Vancouver, June 10: Playland is set to return in just over a week and spectators can expect to see some new attractions this summer, including a $2.7 million amusement ride.
In a news release Thursday, Playland says its newest Skybender ride represents the most significant investment into the amusement park in five years.
“Skybender is unlike anything currently available in Canada and is one of the few rides anywhere in the world offering a single rider experience.”
The Skybender ride features “a spectacular light package, dynamic action sequences, and a thrilling combination of gravity drops and accelerations,” Playland adds.
One of the amusement park’s old favourites also underwent a facelift over the past 12 months.
The Wooden Rollercoaster is reopening after a $1 million retrofit, which included adding lap belts in the train to meet incoming safety standards.
“(It’s) the largest refurbishment of the classic wooden coaster since it opened in 1964,” says PNE spokesperson Laura Ballance.
“This retrofit will ensure that this special piece of global ride history is ready to celebrate its 65th birthday in 2021 as well as many more decades thrilling Playland guests.”
The refurbished coaster is expected to open in early to mid-July.
“We had hoped to reopen the coaster for the start of the 2022 season in June, but delays in materials means that it will reopen in July,” says Ballance.
However, some rides will not be returning this summer, including the Crazy Beach Party and Music Express rides.
“We all loved the Music Express, but that ride had reached the end of its lifecycle, so it was removed and recycled, making way for the addition of Skybender and other exciting park improvements in this and coming years,” says Ballance.
