Paramount's Great America Adds Psycho Mouse Coaster

Santa Clara, CA — Get ready to drop, twist, bank and curl on Northern California's ultimate new family coaster, Psycho Mouse. This rude rodent is just one of more than 15 new thrills and adventures, including new rides, new shows and new events, that Paramount's Great America will launch during it's 2001 25th anniversary season which opens on Saturday, March 24.

In addition to Psycho Mouse, the park will introduce Celebration Swings, a soaring and exhilarating ride through the skies above Celebration Plaza, 7th Portal, a new 3-D ride adventure from Stan Lee, co-creator of Spider-Man and the X-Men, two new characters from Nickelodeon's The Wild Thornberrys, Thunder Raceway go-carts, Race the Wind, a new IMAX experience, Smash Factory action ride, new shows and special events.

There's nothing mousy about Psycho Mouse, the park's wild new 10th coaster. Psycho Mouse, created by Arrow Dynamics, Inc. of Clearfield, Utah, features 14 crazy twists and turns along 1,257 feet of track and promises thrills for kids, teens and adults.

You'll enjoy chasing this mouse through quick hairpin curves and up and down thrilling camelback hills. The roomy four-passenger mouse safely and comfortably secures guests with individual restraint bars and the elevated rear "stadium" seating assures unobstructed views from every seat.

Celebration Swings, named in honor of the park's silver anniversary, will take guests on a high-flying twirl 40 feet above the new Celebration Plaza. Created by Zierer/Offenburg of Germany, Celebration Swings spins guests in a 70-foot diameter circle at nine to 11 revolutions per minute, an exhilarating experience ideal for the whole family.

From Stan Lee, the legendary co-creator of Spider-Man, X-Men and the Incredible Hulk comes 7th Portal, a new 3-D ride simulator adventure for the digital generation. Based on the most popular animated online superhero series ever, 7th Portal combines breathtaking 3-D computer animation and motion simulation technology to transport guests across cyberspace to Darkmoor - the most dangerous universe of all. You're at the center of the action with six young beta game testers from across the globe battling Mongorr and his vicious Nullifiers before they invade the Earth through the Internet!

Imagine growing up traveling the world! Imagine that your next door neighbors are a pack of hyenas! Imagine if you could talk to animals! Well, for 12-year-old Eliza Thornberry these are just everyday adventures. Eliza's parents produce nature documentaries and wander the globe in search of exotic places, plants and animals. After a run-in with a local healer, Eliza was left with the ability to talk to animals--in their own language! Her adopted brother Donnie is a wild boy of uncertain origin, discovered in the jungles of Borneo. He climbs into the mouths of pythons, bites ferocious animals' tails, and is happy to snack on a beetle or any other insect he picks up.

Eliza and Donnie will appear at the park all season long in Nickelodeon Splat City, also home to the Rugrats and Blue from Blue's Clues.

Put the pedal to the metal as you drive an Indy-style go-cart through twists and turns on Thunder Raceway. You and a passenger will zoom along 900 feet of track during a five-minute ride of your life on this new pay-per-play ride created by H3 Entertainment of Seattle.

Race The Wind, an exciting exploration of the aerodynamics of sailing faster than the wind, features rare footage aboard "Stars and Stripes," the then-top U.S. yacht of the America's Cup. Veteran sailor Tristan Jones takes us on a stormy voyage and shares his wisdom of the wind and seas. From the earliest days of ships battling the great winds off Cape Horn to the futuristic technology of high-speed trimarans, we learn to appreciate the powerful force of the winds. Race The Wind was produced by MacGillivray Freeman Films for NTT and Imax Corporation.

Smash Factory is a hilarious high-speed adventure ride through the wildest car crash facility that never was. Join escaped employee Bob on a wild tour of underground caverns, hilarious test tracks and incredible derby-style action.

Get on your feet and clap your hands to some great new shows, including a new edition of Nicktoons Summer Jam (starring Angelica Pickles, The Angry Beaver, CatDog and Sponge Bob), Pop Fusion, featuring current pop music hits and Scooby-Doo and the Ghost in the Attic.

And you'll discover so many reasons to visit the park all season long with special events including Fiesta Hispana, a Country music festival, Joyfest and Spring Celebration Christian concerts, dances, fireworks, headline performers and more.

The park will open for weekends on Saturday, March 24. The park will be open for Spring Break from Friday, April 13 through Sunday, April 22. The park will be closed on Easter Sunday (April 15). The park will be open from Friday, June 1 to Monday, June 4. The park will be open daily from Thursday, June 7 through Sunday, August 26. The park will be open Friday, Aug. 31 through Monday, Sept. 3 and remains opens weekends through Sunday, Oct.14. The park opens at 10 a.m.; closing times vary. Operating schedule subject to change without notice.

Visit the park on-line at pgathrills.com for more information on Paramount's Great America's 2001 season.