Six Flags México home to newest Vekoma
family boomerang coaster
AT: Tim Baldwin
tbaldwin@amusementtoday.com
MEXICO CITY — In 2011, Vekoma of the Netherlands struck gold. The introduction of the Family Boomerang was a direct counterpart to its best-selling Boomerang, which took riders forward and backward, as well as flipping them upside down six times. With more than 50 of the high-intensity thrillers sold, the family concept seems poised to have even greater success. Since the original Family Boomerang opened at Drayton Manor, the Dutch company now has more than 40 on the books in a mere 15 years.
Six Flags México is the latest recipient of this mid-sized gem. The installation, called Speedway Stunt Coaster, opened on January 31, 2026. Designed as a family-friendly introduction to coaster thrills, it allows kids and parents to ride together as they immerse themselves in the world of racing.
“Speedway Stunt Coaster has quickly become one of the park’s standout attractions. Six Flags México is known for experiences that strengthen family connections and create lasting memories,” said Humberto Garcia, Six Flags México spokesperson. “Speedway Stunt Coaster has thrills that the park is known for, while also allowing new adventurers the opportunity to step into the world of coasters. Now, the whole family is able to enjoy adrenaline-fueled fun together.”
To make room for the new attraction, Six Flags simply relocated a games area, which still operates nearby.
“This is our successful Rebound layout,” said Ricardo Tonding-Etges, sales, Vekoma. “One of the best things about this model is how compact it is while still delivering a big punch. The park did have to shift a few things around, but in the end the layout fit the space perfectly.”
The inclusion of family attractions instead of continuous rides for thrill seekers has been a noticeable industry trend.
“Our Family Boomerangs are absolute crowd-pleasers,” Tonding-Etges told Amusement Today. We have more than 30 running worldwide and another 10 on the way. They’re tall enough to look impressive (75 feet), fast enough to thrill (37 mph), cost-efficient (double-pass track means less steel and construction), rock‑solid reliable, and — most important — tons of fun. Plus, with a 38-inch height requirement, it’s often the first backward/shuttle experience kids ever get. It hits that perfect ‘family thrill’ sweet spot.”
The racing motif is a theme everyone can relate to.
“The whole theme is just adorable — racecar trains, a themed station and racetrack-style pathways tying it all together. It really brings the story to life,” said Tonding-Etges.
●vekoma.com
Legoland's Galacticoaster accomplishes its mission — in Florida and California!
ART Engineering delivers interactive, family roller coaster
AT: David Fake
CARLSBAD, Calif. and WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — When Merlin Entertainments set out to build what it describes as the most technologically advanced ride in Legoland history, its project team landed on a manufacturer based not in a major industrial corridor, but in the quiet foothills of Germany's Black Forest. The choice of ART Engineering GmbH, headquartered in Kirchzarten, a small town southeast of Freiburg, to design and manufacture the twin Galacticoaster installations at Legoland Florida Resort and Legoland California Resort says as much about that company's trajectory over the past two decades as it does about the increasingly competitive global marketplace for custom attraction design.
Galacticoaster opened at Legoland Florida Resort in Winter Haven on February 27, 2026, and at Legoland California Resort in Carlsbad on March 6, 2026, representing the centerpiece of Lego Galaxy, Merlin Entertainments' largest single in-park investment across its North American Legoland parks, a combined commitment of approximately $90 million.
ART Engineering was founded in 2003 and built its early reputation on engineering work for established European manufacturers. By 2007, the company was developing its first original attraction for a theme park; a year later, it shipped its first roller coaster to an American amusement park. In 2014, the company produced its first interactive coaster, and by 2016, it had sold its first dark ride, a Ninjago attraction, to Merlin Entertainments for the Legoland chain, beginning a partnership that would eventually produce Galacticoaster. The company opened a new headquarters in Kirchzarten in 2017 and continued to push technical boundaries, producing what it describes as the world's first Family Launch Coaster in 2021 and the world's first Wild Swing in 2022. Today, ART Engineering's portfolio spans more than 211 projects across 15 countries.
Georg Behringer, who co-founded ART Engineering and serves as its managing director alongside Oliver Pierling, described the Legoland project as a natural extension of the relationship his team had cultivated with Merlin over the preceding decade. "Galacticoaster is a new, innovative highlight and a continuation of our long-term partnership with Legoland, which began with the Ninjago rides," Behringer told Amusement Today. "We are very proud of the successful implementation of these two rides and would like to thank the teams at Merlin, Legoland Florida, and Legoland California."
For Merlin's internal creative and project management division, Merlin Magic Making, ART Engineering's track record was a key factor in a competitive selection process.
"If you've ridden Ninjago, you've ridden on ART's work before," said Blake Boyter, senior project manager at Merlin Magic Making, who oversaw development of the Florida installation. "We interviewed multiple companies, but they were the winner for this one. They're a trusted partner. Our rides team, from a maintenance perspective, has a really good relationship with them."
What Merlin ultimately commissioned was a custom, one-of-a-kind track layout utilizing ART Engineering's Adventure Coaster model, the same vehicle system deployed on the acclaimed Primordial attraction at Lagoon in Utah. The signature element of that system is a set of independently, controllably rotating ride cars that seat four riders side by side, creating an experience that is simultaneously communal and unpredictable.
"The roller coaster ride, with its multiple launches and controlled rotating cars, combined with the space adventure theming, makes the ride a unique experience for all groups of visitors," said Behringer.
From Merlin's perspective, that hardware was only the foundation. Boyter described a ride unlike anything in the Legoland system. "For us, this is a game-changing roller coaster," he said. "It's a high-speed launch with controlled spinning. It's a custom one-off track that's never been developed by anybody else. It was never even assembled until it showed up here."
Controls integration was handled by Actemium, working in close coordination with ART Engineering, while media and audio-visual elements, including the attraction's centerpiece character, Biff Dipper, the first-ever robotic Lego minifigure, were developed by 2Heads.
Behringer noted that the collaboration between all parties was foundational to the project's success. "The collaboration on this project with all the involved teams went very well," he said. "Starting with creative sessions, a great ride with new features in ride and show elements had been developed and realized."
The guest experience at both parks begins well before riders ever board a vehicle. In the Briefing Room preshow, the animatronic Biff Dipper, built to 25 times the scale of a standard Lego minifigure, briefs incoming cadets on their space mission with characteristic Lego humor. Guests then proceed to the Customization Bay, where RFID wristbands and interactive touchscreens allow them to digitally configure their spacecraft across four build phases: nose, tail, wings and a special feature element. With 625 possible configurations, no two missions are identical. Once aboard, the coaster reaches speeds of up to 40 mph across nearly 1,500 feet of track, threading through immersive lighting and cinematic sequences drawn from Lego Space sets spanning the brand's entire history, from classic 1970s playsets to present-day releases.
That depth of Lego brand integration was intentional and unprecedented. Boyter described visits to Lego Group headquarters in Billund, Denmark, during development, including early access to confidential product lines that were subsequently incorporated into the ride experience. "We actually co-developed this with Lego," he said. "We've never done such a tight integration to co-develop a ride like we did for this one."
While the two Galacticoaster installations share the same coaster hardware, ride vehicle system and core narrative, the surrounding Lego Galaxy lands at each park reflect the distinct character and scale of their respective locations. At Legoland Florida, the land occupies the former Flying School site near the water park entrance, with Galacticoaster anchoring a 30,000-square-foot building that rises more than 50 feet. The Florida attraction is the park's first new coaster since its 2011 opening and is also its first indoor coaster. The land also features the Junior Astronaut Training Zone for younger guests and the Orbital Outpost retail experience.
At Legoland California in Carlsbad, Lego Galaxy spans 2.4 acres and marks that park's first new coaster in more than 20 years, as well as one of the most significant expansions in its 27-year history. The California land features the same Galacticoaster experience alongside the G-Force Test Facility ride, the Rocket Assembly Bay (a digital Lego building station where guests can scan and virtually launch their own Lego rocket creations), and a full suite of galactic-themed dining options. The California installation also includes the interactive stage show "Mission: Blast Off!" at the Fun Town Stage. Together, more than 583,000 Lego bricks are incorporated into the themed environments of Lego Galaxy at Legoland California, making it a showcase of large-scale Lego construction unlike anything previously seen at that park.
Fiona Eastwood, CEO of Merlin Entertainments, marked the Florida opening with a statement that captured the ambition behind the dual launches: "Lego Galaxy is more than a new attraction. It's an immersive world where kids take the lead in building their own adventure. By combining the power of imagination with the excitement of space exploration, we've created an experience designed to inspire the next generation of creators, explorers and dreamers."
Brian Bacica, president of Legoland Florida Resort, echoed that sentiment at the Florida grand opening: "I'm incredibly proud to introduce our guests to Lego Galaxy and I can't wait for them to experience Galacticoaster, which is a first of its kind for any Legoland Park. Our dedicated team has put so much passion and creativity into this project that has been three years of planning, building, testing and dreaming."
On the West Coast, Kurt Stocks, president of Legoland California Resort, underscored the depth of collaboration that brought the project to life. "Over the past three years, our team has poured incredible passion, imagination and expertise into every phase of this journey, from blue-sky dreaming and design to construction and testing. We've also worked hand-in-hand with the Lego Group to ensure this new space-themed land captures the creativity, innovation and storytelling families love about the Lego brand. It's an absolute privilege to launch this stellar new adventure and share it with our guests today."
Rob Smith, COO of Merlin Entertainments, pointed to the scale of what the Lego Galaxy lands represent beyond just a new ride. "Lego Galaxy has been in development for the last three years as our team of Merlin's Magic Makers worked tirelessly to create a land that sparks the creativity and exploration Legoland Resorts are globally recognized for," he said. "We're especially excited about this expansion because it brings the Lego brand to life like never before — guests can design and ride their own spacecraft on Galacticoaster, and explore detailed, large-scale models built from more than 583,000 Lego bricks across this land that spans 2.4 acres."
Merlin Magic Making's Boyter, reflecting on the completed attraction, offered perhaps the clearest measure of what the project ultimately delivered: "Watching guests go on it now, it's just so cool to see them in their spaceship. That emotional connection — they got to build it, they got to see it — that's what pays off for us."
