Ten Theme Park Facts You May Not Have Known!
Theme Park Facts – They’re always fun to find out right? However, how much about the world of thrills and chills do you really know?
If you’re anything like us then you probably love to learn as much as you can about your chosen past time and this is the same with any hobby.
The themed attractions industry does however bring with it a variable treasure trove of ride facts and knowledge, and some would make even the most well versed theme park enthusiast gasp in astonishment.
In this latest post we’ll delve deep into the world of the themed attractions industry & share some of the lesser known facts about the theme park industry, and who knows? You might even learn something new along the way!
We therefore present ten theme park facts you MAY NOT have known…………..
1 - Silver Dollar City Has A Cave!
Silver Dollar City located in Branson, Missouri is probably most well known for such thrilling rides as Time Traveler, Wildfire and even Outlaw Run, but how many of knew the park also sits on top of a cave?
The world famous theme park actually evolved around the entrance to Marvel Cave – one of nature’s greatest wonders!
Alongside visiting Silver Dollar City, guests can also choose to descend deep into this historically significant chasm and learn more about how Marvel Cave effectively gave birth to the theme park we have all come to know & love today.
Marvel Cave was originally discovered by Spanish explorers in 1541 and has subsequently boasted a rich and colourful history ever since.
In the earlier days the cave also coined the name Marble Cave due to the belief that the cave housed rich marble deposits, however this was later proven false and was used to mine Guano (bat droppings) instead.
The cave finally took the name Marvel Cave in 1927 following the death of Mr Lynch.
2 - Dyrehavsbakken Is The World's OLDEST Operating Amusement Park!
Dyrehavsbakken (aka. Bakken) – located in Lyngby-Taarbæk Kommune, Demark is officially the world’s oldest operating amusement park!
The historically significant park first opened to the public in 1583 and has continued to wow and thrill guests ever since.
Dyrehavsbakken plays host to 33 different rides and attractions – 6 of which are roller coasters.
The park originally stems from the discovery of a natural spring in the area which was first believed to be a much more hygienic source of water due to poor water quality in Copenhagen at the time.
Over the years Dyrehavsbakken has also played host to an animal park, circuses and so much more.
Out of all of the park’s current rides and attractions it is perhaps Rutschebanen that remains the most well known.
Rutschebanen first opened at the park in 1932 and is a wooden roller coaster manufactured and engineered by Lebela.
It reaches top speeds of up to 47 mph, reaches a total height of 72 ft and features an overall length of 2,795 ft.
3 - Luna Park's Scenic Railway Is The World's Oldest Continually Operating Roller Coaster!
Scenic Railway at Luna Park in Melbourne remains to this day the world’s oldest continually operating roller coaster.
The famous wooden roller coaster first opened at the park in 1912 and has continually operated ever since.
Although there were many other roller coasters of this type open long before it, Scenic Railway at Melbourne’s Luna Park has managed to outlive them all.
The wooden coaster features total heights of up to 52.5 ft, top speeds of 37.3 mph and is one of the few remaining rides worldwide to still require an onboard brakeman.
Scenic Railway officially celebrated 110 years operating at the Australian amusement park this year (which is one heck of an achievement for any ride of it’s kind)!
4 - Oblivion Is Alton Tower's FASTEST Roller Coaster!
Okay so many of you probably already knew this fact, however we thought we would include it anyway haha!
Oblivion – Alton Towers‘ 1998 prototype Bolliger & Mabillard Dive Machine currently takes the top spot as the resort’s fastest roller coaster reaching a total speed of 68 mph overall.
This ‘one drop wonder’ as many call it may not be the longest ride on park (infact it’s probably the shortest in all reality), however it’s by far on the park’s most intense.
Not only do riders reach a top speed of 68 mph, however they also endure 4.5 G (4 and half times their body weight) during the ride’s 180 ft drop.
Overall, regardless of it’s shortness this beast of a Dive Machine still manages to scare the hell out of us each and every time we ride it!
5 - TV Star Noel Edmunds Operated 3 Theme Parks in The UK!
In the 1990’s Noel Edmunds – a popular British TV host (also known for hosting Deal or No Deal) created and operated 3 theme parks here in the UK.
Crinkley Bottom was the fictional location of the host’s popular TV show Noel’s House Party which saw the creation of one of the 90’s weirdest TV mascots Mr Blobby.
The large, googly eyed Pink and Yellow spotted TV character would make regular appearances throughout the show and as he grew in popularity, so did the chance of the amusement parks actually becoming reality.
3 UK themed park’s eventually opened under the title of Cinkley Bottom (aka. Blobbyland), however as popularity for the character and franchise slowly declined, so did the park’s popularity.
All 3 later failed and closed or re-branded causing Blobbyland to fastly become just another failed chapter in the UK’s theme park history book.
One of the park’s did however survive under the re-branded identity of Pleasurewood Hills.
6 - There's a Roller Coaster In Denmark themed to Dog Farts!
Okay, this one well and truly takes the biscuit (well, air biscuit anyway)!
Hundeprutterutchebane (which is Danish for ‘Dog Fart Roller Coaster’) opened up at the Danish theme park BonBon-Land in 1993.
This downright strange roller coaster is (as the title suggests) themed around farting dogs and, well, bottoms.
It’s no secret that BonBon-Land is known for it’s strange and quite frankly bizarre rides and attractions, however the ‘Dog Fart Roller Coaster’ is definitely up there as one of the park’s weirdest for sure.
Hunderprutten is a Zierer Force/One roller coaster. It features a total height of 14.8 ft, reaches a total speed of just 18.6 mph and features a single train which seats 12 across 6 cars per ride.
Overall, this is definitely one of the industries more bizarre rides and attractions for sure.
7 - Disneyland Is Overrun By Feral cats!
When it comes to Disneyland the most commonly associated animal definitely has to be mice right? Mickey and Minney?
Well, think again, because when the mice are away, the CATS will play right?! Correct!
Every night after Disneyland closes it’s magical gates to the public the park’s ample population of feral cats come out from their hiding and prowl the streets of the ‘Happiest Place On Earth’.
Although the park are well aware they have a problem, they can’t in all actual fact kill their feline inhabitants without causing an uproar (nor would we ever wish them to either!).
As a result the park have in fact been using their furry tenants as pest control providing them with food and ongoing shelter as well as medical care as and when they need it.
It’s safe to say that Mickey and Minney definitely need to watch their backs after darkness falls in this happy place.
8 - Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure Is The World's Most Expensive Roller Coaster!
When it comes to the cost of constructing roller coasters and rides, it’s no secret that it’s not a cheap process, however in Universal Orlando Resort‘s case, one of their investments brought a new meaning to the word ‘expensive’!
The park’s insanely immersive 2019 Intamin Multi-Launch roller coaster (aka. Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure) sent construction costs soaring as the park invested $300 million into their state of the art roller coaster experience.
From life like animatronics to the implementation of 5 LSM launches, an indoor drop track, extensive landscaping and more this incredible new Harry Potter themed roller coaster broke the record by becoming the world’s most expensive roller coaster in the process.
The title had previously been held by Disneyworld’s Expedition Everest which came in at a whopping cost of $100 million during it’s construction, however Hagrid’s took the record and completely smashed it out of the park (literally) by tripling on that total.
As incredible a ride as Hagrid’s is, there’s no denying the fact that Universal’s bank account will have likely shed some well earned tears in the process of it’s production.
9 - Doritos Were Actually First Invented At A Theme Park!
Since their creation the popular, triangle shaped corn snack has become a worldwide sensation with multiple flavors now being readily available and many countries stocking the ‘crisp’ snack worldwide!
What if we told you these popular snacks were first devised and created within an actual theme park?
Doritos first came about as a result of preventing food wastage at Disneyland by a restaurant onsite.
Frito-Lay (a subsidiary of PepsiCo) devised the newly created tortilla chip snack in 1964 as a way to minimise food waste and maximise profits.
The original Doritos were plain, however over the years more and more different (and slightly more unique) flavours have become available making Doritos one of the most popular crisp-esque snacks of recent times!
10 - Mine Tracks Spawned The Roller Coaster As We Know It!
The roller coaster – a simple concept. Put a cart on a track, factor in a few dips and drops and you have a ride right?
Well, that’s pretty much how it all started really. The mine tracks in a mine located in what is now known as Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania started it all.
The mine developed a gravity rail road which they used to transport coal from the depths of the mine to the earth’s surface.
On the quieter days however, miners would sit in the mine carts and ride the rails to keep themselves amused.
This eventually resulted in locals being given the chance to do the same, but at a cost and voila, the roller coaster was born!
Over the years, designers to this concept and further developed it over and over to create bigger, faster and better attractions time and time again and thus, an industry was born.
An Enlightening Journey!
So there you have it folks, those are our top 10 theme park facts you may not have known!
We hope you found your journey through the weird and wonderful as enlightening as we did writing it.
If you have any fun facts about the theme park and attractions industry we may have missed then why not stick them in the comments below for us all to see? We’d love to know!
Thank you very much for reading.
Joe.