AT: Tim Baldwin
WALDKIRCH, Germany — Reacting to a global health crisis and the impacts it has brought upon the entire amusement industry, parks are evaluating the availability of new attractions. Mack Rides has developed a solution for facilities to update an existing attraction to add a new marketing spin. At the same time, the concept can elevate an entirely new attraction in the planning stages to a whole new level.
Mack Rides refers to it as a Hybrid train.
“This adjustment to our Mega/Launch Coaster train is bringing the spinning option to many of our rides,” said Maximilian Roeser, head of marketing. “We can either equip some of our existing roller coasters with an adjusted spinning back row or build a new layout with this already in mind. You get two ride experiences with one track. Our first installation will be our bluefire layout coming to Dreamworld Australia. Here we will have one Hybrid train that offers a spinning experience on this layout. The car itself is created in order to have standard seats facing forward and the back row to be spinning.”
Mack Rides refers to the seating concept as a z-axis. Compared to the back-to-back seating of the four-seater cars on the Xtreme Spinning Coaster, this back row features two seats at a slightly reclined position.
“The pitch is used to reduce the reach envelop as the guests will sit slightly higher than the other guests in the launch coaster seats,” Roeser said.
“We had the tests on bluefire at Europa-Park, as this is again something new,” Roeser told Amusement Today. “Also the track is slightly different compared to the Launch Coaster and the Xtreme Spinning Coaster. We think this is a great option to create a new ride sensation after several years of operation to a ride or to offer it as a new claim for the marketing of the parks. Either way, it’s a great addition, and I was very impressed with the ride physics.”
The seating utilizes the same comfortable restraints that are seen on the Xtreme Spinning Coaster and bluefire models.
“We just don’t want it to spin too crazy, but the test with the bluefire train didn’t show any sign that this would occur,” Roeser noted. “The rotation will also be dampened like with our Xtreme Spinning Coaster but also free spinning depending on the weight distribution. So even a much lighter person together with me did not spin in a completely wild fashion, and it was still an enjoyable ride.”
This article appears in the FEBRUARY 2021 issue of Amusement Today.
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