Click here for Greater Long Island newsletters. Click here to download the iPhone app.
Adventureland is ringing in its 60th birthday with a gift all park-goers will love.
Steven Gentile, co-owner of the family-operated amusement park, told GreaterFarmingdale the park is adding a new, one-of-a-kind rollercoaster to its attraction portfolio: FireBall.
“We think it will incorporate the children, as well as the parents, together to enjoy a family-style ride that will give you an exciting thrill each and every time you ride,” he said. “We’re entering into our 60th year … What better way to do that than is to bring Long Island a state-of-the-art coaster?”
Manufactured and designed by the Ride Engineers of Switzerland (RES), the FireBall rollerball rollercoaster is the first and only one of its kind in North America and the fourth of its kind in the entire world.
The last time a rollercoaster was added to the Adventureland theme park was back in 2015 with its Turbulence Coaster. A new ride, The Sports Tower, was introduced this year.
The red and yellow coaster features three swinging ride gondolas. Riders sit in pairs, back-to-back, riding parallel to the vertical track.
As the gondolas accelerate around the vertical curves, those on the ride experience a free-falling sensation and pure thrill for around 90 seconds.
Riders can expect to soar up into the sky and come back down an upright track, taking in views of Farmingdale while on the family-friendly rollercoaster.
Children at least 41” tall can ride with an adult, while children 48” and taller can ride alone.
The Fireball will operate next to Adventureland’s Wave Swing, where travelers on Route 110 can see the LED lighting and five-foot-tall and three-foot-wide LED eternal “flame” on top of the ride, which Gentile said will “burn” all year long.
Gentile hopes to have the ride up and running this spring.
The amusement park operator said regional parks like Long Island usually have a stronger attendance than destination parks because of loyal, local supporters in the area.
“Marquee rides” like rollercoasters tend to draw in more people, Gentile said. So far, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive on social media.
Coming off the pandemic, Gentile expressed his gratitude to those who continued to support Adventureland during its closure.
The new rollercoaster really is just a big “Thank you,” he said.
“It’s a perpetual flame for us to show people the everlasting memories that they are creating at Adventureland,” he said. “It’s going to be a home run for Adventureland and for the local, Long Island people, as well.”
Adventureland is set to open for the 2022 season at the end of March. For season passes and gift cards, you can click here to visit their website.
See the promo video of the roller coaster below.
Previous reporting:
Top: Rendering of the new FireBall rollercoaster. Photo courtesy of Adventureland.
