Archive for the 'California’s Great America' Category
California’s Great America to add swing ride, re-theme kids area for 2010
October 23, 2009 5:55am
California’s Great America officials expect the Screamin’ Swing ride at Knott’s Berry Farm to be relocated to the Santa Clara theme park by summer 2010.
Knott’s is removing the pneumatically powered pendulum swing ride to make room for Demon Drop, a 26-year-old thrill ride being removed from Cedar Point and relocated to the Buena Park theme park.
Confused?
Halloween bloodfest heats up at Southern California theme parks
October 2, 2009 8:58am
October marks the return of the annual death match between Halloween Haunt at Knott’s Berry Farm and Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood for the blood-splattered title of best Halloween theme park event in Southern California.
Halloween Haunt, celebrating its 37th year, is universally regarded as the granddaddy of Halloween events. Halloween Horror Nights, which focuses on movie-set-quality authenticity, is the bloodier and gutsier upstart bent on Halloween supremacy.
My recommendation: Hit ‘em both. You won’t be disappointed.
Fright Fest at Six Flags Magic Mountain, which includes its Halloween event as part of general admission, can’t compare or compete with the big boys. Disneyland, Legoland and SeaWorld San Diego focus more on family-friendly fare.
In Northern California, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom delivers a similar Fright Fest event, and California’s Great America offers its slim-downed take on Halloween Haunt.
2009 Halloween events at California theme parks:
Disneyland delays debut of Fantasmic dragon yet again
August 31, 2009 11:31am
Disneyland unveiled official photos and video of the new Fantasmic dragon but still has yet to set a date for the 40-foot-tall animatronic’s much-anticipated debut.
Despite top billing, the oft-delayed dragon failed to appear during the Disneyland’s Summer Nightastic promotion — a big black eye for the Anaheim theme park.
Several key dates lay on the horizon, including the upcoming Labor Day weekend when crowds will throng Disneyland and the Disney D23 Expo on Sept. 10-13 when the Disney faithful will descend on the Anaheim Convention Center. But when the dragon will take the stage along Disneyland’s Rivers of America remains a continuing mystery.
Disneyland officials said the dragon won’t appear tonight, despite rampant Web speculation to the contrary.
A bad week for theme parks: deaths, crashes, crimes and even a typhoon
August 13, 2009 1:27pm
At the peak of the summer vacation season, theme parks in California, across the United States and around the world have suffered a seemingly endless slew of bad news.
* A 38-year-old man died after experiencing breathing trouble on the Firehawk coaster at Kings Island in Ohio. (Screamscape)
* Firefighters rescued 28 people stuck on the Invertigo coaster at California’s Great America in Santa Clara. State investigators shut down the ride for two months following the mishap.
* A Walt Disney World actor who fell and broke his neck on stage during a mock sword fight with Jack Sparrow died of complications. (Orlando Sentinel)
California’s Great America unveils 2009 Halloween Haunt lineup
August 9, 2009 8:02am
California’s Great America plans to add a new maze and at least one new show for Halloween Haunt 2009.
Toy Factory will boost the maze count at the Santa Clara amusement park to six.
The five returning haunted mazes:
* CarnEvil (clowns)
* Club Blood (nightclub)
* Cornstalkers (scarecrows)
* Slaughterhouse (blood and guts)
* Werewolf Canyon (hunters become hunted)
The new Shocking Sideshow of Freaks joins two returning shows, Dave Hill’s Haunted Hypnotics and Ed Alonzo’s Psycho Circus of Magic and Mayhem. A fourth show may still be added.
2009 shaping up as a low-key year for California theme parks
May 4, 2009 8:03am
Disneyland sets the pace for theme parks in California. And with the Happiest Place on Earth taking a breather on major new attractions in 2009, the rest of the state’s amusement parks are following suit, opting for smaller fare this year over multimillion-dollar additions.
The lone exception: Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia adds the $11-million Terminator Salvation, a 2,850-foot-long wooden roller coaster which opens Memorial Day weekend with movie tie-in visual effects and a loading station fly-through. (Watch POV video)
A roundup of 2009 additions at California amusement and theme parks:
* Disneyland rehabbed the “It’s a Small World” boat ride in February, adding 29 Disney characters and a new “Spirit of America” scene to the mix. The Anaheim theme park also debuted the Celebrate parade in March and bundled a series of nighttime shows under the Summer Nightastic banner (running from June 12 through August 23).
* Across the way at Disney’s Construction Adventure, the five-year-long $1.1-billion overhaul has begun in earnest, with the Ferris wheel getting a new Mickey Mouse theme (opens in May).
* Universal Studios Hollywood brings “Creature From the Black Lagoon” to the stage in July as a campy Broadway-style musical (I kid you not) with special effects, dance choreography and romance (still not kidding).
* Legoland California unveiled a new “Bob the Builder” 4-D movie in March. The 30-foot-tall Dune Raiders racing slides opens at the Carlsbad kiddie park in time for the Fourth of July weekend.
* Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park offers absolutely nothing new of note for 2009. Here’s hoping they’re saving up for next year.
California’s Great America adding wooden roller coaster in 2009
July 30, 2008 4:54pm
The first drop on the new wooden roller coaster planned for California’s Great America sends riders whirling into a one-of-a-kind twist around the existing Star Tower observation deck.
The 3,100-foot-long woodie will take riders on a 2 1/2-minute trip that includes a drop from the 108-foot-tall lift hill and a series of zero-G camel backs and bunny hops.
The still-unnamed ride, designed by Great Coasters International, will feature a pair of Millennium Flyer trains with seating for 28 riders and a 48-inch minimum-height requirement.
The new wooden coaster, scheduled to open in 2009, will be located in the Carousel Plaza section, near the main entrance of the Santa Clara theme park.
California’s Great America plans first Halloween Haunt
July 28, 2008 3:11pm
California’s Great America launches its first Halloween Haunt in October 2008 with five haunted mazes, three scare zones and two live stage shows.
Modeled after sister-park Knott’s Berry Farm’s popular event, the separate admission Halloween Haunt at the Santa Clara amusement park will take place on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 7 p.m. to midnight, Oct. 3 through Nov. 1.
The evening Halloween Haunt is geared for a PG-13 crowd, with “Nick or Treat” activities planned for younger kids during the day.
California’s Great America plans to hire 500 monsters (including sliders) for the monthlong event.
Maze locations:
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La Mirada water park; Toy Story Mania; Disney Dream Home; Indiana Jones stunt show
June 28, 2008 6:00am
La Mirada mini water park
The city of La Mirada just opened a $42-million aquatic center that includes the pirate-themed Buccaneer Bay mini water park with a water-slide tower and 500-foot-long lazy river.
The admission fee ($14 for adults, $9 for children) seems about double what I’d be willing to pay. I could go to a real water park for less than $30.
Howard Johnson mini water park
Another mini water park is under construction at the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel in Anaheim near Disneyland. (Check out Mice Age for photos.)
Scheduled to open in July, the pirate-themed Castaway Cove (I sense a trend here) will include slides, a bucket dump and water cannons. (Check out Laughing Place for concept art.)
Best new California ride of 2008
With more than 600 ballots cast, X2 at Six Flags Magic Mountain leads our online poll of the best new California amusement park ride for 2008 with more than half the vote. The current runner-up: Toy Story Mania at Disney’s California Adventure. (VOTE HERE)
The big surprise: Firefall at California’s Great America holding down the bronze medal position (and stomping the Simpsons Ride at Universal Studios Hollywood and Pony Express at Knott’s Berry Farm.)
Taking up the rear: Tony Hawk’s Big Spin at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.
Vote for the best new California amusement park ride of 2008
June 23, 2008 1:02pm
Now that summer is upon us, it’s time to pick the best new California amusement park ride of 2008. (VOTE HERE)
And before you say you can’t possibly compare this ride to that ride, or “I haven’t ridden everything yet” … just vote for your favorite already! It’s an online poll, not a presidential election!
Best new ride in California for 2008
> Firefall thrill ride (California’s Great America — Santa Clara)
> Pony Express horseback coaster (Knott’s Berry Farm — Buena Park)
> The Simpsons Ride simulator ride (Universal Studios Hollywood)
> Tony Hawk’s Big Spin rotating coaster (Six Flags Discovery Kingdom — Vallejo)
> Toy Story Mania dark ride (Disney’s California Adventure — Anaheim)
> X2 roller coaster (Six Flags Magic Mountain — Valencia)
And after the jump, vote for your favorite among the new kiddie lands.
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