Indoor family launch coaster Aquila opens at Mandoria
Happy Holidays from Planet Attractions
Family of teen killed on Orlando FreeFall ride awarded US$310m settlement as manufacturer held responsible
Vekoma looks to 2025 following stacked year of projects
HUSS celebrates multiple Brass Ring Awards
Get ready to ride: Planet Attractions announces launch of Planet Rides website
Vekoma unveils Tecuani Beast coaster
Leading companies come together for VidantaWorld's BON Luxury Theme Park
Hersheypark unveils gondola design for Twizzlers Twisted Gravity
Naruto family launch coaster coming to Parc Spirou in 2026
Premier Rides unveils AlpenFury ride car for Canada's Wonderland
IAAPA Expo show floor opens for 2024
Everything you need to know about IAAPA Expo 2024
Vekoma to unveil ‘surprising’ rollercoaster and 2025 openings at IAAPA Expo
Triotech and Seven to jointly unveil new attraction at IAAPA Expo
Reverchon to launch next generation Flume ride and new ride safety restraints at IAAPA Expo
Innovation and expansion: A bumper year in the US for Semnox Solutions
First-of-its-kind dark ride system opens at Efteling with launch of Danse Macabre
ETF Ride Systems presents Dynamic Mover technology
Jora Vision, Vekoma, Zamperla and more unite for Bommelwereld indoor theme park project
Everything you need to know about IAAPA Expo Europe 2024
Giant-8-Loop on show as Maurer Rides heads to Amsterdam for IAAPA Expo Europe
Alterface’s first Moviemax attraction makes debut in Saint-Tropez
Duo of major theme park projects from Pico Play coming to Australia in December
Record-breaking Twizzler-branded attraction announced for Hersheypark
Britain’s oldest rollercoaster closes following damage to track
Festival-goers injured after fire breaks out on Ferris wheel
Six Flags to debut seven new rollercoasters in 2025
Alterface, ETF and Jora Vision unveil new dark ride attraction coming to Six Flags Qiddiya City
BoldMove and E&S Rides ‘spice up’ classic with Spinfinity Coaster
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  Mandoria has welcomed the Vekoma designed Aquila Credit: Mandoria

Poland’s Mandoria theme park has teamed up with ride manufacturer Vekoma to introduce Aquila - a world-first indoor Family Launch Coaster now open to the public.
The coaster, along with a brand-new themed zone, marks a significant expansion for the attraction, which continues to expand its year-round offerings in a bid to attract thrill-seekers of all ages.
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A quick message from the team at Planet Attractions to say thank you and to wish you a happy holiday.
Four years on from our inception, we’ve partnered with multiple expos, awards shows, suppliers and media partners from all over the world, working with each of them to produce high quality content and to help support this fantastic industry.
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  Orlando FreeFall has since been removed from Icon Park

The parents of a boy who died after falling from Icon Park’s Orlando FreeFall, have been awarded US$310m (€294.5m, £243m) following a detailed investigation into the accident.
Fourteen-year-old Tyre Sampson died in March 2022, with an inquiry revealing that the ride’s operators manually adjusted the seat sensors, rendering it unsafe for use.
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  Siren’s Curse is a Tilt Coaster opening at Cedar Point Credit: Vekoma

The last year has been stacked for ride manufacturer Vekoma, which is celebrating a bumper year in 2024, along with major announcements and completions for both 2025 and 2026.
In the US in 2024, Vekoma has opened Snoopy’s Soap Box Racers at King’s Island, which takes its inspiration from the soap box racing derby, inviting children and their parents the chance to choose their favourite Peanuts-decorated car before racing through a track filled with twists and turns.
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  Credit: HUSS

Ride supplier HUSS is celebrating after winning two Brass Ring Awards at the recent IAAPA Expo.
HUSS’s Break Dance 5 picked up the Brass Ring Award for Best New Attraction, while its Sky Tower Multimedia won the second-place award for Best New Product Concept.
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  Planet Rides is the latest addition to the Planet Attractions portfolio

Planet Attractions is expanding its portfolio of websites, announcing the launch of its brand-new portal, www.planetrides.com.
Backed by significant growth and catering to both ride manufacturers and suppliers, Planet Rides is the first expansion of the Planet Attractions brand since its launch in December 2020.
After direct consultation with ride suppliers across the industry, Planet Rides will offer a focused look at all types of rides, including rollercoasters, dark rides, waterslides, flying theatres and much more.
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Grupo Vidanta and VidantaWorld's BON Luxury Theme Park will feature 23 world class attractions with a major addition unveiled at IAAPA Expo.
Called Tecuani Beast, the new rollercoaster from Vekoma Rides is a multi launch coaster featuring more than 16 seconds of airtime across the ride experience.
Following the announcement of BON Luxury Theme Park, Vekoma followed up with the new coaster, unveiling the ride car during a press event.
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Grupo Vidanta and VidantaWorld have announced BON Luxury Theme Park, a new theme park experience in Mexico featuring partners including Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, Vekoma Rides, Mack Rides, Intamin and P&P Projects.
An acronym for 'Beauty of Nature', BON will feature 23 attractions, 25 world-class restaurants and lounges, 16 retail shops and kiosks, and luxury resort hotels.
Located on more than 150 acres at VidantaWorld Nuevo Vallarta, VidantaWorld’s BON Luxury Theme Park, says the operator will "redefine the industry as the world’s first luxury theme park", combining adventure, entertainment, and elevated amenities designed for all generations, set amongst a lush, Mexican landscape.
"VidantaWorld’s BON Luxury Theme Park is a monumental leap forward in the world of entertainment, redefining what a theme park can be as the world’s first all-generations luxury destination,” said Iván Chávez, Executive Vice President of Grupo Vidanta.
"With its seamless blend of cutting-edge innovation, abundant natural beauty, and unparalleled luxury,
VidantaWorld’s BON sets a new global standard for experiential entertainment. Our collaboration with the industry’s leading visionaries ensures VidantaWorld’s BON will not only captivate guests of all ages but also establish itself as one of the most iconic and transformative destinations in the world.”
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Hersheypark and S&S Worldwide have unveiled the gondola design for the Twizzlers Twisted Gravity attraction opening next year. The high-thrill pendulum attraction will be the tallest Screamin’ Swing in the world when it opens at the park next summer
The ride features the distinct Twizzlers red color through its design and features two 20-person gondolas with four Twizzlers-branded zones. Guests can sit in gondolas themed to Twizzlers Strawberry, Cherry, Hershey’s Chocolate and Black Licorice.
The ride experience lasts one-minute and ten seconds, with the attraction reaching speeds of up to 68mph.
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France's Parc Spirou has announced a major IP is coming to the park in the form of a Naruto-themed family a launch coaster.
Designed with a height restriction of just 105cm, the Zamperla-designed Family Thrill Launch Coaster will feature multiple launches, a dead-end spike and a backwards section.
The ride comes as part of a 15,000m² Naruto themed area, where fans can be transported to Konoha thanks to a partnership with Studio Pierrot and Shueisha.
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Premier Rides and Canada's Wonderland have unveiled the ride car for AlpenFury, a new attraction set to launch in 2025.
At Canada’s Wonderland, AlpenFury will be a first-of-its-kind rollercoaster, with the ride breaking the record for tallest, fastest and longest launch coaster in Canada. Featuring nine inversions, the most of any launch coaster in North America, the ride will reach speeds of up 71mph (114kmph) and heights of 164ft (50m) across 3,281ft (1,000m) of track.
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IAAPA Expo 2024 is officially underway following the event's spectacular opening ceremony, with the show floor now open to the 40,000 plus that will attend the show this week.
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With almost 42,000 industry professionals descending on Orlando for this year’s IAAPA Expo, here’s everything you need to know about this year’s event.
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  Siren’s Curse (pictured) is one of several Vekoma rides opening in 2025 Credit: Vekoma

At this year’s IAAPA Expo, Vekoma will unveil a “unique and surprising” new rollercoaster in partnership with Mexican resort developer; Grupo Vidanta.
The company will introduce the ride in a press conference, taking place on the Vekoma stand (Booth 5124) at 2:10 pm on November 19.
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  Triotech will unveil a large-scale project, developed in partnership with leading Saudi Arabian attractions developer Seven, during IAAPA Expo Credit: Triotech

Triotech will unveil an exciting new project during this year’s IAAPA Expo, with the company revealing the attraction’s details during a press conference on November 19th.
Taking place on Booth #1361 at 3:30pm, the company will unveil a large-scale project, developed in partnership with leading Saudi Arabian attractions developer Seven. Few details are currently known about the project, however, it will feature a popular IP and is slated to open at multiple locations across Saudi Arabia.
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  Reverchon will also be exhibiting its Spinning Coaster Stall Turn (pictured with the RCSFUN team) which launched in the US last summer Credit: Reverchon

Leading rollercoaster and water ride manufacturer Reverchon will debut a new generation Flume ride at this year’s IAAPA Expo, with details of the new attraction being revealed at the show.
The spinning coaster pioneer will also showcase to attendees a new ride safety system, having developed new individual safety bars as part of its mission to continuously improve ride safety and experience, with the new restraints offering flexibility to suit all riders, as well as adaptability for earlier ride versions.
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  Semnox has enjoyed a strong 2024 in the US and further overseas Credit: Semnox

It’s been a year of growth in the US for Semnox Solutions. Phil Showler, head of FEC Sales for Semnox Americas, tells Planet Attractions more...
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  Danse Macabre is the newest addition to Efteling, with the ride replacing the historic Spookslot Haunted House Credit: Efteling

Efteling is celebrating the launch of its latest attraction, with Danse Macabre, a new immersive dark ride attraction, now open to the public.
Manufactured by Intamin, Danse Macabre features a first-of-its-kind ride system, with the attraction replacing the park’s iconic Spookslot Haunted House.
Opened to the public on October 31st, the ride is “a ghostly spectacle full of dark twists” featuring the music of the same name.
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  The Dynamic Mover can carry up to eight passengers Credit: Dark Ride Database

ETF Ride Systems is one of the biggest players in the dark ride industry. The company is mostly known for their high-quality and reliable ride systems, of which the trackless variant is the most popular. ETF recently announced an expansion of their portfolio with a new addition: the Dynamic Mover. The company invited Dark Ride Database to visit their factory and be the first to experience this brand-new technology.
ETF Ride Systems started as part of the ETF Group, finding its roots with the foundation of ETF Machinefabriek in 1951. The machine factory designs and manufactures machinery for the textile industry.
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  Bommelwereld is set to open to the public in 2025

A new indoor theme park is currently under development in the Netherlands, with Bommelwereld set to open to the public in 2025.
Covering 9,000sq m, Jora Vision is behind the design of the new park, with ride suppliers Vekoma and Zamperla also involved in the project.
Promising to be a blend of nostalgia and cutting-edge amusement park technology, the park has been designed to appeal to multiple generations.
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IAAPA returns to Amsterdam for the 2024 edition of IAPPA Expo Europe. Here’s everything you need to know about the event.
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Maurer Rides will be showing off a number of innovations including its Spike Giant-8-Loop at this year’s IAAPA Expo Europe, with the new attraction offering guests the chance to “ride the impossible” with a design “coaster designers have been dreaming about for decades”.
Featuring Spike ASM technology, the rollercoaster offers a “wow factor” to parks with its distinct design, centred by a figure of eight design.
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Alterface’s Moviemax has made its debut in Saint-Tropez’s Azur Park, with the attraction’s first season hailed as an “unqualified success”.
Targeting fairs and other touring attractions, Moviemax is housed inside a 40ft (12.2m) container, which can be transformed into a 90sq m (969sq ft) theatre for thirteen players at a time in just a few hours.
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  Pico Play has worked on two major projects opening in Australia later this year

Pico Play, a leading company in the planning, design, development and construction of world-class themed attractions and entertainment, has worked on a duo of major projects to open in Queensland, Australia, this December, with the Wizard of Oz coming to Warner Bros Movie World, while the new Jungle Rush rollercoaster is set to open at Dreamworld.
The first collaboration between Warner Bros Movie World and Pico Play, the new Wizard of Oz-themed land will feature some iconic elements of the IP, including flying monkeys, the Wicked Witch’s castle, the Emerald City, Dorothy’s Kansas farm, and the Yellow Brick Road itself. At its heart, the themed land includes two Vekoma rollercoasters alongside a selection of themed rides and immersive visitor experiences.
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  Credit: Hersheypark

Hersheypark has announced a brand new attraction for 2025, with the Twizzlers-themed Screamin’ Swing ride set to be the tallest in the world when it opens next year.
Called Twizzlers Twisted Gravity, the pendulum by will take riders 137ft (41.8m) in the air at speeds of up to 68mph (109.4kmph) as they swing high above Spring Creek in The Hollow region of Hersheypark.
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  The Scenic Railway is the UK’s oldest rollercoaster Credit: Dreamland

Dreamland’s Scenic Railway has been forced to close after the ride at the historic theme park in Margate, UK, suffered damage during operation.
Operating since 1920, the more than a century-old wooden rollercoaster reopened in 2015 after being badly damaged by an arson attack in 2008.
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  The cause of the fire remains unknown Credit: ap

At least 30 people have been injured after a Ferris wheel at a music festival in Germany caught fire.
The ride at the Highfield Festival at Stormthaler Lake, near Leipzig, caught fire on the evening of Saturday August 17th, with photos showing two pods engulfed in flames. Operators of the wheel reportedly spun the wheel in reverse in order to station the flaming cabins at the top of the ride in an attempt to stop the fire spreading.
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  Seven new roller coasters, including Wrath of Ralshasha, will debut next year Credit: Six Flags

Six Flags has announced that it will debut seven new rollercoasters in 2025, with the company also planning an expansion of its seasonal events.
Recently merged with Cedar Fair, the newly formed Six Flags Entertainment Corporation has promised that its new coasters will “redefine the park experience”.
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  Enchanted Greenhouse is a new dark ride attraction coming to Six Flags Qiddiya City Credit: Jora Vision

Suppliers Alterface, ETF Ride Systems and Jora Vision are working together on a brand new ride project coming to the under-development Six Flags Qiddiya City.
Partnering previously on rides including Bazyliszek at Legendia Poland and Popcorn Revenge and Walibi Belgium, the trio of ride suppliers have worked together to create Enchanted Greenhouse - a dark ride attraction that will “set a new bar for interactive and themed indoor attractions”.
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  Spinfinity Coaster combines a themed dark ride with a spinning coaster Credit: BoldMove

Combining the best of both dark rides and rollercoasters into a new family attraction, Boldmove and E&S Rides have jointly announced the launch of their Spinfinity Coaster concept.
Offering a “cross-generational experience” that combines a family-friendly experience with a thrill ride, Spinfinity Coaster has been described as a “spiced up” version of a classic.
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