Canada's Wonderland delays WindSeeker opening date

WindSeeker will not be open in time for the start of Canada's Wonderland's 2011 season. Image © Cedar Fair

Canada's Wonderland is reported to have confirmed a delay to the opening of its new tower ride, WindSeeker, which will not be ready for the start of the park's 2011 season.

WindSeeker will be a vertigo-inducing variation on the classic "Chair-O-Plane" attraction, and will see guests swinging at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour around a 301-feet-tall tower. It was originally expected to make its debut on the opening day of the new season on May 8, but Screamscape reports that testing of the ride is yet to begin. A final opening date is yet to be confirmed by Canada's Wonderland.

Versions of the WindSeeker ride are opening at several Cedar Fair parks in 2011, including Kings Island, Cedar Point and Knott's Berry Farm. At Canada's Wonderland, it will become the tallest ride at the park, standing some 70 feet taller than the previous tallest rides Drop Tower and the Behemoth rollercoaster

To make room for WindSeeker, Canada's Wonderland has removed the Jet Scream attraction. The ride was one of a dwindling number of Intamin Looping Starships still in operation, and saw guests rotating a full 360 degrees in a "swinging ship"-style gondola.

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