Wild Beast
Encyclopedia
Wild Beast is a wooden
roller coaster
located at Canada's Wonderland, in Vaughan, Ontario
, Canada
. Originally named "Wilde Beaste", it is one of the four roller coasters that debuted with the park in 1981, and is one of two wooden coasters at Canada's Wonderland modelled after a ride at Coney Island
amusement park in Cincinnati, Ohio
(specifically, Wildcat); the other is the Mighty Canadian Minebuster
. The ride's fan curve was rebuilt in 1998.
The ride is a double out-and-back coaster encompassing a figure 8 design. The ride was designed by Curtis D. Summers but is based on the original Coney Island Wildcat designed by Herbert Schmeck. It was constructed in-house under the direction of Summers. The coaster was not built by PTC despite a plaque at the operator's booth and several published reports that claim it was. PTC stopped building coasters in 1979 . It is likely however, that the construction crew consisted of workers who had previously built coasters for PTC. The two 28-passenger trains were supplied by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company
. Unlike the PTC trains on the park's other wooden coaster these utilize a shorter 4-seat car that is designed to better negotiate turns.
Curtis D. Summers continued to use this design at other Taft-owned parks including Kings Dominion in Virginia where the coaster, which opened in 1982, is known as Grizzly
. Though similar in layout, the ride was tempered when reproduced as Bush Beast at Wonderland Sydney in 1985 and at California's Great America as Grizzly in 1986.
The coaster was featured in the Fraggle Rock
episode "The Thirty-Minute Work Week", where Uncle Travelling Matt used it as he thought it was a form of transportation. Puppeteer Dave Goelz
has a cameo in the scene as the man next to Matt.
Wooden roller coaster
A wooden roller coaster is most often classified as a roller coaster with laminated steel running rails overlaid upon a wooden track. Occasionally, the structure may be made out of a steel lattice or truss, but the ride remains classified as a wooden roller coaster due to the track design...
roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
located at Canada's Wonderland, in Vaughan, Ontario
Vaughan, Ontario
Vaughan is a city in York Region north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Vaughan is the fastest growing municipality in Canada achieving a population growth rate of 80.2% between 1996–2006, according to Statistics Canada having nearly doubled in population since 1991. Vaughan is located in Southern...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Originally named "Wilde Beaste", it is one of the four roller coasters that debuted with the park in 1981, and is one of two wooden coasters at Canada's Wonderland modelled after a ride at Coney Island
Coney Island, Cincinnati, Ohio
Coney Island is a small amusement park and waterpark located in the California neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio and Anderson Township, on the banks of the Ohio River east of Downtown Cincinnati...
amusement park in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
(specifically, Wildcat); the other is the Mighty Canadian Minebuster
Mighty Canadian Minebuster
The Mighty Canadian Minebuster was one of the four roller coasters that debuted with Canada's Wonderland, an amusement park located in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada, in 1981, and is still operational today...
. The ride's fan curve was rebuilt in 1998.
The ride is a double out-and-back coaster encompassing a figure 8 design. The ride was designed by Curtis D. Summers but is based on the original Coney Island Wildcat designed by Herbert Schmeck. It was constructed in-house under the direction of Summers. The coaster was not built by PTC despite a plaque at the operator's booth and several published reports that claim it was. PTC stopped building coasters in 1979 . It is likely however, that the construction crew consisted of workers who had previously built coasters for PTC. The two 28-passenger trains were supplied by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company
Philadelphia Toboggan Company
The Philadelphia Toboggan Company is one of the oldest existing roller coaster manufacturing companies in the world.Mack Rides of Germany dates back to 1781, but it did not start building coasters until 1921 Based in Hatfield, Pennsylvania, it was established in 1904 by Henry B...
. Unlike the PTC trains on the park's other wooden coaster these utilize a shorter 4-seat car that is designed to better negotiate turns.
Curtis D. Summers continued to use this design at other Taft-owned parks including Kings Dominion in Virginia where the coaster, which opened in 1982, is known as Grizzly
Grizzly (roller coaster)
Grizzly is a wooden roller coaster at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia. The grounds of the ride are densely forested, with the intended thrills heightened from the illusion of inadequate clearance between the track and trees. The attraction opened in 1982, and the double-figure-eight layout is...
. Though similar in layout, the ride was tempered when reproduced as Bush Beast at Wonderland Sydney in 1985 and at California's Great America as Grizzly in 1986.
The coaster was featured in the Fraggle Rock
Fraggle Rock
Fraggle Rock is a children's live action puppet television program series created by Jim Henson. The central characters were a set of "Muppet" creatures called Fraggles. The show ran from January 10, 1983, to March 30, 1987, on CBC Television in Canada, ITV in the UK, HBO in the United States,...
episode "The Thirty-Minute Work Week", where Uncle Travelling Matt used it as he thought it was a form of transportation. Puppeteer Dave Goelz
Dave Goelz
Dave Goelz is a puppeteer best-known for his association with The Muppets, and in particular with the Muppet character Gonzo. His other Muppet characters include Bunsen Honeydew, Zoot , Beauregard the janitor and Tiny...
has a cameo in the scene as the man next to Matt.