Playland ride named one of the world's best new roller coasters for 2024

November 2022 construction progress on Playland's new ThunderVolt launch coaster. (PNE)

We’re still roughly half a year away from the completion and opening of Playland’s new launch coaster, but it’s already getting some accolades for its design.

Blooloop, a UK-based international attractions publication, has ranked the ThunderVolt, the name given to the ride by the PNE, as the eighth best new roller coaster in the world for 2024 — out of a ranking of 24 new rides that will open this year.

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ThunderVolt is the only new Canadian ride to make it to the ranking, and it even beats the unnamed Donkey Kong-themed roller coaster that will be opening at Super Nintendo World land within Universal Studios Japan, which earned a 10th place ranking.

ThunderVolt came just behind the new DC Comics Flash-themed roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey, and just ahead of the new jungle-themed Mahuka roller coaster at Walibi Rhone in France.

The first place ranking went to the new Voltron roller coaster at Europa-Park in Germany.

pne playland launch coaster october 31 2023 construction f

Construction progress on Playland’s new launch coaster, as of October 31, 2023. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

pne playland launch coaster october 31 2023 construction

Construction progress on Playland’s new launch coaster, as of October 31, 2023. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

pne playland launch coaster thundervolt construction november 2022

November 2022 construction progress on Playland’s new ThunderVolt launch coaster. (PNE)

The construction of ThunderVolt represents the start of Playland’s major redevelopment and expansion — its evolution from an amusement park to a theme park.

Construction on the $16-million flagship ride for Playland first began in Spring 2023, and it is expected to open in Summer 2024. It is being built on the former footprints of the Corkscrew coaster, Drop Zone, and Revelation rides.

The launch coaster area will be highly landscaped and themed, including an illuminated tunnel where the trains will “blast off” with an acceleration of 1.3 G.

Artistic rendering of the new launch roller coater at Playland. (PNE)

Artistic rendering of the new launch roller coater at Playland. (PNE)

ThunderVolt’s track length will be 380 metres (1,247 ft), and its highest drop will be 18 metres (59 ft). It will use a brand-new launch coaster train model designed by Italian manufacturer Zamperia, with the single train consisting of three cars for a capacity of 12 passengers per train. It uses new state-of-the-art linear synchronous motor (LSM) technology.

Zamperla’s new “Lightning” vehicle for the Playland ride was revealed at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Expo (IAAPA) in Orlando in late 2022.

Experience ThunderVolt virtually now

It was shared by Blooloop that Playland’s ThunderVolt was previously located at the Miragica theme park in Italy. After the theme park closed in 2018, Zamperla acquired the ride — originally known as Senzafiato — to refurbish and redesign it to its own train specifications. This also includes replacing the entire original launch system with Zamperla’s new LSM launch technology.

At its previous home in Italy, the launch coaster had a maroon-painted track with blue pillars. Now, it boasts bright shades of yellow for its track and pink for its pillars.

Although there will be differences in theming and possibly speed, avid thrill seekers can now “virtually preview” ThunderVolt, as there are numerous videos online of its previous iteration as Senzafiato:

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