BANNER2008_Hallowe ART_VelociCoaster BlueBlock190_NewThree
MISSION2010_Left_950

 

 

 

bodyLEFT

News & Rumors

SMALL PARKS & ATTRACTIONS

 

 

 

----    THE LATEST SMALL PARK NEWS    ---- |
    (3/16/2024) Bay Beach To Get New Train
    (3/15/2024) Pacific Park at the Santa Monica Pier Sold To A New Owner
    (3/9/2024) Adventure Park (Maryland) Puts Coaster Up For Sale
    (2/11/2024) Adventureland Hints New 2024 Ride Is Coming but has Removed Adventure Falls Log Flume
    (2/10/2024) Lawsuits Filed Against Adventureland Over Online Processing Fees
    (2/4/2024) A Chilling Event Could Have Happened at Glenwood Caverns
    (2/4/2024) Idewild Has Now Removed Several Park Attractions
    (2/2/2024) Lakemont Park Says They Won't Operate Any Rides At All For 2024 Season

 

ADVENTURE CITY  (Buena Park, CA)

2024 -  Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2016 - 2023 seasons.

 

ADVENTURE PARK (Maryland)

icon_STOPPark News - (3/9/2024) The Wild West Express roller coaster (a Zamperla Windstorm) at Adventure Park USA in Maryland is currently listed as being up for sale on UsedRides.com with an asking price of $450,000. The description says it is in great condition and just being sold to “make room for new rides.”
    This coaster may look familiar to anyone who frequents the Orlando area attractions over the years. Prior to being installed in Maryland in 2015, the coaster ran in the back end of “Old Town” in Kissimmee, Florida as the Windstorm from 1997 to 2014.

2024 -  Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2016 - 2023 seasons.

 

ADVENTURE POINTE (Near Houston, TX)

???? - New Park - Under Construction - (9/25/22) The last time I heard anything about the proposed Adventure Pointe theme park under construction just outside Houston was 2019. At the time, the owner of the park had filed a $10 million lawsuit against the contractor and others building the park for them for failing to complete the project. Since mid 2019, the owners of Adventure Point have not posted any updated to their social media pages. Considering they were suffering from financial loss in mid-2019 over failing to finish the park, only for the world to be hit by the pandemic in early 2020, chances are that Adventure Pointe is likely dead in the water.
    That said, would you believe that a decent portion of the small 24-acre park was actually built? Aerial footage (see below) of the site shot in 2020 show that the park’s train loop was completed, complete with a run through an building that had some very pirate looking skull rockwork on the side. Scattered through the property you can see some completed pathways, along with other areas where the pathways were framed up and just waiting to be poured. In addition it looks like about 5 or 6 flat rides were partially and in some cases fully assembled, along with the complete buildout of the park’s main entrance structure.
    But is the project really dead? Strangely enough, Google Map’s StreetView images shot in March 2021 and June of 2022 show that some other themed building structures have been added to the property since the aerial footage was shot in 2020. There is also the matter of the changing colors of the park’s Spider flat ride. In a StreetView image from Jan 2019 you can see the Spider’s cars are Green, in the aerial footage in the video shot in 2020 the Spider’s cars have been painted Blue, and then in the StreetView image from June 2022 the Spider’s cars now appear to be Red and Black.
    So is there life still in Adventure Point after all? Anyone in the area happen to know more?

 
    (9/29/19) It has been awhile since we heard anything about the Adventure Pointe theme park project in Texas. The last we heard about the 35-acre park seemed to indicate that construction had started. While construction did begin, it came to a halt, with some rides even semi-setup on the property and some half-built buildings now standing. The owner of the park, Harvey Slusky, has now filed a lawsuit against his former attorney and the teams of architects and builders who he claimed ‘defrauded him’ and ‘lied to him’, taking his $10 million for their own profits rather than building the park.
 
    (12/13/18) After years of waiting, it looks like construction has finally begun on the Adventure Point theme park project just outside Houston, Texas. According to their Facebook page crews were installing the power to the site back in August and just last week they posted pictures of what looks like the park's main entrance structure and gates being installed. It also looks like a few small rides may have been installed over the summer as well, so maybe we'll see it open in some form in 2019. Anyone know more?

 
    (4/4/17) After not hearing much about this project for the past couple years, BlooLoop reports that at long last Advetnure Pointe has been granted the needed permits to finally start construction on the new theme park. The first permits granted are for the park’s Main Street building and for a Pirate Ship building. Other attractions planned include a mini railroad, go-karts, outdoor ice skating, a pirate ride, boardwalk and an outdoor 1,200 seat performance venue.
    (10/14/16) After not hearing much for the past two years the latest updates about Adventure Pointe posted to their official Facebook page now show off a few images of land clearing now taking place on the site near the Tanger Outlet Mall.
    (10/24/14) Good news for our Texas readers who are longing for one of the new proposed theme parks to begin construction. An official sign promoting that the Adventure Pointe park is “Coming Soon” is now on site. I’m borrowing the photo from their Facebook page, so I hope they don’t mind. On the page they also announce that their list of rides coming to the park is also complete and they hope to kick off a series of announcements about the new rides and park itself very soon.
    (3/10/14) The official website for the proposed new Adventure Pointe theme park in Texas has been updated and has announced the Adventure Pointe Roundhouse in their blog. The Roundhouse is described as a event center dedicated to showcasing how the Slusky family’s historical train collection will be maintained and refurbished. The structure will host banquets, weddings, dancers and more. They also have confirmed that Adventure Pointe will also feature 4,200 SqFt Ice Skating Rink that will be open to the public year round. 
    (12/18/13) More details about the proposed Adventure Pointe theme park coming to the Houston area can be found in a new BlooLoop article about the park. Don’t forget to keep up with things at the park’s official Facebook page as well.
    (12/9/13) A second park project is in the works for the Houston, Texas area called Adventure Pointe. The 25-acre project comes from the family of the man who created Playland Park decades ago and will be located next to the Tanger Outlet Mall on I-45 South. Groundbreaking is slated to happen in Spring 2014 in order for the park to open in 2015.
    (3/18/13) While the Houston, Texas area still lacks a large theme park, the greater area around Houston seems to be flourishing with new ideas for smaller park projects. Back in December we first heard the early rumors of a possible 25-acre mini-park planned to be near the Tanger Outlet Mall near Texas City that would have a tie to the old Playland Park.
    Today a little more information has come out as the city “has confirmed an area physician’s interest in building the park on 25 acres near the Tanger outlet mall, but no plans have been submitted.”  However, a new Facebook page for “Playland Park” has gone live and does outline the details a little more, calling it “Playland Park – Texas City”.  They have named the new park project in honor of Houston’s first real amusement park, Playland Park, and hope to open it by Summer 2015. 
    The park will have a retro-Americana theme to it, and will feature locomotive rides on the refurbished trains that formerly served at the Houston Zoo, but will now make runs around this new 25 acre attraction. The park will also have a Grand Carousel, an Eyerly Monster, Antique Car ride, Tea Cups and a Tilt-a-Whirl to celebrate the classic rides of the past. They will also offer new style attractions such as a “unique roller coaster zip line, an Xtra-ice 'ice' skating rink, and fast though eco-friendly Indy-type electric go-karts.”  There will also be green spaces, a large picnic area, an outdoor amphitheater for concerts and an indoor pavilion to be rented out for corporate events or private functions.
    Good luck to them, I hope this one happens… but it wouldn’t be Playland Park without also offering a wooden coaster as well. Lets hope they include this in the final plans too.

 

ADVENTURELAND (Long Island, NY)

icon_STOPPark News - (2/10/2024) Two lawsuits have been filed against Adventureland (Long Island, NY) this week over the practice of the park’s online ticket sale process that lists a price to purchase park tickets and then while checking out it adds an unnecessary “processing fee” to the total sum guests are being charged.
    We’ve all been there… I’ve had a few internal rage moments myself over this practice when buying tickets to parks from other chains as well. After all, we’re purchasing the ticket ourselves, doing all the work online, so the park doesn’t have to pay someone to sit in a ticket booth at the entrance, and we get stuck with processing fees when buying tickets to parks, movies or concerts. Just utter the word “Ticketmaster” to anyone who has bought tickets for any live event and you’re sure to see an angry scowl cross their face.
    While I can’t speak about every case where you will encounter this kind of practice, I was once told that those processing fees don’t actually go to the parks. What we are seeing is that most parks and attractions have opted out of the cost of developing their own online sales infrastructure and are instead outsourcing all their sales through a third party online ticket sales company who offers a plug-in solution that is integrated into the park’s own website for a more seamless experience. So those processing fees are really going to companies like Accesso or Semnox to pay for their services.
    Now the big attractions like Disney and Universal may skip over these guys to use their own internally built sales software, but you’ll still encounter these fees even when buying from big chains like Six Flags or Cedar Fair theme parks. Unfortunately, I don’t think the practice is going to stop anytime soon, but in the case of these lawsuits against Adventureland, they may have them on a technicality. The lawsuits claim that the park is in violation of a 2022 amendment added to New York state law that “requires that all ticket sellers list the total cost of a ticket, inclusive of mandatory fees, before the consumer selects the tickets for purchase…”
    Adventureland has 30 days to respond to the lawsuits’ claims about how these extra fees are not being properly disclosed under New York state law.

icon_STOP2024 - New Thrill Ride - (2/11/2024) The list of rides at the Adventureland website now says that a new thrill ride will debut in Spring 2024, but gives no further details.
    Meanwhile, a video posted on YouTube this week shows that the Adventure Falls log flume at Advntureland (Long Island) now now been taken down and there is a large crane on the site. All the pieces of the former flume ride have been laid out in the parking lot, so it isn’t known if they is some kind of replacement or a refurbishment, but the fact that the park has also removed Adventure Falls from the list of park attractions does seem to indicate that the log ride has been removed permanently. Note that it is still shown on the park map on the website, but I imagine they’ll update that image once they confirm whatever the new 2024 attraction will be.

 

ARNOLD’S PARK (Iowa)

2024 - Nothing is known at this time...

 

BAY BEACH (Green Bay, WI)

2024 - Nothing is known at this time...

icon_STOP???? - Train Ride - (3/16/2024) Bay Beach has been approved to receive the donation of a propane powered C.P. Huntington train attraction that formerly ran at the Memphis Zoo. I don’t believe a timeline has been set as to when it might open as the park would obviously have to create a custom and build a custom track layout where they think it would serve them best.

 

BEECH BEND PARK  (Bowling Green, Kentucky)

2024 -  Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2017 - 2023 seasons.

 

CALAWAY PARK (Alberta, Canada)

2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 - 2023

 

CAMDEN PARK (WV)

2024 -  Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2017 - 2023 seasons.

 

CASINO PIER (Seaside Heights, NJ)

2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 - 2023

 

CASTLE PARK (California)

icon_STOPPark News - (1/29/2024) Interesting developments have been reported about Castle Park.  While the park’s dark ride, Ghost Blasters, is still not mentioned on the website at all, and was reported to be closed for good, would you believe that according to a reader, Ghost Blasters was up and running once again on Sunday when they visited?
    However, the reason that Ghost Blasters may have been given a temporary extra lease on life may have more to do with the state of the rest of the park’s attractions. Confirmed by the park’s website, both the Castle Park Railroad and the Riverside Express Railroad attractions are currently closed, as sections of track have “washed out” from the torrential rains this month. The Screamin’ Demon spinning coaster has been closed for weeks now, with a broken car left parked at the base of the lift hill. The King’s Crown ride (Yoyo?) is listed as Temporarily Closed For Repairs, but it has been sitting disassembled for several months now, and the Saw Mill Plunge log flume is also listed as being “Temporary Closed” but has been drained of all water.
    As I mentioned in the last update, all mention of the park’s Spider flat ride ride has been removed from the website, except for the graphic only appearance still remaining on the park’s map. I’m told that the Spider had been broken for months and appears to have been quietly retired as an attraction that the staff was not fond of working… or working on.
    And speaking of working on rides… and this is a little disturbing, our reader who visited the park was told by an employee that Castle Park no longer has any full-time ride maintenance staff. Currently the park is essentially just trying to take care of what they have with a part-time crew and whatever parts they have in stock, so anything currently broken isn’t likely to be repaired very quickly right now. This, plus the weather damage done to some of the outdoor rides, may be why the Ghost Blasters ride has been temporarily un-retired.
 
    (1/10/2024) According to a reader, Castle Park is said to have closed their Ghost Blasters dark ride, as well as the Spider flat ride. Both attractions are rumored to be removed as part of an effort from Palace Entertainment to remove more costly and/or troublesome rides from their various parks ahead of the 2024 season.
    Any mention of either attraction now seem to have been scrubbed from the official website, and their individual page dedicated to Ghost Blasters has now been removed from the server. If anyone knows more, please do let us know.

2024 -  Nothing is known at this point in time...

 

CEDAR VALLEY’S WILD FRONTIER (Michigan)

2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 - 2023

 

CLIFF’S AMUSEMENT PARK (Albuquerque, New Mexico)

2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 - 2023

 

COLUMBUS ZOO (Ohio)

2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time...

 

DELGROSSO’S AMUSEMENT PARK (Pennsylvania)

2024 -  Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2017 - 2023 seasons.

 

DENO’S WONDER WHEEL (New York)

2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 - 2023

 

DIGGERLAND USA (New Jersey)

2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2023

 

DIXIE LANDIN’ & BLUE BAYOU (Baton Rouge, LA)

Park News - (9/16/2023) I haven’t seen good news about the possibility of Dixie Landin’ opening their amusement park these days. While the attraction has been happy to open their waterpark side each year, they’ve kept the amusement park side closed since 2020. Dixie Landin’ has also had a habit of posting many of their dry rides on the used ride marketplace over the years, only to pull them back off when they don’t sell for what they are asking for.
    A reader pointed out that you can currently find the park’s Ragin’ Cajun (Vekoma Boomerang) for sale atRides4U with a cool $1.95 million asking price. I’m not sure what the average asking price is these days for a 32 year old Boomerang (the listing says it is a 1991 model), but it is worth mentioning that this is not the first time Dixie has put their Boomerang up for sale. I believe it was first listed in Fall of 2019 along with some other rides but never went anywhere.
 
    (6/11/2023) The local news has confirmed that while Blue Bayou is open, the attached Dixie Landin’ amusement park will remain closed for the entire 2023 season. Park officials state that their focus has been on the more popular Blue Bayou waterpark, and that they are not simply leaving Dixie Landin’ closed due to any kind of staffing issues. They say there is currently no set plan or timeline to reopen Dixie Landin’.
 
    (5/15/2023) According to the official website, Dixie Landin’ will remain closed yet again for the Summer 2023 season. The site claims that they “look forward to seeing you in the Summer of 2024.”
    For those wondering, Dixie Landin’ has sat closed since 2020, but the Blue Bayou waterpark side has continued to operate, other than an initial closure in 2020 during the early days of the pandemic. At one point a number of the amusement park rides were also listed as being for sale on the used ride market, but I don’t know if any of them were ever sold or removed.

2024 -  Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2017 - 2023 seasons.

 

DUTCH WONDERLAND (Pennsylvania)
Owned by Palace Entertainment / Parques Reunidos

Park News - (9/29/22) According to the local news Dutch Wonderland will kick off the park’s “Happy Hauntings” Halloween festivities two weeks earlier than usual this year, starting on Oct 30th. The park will also add a new dive show to the event, featuring the royal rivers in AquaStadium for the first time for a special Halloween themed dive show.

2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 - 2023

 

EDAVILLE USA (Carver, MA)

Park News - (11/25/2023) According to a report on Facebook, the former Kersplash ride at Edaville Family Theme Park in Massachusetts is in the process of being taken down. Kersplash was a rare Miler made water coaster attraction that started out on the fair circuit, and was even set up from 1995 to 2012 at the Washington State Fairgrounds before being sold to Edaville.
    Edaville set it up around 2013 or 2014, but never managed to open the unique attraction. So after sitting quiet for the past decade, Edaville has finally taken it down. On another note, it was reported that the park’s former Thomas Land that has sat closed since 2019 has finally been reopened as a new “Alpine Village” themed area.


 

2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time...

 

ENCHANTED FOREST (Oregon)

2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 - 2023

 

EVERMORE (Utah)

2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2023

 

FAMILY KINGDOM (Myrtle Beach, SC)

2024 -  Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2015 - 2023 seasons.

 

FUNPLEX MOUNT LAUREL (New Jersey)

2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time...

 

FUNPLEX MYRTLE BEACH (South Carolina)

2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 - 2023

 

FUNTOWN USA / SPLASHTOWN USA (Saco, Maine)

2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time...

 

GALAXYLAND (Inside the West Edmonton Mall Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)

2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time...

 

GALVESTON ISLAND HISTORIC PLEASURE PIER (Galveston, Texas)

2024 -  Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2013 - 2023 seasons.

 

GILLIAN'S WONDERLAND PIER (Ocean City, NJ)

2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 -2023

 

GILROY GARDENS (Gilroy, California)

2024 -  Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2015 - 2023 seasons.

 

GLENWOOD CAVERNS (Colorado)

icon_STOPPark News - (2/4/2024) A rather creepy event took place at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park back in late October, but somehow it kind of ran under the radar for most of us until now. It seems that at some point in the middle of the night a young 20-something aged man, Diego Barajas Medina, snuck into the closed Glenwood Caverns amusement complex and hid out inside the women’s restroom. Even more concerning was the fact that he entered the park dressed in a black tactical outfit with law-enforcement patches attached, with a serious collection of weapons (a semi automatic rifle and a semi-auto handgun with several hundred rounds of ammo), a home-made explosive device, and a good bit of alcohol.
    What happened next is still a mystery, as the park workers discovered his lifeless body and called 911 shortly after 9am the next morning. The reports say that he had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head inside the restroom, his weapons, explosives and alcohol scattered around him, along with the message written on the bathroom wall that simply said, “I’m not a killer. I just wanted to get in the cave”.
    Three months later, the investigation researching him as those with connections to him have failed to find anything. He had no record of prior actions, and while he was described as a “loner’ type, nothing was found to determine any possible motives or true intentions, or why he may have changed his mind and instead took his own life rather than just depart as quietly as he came in. It seems the only lead at all was that it was discovered that he had researched “mass shootings” online at some point prior to the incident.

2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time...

 

IDLEWILD (Pennsylvania)
Parques Reunidos

icon_STOPPark News - (2/4/2024) According to the latest word, Idlewild has opted to remove the Adult Hand Cars attraction, but they do seem to be keeping the Little Rascals version of the kiddies. Other attractions also removed from the Idlewild website include Bigfoot’s Mudslide (Superslide), Cattail Derby (kiddie bumper cars) and Pollywog Regatta (kiddie boat ride). All of these have  been removed from the park’s website as Palace Entertainment seems to be shaving down their attraction offerings at each of their parks ahead of the 2024 season.

2024 -  Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2017 - 2023 seasons.

 

JOLLY ROGER (Ocean City, MD)

2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 - 2023

 

KEANSBURG AMUSEMENT PARK (Keansburg, NJ)

icon_STOPPark News - (1/27/2024) The owner of the Keansburg Amusement Park in New Jersey claims that the redevelopment plans for the area are “Trying to squeeze me out”. Redevelopment plans are in place to renovate “blighted” property by adding 700 luxury apartments and tons of new restaurants, entertainment and retail options to the area, which isn’t too bad of an idea, however the state is now planning on redeveloping the site of a current 300-space public parking lot for beachfront apartments.
    It seems to be a cash-grab of sorts by selling off the property used for a much needed public parking lot to service the waterfront area to apartment developers. According to the park owner, “The endgame here is they’re trying to squeeze me out. They would love to see me out,” so he’s filed a lawsuit against the state to stop it.
    The threat seems real enough as Keansburg Amusement Park sits on 25 acres of valuable waterfront property, and if developers were to essentially restrict the number of potential guests from visiting the park due to lack of available parking, then that could lead to the long-term demise of the amusement park. I’m sure the value of the 25-acres of land that it sits upon is not lost to the gaze of future developers who would love to close the park and get their hands on it for other uses.

2024 -  Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2015 - 2023 seasons.

 

KEMAH BOARDWALK (near Houston, Texas)
Landry’s Restaurants  (SAT MAP)

2024 -  Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2015 - 2023 seasons.

 

LAKE WINNEPESAUKAH  (Chattanooga, TN)

2024 -  Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2019 - 2023 seasons.

 

LAKE OF THE OZARKS / OASIS AT LAKEPORT (Missouri)

2023_0603_LakeOfTheOzarks_art

2025/2026 - Amusement Park / Indoor Waterpark Resort - (10/28/2023) Things are moving forward with the planned Lake of the Ozarks project where some blasting is now being done to the rocky soil to prepare it for the future resort project. According to the article that features a video clip of the blasting, the amusement park side of things is expected to open in 2025 and the on-site Marriott hotel will follow in 2026.
 
    (6/3/2023) The proposed Lake of the Ozarks / Oasis at Lakeport resort project in Missouri received some great news this week. St. Louis-based SkyView Partners and Tegethoff Development, along with Fred Ross, owner of Big Thunder Marine, announced the formal approval of the development plan for the Oasis at Lakeport family resort and entertainment district at Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks. The approval was granted at the June 1, 2023, City of Osage Beach Board of Aldermen meeting.
    “With the development plan approved by the City of Osage Beach, we are extremely pleased to begin construction of Oasis at Lakeport, which will offer year-round attractions and entertainment for everyone at the lake to enjoy,” said Todd Schneider, co-managing partner of SkyView Partners. “SkyView Partners and Tegethoff Development are committed to keeping the Osage Beach community informed of our progress over the next year as Oasis grows to be the premiere tourist destination of the Midwest.” 
    As proposed, the Oasis at Lakeport project will be a $350 million year-round family resort and entertainment district in Osage Beach, Mo., to be developed along the 25-acre Lakeport property at Highway 54 and Jeffries Road. The project will feature a Marriott branded hotel, a 26,000 sqft conference center, an indoor waterpark, restaurants, 200 public boat slips, a 1,000 space parking structure, and several amusement rides and attractions, including roller coasters and a 200-foot tall observation wheel.
    An official website is now online for the project at OasisatLakeport.com which has also added an updated piece of concept art for the project. As before, the amusement park section is being kept at the section of  the property closest to the freeway, increasing visibility and reducing any potential noise issues, while the resort and indoor waterpark have been moved further away from the amusement park, on the other side of the cove, which should provide nice views of the park and rides. It is worth mentioning that the wheel is now the tallest attraction in the park, and the other tall attractions in the previous concept art (Slingshot, Star Flyer) have been removed.
    If “SkyView Partners” sound familiar, they do operate a small number of well-known stand-alone attraction developments, such as the SkyView Atlanta Observattion Wheel that overlooks Centennial Olympic Park as well as the Carousel, Bay Plunge Tower and SkyStar Observation Wheel in San Francisco’s Pier 39 and Golden Gate Park.
 
    (10/30/22) Plans for a new $300 million family resort and entertainment district to be built at Lake of the Ozarks were submitted this past week. The project is being called Oasis at Lakeport and would be located at “at Highway 54 and Jeffries Road adjacent to the Grand Glaize Bridge”.
    They hope to start construction sometime in 2023, and are hoping to open in 2024 on the 20 acre project which will feature a number of amusement rides and attractions mixed in with hotels, restaurants, an amphitheater, a marina, boardwalk and more. The details do mention that it will feature “roller coasters, thrill and family rides and a 200-foot-tall observation wheel”.
    While I would be heavily skeptical of the timeline proposed until they actually start construction, the idea behind it does remind me quite a bit of The Island in Pigeon Forge project. In the case of The Island however, that resulted in the construction of that project in the middle of an already proven and tourist-heavy attraction corridon in Pigeon Forge. Without any personal knowledge of the Lake of the Ozarks location, I can’t say how well this one might work out. Just from initial research into the area, it does seem a popular location for many to visit, so this could turn out quite well if they can get it off the ground. For now, we’ll just have to wait and see.

 

LAKEMONT PARK (Pennsylvania)

icon_STOPPark News - (2/2/2024) If you never got the chance to visit Lakemont Park in PA to ride Leap-the-Dips or the Skyliner coasters, then you may never get to. According to the latest news from the park, Lakemont will operate without any rides at all for the 2024 season, relying on their picnic pavilion, mini golf, batting cages and other sports recreation offerings. They say that running the amusement park side of things has been a money loser and is no longer sustainable due to the high costs of maintenance and insurance.

 

LAKESIDE AMUSEMENT PARK (Denver, CO)

Park News - (8/9/2023) Things are not going well over at Lakeside Amusement Park it seems. According to the official website the Cyclone wooden coaster along with several other rides are currently Closed. The Galaxi coaster that the park has been working on installing for awhile now is still not open, so the only full sized coaster open at the park is said to be the Wild Chipmunk.
    The park’s website also mentions the park’s limited operating schedule for the rest of the summer, and has previously mentioned how ride operators may have to rotate between running various rides in the park.
    A reader stopped by and snapped a few pics showing off the new Zyklon/Galaxi coaster (see below), and noted that the train on the Dragon was removed as well as the ride’s sign looked like it had half-way fallen over. RCDB reports that the Dragon has been sitting closed since 2020 so they may be preparing to remove it.

2024 - Nothing is known at this time...

 

MIAMI WILDS (Miami, Florida)

icon_STOP???? - NEW PARK - (12/23/2023) According to the local news, the Miami-Dade commission has voted 9 to 1 to “withdraw” the lease approval for the proposed Miami Wilds waterpark project next to the Zoo. The current lease deal will end on December 31st and will take the deal to build the park with it when it expires.
    Back in 2013 the developers won a bid from the county develop the property, but after countless delays along with private initiatives to keep the project from moving forward due to endangered species, it appears that the time has come to close the door on the Miami Wilds proposal.
 
    (11/27/2023) According to the South Florida Business Journal, the Miami-Dade mayor is now recommending that they “rescind” the 2020 lease agreement previously made with the developer of the Miami Wilds waterpark project to be located next to Zoo Miami. For years now the developers have struggled to actually begin any kind of work on the site due to pushback from a number of environmental protection groups concerned about the impact of the project to various endangered species located nearby.
    The Miami Wilds developers on the other hand argue that the site is currently already in use as a parking lot for the Zoo and is not in any kind of natural or undeveloped state. The efforts to block the project have also delayed any kind of progress on conducting a new environmental review about the current state of the site, and apparently are based entirely on old data. They also believe that the waterpark should have little to no impact on the endangered butterflies and bats being discussed, so they are hoping to get an extension on their lease terms in order to conduct a new proper review, rather than see their lease revoked.
 
    (9/10/2023) The delayed Miami Wilds project has started to generate a lot of heat between the developers and environmental groups once again, as the county opts to delay a vote the project needs to proceed. The developers have already agreed to move the hotel part of the development to a new site and away from a site that is said to serve as a nighttime feeding ground for an endangered Florida bat species.
 
    (9/4/2023) The proposed Miami Wilds water park project set to be built next to ZooMiami is still struggling to move forward it seems, even after the delayed project was apparently given approval form the county in 2020. According to the latest update the plans to build the attraction and a nearby hotel could be held in limbo for years as the county is now dealing with a lawsuit over the project from an environmental group now seeks to either permanently block the development, or at least shrink it significantly by removing the hotel. The group is claiming the Miami Wilds project would violate the Endangered Species Act and that the National Park Service failed to perform a proper environmental analysis of the site. 
 
    (10/23/20) After all this time, I’m surprised by this outcome, but it seems Miami-Dade has approved the plans for the Miami Wilds project next to Zoo Miami. The plans include a waterpark, a small hotel and shopping district, along with room for some future expansion plans such as a second hotel down the line.
 
    (10/15/20) According to the local news next week the Miami-Dade County Commission will cast votes on the proposed Miami Wilds water park project. There is quite a bit of opposition to the project now ranging from policial to nature conservationists who claim the site is home to one of the most endangered bat species in the state and this project could cause an extinction. If the project does not get passed for approval, this could likely be the end of the proposal.
 
    (9/12/20) Would you believe that the shelved plans for the “Miami Wilds” project are have resurfaced once again? According to the local news the plans for the theme park project next to Zoo Miami are being pitched once again by a ‘hedge fund manager and team of developers” that would add 200 hotel rooms, 25,000 sqft of retail space, a water park and additional parking lot space to share with Zoo Miami.
    We haven’t heard much about Miami Wilds since it was proposed back in 2013. At the time it was also backed with themeing from 20th Century Fox and would have had a lot of themeing based around the the studios various properties, including a proposed water park themed entirely to the animated Ice Age film series.

 

MORGAN’S WONDERLAND (San Antonio, Texas)
Note: Morgan’s Wonderland is a special theme park custom designed to be an inclusive place of wonder and enjoyment for guests with disabilites as well as for those without, “encouraging everyone to gain a greater understanding of one another.”

2024 - Four New Attractions - (10/24/2023) Morgan’s Wonderland in Texas has announced the park’s largest expansion of all time will be happening for the 2024 season. This will involve a $6 million expansion plan featuring several new attractions. The list includes a new 4D theater that will show “Mars Rollercoaster 4D”, Rocket’s Sky Flight Adventure (Soaring Eagle ZipLine), Jette’s Wonder Bikes (a wheelchair accessible ride) as well as a new wheelchair accessible Pirate Island Cruises, a passenger boat ride that will take guests onto the park’s 8-acre “catch and release” fishing lake.
    While the article declines to name the manufacturer of the custom flat ride, they do confirm it is a well known Italian ride company. Since the custom artwork looks very similar in concept to a Magic Bikes ride, we suspect this may be from Zamperla. 

 

icon_STOPFuture Projects - (12/11/2023) The founder of Morgan’s Wonderland held a meeting the other day to discuss what would be needed to create the first “ultra-accessible’ and inclusive hotel. After creating the ultra-accessible theme park, which has expanded to include a water park and sports facility, it sounds like he is now possibly looking into designing what the ideal resort experience would need to feature, and possibly partnering up with some of the big hotel companies in order to make it a reality at the park.
    Elsewhere in the article it also mentions that a second Morgan’s Wonderland theme park is also in development. The owner wouldn’t say where exactly, only that it would be somewhere “north of Texas”, and that they hope to announce it sometime in 2024.

 

 

OAK’S PARK (Portland, Orgeon)

2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for 2023

 

PACIFIC PARK (Santa Monica Pier, CA)

icon_STOPPark News - (3/15/2024) Amusement Today reports that Pacific Park at the Santa Monica Pier is being sold to a new investment firm owner, “SC Holdings”. According to the announcement, SC Holdings says that they will make $10 million in capital investments into the park’s food and entertainment offerings.

2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time...

 

PALACE PLAYLAND (Maine)

2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time...

 

PEPPA PIG THEME PARK - TEXAS (Dallas/Ft Worth area)

2024 - NEW PARK - (12/10/2023) The new Peppa Pig Theme Park under construction in Texas has reconfirmed their plans to open in 2024 and announced a list of the park’s attractions featuring five rides, seven themed play areas and more.
    The list of rides includes Daddy Pig’s Roller Coaster, Peppa Pig’s Balloon Ride, Grandad Dog’s Pirate Boat Ride, Grampy Rabbit’s Dinosaur Adventure, and Mr. Bull’s High Striker.
    Other attraction at the park include Muddy Puddles Splash Pad, Peppa’s Pedal Bike Tour, the Fun Fair, Grandpa Pig’s Greenhouse, Peppa Pip’s Treehouse, Mr Potatio’s Showtime Arena and many others. Follow the link here to see the complete list as well as some images.
    Keep in mind that Merlin is also building another Peppa Pig Theme Park next to their Legoland theme park in Germany as well, also set to open in 2024, so I’d expect to see a list of mostly the same style attractions there as well.
 
    (3/10/2023) Would you believe that Merlin is moving forward to build a second Peppa Pig Theme Park in the US? But it isn’t going where you think it might!
    Unlike how the first Peppa Pig Theme Park was built right next to the existing Legoland Florida theme park, Merlin’s plans for a sequel will now see them add a Peppa Pig Theme Park as a stand-alone project coming to the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas area. More specifically, the plan is to build it in the “North Richland Hills” area, with work to start sometime next year. Much like the Florida park, this will be a small stand-alone park experience meant for smaller kids.
    Interestingly enough, this seems like a move from Merlin to try and capitalize on the marker and get their park open before Universal Studios can open their proposed new mini-park in Frisco. Unlike the Universal proposal, which will see a small part built in the northern side of the greater Dallas area, the Richland Hills area closer to the Fort Worth area, and a short 18 to 20 minute drive from Arlington, long-time home to Six Flags over Texas and maybe just 15 minutes away from the Dallas/Fort Worth airport.
    It should be interesting to see what kind of impact this news has on Six Flags. Especiallyin terms of what kind of steps or expanded development plans they may try to put into place in order to retain their long-time dominance as the premier theme park in the area once they are not the only game in town any longer. 

 

PHARAOH’S ADVENTURE PARK (California)

2024 -  Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2015 - 2023 seasons.

 

PLAYLAND at the PNE (Vancouver, Canada)

icon_STOPPark News - (1/25/2024) Blooloop talks with the President of the PNE to discuss the evolution of the attraction at Hastings Park in Vancouver, how it has evolved over the years, the addition of the ThunderVolt coaster this summer and what the future has in store.

2023_0904_NewCoaster1

2023_0904_NewCoaster2

2023_0904_NewCoaster3

icon_STOP2024 - Thundervolt / Zamperla Lightning LSM Coaster - (1/7/2024) Some great pictures of ThunderVolt under construction at Playland can be found at this article, showing off the coaster’s bright and vibrant new paint job.
 
    (11/25/2023) Playland in Vancouver has now officially named their new Zamperla launched coaster coming in 2024 as “THUNDERVOLT”. While the train and new LSM launch system for the coaster are coming from Zamperla after the complete refurbishment, the rest of the coaster’s track and layout started out in Italy at the now closed Miragica theme park that operated from 2009 to 2018.
    The new Thundervolt will actually be the fastest launch coaster in Canada when it opens next year where riders on the 12-passenger train will pass through an intense “graphics and lighting” display that will pulse as it charges up in a pre-launch effect. I haven’t seen a top speed mentioned, but the website does confirm that riders will blast off into the layout with 1.3 Gs of acceleration up to the ride’s tallest point before diving 18-meters down.
    For those keeping track, this is the second former Intamin Accelerator style launched coaster that Zamperla is “re-launching” in 2024 with a new LSM Launch system with Zamperla’s new generation Lightning roller coaster trains. (The other being the former Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point)
    As you can see in the release video below, the entire layout for the new coaster is already complete, giving them plenty of time to install the launch tunnel and test the new trains and launch system before the Summer 2024 grand opening.

 
    (9/4/2023) While Playland hasn’t officially named their new launched coaster coming for the 2024 season, the new footers are being poured, the track and supports is now in a storage at the park, and a teaser sign has been set up to promote it.
 
    (3/10/2023) Playland at the PNE has started an online contest to name their new launched roller coaster coming to the park in 2024. You’ve only got about 2 or 3 days left to submit your entry so go now!
 
    (1/19/2023) A Facebook post from PNE/Playland came our earlier today, showijng off a piece of yellow roller coaster track from their new 2024 coaster project. The message also says that the park will be saying goodbye to Revelation and Drop Zone this week.

 
    (1/11/2023) Zamperla posted an interesting reel on IG in late December that features camera footage flying around their office space, the manufacturing plant and more. While it isn’t a huge reveal, about 20 seconds in you may spot the camera flying up on a large piece of yellow roller coaster track on the left side of the screen. This looks very much like Intamin style launch track and is more than likely a section of replacement launch track being retrofitted for the newly announced Lightning Coaster coming to Playland at the PNE in Canada.
    As previously reported, this is the former Senzafiato coaster (an Intamin creation) that is getting refurbished and a brand new LSM launch system and trains before it gets installed in Canada. Concept art of the PNE coaster project shows that the formerly red coaster track will be repainted yellow.
    According to rumors, Zamperla will be behind the update of the former Top Thrill Dragster coaster coming to Cedar Point in 2024 as well.

 
    (11/18/22) Attractions magazine has posted a series of images from the IAAPA showfloor from when Zamperla revealed their new Lightning Train car for the first time. I believe this is the prototype for the new train design that will be used on the Lightning LSM coaster going to Playland at the PNE in 2024. According to Zamperla, the train’s restraint system was designed for rider comfort and with the ability to accommodate guests across a wide range of body sizes.

 
    (11/15/22) Screamscape reached out to Zamperla to find out any more details about the possible link between the new PNE coaster project from Zamperla and the former Senzafiato roller coaster from Italy. The following statement was sent to Screamscape from Zamperla.
    “The track was Senzafiato’s before receiving a full refurbishment, the track and columns were initially designed for infinite life. Zamperla engineered and manufactured a new LSM launch system, the cutting-edge Lightning train and new control and electrical systems. All of these improvements will make for an even more thrilling ride, improved uptime and an all-around better ownership experience for Playland at the PNE.”
 
    (11/7/22) Sometimes it’s funny how one rumor leads right into another one, but while mentioning in another story about Zamperla’s rumored involvement in the upgrading of the Dragster coaster at Cedar Point, it also came up that Zamperla was rumored to have bought the closed Senzafiato coaster from a closed park in Italy. Like Dragster, Senzafiato was an Intamin Accelerator launch model ride, and according to the rumor Zamperla was going to update it to use a new LSM launch system, add all new trains, and install it in a new location.
    A reader pointed it out a few hours ago and I’ll be damned if I don’t agree that the layout of Senzafiato looks identical to the new coaster announced for Playland at the PNE in 2024, and it is also exactly 59 feet tall. The main difference is Senzafiato is listed as being 1312 feet long, while the PNE coaster is just slightly shorter at 1245 ft, but with a change in the launch system, along with some potential changes to fit the available footprint at PNE, that could explain some adjustments to the track length if they are the same ride. You can see a POV of Senzafiato below for a comparison.

 
    (11/6/22) A teaser animation from Zamperla shows off what their new LSM Launch coaster project for Playland at the PNE may look like in 2024 when it opens.

 
    (11/5/22) Zamperla has announced that a new Lightning LSM Coaster will be installed at Playland at PNE in Vancouver in 2024. They will be revealing the Lightning train for this new coaster project at IAAPA Expo Orlando later this month.
    The new coaster will actually be a family launched coaster, reaching a top speed of 72 km/h (45mph) for the run over 1,245 feet of track and hit a maximum height of 59 feet. Look for it to rise over the next 18 months on the site of the park’s former Corkscrew roller coaster.

 

PLAYLAND’S CASTAWAY COVE (Ocean City, NJ)

2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 - 2023

2022_NewEntranceArcadeArt

2025 - New Roller Coaster - (4/29/2023) Playland’s Castaway Cove has just received approval to build a new roller coaster. The park had been busy building a new entrance / arcade building and then had to stop on the work when it was revealed that the two-story building was going to have a third-floor addition that would serve as an operator booth for a new roller coaster. While buildings in the area would normally need a height variance to go taller than two-stories, the control room for the ride would be considered part of the ride, and exempt from the variance requirement. Construction was stopped for about two months while some clarification from the local government was needed to make a ruling on this unique case before they could move forward once again.
    While the building itself is planned to be finished and open sometime this summer season, they say that the new roller coaster itself won't be coming to the park until 2025. So far, no word on exactly what kind of ride they are planning just yet, but previously released concept art featured a design with a mine-car themed coaster that would travel in and out of an enclosed mountain structure above the arcade.

 

SANTA’S VILLAGE AMUSEMENT & WATERPARK (Dundee, Illinois)

2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time...

???? - New Dark Ride - Planned / Failed To Open / Status Unknown - (11/19/21) In a fun news story, the former Escape from Dinosaur Beach dark ride from the New Jersey Boardwalk has been sitting in storage since 1998. IRM Rides has announced that the ride has now been sold to Santa’s Village Azoosment & Water Park in East Dundee, IL who is planning to open a new version of the ride in time for the 2022 season.
    According to the report Santa’s Village will “provide a new theme for the attraction”, so I’m not sure what, if any aspects of the old attraction’s theming may be repurposed, other than the ride system. Either way, it is exciting to see yet another dark ride announced for the 2022 season, especially one coming to an unexpected location like this, so we wish them well and can’t wait to hear more about it!

???? - Yuletide Plunge - Planned / Status Unknown - (12/1/19) Santa’s Village (Dundee, IL) has announced plans to open Yuletide Plunge, a log flume ride, in time for their 2022 season. The ride hardware was purchased from IRM Rides and is actually the former Log Jammer ride that existed from 1992 to 2009 at the Kiddieland park in Melrose Park, IL. The OD Hopkins flume ride is 1,100 feet long, stands 40 feet tall with a 35 foot drop and able to handle 600 riders per hour. (Click here to see a couple of pictures of the ride just before it was closed down forever.)

 

SANTA’S VILLAGE (Jefferson, HN)

icon_STOP2024 - Midnight Flyer - (1/12/2024) Photos of Santa’s Village show off track and supports for the new Midnight Flyer family coaster from Vekoma are now on site. Pictures have been posted on FB at Coaster Chit Chat.

 
    (6/10/2023) Previously we mentioned how this was the final season to ride Rudy’s Rapid Transit Coaster at Santa’s Village, and now the New Hampshire park has announced that they will open a new replacement coaster in 2024! According to the announcement the park will open the Midnight Flyer, a brand new steel family coaster from Vekoma. No exact stats or layout were given, but they do confirm that Midnight Flyer will be “a little faster” and “rises a little higher” than Rudy’s as it takes guests on a twisted layout over the park.

 

SEABREEZE (New York)

2024 - Windstarz - (12/11/2023) According to the Seabreeze website the park appears to be replacing their Flying Scooters ride with a new Zamperla Windstarz ride.

 

SELVA MAGICA (Guadalajara, Mexico)

2024 -  Nothing is known at this point in time... and nothing added for the 2015 - 2023 seasons.

 

STEEL PIER (New Jersey)

2024 - Crazy Mouse - (11/18/22) - UPDATE - The Crazy Mouse looks like it will open in 2024 and the SkyRocket was pushed back a year to 2025.
    It has been announced that Steel Pier in Atlantic City will be adding two roller coasters from Premier Rides in 2024. The big one will be a Sky Rocket II launched coaster. The second is actually the new small spinning mouse coaster that was originally revealed in artwork in June of 2022 as coming in 2023, but it now looks like has been delayed.


 
    (6/18/22) A new posting from IRM Rides on Facebook shows off a poster for Steel Pier promoting a “New Spinning Coaster” coming for the 2023 season. In addition to a curious “Premier Rides” logo in the lower right corner (who I don’t believe have made a spinning coaster before), it mentions an upcoming contest to name the coaster.
    The previous rumors about Steel Pier retiring their Crazy Mouse coaster were not only true, but they didn't even wait to open it again for the 2022 season. RCDB now lists the Crazy Mouse as being closed for good. One odd thing is throwing me off a little, as the concept art in the posted for the new coaster looks exactly like the now closed Crazy Mouse, just that the old Crazy Mouse logo has been replaced with a new one that says Steel Pier.

 
    (1/27/22) I”m not sure how accurate this is, but I’m told that Steel Pier may be planning on retiring their Crazy Mouse (Reverchon Spinning Mouse) at the end of the 2022 season. If this proves true, look for some kind of new Mouse style coaster to replace it for the 2023 season. In the meantime get your last rides in on the Crazy Mouse while you can, just in case.

2025 - Sky Rocket II Roller Coaster - From the sound of things, the Premier Rides SkyRocket II roller coaster previously thought to be coming to Steel Pier in 2024 appears to have been pushed back to 2025 when the Spinning Coaster intended for 2023 was pushed back to 2024.

 

STORY LAND  (Glen, NH)
Parques Reunidos / Palance Entertainment

icon_STOPPark News - (1/22/2024) Another Palace Entertainment park has trimmed rides from their website ahead of opening for the 2024 season. I’m told that Story Land has removed the listings for the park’s former Crazy Barn, Turtle Twirl, Rap-Tour Safari attractions, as well as any mention of having live animals at the park.
 
    (12/29/2023) Story Land is turning 70 next year, so did you happen to visit the park with your family anytime over that time period? Story Land is holding a contest to win 4 tickets to the park for submitting a picture of your family at the park. Follow the link for details!

2024 - Moo Lagoon - (1/12/2024) New photos posted to Facebook from Coaster Chit Chat show off the various parts and pieces of the new Moo Lagoon now on site at Story Land, awaiting installation.

 
    (8/21/2023) Story Land in New Hampshire is going to have a wet and wild new addition for the 2024 season when they open the new Moo Lagoon water play area.

 

STORYBOOK LAND (New Jersey)

2024 - Nothing is known at this time...

 

TRIMPER’S RIDES (Ocean City, Maryland)

2024 -  Nothing is known at this point in time... also nothing added in 2023

 

WESTERN PLAYLAND (Sunland Park, New Mexico)

2024 -  Nothing is known at this point in time... also nothing added in 2023

 

WILD WAVES Theme & Water Park (Seattle-Tacoma, WA)
(Formerly known as Enchanted Village and Wild Waves)
Owned by EPR Properties
Managed by Premier Parks, LLC

Park News - (11/25/2023) It turns out that the Wild Waves theme park in Washington actually doesn’t own the property that the park sits upon, but instead it leases it from the city. Negotiations are under way between the park and the city that could extend the current lease agreement by 30 years, ensuring Wild Waves would remind a park of the local community through to at least 2053. The park says that the lease extension will allow them the time needed to make some major new investments into the property.

2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 - 2023

 

WONDERLAND PARK (Amarillo, TX)

2024 - Nothing is known at this point in time... Nothing added in 2022 - 2023

 

icon_STOPWONDERVERSE (Oak Brook, Illinois)
aka: Sony Wonderverse

2024 - New Attraction - (1/14/2024) Sony's new "Wonderverse” indoor attraction has now opened in the Chicago area. The unique attraction is a 45,000 sqft indoor wonderland of attractions themed to various Sony branded IPs (Ghostbusters, Jumanji, Uncharted, Zombieland, etc…) as well as themed dining and retail experiences. Don’t look for big steel rides here however, as the attractions seem to be more Escape Room, driving Simulator and VR based style concepts, which work well in the all indoor setting. There is a unique Zombieland themed bumper-car attraction however, where one car is selected to be Patient Zero and everyone else has to avoid being struck by this car. If you are hit, you become infected too and now you have to hunt down the survivors. Can you stay uninfected and drive your way out of the apocalypse?   
    I think I’d have to see it myself to really get a grasp of what they are offerings, but based on the photos, the vibe i’m getting is more of an adult level Dave & Busters style concept, without all the generic redemption games and instead focused on creating a much more detailed experience that even includes heavily theming the food and beverage options.
    The concept looks fun and it’s nice to see such a high end concept brought to a market outside of the more typical tourist markers like Orlando, Los Angeles or New York. Placing it in a major market like Chicago should serve as a good proof of concept location and help them move forward with any plans to bring additional Sony Wonderverse locations to life in other popular markets that are currently underserved by attractions.
   Those with long memories may recall that Chicago served as the location for the second DisneyQuest attraction, and the failure of DisneyQuest in Chicago brought along the downfall of the entire DisneyQuest concept, bringing the plans to build other locations to a screeching halt. The Chicago location opened in 1999 and closed in 2001, causing the construction of a third location in Philadelphia to be stopped for good in mid-build and the plans for a 4th grand location at the Disneyland Resort never got beyond the blueprints. While the original DisneyWorld location was much more successful the key problem with the Chicago location was that it constantly struggled with attendance, as it features a steep admission cost to get in, with no good way to preview all the wonders inside the windowless building. Potential guests struggled with the idea of paying in advance for a potentially unknown experience awaiting inside.
    The new Wondervese has wisely gone an entirely different direction with their business model, making it free for everyone to enter the building itself. Once inside, all attractions can be purchased separately, with prices said to range between $6 to $35 for each attraction, depending on what it is. For those visiting with children, all guests under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a chaperone at least 21+ and after 8pm all guests must be 21+. Those under age will be asked to leave by 8pm and if you are under 21 you will not be allowed in at all after 7pm, making the attraction a nice adult only experience after hours.
 
    (11/22/2023) Wonderverse is coming to Oak Brook, Illinois, where it will take up a space formerly occupied by a Sears store. Wonderverse will be an indoor immersive theme park style experience that “will feature escape rooms, interactive exhibits, VR experiences, bumper cars and racing simulators based on several film franchises.”
    The article does mention that the attraction will feature experienced themed to some of Sony’s “most iconic films” along with a variety of food and beverages served in themed dining spaces, including some “hidden bars” you can discovery. According to the official teaser website we will see attractions themed to Zombieland, Ghostbusters, 21 Jump Street, Uncharted, Bad Boys and Jumanji.
    The local news mentions a few more details about some of the attractions, including an “Uncharted: The Pursuit” escape room experience, a pair of Ghostbuster themed VR attractions, a Zombieland themed arcade area, a Jumanji: Reverse the Curse VR experience and Bad Boys themed racing simulators. Look for “The Ghost Trap” to serve as a hidden Ghostbusters themed speakeasy, as a 21 Jump Street pop-up bar.
    Wonderverse is expected to soft open sometime in December with limited offerings ahead of a planned grand opening that will take place sometime in January.

 

 

 

Welcome To Screamscape!

If you’re a theme park lover or enjoy the best thrill rides the world has to offer, you’ve found the right place.

From new ride announcements, construction reports and the latest rumors: Screamscape always has something new to report.

 

 
graphic_coasterhill

Copyright © 1996 - 2024 by Lance Hart & Screamscape.com.  All rights reserved.