CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
January 17, 2002 | From Times Staff Reports
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.
NEWS
June 29, 2012 | By Brady MacDonald
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.
NEWS
November 7, 2012 | By Brady MacDonald, Los Angeles Times staff writer
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.
NEWS
December 1, 2010 | By Brady MacDonald, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
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.
NEWS
February 29, 2012 | By Brady MacDonald, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
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.
NEWS
December 12, 2013 | By Brady MacDonald
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.