Friday November 20, 2009
The World's Fair-like Epcot at Walt Disney World is less about thrill rides and more about the wonders of science, technology, and the future (in Future World) along with a multi-culti peek into the international community (in World Showcase). But there are some thrills to be had at Epcot, including one of the most intense G-force rides in the industry. Top Epcot Thrill Rides.
Photo: The entrance to Epcot's Mission: SPACE is very sleek. © Arthur Levine, 2003. Licensed to About.com.
Friday November 20, 2009
An $800-million movie-themed park planned for Rome will be modeled after Universal Studios Hollywood, according to Variety. Construction on Cinecitta World, named after Italy's Cinecitta Studios, will begin next year, and the first phase is expected to open in 2011. A quote from the Variety article caught my attention: "...one ride will feature the huge slide that Marcello Mastroianni travels down as his sexual history flashes by in Fellini's 'City of Women'..." Scusi? Somehow, I don't see the Imagineers developing a similar attraction for Disney's Hollywood Studios. Although a Perverts of the Caribbean ride could be quite popular, don't you think?
Wednesday November 18, 2009
When I exited the unloading station at Son of Beast this past June, I felt like the coaster did to me what a wild night of boogie-woogieing does to Jerry Lee Lewis: It shook my nerves and rattled my brain--and every other part of me. It's no wonder. The mammoth wood coaster at Kings Island is notoriously brutal. In fact, it was closed for most of last season after a passenger claimed she suffered a burst blood vessel in her brain after riding the woodie.
Now, there are reports, including this one from the Cincinnati Enquirer, that the frequently-closed Son of Beast may never reopen. When it debuted in 2000, the ride boasted many records, including the world's fastest and tallest wooden coaster. Son of Beast is also the second-longest wooden coaster (behind its namesake at Kings Island, The Beast). And it was the only operating woodie to include a loop, which was subsequently removed to improve the ride.
Rough-and-tumble rides are part of a wooden coaster's charm. But my Son of Beast experience was way beyond rough; it was painful and downright jarring as the ride vibrated wildly and tossed me mercilessly. The thrill machine has generated lots of similar complaints.
Obviously, Kings Island has a dilemma: Should it declare code blue and scrap one of the world's most noted coasters, or should it try (again) to fix the problem-prone ride? What do you think? Take the Son of Beast poll. And join the conversation by clicking on "Comments" below. It would be especially great to hear from folks who have ridden Son of Beast.
Photo: The massive Son of Beast at Kings Island. © Arthur Levine, 2009. Licensed to About.com.
Tuesday November 17, 2009
When it opens next year, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, will be among the first of a number of high-profile theme parks planned for the UAE. (Many United Arab Emirates park projects are in limbo or have fizzled amid the world's economic tailspin.) Among its 20-plus attractions, the hybrid Epcot-type pavilion/Six Flags-type amusement park/corporate hospitality center will feature the F1 Coaster (tentative name), which the park claims will be able to reach 150 mph--yikes!--and lay claim to the world's fastest coaster crown. But, officials from the park have also stated that they may operate the coaster at slower speeds.
Hmm. Slower than 135 mph? That's the speed that ring racer (sic) is supposed to hit when it opens next year. (The German coaster was supposed to open in 2009. However, the few days it operated, it never reached record-breaking speeds, and its grand debut reboot is now scheduled for 2010.) So, which coaster will earn world-record bragging rights? Read more about Ferrari World's F1 Coaster and its other attractions in the Ferrari World Abu Dhabi Preview.
Photo: The odd domed roof of Ferrari World takes shape in Abu Dhabi. Ferrari World, 2009. Used with permission.
