Park News
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Red Sea Astrarium
Groundbreaking is about to begin in Jordan on the US$1.5 million The Red Sea Astrarium (TRSA). Plans for this, the country’s first themed tourist destination, were unveiled to local delegates recently at the World Economic Forum. Located in the Aqaba Special Economic Zone, it is hoped the project will catapult Jordan to the forefront for interactive entertainment experiences while affording “a multi-cultural bridge that connects past, present and future, with the aim of bringing together people of all cultures, backgrounds and age groups.”
A total of 16 attractions and experiences are called for, including an i-Ride (Soarin’-style) simulator, 4D cinema, indoor waterpark and Star Trek experience. Rubicon Group Holding (RGH) will oversee the production of 15 of these attractions. Clustered around the “iconic” Astrarium building housing the various attractions will be four 5-star hotels, waterfront recreation areas and expansive retail and dining facilities, as well as a large theatre. Adjacent to TRSA, the American Museum of Natural History is building a Silk Road Exhibition.
Great America strikes Gold Now the tallest and fastest wooden rollercoaster in Northern California,
Gold Striker by Great Coasters International (GCI) has opened at Great America, Santa Clara. Designed with an Old West feel, the attraction stands 100ft (33m) at its highest point with a first drop of 103ft (31m). Riders careen along 3,197ft (974m) of track at speeds of almost 55mph (85kmh). Adding intrigue to ride is a 174ft-long (53m) “mine shaft” tunnel on the first drop. Enclosed by wood on both sides, with corrugated metal on top and in-fill underneath the tracks, it replicates a true gold mine feel! Custom designed and built for the topography of California’s Great America by GCI, Gold Striker sits in the Celebration Plaza area of the park, wrapped around the Star Tower observation tower. Two trains accommodate 24 passengers each (four riders per car and six cars per train) with a capacity of 850 riders per hour.
rghentertainment.com Red Star/nWave
launch new 4D film Directed by Ben Smith, The Good, The Bad and A Horse is the latest 3D/4D attraction film from the British animation studio Red Star, available for distribution exclusively from nWave Pictures. The 11-minute production tells the story of a plucky sheriff and his horse. When a bank robber evades capture by means of an unusual weapon
and then escapes by train with the loot, our hero goes after him in hot pursuit, unfazed by the dangers posed by a deserted mine and a broken-down railway. Low on dialogue, but high on action, the 3D film takes full advantage of 4D effects such as smell, explosions and blasts of wind.
The new film marks the third collaboration between nWave and Red Star since the release earlier this year of Sherlock Holmes and 2012’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. With these and its own library of films, nWave now boasts a catalogue of 64 titles available for licence.
nwave.com More backwards action at
Six Flags Great America First it was the park’s B&M Inverted Coaster, Batman: The Ride, now Six Flags Great America near Chicago is to set in motion a series of rollercoasters that will run backwards for a limited time only. From now through until August 26, guests will be able to sample The Viper wooden coaster in reverse. Modelled after the famous Coney Island Cyclone, the Philadelphia Toboggan Coaster ride has delivered over 21 million rides since opening in 1995.
Then, in the fall, both sets of trains on world’s longest racing wooden rollercoaster, the American Eagle, will hit the tracks backwards.
The last day to catch Batman: The Ride in reverse was July 7.
The Viper 14 JULY 2013
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