Author: printingddd

Mine Blower at Fun Spot America Kissimmee is a Fun Ride with Explosive Power in a Small Footprint

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Mine Blower roller coaster at Fun Spot America Kissimmee

Mine Blower is the signature coaster at Fun Spot Kissimmee. Among coaster enthusiasts it’s both famous and infamous as it has an amazing layout that’s wildly fun, but has also gotten a reputation for being rough, even by wooden coaster standards. However, the park has recently attempted to address this issue with an RMC 208 partial retrack. I had the chance to ride it on a recent trip to the Orlando area and here’s my review of the experience along with an overview of the great Gravity Group creation that is Mine Blower.

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Georgia Gold Rusher Coming to Six Flags Over Georgia in Spring of 2025!

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Georgia Gold Rusher logo
Georgia Gold Rusher Logo (courtesy of Six Flags Over Georgia)

On January 22, 2025 Six Flags Over Georgia announced its newest thrill attraction, Georgia Gold Rusher, will open in Spring of 2025. This first-of-its-kind family ride combines high-speed adventure and soaring elevation with free-spinning gondola seating and dynamic water features. This attraction was originally announced with the name Georgia Surfer and the new Georgia Gold Rusher’s name and reimagined theming is part of a larger investment in overall guest experience. Enhancements in dining, décor, storytelling and retail will accompany the new attraction.

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Cadbury World is a Sweet Theme Park, Museum and Interactive Advertisement Combination!

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Entrance to Cadbury World

Cadbury World is part theme park, part museum and part immersive advertisement all in one located on the campus of the the Cadbury chocolate plant in Bournville, Birmingham, England. This is not a factory tour, however you will learn about the company’s history and the chocolate making process through some great interactive experiences. On a recent business trip the the United Kingdom I got a chance to experience Cadbury World and left with a bunch of new knowledge, good memories and pockets full of free chocolate! Here’s my review of one of the sweetest places on Earth.

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Ride a Roller Coaster at your Local Arcade with the Rilix Coaster

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The Rilix Coaster VR at the Strand Adventures Arcade in Manitowoc, Wisconsin
The Rilix Coaster VR at the Strand Adventures Arcade in Manitowoc, Wisconsin

On a recent trip to Strand Adventures, a family entertainment center in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, I ran across the Rilix Coaster in the arcade. It was quickly obvious it was a VR experience, but with the twist of being coaster themed. I’ve ridden virtual reality coasters before, but they’re not usually in the regular arcade and instead are more of an upcharge experience, usually with an attendant. There are other arcade VR experiences too like Virtual Rabbids, but not with a complete coaster theme, so the Rilix Coaster is unique in its offering.

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The Closing of La Vibora at Six Flags Over Texas Ends the Era of the Intamin Bobsledding Coaster

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La Vibora at Six Flags Over Texas. An Intamin Swiss Bob Roller coaster.
La Vibora at Six Flags Over Texas by Jeremy Thompson, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped)

I was sad to see the closure of La Vibora at Six Flags Over Texas on November 4, 2024. As far as I can tell it was the last standing of what was known as the Swiss Bob roller coaster by Intamin. On a Swiss Bob a bobsled like vehicle is taken up a lift hill and then released into a tubular track to free roll and mimic the action of Olympic bobsledding. Most classify this style of ride as a roller coaster even though it lacks traditional track. La Vibora is being removed to make room for a new dive coaster for 2026 (here’s a video of the demolition from Amusement Source), which no doubt will be a great addition for the park, but the uniqueness of the Swiss Bob will surely be missed.

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Aerie’s Alpine Coaster Review at Aerie’s Resort in Grafton, Illinois

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Aerie's Mountain Coaster rider camera

Just over the Missouri border outside St. Louis in the southwest corner of Illinois you’ll find the town of Grafton with Aerie’s Resort and Aerie’s Alpine Coaster. This Wiegand mountain coaster opened in September of 2022 and is currently the only mountain coaster in Illinois. The coaster sports 3,885 feet of track in a beautiful resort setting that offers insane views of the Mississippi River below.

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SWIFT Rails Plans to Use Aspects of Roller Coaster Technology for Safe, Fast and Efficient Travel

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SWIFT Rails Pod on Track
SWIFT Rails Pod on Track (picture courtesy of SWIFT Rails)

I came across an intriguing company called SWIFT Rails that looks like a blend of a transit system, autonomous car and roller coaster all in one. However, instead of being designed for delivering intense forces and thrills, SWIFT Rails is designed to give safe, comfortable and efficient transportation.

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Wild Adventures Opening on “Pi Day” 2025!

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Wild Adventures PassHolder Preview

Wild Adventures is opening for its passholder preview on Friday, March 14, 2025. This is the day before the regular park opening on March 15, 2025 and is one of the first 2025 opening date announcements I’ve seen. The date also corresponds to “Pi Day”, so it’ll be interesting to see if the park does anything interesting with “pie” that night. 2025 will be especially exciting with the opening of the new Water’s Edge area of the park. The campground will also open that weekend and begin operating for its first complete season.

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Want to Live in Walking Distance of Disneyland?

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An article caught my eye about a house within walking distance of Disneyland for under $1 million. One of the complications of a visit to many parks is dealing with the travel, traffic and parking to get to the front gate and back home at the end of the day. Sometimes walking to a park is possible if there is a resort hotel on property, but this would be like having this convenience permanently. The house sold in October, but it had me thinking what it would be like to live so close to a theme park.

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