Holiday World Banking on a ‘Bird’
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowHoliday World & Splashin' Safari in Santa Claus has announced its largest-ever investment in a single attraction. Park officials have unveiled details of the $22 million Thunderbird “launched wing” roller coaster, which they say will be the first of its kind in the U.S. It will also be Holiday World's first major steel coaster. Thunderbird will feature a 14-story loop, multiple rolls and will go from 0 to 60 miles-per-hour in 3.5 seconds. President Matt Eckert calls the builder, Switzerland-based Bolliger & Mabillard Inc., the “Cadillac” of roller coaster companies.
The design is unique, because rider are situated on either side of the track's tubular rails. Eckert says it gives riders the thrill of having “nothing above or below you.”
July 24, 2014
News Release
SANTA CLAUS, Ind. -The nation's first launched wing coaster will take flight over Holiday World in 2015. Named Thunderbird, Holiday World's first major steel roller coaster will feature a zero-to-60 miles-per-hour launch in 3.5 seconds, followed by multiple inversions – including a 14-story Immelmann loop, Zero-g roll, barrel roll, and a loop soaring 125 feet in the air.
Continuing Holiday World's tradition of sending roller coasters through its thickly wooded and hilly terrain, Thunderbird will at first soar and loop high in the air and then hug the ground, surprising riders with rapid-fire “near misses” such as keyholes, themed elements, other rides, trees, and even the ground.
“A wing coaster creates a feeling of incredible freedom – you ride beside the coaster track with nothing above or below you,” says Holiday World's president, Matt Eckert. “Thunderbird is the first launched wing coaster in the nation – we can’t wait to ride it!”
Eckert calls Thunderbird's manufacturer, Bolliger & Mabillard, the “Cadillac of roller coasters, known for their safety, quality and reliability. We've dreamed of adding a B&M steel coaster for many years and are excited that Thunderbird will be B&M's first launched coaster.”
Thunderbird's $22 million price tag is more than twice the amount of any other single-ride investment at Holiday World & Splashin' Safari in the park’s 68-year history.
Thunderbird will be located in the park's Thanksgiving section. Construction is already underway and may be viewed live on Holiday World's ConstructionCam. Thunderbird will open next spring.
Holiday World & Splashin' Safari are open daily through August 13, plus weekends through the end of October. For more information, visit HolidayWorld.com or call 877-463-2645.
Source: Holiday World & Splashin' Safari