Weird Coaster Facts

[DanTheBooker]

More of a park fact pertaining to it's roller coasters:

 

Gatekeeper was the first traditional chain lift coaster built at Cedar Point since Mantis in 1996.

[fraroc]

 

- Grizzly at Kings Dominion was modeled after the famous Coney Island Wildcat.

 

I also believe that, because the first time I rode Grizzly, despite it being rough, I found it to be SO much better than Hurler. Also, I actually said "Yeah, Grizzly seems very Cyclone to me."

[mike541x]

The Boomerang (Flash Back) at Six Flags New England was originally located in China. Well, explained why it is so rough lol.

 

I also heard the reason why it was removed from the park in China was that park guests found the ride to scary and no one ever rode it. I think there was a plaque that said something like that when the ride was at Kentucky Kingdom.

[cfc]

^This from the country that has one of the scariest shuttle loops ever.

 

[Rollercoaster Rider]

Shockwave at Six Flags Great America and Psyclone at Six Flags Magic Mountain were planned for Six Flags Great Adventure.

[mike541x]

^^ I'll take a Boomerang over that any day.

 

Before Batwing, SFA was originally going to get Georgia Scorcher. Twelve years later, we get Apocalypse.

[ajfelice]

Evil Knievel/American Thunder was a plop down from the filing cabinet since Six Flags needed a design from GCI four days.

 

For GCI, the first part of a coaster they design is the storage/transfer track.

Edited December 11, 2013 by ajfelice

[GwaziBSRider1]

Thunderbolt at Kennywood was originally built with a "speed bump" on the inside turn next to the queue entrance. It was considered too intense for riders at the time and was removed the next year (1969). The ride also killed a high school student on its debut season and the reasoning was because he was a single rider. You need a partner to ride to this very day.

[DenDen]

Kennywood is also the only park in the world that has 2 coasters with their largest drop the last drop, and 4 coasters where the largest drop is NOT the first drop. (I hope that is right!)

 

Thunderbolt and Jack Rabbit both have their largest drop is the last drop.

Phantom's Revenge's and Racer's largest drop is it's second.

[palmerleeberry]

^Speaking about the Jack Rabbit at Kennywood . . .

 

By using the hilly terrain, this coaster uses the least amount of lumber compared to any other wooden coaster. Also, this coaster is classified as a double out and back.

 

( This is me going down the Jack Rabbit's double dip drop)

[Loefet]

Balder is indirectly named after the Norse god. It's sort of "themed" after a local football club Örgryte IS (ÖIS for short).

The name Balder comes from the field where ÖIS were founded in 1887, the field is called Balders Hage (Balder's Meadows), which probably received it's name from some horse called Balder that grazed it before that. The field itself were located where Balder stands today.

Also the colours of the trains of Balder also bears a connection with the same football club, their team colours are Red and Blue, hence the colours of the trains.

 

So Balder is the only football themed coaster (that I know of) that exist in this world

(No, Eurosat during the world cup in Germany 2006 which were covered to look like a football don't really count ).

[_koppen]

I did not know about the train color's, that's a pretty interesting fact.

[Rollercoaster Rider]

Evil Knievel/American Thunder was a plop down from the filing cabinet since Six Flags need a design from GCI four days.

 

For GCI, the first part of a coaster they design is the storage/transfer track.

 

 

Huh?

 

 

Six Flags Astroworld was rumored to get a Ghost Rider like ride for 99/2000 that never happened. I think it became Villain at Geauga Lake.

 

 

 

Odd Theme Park Fact:

Six Flags Fiesta Texas was one of the only Six Flags branded property to never get a Looney Tunes themed area.

[DJeXeL]

^He was saying that EK/AT was an "off the shelf" design and not custom.

[DarienLaker]

The three remaining Pandemonium coasters in the US still have the skateboard themed cars from when they were name "Tony Hawk's Big Spin"!

[Pyrozooka0]

The second tallest ride at SFOG is Ninja.

the Canyon Blaster at SFOG is probably the worlds fastest kiddie coaster (fun fact: grown men riding the SFOG Canyon Blaster are not considered "sad and pathetic")

Ninja at SFOG's layout was allegedly the basis for that of the SLC

[cal1br3tto]

This thread is getting some interesting responses!

 

I've seen several people describe Rollo Coaster at Idlewild as a "mini Boulder Dash." I've since read that this may not be coincidental: the smaller coaster is rumored to have directly inspired the layout for Boulder Dash.

[ArizonaGuy]

It was rumored SFAW was slated to get Mr. Freeze in 1997. SFoT got Mr. Freeze instead (and then opened a year late due to problems with the LIM's) because of some dispute with majority stockholders of the Texas and Georgia parks stating that Time Warner wasn't investing crap in those parks.

 

SFAW got Dungeon Drop instead.

[Rollercoaster Rider]

Millennium Force was going to be a B&M but for some reason, became an Intamin ride.

 

Hurricane Harbor at Great America was going to be Separate Gate.

 

In 1996, Six Flags Astroworld sold more season passes than any Six Flags park.

[jmicha]

^That first one was explained somewhere in some video. They wanted it to be a B&M originally but B&M weren't comfortable with a 300 footer yet so they passed and Cedar Point went with Intamin instead. So there was never anything more than discussion between Cedar Point and B&M for Millennium Force.

[arby]

This thread is getting some interesting responses!

 

I've seen several people describe Rollo Coaster at Idlewild as a "mini Boulder Dash." I've since read that this may not be coincidental: the smaller coaster is rumored to have directly inspired the layout for Boulder Dash.

 

Speaking of Rollo Coaster, it was built with wood that came from the property.

[Mr Stratosphere]

Lightning Bolt at MGM Grand Adventures had 3 different incarnations in one park during its lifespan.

 

First, it opened as an indoor coaster. Space Mountain like.

Second the ride was relocated outside when the park size was shrunk to make way for the MGM Grand Pool Complex and Convention Center.

Third, Arrow designed an extension of the coaster over the rapids ride making the ride an Intamin/Arrow hybrid.

 

So Vegas' roller coaster history has been an interesting one to say the least.

 

And two coasters have been involved with magicians that performed in Vegas.

 

Desperado - Lance Burton was tied down to the tracks and had to escape before an approaching train ran over him.

 

Canyon Blaster - Criss Angel Mindfreak - A train "goes through" Criss' body while he stands on the track after the corkscrews and Criss ends up in the front seat.

Canyon Blaster was also featured in the movie Baby Geniuses. Part of the fictional "Joyworld" theme park, Sly starts the ride with two scientists on board and restraints still open. Both fall from the ride.

[3Mutts]

^ More about movies and coasters....

 

Playlands Corkscrew is featured in Final Destruction 3.

 

http://rcdb.com/319.htm

[DarienLaker]

The plot in Six Flags Discovery Kingdom where Superman: Ultimate Flight is now was home to two short lived coasters Zonga (2003-2007) and Tony Hawk's Big Spin/Pandemonium (2008-2011), But the first one (Zonga) was almost always closed!

[GwaziBSRider1]

I've heard that the old Steel Phantom at Kennywood had two inspirations: Shockwave at SFGAm and a dream. Henry Henninger (then park President) always loved the menacing look of Shockwave's first drop and wanted to recreate it on a new steel coaster at Kennywood. He was also said to have a dream of a large steel coaster diving through the Thunderbolt. He and Ron Toomer put the design on paper and the rest is history.

 

Another interesting fact regarding this ride is about the Phantom's Revenge. When the remodel was announced, they originally designed a "double dip" going up the second hill as a nod to the Jack Rabbit. They changed the design (can't remember why) and moved it to its current location.