2008 preview: California amusement parks

First in a series: 2008 amusement and theme park preview

While any preview of California’s amusement and theme parks naturally starts with Disneyland, the 52-year-old Anaheim landmark plans no major new attractions for 2008, choosing instead to recycle the wildly successful “Year of a Million Dreams” marketing campaign. If it ain’t broke …

Across the promenade, the badly broken but soon to be reimagined Disney’s California Adventure will add a new ride, parade and show in 2008:

* Toy Story Mania interactive dark ride where riders battle one another in a series of virtual midway games.

* Pixar Play Parade features movie characters from “Toy Story,” “The Incredibles,” “Monsters Inc.,” “A Bug’s Life,” “Finding Nemo,” “Cars” and “Ratatouille.”

* Playhouse Disney with three new shows: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Little Einsteins and Handy Manny.

Other California amusement park rides and attractions debuting in 2008:

* Pony Express — Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park adds a $10-million horseback roller coaster an elongated figure-8 track featuring hairpin turns, whoop-de-dos and 60-degree banks.

* The Simpsons Ride — Universal Studios Hollywood’s thrill simulator takes riders on a journey through Krusty the Clown’s theme park.

* X2 — Six Flags Magic Mountain’s $10-million upgrade to the existing X coaster adds sleeker trains, a new tunnel and lighting effects. The Valencia amusement park will also build a $2.5-million Thomas Town kiddie land with pint-sized train, helicopter and bus rides.

* Land of Adventure — Legoland California’s new themed area adds a bounce-and-drop tower, plane ride, foam-ball pit and the park’s first dark ride, Lost Kingdom Adventure. The Carlsbad kiddie park will also build a separate-admission Sea Life aquarium next to its front gate.

* Sesame Street Bay of Play — SeaWorld San Diego’s new kiddie land features a teacup ride, a Big Bird show and a 4-D movie.

* Tony Hawk’s Big Spin — Vallejo’s Six Flags Discovery Kingdom adds a $6.5-million skateboarding-themed coaster with rotating cars.

* FireFall — Santa Clara’s Great America adds a flipping, spinning carnival ride featuring fire and water effects, much like Knott’s Rip Tide.

What’s the best new California ride debuting in 2008?

You can find more amusement and theme park news at the Los Angeles Times Funland blog.

— Brady MacDonald, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

[Image: Knott’s Berry Farm]

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This entry was posted on Monday, December 24, 2007 at 7:29 am by Brady MacDonald and is filed under California’s Great America, Disney's California Adventure, Disneyland, Family & Kids, Knott's, Legoland, Los Angeles, Magic Mountain, Northern California, San Diego, San Francisco, SeaWorld San DIego, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Theme Parks, Universal Studios Hollywood. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.