida 7,400,000* Up 10%
Orlando, FL
. . . . Blackpool Pleasure Beach 6,800,000
Blackpool, UK
. . . . Lotte World 5,000,000
Seoul, Korea
6 4 4 4 Universal Studios Hollywood 4,950,000* Up 3%
Universal City, CA
. . . . Toshimaen Amusement Park 4,806,000
Tokyo, Japan
7 5 6 5 Sea World of Florida 4,500,000* Up 5%
Orlando, FL
8 6 7 6 Sea World of California 4,000,000* No change
San Diego, CA
. . . . Tivoli Gardens 4,000,000
Copenhagen, Denmark
. . . . Huis Ten Boach 3,751,300
Sasebo, Japan
9 7 5 3 Knott's Berry Farm 3,700,000* Down 5%
Buena Park, CA
10 11 9 10 Cedar Point 3,600,000* Up 15%
Sandusky, OH
11+ 12 11 15 Six Flags Great Adventure 3,500,000* Up 13%
Jackson, NJ
11+ 13 12 9 Busch Gardens Tampa 3,500,000* Up 13%
Tampa, FL
13 9 8 8 Six Flags Magic Mountain 3,300,000* Up 3%
Valencia, CA
. . . . Ocean Park 3,300,000
Hong Kong
14 8 13 7 Paramount's Kings Island 3,250,000* No change
Kings Falls, OH
15 10 15 14 Six Flags Great America 3,000,000* Down slightly
Gurnee, IL
. . . . Seoul Land 3,000,000
Seoul, Korea
. . . . Nagashima Spa Land 2,967,000
Kuwana, Japan
16+ 14 14 11 Six Flags over Texas 2,900,000* Down slightly
Arlington, TX
16+ 15 10 13 Beach Boardwalk 2,900,000* Down slightly
Santa Cruz, CA
. . . . Chapultepec Park 2,800,000
Mexico City, Mexico
. . . . Takarazuka Family Land 2,788,682
Takarazuka, Japan
. . . . De Efteling 2,717,249
Kaatsheuvel, The Netherlands
18 16 20 16 Six Flags over Georgia 2,700,000* Up 4%
Atlanta, GA
19 18 16 19 Paramount's Canada's Wonderland 2,600,000* Up 13%
Maple, Ont.
. . . . Alton Towers 2,600,000
North Staffordshire, England
. . . . Korakuen 2,550,000
Tokyo, Japan
20+ 17 17 17 Paramount's Great America 2,500,000* Up 6%
Santa Clara, CA
20+ 19 18 18 Paramount's Kings Dominion 2,500,000* Up 11%
Doswell, VA
20+ - - - Knott's Camp Snoopy 2,500,000* (New park)
Bloomington, MN
. . . . Playcenter 2,500,000
Sao Paulo, Brazil
. . . . Dunia Funtasi 2,500,000
Indonesia
. . . . Liseberg Park 2,400,000
Gothenburg, Sweden
. . . . Toei Uzumasa Eigamura 2,307,820
Kyoto, Japan
. . . . Europa-Park 2,300,000
Rust, Germany
23+ 23 23 23 Six Flags Astroworld 2,200,000* Up 10%
Houston, TX
23+ 20 21 21 Busch Gardens Williamsburg 2,200,000* Up slightly
Williamsburg, VA
. . . . Bakken 2,100,000
Klampenborg, Germany
. . . . Heidi Park 2,100,000
Soltau, Germany
. . . . Siam Park 2,088,000
Bangkok, Thailand
. . . . Expoland 2,020,000
Suita, Japan
25+ 25 27 28 Dollywood 2,000,000 Up 11%
Pigeon Forge, TN
25+ 21 22 20 Opryland 2,000,000 No change
Nashville, TN
. . . . Beijing Amusement Park 2,000,000
Beijing, China
. . . . Luna Park 2,000,000
Rome, Italy
. . . . Phantasialand 1,900,000
Bruhl, Germany
27 24 29 31 Marine World-Africa USA 1,870,000 Down slightly
Vallejo, CA
28 22 - - Fiesta Texas 1,800,000* Down 11%
San Antonio, TX
29 27 26 27 Silver Dollar City 1,770,000 Up slightly
Branson, MO
30 28 24 25 Hersheypark 1,700,000 Up 5%
Hershey, PA
31+ 33 32 30 Paramount's Carowinds 1,600,000* Up 20%
Charlotte, NC
31+ 26 28 26 Six Flags over Mid-America 1,600,000* Down 11%
Eureka, MO
. . . . Reino Aventura 1,600,000
Mexico City, Mexico
. . . . Parque Da Monica 1,600,000
Sao Paulo, Brazil
. . . . Selva Magica 1,500,000
Guadalajara, Mexico
33 32 - - Sea World of Ohio 1,450,000* Up 10%
Aurora, OH
34 30 25 29 Sea World of Texas 1,400,000* Down 6%
San Antonio, TX
. . . . Beta Carrero 1,300,000
Santa Catarina, Brazil
35 34 33 37 Kennywood 1,216,000* No change
West Mifflin, PA
36+ 36 33 37 Geauga Lake 1,200,000 Up 8%
Aurora, OH
36+ 35 34 33 LaRonde 1,200,000 No change
Montreal, Quebec
36+ - - - Dorney Park 1,200,000* (New listing)
Allentown, PA
. . . . Fantasiland 1,200,000
Santiago, Chile
39 31 31 33 Worlds of Fun 1,197,287 Down 10%
Kansas City, MO
40 39 35 35 Darien Lake 1,115,000 Up 15%
Corfu, NY
41 - - - Kentucky Kingdom 1,048,262 (New listing)
Louisville, KY
42 40 - - Lagoon 1,006,273 Up 6%
Farmington, UT
43 - - - Riverside Park 999,000 (New listing)
Agawam, MA
44 38 37 39 Knoebels Amusement Resort 990,000 Up slightly
Elysburg, PA
45 - - - Rye Playland 931,415 (New listing)
Rye, NY
46 37 36 36 Valleyfair! 913,000* Down 15%
Shakopee, MN
. . . . Interama 900,000
Buenos Aires, Argentina
47 - - - Elitch Gardens 800,000 (New listing)
Denver, CO
. . . . Tivoli Park 800,000
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
. . . . Divertido 800,000
Mexico City, Mexico
48+ - - - Indiana Beach 750,000* (New listing)
Monticello, IN
48+ - - - Adventureland 750,000* (New listing)
East Farmingdale, NY
50 - - - Great Escape Theme Park 710,000* (New listing)
Lake George, NY
3.6: Coming Attractions -- new coasters for 96 and
beyond!
--------------------------------------------------
A common question on rec.roller-coaster is ``What new coaster is park X
getting for 1996?'' Here is the list of coasters to be built in the next
couple of years.
Some of the listings have been announced, some are just rumors. If a
coaster is rumored, it's listed with a '?' in the first column; if it's been
officially announced, or is a very well-substantiated rumor, it will have a
'!' in the first column. Some also may have footnotes, explaining the
source(s) for the information.
Note that there are still no Arrow Pipeline coasters on the list!
NEW/RELOCATED WOODEN COASTERS FOR 1995:
COASTER TYPE PARK
DESIGNER LOCATION
======= ======== ============================
"unnamed" W, Figure 8 Gulliver's World
Allot & Lomax Warrington, Cheshire, Great Britan
Cannonball W, Out and Back Waterville USA
CCI Gulf Shores, AL
Cyclops W, Terrain Big Chief
CCI Wisconsin Dells, WI
Raven W, Terrain Holiday World
CCI Santa Claus, IN
Twister W, Twister Elitch Gardens
Pierce/Allen Denver, CO
Viper W, Twister Six Flags Great America
Starkey/In-House Gurnee, IL
?+ Red Streaker W, Jr. Out-Back <unknown>
PTC <unknown>
+ This coaster was recently purchased from the defunct Willow Mill park in
Mechanicsburg, PA, by David Pickstone, a British ride owner/operator.
He has not received permission from his "home" park in the UK to install
this coaster, due to outstanding royalty issues. The coaster has been
completely dismantled, and is currently in storage in Carlisle, PA. Mr.
Pennington, is back in the United Kingdom, but is currently search for a
U.S.-based park to _lease_ the ride to (he does not want to see this ride).
NEW/RELOCATED STEEL COASTERS FOR 1995:
COASTER TYPE PARK
DESIGNER LOCATION
======= ======== ============================
Big Dipper S, Double Loop Luna Park
Arrow Australia
El Diablo S, Mine Train Port Aventura
Arrow Salou, Spain
Batman S, Inverted Six Flags over Mid-America
B&M St. Louis, MO
Dragon Kahn S, Multi-element Port Aventura
B&M Salou, Spain
"unnamed" S, Inverted Himeji Park
B&M Himeji, Japan
Euro Star S, Inverted Herr Bruch (Private Owner)
Intamin AG Andernach, West Germany
Viper S, Shuttle Loop Six Flags over Georgia
Intamin AG Atlanta, GA
Le Cobra S, Stand-up La Ronde
Intamin AG Montreal, Quebec, Canada
"unnamed" S, Twister Future World
Intamin AG Bangkok, Thailand
"unnamed" S, Twister Lotte World
Intamin AG Seoul, Korea
"unnamed" S, Mine Train Plaza Sesamo
MACK Monterrey, Mexico
Scandia S, Med. Oval Scandia Fun Center
Screamer Miler Ontario, CA
"unnamed" S, Mine Train Drayton Manor
Pinfari Tamworth, Staffordshire, G.B.
Windstorm S, Twister Playland
S&MC Rye, NY
Green Dragon S, Junior Oval Brean Leisure Park
Shiff Brean, Somerset, Great Britan
Viper S, Heartline Six Flags Great Adventure
TOGO Jackson, NJ
Lethal Weapon S, Inverted Movie World
Vekoma Queensland, Australia
Hangman S, Inverted Adventure World
Vekoma Largo, MD
Hangman S, Inverted Opryland
Vekoma Nashville, TN
T(2) S, Inverted Kentucky Kingdom
Vekoma Louisville, KY
Top Gun S, Inverted Paramount Canada's Wonderland
Vekoma Vaughn, Toronto, Canada
The Great S, Inverted Morey's Pier
Nor'Eastor Vekoma Wildwood, NJ
"unnamed" S, Inverted Nasu Highland Park
Vekoma/Meisho Japan
"unnamed" S, Inverted Glucks Konigreich
Vekoma Hokkaido, Japan
"unnamed" S, Inverted Odakyu Gotenba Familyland
Vekoma Odakyu, Japan
"unnamed" S, Suspended (unannounced)
Vekoma Japan
"unnamed" S, Boomerang Enchanted Kingdom
Vekoma Manila, Phillappines
"unnamed" S, Boomerang Tashkent Park
Vekoma Uzbekistan, Soviet Republic
"unnamed" S, Jr. Twister Enchanted Kingdom
Vekoma Manila, Phillappines
Mayan S, Jr. Twister Six Flags AstroWorld
Mindbender Vekoma Houston, TX
"unnamed" S, Jr. Twister San Paulo Marketplace
Vekoma San Paulo, Brazil
"unnamed" S, Jr. Twister SamaWorld
Vekoma Malaysia
Space Mountain S, Enc. Looper Disneyland Paris
Vekoma Marne La Vallee Cedex, France
Gadget's Go S, Jr. Twister Tokyo Disneyland
Coaster Vekoma Tokyo, Japan
"unnamed" S, Mine Train Ocean Park
Zamperla Hong Kong, China
"unnamed" S, Jr. Twister Knott's Camp Snoopy
Zamperla Bloomington, MN
The Hornet S, Twister Flambards Village
Zierer Helston, Cornwall, Great Britan
Jaguar S, Twister Knott's Berry Farm
Zierer Buena Park, CA
"unnamed" S, Mine Train Navel Land
Zierer Kyusyu, Japan
"unnamed" S, Jr. Twister Perinorte Centro
Zierer Mexico CIty, Mexico
"unnamed" S, Jr. Twister Plaza Sesamo
Zierer Monterrey, Mexico
"unnamed" S, Jr. Twister Tolk-Schau
Zierer Germany
"unnamed" S, Jr. Twister Navel Land
Zierer Kyusyu, Japan
Wile E. Coyote's S, Mine Train Movie World
Coaster Canyon <unknown> Bottrop, Kirchhellen, Germany
NEW/RELOCATED ROLLER COASTERS FOR 1996:
It's hard to announce specific coaster contracts for 1996. There have been
many speculations, both by the press, the parks, and enthusiasts alike.
Below is a compilation of formally announced coaster project, followed by a
listing "probable" coaster installations, based upon ambiguous blurbs
published in Amusement Business magazine, and combined with "teasers" issued
verbally by park personnel:
COASTER TYPE/ PARK/
NAME DESIGNER LOCATION
======= ======== ========
*** WOOD ***
Wildcat W, Twister Hersheypark
GCI Hershey, PA
"unnamed" W, Twister Oakwood Park
CCI Wales, U.K.
"unnamed" W, Twister Silverwood Theme Park
In-House Athol, ID
Little Dipper W, Junior Stricker's Grove
In-House Ross, OH
*** STEEL ***
"Sphynx" S, Inverted Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
B&M Tampa Bay, FL
Banshee S, Stand-Up Cedar Point
B&M Sandusky, OH
Wild Thing S, Out/Back ValleyFair!
Morgan Mfg. Shakope, MN
"unnamed" S, Mine Train Santa Monica Pier
Morgan Mfg. Santa Monica, CA
High Roller S, Family Stratosphere Tower
S&MC Las Vegas, NV
Hurricane S, Twister Mirabilandia Park
S&MC Savio Ravenna, Italy
Outer Limits/ S, Enclosed Paramount's King's Island
Flight of Fear S&MC Cincinnati, OH
Outer Limits/ S, Enclosed Paramount's King's Dominion
Flight of Fear S&MC Doswell, VA
"unnamed" S, Loop/Corkscrew Fiesta Texas
Vekoma San Antonio, TX
"unnamed" S, Mine Train Phantasialand
Vekoma Bruehl, Germany
* Although previously announced that Morgan Manufacturing would be
building a new Mine Train ride for Hecker's Pass in Gilroy, CA in 1995,
the park is not slated to open it's "ride" section of this family picnic
park (similar to Stricker's Grove in Ohio) until 1997. No confirmation
to date if this project was indeed started this year, or if construction
is on hold?!
* Due to the drop in the peso, Reino Aventura; Mexico City, Mexico,
cancelled installation of their Vekoma Suspended Looping coaster for
1995. They are hoping to install the coaster for the 1996 operating
season.
* In other Reino Aventura news, Amusement Business reported that the park
had plans for a giant new coaster in 1996. They will install a new
Suspended Looping coaster from Vekoma, so possibly this is what the
report was talking about. The park does not have a wooden coaster to
compete with nearby La Feria, so maybe they will be installing wood in
the future as well! We'll have to wait and see.
* Steve Barberino, the new owner of Lake Compounce amusement park in
Bristol, CT, has gone on record several times that he wants to install a
300' tall, 100mph steel roller coaster off the side of the mountain
which abuts his park. The working name for this coaster is the "Big
Mountainside Coaster", and he hopes to have this up and running by 1997.
Mr. Barberino has been in contact with several steel coaster firms, but
to date, no formal contracts have been signed.
* Arrow Dynamics International Limited reports with new financial backing
from a Saudi Arabian-based investor, the company can now go ahead with
the finalization of their stalled "Pipeline" steel coaster project.
None of these rides have been sold to date, but Arrow reports they
should have the product ready to roll out their doors in 1996.
* In other Arrow news, a deal was signed at the 1994 IAAPA trade show in
Miami for a new steel looping coaster, to be built off a pier in St.
Petersburg, Florida. The firm looking to install the coaster is
currently trying to obtain proper permits from the city for construction
of the new ride, which looks to be very similar to the "Anaconda"
4-inversion coaster at Paramount's King's Dominion.
* Dorney Park; Allentown, PA, has applied for a zoning varience in South
Whitehall Township, to build a 225' tall steel roller coaster. Should
the variance receive approval, this project should be on target for
1997.
* Waldameer Park in Erie, PA, noted that it would like to rebuild it's
famous "Ravine Flyer" wooden terrain coaster. The park finally has
blueprint, a formal layout, and a contractor (CCI) for the project! The
park has not set an opening date for this ride, but is now estimating
the year 2000 for a possible opening!
* Wayne's World and "The Hurler" coaster may be coming to Paramount's
Great America in Santa Clara, CA. The ride was slated for installation
in 1995, but was "bumped" by Viacom for a Nickelodeon-themed children's
area. It could be this project will get the go-ahead in coming years,
but rumor has it that Paramount is "done" with the Wayne's World/Hurler
rides. Only time will tell?!
* In other Paramount news, it was reported that Paramount was doing guest
studies on the B&M designed "Top Gun" roller coaster at Paramount's
Great America in Santa Clara, CA. Paramount Communications wants to
install a duplicate of this ride at another one of their parks, but to
date, no specific park or year has been identified.
* No concrete news for Cedar Point, other than the fact that the park has
a three-ride contract with the Swiss steel coaster firm of Bolliger and
Mabillard. To date, two ride down, one to go! Given this contractual
fact, I think it's also safe to say that Cedar Point WILL NOT be getting
the Arrow "Pipeline" coaster in 1996 or thereafter -- the next major
steel coaster they receive *will* be manufactured by B&M!
Talk also continues of Cedar Point re-building their 1920s classic
"Cyclone" wooden twister roller coaster, but this is nothing more than
speculation at this point.
* Both SFoT and SFoG have issued ride proposals to the firm of B&M for new
Inverted coasters. Whether or not the proposals will be accepted by
B&M, and/or receive funding approval from Time Warner, Inc., remains to
be seen. However, word has it that the BATMAN coaster installed this
year at Six Flags over Mid-America was originally slated for SFoG, but
was re-directed after labor problems arose with the state of GA. This
could indicate that SFoG will get a BATMAN coaster for 1996, though that
is merely speculation at this point.
3.7: Endangered Coasters in USA
-------------------------------
Legend:
DAMA - Damaged and non-operational
DEMO - Demolished/Destroyed
SBNO - Standing But Not Operating
STOR - Dismantled and in storage
OPER - Currently operating, but possibly in danger
ASSURED TO BE SAVED
SBNO -Leap The Dips: Side Friction; Lakemont Park; Altoona, PA
(Lakemont is very committed to restoring this ancient treasure!)
COASTERS WITH A CHANCE
STOR -Jumper: 19?? Jr. Wood, West Point, PA
STOR -Red Streaker: 19?? Jr. Wood, Willow Mill; Mechanicsburg, PA
SBNO -Wildcat: 1926 Out-and-Back, Elitch Gardens; Denver, CO
(I got word just before sending this out that a park in Ohio has
bought the Wildcat. Hopefully, I'll get some more info and the next
version of this FAQ will have the Wildcat in the "assured to be
saved" section.)
COASTERS IN DANGER
OPER -Roller Coaster: 1958 Wood, Twister, Playland, Vancouver
(Latest word on Playland is that the Pacific National Exhibition has
been relocated to a different site in Vancouver, and is now detached
from Playland Amusement Park. If indeed the City has development
plans for this land, as they _have_ stated in the past they do, the
PNE is no longer blocking the city from closing the park and going
ahead with its development plans.)
OPER -Big Dipper: 1958 Wood, Figure 8, Camden Park
OPER -Lil Dipper: 1963 Jr. Wood, Camden Park
SBNO -Blue Streak: 19?? Out/Back, Connueat Lake Park, PA
SBNO -Twister: 1964 Twister, Elitch Gardens; Denver, CO (old site)
SBNO -Comet: 1946 Twister; Lincoln Park; N Dartmouth, MA
SBNO -Thunderbolt: 1925 Twister, Coney Island, NY
SBNO -Jack Rabbit: 1910 Out/Back, Idora Park; Youngstown, OH
DAMA -Wildcat: 1927 Twister, Idora Park; Youngstown, OH
COASTERS WE'VE RECENTLY LOST FOREVER
DEMO -Comet/Mighty Lightnin: 1958 Dbl. Out/Back, Rocky Glen; Moosic, PA
DEMO -Shooting Star: Out-and-Back (from Lakeside Park)
DEMO -CNE Flyer: 1956 Oval, CNE; Toronto, Canada
DEMO -Speedway: 1937 Out/Back, Eldridge Park; Elmira, NY
DEMO -Valley Volcano: 1956 Jr. Wood, Angela Park; Hazleton, PA
DEMO -Mountain Flyer: 1929 Out/Back, Mountain Park; Holyoke, MA
DEMO -Tornado: 1968 Out/Back, Panama City, FL
DEMO -Coaster: 1931 Out/Back, Harvey's Lake, PA
--
Geoff Allen, Washington State Univ, School of EE & CS, sysadmin support guy
(ge...@eecs.wsu.edu || ge...@wsu.edu) && http://www.eecs.wsu.edu/~geoff/
___________________________________________________________________________
Please remain seated and keep your hands and arms above your head
at all times. Enjoy your ride.
Markus Marbach
Geoff mentioned in his mail from 23 Dec 95:
> HIGHEST G FORCES - (+6.5g)
>
> * Mindbender, Fantasyland, Edmonton, AB
> * Drier Looping, Germany (Fairs)
> * Moonslaut Scramble, Fujikyu Highland Park, Japan
>
> MOST TRAINS ON CIRCUIT
>
> 1. 5: Thriller; German Fairs
Once again to Geoff and all others: The coaster with the highest g-forces
in Germany is NOT the Dreier Loop. It's the Thriller!!!
The coaster with the most trains on circuit is NOT only the Thriller. It's
also the Dreier Looping and the Olympia Looping.
I have written many messages to Geoff but I never got an answer from him.
:-( Very disappointing!
Read you
Markus
markus_...@ol2.maus.de
ansley
Designers of Wooden Coasters
CURRENT:
PAST:
Designers of Steel Coasters
STEEPEST
HIGHEST
LONGEST DROP
FASTEST
LONGEST CIRCUIT
STEEPEST
HIGHEST
LONGEST DROP
FASTEST
LONGEST CIRCUIT
TALLEST LOOPING COASTER
MOST INVERSIONS - (8)
MOST TRAINS ON CIRCUIT
---------------------
This is a re-post of the FAQ orginally posted by Geoff Allen on 12/20/95
Ted Ansley
**Rollercoaster Fan<atic>**
ans...@annap.infi.net
Markus Marbach
>MOST TRAINS ON CIRCUIT
> 1. 5: Thriller; German Fairs
Once again: there is also the Dreier Looping who has five trains on
circuit ....
Ciao
Markus Marbach
(Achte...@aol.com)
Saelliott9
Disney's Space Mountain Florida, 14 trains in busy operations.
Disney's Space Mountain California & Tokyo, 8 trians in normal operations.
Disney's Big Thinder's, all of them, 5 trains in heavy operations.
Disney's Space Mountain, Paris, 5 trains in heavy operations.
The list changes again.
ansley
>Hi Ted!
>Will you ever correct the errors in the list?
>ans...@annap.infi.net (ansley) hat geschrieben:
>> HIGHEST G FORCES - (+6.5g)
>>
>> * Mindbender, Fantasyland, Edmonton, AB
>> * Drier Looping, Germany (Fairs)
>This is called "Dreier Looping", NOT "Drier Looping"
>> * Moonslaut Scramble, Fujikyu Highland Park, Japan
>>
>> MOST TRAINS ON CIRCUIT
>>
>> 1. 5: Thriller; German Fairs
>Tied with the Dreier Looping.
>- Andreas
For the last time, I'm not the maintainer of the FAQ..I just re-posted it
becuase someone was looking for it! All changes should be sent
to Geoff Allen
Ted Ansley **Rollercoaster Fan<atic>**
MD/DC ACE Regional Rep
ans...@annap.infi.net