New coaster trains for Busch Gardens Parks shown at the IAAPA

 IAAPA Shows Off New Coaster Cars for Busch Gardens.

 It's that time of year again, the IAAPA is in full swing and images are coming down hard and fast. Showing off the latest and greatest, the soon to open and the future news- a lot is going to drop this week with the expo going on!

 SeaWorld Parks is offering some of the first showings here with the two new coasters coming to the Busch Gardens parks.

Image from Theme Park Insider

 Up first, we've got the new coaster train design going in to Busch Gardens Williamsburg and the coaster Pantheon.  Intamin showed off the design, which to be honest, I'm not thrilled with.

Allow me to explain..

 The same harness design is used at Hershey Park for the coaster 'Sky Rush' which has the unloving nickname 'Thigh Crush' for a reason.
 Rather than going with the slightly older design, they've opted to use this model for the new coaster.

 Although considering it's not a wing coaster, there could be some saving grace to our poor thighs in the future. At least, if your not short? I'll have to wait and see with this one.

Image from Theme Park Insider 

 Busch Gardens Tampa isn't to be left out of the fun either, showing off the new trains for the redesign of Gwazi.  Created by Rocky Mountain Coasters, it's now called 'Iron Gwazi'. The coaster will be a complete re-track of the original ride with many of the old elements removed and new added, combining it into a single track coaster.

 Taking away the dueling element does allow more room to work and design, but seems like it's somehow taking away a key element of an original design. Dueling coasters are becoming a rarity these days, but let me digress once more..



 Let me confess something to you, the trains confuses me.

 Gwazi was (supposedly) named after the legend of a creature which had both the head of a lion and the head of a tiger, thus why each side was designated 'lion' or 'tiger'. However, in this new coaster train theme, seem to share nothing more than the name with the original coaster. Rather this is now 'crocodile inspired thrills'!

 Perhaps it's just me, but I liked the 'big cat' theme as it fell in nicely with the education programs the park runs regarding their big cats. Although I do suppose it's time to branch out as they have 'Kumba',  'Cheetah Chase' and 'Tigris' now.


Anyway, I've digressed enough for one afternoon.

We're looking forward to more news from the IAAPA's 2019 show.

We'll cover the SeaWorld Parks in tomorrows update- There is PLENTY more to come!

InSanity Gets The Groove Back

...or we can call it 'Remembering how I loved the Haunts'. 

A (Very Late) Schedule for 2017

Greetings Folks!
As I'm sure you've seen, it's been a bit quiet here.
Real life has attacked and in highly annoying ways- but I'm still here!

Just recently returned from a huge tour of the West. Yellowstone, Painted Canyon, Deadwood and More. It was an epic trip.. but that leaves the question of- Theme Parks.

Either way, it's going to be a slow 'year' for Park Reviews but a few will STILL happen. Because I'm not giving up and this blog will rebuild. Because I'm not letting go of my passion and love for all things amusement parks!

So, with that, I give you a very late and very small schedule for 2017.


August-
Kings Island

September-
Cedar Point
Howl-O-Scream/Busch Gardens Williamsburg (Tentative)


Either way, we will get SOME content out and hope you'll enjoy it!

-Carrie from ISI

D23 and Magic Kingdom- The Changes are Coming

Dear friends, 
Please. Sit down.
No. Really, you should probably be sitting down and buckled into something for what's coming. 

It's Good! It's Bad! And 'WTF Are They THINKING?'




As a firm believer in 'Always start with good news', we are starting there today!
(Also, please excuse any mistakes in this first edit. I've just arrived home from a several thousand mile road-trip, but more on that later!)

So, if you haven't heard the news from D23 yet..

We're getting a Tron Lightcycle Coaster into Magic Kingdom at the Disneyworld Resort!  So that's some very impressive good news, the question is- What does it mean for the park?



Firstly, we need to look at what exactly this ride is. 
Disney hasn't exactly released details of this attraction but many of us believe that it's going to be a nearly exactly copy of the ride located at Shanghai Disneyland, "Tron Lightcycle Power Run" to be exact, which is wildly popular at the new park. 

Image from.motorscribes.com

An Enclosed roller coaster, created by Vekoma that seats 7 people in a 2 across style. The trains are unique and in a 'steeplechase' style that gives you an interesting change compared to normally roller coasters. 

The speed of the Shanghai ride is roughly 59 MPH with a maximum height of 78 feet. Which not exactly impressive by coaster standards, between the 'lightcycle' trains and the enclosed ride building- it's said to be a fun experience.


Now, we have no date on opening for this newest attraction beyond "Open by 2021" which is the 50th anniversary of Disney World.  Along with very few details, all the information I've used has been taken from the ride in Shanghai via RCDB.

All that said, we leave the question of WHERE?!

From the teaser art seen above, we know this ride is going in BEHIND Space Mountain.

The 'BAD' News- Tron Lightcycles are FULLY replacing the Tomorrowland Speedway.  

The area lined in red will be changed completely. Which brings up another pet-peeve of mine- Disney has ACRES UPON ACRES OF LAND. Why do they feel the need to remove and replace attractions?

Although this leaves the question- In the concept art, you can kinda SEE the Speedway. Perhaps it's moving or being cut down? Also, it is just concept art so it's nearly impossible to say. Well will have to find out more as Disney released details!


Either way, it is nice to see more 'thrill' rides coming to Magic Kingdom although this still begs the question of "Does Tron REALLY belong in Tomorrowland"?

Travel Notice- Out of Town Next Week!

!!TRAVEL NOTICE!!

The InSanity lurks Inside Team will be out of town beginning on Friday March 7th.

Image from Clever Magizine

 Hey Folks! 

 Spring break is upon the ISI team and we've got something special in the works! On Friday, March 7th the entire team is heading to sunny Southern California! 

 We'll be exploring a bunch of the California theme parks, and hauling you great folks with us along the way! However, it's rather hard to write up blog posts from a cellphone. So, we're asking everyone who's interested in following along or advising us to catch us on our various social media networks! We'll have full trip and park reports up following out visit, so it's going to be a very busy two weeks to the team here. We hope you'll follow us along in our crazy adventure to the west coast! 

What's on our Agenda? As much as we can stuff in, naturally! The following list is what we plan to visit, although anything could pop up randomly.

Disneyland Park and Disney's California Adventure

Seaworld SanDiego

Knott's Berry Farm

Six Flags Magic Mountain

Medieval Times

InSanity lurks Inside Team

Follow the entire team online!

InSanity lurks Inside Facebook Page
InSanity lurks Inside Tumblr Page

 Other Social Media Info!

 Carrie- 

Head Creator and Lunatic behind "InSanity lurks Inside".

Twitter: @ISIParksBlog

Google+:  Carrie HC

 Kitsune Hazard-

Lunatic who married Carrie. In charge of expensive goodies like cameras, rental cars and anything Carrie and Alex aren't allowed to play with (it's a long list).

Twitter: @KitsuneHazard

Google+: Kitsune Hazard

 Alex

Head #1 Minion and Best Friend. Generally found plotting and/or getting into trouble with Carrie while Kitsune just sighs.

Twitter: @PiercedHeart114

Google+: Alex F

Proposed New Park- Re-Opening Six Flags New Orleans

 Proposed New Park- Trying to Re-Open Six Flags New Orleans.


 In a surprise move which no one expected, a group called TPC-NOLA has filed proposed plans to both fix and reopen the devastated amusement park, Six Flags New Orleans under the the parks previous name of "Jazzland".

 The group which raised this proposal has a rather large range of experience, from racetracks to zoos, they've re-devolved and worked on a huge range of projects. Their proposal to re-open the abandoned amusement park was filed on February 28th to the city of New Orleans. Along with the proposal the park has filed their plans in a .PDF file online which anyone can view.

 Within the proposal they focus on the unique culture and art of New Orleans as well as the fact the defunct park has been used as a movie/TV setting and the idea of an additional waterpark called "Baritone Beach". They point out the amusement park attendance has been highly on the rise as well as the growing interest in waterparks among traveling guests.

 Their plan includes a "themed land" model, with five unique areas in the new park.

• Outdoor Concert Venue
• The Quarter
• The Beach
• The Bayou
• Sportsman's Paradise 

Which are would include a focus of an area of both New Orleans and the State of Louisiana, having multiple rides which appeal to everyone.

 The bad news is that nearly everything currently standing at the Six Flags New Orleans site would be removed, the remaining items are simply too damaged to be fixed and reused. However, this proposed new park is willing to bring in new rides and attractions.

 Honestly, it's a LOT to take in in a short blog article. I'd suggest anyone interested check out the proposal for themselves, it's easy to read but long!

Proposal for Jazzland Park
Website: Jazzland Park
 Facebook Page: Jazzland Park

All images from the Jazzland Park Facebook Page

Rumor Alert- Legoland to return parts of Cypress Gardens?

Image from WorldofStock.com

Legoland Florida- Parts of Cypress Gardens to Return!

 While Legoland Florida hasn't yet confirmed, many fans of one of Florida original theme parks are finally given reason to rejoice. Orlando Sentinel is stating that this Wednesday Legoland will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony for reopening more parts of the iconic gardens.

 The Oriental Gardens and the "Florida Pool" which was made famous in the old movie "Easy to Love" will once again be open to the public.

 Rumor has floated around for a while now saying that previous owners of the park had removed the Florida-shaped pool and that the majority of the gardens where in ruins. A little quick searching on Google Maps has proved that false, the pool and it's iconic shape still stand- although not in the best condition in 2012 (when this google maps images seems to  have been taken).

 This new bit of news seems to prove those rumors wrong.  A good portion of the original "Cypress Gardens" area has been closed off to the public for years but it seems Legoland knows that history is important. Allowing more of the original gardens to thrive and be open is a historical treat for all ages. However, there is still no news on the remaining fate of other attractions which once made up "Cypress Gardens".

 More news on Wednesday/Thursday to see if this turns out to be truth!

Abandoned Amusement Park For Sale?!

Image from ArtLurker

Abandoned Amusement Park For Sale- You really CAN buy ANYTHING on eBay!

 Even more proof you really can purchase anything on eBay, or sell anything for that matter.

 Popping up on eBay this week we found the abandoned "Spree Park" in Berlin, Germany. The park has been abandoned since 2002 and while not much is left today, there is still some remains left littering the property. The roller coaster "Spreeblitz", a ferris wheel and dozens of huge dinosaurs models are left on the property.

 The park was closed in 2002 because the owner was using the rides and ride parts to smuggle cocaine in and out of Germany. Over a decade later, the park has been put up for sale to the highest bidder. The Price? A cool $1.65 million Euros or about $2.2 million US.

 The property does have to be used as amusement or recreation space until 2061, which many hinder the possible buyers of the land. However, it's a still an interesting piece of history for sale. The park opened in 1969 while the Berlin Wall was still standing (the east side of the wall).

Don't believe me? Here's the Listing!
German Amusement Park on eBay

Info and Picture from "Buy an abandoned amusement park on eBay"

Knoebels- New Steel Coaster for 2015

Image from Screamscape

 Knoebels Amusement Resort Announces New Steel Coaster as Project 2015.


 HOLY CRAP!

 Knoebel's Amusement Resort shocked fans when they just dropped their "Project 2015" plans on them out of the blue. No more rumors or speculation- the park has said "Impulse" (working project name) a new steel roller coaster is what the park's 4th generation is adding in.

 This new ride is a Zierer Tower Coaster, with a vertical  lift hill. The ride will have a full chain lift and not the launch as Knoebels has stated like they the "building of anticipation" which comes with a chain lifted roller coaster.

 Full numbers for the coaster haven't been released yet but we do know the ride will be 98 feet tall and have four full inversions, with a max angle of a full 90 degrees on the lift hill.

 More News has it becomes available!

Changes to Star Wars Weekends at Disney Hollywood Studios

 Changes coming to "Star Wars Weekends" at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

 Good news for Star Wars Fans and Folks who attend the highly popular "Star Wars Weekends" event at Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park in Orlando, Florida.

 Star Wars Weekends will now run nearly full month, four complete weekends for the 2014 season. Starting on May 16th and ending on June 15th the event runs Friday, Saturday and Sundays. The event is also getting a new upgrades for the 2014 season in addition to the extra time length but it comes with a cost.

  Symphony of the Stars- A New "Star Wars" themed firewooks show will be added to the parks schedule.

 The price you pay? "Hyperspace Hoolpa" is gone. Fans believe this move comes in light of the new movies hitting the theaters shortly, that Disney is now trying to reign in the "silly" part of Star Wars and force the series into more serious notes with both fans and newcomers to the genre. Many seem to believe this may also be part of the new "Star Wars Land" which is confirmed but still a great rumor among fans.

Busch Gardens Tampa- Bands, Brews and BBQ Update

 Busch Gardens Tampa Updates "Bands, Brews and BBQ" Concert Artist Updates.

 Busch Gardens Tampa has updated this weekends list of artists for "Bands, Brews and BBQ" concert series. Taking place until March 9th, 2014 the park has gotten a great line up so far of musical talent.

This weekends Concert Artists:

Saturday, February 22, 2014- Justine Moore
Sunday, February 23, 2014- Brett Michaels

Construction at Knoebels- Project 2015?

Construction at Knoebels- Part of Project 2015?

 News today that something is going on over at Knoebels Amusement Resort.

 All-American Thrills has reported that construction is going on at Knoebels, including a rather mysterious posted permit filed for a new substation for the park.

 This mystery construction us currently taking place around the entrance of the park, one big rumor about the "Project 2015" included a possible new "main entrance" for the park. Which before didn't have a well defined entrance area. However, no one is currently sure if this construction is linked to "Project 2015".

Image from All-American Thrills

 This big question is, what could require a new power sub-station to be added to the parks lines? Something Large? Something that will over-tax the current grid is rather obvious but right now there aren't any answers to be found. All-American Thrills has more images on their website, you can see them all by clicking HERE.

 Just mystery construction and an interesting new permit!

 We'll post updates whenever more news or rumors come to light about Project 2015 and Knoebels.

Disneyland Paris- New Teaser Video for "Ratatouille" Ride

Disney Studios Paris released New Teaser for upcoming "Ratatouille" Ride.




Disneyland Paris has been working on their newest attraction- a ride based off the Disney/Pixar movie "Ratatouille". Which will feature guests shrinking down the the size of Remy and a following adventure. Not many details are known about the attraction currently but this new teaser video looks rather promising!

Canada's Wonderland- Wonder Mountain's Guardian Update

Wonder Mountain's Guardian Update

Image from Canada's Wonderland Facebook Page

 Despite the winter weather and growing snow totals, Canada's Wonderland hasn't slowed down construction of their newest attraction- Wonder Mountain's Guardian.

 The attraction will be inside Wonder Mountain, an interactive 3D shooter attraction, the new ride will open in 2014. While progress may not look like much to many people, the park has come a long way in getting this new ride up and running for 2014!

  One of the best parts of Wonder Mountain's Guardian, the attraction can change "modes" quickly. Allowing for new shows all the time, perhaps for Halloween or just something new each season. Allowing the park to always have a fresh, new show to keep riders interested!

Image from Canada's Wonderland Facebook Page

Banshee Watch- 2/14

Banshee Watch- 2/14

 Kings Island has some new images up of their final preparation work to get their newest roller coaster, Banshee, up and running for their April opening. So far the first of Banshee's trains have been placed on the track, we're calling it the "Yellow Train" for lack of a better description. The park is slowly getting ready for initial test runs of the ride. Work is also continuing on the station.

Image from Kings Island's Facebook Page

 

 

 

 

 

Image from Kings Island's Facebook Page

Breaking News- Fire at Magic Kingdom *UPDATED*

Picture from R.A. Pederson

 BREAKING NEWS- Fire at Disney World's Magic Kingdom Park.

  This hasn't even hit the news media yet!

 A picture posted by R.A. Pederson (@Epcycolpedia) show a fire happening live at Disney World's Magic Kingdom Park.The photo credit appears to belong to R.A. Pederson of Twitter.

The fire is either in or behind the new expansion of Fantasyland. The attraction in question- Under the Sea, Journey of the Little Mermaid. Right now we don't have any answers, but you can clearly see flames in the area of the attraction.

 Current News is that all of Fantasyland has been evacuated for guest safety.  We will update as more information becomes available.



UPDATE-
Video found on Youtube from Epcylopedia



UPDATE-
Sources are saying the fire has been extinguished. Many seem to suspect that the fireworks show "WISHS" could have been the cause. Damage unknown at this time. Orlando Sentinel is reporting the fire was caused by the Magic Kingdom Fireworks, damaging a five foot section of the attraction's roof.

Seaworld Orlando- Bands, Brews and BBQ's Artists Update

 Seaworld Orlando- Bands, Brews and BBQ Artists Update.

 Seaworld Orlando has announced this weekends artists for the "Bands, Brews and BBQ" event. Not to be stopped, even in in light of the media blitz that the "Bands, Brews and BBQ" event has created, Seaworld Orlando announced this weekends concert artists.

 Regardless of what "Blackfish" supporters may want, the traditional special event featuring food, concerts and craft beers is moving forward into it's opening weekend. The park is keeping the full artist list closed for now, announcing the week before who will be playing during the weekend.This weeks artists are no exception, proving again that even with the dropping out of the original bands- Seaworld has gotten far better acts for the 2014 event.

Six Flags Magic Mountain- 19th Coaster Named

Image from Screamscape

Six Flags Magic Mountain Names their 19th Coaster.

 Six Flags Magic Mountain has announced the name of their 19th roller coaster.

 A "family" style roller coaster, currently under construction in the "Bugs Bunny World" area of the park. The new ride, called "Speedy Gonzales Hot Rod Racers" will open in 2014 and is made by Zamperla. Not much is currently know about the ride.

 With this addition it raises the parks roller coaster count to a seriously impressive 19 total. With this it will once again steal the crown in the coaster wars.

Seaworld Orlando- Mystery New Attaction?

 Seaworld Orlando- Mystery New Attraction?

 Rumor has it that Seaworld Orlando is up to something in the old Clydesdale viewing area beside the Hospitality House.

 Apparently the "Green Construction Walls" are up around the area which once housed the Anheuser-Busch Clydesdale's. Many seem to believe this new construction could be part of the push to bring education back into the parks. With the rumor being this new area will be display area for the companies "Rescue and Rehabilitation" programs- showing what they do and their success stories.

 More information coming when it's announced.

Frozen- Disney's "Next Big Thing "in the Theme Parks and Beyond.

Frozen IS Disney's "Next Big Thing" in the Theme Parks and Beyond.

 Disney's newest movie, Frozen, has been making a killing in theaters. Along with a great cast and wonderful music, the movie is officially becoming the "next big thing" for Disney.

 Already plans have been make to expand upon the property. Disney has announced it will be made into a Broadway Musical, following in the steps of other great movies like Lion King and Little Mermaid.  Disney is already talking Sequels for the movie as well as Video Games and one thing all Disney World Fans are dreading- Integration into the theme parks.

 Bob Iger, the current talking head in charge of The Walt Disney Company, has stated as much on Wednesday according to Variety Magazine.

 We've talked about this before, when rumors first began that "Frozen" could likely take over the attraction "Maelstrom" in Epcot Centers, World Showcase Norway Pavilion (Please See- Rumor Alert: Could Maelstrom become a "Frozen Themed Ride at Epcot?"). However, how Frozen could be developed into the theme parks is still unknown. We're still classing "Frozen Taking Over Maelstrom" as a rumor until some harder news comes to light to change that fact.