originally posted on 5/21/2021
A new logo for Prairie Screamer. View full-sized image.
Prairie Screamer Will Be a New Name for a Fan Favorite
Screamer at Scandia Amusement Park (Ontario, California) has found a new home. After the park closed in 2019, many fans wondered what would happen to the wild coaster. The large E&F Miler was known for big drops, fast curves and some fierce airtime. Fortunately, the ride was not lost in the closure. Its new home is Texas.
Screamer at Scandia Amusement Park.
Photos: Tim Baldwin. View full-sized image.
View full-sized image.
The structure has been on site at Traders Village in Grand Prairie. The year-round flea market is located about five miles south of Six Flags Over Texas (Arlington). The structure has already been repainted; the track is currently undergoing the beauty treatment. When reassembled, the coaster will stand 87 feet tall — an impressive height for a fairgrounds-style coaster.
The park has been in communication with Fred Miler to acquire brand-new, updated trains for the ride. Seatbelts and lap bars will be the restraint system.
The ride is expected to be completed in early fall. Its new name will be Prairie Screamer.
Serial Serpent Slithers Eastward
Serial Serpent.
Photo by Bill Linkenheimer III. View full-sized image.
Not quite as large as the one noted above, but another E&F Miler coaster will be finding new digs. Serial Serpent is the new name for a children’s coaster going into Funtimes Fun Park in Alliance, Ohio. Previously, the ride was giving giggles to kids at a Go Bananas facility in Norridge, Illinois.
The height of this coaster is just under 12 feet.
New Trains on Big Apple Coaster at New York New York
Big Apple Coaster with its new trains from Premier Rides.
Photo: Courtesy Theme Park Wizard. View full-sized image.
When Big Apple Coaster opened at the New York New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas in 1997, it was during a 1990s rush of coasters to hit the desert city. Some of those coasters have departed, but this one has remained. Built by TOGO, it originally opened as Manhattan Express. Coaster connoisseurs noted it was more photogenic than comfortable.
Over the years, the ride has been upgraded with new train bodies and magnetic braking. This spring, the ride has reopened with new trains from Premier Rides. The new versions are very reminiscent of what is seen on the company’s Sky Rocket II models.
Of note, the track is still the same TOGO installation. So, there’s that.
Gerstlauer Is Such a Big Tease
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In recent weeks, Ride Entertainment (which represents Gerstlauer for U.S. sales) announced a tease but no details. In a statement, this information was given: “Gerstlauer Amusement Rides has signed an agreement to manufacture a new record-breaking coaster for a yet-to-be-named client in the United States. The attraction, which is scheduled to open in May of 2022, will be announced in the months ahead.”
“Working with Gerstlauer for over 25 years, I am always astounded by their creativity and ability to innovate no matter what the project is,” said Ed Hiller, CEO of Ride Entertainment. “It is no different for the custom layout and challenging location for this coaster, which is sure to become a showcase attraction. This will surely be one of the most formidable installations we have faced.”
Let the guessing begin.
Mini-Cheetah?
Cheetah at Wild Adventures.
Photo: S. Madonna Horcher. View full-sized image.
In an interview with Amusement Today, Brandon Paul of Amuse Rides talked about the company’s project of disassembling Cheetah at Wild Adventures (Valdosta, Georgia). He spoke of how many of the aspects of the former Custom Coasters International woodie will be preserved. The station and transfer track of the ride will soon become a viewing platform for the wildlife in the surrounding area. Much of the structure and materials used in the ride will be repurposed.
Intriguing to coaster enthusiasts, Paul noted that his team is disassembling the coaster very carefully. He made sure to emphasize nothing is being destroyed. He joked that with the saved structure, Amuse Rides would be willing to rebuild a “Mini Cheetah” at a later time.
It sounds like a good idea to ACE. Now if Wild Adventures management will sit down with Paul and listen to this solid idea, it would be a great use of available resources. Having a new coaster off and running would be enthusiastically received.
— Tim Baldwin, ACE News Editor
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