Bumper cars, however, are housed inside buildings away from the tumult of the midway and typically get lost in the shuffle. The ride may not have the panache of other classics, but bumper cars have been essential attractions from the earliest days of amusement parks to the present. Getting behind the wheel of one is a rite of passage. No visit to a park is complete without landing a good ka-thunk or two.

One of the first bumper cars may have been the Witching Waves at Coney Island’s Luna Park, according to Charles Denson of the Coney Island History Project. The attraction debuted at the Brooklyn, New York amusement mecca in 1907 in a large outdoor oval along the Bowery. The cars were not powered by electricity, but relied on an undulating floor to propel the low-slung vehicles, which passengers steered using levers.

There were other attempts at one-off attractions, but the bumper cars that we know today can be traced about 100 years ago to the Dodgem Corp. in Lawrence, Massachusetts. They included long contact poles that scraped along an electrified grid ceiling and transferred power to the cars. The distinctive poles remain to this day on many bumper car attractions, and the occasional arcing sparks they generate and the smell of ozone they produce are among the ride’s idiosyncrasies. Some bumper cars forego the poles and draw power from floor pickups.

Unlike the precision rack-and-pinion steering found on modern automobiles, the wheels on the original Dodgems were more aspirational in nature. “The early cars were kinda clunky,” says Jim Futrell, historian for the National Amusement Park Historical Association. “If you turned the wheel to the left, it might go right and vice-versa.” (Futrell should know a thing or two about the ride, since he has a vintage bumper car in his basement.) The balky steering probably made the experience, where the goal has always been to bump other cars and, as the name implies, dodge the cars trying to bump you, simultaneously frustrating and giddy.

As the rides evolved, the steering improved. But one of the attraction’s peculiarities has been the cars’ ability to go backward. It’s often a requirement to get out of a multi-car pile-up or to free a car gets pinned into a corner. The cars don’t have gearshifts, but drivers can go in reverse by turning the steering wheel 180 degrees, which faces the front wheels backwards.

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The Dodgem Corp. installed its first bumper cars attraction a few miles away from its shop at Salisbury Beach in Massachusetts in the early 1920s. (As with most seaside amusement areas, the Dodgem as well as nearly all of the other rides and attractions at the beach are gone.) In the late 1920s, the Lusse Brothers, a shop in Philadelphia, developed its own version of bumper cars, which it called Auto Skooters. Throughout the 1920s, the two competing companies sold hundreds of bumper cars. The ride quickly became a staple at the many parks that used to dot the country, such as Euclid Beach in Cleveland, Ohio, which closed in 1969.

More than 100 years after they were introduced, the rides are still going strong. What accounts for their enduring popularity? “Bumper cars epitomize the fundamental appeal of amusement parks: a sense of escape,” theorizes Futrell. “You can do things you can’t get away with in real life.” For example, rather than fantasizing about road rage, the whole purpose of the ride is to smash into other vehicles. (The only caveat is to avoid head-on collisions, as many bumper car attractions warn riders with large signs.)

Another huge selling point: Kids can drive them. For many children, their first experience behind a wheel is plowing into other kids in bumper cars. Even when they can’t reach the pedals, kids love hopping into a car alongside a parent or older sibling and commandeering the wheel.

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The amusements used to sprawl across a much larger swath of Coney Island than they do today. Denson, who grew up in the shadows of the area’s many roller coasters, recalls that there used to be at least six bumper car rides. He remembers the skill it sometimes took to operate them.

“The best job in Coney was the one where you broke apart tangled bumper cars while the ride was in motion,” Denson says. Attendants would stand on the bumper that surround a car, hold on to the contact pole with one hand and the steering wheel of the occupied vehicle with the other, and try to get the car in motion while other cars were slamming into it. “One false step and you could lose your foot,” he adds.

Today, Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park at Coney Island features bumper cars that were relocated from nearby Astroland, a park that closed in 2008. One of the oddest bumper car attractions is Eldorado Auto Skooter on Surf Avenue in Coney Island, which dates back to 1973. The marquee above the entrance beckons customers with the Brooklyn-esque slogan, “Bump Your Ass Off.” Inside visitors might be surprised to discover a Studio 54 vibe with glitter balls, pulsing lights, and bass-thumping music. The Eldorado gives a whole new meaning to the disco classic, “Do the Bump.”

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The Dodgem Corp. sold its business in 1961, and subsequent owners stopped making the rides in 1970. Lusse continued manufacturing its Skooters until it closed in 1994. Today, overseas shops produce bumper cars, and the rides continue to delight visitors at parks as well as at fairs and carnivals. Knott’s Berry Farm in California, for example, calls its attraction, Wheeler Dealer Bumper Cars.

Idlewild, a charming park in Ligonier, Pennsylvania that dates back to 1878 and is geared to families with younger children, has offered bumper cars since 1931. The attraction used to feature Lusse Auto Skooters, but now offers cars produced by a French company.

Some older bumper cars remain, however. The tiny Interstate Amusement in Seaside, Oregon, for instance, maintains a fleet of sharp-looking Lusse cars.

One of the best collections of vintage bumper cars is at Knoebels in Elysburg, Pennsylvania. The free-admission amusement park, which dates back to 1926, began offering Dodgem bumper cars in 1947. It switched to Lusse Auto Skooters and has stuck with them ever since.

Since Lusse ceased operations a while ago, that presents some challenges, according to John Fetterman, a member of the maintenance team at Knoebels. “Out of necessity, we have to source spare parts for the ride largely on our own,” he says. In fact, Knoebels bought Idlewild’s Lusse Auto Skooters when that park no longer needed them.

It takes a lot of tender loving care to keep the cars running, especially since their raison d’etre is to crash on a routine basis. In the off-season, Knoebels repaints and repairs the vehicles. It might seem to make more sense to purchase new ones, but Fetterman says the maxim, “newer is not always better,” holds true. The park prefers the mid-Century steel-bodied Lusse cars over the company’s later fiberglass models.

In part, it has to do with aesthetics. The sleek, evocative cars that Knoebels has represent “the pinnacle of Lusse designs,” says Fetterman. “They somewhat resemble the popular, Harley-Earl designed Chevrolet line of automobiles of that period.”

Do you make it a point to experience bumper cars when you visit an amusement park? Do you find it cathartic to crash a bumper car?

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It was a surreal moment in a day filled with surreal moments. Rounding a corner in the room containing Walt Disney Imagineering’s art history archives, there it was: the famous 1950s concept drawing of Disneyland that designer Herb Ryman completed in one weekend with Walt Disney standing over his shoulder.

This wasn’t a reproduction; it was the actual legendary piece. Casually propped up on a pallet (it was either arriving from or en route to an exhibit), Ryman’s drawing sat among some of the other 80,000 pieces of artwork stored at Imagineering headquarters that Disney’s creative gurus had created through the years. “It was all started by a mouse,” Walt Disney once famously said. With deference to Mickey, Disneyland, and the very idea of a “theme park” for that matter, really all began with that drawing.

So how was it that I came to be ogling Ryman's historical artwork and roaming Imagineering’s hallowed halls in Glendale, California? Among the industry professionals who read my articles was Jon Georges, who then served as director of Blue Sky Development at Walt Disney Imagineering. In 2007, he invited me to speak to the revered group as part of the organization’s Insight Out speaker series. After my presentation, I was treated to an exclusive tour of the sprawling campus.

By the way, when Ms. About Theme Parks learned that I was going to be making a presentation to the Imagineers, she said, incredulously, “So let me get this straight. You are going to talk to them about the theme park industry?” Admittedly, the notion seemed a bit nuts, but the Imagineers were a wonderful audience, and we had a lively exchange about parks and themed entertainment. That might be a topic for another article.

While I did get to peer behind the scenes, I wasn’t granted unfettered access. There were plenty of hush-hush projects and Imagineers secreted away in their workshop lairs. This article isn’t meant to be a comprehensive overview of Imagineering; rather, it’s a recap of some of my observations that day–a geek’s ramblings, if you will.

It was surprising to discover that the folks who design iconic castles and grandiose geodesic domes conduct their work in distinctly bland and nondescript buildings. There wasn’t even a sign, modest or otherwise, to indicate Imagineering’s home base. Driving down Flower Street in Glendale, it would have been impossible to locate the campus without knowing its address. Inside, however, there were characteristic traces of Imagineering whimsy everywhere.

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In the courtyard outside the commissary, for example, gondolas from Disneyland’s defunct Skyway served as makeshift picnic tables. The Environmental Design and Engineering building, which houses architects, engineers, and interior designers, was once a bowling center that was open to the public. Remnants of its kitsch past remained, including a conference room with a maple table fashioned out of the lanes’ floorboards and a podium that looked like a score table.

One hallway in the main building is known as the John Hench Graffiti Gallery. An influential and beloved artist and designer, Hench worked at the Disney company for over 60 years and was senior vice president for Imagineering. The hallway was lined with lively portraits, sketches, montages, and other displays contributed by Imagineers in homage to Hench, who died in 2004. (For more on John Hench and Imagineering, consider reading his wonderful book, “Designing Disney: Imagineering and the Art of the Show.” )

Perhaps the oddest (and geekiest?) experience I had at Imagineering came about midway through my tour. My guide escorted me into the sculpture studio and left me by myself for a few moments to wander the hushed room and gaze at plaster busts of highly expressive pirates from Pirates of the Caribbean, Hollywood celebrities from The Great Movie Ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and lots of other Disney statuary. In one corner of the room, the original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs figures that once delighted guests at Disneyland laid in state, looking a bit bedraggled. (Fiberglas replicas now stand sentry at the park.) It was both eerie to be alone with all of the silent figures and a tad overwhelming to see so much theme park history.

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History is important at Imagineering. The art history archives are part of a wing devoted to preserving the parks’ past. There is also a slide library with over 2 million actual and digitized images of attractions as well as the research that went into developing them. For example, the woman who oversaw the slide library said that there were many photos of Africa chronicling the trips that Joe Rohde and other Imagineers took as they were designing Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

A separate show documentation library included a dossier of information for each Disney attraction with items like color samples, design references, and unusual artifacts such as Tiki Bird feathers and fur patterns from the Yeti who resides inside the Expedition Everest coaster (and all these years later is still stuck in “Disco Yeti” mode). There were even undergarments worn by the animatronic characters (who knew?) stored there.

Georges pointed out some color swatches of bright paints and said that they were for one of the dark rides that incorporated black light effects. “We include samples of what the paint looks like in natural light and how it appears under black lights,” he noted. “Black light painting is becoming a lost art.”

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Georges said that the libraries, particularly the show documentation library, help Imagineering and the Disney parks maintain the attractions. It’s known as “show quality standards,” or SQS in Disney-speak. I guess when it’s time to trade out Richard Nixon’s undergarments in the Hall of Presidents, it helps to have a record of what size and brand he wears.

Of course, the libraries aren’t used to exclusively focus on the past. Imagineers frequent them to explore new concepts and do research for attractions under development as well. Georges used another hallway display to take me through Imagineering’s development process. The walls were filled with photos, illustrations, and text depicting the stages, including: blue sky (the department that Georges oversaw), which provides the seeds that evolve into attractions; concept development and feasibility, where ideas take shape in the form of two- and three-dimensional renderings as well as computer-generated models; design and production, during which capital is approved, play-testing is conducted, and systems are developed; construction and installation, where all of the Imagineering disciplines work collaboratively to build the actual attraction; test and adjust, to tweak the attraction; grand opening; and patio party, when the team members celebrate the completion of the project (and doubtless hang out in the old Skyway vehicles).

Since my original visit, I've had the opportunity to return to Walt Disney Imagineering a few times. (It's one of the wonderful perks of being a theme park journalist.) And guess what? You too could visit Walt Disney Imagineering. Adventures by Disney, the company’s guided tour division, includes a stop at the Glendale headquarters on its Disneyland Resort and Southern California Escape itinerary. It also includes a tour of the Walt Disney Studios (another legendary place I got to visit and write about).

“Disneyland will never be completed...as long as there is imagination left in the world,” is another famous Walt-ism. Thankfully, there appears to be plenty of imagination to go around among today’s merry band of Imagineers.

Would you want to visit Walt Disney Imagineering? What would you hope to see if you toured the Glendale headquarters?

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4.75 (out of 5)

An E-Ticket tour de force, Disneyland’s Indiana Jones Adventure immerses guests into the world of the popular movie series through the use of Disney’s innovative “Enhanced Motion Vehicles,” highly elaborate sets, and a stunning array of effects. Rather than retell one of the movie franchise’s stories, it creates a new plot and casts riders in leading roles. It is one of Imagineering’s crowning achievements.

Getting to the attraction is an adventure in itself. There are reasons why Indiana Jones’ queue is incredibly long. For one, the ride attracts huge crowds and requires a long line to accommodate the masses. More significantly, however, the meandering passageways are necessary to move guests to the ride building that is located outside the park’s original boundaries. With virtually no space to expand within Disneyland, the park built the attraction in a former parking lot beyond the Jungle River Cruise.

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To acclimate to the story, in which guests are cast as 1930s-era tourists visiting an ancient temple unearthed by archaeologist/action stud/snake-phobe Indiana Jones, they move through foreboding caverns adorned with flickering lights, mysterious wall etchings, ominous spikes, even-more ominous skeletons, and other time-killing diversions. The passageway ends in a pre-show room that features vintage newsreel footage to set up the ride. It seems that Indy’s excavation site has become a famous vacation spot. Tourists are flocking to see the shrine with its purported treasures and mystical powers. But, the newsreel warns (with an all-too-obvious dose of theme park ride calamity foreshadowing), visitors MUST NOT look into the eyes of the temple’s idol, Mara, or an ancient curse will befall them. Hence the name of the shrine (and the subtitle of the attraction): the Temple of the Forbidden Eye.

Riders board the vehicles from one of two loading platforms. The first scene takes guests into the Chamber of Destiny for a face-to-giant-face meeting with Mara. The vehicles move toward a blinding light that is–you got it–the forbidden eye. Having triggered the curse, all hell breaks loose. Lighting crackles, snakes slither (why does it always have to be snakes, indeed), and other horrors ensue.

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The actual course of events differs slightly for each ride. According to Disney, its Enhanced Motion Vehicles, which have onboard computers that independently control them through the attraction, are capable of delivering 160,000 different variations of motions and actions. The sophisticated, 12-passenger, Jeep-like vehicles are unlike anything that preceded them and seem to adopt personalities of their own. When they encounter the snakes, for example, they shudder and recoil in much the same way as their passengers.

Amid the chaos, an old pal comes to the rescue. A startlingly lifelike animatronic Indiana Jones intercedes and attempts to direct visitors to safety. More catastrophes unfold, however, as the vehicles traverse a rickety bridge above the lava-spewing Cavern of Bubbling Death (why does it always have to be bubbling death?), and move into a room filled with bugs–ewww!–and a cave where poisonous darts whiz within inches of riders–eeahhh! The ride is great at using darkness and momentary bursts of light to heighten the tension and add to disorienting misdirection. The onboard audio, which includes the familiar Indiana Jones score interspersed with other original music and sound effects, also adds to the drama.

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Indy concludes with an incredible scene featuring the iconic, giant rolling boulder from the first movie. Even though guests rationally understand that it’s a ride and that they aren’t in any real danger, the effect is so well constructed, they can’t help but react by ducking lest the ensuing boulder flattens them. Spared from becoming pancakes, guests round a bend for a final sendoff from Indy. If the unload area is backed up (especially if only one side of the ride is operating), the vehicles linger in the last scene with the Indiana Jones character. After he says his line, it’s odd to watch the animatronic Jones move repetitively and a bit awkwardly waiting for the next vehicle.

Note that while there are no coaster drops or inversions, the vehicles are fast, and the ride is action-packed with quick starts and stops and plenty of jostling. Also, many of the scenes are dark, and there are all kinds of dark ride gotchas, such as the aforementioined snakes and “poisonous” darts. On my 10-point thrill scale (where 10 is yikes!), I give Indiana Jones Adventure a 3.75.

There is a similar Indiana Jones attraction at Tokyo Disney Sea, the second park at the Tokyo Disney resort. That ride is called Temple of the Crystal Skull. Enhanced Motion Vehicle technology was also used in the Dinosaur attraction (formerly known as Countdown to Extinction) at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. After years of mixed reviews, it closed earlier this year and will be re-themed as another Indiana Jones ride. It is scheduled to open in 2027 as part of the park’s new Tropical Americas land.

Does Indiana Jones Adventure hold up against more recent E-Ticket attractions? Are you looking forward to the new Indy ride at Disney World?

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The new attraction will incorporate 8-passenger, single-car vehicles that will ascend a 90-foot chain lift hill, drop 75 feet, and hit a top speed of 45 mph. So what will make Cannonball! a “water coaster?” It will also feature a splashdown finale that will send a plume of water cascading skyward, surely drenching riders. With a comparatively short 1,700 feet of track, the whole shebang will probably clock in at about one minute of ride time.

In typical Holiday World fashion, Cannonball! will tell a compelling story that will lean heavily into silliness. (See the park’s 2024 entry, Good Gravy!, for evidence of its trademark humor.) It seems the town of Boulder Canyon will be holding its annual Fourth of July Cannonball contest at the community pool, and the rules now allow entrants to join together and jump into the water as a group. So, each car’s passengers will represent a group of contestants, and the vehicle will splash down into what appears will be a faithful facsimile of a pool, complete with diving boards, lane dividers, and deck lounge chairs. According to the park, riders are supposed to yell “Cannonball!” before they take the plunge.

Boulder Canyon was the fictional town in which Raging Rapids, a raft ride, plied churning waters until its retirement in 2023. Like Carowinds, which will be replacing its defunct raft ride with Rip Roarin’ Falls next year, Holiday World is sticking with a water ride to fill the void left by Raging Rapids. Speaking of the Fourth of July, Cannonball! will anchor the land named after the Independence Day celebration. Each ride vehicle will be outfitted with a unique design, such as the Stars and Stripes, watermelon, and a patriotic Popsicle, to pay homage to the holiday.

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Cannonball! will be built by Mack Rides, which refers to its hybrid roller coaster/splashdown model as a “Water Coaster.” There are two other Mack Water Coasters in the U.S. from the manufacturer, Journey to Atlantis at SeaWorld Orlando and Journey to Atlantis at SeaWorld San Diego. (The German ride company also built the same-named Journey to Atlantis at SeaWorld San Antonio, but that attraction is a Mack “SuperSplash.” It too is a water coaster, but its vehicles are much bigger and, as the model name implies, it is designed to deliver a huge finale splash like a shoot-the-chutes ride.) Unlike the SeaWorld rides, which include two lifts and deliver a splashdown drop in the middle of the ride, Cannonball! will include a single lift and save its more modest splashdown as the final element. Also, the SeaWorld attractions include dark ride scenes–Orlando’s Journey to Atlantis has more extensive indoor sequences–whereas the Holiday World ride will be set entirely outdoors.

There are other rides that are considered water coasters. Typically found in water parks, bathing suit-clad passengers load into rafts that are propelled uphill by jets of water or magnetic motors (a few even use a conveyor belt system) for a water coaster experience. Instead of being tethered to a track, the vehicles soar along a water-filled flume. Splashin’ Safari, the water park that is included with admission to Holiday World, features three of the industry’s best flume-like water coasters: Mammoth, Wildebeest, and Cheetah Chase. It could be argued that more traditional coasters with prominent water elements, such as Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland and Griffon at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, are water coasters of sorts.

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Reaffirming Holiday World’s devotion to silly puns, passengers will pass two huge swan floaties on the pool deck after they plunge into the pool. One will be known as “Ron the Swan,” while the other will be named “Ron Swan’s Son.” If you don’t get the reference, you don’t know “Parks and Recreation.”

“One of our company values is, ‘We have fun,’” says Lauren Crosby, the park’s fourth-generation owner and director of entertainment and events. “We’re daring enough to be a little absurd with our ride concepts.”

Riders as short as 42 inches will be able to board Cannonball!, which will make it accessible to kids who want to try something a bit more daring than Good Gravy!, but don’t yet make the cut for coasters such as The Raven or The Voyage.

Are you as much of a fan of Holiday World’s infectious humor and sense of fun as I am? What’s your take on the park’s new ride?

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With summers getting hotter, more humid, and just plain stickier, visitors have been making a beeline to water parks at places like Carowinds. Jammed with water slides and other refreshingly cool attractions, its Carolina Harbor is a happening place. But guests could also seek relief from the heat among the coasters on the midway by hopping aboard the whitewater raft ride, Rip Roarin' Rapids–until its closure in 2019, that is. Carowinds, which is located on the border between North and South Carolina, recently announced that its replacement, Rip Roarin’ Falls, will bring wet fun back to the dry side of the park.

Instead of a rapids ride, the new attraction will be a flume ride. Or, more specifically, a “Super Flume,” as its manufacturer, WhiteWater, calls it. Befitting the model’s superlative, Rip Roarin’ Falls will include a “mega drop” of 100 feet, which Carowinds says will be a world record for a flume drop. The finale element will accelerate the eight-passenger vehicles to a robust 50 mph and make what will surely be a figurative and literal big splash. The ride will also include a 42-foot reverse drop as well as a 32-foot reverse camelback, both of which Six Flags claims will be records for a flume ride.

Despite the eyebrow-raising stats, Rip Roarin’ Falls will have a 35-inch height requirement for kiddos accompanied by parents. That could potentially include taller-than-average two-year-olds, which surprises me a bit–especially considering flume rides typically do not have any restraints.

The attraction will include some modest themeing to place guests in an abandoned, haunted lumber mill. There will even be some animatronic beavers and practical effects along for the ride. Navigating the 2,240-foot course will take a generous 6.5 minutes.

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Passengers will dead-end in the mill’s power station shed where a high-speed turntable will send the vehicles backwards into the reverse camelback. I don’t know whether they will feel any pop of airtime during the drop, but it appears that might be the case. After heading in reverse for a bit, a second turntable will turn the vehicles so that they face forward. Climbing Rip Roarin’ Falls’ final lift, the boats will hit another dead end at the 100-foot summit. A third turntable will send the vehicles down the big drop for the finale.

About that record-breaking drop: The claim would seem to hold up well to the About Theme Parks sniff test. Pilgrim’s Plunge, later known as Giraffica, at Holiday World in Indiana included a 131-foot drop. But that ride closed in 2013. There are (or have been) taller water rides. Both Divertical at Mirabilandia in Italy and Speed, located at Energylandia in Poland, drop 164 feet, but they are water coasters.

As for shoot-the-chute rides, which typically feature larger 16- to 20-passenger boats, Perilous Plunge at Knott’s Berry Farm took the height record with a 115-foot drop at a hairy 75-degree angle until its closure in 2012. The 100-foot-tall Tidal Force at Hersheypark will close at the end of this season. Rip Roarin’ Falls will feature vehicles make to look like hollowed-out logs, but with four benches each accommodating two passengers for a total of eight riders, they will be bigger than a traditional log flume boat.

For more watery fun, Carowinds also offers Charlie Brown’s River Raft Blast, an interactive, splash battle-type attraction from Mack Rides. Interestingly, the Camp Snoopy ride, which is slow-moving and doesn’t ascend any hills, has a height requirement of 48 inches. Younger kids who want to cool down will have to wait and brave Rip Roarin’ Falls when it debuts in 2027.

Have you been on any of the larger shoot-the-chute rides such as Perilous Plunge at Knott’s Berry Farm? What do you make of the reverse drop on Rip Roarin’ Falls?

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5 (out of 5)

An incredibly sophisticated attraction, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man at Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure blurs the line between virtual and reality so well that you'll emerge slack-jawed and awe-struck. (At least that was my reaction the first time I experienced it.) Already one of the best theme park rides in the world since its introduction in 1999, a 2012 makeover added all-new HD film animation, new 3-D glasses, and other enhancements that produce remarkably crisp and bright images and make the attraction even more immersive and awe-inspiring.

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Like Werewolf Gorge, the Waldameer coaster is being designed and manufactured by Vekoma and will incorporate magnetic LIM launches. Compared to the Fiesta Texas ride, which will span 4,120 feet, the more modest Eagle’s Pursuit will have a length of 1,885 feet. Still, it will hit a fairly robust 46 mph and drop an attention-grabbing 60 feet. Racing through the park’s wooded, hilly terrain, passengers will experience an 80-foot change in elevation throughout the course of the ride.

The first launch will catapult the train right out of the station. It will send passengers on a meandering route through and above a wooded section of the park and towards the banks of Lake Erie. About halfway through the course, Eagle’s Pursuit will hit a second launch that will boost the speed and send the train racing through a fog-filled tunnel. Befitting a family coaster, the ride will not include any inversions.

While the park is boasting that Eagle’s Pursuit will feature ten floater airtime moments, I suspect they will be quite mild to non-existent. Based on the video rendering of the ride, there doesn’t appear to be enough oomph in the fairly tame velocity of the train and the sizes of the hills to generate much negative-G forces.

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Interestingly, Eagle’s Pursuit will have a height requirement of 38 inches. That’s one inch less than Werewolf Gorge’s announced 39-inch cutoff. I don’t know how ride manufacturers determine height requirements when developing safety protocols, but it seems peculiar that they would issue them in one-inch increments. Regardless, kids as young as three years old could make the cut for both rides. That’s a tender age to be braving magnetic launches and pops of airtime, even if the thrills are toned down.

“Eagle’s Pursuit captures everything guests love about Waldameer: family thrills, beautiful natural scenery, and unforgettable experiences,” says Steve Gorman, the park’s CEO. “From the moment riders launch out of the station and soar over the hillside, this coaster delivers the feeling of flying like a powerful eagle in pursuit.”

The coaster will mark the fifth family launch coaster from Vekoma since the debut of Big Bear Mountain at Dollywood in 2023. That ride has garnered stellar reviews, including from me. It occupies a sweet spot that satisfies the most hardened coaster warrior while remaining not overly intimidating to aspiring thrill-seekers. In terms of length, themeing, and general scale, Eagle’s Pursuit won’t match the Dollywood ride, but it should capture its general essence.

The new addition will be the sixth coaster at Waldameer. A trolley park that dates back to 1896, the family-owned facility has a charming vibe. It is one of a handful of amusement parks that offers free general admission. Among its highlights are Ravine Flyer II, a Gravity Group wooden coaster that is widely admired. Waldameer has added a number of new rides and attractions over the past few years including the spinning family coaster, Whirlwind, in 2020; the hydromagnetic water coaster, Rocket Blast, in 2023; the Zamperla Nebulaz flat ride, Time Twister, in 2025; and new slides and an updated lazy river at its water park, Water World, this year.

Do you think your three-year-old could handle a family launch coaster like Eagle’s Pursuit? Have you visited Waldameer?

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The company recently revealed additional details about another makeover: Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress. The classic Magic Kingdom attraction is set to close on July 6 to begin work. Fans of the show (I count myself part of that group) will be pleased to know that, with a projected 2027 reopening, tomorrow’s just a dream away.

Before we get around (see what I did there?) to what’s on the way, let’s take a look back at the Tomorrowland staple. The show debuted as part of General Electric’s Progressland pavilion at the 1964–1965 New York World’s Fair. It was one of four breakthrough attractions that Walt Disney introduced at the expo, which also included “it’s a small world,” the Ford pavilion’s Magic Skyway (which sent passengers in sleek Mustangs and other convertibles back to prehistoric times and the dawn of mankind), and Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. Whereas the Lincoln presentation introduced one, albeit remarkably fluid and advanced, audio animatronic figure for its time, the Carousel of Progress had an entire family of human characters–and one dog. They were part of a presentation that showcased the importance of electricity through different eras (with–product placement alert–a heavy emphasis on GE appliances).

The attraction was presented in a unique revolving theater. Guests entered one of six 240-seat auditoriums. Arranged in a circle on an enormous turntable, the theaters rotated around a central stage. The scenes included the pre-electricity era of the Gay 90s, the dawn of electricity in the 1920s, the post-World War II 1940s, and the then-near-future of the late 1960s. The characters, with “dad” taking the lead, talked about the role electricity played in their lives from each period. The catchy tune, “There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow,” served as a bridge between each act. It was penned by the prolific Sherman brothers, whose credits also include the timeless songs from “Mary Poppins” as well as what may be the all-time musical earworm, “it’s a small world.”

After the fair ended, The Carousel of Progress moved to Tomorrowland at Disneyland Park in California where it opened in 1967. It closed in 1973 and relocated to the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World where it premiered in 1975. Or more specifically, Disney built a new rotating theater in Florida and moved the set pieces and characters there. A different show, America Sings, took up residence at Disneyland’s carousel theater in 1974. That show shuttered in 1988, and many of its animatronic animal characters migrated to Splash Mountain. The theater remained vacant until 1998 when Disney repurposed it into the West Coast version of Inventions. Guests viewed and interacted with the pavilion’s technology exhibits while the floor (which had previously been the show’s multiple stages) slowly rotated. From 2015 to 2020, the building was converted into Tomorrowland Expo Center and Star Wars Launch Bay, which served as a promotional space for the arrival of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. During this period, the floor no longer turned. Starting in 2023, Disney opened the building to Disney Vacation Club as a members-only lounge.

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So, what’s in store for the new Carousel of Progress at the Magic Kingdom? The rotating theater mechanism and the essential concept of the attraction will remain the same. Surely many, if not all, of the animatronics will be repurposed, perhaps with the latest technological advancements. The four-act show will become a five-act presentation with the addition of an introduction featuring an animatronic Walt Disney (giving new meaning to the attraction’s name, “Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress). The character will be similar to the one that debuted last year at Disneyland’s Main Street Opera House. Some critics have pointed out flaws in the animatronic Walt that cast an uncanny valley pall on the California presentation. Here’s hoping the Imagineers will make some improvements to the East Coast Walt.

As has been the case since it opened at the World’s Fair, the Carousel of Progress’ first position is now used for guests to shuffle into the theater and find their seats (after the previous audience departs). The stage’s curtain remains closed while a voice-over announcer briefly talks about the history of the attraction and introduces the show. The narration barely lasts one minute. This, I believe, is where Walt will now preside. Perhaps the Imagineers will extend the length of each act (they all have to be precisely the same length to accommodate the rotating bank of audiences that revolve from one scene to the next) so that the founder will have a little more time to address the crowd. According to the company, the opening sequence will have echoes of the 1964 TV special, “Disneyland Goes to the World’s Fair,” in which Walt talked about the expo’s attractions, including Carousel of Progress.

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In 1964, the original attraction began its journey about six decades earlier at the turn of the century; similarly, the revamped presentation will send audiences back 60 years from the present to the 1960s for its first scene (where, it should be noted, the original show ended its look at the then-future). Disney says it will depict the CoP family watching the Apollo moon landing on television. If General Electric still sponsored the attraction, the TV set would undoubtedly be a GE model. (Interestingly, GE purchased NBC, later combined it with Universal Studios to form NBCUniversal, and then sold the whole shebang to Comcast, which now operates the rival Universal theme parks.)

The next scene will advance to the 1980s on Halloween where the family will alternate between doling out candy to trick-or-treaters and extolling the virtues of their era’s appliances. The setting for Scene 3 is New Year’s Eve 1999 and the wonders of the then-new Internet. The final scene flashes forward to a future in which folks routinely take off for distant planets and robots cheerfully help people (as opposed to the AI-fueled dystopian future we not-so-secretly dread–if our AI overlords even allow us to survive; ooh, sorry that this otherwise cheerful piece just took a harrowing turn).

I’m thrilled that the company is investing in the historic attraction and breathing new life into it. While I can be something of a Disney attraction purist, the creaky old show needed an update. Inexplicably, the Carousel of Progress is my son’s favorite Disney attraction, Rise of the Resistance be damned. He’s looking forward to the overhaul even more than I am. How about you? Here’s my guess: And when it becomes a reality, it (will be) a dream come true for you and me.

So, how about you? Are you looking forward to the new and improved Carousel of Progress? Have you seen the Walt Disney animatronic at Disneyland? Is there a great, big, beautiful tomorrow, or will AI put the kibosh on our optimistic future?

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Yes, there is plenty of laughter in the air at parks. Some of it is the byproduct of anecdotes and banter exchanged among families and friends. Some of it is nervous laughter shared on coasters and other rides. Many shows and story-based dark rides incorporate some token humorous moments. But I believe parks could use more laugh-out-loud attractions, where comedy is as much a focus, if not the primary focus, as the thrills and other elements.

Fortunately, as The Muppets migrated across the Studios park to their new digs, the troupe’s trademark postmodern, vaudevillian shenanigans followed them. From all reports (I have not experienced RnRC 2.0), the queue, pre-show, loading station, and unload area are packed with videos (that include celebrity cameos), gags, props, and more that keep Muppets silliness front and center. The Imagineers even shoehorned the curmudgeonly animatronic hecklers, Statler and Waldorf, into the ride so that they could hurl some barbs as passengers whiz past them.

The Muppets have perfected the art, but as it has been said, “Dying is easy, comedy is hard.” Maybe that’s why there aren’t a heckuva lot of other examples where guffaws are the raison d’être at parks and attractions. Let’s explore a few.

RnRC isn’t the only thrill ride to elicit laughs. Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! at Disney California Adventure feature’s the franchise’s offbeat mayhem and hilarity. Like RnRC, the Guardians ride repurposed an existing attraction, the West Coast version of Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, and replaced the mostly serious proceedings with a much lighter, and frequently funny, tone. To a lesser extent, the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind coaster at Epcot, also injects some interplanetary humor into the ride.

The Minions are just as super silly in their pre-show presentations as they are during the main event for Minion Mayhem, the motion simulator attraction at Universal’s parks in Hollywood and Orlando. As is the characters’ wont, there are plenty of slapstick and wacky scenes to get guests giggling, but there are also some surprisingly tender moments. Considering the whole experience spans a few minutes, it’s incredible that Mayhem can elicit such a broad range of emotions. That’s part of the challenge at theme parks and attractions; unlike movies, TV shows, and other longer forms of entertainment, it can be hard to generate real belly laughs given the constraints.

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Ardent and more casual fans of ”The Simpsons” can find hilarious examples of the long-running series’ comedic chops in Universal’s namesake attractions as well as throughout the Springfield lands. Like RnRC, the queue and pre-show for The Simpsons Ride is absolutely jammed with nonstop nods to the show’s inanity.

Depending on how well the performer can improvise and interact with the audience, the laughter can be uproarious at Disney’s freewheeling Turtle Talk With Crush. Similarly, depending on the skipper’s improv skills and delivery of one-liners, the Jungle Cruise can be a riotous affair. While it’s based on a similar premise as Turtle Talk and also features a beloved franchise, Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor at the Magic Kingdom doesn’t rise to the same level of lunacy–at least not when I’ve experienced the show.

One of the challenges of bringing a comedy-based show to a park is making it accessible and appealing to a broad audience. The Legoland parks solved that challenge with The Lego Movie 4D. Like the hip and wildly funny theatrical films on which it is based, the show cleverly operates on two levels. Children and adults simultaneously find it hilarious for different reasons. (There is a similar dynamic at Turtle Talk.) The Lego Movie 4D may be the park attraction that generates the most laughs for me. There are so many stupid (in a good, funny way), throwaway lines, I am in stitches.

Might Nate Bargatze lean into the funny at Nateland, the theme park he is developing in Tennessee? I’d have to assume that the popular comedian would want to showcase the craft that made him famous. But, as I’ve outlined, comedy at parks can be a tricky proposition. Maybe he can take some lessons from The Muppets.

Maybe the entire industry can look to The Muppets for inspiration. We could all use a whole lot more laughter and silliness at parks–and really everywhere else too for that matter.

What theme park attractions and shows get you laughing out loud? Do you agree there should be more comedy at parks?

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The meandering ride, which will be the park’s twelfth coaster, will span a generous 4,120 feet and include four magnetic LIM launches to keep passengers on the move and hopefully away from pesky werewolves. Werewolf Gorge will also incorporate a mid-course rollback, which will add to its edginess and potentially challenge kids who are close to the ride’s low 39-inch height requirement (which could include brave passengers as young as three years old).

The stunning quarry walls that encircle Six Flags Fiesta Texas provide a picturesque setting for its coasters and other rides. The park says that it will enhance the ambiance for Werewolf Gorge by sending its trains through the quarry walls and above a forested canopy of trees. It will also augment the storytelling with werewolf figures, effects, and other thematic elements.

Werewolf Gorge will hit a top speed of 45 mph and include a 40-foot drop. Because of the park’s hilly terrain, the coaster’s layout will include an 85-foot elevation change. Six Flags says that the ride will feature 32 airtime moments, which will be the “highest number of floater airtime elements ever incorporated into a family roller coaster.”

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If all of this sounds like it could traumatize your 39-inch-tall, budding coaster warrior, let’s put the stats and hype in perspective. 45 mph, especially when it is a zippy magnetic launch, will certainly elicit ah-hoos from riders. But it’s only five miles per hour faster than the fairly gentle Slinky Dog Dash at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. And it’s three miles per hour slower than Big Bear Mountain at Dollywood, which is also a family launch coaster manufactured by Vekoma and closely resembles the ride coming to the Texas park. The Dollywood ride is plenty perky–thrilling even–but it’s still within the bounds of a family ride. Werewolf Gorge will be considerably tamer than coasters that really pour on the speed such as Fiesta Texas’ glorious 70-mph Iron Rattler. (With coasters themed to snakes, werewolves, ghosts [Poltergeist], and bats [Batman the Ride], the park has quite the scary menagerie of rides on its midway.)

As for the touted 32 airtime moments, that claim could be full of hot air. Looking at the animated rendering of the ride (which is below), it doesn’t appear that there will be any significant airtime hills. The coaster’s fairly low speed wouldn’t seem to generate much airtime either, especially not 32 distinct moments. As I wrote in my recent review of Quantum Accelerator, Six Flags New England bragged that its new coaster delivers 11 airtime moments. I counted maybe one, and that barely registered. Likewise, Big Bear Mountain didn’t lift my tushy appreciably out of my seat.

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As for Six Flags’ claim that Werewolf Gorge will be “the world’s longest family launch coaster,” well, let’s also deconstruct that one. What constitutes a “family launch coaster?” That’s the model name–“Family Launch Coaster”–that Vekoma uses for the line that will include the new Fiesta Texas ride. And Werewolf Gorge will be the longest one the manufacturer has built to date (besting Big Bear Mountain, which spans 3,990 feet). But Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Coaster at Universal Orlando, which is also considered a family launch coaster, is 5,053 feet (and was built by a competing company, Intamin). Heck, what is a “family” coaster, anyways? Most coasters gurus would put Incredicoaster at Disney California Adventure in that category even though it hits a hefty 55 mph, drops 108 feet, and includes an inversion. And while we’re looking at stats, Disney’s launched, Pixar-themed ride travels a 6,072-foot course. As is the case with lots of park hype, Six Flags may be a bit loosey-goosey (loosey-wolfy?) in its claims.

Regardless, Werewolf Gorge looks like it will be a heckuva ride. I’m a fan of the similar Big Bear Mountain, which has received near-unanimous acclaim. Like the Dollywood ride, it appears that Six Flags will be incorporating a potent, original backstory complete with characters such as showman and werewolf archivist Jasper Bunyan, an immersive queue that will help set the stage by taking guests through the Museum of Cryptids, and a mysterious werewolf that will lurk throughout the coaster experience.

“This is a defining addition to Six Flags Fiesta Texas,” says Robert Bustle, park manager at Six Flags Fiesta Texas. “Werewolf Gorge brings together storytelling, innovation, and a bold combination of ride elements that truly sets it apart. It delivers an experience that is approachable for families, yet unmatched anywhere in the world.”

What’s your take on Werewolf Gorge? What do you think about dubious claims from parks and manufacturers about new rides?

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It is the highlight of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at both Disneyland in California and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, one of the four theme parks at Walt Disney World in Florida. And it just may be the best park attraction in the world. But here’s the thing: As with most rides, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance includes some thrills. Would you be able to handle them? Would you want to?

Unlike a roller coaster or any amusement park ride that is outdoors and easily viewed from the midway, visitors at the Disney parks have no visual cues to observe Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance in action and gauge its intensity. That’s because the attraction takes place inside an enormous show building nestled in a wooded area. So, I will do my best to explain what occurs during Rise. That way, you’ll be able to make an informed decision about whether you (or the people who might be among your theme park posse) would be up to giving it a whirl.

What kind of ride is Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance?

First of all, it’s important to note that Rise is not a single ride experience. Unlike, say, Mission: Space at Epcot, which uses centrifuge technology to simulate space travel, or the Soarin’ rides at Disney California Adventure and Epcot, which uses (and pioneered) the concept of a flying theater to take guests on an “airborne” hang gliding journey to famous locales, the Star Wars attraction uses multiple ride systems and unfolds across a series of acts to engage guests in its narrative. It therefore takes some unpacking to describe what happens.

The entire experience lasts about 17 minutes. The sheer length of Rise, which is considerably longer than the more typical four-minute-or-so theme park attraction, only begins to hint at its epic scale and sheer wow factor. It is a triumph of park and attraction design, technology, and immersive storytelling. That’s why it is worthy of your careful consideration. If ever there was a must-ride Disney attraction, Rise is it.

But if you fall somewhere along the upper end of the theme park ride wimp spectrum (and you know who you are), you might be nervous about trying the Star Wars attraction. By demystifying Rise and divulging what happens during the experience, I run the risk of ruining the element of surprise for you. Ideally, it would be great if you could try the Star Wars attraction cold, without any prior knowledge. But, if you really want to know what to expect, consider this a big honkin’ spoiler warning–though the focus will be on the thrill-inducing aspects of the attraction, not the plot.

The Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge lands depict Batuu, a planet created for the parks. Batuu is a trading port that attracts eccentric characters from around the galaxy. At its center is Black Spire Outpost, which includes merchants selling wares in bazaar stalls, a cantina, and some eateries. Oh, and the Millennium Falcon just happens to be docked there. The Resistance (the good guys) have set up a secret encampment in a forested area on the outskirts of the village. This is where Rise is located.

According to the backstory of Galaxy’s Edge, the First Order arrived on Batuu a few weeks ago. A showdown is brewing between the sworn enemies, and you are about to be plopped into the middle of it.

The first act: Blast off

As you make your way through the encampment, you’ll see equipment cabinets and medical supplies stored by the Resistance. For the pre-show that sets the story in motion, you will be led into a briefing room where you will meet a holographic Rey. She will entrust you with some vital information that you cannot divulge to the First Order, or the fate of the galaxy may be doomed. (That, kids, is what is known as foreshadowing.)

For the first act of the attraction, you will board an Intersystem Transport Ship. It is supposed to whisk you away for a short journey to rendezvous on a safe planet. In usual theme park fashion, however, things will go horribly wrong.

This part of the attraction uses motion simulator ride technology, like Despicable Me Minion Mayhem at the Universal Parks, or one of the earliest attractions to use the concept, Star Tours at the Disney parks. Unlike those attractions, however, you stand aboard Rise’s transport vehicle. To give you a sense of the ride intensity, no safety restraints are used. You will experience a sense of space travel as the motion of the vehicle syncs with the action you can see through the viewing windows in the front and rear of the cabin, but it is quite mild.

Throughout this overview, I will use a thrill scale of 0 to 10 to rate the physical intensity of the experience, where 0 means no thrills and 10 means extreme thrills. Note that there are also psychological thrills; I have not factored those in. But if you are okay with the PG-13 hijinks of the Star Wars films, you’ll be fine with the drama you’ll encounter during Rise.

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I give the first act on the Intersystem Transport Ship a thrill rating of 2.25. For comparison, Minion Mayhem and Star Tours rate 3.25 on the thrill-o-meter. Nearly everybody should be fine with the thrills delivered here. They are equivalent to the sensations you might experience aboard a fast subway car that navigates some small hills and turns.

The second act: Oh oh!

For the second act of Rise, you’ll be walking through the Star Destroyer. The size and scope of the massive carrier is impressive. When the door of the ship opens, you will be greeted by a phalanx of armed stormtroopers. You won’t experience any physical thrills here, but you will experience some deeply immersive and highly impressive storytelling.

The third act: Dodge the blaster bolts

For the third act, which is the heart of the attraction, you will be whisked onto Star Destroyer Fleet Transports. The eight-passenger vehicles are highly sophisticated and use trackless ride technology. Instead of guide tracks, onboard computers determine the path, speed, and motion of the vehicles.

The action is frenetic, but not overly wild. The vehicles speed up, come to sudden halts, spin a bit, and execute other evasive maneuvers as they try to avoid detection, dodge fire, or otherwise get out of harm’s way. At one point, your vehicle will board an elevator and rise perhaps 25 feet into the air to the upper levels of the Star Destroyer. I give the third act a thrill rating of 2.75. It is not as wild as Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland, which uses Disney’s Enhanced Motion Vehicles. Like Rise’s first act on the Transport Ship, virtually everybody should be able to handle this part of the attraction.

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The finale: Let’s get the heck outta here

For the fourth and final act of Rise of the Resistance, Disney combines three ride systems. This is where things get a bit hairy. But only a bit.

Major spoiler alert: You and your mates aboard the Fleet Transport will, in fact, make it out alive from the Star Destroyer and to safety. But you knew that, right?

Your Fleet Transport will lock down onto an escape pod. The pod is actually a motion base, that, like the Intersystem Transport Ship in the first act, will move in sync with projected action to simulate space travel. Remember how I wrote that you will rise about 25 feet in the air earlier in the attraction? Well, what goes up must come down. To get away from the Star Destroyer, your escape pod will suddenly plummet in space before your droid can regain control and pilot you back to Batuu.

Here is how Disney accomplishes the effect: As I indicated, the trackless ride vehicle is locked down onto a motion base. The motion base is then coupled with a drop tower-like mechanism to deliver a freefall. Think Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, but instead of a 199-foot drop, Rise drops perhaps 25 or 30 feet. It is startling, but not nearly as thrilling as the Tower of Terror. I give that terrorizing attraction a 7 on the thrill scale.

For the final act in the escape pod, I assign a thrill rating of 3.25. That is the same as the rating for Star Tours. The motion simulator thrills are similar (although the duration of the experience is much shorter), and, although it includes a drop, the freefall sensation is not all that intense. If you are okay with Star Tours and similar motion simulator rides, you should be okay with Rise of the Resistance.

Who can (and should) go on Rise of the Resistance?

With a relatively low height restriction of 40 inches (102 centimeters), children as young as 4 might be tall enough to ride. That doesn’t necessarily mean they should. The same goes for tweens, teens, and adults. Sure, thrill rides are supposed to be thrilling but regardless of height or age, the thrills that Rise delivers may not be appealing to some people. That should be a personal decision.

Still, Rise is relatively mild when compared to many other park rides and attractions. Some roller coasters, of course, are incredibly extreme. While Disney World and Disneyland do not have any Six Flags-level coasters, they do offer some thrills that are considerably more intense than Rise.

How would you rate the thrills on Rise of the Resistance? Do you think most young children could handle the attraction?

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The new Ithaka Resort will be located within the park. The 744-unit, Greek-inspired property, which will include rooms, villas, and suites, will be adjacent to Toverland’s Greek-themed land, Ithaka. Scheduled to open in summer 2027, it will feature restaurants, a pool complex, and a wellness facility among its amenities. Some hotel guests will be able to see Troy, the park’s 105-foot wooden coaster built by Great Coasters International, from their windows.

In addition to encouraging multi-day stays, on-property accommodations allow guests to leave the everyday world and more fully immerse themselves in the park experience. The larger Efteling offers four hotels at a variety of price points and with different themes.

The first land that guests enter at Toverland is Port Laguna. According to the park, the tropical harbor village is slated to get a big-budget, new dark ride along with other attractions. The rides are slated to debut in 2027 as well, although they may not open until late in the year. Toverland has not released any details about the dark ride, but it will likely feature the homegrown characters featured in the land, which include a parrot named Ivy and other members of the Magistralis family.

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Other smaller attractions planned for Port Laguna are a demolition derby-themed car ride and a pint-sized log flume for younger guests. Elsewhere in Toverland, Maximus’ Blitz Bahn, which is a bobsled ride in a metal tough or chute that is sort of a cross between a roller coaster and an alpine mountain coaster, has been retired. It will be replaced later this year with what the park promises will be an even faster, more aggressive bobsled ride that will include swinging cars. It appears that passengers will have some control over the speed of their individual vehicles.

Among Toverland’s other highlights is Fenix, a B&M wing coaster that climbs 131 feet, hits 59 mph, and includes three inversions. Themed to the mythical firebird, it includes a brief confrontation with the creature just before the train leaves the station. The boat-based attraction, Merlin’s Quest, includes a dark ride sequence in which guests encounter the Arthurian wizard. There is also Djengu River, a themed river rapids ride with tunnels and fog effects. It features the Dwervels, playful characters that live along the riverbanks of Magic Valley and enjoy splashing passengers.

Do you enjoy staying on property at theme park resorts? Have you visited (or heard of) Toverland?

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4.25 (out of 5)

When it debuted at Disneyland in 1987, the original Star Tours was the first major motion simulator attraction at a theme park, and the newfangled virtual reality concept ushered in a new era for park attractions. If theme parks are about escaping from the everyday world, motion simulators offer an ideal means of escape. Using seats that move in sync with filmed action projected onto a screen, the destinations are only limited by the imagination of the attraction’s designers. Star Tours was also a departure for Disney which, up until that point, had exclusively used its own content as the basis for its attractions. Partnering with George Lucas to bring in a third-party intellectual property to Disneyland was a bold (and highly successful) move. Subsequently, Disney bought Lucasfilm and now has the Star Wars franchise under its corporate umbrella.

Since the ride film made its debut, attraction designers have added Omnimax screens (such as The Simpsons Ride at Universal), roving motion base vehicles (such as Transformers: The Ride 3D, also at Universal), and other features to enhance the you-are-there experience. The movie ride space cowboys at Walt Disney Imagineering upped their own ante with a retooled version of the attraction that launched in 2011.

Now, half the fun aboard Star Tours is you never know where in hyperspace the ride will whisk you.

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That doesn’t mean that there isn’t anything exciting happening at some parks. For example, Canada’s Wonderland, located outside of Toronto, is lavishing attention on two of its coasters. One is getting a significant themeing makeover along with some new(ish) trains, while another is getting some much-needed love for its track.

Opened in 1995, Top Gun was Canada’s first inverted coaster. The park was then known as Paramount Canada’s Wonderland, and the ride was themed to the hit 1986 Paramount Picture’s movie featuring Tom Cruise. Cedar Fair took over the park in 2007, dropped the Paramount theme, and changed the name of the coaster to the more generic Flight Deck. Some 31 years after it debuted, Canada’s Wonderland (which is now under the Six Flags umbrella) is changing the name of the coaster once again, this time to The Daredeviler. That’s a lot of transformations for both the coaster and the park.

The retro theme reimagines the ride as an ode to early aviation and the stunt pilots who popularized the then-novel mode of transportation. The coaster will anchor a reenergized Grande World Expo area, which recalls the late 19th century and is one of the theme park’s original lands. The change is more than just cosmetic, however. Canada’s Wonderland says that the coaster will feature new track sections, new trains, and vest-style restraints, all of which should yield a more smooth ride experience.

The “new” trains are actually imports taken from the shuttered Six Flags America. They were introduced in 2024 on Professor Screamore’s SkyWinder, which had previously been known as Mind Eraser and, like Top Gun at Canada’s Wonderland, first opened in 1995. (Are you following me with all of these ride and park permutations?) Both coasters are off-the-shelf Vekoma SLC (an acronym for “suspended looping coaster”) models, sometimes derisively referred to in the enthusiast community as “Hang and Bangs.” With their notoriously rough rides, passengers would often be subjected to pinball-like head banging on the coasters’ original over-the-shoulder restraints. The Daredeviler’s less intrusive vest-style restraints (combined with the likely smoother ride) will eliminate the head banging.

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The Mighty Canadian Minebuster, one of three wooden coasters at Canada’s Wonderland (out of a total of 18, which ties it with Ohio’s Cedar Point for having the second highest number of coasters at any park in the world; Poland’s Energylandia take the top spot with 19 coasters), is getting some much-needed replacement track. The Gravity Group is supplying its engineered precut track, and the park is installing it. With a total of 3,828 feet of track, Minebuster got 1,000 feet of track replaced last year and will be getting another 980 feet this year, which should make the ride much smoother (or at least the half of it outfitted with new track). Last year, Canada’s Wonderland debuted the multi-launch coaster, AlpenFury.

When I first wrote about The Gravity Group’s innovative replacement track, it featured vertical stacks of wood for straight-path sections. The company now also offers “3D combo track” for curving or twisting paths, which incorporates both horizontal and vertical boards. The Gravity Group provided its wooden replacement track for The Beast at Cedar Point and is currently working on Timber Wolf at Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, Missouri. The company has other replacement track projects underway, but the parks at which the work is being done have yet to announce them.

Have you been to Canada’s Wonderland? Are you surprised that the park has a near record-breaking 18 coasters?

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Sure, there are more thrilling rides at Six Flags New England. But the new family launch coaster, Quantum Accelerator, has just enough oomph to keep adrenaline junkies engaged while remaining accessible to a wide swath of guests. It’s also incredibly smooth, wholly satisfying, and a great addition to the park’s lineup.

The new ride is located in the park’s Old West-themed land, Crackaxle Canyon. According to Six Flags’ backstory, crackpot inventor Professor Screamore has purchased the town to showcase his creations, including his time travel machine, Quantum Accelerator. The themeing isn’t extensive (and the story isn’t entirely obvious to guests), but it’s more generous than most Six Flags rides. Walking through the queue, guests see some of the professor’s works-in-progress, many of which are embedded with cogs, gears, and other steampunk-styled ephemera. The copper roof of the Victorian-era loading station has a nicely aged green patina. During the ride, passengers pass a smokestack belching steam and curious looking vats containing green-tinged goo–apparently another one of the professor’s experiments.

Each seat in the two-passenger cars has a single hydraulic lap bar that’s comfortable and a breeze to pull down and release. With its simple, intuitive, restraint system, two-train operation, and energetic, capable ride-ops crew, the line for Quantum Accelerator was booking right along on the day that I visited.

Six Flags and Intamin, which designed the coaster, tout Quantum Accelerator’s “straddle seating” and call the cars “hover bikes.” Unlike rides such as TRON Lightcycle/Run at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom and Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Coaster at Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure, which feature vehicles that truly feel like motorbikes, the straddle designation here seems more like a gimmick. Riders sit on bench seats, but their legs are positioned astride small humps on the car’s floor. They can sit back or lean forward and grab small handlebars at the front of the vehicle. If the cars had no fronts or sides, perhaps they might seem more like motorbikes.

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The train rolls out of the station and is immediately propelled from 0 to 30 mph via a tire-launch system on a straightaway. The launch is enough to grab riders’ attention, but fairly tame. The first half of the course, which takes place to the left of the loading station, sends passengers on a gentle excursion through banked turns and twists.

Heading back towards the station for the coaster’s second act, business picks up when another tire-launch revs the train to 45 mph. That’s still well within family coaster parameters, but–parents take note–perky enough to give pause to younger or more timid guests. (The minimum height for unaccompanied riders is 52 inches and 48 inches for accompanied ones.) The launch sends the cars around a bend and up a 59-foot hill, which is Quantum Accelerator’s highest point. More twists and turns follow on the right side of the station before the train returns to unload.

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Six Flags claims Quantum Accelerator delivers 11 airtime moments. I rode in both the front and rear cars and aside from a barely-there rise out of my seat as the train crested the hill after the second launch, I couldn’t discern any more airtime. That doesn’t mean that the coaster isn’t a load of fun. Everyone from veteran ride warriors to more casual fans will enjoy Quantum Accelerator. The crowd pleaser could be a great choice for courageous kids that are ready to graduate from kiddie coasters and try their first truly thrilling ride.

With 12 coasters, it’s interesting to note that Quantum Accelerator is Six Flags New England’s first launched coaster. The park describes the new ride as “New England’s first dual-launch straddle coaster.” That’s a lot of qualifiers. In fact, Quantum Accelerator is only the second launched coaster of any kind in the region after Phobia Fear Coaster, the Premier Rides Sky Rocket ride at Lake Compounce in Connecticut.

Of Six Flags New England’s 12 coasters, I’d rank Quantum Accelerator as tied for my third-favorite thrill machine alongside the floorless Batman – The Dark Knight. It’s considerably better than the clanking, woefully painful Vekoma Inverted Boomerang, Goliath, that used to occupy the spot on which Quantum Accelerator now sits. By the way, the RMC makeover, Wicked Cyclone, nabs the second spot, and the glorious hypercoaster, Superman The Ride, soars high at number one on my Six Flags New England list (and is one of my all-time faves anywhere). I will now add Quantum Accelerator to my must-ride list when I visit the park.

Have you been to Six Flags New England? What’s your favorite coaster at the park? Will you return to experience Quantum Accelerator?

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Sadly, as is the case at most of New England’s once-thriving oceanside amusement meccas (as well as many of those that existed outside the region), the coasters and other rides are all gone at Salisbury Beach. Except for one.

Thanks to the concerted efforts of a dedicated group of visionaries, the Salisbury Beach Carousel is again bringing squeals of delight and kinetic energy to the midway. And it’s not just any carousel, but an historic and lovely piece of genuine Americana that beckons beachgoers.

Before we get to the current-day carousel, let’s explore some Salisbury Beach history. Its trajectory follows a similar path as other seaside amusement areas in the U.S. Starting in the mid-1800s, hotels, restaurants, and, of course, the beach itself drew visitors that arrived first via steamboats and ferries. Then, as now, its ocean breezes and cool waters offered refuge from summer’s often-stifling heat and humidity. In the late 1800s, amusements started to be added to the mix of diversions, including the first carousel, Culver Flying Horses. When it was destroyed by fire, the ride was replaced by the Broadway Flying Horses, which began welcoming guests in 1914. The hand-carved gem was built by the Looff Carousel Company and originally debuted in 1890 at Coney Island in New York City.

Other coasters preceded it and followed it, but the Wildcat was the reigning king of the midway at Salisbury Beach. According to rcdb.com, it was installed in 1922, although other sources say its debut was a few years later in 1927. The classic out-and-back ride, which was first known as Comet, was created by noted coaster designer, Herbert Schmeck, and built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. In a fascinating aside, the Wildcat was commissioned and operated by the Dodgem Corporation. Yes, that Dodgem company.

Located in nearby Lawrence, Massachusetts, the pioneering company installed its very first bumper car ride at Salisbury Beach in the early 1920s. The Dodgem folks had the coaster built next to the bumper cars, and the two rides shared a common entrance which featured stylish Art Deco lettering.

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In the first half of the 20th century, the amusements expanded and thrived at the beach. In the 1960s, when I began visiting the beach, there were open-gate amusement parks, including Shaheen’s Fun-O-Rama, as well as a host of independent concessionaires. By the time I took my first ride on Wildcat in 1974, the Salisbury Beach amusement area was experiencing a long, sad decline. With the advent of the automobile and the mobility it offered and later, the introduction of Disneyland and more modern theme parks, tastes changed and attendance waned at places like Salisbury Beach. The Wildcat closed after the 1975 season, and the Broadway Flying Horses stopped spinning in 1976.

The amusements continued to fade at Salisbury Beach. Pirate’s Fun Park, which offered a small collection of rides including a Ferris wheel, go-karts, and the old-school Kastle Frankenstein dark ride, hung in there until 2004. Condominiums encroached on the amusement area, which became eerily quiet.

With less to do, fewer folks made the trek to Salisbury Beach. The handful of merchants and property owners that remained banded together about 17 years ago to promote the area and attract visitors.

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The Salisbury Beach Partnership was formed “to revitalize the area–not to get it back to what it once was, but to get it to what it can be in the present day and age,” says Paul Descoteaux, one of the organization’s board members as well as the operator of the new carousel and the pavilion building that houses it.

One of the group’s first goals was to get a boardwalk built. In 2017, the organization celebrated the opening of the 625-foot-long oceanfront span. The organization then turned its attention to the beach’s legacy as a beloved amusement area and determined that it wanted to bring a carousel back to the midway. The group first tried to track down the Broadway Flying Horses. After it left Salisbury, the carousel made its way to Shoreline Village in San Diego in 1977 where it operated until 2004. It then went into storage.

By the time the Salisbury Beach Partnership tried to reclaim its crown jewel, some of its figures had been removed and sold individually to collectors. It is a fate that has befallen many of the grand carousels that were built during the ride’s golden age. So the partnership shifted gears and looked instead for a similar vintage ride. It hit the jackpot in Pennsylvania.

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The Wintersteen family operated a carousel for over 90 years at Don Hanson’s Amusement Park on Harvey’s Lake in Pennsylvania. The park closed in 1984, and the carousel was relocated to Old Town in Kissimmee, Florida near Disney World for a period. When the Salisbury group was seeking it, the Wintersteen family had it packed away in a warehouse.

Although it was the third highest bidder, the family accepted the beach organization’s offer. The reason? The other bidders wanted to break up the ride and sell it in pieces. The Wintersteens wanted to see their prized carousel remain intact and continue to bring joy as a functioning ride.

“We couldn’t sign the paperwork fast enough,” says Descoteaux. “We were so very happy with what we got. [The Wintersteens] were ecstatic about it as well.”

The carousel dates back to 1909 and, like the Broadway Flying Horses, was also designed and built by the Looff Carousel Company. The 44 figures on the three-row ride showcase the old-world craftsmanship that defined classic carousels such as this one. Known as a “menagerie” machine, it includes animals such as giraffes and zebras as well as horses. While the original ride was powered by a steam engine (which the Partnership obtained when it took possession of the ride), a modern-day electric motor now keeps the Salisbury Beach Carousel turning. A lift can accommodate guests in wheelchairs. The group was unable to get the carousel’s original band organ, although it is hoping that it will be able to someday obtain one.

The carousel is housed in a lovely octagonal, post-and-beam building. It includes radiant floor heating–another one of the Partnership’s goals is to make Salisbury Beach a year-round destination–but in the summer, the pavilion’s expansive doors are opened wide to let the ocean breezes in and the joyful ambiance out onto the midway. The building includes a separate function room, and tables can also be arranged around the carousel for large events such as weddings.

“As corny as it sounds, this is a magical building,” Descoteaux says. People love sharing their memories about the former Broadway Flying Horses and the many other rides and attractions they experienced at the beach, he adds. “Now we are creating new memories with our carousel. The tradition goes on.”

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Unlike many other seaside amusement areas, which often lose any semblance of their character once the rides go away, the merchants that remain carry on the spirit of Salisbury Beach. After guests take a ride on the carousel, they can head over to Joe’s Playland where Skee-Ball, classic pinball machines, and other games await. They can also scarf down some of the world’s greatest thick-battered onion rings, try some “beach pizza” (which, curiously, hardly has any cheese but can be topped with a slice of provolone for an extra charge), or head to Wiley’s, which has been serving scrumptious hand-made candies and ice cream since 1913. There are some wonderful sit-down restaurants in addition to a number of other quick-service food stands. While the Frolics, a huge nightclub that hosted famous big bands in the 40s and 50s and rock acts after that (and may or may not have been the site of my underage drinking escapades), is long gone, the Blue Ocean Music Hall now welcomes national and local performers in its beautiful venue.

So, what are you waiting for? Take the Salisbury Beach Carousel for a spin. There’s plenty of merry to go round.

On a related note, for folks in the New England area (or vacationers who will be visiting), please consider coming to Salisbury Beach on July 6, 2026 to check out the band I am in, Express (and to ride the carousel, of course). We will be performing outdoors from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the Oceanfront Stage as part of the free Bands on the Beach summer concert series.

Are you a fan of antique carousels? Have you been to Salisbury Beach?

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That got me thinking. I was able to curate our trips to theme parks and steer my brother clear of high-thrill attractions because I know them so well. Since others may not have that knowledge, I’ve decided to share my expertise and help those who might be in the same situation with a series of ride guides. Many attractions are hidden away, often tucked inside show buildings, so it can be hard to determine what’s in store and whether those who fall on the ride wimp spectrum would be able to handle them. I’ll try to demystify the rides and identify which ones to probably avoid and which ones to consider giving a go. I’ll even assign a rating for each attraction using a 10-point thrill scale, where 0 refers to ones that would be of virtually no concern to the wimpish, and 10 designates ones that would challenge even the most hardened ride warriors. Let’s kick off the ride guides by focusing on the original theme park, Disneyland.

It may be called “The Happiest Place on Earth,” but ride wimps see danger lurking just beyond Main Street U.S.A. When it first opened in 1955, Disneyland didn’t really feature anything that would have given wimps pause. Through the years, however, Walt’s original park has assembled a collection of rides that gets pulses racing. Mind you, there is nothing that comes close to some of the thrill-tastic coasters found at other parks, but those who want to keep things relatively tame would definitely want to steer clear of Disneyland’s more aggressive offerings.

Rides to (probably) avoid at Disneyland

We’ll start with the four rides that form Disneyland’s mighty “mountain range.” You will likely want to remain at the base camps for all of them. There is one more attraction at the classic park that would likely be too adventurous for you.

● Matterhorn Bobsleds: With its relatively slow speed (likely less than 30 mph) and lack of huge drops or inversions, Disneyland’s first roller coaster, which debuted in 1959 (and was the first in the world to feature tubular steel tracks), is not really all that thrilling. It is jarringly rough and not an especially comfortable ride, however. That, and the fact that it is a roller coaster (regardless of its comparatively low thrill profile) means you’ll want to consider foregoing it. Thrill rating: 4.25

● Tiana’s Bayou Adventure: There is more or less only one thrilling element throughout the entire log flume ride that was formerly known as Splash Mountain, but it’s a doozy. The vehicles take a 52.5-foot plunge at about 40 mph. It’s over in a matter of seconds, but the anticipation of the drop, let alone the drop itself, would probably be enough to drive you bonkers. It’s a shame, because the rest of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure–which is packed with animatronic characters, a rousing soundtrack, and a compelling story–is delightful. Thrill rating: 4.75

Space Mountain: Originally opened in 1977, the coaster is one of Disney’s most iconic rides. You may be surprised to learn that Space Mountain chugs along at a relatively poky speed of about 30 mph. (Consider that some coasters flirt with and even exceed 100 mph.) But the indoor attraction keeps passengers in the dark, and that makes the ride seem all the more terrifying. Thrill rating: 5

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Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: At 28 mph, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is even slower than Space Mountain. And like Matterhorn Bobsleds and Space Mountain, it has no big drops or inversions. But with three lift hills, it’s a fairly long ride. The sheer length alone may make wimps recoil in horror. Thrill rating: 4.5

Indiana Jones Adventure: It’s not a roller coaster, but the attraction’s “Enhanced Motion Vehicles” are zippy and feature a fair amount of jostling. In addition, much of the action takes place in the dark, and there are plenty of in-your-face effects including hissing snakes, whooshing darts, and a giant rolling ball that threatens to squash passengers. Thrill rating: 4.25

Rides to (possibly) give a try at Disneyland

Chip ‘n’ Dale’s GADGETcoaster: Yes, it’s a roller coaster. But with a height of 28 inches and a top speed of 22 mph, this is a very gentle ride. It barely qualifies as a “junior” coaster and is really more of a “kiddie” coaster. Plus, the whole thing is over in 44 seconds. If you’ve never been on a coaster, or haven’t ridden one in a while, Chip ‘n’ Dale’s GADGETcoaster could be a good test for you. It could perhaps be a gateway to bigger coaster thrills, depending on how you tolerate it. Thrill rating: 2.75

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The Haunted Mansion: Despite its scary-sounding name, the Haunted Mansion is really more silly than frightening. Young children may freak out at the somewhat dark scenes and imagery, but adults should do fine. As one of Disney’s all-time great rides, you really wouldn’t want to miss it. Thrill rating: 2.5 (for the scares, not the physical ride experience, which is quite tame)

Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run: One of the featured rides at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Smuggler’s Run is a motion simulator. It pretends to blast passengers off into space, but its ride vehicles never really move more than a few inches in any direction. Unlike most other simulator attractions, Smuggler’s Run is interactive, and all passengers have assigned roles (pilots, gunners, and engineers–although they will likely be changed when the attraction is updated this May with a new mission featuring The Mandalorian and Grogu). You might find the task that you are asked to perform to be distracting enough to make you forget about the minor thrills. Thrill rating: 3.25

Pirates of the Caribbean: It is dark, a bit disquieting, and (spoiler alert!) includes a couple of fairly mild flume drops, but you should do just fine. This is another gotta-ride Disney classic. So, go ride it. Thrill rating: 2.75 (for the drops)

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Star Tours: One of the original motion simulator attractions, Star Tours was given a makeover in 2011 and now features a random sequence generator. You never know where in the Star Wars universe you might be heading. If you are okay with Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run (see above), you should be okay with Star Tours. Thrill rating: 3.25

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance: Perhaps the most sophisticated attraction in the world, Rise of the Resistance uses multiple ride systems (including trackless vehicles) and unfolds over a generous 17 minutes. You will experience some thrills, but they are relatively mild. The attraction’s finale takes place aboard an escape pod. In the interest of transparency (warning: I’m about to reveal a big spoiler), the pod blasts off and suddenly drops, Tower of Terror style. But (and it’s a major but), the drop is very short and should not cause any conniption fits among the wimpish. Thrill rating: 3.75

All the other attractions and things to do at Disneyland

What’s great about Disneyland for wimps is that even if you eliminated all of the attractions above, there is still plenty to do at The Happiest Place on Earth. You should be perfectly fine aboard the park’s many other rides such as Peter Pan’s Flight, Jungle Cruise, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, and the attraction that leads the pack in the theme park wimps’ hall of fame, it’s a small world. Then there are the shows, parades, nighttime spectaculars, character experiences, and the sheer joy that the park engenders.

Are you or someone you know a ride wimp? If so, is it helpful to have a thrill ratings and a ride guide? What other parks should I include in my series of ride guides?

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4 (out of 5)

So, you Will Smith-wannabes think you have the stuff to join the Men in Black? Slip on some black shades, enter the “recruitment program” at MIB Alien Attack and find out. Issued laser guns, passengers travel in ultra-sophisticated vehicles through an alien-infested New York City streetscape and rack up points by blasting the otherworldly bugs.

Beware. The bugs, it turns out, blast back. It’s zap or be zapped time.

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We’re not talking about a couple of modest water slides here. The honest-to-goodness water park will span about six acres and include 19 different slides along with a host of other attractions. The focal point and highlight will be Tidal Tower, which at 170 feet will tie the record for the tallest water slide tower in North America. NCL hasn’t provided details, but the line does say that two of the tower’s slides, on which guests will use inner tubes, will take advantage of the extreme height and offer “splashing drops and thrilling climbs…for an exhilarating ride.” With eight slides in total, the tower will also include mat-racing slides and body slides. NCL says that the topmost slides will include conveyor belts to lift the tubes up to the starting point, thereby giving guests a break from having to lug them. (But guests will apparently still have to climb up a gazillion steps to get themselves to the slides.)

There will be additional racing slides at the park’s Cliffside Cove. The area will also include two “cliff jump” slides, so named because they will abruptly end in midair leaving guests to freefall into a splashdown pool. One will end 15 feet and the other will end 10 feet above the water. NCL says that the cliff jump slides will be a cruise industry first.

Rounding out Great Tides Waterpark will be an interactive splash zone structure with toned-down slides for younger splashers, all kinds of sprayers and water cannons, and a tipping bucket–a water park staple–that will rain down on guests every few minutes. Partially encircling the park will be a jazzed-up river that will include a faster-than-lazy current and send passengers on a trip through a tunnel that will include a “dreamlike bioluminescent scene” according to NCL. The 270-acre Great Stirrup Cay also features beaches, a huge heated pool, a spa, water sports, dining spots, bars, and activities such as jet skiing.

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Royal Caribbean is also building a waterpark at its new private destination, Perfect Day Mexico. That’ll be the place where the other record-breaking, 170-foot-tall water slide tower (to be dubbed Jaguar’s Peak) will be found. I got to experience Daredevil’s Peak, the tallest water slide on the 135-foot-tall Daredevil’s Tower at Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay island retreat in the Bahamas. When it debuted, it was the tallest water slide tower in North America.

It’s since been topped by the 142-foot-tall Thrillagascar and Jungle Jammer slides at DreamWorks Water Park in New Jersey’s American Dream retail, dining, and entertainment complex and the 145-foot-tall The Rise of Icarus that opened in 2024 at Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park in Wisconsin Dells. NCL’s Tidal Tower and Royal Caribbean’s Jaguar’s Peak may be able to claim North American bragging rights, but they fall far short of Icon Tower at Meryal, the water park that opened in 2023 in Qatar. That monster reaches a staggering 260 feet into the air.

Have you been on a cruise ship with water slides? Would you prefer to chill on the beach at a private island getaway, or does a waterpark sound appealing to you?

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Let’s start in New Jersey at Six Flags Great Adventure. Purple track pieces recently arrived at the park for what will be a “multi-record-breaking launch coaster” according to Six Flags. It will purportedly be from Mack Rides and may scale a tower in excess of 400 feet (filling the void left by the scrapped 456-foot-tall record-breaker, Kingda Ka). But that mystery ride is not scheduled to open until 2027.

Great Adventure recently announced that it will welcome Barrel O’ Fun, a modest spinning coaster, this year. Previously known as Rajin’ Cajun, the ride made the journey north from the shuttered Six Flags America in Maryland. But the coaster predates that park as well. Rajin’ Cajun originally debuted at Six Flags Great America near Chicago in 2004 and was transplanted to the Maryland park in 2014.

A Reverchon spinning Wild Mouse coaster, it features four-passenger cars that are dispatched one at a time. It rises 43 feet and hits a top speed of 29 mph. The hairpin turns, which are a staple of Wild Mouse coasters, combined with the free-spinning of the Reverchon rides have been known to make some passengers’ stomachs start rajin’ (if you know what I mean). The round cars will be designed to resemble wooden barrels. The relocated coaster will be part of the park’s refreshed Boardwalk area, which will be known as Shoreline Pier.

Barrel O’ Fun will be joined by three other reborn rides from the defunct Maryland park, two of which are classic midway staples: Flying Scooters, which equips passengers with a rudder to control the ride vehicles, and Wave Swinger, which spins suspended swing-like seats around and into the air. Hypno Twister, a Zamperla Nebulaz ride is also part of the package making the journey. Another classic flat ride, Super Roundup, will be moved from another location at Great Adventure. The reimagined land will take inspiration from the famed Jersey shore.

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There’s no word on what will become of the other rides at Six Flags America. It would be nice to think that coaster headliners such as Superman: Ride of Steel and Joker’s Jinx could find new homes. As I’ve previously written, it would be especially gratifying to me personally if the woodie, Wild One, extended its 109-year-old life. It started thrilling riders at Paragon Park in Massachusetts, a defunct park that I used to frequent. Although it’s likely a long shot, here’s hoping it’s not the end of the road for the vintage coaster.

Wild and wooly coaster coming to Nebraska

Fun-Plex Waterpark will welcome Mammoth, a new ride from Italian manufacturer Preston & Barbieri, to its modest midway this year. That will increase the number of thrill coasters in Nebraska to [quickly checks rcdb] one. (There are only three coasters, all of which are kiddie rides and one of which is also located at Fun-Plex in Omaha, in the state). The steel ride will rise 70 feet, top out at about 40 mph, and span 2,000 feet. Primarily a water park, Fun-Plex also includes a few dry rides including a Tilt-A-Whirl, go-karts, and a carousel.

Lookout Safari, a Zierer family coaster, will be added to the midway at Lake Winnepesaukah in Georgia this season. It will use a booster wheel lift hill to climb 20 feet and accelerate to 20 mph. It will join two other coasters, the wooden Cannon Ball and the Wacky Worm kiddie ride, at the small park, which is affectionately known as “Lake Winnie” and is located along the state line near Chattanooga, Tennessee. Lookout Safari is being relocated from the Indianapolis Zoo where it was known as Kombo.

Have you been on Rajin’ Cajun or similar Wild Mouse spinning coasters? Like me, would you want to see Wild One continue its long legacy of thrilling riders?

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