Evolution of rollercoasters.

[sharkapult]

I have been a visitor to these forums for some years and I finally made an account in hope to make new friends and also hopefully get some answers to a question i have.

 

I have been wondering what the next step for the coaster industry are gonna take in the future. I mean how will the evolution change the ride experience as they did with the 4th dimension, spinning and wingriders. I know sound and theming complements some rides and can help a good coaster to be a great one but when you peal of the theming, is the ride still good and unique?

 

When does it start to get "gimmicky" and do the new coaster types really enhance the ride experience and what real evolution will we see in the future. Or has it stopped evolving and everything have been done?

[Wes]

They will become sentient. And they will attack.

[Randomman295]

If you look at TPR's coverage of the IAAPA expos over the years, you'll see that a lot of engineering firms have ideas just waiting to be put into motion by the money of a park. I'm sure that they'll just keep coming up with more ideas, but the real limiting factor of the evolution of roller coasters is the parks who order them. Not too many parks seem to be pushing the envelope as much lately, so new things do seem "gimmicky" at times, but you have to realize that not everything has been done.

 

We will know that time has come when King's Island actually does open up Laser Snake Horse On Fire.

Or Six Flags Magic Mountain opens up a dark ride.

[Zem]

They will become sentient. And they will attack.

 

It has begun:

[sharkapult]

If you look at TPR's coverage of the IAAPA expos over the years, you'll see that a lot of engineering firms have ideas just waiting to be put into motion by the money of a park. I'm sure that they'll just keep coming up with more ideas, but the real limiting factor of the evolution of roller coasters is the parks who order them. Not too many parks seem to be pushing the envelope as much lately, so new things do seem "gimmicky" at times, but you have to realize that not everything has been done.

.

 

Its just seems that parks are focusing on modifying older rides to meet todays standards and not really rethinking ideas and make something amazing. But i guess its the way the evolution goes. with baby steps.

 

A another thing I have been thinking about is if the rides have gotten better the last 5 years?

[Aceattack52]

We could possibly start to see suspended wooden coasters. (See the patents thread for more details, http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=64786). What about a coaster in which riders are laying down. Almost like a flying coaster, but the track is beneath you and your legs are straight out, that way on the first drop, it will feel like you are falling rather than riding it down in a sitting position. Certainly, everything has not been done. Years ago before X came out, no one would have though a fourth dimension coaster would be possible or that it would be feasible enough to exist.

[JJLehto]

I, and surely most, have had this same question.

 

Much as I want to say "IDK but at some point there needs to be an end" that's why technology/science/engineering is great. The idea faucet never is shut off.

[blade1]

I have seen concept art and a video from S&S for a coaster that has a gyro car. It would be able to rotate in any direction.

Also the ride system that Universal developed for the Forbidden Journey ride, has virtually unlimited potential. That thing can flip you any way it is programmed.

 

Here is the patent for the S&S gyro.

http://www.google.com/patents?id=LN_GAAAAEBAJ&pg=PA1&dq=james+sonntag+amusement&hl=en&ei=4aaoTqKxJIXKsQKO2oWlDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=james%20sonntag%20amusement&f=false

 

Here is a video of a competitor. I can't find the S$S one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HLbS8uU4OY

[Aceattack52]

Sometimes I see someone bring up a MagLev type of coaster idea in a discussion. This is probably something in the far distant future, but it just shows that there are more things in the hopper in terms of coaster innovation. What about a new material? There were nothing but wooden coasters before the 1950s and now, we have both steel and wood. Could there be another evolution in terms of construction media?

[palmerleeberry]

Good Question: When will the evolution of the rollercoasters end?

 

My Answer: When these designers and engineers stop dreaming up new concepts.

 

It's interesting to note that back in the early days, there was only one type of roller coaster - A sitdown woodie that had dips and was an out-and-back. Today, we got so many different types of coasters and many ways a rider would ride that coaster it'll make your head spin. And there are two new concepts this season: a B&M Wing coaster ( such as Six Flags Great America's X-Flight and Cedar Point's Gatekeeper ) and an I-beam woodie ( such as Silver Dollar City's Outlaw Run and Six Flags Fiesta Texas Iron Rattler ) - these concepts weren't even thought up until a few years ago. And the Full Throt-tle Coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain ( which we like to call the YOLO coaster ) has an interesting concept that has never been thought up or even imagined before: a backwards launch in the middle of the ride.

 

I bet that riders and amusement park flyers back in the sixties couldn't imagine that there will coasters in the future that will have loops in them, or have coasters would be launched instead of a lift hill, or even have a coaster with the first drop at 300 feet. So I cannot imagine what will the roller coasters designers and engineers come up with next, but I do hope that they do not stop dreaming, because once the dreaming stops, then the ever-evolving roller coasters would too stop, and that would be so sad.

 

NOTE: I finally found out that YOLO stands for You Only Live Once. They were selling T-shirts like that at Kings Dominion. With that knowledge in hand, I'll be able to sleep better at night.

[Coaster Curt]

I look at YOLO as a complete gimmicky coaster and I expect it will be the only coaster for awhile that has so many different launches.

 

I am guessing some of the newer concepts will start to show up in places like China because the United States seems set on the same ol' same ol'.

[Wes]

And the Full Throt-tle Coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain ( which we like to call the YOLO coaster ) has an interesting concept that has never been thought up or even imagined before: a backwards launch in the middle of the ride.

 

Uhhhhh the Mummy.

[kadabrium]

There are still too many possibilities. We've yet to see even a giga flying wing coaster.

[sharkapult]

im wondering as a enthusiast that have never been to SFMM. Do you guys really think that "full throttle" brings something to the park? seems they just made it to have something "that have never been done before" but to me it just looks bland. to me its not as record breaking as king da ka and not as exciting as the new Mack coasters..

 

I would rather see them build something like blue fire or project helix.

[Wes]

im wondering as a enthusiast that have never been to SFMM. Do you guys really think that "YOLOcoaster" brings something to the park? seems they just made it to have something "that have never been done before" but to me it just looks bland. to me its not as record breaking as king da ka and not as exciting as the new Mack coasters..

 

I would rather see them build something like blue fire or project helix.

 

The park doesn't have a launched coaster besides Superman (and Superman is very untraditional), so this sort of fills that "void" if you want to call it that.

[sharkapult]

im wondering as a enthusiast that have never been to SFMM. Do you guys really think that "YOLOcoaster" brings something to the park? seems they just made it to have something "that have never been done before" but to me it just looks bland. to me its not as record breaking as king da ka and not as exciting as the new Mack coasters..

 

I would rather see them build something like blue fire or project helix.

 

The park doesn't have a launched coaster besides Superman (and Superman is very untraditional), so this sort of fills that "void" if you want to call it that.

 

You're right that they were missing a launch coaster and its good they are getting one but it seems mediocre somehow. but i guess we have to wait and see when it opens.

[Aceattack52]

I look at YOLO as a complete gimmicky coaster and I expect it will be the only coaster for awhile that has so many different launches.

 

I am guessing some of the newer concepts will start to show up in places like China because the United States seems set on the same ol' same ol'.

Yes, YOLOcoaster seems to be all about the launches and "oh, WE have the coaster with 3 launches and the largest loop in the world." If the park wasn't able to say that, there probably wouldn't be any sense in building it. Why would a park build a coaster that is just the same stuff, you can't advertise for "just the same stuff."

[Randomman295]

There are still too many possibilities. We've yet to see even a giga flying wing coaster.

"Flying Wing Coaster".

 

I'm astonished that the world has not yet recognized your genius.

[BackseatBoss]

I'm a bit of a drop tower fanatic so I would like to see more with those. Maybe (if possible) a S&S Space Shot with a rotating tower? What if you could somehow be lying down and fall while staring straight at the ground? Yeah, these are all things that go through my head in school whether they're possible or not!

[Mstankow]

I imagine as new construction methods and improvements in engineering occur, we will see some really crazy stuff. There might come a point where steel coasters will become almost entirely just track and super minimalistic supports. I mean stuff that makes Leviathan's lift hill look cluttered.

[TheStig]

I imagine as new construction methods and improvements in engineering occur, we will see some really crazy stuff. There might come a point where steel coasters will become almost entirely just track and super minimalistic supports. I mean stuff that makes Leviathan's lift hill look cluttered.

 

[sharkapult]

I agree that some design elements to supports would be awesome to see.

I realized that i would love to see some new compact coasters in the future. Not like sequoia adventure at gardaland but more "real" coasters like deamonen at tivoli gardens and The Smiler.

[kadabrium]

There are still too many possibilities. We've yet to see even a giga flying wing coaster.

"Flying Wing Coaster".

 

I'm astonished that the world has not yet recognized your genius.

The 4D coasters basically do the same from the botton of the first drop until the exit of the raven turn.

[palmerleeberry]

I would like to add more to this discussion and I will try to insure that I have all my facts in order.

 

Another new trend that I hope I'll see more of is the development of the water coaster. Master Blaster from Schilitterbahn was the first water slide of its type that had hills you travel up and down before you splashdown into a pool. As great and groundbreaking this slide was, you still had to climb a set of stairs in order to ride it, just like any other water slide.

 

The new phase in the evolution of the water coaster had to be Wilderbeest from Holiday World. You didn't need to climb any stairs to get to the top of the tower to ride this ride because the layout was a closed circuit. It had a station to place riders on and another station for the riders to exit. The success of this attraction lead to Mammoth which is a different sort of water coaster, yet it follows the same principles of Wilderbeest.

 

One more type of coaster is both a steel and water coaster. Imagine a ride that is part coaster and part log flume. I do know that they exist, but I don't know of any by name or what park they're from. I think Sea World has a coaster of this type.

 

But I said this before and I'll say it again: "When the designers and engineers stop dreaming, then that's when the evolution of roller coasters will stop evolving."

[alwaysairtime14]

I'd like to see a skydiving freefall tower. Have the riders lie on their stomachs, hoist them 300 feet up, and then freefall at the top. That'd be great with the air rushing into your face as you plummet towards the ground looking straight down. It could definitely be done with today's technology.