Latest news with #CedarPoint
Telegraph
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Get set, go: exciting new theme park experiences await in the US
After a tension-building climb, Valravn prepares to drop. And not just any drop – this behemoth of a rollercoaster plummets 223ft at a staggering 90-degree angle. It's just one of the highlights at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. For thrill-seekers, the self-styled rollercoaster capital of the world is a compulsory stop on a road trip from New York to Chicago – but for theme park-lovers heading elsewhere in the US, there are scores of incredible options to choose from. Some are about the adrenalin rushes, some major in nostalgia and old-time atmospherics and others provide immersive storytelling. Crucially, the US's theme parks are always evolving to bring something new, different and exciting. This year's new openings and anniversary celebrations, however, offer a bumper crop for those ready to ride… High octane thrills In Ohio, Cedar Point's newest test of nerve is the innovative tilt coaster Siren's Curse. After climbing a 160ft-tall lift hill, Siren's Curse comes to a halt at a dead end, then tilts directly downwards to connect to the rest of the track. Cedar Point is also unleashing Top Thrill 2 – the world's highest rollercoaster, which shoots up a 420ft-high tower, then descends at a whopping 120mph. New thrill coasters elsewhere include the Wrath of Rakshasa at Six Flags Great America between Chicago and Milwaukee. This starts with a climb to 180ft, then a few seconds of white-knuckle suspense, hanging over a precipice. Once released, the Wrath of Rakshasa drops at high speed before launching into five upside-down inversions. At the Kings Dominion theme park just north of Richmond, Virginia, wing coaster Rapterra is the new lure. This one is all about the sensation of dangling legs as the ride swoops, dives and twists at speeds of up to 65mph and reaches heights of up to 145ft. In New Jersey, meanwhile, Six Flags Great Adventure has unveiled The Flash: Vertical Velocity. The point of difference here is that you're sent one way through the loops and turns, then climb a dead-end track and drop down to do it all again, only this time backwards. Movie magic The Flash: Vertical Velocity is a tie-in to the DC Extended Universe movies, which shouldn't come as much of a surprise given that the US's theme parks are a magnet for film fans. Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, is the best-known of the movie-linked parks. Its new offerings for 2025 include the light-adorned floats of the Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away after-dark parade. There are also two new shows in the Hollywood Studios section of the complex. The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure provides the wholesome fun, while Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After indulges the darker side with Cruella de Vil and Maleficent et al. But the biggest big screen boost in 2025 comes courtesy of nearby Universal Orlando, in the shape of the newly opened Universal Epic Universe. Experiences here include magical time-travelling adventures in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, as well as Dark Universe, an area dedicated to scary movie characters such as Dracula and Frankenstein's monster. The spooky Curse of the Werewolf rollercoaster is a highlight not to be missed. The park also appeals to gamers, with family-friendly rides at Super Nintendo World based around Mario, Yoshi and other Nintendo favourites. The classics reimagined The great American theme park experience isn't all about the new, however. Several long-standing parks brim with pedigree, charm and tangible heritage. Of these, the original Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, set the template for the modern theme park. It celebrates its 70th anniversary this year with a series of new launches. These include the Tapestry of Happiness show that takes a journey through that 70-year history and the animated projections, lights and fireworks of the Paint the Night parade. In Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, another classic theme park is celebrating a birthday too. Dollywood – founded by country music legend Dolly Parton – is hosting a series of festivals and live music concerts for its 40th anniversary, while the new Dolly Parton Experience offers a warm look at the Jolene singer's life and hits.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Siren's Curse roller coaster at Cedar Point is ready to launch
Cedar Point's newest thrill machine is ready to launch. The amusement park announced Wednesday that its Siren's Curse roller coaster will open to the public on Saturday, June 28. Cedar Point says it plans to offer a special ticket to raise money for Prayers for Maria for a small number of riders to be the first to ride what is billed as the tallest, fastest and longest 'tilt' roller coaster in America. A ticket to be among the first riders are $125 each and are available at The charity raises money to help children diagnosed with brain tumors. The Siren's Curse is themed after mythical sirens who reside under the water in Lake Erie and use their voices in song to lure sailors. The sirens mournful calls will greet riders once the coaster opens as they ascend the 160-foot-tall lift hill. At the top, riders will encounter a broken track that trails off to nowhere. The tower's platform will then tilt 90 degrees straight down as the tilt piece of track connects to a twisted track below. After that the coaster train then plunges along 2,966 feet of twisting track at a top speed of 58 mph. Over the span of two minutes, 24 riders will experience 13 instances of weightless or so-called airtime moments along with two 360-degree, zero-gravity barrel rolls and a high-speed 'triple-down' element with twisted and overbanked track. The coaster trains will also have LED lighting and go through an underground tunnel − a first for Cedar Point. To ride the coaster when it opens, guests must be at least 48 inches tall. Guests will also have to pass through metal detectors before getting in line. The park is providing free short-term lockers for items like wallets, keys and cell phones that are restricted from the coaster. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cedar Point sets date for opening of Siren's Curse roller coaster
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
CIEE BridgeUSA Celebration Tour To Highlight How International Exchange Makes America Safer, Stronger, and More Prosperous
Summerlong American roadshow kicks off in June 2025 with stops at top BridgeUSA employers Cedar Point, Kings Island, and Kentucky Kingdom SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine, June 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) will travel to Ohio and Kentucky next week to begin a summerlong celebration of U.S. Department of State's BridgeUSA international exchange programs that make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous. The celebration kicks off June 8-11 with events honoring top employers who host BridgeUSA Summer Work Travel participants in the heartland of America. The BridgeUSA program brings international college students to live and work in the United States during their summer break, helping American businesses across America expand and extend the summer season. Cedar Point and Kings Island, both based in Ohio; and Kentucky Kingdom, based in Kentucky, will be recognized for their success creating meaningful cultural exchange for both BridgeUSA Summer Work Travel participants and their American teammates. These organizations are just three of the 4,000+ businesses, large and small, across the United States that each year host BridgeUSA participants who positively impact their American host employers and host communities in many ways, including increasing economic prosperity for local businesses and injecting more than $1.2 billion overall into the national U.S. economy. "The BridgeUSA program brings in associates from around the world who create amazing experiences for our guests," said Kaitlin Wattrick, recruiting manager at Cedar Point. "Beyond the park, it enriches our community by fostering cultural exchange and building lasting connections that extend far beyond the summer season." BridgeUSA Makes America Safer and Stronger BridgeUSA programs bolster America's national security and strengthen America's public diplomacy by fostering mutual respect between Americans and people of other nations. BridgeUSA participants return home and spread word of their positive experience in the United States which improves the American image abroad and makes our country safer. BridgeUSA Makes America More Prosperous Most importantly, BridgeUSA participants enable local economies to prosper by extending the tourism season, allowing businesses to employ more Americans for a longer seasonal period, and allowing hundreds of local businesses—from laundromats to general stores, from local diners to grocery stores—to extend the duration of their peak-season sales surge, compounding the positive economic impact in each community. "BridgeUSA provides a significant economic benefit to thousands of American businesses and communities around the United States," said Martine Mangion, Senior Vice President, Inbound Exchange Programs at CIEE. "Many seasonal businesses are able to continue to support domestic jobs in their slow season thanks to the support from the BridgeUSA Summer Work Travel participants who businesses host during their busy season. Some of our hosts are able to stay open an additional 30-45 days longer than they would have without BridgeUSA participants. In addition, BridgeUSA participants spend their wages in the local community and across the country when they travel." "The BridgeUSA exchange programs are the perfect definition of a government program that makes America safer, stronger, and more prosperous," said James P. Pellow, Ed.D., President and CEO of CIEE. "International students pay their way to come to America, they make American businesses more profitable while they are here, and then they return to their home countries with a deeper knowledge and respect for American culture and American values, including the power of democracy and free speech. If BridgeUSA did not exist, we would need to invent it, as it truly enriches all Americans." Additional CIEE BridgeUSA Celebration events are scheduled for Wyoming, Montana, Texas, and South Carolina. If you are interested in participating in a future CIEE BridgeUSA Celebration event, please reach out to Carye Duffin, CIEE Senior Vice President of External Affairs, at CDuffin@ About CIEE:CIEE builds bridges between different people, different countries, and different cultures. For 75 years, we have helped young people participate in high-quality international exchange and study abroad programs that bring the world together. Since 1947, CIEE has supported more than one million student exchanges for participants from more than 140 countries. We change lives, our alumni change the world. Learn more at Media Contact: Leslie Taylor, ltaylor@ (207) 553-4274 View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
CIEE BridgeUSA Celebration Tour To Highlight How International Exchange Makes America Safer, Stronger, and More Prosperous
Summerlong American roadshow kicks off in June 2025 with stops at top BridgeUSA employers Cedar Point, Kings Island, and Kentucky Kingdom SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine, June 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) will travel to Ohio and Kentucky next week to begin a summerlong celebration of U.S. Department of State's BridgeUSA international exchange programs that make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous. The celebration kicks off June 8-11 with events honoring top employers who host BridgeUSA Summer Work Travel participants in the heartland of America. The BridgeUSA program brings international college students to live and work in the United States during their summer break, helping American businesses across America expand and extend the summer season. Cedar Point and Kings Island, both based in Ohio; and Kentucky Kingdom, based in Kentucky, will be recognized for their success creating meaningful cultural exchange for both BridgeUSA Summer Work Travel participants and their American teammates. These organizations are just three of the 4,000+ businesses, large and small, across the United States that each year host BridgeUSA participants who positively impact their American host employers and host communities in many ways, including increasing economic prosperity for local businesses and injecting more than $1.2 billion overall into the national U.S. economy. "The BridgeUSA program brings in associates from around the world who create amazing experiences for our guests," said Kaitlin Wattrick, recruiting manager at Cedar Point. "Beyond the park, it enriches our community by fostering cultural exchange and building lasting connections that extend far beyond the summer season." BridgeUSA Makes America Safer and Stronger BridgeUSA programs bolster America's national security and strengthen America's public diplomacy by fostering mutual respect between Americans and people of other nations. BridgeUSA participants return home and spread word of their positive experience in the United States which improves the American image abroad and makes our country safer. BridgeUSA Makes America More Prosperous Most importantly, BridgeUSA participants enable local economies to prosper by extending the tourism season, allowing businesses to employ more Americans for a longer seasonal period, and allowing hundreds of local businesses—from laundromats to general stores, from local diners to grocery stores—to extend the duration of their peak-season sales surge, compounding the positive economic impact in each community. "BridgeUSA provides a significant economic benefit to thousands of American businesses and communities around the United States," said Martine Mangion, Senior Vice President, Inbound Exchange Programs at CIEE. "Many seasonal businesses are able to continue to support domestic jobs in their slow season thanks to the support from the BridgeUSA Summer Work Travel participants who businesses host during their busy season. Some of our hosts are able to stay open an additional 30-45 days longer than they would have without BridgeUSA participants. In addition, BridgeUSA participants spend their wages in the local community and across the country when they travel." "The BridgeUSA exchange programs are the perfect definition of a government program that makes America safer, stronger, and more prosperous," said James P. Pellow, Ed.D., President and CEO of CIEE. "International students pay their way to come to America, they make American businesses more profitable while they are here, and then they return to their home countries with a deeper knowledge and respect for American culture and American values, including the power of democracy and free speech. If BridgeUSA did not exist, we would need to invent it, as it truly enriches all Americans." Additional CIEE BridgeUSA Celebration events are scheduled for Wyoming, Montana, Texas, and South Carolina. If you are interested in participating in a future CIEE BridgeUSA Celebration event, please reach out to Carye Duffin, CIEE Senior Vice President of External Affairs, at CDuffin@ About CIEE:CIEE builds bridges between different people, different countries, and different cultures. For 75 years, we have helped young people participate in high-quality international exchange and study abroad programs that bring the world together. Since 1947, CIEE has supported more than one million student exchanges for participants from more than 140 countries. We change lives, our alumni change the world. Learn more at Media Contact: Leslie Taylor, ltaylor@ (207) 553-4274 View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Video: Soon-to-open rollercoaster DISCONNECTS from track mid-air
Video: Heart-stopping moment shows how soon-to-open roller coaster DISCONNECTS from the track in mid-air - and even theme park junkies are terrified to ride A theme park in North America has released first-look footage of a groundbreaking new rollercoaster that disconnects at the tracks - but even adrenaline junkies have given the 'heart pumping' ride a hard pass. Cedar Point, located in Sandusky, Ohio, is renowned as 'The Roller Coaster Capital of the World' thanks to its collection of 18 world-class rides, including Top Thrill 2, Steel Vengeance and Millennium Force. Now, a new high-speed, wing 'tilt' coaster is set to open at the 364 acre park - and it's left even the most seasoned thrill-seekers running for the hills.
