Wild Mouse roller coaster

A Wild Mouse roller coaster (also Mad Mouse or Crazy Mouse) is a type of roller coaster characterized by small cars that seat four people or fewer and ride on top of the track, taking tight, flat turns (without banking) at modest speeds, yet producing high lateral G-forces. The track work is characterized by many turns and bunny hops, the latter producing abrupt negative vertical G forces. When approaching a turn from a straight section the intended impression is that one will simply continue straight, and thus plunge off of the device, this since there are no transition sections as are in a conventional high speed coaster track and the turn itself is obscured upon close approach. Almost all Wild Mice feature "switchback" sections, consisting of several of these unbanked turns, separated by straight sections. Usually the turns on the switchback section are 180°, but some coasters feature 90° turns as well as more rarely steep runs with loops (for example Crazy Mouse at Tobu Zoo in Japan, which is no longer operating). Some riders, usually among taller people, report sustaining whiplash after being subjected to these turns.

Roller coaster

A roller coaster is an amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson obtained a patent regarding roller coasters on January 20, 1885, which were made out of wood, but this patent is considerably later than the "Russian mountains" described below. In essence a specialized railroad system, a roller coaster consists of a track that rises in designed patterns, sometimes with one or more inversions (such as vertical loops) that briefly turn the rider upside down. The track does not necessarily have to be a complete circuit, as shuttle roller coasters demonstrate. Most roller coasters have multiple cars in which passengers sit and are restrained. Two or more cars hooked together are called a train. Some roller coasters, notably wild mouse roller coasters, run with single cars.

History

Russian mountain

The oldest roller coasters are believed to have originated from the so-called "Russian Mountains", which were specially-constructed hills of ice, located in an area that would later become St. Petersburg. Built in the 17th century, the slides were built to a height of between 21 and 24 m (70 and 80 feet), consisted of a 50 degree drop, and were reinforced by wooden supports.

Clapping game

A clapping game (or hand game) is a type of usually cooperative (i.e., non-competitive) game which is generally played by two players and involves clapping as a rhythmic accompaniment to a singing game or reciting of a rhyme, often nursery rhymes. Clapping games are found throughout the world and similar games may be known throughout large areas with regional variation.

Nature of the games

Due to the communication skills and coordination required, simple clapping games are age appropriate for children age 24 months and above. In many cultures clapping games are played by both sexes and all ages, but in many European and European-influenced cultures, they are largely the preserve of young girls.

Claps commonly included in patterns are clapping one's own hands, clapping both hands of a partner, and clapping one hand of a partner, generally across such as the right hand of each player. The clapping may include other activities such as thigh slapping, or a final move such as touching the ground and freezing. Sara Bernstein describes seventy-nine "basic hand-claps".

Roller coaster (disambiguation)

A roller coaster is a type of amusement ride.

It can also refer to:

Roller coasters

For roller coasters with other names, see Category:Roller coasters by name

Films

Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom

Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom is an amusement and water park owned and operated by Cedar Fair and located outside Allentown, Pennsylvania. The park features eight roller coasters, other adult and children's rides, and a waterpark, Wildwater Kingdom.

It features some of the world's most prominent roller coasters, including Steel Force, the ninth longest steel roller coaster in the world and the second longest on the U.S. East Coast.

The park is accessible from Interstate 78, U.S. Route 222 (Hamilton Blvd.) and Cedar Crest Boulevard. The region is served by Lehigh Valley International Airport, about 10 miles (16 km) east of Dorney Park. Bieber Tourways has a nearby bus terminal at the former Charcoal Drive-In (at junction of U.S. Route 222 and Hamilton Boulevard), with daily service to and from New York City's Port Authority Bus Terminal, Philadelphia Greyhound Terminal and other regional locations.

History

Ownership

Dorney Park traces its history to 1860, when Solomon Dorney built a trout hatchery and summer resort on his estate outside of Allentown. In 1870, Dorney decided to convert the estate into a public attraction. Initially, the facility featured games, playground-style rides, refreshment stands, picnic groves, a hotel, and a restaurant. By the 1880s, Dorney had added a small zoo, gardens, and a number of mechanical rides, marking the enterprise's beginning as an amusement park.

Wild Mouse (Lagoon)

Wild Mouse is a wild mouse roller coaster currently operating at Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington, Utah.

History

Previous Wild Mouse Rides at Lagoon

Wild Mouse opened as a wooden roller coaster in 1965 after being relocated from the Seattle World's Fair. After operating in its location in Lagoon's North Midway, it was eventually retired in 1971.

In 1973, the Wild Mouse roller coaster returned to Lagoon as "The New Wilder Wild Mouse." The new version of the ride was located at the South Midway, in the same location where the current Wild Mouse operates. Since this ride featured the same layout and look of the previous Wild Mouse, it's assumed this is the same ride installed in 1965. This version of the ride operated until 1989, when Lagoon decided to retire the Wild Mouse again.

A common myth among local Utah residents is that one of these Wild Mouse coasters has had one or more severe accidents causing severe injury or death. However, there has been no verifiable evidence to conclude there has ever been a major incident on any Wild Mouse ride at Lagoon.

Wild Mouse (Idlewild)

Wild Mouse is the name of a roller coaster at Idlewild and Soak Zone in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. It is the one of two coasters in the park, along with the small classic wooden Rollo Coaster, and its only steel roller coaster.

The Wild Mouse was originally designed for Wiener Prater in Vienna, Austria where it operated as Speedy Gonzalez from 1985-1987. Built by Vekoma, it is thus far the only wild mouse coaster designed by this corporation. It was later moved to Alton Towers, an amusement park in Staffordshire, England. When it opened there in 1987, its name was the Alton Mouse. The ride featured a covered lift hill there, which was used to conceal the treacherous curves at the top of the hill from patrons until they reached the top. The lift hill was also tilted, which suggests that the cover was a rotating tunnel, which with the tilting track, created the effect of going upside-down. The Alton Mouse was closed in 1992, partly because the harsh curve and braking system had diminished its popularity, but mainly because the area of the park it was located in was small and the ride was popular, causing congestion. Local residents also complained of the noise levels, so when the Alton Mouse was removed, so were the other rides in the area, which was closed off from the rest of the park.