Snoopy's Racing Railway
{{Short description|Family roller coasters at Canada's Wonderland and Carowinds}}
{{Infobox roller coaster
| name = Snoopy's Racing Railway
| logo =
| logodimensions =
| image = Snoopy's Racing Railway Sign.jpg
| imagedimensions =
| caption =
| location = Canada's Wonderland
| section = Planet Snoopy
| subsection =
| coordinates = {{Coord|43.844393|-79.545872|region:CA-ON_type:landmark|display=inline}}
| status =
| opened = {{Start date and age|2023|5|18}}
| soft_opened =
| year = 2023
| closed =
| cost =
| previousattraction = Dinosaurs Alive!
| website = {{Official website|https://www.canadaswonderland.com/rides-experiences/snoopys-racing-railway}}
| rcdb_number = 20343
| extend = {{Infobox roller coaster/extend
|name =
|location = Carowinds
|coordinates = {{Coord|35.101916|-80.939302|region:US-SC_type:landmark|display=inline}}
|section = Camp Snoopy
|subsection =
|status =
|soft_opened =
|opened = 2025
|year = 2025
|closed =
|cost =
|previousattraction = Snoopy's Junction
|replacement =
|website =
|custom_label =
|custom_value =
|rcdb_number = 22011
}}
| type = Steel
| type2 = Family
| type3 = Launched
| manufacturer = ART Engineering
| designer =
| model = Family Launch Coaster
| track =
| lift = Tire launch
| height_ft = 29.5
| drop_ft =
| length_ft = 803.8
| speed_mph = 31.1
| duration =
| angle =
| capacity = 480
| restriction_in = 36
| trains = 1
| carspertrain = 7
| rowspercar = 1
| ridersperrow = 2
| virtual_queue_name =
| virtual_queue_image =
| virtual_queue_status =
| theme =
}}
Snoopy's Racing Railway is a pair of steel, family launched roller coasters located at Canada's Wonderland in Vaughan, Ontario, and Carowinds in Charlotte, North Carolina. The former in 2023; the latter opened in 2025.
History
=Canada's Wonderland=
In 2021, ART Engineering developed and opened Fridolin's Verrückter Zauberexpress (English: Fridolin's Crazy Magic Express) at Fantasiana in Straßwalchen, Austria. Although it featured multiple accelerated launch sections, the coaster had been tailor-made towards younger riders and sported a low {{convert|90|cm|in|adj=on}} height requirement, rendering it suitable for children of all ages.{{Cite web|url=https://airtimers.com/airtimers-spezial-zur-neuheit-2021-im-fantasiana/0042561/|title=Airtimers SPEZIAL zur Neuheit 2021 im Fantasiana|date=February 3, 2021|author=Andi|website=airtimers.com|access-date=July 29, 2024|language=de}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.eap-magazin.de/Nachricht/Oesterreich%3A-Achtung-Spoiler-Fantasiana-eroeffnet-Zauber-Express-mit-magischem-Extra.html|title=Österreich: Achtung Spoiler! Fantasiana eröffnet Zauber-Express mit magischem Extra!|date=July 12, 2021|website=EuroAmusement Professional|access-date=July 29, 2024|language=de}} Canada's Wonderland – which already had a working relationship with ART Engineering on Wonder Mountain's Guardian and other maintenance equipment – monitored its development and eventually commissioned a copy of the layout for their own park.
Snoopy's Racing Railway was formally announced on August 11, 2022, set to replace the former Dinosaurs Alive! attraction in Planet Snoopy and open in 2023.{{Cite news|url=https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/canadas-wonderland-to-offer-two-new-rides-in-2023|title=Canada's Wonderland to offer two new rides in 2023|date=August 11, 2022|last=Stevenson|first=Jane|newspaper=Toronto Sun|access-date=July 29, 2024}} The attraction would debut alongside Tundra Twister, a Mondial thrill ride also set to be constructed that offseason. The original coaster had been designed with a far lower park attendance in mind; Canada's Wonderland opted to expand its train with an extra car and initially planned to run it for only a single lap cycle (Fantasiana's coaster ran for two).{{Cite web|url=https://cpfoodblog.com/2022-canadas-wonderland-roller-coasters-eh-qa/|title=2022 Canada's Wonderland Roller Coasters Eh Q&A|author=Justin|date=September 19, 2022|website=FUN Food Blog|access-date=July 29, 2024}} The latter idea was scrapped and Snoopy's Racing Railway was programmed to cycle the layout twice.
Construction picked up in late 2022, with ground cleared and the first pieces of rebar planted. Track for Snoopy's Racing Railway began arriving in January 2023, and the coaster trains delivered the following month.{{Cite tweet|user=WonderlandNews|authorlink=Canada's Wonderland|number=1616140988480720896|date=January 19, 2023|title=🚨Special delivery!🚨Track for our newest roller coaster just rolled up!...}}{{Cite tweet|user=WonderlandNews|authorlink=Canada's Wonderland|number=1628088844695355392|date=February 21, 2023|title=Special delivery! The train's arrived for Snoopy's Racing Railway 🤩...}} The coaster opened to the public on May 18, 2023. For its first year of operations the park restricted access to adults, requiring all riders taller than {{convert|60|in|cm|adj=on}} to be accompanied by a child; the policy was removed in 2024 as part of a wider corporate directive.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bannister.org/coasters/trips/2023/0710.htm|title=Coaster Trips: 2023: Canada's Wonderland|last=Bannister|first=Richard|date=August 11, 2023|website=www.bannister.org|access-date=July 29, 2024}}
=Carowinds=
With the Canadian installation completed, ART Engineering was formally introduced to Carowinds in September 2023.{{Cite tweet|user=KSlideStudios|number=1821346547113599012|date=August 7, 2024|title=In case you haven't heard, Snoopy's Racing Railway is expanding its...}} Carowinds first filed permits with York County on March 5, 2024, codenamed Project Sparrow and situated on the South Carolina side of the park.{{Cite tweet|user=CarowindsFansOn|number=1765400775847481749|date=March 6, 2024|title=🤔🤔🤔🤔 What could Carowinds be planning next!}} Sparrow's contents were leaked by means of a FOIA request later that month, depicting multiple new attractions in the park's Camp Snoopy area and Snoopy's Junction miniature railway being removed to make way for Racing Railway.{{Cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/rollercoasters/comments/1bk6y8b/carowinds_project_sparrow_plans_revealed/|title=[Carowinds] Project Sparrow Plans Revealed|author=FoxxoMcFoxFace|date=March 21, 2024|website=Reddit|access-date=July 29, 2024}} The train route was ripped out in June and was expected at the time to be rebuilt on a portion of the former Dinosaurs Alive! site; these plans have seemingly since been scrapped.{{Cite tweet|user=TP_Guides|number=1801398892484796678|date=June 13, 2024|title=An overview of Project 2025...}}
Teasing began in late July, when Carowinds posted a graphic online heralding "Funner. Faster. Splashier" novelties.{{Cite tweet|user=Carowinds|authorlink=Carowinds|number=1815737413299273913|date=July 23, 2024|title=🏕️ Something new is coming to #Carowinds.}} Carowinds officially announced Snoopy's Racing Railway on August 7, 2024 alongside other attractions and upgrades within Camp Snoopy.{{Cite web|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/camp-snoopy-gets-bigger-better-and-snoopy-er-in-2025-302216119.html|title=CAMP SNOOPY GETS BIGGER, BETTER, AND SNOOPY-ER IN 2025|date=August 7, 2024|website=www.prnewswire.com|access-date=August 7, 2024}} The first anchor baskets for foundations were imported in June, with coaster track first arriving at the beginning of November while footers went into the ground; Snoopy's Racing Railway is expected to be ready for the beginning of the 2025 season.{{Cite web|url=https://coasterforce.com/forums/threads/carowinds-project.46781/page-2#post-1176843|title=Carowinds Project|author=TPoseOnTantrum|date=August 8, 2024|website=CoasterForce|access-date=August 9, 2024}}{{Cite tweet|user=Carowinds|authorlink=Carowinds|number=1854167446518727116|date=November 6, 2024|title=📦 SPECIAL DELIVERY: Track pieces have arrived on-site for Snoopy's...}}
Ride experience
Snoopy's Racing Railway consists of a short layout with two enclosed launches and multiple set pieces, which guests complete two laps on during the ride. Both attractions pit Conductor Snoopy against troublemaking from Woodstock and his friends, but feature revised storylines; the Canada's Wonderland version sees the train outrunning Woodstock's Bad Seed Gang through town before they're captured by RCMP Officer Charlie Brown, while the Carowinds attraction is set around Snoopy delivering root beer and pizza to Camp Snoopy's Mess Hall.
Photo Gallery
File:Snoopy's Racing Railway Plaza.jpg|Snoopy's Racing Railway at Canada's Wonderland
File:Snoopy's Racing Railway Offside.jpg|Plaza view
File:Snoopy's Racing Railway Station.jpg|Snoopy's Racing Railway's station
File:Snoopy's Racing Railway Launch.jpg|First launch as seen while boarding
File:Snoopy's Racing Railway Train.jpg|Full view of Snoopy's Racing Railway's train
File:Snoopy's Racing Railway Construction 1.jpg|Construction site at Canada's Wonderland in December 2022
File:Snoopy's Racing Railway Construction 2.jpg|Rebar in place for Snoopy's Racing Railway at Canada's Wonderland
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.canadaswonderland.com/rides-experiences/snoopys-racing-railway Official Website at Canada's Wonderland]
{{Canada's Wonderland}}
{{Carowinds}}
Category:Roller coasters introduced in 2025
Category:Roller coasters in Ontario
Category:Roller coasters operated by Six Flags
Category:Roller coasters in South Carolina