Coming on the heels of the announcement of Werewolf Gorge at Six Flags Fiesta Texas, Waldameer recently revealed that it too will be debuting a family launch coaster next year. Dubbed Eagle’s Pursuit, the ride is designed to incorporate moderate thrills, yet be accessible to a wide swath of visitors. The new coaster will take advantage of the Pennsylvania park’s hilly terrain and should provide fetching views of Lake Erie.
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.
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?