Photo: Family Kingdom

Though the park is playing it cool with the official name — hinting only that “we’re near the ocean, use your imagination” — the specs are anything but quiet. Standing 100 feet tall, the new ride will tower nearly 30 feet over Swamp Fox . It’s designed to reach speeds of 52 mph and features three inversions.

At 1,920 feet long, it’s actually a bit beefier than the original versions of this ride found at major theme parks in California and Texas, proving that this “small” seaside park is swinging for the fences.

Construction is moving fast, too. The first of 28 track deliveries is scheduled to arrive the first week in March, though you’ll need to be patient for the payoff. The park is currently eyeing a “late summer 2026” debut.

Opened in 1993, the runaway mine train-style coaster has entertained generations of families, becoming a rite of passage for thrill-seekers visiting the 1880’s theme park. Among roller coaster enthusiasts, Thunderation is widely regarded as one of the better mine train coasters in the world. Since its debut, the Arrow Dynamics coaster has carried more than 27 million riders across more than 3,000 feet of track carved into the Ozarks terrain.

Silver Dollar City has declared the 2026 season to be a year-long celebration of Thunderation, beginning with an opening-day ceremony on March 13 and culminating in a final sendoff on January 2, 2027. Special ride moments, promotional offers, commemorative merchandise, and limited-time offerings will be unveiled throughout the season.

Photo: PA Media

A restoration of the Grade II* listed rollercoaster was completed in 2015 after it had closed in 2005 and suffered an arson attack in 2008.

"Dreamland is committed to finding a new long-term plan to reinvent the Scenic Railway and for it to be enjoyed by future generations in a fresh way," a spokesperson said.

Word from the theme park said an "extensive process of consultations and inspections" was carried out but it was "concluded that, after 100+ years, the ride has come to the end of its current life."

The decision was taken "in close consultation" with The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic England and Thanet District Council, the spokesperson said.

Scenic Railway, one of the theme park's star attractions, has been standing but not operating after some track damage occurred in 2024.

A pop-up exhibition on the ride's history is planned for later in 2026 and the rollercoaster will "be re-invented for people to enjoy in a different way".

The wooden ride first opened in 1920 and, according to Historic England, suffered fires in 1949 and 1957. Its 2015 restoration was part of an £18m ($2.48 million) investment in reopening the park, which had spent a decade closed to the public.

Dreamland posted surveys on its social media, soliciting suggestions for repurposing the ride and requesting memories of the attraction.

It was predicted the Six Flags/Cedar Fair merger would produce some changes in the now 40+ park portfolio. And who knew that IB Parks & Entertainment might be expanding their operations?

IB Parks & Entertainment, a leading operator of family-oriented theme parks and attractions, has announced that it has acquired the rights to operate Lake Winnepesaukah Amusement Park, (“Lake Winnie” in Rossville, Georgia) under a long-term commitment, beginning with the 2026 season. The agreement reflects a shared focus on preserving the park’s heritage while ensuring its continued success for generations to come.

The operating agreement is designed to provide additional resources and support while maintaining the traditions, character, and experiences that guests have come to know and love.

The transition in operations will not affect guests or season passholders. All 2026 season passes remain valid, with no changes to benefits, pricing, or perks. Opening day, operating schedules, and the overall guest experience will remain unchanged.

Meanwhile, at Six Flags, trademark documents point toward major alterations to several of the merged Six Flags/Cedar Fair companies' amusement parks.

After the closure of its Washington, D.C.-based Six Flags America property in late 2025, new trademark applications suggest more major changes could be on the way for several other parks in the Six Flags Entertainment Corporation family.

Posted to the official United States Patent and Trademark Office website between January 8 and 9, filings for potential name changes or even the sale of several properties are grouped under the title "Enchanted Parks," with subsequent subtitles reflecting the names of existing Six Flags properties and/or regions where the company currently operates attractions.

Filings include titles for Enchanted Parks (overall), Enchanted Parks St. Louis (where Six Flags St. Louis operates in Eureka), Enchanted Parks Michigan Adventure (Six Flags currently owns the Michigan's Adventure park in Muskegon), Enchanted Parks Oceans of Fun (Six Flags runs the joint Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun parks in Kansas City, Missouri), and Enchanted Parks Great Escape Lodge (where the company holds Six Flags Great Escape park in Queensbury, New York).

When reached for comment, a Six Flags spokesperson declined to address "rumors or speculation," before adding that "we have been actively reviewing our park portfolio and are committed to making decisions that strengthen the company and position us for profitable growth."

Image courtesy of Zamperla

The Double Heart is part of Zamperla’s Triple Launch family. Like the famous Top Thrill 2, the Double Heart has three launches before it rockets skyward at 64 mph. It uses the Lightning trains, Zamperla’s thrill platform. With a wide row-to-row seat distance, some of the most comfortable roller coaster restraints and a 48-inch rider height requirement, the vehicle was designed with the latest coaster technology.

Ride statistics:

No opening date has been announced, but the working name for this coaster is Giant Revolution.

Photo: Kentucky Kingdom

Flying Fox Key Features:

Photo: Kentucky Kingdom

A specific opening date has not been announced.

This Schwarzkopf classic has thrilled generations at Lagoon and it’s now time for one last ride before Jet Star 2 retires.

The last rides will be held on November 9, 2025. A rather short amount of time remains to celebrate this icon’s incredible legacy.

Barracuda Strike will offer thrills for guests of all ages—featuring sharp turns, dramatic drops, and the sensation of gliding above the park’s iconic water ski lake with nothing beneath their feet.

Highlights include the following:

Photo: SeaWorld San Antonio

A spring 2026 opening is planned.

Photo: Six Flags Over Texas

The record-breaking roller coaster will be the tallest, fastest, longest and first-ever giga (300+-foot-tall) dive coaster in the world.

Photo: Six Flags Over Texas

This one-of-a-kind thrill ride, from Bolliger & Mabillard, will trample six monumental world records.

Themed after one of Spain’s longest traditions, the running of the bulls, Tormenta Rampaging Run will tower over a brand-new Spanish village called Rancho de la Tormenta and new restaurant Cocina Abuela, all fittingly located in the park’s Spain area.

2026 can’t come soon enough to run with this bull!

Montezooma’s Revenge has been closed since 2022. Last year, Knott’s announced that it was overhauling the 47-year-old flywheel-launched coaster but shared no specifics.

The coaster is a favorite among many thrill seekers and has been designated a Roller Coaster Landmark by the American Coaster Enthusiasts. The organization recognizes Montezooma’s Revenge as the last operating ride of its kind in the United States and the longest standing in its original location.

A reopening date for the roller coaster has not been announced.

The iconic coaster, which launched riders to speeds up to 100 mph in just 7 seconds, was a record-setter when it debuted in 1997 as Superman: The Escape. Despite efforts to repair the ride during its maintenance period last September, the coaster's aging infrastructure and the scarcity of necessary parts have led to its permanent shutdown.

While the coaster will no longer be in operation, the Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom drop tower ride attached to the same tower structure will continue to thrill guests. It will reopen in April following seasonal refurbishment.

Photo: Kings Island

The retracking is mainly focused on the area just before the ride’s second hill, its midcourse tunnel and the brake shed. By the time of its completion, it’s estimated that more than 20% of The Beast’s track will be replaced.

The coaster was built by Kings Island staff, with the help of famous coaster designer John C. Allen. In 2004, during its 25th anniversary, The Beast was named an ACE Roller Coaster Landmark by the American Coaster Enthusiasts.

Kings Island opens for the season April 19.

Park officials announced on their website this week that Arkansas Twister is shutting down for good.

Photo: Magic Springs

Originally known as The Roaring Tiger, the coaster was built in 1978 at the Circus World theme park in Davenport, Florida. The ride features a 92-foot drop and can reach top speeds of 50 mph. Magic Springs purchased the ride and reopened it as Arkansas Twister in 1992.

Park officials say there are currently no plans to remove the ride in the foreseeable future, meaning Arkansas Twister will remain standing but not operating.

Palace’s diverse portfolio of amusement parks, water parks, family entertainment centers, campgrounds and hotels includes notable properties such as Kennywood (West Mifflin, Pennsylvania), Dutch Wonderland (Lancaster, Pennsylvania) and Lake Compounce (Bristol, Connecticut). The last-mentioned is the oldest continuously operating amusement park in the United States.

Opening in 2004, the Zamperla Volare 391m model has given more than 9.3 million rides since its opening as Tomb Raider: The Ride, which featured riders positioned face-down to simulate the sensation of flight.

It’s set to be removed before the park opens in May, and plans haven’t yet been announced for the area where Time Warp is currently located.

Now, the original wooden coaster has received a new finale! The helix has been replaced with a high-speed over-banked 70-degree turn. The thrilling final corner turns riders nearly sideways.

The new twisted ending has been three-years in the making. In 2015, Worlds of Fun reengineered the track from the top of the first lift to the first bank. Then in 2016, work continued up to the beginning of the helix.

Owing to a drop in visitor numbers, Aspro Park, owners of Oakwood Theme Park, (Pembrokeshire, Wales), said, "future investment is unsustainable," and it would not be opening for the 2025 season. The company added, "All possible avenues have been explored to avoid the closure, and we fully recognise the impact of the closure on the local community and the loss that will be felt as a result."

The park added that "unrelenting economic challenges" from electricity costs, ride parts and food and drink inflation, as well as changes to national insurance thresholds affected the decision.

The enhancements include brand-new Millennium Flyer trains, designed for a smoother, faster, and more comfortable ride. Silverwood is also adding a second train to increase capacity, allowing more guests to experience the thrill with shorter wait times.

A key part of the upgrade is the installation of 208 ReTrak, an advanced steel track developed by Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC). This cutting-edge track will replace sections of the wooden structure, reducing noise and making the ride smoother than ever.

A proposal was filed with the Federal Aviation Administration on January 22 for an "amusement park structure" in Arlington, according to online records. The filing didn't name the company behind the filing, but it listed the structure height as 309 feet. Also, the GPS coordinates in the filing were for the same location as the La Vibora bobsled ride, which closed last year.

The 309-feet figure is definitely in the ballpark for "record-breaking" status at Six Flags Over Texas; the park's tallest coaster, Titan, tops out at 245 feet.

Other details listed in the filing included a work schedule of March 1, 2025 to March 30, 2026, so it sounds like the new coaster won't open until late spring/early summer 2026.

No other details were available from Six Flags officials.

Since opening in 2009, the park has reported numerous times that Rip Ride Rockit was shut down due to technical problems. At times, fire crews have been needed to rescue riders stuck on the roller coaster for hours, most recently in November 2023.

Universal’s permit application describes the project as “Remove existing attraction and replace with proposed attraction.”

In addition, Kings Dominion (Doswell, Virginia) has made the decision that Anaconda will be removed before the theme park celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2025. The Arrow Dynamics steel coaster was publicized as the world's first looping roller coaster to feature an underwater tunnel when it opened in 1991. The nearly 34-year-old ride, which features 2,700 feet of track, top speeds of 50 mph and a 360-degree vertical loop, is one of Kings Dominion's most photographed rides, according to the park's website.

The park announced in late July that it would premiere Rapterra, the world's tallest and longest launched wing coaster, to celebrate the park's 50th anniversary in 2025.

Upgrades are underway for the wooden roller coaster, which opened in 1996. Morey's Piers has acquired two new Millennium Flyer trains, each featuring 12 two-person cars bearing a single axle. This bit of engineering allows the train to "more fluidly adapt to the track's curves," according to a release, and reduces shuffling that can make for a rougher ride.

The Millennium Flyer train is made by Great Coasters International, Inc., a roller coaster design company based in Sunbury, Pennsylvania.

Morey's Piers says the roller coaster upgrades will be completed by spring 2025.

A yet-to-be-announced "signature attraction," being billed as a multi-record-breaking launch coaster, will debut in 2026.

Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas, has revealed that a record-breaking dive roller coaster will launch at the Arlington theme park in 2026. To make way for the addition, the park has retired La Vibora and El Diablo, with construction beginning soon. No further details were offered on the new coaster.

Photo: Kings Dominion

The Jungle X-Pedition area was introduced in 2022, and each ride in the area represents a temple to jungle animals from an ancient culture. For Pantherian, the intense speed, rapid shifts and raw power mimic a large panther on the hunt. The ride's transformation comes with a new logo that shows an image of the jungle cat and new paint colors for the ride's support columns and track.

Photo: Kings Dominion

Pantherian originally opened as Intimidator 305 in 2010 and is one of the tallest and fastest coasters on the East Coast, with a first drop of 305 feet and a top speed approaching 95 mph.

Don't miss your opportunity to ride Pantherian during ACE’s Spring Conference in May 2025.

In 2025, Busch Gardens Williamsburg will unveil its newest and most immersive family attraction yet – North America’s longest family inverted coaster.

Image: Busch Gardens Williamsburg

The name of the ride came following a naming contest during which the park’s fans cast more than 30,000 votes for what the name should be. The fans were loud and clear on their desire to see the park honor the legacy of an old favorite while launching an all-new family-friendly attraction. As a result, Busch Gardens Williamsburg chose the ride’s name specifically to build upon a beloved attraction in the park’s history with a new twist.

The Big Bad Wolf: The Wolf’s Revenge delivers an immersive and thematic experience, during which families are swept into a world of excitement. Riders will dash through more than 2,500 feet of track at speeds up to 40 mph, making it the ultimate family-friendly attraction. With its thrilling yet accessible design, this ride is perfect for kids, with a minimum height of 42 inches when accompanied by a supervising companion and 48 inches without, ensuring everyone can enjoy this coaster together.

Located in the Octoberfest area of the park, this all-new thrill will be the park’s 11th coaster. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, it joins Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s diverse roller coaster portfolio of attractions for both thrill seekers and families, including the oldest coaster, Loch Ness Monster: The Legend Lives On, along with fan-favorite attractions like DarKoaster and Pantheon.

Busch Gardens Members will be among the first to ride this new coaster when it opens next year. An opening date for the new coaster was not announced.