Woodstock Express | |
---|---|
Previously known as Scooby-Doo (1974 - 1996) Scooby-Doo's Ghoster Coaster (1997 - 2009) Ghoster Coaster (2010 - 2012) | |
Kings Dominion | |
Location | Kings Dominion |
Park section | Planet Snoopy |
Coordinates | 37°50′25.9″N77°26′31.9″W / 37.840528°N 77.442194°W |
Status | Operating |
Opening date | 1974 |
General statistics | |
Type | Wood |
Manufacturer | Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters |
Designer | John C. Allen |
Height | 35 ft (11 m) |
Drop | 30 ft (9.1 m) |
Length | 1,385 ft (422 m) |
Speed | 35 mph (56 km/h) |
Inversions | 0 |
Duration | 1:40 |
Capacity | 1200 riders per hour |
Height restriction | 40 in (102 cm) |
Trains | 2 trains with 5 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 20 riders per train. |
Woodstock Express at RCDB |
Woodstock Express is a wooden roller coaster located at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia. It opened as Scooby-Doo in 1974 after the Hanna-Barbera cartoon character. Despite being classified as a family roller coaster and located in the children's area of the park, the ride notably has a intensity rating of 4 out of 5. [1]
Opening under the original name Scooby-Doo, the junior roller coaster was one of two attractions that opened during a preview event in 1974 prior to the park's official opening in May 1975 (the other was Lion Country Safari). [2] The ride is located in an area of the park previously known as The Happy Land of Hanna-Barbera filled with other attractions that were also themed to cartoons of Hanna-Barbera studios. In 1997, the Kidzville section of the park was built up around the ride, and the name was extended to "Scooby-Doo's Ghoster Coaster". [3] Following the purchase of Paramount Parks by Cedar Fair in 2006, Scooby-Doo and all other Hanna-Barbera themes were removed, and the roller coaster became simply known as Ghoster Coaster in 2010. In 2013, it was renamed again to Woodstock Express as part of the planned expansion of Planet Snoopy. [4]
Woodstock Express was recognized by the American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) as an ACE Coaster Classic and a plaque was awarded. The group has since removed the ride from their list due to design modifications which disqualify the ride. [5] To be designated an ACE Coaster Classic, roller coasters must be made out of wood, not steel, and adhere to strict operational and design criteria including non-ratcheting lap bar restraints, no seat dividers or headrests, and free choice of seating for riders.
Kings Island is a 364-acre (147 ha) amusement park located 24 miles (39 km) northeast of Cincinnati in Mason, Ohio, United States. Owned and operated by Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, the park was built by Taft Broadcasting and opened in 1972. It was part of a larger effort to move and expand Coney Island, a popular resort destination along the banks of the Ohio River that was prone to frequent flooding. After more than $300 million in capital investments over the years, the park has grown to feature over a hundred attractions including fifteen roller coasters and a 33-acre (13 ha) water park.
Paramount Parks was a subsidiary of National Amusements-owned Viacom, headquartered at its Paramount's Carowinds amusement park in Charlotte, North Carolina. At the time of its acquisition, the company owned and operated five amusement park/water parks, which annually attracted 13 million patrons. Viacom assumed control of the company as part of its acquisition of Paramount Pictures in 1994.
Kings Dominion is an amusement park in the eastern United States, located in Doswell, Virginia, twenty miles (30 km) north of Richmond and 75 miles (120 km) south of Washington, D.C. Owned and operated by Six Flags, the 280-acre (1.1 km2) park opened to the public on May 3, 1975, and features more than 60 rides, shows and attractions including 13 roller coasters and a 20-acre (8.1 ha) water park. Its name is derived from the name of its sister park, Kings Island near Cincinnati, and the nickname for the state of Virginia, "Old Dominion."
Carowinds is a 407-acre (165 ha) amusement park primarily located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Owned and operated by Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, the park first opened to the public on March 31, 1973. Carowinds straddles the state line between North and South Carolina, adjacent to Interstate 77, with a portion of the park located in Fort Mill, South Carolina. The park has a sign telling guests where the state line lies. It was constructed at a cost of $70 million following a four-year planning period led by Charlotte businessman Earl Patterson Hall. Carowinds also features Carolina Harbor, a 27-acre (11 ha) water park that is included with park admission. Annual events include the Halloween-themed S-Carowinds and the Christmas-themed WinterFest.
Wonderland Sydney was an amusement park in Eastern Creek, Sydney, Australia. Officially opened in December 1985 by the Premier of New South Wales, Neville Wran, the park was the largest in the southern hemisphere. It remained open for over 18 years and was the premier theme park in New South Wales for much of its life until its closure in 2004.
Hanna-Barbera Land was a theme park based on the cartoons of the Hanna-Barbera animation studio. It was located in the Spring, Texas, United States, north of Houston, and operated for the 1984 and 1985 seasons. After the park's closure following the 1985 season, the rides were sold and the land was reused as a water park, which is now operating as Six Flags Hurricane Harbor SplashTown.
Woodstock Express is a wooden roller coaster located at Kings Island and designed by John C. Allen. It is located in the children's rides area of the park known as Planet Snoopy. The coaster has undergone four different name changes as the children's area in which it resides has been renamed and rethemed multiple times since the park opened. It has also been painted a number of different color schemes since its debut.
Woodstock Express is a wooden roller coaster located at Carowinds in Charlotte, North Carolina that was formerly named after the Nickelodeon cartoon The Fairly OddParents. Though containing all of the elements of a "full-size" or standard wooden roller coaster, its short drop heights, slower speed, gently curving layout and short track length lead to its mistaken identity as a 'junior roller coaster'.
The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera was a simulator ride at Universal Studios Florida and one of the park's original attractions. The story line tells that Dick Dastardly and Muttley have kidnapped Elroy Jetson. Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo give chase and the audience is in for the ride of their lives. The attraction opened on June 7, 1990 and closed on October 20, 2002.
Since the 1990s, Nickelodeon, a worldwide children's television network and franchise, owned by Paramount Global, has had an involvement in the creation and theming of amusement parks rides.
Scooby-Doo's Haunted Mansion is a Scooby-Doo-themed interactive dark ride series created by Sally Corporation based on Hanna-Barbera's long-running animated television series. The ride transports guests in a vehicle equipped with light guns that are used to shoot at various targets to collect points throughout the ride. At its peak, the ride model was located at seven amusement parks around the world including Canada's Wonderland, the location of the first installation that debuted in 2000. Initially known under a variety of names, the ride's Scooby-Doo theme has been replaced by Boo Blasters on Boo Hill at several locations and removed from others. The last remaining installation is La Aventura de Scooby-Doo at Parque Warner Madrid in Madrid, Spain.
Zach's Zoomer is a wooden roller coaster at Michigan's Adventure in Muskegon, Michigan. Zach's Zoomer was manufactured by Custom Coasters International. It opened in 1994 and is targeted toward younger audiences. Zach's Zoomer was named after Roger Jourden's grandson and current General Manager Camille Jourden-Mark's son, Zach Mark.
Scooby's Ghoster Coaster was a suspended roller coaster at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio. Opened in 1998, it was billed as the first suspended roller coaster in the United States designed for children. The ride is also the first in the country from Caripro Amusement Technology, a defunct company once based out of the Netherlands and later bought by Vekoma. Scooby's Ghoster Coaster was removed in the 2005-2006 off-season to make room for other rides during the area's conversion from Hanna-Barbera Land to Nickelodeon Universe.
Phantom Theater was a dark ride located at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, United States. Manufactured by Morgan Manufacturing, the ride opened to the public on April 11, 1992. Its design incorporated a continuously moving chain of vehicles similar to Disney's Omnimover ride system. The attraction was furnished with sets and characters created by R&R Creative Amusement Designs, Inc., and it was themed as a haunted, abandoned theater.
Through its history, Hanna-Barbera has operated theme park attractions, mostly as a section in Kings Island, Carowinds, California's Great America, Kings Dominion, Canada's Wonderland, and, recently, Six Flags Great America.
There have been several children's areas at Canada's Wonderland since opening in 1981.
Woodstock’s Air Rail is an inverted roller coaster located at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, and at Carowinds in Charlotte, North Carolina. Manufactured by Vekoma, the Suspended Family Coaster model debuted at Kings Island in 2001 and was followed by another identical installation at Carowinds in 2003. Both rides originally opened as Rugrats Runaway Reptar, themed to the Nickelodeon animated television series Rugrats and its two-part episode "Runaway Reptar". Following Cedar Fair's acquisition of both parks in 2006, the roller coasters were eventually renamed Flying Ace Aerial Chase for the 2010 season, themed after the 1960s comic strip series Snoopy vs. the Red Baron by Peanuts creator Charles Schulz. The Carowinds installation was renamed again to Kiddy Hawk for the 2018 season. The Kings Island installation was renamed again to Woodstock’s Air Rail for the 2024 season.
Boo Blasters on Boo Hill is an interactive family dark ride designed and manufactured by Sally Corporation. The ride opened in 2010 at four Six Flags amusement parks — Canada's Wonderland, Carowinds, Kings Dominion, and Kings Island. The ride was a slight alteration and replacement of Scooby-Doo! and the Haunted Castle after Cedar Fair chose to remove all Hanna-Barbera branding from each of their parks by 2010.
Woodstock Express is a steel kiddie roller coaster located at California's Great America in Santa Clara, California. The coaster has slight drops and turns and uses a lap bar for guests' safety. It is themed to Woodstock, the best friend of Snoopy from the Peanuts comic strip.