Intamin's Time Rider offers new, rare type of fun at Gyeonju World

AT: Tim Baldwin

tbaldwin@amusementtoday.com

GYEONGJU, South Korea — To help celebrate the 40th anniversary of Gyeongju World, the park installed Time Ride, a record-breaking coaster wheel. Having installed four new roller coasters in the previous seven seasons, the operators thought a new kind of thrill would continue to modernize the park.

Only a handful of coaster wheels operate around the world. The original, at 150 feet, is at Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park at Coney Island in New York. This new model boasts a record of 164 feet.

Manufactured by Intamin, the coaster wheel features 24 cabins. Guests visiting Gyeongju World who may be unfamiliar with the coaster wheel concept will find 16 cabins suspended by wheels that allow those units to roll and swing, both an exhilarating and unnerving experience. Those moving cabins combine panoramic views with ride action.

“Clients tend to do their own research without asking much to the manufacturer until they get their heart set on a specific ride,” said Chang Sun Lim, Intamin Korea. “The old Ferris wheel was 45 meters high, and the client had no appetite for the competition for heights at all. They focused on the uniqueness and function rather than the magnitude. Management went to Disney California Adventure to try the coaster wheel, followed by working staff to double confirm the soundness of their choice.”

The name of the attraction is Time Rider.

“The idea of ‘time’ fascinated our company officials the most,” said a park spokesperson. “After the concept idea was set to ‘time,’ various related names were proposed. It’s a name that best expresses the ride’s concept and story.”

The fixed cabins are called Time Keepers, while the swinging cabins are called Time Travelers.

The park spokesperson explained that other options were considered, but trademark rights hindered those names. “We decided on a cooler name: Time Rider,” they said.

A Ferris wheel was introduced to the park in 1986, the park’s second year of operation. In 2022, the ride was demolished, but because Ferris wheels are such staples in amusement parks, a new version was desired.

“In order to give customers a different pleasure than before, we decided to use Intamin’s coaster wheel,” the spokesperson said. “The impact of the coaster wheel was great.”

According to the park, Gyeongju World is the only theme park in Korea that has a Ferris wheel. Certainly, with only five coaster wheels globally, the ride is a true standout.

Time Rider is the latest in park additions.

“It’s fantastic and explosive,” the spokesperson told AT. “Gyeongju World started as a small amusement park in the region after its opening in 1985. “Starting with the introduction of B&M’s inverted roller coaster, Phaethon, in 2007, and continuing with Submarine Splash (2012), B&M dive coaster Draken in 2018, Gerstlauer’s shuttle coaster Valkyrie in 2021 and RMC’s single rail coaster, Skoll & Hati, in 2024, the park is now recognized as a thrill park representing Korea due to its aggressive introduction of unique attractions.”

The project was a partnership between Intamin and Forrec. The Toronto-based design company created the story, ride and vehicle theming, queue building and façade.

Forrec’s concept and design package for this project encompassed extensive graphic elements and signage design featuring upbeat but theme-appropriate typography, color palettes and custom LED lighting design. Forrec designed the central wheel logo and artwork to strict specifications; weight and wind loads were important technical considerations in ensuring safe operation of the massive wheel.

“At the heart of our design journey was a simple goal: to create a better wheel,” said Eric O’Rourke, senior director, Forrec. “Through a fantastic collaboration with the client and Intamin, we embraced the theme of time travel. This iconic new ride not only celebrates the vitality of the park but also offers serene views of Gyeongju’s beautiful countryside. In the end this isn’t just a ride; it’s a thrilling experience and our team had the privilege and pleasure of creating this new icon for the park. It has been an absolute pleasure working with Gyeongju World for over 20 years now, and we eagerly anticipate our next adventure together.”

Forrec has been involved with a dozen attractions at Gyeongju World, starting in 2002 with a long-term master plan and revitalization study for the park, followed by multiple theme park expansion and ride design projects, a new front gate design, park branding and wayfinding signage.

“Time Ride is six meters above ground, meaning it runs high to 51 meters. The foundation took more time than expected, which forced the beginning of the installation in late November,” said Chang Sun. “Cold and rainy days were the challenges to overcome. Overall progress was smooth.”

The park noticed in the early days of operation that social media platforms such as Instagram and YouTube were featuring uploaded videos from guests almost every day.

“Time Rider provides customers with great curiosity even before visiting the park,” said the spokesperson. “This is a unique concept of an Intamin moving Ferris wheel and a wonderful design production through Forrec.”