2006 Roller Coaster Ride Guide

A guide and overview to the new roller coasters debuting in North America

There are plenty of new thrill machines, including wooden coasters, all kinds of steel coasters, highly themed coasters, and more debuting in 2006. No matter where you may live throughout North America or where your vacation travels may be taking you this year, there's bound to be a wild new roller coaster awaiting you.

The guide is arranged alphabetically by U.S. state. Canada follows at the end of the list.

ARKANSAS

Magic Springs
Hot Springs (near Little Rock), AR
X Coaster
For 2006, Magic Springs will be debuting The X Coaster, a multi-looping coaster that will feature a 150-foot upside-down inversion--the tallest in the world. Although it will include a number of inversions, the unique ride will not include over-the-shoulder restraints. Instead, the coaster's intense G-forces will keep riders securely in the cars. The X-Coaster (not to be confused with Six Flags Magic Mountain's X 4th Dimension Coaster) will reach speeds of 65 mph.

CALIFORNIA

Disneyland Resort
Anaheim, CA
Rockit Mountain
At Disneyland Park, Space Mountain will be getting a nighttime-only makeover as Rockit Mountain with new music and effects.

Paramount's Great America
Santa Clara (near San Francisco), CA
Survivor the Ride
The unusual spinning coaster attraction, based on the popular CBS series, marries a flat ride (think a Round Up), known affectionately among park fans as a "spin and puke" or a "whirl and hurl," with a roller coaster. Riders face outwards on motorcycle-like seats atop a spinning platform as it navigates the hills of a short coaster track. Paramount's Great America is calling the ride "the world's first reality coaster." Unfortunately, that doesn't mean we'll get to see Paris Hilton barf all over Simon Cowell. (Although that would certainly get the park's turnstiles clicking, eh?)

• See an example of a similar ride in action at this Disk'O Coaster video.

Six Flags Magic Mountain
Valencia (near Los Angeles), CA
Tatsu
A record-breaking flying coaster that will launch from atop Samurai Summit.

• Read all about the unique coaster at the Tatsu overview.
• Read all about the unique coaster at the Tatsu Preview Video.
• Read all about the unique coaster at the Tatsu Preview Photo Gallery.

FLORIDA

Walt Disney World
Lake Buena Vista, FL
Expedition Everest
Disney World 's Animal Kingdom features incredible opportunities to view wildlife, but it comes up somewhat short in the attraction department. That will change for the better in 2006 when the park introduces the highly themed roller coaster, Expedition Everest.

• Expedition Everest Photo Gallery
• Expedition Everest Onboard Video

GEORGIA

Six Flags Over Georgia
Austell (near Atlanta), GA
Goliath
Read about the new Goliath Hypercoaster.

• Goliath Video Preview

INDIANA

Holiday World
Santa Claus, Indiana
Holiday World Talks Turkey
For 2006, the folks at Indiana's Holiday World will be adding a new Thanksgiving section...and ride fans will have much to be thankful for, including a record-setting new wood coaster to be called The Voyage.

The Voyage is now open! See videos of the actual ride:
The Voyage Rider-Reaction Video
The Voyage Onboard Point-of-View Video
The Voyage Off-Ride Video
The Voyage Preview Photo Gallery

KENTUCKY

Beech Bend
Bowling Green
Kentucky Rumbler
There are wood coaster rumblings in Kentucky. Beech Bend will launch the Kentucky Rumbler wood coaster, which will travel over 2800 feet and reach a top speed of 48 MPH. The thrill machine's manufacturer, Great Coasters International, describes its banked, twisting first drop as an "Aeroplane" dive.

MISSOURI

Worlds of Fun
Kansas City, MO
Patriot
A 149-foot-tall inverted coaster, the ride will fairly scream "U.S.A., U.S.A." with blue cars coasting on a red and white track supported by blue columns. Like turbo-charged ski lifts, inverted coaster trains hang from the track and leave riders' legs dangling. Patriot will jangle nerves as it dangles thrill-seekers through four inversions, an inclined bank curve, and an s-curve at a top speed of 60 mph. To be built by Swiss coaster designer par excellence, Bolliger & Mabillard, the ride should be ultra-slick and glass-smooth.

• Patriot Overview Video
• Patriot Front Seat Point-of-View Preview Video
• Patriot Camera Fly-Around Preview Video
• Patriot preview photo gallery

NEW JERSEY

Six Flags Great Adventure
Jackson, NJ
El Toro
Click for more info about Six Flags Great Adventure's new wood coaster, El Toro.

• El Toro Preview Video
• El Toro Preview Photo Gallery

PENNSYLVANIA

Knoebels
Elysburg, PA
Flying Turns
The Flying Turns will be a bobsled-like wooden coaster.

VIRGINIA

Paramount's Kings Dominion
Doswell, VA (near Richmond, VA and Washington, D.C.)
The Italian Job Stunt Coaster
Read about the movie-themed coaster. Virginia Peel--Launched Family Coaster Coming to Paramount's Kings Dominion.

• The Italian Job Stunt Coaster Preview Photo Gallery.

CANADA

La Ronde
Montreal, Quebec
Goliath
Read about the new coaster coming to the park.