The American amusement park Dutch Wonderland is thrilling guests this season with a new ride called Merlin’s Mayhem.
The first ever Family Inverted Coaster from S&S-Sansei is proving to be something of a summer hit at the park in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The new ride was launched back in May after a series of setbacks prevented it opening in 2017.
Installed at a cost of $7.5m, Merlin’s Mayhem features almost 400m (1,300ft) of twisting, turning and swooping yellow track and stands up to 18.3m (60ft) tall. Reinforcing its family-friendly credentials, the minimum rider height is just 1 metre (39 inches). During the ride, there are many near miss elements, including a thrilling dive over the park’s Sky Ride cable car.
S&S sales director Pete Barto told the US publication Amusement Today that the coaster makes “perfect sense” for Dutch Wonderland’s audience. “It’s a not a junior coaster, it’s a family coaster – something that everyone can enjoy. Kids today are not afraid to ride rides.”
