China Dinosaur Park Discussion Thread

Hey everybody!

This thread is simple! Rather than having a million little threads about everything that goes on at Changzhou Dinosaur Park, this thread is designed to consolidate it all into one user-friendly thread. Feel free to use it to post updates, trip reports, questions, comments, and of course, general discussion.

Below are some links to past updates from the park, you may be interested in. Enjoy!

--Robb

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2010

Feb. 3rd, 2010 - Park to receive new Dinosaur-themed motocoaster from Zamperla (below)

Feb. 15th, 2010 - S&S 4th Dimension Coaster coming to Changzhou Dinosaur Park

Feb. 15th, 2010 - Park expansion concept art released!

Apr. 1st, 2010 - New 4th Dimension Coaster concept art released!

May 12th, 2010 - Park to add HEIMO/HUSS King Kong attraction!

2012

April 3rd, 2012 - Dinoconda 4th Dimension Coaster testing video posted

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Original Post:

http://www.parkworld-online.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/1597/Changzhou_Dino_Coaster.html

Zamperla’s new junior coaster will be one of several new attractions opening in 2010 at Changzhou Dinosaur Park in China, and it features a unique twist: a choice of regular or sit-astride themed ride vehicles.

 

Due to go into operation at the beginning of May, the coaster offers an exciting succession of curves, dips and valleys during a course of over half-a-kilometre. The total ride footprint (see right) is 67 by 67 metres, and the highest point is 20.5-metres.

 

Each of the ride’s trains can seat up to 20 riders, but it is the two-abreast Dilphosaurus-mounts that are expected to offer the more interesting riding position. Riders as small 105cms can ride, and the maximum speed is 65km/h.

 

The train are brought up the lift hill by kicker motors. An anti roll-back system is provided by way of mechanical brakes. Magnetic brakes are used at the end of ride to bring the train to a stop, and the coaster requires no foundations. The ride has been developed using the most advanced software programs, designed and calculated to meet the international safety standards.

 

Also new this season at Changzhou Dinosaur Park will be a King Kong ride and Sky Tower by Huss, plus an S&S tower ride.

Someone's been playing a little too much RCT2.

The layout looks good, although a little strange for this style coaster with a lift instead of a launch, and it should be a fun ride. While I see why they chose the theme of the trains, I have to say that the trains themselves look pretty bad IMO. Hopefully they look better on the ride and in action.

^I could be wrong but the dinosaurs don't look like they have been put together completely in that picture.

I love that train!

The layout looks fun too.

I am a bit confused by the "two abreast" seating. I wonder if that is side by side or literally on the same dino...hmmm

^Thank you! I didn't want to post but I too was confused about what they're actually saying is so different about the seating.

There is no way two people could be side by side on one dino. I think it's just like a motorbike coaster, just dinos instead of motorcycles. That riding position could be revolutionarary in that area?

That riding position could be revolutionarary in that area?

Could be

China already has 1 working Vekoma motorbike, 1 under contruction and one rip off which doesn't work because they can't get the launch to work properly (see image below) they also have/had a transportable model of the Zamperla Motorbike in Nanhu.

http://homeimg.focus.cn/upload/photo/zw_photos/1728/270/2706512.jpg

(if it says access denied then refresh)

But I'm not sure on the proximity of those to this new ride. After all China is a BIG country. Overall its a nice variation on the motorbike coaster and nice to see a new layout

Could it be traditional 2 person motorcycle seating where 1 person is holding the other person from behind and they just used abreast improperly?

a choice of regular or sit-astride themed ride vehicles.

This line throws me off even more. I saw sit-astride and I first pictured someone riding side saddle and was all WTH?!!?

Abreast (adj) alongside each other, facing in the same direction

In other words, the dinosaurs we can see are two abreast, the wording is correct.

So far in that pic we can see the first 7 cars (so 14 passengers). What they are saying is that the last 3 (6 more passengers to make the 20) cars will just be regular sit down seats. There is a similar set up to this on Mick Doohans Motocoaster at Dreamworld, the train has 14 bikes, but on the last two cars they have put a sitdown sidecar in lieu of where a bike could have gone (see here)

So to sum up, the article has said that the dinosaur seats will be more interesting than the sit down ones, in a very roundabout way.

New Coasters Delight Amusement Park Customers

To the Thrill of S&S Worldwide

Another major coaster project now in the works!

LOGAN, Utah - (February 15, 2010) – Long recognized as the company that designed the 4th

Dimension coaster, arguably the most technologically advanced coaster on the planet, S&S

Worldwide, Inc. is pleased to announce plans for yet another 4th Dimension coaster. Known as

“X2” at Six Flags California and as “Eejanaika” at Fujikyu Highlands in Japan, the next 4th

Dimension coaster will amaze and thrill the people of China when it opens there in 2011.

Unlike traditional coasters where trains only parallel the track, the 4th Dimension sends riders

screaming around its 3,600-foot maze of steel track aboard massive wing-shaped trains. The seats

extend off of the track to the sides of the vehicle, allowing the passengers to be independently

rotated head over heels and forward and backward.

The 4th Dimension’s large vehicles seat 24 passengers, two abreast in twelve individual cars, six

positioned on each side of the train, with a state-of-the-art restraint system that adjusts to each

rider’s size and safely secures the individual for the duration of the ride. The ride’s 360-degree

rotating seats move the passengers independently, creating head-first, face-down drops, and

unique “don’t know what to expect next” excitement.

The passengers actually face backward as the train leaves the station, rounds a turn, and begins

its 250-foot (76-meter) ascent to the crest of the lift hill. The passengers get an impressive

sweeping view of the surrounding area and are not afforded the comfort of seeing what’s to come.

Before plunging off the near vertical first drop, the seats suddenly flip forward, placing the riders in

a totally unique and thrilling position facing the ground. The steep first drop is insane, reaching a

breathtaking speed of nearly 80 mph (129 kph). As the passengers soar through the exciting

elements of the ride experience, including raven turns, dives, and half-twists, the smooth rotation

of the seats creates a surprise with every turn or drop, some beautiful air time, and an intensity that

never lets off.

“This amazing coaster takes riders on a journey to an unchartered dimension of extreme that only

the 4th Dimension can deliver,” said Kevin Rohwer, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for S&S.

“We appreciate yet another opportunity to build and install this incredible coaster, and we

anticipate that the amusement industry will be very excited about its upcoming installation.

Dinosaur Park (Changzhou, China) is already counting down the days until this great attraction will

open to the people of China.”

Wonder if this will be an Eejanaika clone, or a completely different design??

Great to hear that it finally have been officially announced, since I have herd rumours about one for a while now...

Wonder if this will be an Eejanaika clone, or a completely different design??

 

Great to hear that it finally have been officially announced, since I have herd rumours about one for a while now...

I hope it has a brand new layout since Eejanaika and X2 are very similar. It will be cool to see something new!

Ouch!

^ The way I see it, the more they make the less ouch there will be.

I mean, it at least has to be better than Eejanaika. They'll probably manage to make allot of improvements, and this could turn out to be a step forward for the 4-D coaster. The improvements could make it more practical and we might start to see allot more 4-D coasters after this. This type of coaster is basically a hit or miss for most people, but it has the potential to one day make some truly world-class coaters.

I think the time for 4-D coasters to become world class (old B&M Inverts, Intamin Rockets and Plug&Plays) has passed. If this technology was going to take off then it probably would have done a while ago. These coasters are incredibly expensive to make, and I'm not sure there are too many parks out there willing to spend such large amounts of cash just so that next time S&S will make some improvements for the parks competitors. They're better off with a decent Intamin for the money that goes into these things.

I hope this one turns out well, I hope they've learnt even more from X2 and over time they improve the design of the 4D coaster, but I don't think it'll ever take off in the way that other iconic ride types have.

Dave

I sure hope its gonna be a hit.

4D has some major potential, and could be the next big hit.

Its about time people start taking S&S serious about its coasters.

But it could also be the thing (which I think it will turn out to be) to be an elite coaster, like the B&M dive machine.

If this is a hit, we could probably see an east coast counterpart within 5 years

I think the 4-D coasters have gone from 'past their prime' to 'They still make these things???'. They have not been very successful at all and I am very surprised that another park is installing one, though I am not surprised that it is in China.

SS Power should discontinue these heaps of metal and work on engineering more new and cool things such as Tranan at Skara Sommarland.

But that is just my opinion .

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I'm psyched though, and this is just another reason to get out to China in the coming years.

Like perhaps on a TPR 2012 Best of China Trip!

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Its about time people start taking S&S serious about its coasters.

 

Tranan and its supposed lack of restraints.

Huh? Tranan was a great ride!

Yay, another 4th dimension in the World. I hope there'll be another one built in North America in the decade.

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Like perhaps on a TPR 2012 Best of China Trip!

If you are lucky then China Might have finished of much of their high speed rail network, so it might be a bit easier to get around