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New Park in Houston Area (Grand Texas Theme Park)


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Different people could suspect a million different things, programmatically… (I'm sure the roller coaster layouts shown on the keyed-noted plan which we've all seen aren't realistic, and are just schematic.)

 

I think the single wooden coaster will be manufactured by Intamin. With the management team coming from Six Flags, it seems they understand just how well-thought-of El Toro is up at SFGAdv… Grand Texas' ride will apparently be 20' or so shorter (fine by me), at 150', per earlier press on the park.

 

My suspicion is Grand Texas will round up the B&M-manufactured Time Machine/Led Zepplin-The Ride from Freestyle Music Park (here, on RCDB: http://rcdb.com/3852.htm#p=0 ), as well as the Vekoma-manufactured kiddie coaster from that park ( http://rcdb.com/3870.htm#p=0 ). Also fine by me, as Time Machine is a huge ride, and does have "one of the largest vertical loops in the world" - another press talking point which has been noted. No doubt both rides will be re-painted and outfitted to fit the theming of their new locations.

 

From the keyed-noted map, clockwise from the entrance: It appears there will be a

Vekoma MadHouse (called Cabin of Mystery - which is great: http://www.vekoma.com/index.php/specialities-and-attractions/madhouse ),

our beloved Greezed Lightnin' (bought back from Cliff's Amusement Park? - Unfortunately, I think Grand Texas should ditch the late-70's-inspired name, and go with 'Rogue Lightning' instead, named for lightning which strikes out of the blue… maybe more fitting for the "Settler's Village" area within which the coaster is being built)

potentially a Sally Corp Dark Ride,

a Mack-manufactured Splash Battle ( https://www.mack-rides.com/en/products/water-rides/interactive-boat-ride/wr-ibr-picture-gallery/index.html ),

a Vekoma mine train (maybe per Colorado Adventure at Phantasialand? See here: http://rcdb.com/978.htm ),

an unknown drop tower (this surprises me, as new towers seem hit-or-miss anymore)

a Zierer Wave Swinger ( http://www.zierer.com/index.php?id=545&L=1 ),

an S&S Screamin' Swing ( http://www.engineeringexcitement.com/rides/family-rides/screamin-swing - really glad about this one),

a Zamperla Sombrero ( http://www.zamperla.com/en/zamperla-details-rides-sombrero ), and

more assorted rides by Zamperla in the Boardwalk/Lasso's Corral area.

 

Not a bad initial spread. I'd love to see a NASA/Space Exploration-themed area as part of the later expansion of the park, w/ an indoor, space-themed roller coaster, as not enough of those style of rides are built here in the States.

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^Why not just wait till the park tells us what rides are coming instead of trying to guess. I mean you can look on the plans and get a general idea of what is coming but plans can always change. Also, you copied this from another forum and pasted it here like you wrote it. I feel you should credit him.

Edited by Mrlittle
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First time that I saw this...

 

It seems a bit unrealistic to anticipate 4,5 million visitors by 2020.

 

Yup. That's what worries me. They mentioned that they have a local attendance base of more than 6 million within an hour to draw on, but if that were the case shouldn't parks like Great America or Great Adventure, with their huge ride selections, be drawing 10+ million?

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^^I agreed with that second to last post and praying that . . .

 

I don't get burned again!!!

 

Seriously, I'm glad that some major parks ( that were Six Flags parks ) that were closed are now getting a new lease on life. While Kentucky Kingdom will be opening in May, Jazzland is still in limbo. If this new park does come a reality and opens in the near future, then that would be two out of three ( and according to Meatloaf - "Two out of Three Ain't Bad").

 

But then again, that song came out of the classic rock album Bat Out of Hell and that could mean . . .

 

I could get burned again!!!

 

Excuse me as I go hide under my bed.

 

"Hey, if you going to lie under your bed, then take me with you. I can be of excellent company!

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  • 4 weeks later...

Greezed Lightning is no longer parts of the plan

 

houston.culturemap.com/news/city-life/01-17-14-the-new-astroworld-is-not-bringing-back-greased-lightnin-after-all-legendary-roller-coasters-too-pricey/

The new AstroWorld is not bringing back Greased Lightnin' after all: Legendary roller coaster's too pricey

By Tyler Rudick

 

Officials at the hotly-anticipated Grand Texas Theme Park have some good news and some bad news . . .

 

The original AstroWorld roller coaster Greezed Lightnin' currently featured on Grand Texas maps will not be reborn at the new park after all. But in its place, the new park's owners promise an even more exciting ride sure to spark up nostalgia for Houston's long-lost Six Flags.

 

First opened in 1978, the fast-paced Greezed Lightnin' graced the hallowed grounds of AstroWorld for nearly three decades.

 

One of only a dozen so-called "shuttle loop" coasters ever built, the ride captured the imagination of thrill-seekers with its surprising simplicity — a short 850-foot track with a single eight-story loop. Shuttles cars blasted passengers across the iron tracks at 60 miles an hour, first forward and then backward, for a experience lasting a mere 33 seconds.

 

"We know this decision will initially disappoint many fans of the ride as it did our team."

 

After the AstroWorld's demise in 2005, Greezed Lightnin' was relocated to Joyland Park in Lubbock and later to Cliff's Amusement Park in New Mexico. But to the chagrin of roller coaster aficionados, neither park ever reassembled the vintage ride.

 

Grand Texas developer Monty Galland tells CultureMap that he and his team truly hoped to do right by the 36-year-old coaster, carving out a dedicated space for it on the western edge of the new theme park that's scheduled to open in New Caney in 2015. Unfortunately, due to installation costs and a careful consideration of ride variety, officials are looking to an alternate coaster-like ride that offers more than a trip down memory lane.

 

"We know this decision will initially disappoint many fans of the ride as it did our team," he emailed CultureMap, "but we believe guests will find the new ride quite a bit more thrilling."

 

Aside from calling it a "taller, faster but similar ride," Galland remains tight-lipped about the Greezed Lightnin’ replacement. He does add, however, that the new installation will honor both the classic coaster and the AstroWorld experience in a number of ways.

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Aside from calling it a "taller, faster but similar ride," Galland remains tight-lipped about the Greezed Lightnin’ replacement. He does add, however, that the new installation will honor both the classic coaster and the AstroWorld experience in a number of ways.

 

Hmm, a Premier Launched coaster would be a great. Here's hoping it's not a Boomerang.

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Aside from calling it a "taller, faster but similar ride," Galland remains tight-lipped about the Greezed Lightnin’ replacement. He does add, however, that the new installation will honor both the classic coaster and the AstroWorld experience in a number of ways.

 

Hmm, a Premier Launched coaster would be a great. Here's hoping it's not a Boomerang.

 

This is disappointing news, but I agree- a Premier would be great! I'll be even more disappointed if it is a Boomerang (unless maybe it's a GIB)!

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Sort of disappointing but happy to hear about Greezed Lightnin' 2.0. It will be very interesting to see what they came up with. Certainly a premier reproduction wouldn't be out of the question. Bigger, faster, and with LSMs. It should be interesting, I can't think of a currently operating coaster that has a similar layout that isn't a Schwarzkopf shuttle. They did say that the replacement would be 'coaster-like', so we could not even be dealing with a coaster too.

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I'm so excited to see what is to come of this Park! Its not very often that our generation sees a Park rise from the ground up, especially a Park of this caliber, so this is certainly a treat and something to go down in the History books! I hope everything goes well and the Park is successful! I cant wait to see more details! Especially of which Coasters we will see rise up! Not much longer until we should get complete announcements!

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That's sad to hear about Greezed. I've heard it wasn't in the best shape sitting in pieces. I could see them going with a new shuttle loop built by Premier or someone. I love it if they went with S&S. After all they are trying to make the park similar to SDC.

 

I'm ready to see the bulldozers already.

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I am genuinely disappointed by this news. I never went to Astroworld, but a Schwarzkopf shuttle loop is a treasure. Sometime in the next few years we plan to go back to Houston--I haven't been to south Texas since 2004 and I would like to go back--and this New Caney park seems like it'll be a really great place. They've got a winning concept and enough backers, they'll make it for sure. Houston's dying to get a theme park, and that's why so many people are scrambling to build one. So I second those who are hoping for a launch coaster, but I have this nagging feeling that their idea of "faster, bigger, and similar" will be a Boomerang. And though I could see how someone might think that, they are on opposite ends of the spectrum. I've already seen one Schwarzkopf coaster (Zambezi Zinger) replaced by a Boomerang, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone else.

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As much as I like Boomerang coasters, to replace the Greezed with that would not be right because Greezed offers a different coaster experience compared with the Boomerang ( that would be like trying to replace the Rebel Yell coaster with the Grizzly at Kings Dominion - both are wooden coasters, but the Rebel Yell is a racing, out and back while the Grizzly is a figure eight - two different coaster rides ).

 

As for what type of ride that could replace the Greezed I'm thinking the closest ride possible would be The Chiller. Another would be the old Python coaster that used to run at Adventureworld ( before it became Six Flags America ). Both coasters I wouldn't mind riding again.

 

PLEASE DON'T BURN ME!!!

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The park talked about the news on Facebook today. Facebook Post

There have been several requests for confirmation that Greezed Lightnin' (as listed on the ma)p was the original from Astroworld.

 

We had hoped it would be, however after careful analysis by our design and engineering teams, it was determined that a newer coaster would be more desirable.

 

I know this is a disappointment to many, including our own team, but we are confident the new ride will be exciting to both fans of Greezed Lightnin' and those that never got a chance to ride it.

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Is there a patent on the shuttle loop? Is there some reason we haven't seen anymore since the flywheel/weight models 30 years ago?

 

 

Seems current technology could really assist in making this simple ride very reliable (and relatively cheap).

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^Didnt Gersl... (I can't spell their name to save my life) - the Eurofighter guys- redo one of the shuttle loops overseas somewhere. I read somewhere that the ride got new trains and a LIM launch for reliability purposes. Imma have to look it up.

 

*edit*

 

Found it! Psyké Underground in Belgium is the one that was revamped. Hopefully the G-Guys will construct a new LIM Launched shuttle loop in one of the US states. One can only hope.

 

http://rcdb.com/921.htm

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