Screamscape is reporting that Mack "is working on a project with a major US park operator to open a “new-age Mack Powered Coaster†for the Spring of 2006. They liken the experience to a Family Launched Coaster, except that this ride can be launched and decelerated at any point on the track."

This would fit the bill for the Avatar coaster. This would also make the rumors that the coaster would spin seem valid, since Mack has done a spinning coaster car with their Euro-Mir coaster.

So, if Avatar is this "major" mack coaster will the SpongBob ride still happen? Mack has a lot of experience with dark ride systems. Could we get lucky enough that PKI will unveil two major themed rides in the same year.

If they do, their comments that this will be Disney or Universal like might just be true.

I'd like to think PKI would pull out 2 major family attractions after all Jeff said the area will be along the lines of Disney/Universal when it's finished.

They might just suprise us. But, even if the SpongBob turns out to be and enclosed walk through with may be a good indoor kids play area, along with Avatar it should still be pretty good.

I can really see this happening after all the rumors for spongebob were that the que would be ''Interactive'' I think PKI has a surprise waiting for us...

All those ideas sound like it could happen. I can bet it will be highly themed.

I know PKI has something in the works..this gives me more reasons to think we will be getting Spongebob and Avatar themed rides.

Avatar will not be a Mack powered coaster.. or any Mack-produced ride for that matter.

Shaggy

Why won't it be a Mack product?

Because it's a prototype product of another ride manufacturer.

Shaggy

Parmount has done some work with Mack in the past, i.e. Wild Mouse Coasters, (the Fly) and Avalanche at Kings Dominion. They have also show they are willing to embrace launch technology not only at Kings Island but at Kings Dominion and that they feel comfortable with it.

Trust me on this... it's not a Mack.

Shaggy

Well, I am still sticking with the Mack ride, but I post a little while back that I believe the other rides will be by Zamperla, and I list what each ride would be. So, if it is not a Mack then I think it will be a new version of Zamperla's Disko ride only with a coaster track and smaller cars.

Because it's a prototype product of another ride manufacturer.

Shaggy

I would not call it a prototype, it is not like the other versions they have made, but not a prototype.

..matt

Let look at who might be in the position to add a Mack coaster next year:

-Six Flags has announced most of their new coasters and the rest of their parks are going to get AstroWorld attractions.

-Cedar Fair has announced their attraction at Michigan's Adventure, Cedar Point (semi-conformed), Worlds of Fun, Dorney won't get this, which leaves Knotts Berry Farm and Camp Snoopy (I don't think this fits either one of them)

-Dollywood has made their annoucement.

-Silver Dollar City will not build two coasters back to back.

-Disney will not be getting it.

-Universal takes more time than a winter season to put their rides together.

-Sea World Orlando has made their annoucement and so has Sea World San Deigo, this only leave Sea World Texas an they don't seem to be ready for this type of ride.

-Both Busch Gardens parks add major attractions this year and do not follow up the next year with another major attraction.

-An most of the Parmount parks have made their announcements.

-I think PKI is the only one left on the list that is viable for the Mack ride.

Does anyone else have a guess what other major theme park besides PKI that might be in line for a Mack family coaster?

Keep in mind the rumor comes from Screamscape. I could send in any BS I make up off the top of my head and they would post it. Also it might not be a huge park - it could be something smaller like Wild Adventure or Lake Compounce or Silverwood. There are tons of parks out there. To list the top few parks in the country and say - well there not getting it so it must be PKI is really dumb.

How do you know it isn't this?

Or this?

And the list could go on...

You are right, it could be the indoor Mt. Olympus theme park coaster, but it will not be the Sea World coaster, they are adding a small shamu type coaster like they did at Sea World San Antonio. And as I said earlier in the post, if it is not the Mack then I do believe it will be the Zamperla Disko Coaster (Parmount does like to buy things in pairs), which is also being rumored for Parmounts Great America.

My post was not to say it could only be PKI but that after look at 'major' parks they seemed to be a logical guess.

Well, Screamscape has an intersting little tid-bit of information relating to Paramount's Great America. The Rumored Survivor Coaster may be a Zamperla Disk O prototype. Seeing as how Paramount has no qualms whatsoever about putting the same ride in a number of its parks, this could very well be going to Kings Island. I seriously doubt Nick Universe will be a PKI-only type of deal (if Italian Job and Boomerang Bay are any indication.) So while this ride is rumored for PGA, it seems to fit the description provided by the PKI press release, and this could be an indication of what PKI is getting for 2006, and where PGA is headed for the near future.

If avatar do turn out to be the Zamperla Disko Coaster like the one being shown on the link at Screamscape then it will need to be placed in a long, fairly narrow, location in the Nick area.

Any guess' where?

My guess....?

From the current SDGC area, extending towards the (current) Adam Ant's Airway ride.

Shaggy

I do think that this type of coaster layout might take away some of the rides theming, at least along the track area. They could still theme the ride station and wait area.

I find it hard to believe Avatar as Zamperla Disk’O Coaster, but non the less these are extremely fun to ride and watch, they also take up a small footprint. I hope Avatar isnt a Disk'O, but I also hope PKI gets one because I love this ride.

I was told that NU will be only at PKI since PKI's kids area is money maker I dunno I still think Intamin could build the Avatar coaster as for the rumored spongebob ride I guess we will find out sooner or later.

I would say you are right about NU, because they could have just called it Nick Central like the other parks. NU will be bigger, better, and a trademark attraction.

first of all.... listen to shaggy. as someone that has been around these sites almost since their creations, and well before the merge, shaggy knows what he is talking about. if he says it isnt a mack, then it isnt a mack.

second... noting the first point, shaggy seems to have confirmed it will be one of the new disco coasters. hopefully with a nice layout, maybe with some banked turns and airtime.... not just a bunny hop and hill like the prototype pictures seem to show.... thats what i'm going with, but as we all know, nothing is certain until an official announcement!

The Zamperla Disk’O at Dollywood is nothing more than a half pipe and it still offers an extremely fun ride. So a few bunny hops would add a tremendous amount of thrills to an already fun attraction.

I think it's funny when attractions are purported to be "exclusively for PKI", as if some rides are so special that only PKI deserves them. Trust me, if something is popular and brings more people in the gate, it will be exported (in some form) to the other parks.

While Shaggy doesn't broadcast a lot of information, he certainly says enough for people to realize he knows what he is talking about... In fact, I don't recall his predictions ever being wrong. So, my money is on the Disko

I'm with specialk and jzarley, I've never seen Shaggy have a wrong prediction so it seems like we're getting this new version of the Disk-O. Looks pretty fun to me and we have to remember that this is a coaster geared towards smaller kids. So with that in mind it likes like a great ride and any new coaster has to be an improvement over SDGC.

Mack is working with Universal to create a new Jurassic Park coaster j/k

I think it's for PKI next year and I don't think it's Avatar I also think an indoor Family Launched Coaster that can start and stop for show scenes would make a great new "darkride" attraction!

does any one have pics of any typr of "mack coaster"????