The most recent Family Coaster opened just in time for the fall rush. On August 31 “Tim’s Runaway Grain Wagons” debuted at Vala’s Pumpkin Patch in Gretna, Nebraska.
“It was great working with the Zamperla team to develop our new ride area to celebrate our 40th anniversary,” said Tim Vala, founder of Vala’s Pumpkin Patch. “We are excited to integrate new rides in with our active play areas our guests have enjoyed for years. The kid’s coaster is a great fit for our demographics and we have seen a lot of smiles from it this year. It was fun to help develop a theme that worked going through an antique corn crib to stay with our story of a turn of the century farm,” he noted.
The Zamperla Family Coaster is painted brown and housed in a beautiful barn purpose built by the park for the ride. North American Sales Manager Michael Coleman said, "Vala’s is a great partner for Zamperla due to the tight family dynamic and dedicated team members who all wore many hats to install and operate their first roller coaster. The coaster fits their family-first demographic perfectly and provides instant reliability during its first season. We are excited to play a small part in the continued success of a multi-generational family business who just celebrated their 40th season.”
2024 is a milestone year for the Family Coaster system. The model debuted in 1999 and the company is celebrating 25 years and over 55 Family Coasters installed on six continents.
Zamperla also celebrated two awards for their Family Coaster during the IAAPA European Expo. “Jeepo Dino” at La Récré des 3 Curés in France received a “Highly Commended” Park Excellence Award for the “Best Roller Coaster- Limited Budget” category. In addition, “Papa Wutz’ Achterbahn” at Peppa Pig Park in Germany won the European Star Award for “Europe’s Best New Family Attraction”.
“We are thrilled that the Family Coaster still offers a great R.O.I. for our buyers,” said Adam Sandy, Roller Coaster Sales & Marketing Director. “In addition, we are proud that two of our clients won these prestigious awards. It is a testament to the theming, placemaking and storytelling they did around the Family Coaster ride system. Our partners are the ones that make our rides exceptional” he shared.
