It`s going to be a wet and wild year at North American theme parks and there are two new players in the field.
Fiesta Texas, a $100 million theme park operated by a subsidiary of Opryland USA, features four musically themed areas based on Hispanic, Western, German and Nostalgia.
Knott`s Berry Farm, a theme park pioneer, will operate Knott`s Camp Snoopy, an indoor amusement facility opening in August with 16 rides at the new Mall of America at Bloomington, Minn.
And at established parks, there`s no drought of new water attractions this season.
Two Kings Entertainment Co. parks-Canada`s Wonderland and Kings Dominion in Virginia-will open new water park areas in May. Wonderland`s Splash Works is a $6 million, 10-acre assortment of water slides, a lazy river ride and a children`s area. Kings Dominion`s $4.5 million Hurricane Reef sports similar attractions.
Walt Disney World in Orlando will complete Splash Mountain, a flume ride similar to the one at its California sister park, Disneyland, by Oct. 1.
Astroworld, in Houston, will introduce Adventure Rivers of Texas, a raft ride featuring four enclosed water chutes, in late spring. And Kansas City`s Worlds of Fun will introduce Monsoon, a waterfall boat ride linked to the park`s adjacent water park, Oceans of Fun.
On the wild side of the equation are six major new roller coasters-one wooden terror, four looping steel thrillers and one as-yet-unknown quantity.
The Rattler opened in March as ”the world`s tallest, fastest wooden roller coaster” at Fiesta Texas. It has a drop of 166 feet, 4 1/2 inches and attains a speed of 68 miles an hour.
On the steel track, Busch Garden Williamsburg`s Drachen Fire has six loops designed to give a near-zero gravity effect.
Carowinds, in Charlotte, N.C., has added Vortex, a $5.5 million stand-up roller coaster that loops through a series of four vertical and horizontal configurations.
Six Flags Magic Mountain, near Los Angeles, has added its third roller coaster in as many years. The $4 million Flashback enters its steeply banked 180-degree dives from the top for a free-fall sensation.
Ninja, a five-loop steel coaster, opens at Six Flags Over Georgia in time for summer.
It`s also a season for park anniversaries. Disney World, which is continuing its 20th anniversary bash throughout 1992, opened in 1971; Kings Island, near Cincinnati, celebrating its 20th year, opened in 1972; and Worlds of Fun, which opened in 1973, is marking its 20th season.
Children`s attractions also are getting spruced up at quite a few parks this season.
Six Flags Over Texas, between Dallas and Ft. Worth, is spending $5 million to make over an indoor boat ride, which will open in June as Yosemite Sam and the Gold River Adventure.
And Six Flags Over Mid-America near St. Louis is to unwrap Castaway Kids` Jungle Adventure, also an indoor ride, this month.
Dollywood, in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., is introducing an interactive area for kids, Imagination Station.
Dorney Park, in Allentown, Pa., will add a children`s play area, tentatively called Crayola Kidsub, to its adjacent Wildwater Kingdom park.
Cedar Point is revamping its Berenstain Bear Country with a $1.5 million renovation that will increase it to six times its original size.
Cedar Point is also lowering its children`s admission price this season from $11.95 to $4.95 for children under 48 inches tall. Hersheypark in Hershey, Pa., is reducing its children`s (ages 3-8) and senior citizen`s admission from $17.95 to $11.95 this year.
A traditional, scrambler-type ride, Tri-Star, will turn up this season at Kennywood near Pittsburgh.
Two parks are adding new theme areas this year.
Knott`s Berry Farm, near Los Angeles, will open the $2 million Indian Trails, which will portray the Native American cultures of Great Plains, Northwest, West and Southwest tribes.
Myombe Preserve, a primate habitat featuring gorillas and chimpanzees, will have its debut at Busch Gardens in Tampa early this summer.
Dollywood will add a seven-acre Showstreet, with an indoor theater, a live-broadcast radio station and shops.
And Opryland, the theme park and country-music center in Nashville, will open an Opryland Museum late in May.
New shows will be the draw at several theme parks this season.
A 3-D IMAX production, ”The Last Buffalo,” is at Great America, Santa Clara, Calif.
Disneyland has parlayed the movie hit ”Beauty and the Beast” into a live stage show; and will introduce a high-tech, special-effects extravaganza, ”Fantasmic!,” beginning June 19.
Walt Disney World has ”Beauty and the Beast” at its MGM-Studios park, along with ”Voyage of the Little Mermaid.”
And the Universal Studios parks in Hollywood and Orlando, while not amusement parks in the roller-coaster-and-rides sense, are among the most popular theme parks in the United States.
They`ll introduce several attractions at both locations this year:
”Beetlejuice Graveyard Revue,” ”American Tail: Fievel`s Playland” and
”Lucy: A Tribute.” Universal Studios Hollywood will also introduce a special-effects show this summer based on the film ”Backdraft.”
