Playland (Vancouver)
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| Location | Vancouver, British Columbia |
|---|---|
| Website | http://www.pne.ca/playland |
| Owner | Pacific National Exhibition |
| Opened | |
| Operating season | April – October |
| Rides | 28 total
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| Slogan | Come and join the fun! |
Playland is an amusement park at in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is located in Hastings Park. It is the oldest amusement park in Canada.
Every year the park will replace one or two rides with new ones and the attendance of the park is always near capacity during the annual fair. It is the home of the famous 1958 wooden roller coaster. Some of the newer rides at the park are The Hellevator and Hell's Gate, whose marketing campaign angered a few Christian groups.
At the end of August, Playland and its renting partner Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) collectively host an annual fair for the local residents of Greater Vancouver. Talent shows, Animal Races, Demolition Derbies, Monster Trucks and good food/snacks are a few of the many interesting events found at the fair. During this time, they also rent some rides from West Coast Amusements.
The city of Vancouver has long debated about whether the PNE and Playland will stay at or move from its current location. However, it has been decided that they would stay where they are for some time to come.
Playland's regular season operates from the beginning of April to the end of September every year.
Contents |
[edit] Attractions in Playland
[edit] Roller coasters
| Ride | Year Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| The Coaster | 1958 | Playland's signature attraction, this wooden roller coaster from 1958 has a maximum drop height of 68 ft and speeds of up to 48 mph. The coaster was designed by Carl Phare. It is an ACE Coaster Classic. The Coaster was featured in the movie Riding the Bullet and was the "Bullet" [1]. |
| Wild Mouse | ~1958 | A wild mouse roller coaster with tight turns and drops. It was built by Princeton Machine. |
| Corkscrew | 1994 | A standard Vekoma-built roller coaster with a Bayerncurve and double corkscrews. Corkscrew has been in operation since 1994. This ride was relocated from Boblo Island, where it was known as Screamer. [2] This coaster was featured in the movie Final Destination 3, and in the television series Smallville. |
| Kettle Creek Mine | 2004 | A family coaster in the form of a figure 8 track. The ride takes two trips around. It replaced the Dragon Coaster in 2004. |
[edit] Main amusement rides
| Ride | Year Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Breakdance! | 2003 | A model of the Breakdance ride by HUSS. |
| Crazy Beach Party | 2005 | A model of the Frisbee designed by HUSS. |
| Drop Zone | Guests attached to rip cords get pulled up a 100 feet tower then let to freefall. There is an additional charge to go on this attraction. | |
| Enterprise | A standard Enterprise ride. | |
| Ferris Wheel | 1924 | A ferris wheel. It is Playland's oldest and most historic ride, designed in 1924. |
| Flume | 1985 | A log flume water ride with two drops, with the second drop being 40 feet tall. |
| Gladiator | Three arms with spinning air boats raise and lower while spinning. | |
| Hellevator | 2000 | A 202 feet tall pneumatically-powered vertical tower ride by S&S Power. It is a model of the "Combo Ride" [3] [4]. Usually it operates in Turbo Drop mode by lifting the car to the top of the tower at a leisurely speed, pausing for about five seconds before dropping down at a high speed, then gently lowering them with a series of air-cushioned bounces back to the loading platform. Sometimes, it operates in Space Shot mode, directly launching the car up, then freefalling down. Irregularly, it combines both modes. This ride is free with admission during the regular operating season, but there is an additional cost to go on it during PNE days. |
| Hell's Gate | 2000 | A Top Spin ride with water jets spraying guests at random times. However, the water jets got pulled out and no longer sprays guests. But it scares you into thinking you will get sprayed. |
| Music Express | A model of Music Express ride, cars on a raised and lowered circular track spin rapidly while music is played. | |
| Pirate | A swinging pirate ship ride. | |
| Revelation | 2000 | A 160 feet tall rotating arm with cockpit seats on both ends. There is an additional charge to go on this attraction. |
| Scooters | Bumper car ride. | |
| Scrambler | A Scrambler ride, three arms hold three sets of cars each, spinning rapidly and giving the feeling of collision. | |
| Wave Swinger | A Chair-O-Planes ride with a top that tilts. |
[edit] Children's attractions
These rides are located at a section of the park called Kids Playce at Playland! All rides there have a height restriction (36") and the maximum height is 60" unless otherwise noted.
- Dune Buggies
- Flying Elephants - Circular elephant ride.
- Grand Prix - Motorized car ride.
- Helicopters - Ten helicopters, with names such as Zippy, move in a circular motion while the riders may control the helicopters to go up and down. No 60" limit.
- Kiddie Swings - Smaller version of the Wave Swinger.
- Merry-Go-Round - Classic carousel ride. No 60" limit.
- Paddle Wheelers - Boats on a small shallow circular water channel.
- Raiders - Large themed jungle gym set.
- Stunt Cycles - Motorcycles move in a circular motion.
[edit] Other attractions
- Asylum of Terror - A haunted house with real people/monsters lurking inside. There is an additional charge for this attraction (except during Fright Nights).
- Climbing Wall - A 35 feet tall climbing wall with three climbing stations, two for beginners and one for experts. This attraction is free with admission during the regular operating season, but there is an additional cost to go on it during PNE days.
- Glass House - A maze constructed of transparent walls.
- Mini Golf - A small 18 hole miniature golf course.
[edit] Annual events
Since 2003 [5], Playland organises a special Halloween event in the park called Fright Nights. In addition to haunted houses and other exclusive scary attractions, the majority of the main attractions are open. Many specially employed monsters are scattered around the park.
For 2006, Fright Nights is open from October 13-31, from 6-11pm.
