New thrill rides at theme parks lift your summer experience

Tag : Bottom Roller

And while theme-park admission can be pricey for a family of four,Mr. Mandt mentions a couple of ways to save. Tickets bought onlineoften are cheaper than at the gate; parks sometimes offer deals ordiscount coupons on soda cans, milk cartons or other items; andsome employers offer theme-park discounts as a benefit.
Also, if you're likely to go a couple of times, "a season passtypically will pay for itself in fewer than three visits," Mr.Mandt says.
Here are some of the new parks and attractions in the U.S. andCanada.
California and Florida
•The Simpsons Ride, Universal Orlando, Orlando, Fla., and atUniversal Studios Hollywood, Los Angeles ( www.universalorlando.com , www.universalstudioshollywood.com ). The Simpsons Ride, a simulator ride that's part thrills, part TVshow, replaces Back to the Future at Universal in Hollywood andOrlando.
•Toy Story Mania, Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Fla.,and Disneyland, Anaheim, Calif. ( www.disneyworld.com , www.disneyland.com ). Interactive ride on which you shoot at virtual targets, inspiredby the Toy Story movies.
Mr. Mandt says the ride is a good example of the interactive trendhitting theme parks: "Your first ride and second ride aredifferent, and you actually have a role to play in theoutcome." Also new at Disneyland in Anaheim, InnoventionsDream Home in Tomorrowland, a 21st century redesign of the classicHouse of the Future, and Pixar Play Parade at California Adventurewith characters from movies such as Toy Story , Monsters, Inc. and Cars on giant floats.
•Jungala, Busch Gardens, Tampa Bay, Fla. ( www.jungala.com ). Interactive animal park, where you can watch white-cheekedgibbons up close, observe an orangutan paint, and experience tug ofwar with a Bengal tiger. Geared to families with children ages6-14.
•Aquatica, SeaWorld, Orlando, Fla. ( www.aquaticabyseaworld.com ). Water park adjacent to SeaWorld, with waterfalls, racing slides,a raft ride, wave pools, rivers, lagoons, a beach and 36 slides.The park is also home to dolphins, birds and fish.
•Sesame Street Bay of Play, SeaWorld, San Diego, Calif., ( www.seaworld.com/sandiego ). Themed kiddie park with Sesame Street characters, three ridesand live show.
•Pacific Wheel, Santa Monica Pier, Calif. ( www.pacpark.com ). This new, $1.5 million Ferris wheel with 15,000 lights replacesthe old Ferris wheel, which recently sold on eBay to a buyer fromOklahoma.
•Land of Adventure, Legoland, Carlsbad, Calif., ( www.legoland.com/california.htm ). A new area of the park with attractions that include a darkride, Lost Kingdom Adventure, and Pharaoh's Revenge, where youshoot foam balls. New Sea Life Aquarium expected to open in August.
•Firefall, California's Great America, Santa Clara, Calif. ( www.cagreatamerica.com ). Thrill ride that flips and turns riders through fire and watereffects.
•Pony Express, Knott's Berry Farm, Buena Park, Calif. ( www.knotts.com ). A coaster that travels through 60-degree turns and maneuvers.
Canada, the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic
•Behemoth, Canada's Wonderland, Vaughan, Ontario (nearToronto) ( www.canadaswonderland.com ). Canada's tallest, fastest roller coaster, with a 230-foot firstdrop followed by seven more out-of-your seat drops.
•Niagara's Fury, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada ( www.niagarasfury.com ). High-tech attraction telling the story of the creation of thefamous falls. Centerpiece of renovated Table Rock observation site.
•Motocoaster, Darien Lake, Darien Center, N.Y. ( www.godarienlake.com ). New ride design intended to simulate a motorcycle, with 12motorcycles on a figure-eight layout, at speeds up to 40 mph.
•Fahrenheit, Hersheypark, Hershey, Pa., ( www.hersheypark.com ). Vertical-lift inverted-loop coaster, up to 58 mph, 2,700 feet ofsteel track. Also new at Hershey, the Howler ride, withsphere-shaped cars that rotate at a 20-degree angle, creating atornadolike experience.
•Voodoo, Dorney Park, Allentown, Pa., ( www.dorneypark.com ). Inverted steel coaster that ascends 185 feet, launches forwardand backward, twists 360 degrees and rockets riders up to 70 mph.
•Dominator, Kings Dominion, Doswell, Va., ( www.kingsdominion.com ). Floorless roller coaster with five inversions, said to have theworld's largest vertical loop. The coaster comes to Virginia fromGeauga Lake in Aurora, Ohio, which is now a water park, GeaugaLake's Wildwater Kingdom ( www.wildwaterfun.com ).
Six Flags parks
•Dark Knight, Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, N.J., andSix Flags Great America, Gurnee, Ill., near Chicago ( www.sixflags.com/greatadventure , www.sixflags.com/greatamerica ). Indoor roller coaster with hairpin turns, drops into darknessand video from the upcoming Batman movie, The Dark Knight .
•Tony Hawk's Halfpipe, Six Flags America,Bowie-Mitchellville, Md. ( www.sixflags.com/america ). Water slide designed to evoke skating a halfpipe.
•Tony Hawk's Big Spin, Six Flags Over Texas, Arlington and atSix Flags Discovery Kingdom, Vallejo, Calif. ( www.sixflags.com/overtexas , www.sixflags.com/discoverykingdom ). Built to resemble a skate park, with cars that twist, turn andspin.
•Goliath, Six Flags Fiesta Texas, San Antonio. ( www.sixflags.com/fiestatexas ). Inverted coaster that suspends riders from an overhead track andgoes 50 mph.
•X2 Coaster, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia, Calif. ( www.sixflags.com/magicmountain ). This is a redesign on an existing coaster, with new visual,auditory and sensory effects.
•Evel Knievel, Six Flags St. Louis, Eureka, Mo. ( www.sixflags.com/stlouis ). Wooden coaster with a 2,700-foot track, 80-foot drop, and double55-foot drops.
•Thomas Town, Six Flags Over Georgia, Austell, Ga., nearAtlanta ( www.sixflags.com/overgeorgia ). Play area for younger children themed on Thomas the Tank Engine.
The South
•Hard Rock Park, Myrtle Beach, S.C. ( www.hardrockpark.com ). New rock 'n' roll-themed park, with coasters named for LedZeppelin and the Eagles, plus a groovy dark ride based on the MoodyBlues' "Nights in White Satin."
•River Battle, Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, Tenn. ( www.dollywood.com ). Water adventure ride with nine rafts. Each raft holds eightpeople armed with soaker guns taking aim at each other and morethan 100 interactive targets, including splashing beavers, skunks,otters and bears.
The Midwest and West
•Planet Snoopy, Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio ( www.cedarpoint.com ). New children's play area with seven rides, plus a newSnoopy-themed restaurant and ice show.
•Skyscraper, Challenge Park (at Cedar Point), Sandusky, Ohio( www.cedarpoint.com , click on Inside the Park). A thrill ride that spins like apropeller with open cars 16 stories off the ground.
•Thunderhawk, Michigan's Adventure, Muskegon, Mich. ( www.miadventure.com ). The 105-foot tall inverted roller coaster flips riders upsidedown five times. Relocated from Geauga Lake in Aurora, Ohio.
•Keylime Cove, Gurnee, Ill. ( www.keylimecove.com ). New water park with wave pool, body slides, lazy river, activitypool for water sports.
•Kima Bay, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari, Santa Claus,Ind. ( www.holidayworld.com ). New monkey-themed water park attraction at Splashin' Safari.
•Nickelodeon Universe, Mall of America, Bloomington, Minn. ( www.nickelodeonuniverse.com ). This park is Nickelodeon's first standalone theme park. Ridesinclude SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge roller coaster.
•Aftershock, Silverwood Theme Park, Athol, Idaho ( www.silverwoodthemepark.com ). New 191-foot boomeranglike inverted steel roller coaster, withtwo towers, 90-degree inclines and a 177-foot drop. Expectedopening July.