Busch Gardens Williamsburg- Pantheon News 11/2

Busch Gardens Williamsburg- Pantheon News 

 For those who haven't been following along, Pantheon is the newest coaster coming to Busch Gardens Williamsburg in 2020.  Themed to the Roman Gods, with various elements of the coaster being named after them, the ride is an Intamin steel, sit-down coaster. Slated to be the fastest, multi-launch coaster in North America.

Hershey Park- New Trademark for 2020 Coaster

Hershey Park has filed a new trademark in relation to the 2020 expansion, Chocolatetown. 

Hershey Park is expanding once again for 2020. With this comes an entirely new area called 'Chocolatetown' and a new roller coaster is in the works.

Image from RCDB

This expansion is one of the largest in the parks history which included a new entrance plaza, 'Hershey' store, a 'Hershey Kiss' fountain, a new kettle-corn stand, ice cream shop, the relocation of the classic carousel. the largest restaurant in the park (full patio and bar included!)... and a brand new, B&M hyper-style coaster.

The new trademark is listed as 'Candymonium' as the 'nature of a roller coaster'. While this many not end up being the coasters final name, we've got something new to work with. As many expect, a few more trademarks will likely follow as the park decides which will be the final, working name of this newest attraction. The additional of 'Chocolatetown' looks to completely re-work the opening portion of the park in a big way, we can't wait to see what happens!

More news and photos as information becomes available, as always!

Universal Orlando annouces new coaster.. and it's a mouthful!

Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, Coming to Universal Orlando Resort.

Seriously, that name is really a mouthful to get out!

Yesterday Universal Orlando finally announced the name of the new roller coaster attraction they've been (not so secretly) building at the resort. This attraction will take the place of the now demolished Dueling Dragons/Dragon Challenge which closed in 2017. Each ride car is themed like Sirius Black's motorbike, complete with sidecar.

Image from Themeparx

The coaster in question is a launched coaster, holding someplace between 14 and 21 riders per train. We can't tell yet if the sidecars will seat a single rider or be double-seated.

 Set around the general idea of a steeplechase coaster, no fine details about the ride are known yet. Although given the design, we can guess it'll be a more 'tame' coaster. With very similar qualities of Pony Express at Knotts Berry Farm.

 Also likely will be various show elements featuring 'magical creatures' in the form of animatronics stationed around the ride path. Although, from the looks of things, there will also be a jot though the forbidden forest if the concept art is to be believed! Giving the rider the illusion of encountering these creatures in their 'native' environment. Part of me also hopes Universal has an audio 'tour' with Hagrid narrating what each creature is and how lovely they are.


Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is set to open June 13th, 2019.

Seaworld San Diego Announces Mako- New Dive Coaster for 2020

New Dive Coaster Coming to Seaworld San Diego in 2020- Mako

Image from Behind the Thrills

Friday, in a surprise move, Seaworld San Diego made an announcement that somehow slipped under our radar.

Coming in 2020, they will build a new addition to their coaster collection-  B&M Floorless Dive Coaster going by the name of 'Mako'. Stats look to be a lift hill of 153 feet with a following vertical drop of 143. This would then make it the tallest dive-coaster in Southern California.

While it may share the same name with the Seaworld Orlando coaster, nothing else is similar in the design of California's Mako Coaster.  Although they are taking a leaf from the Orlando book on several levels. Much like Orlando, the new coaster will come with the current Shark Encounter getting a heavy refurbishment to match up to the shiny new coaster going place.

Cedar Point- The Valravn Mystery

Image from Redeit

 When Cedar Point hinted they where keeping a secret about Valravn, the internet responded in shock.

 A local news story hinted the the park still have a few secrets about their newest roller coaster which hadn't yet been made public. Users online quickly checked the webcam and it appears the new ride will come with some kind of tunnel or trench, a themed element to the ride which wasn't hinted at in the original designs.  Cedar Point is keeping this new element a close secret but it's obviously under construction as you read this!

 So? What can it be?

 The quick, easy answer is that it's likely a pass-though building themed to the element of the ride. The truth? We're honestly not sure yet but this is a common design element with roller coasters, which often feature tunnels or trenches to give an added thrill to the attraction!

 However, if your read This Piece from Michigan Live, you'll catch a quick clue- Cedar Point has said these is a part of the queue line, something which 'Cedar Point has never done before'. Which leads me to believe that the queue line may pass right thought or beside this structure.  By doing such, it would let guests get an additional, up close peek at the ride as the coaster train passes though.

 All speculation is abound! Until official word comes from the park, I'm going with this general idea!

Lagoon Park's Newest Coaster, Cannibal, Begins Testing!

Okay, this one kind of caught us off guard some and we're definitely late to the party due to being on the road all of last week. Either way, video was captured over the weekend of Lagoon Park's newest coaster, Cannibal (gotta love that name), doing it's first test runs. Now, we're not sure if this is the very first one but it's definitely an early test and by the looks of it, this thing is insane.

Here's a few stats for ya to chew on as you watch. 208ft in height, featuring a 116 degree first drop and reaching speeds of 70mph? Holy crap, that's just...wow.


Just wow, there's so much going on in there that I'm not sure even where to begin. There is some speculation about the LSM system that the ride has and to what purpose or effect they have on the ride, but until we see a POV or get a first hand account that's a little hard to judge from this distance.

Either way, it looks like Lagoon has a serious contender on their hands for one of the most extreme coasters of 2015 but there's a lot of others out there vying for that title as well. Going to be interesting to see how this all plays out throughout the year and what folks say about it!

Stay tuned for more out of Utah's Lagoon Park and of course all the other places building and doing all sorts of crazy this year right here or follow us on Twitter, Google+, Tumblr and Facebook for all the latest!

First Fury 325 On Ride POV Released!

Okay, it seems like just a couple of hours ago we were talking about the first test run from Fury 325 at Carowinds, but here we go again!

This time, the folks at Carowinds have unveiled the video from that first ever run and luckily for all of us, they had a camera onboard to record the insanity of it all. So, I'm not gonna talk long on this one, as you can just click on the Fury 325 logo on the left of the page for the updates.

Let's get on with the video!


Holy crap that looks incredible! One thing you'll notice is that there isn't a single brake section throughout the entire course of the ride. This thing is going to be insane to experience and riding at night? Oh, I can only imagine.

Yep, it's official. We have Fury Fever here at ISI! Stay tuned here or follow us on Twitter, Google+, Tumblr and Facebook for all the latest out of Carowinds and their newest, world record breaking coaster, Fury 325!

First Test Run of Fury 325 at Carowinds a Success!

It's rare we have back to back posts about the same subject, but this one's a little special. Just a short bit ago, Carowinds announced that they had completed the first test run of their world record breaking coaster, Fury 325. It's been a long road since the leaks, the official announcement and completion of construction, but here we are. Only a couple of weeks until Fury 325 will be open to the public and daring riders to face it's monstrous 320ft drop to reach speeds of 95mph.

We've had a blast covering this one, and while we're not quite done yet on that front, it's getting closer and closer to media and we'll be sure to bring you all the latest from that event. But we're not there yet and still lots more to share.

So, let's get on with the reason ya came, the pictures! Here's some shots from earlier today via Carowinds and their construction camera of the first test run!

February 11th: Fury 325 update

Hello peoples!!!!

I've got you next update on Fury325 here.  Now that the track is finished they seem to be moving right along in finishing everything else.  I've got two pictures for yinz this evening to enjoy.

Pulled from Facebook

This is a photograph of the hill from the operator booth or what will be the booth, lol. It's such an awesome hill and I can't wait to ride this beauty!!

Pulled from Facebook

Here are the queue lines on the ride platform. The hive design is really cool and I can only hope that the rest of the platform will be just as neat. I say go with a whole hive thing: turn the platform into a hive all around!

Pulled from Twitter

This is a picture of the tunnel design that runs underground on the coaster. You can see the track is all wrapped up while they're working on the tunnel frame. The worker also adds perspective so yinz can see how big the tunnel actually is.

As always: If you're nice to us than we'll be nice to you. You can find us in the usual places, just go to the "Where to Follow" tab on the home page and follow!!!

January 29th: Fury 325 update

Hello Peoples!!!

So this is going to be a small yet important update because Carowinds just posted up a photo of the track and there is one piece of track left to go!!!

Waiting for the final piece!! (pulled from Facebook)

According to Carowinds the final piece will be installed tomorrow sometime but I wanted to show everyone this lovely photo. Isn't the sunset pretty too?

As always: If you're nice to us than we'll be nice to you. You can find us in the usual places, just go to the "Where to Follow" tab on the home page and follow!!!

January 19th: Fury325 update

Hello peoples!!!!

I hope that everyone is having a good evening or a good day depending on where you live.  So this evening I've got two new photos for your enjoyment.

So here is just a random photo of some of the Fury325 steel being fabricated at the factory:

Found this on Carowinds's Twitter

Yes, I made this photo bigger but I think it's neat to see the track being worked on.

Now on to the awesome picture...THE TRAINS HAVE ARRIVED!!! or at least one of them, lol

This was taken from Carowinds's Facebook page

So I'm still not a fan of the lime green, but I do like the pattern on the car. Obviously they're following their own pattern with the three stripes that make up the wings and the stinger down the center. To be honest I feel like the front is too dull, they make the track and color scheme bright and shiny but the car is just gray/silver.

But that is just my thoughts on things, what does everyone else think?

As always: If you're nice to us than we'll be nice to you. You can find us in the usual places, just go to the "Where to Follow" tab on the home page and follow!!!

January 8th: Fury325 update

Hello peoples!!!!

I know it's been a bit since I've done an update but I wanted to wait until there were a bunch of pictures to share with everyone to make this enjoyable for all.

So to skip with the pleasantries and onto the fun!!!

Travel Channel reporters walking on the hill for a special that air's next summer

Another photo of the Travel Channel film crew

Fury 325 Update: December 12

Hello peoples!!!

So here I am with another Fury 325 update!  It's so awesome to see them finally moving on getting this coaster built; it probably wasn't going fast before due to the Halloween season, but now there's nothing stopping them!!  WOOT WOOT!

Just a week after putting the finishing touches on the lift hill Carowinds has announced that they have finished a second hill on this insane ride.

This hill seem like it's going to throw riders upside down, it's hard to tell from this photo which way the train will be traveling.

So this is the only photo that Carowinds has posted regarding the new hill, but do not fret my readers I'll be on the look out for the more photos and updates as they come.

As always: If you're nice to us than we'll be nice to you. You can find us in the usual places, just go to the "Where to Follow" tab on the home page and follow!!!

Thunderbird Watch: Holiday World Caps Off Thunderbird Track with Piece Number 77

It's been just a little over 5 months since the announcement of Holiday World's first steel coaster, and world's first launched wing coaster, and they've really put the pedal to the metal getting this one done. How fast? Well, just the other day, the folks over at Holiday World posted images and video up of the final section of track going into place. Yep, that's right...the track is 100% complete now.

Gotta say, I'm pretty impressed with how fast this one went up and it looks like they'll be well on their way to getting everything in order for their scheduled preview night on April 24th, 2015. They've still got quite a bit of work to do and testing to get finished, but with just about 5months to go, it seems they'll be just fine in that department.

Let's get on with the pictures, but first here's the latest Hard Hat Chronicles from the park that shows the final track piece going into place. Pretty cool that the crew signed it as well.


Check out all the ride details, videos and other goodies from our coverage of the announcement or just keep on scrolling down for the latest pictures out of Holiday World, including a few fun snow covered pics.

More after the break!

"Tempesto/Diavolo" Construction Goes Vertical at Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Well, Busch Gardens Williamsburg still hasn't made an official announcement about this one, but it's only a matter of time before they do. The main reason? The structure is going vertical and right now that's during their Christmas Town event, so it's starting to be noticed by more people who are in the park most likely. There's no official word on when they'll be releasing all the details, even if most of us out there know what they're up to already.

That said, construction is moving along and considering that this isn't exactly a huge project, they seem to be right on course for an opening to go along with the park's Spring 2015 opening date. Don't quote on me on that though, we'll just have to wait and see but it does feel that way to me.

Just how far along are they? Well, thanks to the ever awesome folks over at BGWfans.com, we can show you!

For those not familiar, the new ride is going into the Festa Italia section of the park and right up against Apollos Chariot. It's an odd placement, and many don't agree with it, but everyone here suspects that it's due to visibility from the road.

If you're curious as to what exactly the ride is going to look like or what it's going to entail, we've already covered that quite extensively in the past. And yes, we're still shaking our heads over why Busch Gardens would put something like this into the park and not something more substantial. Either way, there's no avoiding it, it's definitely coming.

So, enough rambling, let's get to a few more pictures form the BGW Fans folks showing off how the construction has come along since our last visit to the park. If you'd like to see more, head over to their site for all that and tons of talk about Busch Gardens Williamsburg. 


Now for a few more pictures!

Nov. 22: Fury 325 update

Hello peoples!!!

On this freezing cold Pittsburgh Saturday morning (seriously it's 28*F with freezing rain!) Carowinds has given us nine new construction pictures.

These pictures show us the color scheme, the bright blue and green, and there is a station picture included as well.

The photos also show the first drop of the ride as it begins to take shape. Plus apparently there is a 140 tons of counterweight on the back of the largest crane used to build the lift hill; I thought that  was some cool information that I pulled off of their Facebook page.

So onward to the photo binge!!!

Holiday World-Thunderbird Watch 10/8

Image from Screamscape

Holiday World 'Tops Off' Thunderbird on Tuesday.

 Even with a minor delay due to weather, Holiday World has delivered on their promise of having the newest roller coaster 'Thunderbird' topped off quickly.

 On Tuesday, the top Immelman loop (directly after lauch) was completed. It's also the highest piece of track on this roller coaster, set to open in 2015. The park is really pushing to have much of their main construction completed as quickly as possible!

 We've also got some news in regards to the roller coasters launching system!

 It appears the first B&M launching coaster will be powered by a normal LSM system. Meaning, 'Liner Synchronous Motor' (translation- Powered by Electra-Magnetic Force) rather then a cable or launch car systems as seen in other launching style roller coaster. Top Thrill Dragster is a 'Cable' system and Rock'n'Roller-Coaster at Disney's Hollywood Studies is a 'launch car' system (also powered by cables).

 The park has added in a power sub-station in order to generate the addition electric power which the new coasters ride systems will require. So, unlike some other parks in the past, Holiday World won't brown out the entire city the first time it launches into being!

Busch Gardens Williamsburg- New Coaster Track On Site!

Image from Screamscape

 Busch Gardens Williamsburg- New Coaster Track Spotted!

 While it's common knowledge that Busch Gardens is up to something, not everyone knows what.

 We know they are getting a new roller coaster, which seemed to have a hotly contested name. Folks can't seem to decide if it's going to be the "Diavolo" or "Tempesto" at the moment, either way this new 'teal' colored track has been spotted coming into the park.  Seeing as we spent this past weekend at the park, we can confirm two pieces of track are on site.. but very hard to spot.

 The only way to spot them is from the very top of Griffon, before the drop if you peer far into the distance of employee parking (to the left of the coaster's drop) you can see them hidden back near the old trolley. The physical damage is more obvious, it can be spotted in the clear cutting directly beside "Apollo's Chariot".

 We expect to hear the announcement of this new coaster during the 'Pass-holders Appreciation Weekend" which is September 6th and 7th, 2014.

 More News when it becomes available! 

Carowinds- New Coaster Goof, Centurion is Happening!

Carowinds Goofs! 'Centurion' Revealed Early!

 Today in a BIG goof, Carowinds Park has inadvertently revealed the new coaster for 2015.

 The name, which has been up in the air with many mismatched clues being thrown in with recent weeks, is obviously going to be "Centurion" with the tag-line "The 8th Wonder of the World. The 'Big Reveal' is suppose to happen in 9 days, on August 21st and if you do the math, it will be held at 9am.

 While we know most of the basic stats of the new hyper coaster due to the blueprints being leaked. The theme and name has been up in the air for a while with Cedar Fair having trademarked several names which could fit.  With the goof reveal, we now know the name and logo for the newest mega coaster coming to Carowinds Park in 2015!

 In addition, the website has "Hac risus enim turpis elit. In sit penatibus" written in Latin, which we suspect is a hidden lorem ipsum (meaning, babble). You can also view the site, provided it doesnt disappear now that we've all found it, at https://www.carowinds.com/centurion.

 More information as it become available!

Special Thanks to +Clint J Gamache of +Thrillgeek for spotting/finding this one!

S&S Worldwide building a 4D, Free-Spinning Coaster.. for an "Unknown" North American Theme Park!

 Now, while I normally don't follow S&S Worldwide very closely, this news is highly interesting.

We've been seeing several plans North American Theme Parks which involve tight or very limited spaces. Spaces which you wouldn't be able to put a full-size traditional roller coaster into. Plus these rumors have been getting plenty of controversy over the idea of putting coasters into those small spaces, with some park fans nearly ready to riot over the idea. With the news that S&S Worldwide has come up with their own version of a 4D-Free Spin coaster, this opens up some possibilities for different parks.

S&S Worldwide is billing their version of the 4D, Free Spinning coaster as more 'family friendly' and as 'a different experience each time you ride'.  Considering what the builders have said about their new ride, gives us some idea of where this could be going. Although we have no idea of height, size or much else of this new style.. it could easily go in many small spaces. 

So far, we've got several parks which are building currently unknown or unconfirmed attractions for the 2015 season: Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Hershey Park, Six Flags Fiesta Texas, Six Flags Over Texas and Silver Dollar City.  Which leaves a LOT of speculation over who might be getting this new version of a 4D roller coaster.

S&S Worldwide expects to install this new coaster by April of 2015. They also state it will be at a "Theme Park" but this depends on the original writers idea what a 'theme park' is. It looks like we'll be waiting for more clues to drop until we find out exactly where this new coaster is going to appear.