A.J.

Here are some Frequently Asked Questions regarding the poll. How does the poll work? The way coasters are ranked is based on whether riders prefer one coaster over another. The more that one coaster is preferred over all other coasters, the higher its individual rank is. It's not just about how many votes a coaster gets. How did you decide which coasters to include on the poll? Generally, any coaster that is the size of a wild mouse or larger is included on the poll. However, there are exceptions - a few smaller coasters are on the poll, and a few larger ones aren't. Selecting the cutoff based on size means that we can be objective about which coasters are included. In addition, we require that coaster has to have operated for the majority of the season to be considered. Are large traveling coasters such as Olympia Looping included on the poll? Yes! Search their names or find the park called "Traveling". I've ridden so many coasters that I don't feel like individually ranking them all. What happens? You can rank your coasters in batches if you want! For example, you can give your "best" coasters all tied ranks of #1, then your "awesome" coasters all tied ranks of #10, "good" #20, and so on. Or, you can just choose not to rank coasters you consider as "okay" or "average". Or, you can rank your top 50, and then give your "middle" coasters all tied rankings, and then rank your bottom 10. It's up to you! The poll cares about how coasters compare to each other, not just which ones are ranked first or last on peoples' lists. I can't recall which of the Vekoma boomerangs I've ridden is the best. Does it matter? For "cloned" coasters such as Vekoma boomerangs, B&M Batman inverted coasters, and the like, we have "aggregate" entries. You can search for the word "clone" and they will all show up, or you can rank a cloned coaster individually. All the appropriate entries will be averaged together and the aggregate entry will be the one that gets ranked in the final results. We have done it this way so that casual users can search for the Hersheypark Sidewinder without knowing that it's a Vekoma boomerang, for example. My favorite coaster is missing! Why is that? We've gone to great effort to include every major coaster on the poll, but we may have missed one. If it meets our "rankable coaster" guidelines, and there is enough of a desire to include it, leave us a comment or a reply to the TPR Forum thread and we'll look into it. Will I be able to see other peoples' ranking lists? No, we won't be making any users' ballots visible. We understand that previous polls have done it this way, however, we value privacy. If you want to publicly share what your top coasters were, great! However, we won't force that on anyone else.

Hey everyone! Despite what has happened in 2020, parks and coasters around the world have still opened, so the TPR Coaster Poll is back for its third official year! coasterpoll.com We have over ONE THOUSAND coasters that you can rank on the poll, so whether you've been on every Intamin coaster in the world, or only have been on the coasters at your "home" park, your vote matters! As always, we're taking steps to promote the poll on Theme Park Review's social media channels. If you're one of TPR's followers on social media, and you're reading this for the first time - welcome! Please read all three of the following posts in their entirety! So how do you vote? Follow these steps! 1. Go to coasterpoll.com. That's the easy part! 2. Click the green "Sign Up" button at the top right of your browser window. This will be your login so that your vote will be counted, and your rankings will be saved for next year. If you are already a member of the TPR forums, we kindly ask that you give yourself the same username that you have here. 3. Search for parks and coasters that you've been to! You can use the search bar at the top right to search for a specific coaster, or use the "Coasters" link at the top left to see the the full list. When you're viewing the full list, you can use the "Change List" button to sort or filter the list out. You can view all of the coasters at one particular park, or all the coasters by one manufacturer... It's up to you! 4. IMPORTANT - Mark the coasters that you've ridden. Next to every single coaster is a green "ridden" button. If you've ridden a coaster, click that button and it should turn to a solid green color. You need to do this for every coaster you want to rank! 5. Rank your ridden coasters! When you click the "Ranking" link at the top left, you'll be taken to a listing of all the coasters you've marked as ridden. Now, you'll want to assign each coaster a number rank. You can either drag and drop each coaster to the order you want, or complete your ranking in a spreadsheet style. It's up to you! You can also give coasters tied rankings if you want, like if you can't decide what your favorite Vekoma SLC is! 6. If you voted last year, make sure you click the yellow "Not Done Yet" button to "release" your rankings so you can add the coasters that you've ridden in 2020. 7. IMPORTANT - Click the green "Done Ranking" button! When you click this button, you're all set! If you ride a coaster between now and the day the poll closes, you can go back to your ranking and click the yellow "Not Done Yet" button and adjust however you please. Don't forget to click the green button when you're done. Just like other enthusiast polls, you will find that not every roller coaster is included, as that would be impossible, but we have included as many relevant ones as possible. See the next post down (the FAQ post) for more info on our selection process. Voting is now CLOSED. Look for the results soon! The other thing that would really help us out... Please SHARE this link as much as you can! On your social media, on your blogs, in any videos you might produce, etc, getting as much data as possible will allow this poll to get better and better! This is a continued team effort by Chase (Comeagain?), Robb (robbalvey), and myself (A.J.). We appreciate your support and we look forward to seeing the results as much as we're sure you all do. Have fun, and happy ranking!

Six Flags Over Texas Introduces Fire and Ice Winter Festival All-New Shows, $19.61 Admission, and Saturday Fireworks Highlight Special Winter Event through February 28 ARLINGTON, Texas — January 6, 2021 — Six Flags Over Texas, the Thrill Capital of Texas, is introducing the Fire & Ice Winter Festival to kick-off the park’s 60th Anniversary season in 2021. Open weekends and holidays in January and February, this all-new event features a high-energy ice carving show, an extended run of The Frosty Snowhill, plus a fiery finale each Saturday night with fireworks. “We are thrilled to begin our 60th Anniversary season at Six Flags Over Texas with a winter festival for guests to enjoy,” said Six Flags Over Texas Park President Ron McKenzie. “Now, more than ever, families and friends are looking for opportunities to create special memories together, and this event offers a fun, thrilling, and safe experience for guests of all ages.” As a nod to the park’s 60th Anniversary, having first opened its gates on August 5, 1961, guests can purchase one-day admission for just $19.61 at http://www.sixflags.com/overtexas throughout the duration of the Fire & Ice Winter Festival. Live shows and entertainment highlight the festival, including Ice Carving by Reverend Butter on the stage in the GOTHAM CITY section of the park. Reverend Butter and his ensemble will show off their ice carving talents by slicing and dicing 300-pound blocks of ice into amazing sculptures using a variety of tools, including their favorite…a chainsaw. Guests can warm up or chill out with other Fire & Ice Winter Festival offerings, including: More than 40 rides and attractions; The Frosty Snowhill; Fire and Ice Marketplace; Four Live Performance Stages; Mystic Acres Winter Wonderland; and Dancing Fountain Show at Texas Star Mall As the sun sets, the park will light up with millions of twinkling lights, including the Fire and Ice Light Show that will captivate guests as the entire area illuminates to the beat of music. Plus, each Saturday, guests can wrap up their day at the park in unique fashion by watching fireworks being launched from the iconic 300-foot Oil Derrick tower. Tasty libations and treats will round-out the festival, including unique fire and ice-inspired cocktails, frozen treats, and warm, savory snacks. Park attendance is always carefully monitored to avoid overcrowding and all Members, Season Pass Holders, and guests with one-day tickets will be required to make a reservation to attend the Fire & Ice Winter Festival. In addition: All team members and all guests two years and up will be required to wear masks covering the nose and mouth while in the parks; No indoor shows will be operated; Props, rides, restraints, handrails, and dining and restroom facilities will be cleaned and sanitized regularly; and Multiple alcohol-based hand sanitizer stations will be located throughout the parks for guest and team member usage. The Fire & Ice Winter Festival runs weekends January 9-February 28, plus Jan. 18 and Feb. 15. The festival is included with one-day admission, Six Flags Memberships, and Season Passes. For more information, including operating day and hours, visit www.sixflags.com/overtexas.

Aha, but it is free spinning! The vehicle is just super-heavy. You could "theoretically" rock the hamster wheel enough to get it to flip yourself but it would be an ordeal. The friction plate is what gives it that extra push. There's no stopping SBF from making a larger layout with two or more plates.

The rolling of the hamster wheel cars is kicked off by a friction panel mounted to the track, that's why it always happens at the same place. It's very low-tech and not something that could be turned on / off / up / down like, say the magnetic fins on Free Spin coasters.

Disney has unveiled the brand-new entrance fountain at EPCOT! https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2020/12/first-look-new-entrance-fountain-celebrates-the-past-present-and-future-of-epcot/ The past, present and future of EPCOT are all coming together today in one special moment at the front of the park. Anyone visiting as of this morning will see in real life what we at Walt Disney Imagineering have been dreaming up in our heads for many years now. Overnight, our crews removed all the “progress walls” from the main entrance plaza, giving you the first full look at this next major milestone in the park’s historic transformation. While there is still more work to be done here in the future, the area is much more open and welcoming now. It features new planters, pathways, lush landscaping and a vibrant new color palette that will eventually tie into the four new neighborhoods we’re creating inside the park – World Celebration, World Discovery, World Nature and World Showcase. And there in front of iconic Spaceship Earth you’ll now see a reimagined fountain, standing in the footprint of the original that welcomed guests on the park’s opening day in 1982. Our design team took special interest in this water feature, as we looked back to the geometry of the original for inspiration while creating some new magic of our own. In the fountain’s center is a brilliant light, a unique liquid-cooled fixture we’ve designed with new capabilities that complement the fountain’s changing colors and will coordinate with new lighting coming to Spaceship Earth and the upcoming World Celebration beyond.

Locking this thread because it is already being discussed here:

Ideal: Back home to PA for a weekend in late spring, weeklong midwest US in late summer, weeklong international trip near the end of the season. Realistic: Probably just PA in the spring and maybe Dollywood / Carowinds in late summer. Will all depend on vaccination status.

Sigh.

I wouldn't be surprised if they redid River Adventure to match Hollywood's here in the next few years.

You are masters of your craft. Love the green roofs too. Thanks for posting Mattias!

It wouldn't be neutered by turning the brakes back on, it would be back to running as intended. As for the parts argument, Gerstlauer continues to support the operation of legacy Schwarzkopf coasters, with new trains and braking systems at the least. They've been busy as late as last year, when they put new reproduction trains on Lisebergbanan and Alpina Bahn, a traveling coaster of similar vintage. The structural / refurbishment argument I'll give you. The damage from the accident, inadequate maintenance, and years of high-stress operation may actually put the ride in a condition beyond repair. But I don't think any park would have went for it without a plan, or without a confirmation from someone reputable that the ride is salvageable and can be safely repaired. I'll stay optimistic for now.

Funny enough I was just watching a video of Alpina Bahn the other day and thought the trains looked different... Sure enough, they are! Looks like Gerstlauer, good for them for keeping the business going. I think that's the fourth time now they've done that? Sooperdooperlooper, Psyke Underground, Lisebergbanan, and now that. That's because apparently the coaster was running with the mid-course brakes completely off while it was at La Feria, which from my understanding is not how the ride was designed to operate. I think it's going to take a lot. In addition to apparent cracks and structural issues found throughout the ride from before the accident, you also have the damage that was done from the derailed car. If you watch videos from before the accident (after the repaint with the red loops) you can see just how much the first loop was swaying back and forth. I'm also curious how it's going to work. Maybe they'll have Premier do it and put new Gerstlauer trains on it afterward... The one saving grace is that the coaster is meant to be taken apart, so it's easier to deal with individual sections of track.

It looks like a Gerstlauer family shuttle coaster, like Rewind Racers in California.

When starting a new thread for a news item, please include something more than just a couple of lines of text, especially when there's lots of information readily available. That being said, I am completely on board with this and the resulting little park looks freaking awesome. I kind of want to go to both of Australia's Luna Parks now.

It's just an unfortunate turn of events for SeaWorld that Velocicoaster and Ice Breaker will be opening in the same calendar year.

The fact that they're carefully dismantling Quimera as opposed to just knocking it down makes me optimistic that it's going to find a new home somewhere else.

Walt Disney World is reintroducing Park Hopper options, starting in January 2021! You'll make a reservation for your "first" park and then get to go to another one after a certain time based on park- and capacity-specific "park hopper" hours. https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2020/11/park-hopper-option-returns-to-walt-disney-world-resort-starting-january-2021/?fbclid=IwAR3MtGUiDmjrf8jAIBgfDOMae-4r9XWDRU7H6tKVaJ8eA_HPi6K66ClX-rs Park Hopper Option Returns to Walt Disney World Resort Starting January 2021 As the phased reopening of Walt Disney World Resort continues, we are nearing another exciting milestone we know many guests have been looking forward to: the return of the Park Hopper option! Starting Jan. 1, 2021, guests who purchased a ticket or annual pass with Park Hopper benefits will be able to visit more than one park per day, with some new modifications as part of our ongoing focus on health and safety. With the updated Park Hopper experience, guests must make a Disney Park Pass reservation for the first park they plan to visit AND enter that first park prior to visiting another. At this time, a park reservation is not required after the first park, however, reservation requirements are subject to change. Additionally, we will set specific Park Hopper hours during which this option will be available. Park Hopper hours will start at 2 p.m. each day and end at the park’s scheduled close time. Guests will soon be able to check DisneyWorld.com/ParkHours and the My Disney Experience app for the most up-to-date Park Hopper hours, as they could start earlier at a later date, depending on the day and park.

I also think that in some respects, Futuroscope out-EPCOTs EPCOT. The Futuropolis area especially... So many little interactive things to do for children and families. It's a form of education without even realizing it, because you're having too much fun! That sort of stuff wouldn't fly in a Disney park anymore because every attraction has to be an event. There's very little room at Disney and Universal parks for spontaneous experiences anymore. Everything has to be very tightly controlled so that guests can understand the stories they're told. And then there's also the expectation that Disney and Universal (and others) have to continually outdo themselves.

Edutainment does work, but there are different expectations. EPCOT has the "baggage" of being an integral part of Walt Disney World's "four parks, one world" approach. The expectation is that you go see the characters and the rides like the other three parks, with EPCOT also having the extra bonus of going to see the "countries" (barf). Since guests pay just as much for EPCOT as they do Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom, you have to keep that same level of buzz and engagement. For quite a few years, and now, the engagement comes with intellectual property. People love love love IP. It's why Frozen replaced Maelstrom, and it's why Mickey / Minnie replaced The Great Movie Ride, among others. The three leftover remnants of old-school Future World are Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land, and the Seas Pavilion aquariums. And they're staying, as far as we all know. Plus, despite the IP integration, you still have lots of fun, interactive exhibits, like in ImageWorks (despite its age) and the upcoming Play pavilion. Meanwhile, you can get into the Orlando Science Center for $26 USD or less. It doesn't try to be anything else other than a science center / museum, and it's a freaking good one. People who go to science centers expect a science center, people who go to theme parks expect a theme park. I can't blame Disney for pivoting the Future World side of the park.

EPCOT hasn't been the thinking person's park for at least two decades. And I say that as someone who does a lot of research on educational entertainment attractions.

Any Rocky Mountain coaster with full I-Box is a steel coaster. There is absolutely no argument here. I-Box coasters are all listed as steel coasters on the TPR Coaster Poll and will remain listed as such. Wildfire at the Kolmarden Zoo and Outlaw Run at Silver Dollar City both have zero-G rolls that are made using the Topper system and they are both wooden coasters. Intamin prefabricated wooden coasters are just that, wooden coasters. Again, there is no argument here. Lightning Rod will be listed as wooden for the 2020 poll and will likely not change for 2021 unless the application of I-Box is significant and changes the characteristics of the ride.

2021 is the resort's 50th, but 2022 is EPCOT's 40th, so they can still tie it in.

They still sell brand new O.G. Top Spins too!

Disney Parks has put out a new update video today, including snippets of Hotel New York and Avengers Campus! Check out more here: https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2020/11/updates-on-new-disney-parks-attractions-entertainment-offer-glimpse-of-exciting-future/?fbclid=IwAR3fuHFXhgPfV_hWL-bzwxKpZZTqbpIIsJdTPLrqCy2N8vvXA1fLLT8aLhU