originally posted on 12/29/2023
Rendering: Courtesy of Knott’s Berry Farm. View full-sized image.
Snoopy’s Tenderpaw Twister Coaster to debut with new Camp Snoopy at Knott’s Berry Farm while one park favorite reopens (and another remains closed)
Following 40 years of operation, Knott’s Berry Farm (Buena, Park, California) has retired its 1983 Bradley & Kaye Timberline Twister. It will be replaced with a Zamperla 155m called Snoopy’s Tenderpaw Twister Coaster, along with Sally’s Swing Along and Camp Snoopy’s Off-Road Rally. These are also to be supplied by Zamperla, the Italian manufacturer performing work at Cedar Point (Sandusky, Ohio) in its reimaging of Top Thrill Dragster into Top Thrill 2. In addition, Huff and Puff, High Sierra Ferris Wheel and Rocky Mountain Trucking Company will be removed as part of this overhaul.
However, the park has reopened its popular 2002 Intamin Xcelerator. It has been closed since March 2022 (following a period of downtime for repainting), and rumors began to circulate about the coaster possibly being removed from the park.
Meanwhile, the park’s other launched coaster — the Schwarzkopf shuttle loop Montezooma’s Revenge — remains closed and in a state of partial disassembly. In 2022, Knott’s Berry Farm announced the coaster would be closed for a period of time to perform upgrades, such as a new launch system, trains and name: MonteZOOMa: The Forbidden Fortress. Originally planned to debut in summer of 2023, it is unknown when (or even if) the iconic coaster — the last operational Schwarzkopf shuttle in North America and one of the few remaining in the world — will thrill riders again.
Photo: Dave Jackson. View full-sized image.
Speaking of long-dormant Schwarzkopf coasters…
Following years of reassembly (and presumably some repairs), Indiana Beach (Monticello, Indiana) began testing All American Triple Loop late in 2023, leading to speculation it will finally welcome riders in 2024.
Having debuted as Dreier Looping on the German fair circuit in June of 1984, the coaster eventually found homes at Sunway Lagoon (Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia) and Flamingo Land (Malton, North Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom) before ending up at La Feria Chapultepec Mágico (Mexico City, Mexico), where it was known as Quimera. Following an accident, the coaster and park closed, with the former being purchased by then-new Indiana Beach owner Gene Staples. Trains from the coaster’s recently closed sister ride, Mindbender (Galaxyland Amusement Park, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada), were also purchased to aid in refurbishment
Photo: Courtesy of NRCMA. View full-sized image.
Speaking of components of former Schwarzkopf coasters, and many others by many other manufacturers…
The National Roller Coaster Museum and Archives (NRCMA) in Plainview, Texas, while continuing to amass an enormous collection of amusement park history to eventually put on public display, has launched an improved website highlighting the contents of its collection. It is worth a look: https://rollercoastermuseum.org/museum-history.
Photo: Courtesy of NRCMA. View full-sized image.
Photo: Courtesy of Cedar Point. View full-sized image.
Track completed on Top Thrill 2
The final piece of the spike was put in place for Cedar Point’s Top Thrill 2. The downward-facing element will be incredibly thrilling by being propelled up the spike in reverse, as will the descent, which looks down on Power Tower. Winters can be harsh on the Sandusky peninsula, so any work that can be done before snowy conditions will help the park prepare for a spring opening. With vehicles having been placed on the track, observers have noticed testing has begun and the park has started circulating videos at some offseason enthusiast events.
Photo: Cheri Armstrong. View full-sized image.
Daddy Pig drives into Texas
Peppa Pig Theme Park (North Richland Hills, Texas) announced its lineup of attractions. There will be five rides and seven playscapes. Of note to ACEers will be a new credit. Assuming it is the same Daddy Pig’s Roller Coaster seen at its sister park in Winter Haven, Florida, it will be a junior coaster built by Zamperla and feature two helixes.
If everything goes according to plan, the park will open in 2024.
Decades-old Herschell coaster to be saved in Michigan
Cedar Valley’s Wild Frontier Park (Comins, Michigan) has been reported to have acquired an Allan Herschell kiddie coaster.
The age of the ride is unknown. However, the owners of its previous location, Funland Amusement Park (also in Michigan), said it could date to the late 1940s, but it is uncertain. The Allan Herschell Company operated from 1915 to 1970, so the ride is certainly at least half a century old, but the popularity of the Little Dipper models was very prevalent in the 1950s.
Photo: Rob Ascough. View full-sized image.
Coney Island in Cincinnati to close permanently
Coney Island (Cincinnati, Ohio) closed in 1971 when the park’s assets moved to Kings Island in 1972. The park’s three-million-gallon Sunlite Pool was rather renowned and reopened. In time, rides returned, including a portable steel coaster called Python.
The amusement rides were retired once again after the 2019 season, and the park focused on water recreation. The announcement of its permanent closure came in December with plans for a new live-music venue to be built on the site.
— Tim Baldwin, ACE News (with contributions by Rob Ascough, ACE News Editor)
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