Extinct theme park ride types

[Timh121]

Can anyone here think of any theme park ride types that used to be popular but are not around anymore?. If so which ones do you miss the most? Thank you

[palmerleeberry]

The Funhouse comes to mind. Many years ago Busch Gardens Williamsburg used to have the most fun house of its kind, until they decided to convert the building into an arcade.

 

And while there are still just a handful of parks that still have a funhouse attraction (Noah's Ark in Kennywood and Pirate's Cove in Trimper's Rides come to mind), I cannot remember any new funhouses that debuted in theme parks in the past few decades.

 

Methinks that is a plain shame for surely the ride designers can come up with the designs for a new funhouse that will still provide the fun, yet be safe as apple pie, to its riders. They can have tricks that would fool the senses, surprises that will cause laughter, and some new innovations that never been used in a funhouse before.

 

So come on guys, lets us riders and amusement park flyers see a new funhouse in the future!

[Intamin_coyote]

The only Huss Giant Top Spin ever built was popular... VERY popular, at a time...

 

But then...

[BDD27]

The north American Togo stand ups are now extinct, although one lives on far from home.

[Too Fast For Comfort]

Wooden wild mouses are either extinct, or endangered. And I think that they used to be commonplace across the country. It was funny too how they were a staple of RCT but nobody could ever find one! Virginia Reels and side friction coasters are examples of other coasters that used to be the gold standard that are either endangered or extinct. And, big staples of RCT as well.

[coasterbill]

Volcanic Blast coasters

[michaellynn4]

Volcanic Blast coasters

 

[pryonisys]

It seems like rotors are disappearing. I haven't seen a permanent one for quite some time, but I do see the Gravatron's at fairs still

[BitterOldHag]

It seems like rotors are disappearing. I haven't seen a permanent one for quite some time, but I do see the Gravatron's at fairs still

 

As far as I know, there are only three Rotor rides (permanent or mobile) left in the States. A Chance portable model at Sylvan Beach, a permanent Chance model called the Tumbleweed at Frontier City, and the rare SDC model called Turkish Twist at Canobie Lake.

 

Overseas though it's a different story as it seems there are several traveling Rotor rides on the fair circuit, including a new SBF/Visa model called Gravity with translucent barrel walls, and the classic Pluschies Rotor that tours the German Fun Fairs. This Rotor features a walk-through fun house as the queue, and the main ride structure is surrounded by a three-tiered viewing area just like the good old days. I think I mentioned this before, but there are some really crazy pictures of old Rotor rides from the 50's where the entire viewing area is packed with people watching the brave riders. And back then, you had to pay the same amount to watch as you did to ride, so I assume the ROI was pretty good for a Rotor ride!

 

That's one thing I never liked about Gravitrons. The ride was not designed for spectators. Heck, first time I saw one I had no idea what went on in there!

[pryonisys]

It seems like rotors are disappearing. I haven't seen a permanent one for quite some time, but I do see the Gravatron's at fairs still

 

As far as I know, there are only three Rotor rides (permanent or mobile) left in the States. A Chance portable model at Sylvan Beach, a permanent Chance model called the Tumbleweed at Frontier City, and the rare SDC model called Turkish Twist at Canobie Lake.

 

Overseas though it's a different story as it seems there are several traveling Rotor rides on the fair circuit, including a new SBF/Visa model called Gravity with translucent barrel walls, and the classic Pluschies Rotor that tours the German Fun Fairs. This Rotor features a walk-through fun house as the queue, and the main ride structure is surrounded by a three-tiered viewing area just like the good old days. I think I mentioned this before, but there are some really crazy pictures of old Rotor rides from the 50's where the entire viewing area is packed with people watching the brave riders. And back then, you had to pay the same amount to watch as you did to ride, so I assume the ROI was pretty good for a Rotor ride!

 

That's one thing I never liked about Gravitrons. The ride was not designed for spectators. Heck, first time I saw one I had no idea what went on in there!

There was a rotor at Conneaut Lake Park when I was a kid name the "Hell Hole" that I was never big enough to ride, when I was finally old enough to ride it the park had ripped it out. It was a really good ride for spectators though.

I completely understand why parks have gotten rid of them over the years.

[thesman]

I personally miss the S&S Sky Swat

[djcoastermark]

^^There's just something about Conneaut and a ride named "HellHole". Gawds I love that park.

[pryonisys]

^^There's just something about Conneaut and a ride named "HellHole". Gawds I love that park.

My memory of it was very vague, other than watching my siblings ride and thinking I wasn't actually allowed to say the name of the ride, but it sent me down a bit a google search hole and I had forgotten that it had a 12-15 foot fiberglass devil in front of the ride. It sounds like the fiberglass devil is now in Texas in front of a recycling plant, so that's something I guess (I'm glad they are recycling).

 

Between that and the creepy clown trash cans Conneaut Lake Park has a strange place in my childhood memory.

[cfc]

Hmm--I think the only remaining one-rail Steeplechase coaster is at Blackpool, correct? I guess RMC's T-Rex coasters are the next generation of that concept.

 

But I do miss the Wacky Soapbox Racers at Knott's.

[pryonisys]

I think the only flying coaster left in existence is Kangaroo at Kennywood (if memory serves me correctly Waldameer used to have one)

[DBru]

I personally miss the S&S Sky Swat

 

I’m so sad I never got to ride one of these. I was totally fascinated by them. Can someone describe the ride experience?

[michaellynn4]

Hmm--I think the only remaining one-rail Steeplechase coaster is at Blackpool, correct? I guess RMC's T-Rex coasters are the next generation of that concept.

 

But I do miss the Wacky Soapbox Racers at Knott's.

 

I LOVED the Steeplechase when we visited Blackpool last summer. Wish there were more of them around, especially stateside!

[BitterOldHag]

I think the only flying coaster left in existence is Kangaroo at Kennywood (if memory serves me correctly Waldameer used to have one)

 

Correct on the Waldameer one. Their Flying Coaster lasted until the end of the 1994 season. In 1995, the Wipeout took its place and remains there today.

 

To add to the family-friendly ride names at Conneaut, there was a dark ride back in the 70's called the "Pit of Death". Ah, good times!

[Canobie Coaster]

I personally miss the S&S Sky Swat

 

I’m so sad I never got to ride one of these. I was totally fascinated by them. Can someone describe the ride experience?

 

I rode Catapult once a visit while it was at SFNE. The lap bars were like those of the screamin' swing except I remember they'd tighten with each breath. You also had these shoulder bars like Schwarzkopf's accordion restraints. I remember those too also tightening during the ride.

 

The ride wasn't particularly forceful. The inversions were taken pretty slowly so you could definitely feel the blood rush to your head. The visual of barreling towards the ground and sweeping back up at the last second was pretty neat. If you've been on a Rock-O-Plane and lock your car at the top, you can sort of replicate the feeling.

 

It took forever to load. The employees spent quite a bit of time balancing the arms and then adjusting everyone's restraints. In its final years, the ride suffered a lot of downtime. While I do miss it for its uniqueness, the SkyScreamer sitting in its place is a superior attraction.

[bert425]

I personally miss the S&S Sky Swat

 

I’m so sad I never got to ride one of these. I was totally fascinated by them. Can someone describe the ride experience?

 

I've mentioned (maybe here, maybe in the TPR Facebook group), but we rode "SWAT" the year it opened at Astroworld in Houston, and absolutely HATED it.

 

we were wanting to give it a chance, even tho were saddened it took the place of Skyscreamer (1st gen drop tower), in the spot over near Gunslinger & River of No Return (which had been gutted and ruined anyways, when the footers/supports for XLR-8 were put in, and destroyed the illusion of "cruising the ancient ruins").

 

anyways. . .you got in on either side of a seating arrangement that looked like the end of a fly-swatter: a long bar with two rows of "stadium type" seating at either end - you faced the other riders across the main divide.

 

then the ride raised the seats directly up, to the top of the ride's supports.

 

then, the "bar" with the seats at either end S-L-O-W-L-Y rotated end over end. So you were upside-down coming over the top of each swing. I believe it did that two times, then switched direction, and did it two times the other way.

 

the over the shoulder restraints were not comfortable, and how slowly the ride rotated, they really hurt during the extended hang-time, since the ride rotated so slowly.

 

years later, my spouse STILL talks about that "horrible ride" we went on at Astroworld. . . LOL

 

I'll bet if I rode it again at some time later, they had tweaked it and I wouldn't have minded it. but only got to ride it that one time, and we never got on it again.

 

edit: found some Astroworld video online of it operating . . you can see how slowly it rotates at points.

 

[youtu_be]

[/youtu_be] Edited May 16, 2019 by bert425

[Nrthwnd]

^ I rode the one in Thorpe Park back in 2006. And vowed NEVER to EVER ride one of

those things again. Sorry for others who love it. But for me, a "one and done" definitely.

 

And Molasses ran way faster than this thing, either going up/down vertical and/or "spinning" (ha).

 

I miss the original Mad Mouse metal layouts. It was great with more dips than the current ones, do.

I also miss the original Caterpillar ride. That was exceptionally scary, for it's speed, and usually located

right beside the Mad Mouse, when the PNE was running, back then. With a neat green and yellow striped

(lengthwise) cover that would suddenly engulf the ride, to screams and laughs. Fun ride.

I took a photo of it, in 2010, to remind myself NOT to ride this thing,

ever again. TPR 2010 UK Tour.

My fave lost flat ride. Original Mad Mouse at our PNE in Vancouver. From YVR Archives.

[Canobie Coaster]

Wow I guess I liked the sky swats more than most.

[Nrthwnd]

Yep.

[DBru]

If nothing else, the thing sure is visually impressive. I've always found those S&S restraints to be quite comfortable, but I haven't experienced any that constantly tighten. Surely they weren't as bad as the Inverters, right? (I wish we could add those to this list )

[Canobie Coaster]

I don't remember them being quite as snug as the inverters (there was a time SFNE had both rides). Inverters seem to be on their way out too. I haven't seen one in my travels outside of the one at Six Flags Mexico.