Keeping up with all of the new developments at theme park operators Walt Disney Co. and Comcast's Universal Studios is a huge challenge for other amusement parks, such as Six Flags Entertainment and Cedar Fair Entertainment.
Disney (DIS) opened Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at Disney World's Epcot in May. It also plans to open in Spring 2023 Tron Lightcycle Power Run at Disney World's Magic Kingdom in Orlando and Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway also next year in Toontown at Disneyland. It will reimagine the Splash Mountain "Song of the South" theme with Tiana's Bayou Adventure, a "Princess and the Frog" theme at both Disneyland and Disney World's Magic Kingdom in 2024.
Comcast's (CMCSA) Universal Studios plans to open its new Super Nintendo World area at Universal Studios Hollywood next year and it has committed a huge investment in its much-anticipated third theme park at the Universal Orlando Resort, Epic Universe.
Image source: Walt Disney
Six Flags Keeping Up With Rivals
To keep things fresh, Six Flags Entertainment's (SIX) Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, Calif., on May 27 unveiled its new roller coaster ride Sidewinder Safari on the location of its former live elephant ride. The elephant rides, which sometimes finished with a person being thrown from an animal, ended in 2016 after talks with PETA.
The opening of Sidewinder Safari was originally supposed to occur in 2020, but was delayed by the shutdown of the park due to covid. Sidewinder Safari has a 1,378 feet track, and the ride includes multiple 360-degree sideways spins. The ride's attraction also includes displays of live rattlesnakes and other reptile species in a jungle-like setting.
Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, Calif., on July 16 opened Wonder Woman Flight of Courage, its 20th roller coaster ride. Wonder Woman Flight of Courage is now the tallest and longest single-rail roller coaster on the planet with over 3,300 feet of track, 131 feet in height and soaring at speeds of 58 miles per hour.
The ride is located in the DC Universe area of the park, which also includes Batman The Ride and Teen Titans Turbo Spin.
Six Flags Adding New Coaster
As 2022 comes to a close, Six Flags Entertainment (SIX )is rolling out its first new roller coaster for 2023 at Six Flags Fiesta in San Antonio Texas, as it installs a P'Sghetti Bowl Children's Coaster, Theme Park Insider reported.
Six Flags revealed the new ride, which is provided by Skyline Attractions, at its FT91 Fan Event, but it is still unnamed. The ride is billed as a single-rail family racing roller coaster and "Texas' first racing coaster." Models E and F of the P'Sghetti Bowl Children's Coaster have track lengths of 550 and 574 feet and reach a height of over 24 feet, according to the Skyline website. Restraints will feature individual T-bars with two seats across each car for a child and an adult.
Skyline Attractions previously designed the Harley Quinn Crazy Coaster at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, Calif., which operated from 2018 to 2019 and was removed in 2021.
Six Flags Fiesta also in 2023 plans to expand its White Water Bay waterpark with a new kids area that will include seven water slides and raft rides from Proslide Technology, Theme Park Insider said.
