Rejected Amusements

Ozarka Wildcat at Celebration City

2011-07-06T00:03:00.003-04:00

dfd

Superstar Limo at Disney's California Adventure

2011-06-29T00:02:00.000-04:00

On February 8th, 2001, Disney's California Adventure opened to the public. Built in the former parking lot of the original Disneyland, the park had very high public expectations. The park's sole dark ride, Superstar Limo, opened on this day as well. Mixing plain sets, television screens mounted to the inside of the vehicle, and static or sparsely-animated figures (dubbed minimatronics by a few web sites), Superstar Limo quickly became a target for harsh criticism online.

The ride closed for good in January of 2002, with just short of a year of operation under it's belt. The facade for the ride lasted until 2005, when construction for Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! started. That ride, which uses the same ride system and re-purposed many of the ride's figures would open in January, 2006.

Roadrunner Express at Six Flags Ohio

2011-06-22T00:03:00.000-04:00

In 2000, the same year Geauga Lake transformed into Six Flags Ohio, the Roadrunner Express opened. The coaster was built near the park's catering facilities, away from the rest of Looney Tunes Boomtown's family-friendly rides (the original plans show it closer).

A standard production-model Zierer coaster, the coaster provided two trips around it's double-figure-eight track with it's extra long train. Roadrunner Express was one of four identical coaster purchased and installed at Six Flags parks across the country in 2000, with one exception. When the ride opened, it was the coaster with the most-accommodating height limit in the park.

The coaster was renamed "Beaver Land Mine Ride" in 2004, after Cedar Fair took over the park (and seatbelts were added). Once Geauga Lake was set to close for good in 2007, the ride was put up for sale. The coaster eventually sold to Papéa City (now Papéa Park), opening as "Roller Coaster" in 2009.

Superman Ultimate Escape at Six Flags Ohio

2011-02-23T00:03:00.021-05:00

Opened in 2000, Superman: Ultimate Escape debuted as the first Intamin Twisted Impulse coaster in North America. Riders sat in an inverted coaster train, as LIM motors push and pull the train up a twisted vertical spike in the front, and a straight vertical spike in the back, which expanded upon the previous model.

In 2004, Cedar Fair bought the park, and was forced to remove the Superman theme from the ride. This changed it into the generic Steel Venom (Valleyfair installed a clone the year prior with the same name). The ride was disasembled following a July 2006 incident where a portion of the train became damaged during morning testing (no one was hurt).

Dorney Park installed the ride as Voodoo in 2008, but changed the ride's name to Possessed in 2009 because the name conflicted with a Six Flags Discovery Kingdom trademark.

Steel Phantom at Kennywood

2011-02-16T00:03:00.023-05:00

Opened in 1990, Steel Phantom opened as the world's fastest rollercoaster. Designed by Arrow, the ride's biggest drop was it's second: a 225-foot plunge down a ravine through the Thunderbolt coaster. The Phantom reached a top speed of 80 mph at the bottom of the second drop, before speeding through four inversions: a loop, a boomerang element, and a corkscrew.

The ride was a success, although as the ride aged, it became increasingly rougher. In 2001, Morgan re-designed the entire ride to become Phantom's Revenge. This time, the second drop was lengthened to 232-feet, all the inversions were removed, and the trains were re-fitted with custom-made lap bars.

In 2009, more of the ride track was replaced, leaving only the brake run, station, lift, and first drop with original Arrow track.

Plaza Swan Boats at the Magic Kingdom

2011-02-16T00:00:00.038-05:00

Opening in 1972, the Plaza Swan Boats at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom was a leisurely sight-seeing cruise. Originally, this D-Ticket boarded from a simple outdoor dock next to the Plaza restaurant. The next year, a new dock was built between the hub and Tomorrowland that had a covered queue.

There were twelve boats, each named after a female Disney character, although one boat was converted to a maintenance vessel shortly after opening. Each boat had a captain, and each captain gave a live, memorized spiel during the trip.

Utilizing the waterway around the park's hub, guests traveled round-trip front of Cinderella's Castle, around the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House, and Plaza Gardens, before heading back towards Main Street.

Long lines and mounting maintenance costs resulted in the closure of the Swan Boats around the end of 1983. Today, the boat dock from the ride still exists at the Magic Kingdom as a pavilion for meet-and-greets.

Widen Your World has pictures and behind-the-scenes info on the Swan Boats.

Flying Super Saturator at Paramount's Carowinds

2011-02-09T00:03:00.005-05:00

Called the "World's First Interactive Coaster," the Flying Super Saturator at Paramount's Carowinds was added in 2000. Built by Setpoint, it also served as a prototype for it's Swing Thing line of suspended coasters. On the grounds around the ride, water cannons aimed high at the track would spray cars as they passed by.

Each of the Saturator's four riders were given a lever which released a water bomb (the cars would fill up in the station between each trip). At 42 feet tall, the ride wasn't meant to be thrilling, and was meant to be a family water ride. But, Super Saturator suffered from slow loading and long lines on hot days, and frequent breakdowns. Also, the ride closed after Labor Day each year due to cooler weather.

In 2006, Cedar Fair purchased Carowinds. The ride went up for sale, before being dismantled at the end of 2008 to make way for the Carolina Cobra. By 2010, the ride was no longer listed for sale.

Currently, the ride sits in pieces next to the park's Paladium Amphitheatre.

Huff and Puff at Knott's Camp Snoopy

2011-02-09T00:02:00.000-05:00

Opening in August of 1992, Knott's Camp Snoopy was the indoor theme park inside the Mall of America. Huff and Puff was an attraction that featured a tiny track and a set of single-seat, self-propelled kiddie trains (the picture is of the still operating Knott's Berry Farm ride).

By 1995, the cars and track were removed, and Lil' Shaver (now Back at the Barnyard Hayride) was built in it's place.

Mission: Bermuda Triangle at Sea World Ohio

2011-02-02T00:00:00.006-05:00

Mission: Bermuda Triangle was a motion simulator ride from SimEx, installed at Sea World Ohio in 2000. The arrival of this ride marked the park's first thrill ride, and also the last investment in the property by Anheuser-Busch Entertainment.

During the park's 30 years of operation, Sea World wanted to transition from education through entertainment, to providing family and thrill rides. It was unsuccessful in several attempts at building a roller coaster, and Bermuda Triangle was a last effort to build interest in the park.

Sea World San Diego and Orlando both installed simulator rides with the same film, though later changed to the Wild Artic ride film. Both parks also included animal exhibits after guests exited the simulator. The Ohio attraction was smaller in size and capacity, and lacked an animal viewing area.

In early 2001, it was announced that Sea World Ohio would be sold, and incorporated into Six Flags Ohio (now known as Six Flags Worlds of Adventure). The original ride film would run until 2005, when Cedar Fair (who purchased the park the year before) would install a new ride film, Dino Island II: Escape from Dino Island (oddly, the first Dino Island was never shown in Ohio).

In 2007, the amusement rides closed to the public, and the equipment was sold at auction. The building still stands from the attraction (visible inside the remaining waterpark), and is used as storage.

Pictures from inside of the attraction can be found here.

Joker's Revenge at Six Flags Fiesta Texas

2011-01-26T00:03:00.010-05:00

Opened on May 10th, 1996, Joker's Revenge was added to Six Flags Fiesta Texas in the Fiesta Bay Boardwalk section. The first big, new coaster since the park opened in 1992 (and the first of Six Flags' additions), the coaster was a Vekoma Hurricane model, featuring a loop, two corkscrews, and an ending helix. The marketable aspect of the ride was it's backwards-facing trains.

The Joker's Revenge ran until the end of the 2001 season, and was standing-but-not-operating for the entire 2002 season before it was totally removed from the park. In 2003, it resurfaced at Six Flags New Orleans as Jester (where it would operate until Hurricane Katrina forced the park to close in 2005).

The loading platform from the ride still exists. Once the ride was closed to the public, it was used as a haunted house during the park's Fright Fest event, and eventually became the queue and station for Tony Hawk's Big Spin.

Looney Tunes Boomtown at Six Flags Ohio

2011-01-19T00:04:00.000-05:00

Looney Tunes Boomtown was built for the conversion of Geauga Lake into Six Flags Ohio in 2000. The area, formerly home to The Wave and Neptune's Falls water park attractions, was designed with multiple attractions for children. A new wavepool was built in the park's former children's area, which became the Hurricane Harbor waterpark.

Zamperla provided seven kiddie rides: Taz's Twister (Mini Tea Cup), Daffy's Divers (Crazy Bus), Marvin the Martians's Rocket Ships (Mini Jet), Speedy Gonzales' Trucking Company (Convoy), Wile E. Coyote's Balloons (Samba Balloons), Tweety's Treehouse (Jumpin' Star), and Yosemite Sam's Boomtown Express (Rio Grande Train).

SCS Interactive designed the foam ball factory (named Gotcha Games), playground, and two "dry" slides (initially known as ACME Raft Race, later Rocket Sled Ride), while Creative Kingdoms designed and built the themeing.

In 2004, Cedar Fair purchased the park, reverted it back to the Geauga Park name, and removed all Looney Tunes theming. The land was now known as Kidwork's Play Zone. The rides received new names: Taz Twisters became Mad Whirl, Daffy's Divers became Dippy Divers, Marvin the Martians's Rocket Ships became Rocket Relay, Speedy Gonzales' Trucking Company became Road Rally, Wile E. Coyote's Balloons became Hot Air Express, Tweety's Treehouse became Tree Hopper, and Yosemite Sam's Boomtown Express became Half Pint Express.

In 2007, Cedar Fair closed the amusement park side of Geauga Lake. Cedar Point would later receive all seven rides as the new Planet Snoopy installation (replacing Peanut's Playground, formerly Berenstain Bear Country). The other SCS-designed structures were thought to be bought at auction by Schlitterbahn parks (along with several other attractions) for use in Kansas City, but have failed to re-appear at any park at the time of this writing.

Smoky Mountain Wilderness Adventure Tour at Dollywood

2011-01-12T00:01:00.000-05:00

Premiering during the 2002 season, "Smoky Mountain Wilderness Adventure Tour" was Dollywood's unique motion simulator ride. Starring Dolly Parton and her crazy inventor cousin Clovis, the ride took visitors through the Great Smoky Mountains.

At the end of the 2007 season, Thunder Road, the previous ride film that originally opened in 1996, returned to the theater for a limited showing. Today, Journey to the Center of the Earth 4D is playing in the newly-renamed Imagination Theater.

Top Spin at Lake Compounce

2011-01-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

New for 1997, the Huss-manufactured Top Spin was the big, new ride for Lake Compounce. Riders were spun, dipped, and flipped until the end of the 2002 season, when the park installed the American Flyers ride, moved from Kennywood.

For 2003, the ride was moved to Kennywood and became known as King Kahuna, located in the new Volcano Valley section of the park. On July 6th, 2008, the King Kahuna malfunctioned and left riders stranded upside-down for over ten minutes. In 2010, the ride was put up for sale online and removed from the park.

X-Flight at Six Flags Worlds of Adventure

2011-01-05T00:03:00.001-05:00

X-Flight, a Vekoma Flying Dutchman coaster, debuted at Six Flags Worlds of Adventure in 2001, the park's sophomore year as a Six Flags property. Installed in a former bus parking lot, the Midwest's first flying coaster lifted riders 115-feet off the ground, into a 180-degree "lie-to-fly" twist, and through the rest of the ride's 3,340 feet of track.

X-Flight greatly improved on the prototype, Stealth. The ride opened with three trains and a twin station for faster loading, though the park's declining attendance meant this was rarely utilized.

In 2007, the ride was removed and sent to King's Island to open as Firehawk.

David Copperfield's Magic Underground at Disney-MGM Studios

2011-01-05T00:03:00.000-05:00

In 1996, Michael Eisner (CEO of the The Walt Disney Company) and illusionist David Copperfield announced a new themed restaurant for inside the Disney-MGM Studios park. Signs went up at several places around the resort promoting this new venture, as Disney had tried to use Copperfield's name and drawing power for years.

Called David Copperfield's Magic Underground, it was to be built on Hollywood Boulevard. Inside, the restaurant's bar appeared to be floating, high-tech illusions would be built into the walls and floor, and guests would watch as waiters and waitresses performed tricks in front of them.

The Summer of 1998 had come and gone. By '99, David Copperfield's investors and contracts had also vanished (not to mention, Claudia Schiffer). Planned restaurants at Disneyland (presumably for Downtown Disney), Disneyland Paris, and Tokyo Disneyland were all announced, but also canceled.

Mt. Crumpit Snow Plummet at Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Hollywood

2010-12-22T12:01:00.025-05:00

Mt. Crumpit Snow Plummet existed at both Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure park as part of the annual Dr. Suess-themed Grinchmas event. This attraction was simply a standard, portable Fun Slide covered with artificial snow designed for childrens' snow tubes. At Islands of Adventure, the ride was located behind One Fish, Two Fish; at the Hollywood park, it was constructed in the former Wild, Wild, Wild West Stunt Show arena.

Built to resemble Mt. Crumpit, the mountain home of the Grinch himself, the seasonal ride was only in operation from 2000 to 2004.

Electric Nights at Knott's Berry Farm

2010-12-22T00:00:00.031-05:00

Added in 1998, Electric Nights was a night-time laser and fireworks show. The Stone Mountain Productions show was built over the park's Reflection Lake (replacing the former Incredible Waterworks Show), in an amphitheater that could hold 4,500 guests. To add space for the show, the park's original 1940's Mission Row buildings were moved to the California Marketplace outside the park.

Originally sponsored by Edison International, the show would go through many changes over it's life, including name changes (Electroblast and Joe Cool's Nightly Blast). The show was removed in 2005 for Silver Bullet.

Holiday in the Park at The Great Escape

2010-12-15T00:03:00.025-05:00

Added during the end of 2009, The Great Escape (a Six Flags park) added the Holiday in the Park celebration. Extending the season for a few weeks at the end of November into December, the park added strings of lights all around the park, a sledding hill with artificial snow, several live Christmas-themed shows, and a meet-and-greet with Santa.

This event was notable because the park is farther away from a big city, unlike similar Six Flags parks. The park booked packages with the neighboring Six Flags Great Escape Lodge and Indoor Waterpark, designed to be a year-round facility. Due to poor attendance, the event did not return for the 2010 season.

Unnamed SLC at Jazzland

2010-12-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

Jazzland announced a new Vekoma SLC for park's second season (2001). While it was never properly given a name, it was revealed to have blue supports with yellow track and red trains (the picture on the right isn't a picture of the ride itself, but is similar), and built in the Pontchartrain Beach area.

With the ride was held back, the park's spokesman publicly announced a 2002 opening for the ride. Canceled again, the plans were abandoned once B&M track began showing up on property. For the 2003 season, the park became Six Flags New Orleans, and a similar inverted coaster opened as Batman: The Ride. The Gauntlet opened at Magic Springs and Crystal Falls in 2004, and is believed to be the same ride slated for Jazzland.

Storm Surge at Cypress Gardens

2010-12-08T00:03:00.000-05:00

Storm Surge, a Whitewater West spinning rapids ride, was installed at Cypress Gardens in 2004. Riders sat in six-person rafts, were taken up a 60-foot conveyor-belt lift hill, before spinning and sliding down into fountains and jets below.

In 2009, Storm Surge closed with the rest of Cypress Gardens. In 2011, the ride will re-emerge at Thorpe Park in England.

Wonder Mountain Walkway at Canada's Wonderland

2010-12-08T00:02:00.000-05:00

Opening with the park in 1981, Wonder Mountain would be the centerpiece of Canada's Wonderland. One of the major features of the structure was an observation deck at the top, accessable via the pathway still visible in the picture to the left.

In 1984, this deck closed to the public. Today, the Vortex coaster climbs to the mountain's peak before it's first drop.

Rhino Rally at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

2010-12-01T00:03:00.000-05:00

Opened in 2001, Rhino Rally was Busch Gardens' answer to Disney's competing Kilamanjaro Safari attraction. Built on 16 acres, the Land Rover-built vehicles would take guests through five themed animal habitats, with antelope, zebras, flamingos, and of course, white rhinos.

True to the ride's namesake, the storyline of the attraction involved taking part in a large race through the safari. At one point in the safari, your driver decides to make a detour over a rickety old bridge. The bridge gives way, and suddenly, you're floating down the river, over rapids and under waterfalls, until the vehicle rolls back on land to win the race in first place.

Vekoma designed the coaster track for the ride's unique water portion, though it was very problematic from the start. Within a year of the ride's opening, the speed was toned down. Often, the entire sequence was skipped, while the river was left drained.

In early 2010, the park begun removing the coaster track. In it's place, a new coaster is being prepared for the 2011 season.

Berenstain Bear Country at Valleyfair!

2010-12-01T00:00:00.004-05:00

Opened in 1994, Berenstain Bear Country was a new children's area at Valleyfair. The park advertised the new addition as "specifically designed for kids under 54-inches," and based the land around the book series by Stan and Jan Berenstain. In it, kids could explore the centerpiece of the land, the Berenstain Family Treehouse, a 32-foot-tall, three-level treehouse.

Another big draw was the Spooky Tree, which glowing eyes and a 29-foot slide. The land also included a school house and dinosaur dig pit (a sandbox with a 9-foot skeleton).

Finally, kids could visit the Bear Hall-of-Fame at Actual Factual's Museum. Several interactive computer exhibits on recycling and similar topics were set up as well.

Closing at the end of the 2003 season, the $1.9 million dollar land would get rethemed and renamed to become KidWorks. A new Foam Ball Factory attraction would replace part of the Berenstain's old home, while Colonel Oohmpapa would remain as the park's only mascot. For the 2011 season, Planet Snoopy is set to replace the entire children's area with the new and altered rides based on the Peanuts characters.

Déjà Vu at Six Flags Great America

2010-11-24T00:03:00.000-05:00

Déjà Vu was one of three Vekoma Giant Inverted Boomerang models installed by Six Flags at parks in North America. Six Flags Great America built it (along with Vertical Velocity) for the park's 2001 season.

The ride's layuout was similar to a boomerang, and was a much larger version of the Invertigo-style coasters. Key differences were 4-across seating, much larger elements, and a vertical loop that crossed over the station.

In the mid-2000's, Déjà Vu was put up for sale online. In 2007, the ride was sold and moved to Silverwood as Aftershock. Today, Buccaneer Battle sits in the same spot as the removed coaster at Great America.

Sylvester McMonkey McBean's Very Unusual Driving Machines at Islands of Adventure

2010-11-24T00:00:00.042-05:00

Sylvester McMonkey McBean's Very Unusual Driving Machines was planned as an opening-day attraction for Universal's Islands of Adventure. Problems found with the ride system tabled these plans, and the ride was delayed (and in 2002, canceled).

Guests would sit four to a car, and begin their journey though on the Driving Machines, a cross between a monorail system and an the type of self-driven car ride at many parks nationwide. With twin tracks built high over Suess Landing, including indoor portions with dark-ride scenes and entering into the Circus McGurkus dining area, evacuating the ride could have been problematic.

Height and weight requirements would have also been an issue. If opened, the ride would have restrictions to keep adults without children from riding in the same car, similar to the park's Petradon Flyers. With the ride closed, the park would occasionally run empty cars with fiberglass figures in them, representing Dr. Suess caracters, during peak season.

In 2006, Mack Rides stepped in to turn the tracked ride into the High In The Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride. New trains that can seat up to sixteen (though it was planned to seat 20), and new evacuation platforms were built mid-way through the course of the ride.

Jumbo Jet at Cedar Point

2010-11-17T14:40:00.020-05:00

Debuting at Cedar Point for the 1972 season, the Jumbo Jet was a standard Schwarzkopf portable coaster. Riders would ascend the spiral, electronic lift hill to a height of 58 feet, before hitting a speed of 50 mph with a track full of banked turns (as much as 70 degrees). The ride was situated along the beachfront until replaced by the Wildcat at the start of the 1979 season (Disaster Transport stands there today).

After removal from the park, the coaster would go on to operate in Maine, Sweden, and Russia, before opening at Dreamland in Minsk, Belarus last year. Pictures, maps, and videos can be found at The Lost Coaster, a whole blog dedicated to the memory of the Jumbo Jet.

Berenstain Bear Country at Dorney Park

2010-11-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

Opened in 1995, Berenstain Bear Country was a new $2.5 million dollar kiddie land at Dorney Park. The land was based around characters from authors Stan and Jan Berenstain (both Pennsylvania natives), and was placed on the hillside that once was home to the park's catering areas. No stranger to Dorney Park, the bears starred in a daily show introduced in 1993.

The land contained a the Bear's treehouse, a Spooky Tree slide, the school house, and dinosaur digging pit. A mini museum was built for the land, which featured interactive computer stations and exhibits. A promotion also ran for several seasons that offered breakfast with the Bears.

Berenstain Bears vacated the area by 2000 to make way for the Peanuts gang and Snoopy. Today, the old tree house is used to sell Woodstock Express's on-ride photos, and the museum is now the Camp Snoopy Outfitters shop. In 2011, Camp Snoopy will become Planet Snoopy.

Bayou Blaster and Sonic Slam at Jazzland

2010-11-10T00:03:00.019-05:00

Bayou Blaster and Sonic Slam opened in 2000 with the rest of Jazzland park. Located next to the Mega Zeph in the Pontchartrain Beach, both towers were built by S&S Power (Bayou Blaster was a Space Shot, while Sonic Slam was a Turbo Drop). When Six Flags took over the property two years later, the ride received some small themed pieces for the queue line.

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused major flooding all through the park. Six Flags decided it would not re-open the property, and moved several rides off the property by the next few years. In 2008, both towers re-opened at The Great Escape as Sasquatch.

Diablo Falls at Six Flags Astroworld

2010-11-10T00:02:00.000-05:00

Added in 2003, Diablo Falls was a WhiteWater West raft ride in the Plaza de Fiesta section. The ride was adjacent to SWAT, the other addition that year, and replaced the Texas Tornado (which became Zonga).

At 60 feet tall, the ride's six-person rafts would travel through a 540-degree helix, a 360-degree helix, and a triple-down drop. Water cannons and geysers soaked riders even more.

Astroworld closed in 2005, after 37 years of thrills. The very next season, Diablo Falls was sent to Six Flags New England, and opened as Splash Water Falls.

The Flying Coaster at Six Flags Elitch Gardens

2010-11-03T00:05:00.046-04:00

Opened in 2002, The Flying Coaster was the first Zamperla Volare coaster ever built. The coaster itself was a portable model, and was placed behind the park's stunt show arena.

Riders lay on their stomachs (four-across) and begin to climb the ride's 50-foot spiral lift. From there, the trip down was filled with banked hairpin turns, two heartline rolls, and several block brakes, similar to how a common Wild Mouse operates.

Elitch Gardens was included when Six Flags sold off several parks to the newly-formed PARC Management chain in early 2007. Slow loading and frequent downtime plagued the ride, and the ride was shut down for good by the end of that same season.

The Flying Coaster was disassembled, and has been removed from the park. In 2011, Zamperla will re-open the ride at Scream Zone, by Luna Park in Coney Island, New York.

Captain EO at EPCOT Center

2010-11-03T00:05:00.044-04:00

In 1986, Michael Jackson landed at EPCOT Center's Imagination pavilion. Captain EO was ground-breaking, combining Jackson's dance moves, George Lucas's special effects, and Francis Ford Coppola's directing into the multi-million dollar seventeen-minute film.

The previous film shown in the theater, Magic Journeys, would open a year later at the nearby Magic Kingdom park. After opening at EPCOT, the attraction was cloned to Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland's theaters. EO hit Europe when it opened the same day as Euro-Disneyland.

After Michael Jackson passed away in 2009, Disney decided to re-open Captain EO as a tribute to the performer. Closing down the long-running Honey, I Shrunk The Audience at all four Disney parks, the original EO film returned in a newly-restored print at each theater by July of 2010. It's not known how long the film will remain at each park, but it's important to note this short-live attraction has come back from rejection.

Haunted Castle at Six Flags Great Adventure

2010-10-26T00:45:00.000-04:00

Added for the 1978, the Haunted Castle at Six Flags Great Adventure was one of Six Flag's first additions for the young park. The walkthrough attraction was popular enough to be expanded the following year.

On May 11, 1984, the building caught fire during operating hours. Eight teenagers were trapped inside the structure (Six Flags later revealed there was no alarm or sprinkler system).

Today, the site is sealed off from the public, but it was once home to the park's bumper cars and the Pendulum. An independent documentary entitled "Doorway to Hell?" was released in 2003, which investigates the incident.

The Excavator at Disney's Animal Kingdom

2010-10-26T00:44:00.000-04:00

Designed for Disney's Animal Kingdom, The Excavator would have been a trip through a dinosaur dig site. It's placement at the entrance to the land, behind the Bone Yard attraction, make it the main weenie to Dinoland.

This coaster was planned for opening day at the park, but later cut from the budget. Although designed to look like a wooden coaster, the ride was similar in design to California Screamin', which is actually a steel coaster.

With Expedition Everest now the dominant coaster in the park, and a smaller Dinoland expansion already completed, we may never see the Excavator. Some concept art exists for the ride, which looks similar to Big Thunder Mountain.

Serial Thriller at Six Flags Astroworld

2010-10-20T00:02:00.057-04:00

Serial Thriller, a Vekoma Suspended Looping Coaster (SLC) was installed at Six Flags Astroworld for the 1999 season. The coaster replaced Exclibur in the park's Nottingham Village section, near Dungeon Drop.

The ride is notable for being one of two new SLC's ever built in a Six Flags park (with Six Flags Mexico's Batman following the next year; the chain's other SLCs were installed before those parks became "flagged").

When Astroworld closed it's gates in 2005, the coaster was carefully disassembled and trucked to upstate New York's The Great Escape. The ride's components sat in a field for four years, before being transported to La Ronde, another Six Flags property. In 2010, the ride re-opened as Ednör.

Laser Light Show at Valleyfair

2010-10-20T00:00:00.001-04:00

Added during the 1996 season, the Laser Light Show at Valleyfair (also confusingly referred to as the "Laser/Fireworks Show") was yet another Stone Mountain production at a Cedar Fair park. Placed between the park's Ferris Wheel and the High Roller wooden coaster, the show synchronized music, lasers, and fireworks to an ever-changing array of music choices.

Pyrotechnics were used sparingly throughout the show, due to close proximity to the local Flying Cloud Airport (which also affected the height restrictions on the park's Power Tower ride). By the end of the 2001 season, the show was completely removed.

Golden Dreams and Golden Screams at Disney's California Adventure

2010-10-13T00:03:00.000-04:00

An opening-day attraction at Disney's California Adventure, Golden Dreams was a unique tribute to California. Directed by Agnieszka Holland, a famous Polish director, the film delved into the state's history, both good and bad. Califia, the embodiment of California, played by Whoopi Goldberg, would pop up to offer advice or encouragement to the people portrayed through the film.

In 2006, the attraction gained a Halloween overlay, titled Golden Screams. This was an awards ceremony for Disney's villains, and would receive a visit from one when an audience member was chosen to win the "award" instead. This show only ran for less than two months.

By 2009, the show had closed to make way for Ariel's Undersea Adventures. At the entrance to the attraction sits a simplified replica of the Palace of the Fine Arts dome, which is being carried over into the new Little Mermaid ride.

Unnamed Virginia Reel Coaster at Canada's Wonderland

2010-10-13T00:00:00.007-04:00

In the mid-80's, there was a plan to build a new Arrow-Huss steel coaster at Canada's Wonderland. Based in the park's Frontier Canada section, this ride was notable for being labeled a Virginia Reel coaster (what is commonly called a spinning wild mouse coaster today). In 1984, White Water Canyon was built on the site of the coaster, and the plans were altered to place the coaster on the inside of the existing river raft ride.

In 1999, the park opened The Fly, a traditional Wild Mouse-style coaster. As of this writing, the park has not installed a spinning coaster.

XK-1 at Knott's Berry Farm

2010-10-06T00:04:00.000-04:00

XK-1, Knott's Berry Farm's Intamin Flight Trainer, was added to the park in 1990. Riders controlled their own two-seat spinning car attached to moving arms, while the ride itself lifted off the ground.

The ride initially stuck out in the park's Roaring 20's section. The surrounding area would later be known as "Knott's Airfield," before transforming into The Boardwalk.

A 1991 accident on a similar ride at King's Island in Ohio forced changes to the ride's programming. An intoxicated woman fell out of the ride, and changes were made to the ride's handling of joystick that controlled the spinning motion on the cars. Hanging up-side down was no longer possible after these modifications.

In 1997, Cedar Fair purchased Knott's Berry Farm, and the XK-1 was removed. It's replacement, Supreme Scream, opened the following year.

Berenstain Bear Country at Worlds of Fun

2010-10-06T00:03:00.009-04:00

In 1997, Mama, Papa, Brother, and Sister Bear welcomed kids of all ages into Berenstain Bear Country. The area featured sights like the Spooky Old Tree, the Bear Museum, and the Bear Treehouse, all based on the award-winning children's book series. The park's existing kids "Too-Too Train" skirted the Bear's land.

Berenstain Bears vacated the area at the end of 2000 when this area became known as Camp Snoopy. News Plus Notes has a good collection of artwork from the land.

In 2011, this land will become Planet Snoopy with a $5 million dollar expansion. Many of the developments designed for Berenstain Bear Country are expected to be demolished during this process.

Batman: Knight Flight at Six Flags Ohio

2010-09-29T00:03:00.001-04:00

When Geauga Lake became Six Flags Ohio in 2000, the DC Characters came to the Buckeye state in a big way. Batman: Knight Flight, built over the lake itself, opened as the longest B&M floorless coaster in the world, and the largest vertical loop ever built.

The surrounding area around the attraction was given a Gotham City motif. The ride itself was adjacent to the Batman Stunt Spectacular, another 2000 additon.

Once Cedar Fair purchased the property in 2004, the coaster was renamed Dominator. Part of re-branding the ride included modifying each train's seats to remove the Batman logo, adding a new illuminated sign, and changing Gotham City to Power City. Plans to repaint the ride were diverted to Thunderhawk.

After Cedar Fair announced Geauga Lake was closing for good at the end of 2007, rumors began to circulate that Dominator would be moved to another park. Dismantling took place shortly after the park's last operating day. During the dismantling process, a small fire broke out in the station, damaging the roof.

Knight Flight/Dominator Before and After
Source: Bing Maps

Dominator was moved to King's Dominion, where it's been operating since 2008. While the ride's track has been repainted a bright orange, the loop (still the world's tallest) has been repainted yellow.

Hydra Fighter II at Emerald Pointe

2010-09-22T00:03:00.013-04:00

Opened in 2001, Hydra Fighter II was a Caprio AquaFlyer prototype suspended coaster. Riders ascended a vertical elevator (which acted as a lift hill), armed with a water bomb to drop on other guests with water cannons on the ground below the coaster.

Frequent breakdowns and limited capacity worked against the ride. The water features on and around the ride proved unreliable, and would often be shut off completely. The Hydra Fighter II operated through 2003, and then was standing but not operating until 2006 when it was finally removed (portions of the track had already been removed for access to other slides).

In 2008, Hard Rock Park opened in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Before opening day, the Hard Rock Park team inspected the Hyrda Fighter II for acquisition. The condition of the ride turned out to be too poor to be rebuilt, so Premier Rides set out to build a clone of the ride, later installed as Slippery When Wet (thanks to Anonymous for the edit).

Left: Emerald Pointe Right: Hard Rock Park

At the new park, the ride would go on to operate until 2009, when the park closed. By that time, the park was known as Freestyle Music Park, and the ride was known as Soak'd. Both rides are currently for sale.

Wild Izzy at Busch Gardens Williamsburg

2010-09-22T00:00:00.002-04:00

Opened in 1996, Wild Izzy was a Mack Rides portable wild mouse model. It's unusual name comes from Izzy, the mascot of the Summer Olympic Games taking place in Atlanta, Georgia. Bright and colorful, the ride stuck out against the rest of the Oktoberfest area. The following year, it's name changed to the more fitting "Wild Maus."

In 2003, the ride was moved to Busch Gardens Africa to become Cheetah Chase, while the area left over became Curse of DarKastle dark ride.

Oktoberfest at Geauga Lake

2010-09-15T00:03:00.016-04:00

Started in 1981, Geauga Lake's Oktoberfest was a weekend-long celebration of German heritage for the Clevaland-area park. Held usually the second weekend in September, the park would set up a makeshift Festhaus, set up food stands (outside vendors), and see live entertainment on several stages.

The tradition started when the park was run by Funtime, carried through the Premier and Six Flags eras, and largely expanded on by Cedar Fair. When Geauga Lake closed down forever at the end of the 2007 season, it's last operating weekend was also the last time Oktoberfest (it's 27th) would be celebrated on property.

Kamikaze at Conko's Party Pier

2010-09-08T00:04:00.014-04:00

After the same Wildwood pier that was once home to Hunt's Pier (and later, "New Hunt's Pier") closed at the end of 1988. Conklin Shows purchased the pier, and it reopened in 1989 as Conko's Party Pier. One of the big new rides added that season was Kamikaze, a Vekoma looping coaster.

Painted stark white, and with the trains each outfitted with headlights, the coaster was a big draw on the Wildwood boardwalk. It was the only coaster on the Jersey shore to have elements like a butterfly and double corkscrews. Kamikaze's lift motor is located at the top of the lift hill, to maximize space underneath for other attractions.

By 1991, the ride was dismantled and sold to Six Flags Over Georgia (pictured above), where it opened as Ninja in 1992.

The pier itself closed down altogether the same year. After several diffrent owners tried to re-invent the pier, it eventually closed down for good in 1997. Today, the pier is owned by Morey's Piers, who hope to re-open it with a new wooden coaster.

HammerHead at Knott's Berry Farm

2010-09-08T00:00:00.000-04:00

Installed in 1996, HammerHead was a Zamperla Rotoshake ride, introduced as Knott's Berry Farm was transforming the park's Roaring 20's themed section into the modern 90's themed Boardwalk. The ride was comprised of an 82-foot-tall pendulum arm swing and separately-spinning gondola.

After years of continuous downtime, HammerHead was dismantled and put in storage. In 2003, a Huss Top Spin named Riptide, was built in it's place. It was purchased by Wonderland Park in Dubai.

Country Bear Vacation Hoedown at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom

2010-09-01T00:03:00.004-04:00

The Country Bear Jamboree opened with the Magic Kingdom in 1971. The audio-animatronic cast of lively bears was originally slated to be built at the Mineral King project. It was one of the last projects Walt Disney approved before his death.

With such classics like "All the Guys That Turn Me On Turn Me Down" and "Blood on the Saddle," the unique show became a huge hit. The next year, a larger, double-theater clone of the show opened at Disneyland, and over ten years later at Tokyo Disneyland.

In 1984, the Country Bear Christmas Special was introduced. As Disney's first seasonal overlay, the show returned the attraction to must-see status, and the Christmas version of the Country Bears would return every year since. It's final performance at the Magic Kingdom was in 2006, and 2000 at Disneyland.

By 1986, the original show needed a shot in the arm, so the show was re-programmed with the new Vacation Hoedown numbers. With new songs, like "Ghost Riders in the Sky" and "California Bears" (a take on the Beach Boys hit), the show saw a rise in attendance figures. Wikipedia has an article with more on the changes to the show.

For the Magic Kingdom's 20th anniversary in 1992, the show reverted back again to the original format after six years. At Disneyland, the Vacation version of the show would continue running until the ride was closed in 2001. Tokyo Disneyland rotates between all three versions of the show, seasonally.

SWAT at Six Flags Astroworld

2010-09-01T00:00:00.028-04:00

SWAT was added to Six Flags Astroworld in 2003. Opened as a one-of-a-kind S&S Power Sky Swatter prototype, SWAT replaced the Texas Tornado coaster.

Twenty-four riders on both sides of the ride's "paddle" were lifted to the top of the 65 foot tower, and rotated 360 degrees twice, both forwards and backwards. At it's peak, the air-powered ride would reach a speed of 30 mph, and a maximum height of 150 feet.

Astroworld was shut down in 2005, along with SWAT. The next season, the ride was moved to Six Flags New England, where it opened as Catapult.

Island Skipper Tours at Islands of Adventure

2010-08-25T00:03:00.000-04:00

Opened with the park in 1999, Islands of Adventure's Island Skipper Tours was a leisurely boat ride through the park's Inland Sea. Primarily used as a transportation ride, the trip linked the Port of Entry to Jurrassic Park (a third station was planned for Toon Lagoon, but never built). Along the way, the boat captains would point out details or trivia about the islands.

A fleet of three boats (Boatney, Samplane, and Tropical Trader) were utilized for the attraction. The maintenance channel for access to dry dock and storage for the boats sat between Poseidon's Fury and Suess Landing.

Island Skipper Tours closed in 2002 due to low ridership and high upkeep costs. With the park's small design (with bigger attractions on the outside edges of the park), a transit system like this was deemed unnecessary.

In 2008, construction for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter forced the park to build a temporary bridge from the Lost Continent to Jurassic Park, making the loop even shorter and blocking off the Jurassic Park boat dock. With this bridge now thought to be permanent, this attraction may never return.

Hurricane at Myrtle Beach Pavilion

2010-08-18T00:02:00.017-04:00

Advertised as a "Category 5" wooden coaster, the Myrtle Beach Pavilion's Hurricane was opened in 2000. Hurricane was a CCI-built hybrid (steel-structure wooden track), the $6 million dollar ride opened as the longest (3800'), tallest (101'), and fastest (55 mph) wooden coaster in the state.

The Hurricane's profile fit tightly between several rides, including the Calypso and Scrambler. The turn-around took place over the Go-Karts, while the brakes run and station were situated over the park's kiddie rides. The ride replaced the park's Corkscrew rollercoaster, which operated at the park since 1978 and originated at Magic Harbor, a defunct South Carolina seaside park.

The Myrtle Beach Pavilion, a staple of the South Carolina Grand Strand for decades, closed at the end of 2006. The park had put the word out early, with merchandise and marketing calling it the Pavilion's "Farewell Season."

Burroughs & Chapin, the owners of the Pavilion and other tourist attractions, planned condos on the park's land. The put up a handful of rides for sale, including the Hurricane, but the park never found a buyer.

By November, the entire park was demolished (the Hurricane was also the first Custom Coasters International ride to close). The Gerstlauer-built train from the Hurricane were spared, however, and sold to King's Island for that park's own troubled coaster, Son of Beast.

Skyscraper at Dorney Park and Valleyfair

2010-08-18T00:00:00.052-04:00

Skyscraper was a Gravity Works, Inc. upcharge ride added in to Dorney Park for the 2000 season, after the park abandoned plans to build a 180-foot Sky Coaster named Ripcord. Riders were strapped into a harness at both ends of a 150-foot boom, and tilted back and forth as the ride spun up to 60 mph.

Built where Possessed is today, the park operated the ride until 2004. In 2005, the Skyscraper moved to Valleyfair's Challenge Park. The ride's placement was notable for it's close proximity to the park's Wild Thing hyper coaster.

Skyscraper would go on to run until the end of the 2007 season at Valleyfair, when it moved to Cedar Point's own Challenge Park, replacing the Extreme Trampolines in the same spot once occupied by Vertigo.

Ultra Twister at Six Flags Great Adventure, Astroworld, and America

2010-08-11T00:03:00.002-04:00

Opened in 1986, Ultra Twister would be Six Flags Great Adventure's newest coaster. Placed next to Rolling Thunder, the ride held the distinction of being the first heartline roll coaster in the world, but had reliability issues with the vertical lift. Ultra Twister would close by the end of 1988.

In 1990, the ride re-opened in Texas, at Six Flags Astroworld. In addition to new a paint scheme and a new evacuation platform, the ride also received a new 45-degree lift hill, improving the ride's reliability.

After it was confirmed by CEO Kieran Burke that Astroworld would close at the end of the 2005 season, the ride was trucked out of Texas and moved to Six Flags America. While parts of the ride were visible from inside the park from behind the Batwing coaster, no formal plans were ever announced.

Ultra Twister was put up for sale in 2008, but the listing claimed it was in poor condition. The ride was finally sold for scrap metal in 2010.

DC Comics Superhero Adventures at Six Flags New Orleans

2010-08-04T00:03:00.029-04:00

In 2003, Jazzland re-opened it's gates as Six Flags New Orleans. Along with the Looney Tunes, characters from popular DC Comics were also added to the park. Thrill Valley, a Japanese amusement park, had closed the year before, and Six Flags purchased all four rides that would comprise this addition from that park (along with Six Flags Over Georgia's Crime Wave, also from Thrill Valley).

A Justice Leauge-themed spray jet fountain stood at the entrance to the new themed land, directly across from the Batman Thrill Spectacular outdoor stage. Catwoman's Whip (Mondial Shake) and Joker's Jukebox (Schwarzkopf Polyp) served as the land's pair of family-friendly rides.

The big new thrill ride added to the park that year was Lex Luther's Invertatron, a Zamperla Windshear ride, and the only ride themed to the Superman franchise. Originally, it had been announced with the name Riddler's Revenge, but this was changed shortly after the original announcement.

Leading the pack for this new group of rides was Batman: The Ride, a B&M inverted coaster. Also moved from Japan's defunct Thrill Valley park, the grey tracked ride with yellow rails ride was a mirror image of the standard Batman design (built in several other Six Flags parks). A Batmobile was parked at the entrance to the ride, with queue lines designed similarly to Batman rides at Six Flags New England and Six Flags Mexico.

In late 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit Six Flags New Orleans. Since then, Batman: The Ride was dismantled and rebuilt as Goliath at Six Flags Fiesta Texas. At Six Flags New England, the Poison Ivy's Tangled Train coaster was renamed Catwoman's Whip, and given the fiberglass figure from the New Orleans park.

Wild Bird Adventure and Wild Wings at Bonfante Gardens

2010-08-04T00:02:00.003-04:00

2004 was Bonfante Garden's first full year under Paramount Park's management contract. To drum up interest, the park added two temporary attractions: a new show, Wild Wings, and an animal attraction, Wild Bird Adventure.

Wild Wings, in the Lakeside Amphitheater, let birds show off tricks. Trainers would also provide educational references. The line-up of birds frequently changed during the show's run.

Nearby, the Wild Bird Adventure had guests explore a 1,500 square-foot aviary with free-flying cockatiels, grass parakeets, rosellas and zebra finches. Guests could pay to feet the birds from the palm of their hands. Volunteers were also on hand to provide background on habitats and behavioral patterns.

Only open from May to September, the two attractions were designed to be temporary. The following year, the park (now named Gilroy Gardens) would install new interactive water attractions, it's first permanent additions since opening to the public in 2001.

Viper at Six Flags Over Georgia

2010-07-28T00:03:00.010-04:00

Viper at Six Flags Over Georgia was a Schwarzkopf shuttle loop coaster added in 1995. The ride propelled riders from 0-60 mph in six seconds through a 76-foot loop, then up a 142-foot spike, before heading backwards through the loop once more.

Originally known as Tidal Wave at Marriott's Great America (later Six Flags Great America), the ride became a hit with the public. Viper utilized a weight drop launch, unlike similar rides with flywheel launched (like Montezuma's Revenge at Knott's Berry Farm). This led to heavy wear and tear on the parts of the ride, and high maintenance cost.

Plans were announced for the first B&M flying coaster in the US, Superman: Ultimate Flight. Built into the same hillside terrain, Viper would be dismantled at the end of the 2001 season. Once refurbished, the coaster was installed at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom for the 2003 season as Greezed Lightnin'.

Summer Spectacular at Worlds of Fun

2010-07-28T00:00:00.075-04:00

Added in 1997, Worlds of Fun's Summer Spectacular was yet another Stone Mountain Productions laser light show. The show combined lasers, music, and fireworks, and was presented nightly at 10 PM during the park's peak Summer season. Songs chosen for the Summer Spectacular included genres like rock, country, and sports themes. A patriotic salute would follow as the finale.

Unlike other Cedar Fair parks, this laser show had it's own dedicated seating, as it was built over the park's existing Forum Amphitheater (other parks put the laser shows on large midways, such as the image above from Cedar Point's laser show). Previously, the Forum hosted concerts since the 1974 season, with performers such as Ray Charles, Diamond Rio, and Bill Cosby.

At the end of 2004, the Summer Spectacular was closed. Today the stadium is only used for private functions.

Kid's Carnival at Jazzland

2010-07-21T00:02:00.029-04:00

Opened with Jazzland park in 2000, Kid's Carnival was a pretty standard children's area. Inside the land were a few mild kiddie rides, like Beadsville Airport (an airplane ride), Zinger Swinger (swings), The Little Easy (a ferris wheel), and Kajun Crawler (truck ride). Bigger thrills came from the Jolly Jitney (Crazy Bus), Rex's Rail Runner (Vekoma Roller Skater), and the Frog Hopper (added in late 2001). At the center of the Kid's Carnival was LaFun, a simple playground with slides.

Unofficially part of the children's area, Mardi Gras Menagerie was at the entrance to the land. Kid's Store and Kid's Theater were also present.

Neither the Ogden Corporation (who constructed the park) nor Alpha SmartParks (the company who operated the park from day one) had popular cartoon licenses to draw from during Jazzland's first few seasons, which led to a host of generic attraction names.

Once Six Flags took control of the property in 2003, big changes took place. Kid's Carnival became Looney Tunes Adventures, a new ride was added (Technicolor Tweety Balloons, a hot air balloon ride), a new pop jet fountain was installed, and each ride received a new name and theme.

Beadsville Airport became Bugs Bunny Barnstormers, Little Easy became Yosemite Sam and the Wild West Wheel, Kajun Crawler became Tasmanian Devil Rumble In the Jungle, Jolly Jitney became Daffy Duck's Backlot Tour Bus, Zinger Swinger became Pepe Le Pew and the Swings of Paris, and Frog Hopper became Tweety's Tweehouse. Rex's Rail Runner gained new canyon theming, re-opening as Road Runner Express.

In late 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit Six Flags New Orleans. The flooding that occurred in the park left nearly every ride in terrible condition, as seen above. The only ride from Looney Tunes Adventures that was deemed salvageable was Road Runner Express. It is currently set to be added to Six Flags Magic Mountain in 2011 as Mr. Six's Dance Coaster.

Unnamed Wooden Coaster at California's Great America

2010-07-21T00:02:00.028-04:00

Scheduled for the 2009 season, this unnamed Great Coasters International wooden coaster was designed to fit at the front entrance to California's Great America.

Hugging the IMAX theater and Sky Tower, the ride would have traveled over much of the same territory as the park's former Whizzer coaster. If installed, it would have been the first new thrill ride in nearly a decade.

This coaster was largely cancelled due to proximity to office buildings (noise) and the impending 49ers stadium deal. The project was quietly cancelled, though renderings had been leaked to a few web sites.

Halloween Haunt at Geauga Lake

2010-07-14T00:05:00.002-04:00

In 2004, Geauga Lake introduced it's first annual Halloween Haunt event. The park boasted six weekends of frightening entertainment, along with running all the park's non-water rides.

Several family-friendly events were also held at the park, including the Candy Corral, a monster magic show, and a nightly costume contest. The event also included two haunted houses, Big Top Terror and Phobia (set in the park's old ballroom), and two haunted walkways, The Fright Zone and The Gauntlet. Also, the park's Merry Oldies car ride became Scary Oldies, and the park sported a Haunted Ferry Boat ride.

For 2005, The Gauntlet was cut from the park's activities list, while a new family-friendly ferry boat ride was added next to the haunted ferry. Also new was a stage show in the Palace Theater, and a Pumpkin Patch maze for kids.

Even with new theming and expanded entertainment, 2006 would not see the continuation of Halloween Haunt. All the decorations were packed up and sent to Valleyfair's ValleySCARE Halloween event (which replaced Halloweekends).

Operation Spygirl at Six Flags Great America

2010-07-14T00:04:00.005-04:00

For Six Flags Great America's 2007 season, a new stunt show named Operation Spygirl was added to the park's existing arena. The park signed big-name talent behind the show "24" to produce and design the show, and partnered with Coca-Cola to tie-in an energy drink to the show (which was available for purchase as guests exited the arena).

The plot was simple enough to follow for the family audience: Spy Girl, the hero of the show, was infiltrating a secret island base of the mysterious S.O.B.A.D. corporation. The show was aimed at families, and filled with stunts and gadgets.

Six Flags' corporate managers announced the show would be expanded in the following years to other parks with similar venues. During the first and only season, the show failed to make a positive impression on guests. Six Flags now uses the arena for special events and concerts.

25¢ Cotton Candy at Cedar Fair Parks

2010-07-06T23:17:00.001-04:00

In 2006, Dick Kinzel (the CEO of Cedar Fair) was scheduled to retire. To honor his years of service, a new promotion offering 25-cent cotton candy appeared at several parks like Cedar Point, Dorney Park, and Geauga Lake. The bright stands were set up in many high traffic areas around the parks, bringing three to four locations each.

Once the word got out, though, long lines at the carts became a familiar sight. Employees would begin working overtime spinning cotton candy to meet with demand, and the portion would get smaller as the weeks rolled on. By mid-Summer, though, the carts would be removed and the promotion ended prematurely. Officially, though the promotion never existed, and the price returned to it's previous price: over three dollars.

Dick Kinzel, by the way, stayed on as CEO to smooth the transition of the former Paramount Parks, and has not retired as of this writing.

Timber Rattler at Hersheypark

2010-07-06T23:17:00.000-04:00

In 1984, Hersheypark was expanding. Two new rides were added to the park that year: the Conestoga, a Huss Falling Star, and Timber Ratter, a Schwarzkopf Polyp. The ride was expensive to maintain, and experienced frequent breakdowns. The Timber Rattler would be removed after the 1987 season.

In it's place, Rodeo, a Chance Trabant, would move in and occupy that spot until 2008. Today, the land that once was home to the ride is now a part of the Boardwalk's cabana rentals.

NightLights at Hersheypark

2010-07-01T00:01:00.001-04:00

Hersheypark's new addition for 2001 was NightLights, a night-time show next to Lightning Racer in Midway America, shown on a 40' by 60' retractable screen. Each night, all the rides in the surrounding area would close, and all the lights would be turned off for the presentation, which ran approximately 20 minutes.

The whole viewing area would fill with fog, and lasers pointed both at the screen and above the audience would synchronize to music and sound. Because of the strength of the lasers, FAA clearance had to be obtained before each show, sometimes delaying it. If the park was open until 11 PM, the rides would return to operation shortly after the ending of the show.

NightLights would be changed each year, and new versions of the show would be integrated into Hersheypark in the Dark (FrightLights) and Christmas Candylane (BrightLights).

The sponsors of the show also changed from AT&T Wireless to Aeropostale before the 2002 season. The show would finish it's run at the end of 2004, to make way for construction of the Boardwalk, the new waterpark.

Gladiator's Gauntlet at Busch Gardens Williamsburg

2010-07-01T00:00:00.000-04:00

Busch Gardens built the Gladiator's Gauntlet in 1988, a Vekoma Waikiki Wave flat ride similar to a Zamperla Windshear, that only ran for a few short years. The original ride program called for the ride to flip riders (and the ride sported over-the-shoulder harnesses), but park management requested the ride's programming be toned-down to appeal to families.

Limited capacity and frequent mechanical downtime plagued the ride during it's short life. Gladiator's Gauntlet was removed from the park in 1993.

Chang at Six Flags Great America

2010-06-27T13:46:00.003-04:00

Chang opened at Kentucky Kingdom in 1997, a full year before that park's became a branded Six Flags property. The B&M stand-up being the largest coaster in the park, it was an odd move when it was disassembled and moved to the parking lot of Six Flags Great America. In it's place, a new waterpark expansion was announced.

At Six Flags Great America, the Chicago park already had a B&M stand-up coaster (Iron Wolf, the first of B&M's coasters at that). Plans were in place to construct it at the property to become the park's fifth B&M coaster, new for 2011. Plans were submitted to local officials, then suddenly cancelled.

On May 12, 2010, it was announced that Mark Shapiro had stepped down from his position as President and CEO, with Al Weber filling in until a new president is found. One of the first projects cancelled by Mr. Weber was the Chang project, and later confirmed it would replace Great American Scream Machine at Six Flags Great Adventure (also becoming that park's 5th B&M coaster) as Green Lantern.

Flying Eagles (2007) at King's Island

2010-06-25T15:21:00.009-04:00

In 2004, King's Island introduced the Italian Job Stunt Track into the park. The new coaster sat on the plot of land that formerly held two rides that had been with the park since opening day, the Antique Cars and the Flying Eagles. A Bisch-Rocco model flying scooter ride, Flying Eagles were originally installed at Coney Island in Cincinatti, Ohio, and can now be found at Carowinds as "Woodstock's Gliders."

Thanks to park surveys, it was clear the Flying Eagles were popular, so plans were made to build a modern model in the park. Once again named the Flying Aces, it was planned to be installed across the midway from where the original ride had stood in Coney Mall. Around the same time, Cedar Fair had begun it's purchase of the Paramount Parks division. Then, in early 2007, mere months before King's Island's opening day, it was announced that the big new ride would be the Firehawk Vekoma flying coaster, formerly known as X-Flight, from Geauga Lake.

These plans effectively cancelled the return of the Flying Eagles, and left the ride manufactured and ready to be installed. Idlewild decided to pick up the ride for installation for the 2007 season, and installed it as "Flying Aces" near the center of the park. King's Island remains without a flyers-style ride as of this writing.

Windjammer Surf Racers at Knott's

2010-06-23T12:40:00.009-04:00

Opened at Knott's Berry Farm in 1997, Windjammer Surf Racers was a brand new Togo racing (and looping) wild mouse, the only one of it's kind ever built. Situated in the park's Boardwalk area, the coaster glided over the Wipeout, the Scrambler and a pond with remote-controlled boats.

The ride suffered from constant maintenance issues costing millions to repair, leading the park to eventually take Togo to court over manufacturing errors. Another lawsuit saw the ride's name changed to "Jammer" for a short time while a clothing company went to court over the "Windjammer" name (it would be changed back by the end of the ride's life).

By 2000, the ride closed for good, and was demolished the following year to make room for the new Xcelerator coaster. The Scrambler was moved to the Wilderness section of the park (and eventually removed altogether), while the Wipeout was moved next to the Sky Cabin.

At News Plus Notes there are some good pictures of the ride's layout, and Westcoaster has a look at the ride's destruction.

Stratosfear Screamer at VisionLand

2010-06-22T22:57:00.002-04:00

Opened at VisionLand in 2001, Stratosfear Screamer was an S&S twin combo tower. The ride was actually a combination of two independent ride towers (turbo drop and space shot). During 2002, the park's parent company entered into bankruptcy, and sold the drop tower side.

The remaining space shot tower reopened with the park (newly rechristened as Alabama Adventure) in 2003. The turbo drop tower was sold to Lake Compounce, which opened as "Down Time" in 2004.

Van Helsing at Islands of Adventure

2010-06-17T13:01:00.005-04:00

After the failed attempt to install the Jurassic Park Helicoptours at Islands of Adventure, a new ride was planned for the plot of land between the Jurassic Park River Adventure and the Flying Unicorn. Van Helsing, utilizing the prototype Kuka robotic arm, was designed to take guests into Castle Dracula, meeting with several other monsters from the film.

While the film was a success, it was critically lauded and not turned into a full-blown franchise, and the ride was lost along with the proposed sequel. This paved the way for a new ride, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey to open on the same plot of land (and with a similar ride system) in June 2010.

Roaring Rapids at Celebration City

2010-06-16T15:54:00.004-04:00

Shipwreck Falls, a 50-foot tall chute-the-chutes water ride, operated at Six Flags Ohio (Geauga Lake) from 2000 until the park closed in 2007. Sold at auction to Herschend Family Entertainment for $2 million dollars, the ride would open the following year as Roaring Falls at Celebration City in Branson, MO. The ride area featured new fountains and mist effects.

Unfortunately, the ride and the park both closed following the park's 2008 season. The ride is currently standing but not operating.

Sky Chuter at Six Flags Over Mid-America

2010-06-04T19:10:00.004-04:00

Opening in the Summer of 1978, Sky Chuter would be Six Flags Over Mid-America's latest ride, while also debuting as the tallest thrill ride in the world. It was patterned after the Texas Chute-Out from Six Flags Over Texas, installed two years prior, and more importantly, similar parachute rides of the 1930's and 40's.

By the end of the 1982 season, however, the ride would be removed and sent to sister park Six Flags Great Adventure. Now named Parachuter's Perch, the ride's still in operation today, though with only 8 chutes. The ride originally operated with 12 chutes, though it was later modified to reduce sensor errors.

Pictured is the Great Adventure version.

Bonzai Beach at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom

2010-06-04T18:31:00.002-04:00

In 2009, maintenance crews at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom begun dismantling Chang, the park's stand-up coaster. To build excitement, a new banner placed on the site proclaimed the area was "Under Funstruction!" Weeks later, it was announced that Bonzai Beach, a new water park expansion area, was being added to the existing Splashwater Kingdom.

Then, on Feburary 4th, 2010, Six Flags announced that Kentucky Kingdom would neither longer be operated by Six Flags, nor would not open for the upcoming season. Later, Ed Hart, one of the former owners of the park, is working to bring back the park with expanded offerings. Bonzai Beach may be built one day after all, but clearly not by Six Flags.

Shaka Zula River Adventure at Wild Adventures

2010-06-04T18:13:00.007-04:00

Panama City's Miracle Strip Amusement Park operated from 1963-2004, and during that time, the park's Log Flume gave riders countless thrills. When the park closed for good, the ride sold to Wild Adventures in Valdosta, Georgia.

Announced for the 2006 season as the "Shaka Zula River Adventure," little attempt was ever made to install it. Adventure Parks Group had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy the same year Shaka Zulu was set to debut. The park announced the delay, only to have the park itself sold the following year.

The ride was later canceled by Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation when they purchased the park. There are no plans to install the ride, and the park may have already scrapped the aging ride.

Unnamed Coney Island Park

2010-06-04T17:24:00.012-04:00

Coney Island has something to be proud about now that the new Luna Park has opened. But in 2005, Thor Equities' vision of a modern Coney Island looked something like the concept artwork above. Unfortunately, most of the details were never made public, and with the sale of the Coney Island land back to the City of New York, it's unlikely these plans will ever be known (although, the one ride does look suspiciuosly like a Sky Loop from a Maurer Söhne coaster).

BuzzSaw Falls at Silver Dollar City

2010-06-04T17:15:00.003-04:00

In 1999, Premier Rides opened it's first water coaster (that is, a roller coaster with a water section) at Silver Dollar City. BuzzSaw Falls was a fairly popular attraction, but the park was looking to expand into more thrilling attractions. Seeing an opportunity to improve an existing ride, the water coaster would close in 2003 to be re-christened as Powder Keg.

During the 2004 season, the park would begin installation of the new launch section, new track, and new trains. This would turn the ride into a new air-launched S&S Power coaster, which opened in 2005. The original chain lift was recycled, which you hit after the 53-mph launch portion and a small splashdown.

Powder Keg still operates today, but if you wanted to ride a Premier water coaster, you'd have to travel to Finland to ride Vonkaputous.

Avalanche Run at Cedar Point

2010-06-04T16:55:00.002-04:00

In 1985, Cedar Point built Avalanche Run, an Intamin Swiss-bobsled-style coaster. Located partially over Lake Erie's sandy shore and a former parking lot, the ride proved popular from day one. The ride had only a single flaw: sand from the beach would blow into the trough, and slow down the bobsleds.

By 1990, the ride was renovated and re-opened as Disaster Transport, Cedar Point's attempt at a dark ride. This time, large warehouse-like buildings were built around the existing track, and other portions would be covered to keep out the sand. The ride still operates today (though with less indoor queue space; Halloweekends mazes have taken over most of the indoor space under the ride since the mid-1990's).

Six Flags Worlds of Adventure Promo

2010-05-16T17:18:00.007-04:00

This 2002 video was meant to inspire guests to visit the Six Flags Worlds of Adventure, which boasted "three parks in one." The "wild rides" part of the park was Geauga Lake (and after that, Six Flags Ohio), while the wildlife part was the former Sea World Ohio. The park would only operate this way from 2001-2003.

Of course, this video outlined all the major problems with the park (far too big for the market it was in, nothing on the boardwalk, a small collection of thrill rides, two parking lots on opposite ends of the park, reusing a lot of the leftover Sea World shows and exhibits, etc). Plus, the host of the video is awful. Enjoy.

Wild West World

2010-05-13T15:49:00.003-04:00

Wild West World, built in Valley Center, Kansas, opened in 2007, along with a dinner show. Plans for a park hotel were under review in what had previously been an industrial park. Billing itself as the only all-Frontier-themed park, the small park actually had a large number of off-the-shelf rides.

While the park opened in May, the owners filed for bankruptcy by July, and the park close down for good in August. The park only had a handful of rides and attractions, and most were sold at auction.

Turbulence at Hersheypark

2010-05-13T15:32:00.004-04:00

Hersheypark in 2004 announced it was installing the first Interactive Rides "Frequent Faller" in the park. It would have been a quick 11th coaster added to the park's already impressive roster, having added Storm Runner the summer before. The new coaster would have been placed on the site of the park's Giant Wheel, an Intamin double ferris-wheel ride (similar to the Zodiac Wheel and the Triple Spin at King's Island and both Great America parks, respectively).

Turbulence would have been painted red, white, and blue to fit the theme of the newly-remodeled "Founder's Circle," formerly known as Carousel Circle. As part of the area's $4 million upgrade, a new fountain with a statue of Milton S. Hershey was erected. Minor improvements around the carousel also included new fencing, benches, shaded arbors, and concrete. A photo booth for the ride had been constructed in the previous off-season, and was already in use the season before for park-wide photographers.

The ride's seats were attached to a freely-tilting platform, while the car traveled down the tracks of the ride, almost like a wild mouse's hairpin turns. The sensation of going over every turn is the feeling of falling out of your seat, with the car bucking and reversing direction each time.

In December 2004, three months after the ride was announced, Hersheypark issued a press release about the cancelation of the ride. The original price of the ride was contracted at $2 million, but before fabrication could begin, the price had increased by another $1.12 million dollars. Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company (the company who operates Hersheypark) refused to pay the increased amount, and took the ride manufacturer to court.

The park had already paid $400,000 towards the new project. Also included in the lawsuit, the failure to have all plans submitted to the park by October, and the removal of one ride unit to bring down manufacturing costs. Interactive Rides then counter-sued over changes to the design that Hersheypark wanted, such as structural support changes for the ride's station, increased catwalk lengths, and evacuation designs.

When Hersheypark opened for it's 2005 season, the space was occupied by Starship America (originally located behind the former Music Box Theater, then placed into storage after the 2002 season) and Balloon Flight (placed into storage at the end of the 2003 season to make room for Storm Runner's launch track).

The addition to the park was hastily planned. The artwork used to promote the ride was stock artwork from Interactive Rides' web site (which show a Frequent Faller at Lagoon in Farmington, UT; the park has yet to announce or install any ride of this type).

As of this writing, Interactive Rides (a group of former S&S Power employees) has only installed a handful of actual products to parks such as Rye Playland (Sky Skater) and Knott's Berry Farm (Joe Cool's Gr8 Sk8). Currently, the Stratosphere in Las Vegas is the company's biggest customer, installing both "Insanity" and "xScream" rides.

Luxo Jr. at Disney's Hollywood Studios

2010-05-13T15:12:00.001-04:00

In June of 2009, a new animated figure came to life at Disney's Hollywood Studios. The figure was not a part of a new ride, but rather it's own small show. Luxo Jr.'s dancing would draw on-lookers for his small, 10-minute show.

In early 2010, it was announced that Luxo Jr. would be discontinued. StudiosCentral.com has an obituary for this short-lived show.

Zonga at Six Flags Marine World

2010-05-05T22:33:00.003-04:00

Six Flags Marine World refurbished and installed Zonga in 2003, but the coaster had been well-traveled by that point. The ride originally opened in 1986 as Thriller, a traveling coaster in Germany owned by showman Oscar Brunch. It has also operated at Grona Lund in Sweden, and Six Flags Astroworld in Houston Texas. But at Marine World, two of the ride's loops had been re-engineered at a different elevation by Premier Rides. As a result, the ride did not live up to the park's (and the public's) expectations.

Zonga was removed during the 2006 season (it was closed the year before), and is now the home of Tony Hawk's Big Spin at the park. The coaster moved on to Mexico, where it continues to operate today during the La Feria de San Marcos national fair.

Toon Studios at Walt Disney Studios Paris

2010-05-05T22:16:00.002-04:00

Here's a piece of concept art from Walt Disney Studios Paris park, part of the Disneyland Paris Resort. From the artwork from left to right, we see a ride resembling Tuck and Roll's Drive 'Em Buggies (lifted from A Bug's Land at Disney's California Adventure park), Crush's Coaster, and the existing Magic Carpets ride.

When Toon Studios opened in 2007 at that park, a studio facade and "trailers" for Disney's cartoon stars would be installed in place of the Bug's Life ride. Across the midway, Cars Race Rally would be installed in place of Drive 'Em Buggies.

Dark Knight at Six Flags New England

2010-05-05T21:50:00.010-04:00

During the summer of 2008, The Dark Knight coasters debuted at Six Flags Great America and Six Flags Great Adventure. However, there were plans for a third coaster to be installed at Six Flags New England in the DC Superhero Adventures section of the park. Incidentally, the foundations for the building were already under construction while the town council decided whether to sign off on a height variance to build the building that would contain the ride (the ride was to be constructed on a flood plane).

At Great America, the coaster would replace a theater that opened with the park, while Great Adventure would replace the Movie Town Water Effect. New England would demolish it's Batman Stunt Show arena for the addition (a short-lived attraction in itself, built on the site of the former Riverview Speedway). Today, a football field goal challenge game exists on the site of the once-proposed ride. Six Flags New England has successfully lobbied against height limits for future attractions under a specified height.

In 2009, the Dark Knight coaster slated for the New England park opened at Six Flags Mexico. For 2011, Six Flags New England will install an outdoor Wild Mouse-type ride on this site, although it will actually be moved from Kentucky Kingdom. This ride is said to be based on Batman, but will not include the same theming as was planned for The Dark Knight.

Mission Impossible/Hollywood Stunt Spectacular at Paramount Canada's Wonderland

2010-05-05T21:32:00.002-04:00

In 2006, Paramount Canada's Wonderland added a brand new show to the park's Action Zone. The stunt show was performed in the parking lot behind The Crypt (formerly Tomb Raider: The Ride) three times daily, between May and September. Created by Utopia Entertainment, the show was big on thrills, explosions, and motorcycle stunts. Utopia has a long history of creating stunt shows for Universal, Six Flags, and others.

After the show's run, the stadium built for the show was quickly removed, and was once again used as a parking lot. While the front of the park brochure lists the attraction as "Paramount's Hollywood Stunt Spectacular," the map on the inside gives us the name "Mission Impossible Stunt Spectacular," which ties in to the third installment in the Mission: Impossible series, also released in 2006.

Demon Drop at Knott's Berry Farm and Screamin' Swing at California's Great America

2010-03-24T22:53:00.001-04:00

On November 2nd, 2009, Demon Drop at Cedar Point would give it's last rides. As one of four remaining examples of 1st generation Intamin drop rides left in the world, and the only one of it's kind in the United States, it simply wouldn't be headed for the scrap pile or a boneyard. Even though it has been up for sale for several years, it wouldn't be sold to overseas or competing park.

Instead, it was announced that Knott's Berry Farm would be the new home of the ride. At Knott's, the Screamin' Swing, an S&S Power prototype ride, would be removed to make room for the addition of Demon Drop. The Screamin' Swing would also be sent to another Cedar Fair park, California's Great America.

For reasons unknown, though, neither of these things happened. Demon Drop was removed, placed on flatbed trucks, and hauled East to Dorney Park, where the ride would replace the Crazy Cars, a bumper car attraction. As of this writing (4/24/10), construction has not yet begun at Dorney, but it is confirmed to open in 2010 (the ride is listed in the 2010 rider policy).

Jurassic Park Helicoptours at Islands of Adventure

2010-03-21T21:09:00.003-04:00

Universal Studios' Islands of Adventure park opened in 1999 with a large expansion hole right in the back of the park. At the time, the plan was to build a simulator ride themed to a Helicopter tour of Isla Nublar, and possibly an attack from it's inhabitants. In the image above, released before the park opened it's gates, is the Jurassic Park Discovery Center in the foreground, with the striking building in the background (along with a helicopter landing pad on top).

Today, this expansion space (outlined in blue) is being used by Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, seen under construction (Bing Maps). It's not clear how big the building would have been (often, artwork never tells the whole story), but there is a space on the other side of the park While that plot of land is smaller, it might mean one day, guests could take off on a helicopter tour of their very own.

Vertigo at Cedar Point

2010-03-21T18:57:00.003-04:00

In August 2001, Cedar Point opened Vertigo, an S&S Power attraction. Three towers standing 265 feet tall, with a central gondola connected to the towers by cables that riders are strapped into, then ejected above the height of the structure itself. Vertigo was located in Cedar Point's Challenge Park, and riders would pay $10 each per ride.

Once the park closed, Cedar Point's maintenance team removed the center car and cables that supported the towers. Due to the Point's location on Lake Erie, and Ohio's harsh winter, the towers collapsed. This area was replaced with Extreme Trampoline the following season, and in 2008, the Sky Scraper ride was installed in it's place.

Similar attractions exist today at Six Flags Great Adventure, Six Flags Magic Mountain, and Knott's Berry Farm.

Disneyland Paris' "Aladin's Magic Carpets"

2010-03-21T17:39:00.005-04:00

In 2002, as part of a plan to counter the new "Walt Disney Studios Paris" themepark next door, Disneyland Paris was preparing to import Disney World's popular ride into Adventureland. Placed behind the Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril coaster, the Magic Carpets would have glided around a newly-built area resembling Agrabah from the animated film.

With the Studios park already behind schedule, and lacking rides for children and their families, the ride was shifted to the new park for it's 2002 opening. The decision was made to change the ride's theme to that of a movie set (with a fiberglass "Director" Genie figure), and in the process, all the planned Agrabah village was turned into essentially a backdrop.

Dumbo the Flying Elephant at Tokyo Disneyland

2010-03-21T09:00:00.000-04:00

In September 2009, Disney announced a new Fantasyland at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom. One of the images they released was actually concept art from a failed plan to redesign Tokyo Disneyland's Dumbo ride, as seen above.

Hersheypark's Haunted Harvest

2010-03-20T21:02:00.004-04:00

For over a decade, Hersheypark's Halloween event ("...in the Dark") has attracted families with costume contests, rides, and, of course, the Trick-or-Treat Trail. But in 2004, the park decided to add something different to the park's line-up in the Tidal Force and Canyon River Rapids catering pavilions. The result as "Haunted Harvest," a lengthy indoor-outdoor haunted walkthrough.

While extremely popular with guests, the park decided to retire the attraction, as the park's PR managers said it wasn't in the spirit of the park's family-friendly image. Also, the attraction was constructed and staffed by a third-party contractor who ran other successful Halloween events in the area, and charged a separate fee from the rest of the park for the attraction. Whether Hersheypark will ever add another haunted attraction is anybody's guess.

D23's "Disney Undiscovered" Calendar

2010-01-10T14:56:00.003-05:00

Not to get in the habit of plugging products or hawking private clubs on this site, but D23 is offering a unique calendar for it's membership base. It looks like it has a lot of artwork from Imagineering's past, including concept art for the Matterhorn at Epcot (the fabled Swiss pavilion) and Mickey's Madhouse (a wild mouse concept for Disneyland). Worth a look over.

Six Flags Great Adventure's "War on Lines"

2010-01-10T14:37:00.017-05:00

"Great Adventure unleashes its biggest year ever! New additions in '99 make this the largest regional family theme park in the nation! With 25 new rides and attractions, this means more fun and thrills for everyone and less waiting in line!"

(From Great Adventure's web site in 1999)

Touted as a $42 million dollar addition to the park, the 1999 season for Six Flags Great Adventure was something to get excited about. Six Flags added three rollercoasters (for all ages), a couple high-thrill rides, some family rides, and a huge new children's area in a single year. Unfortunatley, when you add this much in a year, it starts to take it's toll on the maintenance staff at the park.

As of this writing (10/1/10), eleven attractions have been removed, most without replacements. While only fourteen of the twenty-five attractions remain, the majority of these rides are simpler kiddie rides. Four of the kiddie rides included in this list have gone on to be refurbished into the park's 2007 Wiggles World, and Medusa was renovated to become Bizarro in 2009.

Attraction	Notes
Blackbeard's Lost Treasure Train	Currently Operating
Bugs Bunny Barnstormer	Currently Operating
Chaos	Closed in 2004, currently in boneyard
Daffy's Deep Diver	Currently Operating
Elmer Fudd's Fishing Flotilla	Closed in 2008
Elmer Fudd's Seaport Weather Balloons	Re-named "Dorothy's Racing to the Rainbow" in 2007
Escape from Dino Island	3D film closed in 2003
Evolution	Closed in 2002, relocated to SF St. Louis
Houdini's Great Escape	Closed from 2008-2010; Currently Operating
Jolly Rodger	Currently Operating
Jumpin' Jack Flash	Closed in 2003, currently in boneyard
Medusa	Rethemed to "Bizarro" in 2009
Michigan J. Frogg's Fun Freighters	Currently Operating
Pendulum	Closed in 2003, relocated to SF Great America
Pepe Lepew's Hearts Aweigh	Currently Operating
Pirate's Flight	Closed in 2002, relocated to Geauga Lake
Road Runner Railway	Currently Operating
Rodeo Stampede	Closed in 2005, relocated to SF Over Texas
Spinnaker	Closed in 2001
Sylvester's Pounce and Bounce	Re-named "Bouncing with Wags" in 2006
Taz's Seaport Trucking Co	Re-named "Big Red Cars" in 2007
Taz's Tornado	Currently Operating
Time Warp	Closed in 2001, currently in boneyard
Twister	Currently Operating
Yosemite Sam's Flight School	Currently Operating

Of note on the list:

Chaos - A lot of parks removed these after an incident.
Elmer Fudd's Fishing Flotilla - Converted into a flower bed.
Spinnaker - This ride had the most downtime, and was the quickest to be removed.
Evolution - One of three identical rides that toured in Europe starting about 1992.
Rodeo Stampede - Moved to Six Flags over Texas in another multi-ride expansion.

Floating Disney Theme Park

2009-10-02T06:51:00.004-04:00

Typically, Disney projects are well-documented online. This one, a 1990's-era floating theme park concept, is pretty insane. Read more about it on Disney and More (an excellent site in it's own right).

Boardwalk Canyon Blaster at Six Flags Fiesta Texas

2009-10-01T08:13:00.006-04:00

In 2000, Six Flags Fiesta Texas added a new B&M "Floorless" coaster, Superman: Krypton Coaster, as a new star attraction to the park's thrill ride line-up. But the park also had plans to add a new family coaster, named "Boardwalk Canyon Blaster." A standard Large Tivoli coaster, it would have been one of several in the chain, including Poison Ivy's Tangled Train (now known as Catwoman's Whip), Blackbeard's Lost Treasure Train, and Cobra. These coasters are known for thier long, winding double-figure-eight layout, and their long, 20-car trains.

Even though the ride sitting in the employee parking lot, the park even featured the coaster on the map all season. Unfortunately, instead of erecting the ride, it was shipped to Spain, and later opened as "Tom y Jerry," with appropriate Tom and Jerry themeing, at Warner Bros. Park in Madrid. Incidentally, another Superman floorless coaster opened with that park.

While the area of Fiesta Texas later received a new spinning wild mouse named Tony Hawk's Big Spin, the spot that was ear-marked for the Canyon Blaster remains empty.

Hypersonic XLC at Paramount's Great America

2009-10-01T08:00:00.003-04:00

For the 2001 season, Paramount's Great America was set to build the Thrust Air 2000 prototype from S&S Power, which would later be known as Hypersonic XLC. Coming from the S&S Power facility in Logan, Utah, the ride would undergo a transformation during re-assembly, including new components and a new block system.

Sometime after the plans were finalized for the park, it was announced the coaster would be installed at Paramount's King's Dominion for 2001. In 2002, Hypersonic would receive upgrades for the trains, and the launch system was modified to improve reliability. The coster would go on to operate until 2007, before being dismantled and placed for sale.

Paramount's Great America would install Psycho Mouse and the Celebration Swings in 2001 instead.

Cedar Point of Michigan

2009-09-30T08:06:00.001-04:00

When the need to expand Cedar Point (located in Sandusky, Ohio) outgrew it's surrounding area, and the company looked to expand elsewhere. In the mid-70's, Cedar Point bought close to 450 acres of land in southern Michigan to build a new park, aptly named "Cedar Point of Michigan." The draw of the park was the name "Cedar Point," which was already a familar summer vacation spot for Michigan residents.

But then, in 1978, Cedar Point's management formed "Cedar Fair Limited Partnersip" and aligned themselves with Valleyfair in Shakopee, Minnesota. Subsequently, the deal would mean the plans for Cedar Point of Michigan would be shelved, though the subsidy would live on. In order to ease taxes on the property, a local farmer has been allowed to use the land for over three decades.

Among the attractions planned for the new park, a record-breaking rollercoaster named Gemini, a children's steel rollercoaster, a copy of Cedar Point's Corkscrew rollercoaster, and a new log flume. These rides were later split into the two parks, with Cedar Point getting the first two, and Valleyfair receiving the last two.

Cedar Fair continues to own the property as of this writing, which uses it, and the Cedar Point of Michigan holding company it established, to maintain tax write-offs. With Cedar Fair's intrests in Michigan including cross promotion of both Cedar Point in Ohio and Michigan's Adventure in Muskegon, there is little chance this property will ever be developed for an amusement park. That said, they've held on to the property for over thirty years now.

Not much else is known about this aborted project.

Geauga Lake and Wildwater Kingdom's Phase Two

2009-09-24T03:55:00.011-04:00

In 2006, Geauga Lake and Wildwater Kingdom (today, Geauga Lake's Wildwater Kingdom) was set to add on to it's waterpark, built using the infrastructure from the former Sea World Ohio. The main draw of the waterpark's phase two construction was a wave pool, which was the only new addition for 2006.

There were also plans for two slide towers, a few smaller tube slides, and a second lazy river also slated to appear in the park, which were cut from the budget. This image also shows other things that never were fully realized, such as the re-opening of the former Happy Harbor outdoor play area, a show in the ski stadium, and what looks like an open-air auditorium in the upper left corner.

Chester Cheetah's Playland at Dorney Park

2009-09-23T06:33:00.008-04:00

Today, it's a field, but from 1995 to 1998, kids could run around a world of nets, tubes, and slides at Dorney Park. While the land featured only a tenuous connection to Chester Cheetah, this children's area was very inventive. Besides the play structure themed to a tugboat (Tug-A-Lug), other features included a shrubbery maze (with observation deck named Paws Puzzler), a huge ball pit (Crunch Cruise), and self-powered scooters (Wigglin’ Gigglers).

In order to get to the playland, you had to cross the Zephyr train tracks past Catering, Tot Spot, and Laser (today, this is home to a Halloween Haunt attraction and storage). Once removed, this area became inaccessible from inside the park (although, a few leftover playground pieces survived to be incorporated into Tot Spot).

Stealth at Paramount's Great America

2009-09-23T04:22:00.008-04:00

In 2000, Paramount Parks added a rollercoaster called "Stealth" to what is now known as California's Great America. Stealth was the prototype Flying Dutchmen coaster from Vekoma, and utilized a new restraint system and train design. The ride would only operate in the Santa Clara park for three seasons.

Paramount had ordered two more Flying Dutchmen coaster models the year following Stealth's debut, each with dual-loading stations, three trains, and other minor improvements. Because of the problems with the prototype (Stealth) though, the plans to build these two rides at King's Dominion and King's Island were dropped. Instead, Six Flags bought the coasters, and placed the coasters at Six Flags America and Six Flags Ohio, respectively.

In 2007, Cedar Fair moved X-Flight from Six Flags Ohio/Worlds of Adventure/Geauga Lake to King's Island, under the name Firehawk. The original plans for the ride from the 2001 season help complete this move in record time after acquiring the Paramount Parks.

In 2004, Stealth was refurbished and moved to Carowinds to become the Star Trek themed "Borg Assimilator" (now known as Nighthawk). The land formerly used for Stealth has been converted to a water park section named Boomerang Bay. In fact, the station and several footers used for the ride still stand today (see image above).

Mr. Freeze at Six Flags Great America

2009-09-23T03:55:00.006-04:00

Announced at the end of the park's 1997 season, a Mr. Freeze clone was in the works for the Chicago-area park. Presumably, the park opted against this ride, as the previous two models suffered from long downtime issues, many power-related. Instead, the park's 1998 season added Looney Tunes National Forrest and Camp Cartoon Network to the mix.

The concept artwork is from the Six Flags over Texas version.