Vekoma Rides excites the young and young-at-heart
by Jordan Zauha
Based out of the Netherlands, Vekoma Rides is one of the largest manufacturers in the world of roller coasters and attractions, providing thrill and fun for all ages. Vekoma has everything under one roof – from creative design, high- precision engineering and manufacturing to service and after-sales. Over 300 experts dedicate their focus and passion for joy and fun, crafting quality innovations while meeting and exceeding stringent standards of safety, quality and comfort.
2024 represented a consistent series of Vekoma attraction openings at parks around the world, with more ready to open before the end of the year. In addition, Vekoma’s signature ride innovations continue into 2025, offering first-of-their-kind builds at several United States parks and even more across the globe.
Family coaster renaissance
While Vekoma never shies away from producing an intense high-thrill rush, one of the company’s most successful products continues to be its line of family coasters, satisfying both operators and the attractions’ wide guest demographic. Approachable for families with young children along with first-time coaster riders, family coasters supply operators with re-rideable favorites that make maintenance affordable. Standard part acquisition along with the ride’s basic technology functions ensure easy operation and care.
Similar to how park operators cater to the diverse needs of their guests, Vekoma has come equipped with different layouts and ride experiences to help park owners delight attendees. Inspired by its thrilling predecessor, the Family Boomerang Rebound recreates the popular forward-then-backward excitement typical of the compactly designed Boomerang coasters while providing an appropriate thrill level for a family audience. Guests experience low-to-the-ground, high speed movement topping out at 37 mph with only a 38” height restriction. Despite its appeal to young riders, these family friendly experiences prove enjoyable for older guests too, particularly for its high-speed feel and surprising backward-run sensation.
In May, Kings Island’s PEANUTS-themed extension – Camp Snoopy – opened to guests, featuring Snoopy’s Soap Box Racers, a Family Boomerang Rebound coaster. In ride vehicles looking like painted soap box race cars inspired by the iconic looks of PEANUTS characters, riders climb up a 70-foot hill to the race starting line. They then launch forward, twisting and turning down the 672-foot-long track to the finish line. But that’s not the end. Riders then make the same journey, this time backwards. Individual lap restraints ensure riders both small and tall can easily and securely ride side-by-side.
Vekoma’s standard Family Boomerang has delighted audiences in Europe for over a decade, but 2024 marked the premiere of this modern classic in the United States. Good Gravy!, the Thanksgiving-inspired attraction at Holiday World, marked the park’s first family roller coaster. A highly themed queue sets the table for guests’ arrival at Grandma Gracy’s home before boarding gravy boat-inspired ride vehicles. The 1,500-foot-long, cranberry-colored track twists through the park’s Thanksgiving-themed area, which includes a high- speed dash through a jar of cranberry sauce.
Along with iterating on past favorites, Vekoma continues to innovate, delivering new coaster experiences, such as the Family Coaster Horus. This sit-down family coaster is the company’s longest layout and features a 41-foot-tall lift. Riffing off the company’s Family Coaster range, this latest offering delivers fast- paced movement and airtime enjoyed by young and old alike. With 1,060 feet of track, the delight from guests is more than just a brief rush.
As the first U.S. installation of the Family Coaster Horus, Midnight Flyer at Santa’s Village (Jefferson, NH) boards guests in its bold navy- blue ride vehicles where, after climbing the lift hill, they soar down the striking green track as if flying through the night air like reindeer.
The kinetic atmosphere provided by coasters is irresistibly palpable. The fast motion and joyful shouts of guests naturally enlivens park areas; bolstered by the large audience potential of family coasters, these attractions become staples for guests to enjoy again and again not only through multiple visits but in a single day. Some parks, such as Energylandia in Zator, Poland, and Emerald Park in Kilbrew, Ireland, have opted to double the fun.
Twice as nice
This year, Poland’s Energylandia added an entirely new seventh themed land: Sweet Valley. The brightly colored family friendly area boasts two Vekoma family coasters. Fluff Choco Chip Creek pulls from the ever-popular Mine Train coaster style, boasting a track length of over 3,900 feet with three heart-pumping lift hills. Its top speed of 34 mph provides a thrilling rush appropriate for all ages.
Located just across from Fluff Choco Chip Creek, Nacomi Honey Harbour delivers an even more approachable train-themed coaster experience. This Kalypso Family Coaster embraces young first-time riders and the young-at-heart with its sunshine orange train cars gently speeding along its teal track. Measuring a length of 833 feet, the graceful swoops top out at a speed of 28.5 mph.
Emerald Park elevated its attraction programming to the next degree by intertwining its coasters for an even more integrated experience that enlivens its Tír Na nÓg themed area. This newly opened region of Emerald Park has accomplished a sense of immersive environmental design not achieved by the park prior, due in part to the master planning and design consultants at Jora Vision.
“€22 million has been invested,” said Emerald Park Managing Director Charles Coyle, “so it’s a huge, proud and exciting moment and the culmination of seven years of hard work.” Coyle noted that the Tír Na nÓg expansion marked the largest investment in tourism for Ireland in the past five years. The crowned jewels of the “Land of Eternal Youth” themed land are its interwoven family coasters: The Quest and Na Fianna Force.
The Quest, also a Family Boomerang, blends the ride with the storytelling of the Land of Eternal Youth as riders race forward and climb up a ruined castle tower before making their backwards return trip.
Along the path, The Quest swoops alongside Na Fianna Force, the land’s Suspended Thrill Coaster. Providing a more intense thrill, Na Fianna Force soars up to nearly 105 feet in height and provides three inversions along its smooth-riding 2,460 feet of track. Still, for the adventurous family, the suspended coaster allows guests 48” and taller to flip, soar, and rush through the highly-detailed new land.
Welcoming more great attractions in 2024
Before 2024 ends, Vekoma will deliver two more attention-grabbing thrillers, both located Down Under. Warner Bros. Movie World in Queensland, Australia, will open the world’s first dedicated Wizard of Oz themed land with two Vekoma coasters. Flight of the Wicked Witch, a Suspended Family Coaster, will rise up 62 feet before rushing alongside the iconic film’s Winged Monkeys, reaching speeds of 41.5 mph along the 1,486-foot track. The Family Boomerang Racer coaster Kansas Twister will take guests 72 feet in the air, before dropping and speeding along the 721-foot track at 36 mph through the Land of Oz and back to home again, just like Dorothy herself. This dueling coaster supplies guests with two tracks to adventure on, with multiple crossing effects during the ride experience.
Just down the road at Dreamworld, Vekoma will give riders an unexpected coaster experience with multiple different cycle paths. Jungle Rush, located in the park’s Rivertown zone, will be the first Switchback Coaster from Vekoma. This family thrill coaster features an inclined turntable hurling families into 12 airtime elements, unique show set moments, and a thrilling ride backwards as well as forwards.
Looking ahead
“We are working hard on and gearing up for a successful 2025 with a variety of new rides opening next year,” said Ricardo Tonding Etges, Vice President Sales & Marketing – Americas.
Next year, Six Flags Great Adventure will be the host of North America’s first Super Boomerang when THE FLASH: Vertical Velocity opens. Reaching speeds up to 59 mph, this enhanced version of a Vekoma classic raises guests almost 100 feet off the ground and has them experience a zero-g roll back to its vertical tower.
Vekoma’s list for 2025 is already packed with delights for riders around the world. Cedar Point will feature a Tilt Coaster entitled Siren’s Curse. Santa’s Village (Bracebridge, Canada) will open the custom Family Coaster Yeti Trek, which will surge guests through the property’s pine tree dotted landscape and over the Muskoka River. Poland’s Mandoria will see the opening of an indoor Family Launch Coaster entitled Aquila. The coaster will perform a double pass on the 1,476-foot track for a total ride experience of 2,952 feet and two launches. Aquila also carries the unique distinctions of a height restriction of only 38 inches and an acceleration of 0 to 43.5 mph in only 3 seconds. Additionally, an indoor Family Coaster will open at Bommelwereld in the Netherlands, and a Kalypso Family Coaster will soon make its home at Winnoland in France.
Whether creating a new family coaster that appeals to children, teens, parents and grandparents; designing a heart-pounding experience to delight thrill seekers; or developing groundbreaking attractions, Vekoma Rides is ready to assist operators and owners in delighting their guests. The company plans to announce additional openings during IAAPA Expo in Orlando, FL. Vekoma will be exhibiting at Booth #5124 from November 19-22 at the Orange County Convention Center. •
