#Steel Dragon 2000 - Nagashima Spa Land

[haveyoubeenonthisrollercoaster]

[toptenknowledge]

Top 10 Fastest Roller Coasters in The World

Top 10 Fastest Roller Coasters in The World: Roller coasters have been a popular form of entertainment since the late 19th century. They have come a long way from their humble beginnings as simple wooden structures with minimal safety features. Today, roller coasters are some of the most complex and technologically advanced amusement park rides in the world. One of the most exciting aspects of…

[initial-dream]

Nagashima Spa Land

Ok, so, this'll be the first post in (what I hope will be) quite a few smaller posts covering little translation oddities or localisation changes. I find these quite interesting, and its interesting to see what errors/changes were made in different versions and how or why they came to be.

I'm going to start with a lesser known one from the Tokyopop and 2019 Kodansha releases. In Chapter 16 in Volume 2, before Takumi takes Iketani on the downhill run in the Eight-Six, Iketani says a rather innocuous line about waiting to get on a rollercoaster at Nagashima Spaland, a theme park in Mie Prefecture.

I remember reading this while working on a page for the wiki, and thinking nothing of the reference, however I remember looking into it regarding the note at the bottom, which mentions a roller coaster by the name of "Steel Dragon". Ever interested in fact checking Tokyopop on absolutely anything they say in their release, I check the fact, and it absolutely was true at the time (although Tokyopop did get the name slightly wrong, as it is actually called "Steel Dragon 2000").

While the fact is true, mentioning Steel Dragon 2000 at all clued me in that the citation might have been added by Tokyopop, as that rollercoaster wasn't even announced until 4 years after this chapter was released originally. I thought nothing of it (hardly surprising they would put a citation for something that their target audience of teenage Americans would be unlikely to know) but I thought I'd have a look regardless. Unsurprisingly the citation is a new addition, but what is interesting is that the page doesn't say "Nagashima Spaland" at all.

It says ディズニーランドのスペースマウンテン. Space Mountain at Disneyland. Presumably the one in Tokyo.

Now this one confused me. I'm a British man, and I've never so much as stepped a foot into a country with a Disney park in it, but even I know what Space Mountain is. The USA has not one but two Space Mountains, so I think it would be likely that the target audience would understand this reference. All of this makes me believe that this wasn't done so the audience would get the reference, but to avoid getting told off by Disney. But why go through the effort of making it Nagashima Spaland (other than it being the fourth most popular amusement park in Japan) and having to explain that to their audience? Wouldn't it make more sense to just make it generic? Just "feels like he's waiting for a rollercoaster"? Very bizarre, but an interesting little titbit I think.

[coastermaynia]

Coasters on Previous Years' Lists

List of coasters on the prompt lists from 2020-2023, alphabetical by park name!

Adventureland

Dragon (2021)

Monster (2022)

Outlaw (2023)

Alton Towers

Galactica (2022)

Oblivion (2021)

Smiler (2020)

Wicker Man (2023)

Blackpool Pleasure Beach

Icon (2021)

Busch Gardens Tampa

Cobra’s Curse (2022)

Iron Gwazi (2021)

Kumba (2020)

Montu (2023)

Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Alpengeist (2022)

Pantheon (2021)

Verbolten (2023)

California’s Great America

Gold Striker (2020)

RailBlazer (2023)

Canada’s Wonderland

Bat (2023)

Behemoth (2022)

Leviathan (2020)

Yukon Striker (2021)

Carowinds

Copperhead Strike (2020)

Fury 325 (2021)

Nighthawk (2022)

Cedar Point

Corkscrew (2022)

GateKeeper (2023)

Millennium Force (2020)

Steel Vengeance (2021)

Chessington World of Adventures

Dragon’s Fury (2022)

China Dinosaurs Park

Dinoconda (2021)

Dollywood

Lightning Rod (2020)

Thunderhead (2022)

Dorney Park

Steel Force (2023)

Drayton Manor

Shockwave (2022)

Efteling

Baron 1898 (2021)

Vliegende Hollander (2023)

Joris en de Draak (2022)

Energylandia

Zadra (2020)

Europa Park

blue fire (2023)

Silver Star (2022)

Wodan (2020)

Farup Sommerland

Fonix (2022)

Ferrari Land

Red Force (2021)

Fuji-Q Highland

Do-Dodonpa (2020)

Eejenika (2022)

Fujiyama (2021)

Takabisha (2023)

Fun Spot Atlanta

ArieForce One (2023)

Hansa Park

Flucht von Hovgorod (2023)

Karnan (2020)

Heide Park

Colossos (2022)

Krake (2023)

Hersheypark

Candymonium (2020)

Skyrush (2021)

Wildcat’s Revenge (2023)

Holiday Park

Expedition GeForce (2021)

Holiday World

Voyage (2020)

Indiana Beach

Steel Hawg (2021)

Islands of Adventure

Velocicoaster (2022)

Kennywood

Phantom’s Revenge (2020)

Steel Curtain (2021)

Kentucky Kingdom

T3 (2020)

Kings Dominion

Intinidator 305 (2020)

Twisted Timbers (2022)

Volcano (2023)

Kings Island

Beast (2020)

Mystic Timbers (2021)

Orion (2023)

Racer (2022)

Knott’s Berry Farm

GhostRider (2022)

HangTime (2020)

Silver Bullet (2023)

Xcelerator (2021)

Knoebels

Impulse (2022)

Phoenix (2020)

Kolmarden

Wildfire (2020)

Liseberg

Helix (2020)

Marineland

Dragon Mountain (2022)

Motiongate

Dragon Gliders (2023)

Nagashima Spa Land

Hakugei (2021)

Steel Dragon 2000 (2020)

Nanchang Sunac Land

Coaster Through the Clouds (2022)

Oakwood

Speed (2021)

Parc Asterix

Toutatis (2023)

Phantasialand

F.L.Y. (2023)

Taron (2020)

Winja’s (2022)

Plopsaland De Panne

Ride to Happiness (2023)

PortAdventura Park

Dragon Khan (2022)

Shambhala (2021)

Sea World Australia

Leviathan (2023)

Sea World Orlando

Ice Breaker (2020)

Mako (2021)

Sea World San Antonio

Texas Stingray (2021)

Silver Dollar City

Time Traveler (2020)

Silverwood

Aftershock (2023)

Six Flags Fiesta Texas

Dr. Diabolical’s Cliffhanger (2023)

Six Flags Great Adventure

El Toro (2022)

Jersey Devil (2021)

Kingda Ka (2020)

Nitro (2023)

Six Flags Great America

Maxx Force (2021)

Six Flags Magic Mountain

Full Throttle (2023)

Goliath (2020)

Twisted Colossus (2022)

X2 (2021)

Six Flags Mexico

Medusa (2021)

Six Flags New England

Wicked Cyclone (2022)

Six Flags Over Georgia

Blue Hawk (2022)

Thorpe Park

Colossus (2020)

Nemesis Inferno (2022)

Stealth (2021)

Swarm (2023)

Tobu Zoo Park

Kawasemi (2022)

Tokyo Dome City

Thunder Dolphin (2020)

Universal Studios Florida

Rip Ride Rockit (2021)

Universal Studios Japan

Flying Dinosaur (2023)

Walibi Belgium

Kondaa (2021)

Walibi Holland

Untamed (2020)

[rabbitcruiser]

National Roller Coaster Day 

See if any of the amusement parks or fairgrounds near you offer a special deal on Rollercoaster Day, and get your adrenaline pumping on that stomach-dropping dive.

National Roller Coaster Day is celebrated annually on the 16th August. The origins of the celebration are not completely clear, however, the most widely believed explanation for National Roller Coaster Day is that the date was chosen to mark the 16th August, 1898.

Which was when the very first patent for a rollercoaster ride was issued. The date has been marked by fairgrounds and fans of rollercoasters all over the world since the eighties.

Learn about National Roller Coaster Day

National Roller Coaster Day was created in order to celebrate these fun and thrilling rides that you can enjoy when you go to a theme park. It is the perfect opportunity for you to have some fun and take a ride on a rollercoaster near you.

Rollercoasters tend to be found in theme parks and amusement parks all around the world. They employ some sort of railroad track, which is elevated and designed with inversions, steep slopes, and tight turns. People ride along the track in open cars, enjoying a thrilling experience. Most rollercoasters will have a number of different cars whereby passengers sit inside of them and are restrained. However, there are Wild Mouse rollercoasters and other types of rollercoasters that run with a single car.

Fun facts about rollercoasters

There are some great facts about the rollercoasters of today and the past. For example, in Pennsylvania, there is a wooden rollercoaster that was built in 1902 and it is still in operation today. It is called Leap-The-Dips and you can find it at Altoona. It does not have headrests, lap bars, or seatbelts, but don’t worry, as it only goes ten miles per hour.

Have you ever wondered why some people love rollercoasters and other people hate them? Well, it could be to do with the chemical makeup of your brain. From the spirals to the drops, dips, speed, turns, hills, and loops; there is no denying that rollercoasters are thrilling! However, those with higher levels of dopamine tend to prefer sensation-seeking activities. Dopamine are neurotransmitters that are linked to reward-motivated behavior.

If you want to go on the world’s longest rollercoaster, you are going to need to take a trip to Japan. Here, you will find Nagashima Spa Land, and the longest rollercoaster here is the Steel Dragon 2000. When it opened, it was the longest, tallest, and fastest rollercoaster in the world. This was back in 2000. Since then, it has had a couple of its crowns stolen, yet it is still the world’s longest rollercoaster. Today, the fastest rollercoaster in the world can be found in Abu Dhabi at Ferrari World. It’s called Formula Rossa. The tallest rollercoaster in the world today is in Jackson, New Jersey. It is called Kingda Ka and it is found at Six Flags Great Adventure.

The future of rollercoasters certainly looks exciting as well, as it promises roller coaster-water slide mashups, as well as cars that rotate. Amusement park technologies are being patented all of the time, and this can help you to get a good understanding of what lies ahead in the world of rollercoasters.

History of National Roller Coaster Day

The day has been chosen because it commemorates the first vertical loop rollercoaster, which was patented on this date in 1898 by Edwin Prescott. In order to appreciate National Roller Coaster Day, it is worth digging deeper into the history of this popular theme park ride.

It is believed that the oldest rollercoasters have come from the Russian Mountains, which are a number of hills of ice that were specially constructed in what is now known as Saint Petersburg. These rollercoasters were constructed in the 17th century. They were reinforced with wooden supports, had a 50-degree drop, and were built to a height of somewhere between 21 and 24 meters.

It was on the 8th of July in 1817 that the first modern rollercoaster was created. It opened in Paris, in Parc Beaujon, and it was called Promenades Aeriennes. It featured wheeled cars, which were locked onto the track securely, offering higher speeds and guide rails to keep them on course. Half a dozen imitators were created as a consequence, yet their popularity dwindled rather quickly.

Nevertheless, rollercoasters quickly returned to fashion during Belle Epoque. Co-founder of the Moulin Rouge music hall, French entrepreneur Joseph Oller, constructed the Russian Mountains of Belleville in 1887, known locally as the Montagnes Russes de Belleville. It featured 656 feet worth of track that was laid out in a double-eight, which was later made bigger, creating four figure-eight shaped loops.

The popularity and decline of rollercoasters have varied over the years. The golden age of theme parks, and consequently rollercoasters, came to end during the Great Depression. This lasted until 1972 when The Racer at Kings Island was an instant success. Of course, it would not be right to talk about rollercoasters and theme parks without mentioning Disneyland. The park had a breakthrough in terms of design with Matterhorn Bobsleds. This is because it was the first-ever rollercoaster to utilize a steel track. This was important because tubular steel can be bent in any direction, which is obviously not the case with wooden coaster rails. This means that steel rollercoasters enable designers to incorporate corkscrews, loops, and a lot of other maneuvers into their designs. Most of the different rollercoasters that are available around the world today are still made of steel, yet hybrids and wooden coasters are still being created.

How to celebrate National Roller Coaster Day

Many of the biggest amusement parks and fairgrounds across the USA and beyond choose to offer special deals to visitors on the 16th August. These often involve a reduction in ticket prices or the chance to buy one ticket and get another free.

Some parks promote the celebration in order to attract more people in on this particular date. For many of the world’s biggest rollercoaster fans, this is a celebration that can not afford to be missed! As such, enthusiasts will take a take off work in order to make sure they ride a rollercoaster on the 16th August!

If you are not going to be able to make it to a theme park on this date, there are still some other ways that you can celebrate National Roller Coaster Day. Why not spend some time online finding out more about some of the world’s most popular rollercoasters? You will find that there are some pretty incredible rollercoasters in theme parks all over the world, and so you can even make a bucket list of the different rollercoasters you would most like to go on.

National Roller Coaster Day also presents you with a good opportunity to learn more about rollercoasters. Dig deeper into the science behind these incredible structures and the curves that defy gravity. It is really interesting to learn about how they work.

Source

[thebatfliesagain]

The Beast, Kings Island (Mason, OH)

Famous For: Length, featured in a R.L. Stine novel (+ a sequel), phenomenal night rides

opened:1979

built in-house

height: 110.0 ft, with a drop of 141.0 ft

length: 7,361.0 ft

speed: 64.8 mph

duration: 4:10 (m:s)

records: opened as the world's fastest, longest, and tallest wooden roller coaster. Nowadays, it still holds the record for the longest wooden coaster. It is in 2nd place for longest roller coaster, with #1 being Steel Dragon 2000 at Nagashima Spa Land, at a length of 8,133.2 ft.

More Below:

ahh, my home park. Y'know; this was one of the coasters that solidified my love for coasters. I still remember my first time on it, holding my best friends hand and singing Sunny Day Real Estate together. Once you see that first drop, its almost impossible to forget that's The Beast. And man, does it really live up to it's name. Truly is quite the wild ride, throwing you around near 65 miles per hour, on a 4-minute ride throughout the woods. The night rides are absolutely phenomenal. They close down the coaster 20 minutes before closing, and you can get in the line until closing. When it does, you wait until about 15-30 minutes for the fireworks to pass and the ride to be checked. Then, it's just a matter of time before the legendary night ride. Me and my friend (same as earlier) once waited until near midnight for the final train of the night, 2nd row, in the rain. Quite an experience, just talking about it can never fully explain.

[rollercoasterquotes]

Ultra Twister: Arashi, can you not say “savage”? It makes me uncomfortable.

Steel Dragon 2000: Can I say it?

Ultra Twister: No.

Arashi: Savage.

[rockinrollercoast]

Millennium how do you feel about the other gigas, Fury, Leviathan, I305, and Steel Dragon?

“My apologies, human friend. This is a long answer. Please feel free to ignore this message if you’re not interested in slightly lengthy explanations.”

“Now that you’ve had the chance to skip, let’s begin,” he says softly.

“Fury is surprisingly humble and a great presence when in a good mood, but tends to get easily frustrated. I have deep respect for Fury, but I avoid him when he’s in a hyperactive or manic mood.

“Leviathan is gargantuan and loud. He can be a gentle giant, but it is rare. I’m not very fond of his mannerisms, but I feel no hatred towards him as it’s simply his nature.

“305 is not alive, as humans associate him with those cars. It serves as an energy source for Kings Dominion instead.

“Steel Dragon is a thinker, but is very stubborn. Our conversations will yield wonderful insights but are sometimes ground to a halt by her inability to give up on a viewpoint she believes in. Still, I would rather spend time with her than any of the others.

“I hope this provided some insight into my mind. I often struggle with expressing my emotions, so if you need more clarity, never hesitate to ask.”

[sammy-smiles-531]

Day 30 of the CoasterMaynia challenge. Today’s coaster is... Steel Dragon 2000!

[pochqmqri]

At the time of this episode’s airing (November 2003), the tallest roller coaster in the world was “Top Thrill Dragster” in Ohio’s Cedar Point at 130 meters, and the longest roller coaster (and still holds that title) was the “Steel Dragon 2000″ in Japan’s Nagashima Spa Land at 2,479 meters.

[cebeavers]

Japan 2017 Day 8

September 17, 2017 Nagashima Spa Land Nagashima Photos

Sunday was planned as our last non—Tokyo day.  Our Japan Rail pass was done after that day, but again we wake up to rain.  We talked and talked and decided to take the hour and a half transit trip to Nagashima and hope for the best.  We had to take 2 trains and a bus to get to the park.  You can see Nagashima Spa Land from a distance.  It's often considered the Cedar Point of Japan, and really, that fits well as a comparison.  On a peninsula.  You go over a causeway to get to it.  You can see the massive rides in the distance.  

Nagashima was very much a Cedar Point feeling park. Clean, large midways. Large coasters, new and old.  Modern and classic flat rides. Water park. Hotel.  Big ole’ Ferris Wheel (which just happen to be everywhere in Japan). We got there and honestly, it was mostly a worst case scenario. The rain subsided, but it was supposed to come back with a vengeance for the day. We didn’t want to pay $50 to go in and not ride anything, but there is a cheaper entrance fee and you can buy tickets.  Isaac and I discussed it, asked if Steel Dragon would be open (it wasn’t running), was told it was unlikely, and at the time, the only coaster that was running was Arashi, the new for 2017 S&S 4D Freespin.  Then, as we were talking to the gentleman at guest services, Acrobat, the parks newer B&M flying coaster, a clone of Manta in the U.S. opened.

 I wasn’t happy, because this was the only chance I’d get at the park on this visit without spending way over budget to come back, and I wasn’t willing to do that.  So we eventually decided to try to make the best of it, go in, and maybe get some credits and enjoy what we could of the park.  Again, I wasn’t happy, but there’s nothing you can do when the island is getting hit by a typhoon.  I wish I had planned for the water park, because it was open and not busy, but I thought it would be closed this time of year, as most waterparks in the country are.

Once we got into the park, we walked around and I took a few pics, though I wasn’t in the mood to take many.  The rain wasn’t falling, but it was misting.  Our first stop was to get tickets at a ticket machine and then Arashi, which was a walk on.  This would be my first one of these, even though there are several in the states.  I love 4D coasters, but my last ride on Green Lantern at SFMM wasn’t great.  How would the S&S version compare?

Arashi-We got on and I have to say I loved the restraints.  I wish a park would order a more traditional 4D with these restraints.  You go up the vertical lift and the first drop gets ‘help’ to make your seat flip in the form of a copper fin passing thru a magnet.  It was great!  I was really kind of frightened, as you get major spinning on this ride.  It was disorienting, had airtime, and parts feel like you’re flying, just before you flip upside down.  The track drops out from under you, and on every dive, you flip even more before dropping into the brake run.  I loved it.

Everything in the park is well taken care of and most of the park looks freshly painted.  A few years ago, they expanded the park into a new plot of land, moved their old Arrow Corkscrew closer to Steel Dragon (and put a kids area on the Corkscrew’s old spot), moved their Ultra Twister into the new section, along with a slide ride, and then recently built a really nice looking Manta clone called Acrobat.  It was open, so we headed there next.  The line wasn’t long, and the station seemed huge.  I should have taken more photos, but I was still fighting my bad mood.  Pretty soon we were getting on the ride.

Acrobat-I’ve yet to ride Manta, but Acrobat was really well done.  There’s the drop, then pretzel loop, but the rest of the ride is mostly turning, inline twists, and swoops, and it was fun.  It evens borrowed Manta’s water effect, which was nice.  Lots of fun, better than the Superman clones, but I like Tatsu and Flying Dino better.

One nice thing about the park is that they were announcing when a new ride was open, which we figured out after hearing an announcement about Ultra Twister and then seeing it run, to which we hurriedly got tickets and walked over to ride.  I’ve always wanted to do one, and there are still a few in Japan, so this was my chance.

Ultra Twister-The vertical lift is kind of overdone now, but these started the trend.  The first vertical drop was really good, and the hill after had nice airtime.  Then you do a heart line roll, which is weird within the cage structure of the coaster, before hitting the brakes on the drop track, then dropping backwards, another heart line, a rampy drop, and then another heart line roll before heading to the station.  It was fun, and looks really good with its current paint job.  I enjoyed it.

After we got off we walked back over to Steel Dragon, which had people in the station working, but the line was not opened yet.  Another ride opening made me hopeful that since the rain was holding off we might have a good day.  So a few minutes later as we were hanging around Steel Dragon to see if anyone was doing anything (We were told at the gate that it had been prepped to run before the rain, and there was a train in the station), I saw White Cyclone start to cycle so I ran and got Isaac, who had tried to see how many people were in the station, and what was going on, and we went over.  White Cyclone has a bad reputation, though it looks amazing.  We headed thru the queue, waited for a few cycles, and then got on near the back.

White Cyclone-This ride looks beautiful, and is quite large, which oft leads to comparisons to the former Mean Streak at Cedar Point.  Many people think it’s rough.  Many others boring.  Honestly, I went in planning to get the credit and be done with it, but surprisingly, I liked it.  The first drop and hill were good.  We had airtime on it, and though it was a little janky at the bottoms of the larger drops, it wasn’t terrible and I thought it was a fun ride.  There are two helices which add to the fun, and the ending has several hills.  I don’t know if it just ran well because of the rain and cooler weather, but I thought it was highly underrated as a coaster, and a lot of fun.

At this point, one side of the mouse was running (It was dead, so no need to run both sides), the gigantic Viking ship was running, the Giant Frisbee was running, most of the flat rides, the mine coaster, and then eventually Steel Dragon, so we decided to pay the difference and get an all day ride pass to just ride everything open.

After getting our wrist band, we headed to Steel Dragon, which was a 30 minute wait.  First off, the music in the line is really obnoxious and annoying and I’ve spent over a week trying to forget it to no avail.  But this was THE ride I came for, and now here I was, in line, ready to ride!

I was just getting into coasters in 2000.  I was already a fan, but had just discovered online coaster communities, so the four biggest rides being built that year were Goliath at SFMM, which would open early in the year and be the tallest/fastest traditional lift coaster in the world until a few months later, when Cedar Point was debuting Millennium Force.  I thought it was kinda boring looking.  No loops, nothing.  And Kings Island was building the tallest, fastest, only looping wooden coaster!  Millennium Force opened and was the tallest/fastest traditional lift coaster in the world, for a few months until Steel Dragon 2000 opened.  And though it’s still the longest coaster in the world, Steel Dragon is no longer the tallest traditional lift in the world (That just happens to be not too awful far from my house in Fury 325).  But I’ve now ridden all 4 of those major coasters from 2000 multiple times (and said goodbye to Son of Beast).

Steel Dragon 2000-The ride is impressive looking. You get into the custom built B&M trains, the second set of trains the ride has had.  I thought the lift would seem longer, as it’s not steep, has 2 chains on the lift, and is over 2 minutes long, but once we were off, we were near the top pretty quickly.  That first drop is amazing.  There's some rattling at the bottoms of the drops, but it wasn’t terrible.  The B&M trains are very open.  Then you got up and get decent floaty air on the next hill.  Then you go up and top down into a lateral filled twisted section of track that you speed thru at the end turn around.  The ride is basically the length of the entire park.  Then you head back to the station on a series of hills and tunnels, all giving decent floater airtime.  I liked the ride a lot.  It was better than Steel Force, but rides like Phantom, Lightning Run, and Steel Eel show that Morgan can give better airtime.  But this ride is fun and still very impressive.

We headed toward’s the park’s other entrance and then noticed they had started running the Shuttle Loop, and I love a good Schwarzkopf, so that's what we hit up next.

Shuttle Loop-With so few of these left, I’m glad this one opened and I didn’t have to miss it like Jet Star, which never opened.  We sat in the back of this flywheel launched model and of course it was great.  Nice launch, then the loop, spike, stall, backwards loop, backwards spike, stalls, and you’re done.  A dying breed, but still so much fun.

Japan is known for their meandering Jet Coasters, which seem to be everywhere.  I didn’t actually ride more than one on this trip, and it was at Nagashima.

Jet Coaster-This was similar in some ways to Cedar Point’s mine train.  There was some airtime, and a stretch of straight track over the water.  It was really a lot of fun, and there was even some airtime.  Plus, another credit.

The mouse had been running, so we Got a quick ride on it now that we had wrist bands.  It’s 2 standard portable mice, mirrored beside each other.  Mice scare me, but I loved them, and it was another credit.  Time was getting short and we wanted to do a few more things.  The rain had held off and it ended up being a really great day.  Overcast, but comfortable, with most rides operating.  Next up was Corkscrew.  This is a corkscrew clone, just like many before it, with a drop, turn, 2 inversions, and you’re done.  And it’s still in the traditional blue/white color scheme.  Just like the Myrtle Beach Pavilion’s and many others, it was a nice shot of nostalgia.

There was a walk through haunted attraction by corkscrew, so we did that next before heading over to the Ferris Wheel, which gave great views of the park and the surrounding bay. I had wanted to ride the Giant Frisbee (They have a regular and giant version), but we didn’t have time.  There is, however, a flat ride at the park I was not going to miss.  The world’s tallest (double) swinging ship ride, Viking.  They had to wait for enough people, but it was really a lot of fun.  It doesn’t swing as high as traditional swinging ships, but it’s fun.  I thought it funny they have the  Giant double swinging ships, a Galleon swinging ship, and an Intamin looping starship.  This park has several similar rides.  

We hit up White Cyclone again for another good ride, and then I rode Arashi by myself (Isaac wasn’t ready for more).  We were going to ride Steel Dragon one more time, but there were people in line with terribly strong perfume that were over by Cyclone, so we went and did another ride first.  The park has a flat where you stand in little ‘Jet ski’ type vehicles, and it’s in water, and it’s basically a water whip where you can use the rudder to swing out.  We rode it and it was great!  I wish more parks had these!

Finally we got one more ride on Steel Dragon to end the evening before heading back to the station.  I had wanted to go back over by Acrobat and take some more photos, but we were directed away from the Acrobat plaza under Steel Dragon, towards our exit.  We headed to the exit and purchased tickets for a bus back to the station.  We really were fortunate that we were able to ride as much as we did.  There were a lot of plans that changed towards the second week to accommodate weather, travel, etc.  But we got a full day at Nagashima Spa Land, and it was worth it.

After getting to the station we were hungry, so we ate a quick bite at McDonalds and had a teriyaki burger on our way back up to Yokohama, just outside of Tokyo, where we would be based out of for the rest of the trip.  It had been a long week, and I was tired, so the Shinkansen back was a nice break.  We arrived Tsurumi station, walked to our hotel, which was fairly close, and checked in later Sunday evening.

Day 9

[umichenginabroad]

International Party and Spa Land!

These past couple of days have been crazy! There have been so many events happening in such a short amount of time and its given me some incredible experiences

Yesterday, Nagoya University hosted a International party for all of its international students. They served food and even had a live DJ. A small group from our program went and we met so many people from across the world. I met a couple of guys who were originally from India, but have been in Nagoya studying engineering for over 5 YEARS. I met many other people from many other places such as France, Kenya, etc. It was an incredible feeling meeting other international students who were not part of our program but were still associated with the university. It was a bit challenging at first to walk up to people and introduce myself, but it became much easier after each conversation.

Today, we went to the Nagashima Spa Land and spent the entire day there. The Nagashima Spa Land is basically a combined theme park and water park. We all got up early and took an hour long train / bus ride there; getting up early was definitely worth it. Nagashima Spa Land has some huge rides, including the longest ride in the world (Steel dragon 2000). Our average wait time for rides was only 20 minutes because there were barely any people in the park. We managed to ride almost every ride within six hours!

The view from the Ferris Wheel at the Nagashima Spa Land!

Vinay Revankar

Computer Science Engineering

NUSIP in Nagoya, Japan

[bestonamusement]

Top 5 Most Exciting Roller Coasters in Asia

The five tallest roller coasters in Asia are situated inside the mainland from the continent: 4 of them are from Japan and one from mainland China. If you want learn more about this large amusement ride, you can click here: http://bestonamusement.com/

Steel Dragon 2000, a giga coaster, is the Asia's tallest roller coaster, with all the height of 318 feet. It has likewise the feat of becoming the world's fifth tallest RC. It is in addition the third fastest one in Asia, having a speed of 95 miles per hour. Together with the length of 8133 feet, it is in addition world's longest roller coaster. Its drop height of 307 feet can make it because the tallest RC drops in Asia. It is in addition the world's tallest RC that makes use of a traditional chain launch mechanism. It really is situated at Nagashima Spa Land in Nagashima, Mie, Japan. It was opened to the public in year 2000 which is a year with the dragon. It was built by Opportunity Morgan. This roller coaster continues to be built with much steel specifications essential for the earthquake protective cover.

Thunder Dolphin, a mega coaster, will be the Asia's second tallest RC, with all the height of 262 feet.It is in addition the world's sixth tallest continuous circuit RC. It is in addition the fourth fastest one in Asia, with all the speed of 81 miles each hour. Its drop height of 218 feet makes it the Asia's third tallest RC drop. It truly is situated at the LaQua section from the Tokyo Dome City Attractions in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan. It was opened for the public in year 2003. It was created and built by Intamin.

Fujiyama will be the Asia's third tallest roller coaster, with all the height of 259 feet. It is in addition the fourth fastest, it is in addition Asia's second longest RC. Its drop height of 230 feet makes it the second tallest one drop in Asia. It really is located at Fuji-Q Highland in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, Japan. Its name was derived from the well-known Mt. Fuji. It was introduced to the public in year 1996. Throughout that time, Fujiyama was the tallest roller coaster along with the tallest RC drop internationally.

Eejanaika is the Asia's fourth tallest RC, together with the height of 249 feet. It is also the 6th fastest RC in Asia, together with the speed of 78 miles per hour. It is in addition found at Fuji-Q Highland in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, Japan. It was opened towards the public in year 2006. It was designed by S&S Arrow. It provides a four- dimensional structural design and it's the world's second four-dimensional RC made. It is in addition the one with all the most inversions internationally.

Diving Coaster will be the Asia's fifth tallest roller coaster and likewise the tallest and the biggest one in China, with the height of 213 feet. It truly is situated at Happy Valley in Songjiang, Shanghai, China. This is made by Chinese roller coaster manufacturer.

[rabbitcruiser]

National Roller Coaster Day 

See if any of the amusement parks or fairgrounds near you offer a special deal on Rollercoaster Day, and get your adrenaline pumping on that stomach-dropping dive.

National Roller Coaster Day is celebrated annually on the 16th August. The origins of the celebration are not completely clear, however, the most widely believed explanation for National Roller Coaster Day is that the date was chosen to mark the 16th August, 1898.

Which was when the very first patent for a rollercoaster ride was issued. The date has been marked by fairgrounds and fans of rollercoasters all over the world since the eighties.

Learn about National Roller Coaster Day

National Roller Coaster Day was created in order to celebrate these fun and thrilling rides that you can enjoy when you go to a theme park. It is the perfect opportunity for you to have some fun and take a ride on a rollercoaster near you.

Rollercoasters tend to be found in theme parks and amusement parks all around the world. They employ some sort of railroad track, which is elevated and designed with inversions, steep slopes, and tight turns. People ride along the track in open cars, enjoying a thrilling experience. Most rollercoasters will have a number of different cars whereby passengers sit inside of them and are restrained. However, there are Wild Mouse rollercoasters and other types of rollercoasters that run with a single car.

Fun facts about rollercoasters

There are some great facts about the rollercoasters of today and the past. For example, in Pennsylvania, there is a wooden rollercoaster that was built in 1902 and it is still in operation today. It is called Leap-The-Dips and you can find it at Altoona. It does not have headrests, lap bars, or seatbelts, but don’t worry, as it only goes ten miles per hour.

Have you ever wondered why some people love rollercoasters and other people hate them? Well, it could be to do with the chemical makeup of your brain. From the spirals to the drops, dips, speed, turns, hills, and loops; there is no denying that rollercoasters are thrilling! However, those with higher levels of dopamine tend to prefer sensation-seeking activities. Dopamine are neurotransmitters that are linked to reward-motivated behavior.

If you want to go on the world’s longest rollercoaster, you are going to need to take a trip to Japan. Here, you will find Nagashima Spa Land, and the longest rollercoaster here is the Steel Dragon 2000. When it opened, it was the longest, tallest, and fastest rollercoaster in the world. This was back in 2000. Since then, it has had a couple of its crowns stolen, yet it is still the world’s longest rollercoaster. Today, the fastest rollercoaster in the world can be found in Abu Dhabi at Ferrari World. It’s called Formula Rossa. The tallest rollercoaster in the world today is in Jackson, New Jersey. It is called Kingda Ka and it is found at Six Flags Great Adventure.

The future of rollercoasters certainly looks exciting as well, as it promises roller coaster-water slide mashups, as well as cars that rotate. Amusement park technologies are being patented all of the time, and this can help you to get a good understanding of what lies ahead in the world of rollercoasters.

History of National Roller Coaster Day

The day has been chosen because it commemorates the first vertical loop rollercoaster, which was patented on this date in 1898 by Edwin Prescott. In order to appreciate National Roller Coaster Day, it is worth digging deeper into the history of this popular theme park ride.

It is believed that the oldest rollercoasters have come from the Russian Mountains, which are a number of hills of ice that were specially constructed in what is now known as Saint Petersburg. These rollercoasters were constructed in the 17th century. They were reinforced with wooden supports, had a 50-degree drop, and were built to a height of somewhere between 21 and 24 meters.

It was on the 8th of July in 1817 that the first modern rollercoaster was created. It opened in Paris, in Parc Beaujon, and it was called Promenades Aeriennes. It featured wheeled cars, which were locked onto the track securely, offering higher speeds and guide rails to keep them on course. Half a dozen imitators were created as a consequence, yet their popularity dwindled rather quickly.

Nevertheless, rollercoasters quickly returned to fashion during Belle Epoque. Co-founder of the Moulin Rouge music hall, French entrepreneur Joseph Oller, constructed the Russian Mountains of Belleville in 1887, known locally as the Montagnes Russes de Belleville. It featured 656 feet worth of track that was laid out in a double-eight, which was later made bigger, creating four figure-eight shaped loops.

The popularity and decline of rollercoasters have varied over the years. The golden age of theme parks, and consequently rollercoasters, came to end during the Great Depression. This lasted until 1972 when The Racer at Kings Island was an instant success. Of course, it would not be right to talk about rollercoasters and theme parks without mentioning Disneyland. The park had a breakthrough in terms of design with Matterhorn Bobsleds. This is because it was the first-ever rollercoaster to utilize a steel track. This was important because tubular steel can be bent in any direction, which is obviously not the case with wooden coaster rails. This means that steel rollercoasters enable designers to incorporate corkscrews, loops, and a lot of other maneuvers into their designs. Most of the different rollercoasters that are available around the world today are still made of steel, yet hybrids and wooden coasters are still being created.

How to celebrate National Roller Coaster Day

Many of the biggest amusement parks and fairgrounds across the USA and beyond choose to offer special deals to visitors on the 16th August. These often involve a reduction in ticket prices or the chance to buy one ticket and get another free.

Some parks promote the celebration in order to attract more people in on this particular date. For many of the world’s biggest rollercoaster fans, this is a celebration that can not afford to be missed! As such, enthusiasts will take a take off work in order to make sure they ride a rollercoaster on the 16th August!

If you are not going to be able to make it to a theme park on this date, there are still some other ways that you can celebrate National Roller Coaster Day. Why not spend some time online finding out more about some of the world’s most popular rollercoasters? You will find that there are some pretty incredible rollercoasters in theme parks all over the world, and so you can even make a bucket list of the different rollercoasters you would most like to go on.

National Roller Coaster Day also presents you with a good opportunity to learn more about rollercoasters. Dig deeper into the science behind these incredible structures and the curves that defy gravity. It is really interesting to learn about how they work.

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[worldstop10]

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The Top 10 Tallest Steel Roller Coasters in the World

The Top 10 Tallest Steel Roller Coasters in the World

You’re going to be glad these ten costers you are about to see are not the Human Powered Rollercoasters we have seen before in this blog because they are the worlds tallest and some of them are far taller than some of the worlds major landmarks! So let’s pull down our safety bars and hold on because any of these coasters will make you scream for a very long time…

The Top 10 Tallest Steel Roller Coasters in the World

  Intimidator 305 in Kings Dominion, United States

10 – Intimidator 305 in Kings Dominion, United States – Highest Point: 305 ft (93 m)

If you don’t like heights you will find the Intimidator 305 and indeed all of the coasters on this list to be very intimidating. Still today this is only the second Giga Coaster to be built in North America. So far anyway!

Leviathan in Canada’s Wonderland, Canada

9 – Leviathan in Canada’s Wonderland, Canada – Highest Point: 306 ft (93 m)

This coaster was the first one designed by Swiss firm Bolliger & Mabillard to be over 300 feet high. With a top speed of 92 MPH (148 KPH) it doesn’t take long at all to zoom around its 5,486 ft (1,672 m) of track.

Millennium Force in Cedar Point, United States

8 – Millennium Force in Cedar Point, United States – Highest Point: 310 ft (94 m)

When this ride was finished in 2000 for just a single month it broke six world records! At its launch, it was the world’s first Giga Coaster, the tallest, fastest (in North America) to name just a few. But then sadly the Steel Dragon 2000 ride opened and most of its achievements were gone quicker than it takes riders to go around the track.

Steel Dragon 2000 in Nagashima Spa Land, Japan

7 – Steel Dragon 2000 in Nagashima Spa Land, Japan – Highest Point: 318.3 ft (97.0 m)

Steel Dragon 2000 got its name because it was opened in 2000 which in Asia was the year of the Dragon! It was manufactured by Bolliger and Mabillard and is still the World’s longest steel roller coaster at 2,479 m (8,133 ft).

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Fury 325 in Carowinds, United States

6 – Fury 325 in Carowinds, United States – Highest Point: 325 ft (99 m)

Fury 325 is the 2nd tallest and fastest Giga Coaster in the world but only makes it into 6th tallest steel coaster overall. With a top speed of 95 MPH(153 KPH), it doesn’t take long to go over its 6,602 ft (2,012 m) of track.

Red Force in Ferrari Land, Spain

5 – Red Force in Ferrari Land, Spain – Highest Point: 367.4 ft (112.0 m)

Said to be the highest and fastest vertical accelerator roller coaster in Europe this ride travels along its 880-meter track accelerating to a top speed of 112 MPH (180 HPH) is just 5 seconds!

Tower of Terror II in Dreamworld, Australia

4 – Tower of Terror II in Dreamworld, Australia – Highest Point: 377 ft (115 m)

When this ride was built in 1997 it was the fastest rollercoaster in the world with a top speed of 100 MPH (160.9 KPM). It was originally called just “Tower of Terror” but after a refit, the designers saw it as a new ride so called it Tower of Terror II

Superman: Escape from Krypton in Six Flags Magic Mountain, United States

3 – Superman: Escape from Krypton in Six Flags Magic Mountain, United States – Highest Point: 415 ft (126 m)

Originally this ride was called “Superman: The Escape”, it is a steel shuttle roller coaster and it has been around since 1997 and at the time was the tallest in the world. But others have come along to grab the cape of glory from them.

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Top Thrill Dragster in Cedar Point, United States

2 – Top Thrill Dragster in Cedar Point, United States – Highest Point: 420 ft (130 m)

This speedy accelerator roller coaster was built by Intamin and is one of only 2 strata coasters in existence. The other one we are about to meet.

Kingda Ka in Six Flags Great Adventure, United States

1 – Kingda Ka in Six Flags Great Adventure, United States – Highest Point: 456 ft (139 m)

This super-tall steel accelerator roller coaster built by Stakotra has a hydraulic launch mechanism that powers the cars up the tower at a neck-breaking 128 miles per hour (206 km/h) in just 3.5 seconds! Not that is what you call a white-knuckle ride.

[lilbdizzle-blog]

101 Thing To Do Before You Die by Richard Horne

Found the list online. Still have to search for the book. But here ya go! Checked off the ones already done. ⬜️1. Write a Best-Seller ⬜️2. Swim with: ⚪️Sharks ⚪️Whales ⚪️Dolphins ⚪️Tropical Fish ✔️3. Win an Award, Trophy, or Prize ⬜️4. Catch a Fish with Your Bare Hands ⬜️5. Make a Discovery ⬜️6. Throw a House Party While Your Parents are Out ⬜️7. Be Part of a Threesome ⬜️8. Realize Your Childhood Dream ⬜️9. Learn That Instrument ⬜️10. Leave Your Mark in Graffiti ⬜️11. Storm Chase a Tornado ⬜️12. Get a Piece of Art into an Exhibition ⬜️13. Meet Someone with Your Own Name ⬜️14. Ride the World's Largest Roller Coasters ⚪️Top Thrill Dragster Cedar Point, Ohio ⚪️Steel Dragon 2000 Nagashima Spa Land, Japan ⚪️Colossus Thorpe Park, England ⚪️Superman the Escape Six Flags Magic Mountain, CA 🔘Incredible Hulk Universal Studios Island of Adventure, FL ⚪️Son of the Beast Paramount's Kings Island, Ohio ⬜️15. Stage Dive or Crowd Surf ⬜️16. Get into the Guinness Book of World Records ✔️17. Own a Pointless Collection ⬜️18. Study the Kama Sutra and Put Theory into Practice ⬜️19. Master Poker and Win Big at a Casino ⬜️20. Go Backstage and Get Off with a Band Member ⬜️21. Be a Human Guinea Pig ⬜️22. Go Up in a Hot Air Balloon ⬜️23. Get Arrested ✔️24. See a Space Shuttle Launch ⬜️25. Capture the Moment in an Award-Winning Photograph ⬜️26. Bungee Jump ⬜️27. See an Erupting Volcano ⬜️28. Skydive ⬜️29. Meet Your Idol ⬜️30. Stay in the Best Suite in a 5-Star Hotel ⬜️31. Experience Weightlessness ⬜️32. See the Aurora Borealis ⬜️33. Score a Hole in One ⬜️34. Design Your Own Cocktail ⬜️35. Play a Part in Your Favorite TV Show ⬜️36. Visit Every Country/Continent ⬜️37. Make a Fire Without Matches ⬜️38. See These Animals in the Wild ⚪️Panda ⚪️Rhino ⚪️Hippo ⚪️Grizzly Bear ⚪️Elephant 🔘Hummingbird ⚪️Giraffe ⚪️Koala 🔘Manatee ⚪️Gorilla ⚪️Lion ⚪️Monkey ⚪️Penguin ⚪️Kangaroo ⚪️Tiger ⚪️Crocodile ⚪️Orangutan 🔘Eagle ⚪️Polar Bear ⚪️Coelacanth ⬜️39. See a Dog Race ⬜️40. Get a Free Upgrade on a Plane ✔️41. Be Friends with Your Ex ✔️42. Hit Your Targets ⬜️43. Throw a Dart into A Map and Travel Where it Lands ⬜️44. Attend a Film Premier ⬜️45. Do a Runner From a Fancy Restaurant ⬜️46. Scuba Dive ✔️47. Milk a Cow ⬜️48. Be Present When Your Country Wins the World Cup ✔️49. See Both Eclipses 🔘Solar 🔘Lunar ⬜️50. Write Your Name Over a Star on the Walk of Fame ⬜️51. Learn Another Language ⬜️52. Read the Greatest Books Ever Written (List in a separate post) ⬜️53. Complete a Coast-to-Coast Road Trip Across America ⬜️54. Make at Least One Huge Purchase You Can't Afford ⬜️55. Score the Winning Goal/Try/Basket ⬜️56. Crash an A-List Party ⬜️57. See the All-Time Greatest Films (List in a Separate Post) ⬜️58. Live in the Place You Love ⬜️59. Leave a Job You Hate ✔️60. Take Part in a Police Lineup ⬜️61. Get Away with the Perfect Practical Joke or Hoax ⬜️62. Join the Mile High Club ⬜️63. Make the Front Page of a National Newspaper ⬜️64. Drive a Car at Top Speed ⬜️65. Shout "Drinks are on me!" at a pub/bar ⬜️66. Be a Part of a Flash Mob ⬜️67. Visit... ⚪️Colosseum, Rome, Italy ⚪️Uluru, Australia ⚪️Machu Picchu, Peru ⚪️The Pyramids at Giza, Egypt ⚪️Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ⚪️Sydney Harbour, Australia ⚪️Taj Mahal, Delhi, India ⚪️Great Barrier Reef, Australia ⚪️Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco ⚪️Grand Canyon, Arizona ⚪️Angor Wat, Cambodia ⚪️The Great Wall of China ✔️68. Save Someone's Life ⬜️69. In Various Languages, Learn to... ⬜️70. Invent a Word that Makes it into the Dictionary ⬜️71. Have Adventurous Sex ⬜️72. Have Enough Money to Do All the Things on This List ⬜️73. Stand on the International Date Line ⬜️74. Learn to Fly a Plane ✔️75. Get a Tattoo and/or Piercing ⬜️76. Invent Something ⬜️77. Learn Astronomy and Read the Night Sky ⬜️78. Drink a Vintage Wine ⬜️79. Answer a Personal Ad ⬜️80. Spend Christmas on the Beach ⬜️81. Get Barred From a Pub or Bar ⬜️82. Build Your Own House ✔️83. Skinny Dip at Midnight ⬜️84. Sell All Your Stuff on Ebay and Make a Profit ⬜️85. Visit One of the World's Tallest Buildings ⬜️86. Run a Marathon ⬜️87. Conquer Your Fear ⬜️88. Get Married Unusually ✔️89. Throw Away the Instant Noodle ⬜️90. Join the 16-Mile High Club ⬜️91. Publish a Cult Website ⬜️92. Own an Original Work of Art ⬜️93. Complete the Monopoly Board Pub Crawl ⬜️94. Get Something Named After You ⬜️95. Get Revenge ⬜️96. Be an Extra in a Film ⬜️97. Live Out of a Van ⬜️98. Go On a Demonstration ⬜️99. Confess ⬜️100. Reach 100 Years Old ⬜️101. Continue Your Gene Pool