Drop tower (disambiguation)

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A drop tower is a type of amusement ride, based around a central structure or tower, where the gondola is lifted to the top of a large vertical structure before being released and falling towards the ground. It may also refer to:

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Top Thrill 2</span> Launched roller coaster at Cedar Point

Top Thrill 2 is a launched roller coaster located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. The ride originally opened as Top Thrill Dragster in 2003, becoming the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world, as well as the first ever strata coaster – a height classification of 400 feet (120 m) or more. Designed by Werner Stengel, the Accelerator Coaster model from Intamin debuted with a height of 420 feet (130 m) and could accelerate from 0 to 120 mph (190 km/h) in 3.8 seconds. It was themed to Top Fuel drag racing, with the launch track designed to resemble a dragstrip, and it consistently ranked as one of the world's top steel coasters in Amusement Today's annual Golden Ticket Awards publication. Top Thrill Dragster's records were surpassed in 2005 by Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">S&S – Sansei Technologies</span> American themed entertainment company

S&S – Sansei Technologies is an American company known for its pneumatically powered amusement rides and roller coaster designing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drop tower</span> Type of amusement ride

A drop tower is a type of amusement park ride incorporating a central tower structure with one or more gondolas attached. In a typical modern configuration, each gondola carrying riders is lifted to the top of the tower and then released to free fall back down to ground level. This produces a feeling of weightlessness followed by rapid deceleration. A magnetic braking system, or a variation that relies on pistons and air pressure, is used to safely bring the gondola to a complete stop. One of the earliest drop towers configured as an amusement ride was a parachute ride that debuted at the 1939 New York World's Fair, which was inspired by paratrooper training devices used by the Soviet Union in the 1920s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reverse bungee</span> Modern type of fairground ride

The reverse bungee is a modern type of fairground ride.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space Shot (ride)</span> Type of drop tower amusement ride

Space Shot is a type of amusement ride manufactured by S&S - Sansei Technologies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nemesis Reborn</span> Inverted coaster at Alton Towers

Nemesis Reborn, previously Nemesis, is an inverted roller coaster located at the Alton Towers theme park in Staffordshire, England. It was manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) and designed by Werner Stengel, from a concept by park developer John Wardley. It opened in the Forbidden Valley area of the park on 19 March 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steel Vengeance</span> Roller coaster at Cedar Point

Steel Vengeance, formerly known as Mean Streak, is a steel roller coaster at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. The roller coaster, originally constructed by Dinn Corporation as a wooden roller coaster, was rebuilt by Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) and opened to the public on May 5, 2018. It is a hybrid coaster, using RMC's steel I-Box track and a significant portion of Mean Streak's former support structure. Upon completion, Steel Vengeance set 10 world records, including those for the tallest, fastest, and longest hybrid roller coaster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galactica (roller coaster)</span> Flying coaster at Alton Towers

Galactica is a flying roller coaster located in the Forbidden Valley area of Alton Towers amusement park in Staffordshire, England. It originally opened as Air on 16 March 2002 and is the first flying coaster manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard. Guests ride in a prone position, meant to produce the feeling of flight, as the train passes close to the ground, under footpaths, and narrowly past trees and rocks. The ride was refurbished for the 2016 season and reopened as Galactica. It features an 840-metre-long (920 yd) track and reaches a maximum speed of 75 km/h.

The Dreamworld Tower is a 119-metre-high (390 ft) tower located in the Dreamworld theme park on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The Giant Drop and the former Tower of Terror II uses this tower.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tower of Terror II</span> Roller coaster at Dreamworld Australia

The Tower of Terror II was a steel shuttle roller coaster located at the Dreamworld amusement park on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. When the Tower of Terror opened on 23 January 1997, it was the first roller coaster in the world to reach 100 miles per hour (160 km/h), making it the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world of its time. The ride was situated on the Dreamworld Tower, which also houses The Giant Drop free fall ride. The ride was originally known as the Tower of Terror until it was modified and relaunched in September 2010 as Tower of Terror II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scrambler (ride)</span> Type of amusement ride

The Scrambler, Twist, Twister, Cha Cha, Sizzler, or Merry Mixer, is an amusement ride in which suspended riders spinning in cars experience centrifugal force, while spinning along two separate axes. Riders are seated in small carriages clustered together and connected by beams at the top to a central point. The clustered vehicles are spun in one direction, while the ride as a whole spins in the opposite direction. There are a number of variations of the design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freefall (ride)</span> Type of amusement ride

The Freefall is an amusement ride developed by Giovanola and marketed throughout the world by Swiss company, Intamin.

Super Shot is a type of drop tower amusement ride. There are 12 seats per car. The ride ascends the tower by cable with passengers facing outwards from the ride. When the car reaches the top, it drops rapidly. As the car reaches the bottom of the tower, it slows through magnetic or air-powered brakes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superman: Tower of Power</span> Drop tower at Six Flags parks

Superman: Tower of Power is a drop tower ride currently located at two Six Flags parks, and two former installments at Kentucky Kingdom and Six Flags St. Louis. Two of the four drop towers were manufactured by Intamin, while the Six Flags Over Georgia version was made by Zamperla, and the Six Flags Over Texas version was made by S&S. The installment at Kentucky Kingdom was demolished after an accident that severed a 13-year-old girl's feet. At Six Flags St. Louis, the ride was removed from the park's website in early 2021. Three additional drop towers of the same model by S&S are installed at other Six Flags parks Six Flags New England and Six Flags Fiesta Texas, each known as Scream and one more built at Six Flags Great Escape and Hurricane Harbor known as Sasquatch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Double Shot (ride)</span> Type of drop tower amusement ride

Double Shot is a type of amusement ride manufactured by S&S - Sansei Technologies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High Roller (Stratosphere)</span> Defunct steel rollercoaster at Stratosphere Tower, Las Vegas

The High Roller was a steel roller coaster constructed 1,070 feet (330 m) over the Las Vegas Strip. It was the highest roller coaster in the world when compared to the surrounding terrain. It was located on top of the Stratosphere Tower, Las Vegas, Nevada, which is the tallest free-standing observation tower in the United States. The coaster was manufactured by S&MC GmbH Structures and Machines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Shot (ride)</span> Amusement ride, opened 1996, on top of the Stratosphere Las Vegas tower

Big Shot is a pneumatically powered tower ride. It was the world's highest amusement ride in terms of overall elevation above ground level, but has since been surpassed by the Sky Drop ride atop the Canton Tower in Guangzhou. The 160 feet (49 m) tower is built atop the 921 feet (281 m) high deck of The Strat in Las Vegas, Nevada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom</span> Drop tower ride

Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom is a drop tower located at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. The ride is integrated onto the existing Superman: Escape from Krypton tower structure.

Funtime is an amusement ride manufacturer based in Dölsach, Austria and Bundall, Australia. The company manufactures rides such as the Sling Shot, Star Flyer, and Vomatron.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wicker Man (roller coaster)</span> Wooden roller coaster

Wicker Man is a wooden roller coaster at Alton Towers theme park in Staffordshire, United Kingdom. Manufactured by Great Coasters International, the £16-million ride opened to the public on 20 March 2018 following a three-day weather delay. It set several milestones among wooden coasters including the first to be built in the UK in 22 years and the first to incorporate fire. Initially codenamed "Secret Weapon 8", a traditional naming scheme for major upcoming projects at Alton Towers, its official name was revealed in January 2018.