The frisbee is a type of pendulum amusement ride featuring a circular gondola that rotates as it swings back and forth. Riders are seated on the gondola facing inward or outward depending on the model.
Design and operation[]
A pendulum is suspended between two support frames. Attached to the base of this pendulum is a circular gondola. Riders are seated in the gondola, facing either inwards or outwards. When the ride cycle starts, the gondola begins to rotate. In addition, the pendulum arm begins to swing through an arc, maxing out between 120° and 360° (full revolution). Most parks require riders to be at least 48 inches (120 cm) tall.
Variants[]
| Manufacturer | Model | Riders | Seating | Swing | Height |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fabbri Group | Boomerang | 32 | Inward | 15 m (49 ft) | |
| Space Jam | 24 | Inward | 22 m (72 ft) | ||
| Top Swing | 24-30 | Outward | 110° | 24 m (79 ft) | |
| HUSS Park Attractions | Frisbee | 40 | Either | 180° | 20 m (66 ft) |
| Frisbee XL | 40 | Outward | 260° | 36 m (118 ft) | |
| Giant Frisbee | 40-50 | Outward | 120° | 43 m (141 ft) | |
| Intamin | Gyro Swing | 32-40 | Outward | 120° | 25 m (82 ft) |
| Jiuhua Rides | Super Pendulum | 54 | Outward | 220° | 26 m (85 ft) |
| KMG | Afterburner (a.k.a. Fireball) | 24-32 | Inward | 240° | 19.812 m (65.00 ft) |
| Freak Out | 16 | Inward | 21 m (69 ft) | ||
| XXXL | 20 | Inward | 360° | 40 m (130 ft) | |
| Luna-Park Rides | Extreme | 20 | Inward | 120° | 20 m (66 ft) |
| Mondial | Revolution | 40 | Outward | 120° | 35 m (115 ft) |
| Moser's Rides | Sidewinder | 24-40 | Outward | 240° | |
| Sidewinder 12 | 12 | Outward | |||
| SBF Visa Group | Dance Party | 40 | Inward | ||
| Maxi Dance Party | 24 | Outward | 240° | 27 m (89 ft) | |
| Maxi Dance Party 360 | 24 | Outward | 360° | 33 m | |
| Technical Park | Street Fighter | 16 | Inward | 240° | 18 m (59 ft) |
| Typhoon | 24 | Outward | 240° | 23 m (75 ft) | |
| Zamperla | Discovery | 20-30 | Either | 21 m (69 ft) | |
| Giant Discovery | 40 | Outward | 240° | 44.8 m (147 ft) | |
| Mini Discovery | 12 | Outward | 7.6 m (25 ft) |
UltraMax[]
The UltraMax is a type of amusement ride manufactured by Mondial which is like the HUSS Frisbee, however, passengers face outwards and are sitting one of the four seats on one of the six gondolas as the ride gets higher momentum and eventually starts going upside down. The ride is built with one arm with two supports and then the arm with the gondolas attached. It also uses the same harness as the ones used on the Top Scans.
Pendulus at Pleasure Island, Cleethorpes.
Appearances[]
- Australia - Two parks use the Intamin Gyro Swing model, One is known as The Claw, at Dreamworld on the Gold Coast and other is called Goliath at Adventure World in Perth, Western Australia. One travelling Technical Park Street Fighter, Uses the name "Hard Rock" owned by Johnsons Amusements. One travelling Zamperla Discovery uses the name "Nitro" owned by Show West.
- Belgium - At least one Giant Frisbee. This operates under the name of Sledgehammer, at Bobbejaanland.
- Brasil - Two Giant Frisbees. One is the SUPER FRISBEE, in NICOLÂNDIA CENTER PARK, Brasília, and the other is THUNDER, at MIRABILANDIA, Pernambuco.
- Canada - At least five Frisbee rides, Psyclone, at Canada's Wonderland Ontario; Crazy Beach Party and The Beast, at Playland; "Titan" and "Manitou" at La Ronde in Montreal; and Sonic Twister at Galaxylandamusement park at the West Edmonton Mall (Removed in 2015).
- Denmark - At least one Giant Frisbee. This operates under the name of Svend Singram, at BonBon-Land.
- Egypt - At least one Giant Frisbee. This operates under the name of Discovery, at Dream Park.
- Finland - One Frisbee between 2000-2005 and new discovery revolution (with 360°) by Zamperla called X at Särkänniemi amusement park and one Typhoon in Powerpark.
- Germany - Frisbee Sidekick at Movie Park Germany, two mobile Frisbees Robrahn/Bremen (Prototype) and Goetzke/Munich
- India - At least two Giant Frisbees. The first operates under the name of Scream Machine, at Adlabs Imagica, Khopoli, India. The second one operates under the name of Side Winder, at Adventure Island, Rohini, India.
- Italy - Yukatan, by Technical Park at Cavallino Matto.
- Japan - At least two Giant Frisbees at Fuji-Q Highland with the name Tondemina, and other at Nagashima Spa Land with the classic HUSS model.
- Netherlands - Duinrell operates with the name of Mad Mill, Walibi Holland under the name Tomahawk and in Drievliet with the name Nautilus.
- New Zealand - 1 Zamperla Discovery Revolution (with full 360 degrees) at Rainbow's End (Theme Park) operating as StratosFEAR
- Norway - At least two, with one Giant Discovery at (Zamperla)operates with the name of SpinSpider at TusenFryd (operated since 2009). It is the largest of the Frisbee (ride) in the world; height 45 m, 115 km/t and 4,5 G. And second called, Vepsen at Kongeparken, a Fabbri Group Boomerang original Frisbee, operated since 2009.
- Philippines - Star Frisbee, at Star City, Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines
- Poland - At least one, operating as Aztec Swing, at Energylandia, Zator, Poland
- South Korea - Hurricane at Everland, YongIn (A normal HUSS Frisbee), Gyro Swing at Lotte World, Seoul, Tornado at Gyeongju World (a Zamperla Discovery with 24 seats), Free Swing at Tongdo Fantasia, Gyeongsangnam-do (A HUSS Frisbee with 34 feats that face outward)
- Spain - At least two Frisbees. One operates under the name of La Máquina, at Parque de atracciones, Madrid, Spain. The second one is at Terra Mítica Park, in Alicante.
- United Kingdom - Maelstrom at Drayton Manor (Intamin Gyro Swing), Pendulus at Pleasure Island Family Theme Park (HUSS Frisbee), Black Fly at West Midlands Safari Park (Fabbri Frisbee), Eagle's Claw at Lightwater Valley, Vortex at Thorpe Park and Beach Party at Coney Beach Pleasure Park (KMG Afterburners), Flip Flop at Flamingo Land Resort (Fabbri Top Swing), Freakout at Botton's Pleasure Beach Skegness (KMG Freak Out), and at least 3 travelling versions.
- United States - Giant Frisbees: Delirium at Kings Island and maXair at Cedar Point. Giant Discovery: Black Widow at Kennywood. Afterburners: Delirium at California's Great America; Revolution at Six Flags Great America; The Claw at Hersheypark. Sidewinders: "Sidewinder" at Adventureland. Frisbees: "Tazmanian Devil" at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom; "it" at Morey's Piers; Tomahawk at Six Flags New England; Frisbee at Six Flags Fiesta Texas; Xtreme Frisbee at Canobie Lake Park; Frisbee at Adventureland in Farmingdale, New York; The Rattler at Wild Adventures at Valdosta and Camden Park; Fandango in Elysburg, PA at the Knoebels Amusement Park; SpinCycle at Silverwood Theme Park (a Maxi Dance Party 360 and the only Frisbee-style ride in the US to make a full 360-degree revolution); and one in the infield at Daytona International Speedway. The Beach Blaster, located in Belmont Park in San Diego, California is a medium-sized ride.
Incidents[]
The Fire Ball after the incident.
In July 2017, an 18-year old was killed while riding a KMG Fireball (aka Afterburner) ride that malfunctioned at the Ohio State Fair, sending him flying more than 50 feet in the air. Seven others were injured as well. Numerous fairs and exhibitions have either shut down or pulled the Fireball from their attractions in response to the incident. KMG stated that the malfunction was due to a corroded support beam.