fraroc Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 (edited) Hey guys! After a few months of debating about it, I've finally decided to get back into parkmaking! I've wanted to do a new park for a while....This was originally supposed to be a park project for Theme Park Studio, but unfortunatley I wasn't that satisfied with the GUI of Theme Park Studio, I feel like I could handle some small parks with TPS, but I feel like I won't be able to build a large-scale park on it....which is why I've decided that for my next park, Seeing as how I was very satisfied with how Tennessee's Great America and Gateway Park turned out, I'll be going back to RCT3. Without further ado...I'd like to present to you....the story of Riverwood Theme Park, as told by a longtime coaster enthusiast Joseph Wallace... PROLOGUE- Part 1 As a coaster enthusiast, I feel like each and every theme park in the world has that one thing about it that makes it stand out from everyone else....Six Flags Magic Mountain is currently the record holder for the most roller coasters in one park, Knobels is known for their amazing food, Dorney has a very solid flat-ride collection, Six Flags Great Adventure has the tallest roller coaster in the world and one of the greatest wooden coasters of all time....You get the idea. Sometimes the special thing isn't really objective rather it's subjective....Namely my home park, Riverwood Theme Park in Kearney, Nebraska. The fact that it has a very solid collection of roller coasters and flat rides put aside, it's also special...just for the fact that it's my home park. It's where I made all my roller coaster milestones. First coaster (in general), first non-kiddie coaster, first coaster that went upside-down, first launched coaster, first hypercoaster....There is a pretty rich history behind the origins of this amazing park and how it became the "coaster Holy Land" of the midwest. It sure didn't become that overnight, I'll tell ya! So where do I start? At the beginning, of course! I'd like to take you back to 1953....back then, Riverwood Theme Park was not called "Riverwood Theme Park"....back then, it was called "Terrell's Pleasure Park" It was a pretty small park, owned solely by one person...an incredibly wealthy man by the name of Mitch Terrell...Who had been the owner and proprietor of his namesake park since 1927. Mitch Terrell originally wanted his park to be like any other nature preserve, a relaxing place for people to go to relieve their stresses and observe wildlife...However, after visiting the legendary Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York and riding the Thunderbolt coaster and then the new Cyclone roller coaster, he had his epiphany...he knew what he wanted to do...he wanted the piece of land that he bought in Nebraska to become an amusement park....He wanted to build the Coney Island of the midwestern United States. (These pictures were all taken in 1953) Terrell's Pleasure Park wasn't that large and didn't have many rides...They consisted of a carousel, a small Ferris wheel, a large slide ride, and a parachute drop ride...In an attempt to attract more families and kids, a travelling circus was paid to become a permanent attraction at the theme park in 1948. The park also consisted of a large swimming pool, and a small horse habitat as two extra attractions. However, none of those attractions were "the star" The star attraction was the legendary Bobs roller coaster, built by Harry C. Baker, the same builder of the Coney Island Cyclone....Mitch's goal for the coaster for his park was something that was both unique and thrilling, and Harry Baker sure did deliver! The Bobs was also Terrell's Pleasure Park's first attraction. One of the most prominent features of Bobs is the large, 87 foot drop, making the train hit a top speed of 55 miles per hour! It may not be as fast as Cyclone, but it beat Cyclone in the height department by two feet! This picture makes the Bobs seem like a racing coaster, but all of that is all one coaster. Because of it's layout, including the immediate turnaround hill after the first drop, it's considered a "triple out and back coaster". At 4,000 feet long, the Bobs was the world's longest roller coaster until it was dethroned in 1978 by Colossus at SFMM.... From 1927 to 1955, Terrell's Pleasure Park was an incredibly successful theme park, riding on the fame of the Bobs roller coaster. For all intents and purposes, Mitch Terrell's dream came true....He DID own the Coney Island of the midwest..... Suddenly, it all came crashing down. On August 17th, 1955, an electrical wire to one of the lights on the Fun Slide short circuited. This caused the wooden structure to the slide catch on fire. Due to the fact that it was a very hot and dry day, the wooden structure and the trees surrounding the slide might as well have been pure gasoline...Within minutes, the entire structure was on fire.... The fire spread across the pathway and nearly reached the Ferris Wheel before the fire department came. You could imagine that at this point, complete pandemonium was ensuing. Through the news archive in my local library, I managed to dig up a newspaper article with an eyewitnesses account of what happened that day. "It was complete chaos, the slide ride was engulfed in flames, the fire was spreading to the trees, the paths, the parachute ride and the ferris wheel.....people were running for their lives and soon, a large portion of the slide collapsed. At that point, the horses in the adjacent habitat attraction went berzerk. They both escaped from their containment and ran straight into the fleeing crowd...a few people were knocked down, some were trampled as every patron in the park tried to escape the way they came in." Thankfully, despite the fact that there were plenty of serious injuries, no one died in the fire. However, it was found that one of the horses, the chestnut mare was found dead in the park, presumably due to smoke inhalation. The other horse, the bay stallion presumably escaped the park, for the animal was never seen again. When it comes to rides, the Fun Slide wasn't the only casualty. The parachute drop ride was severely fire damaged and had to be demolished. The Ferris Wheel was also scorched by the fires, but was not deemed structurally unsound. After the owner of the circus (unsurprisingly) pulled out of the park, they obviously took the tent with them.... Soon, all that remained was the carousel, the ferris wheel, the remains of the horse habitat and a now empty swimming pool, and chief among them, the Bobs roller coaster. Despite being close to the fire, the Bobs received little to no fire damage. Mitch Terrell tried many times to sell his park to different landowners, however none of the owners he talked with had any interest in restoring a fire-damaged amusement park. The town of Kearney then bought the park, presumably the park was to be razed within a year, including the Bobs....However, it never came to be. Instead, the park remained abandoned, eventually to taken over by mother nature and rot, like Chippewa Lake Park in Ohio. Then, another wealthy man came into the picture. A man by the name of Alfred Riverwood. (CREATOR COMMENTS: Well, here it is! The debut of my new park! I honestly hope you enjoy this! I can't wait to see where this takes me!) Edited October 21, 2016 by fraroc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishCasual Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 Since I loved TGA and Gateway Park, I know I'm going to love this one. It looks great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFNE Fan Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 In the picture with everyone in the park running, I see a panther. Was that supposed to be a black horse? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraroc Posted April 1, 2015 Author Share Posted April 1, 2015 If you're wondering about the panther, well....I gotta get those peeps running somehow! PROLOGUE-Part 2 In the year 1960, a man named Alfred Riverwood bought the abandoned Terrell's Pleasure Park from the town of Kearney after a large portion of it was destroyed in a fire. Alfred Riverwood at that time, was one of the wealthiest men in the United States, having been the heir to a massive 700 million dollar fortune. Prior to buying Terrell's Pleasure Park, he had no experience in the amusement park business, however with his massive fortune, he managed to completely revitalize the park, which included four new attractions. This Allan Herschell Skywheel ride replaced the circus. Taking the place of the swimming pool was an Eyerly Roll-O-Plane named....well.....Roll-O-Plane. The largest of the four new rides built at the park was a Barnstormer Ride built by a company known as International Amusement Installations. You know them now by the abbreviated name, Intamin AG, builder of legendary roller coasters such as Kingda Ka, Millenium Force, Skyrush and Intimidator 305. The fourth new attraction is the park's second roller coaster! This is a very small wooden kiddie coaster built by Philadelphia Toboggan Company named "Mini-Bobs" Due to the fact that Mitch Terrell had no interest in being involved with the project to renovate his park, Alfred Riverwood changed the name of the park to the very generic moniker of "Fun World." At first, you would think that Alfred Riverwood was a great man for what he did. He brought back a once legendary amusement park back from the dead and gave one of the most critically acclaimed wooden roller coasters of all time another chance to thrill riders for many more generations...However, what you see on the outside is not what happened on the inside. The park was rebuilt, but it was NOT open for the public. Instead, Fun World became a private amusement park, similar to Strickers Grove in Ross, Ohio. Fun World was only meant for Alfred Riverwood himself, his family with three children, and whoever was on his payroll. Other than that, the park was 100% off limits for everyone else. If you've ever seen that South Park episode "Cartmanland", that should give you an idea. Fun World became a prime spot for Alfred to throw his lavish parties for all of his fellow socialites, meaning that the only way that anyone can get into the park was with a invitation. Obviously, this severely angered the local populace and coaster enthusiasts. People who have waited so long to finally ride the legendary Bobs had their opportunity taken way from them, much like Lucy and Charlie Brown with the football. To this day, it's still regarded as an act of complete and blatant selfishness. Some even took to protest by sneaking into his parties...some succeeded and were able to ride the Bobs...these people soon became legendary in the world of roller coasters, the ones who went out of their way to fight back against Alfred Riverwood's greed to ride a roller coaster. As soon as Alfred was made aware of what was going on, he instantaneously put the kibosh on any chance of people without ties to him getting in. He hired private armed security to guard the entrance of the park, demanding that people, whether they were related to Alfred or not, prove that they have some sort of ties with the Riverwood family before coming into the park. A process that was described by people who tried to sneak in and got caught as "eerily similar to Nazi Germany." Don't worry, Alfred Riverwood got his just desserts in the the end. It was found that he was involved in tax evasion and was actively scamming the people who worked for him out of money...He was arrested, pleaded not guilty, found guilty by jury of all 12 counts of tax evasion and all 26 counts of fraudulent behavior, and was thrown in federal prison....However, the money that Alfred had inherited from his ancestors was given to his eldest son Richard Riverwood, who was about 21 at the time....As it turns out, Richard Riverwood was not like his father at all. A kind, generous man who always gave back to everyone....He felt nothing but shame as he watched his father go from riches to rags thanks to his greed. With his father's money, he bought back Fun World.....And in 1964, he made a press statement about his father's arrest and his plans for the amusement park that his father bought. Richard Riverwood: "Hello....I'm sure by now, if you pick up a newspaper or turn on your television to the six-o-clock news, you've heard about my father, Alfred Riverwood's arrest and incarceration....Growing up in a rich family wasn't the idyllic time you all would like to think it is. Yes, we lived in a mansion, but all the mansions and fancy things in the world can NEVER replace what my father did not give to me. His love. My brother, my sister, and I never knew who our mothers were, so we were left in the care of our father. He didn't beat me up or lock me in the basement or anything like that, but there was one thing he did that hurt more than anything....He simply...was not there for me. He was never there when I lost my first tooth, he was never there whenever I got an A on a test in school, he wasn't there when the varsity football team won the championships thanks to me.....he wasn't there graduated at the top of my class in high school...Instead he was more focused on himself, living a lavish lifestyle, surrounded by glamorous women, eating expensive caviar, drinking expensive champagne....He was too focused on himself to care about his three children, who were left to fend for themselves. I consider the family nursemaid to be ten times the parent that Alfred Riverwood was. However...I will make it my goal in life to right all the wrongs that he made. I've always prided myself on giving back to the community, I was taught by the family nursemaid that generosity was one of the greatest virtues a human being could ever follow...I know that my father angered a lot of people around Kearney, Nebraska and the rest of the United States by revitalizing Terrell's Pleasure Park only to keep it all for himself.....Which is why, under my ownership......" Richard Riverwood: "I declare that Terrell's Pleasure Park, now named Riverwood Theme Park is now OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!!! Starting this summer and every summer onward! I look forward to seeing what I can do with this legendary park! Thank you all!!!" And with that said....Riverwood Theme Park was now open.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishCasual Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 Love the story so far! Alfred got what he deserved . Can't wait to see more! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFNE Fan Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 ^Me too. So much, it is my favorite park now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraroc Posted April 5, 2015 Author Share Posted April 5, 2015 I'm glad to see all the good feedback ERA 1: Park Owned By Richard Riverwood 1964 In the summer of 1964, not too long after Richard Riverwood announced his ownership of Riverwood Theme Park, the park opened to the public to MASSIVE crowds. For the Fourth of July weekend, More than a thousand people were crammed into the small park like sardines! As expected fully, lines for the legendary Harry C. Baker creation Bobs exceeded more than two hours for Riverwood Theme Park's debut season. Now being utilized by the public, the park's second roller coaster, Mini-Bobs has proven to be a great little coaster for young kids that aren't quite ready to conquer the Bobs. High Flyer, being the highest capacity ride, being able to hold 60 passengers a ride, had the fastest moving line out of all the other rides at Riverwood Theme Park. It also offered an amazing view of the entire park! Basically, let's just say this was a Windseeker before Windseeker Richard knew that in order to truly make this a successful theme park and not have the debut season be nothing but a fluke, he knew he had to act fast in order keep the guests coming in...Now, I don't want to give away too many spoilers but let's just say that this portion of the park will soon no longer look empty.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thrillseeker4552 Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Wow! I loved TGA, so I know I'll love this one. I can't wait for more!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MayTheGForceBeWithYou Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Lovely start to what I presume will be an incredible park! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishCasual Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 I wonder what will go into the park next? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraroc Posted April 10, 2015 Author Share Posted April 10, 2015 1966 Continuing from my last post, I had mentioned that after the successful 1964 debut season of Riverwood Theme Park, Richard Riverwood made plans to expand the park to the left and add more rides....After an equally as successful 1965, he decided to put those plans into motion....And this is what came out of it.... One of the new attractions was a garden with a series of jumping fountains, usually synchronized to piped-in music.... But this is the MAIN attraction....Riverwood Theme Park's first themed area, Old West Town! This is the first of the three new attractions built for the area, Bison-Go-Round is a ride that is similar to a carousell, but instead of horses, riders ride on life-sized bison figures. Bison-Go-Round was built by a company known as Arrow Development, which built another ride in this same general area... The new area wouldn't quite be complete without a comedy show! Last but not least, this new western themed area brought forth Riverwood Theme Parks third roller coaster, an Arrow Development steel mine train roller coaster named River Rush. River Rush is actually only the second mine train themed roller coaster by Arrow and coincidentally at the time, was the fastest steel roller coaster reaching a top speed of 41mph. The first hill of River Rush reaches a height of 50 feet before twisting into a large, descending helix reaching speeds of 32mph. After a second helix, the train enters a tunnel containing a sudden brake run...these brakes slow the train almost to a complete halt before it enters a second lift hill, reaching the coaster's zenith height of 72 feet.... The train then plunges down a 67 foot drop where it reaches it's top speed of 41mph. The sudden turnaround after the drop gives the riders something that is quite uncommon in most mine train coasters, strong G-forces. Another uncommon element for a mine train coaster are the few pops of ejector airtime on River Rush. Due to these elements on the second half of the coaster, River Rush is still talked about in a very positive light, even in this year, 2015. It is known for being a good balance between a thrilling coaster and a family coaster...Nothing too X-treme, yet nothing too boring... And so....with these new attractions put in place, Richard Riverwood expected nothing but an amazing turnout for the 1966 season...And that is exactly what he got..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraroc Posted April 16, 2015 Author Share Posted April 16, 2015 1966 On my last post, I showed pictures the large-scale expansion that was added to Riverwood Theme Park from 1965 to 1966. This expansion consisted of a jumping fountain garden, a new cowboy/western themed area with a flat ride, an Old West themed comedy show, and Riverwood's first steel roller coaster. Now lets see how the park's guests think of the new attractions! Just a short while after opening, hundreds of people poured in through the gates to have a day of fun under the beautiful June summer/spring sun! Many people started off their days by riding the undeniable classic known as Bobs.... Some decided to take it easy and ride the Ferris Wheel.... And others conquered their fear of heights on the High Flyer! Slowly but surely, people started to flock to the new area of the park.... The lines for River Rush got progressively longer throughout the day as more and more people made their way to Old West Towne. Almost immediately after opening River Rush truly proved itself to be the perfect roller coaster for both families and thrill seekers with its series of smooth, swooping drops and banked helices. Here you can plainly see another full house on the ride! The second lift hill going into the big drop and turnaround dded a certain "WOW" factor to the coaster that was a hit with riders looking for thrills! After the big drop, the ride just hauls ass throughout the rest of the layout, speeding through the airtime hills, giving riders the sensation of zero-gravity. All in all, River Rush did exactly what it was expected to do, be both a thrilling and family friendly ride that anyone of all ages can enjoy! This picture shows The Big Wheel broken down, AGAIN. Despite being a thrilling flat ride, in 1966 it was beginning to become a maintenance nightmare. With its neighbor broken down, lines for the thrilling yet extremely low capacity Roll-O-Plane grew astronomically long. It appears that some guests waited more than an hour for the ride by the look of the picture. I'll put an end to this post by posting this beautiful helicopter shot of Riverwood Theme Park in 1966! Yes sir, this park looks like it's surely on its way to becoming another coaster paradise.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I305forever Posted April 16, 2015 Share Posted April 16, 2015 72 feet?! Really smashing the records there... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraroc Posted April 22, 2015 Author Share Posted April 22, 2015 @I305Forever Keep in mind, this IS 1966 when the only steel coasters dominating the market were the mine trains Anyway, time for a mini-update!!! 1969 From 1966 when River Rush opened to the year 1969, nothing much really happened at Riverwood Theme Park. The park had been enjoying a series of very successful seasons thanks to the addition of Old West Towne and River Rush and has now become a go-to place for families in Nebraska...However, in 1969, people began to notice something that was slightly amiss about the park.... Adjacent to River Rush, an absolutely MASSIVE plot of land was cleared, almost half the size of the park itself! At that time, absolutley no one could tell what would be going in its place, it seemed too large for a new roller coaster, and it seemed unlikely that it was going to be a park expansion due to the fact that the park was recently expanded a few years prior... I don't want to give away too many details, but lets just say that what was going to be built in that plot of land is going to be a major game changer for this place...something that is truly going to forever change the face of Riverwood Theme Park.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraroc Posted May 3, 2015 Author Share Posted May 3, 2015 1970 The following is an interview from a local Kearney based newspaper with Richard Riverwood discussing the new addition for 1970, a LOT of information was disclosed in this interview, so give it a read! Interviewer: "So, it's been six years since you took ownership of the theme park now known as Riverwood Theme Park, How has that been working out?" Richard Riverwood: "It's been working out great, the people of Kearney, Nebraska always had a great relationship with this park, trailing as far back as the 1920s when this park was known as Terrell's Pleasure Park...When my father bought the park for himself, I was well aware of the negative reaction that his greed had, so when he was arrested and the money that he had legitimate inherited was given to me being his eldest son, I knew I had to step in. So far, it's been a huge success! The addition of Olde West Towne and the River Rush roller coaster really bolstered the foot traffic going into the park! Obviously, I'm pretty happy about that." Interviewer: "This question is about the project for 1970 that you recently unveiled....What prompted the decision.... "to build a zoo next to your theme park?" Richard Riverwood: "Well, the answer is very simple. I've ALWAYS loved animals growing up, my father owned six dogs, a cat, and three horses and as a kid, I really bonded to those animals...I felt way closer to them than I ever did to any of my real family, I still feel as though animals are greater companions to humans than other humans....I want Riverwood Zoo to be more than just an add-on to Riverwood Theme Park, I like to think of this place as an animal sanctuary, a place where they can live healthy and fulfilling lives without any danger..." Interviewer: "Nice...Anyway, what does this mean for park guests? Will they be able to go between both parks freely? Or is there a catch..." Richard Riverwood: "Well, this is the system that I've worked out. Guests have the option to either buy an exclusive ticket for just Riverwood Zoo only, but if they buy a ticket for the park for the same price, they can freely go between the two parks via a tram system that was installed between them. The second option is a MUCH better buy in my opinion, two parks for the price of one!" Interviwer: "When do you expect both parks to be ready to be opened?" Richard Riverwood: "Riverwood Theme Park is opening for weekends in April and full weeks in May as per usual. However, I expect that Riverwood Zoo will be up and going by at least May of this year." Interviewer: "Thank you so much for your time, Richard!" Richard Riverwood: "Hey, it's no problem." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraroc Posted May 18, 2015 Author Share Posted May 18, 2015 1970 Hey readers! This isn't going to be a large update, this is just to post some photos that got left out from the Riverwood Zoo reveal. Don't worry, the saga of RTP will continue after this post! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WindexCyanide13 Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 I really like this park so far. I'm waiting for the future to bring in a massive steel coaster! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MayTheGForceBeWithYou Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 Feel kinda bad for lurking the last few updates and not saying anything. Really solid park, and I'm excited to see where it goes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraroc Posted May 26, 2015 Author Share Posted May 26, 2015 This update was supposed to be posted yesterday, but I just never got around to it.... 1970 I'd like to wish all my readers a happy Memorial Day! To celebrate, I'd like to take you back to Memorial Day 45 (I can't believe it's been THAT long since 1970) years ago, when Riverwood Zoo had it's grand opening! As expected, the crowds just poured in after the gates opened for both parks!Families sprawled over the entire perimiter of both parks, excited to see the various animals at the zoo and to ride exhilarating rides at the theme park! Not only did the new Riverwood Zoo get a lot of attention, Riverwood Theme Park did as well! Almost every ride had a long line! Years after it's opening, closing, and re-opening, the legendary Bobs roller coaster still is one of the most popular attractions at the park. But that's not to say that River Rush, the park's latest roller coaster wasn't getting any love! Here is another full train about to make the big drop! Here is a bird's eye view of the entire park. It appears that every single attraction in the park is veering towards the left without anything on the right, however in the saga of the entire park, that's not going to last for very long.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blk_mamba Posted May 29, 2015 Share Posted May 29, 2015 Pretty cool park. Looks like to be a young park it is huge and will only get larger. Best of luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraroc Posted June 3, 2015 Author Share Posted June 3, 2015 1972 So...moving on with the saga of this park...Time for another time skip to 1972! Riverwood Zoo has been open for two years and not only has it been a success in of itself, but it has been a huge boon to get extra foot traffic into the the theme park itself! A prime location for people to spend a day of family fun at the zoo or the amusement park! Or BOTH if they are so inclined! Everything was running fine for the 1972 season....no problems whatsoever.... But what's this? The Mini-Bobs is gone! Yes, in 1972, Richard Riverwood decided to tear down the PTC wooden kiddie coaster Mini-Bobs, making it the first coaster casualty in the history of the park and bringing the coaster count from three back down to two. In the last few years of it's life, Mini-Bobs has become increasingly unreliable, constant breakdowns became a common occurrance and there where times where the Mini-Bobs was closed for a week and more! In the end, he decided to just pull the plug on the ride. Families with young children were rather dissappointed to see Mini-Bobs gone, but to not give away too much....it won't be that way forever. The Big Wheel is broken. AGAIN. It's beginning to become quite a recurring theme...Wouldn't be surprised if this is the next to go..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blk_mamba Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Darn tearing down coaster already, I guess Riverwood is not going for the most roller coaster record, lol. The park still looks great keep it up. I like how the park is growing on both sides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraroc Posted June 21, 2015 Author Share Posted June 21, 2015 1973-1977 For this update, I'm going to be preforming a little bit of a time skip over the mid-to-late 1970s. In this timespan, Riverwood Theme Park only received a series of small changes to the park's landscape and ride lineup, let's check them out! If you read my last blog post, then you'd realize that in 1972, the Mini-Bobs wooden kiddie coaster was removed from the park due to constant maintenance issues. The coaster was ultimatley replaced by.... (drumroll please) NOTHING! Absolutley nothing! For now, that is....It appears that the building of a path jutting out of the side of the main pathway of the park means that this could potentially be a place where another path might connect to. The largest change that Riverwood Theme Park got in this period was the removal of The Big Wheel. Yes, they finally did it after years and years of constant downtime and maintenance problems! In it's place is what I like to call Riverwood Theme Park's first "X-Treme" ride, the Rotor. You should all be familiar with how a Rotor works, it's pretty similar to the modern day equivalent of the Gravitron/Starship 2000. You spin around really fast until the floor collapses, the natural laws of centrifugal force keep you from falling to the floor as you are stuck to the wall while it's spinning. As expected, Rotor was a huge success! Now that the years 1973-1977 are taken care of, now it's time to focus our sights twoards what will happen AFTER 1977...I can't give away too much without spoiling it for everyone, but lets just say that this view of the park will NEVER look the same again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MayTheGForceBeWithYou Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 I can't give away too much without spoiling it for everyone, but lets just say that this view of the park will NEVER look the same again. Choo choo...all aboard the hype train. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraroc Posted June 23, 2015 Author Share Posted June 23, 2015 1978 The four year period of 1966-1970 saw the addition of two very large scale upgrades to Riverwood Theme Park. River Rush, the park's first steel roller coaster and Riverwood Zoo, a zoological park which was built adjacent to the main theme park. From 1970 to 1977, there was a ride drought in the park. Except for the sudden removal of Mini Bobs in 1972, No new rides were being built or taken out....That is, until the 1977 season, when The Big Wheel was replaced with the Rotor. That one flat ride addition introduced a completely new demographic in the park, which was designed mostly for families... Thrill seekers. Adrenaline junkies. That new demographic caused the Rotor to become a major success. Seeing the high amount of foot traffic going in and out of that new "X-Treme" ride, Richard Riverwood knew he had to take it and run with it....Which is why, in 1978, he ended the 11 year roller coaster drought.... with SERPENT, an Anton Schwarzkopf flywheel-powered shuttle loop coaster. Serpent was the third Schwarzkopf Shuttle Loop to open in the year 1978, with the other two being Montezooma's Revenge at Knott's Berry Farm in California and Greezed Lightning at AstroWorld in Texas. Coincidentally at the time, Serpent was the tallest and fastest roller coaster at Riverwood Theme Park with a height of 138 feet, breaking the 100 foot ceiling and travelling at 55mph, four miles per hour faster than Bobs. Serpent also introduces something that never existed in any incarnation of Riverwood Theme Park before....inversions. The ride experience for Serpent and any other Schwarzkopf shuttle loop is as follows. Like a slingshot, the train is launched from 0 to 55mph from the station and traverses through a large loop and up a 138 foot tall spike. At this point, the train will lose momentum and fall backwards through the loop and back through the station where brakes slow the train down as it enters a 100 foot tall back spike. Once the train falls again forward from the back spike, brakes will bring the train to a slow and steady halt in the station. In addition to Serpent, the entire front plaza was redone to encapsulate the Carousel, which has been awkwardly jutting out the side of the path for years. The carousel was also given a bright new paint job as well. With these new additions in the park, Richard Riverwood hoped that he made the correct decision attracting thrill seekers instead of families.... And he did. (MORE TO COME SOON) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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