The Coaster Critic / August 20, 2011
A ride to the top of Kings Dominion’s 305 foot tall Drop Tower: Scream Zone is quite a harrowing ascent even for a seasoned coaster vet like myself. There’s quite a difference between a roller coaster car and just seats with restraints. At the top, Drop Tower holds its ring of 56 seats for a few seconds. These few seconds
The Coaster Critic / June 29, 2011
This ho-hum looking ride found in the kiddie section at my home park, Carowinds has a wild alter-ego. I had always wondered about the interest hardcore theme park fans had in flying scooters or flyers as their called. Flyers can be flown with very little movement and taken as a nice, breezy ride. Or, riders can play the role of
The Coaster Critic / May 19, 2011
I thought this was an interesting snapshot of the clashing of two eras of amusement rides. I took this photo on my recent trip to Six Flags Fiesta Texas. It was a beautiful park and probably my favorite Six Flags park in terms of aesthetics. There was a surprising amount of greenery and some of the best theming I’d seen
The Coaster Critic / August 26, 2010
Four WindSeekers To Debut at Cedar Fair Parks in 2011 Anyone monitoring Theme Park Syndicate on Tuesday might have thought they were experiencing deja vu. All afternoon theme park news sites and blogs were reporting on announcement after announcement as Cedar Fair announced the addition of a new ride called WindSeeker at Cedar Point, Kings Island, Knott’s Berry Farm, &
The Coaster Critic / July 28, 2010
Coaster Stock Part 1: Morning ERT Carowinds’ roller coaster enthusiast event Coaster Stock kicked off with morning ERT (exclusive ride time). Hours before the park was open to the public, we had Afterburn, Woodstock Gliders, Lucy’s Crabby Cabbie & Flying Ace Aerial Chase all to ourselves. Are you wondering why three of the four rides are located in Planet Snoopy (the
The Coaster Critic / October 28, 2007
Great America Gets New Lease on Life After rumors of selling Great America to Cedar Fair to the San Francisco 49ers, Cedar Fair did a complete 180. On the 25th, the company announced that via a press release that Great America will be renamed California’s Great America starting next year. At least this will help avoid any confusion with Six
The Coaster Critic / June 23, 2007
Drop Rides Shutdown at Cedar Fair ParksThe Associated Press has reported that the Drop Zone, a drop tower ride at Kings Dominion has been closed as a result of the accident involving a girls feet being severed on a drop ride at a Six Flags park. Cedar Fair has ordered similar rides closed at the Paramount parks it acquired last
The Coaster Critic / June 21, 2007
Girls Feet Severed on Thrill Ride at Louisville Six Flags Needless to say, this season hasn’t been without its share of amusement park accidents. This most recent incident is by far the most gruesome. On Thursday, a 13-year old girl had her feet severed while riding Superman Power of Tower at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville. The Power of
The Coaster Critic / June 18, 2007
Timber Tower Strands Riders for Hours“Forty four guests were stranded on Dollywood’s Timber Tower amusement ride Saturday night as the attraction was beginning its cycle. According to sources, the passenger vehicle became stuck at the top of the tower, causing the ride’s emergency safety system to engage. The passengers remained at the top of the tower for nearly three hours
Recent Comments