Some best new theme park additions of 2015

LOoking ahead to 2015, theme parks around the world are planning to add a host of new attractions designed to thrill ride enthusiasts.

Consider this a tentative and fluid list of new attractions on tap across the globe. As is often the case, some projects may get delayed while new ones get announced.

Let's take a look at the 32 most anticipated additions planned for 2015 at theme parks close to home, across the United States and around the world.

1) Shanghai Disneyland – New park

The 800-pound gorilla on the theme park horizon is Shanghai Disneyland, the $4.4-billion resort expected to open in late 2015 or early 2016 with a Magic Kingdom-style theme park, two hotels and a Downtown Disney shopping center. The Chinese government wants Shanghai Disneyland to be sharply different from the other five Magic Kingdom theme parks around the globe, with several all-new attractions related to Chinese culture and myth woven into and around classic Disney attractions.

 32 best new theme park additions of 2015
Let's take a closer look at the 32 most anticipated additions planned for 2015 at theme parks across the United States and around the world. (Brady MacDonald)
2) Six Flags Fiesta Texas – Fourth-dimension coaster

The first-of-its-kind Batman: The electric train tracks for sale fourth-dimension wing coaster coming to Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio will feature an elevatorlike lift hill, forward and reverse inversions and beyond-vertical freefall drops.

Next generation of theme park attractions pairs coasters and dark china kids electric amusement train rides
Next generation of theme park attractions pairs coasters and dark rides
3) Six Flags Magic Mountain – Wood-steel hybrid coaster

Designed and built by Idaho-based Rocky Mountain Construction, Twisted Colossus will transform the 1978 Colossus wooden racer into a 4,990-foot-long wood-steel hybrid ride billed as the world’s longest hybrid coaster. In all, riders will experience 18 airtime hills, two lift hills, two 80-degree drops, two zero-G roll inversions and two passes through a distinctive “high five” element.

4) Carowinds – Giga coaster

The $30-million Fury 325 coming to Carowinds in 2015 will be among the fastest, tallest and longest roller coasters in the world. The 325-foot-tall giga coaster will fly over and under a new entrance plaza planned for the amusement park located on the North Carolina-South Carolina state line.

5) Six Flags New England – Wood-steel hybrid coaster

Rocky Mountain Construction will convert the Cyclone wooden coaster at Six Flags New England into the Wicked Cyclone wood-steel hybrid. Reaching a top speed of 55 mph, the 3,320-foot-long Wicked Cyclone will feature two zero-g roll inversions, a overbanked stall and double reversing banked airtime hill.

6) Hansa Park – Coaster-dark ride combo

Germany’s Hansa Park will introduce a first-of-a-kind attraction that features a 200-foot-tall high-speed hypercoaster built by German-based Gerstlauer sandwiched between a pair of themed dark ride experiences. Known as Karnan, the combo electric trackless train in Beston  will employ a unique vertical lift followed by a vertical first drop.

7) Holiday World – Winged launch coaster

Holiday World’s new $22-million Thunderbird launched wing coaster will be located in the Thanksgiving section of the holiday-themed park. Following a pre-show featuring fog, sound and lighting effects simulating a thunderstorm, the new coaster will launch from zero to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds along a 3,000-foot-long track that winds through thickly wooded hilly terrain.

8) Fantawild – New wooden coasters

Ohio-based Gravity Group is working on several projects for the Fantawild chain of amusement parks, with wooden coasters planned in the Chinese cities of Zhuzhou, Jinan and Wuhu. All the rides are expected to be completed in late 2014 or early 2015, with one or more of the new coasters featuring looping inversions.

9) Efteling – Dive coaster

Efteling theme park in the Netherlands plans to add the $24-million Baron 1898 dive coaster with a steampunk theme. At the top of the lift hill, riders will dangle over the edge for a few seconds before the train descends into a 90-degree first drop.

10) Gardaland – Dive coaster

Another dive coaster is heading to Italy’s Gardaland in 2015, according to documents submitted to a local government agency. Code-named Operation Orange, the 138-foot-tall ride is expected to be similar to Heide Park’s Krake, a Bolliger & Mabillard Dive Machine built at Gardaland’s German sister park in 2011.

11) Busch Gardens Williamsburg – Vertical coaster

Busch Gardens Williamsburg has filed permits with a local government agency to build a 156-foot-tall attraction in the Festa Italia area of the Virginia park. Blueprints posted by BGW Fans indicate the new attraction will be similar to the Superman: Ultimate Flight vertical coaster built by Premier Rides at Northern California's Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. Parent company SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment filed a trademark for Tempesto, an Italian word that loosely translates to storm.

12) Tayto Park – Wooden coaster

Ireland’s Tayto Park will add a 105-foot-tall wooden coaster that reaches 65 mph over a 3,600-foot-long course with at least one looping inversion or overbanked element. The $11.5-million coaster will be built by Ohio-based Gravity Group, which upgraded Hades at Wisconsin’s Mt. Olympus to include a corkscrew. Owned by Tayto Crisps, the Irish park includes a factory tour of the potato chip company.

13) Six Flags Over Texas and Six Flags St. Louis – Themed dark rides

The sister parks will introduce DC Comics Justice League-themed 3-D interactive dark rides called Battle for Metropolis. Along the way, riders will help Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern face off against the Joker, Lex Luthor and other comic book villains.

14) Bosque Magico – Launch coaster

Mexico’s Bosque Magico plans to add a 150-foot-tall Premier Rides coaster with forward and backward launches. Reaching a top speed of 62 mph, the Zombie coaster will feature an inline twist and a non-inverting loop.

15) Wanda City – New park

Plans for the new Wanda City amusement park in China include a 5,100-foot-long wooden coaster and a 240-foot-tall launch coaster. The 160-foot-tall Viper wooden coaster from Pennsylvania-based Great Coasters International will feature a S-curve first drop and a long run through trees. The 4,900-foot-long steel megacoaster from Swiss-based Intamin will reach a top speed of 85 mph.

16) Lewa World – New park

Another new Chinese park is expected to open with as many as nine coasters, including a record-setting ride with the world’s tallest inversion. With a top speed of 75 mph, the 197-foot-tall looping coaster at Lewa Happy World will be built by German-based Mack Rides.

17) Universal Studios Hollywood – Motion-based simulator

Following on the success of King Kong 360 3-D, Universal Studios Hollywood will add another massive drive-through movie attraction to the backlot tram tour. Fast & Furious Supercharged will take riders inside a 50,000-square-foot attraction that combines a motion-based simulator platform and a 400-foot-long tunnel-like movie screen for a 3-D experience based on the street racing film franchise.