originally posted on 1/21/2022 1:45:30 AM
Logo courtesy of Adventureland. View full-sized image.
Not every new roller coaster aims to land on Top Ten lists. Sometimes, simply being fun is the main goal, and guests can appreciate that. If it is colorful and different and fun to watch, then those are nice boxes to check too.
Adventureland in Farmingdale, New York, is introducing American audiences to the rare Roller Ball coaster. The first coaster of this type opened in 2018 in Germany. Since then, the ride has come in two sizes. Called Fireball, the Adventureland model will be that of the original, just under 70 feet. (The larger is 93 feet.) The marketing appeal to parks is not only a unique ride experience but also the lack of a requirement of a large piece of land upon which to install the ride. The track is stacked vertically (an advantage that S&S Worldwide’s 4D Free Spin coaster also utilizes). Riders are seated in back-to-back pairs in cars that are attached to the track on one side of the vehicle. Much like a marble in a child’s toy, riders roll and zigzag their way down the structure. The length is only 288 feet, but the experience offers five drops over the ends as the cars change direction. As the cars drop, it causes swing and rocking to add to the thrill.
Ride Engineers Switzerland is the manufacturer of the ride. Until now, all installations have been in Europe. This will be a first for North America.
Riders swing and rock, as seen here on an installation in Austria.
Photo: Gerhard Waldmann. View full-sized image.
Fireball will join two other coasters at the small but charming park. Rattlesnake Coaster is a Zierer coaster that has been at Adventureland since 2000. The park’s most recent coaster debut was Turbulence, a Mack Rides spinning coaster that opened in 2015 to much fanfare.
With new action happening at both Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park and Luna Park at Coney Island just over 30 miles away, enthusiasts can find a nice assortment of new offerings in the Empire State this summer.
— Tim Baldwin, ACE News Editor
#ACENews