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Sign and promotional pictures for the Big Bad Wolf (1984-2009), an Arrow Dynamics swinging coaster once located at Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Virginia USA. Despite being an incredibly popular ride for its entire run, the difficult decision was made to shut down the beloved ride forever in 2009 due to decades of use of the then new type of coaster, rising maintenance costs, and an inability to find replacement parts due to the ride’s manufacturer, Arrow Dynamics, going out of business back in 2002.

The steel Zierer multi-launching coaster Verbolten now stands where The Big Bad Wolf once imposingly stood, with its famous first drop cascading down the hill at a top speed of 48 mph (a relatively slow speed, but in a swinging car, much more intense) and swinging the suspended train gracefully over a picturesque lake in the woods. In fact, The Big Bad Wolf was lightly themed to the idea of a savage wolf tearing through an old German village and forest, complete with building facades and thick trees and vegetation for the passengers to swiftly zip through. As a tribute to the former attraction, Verbolten’s first drop is an inverted clone of its predecessor, and the theme is largely similar, the only big difference being you were a speedy haunted car instead of an untamed wolf on the move. Verbolten is generally regarded by fans and the general public alike to be a solid ride and a worthy replacement, but those who were able to ride the rare, relatively unique model of roller coaster lament the loss of this legendary ride to this day.

There are currently 5 Arrow Suspended coasters still operating in the world today, down from 10 total installations at the coaster model’s peak in the 90s and early 2000s. Some notable still operating ones are: Iron Dragon, The Bat (opened in 1993 as Top Gun, not the short-lived, infamous original), and Ninja, all at the USA’s much loved Cedar Point, King’s Island, and Six Flags Magic Mountain, amusement parks respectively. For a full list of all international openings and closings of this model, click here to learn more. 

[amusementarchive]

Hi y'all, sorry for the years of inactivity, but I'm touched and extremely happy to see this little theme park nerd blog getting random notes even all these years later. Making original posts is honestly really fun and getting attention isn't even necessary honestly, but it's a very nice feeling. I may just have to start updating again sometime! ;)

[amusementarchive]

2017-08-24

[amusementarchive]

Disneyland’s Hall of Chemistry, November 1955.  When it had opened that summer, the ads in the newspapers trumpeted:

MONSANTO … in Tomorrowland … shows you the romance of chemistry, how chemically-made products benefit your life, how they can make a new and startling world tomorrow. Your food, clothing, housing, health, and transportation all depend on chemistry … and the future holds some exciting, wonderful things in store for you.

Surprisingly, the Hall of Chemistry lasted for more than 11 years. A respectable stretch for any Disneyland Tomorrowland attraction, but an even more amazingly long run for what Walt Disney once called a “corporate county-fair-type exhibit.”

The Hall of Chemistry finally closed in September 1966 to make way for another Monsanto attraction, Adventure Thru Inner Space, which opened in August 1967.

[amusementarchive]

Fantastic looking Big Bad Wolf souvenir t-shirt.

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Unfittingly colored iron-on patch for the Demon (1976-) roller coaster at California’s Great America.

[amusementarchive]

Sign for the Legend roller coaster at Holiday World amusement park in Indiana.

[amusementarchive]

Sign and promotional pictures for the Big Bad Wolf (1984-2009), an Arrow Dynamics swinging coaster once located at Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Virginia USA. Despite being an incredibly popular ride for its entire run, the difficult decision was made to shut down the beloved ride forever in 2009 due to decades of use of the then new type of coaster, rising maintenance costs, and an inability to find replacement parts due to the ride’s manufacturer, Arrow Dynamics, going out of business back in 2002.

The steel Zierer multi-launching coaster Verbolten now stands where The Big Bad Wolf once imposingly stood, with its famous first drop cascading down the hill at a top speed of 48 mph (a relatively slow speed, but in a swinging car, much more intense) and swinging the suspended train gracefully over a picturesque lake in the woods. In fact, The Big Bad Wolf was lightly themed to the idea of a savage wolf tearing through an old German village and forest, complete with building facades and thick trees and vegetation for the passengers to swiftly zip through. As a tribute to the former attraction, Verbolten's first drop is an inverted clone of its predecessor, and the theme is largely similar, the only big difference being you were a speedy haunted car instead of an untamed wolf on the move. Verbolten is generally regarded by fans and the general public alike to be a solid ride and a worthy replacement, but those who were able to ride the rare, relatively unique model of roller coaster lament the loss of this legendary ride to this day.

There are currently 5 Arrow Suspended coasters still operating in the world today, down from 10 total installations at the coaster model’s peak in the 90s and early 2000s. Some notable still operating ones are: Iron Dragon, The Bat (opened in 1993 as Top Gun, not the short-lived, infamous original), and Ninja, all at the USA’s much loved Cedar Point, King’s Island, and Six Flags Magic Mountain, amusement parks respectively. For a full list of all international openings and closings of this model, click here to learn more. 

[amusementarchive]

Original sign for the Demon (1976) steel roller coaster at Six Flags Great America.

[amusementarchive]

1981 postcard for the Demon (1977-1987) rollercoaster that was formerly located at King’s Island amusement park. This was the first shuttle loop coaster manufactured by Arrow Dynamics.

It was sold to a small locals park called Camden Park in West Virginia as Thunderbolt Express in 1988, and ran until 1999, when the ride closed for good and was finally dismantled in 2004 after a severe circuitboard malfunction.

[amusementarchive]

Banshee was the original name of the B&M stand up coaster Mantis (1996-2015). The announcement of the original name led to public backlash, as people thought the name was too dark to be used for a roller coaster.

The Banshee name was later reused by Cedar Fair in 2014 for a brand-new B&M inverted coaster at Cedar Point’s sister park Kings Island.

[amusementarchive]

High quality logo of The Bat (1981-1983), an Arrow suspended roller coaster that was located at Kings Island in Ohio

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The impressively spooky sign for the Phantom’s Revenge roller coaster at Kennywood amusement park in Pennsylvania by day and by night.

[amusementarchive]

Logo, sign, and fact sheet for Steel Force at Dorney Park in Pennsylvania, a D.H. Morgan steel hypercoaster (any coaster over 200 ft. but under 300 ft.) that opened in 1997.

[amusementarchive]

[amusementarchive]

1989 print advertisement for the then-new wooden roller coaster Timber Wolf at Worlds of Fun in Missouri.

[amusementarchive]

Faded exterior facade of Coney Island’s Hellhole ride after its closure in 1999.