Home News Big New Thrill Ride in a Small Space at Ocean City’s Playland

Big New Thrill Ride in a Small Space at Ocean City’s Playland

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Playland’s Castaway Cove staffers Brian Hartley, Tim Wark, Janice Branwood and Scott Simpson get comfortable in the newly unveiled GaleForce coaster vehicle during a trade show in Orlando, Fla.

 

The new roller coaster planned for Playland’s Castaway Cove was one of the featured attractions at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) trade show in Orlando earlier this month.

Twelve people at a time will be launched at 64 mph on a new roller coaster ride at Playland's Castaway Cove starting in summer 2016.
Twelve people at a time will be launched at 64 mph on a new roller coaster ride at Playland’s Castaway Cove starting in summer 2016.

S&S Worldwide unveiled a coaster vehicle for the “GaleForce” that will carry 12 passengers in three rows of four on a high-speed ride that features a 100-degree drop, a 180-degree twisting climb and an array of other rolls and dives.

The ride attracted attention in part because it successfully overcomes the challenges of fitting a major attraction into a small space. The ride will fit into a space just 40 feet wide and 220 feet long, according to Playland Vice President Brian Hartley.

Another new family-style roller coaster will wrap around the new GaleForce coaster, Hartley said.

Playland owner Scott Simpson has been working for three years on the design of the new ride.

Work crews are pouring concrete footings for the new ride this month. The coaster vehicle is expected to arrive next week, and the track will be shipped from Italy in December. Installation will begin on Jan. 15 and should be complete by April or May, Hartley said.

Visitors will be able to keep tabs on construction of the new ride from a streaming cam mounted on the nearby Double Shot ride.

Learn more in video below and see video of the new track.