With summer only a month away, we previously selected the most exciting new roller coasters and other attractions for theme park tourists. As is regularly the case, several people expressed disappointment that a few other rides failed to make the list. Since your passion is our passion, we’ve decided to complete a second round of upcoming 2015 attractions. This gives all of us an excuse to spend a part of the day looking at awesome ride videos and daydreaming about upcoming vacations. So, without further ado, here are seven more of the hottest rides ready to debut later this year, plus a bonus attraction that isn’t quite ready for prime time yet.
1. Twisted Colossus
Predictably, my final two cuts on the initial list were the ones that caused the most outrage. Twisted Colossus is a future entrant in the Best Repurposed Rides category, because the Six Flags Magic Mountain structure initially debuted in 1978. For over 36 years, it maintained its status as a signature theme park attraction before Six Flags decided to shut it down for renovations. In fact, this is the roller coaster the Griswolds exert an extraordinary amount of effort to ride at Wally World in National Lampoon’s Vacation.
Like several other recent other attractions, Twisted Colossus reimagines a wood roller coaster into a hybrid of wood and steel. The result is spectacular. In fact, it’s expected to become the world’s longest hybrid coaster with a length of almost exactly 5,000 feet.
Twisted Colossus promises roughly four minutes of ride time, and the rider races a car on the other track throughout the proceedings. So whether you’re on the green side or the blue side, you will jostle for position beside, over, and under the people on the other track. You’ll race so close to others that the ride’s architects are championing its “high five” element since you pass close enough to high five a stranger. The new design for Twisted Colossus puts the emphasis on fun.
2. Wicked Cyclone
This ride shares a lot of similarities to the one above. Also a Six Flags renovation, this time at New England, the ride was originally Cyclone, the infamous Coney Island clone launched in 1983. Like Twisted Colossus, the new version modifies the prior wood design. The chief difference is that rather than building a hybrid in its place, the new version of Cyclone will be a steel coaster featuring a dazzling trio of zero-g roll inversions, two of which happen in quick succession. Wicked Cyclone shortens the track of its predecessor to 3,320 feet while boosting its speed to 55 MPH. There are also a whopping 14 bunny hills. You can see it all for yourself here.
3. Laff Trakk
If you are afraid of clowns, this ride is probably not for you. After all, the first thing you’ll see when the ride begins is an oversized clown face taunting you. If you don’t mind clowns or can get past the initial horror, Hersheypark’s Laff Trakk offers one of the most atmospheric, gloriously thematic ride experiences I’ve ever seen.
This attraction celebrates the bygone days of amusement parks when splashy colors and trick mirrors provided entertainment in lieu of thrill rides. It’s functionally a roller ride through a carnival, and I mean that in the best possible way. Hersheypark has always celebrated the funhouse concept as demonstrated by the fact that it still has a handful in operation. Laff Trakk turns the premise on its head by providing a “indoor, spinning, glow-in-the-dark coaster,” the first of its kind in the United States. Everything about that description exemplifies the joy of amusement parks. This ride has a legitimate chance to become the most colorful roller coaster ever built. If this video doesn’t sell you on the concept, you and I can’t be friends.
4. Switchback
If you like rooting for the little guy, you’re going to love Switchback. It’s the largest endeavor yet by ZDT’s Amusement Park in Seguin, Texas. It is billed as the world’s only wooden shuttle coaster, and its roots are unmistakable. The throwback design takes inspiration from the original roller coaster, Switch Back Railway at Coney Island. Of course, the surprise during the ride is described in the name of the coaster. Midway through the journey, the shuttle cart suddenly reverses course, providing a thrilling backwards portion to the proceedings. Switchback is equal parts retro and forward thinking, demonstrating that ZDT’s Amusement Park is one to watch in coming years.
5. The Joker: Chaos Coaster
Have you ever wondered what it would feel like for your pet hamster if it somehow made it to the top of the wheel? The Joker: Chaos Coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia is like that as a roller coaster. In fact, it’s best described as that old pirate ship ride premise taken to another level by putting the same premise in action on a roller coaster track. Watch the video and you’ll understand what I mean. What this has to do with the Batman’s mortal enemy escapes me, but since I still experience night terrors from a space shuttle-style pirate ship ride that went all the way around the full 360 degrees, I need to ride this just to beat my fear. Then again, night terrors aren’t so bad…at least in comparison to having your entire world inverted by an amusement park ride.
Note that there are slight variations of this ride cropping up at Six Flags parks across the country. The Looping Dragon at Six Flags Great Adventure is one while the Bourbon Street Fireball, something I’m pretty sure I drank once at Mardi Gras, is another. That one is hosted at Six Flags America. So, pirate rides on coaster tracks are very in this summer.
6. Fast & Furious Supercharged
Fittingly, Furious 7 recently became the fastest film to earn a billion dollars, reaching that mark in only two weekends of domestic release. All land speed records are fair game for Vin Diesel and his crew, after all. Universal Studios anticipated that the latest film would become the iconic one in the franchise, and they have readied Fast & Furious Supercharged as one of their seminal summer ride experiences this year. This is a tram ride intended to provide the user with the experience of wandering onto the street of a racing showdown between the characters from the film, Paul Walker excluded for obvious reasons. Vin Diesel, The Rock, Tyrese Gibson, and Michelle Rodriguez are all featured in the ride as well as this promotional video. Supercharged is scheduled to debut in June of 2015. Prove you’re a good driver, bro.
7. Tempesto
Busch Gardens Williamsburg finally acknowledged in late March that the giant construction that they’d worked on for over a year was in fact a roller coaster, which is kind of like acknowledging you’re pregnant when you’re in the delivery room. People already know.
How late was this announcement? Tempesto is only days away from debuting, meaning that about 30 days will have passed since the confirmation. I’m guessing all of the people involved with Tempesto do all of their holiday shopping on December 24th.
Anyway, Tempesto is a white-hot concept similar to The Zombie Ride from the last article as well as Superman: Ultimate Flight at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. The Williamsburg take on the premise includes three different launch elements that are on full display in this excellent POV video. Suffice to say that the riders are in the moment when they’re on Tempesto.
BONUS: The Skyscraper
Finally, since so many people asked about its exclusion, I’ve added this one. It technically doesn’t quality and isn’t even close since it’s not due to debut until 2017. Still, these articles are about giving the people what they want. Judging from your comments, what you want is an excuse to watch video of the future tallest roller coaster in the world. You don’t have to twist my arm, because The Skyscraper is insane in the best possible way.
