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Greatest Amusement Industry Achievement of the Decade?


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With the decade coming to a close in the next couple of days, let's take a look back at the past ten years. What do you think was the greatest amusement industry achievement between 2001-2010?

 

Was it the invention of the Intamin plug n play woodie? Was it breaking the 400 foot barrier? Was it the attempt by Shapiro's Six Flags group to turn the company around?

 

So many things happened in this industry over the past 10 years...what do you think was most important?

 

--Robb

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In no order

 

1. Breaking the 400ft barrier just 3 years after breaking the 300ft barrier

2. The 4D coaster

3. 90 degree turns on a wooden coaster

4. The hydromagnetic water coasters

5. The Intamin plug n play wooden coasters

6. The rapid construction of theme parks being built in China

 

Don't know what I was thinking when I mentioned breaking the 300ft barrier earlier.

Edited by Airtime&Gravity
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I agree that Intamin's plug-and-play woodies were an excellent achievement (and we need more of 'em). But for me I think the opening of Tokyo DisneySea in 2001 is the highlight of the decade. It's the perfect example of how immersive a theme-park experience can be, and had the greatest "wow" factor of any park I've ever visited.

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*I'm indifferent about Harry Potter, but has any new attraction had such a dramatic impact on attendance and revenue?

 

From my own perspective:

 

*Intamin Plug and Plays - I've only been on two, and they both in my top 2 fave coasters.

*Breaking the 400 foot barrier - that was the development that made me travel specifically to go to a theme park which was a first.

*The continued growth of Halloween events, especially HHN.

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-The development of S&S Powers from S&S Sports

-Psyclone Being Removed From SFMM

-GCI giving us their innovations and we can't forget their crown achivement: Prowler.

-The Intamin Cable Still Causing Trouble

-Magnetic Brakes becoming commonplace on coasters

-Permier Rides giving us three Revenge Of The Mummy Dark Coasters

-Vekoma Developing A Restraint That Doesn't:

-B&M's Flying Coaster

-Theme Park Review (yes I know the site was around before then, but that was the stone age of the Internet)

-Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 & 3

-Mack's awesome spinning coaster becomes popular

-4th Dimension, Wingwalker etc. Style Coasters

-Kuka Coaster Arms

-Legoland California rapidly becoming one of the top amusement parks in California

-Onboard audio becoming commonplace on coasters.

 

And much more!

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A few things that haven't already been mentioned

 

1. S&S Screamin Swing

2. On ride video

3. PRINCE DESMOND

4. Hydraulic launch coasters

5. lo-q (technically a prototype was in use in 1998, but went live in 2001 according to the company provided information)

6. ProSlide Tornado

7. B&M's Flying Coasters (cuz they don't kill you)

8. Prowler

 

*Edit* In the 10 minutes it took me to think about this, half of what I listed was picked off, you guys are fast!

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Looking back toward all my home parks...

Magic Mountain received X2, Deja Vu, Scream, Tatsu, Terminator, and Thomas Town.

Knott's received Xcelerator, Silver Bullet, Sierra Sidewinder, Pony Express, Riptide, and Revolution.

Disneyland received Nemo Submarines, Pixie Hollow, Astro Blasters....winnie the pooh?

I believe California Adventure opened this decade, but also got Tower of Terror, Bugs Land, Toy Story Mania, and World of Color.

 

My favorite park to visit this decade has to Magic Mountain, and my favorite new addition of the decade that I experienced has to be Tatsu. Cheers for the new decade.

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Well Intamin made a ton of achievements in this Decade such as,

 

The pre-fab wooden coaster

 

The hydrolic launch coaster

 

The Blitz coaster

 

And so much more!

 

Other achievements might be

 

90 degrees!!!.... on a wooden coaster

 

The 4D coaster

 

Sound track on a wooden coaster

 

GCI

 

And much more!

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But I also want to put some thing out other that is kind of weird, in the beginning of the decade the roller coaster legend Anton Schwarzkopf pasted away. And at the end of the decade, one of best minds in the amusement park Industry, Will koch past away. Will we be see something like this in the next Decade?

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^^^My kudos was legitimate, I appreciated the research (or the knowledge you already had)! Things are good to know.

 

I definitely agree with the Plug-n-Play, and the rise of newer wooden coaster companies like TGG and GCI. They've all truly changed the wooden coaster, and made it something that can compete with the big boys instead of be known for its old charm and classic style.

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Plug N' Plays were the greatest achievement, IMO. Intamin really changed the wooden coaster landscape with them. They made wooden coasters that use giga-like cable lifts, 75+ degree drops and provide the craziest airtime on the planet. Oh, yeah... AND their glass smooth! The fact that a woodie is being compared to a modern day steel coaster in terms of smoothness is an achievement in itself! I've heard coaster enthusiasts say that El Toro's airtime actually made them sick! The fact that other parks haven't taken one look at El Toro, Balder, T Express or Colossos and called Intamin is truly baffeling.

 

Another honorable mention is Shapiro saving SF is up there because of the long odds of it happening with the debt and everyone writing them off

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1) The New Texas Giant

2) The addition of 10 new flats at SFOT

3) Superman Tower of Power at SFOT

4) Mystery Mine at Dollywood

5) SFMM reclaiming the title of the coaster capital of the world

 

The second and third one may not seem "big" to some people, but from my point of view they were, since they affected my home park.

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