On The Cutting Edge Of Your Seat—by Keith Miller It’s the longest two minutes of a passenger’s life: After being chased by mummies and scarab beetles, riders narrowly escape scorching flames and a crushing stone door. The cars in the harrowing Revenge of the Mummy then drop suddenly, spin around, and sling backward. What happens next? Stunned riders get back in line for another go. Thrill rides—the words conjure up images of thundering roller coasters, perilous drop towers, and radical extreme rides. They’re the essence of spine-tingling excitement for some, and nightmarish fear for others. Though they date back well over 100 years, the spectacular creations being conceived today are light years ahead of their progenitors in their imaginative designs and sophisticated engineering. In recent years, parks and ride designers were constantly challenged to build thrill attractions that provide guests with the heart-pounding experiences they crave, thereby producing a climate of spirited one-upmanship that brought one delight after another to thrill ride enthusiasts. But with the economic downturn that started in 2000, most parks veered away from the breakneck competition that characterized the 1990s when it seemed that record-breaking rides were being introduced monthly; taller, faster, longer, steeper—the themes that dominated the industry. But the cost of these milestone attractions shot up at a time when attendance was faltering, so parks turned to less costly alternatives. There were exceptions, however, as corporate chain thrill parks like Cedar Fair’s Cedar Point continued to raise the bar. In 2003, Cedar Point introduced a thrill ride of skyscraper proportions—the 420-foot, 120-mph, $25 million Top Thrill Dragster. Cedar Point’s identity is closely tied to these extreme attractions, and even in a soft economy, they remained true to it. “Without Top Thrill Dragster, I believe Cedar Point would have dropped further away from its goals,” says Rob Decker, Cedar Fair’s VP of corporate planning and design. “We are committed to pressing forward with developments that exceed expectations in creating rides that are not only thrilling, but safe. The introduction of new materials and assemblies, such as non-contact braking systems and the maturation of launching devices, has allowed engineers to create better, safer experiences for our guests.” Up and Coming Corporate parks continue to lead the way in 2004, as demonstrated by the May opening of Universal Orlando’s astonishing $40 million Revenge of the Mummy. “It’s a unique combination of theming, special effects, and coaster technology,” says Michael McLane, PR manager at Universal Orlando. “The ride contains a robotic figure of the Mummy that, in terms of fluidity of movement and speed and range of motion, is the most realistic animated figure ever created.” McLane adds that the ride system marks a new evolution in roller coasters. “The safety of the guests is our primary concern, so we’ve safely fused an electro-magnetic propulsion launch system with linear induction motor ride tracks.” May 2004 also marked the premiere of one of the most anticipated thrill attractions of the year at Disney’s California Adventure in Anaheim, Calif. Its name, Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, is familiar because a similar integrated drop tower/dark ride attraction has safely gripped guests for years at Disney-MGM Studios near Orlando, Fla. But Tom Fitzgerald, executive vice president and senior creative consultant of Walt Disney Imagineering, divulges, “The attraction features new technology, new special effects, and other surprises. This led to a different show in terms of style, design, furniture, and props. We’ve even redesigned the boiler room to be grander and creepier than the original, and added an entirely new show scene that spirits guests away to the surreal world of the Fifth Dimension. Of course, the ride experience itself is also unique from the Florida show.” Another major integrated attraction opened this year at Sea World in San Diego. Journey to Atlantis is an indoor/outdoor combination roller coaster and special effects ride first introduced in 2000 at Sea World Orlando. But this year’s version has some new twists, like an underwater view of rare Commerson’s dolphins in a 130,000-gallon tank, the only live display of these animals in the United States. Franciscus Beckers, sales and marketing manager for Germany’s MACK GmbH, which engineered the ride, says, “The marriage of a water ride and a coaster is very attractive to the majority of people who visit fun parks.” Though he’s under a nondisclosure agreement with Sea World, Beckers says he can state that the ride’s lift system is “unique” and adds, “Another unique feature is real, free-floating boats in the channel, not those quasi-watercoasters you find on the market.” In the realm of the conventional thrill ride is Storm Runner, a $15.5 million steel coaster christened this season at Hershey Park in Hershey. The ride is billed as the world’s first rocket coaster with inversions, and it includes a distinctive feature: the flying snake dive, during which passengers are turned on their sides toward the end of the ride. With its new inverted steel coaster named The Demon, from the Swiss design firm of Bolliger and Mabillard, Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark, proved that determination and great engineering can produce a marvelous thrill ride even in a tight space in the middle of a city. “We built it in the center of Copenhagen, just beside the town hall, and [the ride] is very compact because of the park’s size (20 acres),” says Robert Lund, Tivoli’s head of development and design. “It’s also different because the loading platform is 7 meters (about 23 feet) high, and there are food and game outlets under the ride.” Lund notes that two factors taken into account in choosing B&M were the safety standards and reliability of their rides, and observes, “As a high-profile park in Denmark, we need the best and safest ride out there, and we believe we got just that.” Wooden coasters are regarded as traditional thrill rides, but that doesn’t mean they can’t exhibit new elements and innovations. Dollywood’s new Thunderhead is proof. “The curves are pitched much steeper than usual,” says Pete Owens, the park’s PR manager. The ride also features a fly-through station, something that Jeff Pike, vice president of Great Coasters International, which built the ride, seems most excited about. “The fly-through is a one-of-a-kind element, and we call it fly-through because it’s actually coming through the station rather than passing by it. As for the banking, we developed the Millennium Flyer vehicle to be flexible and get in and out of turns much faster, allowing for steeper banks—72 degrees on one and 69 on another.” But all this has not come at the expense of rider safety, accordingto Owens. “Every day, thousands of people entrust their safety and that of their children to our staff at Dollywood, and we take that trust very seriously,” he stresses. “There has never been a loss of life as a result of a ride-related injury at Dollywood. We are very proud of that record.” Another new woodie, named The Falken, which opened May 8, 2004, at Faarup Sommerland in Saltum, Denmark, has been a long time in coming. According to co-owner Sorne Kragelund, he’s been struggling with local authorities to get the 2,000-foot coaster built for more than a decade. “We had lots of discussions about the height of the ride, the height of trees, lots of things,” he laments. “The ride’s unusual because it’s got a double drop—it drops down about 8 meters, and then you go down again on the big drop, and the helix at the end makes you feel like you’re going to touch the ground!” The Falken is one of three coasters being rolled out this year by the new wooden coaster division of S&S Power, Inc. Renowned for extreme rides, drop towers, and “thrust air” coasters, S&S hopes these attractions mark a new chapter for the Logan, Utah, company. Says Denise Dinn, who heads up the new division, “We’re installing the Tsunami—which is a huge steel structure with a wooden track and steep 78-degree banks, has a double helix, and includes the steepest vertical drop at 62 degrees—at Clementon Amusement Park in New Jersey. We’re putting in Avalanche at Timber Falls Adventure Park in Wisconsin Dells, which also has 78-degree banks.” Alan Schilke, an engineer with S&S, says these two coasters have another distinctive feature. “They have short trains—just three or four cars—and that definitely reshapes the hill as opposed to longer trains, so you don’t have to be in the front or back seat to get airtime.” To ensure that riders don’t get too much airtime, S&S employs dual restraint systems. “Our coasters in the U.S. have both a lapbar restraint and a seat belt, and the one in Denmark has a lapbar with redundancy built in,” remarks Dinn. Perhaps the most unusual new coaster is the Spinball Whizzer at Alton Towers in Staffordshire, England. The Maurer Söhne ride hurtles riders in four-seat rounded vehicles along a steep and twisting track, all while crazily spinning 360 degrees. “Each and every ride is totally unique, as the experience is dependent upon the weight distribution in the car,” notes Mike Lorimer, Alton Towers’ marketing manager. “The ride puts guests in the pinball game mind-set, with giant thumper bumpers and silver balls distributed around the ride area, along with a great sound system playing summertime classics such as The Beach Boys.” X-Tremely New Some of the most exhilarating new thrill rides fall into the extreme category—not coasters, not drop towers, not dark rides. An example is the 10-story Halfpipe, which opened in May at Six Flags Elitch Gardens in Denver. The Intamin ride is the only one of its kind in North America and features a 39-foot-long snowboard upon which sit two independently rotating eight-seat circular cars. Each car spins as the board slides up and down a 230-foot track. “Now you can snowboard not only in winter, but in summer,” declares PR Manager Tara Tongco. “But what makes it special is that it’s 10 times bigger than anything you’ll see on the slopes. We’ve committed much in the way of money and resources to ensure that our guests have a safe yet thrilling time.” In early June, Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, Calif., opened RipTide, Germany’s HUSS Rides’ giant version of a Top Spin. But Knott’s Susan Tierney says the ride is no ordinary Top Spin: “This is the first one with back-to-back rows of seats, it’s floorless, and there’s a water feature incorporated into the ride—squirting fountains.” Tierney mentions that all California parks are now under the Department of Health and Safety, a division of OSHA. “They come out, inspect, and sign off that they feel the rides are okay and give us approval to open them.” Knott’s is also unveiling a new, $16 million inverted steel coaster this Christmas called Silver Bullet. The park’s seventh coaster, it will be chrome plated, floorless, and include six inversions. Arguably the most extreme of all the new thrill rides are the terrifying duo at the Stratosphere Casino Hotel and Tower in Las Vegas, Nevada. The X-Scream places eight passengers on a coaster-like vehicle that travels 30 mph over the edge of the tower 900 feet above the Las Vegas Strip; riders actually hang at the end of a piece of track that’s extended 29 feet off the edge of the tower. “Located on top of the Stratosphere, the most difficult ride location on earth, it cannot be easily repaired or replaced, so we built and installed the safest ride in the world,” exclaims Val Potter, sales director for Interactive Rides, the ride’s creator. “It launches you out over the edge twice, pulls back, and you feel you’re safe, but then it stops midstream, gives you a sudden drop, then gives you a total free fall!” The other ride, opening next year and as-yet unnamed, will also dangle riders over the edge, but this time seated in chairs that are attached by poles to a spindle, which spins them 360 degrees. “You are restrained by a lapbar, so your upper body is movable,” Potter reveals. “You’re spinning out there about a thousand feet above the strip.” Michael Gilmartin, the Stratosphere’s PR manager, pronounces, “We’ve opened a whole new chapter with these two thrill rides because they make it acceptable to have rides that go off the tower’s edge.” What’s Next? Though parks and ride manufacturers are always reluctant to talk about future rides for fear of giving away some competitive edge, a few are willing to look ahead. S&S Power, Inc., has sold a new coaster that will debut in 2005. The park hasn’t been officially announced yet, but Schilke says the non-looping ride will feature the first new S&S coaster train. “It also will have negative Gs on all the floater hills, and it’s got some freaky little spots where you’re floating while you’re banked over more than 90 degrees, so it should feel different than a standard hypercoaster,” he discloses. Interactive Rides recently sold its first “Frequent Faller” coaster to an unannounced park. Unveiled at the IAAPA convention in November 2003, the ride’s vehicles will be lifted straight up 150 feet, then careen downward in an opposing series of drops, plunging 20 to 30 feet each time. “I don’t believe we’ve seen the limit on thrill ride development,” says Cedar Point’s Decker about the future of thrill rides. “New configurations, rider positions, launch systems, and safety devices will continue to evolve. The fans will take care of the rest.”