exmouse

The Chinese park Knights Valley has already announced the GCIi woodie. But today Maure Sohne announced they are to supply the Chinese park with 2 new coasters. First up is a standard Sky Loop. Although it will be built slightly differently to account for the regions seismic and typhoon conditions. This will open in late 2010 Technical data SkyLoop Track length: approx. 150 m (490 ft) Base area: 55 x 6,5 m (180 x 21 ft) (without station) Max. height (center of tracks): 46.20 m (152 ft) (World´s highest inversion) Overall height: 52 m (170 ft) Cars: 2 x 6-seater X-Car, coupled to 1 tandem Ride Time: approx. 60 s (without boarding and deboarding) Capacity: approx. 550 pph Max. speed: approx. 105 km/h (65mph) G-forces: min = -1 g; max = 5 g Inversions: 2 The second coaster to open in Feb 2010 is a LSM launched coaster that fires riders to 70kmph in 2 seconds. The track features a special loop, Immelmaan Turn, Camelback, Half Cuban Eight and Heartline roll. Technical data Launch Coaster Track length: 316 m (1036 ft) Height: 15 m (50 ft) Base area: 50 x 50 m (164 x 164 ft) Speed vmax: 70 km/h (44 mph) Capacity: 650 pph Cars: 2 x 6-seater X-Car Launch: amax: 10 m/s2 (1 g) Connected load: 125 kVA LSM Layout

2010 is Drayton Manor Parks 60th anniversary and to celebrate they're bringing the Oscar winning film Happy Feet to the 4D cinema. A specially adapted 12 minute version of the film will play repeatedly throughout the day. For those who don't know it's the film all about Mumbles the penguin. Colin Bryan, Managing Director of Drayton Manor Theme Park comments: “We are very excited to have an Oscar winning film showing at the park this year. The 4D cinema provides great entertainment for all ages, and we wanted to show something extra special during our Diamond Jubilee." ADMIN EDIT: I updated the title to include "NEWS:" as well as a more descriptive subtitle. Thanks for posting this!

Thanks everyone for your help, I can work with those.

Thanks for helping. Tried a few domain names they might have used in the Internet Archive site, but no joy so far.

I suspect he's used for breeding purposes, and is it right to kill a whale just because he can't perform in a show?

The Orlando Sentinel is now saying that this whale, Tilly, was kept separate from all the other whales due to past problems. So it seems like Tilly wasn't part of the show and the trainer sadly slipped into the wrong part of the enclosure. I'd be amazed if we now see the shows return in the current format. Despite, what must be a very high safety record for any type of live show, I doubt the company will risk a repeat.

Has anyone got the logo of Togo as a JPEG I could kindly get. I can't find one on the net anywhere but someone must have it squirrelled away. Being a defunct company it's hard to track down what their logo looked like.

Just been transferring some 8mm footage of the family trip to Florida in 1975, will have to upload it to Youtube. That parade in your photos sure looks odd by todays standards with some questionable scenes for political correctness.

Damn it, was planning a trip in early June, doesn't sound like it'll be up and running in time. Can't decide where to go instead, got 5 days leave that has to be used in June and pretty much done everywhere in Europe, can't think where else to go.

If you've not already done so, give your support to Paultons as the meeting is tomorrow.

The new water launcher from Weigand, the guys who make Alpine coasters. Think the first one has gone to a park in Czechoslovakia

I think unless perfectly sync'd between video and movement the ride could be quite vomit inducing. Due to so many variables affecting the speed at which the coaster runs round the track trying to sync a pre recorded film with a video would be incredibly complex and therefore very expensive. Naff simulators are the only rides that often make me feel sick due to the ride movement not being in sync with the visuals. Perhaps an alternative twist on your idea would be to use clear windscreens with augmented reality superimposed. Imagine riding Top Gun watching fighter jets coming at you, or Nemesis with the alien reaching out to grab you or riding HRRR seeing crowds of fans cheering you whilst pyrotechnics go off all around. As the augmented reality relies on seeing the live real world there would be less issues with being perfectly in sync.

For the 2010 season the park has a new logo. Gone is Percy the Owl from the logo and seemingly the slogan "It's a Hoot Hoot at Paultons Park" is no more too. Not sure if they have a slogan now but here is the logo. Personally I like the new logo as it's more modern and funky with a hint of magic about it. Plus it gives a sense of more high paced fun and thrills and focuses less on the aviaries that made the park famous. Goes with the current direction of the park. Oh and they've confirmed a large new indoor play area is coming in 2011.

I submitted a comment last year when the same process was going on for Cobra. It was read and taken into account by the planning committee. So it is well worth completing the form as you can make a difference.

Last year both Cobra and Edge faced having to be removed due to an error in planning regulations. At a planning committee meeting the park was told they could not keep the rides and would have to remove them. In December the park appealed to keep Cobra. This time it was given retrospective planning permission. However Edge still doesn't have planning permission at the park has received orders to dismantle the ride. They have now begun the appeal process to save Edge. I've received an email from the park asking for the help of coaster enthusiasts. They're asking for people to write to the National Parks Authority or make comments via the NPA website voicing support for Edge. They've created a section on their website explaining the background to the problems. The site also gives info on who you need to contact to show support. http://www.paultonspark.co.uk/2009/info ... eedge.html

I voted no, I feel the benefits would be too US centred. Which is clearly where your target market is. A lot of the all coaster club benefits I get already by being a member of a UK based club, which due to exchange rates and shipping rates works out cheaper. The purely TPR premium benefits left don't appeal to me to justify paying to join another club. So I feel I'd be better off sticking with a more local club that caters more to my part of the World. But good luck with it if you go ahead.

I've ridden nearly 800 coasters and several have given me head aches and migraines eg. Rattler -SFFT, Gouderix - Parc Asteric, most SLCs. But Saw : The Ride at Thorpe Park is the only coaster that has given me any lasting injuries. I had such bad bruising across my neck and shoulder that I couldn't carry anything, which is a disaster for a TV cameraman. As a result I had to change my shifts at work for a couple of days to allow recovery time.

No it wasn't. It was it part funded by the tax payer, but also by sponsors, ground rent (eg. McDonalds), corporate events and entry tickets. From memory I think it remains the highest ever visitor attraction in Europe. I'd want more than a day of VIP treatment, given the publicity I'm helping give the park, I'd want a life time season pass and a stay in the new hotel.

Did the family get anything for being the 100,000,000 visitors? I remeber when the Millennium Dome had their 20,000,000 visitor they got a diamond ring.

I don't think it's just a European thing. Aren't there more in Asia than Europe. I think 1 in Europe to 2 in Asia. I've ridden 2 and can vouch for how good they are. Definately looking forward to riding Intimidator on my US tour next year. The sweeping first drop looks fantastic. Other than the over head thing I prefer the look of the layout compared to Kings Dominion one. I'm not a fan of those rapid direction changes that Intamin have been using. They remind me of those awful trick track elements found on wooden coasters.

Yay no over heads. In my mind that simple fact alone will make it better the Kings Dominions new addition.

This is the guy who did the same thing for the opening of G'sengte Sau. http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=424213&sid=2ae42695884075330a0d08755ea6a313

Does anyone know if the new ABC Rides Tube coaster has opened at Billybird Park in the Netherlands yet? How much running do people really have to do to winch the cars up the lift hill.

The press office confirmed that the ride will not open again until the 15th August. They did a few slow speed runs at the weekend for PR purposes and have now shut the coaster. What seems odd is one of the S&S Power head honchos said they had signed off the ride and handed it to the park as being fully tested and running perfectly. So why did the park only do low speed runs at the weekend?

Should be, I supplied Duane with the GPS co-ordinates I took with my tracker.