All major U.S. roller coasters opening in 2020
Roller coasters are the big-time attention grabbers of the theme park world. 2020 is the beginning of a new decade and with it comes numerous new attractions for thrill-seekers.
Candymonium
Location: Hersheypark
Arriving this summer, Candymonium is the tallest, fastest, longest, and sweetest coaster in Hersheypark. From the distinctive Hershey’s candy theme to the memorable thrills around every turn, Bolliger & Mabillard have created a one-of-a-kind hyper coaster. Candymonium opens inside Hershey’s Chocolatetown soon!
Iron Gwazi
Location: Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
Once open in 2020, this new coaster will be North America’s tallest hybrid coaster and the fastest, steepest hybrid coaster in the world. This new addition will be a wood and steel hybrid coaster manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction and will feature a maximum height of over 200 feet tall. The coaster will offer all-new thrill elements, as well as use restored elements of Gwazi.
Orion
Location: Kings Island
When it opens at Kings Island, Orion will be one of only seven giga coasters in the world. Riders will plummet down a 300-foot first drop, traveling over seven more hills and 5,321 feet of track at speeds up to 91 miles per hour for the coaster’s 3-minute duration.
Ice Breaker
Location: SeaWorld Orlando
Located near the Wild Arctic attraction, Ice Breaker will feature four launches, both going backward and forward, with the coaster culminating in a reverse launch that goes into the steepest beyond vertical drop in Florida – a 93-foot-tall spike with a 100-degree angle.
Emperor
Location: SeaWorld San Diego
Speeding at more than 60 miles per hour, this new coaster will be the tallest and fastest floorless dive coaster in California. Riders will dangle and drop at more than 150 feet before diving 90 degrees into loops – a tribute to the Emperor penguins’ journey from chilly cliffs to the depths of the ocean.
Texas Stingray
Location: SeaWorld San Antonio
Set to be tallest, fastest and longest wooden coaster in Texas, this roller coaster will have a top speed of 55 miles per hour, include a 100-foot drop and a sensory-bending 100-foot-long tunnel.
Pantheon
Location: Busch Gardens Williamsburg
The coaster will be located in the Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s Festa Italia village and will feature four launches and a top speed of 72.5 miles per hour – making it the fastest multi-launch coaster in North America.
Jersey Devil Coaster
Location: Six Flags Great Adventure
This coaster will open at Six Flags Great Adventure and Safari in New Jersey. Guests will ride single file through the dark and foreboding woods on the world’s longest, tallest, fastest single rail coaster. Towering 13 stories and reaching speeds up to 58 miles per hour, riders will straddle the single-rail and experience three elements and two inversions over 3,000 feet of track.
Sidewinder Safari
Location: Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
The thrill capital of Northern California is adding its 12th roller coaster, Sidewinder Safari, this year. This attraction will combine a family coaster with an animal exhibit that will feature 1,378 feet of track with hairpin curves, strike drops, and 360-degree spins. The queue will feature live snakes, lizards, and other reptiles.
West Coast Racers
Location: Six Flags Magic Mountain
Set to debut Jan. 9, West Coast Racers is a one-of-a-kind racing coaster that will feature two side-by-side tracks with four individual high-speed launches. The race covers two complete laps, multiple airtime hills, high-banked turns and exhilarating near misses. The ride will feature a “pit stop” portion of the ride designed and produced by world-famous West Coast Customs.
Honorable Mentions
While those listed above were the confirmed roller coasters for this year, there are some others. The roller coasters listed below are not confirmed to open this year, but are possible. This list will also contain a new coaster concept that does not specifically fit in a ride category:
Aquaman Power Wave
Location: Six Flags Over Texas
Aquaman: Power Wave, the first-of-its-kind water coaster in North America, will debut this year. At 148 feet tall, this water coaster will launch riders backward across more than 700 feet of track at 63 miles per hour. When the ride completes its cycle, riders will then be launched forward from a 90-degree angle for a superhero-worthy splashdown.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Location: Epcot’s World Discovery, formerly Ellen’s Energy Adventure
This ride does not have a confirmed opening date, but there are rumors that this attraction could open later this year. Guests will ride on a daring adventure featuring the first reverse launch into space. This thrilling, family-friendly attraction will feature a never-before-seen storytelling coaster that rotates to focus on the action, wherever it may be.
VelociCoaster
Location: Universal’s Islands of Adventure
It is highly unlikely that this coaster will open in 2020, but limited theming on this coaster could surprise us. This rumored roller coaster will be the most intense in the Florida-based Universal portfolio if built, with speeds of up to 70 miles per hour. This is not expected to be a highly themed coaster like Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. Instead, the theming will be lighter, much like the Incredible Hulk coaster on the other side of the park. Due to this less-restrictive building process, we could potentially see massive progress over the next few months.
Which of these roller coasters are you most excited to ride in 2020? Let us know in the comments!
I think Candymonium will be a surprise addition at HersheyPark!