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2013's Hottest New Roller Coasters: The Iron Rattler at Six Flags Fiesta Texas

June 12, 2013 at 11:19 AM | by | Comments (0)

According to Mother Nature it’s not technically summer for at least another few weeks, but we go by the calendar and the season starts with Memorial Day weekend. Thankfully theme parks also seem to follow the calendar, so now is a good time to enjoy that new roller coaster smell. That’s especially the case over in San Antonio, as Six Flags Fiesta Texas is celebrating the start of the amusement park season with a new hybrid wood and steel roller coaster.

The folks down at Six Flags Fiesta Texas certainly have a unique and interesting recipe when it comes to coaster construction, as the park’s new thrill ride is one part wood and one part steel. They’re calling it some sort of hybrid coaster and that makes total sense, but once you climb aboard we’re thinking you won’t care what it’s made out of—just that it’s fun.

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C'mon Mickey: Disney Raises Theme Park Prices Yet Again

June 6, 2013 at 9:38 AM | by | Comments (0)

Oh heck—it looks like Mickey Mouse needs a little extra cash this summer, as he must be planning something big for Minnie. The house of mouse is raising ticket prices yet again at the theme parks, as admission to both Disneyland and Walt Disney World is getting pretty darn close to $100 per day.

The new ticket prices went into effect earlier in the week, so you’re going to bring a few more bucks if you’re hoping for a ride on Space Mountain or Pirates of the Caribbean. Down in Florida the four theme parks at the Walt Disney World resort will now set you back $95 per adult for a one-day ticket—oof. The per day amount decreases as you stay longer, as a four day ticket is now going for $279; however, adding on the ability to hop between parks is an additional $59 per person.

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2013's Hottest New Roller Coasters: Great America's GoldStriker

June 5, 2013 at 10:22 AM | by | Comments (0)

According to Mother Nature it’s not technically summer for at least another few weeks, but we go by the calendar and the season starts with Memorial Day weekend. Thankfully theme parks also seem to follow the calendar, so now is a good time to enjoy that new roller coaster smell. That’s especially the case over in Santa Clara, California, as California’s Great America is celebrating the start of the amusement park season with a new wooden roller coaster.

It sounds like the park’s latest roller coaster was an off-again on-again project for a few years before finally making its debut earlier this month. GoldStriker isn’t the usual wooden roller coaster, as this thing is the highest and fastest in Northern California.

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Wear Your Ticket on Your Wrist with Disney's New 'MagicBand'

June 3, 2013 at 10:01 AM | by | Comments (0)

Some time has passed since we first heard of Disney’s plans to create some kind of magic wristband. Testing has been going on in the wild—also known as their theme parks—and apparently things have gone pretty darn well. As a result it looks like they’re getting ready go all in with what they’re calling the Disney MagicBand.

Basically these little electronic wristbands will serve as your admission ticket and more. Visitors will be able to utilize these suckers to enter the parks, serve as hotel room keys, and double as credit cards. It sounds like even things like Fastpass—that’s the Disney ride reservation system—can even be beamed down to your digital bracelet.

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2013's Hottest New Roller Coasters: Six Flags Great America's BATMAN: The Ride

May 30, 2013 at 11:46 AM | by | Comments (0)

According to Mother Nature it’s not technically summer for at least another month, but we go by the calendar and the season starts with Memorial Day weekend. Thankfully theme parks also seem to follow the calendar, so the last few weeks of May are always a good time to enjoy that new roller coaster smell. That’s especially the case over in Gurnee, Illinois, as Six Flags Great America is celebrating the start of the amusement park season with a new take on an old ride.

BATMAN: The Ride has been doing its thing for plenty of summers now, and it’s proud to be known as the world’s first suspended looping coaster. Well this year things are a little different for the ride, as after a winter filled with upgrades and improvements the thing is now heading backwards.

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2013's Hottest New Roller Coasters: Cedar Point's GateKeeper

May 23, 2013 at 10:50 AM | by | Comments (0)

According to Mother Nature it’s not technically summer for at least another month, but we go by the calendar and the season starts with Memorial Day weekend. Thankfully theme parks also seem to follow the calendar, so the last few weeks of May are always a good time to enjoy that new roller coaster smell. That’s especially the case over in Sandusky, Ohio, as once again Cedar Point is welcoming the amusement park season with a brand new ride.

This year it’s GateKeeper that’s taking up a permanent residence inside the park, as the new roller coaster breaks all kinds of records. With a 164-foot drop and over 4,000-feet of track it’s the best in its class, and that’s even before your get buckled in for a ride.

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The Top 5 Must Do Attractions In Coney Island This Summer

May 10, 2013 at 1:31 PM | by | Comments (0)

It's one of NYC's oldest and best attractions, and on May 24th, it opens for the season. Here are all the thrills you need to experience next time you visit...

Wonder Wheel: The king of rides at Coney Island contains 24 fully enclosed passenger cars, which can each hold up to 6 people (though if you're here on a date, you can keep the whole car to yourself). Not only are the views of the Atlantic Ocean awesome, but each individual car is on an 'S'-shaped track, so as the wheel turns, there is some lurching action that's sure to make your stomach flip.

Four more after the jump!

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The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Will Get a Hogwarts Express (and More)!

May 8, 2013 at 3:53 PM | by | Comments (0)

If you're a Harry Potter fan even in the slightest, you might want to sit down for this news.

Not only has Universal Studios Orlando today revealed the first image of planned additions to come at The WIzarding World of Harry Potter, but they've announced that the new zone will be connected to the original Wizarding World by a recreation of the Hogwarts Express train.

Here's the full details:

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Can You Handle 24 Hours of Mickey Mouse at Disney Parks?

April 29, 2013 at 9:40 AM | by | Comments (0)

In case you haven’t been flipping over the pages on the calendar—ours is still on March—we’re here to remind you that May is right around the corner. To us that means the unofficial kickoff to the summer season, and the first three-day weekend in what seems like a long time. Disney is apparently ready for the warmer weather, and they’re doing something unique to celebrate.

Certain Disney theme parks are getting ready to burn the midnight oil, as it sounds like some parks are going to open for 24-hours straight towards the end of May. The fun will take place on Friday, May 24, as the parks look to celebrate the month of Memorial Day Weekend and the start of the summer season.

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Is This the Most Popular Ride at Legoland California?

April 18, 2013 at 5:00 PM | by | Comments (0)

The other week we hit up Legoland California, namely to check out the just-opened Legoland Hotel, the first Legoland Hotel in the U.S. But with the hotel being adjacent to the theme park, we of course had to roam around for a few hours, marveling at all things Lego.

We'll have one of our handy theme park survival guides for you next week but we just thought we'd share this observation: Out of all the attractions, rides and displays at Legoland, the busiest one we encountered was The Big Shop.

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Season Opening Dates for 10 of the United States' Best Theme Parks

April 18, 2013 at 9:58 AM | by | Comments (0)

The weather is starting to get a little bit warmer, and sooner than later it’ll be time for the calendar to flip over to May. That means theme park season will officially be underway, so here’s a quick rundown of when some parks across the country are set to fire up their coasters for the very first time:

· Carowinds – Charlotte, North Carolina - April 19

· HersheyPark – Hershey, Pennsylvania - May 3

· Elitch Gardens Theme Park – Denver, Colorado - May 4

· Holiday World & Splashin' Safari – Santa Claus, Indiana - May 4

· Kennywood – West Mifflin, Pennsylvania - May 4

· Six Flags Great America – Chicago, Illinois - May 4

· Cedar Point – Sandusky, Ohio - May 11

· Darien Lake – Corfu, New York - May 11

· Great Escape – Lake George, New York - May 18

· Michigan's Adventure – Muskegon, Michigan - May 22

[Photo: mgrayflickr]

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Where to Find the World's Craziest Wooden Roller Coaster

April 11, 2013 at 9:52 AM | by | Comments (0)

With the warmer weather comes theme park season, as parks across the country dust off the rides and attractions. In addition to bringing down the decorations from the attic and testing out all the old favorites, there’s also the opportunity to try out some new stuff.

There’s one coaster that we’re particularly intrigued with during this season, as we’re eager to check out the latest offering over at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri.

We’ve always had a spot in our hearts for the wooden roller coasters. Sure they might not go as fast as their steel siblings, but the twists and turns—not to mention the shimmies and shakes—more than make up for things. However, Outlaw Run is looking to change everything, as it’s going to be the world’s first wooden roller coaster to offer a double barrel roll. They’re not stopping there either, as the thing will also feature plenty of other firsts.

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