Spinoff - theme parks that never got built

[RedAngie]

The Whizzer is still one of the better coasters.

I didn't get to the Santa Clara park until it was owned by Paramount. I'm not sure if it ever had the triple-arm ferris wheel like the Chicago park did. It's my understanding that both parks were virtually identical when Marriott opened them.

Hersheypark once had a double-arm sky wheel.

 

[bcla]

The Whizzer is still one of the better coasters.

I didn't get to the Santa Clara park until it was owned by Paramount. I'm not sure if it ever had the triple-arm ferris wheel like the Chicago park did. It's my understanding that both parks were virtually identical when Marriott opened them.

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Hersheypark once had a double-arm sky wheel.

It did. Paramount filmed Beverly Hills Cop 3 there using the fictional "Wonder World" name. There's a shot of the first loop of The Demon in this clip.

It's kind of a miracle that it's still there given the value of land in Silicon Valley. I do remember when it was relatively undeveloped in the area. I mean - there was stuff there, but now there's an NFL stadium, tech companies everywhere. It's pretty built up, but I think the city would fight it should there be any talk of removing the park and selling off the land. If you look at a map of the place, it's really built up now with Levi's Stadium and 49ers headquarters to the north, Dell has several buildings, although I think Intel has been around since before the park. A several years ago I interviewed for a job at one of the nearby office buildings, and I could hear screaming from the rides.

I thought that many of the changes made were the same, like modifying a double corkscrew coaster by adding a double loop. Even some of the new rides. I really don't know that much of what happened from the mid 80s although I'm pretty sure they diverged from that point.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

It had braking issues coming into the station. The rest of the ride was fine. Originally it didn't have any seat belts. They added seat belts, modified the brakes, and reduced the Max trains from five to three.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

The Whizzer is still one of the better coasters.

I didn't get to the Santa Clara park until it was owned by Paramount. I'm not sure if it ever had the triple-arm ferris wheel like the Chicago park did. It's my understanding that both parks were virtually identical when Marriott opened them.

View attachment 263992

Both parks had it. It was called the sky whirl. One car loaded while the other two went around in position. Then the wheel would move. It was a fun ride and a nice innovation. Ferris wheels have notoriously low through put. This one solved that. It not only loaded faster, those riding got to keep riding while the one arm was being loaded. I'm sorry it had to go. The whizzer really is a fun coaster. Though both parks were more alike than they were different, they weren't identical. In the beginning, both were very well themed for non Disney parks.

 

[bcla]

Both parks had it. It was called the sky whirl. One car loaded while the other two went around in position. Then the wheel would move. It was a fun ride and a nice innovation. Ferris wheels have notoriously low through put. This one solved that. It not only loaded faster, those riding got to keep riding while the one arm was being loaded. I'm sorry it had to go. The whizzer really is a fun coaster. Though both parks were more alike than they were different, they weren't identical. In the beginning, both were very well themed for non Disney parks.

It was state of the art. Even up to the 80s it was considered a really nice park.

One of the biggest problems was that once a park like that ages and the prices go down, there seem to be gangs taking over various theme parks. Magic Mountain was one of the worst.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

It was state of the art. Even up to the 80s it was considered a really nice park.

One of the biggest problems was that once a park like that ages and the prices go down, there seem to be gangs taking over various theme parks. Magic Mountain was one of the worst.

Oh yes. They were very well themed for a non Disney park and family friendly. But neither Cedar Faire, nor Six Flags really want to be in that niche and both are caught in the nuclear arms race of pee your pants puke your guts out thrill rides. Theming? What's theming?

HAHA Magic Mountain, complete with metal detectors. That place really went downhill. Thanks Six flags....

The Skywhirl for its part had aged out. The big motor that rotates the whole thing was still good but all the little motors that rotate each wheel were clearly on their last legs. You could hear them halfway across the park towards the end. And given the arms race the parks were in, nobody is going to spend that kind of money on what is essentially a slow moving Ferris wheel.