CoasterRadio.com #811 - The 2013 "Best New Attraction of the Year" Award

THIS WEEK:
     * We present the "Best New Attraction of the Year" Award 
     * We take a look at all of the nominees, including:
     * Flying Turns - Knoebels
     * Gold Striker - California's Great America
     * Iron Rattler - Six Flags Fiesta Texas
     * The Smiler - Alton Towers
     * Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin - Sea World Orlando
     * Texas Skyscreamer - Six Flags Over Texas
     * Outlaw Run - Silver Dollar City
     * Full Throttle - Six Flags Magic Mountain
     * Safari Off Road Adventure - Six Flags Great Adventure
     * Coast Rider - Knott's Berry Farm
     * White Lightning - Fun Spot Orlando
     * Undertow - Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
     * Gatekeeper - Cedar Point
     * We also take a look at a new "Titanic" themed attraction in China

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The Single Best Ride Experience of 2013

By Dave Voskuhl

You know those years when everything seems to fall into place, and tons of great opportunities seem to fall in your lap?

That was 2013 for me.

Last year was probably the biggest coaster year I’ve ever had, so narrowing down the entire year to the single best ride experience was quite difficult for me.

I’ll start from the beginning.  In April, I decided to travel to North Carolina to visit some friends who recently moved to Raleigh.  Naturally, I convinced them (it didn’t take much convincing) to see some amusement parks with me.

I’d never been to Carowinds, and it had been about 10 years since my last trip to Kings Dominion.  So I was excited to see both Intimidators, in addition to the other coasters.

The Carowinds Intimidator is a fantastic B&M Hyper, but I think Afterburn might still be the best coaster at the park.  Then it was on to Kings Dominion and I-305, which I’d been aching to ride since it debuted. Related note: I’m admittedly a Millennium Force fanboy.  No judging please.

If you asked me in January what my best experience of the year would be, 305 would have been the hands-down favorite.  It’s definitely intense, and it’s very fun; but being partial to hills and airtime, it didn’t blow me away.  And again, it may not be the best coaster in the park, compliments of Dominator.  In any case, the trip to Carolina/Virginia was a strong start to the year.

The month of May rolled around, and I found myself at media day for Gatekeeper, at Cedar Point.  Now I’m a Cedar Point junkie, so I was thrilled to see a big new coaster added to the park.  And boy does that front gate look fantastic now!  As a ride though, Gatekeeper was strong, but again not a grand slam.

It wasn’t until October that I found the rides that really blew me away.  My friend and I are avid haunt fans as well, and we took a trip to sunny Los Angeles for a plethora of rides and haunts.  On day one, we went to Knott’s Berry Farm/Scary Farm.  What an incredible event!  I had been to Knott’s once, but Xcelerator and Timber Mountain Log Ride were down for maintenance during my previous visit.  On this trip, Xcelerator was pure thrill.

It’s a great adrenaline rush, and with no line, we endured more than our share of rides.  And their haunt event absolutely lives up to its reputation.  They have some of the scariest mazes I’ve seen.  With that said, Knott’s is quickly becoming one of my favorite parks.

Day two was spent at Six Flags Magic Mountain.  Again, I’d been there before, but hadn’t been on Superman backwards, or Lex Luthor Drop of Doom.  I’ll say a few things here.  First, Superman backwards is infinitely better than forward.  There’s something about screaming down that track backwards at 100 mph, and then looking down face-first as you climb the tower that is just surreal.  Second, Drop of Doom is absolutely the most terrifying ride I’ve ever experienced.  If you’re ascending the tower when the coaster launches, you can feel the entire structure swaying, and we’re talking multiple feet here.  Did I have a death grip on the restraint for my first ride? Yes.  Did I ride it multiple times afterward? Yes.  Drop of Doom is terrifying, but it’s also fantastic for the thrill-seekers.
We concluded our trip at Universal Studios Hollywood for Halloween Horror Nights.  The rides there are fun, but nothing to write home about.  Apologies, Transformers.

So without further ado, my top ride experience for 2013 is Timber Mountain Log Ride at Knott’s Berry Farm.

I had heard that this thing was fun, and as I said, it wasn’t operating during my first visit to Knott’s due to refurbishment.  But this year I was able to ride it, and it was just phenomenal.  There are so many great scenes along the way, and despite your boat travelling so fast throughout the course, it’s still a very long ride.  The downside (or perhaps upside) is that since you’re going so fast, you can’t get your eyes on everything that’s going on.  As a result, when I got off the ride, the only thing I wanted to do was to get right back in line and do it again.  And I think more than anything, that’s what makes a great experience.

So despite so many giant coasters that I was able to experience for the first time, a classic log flume takes the cake.  Being an adrenaline junkie, I’m even surprised at myself.  Maybe I’m becoming soft in my older age…  Nah, definitely not. :)

Boutique Parks

By Justin Martin

The first (and quite possibly the last) boutique park designed and seen through to completion was none other than SeaWorld’s Discovery Cove.

Discovery Cove is a unique “boutique park” because it caters to one central idea that provides an intimate experience for a select number of guests per day.

Discovery Cove was created to provide animal experiences where guests can swim, pet and meet live animals in a naturally themed environment. A small number of guests are allowed into the park through advanced reservations to experience this one of a kind park.

Last week, I wrote about "Lord of the Rings" and wondered if that franchise could inspire its own park. This question can be pointed towards any of the major film franchises... from the" Lord of the Rings" to "Harry Potter" to "Star Wars."

Could these powerful franchises have enough intellectual property to inspire an entire park? The simple answer is no.

Now before I hear the boo-birds let me explain.

The main problem of having an entire themed park based upon just a single property is that it only appeals to a narrow group of fans. Sure, the world fell in love with Harry Potter and his friends... but the majority of park visitors wouldn’t want to spend an entire day in that world.

Harry Potter works at Universal because after a few hours in Hogsmeade, you can journey to Jurassic Park or Seuss Landing or Marvel Superhero Island. Those lands appeal to all types of people... not just fans of the film.

While "super fans" would love an entire day's experience of nothing but Harry Potter or Star Wars, we won't see a 5th Gate at Disney or Universal's rumored 3rd gate themed to just a single franchise, no matter how popular.

The expansion at Disney California Adventure cost upwards of 1 billion dollars.  That's the average amount to build a entire park now.

The cost to build an park based on just one property is outweighed by time.

Every franchise has a time period during which it is popular.  At some point, that popularity will fade.

While we would love to see an entirely immersive park themed completely around our favorite films, I think it is safe to say we won’t see a boutique park again.

But I do believe we are beginning to see a new era of super themed and high immersive lands in the future.

Next week, see how the battle for the immersive experience is being fought on two different battlefields in Orlando when Universal takes on Disney.

Best New Attraction of 2013

This week, we'll unveil the winner of our "Best New Attraction of 2013" award. But we'd like your help in determining the winner! VOTE NOW!

CoasterRadio.com #810 - "Coaster"damus

THIS WEEK:
     * A look at an innovative new dark ride/coaster design 
     * What is the most innovative ride system ever?
     * A look back at our 2013 theme park predictions
     * What did we get right and what did we get wrong?
     * A Live Trip Report from Six Flags Fiesta Texas
     * Bold predictions for 2014!

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Lord of the Rings - Is It Worth The Gamble?

By Justin Martin

A few months ago rumors began swirling yet again of theme park possibilities for the Lord of the Rings franchise.

We heard that the two major players in the industry, Disney and Universal, were both possibly involved in attempting to acquire the rights for the massively popular film franchise. But would those dollars from the box office turn into dollars for one of the most successful theme park companies in the world?

Personally, I believe not, and here is exactly why.

Age Gap
The original trilogy was released between 2001 and 2003, after that we had not seen any more films to the franchise until 2012 and now with the release of “The Desolation of Smaug” in 2013.  That’s a nine-year gap. It never allowed for an attachment to the franchise like Harry Potter did.

Harry potter “grew up” with most people over an 11-year period, without any breaks. People don’t have a much of an attachment to the Lord of the Rings as they do Potter which I believe is a huge reason for the Wizarding World’s success at Islands of Adventure.

Characters
After watching most of the Lord of the Rings films a few years ago, I hardly can remember the names of the characters, let alone the locations of the film. Characters are the driving force in the story while in a theme park locations are what set the mood.

In Harry Potter, the main characters name is the title, and his friends and enemies all have easy to remember names.  And while there are many locations, there is one iconic location, Hogwarts. Lord of the Rings seems to span the globe and it would be nearly impossible to find a location that would be most iconic to tell a complete story in a small space for a land.

And as for characters, there are far and few memorable characters let alone characters the average movie go’er would remember.

Family Friendly Appeal
When JK Rowling wrote the Harry Potter books, they were intended to range from a family to adult audiences. The Lord of the Rings books are intended for a much more mature audience.

When creating a theme park, you design them with families in mind. Why, because in most cases families come in groups of 4, Parents and children. You are going to get more attendance, and ticket sales from families entering through your gates than gearing an enormous amount of real estate to a mature audience that brings in teens/ young adults without families, and where families would be less inclined to bring their children.

In the end there are many reasons why Lord of the Rings wouldn’t work, as well as a few strong arguments that would show why it would work. But in the end, there is one film left to be made before it is all over, and no hint of any agreement has been made to create a land.

While it would please the fans to have second breakfast, these two theme park giants might be better off looking in a different direction for intellectual property. Well why not build an entire park for Lord of the Rings? Find out why boutique parks might not be the best idea next week!

Six Flags (Not so great) America

By Terry Mulcahy

Six Flags America is Washington, DC’s home park, and that sucks.

It’s not that the park itself is terrible (more on that later) it’s that, as the park closest to the nation’s capital it’s a huge disappointment.

Of course, D.C. is lucky enough to have both Kings Dominion and Busch Gardens Williamsburg within a couple hours drive. But despite a notorious throng of tourists during D.C.’s hot ‘n’ humid summer months, Six Flags America is the only park to offer some form of public transport system from the city.

Six Flags is not a terrible park. But when the chain includes a “Great America” (near Chicago) it’s unfortunate that SFA... isn’t.

What it is though, is a mixed-bag. The park has some nicely-themed areas (the entry plaza is pretty, and the Coyote Creek section is appropriately rugged) and a sprinkling of badass rides (Superman: Ride of Steel is a solid Intamin Mega Coaster full of airtime but devoid of theming).

But for everything right, there’s a wrong.

The Gotham City area of the park is a depressing expanse of thinly decorated concrete plazas, the South West Territory section is little more than a dumping ground for fairground flats and the park’s two woodies are rough and forgettable.

A lot of complaints in the past have settled on poor operations and unfriendly staff, something which the park have taken great strides to address. Staff are usually friendly, enthusiastic and ready to offer high-fives and sing-a-longs in stations, but whether they will operate more than one train, is another matter. Strolling the midway, staff in day-glo shirts flash eager smiles and exude energy, even if all they are doing is hawking Flash Passes.

The park has had a shaky few years too. Removing their decently-themed kinda/sorta WaterCoaster “Skull Mountain” left the park with a huge, grinning skull facade and little to fill it. That is, until the B&M Standup Iron Wolf from Great America was relocated and re-themed as Apocalypse. (And fitted with fireballs!) A standup coaster offered a more compact layout than some alternatives but was never going to wow the enthusiasts. Renovations to the waterpark (included in admission) though, were a welcome step.

But it could be so much more!

If the park were to embrace Washington’s history and incorporate it more heavily into the theming, it might better befit the tourism juggernaut that the city has become. Sure, the upcoming Mardi Gras area sounds cute, but relocating a spinning coaster, adding a Flying Eagles ride and hanging a few colored beads won’t turn the park around.

Imagine a Mount Vernon Vekoma or a National Mall plaza? What about a White House-Whitewater River or a Congress Corkscrew?

If you’re in town, without a car, consider stopping by. If you have wheels though, there’s so much better nearby.

A Merry CoasterBoy Christmas

by Dave Voskuhl

On a recent episode of Coaster Radio, Mike and EB went over some good (and some not-so-good) ideas for Christmas gifts for your fellow coaster fans.

Sorry guys, I’m not a billionaire, so don’t expect the Disneyland coffee table from me.

However, if you’re like me, your family knows how much of a geek you are when it comes to amusement parks and roller coasters.  So going into the holiday season, I’m always looking forward to what people will be getting me.

Although any more, my family just asks me what I want for Christmas.  So much for creativity…

In any case, I asked for a season pass to a local water park, so I’m looking forward to a full summer of water slides!

But I’m not just on the receiving end of the coaster gifts.  My uncle is a theme park fan as much as I am, so I’ve been giving theme park-related gifts to him for years.

Some of the things I’ve passed along are Cedar Point hoodies, a single-day admission to Dollywood, a K’Nex roller coaster set, and Disney gift cards.  Let the record state: you can never go wrong with Disney gift cards, especially if it’s someone who goes to the Disney parks somewhat regularly.

This year my uncle finally caved in and rode Top Thrill Dragster for the first time, so I’m giving him a Coaster Dynamix Statix model of a Dragster Train.  And while I was doing that shopping, I also got a Millennium Force model for myself.  Merry Christmas to me!

I’m not sure if my co-workers haven’t noticed the coaster model in my cube yet, or if they’re just quietly laughing at me…  I’ll assume the former.  But overall, the Statix models are very nice and pretty realistic, so I’m happy with the purchase.  And of course I’m also throwing in a Disney gift card.  Seriously—can’t go wrong.

I’m sure that whatever your gifts may include, coaster-related or not, will bring joy to the holiday season.  And that’s really what it’s all about.  But for the theme park fans in your family, there are some very good options out there to bring the thrills home.

Merry Christmas from a fellow coaster boy!

A CoasterBoy Christmas

The Tradition Continues!!!

Neil Patrick Harris and CoasterRadio.com tell the holiday tale of a magical Christmas Eve visit from the world's most obnoxious coaster enthusiast.

Happy Holidays from your friends at CoasterRadio.com!

(and please share this with your friends!)

Theme Parks Are Good For Your Kids

by Terry Mulcahy

Think about your first trip to a park; it was probably a blur of colors, sounds and temper-tantrums. But what about that sense of whimsy when you saw Disney World’s castle for the first time, or the fear you felt approaching your first coaster loop?

Theme parks might be expensive, tiring and stressful, but take a step back and you’ll see that they can also be emotional training-grounds.

Deferred Gratification
It’s the thing that most coaster-boys hate: the queue-line. Standing in the sun with a toddler might be hell, but waiting patiently is a great way for the young ‘uns to learn that sometimes, that’s the only way to get what you want. Even electronic q-bots and fast-passes can teach them this, if you explain that you’re waiting your turn to do something awesome.

Lateral Thinking
They’ll half enjoy, half dread the tension a line builds before their first big ride. And the stories that queue-line theming can tell visually, without words, are a good way for kids to think of narrative in a more lateral way.

It’s also a great place to talk to them about what they’re going to experience and allay their fears - or scare the crap out of them, if you’re that sort of parent.

You gotta do what you gotta do

We’ve all seen it. That one kid who is so terrified to ride something, they’ll happily scream until they puke. Being a good parent is learning to get to know your kid and what they can handle, but sometimes it’s important to push through that fear. And if that means tears, it might be for the best.

We’re talking Haunted Mansion / first big log flume, not Kingda Ka but learning that you can’t back out just because you’re scared of something is important.

Asking that girl out on a date, applying for that one job you don’t think you can get or giving a public speech, it’s a similar lesson and for many of us we learned it first at a theme park.

Self-esteem
And if they do push past the wide-eyed terror, not only do they deserve a high-five but they’ll love themselves for it. Remember conquering your first drop-tower? Or your first grown-up flat ride? Isn’t that feeling of adrenaline and pride one of the best things ever? Whether Big Thunder Mountain was your Everest or The Hulk was your nemesis, it feels pretty good walking down the exit ramp a hero.

“No.”

Sometimes you just can’t have it. And with theme park prices for food/merch/waterpark entry/upcharge extras, most kids are going to learn that they can’t have everything, so they should enjoy what they can have. Bah Humbug.

Imagination
But the most important rite of passage? The all-out assault on the senses that a theme park can be. Whether it’s passing under Islands of Adventure’s Port of Entry bridge, strolling down Disney’s Mainstreet USA or catching a parade, those are moments that you’ll never forget.

The mist effect pumped into a haunted attraction, the soaring musical score of rides like Jurassic Park: River Adventure or the suspension of disbelief that, “something has gone terribly wrong.” These are what memories are made of.

CoasterRadio.com #809 - Neil Patrick Harris - LIVE from EPCOT!

THIS WEEK:
     * We talk with Neil Patrick Harris LIVE from EPCOT 
     * Neil is in Orlando to host EPCOT's Candlelight Processional
     * He is also there to host Disney Park's Christmas Day Parade
     * EB and Mike recap their favorite park moments from 2013
     * Details on the upcoming short film "A CoasterBoy Christmas!"
     * Hagrid has a new job for the holidays
     * And a Live Trip Report from Disney's Animal Kingdom

Direct Podcast Link 
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Talk about this episode by leaving a comment here on the blog.

CoasterRadio.com #808 - A Seminar on Theme Park Design

THIS WEEK:
     * We talk with PGAV Destinations Sr. Attraction Designer Jim Wieble 
     * Jim designed attractions like Journey to Atlantis and Cheetah Hunt
     * A Live Trip Report from the Smokey Mountain Alpine Coaster
     * A call from the "Bat Cave"
     * The 2013 CoasterRadio.com Holiday Gift Guide
     * And details on a special guest next week!

Direct Podcast Link 
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Talk about this episode by leaving a comment here on the blog.

2013 Holiday Gift Guide

Are you looking for the best roller coaster and theme park gift ideas? You've come to the right place!

Here are some of our favorite ideas for 2013!!!

$15,000 - Disneyland Main Street Showcase Coffee Table Train Set 

$1,000 - 1920’S Dodgem Car

$84.95 - Walt Disney World Monorail Set

$19.95 - Walt Disney World 2014 Attraction Poster Calendar 
$150.00 - Replica Frontierland attraction sign

$14.99 - Top Thrill Dragster Ornament

$100 - Coaster Dynamix Coaster Factory

$14.99 - Maverick Train Replica

$25.00 - Cincy Shirts
$15.95 - ACE Rollercoaster Calendar

$4,999 - Skee Ball Machine

LINKS
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THEME PARK CONNECTION ONLINE STORE
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