Standing but not operating

Standing but not operating (often abbreviated SBNO) refers to an amusement park or amusement ride that still exists but is no longer operating. Reasons may include damage, pending lawsuits, lack of funding, changing location, or incidents. The status is not used to describe seasonal operation in which closure is the result of a yearly schedule.[1][2]

Examples

As of December 2015, there are at least 25 amusement parks[3] and 122 roller coasters[4] worldwide that are standing but not operating.

Independent

"Thunder Run" at Kentucky Kingdom

Kentucky Kingdom had been SBNO since the end of its 2009 season, after Six Flags closed it indefinitely amid bankruptcy proceedings.[5] Former proprietor Ed Hart led efforts to reopen it and negotiated new lease terms with the Kentucky State Fair Board on January 24, 2013. It officially reopened on May 24, 2014.[6][7]

LeSourdsville Amusement Park (Americana Park) has been SBNO since 2003. Many of its rides have been relocated or demolished, including its two roller coasters: Screechin' Eagle and Serpent. Serpent was relocated to Saginaw, Michigan, in 2009 and Screechin' Eagle was demolished in 2011. The park was featured on the History Channel's Life After People: The Series.

Ghost Town in the Sky in Maggie Valley, North Carolina was SBNO from 2009 until it reopened for the Fourth of July weekend in 2014.[8]

The Hero, a flying rollercoaster at Flamingo Land Resort in North Yorkshire, England, has been SBNO since May 22, 2015, when a piece of foot rail came off a moving carriage and struck two riders in the head.[9]

Loudoun Castle is a Scottish theme park which has been SBNO since 2010, with numerous roller coasters and rides still standing at the defunct site.

Joyland Amusement Park in Wichita, Kansas, has been SBNO since 2006.[10] However, its roller coaster was extensively damaged by strong winds on the morning of April 3, 2015, including the destruction of large portions of elevated track, and may no longer qualify as SBNO.[11]

One of the best known examples of an SBNO roller coaster is Vertigorama at Parque de la Ciudad.[12] While the track is complete, the electrical systems are not. Although built in 1983, it is unknown if the ride will ever be finished.

Pattaya Park in Pattaya, Chonburi Province, Thailand, has another curious example of an SBNO roller coaster in an abandoned section of their park. Their coaster, a compressed air-launched reverse freefall coaster called Formula One, has been standing since at least 1999 but has never opened.[13]

The Thunder Dolphin roller coaster at the Tokyo Dome City Attractions amusement park was SBNO between 5 December 2010 — when a 25 cm long bolt fell from the ride while in motion, injuring a 9-year-old visitor — and 2013; the ride has now re-opened to the public.[14]

Cedar Fair

Cedar Fair currently owns one property, Geauga Lake in Aurora, Ohio, that is partially SBNO. Formerly known as Six Flags Worlds of Adventure, the property was acquired in 2004 and closed at the end of the 2007 season due to declining attendance. Cedar Fair closed the amusement park side of the property but kept the water park open. Many rides were transferred to other parks but several remain SBNO. Cedar Fair has not announced future plans for remainder of the park, however, several companies have shown interest in the land.[15][16]

Merlin Entertainments

The Smiler at Alton Towers amusement park has been SBNO since June 2, 2015, when a train carrying sixteen people crashed into an empty, stationary train that had stalled on the track. Eleven riders required medical treatment, four of whom were transported to a nearby hospital with serious injuries.[17][18] Safari Skyway, a monorail ride that opened in 1986 at Chessington World of Adventures Resort, ran for almost thirty years before closing abruptly in late July 2015. In January 2016, the park announced that the ride would be retired due to "ongoing maintenance issues".[19]

Six Flags

Six Flags New Orleans has been closed since Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. Before the hurricane, the park's six roller coasters were fully functional.[20] Two of the roller coasters – Batman: The Ride and Road Runner Express – have been moved to other Six Flags amusement parks.[21][22][23]

Busch Gardens Tampa

Gwazi at Busch Gardens Tampa has been fully closed since February 1, 2015.[24] During the late 2012 park season, the Tiger (Blue) side of Gwazi was closed due to severe budget cuts while the Lion (Yellow) side stayed open.[25] However, due to its still declining of popularity, budget costs, and roughness, the ride was announced to be closed later in early 2015.[26] When Gwazi was officially closed down, it remained SBNO due to its budget constraints because of its size.[27]

Walt Disney Parks & Resorts

Space Mountain at Disneyland was temporarily SBNO after being voluntarily shut down after receiving Cal OSHA citations in April 2013 for inadequate fall protection.[28] In November 2012, an employee fell from Space Mountain while cleaning its exterior and suffered broken bones. Disney was fined $61,000 in relation to the incident.[29] In May 2013, the ride was reopened.[30] Also at the Disneyland Resort, the PeopleMover/Rocket Rods track still stands today, almost 13 years after the ride closed. The track was last used as a highpoint for stormtroopers in the grand opening of Star Tours—The Adventures Continue.

In Florida, Disney's first waterpark, Disney's River Country, closed in 2001 and Disney announced in 2005 that it would not reopen. The lake surrounding Disney's River Country and Discovery Island, Bay Lake, was reportedly infested with the amoeba species Naegleria fowleri, leading to the death of at least one guest.[31]

References

  1. ↑ "LOST & ENDANGERED COASTERS SBNO". Roller Coaster Mayhem. 24 September 2008. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  2. ↑ "Roller Coasters - Glossary". Ultimate Rollercoaster. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  3. ↑ Marden, Duane (April 2013). "Amusement Park Search Results - SBNO". Roller Coaster Database. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  4. ↑ Marden, Duane (April 2013). "Roller Coaster Search Results - SBNO". Roller Coaster Database. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  5. ↑ Schreiner, Bruce (20 August 2012). "Push is on by state to revive Kentucky Kingdom". Associated Press. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  6. ↑ Shafer, Sheldon S. (29 January 2013). "Ed Hart to check out Kentucky Kingdom". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  7. ↑ Kington, Katherine (4 February 2013). "New staff moves in to Kentucky Kingdom". WAVE 3. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  8. ↑ http://myfox8.com/2014/07/06/ghost-town-in-the-sky-landmark-nc-amusement-park-reopens/
  9. ↑ "Flamingo Land Hero: Two people hit by foot rail". BBC News. May 25, 2015. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  10. ↑ "End of an era for Joyland". KSNW. May 7, 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Jabara Airport reopens after powerful winds cause widespread damage in Wichita". Wichita Eagle. April 3, 2015. Retrieved April 3, 2015. The main peak of the Joyland roller coaster was toppled during a storm that rolled through the Wichita area early Friday morning.
  12. ↑ Roller Coaster DataBase - Vertigorama (Parque de la Ciudad)
  13. ↑ Roller Coaster DataBase - Formula One (Pattaya Park Funny Land)
  14. ↑ "Thunder Dolphin at LaQua reopens after 2 and a half years!". 12 August 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  15. ↑ Tye, Chris (June 1, 2015). "Meijer superstore in talks to build on Geauga Lake land". wkyc.com. WKYC. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
  16. ↑ Bullard, Stan (May 11, 2014). "Developers are sizing up massive Geauga Lake land". crainscleveland.com. Crain's Business. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  17. ↑ "Alton Towers Smiler crash: Four rollercoasters shut". BBC News. June 5, 2015. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  18. ↑ Boyle, Danny (June 4, 2015). "Alton Towers to remain closed as bosses 'consider scrapping' The Smiler". The Telegraph. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  19. ↑ Chessington: FAQs: Rides: Safari Skyway. Retrieved on January 9, 2016.
  20. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Six Flags New Orleans  (Amusement Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  21. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Batman: The Ride  (Six Flags New Orleans)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  22. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Road Runner Express  (Six Flags New Orleans)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  23. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Mr. Six's DanceCoaster  (Six Flags Magic Mountain)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  24. ↑ "Busch Gardens’ Gwazi Closing Forever in the New Year | BestofOrlando.com". www.bestoforlando.com. Retrieved 2015-08-31.
  25. ↑ "Busch Gardens' Gwazi roller coaster's clickety-clack goes silent (w/video)". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2015-08-31.
  26. ↑ "Goodbye, Gwazi! Busch Gardens to close dueling wooden roller coaster". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2015-08-31.
  27. ↑ "Busch Gardens Tampa to Permanently Close Gwazi". Retrieved 2015-08-31.
  28. ↑ "Disneyland Resort Voluntarily Closes Some Rides After Cal/OSHA Citations". CBSLA.com. 14 April 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  29. ↑ "Space Mountain remains closed at Disneyland". Associated Press. 26 April 2013. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  30. ↑ "Space Mountain ride at Disneyland reopens after safety work". LATIMES.com. 6 May 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
  31. ↑ http://martincountytimes.com/disneys-abandoned-water-park-was-affected-by-same-fatal-virus-that-now-raises-concerns-about-extreme-sports-project-here

Merlin Entertainments - Alton Towers https://towersstreet.com/news/2015/changes-for-the-2016-season/

External links

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