S S Power

A disaster-prone Texas tourist destination that for more than a century has been an on-again, off-again home to oceanfront amusements will once again lure thrill-seekers with roller coasters, midway games and carnival confections. PHOTOS: New rides at Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier The $60-million Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier plans to open in May with 16 rides, including a vertical-lift steel coaster, a 100-foot-tall Ferris wheel with programmable LED lights and a 200-foot-tall swing tower offering panoramic views of the Gulf of Mexico.

A disaster-prone Texas tourist destination that for more than a century has been an on-again, off-again home to oceanfront amusements will once again lure thrill-seekers with roller coasters, midway games and carnival confections. PHOTOS: New rides at Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier The $60-million Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier plans to open in May with 16 rides, including a vertical-lift steel coaster, a 100-foot-tall Ferris wheel with programmable LED lights and a 200-foot-tall swing tower offering panoramic views of the Gulf of Mexico.

In the wake of two recent accidents at California theme parks, including one in which a board flew from a Knott's Berry Farm ride Monday and struck five people in the head, a state Senate committee voted to require statewide inspections of all amusement park rides. Though the committee members did not discuss Sunday's tragedy--a 12-year-old boy fell to his death at a Bay Area amusement park--Assemblyman Tom Torlakson (D-Antioch) said the incident added momentum to support for the bill.

VertiGo, a thrill ride at Knott's Berry Farm, remained closed Wednesday after an accident involving an identical ride at a theme park in Ohio. A 265-foot steel column on the ride collapsed Monday at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. The park was closed at the time and no one was injured. One of three steel towers that supports the ride broke about 65 feet above the ground. Riders on VertiGo are secured in individual harnesses before being launched into the air.

While theme parks often add water parks to attract more visitors and encourage longer stays,  Italy's Etnaland water park will introduce a twist on the trend by opening a theme park in 2013. PHOTOS: Etnaland theme park set to open in 2013 Set to debut in March 2013, Etnaland's new theme park will feature 27 attractions including roller coasters, thrill rides, dark rides and water rides. Park World reports that several of the theme park attractions may soft-open in late 2012.

A pair of otherworldly photos from Superstorm Sandy will be forever etched in my memory of the historic hurricane. The first photo showed up in much of the mainstream media coverage and became a symbol of the storm: A seemingly intact roller coaster poking out of the Atlantic Ocean off the Jersey Shore like the skeleton of a sea serpent. The second image ricocheted around the Internet via social media sites and became a symbol of vulnerability and resilience following the storm: An undamaged carousel inside an eerily lit enclosure completely surrounded by water that looked like a glowing jewelry box floating off the New York City coast.

With 14 rides, including eight roller coasters, the proposed Orlando Thrill Park hopes to cater to enthusiasts underserved by Florida's theme parks. Photo gallery : View the 14 proposed Orlando Thrill Park rides Scheduled to open in summer 2013, the proposed amusement park would include rides from several manufacturers, including Intamin , Vekoma , Chance Morgan , Mack , S&S Power , U.S. ThrillRides and Mondial , according to Chuck Bell, spokesman for the Orlando Thrill Park.

A tiny Orlando, Fla., family entertainment center plans to add seven attractions over the next few years in a bid to become a small amusement park with a collection of new rides that rivals its better-known neighbors. Any of the new additions - from a pair of roller coasters to a trio of towering thrill rides to a quartet of water park slides - would be the envy of any regional theme park. PHOTOS: New rides coming to Fun Spot Orlando The $20-million investment will expand the Fun Spot Action Park located along Orlando's International Drive corridor from 5 to 15 acres in three stages: The first stage will add a wooden roller coaster, a Screamin' Swing thrill ride and a double-decker carousel by February 2013.

A new era of towering thrill rides debuting over the next few years promises to alter the skylines of theme parks around the world. Photos: New towering thrill rides on the horizon Free-fall drop towers and skyrocketing space shots have been part of the theme park landscape for decades, but the next generation of sky-scraping attractions will significantly ramp up pulse rates while reaching once unimagined heights. Not too long ago, 300 feet was considered tall in the theme park universe.

In the wake of back-to-back accidents at California theme parks, including one in which a board flew free from a Knott's Berry Farm ride Monday and struck five people in the head, a state Senate committee voted to require statewide inspections of all amusement park rides. Though Senate committee members did not discuss Sunday's tragedy--a 12-year-old boy fell to his death at a Bay Area amusement park--Assemblyman Tom Torlakson (D-Antioch) said the incident added momentum to support for the bill.

For Sharyl Bean of Anaheim, the one-hour wait in line was well worth the one-minute thrill she got on Supreme Scream, a new heart-stopping, free-fall ride at Knott's Berry Farm. Bean, 31, who was laughing and dancing in her seat just before it dropped 252 feet, said she had watched the structure being built as she drove by on her way to work. A little shaky after the ride, she said it was everything she'd hoped for. "It was so much fun," she said. "I think my favorite part was the big drop."