The Gauntlet | |
---|---|
Magic Springs | |
Location | Magic Springs |
Coordinates | 38°11′39″N85°44′49″W / 38.194136°N 85.747009°W Coordinates: 38°11′39″N85°44′49″W / 38.194136°N 85.747009°W |
Status | Operating |
Opening date | April 10, 2004 |
Cost | $7,000,000 |
General statistics | |
Type | Steel – Inverted |
Manufacturer | Vekoma |
Model | SLC (689m Standard) |
Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
Height | 109.0 ft (33.2 m) |
Length | 2,260.0 ft (688.8 m) |
Speed | 49.7 mph (80.0 km/h) |
Inversions | 5 |
Duration | 1:36 |
Capacity | 1,040 riders per hour |
Height restriction | 52–79 in (132–201 cm) |
Trains | 2 trains with 10 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in a single row for a total of 20 riders per train. |
The Gauntlet at RCDB |
The Gauntlet is an inverted roller coaster located at Magic Springs amusement park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The Suspended Looping Coaster (SLC) model was manufactured by Vekoma and opened at the park for the 2004 season.
The Gauntlet was originally manufactured for Jazzland, a park located in New Orleans, however the sale was never completed. [1] In late 2003, Themeparks LLC announced that they would purchase the roller coaster for their park Magic Springs. Themeparks LLC reopened Magic Springs in 2000, however attendance had not increased from the number of people that visited the park during its first season reopened. [2] The name for the roller coaster was chosen through a widespread radio event in late 2003. Becky Branch of Jacksonville, Florida won the contest, choosing to name the ride "The Gauntlet." [3]
The Gauntlet opened on April 10, 2004, and was well-received by guests. [4] The ride's opening helped increase the park's attendance, as 403,000 people visited Magic Springs in 2004, surpassing the park's previous attendance record. [5] In a 2015 survey conducted by The Weather Channel, The Gauntlet was voted as the most popular thrill ride in Arkansas. [6]
Cedar Point is a 364-acre (147 ha) amusement park located on a Lake Erie peninsula in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. Opened in 1870, it is considered the second-oldest operating amusement park in the U.S. behind Lake Compounce. Cedar Point is owned and operated by Cedar Fair and is the flagship of the amusement park chain. Known as "America's Roller Coast", the park features 15 roller coasters – fourth-most in the world with Six Flags Great America, behind Canada's Wonderland and Energylandia (17), as well as Six Flags Magic Mountain (20). Cedar Point's most recent roller coaster, Steel Vengeance, opened to the public on May 5, 2018.
Six Flags Great Adventure is an amusement park located in Jackson, New Jersey. Owned and operated by Six Flags, the park complex is situated between New York City and Philadelphia and includes a water park named Hurricane Harbor. It first opened to the public as simply Great Adventure in 1974 under the direction of restaurateur Warner LeRoy. Six Flags acquired the park in 1977.
Top Thrill Dragster was a steel accelerator roller coaster located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. Manufactured by Intamin and designed by Werner Stengel, it opened on May 1, 2003 as the tallest roller coaster in the world and the first full-circuit roller coaster to exceed 400 feet (120 m) in height. Its height record was later surpassed by Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure in 2005. Following an extended closure after a guest was severely injured in 2021, the park announced in September 2022 that Top Thrill Dragster was being retired and would be replaced by a new ride experience.
Themeparks LLC, later known as Kentucky Kingdom LLLP, was an American company that operated two amusement parks. The company was originally formed as "227 Plus One" in the late 1980s by Ed Hart and is based in Louisville, Kentucky. Themeparks' first park was Kentucky Kingdom, which it bought in 1989 and sold to Premier Parks in 1997. Themeparks subsequently operated Magic Springs Theme Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas from 2000 to 2008 before selling it to PARC Management. Themeparks LLC repurchased Kentucky Kingdom in 2013 and operated the amusement park from 2014 to 2020. In February 2021, Kentucky Kingdom was sold to Herschend Family Entertainment.
Six Flags New England, formerly known as Gallup's Grove (1870–1886), Riverside Grove (1887–1911), Riverside Park (1912–1995) and Riverside: The Great Escape (1996–2000), is an amusement park located in Agawam, Massachusetts, a western suburb of Springfield, Massachusetts. Opening in the late 19th century, it is the oldest amusement park in the Six Flags chain, acquired by Premier Parks in 1996 and rebranded Six Flags New England in 2000. Superman The Ride is among the park's most notable rides, having appeared as a highly ranked roller coaster in the annual Golden Ticket Awards from Amusement Today since the ride opened in 2000.
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Intamin Amusement Rides is a design and manufacturing company in Schaan, Liechtenstein. It is best known for creating thrill rides and roller coasters worldwide. The Intamin brand name is a syllabic abbreviation for "international amusement installations". The company has offices throughout the world, including three in Europe, three in Asia, and two in the United States.
Carowinds is a 407-acre (165 ha) amusement park located adjacent to Interstate 77 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The park straddles the North Carolina-South Carolina state line, with a portion of the park located in Fort Mill, South Carolina. However, it has an official Charlotte address, and its business offices are located on the Charlotte side of the park. The park opened on March 31, 1973, at a cost of $70 million. It is the result of a four-year planning period spearheaded by Charlotte businessman Earl Patterson Hall. Owned and operated by Cedar Fair, Carowinds also features a 27-acre (11 ha) water park, Carolina Harbor, which is included with park admission. The park has a Halloween event called SCarowinds and a winter event called WinterFest.
Kentucky Kingdom, formerly known as Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, is an amusement park in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The 67-acre (27 ha) park includes a collection of amusement rides and the Hurricane Bay water park. Kentucky Kingdom is located at the intersection of Interstate 65 and Interstate 264, sharing a parking lot with the Kentucky Exposition Center.
Canobie Lake Park is an amusement park in Salem, New Hampshire, located about 31 miles (50 km) north of Boston. It was founded as a trolley park on the shore of Canobie Lake in 1902. Three local families currently run the park, which draws visitors from throughout the New England and Mid-Atlantic regions. Canobie Lake Park's age and history inspired author Stephen King to use rides and elements from the park in his Joyland novel. It is one of only thirteen trolley parks still operating in the United States as of 2021.
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Warner Bros. Movie World is a theme park on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. Owned and operated by Village Roadshow Theme Parks, the park opened on 3 June 1991. It is part of a 154-hectare (380.5-acre) entertainment precinct, with the adjacent Village Roadshow Studios and nearby Wet'n'Wild Gold Coast, among other sites operated by Village Roadshow. Movie World is Australia's only film-related theme park and the oldest of the Warner Bros. parks worldwide. As of 2016, it receives a yearly average of 1.4 million visitors.
Magic Springs Theme and Water Park, known as Magic Springs, is an amusement park and water park located in Hot Springs, Arkansas, about 50 mi (80 km) from Little Rock. A single price admission includes all day use of the rides and attractions in both parks. The park is open weekends from April through October and daily late-May through mid-August. Magic Springs Theme and Water Park was opened in 1977, closed in 1995, and reopened in 2000. Magic Springs Theme and Water Park is owned by EPR Properties and operated by Premier Parks, LLC.
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