Toy Story Mania, Simpsons Ride, Pony Express, Lost Kingdom of Adventure, X2 debut at Southern California amusement parks

Nothing signals the start of summer like the shrieks and screams of thrill-seekers riding the latest pulse-spiking attractions. This year, Southern California’s amusement and theme parks deliver around $145 million in new diversions designed to terrify or tantalize. A sampling:

Toy Story Mania
Who’ll love it: Gamers
Find it: Disney’s California Adventure
First ride: June 17, 2008
The tab: $80 million

“Shrunken” to the size of a toy, riders travel through a 3-D videogame while firing virtual darts, eggs and pies at carnival midway games displayed on giant screens.
411: Spring-loaded cannons fire up to six rounds per second.

After the jump: The Simpsons Ride (Universal Studios Hollywood), Pony Express (Knott’s Berry Farm), Lost Kingdom of Adventure (Legoland California) and X2 (Six Flags Magic Mountain).

Simpson Ride
Who’ll love it: Fan boys
Find it: Universal Studios Hollywood
First ride: May 17, 2008
The tab: $40 million

Join the Springfield clan as the first visitors to Krustyland, the cantankerous clown’s low-budget theme park complete with the dreaded Tooth Chipper roller-coaster.

411: Visitors enter the attraction through Krusty’s mouth, walking along his squishy, unfurled tongue.

Pony Express
Who’ll love it: Soccer moms and NASCAR dads
Find it: Knott’s Berry Farm
First ride: May 22, 2008
The tab: $10 million

Ride astride one of 16 roller-horses on an elongated figure-8 track featuring hairpin turns, whoop-de-dos and 60-degree banks.

411: Launch accelerates from 0 to 38 mph in three seconds.

Lost Kingdom of Adventure
Who’ll love it: Tweeners
Find it: Legoland California
First ride: Opened in March, 2008
The tab: $2 million-$5 million

Adventurers trek through ancient temple ruins aboard an off-road vehicle while shooting at animated targets with laser blasters.

411: Some characters return fire with water blasts.

X2
Who’ll love it: Adrenaline junkies
Find it: Six Flags Magic Mountain
First ride: May 24, 2008
The tab: $10 million

The oft-troubled X coaster with rotating, 360-degree seats gets special effects and lighter-weight cars in a much-anticipated rehab.

411: Military-spec parts and fighter-plane paint promise to make the 75-mph coaster seem even fiercer.

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

— Brady MacDonald, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

[Graphics by Lorena Iñiguez / Los Angeles Times]

Permalink | E-mail | Print | Add to My Trips

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 4, 2008 at 1:02 pm by Brady MacDonald and is filed under Disney's California Adventure, Family & Kids, Knott's, Legoland, Los Angeles, Magic Mountain, San Diego, 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.