{"id":8711003,"date":"2023-01-10T06:49:11","date_gmt":"2023-01-10T14:49:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/?p=8711003&preview=true&preview_id=8711003"},"modified":"2023-01-10T07:06:34","modified_gmt":"2023-01-10T15:06:34","slug":"niles-theme-parks-hope-new-rides-and-roller-coasters-will-win-fans-in-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/2023\/01\/10\/niles-theme-parks-hope-new-rides-and-roller-coasters-will-win-fans-in-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Niles: Theme parks hope new rides and roller coasters will win fans in 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"

We are just days away from the opening of Mickey & Minnie\u2019s Runaway Railway<\/a> and the start of the Disney100 celebration<\/a> at Disneyland, as well as the preview of Super Nintendo World<\/a> at Universal Studios Hollywood. But plenty of other noteworthy attractions will be opening at major theme parks across the country in 2023.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start our imaginary road trip in San Diego, where SeaWorld continues its transformation into San Diego\u2019s roller coaster capital with the opening of Arctic Rescue<\/a> this spring. This triple-launch coaster from Intamin will feature seats that you straddle, like on a snowmobile. The concept is that you are rescuing animals in the Arctic, and the coaster won\u2019t rise over 30 feet from the ground as the ride emphasizes twists and turns over big drops and airtime.<\/p>\n

San Diego\u2019s weather won\u2019t fool anyone into believing they\u2019re riding in the Arctic, however, so I am more curious to see how the same type of coaster plays at SeaWorld\u2019s sister park Busch Gardens Williamsburg. DarKoaster will feature four launches and run indoors, in the former Curse of DarKastle building at the Virginia theme park. That old dark ride offered an original story and characters, which I am looking forward to revisiting on this new coaster.<\/p>\n

Up at Hersheypark in Pennsylvania, the wooden roller coaster Wildcat is getting a Rocky Mountain Construction steel-track makeover into Wildcat\u2019s Revenge this summer. RMC did wonders with Twisted Colossus at Six Flags Magic Mountain and last year\u2019s Iron Gwazi at Busch Gardens Tampa in Florida, so Hersheypark is hoping that its new RMC will be a hit, too.<\/p>\n

Families with younger roller coaster fans will want to check out Big Bear Mountain, a multi-launch Vekoma roller coaster coming to Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., this year. With a height restriction of just 39 inches, this 66-foot tall, 3,990-foot-long coaster through the park\u2019s Wildwood Grove land will be accessible to some preschoolers.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: <\/strong><\/em>Top 10 of 2023 best new theme park rides and attractions in the United States<\/a><\/p>\n

Walt Disney World\u2019s Magic Kingdom also is opening a coaster this year with TRON Lightcycle\/Run<\/a>, a clone of the successful ride first installed at Shanghai Disneyland. Meanwhile, rival Universal Studios Florida is going with a new interactive attraction rather than a coaster. Villain-Con Minion Blast will anchor a newly designated Minion Land in the Orlando park.<\/p>\n