Dorney Park’s first all-new roller coaster in nearly two decades is now going vertical. 

On Monday, the Allentown, Pennsylvania park showed off the installation of the first sections of Iron Menace’s track.

Dorney Park doesn’t have an exact opening date yet for the ride’s 2024 debut, but the park is providing regular updates on construction progress via its “Menacing Minute” series on YouTube.  

Iron Menace is a dive coaster designed by Swiss coaster firm Bolliger & Mabillard that will stand 160 feet tall, sport four inversions and hit a top speed of 64 mph. Like many dive coasters, the standout element will be its first drop, angled at a beyond-vertical 95 degrees.

All-American Triple Loop now testing at Indiana Beach 

Speaking of 2024 ride openings, Indiana Beach has made progress on its long-delayed All American Triple Loop. 

As Theme Park Tribune reported in September, the park had gone quiet about the status of the relocated Anton Schwarzkopf roller coaster, which had first been scheduled to open back in 2021. Even as Indiana Beach wrapped up operations for the 2023 season, its website still listed All American Triple Loop as “coming in summer 2023.” 

While Indiana Beach never responded to our request for comment on the coaster’s delay, it did confirm last week that testing has begun:

All-American Triple Loop first operated as a traveling coaster in 1984. Its last home was in Mexico, where it was the first of a fatal accident in 2019. English-language news site Mexico News Daily later reported that the park had failed to properly maintain its rides.

Indiana Beach chief operating officer Tom Crisci told Theme Park Tribune in 2020, “Our plans are to work with industry safety consultants to complete all of the necessary updates.  Once these updates are completed and everything passes inspections, then and only then will we open the ride to the public.” 

Disney World’s Jollywood Nights event draws poor reviews

The newest separately-ticketed event at Walt Disney World was not worth the price of admission on its first night, according to multiple reviewers. 

The $160 Saturday night event at Disney’s Hollywood Studios promised special food and drink options, similar to the annual Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at the Magic Kingdom. What most attendees got was long lines leading to small portions of low-quality fare, according to a Touring Plans review.   

WDWMagic.com said that while ride lines were short, the lines for the event’s exclusive shows were very long and largely not worth that wait. BlogMickey.com called Jollywood Night “overpriced and oversold,” and recommended that guests avoid it until its kinks get worked out. LaughingPlace.com dubbed it “a letdown,” even though it had the privilege as invited media guests of getting reserved seating at the stage shows. 

Jollywood Nights will continue throughout the holiday season. The park runs from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on Nov. 18, 20, 27, and 29, and Dec. 4, 6, 16, 18, and 20.