By Charly SHELTON

Summer – one of the two busiest times of the year for poor entertainment reporters like yours truly. I have to get out to each of the theme parks in the area (and some out of the area) to see the new rides and attractions opening for the summer crowds. Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, Knott’s Berry Farm, Six Flags Magic Mountain and SeaWorld are all debuting new rides this summer, and CV Weekly will be there to cover each one individually. But first, we wanted to give you a sneak preview at what’s to come in the next few weeks.

Disneyland
We all know Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is coming. That’s old helmet (get it? Like Darth Vader?). It won’t be open until next year and, when it does open, it’s going to be a game-changer in how guests plan their day at Disneyland. The crowds will be insane for quite a while, so maybe now is the time to visit because the park probably won’t be this empty for several years to come. This summer Disney is featuring Pixar Fest, a celebration of your favorite Pixar characters from Woody and Buzz all the way up to the new “Incredibles II” heroes, celebrating the release of the new film this summer. To make it even more “Incredibles,” California Screamin’ has been re-themed to be the Incredicoaster and Paradise Pier has been re-christened Pixar Pier. These experiences open June 23, and Pixar Fest is on now.

Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal is closing the popularity gap with Disney thanks to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and now it is set to open its first new standalone ride/show since Potter opened in 2016. DreamWorks Theatre is a 4D theater attraction (think Shrek 4D) set to open June 15 and will initially feature “Kung Fu Panda: The Emperor’s Quest” as the show. But Universal plans to make this film hot-swappable throughout the day with other properties such as “Madagascar,” “Penguins of Madagascar,” “How To Train Your Dragon” and “Trolls.” Universal Studios could honestly make a new theme park 4D film each time a new DreamWorks animated feature comes out to help cross-promote and it would keep the attraction fresh and new for repeat visitors.

Knott’s Berry Farm
Known for combining lots of hearty delicious food with excruciatingly gut-wrenching coasters, Knott’s has upped the ante with its newest coaster, Hangtime.

This is a coaster all about hanging upside down. It has a 96° drop, meaning it’s more than vertical, it actually curves past straight down and makes the guests rise from their seats for a split second before dropping into the decline. It features five massive inversions, one of which is a negative-G stall loop. This makes the car stall upside down for just a second, giving guests a feeling of floating. It’s only the second coaster on the Western Hemisphere to feature a stall like this, so it really is cool from a ride tech point-of-view. We’ll see how cool it feels when I’m on the ride after lunch.

Hangtime opens May 18.

Six Flags Magic Mountain
Six Flags and I have had an on-again, off-again relationship but right now seems to be on an upswing. I’m looking forward to seeing its new DC Super Heroes Drop of Doom VR experience, which combines the terrifying drop ride on the back side of the Superman tower with VR to have superheroes flying around you and unfold a narrative story. And while it looks cool, I’m terrified to go on the new 17-story-tall CraZanity – the world’s tallest pendulum ride – opening this summer. It looks like a barfy good time, but I’m scared. We’ll see.

SeaWorld
This one is a little farther out of the area – San Diego. But with a two-hour drive without traffic, it’s like going to Disneyland with traffic. Its new coaster is called the Electric Eel, and it’s going to be shocking. Yes, I meant that pun. A vertical coaster, it features multiple launch experiences – sending the coaster train back and forth through the station to gather speed before launching straight up into a twist and experiencing loops and corkscrews all the way back down. This electrifying experience opens today, May 10.

So all of this and more is coming to you in the next few weeks. I know I’m ready … ish.

Are you?

  Charly Shelton