The Former Spirit Airlines Flight Academy at Wannado City and Airline Attractions at Theme Parks

Spirit Airlines is now part of history and for many people it offered cheap transportation to their favorite theme parks. However, did you know there once was a Spirit Airlines attraction at a theme park? Spirit Airlines was part of Wannado City, a career-focused theme park that opened in 2004 inside the Sawgrass Mills mall in Sunrise, Florida. Guests could explore a plane fuselage painted in Spirit colors/logo (the older gray/black scheme as opposed to the later iconic yellow planes). The attraction was called Spirit Airlines Flight Academy and was interactive allowing guest to operate a flight simulator!

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The Highly Unique Tasmanian River Rapids at Wild Adventures with a Surprising Jurassic Park and Minions Connection

Wild Adventures has a very rare water rapids ride, Tasmanian River Rapids, made by German manufacturer HAFEMA. In fact it’s the only one of its type in North America and one of only two in the Western Hemisphere. On top of that, did you know that Wild Adventures Tasmanian River Rapids uses the same HAFEMA “Wild Raft Rides” system as Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure at Universal Studios Singapore? Even more surprising is that HAFEMA Wild Raft Ride with a Minions theme is coming to Universal Kids Resort in Frisco, Texas later this year! The ride experience itself of Wild Adventure’s Tasmanian River Rapids packs some surprises too, but we’ll put a spoiler warning before we get to them. There are of course other manufacturers and iterations of a river raft ride, but the version at Wild Adventures is installed at some major international parks including Phantasialand and Universal Studios Singapore. HAFEMA originally served as an Intamin supplier before becoming independent in 1990, hence any similarities you see with their rides and older Intamin river rapids rides.

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The Amazing Lift Hill that Powers Fury 325 at Carowinds

In a traditional roller coaster the lift hill is the source of energy to power the train throughout the course. This is essentially the conversion of potential energy into kinetic energy. The lift hill builds anticipation for the ride to come and is also vital to making the more often written about aspects of a roller coaster possible. This article will be part trigonometry and part physics to help describe this overlooked part of one of the world’s best roller coasters.

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Dollywood Renovates Trains for 2026 to Run on Oil Instead of Coal

For the 2026 season Dollywood is making a change to one of its oldest and most popular rides, the Dollywood Express steam trains. Both of Dollywood’s engines are being converted to run on oil instead of coal. This is for the comfort and safety of patrons, but also eliminates the risk of an errant cinder causing a fire in dry seasons. Dollywood has two engines, No. 192, named Klondike Katie, and No. 70, known as Cinderella (which ironically will no longer have cinders). Both these World War II engines actually previously ran on oil, but were converted to coal before being acquired by Dollywood. So the renovation will return the locomotives to closer to how they were historically without impacting the experience for riders.

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Riding Catapult Falls, the World’s First Launched Flume Ride, at SeaWorld San Antonio

Catapult Falls at SeaWorld San Antonio is an Intamin flume coaster which opened in 2024. The ride is themed around camping and national parks and is the world’s first launched flume ride. In addition to the launch, riders will experience North America’s only vertical flume lift, two airtime hills and two splashdowns. For hot summer days in Texas Catapult Falls could be a fun way to cool off.

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The Underappreciated Boomerang Roller Coaster with Potentially the Best Located at Wild Adventures

Boomerang at Wild Adventures

The Boomerang roller coaster by Vekoma is an amazing ride that is probably underappreciated due to its commercial success. Boomerang installations are numerous with over 50 operating locations worldwide with most using Boomerang in its name. However, just because something is common doesn’t mean it isn’t good and with a Boomerang you’ll experience some of the most intense forces possible on a steel roller coaster. One of the best and most well kept is the Boomerang at Wild Adventures Theme Park in Valdosta, GA. It even received some upgrades making it even better for the 2026 season.

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Former Ragin’ Cajun Wild Mouse Coaster From Shuttered Six Flags America Relocating to Six Flags Great Adventure for its Newly Reimagined Shoreline Pier Boardwalk Area

Six Flags America in Maryland closed forever on November 2, 2025. There was much talk about which, if any, rides would be relocated to other Six Flags parks. The trains from Professor Screamore’s SkyWinder (formerly Mind Eraser) were quickly shipped to Canada’s Wonderland to upgrade their Vekoma SLC, Flight Deck. Also, Some of the rides were briefly listed for sale and quickly removed, but there hasn’t been much information since. Now it appears that Ragin’ Cajun, one of the rides thought most likely to relocate, will be headed to Six Flags Great Adventure for its newly reimagined Shoreline Pier Boardwalk area. This wild mouse coaster has gotten a new paint job and will now be called Barrels O’ Fun.

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Splash Island Waterpark at Wild Adventures Claims No. 1 Spot for Best Lazy River in America

Wild Adventures Theme Park & Splash Island Waterpark in Valdosta, Georgia are celebrating a big win for Paradise River as America’s “Best Lazy River” according to readers of USA TODAY in the 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. The historic win follows four weeks of intense competition between twenty lazy rivers at parks nationwide, including Universal Studios, Disney, Aquatica and Six Flags. Wild Adventures and its staff should be commended for the impressive campaign they mounted to secure this great honor and you can read the complete press release here.

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Minecraft World Opening in 2027 at Chessington in the UK

Minecraft World Rendering
Minecraft World Rendering (Courtesy of Merlin Entertainments)

Minecraft World will open at Chessington World of Adventures in Greater London (UK) next year in 2027. The land will include new attractions including a world-first Minecraft coaster, themed retail and dining, plus a host of fan favourites and ridiculous fun from the Minecraft universe. The coaster looks especially intriguing and could perhaps follow the model of the well received Galacticoaster at the US LEGOLAND parks being indoors with controlled rotation cars (think Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind) , screens and launches.

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New Lookout Safari Roller Coaster Coming to Lake Winnie in 2026!

In a somewhat surprising development, Lake Winnie has announced it is getting a new roller coaster in 2026! The roller coaster will be called Lookout Safari and is actually the coaster formerly known as Kombo that was removed from the Indianapolis Zoo. Lookout Safari gets its name from the unique train cars that look like safari “jeep’ vehicles complete with seat backs that look like gas cans. This is a great family coaster that should fit in perfectly at Lake Winnie and will look great along the water across from Cannonball.

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