Top 10 new U.S. theme park rides and attractions for 2009

Despite the dire economic climate, 2009 is shaping up as a good year for amusement and theme park visitors in the United States.

Here are the rides and attractions I’m most looking forward to this summer:

1) Manta flying coaster at SeaWorld Orlando (Florida) includes a 98-foot-tall pretzel loop with a finale dip into the water that sprays riders. Opens in May.

2) Billed as the world’s highest vertical lift coaster, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit at Universal Studios Florida (Orlando) lets riders select a personal soundtrack from an iPod-style jukebox. Opens in late Spring/early Summer (likely June or July).

3) American Idol Experience at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (Orlando) awards one daily winner a shot at an audition on the reality TV show. Opened in February.

4) The $22-million Diamondback steel coaster at Kings Island (Cincinnati) boasts stadium-style seating, 10 drops over 100 feet and speeds reaching 80 mph along a mile-long track. Opened in April.

5) The $11-million Terminator Salvation wooden coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain (Valencia, California) offers movie tie-in visual effects and a loading station fly-through. Opens Memorial Day weekend.

6) The $8-million Prowler wooden coaster at Worlds of Fun (Kansas City) rambles more than a half-mile through forested terrain. Opens in May.

7) The 131-foot-tall Pilgrims Plunge at Holiday World (Santa Claus, Indiana) claims the title of world’s tallest water ride, generating a 45-foot-high splash. Opens in May.

8) The Sasquatch drop tower at Six Flags Great Escape (Lake George, New York) blasts riders at 4.5 Gs during the 19-story rocket shot. Opens in May.

9) Flying Turns at Knoebels (Elysburg, Pennsylvania) continues work on a throwback wooden bobsled roller coaster based on a 1920s design. A 2009 opening remains a possibility.

10) “Creature From the Black Lagoon: The Musical” at Universal Studios Hollywood (Los Angeles) turns the cult classic film into a campy Broadway-style stage show with special effects, dance choreography and romance. You certainly can’t say you’ve seen that before. Opens in July.

Find the latest amusement and theme park news at the Los Angeles Times Funland blog: www.latimes.com/funland. Follow Funland on Twitter.

— Brady MacDonald, Los Angeles Times staff writer

[Image: SeaWorld Orlando]

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This entry was posted on Saturday, May 2, 2009 at 7:04 am by Brady MacDonald and is filed under California, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Family & Kids, Florida, Los Angeles, Magic Mountain, New York, Summer, Theme Parks, Universal Studios Florida, Water Parks. 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.