I got to watch the announcement live through online streaming and was really pleasantly surprised! Banshee looks like a fantastic new coaster. The inline twist is very unusual.

Alpenwhat? This looks awesome!

That actually looks really fun and smooth (well, going by the CGI PoV). I think you'd get a real sense of flying on this thing. Love the constant sweeps towards the ground, flying over gravestones

Six Flags announced their big additions today!

Six Flags Great America - Goliath

The world's fastest and steepest wooden coaster with the longest first drop! Built by Rocky Mountain Construction (builders of New Texas Giant, Outlaw Run and Iron Rattler).

Six Flags Mexico - Medusa Steel Coaster

Medusa - a wooden coaster built by Custom Coasters International - will be retracked with steel track for 2014. Yet another creation of Rocky Mountain Construction.

Six Flags Great Adventure - Zumanjaro Drop of Doom

Just two years after Magic Mountain's Lex Luthor Drop of Doom gained the record for tallest drop tower, Zumanjaro Drop of Doom is taking the record for itself with a drop of 126m and a top speed of 140kph. Built by Intamin to the side of Kingda Ka - the tallest roller coaster in the world.

Edited August 29, 201313 yr by alex_1

I've just spend the last half hour drooling... Thank goodness Six Flags Discovery Kingdom will have a full year season! Hoping to hit SFMM and SFDK in December 2014 Oh and I like how Zumanjaro Drop of Doom has a random concrete slab at the bottom of it. Great accessibility if you ask me.

Edited August 29, 201313 yr by downunder191

Six Flags announced their big additions today!

Six Flags Great America - Goliath

The world's fastest and steepest wooden coaster with the longest first drop! Built by Rocky Mountain Construction (builders of New Texas Giant, Outlaw Run and Iron Rattler).

Six Flags Mexico - Medusa Steel Coaster

Medusa - a wooden coaster built by Custom Coasters International - will be retracked with steel track for 2014. Yet another creation of Rocky Mountain Construction.

Six Flags Great Adventure - Zumanjaro Drop of Doom

Just two years after Magic Mountain's Lex Luthor Drop of Doom gained the record for tallest drop tower, Zumanjaro Drop of Doom is taking the record for itself with a drop of 126m and a top speed of 140kph. Built by Intamin to the side of Kingda Ka - the tallest roller coaster in the world.

AND THEY ARE LOSING ROLLING THUNDER FOR ANOTHER DREAMWORLD COPY. Closing on September 8.

AND THEY ARE LOSING ROLLING THUNDER FOR ANOTHER DREAMWORLD COPY. Closing on September 8.

Is Rolling Thunder really any sort of loss?

Also I had no idea that Dreamworld patented the design for drop towers. Thanks for informing me of that, Six Flags should be ashamed of their blatant and heinous plagiarism. (Note the sarcasm, please.)

Rolling Thunder would be a loss to the park's history but I don't think was looked after very well. Nonetheless it's a family coaster which is gone for a drop tower which is insider Kingda Ka

Also I had no idea that Dreamworld patented the design for drop towers. Thanks for informing me of that, Six Flags should be ashamed of their blatant and heinous plagiarism. (Note the sarcasm, please.)

Looking at the restraints I personally think the Giant Drop is better. These Six Flags ones look like they really badly restrict your ability to raise your arms. Plus, it's only a matter of 20 metres or so... when you get to that height I really don't think it makes a difference. Well not a noticeable one anyway.

The new restraints are actually extremely nonrestrictive. They're basically lap bars. The bars that come down above the rider dont actually touch the rider's body, allowing a lot of freedom.

And I suppose RT is a bit of a nostalgic loss and it definitely didn't need to be removed to make room for the drop tower, but I think it was reaching the end of its life anyway and was definitely dropping in popularity.

And I suppose RT is a bit of a nostalgic loss and it definitely didn't need to be removed to make room for the drop tower, but I think it was reaching the end of its life anyway and was definitely dropping in popularity.

Yeah, they needed a reason to remove it and there it is. Maybe something will go there 2015?

They said that it was in the path of a "Safari Zone".

Heide Park are doing a 15 mil EUR wing coaster with some sort of Transylvanian theme...Looks pretty nice, has the trademark diving first drop, but a lot of nice sweeping turns too, and a unique "Inclined Bretzel Knot".

http://www.coasterfriends.de/forum/attachments/deutschland-news/224141d1377798459-2014-neuheit-b-m-wing-coaster-heide-park-p8290238.jpg

Layout can be seen here:

http://www.heide-park-forum.de/MGalleryItem.php?id=3477

I really do think this'll be the best of the wingriders thus far. Looks much better than Gatekeeper or Wild Eagle.

cedar points got a new kids zone and Holiday world is getting a new swing ship and las vages has a new ferris wheel.

The annual IAAPA Trade Show is currently on in Orlando, so I thought I'd update this thread with some of the developments. Here's two:

Polercoaster

This was originally announced by S&S and US Thrill Rides at last year's show. It essentially consists of an observation tower with an El Loco roller coaster wrapping around it. In the last week two installations have been confirmed, a third has been rumoured for a few months now. Anyway, a 525ft/160m tall installation was announced for Florida last night, and is set to:

• be the tallest roller coaster in the world
• have the highest inversion on any roller coaster in the world (once at the top, the ride will invert at around 500ft/150m and begin its descent)
• be one of the longest roller coasters in the world with a track of about 8000ft/2.4km

Alan Schilke (the man responsible for the design of Arrow/S&S's 4D coaster, the El Locos, and all of Rocky Mountain's steel and inverting-wooden roller coasters) will design the roller coaster, so I'm sure it will be great. Below is a concept video released last year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPCZy-3n4x0

Great Coasters International

GCI have proposed the "Switchback Reversing" wooden roller coaster, with tilting switch tracks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtnyUlelnvA

Edited November 20, 201312 yr by themeparkgc

The Polercoaster concept has always seemed so strange to me, so I'm amazed that one is actually being built! Let's hope its a great ride.

Polercoaster POV has been released for Skyplex Orlando. Looks pretty amazing.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=HjZTfHXEw40

Imo Polercoaster looks like a cheap excuse for the tallest coaster. Even though it looks awesome, I don't like the idea.

LPS should get one of those however.

Imo Polercoaster looks like a cheap excuse for the tallest coaster. Even though it looks awesome, I don't like the idea.

LPS should get one of those however.

So you scorn the ride , say you don't like it and then recommend it for one of our park's? And of all parks you pick Luna Park Sydney for a 500 foot tall coaster? Seriously.........???? Wow.

It's certainly interesting.

It will be a completely different concept to Americans since it actually makes right hand turns to go around in circles.

Looks great to me

It looks amazing, almost a bit too terrifying for me!

Can you imagine that thing breaking down with a car near the top and one of the seemingly endless Florida thunderstorms rolling in? Yikes!

If the actual pacing matches the animation this coaster will be phenomenal. I would've expected a heavily trimmed layout that kept the same speed throughout but this looks to get crazier as it goes on. I especially love how it ends -- they could've easily ended with a brake run and it'd still be fantastic. I really hope this turns out as good as it looks. Serious contender for best coaster ever made IMO.

Looks like an El Loco on Steroids IMO. Doesn't really appeal all that much to me, but none the less it will most likely be a great ride.